Hello followers! Gosh, it's been such a long time and I apologize for that. I've been having a really crazy summer and making some moves in my career and it's really exciting! I'm glad I finally got a day off to write and focus again on this story though. Thank you for sticking around and I hope you enjoy Chapter 25 of Something New!

Chapter 25

"Did ya'll hear that," Lori spoke out loud, cutting the silence that had fallen over the small group for the final stretch of the journey back to the caravan.

"It was probably nothing," Glenn said, shooting Lori a smile as he tried to mask his own concern.

"It was only one," Carol spoke quietly.

"Prolly fine," Daryl mumbled as his boots continue crushing the dried up Georgia leaves. He wanted to get this group back and then stand watch for the others.

"Sure they were just handling a walker," Glenn said, trying to comfort Lori as she wrapped her arms around her body.

"Don't bullshit me Glenn. You really mean to say between Rick and Shane they'd waste a bullet? Risk bringing something down on them?" Lori started to slowly panic, looking behind herself in hopes of seeing her little boy and husband walk through the once peaceful trees.

"We have to wait for them at the caravan, Lori. We'll wait where they know we'll be. We can't go chasing echoes in the woods, you know that," Andrea reasoned with her, placing a comforting hand on the scared mother's arm.

Lori uncrossed her arms and took a deep breath, "Alright, I know. But I'm standing watch until they return and will go out if they don't," she spoke with finality.

"Whatever, lady. Les' go," Daryl said as he once again nudged the group forward.

His chest burned. His head was spinning as dread gripped onto his heart. With every ounce of his being Rick ran with Carl in his arms. The pounding of his feet sounding thick and almost distant as the sounds of his heavy breathing and beating heart wracked his ear drums. Every drip of blood making it harder to keep a solid grip on his son's bloodied shirt. Rick has never felt any stronger and broken than he did in this moment. But as he may be pushing through the pain of his legs and chest with ease, the father is breaking at the sight of his dying son in his tired arms.

Rick pushes through, finally seeing the almost mystical white house, left untouched by this cruel world on property that stretched several hundreds of yards. Hershel. Rick chanted in his head as he ran through the slightly unkempt grass of the property nearest the woods edge. Rick knew that not too far behind was an equally as tired Shane with a severely wounded Blake who wasn't in an unconscious state as Carl was. Thrown over the stocky sheriff officer's shoulders, Blake moaned in severe distress with Shane mumbling apologies every few seconds. Rick could see Shane's shirt becoming drenched in a dark red essence that only could have matriculated from her wound.

Shane watched as Rick powered across the field, only stopping for very quick moments to readjust his son in his arms. Shane's heart was racing as well; not only from the extra body he was carrying but the fear of losing Carl. Shane has never seen such a look of fear and distress on Rick Grimes face. Losing this boy wouldn't be just the end of Carl's life, but Rick's as well.

"The sun's about to go down, we can't just stand here and wait," Lori said as she stared out into the woods awaiting her small family's arrival.

"They'll get here," Dale said as he fed Tanyon an oxycodone from Merle's lucky stash bag.

"We don't know that," Lori nearly bellowed.

"You know its worth a scope of the edge," Glenn said, feeling horrible Lori was panicking and also worrying himself on why the group wasn't back yet with Carl. "Daryl, T-Dog, do you mind covering me?"

Daryl huffed at the Asian, annoyed that everyone kept bothering him with their worries, even though deep down he was concerned for the well being of the group….except maybe Shane.

"Obviously we shouldn't keep separating or no one's gonna be able to find anybody," Daryl snapped at the group; annoyed that small parts of the group keep getting lost in the woods. The group seemed startled by his response, like he wasn't known for having outbursts. Daryl cursed himself and spoke to Glenn, "Me and you will go down there once and that's it. You… follow me," he said as he roughly grabbed his crossbow from the bike as Glenn grabbed his baseball bat.

"I'm going too, you know that." Lori said to Daryl. Before he could even respond Lori shoved a small revolver into the waistband of her faded blue denim. The look seemed quite violent as the silver contrasted with her washed-out purple button up, white tanktop and her pale skin. She nodded at the two men and stepped over the railing. Daryl shook his head as he walked to catch up Lori with Glenn by his side.

Daryl had taken lead by the time they reached the forests edge. "We're not going too far in….using the sunlight wisely," he mumbled as he guided the mother and young man through trees, his crossbow locked and loaded. They scanned and observed their surroundings for any sign of life, only having to deal with two walkers. They searched for about fifteen minutes before turning back, Lori even more nervous now that she's returning to camp empty handed.

"You hear that?," Glenn stopped suddenly. Daryl stopped immediately in his tracks, listening to the sound of cracking sticks and then a steady drum beat….he recognized the sound.

"Galloping?" Lori said, as she took a couple steps back to listen for where the sound was coming from. Everything moved so fast for Lori in that moment. The smell of death wafted up her nose and in the millisecond it took her brain to register the smell and spark her fight-or-flight response she was knocked over by a decrepit male walker. At the rough impact the walker fell to the floor as well. Lori moved away on her butt, kicking her booted feet at the face of the walker. Glenn ran up to Lori with his bat prepped and as he loaded his swing the mystery galloping noise flooded his ears and the head of the walker and his hat went flying several feet away from the fear-stricken mother.

"Oh my god, Lori are you ok?" Glenn said as he kneeled by Lori's side. The mother wiped a small amount of blood off her face as she nodded.

"Lori Grimes, Tanyon Carter," the mother's eyes shot up immediately as well as her body.

"That's me. Tanyon isn't here," she said, mother's intuition kicking in. Tears already began to fill her eyes knowing deep down in her gut that something was really wrong.

"Wait, who the hell are you?" Daryl said as he pointed his bow at the head of a pretty brunette woman with a long pixie cut.

"Maggie,"she said in a hurry as she brought her attention back to the woman she came to find.

"Lori, I need you to come with me. There's been an accident. Rick sent me because your son was shot in the woods, along Tanyon's sister," she spoke.

Lori's face was as white as a ghost as she hurriedly dropped her bag and began climbing onto the back of the horse; completely silent.

"Hey! You can't just go with her, we don't know who the hell she is," Daryl yelled as the horse started to trot away.

"Go down the highway a ways and follow Fellowship Road. Watch for the mailbox on the left, name's Greene," were the young woman's final words as she took off with Lori into the dimming sunlight.

"Fuck!" Daryl yelled, annoyed that once again another member of the group was separated. Besides that Daryl's stomach felt like it had a rock in it, making him feel sick. Blake was shot too.…Daryl shook his head of the pretty green eyes and snapped at Glenn, "Les go. No more of these fucking games". Daryl began to walk angrily through the trees back to the caravan.

Glenn stared into the trees after the two women, his heart beating at the gentle beauty of the young woman who just kidnapped Lori. Then his chest tightened a little at the fear of losing not only Carl but Blake as well. Glenn caught up to Daryl and stated firmly, "We need to find that farm". Daryl didn't disagree with him one bit.