Both Eyes Open - Daryl Dixon (under editing)

The Beginning of the End.

Lara was sitting on the porch step as the guys were packing up the truck to take Randall away from the farm.

"Only got so many arrows." T-Dog told Daryl, who was packing the truck when the other man held out the arrows to him.

"Wait." Lara started, as she got up and went into the house to her bow and arrows, laid beside her bag. She lifted a handful of arrows and brought them out to Daryl.

"Take these, if you need to- shorten them on the drive out." She said, handing them to Daryl, who took them with a nod and a half smile.

"Thanks." He said setting them in the passenger seat before tucking the gun T-Dog gave him into his belt.

"Is that Dale's gun?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah... Wish I knew where the hell mine is."

"Ready?" Rick asked, having just walked up from behind the three.

"Yeah. I'll get the package." T-Dog nodded, setting off toward the shed.

"Thanks."

Rick took a seat beside Lara as Daryl sat on the ground, propped up against the truck in the shade, whittling at the arrows to fit his crossbow.

"Lara?" Rick caught her attention as she sat fiddling with her knife irritably. She looked up at the sound of her name and nodded once to make him continue.

"I spoke with Lori and a couple others. Pretty much all except Shane. They're all in agreement that whilst Daryl and I are gone, you're to be the one to watch out for the group. Make sure no ones wandering off, and if walkers come in you gotta deal with them. T-Dog told me he'd take perimeter watch."

Lara blinked at him a little stunned.

"You want me to be a temporary leader for the group while you're gone?" She quizzed, a little uncertain but not against the opportunity.

"Yes I do." He replied with a genuine smile.

Lara let out a long puff of air from her cheeks. She looked back to Rick a little unsettled.

"What about Shane?"

Rick looked ahead of himself distantly, before responding,

"He's just gonna have to deal with it. He's not been in any position to be making leading decisions lately."

Just as Lara was about to reply T-Dog came sprinting round the corner.

"What's wrong?"

"Randall's missing."

"Missing?" Carol asked in shock, and one by one the ground started to gather and make for the shed.

"How?" Maggie asked.

"How long's he been gone?" Hershel asked. 

"What's goin' on?"

"It's hard to say." T-Dog said.

"The cuffs are still hooked. He must' slipped 'em." Rick remarked, after inspecting the shed, and looking up at the rafters from the outside.

"Is that possible?" Carol asked.

Andrea exited the shed after Rick and answered her,

"It is if you've got nothing to lose."