(June 4th, 2011)
"Nyx, it's time for you to go on watch." Rick whispered as he shook me awake, I yawn and sit up, flinging my legs over the edge of the bed and putting my boots on, "I hope you don't mind, I asked Carl to join you on watch." Rick informed me as I exited my cell, he locked it after me because Noel and Naomi were asleep in there. Noel must've decided to sleep in my cell because he knew I was on watch and no one would be there if Naomi woke up, "I don't mind at all." I whisper my response to Rick as I retie my ponytail and grab a gun.
Carl was waiting for me at the door leaving the cell block, we share a smile before making our way to the guard tower. "How'd you sleep?" Carl questions obviously trying to make small talk with me, "good, did you get to rest before this watch?" I ask back to keep the conversation going. "Yeah, got a few hours." I nod as we reach the top of the tower, we both sat down and began searching the grounds using our binoculars.
"When's your birthday?" I know it was a random question, and rather silly that I still believe that birthdays should be celebrated. "June 27th, you?" I smile looking over at him, "June 30th, how old will you be?" "15." "Me too." We focused back at keeping watch instead of staring at each other. "What was your favourite thing to do when you were bored before?" Carl questions me, a small smile played on my lips as I thought of a possible answer, "I was a bit of a dork, did a lot of reading. But my favourite thing to do was writing music, it was never good but it helped me express what I was feeling at the time."
There was a moment of silence before I asked Carl the same questions, he told me that he really liked comic books and video games, "I only really read the Spider-Man comics because it's the ones Noel got. I wasn't allowed buy my own comic books, mom said that they were for boys." I shrugged as I surveil the perimeter, "so you never owned your own comic?" Carl questioned and I shook my head no, "my grandmother got me the first three comics in the invincible series for my 11th birthday, told me that nothing I read is gendered, that I can read what I like. Mum and her had a falling out after that." I smiled at the memory.
I still have the comics with me, I read them every now and again to remind me of my grandmother. She's the one that moved us all over to Georgia, since mum couldn't afford to live on her own with me. Gran took care of me when she could, and she was probably my favourite adult that once walked the Earth. "I love those comics!" Carl chimed making me smile over at him, "I still have them if you wanna borrow them." "Really? Are you sure?" I nod and Carl pulls me into a quick hug, I was surprised by it because it felt different that any other hugs I've ever received, it was almost like his touch was electric.
"What are you planning to do tomorrow?" I question Carl as I rest my back against the tower wall, since we were out on the balcony, "I'm going on a run with my dad and Michonne..." Carl was almost weary about my reaction to the news that he was allowed go on runs and I wasn't. "Well please be careful..." I told him, he promised he would. "Shouldn't you be sleeping? You'll be wrecked in the morning for the run." Carl just shrugged at my words as I continued to watch the perimeter. "We'll be up here for another three hours, why don't you take an hour nap? That way you'll be more alert on your run." Carl was going to argue but he knew from seeing the way I interact with Noel that he wouldn't win. "Ok, one hour and you'll wake me up?" I nodded and promised Carl that I would wake him up. I pulled the blanket out of my bag, Carl looked at me strangely, "I brought it just in case it was cold." I handed him over the blanket, he wrapped himself up in it as I continued the watch.
After five minutes, Carl's head slumped onto my shoulder and soft snores left his mouth, I smiled gently at the touch, he was radiating heat and keeping me warm. Nothing interesting really happened during the hour so I decided to give Carl an extra 30 minutes. Rick came up to check on us, brought up a blanket and a smile played on his lips as he saw Carl sleeping next to me. "You made him sleep huh?" Rick spoke, I chuckled and nodded my head as I reminded him that they have an their run and he needs to be well rested.
"You okay with me bringing Carl?" Rick questioned in the dark, "yeah, he's ready." Rick shook his head no before asking if I was ok with him bring Carl instead of bringing me, "it's your decision who does what, and I told you that I'm trying to hand over the last of my control. Letting me do what I want to do is letting me keep the control I'm holding onto, so no I'm glad you're bringing him instead of me." Rick smiled at me, patted my head and told me I was a good kid before handing me the blanket. "Now, you go get some sleep." I told Rick, who chuckled before leaving, I guess when I opened up to him, he really listened.
I shake Carl awake, he yawns and opens his eyes, before realising that he was cuddling into my side, he quickly moved away. I roll my eyes at the sudden reaction, if I'm honest I liked it, Carl was giving me some comfort for being up here. "What did I miss?" I told him that his dad turned up for a few minutes, told him what we talked about and after that nothing has really happened. I shiver slightly, I didn't realise how warm Carl kept me until he moved away, I wrap the blanket Rick brought up around me, hugging my body for a second to heat up. "You ok?" Carl questioned as I still slightly shivered, I tell him that I'm just a little cold, and he wraps the other blanket around me, it smelled like him and it was extremely warm. "Thanks..." I blush as I focus on keeping watch and not these new interactions I'm having with Carl that are making feel weird.
I yawn when there was about ten minutes left of our watch, "I'll go wake up Daryl." Carl spoke as he stood up and made his way down the stairs, I watched him leave and a sad smile played on my lips at the fact that our watch is over. Carl and I haven't really connected in the past, he's mostly in the prison whilst I'm usually not around at all. But over the last couple of hours we really hit it off, we have some similar interest and he's a nice guy. I try to clear my mind of all thoughts Carl and focus on what I'm meant to be doing, moments later Daryl came into view. "How was your shift?" I smiled handing Daryl the blankets, "good, it's nice to have someone to talk to up here." Daryl smirks at me and then I realised he was asking if we saw anything strange, I blush looking away from him and out towards the woods. "We didn't see anything out of the ordinary, well I saw a deer run off in the direction of the tracks." I looked back at Daryl who was still smirking at me, "okay... I'm gonna go, goodnight Daryl." I gave him a fist pump, "night Huntress." I smirk before disappearing from Daryl's view as I walked back to cell block C, slightly embarrassed in what I admitted to Daryl.
I made my way to my cell to see that Noel, Judith, Naomi and Beth were asleep in it. I groan at the sight causing Carl to come out of his cell next door, he looked into my cell and chuckled a bit. "You can room with me tonight." Carl offered, I thanked him asking him if he wanted the top or bottom bunk. "Bottom, that way I won't wake you when we're leaving for our run." I nod in agreement with him, and I kick off my shoes and shrugged off my coat. I put them away neatly before climbing up the ladder onto my bed for the night, "goodnight Carl." I whisper into the dark, "Sweet dreams Nyx." I smile before slowly falling asleep.
...
I woke up to Carl coming back into the room, I yawn before smiling at him, "have a good run?" I ask him as I stretch awake, he watches me with a smile on his face, "why don't you come and see?" I raised a suggestive eyebrow at him, hoping down from the top bunk, I pull on my shoes and promise to get changed after I see the haul. I put my hair up into a messy bun as Carl leads the way, we walk into the room where Merle sleeps before seeing a table full of guns and bullets.
"Wow, this is amazing." I say moving over to the table to see the new stock, "great job, Cowboy." I praise Carl, who puffs out his chest with pride as he said "it was nothing." I smile over my shoulder at him, "hungry?" I question him, he nods and I grab a can of soup and cooked it for whoever wanted it. "Where is everyone?" I ask him as we sit down next to one another, "Maggie, Noel, and Glenn are on watch. Carol and Beth are taking care of Naomi and the baby, I don't know where Merle and Michonne are. My dad, Daryl and Hershel have gone to meet the Governor, Andrea set up a negotiation." I nod slowly taking in the information as I stir the soup. "Any problems on your run?" I ask him as I continue cooking, he shook his head no, "I think Michonne might be one of us." I smile brightly at his words, "really?" I look at him, I just realised how close we were sitting, "yeah."
"NYX!" Naomi called and came running at me and Carl. I was tackled into a hug by the four year old, I groan at the impact causing Carl to chuckle next to me, Naomi sits on my lap, "everything alright sweetie?" She nodded and noticed I was cooking, "can I ave sum?" she questions pointing to the soup but she wasn't looking at me, she was looking at Carl. Carl blushed and nodded, Naomi gave him a tight hug thanks and a sloppy kiss on the cheek, I chuckle as I pull her away from the boy.
"What about me?" I pout at her and she gives me a kiss on the forehead, "now, ssop" I laugh lightly and tell her to have some patience since it was too hot for her. I gave Carl a bowl, then Naomi and then got my own. "Now blow so it's not too hot for you." Naomi draws in a deep breath and before I could stop her she blew the soup with such force it went all over my face. "oh, saw-we." Naomi wiped my face for me and I told her that it was ok and not to blow so hard next time. "Like this Naomi." Carl spoke and lightly blew the soup on her spoon and tipped it into her mouth. I smile as I watch the boy help Naomi eat her food, it was the cutest thing I've ever witnessed, "what?" Carl questioned looking at me, "oh nothing just a nice moment." Carl smiled back at me as a blush creeped onto his cheek. The three of us ate in peaceful silence, just enjoying each others' company.
It was a couple of hours before Rick, Daryl and Hershel returned, I was on gate duty when the arrived. Rick told us all to go inside, and that we'll speak there, no one else even bothered saying anything we just followed Rick. We stood in a circle at the end of the stairs again, this time Merle was included in the talk. I hold Naomi on my hip, Carl and Noel to the side of me as Rick goes to the cell and picks up a gun before making it to the centre of the circle. "So, I met this Governor, sat with him for quite a while," Rick admits, Merle asks him if it was just the two of them, Rick confirmed that it was and Merle makes a comment that they should've gone when they had the chance. Carl told me about Merle trying to go after Rick and it took Glenn, Michonne and Maggie to stop him. Glenn clenched his jaw and watched Merle walk past him and away.
"He wants the prison, he wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead, for what we did to Woodbury," Glenn and I share a guilt filled look, he wants war all because they had to come and save us. "We're going to war." I draw in a deep breath at Rick's words as I watch him leave, Daryl goes to walk up the stairs but shares a nod with his brother first, and one by one everyone started to move away from each other, "we should hit first." Merle spoke to us, Michonne agreed with him, "We should leave." Hershel speaks up and Carol immediately agrees with him.
I shook my head no, "this is our home, we fought for it, and we lost for it. We can't just bend over when some asshole asks for it. This is ours, and it's worth fighting for." Glenn, Maggie, Noel, Carl and Daryl nodded their heads agreeing with me, "whatever we decide, we do it together." Glenn spoke up, everyone nodded or said yeah, Hershel got up and made his way after Rick.