Hey all! Next installment! Thank you and welcome to my old and new followers! Glad to see you're sticking around! Enjoy! I do not own any of The Walking Dead.

Chapter 21

Blake shook Rick's shoulder, softly trying to wake him without scaring the shit out of him.

"Rick," she whispered, trying to rouse the distraught father. Rick immediately shot up, eyes bloodshot, checking his surroundings. So much for not scaring him? Blake thought.

"We are going to head out soon," Blake said, seeing the sun about to clear the trees in the distance.

"Yeah, lets go," Rick said, noticing the blanket on his lap. He picked it up off his body and leapt off the car, offering a hand to Blake to help her down.

"I don't need help," Blake said as she jumped off the car.

Rick nodded and together they began walking hurriedly to the rest of the caravan. When they neared the RV everyone was already wide-awake, ready to start their mission. Rick immediately went to Lori, wrapping her in his arms as she buried her pale face into his neck. He gripped her head tight and placed a gentle but long kiss onto her chestnut brown hair.

Blake's heart tightened at the emotional scene; wishing that other circumstances brought the troubled couple back together and not the disappearance of their son in an apocalyptic world. Speaking of the troubled couple Blake saw Shane not too far off, watching the couple as they embraced. If Blake was going out into the woods today she was going to need a little more than her hunting knives.

Blake approached Shane as he waited for Rick. "Hey Shane, how much ammo do we have? All I have is my hunting knives and a .38 special revolver. Got anything for that?"

"Yeah we should. Come with me to the RV and bring the gun," Shane said as he wiped some sweat from his forehead. It was comfortable last night and to think it wasn't even 8AM and the group was already breaking a sweat meant they were in for a long and hot day.

"It's in my bag on the RV," Blake spoke.

"Perfect," Shane replied as he stepped up onto the trailer steps with Blake in tow. Blake immediately went to the back of the RV to grab her abused brown backpack and pulled out the gun. She held it firmly in her hands, knowing the last time she used it she wasn't able to save Carl, her brother. She prayed she wouldn't let anyone down this time with it.

"Here, bring it out to the table," Shane's voice announced, halting her haunted memories.

She brought the weapon out of the bedroom to Shane who had taken at seat at the RV table. He took the gun and examined it.

"Nice piece. Where'd ya get it," he asked as he started ruffling through an oversized Sheriff's duffel bag.

"My father gave it to me, I always kept it in my dorm room," Blake spoke.

"Your school let you do that?" Shane asked with a small smile.

"Of course not. I would have been expelled," Blake spoke, "But I also lived in a college apartment that was at least fifteen minutes from the main campus. So, I needed some protection late at night and whenever I was there alone," she explained.

"Ever have to use it?," Shane inquired finally pulling out the appropriate box of bullets.

"No, thank god," Blake said as she watched Shane grab the revolver.

"Well, that's good. Do ya know how to reload?" Shane asked as he opened the chamber.

"Of course, I do," Blake rolled her eyes as she tried to grab her gun so she could prove herself.

"Ah ah ah," Shane said as he dumped the one bullet out of the gun. "Needed to reload soon anyway, only had this one bullet left. Surprised you didn't use it," he laughed lightly to himself. Shane looked up to see Blake's reaction but realized she was looking at the ground frowning. She looked cute frowning like that. Shane smirked while looking at her full pink lips and spoke again.

"Tell me a lil' bout yourself, girl," Shane began, "what year are you in school?"

"I was about to start my senior year, I had stayed in Atlanta over the summer this year to work and keep the apartment the school gave me. If I stayed their over the summer they would let me keep it for my senior year," Blake explained.

"How old are you," Shane asked.

"20," Blake responded. "I'd like to keep track of the days because I'm sure my 21st birthday is coming around in a little over a month," she spoke.

"21, we're gonna have to celebrate," Shane smiled as he clicked Blake's gun back into place while also handing her the remaining box of ammo.

"Yeah. Maybe if we find somewhere safe. That would be really cool," she said, thinking about the plans she had premeditated for her special birthday this year.

"Well, I'll try to think of something real special for you," Shane smirked, making Blake take a small step back.

"Les go, girl," that rough southern voice boomed from the door of the RV. Blake jumped and spun around at the loud voice. Daryl was waiting on the steps staring at Shane from his spot. "We gotta lead the group, stop fuckin' around," he snapped as he stepped off the RV.

"Bastard," Shane muttered under his breath.

"He ain't all that bad," Blake spoke, ignoring Shane's raised eyebrow and scoff. "Thanks for hookin' me up with the ammo. We should get out there now," she finished, jumping off the RV with her knapsack. Tanyon approached her lethargically.

"Don't think I'll be joining the activities today, sis. Ain't feelin' to hot," Tanyon said as he handed two bottles of water and a couple granola bars to Blake.

"Yeah, you look like shit," Blake spoke, smirking at her brother's hard glare as she used his words on him.

"Whatever. Be careful out there. Me, Dale, and T are gonna stay behind and keep an eye on our stuff. You pay attention and don't fuck around looking at Redneck McGee's ass, huh?" he said with a shit-eating grin as Blake's smirk immediately dropped off her face. Tanyon laughed at the light blush that tinged the top of her cheeks.

"Screw you, dude," Blake snapped as she quickly snatched the goods from her brothers hands and threw them in her bag.

"Don't get your panties in a twi-"

"Blake, lets go," that damn southern voice interrupted again. "We ain't got all damn day, what don't you understand?" Daryl's voice spoke impatiently.

"Alright I'm coming. Christ, Daryl," Blake said as she threw her bag on her back, smiling internally at the fact that she heard Daryl say her name.

"Talk to you later, Tan. Love you," she said as she walked away and waved.

"Bye sis. Love you too, be smart," he spoke as he watched the group disappear into the green foliage of the woods.

Blake and Daryl led the group through the woods as Rick narrated the events that had occurred the day before. Daryl led the way, immediately finding a trail of four small feet. Blake stayed a couple feet behind him to watch his back as he kept his eyes on the ground.

Glenn and Shane kept to the outskirts of the group for extra position and extra eyes in their vulnerable spots. Rick stayed in the back. "Looks like they got scared off 'round here and ran off," Daryl said as he crouched to the ground, examining broken bush branches.

"Something spooked them," Blake spoke, scanning their immediate vicinity for any signs of the two kids.

"Sophia! Carl!," Daryl spoke loudly, hoping to attract the ears of the kids rather than the living dead.

"Let's keep following the trail," Rick spoke from behind the group, scanning the area as well. Blake peeked back at Rick and then her eyes landed on the Carol and Lori, who have been standing by each other's side since the kids went missing. Rick was keeping Lori in his sights as he watched the immediate area for danger. Blake sighed, They shouldn't be separated at a time like this.

Blake tapped Daryl's shoulder as they prepared to move forward with the trail. "I'm gonna relieve Rick and let him walk with Lori for a bit. That cool?" Blake asked.

"Don' care. I'm better on my own always," Daryl grunted, his obvious annoyance to the whole situation making him grumpy. Blake just rolled her eyes at him as he turned away. Blake turned around facing the group and walked toward their leader. As she approached Carol she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, giving her a small smile. She didn't catch Carol's reaction before she continued her path to Rick.

"Hey," she spoke softly to him.

"Hey, whats wrong," Rick spoke, looking around the group to get a peek at Daryl at the front.

"Nothings wrong, was just coming back to see if you wanted to be with Lori for a little while. I can relieve you for a bit," she said. Rick glances up at his wife, watching her as she wrapped her arms around herself in obvious distress.

"Yeah, I think I'll take you up on that," he spoke softly. "I'll be back shortly, I'm sure Daryl will want you up there with him," he said. Blake scoffed.

"Yeah, definitely not what he said when I told him I was heading back here," she laughed. Rick gave her a small smile and squeezed her shoulder. With that he walked up to his wife and placed a loving hand to her back.

Blake backed up the rear and kept her eyes on the whole group, including their watchmen on the outskirts. She caught Shane's glare at Rick as the married couple grasped hands and followed Daryl. Blake questioned if Shane was going to be a problem but thought better of it. Shane is Rick's best friend…..but he did screw his wife. Blake cringed at that thought. Poor Rick.

The group moved for a few more hours, surprised that the children kept on moving as fast and as far as they did.

"This is a good sign, right?" Andrea spoke out loud to the group.

"It means they kept movin' but who knows how far they got 'fore night fell," Daryl spoke as he kept eyeing the ground. Carol broke down into another fit of tears at Daryl's words, Blake could see him cringe by the way his shoulders bunched up. Lori hooked her arm through Carol's and they continued to walk as Carol rested her head on her brunette friends boney shoulder.

The group continued to trudge their way through the woods, everyone sweating and consistently batting the mosquitoes and flies away from their sizzling skin. Blake was grateful she tanned rather than burned, she could already feel her cheeks steaming but it could be way worse. While Blake thought about her burning cheeks the group came to a sudden stop.

"Blake, mind comin' up there with me?" Rick asked from his spot next to Lori.

"Of course," Blake replied as she pulled her hunting knife from her sheath.

When Blake approached the front she saw Daryl examining the outside of an orange, dirtied up tent. She approached it with Rick and Shane by her side. The tent was big enough to fit two adults and laying outside of it was a male walker in fishing gear along with a flipped over lawn chair. Daryl entered the tent while Blake scanned the ground.

"They stayed here the night it looks like," Blake spoke, "Looks like they dragged this guy out themselves". Daryl stepped back out of the tent and looked at Carol then at Rick. Blake didn't catch any good vibes from the hunter. Blake scanned the ground a bit more to see what was causing that uncomfortable feeling. There were fresh prints closer to the tent. The feet were a bit smaller, she assumed they were Sophia's. But those were the only pair she could see; Carl's weren't along side hers. Blake's eyes shot up in fear as Daryl approached Rick. Oh no…what did he find in there?

Blake walked up to the three men silently and listened in on Daryl's recollection. "The two definitely slept in there last night, must've dragged out the body together. Think they picked some berries to eat but they definitely weren't edible," Daryl said. Lori and Carol made their way up to hear the rest of the conversation, eager to hear what possibly happened to their babies.

"There's a couple piles of fresh barf in there but no sign of the kids. I think Sophia ran off because the two prints are now going in different directions. I don't think they're together anymore," Daryl finished, waiting for the parents reactions.

Carol began to cry again into Lori's arms and tears started to prick the brunette's pearl blue eyes. "What do we do, Rick?" the worried mother spoke over the wails of her friend. Rick pinched the bridge of his nose as his head bowed to his chest. The man looked like he was going to barely keep it together himself. Shane patted his friend on the back and spoke for him, "We'll split up, some of us we'll follow one set of tracks, then another group the other. We'll meet back at the caravan by sundown. We still have several hours left of sunlight before we should get concerned. Glenn, Daryl, Lori, and Carol take one direction. Rick, Andrea, Blake and I will take the other. Do not fire a weapon unless you absolutely have to," Shane spoke with authority.

Blake nodded and turned to Daryl who was already looking at her. "So you think one of them is sick now?" she asked.

"I have a feelin' Carl ate the berries. They ain't deadly, but they'll fuck your stomach up. Doesn't look like he ate too many," Daryl said.

"Alright, well be careful out there," Blake spoke.

"Mhm," Daryl spoke as he walked away.

Blake turned to her three group members and clapped, "Lets get this show on the road," and the group separated onto their journeys.