Stand By You (Carl Grimes)

Family Photo

A/N This is just a small time skip to when they find Morgan for the first time after the first season.

A women named Andrea, that was supposedly part of the group, visited the prison. She warned us that The Governor was going to attack, using an army of Woodbury residents. We were dangerously unarmed for this, so Rick decided to take Michonne, Carl and I to King County to find more weapons.

We were walking through the desolate town, that once was bustling. Carl keeps mentioning the fact that he doesn't trust Michonne. I'm kinda neutral on the whole topic. I have to keep squinting my eyes from the blaring sun. A nice pair of sunglasses would be appreciated right now.

Carl takes off his sheriff hat and gently rests it atop my head. I smile at him, sort of blushing. I don't know but some for some reason Carl keeps making me blush. My mom had told me before she died, that once I was thirteen I would start noticing boys. But being ten at the time, I completely found that disgusting.

Now though, I really don't have a problem admitting to myself that I might have a crush on Carl. I mean he's my best friend, but he's got those crystal blue eyes that could make God jealous. His hair is a nice soft brown, it's long, but it suits him. The sheriffs hat adds a nice touch.

A few feet ahead, a series a boobytraps line the streets. Wooden poles protrude out, pointy side up. A walker approaches us, instead getting entangled in one of the traps. Suddenly, a bullet explodes in its scull. A sniper wielding man on top of the building yells at us to drop our weapons and leave.

Rick pulls out his gun to fire at the man and he shoots at us. Carl tugs at my arm, pulling me to the sidewalks. Bullets fly from everywhere, but no one gets hit. The man approaches us and Carl pulls out his gun. The bullet doesn't penetrate his vest, but it's enough to KO him.

"Come on guys help me lift him." Rick hooks his arms under his shoulder. Carl and I hoist up his legs and Michonne supports the middle of his body. His apartment is a complex building filled with booby traps. You can't step anywhere without worrying about getting your head chopped off. At the top of the stairs a thin, translucent string runs through the door frame.

Carefully, we manage to set him on a cot toward the back. Chalk writings are scribbled along the walls like the cells of a mental asylum. Some of them reading "unsafe" "turned" and "burned out." Whole buckets of ammunition and guns of all sorts are stored on the ground. Carl wonders off the another room, me trailing behind.

A map is drawn on the chalkboard, streets and important vantage points are labeled throughout. Rick comes up behind, seeing the map. He points out his house and the fact that it's labeled "burned out". "Hey dad, I need to go get something." Carl says. "What?" Carl glances at me. "I thought I could get a crib for Judith. You know at that baby store." I've always loved helping Carl with Judith.

"I'll go." Rick, rubs his forehead. "No, I'm not letting you two go out there alone." Carl looks at me frustrated. "I'll go with them." Michonne chimes in. I'm fine with that, as long as I get to go with Carl. "Ok fine, but stay together." Rick eventually gives in, staying with the injured man.

Back outside, Carl takes the lead. He seems to know pretty well where everything is. Michonne offers to take out the incoming walker. Just then, Carl grips my wrist pulling me around the corner. "What are you doing?" My voice in a low whisper. "Getting something important." Sometimes I question this kids thinking.

"Hey, what are you doing!" Michonne yells. "Getting something for Judith." He reassures. Michonne glances across the street, than back to the direction he's walking in. "The baby store is that way." He halts, looking back. "I know. I just need to quickly do something." What ever he needs to do seems important to I support it. Michonne reluctantly follows.

Carl and I play a game of 20 questions while we walk. He wins in four, when he figures out that I was thinking 'home.' We stop at some sort of restaurant, Carl uses his sleeve to wipe away the dust. I peek inside, seeing walkers everywhere. "Well that's gonna be easy." I say sarcastically. Carl devises a pretty good plan, tying the cages of rats to skateboards.

The walkers immediately follow the cages, trying their best to get the prize inside. We quietly sneak, avoiding making the least amount of noise that we can. My hand sits ready on my knife handle. Carl points to a picture above the bar. It seems to be of a family, the Grimes family. Carl hoists himself up on the counter, unhooking the frame.

Out of no where a walker hand, locks its fingers around his ankle. I swing my blade at the wrist, dislocating it from the arm. This seems to set off a chain reaction of the walkers noticing us. The three of us bolt toward the door and I notice Carl drop the frame. I desperately want to grab it, but that option seems dangerous. We make it out the door unharmed, but Carl's disappointed.

"I just wanted her to know what they looked like." I place my hand on his shoulder, shooting him a sympathetic smile. "Hold on." Sword in hand, Michonne sneaks around the back. Carl and I wait in silence for a few minutes. Michonne emerges with a frame and a bright statue. "Thanks." Carl smiles, a genuine smile that I haven't seen in a while. "I just couldn't leave this." The cat statue is full of all the bright colors that you could name.

At the baby store, we pick up a crib, some extra formula and a toy duck I found. Carl jokes around making the funniest duck impression I've ever heard. We all carry a side of the crib back to Rick. Rick and the man, Morgan, are outside. "Sorry for shooting you." Carl says. "Hey, don't you ever be sorry." The man continues fixing his traps.

We load out findings in the back of the car. I overhear the conversation between Rick and Carl. Rick asks if he things went with Michonne. Carl says, "I think she might be one of us." I strap the belt over my torso, next to Carl. On out drive back we see the "burnt out" buildings. I close my eyes, falling asleep on Carl's lap.