Hello all. Hows the separation anxiety coming along, seeing as our first Sunday night just passed without TWD :( Well here's another little something to get you through. Enjoy.

I own nothing.

/

Shane was sitting in a folding chair beside the picnic table holding Amy while Serena stood at the table folding clothes. She had taken it upon herself to do a round of laundry. Shane's feet were up on the bench of the table and he was leaning back comfortably. Serena had fed Amy only a little while ago, so she was passed right out in one of Shane's big arms. Serena was singing out loud while folded clothes, and she was watching as Shane dozed in and out of a slumber himself.

"Shane!" She finally said, snapping at him. His head snapped up straight and he looked at her, a little dazed. She laughed, "Don't drop the baby." She told him, nodding at Amy in him arms.

Shane looked down at Amy, mouth hanging wide open, still in complete slumber. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand, "Naw, she's like a little football. I'd be able to keep a hold on her, even in my sleep."

Serena shook her head, "I'm not willing to chance it." She smiled at him, "Why are you so tired?"

He shrugged, "I couldn't sleep last night, after what happened with Rick yesterday." He sighed, "I guess I had a lot to think about." He told her.

Serena nodded, going back to folding clothes while she talked to him, "I guess so." She was done with all the Shane/Lori/Rick drama at this point. She loved Shane, but Lori was a dreadful woman most of the time and she just couldn't wrap her head around why not only Shane, but both these men had fallen for her.

Dale came out of the RV and approached the two of them with a smile on his face. He nodded, "Hello." He looked over at Serena first, "I need a favour."

Serena nodded before he could ask, "Sure. What do you need?"

Dale looked over at Shane cautiously, but then went on, "I was hoping you'd side with me on this whole Randall thing. I think we should just let the kid go." Dale was talking to Serena again.

Shane laughed, "It doesn't matter what you say old man, Rick's already decided."

"Well I spoke to Rick, and he's given me until tonight to talk to everyone." Dale darted back, "Besides, I wasn't asking you, I think its pretty clear where you stand." Dale turned his head and looked back at Serena. Shane rolled his eyes and looked back down at Amy.

Serena sighed, "Dale, I'm sorry, but-"

"Don't tell me your with them?" Dale asked, frowning, "You don't actually believe this kid could be a threat do you?"

Serena shrugged, thinking about what Daryl had told her this morning. She looked over at Amy for a moment before continuing, "Daryl thinks this guys in dangerous. That's enough for me." She said, looking at Dale, "I'm not going to put Amy at risk, I'm sorry."

The old man looked hurt, looking down at the ground nodding. He sighed, "I thought you were more of an independent thinker than that."

"I used to be, sure." Serena said nodding, "But then I became a mother." She told him, "I'm sorry, but my mind is made up."

Dale sighed and turned to look at Shane, who was just smiling and shaking his head, "You should stop now, you're only setting yourself up for more disappointment." Dale grumbled something under his breath before walking away.

Serena sighed, picking up another piece of laundry. She would like to be able to help Dale, but in this case she just couldn't. Unfortunately she had a feeling that the old man would not be able to forget this for a while.

/

Daryl was in the barn helping Rick to scout out where to hang Randall. At this point they were conserving all the ammo they had, and Daryl had suggested a good ol' fashion hanging. Rick was up in on the second floor, with Daryl on the ground below. Rick had the rope in his hand, and was looking around for a sturdy plank.

Daryl was looking around at the space, "It will be starting to get cold at night. This place would be perfect, we could stack the hay bales against the walls for extra insulation. We could station lookouts up top at the windows. And we'd be all together in this big room, which would probably be safer. And this centre part here is open enough to have a fire." Daryl held his arms out, and turning around in a circle.

Rick was looking down at him nodding, "You know, that's a pretty good idea. That way we aren't intruding on Hershel and his family more." He smiled, "I'll talk to him about it."

Daryl nodded, pleased with himself. He then wandered into the back of the barn, under the rafters, scooping out a space for him and his girls. Everyone might all be sharing the barn, but they would have their own space. At least they'd better. In the back corner was a horse stall, but it had been swept out, and there was wood stored in it. He smiled, he would pile the wood somewhere else and this would be their room. He started grabbing 4 or 5 logs at a time and hauling them out of the stall and piling them on the outside wall.

While he was working Lori came in above him, and started talking to Rick. It occurred to Daryl that she probably didn't know he was there, but he just kept working quietly. "Is that really the best way to do this, to string him up?" Lori asked him.

"I have no idea. It's my first time." Rick told her, "It was just a suggestion."

"For who?" Lori retorted.

Daryl winced, but Rick didn't answer Lori. Thank goodness, the last thing Daryl needed was to hear her bitch about him while he was working below. Rick sighed, "Look, I know how you feel about the death penalty, but the world has changed."

"I know that." She told him, "And after everything that's happened, you and Shane agree on this."

"So you agree with this decision?" Rick asked her.

She was silent for a moment before answering, "If you think it's best." She then started to walk out.

"Oh, and I was thinking," Rick told her, before she was able to leave, "The night's will be getting colder, and we're pretty exposed. We could clear this barn out, post lookouts."

Lori was quiet again, probably looking around at the dusty barn in disgust, "Uhhh." She finally said.

Daryl didn't have to see Lori's face to know she was not happy with the decision. Rick sighed, "Or I could talk to Hershel about letting us stay in the house?"

"Yeah, that's better." She said, "Sorry hun, I'm not a farm animal." And then she was gone.

Daryl waited a few moments before he stepped out from under the flooring and looked up at Rick.

Rick hand his head hung, just staring down at the ground. When he noticed Daryl and remembered he had been down there he shook his head, "The barn idea didn't go over well." He said.

Daryl frowned, "Geez man, did we vote you leader, or her?" Rick just stared down at Daryl in frustration. Daryl just shook his head and walked away from Rick, who was lost in thought.

/

Daryl and Serena entered Hershel's house as the sun was setting in the sky. Daryl hand one arm tightly wrapped around Serena's, the other was holding Amy's bassinet with Amy already in it. She wasn't asleep yet, but Serena had fed her a little while ago, so he suspected he'd be seeing her eyelid's close at any time.

Everyone was gathering in the living room. Serena sat down in a large red chair around the outside of the room. Daryl placed the bed down at her feet and then stood behind her. Almost everyone was there. Lori looked around, "Has anyone seen Carl?"

Daryl shrugged, "He was down by the barn earlier, but I haven't seen him since."

"He was actually quiet mean to me earlier," Carol spoke up, "He told me there was no such thing as Heaven, and when I set him straight he walked away from me in a huff."

Lori's mouth dropped and she looked at Rick. Rick shook his head, "Carol, I'm so sorry."

Carol shrugged, "It's not your fault. But you need to talk to your boy." She told him.

Lori looked over at Carol rather insulted, "Yes, thank you Carol, I'll address it with him later." She told her.

Dale walked into the house then with Carl a head of him. Lori sighed when she saw him, "Carl, common now, go into the kitchen with Jimmy. We are gunna have a little discussion later about how you spoke to Carol today." She patted the top of his hat.

Carl looked around, "I can't stay?"

Rick shook his head, "No. This is a conversation for adults."

Carl moaned, but turned and let the room. Lori looked at Dale, "Thanks Dale."

Dale just shrugged and joined everyone else.

"So how do we do this?" Glenn asked, "Do we take a vote or something?"

Rick nodded, "Yeah, lets first see where everyone stands, and then we can talk through the options."

"Well, the way I see it," Shane spoke up, "there's only one way to move forward."

"Killing him, right?" Dale asked in disgust, "Why even bother taking a vote?" He asked with dismay, "It's pretty obviously which way it's gunna go."

"Well if there are people that want him to be spared," Rick said, "then I want to know about it."

Dale shrugged, "Well it's a small group ..." He looked around, "Maybe just me." He finally said.

Serena's heart sank for him. He felt like they were all loosing their humanity, and he hadn't been able to find one person to be on his side. This would not sit well with Dale.

"He's not one of us." Shane spoke up again, "And we've lost too many already. You're asking us to risk out lives letting him go."

"So your answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt?" Dale pleaded. He shook his head, holding back tears, "If we do this ... we are saying that there is no hope. Rule of law is dead. There is no civilization."

Shane rolled his eyes, "Oh my god."

Hershel looked to Rick, "Could you take him further out, let him go there?"

"And risk our people?" Daryl spoke up, "Look, we've been talking about this all day. We've just been goin' around in circles, do you wanna go around again, or are we gunna do this?" He looked at Rick.

Dale stomped his foot, "This is a mans life!" He shook his head and looked around at everyone, "Is this what we've come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? How are we any better then these people we are so afraid of?" Dale gripped onto his hat tightly and looked around the room for someone's support. He turned to Rick, "You once said that we don't kill the living."

Rick nodded, "That was before the living tried to kill us."

Dale shook, "But don't you see, if we do this then the people we are, the world we grew up in, it's dead. It's all dead." He looked disgusted, "And this new world, it's ugly, it's harsh, it's ...survival of the fittest. And that's a world I don't want to live in. I can't." He looked around at the others, looking Serena right in the eyes, "I don't think that any of you do. Please ... lets just do what was right. Isn't anyone gunna support me"

Serena had to restrain herself from standing up and joining Dale in his crusade. It was so sad to watch him break down and plead for this stranger's life. She sighed and looked down, not able to look at him anymore. Daryl, still standing behind her, reached down and put on hand on her shoulder. She felt slightly comforted, but she still felt for her poor friend.

Finally Dale took a deep breath, after no one said a word to support him. Rick looked at Dale apologetically. Dale snorted, "Are you all gunna watch too." He shook his head, "Naw, you'll all go hide you heads in your tent and pretend your slaughtering a human being." He looked around, "Well I'm sorry, but I won't be a party to it. This group ..." He sighed and looked back at Rick, "This group is broken." He then turned and walked out.

After Dale left the room was silent, everyone cautious to even breath. Finally Amy broke the silence with her cries, jerking Serena out of her thoughts. She bent over and pick Amy up. Daryl reached down for her, "She probably needs a change." He said.

Serena nodded, passing the infant off to him willingly. Daryl was willing right now to do diaper changes, about Serena suspected the novelty would wear off so she was taking advantage of it while she could. Daryl disappeared around the corned, taking Amy into the bedroom where it was more private.

The group in the living room started to disperse. Across from Serena sat Andrea, still just sitting in her chair staring blankly at the space in front of her. "Hey." Serena said, snapping her out of it, "You OK?"

Andrea looked at her, "Maybe I should have said something." She said, "What would it have hurt if one other person sided with him?"

Serena sighed, thinking the same thing. She nodded, "He'll forgive us."

Andrea shrugged, "I hope so." She didn't seem so sure.

/

Awe poor Dale. I just felt so sorry for him during this scene. He was one of my favs and I will miss him ... alot! Anyways, I need to ready myself for the next chap. cuz its sure to be a sad one.

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