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

Smoke and gunfire

Blake paled as Simon lowered the radio from his lips, his eyes fixed on Tara.

There was a malice and a glee there that Blake had never seen in the mustachioed man before, a sight that caused a shiver ton run down the length of her spine.

"Simon, she's not-" began the blonde shaking her head.

But Simon spoke over her abruptly.

"No, Blake, I know exactly what she is..." he hissed out, reaching forward and snatching the gun from Tara's limp grasp. "...she's a disease. Like the rest of them in that damn community.....infecting everyone with their arrogance and their violence."

Blake frowned, making at once to argue with him, to tell him that Tara wasn't like that, but with his gun closing in on Tara's skull, he raised a single finger cutting her off.

Instead he took a looming step towards Blake's friend.

"We should have wiped you out when we had the chance," he snarled, his lip curling, as he leaned his face into Tara's. "I told Negan that at the time, but he wouldn't listen. But I know what assholes like you are capable of."

He was so close to Tara now that Blake' could see flecks of spittle from his mouth land on her cheek.

Blake's heart thudded. What was wrong with her? Why was she just standing here doing nothing right now why wasn't she shouting, yelling, helping her old friend?

Sucking in a shaky breath, Blake stepped forwards hurriedly, trying to move in between Simon and the dark-haired woman.

"Simon, listen to me, she's wasn't the one who-"

But Simon, suddenly gave Blake a hard shove aside, glaring at her.

"Blakey, as much as we all adore you," he said in a tired and almost simpering voice. "I'm gonna ask you to stay out of this."

Blake gaped in shock twisting her head to look at Simon, watching as he lurched forward and grabbed Tara by her forearm, pulling her in the direction of the door, the barrel of his gun still fixed to her temples.

Blake made to shout at him, angry at his dismissive tone with her, but all of a sudden in the midst of the commotion of raised voices, a loud wail came from behind her.

And he blonde woman, glancing around quickly, saw Mia sat up, her face red and crumpled in the darkness of the room, bawling her eyes out.

Simon, taking his chance, tugged Tara towards the door as Blake made to follow, but another loud scream from the toddler behind her caused her to stop dead in her tracks.

"Simon, wait, please-" Blake pleaded, her wide green eyes meeting with Tara's which were fixed and tired looking as though she already understood what he fate would now be at the hands of Simon and Negan.

"Blake, would you just shut your mouth for one fucking second!" Simon suddenly yelled through gritted teeth, his chest rising and falling hard as he stared daggers her way. "Or deal with your fucking kid, and let the damn men deal with this for once, will you?"

Blake blinked suddenly, taken aback.

It was so unlike Simon to talk to her like this, memories of David and the way he used to speak to her, flashing up in the forefront of her mind suddenly causing her to flinch back a little like a scolded dog.

Behind her Mia screamed out again, as Simon offered her one last fixed grimace.

But he didn't say another word, suddenly hauling open the door and pulling Tara with him out into the hallway beyond.