"Melanie, hon, wake up" I heard Daryl quietly say to me while he shook me softly. "I'm up," I said, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. I let out a small yawn and began popping and stretching all my bones that had gotten stiff from laying in the same position all night. "You ready to go and find Sophia?" My head swiveled over and I nodded without saying anything. "Alright, well let's hop up and see what the others are doing, okay?" I let out another yawn as my answer but hopped down off the tailgate and breathed in a breath of fresh air. I walked over to the RV, Daryl nipping at my heels the entire way. "Want a granola bar Melanie?" I heard Carl ask as soon as I opened the door. "And for Mr. Daryl too?" I instantly smiled at Carl asking me if Daryl wanted one. "Yes, Carl. Thanks bud!" I took them from his hands and turned to hand Daryl his. "You guys ready to go?" I heard Rick say as he slowly approached us. Daryl and I nodded while both chewing on our small breakfast. Neither of us really ever liked a big breakfast and the apocalypse definitely seemed to help especially on days when there wasn't much food to begin with.
"Everyone let's gather up here real quick to go over today's plan," Rick said taking authority. Sometimes it was hard for me to not try and take charge and that mainly had to do with the fact that I was a CO. It was in my nature and it was extremely hard to fight it whenever people like Shane tried to control me. But I just kept my mouth shut and walked over with Daryl right beside me. "Carl here found this great set of weapons yesterday" he said running his hands over his son's hair. "Everyone take one, please. Today we all are going to search the woods except for T-Dog and Dale. They're going to make sure that our things are safe while we scour the woods for Sophia." He stepped back and motioned for everyone to take weapons but before they were all taken Andrea piped up. "What about guns? That is what we need. Not these." My judging gaze quickly caught her face. "Too loud. Attract walkers that we don't need on us while we're searching," I said switching my bow to my other shoulder. "Wouldn't want anyone shooting at a branch breaking" Daryl said quickly backing me up. Shane of course couldn't keep his mouth shut either. "The only ones who are carrying is Daryl, Rick, and I. Only ones who need to." He said eyeing me. "And me." I said challenging him.
"No." he said rather forcefully. "Yes, I am," I rebuttled back. "I was a CO. I took the same tests you did and am properly trained. I AM carrying a gun. No if's, and's, or but's about it, 'officer'." Rick obviously sensing the tension cleared his throat and said, "She's fine. I've seen her shot. It's okay." I nodded my thanks to him and cleared my throat and motioned for him to continue. "Alright guys, let's get to moving."
After checking my watch, and noticing it said two I noticed we'd been walking for three hours. Stupid decision wanting to start this trek at eleven if you ask me. But of course that was because right when we were about to leave fucking Andrea had to have another tizzy, except this time with Dale. We'd come up on a tent about thirty minutes ago hoping it would be Soph, but it wasn't. My hope was slowly starting to dwindle. I never really was an optimistic person, but Daryl was and he was the only reason I was holding on. I stared at my husband from the back of the pack taking in his form. He was getting leaner but more muscular these days and if it was possible he was getting even more attractive. I'd slunk back to end of the group when Shane made Carl feel like shit so I was walking with him since I knew he didn't want to be by his mother. He'd mutter a sentence every now and then and I'd reply with a smile and a couple sentences and that was it. I knew he just wanted someone different to walk by him. There was a lapse in conversation between everyone and I swore I heard church bells. Lori and Andrea started to chat and I quickly hushed them. Instantly Daryl's head turned around and stopped to check on what was going on. "Are those church bells?" He asked while the others stood there with a blank awe etched on their face. "I think they are. Sounds like they're coming from the north. Maybe she's there ringing them!" I said patting Carl on the back and moving through the group getting to Daryl.
"Let's go then," Rick said taking off in a sprint. We all quickly followed but not before Glenn asked "How in the hell did you hear those bells?" I heard Daryl quietly chuckle and I said "Years of practice in the woods. You'd be surprised at what you'd hear if you just listen." He smiled at me and said, "Well from now on, I'll be sure to listen more." I patted him on his back while we were still running. "Are you sure you heard them" I heard Shane pipe up but just as we turned the corner a huge white church came into view. "Shane and Daryl, help me check the church! Melanie take the perimeter with Andrea!" Rick hollered out as everyone went into their respected jobs.
I instantly began walking around looking at the church noticing it didn't have any steeples, but only speakers. Maybe this wasn't the church, or maybe they rung the bells from there. Daryl flung open the doors to the church and his eyes instantly began searching for me. Shane's voice carried out from the doors of the church when he said, "Wrong church Rick. We need to go back, or at least send the women and children back. Don't need to get hung out here after dark." Rick rubbed his face and whispered something to Shane. I would have wanted to know what he said but Daryl's presence next to me made me focus on him. "Those bells are bound to go off at any time and get some walkers on our trail." He said and I nodded. As soon as I finished nodding, they went off resonating our ears. "Somebody shoot them!" I heard Lori call out. I pulled my gun out and shot one from a good distance while Shane got the other two. I holstered my gun in my pants and just smiled when Shane scowled at me. "That's my little spitfire," Daryl whispered as we started walking towards Rick.
"Careful, might have to take you around back if you keep calling me that name," I said smirking and walked ahead of him knowing good and well what I did to him. "What time is it Melanie?" Rick asked me. "It is a quarter til three. If you want us back before sundown we need to go now. We can't lollygag around anymore." Shane nodded and said, "Okay, well Daryl you and Melanie can take everyone back right?" Both Daryl and I looked at him like he was dumb. "Actually, I want Melanie to come with us. She can track and I feel like everyone would like Daryl to lead them back right?" Pretty much everyone nodded except for Carl. "It's settled then." I walked over to Daryl and pulled him off to the side. "You going to be okay with this?" He asked me, but I knew that he was the one who wasn't okay with the situation. "I've got this. I'll take them down about two more miles, and if I see nothing I'm bringing them back. Don't care if they want to push on. I'm not being stuck in here overnight without you." He just nodded and let out a long shaky breath. I pulled him over to the side of a tree where I knew no one could see us kiss. I gave him a great big kiss letting him know that I loved him. "I love you Daryl James Dixon and I AM coming back to you, don't you forget about that." He nodded and kissed my cheek and led me around the tree. "Carl's coming with us, you mind?" Rick asked me as I walked up. "Not a bit. You'll be my sidekick. Sound good?" He smiled a smile only kids in this world had. "DUH!" I laughed at his response. "Well let's take off." I said as I turned around and waved Daryl off. He ushered everyone in front of him and blew me a subtle kiss and the next thing I knew he was around the corner and off he was.
"We are only going two more miles," I said to Rick while Shane and Carl were talking. "Why's that?" he said questioningly. "Didn't want to tell you with Carol and everyone else there, but there's no way Soph could have made it this far out on her own, and us not have any sign of her. Hardly any tracks, no pieces of ripped clothing or indications she ate any of the vegetation here. I just had to keep the hope up for Carol, and myself." I saw the realization hit his face and took his surroundings in. "Yeah, that's good. How much left?" I sighed, "Not much. Wanna make sure we also get home before dark you know?" He nodded and we kept on walking. "Alright," I said quietly, "It's time to turn around and go back to camp". Shane even nodded, which surprised me. I placed my hand on the back of Carl's shoulder and ushered him forwards. "You know I'm surprised I haven't seen much wildlife out here" he said to me. "Yeah, me too. I figure we'll run up on something here soon though."
Three miles to go. I said to myself as I took a drink of water and wiped the sweat off of my forehead. It was ridiculously hot in Georgia this time of year and I definitely felt it today. There was hardly any conversation as everyone had gone through their subjects to talk about so we were just walking and pointing out little things that reminded us of the old days mostly now. I leaned down to wipe my bow off when I heard a twig snap and my bow was instantly up in the air. The others readied their weapons too but backed off when it was a deer. My hands holstered my bow on my back and then reached out to Carl. He took my hand and I mouthed to Rick "Can he touch it?". A smile came over his face and he nodded, so I pushed Carl forwards. I guided his hands and instantly felt the doe's soft wet pelt under our fingertips. He smiled up at me and I smiled back at him. He let out a small chuckle as did I. A sharp sounding crack went through the air silencing everything.
My heart instantly froze and that's when I felt the pain and my world blackened.
Hey everyone! I am so incredibly sorry for the long ass wait I put you through! But I am back for the summer now, and well I have plenty of seasons to use, lol! Please, please, please review to let me know that you guys are still reading! I don't claim the characters or TWD, but I sure wish I did.
Love you lots,
Hayley!