Would you lie for me? 
Would you cross your heart 
And hope to die for me?

━━━━━▼━━━━━

There was no need to explain to Rick why she was stationed her the entire time. "She's not gonna wanna see me..." She whispered, closing her eyes and acting as though she was overseeing or patrolling. But in reality, she needed to take in this fresh air and digest it properly. "Of course she is...I'd kill to see my ma again." Arat admited, and that only made her breath unsteady.

"Are you alright?" The women beside her questioned, and Blake frowned. "I know you don't like to be touched...But Rick is—" 

"I don't trust him, his people...If you saw what they did to them..." She continued, overseeing the slightest of anything. It was brutal, the gunfire, the blood, Blake did manage to kill a few but that didn't even amount to anything.

And to make it worse, she was just there with a group for a night. A single night.

"Mom?" The voice felt a truck plowing down Blake as her eyes darted to the source, the young girl had her hair down. Completely clean from the last time they've seen one another, the mother bit her lip and made a move to take off the assault rifle from her arms. Arat was quick to take it as she hurried off towards her daughter.

One of which, running directly towards her.

Kneeing down to the ground made it easier for Blake to take her daughter into a deeper hold. Engulfing her fully as her hands supported her head and sighed so deeply into her shoulder. "Mama...Wh-Why—" 

"Addie honey...I am so sorry..." Her mother apologized, holding back the sob as it was inevitable that it would come sooner or later. But it was better to suppress it.

"Boss where you—" 

"Beat it, Neil!" Arat yelled, making the man flinch and submit to the order. Scurrying along as it was a mother and daughter moment...

"M-mom...Can we go somewhere else?" The daughter begged, and that sounded like a perfect idea to the women. So she committed to signaling off towards Arat and she followed at a nice distance.

"Who's that?" The girl asked, and Blake's friend smile at the obvious friend. "This...Is Arat." 

"Is she your friend?" The mother nodded, and although the daughter her were holding hands. It was a quick drag back as the young girl offered her hand up.

"Hello...My name's Addie." Although she was holding the extra assault rifle, it was an easy fix as she didn't want to miss this opportunity to bond with her friend's daughter.

"It's nice to meet you Addie, your mom's told me a lot about you...How about we head on to your house and I'll make sure nobody bothers the two of you...Does that sound good?" Addie smiled at the nice approach, although everyone was forbidden her to speak to her...It was this moment that made the daughter feel sick to her stomach as she eyes locked off towards Negan.

"I live with Ricky, Carl and Michonne." She stated, and Blake nodded as the name sounded unfamiliar. "Shaney and Lori didn't make it." She so calmly whispered out. In which Blake had to firmly hold out the struggle of new knowledge.

Shane was a bust for her, that was one of the more solid outcomes to this world and she no doubt would've loved to see him beside Rick right now...

"I'm sorry sweetheart, that must've been very hard to deal with..." She nodded, squeezing her mother's hand more fitfully as she continued to lead to the existing house. "I used to share a room with Carl...Cause I was scared to sleep alone..." 

"You know I'm scared to sleep alone too, that's why I share a room." She whispers, making her daughter smile up to hear that she wasn't the only one to feel the fear.

The doors were not locked, and she should've known that considering it was a 'friendly neighborhood' and the second came through the threshold, she chuckled.

"My room looks like the one we had at Grandma's!" She cheered, smiling and running up the stairs. Allowing her mother the moment to look around and frown. How had they managed to make out so...So nicely?

Perking her lips did she see her daughter running around to clean up her dirty clothes and throw them in the hamper. "Oh honey it's alright, a dirty room isn't the end of the world." She cooed, fixing her portion in the doorway as she continued to look around. Especially the little picture frames that sparked interest. They were all of her and Addie, with or without the Grimes family. Merle. Granny. Blake smiled down to herself as she placed the frame back onto the tall dresser.

"Mama...Where were you?" 

"Oh honey...I swear, I tried to get to Fort Benning. The plane was overrun and I..." She sighed, the air completely knocked out of her lungs and instead it was a distraction as she pulled her backpack around to grab the stuffed animal.

Addie squealed in delight as she recognized it within the instant. "Luna!" She bellowed, and her mother just so quickly sat beside her on the bed to give it to her daughter. 

"You had her this entire time?... I couldn't find it when I went back to the house." Blake nodded, if she could merely think it was the same one...Then it would be all the same.

"You went back to the house?" Blake whispered, and Addie smiled. 

"I went for the pictures, and Ricky wanted to get into the safe." That's when she thought for a moment, contemplating whether or not her sniper was in her safe or the locker at work. 

"Ricky was happy to find your sniper...It's in the armory I think." She whispered, already knowing where her mother's thoughts were going towards.

"Mama?" She ushered again, her arms squeezing the living life out of the second Luna and smiling. Her perfect bright blue orbs made Blake melt at the sight. "What is it honey?" She cooed, pushing the strain of hair out of her face. 

"Are you gonna help us?... Are you gonna take me with you?" Blake sighed, swallowing roughly as she engulfed her daughter back into her arms and kissing her temple.

"I am going to do everything that I can to make this easier, but there isn't any ending this..." She honestly admitted, because Addie is at the age to understand that much. The white lie of Luna wasn't hurting anyone.

"So can I come with you to your home?" That question stung, Arat and Negan were right. She'd want to come with her mother, and she shook her head. 

"You're safer here Addie...Besides, we don't live in mansions like you and your group." It wasn't that much of a location, and at most a factory won't be a given. Instead she continued sooth her daughter as she could feel her aura dwindling.

"I will visit as much as I can, but if I want to help and lessen the blows...This is the only way." A silent tear slipped down Blake's face, and she prayed to which entity that was closest that Addie would not see that. 

"Is Dare okay?" The young girl huffed, her voice shaken as well. And all that Blake managed to do was a sigh.

"I'll figure something out..." She promises, and already feels her ties being twisted. Honestly, it was already on her mind. But the ringing temperament with the radio. 

"I need you to go find Carl, alright?... Nobody is going to bother you but I have to—" The girl started to protest and Blake sighed.

"Sweetie, this...This isn't just a job, this is protecting people. You...And if I am not helping him then you guys are in trouble." Her explanation didn't sit well with Addie, and the girl managed to get out of her mother's hold. "It's like you aren't even back!" Her screeched wallowed out and Blake sighed.

"Adelyn Holden, you are old enough to know now that I worked because that is how I put you through school. A house. Each and every one of your toys...I wanted you to have everything." She whispers, but the young girl did not know the difference between her growing up and how her mother did, so she scoffed in conquest.

"You grew up on a farm! Grandma—" 

"Addie there is a long list of things that you do not know..." The daughter was once more confused, yelling that she was old enough to take the information and yet...Blake just shook her head.

"I was stuck in foster care for nine years. Two years of finally being with Grandma is when I met your father..." Addie sucked in a breath at the word 'foster care' and started questioning each and every single thing on the list of memories. Jarod. Michael. Grandma.

"I need you to go find Carl. Don't do anything stupid." Was the last thing Blake offered before removing herself from the bedroom. There was a time when she could be soft and cuddle up with Addie in her bed after a nightmare, but fifteen was enough of an age to make her understand that her life was so seemingly high because of Blake's work ethic. She wasn't home, but look what it conquered.

Blake began to hyperventilate as she came downstairs and to the front door, the slamming of the bedroom door off behind her just approached her theory. Her daughter was no longer a child, but a teenager.

A moody teenager.

Her forehead just pressed against the front door as she calmed her breath and managed to get some sort of progress in returning to a normal rhythm. With a quick inhale did she open the front door to return back to her work, to Negan and the saviors.

"Everything alright?" Arat questioned, and Blake chuckled and dried her eyes. "Like it ever was." Although she wanted to have her assault rifle returned to her shoulders, but reached deep into Daryl's vest and shuffled out a smoke.

"That bad?" Blake nodded and took a long inhale, her shaking hands only subsided when she entangled them together. 

"You know when kids think they know everything?" The mother offered, and Arat sat beside her on the wooden steps and took her own smoke from her pocket. "Yeah...Why?" 

"She doesn't know what I hid from her...What I did for her to grow up with a house like this." Sighing once more, flickering off the ash and shaking her head.

"You lived like this?" Arat breathed out, and the sad glance that Blake provided just proved her worth. "Shit...I forgot you're a—" 

"At least someone forgets, everyone looks at me like I know what I'm doing." She chuckles, shaking her head and flicking the smoke once more. "You don't?" 

"Hell no I don't. I'm supposed to be dead three times over, this is just extra time." Arat had to appreciate that Blake didn't take lightly to wasting away and relaxing like a few Saviors that she knows.

Blake applied herself wherever and whenever she sees fit. And although the voice on the walkie that sounded like Dwight issued that two of Rick's people would be out getting Daryl's bike back, she had smirk as this conquest was really boosting their means.

"Back to work?" She whispered, flinging off the now finished smoke. And to be fair, Arat nodded off only to frown. 

"Want me to stay and make sure nobody bothers her?" Blake nodded, thanking her friend as they exchanged weapons and off the mother went. Walking down the street with a glare that'd impose death on some of the lower soldiers. But it was a nice temptation to hear Negan's voice as she grew closer.

"You see this? This is the kind of thing that just tickles my balls..." She rolled her eyes as she pedaled her way forward, a few stopped and asked if there was anything particular that she wanted. Which resulted in a huff as she knew that is what Negan had done. 

"A fan would be a lifesaver, Nick." She politely suggested, and he hurried off to fulfill the request. When Blake was with Negan, neither one of them were stoppable. He had her and she had him, and it was those particular thoughts that swelled into her chest.

Because of these types of emotions, trustworthy and loyal...Wasn't something she always thought in a man, a friend perhaps. But the way she glanced at Negan was she walked right on up towards him...Was that of pure want.

Something that hasn't been really a priority in her life after Daryl.

"A little cooperation and everything is pleasant as punch. You see, we really are reasonable people once you get to know us. Honest." Blake allowed her person known as she scoffed.

"We'll see about that sir." She rallied, coming closer to see Rick, Dwight and Daryl all in a tour sort of prospect. They were just down the road from Addie seeing as they must've passed moment ago, so Negan spun around on his heel.

"Ah, there she is...You know I told Rick about the no touchy rule darling..." The genuine smile took Negan by shock as he looked further off behind her, spotting Arat but no sign of her daughter. The smile soon shifted and the women sheltered herself by hiding under her hat once more.

"Negan!...Somethin' you might wanna see." One of the men came about, holding a video camera, and it was just speculation as Blake picked up on Rick's tensing posture. 

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?... I got my fingers crossed for a little freaky-deaky." The leader waved over to his second and she came quiet slowly towards him as she could already see and hear what the video was playing.

It featured a bushy-faced Rick, long hair, terrifyingly crazy and she nodded in response. Her eyes trailing towards Rick as he was already looking to her. He fell off the wagon too.

"Is that you, Rick, underneath all that man-bush?Shiiit. I would not have messed with that guy...But that's not you anymore..." Negan taunted at the end, gazing over the camera to film him now. 

"Here you go dollface, I think you're gonna wanna keep that." He spoke, handing off the camera off to Blake as she held it.

Her eyes changed as she looked off to Rick in question, what the hell sort of place is this?

Turning off to the person who delivered it, did she demand a charger before they leave and he went right to work on trying to procure one.

A few moments had passed, Blake barely managed to get the camera into her pack before Negan took charge of the show once more. "Whatever happened to that sick girl? That seemed like a hell of a stressful night for her. The way she was carrying on, she was married to number two, right? Ahh, where is she?" The way that Rick was daring to peer up to Negan with the intention that he had, it made Blake all the more ready to put her friend down.

There were no sides, it was all just one big cluster of humanity left. That is what Negan is striving for, yet the other communities don't know of one another just yet.

"Do you care to pay your respects?" Negan jumped, his eyes landing to father Gabriel in shock. Neither could he look back to Blake as his sudden moment of weakness was arguably embarrassing to acknowledge from his standpoint. And considering nobody else had taken into the creepy posture, it was Negan's turn to cast off all better judgment.

"Ho-ly crap! You are creepy as shit, sneaking up on me, wearing that collar with that freaky-ass smile..." He laughed out, short of breath as his heart managed to render down. He did NOT like to be scared like that.

"...My apologies, I'm father Gabriel." It suddenly clicked into Blake's mind what happened, why this man had come out of the shadows the second the women in question was asked upon. 

"She didn't make it...Did she?" Blake questioned, and the sudden appearance of her voice made Daryl jump as well, taking a leveled look to the women once again...yet the damn hat was in the way as she looked towards Rick.

Trying to read him.

He didn't say anything, and nobody did otherwise as they walked to the respected grave plot of the women. Negan sighed, shaking his head to the freshly dug up dirt that lowered the women's body down. Yet Blake wasn't completely in belief.

"Damn tragedy...That's what this is." Blake stood off behind him, in perfect view of both Daryl and Rick. Just in case either one of them would want to make a move.

"Well, this must really suck for you guys. Number one? That was on me. No choice there. Lessons had to be learned after what you lot did. But number two? That didn't need to happen..." Blake was looking to the Father once more, seeing his hand pat away the excess amount of dirt.

"...Daryl force my hand. Probably put her right on her back, huh? Boy, people they—" The second a gunshot inflicted out. Blake was already in motion with a pistol in hand going to where the sound was coming from.

It was easy, given the fact that there was an added bit of glass breaking in the background. When Blake hurried up the stairs and aimed the gun to Carl, she huffed. "Fuck." She breathed, still offering with one hand to the pistol as she looked off to her own people.

"What seems to be the problem here boys?" She looked between the two parties, but more to the boy than to any of the rest. It was obvious that he was enraged as they were cleaning out the rest of their medical supplies, but in full disclosure...Sanctuary needed it too.

"C...Carl, Carl...Put it down." Rick pleaded, but it was more of a stigma to Blake here as well. He was attempting to beg for forgiveness without saying the words, as his eyes held more of story than he could manage out.

"No. He's taking all of our medicine. They said only half our stuff." Carl argued, and with that did Blake look off to Negan in question. He perked his lips and nodded, which allowed her to look down and shelter her weapon away.

The leader couldn't help but smirk at the undying loyalty Blake was showcasing once again, he wondered what would happen if he ordered her to do something more drastic, but then shook off the thought as he walked on past her.

"Of course. Oh-ho. Really kid?" Negan had a thing for kids, he was fortunate that his game of 'eenie meine' allowed Carl to live. And yet the boy had the courage to stand up to the man in the first place. 

"You should go. Before you find out how dangerous we all are." That's when Negan had completely lost it, throwing up his pointer finger to Blake as he couldn't help but widen his beat eating grin.

"This is your godkid huh?... Well, pardon me, young man. Excuse the shit out of my goddamn French, but...did you just threaten me?" Blake bit her lip, and even with Negan and his father standing right before him. It was the women he looked to.

"Look, I get threatening Davey here, but I can't have it. Not him, not me...—"

"Carl just put it down." Blake perked her lips and bit down onto her cheek yet again, this was a mess, complete and utter shambles as it was a dick measuring contest right before the agent's very eyes.

"Don't be rude Rick. We are having a conversation here...Now, boy, where were we? Oh yeah, your giant man-sized balls. No threatening us. Listen, I like you, so I don't want to go hard proving a point here. You don't want that. I said half your shit, and half is what I say it is..." Negan was just a mere moment away from having to bash in Carl's head, but the boy looked back to his godmother.

"Ms.Holden...Please..." The women shook her head. "You fucked up Carl...Just put it down." She spoke, delicately. Not making it anymore hostile than it needs to be, but Rick...Rick picked up on the choice of words.

She never swore. Always kind and curt language, especially around the kids.

"Blake's right. Unless you want me to prove how serious?...Again..." The boy let out a childish huff as he let his pistol fall in aim, not daring to look at any one of the scrutinizing adults.

What did he believe was going to happen after he let a gunshot out and about?

The boy just held up the gun to his father, and the silent exchange only made Negan want it even more. Taking it from Rick's unlawful hand.

"You know, Rick, this whole thing reminds me that you have a lot of guns. There's all the guns you took from my outpost When you wasted all my people with a shit-ton of your own guns...and I'm bettin' there's even more, which adds up to an absolute...ass-load of guns, and as this little emotional outburst just made crystal clear...I can't allow that." He smiled, his charisma was loudly making her heart flutter, his dedication was because of how much they hurt Blake.

She was close to death.

The glare that Rick gave to his son was soon blocked by Blake as she stood in front of the boy. "Ain't his fault Rick...Who ordered that attack?" She tilted her head, gritting her took at the question and he fell down at the confrontation.

"Hmm my my...Looks like darling here is still a little tense. So I'll tell you all about it, I had my men come to the rescue to the outpost. Low and behold we were missing a few. Three days later we got Blake here bleeding, shot in her side and all cut up and scrapped. Almost like the time we fucking found her in the beginning. So excuse me while we take all your fucking guns." He laughed at the end, but Carl looked more than sympathetic towards Blake while Rick stared at her with such conviction.

As Negan went off outside, and Rick followed him. Blake looked up to Carl with a sad smile and went to follow as well. But he called out to her once again. 

"You don't have to call me that anymore Carl...Blake is—" Her words were halted as he hugged her, he had more than a growth spurt from the last time she had seen him. His hair long to his shoulders. She couldn't even tell if he was taller than her now. But she smiled to herself as he hugged her tight.

"Addie missed you so much..." He breathed, and with that, she kissed his forehead and glared off to the two men. Who knew well enough not to look at this moment as she would surely yell at either of them.

Threaten even.

"What...You didn't miss me?" She whispered, making some distance and get the hair to see the cloth patch all the bit more. "What happened?" She spoke, so soft and caring that his lip quivered. 

"Got shot...A few times actually." The trust in Rick to take care and protect Addie was suddenly in question, especially if Carl has been getting hurt so much.

"Can you go find Addie, just stay with her alright. They'll leave you alone." He nodded and went off past the rest of the men and Blake met the two leaders at the bottom of the steps. "What did you say to him?" 

"I told him to go see Addie, what Rick? Is that okay?" Her aggravation was breathtaking to Negan as he's never seen her this angered, or not so close in his presence.

"You two wanna go and chat?" Rick glanced up at the idea Negan gave, but Blake felt as this was a test so she shook her head. "I don't have anything to say to him sir, shall we continue?" She enacted the search and Rick had to hold his own reaction as he walked to the building that was more or less dedicated to storage. Blake radioed in for Arat to come to this particular building. Luckily it was in view of this park sort of area and it eased Arat's search to make her way over, while Dwight ordered his men to get a truck off this way too.

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Date Posted: 03-20-19

Time: 3:24

Word-Count:4172