Just Keep Walking

Forty

"Wake up." Carol hissed, and Mary's eyes snapped open, sitting up. Rick woke up, and slowly sat up, groggy as always. "It's good what happened last night. We have more cover now. All of them think you've been found out, that it's over." Carol began, straight to the point, then she handed Rick a gun.
"Why didn't you want to tell them we had more guns?" Rick asked, slightly confused. Mary had no idea what was going on, so decided to play with her bunny, making it tap dance on the floor.
"Michonne stopped you. She knocked you out."
"Well, I deserved it." Rick shrugged.
"Well, it was stupid."
"She's with us. Glenn is."
"I didn't tell them about the guns, just in case." Carol explained finally.
"I don't want to lie anymore." Ruck sighed slowly.
"You said you don't want to take this place. And you don't want to lie? Oh sunshine, you don't get both." Carol half mocked.
"Hey," Mary protested, "That's my nickname!"
"I'm sorry, sunshine." Carol teased to Mary, and the little girl giggled. "Okay. I'm gonna go. Don't be too long."
"Yeah." Rick nodded, and Carol left.
"I hate Pete." Mary said suddenly.
"Me too."
"He hurt you."
"I hurt him too." Rick admitted.
"But you're the good guy. He's mean. You was protecting Jessie." Mary insisted proudly.
"Thank you. I-I needed to hear that. Thank you." Rick nodded to Mary.
"He's a twat."
"Mary Grimes! Stop with this swearing! Who, who are you learning this off? Who's teaching you these naughty words?"
"Some of them are from you. And Uncle Daryl. And Ron swears too. And Carl, but not near you."
"Okay. Well I won't swear again near you, if you don't swear again. Ever."
"Okay." Mary shrugged, not understanding what the big deal was
"Are you hungry?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Alright. Let's go home and get some food."
"Breakfast or lunch?"
"I dunno," Rick shrugged, "brunch?"
"Good plan." Mary nodded, standing up. Rick got up with a grunt, and walked outside holding her hand.
"Hi." Mary smiled, seeing Teddy and his father, alongside Tobin and another man.
"Hi." Teddy whispered, looking at the floor awkwardly. Mary flinched when Teddy's father put a protective arm around him. Keeping him away from Rick.
"Hey, Tobin." Rick nodded to the one man he recognised.
"Hey Rick." Tobin nodded as Rick kept walking. He didn't even stop when he walked past Deanna's house, her icy eyes glaring down at him.
"My hip hurts." Mary whined, and Rick picked her up, carrying her for the rest of the short walk home.
As soon as they got in, Carl rushed over to him. "Dad."
"Hey." Rick smiled softly, hugging Carl tightly.
"You okay?" Carl asked, pulling away from the hug.
"Yeah. Look, I'm sorry."
"I heard about the meeting." Carl said suddenly.
"You're staying home." Rick insisted, slightly harshly, walking away.
"I'm not." Mary mumbled.
"You are."
"That's what it is now, right? Home?"
"Yeah."
"They need us. They'll die without us."
"I might have to threaten one of them," Rick explained softly, walking over to Carl, "I could have to kill one of them."
"You won't."
"I might."
"You have to tell them!"
"I told them last night." Rick sighed impatiently.
"You have to tell them so they can hear you." Carl hissed.
"I don't know if they can. Does that make you afraid?" Rick asked softly.
"Just for them. You have to tell them."
Rick sighed, running a hand through his hair, then walked into the kitchen and sat Mary on the counter.
"What do you want to eat?"
"Eggs."
"Alright, but I'm not as good as Michonne. They might taste horrible."
"That's okay." Mary shrugged. Rick looked at how she was holding herself, and he could tell she was hungry. It was the look she had when they were on the road, when she'd go days without food, without complaining. He figured that no one had remembered to give Mary some dinner, so she hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before.
"Here. Eat this. Here you go." Rick said gently, passing Mary and apple, then as an afterthought, he took it back and cut it up for her. Mary ate the slices quickly, and once she was done, Rick gave her some egg.
"You gotta eat some too." Mary reminded knowingly, and Rick chuckled, tipping the rest of the egg onto his own plate. He ate it while stood up, then patted Mary's shoulder.
"Okay. I'm gonna go shower and get changed."
"Okay." Mary nodded, eating some more egg. Once she'd finished, she walked around the kitchen, aimlessly opening every drawer, every cabinet door, and shutting them sharply. Then, in one drawer, she saw a packet of cigarettes, the things which she watched Daryl smoke most days. He looked happier when he did.
Mary grabbed them, and pulled out one of the long sticks, examining it carefully. Then she grabbed the lighter, trying to flick it on, wanting to copy her uncle.
Then she let out a scream as she set the back of her hand and fingers on fire.
"Mary?!" Michonne shouted, running down the stairs, as Mary heard someone fall over in the shower and hit the water off.
"Daddy! Mishy!" Mary wailed, sobbing in pain.
"Shit!" Michonne hissed, grabbing a towel and throwing it over her hand, batting the flames out. "What did you do! You silly girl!" Michonne half shouted, lifting Mary up and pushing her hand under the cold water tap, Mary clinging onto Michonne as she sobbed in pain.
"What did she do?!" Rick asked in panic, getting down the stairs, wearing just his jeans, pulled on during a mad panic. Carl rushed in next, his eyes wide and scared.
"She was playing with a lighter and burnt her knuckle and thumb." Michonne sighed, rubbing Mary's back soothingly.
"Daddy." Mary whined tearfully.
"It's okay. It's okay." Rick soothed, walking over and leaning past Michonne, stroking the side of Mary's head. "Alright. It's okay. Carl, can you get some ibuprofen for her?"
"Yeah." Carl nodded, running to the bathroom.
"What do we do?" Rick asked in panic.
"Keep it under cold water for fifteen minutes, I think. Apply antibiotic cream? Bandage it. But not with a fluffy bandage, one without bits in." Michonne answered unsurely. "They'll have it at the clinic."
"Okay. Alright, I'll take her once she's had it under water long enough. Moo, I'm gonna get dressed, then we'll go to the clinic. Okay?"
"Okay." Mary whimpered. Carl came back in, and Mary swallowed a tablet, then nestled back into Michonne's chest, the woman still holding Mary's hand under the water, her own hand shaking slightly with shock.
"What was you doing?"
"I wanted a cigarette." Mary answered nonchalantly.
"What!?" Michonne exclaimed, "Mary, what? You can't smoke. That's bad for you, and you're five. What made you do that?"
"Uncle Daryl," the little girl shrugged, "it makes him happy."
"Don't ever do that again. It's dangerous to play with fire, and you can't smoke, you're just a little girl. Okay?"
"Okay. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Michonne sighed, "you didn't know. But you're so silly. God, Mary. It's always you, isn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're always the one in accidents!" Michonne teased, and Mary laughed softly.
"Do you remember when I got shot?"
"How could I forget? That was one of the worst things ever."
"Why?" Mary asked quietly, her hand throbbing in pain.
"W-why? Because I... You nearly died."
"Yeah. It was a hard month." Nary nodded seriously. Then she looked up at Michonne and smiled softly at her. "Was you scared?"
"Yes. Now enough of this silly talk," Michonne said firmly, closing her eyes firmly.
"Are you thinking of Andre?" Mary asked suddenly, making Michonne jump with shock.
"A-a-a little. Yeah. Yeah. But... When someone you love so much, and they,,. they die... Well, you always think about them." Michonne said softly.
"But my mommy is looking after him for you now. And you're looking after me now. So she's happy that you're looking after us. I know it."
"Yeah." Michonne nodded gently, kissing the top of Mary's head. "Yeah."

"There. That should be okay." Rick nodded as he bandaged up Mary's burnt hand.
"I'm sorry."
"I know. Come on, let's go home. Just wanna check on Jessie."
"Okay." Mary nodded softly, holding up her arms and letting Rick pick her up. They left the clinic, Mary snuggled into Rick's chest, holding Carl Bunny with her one good hand. Rick walked to Jessie's house, seeing her stood by a shattered window, attempting to clean up.
"You should go." Jessie said firmly, not even looking Rick.
"I just wanted to check on you. Your eye." Rick explained gently, stroking the back of Mary's head with his thumb.
"He did it right when it was happening. It wasn't you." Jessie replied sharply. Then the two adults were quiet, until Jessie suddenly spoke up again. "People shouldn't see us talking right now."
"I'm not sorry I did it. No matter what happens or what I have to do." Rick said firmly, turning around.
He was beginning to leave when Jessie began. "Don't turn around Rick. You were right."
"Hell yeah." Mary nodded, and Rick's lips turned up into a smile, then left.

"Look, put these on." Michonne ordered, passing Mary her dungaree dress, alongside a butterfly shirt, and a pair of black leggings. Mary nodded and got dressed, then Michonne brushed her hair and styled it to perfection, so she looked like a perfect child.
"Okay. Let's go see daddy." Michonne said gently. Mary nodded, and they walked to Rick's room, where he was sat on his bed.
"Rick? You ready?" Michonne asked softly, as Mary walked over and crawled up on his lap.
"Carol, Daryl, and I, we worked it out together. Carol took three guns from the armoury. I still have one,
she still has one. We lied to you because I wasn't sure how you'd take it, what you'd do." Rick explained, holding out his gun to Michonne.
"You think I'd try to stop you?" Michonne snapped, tossing her jacket onto the bed.
Rick took back his gun. "Well, you did hit me over the head."
"Don't be mean." Mary hissed.
"That was for you, not them." Michonne explained.
Rick got up and walked over to Michonne, Mary on his hip. "I was afraid you'd talk me out of it. You could've."
"We don't need them here. I don't need my sword. I think you can find a way. We can find a way. And if we don't... I'm still with you. Somethings gonna happen. Just don't make something happen."
Rick tried to give Michonne his gun, and Michonne pushed it away.
"Don't be too long." Michonne sighed, going to take Mary. "We'll see you there."
"She can't go." Rick insisted.
"Rick. She won't leave you. Or me. She's in pain and she is five. No shots fly when a five year old is there. And having your amazing, adorable daughter there will show them you're a good guy."
"I'm not using my kid to help me stay here."
"I'm goin'." Mary whined. Rick sighed, then shrugged, and passed Mary over to Michonne.
"You better keep her safe." Rick hissed.
Michonne nodded slowly. "I know."

Hi!
Not sure if they'll be a chapter tomorrow because it's GCSE results day for me (and anyone else my age from the United Kingdom) so I may be crying if I've failed, at a party, or both... I may be able to update though. Good luck to anyone else getting results and please keep your fingers crossed for me because I am veryyyyy nervous 😬😂
Emmy 💕💕