In the Shallows

The morning had been fairly quiet aside from Rick's little speech of proving Dale wrong about this group being broken. It had been a lot of sentimental feelings in all of our hearts as well as sadness. I was still upset that Dale was gone, but apart of me knew that he was in a better place. I wasn't sure if I believed Heaven anymore, but at least he wasn't fighting for his life. He wasn't constantly looking over his shoulder and having a weapon glued to his side. Dale didn't have to play this game anymore, and I saw comfort in that.

I still didn't know what Daryl and I were doing with ourselves, but it had gotten a little smoother. I didn't figure anything was really going to change but things sort've did. He would playfully nudge me at random times and I couldn't help but smile. He was a bit more fun when he wasn't trying to have such a hard exterior.

"Gonna be tight, fifteen people in one house." Rick said.

After the events last night, Hershel wanted all of us to move in. "Don't worry about that. With the swamp hardening, the creek drying up-"

"-with fifty head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell."
Hershel nodded, agreeing with Maggie's statement, "She's right. We should've moved you in a while ago."

Rick nodded, "All right," he called out to all of us, "Let's move the vehicles near each of the doors, facing out towards the road. We'll build a lookout in the windmill and another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines on both sides of the property." I watched as everyone started to disperse, "T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house, keep track of everyone coming and going."

"What about standing guard?" He asked.

"Well, I'm gonna need you and Daryl on double duty."

T-Dog nodded and started to go back to taking the things inside the house, Hershel came around the corner, "I'll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we can all survive there a few days if need be."

Andrea piped up, concern washing over her face, "What about patrols?"

"Let's get this area locked down first. After that, Shane'll assign shifts while me and Daryl take Randall offsite and cut him loose." I could see the look Shane gave Rick after he said those words. I could feel my skin crawl, it should have been evident to everyone by now that Shane was not worthy nor sane enough to handle high pressure situations.

I felt Daryl brush up against me, giving him a look, he just ignored me and continued walking away. I questioned myself if that was a cue to follow him or another one of his stupid little 'love' moments. My head snapped towards Shane, "We're back to that now?"

Rick took a deep breath, clearly annoyed. "It was the right plan first time around. Poor execution."

Shane scoffed, "That's a slight understatement."

I rolled my eyes, but held my tongue as Rick started to lean forward and give Shane a slight dirty look, "You don't agree, but this is what's happening. Swallow it, move on."

His voice was low and raspy, "You know that Dale's death and the prisoner-that's two separate things, right?" He didn't give Rick a chance to respond, "You wanna take Daryl as your wingman, be my guest."

I couldn't hold it back, "Oh give me a break, Shane." He gave me a hard look but I ignored his creepy stare, "You're seriously angry that Rick wants to take Daryl instead of you?" I shook my head, giving a scoff, "Look what happened all the other times that Rick gave you the benefit of the doubt. I don't think you really have a right to be jealous."

Shane scoffed, kicking off the truck, he started walking towards me, venom hitting his words, "You know, I'm sick and tired of you running your mouth. I liked you when you was a good little girl and kept your trap shut." He rubbed his nose, giving me a slight smirk, "Guess Daryl better keep you on a tighter leash from now on."

I snorted, "Excuse me?" I felt Rick tense up, he was ready to jump in at any time. I took a step forward, my eyes narrowing, "I don't recall anybody putting me on a damn leash."

"Well somebody better have, 'cause all you are is a pain in the ass." He spat.

I gave a small smirk, "I'm the pain in the ass? How about you Mr. I'm the only who keeps the camp safe? I could go on and on about the things you've done that is pain in the ass worthy." I crossed my arms, as everyone started to slowly approach, " I don't give a damn if you don't like me, Shane. It doesn't hurt my feelings, it doesn't make me want to go cry, and it certainly doesn't make me want to keep my trap shut."

Shane scoffed, taking another step towards me, his mouth tight and his jaw clenched, "You are one brave little bit-"

"HEY!" Daryl called out, his blue eyes on fire, he marched up to Shane and I, he pointed a finger as he pulled me behind him, "I ain't got time for your shit, Shane. I hear you call her that one more time and you gonna wish you ain't said it."

Shane scoffed again, his arrogance was getting on my last nerves, "You ain't even let me finish sayin' it."

"I ain't playin' 'round."

"Whatever, man. It's pathetic how you two need each other to fight your own battles."

I pushed past Daryl, "Fuck you, Shane. You want me to fight my own battles, I'll fight my own battles, you stupid prick. Let's go!"

Daryl shoved me back, hard enough to send me a few steps back but soft enough so I wouldn't fall, he turned to me, "Enough." He then turned towards Shane, "I'm serious, call her that one more time and you'll regret it." He walked away, giving me a dirty look and then everyone else.

I sighed and turned away from all of them and sprinted after Daryl, I finally reached him, "What was that?"

He scoffed, "Why ya gotta push his buttons."

"He pushes mine-"

"-it ain't the same, Lex." Daryl sighed and gave me a long stare, "Can't have ya mouthin' off to him. Ya don't know what he's capable of."

I shrugged, leaning against a tree, I slid down it and watched him work on Merle's bike. It had been a little over ten minutes before I finally piped up, "Do you think Merle's alive?"

I knew that question startled him, it even startled myself. He chewed his lip before he replied, "Dunno."

I sighed, leaning my head back, "Well wherever he is, he's probably causing more hell than anyone know what to do with." I heard him grunt in agreement. Merle was always trouble, always. I had remember a time where Merle was actually decent. It was back when I was in elementary school, he had to have been going into high school or already in. These boys had been picking on me, tugging at my braids and laughing at my braces and here came Merle, all big and tough stating that they knock off all the name calling because I was his little sister and it wasn't going to be pretty if they continued. I had never thanked Merle for that nice gesture and when I had remembered, he wouldn't have taken it.

Merle was a lost cause, there was no hope for him. Daryl? Daryl could still be saved. He had all this potential to be someone different but he followed Merle around like a little puppy dog. I always tried to see the good in the Dixon's. Will Dixon being nothing but absolute scum, I hated that bastard. I had never hated someone so much in my life than I did with their father, he was cruel, heartless, and gave two shits about his kids. I knew those scars by heart, every single one I knew the story too. Whether it was because he was drunk off his ass or just because Daryl had given an innocent eye roll. It hurt me even when I was younger to see him so mentally and physically abused.

He thought he deserved it and that would break my heart, he never deserved the pain and suffering. Daryl deserved absolutely all the love he could get, he deserved my love. I think that was part of the reason why he and I were so close, he yearned for my caring regardless if he acted coldly towards it. Of all the people in his life, I always showed him that I cared. Even on his birthdays I would always give him something small and he would always retort with "I ain't want it." But he always took it. It was little acts like that-that made me get to know the real Daryl. I cherished those moments too, his little sweet and civil moments.

I was broken out of my thoughts with T-Dog yelling, I rose an eyebrow as I heard him approaching with his arms flailing around, "Randall's missing!"

I scrambled up, "What the hell?!" Daryl and I started running towards the barn, with him running inside and me just meeting up with everyone. I ran my hand through my hair, "How the hell did that happen?"

T-Dog shrugged his shoulders, "I don't even know, I went to check on him and he's gone." He heaved over, trying to catch his breath, "Son of a bitch."

Rick walked out the barn, his jaw clenched, "Cuffs are still hooked, must've slipped 'em."

Carol sounded worried, "Is that possible?"

Andrea soon followed out, "It is if you have nothing to lose."

Hershel started to close the barn door, "The door was secured from the outside." Everyone started to murmur amongst themselves, my eyes scanned over everyone as they all started to speak up at once.

My eyes squinted as one particular person wasn't around, I walked towards Daryl, my voice hushed,

"Where's Shane."

He looked back at me with curiosity burning in his baby blues, he was about to respond but was interrupted by none other,

"Rick! Rick!" Shane came sprinting out the treeline, his face was all bloody. I heard Lori asking what happened, "He's armed!" I narrowed my eyes as my arms crossed against my chest, "He's got my gun!" Carl had asked if he was okay, but something about this situation didn't seem right, "I'm fine. Little bastard just snuck up on me. He clocked me in the face." His voice was heavy with lies, I could tell. I had a knack for that.

Rick nodded, acting fast, "All right, Hershel, T-Dog, get everybody back in the house. Glenn, Daryl, Alex come with us."

I waited for Daryl to object and when he didn't, I nodded in surprise. I unhooked my gun from it's holster and checked the chamber. I overheard Shane asking for T-Dog's gun and then Carol spoke up, "Just let him go, that was the plan, wasn't it, to just let him go?"

"The plan was to cut him loose far away from here, not on our front step with a gun." Rick's voice was harsh and scared.

Carol pleaded as we started walking off, "Don't go out there, y'all know what can happen."

I turned around, walking backwards, "Just go back to the house, we'll handle it!"

Rick yelled out, "Keep everyone in and lock the doors! Keep it tight!"

We all cocked our guns with Daryl having his bow loaded and ready, I turned towards Shane as he started to speak up, "I saw him head up through the trees that way before I blacked out, I'm not sure how long."

I rose an eyebrow as I replied, "He couldn't have gotten far. Not with his leg all messed up." Something was still off and I wanted to find out why.

"Can you track him?"

Daryl looked down at the ground, his eyes focused, "No, I don't see nothin'." He flickered a glance towards me, "Ya see anythin'?" I followed his eyes and scanned around me, shaking my head. I looked back up, shrugging my shoulders.

Shane groaned, "Hey look, there ain't no use in tracking him, okay? He went that way, we need to just pair up. We spread out, we just chase him down. That's it."

Daryl growled, "Kid weighs a buck-25 soakin' wet. You tryin' to tell us he got the jump on you?" He flickered a glance at me, signaling that he didn't believe this bullshit either.

"I say a rock pretty much evens those odds, wouldn't you?" He spat.

Rick sighed, "All right, knock it off. You, Glenn, and Alex start heading up the right flank. Me and Shane'll take the left. Remember, Randall's not the only threat out there. Keep an eye out for each other."

I eyed Shane carefully throughout Rick's plan, I watched a small smirk appear on those lips, "Hey, Rick, let me come with you. It's gonna get dark out and I'll be your guide." I narrowed my eyes as Shane's smirk fell and his eyes met mine.

Rick nodded, looking past me and onto Daryl, "You okay with this?"

Daryl gritted his teeth, "Don't do nothin' stupid, Lex."

Irolled my eyes, "Yeah. Yeah."