AN: In this version, Dr. Carson is still alive. I won't be rewriting every scene unless there is some slight change in the scene because I know you all don't just want to read the entire TV series. I'll only be rewriting scenes if they will involve different characters of if Carl will be inserted.
Also, I think it's a shame that the show barely addressed any of Carl's insecurities about his eye and the limitations he might have.
I hope you enjoy this chapter.
19 Years Ago...
It had been 18 months since the war against the Saviors ended when Rick slit Negan's throat. So many lives were lost during the fight - Denise, Abraham, Glenn, Spencer, Olivia, Benjamin, Sasha, Kent, Andy, Freddie, Francine, Eric, Shiva, Tobin, Bruce, and a lot of other members of the Militia.
Many who survived, however, were left with permanent injuries or disfigurements. Gabriel (who was able to escape the Sanctuary with Dr. Carson) lost vision in one eye due to an infection and Carl had permanent nerve damage on his side due to the injuries from falling on the blade of a table saw during the bombing in Alexandria.
And speaking of Siddiq, Carl rescued him from when he was living out in the woods. The surgery at the Hilltop wasn't even the first time Siddiq saved Carl's life. While bringing him back to Alexandria, the two of them fought off a pack of walkers. One of them attacked Carl in his blind spot, and if Siddiq hadn't killed that walker before it bit Carl in an area that would have been fatal, Carl wouldn't be here today.
Ever since Carl brought him back, Siddiq was welcomed as part of the Coalition as Alexandria's new doctor.
And that wasn't the only positive thing that happened after the war.
Maggie gave birth to a baby boy, Hershel. Even though Aaron lost Eric, he did gain a daughter, Gracie, who was rescued from an outpost. And speaking of Aaron, there was definitely something going on between him and Jesus. Many former saviors and their prisoners were also integrated into the communities and their community was now led by Daryl, who was working to make the home of what was once the Saviors a thriving community free of dominance and policies of the Dark Ages. Their redemptions gave the communities of the Coalition teachers and doctors. Heath, who had been kidnapped by the Saviors and taken as prisoner during his long run with Tara after they were separated, was now rescued and was back in Alexandria.
Unfortunately, Morgan had left the Coalition to go somewhere else. He was thinking Texas, maybe.
In addition to that, all four communities of the Coalition - Alexandria, Hilltop, Kingdom, Oceanside - were working to rebuild civilization, which was why many of them were going on a trip to Washington D.C., breaking into the Smithsonian to recover some artifacts.
As for Negan, he was going to rot in a jail cell that Morgan built for the rest of his life. The plan was going to be executed at first, but the group took Morgan's words and realized that if they were going to rebuild civilization, then a civilized penal code was the way to go, despite Maggie's desire for justice. Carl wasn't too happy about Negan rotting in prison either as he preferred that he be killed because he was tired of Negan's requests for him to come visit him in jail.
Unfortunately, there was one problem that was brewing, and that was Gregory at the Hilltop. He lost the election against Maggie, and he seemed pretty pissed about it. Also, Negan sympathizers still existed at the Sanctuary.
While many citizens were rebuilding Alexandria, Rick and Michonne (taking a break from all the back-breaking labor) watched their children experiment with paint on the porch as they heard the flock of birds chirp and fly.
Judith was now two years old and almost speaking full sentences and Carl was, well, still the same...but a bit wiser and just slightly a little bit older as he was 16.
Instead of a bandage over his missing eye, Carl now wore a pair of sunglasses (one side with the lens popped out, the other side with the lens still in so he could cover his mangled eye socket). Instead of his long hippy hair, he now wore it up in a man-bun, which suited him now that he was finally growing facial hair; hair he still refused to cut or shave.
The Sheriff's hat, on the other hand, he didn't wear that much anymore unless it was sunny outside and he was doing manual outdoor labor. Sometimes, he would let Judith try it on.
He was upset that he couldn't participate in the rest of the war and defeat Negan due to his severe injuries, but spending time with all the children did help him heal...and he also got to second base with Enid during his recovery. Siddiq, Dr. Carson, Dana, and Kurt were able to save him by performing surgery, but they had to remove his kidney and he now had permanent scarring on his colon. His father was also to save him with blood transfusions and even offered to give him one of his kidneys if Carl needed one.
Sadly, Kurt and Dana were killed during the attack by walkers who were poisoned by walker-infected knives. Carl was thankful that Dana was one of the top ranked surgeons in the state before the apocalypse. It was a shame she was gone, though.
Other than that, he did enjoy hanging out with that Henry kid from the Kingdom, Benjamin's little brother, while he recovered. He was a fun kid and reminded him a lot of himself when he was 12, but sometimes, Carl worried about that kid. Since Benjamin died, Henry had this obsession with the revenge he wanted for his brother's murder...and Carl was advising him that he couldn't just kill whenever. Carol, Morgan, and Ezekiel thought that Henry hanging out with him would do both of them some good.
"That's very drippy," Judith babbled as she and Carl, who was now fully recovered from his table saw injury, were painting a picture on their front porch; using a ladder as an easel.
"That's the point of paint, Judy," chuckled Carl, whose hands and clothes were dirty with paint along with Judith's.
"I want to make it into a heart," she exclaimed as she brushed red paint onto the paper.
"Okay," said Carl as he watched his sister paint the interior of the heart. "Hearts are cool. I love hearts. Enid loves hearts. That would be beautiful."
"Oh no, the heart is dripping," exclaimed Judith.
"Well, the heart is full. Maybe that is why," suggested Carl, who smiled as Judith hugged him on his damaged side; unfortunately, he couldn't feel it due to the nerve damage.
"Can you tell me about the painting?" Carl asked, unaware that Rick and Michonne were watching them in awe. They knew he would be a good father someday.
Judith had painted a picture of her and Carl in front of their house along with drawings of other people in the communities.
"That's our house, and that's Enid and Aunt Maggie. And the King. And all our friends," Judith explained with excitement, proud of her work.
"And who is that grumpy face?" Rick asked, causing Carl and Judith to turn around and finally notice that their father and Michonne had been observing them.
"That's you, Daddy," giggled Judith. "You always have a grumpy face."
"What?" Rick complained playfully. "I get a grumpy face?"
"He has a happy face, too," defended Michonne, clapping Rick on the back.
"And there is going to be his big tummy," described Judith as she painted Rick's torso.
Carl and Michonne couldn't help but laugh while Rick just stood there dumbstruck.
"That's Daddy's big tummy?" Rick observed, he and Michonne walking closer to have a bigger look at the painting.
"Hey, you two come inside and wash up, lunch is on the table," demanded Rick heartily, helping Carl up and giving him a pat on the back as the family walked inside the house.
"Dad, Mom, I would like to talk to you about something important," Carl announced as he and his parents helped get the table ready. He and Judith were washing their hands while Rick and Michonne were putting the dishes out.
Not long after the war ended, one night, Carl asked Michonne if she had seen his physical therapy tennis ball...except the word "Mom" accidentally slipped out. Carl was embarrassed at first, but Michonne accepted it and then later Carl liked to call her "Mom".
"Enid isn't pregnant, is she?" Rick asked, slightly worried about what the result would be. He knew that Carl and Enid were now getting more serious. And by serious, he meant that they were now having sex.
Ten months ago, during a celebration of the completion of the rebuilding of Alexandria where the Coalition gathered together, he Michonne and Rick walked in on Carl and Enid completely naked and under the covers, missionary style with Enid on top...except the most disturbing part was not Enid without a bra or even her and Carl having sex, but the fact that she was French kissing Carl's empty eye socket, that was also an image Rick wanted out of his mind other than Carl and Enid having intercourse.
However, he and Michonne were both relieved when they learned Carl had a box of condoms in his drawer. They weren't quite ready to be grandparents just yet and they still believed Carl and Enid were too young to take care of a baby.
"No," sighed Carl. His parents knew that he was going to be going to the Hilltop to visit Enid later and also accompany her and Siddiq during the trip to Washington D.C. However, he was offered an opportunity at Hilltop since the community's blacksmith was killed in the war.
Also, Carl liked hanging out with Alden and Kenneth whenever he visited Enid at the Hilltop. They seemed like a really cool guys and it was nice that he had other people around his age to make friends with other than Enid since he lost Sophia, Patrick, Mikey, and Benjamin.
"We can talk later tomorrow," decided Rick, placing the food on the table. "Let's just have lunch and enjoy it before you leave for the Hilltop."
Conversations between Carl and Enid were limited during the war. Every time they left, they would kiss or have sex (except they only had sex one time during those moments). When Carl arrived at the Hilltop badly injured, they confessed that they loved each other and decided to make their relationship official. Right after Negan was jailed, they finally had sex for a second time when all four communities visited each other.
However, sometimes, Carl just wished Maggie would come visit. However, that wasn't going to happen with Negan in his jail cell.
"You packed condoms, right?" Rick asserted as he and Michonne helped Carl and Aaron pack up for their journey to the Hilltop to see his Enid, slightly teasing his son. He had given Carl the talk not long after he lost his eye, but once he learned what was going on between him and Enid, he decided to give it again to make sure that Carl was actually mature enough for this.
"Yes, Dad," groaned Carl, rolling his eye with embarrassment.
"You can pour the Bisquick all you want, just try not to make pancakes," joked Rick, borrowing a euphemism from one of his deceased friends. Since Abraham coined that term, Rick and Michonne sometimes used the term in front of Carl and Judith to hide the fact that they were going to have sex. However, that didn't fool Carl for too long. He now knew what it meant.
"Really, Dad?" Carl scoffed, his face turning red as he picked up his bags and loaded them into the car, eventually settling into the passenger seat and buckling his seatbelt.
Even in an apocalypse, your parents will still find ways to embarrass you, thought Carl as he was being teased in front of Aaron, Scott, and Barbara.
As Aaron started the engine and shifted the car into drive mode, Scott and Barbara opened the gate for them to pass through.
"Bye, Carl! Don't make any babies!" Michonne called out jestingly as Scott burst out laughing, Barbara and Aaron trying hard to hold in their laughter. "I'm too young to be a grandmother!"
"Oh, my god! Mom!"
Rick, Michonne, Carol, Maggie, Carl, Enid, Ezekiel, Cyndie, Jerry, and the others had all gathered together in downtown Washington DC, arriving on horseback and in wagons pulled by horses...sans Daryl as he didn't want to be separated from his precious motorbike. They were looking for things like covered wagons and farming equipment from the Smithsonian.
When they got inside, it looked like it had been looted as well as lived in since there were collapsed tents and dirty cots.
The group had separated into different groups and would circle back to the entrance with all the Georgian paintings when they were done, with Carl, Enid, Cyndie, and Siddiq being put together.
"Be safe," Rick had told the whole group...and Carl took those words seriously since he needed someone with him in situations like these, something he didn't realize until Siddiq took out a walker that was approaching him on his blind side and he didn't notice.
As the group approached the blue-light basement, it was filled with cobwebs that Rick would clear away with his hatchet.
Everything was quiet until something grabbed Siddiq's leg and pulled him under a sheet. Everyone could hear him screaming under the sheet coinciding with the walker snarling followed by the sound of squelching flesh.
He reappeared under the sheet along with a bunch of spiders, whimpering in both relief and terror.
"You alright?" Cyndie asked, pulling Siddiq up from the floor.
"I'm fine," he chuckled nervously as Carl, Cyndie, and Enid started stomping on the baby spiders. "It's just that I hate spiders."
Enid, Cyndie, and Carl couldn't help but laugh.
"You'll put in effort to kill walkers and keep track, but you're scared of spiders?" Carl teased.
"Those didn't even look like the poisonous kind," chuckled Cyndie.
A few minutes later, the three teenagers plus Siddiq were silent again as they searched for anything that could be valuable until Enid broke the silence.
"So, have you talked to your dad yet?" She asked as she waved a flashlight around the basement, keeping an eye out for walkers. "About what you and Alden wanted to do?"
"I was going to, but then he said we will talk about it later," answered Carl.
They all found a lot of good shit at the Smithsonian - canoes, pioneer wagons, and a bunch of seeds they could use for crops (however, walking over that glass with walkers under was extremely tense as Ezekiel fell through and almost became walker food.
Carl, Enid, Alden, Marco, and Cyndie were all sitting together in the back of the pioneer wagon, which was being pulled by horses led by Siddiq and Rosita. Kenneth was riding a horse beside them.
"Hey, Ken," Alden spoke up, aware that Rick and Michonne were out of earshot. "Marco thinks he wants to learn the trade. Also, you think your dad will take on another apprentice?"
"You?" Kenneth asked.
"Yes," confirmed Alden.
"I don't see why not," smiled Kenneth.
"I can't tell if he likes me, though," sighed Alden. "He likes Carl, though. That's why he offered him the job."
That was the thing Carl wanted to talk to his parents about since Earl gave him an offer to be a blacksmith. As much as he loved his parents and sister, he wanted to follow his own path and not have to be so far away from his girlfriend. Since he was half blind, he and his father agreed that he would need to have a companion with him every time he went on a run, and he didn't want to have to find someone to drive him to the Hilltop every time he wanted to see Enid and his friends.
"He's just quiet," defended Kenneth. "He comes across as grumpy."
"I don't think I've ever seen the guy smile, though," sighed Carl. "I'm actually shocked that he even likes me since I'm the kid with the messed-up face."
"You're not ugly or disgusting, Carl," reassured Enid, a bit of pity in her voice. Even though she found the huge scar and hole in his face to be hot and a symbol of resilience, Carl was still insecure about it and he always preferred for it to be covered, even in his sleep. "I doubt he offered you the job because he pitied you for being half-blind."
"He also needs to get to know you first," added Kenneth. "Carl, he likes you because he saw how you are with children and he heard how you saved Alexandria and brought back Siddiq. That's how he got to know you."
"And I'm just nothing but a former Savior," scoffed Alden. "That's probably why he still hates me."
"Still, he would appreciate the extra help since the Kingdom sent him this large scrap metal to melt down," continued Kenneth. "Hell, shoeing these horses is a full-time job."
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure he hates me, too," added Marco.
They all came across a broken bridge, which they decided they would rebuild later once they all had the right tools. However, the part that actually made things worse was that the wagon got caught in the mud, and it was so bad that the horses couldn't pull them through.
Fortunately, they were able to free the wagon with the strength of each other, but then a herd of walkers came through, so they had to start taking them out quickly. They decided to leave the wagon, but Carl decided to go back and free Penelope, the horse pulling the wagon, immediately running toward the wagon.
"Carl, watch out!" Kenneth shouted as he noticed a walker approaching Carl on his right side, his blind side, as he was trying to undo the harness. He immediately pushed him out of the way.
Although Carl could hear the walkers, he was still learning how to respond to walkers on time using only his ear.
Unfortunately, the walker bit Kenneth instead, sinking its teeth into his arm as Kenneth screamed in agony followed by a kick in the torso from Penelope.
In less than five minutes, without any hesitation, Carl killed the walker followed by Rick cutting off Kenneth's arm with his hatchet.
Siddiq and Enid (who was training to be a doctor) tried to save Kenneth, but he unfortunately didn't make it. Maggie was the one who put him down and also the one who broke the news of his death to Earl and Tammy Rose, his parents.
Both of them were pretty pissed, Tammy Rose more so. She criticized Maggie for supplying the Saviors and even referred to Carl as a burden and an invalid since her son died saving someone who didn't see a walker because he was blind in one eye. Earl, however, tried to tell her that it wasn't Maggie or Carl's fault.
Unfortunately, Tammy Rose refused Carl and Maggie's presence at the service. So, Maggie, Carl, and little Hershel watched Kenneth's funeral from the balcony as Alden sang a prayer. Other than Earl and Tammy Rose, Gregory, Enid, Eduardo, Kal, Cyndie, Dr. Carson, Jesus, Bertie, Crystal, Marco, and other Hilltop residents were also there.
"It isn't your fault, Carl," reassured Maggie, placing a hand over Carl's shoulder. "Ken made the choice to save you."
"I know," sighed Carl, still holding himself responsible since everyone was always keeping an eye on him ever since he lost his eye. His depth perception has gotten better, he still had no peripheral vision on his right...and people had gotten a bit protective of him since Ron shot his eye out, always insisting he stay in the middle or on the left. Sometimes, he did feel like a liability. Yes, he did hear Tammy Rose's words the other day. He overheard her and Earl's conversation with Maggie. She even said she wouldn't be sorry if that one-eyed boy from Alexandria lost his other eye or died. Gregory even told him that he would be better off staying behind because he was half-blind. "It isn't your fault either, but he wouldn't have tried if I saw that walker and didn't have one eye."
Earl, on the other hand, was still offering Carl the job. The only thing he needed to do was try to convince him that Alden could join them.
"Maggie, do you think...do you think I'm a burden?" Carl asked hesitantly, looking at Maggie and little Hershel with sad puppy dog eyes. "I can't go on runs by myself. I always need someone standing on my right."
"No, not at all," assured Maggie as they watched Gregory hand over a cup of scotch to everyone, including Cyndie and Enid despite them being under 21. "You're an asset to this community. You have always been. And you know what, my daddy never saw himself as a liability when he lost a leg...and you're not the only one who has lost a body part. And don't even think that needing just a little bit of assistance makes you a drawback."
"You really think that? Or is this just a white lie?" Carl scoffed, folding his arms as he saw a paper-white Kenneth in his wooden coffin...as he was one of the first Hilltop residents to be buried instead of burned. "It's one of those things Dad, Michonne, and Enid tell me."
"I really do think that, Carl," smiled Maggie, offering Carl to have some snuggles from Hershel. She knew that baby cuddles from Judith, Gracie, and Hershel always lightened Carl's mood when he was sad.
That night, Carl and Enid fell asleep (well, Enid did, Carl just lay there awake while Enid was snuggled into his arms) a little bit early in a small bed in one of the trailers after a quiet dinner of bread and tomato soup with Maggie and Hershel. They all agreed that the speech that Gregory gave at Kenneth's funeral was very performative.
However, some of the people at the Hilltop fell for it, even Jesus. But there was still a fair show of those who shook their heads. Alden even told Carl and Enid that Kenneth's ghost would have told that spineless coward to kiss his ass. He also said that Gregory scares him more than Negan ever did since he hadn't gotten over losing the election.
"Even before all of this, I didn't trust politicians," Alden had admitted to them.
Suddenly, they were awoken by what sounded like a bump and a crash followed by Hershel crying outside and grunts and shouts that obviously belonged to Maggie.
"Carl, what is..." Enid stirred, still half-asleep and barely out of the REM sleep stage. She was barely able to hoist herself to sit up.
"I'll go check it out, just go back to sleep," whispered Carl, pulling on a shirt, pants, and some shoes as well as a chef's knife from the kitchen, settling it into his holster.
When he rushed out of the trailer and ran toward the sound, he noticed that Maggie's head was bleeding as she was fighting off some guy in a hooded black robe. Hershel's stroller had been knocked over, causing him to slip out and sit there crying.
"Oh, god, Maggie!" He shouted, running over to try and pull the unknown attacker off of Maggie.
Unfortunately, the figure shoved him away so hard that his face hit a pile of bricks before everything went black.
Carl woke up feeling dizzy and nauseous to a bright light shining over him, noticing two figures over him; he could feel that one of them had a tight grip on his hand. It took him a while for him to process, but he eventually realized the figures watching over him were his dad and Michonne.
"Thank goodness, you're awake," Michonne tearfully sighed with relief as she ran her fingers through Carl's hair. "Enid said that Dr. Carson said your concussion was pretty bad."
"What?" Carl groaned, squinting his eye as the light shined in it brightly, inducing a headache. This was agony.
"He knocked you out pretty good," informed Rick with a chuckle as he patted his son's shoulder. "Some of the scars around your eye socket tore open again, but Dr. Carson was able to fix it up."
"How long have I been out?" Carl asked, his vision still blurred a little bit.
"All night and all morning," replied Rick, rubbing his face. "It's noon now. We just got here a few hours ago."
Memories of the hooded figure, Maggie, and Hershel lying on the ground flooded back into his mind. All he could wonder was who would do that to Maggie.
"How are you feeling?" Michonne asked.
"Dizzy and nauseous," answered Carl, attempting to sit up before his dad stopped him, pushing him back down. "Where is Enid?"
"She's outside talking to Maggie," answered Michonne, sighing. "She and Hershel are fine. Maggie just needed stitches."
"Who knocked me out? Who attacked Maggie?" Carl asked, still wanting to know. Although Gregory was the obvious suspect, Carl couldn't wrap his head around the thought of Gregory doing that since he was the biggest coward he had ever encountered since all of this started. Unlike Father Gabriel, Gregory was a total jackass and didn't seem redeemable at all.
Michonne and Rick looked at each other for a while, hesitating to answer. "It was Earl."
"What? Why would Earl hurt Maggie?" Carl shouted, horrified and confused as to why Earl would try to assassinate the person he voted for. He wasn't even a murderer. "Why would he do that? That doesn't make sense."
"He was drunk," Rick began to explain, sighing. "Gregory forced him to get drunk. Dr. Carson said his blood alcohol was probably way over the legal limit. He's having a pretty bad hangover right now."
Of course, Gregory is behind this, thought Carl. "Why did Gregory get him drunk?"
"Gregory couldn't kill Maggie himself, so he used Earl to make it happen," Michonne shook her head bitterly.
"So, Maggie decided to have him hanged," added Rick. "She said the punishment needs to fit the crime, so it's happening tonight."
"Is Earl going to be hanged, too?" Carl asked.
"No," sighed Rick, his facial expression telling Carl. Since Morgan headed west, he has tried very hard to rebuild the world civilly, avoiding things like death penalties and cruel and unusual punishments. "He'll be imprisoned."
As much as Carl disliked Gregory, he really thought that hanging was too extreme. And as much as he wished Negan bled out on the ground and suffered, he realized that his father was right. Civilization comes with civil and fair rules. They can't go back to the Dark Ages.
"Can Enid come in?" Carl requested.
Michonne and Rick chuckled. "Sure."
The entire Hilltop witnessed Gregory's hanging, even the children, who accidentally stumbled upon the scene. Michonne and Rick tried to stop her from doing it in front of them when they woke up, but it was too late.
The next night back in Alexandria, Rick and Michonne were lying in their bed silently, not speaking as they both tried to fall asleep. Carl had returned with them, but they had once again put off the talk that Carl wanted to have with them...and Carl was starting to get tired of putting it off because he was tired of visiting the Hilltop back and forth.
Rick and Michonne's attempt to fall asleep stalled when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Rick got out of bed to put a shirt and pants on before answering the door, revealing it to be Carl, his mangled eye visible and uncovered and his hair in a ponytail.
"Carl, what's up?" Rick asked, halfway out the door.
"Can we have the talk now, please," the young man gulped. "You and Mom, please. It's really important."
Rick grumbled, pinching his nose. He really didn't want to do this right now, but he could tell that Carl was getting impatient. "I'll wake her up."
"So, I want to be a blacksmith at the Hilltop," Carl finally admitted at the dinner table. "Earl offered it to me, and I want to take it."
"Really?" Michonne was shocked. "Even after what he did to Maggie? After what he did to you."
"I talked to Tammy Rose," Carl twiddled with his thumbs, looking down at his knees. "She said she was willing to let me, Alden, and Marco become apprentices. Marco will be the lead for a while, though."
"Really? Even after what she said about you?" Rick scoffed.
"She apologized, and said she was too grief-stricken," defended Carl. "Earl also told her she should let us."
Rick thought about it for a moment. Carl was practically almost an adult and he thought that Carl getting a job was a good thing. Heck, he had a job at a movie theater when he was Carl's age. If they were still in the old world, he would probably be helping him with his college application essays by now.
However, Carl and Enid had been going back to school sometimes since they were only in middle school when it all started. They weren't learning calculus, but they were still trying to relearn geometry and other math and grammar skills. They were also trying to make sure they understood all the necessary science and social studies skills.
Despite all of that, Rick still didn't want Carl to move out. Nevertheless, he believed that the reason why Carl was going to take the opportunity was because he wanted to be closer to Enid.
"Carl...I...you're only 16. It's a little too early to..." Michonne pleaded.
"Please, Mom. Please, Dad," begged Carl. "I really want to do this. Also, I'm a year away from being an adult. Didn't you already say I was a man when I was 14?"
Rick thought for a moment, wondering if one of his biggest concerns regarding Carl and Enid's relationship had come true.
"Carl, are you trying to tell us that Enid is..."
"No, she's not pregnant," rebutted Carl. "But, I don't know how long I might be on this Earth."
"I could be dead tomorrow," bellowed Carl. "Look, I know we're trying to build civilization right now, but the reality is that we don't live in the modern world that we used to live in. Eugene said this is the Renaissance. We just left the Dark Ages. Our life expectancies are now 50 or even 40. We're back in pioneer times, Dad. You guys might not even live to be grandparents. I probably might not even get to be a father. We still cannot take things for granted."
Rick knew that Carl was right. The Saviors had been dealt with, but the walkers still existed and a herd could still destroy everything. Things might get better someday, but change doesn't happen overnight.
"I don't just want to move to the Hilltop to be closer to Enid," continued Carl. "I also want to do something important."
"You can't live at the Hilltop, Carl," sighed Rick, not wanting to let his little boy go. Maybe it was just because having Carl closer made him feel safer. "It's just too far."
"Rick," interjected Michonne, sighing. "I think we should let him take the chance. He's a grown man. He's not our little boy anymore."
Rick just couldn't let go of the fact that Michonne said "our boy". Now that Carl started referring to Michonne as his mother, he was her little boy, too.
AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review :)
Before you ask, no, there will not be any love triangles involving Enid, Carl, Lydia, or Alden because I really hate love triangles. Carl and Alden will be nothing but best buds.
This story will kind of follow the TV timeline with Magna's group, whisperers, Rick and the bridge, etc...except I will make some changes to where Rick isn't taken away in a helicopter and some of Carl's comic storylines will either happen or he will be given a completely different role in whatever plot there is.