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by Crocodile

After the fall of the prison Rick and Carl are forced onto the road. While Rick recovers from his injuries, Carl encounters a survivor only a few years older than himself. Despite his friendly nature, this young man hides some dark secrets. Is he a new threat, a new ally, or something else?

10. God's House

GOD'S HOUSE

The group walked in relative silence. All of them were trying to put the horrors of Terminus behind them as they walked as far in the opposite direction of the death trap as they could. Miles behind them, the dark smoke from the fires at Terminus that were still burning ascended into the sky. Rick led the group with Glenn and Maggie close behind him. Behind them there was Tara, followed by Carol and Tyreese. Bob and Sasha were close behind and were followed by Daryl. Close behind Daryl was Michonne, Carl and a limping Jason. Carl carried Judith in a bag which was passed between him and Michonne whenever they got tired. Though they weren't walking particularly fast, Jason was struggling to keep up with his injured leg. Behind him at the back of the group was Abraham, Eugene and Rosita.

A female walker stumbled out of the woodland towards them. No other walkers were in sight. Michonne stopped walking.

"I got it." She called out to the others.

She marched up to the hungry corpse and reached for her sword, forgetting for a moment that she no longer had it. Michonne lowered her hand and laughed at herself before smacking the walker with the bottom of her assault rifle. Once the walker was on the floor she held it down with her foot and slammed the handle of the gun into the walker's skull until it was smashed into the dirt.

"Right there is why we're waiting for our moment." Abraham commented to Rosita. He didn't like being out on the open road on foot with Eugene.

Rosita laughed to herself weakly. "Yeah, fair enough." She knew they were safer as a large group and had no intention of running away at the first chance they got.

Once Michonne had caught up to the group she resumed her position alongside Carl and Jason. She immediately noticed Jason's distinct limp and the grimace on his face with each step. He was being quiet about it but he was suffering from the constant walking. They would need to take a break or he would end up collapsing.

"We can stop if you need to rest." Michonne told the young man.

Jason shook his head. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine." Michonne countered, narrowing her eyes.

"I can manage." Jason answered stubbornly.

Carl looked at Jason. The young man was obviously in a lot of pain and he was tired from the extra effort his movements required. He could tell the only reason Jason hadn't said anything was because he didn't want to slow down the group or bother Rick in some way. They needed to stop.

Carl handed the bag containing Judith to Michonne and rushed ahead of the group. He rushed up to Rick's side.

"Dad, can we take a break?" He asked the brutal but caring leader that was his father.

Rick looked back at Carl. It was odd for him to ask for them to stop as he was often supportive of Rick's decisions. He looked up at the sky and saw it clouding over but also noticed the sun was getting low in the sky. Rick looked back at the group as they walked. Everyone looked quite tired and Jason was limping pretty badly. He'd been shot in the leg before, he knew what it was like. He nodded.

Rick stopped and turned to the group, he whistled to get everyone's attention.

"We'll stay here for the night." He told them and smiled at Carl who gave him a grateful gaze.

The group spread out and found the best spots to sit down and take a break. They would most likely stay there until the next morning as it wouldn't be long until night fell upon them.

Abraham dropped one of the gun bags that he was carrying to the ground and sat down. He didn't like taking breaks when they still had enough energy to keep going. He also didn't like the idea of spending a night outside in the open, exposed, where anything could happen to Eugene. Unfortunately the numbers were against him for the time being so he would just have to go along with it.

Carl was crouched down feeding Judith from a bottle as Rick sat with them. Jason leaned against a tree near Carl, rubbing the gunshot wound on his leg as it continued to burn from all the walking. Maggie caught Glenn as he walked past her.

"Not so fast." She smiled and kissed him before hugging him close.

Tara watched on, smiling to Maggie. Inside she felt lonely. Her previous family and friends were all dead and now she was in the same group as Rick. The very man who had pleaded for the safety of his people from one side of the prison fence while she stood with the Governor on the other side. She turned around and faced Rick who had just walked up to her, guilt written on her expression.

"You didn't want to be there. That's why I tried to talk to you." Rick told her with a sigh. "Glenn told me you saved his life."

"He saved mine." Tara answered with a nervous smile.

Rick nodded. "Well, that's how it works with us, right?"

"Right." Tara nodded. "Hey!"

She held out her arm straight, her fist pointed at Rick. She offered for him to do the same. The bearded man smiled and punched her fist lightly with his own. She was part of the group now.

"Get something to eat." He told her. "We'll start back at sun-up."

Rick wandered away from her to check on the rest of the group. They all looked tired but apart from the injury to Jason's leg, no one else was hurt significantly. They would have a long and dangerous walk ahead of them if they wanted to find somewhere big enough for all of them and secure enough to feel safe in. He missed the prison and the security it had provided. Large fences, thick walls and shelter. Most of all, however, Rick missed the people.

Judith's giggle brought him out of his dark thoughts and caused the bearded sheriff to turn around. Carl was holding Judith while Jason talked to the baby, pulling funny faces and making funny voices. Judith's innocent laughter is just what they all needed to hear. It was a sound from another world, a world far friendlier than the one they were living in. It was music to their ears. Soon enough, even Carl himself started laughing at Jason's silly little show. The laughter quickly became contagious to some degree with everyone enjoying the moment.

The laughter reminded Rick of a very important point. They didn't have shelter, they didn't have great protection and they didn't have as many people as they used to. What they all did have was each other. They were a pack, a family and together they could all find the light to overcome the darkness of the apocalyptic, deadly world they lived in.

---

Night had finally fallen. It was dangerously dark in the woodland. The wood of the fire crackled as the flames burned it away slowly, offering light and heat to the weary survivors who gathered around it. Away from the group, Rick knew he had to speak with Carol. He had banished her from the prison, from a place of safety and despite that she had come to their rescue. She was the real reason any of them were alive. Why Carl was alive.

"I owe you everything." He told her.

Carol shook her head. "You owe Tyreese. He was at the prison."

Rick thought for a moment. Tyreese had indeed been the one to rescue Judith but Carol must have gone back there when she saw something had happened for her to meet Tyreese.

"You got back there?" Rick asked.

Carol didn't answer because there was no need to. They both knew that she had went back. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver watch, Rick's watch which he had handed to the young man, Sam, before he banished Carol.

"It was in one of their storerooms." Carol told him.

"I saw them kill him." Rick answered, taking the watch and putting it on. "That kid."

Rick held out Carol's old watch, which she had given to him as a replacement. The watch had been an anniversary gift from her abusive husband. It was an artefact from a life she no longer lived, a possession of a woman she no longer was. She shook her head. She didn't want it. Rick pocketed the watch.

"I still don't know about what you did but I know you knew some things I didn't." Rick commented, referring to her double murder at the prison. "I sent you away to this."

"You said I could survive." Carol interrupted him. "You were right."

Rick nodded. He hadn't been wrong but the guilt still ate away at him.

"I sent you away to this and now we're joining you." He continued. "Will you have us?"

Carol stared at him. The outside world wasn't hers. They could go where they liked and if she wasn't comfortable then she could leave at any time. She knew what he was doing though. Rick was simply trying to be respectful and hold onto old formalities. It was also a strange but sincere apology for having sent her out to fend for herself. Carol smiled and nodded.

"Thank you." Rick answered sincerely.

On the other side of their basic camp, Carl sat on a log, the bag carrying the sleeping Judith next to his feet. Sitting against the tree next to him was Jason who was staring up at the stars through the treetops. The stars always filled him with a sense of wonderment. They were a reminder that no matter what happened on Earth they were insignificant little dots in the grand scheme of things. Even if the entire human race was wiped out by the apocalypse, the universe wouldn't care. It would just continue as it always had and always will.

He was brought of his thoughts by Bob's approach. Bob crouched down in front of him and smiled.

"Mind if I take a look at your leg?" He asked. Jason nodded with a smile.

Bob undid Jason's belt, which acted as a tourniquet and rolled up the leg of his cargos. There was still blood but the majority of it was dry. Bob took out a bandage from his bag, mentioning that he had found it when he started searching the bottom of it, and wrapped it round Jason's gunshot wound. Once it was on he rolled down the leg of Jason's cargos and handed the young man his belt back. A tourniquet was no longer needed.

Jason smiled and thanked him. He stood up, with some effort, and put his belt back on round the waistband of his cargos and fastened it up. He sat back down against the tree and sighed. Unfortunately they had no pain killers and he really needed them. The gunshot wound may not have been bleeding as much as before but it was still a nasty injury and it stung like a very large hornet.

Jason turned his head and caught Carl observing him. The boy obviously realised just how much pain the young man was in and the look of concern on his face was easy to read. Jason smiled weakly to try and reduce his need to worry.

"I'll be fine." He told Carl. "Besides, now we've both been shot."

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Carl asked, smiling softly at the comparison.

"Like Hell." Jason admitted with a sigh, clutching the wound.

"Why'd you go back in?" Carl asked him suddenly.

Jason stared at the teen, considering his answer for a moment. No matter how severe the gunshot was or wasn't, the emotional pain his explanation would cause him would be much worse.

"You promised to tell me." Carl pressed with a glare.

"They had my bag. I couldn't leave it behind." Jason told him with a sigh.

"Why not?" Carl asked, confused. "It's just a bag."

Jason sighed again and unzipped his bag. He reached in and pulled out his notebook of tally marks. He flicked through the first pages which had writing, like a diary, instead of tallies. Half way through the book he stopped and lifted out a bit of paper. The paper was a photo which he handed to Carl.

Carl carefully took the photo in hand and looked at it. It depicted two mature teenagers, one older than the other. One of them had straightened brown hair with one long bang on one side and one short bang on the other. He looked to be older and by his leather jacket, Carl immediately identified it to be Jason. It was a strange picture. Jason was happy in it. He wasn't smiling for the photo, he was smiling from joy. Next to him was a slightly younger looking young man with tall, slicked back blonde hair who wore a blue hooded jumper. He too was smiling from joy. Carl didn't need to ask, he knew the blonde was Kellin.

"It's the only picture of him I have now." Jason told him, breaking the heavy silence.

"He looks really nice." Carl answered. "I wish I could have met him."

Jason smiled, his eyes glistening with nostalgia and love. "He would have adored you."

"How do you know?" Carl asked, realising it was probably a stupid question. Jason knew Kellin.

"Well, who wouldn't?" Jason answered with slight hesitation. "Kellin would have been inseparable from Judith. He loved kids."

Carl wasn't immediately sure how to answer. He had the feeling Jason had just complimented him but it wasn't clear. Seeing how Jason's eyes lit up as he talked about Kellin told him all he needed to know. The young man beside him was still very much in love.

"You really loved him, didn't you?" Carl asked. He liked hearing about Kellin.

"He was my soul mate. He was the one." Jason answered with a smile that fell slowly. "He was."

Carl didn't know what to say. He knew that Jason would always miss the love of his life and that it was something that would haunt the young man forever. He placed the photo back in Jason's notebook and hesitantly looked through it. Jason didn't stop him.

The most recent entries had two sets of tally marks. One set was obviously the daily count since Kellin died that he had seen before but there was another one. Counting the marks he worked out that it had started a couple days before Terminus. They must have referred to the group that Jason was now a part of because he couldn't think of anything else the tally marks could be for. Carl flipped to the front of the notebook and discovered that it had been a diary. He skimmed through the pages, all the memories of days spent with Kellin and how he made him feel. The love. The happiness. The fun. He came to a page, the date being the twenty-fifth of November. The first line stated that it was Kellin's birthday.

Before Carl could read any more of it Jason took it from him. He looked at Jason, afraid he had been rude or too nosey. Jason smiled back at him.

"Your dad probably wouldn't want you reading that page." Jason defended.

"Why wouldn't he?" Carl asked, confused.

"Too much detail." Jason answered with the hint of a blush staining his cheeks.

Carl was confused but decided not to push it. From what he could remember from when they were on the road to Terminus together, Jason had mentioned that he took Kellin's virginity on his birthday. Carl had been told how sex worked between a man and a woman shortly after the news of his mother's pregnancy. However, he had no knowledge of what two men could do. This made him curious to read the passage. Carl knew better than to push it and decided to respect Jason's privacy for the time being but made a mental note to ask him about it in the near future.

Carol sat on the other side of the camp with Daryl. The hunter rested his chin on the handle of his crossbow as he stared at the woman next to him. He had believed her to be dead after Rick banished her from the prison. He understood why Rick did it but he didn't agree with the leader. Carol had killed two of their own people in an effort to stop a disease from spreading. Even though what she did was horrific it was equally nasty to abandon her like that. Carol herself seemed to be fine with it all. She had come a long way since the days of being a scared little housewife.

"I don't want to talk about it." Carol told him, breaking the silence. "I can't. Just need to forget it."

Carol turned to stare back at the hunter beside her. Daryl considered her words carefully. She wanted them to forget about her murdering two of their own. Both people had been close to Tyreese and he had forgiven her for it. Perhaps that was all that mattered.

"Alright." Daryl finally answered.

A twig snapped in the darkness, alerting Daryl and making him stand up with his crossbow at the ready. They were exposed and it was very dark. Anything or anyone could be lurking in the shadows. He strained his eyes but he couldn't see anything. No movement. No noise.

"It's nothing." He commented and relaxed, allowing them to sit down again.

---

Laughter and the clicking of game controllers filled the room. Jason and Kellin sat crossed legged on the floor in front of a large HD television, GameCube controllers were in their hands as the played Super Smash Bros Brawl on Jason's Nintendo Wii. They were playing against each other in a wild match with two high-level computer controlled opponents.

"Get wrecked!" Jason shouted at the computer opponent as his Captain Falcon landed an explosive Falcon Punch.

The attack sent the computer opponent flying off the screen as they lost a life. Jason clicked at the controller and made Captain Falcon taunt only to have Kellin's Kirby throw a bomb at him. As he was taunting, Jason couldn't avoid the bomb and he screamed as Captain Falcon was sent rocketing out of the arena. Kellin laughed loudly at Jason's exaggerated reaction which quickly got Jason laughing with him.

Jason's Captain Falcon respawned on the stage. He dropped down and chased after Kellin's Kirby, trying to land various punches and kicks as Kellin ran from him.

"Get back here you sneaky bastard!" Jason called out to him, finally landing a powerful kick.

Kellin laughed as his Kirby bounced across the stage but failed to fly off the screen. Jason renewed his chase which earned his Captain Falcon a hammer to the face courtesy of Kellin's Kirby. They were both on one life and had high damage. Either one of them could lose or win. Jason's Captain Falcon recovered and picked up an item boxed, he dropped it at his feet but it exploded and sent him flying out the stage with a scream. Kellin doubled over on the floor laughing at his boyfriend's misfortune.

Once Jason had finished laughing at his own bad luck, Kellin was still laughing his head off at having one because of something so stupid.

"Oh shut up!" Jason said jokingly, still grinning in amusement.

"Make me!" Kellin retorted, sitting up again, still laughing.

Jason closed the gap between them and kissed Kellin strongly, pushing him onto his back on the floor. Jason's movements were fluid as he lay flat on top of Kellin as their tongues continued to battle each other. They finally broke apart.

"You told me to make you." Jason commented with a grin.

Kellin grinned back and let his hands run down Jason's back before resting on his hips. He held onto Jason's hips and held him in place, staring up at him.

"But I didn't tell you to stop." Kellin answered.

Jason smiled and took the hint. He lowered his head and closed the gap between them again, kissing his boyfriend as strongly as before. Kellin's hands wandered from Jason's hips to his backside, squeezing gently. Jason groaned into the kiss, earning a giggle from Kellin as the indulged in each other, the videogame long forgotten.

---

Jason's eyes fluttered open. A sharp noise was penetrating his eardrums. Judith was crying. He rubbed his eyes and sat up a little too fast, pain shooting through his leg causing him to hiss in discomfort. He looked around and saw Carol coming over to deal with the crying baby but he raised his hand as a sign that she didn't have to.

Jason scooted over to the bag and lifted Judith out of the bag. He held her in one arm as he reached into the side pocket of the bag and pulled out some milk. It was still fresh so he supported her head and back against his arm and started feeding her the milk. The loud little bundle stopped crying and started sucking down the milk happily from the bottle.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Carl slowly awaken and rise up with a yawn. Carl noticed Jason was feeding Judith and smiled.

"You're pretty good at that." He commented quietly, so as to not wake the others if Judith hadn't already.

"It's pretty easy." Jason commented with a smile, his attention on Judith.

"Did you ever get to do it before…?" Carl trailed off although it was obvious he meant the apocalypse.

Jason shook his head. "This is my first time with a human baby."

"Human?" Carl questioned. What other babies could Jason have fed from a bottle?

"I used to work with animals at a zoo while I finished my degrees." Jason told him with a smile. "I became a surrogate mother to some tiger cubs once."

"That's really cool." Carl answered with a smile.

Jason nodded. "Yeah, it was. Fortunately Judith here isn't as feisty as those cubs were."

They both laughed lightly at this as Jason finished feeding Judith. He patted her back before placing her back in her bag, giving her a warm smile as she looked up at him with large, curious eyes.

Rick wandered over, still holding his assault rifle as he crouched down to Jason's level.

"You didn't have to do that but thank you." He told him.

"We're family, remember?" Jason answered. "We all take turns of things."

Rick nodded with a smile. They were fortunate to have a strong and compassionate group. Judith's existence was nothing less than a miracle, regardless of who the father really was. For a long time Rick had only seen Shane in the baby. After that the baby took on the symbol of his failure as a husband as he had been unable to keep his wife safe. Nowadays, Judith was a symbol of love and hope. A shining light in the ever growing darkness around them.

"How you feeling?" Rick asked the young man, waving a hand towards his leg.

"Still in a lot of pain but I can walk if that's what you're really asking." Jason answered, staring back at the bearded man.

Rick nodded and looked around at some of the still sleeping forms of the group members in the camp.

"Good. I'll give them five more minutes then we'll get ready to go."

---

Half an hour later and the entire group was on the move. Rick took the lead yet again and was closely followed by Carl and a limping Jason. Behind them Michonne stuck close, followed by Bob and Sasha, Carol, Tyreese, Tara, Glenn, Maggie and Abraham's group. Daryl had been out hunting and wasn't back yet. Rick had reminded the others that he was a trained tracker and could catch up with them easily.

The rustling of vegetation sparked Rick's attention, causing him to turn and aim his assault rifle which provoked a chain reaction of everyone aiming their weapons. Daryl appeared from the thick vegetation and saw all the guns pointed at him. He held out his dead squirrel collection and crossbow as he raised his hands in a surrendering motion.

"I surrender." He joked flatly.

The group relaxed and continued marching on as Daryl came to Rick's side.

"No tracks, no nothing." Daryl told him quietly.

"So whatever you heard last night…" Rick began but was interrupted.

"It's more what I felt." Daryl answered. "Like someone's watching us. Gotta have been something."

Rick nodded and turned around. He and Daryl were slightly ahead of the group so he whistled to the others.

"Keep close." He ordered before turning back to continue walking.

"Ready to get some concrete under your feet?" Abraham asked their leader.

"I think it's time." Rick answered. It would do them good to find a road and give themselves a destination.

"That is sweet music to my ears, officer." Abraham replied. "Follow the next road we come to, keep going north until we find a vehicle, good?"

"Good." Rick answered, accepting the plan.

Tara, Glenn and Maggie were still lagging behind slightly.

"Tighten it up." Rick told them flatly. They had to stick together as a tight group to survive on the road.

The group continued through the woodland, all of them grateful for a long break without walkers.

"Ah, wet socks." Sasha stated.

"Cool feet." Bob responded.

"Mosquito bites." Sasha said.

"Itching reminds you that you're alive." Bob replied.

"Danger around every corner." Sasha stated.

"Never a dull moment." Bob retorted.

"The hot sun beating down on you." Sasha said with a smirk.

"Oh come on, a glorious tan!" Bob replied with a grin.

This got a laugh out of both of them.

"I said it and I meant it!" Bob continued.

"No privacy." Sasha tried.

"Captive audience." Bob countered and kissed her.

Sasha fell back after the kiss to converse with her older brother, Tyreese.

"He's a damn expert at that." She told him with a grin.

"What was it?" Tyreese asked her with a smile.

"A little game." Sasha explained. "The good out of the bad."

Carl had heard their laughter and their kisses. Between Glenn and Maggie and Sasha and Bob, he was getting a better idea of what being in a relationship with someone you love was like. It also gave him a better idea of what it was that Jason had lost and what he himself had never experienced.

A man's screams for help brought him out of his thoughts and made the entire group freeze on the spot. Rick held his hand up, silently ordering them to stay still. The man was alone, screaming for help and Carl knew how that felt just before he had met Jason.

"Dad come on!" Carl urged his father who didn't move. "Come on!"

Rick relented and gave the signal for the whole group to take off running towards the man's screams. Jason was left at the back of the group as he hobbled along as fast as he could but running was still beyond him with the recent gunshot to his leg. He cursed to himself. Jason hated feeling weak or useless.

They came across a man trapped on top of a large boulder. He was dark skinned and wore a black suit. He was screaming up at the sky for help as several walkers surrounded the boulder, clawing up at him hungrily.

Carl shot the closest walker in the back of the head, Rick crushed the next one's head against the boulder. Michonne smashed the third walker's head with the bottom of her rifle. Carol stabbed a fourth walker in the back of the head with her knife. A fifth walker advanced towards her as she struggled to remove her knife from the skull of the walker she killed. Daryl quickly fired his crossbow at the fifth walker, the arrow penetrating through its eye and into its brain. The sixth and final walker was swiftly decapitated by Jason's machete.

Rick looked around quickly. No more walkers for the time being.

"Clear!" He called out to the group. "Keep watch!"

Rick stared up at the man on the boulder. "Come on down."

The man nervously made his way down to ground level. Now that they could see his neck, the white tag on the collar of his suit revealed that he was a priest. He looked very uncomfortable as he stood before the group.

"You okay?" Rick asked him, unsure of what was wrong with the man.

The priest raised a finger before turning to his side and throwing up. Most of the group averted their gaze with slight disgust.

"Sorry." The man apologised, taking a breath. "Yes, thank you. I'm Gabriel."

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick asked him directly.

Gabriel laughed nervously and held his arms out. "Does it look like I would have any weapons?"

"We don't give two short and curlies what it looks like." Abraham declared impatiently.

"I have no weapons of any kind." Gabriel told them. "The word of God is the only protection I need."

"Sure didn't look like it." Daryl commented cynically.

"I called for help." Gabriel answered with a grin. "Help came."

Jason sighed and rubbed his forehead slowly, looking down at his feet. "Just can't win with these people."

Gabriel looked at him before realising that no one was smiling with him. They were all studying him seriously.

"Do you have any food?" Gabriel asked weakly. "Whatever I had left, it's just hit the ground."

"We've got some pecans." Carl answered, offering him a small handful.

Gabriel took the pecans and thanked Carl sincerely. His eyes caught sight of Judith who was currently in Tyreese's arms.

"That's a beautiful child." Gabriel stated with a smile. It was the first child he had seen in a very long time.

The group edged closer, defensive over the baby. The friendly look on Carl's face also dropped away. Rick glared at the man standing in front of him. Something didn't feel right.

"Do you have a camp?" Gabriel asked, uncomfortable at being glared at so intensely by a whole group of people.

"No." Rick answered quickly. "Do you?"

"I have a church." Gabriel answered nervously.

"Hold your hands above your head." Rick demanded impatiently. He didn't like the feeling he was getting from the man.

Rick started searching the priest for weapons with one hand.

"How many walkers have you killed?" He asked the first of the three golden questions.

"Not any, actually." Gabriel answered nervously again.

"Turn around." Rick barked, pushing the priest to turn around as he continued searching him.

"How many people have you killed?" Rick asked the second golden question.

"None." Gabriel answered confused.

"Why?" Rick finished with the final question, staring into the priest's eyes.

"Because the Lord abhors violence." Gabriel answered.

Jason sighed at from his position, leaning against the boulder. "Must be a different Lord to the one I'm familiar with."

Rick glared at Jason, a silent order for him to keep quiet during the interrogation of the priest. He returned his glare to Gabriel, narrowing his eyes in confusion. This man was hiding something. He hadn't killed any walkers or people.

"What have you done?" Rick hissed.

Gabriel looked back at him with even greater confusion.

"We've all done something." Rick declared.

"I'm a sinner, I sin almost every day." Gabriel answered. "But those sins I confess them to God, not strangers."

"You said you had a church." Michonne commented.

Gabriel nodded.

"Lead the way." Rick told the priest firmly.

Gabriel hesitated for a moment before walking away from the group slowly as they followed behind. Although Rick didn't trust him they needed a place to stay before it got dark again and the church would have to do.

As they all followed the priest in the direction of the church, Rick recalled what Daryl had mentioned about them being watched. He kept his finger close to the trigger of his assault rifle as he decided to try and confirm any suspicions.

"Hey, earlier, were you watching us?" Rick asked Gabriel.

"I keep to myself." Gabriel shook his head. "Nowadays people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?"

The group thought back to the Governor and to Terminus. Rick, Daryl, Michonne, Carl and Jason also thought of the group of Claimers who had tried to kill them and rape Carl.

"No." Rick answered sharply.

"People are worse." Daryl finished.

"Well, I wasn't watching you. I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more than a few times since it all started." Gabriel explained. "That was the furthest I've gone before today."

Gabriel studied the serious faces of the group. None of them seemed to believe him or accept his explanations. He felt like he was some kind of alien life form to these people and he couldn't understand why. He was a man of God, pure and just. These people didn't trust him.

"Or maybe I'm lying. Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all." Gabriel joked with a smirk. "Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels."

Rick stopped walking, slowing the group as the chuckling priest turned to face him. His smile faded when he saw how serious everyone was staring at him. Gabriel was unaware that the entire group had just escaped from a people trap set by ruthless cannibals. Joking about a trap was not in his best interest.

"Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humour leaves much to be desired." Gabriel quickly defended himself, backing away as Rick advanced towards him.

"Yeah, it does." Daryl hissed with irritation.

Rick nodded at Gabriel, signalling for him to turn around and continue leading them to the church. He was impatient and if Gabriel hadn't been watching them then it meant someone else had been. That fact made Rick feel very uncomfortable.

They entered a clearing in the woodland and were greeted with a small white church made mostly of wood. It was a welcoming sight to a group that had been on the road for so long. It looked abandoned and gave the sense that Gabriel hadn't been lying. Gabriel ascended the steps and took out the keys from his pocket, preparing to open the door.

"Hold up." Rick stopped him. "We'll take a look around first."

Rick ascended the stairs up to the door and held his hand out for Gabriel to give him the key.

"We just want to hold onto our squirrels."

Gabriel relented and gave him the key, feeling that it was all unnecessary. Rick unlocked the door and marched inside with his gun raised, followed by Michonne, Daryl, Carol and Glenn. While Rick, Glenn and Carol walked up the middle, Daryl and Michonne took the sides of the church hall and checked behind all the pews. The church hall was silent with no signs of anyone inside.

Michonne opened one of the doors on the far end and aimed her rifle inside. She and Glenn surveyed the room but could only find a table, a sofa and some children's drawings stuck to the wall.

Carol stood over the desk in the church hall. A cross sat on the table along with several books, one of which was an open bible. Studying the discarded pen and half-finished page, it was clear that Gabriel spent his time copying the bible so as to preserve the holy word of God. Carol had stopped believing in a God a long time ago.

Daryl entered the other room on the far side of the hall. It was similar to the other, empty apart from furniture and a picture of the last supper on the wall.

Rick checked the desk at the front of the church, decorated with a large silver cross. Underneath the desk and around the border of where it sat were rows of empty food cans. It looked like Gabriel had indeed stayed inside the church for a very long time.

Outside the church, Jason stood and watched for people or walkers. Abraham, Rosita, Maggie, Bob and Sasha were patrolling the perimeter for any potential traps or hidden dangers. Everything was quiet and appeared to be safe.

Carl, Jason, Tyreese, Tara and Eugene stayed by Father Gabriel so he wouldn't be tempted to move. Jason grunted as he shifted his weight to his right leg as pain was shooting through his left leg again. He needed to rest soon to give his leg time to recover.

"You okay?" Carl asked him, gently bouncing Judith in his arms.

"Yeah." Jason nodded. "Just need to sit down soon."

"What happened to your leg?" Gabriel asked him carefully. He knew bites turned people.

"I was shot while escaping a death trap set by cannibals." Jason told him flatly, not wanting Gabriel's attention. "They didn't like squirrels."

Gabriel decided it was best not to speak, having taken the hint that his previous joke had been poorly worded and ill-timed for the group.

A strained sigh left Carl's mouth and didn't go unnoticed by Jason. It looked like Carl's arms were getting tired from holding onto Judith for so long.

"I can take her if you need a break." Jason offered with a smile.

Carl shook his head. "It's fine."

The rest of the group finished their patrol of the perimeter and returned to the front of the church. From inside Rick whistled to the others and declared it safe for them to stay in. Rick walked out and handed Gabriel the keys.

"I spent months here without stepping out the front door." Gabriel commented. "If you had found someone inside…well it would have been surprising."

"Thanks for this." Carl spoke up to Gabriel, grateful that they had a roof over their heads again.

"Found a short bus out back. It don't run but I bet we could fix that in less than a day or two." Abraham told Rick. "The Father here says he doesn't want it. Looks like we've found ourselves some transport."

Rick stroked Judith's head gently. He was glad that they had found shelter for her as she was the most fragile and vulnerable member of the group.

"You understand what's at stake here, right?" Abraham continued, making sure he wasn't being ignored.

Rick didn't take his eyes off Judith. She was a shining light of hope and innocence in the world and it was one of the few things he lived for.

"Yes I do."

"Now that we can take a breath?" Michonne interrupted, surprised at Abraham's single mindedness.

"We take a breath, we slow down." Abraham countered. "Shit inevitably goes down."

"We need supplies no matter what we do next." Michonne retorted.

"That's right." Rick agreed. "Water, food, ammunition."

Rick ascended the stairs again and walked inside, followed by the group itself.

"Short bus ain't going nowhere." Daryl told Abraham. "We'll bring you back some baked beans."

Daryl wandered inside along with Carol. Glenn stopped beside Abraham.

"One way or another we're doing what Rick does." He told the muscular soldier. "We're not splitting up again."

Glenn entered the church with Maggie close behind him.

"What he said." Tara commented to Abraham as she walked past.

Bob and Sasha approached Abraham last.

"We want to roll with you but…what she said." Bob told him.

Bob walked past him and entered the church with Sasha behind him. Abraham stood where he was and smirked. He would need to convince them all to go to Washington. He could do that.

As the group got themselves settled, Rick took Judith from Carl to give the boy a break. He also needed to be close to the child to remind himself what it was he fought for day in day out.

"How did you survive here for so long?" Rick asked the priest. "Where did your supplies come from?"

Gabriel smiled. "Luck. Our annual canned food drive. Things fell apart right after we finished it. It was just me."

Carl noticed that his father was still interrogating the priest so he walked up and took hold of Judith for him. He loved taking care of his baby sister.

"The food lasted a long time then I started scavenging." Gabriel explained. "I've cleaned out every place nearby except for one."

"What kept you from it?" Rick asked him, curious.

"It's overrun." Gabriel answered. He couldn't handle walkers.

"How many?" Rick asked, confident in his group's skill to kill walkers.

"About a dozen or so, maybe more." Gabriel answered.

Rick nodded. That was manageable for the group if they did it right. "We can handle a dozen."

Sasha walked up to them. "Bob and I will go with you. Tyreese should stay here, help keep Judith safe."

"Would that be okay?" Rick asked the large man in front of him.

"Sure, if you ever need me to watch her." Tyreese smiled. "If you need anything for her. I'm right here."

"I'm grateful for it." Rick told him, stepping forward. "And everything else."

"I'll draw you a map." Gabriel suggested, heading for one of the desks.

"You don't need to." Rick stopped him. "You're coming with us."

"I'm not going to be of any help." Gabriel answered, smiling nervously. "You saw me, I'm no good around those things."

"You're coming with us." Rick repeated coldly. He wanted to keep an eye on him.

Once Carl had placed Judith in her bag, Rick walked over to him and gestured for his son to sit down on one of the pews. He crouched down in front of his son.

"Listen, I don't trust this guy." He whispered.

"Why?" Carl questioned.

"Why do you trust him?" Rick asked, curious to see how his son thought about things.

Carl thought for a moment. "Everybody can't be bad. Look at Jason."

Rick glanced over at Jason, who was sitting next to Judith out of hearing range. He nodded and smiled.

"Well, I don't trust this guy." Rick told his son. "And that's why I'm bringing him with me."

Rick paused for a moment, making sure he had his son's attention.

"But he could have friends." Rick continued. "So I need you to stay alert and help Tyreese protect Judith. Okay?"

Carl nodded, accepting his responsibilities as a member of the group and as Judith's older brother.

"Now, I need you to hear what I'm about to say." Rick said seriously.

"Okay." Carl nodded, ready for whatever his father had to tell him.

"You are not safe. No matter how many people are around or how clear the area looks." Rick told him. "No matter what anyone says, no matter what you think. You are not safe."

Carl stared back into his father's eyes, surprised at his sudden honesty but he also appreciated it.

"It only takes one second. One second and it's over." Rick concluded. "Never let your guard down. Ever. I want you to promise me."

Carl nodded. "I promise."

"Okay." Rick said as he stood back up.

Carl also stood up quickly. "Dad?"

Rick turned back around and walked up to him.

"You're right. I am strong. We both are. But we're strong enough that we can still help people." Carl told the man. "And we can handle ourselves if things go wrong. And we're strong enough that we don't have to be afraid. And we don't have to hide."

Rick nodded. His son was a good person. Despite the horrors of the world that he had faced, Carl had managed to hold onto his humanity. Rick knew he was gradually losing his as a sacrifice for keeping his family safe.

"Well he's hiding something." Rick commented. He could tell.

Carl nodded. "I'll stay safe, dad."

Rick nodded and placed his hand on the back of Carl's neck affectionately before heading for the door. He was followed by Bob, Sasha, Gabriel and Michonne. The doors closed behind them, the sound of them closing echoing in the church hall.

"Daryl and I are going to scout the area, make sure that it's safe." Carol announced as she and the archer headed for the door.

They received a nod from everyone inside the church as acknowledgement and permission to leave. As they headed for the door, Glenn, Maggie and Tara followed them. They explained that they were also going to head into the local town and look for guns.

This left Jason, Judith, Carl, Eugene and Tyreese inside the church as Abraham and Rosita were out the back of the church working on the short bus. Jason groaned with effort as he rose to his feet and walked across the church hall. He was looking for somewhere to lie back and hoped the church had a bed or sofa that was softer than the pews.

"What are you doing?" Carl asked him, having followed him quietly.

Jason turned his head to him. "Just looking for somewhere to lie down. I might need to later."

Jason opened the door closest to him and smiled when he saw the sofa that rested against the wall. It wasn't much but it would do as a comfortable place to lay back and take weight off his left leg. He walked into the room and sat down on the sofa to test how soft it was. It was old but it was softer than hard wood.

Carl sat down next to him, earning a confused look from Jason.

"I want to hear more about what life was like for you before." Carl admitted honestly.

"Why?" Jason asked bluntly but innocently. He didn't see it as being important information.

"It'll give me something to dream about." Carl answered honestly, looking down at the floor.

"What do you mean by dream about?" Jason asked, a little confused.

"What it would have been like for me now." Carl explained. "If the world hadn't ended."

Now Jason understood. Carl wanted to know what his life could have been if the world hadn't ended. He wanted to know the kinds of things a young teenage boy would get up to, the experiences he would have and the mistakes he might make. This information would allow him to build a world in his dreams that was still going. No walkers. No fear.

Jason smiled and nodded. "Okay."

---

Gabriel led Rick, Bob, Sasha and Michonne down an alleyway in the town. The town was quiet and appeared to be free of walkers apart from those in the place Gabriel was taking them to.

"Hey. When you said they don't get to live, you weren't wrong." Bob told Rick, referring to the Termites. "If we push ourselves and let things go, then we let some more go, some more and pretty soon there's things we can't get back."

They continued walking, the birds on the rooftops above them were chirping as if the world wasn't a deadly wasteland.

"Things we couldn't hold onto even if we tried." Bob continued. "Washington is going to happen, Rick."

"I haven't decided if we're going." Rick replied.

"Yeah, I know and that's cool but you've seen Abraham in action." Bob responded. "He's going to get there and Eugene's going to cure all of this and you're going to find yourself in a place where it's like how it used to be."

Rick remained silent as Bob continued to speak his mind.

"And if you let too much go along the way then that's not going to work." Bob continued. Then you're going to be back in the real world."

"This is the real world, Bob." Rick answered, looking at the devastation of the ghost town around them.

"No, this is a nightmare and nightmares end." Bob answered with a laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm calling it. Washington's going to happen. You're going to say yes. There's already too much momentum. You can't fight city hall."

Rick stared at the grinning man beside him. He was surprised anyone could be so optimistic after nearly two years of an apocalypse filled with flesh eating corpses.

"Or maybe that's one of those parts of not letting go." Bob countered his own optimism with a grin.

---

Daryl and Carol had finished scouting the area and had used the nearby stream to fill up some water bottles. They were heading back to the church down one of the old roads that was now carpeted by fallen leaves.

"Hey I get it, you don't want to talk about it." Daryl commented. "You okay?"

Carol turned to him. "Gotta be."

"We get to start over." Daryl continued. "All of us, with each other. You saved us all by yourself."

"We got lucky." Carol replied, trying to be realistic. "We all should be dead."

At the bottom of the road there was a dirty, leaf covered car that had been abandoned at the side of the road for months.

"I'll check it." Carol told him as she walked towards it.

Carol opened the door of the car and sat in the driver's seat. The keys were still in the ignition so she tried turning it. There was a faint clicking but nothing came of it. She grimaced in disappointment and got out of the car. She opened the boot of the car to search for supplies or something to help get it started.

"Hey, we ain't dead." Daryl said to her. "And whatever happened, happened. Let's start over."

"I want to." Carol answered.

"Well, you can." Daryl replied.

Carol stayed silent and checked the boot. There was an emergency starter there and when she pushed the start button on it a light came on indicating it still had some battery power left. She immediately turned it off and closed the door.

"We should leave this here for backup in case things go south at the church." She said to Daryl.

"Will you carry one of those?" Daryl asked, holding out and letting go of one of the water bottles.

However, Carol had already picked up the two she had originally been carrying which meant the water bottle Daryl let go of crashed to the ground. Carol smiled as Daryl face-palmed.

"No." Carol answered in a funny voice as Daryl picked up the dropped bottle.

---

Maggie and Tara stood outside an abandoned and empty looking gun shop. They were in town, the streets deserted completely while Glenn was inside the shop looking for guns or ammo.

"You know I didn't want to mention anything when we looked this place up in the phonebook." Tara commented. "But I just can't imagine a gun store having left overs nowadays."

"It don't look good, does it?" Maggie answered, looking at the entrance.

Suddenly there was a crash of things falling over from inside. Tara and Maggie readied their guns and moved towards the door. Glenn came out of the door unharmed.

"Was it a walker?" Tara asked.

"Uh…yeah, it's a walker." Glenn answered, holstering his gun.

"Really?" Maggie asked, not believing his hesitant tone of voice.

"It was a stack of boxes and a mop and I tripped." Glenn admitted, earning a laugh from the two women.

"Still, not what we came for but…" Glenn commented, pulling out three suppressors.

"You actually found something?" Tara asked, surprised.

"Three silencers stashed in a mini-fridge." Glenn answered with a smile. "Rule number one of scavenging, there's nothing left in this world that isn't hidden."

---

"We spent the entire night playing videogames and snacking on chocolate." Jason was finishing off one of his many stories to Carl.

He was telling Carl about a sleepover he had had with Kellin in the early days of their relationship. Carl was smiling with amusement at all the funny conversations the two lovers had shared in their time together but he also smiled at how much the subject brightened Jason up.

"So that's the sort of thing I'd probably be doing right now?" Carl asked with a grin.

"Yeah, probably. That would be the kind of thing to drive your parents mad." Jason replied with a matching grin.

They both laughed at the idea of Rick going crazy at four in the morning because of the chocolate and videogame induced fun Carl would have been having if the world hadn't ended.

"So was it like that all the time?" Carl asked. "Because all of this sounds amazing!"

Jason's smile faded slightly but it clung to his face as he spoke.

"No, not all the time." He answered honestly. "But those times made up for the bad ones."

"Bad ones?" Carl asked, curious and hoping Jason would explain.

Jason rolled up the sleeve of his leather jacket and the black top that he wore underneath it to reveal some scars on his arm and wrist. They were the ever present reminders of the times he had self-harmed because of bullying or the traumatic childhood he had dealt with at home.

Carl leaned forward for a closer look, inching closer to Jason's arm. "Do you remember what each one was for?"

Jason also lowered his head to his arm and pointed out each individual scar. He went down his arm starting at his wrist.

"This was from wanting out of my home life. My uncle used to beat me."

He pointed at the next one down.

"This one was from my guilt at having finally fought back. He ended up in hospital."

He pointed at the one below that.

"This one was from being bullied at school for not being one of the cool kids."

Each time his finger went lower, both his and Carl's faces followed it.

"And this one was from the bullying I received when someone learned I liked guys as well as girls."

"I'm sorry all that happened to you." Carl said to him lowly. He meant it. His friend had so much pain.

"It's okay." Jason answered. "It's in the past now."

Carl turned to look at him and realised their faces were quite close together as a result of examining the scars. Jason realised this too and smirked.

"We're kinda close." He teased.

Jason had meant it as a joke but Carl couldn't help but blush at the comment. He knew he cared a lot about Jason. It was obvious to most of the group when they had believed him to be dead at Terminus. Michonne, as his most trusted friend, knew that Jason had become very important to Carl. He felt his heart pound in his chest. He wanted something but he wasn't sure what it was.

Jason noticed the blush and the slight change in Carl's breathing. He was suddenly nervous and Jason couldn't figure out why. Their faces were close together and he had made a light joke about it but now neither of them seemed to want to move.

"What's up?" Jason asks quietly, concerned for Carl.

Carl stuttered, their eyes meeting. He could see the nervousness and pain inside those blue eyes.

"I…I don't know." Carl answered. His face was still red and Jason's questions weren't helping.

Jason moved his face a little closer to Carl's. They could feel each other's breath against their faces with how close they were. He was starting to piece it together.

"Carl?" Jason whispered, not taking his eyes off the teen's. "Do you like me?"

Carl swallowed nervously as his blush intensified. His eyes darted between Jason's eyes and Jason's lips. He had never been this close to someone in his life. He had never felt this rush of adrenaline before, it was different from the adrenaline produced by fear or rage. It felt good. There was another feeling but Carl didn't know how to describe it. Jason's questioned returned to his mind, realising he awkwardly hadn't answered it yet. It was an important question. Carl wasn't sure what his answer was. He was feeling too many new and different things.

"I…I don't know." Carl repeated, his face flaming up with embarrassment.

Jason felt the very same adrenaline coursing through him. He had noticed how Carl's eyes darted from his eyes to his lips, how he swallowed nervously and how red his face had turned. He recalled that Carl had never been intimate with anyone in his life. This situation was new to him and he didn't know how to react. Although he said he didn't know if he liked Jason or not, Jason took that as a positive reaction. He had to guide Carl through this. He had to make a decision.

Carl's eyes widened as Jason closed the gap between them. He felt warm lips on his own. They were soft and gentle. Nothing was forced. His heartbeat accelerated. This was what he had wanted. This was why he had got so nervous. The feeling he couldn't describe was want. Desire. Jason pulled away slightly and gazed into Carl's eyes, looking for any signs of rejection. He couldn't find any.

"Is this okay?" Jason asked, placing a hand gently on the back of Carl's neck.

Carl swallowed nervously again and nodded slowly. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or what he was supposed to say.

Jason closed the gap again, connecting their lips just as gently as before. Carl closed his eyes with Jason this time. Jason pulled him closer with the hand on the back of his neck, earning a quick gasp of surprise. Jason took that opportunity to slide his tongue gently into Carl's mouth, exploring it and teasing Carl's own tongue. Carl's breathing intensified at this new, deeper kiss. He recognised it. He had seen members of the group kiss like this before but it felt totally different to how he expected it to. He liked it.

Jason felt a mix of adrenaline and serenity course through him. He couldn't believe he was kissing Carl or that the boy was allowing him to. At the same time it was relaxing as it was the first chance he had had to be close to someone since Kellin died. Kellin. The thought of his dead boyfriend brought him back to reality. He was kissing Carl. Carl was five years younger than him. Rick had threatened to kill him if he touched Carl. He was touching Carl.

Jason pulled away. He had to fix things before he made an even bigger mistake that would justify Rick killing him like he did to the fat man who had attempted to rape Carl.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Jason gasped out quickly. "I shouldn't have done that."

Carl's face was a mix of confusion and hurt. "What do you mean?"

"Your dad told me he'd kill me if I touched you." Jason answered nervously. "I'm no better than that guy on the road to him now."

Carl shivered at the memory. "But I wanted this. It's different."

"I still shouldn't have done it." Jason countered, rubbing his forehead anxiously. "We just need to forget it. It was a mistake."

Pain flashed through Carl's face as he glared at Jason. "You don't like me, do you?"

It was the only conclusion Carl could come to that would explain why Jason saw the kiss as a mistake. He probably just missed Kellin so much that he was willing to kiss anyone and pretend it was him for a while. Jason didn't actually like him back. It crushed him.

Jason's face fell as he met Carl's glare. He realised he had made a big mistake and had given Carl the wrong idea. He slowly shook his head, his voice practically a whisper.

"No, no, it's not that." He answered, hating himself. "I do like you, Carl. I like you a lot."

Carl felt relief wash over him along with great excitement. Jason liked him back. His feelings were returned. He wouldn't have to face rejection and it also meant he wasn't a stupid kid who didn't understand his emotions. Confusion quickly dampened his excitement. Jason had still said it had been a mistake.

"So why was it a mistake?" Carl asked, his voice low with confusion and hurt.

"Because you're too young, Carl." Jason rubbed his forehead and sighed. "You're not ready for such a commitment. Especially in this world."

"Too young? Are you kidding me?" Carl spat back, hurt and angry.

Jason stared back at Carl, confused at his anger. It was true. Carl was fourteen, he was too young to be with Jason and now wasn't the time to be thinking about romantic relationships either.

"I have to be afraid every day of my life. I have to kill walkers. I'm old enough to kill them!" Carl spat. "I'm old enough to kill people! I had to shoot my mum! I've seen people die all the time!"

Carl let his rage out. He wasn't truly angry with Jason. He was frustrated. The one good thing in his life, the one thing he wanted and he could have was about to be taken away from him. It wasn't like the walkers or the Governor. This time he could do something to keep it. He could stop himself from losing it.

"I'm old enough to live in this world. To be trusted by the group!" Carl continued to rail against Jason. "Even my dad said that I'm a man now! But I'm too young for this?"

Jason realised what Carl was trying to tell him. He understood the point the frustrated teen was making. He was old enough and mature enough to deal with all the horrific things in this world but Jason had told him he was too young for a relationship. How insulting that must have been.

"This is something I want! I'm old enough to know that I want this!" Carl wasn't finished. "It's something good. Something nice. Why can't I have it?!"

Jason lowered his head. Carl was right. He was absolutely right. He was mature enough to have a relationship. He was mature enough to decide that he wanted to experience something positive, something warm, and something good in the dark, cold world they lived in. Jason would be wrong to deny him that.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Jason answered, standing up. "If we did this and I died you would be crushed. I can't do that to you."

"My dad told me that I'm not safe, we're not safe. We're always in danger." Carl told him, staring directly into his eyes. "I want to have this for however long we have left. I want happy memories like you have!"

Jason sighed in defeat. Carl was right. They could all die in a few hours or a few days or a few months. There was truly no way of knowing. It made the warmth of love and intimacy even more important. It carried the risk of heartbreak but upon reflection, Jason realised it always did. Car crashes, illness, crime and accidents happened all the time in the old world to destroy relationships. Walkers and dangerous people were really no different. Nothing had truly changed. Carl needed warmth in his life, that's why he clung to Judith so much. She was a symbol of warmth and light in his life. A sign that good things could still happen. He needed this.

Jason stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Carl's smaller frame tightly. He held him there, taking a moment to take Carl's hat off so he could pull the younger teen closer. They stayed there, locked in an embrace for what felt like hours to both of them. Carl eventually moved his head up to look at Jason's face.

"Is that a yes?" Carl asked softly, uncertain.

Jason nodded and kissed Carl's forehead. "That's a yes."

Carl tightened his hold of Jason, pulling them together as closely as he could. His heart felt like it was fluttering in his chest, his legs felt weak and he had a surge of happiness. A feeling that was almost alien to him because of the constant feelings of fear, rage and responsibility he felt every day of his life. This was something warm. Something exciting. Something positive. They both needed it and now they both had it.

---

Gabriel led Rick, Michonne, Sasha and Bob to a large white building on the other side of the street.

"We're here. This was the food bank." Gabriel told them. "It served the whole country, all the cans at my church were going to end up here."

Rick opened the door and aimed his assault rifle as he slowly walked inside. The others followed closely behind him with their weapons at the ready with Gabriel going in last. The building was quiet with no sign of walkers. Rick walked into the main hall that would have been used for gatherings but could only see clothes racks and discarded clothes on the floor. The place was abandoned.

The sound of water splashing contradicted him. He held his hand up to the others and looked at the large hole in the floor. The sound had come from there. He walked towards the hole in the floor, testing the integrity of the edges with his foot before signalling for the others to join him. Rick peered down the hole. The basement had been flooded with waist deep water and contained all the canned food along with several putrefying walkers. The smell was almost unbearable between the rotting corpses and the stagnant water they splashed around in.

"If a sewer could puke, this is what it'd smell like." Bob commented in disgust.

Michonne looked up and observed several large holes in the roof. The cause of the holes was unknown but the daylight streaming through them explained how the basement ended up flooded.

"Water's been coming down through that hole for a while." She commented, observing the badly decayed walkers. "Slimed this place up good."

"We can use the shelves to block them." Sasha suggested.

"Yeah. That's it, Sasha." Rick agreed with a nod. "There's our way. Down those shelves."

They moved over to the side of the hole with the tallest shelf exposed and prepared to climb down into the wretched abyss of the flooded basement while Gabriel stood watching.

"Hey. I said you're coming with us." Rick told him, earning a shocked look from the priest.

Gabriel was absolutely terrified but did as he was told and edged towards the group to follow them down.

They landed one by one in the stagnant, filthy water. The walkers around the snarled and groaned hungrily upon becoming aware of their presence. Their skin was so water logged and rotted that it looked like it was melting.

"Here they come!" Rick called out as the walkers stumbled towards them.

The group worked together to pull one of the heavy shelves through the water to act as a barrier between them and the ghastly walkers. As the walkers reached the shelves they thrust their arms through the gaps in a failed attempt to grab at Rick and the others. The group used this opportunity to stab the walkers in the forehead with relative safety.

As the walkers advanced slowly Gabriel caught sight of one walker in particular. It had been an older woman in life, her chained reading glasses still adorning her face as she snarled and stumbled closer. Gabriel quivered with fear and guilt upon seeing her and looked for a way to escape. The others were too preoccupied killing the multitude of walkers that were occupying the basement.

Gabriel scrambled past one of the shelves and rushed for the stairs. He tripped on something under the water and flailed his arms to stay afloat and to get back on his feet. The female walker snarled as it slowly followed him. He grabbed onto the stairs and attempted to climb them but they collapsed under his weight from the water damage. Gabriel fell back into the water and gasped as he brought his head back up. The walker was still edging towards him so he backed up until his back was against the wall. He rested his arms on an edge of wood on the wall and hung his head as if on a crucifix.

Rick stabbed a walker in the face with his machete and turned his head to the splashing. He noticed that Gabriel was in distress and quickly stabbed another walker in the face.

"We have to get Gabriel." He called.

"What happened?" Bob asked.

"I don't know!" Rick answered, confused as to why Gabriel had ran off in the first place.

There was still an entire group of walkers on the other side of the shelf. If they moved they would be swarmed and killed.

"Alright, we'll push down the shelf onto the ones in front of us and we'll fight our way to Gabriel." Rick commanded and started pushing at the shelf.

All together the four of them pushed the heavy shelf off balance and sent it crashing down on top of the putrid walkers, pinning them under the water safely. They quickly made their way past the shelf and rushed towards Gabriel.

Gabriel whimpered as the female walker continued to advance towards him, snarling repeatedly as if it were angry.

Sasha pushed one of the walkers against a shelf and stabbed it in the head. Michonne stabbed another in the head but was grabbed by a second. The walker was surprisingly strong for the level of decay its body showed which caused the samurai to struggle against it. Michonne reached behind her and found an egg whisk which she used to cave its head in.

Rick slashed open the head of another walker before grabbing the female walker by the shoulders as she reached Gabriel. He forcefully slammed her face against the steel beam of one of the shelves, smashing her skull to bits before dropping the lifeless body under the water.

Gabriel collapsed in shock, whimpering at the sight of the female walker's head being smashed in as the others finished dispatching the remaining walkers in the basement with them.

Bob made his way over to a box of supplies, smiling confidently.

"I know which way it's gonna break." He declared victoriously.

As he reached over to grab the supply box a rotten hand suddenly erupted out of the water and grabbed his shirt, pulling him down towards it under the water.

"Bob!" Sasha shouted and rushed over to him.

Bob erupted back out of the water, holding onto a walker that looked more like a skeleton than anything else. It had almost rotted away into nothing. He fought with it and forced it towards an exposed pipe as it continued to snap its teeth together in an effort to bite him. Bob forced it onto the pipe, impaling it and holding it in place as Sasha smashed its skull in with a storage container.

"Bob? Bob are you okay?" She asked anxiously, checking him over for bites.

"I'm fine now." Bob answered, visibly shaken.

---

Carl and Jason sat on the sofa side by side. They sat much closer together than they ever did before, now comfortable to be close together in private moments. The adrenaline of their confessions to each other and of Carl experiencing his first kisses was still rushing through them but they were gradually calming down.

"I think we should keep this secret from the others for now." Jason told Carl, writing in his notebook.

"Why?" Carl asked innocently. He was happy and proud, so why should he have to hide it?

"It's possible that not everyone will agree with it." Jason answered. "At least not right away."

Carl nodded. He knew there was one person that may not agree with it who they needed to tackle first before anyone else.

"What about my dad?" Carl asked.

"I'll need to think about that." Jason answered. "He scares me."

"He's not a bad guy." Carl defended. "I mean, you're not hurting me. I want this."

"He's still your father." Jason countered.

Jason knew that he would have to justify everything to Rick and further proof himself suitable to take care of Carl. He had no doubt in his mind that Rick would initially be against their newly formed relationship but he hoped that would change with persuasion.

"What are you writing?" Carl asked him, taking interest.

Jason smiled as he answered. "An entry in my diary explaining how special you are."

Carl smiled but also blushed at this. No one had ever called him special before so he wasn't used to such blunt and open affection. He wasn't complaining because it felt incredible to be so appreciated and cared about.

Jason closed his notebook and placed it back in his bag. He leaned back over and kissed Carl on the cheek before standing up. He offered his hand out for Carl to take it, which he did, allowing Jason to pull him up onto his feet.

"Come on, let's help out so the others don't get too suspicious." Jason told him with a smile.

Carl smiled back and nodded before Jason led them back out into the main church hall. Tyreese was cradling Judith in his arms. He had just finished feeding her and was attempting to lull her to sleep. He smiled as the two teens walked past and headed for the door.

Once they were outside they saw that Abraham and Rosita had got the short bus working and had moved it from the back of the church to the front. They were still working on the engine so it probably wasn't completely road worthy yet.

"My dad doesn't trust Father Gabriel." Carl told Jason as they walked together, the sun beating down on them.

"What do you think?" Jason asked openly, his gloved hands in his jacket pockets.

"Not everyone's bad. You're not bad." Carl answered with a shrug. "He doesn't seem like a bad guy."

"Appearances can be deceiving." Jason answered with a smirk. "So let's have a look around and see if we can find any evidence of wrong doing."

Carl nodded. It gave them something reasonably productive to do and it would help pass the time until Rick and the others returned.

---

After raiding the basement of all the supplies, Rick and the others had two large trolley loads of food and supplies. Rick and Michonne took charge of one trolley and Bob and Sasha took charge of the other. Father Gabriel walked alongside them as they made their way up the street away from the food bank.

"I'm sorry. I panicked." Gabriel apologised to Rick for what had happened. "I told you, I'm no good around those things."

"Did you know her when she was alive?" Rick asked him bluntly.

Gabriel averted his eyes away from Rick's glare and simply looked ahead of them silently.

"Yeah, I get it." Rick commented sarcastically. "You only tell your sins to God."

---

Jason winced in pain as he continued looking around the church grounds. They hadn't found much evidence of anything apart from some scratches on the walls. He still needed a proper rest but he had been too happy about what had happened with Carl to sleep just yet. He limped around looking for any other evidence but it didn't look like anything significant had happened at the church.

"You should rest." Carl told him, walking up to him with a concerned look on his face.

"I'm fine." Jason answered with a smile which faded as he moved and winced again.

"You're not though." Carl retorted, placing a hand on Jason's arm upon his wince.

"I'll rest when the others are back, okay?" Jason suggested.

"Fine." Carl accepted with a sigh. He could tell that Jason's stubbornness would be a problem in the future.

---

Rick and the others walked down the leaf covered road towards the church, guiding the heavy trolleys with them.

"Do you miss the sword?" Rick asked Michonne.

"It wasn't really mine in the first place." Michonne explained. "I found it in the very beginning."

"How'd you get so good?" Rick asked. Michonne was a master sword wielder.

"It was just me and them out here. All day every day." Michonne answered, referring to the walkers. "Good long time. I don't know what that was but it wasn't life."

Michonne smiled.

"Not like today. Stumbling around in three feet of slime for some peas and carrots? That's living." Michonne commented. "I miss Andrea. I miss Hershel. I don't miss what was before. I don't miss that sword."

With that said they had arrived back at the church. They unloaded the trolleys and lifted the boxes of food and supplies into the church hall. Gabriel was happy to return to his church and the others were happy to finally get to sit down. Tyreese offered his help as Judith was fast asleep.

"Where's Carl and Jason?" Rick asked the large man, having not spotted them.

"Out back looking around." Tyreese answered.

Rick nodded and walked back outside. He turned from the door and went round the side of the church. Sure enough, Carl and Jason were standing together looking at the wall of the church with what appeared to be great interest.

"Hey, Tyreese said you were out back." Rick called to them as he walked up to them. "Come on in, we found food, a lot of it."

"Good." Carl said in response, barely listening.

Rick glanced at Jason who was looking between Rick and the wall.

"What is it?" He asked them.

Carl pointed to the scratches on the blocked window. "Those scratches, they're deep. Knives or something. Someone was trying to get in."

Rick studied the scratches in the wood. Carl was right, these were caused by knives. His suspicions about Father Gabriel were beginning to gain weight.

"I found something else. I don't know what happened but whatever it is, we can handle it." Carl told his dad. "Doesn't mean Gabriel's a bad guy for sure but it means something."

Rick studied what Carl had pointed out. There was a short message scratched into the wood of the church wall with a knife.

YOU'LL BURN FOR THIS.

"This was the only evidence we could find." Jason commented. "He did something."

Rick nodded. This was all the proof he needed to know that something awful had happened. Gabriel had hurt people somehow, enough for them to condemn him to Hell. Between this and the female walker in the food bank Rick was starting to get some idea of what might have happened.

Rick was brought out of his musings by another loud wince of pain from Jason. Jason used his arm to lean against the wall of the church as he hobbled along. Carl's face showed concern and so did Rick's.

"You need to rest." Rick told him. "That ain't gonna heal if you don't rest it."

Jason nodded in acceptance. "I'll take a rest now that you're all back."

"Good. We'll wake you just before dinner." Rick told him with a smile. "You still need to eat."

The three of them made their way past Abraham who was still working on the short bus and entered the church hall. As they entered the hall, Michonne noticed something was different with Jason and Carl. It was subtle but something had changed. She watched as Carl followed Jason into the back office where the sofa was, as if making sure he wouldn't fall down on the way there.

Jason lay down on the sofa, shifting around until he got comfortable. Carl stood over him for a while, refusing to leave until Jason was relaxed and ready to sleep.

"You looking after me now?" Jason teased. "Doctor Grimes?"

Carl giggled at the joke and nodded his head. "Yeah, that's me."

"Well I'll be fine in here." Jason answered, still smiling and joking. "God will watch over me."

Carl laughed at the obvious sarcasm from Jason. "I'll wake you for dinner."

Carl left the office and closed the door behind him. Jason lay back on the sofa and closed his eyes. For the time being he was completely alone and had the opportunity to get a bit of rest. He still couldn't believe what had happened with Carl, though they weren't officially dating he didn't feel these things really needed to be said anymore. Jason felt a pang of guilt at being with Carl despite Kellin being dead. It still felt like cheating to him on some level because if Kellin hadn't died they would still be together.

"If I ever die, I want you to find someone else who makes you happy. You're not allowed to be lonely and miserable just because I'm gone, okay?"

Kellin's words rang through his mind as if Kellin himself was standing next to him and saying them into his ear. Jason knew this is what Kellin wanted him to do but it was still difficult for him. It felt like he was letting go or forgetting. There was also the risk of losing Carl like he lost Kellin or leaving Carl all alone should anything happen to him. Unfortunately he knew one of those scenarios was inevitable so he had to make the time they spent together worth it. Something to enjoy, be proud of and treasure in memory. His thoughts slowed down as sleep claimed him.

---

After an hour of organising food and supplies had passed, everyone was back in the church. Daryl, Carol, Maggie, Tara, and Glenn had all returned from their runs. Abraham and Rosita had finally finished up work on the short bus and were now sitting in the church with the others. It had been a productive but tiring day and everyone was glad that they could finally rest. While everyone sorted out food, supplies and candles to light up the hall, Carl was elsewhere.

Carl had slipped back inside the office where Jason slept but wasn't intended to wake him right away. His curiosity about the diary passage of Kellin's birthday had gotten the better of him and he wanted to read it. If he was old enough to be with Jason then he was old enough to read whatever was written in that notebook.

He carefully unzipped the back so as to not wake Jason and pulled out the notebook. He flicked through the pages until he found the date he was looking for, the twenty-fifth of November. Carl quickly skimmed through the parts of the passage that referred to how the day had been spent, going out places and talking. Finally he reached the night of that day. The descriptions of what had happened were surprisingly detailed compared to the previous parts of the passage and Carl found a vivid image of that night forming in his mind.

Jason and Kellin sat down on Jason's bed. They had just got back from the cinema and as Jason's parents were away they had the house to themselves for the whole night. They were laughing at some small jokes Kellin was telling when Jason stopped the laughter momentarily.

"Having a good birthday then?" Jason asked the blonde with a smile.

Kellin nodded excitedly. "Best I've ever had."

"Well, there's still one last present I have to give you." Jason announced with a grin.

"Oh? What is it?" Kellin asked. He was surprised that Jason had left it until late at night.

"Me." Jason announced with a smile and kissed Kellin softly.

"But I have you every day, silly." Kellin countered, using one of his many nicknames for Jason.

"Not like this." Jason answered.

Jason then placed his hand on the inside of Kellin's thigh and kissed him strongly, his tongue sliding into Kellin's mouth to battle with Kellin's tongue. As their tongues continued to duel, Jason slowly slid his hand up Kellin's thigh until he was cupping his boyfriend through his jeans.

Kellin gasped at the sudden contact. It was rare for them to touch each other so intimately and they had never had full sex before. Kellin's heartbeat shot through the roof when he realised that's what Jason meant by having him. That was the final present of the day.

Jason smiled into the kiss as he felt Kellin harden through his jeans and removed his hand so he could pull at Kellin's shirt. He broke the kiss as Kellin raised his arms so his shirt could be pulled off easily and as soon as it hit the floor, Jason went for Kellin's collarbones, kissing and nipping them gently with his teeth. This earned him loud gasps from Kellin as he rubbed his lover's sides, his mouth and tongue finding Kellin's nipples.

Kellin let out a moan as he felt Jason's tongue flick and tease at one of his nipples. He was like mush under Jason's loving assault as this wasn't the result of both of them being horny or bored, this was a premeditated gift of love for Kellin's birthday. Another moan left Kellin's mouth as his other nipple received the same treatment. He was aching inside his jeans, knowing that it wouldn't be long before Jason made his way back down there.

Soon enough, Jason was kissing his way down Kellin's body until he reached the waistband of his skinny jeans. He undid the belt and button there before pulling them down off his legs. Jason was still fully clothed and he could tell that it frustrated Kellin slightly. He stopped for a moment to pull of his own shirt before returning his attention to Kellin.

Kellin let out a hiss of pleasure as Jason grasped him through his boxers, smirking at the reaction he received from his lover. Jason leaned forward and captured his lips again. The kiss was slow and loving as Jason continued to rub him through the fabric of his boxers.

"Fuck, Jason!" Kellin hissed as they broke the kiss. "So good!"

Jason chuckled lowly at his boyfriend's ecstatic reaction to his actions.

"Tonight I'm going to make you mine."

"Carl!"

Carl jumped so suddenly he thought his head would hit the ceiling. His dad was calling on him, not knowing where he was. If he kept calling out he might wake Jason who would then catch Carl reading the passage. Carl closed the notebook and returned it to Jason's bag, zipping the bag up to leave no sign of his intrusion.

As he stood up he noticed that his legs felt slightly weak and his face was flushed again. He had been enjoying reading about Kellin's final birthday gift and couldn't help but feel disappointed and annoyed that he hadn't been able to finish. Carl took a breath and tried to focus on other things to relax himself.

Carl opened the door to the office and closed it behind him, returning to the church hall that was lit up by candle light. Michonne was the first one to spot him and pointed him out to Rick who quickly made his approach.

"Carl, where were you?" Rick asked softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Just making sure Jason was okay." Carl answered, trying to hide the slight nervousness that was coursing through him from nearly getting caught.

Rick nodded, glad to see his son was making sure everyone was okay even if it was one at a time.

"We'll wake him in half an hour and then we can all eat." Rick told his son.

Carl nodded to his dad who made his way over to Judith. After a tiring day and having been in the repulsive basement, Rick needed some time with his baby daughter to take his mind off the horrors of the outside world.

Michonne quietly approached Carl with a smirk on her face. "What's going on?"

Carl stared back at her blankly. "What do you mean?"

"You and Jason." Michonne answered, keeping her voice low. "Something's different."

Carl blushed and looked at the floor. He hadn't expected anyone to catch on so quickly, not even Michonne. Michonne tilted her head and smiled as she caught Carl's eyes under his hat.

"Well?" Michonne asked.

"Promise not to tell my dad?" Carl asked her, glancing over at the bearded man who was busy playing with Judith.

"Of course." Michonne replied seriously. She remembered how protective Rick was of Carl.

"We like each other." Carl answered sheepishly. "But we're keeping it a secret for now."

"Why?" Michonne asked. "I don't think the group would care."

"My dad. Jason's scared of him." Carl explained. "Can you help us talk to him?"

Michonne nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder with a smile. "Of course."

Carl's face brightened up, grateful to have such a close friend like Michonne. Somebody smart and strong who he could trust with anything. It was a relief. As he turned to go back to the office, Michonne stopped him.

"Carl." She called lowly, getting his attention. "I'm happy for you. Both of you."

Carl smiled and gave a nod of appreciation before returning to the office where Jason slept.

---

He couldn't remember how they had got into this position. It had all been a blur. A kiss or a touch in a sensitive place that had made him lose control. All Jason knew was that they were in the office and Carl was beneath him, shirtless with his slim torso on display for him. Carl was lying back on the sofa while Jason straddled him, kissing his neck and grinding their hips together.

Jason considered if it was too soon but it was obvious Carl wanted it. He could feel it. Carl was as hard as he was. The moans that left Carl's mouth drove him crazy. He needed to hear more. He kept in mind he would need to take it slow. This was Carl's first time and it couldn't be rushed.

As he reached lower to undo Carl's jeans a strong pair of hands gripped his shoulders causing him to hiss in surprise and pain. Whoever had grabbed him pulled him off Carl and threw him against the wall of the office, the force of the impact making his head slam against the wall.

Jason shook his head to clear the dizzying effect of the brief meeting between the wall and his head and looked up. Rick stood over him. His eyes were ice cold as they glared at him furiously. Rick's face and hands were shaking with rage. Just like they had that night with the Claimers.

"I told you not to touch him." Rick snarled. "I warned you."

Jason held his hands up defensively. Fear was shooting through him, his heart racing and his hands shaking like jelly.

"Rick, I wasn't doing anything he didn't want!" Jason pleaded quickly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Rick's expression didn't change. He had made his mind up or he had let the beast inside him make the decisions. The former cop unsheathed his machete and gripped the handle firmly. Jason felt his blood run cold.

"Rick! Please don't!" Jason cried in fear. "I'm begging you! I'd never hurt Carl!"

Jason screamed in terror as Rick growled and swung the machete down onto him, hacking into him repeatedly.

---

Jason awoke suddenly, his body shaking with the feeling of a pair of hands on his chest. Sweat was running down his forehead, his heart was pounding and his hands were shaking. It had been a nightmare. He was alive. He turned his head and realised the pair of hands on his chest belonged to Carl.

"You okay?" Carl asked him. His nightmare had obviously been visible to Carl.

Jason nodded slowly, taking a breath. "Yeah, just a nightmare. That's all."

"What happened?" Carl asked. He wanted to know what kind of nightmare could make Jason squirm and cry out like that.

Jason gazed into Carl's eyes for a moment. He could be honest and say the nightmare had been of Rick hacking him to death for having a sexual encounter with his son or he could cover it up.

"I lost you." Jason lied, taking one of Carl's hands in his own and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Well, I'm here." Carl answered, not really sure of how to respond. He squeezed back.

Jason smiled and gave Carl a quick but gentle kiss before he sat up. Carl still wasn't used to being kissed by anyone outside of his family. He always froze and blushed when Jason kissed him unexpectedly.

"Time for dinner, I'm guessing?" Jason asked him as he stood up, wincing slightly as he applied weight to his leg.

Carl nodded, the question bringing him back to reality. "Yeah."

Jason rubbed Carl's back with one hand and smiled. "Come on then."

They separated themselves and headed out of the office into the church hall to join the others.

---

The church hall was alive with conversation and the sound of metal cutlery knocking against plates and bowls. Various cans of food had been opened and emptied into bowls where everyone could help themselves to what it was they wanted. The candles that lit the hall cast strange, deformed shadows on the walls as the group conversed and consumed their dinner. One of the most striking sounds was that of laughter. They often had so few opportunities to laugh that it was a momentous occasion when they could, no matter how small or simple the cause of the laughter was.

Rick sat with Judith in his arms as he fed her. She had also decided to feed Rick and would place food in his mouth. Jason thought it was one of the most adorable things he had ever seen and it gave him a glimpse of the man Rick used to be before the world ended.

"I'd like to propose a toast." Abraham called out, standing over them as the others seated themselves.

Jason and Carl quickly filled their plates and sat down together to listen to what Abraham had to say along with everyone else.

"I look around this room and I see survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title." Abraham announced and held up his glass of wine. "To the survivors!"

"To the survivors!" Everyone repeated with him, lifting their glasses as well.

"Is that all you want to be? Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food then sleep at night two eyes open rinse and repeat?" Abraham asked them all. "Because you can do that. I mean you got the strength, you got the skill."

Carol looked over at the door of the church while Abraham spoke.

"Thing is, are you people for what you can do? Might as well just surrender." Abraham explained. "Now when we get Eugene to Washington he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again and that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip."

Everyone fell silent at this. If it was true it would certainly be worth the journey. Everyone had their doubts on whether it was true or even if it was how the world could recover from such an awful event. Jason considered it. If he could help save the world so that not only could he and Carl be together for years to come but also so that Carl could see his baby sister grow up, that was worth any risk.

"Eugene, what's in DC?" Abraham asked the scientist who sat on one of the pews.

"Infrastructure designed to resist pandemics of even this FUBAR magnitude." Eugene answered. "That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart."

Abraham smirked. "However this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started."

Abraham stared down at Rick who sat with Judith in his arms.

"Come with us. Save the world for that little one." Abraham pleaded to him. "Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there. Don't got nothing left to do except survive."

Silence fell again. Rick noticed that no one appeared to have any objections nor could they vocalize anything in favour of the mission. He smiled. Judith gargled out a sound at him.

"What was that?" He asked his baby daughter, earning a laugh from the others. "I think she knows what I'm about to say."

Judith cooed again.

"She's in. If she's in then I'm in." Rick answered with a grin. "We're in."

Laughter and applause echoed around them. They were going to go to Washington DC and end the apocalypse. While everyone else was distracted, Jason slid his hand down and squeezed Carl's without looking at him. To him this meant a chance for Carl to have a normal life again. Experience some of the things that otherwise would only ever be dreams to him, fantasies of an alien world. That was something worth fighting for.

Sasha kissed Bob, both of them smiling.

"Okay, I'm not going to let my brother be the only one that gets to hold that baby!" She declared to him happily.

"Wait." Bob stopped her, gazing into her eyes. "One more."

They kissed again, this time for longer. When they broke apart and Sasha walked away, Bob closed his eyes and lowered his head to hide the tears threatening to fall. He stood up and headed for the door while Sasha held Judith.

Tara sat herself down beside Maggie nervously.

"You okay?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, yeah." Tara answered quickly while she gathered her mental strength.

"I was at the prison with the Governor." Tara confessed, shaking. "I didn't know who he was or what he could do. I didn't know who all of you were."

Maggie's face fell with shock. The memories of that day coming back to her. The slaughtering of their friends, the loss of their home and the decapitation of her father.

"I just didn't want it to be hidden." Tara told her. "That I was there."

"You're here with us now." Maggie answered weakly and hugged the younger woman.

Rick walked over and sat himself down next to Father Gabriel.

"Thanks for the hospitality." Rick commented. "I'm surprised you let us drink your communion wine."

"There isn't anyone left to take communion. The wine is just wine until it's blessed." Gabriel answered and took a swig of the wine bottle.

Rick noticed how sombre Gabriel was being. It was clear between that, the mention of communion, the female walker and the writing on the outside wall that the priest had dark secrets.

"It's pretty obvious that you're hiding something." Rick told him. "And it's pretty obvious that it's something you can't hide from."

Gabriel's face fell as he stared off into space. Rick was right.

"That's your business." Rick continued. "But these people? These people are my family and if what you're hiding somehow hurts them in any way, I'll kill you."

A small distance away from the rest of the group, Jason and Carl sat together. Jason had deliberately led them away for a while and Carl was curious to find out why. Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out two necklaces that he had taken from the Terminus store room. Each one of the necklaces was one half of the Chinese Yin-Yang symbol. Jason handed Carl the Yang necklace.

"These symbols mean different things. This one stands for light, for goodness." Jason explained as he placed it in Carl's hand. "You are my light in this dark world."

"What does your one mean?" Carl asked with interest.

"Mine stands for darkness and submission." Jason explained. "It will symbolise my inner pain and that I trust you with my heart."

Carl couldn't help but smile as he put the necklace on and concealed it under his shirt just as Jason did with his own. This was one of the most unique and meaningful gifts he had ever been given in his life and certainly since the apocalypse had started. It was a hidden, physical symbol of their relationship. He didn't know for sure if he could call what they had a relationship but whatever their connection was it was theirs. It was private for now. It was something that made him happy and made him feel complete. That's all that mattered.

---

So there we have it. Chapter 10 is complete and has turned out to be one of the most significant chapters of the story. I was quite anxious when writing this one because of all the different ways people could take to the advance in Jason and Carl's relationship. Hopefully I've written it well over the last 9 chapters so that this one feels like a natural conclusion. Let me know in your comments/reviews what your thoughts are on this chapter.

Thanks for all the follows/subscriptions/bookmarks/kudos etc.

Thanks to the reviewers of chapter 9: rk0192, Madison188, Paty S, Sara P, LittleMissToughStaff and jar98.

Chapter 11 will be the return of the Termites. All this light heartedness can't be allowed to last, after all. :P