Chapter Three

Joelle sat high in a tree softly singing to herself. Some walkers who had heard the disruption of silence stood crowding around the base of the tree moaning and clawing at the bark. Looking up at the sky she was shocked to see the sun setting. Had it really been that long? She thought oblivious to the distress of the group back at the farm.

Rick paced back and forth, "Where the hell is she? She should be back by now!" his voice was filled with concern. Sophia looked at the adults around her who were obviously worried for Joe's safety, she wished she could tell them where she was but she didn't know besides Joe could handle herself.

Daryl walked up to Rick, "I saw her head off into the woods, earlier after I had told her to get away from my bike. I'll go look for her if you like?" in that moment Sophia knew where Joe was.

"Joelle likes to sit high up in trees and sing to herself when she's worried, scared or upset. She should be fine Mr. Rick, Joe can take care of herself and me she promised me so, she'll come back." Sophia said quietly.

This calmed Rick down considerably Joelle never broke her word or a promise they were sacred to her. "We still need to find her and we will. Daryl, Glenn gear up, your with me, let's go."

They were about a mile into the dense forest when they heard it, a beautiful melody accompanied by a symphony of groans. Quickening their pace they reach they tree that was currently surrounded by half a dozen walkers. The group quickly killed the walkers and looked back up at Joelle who had stopped singing. "Now, now what do we have here?" she watched as they looked confused, "Sophia did you really think I wouldn't notice? They may be deaf and blind but I ain't, come here honey."

They others just watched as Sophia came swiftly out bush she had hidden in, then watched in horror as a walked came up behind to take a chunk of skin out of her shoulder. What they weren't expecting was for Sophia to quickly turn with knife in hand and stab the walker through the eye.

"Ha that's my girl, let's go sweet," with that she glided down the tree and walked straight past the group without saying a word.

Daryl noticed the wide birth she gave not only him but Glenn as well, something traumatic had happened to her and he had a feeling he knew what it was.

Once Glenn, Rick and Daryl reached camp (not too much later then Sophia and Joelle) they were surprised to see Carol with a murderous expression and as they sat down they understood why.

"Your psycho bitch of a sister not only gave my daughter a knife but a bloody handgun!" Rick looked at Daryl surprised at the language she was using, "I am grateful she saved my daughter but I don't feel safe around her and I don't want her near Sophia."

Rick thought for a moment before answering, "With all due respect Carol I don't think you have much of a choice, according to my sister you were unworthy of being Sophia's mother the moment you let her go. My sister is a very complicated women but one thing she holds above all else is the protection of loved ones. Joelle made a promise to keep your daughter safe and she will die keeping that promise." Everyone was listening to Rick entrapped witch what he had to say about his intriguing sister

"Momma it's okay Joelle kept me safe, she told me the rules and I followed them and found you!" Sophia gushed looking at Carol and nodding in her serious expression.

Rick looked interested in what rules his sister sent in, "What rules were they Sophia?"

Sophia's eyes lit up at Rick obvious interest, "Rule one if there's more than one I have to run. Rule two if there's more than three we climb up a tree. Rule three if I lose you, I hide away, I wait and I stay, because you will always find me.

Rick had to say he was impressed she had come up with easy rules that everyone could remember, "I'm impressed Joe you've outdone yourself."

"I know right. The rhyming was all me, took me bloody long enough too!" Joelle giggle.

A little while later everyone was sitting by the fire eating when Shane made his move, "Hey Joelle , how bout we go back to my tent and have a little fun?"

"With you? Now why on earth would I do that, when there are much nicer guys in the group?" Joelle asked clearly humored by his attempt.

"Cos I have something that they don't, protection," he said back not yet phased by her reaction.

"Really? The make those in extra small?" at Joelle's words the everyone listening was thrown into a fit of laughter including Rick, even Dale chuckled while Daryl and T-Dog howled with laughter tears streaming down their faces as they doubled over onto the ground.

Shane who was now red with anger and embarrassment stalked off into the night. Joelle who had been chuckling herself looked around the campsite and noticed something that had slipped past her before, "Why the hell do you guys have my truck?" the other stopped the laughing to look in the direction of Joelle's gaze.

"That's yours? We found that a few days ago but there was nothing in it that we could use," replied Glenn.

"You just didn't know where to look, follow me," Joelle said with a smirk as she led the group which consisted of everyone except the Greene's and Shane towards the cobalt blue truck.

Taking a key out her pocket she went to the back of the truck lifting up the hidden deck she revealed boxes of clothes, food, ammo and blankets. After those boxes had been removed and taken to the camp a lone box was left in the truck. "This one is my favorite," she smiled.

The last box revealed alcohol and cigarettes a lot of it to, the men in the group whistled. Joelle watched as Daryl and T-Dog's fingers twitched at the urge to take the cigarettes, taking two cartons she chucked one at T-Dog and one at Daryl, "Here you look like you could use them," they caught them easily huge grins across their faces. "I raided a liquor store that also happed to stock a lot of smokes."

"I have extra lighters as well if you need 'em," there were still two cartons left but Joelle overlooked them for a bottle of Southern Comfort, taking it she walking back to the fire, taking long gulps she reveled in the burn if the alcohol trying to block out images of her little girl.

She barely noticed as the group returned to their previous positions at the fire with the exception of Carl and Sophia who had gone to bed. Rick got up from his place across from her and moved to the spare space beside her, "Joe what happened to Ally?" asked Rick in low tones, the group still heard clearly though and moved their attention to the new conversation brewing.

Joelle flinched at the name before taking another long gulp from the bottle, "I had left her at Mom and Dads for the weekend because I was working a long double shift at the Hospital. I didn't think anything of it; I had done it loads of times." Her hands had begun to shake and she took a deep breath.

"When the outbreak began one of the older Nurses who I had been close friends with told me to get Ally and run. So I did. I drove the hour to Moms only to find her dead in the kitchen and Dad gnawing on Ally in the lounge room." Joelle's voice was quiet and devoid of emotion just like her face, it was obvious that she had buried this traumatic experience deep within herself.

"I ripped him off her and shoved his head into the wall. I buried them both and Ally. After that I went home collected my stuff and ran." The group was quiet unsure of how to comfort this battered woman. "I couldn't protect her Rick, I wasn't strong enough, I couldn't keep my baby safe." Her whisper was broken.

"In the English language there are orphans and widows, but there is no word for a parent who loses a child" Dale quoted quietly, his wise words bringing Joelle out of her memories.

"I'm so sorry Joe, you should never have gone through that," whispered Rick as he pulled her into a hug he held her for what seemed like hours when he looked back down at her he realized she was asleep, "I missed you Joe, we all did," with that he took her to a tent that T-Dog and Glenn had put up when she arrived, covering her he said goodnight and left her to sleep.