Hey hey! Welcome back to my story!

Warning: I suck at writing dialogue for kids, but hey I tried. Anyway,

Enjoy~

Carl's sleeping mind came to consciousness as his ears were invaded by the sound of, loud, heavy breathing. He cracked open his light blue eyes and turned over to see Sophia leaned over the side of her bed as she coughed and retched. The boy sighed and sat up as he rubbed his bloodshot eyes. He knew it wasn't her fault, but Sophia had kept him up most of the night with the sound of vomiting.

The boy swung his legs of the bed and onto the cold wooden floor below. He made his way over to his friends bed to help hold her hair back.

"Morning". He said gathering her soft hair in his small, unslung, hand.

"Carl?" She mumbled wiping her mouth.

"Yeah". He said softly. "It's me".

Carl cringed as Sophia's back shuddered with another heave. From this close he could smell the fresh vomit as it hit the floor. Hershel wasn't gonna be very happy when he saw the damage that had been done to the room overnight, even the side of her bed was covered.

"W-where are we?" She asked between breaths.

"At Hershel's farm". He whispered.

The boy started to rub his friends back. He didn't know if it would help, but it's what his mom would always do to him when he was sick.

"Who?" She choked out.

"He's a man that's been helping us". He said.

Carl backed up as Sophia turned towards him. He had seen what happened to Daryl when he failed to move away. However she wasn't looking at him, she was looking at the needle stuck into her arm.

"Oh yeah he did that too". He added.

Sophia looked at her foot, and noticed a white bandage had been wrapped around it.

"And that". He added again.

She up at him and her eyes widened in shock. Carl's face changed from concern to perplexity as he wondered with she looked so terrified. She raised a shaky finger at his arm. He looked down at the sling that help his injured shoulder.

"Oh this is just to heal the bullet wound". He explained.

"You got shot?" She asked as tears welled in her eyes.

"Actually twice". He said. "But I'm fine". He added quickly when he saw her tears.

"Do you know where my ma is?" She asked wiping her eyes.

"She's with the others". He said.

One of the many ways Sophia was like mother was the fact that she could feel others pain. She wiped her eyes and coughed. Carl jumped off the bed just in time to avoid a fresh spray, of not so fresh smelling, vomit.

"What are you? Filled with puke?" He asked.

"We all technically are".

The two kids turned to see Hershel walk through the door. Sophia eyed the purple rubber gloves he wore with caution.

"That's Hershel". Carl whispered to his friend. "He's a doctor".

"Vet actually, but yes, I'm Hershel Greene". The old man said crouching down in front of the girl.

He held his wrinkled hand out to her. She shied away, but the man waited patently her her to return the gesture. Working as a vet had taught Hershel many things about patience over the years, sometimes children can be a lot like animals. Sophia slowly extended her arm back, and gripped his hand.

"Hi". She whispered timidly.

"Nice to finally meet you Sophia". He said as he stood up.

Hershel servaid the damage that had been done to the to the room over night. Vomit covered the floor and right side of the bed, as well as a spot on the covers. Sophia noticed his eyes as they roved the room and bowed her head in shame.

"Well looks like the iv didn't work" He said.

"I'm sorry". She mumbled avoiding eye contact.

"No worries". The man smiled kindly.

Carl wondered why Hershel was being being so nice. The group was on thin ice with the Greenes ever scene Shane opened the barn, but it seemed he didn't hold anything against the kids.

"Why don't you two head on down stairs, and grab some food". He said. "I'll clean up here".

The kids nodded and expressed their thanks before they scurried down stairs. Carl moved as fast as he could with his sling, while Sophia tried her best to follow on her injured foot. When they walked outside Sophia was greeted with murmurs and stares.

The others had been kept in the dark about the girls return, in an attempt to give her some much needed rest. Not even Rick had been alerted that she was back home safe. Carl sat down at the table, next to his mother and father, and left Sophia standing shifting her weight. She never really liked being the center of people's attention.

"Sophia?" Rick said in disbelief as he stood.

"Hi ". She smiled weakly.

"How-how is this possible? How did you get here?" He asked.

"She came back yesterday". Lori stated matter of factly.

"What? Why didn't anybody tell me?" Rick asked.

"She needed some rest. She was literally knocked out". Carol piped up from her spot at the table.

"Well as long as you're safe". Rick said as he tussled her hair.

"Come sit next to mama". Carol said patting the empty bench next to her.

Sophia felt her stomach turn as she looked at the food on the table. It had been days since she last ate. Normally she would have done just about anything to get her hands on some bread and eggs, but whatever had made her sick still hadn't completely passed. The smell of breakfast made the, now familiar, acidic taste rush into her throat. She caught it just in time to shake her head no.

"Something wrong honey?" Her mother asked with concern.

"No… I'm just gonna go for a walk". She said shifting her weight once again.

The night of rest in the soft bed of the farm house made her forget how hard it was to balance most of her weight on one foot.

"Not without these". Hershel said as he approached the table.

The vet was carrying a pair of large crutches. Sophia wondered how it was this man could just appear out what seemed like no where. He thrusted the crutches into the girl's arms.

"They're a little big, but you're pretty tall, so I think you'll be fine". He said.

"I don't know she's also pretty thin". Glen said from the table. "Like a twig. You need more meat on your bones".

"Oh hush. She's perfect the way she is". Carol said.

Sophia smiled and nodded at the group before she hobbled off on her crutches. Truth is she did want to get away from the smell of food, but she also had an alternate motive for her walk. When she was out of view of the table she rested the crutches against the barn, they were starting to hurt her thin arms. She walked off and disappeared into the tree line.

Daryl growled in frustration as he poked around the mechanical guts of his bike. Sophia's little stunt had caused more damage that he had originally thought. With his having to carry the girl back home he hadn't had a chance to ride it back, but now the damage was apparent. After not starting up the hunter had to drag seven hundred pound metal monster all the way back from the highway.

Daryl paused his work at the small pop of twigs as they snapped in the distance. He suddenly became aware of of the eyes watching him, small, blue, eyes. He looked up and meet the gaze of Sophia as she watched him work.

He could see her as she sat on a large rock in the distance. She jumped as his gaze cut through her, and fell backwards of the boulder. He smiled and cocked his eyebrow at the child as she scampered to a new spot even further in the distance, but not out of his sight.

"Damn deer girl". He muttered to himself as he returned to his work.

Being a hunter Daryl knew a lot about animals, and had learned how to read people pretty well. From what he had observed at camp, back in the early days, Sophia reminded him heavily of a deer. Her lanky muscles were always posed and ready to run, unless she was cornered. Then like a deer using their surprisingly powerful hooves, she would attack. Daryl had only seen that happen once before when Carl made the mistake of sneaking up on her in the dark. The boy had been left with long nail made scratch mark down his cheeks, and even what looked like a bite wound on his arm. Another way she was like a deer was in the trust department. It took a long time to earn Sophia's trust, and once you lose it, you can never earn it back.

"Um ?"

Daryl jumped and slammed his head off the underbelly of his bike. He looked up, cruising, as he rubbed his sore head. He looked up to see Sophia looking down at him, with concern written on her pale face. How the hell had she snuck up so fast? And with no noise.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...". She stammered as he mouth went dry.

The girl knew that Daryl was the one that had saved her from certain death, but she still felt fear run down her small spine as the man looked up at her. She couldn't help it, it was her instinct. The instinct that had kept her alive for years, even before the end of the world.

"It's fine". He sighed. "Not be rude but whadda' want?"

"I um wanted to… apologize".

"For what?" He asked wiping his brow.

"For puking on you last night". She muttered as she turned a dark shade of crimson.

Daryl felt his stomach turn at the memory of the foul smelling liquid. He chuckled and spat at the ground.

"Ain't nothin'" He reassured her.

The hunter tried to return to his work, but couldn't shake the small eyes that watched him intently.

"Got something else you want to say?" He asked looking back on the girl.

Sophia shifted her weight between her feet, she was beginning to wish that she had just taken the crutch. She stared at her feet like they were the most interesting thing in the world as she racked her brain, searching carefully for her next choose of words.

"Could you teach me how to use one of those?" She asked slowly pointing the the black gun on Daryl's belt.

"What a gun?" He asked pulling the gun out of the holster.

He could practically hear Carol yelling at him for even drawing the weapon near her daughter, let alone thinking about teaching her to use it. The girl nodded slowly as she eyed the object suspiciously.

"Here". He said holding the gun out to her.

Sophia's eyes widened in shock as he held the weapon out in front of her. Daryl wasn't an idiot when it came to guns, but he honestly trusted the girl to handle the weapon properly. Sophia was almost as cautious as Carol. She reached out a shaky hand, but suddenly withdrew it at the cold touch of the metal.

"It ain't gonna hurt ya". Daryl said putting the gun in her hands. "See?"

Sophia was surprised at the weight of the gun in her hand. How could something that looked so small be so heavy? Her thoughts were interrupted by Daryl's sudden touch. She felt every muscle in her body tense as the hunter put his large arm around her small frame.

"You hold it like this". He explained feeling her tense.

The hunter guided the girls arms upwards, towards the trees on the edge of the property.

"Now always keep your finger off the trigger, unless you mean to shoot, and only shoot if you really mean it. Understand?"

Sophia nodded and tightened her grip on the gun. She didn't want to imagine a situation in which she would mean to shoot something or even someone. She prayed that it wouldn't be someone.

"I'll cover your ears. Now shoot!"

Sophia squeezed the trigger, and fell back at the sudden push from the weapon, but she didn't fall. Daryl released his hold on her ears to grab her back as she shot. The girl turned around and grinned at the man. She had always been afraid of the loud bang and kick, but it actually wasn't so bad.

"Good!"

Daryl spent the rest of the day with Sophia as he told her the things that his father had told him about hunting and shooting. They shoot almost every tree along the edge of the property. When the sun started to sink below the sky, Daryl suggested they head back in.

Daryl felt his heart melt as Sophia ran back towards the house beaming. He started to care about her and Carol. Damn it he really started to care about her and Carol. He tried to shake the thought out of his head. The end of the world was no time to start to care. He had to look out for himself.

But he found that a hard though as he watched the young girl's graceful running movement, well as graceful as she could be with a busted foot. He smiled and shook his head. This damn deer girl was going to be the death of him.

AN: Thank you all for reading my story so far! Your reviews really mean alot to me, and I love that you all like the story. Anyway it's 10:50 pm and I have to be up at 3 am to work a booth at the flea market, but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging. Hopefully this will hold you over till next chapter. Once again,

Thanks for reading! New chapter soon~