A/N: Alright, so I know this is a bit rough, and all over the place, but I felt I'd already skipped enough by skipping the church scene; I'm trying to get them all to the farm as quickly as possible lol, because I actually have a few brilliant ideas of what I'd like to do. So this is basically a mish-mash of all the scenes from the group in the woods. Next chapter will pick up where Daryl goes out at night to get away from Carol's crying. Which leads me to a question... How much do you guys want me to follow along with the show? I could have Jesse go with Andrea and Daryl, or just Daryl and Jesse, or I could have Jesse stay back with Carol. Give me some input! : )


"So this is it? This is the whole plan?"

Jesse could hear the frustration in Carol's voice, watching silently as the older woman sat down on a fallen tree.

They'd split up almost an hour ago; Rick, Shane, and Carl had elected to stay at the church, on the off chance that Sophia heard the bells. Since then, the remaining members of the group had moved through the trees wordlessly, with Daryl at the forefront, and Jesse bringing up the rear.

Apparently, Daryl felt it was alright to stop for a few minutes; Jesse mimicked his stance, as they both leaned against the trees they were closest too.

"Guess the plan is ta whittle us down in ta smaller and smaller groups," He said with a snort, taking a swig from his canteen.

"Carrying knives, and pointy sticks," Andrea added bitterly, before turning her eyes to Lori. "I see you have a gun."

"Why, you want it?" Lori asked sharply, her eyes dark, as she rooted through her bag, and pulled out the gun, holding it out to the blonde. "Here. Take it. I'm tired of the looks you're giving me."

Jesse couldn't help her grin, as Andrea slowly accepted the gun, the look on her face priceless; a beautiful mixture of shame, anger, and embarrassment. But her smile was short-lived, as Lori cast her gaze towards the rest of the group.

"Sick of all of your looks," The brunette said loudly, before locking eyes with Carol. "Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through, and I would do anything to stop it, but you have got to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him. When Sophia ran, he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for one second!" That last line included a glare cast in Jesse's direction. "I don't know that anybody could've made the hard decisions he made, or that anybody could've done it any differently."

"Fucking excuse me?" Jesse ground out, pushing herself away from the tree, and towards the woman, her hand resting on her knife. "Ya wanna say that one more time? You, who hid under that damn car the whole time? Ya gonna give me shit 'cause I stuck in the damn car?!"

"That's not what I meant - "

"That's exactly what ya fuckin' meant! I damn near sliced my arm off reachin' through that damn windshield! Nearly broke my damn ankle! Ya wanna go 'head, play big queen fuckin' bitch, go right ahead, but don't ya dare try an' make it out like ya husband was the only one did right by that little girl!"

"You need to calm down; that wasn't what I meant at all," Lori said firmly, unscrewing the cap from her water bottle. "And this isn't helping at all."

Jesse could feel the rage building inside her as she knocked the bottle out of the woman's hands.

"You started this. 'Cause that's exactly what ya fuckin' meant; ya jus' didn't think anybody here would call ya on it. But I don't care who the fuck ya sleepin' with; suggest ya remember that."

"None a this is helpin'." Daryl's quiet, but firm voice made Jesse turn towards him. "We need ta keep movin'."


Jesse rolled her eyes, whistling quietly to get Daryl's attention as Lori stopped again, staring back at the direction they'd just came from.

"Ain't never gonna make it back ta camp, ya keep stoppin' us like this," She said gruffly, a bit more than half tempted to leave the damn woman behind next time she stopped.

"It was a gun shot."

"Yeah, we all heard it," Daryl said exasperatedly, turning around.

"Why one? Why just one gun shot?"

"Maybe they took down a walker."

"Please don't patronize me," The brunette snapped, turning a sharp eye to Daryl, her face tight. "You know Rick wouldn't risk a gun shot to take down one walker. Or Shane. They'd do it quietly."

"Think ya give 'em a bit too much credit in the brains department," Jesse muttered under her breath. But the glare Daryl sent her way let her know that he'd heard her, and he wasn't in the mood to break up yet another fight between the two woman.

"A timer," Daryl said dejectedly. "It's on a damn timer."

"We can see that, thank you," Andrea said sharply, as Carol turned on her heel, heading back towards the church.

"Ya better watch that lip, girly," Jesse snapped, getting in the bimbo's face. "Otherwise I'll make it match ya damn nose."

"You know what? You want a fight, all you have to do is say so!"

"This ain't the time or the place," Lori snapped, getting in between the two woman, who were now standing toe to toe. Jesse spared the brunette a quick glare, before lightly shoving her aside.

"Won't be much of a fight," She said quietly, a small, grim smile coming to her lips. "An' this time, I won't stop 'till ya ain't movin'."

"I'm gonna kick both y'all's asses if ya don't knock it off!" Daryl's voice left no room for argument; his hands shoving them both away from each other only enforced it. "Like we ain't got 'nough shit goin' sideways; ain't got time for this!"

Carol's quiet voice broke the awkward silence, pulling Jesse from her reverie. "Shouldn't they have caught up by now?"

"There's nothin' we can do 'bout it anyways," Daryl said, his voice deceptively casual. "Can't run 'round these woods chasin' echoes."

"So what do we do?" Lori asked bitterly.

"Same as we been: beat the bush for Sophia, an' work our way back ta the highway."

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV."

It was Jesse's turn to glare, her eyes shooting daggers through the blond bimbo. "At the rate we goin' at, they's gonna beat us there," She grunted, moving forward again. She stopped as she heard Andrea say something to Carol – probably more useless bull shit, instead of moving her skinny ass to keep looking – and then Carol's soft words caught her ears.

"The thought of her... out here... All by herself... It's the not knowing that's killing me," The gray-haired woman said quietly, her voice breaking. " I just keep hoping and praying that she doesn't end up like Amy."

Jesse set her hand on the woman's shoulder, giving her a tight smile. "That ain't gonna happen. Ya hear me? That ain't gonna happen."

Andrea met her eyes, and for a brief moment, Jesse knew they'd reached a brief – and probably fleeting – peace, as the blonde smiled at Carol.

"We're all hoping and praying with you. For what it's worth."

"I'll tell ya what it's worth," Daryl sharp voice cut in, as he stepped towards the three. "Not a damn thing. It's a waste a time, all this hopin' an' prayin'. 'Cause we're gonna locate that little girl, and she's gonna be jus' fine. Jesus, am I the only one zen around here? Good Lord!"

All four woman bit their lips, struggling to hold in the giggles and laughter as Daryl stalked off back towards the front of the group.

"Did anybody else jus' imagine him in a white robe, sandals, an' a shaved head?" Jesse murmured, careful to keep her voice low enough that Daryl couldn't hear.

But he definitely heard Carol's laughter, which was quickly followed by Andrea's and Lori's, the three women nearly curling over on themselves, clutching at their ribs at that particular mental image.

When Daryl cast a dark, questioning glare at Jesse, she shrugged innocently as she stepped away from the other women, shouldering her way past Glen to the front of the group.

"Hell if I know," She said loudly, "Damn women are nuts."

The laughter got louder.