It'd been three days since the remaining members of the group followed the directions to the Greene farm. Daryl had been out every day from dawn until dusk searching the woods for the missing Sophia. The second day, he began taking his bike miles down the highway from the traffic snarl in either direction before parking and heading into the woods. Sophia looked like the type to keep moving instead of staying in one place, and Daryl thought he should spread out to look for signs of the girl.

Having decided that he would need to get to higher ground and come at the trail from another angle, Daryl saddled up a horse and started out. The day before, he had spotted a few tracks to the north of the highway, near a small stream. The trail had become muddled, and he had been forced to return to the farm empty handed, so he didn't mention it to the others. It wouldn't do to stir everyone up until he knew for sure. The storm that blew through the night before would have obliterated any tracks, but he was confident that whoever it was would visit the stream again.

O:O:O:O:O:O:

The first night after finding Sophia, Sera stayed awake very late. Having another person depending on her changed things, and she needed some time to reconcile that in her mind. She would need to better think things through, and not act impulsively. When another person depends on you, you can no longer do whatever you want without thinking. Seraphim was an anomaly in her family, as she was the only female sibling, and her four brothers had all spawned rough and tumble little boys, but Seraphim thought Sophia might need a little more coddling.

Sera remembered growing up in her family's quiet home outside her tiny hometown. Betty Sue had been a very attentive, caring, and traditional country mom. She gave instruction and direction in a soft, lilting voice that covered a core of steal. A Sunday school teacher from her late teens, Betty Sue was skilled at giving her only daughter a lot of hugs and running interference when her father got too gruff or if one of the boys hurt her feelings. While Seraphim's mother had been loving and supportive, it was her father's frank advice and occasionally harsh teachings that had kept her alive these last few weeks.

Rebel O'Roarke had been an Army Ranger before taking some shrapnel to the left leg, and he had not been shy about teaching his daughter alongside his sons. Girls and women, he maintained, needed to learn how to fight, shoot, and survive just as much as men so they could defend themselves and their children. He may not have been the most politically correct man, a redneck by anyone's definition, but he certainly knew what he was talking about. Sera had been forced to use his defensive lessons a few times before the walkers, and knew how effective they could be.

They weren't living in a world where she could be a woman like her mother unless she could find a man like her father. Any girl with a decent daddy can tell you one absolute and immutable fact: no man would ever be as good as her daddy. As such, Sera resolved that Sophia would just have to get used to a mix of the two.

There were a few things that had to be done before they began their search for her people. First, and most important, Sophia needed clothes and to have some sort of defensive training. (She had slept fitfully on a palate in the corner, wearing one of Seraphim's shirts.) They would have to go into town to satisfy the first requirement, but the second could be done as they moved. Sera had been firing a bow since she could hold one at the age of eight, and figured Sophia would be fine with the Outbreak. That would leave the older woman without, though, and she hated the very thought. Fortunately, she knew just the little store for that need as well.

"Sera?" The small voice floated to her, and Sera blinked into the early dawn light.

"What, honey?"

"Are you sure we'll find them? What if they moved away?" The tears were audible in her voice, and Seraphim moved to pull her into a hug.

"No Mama worth a hill of beans is gonna leave her girl in the woods like that, baby." Petting her matted hair, Sera made a note to find some water so the girl could at least get the worst of the grime off. "We just have to get a few things, and then we'll find them."

"What do we need to get?"

Sera began gathering anything they had left behind, deciding the shirt Sophia had worn wasn't worth picking up. The thing was full of holes and covered in grime. "We need to get you some clothes and your own supply pack. Also, I need to get me a new bow if I'm gonna teach you how to use this one."

"I get to shoot your bow?!" Sophia had stopped pawing at her curls to stare. "But what if I'm bad at it?"

"No, you have to learn how to handle your own weapon, and I'll help you."

"Where're we goin'?"

"There's a town a little ways away. We'll head there, stock up, and then hit the road."

Sophia chewed her lower lip while she nodded jerkily. "O- Okay."

"Hey, do you trust me?" Sera stopped her movements and faced the girl head on. "If not, I'll pack you a bag and you can go your own way. I've got some knives you can take."

"I trust you," Sophia stood and began folding the blankets she had slept on. "I'm just scared. How do you do it? Not be scared, I mean."

"I'm scared all the time." Sera moved to the backdoor, pausing to make sure her young charge was with her. "Mark Twain said that 'courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.' We just have to stick to our guns and keep going. Surviving is courage."

Sophia nodded, and Sera checked the area before they loaded up the car and drove out of the woods.

O:O:O:

The trip into the little town was uneventful until they decided to stop at a small store for some clothes. The hunting store was as Sera had left it, and she selected a beautiful Bear Archery Siren compound bow to replace the one she was giving Sophia. The Siren was made and field tested for female archers, a rather impressive supply of 300 grain arrows were located next to the bow, and Seraphim just really enjoyed the camouflage with pink accents. They were able to find some shirts that fit Sophia well enough, and a few more that fit either of them if they tied a knot in the bottom.

It turns out that shoe shopping really can get a girl killed.

Sophia needed pants, underwear, socks, and a pair of shoes meant for trekking through the countryside. There was a small department store on the edge of town leading toward the highway, and Seraphim figured they could start there and see if Sophia recognized anything. A few walkers milled about in the street, so Sera pulled the Jeep as close to a side door as she could and pushed Sophia into the building before flipping the lock.

"I don't know how secure this building is," moving as quickly as possible, Seraphim snagged a couple large reusable shopping bags from their hook. "We're going to move as quickly and quietly as possible. Do you know what sizes you need?"

"Uh-huh," the younger girl's eyes danced over the dim store. "Mom had to measure me when we shopped for school clothes."

"Good girl. Let's move."

Some pants and shorts were thrown into one bag, followed by shirts of all types. Seraphim kept watch while Sophia pulled clothes off hangers and shelves, and had to appreciate that not one design was looked at or whined about. Socks, underwear, and bras were next, though Sera had Sophia add some in her size as well. Her father's voice echoed in her mind, telling her to never underestimate the importance of clean, dry socks during a time of danger, and she refused to pass up the opportunity to add to her supply.

The shoe section was across the store from where they had been, and Sera took down a walker on the way with no problem. Ripping the arrow from the man's skull as she passed, Seraphim gestured for Sophia to stay behind her until she had checked the area.

There was a decent selection of hiking boots and some with steal toes. These would have to be tried on with a new pair of socks to make sure they wouldn't blister, and Seraphim was ready with her new bow. Sophia sat on the little bench and peeled her shoes and socks off before opening a package of socks and pulling them on.

"Only try on shoes out here in boxes. We're not going to the back for anything." Seraphim spoke without turning her head, knowing that her soft voice would carry in the silence. "Start with the steal toes."

"Yes, ma'am," Sophia usually remembered to call her Sera unless she were giving orders. Orders were always responded to respectfully. Seraphim understood the habit well.

Her bow drawn next to her cheek, Sera slowly rotated from side to side with Sophia sitting behind her. She could hear the girl's movements as she sat down a few boxes and began pulling on some boots. It wasn't until she heard a muffled whimper that Seraphim knew they had missed something. Spinning, she saw her mistake.

A door had been covered with racks so that it was more functional, making it nearly impossible to see in the dim store. Now, it stood open as walkers stumbled out of the darkness beyond. One was nearly to a frozen Sophia, and Seraphim could hear more moans from the hidden room.

The saleswoman had once been beautiful, with the classic bleach blond hair and dark brown roots of a girl who needed to visit her salon soon. Her nails sported chipped pink paint under the crust of dirt and blood; her shoes were a deep red, modestly heeled, and had cute little bows. The groan issuing from her throat as she reached for the little blonde was anything but adorable. Instinct aimed the arrow and released the string, catching the shambling geek just through the corner of her right eye, felling her quickly.

"Soph." Sera got her attention, and Sophia grabbed the three pairs of boots in front of her by the laces before running to her side. "Bags!"

Sophia shoved the boots in and slung the bags over her shoulder.

Seraphim slung her bow over her shoulder and grabbed her guns. The first walker went down in a spray of blood and brain, and Seraphim was glad she had reloaded with the hollow points. Sophia clicked the lock on the door and waited while Seraphim took down two more.

"Get to the car. My door's closer." Seraphim took out two more and saw still more come through the door. "Where the hell are they coming from?!"

Sophia hurtled through the door and yanked open Sera's door three feet later. She wedged the bags into the back and slid across to her own seat. Sera was still in the doorway, trying to fiddle with something on the door while she kept her eye on the steadily approaching group.

Sophia's voice cracked shrilly as she cried out "Come on! Come on!"

Finally getting the door lock in engage, Sera slammed it shut behind her and climbed into the driver's seat. The Jeep started without protest, and Seraphim floored the gas pedal. She bumped over two walkers who had been drawn to the noise on her way out of the alley, and she could hear Sophia's quiet "ew" over the slamming of her heart.

"You okay, girl?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright." Sophia made a bit of a face. "May puke."

"Try to hold it for just a little bit. I don't blame you for wantin' to, but we need to put some distance between us and those guys." Taking a turn quickly, Sera noticed Sophia's skin take on a light green tone. "Give me a mile, and we'll be good to stop for a second."

"Kay," came the quiet response.

O:O:O:O:

After leaving the store, the duo had driven along a highway before taking a side road and then a dirt track that Seraphim had a feeling would lead to a suitable camp. She hadn't been disappointed with the two room cabin, and had even deemed it safe enough to have a fire in the stone fireplace. While it was a little warm for that, it allowed them to eat hot food that evening, and have some tea made of dandelion and blackberries before bed.

The rest of the afternoon had been spent leisurely, with both of them getting a washing in a small creek and teaching Sophia the basics of bow shooting. Seraphim had been glad to see that the blonde did not fear the weapon, and was able to hold and shoot properly. Her aim was a little off, and tended to list slightly to the right, but she had already showed some improvement. A little practice was all the girl needed.

The next morning had dawned bright, hot, and humid after a late night storm swept through sometime in the night. Sophia had whimpered a bit until Sera shushed her down into a deeper sleep. She had been a bit quiet that day, and Seraphim figured it was due to her losing the little ragdoll the girl had carried in her pocket.

Seraphim twisted her hair into a braid and then pinned it to her head in a swirl in order to keep it off her neck. She wanted to take Sophia out to practice a bit before the sun became too warm and they retreated to the car in order to search for the traffic jam that was their last known location for Sophia's mom and their group. Sophia had spotted a few landmarks, an oddly twisting tree and a pretty red convertible, that she thought looked familiar, and thought they were finally on the right track.

"C'mon, girl, let's get the hell outta here." Sera packed up while Sophia ate some oatmeal with blackberries they had picked the evening before.

She had decided that they would drive for a while and then return to the cabin. If they weren't successful today, they would start again early in the morning and then make camp along the way. The cabin was just too good of a place to hunker down to just abandon without absolute knowledge that they were headed in the right direction.

"Ready?" Sophia washed out her bowl and spoon, storing them in her little pack before tossing it in the Jeep.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"Not quite," Seraphim used her hand to silently turn the girl so she could brush her hair up into two little ponytails above her ears. Her mother had referred to them "doggy ears", but she wasn't sure if that's what anyone else called them. "Now, you're ready."

Sophia shook her head and giggled at the movement of her curls. "Are we going to the same place as yesterday?"

"Nah, we'll check the snares we put out, though I don't know if we'll have anything after that storm. Then, we'll come back this way and target shoot a little."

The two headed into the woods, stopping here and there as Seraphim showed Sophia a set of rabbit tracks or the best place to set a trap.

O:O:O:O:

Daryl slouched at the bottom of the small ravine, half in the water. Ripping an arrow out of his side had seemed like the only course of action a few minutes ago, but the wound was throbbing painfully as blood steadily pooled around his fingers. Using his sleeves, he bound the wound as tightly as he could and again faced the embankment.

"C'mon baby brother," Merle's voice was a wheezy gravel from years of hard liquor and smoking. "Grab a handful of tree and climb, you little shit."

"Fuck you, Merle." Daryl mumbled to the apparition even as he took its advice and started ascending the steep hill.

Daryl made the top of the hill, cursing his brother and pulling himself up to stand. The world was a little blurry, and his feet may as well have been cinder blocks. He was losing too much blood and had little to no idea of how to get back to the farm. In an attempt to get his position, Daryl scanned the surrounding area before catching sight of something that made him want to smile.

A rabbit slowly thrashed in a snare just slightly off the path. As he weaved closer, Daryl was able to see that the snare was made by someone clearly new to the business, the knots loopy and the anchor bent oddly, but had held up to the storm well. It almost looked like the ones he used to make with his daddy standing over him. In another time, he would've felt bad for taking food out of someone else's mouth, but he needed it right then. He'd find a way to make it right after he was feeling better.

Breaking the rabbit's neck, Daryl began ripping at the furry underside. He needed the protein in his system if he was going to make it back to the farm. Eyeing the woods around him, the hunter's keen eyes caught sight of two sets of unfamiliar footprints. They led away from the snare and further into the woods. Remembering the doll on his belt, Daryl slowly began to follow the footprints.

His feet flopped uncharacteristically in his too-heavy boots, his crossbow was too heavy to properly lift and carry, and sandpaper had somehow taken up residency over his tongue and teeth, but his eyes did not falter. He caught how the person on the left, the smaller of the two, turned over more rocks and slid more in the soft earth. It was clear that the larger person was more experienced, and that the smaller was slowly learning from his companion. Maybe one of them had seen a sign of Sophia before the storm and would be able to point him in the right direction.

Daryl's eyes were refusing to focus completely, fuzzing out around the edges or jumping slightly when he squinted down at the trail. He had left the creek and the body of the rabbit behind by almost at hour when he heard voices. The first was a female, though whoever she was talking with answered too quietly to be overheard from where he weaved through the trunks of trees. Pushing himself off the trunk of a tall oak, Daryl stepped out of the tree line and into a small clearing surrounding a tiny cabin.

A twig snapped to his left and he turned to face a vaguely familiar redhead holding a wicked looking steal tool.

"You bit?" Her voice was as hard as the metal in her hand, but covered by the softest of silks. "I asked you a question."

Daryl felt the dried blood flaking on his chin as he struggled to form words. "Naw, Catchfly, 'm not bit."

As his eyes slid shut and the grass rushed up to meet him, Daryl felt arms slow his momentum.

"Did he just call you a flower?" The voice was tinny and from very far away, but a part of Daryl was lightened by it even as he slipped away into the black emptiness of unconsciousness.