The siren of the patrol car continued to blare, emitting a noise that was both rhythmic and ear splitting. Carl and Noah stood outside of the vehicle, guarding their ears with their hands and searching for a solution.

Noah picked his ax up again, screaming over the shrill noise of the siren, "I GOT AN IDEA" he yelled, drawing Carl's attention

Carl turned to his darker companion in time enough to see him attack the backseat window of the patrol car with his ax, striking it multiple times and only succeeding in leaving scratches. Nevertheless, Noah continued his assault, sweat collecting around his temples from the effort. Carl released a dramatic sigh that was lost in the noise, and decided to end this pathetic display of masculinity.

"IT'S BULLETPROOF, GENIUS"

Noah finally stopped his assault, panting from the attempt, staring at the minimal amount of damage he had done to the glass. "WELL THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW BEFORE."

"YEAH WELL, I HAVE A BETTER IDEA" Carl reached to his waist and pulled the pistol he always carried from its holster, aiming it at the driver's seat window. Fully prepared to fire, Carl released a surprised yelp when he felt Noah slap his hands down.

"STOP! YOU MIGHT HIT JUDITH OR GET GLASS ON HER, SHOOT THE BACK"

Carl was fully ready to give a smart reply, when there was a sound of concussive force that made the siren sound like a cats purr, then the sound of shattering glass. Within a second of said sound, the siren was off, and Carl hung his head, because he knew what was coming next.

"Carl! What the hell did you think you were doing?!" Rick asked, appearing from the back of the patrol car with Judith in his arms, the rest of the group behind him. When the teenage boy looked up at the menacing glare of his father, he was also met with an equal furious one from Michonne and Carol. One could assume there would be a dirty look coming from the man carrying a crossbow if he hadn't turned to retrieve the other half of the group from around the home.

Noah stood with his back to the adults who had just practically saved the day and as he looked at the distraught yet hardened face of Carl in front of him, he knew that the one from his dad couldn't be any better. Noah could practically feel the heat of their collective glares on his back, and kept his head down as he turned to face the others, standing next to Carl.

Rick stared his son down, his jaw in a permanent clench. "I asked you a question, boy, what did you think you were doing? Do you realize how dangerous all this noise is? And then you went and left Judith in the car by herself with the keys, so what, you can play grab ass with this kid?!" The sheriff asked, gesturing to Noah. There was a brief moment of silence before Rick continued. "You know, sometimes I question if you even have a brain in that head of yours."

Michonne reached out to touch Ricks arm lightly, but he shouldered her off

"Dad I…" Carl began, but was cut off by the Noah's voice, who had finally decided to stop staring at his own dirty sneakers.

"It was all my fault sir, Carl had went to use the bathroom, and I've never been good with babies, so I thought it was best to just leave her in the car, sir. I'm sorry…..sir"

Rick, with a look of surprise, was silent for a moment. He stared at the boy with curiosity, and then turned back towards his son to see that he was doing the same, and he was not fooled at all.

"If we have learned anything is that sacrificing yourself for someone else isn't going to get you anything but a set of incisors in the shoulder." Rick said to the older of the boys, and then addressed Carl. "And you were just going to let him take the fire for you, weren't you?"

Before Carl could utter a reply, the sound of Daryl's voice came from the home and he was running.

"Time to go, we've got walkers."

Rick grumbled and with Judith in his arms, proceeded to walk towards the fire truck. "Carl and Noah, you're in the car with Tara, Glen, and Maggie."

"DAD!" Carl began, objecting and his voice cracked a little.

Rick handed the child to Michonne before turning back to his son, "We don't have time for this Carl now get in the car now!"

Carl hung his head lower, and without a further word, headed to the patrol car with Noah. While Carl rode in the back with Noah and Tara, Glen drove with Maggie in the passenger seat. Rick, Michonne, Tyreese, and Sasha rode in the front of the fire truck, and Daryl had found a pair of twin motorcycles back in the city. Obviously, Daryl took one for himself, but it was Abraham who had decided to take the others, much to Daryl's complaint about him stealing his style. Carol rode on the back of Daryl's bike while Sasha rode on the back of Abrahams.

As the group drove away from the failed attempt at a temporary, sanctuary, Carl stared out of the window, expression blank. He stared at the green of the bare planes that laid between country home and country home, at the thick tries that made of the small forestry. He allowed his mind to equal his expression, distancing himself from his feelings, from those around him, from himself.

xxx

Night had befallen the small group and the sound of chirping crickets filled all of their ears. A gentle breeze picked up, blowing loose and dead leaves off of the branches of the surrounding trees. In the midst of this silent and peaceful night lay a group of fighters, a group of people surviving against a world that was all but peaceful.

Around a crackling campfire sat Rick Grimes, a bottle of vodka lying next to his sitting form. The gruff looking sheriff stared blankly at the dancing colors of the flame, lost in deep thought and fascinated by the primal nature of the heat source. The sound of dead leaves being stepped on drew Rick from his solitary thought, and caused him to turn around to see who was approaching.

"What is it Michonne, I have about one more hour before you switch out for watch." Rick muttered, turning back to the flame and taking a swig from the half empty bottle of alcohol.

Michonne sat silently next to Rick; sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them.

After a brief moment of silence, Rick finally spoke, "I guess it would be too much to hope that you are just here because you had a bad dream?"

Michonne rolled her eyes, a grin appearing on her lips and she kicked his booted foot with her own.

Ricked laughed as quietly as he could, but with true joy, and wiped the liquid from his mouth. "Guess not"

"You were too hard on him today Rick, it was an accident."

Ricks smile disappeared from his face, and his stare returned back to the flame. "Yea, a mistake that could have got us all killed, Michonne. You're friends with him, good; he needs one, but leave it to me to be his father."

Michonne sat in silence for a while, "You know he is just trying to be like you, right? At least how he thinks you are; jaded, hard, and cold, completely ready for the world to turn and stab him in the back at all times."

Rick drank from his bottle again and scoffed, "yea is that so bad?"

"He is high strung and sleeps with one eye open."

"And again, is that so bad in this world? Look what we have been through Michonne, he is being smart!"

"Then how about when Judith is five I teach her how to slit a throat."

"No! She is too young for that."

"And Carl isn't?"

At this, Rick was silent, and Michonne didn't prod any further. Rick drank from his bottle once more, and turned to the woman next to him. "Mish" He began, reaching over to her and stroking her cheek. Michonne closed her eyes, clenched her jaw, and tightened her grip on her knees as Rick did so.

When Rick went to stroke again, Michonne grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Rick, you're drunk." She said frankly.

"Tell me something I don't know." Rick said with a chuckle.

Michonne looked at him in disgust before standing and beginning to walk back to her sleeping area in the little camp site the group made.

Rick laughed once more before going back in on the vodka, "See ya in an hour."

xxx

A short distance from where Rick sat around the fire, Carl lay in a sleeping bag next to Glenn, Noah, and Daryl, staring up at the starry night sky.

"You know, before all of this, I was never able to see the night sky properly. " Noah said from next to the teen, to Carl's surprise. He had thought Noah was asleep. Carl groaned, and didn't issue a reply.

"Yeah, the city was always too bright; too bright to see half the stars that riddled space. If we can say anything good about what happened, it's that it made nature more beautiful." Noah said, looking over at the quiet Carl. "Hey, um, what happened early was pretty tough, I'm sorry about that."

Carl sat there thinking, and finally turned to face Noah, "Why did you do that earlier? Take up for me?"

Even in the dark of nice, Carl could see the white of Noah's teeth when he smiled, "Eh, I'm used to taking the heat for others, no need for a thank you." Noah said smugly.

Carl turned away from Noah once more, "Good, because you weren't going to get one."

Noah furrowed his brow, slightly offended, "You know what, I take it back, a thank you is much needed. For all you know, your dad could have taken my head off back there, or fed me to the Lurkers for endangering his kid."

"Yeah well I didn't ask you to do it," Carl replied, "And look how it went; I don't see my dad apologizing any time soon."

Noah sat up quickly, "You know what, I've been nothing but nice to you and have been trying to talk to you ever since I joined you guys and all you've been is an ass to me. What? Do you not like black people or something?" Noah asked jokingly, but wouldn't be surprised if the teen said yes.

Carl replied with an amused laugh, "Have you met Michonne? Tyreese or Sasha?" Carl asked once he had calmed down from his laughing. "Have you thought that maybe it's just you I don't like?"

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