Sorry for the delay in updates! This semester has been taking alot out of me! And with work on top of that, my writing has slowed down a lot! But I'm not abandoning any of my stories! I will work on getting more writing done so the updates can come faster, so please bear with me! It also helps to see reviews every now and then ;) They really help inspire me to write more!
I do not own The Walking Dead, only my OC's
Piper continued looking through cars as they waited for Rick and Daryl to return. Shane and Glenn showed up a little while ago, saying that the other two were following her trail and that everyone should keep scavenging for supplies for when they brought Sophia back.
Carol was pacing anxiously at the guardrail, her eyes never leaving the treeline as she waited. Lori stayed nearby, sending the woman nervous glances. Carl and Bailey were looking around together, staying close to the adults. Andrea had taken up a post on top of the RV, watching the trees for the others as well as the road for any sign of walkers. Shane was walking around stiffly, occasionally stopping to rummage through a car before going back to staring cautiously at the group's surroundings. T-dog and Dale were by the RV and Glenn was walking right behind Piper as she closed the trunk of a red sports car.
"Looks almost like the one you lost, huh Glenn?" Piper smiled slightly, nudging him with her elbow as she packed a few soup cans into her bag. He huffed and nodded.
"Yeah. And I'm sure they'll tear this one apart too." He groaned half-heartedly as he moved on to the next car. Piper giggled and followed him.
They had only been searching for a few minutes when Shane rushed up to them. "Rick and Daryl are back." He said quickly before jogging up to the two men. Piper shared a look with Glenn before following close behind Shane.
"You didn't find her?" Carol cried out as fresh tears pooled in her eyes.
"We had her trail. We'll find it again in the morning." Rick said comfortingly. Carol stared at him in shock.
"She can't spend the night out there by herself! She's just a child!" She began to sob. Piper and Lori walked up to her, hugging her and rubbing her back soothingly.
"It's too dark to keep goin' tonight. People stumblin' through the woods in the dark? Just gonna get more people lost." Daryl said uncharacteristically gently. Carol continued to sob and Lori hugged her tightly. Piper had released the woman and picked up Bailey when she approached.
"Is that blood?" Carol's voice was a whisper as all the color drained from her face.
"We took down a walker." Daryl responded. Carol whimpered and wrapped her arms around herself.
"There was no sign that it was anywhere near Sophia." Rick said reassuringly.
"How could you know that?" Piper asked curiously. Daryl sent her a glance before chuckling humourlessly.
"Cut the sonuvabitch open. Made sure." Carol gagged slightly, but nodded.
"How could you leave her there? All by herself. She's just a child!" Carol's voice was slightly accusing as she stared at Rick.
His face was pained as he lowered his voice to answer. "It was the only thing I could do that would keep her alive. I drew the walkers off and killed them. She would've been safe there."
Shane stepped forward then. "It sounds like there was nothing else he could've done, Carol. Don't worry too much. We'll all go out searching for her tomorrow, alright?" He sent her a soft smile. She nodded blankly and let Lori lead her into the RV. The rest of the group huddled awkwardly as they took in the disappearance of Sophia.
Bailey started fidgeting, so Piper put her down gently. Bailey walked over to Daryl and reached her arms up towards him. He raised an eyebrow at her before shaking his head and lifting her up into his arms. She wrapped her little arms around his neck and buried her face into his neck. He stiffened slightly for a moment before relaxing and rubbing her back gently, a slightly uncomfortable look on his face.
Piper smiled and nudged Shane in the ribs. "You better watch it officer. If you don't step up your game, you may have some competition as Bailey's favorite man." He gave a small smile, scoffing and turning to walk away.
"I don't think I have too much to worry about. I'm gonna spoil that little girl rotten. You won't even be able to handle her. You'll be beggin' me to watch her." Piper balked and glared at him.
"Don't you dare corrupt my little girl, Walsh." She pointed a finger at him warningly. He smirked and raised his hands up in surrender. Piper giggled and walked up to Daryl, brushing Bailey's hair out of her face.
"She adores you Daryl. Relax a little bit. She doesn't bite." She teased. He scoffed and readjusted his grip on the little girl.
"Don't know why I'm holding the brat anyway." Despite his harsh words, his tone was soft and affectionate, making Piper smile. She knew that if anyone was going to melt the tough redneck's heart, it would be her sweet little Bailey.
"Come on redneck. Let's get her to bed. We have a long day tomorrow." Piper led Daryl to the RV. When they got to the door, Piper bid Daryl a quiet goodnight and took Bailey into her arms. She climbed into the RV and walked back to the large bed that was in the back. She was sharing it with Carol for the night, who was currently sitting on the back corner of the bed, sending longing looks to the edge of the forest.
Piper laid Bailey down on the bed, pulling a thin sheet over her before crawling over to Carol's side. She wrapped an arm around her shoulder, but said nothing. Carol gripped her hand tightly in thanks. After a few minutes of the silent comfort, Piper squeezed Carol's shoulder one more time before lying down next to Bailey and drifting off to sleep.