IM SO SORRY! I have been extremely busy taking care of my son and with work that I didnt have the time to write this... but here is a treat that i hope you will like. IT IS A SNEEK PEEK not a new chapter... but hopefully it will make up for my absence. PLEASE ENJOY! :3 I DO NOT OWN THE WALKING DEAD.

Phoenix's POV

"Sophia…?" Carols voice cracked. The older woman began to rush to the animated body of her fallen daughter, until Daryl caught her around the waist and pulled her to him. She collapsed to the dirt, her face crumpled with pain. Daryl cradled her tightly against him, allowing her to let out all her anguish.

Nobody moved as the little blonde girl sluggishly maneuvered over the fallen walkers. Her ashen skin looked flawless against the large walker bite above her collar bone. She still looked like a normal little girl, who was lost and tired.

'She does not deserve this…,' I thought solemnly.

Focusing, I could still sense the life in her. She was fighting the infection with in her, but it was a losing battle. The infection was stronger than her, but the fact that she hasn't willingly accepted death was a sign that she did in fact fight for her life. Although young and naïve I was impressed with her ability to stay strong, even though she was on deaths door.

Rick walked up to the young girl, pistol drawn and aimed directly in the center of her forehead. He was going to put her out of her misery. I couldn't allow that as Carol's sobs were now the only thing I could hear as I ran up to the tall man and firmly gripped his wrist. He looked down at me, bewildered, as I pushed the gun away from the innocent child.

"What are you doing, Phoenix?" he asked, his tone rough with guilt.

I didn't answer him as I pushed him away, hoping he would understand what I was doing. Turning to Sophia, I knelt down in front of her, bringing her to the earth with me. I stared into her glazed over eyes and smiled. There was the tiniest flicker of fire in those dead eyes of hers. She was still in there somewhere and I was going to bring her back. She did not deserve this, not just because of her youth and innocence, but because of the fact that the world had gone to shit was all my fault. If anything I deserved to be in the little girls' position. And igniting that fire deep within her would do just that.

"Phoenix…," Daryl's voice broke into my thoughts. "What the hell're you doin'?"

I turned to the man that I knew I was falling for and smiled. "It's alright, Daryl. I know what I'm doing."

Our eyes locked and I knew that he understood. Although I couldn't read him like he could read me I just knew that he understood.

Turning back to Sophia I hugged her to me and smoothed her down her greasy hair. She struggled against me but I held her firmly. "Sophia, I know you're in there… I am so sorry that this has happened to you. You don't deserve this." I felt tears spring to my eyes as I spoke to her. "You are the sweetest, happiest little girl I have ever met. You're so full of life and energy that I cannot bare to see you to suffer like this."

Cupping her small face in my hands I looked deep into her eyes and locked onto that small fire. She continued to struggle against my hold but I refused to let her try and overpower me. As I have done many times before I released all of my energy and let it engulf us in a blazing white inferno.

This was a very risky move for me because I wasn't exactly sure how the infection would affect me and my powers, but that was beside the point. I could feel all of my energy flowing into the little girl, strengthening her essence, purifying the putrid disease that coursed through her veins. I was oblivious to the emotions that were thundering around me like the perfect sync of mustangs storming across open fields. My sole focus was the little girl's life being pieced back together. Daryl's voice did not reach my ears when I suddenly lost my balance and fell backwards as if an invisible force had shoved me to the earth. But I didn't care. I could only feel complete and utter happiness at reviving the little blond girl. At what cost? I didn't care. The little girl was alive and well, hugging and clinging to her mother for dear life. That alone brought a smile to my face before everything around me faded into blackness.