El Heroe Fallido
Toby stood by herself between the RV and tents, unsure what to do with herself. Toby glanced behind her, she was only a short distance from Randall's body, which was covered by a sheet.
Most of the group retreated into the house after the incident, she wasn't sure if anyone was still outside, besides Shane. Shane merely stormed away after killing Randall.
Toby felt conflicted and lost, she'd agreed with Shane. It was better to kill Randall rather than risk any danger he would bring. But at that moment, seeing the body, watching as his life was ended, she felt differently. It bothered her more than she wanted to admit.
Since Shane brought up taking her with him when he left, she knew she would have to make a choice at some point. This would be that point. The group was meeting together to talk about what to do with Shane. She knew he would be leaving that very day, there was no other option for him.
But when it was time for him to go, he would be expecting her to go with him. And she still had no idea what she wanted. She didn't want to stay, but she didn't want to leave either.
Why can't daddy be here to make all these easier? She questioned to herself.
Looking away from Randall's body, she turned to Daryl's tent. She decided to go in and hide until things settled down. She also thought Daryl might have some leftover food somewhere in there, she couldn't remember when she'd eaten last.
Just as Toby took her steps toward the tent, someone gripped her arm. She turned, surprised to see it was Shane. Before she could get any kind of reaction out he began hurriedly pulling her along with him. Too shocked to fight him, she let him lead her away from the tents.
"Wha-What are-"
"-Come on," he said quickly, a certain sharpness in his tone. "We don't have much time."
"You're leaving?" She knew the answer but couldn't help but ask.
"We're getting out of here, right now. We have to be quick."
"Right now?"
"Yes, right now. They're all talking about me in there. I'm going to have to leave either way, they aren't okay with what I did. It's best to be gone before they're done. It's easier on everybody that way."
Panic arose in Toby as they neared the cars. She yanked her arm from his grip and stepped away. "Wait!"
Shane looked down at her, his features tense and fierce emotion danced in his eyes. There were only a few times she'd seen that look in his eyes, and it scared her.
"What is it? We don't have time for this."
"I . . ." she had no idea what to say, she didn't know what she wanted. She wasn't sure she wanted to leave but she knew she didn't want Shane to be gone. She couldn't lose him, not like they had lost everyone else. "We can't . . . not yet."
He sighed, putting his arm around both her shoulders urgently in order to lead her away.
"We're going to stop into town first, to the pharmacy. See if there's anything worth taking. Winters coming so it won't be a bad idea to get some cold pills."
Toby shook her head, and ducked under his arm stepping back again.
"No."
"No what? Toby, get in the car."
"No," Toby shook her head again, glancing toward the house. But there was no one in sight. "Not now."
"Now, we talked about this. " Shane was getting more frustrated with each passing second. "We're leaving."
"You talked about this!"
Shane glanced at the house when she raised her voice, making sure it hadn't caught anyones attention.
Toby was confusing herself, she was never sure what she wanted to do, she was sure she would just go with Shane. But at that moment, it felt like everything was going too fast. And she still hadn't figured out how she felt about him killing Randall.
Shane stepped forward toward her once again. But Toby quickly stepped away.
"No!" She had no idea what else to say or do.
"Que pasa?"
Shane's whole body spun around, startled. Toby stayed put, leaning so she could see Guillermo, who was several feet from both of them, but gazing at the two with confusion.
"What is going on?" Guillermo said when neither of them answered.
"Get in the car," he demanded through clenched teeth, not turning his head to look at her. But she didn't move. "Now!"
"Oye! Don't look too much like she wants to, gringo." Guillermo stepped forward slowly, his eyebrows forward.
"This has nothing to do with you," Shane told him.
"I may not know much, but-"
"-You're right there. You don't know shit."
"But," Guillermo continued. "it looks like your taking this girl somewhere she do not want to be. And I am here watching you do it. I say that has everything to do with me."
"Watching and not doing a damn thing, isn't that what you're good at?"
"You . . ." the word from Guillermo's mouth sounded more like a grunt then anything, he glared hard at Shane, obviously at a loss for a response. Suddenly, Guillermo took a quick step forward, as if about to take action.
In a quick movement Shane took his Glock from his holster and pointed it at Guillermo.
Toby practically jumped backward in shock. She kept looking in between the men, not sure what to do. Guillermo's eyes flashed between Shane's and the gun several times.
"Back off," Shane warned. "Just walk away."
Guillermo's eyes narrowed in concentration, his eyes turned to the house, as if just realising something. Guillermo even took a step back and put his arms up, as if surrendering.
Just as he opened his mouth Shane cocked his gun, placing the bullet in the chamber. "Think. Think before you open your mouth. Now's a really bad time to act stupid."
Guillermo said nothing, he only glared, but he didn't look ready to back down.
"PIck another time to be a hero, you missed your chance," Shane prompted.
Shane watched Guillermo, waiting. When nothing happened, he spoke again more quietly, "Let's go." Shane began backing up without looking at Toby. He nudged her with his free hand. Toby stared in shock and fear, not sure what to do otherwise. Looking back at Guillermo, she followed Shane.
Shane opened the passenger door, not letting Guillermo out of his sight as he held the gun up.
"Get in," Shane repeated.
Looking once again at the gun, Toby slowly stepped forward and lowered herself into the car.
"You don't say anything. To anybody. You got it?"
Guillermo still said nothing, his jaw was tensed tight as he ground his teeth together in frustration. Shane took that as an affirmative and after double checking Toby was in the car, he shut her door.
Then he made his way around the car, hurrying his pace as he kept the gun pointed at Guillermo. When Guillermo still didn't move, Shane opened the door and got into the front seat, placing his gun in his holster as he turned the key in the ignition.
Guillermo stood still, watching with his fists clenched as the car drove off.
Rick was pacing in the kitchen of the Greene family home. Glenn was leaning against the counter, watching him. The others in the group were in the living room, waiting for Rick.
"We should get in there," Glenn said, "they're waiting for you."
"I know, I just . . . I'm trying to figure out what to say. This is my fault."
"It's not. None of us knew Shane would react that way. I thought he would argue but I didn't think he would just kill the guy."
Rick shook his head, "I should've . . . I should've done something sooner."
"Sooner?" Glenn repeated, looking closely at Rick's expression. "What do you mean sooner?"
Rick stopped in his tracks, lifting his head to meet Glenn's eyes. After a moment of contemplating, he checked the kitchen doorway to make sure no one was listening before stepping closer to him.
"Shane killed Otis."
Glenn's eyes widened slightly, before he looked down at his feet. "I know . . ."
"You do?"
Glenn nodded, "well, I had the idea. I wasn't sure if I believed it. Dale told me, said Shane all but threw it in his face. Why did you lie? Say it was the Walkers."
"That's what I thought, at first."
"I'm lost."
Rick sighed, leaning against the counter beside Glenn. "I didn't know. Not at first. I should've, I felt something was wrong, different about him. The place was overrun, pretty bad, I got separated and couldn't make it back to them, there were too many of the dead around. I decided to go back to the truck, figured we could meet there. I heard the gunshots coming from the other side of the school, it was difficult but I was able to make it there. Soon as I rounded the corner Shane was running with the bag, the Walkers had Otis. It was too late to save him."
Rick paused for a long moment. Glenn said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
"I saw the change in Shane after, the short temper and what not. I don't know if I just didn't let myself see it . . . But if Otis went down, how was it Shane got his gun? He wouldn't have gone back just for the gun, there were too many, and we have guns."
"You know for sure he did it?"
"He told me, few days after. He said it was Otis or Sophia, and we look out for our own."
"He's a loose canon," Glenn said, "we have to tell them."
"About Otis? No." Rick shook his head. "Being a loose canon, I'm sure they already know."
"They should know."
"No, they don't need to. They've already seen Shane kill someone. We don't need to make a list for them."
"But Hershel and his family, they deserve to know."
"We can't make it worse, he hates us enough already."
"I . . . I can't keep it from Maggie. I can't."
Rick met Glenn's eyes with a tired expression. After a moment, he gave him a nod of understanding, "do what you have to, Glenn. But don't do it now."
Glenn nodded. Together the two men went into the livingroom to see the others.
"Everyone here?" Rick asked.
"Daryl and Guillermo aren't." T-Dog informed.
Rick nodded, "Daryl told me he was going out to check on his traps. Already told me what he thinks should be done with Shane. Someone want to go get Guillermo?"
T-Dog shook his head, "he's lying down in the RV. I doubt he'd want anything to do with this anyway."
"Wait," Carl voiced, who was sitting in his mother's lap. "Where's Toby? I can go find her."
"No, honey, you stay here with me." Lori told him gently. "She's probably with Daryl or lying down."
"What does Daryl think?" Glenn asked.
"Daryl said . . ." Rick hesitated. "I'm not going to repeat it exactly but-"
"-We can't kill him." Lori contested.
"That's not what he said."
"Really?" Glenn look surprised.
T-Dog also had a surprised expression, "yeah, I don't know if I believe you. Daryl hates Shane, I think he wanted him dead from the start. Remember that brawl they had at the CDC? Brutal."
Glenn shrugged, "well, they were both pretty drunk."
Rick ignored them. "Daryl said we should send him on his way or drop him off somewhere before we leave the farm, that way he won't know where we are when we leave."
"That saying he doesn't follow us," T-Dog said.
"He won't." Lori said, "he's been wanting to leave, he's planned it before, he told me. It just didn't happen."
Rick glanced at her. "When did he tell you?"
Lori didn't answer.
"Wait, wait." T-Dog waved his hand to get attention. "I'm still not over what Daryl said. That's exactly what he said, send him off or leave him? That's it?"
"I can't repeat exactly what he said, my son is here. But that was the conclusion."
T-Dog took a moment to think it over. "Well, I agree with Daryl. Shane may have not made the best choices lately, and obviously something's going on there . . . but in the end, he has done a lot for us, this group. He took care of us back in Atlanta. And as awful as it seems, he had a reason for killing Randall. Not a good enough reason but I don't see him as a danger to us, in his messed up way killing Randall protects us."
Rick thought over T-Dog's words. Then he recalled the incident when him and Shane drove Randall out to let him go the first time, he was the only one who knew that Shane wanted him dead. He thought it would be best to keep it that way.
"So we send him off," Rick concluded.
"We could give him the food we put together for Randall, it's already packed." Glenn suggested.
T-Dog nodded in agreement.
The front door made a loud noise as it was thrown open roughly. Everyone jumped and quickly glanced toward it, seeing Guillermo hurrying in.
"Guillermo," Rick looked surprised. "Are you here to join us? We're discussing-"
"He took her."
"What?" Glenn asked.
"He took the little girl."
Lori stood up, "what are you talking about? Who?"
"The nutty one, he made her get into the car. When I said something he pointed his gun to my head."
"Shane?" T-Dog guessed.
Guillermo nodded, "yes, that one."
"He left?" Carl pulled himself away from his mother.
T-Dog made his way over to one of the windows, pulling the curtain back to look out
Rick stepped toward forward, "Guillermo, what exactly happened?"
"What I just told you. He pointed his gun at me and made her go with him, not much else to say about it."
"One of the cars is gone," T-Dog informed as he peered out the window.
"Who saw Toby last?" Rick asked.
"Not since . . ." Lori trailed off, trying to remember the last time she saw her. "This is absurd, she's probably just with Daryl."
"He wouldn't do that, would he?" Glenn asked.
T-Dog turned away from the window to face Glenn, "he hasn't exactly been Mr. Predictable lately now has he?"
"I just explained the situation, are you woefully deaf?" Guillermo said, "that girl is gone, you going to do something about it, pendejo?"
"I need to be sure," Rick said, a fierce look in his eyes. He didn't want to believe Shane had done it. "She has a history of running off."
"I'll check upstairs," Glenn offered, "maybe she's with Maggie."
Rick nodded, "I'll go see if Daryl's back, Guillermo will you check the tents and-"
"-Stupido, no. You won't listen to me, I won't listen to you. Increíble, puta de madre!" Guillermo turned around, beginning to storm toward the door. "Jorder!" He yelled as he slammed the door behind him.
Rick continued, "T-Dog, can you check the front?"
"On it."
"I can check the chicken coop," Carl volunteered.
"I'll go with him," Lori said. "We'll check the barn too."
With that, they separated. After everything, no one could readily accept that Shane may have kidnapped Toby, they didn't want to.
Rick hurriedly checked almost all the tents, with the exception of Shane's, his was missing.
Just about to check the RV, Rick stopped, hearing someone running toward him.
He turned around to see T-Dog.
T-Dog shook his head, "nothing."
Rick turned back to the RV and went inside. "Toby?" He called, he checked the back but no one was there. Rick hopped out just as Glenn was approaching with Maggie.
"She's no where in the house," Glenn told them. "Maggie said she hasn't seen her in a while."
Maggie looked confused, "where could she have gone?"
Glenn glanced toward where the cars were, "Guillermo said Shane left with her."
"What? How come you didn't say that in the first place?" Maggie's voice had a sharp edge to it. She switched her gaze to Rick, "you're sure Shane's gone too then?"
Rick hesitated, "There's no doubt he left. One of our vehicles is gone, his tent is missing."
"Then what are we doing standing here?! That man's lost his marbles and you're just letting this happen?!" Maggie was enraged. "when did they leave?"
T-Dog thought it over, "G came to us, maybe five minutes ago?"
"We can catch up to that." Maggie looked assured.
"No, we need to be sure!" Rick denied.
Maggie looked appalled, "what are you talking about? You think he got her mixed up with someone else? We only have two kids here!"
Rick ignored her, not having a reasonable argument, "so far there's no sign of her. We'll wait for Daryl to get back and make sure she's not with him."
"That may take too long!" Maggie shot back.
"She's right," T-Dog agreed, "I don't wanna believe he did this but he's getting further ahead of us every minute and we don't even know which way he went. It's all guesswork from here. If we're going after him, it has to be now."
Rick ran a hand over his face as he sighed in frustration.
"Daryl's back!" Maggie called.
Rick quickly glanced at Maggie, surprised by her outburst before following her eyes which were looking behind him. Rick spun around to see Daryl emerge from the trees, in the distance, Guillermo was next to him.
"The hells goin' on!" Daryl shouted as he made his way over. "Why you got someone to fetch me, I'm gone like twenty minutes and shits blowing up in your faces?"
"Toby's not with you is she?" Glenn stepped forward, panicked.
Daryl furrowed his eyebrows, sweeping his eyes over all of them in a long hesitation before answering. When they didn't seem to figure it out for themselves, he raised both his arms and looked at his sides pointedly, "last I checked. This crazy is tellin' me you guys lost your brains."
"There! You made sure, now can we go?" Maggie crossed her arms defiantly.
"Someone tell me what the fuck is goin' on? Toby do somethin'?" Daryl asked, exasperated.
"Shane's gone," Glenn said, his voice not sounding too sure.
"Good riddance, let's just hope he stays gone." Daryl shook his head, obviously annoyed.
Rick bit his lip, not looking at Daryl. "We think Toby might've went with him."
"What?"
"Toby-"
"-I heard what you said. I'm giving you a second chance to rethink those words."
"Her and Shane are both gone," T-Dog explained. "Cars gone, tents gone, we can't find her."
"So you don't know that she's with him, that what you're telling me?"
"We do, I saw him take her," Guillermo corrected, looking very agitated, "she is."
"Rick."
Everyone turned, Lori stood behind the all with Carl at her side, who looked restless, "she's not here."
"What the hell are we stallin' for?! Crazy's right, where's your fuckin' head at?!" Daryl shouted in Rick's face.
"We didn't know for sure," Rick defended.
Daryl pointed at Guillermo, "he just said you did!"
"Only Guillermo saw it happen," Glenn interjected.
"They would not believe me," Guillermo said.
Daryl turned to the hispanic man, narrowing his eyes. "You saw it, huh? You didn't do nothin' about it?!"
Guillermo didn't even try to defend himself, "no."
Daryl feigned a move toward him, Guillermo didn't flinch. He only closed his eyes, waiting for the impact. Daryl stopped himself, only glaring at the shorter man, "to hell with this!"
Daryl pushed passed them all making his way to his tent.
Rick knew they had no choice, as much as he wanted to believe Toby was just hiding or gone somewhere, it was clear what had happened. He had let himself succumb to denial just like with Otis. Shane may have care for that little girl but he was obviously very unstable. Toby would be anything but safe with him.
"Glenn," Rick called, "get the guns from the RV. We'll gather and make a plan."
"No time!" Daryl snapped, looking into his tent. He came out a second later without his crossbow and with a rifle, one that Rick recalled to be the one Merle used on the rooftop in Atlanta. "All her stuffs still in there, whatever happened, it happened quick."
Glenn was already back with the bag, tossing it out on the ground.
Rick bent over, taking out a box of ammo.
"You're not leaving, not again," Lori declared.
"Randall was one thing. We all had the idea at some point but never carried it out." Rick straightened himself up, looking her in the eyes, "he just kidnapped a child."
"Rick-"
"What if it had been Carl?" he fired at her. "What if it had been you?"
Lori stepped away from him, "it wasn't. It wouldn't be."
"No it wasn't." He agreed, "but it could've been. Maybe it almost was."
"What are you saying?"
"You know how he sees you, sees Carl. since I got back I've been a threat to him. After everything . . . he's had enough rationality to back off you, Carl, this baby. But only because he knows, he knows this isn't his, none of it is. That rationality apparently does not extend to that little girl. I'm going after them, after her. We'll bring her back."
"Not alone," T-Dog took the 12-gauge. "Shane's lost it. I'm going too."
"I wanna go too!" Carl voiced.
"No," Lori and Rick said together.
"She's my friend!"
"Which is why you'll be waiting here for her, safely." Rick told him.
"I'll come too."
Glenn shook his head, "no, Maggie. Just . . . Just stay here, please? I'll go with them."
Maggie thought it over, "fine. You'll be more helpful with a gun anyway."
Glenn bent over the bag, taking out a handgun for himself.
"We really need to bring this many guns?" T-Dog questioned.
Rick nodded, "with what happened last time, we're not taking any chances."
"We ain't bringing another Randall back neither," T-Dog agreed.
"Alright, everyone ready?" Rick checked. He gave Lori a hug, then Carl before giving him a kiss on the head.
"Wait," Guillermo interjected, "I will come too. I let it happen."
"I'm sorry, but the car only seats five, we need the last seat for Toby-" Rick was promptly cut off by a loud engine. Everyone turned their heads to see Daryl on his bike, leaving down the driveway.
"Looks like we have a free spot, G." T-Dog patted Guillermo's shoulder. T-Dog turned himself around back the gun bag, he searched through it for a few seconds before coming out with a handgun.
T-Dog held it out to Guillermo, "here, take this."
"Nunca más," Guillermo stepped away and shook his head, "I will never hold a gun again."
Guillermo turned his back to T-Dog and walked to the car.
The four men hurried to the car. Glenn gave Maggie a kiss before hopping in the passenger seat of the car.
"Bring her back," Maggie pleaded.
"We will." Rick promised.
"Daryl went right," T-Dog said from the backseat. "Looks like he thinks they went into town."
"Either that or the highway, but most of it is blocked off, that way makes sense." Rick told him as he turned the key and started the engine.
T-Dog was sitting next to Guillermo in the back seat, he held out a switchblade to the man, "will you take a knife?"
Guillermo nodded and took it from him, "gracias."
Hey everyone! I'm so very sorry for my absence. Finals were in April so I was swamped and had no time to write. I'm off school until September. It's odd to think I'm done my first year of college.
I have more written, so I'm actually already close to finishing the next chapter. We just thought we can bide you guys over with so far. Thank you so much for your patience. I'm so glad to see so many of you stuck around.
Next chapter we switch back to Toby's POV, I missed writing it. I just thought writing in third POV would better capture these events.
I really hope you guys enjoyed this. Please review, I'd love to get your thoughts on this and what you think will happen.
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