A/N: This is the properity of AMC with a little bit of my imagination.

I`d like to thank my BETA writer stAnd out - SHOUT OUT

Chapter Four

Tahlee woke feeling more refreshed and relaxed than she had in months. She yawned and stretched her arms but she felt something restricting her movements. Opening her eyes, she looked down and saw a muscular, dirty arm wrapped around her waist. She looked up at Daryl`s face and immediately noticed how peaceful he appeared; she was amazed at how easy she felt sleeping beside a virtual stranger—she felt like she's known him longer than two days.

Gently, she ran her fingertip along his cheek before grazing his bottom lip in wonder, 'I wonder what he tastes like' she thought, not realizing that he was staring at her in amazement, having first woken when she tried to move.

"Watcha doing?" he mumbled out, still half asleep.

Tahlee blushed as she pulled her hand back, embarrassed at having been caught. "I`m sorry I was just thinking." She tried to roll away but he tightened his grip, effectively keeping her in place.

Daryl couldn`t believe how at ease he was around her, how the constant need to push people away didn't involve her; if anything it made him want her around more. Even the most alienated people wanted company now and then, to remove the loneliness they lived with at any other time.

"Did you sleep okay?" she asked him, trying to alleviate the awkwardness of the situation.

He grunted as he loosened his grip on her. "Fine, could've been better but someone decided to strangle me," he lied smoothly, it had been the best night sleep he'd ever had.

Tahlee felt guilty as she sat up, the emotion showing clear in her eyes as she looked down at him. "I`m so sorry Daryl, I guess I`m a cuddlier. Who knew?"

Daryl frowned as he pulled her back down. "I was joking Princess, I slept fine."

Tahlee smiled shyly as she rested her head against his shoulder, returning to her place on her sleeping bag. "I`m still sorry, sleep is hard to come by these days and you need more rest than anybody else."

Simply laying there, he grunted, "Forget about it." They continued to enjoy the peace and quiet as they thought about each other.

"Daryl?"

"Hmm, what?"

She tucked her body close to his side as she laid her hand close to his heart. "Do you think we would have met had the world not ended. I mean, we were practically neighbors," she pointed out conversationally, hoping to delay getting up for the day. She was surprisingly comfortable, lying so close to him.

Daryl was struggling to resist threading his fingers through her long brown hair as he answered, "Nah, I doubt it."

"Really?" She was surprised; he sounded so sure. "You don`t think that we`d run into each other at a bar, maybe we`d play pool - which I would win cos I`m awesome, you would buy me a drink..." She hinted at more could happen.

He snorted, destroying her fantasy, "You wouldn`t be caught dead in the bars I hanged at," he immediately dismissed the idea.

Tahlee leaned back at his dismissal. "Why?"

Obviously he had no idea he was basically rejecting her. "Girls like you would never go there, we're beneath you."

She sat up quickly as her temperament spiked. "What the hell does that mean? Girls like me? Are you being racist? 'Cause let me tell you I'm just as American as you are!" she snapped at him, not caring that the others might hear her. 'Glenn was right,' she thought to herself. However, she did not realize she was basically being racist by assuming that he was.

She hurriedly moved away from him to collect her clothes while Daryl struggled to understand how such a pleasant morning turned to ash. He was left to stand baffled as he watched her snatching clothes roughly from her bag.

"Jesus, Princess, that's not what I meant!" He hurried to sit up as he watched her struggle to move around with her busted toe.

The only problem was that she wasn`t listening to him. "I can't believe you; Glenn tried to warn me about you but I didn`t listen since you've been so nice." She felt tears starting to well up. 'I can`t believe I how much I liked him.' In her rush to escape him she tripped over Daryl`s crossbow banging her sore toe causing her to cry out; "Fucking hell!"

Daryl caught her as she fell down in pain. "Easy, Princess," he eased her back down on her bed, "Let me have a look!"

"Please, just give me a minute alone, Daryl," she begged as tears ran freely down her cheeks.

Growling, he snarled at her, "Fine, you're a stubborn bitch." He grabbed his clothes, shoes and crossbow before he ripped the open the tent and stalked out.

She laid there whimpering as both physical and emotional pain burned through her slim body, before a timid Sophia called out, "Tahlee, are you okay?"

The woman quickly wiped away her tears, not wanting the innocent child to see her in that state. "I`m okay, honey, could you please get me some water!"

"Okay, I`ll be right back!" Sophia called out before running off to the RV.

Tahlee decided to push through the pain and to change into fresh clothing, slipping on clean underwear and her shorts from yesterday. She pulled her bra back on and had just begun slipping on a new shirt when Sophia popped up once more.

"Oops, sorry." Sophia blushed as she turned around but not before catching sight of her bite, crying out, "Are you bitten?" She tackles Tahlee in her panic, worried for her new friend.

"Oh no, baby. Listen to me sweetheart. Yes I was bitten but somehow I didn`t get sick, we`re not sure why but Rick would like to keep this a secret, can you pinky promise me that you`ll never tell anyone?" Tahlee hoped she could.

Delicately wiping away a lone tear Sophia asked, "Does Daryl know?"

"Yeah bug he does, they saw it when they found me. Can you keep this a secret bug?" Tahlee asked again, hoping that this child would understand the importance of the others not knowing.

"Yea, I`ll pinky promise."

Tahlee wrapped her arms around her 'lil bug and she rocked them until Sophia asked quietly, "Does this mean if I get bitten that I`ll be okay like you?"

She kisses her forehead to try and think of an answer. She didn't want to scare the girl, but she didn't want to get her hopes too high, either. "I dunno, but I think the safest thing to do is avoid it the best we can. I think what happened to me was a miracle and they don`t happen often. You understand, yeah?"

"Yeah, don`t get bit. Do you think my mom's been bitten? And that`s why Daryl can`t find her?" Sophia asked, her eyes misting over at the thought.

Tightening her hold, Tahlee spoke gently, "I don`t wanna lie, bug, there is a chance that your mommy is infected but I also believe that we will find her cos we have Daryl, he`s the best tracker in the world and he won't stop until she's home."

"I'm worried, Tahlee, Mommy has never been camping before or hiking and she didn`t even have a knife, how can she protect herself?" Sophia cried.

Pain pierced her heart as Tahlee listened to this little girl cry for her lost mommy and she prayed to whatever god that`ll listen, 'Please return her mother to her.' She rocked them until the tears eased, "Listen, bug, I reckon your mom is hiding in a tree or farm house just waiting to be found. What do you think about this, we go check the highway and see if she`s waiting at the sign?"

Brightening up, Sophia readily agreed as she released her segregate mother to finish getting dressed.

WALKING DEAD

After breakfast, which consisted of powdered eggs and fried tomatoes, Tahlee and Sophia approached Rick.

"Morning ladies," he greeted with a tip of his Sheriff's hat, causing Sophia to giggle into her hand.

Tahlee was leaning against her walking stick, thankful for the freedom. "Morning, Officer, Sophia and I were hoping to borrow a car and head out towards the highway to check on the sign for Carol."

Rick immediately frowned. "I`m not sure that`s a good idea as neither of you can defend yourselves just yet."

"I am able to defend myself, at my old camp I got quite good with a gun. Beside, we don`t need to get out of the car and if I can borrow a knife just in case." Tahlee hoped he would agree. If it would give Sophia some peace of mind, which was all Tahlee would ask for.

Rubbing his face, Rick sighed, "How's your foot?"

"Rick I wouldn`t have suggested this if I wasn`t sure. I`m good to go," Tahlee assured.

"Alright, you can take Shane`s car, it`s the safest. I`ll get you a gun and a knife," he instructed. He still sounded reluctant and worried, but Tahlee knew that it was just Rick's nature. They were all a part of a group and he was the kind of person to worry about everyone within that group.

Sophia smiled up at him. "Thanks Mr. Rick, I really want to help in finding my mom."

"I`m sure it's only a matter of time 'til we find her, Sophia." Rick patted her shoulder.

"Rick, I`d really like to head off as quickly as possible," Tahlee encouraged without sounding overbearing.

"No problem, I`ll get them now," Rick said in assurance before he walked off.

"Alright, lil bug, lets go pack a bag of water and a first aid kit," Tahlee instructed Sophia, knowing that Rick would be a couple of minutes.

Thankfully, it wasn't more than a half-hour and the two were cruising up the highway, making their way for the traffic snarl.

"Bug, why don`t you check the glove compartment, there might be some cd`s we can listen too," Tahlee asked her, motioning to the compartment located below the airbag on Sophia's side.

Sophia giggled, "There`s a few but look, they're all silly ones." She showed Tahlee the soundtrack discs for Disney movies. It was apparent that the car had once belonged to a family with children.

Tahlee laughed along with Sophia, shaking her head. "What else is there?"

"There`s the Wiggles, Spice Girls, Taylor Swift and the Veronica's," Sophia listed, her voice entirely confused over many of the artists.

Grimacing, Tahlee decides. "Your choice."

"I really like Disney, especially the Lion King," she says as she inserts the CD to one of the movies. As soon as the music began Sophia seemed to know the words immediately and began singing along; it wasn't too long before Tahlee had caught on and did the same.

Unfortunately the happy atmosphere evaporated the minute Tahlee put the car in park at the traffic-jam, no one was there.

Tahlee read the sign: CAROL, STAY HERE. WE WILL COME BACK EVERY DAY. Sophia had been the one to write it, so the letters were wonky and clearly that of a child, but it was clearly legible in big letters.

"Honey, stay in the car, I`m gonna go have a quick check just to make sure she isn`t asleep in the car," Tahlee instructed as she checked the loaded six chamber gun before grasping her sheathed knife.

"Wait, you told Mr. Rick that we wouldn`t be getting out!" Sophia exclaimed.

"I know I did but we need to be sure before we head back," Tahlee said as she opened the door. "Do not get out of the car."

Limping forward, Tahlee gripped her knife hard until her knuckles turned white, the over baring smell of decomposing corpses invaded her nostrils and making her gag. She approached the abandoned car and using the butt of the knife to tap against the boot, then she waited for any movement. There was nothing. Disappointment filled her. She was peeking into the window when Sophia's scream pierced the air.

"TAHLEE!"

Turning back around, Tahlee`s heart stopped; there were nine walkers surrounding Sophia and their car.

Raising her gun, she sent up a quick prayer; "God, please, don't let me miss." Then she aimed at the closest walker.

BANG

She shot it through the cheek but other than that she ignored it as it dropped to the floor. She moved on to the next problem.

BANG

BANG

BANG

"Damn it," she swears as she misses the fourth one. "Focus, Tahlee,"

BANG

BANG

Immediately, she drops the gun as it's now useless. She moves around the abandon cars to put some distance between her and the walkers, which had turned on her due to all of the noise the gun created. Taking a deep breath, she planned her attack; she would move quick and only take on one at a time before moving back behind the safety of the car.

Running out towards a male walker, she winces as her toe starts throbbing. Unsheathing her knife and stabs him in the head, it feels like seconds have passed before there are no more walkers coming at her. Breathing deeply she looks to Sophia as dread fills her stomach, a walker was banging against Sophia`s window.

She summons what strength she had left she grabbed the walker by its bloody shirt pulling it back, slamming her knife to the hilt into its brain. Removing her knife as black goo dripped from the corpse, onto her shirt Tahlee groaned in disgust.

Tahlee climbed over the walker and got into the car. "You okay, bug?" Sophia's face was red from the tears that she had already shed and there were more continuing to drip from her eyes.

"I was so scared, Tahlee, I thought you were going to die," she sobbed as she buried her head into Tahlee`s lap, uncaring of the gore on her shirt.

"We're safe, baby. I`m so sorry, bug, I`m so sorry," she apologized as she rubbed Sophia`s back, hoping to quell the sobs that were shaking the small girl's body.

Minutes pass before Sophia`s tears subside, but she is soon breathing easy again. "Can we go home now?"

"Yeah, bug—oh shit, I dropped Rick`s gun. I`ve got to go get it, I`ll be right back. Keep an eye out, okay? Can you do that for me?" Tahlee asked her.

"Yeah, okay, please be careful," Sophia begged. All she could think about was the scene that had just taken place outside.

Taking barely a minute, Tahlee was back in the car and and made a quick U turn. Both were relieved to be heading back towards the safety of the farm—only this time there was no singing.

WALKINGDEADWALKINGDEADWALKINGDEADWALKINGDEADWALKINGDEADWALKINGDEAD

Arriving at the farm, Tahlee parks the car over by the others and quickly grabs Sophia`s hand. "How are you feeling, Bug?"

She whimpers, "I`m okay, I just miss my mommy and I don`t think she could have done what you did! And I know it`s silly but I miss my dolly, too."

Wiping away a tear, Tahlee smiles. "Hey, it's okay to miss her, missing her means that you love her and that`s a good thing. I reckon we can get you another dolly if you want. You know, Soph, before all this happened I couldn`t shoot a gun or protect myself. I learned all that from my other group, my friend George trained me so if you like I`m sure Rick or Shane or even Daryl could train you, too."

Sophia's eyes lit up. "You really think so? I really do want to learn to protect myself and the group."

"Come on, let`s go find the others," Tahlee offered.

Approaching the group as they peered down a well, it wasn`t until they got closer did they hear Dale say; "We`ve got to get it out."

Frowning, Tahlee too steps up and looks down to see what everyone was focusing on. "Holy shit, how`d it get down there?" No one answered her question. Knowing one could answer her question—they had the exact same one.

A floater was trapped down there.

T-Dog spoke up to the earlier concern Dale had posed. "Easy, just put a bullet in its head and pull it out."

Sophia cries out, "Eww." It was actually adorable the way that her face scrunched up in disgust and it made Tahlee hide a grin.

"I`ll get a rope," Shane started to walk off when until Maggie argued.

"Whoa, guys, no way are you shooting him. Even if he hasn`t contaminated the water, blowing his brains out will finish the job," She said with her hands on her hips.

Nodding, Andrea agreed, "She`s right, we can`t risk it."

"So it has to come out alive? How?" Tahlee asks as she wraps her arms around Sophia.

Glenn, being sarcastic, added, "Well so to speak."

Piping up Sophia asks, "How do we do that?"

Tahlee was shocked at the solution that they dreamed up as she shook her head in disbelief. Watching as the men dangled a hunk of spam on the end of a rope - like a fishing rod - 'How did a group of intelligent people come up with such a stupid plan, I`ll never know,' she thought.

Andrea was also shocked with their plan and calls out, "It`s not going for it."

"Yeah cause it`s not kicking a screaming," Glenn added in disappointment.

Lori frowned, "He`s right. There`s a reason the dead didn`t come back to life and start raiding the cupboards."

"We need live bait," Shane exclaimed as he looked over to Tahlee.

Dread filled her stomach as Shane continued to stare at her, so Tahlee offered another idea. "What if we cut ourselves and the smell of fresh blood on the spam should grab its attention."

"Nah, I reckon our best bet is to lower someone down so they can hook it quicker," he rejects her idea. Clearly, he was dead-set on serving her up for lunch.

Lori looked around. "So, who`s going down?"

Shane wasn't about to lose his opportunity and he spoke up first. "It should be the lightest, dismissing Sophia, of course is Tahlee."

'Oh fuck no,' Tahlee swore to herself.

"No," Sophia screamed, gripping Tahlee`s arm in fear. 'I can`t lose her' Sophia mentally yells.

Tahlee eased Sophia`s fingers loose. "It`s okay, Bug, I`m not volunteering for this; besides if you want to get technical Lori`s thinner, therefore lighter." She hated the idea of throwing Lori under the bus but there was no way in hell she was going down that well.

"Lori isn`t going down there, she has a child," Shane dismisses as he glares at her. Tahlee glares right back as her anger mounts. This man was getting on her last, short nerve.

"So what just because she has a child the rest of us are expendable? Is that how this groups works?" Tahlee argued back.

Shane is furious at this blow-in little shit questioning him. "She`s more important than you, yeah."

"Stop, Jesus Christ what`s wrong with you?" Lori steps in between the arguing pair. "Shane you have no right to say that to her, every person here is precious and she has a right to refuse at being used as bait. Tahlee, I understand you were just making a point but I too refuse to go down there. So what else can we do about this?" Lori defused the situation.

WALKINGDEAD

SPLASH

"Now what?" Tahlee groaned as she rubbed her sore backside from the fall as T-Dog helped her up.

Shaking his head, T-Dog says sarcastically, "Good thing we didn`t do anything stupid like shoot it." As he approached the top half of the decaying walker and slamming a hay-bale fork into its head, stopping its still snapping jaws.

"We need to seal off this well," Dale added while wiping the sweat off his brow.

Shane nodded. "Good idea."

Everybody scattered after that, Maggie and Glenn headed into town on horseback, which Tahlee laughed at how awkward Glenn was in the saddle. Shane took Andrea out to practice gun shooting while checking the new estates for Carol. Dale went up on watch at the RV, so that left Sophia and Tahlee on their own as they made their way up to the farmhouse.

"Knock, knock," Tahlee called out at the open front door.

Patricia waved them in. "What can I do for you two today?"

"We were just wondering if Beth or Maggie had any books to read since I can`t move around too much. I was going to do the laundry and Sophia wants to read to me." Tahlee asked nicely.

Smiling, Patricia called out, "Beth, can you come down here for a minute, please?"

The pretty young blonde girl come thumping down the stairs. "Beth, hun, can Sophia here borrow one of your books?" Patricia asked as she motioned to the small girl next to Tahlee.

"Sure you can, what type are you interested in?" Beth inquired as she took Sophia upstairs.

Ten minutes later and Tahlee was already regretting having volunteered to wash Daryl`s clothes as they immediately dirtied the fresh clean water. She groaned as she scrubbed at a particular stubborn stain. "Just like there owner," she mumbled as Sophia came running over with a book in hand.

"So what did you pick?" Tahlee asked, forgetting about the annoying redneck with the terrible sense of cleanliness.

Sophia smiled as she held up the first novel in the Harry Potter series. "I love Harry Potter, Mum was borrowing them from the library until they canceled our card because Dad burned one of them."

'Poor girl', Tahlee thought as she smiled. "I love 'em too, why don`t you start reading aloud while I do this." She held up one of Daryl`s wet flannel-net shirts as she stuck her tongue out making Sophia giggle.

Sophia climbed into the large hammock and cleared her throat; "Chapter One, The Boy Who Lived. Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you`d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn`t hold with such nonsense," she continued to read until her voice grew sore.

Meanwhile, in town.

With the horses safely tied up, Glenn, with his trusty bat, entered the Pharmacy with Maggie close behind. "I`ve never seen one killed up close before," Maggie said out of nowhere, making Glenn pause. "I guess I was shocked at how easy you guys made it seem," she added in place of an explanation for the impromptu comment.

Glenn did a quick sweep with his eyes before deeming it safe enough so they could talk. "Being out on the road, we've seen a lot. Maybe we`ve become numb to the horror of it." A timid silence lasted a few minutes before Glenn spoke up, "Why don`t you go see what antibiotics are left."

Maggie stepped forward, "What else is on the list?"

"Uh... Why don`t you get started?" he stuttered as he shuffled his feet.

Wondering why he suddenly got so nervous she asked, "What about you?"

"I`m gonna look around, see what`s worth grabbing, you know, general stuff," he mumbled as he walked off in the direction he hoped was the feminine products. Maggie frowned as she watched him move away but shrugged before making her way to the back, where the antibiotics and other meds were kept.

Sighing in relief, Glenn quickly grabbed two pregnancy tests and stuffed them in his bag when the condom display caught his eye. 'Maybe I should take some, not just for me but for Daryl, he`s gotten pretty close with Tahlee or maybe even Rick if it turns out that Lori isn`t pregnant' he wonders not realizing that Maggie is standing behind him.

"What you get?" She startles him.

Blushing, Glenn stutters, "Uh...um... Nothing. Just, like I said, general stuff."

"Condoms are general?" She raises an eyebrow, "You got a girlfriend I don`t know about? Tahlee?" She asks trying to cover the hurt she`s feeling.

"Me? No. No, Tahlee isn`t my girlfriend, she`s just my friend besides I`m pretty sure she likes Daryl," he blabs out, his nervousness and embarrassment causing him to just spout out whatever comes to mind.

"So then what? You`re just a confident guy?" Maggie asked, liking how he stutters and gets all flustered.

"No. No, no, no. I-I-I wasn`t suggesting... I would never...I-I`m lost."

Ouch, that hurt as Maggie glared at him. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Paling, Glenn says quickly, "No! Your beautiful, I..." he laughs nervously, "I would never have se-ex with you because your father would kill me."

"I`d have sex with you," she said boldly.

Not believing how weird this conversation has gotten he gasped, "Really, why?"

"It`s not like our options are vast these days. And you`re not the only one that`s lonely," she explained as she stripped off her shirt and unclipped her bra, leaving her completely bare from the pant-line, up.

"Wow," Glenn whispered as he felt himself harden.

Back at the farm.

Together, Sophia and Tahlee laid in the hammock as Tahlee read aloud from chapter five. "'There`s a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked, before he could stop himself. "Of course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister but he`d never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was one. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, asking for advice.'" Tahlee paused as a shadow crept up from behind, covering the book, so she looked up and was surprised to see Daryl standing there.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked him.

Daryl cleared his throat, "Yeah, I just wanna give Sophia something."

Sophia carefully sat up as the hammock swayed. "You didn`t find mum!" she said as a statement rather than a question.

"No but I did find this and thought you might like it." He held out a beautiful pure white flower in a beer bottle vase.

Gently, Sophia touched the petals before looking Daryl in the eye silently asking, Why?

"Do you know the story about the Cherokee Rose?" he asked her, tucking his hands in his jeans awkwardly.

She shook her head no as Tahlee rubbed her back while looking at this rugged, sweet, caring, rough looking redneck who brought this little girl a flower.

"There`s a story that when the American soldiers were moving the Indians off their land, on a trail of tears the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much `cause they were losing their little ones along the way from exposure, disease and starvation. A lot of them just disappeared. So the Elders, they said a prayer; asking for a sign to uplift the mother`s spirits to give 'em strength and hope. The next day this rose started growing right where the mother`s tears fell. I`m not foolish enough to think there`s any flowers growing for my brother, but I believe this one grew for your Momma."

Sophia jumped out of the hammock and into Daryl`s arms as she cried into his strong chest, all the while gripping her flower.

"Thank you, Daryl."

End of Chapter Four.