Not Alone ✔

Ch. 63 - Group Is Broken

Daryl

I walked out of the house when Hershel and Anna began talking. Figured the two needed time to talk about this alone. I was back at mine and Anna's tent away from the others when I heard footsteps walking towards me. I looked up expecting it to be Anna but it's Dale instead. "What's the point of coming up here is to get away from you people," I said as I went back to doing what I had been doing before he walked up. "Gonna take more than that," Dale said as he came to a stop, "where's Anna?" "She's up at the house talkin' to her uncle," I said, "what ya need Dale? Carol send ya or something?" "Carol ain't the only one worried about you," he said, "and your new role in the group."

"This group's broken," I said not even glancing up at him, "better off fending for myself." "You act like you don't care," he said. "That's cause I don't," I said as I reached for my vest with the angel wings on it. "So live or die you don't care about what happens to Randall," he asked. "Nope," I said looking back at him. "Then why not you stand with me," he asked as I looked over at him, "try to save the kid's life if it doesn't matter one way or the other?" I glanced behind him when I heard another set of footsteps, this time it was Anna. "Because I gotta look after my own," I said looking from Anna to him, "I didn't peg you for a desperate son of a bitch."

"You're opinion makes a difference," Dale said still holding his ground as Anna drew closer to us, I didn't want her hearing this conversation. "Man ain't nobody looking at me for nothin'," I said grabbing my crossbow as Anna and I were gonna go out hunting when she came back out. "Anna does," he said, "and I am, right now. And you obviously have Rick's ear." "Rick just looks to Shane," I snapped as Anna got closer, "let him." "You cared about what happened to Sophia," he said raising his voice, "cared what it meant to the group." I looked back behind him to Anna, she had stopped walking by now, she could hear what he was saying. "Torturing people," he said shaking his head, "that isn't you. You're a decent man! Hell the first one to see it had to be Anna! So is Rick. Shane is different."

"Why's that," Anna asked as she finished walking over to us, startling Dale, "'cause he killed Otis?" "He tell you that," Dale asked walking forward. "Told some story," I said, "how Otis covered him, saved his ass." "He showed up with Otis' gun," Anna said as I glanced to her. "Rick ain't stupid," I said turning my attention back to Dale, "if he didn't figure that out it's 'cause he didn't wanna. It's like I said, group's broken. That's my final word on this. C'mon Anna, let's go." I turned around and looked to Anna to see her nod then walk after me as we left Dale standing there. I turned my attention to the woods as I heard Dale's retreating footsteps and Anna's following right behind me.

"What was that about," Anna asked as I glanced back at her. "Dale wanted me to help stand with him," I said looking back ahead of me. "With what," she asked. "Bout whether or not Randall should be killed," I said, "ain't up to me. Rather keep my nose out of that." "But what do you think," she asked, "should he be killed or not?" "Ya heard what he said his group did," I said not raising my voice, "I don't want that to happen to ya." "I know Daryl," she whispered as she grabbed ahold of my hand causing me to stop walking and turn back to face her. "What did your uncle wanna talk about," I asked, "after I left out of the kitchen."

"Wants me to move into the house," she whispered looking down at her hands, "because I'm pregnant he wants me closer to him. Said you could come to when I told him I wasn't moving anywhere without you. But it also wouldn't be fair to the group." "Ya tell him that," I asked knowing she did. "Yeah," she said nodding, "he said he'd be moving them in soon anyway with the winter fast approaching. What should we do Daryl?" "It's your decision," I said placing my hand under her chin and lifting her head up to look at me. "I think we should wait," she whispered, "at least until he moves everyone else in. I don't want it to look like he's giving me special treatment when everyone doesn't know I'm pregnant and we all seem to know that Lori is." "I can respect that," I said smiling as I leaned forward and gave her a small kiss then pulled back, "let's do a little huntin'."