Chapter 12: Revealed


RPOV

~9 years ago~

I was sat on the couch, exhausted and tired from searching for a missing boy. Kat was upstairs doing her college work, Carl was over at a friend's house and Lori was at a meeting. Rubbing at my forehead, I heard footsteps come closer to me and looked up to see it was Kat. "Hey...what are you doing Kitten?" I ask her tiredly.

"I just wanted to check on you...still worried about the missing boy case?" she asked me, her long brown curls and pale face looked at me. Her blue eyes were bright but sad, she held a thousand words in those eyes and I had no idea where she found such strength.

"Yeah," I answered her shortly. Unsure of how to respond and I just looked down at the files. She stood behind me leaning over the top of the couch and rubbed at my shoulders. This made me hum and shut my eyes. She always knew what to do to relax me.

"Relax dad. I know you'll find him. You always do what's right and...I have faith in you," she told me which made me smile. With this conversation, I looked over my shoulder and at the same time she leaned down. Pressing a kiss to my cheek, she turned and left to go to the kitchen. Leaving me to my thoughts, a smile on my face and determination in my mind...


Present day...KPOV

"Hey. Where'd you go?" mom asked dad curiously as she leaned in to kiss his temple, pressing their foreheads together and mom gently stroking the hair at the back of his neck. We were all munching on eggs and some food that Hershel provided for us, all of us sat by the tents. Daryl was no longer locked in his tent, he was up and walking but he couldn't work his body too hard.

"I'm here," dad told her which made me smile at a chewing Carl beside me. Bumping my knees and side to his as he chuckled a mouthful chuckle and shoved me back playfully. Making me giggle, smiling down at him and munch on my food quietly.

"Um, guys," Glenn started as he made his way to us, looking awkward as he shoved his hands in his back pockets and looked around nervously. "So...the barn is full of walkers," he tells us which made us all freeze, unable to speak and move. You...have...got...to...be...fucking...kidding...me.

"You cannot tell me you're all right with this," Shane growled at dad as he looked into the barn, we heard gurgling and clawing at the door. Walker. Shane walking towards us as he looked at us and walked past me and dad. I was stood beside Andrea, all of us staring at the barn doors.

"No I'm not, but we're guests here. This isn't our land," dad tells him and I nod. It's Hershel's home. We have no right to tell Hershel what to do but...we definately can't keep walkers in a barn like this. It doesn't look like it will hold any longer.

"God...this is our lives man!" Shane growled as he turned back around and looked at dad.

"Lower your voice," I scolded Shane, unhappy of his tone towards my father. Dad is doing the right thing. We can't just barge in here and kill the walkers. It's too risky and...it's not our say.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug," Andrea told us and I nod. She had a point but...we can't just force the doors opened and do this without Hershel's consent.

"It ain't right. Not remotely," T-Dog said and I just walked closer to the barn, seeing all the walkers get riled and Daryl quickly pulled me back, dad gripping my arm and placing me to stand behind him.

"Okay, we've either got to go in there, we've got to make things right or we've just got to go. Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time," Shane encouraged which only made me frown and Carl looked at me sad too. Its safer here than out there.

"We can't go," dad says firmly. I already know he knows. He knows about mom being pregnant...about mom being with Shane...he knows all of it.

"Why, Rick? Why?" Shane questioned dad. Pacing around a little, angered that we weren't doing anything Shane agreed on.

"Because my daughter is still out there," Carol told him and Shane just began to laugh dryly, his hands in a praying sign against his lips.

"Okay. Okay, I think it's time that we all start to just consider the other possibility-" Shane began but I wasn't going to hear anymore of it. We are not giving up on Sophia. No way in hell.

"We're not leaving Sophia behind," I growled at Shane, angered that he would even suggest us leaving a little girl behind like that. Sophia is still out there somewhere. I can feel it. I have to feel it.

"We're close to finding this girl. I just found her damn doll two days ago," Daryl growled at Shane, angered as he stepped closer to Shane and this made Shane glare at Daryl.

"You found her doll, Daryl. That's what you did. You found a doll," Shane declared, as though he was just stating a fact and that was it. As though it was meant to mean something.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about," Daryl mumbled angered, squinting his eyes at Shane and the two of them glared at each other. They were getting closer to each other, my hand and dad's raising to keep them separated.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said. You get a good lead, it's in the first 48 hours-" Shane tried to explain but dad kept going up to him, raising his hand to touch him and calling to him.

"Let me tell you all something else, man. Kat almost got raped yesterday if it weren't for her skills at defending herself and pure luck...she would have been raped, man. Your own fucking daughter. We need to go," Shane said as he looked at me, I could feel multiple eyes look at me and I just kept a straight, strong face. No one will ever see me afraid about some assholes I crossed paths with.

"As for you man...if she was alive out there and saw you coming all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction!" Shane said to Daryl which suddenly started a heated argument between the two. They tried to get to each other's face.

Growling, shouting and while we had to try and pull them back. Away from each other, everyone screaming at the two of trying to push the two of them away as I tried to pull Daryl away from Shane and mom pulled Shane away from Daryl. "Back off!" dad shouted with a final shove, separating the two of them from each other.

"Keep your hands off me," Shane growled at mom as she pushed him away from dad and Daryl. As if he says this now. He probably got mom pregnant in the first place for touching each other in ways I don't want to imagine!

"Now just let me talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out," dad tried to reason calmly. Shane had his back turned to us, walking away and quickly turned back around.

"What are you gonna figure out?!" Shane screamed at dad, mom rushed in front of dad before Shane could get too close.

"Enough!" she shouted at him firmly, Carl came up beside me and held onto my hand tightly. Looking down at him, I moved him to stand in front of me and held him to me. My arms wrapping around him, holding him close and his hands rested on top of mine.

"If we're gonna stay, if we're gonna clear this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is his land," dad told him, stating what had to be done and I nod in agreement. We have no say in this. This is all Hershel's land and we have to respect this if we want mom to give birth with the help of Hershel.

"Hershel sees those things in there as people...sick people. His wife, his stepson," Dale said, stepping up to look at dad and telling us all what Hershel thinks. This can't be...wait...

"You knew?" I asked him surprised, my eyebrows forming a crease on my forehead and looked at him. He gave me an apologetic look before he looked to dad and the rest of us.

"Yesterday I talked to Hershel," Dale told us which made us all silent for a second, unsure how to take in this information and looking at Dale stunned. He kept this from us? From all of us? That he knew and that...Hershel believes they are normal human beings...just...sick?

"And you waited the night?" Shane asked him angered that we were in the dark during all this time. That no one spoke to us about it until now.

"I thought we could survive one more night. We did. I was waiting till this morning to say something...but Glenn wanted to be the one," Dale said as we all turned to look at Glenn, who stood there and had his arms crossed over his chest.

"The man is crazy, Rick, if Hershel thinks those things are alive or no!" Shane began to argue to me and dad. His anger boiling and riling up the walkers. They thumped and shook the door, pushing Carl to stay behind me and backing up. Carl clinging onto me, holding onto my shirt as we slowly backed up and all of us stared at the barn doors...


"Katherine...Rick. Daryl came up to me to ask to take the horse. Said something about looking for the little girl. Told him not to, that he had to heal and that he shouldn't go out there in his condition," Hershel told us as we all looked to the barn, seeing Daryl head into the stables and searching in the small shack they had filled with horse supplies.

"If I can convince him not to go, could I take the horse myself and search for the girl? Please," I ask him, my eyes searching Hershel's light grayish blue ones. His eyes looked at me firmly, his lips made a line as they pursed and we stood there for a time.

"Go ahead, since you asked so politely. Maybe he'll listen to you," Hershel said with a small smile. Looking to me kindly and he then headed into the house, Carol and dad were behind me through the entire conversation I had with Hershel.

"Carol...could you give us a minute?" dad asked her politely as he took hold of my elbow in his hands. His grip tight but loose enough for me to slip my arm out of his touch. "What do you think you're doing?" he asks me as he pulls me away, spinning me to face him and I shoved my arm out of his hold.

"I'm going out there to look for Sophia. I'm not going to wait around dad. I told you once and I don't want to tell you again," I spoke to him, our eyes meeting up to each other and he stood there silent for a second, his jaw clenching in what looked like anger.

"After what you just went through yesterday?" he asked me a little surprised I would go back out there after what happened to me yesterday. I'm not going to let a pair of assholes keep me down. No chance in hell.

"Dad...I can handle myself. Plus...I'll have a horse so I can just run away from jackasses like yesterday," I try to convince him, my eyes staring into his and non of us wavering our glance. The look in his eyes told me exactly what I needed to know. I'm winning him over.

"I don't think you shou-" he tried to stop me one more time, his face hard and his expression was cold. He's playing daddy cop and it ain't working.

"It's not your decision to make dad. I can defend myself. I don't need you or anyone for that matter. I'll be back before dinner. Promise," I said with a softer approach, my eyes shutting for a second and opened to look back up at him. My eyes pleading and hopefully sweet. It's the look I always give him when I wanted something.

Dad takes a gulp, a slow nod of his head and stepped away from me. His eyes to the ground and silent as I looked to Carol. "Come on Carol let's go visit Daryl," I suggest to her as I turned and went towards the stables, both me and Carol jogging towards Daryl who was carrying a saddle.

"You can't," Carol said as we walked in and saw Daryl bent over, panting as he tried not to focus on the pain he had from throwing the saddle on the perch. He's going to open those fucking stitches of his.

"I'm fine," Daryl growled and looked at us when he noticed the two of us here. Getting closer to him, he turned his back and walked towards the horse. He opened the stable door for it and stepped inside to check the horse. Nervous Nelly...

"Hershel said you need to heal," I remind him and he just gave me a glare from the corner of his eyes. His jaw stone and his glaze glassy. He's not in the right mind state.

"Yeah, I don't care," Daryl growled as he reached for something that I showed him a few days ago about and turned his back on us. His muscles tense as he walked, his walk weird and his tone cold.

"Well, we do," I told him, keeping my voice soft and sincere. He paused for a second and then turned to look at me.

"Rick's going out later to follow the trail," Carol explained to him, trying to convince him that my dad was dealing with looking for Sophia.

"Yeah well, I ain't gonna sit around and do nothing," Daryl growled and turned back to look at the horse again. His back to us, his face not looking to us and his hair messy.

"No, you're gonna go out there and get yourself hurt even worse," I spat at him, unhappy that he would be so stupid as to go out there and not be patient enough to heal.

"Says the one who almost got raped out there!" Daryl shouted at me, they vein in his neck popping out a little from the anger he was bottling up in him. My expression never-changing and I just looked at him with a solid expression.

"We don't know if we're gonna find her, Daryl. We don't," Carol said which made me look at her stunned, judging by how she wouldn't look at us she meant what she was saying. Daryl looked at her stunned too. "I don't," Carol whispered, more to herself than to us.

"What?" I asked her, unsure of what she wanted to say and why she was saying it. Daryl got closer to her, wanting to know what Carol was talking about while I stood there.

"Can't lose you too. Either of you..." she said as she looked between both me and Daryl. She...she'd give up? On...her daughter? Is this about what Shane said?

Daryl got angry and threw the saddle across the room. His side gave him pain and he doubled over in pain, gripping onto his side. "Are you all right?" I asked him as I ran to him, placing one hand on his chest and another on his back gently. Next thing I knew he moved to leave, shoving me away from him forcefully and I frown.

"Just leave me be. Stupid bitches," Daryl grumbled as he walked off, leaving me and Carol there. Watching him leave, when I saw he had left and knew he wasn't coming back, I went to the saddle and picked it up.

"Take care out there...please. I...thank you for all you've been doing for me...for my little girl. You got attacked yesterday and...I feel to blame for that," Carol said sadly as I fixed the horse and fed it a carrot I had found outside. Petting it, I gave it a few minutes to get used to me and got up onto it.

"You weren't Carol. I promise. I just got...like you said. Attacked. But I survived. You know what was going on in my mind during that time?" I asked her as I slowly led the horse out and into the sunlight. My eyes staring into the distance at Carl, mom and dad who were all stood watching me.

"What?" Carol asked as she looked to me back to my family. Her blue eyes looking up at me and pale face tear-stained. She needs to know...she needs to have that hope for her daughter restored.

"All I could think about was what would happen after they would rape me. Would they kill me? Would they leave me there to die? Would they take me captive?" I asked myself out loud, Carol's face sad and she shut her eyes momentarily in pain.

"All I could think of after that was...I would be willing to do everything and anything to survive. To get back to my brother. To my family...just like I'm going to do everything and anything I can to bring back your little girl," I told her as I looked down at her and saw her open her eyes to look up at me. A small smile appearing on her face.

"Be careful Kat. Please. Good luck and stay as safe as possible," she encourages me and I nod, I kept moving the horse and stopped by the gate, watching Carol help open the gate for me.

"Keep the others company and don't let anyone do anything stupid while I'm gone," I ordered her kindly, as to keep her busy and to not worry about her daughter. To worry about the others and to wait patiently. When I finally led the horse out, I pulled on the reins and encouraged the horse to go into the woods. Back on the look out for Sophia.


RPOV

"Also shows she could be moving this way south. If Sophia kept in that direction, she might have gotten out of the forest and into the farmland. So we take 74 up to Ivy Road, then push down south on foot through the forest till we hit Christopher, go east a couple of miles and then double back," I say as I looked down at the map, pointing at where me and Andrea would go.

"Rick," Hershel's voice called out to me and I turned around to look at him. Hershel was rolling his sleeves up, preparing for business and I was slightly worried he was going to kill us. Or at least tell us to get off his land...

"Hershel. We just have our guns out because we're gonna go look for Sophia," I tell him, trying not to look slightly worried or phased and he just nods. Looking between me and Andrea as he finished rolling up his sleeves.

"Before you do that, I could use your help with something," he suggests before I could even answer. My mouth opening as to speak and quickly shutting when I heard Andrea speak from behind me.

"Count me in," she agreed, willing to do anything if it meant a little action was going to be thrown in her life. Just like Kat...but...Kat was worse. She's almost been raped, I'm tempted to track down those assholes and kill every last one of them.

"Thank you, but I just need Rick," Hershel told her which made he slightly stunned. Andrea's eyes slightly wide and quickly she brushed off her rejection. Hurts to be rejected...even worse when it's your family and especially your daughter rejecting you. Repelling from you.

"I'll be down at the barn keeping watch until you're ready," Andrea told me which made me nod. I looked at her to see her slip her gun in her back pocket and moved away from us. Hershel leading me out into the woods with Jimmy and sticks in their hands.


CPOV

"Hey, Shane. Can I talk to you for a sec?" I asked Shane as he walked closer. He was in a rush, trying to get to wherever he was going and with a serious expression plastered onto his face. He had been talking to mom and Kat had been away for a while on the search for Sophia.

"You okay?" Shane asked me as he stopped, pulling off his hat and looking down at me concerned. I'd be more concerned about what him and mom were talking about, the walkers in the barn and about Kat being out there alone.

"Yeah. I know you think Sophia's dead and that we should stop looking for her...but that's bullshit," I tell him, not used to swearing at him and feeling a little like Kat when she would say that. She always drags the words out a little.

"Hey, man, watch your mouth," Shane growled at me when he caught me swearing at him. Well...it is bullshit. I'm not leaving without Sophia or Kat.

"We're gonna stay here until we find her," I told him, agreeing to my decision and sticking to it. It's what's right. I know Kat and dad would do what's right. Looking for Sophia is right and we won't stop until we find her.

"You think that's what we should do?" Shane asked me curious, an eyebrow raised and his brow was sweaty. He must be thinking really hard or it's the Georgia heat...could be both.

"It's what I know we should do," I told him, feeling firm about my decision. Sophia is a part of this group and I have faith that we'll find her. One way or another. Kat hasn't given up hope and neither will I.

"Then we stay. That means we got to do whatever we got to do to make that happen," Shane said as he looked down at me, nodding in agreement and never looking away from me. "Hmm?" he hummed and this made me look at him slightly confused.

"Like help out with chores?" I asked him, my voice slightly quiet and trying not to show him I was a little confused. When he looked at me, he gave me a nod and a small hum of approval.

"Mmm. Like help out with the chores," he agreed. His eyes drifting towards the distance, to mom and I just turned slightly to look at her and then back up at him.

"Carl. Come here for a minute," mom called to me, her arm raised and her hand gesturing for me to go to her. Looking back she gave me a small smile and turned to look back at Shane again.

"Why don't you go see what your mom wants? Hmm? Go on," Shane said as he nudged me to go talk to my mom. Walking to her, I stopped when Shane spoke up. "Hey, Carl. Don't let me hear you talk like that again," he told me slightly mad that I would swear like I did before. With this, he gave me a quick nod and I walked off towards mom...


RPOV

"The silt on the bottom is like glue. You just sink in. That's Lou Bush," Hershel said as he led me into the woods, towards a small creek and Jimmy walked ahead. Jimmy was holding onto a pair of sticks, of the types that had a noose around them and kept animals tamed.

"You knew him?" I asked Hershel as he led me deeper into the woods, following closely behind and talking about people he probably knew. He thinks their sick...but they're not. They're dead.

"Lou as in Louise. She has a farm up the road. Sweet corn mostly. Worked at Hapman's bar on weekends. The man, I don't know him, but the coveralls, I've been to where he worked," Hershel informed me as we slowed down from our haste. Seeing the walkers stuck in the muck, I looked and saw a man and woman trapped inside it. "How many have you killed?" he asked me as he turned around to look at me.

"Too many to count," I tell him truthfully. I went through hell to get to my family, then went through another hell trying to save them from these things that are trapped. Killing these...things...in order to save my family was a hard task but...it has to be done.

"Can you stop?" Hershel asked me which made me deliberate, deciding on what to say to him and how to word it so it wouldn't sound offensive. These things aren't people. They aren't alive and...if...if I want to protect my family...the group then...I'll do whatever it takes. "There are people out there who haven't been in their right minds, people who I believe can be restored," Hershel declared to me.

"You're not talking about the walkers, are you?" I asked him slightly quizzically. Dale was right...if he thinks all they are is ill then...I have to do everything for my family...for Kat, Lori, Carl and...the baby.

"It doesn't matter if you see them as human beings anymore...but if you and your people are going to stay here, that's how you're gonna have to treat them. My farm, my barn, my say," Hershel said, repeating my words from earlier and holding out a stick for me to take. Thinking things over, I clenched my jaw and took the stick from Hershel.


DPOV

"You see it?" I asked Carol as I walked us towards small lake, walking between the tall grass and stopping in front of a flower, I pointed it at her.

"See what?" she asked me, following me and stopped beside the flower. Pointing at it she looked down at it and stayed silent. The Cherokee rose.

"We'll find her," I reassured her. We looked between each other awkwardly, unsure of what to say and what else to do. "Hey, I'm sorry about what happened this morning," I apologized to her, unhappy with how I acted and knowing that her and Kat were both looking out for me.

"You wanted to look for her. Why? This whole time I've wanted to ask you," Carol asked me, her eyes would glance up at me, giving me a sad smile and then back down onto the flower. Her eyes staring at it blankly, her lips pursed in a small and sad smile.

"'Cause I think she's still out there," I tell her, confident that the little girl was still out there and surviving. Hell...if I could do it...she can do it. "Truth is, what else I got to do?" I said shrugging as I looked down at the flower. This made Carol look up at me sadly, her eyes searching and examining my face from the corner of her eyes.

Slowly, Carol approached the flower and grazed her fingers gently to the flower petals. "We'll find her," she said as she looked down at the flower. "We will," she said which made me look at her curiously. "I see it," she told me softly while she looked into my eyes, making me smile at her kindly and politely.


RPOV

"Otis said if you get them halfway out they'll do the rest of the work," Jimmy told us as him and me tried to pull the walker male out of the crap that was up to their knees. My arms flying around trying to lead the walker out and watching him trying to reach at us.

"How many times did he do this?" I asked Hershel, looking over my shoulder and trying not to strain too hard. My arms and muscles flexing against my skin to try and pull the walker out from the muck.

"If one wandered onto the property, Otis would get them into the barn. Now we have to," Hershel said as he struggled to keep the walker woman tamed by his stick. The walker was trying to grab onto him and it turned out that she just kept trying.

"What happens when the barn gets full?" I asked him, shouting over the growls and gurgles of the walkers. Before Hershel could answer, I fell and landed in the mud. My hands all mucky and knees slightly stained from the mud, my hands and body gripping the ground. Lifting myself up, we struggled to get the walker back and Jimmy fell back too.

Eventually Hershel lead us the way, the walker was now facing Hershel and I made sure it kept his distance from Hershel and Jimmy. We made our way down the trail, to go back to the farm and to head towards the barn...


DPOV

"Where is everyone?" Andrea asked as she and T-Dog made their way towards Glenn and Maggie. She asked the question right before I could ask it myself.

"You haven't seen Rick?" Glenn asked questioning where our 'leader' was. He gets close to the farmer and now we have to treat him like a leader? Bullshit.

"He went off with Hershel. We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago," Andrea informed us which made me glare at them, Carol speeding up beside me as we reached them. Rick was nowhere to be found and neither was Kat. Maybe they left together?

"Yeah you were. What the hell?" I growled as I got closer, everyone was standing and some of our group weren't anywhere to be found. Well...Kat did leave on her own and maybe Rick went after her so they could look for Sophia together...but...where'd Shane and Dale go?

"Rick told us he was going out," Carol spoke up, informing everyone that we knew about Ricks plans and how they weren't followed through. Well...maybe not as he had planned by taking Andrea with him and possibly leaving with Kat instead.

"Damn it. Isn't anybody taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail!" I shouted as I turned my back and looked into the distance. This was when I noticed someone walking towards us. Shane. "Oh, here we go," I said as I walked towards him, forgetting the argument we had earlier and surprised to see him holding his gun in his hand. "What's all this?" I asked him confused.

"You with me, man?" Shane asked me as he held out a shotgun to me. Despite everything that happened earlier, I took it and gave him a small 'yeah'. Whatever he's got planned, it's better to be involved than to sit around and do nothing. I won't let anyone else get hurt by these...freaks.

"Time to grow up," Shane ordered to us as though we were all little kids. He began handing guns out and I cocked mine. Checking the rounds and its condition. "You already got yours?" Shane asked as he looked to Andrea.

"Yeah. Where's Dale?" Andrea asked him as she followed after Shane, all of us following him and getting closer to him. Handing out weapons, I saw Carl get up and head towards us, putting his hat on and slowly making his way closer to us.

"He's on his way," Shane said quickly, not bothered about the man he had possibly came into contact with on the way back.

"Thought we couldn't carry," T-Dog stated as we all checked our guns.

"We can and we have to. Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe...but now we know it ain't," he declared to all of us. He's talking about the barn..."How about you, man? You gonna protect yours?" Shane asked as he held out a gun to Glenn. "That's it," Shane approved when Glenn took the gun out of his hand forcefully. "Can you shoot?" Shane asked Maggie.

"Can you stop? You do this...you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight," Maggie pleaded, reasoning that we were going to be kicked out from here if we didn't put an end to this and go back to how we were before this. We should probably go anyway...with rapists out there...who knows what would happen if we stay...but not until we find Sophia.

"We have to stay, Shane," Carl stood up to Shane, hoping to be heard and only getting ignored by Shane. Lori made her way towards us and this was when I heard horse gallops coming closer. Kat stopped beside me, slowing the horse as she looked down at all the chaos going around us.


KPOV

I had searched for hours, coming across nothing and finding no one. The woods were empty, other than one or two roaming walkers. When I reached the farm, I saw everyone huddled into a group, dad, Hershel and Dale nowhere to be found. Carol looked at me expectantly and then frowned when she saw I hadn't found Sophia. "What is this?" I asked as I slowed down, stopping beside Daryl and looking down at them all.

"We ain't going anywhere, okay? Now look, Hershel, he's just gotta understand. Okay? He-...well, he's gonna have to," Shane said as he looked to all of us, this made me confused and unsure of what was going on.

"Now we need to find Sophia. Am I right? Huh? Now I want you to take this. You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother and sister safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how. Go on, take the gun and do it," Shane said as he crouched down, holding out a gun for Carl to hold and this made me quickly jump off the horse. Shoving Shane as far away from my brother before Carl had the chance of taking the gun.

"Dad said no guns. This is not your call. This is not your decision to make," I growled at him, venom in my voice and he just clenched his jaw. Standing up straight and his eyes locked on mine. Trying to size him up, I stood straighter and glared at him. Directly in the eyes. No way is he making my brother take a gun when it was a rule not to have guns on the farm site.

"Oh shit," I heard T-Dog say as he looked into the distance. This was when we all turned to look at where T-Dog was gazing at. Our expressions horrified and shocked when we saw dad walk with Jimmy and Hershel towards the barn. Execpt...they weren't alone. They had walkers on...leashes. Like fucking dogs on a walk...

"What is that? What is that?" Shane growled as he ran towards dad and Hershel. The two of them leading the walkers they had on the sticks towards the barn. Dad trying to rush them into the barn and away from our sights.

"Patricia! Beth! Get that horse into the stables! Now!" I shouted at them and ran after Shane, trying to catch up to him and speeding past all the others in our group who tried to keep up.

"Shane!" mom shouted after them, I was the closest and quickest one out of them, catching up to Shane and trying to shove him back. Trying to slow him down and to stop him chasing after dad.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Shane asked dad angered, following them and slowing down we both looked at the walkers. Shane pacing around as I tried to pull Shane away from them and dad. Shane kept shoving my arm off him and away from him.

"Shane, just back off," dad growled at him, angered that Shane was annoying us and trying to get in the way of dad trying to keep us safe. He wants to keep the baby and the rest of us safe. He's doing the right thing and this way we get to stay.

"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel asked dad, unsure of why we were breaking the rule he had set and angered that we were rushing to them after we all knew about the barn. He's going to kick us out if we don't stop. Someone needs to stop Shane.

"Are you kidding me? You see? You see what they're holding onto?" Shane shouted, circling them and pointing at the walkers. Looking at us, I could see he was mad and angered that these walkers were seen as people. Like sick people.

"I see who I'm holding onto," Hershel pointed out, dad and Hershel struggling to keep the walkers moving. Jimmy stepping in front of the walkers and watching where he was walking. They're shells of people you thought they were Hershel...not people anymore. Those people are gone...like Jenner said.

"No, man, you don't," Shane growled and walked past dad, trying to get a front view of the walkers and the men trying to lure them into the barn. Why is Shane being so...intimidating? This is unlike him and...we can't blame the alcohol anymore.

"Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk," dad tried to negotiate, trying to keep the rest of us calm and not to panic. Dad was struggling to keep his grip on the walker who could now see Shane before him.

"What you want to talk about, Rick? These things ain't sick. They're not people. They're dead. Ain't gonna feel nothing for them 'cause all they do, they kill! These things right here, they're the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis. They're gonna kill all of us," Shane growled and pointed at the walkers who were now slowing down with the pairs footsteps. Andrea and some of the others stood still, nodding in agreement and staring at what was unraveling in front of us.

"Shane, shut up!" dad shouted at him, losing his patience and angered towards Shane. Shane won't stop. He just...what is wrong with him? He shouldn't be like this. He needs to stop this and no one is doing anything!

"Hey, Hershel man, let me ask you something. Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" Shane said as he pulled out his gun, taking the safety off and aiming for the walker. I went to stop him and Hershel looked at Shane worried.

"No!" Hershel screamed but it was too late. Shane shot the woman walker in the chest. The walker wasn't startled, instead she kept walking and tried to grab at Shane.

"Stop it!" I shouted as I tried to shove Shane's arm down and away from shooting at the walkers. This isn't right. This is making me feel sick...making my stomach twist and turn. This isn't Shane. He's putting us all in danger!

"That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, could they just take that?! Why is it still coming? That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?" Shane shouted as he kept shooting, showing that the walkers weren't alive.

"Shane, enough!" dad shouted at Shane, but Shane just nods and walks closer to him. Trying to pull him back but he just kept walking and shrugged my hand away from him.

"Yeah, you're right, man. That is enough," Shane declared as he walked forward and shot the woman walker in the head. Hershel falling to his knees and looking out towards the distance, his eyes looking up at Shane and then down sadly.

I froze there, unable to move and unsure of what to do next. I then felt a hand grip for mine, looking down I saw it was Carl and mom held onto his shoulders, trying to pull him to her. "Kat," Carl cried out sadly as he pulled me to him, hugging him tightly and moving him to be with mom, I felt mom's hand slip into mine.

"Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone! Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough!" Shane shouted out to all of us, pointing out things that weren't true and some that were true. "Rick, it ain't like it was before!" Shane said as he looked directly at dad who held onto the other walker. "Now if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting right here, right now," Shane shouted as he went running towards the barn doors.

"Take the snare pole. Hershel, take the snare pole. Hershel, listen to me, man, please. Take it now. Hershel! Take it!" dad screamed, pleading to the remorseful man that sat on the ground and his daughter's hands rested on his shoulders. Looking around, I saw people frightened, prepared and I saw the small fright in Carl's eyes.

"No, Shane," I shouted out as I ran towards him, trying to pull him away from the doors. He was thumping it, trying to smash the door chain off and trying to rip the boards off. Nothing seemed to be working for the locks.

"Do not do this, brother. Wait! Don't do it!" dad shouted out to Shane seeing as every pull, every hold I had on Shane slipped and didn't work. Shane kept hitting at the door, trying to find a way to open it and cause havoc.

"Rick!" I heard mom shout to dad and this was when I found strength to shove him as far away as I could. Gripping onto his weapon and shoving his arm away from the door.

"Let me go Kat," Shane told me as calmly as he could, sounding like a growl more than a warning and this was when I shoved him as hard as I could. "Let me go!" Shane screamed before I felt something I thought I would never feel from Shane in my entire life.

"Kat!" I heard multiple voices scream out at me, one side of my face stinging and my body falling to the floor on my side. Looking up at Shane I saw him look down at me, his eyes wild and his mouth hanging open. His pacing got worse as he looked down at me, his facial expressions blank and I held onto my cheek.

"What the fuck man?" I heard Daryl growl as he got closer to me, offering me his hand and getting up on my feet with his help. I could hear my mom calling to me and dad's face was hard. Carl was crying out for me, walking to them I saw Carl run to me and hug me tightly.

Dad kept pleading but Shane found a way to open the door, stepping away and everyone got their guns ready. All but me, Glenn and dad. "Get behind me," mom said as she pulled Carl and me behind her. I shook my head at her and stood still. Staying on the spot, a few steps away from dad. Staring at the barn that was filled with walkers.

Slowly the barn doors opened enough to let one out at a time, two or three piling out and growling at us. Trying to reach us but slowly being put down by Shane, Andrea, T-Dog and Daryl. "Maggie," Glenn asked for Maggie's acceptance, looking away and nodding at him. He joined the others and shot at the walkers. Looking at the walkers slowly fall, I noticed Shane shoot down the walker dad held, Hershel never moving and others crying over the walkers that fell.

"Stay back!" dad screamed to Carl who had ran towards dad but stopped when mom pulled him and laid down with him on the floor. I was frozen, watching what was happening slowly quiet down and come to a stop.

Gradually Dale made his way towards us, looking at all that had happened Dale's eyes went wide and we were all silent. My heart pounding in my chest as I looked towards the mess we had made. That was until I heard the soft gurgles and moans of another walker.

Seeing the walker, I saw its small feet and then slowly my eyes travelled up to its face. My heart thudding against my rib cage from fear for a second, from the realization and then sinking when I saw their state. Falling to my knees, I felt hopeless and felt a numbing feeling. Tears threatened to build up but I bit them back. My head hung low as I let my hands touch the ground, my ass planted to the ground, waiting for all of it to be over and done with.

"Sophia? Sophia! Sophia. Sophia. Oh no. Sophia. Sophia. No. Sophia," Carol cried as she ran towards her now walker daughter. It was in fact...Sophia who came out of the barn last. Her skin pale, her hair messy and falling out. There was a huge bite mark on her shoulder and no emotion or life in her eyes. Sophia was...gone.

"Don't watch," I could hear mom say to Carl and slightly to me. Shutting my eyes tightly, I heard footsteps get closer to the girl and further away from me. Dad...he's...that was when I heard the bang. Then the falling of the body to the ground. This...was when I knew Sophia was dead.


Not going to lie...I feel terrible that I kept to the story like this and well...it kind of needs to happen. Shane was right in a twisted way. {Does a Shane impression} After 48 hours- joking! Anyway...there is going to be some tension after Shane hitting Kat like that and with Daryl finding out Kat was almost raped! Wow! We've seen that Kat is a fighter but a lover. Let's see what else happens huh? Thanks for all the support so far! I'm going to answer you guys again as I feel it is better to connect to you guys.


Guest: Thanks for supporting Kat as a character. To be quite honest...she feels like she belongs in the show somehow to me. She's going to be a very important character to them all...you'll see how and why soon. Hopefully.


ELMOlifebro: I take it you really do love it! I'm pleased. Thank you for the encouragement. Yes...I've read too many where it's a character falling in love too quickly with Daryl and...Daryl acting unaccordingly as to how Norman portrays him. I don't want it revolving around Daryl and Kat seeing as she has a family she loves, cares and always wants to protect. In all honesty, she thinks more about her family than she does herself...as you can see in this chapter.


redangel2463: Yes! It was scary to write too! I don't like Kat being in danger like that. She's like my baby. As for the Randal/Daryl thing...{Whistles innocently} Not going to spoil anything! But...it's all planned out carefully. I have everything more or less in order and I know what I want to happen in each chapter. Daryl and Kat will eventually get together. Just be patient. Daryl isn't the type to jump into a relationship and...quite honestly...neither is Kat. You'll eventually see why but...it's partly to do with her family!


Caity6991: Thanks for the support and understanding. I know...I hate those types of stories. It's unrealistic of Daryl to be like that. Norman even says it! "Daryl isn't the type of guy to throw you against the tree and kiss you under the moonlight!" so...I hope I'm doing Norman proud. Daryl may think Kat is pretty and other things but...he doesn't accept feelings yet. You'll soon see when. Until then...Kat is focused on keeping her family safe and happy.


Bestbuds55: Hmm...I don't know. We'll see. No spoilers but...all I'll say is "Wait and see!"


Thanks for the reviews and...please...give me feedback on what you thought of this chapter. What you think will happen? What would you like to see? Also...really important but...do you guys like the flash backs?

Much love!

HeroJustInTime90 x