deputyrick:

Son.

Hi, Dad… where’s Mom? I haven’t seen her today.

ijustshotabear:

im-carlgrimes:

ijustshotabear:

im-carlgrimes:

ijustshotabear:

im-carlgrimes:

I’m way too old for that stuff. What’s your name, anyway?

Sawyer. And what are ya, six? Seven? How d’you figure that’s too old? 

Hey! I’m not six, I’m ten!

Gosh, I didn’t mean to offend you, Grandpa. You gonna tell me why you’re out here, or not? I got better things to do than babysit. 

Carl scowled and crossed his arms, looking up as defiantly as he dared. “My camp’s nearby. There’s a bunch of us, and just one of you, so you better not try anything. And I don’t need a babysitter, I can take care of myself.” 

“Is that right?” Sawyer raised his eyebrows. The kid had an attitude, he’d give him that. Still didn’t explain what the hell he was doing alone when there were dead people walking around. “Well, why don’t you go take care of yourself back at your camp, Sundance. Ain’t safe out here.”

His eyes narrowed a little at the man, arms staying folded. “Who’s Sundance?” he asked, almost suspiciously. He thought there was something vaguely familiar about Sawyer but maybe it was just his imagination, after going so long without seeing anybody new.

ijustshotabear:

im-carlgrimes:

ijustshotabear:

im-carlgrimes:

ijustshotabear:

im-carlgrimes:

ijustshotabear:

The hell you doin’ out here by yourself, short stuff? 

My name’s Carl. And I’m not by myself.

Well I beg to differ, Carl. Unless you got an invisible friend I don’t know about.

I’m way too old for that stuff. What’s your name, anyway?

Sawyer. And what are ya, six? Seven? How d’you figure that’s too old? 

Hey! I’m not six, I’m ten!

Gosh, I didn’t mean to offend you, Grandpa. You gonna tell me why you’re out here, or not? I got better things to do than babysit. 

Carl scowled and crossed his arms, looking up as defiantly as he dared. “My camp’s nearby. There’s a bunch of us, and just one of you, so you better not try anything. And I don’t need a babysitter, I can take care of myself.” 

ijustshotabear:

im-carlgrimes:

ijustshotabear:

im-carlgrimes:

ijustshotabear:

The hell you doin’ out here by yourself, short stuff? 

My name’s Carl. And I’m not by myself.

Well I beg to differ, Carl. Unless you got an invisible friend I don’t know about.

I’m way too old for that stuff. What’s your name, anyway?

Sawyer. And what are ya, six? Seven? How d’you figure that’s too old? 

Hey! I’m not six, I’m ten!

ijustshotabear:

im-carlgrimes:

ijustshotabear:

The hell you doin’ out here by yourself, short stuff? 

My name’s Carl. And I’m not by myself.

Well I beg to differ, Carl. Unless you got an invisible friend I don’t know about.

I’m way too old for that stuff. What’s your name, anyway?

ijustshotabear:

The hell you doin’ out here by yourself, short stuff? 

My name’s Carl. And I’m not by myself.

shotgunshellsandfeathers:

im-carlgrimes:

shotgunshellsandfeathers:

Right, more people staring at him like he’d gotten something obscene tattooed across his forehead. William shook his head slightly as he walked, keeping his head straight and looking where he was being led too. Just anything to try and ignore the staring that was getting on his nerves. His eyes dropped to Carl who’d started talking, keeping his voice low to avoid getting his mother’s attention, nodding quietly in understanding. “‘M sur’ ya’re righ’, jus’ li’l nervous ‘bout som’one new is all” he murmured, keeping his voice low just as Lori moved ahead into the farm house. 

“William Tams, pleas’d t’meet ya’ Rick” William answered, shaking the offered hand firmly before taking his hand back, nodding once. “Yea’, its’ true, ‘m jus’ here t’help an’ there ain’t anyone else tha’ I kno’ of out there. It’s al’igh’, ya’ boy tol’ me ‘bout the las’ person ya’ll let stay wit’cha. I got no prob’em wit’ yo’ questions, was expectin’ ‘em to be honest” he added, hooking his thumb against the string of his bow pressed against his shoulder, eyes glancing from the hard expression on Lori’s face to the look on Rick’s. He could just imagine the looks he was getting from the others he’d past, not to mention Carl that was still standing next to him.

Rick’s eyes flickered to Carl for a second, as if trying to gauge exactly how much his son had revealed about Randall. Carl just said, “William’s good at killing walkers. I bet he could help a lot, with patrols and stuff.” He somehow managed to sound earnest, defensive, and slightly protective all at the same time, and he did a diligent job of holding his ground. Rick almost smiled before his attention went back to William. He took another few long moments to silently assess the man in that way he did when it looked like he was trying to read somebody’s mind. Being on the receiving end of those assessments made Carl nervous sometimes; it was so hard to know what was going through his father’s head. But then Rick nodded. 

“That’s very kind of you, offering to lend us a hand. I won’t deny that some extra help isn’t something any of us can afford to turn down, not anymore. Let’s take a walk, give you the lay of the land. Carl - ” he started to say, and, anticipating that the next words would be something along the lines of stay in the house, Carl interjected. 

“I wanna come too. Please, Dad?” 

Rick hesitated, then nodded once more before he started to lead the way around the farmhouse, the Python at his hip catching sunlight as he walked. So far so good, Carl thought, and smiled a little as he looked up at William. 

William kept his mouth shut as Rick looked him over, as if trying to judge what he knew about the situation (Which was just about nothing since all Carl had said was that the last person they’d let into the group had brought trouble. As to what kind, that had been left to imagination) before Carl spoke up. It took him a second to keep from letting a slight smile twitch onto his lips at the kid’s conviction on why he should stay. The silent look in Rick’s eyes was enough to keep the former soldier in line, he recognized the look. The assessment he’d seen before from COs and older officers and had long since learned to wait and keep straight faced. 

“Ain’t nothin’” William murmured, nodding slightly towards Rick as he shifted the bow on his shoulder, keeping it place. His gaze darted between Carl and Rick, keeping quiet as he waited for-well for what he wasn’t sure about- the sign to start moving. So far seemed to be going alright, now just to hope they stayed that way. The light just about flashing off the .45 on Rick’s side was more then just a friendly reminder of just how this conversation could go should the other see a reason that trouble was going to happen with William around.

Carl stuck his hands in his pockets and walked alongside William, letting his father stay a couple of paces ahead. He was sure that the assessment had been enough for Rick to know this wouldn’t be anything like it was with Randall. Everybody had flipped out when Randall got brought back to the farm, because everybody knew he was bad news. Carl didn’t think it was a mistake his dad was likely to make twice. Even he had a pretty clear idea of just how much was at stake, all the time. Yes, William was technically a stranger, but he’d saved Carl’s life when he could’ve easily done the opposite. Even more easily because Carl had been alone. If he was bad, Carl figured, he would have done something bad already. And Rick would be able to tell. 

They stopped walking at the fence line that bordered one of Hershel’s fields. Rick leaned an arm against the fence, gesturing with a tip out of his head out at the expanse of land from where they stood all the way to the woods. “This farm belongs to the Greenes,” Rick told William. “Hershel and his family, they took us in. My son had been shot, and we had no place to go. I owe the man a great debt.” He nodded once, almost to himself, head tilting slightly to the side, squinting just a little against the sunlight. “Carl speaks highly of you, William, so I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. How is it that you came to be here, in this place? Did you have a group?” 

lexmichels28:

im-carlgrimes:

lexmichels28:

im-carlgrimes:

lexmichels28:

Lexa was on her way back home from her trip in to town, a bit lost she would admit. She didn’t know her way around this area well, but she needed supplies and didn’t want to make too much noise with her truck since it was just down the road. She walked a ways, stopping briefly when she saw the backside of a little boy by himself behind an old barn. Oh not again..she thought to herself, not another walker child..please not another one. She swallowed thickly and brought her voice just above a low indoor voice, “Little boy..?”

Carl stood up quickly, spinning around to see who’d spoken. He hadn’t heard any footsteps, but he hadn’t exactly been paying attention. Mom was upset again for some reason and everybody else was busy, so he’d wandered off by himself just for a lack of anything better to do. Anything was better than homework, he figured. The woman wasn’t somebody he knew, and he eyed her cautiously from under the wide brim of his hat. “I’m not little,” he said, staying where he was. “Who’re you?” 

Lexa let out a slight sigh of relief, happy beyond belief that he wasn’t another of them “Sorry to offend you. I’m Lexa. What’s your name? And..not that it’s my business or anything..but are you..alone?” she wavered a bit, not feeling right about this boy wandering by himself. She may not have known him at all, but she couldn’t leave him for dead either. 

“That’s okay,” Carl shrugged a little, hands in his pockets. He was more curious than anything else now; after so much time on the farm, it had started to feel like they really were the only people alive in the world. Yet here was somebody else, living and breathing and uninfected. “My name’s Carl. This is Hershel’s farm, I’m staying here with my Mom and Dad and a bunch of other people. Are you alone?” 

She smiled and shrugged a little back, “I have friends that I stick with more towards my place, but for the moment I’m walking alone, yes.” she looked around and furrowed a brow a bit, “It’s nice to meet you Carl. Why..where are your parents? I mean..it’s not safe for you to be walking alone during the apocalypse.” 

He pondered that first part for a few seconds, wondering how many others there were and just how close her place was to the farm. Before he could ask, she spoke again. Carl’s eyes dropped to the ground and he shifted his weight a little before meeting Lexa’s eyes. He knew damn well it wasn’t safe but he did his best to sound like an adult anyway. “My dad’s pretty busy, but my mom’s not too far away. I can take care of myself.”

lexmichels28:

im-carlgrimes:

lexmichels28:

Lexa was on her way back home from her trip in to town, a bit lost she would admit. She didn’t know her way around this area well, but she needed supplies and didn’t want to make too much noise with her truck since it was just down the road. She walked a ways, stopping briefly when she saw the backside of a little boy by himself behind an old barn. Oh not again..she thought to herself, not another walker child..please not another one. She swallowed thickly and brought her voice just above a low indoor voice, “Little boy..?”

Carl stood up quickly, spinning around to see who’d spoken. He hadn’t heard any footsteps, but he hadn’t exactly been paying attention. Mom was upset again for some reason and everybody else was busy, so he’d wandered off by himself just for a lack of anything better to do. Anything was better than homework, he figured. The woman wasn’t somebody he knew, and he eyed her cautiously from under the wide brim of his hat. “I’m not little,” he said, staying where he was. “Who’re you?” 

Lexa let out a slight sigh of relief, happy beyond belief that he wasn’t another of them “Sorry to offend you. I’m Lexa. What’s your name? And..not that it’s my business or anything..but are you..alone?” she wavered a bit, not feeling right about this boy wandering by himself. She may not have known him at all, but she couldn’t leave him for dead either. 

“That’s okay,” Carl shrugged a little, hands in his pockets. He was more curious than anything else now; after so much time on the farm, it had started to feel like they really were the only people alive in the world. Yet here was somebody else, living and breathing and uninfected. “My name’s Carl. This is Hershel’s farm, I’m staying here with my Mom and Dad and a bunch of other people. Are you alone?” 

lexmichels28:

Lexa was on her way back home from her trip in to town, a bit lost she would admit. She didn’t know her way around this area well, but she needed supplies and didn’t want to make too much noise with her truck since it was just down the road. She walked a ways, stopping briefly when she saw the backside of a little boy by himself behind an old barn. Oh not again..she thought to herself, not another walker child..please not another one. She swallowed thickly and brought her voice just above a low indoor voice, “Little boy..?”

Carl stood up quickly, spinning around to see who’d spoken. He hadn’t heard any footsteps, but he hadn’t exactly been paying attention. Mom was upset again for some reason and everybody else was busy, so he’d wandered off by himself just for a lack of anything better to do. Anything was better than homework, he figured. The woman wasn’t somebody he knew, and he eyed her cautiously from under the wide brim of his hat. “I’m not little,” he said, staying where he was. “Who’re you?”