AN: Okay, so the barn is full of Walkers and Sophia is still missing. But with the two Dixon brother's following her trail, things could get a little interesting. Look out for the little CARYL moment at the end.

The next morning, things were quiet over in the camp; Carol was on breakfast duty cooking eggs over the fire and everyone was dotted around the food area waiting for the day to start properly. "Hey, where'd you go?" Lori noticed Rick's distant expression and reached up to tangle a hand in the back of his hair and press a kiss to his cheek.

"I'm here." He replied back quietly and patted her other hand where it rested on his knee. They'd had a long talk after Carl had fallen asleep and had made a pact not to speak about what had happened between her and Shane. Lori had insisted that she had broken things off as soon as Rick had returned to her, alive and well, at the quarry. They were going to take things one day at a time as they tried to patch up the foundations to their shaky marriage.

Glenn sat on the outskirts of the group, looking over at the house where he could just make out the figure of Maggie staring back at him and shaking her head. He glanced over to where Dale was waiting for his eggs; and the other man was nodding his head emphatically. Glenn rose to his feet and strode over to where the main tent stood. Placing his hands in the front pocket of his jeans, he cleared his throat.

"Guys." Everyone looked up and Glenn removed his hands from his pockets and twisted them in front of him. "So… the barn is full of Walkers." All conversation stilled and he noticed that plates were laid down; eggs congealing, as everyone looked over wearing the same expression of cold dread.

Shane was the first to drop his plate and set off running toward the barn, with everyone following in hot pursuit. Shane crept closer to the front and peered through the crack between the panels to see what he could make out within the dim confines. He drew back as one of the Walkers threw themselves against the door, and the group watched as it bowed slightly and then settled itself once more.

"You cannot tell me you're all right with this!" He spat out as he strode back to the others and walked straight past Rick.

"No, I'm not, but we're guests here. This isn't our land."

"God! This is our lives man!" Shane whirled around, slapping his police issue ball cap against his thigh.

"Lower your voice!" Rick ordered, not wanting to rile the Walkers or attract the attention of Hershel.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug." Andrea stated and was backed up by Shane.

"It ain't right. Not remotely. We've either got to go in there, we've got to make things right, or we've just got to go. Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time." Rick held out his hand to stop Shane's ranting.

"We can't go."

"Why, Rick? Why?"

"Because my daughter's still out there." Carol spoke up quietly, wrapping her arms around her middle as it warding off a chill. She felt Daryl move up to stand behind her and felt the warmth radiating off his body. Merle took his usual spot at her side and both men glared at Shane.

"Okay." Shane rubbed his hand across his face and looked over at the three of them staring across at him. "Okay, I think it's time that we all start to just consider the other possibility."

"Shane! We are not leaving Sophia behind." Rick stepped forward, sparing a brief smile toward Carol and faced down his friend. Daryl stepped out from behind Carol to add weight to the argument.

"I'm close to finding this girl. I just found her damn doll two days ago!"

"You found her doll, Daryl. That's what you did. You found a doll." Shane squared off with the younger Dixon, and Merle watched his brother bristle at the close quarters. He stepped forward to prevent his brother from knocking the former deputy sheriff on the ass.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about. Ma brother found more than just a fuckin' doll, and ya know it. That doll was the first sign that any of us had that actually meant somethin'."

"I'm just saying what needs to be said!" Shane yelled back and at that point Rick stepped in between the three angry men with his arms outstretched trying to keep the peace.

"All right, all right…" Shane craned his head around Rick, refusing to back down.

"You get a good lead; it's in the first 48 hours."

"Shane, stop." Rick ordered, he didn't want Shane to continue with the discussion that they'd had in the woods a few days previously; certainly not with Carol around to hear his every word.

"Let me tell you something else man. If she was alive out there and saw you coming…" Shane yelled, looking contemptuously between the two Dixon brothers, "Either of you, all methed out with your buck knife, and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction." Rick couldn't prevent the first swing that Merle took at Shane, clipping him on the jaw; but he was able to restrain Daryl from leaping in to beat on him too. T-Dog and Glenn held back a snarling Merle and Lori was hugging a crying Carol. Daryl simmered down as soon as he saw how upset she was over Shane's cruel words and tugged against the hold Rick had on his arm.

"I ain't gonna take a swing at him, Rick. Lemme go see how Carol's doin'." Rick released his arms and watched Daryl approach the crying widow. Lori stepped back as she saw Daryl coming toward them and he nodded over to her. He stood by Carol's side, wanting to reach out to her, but fearful of rejection. He settled for just brushing his arm against hers and was relieved when she didn't flinch away at the contact.

"I don't want you to believe a word of what just came out of his mouth. Sophia knows you and she trusts Merle; she would never run away from you, Daryl. Never." Carol whispered softly and pressed against his arm briefly. He gave a half smile in her direction and then moved away from her side as Shane continued to rant at everyone around him. He had pulled away when Lori had tried to intercede, warning her in a low voice to keep her hands off him.

"Back off!" Rick ordered in a firm voice, and everyone separated out; Shane turning away to start walking back to camp.

"Now, just let me talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out" Rick said quietly, and Shane whirled around again; striding angrily toward his friend.

"What are you gonna figure out?" Lori stepped between the two men, pressing a hand firmly to Shane's chest. "Enough!"

"If we're gonna stay, if we're gonna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is his land."

"Hershel sees those things in there as people," Dale stepped forward. "Sick people, his wife, his stepson."

"You knew?" Rick asked and Dale nodded in confirmation.

"Yesterday, I talked to Hershel."

"And you waited the night?" Shane blasted out.

"I thought we could survive one more night." Dale looked over at the still very angry man, and nodded. "We did. I was waiting until this morning to say something. But Glenn wanted to be the one."

"The man is crazy, Rick, if Hershel thinks those things are alive or no." Shane screamed out and slapped his hat down to the ground.

"Settle down!" Rick raised his hand in the air at the sudden growling coming from behind them. Their raised voices and very human smell had sent the Walkers in the barn into a frenzy and they were slamming themselves at the doors in an effort to break free. Although there was a wooden brace across the front, Hershel had also secured the door with two padlocks and a strong length of chain. The campmates watched as the doors creaked from the weight being thrown at them, causing the chain to grow taut and the wood to bow under the strain. Merle was the first to move, he placed a hand very firmly under Carol's elbow and with a glance over at his brother suggested that they move back up to camp. Daryl nodded and crossed over to take his place at Carol's right hand side, with Merle on her left. Merle glanced over at Glenn and jerked his head up towards the camp. Within a few moments, everyone followed their lead and left the barn to the Walkers.