Just Keep Walking

Forty five

"I don't wanna stay here!" Mary whined, pouting at Rick.
"Yeah, but Maggie is gonna look after you. You love Maggie."
"I love you more."
"I know, and I love you too, but I need you to be safe, and that means you're not going. But look what I found you yesterday." Rick smiled. He passed Mary a bag, filled with clothes.
"Thank you." Mary grinned.
"Okay, you go get dressed, and I'll make you something to eat, then take you to Maggie's. Okay?"
"Okay." Mary sighed. She walked up the stairs, dragging the bag behind her, limping slightly. Once in her room, Mary pulled out clothes, then put on a grey flared skirt, thick with a layer of cotton, and several layers of net, and a striped long sleeved shirt.
"Mary! Carl! Breakfast!" Rick shouted. Mary jumped down the stairs, and sat in the dining room as Rick gave her some pop-tarts.
"Nutritious breakfast." Michonne's chuckled, her eyes rolling.
"Yummy!" Mary insisted. Michonne scoffed, and began to brush Mary's hair.
"How'd you want it?"
"Two plaits please." Mary smiled, and Michonne got to work, plaiting the long hair, her fingers moving quickly and effortlessly.
"Can I stay with you today?" Mary asked, looking up to Michonne.
"No, you and Judith are going to Maggie's." Michonne said tiredly, carrying on with the plaiting. Mary sighed, pulling a face, then finished eating her pop-tarts.
"I want to take bunny. And my Snow White jigsaw, and pens, and a notebook, and my picture book."
"Okay." Michonne laughed, rolling her eyes slightly.
"I wanna stay with Carl." Mary whined suddenly.
"No, I have to help dad." Carl explained slowly. Mary sighed, then finished eating.
"You done, Moo?" Rick asked, and she nodded, walking over to Rick. "Okay, shoes on. You've grown, Mary. Definitely." He smiled suddenly.
"Why?"
"Because you're eating healthy food, three times a day. And you're getting older." Rick laughed softly.
"My shoes do feel a little tight."
"Okay. I'll try and find you some more in the next size up, but put your old ones on for now."
"Okay." Mary sighed. She went into the hallway, and pulled on her Converse, then a denim jacket that Glenn had found for her.
"Let's go. Say bye to Carl and Michonne."
Mary nodded, and went back to the dining room, giving Michonne and Carl a tight hug, then ran back to Rick, clinging onto his hand. Rick opened the door, and they began to walk to Maggie's house, Rick pushing Judith's push chair, Mary holding onto the side of the chair.
"Are you gonna be a good girl?" Rick asked Mary gently as they got to the Rhee's front door.
"I always am."
"Yeah, you are." Rick laughed softly.
"Are you gonna not die, dumbass?"
"Of course I'll not die." Rick smiled softly, and Mary believed him; he hadn't broken a promise yet.

"Hey. Have you had a good day?" Michonne asked Mary with a smile when she picked her up later that day, in the early evening, already holding Mary in her arms; as soon as the child had seen Michonne, she'd flew into her arms.
"Yep!" Mary grinned.
"What did you do all day?"
"I watched Peter Pan again, and did some colouring, and played dominoes, and played with Bunny, and made flapjack, and went to see Naty and Bob to give them the flapjack, and I did some writing too, and numbers!" Mary listed happily.
"Wow," Michonne chuckled, "isn't Maggie great?"
"Yep. Almost as cool as you."
"Thanks." Michonne laughed, kissing the side of Mary's head.
"Hey." Maggie smiled, walking into the room with Judith on her hip.
"Hi. Rick says thank you for watching them."
"No worries. Always happy to have Miss Moo and Judith."
"Can we go home now? I miss daddy and Carl."
"Yeah, I'll take you home." Michonne smiled gently. She put Mary down, and took Judith from Maggie. "Thank you."
"Yeah, no problem. See you later." Maggie nodded, kissing Mary's cheek, then Judith's.
"Bye bye." Mary whispered as they left, holding Michonne's hand. "When are we getting rid of all the Walkers?"
"You're not, Mary. You'll be staying here, okay?"
"Okay." Mary sighed.
"We're going to do a trial run tomorrow, and actually do it the day after."
"Can't I help? Please?" Mary begged.
"No. Your dad doesn't want to put you in danger, and neither do I."
Mary sighed again, and was quiet for the rest of the walk home, until she saw Carl reading on the porch.
"Carl!" She shouted happily, rubbing to him and giving him a tight hug.
"Hey, Moo," Carl chuckled, swinging her up in the air, then sitting her on his hip, "I missed you today."
"I missed you too. I missed you most."
"Hmm, not possible."
"Well, how much did you miss me?" Mary asked, her lips in a slight pout.
"Almost as much as I miss ice cream."
"That's a lot. I missed you almost as much as... As much as I miss my toys at the prison."
"That's a lot." Carl nodded, as Mary grinned.
"Who did you miss more? Me or Judy?"
"You. Because you're more fun at the age you're at." The boy answered honestly, and Mary beamed at his response.
"I am fun." She smiled proudly.
"Yeah." Carl chuckled, walking inside. Mary sat and babbled to him about her day, until Rick came in, and she skipped over to him.
"Hello, beautiful." Rick smiled tiredly, picking her up and kissing her cheek. Mary grinned at him, and began to tell her father about her day, a smile on her face, her arms hooked around Rick's neck.
"I'm glad you had a good day. I'm just going to grab some food."
Mary jumped down, and went into the kitchen with Rick, taking the apple he passed her. Rick picked Judith up as he ate some raisins, lightly bouncing her on his hip.
"Daddy, Morgan's on the porch." Mary announced, seeing through the window.
"Yeah? Let's go say hi them." Rick nodded, slightly confused. He walked out of the door, still holding Judith, Mary by his side, to just behind Morgan, who was cleaning his wooden stick.
"It's nice out." Morgan stated slowly.
"Yeah."
"Hope you don't mind. I wanted to enjoy the evening a little and I don't have a porch over there so..."
"That's okay," Mary smiled softly, "you can share our porch."
"Thanks." Morgan chuckled, and Rick nodded in agreement.
"Do you get to go to the Walker pit?" Mary asked curiously, a hint of jealousy on her tongue.
"Yeah."
"Morgan gets to go because he's an adult. Okay?"
"Okay." Mary sighed, making Morgan laugh again, then he turned to Judith, smiling at her, waving softly.
"You want to hold her?" Rick asked, and Morgan chuckled quietly.
"Okay." He breathed, as though he wanted to hold her, but wasn't sure if he did. Mary recognised it as the look Michonne had when they first met her, the way she used to look at Mary every time she held her.
Morgan got up, and Rick babbled to Judith, passing her over. "This is Morgan. He's a friend of mine."
"Hey. Hi. Okay." Morgan soothed, sitting back down, Rick next to him, Mary crawling into his lap. "Let me have a look at you. Hey, hey, hey." He cooed, as Judith babbled happily. Morgan then turned to Rick. "You with that man, Carter, in the armoury? That's you. You're still the same man I met in King County. The one that came back, and told me it wasn't over. That was you. Same you that's right in front of me right now."
"I wanted to kill him," Rick admitted, "so it would be was easier. So I wouldn't have to worry about how he could screw up, or what stupid thing he'd do next because that's who he is. Just somebody who shouldn't be alive now. I wanted to kill him. But all that hit me and... I realised I didn't have to do it. He doesn't get it. Somebody like that, they're gonna die no matter what."
"Daddy. That's a bit mean." Mary sighed, "And we only kill people if they're bad."
"Okay, Mary. I know. I know. It was a nasty thought. But we're honest, okay? Even if the thoughts are nasty."
"Okay." Mary sighed.
"Okay." Rick laughed softly.
"I'm gonna show you this trick I learned!" Mary grinned suddenly, jumping up and walking down to the grass, her limp slight, then she did a cartwheel into a backflip.
Rick looked at her shakily, watching her do it again and again, then he turned to Morgan. "This time last month she couldn't even walk and was dying. Look at her now. Look at her now."