Forever Unfinished // Carl Grimes

Chapter 22

1 Week Later

Lauren sat on the roof of the stone house that Carl and her had resided in for the past week and a day. Valorie had taken care of Lauren and her shoulder was well on it's way to being completely healed. The infection had died down after the first night and both of them had a second shot at happiness.

Lauren flicked a lighter on and off, watching as the flame appeared out of nowhere before disappearing into the darkness like it never existed before. She remembered when she had it during her time in the prison, she ran the pad of her thumb over the design etched into the metal and smiled at the memory.

"That's a cool lighter," Carl said, stepping into the cell. He placed his hat down on the floor and sat in next to me.

"Thanks," I laughed, "Daryl gave it to me one birthday. I can't remember what age I was."

"Why'd you keep it?" He asked and I passed him the lighter. He flicked it open and the beautiful, yet dangerous, flame appeared.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "It was all I really had from family, I guess. It just meant something to me. I didn't have a lot of objects that did."

"Like my hat," Carl said, handing me back the lighter.

"Yeah," I smiled, "Like your hat."

Lauren sighed and flicked open the metal lighter once again, watching as the flame illuminated her hand.

"When I think of fire," Carl said out of nowhere, making her jump and close the lighter. "I think of you."

"Why is that?" She asked, flicking it again. She watched the flame, watched as the bright fire imprinted itself in her vision. Carl sat down next to her, his feet dangling over the edge of the roof.

"Because it's beautiful," He said, the ghost of a smile crossing Lauren's face. "Yet it's dangerous. If you play with fire, you get burned."

"That's for sure," Lauren chuckled, closing the lighter.

Carl missed the sound of her laughing, he missed her smile. He would make it his mission to make sure everything that had happened stayed in the past, never to haunt them again. He wanted her to be happy again, and he would do anything for that.

"Fire burns, fire kills," Lauren said to herself with a sad smile. "I feel like I'm a curse. Look how many people I've lost, it's just a matter of time before it happens to you."

"If you're a curse," Carl said, placing his left hand on Lauren's. "You're a curse I never want to break from."

Lauren smiled, she looked over to Carl and she knew that they had so much more to go through together. They'd never know how their future would turn out together, but they were willing to find out, no matter the cost.

~•~

It was much darker and they were still sitting on the roof above Valorie and Declan's house. Carl and Lauren reminiced about the lives they used to live, before and after the end. They remembered little things about their journeys to where they were then. Lauren asked about everyone after she left, especially Judith.

"We should try and find your family," Lauren said, looking out over the pitch black garden. "I can't keep you from them."

Carl sighed and nodded, his hand still over Lauren's.
"We don't have to leave yet, we can wait awhile."