Fracking Apocalypse - a ZNation 10K/Tommy Fanfiction

S8E01: Part 2

S8E01: Part 2

10K POV

When TJ and Charlie had gotten home that morning 10K noticed Bailey was already gone. It was her day off at the supply and storage building and he had no idea where she would have gone. He let out a huff and ran his hand through his hair as the kids got dressed. How was he supposed to talk to her and make everything better if she was avoiding him? He took another deep breath and let it go for now. It wasn't like she could stay away forever, with two kids she'd be home sooner or later. Considering that now he had both kids to watch himself he knew he'd have to keep them occupied or they'd go stir crazy.

He had promised TJ he'd take him out for target practice if he'd been good and TJ had even tugged Ted by the hand to tell Tommy he'd been a good boy the whole night in case his Pa didn't believe him. He'd gotten a chuckle out of that before he'd thanked Ted and brought the kids home for breakfast.

10K opened a cabinet under the sink and took out their bucket of recyclables that he kept for TJ to practice on. He also grabbed a plastic baggie with some thick sticks of colored sidewalk chalk so Charlie would have something to do too.

When the kids were dressed and fed he brought them to the edge of the Memorial Wall. He set the cans up on a nearby bench in the courtyard while Charlie started to doodle on the concrete and TJ took his sling from his back pocket.

"Remember what I told you before TJ." He began as he walked over to his boy and started to draw lines in the dirt with the toe of his boot. "Inhale when you pull back and exhale when you release."

"And watch the target not the pebble." He added.

Tommy smiled, "Yep, eyes on target."

He'd started TJ off with small pebbles knowing if he started with gears he was more likely to hurt himself and someone else while he got the hang of it. Tommy remembered when he did this with 5K. He'd started with gears then but 5K had also been older then TJ by a few years when they'd met. And he hadn't had the luxury of living someplace as safe as Altura.

TJ moved to stand on the closest line that Tommy had drawn as he lifted his sling and lined up his shot. Tommy quickly looked over his shoulder to make sure Charlie was doing alright. She was, crouched down and coloring with a smile on her face as she sang some silly song she'd made up to herself. Then there was a ping and he turned back to see TJ had hit one of the cans leaving a small dent in the side of it.

"Good job." He'd applauded tapping TJ's shoulder as his son got another pebble. The morning passed like that for a good hour or two. When TJ had hit all the cans at least three or four times 10K had him move back to the next line in the dirt as he practiced hitting them from further away. Tommy left his side a few times when Charlie would call him to show off a picture she'd made. One had been a flower, another one was a stick person version of their family, another one was a rainbow. Some were just little swirls and zig zags but she liked showing them off all the same. Tommy kissed her head before going back to TJ who had moved back another line.

"I'm getting better Pa." he said proudly before pulling the rubber band back and making his next shot on the first try.

"You're getting a lot better." Tommy replied proudly, stuffing his hand and stump in his pockets.

"Pa. . ." TJ began as he fished around in his pocket for another rock, "When can I go with you on a run?"

The question surprised Tommy and he hesitated to answer while TJ found a pebble and played with it in his hand instead of taking his aim. Meanwhile 10K's mind seemed to be flashing through several thoughts at once. He knew TJ had been outside the walls of Altura before, he and Bailey had taken their children on trips to the lake and to Heartland to visit Addy several times. It wasn't like they'd kept them cooped up at home. He also knew there weren't many zombies – the proof was in his slower count these past several years - so it wasn't like taking TJ out for a supply run would be dangerous. But still something churned in his gut at the idea of TJ going out there, of a Z coming out of nowhere and even having a chance to hurt his boy. Maybe it was the thought that if TJ was armed with his slingshot he wouldn't run. Even when they took the kids on trips they made sure to tell them that if Momma or Papa said run and hide they'd listen. But if TJ thought he could protect himself he'd stay in the path of danger.