Chapter 27 - Death Becomes Us

Greene Farm

Earlier that day

Daryl had always done his best to keep his nose out of other people's business. For one, he didn't care and another, he didn't want others sticking their noses in his. So it was an unfamiliar sensation for him to feel the need to involve himself in something that didn't directly affect him. He debated it heavily. He knew what intervening could mean for him and the way people saw him. He didn't know if he was particularly ready for that but he was less willing to sit by and do nothing. It was with that thought in mind that he decided to seek out Rick.

"Rick. I need to talk to ya'." He said as he approached their group leader. Rick looked up, surprised to see Daryl striking up a conversation with him. He was sitting with Carl outside their tent, helping him with the homework that Lori had assigned him. Rick had noticed some handwriting in the book that definitely didn't belong to Carl and had a sneaking suspicion as to whose it might be.

"Sure." Rick nodded and told his son he'd be back before walking away a few paces with Daryl.

"I need a favor." Daryl asserted, uncomfortably.

"What kind of favor?" Rick replied, not missing the way Daryl avoided eye contact with him. He waited patiently for Daryl to reply, knowing that he wasn't used to asking for help of any kind. He didn't want to risk pushing him away by being impatient.

"Whatever route we go down with Randall… you gotta take the lead. Don't let Tess in on it." Daryl had his arms crossed over his chest defensively and grimaced as he spoke. Rick certainly hadn't been expecting that request and he raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Why don't you want her involved?" Rick asked curiously, sensing that there was more to this than Daryl was saying.

"I'm just askin' you for a favor. Do I gotta have a reason?" Daryl bit back, immediately regretting his decision to get involved.

"Most people would have a reason for something like this. I can try for you Daryl but you know she's not gonna be happy about it." Rick conceded, thinking better of prying any further.

"I don't care if she's happy about it or not." Daryl shrugged and left Rick standing on his own, wondering what on earth that was all about.

—

Present

Tess allowed the cigarette to burn down until she could feel the heat of the lit end against her finger tips. It was only then that she finally stamped it out under her boot. It was a nasty habit, she knew that but man, did it help.

The sky was pitch black now and the air was considerably colder than when they'd first arrived at the farm. Tess shivered against the cool breeze; the warmth of the burning cigarette no longer filled her lungs. She tried to keep her mind off of what was going down in the barn and thought about what would come next for them and their group. It was hard to tell. Tess didn't know whether the farm was really the best place for them anymore; for her.

She didn't want to admit it but she felt constantly on edge and on guard. Especially with Shane around. He often spoke about leaving but Tess knew he'd never follow through on it. Not with Lori and Carl still around. Which meant that he wouldn't leave either. Tess struggled to convince herself that it wouldn't just be better for her own sanity if she left. But then she thought about Rick and what Shane may do if he ever decided enough was enough. He'd need people on his side then and she'd be damned if she left Rick to fend for himself after repeatedly expressing her concern over his friend.

Tess had all but forgotten about Daryl standing on the porch with her until he too stamped out the butt of his cigarette. She turned to look at him and immediately felt regretful about the way she'd left things between the two of them last time they spoke. If she were being honest though, it was for her own selfish reasons. She wanted someone to lean on and Daryl had been that for her previously but he was far too fickle for her to know how he'd react if she attempted again. It made her miss Nate terribly and she suddenly felt very alone.

She locked eyes with Daryl and she tried to think of something to say. He always had such an unreadable expression on his face that she was often left wondering what he was going through his mind. Daryl was in fact, dealing with the same problem. He kept waiting for her to make the assumption that he'd had something to do with Rick's interference. If she accused him of having something to do with it, he wasn't entirely sure if he'd be able to admit it. Tess didn't appear angry though. She seemed more… lost.

Just as Tess opened her mouth to speak, a guttural, desperate scream pierced the night air and both her and Daryl bolted down the porch steps towards the sound. Tess sprinted as fast as she could, her hand clenched tightly around her handgun as she ran. She could spot figures in the distance but it was too dark to see who or what it was. As they closed in, the screams grew quieter, more garbled and painful, as though whatever was making the sound was dying.

In a dark snarl on the ground, Dale helplessly writhed in pain as a walker ravenously tore into his abdomen. Tess felt her blood run cold as she spotted the terrified look on Dale's face, his eyes frantically searching for a way to make it stop but his hands not being able to muster the effort.

"Hey!" Tess yelled, attempting to draw the walkers attention. It dozily looked up, its mouth and chin awash and dripping with Dale's blood. Its hands were still deep inside Dale's torso and blood soaked the ground around them. Before the walker could even think about moving towards them, a cross bolt was swiftly launched into its skull and it slumped beside Dale in the grass.

Tess skidded to a halt beside him, dropping to her knees in panic. Fruitlessly, she attempted to stem the flow of blood, pressing down on Dale's open stomach. His flesh was sickeningly slick and warm against her hands and they were quickly stained red, blood oozing between her fingers like water through a net.

"You're okay. You're okay." She stammered feebly in complete and utter disbelief. Dale looked up at her with glassy eyes brimming with fear as he choked and struggled to breathe. "You're alright. Dale? Everything's okay."

Around her, Tess could hear Daryl calling for help and the sound of people running their way. She heard them gasp in shock as they sighted Dale and his condition. They called for Hershel to help them but Tess knew that there was nothing that could be done. The pressure in her hands softened as she realized that she had no hope of saving him. Dale appeared to accept his fate too, his breathing slowed and he stopped struggling against the pain. With the last of his strength, he dragged a hand up to rest atop hers and Tess clutched it with both hands, hoping to give him any semblance of comfort and reassurance that she could.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered quietly, tears falling from her eyes and onto his chest. Dale looked up at her with tormented eyes as if to say it was okay but she could tell he was still suffering. They couldn't allow him to die this way, to bleed out for God only knows how long. It wasn't right. "We'll make it stop, okay?" She reassured him, "You don't have to suffer anymore." She gently pulled her hands away and grabbed her gun that had fallen beside her.

On shaky feet, she stood and looked down at her friend. This was an all too familiar scenario and it made her feel weak. Her hand trembled against the metal of her gun and it felt too heavy to lift. Despite her promise to end Dale's suffering, she couldn't bring herself to raise her gun at him. He was her friend and he didn't deserve this. Tess felt the weight of the weapon being alleviated as Daryl tentatively took it from her.

"I'm sorry, brother." He told Dale and pulled the trigger.

—

They buried Dale that same night. His funeral was short and somber. His body laid alongside a half dozen other crosses as they said their final goodbyes. The evening's earlier discussion and final interaction between them all and Dale weighing heavy like lead on their chests. No time had been spent to process what had happened between his death and his burial and many of them were still very much in shock.

Tess stood silently in the eeriness, dried blood caked her hands and arms. She felt immensely guilty. She knew she wasn't to blame for Dale's death, there was no one to blame, yet she couldn't help but think maybe things could have gone differently. Maybe had she not driven him away so fiercely with her cold determination then he may not have left to walk the farm on his own. It all seemed so preventable, which made it all the more painful.

Behind her, she could hear Lori and Rick telling Carl to head off to bed, the young boy sniffling into his mothers side. He didn't even bother to protest, far too tired and upset to try. In the dark, he walked back to his tent alone and Lori and Rick returned to the farmhouse with many of the others.

Andrea knelt beside Dale's grave, her eyes bloodshot and face ashen. In that moment, Tess did feel sorry for her. Andrea had known him longer than she had and while they often had a tumultuous relationship at best, he had become a kind of surrogate guardian for her. With no tears left to cry, she rose onto shaky feet and staggered over to the RV, locking herself inside.

That left Tess and Daryl as the only ones still waiting. For what, neither of them knew. They were both afflicted with failure and shaken up by the sight they'd seen when they'd found him. Dale's screams and the look on his face still playing through their minds on a never ending loop. Tess picked at her fingernails and the blood beneath them until it hurt. The sharp pain of her breaking the flesh around her thumb jerked her back to reality and she sucked in a deep, steadying breath.

She had to wash her hands. She needed to get the blood off. But she didn't want to face a room full of people just yet. She turned away from Dale's grave with a final look of regret and looked up at Daryl. He had a pained, far off expression on his face that didn't change as he looked back at her. There were no words of comfort either of them could come up with that seemed adequate. Tess raised her hand to clasp Daryl's shoulder for support but the sight of her skin made her hesitate. It didn't feel right to try to comfort Daryl with Dale's blood still on her hands and so she thought better of it and withdrew, leaving without a word.

The walk back to her tent felt immensely long, each step she took feeling like an effort. Camp was empty as everyone congregated inside to mourn together and all Tess could hear was tents flapping in the wind and her own shallow breathing. As lonely and macabre as it seemed out here, Tess thought it preferable to the crowded, bright indoors.

She stepped into her tent and simply knelt for a moment, staring at her pillow, debating whether to scream into it or lie down and cry. She hadn't the energy to do either. The sight of her hands was her only motivator to move and she sifted through her belongings in search of some water. She only found empty bottles though and flung each to the side carelessly. There'd at least be some water by the fire pit, she knew that. Before she left, she made sure to grab the machete she had gotten from Carl and slipped it through her belt.

By the firepit, she took the half empty pot of water that was hanging over the coals and finally washed her hands. Tess scrubbed fiercely at her skin, ensuring every last bit was gone before tossing the murky water across the lawn. Feeling clean did help to clear her head and Tess felt a small amount of the weight lift off of her shoulders as well.

In the distance, she could see the door to the house open and close as a couple people walked out. She couldn't tell from here who they were and she lost sight of them in the dark as they walked away. She wondered briefly what they were discussing inside, if anything at all. She knew that people were probably starting to feel unsafe and she couldn't blame them. What she didn't know was whether Hershel would open his home to them or if it was finally time for them to leave the farm.

As Tess got up to walk back to her tent, she spotted two figures walking out past the tents and towards the vehicles that were parked up by the fence. They were difficult to discern but one was definitely much smaller than the other, child size, and Tess knew it had to be Carl. But she hadn't seen Lori or Rick head back to camp and so she was curious as to who was leading him away from camp. Her curiosity and sentiment for the kid got the better of her and she followed after them without a second thought.

Carl and his companion were walking hurriedly, as though in secret and Tess had a bad feeling that she knew exactly who was leading him astray. As she approached, the distinct broad shoulders and shaved head confirmed her theory.

"Shane. What are you doing?" She asked sternly and he froze at the sound of her voice. He knew he had been caught. Tess eyed him suspiciously as his head dropped and he took a deep breath.

"You just don't know when to leave well enough alone, do you?" Shane muttered under his breath and Tess turned her attention to Carl.

"Carl? You okay buddy?" She asked him gently and Carl rubbed his eyes, still half asleep.

"What's going on?" He yawned and Tess reached out for him.

"Nothing's going on, Shane just got confused." She told him, while glaring daggers in Shane's direction as Carl walked towards her.

Shane returned the look tenfold but dared not lash out with Carl between them. Tess had to thank him for having enough sense to do at least that. He looked prepared to snap her in half though and Tess doubted his restraint would last much longer.

"I want you to go find your dad, okay? Head back to the house." She told Carl gently and he looked up at her curiously.

"Why?" He innocently asked.

"Yeah, Tess. Why?" Shane mocked her and she had to think fast.

"Because he's looking for you. Go on." She urged the kid, verging on frustration now. Thankfully, Carl didn't continue to ask questions and he began trudging back to the house, none the wiser.

"Were you seriously planning on running off with their kid?" She hissed at Shane once out of earshot of Carl. "You think that was gonna go down any other way than fucking badly?"

"I warned you to stay out of my way-"

"You continue to make it really damn hard to do that. This is your one opportunity to walk away, Shane. Alone. Leave and don't come back."

"Why would I do that when I have everything that I could ever need, right here?" He implored with feigned innocence, creeping forward as he spoke.

"Why do you even want to stay? Some delusional claim you think you have over Rick's family? You're not the one, buddy, sorry." Tess told him, taking a step back, her hand hovering over her hip holster only to find it empty. Her heart sank in her chest with panic as she realized that Daryl still had her gun. She tried not to react but Shane noticed the way her eyes expanded in fright and he smirked at her wickedly.

"Looks like you're caught short." He sneered and Tess managed to pull the machete from her belt just as Shane lunged for her.

The impact sent her sailing backwards and onto the ground with force; the machete flying out of her hand to the side. Her head had hit the ground hard but she didn't have time to think about whether she was okay as a fist came careening towards her face with speed. With a gasp, Tess threw herself to the left and took the brunt of the impact in her shoulder. The pain was agonizing and it knocked the wind out of her momentarily but she didn't scream.

With her left hand, she sharply struck Shane in the nose with her palm and he fell back onto his haunches. Tess took the opportunity to create some distance between them and brought up a leg, kicking him away from her as she scrambled back. Shane grunted and slipped over in the damp grass. His eyes were black with rage and blood ran out of his nose from her punch. He wiped it away furiously and jumped back on to his feet, same as her. Time stood still as they glared at one another, waiting for the other to make the next move.

Tess' shoulder throbbed and her head pounded but it was then that she remembered the machete lying in the grass just feet from them. She spied it out of the corner of her eye and ran for it without hesitation. Her heart raced, adrenaline coursing through her as she dove to reach it before Shane. He lunged for her and the pair slammed into the ground just inches from the weapon.

Tess grappled against him. Shane was much larger than her but he was blinded by rage and his fight was sloppy. Tess blocked another punch to the head with her arm and threw a fist into the side of his head. Shane toppled off balance. She saw her chance to gain the upper hand and clambered on top of him sending a flurry of angry fists into his face. She landed one punch. Two. And then Shane kicked her off.

She landed directly on top of the machete and it stabbed into her back, causing her to cry out in pain. Her eyes screwed shut tightly in shock. Every inch of her ached and she didn't know how much longer she'd be able to hold her own against Shane. Sudden pressure against her windpipe made her lose her breath. Shane's fingers squeezed down on her neck. His thumbs pressed relentlessly against her throat and his fingers pulled down on the chain of her dog tags. Tess tried to gasp for air and she frantically clawed at his hands, trying to pry them off. Shane looked down at her, frenzied and wild-like, baring his teeth like an animal as she struggled beneath him.

"What? Nothing clever to say?" He taunted her blithely. Tess wanted to shout but she couldn't even gasp for air. Desperately, she bucked her hips, trying to throw him off but he was much too heavy. The blade of the machete pressed into her back, reminding her it was there and Tess knew she only had one chance.

With one hand, she clawed at Shane's face, ripping his cheek with her nails and driving her thumb into the corner of his eye. Shane roared in agony. As his grip loosened Tess tried to reach the machete beneath her with her other hand. Her mind was foggy and her hand seemed disconnected as it fumbled beneath her in search of metal. Her fingertips brushed the handle and an overwhelming surge of relief washed over her. Her nails scratched into the dirt as she clawed at it, trying to clasp it.

But it was pointless.

Shane grabbed her again. Harder this time. Raising her up off the ground and slamming her back down. Tess lost all grip she had on the machete and any hope she had of getting out of this alive. She didn't want to die. But more than anything, she didn't want Shane to know that she was afraid.

"Fffu- y-" She hissed incoherently with the last of her strength.

"What was that? I can't hear y-"

The sharp crack of a gunshot cut Shane short and his head exploded above her. Blood rained down on her as Tess coughed and spluttered for air. She felt Shane's hands slowly slip from her throat as he collapsed beside her, dead. Tess felt someone kneel at her side but her vision was still too blurry to discern who it was.

"Tess? Tess, can you hear me?" She heard Rick's voice cut through the black and she strained to see him. She opened her mouth to reply but her throat felt tight and tender and so she nodded instead. "Can you stand?" Rick asked and she nodded again, grabbing the machete and stumbling to her feet. "We need to go. Now."

Rick sounded desperate and he looked past her, toward the forest with a look of fear. Tess frowned, confused, and glanced over her shoulder at the unmistakable herd of walkers coming straight for them. Her eyes widened in fear and Rick tugged on her arm to urge her to move. Without needing any further encouragement, she ran alongside him, back to the house.

"Do you have a gun?" Rick asked her, short of breath. Tess shook her head frantically and gestured to the only melee weapons she had on her. Without slowing, Rick removed his rifle and handed it to her, leaving him with just his Python.

"Dad!" Tess heard Carl's voice squeal through the dark as his small frame came bolting towards them.

"Carl! What are you doing? I told you to go back to the house!" Rick exclaimed as he all but scooped up his son.

As they closed in on the campsite, Tess hoped to high heaven that the others in the house had spotted the oncoming threat and were getting themselves out of dodge. There were far too many walkers to stand their ground and the only way they were getting out of this alive would be if they left the farm. It seemed as though fate continued to choose their path for them.

Tess leapt over a series of tent cords, Carl and Rick to her left, when a mangled figure with outstretched hands lunged from behind the tent, straight at Carl. Without thinking, Tess shoved Carl into his father and out of the way. The walker stumbled off balance, missing it's prey and Tess swiftly brought the butt of her rifle down into it's head; smashing it's skull into smithereens.

More walkers were closing in from around the tent now and the distance between her and her companions was only growing bigger.

"Get out of here, Tess! Run!" Rick yelled to her as he tugged his son away from danger. "Get to the highway!" Was the last thing she heard from Rick before he was forced to flee with Carl towards the barn.

Tess couldn't backtrack. The herd was getting too close. The four walkers in her path, she would have to deal with. The first one was too close for her to use the rifle. She ripped the machete from her belt and brought it down into the walker's head with such force that it nearly got stuck.

The second one she had to fend off as it pawed at her, hungrily. It only had one arm and was easy to throw off balance. A swift blow to the head made it collapse on the ground in front of her.

The last two walkers were advancing at the same pace and Tess knew she had to take them down quickly before they could reach her. She pulled up her rifle again and fired a quick shot at one of the walkers legs. The bullet blew through the side of it's knee and it dropped to the ground. Relentlessly, it continued to drag itself across the dirt towards her. But this gave her some time. Using the rifle like a baseball bat, she swung at the last walkers head and blood and brain went soaring through the air as it collapsed in a heap.

She wanted to save as many bullets as she could, knowing she had to make each one count. The walker on the ground growled and moaned at her as it clambered its way towards her. Tess didn't even think twice before driving the heel of her boot down through the walker's skull. It collapsed beneath her with a sickening crunch but she could barely hear it over the growing groans of the herd.

Tess took off running again towards the house. Her heart was frantically pounding in her chest and she was operating on pure adrenaline alone. Not knowing if everyone else was okay only made her panic as she tried to catch sight of anyone.

She raced up the porch steps to the house, the interior lights still on and shouted as loud as she could.

"Hey! Daryl?! Glenn?! Maggie?!" Her scream sounded more like a loud croak and it hurt to speak but she persisted nonetheless. "Hello?!"

"Tess? Is that you?" She heard Hershel call from upstairs, followed by the sound of footsteps. Hershel made his way back downstairs, shotgun in hand, and met her in the foyer. "My God, what happened to you?" He exclaimed, appalled by her appearance. Tess just shook her head. Now wasn't the time.

"We need to go. You can't stay here." She rasped sternly, feeling like a sitting duck.

"I can't leave."

"You don't have a choice. You can't defend this place."

"This place is my home."

"It will be your grave! Hershel, please." She begged him.

She didn't know how much time they had but they definitely didn't have the time to stand here and argue. Hershel looked reluctant but he eventually nodded, knowing that it was a pointless endeavor. Tess knew it couldn't be easy for him to walk away. This was his home. He raised his family here. And it was all being taken away in the dead of night.

"We need to get to one of the cars. Stick close, okay?" Tess instructed Hershel and led him out of the house. The scene outside made them both stop dead in their tracks. The barn was ablaze. Ferocious, red hot flames ravaged the building, causing it to collapse. Tess could feel the heat of it from where she stood and it sent her pulse racing in fear.

Walker's had nearly overrun the farm and everywhere she looked there were packs of them scouring for flesh. Beyond them, she couldn't see any of the vehicles other than RV and it was surrounded by walker's. Even if they wanted to, there was no chance in hell they were going to make their way through. Hershel seemed to draw the same conclusion.

"My truck is around back." He told her, hopefully and Tess nodded anxiously.

"Keys?" She rasped.

"In the visor."

"Go. I've got your back." She prompted him, gesturing for him to lead the way and Hershel started running around the side of the house.

At least with all the cars gone, it meant that the others had managed to get away in time. Tess just hoped that they had managed to get everyone in. She knew Rick and Carl had been heading towards the barn but she had to hope that they were okay and had fled before the barn burnt.

The rear of the house was thankfully still void of walker's but Tess knew it wouldn't be that way for much longer. Both her and Hershel ran up to his old Chevy Silverado and jumped into the cab. The truck looked at least twenty years old and didn't appear well used. Tess started to worry that maybe Hershel hadn't had it running in a long while.

Hershel fumbled with the visor nervously, grabbing the keys with trembling fingers. He almost wished that he was in the passenger seat but he pulled himself together and turned the keys in the ignition. The truck rumbled and then spluttered, the starter motor failing to turn over. Tess kept a wary eye on the side mirror, watching as the herd of walkers approached. Hershel kept trying the ignition. Again and again it failed.

"Any day, Hershel." Tess bit out nervously. Some of the walker's were advancing quickly, hearing the engine of the truck as it tried to start.

"I'm trying." Hershel sounded flustered and sweat beaded down his brow as he tried not to flood the engine.

"Keep trying. I'll give us some time." Tess told him and opened the door to the truck again.

"Where are you going?!"

"To make time." She hopped out with the rifle and rounded the end of the truck.

Hershel continued to try the engine and Tess lined the walkers up in her sights. They had spotted her now and were staring her down, hungrily, on the verge of running at her. Tess fired round after round until the mag was empty but it did nothing to lessen the oncoming wave. She threw the rifle into the bed of the truck and pulled out her machete. There were far too many for her to take on so close, she knew that, but she at least had to give Hershel enough time to get away.

She slashed at the face of one walker, lodging the blade of her machete into its cheek. As she ripped it out, its jaw tore loose from its face and hung like a sickening puppet. Tess tried not to recoil in disgust and swung again, piercing the brain. She kicked it away from her as it fell still. She was exhausted and aching from head to toe. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this awful but was certain it had to be during her final deployment.

Tess could feel her muscles beginning to fail her as she took down as many walker's as she could. No matter how many she put down, a dozen seemed to take its place. The herd was never ending and impossible to overcome. As she wrestled with a particularly large one, she heard the glorious sound of the truck engine roaring to life and she could have cried. She pushed with all her might against the walker, shoving it back into the herd and turned and ran for the truck.

Her battle against the herd had drawn her further away from the truck than she'd expected and she waved her arms in the arm, signaling for Hershel. Her legs burned with fatigue as she bolted ahead but she didn't let up. They were getting out of here. Both of them, together. With one final push, Tess dove in the bed of the truck and Hershel tore out of there, skidding as he went.

—

Once they made it off the farm and onto the road, Hershel finally slowed to a less manic speed. Tess sprawled out on the flatbed, staring at the morning sky and feeling incredibly lucky. The last twenty four hours had been a trial by fire and a massively painful one at that. Even though the road was bumpy and the truck bed wasn't comfy, Tess felt like she could fall asleep. As her body wound down and the adrenaline dissipated, she finally began to realize how painful her neck and throat actually was. Shane had done a real number on her and all the strained talking she'd done hadn't helped at all.

There was a knock above her head that made her perk up and she sat up to see Hershel knocking on the rear window, trying to get her attention. For the first time, Tess saw that the window could be slid open and she shuffled it across.

"You alright out there?" Hershel asked her, much more calm now. Tess slowly swallowed in an attempt to clear her throat but it seared with pain.

"Fine." She replied gruffly, wincing as she spoke.

"Any idea where we're going?" He asked her, not noticing her wince.

"Stick to the highway. You won't miss it." She groaned and slumped back against the truck. Hershel peered at her through the rearview mirror,

"Are you sure you're alright?" Tess just raised her hand to indicate 'okay' but didn't reply, far too wary and sore to bother.

—

Further up the road, the group, sans Andrea and Shane, all arrived in short succession around the snarl of vehicles where they'd lost Sophia. Rick and Carl met Lori with desperate, grateful hugs as T-Dog and Beth arrived with her. Glenn and Maggie pulled up alone and Daryl rode up with Carol. They were all relieved to see one another safe and sound but as they took stock, they realized that they were short three people.

"Where's my dad?" Beth asked uneasily, tears welling in her eyes in fear.

"Tess ain't here either. Neither is Andrea." T-Dog pointed out and a somberness enveloped the group. Daryl hadn't needed T-Dog to point that out for him to know. As he rode his brother's bike up to the snarl, he was already on the lookout for her. It had happened naturally, out of nervousness and the knot in his stomach only grew when he didn't spot her.

"Shane's not here either." Lori worried her lower lip between her teeth nervously and Rick looked forlorn.

"Shane's dead." He announced without much explanation and Lori gawked at him, stunned. Rick just shook his head, as though to tell her 'not now'.

"What do we do?" Carol pondered nervously.

"We can't stay here." Fretted Lori, "It's not safe." Daryl glared at her,

"You've got all your people. Some of us don't. We ain't leavin'."

"We can wait a bit longer but we can't stay." Rick intervened, "Let's just hope they make it here soon."

Daryl huffed at his suggestion and sent the Sheriff's wife one last wicked glare before storming back to his bike. Tied down onto the back was his crossbow and Tess' bow that he'd retrieved from her tent. He'd gone to look for her when the chaos had started but hadn't been able to find her. He hadn't known why at the time but he had felt inclined to grab the bow for her just in case. Daryl just hoped now that he'd be able to return it to her, along with her gun. It weighed heavy on his hip as he tried not to think whether it had made the difference in her survival or otherwise.

The sun had fully risen over the horizon now and as the sky grew brighter he became more and more anxious. He could see Lori argue with Rick by their car and he didn't have to be listening to know that she was trying to persuade him to leave. Just because they were away from the farm that didn't mean that they were out of danger. The herd could be making their way towards them this very minute, getting closer with every second. Daryl knew the risk and yet he wasn't willing to leave. As they approached twenty minutes, the others began climbing back into their vehicles. Carol joined T-Dog as Lori hopped in with Rick and Beth sat in the back of Maggie and Glenn's car. Daryl leant against his bike, bouncing his leg impatiently.

A low distant rumble broke through the thin morning air and it was so faint at first that Daryl wasn't entirely sure if he was imagining it or not. However, it only grew louder and he jumped up to get a better look. In the distance, he spotted an old beat-up truck heading straight for them. He didn't recognize the vehicle and became disheartened and wary but then he heard an elated chirp beside him.

"Dad?" Beth sobbed, "Maggie! It's dad!" She shouted for her sister and the older Greene sibling jumped out of her car to see. Sure enough, as the truck approached, Daryl saw Hershel sitting in the front seat of the truck. Alone. Daryl felt sick to his stomach.

The truck pulled up as close as it could and turned off, sounding as though it would never come to life again. Hershel hadn't even had the chance to step out of the cab before his daughters had dashed for him. The rest of the group followed after them, relieved but also saddened and Daryl trailed behind, feeling lost. Maggie and Beth embraced their father in a large group hug as they cried with joy, their fears abated. Daryl could hear the rest of the group greeting the old man happily but he was too caught up in his own hurt to participate.

"Well shit, you look like you've been through the wringer." Daryl heard T-Dog exclaim in shock and he knew he couldn't be talking to Hershel. He looked up just in time to see Tess flipping T-Dog off. The relief he felt in that moment was so overwhelming that he didn't know how to react. Tess looked like she'd been through hell. Dark, angry looking bruises were starting to form around her neck and she was covered nearly head to toe in blood and guts.

She made her way through the group, hugging everyone before stopping at Rick. They shared a few brief words with one another quietly before sharing a tight hug. Even from here, Daryl could see the way her hands trembled against Rick's back and he couldn't help but wonder what had happened. When they stepped away, she looked over at Daryl with an incomplete smile.

Daryl had never been the type of person to share or really even receive affection of any kind but right then, he wished he was. He wanted to be included in that embrace but when she stood in front of him, he couldn't bring himself to step forward. She seemed to expect that from him though and didn't reach out, which he appreciated.

"You okay?" He asked her softly, unsure what else to say. Tess paused as she considered how to answer. Truth was, she didn't feel okay and she hated lying to Daryl. She shook her head slowly and grit her teeth, instantly regretting it as her throat seized.

"Is this all of us?" Hershel asked Rick and he shook his head forlornly.

"Andrea hasn't returned."

"We can't keep waiting, Rick." His wife hammered on again.

"I know. I know that." Rick retorted, feeling stressed.

"Nobody wants to give up on Andrea but Lori's right. It's not safe." Carol agreed, wanting to leave.

"Okay. Alright. Then we go."