HE SPENT THE DAY FOLLOWING SHANE AROUND;  he didn't liked waking up this early in the morning. He hated being awake this early, he carried a bucket of water to Shane Jeep.

"Shane, I'm tired," he mumbled, stopping to rest near the Jeep. Shane came forward holding two buckets, placing them onto the floor. "Tommy. Get strong, we need to do this to get muscles," he chuckles. Tommy smiles but didn't understand what he was trying to say. Was he weak? Did Shane really considered him weak.

"I'm not weak, Shane."

Shane turned to look at him. "Who said anything being weak? Tommy, I want you to strive and be better than everybody else. You're going to lived long life if you take notes from me, " Shane continued, sighing placing the first bucket onto the Jeep, then the second.

"Shane-" he was cut of by him. "Tommy there some buckets left behind, we come back later?" Tommy nods following his steps, stepping into the Jeep.

Tommy sat next to Amy, they were talking about some fishes, she had caught. "You should have seen it, Tommy." She winked, causing him to nod, in agreement. He loved her smile, she was very indeed very pretty girl. Tommy smiles, sitting beside her looking ahead everybody. Suddenly a voice spoke up, he heard loud noises up the hill. Amy and him both turned to look ahead just to find Jim.

"Don't want to alarm anyone." Dale approached the group, speaking, as Shane stood up with a stern expression and made his way back to the main area, "But, we may have a bit of a problem."  As Shane walked up to Dale to stand besides him, Dale motioned behind everyone to where Jim was currently digging holes, without any breaks, basically killing himself.

Tommy got up, standing next to Amy, as they look ahead. As the rest of the group went to the top of the hill to where Jim currently was. "No way," he mumbled. Only for his mother to pushed him back. "Shane take care of this," she whispered. He saw how Shane nods, turning to look once more at him. "Tommy go back to the tent with your mother."

"Shane, I can help you-" He was cut by his mother pulling him away. He had enough of this. His mother will always be there protecting him, he ain't a child anymore. He will be eighteen in few months, he didn't want this. "Stay here in this part of the area till Shane resolved this," she warn him, he scoffs refusing to look at her.

"What was that for?" His mother asked, raising her eyebrow. Tommy didn't bother to look at her. "Damnit, Tommy. I want you safe and protected, I need you safe." She told him quietly, bending down hoping to see her son turn to face her. He didn't.

"Tommy, speak to me." Tommy didn't bothered. He hated how he was being treated. "Stop being a stuck up kid, Tommy," she warned, grinning. She got up decide to face her son again. "I love you, Tommy. Don't forget that." She left speaking to him one last time. He bit his lip feeling, worried. He didn't mean for this to happen, but it did, he regrets it. He didn't want to upset his mom

Further along in the day, he managed to find out what happen to Jim. He watched silently siting across the other side watching as Jim struggle to get untied. He managed to get a little closer, when he began helping Carl and Sophia with their math homework, which he didn't understand the point in, the world had ended, who needed math anymore? Who was going to need that with how they were living?  "Sorry if I scared your boy and your little girl." Jim called out to Carol and Lori. He felt terrible that he had scared some kids, but he couldn't hide what he thought he knew.  Lori looked up at Jim, "You had sunstroke, nobody's blaming you." She told him, shrugging.  "You're not scared now, are you?" He asked the kids.

Shaking her head slowly, Sophia spoke softly, "No, sir."    Carl didn't reply, instead, he kept his eyes down on his math work. However, once Jim spoke to him, he was forced to look up at the man.  "Your mama's right." He told Carl, "Sun just cooked my head is all." 

"Jim, do you know why you were digging?" He abruptly asked him. "Can you say?"

"I had a reason." Jim told him, nodding, "Don't remember. It was something I dream't last night." He then turn to Carl, with a knowing look..    "Your dad was in it. You two were too, you were both worried about him. Can't remember the rest." He said. He knew that it was hard for Carl to talk about their dad when he left, it was like that before the outbreak, when he would be on shift. He hated how worried Carl would be.  "We don't need to talk about that right now, Jim." He told him, rubbing Carl's shoulders comfortingly.     

  "Your dad's are police officer, guys." Jim told them, "They help people. Probably just came across some folks needing help, that's all. That man, he is tough as nails. I don't know him well but I could see it in him. Am I right?" He asked, looking up to Shane. He noticed the sour look on the man's face, but didn't dare to comment on it. It seemed that everyone knew how Shane could be.  "Oh yeah." Shane sighed.  Jim turned back to Carl, "There ain't nothing gonna stop him from getting back here to you, your brother here," He added, slowly, causing Carl to smile. He widen his eyes in disbelief, Jim refer Rick as his father. He looked up to find Shane and Marie both looking at Jim, confused.

"All right." Shane sighed, picking up a bucket of water. "Tommy let's go. We need to grab some buckets of water we left behind. Who wants to help me clean some fish, huh?" He asked the kids.  "Sweet." Carl shouted in excitement as he jumped from his chair, happy to no longer have to do his math homework. "Come on, Sophia." He called, as he ran off.

It was now evening, at the camp, and the group that went to search for Merle in the city, still weren't back as of yet, so the group had cooked up lots of fish and were all gathered around the camp fire, finally feeling a slight pinch of happiness together, waiting for the others return. Tommy sat beside his mother near the campfire.

"Tommy, fill in some food. Aren't you feeling little blue?" She spoke, biting her lip. Everyone was talking and laughing, as if the world wasn't at the end, and it felt nice to see. He looked around seeing Shane, leaning over Carl, smiling saying something to him. He lower his head feeling upset, he truly didn't mind Shane parenting, Carl and he loved Carl but sometimes he wished Shane would pay attention to him.

"You could stop looking at him," his mother commented. He sighed. "Shane doesn't seem to mind us, his family."

"Shane cares for Carl and Lori," she told him. "Shane is like a father to Carl. You know in your heart, he loves you too."

That's when he snapped. "I'm not his real son,"  He hated every time his mother will inform him of Shane being his father. "He isn't my father you know that?"

Marie raised her eyebrows staring at her son. He was right. She hated that he was right, she hated it. She loves her son despite his biological father being, Rick. She grew to love Shane, cared for him. Yet, his betrayal had broken her in pieces. Knowing he was with another women, broke her. That women being Lori Grimes, Rick wife, Carl mother. The moment she saw Rick was alive, she wanted to tell him so badly but she couldn't ruined that. Lori and Carl had suffer so much, she only hoped for Rick being alive, so Shane could come back to her, to them.

"Your not his son. Rick isn't more than uncle to you. Shane raised you, cared for you, gave you everything. He loves you. Don't forget that?" She asked, hopeful staring deep into his hazel eyes. That's when, Tommy nods, lowering his head down.

"Hey, Tommy." He looked up. Shane stood there. He leaned to sit beside him. His mother sigh, getting up walking to the other side leaving Tommy and Shane alone, near the fire, as people chattered around talking. "Hey, Tommy. I bet your mom isn't talking to me." Tommy nods, proceeded to take a bite of his corn.

"Tommy, I know it seems. Lori and I-" Tommy cut him off turning to looked into his chocolate brown eyes, waving his hand. "I don't want to know. I just want you and mom together again, that's all."

Shane nods. "I see. I will always love your mother, she loves me. I know it but-" Tommy didn't want to know. Shane and his mother had always been in complicated relationship, he knew that. He wished they could have lasted longer. "I don't want to know."

They both sighed, he pushed his plate away not feeling hungry anymore. "Tommy, I got something for you." Tommy turns to look at him, curiously. He noticed he took out a white key chain. "This is weird color," he laughs causing Tommy to grinned. "This belonged to a best friend of mine. I want you to have it." He handed the key chain to Tommy causing him to eyed it curiously. "What's is it for?" He asked.

Shane chuckles. "This key is connected to a box with all the prizes and collections in the world. It belongs to me, and my friend. We both had key chains, that opens to a box that means so much to me, I want you to have it because you mean the world to me, you mean the world to us," Tommy eyes lit up, as he stared at the key.

"Thank, Shane," he grinned cheekily.

"No, problem. You're my son," He smiles. "It's you and me, okay?" Tommy nods eagerly, smiling softly, putting the key chain in his right pocket.

"I'm gonna go and get some food for me, since you ate everything." He cheekily told him, he shook his head, still smiling at the sight of Shane, before he stood up and walked away from their area, that had a small lamp on the floor. The area was well lit from the camp fire behind them also, as Morales had built up the rock walls, so they could have the fire higher up. Normally it would attract walkers, but because of this, they could have it as high as they wanted. 

Tommy looked around seeing people smiling and being happy. That's one thing, he wished in awhile. Happiness. He looked around; he saw Amy stand up and give him a wink, before she walked into the RV, causing him to shake her head in amusement at the girl.

He lean't back , frowning. He wonders where was Annalisa, Glenn, Jack, and Rick. His real father. He thought about how they should have been back by now. He shooked his head refusing to think the worst when suddenly, he heard a loud scream from his friend, Amy. From this sound, he turned around so fast that he may have gotten whip lash, only to see one of the walkers biting down on the girl arm.  "No!" He shouted out, standing up quickly in hopes to make a run for it, trying to help her.

Just as he was about to make a run for Amy to help her out and get the walker off of her, something grabbed his shoulder, causing him to screech and whip around to whack at whatever had grabbed him, as it had scared the life out of him. Once he had looked behind him, he noticed that it was one of the dead, trying to take a bite out of him. He struggle, moving and screaming for help.

Not knowing what else to do, he pushed at the walker, making it stumble back and trip over a log, and when he looked back up, he saw a couple more heading in his direction, as he stood, wide eyed, not knowing what to do. Thinking that he couldn't do much when it came to self defence, without any weapons or even knowing how to fight properly, he turned around and headed back towards the main camp, hoping to find his mom, or Shane.  "Shane!" he called loudly, looking in every direction, only seeing different walkers and darkness. "Shane!" he called again.

"Tommy! Tommy!" He heard Shane voice. He looked around turning his head, seeing people being ripped to shreds, in front of his own eyes.

"Tommy!" He heard his mother voice in panic. "Tommy, where are you!" She called loudly. He bit his lip, he began racing around trying  looked for an item to use as self defense.

He didn't know where to go, and every direction he turned in, there were just more of the dead coming towards him. After a frantic search around the dark camp, he finally found the others by the RV, fighting off the dead, with Shane in the front, shooting his gun at them all.  "Shane!" He screamed, as he began to make his way towards him, and fast, not wanting to be out in the open any longer than he had to be.

"Tommy, come here!" Shane shouted desperately, as he kept shooting at the walkers to keep them back from the others.As he was running forwards in attempt to get to the RV, he felt a hand grip his ankle and slam him down to the ground, smacking his head onto the ground in the process, causing him to groan out at the pain that spread across his head, making him feel dizzy. He groan, touching his head as he lay on the ground floor, groaning. He heard his mother screaming for his name. He felt blood dripping down his forehead, as he touched it looking it, dazzled by it. He heard his name being called. He turned to glanced up at the walker that was now snapping its jaw, heading his way.

"Shane!" He screamed even louder, in fear, as he tried to scramble backwards away from the walker. "Help!" He cries out  fearing for his life.

"Tommy?" There was voice, he saw how someone yanked the walker over to the side, he saw Jack alongside Annalisa. He saw how Jack threw himself onto the walker pushed a knife he had onto the brain, splitting in half. He widen his eyes, in disbelief, he then saw Annalisa lean her hand out to pull him up. "Take my hand, Tommy?" She asked, softly. He accepted it, once he was up, he saw she looking concern written all in her-facial features. "Tommy?" She leaned forward touching his face, he refused to faced her kept turning away. She made him turn to look at her, she leaned forward touching his side of his head, as blood drip down her fingers. "Tommy," she breathed out, staring concern.

"You okay? You bitten or scratched?" Jack, his uncle came forward interrupting. He shakes his head, he decided to looked over his neck and chest for any injuries or bites. He shook his head, unable to find his voice, he was visibly shaking from the event that had just happened, he had never been up close to a walker like that since the start of the outbreak.

He bit his lip refusing to look around, he was visibly shaken. He stood there looking shocked, as his blood was covered his t-shirt, he didn't faced his uncle or Annalisa but stood there emotionless. Annalisa noticed this wanted to leaned forward to hug him, when suddenly she noticed Rick running towards him.

"Tommy!" He immediately ran towards him, pulling him for a hug. Tommy didn't understand Rick running towards him, pulling for a hug, Carl and Lori where on the other side waiting for him but one thing he needed was a hug from someone, he didn't care. Rick wrapped his arms him, hugging tightly, as he sniffed a little. "Oh god," Rick whispered. He noticed Jack emotionless expression, standing there not doing anything to stop this interaction between them, like he didn't need too.

"You're okay." He told him. Rick looked up at Jack with a thankful facial expression, nodding at him. "Dad!" He heard his younger brother call, "Tommy!"

"Carl!" Rick shouted, as Carl approached them and was brought into their hug. He smiled hugging his father for the first time he could, his biological father, the dad he never knew fully. He smiled, as all three of them, were together once again, but not as strangers but as a family, he never knew he had. He had wished this moment could never end. He held on tight not noticing a pair of chocolate eyes that were staring at their interaction intensely

ANY FEEDBACKS?

Shane giving him something? Best friend huh? Seem sort off? And Rick and Jack being on good terms, I wonder why? And that sweet moment between Annalisa and him? They had their first real legit moment, finally!!  Keep voting and commenting!! I loved reading and seeing them all!!!! More comments, more updates!!!