Surviving Nyx (C.Grimes/TWD) {{ON HOLD}}

FORTY-THREE: Slow Motion

(21st April, 2012)

I heard the sound of splintering and looked over at Rick and Carl that were to my far left, a wooden beam between us snapped. Rick tried to hold the fence together whilst Carl went to grab another log, but another one snapped and he told us to run. I wasn't splitting from them, so I ran through the herd of walkers, Carl and Rick were almost in the guard tower once I got in front of the herd. "SHUT IT, I'LL TAKE THE FENCE." I yell at Rick, as I continue to sprint, getting a good bit away from the walkers as Rick closed the door. I jumped onto the fence and climbed it as quick as I could, a walker grabbed my leg, I struggled against it and my boot came off giving me time to reach the top of the fence. "Nyx, jump." Rick ordered me, and without hesitation I jumped and the two Grimes men caught me.

"Are you okay?" Carl questions holding my face, "I'm fine, he just got my boot." I turn to Rick asking him what do we do, and he suggests him putting the bus up against the fence, "will it hold?" Carl asks, but I knew by Rick's face he wasn't sure. I sat down pulling off my other boot, "come on." Rick told us, Carl pulled me up and we ran up towards the prison. Rick lead us to the prison's old laundry baskets, that were filled with all our guns. Rick passes us magazines, telling us to put them in our pockets. Rick hands us a M4A1 assault rifle each.

"All right, listen to me. Magazine goes in here. Release is here. Make sure it latches. Pull back the operating rod and rounds feed up." Rick gives us a quick run down on how to operate the guns, I follow each step he shows me and so does Carl, "keep squeezing the trigger for rapid fire, okay?" We tell Rick that we got everything he was telling us, "you shoot or you run. Don't let 'em get close, okay?" We nod and get ready once we see the fence go down. I stood next to Carl as we opened fire.

I covered Carl whilst he changed his magazine, before changing my own, I took a deep breath and got back to shooting, whenever you're in this kind of situation it's almost like the world stands still. Most people think it's the adrenaline kicking in, as well as our fight or flight mechanism. I like to think the world slowing down to give you more time to aim, to secure yourself, so you don't panic and get yourself killed. I saw a walker get close to Rick and he hits it with the back of his gun not killing it, he was out of bullets and whilst Carl took care of the walker I tossed Rick another mag.

Carl and I share a nod before we both start to advance on the walkers, showing how in control we were over this shit hole of a situation. I just kept shooting, the only thing on my mind was protecting Carl, I will never let him die on my watch but I also know he's strong, he can handle himself and I'm just his safety net, if things turn worse than they are, I would sacrifice myself in a heartbeat to give Carl a chance to get away. There was about 20 walkers left when I ran out of bullets, Carl stood in front of me whilst I took my bow off my back, "I'm good." I tell Carl as I aim my first arrow, shooting 8 of the last twenty.

Rick stops Carl from walking into the pile of walkers, we go over to the gun baskets, placing the guns back and picking up the sharp pipes people on fence duty usually use as we did a sweep of the bodies, killing any walker that was still groaning. I could see the Rick come to the realisation that his son is not a boy anymore, he finally sees Carl's strength. I listened for groan and moaning from the walkers that might have survive, and once I was happy to let Rick and Carl handle the last two, I grabbed the eight arrows I shot.

I heard the sound of an engine, my head shooting up to see a car pulling up to the prison, "Dad, everything is gonna to be okay." Carl told Rick, before we both make our way to the front gates to let Daryl's run team back in. I open the chainlink gate as Carl gets the red doors, we close them the second the car drives through.

"I have to say... you were pretty hot earlier." I smirk over at Carl as I take his hand and we slowly make our way up the field. "I'm always hot." Carl remarked making me chuckle, "hop on." I look at him confused, Carl gestures to my now green and blood soaked socks and the his back. I smile, "you sure you can handle it." Carl nods, I jump onto his back and he walks with a bit of a sway in his stride. I take his hat off his head and put it on mine. "Giddy up." I joke which causing Carl to shake his head and laugh, "strange how one minute we're slaying walkers and the next you're making terrible cowboy jokes." Carl points out as we reach the top of the field, Rick approaches us and hands me my other pair of boots.

"So, about those new sleeping arrangements?" Rick broke his silence, Carl groans as I look at Rick confused on why he wanted us to change our sleeping arrangements. "Don't act all innocent Ms Martin, I know a 'I lost my virginity' walk when I see it." I smile as Rick points out the new sway in Carl's step, "it's not like we can do it when Naomi sleeps next door, she's the lightest sleeper on earth." Carl tries to argue, which only cemented to Rick that we had done the deed.

"Do I have to give you the talk?" Carl groans, asking me to get off his back because his dad is embarrassing him, "no need, Nyx gave it to me already." Carl informs his dad which causes Rick to look at me strangely, "Carl wanted to help when I had to give Noel and Lena the birds and bees talk, but all he did was absorb the information I said." Carl elbowed me for my comment, "yeah, well at least now I know why you want to be the big spoon for four days in the middle of the month." Rick started to chuckle knowing that his son actually was given the talk by his girlfriend.

"Wait Noel and Lena aren't-" "No, they're children. They are about to hit puberty and I lost a game of nose goes against Phoebe and Beth." Rick nods as if my words make perfect sense. "You both realise that 15 is quite young to be having sex right?" We nod at Rick's question, "we'll be sixteen soon and that was the legal age before the turn. It was all consensual and we used protection." Rick stopped for a second as if he's battle with himself after Carl verified that we were being extra careful.

"Well as long as you are safe, but that doesn't mean you should have sex every night." Rick warns as we continue to walk, "and I'll have to tell Daryl." Carl groans whilst I roll my eyes, "our whole group will know by the end of tomorrow." I whispered to Carl, who nods in agreement. Daryl respects me enough to make my own decisions, especially since I sat down with him and opened up about my past.

I told every little detail, and he knows how cautious I am, and I might've discussed with him that I was thinking about going the full way with Carl. He told me as long as we are careful, quiet and Carl is wrapped up, he's okay with it. "Is it safe to use the showers?" I question Rick as I gesture to my blood soaked clothes, "yeah, you can move back into your old cell as well."

"Nyx?" I hum in response to Carl, who is on the other side of the sheet in the 'men's' shower, whilst I stood in the 'women's' shower. "Why are you so chill about my dad talking to Daryl?" I begin to latter soap on my skin, "because I've already had a sit down with my Dad. He told me as long as we are practicing safe sex whilst being quiet, he's okay with it." Carl was silent for a second, "when did you have this sit down with him?" I told him that is was the start of last month, that I just wanted to make sure Daryl wasn't gonna kill him for us having sex. "A month?" I smile as I start to shampoo my hair, "I like to be prepared for anything." I could hear Carl's eyes roll at the statement that I tend to use a lot.

"DAD! What the f-" Carl let out a roar, Rick was laughing as I can hear Carl's shower turn off and assume he covered himself with his towel, "I was just making sure you weren't having shower sex. Great sex but there's the whole slipping hazard, it's actually how you were con-" "Do not finish that sentence." I started laughing turning off my shower and wrapping my towel around my body, "are you going to be constantly watching us to scare us from having sex?" I question Rick as I poke my head into the boys view, "nope, just until I speak with Daryl, then he can take over."

I laughed which made Carl spin around to look at me saying that it's not funny. "It's a little funny." I admit with a grin on my face, "so Nyx, how was he?" Rick questioned, "Dad, you're crossing the line." "Out of ten?" Rick nodded and I smile, "I'd give him a solid 12." I respond casually which makes Carl's cheeks burn red as his father offers him a fist bump, "atta man." Rick chimes, Carl reluctantly connects his fist with Rick's.

When we returned to our cell block in our pyjamas, five minutes after Rick left the showers. I take Naomi off Daryl, carrying her to her cell and putting her on the top bunk, tucking her in. "Good night sweetpea." I mumble kissing her forehead, "good night, Nyx." Naomi returns the gesture, "sweet dreams, princess." Carl's whispers also giving Naomi a kiss on the forehead, "sweet dreams, cowboy." Carl groans at Naomi's nickname for him, and gives me a playful scolding after we leave her cell.

"Sorry, cowboy." I chuckle giving him a smiley kiss. "Night gang!" I call to everyone who was still up, and it was followed by a handful of the others calling back their goodnights. Carl and I crawl into bed, I ravel our legs together, wrapping one of my arms around his waist and resting my head on his chest. "Night, Bubba." I whisper into Carl's chest, "night, love."