State of destruction- The Walking Dead [Alden x Maggie][2/2]

1- The Bricks

Over the past few years everything had changed for Maggie, Alden and their children. Hilltop had fallen, this time for good. It had been a harsh blow and forced them to find a new place to call home. They eventually found it and they called it the Bricks, that was their home now. It was similar to Hilltop in many ways. The most important one was that the people had stayed the same.

Maggie sighed and leaned back. "Hershel skipped another self-defense class whilst you and Tara were gone."

"That's what? Third time this month?" Alden inquired. He and Tara had been gone for a couple of days to trade with other groups in the New Babylon region.

She nodded. "If he keeps this up, he's going to get himself killed. He needs the training."

"He's capable of defending himself. He's just being a teenager. We all skipped school sometimes."

"No. No, we didn't."

"Some of us then." He leaned forward. "He's a good shot and he throws a mean punch."

"That's not enough. He won't be able to handle himself out there. He needs to be ready for anything. We never know what we'll face next." She shook her head slightly. I have to go talk to him again. He needs to understand."

"Wait." Alden stood up. "Maybe I should be the one to talk to him this time. It's always you, maybe if we switch up he'll finally listen."

"Just make sure he understands how important it is. I don't want him to find out the hard way."

He gave a little wave as he walked out the office. "I will."

The set up in their new community wasn't that different from Hilltop. There was one large main building that housed about half of the residents, all that preferred to stick close to each other. Everyone else resided in the smaller structures dotted around the grounds. Maggie, Alden and their children all resided within the main building. There was enough space to grant all three of their children a room to themselves, which was a blessing now that Hershel was a teenager.

Alden sighed as he headed upstairs. He fully understood why Maggie worried so much about Hershel. He needed those classes to survive and fight, not that Hershel was defenseless by any means. Doing stupid things and acting out was a part of growing up. There wasn't more trouble to get into than skipping class here or sneaking out, which most children didn't dare to try. He stopped in front of Hershel's door and knocked. As expected no reply followed.

Hershel knew why there was someone at his door and he'd rather dodge that conversation than have to suffer through it. Alden decided to try and open the door himself, but it was locked from the inside.

"Hersh, I know you're in there. You gonna open that door, or...? I just wanna talk. I'm not mad or-" he was cut off by the lock clicking open and the old door creaking open.

"You're only disappointed, right?" Hershel joked with a smile. He retreated back into his room and sat down on his bed.

Alden snorted in an attempt to keep his laughing contained, he needed to remain composed. "I'm not disappointed either," he said as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Like I said, I just wanna talk."

Hershel occupied his hands with a piece of paper and some charcoal; drawing. He didn't look up, or really acknowledge Alden's presence any further. He wasn't in the mood to be talked down to. At least his dad would be less intense than his mom about it.

Alden sank down into the beanbag tucked into the far corner of the room. "So, are you gonna tell me why you skipped another self-defense class?"

He didn't look up and continued to draw." No, I don't really think I want to."