Very long chapter. Also, probably the last one I will do that follows the show's actual dialogue. I thought I'd switch it up for you guys a bit, give you some interaction between the rest of the characters, but I also don't want to lose focus of the relationship between Molly and Daryl and I feel that I will if I continue to follow the show so closely. Hope you agree with that decision.

As always, gracias for all of the support! It's so easy to continue this story when I know there are so many people out there who enjoy it. You guys are amazing. Can't say it enough.

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Twenty-Seven

The only thing I remember is waking up again. Next to two dead walkers that I had obviously killed off before I passed back out.

Now, I was makin' my way back to the farm, exhausted and run-ragged as ever. It had taken me twice as long without that stupid fuckin' horse, but somehow, I had made it. I could see it far off the distance.

I lugged my crossbow behind me as I stumbled forward. I could see the group makin' a big fuss over my return, but I wasn't sure why. Rick, Shane, Glenn, and T-Dog rushed over, hands full of weapons. Rick pointed a pistol straight at my head.

"That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head. You gon' pull the trigger or what?" I asked, out of breath.

And then once again, I was out cold.

.::.

I awoke in a queen-sized bed, nestled deep into a downy comforter. My head was killin' me, that's the first thing I noticed. Honestly, I didn't have time to notice anything else before Molly knocked on the door with a plate of food in her hand. I sat up to greet her.

"You feeling okay?" She asked, setting the plate down in my lap and a large cup of iced tea on the nightstand.

"Thanks." I looked down at my plate, licking my lips. I hadn't eaten in what felt like forever and I was feelin' as weak as a work mule. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine."

She nodded. "Hershel wanted me to tell you that you should lie here for a day or two. You suffered a major concussion and he says you should catch up on rest. And just a heads up, he's not very happy about you "borrowing" his horse."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine by the mornin'. I'll talk to the old man about his crazy horse tomorrow."

She turned to walk out, but stopped suddenly and turned back around. "Oh, before I forget..." She reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out two small pills. "Generic Ibuprofen. It'll help with the pain so you can sleep."

"Thanks."

She nodded and shut the door behind her.

I just ain't sure how much more of this shit I can take.

.::.

Couple a days had passed since the accident. Andrea had since apologized. She had mistaken me for a walker, a threat to the group, and shot me from a distance as I was standing there talking to Rick, Shane, T-Dog, and Glenn. Lucky for me, she had terrible aim so she only grazed the side of my head. Still, it was enough to keep me hurtin' for a couple a days.

However, I had little time to think about that right now. Shit had literally hit the fan. We were outside, enjoying a nice, warm breakfast, cooked by Carol, when Glenn stood up to announce that there were walkers in the barn. I couldn't believe my own fuckin' ears. We had been sleepin' here for close to a week, with them fuckin' flesh-eaters fifty feet away the whole time.

We all watched with bated breath as Shane peaked through an opening in the barn. Suddenly, he jumped back, startled. Sure enough, they were there. A dozen, if not more. We spent the next ten minutes having a huge disagreement on the right way to approach the situation. In short, Rick wanted to respect Hershel's request and did not want to take matters into his own hands. Shane, however, was near-about ready to toss a stick of dynamite inside and call it a day. But mostly, he just wanted to leave. He wanted to hit the road and abandon the search for Sophia.

It proved to be a particularly nasty fight between the group. Shane and I got into it pretty bad, and if I coulda got my hands on him he woulda come out with a black eye 'n a split lip. Sorry motherfucker don't give a rat's ass about that little girl. I put my life on the line to find her and don't nobody give a damn no more. They can't be bothered to set the laundry aside for one fuckin' day to go out n' help me.

.::.

The sweat was trickling down my skin, lightly drenching my clothes, as I tossed a saddle on a nearby stand. Fuck it. Ain't nobody else gon do nothin'. Might as well get my ass back out in the woods on my own.

Suddenly, Carol appeared behind me, just in time to hear me wince in pain. "You can't." She said, solemnly.

"I'm fine." I breathed, aggressively and irritated.

"Hershel said you need to heal." She walked closer to me until we were a foot or two apart. Her skin was dewy, and the tips of her short, gray hair were wet. Hot as fuckin' Hades out here.

"Yeah, I don't care." I turned away from her and focused on the task at hand.

"Well, I do." She watched as I opened a stall door, revealing the same brown horse that had tossed me from its back just the other day. "Besides, Rick's goin' out later to follow the trail."

"Yeah, well I ain't gon sit around and do nothin'."

"No, you're gonna go out there and get yourself hurt even worse." She folded her arms across her stomach. She waited for a reply, but I didn't oblige. "We don't know if we're gonna find her, Daryl. We don't." She said. I turned to look at her, starin' her straight in her eyes. Blue on blue. "I don't.". She whispered.

I closed in on her. "What?" I really couldn't even believe my own ears. A mother, givin' up that easy on her little girl. Reminded me of my past and it just made me even more angry.

"I can't lose you, too." She frowned and her eyes welled up with tears.

I didn't no how to react. I thought of how pissed off I was. I thought about what she was tryin' to mean. And I thought about Molly. So instead of replying, I picked up the heavy saddle and tossed it as far as I could. It proved to be a bad decision. I ended up hurtin' myself even worse.

"Are you alright?" She came up behind me, completely concerned.

"Jus leave me be!" I yelled back at her. "Stupid bitch."

.::.

"Hey, Herschel, man lemme ask you somethin'." Shane stepped forward, pulling his gun from his waistband.

The entire group tensed up. We were all gathered at the barn for the second time today.

"A livin', breathin' person-could they walk away from this?" Without warning, he fired a shot into a female walker that Herschel had been leading around by a hook, startling every single one of us.

"Stop it!" Rick yelled defensively as he kept hold of another walker nearby.

Shane ignored him and continued to stare at Herschel. "That's three rounds to the chest! If someone was alive would they just take that?! Look, that fuckin' thing's still comin'!" He pointed at the wounded walker before he fired another shot to the head. "Why is it still comin'?" He yelled, firing three more shots.

"Shane, enough!" Rick closed in around Herschel.

"Man, you're right man," Shane nodded, taking a few steps forward. "That is enough." Finally, he delivered the final blow to the reanimated corpse. This time, it was fatal.

Motherfucker done lost his mind.

Apparently, he really had. He unlatched the door.

The barn doors lurched open, and immediately a dozen or more walkers reared their ugly faces. They picked up their pace as they emerged, ready to tear every single one of us apart. Shane didn't waste any time taking down the first one, a gruesome face dressed in blue overalls. Andrea went next, and then myself and T-Dog followed suit- knockin' 'em down one by one. Glenn hesitated, looking at Maggie for guidance before lifting his shotgun and pullin' the trigger on a nearby walker.

Tensions were high and my heart was racin' real fast-they just kept coming. Dozens of 'em. How the fuck did we not know about this? I wondered. One by one they stumbled out of the barn, and one by one we laid 'em down. It went on for a minute longer until the commotion stopped. We waited, but it was quiet. I guess that's it.

The five of us lowered our guns and stared ahead at the rotted corpses that were now littering the ground. The black blood glistening in the dirt under the beaming hot sun. I glanced behind my shoulder at Hershel, who looked completely bewildered, upset, and angry. Molly and Carol were holding onto each other tightly, lookin' scared as all get out.

Suddenly, we heard it. A shuffle from behind the barn doors, as well as a weak, vicious growl. Must be one more.

I was right. There was one more. Out she stepped, little Sophia. Every single one of us felt our hearts sink at that moment. Her clothes were bloody, torn and tattered. My eyes were immediately drawn to the large, nasty bite on her left shoulder. Her hollow eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight, and finally she saw us. She made eye contract with every one of us, deciding who she would tear apart first. She stumbled forward, and I watched Carol run ahead towards her.

"Soph...Sophia?" She cried. I grabbed her before she could get too far and we fell down to the ground together. "Oh, god. Sophia...Sophia?" She cried harder. I could feel her chest jolting forward with each sob, and it honestly broke my heart. I held her tightly.

Sophia growled. Carol cried.

The rest of the group stood there, staring mindlessly as if they could not believe their eyes. The little girl I had been runnin' myself ragged to find had been right here all along. She had never had a chance.

From the corner of my eye, I watched Rick step forward, very anxiously and very hesitantly, until he was standing only a few feet away from the little girl. He raised his gun, hand shaking, and held the barrel to her face. She looked at him with empty, hungry eyes, and he looked at her with eyes full of sorrow. And then he pulled the trigger.

Sophia fell to the ground instantaneously. She was gone.

Carol slumped over immediately and sobbed, her face in the dirt. I held tightly to her stomach. I just couldn't let her go. I felt the forgotten sting of tears forming in the corners of my eyes and I hung my head.