Keep Holding On

Angela made her way up the steps of the farm house, why they didn't come and get her, she didn't understand, but she was glad no one did. They wouldn't have been too happy with her talking to Randall. She could hear that the debate had already begun, Shane and Dale were heard loud and clear, but everything fell silent and all eyes were on her as he entered.

"Where the hell have you been?" Shane practically shouted.

"Was watching Randall, no one bothered to come get me." She retorted from the doorway.

"Angela I'm sorry. I forgot." Andrea said trying to plead her case.

"No worries." She replyed half heartedly.

Looking to her left she saw Lori leaning up against the wall and decided she'd stand by the woman, but in the doorframe conjoining the other room. That's when she noticed Daryl's hard stare. She sent him a small smile he didn't return, before directing her attention to the discussion at hand.

"Look we need to know where everyone stands." Rick stated from the middle of the room.

"Well it's pretty obvious where everyone stands. There's just a small group that stands with me, maybe just me and Glenn." Dale explained and Glenn looked down sadly and guiltily.

"No."

"Look I think you're right pretty much all the time, but he's not one of us." Glenn replied his voice ridden with guilt.

"They've got you scared." Dale accused, then sighed seeing it was a lost cause and looked to Hershel. "What do you think about this? It's your farm."

"I trust Rick with this decision. I don't want him near my girls. I told you this." Hershel responded.

"Isn't there another way?" Maggie chimed in. "Put an escort on him." She suggested.

"Yeah who would want that job?"Shane questioned, irritated with the topic.

"I would!" Dale offered.

"No ones going to be escorting him around." Rick finalized.

"I wouldn't feel safe unless he was locked up somehow." Lori expressed and Andrea was quick to respond.

"We can't exactly put him in chains and sentence him to hard labor."

"If you kill him how would you do it?" Patricia asked from the corner of the room.

"Been thinking about that, I think shooting him would be more humane." Rick explained when Shane brought up hanging him. A few other suggestions were before Dale spoke again.

"You're all talking like this has been decided."

"Been goin' 'round all day, just wanna keep goin' in circles." Daryl said motioning with his hand to make his point and began to pace a little. His eyes landed on Angela for a moment and se looked almost nervous. He thought about placing his hand on her shoulder, but brushed the thought away as soon as it came.

"Look let's say we let him into our group, maybe he's nice, maybe he's helpful." Shane began.

"He is and he would be." Angela responded before she could stop herself.

"How would you know?" He questioned, mistrust shining in his eyes as he glared at her.

"While on guard duty, I spoke to him."

"You spoke to him? What the hell!" Shane exclaimed. "He probably told you nothing but lies about how his group is nice and welcoming. You probably-"

"Would you shut up!" Angela yelled. "Just for one fucking minute, shut up and let me explain." She said calmer and when no one response she took a step from the door frame and continued. "I talked to him about his life before this hell began. He lived with his mom, lived a normal life, spent time with friends. Then the outbreak happened and he watched his family an friends get killed and turned and he couldn't end them." She paused letting the story sink in. "He's just like us, like me and Layla, he was lost and alone and he only joined and stayed with that group so he wouldn't be on his own anymore. To survive."

"Yeah as e could go back and bring his buddies here." Shane argued.

"They were hardly buddies. No one talked much, they weren't close. I highly doubt he'd return to them." Angela stated and Shane just scoffed.

"Alright we have to make a decision." Rick stated after a moment.

"Look, kill him or not just leave me out of it." Carol said from the front door.

"Not speaking out or killing him yourself, it's all the same." Dale said gesturing with his hand.

"Doesn't matter, if she doesn't want to vote she doesn't have to." Rick defended and turned to Angela. "So you're siding with Dale right?"

"Yeah." Angela nodded.

"If he stays, it's just another mouth to feed." Daryl said, Angela turned to find him leaning against the frame she once leaned against.

"Going to be a mean winter." Hershel put out.

"We could ration better." Lori offered.

"Look, I'm just saying don't kill him. I understand if no one wants him around the camp, but killing him is murder. We shouldn't kill the living. The dead are bad enough."

"Rick you once said that same thing. Listen to her." Dale pleaded.

"I just want what's safest for the group." Rick explained taking a deep breath. "Alright, the only way I know how to do this is majority rule. So, everyone for killing him." Rick stated and the answer was obvious even though no one moved. Nobody wanted to be the first to set the death sentence, but the look in their eyes was obvious. Dale though, dale looked defeated.

"Are you going to watch too?" He questioned "don't know how you all are going to sleep tonight with murder going on just a few feet away." He said walking off, but stopped placing a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "You were right, this group is broken."

At that moment, Angela realized as she looked at Daryl and Dale, that statement couldn't have any more truth behind it.