After their burial for Dale, everyone started to move their belongings inside the farmhouse. The nights were becoming colder, and Rick could tell something big was about to go down, and after Dale's attack, he needed to sure that his family was safe. Josephine didn't like the idea of 15 people crammed into one house, but she knew it was the best option.
Rick had decided that they were now cutting Randall lose. They had been wrong about killing the boy, and after what Dale had said and everything that had happened that night it only felt like the right thing to do.
"What about patrols?" Andrea asked walking up to the truck where Josephine, Shane and Rick stood.
"Let's get this area locked down first," Rick stated. "After that, Shane will assign shifts while Josephine, Daryl and I take Randall offsite to cut him loose."
Josephine could see that it was hard for Rick to give out these kinds of assignments to the younger Grimes sibling. He was so used to his quiet little sister, who cared more about plants than people most of the time. He hardly had thought he would see her grow up into this woman who could really hold her own in this world, but slowly he accepted that he wasn't there to protect her anymore and that she was beginning to do that all on her own.
Shane huffed at the thought of her and Daryl cutting the boy loose, knowing only last night Josephine was going to shoot him right square in the face.
Josephine heard Shane make a rude remark under his breath as she walked away carrying a few blankets up to the house. She could tell that it bothered Shane that her and Daryl were the ones cutting the kid loose with Rick, but there was a strain between Rick and him and everyone could feel it. Josephine was right about Shane and all the shit he was pulling around the farm, and she was now noticing that Rick was picking up on it as well.
Josephine walked into the house where everyone was finding a place to set up camp in the large farmhouse, which now seemed pretty small with the amount of bodies it was stuffed with. Josephine threw down her blankets and backpack on a cot in the living room, and she twirled around to see Daryl placing his things on the opposite side of the room. She smiled at the though of him being there as well, she seemed to always sleep better knowing he was in arms reach away from her.
"You better not snore Dixon," She teased and punched him in the shoulder, trying to lighten the mood. He didn't look at her, just moved towards the window and looked out at the farm.
"Shane aint to happy with us is he?" He said crossing his arms and staring out at Shane, on the tower ahead of them, hammering boards together to make a watch station.
"He aint ever a happy camper lately," Josephine huffed peeling back the curtains to be able to see more of what Daryl was looking at.
"I got a bad feelin' he is going to do something stupid," Daryl squinted his eyes and took in a deep breath.
"Well, for all of our sake lets hope you're wrong," She said anger rising inside of her as she watched Lori walking towards Shane's works station. She laughed in disgust and pushed the curtain and walked back out to the truck to grab another load of things.
About an hour after everyone was settled in Rick grabbed Josephine and Daryl to go over the plans for Randall's release. They stood on the porch and looked over a map, the evening air felt good on Josephine's skin as she listened to her brother go over their drop off mission.
"We're gonna take him out to Senoia, hour there, hour back." Rick said pointing to a map. "Give or take we may lose some light but we'll be halfway home by then."
"This little pain in the ass will be a distant memory," Daryl said pulling himself from the porch railing and looking ahead into the distance then down at Josephine.
"Good riddance," She said smirking lightly back at him then at Rick.
"Carol's putting together some provisions for him, enough to last him a few days." Rick said folding up his map.
Josephine watched as Shane's car started tumbling towards the house. Daryl squinted his face into a sour expression and Josephine shot Rick a worried look but he wasn't paying attention, just staring at Shane's car as it pulled up towards them.
"That thing you did last night," Rick started looking to Daryl with kind eyes.
"Aint no reason you and Jo should have to do all the heavy liftin'," Daryl replied looking back at Rick. Josephine's heart felt warm at the sight of two of the most important people to her in this world share a moment. She knew that Rick was beginning to see what she saw in Daryl and that made her happy. Daryl was warming up to the group a little more since Sophia and hopefully soon he wouldn't feel like this group wasn't broken anymore. The only problem that needed fixing now was Shane, who got out of his car and slammed the door, walking towards the three of them.
"So you all good with this?" Rick said staring at his sister, who nodded her head, just as Daryl did.
"I gotta take a piss," Daryl stated as he watched Shane approach and quickly got up and brushed passed Josephine and into the farmhouse. She felt as though Shane was on the war path as he marched up to Rick, demanding to talk with him for a second. His eyes shot to Josephine who turned around quickly and followed Daryl into the house, leaving Rick and Shane alone.
After dinner, Josephine gathered Daryl and they both were put on Randall duty. They walked quietly towards the shed he was in and Daryl opened the door first.
"Son of a…" Josephine whispered as she walked inside, only to find the shed empty. Daryl flung the door fully opened and looked around then turned and scanned the field with his eyes.
"We should go get Rick," Daryl said, now making his way towards the house.
Josephine ran her hands through her hair, wondering how the hell this kid had gotten lose. She bent down, and examined the area he was tied up in and she reached down only to see that the cuffs were not broken in any way, they looked untouched, there was no way that boy had squeezed out of them on his own.
"Shane.." She said quietly, getting up and grabbing the Beretta shotgun that had been owned by Dale and that Rick had given her that morning as tribute to her dear friend.
Josephine exited the shed to see Daryl returning with Rick, Andrea and T dog. A little further out she could see Lori, Carol, Maggie, Hershel and Glenn outside. They all gathered near the shed and Lori yelled out to Josephine, asking her what the commotion was about.
"Randall's missing," Josephine called out, making Rick worried and rushing by her side, peaking into the shed to see for himself.
"The cuffs are still hooked," Josephine whispered to her brother. "There is no way he could have slipped em," she narrowed her eyes, searching her brothers glare as to what to do next.
Rick cursed lightly and looked to her, but before he could say anything Shane's voice shot out.
"RICK. RICK," Shane came out from the woods, blood pouring down his face.
He stated that Randall had jumped him in the woods, and stole his gun. Josephine couldn't understand a teenage doing that much damage to someone of Shane's stature, but before she could speak Rick was barking orders.
"Glenn you come with us, Josephine watch the others inside."
Josephine looked over at Maggie who was visibly upset with Glenn leaving and she watched as Maggie latched herself onto him, in protest.
"No, Rick I'll go, let Glenn stay here I got this." She looked over at Daryl who nodded in agreement. He always worked better with Josephine with him anyway, they had the type of relationship where they didn't have to communicate to know what steps to take and when, and that made him feel like she had his back almost as good as he had hers.
"Alright," Rick sighed and let his protective brother act subside and he motioned for the three of them to follow him into the woods.
"I thought I saw him through the trees back that way before I blacked out," Shane said as he took the lead in the woods.
"Couldnt have gotten far, he's exhausted," Rick said looking around for Randall in the woods.
"He's armed," Josephine stated looking to her brother.
"So are we," He replied looking to her gun and then down at his. Josephine still felt uneasy that they were wondering around when it was nearly dark out looking for a man who could be hiding anywhere with a shot gun in hand. "Can you track him?" Rick asked pointing to Daryl who shook his head.
"Nah, I dont see nuthin'," responded Daryl looking to the ground and then to Rick and Shane.
"Aint no use in tracking him, he went that way." Shane yelled over the group. "We split up. We chase him down, thats it."
"Kid weighs a buck 25 soakin' wet, you tryin' to tell us he got the jump on you?" Daryl asked twisting around to face Shane with a questioning glare.
Shane started arguing with Daryl but Rick cut in stopping the fight from escalating.
"Enough! Daryl, you and Josephine you head up the right flank while Shane and I'll take to the left." He looked to Josephine and then to Daryl and Josephine took the lead, waiting for Daryl to catch up.
"Be careful, Randall isn't the only threat out here," Rick said before the two of them ventured off into the woods alone together.
It was dark within a matter of 20 minutes of searching for Randall. Daryl had taken the lead, crossbow ready for whatever lay ahead. Josephine got the creeps at how quiet and somber the woods were at night, and fear crept up inside of her but she wouldn't let Daryl see it.
"This is pointless," Daryl said looking to her, he was out there tracking nothing in the dark. "You got a light?" He asked her holding his hand out. She fumbled, before pulling out the small flashlight she had in her sweatshirt pocket.
Daryl flicked it on and sighed looking around at the ground and started walking ahead.
"Come on," He told her motioning her to follow. She held her shotgun tighter and wished she had a more reasonable weapon at this point. They moved slowly but swiftly through the woods until Daryl's flashlight came to a funny looking log laying in a bed of leaves and she remembered it from earlier as the place they had broken off into pairs from Rick and Shane.
"We're just back at square one," She said, slightly annoyed.
"If you're gonna do a thing, mine as well do it right," Daryl called back, still moving around his flashlight and concentrating on the ground.
"There are two sets of tracks right here," Daryl pointed to the brush below them. It was a good thing he knew how to track because all Josephine saw was leaves sprinkled over the ground. "Shane must have followed him for a lot longer than he said."
Daryl's flashlight moved up towards the tree in front of them "there's fresh blood on this tree." Josephine walked up closer, seeing the stain of red on the tree, obviously from Randall or Shane and she looked to Daryl and then back to the ground where there was more blood. "And more tracks." Daryl stated pointing the flashlight to the ground again. Josephine was now searching all around her for any sign of the boy or even a walker. The crickets chirping were giving her anxiety, and the night air was thick and gloomy.
"Looks like their walking in tandem," Daryl observed.
Animal noises sounded in the distance and as Josephine was walking she looked behind her and then suddenly she collided slightly with Daryl, making him eye her curiously.
"Sorry," She whispered and he could tell she was a bit uneasy. He looked her up and down and then back to the ground, not wanting to call her out on her distressed manor.
"Yeah, it looks like a little dust up here," Daryl pointed to the ground.
"I dont see anything, what do you mean?" Josephine called back.
"I mean somethin' went down," he responded moving forward. Which each step she felt more and more uneasy.
"This is getting weird," She said in a fearful tone, now following Daryl closer than she had before.
"Had a little trouble," Daryl said now flashing his flashlight down at a piece of rope. Josephine's eyes widened as she made out what the object was.
"This is what we tied Randall up with," Josephine gasped staring at Daryl and then back to the piece of fabric she had now picked up.
They stood staring at it for a moment before they heard rustling close behind them. Josephine and Daryl both ran briskly towards the closest group of trees and stood behind two of them, Daryl staring at her as if to ask if she was alright. She had been so freaked out she needed to screw her head on straight, and she looked at him and gave him a nod as if to say she was fine. The rustling got louder and she realized it was a walker. Josephine twisted around the tree to see a slinking figure moving among the woods. Daryl whistled at her throwing back her flashlight and moving to now get a better aim with his crossbow.
The creature was getting closer, and Josephine bent down to pick up a giant stick that was laying in front of her, and when she had gotten up she flashed the light in front of her only to see the walker coming straight for her, pushing her to the ground. She struggled to twist herself around and Daryl moved fast, putting an arrow into its back, making it turn towards him and quickly knocked him off his feet, also knocking the bow out of his grasp. Josephine got up and wrapped her tiny arms around the walker, focusing himself on her instead of Daryl and she wrestled him to the ground, his arms flailing around and feet kicking the air she had him in a chock hold and then body slammed him so that his back struggling to get up. She got to her feet quickly and grabbed her shot gun that had dropped on the leaves and she took the end of it slamming it against the walkers skull, hearing a deadly crack of bone.
Josephine heard Daryl approach her putting a head on the small of her back, making her relax for a moment as she looked down at the dead walker, realizing it was in fact Randall.
Daryl shined the flashlight closer to its face. "Oh, Nice,' He met Josephine's gaze and touched her cheek playfully. She had just trampled that son of a bitch. Daryl walked ahead of her, examining the body of the dead kid whole Josephine took a moment to regain her strength and catch her breath.
Daryl bent down beside the body with the flashlight right in the walkers face, bending its head from side to side. "Got its neck broke," He stated looking to Josephine who was still standing there.
" Does he have any bites?" Josephine asked quietly now crouching beside him.
Daryl rolled the dead corpse over and pulled up his shirt. Nothing. He looked back at her and shook his head.
"Shane killed him," Josephine whispered to herself looking at Daryl. She looked down at the poor kid, knowing now that Shane was a lying sack of shit she bent down and looked Daryl straight in the eyes. "He's out there with my brother, Daryl."
"Lets go," Daryl said lifting himself from his kneeing position and grabbing Josephine's shirt and lifting her up in a rough manor, getting her out of her shocked state.
Josephine and Daryl sprinted back to the house, ignoring two walkers on the way back. Josephine knew her brother wasn't stupid, she knew what Shane had done but would he call him out or choose to ignore him like he had about him and Otis. She felt a lump in her throat, anxiety rising at the thought of Rick out there with Shane and right as her and Daryl had made their way towards the farmhouse a shot rang out. Josephine stopped dead in her tracks, finger on the trigger of her shotgun. Daryl grabbed her shirt again, now pulling her towards the house where the others were and her fear was now worse than ever.
Josephine ran up the steps of the farmhouse, Daryl close behind. She entered the house and walked into the living room where everyone was sitting around, waiting.
"Rick and Shane aint back?" Daryl called out, Josephine could barely talk. She walked to the window and looked outside and then shot back a look between Lori and Daryl.
"We heard a shot," She said nervously.
"Maybe they found Randall," Lori said looking to her as if to search her for answers.
"We found him," Daryl shot out.
"Is he back in the shed?" Maggie's voice rang out, eager for news on the missing boy.
"He's a walker," Daryl replied quietly.
"Did he get bit?" Hershel asked
"His neck was broke," Daryl said shooting a look to Josephine and then back to Hershel. "Shane must have snapped his neck, chose to lie about it and now he's out there with my brother," Josephine called out looking to Lori, disgusted that she had ever even remotely had feelings for that sick son of a bitch.
"Would you please go out there and get Rick and Shane and find out what on earth is going on?" Lori begged at Daryl. Josephine looked at Daryl who was sympathetically looking back at Lori before telling her he would and patted her arm before shooting a welcoming look to Josephine who walked outside with him.
They both walked outside, but Daryl stopped her from walking down the steps by pulling her arm back.
"What!?" Josephine yelled back at him in a state of panic now. He didn't say a word, just pointed to the field. Thats when she saw the walkers, a whole shit tone of them making their way towards the house. Josephine's jaw slung open and she felt her whole body go numb.
Before she could say or do anything she felt more movement on the porch and she turned to see everyone else outside with Daryl and her. Hershel called out to Patrica to shut all the lights out in the house and Josephine grabbed Daryls jacket and pulled herself from the steps back onto the porch and even then she refused to let go of him.
"I'll get the guns," Andrea stated running back into the house. Josephine swallowed her fear and looked at Daryl, who was mesmerized by the shear size of what was now headed straight for them.
"Maybe they'll pass by like the herd on the highway. Should we go inside?" She asked him, fear in her voice.
"Less there's a tunnel downstairs there I don't know about. A herd that size would rip the whole house down." He said now looking at her and then to Glenn who was behind them with Maggie close by.
"Carl's gone," Lori's voice appeared in the evening air.
"What!" Josephine let go of Daryl's arm and put them both on her gun, ready to run out and find Carl as fast as she could.
Lori was now frantic, her hands in the air. "He was upstairs. I cant find him anywhere."
"Maybe he's hiding," Glenn said trying to calm the woman down.
"HES SUPPOSED TO BE UPSTAIRS," She called back, nervously. She looked between Josephine and Daryl and suddenly Josephine was down the steps. She didn't know where or how but she was going to find Carl.
She heard Daryl fly over the porch railing after her and he was soon beside her, crossbow ahead ready as ever. She glanced at him quickly, her shotgun pointed high in the air with one arm, her adrenaline was pumping through her body like crazy as she looked ahead at the oncoming walkers. Daryl stopped, motioning for her to follow, and he pulled out his bike from behind a tree that was close to the house. He slung his body onto it and started the sucker up yelling at her to get on.
She got on the roaring bike and sat close to him, her chest firmly pressed against his back and they road off near the barn, that was now slowly going up in flames. Daryl stopped quickly near the barn and pulled out a gun he had strapped to the bike and Josephine jumped off the bike now, shooting at the oncoming walkers.
She saw Jimmy in the RV, shooting at walkers as well.
"It must have been Rick or Carl who started the fire, tell Jimmy to go circle around the barn, Im going to go back to the house, find Carol and Lori!" Josephine shouted to Daryl over the gunshots.
"NO, YOU DONT LEAVE MY SIGHT." Daryl pointed his gun to the ground as if that was the final word. She shook her head and ran off towards the house, Daryl screaming her name after her. She needed to go back for Lori, she would never forgive herself if she left her or Carol there alone without some kind of help.
Josephine ran to the house, watching as Hershel stood his ground on the porch, shooting at oncoming walkers. They were getting close now, scary close and they shouldn't be at the farm anymore, it was time to leave. Josephine saw Lori shooting blindly out into the field and she ran up to her.
"Lori, it was Rick and Carl who started that fire, we gotta go or else we're just going to be walker bait if we stay in this house," She could feel the sweat rolling off her forehead as she begged Lori to come with her. She nodded suddenly, telling her Carol was getting the others.
"Josephine," Came Carol's worried voice from the door. Patricia and Beth close behind her.
" Carol, we gotta get moving," Josephine motioned for the girls to follow her. She screamed to Hershel who wasn't now refusing to move from his stance at the front of his beloved farmhouse. Suddenly before anyone could reach the car, Patrica was ripped from Beth's grasp and bitten and scratched and her screams echoed through the air.
Josephine swallowed more fear as her and Lori tried to pull Beth from the woman's hands. She finally let go and she ushered Lori and her to the car.
"Go without me, I gotta get Hershel and Carol!" Josephine shot back searching for Carol. She suddenly saw her pinned up against the trees with a piece of plywood as a weapon. Josephine shot two walkers headed her way and then she heard Carol gasp and her eyes were darting behind Josephine's body.
"LOOK OUT!" Carol cried as Josephine twisted her body and aimed her shot gun right at an oncoming walkers head.
She felt blood spatter all over her body and she motioned towards the blue truck towards were T dogged picked up Lori and Beth. She saw Andrea in the distance, but suddenly a walker fell on top of her, and Josephine felt her heart drop, running towards the woman, but then more walkers were suddenly around her. She ran in the opposite direction, trying to catch up, maybe she could run fast enough so that the blue truck could see her. She shot two more walkers and she realized her ammo was probably running low, and she couldn't afford to use any more. She darted into the woods, alone and scared out of her mind. She kept running and running and she could still hear shots coming from behind her but she was too scared to turn back now. There were too many walkers back there. Among all those walkers with barely any ammo was just a suicide mission.
Josephine could still hear groaning and hissing behind her as more walkers were gaining on her. She felt like this was finally the end of her journey.