S2E6P2

Later Ava was resting in the camp when Shane brought Carl over and told him to sit on the bench. She looked between them, but nothing was said.

"You okay?"

"I think I'm in trouble." Carl said. Ava patted him on the shoulder.

Rick, Lori and Dale gathered around them and Shane gave Lori a gun. It seemed Carl had stolen it.

"How the hell did this happen?" Lori said, furious.

"Well, it's my fault." Dale said. Carl looked down at his feet. "I let him into the RV. He said he wanted a walkie, that you sent him for one." He pointed at Rick. Rick looked down and sighed.

"So on top of everything else, he lied." Lori said. "What's he thinking?"

"He wants to learn how to shoot. He asked me to teach him." Shane said, shaking his head. "Now it's none of my business, but I'm happy to do it. It's your call."

"I'm not comfortable with it." Lori said. Ava sighed and Carl looked at her. She shrugged, giving him a sympathetic look. If it were Ava's choice, she'd teach her child how to use one. Sure, she wouldn't let him run around with it, but he'd at least know how to use one properly. It seemed Rick and Shane agreed with her. They both sighed.

"Oh, don't make me out to be the unreasonable one here." Lori said. "Rick?"

"I know. I have my concerns too, but..."

"There's no but. He was just shot. He's just back on his feet and he wants a gun?"

"Better than him being afraid of 'em." Rick pointed out. "There are guns in camp for a reason. He should learn to handle them safely."

"I don't want my kid walking around with a gun."

"But how can you defend that? You can't let him go around without protection." Rick said. Ava agreed with him to a degree and considered speaking up with her opinion, but the cold shoulder Lori was giving her suggested any parenting advice from would not go down well.

"He's as safe as he'll ever be right here." Lori said. "Look, everything you're saying makes perfect sense. It feels wrong. I mean I didn't feel good about him following you out into the woods. And I wish I'd said something. I should've gone with my gut."

"He's growing up, thank God." Rick said. "We've got to start treating him more like an adult."

"Then he needs to act like one. He's not mature enough to handle a gun."

Carl, having had enough listening to the argument, stood and went over to them.

"I'm not gonna play with it, mum. It's not a toy. I'm sorry I disappointed you, but I want to look for Sophia and I want to defend our camp. I can't do that without a gun." He said.

"Shane's the best instructor I know." Rick implored. Lori wouldn't look at him. "I've seen him teach kids younger than Carl."

There was a moment of silence as they waited for Lori's decision. She still refused to look at Rick but eventually sighed and grabbed Carls' chin.

"You will take this seriously and you will behave responsibly. And if I hear from anyone in this camp that you're not living up to our expectations..." She threatened.

"He won't let you down." Rick said. Carl nodded.

With that decided, the group prepared to go off for practice and Rick led Carl to the car. Ava watched them, smiling at the bond between them. Her heart clenched as she tried to imagine what Rick had been through nearly loosing Carl. It would have killed Ava to lose Riley in a similar way and she wasn't even her child.

Ava sighed, sitting on that bench all alone. People had things to do and she was stuck. She twitched her good leg until her butt was too numb to bear and slowly stood, testing her full weight on her leg. It stung a bit more than with support, but she could limp slowly around. Ava only had one destination in mind and hobbled over to it, stopping outside the sealed tent.

"Daryl?"

The zip undid and he peered out at her.

"What're you doing? Shouldn't you be resting?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Everyone says that, but I'm fine. Although, I don't think I'll crouch down to get a better look at you."

Daryl cocked a brow, frowning.

"Why would you want a better look at me?"

Ava sighed.

"I meant to look you in the eye. I just wanted to say thank you for saving me. If you hadn't helped me out of that creek, I'd be dead by now."

Daryl shrugged.

"It was nothing."

"It was my life, Daryl. So thank you. Suck it up and accept the gratitude."

Daryl rolled his eyes.

"You're welcome." He said, leaning forward to re-zip the tent.

Ava chuckled to herself and shuffled off.

"Ava? What the hell are you doing?" Glenn ran over and immediately took her arm. Ava rolled her eyes again and groaned.

"If you don't leave me alone, I might have to threaten you." She said as he led her to the swing seat.

"You won't. I have something to do, but then I'll be right back to entertain you. Just don't move, alright?"

Ava sighed but obeyed, looking up and seeing Rick rifling through the gun bag. He was smiling softly at them and chuckled when she caught his gaze.

"I didn't know Glenn was your personal nurse." He said.

"Shut up."

He chuckled again.

Ava looked over her shoulder and watched Lori approach. She looked concerned but didn't notice Ava in the seat, something she was glad for. She didn't know what was up with her but it was getting on Ava's nerves.

"Hershel expects us to leave?" Lori murmured as she reached Rick. Ava's heart clenched. "Does anybody else know?"

"Not yet." Rick replied and Ava closed her eyes, sighing, already trying to detach herself from this place, mentally preparing for a life back on the road. She scratched her leg.

"Were you going tell me?" Lori said.

"Of course."

"When? How long have you known?"

"Not long. You don't need to worry about this."

"How can you expect me not to worry?" Lori said, glaring at him. "We have shelter here and food and water and medical care."

"I've been talking with Hershel." Rick said, trying to soothe her. "It's not carved in stone."

"He thinks it is. We have to fix this. People are settling in here. They'll be devastated."

"I know. I'm working on it."

"Maybe I can talk to him too and plead our case."

"No," Rick interrupted. "Things are uneasy. The best thing right now is to give Hershel some space."

There was silence for a moment and Ava saw the glare Lori sent Rick and bristled, biting her lip. It was none of her business – was it?

"Don't look at me like that." Rick sighed.

"Like what?"

"Like you're scared. Like you don't trust me."

"Can you blame me?" Lori said. Ava realised after a while that she was glaring at her feet and turned to look back at them. "I don't understand how you could keep something like this from me. Carl's barely on his feet. And Sophia's still missing. Some people are hurt. How can we leave?"

"It's not what I want either, but if we have to go, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you and Carl are okay. I promised that, remember?" There was a brief pause again. "We'll get by. We will."

Lori nodded, but the look on her face told a story of resentment and anger.

"Okay." She said.

She rubbed her nose, then caught Ava's eye.

"Can we help you?" She said, her tone surprisingly vicious. Ava frowned at her as she stormed off. Rick rubbed his head.

"What was that all about?" Ava asked. He looked at her and sighed before coming to sit beside her. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"She knows."

Ava's stomach clenched.

"Knows what?"

"Everything. We had it out while you were gone. She knows about that night and she knows I know about Shane."

"Oh, Rick." Ava said, biting her lip. She reached out and rubbed his back, but quickly pulled away. It wouldn't help matters if Lori saw that. Before her hand reached her lap Rick grabbed it and squeezed it between both of his. Ava's heart jumped to her throat.

"I don't know what's going on between us anymore." He said.

"By us, so you mean you and Lori or…"

Rick chuckled and looked at Ava warmly.

"Both. That's what makes it even more complicated."

She bit her lip again and groaned.

"When did life get so complicated?"

"It's always been complicated. It just got more so when the dead started walking."

Ava snorted.

"Ain't that the truth."

They sat in silence for a while, just holding hands. Someone could see them at any time, but she realised she didn't care. She'd almost died in that creek. She'd have never seen him again and that knowledge had only made Ava's affection grow stronger. She could feel it, like a lump in her heart. Love was a little like cancer, morbid analogy as it was. It grew and grew, multiplying even faster the more of it you had. Did she love Rick? Ava was almost certain she did. She was certain she hadn't felt this strongly even with Bradley and she'd dated him for years. He was convenient, Ava realised. He'd liked her. She'd liked him. They lived together and had sex and enjoyed coupley things, but they didn't love each other. Not like this.

"I was afraid, you know." Rick said after a while, his voice thick. "So afraid that you were dead. And I wondered if God hurt Carl because I feared more for you than Sophia."

Ava didn't know what to say to that, but tears fell down her face and she squeezed his hand.

"Hey."

They quickly pulled apart as Glenn ran over.

"You alright?" He said, frowning at the tears on her face. Ava nodded and wiped them away. Rick stood and walked off.

"Yeah I'm fine. What's up?"

"Maggie and I are doing another run into town, so I can't hang out with you. I can take you inside if you want?"

She groaned.

"I'll hang out with you."

They turned to see Carl grinning at them.

"I know just what we can do."