you drew stars around my scars
and now i'm bleeding.
><
carl never used to believe that everything
happened for a reason. but he now knows
that sofia espinosa came into his life for
one reason. she made him feel alive again.
after his mother died...
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RICK, SASHA AND Tyreese hurry into the church urgently, Rick going to say something to Carl who instantly hushed his father, placing a finger in his lips. Rick frowns and sees Judith asleep, but also Sofia leaning her forehead against Carl's who hasn't moved since she leant there. The Grimes man sighs, placing his hands on his hips at the sight of her asleep. They all know that she wanders at night, sleeping a maximum of a couple of hours, if any at all.
It makes sense to Rick that with Carl is where she is able to finally close her eyes before the sun starts to rise. She's now wearing a khaki green tank top that Maggie had found for her on their run with her navy cargos and Rick notices Carl's purple and white flannel shirt still clings to her shoulders —— she'd found a nearby stream and scrubbed it profusely so it's not covered in dirt anymore.
Sasha approaches Gabriel who's collecting the cutlery they'd used, "Stop." She says in a low voice that's possibly more scary than a yell. "What are you doing? This is all connected. You show up, we're being watched, and now three of us are gone."
Gabriel stammers over his words, "I—I don't—I don't have anything to do with this."
Shawna pulls out her knife and Carl's eyes widen as Rosita quickly lunges between the two to stop her from doing anything, "Don't!" She shouts at the enraged woman.
"Who's out there?" Sasha asks firmly and Carl grimaces when he feels Sofia stir as she leans on him. "Where are our people? Where are our people?!"
Sofia jolts awake at the loud yell and Carl instantly turns to her when she panics, breathing quickly and looking around. He doesn't touch her, scared that she might freak out even more if he did, he just holds his arms out.
"It's me, it's Carl. I'm not gonna hurt you, don't be scared." He says softly, the others aren't paying attention as they interrogate Gabriel. Sofia locks her eyes on his blue ones, falling into them temporarily, and she grabs his held out arms as he had hoped she would. "You don't have to be scared, you're okay." He whispers as she falls into his embrace and he strokes her hair softly.
The nightmares started that night and then never really stopped, she didn't get them after her encounter with the men in the cottage. She didn't really have time to process her experience before she was thrown in with Rick and all the new people that were afraid of her since she held a gun at one of their council members, and then they were attacked. She hasn't had time to have a break and actually take in what she's been through over the past months.
"I lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night. I always lock the doors at night." Gabriel repeats over and over, looking like he's about to have a breakdown in front of them all, making Sofia pull away from the warmth of Carl's embrace to gaze at what's going on. "I always—They started coming, my congregation. Atlanta was bombed the night before and they were scared. They were—they were looking for a safe place, a place where they felt safe." He explains and Sofia raises her eyebrows, realising this is about the carvings outside. "And it was so early. It was so early. And the doors were still locked. You see. . .it was my choice."
