The Way Things Are (A Rarl Fanfiction)

Chapter Nine

Carl ran with Ron back towards Ron's house. Carl could only think about Judith, but he didn't have a choice to go find her right now.  It was either get to safety and form a plan or die being stupid. Carl shot walkers as he and Ron ran towards the house. He tried to protect Ron. He had to get to safety. They were almost there. Ron had never seen anything like this, a herd that was this big. Ron had been in the outside world a bit, but it was nothing compared to this.

Carl could tell that Rick was coming along behind him. He could hear Rick's boots smacking the pavement as he ran. That was good. Carl always felt safer with his dad. They would figure this out. After a few minutes of fighting and shooting, Carl ran up the steps of Ron's house. Carl followed Ron through the front door. Rick was right behind him. Inside, the first thing that Ron saw was Judith in Jessie's arms. "Carol brought her over earlier," Jessie exclaimed. Carl had never been so relieved in his life. They all worked together to barricade the door from the oncoming hordes.

"Who all is here?" Ron asked Jessie.

"Rick, Carl, Judith, Michonne, Diana, Father Gabriel, Sam, you, and I." Jessie replied quickly. There were hundreds of walkers outside. The noise was deafening. Ron didn't know what to do, so he just took deep breaths. Carl walked over to Ron.

"Hey, are you okay?" Carl had deep sympathy in his blue eyes.

"Yeah, babe. Thank you for saving me out there. I literally would be dead without you," Ron said with a look of pure gratitude on his face. Ron leaned in and kissed Carl. When they pulled apart they saw the priest, Father Gabriel, giving them a dirty look.

"Get used to it. We have more important matters to worry about then a couple of boys kissing," Carl stated briskly to Gabriel. The priest nodded and turned away quickly. Jessie came back from upstairs with a grim look on her face.

"Diana has been bit," Jessie said with tears in her eyes. Diana was not very close to Carl or Ron, but she gave them a home. She made Alexandria what it was. She knew what it COULD be. Diana stayed in the bedroom while the others devised a plan. Diana knew there was nothing she could do, so she waited. In the end they left her with a gun. She knew the choices she had. End it herself or turn.

"You have to smear blood all over yourself. Then they won't know you are there-"

"What the hell?! Does that really work," Jessie interrupted Rick.

"Yes, it does we have done this before. If you smell like the dead you are invisible to the dead. Find any sheets or blankets you can. Michonne, come with me. We need to get a walker." Rick ordered.

Ron's face was pale. Carl reached down and clasped Ron's hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It will be okay Ron. We really have done this before. As long as you stay calm nothing can happen. I love you, babe."

"I love you, too, Carl. I really do. I just can't wait to get out of this mess so I can make love to you again. We can actually maybe be together without tragedy for a while." Ron smiled at Carl. They leaned in to kiss, but right then Rick came in with a walker's body and Gabriel came down the stairs with sheets.

So, over the course of the next twenty minutes, they all became walkers. They made ponchos of the sheets and covering themselves with the blood and guts of the harvested walker. The smell was revolting. Carl decided to hold Judith under his poncho. Hopefully she could keep quiet long enough for them to make it out. Carl hated to think about what would happen if she started to cry.

After they were all bloodied up and ready to go, they lined up and held hands. Carl held Judith under his disguise and held Ron's hand with his free hand. Carl gave Ron a reassuring kiss on the lips, mumbling a quick "I love you." And then they were outside. Amongst the dead.

The line of survivors walked with the dead.  As if they WERE the dead. Quietly. Not drawing any attention. They had almost made it to the gate. Gabriel had decided to take Judith to his church. It would be safer than outside the gates. How ironic? The town full of walkers is safer than the people outside the walls.

They were doing perfectly. So close to freedom... Then Sam stopped. Jessie knelt next to Sam who started to cry. Jessie mumbled reassurances in his ear, but it did no good. Sam was a little too loud. In the blink of an eye, Sam was yanked back and bit on the face by a walker. "NOOOOOOOO!" Jessie yelled over the sound of Ron screaming as he was ripped apart. Jessie was next. She was still holding onto Ron's hand when a chunk was taken from her forearm. She fell, alongside her already dead son, screaming in pain.

A series of emotions crossed Rick's face and Michonne uttered a few short words. Rick pulled out his gun and shot Jessie in the head. He ended her suffering. He ended her pain. The gun drew more walkers near them. Carl stepped forward go keep the line going, but Ron wouldn't move.

Carl turned to Ron. "Come on. Let's go. There is nothing we can do." Ron yanked free of Carl's hand and pulled out his stolen gun. He pointed it straight at Rick.

"YOU KILLED THEM. THAT'S ALL YOU EVER DO IS GET PEOPLE-" Ron was interrupted by Michonne's sword sprouting from his chest. Ron's gun went off. Ron blinked and fell to the ground as Michonne pulled out her sword.

Carl was speechless. He had tears in his eyes. He tried to go to Ron, but Michonne said "Let's go." She stopped short when she saw Carl. Michonne's eyes grew wide.

Carl then felt horrible, searing, and burning pain in his right eye. He didn't know what had happened. He turned and looked at Rick. "Dad?" Carl fell to the ground, blood gushing from his eye that had been shot out by his now dead lover.

Carl had one coherent train of thoughts before he blacked out. Carl thought to himself. "I knew this would come. I got attached. I did this to myself. This was me. I knew what would happen. That THIS would happen eventually. It happened with Dale and Andrea and my own mother. Why not Ron? I let love weaken me. The people you love have the power to hurt you. I know that, for sure, now. I guess I can say that it is just the way things are." Carl faded out of consciousness with the snarls and moans of walkers in his ears. He felt himself being lifted by strong arms. Then the world went black.