Scarlett Greene hadn't spoken since she was twelve. After her Daddy was arrested for abuse when she was seventeen, she is sent to live with her Uncle Hershel. Her life gets better, but the trauma is still there.
When the apocalypse begins, she take...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
survivors
SCARLETT SLEPT LIKE A BABY ON THE COUCH IN THE PRIEST'S OFFICE. Carl had stood by the door with his gun in his hand. He was taking the protection of his family very seriously. When she began to stir, she noticed her boy standing there with his eyes peeled.
"Hey, baby, come see," Scarlett murmured softly.
Carl hesitated, glancing to Tyreese and Sophia playing with Judith before glancing outside to see the others working on the bus in the back. He did not know where Carol or Daryl were. Sighing, he closed the holster on his gun and walked over to Scarlett. He sat next to her when she sat up to give him room.
"What're you thinkin'?" she asked.
Carl shrugged.
"Talk to me, Sheriff Ass-Kicker," Scarlett teased.
"How did you know you liked Dad?"
"Hmm? This 'bout Sophia?" Carl flushed a bit, nodding. "Well, I always thought your Dad was attractive. Even when he just got to the farm." Carl laughed. "Don't tell him I said that."
"Swear it," Carl said with another laugh.
"Well, we just hung out more. Got to know eachother. Eventually, I felt those stupid butterflies that I still get around him. He makes me happy, Carl. Does Sophia make you happy?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Carl bit his lip. "I–I kissed her. Back when Dad was really hurt after the Governor. We were clearing out the houses, and she got hurt. I got so worried, and then she wouldn't shut up about how irritating I was being. So kissed her."
"Every modern romance ever," Scarlett teased with a roll of her eyes. "Didn't answer my question."
"Yeah. She makes me happy. We know everything about each other."
"Have y'all talked about the kiss?" Scarlett whispered the word so no one could hear. Carl shrugged. "Talk to her, baby. I'm sure she likes you just as much." Carl smiled at Scarlett, leaning into her for a side hug. "Anything else on your mind?"
"Worried 'bout when you have the baby."
Scarlett froze.
"I had to put Mom down. I-I can't put another Mom down. I can't watch it happen. I don't want you to have the baby just to die," Carl grumbled out. "Dad's worried too. He told me."
"It's okay to be worried, but we don't know that's going to happen. Maybe it'll be such an easy birth. We'll be somewhere safe and sound to do it—"
"That's what we said about Mom."
"Carl, shitty things happen. We can't change them. But think, you and Jude get another sibling to look after. This will be good. It has to be," she whispered. "I'm scared, too," she added after a moment of silence.
Carl was about to respond when they heard that the food was there. Rick's booming voice had both Carl and Scarlett standing to rush into the church area. Rick walked past the others, grabbing Judith from Tyreese's arms. He cupped Carl's neck lovingly before kissing Scarlett firmly on the mouth.
"Everything okay?" she asked him.
"It is now," Rick told her with a smile. "Got lots to cook. Y'think you and Maggie could whip something up? Missin' those farm meals."
"Ah, Rick Grimes, if you think I'm gonna be your housewife, you're mistaken," she teased, pulling at his beard with a smirk. Carl had walked off to help the others unload. She pulled Rick to her lips again, kissing him a bit rougher. "Ah, but one night, I'll give you what you want."
"Like the sound of that," he hummed, about to kiss her again when Judith began to whimper. "Someone needs to be changed. I'll take care of it."
Scarlett grinned, walking over to Maggie. They got things sorted as they began making a supper worth while. Gabriel came up to them later, showing the wine he kept in the church. It would be a celebration of sorts despite there not being much to celebrate.
Scarlett was feeling giddy as she passed around food to everyone. Rick sat on the ground with Judith in his lap. He was playing with her as he fed her little bites here and there. Candles lit up the church, creating a beautiful scene for them all.
Scarlett sat next to Rick, squeezing his knee once with a warm smile on her face. They were sitting around, recounting different stories that made them laugh. They kept the banter light as everyone drank and ate.
Scarlett sipped water as she leaned her head on Rick's shoulder. Abraham stood up, clinking his glass with a spoon. He was drunk for sure, as were most of them, and the smile on his face was genuine.
"I'd like to propose a toast. I look around this room... and I see survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title," Abraham said, and she felt Rick turn his head and kiss her forehead. "To the survivors."
"Survivors!" they all cheered back, and Judith babbled nonsense in between. Scarlett grinned, tickling the baby on her stomach.
"Survivors. Is that all you want to be? Wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat? 'Cause you can do that. I mean, you got the strength. You got the skill. Thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender. Now, we get Eugene to Washington and he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again. And that is not a bad takeaway for a little road trip," Abraham continued.
Judith cooed loudly, and Scarlett shushed her with a smile.
"Eugene, what's in DC?"
"Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude. That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart."
Abraham nodded. "However this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started. Come with us. Save the world for that little one. For the new one. Save it for yourselves. Save it for the people out there... who don't got nothing left to do except survive."
They were all staring at Rick now waiting for him to make a decision. He glanced at Scarlett who gazed at him with nothing but love in his eyes. She nodded softly, just barely so he could see. Judith gurgled something under her breath that had both looking to her.
"What was that?" Rick asked Judith, chuckling softly. "I think she knows what I'm about to say. She's in. If she's in, I'm in. We're in."
Everyone began to cheer loudly. Scarlett laughed as Maggie hugged her tightly, their heads banging at the notion. They were going to end this for them. For the survivors... because that is exactly what they were.
