How do you survive – chapter 3: Unexpected return

RICK'S POV (for a change)

I sit in the driver's seat of the van. The people I encountered in the city have offered me to join their camp. I figured I might as well do so. Maybe they can help me look for my family. The boy, Glenn is his name I remember, drives in front of us, we can barely see him making the turn of the highway before he drives out of sight, the sport car being much faster than the van.

We drive up a hill and park behind the red car. Someone obviously managed to turn of the alarm because it's silent here. T-Dog steps out of the car and I hear the back door open. I decide to stay in the van for a while, waiting for them to call me out. They probably have to prepare their people for a new person in their group.

"Hey tank guy, come meet the group." Glenn calls.

I step out of the van and look around. Immediately my eyes start to water and I sink down to my knees. I open my arms just in time to welcome the boy in my arms. I hug him tight before welcoming the woman in my arms too.

"Carl, Lori! I thought I had lost you!" I manage to get out. I'm not a very emotional man, but this is my family, and they are alive!

I hug them for a little while longer before standing up. With Lori's hand in mine a walk forward, towards the man I own a great deal to.

"Good to see you alive and kicking man!"

"Good to be alive, and thank you so much, for taking care of them!" I give my best friend a firm hug before turning back to Lori.

"Lori, where is Cheyenne?"

I see her quickly looking to Shane, and back to me. The look in her eyes hurts me more than being shot.

"I… We don't know. She is nowhere to be found since last night. She sneaked out of the camp with Daryl and they haven't returned yet." Her voice breaks at the end of the sentence, and I see Carl walking towards a white RV that's parked up ahead.

"But, she is alive for as far as you know?" I stutter, tightening my grip on her hand. I need her to keep me up right now. I have my family back, but not completely, and that hurts. The idea that my, not so little anymore, girl is out there alone, between those things. It scares me.

"We don't have any reason to believe not, she is strong Rick, and Daryl is a skilled hunter. He'll protect her."

I think back to the man we left on the roof. T-Dog told me in the car that Daryl and Merle are brothers. If Daryl is anything like his brother, I don't want my daughter in a five mile radius of him. Let alone having her depend on him for surviving. But Lori is right, she is strong. She knows how to shoot and knows how to defend herself. But she also just a girl, raised in a warm and loving home, without violence.

It takes a while before I gather the strength to move. I walk with Lori further into the camp. I introduce myself to everyone. Before Lori shows me where she and Carl have slept the last couple of months. Carl shows me the comics he managed to get before running out the house.

My eyelids are heavy as I sit in the tent with Lori, her head leans against my shoulder, my hand on her back. I allow myself to close my eyes for a few seconds.

CHEYENNE'S POV

It takes me and Daryl a while to finally get to the mountain pass. Up on this mountain lays our camp. There waits me the fury of my mother. Maybe I'm lucky, maybe she went out with Shane again and I get a little more time to prepare my answers. Daryl notices me getting behind, he has looked back at me multiple times now.

"Ya coming or nah, thought ya wanted to get back?" He has stopped walking and I'm so lost in my thoughts that I almost bump in to him.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking, my mom will be furious. Not only will she be angry at me, but also at you."

"I can handle ya mother, she ain't scary."

We keep walking up the hill, my heart is hammering in my throat by the time we can see the vehicles lined up at the beginning of the camp. It's mid-day and very hot. The sun is shining down on us and I feel like I'm sweating a lot.

There are two unknown cars up ahead. A red sports car and a white van. We walk past them into the camp. Dale is on lookout and he starts shouting immediately.

"Guys! They're back!" He starts climbing down and people are rushing to us. Shane and Morales up front, behind them are Carol and Jacqui.

Between the people I see a familiar face. A face I never thought I'd see again. I start running, pushing Shane and Morales out of the way, into his arms.

"How? Mom said, and Shane…" I sob against his shoulder. I can't believe my dad is alive! When Shane came to get us he told us he was dead. That the hospital was overrun and the power was out. He said that my dad couldn't live without the machines and care of staff, that his heart had stopped.

"I don't know, but I'm here now! And so are you!"

I let go of his waist, straightening my posture to face my mother. She looks angry, but there is relief in her eyes as she hugs me to, followed by my little brother.

"Don't ever do that again Cheyenne! We told you to stay in the camp for a reason!"

I explain everything, how we had planned to just go on a little hunt, but got cut off by a horde of walkers, how we had taken shelter at the old barn and how we didn't exactly remember how to get back. About the sound that led us to the highway, and how we found our way back from there. When I'm done Daryl stands behind me, facing my father.

"Where is Merle?"