Better Days

Chapter 296

Author's Note: I've been debating with my self who was going to over hear Carol threaten Sam. It was between Mar, Summer, Beth or Ronnie. Summer pointed out that she's been with Carol since the beginning, and it would be a strong growing point for her. So please review.

Carol and Summer POV:

Summer saw the window to the armory open and started to walk toward it until she heard Carol's voice. She ducked behind the building and listened.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"Sam, what are you doing here?" Carol asked as she came into Summer's view.

"I followed you. I was hoping you were going to make more cookies, but then you came here," Sam explained.

"Well, I could make more. I could make a whole batch just for you. Would you like that?" Carol asked.

"Yes. I mean, yes, please," Sam told her.

"Okay. But you've got to promise me you can keep it secret that I came here," Carol told him.

"Come on just say yes, Sam. Get out of there," Summer thought to herself. But of course, the good little boy who could follow all the rules because he was inside the wall couldn't just say that.

"But I'd have to tell my mom. I mean, I tell my mom everything," Sam responded.

Summer heard Carol's voice lose the sweetness to it as she said, "You can never tell anyone, especially your mom. Because if you do... one morning you'll wake up... and you won't be in your bed."

"No, Carol, come on don't threaten what I think you're going to threaten him with," Summer pleaded inside her head.

"Where would I be?" Sam asked.

"You'll be outside the walls far, far away tied to a tree. And you'll scream and scream because you'll be so afraid. No one will come to help because no one will hear you. Well, something will hear you. The monsters will come. The ones out there. And you won't be able to run away when they come for you. And they will tear you apart and eat you up all while you're still alive. All while you can still feel it. And then afterwards, no one will ever know what happened to you.," Carol told him.

Summer watched as Sam was near the window. "Damn it Carol," she told herself.

"Or you can promise not to ever tell anyone what you saw here and then nothing will happen. And you'll get cookies, lots of cookies. I know what I think you should do," Carol told him.

Summer watched as he crawled out the window and started running. She grabbed him and covered his mouth and took him behind the building. "I'm Summer, and I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to remove my hand from your mouth, and you've got to promise not to scream. I wouldn't blame you if you did, after that. But, I'm not going to threaten you. It was wrong for Carol to threaten you, and I'll talk to her. I promise," she told him. "But, I need you to trust me, give me a chance, alright? Can you do that?" She watched as the boy shook his head yes. Summer took a breath as she uncovered his mouth, waiting for him to scream, but to her surprise, he didn't. "You know what my job in the group was?"

"No…" Sam answered nervously.

"I looked out for the kids. For Carl, Lexi, Mika, Mitch, then Judith and Hope. A lot of others that didn't make it," Summer told him.

"Did she feed them to the monsters?" Sam asked.

"The monsters got them, but she didn't do it. I don't know why she did that Sam, but if you ever need to talk to me, you come find me. Because, I'm going to watch after you, and try not to let anything bad happen to you. I'm tired of losing people. I'm asking you nicely, to please not tell anyone what happened. I need you to go back to the party and act like nothing is wrong. I'll talk to you tomorrow, alright? Would that be alright?" Summer asked him.

"Yes…" Sam answered.

"Good, now go back before your mother notices you're gone. You don't want her to worry about you," Summer told him as she watched him go. She glanced at the building and noticed Carol coming out and shutting the window. She stepped out of the shadows. "We need to talk."

"Summer, sweetheart, what are you doing out here?" Carol asked.

"I heard you, I heard what you said to that boy. Are you going to threaten me with the monsters? I think we should go home and have that talk, while your baking those cookies. Or, we can have this discussion out here, let you explain why you were sneaking into the armory. Dad knew right? Of course he did," she said as she watched her.

"You wouldn't dare cause a scene out here, risk us being thrown out," Carol told her.

"Until a few minutes ago, I didn't think you'd be threatening a child, but you did. So, yes, I'm serious. Deadly serious," Summer answered. "Should we take this back to the house?"

Carol started walking with Summer. "I didn't mean any of it, you know that. I wasn't serious," she answered.

Summer didn't say anything as she walked up the steps and opened the door. "Anyone home?" she called out. She waited for a few seconds then called out again. She turned and looked at Carol. "Looks like we're alone. I'd go hide those guns if I was you. I mean you don't want everyone walking in here and seeing you broke into the armory. I'm sure that Glenn, Maggie, Beth, Ronnie, Axel, or Mar would appreciate what you said to that boy. Actually, I'm pretty sure mom and dad wouldn't either. Five minutes, Carol. If you aren't back in those five minutes, I march over to Deanna's and tell her what I caught you doing. Do you think Dad is going to side with you and tell them it was his idea, no, not with Hope and Judith to consider. You'd be going out there all alone, just like at the prison. I'll start getting things together to make the cookies," Summer simply stated as she went over and opened the refrigerator. "Four minutes and fifty seconds," she said coldly. She shook her head as she heard Carol walking away. Was she actually going to go tell Deanna if Carol didn't come back? Was she going to take the risk that they all would be turned out. Was she capable of that? Summer took a breath, and got the things out for the cookies. She had to be, she would do what it took to protect her family.

"You forgot the applesauce," Carol said as she placed the chocolate bar on the counter.

"So guns weren't the only thing you took, huh?" Summer asked as she turned around. "I'm not mad about the guns. I knew mom and dad had a plan, and it doesn't surprise me that you are involved in it. But how could you threaten a ten year old child?" Summer asked.

"Move, I'll make the cookies," Carol instructed avoiding the question.

Summer moved and went over to the counter. "Carol, I asked you a question."

Carol started getting down a bowl. "What do you want me to say Summer? I did what I had to do."

"You had to threaten a child? An innocent ten year, a child the same age as Mika and Mitch?" Summer asked.

"You don't get to be innocent in this world, you know that. You do what you have to do to stay alive," Carol told her.

"Even if that means making a little boy dream about monsters?" Summer questioned.

"We all dream about monsters, but for us it's real. He needs to know they are real, that this fairy tale he's living in is just that," Carol pointed out.

"Are you going to say that to Jude or Hope? If we stay here, if we can make it, do I have to worry about you threatening my baby sisters?" Summer asked quietly. "Maybe dad and I were right at the prison. Maybe you should have left at the church. What you did was wrong, Carol. If Sophia was alive, would you have done that?"

Carol stopped stirring for a moment. "Sophia is gone. Sophia is gone because I wouldn't let her learn to fight. I didn't want her to turn out like you. I wanted to protect her, and I didn't. I should have let you teach her, but I didn't, and she died. I can't change that, but I can't let another kid live in denial of what's out there."

"That's not your choice, Carol! You thought Mika wouldn't make it, that she wasn't strong enough, but she made it. She stuck with mom and ran with Hope at Terminus. I wish Mitch and Mika could go to sleep and not see walkers'. I wish that they could go to sleep and still have siblings' that are alive. Don't you think I think about Lizzie? That I regret every single day what I did, what I had to do to keep Judith alive?" Summer asked. "I'm not sure regret is a word I'd use, because Judith is alive because of what I did. I love you Carol, and we're here for each other, but what you did tonight, it was wrong. I'm going to go over tomorrow and take the cookies, check in on him. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to do it."

"I don't think it would be a good idea for you to go over to the house by yourself," Carol said.

"You mean because Pete's like Ed was?" Summer asked. "Why does everyone always seem so shocked when I pick up on things? I'm not a kid," she reminded her. "I'll take Joey with me, or David. Maybe I can convince them they need haircuts…or take Uncle Daryl."

Carol gave a small chuckle. "Good luck with that. I know you're uncle rarely says no to you, but on this case he will," she told her. "We good?"

"I'm not good with what you said to him Carol. That's not who we are. We aren't the ones to threaten innocent little children. We're not Martin, threatening to kill Judith. That's not who we are, we can't be. But, besides that, we're good," Summer assured her.

"I won't tell mom and dad what you said, not now. But don't let it happen again," she said as she walked up stairs.