[Finished] Living Among the Dead

34. Go Getters

When Carl rushes out of the house after his dad left to gather supplies, I follow him.
We make it to Enid who looks to be leaving, I hear Carl say her name.
She glances back, "I need to see Maggie."
"You're walking to the Hilltop? It's far."
"I'll be fine."
"Maybe," Carl responds.
"I'll be fine," she shouts. "I have better aim than you." She sighs, "I didn't mean it that way."
"I'm not saving you anymore," Carl says.
"That's what happened in the armory? You saved me?"
"Yeah."
"You made it back in one piece. You're still here."
"I'm not talking about that."
"I'm sorry you had to see it."
"I'm not."
When Carl goes to walk away, I look closely at him, "Keep an eye on Hope and Mase."
"Are you.." He trails off.
"I can't just let her go on her own. And I have to do something."
Carl sighs, "Would Mason watch Judith?"
"Let's go ask."

"Can I drive?" Carl asks, as we sneak to our vehicles.
"You have one eye," I respond, carefully.
"Yeah, and?"
I shrug, "Just don't kill us," I warn. "And don't tell your dad."
"Like he'd notice."
I glance at him before responding as we get in the car. "He's trying his best."
"He's laying down and taking it," Carl spits back.
"I agree, but..." I sigh, "That doesn't mean he's not trying his best. We lost some great people that night. He doesn't want to lose anymore."
"Negan has Daryl."
I close my eyes briefly, trying to be strong for the angry teenager I'm about to let drive me to Hilltop. "I think that's one of the main reasons your dad isn't retaliating. We aren't in any position to save Daryl if Negan decided to teach us another of his psychopathic lessons."

When we find Enid with one of the dead on her tail, Carl; without missing a beat, runs the dead over, effectively crashing the car while doing so.
Enid runs to the car and Carl rolls down his window.
"What are you two doing here?" She asks.
"Felt like a drive," Carl says, calmly.
"Figured I'd teach him." I add, with as pleasant of a smile as I can muster through all the darkness swirling inside. Enid rolls her eyes at the two of us.

"Not sorry you saw it?" Enid asks Carl, as we walk. Continuing their earlier conversation.
"Yeah," Carl says. "I watched it. Both times. I didn't look away."
"Why?"
"Because, when it was happening, I knew that I needed to remember it. So when I had the chance to kill him, I wouldn't have a choice."
"I hope I'm the one to kill him," I say, and both kids look at me before Enid speaks.
"I think I'd kill him, too. It's messed up, but that's how it is. You do things for the ones you love. Loved."
"It's not for them." Carl responds. "I'm sorry I locked you in the armory."
"I didn't need to see it. We don't even know if she's okay."
"Maggie's strong stuff, I'm sure she's okay." I reassure them.
"We'll get there," Carl agrees.
"Yeah," Enid says, not sounding convinced.

"Hey," Carl says, after awhile of walking. Enid and I turn back when he says, "Stop."
When we turn around he is holding rollerblades.
We get in them and their smiles and giggles make the day a little easier. I watch as they take hands, and I can't help the sigh of air releasing from my lungs.
If these two; who have lost so much, and wittnessed so much in their young lives, can find moments of happiness inbetween all the misery. Well maybe, just maybe, I can find that hope Mason was talking about.

When we arrive at Hilltop, my stomach drops at the sight of the vehicles that very obviously belong to Negan. "Hang back, you two." I warn, quietly.
"I don't think Negan's here. I don't see that black truck." Carl responds, softly.
"You weren't taking a drive," Enid observes, looking directly at Carl. "You weren't coming to get me."
"I technically was... kind of. I wanted to make sure you were safe." I say.
"And I can't let them get away with this." Carl continues. "You know we can't."
"I know."
"Come with us. You want to kill them, too. We can do it."
"Uh... You said it. It'd be for us. Not for Abraham, not for Glenn. Not for Maggie. You're doing it for you."
I look away as they get close, they need this moment, so I walk a little away, to look at the trucks, see if any of them would be able to hide Carl and I inside of it.

"Ready?" I ask Carl as Enid goes.
"Are you really on board with me killing Negan?"
I bite my lip, wording my thoughts carefully. "I want him dead, I want to rescue Daryl. And you may be young, but you can handle your own. Plus, you'll go with or without me. And I don't want you going alone."

When I hear someone moving around that isn't Carl and I in the back of the truck despite the fact that we're moving, we both stick our heads out from behind the crates we're hiding in to see Jesus pouring alcohol out the back of the truck.
"Hey," Carl greets, startling the poor man.

[A.N] This is definitely a filler chapter, but soon we'll see what Carl, Anne and Jesus get up to in the Savior compound.