Red's POV

"Are you gonna tell Carl?" Rick asked.
"There's nothing to tell" I replied

"You know that you played a part in my decision"
"Yes" I sighed, "But-"

"No buts, just take my hand and come on" he said as I reached out and held his hand nervously.

He lead me to the top floor of the barn and there sat Carl by the window, as he turned around I quickly removed my hand from Rick's.

"Hey Carl, I'm Red" I smiled and added a little wave.
"Hi!" He said cheerfully and gave me a hug. I giggled, trying to portray my friendliest self and then Rick said

"Carl can we talk"
"Who died?" He asked solemnly and my heart broke into a million tiny pieces for this poor boy in this cruel world.

Carl's POV

My dad had asked me to talk which was an almost sure sigh that someone had died, my breathing paused, everything began to slow-

"No ones dead" Red said sympathetically.
I smiled weakly and asked.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?"
"Me and your mum" Dad said.

"What happened?" I asked.
"We are getting a metaphorical divorce" dad said.

I stared at him, almost numb to the idea after months of them arguing and putting me between them.

"Why?" I asked.
"It's a lot of things Carl"
"Who?" I asked, already knowing it was someone else, I knew the kind of man he was.

He took a sharp breath but hesitated a second too long before answering and I had a suspicion of who it was.

"Y-you BITCH you've ruined everything" I screamed at Red, anger coursing through my veins with the painkillers and adrenaline.

And I ran, aiming to get as far away from everyone as possible.

Rick's POV

Carl didn't react to the news very well... And after he ran so did Red.

I was gonna go after her but she needed space and I knew I needed to respect that so I walked down the stairs and out the barn and straight into Glenn.

He looked pale and ill, he was sweating and panting and instantly I was on edge.

"Dude get to Red's tent now" he said.
"Why?"
"Just go" he said, more urgently than before.

And with that I set off jogging for our tent and once I was there I heard hysterical crying and shuffling.

I got in and saw blood on the wall of the tent and it spelled out "Go to hell bitch" and there was a note on the floor.

I snatched it before she could stop me and it read:
"Red, Just leave now and stay away from my husband. You're not wanted here.
Lots of love,
Lori xox"

I looked back up and Red was packing, frantically.

"You can't leave" I said loudly
"I have to"
"No you don't"
"I do" she said, almost a whisper.

"I'll go with you"
"You have Carl, and your wife. They need you Rick"

"Please don't go" I begged.
"I don't want to stay"

My temper took over. I ran out the tent and towards Lori angrily.

"How could you do that, it's cruel and unnecessary and god Lori how are you already dragging other people into this" I cried out exasperatedly.

"Rick I- I don't know what you're talking about" she seemed genuinely confused.

I knew her, if she was lying I would know instantly.

"You didn't do it?"
"Honestly Rick you were right no one needs to get hurt I wouldn't do anything to involve others, and if this is about Red, especially not her, she's just a kid" she sounded sincere but it was an obvious dig about our age gap.

"She's an adult" I responded bluntly.

"Sorry" she said lowering her head. I pulled her into a friendly hug as I tried to work through the confusion of who had left Red the note and as I did I saw Carl, with blood running down his arms. I had my answer.

"CARl!" I shouted and began to run, fast. I pulled Lori with me and we caught up to him.

"What happened baby?" Concern dripped from Lori's voice. He was about to reply when I saw a blood covered knife in of his pocket.

I grabbed it and soon it was confirmed who had left the note and drawn in blood.

"Can you take him to Hershel?" I asked Lori. She nodded and took his hand. She was clearly confused about my lack of compassion.

My own son had done something so sinister it filled me with rage.

Red's POV

I cried, I couldn't say goodbye so I just left.

Glenn and Rick, I left them.

I lost Glenn again.

And so here I was sat in a tree starving, dehydrated and without supplies, I couldn't bring myself to steal any.

I was interrupted from my endless thoughts about my pain when suddenly a voice startled me and I slipped and nearly fell from the tree but held on.

"RED?" Someone shouted in a hushed voice.

"Red come back, it wasn't me it was Carl, it'll be ok I promise please I know your out here"

I wasn't convinced, and so I stayed put. My trust in people was fucked as it is and I was not going to put any of my trust in Lori.

After a few minutes of her wandering around below me, I heard her sigh and move on, either further out into the woods or back towards the farm, I couldn't tell.

I sat there for hours, playing over my next move carefully, planning out each scenario meticulously, I could go in one direction and hope to find supplies or I could head back and leach off of theirs until I found my feet.

I fiddled with my knife as I almost drifted off to sleep however I woke up pretty quickly to the sound of those... things below me.

I began to shake, I felt weak and powerless against them, this vulnerability was what helped me decide what to do next.

After I heard them leave I set off running back towards the farm, towards people who would protect me.

It was dark and I was guessing where I was going at points, but was soon reassured by points in my path that I recognised and eventually, I arrived at the farm.

I instantly saw Glenn by himself, crying on a log where the fire would normally be so I ran and embraced him in a hug.

His shocked face turned to happiness and more tears fell from his eyes.

"Am I that bad?" I asked laughing.
"You're back"

I just smiled and nodded, relieved to see his face.

"Where's Rick?" I asked, slightly concerned.
"In your tent, you might want to go talk to him, I think he's blaming himself for you leaving" Glenn suggested.

I nodded and made my way over to the tent, knocking on the thin wall and then letting myself in.

The wall was clean and each of our things had been tidied over to one side of the tent, he was staring at the wall blankly before he turned to face me.

He smiled widely, almost knowingly, as though he had already preconceived that I would be back.

He beckoned me over to him and I walked and knelt down next to him before he pulled me into a hug on the floor.

"Thank you for coming back" he said with a grin, and kissed my forehead gently.

"Thats okay, I kinda needed the-" before I could finish my sentence he kissed me, gently first and then deeper.

It was the first remotely emotional connection I'd had with anyone and it meant something, I pulled away to look at him, and truly appreciate him and his presence before we then fell asleep, me in his arms.