First Walking Dead fic up! I know, i haven't finished/updated most of the other things i have going so far, but thus is the way. I can't help it. I invariably managed to find something else and more so, a new guy to crush on...admittedly, this one is more real than most of the others. -shrug-

Anywho, in about 3 weeks, it will be Norman Reedus' birthday (the one who plays Daryl), so i should hopefully have another WD fic up by then. However, just in case i don't finish in time, i can use this one for his birthday. It will have been closer than i typically get them... -sweatdrop-

Do not own Walking Dead or its characters, but if i did, Daryl would be featured in every episode!

12/6/11

With the Greene farm slowly fading into the distance, Daryl made his way through the trees, once again in search of the missing girl, Sophia. He was by himself out here and that suited him just fine. No one else seemed to be taking to looking for the girl very seriously; it was more like they had already given up.

But not Daryl.

Rick had told him he could leave if he wanted. He had given Dixon an out, but it was too late for that. He would find that girl if it was the last thing he ever did. Everyone else had thrown in the towel? Fuck 'em.

Out in the woods, all his senses were tuned, listening just like a hunter for anything, be it prey or something far more dangerous. His steps were quiet and he maneuvered with ease, splitting through boscages, his crossbow ready, should he need it— and then he heard something. While it wasn't exactly a moan or telltale groan, it was garbled. No squirrel or deer he ever encountered made this kind of high keening sound. Whatever it was, it sounded like it was dying or close to it. Crossbow prepared, he stepped through the brushwood and readied himself for a Walker but instead what he got was a girl, who upon seeing the crossbow in her face, let out a shriek that sounded kind of familiar.

He let out an angry puff of air and started in on her, first yelling and then asking questions. "What the hell you doin' out here? Ya got a death wish or sumthin'?" He had yet to ease up on the crossbow and wasn't about to until she answered his questions. The girl could see his lips move but couldn't make anything out, prompting her to remove one ear bud. "Huh?" The music came pouring out from the dangling chord and he realized part of what he was hearing before. 'Welcome to my world ,welcome to my only world'

"Yer crazy." Daryl said, just a bit of hostility peeking through. She scoffed quite loudly.

"You're the one with the crossbow in my face."

"Yeah, well I ain't traipsin' around the woods, listenin' to music." He gave her this look, eyeing her up and down then asked "You know what's out here?"

"Apart from you, that is?" her eyebrows raised high and her hostility matched his. She realized quickly he wasn't going to back down, and that he had the advantage, she relented and said "Yes, I've seen those—whatever they are. I'm not stupid."

"Coulda fooled me—"she glared but he carried on with the questioning. "You bit?" She shook her head in the negative. "No, I haven't been bit."

"It just you out here?"

"Yep, just me." He nodded and then lowered his weapon finally and she was able to relax.

He pointed back in the opposite direction and told her "There's a farm back that way; it's not far. There's people and supplies." After a beat, he made to leave but she halted him.

"Wait, where are you going?"

He placed his crossbow back on his shoulder. "I'm lookin' fer somebody; a little girl. She's lost."

"Oh, well I can help you look." Another look was spared her way; a 'you're crazy' look. She huffed.

"What! I can!" Her face scrunched up and accusingly she said "What? You don't trust me?"

Instead of answering that he said "I'm better off alone" hoping she would take the hint and leave but she just kept coming. "It's easier to look for someone with more people—more eyes and all that."

"Yeah, it's even easier when I don't hafta watch out fer a scrawny runt."

"What!" she snapped. "Now that's just mean!"

"I coulda shot ya, if ya prefer." He gave a little smirk as she scowled further, her already almond shaped eyes becoming nearly invisible.

"The longer we argue, the darker it'll get— who knows what could happen to her by then!"

"So, can we, please?" The girl had a point. In the dark, it would be much harder to see through the trees and any Walkers would have a slight advantage, going by smell rather than vision. He hadn't planned on staying out till dark either.

Daryl agreed, a bit begrudgingly. "Fine; don't get in my way— Come on."

/

"What's her name—the little girl?"

"Sophia."

…

"What do I call you?" Silence was her response.

She tried again. "That is to say, what do you go by?" More silence and the slight crunch of sticks under boots. Growing ever more frustrated and louder, she practically yelled "WHAT-IS-YOUR-NAME?"

This, at least, earned her a response, even if it wasn't very pleasant. He whipped around and yelled "What the hell? Ya tryin' to get us killed!"

She pursed her lips and responded like a petulant child. "No…"

"Keep yer voice down. Don't ya know nothin'?" His eyes scanned their surroundings and he gripped the crossbow. "We ain't alone out here."

"I only asked a question, which you did not answer, by the way." He stared at her for a time; that look back in his eyes as he squinted.

"Daryl" he answered. She made an 'hm' noise in the back of her throat, which Daryl immediately interpreted as condescending. "What was that?"Her eyebrow rose but she didn't say a word.

"What, ya think Daryl's a hillbilly-redneck name, that it?"

"No, I didn't say anything—it was a noncommittal sound, indicating that I heard you. I think you're the first person I've met with that name, to be honest."

While she was on the topic she added, "A name does NOT make someone a redneck or a bad person for that matter; the content of their character by way of their actions—now that would make them a redneck."

Now, she was curious and had to ask. "Why would you think that? Why would you think that I'd think that?" Her brows furrowed together in confusion and she stared at him quizzically. To that, he had no response.

"Just keep quiet" He said and began walking onward.

After a moment or two and some distance between them, "I'm Jessica—if you care to know." Once again, silence answered.

/

"Sophia!"

The two had been searching and calling her name for almost an hour and a half and still there was no response. Jessica paused for a moment by a tree, her hands flat out on the tops of her thighs, bent over ever so slightly.

"Ya tired?" Daryl asked. "We can call it a day." She shook her head in the negative.

Standing up straighter, she walked forward. "Nope, I'm good."

"Unless, you're tired?" she strolled by him and down the path—as she passed, he held his crossbow level with her head, as if to shoot, before he lowered it and followed the way she had gone.

The pair got further and much deeper into the trees when Daryl halted, his arm stretched out to stop the girl as he listened. "What?"

"Shh" He could hear footsteps but not just theirs; a Walker was close. Training his weapon, he waited and watched till sure enough, it came bumbling and limping along, shambling towards them only to be swiftly shot by Daryl straight through the head. Jessica seeing this was impressed but also wary. He made his way to the corpse while she remarked, "Shit! That went through its head like butter!"

Daryl removed the arrow, wiping it clean on his leg. "Might keep that in mind" he eyed her. "Could be you next time" He was joking surely, but she shuddered at the thought just the same.

"Yeah…how about a rain check on that." She grimaced and ran a hand through her hair and Daryl chuckled.

/

They found a house shortly after, abandoned but with some potential clues. Sophia could have hunkered down in the supply closet, eating what was available. Daryl seemed to believe it was possible and called for the girl once outside.

"Sophia!" He waited and circled back by the house again, his eyes always searching. Then something caught his attention.

It was a flower.

He stared at it for a minute or two before picking one. Jessica viewed this from the doorway and had to wonder at his odd behavior. Before she could even form words to ask him about it, he called back to her. "Let's head back."

"Okay." She nodded.

/

Once they arrived back at camp, she was bombarded by a group of people; each of them appearing wary and cautious, though they may have showed it in different ways. She saw Daryl head straight for a beat up looking RV, ignoring everyone else and had to wonder what was so important there.

She managed after a beat, to disentangle herself from the horde of people and made her way to the RV, hanging back by the closed door. He appeared to be talking to someone and she could mostly make out what was being said. From what she understood, he was talking to the mother of the girl Sophia, who they had been searching for for the better part of the day.

The story he told was so beautiful, a tear shimmied its way down Jessica's cheek. She imagined the mother was crying too and had to smile. Daryl was a good guy and that was something precious in this new world; hell even before the outbreak.

Before long, he was making his way to the door, pausing to tell the mother that her daughter was 'really gonna like it in here'. Jessica sniffled and wiped a tear, trying to appear as if she hadn't been eavesdropping as he emerged, seeing her standing by the door.

Knowing she was caught, she didn't bother trying to hide it. "So, that was what the flower was for, huh?" He glanced at her, before walking on. "Yer nosy too?"

She smiled, incapable of being wounded after what she had just learned. Instead she replied, "I was right—a name means nothing. It's the actions."

"You are a good person, Daryl." She smirked, pleased with herself and more so, pleased with him. "THIS I will keep in mind."