I think I liked you better when you didn't have a knife in your hand, Peaches

The dark road ahead

It was silent in the cab of the truck, with the only sound that could be heard, being the heavy rain, hammering down against the roof. But everyone else inside, was silent, Arat in the driver's seat, Danny to her right, and Negan with his elbow propped up against the window, hand over his bearded mouth, staring out of the steam-covered window beside him.

He was slumped down into his seat, with Lucille propped up over one knee, and his brow fixed into a heavy frown.

Neither Arat or Danny had dared speak since Negan had given the order to park up here, just a little way away from Alexandria, about ten minutes ago.

And Negan, feeling huffy and a little irritable to say the least, had not explained the reason why they were stopped here instead of speeding back down the road ahead, and making their way back to the Sanctuary.

But to be honest even Negan himself did not really know why he had told them to pull up the trucks....just waiting....

Perhaps part of him wanted to go back for her....to make sure she was ok...Blake....

He didn't trust those people even the tiniest fucking bit. And knew just what they were fucking capable of.

So he would wait for short time here, while he made his mind up whether or not to go back for her tonight.

Blake, as Negan knew full-well, was pretty strong willed. But even so, Negan wanted more than anything to make sure she was safe....wanting to protect her beyond anything else in this fucking world.

Negan was besotted with her,and after last night, even more so now than ever before.

She was perfection to him, in fucking human form, and right now she was the only good thing he had in his life.

For the first time in a long, long time, Negan wasn't just living day-to-day....instead, he looked forward to getting up, to seeing her smirking face....hearing her teasing voice....

He had known for what seemed like an age now, that he was well and truly fucked.

Smitten with her.

Completely and utterly.

They had only been there about fifteen minutes , sitting in utter silence with the engine turned off, when suddenly seemingly out of nowhere, speeding down the road adjacent to the one they were currently waiting on, came the bright headlights from a vehicle of some sort.

It was going a fast, pelting down the road, going perhaps a little more than seventy down the road, its lights flickering between the trees as it went, before disappearing from sight.

Negan pulled his hand from his chin, sitting up a little straighter now.

The car or whatever it was, had taken the second route out of the small settlement, down the path that Negan and the Saviours usually used to travel in and out of Alexandria.

But tonight, thinking that anyone that might follow them, might take this main road out of the town, Negan had dictated to Arat that they go this way, coming to stop here just a little further up the track.

Negan from the corner of his eye, saw Arat and Danny both look in inquisitively his way.

"Want me to get the other truck to go follow it boss?" Arat asked promptly, with the right amount of respect in her voice.

But Negan let out a hard huff and was silent for a long long moment, pondering.

Maybe it was time they took off anyway. Negan knew he had a hard time listening and honouring other people's requests but knew that with Blake he needed to be different. He need to respect what she wanted...

And if that meant leaving her here for a couple of days to talk things out with Rick the Prick and the others, then he would allow her that at least.

And so, with a wave of his hand, sinking back down into his seat, Negan finally spoke.

"No, let's get on after it ourselves," he said in a gruff tone. "See what ol' speedy-fuckin'-Gonzalez is up to at this time of night."

And, with a sharp nod from Arat, the curly-haired woman started up at the engine and circled the truck promptly around, doubling back to re-join the side road...

....following slowly after the speeding vehicle.....

It was dark now...

And somewhere nearby Blake could hear a muffled snarling and a snapping of jaws...

But parting her lips and letting out a small groan, her eyes still squeezed tightly shut, she shifted against something hard...a sharp ringing in her ears, clouding her head and thoughts completely.

What was going on?

Where was she?

But before Blake could dwell any longer on anything...

...she slipped back into the darkness...

....passing swiftly back into unconsciousness...