Chapter thirty seven
"Wake up, your in danger."
Carl sat at the dining room table, quietly eating his cereal. Michonne walked in and set her bowl down, a cup of water in her other hand. Carl immediately laughed when he saw what she was wearing.
"Do you have something to say about my extremely comfortable and attractive shirt?" Michonne asked, looking down at the oversized garment.
"No, no, no. It looks great," Carl told her, still chuckling. He held out his arm, gesturing toward her collar. "Oh, you missed a..."
He trailed off, going back to his breakfast while Michonne quickly buttoned the stray loophole she had skipped. She sat down next to him, grabbed the cardboard box, and shook the last of the cereal into her bowl.
"I wish we had some soy milk," she shared, looking wistfully into her dry bowl.
Carl stopped chewing, horrified. "Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously," Michonne replied, amused by his reaction. "Have you ever tried it?"
"My best friend in third grade—he was allergic to dairy," Carl shared.
"Uh-huh."
"And every day he would bring this soy stuff to lunch. I tried it..." Carl shared.
"And?" Michonne asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I threw up," Carl told her, laughing.
"Oh, yeah, right," Michonne mocked gently, nudging his shoulder
"All right, all right. I almost threw up," Carl admitted, cracking a wider smile. "But I was like, ugh. It was so gross. I mean, it was like when my mom fed Judith cheerios and she..."
The words died in his throat. The mention of his mother and his baby sister struck him like a physical blow. The sudden, agonizing reminder that they were gone—that the prison was destroyed—shattered the lighthearted moment instantly.
Carl stared down at his bowl, his smile completely vanishing.
"I'm gonna go finish my book," he said flatly.
He stood up, pushing his half-eaten cereal away, and left the room without looking back.
Meanwhile, Rick was in the kitchen, standing before the open drawers. Michonne walked in, the heavy silence of the house settling between them.
"Thank you," Rick said softly, looking up. "I heard him laughing in there. I almost forgot what that sounded like." He stepped away from the counter, his expression earnest. "I can't be his father and his best friend. He needs you. I know that's a lot to throw at you, so if you ever feel like you need a break..."
"I'm done taking breaks," Michonne told him, her voice firm and resolute.
Rick nodded, grateful for her certainty. He turned back around, picking up a heavy kitchen knife from the counter to inspect the blade.
"So, what's the plan?" Michonne asked, leaning against the doorframe. "This place—is it home, or just a stop along the way?"
"Well, let's..." Rick paused, turning to face her fully. "Let's just stay here while we figure it out."
Michonne nodded in agreement. "Well, we'll need more supplies. So I'll go with Carl and get some." She turned, preparing to head toward the front room.
"I'll... I'll come, too," Rick told her, stepping forward.
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Safe haven | Rick Grimes
FanfictionScarlett Avery has had a rough life between her abusive father to her abusive husband, she ends up running away to a small town outside of Georgia wanting to keep a low profile and continue her medical career with fear of him finding her and her nee...
