Tara and Eugene both stood up straight and tried to look serious when Rick started stalking toward them. They didn't know what he was looking at them for, or why he seemed so intense, but they didn't dare move away until he reached them and leaned in close.
"What the hell are you teaching Carl?"
Tara couldn't tell if Rick were just curious or if he was mad about something. "Um, what do you mean? We were talking about comic books a little while ago."
Rick gave her a look that clearly expressed his disbelief. "Carl just asked if I knew how to burp the alphabet."
Eugene snorted, trying to stop himself from laughing, "That is all Tara's fault. I claim no responsibility."
Tara rounded on Eugene, giving him a dirty look, "Liar. You were the one who told me that we should teach him how to do it. I was trying to be polite. I just drank a lot of soda." She frowned and glanced at Rick, who was looking more amused than angry now.
"Really. I'm betting that there are better things for the two of you to teach a teenaged boy. I thought that the two of you were supposed to be adults, and smart ones at that." Rick shook his head. This was exactly the kind of thing that Shane would have been trying to teach Carl, if he were still alive, and sane. He paused, catching their eyes for a moment, "Thank you for making him laugh though, it's been a few days. I needed to hear that again."