Greetings Fellow Readers and Writers,

I know you probably surprise that I am back once again, let's just say that life has a way of pulling you away from what you love. I hope to continue writing and I want to thank you all for the reviews and messages. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

"She's not Lori. She could never be Lori" Rick reminded himself as he continues to stare at the scene in front of him. He found himself having a hard time dealing with this reality. He tried his best to maintain his composure but seeing Andre being held by his mother made his heart swell with pride. He couldn't explain it but he was drawn to this little family and it worried him. He took a few steps toward Michonne and Andre. "Andre, it's time to say goodbye, Carols waiting to take you back inside"

Andre shook his head and held tightly onto Michonne. "No I want to stay with mommy"

"That's not possible Baby, I can't take you with me. The place where we are going is not safe for kids. Remember we spoke about this earlier." Michonne reminded him.

Andre scrunched up his face in curiosity and asked "But why do you have to go? You just got here, Daddy and uncle Daryl can go. They are very strong"

Michonne chuckle and replied "Yes I don't doubt their strength but I'm the only one who knows where Maggie and Glenn are. I need to help bring them back plus I think I might be a little bit stronger than them don't you think?" She asked Andre with a smile and a playful wink.

"Yes you are mommy and so am I. Just don't tell Daryl, he gets grumpy like a bear." Andre told her in a whisper.

"I'll make sure to keep that as our little secret" She told Andre as she kissed him on the forehead and handed him over to Rick. "I have to go now sweetie. I'll be back soon I promise."

"You promise last time and you didn't come back for a very long time" Andre said with a pout as he laid his head on his father shoulder.

"I know baby and I'm must have been really scary for you but I never broke that promise. I came back for you and no matter what, I will always come back. I belong with you." Michonne reassured Andre as she looked upon the handsome man that held her son. She felt a wave of relief washed over her whenever she saw Rick with son. From the few encounters she saw between her son and Rick, she knew Rick was a better father to Andre than Mike. It worried her that she had to regard a stranger to be her son's father, a stranger who had the power to keep Andre away from her. She would do whatever it took to stay in this prison. She wasn't going to let them kick her out especially without her son. She continues to watch him as he smooth down Andre curls and gently dropped a kiss on top of his head.

"Just like I belong with you Andre" Rick told Andre. His actions were quietly sending a message to Michonne, Andre was his son as much as hers.

Rick turned around, search the prison yard as he eyes landed on the one he was searching for and smiled. It would take some time getting use to the fact that Carol who everyone thought was dead was alive and striving. "Carol, can you take Andre? We're going to pack up the car now."

"Of course, I'm just waiting for Daryl. Do you know what's taking him so long?" Carol asked while she took Andre hands and smile at him sweetly.

"Uncle Daryl is acting grumpy again." Andre replied.

"Yeah, he did seem a little upset when we were going over the plan for getting back Glenn and Maggie" Rick confirmed with a nod of his head.

Michonne watch from the sideline without saying a word. She was still in shock that Andre was only a few steps away from her and once again she was about to leave him. It broke her heart but she had to stay strong for her and her son.

"Maybe I should go inside and drag him out here" Carol said in a joking matter as she turned toward the path leading back to the side entrance of the prison. "Speaking of the devil" she said in an amusement as she saw Daryl exit the prison with his bow and arrows in his hands. She quickly turns back around to Rick and Michonne and said "I'll see you guys soon. Be safe." She hug Rick goodbye and whispered "Please bring him back to me"

"I will" Rick told her with confidence.

She took a few steps towards Michonne and chuckle when she saw the suspicions look on her face. She gently pulled Michonne into a tight hug and was met with resistance. "Your son and I will be waiting for your return. Rick might not see it but bringing the formula here in the state you were in show you a woman of great strength and character especially with what you are doing to help bring back Glenn and Maggie.

Michonne took a deep breath and returned the hug. "Thank you"

Carol give an encouraging squeeze on her arm and made her way towards Daryl with Andre.

XXX

Daryl couldn't believe his luck finding Carol in that cell block a few hours ago. He thought he lost her forever but here she was standing right in front of him holding Andre hand in the prison yard. Every step he took towards her, the easier his breathing became. Finding her was the only way he could breathe easy again. Somewhere down the road she became the most important person in his life and it was slowly affecting the decisions he had to make. He knew he had to go with the others to rescue Glenn and Maggie but he couldn't bring himself to leave her side.

"It's okay to leave me Daryl. I'll be here when you return" Carol told him with a shy smile.

"I can stay you know" Darryl mumbled as he stared down at the ground avoiding Carol gaze.

"I know but Rick needs you. He's going to need his strongest fighters to bring Maggie and Glenn back home."

"Yeah but just make sure you're here when I come back" Daryl told her with a grunt.

"I will. Don't worry. If I didn't know better I would think you were crushing on me." Carol responded with a chuckle.

"Oh shut it" Daryl shook his head and glace away from Carol to look down at Andre.

"Andre, stop looking at me like that"

"You sure you're not a bear" Andre asked

"I'm a bear that's going to eat you" Daryl grumbled and reaches for Andre who squealed with delight. "You can't eat me, help Carl!" Andre yelled as he ran towards Carl and Sophia who were waiting on the other side of the yard.

Daryl smiled when his eyes landed on Sophia. Daryl always made sure to tell Sophia goodbye whenever he had to leave the prison. It was never spoken but Sophia saw Daryl as her father. She listens to him and whatever he said always out weight what other people had to tell her.

"I couldn't tell her you know" Daryl said as he continues to stare at the kids

"Tell her what?" Carol asked as she grabs a hold of his arm.

"Tell her that you were dead, we thought you were dead. I told her that you escaped and that you would find your way back to us." Daryl told her as he took a deep breath and turned back toward Carol waiting for her to yell at him from his stupidity.

"I know Beth told me"

"That girl never minds her business" Daryl mumbled in response.

Carol chuckle from his response and said "Next time I go missing or presume dead, tell her the truth. It will be easier for her to accept it in time instead of holding on to false hope."

"I know but admitting you were dead would of ….I just couldn't accept it" Daryl felt his vision become blurry as he held back tears he been holding since he found Carol bloody scarf.

"I would have died Daryl but you found me and saved my life. This wasn't the first time you saved me and I doubt it will be the last. Just know that I will always be with you no matter what happens to me" Carol reassured him as she pulled him into a hug.

"Stay safe" Daryl whispered to Carol

"Nine lives remember" She responded back with a chuckle

XXX

Rick quickly put the rest of the bags behind the truck of their car and waited for the rest of the group to make their way to the car. Rick had decided on bringing Daryl and Oscar along with him and Michonne to Woodbury. They were the strongest members of his group and he hoped that with the four of them it would be enough to bring Maggie and Glenn home.

"You guys ready to head out?" Oscar asked as he made his way to the passenger side of the car.

"Yeah let's go but I'm sitting up front" Daryl replied with an unreadable expression.

"Oh come on, I was here first plus I'm a big guy" Oscar said while gesturing to his size with his hands.

"Not too big to sit in the back" Daryl countered.

Rick sighed as he tilted his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't believe these two were actually bickering over a seat. If he wasn't so worried about Maggie and Glenn, this would have brought a smile to his face but there was no time for any laughter. His main priority was his family. He was getting tired of always having to be the one in charge and having no one to fill that role when he couldn't. "You guys are being ridiculous I'll sit in the back, Daryl you drive "

He opens the door to the back seat and waited for Michonne to take her seat. She stared at him strangely. If he didn't know better he would have sworn that she could read his mind. He watches her as she struggle to not put weight on her injured leg as she entered the car. He itched to reach out and help her but thought better of it. His eyes slowly drifted from her dreadlocks to her tone back and to the prize he found himself staring out from time to time. She had a very lovely backside and with that thought brought on more guilt he been feeling since Lori died.

He lost his wife, his high school sweet heart just a few days ago and here he was panting after another woman. He wasn't just panting after any woman, he was panting after a woman who was also the mother of his son. He couldn't believe how in one day a woman could put his whole world upside down. He knew if Lori was still alive his marriage to her would still be in trouble, there was no repairing their relationship. He would never get over what happen between him and Shane or how she treated him once she found out Shane was dead. It was a nightmare that haunted his dreams almost every night.

Rick had sense it since he found his family that Shane wasn't the man he used to be, he was a man that didn't want Rick around. He wanted to replace Rick as the leader of the group, husband to Lori and father to Carl but he never thought that Shane would go as far as he did that night.

Five months ago

Is everything ready? "Rick asked Daryl and T-dog as he watched them placed a few more items into the truck.

"Yeah, I'll get the package" T-dog replied as he made his way to the tool shed where they were holding a teenage boy name Randall hostage. They had decided on setting him free far away from the farm, preventing him from being united with the dangerous group who attacked Rick and his people when they were in town.

"Randall, Today's your lucky day. You are free to go." T-dog announced as he open the combination lock for the shed. He opened the door to find bloody handcuffs on the ground and Randall missing.

He dashes back to Rick. "He's not in the shed, he's gone."

"What you mean his gone?" Daryl asked as he runs toward the shed with Rick a few steps behind him.

Daryl searches the shed looking for any trace of Randall. "Damn it, this doesn't make sense, the door was secured from the outside" He said as the rest of the group showed up near the barn.

As they made their way out of the barn they could hear Shane calling Ricks name in panic.

"Rick, Rick!" He continue yelling

"What happen?" Lori asked while running towards Shane who had a bruised and bloody nose.

"He attacked me. That's what happened. There was nothing I could do, he's armed. He snuck up on me and he clock me in my face."

"Are you okay?" Carl asked

"Yeah am fine, I never saw him coming" He replied.

"Listen we need to bring him back before he reaches his group" Rick informed them "Daryl and Glenn you coming with me. Everybody else get back inside the house."

"You said you were going to set him free. You don't have to go, just stay" Carol told Rick as she struggles to make sense of everything. She held Andre tightly in her arms as he tried to reach out for Rick.

"The plan was to set him loose far away from here not let him be on the farm with a gun" Shane said as he stepped forward and took T-dog gun from him.

Andre started to whimper in Carols arms. Rick step forward and placed a kiss on the top of his head. "I'll be back soon. Lock the door and stay alert" He said as he squeezed Carl shoulder.

They made their way into the wood with Shane leading the way. Daryl was feeling off about the whole situation. Something wasn't making sense. He had a feeling Shane wasn't telling the whole truth.

"Daryl you see any trace of him yet?" Rick asked after he noticed the sun was going down. They have already been searching for a couple of hours and have not once found any trace of the Randall.

"No, no trace at all. Something isn't right Rick" Daryl repeated his earlier concerns, hoping Rick would help him come up with a different conclusion on what really took place in that shed.

"Listen I saw him go into the wood. He can't be far. I think we should split up in twos and search for him." Shane said.

"Yeah Shane's right, we can cover more grounds if we spilt up. You and Glenn go right and Shane and I will go left." Rick said with approval.

"Alright" Daryl agreed reluctantly.

Daryl and Glenn continue to search for traces of Randall. As they continue to get father away from the direction that Rick and Shane went to, they started to find evidence that didn't match up with the story that Shane told them.

"There two different tracks of footsteps here, it look like Shane was with Randall a whole lot longer than he led us to believe." Daryl said as he slowly stood up from where he had crouch to take a closer look at the tracks.

"I think you're right. There's something weird going on here, look at that tree, there's fresh blood on it." Glenn replied.

"And it look like there was a struggle here" Daryl said as he pointed to the ground.

"Oh shit" Glenn shouted as a reanimated Randall lounge towards Daryl knocking him onto the ground. As Daryl continue to struggle with the walker, Glenn jumps into action and pulled Randall off of Daryl. He holds Randall down and pushed his knife through his skull saving Daryl's life.

Daryl quickly gets up and searched Randall for any bite marks. "There's no bite marks here"

"There has to be a bite mark" Glenn said as he continued to stare at Randall. "How could he turn without any bite marks?"

"Well he did, there's not a single mark on his body. He died from a broken neck. We need to get back to Rick quick, I think this was Shane's doing." Daryl said in a hurry as he picked up his bow and arrows and started to run towards the direction that Rick and Shane went to.

Shane had purposely lead Rick away from the woods to a vast land near the farm house. Rick could sense something wasn't right with Shane. Shane was acting strange and he needed to figure something out before things turned ugly.

"So he found your gun?" Rick asked while stopping in his tracks. He was a few paces ahead of Shane, making him an easy target for Shane.

"Yeah my favorite piece, he's going to wish he killed me when we find his sorry ass" Shane replied

"You said he got you with a rock" Rick told him as he slowly slipped his gun back into his holster.

"That's what I said" Shane said as he rubbed his hairless head with his left hand.

"Inside the shed he attacked you? That doesn't make sense since the door was locked when T-dog showed up." Rick said as he continue to walk towards the center of the land

"I saw that too" Shane replied "He must have slipped through the rafters on the roof."

"So this is where you planned to do it?" Rick asked

"It's a good place as any" Shane answered.

"At least have the ball to admit you brought me out here to kill me. Do you really believe that after you killed me everything's going to work out for you? You think my family and friends won't suspect you did something to me, do you really think you could live with that guilt and be a father to my kids and a husband to my wife?" Rick asked, his voice not hiding how disappointed he was of Shane. It broke his heart to know that his very best friend wanted him dead.

"Yes I can live with it and they will believe me. I'll just tell them that I saw Randall shoot you. There was nothing I can do to save you so I chased him down and snapped his neck. Don't worry. I'll be a better man than you. They deserve someone who can protect them and put them first. I will do whatever it takes to keep Lori and Carl safe."

"What about everybody else?" Rick asked with a look of horror when he thought about Andre and the rest of his friends.

"No one else matter, that's what you failed to realize. If you had let me die on that bus you wouldn't be here right now pleading for your life. Don't you see that? You brought this upon yourself!" Shane yelled as he pointed the gun towards Rick.

A whimper was heard and Rick felt the blood drain from his face when he saw Andre a few steps away from Shane, stumbling as he make his way towards Rick.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Shane yelled as he pointed the gun towards Andre.

"Shane" Rick yelled as he pleaded with Shane. "It's me you want dead, not him, just let him go back"

Shane watched as Andre made his way to Rick. There was no way he could kill Rick and keep this boy alive. He would have to kill them both.

Rick picked up Andre and held him tightly to his chest as Andre lean his head onto Rick shoulder and sigh with relief. Andre was Rick shadow, a fact that Rick forgot about when he went looking for Randall. Whenever Rick was gone for too long, Andre would go searching for him which meant that Carl would be showing up soon.

"I can't let him go back" Shane told him as he continued to point the gun towards Andre

"He doesn't speak Shane. You don't have to do this. I'll make him go back please am begging you" Rick pleaded

"I just can't take that chance, I have to do this." Before Shane could pull the trigger, Daryl's arrow pierce threw his chest simultaneously as a bullet from Carl's gun entered his skull.

Rick breathes a sigh of release as tears began to fall down his face. Daryl, Glenn and Carl ran over to Rick and Andre. "I am sorry Dad. I couldn't let him hurt Andre." Carl cried as he hugged his father.

"It's okay son. You did good, you did good." Rick repeated as he continued to stare at Shane's body. "Thank you for saving our lives"

Just a few key notes I wanted to get out there, it kind of bother me that Daryl knew something was up with Shane version of the story and never went looking for Shane and Rick so in my story I made it happen the way I wanted it to. I also made Carl shoot Shane because I didn't want his first human kill to be the teenage boy from Woodbury who was surrendering. In my story that teenage boy will not be killed by Carl. Thank you for reading.