During the journey, Lauren and Carl explained what had transpired the last few months, their trials and all they had lost and gained. Their friends, their newfound safety and happiness. For the first time in a long time, it felt like nothing could split them apart, that nothing could jeopardise their contentment. They felt like if they stood as a team, nobody could tear it away from them again.
Lauren felt like she knew a lot about the world, she felt experienced. She had faced almost every antagonist, the bad and the downright evil and she had surpassed them all, with the aid of her extended family. In a small part, she felt more dangerous than anyone she had faced, more determined and more cold-blooded. She had spilled blood, she had wallowed in her guilt but she came out stronger, she knew what she had to do to survive, and she would always kill without hesistation.
"So Ethan..?" Rachel said aloud, "He tried to have Carl killed thinking you would chose him?"
"Yeah," Lauren grimaced at the memory, "He had him beaten infront of me and dragged away. He told me he was dead and I lost myself. I willed myself not to believe him but he wouldn't even tell me where he had him taken. I lost control, and I slit his throat. It took a day before I found out Carl was still alive."
The convirsation lapsed into silence, a state of disbelief but Lauren knew it was what she needed to do. It would have turned out worse had she not killed him, she knew that now. She felt Carl's hand brush against her own, a silent comfort between them both. She smiled ever so slightly and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Once she had her lifeline, she could pass any obstacle.
"We're here," Lauren announced, feeling oddly nervous at returning to Greenview. She had left because she could no longer cope with what had happened. She turned down the pathway, large iron gates looming onfront of her. She waved up at the two guards standing atop the high stone wall.
"I'm back with the rest of my group," Lauren shouted up, making sure they could see her properly, they lowered their guns and nodded.
"Welcome back Lauren.. and Carl."
Seconds later, one of the guards climbed down from the wall and pulled on the large gate, the metal creeking eerily as it opened. She smiled to him, walking through the gates and into the area of the Survivors. Large green fields surrounded them as they walked, overgrown from years of neglect. A lone golf flagpost stuck from the ground, its once vibrant yellow colour faded.
Greenview was a welcome sight, the large building towering high, getting bigger as they approached. She could see the courtyard, and beside it the small plot of graves, where Diggy was laid to rest. She sucked in a deep breath and tore her eyes from the patch of grass. People bussled about, digging and tending to the farms out the front.
"Samantha!" Lauren mocked jokingly as she spotted her friend outside the front of the large hotel. She waved as Sam turned, her cold demeanour replaced for joy. She bolted forward, wrapping her arms around Lauren's thin frame.
"You took so goddamn long I thought you both got killed," Sam breathed out, squeezing Lauren for dear life. She found it amusing how Sam was always so serious but her mask fell when it came to the people she cared most about, "Where have you been?"
"It's a long story," Lauren mumbeled with a short laugh as she detached from Sam. She took a step back and surveyed the group, her eyes landing on Carl.
"What the hell happened to you?" She exclaimed, bringing her hand up to touch Carl's bandages, he caught her wrist with a smile and shook his head gently.
"It's still tender," He pressed his lips into a tight, awkward smile and shrugged, "I got shot.. you know.. in the eye."
"Jesus," Sam shook her head, her forehead creased in concern, "You have the worst luck, Carl Grimes."
Carl nodded with a small smile and gestured to Rick who was standing to his left, unsure of what he should do.
"This is my dad, Rick."
Sam stepped forward and shook his hand, a friendly smile on her face.
"Any friends and family of these two is the same to me, they've saved my ass and everyones here," Sam nodded her head to Rick, "Nice to meet you."
Sam stepped back, her hands joined behind her back. Her nailed baseball bat sitting at her hip.
"I'm Sam, and this is Greenview. I hope that you will all think of it as home."
She turned to Lauren, a cautious look on her face.
"Seeing as you're back we should have a chat about your prospects as a leader here," Sam said, "I don't desire it and everyone here trusts you, you changed all their lives by killing Ethan, you were the one that made it all happen."
Lauren sighed. She glanced behind her to see most of the group giving her odd looks. She knew that a lot of them still saw her as a child, they haden't witnessed what she had done and how she had lead the Survivors against Ethan.
"I'm sixteen, Sam."
"It dosen't matter," Sam shook her head, "They trust you, no matter your age and you are more than capable. It's a figurehead, someone to run everything by, get advice, strategy. They need a leader and not all of them trust me, perks of being once part of Ethan's trusted."
"I'm dealing in lives, Sam," Lauren frowned, "I can't have people looking up to me for support. I can't let anyone down."
"We're taking about this later," Sam said sternly, her eyebrow raised and her foot planted firmly on the metaphorical ground.
Lauren rolled her eyes.
"Alright."
"Good," Sam smiled, "Now come on and we'll get you all settled in."
Chloe and Josh had welcomed them as they walked into the lobby. Sam had put most of the group together on the second floor, Carl and Lauren having their old room which had been left for them to come back. Ethan's room sat vacant on end of the corridor.
Lauren plopped herself down on the bed, a sigh escaping her lips.
"It's good to be back."
"Yeah?" Carl said, more as a question than a reply.
"Yeah," Lauren smiled, "I think it's good to have somewhere safe after all we've been through the last month. We can get Doc to check your eye to see if it's healing okay."
"It'll be fine," Carl laughef softly, lying down beside Lauren, "And what about this leader thing, would you think about it?"
"Carl I'm sixteen," Lauren protested, "People can hardly put trust in someone half their age to protect them."
"You've proved what you can do," He said softly, "You showed them and they saw, they obviously believe you can protect them. You just need to believe too."
Lauren sighed and wrapped her arms around Carl, relaxing against his body. She pressed her lips against his, brushing the stray strands from his eyes. He pulled away and pressed a finger to her lips.
"You can't kiss me to stop me talking," Carl laughed, "Even though it kinda works."
"I'll think about accepting," Lauren rolled her eyes, "Now kiss me, Grimes."
~•~
Lauren and Carl found the rest of the group in one of the rooms on the second floor, they were all seated and Rick stood infront of them, obviously deliberating on whether to give Greenview a chance or not. They stood at the door, the rest of the group unaware of their presence. Lauren gently knocked on the open door and stepped inside.
"Lauren, Carl," Rick greeted, his thumbs tucked in the waistband of his jeans, "Take a seat."
Lauren nodded towards him but stayed where she was, a defiant smirk on her lips, "Thanks, but I'll stay where I am."
"You going to lead this place?" Rick asked sceptically, his whole body language and tone challenging Lauren.
"I was thinking about it," She mumbeled, her expression stone cold, "Look Rick, I respect you, but this place.. it's safe. We can protect ourselves here. I know that you haven't dealt with many people outside of this group that haven't tried to kill you in awhile, but I trust these people and they trust me. If you want to go out into the world and fight for a can of beans every day then be my guest, but I'm going to live my life in some kind of security."
Lauren paused, sighing.
"I know you find it hard to trust me, and I don't blame you, but I want everyone here to live some kind of life. We can live here. We can protect ourselves and we can survive. Nobody is going to stop you if you want to leave, I'd just rather you all here. I don't know if you all do, but I see you as my family, and I never really had much of that before. Just trust me."
Rick scratched at his stubble and nodded, offering Lauren a tight-lipped smile.
"My son trusts you, and so does most everyone here. I just want to make sure we'll be safe, and I know we will now. Safer than out there. I trust you, I just need time to get used to everything here."
Lauren nodded, a small smile on her face.
"Well, if I do take to leading the place here I'll make sure you get to watch over the security," She smiled, "Put those sherriff's skills to good use."
Lauren looked to Michonne who smiled proudly at her.
"There is hot water and clean clothes in the drawers, if you're hungry the canteen is downstairs and I think it's soup today," She said, "Take care of yourselves, this place will be good for us."
Lauren turned on her heel and left the room with Carl, closing the door behind her. She let out a long ragged breath she didn't know she was holding and laughed. Carl chuckled at her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"That is why people want you as a leader," He smiled, "You can talk anyone around. I'm proud of you."
He kissed the top of her head and rubbed down her arms.
"Let's go down to the lobby and see some friends."
Lauren nodded and Carl clasped her hand in his, pulling her down the stairs after him. He pushed open the door to the large lobby and moved towards where Sam was standing. She smiled over at him and gestured for them both to come over.
"I have some old friends of yours," Sam said, stepping aside to reveal Valorie and Declan. Carl had forgetten he had sent for them to be brought back to Greenview.
"I'm glad to see you both made it here," Carl said happily, he noticed the small child in Valories arms and smiled, "Well.. three of you."
"We named him after you," Valorie smiled, "For saving our lives, we called him Xander Carl Haynes."
"He wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, none of us would," Declan added, his hazel eyes shining.
"I don't know what to say," Carl let out a short happy laugh, he looked down at the baby with such happiness that Lauren almost melted where she stood, "Thank you, you're going to be safe here. He's going to grow up safe."
"And that's all thanks to you two," Valorie smiled, holding out the tiny baby to Carl, "You can hold him if you like."
Carl took the small child in his arms and gently rocked him back and forth. Lauren couldn't help but be hopeful, this time, she didn't fear the future.
~•~
Lauren lay on her bed, her body wrapped in Carl's. Her leg intertwined with his, his arms wrapped around her, his calloused thumbs running gently over the skin of her arm. She breathed in his scent, contented.
"We're going to be okay this time," Lauren whispered into Carl's neck, her lips tickling the soft skin.
"We will," He kissed the top of her head.
"We'll be able to defend this place," Lauren said softly, "We can survive here, and nobody is going to take it away from us again."
"I'd be more worried about what you'll do to them," Carl chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead.
"I'm not losing anything again."
"You'll never lose me," He pulled her tighter, rubbing circles soothingly on her arms.
"God help anyone who tries to take you from me," Lauren chuckled, brushing her lips teasingly against Carl's, "I love you more than anything in this world. You are half of me, and a half I cannot live without."
"Remember," Carl mumbeled, his lips only millimetres from hers. She could feel his breath tickling her lips, "Our hearts beat together; If you die, I do too."
~•~
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
I, bat shit crazy author lady, have decided that I love this series too much to leave it after this book and I am going to write a third book.
*Que gasps*
I had an idea and I think there is more story to this book and a trilogy sounds cool too. I changed the name of the first book to 'Forever Alone' to make some sort of theme and I think I'll call the next book 'Forever Broken'
The last book will probably break all of you... heh heh heh
(Also, all that's left in this book is an epilogue, I'll post it when I have a bit of the next book planned and ready)
VOTE AND COMMENT! :)