Changing To Adapt ➵ TWD

➵ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ

"What's Glenn doing?" 

Lucas leans back against the bumper, head swivelling to follow Glenn as he stops beside a twitchy Lori, a basket in his hands. The words they're exchanging seem just as fierce as today's suns rays.

Shane, Rick and Jimmy gather around the map fastened to the car's hood beside Lucas - despite the hesitant look that Shane and Rick shared when the blond demanded to help. It'd been a few days since the fever, so Rick didn't have any excuses.

"The Greene's offered fresh fruit. Peaches, mostly." Shane shrugs a single shoulder.

Lucas scrubs his palms against his pants, ridding the rust gathered from the car's heated metal. "Oh?"

Noticing his interest, and feeling hungry himself, Shane turns around to locate Glenn. Over Rick's chatter with Jimmy, he yells, "Hey, Peach Man!"

Glenn glances at them from the distance, finishes his conversation with Lori and slowly treks over. 

Meanwhile, Rick brings their attention back to the map.

"The creek flows south, past that farmhouse Daryl found. Maybe Sophia dropped the doll there, the current brought it downstream."

Rick traces his finger down the paper, following the creek.

Lucas points a bit further down, standing closer to the man to branch off from his target. "Sophia loved that doll, you think she might've tried to follow it? Probably gave up, veered off towards the road where she knows we'd be looking."

He flattens the map when the wind picks up, trying to blow it off the car. Rick places a few more rocks on the corners when he notices.

"Alright," Shane joins them, twisting the map for a better view. "So, what, you think she took that road there and then she went north?"

Rick nods, turning to look at a quiet Jimmy, "Yeah. What's up that way?"

Excited to be included, Jimmy perks up, "A housing development. It went in maybe ten years ago?"

"Take a run up there after gun practice. I'll hold down the fort here, but take backup. After what went down with Daryl, I don't want anyone going out alone." Rick glances pointedly at Lucas, nods as he adds, "Better off in pairs."

Shane bumps a hand against Lucas's arm. "It's too bad you're grounded. Could've been partners." He huffs a laugh, accent heavy on the last word.

Taking it in stride, Lucas shoves him back. "Har, har. I'm seventeen, not twelve. Hershel's orders, unfortunately. But, tomorrow? I'll be ready."

With an amused huff, Rick smiles.

But Shane pushes off of the car, "Wait, wait." He chuckles, jabbing a finger at him, "You're seventeen?"

Squinting, Lucas nods.

"Huh." Shane narrows his eyes, looking him up and down. "I'll be damned."

"I thought the same thang," Rick grins.

Lucas scoffs, "I still don't get that." Then again, he's been avoiding looking in mirrors since the apocalypse started. He waves a hand above his head, "Am I tall or somethin'?"

The gravel crumbles under their boots when they push off of the car to stand at their full height, towering over Lucas by a few centimeters.

"Nah."

"Nope."

"I'm still growing."

Shane snickers, shaking his head. Then, "Listen, if I can't take Lucas then I'll take suggestions on a new partner." He leans his hip against the bumper.