Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Outsider's View - 042

Will had given up on trying to force Charlie out of his family's life. He was disappointed in how caring and kind his family had become. He was ashamed that they took pity on a twelve year old boy who was all alone in the world. Will knew that child's life would've come to an end within the next month if his family hadn't saved him, and he was disgusted that Merle, Daryl and Brooks didn't just let the natural events play out.

The group of now four had found a lonely cottage beside the road. It reminded Brooks of Sebastian's house when they first met back on December seventeenth. Before it blew up, of course. Merle and Daryl had secured the house, while Brooks heated up cans of beans that she'd found in the cupboard. She enjoyed cooking over the fire place, it was nice, and her rumbling stomach agreed. 

The house had dark wooden walls, with lighter planks on the floors. The kitchen, however, had black and white checked floors and was clearly recently done up. Recently, before the fall, that is. The open plan room showed the living room had a single brown, leather arm chair in front of a fire place. No tv, though. Brooks was confused at the contrast of the room. A modern kitchen, and a living room that could've easily been from the sixties. Perhaps the person who bought the house was in the middle of renovating before the dead started to rise.

Of course she'd missed her family more than anything in the world, and she still missed them as she'd only been reunited with half before being ripped away. However, all these months Brooks knew she'd made the right decision. She thought it was for the benefit of the group that she disappeared. It wasn't. She was too young and naive to realise that on her own, though.

Brooks went to give Charlie his portion first, he hadn't eaten in near a week. However, Will snatched it away. "God, I'm starvin'." He let out, pouring the beans into his mouth and devouring them like a wild animal. Charlie frowned, but bit his tongue. The man who had claimed the chair as his own scared him.

"You'll have the next one." Brooks smiled at him, working on heating up the next can of beans.

"Thanks." Charlie let out, his stomach growling loudly. "Has anyone got any campfire stories?"

Daryl, Will and Merle looked at him with judgement. Daryl scoffed, and responded. "Nah."

Charlie hummed. "You're a chatty bunch."

Merle shrugged. "Safer with us than ya are on your own."

"Agreed." Charlie smiled sadly.

Will wiped his mouth to rid the sauce from it. "Hit the spot."

Brooks smiled, softly. "Glad you liked it, daddy."

Will hummed. "Oh, actually, baby, ya mind helpin' me with somethin' upstairs?"

"Sure." Brooks agreed. "Daryl, will ya take over the cookin', please?"

"I ain't an idiot." He responded, almost shoving her out of the way. Merle watched Daryl with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out why he was being so cold to Brooks.

The young girl ignored the sting in her heart as she followed Will upstairs and into a bedroom. He shut the door behind them, before he whacked her across the cheek and sent her falling onto the red rug. No sound left her lips, she was used to it. She just lay there, staring at the ground next to her. "You really think them boys downstairs are gonna stop me from doin' what needs to be done? I'm your father. I'll do whatever I need to so that I can protect you, baby." He kneeled next to her, grabbing her bun and forcing her head back so that she'd look at him. 

"I know." She whispered, trying to stop him from pulling out his pocket knife.

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