Moment 1-GROUNDED!
Takes place well after the war, after Michonne has RJ and all their powers have been restored.
"Tia! You are grounded!" Yelled an angry Rick at this oldest daughter who had literally just stepped foot into her parent's home.
Rick met Tia at the front door in a complete state of disbelief. Most times Rick could not believe he was talking to a grown ass adult when he would speak to Tia. But Tia could say the same thing of her father truth be told. Rick was so face-to-face close with Tia that she had to push him away with a disturbed look on her face. Tia looked to her mother but saw an evil grin stretched across her face and immediately knew that Michy was in on whatever it was that had her father angry with her, for the thousandth time mind you. Tia blew out a breath and prepared for the onslaught of her overly dramatic father.
"Why?" Asked Tia then thought better of it, "wait, you can't ground me, I'm a grown ass woman not a child! Is this why you had me hurry over here? This is some nonsense!"
Tia maneuvered around her father who had stepped back into her personal space even after her nudge. Tia stood staring at Rick with her arms crossed wondering what in the hell she did to garner this response from her irate parents. Tia thought it could be any number of things truthfully, but they did not need to know that. Tia bypassed Rick's intense stare down that she found more funny than fearsome, it was her mother that she truly feared. Rick was her buddy. She always found it funny that most of the people in this crazy ass apocalypse was scared shitless of her often-silly father. She smiled at the thought as she walked into the living room only to be verbally bombarded by her mother.
"LANGUAGE!" Michonne protested from behind her husband.
"WHAT DID I SAY?" Hollered Tia.
"ASS!" Hollered Michonne even louder.
"Oh. My. God," Tia breathed, "I am an adult! I can curse!"
"No, that is absolutely false, you are a child because you continually act like a child Tia, so I am about to punish you like one! Do you need two punishments now Tia, cuz I can add language to the list! There needs to be consequences to your irrational behavior Tia!" Yelled Rick in his full-blown Rick stance.
"Why do you keep saying my name like that? It's off-putting," snarked Tia and when she saw her father's eyes narrow, she almost chuckled.
"See! Right there TIA! You don't act like a grown ass woman TIA! You aren't taking your father seriously! You act like a child TIA! CONSEQUENCES! RIGHT RICK!" Michonne hollered making sure to emphasize her daughter's name sarcastically while actively backing her husband one hundred percent and parroting his words.
Michonne was nodding furiously and pointing her finger as her disobedient daughter as she stood behind her husband, aggressively co-signing with Rick. Tia rolled her eyes at her mother's antics. Tia was about to giggle but the last thing she needed at that moment was a patented Michy beatdown. Michonne always seemed like she was one eye roll away from wreaking havoc on Tia's ass. Michonne made sure Tia fully understood, on a daily basis, that she was not too old to get whopped by her mama. Tia made the correct decision to hide her amusement, which probably saved her life, and instead looked to her father wondering what had them both all up in arms.
"What did I do?" Exclaimed Tia now standing face to face with her father and pretending to ignore her mother but smartly keeping one side eye on Michonne and her movements.
Tia purposely slid closer to her father to add a barrier between her and Michonne, that blockage being Rick. He was basically collateral damage. Tia supposed she would hate to have to shove that old man into his crazy ass wife so she could escape. But she would do it!
"What did you do? Are you asking me what YOU did?" Asked an incredulous Rick, "Michonne, she is actually asking me what she did!"
"Why are you asking your father what you did Tia? Are you trying to upset him even more?" Asked a disbelieving Michonne furrowing her brows.
Tia looked from her father to her mother and back and forth again then blew out a breath of exasperation. Their teamwork was sometimes highly annoying, but very effective in causing strife and annoyance to any and everybody they directed their ire towards.
"The nerve of her!" Rick chuckled dubiously and looked back to his wife.
"The absolute nerve Rick!" Agreed Michonne who eyed Tia up and down and shook her head, then raised her arms indicating that she too was perplexed that Tia did not know why she was in serious trouble.
"WHAT. DID. I. DO? Yes, that is my question," repeated a confused Tia to her mother.
"Don't you get smart with me girl," barked Michonne taking a step around Rick.
Tia raised her hands in surrender, well what seemed like surrender, her hands were more of an indication that she was ready to push her father down. Luckily, it did not come to that, Michonne paused her steps.
"Sorry mother, may I please know exactly what I did to get adult grounded by my very sane and not at all completely lunatic parental figures?" Rephrased a sarcastic Tia.
Michonne side eyed her smart mouthed daughter and Rick stretched his neck from side-to-side then back and forth to relieve a very specific, stiff, and unyielding tension that could only be caused by Tia Grimes.
"What do you think it could be Tia?" asked a calmer sounding Rick looking his daughter in the eye.
Tia thought for a minute, squinting her eyes just like her father appearing to be deep in thought. Tia then had the false idea that they were setting her up to see if she would admit to something she had done that they did not know about. Her parents used this tactic often when she was younger, and she fell for it almost every time until she grew wise to their little game. Tia would implicate herself, be unfairly punished, and she always thought her parents were unfair cheaters because of it. Most times, when Tia was younger, that was the only way Rick and Michonne could catch her in some tomfoolery. Tia was an adult now, she was not gonna fall for that old trick anymore.
"I got nothing," said a matter-of-fact Tia thinking she was beating her parents at their own game.
"She's got nothing Rick!" Michonne vexed through pursed lips, throwing her hands up in the air in sheer frustration, "Nothing!"
Rick and Michonne both shook their heads at Tia and Tia rolled her eyes at her parents and decided to just wait until they told her what in the hell was happening. After a few moments of intense stare downs, Rick realized that he was going to have to get the ball rolling.
"First of all, you got The Council of the People coming to me wanting to ban you from a whole damn planet for at least of month Tia! A WHOLE PLANET!" Shrieked Rick.
Tia looked at Michonne who had her hands on her hips shaking her head, which Tia thought was totally annoying and completely hypocritical.
"You two broke a whole planet, so which is worse?" Smarted Tia who quickly jumped back when Michonne took two large steps towards her.
Rick grabbed Michonne's wrist and pulled her back and then ran his hand up and down his wife's back to help calm her down. After he got Michonne settled, Rick refocused on Tia.
"You wanna try that again?" Asked Rick.
"Fine! Why am I banned from a planet father?" Asked a faux calm Tia through gritted teeth.
In reality, Tia was nervous as shit. At that point, Tia knew exactly why she had been summoned to her parents' home. She knew why the council wanted to ban her, and why her parents were trying to ground her old ass. But Tia wanted to make sure her parents knew before she admitted to anything. And if they did know, exactly how much they knew. Did her parents know EVERYTHING, and not just parts of what they thought they knew? Tia had to be sure before she would even begin to admit that she knew what her parents thought she should have already known. Their parent daughter dance was often complex and filled to the brim with lunacy.
Tia thought about causing a distraction by calling her father by his first name, get him all riled up like Rick was currently provoking her, but Tia was not sure if she should keep that distraction in her back pocket a little while longer. She may need it further into the conversation. Besides, right then, with the angry looks on both her parents faces, Tia figured it might make matters worse and thought better of it. Tia was crazy, not stupid. Rick stepped a little closer to his daughter before he spoke.
"Did you kill a man thang in the middle of a busy street Tia?" Asked Rick.
Tia widened her eyes and sat down on the couch tight lipped and staring at her father unresponsively. Yup, they knew. But she still prayed they did not know the KNOW KNOW part. Tia did indeed prove her parents right as she looked just like a child that was about to be, and very well deserved, scolded, and punished. Tia did indeed kill a man thang in the middle of a busy street. It was unavoidable. But there was a little something, something else that happened that she was desperate to withhold from her parents.
"Huh?" was Tia only reply as she desperately stalled for time.
"I repeat, and let me be more specific, did you decapitate a man thang's head with your swords in the middle of a busy street yesterday afternoon?" Asked Rick again.
"A man thang?" Tia asked mimicking her father's accent to a tee.
"A BEING THAT IS BOTH A MAN AND THANG TIA! YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR FATHER MEANS!" Hollered Michonne with her hands on her hips.
The jig was up. Tia licked her lips and prayed they only knew about killing the man thang and not the specifics.
"HE STARTED IT!" Shouted Tia now standing again.
"I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT TIA!" Rick yelled before he stopped and took a step back and a very deep breath so that he could calm down and regain some degree of control and composure, "You sliced his head clean off, but that ain't even the bad part Tia, that ain't even why they want to ban you and why me and your mama are so mad that we are about to ground you!"
Rick sounded much calmer which Tia knew meant her father was much more agitated than he was letting on. Rick was trying to appear cool, calm, and collected, but he was now pinching the bridge of his nose. A sure sign his ire was about to rise again, 'Shit,' Tia thought, they might know.
"Tell her why baby," sassed Michonne as she massaged Rick's shoulders still expertly co-signing.
Tia rolled her eyes and immediately went on the defense preempting her father's explanation for her own. Tia needed to get ahead of this (No pun intended).
"It was self-defense Dad! He tried to stab me and other people too! He was on a rampage!" Tia tried to explain, "That four-armed, tail-having nutjob was out there ranting about trying to take over the planet and enslaving the people! The Council of the People are the ones that sent me to stop him!"
"IT WAS SELF DEFENSE DAD!" Screeched Carl who had just walked in on the conversation from his room upstairs.
Carl had no clue what was going on, but he always automatically sided with Tia. No matter what.
"BE QUIET CARL!" Roared Rick then looked back at Tia.
Carl moved to stand by his sister, who was still sat stiffly on the couch, and was now narrowing his eyes at Rick. Rick blew out a breath and rolled his eyes at his annoyingly loyal son. Michonne chuckled at the two.
"Give me your swords," demanded Rick with his hands out to Tia.
"NO!" Protested Tia jumping up from the couch and now standing next to Carl.
"I ain't askin! Give. Me. Your. Swords!" Commanded Rick again mimicking same punctuation Tia did earlier.
Rick loved to mock his daughter and turn her own childish sarcasm against her. Which yes, made him childish too, but hey, whatever works.
"YOU CAN'T TAKE HER SWORDS DAD!" Yelled Carl now standing next to Tia mimicking her stance and tone, "THEY ARE PART OF HER!"
"STAY OUT OF THIS CARL!" Bellowed Rick.
"She is my sister! I will ALWAYS defend her!" Shouted Carl.
Rick almost laughed at his silly ass son. Part of him was ecstatic that this oldest took to Carl like she did and treated him like they were raised together since birth. Tasha and Paul never held it against Carl that he was only a half sibling, but Tia did, which was curious since the two were so close, but Rick figured that was just part of their zany relationship. Rick knew Tia meant nothing by it, it was just funny to her, and Carl seemed to be tickled by it too. Like it was their sick little inside joke. And the fact that Tia often demonstrated little to no common sense and had no filter whatsoever had something to do with it also.
The other part of Rick wanted to snatch Carl's lips, pull his son towards him by said lips, dare him to try and speak another word, then yank them clean off his face if Carl even uttered a sound. Rick finally just decided to ignore Carl who was becoming a mini male version of Tia which meant Carl was well on his way to causing his parents to each have a nervous breakdown.
"Carl, you heard me!" Threatened Rick.
"Dad, she said it was self-defense!" Repeated an animated Carl more sympathetically and less angrily.
Rick was a little touched by the sentiment.
"No one is saying it wasn't Carl and that is not why you are in trouble Tia. We know the man thang tried to stab you, we know he was a threat all those people but defending yourself ain't the problem like I said before," said a more rational Rick.
"Tell her the problem, Rick," said Michonne with her arms folded across her chest.
Rick was starting to falter, and Michonne needed to get Rick back on the fuming parent train.
Tia narrowed her eyes at her mother and Michonne cut her eyes right back. Tia looked away first and Michonne smirked. Michy won. She always does. Rick took a deep breath and closed his eyes tight before speaking his next words. After a few seconds he opened those pretty blue eyes of his and locked them directly into the matching set right in front of him.
"Tia, why did you decide to stop and decapitate that man thang where you did? I mean why that particular spot of all places?" Asked a calm Rick waiting on his daughter's response.
'Damn, they definitely know," thought Tia and the wheels in her head stared spinning.
Rick already knew the answer, but he needed that unbelievable reply to come out of Tia's own mouth. Rick reckoned that if Tia said it out loud and heard herself, maybe then she would understand why she was dead wrong and the reason she was in so much trouble. Rick looked at Carl up and down and pursed his lips. Maybe if Carl heard it, he would back off too. Tia looked perplexed at first and then realized what her dad was asking and decided being honest was the best course of action.
"Ummm because there was an ice cream truck and I wanted a double scoop cone," whispered Tia who was barely heard by her family.
"What?" Asked Michonne.
Michonne heard her, she just wanted Tia to say that nonsense again. Tia rolled her eyes and restated it much louder this time.
"Because there was an ice cream truck, and I wanted a double scoop cone!" Exclaimed Tia almost hollering, and her mother shook her head.
"A damn double scoop cone Rick," retorted Michonne shaking her head.
In the middle of a battle, Tia wanted a damn snack. Michonne let out a "Tsk" and Rick had to bite his tongue to keep from informing his wife that Tia got that excessive snacking, anytime and anywhere, from her mama. Both of them were always eating something. And sharing? Rick could forget that. Tia and Michonne would lick the whole thing to keep from giving him a single bite. 'The nerve,' Rick thought and controlled himself from verbalizing his accusations as he stared his greedy ass wife up and down. Rick so desperately wanted to say, 'Like mother, like daughter,' out loud but refrained to keep the peace.
"SHE WANTED AN ICE CREAM DAD!" Insisted Carl protecting his sister, "SHE DESERVES AN ICE CREAM AFTER SOME MAN THANG TRIED TO STAB HER!"
Tia nodded at her brother. She appreciated the solidarity.
"SHUT IT CARL!" Yelled Rick then refocused back on Tia.
"And who hangs out at ice cream trucks Tia?" Asked a sarcastic Rick looking at his ignorant daughter up and down.
"Children," Tia stated after a hard swallow.
Tia knew where this was headed (No pun intended). She was there in all the chaos and watched all the crying children as she sat on that bench licking her double scoop ice cream cone, right next to that head with no body, until the whole dessert was gone. In Tia's weak defense, she did try to calm the children by yelling out soothing comments.
"IT'S JUST A HEAD! CALM DOWN!" shouted Tia over the children's cries.
"Hey, you can still enjoy your treat, just step around all the blood!" Tia advised the panicked children as she rose from the bench to get seconds, but the ice cream truck had burned rubber out of the parking lot during all the commotion.
Tia knew that sometimes she did not think before she acted, and this was one such instance. But that double scoop ice cream cone was so good. Tia was trying to remember the name of the truck when Michonne shook her from her thoughts.
"CHILDREN!" Exclaimed Michonne still shaking her head.
Tia shook her head and pursed her lips because she was sure Michonne would have done the same thing. Only difference was her mother would have gotten a popsicle instead of ice cream. And a bag of chips. And possibly a pickle with a peppermint stick or jolly rancher candy pushed inside.
"Did you see children at the ice cream truck Tia?" Queried Rick. "Did you noticed them BEFORE you decapitated a man thang then ordered you a Choco Taco?"
"It was a double scoop pecan praline," Tia corrected nervously, and Rick cut his eyes at her and took two large steps towards her.
Rick was now face-to-face, nose-to-nose with Tia. Yeah, she was in deep trouble. Tia blinked uncomfortably as she felt his breath on her face. She had the strong urge to use her pushing plan from earlier but thought better of it. Tia did not need any extra drama.
"Does it even matter what you ordered? DID. YOU. SEE. CHILDREN?" Repeated Rick in a slower but a more menacing tone, head now full tilted.
"ANSWER YOUR FATHER TIA!" Did you see the kids! Did you hear children screaming Tia? Smirked Michonne who was loving this.
Rick hardly ever disciplined Tia because he was too busy participating in her silly antics. Michonne enjoyed not being the bad guy parent for once with her daughter. She enjoyed watching Rick take control in disciplining Tia thus giving her a much-needed break from always having to do it herself. Although her signifying did not help garner any cool points with Tia either. Tia stood there, refusing to answer the question because she fully comprehended that she was dead wrong. Even Carl took a step back from Tia. A small step but Tia noticed and cut her eyes at her younger brother.
"Was there a line Tia? Hmmm? Or did the children fall down from the sky and show up after the man thangs head rolled down off his shoulders and landed in front of the damn ice cream truck? Did the kids show up AFTER the chaos then started running amok AFTER you ordered your little treat?" Mocked Rick who knew his daughter saw those kids before she decided to slaughter the man thang, her need for ice cream overruling the children's mental health.
Rick was in The Rick Stance.
"Yes, they were in a line but then they scattered so I mean, cutsies, am I right!" Beamed Tia trying to lighten the mood indicating that she may have possibly benefited from her debacle by jumping the long line after the mass exodus of screaming children.
"CUTSIES DAD CUTSIES!" Shouted Carl who was trying to make up for that step back a second ago.
Tia smirked and decided to forgive Carl's momentary lack of unity.
"Carl, I am warning you!" Rick seethed as he narrowed his eyes at his indignant son.
Rick was getting tired of Carl's antics. Tia was already two handfuls of trouble; he did not need Carl to add to the craziness. Rick turned back to Tia.
"YOU CAN'T DECAPITATE A MAN THANG, OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER, IN FRONT OF CHILDREN TIA" Bellowed Rick, "That is something that I thought I would never have to tell you and teach you!"
Tia eyed her father but made no comment. She had no excuse other than pure gluttony. Rick wiped his hands down his face.
"This is why you two are my least favorite kids," stated Rick pointing back and forth between Tia and Carl.
Michonne's eyes got big. She was appalled. She has no clue how Rick could easily turn winning tables into losing ones in the blink of an eye. He was doing so well up until that point.
"WHAT?" Shrieked Michonne unbelievably, "Rick, oh my God!"
"Really Dad? Me and Carl are your LEAST favorite," asked Tia feigning hurt because she knew it was not true.
Even better, Tia saw how to use this information and change of circumstance to her advantage and was already formulating a devious plan in her head.
"Rick, we do NOT play favorites with our children!" Clarified Michonne for both Tia and Carl.
"Carl, Tia, you are NOT your father's least favorite," Michonne said in a soft apologizing tone.
"I do Michonne. I do play favorites and I do have least favorites and it is those two right there!" Assured Rick pointing at Tia and Carl.
"Is that really true dad?" asked a hurt Carl.
Tia looked at Carl and chuckled. She would need to talk to her brother about not believing their father when he said such nonsense. Rick was irrational and it always followed that he said and did ridiculous and absurd things when he was in such a state.
"NO!" Replied a perturbed Michonne.
"YES!" Corrected a confident Rick who paid no nevermind to Carl's hurt look.
Tia heard a rustling at the top of the stairs and smiled wickedly.
"Hmmmm, I thought your least favorite would have been Paul or Andre," instigated Tia when she noticed Andre lingering at the top of the stairs.
Again, Tia had no common sense whatsoever. And her knack for self-perseverance was infamous.
"You thought what about me?" Asked Andre who slowly walked down the steps and cautiously entered the living room when he heard his name. Andre was trying to avoid going into the living room. He did not like conflict and tried to stay out of any type of angry conversations. Tia made that very difficult. His sister was conflict incarnate he thought.
"Andre is worrisome too," yelled Rick pointing at Andre deciding to go for broke and throw Andre into the mix.
Andre was hurt because he always sided with Rick against Tia and Carl. Andre being younger and still developing mentally from his growth spurt, took the news even worse than Carl did. Neither of Tia's younger brothers understood that Rick was just venting because Andre was always correcting Rick and it was annoying as hell. But they were a means to an end, and Tia wanted this to end without punishment from her parents. She wanted to make sure to keep her swords too.
"RICK!" Roared Michonne.
"Who's worrisome?" Asked a now anxious Andre.
"Dad said you are his least favorite child," lied Tia to Andre.
"I am your least favorite!" Blubbered a wide-eyed Andre his feelings fully hurt.
"You are not my least favorite Andre," assured Rick who was now staring daggers at Tia.
"THEN WHY DID YOU SAY IT RICK?" spat Michonne, her hands on her hips and eyes narrowed and about three seconds from causing some violence in the Grimes household.
"I DIDN'T STAY THAT MICHONNE! YOU HAVE BEEN STANDING HERE THE WHOLE TIME! DID YOU HEAR ME SAY THAT?" Shouted Rick now extremely agitated with his wife for believing Tia when she heard every, single, word that he spoke, the whole entire time he was speaking, "Hell, Michonne, YOU even repeated most of what I said!"
Rick thought Michonne should know better than to believe anything Tia said when she was trying to get herself out of trouble, especially when she heard everything with her own ears and not through hearsay. Tia was petty enough to throw any and everybody under the bus to get herself out of a consequence, and Michonne knew that. Tia even blamed Judith in a few instances. RJ too!
"NO! BUT I HEARD YOU SAY YOU PLAY FAVORITES! YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE LEAST OR MOST FAVORITES RICK! MUCH LESS SAY IT OUT LOUD TO YOUR KIDS!" Screamed Michonne louder not appreciating Rick raising his voice at her first especially, when she was supporting his side the whole time.
"YOU HAVE MOST FAVORITES TOO MICHONNE! Belted Rick.
Rick and Michonne were now facing each other in a standoff. Tia was smiling. She had successfully caused a diversion. She was glad she did not use that card earlier in the conversation.
"I DO NOT!" Disputed Michonne.
"YES, YOU DO!" Declared Rick, PAUL IS YOUR FAVORITE!"
"Paul is your favorite Mom?" Squeaked a hurt Andre.
"No baby, I do not have favorites, I love you all the same," soothed Michonne as she went to comfort Andre.
"Sure," muttered Rick as he sucked his teeth.
Michonne glared at Rick and Rick glared right back.
"PAUL IS NOT MY FAVORITE RICK! STOP IMPLYING THAT!" Demanded Michonne.
"IT'S TRUE, I DON'T HAVE TO IMPLY! YOU WANT ME TO LIE?" Hollered Rick.
"AT LEAST I DON'T HAVE LEAST FAVORITES RICK!" Countered Michonne not realizing she just confirmed that she indeed did have a MOST favorite.
"DAD!" Exclaimed Andre who wanted to ask some follow up questions.
"ANDRE, enough! You are not my least favorite! You are right in the middle!" Explained Rick who thought this answer was better and would make his son happy.
"OH LIKE THAT'S BETTER THAN BEING LAST!" Yelled a sarcastic Michonne, "GLAD YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND!"
With all the ruckus, RJ and Judith started crying.
"NOW YOU WOKE THE BABIES RICK!" Yelled Michonne.
"YOU ARE YELLING TOO MICHONNE! MAYBE YOU WOKE EM!" Hollered Rick.
While Rick and Michonne were arguing, the babies crying, and Andre trying to get to the bottom of where he was in Rick's hierarchy of favorites, Tia grabbed Carl's arm and they slowly backed themselves out of the front door and quietly shut it. When Tia and Carl got far enough away from the house, Tia gave some bad advice to her little brother.
"And that is how you get yourself out of a jam," said Tia giving herself a mental high-five as her and Carl casually walked down the street towards her home.
"Will they be, ok?" Asked a worried Carl.
"Please, those two will be kissing all over each other ten minutes from now. Be glad you got out of there before that happens. Andre is gonna have to suffer," Tia laughed.
"That was so cool how you got them from hollering at you to shouting at each other!" Declared Carl proudly.
"Thanks! It's a gift," responded Tia full of pride.
Tia was terrible.
"You got out of being grounded and giving up your swords, impressive!" Congratulated Carl.
"Yup, my swords are safe, and my days are free to do as I please!" Bragged Tia.
"Ok, I got how you tricked Dad, he is easy, but how did you trick mom into falling into your ingenious trap? I mean she is super smart," marveled Carl.
Tia stopped in the middle of the road and faced Carl with a very sober look on her face like she was about to spit some serious wisdom.
"Listen, that is mostly an act. Dad drives the crazy train express, yes, but mom is sitting and relaxing in the passenger car ordering dinner service. Michy just hides her crazy better than dad. And she LOVES shenanigans, especially dad's shenanigans. Don't let her fool you!" Laughed Tia as she continued walking towards her home.
"Where are you on the train?" Chuckled Carl as the two started walking again.
"Oh, daddy might be driving it, but I got both hands and a foot on the wheel with him, and I can fully admit that!" Laughed Tia.
"Where are the rest of us?" Asked Carl loving the game and wanted to see where each of the family rated on the crazy scale in her mind.
"Well let's see, Paul's got his hand on the wheel too, but only one. Paul is straight nuts, but, unlike me, he is a little scared to go too far with our parents. Paul's other hand is being held my Michy in the dinner car. Paul loves tomfoolery but he loves impressing Michy more, so he is always torn. Paul is such a mama's baby. You Carl, you are a driver in training," laughed Tia, "so you are in the co-pilot seat. A little more training from me, and you will have your hands on ten and two in no time."
"Ten and two?" asked a confused Carl.
"Oh, that's right, you never experienced driving school or driving at all for that matter. Hmmm, I will take you out and practice in one of the cars soon since I won't be grounded anymore," offered Tia giggling that she got the best of her parents.
"Cool! Ok, what about Tasha and Andre? Where are they?" Carl continued excited about his sister teaching him how to drive.
"Tasha is in the caboose. She is crazy too, but her need to be in charge overrides it sometimes but the crazy is always lurking, just behind the scenes, always peeping out ready to make and appearance when you least expect it," reflected Tia, "Andre, he is the rational one. He left the train station and is at the airport trying to buy an airline ticket. He would refuse to travel on the train with us."
Carl chuckled and nodded his full agreement. Tia was spot on with Andre.
"Well, what you did back there was fantastic!" Stated a giddy Carl eager to learn Tia's ways.
Carl would never understand that he should learn the EXACT opposite of Tia's ways.
'I saw everything going downhill fast for me and I did not want dad to take away my swords or my freedom," laughed Tia, "So I improvised, I adapted, I overcame!"
"Isn't that a line from a movie?" Asked Carl.
"Yes, it is Carl," said Tia as they finally approached her house, "Yes, it is."
Tia and Carl walked in silence for a few steps and Tia noticed that Carl was deep in thought.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Smiled Tia.
Carl looked at Tia for a second and she could tell he was contemplating if he should ask his question or not. Finally, Carl decided to bite the bullet.
"Do you think he meant it?" Asked Carl.
"Meant what?" Tia questioned as their walk became more of a slow stroll.
"That you and I are his least favorite kids?" Deliberated Carl.
"Oh yes, one hundred percent he meant it, but not in the way you think," smiled Tia.
Carl looked at Tia confused, and Tia lead Carl up the porch steps of her home and they both sat on the swing that Tia forced Abe and Darryl to install.
"We are his least favorite kids in this type of circumstance. You know, when we are being defiant and combative with him," laughed Tia, "But we are his favorite in other areas like our antics and silliness, and I must confess I am also his favorite when it comes to battle plans."
Carl nodded but Tia still saw the wheels in his head were not fully turning so she went on.
"Dad loves us all equally, and each of us are his favorite is some ways and his least favorite in others, like Andre is his least favorite in terms of being a know-it-all nerd with dad, but he is his most favorite when it comes to Andre always taking his side and being super smart. Dad just sucks at communication, and it comes out all wrong sometimes," Tia furthered.
"Oh, ok," replied Carl nodding his understanding. His wheels were rolling smoothy now.
"And I often use his total lack of effective communication skills to my advantage!" Exclaimed Tia.
"Like you did back there," Carl laughed.
"Yup, and you are probably gonna have to fill Andre in on our little secret. He is so sensitive," chuckled Tia.
"Yeah, you really threw him under the bus," said Carl.
"Hey, with siblings Carl, all's fair in love and war with this family. Andre will learn that sooner or later, just like Judith and RJ will, and just so you know, I will throw you under the bus too if it benefits me!" Exclaimed Tia.
Carl grinned at his sister from ear to ear. He knew life with her would never be boring.
"So how do we beat mom?" Probed Carl excited to get some inside information on Michonne.
"Oh sweetie, we don't. With Michy you just run and pray that she doesn't catch you. Mom is a for real savage," said Tia.
"You think she is gonna forget what we did back there?" Asked Carl now pushing the swing back and forth with his foot.
"Nope, not a chance in hell Carl, not a chance in hell. She's probably already had a plan to get us before we even slipped out of the house. Michy just needs to finish up with dad first," reflected Tia, "But I can guarantee she will be coming for us soon. I just hope we have a few days before she does."
"Oh," responded Carl.
"Oh, indeed. Try and sleep with one eye open tonight, ok?" Tia suggested.
Carl chuckled thinking Tia was kidding, but when he saw the serious look on her face, he panicked a bit and swallowed hard.
"Can I spend the night here tonight," pled Carl.
"Of course," replied Tia who jumped when the porch light came on.
"TURN THAT OFF WE ARE IN HIDING!" Tia whispered hollered through the closed front door and relaxed when the porch light shut off.
Brigg had been waiting up and turned the porch light on for dynamic duo. He rolled his eyes at Tia's lack of gratefulness for their safety and went back to reading his book.
"I never seen mom be savage before, well savage with me anyway, it will be interesting," chuckled a worried Carl.
Tia could tell Carl was nervous and it made her laugh out loud.
"Well, I tend to bring that side out of her a little more than she would like," laughed Tia, "so sticking with me will get you acclimated to her bad side often."
"You bring out dad's craziness too," smiled Carl.
"Dad brings out his own crazy Carl, that ain't got nothing to do with me. That is all one hundred precent natural and organic Rick Grimes. But I will admit that I do help it along when the need suites me," laughed Tia.
Carl giggled and thought back to a time when his father went crazy before Tia's and his other sibling's arrival and he and could honestly not think of too many outside of Tia's instigation.
"He actually hasn't had too many crazy incidents since being here in Alexandra, even before," Carl reflected out loud.
"I kept it at bay, and let's just leave it at that," replied Tia who said no more thinking about that awful possible trajectory she stopped from happening by giving Rick those visions.
Tia knew that Rick's trajectory at the gates when he first arrived in Alexandria was all worst-case scenario, and most likely a lot of that may not have even happened, but the possibly that it could have occurred was still preposterous to Tia. To Rick also. Carl found Tia's comment curious because his dad's craziness mostly appeared and went buck wild full-on nuts when Tia was around and wondered what kind of shit show she kept "at bay." Carl saw that Tia was done with the conversation and Carl nodded in pseudo agreement.
"I see my dad experiencing fits of rage and bouts of frustration because of us on a regular and consistent basis," Laughed Carl, "Mom too,"
I see a lot of fun with Rick and Michy in our very very long future," Tia agreed smiling, then frowned when she noticed her mother walking fast down the street towards them, "speak of the devil and she shall appear."
Tia got up quickly from the swing and hurried Carl into the house and locked the door.
"TIA!" yelled Michonne breaking into a light jog up the paved path to the porch obviously on a mission to jack up both Tia and Carl, "I KNOW YOU SEE ME!"
"Carl, remember what I said about what to do when Michy comes looking for us?" Asked Tia nervously looking out of the front window watching as her mother approached.
"Yeah, Run," answered Carl already heading out the back door with Tia quickly nipping at his heels.
