Daryl had gone to sleep with Emma sitting on the window sill with a book held in her lap. When he had woken up it had been to find no Emma on the window sill but that same book lying deserted. He slowly got up and pulled on a shirt feeling a hundred times better than he had before. He slowly walked out of the house and towards camp. He wasn't sure why but his eyes were searching for Emma just like they had been searching for Sophia for days. When he reached the camp he quickly realized she wasn't there.
"Has anybody seen Emma?" Carol asked before he could.
"Emma's gone?" Lori asked looking all around.
"Oh god, she's gone missing." Carol said covering her mouth.
"Hey all look what I found!" They all turned to see Emma coming over her back pack in hand. "I was on the outskirts of the farm and I found something glorious." She said as she reached them flipping her back pack so it lay in front of her as she walked. "Strawberries." She reached in and pulled some out.
"Oh wow…" Carl said walking over quickly.
"I picked just a few thought we could save the others to ripen more."
"Can I have one?" He asked.
"Sure." She said taking them all out and setting them down on a stump where other vegetables and fruits lay. He took a bite. "How is it?" He laughed as he nodded.
"It's good…" He said.
"Yeah?" she asked with a smile.
"You went outside the farm?" Lori asked walking over with the others as Emma and Carl smiled over the strawberries.
"Yeah." She said with a shrug. "I saw these strawberries yesterday and I just had to go back and get some."
"You went alone though?" Carol asked and Emma looked to her as she stood.
"Yeah." She said with a shrug.
"Yeah?" Carol asked with the same shrug.
"You sound ticked." Emma said and Carol gave her an obvious expression.
"Do I now?" She asked.
"Emma we don't usually go places alone." Lori said.
"It's not safe." Carol added.
"I've been alone for months now… I can handle myself." She said her hand slipping into her back pocket as she jutted out her hip in natural defiance.
"We don't doubt that…" Dale said putting his hands out. "The thing is, is that you're not alone now you've got a group of people around you willing to go pick strawberries with you."
"I didn't want to bother anyone." She said.
"It's not a bother." Rick said as his son handed him a strawberry. "Especially for strawberries. Next time at least tell someone you're going. You worried us."
"Sorry I'm not used to people missing me I guess." She said quietly as she shifted on her feet.
"Well get used to it." Carol said with a kind expression as she patted her back.
"I also brought some blueberries…" she said handing her a bandana full of them. "I have a lot of hope now seeing these for Sophia… I mean if I found these lord knows she found them somewhere out there." Carol nodded with a smile.
"Thanks." She said taking one and popping it before making a face.
"I picked them too early didn't I?" Emma asked and Carol laughed for the second time since her daughter went missing.
"We'll teach you when they're in season." Lori said with a small laugh as Carol looked Emma over.
"What happened to your neck?" Carol asked seeing a gash.
"Walkers." They all stared at her. "No problem though." She said popping a blueberry into her mouth. "I put them down easy squeezey… God those are sour… I don't recommend those…" her voice trailed off seeing everyone stare at her. "What?" She asked blinking.
"Walkers how many?" Shane asked.
"Three." she said.
"They scratched you?" Carol asked horrified.
"No I got scratched when I fell into a bush." She said. "I think it was an itchy sort of bush because I could scratch my own throat out right now I really could."
"You took down three walkers all by yourself?" Carl asked.
"Mhm." She said.
"I'm sorry if I doubt that." Shane said looking to her.
"The bodies are there." She said with a shrug.
"I didn't here gun shots." He said.
"I used my Bo."
"Your what?" Rick asked.
"She has this staff thing." Daryl said. "It's a martial arts weapon. She's good with it. I've seen her take down two walkers in less than a few seconds with it."
"You're a martial artist?" Carl asked looking to her with a smile.
"Used to be…" She said with a soft expression.
"Can I learn?" He asked.
"Have to ask your mom and dad about that but I don't mind…" she said.
"Mom dad can I?"
"What are your credentials for teaching?" Rick asked with a smile.
"I used to teach little ones younger then Carl at the Dojo I worked at… So I have some skills there."
"What was your rank?" Glenn asked.
"One of the higher ones?" Shane asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"You could say that." She said.
"Why not give us a demonstration of your skills?" Shane asked.
"Yeah!" Carl said.
"Here starts your first lesson Carl; you don't use martial arts to prove anything or to show off… Can you do that for me?"
"Yes."
"Yes Ma'am."
"Yes ma'am." He said.
"We'll start your training tomorrow if you're still serious…"
"Alright." He said before heading off. Daryl headed off into his tent and when he turned to lie down he spotted Emma at the entrance of his tent.
"Brought you something." She said setting down wood in front of him. "Skinniest straightest pieces of wood I could find thought they might make good arrows."
"Shit wood." He said as he snapped one in half.
"Well sorry I thought I'd try." She said her jaw clenching.
"Well your trying sucked…" he said.
"Sorry." She said again unsure of why he had suddenly turned so cold.
"Yeah whatever…"
"I was going to go back to the highway look behind that Semi that flipped." She said.
"That's not a bad idea we got too busy yesterday with the getting hurt and all." He said standing.
"No you two are going to rest." She turned seeing Carol. "You especially you were impaled." She said to Daryl.
"It wouldn't be that big a deal." Emma. "Just walking."
"I said no." She said. "Besides the others are going out today so just rest."
"I'm no good at resting." Emma muttered heading off past Carol. When she had gotten far enough away Carol looked to Daryl.
"You aint her mom, you can't treat her as such." Daryl muttered.
-o-
Emma sat with the others around a fire. There was a tense feeling to the air around her that she couldn't shake. She could tell though that it was coming from three points. Shane, Rick, and Lori. Then there was Glenn. She didn't know why but the boy looked spooked. He kept flicking his eyes from the barn to the house to the barn again.
"You didn't eat much."
"What?" Emma asked looking to Rick who had said it.
"I said you didn't eat much." He repeated.
"Yeah I don't eat much." She said.
"You should put some meat on your bones." Carol said. "I could snap your collar bone like a twig." She said grabbing a hold of her collar bone while Emma smiled.
"So we were doing target practice today." Shane said. "We could really use those extra-."
"Not ever gunna happen." Emma said and Daryl smiled.
"Oh come on we've shared our food and doctor with you." He said.
"What I ate tonight were the berries I gathered and the dinner last night I didn't eat at all as for the doctor he's fair game as far as I'm concerned so you can cut that shit out right now."
"Mouth." Carol said and Emma sighed.
"You can cut that out right now." She corrected and Carol smiled.
"Why do you need so many weapons?" Rick asked. "I mean it's more than what we have."
"I trade them for things. Such as medicine like I did with the doc. So I need them for that."
"You don't use them?" Lori asked.
"Guns are too loud. I'm on my own I can't afford to attract a horde with a loud bang."
"You're not alone now." Rick said and Emma slowly stood.
"Look you all are nice people and you've done right by me but let me draw a line. After I help Daryl here find Sophia I'm long gone." She said and Daryl shifted in his seat a little uncomfortable with the idea of her leaving.
"You don't have to be is what I imagine Rick here is trying to say." Dale said.
"That is what I'm trying to say. We want to invite you into the group." Rick said with a smile.
"It's a bad idea… I'm sorry. You all are super nice but I'm better off on my own…" She grabbed her backpack and headed away.
"Where are you going?" Carol asked quickly standing.
"To set up camp." She said disappearing into the darkness.
"She's only how old sixteen?" Lori asked. "She shouldn't be alone."
"She's eighteen." Daryl corrected.
"She's a young looking eighteen." Andrea said.
"You think she's lying about her age?" Rick asked.
"Oh no I mean look at my sister she was 22 and looked seventeen at the most." Andrea said. "I'm just saying being that young looking can get her in trouble and it already has…"
"What do you mean?" Rick asked.
"Her injured wrists were caused by a man tying her down to have his way with her. He was turned into a walker before he could…" Carol said trying to see Emma in the darkness.
"Took a whole day for her to get out of the restraints." Dale said.
"The point is she shouldn't be alone." Andrea said.
"You can't make the girl do something she doesn't want." Daryl muttered.
"Why wouldn't she want to stay here?" Carl asked. "I mean it's great here." His mother ran her fingers through his hair.
"She's got her reasons I'll we can try and do is show her, her reasons are bad…" Lori added.
"Do we really want another mouth to feed?" Shane asked and everyone looked to him.
"When Sophia gets back it'll be another mouth to feed." Carol said.
-o-
Emma rolled up her sleeping bag as she watched the others far off gather around a fire with a warm breakfast. It looked inviting and a few times Carol had waved her over, but she had waved no back. Truthfully she would have liked to join them but she knew that wouldn't be good. She couldn't bond with these people, no more then she already had. She was starting to regret her decision to agree to teaching the boy martial arts. It was better if she kept her distance so her leaving would be easier on her side. She heard a loud bang and turned to look at the barn. She had been hearing that bang all night. Now that it was day she felt more confidant in checking it out alone. She put her back pack on and extended her Bo staff as she started to make the short trek to the barn. After a few minutes of walking she heard yelling and turned to see the group rushing towards her.
"Emma don't!" Lori yelled.
"Don't go near it!" Rick ordered, and she tilted her head wondering where he got the nerve in bossing her around. She went to walk ahead anyway.
"Sweetheart don't go near it!" Carol said and she found herself wanting to stay for her sake. The group reached her a little winded.
"What's going on?" Emma asked blinking.
"Where were you going?" Carol asked.
"The barn." She said motioning to it. "I've been hearing this weird noise all night. Now that it's day I was going to check it out."
"There are walkers in there." Daryl said and she looked to him.
"You're fucking with me." she said with a smile and he shook his head.
"Language." Carol and Lori said.
"You're messing with me." she said correcting herself.
"Glenn saw them." Dale said.
"I knew you were hiding something." Emma said pointing her Bo at him. "You were all twitchy and dodgy."
"I told everyone this morning at least… That counts for something." He said backing away from the offending stick. They slowly headed towards the barn Shane being the one to walk right up to it. After a moment he backed up as the things inside started to move forward.
"You can't fucking tell me you are fucking okay with this!" Shane said to Rick.
"Is it secure?" Emma asked Glenn as Carol set her hands protectively on her shoulders.
"If they haven't gotten out yet then I'm thinking yeah…"
"Or for the time being." She said her weapon collapsing as she tucked it into the back of her belt and slipped her backpack off. She could feel a fight brewing.
"You're okay with this?" Shane asked Rick. "Are you fucking-."
"No I'm not okay with this." Rick said. "But it's his land."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Shane asked once more. "This is our lives man!"
"Lower your voice." Emma said moving forward. "You don't want to rile them up in there."
"We've got to go in there and make things right or we just got to go." Shane said to Rick ignoring Emma.
"We can't go yet." Emma said.
"Why not hmm?" Shane asked turning on her.
"Because my daughter is still out there somewhere." Carol said.
"How about we entertain the possibility your daughters dead." Shane asked.
"How about we don't because she's still alive…" Emma said her anger starting to fly.
"I found her doll just a day ago!" Daryl added.
"Yeah you found a doll." Shane said. "A dirty doll that could have been dropped in a stream somewhere and ended up in that river by happenstance!"
"You don't know that." Emma said.
"I'm just saying what needs to be said."
"You don't' know what the hell you're talking about you jackass!" Daryl said moving forward and pushing him.
"Fuck you man!" Shane said pushing him back. "If she was alive and saw both you guys coming cracked out bloody and injured man she'd run the other fucking way!"
"Shut the hell up!" Daryl pushed him and Shane took a swing. The men tried to pull them apart.
"Stop it!" Emma yelled.
"I'll beat your fucking ass!" Shane broke away from Rick and the others and rushed at Daryl full bore. Emma pulled her Bo staff extended it and did a turn before hitting Shane so hard in the chest it knocked him off his feet. She rushed forward and placed the end of it to the middle of his throat.
"You will calm down!" she yelled and he stared at her wide eyed as did the others. "Listen to me now and listen well. Rick is going to handle this issue with the barn. You are going to stop acting like king of the fucking farm. You will stop trying to attack your fellow man. And if you ever say anything about leaving without that little girl I'll cut your god damn heart out in the middle of the god damn night… You understand?" He knocked the stick away and she slowly backed up as he stood.
"Don't put your hands on me again little girl." He said.
"I didn't put my hands on you but if you ever want to go toe to toe just let me know." Emma said her staff collapsing in her hand.
"Hershel thinks of those things as people." Dale said while Emma and Shane continued to lock eyes.
"You knew about this?" Rick asked.
"I talked to Hershel last night. He thinks these people are alive and just sick. His wife and step son are in there. He thinks someday he or someone else can cure them."
"You didn't come to us with this?" Andrea asked.
"I thought we could survive one more night we did." Dale said. They all heard a noise and looked to the barn to see the doors starting to shake. Emma's staff extended in her hand once more as she and the others took a step back.
"Back to camp let's let these things calm down…" Rick said and they all nodded as they headed away.
"You think you're so fucking tough with that staff." Shane said.
"I don't think it I know it." She muttered as it collapsed in her hand.
"Let's see how you are without it."
"Emma!" Carol shrieked as she watched Shane run at her. She stepped to the side moving out of his way and making him fall to the ground.
"Shane stop it!" Carol yelled.
"Do something!" Lori yelled to Rick as Shane rushed at her once more. Emma stepped to the side but instead of letting him fall she threw a round house kick to his stomach making him halt right in his movements and collapse to the ground coughing. Emma slowly looked up at the others with a cynical laugh.
"And you people wonder why I want to be alone." She muttered before she grabbed her back pack and walked off.
"How could you run at her like that?" Carol asked.
"She started it." Shane muttered. "I think she broke my spleen."
"She was protecting Daryl, she didn't start anything you did." Lori said making Daryl look to her before looking Emma who was heading off farm. He quickly ran to his cross bow before rushing after her. After a few moments he reached her his hand steadying on his side as pain filled the area.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"To the highway to search for Sophia behind that Semi."
"I'm coming with." He muttered.
"Do what you like." After a few moments of walking a car pulled out in front of them stopping them.
"You both back into the car." Carol said.
"He can get in I'm going." Emma said starting to walk.
"Emma come on you don't have to leave." Lori said getting out of the car as well.
"I'm not leaving I'm going to the highway to search for Sophia."
"You're injured. Rick and the others are going later… Come on." Carol reached for her and she moved away.
"Don't grab at me like I'm kin." Emma said. "You have no say over what I do or where I go. Now I'm going. I'm going to do what everyone else should be doing." She said starting to head around the truck the others following.
"You're not thinking clearly from the fight with Shane." Lori said.
"No I'm thinking real clear." Emma said turning back and staring at them. "The sooner I find Sophia the sooner I'm away from you people… My god I haven't come across such a dysfunctional group since the last thanksgiving I spent with my family and one sides Jewish and the other sides catholic! Do you know how fucked up that dinner was!? Less fucked up then this situation here! I didn't even think that was fucking possible! Safety in number my ass! Jesus Christ!" She turned and started to storm off.
"I'm going with her to keep an eye on her." Daryl muttered.
"Take the car." Carol said handing him the keys. He nodded before jumping and driving to Emma's side.
"Come on." He said stopping. She nodded before getting to the other side and jumping in. He sped off and she was thankful.
"Hi." She turned and looked to see T-dog in the back.
"Hi." She said.
"So Catholic and Jewish huh?" T-dog inquired.
"Shut up." T-dog laughed and she smiled before laughing as well.
"That was some rant there girl!" he said still laughing.
-o-
They slowly came up on the turned over Semi. Daryl realizing how much bigger it was in the daylight then at night. He rested his cross bow against his knee as he looked around. T-dog tilted his head as he leaned to one side.
"How we getting over this?" He asked.
"I'm gunna scale it." she said dropping her back pack to the ground.
"Scale it?" T-dog asked. "It's huge there's no way."
"Clear the way." She said walking away. The backed themselves up against two cars. Emma ran forward jumping onto one car running up over it and flipping through the air before catching herself on the edge of the Semi.
"Climb girl climb!" T-dog shouted while Daryl just looked on slack jawed. Emma yelled out as pain spread through her side. "Climb!"
"Is there anything else to do but climb!?" She yelled over her shoulder.
"Drop if you need to we'll catch you!" Daryl said he and T-dog moved underneath her.
"No I… Got it!" She shouted as she pulled all her weight up. She slowly stood and walked across the semi.
"Did you see that?" T-dog asked. "That's some ninja stuff right there." Emma walked over to two hanging open doors and climbed down the inside. They watched as she swung the door over to car and jumped onto it. She then slid down the windshield and off the hood.
"Did you see anything?" Daryl asked walking over.
"It's clear behind this thing." She said hitting the Semi. "If she was out there I would have seen her…"
"That's too bad." T-dog said.
"Going back empty handed…" Emma muttered. "At least we'll get a good fight out of it." she said slipping her back pack on.
"What?" they asked.
"Walkers." They turned and looked to see a group of four.
"Let's get through them to the car and get the hell out." She said before rushing forward at her top speed her. They watched as she side kicked a truck and launched off it hitting one walker across the face before landing spinning the Bo in the air and cracking it atop another walkers head.
"Jesus." T-dog said as he watched her stab the third through the eye.
"Come on!" She yelled at the last one who was at least six feet and 280 pounds. "Let's go." She turned and ran the thing sprinting after her. "Move!" T-dog and Daryl got out of the way. The thing was right up behind her. They watched as she ran up the semi flipped over the walker before jumping grabbing a hold of the back of its head and slamming it against the semi. It dropped to the ground still and she looked down at it for a moment before collapsing her Bo. "Thanks for the help." She said to them before heading away. "Come on we should get back before more come!" she yelled over her shoulder. T-dog and Daryl exchanged glances before walking.
"We have to get her to stay." T-dog said and Daryl only shrugged.
-o-
"Are you guys okay?" Carol asked as they stepped out of the car. "Oh god you've got blood on you." She said to Emma.
"I'm alright."
"Hell yes she's alright this girl took down Four walkers no problem no help!" T-dog said. "Can you teach me that flip thing."
"Flip thing?" Lori asked.
"She ran up a semi and flipped right over the thing just as it was about to get her."
"It was never about to get me." She said. "I had it all planned…" Her voice trailed off as she saw Shane walking towards her. Daryl watched as she reached behind her and took a hold of her collapsed Bo staff. He walked right up to her and stopped.
"Sorry about what I did." He said and Daryl was sure she was about to let go the Staff but she kept holding on. "I wasn't going to hurt him none."
"That's not what it looked like to me." She said. "I ever see you come near one of these people with that kind of rage I'll put you down and next time I might just do it for good. I protect the people around me from walkers and from regular folk just like yourself. Doesn't matter much to me if you're alive or dead if you need to be put down I'll put you down. Understand?" He nodded with a smile before putting his hand out.
"I understand and respect it." she looked at his hand for a moment before slowly shaking it. "Thanks Emily."
"Emma." She said with a sigh. "It's Emma."
"Nah I'm going to call you Emily." He said making the others smile.
"But my name is Emma!" she said as he walked away.
"Okay Emily!"
"Emma!"
"Emily I got it!" She sighed with a slight stomp of her foot that showed her true teenage ways.
"It's Emma…" She muttered before looking to Lori. "I'm going to watch the barn for a while, just in case they break through."
"I'll come with." Daryl said. The walk was short and quiet and when they reached the barn Emma hopped up on the hood of a broken down truck. Daryl walked over and leaned beside her legs.
"I don't need you protecting me none." He muttered before spitting on the ground.
"I know."
"I'm serious."
"I know."
"I could have handled Shane myself."
"I know."
"So why did you step in then?"
"I don't know." She said with a shrug.
"Well don't do it again." He said and she looked at him for a moment. "Okay?"
"Okay." She said with a shrug as she looked to the Barn. "Do you think Rick is going to side with Shane and kill the walkers?"
"I hope so."
"Me too… I get that Hershel thinks these people are sick but I think he's just living in denial. I mean look at this place." He looked around. "This is one of the few places on earth that has been un touched by this epidemic… He hasn't seen the true evil out there. He hasn't seen what these things are truly capable of…" Daryl nodded as he looked to her.
"So you're really going to leave after we find Sophia?"
"That's the plan." She said with a shrug.
"After all you've seen you're going to stray away from the group?"
"I've done alright so far on my own."
"There is a safety in numbers no matter what you think." She looked to him.
"Maybe a small number but in this big a group no way." She said shaking her head. "It's so weird you strike me more like a lone wolf type but here you are with this huge group of survivors. What's your pull to them? What's keeping you here Daryl?" He didn't say anything and she tilted her head. "Nothing?" He looked to her.
"For right now?" He asked and she nodded. "Sophia is keeping me here…"
"Were you two close or something?" He glared at her. "What you can be close to a kid without being a perv." She said.
"No."
"So you and Carol then…"
"No!"
"Jesus you're touchy…" She muttered.
"Why are you so interested in finding this girl hmm?"
"Because it's my fault she got so lost." Emma said and he slowly looked to her. "I scared her chased her off into those woods… She probably would have made it back to you all if it hadn't been for me. I owe it to Carol to get her little girl back."
"For whatever it's worth…" He spit on the ground. "I don't think it was your fault." She looked to him.
"You're not going soft on me are you?" He looked to her to see she was smiling and he returned the expression. "Oh now what was that?" She asked leaping down. "That was a smile with a near inaudible sound of a chuckle."
"Shut up." She laughed and he smiled again. The barn gave a bang and both jumped turning to face it.
"They're getting restless in there." She said.
"When is Rick going to handle this?"
"When is that search party going out for Sophia? Its high noon that doesn't leave us much time to search for her…"
"You've got a point…" He said seeing the group gathering by the house. "Let's find out what's going on."
"You go ahead I'll wait here keep watch." She said seeing the doors bulge as the walkers inside pushed against them.
"Be back."
"Mhm…" she watched him head off and as she looked away Daryl looked back to her.
"Where's Emma?" Carol asked when he was half way to the house.
"By the barn still keeping watch." He said and she spotted her. "Come on." He said heading towards the house and Carol followed. "Someone want to tell me why a search party hasn't been sent yet?" He asked when they reached the house.
"Where's Rick? We've been waiting for him." Andrea said as she and T-dog joined the group.
"There's a little girl lost out there is no one taking this seriously?" Daryl asked. "We've got ourselves a lead or has everyone forgotten the doll Emma and I near died getting?" He turned seeing Shane walking up with a bag of guns. "Where's Rick are we going or not to find Sophia?"
"No but we are going to fix the problem in the Barn." He said handing him a gun. "You in?" He looked down at the shot gun before cocking it.
"Hell yes." Daryl said. "I'm always up for a shin dig."
"Daryl…" Carol said with an unsure tone.
"We have to make this place safe for when Sophia comes back." He muttered and she slowly nodded.
Emma looked at the barn, she was starting to worry the doors wouldn't hold. They were bulging with the walkers inside pressing against them. The wood creaked threatening to burst open. She heard hissing and growling and figured it was from the barn when she realized it was coming from behind her. She turned quickly and dropped down from the pickup truck her jaw going slack. Hershel and Rick came from the woods with animal control leashes around two walkers' necks.
"Holy hell." She said taking out her Bo staff. "Are you guys okay?" She asked.
"We're fine Emma get safely behind us out of the way." Rick said and she nodded moving in a big circle around them.
"Can I help?" She asked unsure yet if she really wanted to.
"We've got it." Hershel said. She turned to see the group running from the house.
"Rick company!" she called and they stopped leading the walkers and turned.
"What the fuck is this man what the fuck is this!?" Shane yelled.
"You want me to take care of him?" Emma asked Rick.
"No I'll talk him down." Rick said and she nodded.
"What the hell are you all doing!?" Shane inquired as he and the others reached them.
"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel asked and Emma looked around to see everyone was packing.
"This is not good." Emma said backing out of the line of fire.
"Take this." Shane said holding a shot gun for her to take. She stared down at the weapon for a long moment before her eyes went to Shane's. "Emma take it!" he yelled.
"Emma don't!" Rick yelled.
"You said you'd protect the people around you!" Shane yelled. "You've got a barn full of walkers take the gun and help me out!" She looked to Carol who looked lost and then to Daryl who had a shot gun.
"Emma don't!" Rick yelled. She looked to Lori who shook her head as she gripped a hold of her son who looked frightened.
"You just need to calm down." Emma said to Shane. "You're getting hysterical."
"You want to know why I'm hysterical?" he asked walking away. "Because of this!" he yelled looking to the barn. "Because while we thought we were so safe we were living by a house full of monsters! I'm tired of living in fear. I'm tired of things not getting done around here that should! I'm tired of being cordial to a bunch of fucking walkers!"
"They are people!" Hershel yelled.
"People fucking people?" he pulled his gun and fired into walkers chest who Hershel held. "That's a bullet to the chest why is It still up?" He fired again. "That's two to its lungs why is it still making noise!?" he fired again. "That's one to the stomach why is still standing, hmm? Why is still going Hershel!?"
"Shane stop it!" Rick bellowed.
"Oh I will. I'm going to stop this whole fucked up thing right fucking now!" he walked right up and shot the walker between the eyes before walking away. Emma watched as Hershel went down to his knees, in obvious distress. "I'm tired of it! I'm tired of living in a world full of these things! I'm tired of searching for a girl who's dead!" Emma looked to see Carol who had started to sob. "I'm tired of it!"
"Stop it you're scaring people!" Emma yelled and he reeled on her.
"Good they need to be scared you all have gotten too comfy here on this farm let me remind you what you're are to be scared of!" he yelled rushing to the barn.
"Take it Hershel take this thing from me!" Rick yelled still holding onto the walker. "Shane brother please don't do this!" He yelled seeing him grab a pick ax and began to slam it against the door.
"Stop!" Emma rushed forward and grabbed the back of Shane's shirt and pulled him away. He turned swinging the pick ax at her.
"Emma!" Carol shrieked as Emma narrowly dodged it before grabbing hold of the ax and tossing it away.
"Calm down!" Emma yelled at Shane as she grabbed his shirt. "This is not the way! This is not the way Shane!"
"Oh no it is the way." He slapped her hard across the face and she in turn punched him in the stomach before grabbing hold of him.
"You're going to get good people killed calm down!" Emma screamed.
"Hershel take the walker!" Rick bellowed as he watched Shane slam Emma into the doors of the barn so hard the latch finally broke. He turned and threw her to the ground with such force she rolled ten times across the dirt coming to a stop behind Rick. Andrea rushed to her side as she slowly got onto her feet.
"Jesus Christ…" Emma said softly making her look up to see the walkers slowly emerging from the barn.
"Emma!" She turned and Lori tossed her a six shooter she grabbed it before aiming as they all moved forward and began shooting the walkers one by one. This was unlike any massacre she'd been to with walkers. People were crying, they were distraught, the family of Hershel were mourning each death and she was finding it hard to continue shooting. Then she realized if she and Daryl brought Sophia back it would have to be safe so she continued killing. After a rain of bullets and a chorus of loud bangs all the walkers went down and all Emma could hear were sobs.
Emma tilted her head as she watched a strange sight slowly come from inside the barn. It was a little girl with greenish blue skin and sunken in yellow eyes. She looked vaguely familiar but Emma couldn't name where she had spotted her before.
"Sophia!?" Emma turned and saw Carol rushing forward only to have Daryl catch her in his arms with such force they both fell to their knees on the ground. "Sophia! My baby Sophia! Sophia!" Emma slowly walked to their sides her eyes on the little girl who she had been searching for, for days.
"No…" Emma said softly as she dropped to Carol and Daryl's side.
"My baby…" Carol said softly and Emma took her hand out of instinct. She looked all around wondering who would be the one. Who would be the one with enough courage to shoot the little girl down while her sobbing mother watched. "Baby girl please…" Rick slowly moved forward and Emma looked to Carol.
"Don't watch…" She said. "Carol please look away…"
"Sophia…" She whispered as she watched Rick raise the gun. Emma closed her eyes as she heard Rick cock the gun. With a loud bang the world went silent for a short moment before a small thud sounded and Carol let out a heart wrenching sob. "Sophia!" She kicked away from Daryl over to her daughter's body. "Sophia!" Emma slowly looked around. Carol wasn't the only one sobbing, a girl younger then herself sobbed at Hershel's side. Hershel himself looked devastated, then again everyone did.
Everywhere I go bad things happen… Daryl slowly looked to Emma who was gripping onto the dirt her eyes glued to Carol. She slowly reached behind him and grabbed the Doll out from beneath his belt. She then quietly stood up and walked over to Carol's side where she knelt.
"Here…" She said softly and Carol slowly looked to the doll. "She would want it Carol…" She slowly nodded and took it in hand before tucking it under the arm of her daughter. Emma wrapped an arm around Carol's shoulders as the woman began to sob uncontrollably. "She's safe now… Safe in her mother's arms…" Carol shook her head.
"I'm not her mother… This isn't my child… This isn't my child." She quickly stood taking the doll and running away.
"Carol…" Emma stood quickly as she watched her race past Daryl. Emma wanted to call out to the older woman but in that moment she couldn't seem to find her voice.
"Mommy… Mommy!" The younger girl rushed forward.
"No we haven't checked them all over." Emma said trying to catch her but she kept running for a body as Maggie and Glenn went after her. Emma shook her head before her eyes landed on Shane who was staring down at Sophia's body. Her rage built like never before in that moment and she found herself walking towards him quickly. "Was this the result you wanted?" He slowly looked to her to see her bleeding lip and cut up arm from where he'd thrown her. "No?" She asked her voice shaking. "This wasn't the Massacre you were looking for?" She pushed him and went to pull her fist back to hit him but stopped as she shook her head and looked him over. "Some kind of man you are." She said with a clenched jaw and rage filled eyes. "Stupid son of a bitch…" she muttered before walking away.
"Emma…" Lori reached for her and she brushed past, Daryl quickly went after her.
"I'd kill that son of a bitch if there hadn't been so much fucking blood spilt today…" She muttered and he looked to her realizing she was completely serious. When they got to the RV they both walked in to see Carol by a stack of mathematical flash cards for children.
"Carol…" Emma said softly as the door closed and Daryl sat up on the counter.
"That's not my little girl…" She said softly and Emma slowly sat across from her. "That's not my little girl… Sophia is still out there… She's still out there…" Emma's jaw clenched as she moved forward and took Carols hands who slowly looked to her. "She's still out in the woods Emma… She's all alone in the woods…"
"Then I'll keep looking for her." Emma said and Daryl looked at her. "I'll keep looking for you Carol until you say it's time to stop." Carol let out a sob and Emma quickly moved to her side and wrapped her arms around her.
"Sophia…" she sobbed.
"It's okay… It's going to be okay…" Emma said rocking her gently. "It's going to be okay…"
