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

The Gates

"What do you mean she's gone?" uttered Blake in a deadly voice, her green eyes searching Tara's face.

It was as if the entire world had fallen silent, the only sound Blake being able to hear now being the rushing of her heartbeat inside her eardrums.

But the dark-haired woman before her merely shook her head, staring around wildly.

"I-I left her upstairs, she was playing...." she said wringing her hands in panic. "I don't know how she could have gotten out-"

But Blake gave a sudden growl at this, taking a step into Tara suddenly.

Was this really some sort of stupid game to all of them? Did they really think that she would be that naive?

"I do," Blake suddenly snarled in response. "You've hidden her. You're trying to keep her from us, is that it? Fuck, Tara, I know Rick was stupid, but this is just something else!"

Bu Tara gave another panicked-looking shake of her head.

"N-No, B-Blake...I'm telling you the truth-"

But Blake merely shoved past her friend abruptly, her teeth clenched together, striding out of the wide living room and into the hallway beyond.

She could feel her blood boiling in her veins now, even more than before. Incited by Tara's lies.

Why the fuck would she believe anything that came from these people's mouths?

If she let her guard down for even a second they would try to take advantage. But, hell, if they thought they were going to use Mia as leverage, then they certainly had another thing coming!

The caramel-blonde woman stormed through the hallway and began to climb the carpeted staircase up to the first floor, taking the steps two at a time, as she heard Tara rush to follow her, stopping at the bottom with one hand on the railing.

"Blake-" Tara attempted, but Blake was no longer listening, reaching the small landing and heading into the bedroom on the far right.

She knew that this was Tara's spare room, but even so, Blake came to an abrupt halt as she took a step inside, her lips parting slightly.

For in here, Tara's disused spare room was now decked out with toys and games and even a little table and chairs just big enough for a toddler that was currently littered with crayons and paper.

This was Mia's bedroom.

There was no lie in that now.

Blake could almost smell her, as weird as that was. That gorgeous baby scent that Blake had wanted to breathe in forever on that last afternoon they had been together.

But it wasn't just this, that was a tell-tale sign.....as Blake took a tentative step or two into the room, her eyes now fixed on the drawings at the teeny table.

A tear slid down her cheeks as she bent down to pick up the picture closest to her, the one she has noticed almost immediately, crying out to her from across the room.

It was of a man and woman, crudely drawn in crayon. The woman with long blonde hair and pink lips drawn into a smile, and the man, with black hair and a black jacket, carrying a large orange stick in his hand.

Blake couldn't help herself now, clutching hand over her mouth, as she whimpered out.

There was no doubt now that Mia had been here...and that she missed them as much as they missed her.

And that thought alone broke her heart.

Blake spun around suddenly, as she heard a creak from behind her, spotting Tara stood in doorway with sad and worried eyes, staring back at her.