Hello people!

Chapter 8 already! Just a friendly reminder; review/follow if you want me to continue this story. And some info from TWD s04: Trailer can be seen on YouTube (hopefully) this Saturday!

(Disclaimer; I don't own the Walking Dead)

Enjoy;)

Chapter 8: Because of you

Ryan

"You fin' somethin'?" Daryl's southern accent echoed through the empty villa. It scared the shit out of me. We had been here for only twenty minutes, searching for any evidence that could help us finding Sophia. But I had no luck. I was checking the upstairs, Daryl the first floor.

"Nope. You?" I was glad Daryl treated me like a person, and not as a monkey. After our little jokes, we got serious on the search and worked as a team. We had found this big, almost abandoned, villa, in the middle of the forest, and went inside.

"Found som' blankets. And sardines. Or what's left of them."

"That sounds good to me" I replied. "Enough to tell her mother she got through the first night."

"You already thinkin' she's not here anymore?" I heard Daryl walking to the front door. "Maybe she's around here somewhere."

He went outside and shouted Sophia's name. I walked to the window of the bedroom I was searching. I saw Daryl walking and shouting like a monkey. Ironic.

I grabbed my axe and ran down the stairs. The sun had gone behind the clouds, leaving us with only the heat of that day. I walked outside and leaned with my shoulder against the walls of the villa. Daryl was still walking around, searching with his eyes through the trees. I was watching him, enjoying myself, when I noticed something white in the corner of my eye. I turned my head.

"Would you look at that" I said, stunned by the beauty. "Cherokee roses. Can't be a coincidence. She's been here."

Daryl turned his head towards the flowers. "I heard about those." He walked over to the bush. He stood still in front of the flowers. Very gently, he raised his arm, touching the white flowers with the top of his fingers. I never saw this rough, mysterious man being so careful with something different than his crossbow. He grabbed his hunting knife and cut one flower of, putting it in his back pocket of his pants. He turned around and saw me smiling.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" he said, and I remembered why I thought this man was heartless.

"Nothin'. Just enjoying the view."

"Pfff. Pervert." But I saw his ears turn red as he started walking in the opposite direction.

Beth

I pulled my lips away from his. This was so different. Jimmy kissed like….a boy. He almost seemed like an….amateur, compared to Ryan.

Jimmy smiled at me and his eyes glittered, like I had given him a candy. He gave me another kiss at my cheek before he walked out of the kitchen. I turned to the dishes again. I felt so stupid. I had kissed another. I had cheated on Jimmy, my first love. I felt horrible, he didn't deserve this. But at the same time…it was exiting. Something different. I had lived on this farm all my life, went to the same supermarket every time, I knew every person in the town. I only went to two schools, from which I only finished one. The high school I went closed down the moment the illness had gone worse and the patients started attacking others. Jimmy saved my life, and that's one of the reasons my dad let's him stay here.

I'm almost finished with the plates, as I look up through the window. My heartbeat raised as I see the creepy man and Ryan walking up the lawn. He's back! He came back! I wanted to punch myself in the face. What was I doing? You're with Jimmy, you stupid cow! You're not allowed to look at other men. My mother's voice in my head was right. What was I thinking? I looked at the last plate in the soap, and before I even thought about it, I had already waved at him through the window. He smiled, and I felt a tickling feeling in my stomach.

Daryl

I closed the door of the caravan. I ignored Ryan, who sat in the tree and laughed at me. As much as I hated the kid, I respected him. He was good at tracking and hiking in the woods, and he's a good guy to work with when he's serious. OK, he got some nice jokes or so, but I still don't like him that much.

I walked to my tent, and sat down in front of it. I grabbed my crossbow and the arrows I got left. The points of some of them were a bit rusty, and the ends needed some repairing. I grabbed my tools and started working. Repairing arrows make my head clear. I can think again, through the cloudy shit in my brains. I think about Carol. Her grateful face when I told her about the roses. I hope she doesn't cry anymore now. Or at least not too much. I could still see the sadness in her eyes, the worries about her daughter, but she still managed to smile. A sad, but honest smile.

I saw Rick walking towards our camp we sat up, between some trees in front of the house. I hoped he wasn't looking for me, but my hopes stayed hopes. He noticed me and changed his direction. Yep, he was coming for me. I sighted and concentrated on the arrows. I ignored him as he stood still in front of me.

"How did the search go?" he asked, uncomfortable tone sounding through his words.

"We did good. Found a possible shelter from her, from the other night." I still played to be very busy with the arrows. I didn't want to talk to him. He was not the boss of me.

"We?" Rick asked.

"Monkey-boy over there came after me. We found a villa, with som' thangs that told us Sophia's been there." While I said it, I felt as if an arrow was put in my back. I suddenly remembered the words of Ryan this afternoon. About being mature. I was making a fool out of myself, playing the kid that never listens to what daddy says. I decided to man up and looked Rick in the eyes. He made it easier for me to take him serious by not wearing the ridiculous sheriff-heat.

"That's good. So there's a big chance she still out there?" Rick asked, and I suddenly noticed how tired he must be.

"That's right. I'll continue searchin' tomorrow, and follow the trail a little further."

Rick nodded and turned around to walk away. I looked at him, and suddenly found the need to ask him something.

"How's yer boy?"

Rick stopped walking, probably shocked to hear this interest from a guy that eats squirrels.

"He's….he's awake. I just talked to him. He's going to be fine." He said this without looking at me, only turned his head for half, so I could see the left side of his face. I saw the slight smile of happiness on his cheeks.

"That's…uh….good for you, sheriff."

He finally turned around and nodded at me. "Yes. It sure is."

Hershel

I closed the book and put it on my lap. I already knew how this chapter was going to end. I put the book away and wiped the sweat from my hot forehead. The late sun of the day shone right into the study-room. I watched the new people in the camp. Strange folks. Traveling around, like nomads. A dangerous life, if you ask me. They already lost one child in the woods, and another was shot. A dangerous life. Looking at them made me realize how lucky I was to have this place. A safe place, without danger for my girls. I wanted to keep it that way. Life here was peaceful, and I wasn't going to let that be ruined by some nomads.

I stood up from the chair, trying to ignore the sour pain in my back. I was getting older, even though I didn't like to admit it. But I was still healthy. And I could still think clearly.

The smell of dinner tickled my nose. Beth was a great cook, just like her mom. I put the book I was reading back on the shelter and walked out of the room. As good as I could I walked down the stairs, to the kitchen. I heard Beth's clear, beautiful voice singing about the place over the rainbow.

I leaned with my shoulder against the doorpost, and listen to the voice of my daughter. It's almost like I hear my love again. Beth looked a lot like her when she was younger. The same eyes and mouth, the same talents, the same style of clothes…

"Daddy! I didn't see yah here!" Her big, green eyes looked amused and she smiled. "Yah scared me."

"Didn't mean to, dear." I walked towards her and looked over her shoulder. "What are we eatin' tonight?"

"Broccoli with cheese and chicken." My favourite.

"That's lovely, dear. Yah think it will take long?" I waited for an answer, but I didn't get one. I look at her face. Her green eyes are focused on the camp of the strangers, between the trees.

"You worried about them? They'll leave soon, don't worry."

I saw the sudden shock in her face.

"I've talked to mister Grimes, and as soon as his son is fit, they'll go."

Ryan

It was the next morning. It was nice, sleeping with all the mugs zooming around your ears all night. I got so desperate I climbed up the tree again, and I finally slept in. In the morning, Daryl poked me with a stick and I almost fell down. Very amusing. For Daryl.

Today, we started with the big search. We were split up in teams. Rick and Shane, T-dog and Andrea, Daryl and a horse, and me. Daryl and I were going to be on the same team, but the area was so big, we decided to split it up. Daryl was going West of the villa we found the other day, and I would go North. We decided we would do these area's because these were the most difficult ones to follow the tracks.

We were almost done with the plan, when Jimmy suddenly showed up.

"I'd like to help." We all turned our heads to the teenagers. Daryl already didn't pay any attention, and continued whatever he was doing with his crossbow. Andrea seemed annoyed, she wanted to start doing something, I could relate to that.

"I know this area pretty well and stuff" he continued, a bit uncertain about his own words.

"Is Hershel OK with this?" Rick questioned, not trusting him.

"Yeah, he said I should ask you." Looking at the guy's face, I knew he wasn't telling the entire truth.

The rest was discussing about a mandog or something, but I kept looking at Jimmy. He was Beth's boyfriend. It wasn't fair of me to judge him because of this, but I couldn't help it.

When the others picked a gun, Jimmy reached out his hand too.

"Ho, wait a second" I said. Rick nodded at me, and grabbed the gun from Jimmy's hands.

"Ever fired one before?"

"No…but if I go out there, I want one" he said, like a little boy who didn't get the ball.

"You can come to training tomorrow" Shane said.

"You give shooting training?" I asked.

"Yeah, tomorrow, wanna join?"

"Sure. Why not?" I looked at Jimmy. "For now, you can come with me, if you want."

"I think that's a good idea. Good thinking" Rick said. I guess he was just happy he didn't have to take care of him anymore.

"Well, he's yours to babysit" Shane said, not looking very supporting.

"No worries. I know how to change a diaper."

Jimmy

I walked through the woods with the axe-dude. I waited until we were far into the forest, away from the others. Luckily, I'm with him now. I finally get the chance to talk to this guy.

"You…uh…You know Beth, right?" I asked him after a long silence.

"Who? The brunette or the blonde?"

I wanted to tell him not to act so stupid. I knew he knew who I was talking about.

"The blonde."

"O, yeah, I know her. She's pretty."

I squeezed my fingers around the baseball bat, holding the anger in.

"You know….she's my girlfriend, right?"

"Really? That's too bad."

When was he gonna quit this stupid act? He did like he did not know anything about her.

"You know, I saw you two yesterday."

He was walking in front of me, and he stood still for a moment. I could see his ears turn red.

"What? When?"

I bit on the inside of my cheek, trying to stay calm.

"She was crying and you…hugged her."

I tried to not let him know I was pissed, but I don't think it worked. He turned around, holding his axe in both hands.

"Look, I know she's your girlfriend and all…"

"Then stay away from her!" I couldn't help it. I had to shout, before my head exploded.

"I've seen you two together, you hugged her!"

"So what?" He held his axe in one hand. "Everybody needs a hug sometimes. Don't make such a big deal out of it."

"You really don't get it, do you?" I stepped towards him. "Since you're here, she's been acting real strange."

"Look, I'm sorry, but I can't talk for Beth. If you think she's acting strange, you'll have to ask her about it."

"I'm starting to think there was more than just a hug," I said, holding my baseball bat against my chest.

"Jimmy, calm down, OK? We need to concentrate on the search…"

"Fuck that search! You really think I wanted to help?" I felt I was almost spitting the words from my mouth. "Since you people came here, everything went to hell! Because of you, my girlfriend doesn't like me anymore. Because of you Otis is dead. Because of you…." I couldn't think of another reason, I was too mad to think about anything.

"Jimmy, just chill out, OK?"

"Stop telling me that!" And before I could think about it, I ran at Ryan, with my baseball bat in the air.