Chapter Two

Her figure ghosted through the trees towards the road where she had left her bike. The Suzuki GSXR 1000 looked out of place among the torn up, broken down cars. Flinging her leg over the side of the bike she started the bike at looked towards the sun, sighing she pulled the sleek black helmet over the head and rode towards where she had left little girl she'd found in the woods.

Joelle quickly came to where she had left Sophia and pulled here onto the bike behind her before taking off in the opposite direction of the traffic snarl.

They rode down a dirt road not too far away. It was getting dark and she needed a place to rest hopefully the road led to a farm with not too many 'Walkers' about.

As Joelle rode past the fields she realized that she hadn't yet seen a Walker, it didn't take much longer for the farm to come into view. Cars were stationed out the front but unlike the abandoned cars on the freeway these cars looked clean and regularly used. Shit, people actual people were living here, maybe just maybe they'll let us stay thought Joelle. The noise of her bike had alerted the occupants of the farm who were now gathered in front of her.

Sixteen people stood in front of her. Joelle was surprised to recognize two faces. Rick and Lori stood before her. Rick her older brother who she thought was dead along with his wife and kid. Where is Carl? Maybe they told him to stay inside?Joelle's mind wandered. Joelle slowly got off her bike making no sudden movements, and like she knew he would Rick spoke in a hard voice, "Drop your weapon's and raise your hands". Joelle let out an audible sigh, "Now" with the word Rick brought up his gun training it on her chest.

Joelle then started the task of removing all her weapons from her body; pulling two handguns from where they were hid, taking the bag of ammo, rifles and machine guns dropping it on the ground, pulling of a belt of seven sheathed throwing knives, taking two hunting knives and finally pulling her two sheathed blue steel dual swords. A tough looking guy holding a cross bow let out a low whistled at the arsenal that Joelle had just placed in the ground.

Walking back over to the bike Joelle lifted Sophia off the bike and set her on the ground, positioning her body in front of the young girls. "DAD! STOP! LEAVE HER ALONE!" screamed Carl as her ran out of the house, a man with a shaved head made a move to grab him but he was too quick and dodged him. "Dad, please its Aunty Joe's bike!" Carl said his body in front of Joelle's.

"Carl you get away from her, there are thousands of bikes like Joe's" Rick's voice was frantic as he tried to persuade Carl to move, "Aunty Joe had a baby girl remember, it's not her!"

Without really thinking Joelle ripped her helmet off and picked Carl, spinning him around, laughing Carl hugged her back fiercely.

"Joelle?" Rick's soft whisper broke through to her as she looked into her big brothers eyes for the first time in years.

"Brother? I can't believe I've found you! You're alive!" putting Carl down Joelle rushed into her big brothers arms. "I can't find Justine Rick I don't know where she is! I need her so bad and she's not here with me, Rick I can't feel her and I am so scared."

"We will find her I promise, Luke too, we will find them both."

After the small reunion Joelle stepped back and started pulling her weapons into place, she left only the bag on the ground. "Joe can you help me get my helmet of I can't see nothing!" Sophia's muffled voice came from behind her.

Walking over to the young girl Joelle lifted the helmet of the little girls head and was rewarded with a collection of gasps form their audience. "SOPHIA!" a woman with short grey hair screeched. Sophia and the woman collided crying and embracing, clinging to each other like they were a lifeline.

Ricks voice was barely a whisper, "Where did you find her?"

"She was on the woods a long way from the highway, I saved her from a group of walkers."

After she was finished she looked at Rick and smiled "Rick I know I have no right to ask but I need a place to sleep tonight… I promise I'll be out of your hair straight after... if you don't want me here…"

"Of course you can stay, if that's alright with you Hershel?" Asked Rick, turning to the older man in the group.

"It's fine with me as long as she pulls her weight, introduce her to everyone." His wise voice was low and calm.

"She will," taking Joelle's arm, he then proceeded to introduce the group. Only a few of the members stood out to Joelle though. Shane; Rick's best friend (the bald guy who had tried to grab Carl) who had gotten Lori and Carl out during the outbreak and in her quick opinion a total jerk. Glenn; a smart Asian guy who had saved Rick's life in Atlanta he seemed nice and resourceful. Carol; Sophia's mother who looked scared yet happy to have finally found her child. Hershel; the old man that owned the farm (in his life was a veterinarian) he had saved Carl when he was shot.

"And this is Daryl, he does all the hunting and most of the runs, I have a feeling you too will get on quite well," Rick chuckled lightly before turning back to Joelle. "Joe why don't you go take your bike and put it closer to the tents, we'll get you a place to sleep real soon."

"Rick, you can have the bag of rifles and machine guns there's ammo for them, just leave me some ammo for the handguns okay?" Joelle's voice was nervous; she hoped he would allow her to stay permanently.

"Are you sure? Hell that's a nice way to pull your weight sis we're nearly out of weapons. Not to mention you found the child we had been looking for, for days!"

"I'm sure, where am I putting the bike?" She turned back to Rick.

"Over there near the trees and tents," Rick pointed to the tents and a nearby tree.

Joelle walked the bike over to the trees, leaving her bike under the shade next to what she assumed was Rick's tent. A glimmer about a hundred yards away caught her attention. Walking over she discovered that it was a bike running her hands over the handles "No way, a bloody Triumph Bonneville 650, noisy but sweet ride."

"Oi, get 'way from ma bike!" a strong southern accent yelled at her, her head snapped up to look at him. Daryl was now marching across the field towards her and the bike.

Unconcerned towards his reaction she yelled back, "How the hell did you get your hands on a Triumph Bonneville 650?"

"None ya business" he snapped, "Now back off!"

Daryl stepped forward he was close now only a foot of two away. Joelle looked up and backed away quickly, starting to shake. Daryl became confused as he looked at her, fear and pain flew through her eyes as she looked back at him. "I-I need to find Rick, sorry for disturbing you." With that Joelle hurried off in the opposite direction and in turn away from the camp, straight into the forest.