Hope//C.G *Finished*

The Grove

Having Carol back has been amazing. After fixing Tyreese's arm. I walked with Mica as usual as she asked "Chloe, did "Tom Sawyer" have a happy ending? We never got to finish it." I cleared my throat and said "Well, from what I can remember Tom and Huck, they stop Injun Joe and his partner and wind up getting all his gold." Mica looked amazed as she asked, "So they wind up rich?" I nodded, "Mm-hmm. And the Widow Douglas adopts Huck." Mika smiled and asked, "Like you adopted us?" I giggled and said, "In a way, Yeah, just like the Widow Douglas." Mica smiled and said, "And I'm Huck Finn." From behind us Lizzie says, "I think you're more like Tom Sawyer."

 Mica nodded, "Yeah, you're right. You're way more like Huck Finn. You're not even grossed out by dead rabbits." From way behind us Tyreese called out "Forgot you used to read to them." I nodded, "Back when Carl and I would fight, or when Carol and I did Storytime I or well we did." The girls walked ahead as I turned, "You smell that?" Carol nodded, as Tyreese said "Yeah. There's a fire somewhere. Must be a big one. It isn't anywhere around here." Carol nodded, "We should stop here. We need to look for water." Tyreese just says, "I can do it." I shook my head "No, you need to rest. Rest your arm. Mica will help us"

"I had you come because I wanted to talk to you." Carol said, and Mica looked up and asked "Why?" Carol and I looked at each other and I let her do her thing "Because you're little and you're sweet and those are two things that can get you killed. You can't change how big you are..." Mica just says, "I wish I could." Carol just says "...but you can toughen up." Mica looks down at her feet as we walk and says "I don't have to be tough. I can run. I'm good at that." We stopped, and Carol bent to Mica's level.

 "No. My daughter ran, and it wasn't enough. That's why Chloe and I taught the kids at the prison to do more than that." Mica looks from me to Carol, "I can kill walkers. I mean, I've tried. I'm not like my sister. I'm not messed up. I know what they are. But I can't kill people. I could never do that. When the bad people were at the prison, they were right in front of us and I held up my gun, but I couldn't pull the trigger. Killing people is wrong. Someone killed Karen and David. They just killed them. They were nice." I sighed and said, "What about people who try to kill you?" Mica just looks at me and says, "I don't even wish I could."

Carol took control again and says, "People came in and killed our friends." Mica just says, "And I feel sorry for them." I raised an eyebrow as I asked "Why?" Mica looks at me and says, "Because they probably weren't like that before." Mica looked at Carol as I puckered an 'Aww' lip. "Sooner or later you're gonna have to do it. You'll have to do it, or you'll die. So, you're gonna change the way you think about it. You have to change. Everyone does now. Things don't just work out." I sighed as we started walking again. We come up to a clearing as Mica calls out "Look. My mom used to say everything works out the way it's supposed to."

"I'll go up and see if it's cleared you go get everyone else okay?" I said and Carol nodded. Mica smiled and said, "Be careful Chlo!" I giggled and said, "I will Meek"

I went to the house and knocked really loud on the front door. To the second house. Suddenly after I cleared it I heard Lizzie screaming. I heard Judith crying and I ran out outside. I watched as Mica shot the walker and I ran up and slid to the ground as I helped Lizzie up. Tyreese and Carol came, and Carol took Judith. "Mica. Mica, lower the gun. You did it. You saved them. Why are you upset, Lizzie? Were you scared?" Lizzie just calls out "No." I turned to her and asked, "Then why are you crying?" Lizzie just says, "I don't want to say." We go in the house and Carol looks at my exhausted face. "Oh honey. Get some sleep" She tells me, and I nod as I fall on the couch and I'm out like a light.

The next day, I took Mica hunting. "Is it too heavy?" I asked, and she shook her head, "Nah, I'm good." I looked up to the black tall tower of smoke. "The fire's still burning." Mica said and I just shrugged, "It could have gone out." Mica smiled as she said "Nope. The smoke's black. If it was white, the fire wouldn't be burning anymore. I miss science class. Except for when we had to do stuff like cut up Planaria worms." I giggled and said, "You've got to do worse than that nowadays, Mica." Mica just says, "I don't gotta." I nodded as I said. "You do. Lizzie's bigger than you and in some ways, she's stronger. But you're smarter and you understand these... things. You've got to look out for her. You have to—" I cut myself off as I turned to see a buck, "No, go ahead. You do it. Just like I showed you at the prison. Go ahead." Mica raised the gun and I watched her visibly shake. "I can't. We have peaches." I sighed, and she asked, "Are you mad?" I kneeled and said, "Course not love, Rome wasn't built in a day" Mica smiled and strung an arm around me as she side hugged me. "Now back up" I told her as I grabbed the gun and shot the deer.