A/N: Sorry for no update the last couple nights, I've been crazy busy. Anyway, here is a short chapter to hold you over! I promise a nice long one will be up by Tuesday once this school project is done. Please review and let me know what you think! Love you guys!

~A.S.D

Today was going to be different. I made that resolve before I walked out of my tent the next morning. The last few days had been rough, and I was done with this emotional crap. I had one goal, and one goal only, to keep my brother and myself alive at all costs. I'd had nightmares all night about Shane and Otis, it was hard coping with the fact he had killed someone, but I didn't take back what I'd told him. I was here for him, no matter what. I walked outside and everyone was up and moving already.

Lori and Carl were feeding the baby chickens and I saw Patricia inside the coop, presumably gathering eggs. Dale and T-Dog were working on something with the RV, probably the radiator hose again. Andrea was walking over to Daryl's tent, a book in hand. Glenn was grabbing a basket from Maggie which looked to be full of fruit. Shane and Rick were with Jimmy looking at the map again and I walked over to them.

Glenn had just walked over and was delivering peaches, I took one from him as I walked by.

"The river leads south from that farmhouse Daryl found. Maybe Sophia dropped the doll there, the current brought it downstream," Rick said, rubbing his forehead.

"So what, you thing she took this road here and then went north?" Shane asked, pointing to the map. We'd covered a lot of ground the last four days, but there was so much more to go and we were starting to wonder if we had any chance of bringing Sophia back alive.

"Yeah, what's up that way?" Rick asked Jimmy and I rolled my eyes. He looked at me and I glared so he dropped his eyes back to the map.

"A housing development. It went up, maybe ten years ago," the young boy said and Rick looked frustrated.

"Take a run up there after gun practice. I'll hold down the fort here, but take back-up," Rick intoned. "After what went down with Daryl, I don't want anyone going out alone. We stay in pairs. I'd take suggestions for who to pick as your partner. See how they do on the range, then take your pick."

"We'd like to join you for gun training today," a small voice said and I turned around. It was Beth, the small teenage girl who I'd barely seen the whole time we'd been here. Patricia was standing with her, a rag in her hands. I gave her a small smile, Shane's story flashing through my mind before I pushed it away.

"Hershel's been very clear. I can't involve any of you in what we do without his okay," Rick told them. Apparently, Daryl had not asked Hershel to borrow a horse yesterday and Jimmy had lied about Hershel being okay with him going out with us.

"He doesn't like it but he consented," Beth said firmly but Rick looked skeptical.

"Otis was the only one who knew guns. Now that he's gone, we have to learn to protect ourselves. Her father saw the sense in that," Patricia added, looking at her shoes. I stayed steeled this time, not giving in to the emotions that were just waiting for the chance to crush me.

"No offense but I'll ask Hershel myself," Rick said and walked off.

Shane walked away too, over to where Carl was leaning against the RV, back on his feet again. I wasn't about to stand around and chat with Jimmy so I walked over to Daryl's tent and ducked my head inside.

"Hey," I said, trying to make sure it was okay for me to come in. He nodded so I came in and stood awkwardly. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Like shit. But I'll be okay," he said. His color was much better now and Hershel had decided he was well enough to sleep outside with the rest of us, but he'd been ordered to rest.

"I'm glad to hear it. You finding that doll is a big lead. Cuts the grid in half, we have a better idea of where she could be now," I told him, finding myself babbling and trying to stop.

"Yeah," was all he said. I could tell he hated being cooped up in the tent all day and not being able to help.

"You've done so much to help her. Don't feel bad. We're going to find her and it's going to be because of all your hard work," I told him. He smiled grimly and I smiled back. "We're heading out to gun practice then we've got some new places to search. I'll check in on you later."

"Thanks," he said and I walked out.

Shane, Lori, Rick, Dale, and Carl were all huddled up next to the RV and I started over to them. Once I got there, whatever had been going on was settled and everyone dispersed. Shane saw me and smiled.

"What's going on?" I asked him when I was standing next to him.

"Carl stole Daryl's gun and wants to learn how to shoot," he said nonchalantly and I laughed as the wind blew through my hair.

"What did Princess Lori have to say to that?" I asked and he gave me a dirty look. I could still feel some slight tension between us, but things were more at ease than perhaps they should be.

"She agreed," he said and I looked at him skeptically.

"After how much persuasion?" I asked and he smiled. "I thought so."

"Anyway, are you going to practice?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm a little rusty. Plus, I figured once we were done, I could go out to that housing development with you," I said, pursing my lips. He stopped in his tracks and looked at me. I stared right back.

"No way."

"That's not fair Shane. You know I can cover you and I'm going to have your back more than anyone else," I whined. I was bored sitting around on the farm all day. It was nice being able to relax, but I didn't fully trust Hershel and his family so I was still uneasy about staying here.

"Yes, but you are also a big distraction to me. I'm way more likely to screw up with you there because I'm going to be more focused on you than my surroundings," he said and I sighed, defeated. He made a point. "Besides, I need you to help keep an eye on things around here."

"Yeah, definitely can't leave it all to Rick. Look where he's gotten us," I said, ice tainting my words and Shane arched an eyebrow.

"He's done okay," Shane said without conviction.

"Hardly. It's his fault Sophia's out there missing. It's his fault half of our camp got slaughtered. It's his fault Carl got shot and you nearly got killed. If anyone is at fault for what happened to Otis, it's him," I said. I realized I was trying to cope and was deflecting blame on that last one, but the rest were honestly his fault and mistakes.

"He's the leader Addie, we've got to deal."

"And who voted him leader? I don't ever remember casting my vote for him, and I call for a recount on who did," I said snidely. Shane was fighting a smile.

"Don't worry about it kiddo. Things are going to get better, they have to," he said and a comfortable silence fell over us.

We packed up the guns and climbed in the cars. Shane had found a field we could use to practice at and had set up makeshift targets on empty crates and boxes. We got there relatively quickly and everyone seemed excited to get started. Shane handed me my pistol with a box of ammo and then went about distributing the rest of the guns among everyone else. Beth and Patricia had come with us, along with Jimmy. Andrea, T-Dog, Carl, Rick, and Glenn were there as well. Shane and I were the primary instructors with Rick and T-Dog helping as well. Rick was pretty much glued to Carl the entire time though, smothering him. Despite all that, he was actually pretty good. Shane taught him how to hold the gun and aim and he was a real natural. Andrea was too, catching on quickly.

"It's a good thing you hadn't practiced before you shot Daryl. He'd be dead and buried," Dale joked but I glared at him, not thinking it was very funny. Shane said that he would give Andrea the advanced class while the rest of us went back to camp, meaning he would take her as his back up.

We drove back to camp in silence, making it back around noon. Lori and Carol were cooking something over the small campfires and the smell wafted through across the field. I saw Daryl heading to the stables and followed him.

"Hey," I said, ducking my head inside once I got there. He didn't say anything as he slung a saddle across a horse. "What are you doing? Hershel said you need to rest."

"No, I need to be out there looking for that girl," he said and started securing the saddle on the horse's back. He winced and grabbed his ribs and I rushed over to him.

"Hey, take it easy. You've done more for that little girl than anyone else. Now you need to take care of you because we need you to," I told him.

His blue eyes bored into my green ones, as if he were peering into my soul. This time, I didn't look away. He broke the contact after a few electric minutes and nodded. I helped him back to his tent and he laid down on the blankets he had. I turned to leave but he grabbed my hand.

"Stay," he said, looking shy and childlike. I smiled at him and sat down on the ground. He relaxed and leaned back, looking as content as I felt. I would have been happy to stay that way forever, but of course, this wasn't a fairytale and shit hit the fan real fast.