#twdg mitchie

[ericsonclan]

Two Front Teeth

Summary: Mitchie tries to show his two younger siblings how cool he is and things go wrong.

Word Count: 1946

Read on AO3:

“Watch this!” Mitchie beamed as he stood on a small hilltop outside his house. His bright red scarf stood out as it blew in the wind and his brown eyes shimmered with excitement while he got his makeshift cardboard sled ready. Griffin bounced around on the balls of his feet, looking up at his older brother with awe.

“You’re gonna get hurt,” Wren pointed out, watching the oldest of her siblings as he got on his poorly-made sled.

“Nuh-uh! I’m gonna prove that I’m the coolest!” Mitchie frowned then plopped his butt down on the cardboard. Scooting his butt forward he neared the icy descent. With one final push, he zoomed down the ice-covered hilltop before he flew up in the air. It was an unforgettable moment as the wind blew through his black hair and a smile beamed on his face; Mitchie felt unstoppable. His younger siblings watched in silent awe until suddenly the ten year old landed roughly on the snowy ground. Mitchie’s form collided with the snow causing him to skid a little ways before coming to an unceremonious stop. Griffin and Wren were silent for a second before Griffin started to freak out.

“AAAAA! Mitchie is dead! He’s dying!” Griffin started to cry then ran forward and undid his scarf, throwing it on his older brother. “That will help!”

“Help with the blood?” Wren moved forward and knelt beside her oldest brother.

“He’s bleeding?!?!” Griffin's eyes shot down to see the blood. He was about to freak out again until Wren spoke up first.

“Go get Mom and Dad! I’m gonna take care of Mitchie,”

Griffin nodded then sprinted off, his feet slipping due to sinking deep into the snow. Wren watched him for a minute then looked back at Mitchie.

“That was the best!” Mitchie smiled up at his little sister, snow and blood covering his chin. “I’m the coolest big brother, right?”

“Yeah, but Mom has to help you,” The five year old tried to lift up Mitchie but he was heavier than he looked. After a few attempts, Wren gave up just as she saw Griffin return, riding on his dad’s back.

“Griffin said Mitchie got hurt?” Willy’s eyes shone with concern. He spotted his oldest who wasn’t fazed by his injuries at all. “Alright, let’s clean your face,” Allison walked forward, helping up her son.

“It was so cool, Mom! I flew off the hill and everything!” Mitchie tried to smile when suddenly he noticed that some of his teeth seemed loose.

“Mom! Mom! Can I help?” Wren ran forward, holding all the scarves that had been lost during the sledding adventure.

“Sure,” Allison’s face had a more stern look to it as she glanced down at Mitchie. “That’s the last time you get to do that, okay? It’s dangerous,”

“Okay,” Mitchie’s face fell; he hated whenever he made his mom upset.

“It was so cool, Dad! Mitchie went zoom! Boom! Then... Bam!” Griffin explained as he did wild gestures all while sitting on Willy’s back. His tune had completely changed now that he knew Mitchie was okay. Gone was his panic and now his pride and awe of his older brother returned. Griffin glanced back as he recounted the tale to see that both Mitchie and Wren were holding Allison’s hands.

The family soon made it back into the house. Immediately they were hit with the warmth of the place as well as their eye-catching Christmas decorations. On the mantle stood a set of small Christmas trees, some looking rather normal like Wren’s, decorated with tinsel, glitter, and popcorn, while others like Mitchie’s were more unique, covered in glitter and googly eyes. Drawings of cool Christmas monsters covered a wall that Griffin was extremely proud of. Willy worked with Wren to get the first aid kit while Mitchie tried his best to sit still. But he was too excited to stay quiet, telling his mom all about how awesome the sledding was.

“I’m back!” Wren ran forward with a smile, immediately helping her mom out.

“And then I flew like a bird! Just like in that book that Grandma read to us on Saturday!” Mitchie exclaimed loudly, causing him to spit up some blood.

“That’s great, but you gotta hold still just a bit longer,” Allison wiped away the blood as Mitchie nodded. “Okay, does anything hurt?’

Mitchie shook his head animatedly. “No, but look! Look! Look! Look!”

“You gotta tell me what you want me to look at,” Allison replied calmly as she watched her husband work to get Griffin’s snow gear off.

“My two front teeth! They jiggle! See!” Mitchie used his tongue to press against his two front teeth. They moved around a lot.

“Wow! Looks like someone is almost done with his baby teeth,” Allison ruffled Mitchie’s hair affectionately.

“Does that mean that the tooth fairy will show up? But isn’t it too cold now that it's Christmastime?” Wren asked, looking at her mom with big eyes.

“Fairies have super strong wings! Like the strongest!’ Mitchie declared loudly with such confidence in his voice that he convinced his little sister.  

“I heard that the tooth fairy gives a little more during the holidays,” Willy strolled forward as Griffin barrelled into the room to be with his siblings. Willy’s eyes quickly found Allison’s and the two shared a secret smile.

Mitchie gasped loudly and leaped up with a grin. “I gotta get these teeth out now! I wanna be rich by Christmas!” He ran off before his parents could say anything. Griffin immediately went after him and Wren followed after them to make sure that they didn’t get hurt anymore.

“Hold it!” Allison got up and strolled forward; her commanding voice made all three of her kids skid to a stop. “We’re not going to do anything stupid,”

“That’s right, we’re gonna help you get those two suckers out the safe way!” Willy smiled at his kids. All three of them seemed too excited that they mistook the safety protocol talk as something fun.

It took a few minutes to get them settled down but soon enough Willy was carefully tying some dental floss around one of Mitchie’s teeth then got his daughter to tie the other end to a door.

“Alright, on the count of three,” Willy got up and gently placed his hand on the door. “One, two, three!” He slammed the door and Mitchie gasped with excitement. But that was immediately gone when he saw that his tooth was still there.

“It didn’t work!” Mitchie groaned and stomped his feet.

“Yeah, but there are other ways,” Allison walked forward and placed her hand on her son’s shoulder. “We gotta use our brains for this one though, not our feet,”

“Okay,” Mitchie pouted. It didn’t take long though before he got swept up by the next method to try to get his loose teeth free. Quickly the day was turning into a tooth adventure as Willy ran around the house, Wren and Griffin in his arms as he tried to find something for the next way to get the teeth out. Skidding to a halt, he stole a quick kiss from Allison then continued on.

They tried twisting and pulling, flossing vigorously - which Mitchie had taken all too seriously as his arms zoomed back and forth - and wiggling the loose teet but it wasn’t working. It wasn’t long before the day was gone and it was time for bed.

“They didn’t come out,” Mitchie huffed as he shuffled under the covers.

“Nope, but we’re gonna try again tomorrow. Don’t worry, buddy, the Tooth Fairy will visit you soon enough,” Willy ruffled his son’s hair then got up. “It’s bedtime for you. We’re gonna go ice skating with your grandmas tomorrow so you gotta get your sleep,” A smile appeared on Willy’s lips when he saw how happy that news made Mitchie who quickly got ready to sleep. Flicking off the light, Willy walked out of the room and ran into his wife who had just finished getting the other kids in bed.

“Today was an adventure,” Allison sighed as she sat down on the couch. Immediately she snuggled up close to Willy.

“Yeah, every day is with our family,”

Allison chuckled at that “Yeah,”

“Tomorrow should be fun though, get to see your parents again,” Willy pressed a kiss to Allison’s forehead. Allison gave a nod then closed her eyes. Today had been super hectic; all she wanted right now was to cuddle the rest of the evening away.

“Slow down, Mitchie!” Willy called out to his son who was way too energetic to even process his dad’s words. Waddling through the snow, Mitchie held Griffin upside down haphazardly while giving Wren a piggyback ride.

“I gotta be a good big brother!” Mitchie declared loudly before his eyes grew large when he spotted some familiar faces. Prisha and Violet were sitting outside the ice skating rink, happily talking as they held hands.

“Grandma Prisha! Granny Violet!” Griffin called out from his upside down position, making the couple look over. Immediately they got up and jogged over.

“Mitchie, you must be careful with how you hold your brother,” Prisha gently explained as she helped Griffin right side up.

“Okay,” Mitchie nodded, noticing that Violet had accepted Wren’s silent request to be held. A few seconds later Willy and Allison caught up.

“Sorry about that. They weren’t any trouble, right?” Willy smiled when he saw that Mitchie was going back and forth between Violet and Prisha, giving them lots of hugs.

“Nah, just got a bit too excited,” Violet smiled then made her way over to give Allison a hug then Willy. Soon Prisha did the same, struggling as Mitchie and Griffin kept hugging her waist. Once all the hugs had finished up they wandered inside to pay and get their skates.

“Grandma! Grandma! Grandma! Grandma!” Mitchie bounced excitedly.

“Yes?” Prisha smiled down at her grandson who was practically bursting at the seams to tell her something.

“Look at this,” He used his tongue to wiggle his two front teeth.

“Oh my! Those are quite the loose teeth,”

“About to graduate from baby teeth huh, kiddo,” Violet smiled over at Mitchie while she worked on Griffin’s ice skates.

“Yeah! The Tooth Fairy is gonna give me extra because it's almost Christmas!”

“Is that so?” Prisha looked over at her daughter who shrugged with a small smile.

Once everyone’s skates were on they made their way out to the ice rink. Willy and Allison both held onto one of Griffin’s hands and guided him forward while Prisha carefully made sure Wren wouldn’t fall down.

“Hey, Grandma! Check this out!” Mitchie exclaimed loudly, drawing Violet’s attention. Violet’s eyes quickly widened when she saw that he was going to do a risky move.

“Shit, Mitchie! No!”

Her yelling made everyone look over but it was too late. Within seconds Mitchie had landed on his butt before his face collided with the ice. Everyone made their way to him. Allison immediately pushed her way through to check on her kid.

“Mitchie, where are you hurt?” Allison asked but Mitchie just gave a laugh as he held up his hand.

“Look, Mom! My two front teeth fell out! Now I’m gonna be rich for Christmas!” Mitchie grinned, the gap in the center of his mouth prominent. Griffin and Wren looked in awe, completely amazed by what had happened while their parents checked to make sure Mitchie didn’t have any other injuries. Once that was done they all properly celebrated, skating over for some hot chocolate. It seemed like the Tooth Fairy would be busy around the holidays this year.

[ericsonclan]

Within Their Eyes

Summary: AJ is worried about Telulah's idea of studying a walker with James.

Word Count: 4641

Read on AO3:

AJ’s eyes traveled up to the sky, watching the clouds lazily roll by one after another, hoping that it would calm his nerves. He had been nervous about today and no matter how many others told him otherwise, the feeling in his gut wouldn’t leave. AJ took a shaky breath and placed his arms behind him, putting all of his weight on them as his feet anxiously kicked back and forth against the picnic table. His mind remained in his worries until he felt a warmth appear on the top of his hand. Glancing over, he saw Telulah who gave her usual bright smile over his way. It was a smile that never failed to bring up his mood. As AJ looked at the smile and felt his heart settle a bit, he knew that the smile had done it again. Still, he couldn’t return the smile which made Telulah’s falter.

“What’s spinning in your mind?” Telulah’s hand gently took AJ’s while her other placed her pencil in her notebook before closing it. Her attention was no longer divided between her countless notes that she jotted down in her notebook and her boyfriend.

“It’s nothing, T.” AJ tried to brush it off but one look over at Telulah made it clear that she wasn’t going to take that as a legitimate answer. “I’m just worried,” AJ’s face fell and he focused on his worn out shoes before his focus turned to the zipper on his leather jacket that still seemed a bit loose on him. He wanted anything that would distract his mind and get this pit out of his stomach.

“Worried about today?” Telulah’s voice made AJ’s eyes travel over to his girlfriend’s who had a soft, reassuring smile on her lips. “AJ, it will be okay,”

“How do you know that though? I know you wanna study walkers more but this seems dangerous! You’re gonna be outside of Ericson where you could get bit, or hurt, or have a seizure!” AJ’s eyes shone with concern, concern which Telulah knew was valid.

“I know it's a risk, but James will be there to help us and I’ll have you,” Telulah guided both of AJ’s hands into her own. Her soft eyes made AJ’s heart calm a bit.

“I don’t like risks,” AJ mumbled, his thumbs gently brushing on the tops of Telulah’s hands. Telulah knew well what he was talking about. It was always a risk no matter who you were to wander out there, stumbling upon walkers and other dangerous things that could harm you or end your life.

“I know but if I can get more information on walkers and progress my findings...” Telulah took a deep breath. “I think it's worth the risk,”

AJ wanted to say something more but his attention was diverted when he heard the laughter of one of the youngest residents of Ericson. His eyes turned towards the sound and he saw Mitchie running around Allison again and again. His wild mess of black hair nearly covered his dark brown eyes, causing him to nearly stumble. His hyperness didn’t cease though as his voice grew in volume.

“Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!” Mitchie ran in circles while Allison sat in the rocking chair that had been moved outside to the front of the admin building. Her hands rested on top of her pregnant belly as she watched her son in amusement. Suddenly Mitchie skidded to a halt in front of Allison and held his arms out wide. “I love you!”

A soft, fairly large smile appeared on Allison’s lips at those words. As soon as the words had left his lips Mitchie began to run in a circle again and again until he stopped when he noticed Willy walking alongside Prisha. Mitchie bolted towards the staircase, not thinking of how he was still learning to master them while running.

Prisha and Willy’s eyes grew large and they ran over to the admin building. Willy scooped his son up in his arms and spun him around once. “Hey there, Mitchie! Have you been doing a good job keeping your mom safe?” Willy smiled brightly as his son shook his head wildly.

“Yeah!” Mitchie exclaimed, holding tightly onto his dad’s clothes while Willy walked over to check on Allison.

“You doing okay, Allie?” Willy smiled softly, his eyes holding some concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Allison took Willy’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“You haven’t been overexerting yourself, right?” Prisha walked forward and looked over Allison’s way. Allison could see that Prisha was just as worried as Willy was. It made sense since it was nearing what Ruby guessed the due date would be.

“I’m fine. I’ve been sitting on my ass and rocking back and forth. I haven’t done any stupid shit, just hanging out with Mitchie,” Allison groaned in annoyance and leaned back in her chair, causing it to start rocking once more. She appreciated the concern, she really did, but she also didn’t want everyone hovering over her. It wasn’t like she was going to do anything reckless and she was clearly easy to spot and find.

“Alright, well perhaps you want some alone time for a bit,” Prisha placed her hand on her chin and began to try and brainstorm a possible activity that Mitchie would like.

“Prisha!” Violet’s voice called out to her wife, making Prisha spin around. Her eyes immediately brightened when she saw Violet and noticed that Violet’s eyes had done the same when she had seen Prisha. Jogging forward up the stairs, Violet stole a quick kiss from Prisha. Prisha smiled and deepened the kiss before giving another.

“I think some alone time would be nice,” Allison’s words pulled Prisha and Violet’s attention away from each other.

“Oh shit, sorry,” Violet messed with her glasses for a second. “I was just coming here to see if Prisha wanted to go fishing with me over at the pond.”

“Fish!” Mitchie screamed with excitement and squirmed out of Willy’s arms. Violet gave a light laugh as Mitchie scampered up towards her.

“I can take Mitchie with us too,” Violet offered, which Mitchie seemed very excited by.

“Sure, that would be great,” Allison smiled over at her mom and watched with amusement as Mitchie grabbed both Violet and Prisha’s hands and began to talk loudly about how much fun this was going to be. Violet and Prisha listened and shared a soft smile as they walked off, giving one final look back at Allison who waved goodbye.

“Do you want me to go too?” Willy glanced over at his wife who shook her head.

“No, you can stay,” Her words made Willy beam and he quickly knelt down and kissed Allison’s belly before stealing a kiss from her and sitting beside her. Immediately his hand took hers and he started to talk about this and that to pass the time while Allison quietly listened with a loving smile on her face.

“It seems like today is a good day for everyone,” Telulah commented with a smile. AJ nodded, giving a small smile over her way.

“Yeah,” AJ took a deep breath, his face animated as ever whenever he exhaled which made Telulah chuckle. AJ paused mid breath and looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

“Nothing, you’re just cute,” Telulah leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to AJ’s lips. The romantic gesture made his heart do a small flip. AJ blinked in surprise before he hopped off the picnic table and did a little happy dance. “Okay! I’m ready! I’m gonna keep you safe!” AJ declared proudly with a confident grin as he placed his hands on his hips.

“I know you will,” Telulah smiled and got up from her spot. “Okay, I think I spotted James over with Jesse by the horses.”

“Okay,” AJ walked forward as Telulah grabbed her notebook, tucking it under her left arm. Telulah looked at her boyfriend, noticing the necklace that he was wearing, the one she had made to match hers. The simple red stone shone in the light and memories of that day flooded back into the forefront of Telulah’s mind, making her heart grow warm.

Her eyes traveled up and glanced at the scar on AJ’s cheek, the one he had gotten protecting Louis all those years ago on the night the Delta ship exploded. Her heart settled in a calming peace knowing that AJ would be by her side and do everything to keep her safe because that was who he was, a protector. Telulah’s finger brushed against AJ’s scar for a second, causing him to blush.

“Okay, onward to new discoveries!” Telulah crowed.

AJ gave a small nod then proceeded to boop Telulah’s nose. “Onward,” He smiled then quickly took Telulah’s hand in his. In a moment the two were off to where the horses were kept.

They immediately spotted Jesse who was sitting on the ground next to the horses, Adsila and Molly. Both horses looked happy now that their manes had been brushed and were content with the carrots James had recently offered them. James sat beside Jesse, his fingers intertwined with Jesse’s while his head rested on Jesse’s shoulder. His free hand was softly playing with Jesse’s hair as the two spoke about walking through the garden together where the flowers grew. It was only when Telulah and AJ were standing in front of them that the two got pulled away from their conversation.

“Guess time’s up,” Jesse sighed then leaned over and kissed James. He got to his feet, helping up James before looking over at Telulah and AJ. “It’s just going to be the three of you?”

“That's right! But don’t worry, I won’t let any walkers nibble on James,” Telulah smiled brightly, her words causing Jesse to give a faint chuckle.

“Sounds good to me but I know James can handle himself,” Jesse held James’ hand and smiled lovingly at him. “Be careful,”

“I will,” James cupped Jesse’s face and gave him a quick kiss, his eyes holding the same love that Jesse’s did. James gave Jesse’s hand one final squeeze then began to walk off with AJ and Telulah. The three of them quickly made their way over to the front gate where Omar was on watchduty.

James glanced over at Telulah. “So, the spot is ready if you are,” He gave a soft smile over Telulah’s way who returned the smile.

“Yep! I’m all set! I got my journal and everything!” Telulah held up her hand and moved it back and forth, displaying the journal.

“Oh shit! I forgot to get some things. Wait right here!” AJ kissed Telulah’s cheek quickly then sprinted off towards the dorm. Telulah watched AJ with curiosity as he ran off, wondering what he had forgotten.

“T,” Allison’s voice drew Telulah’s attention towards her friend who was making her way over with Willy.

“Allison, you shouldn’t be moving around so much,” Telulah smiled warmly at Allison who gave a small smile in return.

“Heh, I could say the same thing to you. Shouldn’t your ass be planted at the picnic table? We don’t want you getting a seizure while you’re out there,” Allison’s voice trailed off for a second.

“Don’t worry,” Telulah smiled brightly, her eyes glancing over at AJ who was sprinting back with the items he had acquired. “AJ is gonna be with me the whole time. He’ll make sure I’m safe and sound,” Telulah’s hand naturally slipped into AJ’s.

“True, AJ is tough, I’ll give him that,” Allison smiled over at her best friend who had a small frown on his face.

“I’m way more than tough,” AJ muttered before remembering why he had run off to grab the items in the first place. “I got you your helmet, T, in case your epilepsy strikes,” AJ smiled as he helped put a red bike helmet on Telulah, a small safety precaution to make sure that even if she had a seizure and fell she wouldn’t get any head damage. “Oh, and I got your journal carrier too,” AJ smiled proudly when he saw how happy Telulah was that he had remembered both of these things.

“You’re the best!” Telulah leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to AJ’s cheek then turned her attention on making sure her journal was secure.

“You better keep them safe, James,” AJ did his best tough guy impression which normally would be effective on anyone. Anyone it seemed except James who nodded his head eagerly.

“Of course!” James wanted to say more and explain that it wasn’t going to be that dangerous with the one walker he had guided to the spot. But before he could he noticed Lee Kenny scampering forward. Soon the young seven year old slid to a stop.

“T!”

“Yes!” Telulah responded with the same volume and energy that Lee Kenny had.

“You better make sure that my big brother comes back safe or else… or else you’re gonna have to deal with Maisy!” Lee Kenny puffed out his chest, trying his best to be intimidating.

Telulah gave a warm smile and knelt down in front of him. “I promise,” She held out her pinky which Lee Kenny immediately interlocked with his own. After he was sure he had done his job Lee Kenny started to head back.

“Lee Kenny, where are you supposed to be?” AJ’s question made his little brother’s eyes grow large for a second.

“The music room but Dad said it was okay for me to be the messenger and say goodbye,” Lee Kenny smiled proudly when he saw the look of approval on AJ’s face. Without another word he waved goodbye and headed back to the music room where Louis and Aasim were busy taking care of all the kids.

“Alright, well we should head out,” James’ whisper-like voice drew the others’ attention and with a few quick goodbyes James, Telulah and AJ were off.

James securely put on his gloves and mask made from walker flesh and whispered that it wouldn’t be too long of a walk. The three strolled through the woods with James leading the way to the spot where he had placed a single walker. He had been curious as to what Telulah was planning and was more than happy to have someone with a more positive outlook on walkers around Ericson. At least from the conversation he had had with Telulah she seemed more positive.

His gaze traveled over to the pair. AJ’s eyes were steady and trained on the environment. His knife was already out and ready to take down any walker that came across his path. James hoped that knife wouldn’t come to use today. He quickly returned his attention back to leading the way.

AJ’s eyes were focused on making sure no threats were nearby while sneaking small glances Telulah’s way. Telulah, meanwhile, was humming a happy tune, a tune she always hummed whenever she got super excited. The hunting knife that AJ had bartered for with a caravan a while back rested on her hip, the small Disco Broccoli keychain on it swaying back and forth with the movement. AJ’s mind went back to the day he had made that keychain for Telulah and saw how happy it had made her. But soon his attention returned to being on guard, only a faint part focusing on the fact that Telulah’s hand was in his. His heart felt more settled knowing that she was right beside him and if anything bad were to happen he could react the second it did.

“So, Telulah, you asked me to collect a walker today. Why?” James snuck a glance back her way.

“To study them. My hope is that if I get enough data that one day I can save someone from turning into a walker,”

Telulah’s statement made James pause for a moment and put all of his attention on her. “Really? You think that’s possible?”

“Sure! I think with enough research and studying you can make any dream a reality. This one is mine,” Telulah smiled brightly and patted her journal. “I’m hoping to get some really good notes today now that I have a chance to observe a walker up close. I’ve got you to thank for that,”

James was surprised by her answer and was quiet for a minute as he pondered it. A question began to burn in the forefront of his mind until he let it slip out. “Then what is your view on walkers?”

“My view on them?” Telulah raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment. “I guess I see them as creatures that have trapped humans,”

“Trapped them?” James walked forward, his mind solely on this conversation.

“That's right. How do I say this? I think that a part of who we are is still trapped inside a walker. You can sometimes see it in small aspects of their behavior or in other places like their eyes. What it feels like to be stuck in there, inside a decaying form, I have no idea but I’m guessing it's not so nice.” Telulah looked at James for a moment then glanced away, her eyes conflicted on whether to say what she wanted next. After a second she decided to elaborate further. “I want to be able to stop people from turning but that's not all. My hope, my goal, is to be able to change walkers back.”

James’ eyes grew large at those words, shocked by this news. A quick glance over at AJ, however, made it clear that he had heard this before.

“Years ago my brother Demetrius was bit and no matter how much he wanted me to end his life, I couldn’t.” Telulah took a shaky breath and felt AJ squeeze her hand, letting her know that he was still there. He had heard this story a while back and he knew how painful it was for Telulah to bring it up. But she wouldn’t bring it up if she didn’t trust James or feel like it wasn’t important to share. After a moment Telulah continued. “Not when there could be a way to change him back. So I’m going to keep researching walkers, studying them and understanding what makes them tick and one day I’m going to get my brother back!” Telulah smiled confidently even though her eyes were filled with sadness due to the painful memories.

“That's...” James was at a loss for words. “Amazing,”

“Thanks.” Telulah beamed and strolled forward with AJ, making James jog forward so he could walk alongside them.

“So then if you view them as people or something in between,” James took a deep breath, “If you see the life in their eyes like I do, then you must not kill walkers, right?”

“No, I still do. They’re a threat just as much as any human can be a threat. If they’re going about their way then I won’t go out of mine to kill them,” Telulah paused and picked up a few rocks, stuffing them in her pocket. “But if they try to hurt me or someone I care about, then I have no issue with killing them. I know my dream is lofty and it could help people but not everyone can be saved. I know that and I’m not going to risk my loved ones’ lives for a walker’s,”

Telulah’s answer seemed to sadden James somewhat. Still he seemed happy to have someone who valued walkers’ lives even if it was to a degree and in a way that was different from his. James began to lead the way once more, talking about how his ideals differed from Telulah’s. All the while his hands moved animatedly as he tried to shake off the social anxiety of the situation. A few times a walker crossed their path and James immediately threw a rock to guide it away before continuing forward.

After some time had passed James spoke up once more. “We’re almost at the barn,” He looked back at the pair for a moment then returned his attention back in front of him.

His words had made AJ’s anxiety come crashing back. Memories over a decade old invaded his mind, plaguing it with that awful night. The night he had to take Tenn’s life, the night Clementine’s leg had been bitten and the night where he nearly had made a fatal mistake. The cries of the walkers rang in his ears, the smell of blood overwhelmed his nostrils and his heart felt like it was beating way too fast to be safe. His breathing was uneven and his mind lost amongst memories of the past, causing him to stand frozen in place.

That’s when Telulah noticed AJ tense up. Immediately she stopped. “What's wrong?”

Telulah’s words snapped AJ out of his head space and his eyes wandered over towards hers. “Nothing, I’m fine.” he lied, quickly hiding his face so that Telulah couldn’t see his expression.

“Seriously, AJ, are you okay? I know I asked you before if this would be too much for you. If it is we can head back and I’ll come back another day. I can take someone else with me like Willy or-”

“I’ll be fine. I just gotta shake this off,” AJ cut off Telulah, trying to reassure her, but he could see that she was only focused on his well-being.

“I’m worried about you. I don’t want to bring back heavy memories for you,” Telulah’s words made AJ glance down.

“It’s fine,” AJ tried to calm down his anxiety but it wasn’t working.

Telulah was silent for a few seconds then turned towards James. “James, give us a few minutes, okay?”

James looked over at Telulah then at AJ. In an instant he seemed to pick up on what was happening. He gave a short nod. “Alright, let me know when you’re ready,” James walked off and leaned against a tree, taking the moment to enjoy the nature around him and giving the two the space they needed.

Telulah gave James an appreciative smile then grabbed onto AJ’s hand and guided him over towards another tree and sat down with him. She silently took both of his hands in hers before speaking. “AJ, just focus on my face. Forget about everything else for a moment and just focus on my face and your breathing,”

Telulah noticed AJ’s hesitation to do so. It wasn’t exactly the safest spot they were in. But once he saw her eyes and the calmness within them he decided to listen. Slowly he began to follow her deep breaths, his breath being as animated as usual. He focused on her small smile, the look of trust and concern in her eyes. He inhaled again, holding it for a few seconds before exhaling. He pulled all of his focus away from the world and on the fact that Telulah was here with him. Her presence became an anchor for him to hold onto as his mind and heart battled the anxiety. After a few minutes of deep breaths and focusing on Telulah, AJ felt his nerves lessen, even if it was for just a moment.

“Okay, I’m going to ask you again. Do you want to go back home?” Telulah gently rubbed circles on top of AJ’s hands. “Whatever you choose, I’ll support it,”

With that reassurance in mind AJ answered. “Let’s stay here. I want to be here with you. If I went back today and you still came back here...” AJ’s voice gew quiet for a second. “I’d still be worried so even if I’m anxious I wanna be with you,” AJ’s eyes locked with Telulah and she could see the determination burning within them.

“Okay, then let’s go,” Telulah’s usual bright smile returned and she helped up AJ, quickly guiding him back to James. “We’re ready,”

James nodded, leading the way forward, and gently pushed open the door to the barn.

The walker stood in the same spot, looking rather intrigued by the beam overheard. Its bald head shone in the sunlight that pierced through the barn and its clothes were slowly withering off its decaying body. As James, Telulah and AJ walked inside it turned around due to the sound, its milky white eyes looking off into the middle distance in between the humans, unable to pinpoint where each one was. A low, unearthly groan left its lips revealing that it had very little teeth and rather plump gums.

Telulah let out a low whistle then looked around for the best spot to safely study the walker. Her eyes quickly found  a stack of hay that would be high enough that she wouldn’t get harmed but large enough that if she did have a seizure she wouldn’t fall. “AJ, can you help me up there?”

AJ followed his girlfriend’s sight to the stack of hay and gave a nod. Using both of his hands for a spot that Telulah could step on, AJ worked to get her up there before accepting her hand and being pulled up as well. He immediately took out his knife and was on guard while Telulah got out her journal.

Flipping past pages from interviews with Clementine about her amputation and various other interviews with some of the other Ericson residents about their experiences with walker bites, Telulah found a new blank page. “Alright, Gumbo, let’s see what I can learn from you,” Telulah whispered with a smile, her eyes shining with the excitement of the potential new discoveries she could make. She immediately jotted down its physical appearance as her tongue stuck out in concentration as it always did whenever she was fixated on something. After the physical appearance was written down she then tested out the walker’s visual and hearing abilities.

Using the windchimes within the barn as well as the multiple rocks she picked up, Telulah began the series of tests. Her pencil scratched against the paper as she jotted down her findings as well as any peculiar features or behaviors that the walker she’d named Gumbo showed. Something about the walker’s eyes seemed to intrigue Telulah, the way they reacted to a certain test made her want to run more tests on the walker focusing on its eyes and so she did.

AJ sat by her side, ever vigilant in making sure she was completely safe. His grip remained tight and his breathing was still uneven which concerned Telulah greatly. After a while, Telulah yawned and mumbled that she had gotten enough notes for today before thanking James.

“I think these notes will be really helpful, but I’m going to stick to interviews and watching walkers from afar for a little while.” Telulah intertwined her fingers with AJ’s. “Thanks, for coming with me and for keeping me safe even if it meant you had to deal with memories from the past,” Telulah gave an apologetic smile.

“I’m just glad you’re ok. Now let’s get home where it's safe,” AJ gave a small smile then began to lead the way back. Soon he was lost in a conversation with Telulah on the topic of playing card games that evening.

James watched them as he followed behind. His eyes focused on Telulah and noticed her positive, bright energy. A small smile appeared on his lips. Even though she didn’t have the exact same views as him, she still agreed with him on things that most people wouldn’t. A warmness appeared in James’ heart at the realization that he had a new friend. He was curious though on whether her dream and research could ever lead to the future she was striving for. Whatever the case may be, James hoped that she would reach her goal even if it felt out of reach.