THE COLD WAR (Daryl Dixon)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: LOSING THE FARM

Sighing Julia stands and walks out of the house to see Lori and Shane talking by the windmill since he was building the lookout there. As Lori walked away from him Shane looked..... dazed. Julia didn't like it.

"Julia.... I wanted to ask if you'd wanna come with Daryl and me to drop Randall off." Rick asks the woman as stands in the yard watching Shane drive towards them. She didn't like that he was doing it directly after his talking with Lori.

"I'll stay here. If our strongest male leads leave who's gonna stop Shane from going psycho like the barn." Julia states eyeing the car that pulls up as Rick nods. He actually liked it better knowing she'd be there.

Rick started telling Daryl about Carol packing them provisions when he too noticed Shane driving towards them like a mad man.

"That thing you did last night-" Rick says referring to Dale like saying it next to Julia would make her snap but.... She just turns it out entirely.

"Ain't no reason you should do all the heavy lifting." Daryl says calmly making Julia snort, since when did he become a voice of reason. She still had apologies she had to demand from him.

"So are you good with all this?" Rick asks avoiding looking at Shane as he parks but Daryl looks around his shoulder to stare before looking back at Rick.

"I don't see you and I trading haymakers on the side of the road nobody'd win that fight." Daryl explains before staring at Shane's approach. "Im gonna take a piss." He says leaving while Julia scoffs with a roll of her eyes.

Men.

She even lowly mocked him, "Im a man, I can pee wherever I want. Bleh bleh bleh." She mutters as Shane gives her a look as he stares between her and Rick.

"Hey- have you two seen Raya and Carl lately?" Shane asks and Julia narrows her eyes at him suspiciously. What did he want the kids for?

"Their inside with Lori." Julia says in a grab voice as Shane nods avoiding eye contact. "Look- they came to me. Okay I wasn't supposed to say anything, but they were out in the swamps yesterday. They came across a Walker stuck in the mud. Got scared, they ran off." Shane explains whole Julia grinds her teeth together.

If she was about to whoop Carls ass and possibly Rayas for doing yet another suicide mission.

"The same Walker that killed Dale?" Rick guesses as Shane's eyes trail to Julia again. "That's the one." He looked like he had something to say to her but he was waiting.

"I'll have Lori talk to them." Rick sighs as this added even more stress to him. "Look I think- I think he wants to talk to his father. And Raya.... She don't respect Lori as much as she respects you Julia." Shane states while the pair look like they'll say no.

"Well I need this Randall thing done already." Rick says with a glare thinking Shane was slowing him down intentionally. "And she's not my kid. It's not my responsibility to talk to her about these things." Julia spat as Shane gave her a look.

"Man that Randall thing needs to wait okay?" Shane says while Rick take a deep breath annoyed by his eBay friend. "It's my call." Rick confidently informs Shane who looks a little jittery.

"How about I ride out with Daryl? Be good for us to spend a little time together." Shane tries to insist making Julia snort. "He would send me with Daryl before you." Julia laughs as Shane gives her a dirty look.

"I need you here." Rick states his eyes flicking to Julia who glares at Shane. "Don't think I'll handle it right, huh?" Shane asks offended as Julia nods vigorously. "You'd do a repeat of the barn he's not stupid. You do and then ask for forgiveness after. Except- you don't even have the decency to do that." Julia sneers and Rick sigh.