Next chapter is up! This is a little longer I believe so that's good for all you guys who like longer chapters!
Chapter 26
Shane got up the next morning and knew that he should apologize to Rick for being such an ass to him. Rick was his friend and brother and he couldn't just overlook him even if Daryl was like that too. He wandered out to where his friend was sitting and sat down next to him. Rick smiled, "Hey what's up?" Shane shook his head, "Nothing. I just wanted to say sorry for how I was yesterday." Rick nodded, "Look, it's understandable. There's a lot of pressure on you to be a good leader. I should be fairer to Daryl anyway. It's not fair to be mad at him because he has a close relationship with you too." Shane just looked away, "So you are mad about that?" Rick grinned, "A little. But we're still close which is what matters."
Daryl came outside, "Hey guys." The two men nodded at him and the kid sat next to them on the railing. Rick turned back to Shane, "I think we should worry about the Governor. He looks like trouble." Daryl smiled slightly, "Yea? I bet he hates us. We should be careful. But it's up to Captain Shane here." Shane shrugged, "What would we do? It's not like we have some secret base we can just go run off to." Daryl's face lit up, "That's what we need then. Some place we can hide from them but be able to survive too." Rick nodded, "I actually agree with Daryl. We should find a place that we can camp in, avoid the Governor, and survive."
Shane nodded, "One problem, we don't know of any places like that around here." Daryl thought, "I could go out scouting. Rick and I could go maybe? How about tomorrow?" Rick grinned, "I'm in. That ok Shane?" Shane thought for a minute, "Yea. Just make sure you guys have your stuff." His two friends nodded. Shane shouldered his rifle, "I'm going to go on a hunt. You guys keep everyone in order here." Daryl nodded, "I got this Shane. Don't worry." Rick rolled his eyes, "We'll keep everyone in control."
Shane nodded gratefully and walked into the woods. He walked for twenty minutes and was surprised when he found a deer lying on the ground. He glanced around for walkers and then scooped up the animal. He brought it back to the house and saw Daryl and Rick still standing on the porch. The younger kid waved to him as he approached while Rick raised his eyebrows in a question. "You found, tracked, and shot a deer in forty minutes?" the sheriff asked. Shane smiled slightly, "Found it lying down on the ground. It was already dead. Nothing around here had killed it so I just took it." Daryl rolled his eyes, "Great, now we're going to eat infected deer meat." Shane knocked into his shoulder as he walked by the kid who spun in a circle and followed him inside.
The three men sat at the table, while everyone went around doing their business, and cut and cleaned the animal. Rick flipped his knife in his hand a couple times when they finished, "Well that was fun. Now what?" Daryl smirked, "Well you gotta cook it somehow for it to taste good, but if you really want you can eat some now." Rick hit him on the head and Shane grinned. "You've eaten raw animal before Daryl?" he asked. Daryl nodded, "Yea of course." Lori and Carl came into the kitchen but ignored the three men talking at the table. Hershel walked through a few times as well and Glenn came in to join the conversation. "Hey guys. Are we ever going to go on another hunting trip?" Glenn asked glancing at Shane. Shane shrugged, "Whenever we need to, you can go. Rick and Daryl are going to go out tomorrow and look for a different place to live."
Daryl nodded and put his arm around Rick, "We're gonna find a place like no other. A great majestic waterfall with fruit growing on every tree and an abundance of animals." Glenn's jaw dropped, "There's still a place like that?" Rick shook his head, "No. Daryl's being stupid." Shane grinned and hit Daryl in the shoulder. Lori came over, "Why do we need to move? This place is fine." Shane turned to look at her, "The Governor doesn't look like a friendly person. I don't want him to find us here and mess with the group. If we move he won't find us." Lori shook her head, "It's not good to keep moving. Especially if we don't know where we are going." Rick nodded, "That's why Daryl and I are going to go out looking tomorrow. We'll find a place and we can all go the next day." Daryl grinned, "Yep."
Rick left them later that evening to go to sleep and soon it was just Daryl and Shane up in the dining room. Daryl leaned back in his chair, "You really think the Governor is going to attack us?" Shane shrugged, "I really don't know. But I'd rather be safe than sorry." The kid nodded, "Yea I know. That's why you're a good leader. You know how to make decisions like that. I mean, sure a lot of people think that's the logical thing to do but they never do anything about it." Shane didn't like when Daryl started telling him things like that, "Thanks I guess. I still don't like doing it." Daryl shifted, "Yea, but it's your job." Shane smiled slightly, "Stop reminding me of that." Daryl grinned and laid down on the couch.
Shane got up, "Why do you sleep there? You have your own room." Daryl shrugged, "I just like it down here better. It's not as closed off and stuff." The kid shifted uncomfortably and Shane nodded, "Something bugging you about this place?" Daryl shook his head, "Nope. Just hope we can find somewhere better." Shane sat down on the end of the couch, "What's going on Daryl?" Daryl shook his head again, "Nothing. This place just doesn't seem right. I'd rather be out camping and stuff." Shane didn't look away from the kid and finally Daryl sighed, "I just don't like being in houses anymore. It's just that I don't want anything else to happen while I'm not conscious of it." The fire. Shane knew it had something to do with that. "Not everyone is going to want to go camping with you Daryl. We are going to live in some kind of house." Daryl nodded, "Yea I know. This one just isn't a good one. It looks to run down and stuff." Shane smiled slightly, "Every house is run down." Daryl glared at him, "Whatever."
Shane got up to go upstairs but Daryl said something quietly to himself. "What was that?" he asked Daryl looked up at him, "I was just wondering if Rick was serious about saying that you guys were the cops who arrested my dad." Shane sighed but nodded, "Yea we were." Daryl nodded, "Ok. I wish that you would've taken me instead of Merle. Even though he was my brother. You're nicer." Shane looked down at the kid and saw how serious the kid was. He wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Well, we let you choose Daryl," he said finally. Daryl nodded, "I know. But I wish you had just taken me." Shane smiled slightly again, "That would be against the law unless we officially adopted you. Plus, Merle probably would've wanted you anyway." Daryl shrugged, "Yea maybe. I always thought that he just did it so I didn't end up with some other horrible people." Shane ruffled Daryl's hair and walked towards the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs he stopped, "Well I guess you got your wish in a weird way."
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