(1) Vita Brevis (D. Dixon)

Chapter Three

Catelyn sticks to the back of the group of survivors as they make their way through the woods, keeping to herself, she has no interest in playing nice with strangers, but Marie is walking with Carol and Lori, talking about Sophia, about what she looks like, about what happened. The mother in Marie has been tugged at, she couldn't save Tali, she couldn't save Catelyn, but she can try and help them save Sophia. Even if it is a long shot. Catelyn knows that Marie will be crushed if they don't find her because it will be a reminder that she failed them. The further away from the church they get, the more Carol seems to slow. Each step she takes feels like lead as all that hope seeps out of her. She sits on a fallen tree, causing the rest of the group to slow and stop to turn to her. Catelyn takes a few steps away from them, leaning against a tree to watch them.

"So this is it?" Carol asks them. "This the whole plan?"

"I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups#" Daryl mumbles, more to himself. Though technically, with Marie and Catelyn they are actually only short one person.

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks" Andrea adds at his side and then gives Lori a look. "I see you have a gun" Lori gives her a look back before she pulls out the gun and moves towards the blonde.

"Why, you want it? Here, take it. I'm sick of the looks you're giving me" Lori holds out the gun towards Andrea who glances at it before she takes it. "All of you" Lori scoffs and Catelyn raises an eyebrow, Lori gives her a look to assure her that she doesn't mean her and Marie, they've literally just got here. Lori then turns to Carol and crouches with her. "Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through. And I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him" Carol looks away from her with the blame. Lori stands and turns to the rest of the group. "When Sophia ran he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second. I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did or made the hard decisions that he had to make or that anybody could have done it any differently. Anybody? Y'all look to him and then you blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you" Andrea hands the gun back to Lori.

"We should keep moving" Andrea offers quieter, a little more subdued now. Lori has made her point. The group move on, a little slower this time as they contemplate what Lori said. Lori moves closer to Catelyn, who barely glances her way.

"Your dad's doing his best" Lori offers Catelyn who turns to her and raises an eyebrow. Unsure where she gets off talking to her about Rick like this. "It's hard but..."

"Rick's not my dad" Catelyn stops her. Firmly. She doesn't feel that connection with him. "He may have knocked up my mom and I may come from his hairy ball sack, but he is not my dad" She stalks off into the trees, Marie lets out a breath and moves to Lori who looks at her sadly.

"She's...." She struggles to give an excuse without explaining why Catelyn is that way. She doesn't like men and she does still blame Rick, and whilst she does blame Marie too, her mother was a victim too.

"Rick regrets it, you know" Lori admits. "He tried when she was thirteen, and when she was sixteen, he tried to get in touch again, he wanted to put it right..."

"Things were...complicated" Marie offers and draws her finger over her cast. "Jack was..." Lori nods a little, seemingly understanding what she's trying to say, but she's spent time with Carol and her husband, and they've seen that sort of behaviour first-hand. If Lori actually knows what Marie is implying, Marie doesn't know. She hopes not. She doesn't want it getting back to Rick. She doesn't want him to feel bad for what they went through. It's not his fault, but she knows Rick will blame himself. Suddenly a gunshot permeates the air, echoing around them. Catelyn instantly pulls her bow up and knocks an arrow.