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The group was silent except for the soft cries coming from Carol who was being consoled by Lori. The Grimes woman herself wanted to break down at the thought of both her husband and daughter out in the woods but she was trying to be strong. She knew Rick wouldn't let anything happen to Sophia let alone their own child. She just had to be patient. She knew they'd be back.
But as the minutes passed by without any sign of the missing three the group was getting more and more worried.
Especially, Shane, who had to be physically restrained by Glenn and Daryl when he found out that Cali had taken off into the woods. His first instinct was to go after her but the group argued Rick had it handled. They didn't need one person running around lost in the woods let alone four.
So Shane was stuck there, leaning against the barrier staring into the woods, waiting for the woman he loved to come back to him.
He knew Cali was smart and that she could handle herself if she needed to but he also knew how she was. Cali would sacrifice herself for Sophia if it came to it and that's what he was afraid of.
The teen was a lot like her father that way.
The Walsh man was just praying Cali would be selfish for once and value her life over others because he knew if he had to choose between her and Sophia, he'd choose and her.
And he could care less if that made him a bad person.
When the group heard rusting coming from the woods they all jumped to attention, ready to welcome back their missing members.
Shane felt a spark of hope as he saw a figure emerging from the trees but that hope was as gone almost as quickly as it appeared. The person who made it back was a Grimes but not the Grimes he was dying to see.
"Where is she?" Carol exclaimed.
Rick paused as he was about to climb over the barrier looking around the group for the girls, more specifically Cali. "They're not back?"
"What do you mean they're not back?" Shane cut in before even thinking about it. "Shouldn't they be with you?"
"Oh god..." Rick trailed off, his heart sinking at the realization that his daughter was still out there with only a knife to protect herself.
"Rick... where are they?" Lori moved towards her husband not liking the noticeable panic on his usually stony face.
"I-I had to lead the walkers away..." He stuttered out not making eye contact with anyone.
"You left her!" Carol gasped a new wave of sobs racking her petite frame. "She's just a little girl!"
"I'm sure he didn't have a choice. Right?" The Grimes woman tried to assure her friend looking at her husband for confirmation. "Right Rick?"
"I left her with Cali. I told them to head straight back if I couldn't make it back to them."
"How could you just leave them?" Shane scoffed.
"I didn't have a choice!" Rick snapped shocking everyone who was used to seeing him be calm and collected. "You honestly think I'd leave my own daughter out there if I could help it?"
Shane was about to say something else but was cut off by a voice that belonged to the little boy peeking out from behind his mother.
"Are they going to be okay? I don't want to lose Cali!" Carl cried causing Lori to kneel in front of her son and pull him into a hug.
"I'm sure they're just fine buddy." Shane sighed hating to see the boy who reminded him so much of Cali upset. "You're sisters tough. I'm sure she's taking good care of herself and Sophia.
"Shane's right." Lori nodded wiping her sons cheeks. "Your dad is going to take a group and go right back and find them. Okay? And Cali and Sophia can tell you all about their adventure in the woods and how strong they are."
"Yeah." Rick nodded, noticing the pleading look in his wife's eyes as she turned to look at him.
