Here it is. Going Back. I'll have Seven Shots up once I finish it. It's currently 5k+ but I'm still writing. So, in a few days, it'll be up.

Going Back

We have to go back for her. I'd been thinking this for hours now.

We couldn't just leave someone behind, 'specially her. She was a good shot, and smart. That was really the main two things ya' gotta be in the world nowadays. Andrea didn't deserve to be left behind. Not when she's done so much for the group. She's helped protect us. Killed walker after walker t' make sure her friends weren't killed. How can we call ourselves her friends when we haven't gone back for her?

Now, Rick, I respect. He ain't crazy like Shane was. He's a bit too goody-goody at times, but tolerable. He makes smart decisions for the group. But that decision ain't tolerable or smart. Odds are, Andrea was alive. Odds are, I can track her down. Ain't like she's Lori, who'd die if she were left alone for five minutes. And really, Andrea's the smartest person here. She told me all the shit she learned, and only half of it's useless. But she knows how to fish and kill and, 'cause a' me, track. She's a Gal 'a all trades. So how the hell is it reasonable t' leave behind our smartest member?

Here I was, rambling on like this in m' mind like I meant somethin' t' her. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I didn't even learn her last name, but... Lately, I'd been thinkin' Andrea Dixon had a real nice ring t' it. I ain't gonna lie and say I'd never looked at her, 'cause, trust me, I did. She's the hottest chick I seen kill a walker and survive an apocolypse. Better lookin' than Lori, Maggie and Patricia all roled inta' one. And tougher too. I'd thought t' myself more than once that I should make a move on her, but then I thought 'bout how awkward it might get if things didn't work for us. Or if she plain out didn't like me.

So she shot me. So? Like I said before, she's good at protectin' her friends and since I looked like a walker, a threat to her friends, she shot me. Didn't kill me, a' course, but I did get a scar from it. Nasty thing on the side a' my head. But she apologized right after. Gave me a book and brought me a few meals. I appreciated it.

I hated how we weren't sendin' anyone to find her. She's a kickass bitch, and kickass bitches didn't just spontaneously die out in the woods 'cause they're alone. No, that's stupid bitches. Like Lori. I'm waiting until everyone's asleep and go look for her. Ain't gonna be too hard. She ain't weak and I ain't weak. I could go out, find her and bring her back before dawn. That's what I'll do. I'll bring her back. Get on my motorcycle, find her, and bring her back. Hell, if I don't find her before dawn, and they move on, she and I can survive together. Hell, she's a kickass bitch and I'm pretty sure I'm an asshole, so we can make it work. So what if we argue when we travel? We'd still survive. Find someplace to hold out and last as long as we can. Probably longer than the group would without us. They'd go back for her, if they knew their own lives had been shortened.

I'm going out while they sleep. I'll go back.

I'll find her.

It's quiet. Only the sound a' my bike's engine. It was pretty easy t' slip outta camp. Carol's been actin' like she's my mom lately. I'm surprised she didn't wake up as soon as I took a step out a' the fire light. But I got bike, drove away from the little camp, towards where I think Andrea'd be.

There's a little dirt road that goes 'round the outside a' the woods. I drove down it, parkin' the bike on the side. I took my crossbow off my back 'nd started off into the woods. Not the best start, I know, but I don't have much t' go on. I'd seen where she'd been fightin', so I knew which direction she'd 've gone. I was hopin' I was right.

I found a few trails, all different things. A walker, a rabbit, a deer. No luck with her fancy little hiking boots. Timberlands, 'm pretty sure. Better than traipsin' 'round in converse or some shit.

I found a trail that looked different from the other's. Not a shuffle like a walker, or any kinda animal. More like a human. I found a dead walker, it's skull smashed against a tree. More walkers littered the trail. Hadta be Andrea. Had t' be. Who else would smash a zombie's face in with, based on the shape, a pistol handle? I got nervous when I found a spot where she must'a gone down. A walker's body lay next to it, a clean cut through the neck, head missin'. I wondered how in hell she managed that. I didn't recall ever seeing her with a weapon that could do that. Biggest blade I'd seen her with was a kitchen knife. Or maybe an axe, but I'd only seen her chop wood once. "Andrea!" I yelled out. Nothin'. I kept following. Someone else had joined her, leadin' the way. I called out her name again. Damn that woman. Bad 'nough being out in the woods at night. I hollared as loud as I could. After a second, I heard something far off in the distance. I yelled back and heard it again.

"Daryl!"

It was her, I swear. "Andrea!" I called back, runnin' towards the sound. I saw her through the trees, comin' towards me. I could just barely see someone behind her, hooded.

Andrea collapsed against me, wrappin' her arms around me. "Thank god!" She mumbled. I slung my crossbow over my shoulder and put an arm around her shoulders, waitin' for her t' talk to me. "Your okay, Blondie. You're okay," I spoke, tryin' to comfort her. The hooded figure was stationary a few feet away. Andrea looked at me, barely pullin' away. "I'd thought you guys had forgotten about me."

I shook my head. "No way, girl. Glenn and I wanted t' come getcha, but Rick wouldn't let us. I had t' wait 'til night." She completely stepped away, takin' her arms off me. I took back my arm too. Her eyes met mine, reflectin' light from the moon. "You came for me." I nodded and we both just looked at each other for a moment. We looked away when the hooded figure coughed. "Oh, uh, Daryl, this is Michonne. Michonne, this is Daryl." Michonne pulled back her hood. She was black, dark hair pulled back in a smooth, short ponytail. She nodded t' me and I nodded back. I noticed in one hand she had a sword, the other some chains leadin' int' the darkness behind her. "Whaddya got there?" I asked. She jerked the chains forward and two walkers stumbled to where I could see 'em. They had no arms and made no moves towards me. I stepped back. "What the hell?"

She shrugged. "One used to be my boyfriend, the other his best friend. They don't have arms or jaws, so they can't attack."

I nodded warily before turning to Andrea again. "We gotta get back to the others." She bit her lip and looked away. "Wha's wrong?"

Andrea didn't look back at me. Michonne raised her eyebrows, looked back and forth between us and mumbled, "I'll be over here," and stepped a few feet away.

"Andrea?"

She looked back up at me. "Michonne knows somewhere safe. It's a days walk from here."

I shrugged. "What is it?"

"A prison. It's got food, security... Everything," she said. "And that's where she and I are going."

She was nervous. I heard it in her tone. "You don't want the group there."

She sighed. "No. No, you're right. I don't." She frowned. "Is that selfish?"

I shook my head. "No. Not really. Ain't like they ever really treated ya' well." She nodded, not makin' eye contact. "But we should still go get 'em."

"Right again..." She looked up at me, again with the moonlight in her blue-green eyes. She quickly stepped closer to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. My eyes widened a bit but I gave her a quick squeeze in return. "I owe you one, Daryl..." - It was just before dawn by the time we got t' camp. Michonne decided to head to the prison on her own and meet up with us once we got there. Based on the amount a' time it took for anyone t' notice that Andrea was the one in my sleepin' bag, not me, it was gonna take awhile for us to get there.

Glenn was the first to notice. He sat next t' me as I poked at the fire. "When did Andrea get here?" he asked.

"Last night, when I went n' got her."

"Where was she?"

"The woods. She found someone too. And once Rick Almighty gets up, she and I got somethin' t' tell everyone. Good news too."

He looked at me like I was crazy, but I shrugged it off. Took 'bout fifteen minutes for Rick to get up. I told him that Andrea and I had something t' tell 'im. But I told him to wait first, so I could wake her up.

"Andrea, girl, gotta get up," I murmured, shaking her shoulder gently.

She shifted, eyes opening slowly. "Daryl, what is it?" She suddenly opened her eyes, and sat up quickly, wide awake. "Is it walkers?"

"Nah, don't worry. We just gotta tell Rick 'bout the prison. You can sleep later, kay?"

She nodded. "Yeah." - The prison was huge. Big thick walls, large fences. Michonne standin' in front of it, her walkers tied to the fence. "Hey, Michonne!" Andrea called as she climbed off the back a' my bike. The woman nodded to her as she approached. I followed. "Glad you made it, Andrea. Where's your group?"

"They should be here in a moment. We were in the lead." Sure enough, the two cars pulled in, complete with group. "We can get in, right?" Andrea asked.

"Yeah. And even if we can't, I know a thing or two about lock picking."

"Good."

I stood behind Andrea as she introduced everyone to Michonne before leading everyone inside. Took a while to settle in. There were a lot of 'rooms' to choose from. Well, it was a jail. I found one far away from the others in solitary and stacked the matress up two times as thick and twice as wide. Made it a lot better than one. I dropped all a' my stuff in the room and taped the lock.

The main room seemed to automatically be the cafeteria. Big 'nough for all a' us t' fit. I found some a' the others there. Michonne and Andrea were sittin' at one a' the tables, talking. I walked over and took the place besides Andrea.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," I said back.

Michonne disappeared from the other side a' the table. Weird how she did that whenever I talked t' Andrea. "Where's your room?" the blonde next to me asked.

"Solitary."

"Do you mind having a neighbor?"

"Nah."

She smiled. "Thanks." She stood, takin' what little belongings she had and proddin' me in the back with one finger. "Show me where it is?"

I nodded, standin' and leadin' the way. She took the room next t' mine and I helped her set up, grabbin' some extra matresses for her. She thanked me and I suddenly found her mouth against mine. She was a good kisser. She pulled away, and smiled. "Do you mind if I pay you back for finding me in the woods?"

"Not at all," I replied, placing my hand on the back of her neck and going in for a kiss.

Going back for her was definately worth it.