DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Walking Dead.
Thank you so much I'm a Nerd and Proud, ChasingWolves, littlemissfangirl00 and DreamsKillReality for your reviews they make me so happy to update :D And I also want to thank tashriia for favoring and las131984 and xmenfan33 for following.
Hope everyone is enjoying it so far and sad to say we are about half way done with the story 13 out of 27 only 14 more to go.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When everyone finally wakes up for the day and after a small breakfast, Eva gets everyone started on packing up the bus. If they would have had to leave in a hurry last night they would have lost a lot of supplies like food, weapons, medicine and stuff for the baby.
When almost all of the bags and boxes are packed away in the bus Eva notices Sophia sitting on the porch swing, hugging her knees to her chest. So after handing Cody the box of blankets, she walks up the steps and sits down gently next to Sophia.
"What's wrong sweetheart?" Eva asks her while rubbing her back softly. Sophia just shakes her head and buries her face in her knees. "Hun, I can't fix it if you don't tell me." She said while turning more towards the girl, getting concerned.
"I don't want to leave, you haven't found mama yet." Sophia says her voice muffled from her legs. Eva sighs and pulls Sophia into her arms and kisses the top of her head.
"I don't want to leave and we won't until something happens, but those gunshots last night will bring walkers to town and they might come this way... and you know there is a bad group of people, alive people that want to take what we have. We can't stay here if it's not safe." Eva says as she starts rocking the swing back and forth.
Sophia nods her head slowly and it makes Eva sad but she is not gonna lie to the girl. "When I first found you I told you I would do everything I can possible do to not only get you back to your mother but to keep you safe. Your safety comes first Sophia, keeping you alive... even if that means you never see your mother again." Eva reluctantly says and she can feel Sophia's body stiffen before relaxing as the girl begins to cry silently into Eva's lap.
She sits there on the swing, rocking it gently, comforting the crying girl. They sit there for a while ever after Sophia stops crying as they look out past the bus and trucks and out to the fields and trees, taking in the beauty and peacefulness of it.
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Daryl can't believe his ears when Carol tells them about the note from some girl that has Sophia. Part of him is happy they have such a good lead on Sophia but the other, nagging in the back of his brain was a little sad. He liked how much the group looked to him to find the girl, he guesses Merle was right after all, no one will love but him.
"Most of these places are too close to town, with what happened yesterday it's not safe to leave a message there." Glenn said as they all look over the map of the town and the map on the back of the poster that has X's where this Eva person wants them to leave the answers.
"This one here, is not too far from here, the welcome to sign is our best bet. At least until the walkers in town die down." Maggie said and they all agree and Rick asks Hershel if they have any paint.
"Yes, Jimmy, go to the basement there should be some on one of the shelves in the back." Hershel says and they watch the boy run off to the house before turning back to the map and the note.
"Ok Daryl, Shane, Carol and I will go to the sign, paint the answers and we will see about this one here, it's not too far from the highway where we were. What do you think Daryl?" Rick says and Daryl looks up at him before nodding his head, he can't believe Rick is looking to him for advice and not Shane.
"After checking those two places we should take the long way back here, just to be safe. We don't know where that other group is." Daryl tells him and Rick nods his head before telling him that they will just take the green car just to be safe, less noise.
After Jimmy gets back with a half-gallon of brown paint and a few brushes, he, Rick and Carol pack up the car with some supplies. While Rick is telling the group to stay in or close to the house, Daryl re-reads the note one more time, that nagging feeling getting smaller each time he reads the words.
The ride to the sign is short but with the tension from Rick and Shane it makes it feel like hours not minutes. When they get to the sign he quickly pops open the can of paint and writes EVA + SOPHIA at the top before writing down the girls birthday and middle name that Carol tells him from beside him as he paints.
He knows the last answers since he is the one to find her doll in the first place. At the bottom of the sign he writes Carols and Rick's names just to make sure she knows that it's really them.
"You think maybe I should stay, I can climb that tree there. No one would see." Daryl asks Rick as they watch Carol as she stares at the sign for a moment. "No, we don't want to take that chance of her or her group seeing you and getting spooked, we might not get another chance then." Rick tells him and he agrees, that would be awful, being that closed just for him to scare them off.
"Just hate not doing' anything, just sit at the farm and wait for another note." He says and Rick nods agreeing with him. "Yeah I feel the same but this is just one step closer than we were all week." Rick tells him before they turn and get in the car.
Daryl climbs in the back seat with Carol and he stares at the back of Shane's sulking head. Rick doesn't trust him enough to be alone on the farm without him, Rick all but said so when they fought about Shane coming with, before they left the farm.
They can't get to the other place because of a small group of walkers that Rick doesn't want to risk. Carol says it's fine at least they got one of the places marked and now they just have to wait a bit longer.
Daryl looks over at Carol as they drive back to the farm and he is happy to see her smiling, a real smile as she holds Sophia's doll in her lap.
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Seeing as how Eva doesn't want to take the chance of getting trapped in town or leaving the farm unprotected, she and Charlie agree to wait one more day before trying the outer places to see if they replied, leaving the ones in town for another day.
Since she can't go into town and can't stand seeing Sophia's sad eyes anymore she has the girls all do shooting practice, all three of them getting a lot better, even Sophia.
As to not leave out the boy she continues her lessons with the Swiss army knife she gave him and what to do if he is alone. When Sophia told her how easily she got lost and didn't know what to do when she was, Eva quickly started all the kids on survival lessons.
Each lesson ranging from how to build a fire or how to climb a tree or build a shelter, to how to make a snare trap for food and which plants are good and bad, to basic and advanced first aid, to what to do with a walker or walkers. She has even started on Math, English and some Science as well.
She wants them all prepared if they get separated and she knows that she, Jenna, Abigail, Cody and Charlie will not be around to protect them forever.
After what happened to her with those... those men, Eva starts teaching the girls some self-defense moves after they are done with shooting practice. She will teach them more later but for now she is just showing them the basics.
Later that night after a long day of lessons they all sit around relaxing in the living room, Eva sits down on the chair to start her watch as she listens to the various talking with in the living room.
It makes her very happy to hear them all talking and laughing and hearing Warren's giggling from Mel's peek a boo's, to Kailee naming off names from the baby book to the boy, still trying to find his name.
After changing places with Cody, she takes the warm bottle from Jenna after she sifts Warren around to a comfortable position. She sits down next to Abigail on the couch and she starts to feed him as she watches the boy shake his head after each name Kailee says.
"Harrison... Harry... Harvey... Hastings... Hayden... Hayden... is that your name!" Kailee yells while laughing and Eva quickly looks up from Warren's sleepy face to look and she sees both Kailee and the boy laughing.
"Is your name Hayden?" Eva asks while siting forward on the couch and he looks towards her with a big smile on his face before busting full of giggles. She gently hands the sleepy Warren over to Abigail before standing up and picking up the boy... Hayden, up into her arms.
The mood considerably rises after learning Hayden's name making their small new family so very happy. They stay awake for a while not wanting to ruin their moment of happiness.
After getting the boy...Hayden a bath and laying Warren down in his crib, she lies down with him and Sophia and she sings the lullaby before following them into sleep.
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Shane lays there in his tent, clenching and unclenching his fists. He can't believe Rick... god he is so angry, his teeth ache from how hard he is clenching his jaw. He can see it... saw it, he was so close, so close to getting the group over to his side, to make him leader again and then Rick comes back after leaving AGAIN and comes back with that fucking note, screwing everything up... he was so close.
And to top it off Rick tells him in front of the whole group that he doesn't trust him to be alone on the farm without him there. But what really pisses him off more than any of that is how Rick asked that fucking backwoods redneck for his opinion on what they should to do. His best friend asks that asshole but not him... HIM.
The longer he stays awake the worst his thoughts grow and his anger. His only good thoughts are of Carl and Lori and their baby that is growing in her belly. He knows he has to be smart about it and careful, taking out Rick has to be perfect or the group won't follow him.
He eyes widen when he realizes what he was just thinking about. He rubs his eyes and shakes his head before finally relaxing against his pillow, sleep finally coming to him moments later.
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After having a nice breakfast with everyone, Eva and Charlie check their bags to get ready for their day checking to see if they have any replies. Eva places her bag and her bow in the backseat before closing the door and turning around to face Jenna and Cody.
"I want a least two of you on watch until we get back. No noise and don't leave the house for anything. Radio us if there is a problem channel one or two." Eva says and they both tell her ok before giving her and Charlie a hug before going back inside with the others, she and Charlie have already said their goodbyes to the others.
Eva climbs in the passenger seat reluctantly, Charlie wanting to give her leg some more rest and he starts driving to go and check the specified places on the map.
She shakes her head as Charlie backs up away from the third place seeing nothing in the binoculars but walkers, so he drives off to the next place and then the next. Eva looks up from the map and over to Charlie when he slams on the breaks, she quickly scans the road ahead and sees nothing wrong.
She looks at him again before looking around trying to find what is wrong, when she sees the welcome sign further down the road with bold writing all over it and her breath catches in her throat.
She tries not getting her hopes up as Charlie slowly inches forward and he grabs her hand and she starts crying and laughing when she sees 'EVA + SOPHIA' at the top when they get closer.
So much weight melts away from her shoulders as she read each correct answer on the welcome sign. She quickly turns around and grabs one of the posters under the back seat and a sharpie pen.
CAROL
I'm so happy to see these answers and Sophia will be too. She has been very sad these past few days, so it will be amazing to finally bring her some good news.
Within the next few days I will leave a bag hanging from the tree to the left of this sign. Inside the bag will be a radio, make sure it is on Chanel three and that you are at least within two miles of town to reach us. I hope to hear from you very soon and stay away from town it is crawling with walkers. One more question so I know it is you who find this note what was Sophia bedroom color. ~EVA
After reading over the note one more time as she grabs the duct tape from Charlie and she climbs out of the truck and she quickly tapes up the bright florescent pink note up over the answers.
She looks at it one more time before climbing back into the truck and she nods to Charlie who turns the truck around so they can take the long way back home so they can tell Sophia the great news.
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Carol wanted to leave earlier that morning but Rick convinced her to wait a while to give Eva a chance to see their note. So after having a nice breakfast and a small lunch they pack up the car and take off to see if there is anything.
Daryl looks away from the window when the car slows down and he hears Rick laughing so he and Carol lean to the middle and look out towards the sign and he sighs in relief while Carol covers her mouth as she starts to cry a little.
"I'm so happy to see these answers and Sophia will be too. She has been very sad these past few days, so it will be amazing to finally bring her some good news. Within the next few days I will leave a bag hanging from the tree to the left of this sign. Inside the bag will be a radio, make sure it is on Chanel three and that you are at least within two miles of town to reach us. I hope to hear from you very soon and stay away from town it is crawling with walkers. Eva... oh." Carol reads aloud to them as she starts laughing and crying and Rick pulls her into his arms and Daryl smiles.
"They just left the note within the last few hours so she and Sophia are close by. We will come check again tomorrow around the same time every day until we get that bag. But for now let's go back to the farm I don't want to be out here longer than we have to." Rick says after letting go of Carol and she nods before walking back to the car, the note held tightly to her chest. Before leaving Daryl paints 'ok and yellow/white trim' for Sophia's bedroom color so they will know it's them that got the note.
After getting back to the farm they all celebrate a little all of their hopes rising as Carol re-reads the note again for the others. Rick tells them that they will check every day for the bag. He then tells them that they shouldn't get their hopes up too high there are so many chances for things to go wrong but seeing as how she replied only hours after them it's a good chance that something for once will be in their favor.
Daryl says good night to Carol before going into his tent. He lays there staring up at the cloth celling watching the last rays of light fade away and the weight of looking for Sophia slowly lifts off his shoulders as it fades.
He felt that it was his fault everyday he came back without her and now in a small way he can bring her back to the group and to Carol. He prays for the first time in a long time that Eva replies soon.
He sighs once more before finally letting sleep take him, he has the midnight watch and he needs some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.
Rick wants shifts all day and night because of what happened in town with those men, a watch for the kid in the shed, plus he wants to go out hunting for a few hours to bring back some meat.
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Cody can't get the smile off his face as he walks the fence line, checking to make sure it is still intact. He can't believe that Sophia's mom and group replied, he thought they would just assume the girl died, she was lost for about a week, with walkers and you knows what else.
He looks further down the fence line and sees a board hanging half off into the field and he quickly runs up ahead while clutching the axe tighter in his hands. When he gets close he sees drag marks coming from under the fence and towards the tall overgrown grass. He looks at the board and gags when he sees blackish blood and torn pieces of skins hanging from it.
He turns and looks towards the house, he doesn't want to disrupt the happiness in the house, and with something he can take care of himself. So he follows the drag makes slowly into the tall grass.
After telling Eva and Charlie that the west and south fence line are just fine, he makes his way to the bathroom not remembering what Jenna said about the north and east sides of the fence.
He shuts and locks the door trying not to panic as he goes through the bag that is on the counter. He pulls out peroxide and some gauze before sitting down on the floor.
His hands shake as he pulls up his pant leg and then he sighs with some relief. He's ok, he's ok, he feels fine, no fever and the walker barely broke the skin of his leg. He thought to himself in his head as he cleaned and wrapped up his leg.
He walks back into the living room and smiles with everyone as they laugh with the very happy Sophia. He sits down next to his mother and looks over to Eva smiling face. No, he won't say anything, since there is nothing wrong, he's ok.