Keep you safe ~(Carl Grimes x Reader: TWD)

Separated

    You wake up in the car to Carl shaking you and calling your name to wake up. You are alarmed by the scared look on his face, "w-what's going on??"
"We need to leave. Look outside," Carl points to the window and you take a good look outside. Walkers. Everywhere. They are pounding on the car, trying to get in, with others behind them about to join in.
Rick and Michonne look over at you from the front seat. "Try to clear as many walkers in one place as you can to make a path. Then you and Carl need to run," Rick says. The two of you nod, nervously. Carl takes your hand quickly and looks at you with a reassuring expression that calms your nerves, "we will get to D.C. and find the cure." You squeeze his hand and trust him. You dread the moment that Carl lets go of your hand and the four of you get out of the car with guns firing.
The immense crowd of walkers caving in quickly on your group overwhelms you. You realize that they are splitting up you and Michonne from Rick and Carl. Before you know it, you're on the opposite side of the road as them. There are too many of them.
"Carl!" You cry in fear of losing him.
You fight the walkers back-to-back with Michonne, using your dagger, but it's not enough. "Take Carl and go. We'll take distract them. You can make it to the forest," Michonne yells to Rick. She's right; they are the only ones who have a chance. You see Rick dragging Carl to the nearby forest and Carl struggling, calling your name. Tears fill your eyes as you take a moment to smile, believing it is the last time you will ever see him. Goodbye, Carl, you think to yourself. Carl and Rick disappear into the forest and you continue to fight with Michonne, feeling empty now that Carl is gone and probably for good. Is this how it's supposed to be; how I'm gonna die? Meeting someone whom I've come to care for more than my own self, only to lose him and my family? You feel angry that fate has brought you to this moment, but still hope that this is not the end.
Your arm hurts from continuously jabbing your dagger into the skulls of the dead. You look around to find a place to get out of the crowd. Then, you spot a small path that you and Michonne can go through to escape, "this way!"
Michonne follows you into the woods where you run for your lives. The walkers chase after you, but thankfully, you're a fast runner, and so is Michonne. Soon, the two of you find a large tree to hide behind and watch as the walkers pass by, thinking you are still ahead of them. You and Michonne catch your breath and decide to camp in that spot for the night.
It is night and you and Michonne are sitting by a fire. "So, what should we do next," you ask Michonne who is deep in thought, staring at the fire.
"We need to get back to the car."
"And then what? Do you even know the way to D.C.?"
"No."
"Can't we just go the way Carl and Rick went?"
"No, they probably met up with the group and left. It was too dangerous to come back for us."
You stop talking and look up at the sky, "Do you think they're okay?"
"Yes."
You believed before that if you survived the mob of walkers, you could see Carl again, but now you know that's not true. You start to think about why this was happening to you and what you did to deserve this. You feel a pain in your heart, but this time, no tears come out. You continue to stare at the stars, wondering if Carl is looking at the same stars as you.
In the morning, you and Michonne head back the way you came from and find the car where it was before, covered in walker guts and blood. You enter the car and talk to her about what to do next. She says that the best thing to do is to find a place that has supplies and shelter. You pray that Carl and Rick made it safe to Alexandria and that you can see them again. That day, Michonne stops the car at a plaza with a fair amount of supplies and a secure place to stay at.
~3 weeks later~
Michonne wakes you up early, trying to tell you something important. "I found something that belongs to Derrel and tracks that could lead us to him. Come on." You rush to pack up your stuff and a couple supplies. Michonne and you walk through the woods, following the footprints that are hopefully Derrel's. You eventually catch up and you are relieved when you see him with another man a bit younger.
Derrel sees the two of you and smiles, "you guys made it!" He comes over and hugs Michonne and gives you a nod. He introduces the man with him, named Aaron and tells you about Alexandria and how everyone else is safe. Derrel says that it's safe and he even has a recruiting duty that he shares with Aaron. Your heart flutters in anticipation to see Carl after all this time. It feels like years since you've last seen him.
Derrel drives you and Michonne to a place guarded with large gates. He stops the car and as you get out, the gates open. You look around and you see houses everywhere and children playing and people working. You've missed this for so long and it feels like a dream. You spot Rick walking down the road and run to him, "Rick!" The two of you catch up and you ask him where Carl is.
"Not sure, but you can look around if you want. The people here are nice," Rick says.
"Thanks." You walk around the place, searching for Carl. You want to let him know that you are safe. The houses bring a sense of security and remind you of your neighbourhood from when you were a child.
After about half an hour of looking, you still can't find Carl. You try to think about where he could be and then you finally figure it out. I know where he is... you think to yourself.
You sneak out through the gates of Alexandria and walk through the forest, alone. I hope this is the right way! You've been walking for god-knows-how-long and you start to think about how you should have thought this through. What if he's back in Alexandria now? What if I went the wrong way? Then, in the middle of your thoughts, you feel a hand around your mouth and you are being dragged to the back of a tree. You begin to scream when you recognize a familiar voice whisper to you, "(y/n)! It's me!"
You turn around and smile at Carl who is holding you close. "Shh," he puts his finger to his lips and turns to look behind the tree. You finally spot a group of walkers headed where you were standing before. You wrap your arms around Carl and rest your head on his chest. He places his chin on your head. You close your eyes and enjoy his warmth as you wait for the walkers to pass by.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he whispers, after the walkers are gone. You feel a tear drop onto your shoulder.
"It's okay... I missed you," you say blinking away tears.
"I-I missed you too... Next time," Carl pulls away from the hug to look at you, "I will protect you. I will keep you safe." You nod, trusting every word that comes out of his mouth. He closes his eyes as he leans down to gently press his lips against your forehead. Your heart races, and you enjoy every second of it, because you missed this feeling so much.