FIFTY FOUR. gift of god

WHEN she got hurt, there was something that her father would always tell her. "Kid, if you got a pulse - you'll be fine." It was almost an automated response, which was usually followed by a set of instructions. Do your homework. Clean your room. Get me a beer. It was continuously like that, up until the end. Then he died, leaving her alone in a rotting world with no instructions.

No where to go. No one to keep her safe. So, she had to do it all by herself. Theo learned to survive on her own, without the pressure of her father breathing down her neck every five seconds. She was free. Let loose in a broken world, hers to roam and explore.

Then came the responsibility of other people. Her actions had consequences. They mattered. Theo had to relearn how to be careful, how to think things through before she acted on the situation at hand. And there she was, staring at the now empty space where Carl Grimes once stood -the back door that resided in the kitchen slamming shut. Just a few feet away laid the body of Rick Grimes, unmoving and seemingly... well, he looked dead.

Theo used to love the freedom of not constantly being told what to do. But at the moment, she never in her life wanted to have a set of instructions more than she did right now. Standing in the dark living room, curtains and blinds blocking the sunlight from the blue sky outside - she felt frozen. Light blonde strands of tangled hair whisking against her face as she turned her eyes from the spot Carl once stood and over to Rick.

What are you supposed to do? She questioned herself, shifting on her feet and nervously running her thumb over her fingers that were clamped into a tight fist.

"Kid, if you got a pulse - you'll be fine."

The words echoed around in her head, eyes widening slightly as she figured out what to do after standing frozen in the quiet living room for several minutes. The boots she wore smacked against the wooden floorboards, her knees slamming against the surface as she hastily kneeled down to Ricks level.

"You better have a pulse, because I don't know how to tell someone bad news." Her voice came out shaky, attempting to use sarcasm to cover up the fear that resided deep inside of her chest. "Please have a pulse."

Placing her hand against the side of Ricks face, she frowned softly at the bruises and swollen skin before moving her small fingers down to his neck. Pressing her pointy and middle finger into the skin underneath his jaw, Theo allowed a trembling breath leave her chapped lips as she searched desperately for the rhythmic beat that would confirm his survival. But there was nothing.

At the revelation, a frustrated sigh escaped from the barrens of her throat as she shook her head and tore her hand away from his neck. "Rick." Theo whispered, placing her hands against her knees while she stared at the man's face - waiting for something, anything, to happen.

"Knock knock?" She attempted, raising her brows only to throw her head back in frustration, craning her chin to the ceiling. Curling her hand around her own wrist, Theo twisted the skin nervously - her heart beating harshly inside of her chest as she roamed her mind for ideas.

It wasn't until she felt a rhythmic beat underneath her own skin, head moving away from the ceiling and down to her wrist as her eyes widened slightly. "I'm so stupid!" Theo whisper-shouted, scooting closer to the couch and taking ahold of Ricks arm that was draped over his chest.

"Don't mind me, just saving your life." The girl added quietly, holding his arm up with one hand while she pressed her two fingers against his wrist with the other.

Silence overcame the home, bodies waiting patiently for a response. Theo held her breath, not wanting to miss a beat as she shifted her fingers against Ricks wrist. Then she felt it. Small beats underneath his dirtied skin, pumping against her fingers as a wide smile broke out onto her face. They were faint, almost barely noticeable.

But, they were there. He was alive. "I'm so cool!" Theo rejoiced, standing up from the floor hurriedly.

A surge of excitement rushed through her, causing the eleven year old girl to jump up and down onto the wooden floorboards beneath her, the sudden movement causing a creak as she spun around the room happily. But, it all came to a stop once her mind reminded her of the boy that had ran out of the house minutes ago.

"Oh, shit." Theo cursed accidentally, whispering a quick apology to whatever God resided above as she grabbed her hunting knife off the side table and rushed off after Carl Grimes to deliver the good news.

When she stepped foot outside of the house, she expected to find a few wandering souls of walkers. But instead, the streets were empty - three dead corpses littering the streets as she furrowed her brows. The sun shined harshly against her pale skin, a crimson tint rising in her cheeks at the sudden warmth. Occasionally, as she searched the streets in search of her friend, a gust of wind would waver over her body and cool her down momentarily.

Eyeing the abandoned houses, making sure to remember her steps where she wouldn't lose the house Rick was in. Stopping in the middle of the street, Theo kept her hand curled around the knife as she spun around slightly to search for any sign of Carl. Wishing that she could just call out to him without the fear of walkers hearing her, she huffed defeatedly and scraped the bottom of her boots against the pavement underneath her and reluctantly continued down the streets, her guard up.

"Theo?" A voice came from above, causing the girl to abruptly stop in her steps as she looked up to the sky. Stumbling around slightly, she furrowed her brows in confusion - "God?" Theo questioned, hearing a sigh of defeat follow her words as she hastily turned to the direction of the sound. "No, dumbass, it's Carl." The boy informed, his legs hanging off the edge of a roof, with only one shoe, as his eyes settled upon the eleven year old in the middle of the street.

Spotting the huge tin can held in his grasp, Theo shifted on her feet and placed her hand on her hips - "Is that chocolate pudding?" She inquired, holding her hand with her knife above her eyebrows to block out the bright light of the sun. Carl said nothing in response, only nodding as he shoved a spoonful of the substance into his mouth. "There's a walker in the house." He added, his voice muffled slightly by the mouthful of pudding.

"Be there in a jiffy," Theo informed, holding a thumbs up out to the boy as he rolled his eyes - "Okay then," She whispered to herself before glancing at the front porch of the house. Without a second thought, the girl rushed up the several stairs and into the open door.

Entering the home, the suppressed sounds of growls was the first thing she took notice of - eyes skimming across the interior. Placing her foot onto one step leading into the second floor, she stopped her movements and eyed the kitchen behind the open space of the living room.

Backing away from the steps, Theo took the opportunity to jog into the kitchen - pulling open the drawers until her eyes landed upon several spoons and forks residing in it. Quickly grabbing one, she slipped her hunting knife back into its sheath before rushing up to the second floor and past the closed door that had WALKER INSIDE, GOT MY SHOE - DIDN'T GET ME inscribed on it with what looked like chalk.

Entering the other bedroom with the open window, Theo leaned out of the frame to confirm that Carl was still there before carefully climbing onto the roof. "I don't like heights." She whispered, holding onto the rough texture of the roof as the boy looked back at her with furrowed brows. "It's not even that slanted." He added, keeping his hands wrapped around the 112 ounce can of pudding as Theo mocked his words under her breath.

"Whatever," The girl responded as she scooted down to where he sat. "Okay," She spoke, allowing her legs to dangle off of the edge before looking to Carl with a satisfied expression. "Care to share the... one hundred and twelves ounces of pudding?" Theo inquired while lifting the spoon she had snagged from the kitchen below.

Without a word, the boy scooted over slightly and placed the tin can between the two of them. "Why are you even here?" Carl questioned, watching as the girl dipped the metal of her spoon into the chocolate pudding and brought the substance to her open mouth. "Because," She spoke, voice muffled slightly before she swallowed the pudding with a scrunched up face - "You ran."

"So?" He retorted, eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

"Can I see your hand?" Theo requested after placing the spoon on the tiles of the roof and fully turning to the boy. Watching as his expression turned to a reluctant one, she sighed deeply - "Just," She started, reaching over the pudding between them and grabbing his hand off of his lap - "I'm not gonna bite you." Theo added underneath her breath, holding out her wrist with annoyed eyes.

Stretching out his pointy and middle finger, she directed them to the spot on her wrist where she had felt her pulse earlier. Turning back to his face, Theo watched as his features flinched slightly at the sudden rhythmic beating underneath her skin. A small smile curled around her lips as his eyes lifted to meet her own, "Feel it?" She questioned, Carl nodding in confirmation as she let go of his wrist - his fingers staying put on her pulse.

"Did Addy teach you that?" Carl asked curiously, reluctantly moving his fingers away from her wrist before looking to her. Theo shook her head, "No. My dad used to tell me this thing when I would get hurt... Kid, if you got a pulse - you'll be fine." She informed, mocking her fathers voice as she laughed quietly at the memories. "Um, anyways. When you left, I remembered that. So, I checked to see if your dad had one and... well, he did."

The information caused his eyes to widen slightly, raising to meet her own once again - "He's okay, Carl." Theo added, a small smile wrapped around her lips. In an instant, she felt the sudden warmth of arms being wrapped around her frame while what was left of the 112 ounces of pudding rolled off of the roof and onto the pavement below as Carl pulled her into a hug.

"Oh," Theo mumbled into his shoulder, eyes widened slightly by the affection as she awkwardly raised her arms to pat his back. "You're welcome...?" She started, shaking her head at her words as she finally melted into the hug and carefully wrapped her arms around his frame - still fearful of his erratic behavior, waiting for him to snap.

But, he didn't.

━━━━

ONE night later and a new addition to their group, Michonne, Rick had finally awoken from his deep slumber on the couch. Theo had nearly slept through all of the events, seeing as soon as she and Carl returned back to the home she decided to take a nap that lasted the entire night and arrival of Michonne. Unfortunately for her, neither of the Grimes chose to wake her up and tell her the good news.

So, she had to find out when she awoke in the middle of the night and caught the woman eating the bag of stale croutons. Theo screamed. Which led to Michonne nearly choking to death on a crouton. Which led to Rick and Carl waking up in fear that one of the girls was dying. To say the least, it was an eventful night for the four, and the father and son experienced a prolonged speech by the eleven year old about how they're supposed to tell and keep her updated when something new happens.

Theo made her way into the dining room of the home, an empty bowl held in her grasp as she walked past the two figures of Carl and Michonne sitting at the table. "Hello," The girl started, squinting her eyes at them as they turned to her - "Traitors." She finished, a muffled laugh coming from Carl as he covered his mouth with his palm.

"You already ate?" Carl questioned, eyeing the bowl in her hands. Theo nodded in confirmation, "Yes. After the events of last night, I could not sleep. Seeing as I nearly pooped my pants." She spoke dramatically, huffing while she turned her head, Michonne watching their interaction with interested eyes as Theo flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder and walked the short distance to the kitchen.

Rick stood leaned against the marble counter, items littered around the room - which was purely effects of the apocalypse. It was nearly impossible to walk into a home and find it spotless, seeing as the moment crap hit the fan, everyone packed what they could and ran for the hills. "Get a good nights sleep?" He questioned, breaking the silence with his voice as Theo sat her bowl down.

The eleven year old turned to him with furrowed brows, "What do you think?" She retorted, watching as a small smile crept around his lips as he chuckled slightly. "We didn't want to wake you. When Michonne came," Rick informed, motioning towards the arch that led to the room where the woman and Carl ate stale breakfast together.

"I'm not actually mad. By the way." Theo assured, shifting on her feet as she crossed her arms over her chest. A scoff mixed with a soft laugh left Ricks mouth, pushing his body off the counter as he took and step forward and squeezed the girls shoulder - "I think I caught onto that," He responded, causing the girl to smile warmly.

Watching as he began to make his exit towards the door, Theo called after him - "And Rick," She started, his figure coming to a stop underneath the door frame as he turned to face the girl. "You need a new shirt. You look like you were mauled by a tiger," She informed, causing his eyes to turn down to the flannel he wore - holes and rips causing the shirt to become nearly see through, the bandages he had wrapped around his chest being visible.

"Right." Rick nodded, shaking his head in amusement by the girls actions before making his way out of the kitchen. Theo stayed in the cluttered room, the urge to straighten things out overwhelming her. It wasn't long before she had found some spare garbage bags in the cupboards, filling them up with the many unneeded items that were thrown around the house.

Back at the prison, Theo tried to act her age. She went to story time (which was actually Carol teaching them how to deal with weapons and kill walkers, but Adeline never figured that part out), and she played with the kids her age. But, there was a part of her that felt dumb when doing those things. The world ended, there was no more school or playtime - it was surviving. She knew that, her father made sure she did before he died in the woods.

An eleven year old wouldn't normally voluntarily choose to clean a house during her free time. Especially in the events of an apocalypse. But, Theo did. She was always one to think things through, sometimes too much, and she felt the need to pick up just incase something were to happen. If they needed a quick escape, there wouldn't be trash or random chairs in their way to stop them. In short, it eased her mind instead of just waiting around and doing nothing.

After twenty more minutes of cleaning, Carl found her in one of the upstairs bedrooms - arms crossed over his chest as he watched her pick up the many books on the floor and stack them up. "What're you doing?" He spoke up, the silence around them shattering as she flinched at the sudden sound and look to him with wide eyes.

"I'm cleaning." Theo answered, standing to her feet with several books stacked in her arms. "Why?" She inquired, sliding the books into the empty slots of a bookcase. She turned to face him, hands on her hips as her boots tapped rhythmically against the wooden floorboards below.

Carl shrugged, moving to lean against the doorframe. "About to go on a run. With Michonne." He added, his eyes moving with the girls figure as she brushed past him and started to make her way towards the stairs. Hastily following after her, Carl sighed - "Do you wanna go?" He questioned, almost as if it was an objective for him.

"No thanks," Theo answered, walking down the stairs with a confused Carl on her trail. "I still have a few more rooms to pick up." She informed, stepping over the glass scattered on the stairs. The boy behind her furrowed his brows, "You know this place isn't long term, right?" He retorted, careful to avoid the same glass she stepped over.

"I know." She assured, stopping in the hallway that parted the living room and what looked like an office. Turning to face him, she felt the strands of her hair brush against the sides of her face - "I know your dad woke up, and that's good but someone needs to stay here and keep an eye on him. That's what... It's what Addy would do," Theo spoke with a determined face, the sound of footsteps calling a cease to the conversation as she turned to the source.

Michonne and Rick walked out of the door leading into the kitchen, "There you two are." the former of the two stated- a small smile on her face. "You coming?" The samurai questioned, turning her eyes to the eleven year old that stood a few feet ahead of Carl. Theo shook her head, "No, I'm gonna stay." She informed the two adults.

"Alright." Rick nodded in confirmation, reaching his arm out to ruffle the girls hair before guiding the three of them to the front door. "How long do you think you two will be?" He inquired, carefully opening the door and sparing a few glances outside before stepping out onto the porch.

Michonne and Carl went out next, Theo deciding to lean against the door frame next to Rick. "Fill a couple bags, shouldn't be too long." The woman answered, her hand resting absentmindedly on the base of her sword. Rick looked down to his watch, "It's 8:15 now." He informed, his bandaged hand tracing over the dirtied glass.

"We'll be back by noon." Michonne assured, her attentive eyes scanning the front yard of the house as the father nodded his head before turning to his son. "You follow her lead. You understand?" He questioned, unholstering his python and handing it out to Carl after checking the bullet count. The boy nodded in confirmation, taking the gun from his fathers grasp and sliding it into his holster.

While they bid their goodbyes, Theo waved to the two retreating figures before stepping back into the home with Rick on her trail. "You better not pass out again," The kid opened her mouth, a determined look on her face as Rick closed the door and shook his head with a smile.

"Help me with the couch, will you, boss?" He mocked, causing the eleven year old to laugh softly before bracing her arms onto the arms of the couch and helping the man shove it back up against the door. "That should do it." Rick spoke, pulling away from the couch and tiredly slumping against the arm rest.

Theo watched him, furrowed brows threaded against her face. "You should take a nap." She advised, "That's what Adeline would tell me to do." The girl spoke as she hopped up onto the arm rest next to him. "And she would probably tell you to do the same," Theo added.

Rick nodded in confirmation, turning his face to look at the little girl. "Yeah... she probably would," He agreed with Theo - his hand falling down to the red handle of his sisters machete with a mixed look of guilt and loss.

With her attentive eyes, Theo caught sight of the emotions he held in his features. "Do you feel it?" She broke the silence, trying to come up with words to explain what she wanted to say in her head. When Rick glanced over at her with a confused expression, she sighed defeatedly - "Do you think that she didn't make it? Do you feel it?" Theo repeated her words, a determined look woven in her face.

"I never felt it." She informed, fiddling with her fingers; dirt stuck underneath her nails. "I have an older brother. I didn't really see him much, he wasn't around. But I think that I would've felt it. If he didn't make it. I think that he made it out of wherever he was living, and that he's still alive." Theo informed, telling Rick something that she hadn't though about since the beginning of the end.

He looked to her, a sense of understanding held in his features. "What was his name?" Rick inquired, his mind curious - wondering if Adeline knew what he had just been told. The question caused Theo to squeeze her hands anxiously before letting out a deep sigh - "Alden."

"Well... then Alden is still out there." Rick assured, his next words being spoken as a way to relieve himself of his worries about his sister. "And so is Adeline. They're still making it, how's that sound?" He questioned, the ghost of a smile curled around his chapped lips.

Theo felt a warmth of happiness spread across her features as she nodded in agreement- "It sounds good." She informed, a thankful look held in her eyes as she turned them to Rick. "They're still making it."

"They are." Rick repeated, the two of them finding a sense of gratitude in their words. Truth be told, the eldest Grimes never thought that he would be assured by the words of an eleven year old - but, he was. And each time he looked to the girl, he saw his sister within her nervous antics and the reassuring words sent his way. If there was one thing he knew, it was that Adeline was the girls mother. Even if she didn't give birth to her.

Just like he was the father of Judith.

And soon enough, after their conversation that brought comfort to both sides - Theo found herself alone in the downstairs of the home. She couldn't help but to let her mind go, her body resting against the same couch pushed up against the front door. Her fingers tapped rhythmically against her leg from boredom, blowing a gust of air out of her mouth as she leaned into the cushions.

The sudden reminder of her messenger bag sprung to her mind, causing her body to straighten as she hastily slid off of the couch and rushed into the kitchen. Grabbing the bag and pulling the buttons open. Digging into its depth of junk, her fingers grazed against an item that had been gifted to her by Adeline after the failed supermarket run.

Pulling out the slightly heavy material of the Walkman, a small smile curled up against Theo's chapped lips as she tucked the messenger bag underneath her arm and made her way back to the living room. Sitting back against the soft cushions of the couch, Theo crossed her legs under her body and untangled the wire of the headphones that were attached to the device - hoping that the tape that Adeline listened to before giving it to her was still there.

Shifting against the cushions, Theo pushed the earphones into her ears and leaned against the couch. Pressing her finger against the play button, the girl flinched slightly at the loud sound before she adjusted to it. A crackly noise broke through the earphones, offering her a sense of warmth as the sound of a guitar played.

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill, he sounds too blue to fly. The midnight train is whining low - I'm so lonesome I could cry.

I've never seen a night so long when time comes crawling by. The moon just went behind the clouds to hide its face and cry.

Theo could find comfort within the song, a quick break from the singing taking place as the instruments took the lead. The voice was comforting, whoever it was, and the lyrics told a story that almost explained everything. The eleven year old remembered how Adeline told her that listening helped her sleep, and now she understood why.

Did you ever see a robin weep when leaves began to die? Like me, he's lost the will to live. I'm so lonesome I could cry.

Before the next verse could kick in, a sudden shove was felt against the front door - her weight suppressing it from moving completely as she flinched in fear. The instrumental break of the song took place, heart pounding harshly in her chest as her eyes widened. Crawling onto the cushions, Theo craned her hand against the curtains pushed against the window and peeked onto the porch.

There stood several men, nasty looks on their faces as they all held weapons in their hands. She could see as they readied to push the door again, heart beginning to beat faster as she panicked within the music playing in her ears. What do I do? What do I do? Theo asked herself repeatedly, slipping the strap of her bag over her shoulder as she quickly looked around the house.

The silence of a falling star lights up a purple sky, and as I wonder where you are. I'm so lonesome I could cry.

The song came to an end just as the teen slipped off the couch, rushing into the depths of the house - silently moving around and knocking things down against the floor to mask their claim they had laid onto the home. The next song of the tape began to play, the muffled sound of the couch scratching against the floor causing her heart to beat rapidly in her chest.

I tried so hard, my dear, to show that you're my every dream. Yet, you're afraid each thing I do is just some evil scheme. A memory from your lonesome past keeps us so far apart - Why can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold, cold heart?

The music continued to play within the headphones, Theo's hand ripping out one of the buds as she quietly rushed up the stairs to find Rick - the wooden floors creaking underneath her light weight. Fear kept her hostage, shaky hands scattering things along her way as she rushed into the room she knew he was sleeping in.

Just as she entered, the loud sound of the front door busting open echoed across both floors of the house. Theo could feel her heart drop as she clicked the Walkman off and tore the other earbud free from her ear. Shoving the device into her bag, the eleven year old silently opened the door to the room that Rick was in.

Finding his sleeping figure laying against the bed, Theo felt her boots skid against the wooden floors. Rushing in the room, she wrapped her hands around Ricks arms and shook him awake hurriedly - "Rick! Rick, you have to wake up. Please. Please wake up." She whispered, sure to keep her voice down and out of range from the men that had officially made it into the home.

The eldest Grimes opened his eyes, on alert from the panicked tone of Theo's voice. Before he could open his mouth to speak, the girl raised her finger against her lips and shushed him - "They're already inside." She spoke, the muffled voices of the men downstairs echoing through the house as their footsteps grew heavier by the second.

Rick quickly raised up from the bed, his hand falling down to where his python would usually be but instead found it empty due to giving it to his son. "Your pistol. Where is it?" He whispered, standing up from the bed and looking down to Theo whose eyes widened slightly. She left it in the bedroom she fell asleep in.

"Don't panic." Rick was quick to assure, his hand quickly curling around the red handled machete that belonged to his sister - "Stay close to me." He informed, the floors creaking quietly underneath his weight as he rushed over to the door of the bedroom just as loud footsteps began marching up the stairs.

Theo stayed close behind him, her hand falling down to the hunting knife on her side. The two of them stuck to the door, the sight of a figure opening a door and walking into one of the upstairs bedroom caused her stomach to drop - cold chills running down her spine. "Rick?" She whispered expectingly, looking to the man for answers.

Scanning the room they were in, he quickly mapped out a plan in his head. "Under the bed, get under the bed." His tone was rough around the edges, but Theo nodded her head hastily and rushed over to the bed where she bent down and slid underneath - Rick entering through the other side after grabbing the watch Carol had given him off the bedside table.

Theo's eyes caught sight of his water bottle on the dresser, which would be a given that they were there. In this world no one leaves water laying around. Taking the risk, she slid out from under the bed as Rick attempted to latch onto her wrist and hold her back - "Theo!" His voice was harsh, eyes watching and ready to make a move.

The light weight of her body masked the sound of her movements, providing her with leverage as the man from before crossed the hallway and into another room - her heart beating harshly as she quickly hid behind the door. Waiting until his footsteps dispersed, Theo reached up onto the dresser and grabbed the water bottle before returning to the other side of the bed and back into her hiding spot with Rick underneath.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He whispered in a scolding tone, watching as the girl revealed the water bottle in her grasp and pushing it into his open hand without saying a word in response to him.

Before they could even process their next thought, the same man scouting the upper floor entered the room they were hiding within. Theo's breath began to quicken out of fear of getting caught, her hand softly wrapping around her mouth as she pressed her elbows against the floor. Rick composed himself and remained quiet, watching the man's every move from underneath the bed.

The watch within his grasp ticked rhythmically, causing the eldest Grimes to shift against the floorboards as he suppressed the sound and turned the small watch off. The man in the room walked towards the bed, a loud creak emitting from the floorboards as Theo's eyes were glued to the heavy gun he held in his grasp.

She took a deep breath, removing her hand from her mouth as the sound of something bouncing against the walls was heard from the lower level of the home. Glancing over to Rick, she took notice of the amount of shaking happening to his hands - and she couldn't figure out why. It couldn't have been from fear, right?

Quietly, the kid shifted against the boards and wrapped her still hand against his trembling one to assure him. They would make it. They had to. Theo kept her small hand in his, pressing them against the floor as the man in the room flopped down onto the bed - the mattress harshly slamming against the frame as the two underneath it flinched in fear of it snapping in half.

"This will be our abode for the evening," A voice from downstairs spoke - causing an overwhelming feeling to wash over Rick and Theo. They couldn't stay there. They had to warn Michonne and Carl. They had to make it.

They spent the next half of the hour underneath the bed, time growing closer to the afternoon which is when their family was supposed to return. Theo kept her hand within Ricks grasp, the two of them becoming more anxious by the second. The man on the bed began snoring loudly, which gave them impression that he was fully asleep.

Releasing her hold on Rick, he looked to her and gestured for the two of them to scoot out from the bed. She nodded in agreement, pressing her hands against the floor as she began pulling herself out from under the bed frame. But before they could do it fully, the approaching sounds of footsteps caused Rick to usher back under the bed and grab onto Theo's elbow to ease her back into safety.

"Crap," The girl whispered quietly, returning back to her position with a look of aggravation and fear as a new figure marched up the stairs and made a beeline for the bedroom they were hiding in. "Yo!" He yelled, attempting to wake the sleeping figure onto of the bed and loudly knocking against the door frame to wake his friend.

"Comfy?"

The figure on the bed sighed, "You waking me up to see if I'm comfortable?"

"I wanna lie down."

"Two other bedrooms up here to choose."

"Them's kids' beds. I want this one." The other man pressed, walking closer to the bed as Theo lowered her hand to the hunting knife on her side.

"It's claimed."

"I didn't hear it. You gonna have to lay claim somewhere else." He spat, the man on the bed moving to stand up.

In an instant, punches were thrown as Theo flinched at the sudden sound - scooting closer to Rick as the two men began to fight inside of the room. Hoping that it would end, that flame was quick to be blown out as one of the men were shoved to the ground; right where they were.

Theo felt her heart quicken, fingers tightening around the hunting knife as a punch was thrown into the man's face - his head whipping to the side and his eyes catching sight of the two figures hiding underneath the bed. They widened, and Theo quickly became grateful for the rage that the other man held inside of him.

"Len! Len, stop!" The defenseless man begged, his friend quickly denying his words as he wrapped his arm around his neck and began to choke him. Theo felt her hands shake, her eyes glued to the man's face as she tightened her grasp on her hunting knife. She watched as the life faded from his eyes, fear hammering into her stomach as the man's body became limp and his eyes closed.

Releasing his grip the other man stood to his feet and let out a huff - "My bed now, jack off." He stated, moving towards the mattress and flopping onto it; leaving them in the exact same situation as before. Trapped.

Together, the two of them were forced to wait another thirty minutes until the other man, Len, fell asleep. The snores were lighter and harder to hear, but the moment Theo caught a whiff of one she gestured to Rick and pointed up towards the mattress. He nodded, waiting several seconds before beginning to scoot out from his side of the bed. Theo doing the same with her side.

The only problem was the foot hanging off of the bed, her shoulder softly smacking against it as the body sleeping shifted and caused her to panic slightly. Cursing under her breath, Theo pressed her hands against the wooden floors and avoided the boot, finally making her escape. Standing to her feet, she steadied herself and slid her knife back into its sheath before looking over to Rick.

The men on the lower level continued chatting, every so often shouting "Claimed!" over the sound of the rhythmic beat of a ball slamming against the floorboards. Theo looked back to the man asleep on the bed, an expression of disgust held in her features as she tested the waters on the floorboards - hoping that they didn't creak.

"Tony, Len, get your asses down here!" A loud shot was heard from the bottom of the stairs, causing her eyes to widen as she looked to Rick - him arm gesturing for her to follow him. Without wasting a second, she was quick on his heels, the two of them sneaking out of the room and into another. Catching sight of a man coming up the stairs, Theo felt the boards creak underneath her weight.

Feeling her skin run cold, her breath quickened it's pace as the man's head began to turn in her direction. Not having any other choice, she quickly wrapped her hand around the door to the hallway closet and slipped inside, closing the door halfway as she clamped a hand over her mouth in fear of being caught.

The sound of the ball bouncing grew closer, the vacancy of Rick becoming a prominent feature as she heard the footsteps of the man slow in front of the hallway door. Her body trembled, fingers falling back down to the handle of her knife as she hid within the darkness of the closet. She could see the man peak through the crack of the door, but a series of shouts stopped him.

"CLAIM! CLAIM! CLAIM!"

A loud sigh of aggravation was heard from within the same bedroom she had just escaped with Rick, "Shut the hell up! I'm trying to sleep!" He yelled, the man in front of the hallway door moving away and making a beeline for the bedroom.

"There's a little girl shaking up in here!" The man from the lower level of the house informed - causing a panic to swarm Theo's veins and mind.

"Say what?"

"Come on down!"

"She hot?"

"Don't grab your pecker just yet. She ain't here." The other voice shouted, Theo removing her hand from her mouth just as the two figures walked past the hallway door and back down the stairs of the home.

The conversation continued from down below, Theo waiting as the footsteps dispersed completely before slipping through the door and into the room where Rick had escaped to. Finding him hiding behind a wall with Adelines machete gripped tightly in his grasp, the new addition of his sisters gun tucked in his jeans as a look of relief flowed through his features at the sight of Theo.

"I call her first when she gets here." The voices from below spoke, causing the eleven year old to flinch at the tone of his words. "Rick..." She whispered, a fearful sound to her voice as the man nodded assuringly.

"Stay behind me. We're getting out of here." Rick informed, sliding the machete back into his belt loop and pulling Theo next to him. "Come on," He gestured, guiding her through the house as the same figure from before, Len, came rushing up the stairs to get his gun.

In a quick fit to hide, the two of the silently rushed out sight and into the nearest room - which just so happened to be a bathroom. With someone inside of it. A quick second of short lived silence happened, Rick and the man inside of the bathroom looking back and forth as Theo quietly shut the door behind them. "Oh crap,"

The man sat up from the closed toilet where he read a book, Rick quickly taking advantage by slamming his fist into the man's stomach - Theo backing out of the way and towards the window where she ushered to unlock it. Before she could the man overpowered Rick, slamming his fist into the side of his head and turning him around.

Theo pressed her back up against the wall, fearful eyes watching as the man held Rick in a chokehold - her friend attempting to free himself but was only futile. Snapping out of her state, the eleven year old caught sight of a pair of scissors on the sinks counter - her hands completely taking over as she curled them into her grasp and sunk them into the man's side.

He released Rick, a familiar rage bursting through Theo as he fell to his knees and groaned in pain. She tugged the scissors out of his stomach, curling her arm back and harshly slamming them into the side of the man's neck. Blood sprayed from the wound, marking her face as he fell limply to the floor - her chest heaving up and down as she backed away with wide eyes.

Rick rubbed his hand against his neck, his eyes looking to the bleeding body as he muffled a cough while standing up. "We have to..." He started, stepping over the body and grabbing the brown fur lined jacket off of the shower rod. "We have to go." He informed, sliding his arms through the jacket before grabbing the machine gun off of the dead man's body and lifting the window up.

Before the two of them made their way outside and onto the roof, Rick looked back to the girl who rubbed the blood off onto her jeans - using her shirt to rid of the crimson splatters on her face. "I stabbed the hell out of that guy, didn't I?" She spoke, using her humor to cover up the fact that it wasn't her first time taking a life.

"Yeah... Yeah, you sure did." Rick replied, a reluctant look in his eyes - slightly worried for the girl before pushing it away and helping her out of the window.

-END OF CHAPTER.
word count, 7060

thoughts?!?! i struggled so much
with this chapter but it does give a
bit of insight on theos backstory &
more of that is soon to come 🙏🏻

also if you all didn't know - when
the story of adeline & theo reaches
the second half of season 9, i will
be making a fic for theo's perspective
of things and her love interest will be...

EEEK i am so excited to write them
ugh yes !!! also yes theo will be in
that age range, after the time skip
she will be 18/19 years old so it works :)