"Shane… we should turn back." Harper responded, her senses heightened in the dark… and she turned.

And she saw what she had suspected, Shane with a gun aimed at her.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this… for both you and your dad." Shane replied.

"Shane, we never wronged you… just put the gun down and we'll talk." Harper responded, hoping to talk Shane off the metaphorical ledge… but it was clear he was beyond reasoning with.

"You just had to go looking for him… I was taking good care of you, Carl and Lori, you little bitch!" Shane replied.

"I'm a bitch for wanting my father back, for not accepting you as more than a stand in?! He and Mom took me in when I had nowhere to go-" Harper responded furiously, screaming in pain as Shane backhanded her and she fell.

Harper saw the blood after touching her right hand to her mouth and lowering her hand, her right knee bleeding as well and ankle twisted up… but still wielding the gun, Shane remained enraged.

"I'm a better father for you and Carl instead of Rick, a better man for Lori… all you had to do was fucking listen!" Shane shouted, taking a step forward.

Harper was blinded to it all, holding onto the knife as it was lodged in Shane's torso… and letting it go as he fell.

Blood splattered on her face and shirt, Harper crouched down and ripped the knife out before repeatedly stabbing Shane in the torso and neck… until she was pulled off of him and saw Daryl.

"He's dead, Lil Red… just calm down." Daryl responded, Harper dropping the knife.

"He was… he was going to…" Harper replied, Daryl seeing that Shane still held the gun. "He killed Otis, caused the massacre that made Amber leave, snapped Randall's neck…" She responded frantically, Daryl pulling her into his arms.

He rarely hugged anyone in his life but he knew Harper needed one right now.

"Go back, burn your clothes, clean off, find your pajamas and try to rest." Daryl responded as he looked at her.

"What are you gonna do about his body?" Harper asked as they let go.

"They won't find him. Go." Daryl responded, Harper leaving.

When she had gotten cleaned off, dressed and had burned her clothes, Harper instinctively looked around for Amber.

And remembered the last time she saw her.

"If Shane freaks out again, you don't hesitate to kill him!" Amber replied, putting her knife in Harper's hands.

"Amber, you can't just leave!" Harper responded after putting the knife in her back pocket, Amber hugging her.

"I can't stick around, kiddo." Amber replied before she left with Shadow and Banjo.

Harper felt the tears running down her face as she stared off into the distance…

"You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction…" Harper sang quietly as she got into the tent and curled up in the full sized bed.

She had no idea when she had fallen asleep… but when Rick walked into the tent, he crouched down and saw the bruise on her face and cut on her lower lip.

'Damn it, who did this to my little girl?!' Rick thought as he lightly brushed Harper's hair back.

Harper stirred around, Rick lying down on the bed and lightly hugging her… and brushing her tears away.

"Amber…" Harper called out, Rick knowing that Harper had missed the older girl who had become like a sister to her… and Rick noticed her bandaged index and middle fingers and turned worried.

"Damn it, Shane, what did you do to her?" Rick whispered, careful not to wake Harper.

Andrea looked up from the roof of the RV, seeing Daryl and climbing down.

"More walkers?" Andrea asked.

"Shane whacked Harper and left her on the ground while he ran off. Couldn't find him." Daryl responded, Andrea's eyes widening in shock and disbelief.

"Daryl, I doubt he'd beat up a 15 year old girl and just take off! Him chasing Amber off is one thing but-" Andrea replied, Daryl turning pissed.

"Listen to me, Amber left because she knew Shane would break this group and sure enough she was right! And I was stupid enough not to listen and go with her!" Daryl said before he left.

Harper wasn't sure what time it was when she opened her eyes to hear her parents talking and Carl motioning for her to stay quiet.

"Shane's missing?!" Lori responded.

"I don't know where he went to but I'm sure he got into a fight with Harper, she fought back and he took off." Rick explained.

"Why would he hurt our little girl? Shane's never shown anger towards Harper." Lori responded, Harper rolling her eyes after hearing that.

She turned onto her left side as the tent was opened… and Maggie walked in with a breakfast tray, setting it down and lightly rubbing Harper's right shoulder after Carl left.

"You've gotta eat something, Harper." Maggie responded, Harper turning to her and Maggie's blue eyes widening when she saw the bruises and cut lip.

"Shane did this to me." Harper replied, Maggie carefully hugging her after helping Harper sit up.

In the distance, Amber was in a Jeep she had taken and filled with stolen gasoline… and was driving as Shadow slept and Banjo looked at her, letting out a whine.

And she knew why… Banjo was looking for Harper.

"Don't do that, I've been around enough crazy people to know once they become unhinged you run for it." Amber said.

Banjo gave her the sad eyes look, Amber relenting.

"Harper is a rare exception." Amber replied, Banjo resting his paw onto her leg and tilting his head. "And yes I do kind of miss them, especially Harper."

She kept driving and looked out at the skyline.

Harper was looking out at the same sky after she ate and got dressed… and felt Rick rest his hands on her shoulders.

"You're gonna ask… he's gone. He's not coming back." Harper responded, Rick getting her to look at him.

"He couldn't have gone far. If Amber was still here she would be tracking him with her dogs." Rick said.

Harper thought back to last night and Rick saw tears in her eyes and pulled her into his arms.

"Dad, he was so angry…" Harper responded quietly.

"You did it in self defense." Rick said.

"I had to… he was going to kill me." Harper confessed before Rick cradled her face in his hands.

"You did what you had to do, Babydoll." Rick replied.

The two held each other, Harper burying her face into Rick's right shoulder.

No matter how she had gotten into his life, she was his little girl.

And he felt like he failed to keep her safe.