Just Keep Walking

Thirty nine

The next morning, Mary woke up first, as usual, but didn't wake up Maggie or Glenn, deciding to let them sleep. She went up to see Carl, to see him sat in the floor, playing solitaire.
"What's that?" Mary whispered, stood in the doorway.
"It's a card game." Carl replied, just as quietly, and Mary knew immediately that Noah would have taught it to him.
"Is it breakfast time?"
"Sorry, yeah, I'll make you some now. Is Judith awake?"
"She was asleep on the little TV." Mary answered, referring to the baby monitor.
"Okay, come on, I'll get you some food." Carl sighed groggily, standing up and getting Mary into his arms.
"Where's your pyjamas?" Mary asked in confusion as they walked down the stairs, seeing Carl was fully dressed.
"Where's yours?" Carl retorted teasingly, making Mary laugh - she was wearing her shirt from yesterday and underwear, plus a pair of slipper boots Aiden had found on a run.
"Where's daddy?"
"He's in bed. Let him sleep. Today's... Today's gonna be a busy day. I can feel it. Let him sleep."
"Okay." Mary nodded, nuzzling her face into Carl's neck.
"Okay, what do you want? I'm not great at powdered eggs, before you ask, but I can make poptarts?"
"I like those." Mary nodded with a grin as Carl passed her one, then ate one himself. Carl poured himself a coffee, knowing that all four of the adults in the house would disapprove of his drink, and their breakfast, but not caring; they were asleep.
"Can I have some?" Mary asked, and Carl nodded, holding the mug to her lips. Mary drank some, but wrinkled her nose, so Carl took it off her, and began to gulp it down.
"Rough night?" Michonne asked with raised eyebrows, coming into the kitchen. Carl shrugged, and held out a mug to her. "No, I've got to go help Rosita and Sasha with something. I'll be back soon. Your dad's just in the shower."
"Okay."
"See you later." Mary whispered softly, blowing Michonne a kiss.
"See you later, angel." Michonne smiled back, before leaving. Carl gave Mary a box of raisins, and grabbed her bunny.
"Okay, I'm gonna go get dressed. Stay here and play with your Lego."
"Okay." Mary nodded, going into the living room where Maggie and Glenn were sleeping. She grabbed the box, then decided to play in the kitchen, so she didn't wake up Glenn or Maggie, and began to build a house for her bunny.
"What are you playing?" Rick asked softly, coming into the kitchen ten minutes later.
"Building. Building a house for Carl Bunny."
"Okay. Have you had some breakfast?"
"Carl made me some. He went to get dressed. Where's Judy?"
"She's still asleep. You didn't have your bath last night, okay? Do you wanna bath or a shower?"
"Shower." Mary smiled, getting up happily, her bunny in her hand.
"Come on then." Rick sighed, taking Mary upstairs. He was tired, so tired, but he needed to make sure Mary was okay. Make sure that his children were healthy and clean and happy, regardless of the fact that he was hurting. He didn't matter. They did. But he didn't.

Mary was doing a jigsaw with Glenn when they heard the shouting, the loud shattering of a window, the sound of a fight. She leapt up, and was out of the door before Glenn could stop her, seeing the fight on the street just a few doors down.
"Daddy?" Mary whispered shakily, her eyes going wide with panic. "Daddy!"
"Mary." Carol hissed, grabbing Mary and pushing her behind herself, next to Sam.
"Daddy!" Mary screeched, seeing Pete holding Rick in the choke hold, Mary's father's face covered in blood. Jessie ran over, trying to push her husband off her... Lover? Friend? Acquaintance? But she got pushed aside, Pete hitting her, making Sam freeze.
Pete and Rick carried on fighting, Mary screaming, not even stopping when Glenn picked her up, holding her tight. "He's hurting daddy! He's hurting him!"
Carl went over suddenly, grabbing at his father. "Dad, get off!" Carl begged, but Rick pushed him away in a sudden rage, not even thinking.
"Daddy! Carl!" Mary screamed hysterically, but it was as if Rick couldn't hear her. Carl stumbled over to her, and took her off Glenn, holding her onto his chest, holding her face into his shoulder, so she couldn't see Pete elbow their dad in his face, but more importantly, so she couldn't see Rick grab Pete into a choke hold.
"Stop it," Deanna shouted, running over, "stop it right now!"
"You touch them again, and I'll kill you!" Rick hissed angrily to Pete, his hold even tighter.
"Damn it Rick, I said stop!"
"Daddy!" Mary wailed, and Rick looked at her for a split second, then turned away, pure rage in his eyes.
"Or what," Rick challenged, kneeling, waving his gun around at the crowd, covered in blood, "you gonna kick me out?"
"Put that gun down, Rick."
"You still don't get it! None of you do! We know what needs to be done, and we do it! We're the ones who live. You you just sit, and plan, and hesitate. You pretend like you know when you don't! You with things that are what they are. Well, you want to live? You want this place to stay standing? Your way of doing things is done! Things don't get better because y-you want them to! Starting right now, we have to live in the real world. We have to control who lives here!" Rick ranged, furious.
"That's never been more clear to me than it is right now." Deanna hissed, and Carl froze.
"Daddy!" Mary whined again, wriggling in Carl's arms to look at her father.
"Me? Me?! You mean, you mean me? Your way is gonna destroy this place! It's gonna get people killed! It's already gotten people killed! And I'm not gonna stand by and just let it happen. If you don't fight, you die. I'm not gonna stand by..."
Suddenly, Rick was cut off my Michonne hitting around the head with the back of a gun, knocking him out, and everything went quiet. Almost quiet. Quiet, except for Mary's sobs, Mary's panicked little cries that cut through the evening breeze.