"Are we really standing around talking about killing somebody?"

The sun was setting and everyone was gathered in the den of the farmhouse discussing Randall's sentencing. The way it looked, the death penalty had the most votes. Dale was beside himself. The group was split—some, headed by Shane, were for it outright, while others, like Maggie, hoped to keep Randall prisoner until something else could be decided. Rick was trying to be diplomatic about the whole thing. Daryl hovered in the background, only catching Jules's eye every now and then. She slipped behind Lori and went to his side, silently and subtly twining her fingers with his. Dale saw her move and zeroed in on her.

"What about you? Julia, you can't honestly be okay with this?"

"It's not up to me," she said. "Do I think he poses a threat to this group? Absolutely. If he hadn't skewered himself on that fence, he and his buddies would have taken off without a look back, just marauding wherever they went. If they'd killed Glenn that night, or Rick, or Hershel, they wouldn't have cared, and if they'd have gotten to me, it've been worse. That much we know straight from the boy's mouth. Now, I ain't saying we kill him, but I definitely think the sooner we get him off this farm, the better."

Everyone started talking at once before Carol interrupted, insisting on being left out of the decision. Dale pointed at her. "Not speaking out or killing him yourself, there's no difference. Isn't anyone going to stand with me on this?"

Jules chewed the inside of her cheek. She looked up at Daryl and squeezed his hand before addressing the group. "There has to be some way to get him out and away from here without killing him." She looked at Rick, then at Shane. "Maybe the next trip won't be so full of conflict?" She nodded at Dale. "I say we give it another couple of days and try to work something out."

"Thank you."

"He's right, we should try something else," Andrea said.

"Anybody else?" When no one else spoke up, Rick faced Dale. With a few final words of moral condemnation, Dale swept from the room. He stopped next to Daryl and squeezed his shoulder.

"This group is broken."

"What was that about?" Jules asked. Daryl just shook his head.

"Daryl?" Rick called. "You, me, and Shane, we'll deal with it, alright?"

"When you wanna do it?" he asked, his voice heavy.

"Now's as gooda time as any," Shane said.

"Just like that? Man, at least Rick and Daryl are showing a little bit of trepidation about killing this guy." Jules raked a disgusted glance over Shane, making no bones about the fact that she despised him. "I hope you do a better job of this one than you did last time you led an execution, Shane."

"That's enough," Daryl said quietly. He nodded to Rick before laying a hand on her shoulder. "Stay in the house, a'ight?"

She nodded and watched him leave. Maggie looped her arm through Jules's as the door shut. "He's doing what needs to be done, for the good of the group."

"Yeah, but what about his good?"

"Hey up there."

"Hey down there," Jules said, peering over the edge of the roof at Daryl. She sat on the ledge as she'd done since she was seven, letting her feet dangle and leaning back to appreciate the stars. "Is it done?"

Daryl shook his head. "Keeping him in the shed for now. Rick's telling the others. His kid followed us, wanted to see. Ain't right, a kid seeing that sorta thing, even in this world. So we're waiting." He tucked a hand into his pocket and shuffled, swinging his lantern nervously. "You wanna come down?"

"You wanna come up?" She smiled and patted the rooftop next to her. "Just step on the banister, then the limb there, then swing yourself up."

"I ain't no squirrel. Why don't you come on-"

A blood-curdling scream split the night and Jules bolted upright. "What is it?"

"I don't know. Get inside the house and stay there, Julia." He took off toward the sound, his lantern blinking in the darkness. Jules leapt off the roof, snagging the limb and swinging to the ground before following him. More screams, more cries filled the air. Other voices joined in, calling for Dale.

"Oh my God!"

A walker lay on top of Dale. Jules couldn't see if he'd been bitten yet. She didn't have a weapon. In her panic, she'd left without one. She'd grown complacent, forgetting the threat that lurked in the darkness for the one that lurked in the light. Daryl tackled the walker off Dale, making her heart stop as he grappled with it. He slid his knife through its head and tossed the body aside, returning to Dale just as she reached him. The walker had ripped the old man open, his stomach was now a gaping hole.

"Help! Hey, over here!" Daryl stood, waving to the others.

Jules knelt beside Dale, stroking his forehead. "It's okay. You're gonna be okay." She attempted to smile reassuringly, but a sob bubbled out before she could stop it. "You're gonna be okay." Rick and the others appeared, and everyone clamoured around. "Get Uncle Hershel." Rick called for Hershel and a moment later her uncle appeared. He took a look at Dale and met her eyes. Jules stood and walked a few feet away, tuning out the background noise of tears and pleas and shouts of anger. She covered her face with her hands and cried without making one single sound.

"He's suffering,"Andrea said. Jules wiped her eyes and looked back at the group in time to see Rick draw his pistol. "Do something!"

"Come on," Shane said quietly.

"Putting it on someone else again, huh, Shane?" Jules whispered as she passed. He heard her, she could tell by the way he tensed. She knelt on the other side of Dale and took his hand. She reached across with her other hand and laid it on Andrea's shoulder. Rick pointed the gun at Dale's head and Andrea turned away, curling in on herself and crying. Jules looked up at Rick, waiting for the killshot while Dale's blood-slicked fingers convulsed around her own.

After a drawn out moment, Daryl approached the former sheriff and eased the gun from his grasp. He didn't look at Jules, but he felt her eyes on him as he took a knee next to Dale's head. He peripherally caught sight of the moonlight reflecting on the fat tears that started rolling down Jules's cheeks. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he held the end of the .357 over Dale's forehead and tried to ignore the pain-filled, frightened eyes darting wildly beneath unruly eyebrows.

"Sorry, brother."

The gunshot exploded amidst the soft sobs of the women and the quiet misery of the men.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know what you might be thinking-"Um, Lorien? There's no sex in this story." I know, right? I just couldn't find a good sexin' spot. lol Still, stay tuned, dear readers. If it's the secks you want, the secks you shall have. I have a scene I took out of this that I'm gonna post by itself. I just thought it would be better if this story wasn't like, angst - angst - angst - SEX OUTTA NOWHERE - angst - angst.

Thanks for reading anyway! Until next time, kisses and cake to all!