Carol holds Sophia tightly against her chest, her light blue eyes flicking between the arguing males in the group.
"What we should do is continue along this road to D.C. They are supposed to have safe areas set up with military protection!" Shane growls at Rick, his meaty hands balled into tight fists.
"Do you honestly think that is a good idea?" Rick questions, his eyes boring into the dark ones of his former best friend's. "Do you really?"
Clenching and unclenching his fists, Shane jerks his head in a nod. "Yes, I do! I have been leading this group longer than you have been in it Rick. I think I should know what's best for it!"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Rick twists on his foot and begins stalking into the woods where he last saw Daryl and Raven head. "Fine. You take who wants to go with you to D.C. but I am taking the ones who want to actually stand a chance at living to find a safe shelter."
Ignoring Laurie's spluttering, and Shane's growl of rage, Rick makes his way through the wooded forest.
Ducking under branches, and being mindful of where he steps, Rick finally finds Daryl and Raven.
"Shane is trying to get the group to head to D.C." Rick gripes, running a hand through his hair in agitation.
"Well that's the biggest pile of stupid bullshit I've heard all day." Daryl replies, an eyebrow cocked.
"You're telling me. I tried to convince them that finding a safe place would be best. I have no doubts that this apocalypse won't end soon, and I think we will need a place to stay while we wait." Rick explains, squatting down to pet Raven in an attempt to soothe his frustration.
Raven purrs at the ex-cop, rubbing his furred face into the sturdy chest.
Rick grins down at the black cat, his anger already melting off of him.
"If that idiot wants to leave, let him. He can take his little followers with him. It's not like it is written in stone that we all have to stick together." Daryl grunts. "Be easier to feed everyone too. Less arguments and fights."
Dipping his head in agreement, Rick gently rubs Raven's silken ear between his fingers, enjoying the satin feel.
"I agree. The only thing that I'm worried about is Lori trying to take Carl with her."
"Well, if Queen Bitch tries that, we will just have Andrea beat her over the head. Carl is old enough to decide where he wants to go." Daryl snips. "The apocalypse is enough for any kid to become an adult."
Sighing, Rick stands up and gives the hunter a tired look. "I agree. I just wish that he could have been a kid for a little longer."
Daryl places a hand on Rick's shoulder while Raven rubs against his legs in a gesture of comfort.
"Maybe when we find a place to call our own, we will be able to let him have some form of childhood. Until then, we are going to have to treat him as an adult."
"I know." Rick sighs.
"Let's head back before anyone gets any ideas while we're gone."
Complacently nodding, Rick trudges after Daryl, thankful for the calming presence of both hunter and panther.
"You are not taking my son with you!" Lori screeches at Rick.
Rick pinches the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off the headache he feels coming on due to the continued shrill screams of Lori.
"Carl is not just your son, Lori. He is both of ours. And he is old enough to decide who he wants to go with." Rick tries to calmly explain to his ex-wife. Losing his temper with her had never helped in the past and it would certainly not help now.
"Fine!" Lori says, throwing her hands up in the air. "We will let Carl decide then!"
Turning towards Carl, who had remained silent during their fight, Lori gives him a soft look. "Who do you want to go with sweetie?"
Carl glances between his mother and father. Taking in his mother's barely concealed rage, and his father's openly honest look, standing beside his father is Daryl and his pet panther Raven.
Carl doesn't know how his dad had did it, but he earned the friendship of the two rather quickly. Daryl and Raven were excellent hunters, and the older Dixon, Merle was too. While before his dad had joined their group the Dixon's had never been rude to him, they were kind of distant.
Now though, they gave the young Grimes veiled concerned and paternal looks.
Shane, who had been teaching Carl lots of neat tricks, had begun to become over bearing. He was constantly trying to make Carl do things with him. Carl thinks it was an attempt to get Carl to remain on Shane's side and distance himself from his father.
His father though, he had been openly understanding and supportive of Carl. He had even begun to teach him how to hold a knife and shoot a gun! Things his mother and Shane had refused to do.
All in all, Carl felt safer with his father and the Dixons.
"I want to go with dad." Carl says with confidence.
The shit storm lasted for an hour. But after it was over Lori had calmed down enough to snap at the group that she was not leaving Carl.
It then started another argument on where they were heading. Rick and Shane both weren't giving up their positions and arguments and finally it was Carol who snapped.
"Obviously Rick has the Dixons on his side. It would be better to follow Rick, that way we can stay fed and safe."
The people in the group stare at Carol, shocked, but they slowly grumble their assertion.
"Fine, but when this goes south, I don't want to hear anyone bitching." Shane growls at the group before storming off.
Rick rolls his eyes. "I think I saw a path leading to a farm. We could probably stay there for a few days while we recuperate from our loses. Daryl and Merle will probably be able to lead us there."
"Of course Office Friendly." Merle smirks.