"Sam, can you help me drag this log over?" Glenn called from the treeline. I rubbed my eyes and walked over, revelling in the cool morning sun.

"Why?" I asked as I stopped in front of him, hand on my hip.

"It saves the rest of us sitting on the floor when all the chairs have been taken." He said simply.

"That's a good idea, but I don't know how long we're going to be staying.." I sighed, but he shrugged.

"Then we can just roll it back."

We stood about considering how to get it there. It would break our backs if we lifted it. We decided to roll the big hunk of wood, and so we pushed hard against it, setting it gently rolling so we didn't have to do much work.

We rolled it right down to the fire pit and set it so it wouldn't be in the way of anybody.

"Good call." I commended him as I stepped over the log. He grinned at me as he began dusting off the log.

People had started to emerge from their tents just as the sun had begin to fully rise, sleepy faces and hair everywhere.

"Morning Sam, Glenn." Rick nodded as he headed towards us from the house. He must have spent the night with Carl.

"Are we gonna start searching today?" I asked him quietly. He nodded solemnly and I sighed.

The group began gathering together for food and instructions about the search. Daryl exited his tent last, his eyes briefly meeting mine as he walked towards the group, but his face gritted and he looked away, opting to look at Carol. I watched as she smiled weakly at him.

"We're going to search within a couple miles of the farm today. I know it's not far, but there's every chance Sophia came this way. Any questions?" Rick announced, his eyes searching. No one spoke.

"Okay. We'll look at the maps and leave as soon as we're done." He said with a stout nod.

We ate in relative quiet, small talk filling in any extended silences. It was tense, to say the least.

I glanced at Daryl, thinking about the night before. His eyes shot up to meet mine, giving me an icy stare before looking down again. This continued for the whole duration of breakfast.

Okay, he may be annoyed or whatever, but I did nothing wrong. I commended him on acting like a human being, and now I'm getting the cold shoulder! Well, colder than before, anyway.

Maybe it was weird for him, but he doesn't have to act like a brat. Maybe I should have just kept quiet. But then again, why should I? We all have to live with each other, so why does it have to be difficult and awkward?

As soon as we had finished eating, everyone who was going to help look for Sophia gathered around the hood of our truck, maps from Hershel spread out. Rick, Shane, Daryl and Glenn hovered while I was standing next to Andrea, chewing my lip.

"Okay, we're here, and I last saw Sophia around here. I think if we all search within a mile or two of the farm, we can branch out in this direction..." Rick explained, pointing to various places on the map. I could feel my head starting to swim.

"Are we searching individually?" I asked.

"Yeah. I figure we could cover more ground that way." He said and I nodded. Well great. I'm definitely going to get lost.

"Sam?" Someone called behind. We all looked round to see Patricia standing a few yards away, twiddling her hands.

I looked back at Rick who nodded before I walked over to her, smiling. I could feel all eyes on us, and I tried suppressing a grimace.

"Patricia, is everything okay?" I asked, laying a hand on her arm. She sighed, but smiled weakly.

"Sam, if it's alright with you, I still want to give Helena some medical training. O.. Otis would've wanted it, he would have been proud of me to keep teaching her, giving her something important. I know that. He was proud of me when I started. And it would be a welcome distraction, it'd keep me on my toes." She explained, her voice and eyes low. I was taken aback, but I was, in a way, glad.

"That would be brilliant. But you have to keep it at your own pace. There's no rush." I smiled. Her gaze snapped up to me and she smiled too.

"We'll get started straight away." She reached up and squeezed my arm before turning to walk to Helena, who looked extremely excited as Patricia approached.

I watched her walk away before turning back and walking back to the search party, their expressions curious.

"What?"

The trees were thicker in my area, little light penetrating through the treetops. It made the area colder, the air more stifled.

And it was eerie as hell.

I snuck along with my machete drawn high, and a handgun tucked at an easily accessible part of my jeans waistband. I wasn't taking any chances.

I'd been given behind the house and out to check, covering a square mile or two. It sounded like a lot at first, but after only being out searching for a few hours, it didn't feel like enough.

In all honesty, I didn't fully remember which way it was back to camp. I had a vague idea, but I wasn't ready to head back just yet. I still had hours of daylight left.

Looking around, the trees seemed less thick as I headed into a clearer area. The sun came through the spaces more, it's rays hitting my skin.

I rolled the sleeves of my shirt up, and pulled my hair up into a bun, my eyes constantly searching.

It was good to be out and on my toes again. Well, under the circumstances, it sucked more than anything. But I was doing nothing before. I was hunting, yeah, but I'd often walk about the farm with no weapon which was careless. I needed to focus on what was really out there. What was really after us.

I pushed myself forward, scanning the area for Sophia. Or any walkers.

I walked for another sweltering hour or so before there was an extremely unpleasant crunch underfoot. I winced at the harsh sound and looked down to find a small carcus.

I stepped back and leant down to look at it. It had been completely stripped to the bone, a few little scraps littered about and thanks to me, broken. Judging by the reddish-brown colour of a bit of bushy fur attached to the tailbone, it must have been a fox.

I had no doubt it had been a walker that had finished it off, but I wondered how it could've caught a fox.

If it was a walker, it means that it would've been through this way. I just hope Sophia went in another direction.

Feeling myself switch to high alert, I began walking back to the farm. It was going to get dark soon - I'd seriously underestimated the time as the light was considerably dimmer where I was. I gripped my machete tightly as I walked, wiping my forehead with the back of my hand.

It felt weird, looking for Sophia. It hadn't sunk in as I wasn't feeling as raw and as broken up about it as I should've been. I should have cried, been worried. Something. All I've felt is a grim determination. Maybe I was trying to focus on finding her alive, and not anything else.

I shook my head, trying to refocus myself. Of course I'm worried about her. Of course I'm terrified for her. Those feelings just haven't come to the boil. They'll probably hit me when I'm not doing anything, when all I can do is just think.

Eugh. Doing psychology on yourself doesn't work.

It took me two hours to get back, and that was only because I had jogged. I managed to get to the farm just as daylight was dying and the dark had crept in.

"Sam, where the hell have you been?" Rick called as I slowed to a walk between the house and the barn, my chest heaving.

I felt heads snap in my direction and saw Alex jump up and hover behind Rick. Oh, I was definitely in for a lecture.

"Sorry to worry anyone. I just wanted to get as far as daylight would let me." I panted and shrugged as I walked past him through the middle of the group towards my tent.

"I understand that, but we were starting to worry that you weren't going to show. We were going to come and find you." He sighed.

"I'm fine though." I called as I walked into my tent, hoping they were just going to drop it. I put my rucksack down and untucked my gun from my waistband. I laid my machete on top of my bag and walked back out of the tent.

All of the group had returned from their search and were getting something to eat, meaning I was the last back. As always.

"Did you find anything?" Glenn asked. I sighed, glad to see that I didn't get a lecture after all.

I searched the group for Carol and didn't find her, so I shook my head as I walked towards the rest of the group, crouching in front of them.

"I didn't want to either. I found a carcus, of a fox I think. It was almost totally stripped to the bone. I think it was a walker." I divulged, sighing.

They looked at me and between themselves, a sad and desperate look in their expression.

I sat back and crossed my legs, my head on my hands.

"How ya know it were a fox? Or a geek?" Daryl grunted, making my head lift back up.

"There was part of its tail left. It was bushy and red. Fox-like. And I don't know if it was. It just seemed most likely." I answered, meeting his gaze.

He looked me over almost suspiciously and shrugged before sighing and looking back down at his plate of food.

The fire behind me began picking up, warming my back in the cool evening air. I rolled my tired shoulders and sighed, looking at the group.

Helena walked over with a plate of food and sat herself in my lap. We both ate from the plate as she told me about what Patricia had taught her that day.

"Were you extra nice to her?" I asked as I put a slice of canned ham in my mouth.

"Yeah. I was as kind as I could be, and thanked her a lot." She said as she nodded vigorously. I put an arm around her and hugged her.

"Good girl."

We sat in silence while we finished eating listening to the conversation of the rest of the group. Helena got up to go sit with Alex, and deciding something on the spot I stood, brushing myself off.

I walked towards our truck and got out a bottle of water before walking up to the RV. I could feel eyes following me as I walked, and a certain pair burning into my back as I knocked on the RV door and waited. What was it with this group and watching me today? It was starting to get on my nerves.

"Yeah?" A broken voice called out weakly from inside.

"It's Sam. I'm coming in, okay?" I responded, and walked in before she could answer.

I stepped into the RV and shut the door behind me, looking for Carol.

I spotted movement in the back room and headed in that direction. I stopped in the doorway, hesitating.

"Hey Carol." I said gently.

"Come in, Sam." She sighed.

I walked through the door and saw her teetering on the edge of the bed, hands brought up to her face.

I walked towards her and crouched, although I left a small distance between us.

"Do you want something to eat? We've got some food left, and I'm guessing you haven't eaten much today." I said, but she shook her head, her eyes fixing on something to my right.

"Well how about some water?" She shook her head again and I sighed, looking down.

"Come on. You need to drink something." I said, bringing up the bottle in my hand.

"It's quite cool. You need something to keep you going." I assured her, holding it out to her.

She eyes the bottle like I was holding out a rare creature. She took it tentatively and smiled at me, although the small smile didn't reach her eyes.

I smiled back at her, and looked around the room as she began to drink greedily. I looked where her gaze had been fixed, only to find that white flower.

I swivelled round on my foot and stood up, walking towards the pretty thing. Absently I brought my hand up and ran one of the delicate petals gently through my fingers, feeling the smooth surface of the flower. It was the perfect flower. I felt my heart sink.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Carol said from behind me, and I turned to see her stating at the flower again, a smile growing on her face.

I nodded slowly as I watched her get up and pour the remainder of the water into the beer bottle the flower was sitting in.

"It's a Cherokee Rose. Daryl told me the story of it." I listened as she explained the story, and I couldn't help but feel adrift. I was glad she was finding hope in something. But then I was feeling something else deep in my core. It was a really sucky feeling...

She finished the story, and for the first time, brought her watery eyes up to meet mine. She only met my gaze for a few seconds, but that was all I needed. Daryl had ignited something in her, some possibility that her baby girl was still alive, and she was holding on to that. All from this pretty little flower.

"It's beautiful." I murmured, my eyes fixing back onto the flower. We both slipped into a a strange silence.

"If you need anything, you know where I am." I said, snapping out of it and laid a hand on Carol's arm. She nodded slightly.

I removed my arm and walked out of the room and to the door of the RV. I opened it slightly, but paused and looked back.

She was standing with the rose now in her hand, new tears falling down her face. But there was a ghost of a smile as she looked down on her beacon of hope.

I sighed deeply and looked down, stepping out of the RV.

I looked up, only to crash into something rock hard and boiling hot. Dazed, I looked up slightly to see Daryl looking down at me with scowl on his face.

"Sorry." I muttered as I stood aside to let him past.

He looked me fiercely in the eye before walking past me and into the RV, the door shutting loudly beside me.

I stood there for a second, listening as murmurs began emitting from the RV. Sighing, I walked away and absently walked towards Otis' memorial.

I sat myself down and watched as the group chatted by the fire, the orangy glow showing their illuminated features through the dark night.

I looked away and my eyes hovered over the RV before settling on the distance.

A small movement coming round the RV caught my eye, but was relieved to see that it was only Lori. Not thinking much of it, I let my gaze wander back to the tree line.

I don't know what brought me here, what made me want to be on my own.

Recounting the story of the Cherokee Rose, I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed and completely touched by the sentiment. What surprised me though, was the face that Daryl Dixon was the person who knew the importance of it.

I brought my knees up and wrapped my arms around them, trying to ignore the cold that was trying to creep into my body. God, Georgian weather is crazy.

A door shutting made me turn to see Daryl walking out and heading back to the rest of the group. I watched as he say down and grunted to himself, which caused a small smile to creep up on my face.

I turned away and watched as the flies around me flew in intricate circles.

Of all the friendships that had blossomed, I never thought one would exist between Daryl and Carol. But he we are, Daryl being completely thoughtful and Carol seemingly dependent on that.

A heavy pang hit my stomach, making me wince slightly. I swallowed back a heavy feeling in my throat and sighed.

I looked back towards the camp and stiffened slightly when I saw Daryl staring in my direction. He didn't flinch as I looked back, he just continued to stare. Not being able to look away, I waved almost sarcastically at him. That made his gaze break as visually grunted, got up and marched to his tent.

I chuckled slightly, the smile sliding of my face as images of the rose flashed through my head.

I rubbed the back of my neck and bit my lip, forcing everything from my mind and tried to concentrate on preparing myself for the search tomorrow.

Easier said than done.

Hope you're enjoying it this far!

I know it doesn't seem like there's not much going on, or maybe there is, but that may possibly slightly change soon. ;]

I'd love to hear from you all! And thanks for reading, even if you don't show yourself. :)

- Loré. X