Search (Walking Dead/Carl Grimes Fanfiction)

Exiled

"Are you sure about this?" Rick asked gruffly, his eyes narrowed.

He and Jason were walking along the main street of Alexandria. A few minutes previously they had left the infirmary after the disagreement with Deanna that had ended in Jason's exile. Jason was still rubbing his split knuckles while wincing at the aches over his body with each step. After Deanna had left, Jason had explained to Rick that he would allow himself to be exiled just to prove a point. They both knew that the people of Alexandria were not experienced enough to exile him properly or execute him, so his return would be a question of time.

Jason nodded. "I'm sure. This will work and they will learn."

"What if it doesn't work?" Rick asked sincerely.

"It will." Jason answered with a shrug. "Besides, if I'm not back by sunset tomorrow then you should just take this place."

"Taking this place won't bring you back if anything happens." Rick countered, smiling towards distant residents to avoid suspicion.

"Which is why you just have to trust me." Jason replied.

"I do. But you need to start trusting us." Rick commented, referencing Jason's secret hallucinations. "We're a family and you're part of it. You're family."

Jason couldn't help a warm smile spread across his face at Rick's sentimental statement. "I know and I will. When I get back."

They had reached their house and opened the door. As soon as the door swung open and Jason stepped inside, Carl rushed over to him and wrapped his arms around the older teen in a tight hug.

"What happened?" Carl asked, observing the injuries Jason had received.

"I got into a fight with Nicholas." Jason explained to Carl. "I'm okay, just a bit banged up."

"Why were you fighting him?" Carl asked, taking a step back to question him.

"Because he's like that Kevin guy." Jason answered. "Don't worry, he'll be punished for it so it's all going to be okay."

"Are you sure?" Carl questioned sceptically.

"I'm sure." Jason nodded.

Rick felt uncomfortable watching Jason lie to his son's face and felt even worse from not saying anything to put it right. He knew Carl would want to get involved if he learned what Deanna's decision had been and Jason appeared to be keenly aware of that too.

Jason raised his hand up to his mouth to cover it as he yawned forcefully. It was evening and the fight had left him bruised and tired. He winced as he stretched his body before smiling weakly back to Carl.

"I should probably go for a lie down." He told the younger teen. "You can join me if you like."

Carl nodded almost instinctually and followed Jason up the stairs to their room. In the silence of their journey to the room, Carl's thoughts were on the promise he made to himself to ask Jason about his hallucinations and learn the truth. He couldn't let Jason continue hiding his problems because it was only a matter of time before they got him killed.

When they got in their room, Jason slumped himself down on the bed and pulled out his diary from the bedside drawer. Carl closed the bedroom door behind him and sat down on the dressing table chair after dragging it over to be opposite Jason. He watched silently as Jason wrote an entry in his diary about the fight and, unbeknown to the younger teen, about his plan for the exile. Jason knew that by doing so they would have evidence if things went wrong.

Once Jason had finished writing the entry, he glanced up at Carl and smirked. Carl was the one person whose gaze could be upon him and he wouldn't feel uncomfortable. He pulled out the Polaroid photo from his back pocket and slotted it into the diary. Jason looked up in time to catch the warm grin on Carl's face, obviously pleased with being immortalised in Jason's diary just as Kellin was.