Changing To Adapt ➵ TWD

➵ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏɴᴇ

It's been two months since taking in the Woodbury strays. It feels like they're rebuilding a life again.

"Hey, Judy." Lucas crouches down next to her play mat, chuckling at the mess she's made with the paint at her fingertips. The painting she's made on the concrete is simply artistic.

When she starts babbling nonsense and reaches out for him with blue-painted hands, Lucas's eyes widen in adoration. "Oh my god." He whispers.

"You can pick her up, you know?" Beth laughs, folding laundry on the table beside them.

The cellblock is quiet at this time of the day, with most people outside doing chores and sharing breakfast. He'd come inside to grab his crowbar when he'd spotted Judith having the time of her life on the floor.

Lucas smiles softly, and hesitantly reaches under Judith's arms, lifting her into his embrace. "You're gonna be the new Vincent van Gogh." He praises her, settling her on his hip like he sees Beth do. "Li'l asskicker."

Judith makes grabby hands at his face, and then, when he least expects it, she presses her wet, paint-covered hands on his chin - because he's looking at Beth in confirmation of his baby-holding skills.

Beth bursts into laughter the minute she notices, giggling into her hand, creases forming in the corner of her eyes.

Lucas can't help but laugh too, shaking his head down at the monstrosity in his arms. "That's how it is, huh?"

Once upon a time, he said he hated kids.

He was so sure he did.

But right now, holding Judith in his arms as her face scrunches up in a happy squeal, his eyes start to sting.

He can't believe something so precious, so alive, so happy is surviving in a world like this. Lori died so that this could happen, so Judith could have a life.

Beth pretends not to notice.

Blinking the tears away, Lucas chuckles when Judith smudges her hands across his cheeks this time. He gladly accepts her artistry and hugs her closer, rocking her slightly.

"Oh, no. What did she do to you?" Rick smiles toothily upon walking inside to spot this. Lucas notices quickly that he isn't wearing his gun or his holster. It's weird to see.

He smoothes down Judith's hair and meets Rick's amused eyes, "Decided I was her new canvas." 

"Say cheese!"

Lucas flinches at the yell and quickly turns to see Glenn hanging out of his and Maggie's cell, polaroid camera in hand.

"Man what the-"

It flashes and Lucas is left blinking away white dots, as Glenn saunters out, waving the photo in the air so it reveals itself quicker. Maggie is beside Beth now, smiling at the group of them and holding back a yawn.

Glenn proudly passes the photo over to Rick, who huffs a laugh at it, eyes bright and not as sunken as they used to be. Then, he hands it to Lucas.

With playfully narrowed eyes, Lucas accepts it. There they are, him holding a babbling Judith, blue splots of paint on his chin and cheek, as Rick smiles in the background.

He snorts, and shakes his head, but shows it to Judith. "Look, it's you!" She doesn't understand, obviously, and tries to grab it, but Lucas tucks it away into his pocket before she can get her blue hands all over it. "Nah uh. I think dad wants a turn, aye, wanna turn him blue?"

Rick chuckles and scoops Judith up when Lucas hands her over. "C'mon, sweetheart, let's get you cleaned up."

Lucas turns to Glenn and whacks him in the arm, "Shithead."

"Hey!" Glenn jumps away, laughing, "You like the photo, I know it."

Attaching his crowbar to his belt, Lucas sticks his tongue out at him and puts his gloves back on, ready to tend to the pigs.

0o0

Now I know that canonically, Glenn doesn't take the Polaroid camera until the episode with the helicopter on the roof and Beth's boyfriend dying, but for the sake of this, I'm saying he picked it up on their last run.