Carl expected Glenn to share that look with him and sometimes he did, but sometimes he didn't. The days he didn't were even more surreal because no matter how much he tried, if he didn't have Glenn's genuine cooperation, the 'kidnapping' plan never worked. And it was the only one he had open to him with how protective his mom and Shane were.

He loved his mother, but he'd forgotten how patronizing she'd been. Well, at the time she hadn't been. But after nearly two years of surviving some truly terrible shit, it sure felt that way. He could handle himself just fine now. Even if he was a lot shorter in his strange dreamworld than he was used to being. Mostly, he missed his hat.

His hands kept going to his head as if to adjust it. But it wasn't there. It was never there anymore. Not until his dad showed up with the group from Atlanta. Most days, if Glenn didn't share his look, Merle was left behind. Some days, if he did share it, Merle would still be left but Glenn was never happy those days. He would find a way to get alone with Carl and explain what went wrong. Some days, Glenn managed to make sure Merle came back. Most often he achieved that by suggesting Andrea be the one to control the handcuff keys since T-Dog had so much equipment, tools included, to carry already. Rick didn't always agree to that.

Carl was getting used to his dreams going like that. With Glenn being the only one to change his actions. But then one day it wasn't Glenn that acted different. It was Carol.

She came out of her tent with Sophia in tow, both of them with their bags packed tightly. Ed following behind them, scratching himself and not realizing anything was different until Carol led Sophia over to where Daryl and Merle had their own tent set up. He called after them, eyes narrowed before slowly starting to follow.

The others who were awake at that hour stopped what they were doing to watch. Shane was on high alert, ready to run over if something happened. His mom was already walking over to him to grab him by the arm. Carl could see her out of the corner of his eye. He moved before she could snatch him up and pull him away, ignoring her hissed 'Carl!' as he marched over to intercept Ed and stand in his way.

He stood close enough to Carol and the Dixon's to hear Carol politely asking Merle and Daryl to watch Sophia for the day. See if it would be alright if the two of them stayed with the brothers so Ed couldn't get to them. Ed could have heard it, too, if he wasn't glaring down at Carl.

He tried to sidestep and Carl stayed with him, staring up at the man definitely. Shane was already heading over, now that Carl could be in danger. But it was Carol that stopped Ed dead in his tracks when he reached out to grab Carl and push him aside.

The whole camp froze, breaths held, as Carol held her butchering knife to Ed's throat. She stared at him calmly, smile as pleasant as a Sunday get-together, "You touch him and I'll kill you, Ed."

Carl saw Merle come up along side Carol, on her right. And Daryl came up on Carl's left. Neither of them had weapons out, but they didn't need to. Their cold stares combined with Carol's knife was enough to have Ed backing up two steps, staring at his wife like he didn't know her.

And he didn't. This wasn't the woman he married. This wasn't the meek woman he'd cowed for more than twelve years with cutting words and brutal fists. This was the Carol Carl knew. The woman who was tough as nails and wouldn't let anything stop her from protecting the people she loved. Carl smirked up at Ed, proud of Carol, though Ed didn't see it.

"You touch Sophia, you go within ten feet of her," Carol continued in that calm voice as she lowered her knife and sheathed it cleanly into it's cloth holder along side a half-dozen other kitchen knives. "And I'll kill you. You touch anyone in this camp, Ed, and I will kill you. No one will stop me. No one loves you enough to stop me. You'll just be another death in a world that no longer cares. Sophia and I will be staying with the Dixon's from now on. They're good men. Better men than you've ever been. Now go on. Get. You want breakfast, you'll have to make it yourself."

Ed watched her warily, and then his eyes drifted to Merle, to Daryl. The two hadn't stopped staring him down. Carl didn't wait to see what Ed would pull, if he tried to pull anything. He turned around and took Carol's hand, leading her back to where Sophia sat waiting on the tailgate of the Dixon's truck.

Carol looked down at him, squeezed his hand, and smiled, "That was brave of you, Carl. Thank you."

"Just protecting our own," he answered, meeting her eyes. "Same as I would for Maggie."

Her breath hitched and there was slight widening of her eyes. He wouldn't have noticed it save that he was watching for the recognition. Carol was good at her act, though, and she laughed at him, "Maggie? Did you go and get yourself a girlfriend while no one was looking?"

He shook his head and winked at her, unable to answer before his mom was on him. Her hands pulling him close, holding him tightly and breathing in short panicked breaths while she chewed him out for being so stupid. That he could have gotten himself hurt doing that.

Carol stepped in on his behalf, waving a hand and shushing Lori, "Oh he was fine. Mr. Dixon and Daryl wouldn't have let anything happen to him." His mother cast a baleful eye at Carol, jaw clenching, and politely reminded her that Carl was her son and she would decide what was safe for him or not. Carol kept her act up beautifully even though it was obvious – to Carl at least – that she wanted to shake some sense into Lori.

"Of course, I didn't mean to imply you didn't," she apologized with a flustered breath, arms crossing over her chest as she feigned nerves. Like she was coming down from an adrenaline high and didn't know what to do with herself. "I just meant that Mr. Dixon and Daryl, they're good men. They've agreed to let me and Sophia stay with them. Keep us safe from Ed. Something I should have done a long time ago."

Carl tried to push himself out of his moms arms while she turned her gaze from Carol to look for the men in question. Carl hadn't been able to see them since she descended on him and once he got some room he realized that Daryl had already left for his hunt. Merle, though. Merle was leaning against his truck, eyes tracking Ed where the man had retreated across the camp. Shane was trying to talk to him in hushed tones, but Merle just ignored him.

When Glenn called for everyone going into the city to get ready, Merle didn't go with them. He stayed and every so often reminded Sophia to stay close. That her momma didn't want her running off. Carl wasn't allowed to play with Sophia that day. But Carol let him help with lunch. And when the CB went off, Carol suggested someone go down to the highway and try to intercept the man calling in. See if they could get to him before he got into Atlanta. Warn him off since he couldn't hear them.

Shane ended up killing the idea. With the group already in Atlanta, they didn't exactly have the manpower to spare in case something happened at camp.

Carol played her act well, nodding in understanding. But she looked to Carl with an apology in her eyes. Carl shrugged and quietly murmured, "Glenn will save him. Glenn's never failed to before."

And Glenn did save him. But the next morning, Carl was right back to where he had been before. Right back to where they all were.