Words: 3,576 - ooh, a long one.

Balancing Judith on her hip, Charlie bounces the girl lightly, smiling when the girl giggles. She hums, her face falling a little when she looks out off the porch towards Daryl. She sighs heavily before a hand lands on her shoulder.

"It's just a rehearsal," Rick tells her before moving his hand to rest atop his daughter's head.

"I know," Charlie mumbles. She hadn't been surprised to find out about the deep quarry full of walkers. Well, she hadn't been surprised that there was something. Because there always is. This might not have been her first guess, but...she's not surprised.

"He'd never let you go either way," Rick continues, only glancing up to follow Charlie's gaze before falling back to Judith.

"I know," Charlie repeats, releasing another small breath. "I figure there's no point in fighting it. Besides, who else is going to look after this one and her trouble maker brother, huh?" Rick chuckles at the joke and nods his head softly.

"His head will be clear," More clear than it would be with him worrying about her. But Rick doesn't say this. He knows. If Carl was out there, that's all he would be able to think about. "How's the wrist?"

"Great. A hundred percent," Charlie smiles tightly, shifting Judith into one arm so she can hold up her freshly unwrapped wrist.

"Mm-hmm," Rick hums in a not-so-believing way and nods. He's pretty sure Denise had protested to her taking the bandage off. Daryl definitely isn't happy about it. "It's uh...been awhile since I said thank you."

"For what?" Charlie asks with furrowed brows, purposely avoiding his eyes.

"You know," Rick says but he really doesn't know if she does. For a time there, it was like before. At the prison. She was starting to feel like that Charlie again. But after Noah...She's back to being a girl he can't quite recognize. "You're always looking out for them." For all of them, really. Rick feels a pang of guilt when he thinks about it. Things have been crazy lately. Or maybe that's just an excuse. But he hasn't been there for her when he should be. Yes, she has Daryl but she's still his family, just like the rest of them.

"Of course," Charlie dismisses while grinning at Judith before placing a kiss on the girl's cheek, drawing a giggle from the child. Rick observes the interaction with a fond smile, his attention only turning away at the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

"Leaving in ten," Rick kisses his daughter's head and smiles at her brightly before moving off the porch and away from the house.

"Well, I guess I'll see you when you get back," Charlie doesn't really know what else to say. She sure as hell isn't going to say goodbye. Call her superstitious but she's not risking it.

Daryl himself grunts and nods his head once. He's looking at her, Charlie can see him out of the corner of her eyes. She huffs and nearly rolls her eyes. "What?"

"Nothin'," Daryl shakes his head and Charlie scoffs.

"Sure," She mutters. "You're the ones going out there, not us, relax." Charlie realizes how stupid a thing that is to say only after she's said it. "Just be careful, don't worry about us. We'll be fine." Daryl only squints his eyes at her and she huffs again. "Whatever. I know that look."

"Just-..." Sighing, Daryl shakes his head and lifts his hand to gently squeeze the back of the teenager's neck. She nods at his unsaid words and lifts her free arm to wrap around him in a tight hug.

"Now stop being all mushy and go, we'll be here," Pulling away, Charlie nudges Daryl in the direction of the stairs. She lifts Judith's arm and waves it with a pointed look when Daryl doesn't move. The man rolls his eyes but finally backs away. "See you when you get back."

With one last nod, Daryl turns and goes to meet up with the others. "Yeah, we'll see them soon, huh?" Charlie whispers to Judith. "It's just a dry run. A rehearsal. Nothing to worry about." The teen wonders then if she's trying to convince the child, or herself.

Throwing her legs out in front of her, Charlie walks slowly behind Carl as he pushes Judith is her stroller. He's not wearing his hat, has been a lot less lately. It's not a big deal, she doesn't know why she's so focused on it. It probably gets annoying to wear all the time and he has a place to keep it now. It doesn't matter that he's not wearing it. Charlie keeps telling herself this.

When the younger boy comes to an abrupt stop, Charlie nearly bumps into him in her distracted state. She really needs to stop doing that.

Looking up to him, the question dies on her tongue when she sees him looking off to the side. Following his gaze, Charlie purses her lips when she sees Enid and Ron sitting together. She's so glad at that moment that she has no interest in relationships like that. It's too much drama for her to handle.

Sighing, Charlie rests her hand on Carl's shoulder a squeezes.

When Gabriel appears and speaks with Carl, only sparing her a glance, Charlie continues to stay silent.

"Come on," She says when the man leaves. "It's time for someone's nap."

"She doesn't look tired," Carl says with a glance down at his sister and Charlie releases a puff of air from her nose.

"No, I was talking about me," Carl releases a surprised laugh and Charlie allows herself to smile.

Charlie doesn't know how it happens. Or when. One second she's holding Lily, letting the girl feed buttons an apple, the next, she's rushing down the street, her gun in hand.

Slowing to a stop, Charlie crouches in the alley between two houses and sets the crying girl down. "Hey, hey, look at me," She whispers gently but urgently to the child. "I know you're scared but you're going to be okay." Maybe she should know better than to promise that but she can't bring herself not to while looking into Lily's frightened eyes. "Okay? I'm going to take you home to your mom, okay?" Charlie only hopes the woman hasn't run off to look for her child. Not that she expects anything else from a good mother.

"Okay, hold onto me tight." Lifting the child back into her arms, Charlie wraps one around her tightly, the other holding her pistol at the ready. Looking around the corner both ways, Charlie moves as stealthy and as quickly as she can down the street. Luckily, she wasn't far from Lily's house.

Two houses down, a woman appears. Clearly not one of their people. Charlie lifts her gun as the woman lifts her knife. The teenager shifts Lily to the side and fires without a second thought. The woman goes down, her dead weight hitting the sidewalk with a small thud, a newly acquired whole between her eyes.

"It's okay," Charlie whispers to the girl and continues forward. She makes sure Lily's face is hidden in her shoulder, blocking her view of the dead body before stepping over the woman and continuing forward.

"Gina, Gina!" Charlie whisper shouts to the woman running down her porch stairs. Regina stops short and turns to her, her bloodshot eyes widening. "Shh!" Charlie shushes her before she can say anything and gestures to the house. "Get inside!"

Once up the stairs and through the door, Charlie hands Lily over to her mother. "Do you have a gun?" She questions before the older woman can say anything. But before she can offer a response, a blaring horn sounds throughout the town. "Shit," Charlie curses quietly to herself. "Do you have a gun?"

"Yes," Gina says with a shaky nod, still hugging her daughter close to her chest.

"Okay, get it, lock the doors, hide. Don't come out. If anyone gets in, shoot them, and don't stop until they're down. Got it?"

"Yes," Regina repeats with another nod. She lifts herself to her feet, still holding Lily, and waits for Charlie to leave before locking the door behind her.

Without letting herself take a breath, Charlie rushes back onto the streets and towards their houses. Carl is at home with Judith. Or he's supposed to be. She thinks maybe it would be better if he snuck out again. He'll probably be safer out there than in here right now. But that leaves Judith alone unless Carol is with her. It's too many unknowns. Charlie doesn't like it.

She's been doing it so much lately, getting caught in her head, thinking too much. She needs to stop thinking. Because when she does, it allows things like this to happen.

When Charlie moves along the opening between two houses, something hits her and the teenager finds herself lying on the ground. Her head spins but not like before when she got the concussion. She's definitely hit her head but right now her main focus is stopping the knife from going into her chest.

Grunting under the weight being pressed down onto her, Charlie kicks her legs in a poor attempt to get the man off of her. At least he's on the smaller side, a voice in her head that sounds oddly like Chris whispers to her. You've gotten weak again, but you remember what I taught you, right?

An odd sort of clarity floods Charlie's mind then. Because she does remember. She remembers what Chrissy told her, what she taught her. The motions they practiced multiple times a day.

In a blur of motions she's not sure she'll ever be able to do again, Charlie disarms the man above her and flips them over until she's on top. She'd dropped her gun when he tackled her. She doesn't know where it is and she doesn't bother thinking about it. Instead, she grabs what was once his knife and plunges it into his eyes.

Standing, Charlie turns back towards her previous path, slowing down only enough to grab her gun off the ground. She holds the weapon in her right hand and the blood-covered knife in her left.

Then, the horn stops. Whatever it had been, stops completely. Charlie's steps falter as well but she shakes her head and keeps going. It's one less thing to worry about.

Panting, Charlie pushes her tired legs as fast as they'll go down the street. Her heart beats heavily behind her ribs but nearly stops when she sees Carl. He's outside, a gun pointed at a man clearly begging on the ground. Charlie doesn't stop. She doesn't think. She aims and she shoots.

"Carl!" She barely manages to stop herself before she runs the boy over. "You're okay," She observes. "Judith?"

"She's fine," He assures her, and Charlie breaths for the first time since those people got into their walls. "She's inside."

"You should be too. Now go," Her words are hard but Charlie can't bring herself to care. She points to the house and looks up at Ron. "You too," But he only shakes his head before running off. "What the fu-" Charlie cuts herself off with a shake of her head. "Doesn't matter, get inside, protect your sister."

"What about you?" Carl argues while Charlie pulls him across the street towards the house.

"I'll be fine," Charlie assures. "I have to make sure that stupid kid doesn't get himself killed."

"You're bleeding," Carl looks down at her clothes, fighting against Charlie's strangely strong grip on his arm.

"...It's not mine," Charlie says after a beat. "Lock the doors, shoot anyone who tries to get in. Do. Not. Leave." When Carl only nods, Charlie hardens her stare. "Say it."

"I won't leave," He mumbles, gripping the gun in his arms a little tighter. "Charlie-"

"Lock the doors," She shouts over her shoulder before rushing back onto the street. She looks around before going the way Ron had. Probably towards his own house.

A man and a woman nearly collide with the teenager when they come around the corner. Charlie sees the enemy and fires but her aim isn't as true as last time. They're both much closer to her, within arm's reach. She hits the man in his side but he keeps coming anyway, lunging at her before she blinks.

She barely feels the knife as it slices through her skin. She shoots again, this time hitting the woman in her knee. She goes down with a scream and Charlie pushes the man away, falling to the ground as she does. But it gives her the room she needs to raise her gun and shoot him.

Lifting herself into a seated position, Charlie aims and shoots the woman in the head, letting her go limp next to her dead friend.

Pushing herself to her feet, Charlie winces at the sting in her side. She looks down to see some of her own blood joining that of others already soaked into her clothes and sighs. She presses against the wound and pushes forward.

She lost the knife. She doesn't even know when. Maybe she dropped it back at the house or when she ran into those two people. Doesn't matter now. She sees Ron standing on his porch and moves towards him.

"That was the dumbest thing you could've done," She whispers harshly to him but he barely looks her way. Charlie hears the struggles inside and moves ahead of the boy, her gun raised once more.

But when she enters the home, she lowers her weapon back to her side when she sees Jessie sinking a pair of shears into the woman below her. With a quick look around, Charlie finds no other threats nearby. She hands a stunned Jessie her gun back and pushes Ron towards his mother.

"Is Sam here?"

"Upstairs," Jessie mumbles. She's in shock, that voice whispers to Charlie. She nearly rolls her eyes. Like she couldn't clearly see that for herself.

"Lock the doors, stay inside," Charlie can't help but think that she sounds like a broken record. Without waiting for a response, the teenager leaves the house.

The sound of distant gunshots reaches her ears but not much else. Charlie looks around, at a loss. Her chest starts to rise and fall faster. Her lungs burn and her legs feel weak. Closing her eyes, Charlie bites her lips and leans against the porch railing, digging her hand into the wound on her side. Sharp pain shoots up through her torso and down into her legs. She takes and deep breath and pushes herself forward.

She moves without thinking, back in the other direction. She has no other goal than to make sure Carl and Judith are safe.

When two more people appear in front of Charlie, the teenager raises her gun, barely stopping herself from firing when she sees that they're not the enemy. Rosita and Aaron, both holding guns, move towards her. Charlie can't help but slump into herself a little.

"What the hell?" The teenager questions. Because really, what the hell?

"Don't know," Rosita answers and looks around them. "But I think it's over."

Charlie looks all around her and thinks the same. Dead bodies litter the streets but there's no more screaming, no more gunshots. That and Rosita's words have her slumping even more. So much so that she stumbles a little.

"Woah," Aaron, being closest to her, reaching out to steady her but Charlie waves him away.

"M'fine," She mumbles. Adrenaline had been keeping her going from the start but now it's fading. And everything hurts. Her wrist, her head, her side. And her hand? Looking down, Charlie lifts her left hand to see a deep cut through the blood-caked onto her skin. When had that happened?

"You're bleeding," Rosita states and moves towards the girl. This time, Charlie can't use the same excuse she had with Carl. Because this time, some of it is her blood.

"It's not bad," Charlie mumbles, too slow to stop the woman from lifting the side of her shirt. "Looks worse than it is. I's just bleeding a lot." She speaks before either of them can.

"That's not good," Rosita stresses, sounding as close to aghast as Charlie's ever heard her. "You need stitches. And that cut on your head looks bad too."

There's a cut on her head? "I have to check on Carl and Judith," Charlie points in the direction of the house but doesn't make it further than a single step.

"That won't matter if you bleed out on the street," Rosita argues, her hand grabbing onto the girl's arm. Aaron hovers to the side but otherwise stays silent.

"I'm fine," Charlie growls, trying to pull her arm out of the woman's grasp. But despite her skinny appearance, Rosita is very strong, Charlie comes to find.

"I swear you and Dixon really are related," Ignoring the comment for whatever it's supposed to mean, Charlie finally pulls herself away from the woman.

"'M okay. Jus' a little tired. Haven' run like that in a while," She doesn't slur her words. She doesn't. She's just tired, having an adrenaline crash. And maybe a little blood loss. She really doesn't do good with losing a little blood, does she? Charlie thinks but when she looks down at the blood dripping from her side she thinks it might be a bit more than a little. But she's fine.

Her shirt is soaked, with blood that's hers and blood that's not. The left side of her jeans is wet and sticking to her skin all the way to her ankle. That's at least two pints, I'd guess. Maybe three. That nagging voice comes back and Charlie squeezes her eyes shut. Lose much more and your body will shut down and go into shock.

"Shut up," Charlie mumbles to herself, lifting a hand to her forehead when her head spins. You know this, I taught you this. You're small Chuck, you've got to stop the bleeding before you lose too much. She's lost it, hasn't she? Maybe she hit her head harder than she thought. Or maybe she lost more blood than she thought. But, the voice isn't wrong.

When an arm wraps around her waist, her own arm being lifting around someone's shoulders, she doesn't fight it.

Rosita shares a look with Aaron over Charlie's head and sighs.

"Denise," Rosita says when they enter the infirmary. "Got another one for you."

"Put her here," With a gesture towards the bed, Rosita and Charlie move towards it, the former helping the latter onto the soft surface.

"Hey, doc," Charlie greets Denise. "I'm good," She waves a weak hand at her. "Jus' a little sleepy."

"She's lost a lot of blood," Aaron says and Charlie bites her tongue. How does he know? Huh? He hasn't been with her, half this blood isn't even hers.

"Okay, let me see," Denise nudges Charlie back and the teen all but falls onto the pillows. She doesn't even try to sit up or open her eyes. This is the most comfortable bed she's ever been in. The pillows feel like clouds. Or...can you feel clouds? They're pretty much just like...water vapor? Or something like that...? That doesn't sound very soft. These pillows feel like clouds look. Yes, that's a better analogy.

"-lie?"

"Hmm?" Charlie blinks her eyes open in question. Had people been talking this whole time?

"I have to stitch you up," Denise probably repeats. Charlie hadn't heard her say it before but she's sure she did.

"Go for it," Charlie sighs and closes her eyes again. She just wants to take a nap and for her head to stop spinning.

"I need to numb-"

"Nope," Charlie shakes her head without opening her eyes. She stops the motion when it makes her feel nauseous. "M'good, just do it." No need to waste meds on people who need it more, right? Unless you're doing it for another reason. I thought we went over this.

"Uh-"

With a sudden jolt of energy, Charlie lifts her head and glares. "Just do it or I will," And just like that, it leaves her, and Charlie slumps back onto the mattress.

Denise hesitates, but soon enough, Charlie feels the sting of a sharp needle piercing through her side. Focusing solely on that, she lets herself drift.

I've never lost that much blood but when I donate, it makes me soooooooooooo sleepy. So I can't imagine what it's like losing at least twice that much.

We need more Rick and Charlie moments. And this whole chapter is definitely not what Charlie needed.

And oh no, she's picking up some old and very bad habits again. That's not gooood.

I had a thought, to upload this story again separately but one that has my thoughts as I'm writing it...but you guys would probably think I'm even more delusional that you already do. I really want to do it though...

Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed and leave a review? I have to go to work now...

Until next time, friends!

'-'