I need you here with me // Carl Grimes [EDITING]

Eighteen - Get Out Of My Head.

Lydia's POV

"Get away from me! Get the hell away from me!" It felt as if I was watching a movie flicker in my own head as my uncle struggled against the walkers tight grasp.

He was alone on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere, the only thing in sight being a gas station. The knife that protruded from the holster on his arm was gone and he was left weaponless after walker after walker began to surround him like the plague. He screamed for help, but he was alone, no one was coming to save him. I could only stand and watch and feel guilt as his eyes met my own and he was pulled down into the crowd. I couldn't move I couldn't speak, I was a ghost.

And then it all faded away at once.

Everything was dark and I was truly alone in the world, there was no light, no happiness, not a thing in sight. I didn't even have Carl beside me to keep me sane. I was on my own for the first time in what felt like forever and it was terrifying.

I sat in the dark place for hours upon hours until a figure shrouded in the darkest of materials appeared before me. The hooded cloth that covered her body was darker than the room we were in so much that it stood out as if it were in front of a white background. The silhouette placed a pale ring covered hand to my shoulder and that was the moment when I knew exactly who they were.

"Mom?" My voice cracked as she pulled her hood down to rest upon her shoulders.

"Come here baby." She wrapped me up in her arms and together we collapsed onto the ground in a tangle of limbs and tears, "Why are you here?"

"I don't remember what happened."

"It isn't your time." She told me, "You have to go back."

"I-I can't! I want to stay with you!"

"Your dad needs you, Carl needs you."

"Mommy please."

"It's okay baby." She climbed to her feet, her hand slipped from my own, "Just follow their voices..."

Where her hand had left my own there lay a crumpled sheet of parchment, aged with time and stained with the same black as my mothers coat. My fingers shook as I hesitantly unfolded the sheet, there were only a few words scribbled down but they still meant as much as an entire book would have.

Keep them safe.
Don't let the world ruin you.

I stared upon the piece of parchment for the longest time, until the faintest echo of a noise scattered across the distance and I was torn from my trance.

"Hello?" I whispered, "Is someone there?"

I instinctively reached for my knife but nothing was there, not even an empty holster, but that was when the sounds grew louder and they began to sound more like voices.

"Just follow their voices." I heard my mom repeat in my head, and so that was exactly what I did.

I ran as quickly as I could through the darkness and past the shadows, I followed my fathers yells for me to return, and Rick's hushed whispers and Carl's cries. I followed them until I fell through back to the other side all at once and my body shot up off the table.

"Shit..." I heaved out, desperate to catch my own breath.

"You're awake oh my god!" Rick was the first one to reach for me and in only a moment I was swept off of the metal table and was cradled in the older man's lap.

"What happened?" I forced out

"You were running from the herd and fell from a tree trying get away, cracked your head open like an egg." Daryl spoke up, "You're a fighter though, so it looks like you'll be okay."

"She isn't in the clear yet..." Hershel spoke as he entered the room. Quietly he pulled up a chair beside where Rick held me in his arms and placed a gentle hand to my shoulder, "Lydia, I have to be honest with you and as clear as possible here. I don't know how your memory or your ability to walk and function on your own might have been affected by all this. There's no way to know."

"Can't she just walk on her own?" Daryl questioned, taking me from Ricks arms and placing me back up onto the metal cot. "Look Doc, I can't lose her again, we just lost Merle, she's- she's all I got."

"Merle's dead?" My voice shook as I spoke, "How did it happen? What happened?"

"He was stupid!" Daryl hissed, running a hand through his matted hair, "Asshole went off on his own and got bit, and then I come back here with his body to find you almost dead? What the hell-"

"Just like in my dream..." I whispered to myself

"-were you thinking out there? Going off in your own? I coulda lost you!"

"Dad," I stared up at him, my hand in his, "It's okay. I'm not leaving you."

"Fuck..."

And just like that I was in Daryl's arms seemingly protected from the world and everything around me. Despite hearing the all too terrible news about my uncle and hearing of what might happen to me I still felt at home. Even as Carl's eyes stared into my own from over my fathers shoulder I didn't feel an ounce of sadness, only serenity.

"You called me Dad." Daryl mumbled into my ear, I could practically feel him smile into my shoulder

"Just this once, you know because I almost died."

"Alright, you little ass." The man laughed and pulled away from my grasp, quickly wiping the tears from his eyes, "I'll be right outside if you need anything."

"Wait where are you going?" I frantically called after him as Rick and Hershel too stood up and moved to follow him.

"Gotta give you and cowboy some alone time right?"

"Thanks D."

"D huh?" Rick fought a smile

"It's not Dad but it's close enough." Daryl shrugged as Hershel hustled them both out of the room.

"So..." Carl's eyes met mine from his seat at my bed side, "How are you feeling?"

"Screw that! You saved my life."

"You saved mine first."

"Shut up and get over here and hug me."

Carl didn't hesitate for a single second before he climbed up onto his knees upon the table and enveloped me in his arms.

"You seized right in my arms, and-and you were bleeding all over the place, I thought I was about to watch you die."

"I'm not leaving you, I told you that." I spoke into the crook of his neck, "Not after all it took us to get here."

"You promise?" He stared into my eyes

"I promise."

And with those few words spoken I leaned in and pressed the most gentle of kisses to the corner of his mouth. Our lips didn't touch for a moment, only my lips to his skin, but it was close enough. Carl knew that in that one soft meagre kiss, I'd told him everything that needed to be said and to us that was all that mattered.