Just Keep Walking

One hundred and nine

"Did you find any gas?" Mary asked Carl as him and Rick came home that evening.
"A little. Did you have a fun day?"
"A bit."
"Have you eaten?" Rick asked Mary, and she nodded. Rick kissed her cheek, then wondered over to find Michonne.
"Hey. Was she alright today?" He asked, walking up behind his partner and wrapping his arms around her.
"She was fine. Was you?" Michonne asked, turning around and kissing Rick's lips softly.
"Hm. Fixed things with one and annoyed the other."
"Why? What happened with Carl?"
"There was a man who needed help. Said he needed help. I wouldn't let Carl stay to help him incase he was one of Negan's, so I shot some warning shots, scared him off. He's pissed."
"It's hard for him." Michonne pointed out, and Rick nodded.
"Yeah. What did you do today?" Rick asked with a sigh.
"Lazy day. Again. We all napped around eleven, then had lunch. I put on Cinderella, but after promising she wasn't tired, Mary slept through it. Then we read a book, did some drawing."
"Her arm been bothering her?"
"Less."
"Good. I'm gonna get her in bed."
"Yeah." Michonne nodded, but when Rick went to find Mary, Carl had already put her to bed, the child curled up on Carl's chest, telling him a story about a fairy.
"Hey, you guys okay?" Rick asked softly, sitting on the edge of Carl's makeshift bed.
"Yeah." Carl nodded, as Mary didn't reply, her face going glassy and hidden again. 
"Okay. Don't stay up too late, alright?" Rick sighed, kissing the side of Mary's head, then Carl's. The man left, leaving the door ajar, and Mary clung to Carl's shirt a little tighter.
"What else did you see today?" Mary asked, and Carl sighed.
"I met... I saw a man, a few years older than me. He was really hungry and thirsty. Needed help."
"And you helped him." Mary presumed, grinning proudly.
"I wanted to," Carl sighed, "but daddy scared him off. In case he was a Saviour."
Then Carl went quiet. He suddenly thought about what he'd want Mary and Judith to do. He'd want them to help a stranger, not leave them for dead. He'd want them to help, no matter what.
Then he breathed in sharply. "But tomorrow, I'm going to... I'm gonna go and see if I can help. I'll go and leave some food and water for him. Because that's the kind thing to do, isn't it?" Carl prompted.
"Yeah. That's because you're the kindest person ever. You're super kind." Mary smiled sleepily. She looked up at him seriously for a second, and her face was nervous. "Do you think I'll be as kind as you? When I'm a big girl?"
"Yeah. I know you will," Carl nodded, "I know you will. You're gonna be so kind. You're going to be the best person ever."
"Because you helped me grow up." Mary grinned proudly.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. That's the good thing about having a big brother. It's like I have two daddies. Three, really. Because Glenn counts. I want daddy and mom to have a baby."
"Yeah?" Carl laughed in amusement, and Mary nodded.
"Yeah. A cutie one. A little boy, because I already have a little sister."
"I have two." Carl commented, and Mary nodded.
"Do you want daddy and mom to have a baby?"
Carl definitely didn't. He knew what had happened to his own mother. The boy feared for Maggie, and he feared that he wouldn't ever be able to be a father, because for him, pregnancy was to be feared. Now, it couldn't be controlled. He wanted children, but he didn't want to lose anyone.
He'd sooner be lonely.
Carl sighed shakily, then smiled. "I just want them to be happy. What about you? Do you want to have kids when you grow up?" Carl asked his sister, genuinely interested.
"Yeah. I want... Two. A boy and a girl."
"Yeah?" Carl smiled softly, seeing an image of himself and Mary, years ago, before Judith. "Come on then, what are they gonna be called?"
"I used to think they'd be called Maggie-Rick. But that's a stupid name. I don't really like Maggie anymore too. I think... I think I want one of them to be called Andy. Like Andre and Andrea. And I like that name. It's cute. The little girl can be called Daisy Ariel Michonne-Rick."
Carl laughed softly, kissing the top of Mary's head. "They're cute names."
"Do you want a baby?"
Carl didn't. But when he though about ten years into the future, he saw an image. He saw a sixteen year old Mary, so strong, so brave, practically the leader of Alexandria alongside their father. He saw a twelve year old Judith, still young and sweet and innocent, because that's what she was raised to be, unlike Mary. He saw Michonne and rick being parents again, and he knew that would happen. He saw himself having a little brother with a huge smile.
And he saw himself in love, maybe with Enid, maybe not. He saw himself having one child, and if he pictured it really hard, he saw it being a girl. A little girl called Evelyn, but he knew he'd always call her Evie, like his beloved aunt he had once upon a time. He saw his little girl adoring Mary, and playing silly games with Judith. He saw her having long hair, because that's how Aunt Mary has hers, and fiercely loving dungarees.
He saw it.
"Yeah," Carl smiled, a rush of joy swooping over himself, "I think I'd like to be a dad."
Mary nodded sleepily, stroking his cheek. "You'd be a good one."