Keep Holding On

Angela didn't know how long they had been driving nor could she remember if Rick had told them where they were headed. She couldn't focus. She felt lightheaded.

The tears that had cascaded down her cheeks had slowed dramatically during the drive leaving her eyes red and puffy and her face wasn't the prettiest sight to see at the moment. She felt rather numb from all the emotions flowing through her.

This was worse than when Dale died, worse then her brother or parents dying to protect her. Layla was gone. Torn apart by those monstrous corpses and there was nothing she could do. She couldn't change the fact that she had just lost the last of her family to this cruel new world. She couldn't keep her safe, couldn't bring her back, there was nothing left. Even Daryl was missing along with the rest of the group.

"Angela." A soft voice said and a hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked over at Hershel who was trying to give her some sort of comfort even though he had just lost everything too. When she looked up at him she noticed the world wasn't flying past them anymore, they had stopped driving.

With a quick glance at Carl, Angela's eyes landed on Rick. She didn't know how to feel towards him; he stopped her from going to help Layla, but he also saved her from losing her life. She didn't know if she should thank him or hate him.

He held her gaze for a moment before motioning for them to all get out. Angela opened her door, but only sat there with her legs out not feeling quite strong enough to get out of the car, physically and mentally. Her head was still spinning and all she wanted to do was curl up and forget the world.

"We'll wait here for a bit, just to see if anyone else thinks to meet up here." Rick said looking around.

"If they even made it off the farm." Angela muttered, her voice was hoarse from screaming and crying, but she was still heard.

"They made it off that farm, they had to." Rick stated harshly as he walked over to Angela. Their eyes met, her's dull and lifeless, his was held more panic than anything. "They wouldn't have stayed long with all the walkers, you should have more hope."

Angela didn't respond, she just stared at him a bit longer before letting her eyes fall on a certain car behind him. The car held some food on it and on the windshield was a message; "Sophia stay here we will come every day". Sophia was gone, Layla was gone, all because of this new world they lived in. Was there really any reason to have hope anymore?

Rick walked away from her and back to Carl who was worried about his mom. Hershel worried about his girls, but knew Rick's only task was to keep his son safe, but he didn't press the subject.

They sat there on the highway for a while with no one showing up. Angela closed the door on the car most of the way and laid down on the backseat. She heard Rick hiss at her that there was a walker and to stay still and quiet. There wasn't much worry there, she didn't really feel like moving. She took notice that instead of killing the walker they just shuffled around the car as it passed. It was at this time that Hershel told Rick to go. That his only worry was keeping Carl alive.

"What about you, your girls?" Rick questioned. Angela sat up in her seat to see that the walker was a ways away.

"I'll hide out in one of the cars as long as I can. You just need to focus on keeping him alive. I've lost my farm, my girls are missing, I've got nothing left to lose, but you have him, your son. You take him and Angela and go, I'll be fine."

Rick stared at him for a moment in disbelief, but before he could respond verbally a loud rumbling sound interrupted him. It was just any noise though, it was the sound of a motorcycle. Daryl was alive.

The bike came into view, but wasn't alone. On the back behind Daryl sat Carol, and driving behind them was the Subaru Shane fixed and the truck both of which had been driving around the farm.

The cars pulled through the grass separating the two roads of the highway. People started piling out of the vehicles as soon as they stopped. Lori started crying as she pulled her son tightly to her. Hershel pulled his girls to him as well as greetings were said. Everyone was relieved that so many survived the living nightmare they endured throughout the night.

"How'd you all meet up?" Rick questioned as he shook Daryl's hand in a grateful manner.

"Saw this one's taillights zigzagging all over the road, figured he had to be Asian." Daryl joked.

"Nice one." Glenn said with a small smirk on his lips.

"Where's Patricia?" Hershel questioned.

"She was pulled right from me daddy." Beth said sadly causing Hershel to hug her even tighter. "Jimmy?" She asked

"He was in the RV. It got overrun." Rick informed.

"Andrea?" Maggie asked.

"She was trying to save me and ten I lost her." Carol explained.

"We saw her go down, don't know if she got back up or not." T-Dog told.

"Someone should go back and check."

"No, she's either dead or left. We can't risk any more lives." Rick ordered.

"Where's Angela an' Layla?" Daryl questioned. Rick looked down, but Hershel anwered.

"Angela's in the backseat of the car, but Layla didn't make it."

Daryl left his bike and walked over towards the car. The first thing he saw was the back door of the car open on the side away from the group, but when he looked in the car he found it to be empty.

"Thought you said she was here?" He said looking over towards Hershel from around the car.

"She was." Rick answered.

Daryl walked back towards the group.

"We gotta find her. Also gotta get off the road or we'll run into more assholes like this. I got him." He said grabbing his crossbow off the motorcycle and shooting an arrow through an oncoming walker's head. As the walker fell it had everyone's eyes and that's when someone noticed a figure walking away.

"That's Angela." Glenn said pointing at the retreating form. He placed his hands by his mouth. "Angela!" He called out, but she didn't turn, didn't give any form of acknowledgment. She just kept walking.

"I'll get her." Daryl mumbled walking past everyone and towards the only Morrison left that they knew with his crossbow in hand.

"The hell you think yer goin'?" He asked once he was near her and grabbed her arm to make her look at him.

He took in her appearance. The tear tracks that stained her cheeks. The redness of her face that still lingered on her skin from being so upset as they left the farm, but mostly he notice her eyes. They had lost the life and determination they once held. Now they were dull like there was nothing left to live for.

He hated seeing her this way; so broken and vulnerable. He wanted her to be happy again, but he didn't know how to help. He knew the loss of her sister crushed her, he knew the feeling too well.

"She's gone." Angela croaked looking up at Daryl. She was happy he was alive and well, but she just didn't know what to do. She wanted her sister, her family. She held so much hate for this world, but knew hating everything wouldn't bring them back, she knew there was no way to get them back and it killed her.

"I know Angel, but ya can't give up. Gotta stay strong and kick some walker ass." Daryl said trying to comfort her.

"Why? Everything's gone."

"Ya got people who care about ya. We're yer family now." Daryl explained gesturing towards the group. "We'll get trough this shit."

She took a step closer to him placing her head against his chest and gripping the vest he wore in her hands. He awkwardly wrapped an arm around her as she cried, well aware of the eyes on them.

After a moment Angela's sobs quieted much to Daryl's relief. He let his hand slide up and down her back a few times to comfort her before tightening his grip on her, hugging her close. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he thought he'd never see her again. Thought that kiss on the farm house porch would very well be their last, but here she was. She was broken, but very much alive, and she was his.

His grip on her loosened greatly causing her to glance up into his blue eyes that held nothing but understanding and care.

"C'mon we can't stay here. Let's get back to the group and get the hell outta here b'fore that herd finds us." He said softly. Angela nodded, sniffing loudly, and heading with Daryl towards the group.

"We'll drive down the road aways. See what we find." Rick said once they were all gathered. "Honk once quickly if something's up. Daryl you lead the way, I'll bring up the rear."

Everyone nodded and agreed before heading to vehicles. Carol approached Angela, wrapping her tightly in her arms. Angela hardly hugged back.

"I'm so sorry dear." Carol said softly and mother like. Angela didn't give much of a response, just a light shake of we head and Carol let her go.

"Angel." Daryl called out and the two women looked his way. "Ya ridin' with me." He stated more then asked. Angela didn't argue though just nodded and walked to the bike as he started it up and Carol climbed into another car. Once the bike was started and Angela was seated behind Daryl with her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, they took off down the road.

They drove for sometime on the long deserted road. The motorcycle wasn't the most comfortable to ride on for so long, but Angela was able to look past that because of the feeling of the wind flying past her face was relaxing even with her hair slapping against the skin on her face.

A loud, short honk from the rear of the line stopped everyone in their tracks. It came from the truck Rick was driving, something was up. Turns out they ran out of gas and had been running on fumes far too long.

Rick shot down Maggie and Glenn's offer to run up the road to the gas station to get supplies. He claimed the group needed to stick together and no one needed to wonder off. Angela listened as the plan to stay in this spot till morning was made from her perch on the railing that kept cars from going down into the ditch beside the road. Nothing interested her, she didn't care what happened, what they did. It didn't matter to her whatsoever.

The group stayed off the road, finding a small building structure that still had a few walls standing, but was never completely finished being built. Night fell fast for the group and everyone was on edge.

T-Dog stood guard atop one of the walls, gun in hand, when a noise sounded in the darkness.

"What was that?" Several questioned, most began rising to their feet.

"It sounded like it came from over there." Maggie said pointing off into the shadows of the trees and away from the highway. The fear and uneasiness was clear in her voice as she spoke.

"We can't stay here." Beth said staying close to her father's side.

"Everyone just stay calm, no one's going anywhere." Rick said trying to calm the frantic group.

"Do something." Carol told Rick when panic was rising in everyone. Afraid the horde of walkers was going to come like thieves in the night to take something else from them.

"I am doing something. I always have been since I came into this group. I have been trying to keep this group alive and together." Rick began sternly looking at each member of the group. "I killed my best friend for you people."

That was a shock. Carl buried his face into his mother's shoulder as sobs shook his form. Lori's eyes were wide like everyone else's, but a single tear fell down her face as she hugged her son close.

"Don't look at me like that. You all saw what he was like. He was losing his mind to this world, all he wanted was control of the group, power. He'd take out anyone he didn't like or thought was weak if he had too. Just look at Angela, he shot her, but it wasn't fully an accident. He wanted to kill her because he didn't trust her. The only reason he didn't was because of Layla, he couldn't hurt a kid, so he decided against it, but still pulled the trigger. He killed Ptis, he tried to kill me, I had no choice. He let Randall go to get me out in the woods alone. I had no choice it was either kill him or be killed myself. I had no choice."

He let his words sink in for a moment before continuing.

"Leave if you want, see how far you get, but know if you stay this isn't a democracy anymore. Any takers?" He questioned to see if anyone would walk away. When no one moved he nodded. "Looks like we're all in agreement then. Rest up, we'll leave at first light to get gas and move out." He said before walking around the area again.

Carol looked at Daryl as he kneeled beside her to place a few more sticks into the fire.

"You should stand up and take the lead." Daryl looked at her briefly before returning his attention to the fire.

"Rick knows what he's doin'." He replied.

"Not a democracy anymore? That's crazy." She argued.

"He's kept us alive this long. Need ta trust him more, knows what he's doin'." Daryl repeated.

"Whatever you say." She stated then glance over at the wall where Angela was sitting, but she wasn't there. "Where's Angela?"

Daryl's head snapped in the direction of the same wall Carol looked at. Sure enough the brunette was missing.

"Shit."