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Thanks to Emberka-2012, LeanneDaseyLover, Brazen Hussy, DeviantDames and the guest that reviewed.
Chapter 4.
It was just Daryl and Rick now in the woods. Rick had sent Glenn and Shane back to keep the group calm. Daryl knew there was very little chance of calming Carol down at this moment in time. Rick ran he hands through his hair and desperately looked down at the floor. "The trails gone cold." Daryl looked at Rick the panic showed in every inch of his body.
Daryl bent down. "Nah it's faint but it's still here." Daryl remarked.
Rick seemed impressed with Daryl's skill. "How did you see that?"
"You want a lesson in trackin' or you wanna find the girl." Daryl answered bluntly. He liked Rick the man had done right by him and Merle but he didn't want Rick asking questions and pushing his nose into his life. He wasn't ready to talk about Hope, if he spoke about his girl it would make the loss somehow real and Daryl wasn't ready to cope with that at this moment in time.
Rick fell silent and the men carried on moving through the woods. Daryl stopped and cocked his head listening to the noises of the woods. Rick watched the rugged man squint and listen to things Rick couldn't hear. Daryl's gaze then swiftly dropped back down too the floor and he started moving again. Rick didn't understand why Daryl was helping. Daryl seemed just as desperate as him too find Sophia Daryl was searching for her with as much determination as he had when he searched for Merle in Atlanta.
"Why are you doing this?" Rick asked.
Daryl stopped and stood with his back to Rick not knowing what to tell the man. He didn't want to tell him the truth; he didn't want Rick to pity him. "You helped me with Merle." Daryl lied. "But let's make one thing clear once we locate the girl I'm gone I ain't stickin' around. You got that?"
Rick just nodded there was something about Daryl's reason that didn't sit right with him finding Sophia meant something more to him, she seemed to be more than just a lost kid. Daryl and Sophia barley spoke to each other as far as Rick knew so the way the redneck was acting was completely off key.
Daryl gave Rick a light whistle as a walker with long scraggly hair walked a few feet in front of them. Daryl looked at Rick and gave him a hand signal to move forward.
Rick took off running towards the walker. He stopped and raised his gun he gave a loud whistle making the walker turn to face him. The beast roared and Daryl took it down with an arrow to the head. The men walked over to the dead body and Rick started to examine it.
"It's got fresh flesh between its teeth." Rick pointed out. "We're gonna have to cut it open and make sure it's not Sophia." Rick stood above that dead walker with his knife held high.
Daryl watched him and noticed how uncomfortable he looked at the prospect of gutting the walker Rick's knife just hovered in mid air. "I'll do it." Daryl pushed Rick to one side. "My knife's sharper and how many kills you gut and skin anyway?" Daryl dug his knife in deep and made a deep cut. He rummaged around inside the corpse working as quick as he could not wanting to think about the idea of the stinking monster killing a child. Rick heaved and covered his face as Daryl pulled out the insides and placed them on the ground. Daryl gave a sly smirk the smell was bad but Daryl had smelt much worse. "Bet you didn't change too many diapers." Daryl thought to himself. "The gut sack." Daryl announced placing the black mass by Rick's knee.
"I got this." Rick said. He had watched Daryl go through the whole gruesome autopsy; Rick knew it was his turn to step up. Rick cut the gut sack open and Daryl pulled out a small jaw with large buck teeth on out with his knife.
"Sick bastard had a woodchuck for lunch." Rick noticed the relief in Daryl's voice. Daryl looked around him; he noticed how quickly the light was fading. "It's gettin' dark." Daryl flicked the remains off his knife. "We ain't gonna find her in the dark."
Rick clenched his jaw and nodded sadly in agreement. "Let's head back pick up the search first light."
Daryl and Rick started walking back towards the highway both men walked in tandem. "We'll find her." Daryl said gruffly. "Kids adapt better than us, so I've been told."
Rick gave a weak smile. "Yeah I remember Carl's first day of school I was worse than he was I nearly cried leaving him at the school gate but he just ran in to class he didn't even look back." Daryl gave a small smile he wanted to share stories of fatherhood with Rick but he didn't want to be known as the failure that got his kid taken away. Rick looked at Daryl. "I promised her she'd be safe."
Daryl felt a pang of guilt he'd made the same promise too Hope. "We'll find her." Daryl replied firmly the guilt hit again he'd told Merle the same thing, that they'd find Hope but instead he lost them both.
The men made their way up the bank and on to the highway. Carol wailed as she noticed her child wasn't with the men.
Rick placed his hand on his hips trying to catch his breath. "We couldn't find her but we'll start again in the morning."
"You left her out there!" Carol screamed.
Daryl felt bad for Rick the man had tried his hardest to find her kid. "It ain't no good looking in the dark." Daryl shot back. "We'll all end up gettin' lost."
Carol looked at the men and noticed their bloody shirts. "Is that blood?" She wept.
Daryl looked at Rick and then down at the floor he felt like a failure. "We found a walker and cut it open just to make sure." Rick answered.
Carol's body collapsed into Lori's and Lori guided her gently away. Daryl felt sick he now has to go and sleep in the RV with the woman he'd failed. He made a silent promise to himself he wouldn't leave this group not until Carol was reunited with Sophia.
It was early morning and Merle wasn't in the best of moods. Hope had woken up at an ungodly hour screaming at the top of her lungs until Merle picked her up. He was so used to Daryl doing most of the early mornings with Hope that Merle wasn't used to the rude awakening. Changing Hope's diaper with only one hand had led to further frustration and it didn't help that Hope moved around a lot more now so just when he thought he'd got the diaper secure Hope would roll or wiggle and it would come lose. At this rate Merle was going too learn how to make fabric diapers he couldn't wait until Hope was potty trained.
Merle had now left Hope in the living room whilst he made his own breakfast he listened to Hope babbling too her stuffed bear and for a moment he felt calm. Merle was finding it hard to juggle the demands of raising Hope on his own and trying to keep on the Governors good side.
Merle walked into the living room and placed his bowl of oatmeal on the floor he then took a seat next to Hope. As soon as Merle sat down next to her Hope smiled and clapped. Merle started eating his oatmeal and Hope looked up at him with her mouth open. "Get lost squirt you've just has your food you ain't gettin' mine."
It was almost as if Hope understood Merle because she placed both her small hands on his leg and pulled her body closer to him. Merle smiled at his girl's boldness, Hope then placed one of her chubby hands right into Merle's bowl and placed her hand in her mouth making an "mmmmmm" sound.
"Hey that's mine." Merle chuckled as Hope went for another handful. This time she reached her hand towards Merle's mouth. "Well thank you sweetheart." Merle bent down and placed Hope's hand in his mouth and the girl cackled.
Merle carefully placed his bowl on his left leg and with his one hand he picked up Hope and placed her on his right leg placing his damaged arm behind her. Merle picked up the spoon and went to put it to Hope's mouth but the girl didn't want the spoon she knocked it away from her mouth with force causing the oatmeal to fly off the spoon and land on the floor. Hope rammed both hands in the bowl and clapped making the food squelch in her hand making her laugh again. Merle bent his head to kiss her and she clapped her hands against his cheeks giving Merle two oatmeal imprints on either side of his face. Merle took revenge by placing his finger in the bowl and rubbing it down his girl's nose. Hope went bog eyed and bounced her body on his leg she grabbed two more fistfuls of food. Hope threw her hands in the air and oatmeal flew around the room Merle got covered in the food, it had stuck to his face, covered his shirt and sat in his hair.
Merle grinned at Hope. "So its war you want is it squirt?" Merle picked up the bowl and Hope's eyes followed it as her arms reached up to grab it. Merle tipped the bowl upside down and placed it on Hope's head. Oatmeal ran down her face as she bounced and squealed.
"I really don't think that's a wise way to use food. Do you?" Rowan was standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips and tapping her foot against the floor.
Merle winked at Hope. "Uh-oh squirt looks like Mary Poppins is gonna kick off." Hope just patted the bowl on her head and started babbling at Rowan whilst pointing at Merle. "Whoa squirt don't go blamin' me." Merle rubbed some oatmeal of Hope's face and ate it. "Let me tell ya somethin' I used to tell Daryl….snitches get stitches." Hope just blew a large raspberry at Merle. "You're lucky you're cute or I'd have to teach you a lesson for sassin' me." Merle kissed Hope's cheek and she giggled.
Rowan couldn't help but smile at the messy sight in front of her. She wanted to be angry because she had to clean the mess up but looking at Merle and Hope covered in oatmeal was just heart-warming.
Merle looked up at Rowan. "C'mon sweetheart crack a smile you look prettier when ya smile." Rowan bit her lip and smiled. "That's better honeybuns." A loud scream came from outside. "Grab squirt." Merle yelled.
Rowan picked up Hope and the girl started to cry. Merle grabbed his gun and his knife attachment off of the table and ran outside.
Two biters had made their way into the town and had a woman and her child cornered their teeth gnashed at the frightened pair. Merle ran forward he raised his gun and shot one of the biters he then turned and rammed his knife straight up through the jaw of the other. He kicked the monster off his knife and wiped the knife on his shirt. Merle looked at the woman. "You bit or scratched?" He asked quickly.
"No...no we're fine thank you." The woman hugged Merle. "You're Merle right? The new man." Merle just nodded he thought he must have been a right sight standing there covered in oatmeal and blood. "I'm Lola thank you. Woodbury is lucky to have you Merle." The woman walked away and a sense of pride started to swell in Merle it had been a long time since Merle had been made to feel wanted and useful, he liked it. Merle turned around and looked towards his house Rowan stood holding Hope. Rowan smiled at Merle and Hope reached out towards Merle squealing at him.
Two of the Woodbury guards came running up the street followed by the Governor. "Take those bodies away." The Governor ordered the guards; he then patted Merle firmly on the back. "We were lucky you were here." The Governor looked at Merle and then at Hope. "So which one of you didn't like breakfast." He joked Merle gave a small grin and walked towards Hope and Rowan with the Governor. "You know Merle you've only been here a short time and you're already making the community feel safer you're an asset too me and to Woodbury."
Merle wanted to take Hope from Rowan but didn't want to accidentally hurt her with his knife. "Just protecting my girl." Merle replied honestly whilst picking clumps of food out of Hope's hair. "Squirt I think daddy needs to bath ya." Merle moved past Rowan and took off his knife. "C'mon come to daddy." Merle cooed.
Governor placed his hands in his pockets. "Once you're done why don't you swing by mine I have a few things I'd like too run by you."
Merle had Hope's hands in his mouth and he was pretending to chew on them. He pulled her hands out making Hope whine. "Sure thing boss." Hope smacked Merle in the face and Merle grabbed her hand and laughed huskily. "That's the Dixon right hook." He remarked.
The Governor frowned at Hope's display of violence. "Bring Hope with you if you like."
Merle just gave a nod. "You like that squirt? You wanna go hang out at with ya uncle." Hope babbled and Merle disappeared into the house leaving Rowan on the porch.
The Governor stood staring in through the open door his anger rose at the thought of some useless redneck having a daughter but he'd managed to lose his to the virus. The Governor thought that life was unfair he started to wonder if it was worth keeping Merle around. If Merle was to have an unfortunate accident then he'd get to raise Hope as his own. The Governor took a deep breath and gave a polite nod to Rowan before walking away.
