Hey everyone! I can't believe how long it's been since I uploaded! Finals are finally over and I am hoping to have a lot of free time over the next month before next semester to write and catch up on my stories! I really appreciate everyone who is sticking with me through this and I hope you all enjoy the chapter! Please leave me a review and let me know how I'm doing!
The morning sun broke across the horizon as the group gathered themselves in front of the RV to prepare for the search for Sophia.
It had been decided that Dale would stay behind with the RV while the rest would venture into the woods to look for their missing little girl. Piper wanted nothing more than to leave Bailey here with Dale, but since Carl was now allowed to go along, she didn't want to leave Dale with the little girl without another kid to entertain her, so she decided to take the little girl along.
The group trudged along, spacing themselves out to cover more ground, but always staying within yelling distance. Piper was currently walking next to Shane with Bailey perched on her hip. She brushed some sweat from her forehead and shifted Bailey in her arms. The Georgia heat was really getting to her and she didn't know how much longer she could keep up the fast paced walking.
Shane noticed her distress and took the shotgun from around his body, leaning it against a tree. He grabbed Piper's shoulder gently and smirked at her before easily taking Bailey into his own arms. Piper started to protest, but was silenced by a raised eyebrow from Shane.
"Don't worry about it darlin'. Just grab my gun and stay close. You'll need to be our watch dog for a while." He grinned at her playfully when she huffed at him.
"Shane Walsh, you are in for a major ass kicking if you don't watch it." She threw over her shoulder as her eyes flickered around the forest for signs of danger or Sophia.
The group kept up the grueling pace for most of the morning before they stumbled upon a small campsite. The tent was zipped closed and the fire pit had obviously not been used for a while.
Shane held one arm out to stop Carol from rushing forward. Rick and Daryl stalked forward quietly. Piper held back, nervously glancing between the forest and the tent. When they got close to the entrance, Rick ushered Carol forward.
"If Sophia is in there, it's your voice she's gonna wanna hear. Call out to her, softly." Carol nodded and wrung her hands anxiously as she edged her way past Shane.
"Sophia? Sweetie, are you in there? It's me, Sophia it's mommy." When the tent remained silent, Rick and Daryl carefully unzipped the flap and Daryl lifted his crossbow and crawled inside.
"What's in there?" Rick called quietly. Daryl said nothing, staying in the tent for a few tense, silent moments before stepping out of the tent, shaking his head.
"It ain't her. Some guy, did what Jenner said. Opted out?" Piper let out a disheartened sigh, and eased from her tense position.
"Alright, let's keep moving." Rick said as he began to lead the group forward.
Shane adjusted his grip on Bailey and trudged forward. Piper could tell that he was losing hope quickly. He wouldn't express his concerns out loud, but from the tension in the way he walked and the frustration in his expression, Piper could tell what he was thinking.
Before she could talk to him about it, the group heard loud church bells dinging in the distance. Everybody froze and looked at each other in shock.
"Those are church bells…" Piper said quietly.
"Who would be ringing them?" Glenn questioned nervously.
"Anyone could. Could be Sophia. Or someone callin' for help." Rick was getting visibly more worked up as the group stood there.
"Man, maybe we should think about this for a minute." Shane trailed off worriedly.
"We don't have time. If that's Sophia ringing those bells, she's calling the walkers right to her."
With that, the group rushed off, heading in the direction they suspected the noise was coming from.
When they reached the church, everyone scattered to find the source of the chiming bells. Piper gripped Shane's arm and tugged Bailey into her own, allowing him to take back the shotgun and follow the others around the church. Bailey hugged her arms around Piper's neck fearfully, tucking her head into her neck to hide her face. Piper held the girl tightly to her and jogged up to the church cautiously.
By the time she approached the church, the ringing had already stopped and Piper saw that it wasn't an actual bell on the church. She sighed in disappointment and watched as Carol walked into the church.
Piper walked to the steps in front of the church where Shane was seated and sat down next to him, adjusting Bailey so she was sitting comfortably in her lap.
"What do we do now?" Piper asked sadly. This had been their best lead. Without a trail to follow, it would be almost impossible to find Sophia.
"I don't know. We'll have to see what Rick has planned." Piper leaned against Shane's shoulder, offering some comfort as she ran a hand through Bailey's hair.
Carl walked up to the trio and fidgeted anxiously. "We have to find her. She's out there somewhere." Piper smiled at him sadly.
"Don't worry Carl, we haven't given up yet." Carl nodded his head and wrung his hands as he waited for his parents to come out of the church. Andrea was pacing in frustration, but said nothing to the others. Glen was twisting his hat nervously as he waited for the group to decide on their next move.
Bailey had dozed off, and Piper cradled her gently before turning to face the others when she heard them coming out of the church.
"We're gonna split up. Shane and I will take another trip through the woods, cover some more ground. Daryl is gonna lead the rest of you back to camp."
"I'm going too." Carl said stubbornly. Rick went to argue, but sent Lori a questioning look. She glanced down at Carl worriedly before sighing in defeat. She leaned down and rested her hands on his shoulders.
"You be careful, and do what you're told, understood?" Carl nodded his head vehemently and bounced in place.
"I'll come with you." Piper decided. Rick started to shake his head, but Piper cut him off. "I don't think it's a good idea to keep the group split so unevenly. I'll let them take Bailey back with them, don't worry." She looked between Rick and Shane with determination and they final agreed.
Piper turned to the rest of the group that was heading back to see who would be willing to carry Bailey, but before she could say anything Carol walked up to her and smiled, easing Bailey out of her hands and handing her a machete.
"Thanks Carol. You guys be careful alright?" The group said their goodbyes and Piper's group began their trek through the woods.
Carl was extremely quiet and well-behaved, but the three adults could practically feel his anxious energy as they searched for Sophia. Piper walked next to him and ruffled his hair playfully, hoping to lighten the boy's mood. It worked as he cracked a smile and his tense posture relaxed.
She looked ahead again to Shane and Rick talking in hushed tones. She felt Carl grab her sleeve and tug on it roughly. She looked down and saw him pointing in front of them. She turned her gaze and was amazed to see a large buck foraging through the grass just a little ways in front of them. She smiled and nodded down at Carl when he sent her an asking glance.
She nudged him forward and followed up to where Shane and Rick were. Shane hadn't seen Carl notice the deer, and had his gun up to shoot the deer. Piper rested a hand on his forearm to stop him and looked pointedly at the boy who was slowly but surely approaching the deer.
It didn't look afraid, just watching the boy with curiosity. The three adults watched with warm smiles as they watched the young boy interact with the wild animal.
Just as Carl was reaching forward to try and touch it, a loud crack sounded and both the boy and the deer dropped to the ground.