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Chapter 25
I sat with Glenn on a log, both of us leaned over, watching the pile of walkers burn. "Sophia was different." I muttered, my face in my hands.
"She was so young." He mumbled, the orange flames dancing across his face. "In some way, she represented hope."
I nodded, taking my hands off of my face and leaning back. "Poor Carol. And Beth. And Hershel. I mean, they really were delusional thinking that walkers were people, but nobody should have to go through that."
Glenn nodded as Daryl walked up to me. "They have the funeral for the little girl set up back at camp. You ready to go?"
I bit my lip, standing up. "Yeah." Around all of us was a cloud of grief and pain. There was something about poor Sophia... As we got on the bike, I realized we haven't said more than twenty words to each other since the barn incident. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek into his back. "Are you alright?"
He shrugged, turning on the engine. "As right as I'll ever be. I spent two damn weeks searchin' for the girl. And what did I end up with, a doll. It was all for nothin' while the little girl was dead, rottin' in a barn."
"I'm sorry."
He sighed and started to drive the bike back up to Hershel's house. Once we reached there we saw everyone setting up the funeral for Sophia. Daryl turned the bike off and got off. "I'ma see where Carol is. She gotta be here for her daughters funeral."
I nodded, swing my leg off of the bike. "I'll be waiting." I walked over to my nephew who was sitting at the picnic table, Sophia's doll in his hands. I crouched down so I could see his sulking face. "Hey. How are you holding up?"
He bit his lip, acquiring the habit from me. "I'm just so tiered of people dying. When is it going to stop?"
I stood up and sat down next to him, wrapping my arm around his shoulders. "It's not going to. We are going to lose more and more people. There will come a point where Shane, Lori, Rick and I all die."
"I can't lose you Aunt Katie. I just can't."
"But you can. You're going to make it out of this. You might be the one to have to take me out. Could you do that if it saved your life."
He shook his head.
"Wrong answer kiddo." I kissed the top of his head, holding him close to me. "You have to. You have to."
He violently shook his head, pulling back from my arms. "I can't. I don't think I could."
I bit my lip. "You are going to need to. You have to outlive all of us." I sighed as a tear slipped out of the corner of my eye. "You deserve so much better than this, Carl. You deserve to get a quality education, graduate high school, make dumb mistakes that won't cost you your life, meet a girl, get your heart broken a few times before you settle down, have a family, grow old. You deserve so much better. You deserve to be happy."
He looked at me with sad eyes. "And what about you Aunt Katie? What about your happiness."
I gave him a smile, genuine and full of love. "As long as I have you, I have all I need."
Carl then gave me a big hug, sobbing quietly. "I love you."
"I love you too Kiddo." Out of the corner of my eye I saw my brother approaching us. "What is it that I told you on the first day of this mess?"
"To stay strong."
"Exactly."
Rick reached us, running his fingers through his hair. "The funeral is going to start. Daryl can't get Carol out of the RV and Beth and Hershel are a mess."
I bit my chapped lip. It's really not something you worry about during the apocalypse, how smooth your skin or lips are. I stood up and grabbed Carl's hand, helping him up. The poor kid's tear stained face made my heart break over and over.
"Come on." We walked over to the place where Hershel's wife and Beth's brother Shawn were being lowered into the ground where Sophia already was. I glanced at Carl, pain in his eyes. I led him over to Daryl, standing next to my hunter. "Why isn't Carol coming?" I whispered in his ear so Carl couldn't hear, his grip on my hand loose.
Daryl sighed. "She don't think this is for Sophia. She says that the little girl died a long time ago."
I bit my lip and leaned into him, being in the safety of his arms with Carl right beside me.
It was late and I couldn't sleep. My mind kept racing with many thoughts of just everything around me. My best and worst quality was being as observant as I was. Rick and Lori were acting weird, like really weird. Andrea kept on glancing at Shane in a heated gaze, the same one he always gave me or Lori. Poor Carol, poor Beth and Hershel...poor Sophia.
I made my decision after lying in bed for a half an hour, not even able to rest my eyes while Daryl's light snore continued on. I lifted his arm off of me and stood up, putting on my jeans and a leather jacket that Glenn found for me during his last run. Quietly I slid out of the tent, zipping it back up, putting on my combat boots and starting to jog over to where Dale was keeping watch. I smiled up at him, him returning one once he saw me.
"What brings our fearless leader over here?" He said as I climbed the ladder to the top of the RV.
"I'm hardly fearless. I'm terrified of a lot of things."
He looked out to where a walker was limping across the field. "Aren't we all..." He took the sniper riffle and shot the walker, it falling weakly to the ground.
I bit my lip. "Dale, can I ask you a question?"
The older man nodded, setting down the gun. "Of course. What's on your mind?"
"Have you noticed anything...odd about Shane lately?"
He looked away once more, but nothing was there. "How lately?"
"Since he got Carl's respirator... I saw something...odd."
"You think that Shane killed Otis."
I was about to respond but I stopped and looked at the eldest member of the group. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "What would you say if I told you yes?"
"I would say I agree. He pretty much admitted it to me." He turned and looked at me. "What gave it away to you?"
"He came back with another man's gun. His story doesn't add up and there was a patch missing from his hair. Why would he have cared so much and shave his head if he wasn't guilty?"
Dale gave me a tight-lipped smile. "You are a very bright girl Kate. Even in a situation like that for you, you realize everything. That's something I admire very much."
I smiled at him. "And you keep everyone thinking like a human. So thank you, I admire that very much." I saw my tent being opened from the corner of my eye. Daryl got out, noticing me on the RV before crawling back in. "I'm gonna try to sleep again." I said. "Unless you need me to keep watch."
He shook his head. "I'll be awake. You go get some rest. I have a bad feeling it is going to end up in another hectic day tomorrow."
Once again, I was the last one awake. The sun was shining but a chilly breeze filled the air. My hair was down and I wore some torn up jeans, my combat boots, my grey tank top and leather jacket. I stepped up onto the front porch of the house, hoping to find Maggie so I could talk to her about Glenn. I had no idea if they had patched things up or not. But if not, I wanted to help Glenn, not as a leader, but a friend. I heard some people talking so I quietly opened the door and peered around to the kitchen. Andrea and Lori were fighting, both their backs facing me. I honestly couldn't stand both of them, even though Lori was trying to be a good mother, she was still struggling and giving Shane looks, although they were somehow different now. I couldn't put my finger on it which was very frustrating for someone who always knew what was going on. I was about to head upstairs to Maggie's room when I stopped dead in my tracks after hearing something.
"Well you can do something else other than getting a tan with that stupid gun in your hand!" Lori snapped at the blond.
I turned and pressed my back against the wall, hoping none of them saw or heard me.
"It's called protecting the group." Andrea retorted. I kind of wanted to snicker at that comment. The most 'protecting' she's ever done was shooting Daryl in the head.
"Yeah, well you would be more of a help if you were helping Carol and me with laundry or dishes and let the men do the work."
I rolled my eyes at her comment. What the hell did was she thinking? That I too would be better behind the sidelines, separating the lights from the darks?
Andrea thought the same thing I was thinking. "Yeah, and what about Kate? Do you think she belongs scrubbing off gook from plates? She's not the easiest person to live with, but she is a damn good leader and a much better mother than you. So don't even think those words because if it weren't for Kate, we'd be completely screwed."
I couldn't help but smile a bit at Andrea. Sure she was annoying, stupid and very selfish, she sometimes had little moments of clarity.
Lori sighed. "Kate is an exception, she always have been. Rick needs her."
"Yeah, well sometimes I think she is smarter than your husband in his decisions. I honestly think she is a better leader than Rick."
"I never asked your opinion on that."
"Well I don't care, little miss perfect!"
"Is that what you think?!" Lori snapped. The only person I've ever seen her this mad at was me. "You think my life is perfect?!"
Andrea snorted. "Yeah, I do. You haven't lost anyone like everyone else has. Carol lost Sophia and Ed, Kate and I lost Amy, Daryl lost Merle-"
"We've all lost them."
"Really? Because you haven't lost a single person close to you. They all somehow make it out."
"I lost my husband."
"Not for long. He magically came out of his coma and to you and Carl, who I might mention, was also shot and came back to life."
I didn't want to hear anymore. Completely forgetting about my earlier mission, I left the house, storming out onto the grass, wanting to get away from those women.
"Kate!" Someone called out to me.
I turned and saw Maggie running toward me, a frantic look on her face. "Yeah?"
"Have you seen my dad? I haven't seen him all day."
I shook my head. "No... Sorry. Why, what's going on?"
"It's Beth." She panted. "She's...she's having a break down and she's suicidal. I think my dad is the only one who can get her back to normal."
"Maybe he left, go and get some air. Where do you think he might have gone?"
Her eyes went large, full of shock and horror. "Before I was born he used to be an alcoholic. He's probably at the bar." She looked over at the house. "Oh Kate, can you go get him? My sister...I'm super worried."
I nodded. "Yeah sure. I'll get Rick and Glenn and we'll be on our way." I didn't want Daryl to come. He was still pissed about Sophia and his side was still hurting. If anything bad happened, he would not be in normal condition, but if I went, he would be persistent. I decided not to tell him.
Maggie suddenly hugged me. "Thank you so much."
"Yeah, of course." I pulled apart and looked her in the eye. "I have two conditions."
She nodded furiously. "Yes. Of course, anything."
"First one, talk to Glenn. Forgive him. It wasn't his fault. I kind of forced him to tell everyone."
Her eyes darted toward Glenn's little green tent where him and Carl were reading comic books at the picnic table next to it. "Alright."
"And under all circumstances, don't let Daryl know. Make up an excuse of some sort, will you?"
She nodded. "You have no idea how much this means to me, Kate."
"I do. You forget I have a sibling too."
Author's Note: I know that Lori and Andrea's fight was later on, but I felt like it fit here perfectly. Let me know what you are thinking! REVIEW!