Chapter 17: Lies

Blurb: ~ This chapter is titled after the song Lies- by Marina and The Diamonds.~

Begin:

Daryl was heading toward the shed with the toolbox after parking his motorcycle near the house. Everyone else was still moving in, but Daryl had his things in order. So, he decided that repairing the shed should be his next task. Rick had asked him to check on the shed's stability earlier anyway. He might as well get it done before their run.

When Daryl reached the shed, he began by circling the building in search of any wood panels that might need replacing. Seeing that the outside was still holding up pretty strong, he decided the next step was to get inside the shed.

Sighing, Daryl made his way to the front door and put the key in the lock. He opened the door to see the boy, Randall, sitting in the corner of the shed on the floor. The boy looked like he could use a good shower.

Daryl didn't say anything to the boy as he entered, despite the fact that Randall was no longer blindfolded. There was no need for the blindfold in the shed.

Daryl simply set to work surveying the inside of the shed. And, seeing a ladder to the small loft above, he decided to explore up top too.

The boy watched Daryl as he maneuvered around the shed. Both remained silent.

Daryl was slightly surprised the boy wasn't pleading with him like usual. But he also welcomed the silence. Perhaps the fact that Daryl had been instrumental in torturing and nearly killing the boy had something to do with his silence.

Daryl climbed up the ladder quickly, not paying much attention to the boy now that he was out of site. Daryl had to crouch low to fit in the small space, seeing as the roof was so low. But he managed to check each wall carefully for damage. He found a large gap in the paneling near the front of the shed, which would need repaired. Observing the gap, Daryl decided to stick half his body out the small hole. It was wide enough for him to wiggle through and stand on the roof. Venturing further, Daryl stuck one booted foot on the roof outside the gap. He prayed the roof would hold his full body weight.

Leaning forward slightly, Daryl cautiously made his way through the hole in the wooden panels and stood fully on the roof. He turned to look back at the gap and growled. He needed some new damn panels.

Daryl was surprised to hear a sharp whistle come from the ground below. Daryl turned to look down from his perch to see T-Dog.

"Hey, man. You need some help?"

Daryl scowled back at the gap behind him, "Mmmm, just some wood panels from the side o' the house would be nice."

T-Dog smiled, "You got it, man." T-Dog headed toward the house for the wood Daryl needed.

Having nothing to do but wait until T-Dog returned, Daryl watched the scenery unfold bellow him. He could see other members of the group scurrying across the grass from their old campsite back to the house. They were still moving supplies back to the house.

A petite figure bounced across the grass in front of the house, catching Daryl's attention. It was Ellen. She was helping Lori carry a semi-broken-down tent. Apparently the two women had been unsuccessful in packing it up sufficiently. Daryl thought he saw Ellen stop suddenly and bend over to pick up a stray support beam.

Daryl found himself unable to keep the small smile from his face, and he chuckled softly. But he stopped short, silently scolding himself for finding Ellen at all endearing. It was sad really. Even when he was completely alone, he couldn't bring himself to relax and be honest. Even if it was just him.

T-Dog returned to the shed with a few long wooden panels for Daryl to patch the gap in the shed. Daryl thanked him as T-Dog attempted to hand Daryl the panels while he was on the roof. It was a clumsy process, but eventually Daryl had them all on the roof with him.

When T-Dog's role was complete, he decided to go back to the house with the others. Daryl grunted back a reply and set to work repairing the wooden gap. It was a therapeutic task, positioning the panels and nailing them in place. Pounding the nails into the wood was probably the best part. At least he could fix one thing on this farm.

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When Daryl was done repairing the shed, he climbed down from the roof and made sure Randall was locked up inside. Taking the toolbox with him, he headed back toward the house.

Most of the commotion had died down outside the house. Everyone was moved in, as far as Daryl could tell. He would have to see if Ellen had packed for their run later. She needed to be absolutely prepared.

Rick called out to Daryl, interrupting his thoughts, "Daryl, can you come take a look at the map with me for a bit?"

"Yup!"

Daryl stalked up the porch steps with long strides, taking two steps at a time. He placed the toolbox near the front door of the house, and kept walking along the porch to meet Rick.

Rick motioned toward the map, which was spread open on the railing of the porch. Daryl leaned over to get a better look at the layout. "We'll take the boy out to Senoia, an hour there and an hour back, give or take. We may lose the light, but we'll be halfway home by then."

"This whole pain in the ass will be a distant memory. Good riddance," Daryl stated with satisfaction.

"Carol's puttin' together some provisions for it- enough to last a few days," Rick explained.

The two men looked up from the map to focus on the green Hyundai, which was pulling up to the house. Shane was driving it up from the windmill, where he had been constructing a lookout.

Rick didn't let the scene distract him, "That thing you did last night…"

Daryl realized Rick was referring to Dale's death. Daryl had been the one to pull the trigger.

"Ain't no reason you should have to do all the heavy liftin'."

Rick nodded in acknowledgement. The two men had a clear understanding, and Rick was grateful to him.

Just then, Shane pulled up near the porch in the green Hyundai. The vehicle stopped close to where Daryl and Rick were talking. Rick took the opportunity to close up the conversation, "So are you good with all this?"

"I don't see you and I traden' hay-makers on the side of the road. This' what we're gonna need ta win the fight."

Shane was approaching the two men as they spoke. Daryl excused himself, not wanting to be around Shane, "Gotta take a piss."

Daryl stood up from his position, leaning against the railing. He then walked across the wooden porch toward the back of the house, where no one would question where he was going.

He needed a few minutes to clear his head. Then he would go find Ellen.

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Daryl found Ellen a short time later. She was in Maggie's room, packing a small duffle with clothes. She noticed Daryl standing in the doorway when she turned around to grab another item. "Oh, hi Daryl. Were you doing something for Rick?"

Daryl nodded, "The shed needed fixin' up."

Remembering Rick's request, Ellen smiled, "That's right! You're done, then? Or will you have to keep working on it when we get back?"

When we get back…

Daryl was glad to hear the optimism in her voice. "Naw, it's all patched up. We could even post a look-out there, if we wanted."

Ellen nodded, contemplating the idea seriously, "Good idea. The more eyes we have on watch, the better."

Ellen was folding an extra t-shirt, which she planned to place in the duffle. Daryl watched her critically, and finally spoke up. "Hey, now. You better show me whatchyou got in there. Gotta make sure you got everything."

Ellen shifted uncomfortably before surrendering her bag to Daryl. He rifled through her belongings carefully, "You don't need all these clothes. Maybe one more pair, but that's it. You'll only need it if something happens. And we'll only be an hour's drive out."

"Right." Ellen set to work reorganizing her clothes. "Do we have food? Water?"

"Carol's takin' care of it."

Ellen nodded. "Oh. Well, is there anything else I need?"

Daryl looked up at her with an expression that read, 'you're nuts', "You got a flashlight? Your knife? Sleeping bag? You're gonna need a gun too. We'll get you one before we head out."

Ellen scurried around the room as Daryl named off the necessary items. She grabbed each item as he listed them, piling them on the bed next to her duffle. It only took her another two minutes to neatly organize it in her duffle.

"Lets head down now. The faster we get things on the road, the more likely we'll be back before dark."

Daryl grabbed Ellen's duffle and headed down the hall. Ellen followed closely behind, eager to please. She knew this was another opportunity to learn from Daryl- and even Rick- about how to survive in this world. And she would also be instrumental in sparing the boy's life… Randall. She could safely think his name without guilt now. Randall would live.

Daryl stomped down the porch steps and dropped Ellen's duffle on the ground near the porch. "I'm gonna go get the truck. I'll pull it up in front. You wait here where I can see ya."

"'Kay." Ellen said softly.

Daryl turned to head toward the side of the house where the vehicles were parked. Ellen watched him hop in the front seat and start up the engine. The vehicle roared to life, and began moving forward with ease. Daryl brought the truck close to where Ellen was standing and swung the front around, allowing better access to the trunk bed. He stepped out of the truck, engine now silent, and made for Ellen's duffle. It was in his hands in moments. Daryl swung the bag into the trunk and turned to Ellen. "I've got some things to put in the back o' here. Can you go see if Carol's got the other provisions ready?"

"Yeah, I'll be right back." Ellen headed back into the house in search of Carol. Carol was in the kitchen. She had an ice chest packed, along with multiple large water containers and other non-perishable foods. It was enough for a few days, just as Daryl had said.

"Wow, this looks really great. Thanks a lot, Carol."

"Oh, I'm just glad you'll be taking care of that kid out there. You just gotta make sure to come back safe. That's what counts." Carol smiled.

Ellen nodded, "You bet. Hey, I can help you carry these to the truck."

"Thanks, Ellen. I was afraid I'd have to wrangle one of the boys in to do the job for me.," Carol laughed.

Ellen and Carol managed to carry all of the food and water to the truck in two trips. It wasn't a huge job between the two of them.

Daryl had all his supplies packed in the back of the truck when the women were done. T-Dog was talking to Daryl by the trunk bed. Daryl was looking down at a pistol, checking the bullets.

Rick came up to the truck then, "Ready?"

Daryl grabbed his crossbow from the back, "Yeah."

"I'll get the package," T-Dog answered. He was clearly referring to Randall.

Daryl opened the passenger door and placed his crossbow inside. He then turned to face Ellen, who was on the porch steps. She had just said goodbye to Carol.

"You need a gun. C'mere, Ellen."

Obeying, Ellen approached Daryl by the passenger side of the truck. He took a pistol out of the waistband of his jeans. He fingered the edges lightly and finally placed the cool metal object in Ellen's small palm. "The safety's on, but it's fully loaded."

"Right."

Daryl watched Ellen turn the gun around in her hands before slipping it in the waistband of her own jeans, where it felt the most comfortable. "Rick said you shoot pretty good for just learn'n."

Ellen was surprised to hear Daryl bring up her first shooting lesson. He'd been injured when she left with the others for practice. But it was an invigorating experience to have control over that much power. Ellen shrugged in response, "I'm alright."

Daryl surprised Ellen yet again when he gave her a slight smile in return, "Yeah, sure, Peaches."

She was better than alright, and he knew it. Ellen had a talent for zeroing in on a target. All she really had to do was put herself in the right mindset- a strange mixture of both panic and calm. If she felt she could save herself or someone else by hitting her target, she sure as hell was going to hit that target.

Ellen's thoughts were interrupted by T-Dog yelling in panic across the field, "RICK, RICK! HEY GET OVER HERE! RANDAL'S GONE!"

Rick cursed loudly from the other end of the truck. "God damn it!"

Rick hurled down the field toward the shed. Daryl was in motion soon after, leaving Ellen to follow after him. Soon they were all running across the grass, racing to reach T-Dog.

"What happened?" Rick asked.

"I don't know, he's just gone."

Rick stepped inside the open shed and knelt down to search for more clues.

Ellen watched as the others helped Rick search the shed. As they did this, Ellen scanned the perimeter. There was no sign of anything out of the ordinary from her point of vantage.

Soon, the rest of the group came out from the house. Having heard T-Dog's cries, they came out to investigate. The group came over to the shed in a hurry, asking for an explanation. "What's wrong?"

"Randall's missing."

"Missing? How?"

Hershel spoke up, "How long has he been gone?"

Rick came out of the shed then, "Cuffs are still hooked, he must have slipped 'em."

"Is that possible?" Carol asked.

"It is if you've got nothing to lose." Andrea answered.

"The door was secured from the outside," Hershel pointed out.

"How would he get out?"

Ellen turned her attention back to the perimeter of the farm. She found herself training her focus on one particular patch of woods. A flash of movement caught her eye briefly, but she didn't see it again. Could it be a walker? Or an animal?

Ellen turned her attention back to the group, trying to locate Daryl. He would know what do about what she saw. And he would likely be willing to investigate it with her.

But Ellen never got to ask Daryl about the movement in the forest. Because the sound of a loud, angry, male voice hollering across the property met her ears. Everyone in the group turned to face the noise. "RICK, RICK!"

Shane emerged from behind the foliage in the forest. His face was bloodied and bruised- Ellen thought he'd most likely broken his nose.

"What happened?" Lori called.

"HE'S ARMED. HE'S GOT MY GUN."

"Are you okay?" Carl asked.

"I'm fine. 'Little bastard just snuck up on me- clocked me in the face." Shane explained.

Rick went straight into action, "Alright, HERSHEL, T-DOG, take everyone into the house. Glenn, Daryl, you come with us."

Daryl loaded his crossbow immediately.

Shane continued barking orders, "T! I'm gonna need that gun!"

T-Dog surrendered his gun willingly.

"Just let him go. That was the plan wasn't it?" Carol urged weakly.

"The plan was to cut him loose far away from here. NOT on our front step with a GUN!" Rick explained.

"Don't go out there, you don't know what could happen!" Carol warned.

Rick called over his shoulder to Lori, "Get everybody back in the house. Lock all the doors and STAY PUT!"

Shane and Rick were heading toward the forest, but they paused to wait for Glenn and Daryl.

Ellen grabbed her knife from her pocket and made to follow after Daryl. He whirled around to face her, "Whatchu think you're doin'?"

"I'm going with you."

Daryl was clearly irritated, "This ain't the time or the place, Ellen. I can't have you out there right now. …Especially not with Shane. This is some real shit and I won't have it."

Daryl turned to leave Ellen behind. But she wouldn't give up so easily, "You said you wouldn't leave me behind! You promised me."

She felt like a child, begging to be allowed to join the older kids.

Daryl turned on his heel and marched right back up to Ellen, "I ain't a slave to my promises, woman! Now you get your ass back up in that house."

Ellen didn't reply. She just stood there, frozen in front of him. Ellen knew she wouldn't be able to persuade him. But that fact that he was reneging on a promise still hurt. If he was only willing to keep his promises to her when it was convenient to him, what would happen if she suddenly became a huge inconvenience?

Daryl chose to ignore the hurt in Ellen's eyes. All he wanted to register now was the strong set of her shoulders and the defiance they held in that moment. She was strong, in her own way. And he couldn't focus on the fact that he was causing her pain now. Her safety outweighed her happiness.

T-Dog was close by, watching the exchange between Daryl and Ellen. "I got this, man. You go."

Daryl sent T-Dog an appreciative nod and turned to follow after Glenn.

Ellen could only watch as the four men headed off into the woods. And, despite T-Dog's urging- Ellen wouldn't move from her spot until Daryl's wings were completely out of her line of vision.