"Daryl, Thank goodness you are safe." Carol came rushing down to greet him.
"Yeah, I had a small accident. Scarlet here thou helped me out. "He said pointing to her.
"OH. I am sorry, I'm Carol. Thank you for helping him." Carol said to her with a smile.
"No big deal." Scarlet turned her head away.
"Still, thank you. We were worried about you Daryl. Come on now. We need to go let Rick now you are back. "Carol said in a mother way.
He looked back at Scarlet and smile. She knew he probably did her a huge favor by not telling the truth. They followed Carol, thru what seemed like a sea of people to Scarlet, into the prison. Scarlet notice it said 'Cell Block C' on it in bold letters. Not hard to remember Scarlet thought to herself.
They walked into the main room. "Rick, Daryl is back and has someone with him." Carol said.
With that a group of people turned and looked at her. Scarlet about jumped out of her skin. She wanted to tuck tail and run.
"HI man. What happened to you?" Rick asked.
"Nothing really got caught up and Scarlet she helped me out." Daryl shrugged.
"Son, we were worried about you. "Said Hershel, "Thank you young lady for helping him."
She looked at him and for some reason wanted to tell the older man the truth of what happened. "It was nothing," she lied.
"What do you got there?" Maggie asked her.
"Oh well, the house I found has some power to it and it had some meat in the freezer and I have a bunch of homemade wine to spare so I brought ya'll some. Least I could do for keeping him out. "Scarlet told her.
"Thanks, where are you from Scarlet?" Rick asked like he was about to cuff her or something.
"Fifteen miles on that side of the moon and I would like to keep it that way." Scarlet barked at him.
"Hey no reason to be a..." Rick started to say. When Hershel spoke up.
"Rick she has been nice enough to help out Daryl and to bring us some food. No reason to start something with this young woman. "Hershel spoke. "I am sorry dear, we been having some trouble thank you for the help."
"Well then she needs to head off to that side of the moon then. "Rick smarted off.
Scarlet dropped the bag of stuff and turned too walked out. When she felt a hand grab her.
"If she goes, then I go. "Daryl shouts to Rick.
"STOP THIS NOW. "Carol yelled to get everyone's attention. "We can't go making enemies left and right. Rick she could help us. Even if she doesn't want to stay here, she could help us get something's and makes something to drink. Daryl no needs to just leave. Please Scarlet stay and talk with us."
"Well, I will stay for now. "Scarlet said.
They all when to a table in the main room. Setting down no one said anything for what seemed like forever, when finally Hershel spoke up.
"So young lady, how did you end up here?" Hershel asked.
"Came down from Tennessee, looking to head to the CDC,"Scarlet sighed,"but I been told it is gone."
"Yes, we were there it was horrible, "Carol said with sad eyes. "Lost a good friend that day."
"I am sorry to hear that. "Scarlet said to her looking at her with some regret for being hateful not to the ass they called Rick.
"So, came this far alone or did you kill you friends?" Rick smarted off to her.
"Rick. Stop being like that to her. "Maggie stared at him.
"No. I didn't kill anyone. Been on my own about fifteen miles outside of Ringgold." Scarlet said to him with a look that could kill.
"Rick, son I think you should go. I think I will talk to her alone if she is okay with that. "Hershel said in his grandpa kinda way.
"It is fine." Scarlet said.
"Hershel, I don't like that idea. "Rick said, "She could be dangerous."
"Yes and so could anyone in the group you just brought in." Maggie stated to him.
Sighing Rick got up and walked over to Scarlet. "I dare think anything wrong you might want to think of running." Rick said to her and walks out. Followed by Carol who was fusing at him for being an ass to Scarlet. Maggie looked at her dad and with a simple nodded from him she got up and walks out to the jail cells to keep the baby and the kids in there.
"I said alone son. "Hershel said looking at Daryl.
"No, I don't think so."Daryl stated.
"It's fine. I don't think he will hurt me. He reminds me of my paw." Scarlet said to him. She touches his face.
He had gotten up from the table walked over to the bag Scarlet had brought with them and followed Maggie.
"Please understand. We all have had a hard year. I do not think he means to be that way. Just he cannot trust it seems." Hershel started.
"I can understand that, but no reason to just jump me like that." Scarlet stated.
"I understand, and I am sorry for this. I will need to ask you some small thing just so Rick knows you are safe. He trust Daryl, but you are knew. "Hershel stopped noticing she rolled her eyes when he said that, "Please do not roll your eyes. It is rude."
"Sorry. "Scarlet said.
"It is fine. Now how did you get to be here?" Hershel asked.
"Well, my dad, mom, and sister started up in Tennessee and head of Nashville thinking it would be a safe place and maybe they had a cure. When we got there we saw it in blow and in flames. It was lost. At that moment we lost my mom. She killed herself, "she stops for a minute wondering why she is telling him this, wiping away the tears forming in her eyes she continued," so we decide to head south for Atlanta . Think it be a safe bet. On the way in a small town outside of the state park my sister was taken. Walker herd got her before we could get to safety. My dad and I had to watch them eat her. Sitting and waiting for days looking at her body gone. To what they had left. Messed up part is they wanted us to and we just could bring ourselves to throw ourselves down to them. We would have rather starved then thrown ourselves to them. After what they did to my sister. Well something got their attention and they left slowly. We wait a few days to make sure, before we got down and head to Chattanooga. We had made it into Ringgold, which is right after Chatt town, and even got out of there. That is when my dad had fallen down. He couldn't breathe. Said his heart was hurting and his left arm was hurt. He had gone to long without his meds. I watched him die. I stay with him for too long I guess because he turned. At first I thought he was bitten. After I put him down, I check all over and found nothing. That is when I found out we were all sick. Hoping Atlanta was still up. I press forward. I could not let their deaths before nothing. I had to be cured. I had to have hope. Then when Daryl told me..."
Scarlet had to stop. The tears where just too much for her. She hadn't thought about it like this in a long while. She put her hands to her eyes and sobbed. Hershel moved himself over to the sit next to her and pulled her close.
"I am sorry to hear this child. I am sorry you had to see all that. It is a hard thing to carry. God will see you thru. You have to be strong, not just for God and your family but yourself." Hershel said pulling her face to look at him, "in time you will find yourself again."
"I am sorry. It hurts so much. Why did it have to be me? I don't understand." Scarlet cried.
"You will one day. Child you will make it thru this." Hershel said wiping away her tearing, "Now, I notice you and Daryl seem to like one another."
"How did you know? "Scarlet said threw her tears.
"Child, I am old. I have seen things. "Hershel smiled down at her. "Maybe he is your purpose for living. I think you two can help each other heal in ways you cannot see yet. Neither cans him."
"Well, maybe. I just don't know about it."Scarlet said.
"Well do you plan on staying at your house you have found or here?" Hershel asked moving on with it.
"Well I have two mules and a dog it would be hard getting them thru the fence here. So, I have to stay there till then. I don't know what he plans to do thou. I told him he could come visit me when he wanted to." Scarlet stated.
"I think, he will do it more than you think. I have only seen him stand up to Rick a few times like that, to be honest with I think if he wanted to he could lead this group, but that not the point now is it. He chose to follow till he gets the chance to leave. Hasn't yet because he hasn't had reason to yet." Hershel explained to her.
"Really? "Scarlet questioned him.
"Yes, but before he goes I must speak with him. Is that okay with you?" Hershel asked her.
"I can't stop you." Scarlet told him.
"Yes well, when you leave I believe he will be going. Scarlet, I don't think you realize what hold you have on him." Hershel told her.
"What do you mean? We just meant. "She questioned him.
"Yes, that maybe so. See, child, he has been walking alone. Even with us here he chose to walk by himself. I don't know if he feels felt behind or what it is. There is something about you thou, that has made him not feel that way." Hershel stopped looking for the right words to say,"You two seem to one in the same, walking alone in this dead world. Both of you need someone. No one can all ways walk that way. Darkness will find you and take you down a horrible path."
"How can you know any of this?" Scarlet asked.
Hershel laughed, "I'm old what can I say. Just be there when he needs you and go to him when you need him. You and he will move on."
"Well, did you get what you wanted from me?" Scarlet asked him.
"Yes, I did. Now will, you please go find Daryl for me and ask him to come see me." Hershel smiled at her.
"Yeah,"she said getting up from the table.
Walking the way he had went when he left, she was thinking about everything that had just taking place. She had some things to think about now. She had found herself tell someone everything and she didn't like the fact. Hershel had been right though. She needed to move on and needed someone to help her with it. She was finding herself like Daryl more and more. She was looking down when she was thinking about running into Daryl.
"What is it?" Daryl asked her.
"Oh, He wants to see you. "Scarlet looked up at him, "said he needs to talk to you about something."
"What about?" Daryl questioned her.
"I don't know. He just said he wanted to speak with you before I leave." Scarlet said.
"Well, I will be right back then. "Daryl said looking into her eyes. "Have I told you yet how beautiful your eyes are?"
"Stop that, "she blushed.
He turned and walked out the cell room into the main room. She watches him as he walked out. Sighing when he sat down across from Hershel. She turns to see Maggie, a teenage girl, a boy and a baby in her arms.
"I'm Beth. Who are you?" Beth spoke.
"I'm Scarlet. Nice to meets you." Scarlet said.
"I'm Maggie. This is Carl, and lil' Judy." Maggie said.
"Hi, I am sorry about earlier." Scarlet said.
"I am sorry. Rick just has..." Maggie started.
"Shut up. He is probably right to not trust her." Carl spoke up.
"Hush Carl, you were not in there. Your dad was rude for no reason. She brought us food and help Daryl when she didn't have to." Maggie fussed.
Carl huffed and walked away. He wasn't happy about being told to hush up and didn't like they fact he was going to have to be nice to someone his dad didn't like.
"I am sorry about that, he lost his mom a lil while back and hasn't been right since." Maggie said.
"I am sorry to hear that." Scarlet understood where he was coming from. Now understood why Rick was acting the way he did.
"I am sorry. We just had new people in here and things are just crazy. "Said Maggie.
"It is fine. I understand. More than you can image." Scarlet told her.
"You like Daryl don't you?" Beth asked.
"Beth, you can't just ask someone that kind of stuff." Maggie scoffed.
"It is fine. "Scarlet laughed, looking over at Beth, "I do like him yes."
"I knew it." Beth said.
"Beth, stop it." Maggie said.
Scarlet felt better about being here. She starts to not want to take him away from all this. Started feeling guilty. She cared for him. It had move passed that lust into something more. She believed it started after last night. She was letting her walls down. She didn't like this, but she knew she needs him. She knew it was love yet, but it could easy go there.
"So, are you going to come live at the prison with us?" Maggie asked.
"No, I have a promise to keep, plus I have a dog and two mules it would be hard getting them all here. All that food and stuff. It would take to many people to get it all here. Those things are attached to large groups like that." Scarlet explain to them.
"That is too bad." Beth said, "It would have been nice to have a new face in the group."
"Isn't there a bunch of new people here?" Scarlet asked.
"Yeah, it isn't the same. "Beth said hanging her head.
"Well you just have to go make friends. "Maggie said.
"See, I told you it was a good idea to put yourself out there." Maggie said to her.
Scarlet laugh at this. It was reminding her of her sister and her. It warmed her heart. She needed to go soon though. So she could get out the mules and dog. Feed the mules and cook food for the dog.
"Maggie do you think it would be wrong if Daryl came with me? "Scarlet asked her. She didn't even know why she was wondering. It was up to Daryl not the group.
"Well, Rick won't like it, but it is up to Daryl. Also, I can see he likes you. It would be wrong for us to get involved like that." Maggie said.
Scarlet smiled at that. She wanted to hug Maggie. She turned to look at Daryl and Hershel. She had caught the eyes of Daryl looking at her. He had turned his attention to back to Hershel. After a few minutes later she had seen Daryl get up and shake Hershel's hand.
She walked into the room over to them. Daryl had walked to meet her and had taken him into his arms and pulled her close. She was wondering what he had just talked to Hershel about. She didn't want to leave this embraces though. So, she held still. Noticing Hershel was looking up at them and smiling. With that she knew it was a good thing. Daryl pulled back and looked down at her kissed her forehead. Smiling down at her, Daryl asked if she was ready to go home.
"Yeah. Thanks for the talk Hershel. I will see you later okay." Scarlet said to Hershel