"Thought you'd like a treat," the mother said placing it on the bedtable.

"Sorry about yesterday," apologized Carl, his head slightly bowed.

Carol laid a gentle hand on the teen's. "I know it's a hard time for you right now, but thank you for apologizing."

Carl nodded and took a tentative bite of one of the cookies. He was surprised at the sugary taste remembering when his own mother Lori would make homemade cookies for him.

"Do you like it?" asked Carol bringing the teen out of thought.

Carl swallowed the bite. "Yes, thank you."

"Well…its luck that Glenn and the others were able to bring back the supplies."

Carl broke the baking in half and gave it to the mother. The two ate in silence. Carl's eye traveled around trying to see if Remi was in the room or not. She was still gone.

"You're father told me about someone," Carol began. The teen noted she was being careful with her words.

Carl didn't respond in anyway, just kept eating the cookie.

"Riley, I think it was…"

"Remi," Carl immediately corrected. He was about to take another bite when he realized he had walked right into the mother's trap. He set the baking down, realizing that she had purposely said the wrong name to get the teen to speak.

"So who is this girl?" Carol asked, her voice going slightly husky and eyes narrowing on the boy.

"She's being keeping me company," replied Carl sending the mother an equally intimidating expression.

"How long has she being here?"

"A little over a week or so...why?"

"Hmm, you know why."

Carl was surprised by the mother's short response. He looked up and his eye widened in surprise to see Remi standing in the corner. However she didn't have the dark glare like when Rick was in the room, instead the expression was neutral.

Damn she's quiet…!

"Carl?"

The boy looked at the mother and then said, "I…yeah she's being here for a…a week."

"You already told me that."

"Then what do you want to know?"

Carol raised an eyebrow, looking at him as if he had just answered his own question.

"Where's she from?"

"I don't know. But she's not from Hilltop if that's what you're getting at."

"That is what I'm getting at Carl."

"She's not a spy and she's not a thief."

"Never said she was."

There was a tense silence that steadily grew between the pair. Carol drew in a slight breath and then finally spoke.

"How old is she?"

"Dunno, about my age or so."

"What does she look like?"

Carl looked back to Remi seeing that she was still there. Slowly the teen raised a finger to her lips.

"She's brown, long black hair in a ponytail, has three piercings on her ear and wears chromic military boots."

"Military?" Carol repeated.

"Yeah, she also wears dogtags."

Carol frowned as she studied the boy. After a few beats she nodded to the bowl.

"Finish eating."

With that she got up and left. Carl looked at the bowl and started to dig in, but after a couple bites his hunger started to disappear. He looked up to see Remi still leaned up by the door.

"What?" he demanded.

"So forceful," commented Remi.

Carl set the bowl down as the teen walked up to his bedside. She sat down on the upturned bucket and looked over at the table.

"Hmm, stew….Oh cookie!"

She picked one up and broke it in half she offered one to Carl who shook his head. With a shrug Remi started to eat.

"Thanks for that," Remi nodded as she took another bite.

"I should've told her," Carl ignored. "She would've believed me."

"Good thing she brought cookies, otta loosen the tongue right?"

Carl looked over at Remi, his brow slightly furrowed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he tried.

"You've seen the changes boy don't lie, those cookies probably weren't out of the goodness of her heart."

Carl scoffed and looked out the window, he saw Carol over by his father who was securing some of the defenses. He watched as the two conversed for a couple moments, his father turned his head to the window and Carl let the curtain drop.

"Told you."

"Shut up."

Carl leaned up against the headboard. His eye downcast with betrayal, Carl should've known though he wasn't being careful. The teen went over the words he had told Carol wondering if he had unintentionally said anything that would incriminate Remi.

"Well I don't think you'd want to burn down that bridge."

Carl shrugged the blanket off. He groaned as his muscles squeezed together as he pushed himself off the bed. He looked over to see Remi rising to her feet as well.

"This isn't a good idea."

"Shut up."

He took a couple tentative steps. To his relief he was starting to get better with his motor skills, one foot in front of the other.

Carl pulled open the door and walked through without a problem. He continued down hallway, feeling his energy keeping steady thanks to the food. He needed to go outside and explain himself, to stop Carol from telling whatever lies she thought was necessary to his father.

As he pulled the door open, Daryl was about to reach for the doorknob with a couple rabbits in hand. He was shocked to see the youth up much less moving especially after this morning.

"I'm going out," Carl said trying to push the hunter aside but he may as well have being moving a boulder.

"No yer not," said the hunter as he scooped the boy up.

"Whaa! Hey!" Carl struggled but he felt his little energy wane. "Put me down."

"Not a chance kid."

Carl tried to push the hunter but he gave no sign of feeling anything, not so much as a flinch. Daryl dropped the rabbits on the counter before continuing on to the room.

"I need to tell my dad something," Carl said trying to convince the hunter to put him down.

"Then I'll get him for ya."

Daryl kicked open the door and carried the boy over to the bed before setting him down.

"Now stay, don't make me tie ya down kid."

Carl scowled deeply at the hunter who didn't even acknowledge it.

"What were you even doing up? Ya know you ain't supposed to be."

The boy didn't respond.

"This ain't about that Remi chick is it?"

Carl looked over at Daryl, wondering exactly how much he knew about her.

"So you've seen her?"

The hunter drew back slightly he rubbed the back of his neck realizing he may have said the wrong thing.

"Ain't seen shit boy, now get some rest."

"Look I know this sounds crazy but she's not a spy or a thief."

"If she's not a spy, or a thief then she's a fucking freeloader who'll eventually get herself shot. Now stay in bed and get some rest for Christ sake."

"I lost an eye not a fucking leg!" Carl protested trying to get up but Daryl pushed him down.

"Either way yer ain't making two steps outside, especially knocking into a wall on the way to the fucking pisspot."

Carl tried to lash out at the hunter who easily deflected in the manner of how one would a fly.

"What's this chick to you anyway? You love 'er or something?"

"No!"

Daryl raised an eyebrow clearly not believing the teen.

"Mph - whatever."

Daryl got up and left. The door closed behind the hunter and Carl let out a small breath. He heard the door open again and he looked up to see Remi come strolling in all calm like.

"He seems cheerful cinnamon roll."

Carl frowned. "Where were you?"

"Checking up on some things."

"Liar, what were you really doing?"

"Nothing…," admitted Remi, "just didn't want him to get jealous."

"Of what?"

Remi shrugged not letting out any details, to this Carl scowled again.

"You know rumour has it, if you keep that face up it'll be permanent? Didn't your mom ever tell you that?"

"Shut up."

"Or were you just an all-round happy child?"

Carl was about to speak when he clamped his mouth shut as earlier memories assaulted him. He gave a small swallow.

"As much as the first one was a lie, this isn't. I'm going out with Sasha and Abraham, seeing if we can nab a couple more working vehicles."

"How long will you be gone?"

Remi shrugged.

"I'm coming with you."

Remi raised an eyebrow. "You're staying here."

"What no, I'm - Ah fuck!" Carl grabbed his right leg, rubbing it ruefully where he bumped it on the table. He heard something clatter around inside. He opened the drawer and saw a small caliber handgun. It was a smaller power than he was used to but Carl couldn't help but pick it up and test the weight.

"Oh my, careful – you can kill people with that."

Carl looked back at Remi.

If she's not a spy, not a thief, then she's a fucking freeloader who'll eventually get herself shot.

Slowly he raised the gun pointing it straight at the girl's head. She straightened and took in a slight breath.

"Come on Carl…I dare you."

Carl was taken aback by her words. He was ready to put his arm down but something in him didn't let him. He still had it raised up. Remi lowers her head and helped level the gun to her head. Her sharp eyes boring into Carl's own, her usual playful smirk gone replaced by a neutral frown.

"One more…for old time's sake?"

The teen's brow furrowed. What was he doing? What was he thinking? Freeloader or not, Carl had no right to kill Remi. However he told his dad, and his dad didn't believe him. Neither did Carol or Daryl. Instead they just brushed it off

"Could you ever do it again?"

Remembering that Remi is here in secret he starts to gain confidence.

"Do it."

Carl gripped the gun with newfound confidence. Daryl turned out to be right she would eventually get herself shot one way or another - may as well be now.

"You need to practice right?"

Remi waited patiently, her eyes still sharp as ever. Carl felt himself re-grip the gun and was ready to pull the trigger when he felt something shake.

"Come on…you did it before, you can do it again."

Carl's finger wrapped around the trigger trying to give himself reinforced vigour. He recalled his emotion - or therefore lack of - when he had shot that other kid back around the prison.

"What are you waiting for boy?"

"Shut up."

"Or what?"

Quickly Carl pulled the hammer back hoping it would give him the conviction to pull the trigger right after.

"Someone's growing up fast."

"Shut. The. Fuck. Up"

Remi leaned in, the gun pressed right against her temple.

"Come on, come on, come on… the boy wasn't talking but I am…so what are you going to do? Huh? Like prey that doesn't talk back?"

"I did it for my dad, the group…."

Remi looked at the boy, her eyes softened and the frown still remained.

"So what's this one going to be for?"

Carl faltered. He felt re-gripped the gun, Remi didn't belong here. His own father had told him so, Carol called her out on her lies and Daryl had called her out for being nothing more than a burden, worse than a burden. His hands trembled more and finally he puts the gun down on the table. He looked up to see Remi walking out.

XXXXXX

That night Carl couldn't fall asleep. No matter how hard he tried or willed it, he was unable to. He kept thinking back to the confrontation between him and Remi that afternoon. Carl looked down at his own hands and saw they were still, but when he thought of killing Remi of that moment then they started to shake again. Giving an annoyed click of the tongue Carl swung his legs over the bedside and slowly rose to his feet. To his gladness he was able to remain on his own two feet.

Cautiously he walked over to the door and pulled it open. Carl knew that he had to be quiet especially at night when everyone was asleep. This was probably the worst time to be up but Carl needed his father. Despite not wanting to admit it in front of anyone, Carl needed his father at times but his independency and apathetic would keep him at bay, whisper that he needed no one. The moment called though, Carl wasn't sure on how to handle Remi, she was a major question something that Carl couldn't answer nor could he kill.

He walked over to his father's room with little to no problem using the wall as his guide. His hands would slide up and down to make sure he didn't crash into the walls again. Carl knew his father's room and like he expected the door was closed. Carl knocked, there was no answer.

"Dad?"

He heard something on the other end, he thought it was words but Carl couldn't make it out. Carl was about to knock again when a short scream came from the other end.

"Dad!"

Carl slammed himself repeatedly against the door until the lock gave and he fell to the ground. He scrambled to his feet, his hands balled in fists ready to fight if needed but what Carl saw made him falter.

His father was on top Michonne, the sheets tangled through their intertwined nude bodies. When they finally realized that there was someone there, Rick quickly pulled from the swordswoman and a white stream ejected from his exposed member and splattered on the sheet he desperately used to cover himself. Michonne used one hand to throw the remaining sheet over her exposed body. The two stared at Carl who was equally dumbfounded.

Without a word, or even a sound - Carl ran away. He heard his father struggling to get his pants as fast as humanely possible but the sound was blocked out as the boy dashed back, hitting a wall on his way to his room. He ignored the pain as he slammed the door shut not caring who he'll wake up. There were a couple knocks on the door, they were soft but quick.

"Carl…," his father pleaded, "Carl I know what you saw wasn't…please I just…please let me explain…."

"Shut up!" shouted Carl, tears welled in his eye.

"Please son…I know how it lo-."

"Fuck! Just shut up!...just…just leave me alone….!"

Carl could hear his father's defeated sigh as footsteps shuffled away from the door. The boy slid down and sat on the ground, his chin lain on his drawn knees with his arms wrapped around them. He felt silent tears pour down his face, on his right eye he felt an odd sensation, a feeling that would associate to crying but nothing came out of the now empty socket. It was gone, forever – just like his mother.

He looked over to see Remi sitting against the wall. Carl was surprised that she was in here, perhaps she was waiting for him all along.

"W-what do y-you wa-want?" stuttered the poor boy. He was in no mood for her antics. Without a word, Remi sheathed her knife and slid over to the teen's side. He was about to speak when Remi shook her head. In the moon's light Carl saw the outline of her face, the curves of her face and the glint in her eye that usually showed a playful light but now showed understanding.

Carl felt more tears slide down his face, his body shook so hard it felt like an earthquake was happening inside of him. He leaned into Remi who laid a hand on his back rubbing it comfortingly. The other stroked his cheek and ran occasionally through his grown hair.

"I've got you."

Carl felt his eye slowly close, he looked at Remi not caring about the desperate expression he was wearing. She leaned in and gently kissed him on the head.

"Sleep."

XXXXXX

The next morning the sun streamed through the curtain, the soft breeze lifted the curtain ends sending a beam of light right at Carl's face. The teen groaned and turned over feeling his head connect with the wall. Carl groaned and rubbed the sore spot, he looked over to see Remi wide awake but what else would he expect from an insomniac.

"Hi…," the teen greeted his voice slightly timid. He unraveled his arm from Remi's and drew himself into the corner.

"You're starting to snore."

Carl felt the tip of his ears go hot. His face fell and he looked at Remi wondering if she was serious or not. Finally the teen relented and she started to laugh. Carl blinked caught by surprise but he let out a few light chuckles.

"Out of all the things in this shithole of a world and you're worried that you snore in your sleep," Remi chuckled.

Carl felt himself blush but he still wore a small smile.

The events of last night wormed their way into the teen's mind. His smile vanished and the weariness in his eyes returned. His father and Michonne…. The woman was strong and fierce, amongst beautiful. Carl wasn't surprised that his father would choose her - he was just surprised that his father didn't tell him. At the very least telling his son that he was moving on.

Carl looked at Remi. She held no sympathy but understanding. She had lost her parents at the beginning of the outbreak, Carl was lucky to have his mother through the first year.

"You still miss her."

Carl let out a small sigh. "When I learned that she was pregnant I was happy, but then when I heard that she had had an affair with Shane…that changed everything."

The teen looked at Remi who remained quiet knowing he had more to say.

"I thought that I would be okay with what I did stopping my mom from turning after she died. She deserved that much."

Another silence enveloped the two.

"Dad tried to get me to talk about it, I just wanted to forget about it. I wanted to move on but… Maybe I just wanted to be able to do what needed to be done without seeing my mom's face every time."

Remi saw the depressed look in the teen's eyes.

"I understand that it's hard Carl, but your father has chosen his way to move on. You need to as well."

Carl shook his head. "I try and I try but nothing seems to be working!"

"Trying to commit acts of murder on living people isn't moving on, trust me I've tried that option as well."

Carl looked at her, Remi drew out her knife and stabbed it into the ground.

"Any soldier I came across I shot, any survivor who even remotely looked threatening I shot. I was angry – but I suppose that's a piss poor excuse for murdering anyone who looks at you the wrong way."

"How many?" Carl asked.

"Stopped counting after thirty-seven."

Carl's eye widened as he looked at the teen. She was no older than he was and had committed thirty-seven acts of murder in a year. Remi looked back at Carl.

"Some of them did have reasoning behind it, people tried to kill me first. But some I did chase down."

Carl watched as Remi straightened, her lips tightened and her eyes went downcast.

"It doesn't help Carl, there's a difference between impendency and angry. Right now you're angry – and for good reason. But I allowed my anger to go on for too long, I started to loose reason as to why I was just outright murdering anyone who came across my path. It didn't help me move on, it only kept me in the moment of when I watched my parents being eaten alive."

"So how did you move on?"

"Everything I do now has a purpose, a meaning, a reason behind that action not just because no one else will."

"And that helps?"

"Sometimes," Remi looked at the boy, "and if not well then – instinct."

Carl leaned into Remi who raised an eyebrow. After a few beats she wrapped an arm around him and felt his give a small shudder under her touch.

"That fight is over….Better prepare for the next one."

A/N: I know it doesn't show Rick/Michonne until later but I figured their relationship started somewhere during the two months not shown. Thanks for reading, leave a review. Spitfire47