Chapter Eleven:
Family Road Trips
Harry lifted his head from Rick's shoulder and pulled away. Rick left his hands on Harry's shoulders before ruffling Harry's silky hair with a smile. As Rick stood he spoke,
"After you two eat something for breakfast I want you to pack up your stuff best you can okay? The group decided yesterday that we are going to go to the CDC in Atlanta so we need to be ready to leave by lunch time," said Rick. Harry nodded as Carl spoke,
"Sure Dad! What car do we put it in?"
"Your mother is traveling with Shane in his so put it in ours okay son?" Rick answered.
"Okay," said Carl with a smile before grabbing Harry's hand and dragging him over to where Carol was stirring a pot of oatmeal. They sat together as they ate before running off to the tent.
Packing up the bedding was rather easy and the only thing Harry had to put into his bag was his notebook which he had kicked to the foot of his bedding when he had fallen asleep holding it. His weapons were piled to the one side of the tent and he quickly strapped them on before picking up his bag and wrapped bedding and following Carl as he carried his own things out of the tent. Rick was just outside of the tent about to enter but waiting for them to finish clearing out.
"Thanks boy's. You two put that in the back of the car and then go help Carol okay? I'll put the rest of this into the car and call you when we're ready alright?" Rick asked. Both boys nodded and Rick ruffled their hair. Harry was sure Rick was making sure to touch him often to make him used to it and Harry couldn't bring himself to dislike it.
Harry followed Carl to the vehicle and they packed their things using the pillows and blankets to make their own personal space in the back seat before hopping back out and racing to where Carol and Sophia were struggling to get their tent down. Harry and Carl leapt into action, Carl knowing how to take a tent down from helping his father on camping trips and Harry knowing from the Horcrux hunt so long ago. Eventually the Peletier's were completely packed up but Rick hadn't called the boy's yet so the three kids moved to the shade at the start of the tree line, visible to Dale but out of the way of the people moving around the camp like ants on the home hill.
"Ry," Carl said turning to Harry. "I can call you Ry right?" he asked. Harry nodded with a small smile. The warmth Harry was coming to associate with happiness and affection was back. Carl smiled back at Harry's nod. "Can you teach me and Sophia how to fight like you?" Carl asked. Harry smiled again, he felt slightly petty that he was happy Carl had given him a nickname and not Sophia but he didn't care enough to try and stop himself.
He removed two throwing knives from their sheaths and motioned for them to follow him. Throwing knives were not the best for hand to hand but until he got his hands on a pair of hunting daggers or something similar they would have to do. He motioned for them both to follow him to two nearby trees. He showed them each how to hold them as though they were daggers adjusting their grips as he slowly showed them different movements and thrusts and the grips that they required. Rick and Carol calling them ended the lesson and they both tried to hand the knives back but Harry motioned for them to keep them going as far to remove the two sheathes from his own body and show them how to strap them to the non-dominate arms of their own.
The boy's climbed into the vehicle leaving the door open to let cool air into the sun heated vehicle as they waited for Rick to get into the driver's seat. Their attention was caught as the Mexican man; Harry had to think hard for the name, Morales, told the rest of the group that they would not be going with them. In fact they would be heading in an almost completely different direction. Harry looked at Carl beside him. That meant that little Eliza and Louis wouldn't be coming with them. Harry didn't really know them but he assumed Carl did since he had been here longer.
Harry turned and gave Carl as small push out of the vehicle towards the family before following. They gave hugs to each of the children and moved to stand apart while everyone else gave hugs and said their goodbyes. A small hand touched Harry's shoulder and Harry flinched slightly. He looked up to see Juan Morales's wife with her husband beside her.
"Thank you Harry. You made sure my little boy and little girl were safe that night and it was very brave of you," she said. Harry gave a small curt nodded before moving slightly making the hand on his shoulder fall before following Carl back to the vehicle. The climbed in, Rick hopping up into the drivers pulling out into the convoy line as their strange family road trip began.
The two boys played around in the back, reading Carl's comic books and sometimes dissolving into poke and tickle fights as they silently teased one another. The trip was slow as the vehicles had to make their way around vehicles down the road, sometimes even back tracking as they made their way through the outer city streets. Warmth sat in Harry's body the entire time and he continuously smiled as the boys finally stopped playing and quieted down. Carl's stomach rumbled and Rick apologized saying it wouldn't be much longer to the CDC and they could eat there. Harry dug through his bag pulling out a large Dairy Milk bar and opening the packaging before snapping it in half and passing it over to Carl. Harry blushed as Carl gave a wide smile and they both scarfed down the melting chocolate as the quarry survivor convoy moved through the city.
