What had started out as a good day had quickly gone downhill when everyone woke up, the main points being when Beth tried to kill herself in her bathroom, aided by Andrea, who had been tasked with keeping an eye on her. Of course Maggie had lost her temper over that one, though she'd managed not to attack Andrea after, something Jupiter wasn't sure she'd have had the restraint to walk away from if it had been one of her little sisters. And then Rick and Shane had arrived back... With Randall.

As soon as they'd climbed out of the car, Jupiter had seen the bruises and cuts on Rick and Shane's faces and knew that Shane had done something, even when the two of them said it was nothing and they'd been attacked by walkers. Shane had that empty look in his eyes again, and Jupiter knew the truth. Why Shane was still breathing was beyond her, but they had bigger problems to deal with. Namely, Randall, who was tied up in the slaughter shed, currently with Daryl who had been tasked with getting him to speak.

Jupiter knew what was likely happening in that shed, and she wasn't overall impressed about it, but at the same time she knew that it had to be done for the good of the group. They needed to know if another group would be coming for Randall, and if so, what they'd be up against. So she waited with the others in their camp, waiting to hear Rick's plan of what they were going to do with Randall. They couldn't let him go because he knew Maggie from before, and if he told others, his group would come for them. That left only a few options, none of which were particularly great. They could kill him or let him join them.

She looked up from the arrow she was making for Daryl when he returned, and immediately noticed the blood on his knuckles. He looked at her and then quickly away, meeting the gaze of Rick, who was waiting to find out what Daryl had learned.

"Boy there's got a gang, 30 men. They have heavy artillery and they ain't looking to make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women, they're gonna-- They're gonna wish they were," he explained, and Jupiter's grip on her knife tightened. She wouldn't let that happen, no matter what. She'd already spoke t Daryl about changing her mind about leaving the group to look for Alaska. She'd found her place in the group, and she wasn't going to risk weakening them by her and Daryl leaving to chase ghosts. So her mind was made up. Randall was too dangerous to join the group. He'd have to die.

Clearly Rick agreed as when Lori asked him what they were going to do, he shared a look with Shane and then spoke. "We have no choice. He's a threat. We have to eliminate the threat."

Jupiter nodded her agreement, along with some of the others, their faces grim. It was only Dale who spoke up, unbelieving of what he had just witnessed.

"You're just gonna kill him?!"

Rick didn't even blink. "It's settled, I'll do it today."

Dale followed Rick as he walked away, and Jupiter watched the two of them for a second before standing up and following Daryl as he headed back to his own tent on the other end of Hershel's land. She walked with him until they made it to his camp and he sat down. Without saying anything, she kneeled down in front of him and lifted his hands to inspect the cuts on his knuckles.

She could feel his gaze on her as she dropped his hand and reached inside her pack for something to clean them with, but she didn't look up from her work. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet. "You pissed?"

Jupiter shook her head, still not looking up, her mind whirring with hundreds of thoughts. Thoughts about protecting the group, and their odds if it came to a fight... They weren't looking good, but she knew they'd have to think of something. They always did. This time would be no different.

Daryl was still watching her, but he'd gone quiet again, so she finished cleaning his hand and then sat back on her heels and looked at him finally. "You did what you had to. You're protecting the group, and you got the information we needed... I just..." She looked away, feeling stupid all of a sudden, but Daryl was still waiting, so she sighed and stood up, kicking a stone away before looking back at him. "I don't know. Something just feels wrong about this. Randall is dangerous, and I'd kill him myself if I thought it'd keep the group safe. But will it? He's not the only danger to this group."

There. She said it, and she watched as Daryl sighed and nodded. "I know. But Rick won't see it that way. He knows what Shane is, but he can't see past the guy Shane used to be. He doesn't want to, so what can we do about it?"

Jupiter didn't know, and that's what was bugging her. They were going to kill Randall for the same things Shane had done, yet he still got to stay with the group and help lead them. It didn't seem fair, but killing one of their own? She didn't know if she could stomach that. Especially when it would make her just like Shane if she could.

Shrugging, she picked up her pack and started to walk away, her mind returning to her darkening thoughts. While heading back towards her own tent, she noticed Dale walking towards Daryl, so quickly ducked out of sight and into the trees, not in the mood for an earful from the older guy. She had a lot of thinking to do, as she suddenly felt like she had a huge decision before her, and she needed to be alone with a clear mind.

So she headed into the woods, walking a way she hadn't gone before, until she found a huge tree which she swiftly climbed, settling in high up in the branches. There she sat and thought about what could be done. Daryl was right about Rick, and she knew he'd never agree to kill his friend. Banishment might be an idea, but Shane was crazy, and Jupiter doubted he'd take it well. He'd likely return with vengeance on his mind, and people would die. So that left the other option.

If Shane died, their problems died with him.

She felt sick knowing that she was even contemplating it, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew that it was the only way. He was a danger to the group, and he'd killed Otis, and tried to kill Rick a few times now. How long until he succeeded? How many others was he going to kill before someone finally said enough? How long would Jupiter be able to keep her mouth shut? Until it was someone closer to home that didn't make it back from a mission with Shane? Until it was Daryl who 'sacrificed himself' to get Shane back? Or would it already be too late for her then? Shane knew Jupiter would never accept his authority, so she would just be another sacrifice to him.

Suddenly her options didn't seem so hard, and her mind cleared as she realised what she'd have to do.

She was gonna kill Shane.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She'd wandered further than she thought, and it was dark by the time she recognised where she was and managed to head back to the farm. She'd missed the vote and the guy was probably dead already. That just left one problem then, in the form of Shane. She'd decided what she was going to do, but she couldn't tell anyone, not even Daryl. She would be the one to kill Shane, that night. She'd wait until everyone was in bed and then kill him in his sleep, more humane than he deserved, but Jupiter knew she'd back out if she didn't do it that way, and Shane had to die. It was the only way she could keep the group safe.

Of course, she'd tell them afterwards, and accept the consequences for her actions. She'd probably be kicked out of the group, as they wouldn't want a murderer living among them. Which is exactly what she would be. Murderer was a stamp she'd never wash from her soul once she killed Shane, but that was just something she'd have to live with. The group had saved Jupiter by taking her in and saving her when she needed it, so she would return the favour, no matter the cost.

She couldn't lie to herself though. The thought of taking another person's life was terrible to her, even though she'd come close before with Gorman. Had she not been trying to escape and was in danger of being caught, she'd have killed him that day to protect the others at the hospital and make sure he never touched another person in there. Shane wouldn't be the same. Not quite. Though she'd still be killing him to protect others.

She reached the edge of the trees just as the screaming started. Her bat was in her hand in a second, and she was running towards the screams. It was a man screaming, but she couldn't be sure who, and she couldn't see anything or pinpoint the screams until someone suddenly stood up with their back to her and started waving their arms towards the house, calling for help. She changed direction and ran towards them, slowing to a stop when she saw what had happened.

There was a dead walker behind Daryl, who was leaning over Dale, telling him to hold on. At first Jupiter couldn't see the problem with Dale, but then she moved to his side and Daryl was no longer blocking the wound from sight. The walker had torn into Dale's abdomen, and Jupiter knew without Hershel's confirmation that Dale wasn't going to make it.

She kneeled down at his side and took his bloody hand, trying to comfort him while the others finally joined them, screaming and crying while Rick screamed for Hershel.

Andrea fell to her knees on the other side of Dale and took his other hand, crying as she looked down at her dying friend. "Do something!" She screamed when Hershel joined them, but he could only shake his head, and Rick screamed in frustration and anguish as he was powerless to save his friend.

Meanwhile, Dale was still laying on the ground whimpering, while the others gathered around him, mourning his death while he suffered in front of them. Andrea told Rick to end Dale's suffering, and Rick slowly pulled out his gun, staring at Dale as he slowly lifted it, looking like he was fighting back tears as he tilted his head slightly. Jupiter waited for the shot, still holding Dale's hand and sobbing silently, but it didn't come.

She looked up as Daryl carefully took the gun from Rick and then pointed it at Dale, dropping to one knee beside the dying man and meeting his pleading gaze, begging for him to end it. Daryl took a shuddering breath and then released it, and for a whole second it felt like the world had stopped, waiting for that trigger to be pulled.

"I'm sorry, brother," Daryl whispered, and then pulled the trigger.