Andrea heard his scream almost instantly. Although she was fixing a jam in her prized rifle, she instantly threw it aside and reached for her knife as she took off. Carl needed her help. Of course she wasn't the only person in the camp awake this early, and she soon felt Rick and Glenn fast on her heels, but Andrea was faster. Her motherly instincts were going wild as the adrenaline coursed through her veins. She just needed to get there and protect him because that was what she did. Protect others. It only took her a millisecond to pinpoint where Carl was struggling as she heard him. The poor ten year old boy had been through too much. It didn't seem fair that one thing after another kept billowing down on the Grimes family. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw Carl on the ground and one of the monsters hovering over him. This one was especially decrepit as the skin hung loosely from its arms and back. Were they getting worse as in more monstrous? Andrea took a moment to wonder as she came over and forcefully pushed the walker from Carl. The snarling monster stumbled back from the force and Andrea instantly put her body between the walker and Carl. "Don't you touch him." Andrea growled as she narrowed her eyes at the beast. She couldn't help her response, especially after the recent loss of her own sons Ben and Billy. They would not lose another child. No more dying if Andrea had a hand at it. She raised her knife with an utter gleam of hate in her eyes as she savagely ran to the walker. Her prey weakly reached out to grab her, but Andrea was smarter, stronger. She plunged her knife in the skull of the walker and he immediately went limp, sliding down. Her work was clean as she retracted the knife, minimal blood spatter tainted her clothes, but she wasn't done yet. Rick and Glenn still hadn't arrived and she didn't want Carl to see her be who she really was: a ruthless killer, or that's what she thought. She could still hear Carl as he sat on the ground and she thought she heard him crying. Andrea's killing instinct was instantly wavered away as she swiveled back to face the small boy, his tiny hat tossed aside in his fight. Andrea's soft blue eyes searched for Carl's as she walked over and knelt by him, instantly wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into her lap. She stroked back his hair and kissed the top of his head. "It's okay… I'm here… I won't let them hurt you, Carl. Don't worry." Andrea held the crying boy tightly to her chest as Rick and Glenn appeared. She feared they may have heard her private words with Carl. She looked up and of course her eyes found Rick's as he ran over to them, picking up that Sheriff's hat. Much to Andrea's surprise, instead of just holding Carl, he wrapped his arms around both of them, and the action nearly knocked Andrea off of her feet. Well it would have if she was standing. She moved closer to Rick so that Carl was sandwiched between them as she stroked back Carl's hair. "It's okay… Daddy's here now Carl." Andrea spoke softly and gently to Carl about his father yet he still clung to her. It kind of hurt Andrea's heart to think that Carl had no mother, and no matter how good Rick was as a dad, which of course he was amazing, Carl needed a mother. He needed someone to hold him to her chest after a walker attacked or when the night's got too scary, and Andrea wanted to be that for him. She swallowed at what her own words were insinuating as she pulled away and bounced Carl up into her arms. "Come on. Let's get back to camp before more come." Andrea directed her words at Rick and Glenn as she began quietly walking, Rick on her right side, Glenn on her left as if they were protecting her and the precious cargo that was Carl Grimes.
When they arrived back at the camp, Andrea tried to set Carl down, but he still clung to her as if she would somehow disappear. Ironically enough, Carl was too providing her comfort, and she didn't mind it. It had only been a few days, so she was of course still mourning the loss of Dale… Her sons passing were only the week before. She had found herself pushing on despite the fact that Andrea just wanted to crumble apart from all of her loss. She had seen Ben and his tiny, blood drenched hands hovering over his brother Billy who was surely dead in any standard of the old world, but not here. Here, he was in the state of death before re-animation and it took all the skill and maneuver to lower him away from the scene for her to say goodbye to Billy. She wanted to end his life officially, but Abraham had volunteered kindly enough. She merely sat with Dale, expecting him to be there for her forever. She was sadly disappointed when Dale wasn't there for her forever. He grew even more distant to her at the loss of their sons, but their separation didn't necessarily start there. Upon Andrea disobeying Dale's wishes, an invisible force placated it's way between them. When she returned to the prison to help, something changed between her and Dale, but something also changed between her and Rick. Without Andrea's help, perhaps none of them would have survived, but she gave them the chance to. She gave them the window to fight, and quite frankly survive another day. Rick learned once again how much he could always rely on Andrea. She was his supporting force. It wasn't the first time she had found Rick fighting by her side. They had fought from the moment Shane taught her how to shoot as she much preferred protecting the others and doing, "The man's work," than sitting around and cooking or doing laundry. Andrea helped Rick clear the prison with Tyreese, shooting by his side even when the future seemed dim and hopeless. Andrea protected the others just like Rick had. They were almost like an inseparable pair. Many times they didn't even say thank you as it was a silent communication between them. She would find him staring at her though, like she often did him, and in a weird way it gave her a reassurance that he would always have her back. Rick saved her life from the psychopathic Thomas, coming in at just the right moment to her rescue… She fought along him with the Hunters who murdered Dale, he, protecting Dale long enough to give her that final goodbye. Andrea never thanked him for that, and as she held a now sleeping Carl to her chest, she agreed she would. Andrea sighed as she walked to where she knew Rick's tent was, hoping he was nowhere to be found. She carefully laid Carl down after disentangling him from her. He grumbled some tired words for her not to go. She knew he would be asleep soon, so she planted a kiss on his forehead and lightly held his hand so it was easy to untangle later as she watched him drift to sleep, comforted by her presence. Andrea kissed Carl one more time before she carefully left Rick's tent. She sighed with relief when she didn't see him, or anyone really, but then she felt a pang. Where was he? Rick was never this far from Carl…
Andrea swallowed as she recovered her bearings and walked the barriers of the camp, Rick nowhere in sight. Andrea swallowed as she tried to think where he would be. Sometimes she would find Rick in small, private places either crying or curled up and looking blankly ahead. Knowing that he wouldn't leave Carl helped her search as she walked over to the van they had been traveling in. It still had most of their supply. Andrea opened the back and the horror of Ben's slaughter flashed before her eyes for a moment before her wide, alarmed eyes set on Rick. He was crying, which nearly sawed Andrea's heart in half as she ducked in the van and shut the door. She crawled through the obstacle course Rick had some how maneuvered and focused her eyes on him, speaking softly. "Hey….Carl's okay Rick…. I just put him to bed." Rick still remained crying and Andrea could not tolerate it a second longer. She couldn't stand to see her best friend like that. She moved in the small opening between his legs and reached to his face to wipe his tears with her small, soft hands. "He's okay…" She repeated over and over as she continually wiped Rick's tears. It almost seemed as if he if he almost wasn't hearing her or seeing her. After what seemed like an eternity, Rick's determined brown eyes locked with Andrea's blue ones. "You saved my son's life…. I can't thank you enough." Andrea nodded a tiny bit in understanding and backed up to give Rick his personal space. She hit into an extremely hard box and it caused her to yelp, but she quickly recovered. Rick's eyes darted with concern as he leaned to gently guide her body from the dangers of that box. "Are you okay?" Andrea nodded a tiny bit as she rubbed her back. Rick sighed with relief and leaned back against the van, exasperated. "Michonne's on watch, I think I might stay with her. You should get to bed." Andrea spoke softly, gently to Rick as she carefully began to maneuver from the maze. Rick shook his head no as he caught Andrea's wrist. "Come stay with Carl and I." Andrea nodded a tiny bit in understanding, a smile forming on her lips as she left the van and waited for Rick. She reached one of her hands to Rick to help him get out and the bin of blankets fell entirely over him. Andrea let out a slight laugh as she let go of his hand and walked to the blankets to help him. She pulled the warm fleece off of Rick first before she absentmindedly began folding, almost methodically. She barely even noticed Rick beside her, watching her, as folding was nearly an impossible task without his right hand. Once Andrea finished she nodded towards him and directed her attention to the tent as they slowly began walking.
Andrea truthfully didn't know what to expect as she walked beside Rick. Nothing romantic, she knew that. Rick very clearly wasn't interested in that. Or that's what Andrea thought. She ducked in the tent first, followed by him. She then returned to hold the two pieces of tent closed as Rick easily zipped out the cold. There goes their teamwork again. Andrea sighed some as she realized she didn't bring her sleeping bag, blankets, or pillow. Rick was already moving back to lay down by Carl, but his first job was Andrea's comfort. He passed his sleeping things to her and Andrea silently shook her head no. He pushed them on her and she took them, not wanting to argue in front of Carl. Andrea sighed as she unzipped Rick's sleeping bag and snuggled inside, next to Carl. She barely noticed that Rick was laying down, his arm going protectively around Carl. Andrea laid close to Carl as well and her arm too went around him. It was the strangest sensation for her, but Andrea actually fell asleep easily between the smell of Rick's sleeping bag and her arm on Carl, sleep was imminent. The thing Andrea didn't know was Rick too was already half asleep, simply comforted by Andrea's presence. If she was here in an arm's length reach, she was safe.
Andrea and Rick both slept through the entire night, their arms around Carl. Their hands had however found each other too as they rested on Carl. Andrea's fingers were locked tightly with Rick's which rested upon Carl. She woke up first from the sun shining through the tent. She saw their hands and instantly loosened her fingers in his. What Rick never knew, wouldn't hurt him. Andrea sighed as she brushed a kiss quickly on Carl's forehead and left the tent as quietly as possible, Rick snoring loudly as she did so, letting her know he was asleep and at rest, much to her happiness.