EIGHT. the fear of losing you

The warmth from the burning sun cast a shadow of her body against the dirt-covered ground, Adeline Grimes standing next to a disappointed Glenn with a face full of assurance. Just a few feet before them, a few men of the camp (excluding her husband) tore apart the red sports car that the boy had already grown to adore the thrill of. Watching the event with arms crossed over her chest, the blue button-up she wore of Shane Walshs' pressing against her skin with a white tank top underneath. A pair of black jeans tightened around her legs, a constant tenderness that reeked with pain shooting through her ankle every time she wrongly shifted her weight onto it. Thankfully, her bottle of pain pills had been returned to her and she had taken one after she woke up, wrapping the rest of her bandages around the skin. It wasn't much, but it helped her support and immobilize the pain which brought a great amount of relief to her.

"You're Shanes' wife, can't you make them stop?" Glenn questioned, taking her mind off of her ankle and focusing her eyes back to the sleek red car. He turned his head to her, showcasing a set of doe eyes - "Please?"

Adeline smiled softly while slowly patting the boys sweaty back, "I'm sorry buddy. I don't think I have much power here to begin with." She informed, watching the men carry parts back to the RV which according to Dale and Jim, desperately needed them. Before long, her brother approached the two with tired eyes. Glenn looked over to the man who stood next to Adeline with his arms crossed over his chest, copying his sisters pose. "Look at 'em. Vultures." He began, informing Rick of his precious cars' position. "Yeah, go on, strip it clean." Glenn threw his words to the familiar men before him.

"Generators need every drop of fuel they can get. Got no power without it. Sorry, Glenn." Dale apologized, a red fuel can in his hand as he passed by the three adults. Patting the boys back, he sent a friendly nod to Rick and Adeline before trekking past them. "Thought I'd get to drive it at least a few more days," Glenn mumbled, his face drenched in disappointment.

Rick reached over to Glenn, squeezing his shoulder. "Maybe we'll get to steal another someday." He hoped, ruffling his sisters' brunette hair into a mess and walking away to his wife before Adeline had a chance to retaliate against the action. She sighed, running her hand through the tangled locks just as the rumbling of a familiar Jeep rolled up the dirt hill. Caramel eyes searched the vehicle for the face of her husband, eventually landing atop the man who fixated the hat atop his head, "Water's here, y'all. Just a reminder to boil before use." His raspy voice rang through the camp, his wife making her way towards him with a noticeable limp.

Shane noticed the clothing around her arms, a small smile lacing around his lips at the sight of her wearing his clothes once again. "Morning, sleepin' beauty." He greeted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders a pressing a kiss to her temple. Scarlet red flushed her cheeks at the action, her nose scrunching and hands pushing against his chest - "Stop," Adeline protested, a smile failing to leave her lips like scuff marks of chalk against concrete.

Loud screams ripped through the calamity of camp, turning over every stone of peace and switching to chaos. In an instant, Shane carefully tore his arms away from his wife and grabbed his infamous shotgun out of the front seat of his Jeep. "Stay here," He pleaded before taking off in a rushed sprint to the source. But one scream stuck out of the many, the familiar sound of her nephew in fear causing her heart to pound and adrenaline to rush through her veins. Ignoring her husbands' request to stay in camp, nearly every man in camp rushing to the shrubbery in the back of the camp. Her eyes landed upon an elongated fire poker perched against a wooden log. In a pained limp, she wrapped her fingertips around the cool metal and took off in a ragged jog.

Adeline passed women cooped around multiple children, the group including her brothers' wife and son. The assurance that they were okay calmed her heart slightly, but it pounded harshly once again at the sound of muffled grunts and weapons bashing against a body. Pushing past the Harrison sisters, branches brushed against her skin as she limped into the small clearing. Just as her eyes landed upon the walker laying against the ground, Jim stabbed a pitchfork into its back to keep it against the ground. "Adeline, stay back!" The voices of her brother and her husband intertwined, both filled to the brim with a protective layer. Dale raised an ax, swinging it down onto the walkers' head and decapitating it in one swift swing.

The rustle of branches and twigs snapping sent the men on high alert, Shane protectively grabbing Adelines' arm and blocking her body with his. He raised his shotgun, aiming it at the deep forest in front of them. He kept his left hand wrapped around her wrist, making sure she stayed out of view of whatever or whoever, was hidden amidst nature. An unbothered man with a crossbow held tightly in his hand stumbled into the clearing with squinted eyes. He soon became bothered at the sight before him, examining the walkers' headless body, the weapons that were pointed at him falling to sides. "Oh shit," Shane mumbled, his voice being heard by Adeline and Adeline only which led her to believe the man was Daryl Dixon and he had officially returned from his hunt. He stepped to the side, gently tugging Adeline forward and wrapping his arm around her waist, letting her lean her weight against him and off of her ankle.

"Son of a bitch," The man cussed, eyeing the deer on the ground. "That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this..." He stepped to the headless body, throwing kicks into his side at every word that was soon to leave his lips - "Filthy, disease-bearing, motherless, poxy bastard!" The colorful words causing a laugh to stifle inside the throat of Adeline Grimes, her hand reaching to cover her mouth.

Dale sighed at his actions, "Calm down, son. That's not helping." he spoke in attempts to scold him. This only ignited a wave of anger in his stomach, fingers tightening around the hilt of his crossbow as he charged towards the elder. Adeline slowly lifted her fire poker, placing it to separate the two. "What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to On Golden Pond?" Daryl spat, pushing away the metal of Adelines' weapon before turning back to the deer.

"I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison." He informed, recollecting the multiple arrows out of the deers' dead carcass. "What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?" He questioned, looking back to Shane.

Adeline watched as her husband was quick to shake his head in denial at Daryls' proposal, "I would not risk that." his voice was low and raspy in response. Shane kept this hand tightened around his wife's hip, keeping her close to his side which she gratefully accepted due to the hot pain in her ankle.

"That's a damn shame." Daryl sighed, "I got some squirrel - about a dozen or so. That'll have to do." He informed disappointingly while motioning to the string of small animals hanging around his shoulder.

The sound of a prolonged growl and teeth snapping against each other caused Adeline to glance down, her body shifting to the side and gripping her fire poker tightly. As Daryl raised his crossbow, he stopped in his tracks just as the cold metal of Adelines' weapon was imbedded into the walkers' forehead - killing it indefinitely.

A grunt left his lips, lowering his weapon, "At least the woman gots some common sense. It's gotta be the brain." Daryl muttered to the men before pushing past them and deeper into camp - "Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel!" He shouted, slamming realization into the survivors that they had to tell him about his abandoned brother. "Let's stew 'em up." His yells echoed throughout the camp, the ghost of a reply wavering over the survivors alongside guilty minds.

Helping his wife to his Jeep, Shane placed the shotgun back into the car. "Stay this time, will ya?" He requested with a smirky smile. Adeline rolled her eyes jokingly and leaned against the car, the exhaustion from running taking over along with the undeniable pain in her ankle. Grabbing her hand, he squeezed it assuringly before walking over to Daryl - "Hey, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you."

"About what?" He was quick to retort, twisting around on his feet to look at the ex-cop. Shane crossed his arms over his chest, "About Merle. There was a, uh, there was a problem in Atlanta." Adeline watched as her husband informed the brother, catching the stare that Lori held with Shanes movement. "He dead?" Daryl asked, pulling her attention back to him.

Shane sighed, "We're not sure." he muttered while running his fingers through his midnight colored hair.

"He either is or he ain't!" Daryl yelled, taking a sharp step towards Shane with an angered expression. Adeline straightened her spine out, eyes growing cautious at the situation. Rick stepped forward with his hands on his hips, "No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." he announced, taking initiative on the situation.

The southern man furrowed his eyebrows, "Who the hell are you?"

"Rick Grimes."

"Rick Grimes, got something you want to tell me?" Daryl questioned in a snarky tone, his eyes in the shape of sharp daggers cutting into each survivor in the group.

A body leaned against the hood of the Jeep with Adeline, her head turning to take notice of Glenn standing next to her - his eyes trained on the arguing men. Ricks' assertive voice ripped through the tension-filled air, "Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there."

Daryl turned away from the man, his lips pursed in anger. "Hold on, let me process this." He informed, wiping away at his eyes, "You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!" A voice full of cracks and pain raged out of him, Adeline taking notice in the fresh red that rimmed his eyes. Her brother nodded his head in confirmation, which flipped a switch inside of Daryl Dixon. This caused him to swing the string of squirrels towards the man, Rick automatically ducking and avoiding the hit. The dead animals landed a few inches in front of Adeline and Glenn as Shane pushed the emotional man to the ground - the metal of a knife reflecting against the bright sun which alerted the woman.

Taking a step forward to intervene, Glenn was quick to wrap his hand around her forearm and hold her back. Breathing a breath of aggravation, she stayed in her spot. "Watch out for the knife!" Adeline shouted, gritting her teeth and flopping back against the hood of her husbands' Jeep, her warning allowing Rick to grip Daryls' arm and Shane to lock him in a chokehold. "You'd best let me go!" Daryl grunted against her husbands' tight hold. "Nah, I think it's better if I don't." The nonchalant words left Shanes' mouth in a rushed manner

Lowering the struggling man to the ground, he jerked around in the position. "Chokehold's illegal," he informed the ex-cop, Adelines' heart calming and her defense faltering as Glenn let go of her arm. He knew if he hadn't stopped her, Shane would've been on his ass for allowing the girl to get even more hurt than she already was.

"Yeah, you can file a complaint. Come on, man. We'll keep this up all day." Shane retorted, the crease of his elbow resting tightly against Daryl Dixons' neck.

"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic." Rick crouched down, meeting eye level with him. "Do you think we can manage that?" He questioned, tilting his head - "Do you think we can manage that?" He repeated while Adeline watched as Shane tightened his grip against Daryls' neck for an answer.

The man whimpered, refusing to give one. Remembering the moments she spent in the hospital with Rick, not knowing if her brother was dead or alive - it gave her a hint to the emotions that explored through Daryls' mind. Clenching her jaw, she straightened her back and crossed her arms over her chest, "Just give him a break, guys."

At her request, Shane released the man and threw him to the dirt-covered ground. Rick stood to the ground and towered over Daryl, "What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others." He explained to the flustered man, but Adeline was sure that Daryl already knew this.

"It's not Rick's fault. I had the key." T-Dog spoke up, bouncing his leg up and down anxiously. "I dropped it."

"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl retorted, his face a mix of fury and frustration. "Well, I dropped it in a drain," T added in a guilty voice. The man rose from the dirt, a handful of dust in his hand that he whipped against the ground. "If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't."

Daryl resembled the way Adeline had felt when she didn't know wether Rick would survive or not, so stepped towards him with careful eyes. "Maybe you'll find comfort in knowing that T-Dog chained the door leading to the roof, he saved him from the stalkers." She informed, standing between Shane and Rick with careful eyes.

Trust was a hard thing for Adeline to hand out - but she knew what he was feeling, and if there was anyone who would've gave her information to strengthen her confidence in knowing Rick would pull through his coma, Adeline knew she would have been incredibly grateful. Because all she ever wanted was to know the answer.

"It's gotta count for something." Rick backed her up, causing Daryl to tear his eyes away from the ground and setting them to Adeline. Nodding thankfully at her, the woman took notice in the tears that welled up in his eyes. "Hell with the rest of y'all!" He cursed, excluding her from his serpent's tongue. "Tell me where he is, so's I can go get him."

Catching the aggravated stare of Lori, Adeline shifted her eyes away from Daryl and watched the woman. "He'll show you. Isn't that right?" She said in a snarky tone, causing the Grimes sister to furrow her eyebrows and sent an accidental glare Loris' way. Ever since her and her brother had risen from the dead, Adeline had noticed the way the woman was treating her brother.

Rick shifted his stance and placed his hands on his hips, "I'm going back," He announced after a short pause, avoiding the look Adeline and Shane both sent his way.

Adeline felt guilty, she knew with the shape she was in she wouldn't be able to go with her brother and help keep him alive. She wouldn't be there for him, and it would be her first day away from him since the world burned to ashes. The thought of not knowing was what scared her. That fear was one she was new to, a fear so strong that it made her nervous, it made her hands tremble and heart beat rapidly. The last thing she would ever want was to lose her brother, and her mind couldn't confront the fact that that very fear might become true with the world the way it is now.

Time had passed, worries traveled through her mind. Adeline knew she wouldn't be able to convince her brother not to go. They were very alike when it came to stubbornness, when the siblings had their mind set to something, there was no changing what they wanted to do. Sitting tiredly against the cushioned seats around the unlit campfire, Ed took the spot next to her and kicked his legs up on a crate. His choice caused her nose to scrunch up and scooted farther away, the voices of her brother and husband greeted her.

"Could you just - could you throw me a bone here, man?" Shane pleaded, voice full of desperation as Adeline shifted her eyes from the burnt logs and onto the men. "Could you just tell me why? Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?" He questioned, walking closely behind the man with sharp eyes.

Daryl lifted his head from his position next to the unlit campfire, "Hey, choose your words more carefully." he spoke in a threatening tone. Adeline watched the men with cautious eyes, leaning back against the cushioned seats.

"No, I did. Douchebag's what I meant." Shane corrected, his wife sighing deeply and saying his name in a warning way to which he looked back to her with apologetic eyes before turning back to her brother. "Merle Dixon - the guy wouldn't give you a glass of water if you were dying of thirst." He continued with his hands resting against his hips.

Rick looked away, "What he would or wouldn't do doesn't interest me. I can't let a man die of thirst - me. Thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being." he let the group know of his good heart and walked towards the man with a crossbow.

"So, you and Daryl? That's your big plan?" Lori questioned her husbands method with squinted eyes, hand pressed against her forehead to block out the blinding sun.

At that, Rick turned on his feet and looked behind him where Glenn Rhee stood with a bored expression. That soon turned into a taken aback one, eyes wide and back straightening as Rick looked at him expectingly. "Oh, come on." He whined in protest.

"You know the way. You've been there before - in and out, no problem. You said so yourself. It's not fair of me to ask, I know that, but I'd feel a lot better with you along." Rick explained himself, glancing over to his sister to strengthen his reasons - "I know Adeline would too." He spoke, knowing of the liking Glenn had taken towards his sister and using it to his advantage.

Shane sighed deeply and ran a hand through his sweaty hair, "That's just great. Now you're gonna risk three men, huh?" He questioned, placing his hat against his head with a frustrated face. "Four." The voice of T-Dog corrected him, determined look lacing his features.

A scoff left the mouth of Daryl Dixon as he turned back to the arrow he was cleaning in his hands, "My day just gets better and better, don't it?" He spoke aloud, making sure his words were heard around the camp.

"You see anybody else here stepping up to save your brother's cracker ass?" T-Dog questioned, crossing his arms over his chest with sharpened eyes. "Why you?" Daryl was quick to retort, receiving a short answer from the man - "You wouldn't even begin to understand. You don't speak my language." He informed lowly.

Adeline stretched her legs out in front of her, careful to avoid the ankle that currently had only a sore feeling, and she wasn't looking to worsen it. "That's four." She spoke, growing more confident in her brothers return.

"It's not just four. You're putting every single one of us at risk. Just know that, Rick. Come on, you saw that walker. It was here. It was in camp. They're moving out of the cities. They come back, we're gonna need every able body we've got. We need 'em here. We need 'em to protect camp." Shane forced his words upon the ears of many, frustration bubbling up in his skin. The last thing he wanted was to put the woman he loved in danger, the people he had kept alive throughout the end of the world all to be risked for one man that never helped with the process.

Rick stepped closer to him, "It seems to me what you really need most here are more guns." he guessed - reminding Adeline of the bag of guns they had dropped alongside her own that was full of medical supplies. Things that would keep them alive. At this, she stood up and slipped by Daryl - "And my bag. I grabbed a lot of shut from the hospital before we left, that stuff would save us. Pills, bandages, things that would keep us alive." She supported her brothers trip to the city, careful to avoid the eyes of Shane.

"And six shotguns, two high-powered rifles, over a dozen handguns. I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left. I dropped the bags in Atlanta when we got swarmed, it's just sitting there on the street, waiting to be picked up." Rick informed his best-friend with confident eyes, waiting for his response.

Shane switched his stare from Adeline to Rick, "Ammo?"

The man nodded in confirmation, "700 rounds, assorted."

"You went through hell to find us. You just got here and you're gonna turn around and leave?" Lori inquired, an offended tone lacing her words. Carl nodded in agreement to his mother, "Dad, I don't want you to go." he pleaded.
"To hell with the guns and medicine. Shane is right. Merle Dixon? He's not worth one of your lives, even with guns and bandaids mixed in. Tell me. Make me understand." Lori snapped, causing Adeline to sigh deeply and roll her eyes before looking away to the ground as Rick walked over to her.

After he had finally convinced his wife to let him leave, Adeline contemplated on saying goodbye to the others that were leaving. Getting attached to people was one thing she hated doing to herself, because it made her worried. And she didn't want to be worried - that feeling always sent her into a spiral of a clouded mind. But, Glenn saved her life and the least she could do is wish him luck. So Adeline reluctantly made her way to the back of the van and rested her arms against the boards that made up the flooring. Daryl looked at her from where he stood with squinted eyes, "You comin'?" He inquired.

"No - she's not." Shane had overheard his question while talking to Rick, turning his head to the man with sharp eyes as his words sliced through the air.

Letting a puff of air leave her lips, Adeline patted her husbands back assuringly before looking to Daryl. "With the shape I'm in, I'd only slow you all down." She informed in a strong voices. "But, I just wanted to wish you guys good luck. Come back in one piece, yeah?" The hopeful words slipped past her lips as the southern man nodded to her and Glenn threw a thumbs up her way.

"Goes for you too." Adeline added, moving to stand next to Shane - laying her eyes on her brother.

"DON'T I ALWAYS?"