before her as she picked at her dirty nails. The fire her father made was thankfully radiating enough heat to keep the group warm enough, but the odd shiver still wracked the small girl's body now and then.

"We're not safe with him." Carol's small voice made Addy's head turn to look at the woman as she spoke.

"Keeping something like that from us?" She looked over her shoulder, "Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down." Addy liked Carol - she really did, - but she wasn't sure why exactly she was trying to get Daryl to leave the group when Rick hadn't really done anything wrong.

"Nah, Rick's done alright by me." Daryl nodded and threw another stick into the fire, glancing to his left at his daughter, who's blue eyes were concentrated on the dancing flames.

"You're his henchman and Addy's his son's friend. And I'm a burden," The mention of her name made Addy look to her right a Carol, "You deserve better, both of you." Carol glanced at the young girl who was always attached to her father's hip.

"What do you want?" It was a genuine question. Daryl felt as though ever since she lost her daughter Carol had been snaking her way closer and closer to the Dixon's. And even though he had an idea as to why she wanted to care and protect Addy, as much as that got on his nerves, he just wished the goddamn woman would leave him alone.

"A man of honor." Carol replied, her eyes bouncing from Daryl to his daughter.

"Rick has honor." It was enough to make Carol be quiet, so the man didn't push any further. The group sat in silence for a while, save for the Greene's who talked amongst themselves, until a branch snapped in the nearby woods.

"What was that?" Beth spoke nervously as Daryl stood up, the rest of the group following his action in tow.

"Could be anything," the man said nonchalantly, "Could be a racoon, could be a opossum. A Walker."

Carol stood and pulled Addy into her, rubbing her shoulders in a comforting manner, "We need to leave. I mean, what are we waiting for?"

"Which way?"

"It came from over there." Maggie replied, jerking her head in the direction of the noise.

"Back from where we came." Beth said.

"Yeah."

"Last thing we need if for everyone to be running off in the dark," Rick looked around at everyone, but his words were mainly directed at Carol, "We don't have the vehicles. No one's travelling on foot."

"Don't panic." Someone said, Addy couldn't tell who thanks to the loud pounding of her heart in her ears.

"I'm not," Maggie replied, her words coming out strong, "I'm not sitting here waiting for another herd to blow through. We need to move, now."

"No one is going anywhere." Addy could tell Rick was getting annoyed and was trying his best to keep in his anger and frustration.

"Do something." Carol hissed, pulling Addy closer into her protectively.

"I am doing something," Rick snapped, though his voice still remained somewhat quiet, "I'm keeping this group together, alive. I've been doing that all along no matter what. I didn't ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people for Christ's sake!"

And there it was. Rick snapped and everyone stood in shock with their eyes wide.

"You saw what he was like. How he pushed me, how it compromised us, how he threatened us. He staged the whole Randall thing, led me out to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no choice. He was my friend, but he came after me. My hands are clean!"

Carl started to cry and Addy couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the boy. He had lost his uncle, and Addy knew exactly how that felt.

"Maybe you people are better off without me. Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe - maybe it's just another pipe dream. May - maybe I'm fooling myself again. Why don't you - why don't you go and find out yourself? Send me a postcard!"

Nobody moved an inch,

"Go on, there's the door. You can do better? Let's see how far you can get."

Again, nobody moved or said anything,

"No takers? Fine, but let's get one thing straight, your staying. This isn't a democracy anymore."

A/N,

Yes, I am very aware this chapter is extremely short 😭 I was watching the last episode of season 2 and had reached more than one thousand words so i decided to make a new chapter (this one) but then the episode ended and season three started. Love y'all 😭❤️