Goodbye Rick

The next morning.

Carl hadn't slept. 

After hearing that his family would kick him out of the camp along with Shane and Elliot, something inside him felt sick. 

Knowing he had already given up on all family ties with Rick and Lori, there was still a sense of betrayal. 

Beneath him, Shane and Elliot, who were packing their food, weapons and anything else they may need, called up to him. 

It was time for them to leave. 

Carl jumped from the tree, landing beside Elliot.

Curious Carl asked, "So, where are we going?"

Moving to the side to pick up their belongings, Shane answers, "Well, I don't know if I was the only one that noticed, but we need clothes."

Carl looked at himself, 'I guess since last night was so hectic, with me getting bit and my body changing, I hadn't noticed.'

Carl's once baggy clothes were now tightly fitted around his body. 

"I guess that's true," looking to Elliot, "So why did our bodies change so much?"

Elliot stopped what he was doing and thought about how to explain.

"The way it was explained to me is that the clan adapts to anything. We are ever-changing; it's why we can travel between worlds; our bodies adapt to the world's rules, allowing us to fit in. So your bodies changed because joining the clan adapted them to fit your peak form." 

It was Shane's turn next, "So if we can adapt to the world's rules, why is it rejecting us so firmly?"

"Mmm, you're right it has gotten much stronger than it has been." Elliot walked over to a water bottle, took a swig, and threw it inside a bag. "It is a bit tricky, but as you know, a universe is created through what is known as the Big Bang. It starts as a single point, and as time passes, it becomes denser and expands so large that it evolves into a liveable ecosystem."

"The key to the world's rejection starts at that 'single point', known as the universe's consciousness. It decides the world's course and direction, influencing its inhabitants. Each world, depending on its strength, accommodates different beings. It seems this world is only capable of holding humans."

"We, however, have transcended what is known to be human in this world, and it is trying to push us away."

Carl's heart was racing. In less than a day, he had reached the peak of humanity. His face was beaming, and a 'hero among men' sticker was stuck on it.

Shane broke him out of it, knocking the back of his knees. Kneeling forward, Carl looked at him with indignation, only to meet a raised eyebrow on Shane's face. He was clearly not impressed. "Why doesn't it hold us? Is it because it doesn't want to or just can't?"

Elliot turned to face him, "Picture it. What happens to a balloon when it expands too much too quickly?"

Shane's face turned into one of horror. "It explodes."

Carl looked at Shane and then at Elliot. "Is that what would happen to this world if we don't leave soon?"

Elliot moved to pick his backpack up and grab his axe from its place embedded in the tree. "It won't explode, not really. First, the consciousness will burst; it will still be there, but it will turn chaotic. Nature will start to die, and earthquakes, tsunamis, and Famine will destroy the world, unintentionally killing itself. Everything. But don't worry; The World Rejection only happens once; when we leave this world, we can come and go from worlds as we like."

"Well, thank bloody god it's telling us to get a move on." 

"Language, you're still 10."

"Really, Shane? I'm almost 11, and besides, look at me. I look the same age as you both: 34, and Elliot is... How old are you, Elliot?"

"19" 

Shane broke into a coughing fit.

Elliot turned slowly, catching Shane's eye.

"Do you have a problem with that... Love?" Elliot's British accent comes out strongly with every word.

Catching his breath, Shane felt a shiver go down his back. "No, I don't. ... that's a big age gap."

"Oh, pish posh. I'm an adult; it doesn't matter, does it?" Elliot stared him down. "Age doesn't matter much to us anyway." Elliot spread his arms out. "We're immortal. We can age as much as we like."

Carl started giggling out of control at the theatrics.

Elliott's eyebrow twitched at Carl's amusement "Oi, little man. Get Shane's Diary. He left it in the communal kitchen."

"It's not a Diary!"

Not looking at him and continuing to throw stuff in his bag, "Whatever you say... Love!"

Shane huffed out in frustration, to Elliot's amusement.

~~~

The communal kitchen.

Carl finally found the book Shane likes to write in. 

He says it keeps him sane with all the changes happening in the world.

Grabbing a cup of water from the reserve, Carl downed it and was about to head back to the duo.

A voice called out from behind him, stopping him in his tracks. 

He turned around to see Rick, still wearing his deputy uniform. Standing in front of each other, neither knew what to say first. 

Wanting to leave quickly, Carl spoke first, "You're up early."

Rick flinched, hearing his son's voice, which sounded different. Everything seemed different since he came back. His son ran into the woods as a boy and came out looking and sounding like a man taller than him by a small margin. And his eyes—they were the same as their enemy's —the same eyes that haunted people in their sleep. 

"Yeah, I didn't sleep much."

"Yeah, it looks like it."

The silence enveloped them once again. 

"So, did you want something?"

Um, yes, I did. Actually, I was hoping to speak to you, Shane, and the other guy; I haven't met him yet.

"Elliot?"

"Yeah, that's him. Are y'all free to talk?"

Carl didn't say anything; just turned around and waved his hand to follow.

Rick followed Carl. 

Getting back to the tree where the three sleep, Carl reached out to hand Shane his Diary. 

"Thanks, kid."

Carl responded with a mumbled, "Not a kid." When he no longer slept in the tent with his mother, he fell into a camper chair they had taken from the fire circle.

Elliot turned to Carl, sensing something was wrong. "What's up with you?"

The question answered itself when, from behind them, Rick spoke, "Hi."

His face was red, and he was out of breath. It looked like he had just done a 100-metre sprint.

"You've gotten real quick, huh Carl." Rick huffed out between breathes, "You're outrunning your old man"

From where he was sitting, Carl rolled his eyes. 

Rick didn't seem to notice. He looked over to Shane and greeted him. Then he panned over to Elliot and put on his friendly deputy smile. "Hi, I'm Rick Grimes. We haven't met yet. I'm Lori's husband and Carl's father." Earning a scoff from Carl.

Rick gave him the side eye, but Carl chose to ignore him.

"Huh, 'father' didn't realise that was such a loose term nowadays."

Rick looked confused, "That supposed to mean something?"

Elliot waved his hand, dismissing Rick's last comment, "Nope, Absolutely nothing." Elliot sat on a lug and rested his legs against Carl's camper, facing away from Rick, "Well, what can I do for you, Officer Grimes?"

Rick walks around to face him, but he stands behind Carl. "Officer?"

Elliot responded by looking him up and down with a quirk of an eyebrow. 

Rick dismissed Elliot's chilling hostility and decided to say what he had come to say. "After last night, some people in the camp have some concerns."

"'Concerns'?" Elliot repeated.

"Yes. It seems that because of recent changes," his eyes flicked to Carl, "Some people no longer feel safe."

"Oh no!" Elliot gasped and looked shocked. "What happened? Did something happen? Did someone get hurt?"

Rick looked stuck. He expected Elliot to understand what he was talking about. "Well, after we came to the clearing last night, we saw all the walker bodies everywhere. We have decided as a group that it is too dangerous to stay here."

Before Rick continued, Elliot interrupted, "Oh, that's amazing because I feel the same way. You know those walkers seem to be the leading cause of death in recent times, and they don't seem to have come up with a shot for them yet, so I would rather stay as far away as possible." 

Rick looked like a fish, unsure what to say.

In the background, Shane was leaning against a tree, trying not to laugh.

 "So where are we going?" Elliot looked taken in by the idea of leaving Rick, who was unsure if this was the same person who had wiped out all those walkers and made weapons float in the air.

"Uh, well, before coming here, I ran into someone. They told me that the CDC was working on a cure, so we were going to make our way there." Rick hadn't planned on telling them this, but there didn't seem to be any harm.

"Well, that sounds perfect. Just what the doctor ordered. No wonder everybody is getting you to handle the big decisions when you come to the camp. What amazing leadership."

At this point, Shane couldn't hold back any more and collapsed to the ground, laughing. Carl wasn't any better. His laughter shook the chair so much that it was falling backwards, and the only thing keeping it up was Elliot's feet resting on it. 

 Seeing this, Elliot lifted his feet. 

A yelp came out, and then the thud of his body hit the ground; Carl couldn't hold back either as he erupted in laughter.

Watching the two, Elliot put his feet on the ground and rested his arms on his thighs. Laughing lightly at the two's antics.

Standing in the middle of it all, Rick had a bright red face. They were laughing at him. 

All politeness in his tone had disappeared as he reached down to yank Carl up off the floor. 

His hand brushed against his t-shirt, and he felt himself get yanked back, and his feet leave the ground.

Sensing the shift in the mood, both Shane and Carl appeared behind Elliot in a split second. 

Lifted by an unseen force, Rick floated in front of them. 

"So Rick, what did you come to tell us?" Elliot's entire demeanour changed, the light atmosphere around him moments ago transformed into something suffocating and cloudy. 

Not being able to feel the ground, Rick flailed in the air. In an instant, shame and anger engulfed him. "Gone, I want you all gone. No one wants you around."

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Elliot said with an even voice. "We were leaving anyway, so you may not see us again." There was a clear hint in Elliot's voice, giving Rick and Carl a chance to say goodbye.

Elliot dropped Rick to the ground. Falling on his side, Rick was stunned. Escaping the pain all down his side, he looked at Carl. Anger and shame disappeared from him, only guilt. "I'm sorry. Please, Stay safe. 

Carl looked at him. Any lingering attachments are gone, "Goodbye, Rick."

With that Rick left, going back to the others.

Elliot, Shane and Carl left not long after as they had planned. Their first stop was the Greene Farm.

~~~

The group travelled quickly, running at speeds unseen to the human eye, the trio arrived at a huge field with a big fence around it. 

They walked towards the house that sat in the middle. 

"What are we doing here?" Carl asked from where he stood to the right.

"Leaving a letter." An old man followed by a young girl came out onto the porch. "Stay here." 

With that, Elliot walked over to Hershell Greene. After a lot of back-and-forth (and some threatening), the two came to an agreement: Hershell would take the letter and only give it to a man named Rick Grimes, and Elliot agreed never to step foot on the farm again.

With that, Elliot walked back to the other two. 

Carl looked at them, and with a silent 'thank you,' they all moved on to do different things until the time came when they would have to leave. 

~~~

The letter

Rick,

I don't know if this letter will mean a damn thing to you, but I'm writing it anyway. Me, Carl, and Elliot—we're leaving. We're not coming back, not for a long time. Maybe not ever.

I ain't gonna sugarcoat it, man. You've been a bad father to that boy. I know you love him, but love ain't just a feeling—it's showing up, being there, making sure he don't have to wonder if he matters. And you? You were never around. Always somewhere else, always putting something—someone—before your own son.

And Lori? Don't even get me started. She's been more concerned with how things look than how they actually are. Carl deserves better than the two of you. And I ain't gonna sit around watching him waste his life waiting for a father who won't step up or a mother who don't see him.

I didn't take him, Rick. He chose to leave. Chose to come with me and Elliot because he knows we won't let him down the way you have. That's gotta sting, but you don't get to be mad about it.

Maybe one day he'll come back, but if you want any kind of real relationship with your son, you better pull your head outta your ass and figure out how to be the man you should've been all along. Because if you don't, you'll lose him for good.

You can hate me all you want. Won't change a thing. But if you love that boy, really love him, then do better.

Take care, Rick.

Shane