A/N: Unmotivated… just gotta keep going though.

I did get a lovely review from a guest and I want to tell y'all right now: I'm going to go into those missing winter months. So while we're following the show now, we will travel off and go into what might have happened before the prison! I'm super excited! (got my motivation back already)

Thanks for reading.

Prompt: Death in the family

.o.o.o.

Night had fallen fast than Anna had wanted. She sat at the campfire, keeping an eye on the group of people hanging around the barn. Her eyes lingered on Daryl, who had donned his sleeved jean jacket in the chill of the night. Shane suddenly stormed out of the barn, yelling at Rick as he came out after.

"Why don't you have the guts to protect your family?" Anna closed her eyes as though it'd shut out the sound of arguing. They continued to argue until a yell alerted them to a danger.

"Dale?" Anna leapt up, recognizing the voice. Everyone ran to the edge of the property as quickly as they could.

"Oh God." Andrea held a hand up to her mouth as a walker was ripping Dale's insides out from his stomach. Anna froze, unable to process what was happening before her eyes. Rick had gotten there first and dispatched the walker immediately, but the damage had been done.

"No…" Anna felt the tears roll down her cheeks. An arm wrapped itself around her and she turned into its owner. Daryl held her close, closing his own eyes from the ugly scene before them. Rick pulled out his gun.

"What are you doing?" Anna demanded, stepping out of Daryl's arms.

"He has to be put out of his misery…" Rick regretted saying it and it was killing him inside, but it needed to be done. He raised the gun and flashes of Sophia came into his mind. His hands shook as his finger touched the trigger.

Without a word, Daryl took the gun from Rick, letting the man relax. Daryl held the gun up and swallowed hard.

"Goodbye brother."

.o.o.o.

The camp was silent with mourning the next morning. Anna, puffy-eyed and still sniffling, walked around the camp to check on everyone. She was almost not surprised to find that Shane was missing from his tent.

"Daryl, did you see Shane this morning?" Anna asked, sitting between Daryl's knees on the ground as he lounged in a folding chair, knife and stick in hand but not moving.

"Yeah, went to tha barn." He frowned as she got up. "Where ya goin'? Stay with me."

"Truth is, now that Dale is gone, nothing's stopping that asshole from killing Randall. I think we should let him go in honor of Dale." Anna explained, hands on her hips.

"Lemme go with ya." Daryl put away his knife and tossed the unsharpened stick on the ground. They walked hand in hand to the barn, thankful they still had each other.

"Shane?" Anna opened the door and stared at the empty barn in disbelief. "Where did they…?"

"Rick! The little shit got away!" Shane stumbled out of the woods just then, running towards camp. They gathered around him as he told a tale of how Randall had slipped the handcuffs and knocked out Shane in the woods as he chased him.

"Wasn't Randall right-handed?" Anna whispered to Daryl. The wound was on the right side of Shane's face. Daryl shrugged, more intent on helping find the kid and finally getting rid of him.

"No really. If he slugged Shane in the face, the bruise would be on the left side of his face." Anna whispered more urgently. Maybe she was just grasping for a chance to call Shane's bullshit, but what if he was telling the truth? She's look like an idiot, and Shane would be even more of a 'hero'.

"Daryl, Glenn, go west. Rick and I will head east." Shane pointed into the woods he just came out of and slipped his gun out of his pants. The men headed into the woods, weapons ready.

An hour later, Anna didn't like the look of the sinking sun. Grabbing a few flashlights, she armed herself with her axe and gun and heading after Glenn and Daryl.