I got up and immediately got ready to go to the beach. I wanted to actually play in the water today. I fixed my hair and put on a pair of shorts and a tank top. I didn't have a swim suit so this would have to do. Plus, I don't think I would wear a swim suit anyway.

I practically ran down there. The sand wasn't as hot as yesterday because it's still early so I was able to walk bare foot the rest of the way. I slowly walked into the water, the waves were pushing me back. I finally relaxed once I was all the way in. It felt magical. I just let myself float with the waves.

I must have been out there for an hour or so before the others came down. I saw Carol and Rick carrying some stuff. I trudged out of the water and made my way over to them. "What's all this?"

"We're having a picnic." Carol informed me.

"A picnic? Really?"

"That's right." Said Rick.

"Could you set up the umbrella for me?" Carol asked me.

"Sure." I took it from her. I stuck it firmly in the sand and kind of twisted it down to make sure it was secure.

"Le?"

I looked up and saw Carl. "Hey, what's up?"

"Uh, nothing. Just…you look different."

I looked down at myself. "Oh yeah, I wanted to go swimmin' so I just threw this on." I laughed. "Why? Do I look stupid?"

"Uh, no." He shook his head quickly. "I meant good different."

I blushed at his words. "Oh, thanks."

Carl seemed a little nervous. "So, uh…you wanna maybe…take a walk or something? After we help set up, of course." He chuckled.

"Sure." I smiled. He smiled back.

We were sitting there having a really good time. All of us. Together. Rick, Carl, Daryl and I swam for a while. My brother kept lifting Carl and I and throwing us into the waves. It made us all laugh and was actually really fun.

Once we had enough of the water, we sat on the beach and ate some food. A lot of the snacks we had were the chips my brother and I found in the vending machine. They were stale but still good.

"You, uh…having a nice time?" Carl asked me.

"Yeah, are you?"

"Yeah, yeah." He nodded. He put one arm behind him and rubbed the back of his head. "So, you wanna take that walk now?"

"Yeah, sure." I stood and brushed the sand off me. "We should probably ask my brother and your dad first."

"Oh yeah, right." Carl went over to Rick and stood by his side. "Hey, dad? Can Le and I go for a walk?"

Rick looked at us with wide eyes for a second. Daryl was sitting next to him so he heard and smirked at me. I tried to hide my blush. "Sure, don't go too far." Rick finally said.

"Yeah and stay together." Daryl said.

"We will." Carl said seriously.

I rolled my eyes at them, then we walked off.

"So, you really never been to the beach before?" Carl asked me when we were far enough away from the others.

"Nope. This is the first time." I stated. "And how can ya not like it? I already love it."

"Oh, um, it's all right this time."

"Yeah." I gave him a stupid look then giggled.

"Your dad's a good dad." I said out of no where after some time.

"Huh? Oh yeah. He is." Carl replied. "Daryl's pretty good, too."

I smiled. "Yeah, he is. He's the best big brother in the world."

"Were you two always close?"

"Yeah, I guess. Well, I mean…Daryl pretty much took care of me when I was little. My mom died when I was very young and my dad never gave a shit."

"Oh." Carl blinked. "Sorry."

"It's okay. My brother always helped fill that void."

"That's good."

"Do ya ever miss yer mom?"

Carl hesitated.

"I guess that was a stupid question." I gave him an apologetic smile.

"Uh, no…it's okay. Yeah, I miss my mom at times, but my dad helps. So does Michonne and everyone else."

I smiled at him. "Yeah, yer right. We have a pretty big family now."

"Yeah, we do."

"One big happy, dysfunctional family." We both laughed.

Carl and I walked around for a pretty long time. We ended up over by a big pile of rocks and decided to climb on them. Something caught my eye on the other side. It was jet skies! Two of them!

"Check it out!" I said and pointed excitedly.

"Whoa! No way!"

"Someone really just left these here?"

"They'll come in handy real well! Wait til we tell the others."

I suddenly got an idea. "Maybe we don't have to tell them just yet."

Carl gave me a confused look so I grinned evilly at him. He made a face and I knew he understood what I was hinting at.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"Let's do it!" He said.

We rode around on the jet skies in the water. It was so fun!

"Hey, let's race!" I suggested.

"Okay! Where to?"

"See that rock out there? To there then back."

"Okay. Ready, set, GO!"

I gave it a jackrabbit start and headed out. I was ahead of Carl at first but then he snuck up on me. He touched the rock first but I was right behind. I was gaining on him and slowly I went ahead and made it back to the start first.

"Ha!" I yelled. "I won! I won!" I stuck my tongue out at him.

"I wanna rematch!"

"Right now?"

"No, some other time. We should probably be getting back now."

"Hold up." I said. "I wanna see just how far out I can go."

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"I be right back, I promise."

"Yeah, but…what if something happens?"

"Like what?"

"Well, this is the ocean. You could get knocked off by a wave or eaten by a shark."

I laughed. "Oh, Carl. Yer so funny. Don't be ridiculous. I'll be fine." I waved him off.

"Fine, but if you're not back in ten minutes, I'm getting my dad and the others."

"I be fine." I started my jet ski. "See ya!" I waved and sped off.

I drove in a straight line for a long time. This was probably the most awesome experience I ever had! I can't believe how fast this thing goes! And the wind felt great hitting me. I just kept going and going and forgot about everything else.

"Okay, I think that's far enough." I told myself. I turned the jet ski around and gasped. I couldn't see the shore at all. I looked around myself and all I could see was water! I must have went even farther than I thought. I realized the waves made me drift and I didn't even know which way to go. I started to panic.

Then if things couldn't have gotten worse, a big wave came and knocked me off the jet ski. I coughed after emerging from the water. I immediately tried to get back on the jet ski but couldn't. "Oh no! Oh God!" I said out loud. "What do I do?" I kept trying to pull myself up but it just wasn't working. I tried telling myself not to panic. Another wave hit me and I went under. I gasped for air when I came back up then it happened again. I was coughing pretty bad and gasping for air. This was a horrible idea. I'm going to die if I don't get out of this. I clung to the jet ski and tried to stay afloat. I was panicking pretty bad now.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of another jet ski. Maybe Carl was coming! I spotted it and saw it was my brother when he got closer. "Oh shit. I'm dead."

He pulled up next to me. "Le, gimme yer hand." I reached out for him, he grabbed me and helped me back onto my jet ski. "Follow me!" He yelled. I nodded and started driving, I followed behind him.

Daryl took us back to shore. I saw Rick standing there with Carl. We're probably in so much trouble.

My brother helped me off the jet ski.

"Are you all right?" Rick asked me.

I nodded weakly and coughed.

"What the hell's 'a matter with y'all?" Daryl finally snapped. "Ya coulda died just now. Ya know that?"

"Yeah."

"Are you hearin' me?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't've."

"What were you two thinking?" Rick asked.

"Sorry, dad." Carl said.

"Sorry. We was just havin' some fun."

"Yeah, fun that almost killed you." Rick raised his eyebrows.

"Sorry." I put my head down. "At least we found some cool transportation." I said sweetly trying to be cute.

Rick and Daryl shared a look then Rick sighed and, "So, what do you think we should do with them?"

"I have a few ideas, but I don't think you'll go along with it." My brother said.

Carl and I shared a look of fear. When I looked back, they were smirking at us.

"Now, you two are gonna come back with us and…build a sandcastle with Lil Asskicker." My brother said.

Carl and I shared another look but this time it was out of confusion.

"That's right." Rick said. "And later on, Daryl and I are gonna show you two how to really ride a jet ski."

I was officially confused. "Daryl, yer scarin' me. What's goin' on?"

"Yeah, is some kind of joke?" Asked Carl.

Rick and my brother laughed. "Come on, you two trouble makers." Rick said. "Let's get back."

"We ain't jokin', though." My brother said.

Carl and I looked at each other excitedly. "Okay, but I doubt you can ride any better than me." I said to Rick.

"Can, too."

"Nah uh."

"Uh huh!"

"Ya cain't!" I giggled.

"We'll see about that." He laughed.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Did you see that?" Rick asked my brother.

"Yeah, I did." He replied. "I believe she stuck her tongue out at ya cuz she knows she can beat ya."

We all laughed.

Later that day, we did exactly what we said we were going to. Carl and I built a sandcastle with Judith, she loved it, then we rode jet skies again. It was super fun!

Daryl and I raced Rick and Carl and we won! It was so funny.

"See, told ya I could beat you!" I said to Rick.

My brother laughed and pushed me off the jet ski causing everyone else to laugh. I glanced out at the others. I saw Glenn and Maggie laying together, they looked really happy. I looked in another direction and saw Sasha and Abraham kissing and gasped. When did that happen? Michonne and Carol were playing with Judith and watching us. They both looked very happy, too. I smiled at everything going on around me. Things are finally better.

"Leann, don't ya ever do that again." My brother said to me. "Ya seriously coulda died."

It was getting later so we were out of the water now and sitting on the beach talking and relaxing.

"I know. I'm sorry. I won't." I said sadly. "I didn't mean to. I didn't even realize how far out I was til I turned around. Then I fell off and couldn't get back on. The waves was drownin' me." I swallowed hard thinking of the memory. "Still…it was the best fun I ever did have." I smiled up at my brother and laughed.

He smirked at me. "I bet it was."

Just then, Carl walked by and smiled at me. I smiled back, my brother took notice to us.

"Ay, what's goin' on with you and Carl?"

I shrugged. "Nothin'." I smiled.

My brother smiled and pinched my cheek.

"So, I was thinkin'…maybe one 'a these days I'll teach ya how to ride for real."

"What do ya mean?"

"A bike. Ya know, like me? Ya said you wanted to, right?"

My eyes went wide. "Really? Ya mean it? For real?"

"Yeah, I said one 'a these days."

I jumped up and hugged my brother. "That would be the best!"

He let out a small laugh and patted my head. "Hopefully, ya get a little taller before then, ya little short shit."

I giggled.

As we were sitting there, I absentmindedly started to sing. I sang the chorus of Times Like These by Foo Fighters.

"Hey, you sound pretty good." Rick said. "Really good actually."

I bushed.

"Why don't you sing some more, honey?" Carol said.

"No, I cain't." I waved them off.

"Why not?" Glenn said.

"Yeah, let's hear." Maggie added.

"Y'all really want me to?"

I heard some "yeahs" and saw heads nodding. I looked at my brother and he smiled at me. "Well…okay." I sat up and cleared my throat. Then I started,

I, I'm a one way motorway

I'm the one that drives away, follows you back home
I, I'm a street light shining
I'm a white light blinding bright, burning off and on, oh

It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again
It's times like these time and time again

I, I'm a new day rising

I'm a brand new sky to hang the stars upon tonight

But I, I'm a little divided
Do I stay or run away and leave it all behind? Ah

It's times like these you learn to live again

It's times like these you give and give again

It's times like these you learn to love again

It's times like these time and time again

It's times like these you learn to live again

It's times like these you give and give again

It's times like these you learn to love again

It's times like these time and time again

It's times like these you learn to live again

It's times like these you give and give again

It's times like these you learn to love again

It's times like these time and time again

It's times like these you learn to live again

It's times like these you give and give again

It's times like these you learn to love again

It's times like these time and time again

Everyone smiled at me. I was a little embarrassed at first, but then I realized that they really liked it and…they were my family. The family I never had. I smiled back at all of them. Daryl put his arm around me and kissed the top of my head. The family that we never had. Things are finally better.

The End

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