A/N(Shit, my bad, Sophia's age has been fixed. Thanks Maddie-MarieXO for catching that) Hey guys. I'm trying to throw in some stuff, make it a little different from what goes on in the episode, so its not like just reading the episode again. Much loves to all you! 3
The search for Sophia picks up right at dawn the next day. The group, everyone except Dale and T-dog, fans our along the trail Daryl found the day before, Sam sticks close to him. They search all morning and into the early afternoon, hope starting to dwindle, until they hear the church bells. Everyone takes off at a run towards the sound.
They enter the little sanctuary and take out the three church going walkers. Rick, Daryl and Shane do a quick sweep of the rest of the church, calling for Sophia.
"Yo JC, you takin requests?" Sam hears Daryl ask sarcastically of the Jesus statue.
Sam, feeling quite deflated after getting her hopes up, walks through the small graveyard on the side of the church and sits down between a set of headstones, the overgrown grass almost coming up to her shoulders.
"Please," she starts praying "if there is anyone up there still listening, watch over Sophia, keep her from harm until we can find her."
She keeps her eyes closed a moment longer, listening to the wind sweep through the trees. She hears soft footsteps approaching her. Carl is standing at the little gate to the cemetery.
"What were you doing?" he asks, sitting down close to her.
"Praying, it's something I've been doing a lot of lately." she says with a shrug.
"For Sophia?" Sam nods "You think we'll find her?"
"I'm sure we will." she stands up, brushes herself off and musses his hair "Let's get back to the group, ok?"
Daryl walks over to Sam after Carl runs off "We're gonna head back, do another wide sweep through the woods on the way. Rick and Shane are gonna go a little farther before heading back."
He leads the group back along the creek, growing more and more irritated with them every minute. Andrea won't stop bitching about her gun, the trail, the weather, anything and everything she can think of. Carol, to her credit, is at least trying to keep her sobs and sniffles quiet, but she keeps muttering prayers and pleas to God.
"I'll tell you what it's worth. Not a damn thing." he lashes out a little " 's a waste of time, all this hoping and praying. We're gonna locate that little girl, an she's gonna be just fine. Am I the only one Zen around here? Good Lord."
He shakes his head at all their startled faces and keeps walking. Sam is the first one to catch up to him, but she doesn't say anything, just walks beside him.
An echo of a gunshot makes them all pause, he listens for anything else, another shot, sounds of a fight, but after a few minutes the sounds in the woods return to normal.
The shadows stretch across the forest floor at they continue making their way back to camp when a shriek pierces the woods, a quick glance around and it's obvious that Andrea is the one screaming. Everyone takes off in the direction of the scream, by the time they get there Andrea's on her feet again, staring with wide eyes at a girl that just saved her life.
"Lori. Lori Grimes?" she asks from atop her horse, Lori steps forward "You need to come with me. There's been a accident, Carl's been shot."
"Hold on. You don't know this girl." Daryl tries to pull Lori back "You can't get on that horse."
The group stares in silence as she rides away with Lori after giving Glen directions to her farm. The walker that had gone after Andrea starts to sit up, moaning.
"Shut up." Daryl says, shooting it as he walks past.
Sam can see Daryl is still annoyed when they get back to camp, and Dale only makes it worse, questioning why they let Lori ride off.
Once everyone has calmed down and T-dog's blood infection has been medicated, they try and decide what to do.
"T-dog needs stitches, we need to get him to the far, or he won't get any better." Dale insists, looking at Glen.
"I'm staying," Carol states. "what if she finds her way back and I'm not here?"
"I'll stay here with you and the RV." Dale agrees
"I'll stay too, tomorrow we can rig up a sign on one of the cars, leave supplies." Daryl suggests "We can come back and check every day, see if she's come back."
"Me too." Andrea and Sam say at the same time.
"Well if you're all staying, I'm staying too." Glen insists stubbornly.
"No, T-dog needs to get to that doctor. Tonight." Dale says, shooting worried glances at him.
Sam looks at the group, waiting for someone to step up, when no one does. "I'll go with you Glen."
Daryl was hoping Andrea would go so Sam didn't have to. Not that he really has any issues with the blonde, but she wasn't winning any points with him either. Not doing what she needed to with her sister, that stunt at the CDC that almost got Dale killed too, and her overall attitude towards everyone leaves something to be desired. He lays on the floor of the RV, between the table and cabinets, arms behind his head as a pillow, trying to sleep. But between Carol's quiet sobbing and Andrea messing around with the guns, it's impossible. He grunts and stands up, turning to Andrea.
"I'm gonna need my clip now." she places a full clip in his hand, he walks out of the RV and lets Dale know he's leaving. "I'm gonna walk the road for a while, check the woods a little."
He clicks on the flashlight and hears the door to the RV open and close again and rolls his eyes when he hears Andrea behind him.
"I'm coming too."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Dale asks, concerned.
"I'll be fine Dale" she all but snaps back at him.
Daryl suppresses a groan and starts walking down the road. Sure, Dale can be a little too fatherly at times, but he's just showing concern for the people he now considers his family, which is more than Daryl's father ever did. He cuts away from the road and heads into the woods, Andrea follows close behind him.
"You really think we're gonna find her?" Andrea asks.
"Christ, it ain't the mountains of Tibet, it's Georgia. She could be holed up in a farm house somewhere." Daryl says, annoyed with everyone's lack of faith.
"She's twelve..." Andrea points out critically.
"Hell, I got lost in the woods when I was younger than her. Nine days, eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak. Only difference is she's got people looking for her."
"Who found you?" Andrea asks.
"Found my way back on my own. My old man was off on a bender with some waitress, Merle was doin another stint in juvie. Didn't even know I was gone. First thing I did was go into the kitchen and make myself a sandwich. No worse for the wear, cept my ass itched something awful." Daryl hears a rustling sound, and hearing Andrea's reaction to the sight, he smiles, this could be fun.
Sam leans against the banister of the wrap around deck, Glen sits in the rocker across from her, staring into the dark. T-dog is all stitched up and recovering.
"So," she says, tired of the awkward silence between them, "should we start setting up the tents? Or do you think they'll let us sleep in the house tonight?"
"I dunno." Glen replies "Should we ask someone?"
Sam pushes off the banister to go inside, but the screen door opens first. Maggie, the girl from earlier steps out and looks at both of them "Daddy says y'all can get set up in the living room for tonight, we'll help you set up the tents in the morning."
"How's Carl?" Sam asks.
Maggie shrugs and gives her a doubtful look "If your man and Otis don't come back soon, there's not much else Daddy can do for him."
Maggie goes back inside, Sam turns to Glen "I really hope Carl's gonna be ok. He's a good kid."