New chapter! Wasn't last night's episode amazing and heart breaking? I can't wait to see the season finale. Already read the full summary on some spoilery site
and lemme tell you, it fits my story perfectly! Nice and neat ending. So I changed this scene here a bit. Didn't stick to the canon here because I thought it would be nice
to have Connor play a more important role in this scene than just staring and watching. Hope you like what I did with the scene.

setting: episode 11 "Judge, Jury, Executioner"

Salvation

Chapter 30 - Forgiveness

They left the farmhouse after the discussion. The decision had been made. They were going to execute Randall by the end of the day.
Once Connor was outside he waited by the door. Rick was still busy talking to Herschel but the Irishman needed to get something off his chest.
Daryl left the farmhouse just after Andrea. He snorted when he saw Connor.

"So much for being a team" he murmured and Connor looked at him for a moment.

"Dale's right. We should do what's right. Not what's best. What's te point in surviving if we're actin like animals. How are we any better than the walkers then?
Might as well become one."

Daryl shook his head and snorted.

"Yer stupid. Naive."

"Better than some murderer who can shoot a kid in cold blood."

"Says the guy who murdered 22 people."

Both men stared at each other for a while. Connor shook his head.

"I thought we were on te same page, man" he muttered after a while and Daryl shrugged.

"Looks like we ain't. I mean don't blame me. Yer the one who changed his mind."

"Cos Dale's fuckin right man. I mean, fuck. Look at us."

Daryl growled.

"It's just a fuckin kid, we don't even know him! Besides, his group left 'im. Ain't nobody gonna miss him. Or mourn him. It's not like life's of so much value anyways.
If yah ask me, we're doing the kid a favor. He'll die a painless death. Better than gettin torn t'shreds by walkers sooner or later. Cos that's all there is."

"Well aren't yah a little sunshine" Connor murmured and took another drag on his cigarette.

"What. Somebody needs t'say it."

Connor snorted and looked away.

"I wish I'd known shit like this would happen."

"Why, 's not like yah could do anything bout it."

"No, but I would've pulled te fuckin trigger in the car."

Daryl shoved him hard and pinned him against the wall of the farmhouse.

"Don't yah fuckin daresay somethin like that."

Connor looked at him in surprise and when his friend let go of him he took a deep breath. Daryl glared at him and clenched his fist.

"I didn't save yer worthless life just so that yah can throw it away again. Just think about killing yerself and I'll kill yah twice for it."

He turned around to leave and Connor growled.

"Sometimes I fucking hate yah, ye stupid asshole!" he spat and Daryl flashed him his finger as he left.

Connor snorted and grabbed a smoke.

"Prick" he murmured and waited for Rick to come outside.

The policeman stepped out of the farmhouse when Connor had just finished his smoke.

He followed him down the stairs.

"Eh Rick, I need ta talk to you" he said and Rick sighed.

"Not now Connor. I'm busy. I need to talk to Daryl. Have you seen him?"

"I dunno, he ran off. Listen, it's about te kid."

"The decision's been made Connor. We had a vote, you and Dale lost. We need to take care of it now."

"I know. I mean it's tough shit man..just.. I wanna do it."

Rick stopped and turned around to look at Connor with a frown.

"What?"

"I want ta shoot te kid" the Irishman repeated and the policeman looked at him questioningly.

"I thought you were against his execution."

"Aye. I still am. But I have ta accept yer decision. And his group's still dangerous. I've accepted that I'm going ta hell. In the end we all are.
I just..wanna make sure te kid's forgiven. I wanna do it my way. Give him to the lord. It's the least I can do."

"I appreciate your concern but I'm sorry. I brought him here, so I have to end it."

Rick turned around to leave but Connor wouldn't leave it.

"Please Rick? I'm fuckin begging you."

He turned around again and looked at the Irishman.

"I couldn't live with this otherwise. It's fuckin murder after all. I couldn't live with myself knowing I just watched and did nothing about it. It would kill me."

They both looked at each other for a while and Rick took a deep breath.

"Okay" he said quietly and left.

Rick, Shane, Connor and Daryl headed for the barn so they could execute Randall inside. Daryl held their prisoner by his collar and made sure he couldn't run off.
He looked at his friend from time to time. He was surprised that Connor was with them.

"Hold on. Hold on. Hold on" Randall stammered but they ignored him.

"Rick, you sure about this?" Shane said and Rick nodded.

"I am."

"But he's got nothing t'do with it. Don't yah think I should do it if yah can't?"

"Believe me, I can. But this is between me and Connor."

Daryl frowned.

"What are yah two hotheads talkin bout?"

Shane and Rick didn't answer so he looked at the Irishman.

"Connor?"

But he didn't answer as well. He was busy loading his gun and it looked like he was ignoring Daryl on purpose. They entered the barn and Randall got even more nervous.

"Wait. Wait. Wait!" he begged and Rick eyed Connor who nodded after a moment.

"Put him there" the policeman demanded and Daryl placed Randall in the middle of the barn.

"Oh, hey-hey!" the kid protested when Shane blindfolded him.

"It's all gonna be over soon" he murmured as he tried to calm their prisoner down.

"What? What's gonna be over soon?" Randall asked and tried to fight the blindfold.

"Relax" Shane demanded and Randall started panicking when he heard Connor's gun click.

"Hey-hey. No, no no no no."

Shane hushed him but he kept whimpering and begging.

Rick looked at Connor who took a deep breath and signaled that he was ready.

"Would you like to stand or kneel?" the policeman asked and Randall started crying.

"Oh , no, please. Please.."

All his crying and begging made Daryl angry. He just wanted it to end so he kicked him. The kid fell down to his knees.

He was a shaking and sobbing mess.

"Do you have any final words?" Rick went on and he cried even more.

"No, please. Please don't. Don't" he begged and Rick sighed.

He looked at Connor and nodded. The Irishman looked at Daryl then.

It's yer fucking fault I'm doing this now.

"It's okay fella. You shall be forgiven. I'll make sure af that" Connor said then and looked at their blindfolded hostage.

He swallowed and undid the safety of his gun. He placed it on Randall's forehead and took a deep breath.

"And shepherds we shall be..." he began to pray and Shane rolled his eyes.

Rick just stared at Randall and Daryl watched his friend. He could tell that Connor was fighting hard to stay strong.
He knew that everything he did right now went against his beliefs, but it needed to be done.

"For thee my lord for thee. Power hath descended forth from thy hand..." Randall started crying all over again as he begged for his life.

Connor stopped for a moment and looked at the trembling kid.

"Come on now. End it, buddy" Shane said and Connor gritted his teeth.

"Our feet may swiftly carry out thy commands. So we shall flow a river forth to thee..." the Irishman looked up and stared at Daryl for a moment.

After a while the latter nodded.

"And teeming with souls shall it ever be...In Nomine Patris et.."

"Do it" they heard someone say and turned around in surprise.

Standing there, by the door, was little Carl. He just stared at Connor and the gun and nodded.

"Do it" he said again and Shane growled.

"Are you kidding me? What'd I say to you?"

He grabbed Carl by his shoulder and tried to get him out of the barn.

"What did I say to you?" he repeated and nudged Carl angrily.

"Et.. et Filii..." Connor went on when Rick interrupted him.

"Stop it" he said and Connor turned around.

Daryl looked at Rick in surprise.

Shane and Carl stopped walking.

"Take him away" Rick demanded.

He looked so shocked all of a sudden. So surprised. So horrified.

Connor secured his gun and lowered it.

Randall gasped and sobbed in relief.

"Take him away" Rick repeated and Daryl growled angrily.

He grabbed Randall by his collar.

"Get up" he muttered and lifted him up.

Randall was still a sobbing mess. They both left the barn right after Carl and Shane. Connor just stared at the spot where Randall had just been kneeling in front of him.
He noticed that he was actually shaking. He was relieved. He looked at Rick who still stood there. Petrified.

"You alright?"

Rick kept staring for a moment and then looked up.

"I want you and Daryl to watch Randall. Don't do anything. Wait for my orders. Just..keep watch. I need to talk to Carl" he murmured and left as well.

Connor stayed for a moment and stared at the gun in his hands. He couldn't believe that he had almost shot a boy who might be innocent. He put the gun away and placed his hands on his head. The Irishman pulled his hair and took a deep breath. He started laughing nervously and looked up at the ceiling. He couldn't believe that the kid was still alive. He couldn't believe that he didn't have to pull the trigger. He sighed and closed his eyes.

Thank you god. Thank ye fer not condemning me ta hell.

Thank you.

And for the first time, in a very long time, he believed that god was still watching over him.