A\N Hi! ^.^ So I just took this big ass test today and I'm exhausted!

And I'm sorry for being late :(

To jaded79, Thank you, I feel a LOT better now :) I think it would be harder to lose Sophia than Dale because she was the same age as Carl, the same thing could have happened to him, but if you feel that way, then I support your logic! :)

Also to Morgan-Eats-Cannibals, Glorious? Thanks! I miss Sophia too! :'(

Disclaimer: You know the drill :P

Tonight is the last episode! :D and :'( Ahh, I hope there are MANY Caryl moments ^.^

Here we go! :D

Carl

Carl was always proud of himself every time a thunderstorm came. When he was little, he was always afraid lightening would strike him, but then he realized if he was indoors they couldn't get to him. Then, Carl was brave.

Sophia trudged over to Carl with an unhappy look upon her face. Carl loved it when Sophia spent time with him, it made him unconditionally happy and warm. He noticed her look and set down a stick he had been playing with.

"What's wrong?' Sophia's eyes were red and filled with tears. She had just returned from her fight with Rick, something she didn't intend on letting Carl know.

"Nothing," She mumbled, sitting down in the soft grass. The soft breeze had returned and cooled some of her steam off, or at least that's what Carl thought. Carl was skeptical of her last statement, but kept quiet and sat down with her, basking in the warm sun and slight breeze. He peered over and saw her eyes were wet with tears threatening to fall.

"It's okay if you need to cry," He soothed a bit awkwardly. Sophia was really his only true girl that was a friend. When the world ended, he had just escaped the world full of 'cooties' and when he met the blonde, he was a bit afraid to catch her cooties, but he had become brave again, and knew she was just like him, and pretty soon she was his best friend. Sophia shook her head vigorously.

"I don't need to cry," She insisted, hiding her face. Carl studied her for a minute before smiling.

"Yeah you do, but if you don't want to, it's okay," Sophia felt her tears emerge on her face, and she silently reprimanded herself. Carl breathed out deeply.

"I need to cry. I've been sad lately, all my friends are dead, grandma, grandpa, even my teachers, are all gone," Sophia looked at him with her tears out in the open and she wrapped her skinny arms around his narrow shoulders.

"I won't leave you, I promise. I'm sad, too. The thing is, all the adults seem so okay with this, but we're not, are we?" She felt herself become over-come with tears and she squeaked, trying to stop them. "I want to be brave like mommy, and like you," Carl gaped at her, looking like he was hit with a ton of bricks. He felt a strange sensation course through him, as he stared at the exceptionally embarrassed Sophia.

"I'm not brave," He gasped, feeling tears of his own, "I'm scared everyday. Dad is brave, he's a police officer, he saves people, I don't,"

"You were the one who said you would protect me," Sophia snapped, "You can't chicken out now. I trust you a lot, Carl," Carl felt angry at this.

"I don't have to protect you!" He yelled at her, his face red with anger, "I'm not obligated to save anyone but myself!" He immediately felt guilty as he shouted at the gentle girl, his best friend. Carl began to apologize before Sophia leaned forward, her tears just faint streaks on her cheeks.

"You said you would, though! That meant something because I'm so terrified that I'm gonna die, and you told me that you were gonna protect me, so sorry that I wanted to feel safe!" She shrieked, her voice shrill and broken.

"Maybe I lied! I don't know if I'm brave enough to face those walkers! What if I see my old teacher, or my friend? Then what do I do? What if there's never going to be a cure? Stop depending on me, I don't have enough courage to even look at them in the face!" Sophia shook her head quite disdainfully with a sadistic smile on her face.

"I'm not asking you to be brave, I'm asking you to tell me right now that I'm gonna be fine! Do you think Mommy can? She can't! She's taking all of Daddy's abuse so he doesn't hurt me! She doesn't even know if I'm gonna be fine, and Daddy never held me in his life! He'll never comfort me! You're my best friend! I just wanted to feel protected!" Sophia finally hid her face, feeling terrible. "I just wanted to live one day of my life whether it had zombies or not, without fear," Tears entered her eyes again, and this time she let them fall mercilessly, as she broke down in front of Carl. He took a deep breath and grabbed Sophia's small face into his hands.

"Okay," He said. "I'll protect you no matter what," Sophia smiled and her face lit up as her tears etched her face.

"Promise?" She sniffled. Carl didn't answer, instead he closed their gap and kissed her gently. He pulled back and smiled. Sophia smiled back with a toothy grin.

The kiss sucked, but he was brave enough to do it.

And that was a start.

~ . ~

Her grave was surrounded by lush greens and Carl hated it. It seemed Grey and lifeless and that was everything Sophia wasn't. He crossed his legs and stared at the pathetic grave stone Glenn had made for her. "Sophia, I really miss you. I'm sorry that Dad didn't save you, and I'm sorry I couldn't look for you more. You were my best friend and more than anything I wanted to keep my promise. I really wanted to be brave for you..." He had to stop for a moment, to compose himself. "Dad and Shane say it wasn't my fault that Dale died, but it was. I wanted to kill a walker because I thought if I did, you'd be proud, you'd come back, you'd live again, but I ended up killing him," He looked up to the sky and sighed. "I'm sorry for calling your mom an idiot...but mostly, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth. That I'm just a chicken, that I will never be able to save anyone," He got up and left, feeling awful.

Carl just didn't know that he had done the bravest thing in his life.

He told the truth.

A\N I hope this one was a good'n! ^.^ Please review and tell me what you thought!

The best is next! ;)

See ya my lovelies!