Arrows and Scars

AN: OMG The trailer for the next season of the Walking Dead is AWESOME! I can't wait XD!

*insert clearing throat here* Anyway, I'd like to thank yourworldismine,save the sharks, MOONWOLF1234, jumpingmanatee, GreenHoneyTea, KioshiUshima, KuroKat013, Snickering Fox, Shiori Mayonaka no Yume, Diamondz-Love, KamilahKaliope, lifelovelaugh, masterbroly, GiggleboxGirlie,Applejax XD, CK (Guest), Sesshiesfangirl, Saricaykes, Wishuwerheer (Guest), DogDemoness108, Munyue, and TheOnyxSnake for your kind words in your reviews. And thank you to Lady of Jupiter, henkieshome, KamilahKaliope, lysia1982, Aeris Aimara Ciren, Sorceress Misha, StarRocker4600, Atea1793, Satisfactory Revenge, KyuuKyuu666, racdragon339, Baseele, Rising Angel 739, BillieCipher92, CrimsonClover26, Mystical Shadow Priestess, DogDemoness108, ruka126, PuriPuriBeth, yukicarr, Dendule95, Fay-fay 45, LightningThief47, Kristallos, Moonlit Magic, CelestiaSakura, Pearlmegan, BenSolo'sGirlfriend, GoldThesteral22095, Lelephante, santanaann4524, heathermh, vnienhuis, Ivise, Munyue, Babycutiepie, RozeXhunter, pandamiko, Bass Blitz, Lady slytherin 92, swsirilak, and D Tailed for favoriteing and/or following this fic.

Now on with the show!

Disclaimer: I own nothing from either series...But if I did...Oh the possibilities. Anyway, no suing please.

Chapter Eight: Hope for Something More

"Hey," Daryl said as he shook Kagome's shoulder as she slept on the floor of the RV. The priestess rubbed her eyes and looked at the hunter wondering what was wrong. "I'm gonna walk the road, look for the girl. You comin?" he asked, figuring that Kagome would want to go and keep her promise to her brother.

The priestess nodded yes and grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows. She looked over and saw Carol in the bed area of the RV. Carol had obviously been crying throughout the night, making it impossible for the hunter to sleep. 'Poor Carol,' Kagome thought as she and Daryl walked out the RV door and told Dale about their plans.

"Wait," Andrea came out the RV, having heard the whole thing, "I'm coming too," she told the both of them.

Together, all three of them went into the woods with flashlights in their hands. If Sophia could see the lights, she would run to them. They would have yelled out her name but they didn't want to ring any late dinner bells for Walkers.

"You really think we'll find Sophia?" Andrea asked the two arrow users as they continued to walk through the woods.

Daryl rolled his eyes at the blond woman, "You got that look on your face. The same as everybody else. 'Cept for Chibi over here," he pointed to Kagome.

Kagome gave him a mild glare, "Do you even know what Chibi means?" The hunter shook his head no, he only heard the term once before and had no idea what it meant. "I figured. No to the nickname. And of course we're going to find Sophia," she told Andrea.

Daryl shrugged before looking back at Andrea, "The hell's wrong with you people. We just started lookin'."

"Well do you?" Andrea asked Daryl again.

"It ain't the mountain in Tibet. Its Georgia," the hunter replied, "She could be held up in a farm house somewhere. Kids get lost, they survive. Happens all the time."

"She's only twelve," Andrea pointed out skeptically.

Daryl shook his head, "Hell I was younger than her when I got lost," he admitted, making both women look at him in surprise. It wasn't often that Daryl opened up with something from his past. "Nine days in the woods, eating berries and wiping my ass with poison oak."

Kagome winced, "Ouch."

"They found you?" Andrea asked curiously, referring to his family.

Daryl shook his head no, "Old Man was on some vender with a waitress. Merle was doing another sentence in juvie. Didn't know I was gone...I made my way back though. Went straight to the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. A little worse for wear, except my ass itch something awful."

Kagome and Andrea couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sorry," Kagome said while snickering at Daryl, "That must have been really painful."

Andrea couldn't contain her laughter, "That's a horrible story."

Daryl glared, "Better than the one Kagome told about that one girl getting lost."

"Oh yeah," Andrea said recalling the story, "The one who found a wounded demon in the woods. What was that girls name again?"

Kagome nodded, "Rin," she answered, "And the demon's name was Sesshōmaru. Rin visited him every day, bringing him healing herbs and food. Sesshōmaru would snap at the girl and tell her to go away, but she would still come back. Eventually, Sesshōmaru began to care about Rin and decided to protect her since she was an orphan."

"I remember," Andrea said in recollection, "Amy liked that one."

"The kids did too," Kagome replied, "Except I told them the sugar coated version of the story."

Daryl and Andrea looked at her confused, "Sugar coated?" Daryl repeated.

Kagome nodded, "In the real story, Rin was being beaten by some of the village men for stealing. Sesshōmaru cared enough to ask where her bruises had come from, which made Rin really happy. It was the first time, since her family died, that someone cared about her well-being. The next day, the village was attacked by wolves. Rin managed to run into the woods trying to find Sesshōmaru, but ended up getting caught by a few of the wolves and was killed. Eventually, Sesshōmaru found Rin's body and used a mystical sword he possessed that could bring her back to life. After that, he cared for Rin like his own daughter."

Andrea shuddered at the thought of that, "I can see why you left that out. Too much of the dead walking around as it is."

In a weird way, Daryl liked the real version better, "Sophia has someone looking for her too...I call that an advantage."

Both women couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for the hunter. Kagome had wished she'd known Daryl back then, "I would have looked for you when you were lost." Daryl and Andrea looked at the priestess in surprise. Kagome blushed, quickly realizing she had said those words out loud. "It-It's what friends do," she quickly added.

Daryl didn't comment and continued forward in their search. Andrea raised a brow at Kagome, who shrugged her shoulders before mouthing 'what.' The blond shook her head in amusement and continued to follow Daryl.

The trio kept walking around, trying to find any sign of Sophia.

Suddenly, the sound of leaves stirring startled the group. Daryl pointed his crossbow while Kagome pulled out an arrow from her quiver. Both of them were ready to fire at a moment's notice.

They quietly wandered towards the source of the noise and gasped at what they saw.

A Walker hanging by a noose from a tall tree branch. It dangled on the tree limb, desperately trying to get to the three living beings close to him so he could feed.

"What the hell?" Daryl muttered at the sight.

Andrea gawked at the dangling Walker.

Kagome frowned in pity at the undead creature dangling from a tree. This used to be a human being who thought it wasn't strong enough to take on this new world. And yet, he still became the thing her feared most. 'The poor guy,' she thought in empathy.

Daryl saw a written message nailed into the tree the Walker dangled from, "Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit," he read aloud before snorting, "Dumbass didn't think to shoot himself in the head. Now he's just a big swingin' piece of bait. What a mess."

Andrea began to gag and leaned her body forward.

"You okay?" Kagome asked in concern.

"Trying not to puke," the blond woman replied as she kneeled forward.

"Go ahead if you gotta," Daryl suggested.

Andrea shook her head, "Can we just talk about something else?" she begged, "Where did you both learn to shoot your weapons?"

"I picked it up myself," Kagome answered, "But my best friend helped made me an expert."

"And I had to eat," Daryl answered, "It's the one thing these Walkers and I have in common. This is the probably the closest he's been to food since he turned." The hunter pointed his flashlight on the Walker's legs. It had been torn up and nibbled and till the only thing left was bone. "Look at him, hanging like a big piñata. The other geeks came and ate all the flesh off his legs."

Andrea barfed up the contents of her stomach. Luckily for her, there wasn't much of it.

"Daryl," Kagome scolded the hunter as she rubbed Andrea's back soothingly with her free hand.

"I thought we were changing the subject," Andrea complained when she felt better.

He snorted, "Call it pay back for laughin' at my itchy ass," he mildly teased before he gestured his head back to the direction of the highway, "Let's head back."

Andrea looked from the Walker to Daryl. "You're not gonna," she didn't finish, but he knew what she meant.

Was he going to kill the Walker?

"He ain't hurting nobody," Daryl reasoned, "Let him hang."

Kagome had another opinion on the matter. "Fine, I'll do it," she said taking her arrow and aiming it at the Walker's head. She released her arrow, hitting the Walker right in the eye. The easiest access to the brain. The Walker was instantly killed.

"Waste of an arrow," Daryl scolded.

"I got plenty to spare. At least this way his body is...sort of at rest," Kagome retorted back to him. The priestess had made sure to retrieve her arrows after she used them, leaving her with at least a dozen.

The hunter shook his head in disagreement and began the journey back. Andrea and Kagome were following directly behind him.

"Can I ask you something?" Andrea suddenly said to Kagome as they walked. The priestess nodded yes in reply. "At the CDC, you told Jenner that you thought about ending your life before all this," she gestured to the world around them. "You really wanted to die because a guy?" Andrea asked her astoundingly.

Kagome nodded again, "I wanted to...Thankfully I came to my senses."

"You must have really loved him," Andrea stated, not really sure what else to say.

"I did," Kagome admitted, "But the worst part of it, besides watching him die, was that I didn't get a chance to tell him that."

The blond woman was silent for a few moments, "I think he knew...He did give his life for you."

"He was an idiot," Kagome said, stunning both Andrea and Daryl who was listening as he walked in front of them. "He was so stubborn and always did things on his own, never asking for help. He went into a fight hot headed and died as a result...He was furious because one of our best friends, the one who taught me how to use a bow, she was killed first. He wanted revenge and he got it at the cost of his life...I was so angry at him for leaving me...And sad because I missed him like crazy."

The blond woman gave a look of sympathy, "Maybe you'll find someone again."

The priestess shrugged, "Maybe...What about you, Andrea?" she asked causing the blond to raise a brow, "After everything we learned at the CDC, do you still want to die?"

Andrea looked at Kagome before she gave an unsure shrug, "I don't know if I want to live...Or if I have to...Maybe it's just a habit."

Kagome shook her head at the vague answer.

Daryl kept walking as the woman talked behind him, absorbing everything that the priestess had confessed. He didn't know much about the guy that Kagome had loved, but he felt a little envious of him. It was obvious that the priestess still loved the man, even though he was dead. But he could hear the longing in Kagome's voice of wanting to move on. Daryl didn't know why but he felt a little relieved by this knowledge.

Eventually, the three of them made it back to the highway, dreading to face Carol when she saw that they once again didn't find Sophia.

Kagome sat with Carol when they went back into the RV until, allowing the worried mother to cry on her shoulder.

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Early in the morning, the group on the highway painted a message for Sophia on one of the cars, telling her to stay there and that they'll come to the highway every day. They also left a few provisions, knowing Sophia would be starving when she got back.

Once that was taken care of, Kagome told them the directions to the farm.

Daryl drove up the road in front of the RV as they made their way to Hershel's farm.

They were surprised to find the members of their group outside the house.

'What are they doing?' Kagome wondered as Dale stopped the RV.

The group was finally reunited, and they were so relieved that Carl was going to make a full recovery. T-Dog's wound was properly treated and was slowly starting to get better. However Otis had died trying to get the supplies they needed to save the young Grimes.

Souta, who had heard the cars from inside the house, ran outside to greet and hug his sister.

Kagome hugged him back fiercely, before she noticed the bandage on his arm. "You gave blood," she stated.

The young Higurashi nodded, "Hershel said he only took half a unit," he explained, "I just wanted to help since Rick gave blood twice."

The priestess nodded in understanding, "Well you know what that means right?" Souta raised a brow. "You and Souta are blood brothers now," she pointed out to him.

Souta's eyes widened in delight, since he hadn't thought about that. "I always did want a brother," he admitted.

Kagome pouted, "What are you trying to say? Am I not good enough for you?" she teasingly whined. Souta stuck out his tongue out her in reply, making her do the same to him before she ruffled the hair on his head affectionately.

After the group helped Hershel's family and friends create a memorial for Otis, they held a small funeral service. Hershel spoke a passage from the bible and praised Otis's good name.

"Shane," Hershel turned to the former deputy when he finished, "Would you speak for Otis."

Shane shook his head uncomfortably, "Nah, man. I'm no good at it."

"You were the last one with him," Otis's wife Patricia said, weeping mildly. "Will you share his last moments with us. Please...I need to hear. I need to know his death had meaning."

Kagome looked at Shane, curious by his hesitant behavior. Not to mention the new buzz cut he'd made to his hair. 'I wonder what brought that on,' she wondered.

Shane hesitated before he spoke again, "We were about done...Almost out of ammo, were about to pistols by then. I was limping, it was bad. Leg all swollen up...'We gotta save the boy.' You see that's what he said."

The more the former deputy spoke, the more wary Kagome felt towards him. Shane talked as if he were telling a story, not the truth about what actually happened. The priestess studied and had enough life experience to know the difference.

That's when Kagome made the decision to feel Shane's soul.

The priestess almost gasped at what she sensed. Just below the surface of his former good soul, there was a darkness emerging. It wasn't unusual for there to be darkness in someone soul, but somehow the darkness in Shane's soul seemed to have doubled overnight. Kagome was frightened by this discovery, since a soul becoming dark so fast only happened if a human committed a terrible act. 'What did he do?' Kagome thought nervously.

"He gave me his backpack, he shoved me ahead," Shane continued, "'Run' he said. 'I'll take the rear. I'll cover you.' And when I looked back..." he didn't finish. It was obvious that the Walkers had gotten to Otis by that point. Shane went over and placed a rock on the memorial. "If not for Otis, I wouldn't have made it out alive. And that goes for Carl too. So Otis he...He saved us both...His death had meaning," he told to Patricia.

As Kagome looked at Shane cautiously, Daryl scowled at the former deputy knowing that he had just lied to everyone.

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"How long has the girl been lost?" Hershel asked the group after the funeral. Rick, Shane, Daryl, Andrea and Kagome were planning to help in the search.

"This will be day three," Rick informed him.

Maggie came over to the truck with a map in hand, "The county survey map," she said while pressing the map out for them.

"Finally, we can get this thing organized," Rick said gratefully, "Grid the area and start searching in teams."

"Not you," Hershel scolded the former sheriff. "You gave almost three units of blood. And the other boy shouldn't be going either," he told the last part to Kagome. "They won't be able to hike five minutes in this heat. And that ankle of yours," he gestured to Shane, "Push it now and you'll be out for a month. That won't be good for anybody."

Daryl nodded, "Looks like it's just you and me then," he told Kagome. "We'll head back to the creek and work from there," he pointed on the map.

"Alright," she nodded agreement and studied the map thoroughly.

"I'll drive up to the interstate and see if Sophia wandered back," Shane stated, wanting to still be useful.

"Alright then," Rick nodded in approval, "Let's do this right."

"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives," Shane informed his friend, "We got to gun train them, like we promised."

Rick began to nod in agreement while Hershel shook his head, "I'd prefer you not carry guns on my property. We managed so far without making this into an armed camp."

"With all due respect," Shane replied, "We can't risk those the geeks wandering in here."

"We're guests here," Rick interrupted, "This is your property and we will respect that." He gestured for everyone to give up their guns, which they reluctantly did so. "First things first, make camp and find Sophia."

Shane sighed as he gave up his gun and brought up an important matter. "I hate to be the one to bring this up...But what happens if she's bit?"

Everyone turned to Rick for instruction, "We do what needs to be done," he answered.

Kagome gulped at the thought of a Walker version of Sophia wandering the woods. She shook her head at the image, 'No, we're going to find her. And she'll be okay,' she told herself.

Maggie looked taken aback, "And her mother, what do you tell her?"

"The truth," Andrea said simply.

The group disbanded getting ready to do their jobs.

Kagome saw Souta waiting for her on the porch.

"Souta," she cautioned, "You're not going."

"I want to go," her brother interrupted, "I need to find Sophia."

Kagome nodded in understanding, "I know. But you can't look today. Not after giving blood like that. Besides, your brother needs you too," she said pointing to Carl's room. "Kami knows Carl will go crazy in that room."

Souta stared at her for a few moments before he reluctantly nodded, "Okay." He did feel a little off, and doubted he would be of much help in searching for Sophia. 'We'll find her...we have to.'

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"Hey Daryl," Rick called out to the hunter, "You sure you'll both be alright out there?"

"I'm better on my own," Daryl admitted, "But China Doll can take care of herself. We'll be back before dark."

Rick nodded, "Hey...We got a base. We can get this search properly organized now."

Daryl looked at him in confusion, "You got a point or are you just chatting?" he asked in irritation. 'He's wasting good search time.'

"My point is that it lets you off the hook," Rick informed him, "You don't owe us anything."

Daryl's eyes unintentionally wandered to the porch, where Kagome was talking to her brother. "My other plans fell through," he replied to Rick. "Come on lets go," Daryl called over to Kagome.

"Just a second," she called back to him before she turned back to Souta. "Listen carefully, Souta. I want you to avoid being alone with Shane," she said in Japanese not wanting to be overheard. "Something happened that made his soul become dark last night. Whatever it was, it was very sinister. So be cautious, alright?" Souta nodded in understanding. "Good. I love you little brother," she said kissing his forehead before walking over to Daryl. "Let's go," she told the hunter who followed behind her.

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Daryl rode Merle's motorcycle trying to get close to the creek as they could with Kagome sitting behind him. Her arms were wrapped loosely around his midsection. Kagome knew that Daryl wasn't a person that liked to be touched and didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

After a while, Daryl stopped and parked the bike on the side of the road. "Far as we can go," he told her.

Kagome slid off the bike first, allowing Daryl to get off. "Did Merle teach you to ride a motorcycle?" she asked him curiously. Daryl raised a brow at the question but still nodded. "How come you don't have one of your own?"

"Couldn't afford it," he answered as they went into the woods, about a hundred yards away from the creek.

"Oh," she replied, accepting the answer.

Daryl looked at her curiously, "Why you askin'?"

Kagome shrugged, "Just trying to make conversation," she replied, "It's what people do sometimes to avoid silence."

"We're suppose' to be lookin' for a little girl," Daryl reminded, getting a little annoyed.

"I was just talking to you," she replied a little harshly, "You don't have to be snippy about it."

Daryl sent her a small glare but it didn't hold a lot of malice behind it.

They were both silent after that. Focusing on their task of trying to find Sophia.

"Look," Kagome suddenly said pointing in between the trees and saw a farmhouse.

Daryl walked closer to the place, "Think she's in there?"

Kagome did a quick sweep of the place with her priestess powers and found no living soul inside. 'But that doesn't mean she wasn't there earlier. Maybe we'll find something,' she reasoned. "Maybe," she answered Daryl's question.

Both of them slowly approached the farmhouse, not wanting to alert any Walkers if they were hiding inside. Daryl went up the steps of the house first, crossbow out and ready. Kagome pulled out her knife, figuring her bow and arrow wouldn't be useful inside.

The hunter gestured for Kagome to look upstairs while he searched the bottom floor. The priestess quietly went up the steps searching the rooms for Walkers and clues. There were three bedrooms upstairs. All of them unoccupied. The only thing Kagome noticed was that one of the beds had the pillow and covers missing.

After searching, Kagome made her way back downstairs, "Anything?" she mouthed when she spotted Daryl. The hunter gestured for him to follow her to a pantry door. On the floor was a pillow and blanket. "These were from one of the rooms upstairs," Kagome told him.

"Sophia," Daryl said, knowing that she was the most likely person.

"Poor thing. She must be scared out of her mind," Kagome voiced before looking to the hunter, "You think she's close by?"

Instead of answering, Daryl went back outside and screamed Sophia's name.

Kagome went outside and sighed in disappointment, 'I can't sense her anywhere.'

"She's hidin' somewhere else now," Daryl voiced his thoughts, "Not a good idea to stay in one place."

"I suppose she is," Kagome agreed, "Sophia was a quiet little girl, but she was definitely smart...I just hope she's safe wherever she is."

Daryl was a little surprised by her agreeing with him. Anyone else in the group would have said something skeptical or agreed just to keep someone's hopes alive. But he could tell Kagome genuinely believed that Sophia was somewhere safe. Daryl scanned the area again until something caught his eye, 'Is that?' he wondered before walking towards it.

Kagome followed Daryl and watched as he kneeled down to a dead bush that still had two living flowers on them. "What are those?" she asked, having never seen the white flowers before.

"You don't know?" Daryl asked a little astonished.

How could someone know about healing plants and different types of stories, but not know the meaning behind 'this' flower?

"It's a Cherokee Rose," he told her picking it from the bush and showing it to her. "The story is that when American soldiers were moving the Indians off their land, down the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee mothers were grievin' and crying so much, cause they were losing their little ones along the way. From exposure. Disease. Starvation...A lot of them just disappeared." Kagome frowned after hearing that. "So the elders, they said a prayer. Asked for a sign to lift up the mothers spirits. Give them strength...Hope. The next day this rose grew. Right where the mothers tears fell."

Kagome looked from the flower, to Daryl, then back at the flower and smiled. 'Then this is a sign that Sophia's okay...It'll give Carol hope,' she thought in high spirits. The priestess looked over to the bush, "There's two of them," she pointed out, "Hope for Sophia and hope for Merle."

Daryl shook his head with doubt, "Don't think so...I'm not fool enough to think there's any flowers bloomin' for my brother."

She looked back at him, "Why not? Who else could the other flower be for?" Kagome asked him. Daryl couldn't come up with an answer. Kagome smiled wider, knowing she'd won their disagreement.

Daryl snorted, "Whatever you say, Priestess."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Okay, that's not a nickname, it's just stating what I am," she playfully scolded. "I might as well be calling you Redneck, Tenshi."

"Will you just tell me what that damn word means," he demanded, getting a little fed up about the foreign word.

Instead of answer, she shook her head, "Nuh-uh, you know the deal."

Daryl muttered something incoherent as he turned around and walked away obviously annoyed, making Kagome giggle. They made their way back to the motorcycle, wanting to tell the group what they found. Also, Daryl really wanted to show the Cherokee Rose to Carol.

She needed a sign of hope.

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The next morning, Kagome woke up early to help Carol with some laundry. Lori had gotten on to Andrea for not doing her share of the chores and the priestess didn't want to face her wrath as well. Besides, Kagome liked feeling useful in every task that was needed in camp.

"Did you tell Daryl to give me the flower?" Carol asked the priestess as they carried the basket of damp cloths to the clothesline.

"Nope," Kagome answered honestly as she put down her basket, "That was all him. I didn't even know what kind it was until he told me."

Carol smiled at the hunter's consideration, "That was sweet of him...The beer bottle vase was a nice touch."

Kagome smiled at the cute gesture, "I knew he was a big softie underneath that tough guy exterior."

"What made you think so?" Carol asked curiously.

Kagome paused before she hung up the cloths, "Well, Daryl kind of reminds me of someone I used to know. He was rude and had a temper, but he never hesitated to help someone in trouble...He was a good man."

Carol looked at the priestess in sympathy. It was obvious that the man she was talking about was the man she had loved. "Daryl's a good man," Carol told her.

"No denying that," Kagome replied automatically as she went back to work.

Carol couldn't help but smile at how fast the priestess had responded. She was starting to get the feeling that Kagome may have grown feelings for the hunter, but hasn't realized it yet. 'I think they'd be good for each other,' she thought, 'They both deserve it.' With that in mind, Carol wanted to voice her graduated toward the priestess. "Kagome, I want to thank you for helping to look for Sophia...It's one of the kindest things that's happened to me in a long time," her voice cracked at the end.

The priestess walked over to the woman and hugged her, "We're going to find her. And then this will be nothing but a distant memory."

A few minutes later, Lori made her way to the two women as they continued their chore. "Sorry I slept in," she told them apologetically.

"You must have needed it," Carol replied, "You alright?"

"Next time wake me," Lori responded, instead of answering Carol's question, "Especially on laundry day."

Kagome didn't know why, but lately Lori had been very moody. At first she thought it had to do with Carl's condition, but she was starting to think it might be something else. 'I hope she's okay,' she thought with worry.

"We can manage," Carol responded, "While you're here, I wanted run an idea by you. That big kitchen of theirs got me thinking, I wouldn't mind cooking in a kitchen again. Maybe, if we all pitch in, we can cook for Hershel and his family tonight?" Lori and Kagome looked at Carol curiously. "I'm trying to find things to occupy my mind," she admitted

Lori shrugged as she continued to hang the cloths, "After everything they've done for us, it seems the least we can do."

Carol nodded, "Would you mind extending the invitation?" she asked Lori, "You're Rick's wife. That kind of makes you our unofficial First Lady."

It looked like Lori wanted to say something but quickly shut her mouth.

"Morning guys," Rick told the camp, "Let's get going, we got a lot of ground to cover."

Kagome hung up the cloths she had, "I'll see you both later. And let me know if you need help making dinner tonight," she said before she walked over to the search group. Souta was there too, wanting to know what was going on.

"Everyone's getting new search grids today," Rick informed everyone, "She made it as far as the farm house Daryl and Kagome found, so she's gone further east than we've been before."

"I want to help," said the young man that lived with Hershel named Jimmy, "I know the area pretty well and stuff."

Rick looked at the young man in appreciation, "And Hershel's okay with this?" Jimmy nodded yes, but didn't make eye contact with Rick.

A clear indication that he was lying.

Kagome would have said something but thought that they could use all the help they could get. That's why she was taking Souta out with her today since he was up for it now.

"Nothing Daryl and Kagome found screams Sophia to me," Shane said suddenly, catching everyone's attention. "Anyone could have been held up in that farm house."

"Anyone includes her right?" Andrea argued with him.

Daryl nodded, "Anyone who slept in that covert couldn't have bigger than yah high," he gestured to Sophia's height.

"Sophia would have slept somewhere safe during the night. She knows better," Kagome commented.

"And you know this how?" Shane asked skeptically.

Kagome glared at the man, "Because, unlike you, I actually spent time with her and knows how she thinks."

Shane snorted before he looked down at his shoes. Souta stuck his tongue out at him since the officer wasn't looking. The action made Daryl smirk in amusement.

"Maybe we'll pick up on Sophia's trail again," Rick said, wanting to change the subject.

"Maybe," Daryl replied, "I'm gonna borrow a horse and head up to this ridge right here," the hunter pointed on the map. "Get a bird's eye view of the whole grid."

T-Dog snickered, "Good idea. Maybe you'll see your Chupacabra," he teased, which made him receive a glare from Daryl.

"Chupacabra?" Rick repeated confused.

"What you haven't heard this?" Dale asked while he gave out the bag of guns. "First night at camp, Daryl tells us that this whole thing reminds of the time he went squirrel hunting and he saw a Chupacabra."

Jimmy started chuckling at the story.

"What are you laughing at, jackass?" Daryl snarled the young man. Souta did his best to hide a snicker, making Kagome nudge him with her elbow.

"You believe in a blood sucking dog?" Jimmy asked in disbelief.

"You believe in dead people walking around?" Daryl challenged.

Instead of answering, in fear of what the hunter would do, Jimmy started to grab a rifle from the gun bag.

"Whoa," Rick stopped him, "You ever fire one before?" he asked Jimmy firmly.

"If we're going out I want one," Jimmy replied.

Daryl snorted, "Yeah, and people in hell want slurpies."

Kagome rolled her eyes at the comment, and listened to where Rick wanted her to go with Souta.

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Daryl saddled the horse he was going to use with a scowl on his face.

He didn't know why T-Dog had to mention his Chupacabra story. Daryl knew what he saw that day and anyone who said otherwise could go fuck themselves.

"Daryl," Kagome called out, walking into the barn. She was carrying a bottle of water and a small bag of black berries. "I thought you could use these," she said handing to him. "You need to keep your strength up if you're going to be out there all day."

The hunter took the bag and put it on the satchel that was on the saddle, "Thanks."

"So," she said walking over to the stall and petting the horses head, "You really saw a Chupacabra?" Kagome was asking out of curiosity, 'If demons are real, why not a blood sucking dog that eats goats.'

Instead Daryl thought she was making fun of him, "I know what I saw," he snapped at her.

Kagome was taken aback by his tone, even the horse seemed a little on edge. "I didn't say you didn't. I just wanted to know because I haven't heard that story before," she scolded back as she picked up some hay to feed to the horse in order to calm it down. "You don't have to be a jerk about it."

With that, Daryl scowling retreated and he muttered an apology.

The priestess sighed and petted the horse's mane, trying to let her annoyance subside. "Just be careful out there today," she said, since Daryl was going to be by himself today.

Daryl nodded as he finished saddling the horse, "Who you goin' with?"

"Just Souta," she answered, "I figured I could teach him more ways to use his knife while we're out there."

"You gonna let him go to gun trainin?" he asked her.

Kagome shrugged in uncertainty, "I don't know."

Daryl looked over to her, "Camps got guns around. He'll need to learn."

"It's not the guns that concerns me," Kagome admitted truthfully, "Its Shane teaching the lesson...I don't trust him." She knew she could admit her concerns to Daryl, since she found him the most honorable of the group.

Daryl looked at the priestess a little impressed about being wary of Shane. He didn't buy the officer's bull shit story about Otis sacrificing himself like that. "I could teach you to shoot," he said without really thinking it through. "Your brother too," he quickly added.

Kagome looked at him surprised, "Really?"

"If ya want," Daryl said, not really minding.

"Yes," she answered instantly, "I'd love that...Does this mean I can learn to shoot your crossbow too?" she asked excitingly.

Daryl snorted, "We'll see, Huntress."

Kagome smiled, "That's the best one I've heard...But no," she added, disappointing him in his efforts.

"High standard bitch," Daryl muttered under his breath as he mounted the horse.

"And that's the worst," she said in response, not taking offense. Kagome could tell by his tone that he was just messing with her. "Be safe out there, Tenshi."

Daryl sent her a mild glare but eventually smirked when she left the stable.

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Kagome and Souta looked around there assigned sector of the woods for a good while. During that time, Kagome taught her brother how to throw a knife from a distance and where to aim for easy access to the brain.

Souta actually got a little excited when she told him about Daryl offering to gun train them.

"What do you think of Daryl?" Kagome asked him on their way back to the farm.

"I like him," Souta admitted, "He's the only one, besides you, who knows we'll find Sophia...And he did save my life at the Quarry."

Kagome nodded in remembrance. She really did owe a lot to this group, but she owed Daryl most of all.

"What do you think of Daryl?" Souta mocked his sister, emphasizing the word 'you'.

The priestess rolled her eyes, "I like Daryl too. He's a nice person."

"Do you looove him?" he teased his sister.

Kagome blushed, "Shut up!" she screeched at him.

"You didn't deny it," he pointed out mischievously.

"I don't love Daryl," she stated, although it didn't sound very convincing.

"You said the same thing about Inuyasha," Souta reminded her. Mentioning the hanyou's name caused Kagome to frown. "Inuyasha would want you to move on, Kagome...And I haven't seen anyone make you smile like that in...forever."

Kagome smiled at her brother, "Since when do you care so much about my love life?"

"You tease me about Sophia, and it's only fair I tease you about your crush," he answered smugly, "It's my Kami given right as a little brother."

The priestess ruffled her brother's hair affectionately, "You're my favorite little brother. You know that?"

"Since I'm your only brother that's not really saying much," Souta joked, "But you're my favorite big sister."

Kagome smiled and put her arm around her brother's shoulder.

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"Kagome, you're a girl right?" Glenn suddenly asked the priestess when she stepped into the RV an hour after she returned to the farm. The young Korean was sitting at the eating table, contemplating on his current situation with Maggie.

The priestess raised a brow, "Uh-huh," she answered skeptically at the stupid question, uncertain where Glenn was going with this conversation. All Kagome had been doing was looking for a quiet place to write since Souta was visiting Carl, and Carol and Lori said they could handle the dinner on their own.

"Sorry," Glenn muttered realizing how the question sounded. "I just, I need some advice. And I need a girl's perspective."

"Okay," Kagome replied as she sat across from him at the RV's eating table.

Glenn fidgeted nervously, "Well there's this girl."

"Maggie," the priestess stated.

Glenn looked up in surprise, "How'd ya know?"

"It was either her, Andrea, or me," she answered, "I doubt it's Andrea, and Kami knows it's not me." Kagome saw Glenn as a very good friend, almost like a brother, and she knew he felt the same way about seeing her as a sister. "So, what's up with you and Maggie?" she encouraged.

"Uhh," Glenn wasn't sure how to voice it, "Well, like I said you're a girl. Could you tell me what a girl is thinking after she...ya know...Has sex with a guy?"

Kagome's eyes widened at the question. "Glenn, please tell me you did not have sex with the daughter of the man who can kick us off his land, regardless of Carl's condition," she said practically begging.

Once Kagome phrased it that way, Glenn turned his gaze down and refused to answer.

"Glenn!" she screeched while smacked the Korean on his arm.

"I didn't plan on it," Glenn replied in defense, "We were at the pharmacy making a run and it just sort of happened. And I almost had a run in with a Walker at the well so I figured, why not."

"What Walker at the well?" Kagome asked in surprise, feeling like she missed out on a whole lot in such a short amount of time.

Glenn smacked his forehead. He forgot Kagome didn't know about the Walker in the well since she was out with Daryl. So he gave her a brief overview on how the group lowered him into the well so they could pull out the Walker.

"Good Kami," Kagome said in disbelief, wanting to smack some of the group members silly. "Do you have a brain in that head of yours?! You could have been killed!"

"It made sense at the time," Glenn defended, "And I'm alive aren't I...So could you help me with the Maggie thing? She's been acting weird around me."

Kagome ran her hands from her face to her hair, "Honestly Glenn, every girl is different and I don't know Maggie all that well, so I don't know what to tell you." Glenn looked down in disappointment making Kagome frown before giving him a look of sympathy. "But I think she'd be crazy not to give you a chance."

Glenn looked back up with a hopeful smile,"Really?"

"Yeah," she replied, "You're a sweet guy. You just really need to think before you speak," Kagome added half joking.

Glenn snorted, recalling the brief conversation he had with Maggie early today. "Yeah, I'm working on that."

"Working on what?" Dale asked when he walked into the RV.

Kagome got up from her seat and patted on Dale's shoulder, "I leave him with you. All the luck in the world, Dale," she teased before walking out of the RV.

She walked into the tent that her and Souta shared and began to write. Kagome liked writing to help get out of her head for a few minutes. Since there wasn't a lot of books available to the group, this was the next best thing. A moment to clear her thoughts and forget about the outside world, for just a little while.

"Walker," Andrea suddenly called out to the camp, "Walker!"

Kagome rushed out of the tent and walked over to the RV where Andrea was keeping watch. The blond pointed to a slow walking form coming out of the woods.

"Just the one?" Rick asked the blond woman.

Andrea pulled out a pair of binoculars to get a better look. She couldn't see clearly because of the sun glaring on the lenses, 'But it's defiantly one Walker,' Andrea thought if fear. "I bet I could nail it from here," she told Rick, getting the rifle.

"No," Rick halted her, "Hershel said he wants to deal with the Walkers."

"What for, man? We got it covered," Shane said walking with a pick axe in hand. T-Dog had a bat and Glenn had one of the arsenal blades. "You best let us handle this," he told Andrea.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she pulled out her hunting knife, "Don't shoot," she urged Andrea before she followed the men. She didn't know what was irritating her more, Shane's man handling regarding the group or Andrea's trigger happy finger.

The men and Kagome dashed down the field and caught up to the figure limping out of the woods. Rick immediately pointed his gun at the figure's head before the group stopped and froze at what they saw.

Kagome gasped when she got a good look at the figure's face, "Oh my Kami...Daryl."

The hunter continued to limp out of the woods, dragging his crossbow behind him. The shirt he'd been wearing was torn and binded around his waist. Daryl looked like something wild savage man being covered with dirt and blood.

He truly did look like a Walker.

"Daryl?" Rick questioned the hunter.

It took a moment for Daryl to respond. "That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head," he snapped at Rick, "You gonna pull the trigger or what?"

Kagome sighed, a little relived that Daryl was still acting like himself. Her eyes lingered to the bind on the hunter's waist. She stepped forward towards him, "Daryl what happened?"

The sound of a gunshot suddenly hit the group's ears.

And two body's hit the ground with the thud.

Aaaaand cut at the cliff hanger. Who hates me right now? *all readers hands raise up* Yah, ain't I a stinker? But believe me when I say, I do have a purpose for this. So what do you think? Next time: People are wounded, questions are asked, and secrets are revealed.

Till Then My Reader