Annabel and Lucy was led away from the carnage of the barn by Daryl. She could hear Shane still trying to run his mouth, but she couldn't care less about that. Guilt surrounded her. What they had done was necessary, but it was the wrong way to go about it. She knew they had to take care of the Walkers that was in the barn, but there were so many different ways to handle it. So many peaceful was to handle it.
Hell, she and Daryl could have went in there some time during the night and took them all out from a distance, then when Hershel discovered the Walkers dead, they could throw the blame towards Shane and Hershel would have kicked him off the land. Two birds, one stone.
She glanced down at their daughter who was shuffling along quietly. Annabel placed a gentle hand on her shoulder causing the black hair girl to look up at her. Her blue eyes shined a little brighter from the tears that were trying to force their way out, but she was holding them back.
"It's going to be okay, Lucy," Annabel whispered as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. She looked up at Daryl who watched them a short distance away.
"I was hoping we were going to find her. Carol looked so sad that she was missing. I wanted her to be happy," she said into Annabel's chest.
"I know, sweety, we all wanted Sophia to be okay," Annabel said in a comforting voice. Lucy sniffed and held her mother tighter.
"What's going to happen now?" Lucy asked. Annabel took a deep breath as she searched her mind for what to say to her. Daryl stepped in closer to them as he placed a hand on the back of Lucy's head and ran it down her hair slowly.
"We just take it one day at a time," he said in a low voice. Annabel took another deep breath trying to push the thoughts of what Sophia's final moments were like. The poor girl had to be terrified and cold and hungry. She was alone when she passed and there was no one to comfort her while the bite took over and turned her into one of their own. She was so young. Just a child. And there was no one there for her in her final moments. Annabel's grip unconsciously tightened around Lucy.
"Can we go check on Carol?" Lucy asked looking up at Daryl. Daryl nodded his head slowly. Annabel grinned down at Lucy. She was such a sweet little girl and was always so thoughtful of others. She was so much like her father when it came to reading people and was able to sense other people's personalities. Annabel honestly couldn't think of anything Lucy did that was like Annabel. She was like her father in full.
They made their way to the RV where Carol had disappeared in order to be alone. Daryl was the one who stepped in first, taking slow cautious steps. Lucy was behind him and Annabel stepped in last. Lucy stuck close to Daryl while Annabel sat in the passenger seat of the RV looking back at Carol. Carol didn't acknowledge them as she stared out over the fields of the farm drinking something in a coffee cup. Daryl slid up onto the counter top watching the woman before him.
Annabel wasn't sure what to say to the woman. Sure, she could empathize wtih Carol since Annabel knew what it was like to lose a child, but the children she lost weren't as old as Sophia was. Annabel wasn't certain if it was a different kind of pain when the child lost was several years old compared to if the child was never born, but she could understand the void that seemed to appear where the heart should be. Almost like there was a missing piece of a puzzle one would never be able to complete because the piece is lost forever in a memory that you would never have.
They waited a few moments before Carol finally looked over her shoulder at Daryl. She turned a little more to acknowledge Lucy and Annabel before she looked back out of the window. They all sat in silence. No one moved. No one said anything. They just sat there letting the comfort of company surround Carol. It was the only thing they knew to do. They feared that if anything was said, she would send them away and they couldn't leave her alone. She couldn't sit in her own darkness and let it take her over. The world was dark enough.
Hours seemed to pass. Lucy at some point had approached Carol and kissed her cheek before giving her a hug. Lucy said nothing still, but took her leave of the RV. Daryl watched her through the window to see where she was going. She headed back to the house. Her little shoulders were slouched in defeat. She kept her gaze downcast as she moved passed others in the group. She finally disappeared in the house and Daryl turned his attention back to Carol.
More time passed and still nothing was said. Lori came into the camper slowly. She nodded her head to Annabel as she stepped in and Annabel returned the nod.
"They're ready," Lori said in a low voice then dropped her gaze away from Carol. Carol picked at her fingers which laid in her lap and shook her head no. "Come on," Lori encouraged.
"Why?" Carol asked in her typical quiet voice.
"Because that's your little girl," Daryl said reasonably. Annabel nodded in agreement.
"I'm sure you want to say goodbye," Annabel said as well. Annabel recalled back to the first couple miscarriages she had. Back when she and Daryl were still holding on. Before everything had fallen apart. They had made their way back into the woods, way back to their spot and had carved the name of what they were to name the child and they date they found out the baby was gone below it. Then they would sit and talk about what the baby would have looked like. What the personality was going to be like. Then they would hold each other as they cried. That was before she started to lose Daryl, but she supposed she was losing him even then, but she needed him too bad at that point to realize it.
Carol finally looked up at Daryl and passed her gaze to Annabel.
"That's not my little girl. That's some other… thing." She paused for a moment. "My Sophia was alone in the woods. All this time I thought…" She paused for another moment. "She didn't cry herself to sleep. She didn't go hungry. She didn't try to find her way back. Sophia died a long time ago." Annabel swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat as Lori took her leave. Daryl waited for a moment longer before he stood and left the RV as well.
Annabel slowly stood from her seat and stepped next to Carol. She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder causing the woman to look up at her. There was so many things that Annabel wanted to say to her, but she couldn't decide on what to say to her exactly. Mostly she wanted to apologize that Daryl wasn't able to find her little girl. They had so much faith that Daryl was going to find her, that Annabel waited for the moment for Daryl to emerge from the forest with the little girl in tow. Annabel figured that it wasn't anything that was going to comfort Carol, so instead, Annabel gripped her shoulder before leaving her alone in the RV.
Lucy clung to her father as they said their final goodbyes to the ones they decided to bury. The Walkers that weren't family were left in their spots just outside the barn entrance. Annabel rested her head against his shoulder as her arms stayed wrapped around the bend of his elbow. They each told a story about a moment they had spent with Sophia. Even Daryl had told a small story of a time he had taken her for a walk when Ed was starting to get testy with Carol which always led to bruises everyone pretended not to see the next day. He had began teaching her how to track animals out in the woods.
Suddenly, the group dispersed and each of them went their separate ways to mourn in their own ways. Annabel and Lucy followed Daryl obediently as he walked away from camp. Once they were far enough away from camp to where no one could see. Daryl turned on Annabel and Lucy and wrapped his arms around the two of them. He held them tight and buried his head in the crook of Annabel's neck. Annabel ran her fingers through his hair and squeezed him against her.
Daryl cared for Sophia. It was no secret that he did. He hadn't spoke much about her, but Annabel could see it. She wondered if it was because of Lucy. Maybe it was because Sophia was innocent. She bit her lip. Whatever the reason, Sophia's death had affected him in ways that no one else in the group would be able to understand.
After a while, Annabel decided she was going to take a quick shower so she could wash off the filth that encased her body. When she had walked into the house, she heard Shane, Lori, and Rick talking somewhere within the house. She approached the voices to listen in on what was being said. They were talking about going out and getting Hershel. She hadn't noticed him leaving.
Shane suddenly appeared around the corner and eyed Annabel carefully. He didn't say anything to her as he stared at her then he departed. Annabel continued to listen and was nearly floored upon hearing about Lori's pregnancy. That was why Rick was so desperate to stay on the farm. That was why he was always trying to stay on Hershel's good side. The farm was a safe enough place to where they could raise a baby.
"Fuck," Annabel said in a low voice. When Rick cut the corner, much like Shane, he spotted Annabel quickly. He paused for a moment then glanced at his feet.
"I guess you heard that," he said in a low voice. Annabel nodded.
"I'm going with you to get Hershel," she said definitely. She wasn't sure where the old man was, but she wanted to get him back. It didn't matter how angry she was with him for wanting her to leave the farm without so much as hearing out her case on why they should stay, but they needed him back. They needed to stay on the farm. They needed him for the baby, just like Rick had said. Rick frowned as he shifted his weight around. He studied her for a moment.
"How is Daryl going to like you leaving?" Annabel frowned at his question, but she shrugged her shoulder.
"He's not," she answered truthfully. "But you're right. We need to go get Hershel."
"If Daryl isn't going to like you leaving, then I can't allow you to go," Rick said with authority. Annabel crossed her arms over her chest. Sure, Daryl wasn't going to like her leaving, but he was being unreasonable. She had been alone out in those woods since she and Lucy had arrived on the farm. Even if something went wrong while they were out there, she was, at least, going to have Rick as backup.
"Look, I know this area better than anyone here. Besides, I know Hershel better than you. I might be able to talk some sense into him." Rick shifted his weight again as he considered her words. He glanced down at his feet one more time.
"If Daryl gets angry…" he started, but Annabel raised her hand to stop him.
"I'll handle Daryl when we get back. Now, let's go get Hershel." Rick pressed his lips together in a thin line, then nodded. She could see the reluctance in his eyes and for good reason. She knew it was going to start a fight with Daryl, but she would be able to handle him. She knew how to handle him. She could handle his harsh words and his outbursts.
She followed Rick out to the car and slid into the middle of the backseat. Rick had told her that Glenn was going to be coming with them as well. She scanned the the farm for Daryl and Lucy, but she didn't see them anywhere. She supposed they had went off into the woods together which they often did. He finally appeared on the front porch with Maggie who had kissed him goodbye. Annabel and Rick glanced at each other before shaking their heads.
Glenn walked to the vehicle and jumped in. They left the farm and Annabel scanned the area for Daryl, but he was still nowhere to be found. She wanted to tell him where she was going and tell him goodbye, but she knew there was no way that he was going to let her leave, especially without him. She tried to force the inevitable fight out of her head as they pulled off the property and headed into town to look for Hershel. She didn't even notice that the tent they shared was gone.
The ride was silent for a short period after they had told Annabel the situation. Annabel glanced around at everything that passed by them. She would see Glenn start to shift uncomfortably in his seat, then he would glance at Annabel. Annabel made no motion that she knew he was looking back at her.
"So," he started as he looked forward again. His word caught the attention of Rick who had been watching his movements from the corner of his eye. "What's it like?" Annabel shifted her gaze to Glenn slowly and gave him a strange look. She wasn't sure what he was talking about so she didn't answer.
"What's what like, Glenn?" Rick asked so he could clarify. Glenn shrugged his shoulder and nervously looked out the window. He was quiet for a bit before he turned around almost completely in his seat.
"What's it like being married to Daryl?" he asked quickly as if he didn't say it quickly, he wouldn't say it at all. Annabel blinked a couple times at him before she barked out a laugh. Rick watched him as well with an amused look on his face. "Seriously," Glenn started again. "He never told us he was married or even that he had a kid. Not even Merle said anything which is shocking because you couldn't get him to shut up if you paid him." Annabel chuckled again. She leaned up and rested her elbows on the seat in front of her.
"Well, Daryl is stubborn, he's an ass hole, and most days I want to hold him underwater until the bubbles stop coming up, but that's just apart of marriage, right?" Glenn frowned as if he wasn't satisfied with her answer. Rick chuckled from his seat and shook his head. Annabel rolled her eyes and decided to give them a little more. "The truth is, that there is no one on this planet that knows me better than Daryl just like there is no one who knows him better than me. We can look at each other and know exactly what the other is thinking. When we were younger, my mother called us soul mates. I never knew what she meant until we were separated when the world went to shit."
Even going through their divorce, Annabel still saw Daryl almost daily so she was never able to know what it was like to be truly without him. Each day that passed by without him, she felt as if her very essence was disappearing. She took a moment to thank God that they were back together. Glenn slowly turned back around in his seat and looked out the window. She wasn't sure if he was satisfied with her answer, but it was going to have to do. She didn't want to go into anymore detail with it. The car fell into a silence again, but it wasn't long before Glenn started talking again.
"Maggie said she loves me." Annabel blinked at his words, but she didn't respond. Rick hummed to let Glenn know that he heard him. Glenn looked between Annabel and Rick then gave a nervous laugh. "She doesn't mean it." He didn't sound very convincing. Annabel leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "I mean, she can't. I mean… well… she's upset or confused. She's probably feeling, like…" Rick interrupted him.
"I think she's smart enough to know what she's feeling." Glenn glanced back at Annabel who nodded in agreement. Maggie wasn't the type of girl to say something and not mean it.
"No, no," Glenn said not wanting to believe it. Annabel tilted her head to the side. Glenn looked nervous and Annabel knew that the reason why he felt nervous was because he felt the same way about Maggie. Annabel could see it in his eyes. Rick laughed at him because Annabel knew he could see it too. "No, you know what? She wants to be in love, so she's… she needs something to… to, like… hold onto…" Rick decided to step in again.
"Glenn, it's pretty obvious to everyone that Maggie loves you, and not just because you're one of the last men standing. So what's the problem?" Annabel rested her elbow on Rick's head rest and looked to Glenn.
"Exactly, besides, you're pretty cute for an Asian," Annabel said in a teasing manner. Glenn gave her a flat look.
"I'm Korean," he said with a grumble. Annabel chuckled. "But I didn't say it back to her." Rick and Annabel exchanged a quick glance before Rick turned his attention back to the road and Annabel flopped back in the backseat again.
"Huh," Rick said simply.
"I've never had a woman say that to me before, you know, except my mom, of course and my sisters. But with Maggie, it's different. We barely know each other. What does she really know about me? Nothing. We're practically strangers. But I… I didn't know what to do with it. I just stood there like a jerk." Annabel and Rick glanced at each other once more in the rear view mirror. Annabel was smirking. She couldn't help herself. It was actually pretty adorable to watch Glenn as he tried to convince himself that Maggie really didn't love him.
"Hey. Hey, this is a good thing, something we don't get enough of these days. Enjoy it. And when we get back, return the favor. It's not like she going anywhere." Annabel chuckled from the back seat.
"Maggie is smart. She's a wonderful person. And she's very passionate. She's a keeper, Glenn. I wouldn't let her go so easy if I were you." They pulled into the town and parked the car next to the bar. Annabel slid to the door and opened it before looking back to Glenn. "But you're going to have to get on Hershel's good side before he get his blessing. So, good luck with that." Rick chuckled as he reached for the door handle.
"Rick, I know about Lori." Annabel's gaze stayed on Glenn for a moment before it went to Rick. "Her being pregnant. I got her those pills." Annabel bit her lip wondering what pills he was talking about.
"I figured," Rick said in a harsh tone, then shoved the door open. Everyone exited the vehicle and readied their weapons. The town was quiet, just as it always was.
"Hey, I'm sorry I kept it from you." Rick turned fully to Glenn as he stepped backwards towards the doors to the bar.
"Don't be. You did what you thought was right. It just so happens it wasn't." Annabel lowered her gaze. At least Rick wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind which was admirable in any person.
They busted in the door to the bar and moved in breach style, but they stopped once they saw Hershel sitting at the bar directly across from them. Glenn closed the door behind them.
"Hershel," Rick said to catch his attention.
"Who's with you?" he asked slowly. He didn't even bother to look back.
"Glenn and Annabel," Rick answered as he slid his Python back into its holster.
"Maggie sent him?" Hershel asked as Rick moved closer to the old man. Annabel grinned looking to Glenn who froze for a moment and swallowed.
"He volunteered. He's good like that," Rick said casually. Annabel and Glenn stayed behind while Rick approached the bar and stood next to Hershel. Rick rested a hand on the bar and looked to Hershel who was nursing a drink.
"How many have you had?" Rick asked.
"Not enough," Hershel answered. Rick gave a quick nod and glanced back to Glenn and Annabel. He then leaned in close to Hershel.
"Let's finish this up back at home," he said in a low, coaxing voice. "Beth collapsed, is in some sort of state. Must be in shock. I think you are too."
"Maggie's with her?" Hershel inquired and Rick gave him an affirmative.
"But Beth needs you."
"What could I do? She needs her mother. Or rather to mourn like she should have done weeks ago. I robbed her of that. I see that now." Annabel's heart broke for Hershel. She was glad that he had come to grips with the reality that the world had now, but she hated that she had to be apart of bringing it about in such a brutal way. She was selfish in that moment, selfish because all she wanted to do was protect her family. She never thought about how it would affect the Greene family and quite frankly, she didn't care. She let out a low sigh.
"You thought there was a cure. Can't blame yourself for holding out for hope," Rick said in such a kind voice that it even seemed to chase away some of the guilt Annabel was feeling.
"Hope? When I first saw you running across my field with your boy in your arms, I had little hope he would survive."
"But he did."
"He did," Hershel said with a nodded of his head. "Even though we lost Otis. Your man Shane made it back and we saved your boy. That was the miracle that proved to me miracles do exist. Only it was a sham, a bait and switch. I was a fool, Rick, and you people saw that." The regret was evident in his voice. Annabel knew that they were not going to be leaving any time soon. "My daughters deserve better than that." Hershel gulped down another drink.
Annabel stepped back out front of the bar to check the area for any Walkers, but there were none. She turned back to find Glenn standing in the doorway and Rick appeared next to him.
"So what do we do? Just wait for him to pass out?" Glenn asked in a low voice, but Hershel was still able to hear him.
"Just go," he barked from his place at the bar. "Just go!" Annabel frowned as she moved in around Glenn to go back into the bar.
"I promised Maggie I'd bring you home safe," Rick said walking back towards Hershel carefully. Annabel heard Hershel chuckle.
"Like you promised that little girl?" Annabel scowled at the old man's back. That was a low blow. Rick paused for a moment, but acted like the words didn't hurt him.
"So what's your plan? Finish that bottle? Drink yourself to death and leave your girls alone?" Rick said in a truthful yet harsh tone. Hershel slammed his glass down on the bar.
"Stop telling me how to care for my family, my farm. You people are like a plague! I do the Christian thing, give you shelter, and you destroy it all!" Annabel bit back the words she was wanting to say because she knew they weren't going to help the situation at all. She wanted to tell him off for telling her that she and Lucy had to leave just because Daryl was back in the picture. She wanted to tell him off that he was trying to send people out to their deaths and he didn't as much as give it a second thought. She wanted to slap him around a couple times, but she stayed quiet.
"The world was already in bad shape when we met," Rick said advancing Hershel quickly.
"And you take no responsibility!" Hershel snapped back. "You're supposed to be their leader!"
"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Rick yelled in his face. Hershel stared at him for a moment.
"Yes." Hershel paused. "Yes. Yes, you are." Hershel quickly spun away from him and walked back to the bar. Annabel wasn't sure if the words comforted the old farmer or not, but it didn't seem it mattered much since Hershel started drinking again. Rick stood next to him again.
"Now come on," Rick tried again. "Your girls need you now more than ever." Rick tried to pull him out of the chair, but Hershel slipped out of his grasp like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
"I didn't want to believe you. You told me there was no cure, that these people were dead, not sick. I chose not to believe that, but when Shane shot Lou in the chest and she just kept coming, that's when I knew what an ass I'd been, that Annette had been dead long ago and I was feeding a rotting corpse! That's when I knew there was no hope and when that little girl came out of the barn, the look on your face I knew you knew it too. Right?" Annabel and Glenn glanced at each other. "There is no hope and you know it now, like I do. Don't you."
Annabel knew that it was just the drunken ramblings of a distraught old man, but his words angered her. He couldn't say there was no hope. There was always hope. Sometimes that was all they had to hold onto was hope.
"My husband found me and Lucy on your farm even with the odds against him. He found us. Don't you dare say there is no hope," Annabel said through clenched teeth. She wanted to yell at him. She wanted to throw things at him, but she held it back. Hershel slowly turned his gaze to her. He had tears in his eyes. His eyes held a thousand words that were all meant for her, but he looked away from her almost as if in shame.
"There is no hope for any of us," Hershel said to Rick. Then he turned back to the bar and started drinking again. Rick paced around a little and Annabel could feel his frustration rising.
"Look, I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore, cleaning up after you. You know what the truth is? Nothing has changed. Death is death. It's always been there, whether it's from a heart attack, cancer, or a Walker. What's the difference? You didn't think it was hopeless before, did you? Now there are people back at home trying to hang on. They need us, even if it's just to give them a reason to go on, even if we don't believe it ourselves." He ran his hand over his mouth a couple times before he decided he wasn't finished. "You know what? This… this isn't about what we believe anymore. It's about them."
Hershel thought on his words for a moment before finishing off his liquor. Annabel grinned, knowing that Rick's words had gotten through to him. They were going to be able to take him back to the farm.
Suddenly, the door to the bar opened, and at first, Annabel thought it was Glenn, but she quickly worked through everything in her head. It couldn't have been Glenn because he was standing beside the bar with his gun. She quickly turned holding her gun up at the newcomers. They came in with no weapons drawn. The one to enter first was a skinner man with darker hair while the other was a heavy set fellow with a gun slung over his back. They stood there studying the small group. They weren't acting in an aggressive manner, but there was just something about them that was off putting and Annabel didn't like it.
"Son of a bitch," the skinner man said. "They're alive."
Author's Note: Reviews and shit! Let me know what you think!