Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I don't even own Annie, she belongs to Sophie, who you can find on YouTube under xSoppySofax. Read on, darlings, and enjoy!

Last chapter, Carl's story about his Uncle Jeff, was from the comics so I don't own that.

In other news: OMG IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS! I'm so sorry, you guys. Between bullshit with my college, bullshit at work, family drama and getting lost on Tumblr, I've been busy. I mean, I'm gonna be pacing myself with posting until I can start season 4, which really depends on Sophie, but two months! I didn't even realize how much time had passed. I am so sorry, you guys. We're at the home stretch now, almost to season 3. Literally, Chapter 26 will start season 3 - or rather, it'll start my summary of what happens in the months between seasons 2 and 3. I'm so excited for you guys to read it though, because Annie is gonna got through and change so much. It's been one hell of an emotional roller coaster for me, like I've been crying writing parts of season 3. Fair warning. Just hang in there a little longer, guys!

This chapter takes place during 2x12 "Better Angels"

Chapter 24

"Dale could get under your skin. He sure got under mine. Because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought…how he felt. That kind of honesty is rare. And brave. Whenever I'd make a decision…I'd look at Dale, he'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us. The truth; who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it, set aside our differences and pull together. Stop feeling sorry for ourselves. Take control of our lives. Our safety. Our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on, we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale."

The moment the service was over, Shane headed to the truck and climbed in. Andrea, T-Dog and Daryl weren't far behind him. Where they were all going was anyone's guess. But no one followed after them. When they came back, they had blood on them. Walker blood. No one said anything, knowing that it was just their way of grieving, their way of releasing their anger and hate. Not the most constructive way, in Annie's opinion, but better than having them blow up on anybody in camp.

Hershel joined them at the truck, discussing the coming winter. Rick told him he knew it would be tight with fifteen people in the house, but Hershel told him not to worry about it. Maggie pointed out that with fifty head of cattle on the property, they were just ringing the dinner bell. She was right and Hershel agreed, telling them that they should have moved everyone in a while ago. Everyone's task for the day was about fortifying the farm. Rick wanted the cars near the doors of the house, facing the road, and they'd start keeping a lookout in the windmill and loft of the barn for sight lines on both sides of the property. T-Dog and Daryl were on double duty watching the perimeter, on who came and left the house. Rick added that he and Daryl were going to take Randall off sight and set him loose. Shane didn't agree with it but, again, like always, it wasn't his decision to make and he was reminded of that. Annie avoided Rick, deciding it would be best to put some distance between them and helped Hershel stock the basement with enough food and water to last them a few days if need be.

"Annie! Andrea!" Rick called, walking up to them with Hershel at his side. "When I'm out with Daryl, help Hershel keep an eye on things around here."

"You mean Shane, right?" Annie guessed. Rick nodded, telling both of them that Shane had a way of letting things get out of hand, especially when he was all torqued up.

"I think we're all a bit "torqued up" at this point," Andrea retorted.

"If you're going to stay here permanently, he's got to understand that it's what Rick and I say. Not whatever he wants," Hershel advised.

Stopping, Rick turned to Andrea and observed, "You've become close."

"We talk..."

"I know he's not a bad guy," Rick told her. "He's just his own worst enemy."

Stunned, Andrea questioned, "You want us to babysit Shane?"

"I need to make sure every time I leave the farm, all hell doesn't break loose."

"Then maybe you should stop leaving," Andrea remarked and walked away from him, shaking her head.

"Will you keep an eye on things?" he asked Annie and she nodded.

"Always do." She started to walk away but Rick grabbed her arm.

"We need to talk, when I get back." Slowly, she nodded at him and headed towards the house where everyone was unloading their things.

As Annie approached the house, she watched as T-Dog helped Lori with her tub and Hershel gave up his bed to her, saying he'd take the couch. Rolling her eyes, Annie bit back a scoff and set about taking a corner of the living room for herself. For the moment, it would make due but she didn't know how long she'd be able to last in an overcrowded house. Especially when Rick was back together with his wife. He could deny it all he wanted but he loved his wife. Even if it was just a lingering notion, he still loved her. Maybe more than he loved her. Annie faced a choice and it wasn't one she liked. Did she stay and watch the man she loved be with another woman, holed up in a house with them a room away, or did she leave and face the winter alone? Stepping out onto the porch, Annie watched Shane walk away from a tense Rick. He looked up at her, like he wanted to say something, but he just stared at her. Uncomfortable with the shift in their relationship, she hurried down the porch and walked towards the RV. Glenn stood before the engine, peering at it, Andrea standing behind him with Dale's bag of tools.

"Uh, Dale told me that in these, uh, old vehicles, these points get corroded."

"Screwdriver?" Andrea offered, pulling out the tool. Glenn just looked at her.

"Flathead," he corrected. Annie smiled as she walked over to them, squeezing Glenn's shoulder.

"You remembered," she pointed out, remembering back on the highway how Dale passed on his wisdom to the young man. Glenn nodded silently, focused on the job at hand.

"Can you hand me a file?" he asked and Andrea smiled, passing him the tool. Staring into the dark engine, he morosely confessed, "I let him down."

Andrea shook her head and soothingly said, "He was proud of you. Maybe not in that moment," she admitted, "but overall."

"Oh, that's easy for you to say. You had his back," he snapped, voice thick with tears.

"I have my share of regrets," she told him, remembering all the fights she'd had with the older man since they'd left the CDC.

"We all do. You can't think about it," Annie advised him. "Dale knew how much we all cared for him."

Glenn wiped his eyes and sniffed, closing the engine and telling them, "That might do it."

"Glenn," Andrea called. She tossed him the keys and all of them went inside. Glenn sat in the driver's seat, Andrea in the passenger and Annie stood between them both with her hands resting anxiously on the seats. "I bet it'll work." All of them shared a happy laugh as the RV started that time. It only took one try.

Annie stepped out of the RV, hugging her two survivors with tears in her eyes. She knew what she had to do and she would sincerely miss them both. The two of them headed back into the house, once the RV was parked beside it, to finish helping boarding up the windows and unpacking. But Annie stayed outside, breathing in the fresh air of the farm and enjoying its view once last time. She knew she was going to have to leave that night. Quietly, while everyone was sleeping, so no one would stop her. She'd leave a note at least, making sure they knew not to follow her, that this was her decision and they ought to respect it.

She rose to her feet, nodding to herself, as she decided to go find a quiet spot to write that note. It was in that moment that she spotted Shane. He was sneaking into the woods, pushing Randall in front of him. That was most definitely not the plan, she thought, her pulse rising in panic. Annie pulled her gun out, checked the magazine, and jogged after them, breaking into the woods without a second thought. The man was going to kill the kid and she had to stop him. It would be the last thing she did, protecting that stupid kid, making sure the right thing was done. Just like Dale wanted. Annie jogged through the woods before coming to a stop, looking around for any signs of the two. Nothing. She went deeper and deeper but she never found them. She didn't see them, hear them, there were no tracks that she could see. Nothing. How the hell did they just disappear?

"I think it's best you leave." Annie whipped around, breath catching in her throat as Shane stepped out from behind a tree. "Hell, you can take my car. It's all fueled up and ready to go. I even packed it up for you. Got a gun, ammo, everything."

"And if I don't, then what?" she asked, taking a step back from him. "Where's Randall?"

"I took care of it," he told her.

"What does that mean?" He stared at her and she knew exactly what he meant. Randall was dead and the whole point of her following him into the woods had changed. Now she had to make it out alive. "So what are you gonna do now, huh, Shane? Shoot me and leave me for dead?" Shane chuckled mirthlessly, moving towards her as she moved away. "Like you did Otis?" she accused.

"I didn't do nothing to Otis. He died a hero," he replied. Annie shook her head and glared at him.

"So you say. You also said that Otis said he'd cover you and, yet, somehow, his rifle ended up in our duffel." Shane just scoffed at her, rubbing the back of his head, acting like she was the crazy one. "Explain to me how that's possible. Or how he was so easily killed by walkers when he was the one putting them in the barn!"

"What happened happened."

"No, that's what happens when someone crosses you. When someone gets in your way," she retorted smartly. "I worked with some real bastards back in Atlanta, Shane, and you're no different from them." Shaking her head, she looked him up and down in disgust. "I know exactly what kind of man you are."

"You think I'd kill an innocent man?

"Matter of fact, I do. And I think you're the one that needs to leave, not me. It'd be best for everyone. Especially Rick."

"You don't know a damn thing about Rick so don't talk to me about him like you do!" he shouted angrily, causing her to jump and put just a little more space between them. "That is my best friend, my brother!"

"And yet that didn't stop you from banging his wife, did it?" she snapped. "She can say she thought he was dead all she wants and that's fine but, tell me, just how long did you two wait before going at it? I'd be willing to bet only a few days." Shane scowled at her, marching towards her as she backed away even faster. "I see the way you look at her, like she belongs to you. Carl, too. That is their marriage, not yours!"

"Is that so?" he snapped.

"You need to go, Shane. Not me," she repeated. "I'm not the one that looks like he wants to murder his best friend, his "brother"," she said sarcastically, "every damn day."

Shane menacingly asked, "You think I'm the kind of man who'd gun down his best friend? What do you think I'd do to some uppity bitch I don't even like when she starts throwing accusations my way?"

"You're not judge and jury, Shane."

"No. No, I'm not," he agreed with a nod. "But I'm the closest we've got."

The next thing she knew Shane charged at her. She didn't even have time to raise her gun or pull her knife. She was on the ground and he was on top of her before she even knew what was happening. His hands were around her throat, cutting off her oxygen. She panicked, tried to reach for her fallen gun. If she could reach it, maybe she could hit him with it, knock him off her. Shane laughed when he saw what she was doing and quickly kicked the gun out of her reach. Screaming in pain, Annie scrambled, reaching above her head under her fingers grasped a rock. Annie gripped it tight and swung her arm forward, bashing him in the nose with it and was satisfied when she heard it break. Dragging her to her feet, hands tight on her throat, Shane threw her head first into a tree with a guttural yell. Annie collapsed to the ground and Shane stood over her. She didn't move, didn't even look like she was breathing. Blood painted out of her hairline and he staggered away, satisfied that he only had one other obstacle to deal with before everything in his life would be perfect. He stowed both his and Annie's gun and stumbled back into the camp with a bloody and broken nose. Calling out to Rick in a panic, he told everyone that Randall had his gun, that he saw the punk take Annie and run off into the woods before he clocked him in the face and he passed out.

A/N: Just out of curiosity, who here reading this fic ships Bethyl because I do. I cracked shipped them and now, holy fuck, they're canon. I don't care what anyone says, they're canon lol