Darker Skies *The Walking Dead*

Chapter 11

Within the past few days, Michonne has shown up, they've collected more food, Skylar was able to walk somewhat normally without feeling dizzy, they made a homemade splint for her, and Carl wasn't being so mean. He wasn't really talking to her, but he'd listen to her talk to Michonne and wouldn't glare at her.

Today Michonne was taking them out of the house while Rick stayed home to relax and heal up some more. Carl had woken up in a bad mood, made a snarky comment to Michonne about Rick, and then she decided they needed some air. The walked out of the neighborhood for the first time, taking advantage of the cloudy late summer day. In the first house they stopped in, Michonne found spray cheese in a can and acted like a walker with the fake cheese in her mouth. Skylar laughed, needing the happy distraction, but Carl wasn't having it.

"You know, I used to make toddlers laugh," Michonne said when she and Skylar calmed down.

"When were you with toddlers?" Carl asked skeptically.

"I had a child before this happened." Skylar's jaw dropped to the porch floor they were walking up to. Michonne had a baby? Tough, walker-killing Michonne had a baby? No one mentioned it while Michonne broke into the house.

"What was its name?" Carl asked without looking at Michonne. Skylar thought that was kind of rude to ask that since it was probably a sore subject with Michonne. And she did take a moment to answer it.

"Andre."

"Oh." Carl moved to the kitchen and Skylar and Michonne exchanged glances behind his back. Michonne nodded toward him and Skylar knew that meant she had to stay with him while Michonne went exploring around the house.

"Carl?" Skylar took her chance alone with Carl to maybe get somewhere with him. He kept a good distance between them since sharing a blanket with her. He wouldn't meet her green eyes and only spoke to her if he absolutely had to.

"Hm." He stood on the other side of the kitchen, looking at cupboards for food.

"I just wanted to know how you were doing." Skylar thought it was a stupid way to get to know what was going on. He wouldn't just tell her right away.

"I'm fine." She almost didn't hear him. She knew that wasn't the truth. She always told Beth she was fine when she had just gotten done trying not to cry over her parents.

"Okay." Skylar was just going to give up, it wasn't worth it today.

"Skylar." She turned from the cabinet she was looking in to see Carl standing just an arm's length away. "I'm sorry. For being mean. I just didn't know what to do with you showing up so randomly. There's been too much happening."

"It's okay." Skylar's heart fluttered. He was talking to her and apologizing. "I know what you mean."

"And you're welcome for saving you when the walkers took over the prison."

"And having to carry me all the way to a house." Skylar gave him a small smile.

"Yeah." He smiled back. Skylar didn't know what else to say, but a door slamming made it easy for her to not have to worry about that. The two kids ran to where Michonne stood outside of a room.

"What's wrong?" Carl asked.

"Just a dead animal." Michonne blocked the room so Carl and Skylar couldn't try to go in. They looked at each other, not believing her, but they left it. Michonne lead them out of the house and down the road back to where they left Rick. None of them talked or laughed about string cheese. They just silently walked towards the house, but Skylar appreciated that Carl walked beside her instead of keeping Michonne between them. The breeze was calm and Skylar felt a little at peace. Until they saw Rick with a gun, running with a limp at them, using hand motions to tell them to go back.

"Don't worry about it, just go!" He ordered when he had reached them. They ran as fast as they could with two crimpled people away from where they were staying. They ran into the woods until they found some train tracks. They stopped to take a break and share some water. Carl poured water on Skylar's ankle as if it was going to heal the broken bones, but he told her that she should keep it clean still. When Rick got them moving again, Skylar balanced herself on the rail beside Carl, who was laughing at her as she pretended to fall.

They weren't on the railroad long before they saw a sign: Sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrive, survive. Terminus.