I know it's been a couple weeks, but school and work have been crazy hectic with all the holidays coming up. And I've had the slightest bit of writers block, but I've really been working on it.
please review and happy thanksgiving!
I've got sunshine on a cloudy day.
When it's cold outside I've got the month of May.
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl (my girl, my girl)
Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl)
-The Temptations, My girl
-0-
The hissing of walkers was the first thing Daryl heard when he woke up the next morning. He's woken Sophia up in the early morning, right before the sun came up and had her keep an eye out while he slept for a couple of hours. It wasn't much, but at least it would keep him awake.
Something warm and tiny was curled up against Daryl's chest, moving up and down with each breath he took. He peered down to find Sophia curled up against him, his vest still wrapped around her despite the fact it was warmer now with the sun up.
It took everything Daryl had not to panic. What was this kid doing? Did he look like a damn mattress? He was a stone-cold hunter, a fearless warrior and a-
She stirred, the kid stirred against his chest, her nose twitching like Carol's did when she asleep.
"…uhhhh." Daryl opened his mouth to wake her, but nothing came out. He couldn't do it. She looked so peaceful and so deeply asleep Daryl Dixon couldn't bring himself to wake her up.
He didn't know how long he sat there, letting her sleep, but it could have been an hour or so until she finally began to stir, blinking her eyes open to meet with his.
"Sorry Daryl, I fell asleep."
"s'alright kid, you had a long day." Sophia's stomach let out a grumbled and her cheeks turned pink. She slid away from Daryl and huddled on the branch next to him.
"Is there anything to eat? My tummy is rumbling." Sophia said sheepishly. Daryl shook his head. "Sorry 'Phia, don't got nothin' on me. I was expectin' to be haulin' back a nice buck for dinner."
"s'ok." Sophia replied, smiling softly at him.
Daryl turned his focus back on getting them out of the tree, peering down to count the number of walkers snarling at them.
6 of them, another one must have joined them sometime while he was asleep. Daryl began to carefully calculate a plan on how to get them out of there in his head, even though he only had his hunting knife and three arrows left…
He searched the branches around him for a good thick branch, finding one near to Sophia. "Scoot over that way a bit 'Phia." He instructed the girl as he slid his hunting knife out. Sophia listened, carefully moving to a new branch so she wouldn't be too close. Quickly Daryl used to the knife to saw the branch off. It took a little bit of time, but when he finally cut it down he could tell he'd made a good choice. The branch was solid, almost as thick as a golf ball but not too heavy. He sawed off the other end of the branch, making a long thick piece of wood, and carefully began to use his knife to carve the end into a point.
"What are you doing?" Sophia asked, staring intently with big eyes as Daryl worked the knife over the wood.
"Makin' a spear." He simply replied. "This ain't the right knife for carvin' this, but I only go three arrows, and if I got this you can hold ma knife."
In no time Daryl had a sharp spear in his hands. He handed the knife to Sophia, who took it hesitantly.
"I don't know how to use a knife!" she exclaimed, looking panicked.
"I'll teach ya, jest hold on to it fer a second okay?" She nodded as Daryl slowly crept down the branches near the walkers, the spear tight in his hand. They began snarling louder and waving their hands excitedly as he got closer, reaching up to try and snag his legs.
Daryl put each foot on a branch, he was a good foot or two away from the walkers, so they were unable to reach him, but he made that spear longer for a reason…
With both hands wrapped around the opposite end of the spear, Daryl shoved it down and into the head of a female walker, dark blood squelching out and running all down its body. Daryl ripped the spear out and let out a yell.
"Hell ya!" he quickly pulled himself back up to where Sophia was, careful to keep the bloody end of the spear away from them.
"We're gonna get out of here real soon 'Phia." He took the knife from her and showed her how to hold it properly.
"If one of them bastards comes near ya, you need to shove this knife in their brain. It's got ta be the head or it won't do nothin.' Alright?" Sophia nodded, but her eyes were wide and full of fear.
"Hopefully you ain't gonna need it, but its jest a precaution. I'm gonna shoot three of them walkers, then I'll take down the other two with this-" he gestured to the spear –" so we can get outa' here and get ya back to yer mama."
Daryl pulled his crossbow out of the branches he'd wedged it in and carefully loaded, easily taking down the first walker. He took down two more within seconds and handed the bow to Sophia so she could hold it while he took the last two down.
He climbed back down to the same branches he'd killed the first walker on, gripping the spear as he raised it above the excited walkers and easily stabbed the 5th one between the eyes. The last one was a male, and within minutes it was lying at the base of the tree with the others. Daryl lept down first, keeping a careful eye out in case any more walkers decided to appear. He retrieved and cleaned the three arrows from the walkers, then gestured to Sophia in the tree.
"Climb on down 'Phia, its safe now." She carefully edged her way down, still clutching the knife in one hand with the crossbow slung over her back. When she got to the bottom branches, she carefully handed Daryl the crossbow and the knife, where he slung the crossbow over his shoulder and slide the knife in his belt. He reached up towards Sophia.
"I gotcha darlin'." Carefully Daryl pulled Sophia out of the tree and set her down, leaning down to examine her ankle. It was still a little swollen, but looked better.
"ya think you can walk on it?" Sophia shook her head. "It still hurts when I try to."
"Alright, here's what we're gonna do." Daryl slid the crossbow off his shoulder. "You think ya could carry this on yer back?" Sophia nodded and turned so Daryl could carefully strap the crossbow onto her back. He slid his knife out and had her tuck it into her belt, then knelt down in front of her with his back to her.
"Climb on 'phia, I can't protect ya carrying ya in my arms." Carefully Sophia climbed onto Daryl's back and wrapped her arms and legs around him to hold herself up. Daryl stood up carefully; one arm on Sophia's left leg to keep her from falling and the other holding the spear he made.
"Hold on tight 'Phia cause I can't hold ya and this spear at the same time." Sophia nodded and tightened her grip a little, consciously aware of the sharp knife tucked into her belt. Daryl used the blunt end of the spear as a hiking stick and began making his way through the forest.
-0-
Damn. This forest was a lot bigger than Daryl thought. It was a couple hours later and Daryl and Sophia found themselves in another small clearing littered with bushes. Daryl immediately recognized the fruit blossoming on them and knelt down to help Sophia off his back.
"'Phia, some of them bushes are blueberries. Why don'tcha go pick some fer us? Only the blue ones." Sophia nodded and slid off Daryl's back, removing his crossbow and handing it to him. She started to hobble her way towards the first bush a couple feet from them, then shot a hesitant look to Daryl.
"Don't worry, nothing gonna eat ya. I got yer back darlin'." Sophia nodded and went straight over to the bush, wary of her ankle as she used her shirt as a pocket to hold the berries.
Daryl kept a sharp lookout for walkers, but so far there was total silence. Still, Daryl was not one to relax, not when he had a little girl to protect. He watched carefully as Sophia made her way from bush to bush. After raiding a good five or so, she returned to Daryl with an impressive collection collected.
"Looks good darlin'."
A branch snapped in the woods and Daryl immediately had the crossbow trained at the sound, using one arm to push Sophia behind him before he slowly advanced towards the noise, Sophia limping slowly behind him with the berries still held in her shirt.
It was a walker of course, not a big one but still a walker. It was an old walker, barely any flesh still linger on it as it stumbled slowly towards Daryl and Sophia. He shot it quickly and went to retrieve his arrow, ripping it out. His eye caught a flash of brown in the woods as he pulled the arrow out; cleverly hidden behind a bundle of trees. With Sophia in toe, Daryl advanced on the patch of trees, crossbow trained ahead of him.
It was a tiny cabin, about the same size as Dale's RV. Daryl crept up and peered in the windows, but they were covered with cloth so he couldn't see in. He made his way around to the door, carefully listening for any sign of movement. Nothing.
A firm kick sent the door flying in, a cloud of dust rising up with it as a creaking moan filled the air…
Carol stood next to Daryl's motorcycle, unable to stop the tears streaming down her face. Her baby had been missing since yesterday. An entire day and night. It was more than she could bear. And now Daryl was missing too? What else could go wrong?
"Carol?" Lori approached, laying a hand on Carol's shoulder. "We've got supper going, come get something to eat."
Carol shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I can't. My little girl is out there."
"And they're gonna find her. Rick and T-dog are out there right now looking for her. They're gonna find her and bring her back safe. But you gotta keep your strength up honey." Lori gently pulled Carol's arm, leading her towards the fire where the rest of the group sat.
"Let's get you some food." Lori said gently, seating Carol next to Glenn and handing her a plate with some rabbit meat and beans.
With Lori prodding gently, Carol ate the entire plate. They were washing the plates together when Rick and T-dog came jogging out of the forest, two arrows clutched in Rick's hand.
"Did you find her? Carol pleaded, tearing up as she saw Sophia wasn't with them.
"No, "Rick replied, "but we found these." He held out the arrows. They were obviously Daryl's.
"Daryl?" Carol whispered, reaching out to take the arrows from Rick. He nodded, and then gestured to T-dog, who held something out to Carol.
"They were with this." It was Sophia's little heart shaped purse, the only thing she'd been able to save when they escaped the CDC.
"She's with Daryl." Carol sighed in relief as hope washed through her. "Daryl found her, she's safe with him."
"We think she is." T-dog remarked softly, a soft smile on his face.
"Where ever they are, I hope they're ok."
Daryl carefully poked his head into the cabin and entered slowly, crossbow loaded and ready. Sophia crouched quietly by the door, waiting as Daryl carefully checked all the rooms before gesturing at Sophia that she could come in.
"Only 3 rooms in here. Musta been somebody's summer cabin 'er somethin'. He led Sophia into the tiny kitchen, opening all the cabinets as Sophia searched for a small bowl to put the berries in.
He scored in the far left cabinet, finding several cans of beans, corn and peas along with 2 cans of peaches and cherries.
He stacked them on the tiny table as Sophia poured the berries into a small bowl she found in the lower cabinet next to the stove.
"Can opener in there 'Phia?" Daryl asked. Sophia peered in the cabinet, reaching in to pull out said tool along with several more bowls and pieces of silverware before handing the can opener to Daryl.
"We ain't got no meat, but this'll do fer now." Daryl plopped down into one of the worn out chairs as Sophia slid into the one opposite, watching as he opened two cans of peas and poured them into two bowls, sliding one towards Sophia. Sophia picked up her spoon and began to take small bites, while Daryl was done by the time she'd taken her third bite. He opened a can of fruit and dumped them in his bowl.
"Yer momma is gonna kill me if ya don't eat that." Daryl nodded towards Sophia's bowl. She shrugged.
"I'm not very hungry." She replied softly.
"Don't matter." Daryl replied, "ya gotta eat and keep up yer strength. Yer momma is gonna be splitin' mad if she finds out ya been skipping yer dinner."
Sophia didn't answer, staring intently down at her bowl.
"Here." Daryl pushed the bowl of fruit towards her. "I ain't never liked cherries much anyways."
Sophia smiled gratefully and slid her bowl of peas to Daryl, who downed them in a flash. He reached into the bowl of blueberries and popped a few into his mouth, shooting a small grin at Sophia, who giggled.
"I'm thinkin' it would be a good idea to take a look around, scout around this cabin n' make there's no walkers nearby." Sophia nodded, sitting like a statue in her chair with her eyes wide.
"You stay in this cabin, make sure the doors 'er closed behind me and hide in this kitchen 'till I come back alright? I ain't goin' far." Sophia nodded again and slid out of her chair to follow him into the main room, where she watched Daryl make sure all the windows were covered and secure before heading to the door, shooting Sophia a small grin before firmly closing the door behind him. Sophia immediately turned on her heel and limped her way to the kitchen, opening one of the lower cabinets and slipping herself smoothly inside to await Daryl's return.
I love this chapter lol. It took me a while to figure out a good pet name for Sophia. I've seen other stories do cute nicknames like peaches and princess, but I really wanted to come up with something of my own. And darlin' seems really southern to me too lol. So any of my readers from the south, how did I do? lol enjoy the chapter and look for another one coming soon! we're now into season 2 territory! :D