Chapter 10 - Searching for Love
Michonne sat at the open edge of the small tree house, watching the day fade into evening. The world outside was deceptively quiet. She knew enough to keep her guard up because that could change at any moment.
Inside the drafty tree house Rick was resting and Carl was wringing out his socks, trying to find a place to hang them up to dry. Michonne returned her attention to the forest outside.
The partially collapsed cabin was visible from her perch. There was a glimpse of the setting sun reflecting off the lake in the other direction.
Carl sat down beside her, letting his feet dangle off the edge of the platform.
"Do you think they'll come back?" he asked, "The people who were staying here before?"
Michonne thought about this.
"I don't know," her hand unconsciously went to her sword, reassuring herself that it was still at her side, "We'll keep a look out and if we see anyone coming, we'll leave before they get here."
"Unless it's someone we know," Carl said, and then added in a quieter voice, "someone from the prison."
Michonne looked at him thoughtfully.
"Do you think anyone else got out? Do you think we'll find them?" he asked, hope tainting his voice.
Michonne was quiet. Carl looked back out towards the forest.
Rick hadn't said anything about looking for the others. It must have been pretty bad when he and Carl left. Michonne had lingered as long as she could after she lost track of Rick, hoping to see someone else alive, but there had only been smoke and walking corpses filling the prison yard when she left.
Even if someone else made it out, and survived this long on their own, out in the open, Michonne thought, there's no way to find them. With Rick hurt the way he is, there's no way we can go out searching...
"I don't know, Carl," she said gently, "I don't know if it's possible to find people anymore, even if you do nothing but look for them." I should know, I searched for the Governor for weeks and what good did that do?
"But you found us," Carl pointed out.
"That's right. I did."
They were quiet for a while, Carl tossing stray acorns over the side, watching darkness fall, before he spoke up again.
"Michonne, can I ask you something?" he said.
She nodded for him to continue.
"Do you like my dad?"
Michonne frowned, "Of course I like him. We're friends, you know that."
"No..." Carl rolled his eyes, "Not that. I mean, do you like like my dad?"
"Oh," Michonne said. So that's the conversation we're having...It's not that obvious, is it?
"It would be okay, you know, if you did," Carl said seriously, "I'll always miss my mom, but things are different now. I just think it would be okay."
Carl trailed off. He looked down, scratching at the faded paint on the floor.
"It's better when you're around. He's not so... With the three of us, it almost feels like we're a real family again," Carl finished, his voice cracking at that last bit.
"Oh, honey," Michonne said, moving over close to him and draping an arm over his shoulders.
Carl wiped his eyes with his sleeve but he didn't resist. He leaned his head on Michonne's shoulder.
"You are a real family," she told him softly, "Your dad loves you, Carl. You know that, right? He loves you more than anything."
"I know," Carl sniffled. If Michonne said it, it had to be true. He knew it was true.
"And I love you too. I'm not going anywhere without you and Rick again," Michonne promised.
"I love you, too, Michonne," he said it back, feeling a little better.
He didn't want Michonne to replace his mom. It wasn't like that; he was too independent now and they were good as friends, but even so he knew that she protected him sometimes. She comforted him.
"And my dad? Do you love him too?" Carl looked up at Michonne, a small smile crossing his features.
"You're not letting that go, are you?" she replied.
"Come on! You owe me an answer!" Carl said, knowing he was pushing his luck, but he had to try. Even if he'd gotten sidetracked for a moment there, he wasn't giving up that easily!
Michonne glanced back over her shoulder at Rick. He was lying in a partly zipped green sleeping bag, his forearm over his eyes to block out the light.
"You don't have to say it out loud, just shake your head yes or no," Carl pleaded.
Michonne nodded once, and then looked back out towards the lake. She had to keep watch, after all.
"Okay," Carl smiled to himself.
They sat in peace until the stars came out and Carl yawned. He was nearly asleep already, leaning against Michonne's shoulder.
"Go on, get some sleep," she told him.
Michonne watched Carl move towards the back of the tree house and settle in next to Rick for the night.
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