The Rest of your Life

Chapter 11

"Don't look so worried." Carl said to his mother as he and Rory fed the chickens, Lori doing the same, but sitting down.

"It's my job." Lori responded to her son.

"No, it's not." Carl denied. "You're a housewife." Rory let out a laugh as Lori threw bird seed at Carl.

"Yeah, punk." Lori laughed, uttering under her breath. "Do you see my house around here?" The two children went quiet for a moment before Carl spoke up again.

"They don't have a mother."

"I don't have a mother." Rory clapped back.

"Ivory!" Lori gasped. "We talked about this."

"It's funny... sort of." Rory complained, Carl ignoring his friends words. "Maybe she got eaten." Rory offered, talking about the chickens, not catching the look Lori gave her.

"Everything is food for something else." Carl continued on for his friend. Both children went quiet again, quietly feeding the animals. Lori watching on in shock.

•••

Rory was just walking round aimlessly, trying to find something to do. She saw Andrea walking from Daryl's tent and decided to go see him.

"What do you want?" Daryl grunted, looking up at the child.

"Um, remember back at the quarry?" Rory questioned, Daryl nodding at her to continue. "You and your brother said you would teach me how to throw knives? Well, I have my own, but don't tell my dad, so-"

"No." Daryl denied straight away, deciding to ignore the girl in favour for poking holes in the side of his tent.

"But-" Rory started, only to stop talking and walk away with a sigh due to the stern look Daryl gave her. Well, it was worth a try.

•••

Rory and Carl stood off to the side of the RV as they were using Rory's knives to sharpen sticks. They both looked up as Shane walked over.

"What's going on?" Shane asked Carl, tipping his hat. Carl passed Rory her knife back subtly and she slipped both back into her holster and covered it with her shirt before her dad could see properly.

"I wanna learn to shoot, too." Carl announced. Rory's head snapped up to her father as she stood next to Carl. "Can you teach me?"

"Uh, we'll, man, that's up to your parents." Shane fumbled.

"But, Rory knows how to shoot." Carl complained.

"That's cause my dad said yes." Rory responded, pointing at Shane as if Carl was stupid, which Rory thought he was.

"Well, can you talk to them?" Carl asked Shane. "They'll listen to you."

"We'll see, okay?" Shane offered. Both children began to walk off before Shane shouted them back. "Hey, let me see what you got there?"

To Rory's shock, her friend lifted up his shirt to reveal a handgun. Rory gasped softly and looked to her father who stood up sharply.

"Come on, man."

•••

As it turns out, Rory was thankful that Carl had stolen a gun. They were both at target practice with other members of the camp. Of course, Rory didn't need it, she already knew how to shoot, but she wanted to help Carl. And she did exactly that.

"Dad, can I come to the Highway with you? To see if Sophia's there?" Rory asked her father as people began to pack up to go back to the farm.

Shane sighed and looked to his daughter before walking away. "No, Rory."

"What?" The girl spluttered, walking after her father. "But that's not fair, I want to help."

"Rory, I said no."

"Dad, that's not fair, I want to help." Rory complained, her dad didn't get it. Sophia was her friend, she wanted to help find her.

"The only way you're going to help right now, is shutting up and leaving me alone!" Shane hissed, holding his head in his hands before taking a deep breath and looking at his daughter.

Rory was stood still, eyes glazed with tears. "Rory—"

The girl turned and rushed away from her father, leaving him standing alone. Not a minute after, Lori approached the man. "Just because you're mad at me, it does not give you the excuse to yell and take it out on your child."

•••

Rory had a knack for over hearing things that she shouldn't, it was a weird type of luck. After her father and Andrea had gotten back, she wanted to speak with her dad about keeping her gun on her from target practice, but instead, she was hidden behind a tree listening to his and Dales conversation.

"Their boy would be dead if I hadn't put my ass on the line." Shane snarled.

"And Otis's," Dale was quick to add on, causing Shane to scoff. "You've been vague about that night, about what happened."

"Otis died a hero." Shane vocalised.

"So you've said."

"A little boy lived because of what went down that night. I think you ought to show some gratitude." Shane declared.

"I wasn't there." Dale defended.

"No, man, you weren't." Shane clarified.

"But I was the time that you raised your gun on Rick." Dale revealed. Okay, what? Rory's breath hitched as her nose scrunched up. Her dad raised his gun at Rick? Surely not, right? "You had him in your sights, and you held him there." Dale stressed.

Rory's heart dropped as her dad didn't deny it.

"I know what kind of a man you are." Dale sneered. Yet again, Rory turned into a ninja and sneaked away.

•••

Rory had wanted to take her mind off of the things she had overheard, not wanting to come to any more scary conclusions that involved her dad, so naturally, she went off to find somebody to pester. She ended up in the house with Beth, she was teaching her how to braid.

"Like this?" Rory asked.

"Yeah." Beth giggled. "You got it." Rory twisted Beth's hair until she got bored, the older girl then brushed it out. "Do you want me to put a braid in your hair?"

"What? But my hairs so much shorter than yours." Rory said, slightly confused. "It won't work."

"It will, trust me, it will." Beth reassured. Rory shrugged as Beth grabbed a small section of hair by Rory's ear and began braiding it. When she was done Rory was left with a small braid behind her ear, and she beamed.

"Thank you, Beth!" The older girl smiled and they spent the next hour or so playing with each others hair, before Lori came in for Rory, taking her to bed.

•••
I just started writing up season four baybeeee
Who's excited? I am!

Don't forget to vote and comment! <3