I spent the next two months, more or less doing the same thing over, and over again. Waking up, eating, training with Daryl, working the fields with Dad, feeding the animals, finishing up for the day, eating, back to sleep, rinse and repeat. I hardly talked to anyone except to Dad, Daryl, or Michonne. Even then it was only brief. Michonne and I had grown close though. She usually brought me back comics and other stuff when she went out looking for the Governor, and besides Daryl, the only one I talked about anything with anymore. She was probably the only real friend I felt I had in the prison. Everyone else, I felt like I had pushed away whenever they tried to talk to me, even Dad. Andrea had tried to talk to me, but I just kept walking each time. Beth and I might as well have been on different planets. Any time I walked into a room she was in, I left immediately. Anytime she walked into a room I was in, she left immediately as well. Any time she looked at me, it felt like I was going to burst into flames. To try and hide from everything, I just dove into the work Dad and I were doing. If I wasn't working, I stayed outside or in my cell. A few new people had joined us. A couple of families, a few people who were on their own, some who had been in groups like ours that had fallen apart.

I sat up in my bed, rubbing my eyes. I got up and looked around. Why's it so bright in here? I pulled on my boots and a new shirt, then opened the curtain to my cell. That's when I knew that I had woken up very late. I rushed outside down to the field to find Dad, already working. "Why didn't you wake me up?", I yelled down to Dad. I gestured with his hand to keep it down. I finished walking down to Dad.

"I figured you could use it", Dad said in reply.

"Why?"

"Because you haven't been in the best mood as of late. I figured maybe a little extra sleep would help." I nodded a little.

"Sorry for...how I've been. It's just something happened a while ago and I'm just mad about, mostly at myself for it." Dad in turned nodded.

"Do you need to talk about it?", Dad asked. I shook my head.

"No, I think I need to work this out on my own."

"Okay."

"What do you need me to do today?", I asked changing the subject.

"Go brush Wolf down, check to see if the chickens laid any eggs, you know the rest." I nodded and went off to do my work. I spent all day working in the field with Dad. For the first time, it felt like our work had paid off a little, some things had finally started to grow. When we were done, I climbed up the blown-up watchtower in the field, that we had patched together with planks and pieces of plywood. I sat down and lit up a cigarette. I sat watching everything going on around the prison. The walkers at the fence, the rotation of the people on watch, the kids running around playing in the courtyard, the unloading of supplies from the most recent run, the animals milling about in the field below me. For the first time since we got to the prison, it felt alive. More than just some chainlink fence and a couple of brick and concrete buildings. Maybe this really can be home. I took another drag of my cigarette and let my arm fall to my side. Suddenly I heard the metal hatch open from inside the tower.

"Who's there?", I called out over the small wall behind.

"It's me", I heard Glenn call back. I took another drag of my cigarette. Glenn walked around the tower to where I was and leaned against the railing across from me. "What do you need?" He laughed a little and a smile appeared on his face.

"Maggie didn't want to tell everyone yet, but she was alright with you knowing", Glenn started with.

"Knowing what?" He smiled again.

"She's pregnant." I felt a smile spread across my face.

"Congratulations man."

"I can't believe I'm gonna be a dad", Glenn said in disbelief, still smiling.

"Well, you got nine months to get used to it", I said jokingly.

"Guess I do."

"Well, like I said, congratulations." He nodded.

"Thank you." I gave him a nod as if to say you're welcome. "Carol also wanted me to let you know dinner's almost done."

"Dinner?", I asked surprised. "You mean we're not having MREs tonight?" He laughed a little.

"Daryl brought back a deer and a couple of rabbits", he informed me.

"Already sounds better than vegetarian lasagna or whatever it is", I said with a smirk.

"Yes, yes it does." He motioned with his head to follow him. I stood up and followed Glenn down the ladder. When I stepped off the ladder and walked out the door, I threw my finished cigarette on the ground and stomped it out with my boot. As Glenn and I were walking back to the cellblock, he turned to me and said, "You should stop."

"Stop what?"

"Pushing everyone away." I looked at him like I was saying Come on. "The past couple of months you've pulled away from everyone. We've all noticed. I get why, I do, we all do. But, you need to come back."

"I am here."

"Not physically here Carl. You're physically here, but sometimes, it's like you're on the other side of the country."

"Why do you care?" Glenn, in turn, looked at me like I had him.

"We're family, Carl. That's why I care, that's why we all care." I nodded.

"I needed some time to myself."

"I know. But it's time you come back. Time to stop pushing everyone away. We're family, we need you with us, here." I nodded.

"Okay...okay."

"Come on. Before dinner gets cold." We walked inside and sat down at the table. The food was fine, and for the first time in a long, long, time, I felt almost happy. Normal even. In some ways, it felt like I hadn't seen everyone in years. Even though we only lived a few feet apart from each other. Merle was there too. For a couple of days, Merle had been allowed to walk among us. He still lived in Cellblock A, but he was allowed to walk around the prison. He didn't all too often, but tonight was different. I guess even Merle can't turn down a homecooked meal. Even more surprising, however, Beth stayed in the same room as me, although we steered well clear of each other. After dinner, we all sat and talked for a while. After a while, I went to my cell and grabbed my jacket, made myself some coffee, and went and sat down outside. The nights were growing colder as winter loomed ever closer. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed staying outside well after dark, even in the cold. It was easier than facing Beth day in and day out. Even though dinner tonight went, smoothly, I still struggled with what I had said to her last time we spoke. When I couldn't see her, when I stopped thinking about her, I almost forgot about it all, almost. When I saw her though, it was like I was rewinding a scene in a movie, over and over again. I sat back and thought about everything that had happened since we all got here. Everyone who made it, and everyone who...didn't. I thought about how Merle was coming around more often. I'm starting to become more distant than Merle. I sat upright again and pulled out a cigarette, just as Andrea walked over and sat down next to me. I pulled out my lighter and lit my cigarette.

"Hey."

"Hey", I mumbled still holding the cigarette between my lips.

"Are you alright?"

"Why?"

"Listen, I don't know if I did something to piss you off, but, if I did I'm sorry."

"You didn't. I've just been pissed at myself", I said as I took another drag of my cigarette.

"Oh. Do you need to talk about it?"

"No, it's been a while now. I think I'm starting to get over it though", I said begrudgingly. Never thought I could get over Beth, let alone admit it to someone.

"Well if you ever need to talk, you know where am I", Andrea said standing up. I nodded and took another drag of my cigarette. Wonder who else thinks I'm pissed at them. I put out my cigarette and grabbed my coffee cup from off the ground. I went back to my cell and sat down on my bed. I leaned back against the wall and just sat there, not doing anything in particular. That's when I heard something coming from a few cells away. A guitar. I instantly knew who was playing. I sat listening to her play. I eventually drifted off to sleep listening to her.

I awoke the next morning when I heard Dad calling my name. "Carl." I turned my head towards the door.

"What?", I said barely awake.

"Come on, get dressed, and come outside. There's some new people you need to meet." Great more mouths to feed. I shook my head a little.

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute." Dad left and I sat up in bed. I pulled my boots on and grabbed my hat off the bed from where it had fallen during the night. I walked out of my cell.

As I was walking through the common area, I heard Carol say, "Good morning."

"Mornin'", was all I managed to mumble out in my barely awaken state, as I opened the door and went outside into the cool morning air. There was a group of about 10 or so people, all standing huddled together down in the field. Dad and almost everyone who was on the council was down there with them. What the hell are they thinking? I walked down the same old gravel road into the field where they all were and stood next to Dad. Dad and the others were talking to them, but I was just eyeing them up. I don't trust these people. They could be a threat. Worse than the Governor even.

My thoughts of distrust and The Governor were broken when I heard Dad say, "And this is my son, Carl." I just gave a small nod without saying anything. I was still trying to read anything from these people. A small nervous twitch of their hands, a reach for something in their pockets, anything. But, they didn't, they even seemed normal. I noticed a girl around my age in the back of the group. She had long brown hair and only seemed a little shorter than me. Before I knew it though we were walking back up to the prison.

As we were, I turned to Dad as we were walking and whispered, "Who are these people?"

He looked to me and said, "Relax, they're from Decatur, Daryl and Glenn found them while they were out on a run. They're good people."

"How can you be so sure?"

He smiled a little and said, "Carl, relax. If Daryl thought they were okay enough to bring back, they're alright."

"I still don't trust them."

"Maybe you should try talking to some of them. Maybe you'll change your mind."

"Maybe", I said almost sarcastically. I turned to the right as soon as we got through the gate, and started walking towards the watchtower. The only place I knew no one would have any reason to go in. I heard a short whistle behind me. I turned, and it was Daryl. He walked over and placed a new pack of cigarettes in my hand.

"You're sharin' these."

"Yeah, okay", I said jokingly.

"Nah, that's the only one I found. You're sharin'." I handed him a couple of cigarettes out of the pack.

"Why'd you bring them back?', I asked as Daryl was putting the cigarettes in his pocket.

"They seemed decent enough, besides they had a kid with them. We need people too."

"Do you trust them?"

"Hell, no. They gotta earn that." I nodded. "See you around", he said as he turned and headed back to the group. I climbed up the watchtower and sat on the side facing out of the prison. I pulled out a cigarette, knowing I still had a little while before Dad would come out for us to start working since he would be showing those people around the prison. A few minutes later, I heard someone coming up the ladder behind me. Who is it?

"Hello?", I heard an unfamiliar girl's voice call out.

"What do you want?", I said almost a little more bitterly than I had meant to.

"Where are you?" I shook my head to myself.

I sighed, raised my hand high enough to be seen through the blown-out window, and said, "I'm over here." I took another drag of my cigarette. What the hell do you want from me? That's when I saw who this mystery girl was, it was that same brown-haired girl from the group before.

"Hi", she said, awkwardly holding her one wrist.

"Hi", I said taking another drag of my cigarette. I blew the smoke out and repeated, "What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you", she stated as if it was the most normal thing she'd ever said.

"I don't even know you", I said taking another drag of my cigarette. Just leave me alone.

"Well", she said sitting across from me, "maybe we can get to know each other", she offered. I looked away from her, out towards the fence where a few walkers were leaning against the fence. She moved over so I would see her. I rolled my eyes in frustration and sighed.

"Can't you go find someone else to bother?"

"No." Kill me. Just let a walker eat me or something. It already sounds more enjoyable than being "friends" with her.

"If I talk to you, will you leave me alone from now on?"

"Maybe." I stood up. I can't even get five minutes to myself. I started walking to the ladder inside the tower. "Wait." I just kept walking and went down the ladder. Dad's gonna be out soon anyway. I walked out into the courtyard and leaned against the brick wall of the prison. I heard the footsteps approaching behind. Goddamnit.

I preemptively turned around and said, "Leave me the hell alone." She just kept walking over to me. "Listen, I'm not your friend, I don't even know you goddamn name..."

She cut me off saying, "It's Nadia."

"I wasn't asking. Just...leave me alone. Go inside, go bother someone else."

She just smiled sweetly and said, "Nope, you're stuck with me." I was mentally ready to pull all of my hair out when Dad finally came outside.

"Are you busy, Carl?"

I opened my mouth to say no, but Nadia cut me off saying, "Actually Carl wanted to ask you if he could go walk around with me today." I looked at Dad, practically begging him to help me.

"That's fine, I'm sure Daryl or Glenn can help me for today." I gave Dad a look as if saying 'What the fuck?'. Thanks for the help, Dad. I sighed. Today's going to be a long day.