R.I.P. {I won't say who in case not to spoil anyone} I'll miss you, my little songbird.
There was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Words that he meant to say wouldn't come, he couldn't even beg the heavens for her. He felt like they were a sinking boat and there was no time left; and he was ready to drown.
They never should have fallen in love.
Everyone dies eventually and she left him alone. She broke down his walls and explored every inch and crevice of his mind, leaving him bare and stripped clean. They were people who never should have fallen in love; they were no Maggie and Glenn, no Beth and Daryl. They were just two kids who had no one else left to fall in love with and decided that maybe fate thought they belonged together. He loved her with all his heart, he did, but if they were meant to be together, she wouldn't have died so young.
It wasn't about them though, it wasn't about him or her even. It was about life maybe giving them another chance.
When Aislynn took a breathe of life in Rick's arms, her mouth letting out feeble puffs of cold air that weren't noticed, it was clear that maybe there was something about Carl and Aislynn that refused to let go.
Even when she was dead and gone, she wasn't. She was life and he was eternal; they were the spark that each of them needed.
She was alive and breathing, he was grieving.
He just followed behind his father, watching the way her head bobbed unnaturally with every step.
"She's dead, isn't she?" Carl asked, trying to disguise the quiver in his voice. "She's dead because I didn't try to find her, dad. I didn't look for her and now she-"
"It's not your fault, Carl," Rick said, adjusting the frozen figure in his arms. "She was Daryl's too and he didn't look for her. It's no one's fault, especially not yours."
Carl nodded his head, staring deep into the woods. This didn't feel like heartbreak, this felt like every part of his body was broken.
"Are you trying to throw this away?" he asked, staring across at her but her jaw was set hard.
"I don't know," she said through gritted teeth. "You-you shouldn't stay, Carl. I can't let you waste away with me," she breathed, closing her eyes against cold skin. "I'm not good for you, okay? We're broken, always have been and I refuse to take you down with me."
Carl dropped his head into his hands, her words sinking in.
"Say something, Carl! Because I can't keep going like this, not anymore. I'm giving up, okay? Is that what you want to hear? Say something or that's it; I'm giving up on us. Convince me to keep faith is us and all we have cause I'm still new at this. I know we've been in love for about a year, maybe more, but I'm still learning and if this isn't worth trying for then tell me."
"It is, Aislynn."
"Convince me, Carl! How do I know this is going to work? Give me a reason to wishfully think that we're in love, like we should be."
Carl was at a loss of words, stumbling over them.
"There is a hurt here that can't be healed with a kiss and band-aids."
"We're together because it feels right, even if it isn't. If the universe, some greater force, doesn't want us together, then it will tell us. We need to just hope that what we have- this flame- can't be extinguished. You ignited me, something inside me-"
"If this is about sex then I don't have time for this-"
"Aislynn, it's about us and sex is a part of that. We're young and lonely but we have each other."
She nodded, biting her lip. "Don't leave me, Carl. I just... I need you to hold me, is that alright? Just for a while, just so I can sleep. I just don't think I can close my eyes without you tonight. I need you to just wrap your arms around me and hold me."
"I can do that, I always do."
"I just don't think I love you like I did before."
He nodded, clenching his jaw. "Sure."
"I mean, I love you more. There's this thing inside of me that needs you, every shape and form. I need your lips and voice and everything..."
Her lifeless eyes stared at nothing, refusing to blink or give away any signs of life.
"Where do I even start?" Carl said aloud, looking at Rick and Michonne. "Do I just dig her a shallow grave or...?"
"We guess that's your choice," his father replied.
"Beth said something in your note," Michonne interrupted. "She said that if Aislynn was gone then she was sorry, that counts for something, right?"
The Sheriff's son didn't say anything, just lowered himself to the ground clumsily.
"It's getting dark and Daryl isn't back," Michonne pointed out to Rick, concerning clouding her face. "He's been out there for hours, Rick."
"We can't send someone out there to find him and we can't all go in case he comes back to an empty camp. We wait. If he isn't back by tomorrow midday then we pack up and try to find him. Track him if we can."
"You can't track," Michonne snorted.
"Aislynn probably could," Carl muttered. "She hunted, she probably tracked too."
The two adults stared at each other, both unsure of what to say.
The only sound that filled the empty air was the sudden intake of breath from behind the young boy.
"Weapons down, now," barked a voice. "We don't want any trouble, just looking for a friend. Just wanna make sure you're not a threat."
Michonne stared, emotionless until she finally gave up her weapon and at the sight, Rick and Carl did the same.
"We're looking for a girl. Her name's Azy? Have you seen her?"
"Why are you looking for her?" Michonne asked, trying to keep her voice as nice as possible. "She done something to you guys?"
The man stiffened at the words but shrugged them off. "Shot our leader, dude-"
"Don't call her dude," Carl said, confused but angry.
"The little bi-" the man started with an icy laugh.
"You talking about Azy?" Rick voiced, holding a hand out to Carl as a signal to calm down. "We haven't seen her but we're thinking you might be able to help us, too. One of our men is lost, can't find him. He wondered off the way you came, haven't see him in a while."
The man looked at them as if considering his chances then nodded. "Just found a guy, calls himself Daryl. We got him locked up, tried to tear some guy's throat out, man."
"Yeah, he's a wild card," Michonne snorted, obviously trying to keep her amusement to a minimum.
"I can walk you guys back, might be some friendly faces there. We just took a few people in, couple of girls too-" he paused, nodding his head at Rick. "Pretty little blonde, calls herself Elizabeth and that Azy, feisty but cute. Shame all the good ones are crazy."
Michonne cast a sidewards glance at the Sheriff and his son whose jaws were set angrily.
"Sure, let's go," the woman said, speaking for the two males in her company and the two children.
How bad could this place possibly be?
}------------{
When they arrived, they were immediately held at gunpoint and separated. They tried to fight, Rick for Judith, Carl and Nevaeh, Michonne for Aislynn.
"No!" the Sheriff yelled, falling to the ground.
"Aislynn," Michonne said, staring at the body of the young girl. "What are you doing to her?"
Her words were directed at the people of Terminus whose hands were wandering all over the body.
"She's got a heartbeat," one of them told her. "And a pulse."
Michonne turned to share the good news with Carl and Rick but they were being dragged away, not having heard the good news.
"We'll need to run tests on all of you. Even the children. Anyone infertile will be punished."
That was good news for Michonne and Rick. They'd both already had children so the wouldn't be punished but Chonne couldn't say whether or not Aislynn was. Her and Carl had always used protection so none of them knew.
"Take them to the stand-in medical room and start running the tests. The boy goes to the concrete cell after his tests are finished," a voice ordered. "I'm going to have a little fun with him-"
"If you touch him," the Samurai warned, "I'll kill you."
"You shouldn't be worried about him. Be worried about yourself and the children. We're going to have the real fun with you. If anyone is infertile, they'll be the first killed."