𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 [ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 ] ✘

Look What You Made Me Do

Note: So I just got around to watching the premiere of Season 8 AND OHMIGOSH IT WAS AMAZING!!! So now, a new one shot for the season ;)

"I don't like your little games, don't like your tilted stage, the role you made me play of the fool, no, I don't like you," I sang at the top of my lungs, turning up the volume on the CD player in the van, "I don't like your perfect crime, how you laugh when you lie, you said the gun was mine, isn't cool, no, I don't like you,"

I could see Carl's shoulders shaking with laughter from the corner of my eye as he drove to the gas station.

"But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time, honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time, I've got a list of names and Negan's is in red, underlined, I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!" I sang out even louder, shoving Carl's shoulder.

"Come on, sing it with me!" I grinned and rolling his blue eye, finally he joined in.

"Ooh, look what he made Rick do, look what he made Rick do, look what he just made Rick do, look what he just made Rick-" I started, dancing in my seat as I parodied.

Carl laughed before continuing where I left off, "Ooh, look what he made dad do, look what he made dad do, look what he just made dad do, look what he just made dad do!"

I broke into giggles just as Carl turned off the engine and I realized we'd made it to the gas station.

"You know, that really could be Rick's theme song, just sayin'." I shrugged and Carl just laughed at me as we got out.

He grabbed the red gas jug from the back of the van before I followed after him to the pump. The building was run-down and very long-since abandoned - grass grew up in tufts in between cracks in the pavement and the glass-pane windows were broken with shards scattered across the cement. As we walked, Carl caught my hand in his and intertwined our fingers. His skin was calloused from holding a gun so much but his touch was gentle, calming. I ran my thumb across the back of his hand and smiled up at him briefly as we walked on. We made the rest of the way in silence and Carl sat the gas can down on one of the car hoods, ready to get the remaining fuel out of the vehicle.

"Hi!" a voice suddenly called out, making us both jump from the sound.

Instantly, Carl picked up his gun and I went for mine as well but finding it not at my hip since I'd left it back in the van, I cursed under my breath.

"I-I'm okay. I mean I'm not, but I've been shot at. Someone threw a microwave at me, "the masculine voice continued, "So I-I'm just gonna say something my mom used to say and hope for the best here. "Whatever you have of good, spend on the traveler." My mom said that - that helping the traveler, the person without a home - that's everything,"

I walked behind Carl as we headed in the direction of the voice, me holding the back of t-shirt with my fists as I followed his every move. From this closeness, I could smell the faint scent of pudding on him and almost chuckled to myself as I rolled my eyes. Boy still loved his pudding - even after all these years.

"I'm sure you've seen things, been through things, that you don't trust people. I get it. I get it. I don't, either. I've been through things, too. My mom -- she also said that, "May my mercy prevail over my wrath.""

As he talked, Carl took off his Sheriff's hat and placed it on the ground while he gazed underneath one of the cars. From the viewpoint we had, we could just make out someone hiding behind of the vehicles, limping since as he appeared to have a wound on his leg.

"It's not all my mom. That-that one - that's from the Quran... Probably shouldn't have said that. I don't even know you, but I ha-I haven't eaten in a few days. You might not even be real-"

Carl got up all of a sudden and pulled me with him as we ran towards the man, gun in Carl's hand.

"Hands up!" Carl called out to him, sun glinting off his shaggy, auburn-brown hair.

The man looked to be Middle Eastern with ebony hair and dark skin. He looked hungry, too, juts as he'd said he was.

"Listen. I'm gone. Huh? It's cool. I just-I just wanted some - e-even just some food-" he began when suddenly, shots rang out in the air, whizzing past his head.

He ran off as fast as he could with his limp and as he disappeared, Rick came into view from behind one of the cars.

"We were supposed to meet at the intersection," Rick said and Carl gave him a pointed look, "I shot over his head. I just wanted him gone,"

"He said he was-" Carl started but Rick cut him off.

"I heard what he said. Most of it. But he could've been one of them,"

"Like a spy?"

"I shot above his head. If he isn't one of them, I hope he makes it."

With that last words from his dad, Carl walked off angrily and I followed after my boyfriend.

"It's not gonna be enough, Dad," he called back over his shoulder.

"Enough what?" Rick yelled back.

"Hope." he said simply, his voice soft.

A few hours later, Rick and the gang had gotten ready to go to war with Negan, heading to the Sanctuary so they could make an attack on the compound. As the metal-encased cars pulled away, Carl and I waved after them.

Out of the corner of my mouth, I asked, "So you going back to help the man?"

Carl smiled widely at the cars fading in the distance, still waving in case Rick could see us, "Yep."

It took about an hour to get there on foot so we wouldn't be noticed. Carl held a rucksack in one hand while I held on to his other. Once we arrived, slowly he released my hand and squatting down on the ground, unloaded the contents of the rucksack. He set down two cans of food on the pavement with a piece of paper that read simply "Sorry" in big letters just beside them. I smiled, pecking him on the cheek as he stood up.

"You're a good man, Carl Grimes." I complimented and he caressed my face with his fingertips gently, a smile on his face just before we began to make our trek back to Alexandria, hand-in-hand.