Daryl wandered through the woods, looking for any signs of the two girls when something stood out to him. He hesitantly approached an area of trees, finding all their branches to be broken in the same direction. Daryl chuckled at their obvious sign. He followed their directions and it wasn't long before he was able to pick up their trail on the forest floor. He sped up as he could see their tracks to be recent, not even a day ago. The hope already growing inside him doubled as he was led to the abandoned house the two of them had spent last night in. Daryl rushed across the clearing and cautiously went inside, checking every room.
"Victoria! Sophia!" Daryl called, becoming angry since every room was empty except for this last one he was checking. He heard the floor boards creek inside. Daryl flung the door open, gaining the attention of the Walker. Daryl quickly shot it and went inside, finding it to be empty. He retrieved his arrow and looked around, seeing a makeshift bed and a few cans of food in the room.
Daryl stomped out of the house and called out into the woods for them. He got no response, causing him to begin scanning the nearby area. He stopped as he spied two Cherokee roses sprouting from the ground.
Everyone gathered around two piles of rocks, a memorial for both Otis and T-Dog. Hershel began his eulogy as everyone stepped forward, one at a time, taking two rocks and placing them upon each grave solemnly.
"Could you please share his last moments?" Patricia asked in tears. "I need to know his death had meaning."
Shane reluctantly took the stage as he stuck with his lie, turning Otis into a noble hero when in reality, Shane had shot him down and left him as bait. "If it weren't for Otis, I'd never had made it out alive and neither would Carl. He saved us both."
Shane, Kathryn, Noah, Dale, Lori, Andrea, Roe and Mica all walked down the path to where a Walker had fallen into the well they were using.
"Ew," Kathryn said dully as Dale shined a light down the well, revealing a slimy Walker reaching up at them.
"How long do you think he was down there?" Shane asked Noah.
"We last got water here a couple days ago. No Walkers," Noah pushed his hair back.
"We can't leave it in there," Lori stated.
"If it hasn't already infected the water, blowing its brains everywhere definitely will," Andrea began.
"We need bait," Kathryn concluded, turning to Roe. Roe, who had been playing with Mica, not paying attention to the Walker, felt everyone's eyes on her, making her gracefully get up from her seat on the ground. She pointed to herself questioningly as Noah retrieved rope from a nearby shed.
"Are you sure about this?" Noah asked everyone hesitantly as Roe secured the rope around her and sat on the well with her feet hanging inside, making the Walker anxious.
"Roe is the most capable one for the job," Andrea defended as she grabbed the rope everyone else was already holding. Noah turned to the girl who he hadn't recalled volunteering for the job. Roe forced a smile even though her skin was as white as a sheet.
"Keep an eye on her. Tell us what to do," Dale instructed him. Noah nodded and went to the edge beside Roe. Roe took a deep breath to try and steady herself and told Mica to stay. Sure she had been Walker bait before, but never this close or confined to a space. She grabbed the pole that was laid over the well and scooted off the well, letting her feet hang. She didn't let go until she felt her feet have a good hold on the well.
"Good, take it nice and easy," Noah encouraged, however, only succeeded in giving Roe a small spark of annoyance. Roe took the flashlight from Noah and started a slow decent down. As she did, the Walker became more and more rambunctious.
Noah clenched his fists tightly enough to make his fingers whiten from the lack of blood. So far she was doing okay, but his heart was racing like it would in a thriller movie. He froze as he heard the rusty strain of metal followed by the sound of concrete breaking and shouts.
Roe screamed in surprise as she plummeted into the well. Noah immediately grabbed the loose pole that the others had been using to lower her in slowly before it broke. He was almost dropped into the well too, but luckily everyone else rushed to help him and Roe, even Andrea and Kathryn, who both wore worried expressions.
Roe wailed as she kicked the Walker's hands away from her. She gripped blindly at the wall, trying to find a hold for her to climb on. Roe felt the Walker grip her ankle. She quickly wrenched her ankle free and instinctively kicked the Walker in the face as she began to slowly be pulled back up. She whimpered as she got farther from the Walker, reaching up for the pole that was still laid over the well. She pulled herself up to it and performed a dismount. As she launched herself in the air, she snapped her body forward, allowing her to land safely on the ground. She stared wide eyed at the group who were all sprawled out over the ground and tangled in the rope.
"Fuck," she commented breathlessly as she shakily released herself from the ropes. Her body shook as she tugged on the other rope. Somehow through that hell hole, she had found a way to snag the rope on the Walker's neck. Mica strode beside her as she walked back to the house on her wobbly feet.
"Come on," Shane took their attention as he grabbed the rope that was attached to the Walker. Everyone huffed as they got back up and prepared to pull another out of the well. When everyone was ready, the six of them started pulling. They could hear the growls of the Walker bounce off the well and become louder as they pulled it near the top.
"Almost there," Shane told everyone as half of the Walker was pulled out. The group tugged harder as they felt the Walker get the other half of its body stuck inside.
"Wait!" Noah warned, noticing the Walker beginning to separate, but was too late. The lower half of its body splashed back in the well, leaving the other half still trying to eat them. Shane growled and approached the mess. He pulled out a knife and quickly stabbed the Walker in the head. He removed the knife and stabbed again, only this time harder. He repeated this action, leaving Lori and Noah surprised at his behavior. Dale quickly stepped in, making Shane pocket the knife and trudge away. Dale herded them all back to the house, however, they had all seen a different side to Shane just now.
Benny perked up as Roe approached the group's camp right outside of the house with Mica. Despite her circus get up, she was attractive and had a cute personality to boot. He would never go after her seriously though because of her age, just a year under eighteen. However, he wouldn't mind flirting with her.
"Hey Roe," Benny greeted cheerfully. Mica roared angrily at him, Roe's moodiness from the previous situation affecting the protective lion. Benny immediately backed off as Roe and Mica decided to leave. He sulkily walked back to his seat as he mentally crossed Roe off his list of women to flirt with. Shane had just recently took Andrea and Kathryn with him for gun practice. He sighed. He really wanted to see if he could get on their good side. Flirting with Lori would be suicidal and Beth had a boyfriend and was also the same age as Roe. He refused to go after a dead man's dearly beloved as well so that meant no Patricia either. So then maybe Maggie? Benny groaned as he remembered she had gone out with Glenn to the pharmacy. Besides, he sort of suspected she was together with that Noah guy…
His thoughts were interrupted by a nearby muffled sobbing. Benny tracked the noise, seeing Carol crumpled on the ground, crying and covering her mouth to keep from making too much noise. In her hands was a small item of clothing that belonged to a small child and above her hung a line of clothing. Benny figured out that she must have been doing laundry when some of her daughter's old clothing popped up. Benny knelt beside her and silently scooped the fragile woman in his arms as he once again allowed her to cry into him. Benny sighed as he leaned back against a tree and rubbed small circles on Carol's back. Carol, in return, clutched to him and told him everything, from her abusive relationship with Ed to how she'd give everything just for her daughter to be safe. Benny listened intently, surprised on how such a fragile woman could handle all of that, but then, he mused that Carol was actually very strong. When Carol was done telling her life story, she felt better. She stared up at Benny and smiled, removing herself from his hold.
"Thank you," she told him sincerely. Benny got up as well and approached her. He took her hand in his, feeling a deepened connection between them since he now knew almost everything about her. That was his honest feeling, but he still couldn't help but bring her hand up to his mischievous lips and press a kiss against her skin.
"Any time."
Glenn couldn't keep that stupid smile off his face as he watched Maggie walk back to her home as he placed the group's new supplies in the middle of camp. He laughed stupidly as he remembered their trip to town. Maggie, feeling his eyes on her, turned and laughed as she saw him looking at her just like she had imagined.
She turned as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Noah smiled up at her, making her beam and Glenn's smile to drop as he watched the two start a short conversation. Glenn felt his heart sink as he watched them interact. They were so familiar with each other and suddenly, Glenn felt like there was no room for him. Then, he remembered the closeness the two of them shared, from the moment he arrived on the farm, like the time where Noah had been the one to comfort her first when it had been revealed that Otis was dead. Glenn felt sick as he saw the possibility that he could be the other guy, someone who Maggie had cheated on with.
Glenn walked over to Noah as Maggie returned inside. Noah greeted Glenn warmly as he continued his work.
"Are you and Maggie together?" Glenn blurted. Noah's eyes widened at the unexpected question as he stopped what he was doing.
"No. Why?" Noah answered, before his mind came to the obvious answer. "Oh. You like her."
Glenn sighed in defeat. "Is it that obvious?"
"Yeah," Noah laughed, "but Maggie also let me know."
"What? When?"
"Just a minute ago," Noah said.
"She told you what we did?!" Glenn's jaw dropped.
"No. I was joking," Noah revealed, but looked at Glenn suspiciously. "So what did you guys do?"
"Nothing!" Glenn's cheeks reddened.
Noah laughed and patted him on the back. "It's fine. Glad she fell for you and not someone like Shane."
"Oh," Glenn trailed. "Why not Shane?"
"He's violent," Noah put bluntly.
"Yeah," Glenn agreed as he remembered Shane's incident with Ed. A silence hung over them which Glenn took as his cue to leave, but stopped as Noah said something that shook him up. Bad.
"Maggie and I are practically engaged."
"What?" Glenn gaped. "But I thought you said-"
"That's true. Neither of us love each other. It's Hershel. He likes to keep his family close and safe. He's known me since a boy and never even looked at another guy for Maggie since we shared a tub together," Noah said as he recalled spending half of his life growing up in the Greene home while the other half was spent in his own.
"What I'm trying to say is that, it'll be hard winning over Hershel. If it weren't for the apocalypse, I don't think Jimmy would even be in the picture. But, hey, when," he stopped as he tried out Glenn's word for them, "…Walkers…eat every bachelor in the world, you don't have much variety to choose from."
Noah smiled and placed a hand on Glenn's shoulder again. "Just know that I have your guys' back."
His grip tightened and gaze darkened. "So long as you treat her well."
Glenn smiled as Noah released him. "Thanks."
"Go!" Victoria shouted to Sofia as she paused to embed her axe into the skull of another Walker. Sofia flinched, but stayed beside Victoria.
"Dammit girl!" Victoria vented as she herded Sofia away from the two others after them. Normally, two wouldn't be a problem for Victoria, but throw in fatigue and dehydration with her disabling injury and you get Victoria having a very rough time. Victoria panted as she swung down on a Walker much larger than her. However, because of her exhaustion, she failed to kill it and succeeded only on knocking it down, along with her axe that stayed put in its flesh.
Victoria attempted to retrieve her axe, but the other Walker grabbed her from behind. A tremor flew through her as she heard it growling at her ear, just about to tear into her. The growling stopped short and Victoria was released.
"I did it. Just like you said," Sofia said shakily as she removed the knife from the Walker's head.
"Good," Victoria said thankfully as she felt herself wanting to rest on the ground where she had fallen. The Walker that had fallen before growled and began to get back up. Victoria shrieked as kicked it away from her. She got up as she heard more growls not far off and practically cried internally as more Walkers emerged from the woods.
She pushed Sofia behind her as she unstrapped 'Sam' from her back and started firing. Once she had killed off a good number of them, she grabbed Sofia and pushed herself to run away to safety with her, completely forgetting her beloved axe behind.
"Rick," Hershel called, pulling the other man away. Rick followed, anxious to hear Hershel's answer to his proposition. This place was paradise and Rick and his group would be so grateful if they could stay.
"I've thought about what you said," Hershel said. "My answer is no."
Rick's hopes faded away at his answer. "Hershel-"
"When your boy has recovered and those missing people have been found, you and them will all leave my property," Hershel finished.
"You don't know what it's like out there," Rick argued, making Hershel hold up his hand for him to stop.
"We've had this conversation. I need to make sure my family is safe," Hershel said.
"This is a good group," Rick tried, wishing Hershel could know them all like he did.
"I'm sorry, but you have to leave eventually," Hershel declared.
"Still going away?"
Shane jumped as a feminine voice questioned him out of nowhere. He had just resigned to a place where he could be alone, without interruption when that was proved wrong.
"Jesus woman," Shane muttered as he calmed his heart and glared at Kathryn. Kathryn smiled slightly, amused by his reaction.
"You still haven't answered by question," she smirked.
"That's none of your business," Shane said, ignoring her.
Kathryn cut in front of him. Can't ignore what's right in front of you, right? "It is if I'm going to go with you."
"No," Shane said sternly, pushing past her. However, he stopped and laughed to himself in disbelief. "Why should I bring you along in the first place?"
Kathryn smiled to herself, already knowing her answer to his question. She slid herself up on top of the hood of his car as she smirked again, "Two is better than one. That's something you're familiar with right? With Otis?"
Shane's gaze darkened as she hit a sore subject. He swiftly went up to her and grabbed her roughly. "You don't know shit about that."
"I don't belong here, Shane. Neither do you. Teach me and I'll be of more use to you than Otis ever was."
Shane pushed her away and left. Kathryn scowled deeply and left to find Andrea, however, her words stuck with Shane as he prepped for his leave.
"Woah!" Daryl exclaimed as a rattlesnake struck at him while he was walking a path. He had been on the lookout for Walkers, not snakes. Daryl felt a lurch in his stomach as he ducked too far to the side and fell over the side of a steep cliff.
"Son of a bitch!" Daryl groaned in pain once he finally hit the ground, feeling one of his arrows stuck in his side. Daryl quickly ripped his shirt up, fashioning a tourniquet for his wound. Daryl took a few deep breaths before he began climbing up the cliff. He had almost made it, but one of the small trees supporting him gave way in the soft dirt and toppled all the way down along with him, knocking him into a hallucinogenic state.
Now, Merle sneered down on his younger brother and shook his head. "Look at you. What happened to all those survival skills you learned over the years? You're going to die out her and for what?"
"Victoria and a little girl," Daryl replied.
"So you looking for them now? Cause I noticed you're not looking for old Merle no more," Merle baited.
"I tried like hell to find you," Daryl defended.
"Really? Cause I see you doing a lot to find them two girls and nothing for me," Merle pushed, waiting for an answer. "Huh? Why is that? You screwing that little redbird?"
"Shut up!" Daryl barked. Merle backed up as a smile formed on his face.
"Damn boy. You got the love bug bad. I tell you, screw her and it'll all be over. You'll get over her and she won't break you down. Ain't nobody got time for doing all that mushy shit. You want to survive? Then get over her," Merle ordered. "I'm the only family you got."
Merle left as Daryl regained some sort of consciousness, just in time, to fight off two Walkers. He kicked off the one chewing on his shoe and wrestled it until he was on top before smashing its face in with a large stick.
Daryl rolled to the side and painfully pulled out the arrow in his side, setting it in his crossbow and shooting the Walker in the head just as it was ready to eat him alive. Daryl panted as exhaustion took over him and he fell asleep.
When he awoke, the sun hit him in the face. Daryl moved to the shade and looked at the twice dead Walkers before him as he recollected what happened. He groaned as he felt the pain in his side. He pulled himself to the edge and rearranged the tourniquet to better fit the wound. Once again, Daryl began the journey up the cliff, double checking every tree and branch he grabbed on to, making sure they were stable. As he neared the top, he became stuck in an area with almost nothing to grab onto.
A laughter erupted from above as Merle appeared again at the top. "What's the matter, Darylina? That all you got in you?"
Daryl growled as he tried to pull himself up higher. Merle continued taunting him, spurring Daryl's anger.
"Shut up!" Daryl finally shouted. Merle obeyed, but gave Daryl a deadly stare as he turned on his heel and disappeared, replaced by a vision of Victoria.
"Daryl!" she called, holding out her good hand. Daryl paused as his mind stopped working at the sight of her and he forgot the anger Merle caused. 'Son of a bitch. That bastard was right,' Daryl thought as he grabbed Victoria's hand. Victoria struggled to help Daryl up while Sofia helped too by pulling on Victoria. The second Daryl was safely on stable ground again, he pulled Victoria close and breathlessly put his lips to hers.
Victoria's eyes widened. She had just pulled him up from a cliff and now he was kissing her? That was a bit odd for any Dixon. Why had he been over the cliff in the first place? And why the hell was she asking herself this? She forced the questions in her head to stop spinning as she closed her eyes and kissed him back. Fuck, she really needed to get some help. The physical stress she had been through was obviously messing with her head, but right now, she was just enjoying the kiss.
"Walkers!" Andrea yelled. Kathryn glared at her as she covered her ears. The two of them sat next to each other atop the RV as they took watch. Shane was the first to retrieve a weapon, followed by the others. Benny left from Carol's side as he took up his crowbar. Noah and Glenn, who had become good friends, gathered a baseball bat and axe respectively. Roe and Mica waited for them to get half way before they joined in, catching up easily.
"Wait," Rick tried, but they were too far out. He cursed and ran after them with his gun. Meanwhile, Andrea was aiming at the Walker's heads with her long ranged gun before she saw the familiar height difference. Two were taller, looking like a man and a woman, and the other was small, like a child. "Sofia?"
Carol and the others immediately looked out as they heard Andrea.
"Oh my God. Stop them!" Carol cried as she ran ahead with everyone else. Andrea froze, unknowing what to do. She had been the one to send them off. Kathryn removed her hand gun from her belt and fired into the air. The group that had gone off ahead stopped as they were alerted to the warning. The shots also drew the attention of Hershel's family as they all came out to see what was going on.
The first group stopped long enough for Rick to catch up. "Everyone, stop. Hershel wants to handle the Walkers," he passed on.
"Why? We got it," Shane argued.
"Guys?" Glenn interrupted as he pointed to the Walkers. In front of them stood Daryl, Victoria, and Sofia, all looking like they had gone through hell.
"You going to shoot us after everything we've been through?" Victoria asked sarcastically, but breathlessly. She and Daryl supported each other for if either let go, they would collapse on the ground. By now, everyone else had gathered around them.
There were cries of joy as everyone surged forward. Carol cried as she knelt down and hugged her daughter tightly. Benny patted Daryl on the shoulder as he praised him.
"Fuck off," Daryl managed to shove the other man's hand off him.
"Asshole. Now I remember why we were never friends," Benny muttered as Daryl and Victoria were pulled apart and each individually helped over to Hershel's.
"What's going on?" Hershel asked Rick.
"They found her!" Rick exclaimed. Hershel looked at the two half dead people in front of him that had risked their lives to bring back a member or their group. Hershel nodded his respect to them as he allowed them all inside so that he may treat their wounds. Perhaps it was not that bad of a group after all, but he still had his doubts.
A/N: Sorry guys! I forgot my promise to update before New Years and yeah...Happy New Year...T.T
Jeremy's little Vampire: Ah, I see...so thats who this story attracts. Thank you! Please enjoy this chapter :)
the Salvatore Winchester: lol well it was funny^.^ I guess since I don't know the name, I don't know why its so special...Haha, its okay ^.^ The thing about Daryl and Victoria you say? Well this was it;) Liked it? :) Happy Holidays to you as well :D
BrownEyedRascal: Haha yeah, he ended up being written that way as I went along, I hope that's okay...:O Ah, you're welcome..I've never actually been thanked for an update before haha ^.^
Letting you guys know, that I'll start school again on Monday so of course that and homework may keep me away for a while. I'll try to update though ^.^ Bye~
Rose
