Keep Holding On

Angela walked down the porch steps putting distance between her and the Greene household. She had sat at the dinning room table for quite some time now, just thinking about this group and the new guy that had been brought in.

There was a huge strain on the group, that much was sure; especially when it came to Rick in Shane. The two had been very close friends long before Angela joined, from what Angela could tell, probably long before all hell broke loose ending life as they once knew it. There were a few times she had heard the two refer to each other as brothers, they were that close, but now they were more distant. Rick still used the term 'brother' towards Shane, but it sounded strained and they clearly didn't see eye to eye any longer. Their issues were quickly becoming the groups, both men would bring up solid points, but not many would firmly choose a side and speak out. It would only be a matter of time before everyone had to speak and choose a side, Angela just knew it would come, she only hoped it wouldn't tear them apart when it did. Shane's temper was another thing to worry about; he'd be pissed most days now and Rick bringing Randall back just pushed him over the edge, only closer to the brink of snapping, but when he finally would no one knew.

Angela stopped on the edge of camp; her eyes searching for the young girl she had sworn to protect. She caught sight of Carl sitting at a picnic table with his mom and began walking that way knowing Layla would be there with them.

"More schooling?" Angela asked as she approached. Layla beamed up at her.

"Nope tic-tac-toe and I'm winning!" Layla exclaimed.

"Don't get too full of yourself Layla, Carl could make a comeback." Angela replied placing a hand on Carl's shoulder. "Right Carl?" He looked up at her with determination in his eyes.

"Yeah! You better watch out Layla!" He agreed the three laughing together as the game continued. Lori sat smiling at the young kids and Angela turned to her.

"You okay watching Layla for me?"

"Of course, she'll stay with me and Carl. Where are you off to?" Lori asked with a knowing tone of voice.

"Just want to walk around the land, clear my head for a bit. Sitting in that house didn't help me at all, I need to stretch my legs." Angela replied

"Not going to see a certain redneck?" Lori's tone still had that knowing sound to it, but had turned rather disapproving as well.

"No, I'm going to walk around, by myself. I don't know what you think is going on between me and Daryl, but I can reassure you it's nothing. We're just friends, I trust the guy to have my back it tough situations that's all." Angela said, only the first part being true. She hoped Lori wouldn't see through the lie that had been spoken.

"What was with the canteen earlier, then?" Lori pried.

"Daryl being kind, and having my back. What are you getting at?" Angela was getting annoyed now, and didn't want to get into an argument about this in front of the kids.

"I just don't want you getting hurt, and he's growing more distant now." Lori shrugged.

"Daryl's a good guy who's done a lot for this group and for my sister. I owe him, I've said that so many times since joining this group, but it's true. Lori just believe me when I say there's nothing going on between the two of us, we're friends that's it, no matter how distant he is right now or what I've told you a while back."

"Alright, alright." Lori said, but Angela knew this wouldn't be the last she heard on the matter. "Just get going, don't want to be wondering around once it gets dark."

"Thank you." Angela said halfheartedly and began to walk off.

"Enjoy your walk Angela." Lori called. Angela didn't respond as she kept walking towards the fields.

"You two continue your game, I'm going to see if Carol needs any help with chores. Stay in Dale's sight alright." Lori said as she rose from her seat.

"Yes ma'am." The two kids replied. Lori kissed Carl's head before walking towards where Carol was hanging clothes.

"Hey Carol." Lori greeted receiving a small hi back. Lori grabbed some clothes from the basket and started hanging them as well. "Do you think something's going on between Daryl and Angela?" She questioned, she knew Angela loved Daryl, she admitted that the night he was shot,but Lori couldn't believe that the girl was okay with just being friends with him after all she confessed.

"What do you mean?" Carol asked, interested in some fresh gossip to take her mind off her loss.

"Look, you can't tell anyone this." Lori said glancing around to make sure that no one was in earshot. "The night Daryl was shot, Angela was a mess. She was so worried about Daryl's life and her and I say by the door waiting for news on what he had found that day. I gave her a shoulder to cry on and she ended up telling me that she loved him. Then when he's back on his feet, the two disappear into the woods for the day. I just think something's up is all."

"Them disappearing in the woods together was pretty weird." Carol admitted. "And she really told you she loved him?" Lori nodded.

"Pretty much, but she didn't need to tell me, she pretty much screamed it through her actions that day; by showing how much Daryl getting hurt bothered her and yelling at Andrea."

"Well, Daryl did trust her faster than he had ever trusted any of us when we first met him." Carol noted. "That could have been because of Layla though, he trusted her, protected her, and she spoke a lot about her sister. That could have made him be a little more open minded about her."

"I guess that's a possibility." Lori mused. "She's just acting strange though; she either avoids the conversation when she realizes I'm going to bring it up or she says nothing's going on. Like today she told me she was going for a walk and I brought it up; she all but panicked and started saying that nothing was going on, that they were just friends like she was okay with the thought of them being nothing more than friends."

"Maybe they aren't more than friends, and maybe she's just accepted that because she doesn't want him to push her away completely." Carol suggested and Lori stopped and looked at her.

"Maybe, but maybe she'll talk to someone about it and accidentally let something slip." Carol laughed a little at this.

"It's been a while since we could talk like this; just gossip like nothing's wrong with the world."

"Kind of nice isn't it." Lori agreed

"Yeah, and I'll go see if Angela will tell me anything." Carol said knowing exactly what Lori wanted.

"Really?! If you go now you can probably catch her alone, she walked off towards the open fields where the cattle are from time to time." Lori said hoping their plan would work.

"Alright I'll let you know what she says." Carol said hanging one last shirt before walking in the direction Lori explained. It didn't take long to find Angela and she hastily made her way to the younger woman. "Hey." She said once she got close enough, Angela spun around to face her.

"Hey Carol." Angela said a small smile pulling at her lips. "Do you need something?"

"No, just saw you walking around thought I'd come join you." Carol replied.

"Oh, um, okay you join me I guess." Angela said not wanting to reject the healing mother. The two walked in silence for a moment, before Carol broke it.

"So what do you think of Daryl?"

"What?" Angela asked laughing slightly at the random question.

"What do you think of Daryl?" Carol repeated.

"Uh, he's a good guy, I hate that he's trying to separate himself from the group, but it's his choice. I think when it comes down to it, he'd have our backs if we needed him." Angela said. She wasn't sure why Carol would ask, but she figure it might have something to do with Lori. "What do you think of him?"

"He's a good man, he did a lot for Sophia, more than her father ever did." Carol answered honestly, but sadly. "I'm not going to let him pull away from the group, not completely, he needs to know someone cares." She sent a soft smile towards Angela before continuing. "I'm going to head back to camp now."

"Alright, bye." Angela watched the woman walk away. She had no idea what was going on, but if Daryl found out they thought something was up he'd probably be pissed.

Carol looked behind her as she headed back to camp and when she noticed Angela had turned away, she changed directions and made her way to where Daryl was staying. She found him sitting by a small fire messing with his arrows and crossbows. He glanced up quickly at her then back to his arrows.

"What d'ya want?" He asked, a frown evident on his face.

"Just wanted to talk to you." Carol stated coming to a stop leaving a good bit if distance between them.

"Got nothin' ta say to you or anyone else in that camp. Moved out here to get away from everyone." Daryl replied still refusing to look up from what he was doing.

"What about Angela?" That stopped his movements for a moment.

"What about her?"

"You two seem pretty close is all. You two talk often and when you had just gotten back on your feet, y'all disappeared into the woods for hours, just the two of you. Just wondering what was going on between y'all." Daryl set his weapon aside and stood up.

"Listen here, there ain't nothin' goin' on. I saved her sister, she's just tryin' to be nice cause she don't know how to repay me and won't drop the damn subject. As fer goin' off into the woods that day, was so I could teach her ta use that bow of hers properly, 'cause I'm not gunna be there ta save her ass every damn time she gets in trouble. Now why don' cha jus' leave me the hell alone. I'm tired of everyone being in my damn buisness!" Daryl yelled, he was in Carol's face, much like last night, but this time he didn't even raise a finger towards her.

"Sorry I bothered you then." Carol replied turning in her heel and going back to camp. She didn't look back to see Daryl walk off into the fields towards where Angela was walking around, she didn't even stop till she found an anxiously waiting Lori.

"Well?" Lori asked when she noticed Carol.

"According to Angela he's a good guy that will have the group's back if they needed it, so she trusts him. She didn't say anything about being friends or anything of the sorts. When you ask Daryl about her, he claims that he pretty much doesn't care, that when they went into the woods he was teaching her to use her bow well so he didn't have to constantly save her and that she along with everyone else gets on his nerves and is always in his business." Lori frowned at this, she was hoping would have slipped, but in the end, thought that maybe she had been wrong to begin with.

"Thanks for trying." Lori said. Carol nodded, not saying another word, and walked away. Lori stared after her for a moment, regret was beginning to wash over her. She realized now that she probably shouldn't have asked Carol to talk to Angela, it got them nowhere. Maybe there wasn't anything to begin with, that all it was was gossip and nothing more.

If they only knew.