I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THESE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS. THE GOOD STUFF IS INBOUND.

The next day Daryl had us up early. We met at the RV, those of us that were going out searching. By the time we got there Rick had gridded out the map.

"We're gonna be using the buddy system today. Everyone pick a partner. Shane and I will be checking our grid together. Daryl," Rick looked up to the hunter before looking down at me. Daryl watched him rigidly. "You and Beau take the quadrant next to ours. Andrea and T-Dog, take this quadrant on the other end of the river. Then we're gonna work our way to the middle until night fall."

Hershel had granted us our weapons for the time being, obviously he saw reason when it came to going outside of the farm. Daryl was quiet this morning, concentrating hard on tracking Sophia. I watched him quietly, being reminded greatly of the first time we met. Except then we were tracking a deer, not someone that both of us cared about.

The sun was high in the sky when Daryl finally spoke to me.

"Trails gone cold. Been cold since the other day." Daryl said quietly, crouching and brushing a few leaves out of the way. I stood next to him and he glanced up at me. "Shouldn't a stopped looking on day one."

"Don't do that. It was getting dark, you had no other choice." I reassured him. He stood, looking out into the woods. Daryl breathed deeply before looking at me.

"I don't think she woulda come this far north. Not unless she was real lost." There was the snapping of twig behind us and we both drew our bows, sights set in the direction the snap came from. With his hands, Daryl signaled for me to get low and far to the right. I did as I was told, stopping at a fallen log and peering through the trees. Daryl moved up next, slowly and when he stopped I moved ahead of him.

We walked like this for about twenty minutes until we were sure that what ever it was had moved off. We didn't hear another snap after the initial one, but you can never be too careful.

There were muffled voices ahead, causing both of us to pause. I recognized them both and I stood to join them but Daryl grabbed my hand. I looked at him, eyebrow raised, and he shook his head, bringing a silent finger to his lips. Quietly he began to inch forward and I followed his lead.

"How often we get caught up looking for a missing child man? How often?" As we crouched closer I heard Shane's voice clearly through the trees. Rick and Shane were just bellow us in a small ditch. From my spot in the brush I could tell they were arguing. "You got 72 hours. 72 hours and after that you're looking for a body. And that was before. I mean, you honestly think we're just gonna find Sophia alive?" Shane's words stung me and I exhaled, looking over to Daryl. His eyes were narrowed as he watched the conversation take place.

"Are you that sure we wont?" Rick asked him, his voice wavering.

"We being completely honest?"

"I'm counting on you to be." Shane hesitated, but only briefly before he answered the sheriff's question.

"It's math man. Love our not, Sophia only matters to the degree in which she don't drag the rest of us down." I brought my hand to my mouth, trying my best to stifle a gasp. I shook my head silently at Shane, completely taken back by how heartless he truly was. Daryl grew rigid beside me and I placed my other hand on his knee. Rick scoffed, shifting uncomfortably and he looked at his partner in disbelief. Shane shook his head, his tone immediately growing cold. "Thought you wanted honest." He spat, walking away.

Rick watched his partner leave with disgust clearly evident on his face. The woods were quiet for a few moments before Shane turned around, a new rage present on his voice.

"If we'd just moved on we'd be half way to Fort Benning by now and Carl woudln't have gotten shot!" His words cut the air like a knife and Rick flinched, looking at the ground. I felt for the Sheriff, it seemed like he was taking flack from all angles. Daryl ran his thumb over his bottom lip. "You said so yourself! When we're out here, we're risking lives! Your own son almost died, and Otis paid that bill! What the hell are we still doin this for?!"

"I had her in my hands, Shane, she looked in my eyes, and trusted me!" Rick interrupted him, squared off to his friend. Shane watched him with contempt and Rick paused, taking a deep breath. "And I failed her." The woods around me grew still and I fidgeted, the emotion in the air suffocating me like a plastic bag. "I think she's still alive and I'm not gonna write her off!"

Shane looked away, unable to hold Rick's intense stare any longer. He scoffed, scratching his nose and looked out in to the trees, pointing. Rick looked as well both of them finding a tree that I had marked off earlier.

"It's blue," Shane shook his head, effectively changing the subject. "Its Daryl and Beau. Looks like we wandered into their grid." Shane was done talking to him and stormed off, Rick following him with slight hesitation.

The conversation was over, but the weight of it still lingered on our shoulders. After Rick and Shane had walked off Daryl was fit to be tied. We immediately made back for camp at a sprinters pace, one that I found difficult to keep. Once back at the farm Daryl ran straight for the stables.

I raised my eyebrow at him as we entered, but he didn't notice and if he did he didn't care. He ran straight for one of the stalls, opening it and grabbing the horse's reigns. I looked around, eyes wide, shocked at what he was doing.

"We can't take Hershel's horses!" I whispered, walking over to him. For the first time in a while he looked up at me.

"If ya aint comin then get out of my way!" He shouted at me. I flinched, looking at the ground. The air around us grew awkward and all was quiet for a long minute before he spoke again. "I ain't leavin her out there to die. Now, ya can grab a horse and come with me, or ya can stay here where it's safe, but I'm takin this mare either way." His words were softer now, but they still carried with them the same bite as the ones before. I hesitated briefly, looking at the door to the stable before sighing.

I crossed to one of the stalls around the corner, slowly opening its door. The horse inside whinnied at me, but he seemed docile enough and quietly I led him out of the stall to where Daryl stood. Silently I looked up at him and he nodded at me, mounting his horse. I followed his lead, since mine was already saddled and we took off, quickly making our way back to the tree line.

I hadn't ridden a horse in years and after the first hour the saddle started to wear on me. My legs became sore and my fingers numb from holding the reigns. I was wearing shorts and the saddle rubbed weird on my thighs. I had already almost fallen a few times. Even when I lived on the farm with Earl I was shit with horseback riding, but I was determined not to slow Daryl down.

I watched him quietly, my eyes boring into his back. Daryl had taken point since he was the better tracker, and since our exchange in the barn he hadn't spoken a word to me. We were following a high ridgeline, which I was sure bordered a creek when Daryl stopped.

I looked out onto the creek, following his gaze. A log had fallen recently and its dead body stretched across from our side to the other. As my eyes followed the log they settled on a shape, draped delicately on one of the branches. I tried to squint through the trees, my heart now beating a mile a minute, but I couldn't tell what it was. Daryl dismounted his horse, as did I, and we both tied them off to a nearby tree.

"Stay close, I don't like bein this near ta the crick. It's easy ta get cornered against the sides." Daryl spoke quietly as we tied off our reigns. I looked over at him, giving him a tight smile, remembering how he found me. I wanted to say something but I wasn't sure what would be best. I didn't want him to yell at me again.

"I can climb this time if I have to." I reassured him, taking a few steps towards the edge of the ravine. Daryl grabbed my arm gently and I glanced over at him.

"I'd rather not find ourselves stuck in it." His tone was grave and I swallowed, taking another look at the water. "But if we do, I'll be there ta save ya ass, like I was last time." Despite the gravity of the moment, a small smirk found its way to Daryl's face. It was only a smirk, but it was enough to brighten my mood and I grinned back at him, thinking back to how we first met.

"I ain't that same damsel you met in that creek bed." I laughed, carefully working my way down the creek bed. "I'm a lot more coordinated-" as I placed my foot down, it slipped on a rock and I slid, landing hard on my backside. My face grew hot as I sat in the dirt and Daryl chuckled, stopping to help me up.

"Clearly." He said dryly, looking out into the creek bed again. He grew quiet and I turned, still dusting myself off. Now that I was closer I could easily make out the shape on the log. It was a doll, one that I instantly recognized as Sophia's. My heart dropped and I looked over to Daryl. He grabbed his crossbow off of his back, holding it out, ready to shoot. I followed his lead, unfolding my compound bow and nocking and arrow.

Slowly we walked across the creek bed. My eyes darted from shore to shore, realizing that if we got cornered down here, climbing out may not be that easy. Daryl waded into the shallow water of the creek, stopping right in front of the doll. He picked it up, studying it, and looked out into the trees.

"Sophia!" He yelled. His sudden outburst startled me and I glanced around hastily. I knew deep down that the creek may not be the best place to yell, but finding that doll had filled me with new confidence.

"Sophia!" I called out, walking off towards one of the ravine drops. We waited there in that creek, looking and shouting her name for about twenty minutes, when Daryl decided it best to clear off.

"Walkers would have heard us yellin, it'd be best ta move off before they got here." Daryl explained as we made our way up to the horses. He still clutched the doll in his hands, not wanting to let go of it. Slowly I reached out a hand, rubbing his bicep gently.

"We'll find her." I spoke softly, my words barely louder than a whisper. Daryl looked over to me, his face a mix of emotions.

We rode off back into the woods. An uneasy feeling crept up my spine, and I debated on telling him how I felt. I stared at his back quietly, he didn't seem anxious, so I kept my mouth shut, silently studying the scenery as it passed us. We had reached a small beaten path, something I was thankful for because it meant we weren't too far from somewhere.

From the ground below us birds squawked and they jetted from the bushes, just in front of Daryl. His horse whinnied, rearing slightly, but Daryl calmed it quickly, pausing to let the trees settle. Daryl turned in his saddle, looking at me inquisitively.

"Those birds scared the shit out of me." I said, chuckling as I spoke. Daryl grinned at me a lopsided, goofy grin before signaling for his horse to trot.

A few feet down the trail, his horse suddenly bucked, sending Daryl flying from his saddle and down the hill to the creek bed.

"Daryl!" I yelled, hopping from my saddle and running over to the hill. I slid down after him, trying my best to catch up to him. Above me I could hear the horses running off and I watched in horror as they bolted through the trees, leaving us stranded.

Daryl continued to fall, sliding out of the woods and onto slippery rock, rolling into the water below with a loud splash. I broke the tree line, staring down at him in terror, waiting for him to get up, but he didn't.

"Daryl!" I screeched, sliding down the rocks after him. He was a bloody mess, but he was moving, something that filled me with immense relief. I stopped next to him, kneeling in the water.

"Son of a bitch!" he howled from his spot on the ground. His eyes darted around frantically, searching for me. I grabbed his face, checking the gash on his head. It was small, no stitches required, but he seemed to be in far more pain than a tiny gash would cause. He began to reach for his side and I followed his hands. I moaned at the sight. In his side was stuck one of his arrows.

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