Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Mean - 005

"I look psychic to you?" Brooks asked, getting up and running closer to the entrance of the camp, trying to see where the sound was coming from. Cam followed closely behind her, he knew that if shit was to go south right now, that he'd be the only one to keep Brooks safe.

The sound went on for a little while until Brooks and Cam spotted a red car driving closer and closer. Cam put his hand on Brooks' shoulder and pulled her back, just to make sure the car wouldn't hit her. Brooks looked at him with a distasteful look, but didn't protest the comfort. Truth is, Brooks needed a hug after what had happened, but she'd never get one. 

Brooks was ten years old. And, she'd never once been hugged. She wasn't sure she even knew how to do it.

The car stopped, but the engine was still screaming at the top of its lungs. "Holy crap, turn that damn thing off!" Dale yelled at a smiling Glenn who stepped out of the car as if he was a kid on Christmas morning. Any kid who hadn't been a Dixon kid.

"I don't know how!" Glenn admitted, laughing a little.

"My sister? Andrea!" Amy yelled, walking over to Glenn. Brooks bit down on her bottom lip, she knew nobody was dead, otherwise Glenn wouldn't be smiling like he was. He was too much of a good person for that, so she just stood there, baffled. 

"Pop the damn hood!" Shane shouted.

"Okay, okay!" Glenn called over the noise, getting back into the car to pop open the hood for Shane.

"Is she okay? Is she alright!" Amy shouted, crowding Glenn.

"Jesus, Barbie, back up and give 'im some room!" Brooks yelled to Amy who looked at the young girl. Amy's lips parted as she stared at the insensitive child.

Cam squatted down next to her. "Okay, yea, you see that anger? We're gonna have to fix that up a little."

Brooks furrowed her eyebrows. "How was that not helpful? Glenn needs room to work. I'm gettin' him room. I think you're the one who needs a damn shrink, doc."

Cam laughed and shook his head. It was now he was realising how much work he had on his plate when it came to helping that specific young lady.

"Yea, yea! She's alright, she's okay! Everyone's okay!" Glenn responded over the noise, before Shane made it stop. "Well, Will not so much."

Brooks' heart dropped. She ran over. "What's wrong with my dad?"

"I- uh... I'm sorry, Brooks. He's okay, he's just a little... Tied up." Glenn admitted.

Brooks took a step back. "So... The others are still there freein' him, right?"

Glenn shook his head. "No, the others are right behind me. Your dad's on a roof, chained to a bit of metal. The door's locked though, he's safe from walkers. He was dangerous, he really hurt T-dog. There were too many walkers, we couldn't go back."

Brooks took a couple steps back, running her hand down her face as she nodded. Brooks tried to cry, she tried to bring tears to her eyes... But, they just weren't there. "Uhm... Okay."

"That's it? Okay? You're never seeing your dad again and that's all you got?" Carl asked.

Brooks rolled her eyes. "What'd you want me to say?"

Carl didn't answer as they all looked towards the truck that drove in and parked behind the red car. Andrea, T-dog, Jacqui and Mr Morales all piled out of it and ran to their loved ones. Well, T-dog and Jacqui headed over to the Peletier girls since they didn't have any of their own family in the camp. 

Carl had been watching Mr Morales reunite with his family, until he turned away and looked to be crying. Brooks furrowed her eyebrows. She bit down on her bottom lip, she didn't like Carl, but she felt bad for him. Brooks was trying her best to be cold like her family, but her aching heart hadn't quite caught up yet. "Hey, you okay?" Cam asked, squatting down in front of Brooks.

She shook her head. "Fine."

"It's okay to miss your dad." Cam told her, softly.

"It's not that." Brooks admitted. "I hate Carl. He's annoying and rude... But, he's cryin'. I want him to stop."

"You feel bad for him." Cam coaxed her.

Brooks scoffed, looking to Cam. "That can't be it. I'm a Dixon, Dixons don't feel bad for people. Especially not stupid people like Carl Grimes."

"Hey, helicopter boy! Come say hello!" Mr Morales called over to another man leaving the truck. Brooks looked at the stranger walking towards the group of people. Rick Grimes' eyes focused on Brooks, she'd been the first face that he actually saw. He furrowed his eyebrows at the injuries on the child, however someone behind her caught his eye. 

Shane.

Rick stopped in his tracks as he stared at Shane, although, something more important once again got his attention. "Dad?" A young boy's voice called from some way away. Rick followed the sound, and felt his heart nearly jump from his chest as he saw Carl and Lori. His son and his wife. "Dad!" Carl shouted, leaving his mother's grip and running over as fast as his little legs could possibly carry him. Lori took a little longer to process it than Carl did, but she soon ran over.

"Carl!" Rick shouted, running to meet his boy half way. Brooks smiled at the man scooping Carl up into his arms. However, when she caught herself smiling, she looked down.

"I gotta go tell Merle." She said, before walking away from the reunited family. She didn't want to care about Carl's happiness, she had no reason too... Other than deep down she's a good person and not like her family. Her brothers still had a bit of character development left to go, but she was right there if she was brave enough to be different.

Brooks started unzipping Merle's tent to crawl through. "Wait!" A voice yelled from inside. Brooks' hand instantly froze, waiting. A few seconds and a lot of shuffling later, the voice added. "Alrigh'!"

Brooks unzipped the tent and crawled in. There was a strange smell, Merle was sweating and was covering his crotch with his backpack. Brooks didn't want to know what she'd caught her brother in the middle of doing. "Uhm..." She started.

"What?" Merle snapped.

Brooks let out a breath, scared to tell her brother. "Dad got left in Atlanta."

Merle's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"He ain't dead." Brooks quickly added. "They had to leave him behind. Said he was bein' dangerous. There were too many walkers 'round."

"I knew I should've fuckin' gone, this is all your fuckin' fault!" Merle shouted at her. Brooks flinched, expecting a hit to come with the raised words, but it didn't. "Get out so I can get changed!"

"Why?" Brooks asked.

Merle sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Cause, I'm goin' after him."