I have returned! had it been a while since the last update? I don't remember when I put the last chapter up. Oh well, here's the next one! This one is a bit all over the place, but I think you'll get it.

As always: I do not own anything to do with The Walking Dead.

I wish you all of the enjoyments!


The silence that occurred after Blake's confession was deafening. Carl wanted to comfort his friend, but he had no idea where to even begin. He understood. He did. He'd seen it with his dad after his mom had died. He just walked around, killing walkers, seeing things.

The fact that she had killed more people than she admitted to was of little concern to Carl; she had saved his life multiple times within the past few days.

After a few moments, Carl blurted, "I couldn't protect Judith." Without even thinking.

Blake looked up at him, her tear-streaked face glowing in the faint moonlight. "Your sister?" she asked, knowingly.

"Yeah." Carl hung his head, ashamed that he couldn't even protect a helpless baby.

"I didn't know you had a sister." Blake thought back to elementary school, events that occurred so long ago she could barely fathom a clear memory. She did not recall ever hearing the name Judith Grimes.

"She was just a baby." Carl explained. "Less than a year old. My mother died during childbirth, had to have a c-section in the middle of a walker infested prison, performed by an inexperienced woman with my knife."

"I hate it when people tell me they're sorry for my loss." Blake mumbled.

"It never seems real." Carl mumbled back.

"Carl."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about your mom and sister." Blake's voice was genuine, and she poured her heart into her words.

"I'm sorry about your family." Carl's voice matched Blake's.

For the first time, the apologies felt real.

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

"You ready?" Michonne asked, sheathing her katana.

"Yeah." Blake zipped up her backpack and slid it over her shoulders before checking that her machete was in place, holstering the pistol Carl had given her and wiggling her toes to make sure the knife was secure in her boot.

"How far is this place?" Rick laid a hand on Blake's shoulder, startling her. She was surprised that he wasn't angrier over the fact that she hadn't woken him up for his watch shift.

"About two hours." Blake responded, looking up at Rick, trying to form a reassuring facial expression.

"We'll be back before the sun starts setting." Michonne stepped forward. "We should get going."

"You've got water?" Rick was being such a dad, and that felt odd to Blake. It had been such a long time since someone had made sure she was ready. She wasn't used to being the one someone else was trying to take care of.

"Yes." Blake shook her bag slightly, letting Rick listen to the swishing of liquid in a plastic container.

"You be careful." He looked both girls in the eye before patting Blake on the shoulder. "And don't be too long."

"We won't." Michonne peered around Blake to see Carl, still asleep on the couch in the back room. "Come on, let's go." She gestured to the door with her head and lake led the way, turning left at the end of the driveway.

The two could feel Rick's eyes on them all the way down the street, but didn't turn around for fear that he would try to convince them not to go. Once they turned the corner, the sound of the door shutting echoed to their ears.

Blake walked slightly ahead of Michonne, leading her back past the school yard they had come through when they first went to the house.

"So you and Carl went to school here?" Michonne asked, wanting to fill the silence.

"Yeah." Blake smirked thinking about the time in third grade when Mrs. Mueller had brought in cookies and licorice for the entire class. It wasn't a special occasion, she was just a fun teacher and a nice person who felt like she should give her class cookies and licorice and let them play games all afternoon instead of having math class. Blake and Carl had competed in building the tallest block tower. Blake had cheated, knocking Carl's tower to the ground when no one was looking. "Never thought I would miss this place." Blake wondered what had happened to Mrs. Mueller. She was probably dead, although, she had thought that of many people, including Carl.

"You think there could be anything in there we could use?" Michonne looked at the front door as they passed.

"We can look on the way back." Blake turned away from the school, heading in the direction of the hardware store. "I don't think there will be much."

"We should also look in the houses in the neighborhood later. We might find some food."

"Yeah." Blake saw a walker up ahead and drew her machete. "We've got enough food to last us a little over a week. Securing the house is priority right now."

TWDTWDTWDTWDTWD

Rick wandered around the house, worrying about everything. He thought about the prison, all the people he may or may not have lost, the people he definitely lost. He was also thinking about Blake. How she had been out there for so long by herself. He couldn't believe that she and Carl were so similar yet so different. Rick wasn't sure that Carl could've handled himself out there in the beginning; now, there was no doubt in his mind, but when the apocalypse had started, Carl was so frightened, so dependent. It wasn't until Lori's death that he really changed, became the person he needed to be to survive.

Rick leaned back against the wall in the upstairs hallway and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to clear his head. He knew both Blake and Michonne were more than capable of taking care of themselves, but he'd lost so much, so many people. He just didn't want to lose anyone else. He slid down the wall to sit, sighing as he let the thoughts take over.

What if they don't come back? What if one of them gets bit? What if they get followed? What if they accidentally lead a heard of walkers back to the house?

"Whatever happens, I'll deal with it." Rick whispered to himself, trying to push the thoughts from his head and reason with himself. The girls had only been gone for an hour. There was really no reason to worry. They knew how to take care of themselves; and each other.

"They'll be fine." Rick said in a slightly louder, firmer tone than before. He wasn't sure he believed himself, but he had to try.

Either way, all he could do for the time being was check on Carl, so Rick hauled himself to his feet and went downstairs to see if his son was still asleep.

TWDTWDTWDTWD

All Blake could hear was the snarls. They were everywhere! She took a quick glance to her left, ensuring her travel companion was alright. She wasn't. "MICHONNE!"


Am I evil? I might be evil. I guess you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out. Or maybe two more if I really feel like being cruel.

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'Till next time, hatsa la vista, baby!