Chapter Twenty-Seven

He could almost pretend it was just an ordinary day if he tried hard enough. The sun was shining, hardly a cloud in the sky to threaten a leisurely ride. The trees they passed were a blur as was the occasional road sign pointing them north. Yet there was nothing normal about the passing pavement beneath the Triumph as they sped along. A normal day wouldn't have seen cars abandoned on the side of the road, a caravan of survivors behind him, or the sweet woman clinging to his back.

"Y' a'right, woman?" he called over the rush of wind.

She nuzzled her face further into his neck, her lips against the shell of his ear. "I'm ok, Daryl," she answered, and he could hear the smile in her sweet voice. Some of the rigidness of her posture had relaxed several miles back as she'd begun to feel more secure with him.

He nodded, a faint smile at the corner of his lips as he felt her arms tighten about his waist. He didn't think he'd ever tire of having her on the bike with him, her warm weight immeasurable comfort to his beleaguered soul. It was just another in a long list of surprises concerning his woman. He'd never enjoyed riding with a passenger before, his back exposed and vulnerable to another person. He'd learned his lesson in that regard. Never leave yourself open.

Daryl cursed under his breath. He should have known their steady progress for the last two hours would eventually come to an end. Only one small traffic pileup had delayed them so far, and even that had been minor. He slowed the bike and slowly brought it to a stop as his gaze took in the snarl of cars blocking their path. He never should have agreed to take the main highway, but Shane and Rick had been insistent, certain it would save them time rather than take the back roads with which Daryl was more familiar.

Carol rested her chin on his shoulder. "Do you think we could go around?"

He wheeled the bike around and headed back towards the others. He stopped next to Dale's window. The old man was already leaning out towards him. "Do you think we could make it through?"

Glenn pulled out the map. "There's an interstate bypass a few miles back."

Dale shot him down. "We can't spare the fuel. We have to see if we can get through this mess."

Andrea came up front from where she was sitting at the RV's small table cleaning her gun. "We might be able to shift some of the cars out of the way," she suggested.

"I'll go scout ahead. If th' opening behind me is big enough, come on through," Daryl said before turning the bike around again. He was getting that itch again, just beneath his skin. He hated that feeling. Nothing good ever came of him having that feeling, and it made him worry for his girls. He reached down and patted Carol's thigh. "Don't worry, we ain't goin' far, looks like."

Carol clung more tightly to him as they moved amongst the detritus of scattered belongings which had spilled from the cars littering the highway. A little pink shoe … a teddy bear with its stuffing spilling from a large tear in its leg … a framed photo which must have been packed away in a suitcase, the glass shattered. These mementos were someone's lives, someone's memories, and now they were trash in a world gone to hell. It brought tears to her eyes, and she pressed her face to the crook of Daryl's neck, so she wouldn't have to look anymore. Oh god, what if Sophia were watching? Would Lori think to make the children avert their eyes? So much death, the occupants of the vehicles still in their seatbelts. It was a graveyard.

Daryl pulled the bike to a stop and looked back at the loud whooshing coming from the RV, the radiator having sprung another leak. But he was more worried about Carol than any mechanical failure. He got off the Triumph and pulled her into his arms. "It's ok, they're dead. Don't know what happened t' 'em, but it don't look like they're comin' back.," he soothed, stroking his work-worn hand over her short-cropped hair.

"Sophia is going to have to see this, Daryl. She's so strong, but she's still just a child," she whispered softly against his chest.

He pulled back enough so she'd have to look up at him. "You're right. Sophia is strong, an' so are you. Whether we like it or not, this is our world now. It's ugly, and it's scary, but we ain't no quitters an' we are gonna survive this."

Dale and Glenn spilled out of the Winnebago and popped the hood to see what they'd be able to do with the mangled radiator hose. With all the vehicles on the road, they should be able to find a replacement. Rick and Shane, each bearing weapons, tried to get everyone organized to scavenge supplies. Except for Andrea, who couldn't seem to get her bearings. She remained listlessly next to the RV.

Daryl took a gas can and hose from T-Dog. "We'll see what fuel we can siphon from these cars," he said to Rick. "Ain't like we gonna be stopping at th' Gas -n- Go anytime soon." He turned to Carol, a warning in his cobalt gaze. "Stay close. Don't go out too far, an' keep Soph with y' at all times, y' hear? I'll be within shoutin' distance."

Carol smiled when she realized he was reluctant to let go of her hand and start on the job he'd set himself. "We'll be fine, Daryl, and Lori and Carl will be close. We won't be alone. Go," she encouraged him.

Sophia gave him a smile as he nodded and left with T. "So, what're we doing, Mom?" she asked, her fingers lightly fidgeting with the bow slung across her chest. Her backpack and quiver were on her back, and the thick jacket Merle had given her was tied about her waist. She reached out and grabbed the back of Carl's shirt as he started to shuffle off. "Where you going?"

"Just right there, Sophia, jeez! Why d'you have to be so bossy?" he grumbled.

"Sophia's right, Carl," Lori admonished gently. "The two of you need to stick close."

Carl rolled his eyes and adjusted the quiver on his back. Sometimes he just didn't understand his mother.

Lori hugged her arms about herself and shivered. "I don't like this. It's like a graveyard. I feel like I'm disrespecting these people by going through their things."

Sophia's voice was muffled as she was nose deep inside the back of an SUV handing things of use to Carl to stuff in a sack. "You're not going to survive very long thinkin' like that, Miss Lori."

"Sophia!" Carol scolded. "Don't be disrespectful."

"It's true Mom! I'm not trying to be disrespectful, just logical," the girl said, tossing her friend a value pack of disposable razors she'd found in a suitcase. "No one wants to have to do this, or defile the resting place of so many innocent people, but it's not like we have a choice anymore. It's fight or die. Otherwise go lay down in the grass and ring the dinner bell."

Lori's eyes widened. "I think she's been spending too much time with Merle Dixon. She's sounding just like him, but she does have a point." She hugged the girl as Sophia hopped down from the bumper. "Thank you for putting it into perspective, sweetheart."

Sophia hugged her back, beaming up at her. "We'll be ok … just need to stick together."

Lori watched as Carl climbed into the back of a pickup and handed the sack to Sophia. "How'd your girl get to be so smart?" she asked Carol.

Carol huffed a laugh. "Well she certainly didn't get it from Ed. But you're right, she's very smart. And observant. I suppose holding her tongue for so long made her pay attention to things other people miss. Merle brought her out of her shell, and I'll forever be grateful to him that he did."

Lori unzipped a suitcase and tried to hide a small smile. "You seem to be slowly bringing Daryl out of his own shell. I wonder how you managed that," she teased.

Carol blushed. "Not the way you're thinking."

"Oh, yeah? Not availing yourself of all that Dixon charm?"

"We're … getting closer, opening up more to each other. It's nice," Carol admitted. "I don't think I've ever had anyone treat me so well in my entire life, Lori. He's wonderful."

"I'm just glad to see you so happy. It's hard to find happiness when things look so bleak," the brunette murmured, a small furrow appearing between her brows.

Carol stopped pulling canned goods from the trunk she was going through and reached out to squeeze her friend's shoulder. "How are things with you? I saw you talking to Shane last night and he didn't seem happy."

Lori sighed, dropping her gaze to her feet. "I had to tell him … again … that I want to be with my husband. And no, he wasn't happy with my decision, but he accepted it."

"Did he? It's obvious he cares for you. I don't see how Rick hasn't picked up on it," Carol said. "But then, that poor man has been so busy trying to hold this group together, it's understandable, I guess."

"I feel like a total bitch."

"What? Why? Because you chose your husband over his best friend? It sounds like a bad episode of Passions, but without Tabitha and Timmy for the comic relief," Carol grinned.

Lori couldn't help but laugh. "I know, it's awful. But me and Rick … we've been talking a lot since he came back. I don't want to throw away what we have because I was weak and decided to have a fling. I mean … I was told he was dead. You understand, right?"

Carol linked her arm with Lori's and followed after the children as they moved on to the next vehicle. "It's not me who has to understand, Lori. You're my friend. I love you, and I'm not just going to turn my back on you because of decisions which don't even affect me. You're the one who has to live with your choices." She hugged her back warmly as Lori pulled her into an embrace. "I do think you made the right one, though."

"I do too. I just hate that I hurt him. He got us out, kept us safe, cared for us just as Rick would. I can even forgive him for lying about Rick having died, but I can't be what he needs. I have to hold my family together … me, Rick, and Carl … Nothing is more important than how much I love them."

"Lori! Lori!" Rick called in a panicked whisper. She turned wide fearful mocha eyes on him as he crouched low and hurried towards them, rifle in hand. "Walkers! Hurry, under the cars!" Lori latched onto Carol, obeying without hesitation and pulling her friend down with her.

"Carl … Sophia! Under the cars. Now!" They too obeyed and he himself slipped to the pavement to seek shelter under an abandoned truck. He didn't have time to check on the others, and hoped Dale and Shane had been able to warn them.

Carol trembled, her entire body quaking with fear as she tried to make herself small. Why was it so hard? She'd done it for years as she'd tried to hide her emotions, her true inner self from Ed. But she wasn't that person anymore. The weight of that knowledge hit her with the force of a locomotive. Really? Now as death encroached – for surely how would they ever overcome such a horde – some unseen power thought it was time for her to have an epiphany? The meek sniveling woman she'd been was a distant memory. She wasn't weak little Carol Peletier any longer. She was Carol Dixon, a fighter, a survivor, and though she was terrified, she didn't want to cower beneath that car with Lori. She wanted her daughter, she wanted Daryl. They were stronger together.

Her eyes sought and connected with Sophia not more than ten feet from her. Her crystal blue eyes were wide with fear, but also with a determination she seemed to have adapted in this new life. Carl was at her side, their fingers entwined as they tried to remain as still and quiet as possible. It was imperative to their survival, and Carol couldn't have been prouder of their resilient nature. Seeing that any movement would prove deadly, she remained where she was at Lori's side, praying silently they would make it through their peril.

"Andrea?" Lori mouthed.

Carol couldn't think of their blonde friend at the moment, but shrugged to let Lori know she'd understood. Tears, she refused to shed, welled in her eyes as she thought of them all. After what Andrea had done – attempting to remain behind to die at the CDC – would she willingly sacrifice herself to the dead walking among them? Or had she found her will to survive buried deep within her? Dale … was he still atop the RV keeping vigil? Would he let them know when it was safe to come out? Glenn, Shane, T-Dog? Where were they?

And where was Daryl? Carol bit down hard on her tongue to keep the sob building in her chest trapped there. Please, God, keep him safe. I can't do this without him. I need him. Sophia needs him. Please!

*.*.*

Where the hell had T run off to, Daryl wondered as he capped the gas can and tossed the hose down beside it. The whisper of a breeze was the only sound he could hear at the moment, and it was unsettling. There was something else, though … the sound of cloth dragging over the rough pavement of the road. He was almost afraid to rise from his crouched position next to the little red car. But he lifted his head to the breeze and inhaled sharply, no longer able to deny what his heart begged him to ignore. The smell of death, decay and putrid rot was in the air, and it was only growing stronger.

In his life, he'd known fear quite a few times. He'd feared his father's temper, his belt, his fists; he'd feared some of the people Merle hung around with, he'd feared more things he refused to dwell upon, but he could honestly say he'd never felt his blood literally chill in his veins. He'd never felt the cold hand of dread grip his heart and threaten to freeze the air in his lungs. Yet now he knew both. Not for himself. He wasn't afraid of death, but the thought of losing Carol and Sophia had him nearly paralyzed with terror.

He squinted narrowly against the sun, searching for any sign of them, but all he could see was the advancing herd. Had they fled? Had Rick somehow warned them in time and made them hide somewhere? He had to find them. His determination to make sure they were safe propelled him forward on crouched limbs, slowly making his way from the shelter of one car to the next, his bow on his back and his knife in his hand. A quick crabwalk to the left brought him out of the path of half a dozen, then to the right to avoid several more. He ducked back behind the tailgate of a pickup and froze. T-Dog lay against the side of a Toyota, his shirt stained with blood which was steadily pouring from his right arm. What the hell had happened to him?

For an instant, he could have sworn he heard his brother's voice in his head. Y' oughtta leave 'is ass here like he left me on that roof. He shook the thought off quickly. No, he couldn't leave one of their own behind. This was his group, what was slowly becoming a circle of friends. But Carol and Sophia needed him too. Fuckkkk! he growled inwardly as a walker shuffled around the hood of the car T leaned against, having smelled the fresh blood. Now he had no choice. He wasn't going to sit there and watch the man die. T was a good man, a friend whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not.

And more geeks were coming, steadily growing closer. Any moment they would smell the blood scenting the air … coming, coming coming …Christ, they're almost here …Carol …Sophia …

T-Dog raised his defeated gaze to him, silently warning him to just go, but it only strengthened his resolve to help the man. He held a finger to his lips, cautioning the man to silence before he sprang into action, driving his knife deep into the base of the walker's skull. T looked as if he were about to pass out from blood loss, so it was easy to drag him into a prone position and dump his kill atop him. He had little time to waste. Trying not to think about what he had to do, he yanked another rotted corpse from the driver's seat of the car and pulled it atop himself as he hit the pavement. He hoped it would mask their scent from the approaching dead and give him just a bit more time to return to his girls.

*.*.*

Daryl instantly felt panic clutch his chest as he helped T-Dog back to where they'd parked the vehicles. Thankfully, the herd had moved through and there were none lingering about, but he could see the hysteria on some of the faces of his group. He left T in Dale and Glenn's capable hands and quickly moved off, looking for the others. Andrea was standing next to the RV, looking as if she'd come face to face with something nasty, her face spattered with blood. Carl was screaming at Shane to let him go, fighting against the former deputy's hold on the back of his shirt. And Carol … no!

He ran to her where Lori was doing her absolute best to restrain her. "Carol!"

She twisted free of Lori's grip, and threw herself into his arms, sobbing desperately against his shoulder. "Daryl! She's gone … my baby's lost in the woods, and –"

"Where th' fuck is Rick?!" he growled, taking a quick glance around to note he was missing too. "How'd this happen?"

"We have to go," his woman demanded, her voice like shards of ice tripping down his spine. "We have to find her." He'd never heard such steely determination like this from her before.

"Hang on! I need t' know what we're dealin' with before I take y' out there!"

Shane picked up his shotgun from the ground and breathed a sigh of relief as Lori wrapped an arm around her son, taking the boy off his hands. "Herd came through. We hid under the abandoned vehicles. Surprised the hell outta me, but it worked. We'd thought they'd all moved through, and –"

"Sophia thought they were all gone," Carl cut him off, his eyes filled with tears as he turned his agonized gaze to Daryl. "I only let go of her for a second, Daryl, I swear! She thought it was safe!"

Carol pushed herself out of his arms and dried her tears on the back of her hand. "She panicked. She panicked, and she ran into the woods with two of those things chasing her. Rick went after her, but we haven't seen him since," she said, pulling the .45 from her hip and checking the magazine.

"A'right," the hunter murmured, hefting his bow into the crook of his right arm. "How long ago?"

"Maybe ten minutes?" Shane said, not quite certain.

Daryl looked down at the barely concealed fear in Carol's face. He wasn't having much success hiding his own. "I s'pose there's no hope you'd stay behind?" Her eyes narrowed, and she turned on her heel to slip past the guardrail. "Didn't think so," he growled as he set off after her. He caught up to her at the base of the incline. "Carol, wait damnit!"

She whirled on him, her eyes flashing hotly. "You're not making me stay behind, Daryl. She's my daughter, and I have to try to find her."

Anger welled hot and furious in his chest. "Y' think I don't want t' find her or somethin'? How could y' say that t' me?" He took her chin in a firm grip, holding her in place. "She might not be my blood, Carol, but that don't make her any less mine! Now pull your goddamn head out o' your ass and pay attention before y' get your fool self killed."

His admission stunned her to her very core, and brought a bit of clarity to her befuddled senses. "Daryl, I didn't mean –"

He dropped his hand and took a step back, not wanting her to see how badly her careless words had hurt him. "We ain't gettin' into this now," he hissed. "Sophia's out here alone. She might be trained up a bit, an' god knows she's armed t' th' teeth, but that don't mean she's gonna be thinkin' clearly. She proved that by runnin'."

Carol squared her shoulders and tightened the grip on her gun. "She panicked, Daryl. We all did with a pack so big bearing down on us."

"I'm not accusin' her o' nothin', woman. Now c'mon, we ain't getting' nothin' accomplished standin' around here arguin'. Keep your gun handy, an' stay by me. I don't need y' gettin' lost too," he grumbled.

Daryl pushed his hurt feelings aside and concentrated on tracking the girl. Her small footprints were nearly obscured by others. One deeply imprinted in the ground must've belonged to Rick. He wouldn't be trying to keep his steps light if he were pounding through the brush trying to get to her with all haste. Two other sets; those must've belonged to the walkers who'd followed her down the incline ready for a tasty meal. There were spots where a foot had been dragged along behind a steadier tread.

He grabbed the sleeve of Carol's jacket when she ventured left. He couldn't suppress a rush of pride as she followed the trail. At least he knew she'd been paying attention when he'd tried to teach her how to track.

Her gaze swung to his. "But the tracks go this way, Daryl."

"Two sets go off that way." He pointed to the others to his right. "But Soph's go off this way."

*.*.*

Carol nearly shot Rick as he lumbered from the thick brush next to the creek. Daryl had been hunkered down inspecting the trail where it had thinned, and she'd be damned if she allowed anything to sneak up on him while he was distracted. She was already kicking herself for hurting his feelings with her offhand remark. How could she have known he felt so deeply for her daughter when he was so skilled at hiding his emotions? She just hoped she hadn't damaged their relationship.

Rick stared at them, a pained expression on his grizzled features. "You seen her? I feel like I'm going around in circles out here."

Daryl stood up and crossed the small stream. "No, but she cain't be far." He motioned for them to follow.

"How can you even know which way she went?"

"It's what he does, Rick," Carol murmured quietly, giving him a pointed look. She let Daryl get farther ahead before she stopped and leaned into the deputy so only he could hear. "You see him as a dangerous criminal … much like his brother, don't you? When you should be looking past his gruff exterior to see the man who has had to fight for everything just to survive."

"Carol!"

She left Rick standing there frowning to mull over her words. It would give him something to think about. Before she could reach Daryl, there was more noise coming from the direction they'd come, and she turned to see Glenn and Shane running towards them, both armed with rifles.

"Y'all find her yet?" Shane asked, taking a quick look at their surroundings.

"D'you see her?" Daryl snarled impatiently. "Why th' hell y' come down here t' muck up th' trail? Your big ass feet are gonna be stompin' all over any tracks she left!"

Glenn shot him an agonized look. "We wanted to help, man. We care about Sophia too."

Rick shook his head sadly. "I'm sure Daryl didn't mean it like that."

"That's exactly –" His words cut off as Carol laid a gentle hand on his back. He looked down at her and felt himself calm. He didn't have time for this now, not when it was imperative they find their girl. "We jus' don't need too many out here right now. Not until I have a clear trail to follow."

"He's right. Get back up to the highway and see what you can do to help Dale get the RV fixed," Rick said. "We aren't going to want to stay here any longer than necessary once we find Sophia."

Shane nodded, and he and Glenn left them to carry out Rick's orders. Carol had already followed Daryl up the bank on the other side of the creek, and Rick hurried to catch up. He wasn't quick enough to avoid it and a branch smacked him in the face. It made him wonder how Daryl and Carol could move so silently and effortlessly through the trees without hardly disturbing a leaf. The two of them moved practically in sync, gravitating around one another like a planet with its moon, anticipating the other's movements. He never would have taken the former housewife to be so comfortable in such surroundings, especially when she had to be barely holding herself together.

"How can you even tell there's a trail there," Rick mumbled, sticking close to them as best as he could. "All I see is dirt and leaves and mud."

Daryl gnashed his teeth, but answered nonetheless. "Y' want a lesson in trackin' or y' wanna shut th' hell up an' let me find our little girl?"

Carol squeaked in alarm, but managed to cut off the sound as she pointed. "Daryl, look."

The hunter shot off through the trees as he caught a glimpse of gray, the other's not far behind. A grin spread out across his thin lips as he knelt next to the fallen walker and pulled the arrow out of its eye socket. "Well, at least now I know we're goin' in th' right direction."

Carol smiled for the first time since Lori had shoved her under that car. "Maybe she took out the other one following her just as easily."

Daryl was already scouting out the trail again while Rick looked down at the walker, amazed. "She did this? I know Carl and Sophia have been practicing with their bows, I just never thought to see one of them actually …"

"Time t' start havin' faith in our kids, Rick. One day soon they're gonna be just as important t' y' as the adults. Shouldn't underestimate 'em because they got a lot more t' prove than we do," Daryl said, already leading them deeper into the woods.

Carol frowned as Daryl stopped, her eyes searching the loam. "Her tracks," she breathed, feeling as if the bottom had dropped out of her stomach. "How could they disappear?"

"What?" Rick groaned in surprise, kneeling down next to Daryl to look for himself.

"No, they ain't gone … just faint."

Carol let her eyes wander up, looking for any telltale signs Sophia might've left aside from her footprints. "There!" she cried softly, moving over to a sapling where a branch had been broken. "Could she have done this? Or am I just seeing what I want to be there?"

Daryl smirked up at her. "Good eye." He was on his feet again, following more tracks past the small tree where they sank deeper into the mud. They were losing the light swiftly, and he couldn't bear the thought of returning to the others without her.

Rick squinted down at the faint tracks and then cast his gaze up, of a like mind. "We aren't going to be able to see anything in another hour or so."

Carol's eyes flashed murderously at him as she whirled to face him. "I'm not going back until we find my daughter. You can do what you want," she hissed, losing the thin shred of control she'd been clinging to. "She's lost, alone and frightened, and I will not leave her here."

A/N: So … did I do it justice? I really tried. Please let me know what you think.

I also wanted to apologize for not posting yesterday. We're all getting ready for Smutfest 3.0 on Nine Lives, and I had two fics to edit before I could even start on mine. Yes, I'm cutting it close, aren't I? Thanks for your understanding.

Next time: Daryl and Carol have a tender moment, Merle finds Sophia's letter, the search continues, and someone is shot (but I ain't tellin' who!)