Hello dear readers and reviewers! :) It's been a while again but I have a lovely (hopefully) new chapter for you. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and to my excellent Beta, thank you for helping me make this story 10 times better! Don't forget to review, I love hearing from everyone. 3! Anyways, onto the story.
I don't own anything except my OC... Sadly :(
Leah was among the last of the group to wander away, her own internal turmoil keeping her rooted into place. The stress began to build within her, making her sick to her stomach. The heavy weight of Hershel's plans settling on her already tired shoulders, knowing she should tell somebody was making it even worse. Who could she tell? Rick was the obvious choice, but he had too much to worry about as it was. Daryl was out; he was still avoiding her as much as possible. The women were clearly not interested in the decision making.
She was so deep in thought that she nearly jumped out of her skin when a cough brought her back to the real world. She looked up to find Shane watching her.
"You ok Leah?"
"I could say the same." She forced smile at him and nodded her head towards his hurt leg. He let out a bit of a chuckle.
"Ya, I'll be alright."
"Want me to check on it?" She gave him a bit of a pointed look and they wandered off from the eyes of those still hanging around.
"So what's really going on?" He asked as they settled down on a wooden picnic table and Shane took off his shoe, allowing her to examine the ankle.
"Swelling's seemed to have gone down quite a bit." He looked up at her "But you already knew that." She added nervously. She sat down beside him and put her head in her hands and sighed heavily.
"'S Hershel. Soon as Carl's better, he wants us to leave"
Shane's mouth firmed into a hard line before he spoke."Guess I coulda figured that one out."
"I just couldn't tell Rick. He's got enough to worry about right now."
He rested a hand on her forearm "Rick'll figure it out, we were heading to Fort Benning before we lost Sophia. That plan still stands." He patted her arm and made to stand up "Don't worry too much about it Leah, I'll talk to Rick."
"Thank you Shane," He was already a few steps away when she added "and if you ever want to talk, you know, about what happened, I'm here"
Shane stiffened but didn't turn around, a moment of shared understanding passed between the two and he walked away.
Leah wasn't really all too sure of why she told Shane. Hell she wasn't all too sure why she let him know that she knew something was up. She wasn't stupid, the holes in his story resembled craters. Dale knew too she figured by the look he passed her during the funeral. It was fairly obvious to notice if you weren't distracted, as most of them were by grief or fear. She didn't hold it against Shane. Being on her own for so long, she had seen a few things and done a few things she wasn't terribly proud of. It was a whole new world now; it was survival of the fittest. That didn't make her hard and that didn't make her any less guilty, but nevertheless it was the truth. These people, they would understand soon enough that certain sacrifices must be made for the safety of them all. She just hoped it would be realized in time.
TWD~
Later saw the group huddled around a map Maggie had brought forth. A plan was formulated to further the search for Sophia, and Maggie volunteered a supply run into the small town. Hershel was a little skeptical at first of his daughter heading out on her own but she assured him it was alright. Glen was eventually volunteered to go with her. Leah was a little put out that she was asked to stay behind on the search because of her medical knowledge. Her heart ached for the little girl. She looked up through her eyelashes at Daryl and noticing her gaze he stared back. A nod and a gentle understanding passed between the two. It had always been easy for the two to communicate through little more than a glance, their skills honed through their younger years where noise brought you unwanted attention. He knew she was asking him to not only be safe, but to do his best in the search. Daryl's heart beat a little faster in that moment.
TWD~
Daryl set off towards the woods on his own, looking forward to escaping the stress of the group and settling back into his element. The sun filtered down through the trees as he made his way to an abandoned farmhouse that he had been designated to search. On the way he managed to catch the trail of a few deer, wishing he was hunting anything other than a lost little girl. The peace the forest usually offered him was bittersweet on this day. The dilapidated farmhouse eventually appeared in sight and Daryl entered the yard, bow at the ready. His cautious approach to the door seemed horribly slow and his nerves were on edge as he dreaded what he might find on the inside. He let out a relieved sigh as he cleared the house, deeming it empty. That relieved sigh turned back into tension as his eyes fell upon a blanket peeking out of a pantry door. He once again approached it cautiously and opened the door, bow drawn again. Relief flooded through him again, not only because it was walker free but because it was obvious a very small person had bunked there for the night, a pillow was tucked in the corner. His sharp senses detected a fishy odor and his attention was drawn to the trash bin where a freshly opened and eaten can of sardines rested haphazardly on top. It wasn't much, but it was progress. It was something to bring back to Carol… and to Leah. He shook his head at the last bit. It had been years, many broken years since she had left. He was unsure why her opinion even mattered at this point. Merle'd call him a pussy if he were here.
After checking the house some more for any signs of the little girl he made his way out the back door.
"SOPHIA!" He cried in case she was close to the farmhouse. He stumbled around a little, bothered by the lack of response, until his eye caught something familiar in the bushes. A single white flower clung to a green stem, surrounded by thick weeds and tall grass. He walked over to it and his heart pounded as he took in every detail of the beautiful flower, a memory rushing back to him so fast it knocked him to the ground.
Daryl and Leah ran out of the church, laughing as they raced to Leah's mothers old Rambler that had seen better days.
"Leah Mason, don't you dare get your church clothes all dirty!" Her mama shouted from the steps of the church.
Leah rolled her eyes and giggled as she opened the door to the car and climbed in, Daryl right after her. Her mama smiled sadly at her daughter. She loved her, she really did and she was always so guilty of the life she was subjecting her daughter to. It was her who Leah got her worldviews from. Leah's mama no matter what, never lost faith and could always see the good in a bad situation. This was partly why her mama stayed with her daddy, in Caroline Mason's eyes, a child needed a father. Growing up without her own, Caroline believed it was necessary, no matter what. Like Caroline, Leah always was able to manage a smile in the roughest of times. The ride to the Mason's house was enjoyable with all three singing along to the radio and laughing. The laughing was cut short though, as Caroline pulled up to the small house and parked her car on the street, an old Ford pickup blocking the driveway.
The hairs on Caroline's neck stood up. Her husband wasn't usually home on Sunday's; his job usually included these shifts. She shut off the car and glanced at the children laughing in the back seat. She opened the door and stepped out, the children followed. Leah's laughs abruptly ended as she too noticed the truck in the driveway. Daryl pulled her behind him and glanced up at Caroline and they followed her to the front porch. They stood behind her as she opened the door, a crash could be heard from the kitchen and Caroline waved her hand frantically signaling for Leah and Daryl to wait around the back. These signals were well received as this wasn't a rare occurrence for her mama to send her off when her daddy was in a mood. Caroline cautiously entered the house as the children snuck to the back.
In the backyard, Leah clung to Daryl's side, eyes wide. It had been a good five minutes before the shouting started and crashes began. She huddled closer to him as her mother cried out. It wasn't hard to hear what her father was going off about. He had been fired from his job, his third in eight months. He had apparently just started into the booze that had already ended his job, causing him to lash out at his meek wife. His anger pouring out in a violent fit. Daryl pulled Leah in closer as he led her back around the house and they snuck off, unwilling to stick around as targets.
The two children lounged in a small clearing in the forest, the sun beating down on them, warming their somber moods. A small white flower caught Leah's eye and she bounced up from the ground and sat down near the flower, Daryl followed her, curiosity roused by her sudden outburst.
"It sure is pretty." he said as he reached out and brushed a petal.
"Do you know what kinda flower it is Daryl?" She beamed at him. He shook his head "'S a Cherokee rose."
She plucked the flower from its stem and passed it over to him.
"Mama tol' me that when American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were sad and cryin' so much 'cause they were losing their babies 'long the way. So the elders, they said a prayer; asked for a sign to lift the mothers' spirits, give them strength and hope. Next day this rose started to grow where the mothers' tears fell".
"How do you know that?" He asked her, twirling the rose in his fingers.
"Mama said we's part Cherokee, not much but 'nuff for her to know the story". He nodded in understanding.
"Daryl?" He looked up at her serious voice "D'you think this one's for us?"
"Whaddya mean Leah?"
"You think our mama's tears made this one grow for us? That our daddies made them sad for us?" He was silent for a few minutes as he touched the soft petals again.
"Maybe" he replied as he handed her the rose. She smiled at him and stuck it behind her ear.
Daryl plucked the rose and twirled it around in his fingers. He slowly made his way back to the farm. Back to Carol, and back to Leah.
