Didn't See That Coming | The Walking Dead(1)

Part 24 (Always Be With You)

It was happening. The discussion was done. Randall would be executed.

CJ was furious. Everything Daryl had told her about the kid didn't matter anymore. When it came down to the facts, they were killing a kid they had rescued. She hadn't spoken to anyone since the meeting, not even Dale. She felt like she let him down, she should have fought harder. She spent the first half of that meeting thinking about what Daryl had said, which made her doubt herself.

She was sat at the table in the RV alone, staring out of the window with a blank expression. It wasn't night time yet but it was getting dark. She knew that within the next couple of hours, Rick, Shane and Daryl would take Randall down to the barn and put a bullet in his head. Daryl had tried to catch up to her a few minutes after she stormed after the meeting. He looked angry and guilty at the same time. She told him she didn't want to talk and just wanted to be left alone. She needed time.

CJ was so lost in her own mind, she jumped when she heard the door to the RV close and looked over to see Dale sitting down across from her.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, barely above a whisper.

"What are you sorry for?" Dale asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I should have tried harder. In the meeting. If I had spoken up right away or-"

"CJ, CJ. Stop," he cut her off, shaking his head. "You have nothing to be sorry about, you hear me? We tried. But you were right... this world changes people. No way around that for some."

"I wanna believe that I'm still me. After Carver... after what I did... I hoped that I could save someone," CJ explained quietly. "Does that make me selfish? That I wanted to save Randall to prove to myself that I wasn't... I don't even know what I am," she whispered, looking down as she sighed and shut her eyes tightly.

Dale reached across the table and put his hand on top of hers, making her look up to meet his eyes as a tear fell down her right cheek. "CJ, you are not selfish. You are not dangerous. You are not a killer."

"But I-"

"You are not. You wanna know what I felt when I watched you in there, pleading for everyone to change their minds? Proud. I was so proud of you," he said, tears brimming his own eyes. "You know, I never had kids of my own. But if I had, I would have been thrilled if they were even half as good as you. Even with all the jokes you make that I don't understand," he chuckled.

CJ giggled a wiped away some of her tears before holding Dale's hand on the table again. "Thank you, Dale. For always being here for me," she smiled.

"We're family," he replied with a nod. "I'll always be with ya. No matter what."

CJ looked out of the window next to her when she saw people moving around. Rick, Daryl and Shane were all talking in a circle with their weapons holstered and jackets zipped up. They were doing this now.

Dale followed her gaze and watched as the three men walked away towards the barn and sighed sadly, looking down at the table for a moment before looking over at CJ again.

"I'm gonna take a walk, wanna come?" he asked.

"CJ hesitated for a second before shaking her head. "Nah, think I'm gonna stay here. I don't wanna be out there when they... you know," she sighed. "It's pretty dark, you gonna be okay?"

"I'll be alright," he nodded. "I just need some air. I'll see ya later."

CJ pursed her lips into a sad smile as she watched him stand and walk out of the vehicle with his rifle over his shoulder. After a short while, she got up and went outdoors to sit by the campfire, it being the only source of light apart from the moon. As predicted, everyone else was either in their tents or in the house, acting as if they didn't all agree to what was going on just a few fields away.