𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 [ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 ] ✘

You Take My Pain Away....

Note: Initially written as a request BEFORE I watched the show so there are a few inaccuracies in this single one shot but ALL of the rest I wrote during the time I watched TWD. I hope you enjoy all the same <3

Everything has been going so perfectly lately. Ever since Carl and I started dating three months ago, life had been blissful. When I was with him, it felt like it was just us - no walkers, no enemies, no death. He took away the pain of it all and made me forget. I smiled at the memory of when Carl had asked me to be his girlfriend, he was so shy and awkward that day. I chuckled to myself as I sat on the porch swing of the house my older brother, Daryl, and I shared.

Suddenly, a deep voice broke in to my thoughts.

"Sierra!"

I looked up to see that familiar sheriff's hat and sparkling blue eyes. I grinned and waved Carl over. He smiled back and walked across the street to me, waiting at the bottom of the steps. I got up from my perch and stood in front of him.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked.

"Dad wants me and Daryl to go on a run. We're getting low on supplies. Wanna join us? It won't be fun without you." he cooed, reaching for my hand.

I laughed at his dorkiness and took the hand he offered me.

"Fine, fine. I'll go, you dork." I said, sticking my tongue out at him, "Let me go get my knife and I'll meet you two at the gate."

Carl grinned at me and ran off to go join Daryl. I laughed again and shook my head at his antics. I walked back into the house and grabbed my knife from my bedside table. I quickly walked out of the house and down the street to the gate. Carl saw me then and waved me over to where him and Daryl stood, waiting on me.

"Now, wait a minute, I never said Sierra could go." he said to Carl, his eyes hardening.

Daryl turned to me then.

"Sierra, you can't go - it's not safe out there. I can't protect you the entire time." Daryl said to me, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I shook him off, slightly angered by what he implied.

"I can take care of myself, Daryl! You know that. I'm 16 now, I'm not a baby anymore. You don't need to protect me anymore. And anyway, if something happens, I have my knife. And Carl will help as well." I said, taking Carl's hand in mine.

Daryl sighed, clearly agitated, and shifted the crossbow on his shoulder.

"Fine. But if anything happens to her, you're dead, Grimes!" he said, pointing a finger at Carl.

Carl swallowed and clutched my hand tighter. I grinned at his nervous behavior and began to walk behind Daryl as they opened the gate for us to go through.

It was a long walk to the store we had decided to raid but so far, we had seen no walkers. Still, I fingered the knife in my pocket. I took it out as I walked next to Carl, my fingers tracing the letters carved into the side.

M.D.

I sighed quietly to myself. The knife had been Merle's. He'd given it to me the day before he died. He wasn't much of a brother but it still made me sad to think of what had happened to him...and what our life could have been like had he been different. I looked ahead of me to Daryl who had his crossbow pointed at some of the buildings, scoping them out.

Daryl was the only family I had now. He was everything to me. He had taken care of me when our parents didn't. And after their deaths, he'd raised me. I don't know where I'd be without him.