Scarlett (Rick Grimes/OC)

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Sometime in the wee hours of the monrin', I feel someone (Rick) kiss me on the temple and leave the room. It's not 'til some time later, after I've fallen back asleep, that I feel someone gently shakin' me. I wake up pretty quickly and blink a few times, finally able ta' focus on Carl stadin' by the bed.

"What time is it?" I yawn as I sit up and rub my eyes. Carl shrugs, and I notice that he's already dressed.

"Late, I think. My dad let us sleep." Carl walks away from the bed and scoops up a wrigglin' Judith in his arms, addin', "I'mma go change her diaper while you get dressed."

"Alright, honey," I say tentatively, wary a' usin' the name after last night. Carl might a' said he was alright with his daddy bein' with me, but I don't know if he meant that or he was just sayin' it. But then Carl smiles sincerely, nods, and leaves the room without sayin' nothin', which I take as a good sign.

When the door shuts behind Carl, I haul myself outta bed and start makin' myself look presentable. I run a brush through my hair and start getting' dressed, but I cure out loud when I realize that I didn't bring nothin' ta' throw over my tank top. It's too damn cold ta' just wear that and a jacket, and I don't feel like goin' ta' my cell ta' get one.

The dresser catches my eye on the other side a' the room and I go over to it hesitantly with an idea in my head. I don't really know if Rick would like me stealin' one a' his shirts, but then I figure that what he doesn't know won't hurt him and pull open a drawer that I saw him get a shirt out of last night. There's two semi-neat piles a' shirts in the drawer, one side t-shirts, the other flannels. I pluck out a nice green-and-black checkered flannel and slide it on. The thing hangs on me somethin' awful, but it kinda smells like Rick and it's so soft. So, I button the thing up a couple buttons, roll the sleeves up ta' my elbows, and slide on my coat quickly.

There's a soft knock on the door as I'm just finishin' braidin' my hair, and I call fer whoever it is ta' come in. Carl comes through the door with Judith in hi arms and I smiles at me before he sets Judith in her crib and starts makin' up his bed. I perch on the bed and watch him fer a few seconds, not really sure what ta' say to him. I wanna talk about what happened last night and what he said, but I don't wanna offend him or scare him off. He's just a little boy, even if he doesn't wanna admit it, and he's probably havin' a lot a' thoughts and feelin's regardin' his daddy and I right now.

"Carl," I finally say, nearly makin' it sound like a question.

"Yeah?" He tucks down the final corner of his blanket and turns to me.

"Come sit with me." I pat the bed beside me and Carl comes over, kinda confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothin', honey," I say, shakin' my head. "I just wanted ta' talk about last night." I pause and Carl doesn't say anything. "I know that it might a' been awkward last night, ya' know, havin' all that sprung on you." I falter again. I've always been real good with kids in a hospital setting, but now I don't know what ta' say.

"It wasn't, really," Carl says with a shrug. "I'd been needin' to say that stuff ta' my dad fer a while, and I'm also glad I got ta' say it in front a' you. He always acted like I was gonna burst into tears when I caught him lookin' at you or whatever." Carl rolls his eyes and kinda relaxes, fallin' right into the roll of a young teenager annoyed at his parent. It almost makes me laugh 'cause he's never like this. "Ya' know, I never got why he thought that. My mom and him hadn't been close in months when she was getting ready ta' have Judith. Even before stuff happened, things weren't good. I was kinda young, so I didn't see it, but lookin' back I recognize some stuff that wasn't quite right..." Carl trails off and drops that subject real fast and doesn't elaborate. He falls back on the bed, arms out at his sides, and lets out a heavy sigh of annoyance. "And anway, I like you, ya' know? I told him that all the time, I hinted around that I was OK with ya'll- hell, I said it out loud, even before last night- but he still couldn't get it through his head that I liked you, that I really was OK with ya'll bein' together. You make him so happy, Scarlett, and it made me happy ta' see him like that. God, he looks younger when he smiles at you and just-" Carl sighs, but this time it's with less annoyance. "I'm just really glad that he chose you instead a' somebody else."

Carl kinda sneaks me a look and I just smile at him. Nobody's ever talked about me before like that before; nobody's ever said that I made someone look younger when they smile or that they're glad that I was chosen over somebody else.

"C'mere," I say ta' Carl, openin' my arms towards him. Carl doesn't really hesitate ta' move into 'em, and we just hug fer a long second. I feel Carl's lanky body relax completely in my arms, and fer some reason that makes me even happier than I already am. We just look at each other when we pull away, both smilin' slightly.

The moment ends when Judith makes a particularly loud cry from her little crib. It's a noise a' pure joy and excitement, and she just peers at me and Carl with her brown eyes, a wide baby smile splittin' her face fer seemin'ly no reason at all. She claps her hands and kicks her little socked feet, the epitome of pure innocence and happiness.

"Is my Judy really that happy?" Carl says in a cute voice, goin' right over to the crib and liftin' the baby right out the crib and onto his hip. I grin and reach out towards him.

"Lemme see this baby," I say. Carl hands me Judith and I bounce her on my lap, widenin' my eyes at her, which makes her laugh low in her belly. Judith squeals when I press kiss all over her little face, and then she gives me a kiss of her own, mouth wide open 'cause her little muscles just can't move the right way.

"C'mon," I declare with a smile after a few minutes a' cooin' at Judith. "I'm hungry. Let's go find soemthin' ta' eat.

So Carl and I go to the prison yard and find that Carol's just gettin' ready ta' close up shop fer breakfast time. She gives us some food, jokin' about us gettin' lazy 'cause we slept so late. Carl and I just laugh and eat together alone, since no one else is really eatin'. We feed Judith, who continues to be extra happy, laughin' and babblin' cheerfully, and then I head off ta' the infirmary with the baby, promisin' Carl that I'd let him have her at lunch time.

The day goes by nicely, and fer a second, I nearly forget what happened yesterday and all the fuss, but then a young guy comes in ta' get a would cleaned and gets me and Caleb talkin' with him about it.

"It takes a lot ta' strangle somebody," he says, just as he's leavin'. "Most anybody can work up the gall ta' shoot somebody 'cause it ain't personal; they don't struggle or nothin'. Stranglin' somebody though? Shit, ya' gotta hold 'em down and watch the light leave their eyes." The guy blew out a breath and threw, "Whoever's doin' this is a sadistic bastard 'cause that's some hard, sick shit ta' do," over his shoulder as he left.

I shivered when he said that.

***

Author's Note-

First of all: ALMOST 600 READS ALREADY???? WHAT????? This is amazing, ya'll, and thank ya'll so much! I didn't expect this story to get anywhere near as popular as this and i just feel so blessed that it did! So thank ya'll for reading and keep it up!

Second of all: All these votes! Thank y'all so much for all of those too, and of course, keep voting! It means a lot to me!!!

Third of all: Anyway, so yeah. Scarlett and Rick are getting pretty serious, as you can see, and Carl doens't really mind. How does everyone feel about the story so far? What's your opinion on how I've changed up the plot?? I'd love to hear from ya'll!!

- Love, Madison <3

(PS: MY BRITHDAY IS TOMORROW YAY!)