"Carol!" Daryl called out, running over to where she had been hiding from the herd. Daryl took Carols hand, helping her up.
"I'm fine, I'm fine" She said, reassuring him. A little worried that his head might explode, judging from the look on his face.
He ran his hands over her shoulders looking for scratches, bites, anything that might snatch her away from him. When he was satisfied with his inspection, he sighed and let his hands linger on her shoulders. Her sigh followed his. They hadn't felt this close, this at peace since they were on the road. They both closed their eyes hoping it would last.
Sophia crawled out from under the car. And looked up at them both, smiling. She heard an all to familiar groan and turned her head, two walkers appeared in her peripheral vision.
"Momma!" She screamed out as they closed in on her.
Daryl's head shot up. "No, no, no" He chanted as he ran across the road to Sophia, Crossbow at the ready.
Carol stepped back a little, in shock and then trailed behind him.
"Soph, run!" Carl shouted as he raised his little pistol, only grazing one of the walkers shoulders.
Sophia ran as fast as her tiny feet could carry her, she hopped over the guard rail and into the woods, the walkers going after her.
Daryl ran up beside Carl. "Don't you touch her you Son of a bitch!" He fired the crossbow, the arrow just missing the walkers head by an inch. "Sophia!" Carol cried out finally catching up to Daryl. He grabbed her hand.
"Stay here. I'll get her, I promise". He touched her face lightly. She sighed and let herself trust him.
Daryl looked over to Rick who nodded at him and they both took off into the woods after her.
They hopped over the guard rail, setting their sights on Sophia.
"You take left, I'll take right. These bastards aren't touching her" Daryl said.
"Alright. Get them down quietly, we don't need more of a problem. You grab Soph and bring her back up" Rick said as he took off toward his walker.
Daryl nodded and took off toward his walker. With out hesitation he ran up behind it. The walker groaned and turned to him. "You can't have her"
The walker swatted at Daryl trying to grab him. Daryl kicked the walker in the torso, it hit the ground with a thud.
Daryl lifted his foot and with all the rage and fear he had for Sophia he released it, bashing in the walkers head with his boot.
He looked over to Rick. He watched Rick pull out his knife and jam it in the walkers skull.
Rick motioned back to the highway and started off back up the hill.
Daryl sighed when he felt tiny arms wrap tight around him.
"Are you okay, munchkin?" He asked, looking her over.
"I think so" she said. Smiling up at her savior.
She wasn't the only one to think of him as a savior.
Carols eyes filled with tears as she watched Daryl walk up the hill holding Sophia's hand.
He picked her up and set her down over the guard rail. She ran into her mothers arm.
Carol wrapped her arms around her daughter and held tight to her.
The whole group smiled and sighed in relief.
Sophia let go of Carol long enough to be scooped back up into the arms of her best friend.
Carl hugged her tight. "I'm glad you're okay, Soph" He said. Handing her, her ragged little doll.
She smiled and walked over to Lori.
The rest of the group departed from the little circle to continue rummaging through the cars before they lost the sun light.
Dale took up his post on the RV, sitting with Andrea at his feet.
T-dog and Glenn started looking through the cars.
Lori sat down to watch over Carl and Sophia.
Rick shook hands with Daryl. He would never understand the look of appreciation for his help that lingered on Daryl's face, yet that simple hand shake said enough. It was the best that Rick could do to thank Daryl for his help back when the group lost Shane and Amy. Daryl saved Ricks ass and still went back for Shane. Daryl had an unbreakable bond with Rick. And both these acts proved how tight their friendship truly was.
As much as Rick didn't want to admit it, Daryl was a better friend than Shane could ever be.
He nodded at Daryl and went to continue looking for supplies in the cars.
Carol could no longer hold back her tears, she let them fall quietly, looking off into the woods she thought had consumed her daughter.
Daryl walked up to her, taking her face in his hands and tilting his head to look at her through his eyes lashes.
Even through everything, watching the world fall, Daryl still knew how to make her heart skip a beat.
"Come on now, why are ya crying?"His thumbs grazed her cheek, wiping away the tears.
She fidgeted a little at the rough feeling of the callouses on his fingers.
"I think we need to find you some lotion in one of these cars" She laughed through her tears.
He bit back a grin and dropped his hands, but let his right one cup her chin.
"That's my girl" He said and dropped his hand.
He slung his crossbow over his back and joined Rick to rummage through the cars.
Carol sat by Lori, watching the kids play.
Lori smiled at Carol and Carol smiled back.
She believed in the back of her mind that if the group stayed as tight knit as it was, they would beat this world.