FALLING APART daryl dixon

t h i r t y - o n e - Survival of the Fittest

When the time came, Rick decided to go with Shane to drop Randall off.

But no longer after that, Rick and Shane return.

With Randall.

Alycia watches as Shane pulls the boy from the back of the Hyundai with a bag thrown over his head and headphones over his ears.

Rick eyes him for a second before approaching his daughter. Her eyes are going between Shane and Randall.

- Why didn't y'all take him all the way out? - She asked.

- He knows where the farm is - He answers.

- How did you know? - She questions.

- Said he went to school with Maggie, we're keepin' him here until we figure out what to do with him.

Alycia nods as she turns the attention back to her father.

- Did you and Shane get into a fight?

Rick looks at her, not realizing how fast she'd made the connection.

- Yeah - Rick nods and decides to tell her the truth about their little field trip.- He tried to kill me.

- What? - Alycia's eyes snap to him. - Why?

- I told him that you are my family. Your mother, your brother, you, the baby. You're my family, not his.

Alycia nods at him, not realizing the gravity of the situation. Shane was definitely out of control.

- I have to ask, did you know? - Rick asked.

Alycia thought for a moment.

How do you tell your father that your mother had an affair? But not really an affair.

- I don't lie to you, dad. We have this agreement, we never talked about it, but, we do - She began to speak and her father nodded in understanding. - I knew my mom and Shane had a thing back in the Quarry, and I never told you because it's your problem, a couple's problem. Mom needed to be the one to tell you, not me - She said.

- Aly...

- No, just let me finish, ok? You don't how everything got so fucked up after you got shot, the world ended, and suddenly she was a widow with two kids, and I know I never made it easy for her, but she's a great mom. She was grieving, and I know that Shane was trying to...

- Get my family - Rick whispered.

- I don't know what changed, but he's different. Colder - Alycia whispered.

- It'll be ok - Rick said.

- I'm sorry, dad - Alycia said.

- Don't apologize, you're right, baby - Rick said, putting his daughter for a hug.

Rick decided after that to take a shower, and so did Shane apparently. As the others gather at the camp, Daryl goes to interrogate the boy.

When the man returns with bloodied knuckles, Alycia just looks up at him.

- You ok? - She asks and everybody turns their focus on them.

- Yeah - He grunts. Almost giving away a small smile for him. - Boy there's a gang, thirty men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't lookin' to make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women - Daryl can't help but cast a glance at Alycia. - They're gonna - They're gonna wish they were.

She shuffles on her feet, looking down at her boots.

She knows exactly what he means.

- What did you do? - Carol asks him.