++++++ I do not own the Walking Dead or any affiliated characters apart from my OC's ++++++

Four

Our track back to the cabin was silent and very long with me having to stop every ten minutes to rest because of my wound. Rick and the assbutt who had shot me-his name was Daryl Dixon-came with me, I guess you could say it was because they didn't trust me but the gods honest truth was that I didn't trust them either. But Rick didn't seem to be the type of guy who would turn out a woman and a child-he'd probably turn me out on my ass given the chance.

Once I was fully awake, showered and fed, I was suddenly attacked with a barrage of questions about anything and everything that I had done since the world went to shit. They all wanted to know where I had been, what I had done, how I had survived and most importantly where Sophia was. There was no way in hell I was gonna give that information up least it cost Ebony and my rabbit their lives.

Rick had given me my weapons back against the wishes of the group, especially his partner, Shane Walsh, who had a whole choice range of names for me. Shane wanted to force the information out of me but Rick wasn't ready to go that far-it was men like Shane who made me fear joining groups, not for my sake but for the sake of Ebony and my rabbit.

Before we'd left for the cabin, Rick told me everything that they'd done whilst searching for Sophia-apparently they'd been searching for her for three days thinking she'd been killed. Her mother was beside herself with worry, I'd seen her once back at the farmhouse crying as a man called Herschel was checking my stitches before we left. A blonde by the name of Andrea had told me that if I was planning to stick around, I should weigh out my other options first before she spilled just about everything about this little group I was looking to join. She had told me about 'Lady Grimes' aka Rick's wife and how she had quickly taken over as what Andrea had coldly described as first lady of their little group and had done since day one. She was also pretty sure that she and Shane had been sleeping together since the world ended. I don't mean to judge-ok yeah I do-but she sounded pretty bitter about something and it wasn't just Rick's wife.

There was a few walkers on the way back to the cabin which somehow developed into a small competition between Daryl and I as to who could take out the walkers quicker.

As we approached the cabin I held my hand out to stop Rick and Daryl from walking into the line of fire. Ebony wasn't that great with a gun but she was good enough to cause some serious harm to a human. I wet my lips and let out a three whistle burst then waited for another three whistles to answer me back.

Ebony slammed the door open as we walked up to the cabin. "Philomena Jocelyn Lucas where the bloody hell have you been?" she snapped before she slapped me. "I was worried sick!" She hugged me tightly, causing pain to echo through my body. I gasped, forcing her away from me and when I held my side she stared daggers at both Rick and Daryl. "What the hell happened? Are you wounded? Did a walker get you? Who are they? Where have you been?"

"It's ok," I replied with a pained laugh. "Where's Sophia and the rabbit?"

"Hiding," Ebony replied. She looked at Rick and Daryl a second time. "What happened? Did they hurt you?"

"Sophia!" Daryl shouted, breaking the silence.

From inside the cabin I heard Jade yell something at Sophia before both girls came running out. Jade clung to Ebony's leg, "I tried to stop her mama but she wouldn't listen."

Sophia threw herself at Rick and burst into tears. Rick dropped to his knees and hugged the little girl closely. "Thank you," he whispered at me, tears in his eyes. I couldn't help but wonder, given what Andrea had told me Rick had only been with their group for about nine days.

Ebony rubbed Jade's head. "I know baby girl," she whispered. She looked back at me, "who are they?" she asked me.

"That's Officer Rick Grimes," I answered, pointing at the kneeling sheriff, "and the assbutt with the crossbow is Daryl-he shot me."

"You shot her?" Ebony screamed at him. "Did your mother ever teach you to think before you act? You're an idiot," she snapped before she slapped him.

Rick and I both stared at Ebony. She was about five foot nothing with a petite frame-never have I seen her act violent towards anyone-I'd heard about her pushing her ex in front of a car when he tried to take Jade from her arms in a crowded Sydney street but I've never seen her attack someone before. "Kitty has claws," I smirked.

"Oh shut up!" Ebony snapped, storming back into the cabin dragging Jade with her.

Rick stood up, Sophia clung to him like Jade always clung to Ebony. "I'd like to thank you for keeping Sophia safe for us and coming to look for us-are you coming back with us?" he asked me. "We could use someone like you-a level head, a soldier."

I paused. "Ebony?" I called out, "can you come back out?" I asked her. Ebony and Jade walked back out and waited for me to speak again. "We've got a choice to make, Rick has offered us a place in his group and until my wound heals I am in no shape to protect you."

Ebony's face lit up. "Really? PJ do you mean it?" She grabbed Jade's hand and squealed in delight. "PJ, I love you! You're a champ!" She hugged me, "thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll go get our things and load the jeep!" Ebony bounced back into the cabin to start packing what little stuff we had inside.

I shot a sideways look at Rick. "I'd take that as a yes, Officer Grimes."

Daryl stared at Rick. "We don't need three more bloody mouths to feed," he growled at Rick.

"We don't turn away people who need us," Rick warned Daryl.

I left the men to their argument and started helping Ebony to load the jeep. Ebony made fun of me mercilessly when I bought Jodie but my baby had earned her strips in the last seventy days. She wanted me to by the 1967 Chevy Impala that they had in the lot with the Jeep but I had to tell her that the impala wasn't a good off-road car and the parts were expensive to replace even on a soldier's salary.

"Can I help with anything?" Rick suddenly asked me.

I shook my head. "No thank you, Officer Grimes."

"Rick, call me Rick," he smiled, Sophia still clinging to him. He helped me shove a box in the back of the Jeep, "your name is Philomena?" he chuckled.

I shook my head. "It's Greek, it's the name of a worshipped virgin martyr, it mean's powerful love. My mother was a literature professor-well she was until she ate my dad." Seeing the look on his face I laughed, "I aint no virgin martyr, Rick. Trust me." I slammed the tail gate up and whistled to Ebony, she came out with some bags full of food and threw them in the back seat before lifting Jade up. "You ok rabbit?" I asked her, flicking her noise.

"I'm ok Aunty Jay," she smiled, putting her seatbelt on.

"Eb's, you'll have to sit on someone's lap," I informed her, getting in the driver's seat. Rick put Sophia in beside Jade before jumping in the front seat, leaving Daryl and Ebony standing outside the car.

"I would rather immolate myself," Ebony declared, glaring at Daryl.

"Just get in the Jeep," I grumbled. "You can immolate yourself when you get to the farm." And Ebony called me a drama queen, I thought, watching Daryl and Ebony stuff ass around in the back. Jade and Sophia exploded into a fit of giggles and I couldn't help but laugh myself seeing Ebony sitting on Daryl's lap looking like she was ready to kill me. I started the Jeep and made my way down the trail-I was doing the right thing-wasn't I?