not a big deal~carl grimes

<seventeen>

i found aaron with carl and rick so i couldn't help but run over 'hey.'

arron looked at me 'taylor. i know they're new and all but they did just get here. don't you think they need some space to settle.'

just as i was about to walk off rick protested for me 'no, she's fine. she's family.' aaron looked confused so he explained 'when you found her, she had just run away from us. thank you for finding her and keeping her safe.'

i ran over, standing next to carl as aaron looked confused 'what? i told you i ran away from my group to find someone. i was trying to find daryl.' I turned to carl 'oh, my friends want to meet you later.'

'what have you told the about me?' he asked, putting his arm around my shoulder.

i shrugged 'just that you're brave, and amazing, and cool.'

i went in with them as they looked around the house. i used to hide out in it so i knew it like the back of my hand.

i stayed with carl for the rest of the day. i took him upstairs to the attic where we had our hideout room. mostly for me as sometimes i didn't want to be in the house with aaron and eric, or matthew if they were out. so i would sneak over here to sleep, meaning there was a sleeping bag and pillows on the floor.

i stayed with them that night. i knew the ones who were at the prison, some were there, some weren't, carl had caught me up on what happened to everyone since i left, hershel and beth dying, the other people joining them. i had met noah, abraham, rosita, tara, eugene, and gabriel. they were alright but didn't talk to me much.

it was getting late and i was sat at the table with carl. deanna stopped by, saying she wanted to see how they were settling. 'and i see you've taken one back.' she laughed when she saw me. she spoke to rick and before she left, she turned to me 'are you staying here tonight taylor?' i nodded 'well then i'll let aaron know so he doesn't worry about you.'

i spent the night, cuddled up to carl in a sleeping bag on the floor. my arms were around his neck whilst his were around my waist. he stirred a bit in his sleep but not so much that it was uncomfortable, it was actually comforting.

we both woke up early the next morning. we took Judith outside on a walk. they were told they could explore alexandria so i toured carl around the places i had grown familiar with over my time since i got here.

i carried judith around for a while before we left the house. she kept on grabbing onto my hair 'she seems to love your hair.' carl laughed. i laughed too 'i like it too. it's nice long.'

i blushed at carls compliment as i put judith in her stroller, ready to take her out.

i thought of the perfect place to take them. there was a lovely old couple, the millers, and i knew they would just adore judith so i lead them over there. they were sat on the porch so i just walked up the steps, carl behind me with Judith. 'hey natalie, hey bob.'

'hi sweetie.' natalie smiled as i leaned down for a hug, giving bob an army salute, or own little greeting.

'the new people actually were the group i was with before alexadria, i wanted to introduce you to some of them.' i stepped aside, 'this is carl and his little sister, judith.'

we sat with them for a while before rick came over 'jessie's asking if you want to go over to theirs and meet her son ron. i'll take judith.'

carl handed his sister to his dad before standing, me following 'i'll go too. i haven't gone and annoyed that greasy rat yet today.'

'you go to school?' carl asked shocked.

'it's in a garage.' ron explained 'little kids go in the morning then it's us in the afternoon. probably you too right? i mean taylor refuses to go so i don't know if you will.'

i rolled my eyes and defended 'the only good thing about the world ending was no more school so why the hell would i go back to it.'

carl chucked 'i probably will.'

we reached the room and i sat down beside enid. she seemed moody with carl so i whispered 'what is your problem?'

I didn't get an answer out of her so I just left it, there was no point pressing her.

when he got quiet and awkward, enid rolled her eyes 'pull it together sport.'

i stood in front of him, holding his face in my hands. while i han't grown much, he had gotten a bit taller, so the 1 or 2 inch height difference since when i left had now changed to maybe 4 inches difference. 'hey, it's okay. they're cool.' i said louder for everyone to hear 'well, mikeys cool ,rons annoying.'

while mikey and carl laughed at what i had said, ron got offended 'hey, what have i ever done to you?'

'not washed that greasy ass birds nest on your head.' i commented on his dirty, unwashed hair, making the boys laugh more.

i played video games with the boys for a while until carl and i headed back. he was laying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, while i sat in the corner, reading my book. rick came in, sitting on the bed next to his son who asked 'what do you think of this place?'

'i think it seems nice.'

' i like it here. i like the people, but they're weak. i don't want us to get weak too.

'are you saying I've gotten weak?' i asked, hurt by even the thought that carl would think that.

he sat up 'no.' he shook his head 'but when we got here, you ran in from outside, so i'm going to guess that you don't just sit in here, and you go outside the walls.'

i shrugged 'i may go out and kill a few walkers every few days.'

he chuckled 'exactly, you're not getting weak any time soon.'

i laid on the bed next to him and rick laughed 'you two have been like this since the beginning i swear.'

rick left the room, leaving me and carl alone. he pulled me down to the bed so i was laying next to him with his arms around my neck in a hug. 'i'm happy to have you back. he whispered.

'me too.'