Chapter Text
"Don't move," uttered Michonne in a raised tone, pointing a stern finger at Blake.
It had been a few minutes now since Negan had left them, and Rick, having followed the dark-haired Saviour to the front gates, making sure him and the rest of his cronies had definitely left, had left Michonne standing guard.
But Blake, having long since stopped caring, had settled herself into armchair, her slender and bare legs crossed over one another.
She arched an eyebrow up towards the tall black woman at her side.
"Don't worry," she said with a tired sigh, under her breath. "I'm not going anywhere This is my fucking house after all…"
Michonne turned her head sharply towards Blake, scowling. But she didn't have time to say anything in response, as sudden heavy footsteps entered the hallway once more.
Blake almost rolled her eyes now, as she saw Rick appear in the doorway, looking sweaty and harassed.
"They're gone," he said curtly to Michonne glancing at him momentarily before his beaded eyes flickered almost instant back towards Blake.
She knew what was coming of course.
"What the hell was that all about?" came Rick's sudden loud voice as he paced towards her, pointing back in the direction of the front door, which Negan had disappeared out of, less than five minutes ago.
But Blake kept her gaze down, instead slowly reaching over and grasping up Negan's half-drunk glass of bourbon from the coffee table easily.
"I don't know what you're talking about.." she murmured giving a shrug.
But at once, Rick had wrinkled his nose, cutting swiftly across her.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about Blake!" he shouted loudly, baring his teeth. "Why did you lie to us about Negan? You told us he kept you locked up…that you didn't see him..."
At this Blake paused for a second, lifting the glass to her lips and taking a sip of the brown liquor, and it was a moment before she finally gulped down the burning alcohol and peered up at Rick lazily.
But she didn't speak.
"What? You spying on us for him, is that it?" said Rick inching towards her and cocking his head to the side. "Feedin' him information?"
But at this, Blake immediately pursed her lips, a frown line shifting its way between her brows.
"No, I'm not, Rick," she said with contempt in her voice.
But Rick didn't seem happy with that response, his lips twitching, trying to search for the words.
"Then what was he doing here, huh?" he asked in a raised voice. "Why did he come to see you?"
Blake gave a tiny gulp at this. Was she going to tell them the truth…about all that had happened between her and Negan…how her heart seemed to flutter the moment he came into a room?
She gave a small sigh, her fingers toying with the glass tumbler in her lap.
"I don't know…." she said in a quiet voice.
How could she tell these people the reality that he was really here because he wanted to speak to her…that he had wanted to see her…
But Rick looked furious right now, angrier than Blake had ever seen him.
"We trusted you," he shouted loudly. "We let you come back here…to live among us-"
But Blake frowned darkly.
"This was my home too Rick!" she replied in a sharp tone, her voice becoming heated. "You don't own these houses. You don't own Alexandria."
"When it comes to stuff like this, then yes I do," Rick grolwed angrily, pointing at the floor, almost stamping his foot in fury. "You betrayed us. You betrayed all of us."
But Blake scowled indignantly.
"What are you going to do? Huh, Rick? Kick me out?" she said suddenly slamming her glass down onto the table, sloshing liquid all over the sides. "For what?! He was the one that came to see me, not the other way around!"
She got hurriedly to her feet, as Michonne glared back at her, taking a step forward of her own, looking as if she was about to take Blake down at any given second.
But Rick shifted his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably.
"Just answer me Blake," he said his eyes twitching back and forth as he stared at her. "Are you workin' for them?"
But Blake just shook her head. "No, I'm not," she said exasperatedly. "And even if I was, what information would I be able to feed back to them? That you have no guns, no food and are out scavenging every day? What secret stuff am I gonna tell Negan that you haven't already told him yourself, hmmm?"
She shook her head, turning away and facing the large window over-looking her back garden.
"You said you didn't know anything about the Sanctuary…about Negan…" Rick pushed, shuffling forwards once again.
But Blake rolled her eyes, laughing incredulously.
"Fine, I lied, you happy now," she said in a dark voice, glancing back at the brown-haired man over her shoulder. "But there's nothing to tell. I mean, Carl went there….he told you everything about the place itself, and Negan…well, you've met him yourself…he's a pretty fucking open book. He's got five wives, carries a baseball bat he calls Lucille. He's got a penchant for irritating the hell out of people, and he likes to strut around the Sanctuary like owns the place. That enough for you? Or what else is it you want to know about him, Rick? What his favourite colour is? Or his shoes size?!"
Rick looked absolutely livid, but admittedly Blake's face wasn't far from the same look either, both of them seething right now as Michonne looked on, a dark scowl plastered over her own features.
Silence fell over the room for a minute or so, no-one even daring to speak.
For Blake had said her piece now and each point she had made, she knew for a fact, had been perfectly valid.
Ok, she had lied to Rick and the rest of the people here, but what good would it have done them to find out the truth?
But Rick, looked anything but satisfied right now, as he gritted his teeth and paced about in a small circle, doubling back on himself two or three times, obviously thinking.
"I'm gonna have Rosita keep an eye on you-" he said finally, as Blake gave a loud moan cutting across his sentence before he could finish.
"Not Rosita," she pleaded cocking her head to the side, knowing full well what the woman's reaction would be once she heard that Negan had started making house calls with Blake.
Rick pursed his lips for a small second. "Fine, Tara then," he said with a wave of his hand. "But we are not done here, you understand me?"
But Blake just stood there passivily. Uncaring about whether Rick did return to interrogate her or not.
"So, what?" she said sounding slightly frustrated by Rick's words. "You just gonna keep me locked in here…for what? For good? How is that any better than what the Saviours did to me back at the Sanctuary?"
But Rick had already turned away, instead acknowledging Michonne now.
"See if we've got any sort of recording device," he said to her in a low voice. "A tape recorder or somthin'. That way if he comes back to see her, we can-"
But Blake scoffed loudly at this, folding her arms across her chest.
"Uh, there is no way you're putting a listening device in my house," she said in a loud voice, pointing a finger at Rick as he swiftly swung around to look at her. "If he finds it, he'll kill you, you know that right?"
She of course knew who they were talking about. And knew for a fact that Negan would certainly have something to say if he found out they were trying to secretly record their conversations.
Besides, did Blake really want evidence of their flirting on tape?
But Rick scowled darkly. "You don't have much of a choice right now," he murmured, turning back to face her fully now. "If he comes back, that way we'll know exactly what he's planning."
But Blake, at this, gave a loud groan of utter frustration, staring up at the ceiling momentarily before looking back at Rick and Michonne.
"Urgh! He's not planning anything!" she cried loudly. "He came to see me, alright? He just….he likes me, ok? You happy now?"
Rick and Michonne stopped suddenly, at Blake's words looking back at her wide-eyed, with mouths hanging open.
Fuck.
Blake hadn't meant for the words to spill out of her mouth just like that, but here she was…looking now, sheepishly back at the pair of them.
And for a moment, Rick and Michonne glanced at each other, mouthing at the air, as if neither of them had really been expecting this outburst. Not really knowing what to say in response.
But it wasn't even a moment later, that Rick, giving a shake of his head, turned neatly on his heel, not even uttering another word in Blake's direction.
Storming swiftly away, looking furious with her.
But Michonne lingered for a brief moment, her eyes now much softer than Rick's, before tearing here own eyes away and following Rick back into the hallway.
"So, what? I'm just supposed to stay locked up in here?!" Blake called on through after them, rounding the corner and heading after the pair.
But Rick now stopped, illuminated in the moonlight pouring out from her front door, just gave a loud irritable huff.
"You can stay here until I decide what to do with you next," he said breathing hard, his fists clenched at his sides angrily. And with that Rick headed out into the warm evening air.
Blake shot an incredulous look Michonne's way, but she just stared blankly back at her.
"Just do as he says," she finally muttered to Blake in a hushed voice. "Please."
And with that, Michonne turned on her heel and followed hurriedly after Rick….
….leaving Blake standing there, inside her hallway…completely alone….
Fuck….
…what had she done?
----------------------------------------
Blake gave a heavy sigh, standing at her darkened kitchen window, and staring out at the dimly lit street below.
It was almost 10pm and, having changed out of her summer dress and having put on pair of shorts and a vest, Blake, had her arms folded watching Tara and Sasha as they stood guard outside Blake's place, chatting to one another.
All this was what Blake had been trying to avoid all along. Feeling like a prisoner in her own home. First it had been David that had made her feel that way…but now all this, it was her own stupidity that was the cause.
She could have just confessed and come clean to Rick about her relationship with Negan from the beginning. But it was hard, technically nothing had happened between them. Negan still had his wives….and Blake had only just lost David…so…
She pursed her lips together, as she noticed Tara look up and over her shoulder at Blake, giving her a brief encouraging smile.
Tara had not come inside to see her and Blake felt guilty about the fact Tara had been unable to attend tonight's drink's party hosted by Maud down the street, all because of Rick's orders.
It was so so stupid.
Why on earth did she need babysitting? It wasn't as if she was going to steal a car and run off after Negan?
Rick of course had heard what Negan had said after all. That he would be returning at the end of the week to see her….for their date.
But as happy as the thought of that had made her when she had been busy flirting with Negan…now it just made her feel worried and uncomfortable.
What if Rick tried anything while the dark-haired Saviour was here?
Negan or one of the Saviours, would surely kill him. Blake knew Negan too well now to know that he would not take any shit from anyone, least of all Rick the Prick, himself.
Blake glanced down now, letting out another tired sigh. Maybe she should just go to bed out of the way…trying to forget the events of earlier tonight….
But how could she?
It had been good to see Negan again after all these weeks.
He was everything to her. And as arrogant as annoying he made himself look to others, Blake had seen a different side of him…one that she had perhaps hurt a little by leaving just like that….
She herself hurt inside now at the thought of being apart from him…him brightening her day with every moment he spent in it.
But she couldn't turn back the clock just like that…..
How could she allow herself to open up…to get close to him…when she had so much inner turmoil she was currently dealing with.
Mia had been her one chance. And that was now gone. And as much as she pretended she was ok with that, she just wasn't.
But maybe Negan could make it all ok again…
…..but even that, that would take time for Blake….
Her sad gaze now flickered back up to her porch outside, watching now as a tall figure strolled casually up towards the awaiting Sasha and Tara.
Blake shifted slightly on the spot, narrowing her eyes and craning her neck to get a better look at who it was, as they bartered with the women out there.
But Blake gave a tiny gulp as she realised just who the figure actually was.
It was Steve. Now in a pale blue shirt that was rolled up tightly around his biceps, carrying something large between his hands.
Blake saw Sasha nod a little reluctantly at him, before allowing him to slide easilypast her.
And it wasn't another moment that he disappeared from sight momentarily, before bounding up Blake's porch steps two by two and knocking loudly on her front door.
The caramel-blonde woman gave a small frown to herself, slipping slowly back into the hallway, arms folded across her chest a little defensively before pulling open the door.
"Hi, Steve," she said in a tired sounding tone, not really in the mood for chit-chat right now.
But Steve gave her a wide soft smile in return, taking in a deep breath and cocking his dark-haired head to the side.
"Hey," he murmured in return, his eyes drifting over Blake's features. "I…err…..I missed you at the, uhhh….the thing earlier…."
Blake forced a small smile, just to placate him for a moment.
"Sorry, yeah I was…." she began, before sighing lightly and changing tack. "…well, I just couldn't make it."
Steve gave a nod.
"Yeah, someone mentioned something about that Negan guy coming to see you…" he said questioningly, before smiling once again.
It was obvious Steve, not having been here too long, didn't know that much about Negan and the Saviours just yet.
"Uhhh…yeah…." Blake replied a little distantly.
God, had the rumours really spread that fast? People already whispered about her behind her back, so she dreaded to think just what they would be saying about her now!
But Steve, looking like a happy puppy, obviously not realising there was that much wrong with Negan just 'dropping by' to see her, just grinned, holding out a covered plate towards her.
"Well I just thought I'd bring these over to you, seeing as you missed out," he said in a kindly voice. "It's just a few pieces of fruit and some sort of cake. It tasted pretty good."
And with that Steve handed her the dish gently.
Blake's eyes flickered swiftly up to his, as she paused momentarily, one hand on the plate.
"…Thanks.." she managed to murmur in response, a little taken aback that anyone would even think of her like this.
"No problem…" he said sweetly. "And I promise I won't stare at you in the shower tomorrow. I swear."
At this Blake laughed, nodding.
"Noted," she said smiling now herself, as she chewed on her lips, staring back at Steve as she turned slowly and began to head back down the steps.
"Bye," he called back to her in one final gentle tone, shooting her one last look…..
Was that really it?
Had he really just come to bring her some food?
Blake hovered for a long moment, watching as he disappeared away…..
..before slowly pushing her front door closed again, shutting out the night, Tara, and Sasha….clutching the plate in her hand, tightly to her….
….before letting out the smallest of bemused smiles…
Damn.