𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
                        𝐭𝐰: 𝐬𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐋 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓 of the shed with bloody fists and with his crossbow on his shoulder. He seemed angry. She didn't know what about it, but he didn't seem good. Obviously, Daryl wasn't a happy guy. He was usually acting like a miserable old man. But he wasn't angry all of the time. Because right now he was.

Casey was standing next to her mother, watching him walk over to all of them. "Boy said there's a gang, thirty men. They got a heavy artillery and they ain't lookin' to make any friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women, they're gonna- they're gonna wish they were." Casey furrowed her eyebrows, looking up at Lori with a confused expression. Why would the women wish they were dead?

Daryl had immediately looked toward Casey, then back toward Rick. He nodded his head toward him, ready to ask a question. "How old's your girl?" He asked, Rick furrowed his eyebrows. Why did he ask about Casey?

"Eight." He answered, Daryl nodded his head.

"She doesn't go near the shed." Casey felt a sudden worry surge through her. Why wasn't she allowed near the shed? What was so different about her than with the others?

Rick looked at his daughter, nodding his head. "You heard him." Casey only nodded her head.

But she didn't get why she wasn't allowed over there. Why was she so different from everyone else? She never even talked to Randall. She looked at him once, one time. How come she wasn't allowed to go near him or the shed?

Lori's hand went on her daughter's shoulder as she stood there with a confused expression. She gave her a squeeze as she stood there, now feeling a pang of worry course through her.

"What'd did you do?" Carol questioned, seeing his bloody fists.

"Had a little chat."

With that, Daryl walked away. Rick turned to his group, looking at every one of them. "No one goes near this guy." Lori let go of her daughter's shoulder and walked toward her husband.

"Rick, what are you gonna do?"

Rick sighed, standing next to Shane who had a blank expression on his face. "We have no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat." Casey raised her eyebrows. They were gonna kill him? She thought Randall was just a kid, why were they gonna kill him?

"You're just gonna kill him?" Dale asked, shocked that Rick would ever dream of doing a thing like that. Randall was a person, not some kind of dog that needed to be put down.

"It's settled. I'll do it today.

Rick walked off.

Casey, who was still confused, looked around for Daryl. She saw him walking off, and she quickly went after him. "Daryl!" She shouted he turned around as she ran up to his side.

He watched as she stood next to him, walking alongside him. "What d'ya want, ya little pipsqueak?" He asked, making her roll her eyes at the nickname he gave her.

She stood up straight. She didn't want to be a burden, but she was curious. She decided to stand up tall so she looked bigger next to him. "How come I can't go near Randall or the shed?" He looked down at her as if that was the most stupid question he'd ever heard in his life.

"What the hell kinda question is that?" She shrugged, playing with one of the bracelets on her wrist.

"You said me specifically. Why?" Daryl remembered the conversation in the barn.

Despite Casey being the most annoying little kid he's ever been around, there was a small part of him that cared for her. Just a small, tiny part...So, he didn't want anything to happen to her.

In the barn, Randall said something. He said something. About how a father was forced to watch his two daughters get assaulted by Randall and his group. They were teenagers, which meant they were no older than Casey. And if they did that to teenage girls, who's to say it wouldn't happen to an eight-year-old?

"He's dangerous." That was all he said. Casey rolled her eyes at him. She knew he was dangerous. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be locked in the shed.

"No shit, Sherlock. But why did you mention my name, I've never met Randall." She told him. Daryl slowed to a stop, looking down at the kid.

"He did somethin' bad-"

"Like what?" She cut him off. He huffed in annoyance at how quick she could be to do that. To just talk.

"Somethin' you don't gotta know 'bout. Just stay away from the barn." She rolled her eyes at his short answer. Nobody ever wanted to tell her anything!

With that, he stormed away. He walked back over to his isolated part of camp where he stayed away from everyone. She pouted, kicking the dirt beneath her as she muttered a few things under her breath about Daryl.

"Stupid Daryl."

Casey walked back to the farm after that. She was looking down. She couldn't help but feel worried about herself. She had the right to be worried.

Everyone else seemed to know what Daryl meant. The women wished the could be dead if that group ever found him. Casey didn't. She didn't know what that meant. Why would they wish they were dead?

She didn't know who to ask. She was mad at Carl, so, she sure as shit wasn't gonna ask him. Plus, she didn't know if he would even know what it meant. She wouldn't ask Shane because he's always in a bad mood. And he's not mean anymore. And she's also mad at Andrea because Beth almost died because of her. And Beth wasn't exactly doing too well. Hershel and Patricia were focused on Beth, and Maggie too. She didn't want to stress them out.

There was still Carol, Dale, Lori, and Rick. But Rick was in the barn with Lori, she was scared Carol was mad at her because of Sophia and all, and Dale was wandering around.

She crossed her arms, looking down at the ground with a sad look on her face. She walked around, just watching her sneakers kick the dirt.

She walked around, seeing Shane and Andrea in front of the shed. She glanced at them and stepped back.

Then right into Carl...

He looked at her, sighing. "Where are you going? Daryl and Dad said you couldn't go near the shed." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Dad said nobody could go near-"

"He said nobody could go near Randall, you can't be by the shed at all." She glared at him, lightly kicking his foot. He almost seemed to be mocking her, in a way.

"Shut up, idiot. What are you even doing over here anyway?" He looked over at the Shed, then back at his sister.

"I'm going to see Randall-"

"Why? Dad said not to."

"You never listen to Dad, why are you suddenly doing it?" Carl was getting on her last nerve at this point. He was being a stupid idiot, like usual.

"Because unlike you I'm not an idiot. I know when to listen when I have to. Unlike you, prancing around trying to act like the sheriff in daddy's hat." He sighed, rolling his eyes at her.

He walked away from her and she furrowed her eyebrows. "Where are you going?" She whispered shouted at him.

"I told you! Seeing him!"

She crossed her arms, not knowing what to do. Go with Carl? Or stay there. She sighed, biting her nail.

Neither.

She walked away from the shed and toward the barn. She walked inside, biting her lip as she did. "'Mom? Dad?" She asked, the conversation they were having came to a stop.

Lori stepped toward the edge of the top floor of the barn, looking down to see her standing there, looking up at them.

That's when she saw a rope hanging off from it as well. Rick was quick to pull it up and toss it away, not wanting his daughter to exactly see what he might do to execute a man.

"What did Daryl mean? When he said the women would wish they were dead." Rick froze for a second, not knowing what to say to her. Lori as well.

The two looked to the first floor of the barn, the floorboards creaking below them. Rick put his hand on top of her head, holding her to his side, his thumb rubbing the back of her head. "Nothin' you need to worry about-" Of course he said that...

She stepped away from him, looking up. "Everyone says that! But if I'm not supposed to be even near the shed I should know why! If it's my life then I should be able to know!" she told them confidently, stepping away from Rick. Her arms went on her sides, her fists clenched as she spoke her mind. Rick and Lori looked at one another, not knowing what to say to her.

Do they tell her the truth? Say Randall can hurt her in a way nobody should get hurt? Or do they keep it from her? Just say what everyone else says, That he's dangerous and nobody should be around him at all.

Rick crouched down in front of her, Lori standing behind her with her hand on her shoulder. "Randall and his group can do something very bad, okay? They did somethin' very dad. And no father wants to hear that something like that happenin' to his little girl. Hell, a father doesn't wanna even wanna think about somethin' like that." He told her. No father should have to watch their daughter get hurt in such a horrible way.

"Why don't you wanna think about it?" Rick let out a sigh, not wanting to envision it. He doesn't even wanna talk about it because the thought of that happening to his little girl made him feel sick.

"It's somethin' bad, okay?" Casey just looked down and nodded her head. She'd given up at that point. She knew nobody would tell her what the bad thing would be, or why the women would wish they were dead...

Casey and her parents walked out of the bar. They were met by Carol, who seemed angry for some reason. Lori slightly pushed Casey forward. "Go see what's up with Carl, hm?" Casey nodded her head before walking toward Carl, who was storming away from Carol.

"Carl!" She exclaimed, he turned to see her and rolled his eyes. He didn't respond, she just ran toward him. "So what was he like? Is he really a kid?" Carl shrugged.

"Why should I tell you? You were too scared to go in." Casey frowned. He was still in a bad mood, wasn't he?

"I wasn't scared-" He was quick to cut her off.

"Yeah you were, you always are! That's why you left Sophia!" He exclaimed.

Suddenly, her face dropped. Her face went pale and she felt a weird feeling go through her. She always thought it was her fault, but hearing someone say it confirmed that it was...

Sophia was lost because of me...

Sophia died because of me...

"That's not what happened-"

"Sophia's dead because of you, Casey-"

"Carl, come over here."

Rick was walking toward the pair, clearly angry. Casey's eyes were teary as she stood there, taking deep breaths. "You talk back to Carol?"

"No."

"Casey, got back to Mom. I gotta have a chat with your brother," Rick told Casey, squeezing her shoulder. She turned around, looking up at him. He saw the expression on her face and gave a confused look. "You alright?" She stormed past him, wiping her eyes in her shirt.

He sighed, looking down at his son. He figured it was just a usual brother-sister fight, but Casey never left crying...

Casey walked toward camp, her eyes starting to go red from the tears she was holding back. "Casey!" She didn't turn. It was Shane. He was probably mad at her over something, she just didn't know what. Quite frankly, she didn't care. "Hey, what's wrong? Why are ya cryin'?" She looked over at him.

"'M not."

"Come on, whatcha cryin' 'bout?" He pushed, and she shook her head, continuing to wipe her teary eyes.

"Nothing!"

"Don't give me that damn attitude of yours, I'm tryin' to help you and you're actin' like a little brat." She shrugged.

"I'm not acting like a brat I just don't wanna talk about it, okay?"

She stormed away to a picnic table. She sat down, putting her head in her arms. Her body shook with every small cry she let out. Her breath got caught in her throat as she just sat there and cried.

Then, a hesitant hand went on her shoulder. She wiped her tears, looking up.

It was Carol.

She quickly wiped her eyes, her eyes now being even redder than before. "Can I sit?" Carol asked, Casey nodded her head and sat down next to the little girl.

"Carol?" She let her talk, and Casey looked down sniffling. "I'm sorry about Sophia, it's my fault-"

"Honey, no. It's not your fault." Casey let tears stream down her cheeks and she sniffled.

"Yes it is, everyone says that but I know it's all my fault. I know it, Carl knows it, everyone knows it, they just won't say it! I led the walker away from her, I killed it, we just got separated and-" She was speaking fast. Carol could barely comprehend her words, or even understand her. She was breathing heavily, and she could barely look her in the eye.

It was almost like she was back at the CDC. Her chest felt like it was caving in again. "It's not your fault, honey." Casey shook her head.

"It is, I know it is! I shouldn't have left! I should've gone after her after I got rid of the walker!"

Carol looked down at the little girl. Not expecting the self-blame. She knew Casey was avoiding her gaze as well, and just her and General. But she didn't know why. But now she knew. Casey didn't wanna look into the eyes of a grieving mother. One who lost her daughter while she was with her...Casey was blaming herself when if anything, she saved Sophia.

Sophia wasn't strong. Carol knew that. She was jealous of Rick and Lori for having their daughter back, being able to kiss her goodnight, and seeing her wake up. She was jealous that Casey was able to be so strong out there, be so brave.

But despite the jealousy, she felt horrible. Horrible that this self-blame was eating at her every single day and that it was causing her to be so sad. To sob and just feel this way.

Lori saw her state and walked over. "Casey? Baby, what's wrong?" She knelt in front of her, her hand going on her back.

"Casey, it wasn't your fault."

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

a/n:

giving you guys some sibling angst. tbh there's gonna be lots of it in this book lmao. anyways carl and her are gonna be okay but they're going through a rough patch rn...

prison era they'll be friends again dw. (maybe possibly) anyways.

I kinda really liked the chapter, but I do want to go over something.

When talking about Casey's thoughts of Beth's suicide attempt, that's coming from the thought's of an eight-year-old. She obviously doesn't know what it feels like to feel that way. Like there's no way out. So, that's HER perspective.

A lot of Casey's perceptions are not mine. It's just her thoughts as a little kid. So, I obviously don't think the same way as Casey, who doesn't understand everything. So PLEASE don't think her thoughts are mine.

-Abby