Helloooooo~!

At last! After many, many months, the next chapter is here! What awaits our favorite redneck next? Scroll down and find out!

Also, I'd just like to announce that yesterday I began my first ever job! :D It was amazing! And I go back tomorrow! ^-^

*Note: It has been addressed to me on several accounts that Daryl is not blonde, and in fact a brunette. I am indeed aware of this fact, but seeing as I began this fic dubbing him a 'blonde,' he shall remain a blonde to the end.

Second: This is not a Caryl fic. I do not ship them. I consider them good friends. :)

It was hot and dry as Sophia crept through the forest. She walked slowly, treading lightly and avoiding twigs and pebbles, clutching her ragged doll in one hand. She tried to remember the five-minute lesson Daryl had given her on muffling her footsteps.

She stopped to scratch her ankle which was covered in tiny red bumps, like mosquito bites. Her legs were exposed from the knee down and she had unknowingly walked into a poison ivy patch. Sophia told herself scratching would only make it worse, but the irritation was unbearable.

SNAP!

The girl froze mid-scratch, a feeling of dread creeping down her spine. The forest continued to move on, the birds and other critters seeming not to notice or care about the potential warning.

'It could have been just a squirrel or a rabbit' Sophia told herself, slowly straightening herself and standing tall.

She listened carefully, straining her small ears for the slightest indication of danger. There was no other sound than the bird songs and squirrel chatter among the treetops. Still, Sophia continued to wait, knowing that she had no one to help her if she met a walker.

'It must be gone...whatever it was.'

Clutching her doll close once more, Sophia took a hesitant step forward, listening for anything suspicious. When she heard nothing but the forest, the red-headed girl continued forward, picking her way carefully among the brush, avoiding the green, star-shaped leaf bearing plants she now knew were poison ivy.

As she trudged along, Sophia found herself remembering the days before the dead came back to life. She remembered the day she won the talent contest at school. Next came the class field trip to Sea World. Sophia felt the dolphin's slick, wet skin underneath her hand for a moment and smiled.

Caught in her reverie, the little girl didn't notice the sudden hush of the forest. The birds had stopped singing and the squirrels were no longer bickering. Silence reigned, which meant death was nearby.

Unawares, Sophia continued on through the brush and stopped at a small creek. The gurgling water instantly reminded the girl of how thirsty she was. It had been at least two days since she'd gotten separated from the adults. Hurriedly, the red-head picked her way down the stones, tucking her doll under her armpit.

'I hope it's cold' She thought as she sat on her knees on the creek bed. Slowly, Sophia cupped her hands and dipped them into the slow-moving water. The cooling touch of the water sent chills up her arms and she squeaked in surprise. She bent her head and brought the water to her lips, savoring the feel of coolness upon her face and throat.

After quenching her thirst, Sophia sat down and removed her filthy shoes and socks before dunking her feet into the cool water. She sighed with relief as the coolness rushed over her whole body. The water helped soothe her irritated legs and she couldn't help but smile grimly.

'I can't remember the last time I had a shower. Since the CDC I guess.' Sophia sighed again, this time with a hint of sorrow. 'It was so nice there. No walkers or bad people. Food, a place to sleep...' A tadpole swam around the girl's toes. 'That scientist guy, Dr. Jenner, he was nice. Maybe he could have found a cure if...' Sophia closed her eyes and tried to forget the CDC, and Dr. Jenner and Jackie.

The red-headed girl began to debate whether or not she should take a bath in the creek. She knew she had to get off the ground at some point. The woods were crawling with the dead.

"I'll just wash my face. Can't be down here for too long," she decided.

While she washed her face, she was unaware of the rotting, lurching corpse behind her.

Daryl plucked his arrow out of a tree and removed the impaled squirrel. While Nelly kept a smooth pace, the redneck tied the meal to his belt and reloaded the arrow. He still had no trace of Sophia's whereabouts, but he knew he would stay out there until he found that girl. Squirrel would be his only dinner tonight. Not cooked. Fires were a good way to signal a herd of walkers that dinner was served.

Though his patience had been known to be short at times, it seemed the hellish world was changing that. He continued to tell himself that she wasn't dead. She was in a tree or some hole or something. Anywhere that wasn't in reach or notice of a walker. Nelly didn't seem to mind the hours of searching, since she and the others had been locked within the barn since the outbreak.

"Sophia!" Daryl called out.

Only birds and cicadas answered.

"Dammit!" He growled before starting to bite his thumbnail. It was a nervous habit.

'She can't have gone far.' He repeated silently. It was becoming a mantra. 'She can't have gone far. She ain't dead. She's alive and I'll be damned if I don't find her.'

Nelly picked up on Daryl's anger and nickered nervously, still walking along but somewhat aimlessly now.

"S'okay girl. We'll find her."

An hour passed and Daryl finally found a trace of Sophia. It wasn't much - a piece of blue cloth with blood on it - but it was something. A full smile spread across the redneck's face as he stared at the clue. The smile quickly twisted to a determined frown as he closed his fists tightly around the cloth. He looked up and said, "Yo J.C. If you're still there, do me a favor. You keep that girl safe."

The blonde mounted the horse and continued onward. He noticed some disturbed leaf beds and bushes with patches of missing leaves. A young girl running for her life could definitely do that. Daryl began to get anxious and sweat began to form on his brow. He swiped his wrist across his forehead and felt the friendship bracelet distinctly. He pulled Nelly to a stop and studied the bracelet.

'This one's for you. I picked it out by the quarry one day. It matches your eyes, I think.'

It had touched Daryl on the inside more than he let on about the bracelet. The stone she had picked out did indeed resemble his eyes. It had been odd at first, to hear that someone had noticed and remembered his eyes. They say one of the first things a person notices about someone else are their eyes. That wasn't the case with Daryl. Any woman he had attempted a relationship with - which none ever worked out - never said a word about his eyes. Not once.

'That grizzle is sexy. I like a man with some face fuzz.'

'Ooooh...your arms are so damn sexy babe. Mhm. They must be a favorite with the ladies huh big guy?'

Sophia was not the first to ever notice his eyes though. Daryl's momma noticed and she loved them. She claimed to know by her baby boy's eyes that he would do good in the world one day.

'No matter what you do, someone's gonna doubt you,' She'd once said. 'But I betcha once they get a look at those eyes of yours they're gonna know you're a good man.'

Daryl dropped his wrist and studied the sun's position.

'Been out here half a day already. Gotta find 'er before dark,' he thought.

Suddenly Nelly reared up, eyes rolling and flashing white with fear.

"Whoa girl, calm down."

Nelly placed her forelegs onto the ground for a moment before rearing again.

"Agh! Calm down! What's th' matter with you?!"

The frightened horse reared two more times before Daryl slipped out of the saddle and began rolling down a steep ridge. He never noticed the coiled snake hissing at his steed. Fallen branches and rocks scratched Daryl's skin as he continued to roll downhill. He grunted when he felt a sudden sharp pain in his side, almost as if he had been stabbed. The ground suddenly changed from rough to smooth as Daryl began sliding across slick rocks. He opened his eyes only to see the water he was about to slide into.

When he hit the water, Daryl was smacked with a wave of pain emanating from his left side. The cold water stung his side, but otherwise felt incredibly refreshing to the rest of his body. As he broke the surface, the soaked redneck realized his crossbow had slipped off his shoulder while he was sliding into the water.

"Son of a bitch!" He cursed as he felt with his boot along the bottom. "Shit! Damn horse. Ought to cook it up for dinner."

When he felt nothing, Daryl growled before spotting a long branch poking out of the water near the bank. Grabbing it, he began poking it along the bottom of the pond, muttering hotly under his breath.

"If I lost it I'm gonna -" He was cut off when he hit something. After poking the object a second time, Daryl ducked under the surface to retrieve it. After a few seconds, he broke the surface, his beloved crossbow clutched in his hand.

'That was close. Would'a been pissed beyond hell if I'd lost it.' He thought as he climbed out of the water. 'Would've had to use a damn gun. Not gonna work if I'm huntin' for everybody.'

Once he'd gotten out of the water, Daryl also realized his only squirrel had been lost as well. The blonde cursed colorfully before shaking his dripping hair. Suddenly, the sharp pain returned and stung something awful, causing Daryl to lean over in pain.

"What-what the hell?" He gasped, before examining his left side. An arrow was dug into his side, the blood soaking his checkered button-up. Daryl hissed in frustration and pain as he slightly pushed the arrow, resulting in even more pain.

'Great, just fuckin' great. Now I'm injured and I've got no horse or food.'

As the bleeding continued, Daryl realized he would need something to staunch the bleeding and keep the arrow from moving around. "Gonna need to make a tourniquet," he said. "Reminds me of the old days."

He stopped himself from digging up the past and set to work cutting the sleeves off the long sleeve button-up he wore. He tied the sleeves together in a tight knot before wrapping them around the embedded arrow. Daryl winced a few times, but otherwise it was like he was simply slapping on a band-aid. In a few minutes it was done and he began studying his surroundings.

He could see up the steep ridge he'd rolled down, which stretched a good ways in the direction he'd come and the way he'd been heading. However, the bank he rested on wasn't as steep and held a few small saplings to grab onto.

'If I can get ahold of those trees, I can pull myself up.' The blonde studied the terrain thoroughly, 'No, there's an empty patch there at the base. I'm gonna need a branch for suppor-'

His thoughts were cut off by a loud shriek. A shriek Daryl knew belonged to only one girl.

"SOPHIA!"

The red-headed girl pulled on her socks and shoes before standing. Her skin felt five degrees cooler after the break, and she was ready to head out. Sophia grabbed her doll and turned to leave and almost ran into the approaching walker. She let out a piercing shriek of surprise and fear, dropping her precious doll in the mud. The corpse snarled hungrily at her as it lurched towards her, its twisted and gnarled fingers reaching.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Sophia screamed before sprinting to the left and climbing up the small incline.

The walker hissed and followed after her, its speed faster than most walkers. Sophia kept running, tears of fear streaming down her cheeks. Every so often she would check behind her for the walker. It kept up for a good bit, before it stumbled over a fallen log and face planted the ground. The girl took her chance and pushed herself forward to gain more distance between herself and the walker.

'There will be more soon. My scream probably attracted all the nearest walkers. Just great Sophia.'

As she turned a corner, Sophia bumped into another walker, falling flat on her bum. The walker stumbled, but didn't topple over. Instead, it bared its rotten teeth and limped towards her. Forcing herself not to scream, Sophia scooted herself backwards and up against the base of a tree. Growling, the walker lunged for the girl, but Sophia was quicker. She dodged the attack, and in a flurry of panic and desperation, stabbed the walker in the back of the head. Instantly the corpse went limp and slid to the ground, while Sophia simply stared at it.

'That's the second walker I've taken down on my own!' The red-head thought excitedly, 'I can defend myself! I'm not weak anymore!'

While Sophia inwardly celebrated her victory, the previous walker she had lost was lumbering nearby. It shuffled through a patch of dead leaves, quickly alerting the young girl she was still in danger. Moving quietly, Sophia crept away in the opposite direction, hoping the other walker would not detect her. It was hard for the 12-year old to keep quiet and stealthy, since the adrenaline from her recent encounter was still running through her veins.

'Is this what it feels like when the adults kill a walker?' She wondered.

After some time of creeping along, Sophia began to relax, since she hadn't run into anymore walkers on her way. She thought it was odd that there were not more walkers around, especially since she had screamed so loud, but perhaps she had been quick and lucky enough to out-distance them.

'Momma always did say I was a good runner. Told me I could be on the track team when I started sixth grade next year,' she remembered. 'I guess I'll just be my own track team. Maybe Carl will want to be on my team...I wonder if he's a good runner...?'

Her wandering thoughts were broken by a shout. The young girl stopped to listen, as did the forest, it seemed, for the forest had gone completely silent. She strained her ears, but the sound did not return.

'That's weird, I could have swore I heard someone...'

Walking again, Sophia began to think about before the walkers. She remembered old Christmas's and birthday parties. One in particular, was the Christmas of her seventh birthday. Her momma had surprised her with the very Molly rag doll she had been begging for all year. It was the best Christmas gift she had ever gotten; even better than her bicycle she'd gotten last year. Her hands closed around herself as if she were hugging the doll to her, but there was nothing in her arms.

'What?!'

She looked around on the ground and behind her, but her doll was nowhere in site. Sophia retraced her thoughts back to the creek where she'd run from the walker.

'I must have dropped it!'

"No, no, no, no!" She whispered as tears gathered in her eyes and began streaking down her cheeks. It was all she had left besides her momma and their clothes from their life before the walkers, and now it was gone. Sophia fell to her knees and cried into her hands, dropping the bloody knife onto the ground without a care. Minutes went by as she poured out all the fear and despair she'd felt ever since she got separated from the group.

'If I don't ever get found...I won't have anything to remember momma or our house or anything!' She thought tearfully as a new wave of lonely tears poured from her eyes.

A loud noise silenced her sobbing, her eyes searching fearfully for a walker or wild animal. She barely breathed as she listened intently for the strange noise.

"Sophia!"

Her ears caught the far off cry coming from her right, deeper into the forest. Sophia's tears left her eyes almost immediately as hope filled her chest. The cry repeated itself again, still far off and barely recognizable.

'Someone...someone is looking for me!' She realized with hope, 'They are looking for me!'

Hurriedly, Sophia grabbed her knife and kept it in her hand in case she met more walkers. She knew whoever was shouting was attracting walkers, so she had to hurry before they left. Wiping her eyes, the young girl ran through the brush, nearly avoiding another patch of poison ivy and a thorn bush.

'Please hold on! Please don't leave!' She repeated in her head, 'Please don't leave me here!'

After shouting Sophia's name, Daryl hobbled his way into the direction of the scream. The arrow in his side burned and the blood was sticking to his hands as he applied pressure. He grunted and winced in pain, but the image of Sophia being bitten kept him going.

'I've got to get to her! Damn body! Just gotta ignore the pain and get to that lil' girl...'

After stumbling over roots and smacking through low branches for a good while, Daryl reached a small, gentle creek. No Sophia and no walker; Daryl looked around desperately, but the 12-year old was nowhere to be seen.

"Dammit!" He cursed as he limped to the water's edge and into the cooling water. The blonde looked up into the trees, hoping to see the little girl hiding in the branches. There was no Sophia in the trees, only squirrels and birds. Hanging his head, Daryl felt a wave of depression hit him - hard. Thoughts of Merle and how he would insult his younger brother filled his head.

'You're just a failure, boy. You ain't gonna be nothin' great like momma used to say.'

'You can't even defend yourself baby brother! You a fuckin' pacifist or somethin'? I don't think I can teach a retard to fight.'

'What the hell you mean you can't swim? It's just movin' yer arms and legs, Darylina! Why, a damn dog can swim better than you!'

Usually Daryl would push those memories to the back of his head, but now he didn't care. He was a failure, and his big brother had been right all along. He was nothing great or special like his momma had told him, he was just a failure and a nobody.

As the younger Dixon wallowed in despair, his sharp eyes caught sight of something odd-looking in the muddy creek bed. Like lightning, he crouched down and prodded the mysterious object. It was soft and dirty, but when he picked it up he recognized the rag doll instantly.

A spark of hope flared up in his chest. A rare smile spread across his face and for the first time in a long time, Daryl chuckled.

"Time to find your owner, Missy," he said before tucking the doll into his belt. The smile morphed into a determined scowl.

"SOPHIA!" He called again, tuning his ears for that girly voice. Nothing, but now that he'd found the doll, the blonde was determined to find Sophia, no matter what.

Along with the doll, Daryl also discovered footprints that led farther along the steep hill and the creek. Daryl followed the footprints, noting the torn branches and deep, sunken footprints.

'Must'a been runnin' from a walker,' he deduced. He clenched his free fist, while still applying pressure to his nearly staunched wound.

It had only been 20 minutes, but due to his injury and all that had happened, Daryl's body was reaching its limit. Panting, the younger Dixon paused to try and still his shaking legs. 'Body is tryin' to give out, but I won't let it,' he thought hardily. 'I can pass out once we get back to the farm, but right now I gotta find Sophia.'

Despite his gruff, his body needed a break. Somewhat complying, Daryl rested on a good-sized log above the shallow creek. Closing his eyes, the blonde took in all the sounds of the forest. There were robins, mockingbirds, blue jays, and woodpeckers above him and all around. Squirrels skittered to and fro, cackling and squeaking as they chased each other in the forest canopy. Cicadas chirped and rattled rhythmically, the gurgling of the creek melting all the noises together and creating a calming symphony.

As he listened, the tiny voice in his head urged him to eat. As if on cue, Daryl's eyes opened to the sound of his complaining stomach.

Daryl sighed, "Fine. I'll eat somethin'." The Dixon brother looked around the creek bed, but there were no edible berries or herbs anywhere. "Tst, should'a packed a lunch."

As the redneck was thinking, a foolish squirrel clambered down the trunk of a tree only a few feet away from Daryl. The low chatter of the squirrel and its noisy claws on the tree bark instantly alerted the blonde to a possible meal.

'Last arrow's in my side, so...'

Slowly, Daryl slid his deadly blade from its leather sheath. At the pace of a snail, the blonde positioned his muscled arm at the ready. After adjusting for distance and height, Daryl let it fly.

THUNK

A satisfied grin formed on the lips of the Dixon brother. A bullseye, knife point straight through the brain. The creature's body was pinned to the trunk, small streams of blood creeping between the bark.

Painfully aware of the arrow still in his side, Daryl slowly arose and retrieved his dinner. Once sitting on the log, the muscled redneck began the slow and important task of cutting open the squirrel without letting his knife touch the innards. He flew back to his early years of hunting and how to eat raw meat with no fire. The guts were 100% fine, as long as nothing from the outside touched the insides.

The first treat Daryl went for were the kidneys. Small, but full of protein and a lot of flavor. He glanced around during his break, listening for any sounds of walkers or Sophia. Again, only the symphony of the forest echoed through the woods. Briefly, Daryl returned his attention to his dinner, scooping out the stringy intestines next. Blood trickled down his grizzled chin and onto the log. While eating, the blonde began studying the nearest incline and planning his ascent.

He squinted at the small saplings clinging to the diagonal soil. 'I can use those trees to pull myself up, maybe find myself a branch as a cane...'

It didn't take long for Daryl to finish his squirrel entrée. He licked his lips and tossed the gutless remains far into the bush. Next was to find a sturdy branch to support his weight on the ridge.

The arrow embedded in his side didn't move, but the tissue and muscle surrounding it were throbbing to the beat of his heart. The younger Dixon was known for his high pain tolerance, so it pissed him off that a little flesh wound was causing him so much discomfort.

After some searching and agonizing pain, Daryl found the perfect cane stick. It had no pesky twigs attached and the bark was nearly gone. It came up a little above his waist and was the perfect width for his dirt-caked hands to get a good grip.

'Perfect.'

Now came the hard part. Ascending. With a sneer at the ridge, Daryl planted his hardy boots near a small sapling. He dug his cane deep and pushed himself from the base of the creek. Spasms of pain rippled from his wound, but the redneck was not giving in that easily. He stomped forward again, planting his boot and cane deep into the soil before pushing his tired body higher up the ridge. As the incline became steeper, Daryl began to move slower and would occasionally slip and have to grab a hold of any nearby saplings. Sweat drenched the blonde, soaking his hair and clothes and leaving streaks on his dirty skin. His breath came out in pants, each inhale only another reminder of his wound. Daryl stopped to catch his breath and looked down on the creek. He was a good ways up and satisfaction flowed over him, briefly evaporating how weak he felt.

Suddenly, exhaustion quickly engulfed him, almost knocking him unconscious. Weakly, Daryl fought his own body and retained his grip on the sapling he was using for support. His cane was now too heavy for his shaking arms, so he threw it down to the creek. Looking up, the Dixon saw the top edge of the hill. He faintly felt the bulge of Sophia's doll under his belt and gritted his teeth.

"C'mon, you've done higher, stop bein' such a pussy," he told himself.

Daryl eyed the sapling above him, it was just in his reach. He lunged for it and grasped it, triumph in his eyes. Suddenly, his grip began to slip and his feet were sliding backwards. Desperately, Daryl reached for his previous branch, but gravity would have her way. The redneck began rolling backwards, crashing painfully into saplings and hidden rocks. White hot pain overwhelmed Daryl's senses, fading the spinning world into nothing but darkness. His body landed on the creek bed with a loud THUNK! Dirt clung to the man's body like glue, blood streaked across his skin from fresh scratches. The blonde's body lay in the dirt, still and wounded, filtered sunlight dotting his face. He lay defenseless, easy picking for nearby walkers.

It would be some long minutes before Daryl opened his eyes. It would be even longer until he realized what a lucky son of bitch he was.

Hope you all enjoyed the read! *fist pump*

And just as a note, we are nearing the end of the story, my friends. ^-^ It will be a bittersweet moment, at least for me lol.

Jot down a review and devilishly handsome muffin shall await you. ;D