A/N: Thanks for all the follows and favorites since last chapter! Sorry this is late, I have had the worst couple of weeks. My heater broke, I messed up my knee, the snow really messed up my commute and then work got really busy. Then once I get out of the habit of writing everyday I forget to write. Also, I just realized how little I remembered about the episodes in season two, so I had to go back and re-watch in order to keep on track. Also again, mid-season break how I hate you!

-Captainjf: Everytime I get to a scene where a character dies I always want to save them, but I feel an obligation to keep with the show's plot! Glad you are loving it!

-smclendon: Thanks! Hope you like this one too!

-redangel2463:Glad you liked it! Sorry I'm late

-cemmia: Glad you can see both sides. The whole Randal thing was always really confusing for me because I didn't want him to die, but at the same time it's a huge risk, so overall really unsettling.

Another grave in the grove of trees. We all stood silently as we looked at the fresh dirt covering Dale's grave. Nothing happened for a long while until Rick finally stepped forward. He stood in front of the group for a few minutes watching us, shifting on his feet. Finally he spoke.

"Dale could get under your skin, he sure got under mine. He was never afraid to say exactly what he thought. That kind of honesty is rare. And brave. In the end he talked about us losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together. From now on, we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale." Rick ran a hand through his hair before he walked off to the fence at the edge of the farm.

I saw Rick standing alone at the fence and wandered over to him. His elbows were braced against the top rung of the fence and he held his face in his hands. I leaned against the fence next to him. He turned to me and I saw his eyes rimmed in red and sad. I turned to him confused.

"What happened with Dale isn't your fault." I put a hand on his shoulder. "It was a wake up call, we've been safe here, but we can't take it for granted. It's still dangerous out there." He shook his head slowly.

"It's not that." His voice was rough and he sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. "Before we heard Dale, I took Shane and T-dog to the barn. We were going to...execute Randall, but before I could Carl was there. He wanted to watch." My mouth hung open as I gasped and Rick turned to me.

"He has always been such a sweet kid, I don't know what happened." Rick looked like he was about to break down.

"This is a different world. You just have to figure out how to raise him differently now." I put my hand on Rick's shoulder. "Sophia's death really affected him. I think he just needs some time, if you want I can try talking to him."

"I would really appreciate it. I just don't know what to say to him and Lori doesn't seem to be helping either."

"You can handle this Rick, you just have to take it one thing at a time."

"Well right now Shane and I have to take Randal out, to get him away from the farm."

"Then focus on that and I'll talk to Carl." Rick smiled at me and leaned forward hugging me. I held him for a moment before we separated, going our separate ways.

After wandering around the farm, I found Carl by Sophia's grave. I walked up and stood next to him silently until he turned to me. I looked down at him and his eyes were red.

"What's wrong?" He looked down again.

"Dale died because of me." My mouth fell open.

"Oh, Carl! No it's not." I kneeled down in front of him. "Dale's death wasn't anyone's fault, sometimes bad things happen for no reason."

"No, it is! I was out in the woods and I saw that walker stuck in the mud. I got closer to it, but it got loose. I was scared and ran away. I didn't tell anyone because everyone would be mad." He reached around to his back and pulled out Daryl's handgun. "I was going to kill him, but I couldn't." He placed the gun in my hand. "You have to give this back to Daryl."

"Where did you get this?" I looked at Carl hard, as he looked down at the ground.

"I found it in the side bag of Daryl's motorcycle."

"Carl, you know better than going through other people's things." I stood up and put the gun in the back of my jeans. "And you definitely know better than playing with guns!"

"I'm not a little kid!"

"Then quit acting like one!" I took a deep breath and shut my eyes for a moment. "Death isn't a game Carl. Your dad told about how you wanted to watch Randal's execution. Did you get what you wanted from seeing Dale's death?" I felt guilt pool in my stomach as I watched tears, stream down Carl's cheeks.

"Death is nothing to play with, Carl." I kneeled back in front of him. "You should never want to watch it, killing a living human is different than killing a walker. I know you aren't a little kid anymore, but you still have a lot to learn about life and there's nothing wrong with being a kid for a little longer." I pulled Carl and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around my neck and held on tightly.

"I'm sorry." I felt him whisper into my neck and I squeezed him.

"It's alright. You just have to work to move on and up from here, ok?" He nodded against my neck. I squeezed him one last time and I left him there as I walked back towards camp. We were still in the process of packing up and moving into the house.

When I walked across the driveway I watched Rick drive up. He and Shane got out of the car both of them bloody and bruised. I watched shocked as they went to the trunk pulling Randal out and taking him to the barn again. I raced up to Rick and stopped in front of him mouth open.

"What happened?" Rick glanced around before addressing me.

"Got surprised by walkers." He walked on and I watched them move Randall into the barn. I turned around and walked over to our tent. Daryl was sitting outside working on his crossbow.

"You probably want to talk to Rick." He looked up at me. "He and Shane just came back with Randal. Both of them are all bloody." He looked up at me surprised. "He said it was walkers, but they aren't usually throwing punches. Daryl stood putting the crossbow over his shoulder.

"I'll check it out." I reached out for him, but he didn't stop as he walked by so my hand just dragged across his stomach. I frowned, but he was probably just focused.

I had spent the rest of the day finishing up some laundry and dishes. When it started to get dark I gathered Daryl and I's share of dinner and headed back to our campsite to cook it. As I cooked for dinner I glanced over at Daryl, who sat silently against the brickwork. He was making arrows and I smiled. He looked handsome in the low light, concentrating on the stick before him. I put dinner out onto our plates and handed one to Daryl. He immediately began eating and I sat down across from him. I started eating as well and looked across at Daryl. We never spoke much while eating, but it was absolutely silent tonight. When he was finished

I crawled into the tent and got ready for bed. I got under the covers and sat up waiting for Daryl. He was usually only a couple of minutes behind me and he often got undressed by having our nightly roll in the sheets. Or sleeping bags, as it were. I sat there for about ten minutes and frowned crawling over to the tent door. I poked my head out of the tent and watched Daryl carving a stick into an arrow. He completed it before picking up another stick and starting again. I frowned again.

"Coming to bed?" Daryl didn't even look up.

"When I feel like it."

I deflated a little inside and moved back into the tent laying down once more. I laid on my side and thought about what had gone on between Daryl and I, but I couldn't think of any fights. He was obviously mad at me though. I held the pillow close to me and tried to remember anything I could have done. I froze when I heard the tent unzip and Daryl climb in. I stayed silent as he got ready for bed and laid down beside me I glanced over my shoulder and saw him facing away from me. I rolled over and put my hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry." He glanced over his shoulder at me and I saw his hard eyes soften slightly.

"It's not yer fault." He rolled over, taking me into his arms. I sighed and put my hands on his shoulders laying my head against his chest.

"What was wrong?"

"Nothin', was stupid." I looked up at him, frowning.

"It made you ignore me for hours, but it wasn't important?" I watched his cheeks color a little.

"I just.." He sighed loudly. "Saw ya with Rick." If he didn't look so down, I could have laughed.

"Daryl, I love you. Rick is special to me, but he's like a father." I snuggled up close to him. "You are the only man I want, ok?"

"Just get worried yer gonna come to yer senses. Yer to good for me."

"That isn't true at all and even if it was, not anymore. Yer the top of the food chain in this world and it's a miracle that I bagged you." He smirked slightly. "I think you are the best man I could have got, even if the world hadn't gone to shit."

"Just go to sleep." He settled down in the air mattress. "I got to help Rick take Randal out tomorrow." I smiled and shut my eyes, getting as close to Daryl as I could.