BEGINNING OF SEASON 2 FINALLY! BEEN WAITING TO GET MY HANDS ON THIS SEASON KNOWING ALL THE GREAT STORY TELLING AND CHARACTER BUILDING THERE IS… I'M SO EXCITED TO GET TO WRITE HARPER INTO IT KNOWING HOW GREAT SEASON 2 IS. ALSO I STARTED A TRIVIA SO YOU CAN KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT WHERE MY INSPIRATION CAME FROM… SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO POST THIS CHAPTER, BUT WITH SCHOOL AND I'VE ALSO STARTED A BOONDOCK SAINTS FANFIC IT HAS BEEN HARD TO GET IT DONE ESPECIALLY WITH THE CHAPTERS GETTING LONGER…SO AS ALWAYS REVIEW AND READ ON
LOVE
J
TRIVIA
~Harper Murphy got her last name from Murphy McManus, one of Norman's (AKA-Daryl) previous roles as an Irish Vigilante
~Harper is a mix of a bunch of already existing characters in the Walking Dead, them being Daryl, Carol, Andrea, Michonne, Glenn, and Rick, everything she does or says and even her history is a piece of those characters
~Harper's father was a lot like Ed and her brother was like Merle making her relate to Daryl and Carol even more.
SEASON 2 EPISODE 1: What Lies Ahead
CHAPTER 7: On the Road Again
-A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.
~Jean de La Fontaine
"Harper. Harper, wake up." Harper opens her eyes and raises her head off the window sill of the Cherokee looking at Carol and Sophia. "We're making a quick stop." Carol tells her. Harper looks out the window of the stopped car and sees the parking lot of a wildlife rest stop. Harper watches as Carol and Sophia slide out of the backseat they had been sitting in with her for the past hour. She rubs her eyes and notices Carl, Lori, and Rick have also piled out of the car and Rick is outside giving orders to some of the group.
"Check the cars for supplies and siphon any gas, we'll need it." Harper hears Rick say as she slowly gets out of the Cherokee. Carol waves her hand gesturing Harper to come to her. "Harp, why don't you help me search the cars a bit." Carol tells her. Harper nods and joins Carol. They head to the back of an abandoned SUV and open it up. Harper looks around as Carol digs through bags in the SUV. She notices Daryl and T-dog lug gas cans and hose to siphon gas out of the cars.
Daryl sees her and heads to the SUV starting on its tank first. She nods at him as a hello and he returns the gesture. She begins to than help Carol dig through the bags for useful items while Daryl kneels beside her at the gas tank siphoning it, but no luck. "Damn." He says rising up from the tank looking at her. "Empty." She looks at him and sighs. "Been getting a lot of that these days. How many more miles?" She asks Daryl. Daryl shakes his head. "Don't know, why don't you ask the Asian? He's got the map." Daryl tells her nodding at Glenn who stands by the RV.
Daryl walks away towards the next car's gas tank. Harper looks at Carol and pats her back. "I'm gonna go talk to Glenn." Harper tells her. Carol nods and than continues to search as Harper walks towards the young Asian. "Yo, Glenn. How much further?" She asks him walking up. "45 according to the map, about halfway there." Harper sighs. "Ugh, don't think I can last another car ride of Sophia telling me another story." Harper says smirking thinking of the books the little girl had gathered from the CDC. Daryl over hears their conversation and smiles.
"Kay guys! Time to saddle up!" They hear Shane shout. "Here we go, Cat in the Hat round 2." she smiles at Glenn. Glenn laughs before stepping into the Winnebago. "We're leaving T-dog's van, my jeep, and Daryl's truck, so make traveling arrangements now." Shane tells the group. Harper walks to Carol and Sophia as Carol helps her try on a jacket. "You riding with us?" Carol asks. Harper nods. "Nowhere else to go." She says smiling at Sophia.
Carol and Sophia walk away with Harper to the Cherokee. Harper stops hearing the engine of a motorcycle start and grow near. Harper turns around to see Daryl on his motorcycle. He looks up at her and she smiles. "So it lives! Sounds good too, for a 71." She tells him. "Yea it's a tough son of a bitch." Daryl tells her. Harper stands there awkwardly for moment before turning around, but Daryl stops her. "Hey! You wanna ride?" He asks. She turns around looking at him in disbelief. "On that?!" She asks. "Yea, it beats green eggs and ham doesn't it?" Daryl smiles at her and she chuckles. She turns and looks at Sophia and Carol who stand waiting on her.
"Guys just go ahead. I think I got a ride." She tells them, but looks at Daryl smiling. "But Harper—"Sophia begins to plead, but is interrupted by Carol who motions her to the Cherokee. Carol waves bye to her as Harper positions herself on the motorcycle. Harper feels weird not being on a motorcycle in so long and being on it with none other than a sleeveless Daryl Dixon.
She grasps the side bars of the motorcycle to hold on, but Daryl doesn't let it slide. He grabs her hands from behind him softly and clasps them around his waste like a seatbelt. "You need to hold on; your fingers are too weak to grab the handles. Stop working them as much, damn." He lectures her before revving the engine making her smile. She had secretly wanted to hold onto him, but didn't want to make it anymore awkward than it already was. Now clasped onto him she felt safer, as the motorcycle rides ahead of the caravan.
They make their way out of the rest stop the three vehicles they had decided to leave behind vanish in the distance. The wind blows through Harper's hair making it flow behind her. She watches as Daryl's does the same. The Georgia landscape moving around them. Harper watches peacefully as it goes by feeling happy for once. Harper finds her fingers slowly tracing the wings on Daryl's vest and he looks back to see what she's doing. To avoid the awkward moment she looks behind her at the RV and sees Glenn and Dale sitting at the front. She looks at Dale who smiles and waves at her than to Glenn who just gives a sheepish smile, but she can see behind his eyes that something is disturbing him.
"Why? Why him?!" Glenn says out loud. "Pardon me?" Dale asks him concerned. Glenn shakes his head. "One of the prettiest girls left in the world and Daryl scores her? Something isn't right. I would feel better if it was someone like Shane or somebody, but she chooses Daryl?" Glenn says upset. Dale looks at him smiling. "Hey she hasn't chosen yet. You gotta give her a chance, okay? The girl's smart she'll choose the right man in the end. Whether it's Daryl, you, or anybody. She'll be fine and so will you." Dale reassures him. Glenn looks at Harper who rests her head on Daryl's shoulder and squeezes tighter. "You sure?" He asks Dale pointing at the two on the motorcycle.
Harper finds herself resting her head on Daryl's shoulder before too long and holding on to him for warmth as the breeze chills her bare skin. It feels natural for once and not awkward or forced. She knows this little gesture will probably have the group talking, but she is tired and can't fight the wind forever. She wonders whether she has made Daryl feel uncomfortable, but can't bring herself to move her head or loosen her grasp as she slowly closes her eyes as the wind blows her hair soothingly.
.o.o.
"Hey Harper." Daryl nudges Harper awake as the motorcycle slows down. "Wake up princess, there's a problem." She looks up from his shoulder and sees the highway they're on is filled with cars. "What do we do?" She asks him concerned. "Hold on." He tells her as he makes a quick U-turn and she squeezes him not expecting the sudden turn. He pulls up next to the RV window as Dale sticks his head out.
"See a way through?" Dale asks. Daryl stands up a bit on the motorcycle and peers out at the wreckage as does Harper. Harper sees a gap and so does Daryl. Daryl nods towards it as a reply to Dale as he sits down and revs the engine telling Harper to hold on as the make another U-turn back towards the pile up.
They enter slowly with the caravan behind them. It is a haunting feeling as they pass cars with dead bodies strapped in them. Harper buries her head on Daryl's back to make the feeling go away when they hear a loud clank and whiz of smoke. They look behind them as the RV comes to a stop with smoke coming out of the engine. The motorcycle stops and Daryl kicks out the kick stand.
Harper holds onto Daryl's shoulders as she raises one leg over the motorcycle. Once comfortable with both feet on the ground she holds a hand out to Daryl to help him raise off the bike. Once he gets situated he grabs his crossbow slinging it over his shoulder and looks at her. "Get ready to scavenge through these cars, looks like we're gonna be here a while." He tells her pointing to the broken down RV. They walk together to the group huddled around the old Winnebago. They get close and Daryl looks at her and points to a Clark Griswold wagon stranded by the RV. "Looks like that's got some loot." He says nodding at it. "Why don't you help me with it?"
She follows Daryl to the Wagon and he opens the back as Dale stares at them. "Okay that was dumb." Dale states as Harper sorts through the supplies in the back end of the car. "If you can't find a radiator hose here." Shane tells him looking at the endless line of cars. "Whole bunch of stuff we can find." Daryl says zipping open Harper's pack and putting supplies in it. Them working as a team to scavenge supplies.
"Siphon more fuel from these cars for a start." T-dog tells them as Daryl and Harper continue. "Maybe some water?" Carol says keeping Sophia close to her. Harper hands Carol a water bottle she finds in the wagon. "Here." She tells her as Carol takes the water bottle and hands it to Sophia. "Thank you." Carol says gratefully as Harper heads back to the wagon. Glenn looks towards the wagon. "Food?" Harper shakes her head as they finish with the wagon. "Nope not here gotta be some somewhere around here though." She tells Glenn.
"This place is a graveyard." Lori speaks up and the group stops and stares at her. "I-I don't know how I feel about this." Lori states, but they all brush it off their shoulders knowing they have no choice, but to rob these cars. "Come on y'all! Look around gather what you can." Shane tells the group to get them moving, something he's good at.
Daryl walks off with T-dog gas cans and tubes at hand. Harper thinks to herself, the gas siphoning partners, a racist redneck and a black guy. Harper likes to think of Daryl as not being racist, but knows it only comes with being raised by Merle Dixon; she figured he was born into it. Harper follows the two Peletiers with Lori and tiny Rick to search the cars. As they walk in between the rows of cars she blocks Sophia and Carl's vision, as best as she can with the help of Lori and Carol, from the horror of dead corpses buckled into the abandoned vehicles.
"Harper! Harper! You think we could find more books? Like the ones from the CDC?!" Sophia tugs on Harper's hand excitedly. Harper smiles at her. "Yea Soph, we could. You heard Daryl. There's all sorts of stuff we can find. Now stay quiet ok?" Harper looks at the little girl holding her hand. Sophia smiles and looks at her mother with high hopes.
They walk and finally find a small SUV with no dead bodies and Carol searches it while Carl and Sophia look at some of the cars. "Hey Carl. Always within my sight." Lori orders her son cautiously. Carol and Harper look at Sophia. "You too Sophia." Carol tells the little girl and Sophia nods. Harper eyes a promising truck a few yards away with boxes in the back of the bed.
"Hey Carol, I'm gonna check out that truck over there. You got this?" Harper asks Carol who nods as she sorts through the items of the SUV. Sophia looks back at Harper worried as to where she is going. "I'll be back. Stay with your mama." Harper reassures her and smiles at Carol as she walks away. Harper takes a glance back at Sophia who waves her small hand bye with her doll at hand. Harper returns the wave and walks to the truck.
She gets to the truck and looks at the bed full of boxes. They're soaked and ruined from the weather. The only thing salvageable is a bottle of pinkish water that probably isn't the best. She sighs and turns around seeing Daryl kneeling by a cobalt blue dodge neon taking what's left of its gas. She walks to him. "Any luck on fuel?" She asks him as she walks up.
"Yea, with this much fuel we should be able to get to hell and back." He looks up at her. "Yea well we only need it to get us to Fort Binning." Harper tells him as he gets up. "You really think it's still standing?" He asks her looking into her eyes. "Who the hell knows… but its hope and I think we need that more than a safe refuge at this point." Harper looks at him and he smirks. "A bed for sleep'n and pot to piss in ain't such a bad thing though." He chuckles.
"Yeah no kidding." She says smiling. They walk further down the highway a bit and see Shane bathing in a jug of water cheering. The truck he stands at is full of water. "Well we got water so take that off your checklist." She tells Daryl looking up at him before continuing their walk down the highway.
They see a car nearby and head for its gas tank. "Here help me." Daryl says handing her the almost full gas can. "This one should do it, than we can head back to the Winnebago." He tells her opening up the latch on the gas tank sticking a hose down it. She stands by waiting until he needs the can. The Georgia sun beats down on them and she can feel sweat down her forehead.
"Man a shower would be nice." She says out loud. Daryl waves for the can. "Yea well need fuel first." She gives him the can and it starts to fill with gas the rest of the way. The stand waiting when all of a sudden they hear familiar groans and the smell hits them as they see hundreds of rotting heads sticking up above cars ahead of them.
"Shit!" Daryl whispers and grabs her arm. "Come with me!" He continues to whisper. He tugs and pulls her away leaving the gas can. They run down the highway, Daryl pulling her along. They duck behind a car as a few walkers pass them having caught up. Harper is frightened, but tries not to show it. She whispers to Daryl. "Daryl! The kids and the others! They don't know!" Daryl grabs her making her face him. He puts a finger to his mouth. "Shhhh… follow my lead okay?" He looks into her deep scared blue eyes. She nods trusting him.
He grabs her wrist and pulls her behind another car. He looks at her as walkers pass and points to another car for them to hide behind. He raises three of his fingers mouthing "1…2…3!" They run across panting the RV in sight. Harper kneels down placing her hand on the ground, but when she does it's not ground she feels, but fresh blood. She looks to Daryl and shows him her blood covered hand. "Were you bit?!" Daryl whispers harshly. She shakes her head no and points to the ground. They than follow a fresh blood trail with their eyes that leads away from the RV.
"Daryl! It could be one of the group." Harper whispers to him. He looks around checking for walkers. "Yea, but look where it's head'n!" He says harshly. All of a sudden like on cue they see T-dog's head above one of the cars running around like a chicken with its head cutoff, looking for somewhere to hide. "We gotta help him!" She looks at Daryl pleadingly. He sighs. "Follow me and do as I say!" He whispers.
They follow T-dog's trail slowly, quietly, and cautiously hiding behind cars and avoiding walkers. The RV starts to vanish from view. They slink along a truck as they start to find the end of the trail. "Come on." Daryl whispers and they round the corner of the old fruit truck. They see T-dog laying on the ground gasping as blood floods out of his arm making Harper queasy, but what really attracts their eyes is the walker heading towards T-dog looking to make the injured man his meal.
Daryl acts quickly. He looks to Harper, giving her a look to stay put and she nods. He heads behind the walker putting a finger to his mouth issuing T-dog to stay quiet and calm. He pulls out a screw driver and wraps his arm around the walkers head making Harper uneasy at the proximity of his arm and the walker's mouth. He shoves the rusty screwdriver in the back of the walker's skull silently with force, the muscles in his arms tense up. He looks back at her and waves for her to move forward.
She runs to him as he takes the dead walker's body and lays it on top of T-dog. "What the hell are you doing?!" Harper whispers to him harshly. "Trust me! Lay down on the ground!" He whispers to her pointing next to a small car. "What?! Why?!" She asks him. "No time for questions!" He says and she listens to him as she hears walkers shambling their way. She lies on the ground next to the car watching Daryl as he pulls a dead body out of it and lies down next to her placing the body on top of them as walkers make their way into the area.
She looks at Daryl with fear in her eyes as the walkers step over them and sometimes on them. She knows he is masking their smell just like Rick and Glenn did in Atlanta, but it doesn't make it any less terrifying or disgusting. The dead man lying on top of them smells worse than anything she has smelled in a while and Daryl can tell by the expression on her face. He slowly moves his hand to her head and pulls her into him to block the smell. She buries her face in his chest his musky smell helps, but does not block the smell of the rotting flesh on top of them.
Harper closes her eyes as Daryl holds her head in. They wait for it to be over cringing at the pain every time a walker's foot lands on them. Harper feels bad for Daryl who is taking most of the hits from wrapping himself around her. She feels his muscles tighten up around her whenever he's trampled on knowing it's causing him pain. She grasps his leather vest tightly with his arm around her. They wait for what seems like centuries, but finally the moaning, the trampling, and the sounds of jagged footsteps go away.
She releases her grip on Daryl and looks into his blue eyes terrified. "You okay?" He asks concerned and she nods. He quickly shoves the body off of them and gets up. He than reaches his hand down and helps her up. The coast is clear. Daryl makes his way to T-dog who is safe and pulls the body off of him. They look at his cut on his arm and Harper has to look away. Daryl takes a rag out of his pocket and wraps it on T-dogs arm. He looks to Harper. "Help me out." He tells her as he puts T-dogs arm around his shoulder. Harper runs up and grabs the man's other arm and helps carry him.
They walk slowly back to the RV with T-dog when they hear the worst sound imaginable. The sounds of small childlike screams echo across the highway. They are familiar to Harper as her eyes get glassy knowing they're coming from Sophia. She looks at Daryl. "IT'S SOPHIA!" She shouts and he looks into her eyes knowing. "Go! Go! I got him!" Daryl tells her waving his hand issuing her to go. She nods and let's go of T-dog running towards the screams.
"SOPHIA!" She screams. She runs towards the sounds and sees Dale, Shane, and Glenn running. She follows them. She sees Carol running to the edge of the highway and grabs her and hugs her. "Oh Harper! There are two walkers after my baby!" Carol sobs and Harper pulls her in looking towards the direction of the woods. Harper feels a tear run down her face just as terrified as Carol. Lori looks at them. "Rick went after her okay?" Lori reassures Carol hugging her with Harper. Please Rick! Bring her back! Harper says in her head fearing the worst.
Daryl trudges up with T-dog. He leans him up against a car than heads to the group crowding the guardrail. He looks at Harper for an answer and she shakes her head fighting tears to stay strong for the suffering mother in her arms. "Rick's gonna bring her back…you'll see Carol, just hang in there." Harper whispers to Carol reassuringly not knowing whether it was the truth or not, but she truly believed it.
.o.o.
The group waits and waits for Rick and Sophia to return. Harper sits with her arm around Carol on the end of a small car. Lori and Carl sit with them as they wait. Harper looks up at Daryl who stands on top of one of the cars looking out into the woods for them. He shakes his head seeing no sign of them. All of a sudden the group hears rustling coming from the bushes in the woods.
They watch as Rick climbs his way up the hill. "Lori!" He shouts to his wife. Harper notices that Sophia's not with him as he climbs up. She stands with Carol at the guard rail. Rick comes up and they all stare at him all wondering the same thing. Where is Sophia? Harper looks in Rick's eyes and they ask the same question. Where is Sophia? Carol's face begins to shrivel and fill with tears as she realizes.
"Where's Sophia?" Rick asks the group and they stand there speechless. Carol slowly starts to try and sob, but nothing comes out. Harper fights tears knowing what has happened. "She's not back yet?!" Rick says shocked and out of breath. Carol lets out a loud breath and starts to sob and cry slowly falling to the ground. Harper hugs her and finds tears come down her face. She hears Carl start to cry into his mother's arms.
The group stands silent and speechless without words as Carol's weak sobs fill the air. Harper holds onto her tight, a lump builds into her throat as she fights back from sobbing with her. Daryl glances at Harper than puts his head down sadly.
.o.o.
"Come on! Let's go!" Daryl shouts already heading down the hill into the woods as Harper, Shane, Glenn, and Rick say their good byes to the group before they can leave. "Carol, don't you worry, alright? I'll bring her back, I always do." Harper reassures Carol as she hugs her good-bye. Harper than let's go of Carol letting Lori take the scared mother into her embrace. She waves to the group than lifts her legs over the guard rail making her way down the hill to Daryl. Rick, Shane, and Glenn catch up with them.
"You sure you want to do this? I know you've come close to Carol and her. If we find her and she's—"Rick says, but is interrupted by Harper who doesn't want to hear it. "She's fine. We get her, bring her back to the highway, and get our sorry asses off the road. I always bring her back. Don't know why this time is any different." She tells him slightly angry at his theory that something might have happened. "Let's go before we loose day light. Rick take us to where you left her." Shane says and they follow Rick into the woods. The highway disappears behind them.
Daryl and Harper fall behind, but still follow the three men ahead. "We're gonna find her and bring her back." Harper tells him as he walks beside her with his crossbow at hand. "Yea we are. Don't know why the hell you're reminding me." Daryl says walking and looking through the trees. Harper smiles at the statement. "Get her to the highway and with all that fuel we can double back and hit that bypass. Clean cut through to Fort Binning." Harper says walking and peering through the trees. "Still don't see why you keep reminding me." Daryl says looking at her. "Yea well, I think I'm reminding myself mostly." She tells him.
Daryl looks at her concerned. "You don't think we'll find her?" Daryl asks her with a scorn expression on his face. She shakes her head. "No we're gonna find her, I don't have a doubt about that… it's just that whole thing about keeping hope alive. You repeat it so much to yourself and than eventually you'll start to believe it." Harper says with a solemn look on her face. They have an awkward silence than Daryl breaks it. "Well we're gonna find her and she'll be just fine." Daryl reassures Harper. She smiles. "Don't know why the hell you're reminding me." Harper quotes Daryl smiling at him as they near a creek. The three men in front of them slow down to a stop.
"This is where I left her." Rick says climbing into the creek with Daryl behind him. Rick points to some underbrush down in the shallow creek. Harper knows it will be hard to track if she stayed in the water. Daryl examines the underbrush. "Sure this is the spot?" Daryl asks Rick. "I left her right here. I took the walkers off in that direction up the creek." Rick says pointing up the creek. "She was gone by the time I got back here. I figured she just took off and ran back to the group. I told her to go that way and keep the sun on her left shoulder." Rick tells them and Shane starts to question Rick. "Kids tired and scared man, she had her a close call with two walkers, you gotta wonder how much of what you said stuck." Shane says as Daryl starts to search the bank.
Daryl looks up at Glenn. "Hey short round. Why don't you step off to one side? You're mucking up the trail. You too princess." Daryl looks at Harper and she looks down noticing tiny foot prints where she stands at the edge of the creek. Harper and Glenn follow orders and move. Daryl looks up the bank and points at it. "Clear prints right here. She did like you said. Headed back to the highway. Let's spread out. Make our way back." He tells Rick and they climb up the bank.
Harper takes Daryl's hand helping him climb out of the creek bed. "Come on, she couldn't of gotten far." Harper says as Daryl makes his way on land. "She'll be tuckered out hiding in a bush somewhere." Shane says. Harper looks down and sees the small tracks left on the forest floor. "This way?" She asks Daryl pointing at the tracks. He nods surprised that she could track. Little bits of details were slowly coming out about this woman.
They follow the tracks with no distraction and silence. Daryl finally stops and points at the ground. "She was doin just fine until right here. All she had to do was keep goin. She veered off that way." Daryl points in a direction. The group questions whether she was scared off by a walker, but Daryl debunks the theory quickly saying there are no other tracks, but hers. Shane looks at Rick. "So what do we do? All of us press on?" He asks Rick.
"No better if you, Harper, and Glenn get back up to the highway. People are gonna start panicking. Let them know we're on her trail doing everything we can. But most of all keep everybody calm." Rick says, but Harper protests. "I can't go back there with no Sophia at hand." Harper says shaking her head. "I told Carol I'd bring her back and if I don't she'll be mortified." Rick sighs knowing it's the truth. "Look I understand, but you've gotten close to Carol. You're the best to comfort her." Rick tells her putting a hand on her shoulder. "We got this." Rick looks at Harper and she nods than asks the cop "Yea but, what do I tell Carol?"
.o.o.
Shane, Glenn, and Harper stand at the edge of the woods huddled together. "Look… Glenn and I will go up first okay? You stay behind us to hold off some of her worry." Shane tells Harper who nods. "Let us talk a bit. Glenn will give the signal than come up." Harper nods once again and Shane pats her on the shoulder. He looks at Glenn than takes a deep breath before they walk up. Harper stays behind and watches the two men go up the hill and the rest of the group run to them. Shane takes Carol's hands and talks to her as tears come down her face. Glenn nods in Harper's direction and she reluctantly makes her way up the hill not knowing what she will say to the desperate mother.
Harper slowly climbs the hill as Carol looks over Shane's shoulder and sees her. Carol begins to sob seeing no Sophia. Harper rushes up the hill. She jumps over the guard rail to Carol slowly taking her in her embrace as the mother sobs. "Carol look at me." Harper says pulling her back. Carol stands and looks into Harper's strong eyes. "Daryl and Rick are on it okay? They couldn't have a whole bunch of us out there messing up the trail making it ten times harder to find her. She'll be back and in your arms before you know it."
Harper looks at Carol who still cries. Harper shakes the woman's shoulders. "You pull yourself together for your little girl, you hear? She doesn't need to see this crap when she comes back." Harper says harshly to Carol who tries to fight tears. "Now dry your eyes and let's get to work. We have to get this girl some new books. She's wearing me out with these same stories over and over again." Harper smiles at Carol. Carol laughs sobbing and Harper hugs her. The group stands back amazed at how Harper said what needed to be said.
.o.o.
"Any luck?" Harper asks Dale about the RV. "Still the same status." Dale tells her. "Any luck on books?" Dale asks Harper smiling. "Found a copy of Where the Wild Things Are and two copies of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but that's about it. Sophia will like em though." Harper says smiling with a hint of sadness. Harper walks away and Andrea heads to Dale.
Harper sees them bantering, but ignores it and heads towards Carol who is standing at the edge of the highway like a watchdog. Harper herself is getting worried as the sky grows darker with no signs of Daryl, Rick, and Sophia. Harper walks to Carol and puts an arm around her shoulder. "They'll be back any moment, don't you—"Harper begins to say as another on cue moment happens.
They hear rustling in the bushes before seeing Rick and Daryl step out. "Oh my god they're back!" Glenn says and the group rushes to them. Harper's heart sinks as no sign of Sophia exists. She hears Carol let out a weak sob. "You didn't find her?" Carol cries weakly not being able to clearly say the words. Rick looks at Carol and Harper. "Her trail went cold. We'll pick it up again at first light." Rick tells them stepping over the metal guardrail. Harper stands in shock and disbelief. Daryl stays on the other side standing silent not knowing what to say.
Carol sobs in protest not wanting Sophia to spend the night in the woods. Harper and Lori try to comfort her, but Carol shrugs them off. Daryl's soft raspy voice finally breaks in. "Out in the dark's no good. We'd just be tripping over ourselves. More people get lost." Daryl tries his best to reassure her, but Carol sobs. "But she's 12. She can't be out there on her own. You didn't find anything?!" Carol sobs and the group tries to calm her. Lori and Harper rub her back as Rick puts down the information. Carol doesn't listen to a word he says as she eyes Daryl's pants. Harper looks at them and sees fresh blood on his knees.
"Is—is that blood?!" Carol asks panicked and breathing heavily. Daryl looks down seeing his pants, he too seeing it for the first time and not knowing what to say. Rick tells the group that they took down a walker and they all panic. "Walker? Oh my god." Carol breathes heavily and sits on the guardrail not being able to take it anymore. Harper and Lori sit with her. Rick looks at the emotional woman. "There was no sign it was ever anywhere near Sophia."
Harper panics slightly inside. She looks at the two men frantic. "How can you know that?!" Harper asks wanting some evidence. Daryl looks into her fearful blue eyes becoming accustomed to that look. "We cut the son of a bitch open. Made sure." Daryl reassures Harper and the group. "Oh my god." Carol repeats breathing heavy. Harper and Lori rub her back. Carol's face turns to Rick angry. "How could you just leave her out there to begin with? How could you just leave her?" Carol says harshly crying.
Rick tries to defend himself, but Carol keeps the blame on him. "How was she supposed to find her way back on her own? She's just a child." Carol sobs. "She's just a child!" Rick defends himself more, but Carol doesn't listen. "My little girl got left in the woods." Carol sobs taking in the reality. Harper feels a tear running down her cheek as Rick walks away in defeat.
.o.o.
The group wakes up exhausted in the morning still stuck on the highway for the search of Sophia. You can tell by looking at all their faces that none of them got much sleep, Carol especially. Harper sat up most of the night and even took watch, they were lucky. No walkers stumbled upon the highway unlike the herd that passed earlier in the day. The only walker they had was when they had to clean the RV of a dead walker that found Andrea, but got a screw driver in its eye. It was pretty messy leaving a stain on the old carpet.
Harper watches the staggering exhausted group gather around a hood of a car with Rick. Daryl walks up rubbing his eyes tiredly with his bow strapped to his back. He goes and stands next to Rick. Harper looks at him as he stands waiting for Rick to talk. "We're all gonna take the woods and search for Sophia, but first…" Rick says laying out a pack of Gerber knives. "Everybody takes a weapon."
"Who in the hell found these?!" Harper says excitedly picking up one of the knives examining it. Lori nods to Carl and smiles. Harper chuckles as he stands proud at his accomplishment. Harper rubs Carl's head. "Gerber's, good work little man." She smiles at him and he looks at his mother feeling proud. Harper looks at the long knife she chose out of the pack excited to be able to use it. Daryl watches her as she stares at the knife like it's a new toy. Harper continuing to surprise him on how much she knows about hunting and tracking. He knows she'll be a good hunting partner whenever they get a chance.
"These aren't the kind of weapons we need. What about the guns?" Andrea protests wanting her gun back that Dale had confiscated. "You were in Atlanta right?" Harper asks and Andrea nods. "Well you saw how big silence can matter. Like I said before Silence is the key." Shane and Rick back Harper up and tell Andrea about keeping the noise down that they can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles.
"It's not the trees I'm worried about." Andrea says still protesting. Shane back fires with "Say somebody fires at the wrong moment. A herd happens to be passing by. See then its game over for all of us. So you need to get over it." Andrea angry remains silent as she reluctantly picks a knife.
They get on with their plans and Daryl speaks being the lead and expert for the search being the best tracker. "See the idea is to take the creek up about five miles. Turn around and come back down the other side. Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark." Daryl says and Harper smiles assuring him he did well. Shane once again gets everybody moving to assemble their packs for the search.
Harper walks with Daryl to the old triumph to gather their stuff. Harper had kept her stuff close to it, Daryl being the only one she trusted not to mess with it. Although not agreeing totally with Andrea, she didn't want her pack sitting out where someone could go and confiscate her daddy's 45. Harper watches as Daryl looks through the compartments on the triumph fitting what ever weapons he had into his belt and sticking a knife in his boot. Harper looks through her pack and does the same. They don't carry packs only weapons, to get the job done.
"Not taking your pack?" Daryl asks concerned knowing his reasons on not carrying, but wanting to know hers. Harper scoffs. "Hell no, it'll slow us down. Plus you think I wanna hike 5 miles with a load on my back? If I need water or something I'm sure somebody will give me a drink of theirs before I pass out of dehydration and if not than I'm in the wrong group." Harper tells him and he smiles knowing they have the same reasoning. They walk back to the RV.
Once they get there they see the whole group stand and watching as Dale and Andrea argue about him saving her from the CDC. Harper grows angry knowing the time Andrea is wasting and how she is yelling at Dale who Harper had grown to like and respect. Finally the argument dies down. Harper goes up and pats Dale on the back.
Dale smiles. "Good luck out there. Bring Sophia back." Dale tells her and she nods. "You don't have to tell me twice." Harper says making Dale smile. She waves good-bye to an injured T-dog who is staying behind with Dale. Daryl stands at the edge of the highway waiting for her impatiently as the rest of the group starts to make their way over the rail. She walks to him. "Ready to bring her back?" She asks him as she starts over the rail. "Been ready." He tells her determined, jumping over the barrier. She than sees Carl.
Harper looks at Carl. "Didn't know you were coming." She tells him, but looks at Lori questioningly. Lori puts a hand on Carl's shoulder. "He wanted to help." Lori tells Harper. Carl looks up at her. "Sophia's my friend. I wanna find her." Carl says looking up at the two women. Daryl scoffs not agreeing with the idea of putting another kid into the woods. Harper ignores Daryl and encourages Carl. "Good thinking kiddo. We'll need the help." She says rubbing his head before catching up with Daryl who marches into the woods. The group follows Daryl's lead.
.o.o.
After the group has traveled about two and a half miles down the creek with no sign of Sophia they decide to stop and take a break. Daryl protests wanting to push forward, but the exhausted group doesn't listen to him. Harper watches him as he paces back and forth impatiently as the group takes out water bottles and canteens taking sips. She walks to him after making sure Carol's doing okay.
"Nice." She orders him to calm smirking. He stops and looks at her. "At the rate of these people we'll never find her. They're making to much noise, moving like slugs, plus we got another kid out in the woods waiting to get lost!" Daryl tells Harper in a hushed tone irritated with the group's effort. "They're a bunch of pansies." Daryl says harsh.
She shakes her head. "Patience." She reminds him smirking. "We've gotten a lot of ground covered. We'll have her back in no time." Harper says trying to calm him. "What are you my therapist or some shit?" Daryl bites at her. "No, but somebody's gotta be." She tells him as Rick butts in. "Daryl!" He says. "We're ready following your lead." Rick tells him as the group assembles. Harper looks at him and smiles. "I told you so." Harper whispers. He rolls his eyes at her. "Shut up."
The group continues to march through the woods Harper at Daryl's side. Daryl puts an arm in front of her issuing her to stop. She looks at him. He puts a finger to his mouth "Shhhh". He than points to a small tent sitting in a clearing. Rick and Shane come to the front and stand next to Harper. They watch as Daryl tries to get a peek into the tent with his knife ready, but he can't get a good enough view of what's inside. He looks at Rick. Rick calls for Carol and she runs up Harper putting her arms around the mother's shoulders.
"Call for her softly… if she's in there yours is the first voice she should hear." Rick tells Carol and she follows orders. She softly calls for Sophia, but the little girl never steps out. After waiting Rick and Shane walk up to Daryl for back up as Daryl slowly opens the tent. Soon as it unzips a god awful smell flows through the air making the three men gag, but Daryl pushes forward into the tent. "Daryl?" Harper calls out after him, after seeing the look on Carol's worried face. "It ain't her." Daryl says as he steps out Carol huffs a whine getting her hopes up.
"What's in there?" Harper asks Daryl as Lori takes Carol from her. "Some guy…. did what Jenner said 'opted out' ain't that what he called it?" Daryl says as all of a sudden they hear church bells ring through the air. Harper at first thinks she is crazy, but notices everyone is hearing it too. Rick points in the direction of the noise and runs they all follow him.
.o.o.
They run up the church steps with Daryl, Rick, and Shane at the front. Rick slowly opens the red doors of the church. They see three walkers sitting on benches, but no Sophia. Daryl hands Harper his crossbow and she hands him one of the Gerbers. The three leading men charge in to the church each taking out a walker, but Harper finds herself gazing at Daryl's arms as they flex when he slashes a woman walker in the head with the Gerber.
The group stands in the entrance to the church in shock. Rick screams for Sophia, her not being there. Harper watches Daryl walk up to Jesus on the cross. "Yo JC, you taking request?" He says catching his breath. Than all of a sudden the group hears the bells ring again. Daryl runs through them all outside to find the noise. Harper runs after him as he heads to the side of the building. She sees what he is staring at.
A speaker sticks off the side of the church. She runs to its box and turns it off as Daryl stands catching his breath. The group runs seeing it too. "Timer, its on a timer." He says breathing hard. Carol looks down upset. "I think I am gonna go back in for a bit." Carol says walking into the church. Harper sighs and walks to the small cemetery. "Harp? Where you going?!" Daryl runs up to her. "Gonna go sit for a bit and get some air… I can do it alone." She says walking by him fast. He turns around scoffing in defeat heading towards the church.
Harper finds a tree in the cemetery and sits leaning on it feeling as if she were Jim. She sighs in worry of Sophia and Carol's well being before she slowly shuts her tired eyes. Dreams of her father and brother dying fill her head making her want to scream, but she can't, but she is saved by Daryl Dixon's light kick and "Wake the hell up!" She looks back up from her slumber to see Daryl's dirt covered face and crossbow standing over her.
"We're about to move out again." Daryl tells her as the group joins them. He holds out a hand and helps her up. "Thanks." She tells him. Lori offers Harper a water bottle and she takes it without hesitation taking a swig. She hands it back to Lori mouthing a 'thank you'. Shane and Rick walk up and inform them that they are gonna stay behind and search the area while Daryl leads the group down the other side of the creek back to the highway. "Splitting us up? You sure?" Daryl says a little unsure of the plan, but Shane only agrees to go along with the plan.
Carl protests wanting to go with Rick and Shane. They come to a decision and let him go. Harper can't help, but worry about the children as the group splits and makes their way into the woods. She walks next to Daryl as they search the creek. He looks at her as she walks with her head down being able to tell something is bothering her. "You worried?" Daryl asks her and she looks at him and shakes her head. "No." She says and he scoffs. "You're a horrible liar." He smiles at her and she laughs.
She looks down smiling. "So what if I am?" She tells him. "Well you shouldn't be." Daryl tells her. "Don't think I can help it much." She looks down knowing she's not gonna stop worrying until they're driving down the highway with Lori and Carol holding their children. "You can help it, just think of other things." He tells her looking at her sincerely as they continue their march down the creek.
"Is that what you did with your brother?" She says and Daryl looks down a little bit upset. "No, never had to worry. Merle is Merle." Daryl says looking down. She smiles at him. "You know you're a horrible liar." They both laugh to themselves when all of a sudden they hear a shot ring through the air.
.o.o.
TO BE CONTINUED:
NEXT CHAPTER WHAT DO YOU MEAN CARL GOT SHOT?
