AN: Wow, chapter 47...never thought I'd have a story this long…I considered making it into two stories, but I don't think it would make much sence to cut it off anywhere that's coming up. I'm not sure how many more chapters I'll have, but trust me, the ending will be good! I just gotta figure out how to end it…eventually. Sorry about all of the cussing in the last chapter, some people *cough* *cough* Lily, have a bit of a sailor's mouth when their angry. But, right now, Lily and Merle need to work on staying alive and searching for Daryl and Mason. Let's hope they find them soon…I know that sounds weird 'cause I'm the one writing it, but I'm honestly not sure where my ideas come from and what will come when I get in the writing zone…so here we go…Oh, and as I said before, I've never been to Rio, or any other place in South America. I've only left the US once and that was to go to Canada, so I'm not positive on how any of this would look. So, if you live there/have been there, sorry that my details are gonna be off.
"How the hell are we gonna find them?" Lily asked, thinking out loud to herself. She didn't expect a response, but Merle gave one anyway.
"Ma brother an' I got som' called we used ta use when we'd hunt. I coul' try 'em."
"That'd be great," she gave him a small smile. It was nice to see that Merle was helpful, when he needed to be.
Lily strapped Daryl's cross bow, the one he used to use all of the time, and her quiver of arrows to her back before picking up her own bow. Her gun was already tucked against her hip, and her hunting knife was strapped around her left thigh.
"Yew goin' inta a war zone?" Merle asked.
"Pretty much," she replied, stepping off the boat. He joined her on the dock, and did one of his calls. "Take the right, I'll go left."
Merle nodded. He wasn't happy about her telling him what to do, but she was looking out for his baby brother, and it'd be stupid to start a fight now, when walkers would be on their asses the moment his voice got above a whisper.
Lily's black combat boots were silent against the solid pavement under her feet. She crept up to a building and rested her back against the brick wall. She stole a peak around the corner, and a lone walker. She used the call Merle did and it turned towards her. She hoped to kill two birds with one stone-find Daryl and Mason, while killing the walker, but no such luck. Lily loaded an arrow into her bow, pulled the string back and released the arrow. It flew into the walker's left eye. She walked over to retrieve it from the disgusting rotten flesh when she heard the call that she'd just used.
"Mommy, Daddy, come home. Mommy, Daddy, come home," Emily sang softly to herself as she stared out the large bay window of the main house. "Mommy, Daddy, come home…"
"What's the matter sweetheart?" Beth asked the dark haired girl.
"Mommy and Daddy aren't back…" she said.
Beth had to think about it for a moment before she realized Emily was referring to Lily and Daryl.
"I'm sure they'll be back soon. Those two are tough…" the older girl said.
Emily just nodded and stared out the window once more. Beth stood back to her normal height, and began to walk away. "Aunt Beth?"
"Yeah, sweetie?"
"Do you love Uncle Mason?"
"With all my heart," Beth wiped a tear from her eye. Emily stood and hugged the blonde.
"He'll be back too, Y'know? Mommy and Daddy won't leave him there…"
"You think so?" Emily nodded and Beth smiled softly. "Why don't we bake some cookies for them, then."
"Okay," she still wasn't back to normal.
"Do you know what Lily and Daryl's favorites are?" Emily shook her head. "Well, Mason loves peanut butter. Is that okay with you."
"I like chocolate chip," Emily said shyly.
"Why don't we make both?"
"Okay!"
Daryl walked while helping Mason limp along. They needed to find a way out of the city and back to the island. A boat would be nice, but when they arrived none were in the harbor. But, if they didn't make it back soon…Mason would likely die. He could barely walk, but neither could Daryl, which made walking a harder task for the both of them. It also didn't help that Daryl was the shorter one, and doing more of the work, since his injury wasn't as severe.
"Just leave me," Mason pleaded.
"No way. Yer sister woul' kill me," Daryl replied with labored breathing. The pain was bothering him that much. He was hoping it would numb into only and ebb, but that hadn't happened. From his right ankle to his knee felt like flames were licking at his bones. He too wanted to give up, but the only thing that kept him going was the fact that if he died, Lily would be forced to raise their child alone. He couldn't let that happen. He wanted to see his baby grow up. Nothing was going to keep him from seeing that.
"Look…there's a…boat," Mason said, equally as worn out as Daryl. Daryl looked up and saw a white sail boat with dark blue sails. It looked oddly familiar but at that moment he didn't care.
"We coul' ask 'em fer a ride," it was clear that this boat belonged to somebody, who was most likely still alive. "An' give 'em a place back on the island."
"Yeah…let's get…there…"
Daryl helped Mason get to the boat and on it. But, they both just collapsed on the deck from exhaustion and possible sun stroke.
Lily learned that the person to reply to her call was only Merle…the two continued to search in the hot sun for the next few hours, taking down walkers as they went. The sun was starting to go down and Lily was feeling useless and helpless. She had to find Mason Daryl. She just had to.
"We can pick it up in the morning'," Merle said. Lily nodded sadly as they headed back to the dock. Lily was the first to board the boat, and saw a rather unexpected sight. She froze in her tracks.
Daryl looked up slowly. The sun was setting, giving everything around him a pale orange tent. Standing above him was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. The hair light, golden blonde hair of a goddess, with eyes that matched the perfect blue ocean, and full pink lips. He was never a believer in God, or heaven, or even hell. But, at this moment, he realized he must've died and somehow made it into heaven.
"Princess," he said weakly, as he tried to stand, but fell right back on his ass.
"Daryl Dixon don't you dare move from that spot," Lily commanded when she saw the state the boys were in. Now wasn't the time for hellos. She was more than happy that they were here, but their conditions were bad. Both were extremely dehydrated. Mason, had lost the lower half of his leg, much like Hershel did, and was still loosing blood. Daryl's belt was tightly around it, trying to hold off the blood, which didn't work very well. Daryl's face was bloody and bruised and he appeared to have a leg injury as well, but Lily couldn't be sure just yet. "Merle, can you get the ship moving?"
"Yew gonna work on these two?"
"Yes," Merle moved to the wheel of the boat. "Pull up the anchor first."
In no time the boat began to move. Lily moved into the cabin and found the necessary equipment to do what she was about to do. She kneeled in front of Mason with the battery operated iron (weird but you never know when you'll need an iron).
"Whut are yew doin'?" Daryl asked.
"I have to cartelize the wound. He'll bleed to death is I don't…"
"Good thin' he's outa it."
She turned the iron on high, and pressed it to his stump. Unfortunately, Mason woke up screaming. Daryl used his upper body to hold down Mason's, in hope to assist Lily.
"I'm sorry, Mason," Lily said as she finished. By the time she was done, Mason was out again. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, erasing the dirt in just those streaks.
"Yew had ta do it," Daryl assured her.
"I just hate seein' him in pain," she replied, wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks. "What is it that hurts?" she looked up at him, her blue eyes meeting his.
"I'm fine."
"You don't have to play the tough guy here, Daryl," Lily said.
"Ma ankle…the right one."
Lily untied the brown laces of his boot and started to pull it off, but she could see how much pain it was causing him so she stopped.
"I can cut it, if-"
"Jus' pull it," he said as he clenched his jaw. She pulled the boot off of his foot and saw how truly swollen it was, next, as gently as she could, she pulled off his sock. His food was purple and three times the size it was before.
"Can you wiggle you toes for me?" she asked. Daryl tried but he couldn't. "Does this hurt?" she touched his ankle and he flinched. "I think it might be broken…We can have Rose look at it when we get back…she's a nurse."
Daryl nodded. He stopped caring about his foot as he looked at her in the moonlight. How she looked at this moment made him think back to the night they first kissed.
"C'mere," he said. He wanted her close, so he could kiss her and be thankful she was here…with him.
She obliged, a leaned down next to him. He captured her lips with his own, but she all too soon pulled away for his liking.
"If you ever do that again, you don't wanna know what I'll do."
"Do whut?" she asked, genuinely confused about why she was mad.
"Stay behind, Daryl! Don't risk your life like that…please…" there was something off about her. She was more imploring than before she obviously needed him.
"I won' never do it again," he promised, and kissed her once more.
AN: This chapter is kinda a bonus from last chapter's screw up. I am SO sorry! I guess I must've posted 45 twice. The computer was being screwy…and I had finally gotten to work when that happened. Next chapter soon. Not sure what I'm gonna do yet. I hope to have it up by 4pm tomorrow. Today was my last day of school until the 8th. SPRING BREAK! So, expect quite a bit of writing because I'm not doing anything special. Thanks for all of your reviews and for reading!