not a big deal~carl grimes

<ten>

i woke up shortly after falling asleep, when rick came back 'everybody okay?'

i sat up, turning around and nodding as carl answered 'yeah, we are.'

'what about you?' hershel asked from the other side of me.

'i cleared out the boiler block.' rick answered, but not actually answering the question.

'how many were there?' daryl jumped in.

rick actually answered him 'i don't know, a dozen, two dozen. i have to get back.' he patted both me and carl on the back 'just wanted to check on these two.'

glenn stood, offering 'rick, we can handle taking out the bodies. you don't have to.'

'no i do.' rick shot back.

'everyone have a gun and a knife?' rick went over to daryl.

'yeah.' he answered 'well taylor don't have a gun but there's a spare, i'll give her that. but we're running low on ammo though.'

'maggie and i were planning on making a run this afternoon. found a phone book with some places we can hit for bullets and formula.' glenn suggested.

'we cleared out the generator room.' daryl informed rick 'alels in there tryna fix it in case of emergency. we're gonna sweep the lower levels as well.'

i watched as rick hastily walked back into the dark, hallway he came from, closing the bar door behind him. the second he was gone, i slammed my head back on the table, closing my eyes.

'taylor.' i was soon woken up again by carl 'we're going back, me daryl and oscar, let's get you to the cell okay?'

i stood up 'no, i'm coming with you.'

'no, please stay here. you haven't slept and i don't want anything happening to you.' he begged.

i shook my head 'i'm fine ,besides it's clear, there's nothing that can hurt me.'

'you're not. please, just stay here.' i didn't fight him on it any further as i knew he would just keep begging me to stay behind until i agreed, plus it would have just wasted time.

daryl took me back to my cell and as he stepped in after me he whispered 'you know, i definitely won't be shocked the day you and carl get together.' i laughed 'do you like him?'

'i don't know.' i jumped up to the top bunk 'i mean kinda. i like that he's protective and it's nice to have him care about me...is it that obvious?'

'not usually, only just then because when we were walking back here, you were blushing.'

i held my face in my hands 'do you think he knows?'

'nah.' he shook his head. 'he seems oblivious, but it seems like he likes you too. you survived in the woods by yourself for days but he's still protective, and when you fell asleep on his shoulder earlier, he couldn't stop smiling and blushing. i may not have much experience myself, or at all for that matter, but it seems like he likes you.'

'what do you think i should do?' i asked, laying back.

'i don't know, i don't have any...romantic experience...if you wanna talk to him, go for it, if you don't you don't have to.' daryl stepped closer to the bed 'goodnight, get some sleep we'll see you when you come back, for now i need to watch the other kid.'

he left as i stared up at the ceiling he was right i had to talk to carl. i barely got much sleep as i laid there, mapping out exactly what i would say and when. i would have to do it shortly after they came back otherwise the longer i put it off the more scared i would be and i would never do it. that night? was that the best time? i planned to tell him how i felt shortly after everyone had gone to bed. we normally stayed up later than everyone else anyway.

i was back up and walking around by the time they got back, well carl and Oscar, daryl wasn't with them. i was at with hershel and beth, the baby in my arms. rick came shortly after, taking his daughter out of my arms. i smiled, nearly tearing up as he held her close to his chest.

we all made our way outside, walking in the fresh air that reeked of rotten bodies and blood. 'she looks like you.' rick said to carl before asking him to take her, running towards the fence. we slowly followed after, me taking the baby from carl when he sprinted over to help his dad. we stayed a distance away, trying to see what was happening.

i watched as a woman stabbed at walkers and sliced their heads off with a katana. badass. she passed out on the grass, carl shotting the walkers that were bent over her, about to bite. rick and carl ran out, killing te walkers coming our way before helping the unconscious woman inside.

we rushed to help her. carl got a blanket, beth got a towel. she regained consciousness when we put her on the floor as daryl came back.

we all followed him into the cell blocks, leaving the woman without her katana and locking her away from us.

we followed daryl to a cell where i peered round the corner to see carol sat on the bottom bunk. i gasped, running over, knelling down in front of her and letting her pull me into a hug.

'hey.' she whispered, stroking my hair. 'how are you?'

'i'm fine now you're back, but are you okay? where the hell were you?' i bombarded her with questions.

she stood, hugging everyone else as daryl explained that he had found her.

as i looked over the scene, i though about everything that happened in the past 10 minutes. we got someone in from outside the prison and despite having a grave, carol was alive. maybe tonight would be better to just cool off after today. i'd find another time to talk to carl.