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

Between the trees

The rain had begun to fall through the trees as Negan and Blake trudged through the woods, closely followed behind by the rest of the Saviours, all walking in silence.

Negan, with Lucille gripped tightly in his free hand, strode forwards ahead of everyone else, pulling Blake whose hand he still had attached with his own, along behind him.

But they hadn't been walking five minutes, when the dark-haired Saviour felt a tug on his fingers, Blake pulling herself to a sudden halt.

"Wait, Negan, can we....can we stop for second...please..." she uttered, her voice quiet now and distant sounding, as Negan stopped in his tracks and swung around to gaze at her.

She looked exhausted now, staring back at him with watery, pleading green eyes, that conveyed to him how much hurt was coursing through her right now.

She pointed down at her feet, and Negan's eyes flickered down remembering, only now, that she had no shoes on.

He gave a guilty sigh, lifting a hand to her shoulders and tugging her into him slightly, before he glanced around at his team of marching Saviours.

"Hold up," he uttered in a loud voice to them, causing them all to stop where they stood, raising their guns to the dark wood around them and standing guard for a moment.

Negan glanced back to the woman before him.

The person who meant more to him right now than any other fucking thing in this fucked-up world.

"You want me to carry you, Darlin'?" Negan asked in a low growl of a voice, lifting his hand to her cheek now.

But he moment that he did, he noticed a tear slide down Blake's face, her eyes fixed on him, wide and imploring.

He knew what she was going through right now...not only with what had happened with the Wolves tonight, but also finding out about Mia and her guardians.

Negan let out a harsh breath of air. Not knowing what to say right now. He was usually quick with the smart-mouthed comments, but now wasn't quite the time. But it was Blake who spoke suddenly, before he had to.

"No...I'll be fine...I just...can we take it a bit slower...."

Negan at once gave a serious nod, his chocolate eyes roving over her features.

"We're almost back at the trucks anyway," said Negan matter-of-factly. "We'll get goin' as soon as, and get you back to the Sanctuary and checked over."

But at his words Blake gave the smallest of shakes of her blonde head.

"No...." she said a little hurriedly, pursing her pink lips together now. "...please, I'd like to stay here tonight...like we planned to..."

But Negan frowned back at her, tensing his jaw slightly.

"Like hell, I am lettin' you stay out here in the state you're in, Peaches," he uttered his voice full of concern, as he trailed his thumb down at her neck, cut and covered with blood, that trailed all the way down her throat, soaking through the front of her cotton dress.

But Blake looked a little irritable at this, taking a small step back and tugging herself suddenly from his grasp.

"I'm fine, Negan," she scolded, sounding a little defensive now. "Stop fussing...I-I just want to stay in the RV...like you said we could."

A couple of the Saviour's, noticing the couple's raised voices, peered over covertly, but Negan merely shot the few a dark look, causing them to immediately turn away again, before turning his own attention back to the caramel-blonde woman before him.