DarthGranola lol thank you

BurningFirBird Ah, thanks!

The Flash Fanatic Thank you, you're support has been amazing!

Guest Ah, Alexandria's been so fun to write. I'm so excited to let you all read it. Out of interest, do you (or anyone reading this) actually want there to be some jealousy between them? And if so, with who?


First bit's Oliver's perspective, except it doesn't really matter, it's just centred script style. Rest is ya boi Carl.


"You didn't take off your socks."

"I needed them."

"What?"

"Nothing... Just, thanks, for that."

"Are you.. thanking me, for..."

"Whatever, man."

"It's getting early... Think we should, you know, get back, before Grady starts waking up."

"Okay."


We're leaving today, so we spend a while gathering our things before taking what little we have down to the fire truck in the parking lot. I have this feeling that Tara caught us sneaking out together, because she keeps giving us funny looks, and at one point, calls me Casanova. Luckily, she doesn't draw much attention to it, though.

Judith fusses with Oliver in the back of the fire truck while we all load up supplies and food. Eugene hasn't said anything. Doesn't even look at anybody, much. It's a little unsettling, really.

Oliver smiles at him. "What happened to your face?"

Eugene touches the bruise. "Sargent Ford in all his justifiable grace recently found distaste to my... unfortunate confession... and, as a result, I'll be sporting this WWE standard shiner until the wound, both figuratively and mentally speaking, has healed."

There's a short, awkward quiet. Oliver's smile goes away.

"Oh," he says. "Sucks."

"Yes," Eugene says. "It does."

Gabriel speaks to them next: "How are you feeling this morning, Oliver?"

"Good, sir," Oliver answers.

"And you — Noah, Carol?"

They both nod, mumbling as they help collect crates of food. Steven comes out to see us off. He shakes my hand and tells me, "Take care, Carl."

"Thanks," I say, "for everything."

He nods, turning to Oliver to shake his hand too. "Change your bandage every day and take your antibiotics," he instructs. "And make sure Carl keeps that cast on until he's healed."

"Yessir."

"You sure none of your people want to come with us," Dad asks. "We don't know what'll be in Virginia for sure, but, can't say we don't owe it to y'all to try."

"Thank you," Steven answers. "But with no Dawn, we have no reason to. We'll be okay. Thank you though, Rick. And good luck, to all of you." Steven waves, and heads back inside Grady.

Dad nods and climbs into the passenger seat beside Rosita and Abraham. Everyone else climbs in the back. The engine shudders under us, and we drive, leaving Grady Memorial Hospital. The mood feels simple and calm — we aren't letting ourselves expect much, but we aren't hopeless, either. We're just here as a unit, a family, watching quietly as the last traces of Atlanta are left behind, the last skyscrapers dipping under the horizon, as if they were never there in the first place and there's nothing left but Richmond, Virginia ahead of us, and getting Noah home, for Beth. It'll work out, or it won't, but wherever we go, it'll be okay — like Oliver says, everything works out the way it's supposed to.


Notes

The End :D

Thank you all so much for this amazing opportunity to share this! It was so much fun!

Don't miss the sequel, The Easy Part. The first chapter is up now :) head to my profile and check it out?

Happy reading.