luna mortimer-smith had long learned not to trust anyone, staying in the middle of the woods as to avoid any contact with the dead or any other humans.
one evening, she'd gone out to check her hunting traps like usual. little did she realize, thoug...
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"I can't believe you knew before I did." Luna crossed her arms over her chest, watching as Michonne made Judy's lunch. "This whole time, and you never said anything. Why?"
"Well it was really only a guess." Michonne shrugged. "Besides, I wanted you to come to me. I didn't want you to feel pressured into telling anyone." Michonne moved past her, taking the plate to Judy in the living room. Luna moved over, plopping down at the dining room table with a sigh. Michonne joined her a few moments later, sitting across from her. "It's an ordeal, Luna, it always has been. Before and after. The last thing I ever wanted to do was put stress on you when I'm sure you're stressed already."
"You didn't...you wouldn't have. Honestly, it would've taken some stress away." Luna chuckled. "I mean, shit the amount of times that I tried to say something, that Carl tried to say something. It's ridiculous." Michonne laughed. "I'm just...I'm so glad you know. This past month I...I mean, Carl's great, you know? Really, he's the best. And he's doing so much but I...I'm just glad to have someone around who actually knows what it's like. I mean, he probably knows more than me because of his mom and I've never really been around any pregnant people before but still. You get it, more than he ever could."
"Well I'm here for you, no matter what, okay?" Michonne said, stretching a hand across the table that Luna took. "Whatever questions you have, concerns. I'm here. If you even think for a second something is wrong, you come to me. And if it is I'll personally get you to Dr. Carson. Okay?"
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"Yeah, it was easy." Luna nodded, sticking another apple slice in her mouth. "Actually, she already knew."
"What?" Carl's eye just about bugged out of his head. "What do you mean she already knew? How could she know?"
"Intuition." Luna shrugged. "That, and the glow."
"The what?"
"The glow. The pregnancy glow." Carl still looked confused. "I dunno, but Carol told me about it. She said that's a thing, that she knew it as soon as I opened the gate for her because I had it. And she knew because she'd had it. So did Maggie, so did...so did Lori."
"That sounds insane." He remarked, leaning against the counter next to the one she was sitting on. "Unbelievable, actually."
"Yeah, as insane as dead people coming back to life with cannibalistic tendencies." She snorted, picking up another apple slice. "What? Don't give me that look."
"Did you hear what you just said?" He laughed, and she hit his arm. "Hey!"
"Look, if two women who've both been pregnant before say that it's a thing, and that they can recognize it on me-someone who's currently pregnant-then I'm pretty sure it's a thing." She said, popping the apple slice into her mouth.
"In all the time my mom was pregnant with Judy, I don't think there was a single time I would describe her as glowing." He snorted. "But sure, it's a thing."
"Anyway." She said, cutting their conversation short. "That crosses off Eugene, Carol and Michonne. Now we just have to figure out who Michonne probably told, and go from there."
"Wait Eugene?" Carl raised an eyebrow. "When did we tell Eugene?"
"We didn't, I did." She said. "We're friends, and I figured telling someone who really only sees me and is locked in a cell all the time would be the easiest place to start."
"Now we have to move straight to the hardest." He sighed. "We gotta tell my dad."
"How bout I leave that up to you?" She asked, slipping off the counter. "Because I told Carol and Michonne all by myself." Carl whined. "What did you yourself say when we were coming home?"
"We're in this together." Carl sighed.
"Thank you, baby." Luna smiled up at him, patting his cheek lightly. "I'm gonna go take a bath. Have fun!" Carl groaned, throwing his head back as Luna laughed, her footsteps retreating up the stairs.
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"Hey dad?" Carl poked his head inside the door. Rick was back at Deanna's, now using her office as his own while he figured out the expansion. Upon hearing Carl's voice, he looked up from the letter Ezekiel had sent him via Carol's visit. "Is now a good time?"
"Course son, what is it?" Rick sat back in his chair as Carl came in, instantly noticing his son's nerves. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's cool." Carl nodded as he sat down across from Rick, though he didn't continue.
"No...no breaches in the walls?" Rick coaxed. "Or another Scavenger sighting?"
"No, nothing like that." Carl shook his head.
"So what's up?" Rick sighed.
"Oh uh...it's nothing, really." Carl scratched the back of his neck. "It's just...like...Luna and I...shit, I don't know to say this." Rick frowned. "We, like...It's just...fuck."
"Hey, language." Rick warned, and Carl mumbled a sorry. "Is everything okay between you two?" Rick asked after Carl continued to struggle over his words.
"Yeah." Carl nodded, though Rick wasn't convinced.
"You're not...not fighting or anything?" Rick asked.
"What? No." Carl shook his head. "No we've never...well, there was that one time...but not since then. We're not fighting." Rick wasn't convinced. Worries start to flood his mind. Worries that his and Lori's years of passive aggressive anger towards each other had effected Carl more than either of them had ever realized.
"Look, son, if...if something's going on with you two, it's totally normal." Rick started. "Every marriage has its ups and downs, every relationship. It's nothing to be ashamed of. So if you need someone to talk to, or advice. I'm here."
"Holy shit dad, it's so not that." Carl huffed, running a hand over his face. "Not even close."
"Well would you at least give some some kind of hint, then?" Rick sighed. "You haven't really given me anything to go off of, here."
"Luna's pregnant, okay?" Carl blurted. The both sat, completely frozen and staring at each other for a few moments. "We found out when we went to the Hilltop. It wasn't just about seeing Maggie and Hershel. We went to see Dr. Carson and find out if she is, and she is."
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"You knew?" Rick asked in a hushed voice. Michonne just looked ahead at Carl and Luna playing with Judy in the living room, a small smile on her face. "You knew for a month that we were gonna be grandparents, and you didn't tell me?"
"Oh come on, Rick. It was obvious." Michonne said, glancing over at him. "It's all about the glow." With that, Michonne pushed off the counter and started into the living room.
