Just Keep Walking

Ninety seven

Rick woke with a start when he heard the screams, and both him and Michonne were out of bed and into Carl and Mary's room before they could go on for too long. Instantly, Rick regretted transferring Mary into her own bed that evening, worried that she'd have had an even worse nightmare than she would have before, and woken up Carl and Judith.
But it wasn't Mary. For the first time ever, it wasn't Mary.
"Carl? Carl, calm down. Calm down. I've got you. It's okay. It's okay, son. It's okay." Rick soothed, sitting next to Carl as he screamed, the boy sweating and panicking and only half awake.
"Daddy? Mishy?" Mary panicked groggily, Carl waking her up.
"It's okay, baby girl. Carl's has a nightmare, just like you. It's okay." Rick explained over Carl's erratic breathing, his screaming stopping when he first heard Rick's voice. "Hey, I've got him. Can you take her out? Calm her down?" Rick asked Michonne gently, and the woman nodded.
"Come on. Come on, kiddo. Let daddy calm Carl down. It's okay." Michonne soothed, picking Mary up, the girl clinging to her neck like a lonely.
"Carl Bunny?" Mary asked softly, and Michonne grabbed the teddy.
"You okay, baby? Shall we go sit in mine and daddy's room?"
"Yeah. Why's Carl crying? He never has bad dreams."
"He does have bad dreams," Michonne answered honestly, sitting down on her and Rick's bed, "he just is normally so scared he's quiet. Everyone dreams differently."
"I always scream." Mary nodded. "But it's Carl. He's a big boy."
"Even big boys get sad. Everyone gets sad." Michonne explained softly, seeing Rick go down the stairs, coming back with a glass of water. He sat with Carl for five more minutes, a hand on his back, gentle, silent, soothing.
When Carl had calmed down, Rick went back to his bed, looking at the clock with a sigh; it was only three am. Then he saw Mary and Michonne, and couldn't help but let out a little smile. Michonne was sat up against the head of the bed, Mary laid asleep beside her, her head on Michonne's lap, one of Michonne's hands stroking Mary's hair.
"He okay?" Michonne asked softly, as Rick slid into bed beside them.
"He'll be fine. Always bounces back. Just everything with Mary, Glenn, Negan, it's been too much. But he'll be okay."
"Yeah." Michonne nodded softly.
"Was she okay?"
"We had a little chat, then she was out like a light."
"Good. She's got enough to worry about."
"So do you."
"Maybe. I just... I hate that they have nightmares. I hate that this is their lives!" Rick cried softly. 
"But it's getting better. Mary is getting so much better. Carl rarely has night terrors like that. And Judith? She's got a normal life. She's a normal child."
"I just want them to have the world."
"They have you, Rick, and that's pretty damn close." Michonne smiled softly.

"Daddy!" Mary called, picking at the remainder of her breakfast, "Daddy, I'm done!"
"Alright, I'm coming." Rick half laughed, rolling his eyes.
"Can we go on a walk now?" Mary sighed, as Rick cleared away the breakfast dishes.
"Yeah, go get your shoes on." Rick nodded. Mary pulled on her cowboy boots, then Glenn's jacket, rubbing the soft brown suede against her cheek. Rick tossed her her bunny, then took her hand.
"Me and Mary are just goin' for a walk!Talk to Rosita." Rick called to the rest of the house, before walking out of the door with Mary.
"What's wrong with Rosie?"
"Rosie?" Rick chuckled, imagining the sight of Rosita's face if Mary called her that, "She didn't turn up for her guard shift this morning."
"Oh. Okay. Let's find her." Mary nodded, then went quiet.
"You know, I think it's your birthday soon." Rick commented as they walked.
"I'll be six?"
"You'll be six." Rick smiled.
"That's so old." Mary giggled.
"Not that old, silly. You make me feel old sometimes. I remember when you was teeny tiny, and couldn't even read or write. Now look at you."
"I know. I'm old. You're super old."
"Hey, missy," Rick chuckled, "don't be so harsh. I'm still young. I still run and play, don't I?"
"Yep." Mary giggled, as Rick lifted Mary up over his shoulder, and tickled her sides. "Daddy!" She squealed, "Daddy! Stop! Daddy!"
Rick laughed, then grabbed Mary in both of her arms, and tossed her into the air, catching her easily, Mary's screams of delight filling the air.
She was happy.
She was finally happy again.
"On the way home," Mary began in a soft whine, sat on Rick's shoulders, "can we go to Glenn's house and put in new flowers?"
"Yeah," Rick nodded with a smile, "we can. Let's go pick some." Before they could, however, go to find some, they saw Tara rushing out of her house.
"Hey." Rick half smiled at the woman.
"Hey." She whispered back.
"You alright?" Rick asked, his voice filled concern.
"Yeah, yeah, I was just, I was just coming over to see you. What's up?" Rick stuttered.
"Have you seen Rosita? She didn't show for her guard shift this morning."
"She probably just went out looking for more." Tara shrugged.
"Mm. Yeah." Rick sighed, looking around and running a hand through his hair, then he turned to Rosita, as if he just remembered something. "Why were you - why were you coming by?"
"I have something to tell you." Tara whispered.
"Okay. Okay, what is it?" Rick asked gently.
"I... I..." She mumbled, full of nerves and panic.
"Tara?" Rick questioned, firm and panicked.
"D-do you want to come in?" Tara whispered shakily, and Rick nodded, lifting Mary down onto his hip, then following Tara into her house.
"Hey, Mary, why don't you go play with your bunny? Go play in the garden with your bunny." Rick said softly, and Mary nodded with a sigh, then ran to Tara's garden.
Whilst Tara told Rick about Oceanside, Mary did cartwheels around the garden. When they were finished, Mary skipped to Glenn and Maggie's house, clinging to Rick's hand.
"These ones?" Mary suggested to Rick, pointing at some tiny purple flowers.
"Yeah. Yeah, definitely those ones." Rick smiled, crouching down and cutting a bunch of the delicate flowers.
"Glenny would like them." Mary nodded slowly, a soft smile on her face. "He would love them."