To everyone's surprise, Rick and Shane returned soon after, still with Randall in tow. They were tight-lipped about what had gone down whilst they had been away, but it was obvious from the cuts and bruises littering their faces, that their injuries hadn't been caused by walkers. Rick would barely even look at his wife. T-Dog grabbed Randall and dragged him toward one of the outhouses, making sure the rope around his wrists were secure. Rick and Shane went to follow, wanting to keep a close eye on their prisoner, when Kari took a step forward.

"You two look like you got run over by a truck. What happened?" Kari pushed.

"We had a disagreement. It's settled now," Rick retorted, as he went to walk past her when Kari's hand shot up to press against his chest.

"You want me to look at your face before you start dripping blood everywhere?" Kari exclaimed, as Rick rubbed at his bloody cheek with the back of his hand.

"It's fine," Rick huffed, as she quirked an eyebrow.

"You might be the leader of this group, Rick, but I'm the nurse. So, shut up and let me take a look," Kari insisted, pulling a small torch out of her pack.

"Think you best listen to her, man," Shane snorted, as the crowd that had been around them started to scatter.

After a few minutes of assessing his wounds, Kari was satisfied nothing needed stitching and he wasn't suffering from a concussion. But open wounds were still a danger due to their lack of medical supplies. Kari glanced down at Rick's bruised knuckles, realising that Shane seemed to be the worse off of the two.

"Well?" Rick sighed, from where he was perched on one of the foldaway chairs.

"Don't worry, Grimes. You're still pretty," Kari teased, earning a huff from the older man, who shared an amused look across the camp with Shane. "Go on to the farmhouse. Ask Hershel for some peroxide. And any of those bruises get worse, you tell me, alright?" Kari told him.

"Yes, Ma'am," Rick nodded, as he pushed himself onto his aching feet, and headed in that direction.

"Me next?" Shane suggested, in a smug tone as he sat in front of Kari, leaning back in the chair.

"Not sure there's much hope for this face," Kari mocked, crouching down in front of Shane, placing her fingers against his chin to turn his head to the side.

"Funny," Shane huffed, as she reached up to touch the swollen area above his left eye.

"I like to think I am," Kari mumbled, poking the area, watching as he winced. He was lucky nothing appeared broken. But he would need the wound above his eye dressed, noticing how a line of blood ran down his cheek. "Rick really did a number on you. Did you deserve it?"

"Been sleeping with his wife. Knocked her up. Could've left me for dead...but he didn't," Shane pointed out, as she nodded.

"He's better than me, that's for sure. I'd have left your sorry arse for the walkers."

"Oh, yeah?" He replied, glancing up at her, as he reached out for her wrist, pulling her fingers away from his face. "You thought about what I said?"

"I'm not the answer you're looking for, Shane. I've got a hell of a lot of baggage. I just hide it well," Kari warned, as his brow furrowed, noticing something on her shirt.

"What's this?" He questioned, releasing her wrist to instead pull on the fabric of the shirt, just underneath a dried blood stain.

"It's not mine," She stated, as he waited for her to elaborate. If Kari didn't know better, she'd think there was even a hint of concern in his eyes. "Beth saved me from a walker."

Shane regarded her closely for a moment, his fingers still clutching onto her shirt. He was then pulling her closer by the fabric, taking a closer look at the blood before he was convinced by her story.

"You're good at that, ain't you?" Shane murmured, as she shot him a confused look.

"At what?" She frowned.

"Getting people to do what you want. You're subtle like...but I can tell," Shane stated, as he stood up, towering over her.

"What, you think I'm lying?" Kari scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I think you're manipulative."

"Big word coming for you," Kari mocked, as Shane gave a slow nod, before leaning down close to her face.

"Me and you could be good together, that's all I'm saying. And I think you know that," He told her, holding her gaze intently for a few moments.

Without another word, he turned on his heel to follow Rick's trail, leaving Kari to mull over what he had said. Shane was dangerous, anyone could see that. But with her...condition, she supposed that made her dangerous now too. She had no doubt Shane would put her down if she ever turned. Maybe he did have a point.

Having collected some water from the farmhouse, Kari made her way over to their camp, where the group would be discussing their next steps. Before she even made it down the porch, a small voice was calling out to her, as she twisted around to see Beth standing in the doorway. She had a little more colour in her cheeks than the last time they met, and Kari was glad to see that. She knew she had taken a risk by forcing Beth to kill a walker, but it appeared her plan had worked. Beth had chosen to live.

"Hey," Beth mumbled, giving her a slightly awkward wave.

"Hey, yourself. Good to see you up on your feet," Kari pointed out, as Beth looked down at her feet.

"Couldn't stand to be in my bedroom any longer," Beth shrugged, as Kari slowly approached her, peering over her shoulder to make sure no one was nearby.

"You gonna' tell anyone what happened with that walker?" Kari asked, watching Beth vehemently shake her head. If anyone knew about her unhinged tactics, she was pretty sure the group would throw her off the farm. "How come?"

"...It helped me. I...I feel better," Beth admitted, as Kari reached out to place her hand on Beth's shoulder.

"You're onto the next stage of grief then. Anger," Kari smirked.

"I never used to get angry."

"Well, the dead didn't use to roam the Earth. Shit happens," Kari huffed, as Beth's lips pulled into a small smile.

"Yeah. Shit happens," She agreed, appearing excited at the curse word that left her lips. Her gaze then dropped to the handle of Kari's dagger that was poking out of her pocket, as she bit her lip. "Will you show me how to use that?" Beth asked.

"Slow down, Xena. One step at a time, alright? I hate to say it, but you got lucky with that last walker. Most are gonna' be stronger than you. So...you have to learn to be quicker," Kari continued.

"I can be quick," Beth nodded, as Kari reached up to ruffle her blonde hair, teasingly.

"Sure you can. Look, heal up first, and then we'll talk. Cause' I meant it. I'll help you," Kari stated.

"Why?" Beth frowned, the question having run through her head ever since Kari took her out of the farmhouse.

"Because I thought you deserved a chance to live," Kari replied, noticing Carol walking around the perimeter of the house, heading toward the camp.

"I'll catch you later, okay?" Kari called out, as she began to rush down the steps toward the older woman.

She hadn't spoken to Carol much in the last few days and as far as she could tell, no one else had. She made people feel uncomfortable. Like her sadness could spread to them. She had seen in plenty of times in her job, people avoided what they couldn't understand. Calling out her name, Carol turned around, shooting her a shy smile as she waited for her.

"Hey. Sorry, I've hardly seen you since Sophia's funeral," Kari greeted, as Carol let out a sigh.

"What?" Kari questioned, as Carol ran a hand over her face, before her expression morphed into relief.

"It's just...I think you're the first person to say my daughter's name since she walked out of that barn."

"People are kinda' dumb. They think if they say the wrong thing, you'll break...so, they figure they just won't say anything at all," Kari explained, as they began walking to the camp.

"I might," Carol mumbled, as Kari nudged her with her arm.

"You know, that's okay too. I think we're all pretty much at breaking point," Kari insisted.

"How's your arm?" Carol asked, as Kari glanced down at her once-injured arm.

It had healed surprisingly well. Thanks to the medical supplies she had gained from Hershel. She was healed up enough to head out on her own now. The bullet wound would scar but she didn't appear to have any lasting damage. She mused it was about time she got lucky.

"Despite Andrea's best efforts, looks like I'll keep the arm," Kari scoffed.

"I guess that means you'll be moving on soon?" Carol inquired, as Kari debated on how to answer.

"You two done gossiping?"

Kari's head snapped up to see Shane giving them an expectant look, his hands resting on his belt, head cocked to one side. In response, she simply raised her middle finger at him, earning an amused scoff from the older man. An irritated cough caught her attention, as she glanced over to see Lori shielding Carl behind her back, not happy with their childish antics. With a sweet smile, Kari raised her other hand to flip off Lori too, having no time for her attitude that morning. She heard Carol stifling a laugh from behind her hand, as Rick approached the group, and her humour immediately faded.

"So, what you gonna' do? We'd all feel better if we knew the plan," Lori stated.

"Is there a plan? We gonna' keep him here?" Andrea pushed, as Rick and Shane shared a look.

"We'll know soon enough," Rick retorted, nodding to someone behind Kari's shoulder.

She whipped around to find Daryl marching over to them, his crossbow slung over his shoulder, and bloody knuckles on display. Concern instantly twisted in her gut, before she put two and two together and realised how Daryl must have hurt his hand. When the hell did Rick and Daryl discuss torturing their new prisoner?

"Boy there's got a gang, thirty men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't looking to make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women, they're gonna'...they're gonna wish they were," Daryl explained, catching Kari's eyes for a moment, who paled at what he was implying.

"What did you do?" Carol said, in a scolding tone.

"We had a little chat," Daryl muttered, as Carol turned away in disgust, and began to storm away from the group, not wanting to hear anymore.

"No one goes near this guy," Rick warned, as Daryl went to stand by Kari's side.

"Rick, what are you going to do?" Lori asked.

"We have no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat," Rick exclaimed, as Kari couldn't help but agree.

"You're just gonna kill him?" Dale gaped, taking a step forward.

"It's settled. I'll do it today," Rick announced, turning away before anyone had the chance to argue.

Kari, for one, was glad to hear it. They had enough outside threats without adding another.

They?

There she went again including herself in the group. She was attached now, and nothing good ever happened when she grew attached. People ended up dead. With a shake of her head, she set her sights on Daryl, and more importantly his swollen knuckles. He seemed to know exactly what she was thinking.

"It's fine," He murmured, gruffly.

"Oh, I'm sure it will be. Until they get infected. And then I'll be the one chopping your damn hand off to stop the infection getting into your bloodstream-" Kari began, as Daryl cut her off.

"God damn. Dramatic, ain't you?" Daryl huffed, as she rolled her eyes.

"It's part of my natural charm," Kari grinned at him, as the pair started heading toward their makeshift camp.

"Keep telling yourself that, treehopper," Daryl scoffed, as she nudged him with her shoulder.

"Kari. K-a-r-i. Four-letter word, Daryl. Think you can manage that," She teased.

"Still think treehopper suits you better," He answered, as Kari's lips twitched into a genuine smile.

Not long after, Daryl was perched on a tree stump, with Kari crouched down in front of him, a bucket of water and rag to her side. His knuckles were starting to hurt more now and he knew that they couldn't afford him to get sick in their current situation. Still, he was tense as he waited for her to grab his hand, already readying himself to mask the way he would flinch. Instead, she held her palm out, looking up at him with an expectant gaze. Slowly, he placed his aching hand in hers and watched as she gently began to clean the wounds on the back of his knuckles. It stung a little, but she kept her touch feather-light, careful not to cause any more skin to split open.

"You broke this knuckle years back," Kari exclaimed, running her finger over the joint.

"How'd you know?" Daryl frowned, as she continued to run the rag over his hand.

"Never healed right. Guessing you never got it checked out?" She continued, as he gave a half-shrug. Daryl didn't like to talk about his past, that was as clear as day, but she still couldn't help but be interested. "Well, lucky for you...now you've got your own private nurse," Kari smirked.

"Not for long. You're still leaving, ain't you?" Daryl huffed, as she glanced up at him.

"Almost sounds like you'd miss me," She suggested, watching as his lips twitched for a moment.

"You won't make it on your own. No one does anymore," He mumbled, looking down at the grass by their feet, leaving her a little taken aback as he hadn't denied her comment.

"That why you stay in this group?" Kari inquired, putting the rag down and beginning to dry his knuckles.

"Got nowhere else to be," Daryl retorted.

"...Those first few days, I stayed on the farm cause' I was worried about you. Reckoned I should stick around to stop yourself getting in any more trouble," Kari admitted, as Daryl gave her an almost nervous look.

"And now?"

"Your group is a pain in the arse but...they get under your skin, huh?" Kari stated, as Daryl's lips grew into somewhat of a smile.

"Rick's right, you know. That Randall kid, he's gonna' get someone killed," Daryl warned.

"Well, just make sure that person isn't you, alright?" Kari insisted, as their eyes connected for a moment.

Daryl couldn't hold her gaze for long. He'd have no fear going up against Randall's whole group, but being alone with Kari...that was dangerous. He knew better than to get close to anyone. All people did was disappoint you. Merle had shown him that a long time ago. Then again, he was pretty sure no one had touched him as gently as Kari did, he mused, as she began to carefully bandage his knuckles.

"Carol's pissed at me," Daryl muttered.

"She's worried. There's a difference. Everyone else, they haven't...adjusted to all this yet. They don't know what we have to do to survive now. They haven't been out there on their own," Kari explained, as he gave a slow nod.

"I've been with em' since the start," Daryl pointed out.

"But before then?" Kari began, wrapping the bandage over his knuckles a few times, knowing she might have been pushing him too far. Hell, maybe she was completely wrong about him. "You already knew how to survive before all this?"

"Had to," He answered, in a gruff tone.

"This group are pretty lucky to have you, even if they don't realise it," Kari went on, as she finished tying the bandages over his hand.

"Why you being nice to me all of a sudden?" Daryl frowned, making her snort.

"Oh, as opposed to my usual bitchy self?" Kari teased, her tone full of amusement, as Daryl gave a slight shrug, making her laugh. "I guess I've realised you're actually a pretty decent guy, Daryl Dixon. But don't worry, I won't let anyone else know," She said, sending an over-dramatic wink his way.

"...You ain't so bad, either," Daryl replied, quietly.

"Was that...was that compliment? Wow, it really must be the apocalypse. This just confirms it all," Kari giggled, before releasing his hand.

Daryl then made a sound that was a mix between a grunt and a laugh, but it was enough to have her grin widening. She couldn't remember the last time she had smiled as much as she had in the last ten minutes. After all, there wasn't much to smile about anymore with the world in the state it was.

"Hey," A voice called out, as Kari twisted around to find Shane marching over to them.

She could see how Daryl tensed out of the corner of her eye, never wanting to be around Shane longer than he had to. He was on his feet a second later, as Kari opened her mouth, maybe to ask him not to leave, but she was quick to clamp her lips shut. Instead, she opted to give him a nod before he retreated, expecting him to do the same. Her eyebrows raised for a split second, as he reached out for her shoulder, running his hand over her arm before he left without another word. Kari watched him go, her lips parted in a slight smile, something which Shane noticed immediately.

"Jesus. You sure know how to pick em', huh?" Shane mocked, as she turned her attention to him.

"The fuck does that mean?" Kari scoffed.

"You and the hick," Shane stated, as she rolled her eyes.

"We gossiping or planning what to do with that creep locked up in the barn?" Kari retorted, as Shane crouched down right in front of her, arms resting on his knees.

"We're on the same page then. Kid has to die, right?" Shane suggested.

She didn't share Shane's violent side, but she knew that the risk of Randall betraying the group was too big a chance to take. It was the logical decision. She nodded slowly, watching as Shane's lip twitched into a smirk, eyes darkening.

"These guys ain't gonna' go through with this. I'm telling you, they gonna pussy out. And if they do, we gonna have a big problem on our hands. Let me ask you something, every time we have a problem around here, who do you think's behind it?" Shane continued, as she gave him a look of disbelief.

"You?" She snorted.

"That's real cute. No one listens to me. I say it's the guys that make up the rules, the boys that always have all the answers, even though their answers always prove wrong."

"What are you gonna' do, Shane? Have another fistfight with Rick? Take a look in the mirror. Didn't work out for you too well last time, did it?" She pointed out, as he stretched his arm out to tap against her knee.

"That's cause it was just me," He mumbled, quirking an eyebrow.

"What, me and you against the rest of the group?" Kari scoffed.

"Nah. I can get Andrea on side. And looks like you've got the redneck under your thumb. We take their guns, lock em' up until-" Shane went on, as Kari cut him off.

"No. No fucking way," Kari stated, firmly, as Shane ran a hand over his head.

"Then we're back to square one. You and me get the hell outta' dodge," Shane insisted, as Kari pursed her lips.

"What about Lori? Your baby?" Kari argued.

"Rick's made it pretty clear where I stand. As far away from his family as possible," Shane muttered.

"Can't say I'm convinced about running off into the woods with your unstable arse," Kari snorted, as Shane shook his head, with a gruff laugh.

"You really want to stick around here with Randall then? This group is weak. We both know it. Time to make a decision," Shane pushed, glancing up at her with an intense look in his eyes.

She mulled it over, considering her limited options. Subconsciously, she found her gaze shifting in the direction Daryl had walked. He was already pulling away from the group, and she doubted her leaving would help matters.

"Let's just...see what Rick decides. If he kills Randall, there's no problem, right?" Kari announced, as Shane ducked his head, letting out a long sigh.

"But if he don't? You'll leave with me?" Shane pushed.

"I'm not sharing a camp with Randall," Kari answered, ignoring his question, as Shane pushed himself to his feet.

"Alright then," Shane nodded, holding out his hand to her, gesturing for her to take it. A little reluctantly, she placed her far smaller hand in his and allowed him to haul her to her feet. "They got Andrea on Randall duty. How bout' we relieve her?" Shane suggested, still with a firm grip on her hand.

"Let me guess, I hold him down whilst you beat him up?" Kari snorted, making him grin.

"Well, I'm happy to watch instead," He mumbled, as he took a step closer to her, leaning down slightly, bringing them almost at eye level.

"You're a sick fuck. You know that?" Kari retorted as he shrugged once more, his eyes dropping to her lips again. "And there sure as hell ain't gonna' be none of that. You keep your shit in your pants," Kari huffed, smacking him playfully on the shoulder.

"Yes, Ma'am," He smirked, holding his hands up in mock defence before they began their walk to the outhouse.

Andrea let out an audible sigh as soon as she noticed them coming, knowing exactly what Shane would suggest. She took a step closer to the locked door behind her, remembering how Dale had all but ordered her to protect Randall if Shane tried anything. She just wasn't expecting Kari to be at his side.

"I don't want any trouble," Andrea stated.

"Why's everyone saying that as soon as they clock me?" Shane huffed, making Kari snort.

"Yeah, I wonder," She mumbled, her head snapping up when she heard a voice from inside the barn.

No. Two voices. Shane was the first to jump into action, having wrenched the outhouse door open in a split second, his gun raised. He was taken aback momentarily when he saw it was Carl interrogating their new prisoner. He then reached out and shoved Carl behind him, taking a protective stance.

"What the hell are you doing in here? What did you say to him?" Shane questioned, anger rising in his voice with every syllable.

"I didn't say nothing," Randall retorted, backing up against the wall.
"Hey, hey. I will shoot you where you stand," Shane spat out, charging at the boy, grabbing him by his neck, before shoving his loaded gun in his face. Andrea and Kari were quick to rush in, as the former tried to shield Carl from Shane's actions. "Open your mouth. Open your mouth. You like talking, man? You like talking?!" Shane yelled, pressing his gun so hard against Randall's mouth he could hear how his teeth starting to strain.

"Shane!"

Kari's shout was enough to have Shane freezing, glancing behind his shoulder, but his grip on Randall's neck remained. He wanted nothing more than to empty his magazine in Randall's face. He felt Kari reaching for his back, her fingers grabbing a fistful of shirt and giving a hard tug.

"Not in front of Carl," She hissed, quietly, finally getting through to him.

With a cold gaze, he placed his gun back in its holster and set his sight on the boy in question. A flash of guilt was visible on his face when he noticed how Carl flinched as he approached him. Nonetheless, he grabbed Carl's shoulder and dragged him out of the outhouse, jaw clenched.

"Out. Both of you," Andrea ordered, ushering for Kari to leave too.

"The hell you doing?" Shane muttered, releasing his grip on Carl's collar.

"Please don't tell my parents," Carl begged, as Kari pinched the bridge of her nose.

He clearly had no idea how much danger he had been in, more worried about disappointing his parents. Hell, since she had arrived at camp, the only time she saw Lori with her son was when she was scolding him. Then again, she couldn't imagine having to try raising a child in the shithole world they had found themselves in.

"Carl, that ain't cool, man. You could've gotten hurt in there," Shane pointed out.

"I can handle myself," Carl insisted, as Shane shook his head, ready to go off at the boy.

"Did you not hear what Daryl said this morning? That guy could throw you around like a ragdoll in there, do whatever the fuck he wanted to and you couldn't do shit to stop him. Do you get that? You want to prove that you can handle yourself? Start using your head, Carl," Kari explained.

"I just...I just wanted to see him," Carl retorted, as Kari crouched down in front of him.

"Look, I get it. You want to be included. You just want to help protect the group, right?" Kari asked, as he gave a firm nod. She knew his heart was in the right place, but he still had a child's naivety. "Then you can't do shit like that alone. I know your parents have tried their best to shelter you from all this but man, you have no idea how bad things can get. There are worse things than dying now. Just...talk to your dad, okay? No more going off on your own."

With his bottom lip wobbling, Carl turned on his heel to walk back to the farmhouse, not used to anyone being so brutally honest with him. He didn't get far before Shane spoke up, his voice thick with emotion.

"Carl, quit trying to get yourself killed, man," Shane exclaimed, shakily.

He loved the boy like his own, anyone could see that. So, Kari had no idea how he thought he could ever leave Carl behind. Where did that leave her?

Kari leaned against a bookcase behind her, stretching her neck as the group slowly filled out the room. It was almost dusk and they had a decision to make. Kari met Shane's eyes from across the room, both knowing all too well where the other stood. She felt someone shift behind her, glancing back to find Daryl standing close behind her, shooting her something akin to a smile. In a hushed voice, she leaned in closer to whisper to him.

"How's the hand?" She inquired, glad to see no blood on the bandages.

"Stings like a bitch," He huffed, before pursing his lips, clearly debating whether to say what was on the hip of his tongue. He tilted his head to the side and spoke low. "Not so bad now. You ain't bad at this nursing shit."

"I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me," Kari replied, with a teasing grin.

And for the second time that day, Daryl laughed. He might have tried to cover it up with a cough, but she saw the way his lips grew into a smile behind his hand. Turning her attention back to the group, she found it difficult to not share the expression.

After a few minutes of listening to the group debate over Randall's fate, her mood was quick to shift. She had no hatred for Randall, but she couldn't understand how it was even a question what they should do with him. Maybe it wasn't just Carl who had become sheltered, she mused.

"Look, say we let him join us, right? Maybe he's helpful, maybe he's nice. We let our guard down and maybe he runs off, brings back his 30 men," Shane pointed out, as a few from the group began nodding.

"So, the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime that he may never even attempt? If we do this, we're saying there's no hope. Rule of law is dead. There is no civilization!" Dale argued, passionately.

"Oh, my God. Look, I'll give you an ultimatum, Rick. He dies, or I'm gone. Kari too," Shane announced, as everyone's eyes snapped to his.

"What?" Rick frowned, dumbfounded by what Shane was suggesting.

"We're leaving. Ya'll can make good with this guy if you want. But let me tell you something, you best start digging your graves at the same time. I ain't staying to watch," Shane explained, as Kari cast a look at Daryl, who was the only one in the group whose attention wasn't on Shane.

For just a moment, she could swear there was a flash of hurt in his eyes, but he immediately masked it. With a clenched jaw, he turned his gaze to the wooden floorboards, arms crossed over his chest, looking ready to bolt out the door. What the fuck was Shane thinking?

"This true?" Rick asked, twisting around to look at Kari.

"...We spoke about. But that's all. Nothing's decided," Kari stated, giving Shane an angry look.

"This is insane. You've known her, for what? A couple weeks? Now you're just gonna' run off together?" Lori scoffed, with a shake of her head.

"Jesus, it is not like that. Don't twist my words," Kari argued, as Lori let out a bitter laugh.

"Actions speak louder than words, sweetheart," Lori said, condescendingly, making Kari's blood boil.

"And remind me, Lori...how long after finding out your husband was gone did you start fucking him?" Kari questioned, before the whole room descended into chaos.

Dale through his hands up in the air, as the group continued yelling at each other, some stating Kari needed to back off, whilst others seemed to readily agree with her statement. It was Carol who finally brought them back to the matter at hand, as she stepped forward, having been silent up until then.

"Stop it! Just stop it. I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting. I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide, either of you, both of you, but leave me out," Carol announced, with tears in her eyes.

"Not speaking out or killing him yourself-There's no difference," Dale suggested, as Rick held his hand out to stop him.

"All right, that's enough. Anybody who wants the floor before we make a final decision has the chance," Rick went on.

"Look, I know that I'm not a part of this group. And you guys don't really know me," Kari began, shooting Lori a look, not willing to be interrupted. The group needed to hear the truth. "Things aren't like they used to be. You fight, or you die. You kill, or you die. Everyone has a choice, but it's one or the other. There's no middle ground anymore. It's him...or you," Kari exclaimed, noticing how over half the group nodded in agreement.

"Rick, you once said that we don't kill the living," Dale argued.

"Well, that was before the living tried to kill us."

"But don't you see? If we do this, the people that we were, the world that we knew is dead. And this new world is ugly. It's...harsh. It's...it's survival of the fittest. And that's a world I don't wanna live in, and I don't believe that any of you do. I can't. Please. Let's just do what's right. Isn't there anybody else who's gonna stand with me?" Dale all but begged, but it was only Andrea who he got through to.

"He's right. We should try to find another way," Andrea nodded, as Shane shook his head from behind her.

"Anybody else?" Rick asked, only to be met by tense silence.

Kari glanced at Dale, who brushed away a tear that began to roll down his cheek. She felt for him, but she knew in her gut he was wrong. The world had changed too much.

"Are y'all gonna watch, too? No, you'll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we're slaughtering a human being. I won't be a party to it," Dale muttered, before heading toward the door. He stopped in front of Daryl, reaching out for his shoulders with a sad expression.
"This groupisbroken," Dale stated, as they shared a look of understanding.

As soon as Dale had exited the room, Kari turned to face Daryl fully, her lips parting, ready to try to explain what Shane had said. But Daryl was marching out of the room before she had the chance, shoving the screen door open angrily. She had well and truly fucked things up.

It was dark by the time Rick, Shane and Daryl came for Randall, who was none the wiser to what was coming. Andrea had been instructed to keep watch on him that evening, but it appeared she had a helper. Daryl ignored Kari as Shane strolled forward to begin untying Randall from where he was bound against the wall. Kari decided not to give him a choice in the matter.

"Can we talk after this?" Kari questioned, approaching him, speaking in a hushed tone. Daryl gave her no reply, still refusing to look at her. "What, you're giving me the silent treatment now? C'mon, you knew I was planning to leave. And after that shit, it probably ain't be with him," Kari huffed.

"You mind doing this later?" Rick grumbled, as Shane started shoving Randall outside.

"I figured you could use a hand watching him," Kari stated, as Rick's brow furrowed.

"You don't need to see this," He pointed out.

"No. Dale's right. I pushed for this. I'm not gonna' hide from it," Kari answered, as Daryl finally looked at her, his expression masked.

"Alright. Alright, fine. Just...keep back," Rick advised, as she nodded.

With a shake of his head, Daryl marched forward and grabbed a fistful of Randall's shirt, dragging him toward the barn. Kari wasn't sure if he had heard what that had been saying, but from the silence of the group, he clearly realised nothing good was about to happen.

"Hold on. Hold on. Hold on," He repeated, as Daryl shoved him into the barn, with the others close on his heel.

"Put him there."

"Hey, wait!" Randall cried, as Shane suddenly grabbed him from behind, a blindfold in his hands.

"It's all gonna' be over soon," Shane murmured, coldly, covering up Randall's eyes, more for Rick's benefit than anything else.

"What? What's gonna be over soon?" Randall stuttered, beginning to panic. Shane tried shushing him, but it only seemed to increase Randall's sobbing, as the realisation of his fate suddenly hit him.

"Would you like to stand or kneel?" Rick spoke up.

"Oh, no, please. Please—" Randall begged, as Daryl kicked his feet out from under him, grabbing his hair and shoving him to the ground.

It was clear he was still angry about the events of the day, starting to pace around as Rick took his gun from his holster. He was doing his best to appear confident, but doubts were starting to seep in. Shane's steady gaze on him pushed him forward.

"Do you have any final words?" Rick questioned.

"No, please. Please don't. Don't," Randall pleaded, as Kari found herself feeling strangely unaffected.

She remembered what Daryl had said. Knew what Randall's group had done, and what they would do. It was him or them. She repeated those words as Rick to the safety off his gun and raised it to Randall's skull.

"Do it, dad."

Kari whipped around to find Carl standing in the barn doorway, a cold expression on his young face. One far too mature for his age. Rick noticed this too, as his grip on his gun faltered. Shane rushed forward, trying to contain his anger as he approached the boy.

"Are you kidding me? What'd I say to you? What did I say to you?" Shane muttered, taking hold of Carl and pulling him toward the exit.

Rick's gaze darted between the blindfolded man and his son, his hand shaking more violently. Kari closed her eyes when she saw him lower his gun, knowing what it would mean. But she couldn't blame Rick. He was thinking of his son.

"Take him away," Rick sighed, as Daryl stayed still for a moment, not sure if he agreed with their leader, but he chose not to argue.

"Get up," He said, pulling Randall to his feet.

From across the barn, Kari caught Shane's eye. And she knew one thing for sure in that moment.

He was going to kill Randall.

It was cold that night as Kari walked through the dark fields surrounding the farm, the only light coming from the moon. She had already been searching for Dale for some time, not sure what she was going to say. Show her sympathy for his cause or warn him of what Shane would undoubtedly do next? Perhaps she just wanted to get away from the tense atmosphere of the farmhouse—

A sharp shout had her head snapping up, her heart beginning to race as her adrenaline kicked in. Her legs were rushing forward before her mind had time to catch up. It didn't take her long to find who had cried out, soon spotting Dale on his back wrestling with a walker...and two dead men fast approaching. Setting off in a sprint, she grabbed one of her daggers and sent it hurtling through the air. She was glad to see the sharp instrument hit its mark, as the first walker fell to the ground. The other walker turned to her, its arms outstretched, as she was quick to duck under its arms. With its back to her, she grabbed her other dagger, and sent it through the back of the walker's neck, up into its skull. Panting for breath, she twisted around to see Dale was losing his fight against the walker on top of him. She wasn't sure how long he had been fighting, but she could see he had lost his strength.

"No! No!" Dale cried, as the walker leaned down, its mouth right above his neck.

Just in the nick of time, Kari reached down to grab the walker by its shoulders, giving as hard a tug as she could, stopping the walker from advancing. But it was strong. She weighed barely a hundred and twenty pounds and the creature trying to set its teeth into Dale was twice her size. Her fingertips dug into its rotten skin, finding the flesh came away in her hand, as she started to lose her grip. She glanced behind her, her dagger only a few metres away still pierced through the first walker's skull. She pulled back for a moment, planning to grab the dagger, but Dale's wail stopped her in her tracks as she saw the walker's mouth just inches from his skin now. She tried grab the walker by the nape of it's neck instead, but all she managed to do was pull strips of flesh away. The walker was too rotten to get a good hold of, and she couldn't reach her dagger before it bit him.

"Oh, fuck it," She muttered, before leaning down and shoving her forearm in front of the walker's waiting teeth.

Instinctively, the dead man sunk its teeth into her skin, as she let out a cry of pain. With the distraction of her warm flesh, it stopped pulling against her, and by wrapping her other arm around its shoulders, she finally managed to tug the walker away from Dale. She fell onto her back, as the walker ripped away a chunk of skin, causing blood to splatter onto her shirt. With gritted teeth, she grabbed a fistful of what was left of the walker's hair and began pummelling its head into the ground until it went still. Letting out a moan of pain, she brought her bleeding arm up to her chest, her vision going black for a second.

"Kari!"

Daryl's voice broke through her hazy mind as she pushed herself up to see him sprinting over to them. She was quick to roll down the sleeve of her plaid shirt, wincing as she noticed blood immediately started seeping through. How was she going to—

"No...no, no," She gaped, when she looked back to Dale to see the blood seeping out of his chest.

She had been so focused on the walker's mouth, she had forgotten about the damage its sharp fingernails could do. She collapsed down beside Dale, who was panting for air, his guts spilt out onto the grass. She reached out to his stomach, her hands hovering above his wounds. There was no way she could save him. Even if she could somehow perform the surgery, he was infected.

"I'm...I'm sorry," She stuttered, noticing how Dale's eyes were on her arm, as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Even as he lay dying, he was worried about her. A girl he barely knew. At the very least, she could console him on that.

"It's okay. It's okay. I've been bitten before. The bite won't kill me. Don't worry about me," She whispered, watching as Dale's eyes widened, before a pained look of understanding flashed over his features.

Rushing footsteps caught her attention, as she looked up to see Daryl all but throwing himself to the ground. His hand was cupping her cheek a second later, his eyes full of concern, when he noticed the blood on her shirt.

"Hey, hey. Are you hurt?" He asked, in a panic, reaching out with his other hand to touch her face.

"I'm...okay. I...I tried to..." Kari stuttered, close to hyperventilating as Daryl nodded.

He was then pulling her close, as she all but collapsed against him, her fingers reaching for the back of his shirt. His hand moved to cradle the back of her head, whilst his other hand waved over to the rest of the group that was running toward them. She dropped her chin onto his shoulder, as he felt her tremble against him, his hand still stroking through her hair softly.

"Over here! Hurry!" Daryl called out, as half the group crowded around them seconds later.

Kari pulled herself away from his embrace, holding her arm close to her chest, trying her best to hide it from the others. Daryl's hand moved from her hair to her shoulder, his hold on her firm, as they lay in a heap on the grass beside Dale. She turned back to the dying man, feeling her eyes well with tears. He didn't deserve it. No one did.

"Alright, just listen to my voice. Okay, hold on now. Get Hershel! He needs blood. We gotta' operate now," Rick cried, as he cradled Dale's pale face.

"Dale, we're gonna help. We're here," Glenn insisted, as they all crouched down beside him.

"Kari, what do we do? Kari!" Rick exclaimed, when he noticed how she had stayed quiet.

She tried to find the words, but nothing came out. All she could do was shake her head firmly, as Rick realised what she meant.

"No!" He sobbed, a mixture of sadness and anger as he pushed himself to his feet.

"There has to be something! Hershel, can't we...can't we move him?" Andrea pleaded, as the veterinarian approached.

"He won't make the trip."

Dale's moans of pain grew louder, as Kari couldn't even begin to imagine how much pain he was in. His blood spurted out of his stomach, organs slowly seeping out as his lungs filled up with blood. Kari turned back to Daryl, as they shared a wordless exchange. He knew what needed to be done.

"Oh, God. He's suffering," Andrea wept, as Daryl stood up.

Kari flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder suddenly, as Shane kneeled in front of her. He was looking her over for wounds, fear clear in his eyes when he saw the blood on the sleeve of her shirt.

"You okay? Let me look at you. You hurt?" Shane insisted, reaching for her arm, causing her to pull back.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," She repeated, nodding vehemently as she tried to convince herself it was true.

"C'mon, let's get you up. Careful, now," Shane said, softly as he brought his arm around her waist and hauled her up onto her feet.

She leaned on him for support, the shock of the last few minutes leaving her weak. Shane's grip on her waist tightened, his eyes darting down to her arm every few seconds, as he tried his best not to panic. He wasn't sure what the hell he was going to do if she was lying about not being hurt.

"Do something! Please!" Andrea pleaded, bringing their attention back to Dale.

Rick appeared close to collapsing as he took his gun out for the second time that night, a sob leaving his lips as his eyes connected with Dale's. A hand was then reaching for his. Daryl took the gun from him, as Rick shook, looking down at the ground, ashamed he couldn't do it. The group all turned away as Daryl knelt in the mud beside the injured man, lining up the shot. With his finger on the trigger, his gaze snapped up when he felt eyes on him. The slight tremor in his hand disappeared when she gave him a reassuring nod, reminding him why he had to kill the man. It was mercy.

"I'm sorry, brother," Daryl announced, as Dale's lips pulled into something akin to a smile and he pulled the trigger.

And for the first time, Kari felt that she was looking at the real Daryl.