Beauty and the Beast. (Negan.)

06.

Today, Jenn was helping Blake in the infirmary. Well, she was supposed to be helping but really, she was running around the small space while her mother nursed a niggling headache. 

She looked up though when the door opened, giving Rick a bright smile.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked, "You feeling okay?" 

"I'm fine," he replied, "We didn't find anything yesterday. So, me and Aaron, we're going back out." 

"Now?" 

He nodded, "Gonna be out for a couple days this time." 

"Yeah?" she asked, "Okay. You want me to look after Judith?" 

"Olivia's gonna stay with her. Take Emily round to ours. But Carl, could you keep an eye on him? I haven't seen him this morning, but he's pissed. So please." 

"Sure," she nodded, "I'll keep an eye out." 

He hollered a thank you over his shoulder as he left and Blake took a seat on the floor next to Jenn, who was playing with the stethoscope. 

"Mommy?" she asked quietly, looking up at her, "When is Mr Negan coming back?" 

"I'm not too sure," Blake murmured, looking back down at her clipboard, then she lowered her voice so Jenn couldn't hear her, "Hopefully never." 

She really couldn't deal with another visit from him so soon. Not after last night's thoughts.

Her thoughts turned to what she was going to make for their dinner. There wasn't much left in the pantry; Negan and his men might not have taken a scrap of their food but even then, there was practically nothing.

She had seen some tinned tomatoes in there which, if no one else had taken them, she'd grab on the way home. She had some meat left over in the freezer from a deer that Daryl had caught a while back. 

Daryl. 

Blake wondered if he was okay. If Negan and his men were treating him all right. 

He had always treated her well. He'd always make sure that she and her girls had enough food and Jenn loved him. 

She just hoped that they hadn't killed him. 

~*~

Carl was gone and Blake was panicking.

Rick had left him in her care and he was gone.

"Why can't this kid ever give me a damn break?" she hissed, leaving Eric and Aaron's house after checking that he wasn't there. 

First, he threatens Negan's men and now, he's gone. 

"He's gonna kill me," she whispered to herself, taking Jenn's hand to lead her across the empty street to Eugene and Rosita's, "Rick is actually going to kill me." 

The two of them weren't in and so she quickly returned to Rick's house and decided that she'd wait with Olivia incase he came back.

Then she was gonna give him a piece of her mind. 

Jenn was upstairs with Judith and Emily, who were at this moment in time sharing a crib for a nap and Blake decided to make her and Olivia some coffee. 

"Where do you think he is?" the other woman asked as Blake placed a mug down in front of her, "Do you think he went after Enid? She probably told him where she was going, right?" 

"She probably did but I really don't think he'd go after her. He might just be outside the walls...venting his anger. Rick said he was pissed." Blake said, "I just hope he comes back soon. Before Rick preferably but y'know." 

Somehow, she doubted that he would be.

~*~

She was right and the next day, Carl still wasn't back and with herself getting increasingly worried, Blake made the decision to go out and look for him. 

It was silent as she walked down the deserted road and she sighed. She'd give anything for her old MP3 player right now. 

For some reason, Dolly Parton came into her head. Here You Come Again to be precise and soon, she found herself humming the melody quietly to herself. 

That moment was ruined by a walker stumbling out from the woods a couple of feet in front of her, making her stop. 

It had been a long time since she had done this. The last time she had taken care of one of these things was, at least she thinks it was, was before Emily was born. 

Yup, a hell of a long time. 

She released a quiet breath as it ambled towards her, gripping the knife tightly and standing still until it was close enough. Then she struck. 

She grabbed the walker round the back of the neck and stuck the knife through its eye. 

"Just like riding a bike." 

Crouching down, she wiped her knife off on the shirt of the walker and looked around. 

There was woods on either side of the road so she knew that there was a high chance that he was in the woods. Makes sense to keep hidden.

As she moved to step into the woods, she saw a car in the distance and hid behind a tree, watching as it came to a stop and three people emerged. 

"Are you kidding me?!" 

The three men spun around to look at her, the third man, who she didn't recognise pointed a gun at her. 

"Hey!" Negan snapped, "We do not fucking raise weapons at people unless they deserve it. And believe me, she doesn't fucking deserve it." He then looked at Blake and grinned, "Beautiful. What are you doing out here all on your own?" 

"Looking for him!" she yelled, pushing past him to get to Carl, "What the hell were you thinking? You went with him? Do you know how mad your dad would be if he came and you weren't there?" She then whirled round on Negan, "And you? What the hell were you doing? Taking him with you? An-" 

"I think you need to calm down," Negan said loudly, making her stop but he smiled at her and moved to stand in front of her, "Now before you start going off on me, you should know. This kid, snuck into the back of my truck, he killed two of my men. Two fucking men. I should've killed him. But I didn't, y'know why?"

"Why?" she whispered, "Gonna use him as bait against Rick? Seems your kinda thing."

"Ohh," he groaned, "I don't know where this fire is coming from, Beautiful. But I gotta say, I really fucking like it."

She stayed still as he ran his finger over her jaw, looking into his dark eyes as he licked his lips. Something he always seemed to do and she couldn't help but keep her eyes locked on his tongue. 

Noticing this, he stepped closer, "I see it in your eyes, y'know?" 

Shaking her head, Blake stepped back, "You can't see anything. Carl, get moving. We're going home." 

The teen nodded and it was then that she noticed that he was no longer wearing his bandage. 

"Negan," the man he had brought said loudly, "Dead are coming."

"And that's our cue to go. C'mon." Blake muttered and started walking, "Bye Negan."