AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN I RICK GRIMES

And If All Our Days Are Numbered

And If All Our Days Are Numbered

"Still no sign of these so called jobs," Carol said from between gritted teeth, straightening her shirt collar, before turning to Rick who was holding Judith against his shoulder, his eyes distant, face pale against the backdrop of his denim shirt. "Rick?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

Rick started, startled. "What?" he said, brow creasing.

"She's just using you as her favourite scratching pole," Carol smiled sweetly, "so that means she'll come back to claw you some more."

Rick just looked at her, before reluctantly grinning, half turning away from her. He'd returned back to the house last night, only to find Carol in the kitchen, doing what he'd already done, carrying out an inventory of the knives they could use as weapons, and he'd told her what had happened him, almost talking her ear off. Carol still classed Alexis as one of 'them', but all the same, she had listened to Rick rant on, pouring him the rest of the bourbon as she did, before sending him off to bed like he was a little boy.

"Glenn, you need to tuck your shirt in!" she called as he passed the doorway, making him flap an uncharacteristically filthy hand at her, Carol shaking her head at him in turn, mockingly ruing the decline in his personal standards. "You got the flowers?" she then fired at Rick, making him brandish the bouquet she had put together. "Good. Well, I'll go and get the casserole, then," she said smartly, going into the kitchen, where Tara and Noah were washing the breakfast plates. Tara held up her hand, Carol high-fiving her, before nodding at Noah as she picked up the covered casserole dish.

When she went back into the hall, it was only to almost walk smack-bang into Abraham, who just grumbled an apology at her, Rosita following him into the kitchen, rolling her eyes at Carol as she passed her. Trailing at their heels, was Eugene and Father Gabriel, Carol never able to just call him Gabriel. She smiled at them both, concealing her contempt, before making her way back into the living room, holding the casserole dish aloft like it was the Holy Grail.

"That smells delicious," Maggie said, coming through the opposite doorway, "what's the occasion?"

"Just to thank Jessie for lunch, yesterday," Carol said, not disclosing the truth, Rick also having told her about what had transpired between him and Jessie after the lunch. The flowers and the casserole were a way of apologizing, Carol thinking it wise to try and pour oil onto troubled waters - for the time being anyways. Trouble was coming regardless, but it would be only to their advantage, not the Alexandrians.

"Have any of you seen Sasha?" Maggie then asked, making Rick and Carol shake their heads.

"I was just going to ask the same thing," Michonne said from the doorway, something in her face making Rick frown.

"Why?" he said, instantly on the alert, shifting Judith to his other arm.

"I'm just worried about Sasha's state of mind," Michonne said uneasily, coming over, smoothing back Judith's downy hair with a maternal hand, "she's acting erratically – you saw her that day back at the bridge – she went apeshit."

"I know," Rick said, exhaling sharply, "just – just keep an eye on her, then, yeah?"

Michonne nodded, before eying the bouquet and casserole, raising her eyebrows in silent question.

"For Jessie," Carol reiterated, "as a thank you for lunch yesterday."

"Still no signs of these jobs," Michonne then said, sitting down on the sofa, casting her eye around for Carl. "Where's the boy?" she asked, pulling out a can of Crazy Cheese, the sight making Rick do a double-take.