Curative

By Kaimaler

So Laura knows about Randall now and Sophia's resting up. Laura also had a bit of a spicy moment with Daryl, only to end abruptly due to mental trauma. This chapter, however, is mainly a Rick-Laura chapter, just working through the week between Season 2 Episode 9 and Season 2 Episode 10.

Let's see how our characters deal with the week between taking Randall in and taking him out to the junkyard. So we have a decent span of time to fill up. And in that time we're going to see a bit more development between Laura and the group.

We'll also be checking in with Sophia a lot too. :D

Review Replies:

Dante's Desciple:

Really? I could've sworn I've mentioned it. But ah well, doesn't matter now! xD
And I did state in a previous chapter that Laura is twenty-five at this time. :3
I felt like Laura should be an extremely useful member of the group, one who should do more then just party with the zombies, but actually offer help to the group in a more direct manner. :P

Lorem Tenebrae:

Yeah, but I remember that Daryl's move from the camp was actually due to Sophia's death. He was devastated and wanted to get away from the group, to begin parting from them emotionally, like Sophia's death actually hurt him more then they ever state openly in the show. He was downright destroyed over it.
So, with Sophia's survival, Daryl's move had to be about something else. Shane's attempt to kill Laura because she was a walker-lady at one point... I felt like that should push him away from the group instead. Because he did try to stop Shane, but because the ex-cop had a gun to her head, he couldn't stop it without getting her killed. He effectively had to watch while Shane kicked her ass for a few minutes while threatening to kill her, the woman he cares about, in front of him. I mean, that's not easy for anyone, especially Daryl who is very protective of whatever or whomever he cares about.
So rejection really wasn't an option here, I know it is to many other authors who write about their OC's with Daryl, but that's usually because Sophia died and Daryl pushes everyone away after that. ;3
Glad you like it! I wanted to be different, show a different side of Daryl that most people seem to think doesn't exist. But Daryl has been shown as a sympathetic character, he does show care and compassion when he feels it necessary.
Laura's been through some tough shit and Daryl is only now finding out about it, some of it he can see on her technicolor-bruised-skin. So he's bound to be angry that it happened, protective so it doesn't happen again (Shane got to her after he said he wouldn't let anyone bring harm to her again, so he is feeling a bit like he failed or disappointed her), and caring because she's in pain. :D

LittleMeep:

Sophia has to deal with a much tamer version of Laura's stuttering from early on in this story, but, because of reasons explored more in this chapter, it isn't nearly as bad and won't last so long. :3
I realize some readers will be asking over Sophia, what's going on with her and stuff, so I mostly wrote this chapter in order to explain in more detail what Sophia has to deal with and what Laura had to deal with, to more clearly display the differences between the two. :D

Kage Fuschichou:

I'm glad people are thinking this story is unique! I always try to make my stories differ from others as best I can. Sometimes I fail miserably, sometimes I succeed! I guess this story is a success so far because as time goes on I collect more and more readers, more positive reviews, and my inbox keeps getting stuffed every time I check it! xD
So I hope you enjoy this chapter, which is more of an explanation chapter for Sophia and Laura, but we spend our time with Rick and Laura. Enjoy! :D

By the time night came around and Daryl finally went to sleep, Laura stayed in the tent with him. She was always awake and at that point she was happy that she didn't, but also hated not being able to rest with him like normal.

However, she used her reasoning to understand that in this world sleep could be dangerous and her being awake all the time made her the best watch dog out there. She could keep an eye out for danger whenever it may appear. Her more selfish side complained about the inability to close her eyes and sleep, only to wake up and find him beside her in a sleepy haze.

Laura felt a little grumpy knowing that she'd never know what that felt like. She lived in a different world now and so did he, one that posed more of a threat to him then it did to her. She had to worry about people, humans, but he had to think about the walkers and other people, never knowing who has good intentions and who didn't.

This everyday struggle made Laura hate everything about the world around her, all the danger, the risk, near death experiences happened almost daily, and somehow she found someone to share it with. She wondered if she wouldn't have just given up if she hadn't found this group. Being alone with walkers all the time would drive her insane, humans were social and needed interaction on some level, living alone for too long could do things to someones mind.

She didn't want to end up going crazy, she just wanted to be with people again even though she had never sought out company before this apocalypse, but at least the option to be with people was always there. Now it wasn't, if she lost this group she very thoroughly believed that she wouldn't want to go on alone and the idea that there was a chance she would never have found them...

She shuddered at the thought of being alone in that city for however long it took for someone else to find her. Possibly kill her, mistaking her for a walker or just killing her for whatever she may have on her.

When morning rolled around, Daryl woke up just as the sun was barely showing on the horizon. Laura enjoyed seeing him wake up, it was a rather fast process considering how long it took normal people to get up in the morning.

She remained beside him, her arm on his chest, on her side pressed against him and his arm around her shoulders, using the crook of his shoulder as a pillow of sorts. She felt better then she had in a long time, just feeling him there, his body heat, she could hear his heart beat, and his breathing. It was the single most relaxing thing she'd ever experienced.

As usual though, Daryl decided it was time to start getting up for the day ahead. Laura acknowledged this, "What's planned for the day?" He looked down at her for a moment before staring back through the tent window. He shrugged, "Go huntin' this mornin'. Make some more arrows, runnin' out. Ain't much else."

"Well, I want to check in on Sophia, see how she's doin' today. Probably help around camp." His arm tightened around her, "Not leavin' my sight."

She smiled, "I have to see if Sophia's doin' okay. She may need somethin' an' you know fine well I'm the only one here that can relate to what she's goin' through." Her hand ran in slow circles on his shirt. "'Sides, I got a few things I need to talk to Rick about. Important stuff."

"Like what?" It was a bit of disbelief and hesitance, he didn't want her to go anywhere without him anymore.

"Like what happens if one day I'm walkin' into camp an' they mistake me for a walker. They did with you, they all did, an' you nearly died 'cause of it. You did look like a walker too." She chuckled lazily, "I need to talk to Rick about establishin' a way to tell me from a walker, night an' day. Safety purposes an' that."

"Just don't walk into camp without me. They won't shoot if you say somethin' neither." He answered, but Laura shook her head against him.

"Not good enough. What happens if I'm out there alone for one reason or another, say I either forget to say somethin' or I can't. How will I not get shot?" She insisted, she had a few moments lately where speaking loudly enough for someone to hear her from a distance wasn't possible. After Shane nearly crushed her neck, she couldn't speak clearly, when she first stuttered back after being revived from her walker state shouting, yelling, or anything of the like was near impossible.

He hmpf'd and ran his other hand over his face, "You're not leavin' my sight. I told you."

"I'm gonna' have to do this sometime. While you go out huntin' is the best time, I can't hunt real well an' I've got things to take care of. So you go hunt an' when you get back I'll help prepare what you bring back for food, yeah?" She tried to make it easier, offer something in return for part of the day alone. He was always stubborn though.

"Shane." He just said it like it was acid in his mouth and Laura's eyes closed in thought. Shane was still at camp of course, but she knew he wasn't fool enough to try anything out in the open again. Especially after she just brought Sophia back to them.

She leaned up, bracing herself up on her elbow. "He's not gonna' try nothin' in camp an' I ain't leavin' sight of the others. He's not that stupid, with the others around, he'd get his ass handed to him before he even touched me."

"Don't like it." He growled, but she came forward and kissed his cheek gently. When she leaned back she caught his eyes on her, burning straight through her. "You're hurtin'."

"I'm fine now, I really am." His hand found its way back to her neck, the bruise there and on her jaw caused him to get angry. She knew from what he had said yesterday that he blamed himself for letting her get hurt, but she knew if he could have stopped Shane, the ex-cop would probably not be alive right now. She'd be lying if she said the bruise didn't hurt, now or when she got it. It was a rather serious grip Shane had and she was lucky that he didn't do any permanent damage. "I have to go see Sophia, tend to her needs, then talk to Rick. It has to be done."

He seemed to think about this for a minute, his hand didn't leave her neck the entire time. Then he just sat up, pushing himself onto his feet and seemed to stand there waiting for her.

She rose with him, he took his crossbow up from its place on top of her duffle bag and left the tent with her following close behind.

He was focused on something, but Laura didn't quite know what. She assumed it had something to do with what they were discussing, it must have, nothing really sets Daryl off more then people and talking.

However, even though he had a knack for getting angry or just agitated at people who said things he didn't either want to hear or didn't like in general, he had never gotten short tempered with her. Except for when they first met in the cube van and Daryl wasn't familiar with her, that was the only time he ever displayed that side of him, the one most people saw, to her.

After that, he'd never directed his anger or frustration at her again. They never spoke much when there wasn't much to say, but when he had something he wanted to say, he wasn't adverse to saying it. She knew he did fear rejection a certain amount, she didn't really know why aside from the usual when a person is interested in someone else and they work up the gall to tell that person. Daryl never seemed like the kind of man who would fear it though, she would either respond in kind or not.

Of course, she didn't know much about him, his life or his past, so she wasn't sure if there was something in it that actually created this reaction from him. To hate what he didn't approve of and showed something akin to being scared of something he did like.

She smiled, they were heading in the direction of the camp, she knew that straight away. He had something in mind but she hadn't a clue what. He didn't say anything after leaving the tent and she was sure he was planning on doing something.

Laura half hoped that it was another confrontation with Shane, to show the ex-cop not to mess with her, but she knew that was foolish and would only make things worse. She hoped he knew that too and wasn't heading into camp to show up Shane. It would be flattering, she remembered seeing Shane when she brought Sophia to the house and it made her smile.

Daryl's fist found Shane's face at least twice before they were separated. She wanted to ask Rick what happened considering that later too, but that was more for self gratification then anything else.

When they neared camp, Laura could see the group already up and moving. Breakfast was being cooked and there were people scattered about.

Laura could see Rick on the porch alone again and she felt a little concerned about his welfare again, she knew he was doing better, at least in some areas of their survival as a group, but he was in deep thought again, she could see it.

It took a moment to realize they were heading straight to him though. She was just following Daryl because it looked like he wanted her too and so far he'd given no signs to the opposite.

At the porch, Rick looked to them and grinned at Laura who waved at him. "Morning." He greeted, leaning on the railing. "Mornin' Rick. How's things?"
He shrugged and looked back over the camp. "No accidents, yet, so fine." She snickered at him, he was in a good mood this morning. "What can I do for you?"

Daryl jerked his head to Laura, "Keep an eye on her." He spoke sternly, almost demanding, but it was a request delivered his way, Rick picked up on that quickly. Laura was a little surprised at Daryl, he didn't seem to like anyone very much, and though she could tell Daryl didn't not like Rick, they weren't exactly friends either.

Rick appeared just as surprised, but followed Daryl's eyes to Shane who was back at camp eating breakfast. Rick understood immediately and nodded to Daryl. "You have my word."

At that, Daryl gave Rick a very testing look, but Rick remained still, he didn't avert his gaze or move away. It wasn't a tense moment, it was like the two men were having a heated discussion by doing nothing but staring at each other. Laura was smiling, amused at Daryl's new behavior. He was trusting Rick to keep Shane away from her and, from what Laura understood about Daryl, anything he liked was instantly important to him.

Laura was no exception to this and once Daryl was satisfied, he gave a single nod to Rick before turning and leaving the camp again to go hunting. She had patted his shoulder as he passed her, as an assurance, but she knew he'd still be worried. It's just how Daryl worked.

When he was finally far enough to be out of earshot, Rick smiled at her. "How're you, Laura?" She turned to see Rick above her on the porch. With a sigh and a chuckle, Laura climbed the few stairs up to Rick. "Just fine, thanks."

He gestured to her neck and jaw, "Are you... alright there. Those look bad." He was concerned about her to, of course he was, Rick was concerned about everyone all the time.

She rubbed the back of her neck, "Sore, sensitive, but nothin' I can't handle. Had worse." He nodded solemnly, "I know, doesn't mean you shouldn't have it looked at."

Laura made a questioning look before scoffing at herself, Rick looked at her oddly. "Sorry, I never told y'all did I?" He shook his head, still confused. "I went to school to be a doctor, I wasn't one for long before all this, but I can take care of little things like this." She pointed to her neck and rolled her eyes.

"You were a doctor?" Rick queried. "Yeah, I wasn't a surgeon or anythin', but I know some things about medical needs, I used to work in an ER back in Atlanta for a few months."

"You didn't mention this before, why?" Rick's brow furrowed, he looked rather bothered by this news and Laura was a little taken back, "I just never thought nothin' of it. I mean, I wasn't exactly the best doctor in the world y'know? I just did what normal doctors do... Why're you so interested?"

He sighed, his hand running over his mouth and chin. "Doctor's are a valuable commodity now. Anyone with medical training is necessary, we need all the help we can get. I didn't mean to sound like I was prying, but it is important to know, that's all."

Laura grinned, "Makes sense, I just... People didn't exactly know me before an' I wasn't real keen on knowin' people. Bein' part of a group is good enough for me, but I suppose I should've mentioned it sooner." She bit her lip, Laura knew that people who know medical procedures were needed here, but she had just never said anything. She didn't know to trust these people or not and after she really got to know them, she'd forgotten to ever speak up about her job as a doctor.

"It's alright, I do see why you didn't say anything. No need to worry about it." Rick just put a hand on her shoulder, his universal sign of companionship. She liked it, it felt like he was really trying to convey his feelings on the matter, which were always comforting.

"I'm goin' inside to check on Sophia, after that, I kinda' got somethin' I wanna' talk to you about, is that alright?" Laura pointed her thumb to the house, Rick nodded again. "Absolutely, I'll be right here."

She flashed him a smile before heading into the farmhouse. She felt strange just walking into someone else's home like it was her own, it made her feel like an intruder.

So she quietly made her way inside, she knew the way to the room they were letting Sophia stay in. She headed up the stairs and to the furthest room on the left, through the hall and stairway decorated with pictures of their family and classic landscape inspired paintings scattered about evenly. It was the typical farm styled home and Laura loved it to tears.

When she made it to the room, she knocked on the door quietly. She heard someone move around inside before the door opened to reveal Carol who looked like she'd just woken up. "Good morning, Laura. Come in." She stepped back into the room, heading to a chair beside the bed Sophia was resting in.

Laura entered, closing the door deftly behind her, and approached the bed. Sophia was eating her own breakfast and Carol was having hers with Sophia. Laura seriously doubted Carol would ever stop looking at her daughter now and it made Laura glad to have them back together.

"I just came by to see how you were doin', Sophia." Laura sat on the edge of the bed, on the side where Carol was sitting.

Sophia gulped down a bite of her food. "I-I feel a l-l-little b-better. T-thank you." She spoke quietly, she was mindful of her own sensitivities. Laura gave her a big grin, patting the side of the bed.

"Well, is there anythin' botherin' you? Light, sound, hunger, anythin' you need at all?" Laura tried to urge Sophia to talk about whatever was causing her any discomfort, but from yesterday, Sophia looked much better and far more relaxed.

She shook her head slightly, "I'm o-okay now, L-Laura." Sophia stammered, just like Laura had done, but it was nowhere near as bad. Laura was able to see that her stuttering problem was more serious because she had been a walker for so long, around two months, so she had more decay on her body then Sophia ever did. Sophia would recover much faster then Laura, she'd only been a walker for a few days, the decay hadn't really even started yet.

This idea made Laura feel that much better about Sophia's suffering, she wouldn't actually have to go through the worst parts. In fact, from how Sophia was doing now Laura was sure she would move passed what was Laura's worst experience which had happened about a few hours after her revival. It was a great relief to see Sophia wouldn't go through it.

"M-momma s-s-said you s-s-saved m-me." Laura tilted her head a little, Sophia was speaking better then she had when she first awoke too. "T-thank y-you a-and I'm s-s-sorry I b-bit you."

Laura blinked and held her hands out a little, looking down at them. The bites were still clearly there, she hadn't tended to them. I really should do that. She mulled, but she didn't even remember them until Sophia said something. It wasn't that important to her, so she just shrugged it off.

"It's alright, don't worry about that." Laura patted Sophia's leg under the blankets. "Can you see now? Does it hurt?"

Sophia shook her head, "It h-hurts a l-little w-when I l-look a-at the s-s-sky f-for a w-while... D-doesn't h-hurt s-s-so much now t-though." Laura was glad to see Sophia getting over it so fast, it was progression that she didn't expect in such short time.

Again, she still knew so little about this cure thing, she didn't know that Sophia would recover so much quicker then Laura and, with this being proven, what else was different? Would she not have to live with the same issues Laura did? Would she actually heal normally again?... Did she have a voice like Laura's telling her things?

She would talk with Sophia about that in private later on. Laura was not going to divulge that tidbit of information to anyone until she was sure what the Voice really was and if she could or could not get rid of it.

"Alright, well, if you want to talk about anythin' at all, you just call me, alright? I know what it feels like an' I'm here for you." Sophia actually smiled at Laura and nodded a firm yes to her question, but she didn't voice her response and went on eating her breakfast.

Laura stood up and made her way back to the door before being stopped by Carol who Laura remembered wasn't present when Laura explained what Sophia was going through. She would have to tell the details again, but she didn't mind.

Carol was concerned about her daughter of course and that worry showed on her face. "Is she going to be okay now?"

Laura glanced to Sophia who didn't even look like she noticed they were both in the room still. "She'll be fine, with how fast she's healin' up I'd say she'll be able to get movin' again very soon. Maybe even by the end of the day if she feels up to it."

Carol smiled thankfully to Laura, "I can't tell you what it means to me that you brought my daughter back, even after she... turned." It was difficult for Carol to say it, she could see the differences in Sophia's appearance, but they were all much, much more subtle then Laura's.

"You don't have to, Carol. I'm just happy that she's back an' this group gets some good news for once." Laura put a firm hand on Carol's upper arm, "Sophia bein' here means the world to all of us, I'm glad to have played a part in her return. Take care Carol."

With once final nod of goodbyes, Laura left the room as quietly as she could so as to not disturb the mother and daughter too much.

Leaving the room, Laura couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She did that. She gave Sophia back to her mother. Laura's utter excitement and joy couldn't be contained at this point, she was above and beyond the clouds now. Knowing she had a role in returning Sophia, alive and well, to her mother and the group made her ecstatic.

She nearly bounced down the stairs, if she could with her brace on, and once she hit the floor, she strutted out of the house happily to find Rick.

When she exited the house, Rick was sitting on one of the chairs on the front porch, just relaxing as he thought hard about whatever new issue he was thinking about. She grinned at him and went to take the chair beside his own, she crossed in front of him, stealing his attention from his thoughts as she hoped for.

Sitting in the chair, she leaned against the arm towards Rick. "So, I have a problem."

Instantly she noticed the change in Rick's comfortable demeanor around her to full blown concern. She felt like just holding onto his head and hammering words about how he really needed to take a step back, breathe in and out slowly, and relax.

"What's wrong?"

She put a hand up, to gesture that it wasn't so important that it warranted such a strong response. "After Andrea shot Daryl 'cause, let's face it, he did really look like a walker an' everyone knows... well, I look so much like a walker that I could just be walkin' around in broad daylight an' people mistake me for undead. I understand it an' all, but I just need to make sure that one day if'n I'm walkin' into camp that I don't get shot."

Rick's eyes went over to the camp, seeing Andrea back on top of the RV on lookout. He frowned a little and nodded to Laura. "I see... I'm not sure what to do about it. Daryl was injured and didn't realize that we thought he was a walker, if he did, I'm sure he would have spoke up sooner, just to make sure we didn't shoot him."

"See, that's what I thought an' even Daryl said it, but I've had speech issues in the past. When we first met I couldn't shout or even speak real loud no matter how hard I tried. My voice was so screwed up." She laughed at herself, she stuttered so bad she could barely get out a word without stumbling over her words. "And after Shane had grabbed me like that, Daryl can tell you, I sounded terrible. My voice so scratchy that I could barely utter a sound without coughin'."

She took note on how Rick glared in Shane's direction momentarily before looking back to Laura, his eyes flickered to her neck just for a split second. He was taking in information and trying to come up with a solution.

"I don't really know what to do about it... If we found something like a reflective vest, you'd end up leading walkers to us." Laura agreed with that, walkers didn't want her but they knew enough to follow light and sound just to see if there was food there. "We have a few flashlights, if you kept one on you at all times so if you were coming back into camp at night and risked being mistaken for a walker, you could just shine it at us."

Laura could see that working, at night, but she seriously doubted that she'd end up getting shot at daytime mainly because people can recognize her. It was night that bothered her the most.

A lot of accidents happen at night.

"That could work, I guess I'm not too worked up about comin' around in the day. So long as everyone waits to confirm that whatever's comin' into camp is a walker before shootin'." Laura stifled a laugh, Daryl had gotten over the incident quickly. "Like last time."

Rick chuckled, "We wouldn't want a repeat of that. Take mine, I'll get another one from the RV later." He reached to his belt, pulling up a regular sized flashlight and handing it to Laura who accepted it gratefully.

"Thanks Rick, it was just somethin' that was on my mind." He seemed nonchalant about it, "Don't worry about it. I'm here when you need me."

"I suppose I'm gonna' have to find myself somethin' to do while I'm here. Sophia's alright for now, don't wanna' crowd her too much, noise an' movement tended to stress me out when I was in her position." Laura huffed with a wave of her hand, "Doesn't look like a lot's goin' on though..."

"Now we don't have to look for Sophia anymore... It really does feel slow around camp." That brought a very satisfied looking smile to Rick's face before he gave her a very unsteady gaze. "Laura, we've never talked about this, you've only mentioned what happened before... How did you get bitten?"

Laura stared at him for a moment, completely thrown by the sudden question. "I... Well, I got a call from a neighbor who I occasionally looked after their dogs for 'em 'cause they both worked long hours. So I went to their place to feed the two dogs they had. She told me that her husband, a guy named Reginald, was inside 'cause he was feelin' real sick so he couldn't do much." Rick could see where this was headed clearly.

"When I got there, I found both of the dogs barkin' at their bedroom door, I got a little worried about 'im. All that talk about animals havin' great senses an' things, like knowin' when somethin's goin' wrong. I knocked on the door an' heard weird sounds comin' from inside." She cringed a little, the sounds of the undead. "I opened the door, thinkin' he was in trouble or somethin', only to see Reginald was up an' about. I didn't know what was goin' on an' then he just... charged me, I turned to run, but he grabbed me an' bit me. He bit me a few more times before I ran through the apartment."

Laura ran her hand to her bag leg, the one strapped into the brace. "They lived on the second story of an apartment complex, same one I lived in of course. I couldn't get out because I had ran into their little office room and closed the door. My neck was hurtin' somethin' awful an' he wasn't lettin' up. So I went to the window an' tried to get down easily, but I guess some walkers know how to open doors because he got in. I jumped for it an' broke my leg, I hit the concrete down below real hard." Her hand went up to her neck where the bite was, the bruise near it made her wince, but the bite itself only had phantom pains whenever she thought about how she'd gotten it.

"I didn't think I needed to go to the hospital for it, it was just... weird. Someone bit me y'know, it was before all this... So I thought I was about to be killed or somethin' else bad. I couldn't go back in the apartment complex, I thought he would come after me." Laura rolled her eyes at this, walkers held no vindictive behavior towards a singular person, but no one knew about walkers back then.

Laura rationalized her actions, twenty-twenty hind sight. "I went to the only place I knew, I didn't have friends or anythin', so I ran all the way to my fathers home. I hate him, I hated him back then too, but I was scared an' needed someone. I figured the moment I got there that I should've just gone to the police immediately, but knowing what I know now... if I had. I would be dead. As a result, my father took me in, actin' like he cared an' shit. I knew it was abnormal, but I was scared, didn't know what else to do. After a few hours, I got real sick an' he started takin' care of me. Then it got bad, really bad... Hurt all the time, everythin' felt like my bones were bein' shattered at the slightest movement. It didn't take long, but it felt like days to me, an' I finally... died. I turned."

"I'm sorry that happened to you, from what I've seen with Jim... I can't imagine it." Rick sympathized and Laura was thankful for his comfort as she retold her story, it didn't change her memory or fix anything, but it made her feel just that much better. "You said you remember being a... walker. What was it like? Were you able to hear people? React? Any kind of responses to your surroundings?"

She shook her head, "While I do remember it now, when I was a walker... There was just too much happenin'. I was always in pain, it always hurt, but when I was a walker I was not aware of anythin'. I didn't feel nor think anythin' at all." She knocked her head with her knuckles lightly, "I see it now, like old memories bein' played back slowly. I know now that as a walker, I didn't know anythin' at all, but now... I can see it, feel it, an' it was nothin' but constant torture. My body was dead, everythin' about me was dead, but I kept movin' somehow. I wanted food so bad, I always wanted to eat, it hurt so much not to eat that I couldn't do nothin' but try to eat. I never actually ate anyone, but I never stopped tryin'."

This information was running through Rick's head, Laura didn't know what he thought of it, yet she could see he was taking his time with it, just picking out bits and pieces, making sense of it all.

Laura didn't know if any living person could make sense of her turning into a walker then coming back aside from, maybe, her father. Wherever he may be and Laura wished everyday that she never found him, that he'd never find her, and she wouldn't have to face him again. He saved her life, she acknowledged that and she wasn't a vengeful person, she'd never do to any other living being what he did to her.

But sometimes, with the Voice in the back of her head, she wanted to do it to him, make him suffer by experiencing her toils. The same part of her made her feel like if she couldn't do it herself, that she'd take satisfaction and closure in her life only by knowing he was forced through the same torture she went through.

That it was the only way she'd ever die happily, to know he had the same scars. No more, no less, the exact same thing she suffered the exact same way. No overdoing it or exaggeration, but perfect equality.

It wasn't something Laura found herself agreeing with very often and in such short bursts of hate and rage, she wished nothing else but to find him in her shoes.

Unpleasant thoughts of torture, pain, and death. Violent and gory, Laura shook her head quickly, she didn't want to think those thoughts anymore.

"Do you think Sophia will have it the same way? I don't mean to sound like I'm not considering your difficulties, I would never think to lessen them." Rick had a very hard expression to read. "She's just so young, she doesn't have the fortitude to deal with that kind of trauma like you, an adult woman. Sophia... I don't know how a child can handle it."

Laura reached out to put her hand over Rick's, which was on the end of his chair's armrest. "She was a walker for such a short amount of time. I went up to see how she was doin' just a bit ago, as you know, an' she's recoverin' so much faster then I did. I was a walker for about two months, the damage done to me wasn't as extensive as most walkers. However, Sophia was a walker for a few days at best an' has no injuries, nothin' but that bite wound to heal from."

"So you think she'll get better soon? Or, at least, faster then you did?"

"Much faster. Less the half the time it took for me." Laura assured, patting his hand before putting hers back on her armrest. "No need to worry about Sophia so much anymore with walkers too. If I'm any indication of what she's got goin' for her now, walkers won't be a problem with her no more."

Rick grinned to that, "That's actually a relief. It sounds strange to say this, but I'm glad that she doesn't have to worry about walkers anymore and that we don't have to fear what happens if she gets caught by walkers either."

"It's not strange, it's understandable. When I explained to Andrea about what life during the outbreak was like for me... That I can't relate to you guys 'cause I never experienced the outbreak like y'all, I never had to worry about hidin' away or nothin'. So I live with walkers like the world hadn't come to a screechin' halt. She said she was a little jealous of that."

He nodded his head, a big grin still on his face as he looked back over the camp. "I can see that. It would make things easier for everyone if walkers were not a threat anymore."

"Yeah, but actually gettin' to that point, the turnin' an' comin' back... It ain't fun an' it don't return you all human." Laura was a little concerned about the idea of what if everyone in camp was turned and revived like she and Sophia were, the option was there of course. She didn't even know if Rick would think of it, but it was a crazy idea to her. To willingly turn just so they could be a cross between walkers and humans, on the in between field so that only one of those parties would actually do them any harm. Laura was playfully warning him.

"I know that." Rick had a look on his face that told Laura he knew what she was saying and agreed without voicing it, but he was going through the pros and cons. That much could be discerned from his look. He always had a face that could display all his thoughts, it was clear as day. "Sometimes I wonder what life must be like for you. The world hasn't changed much I guess, to you that is."

"Of course, you're not counting the attempted murder, assault, battery, rape, and whatever they put scientists away for when they fuck things up. No law, I don't benefit from that either, y'know." Laura listed, she had a few more, but that covered the majority of it and she wasn't too familiar with all the terms for criminal offences.

Rick frowned slightly, "Of course." He repeated sternly, "Attempted murder?"

Laura smiled, "Oh yeah, I never told you about the group I met before y'all." She huffed in amusement, "I told Daryl, but I never said nothin' to you, just 'cause I didn't think about it. I found a group before I found y'all, there were seven of 'em an' they were all real nice people, just like this group, but one day I got outed an' they all thought I was turnin'. So the leader of the group, Red, an' the big guy who was kinda' like the guard of the group, Braddock, took me away to, basically, kill me 'cause I look like a walker. Got away, obviously. So I'd think that would go under attempted murder."

Again, Rick fell into a deep thought, like he was trying to figure out what Laura was saying, not actually having another one of his moral struggles in his head again. He was silent for a bit, before he apparently dismissed it altogether.

"Well, you're with us now and we won't do that. You're part of the group now, while we may not understand how it works, this cure that made you like this, but the way I see it, it doesn't matter. You're with us and I want you here, you seem like a good person to me." Rick rose to his feet, "I think we've chatted enough, there may not be a lot to do around camp, but there are a few things here or there. Daryl trusted me to keep you safe and I'm going to do just that, would you mind tagging along with me?"

Laura chuckled and stood from the chair, "Or fear his wrath? I think I'll make it easier on both of us an' just follow you around 'til he gets back from huntin'."

"That's probably a good idea." He nudged her along, leading the way off the porch.

Laura figured she'd be following Rick around for quite some time before Daryl got back. She didn't particularly like the idea of him being so overprotective, but it did make her feel happy knowing he cared enough about her to actually go through the trouble of talking to people he'd rather avoid just to make sure she was safe.

Actually, she was sure he would still worry about her even though he left her with Rick, who would do just about anything to keep her out of danger like he would the rest of the group.

So she stayed with Rick and helped him out when she could, helped out the people he went to help himself, and spent the morning and part of the afternoon traveling through the camp and the fields with him.

She very much enjoyed her time with Rick, he was a good friend of hers and she appreciated his efforts to bring her closer to the group. It was a very slow day, but she didn't mind it so much. She just went along for the ride and soaked in the sun and breeze, spending time with those who joined them every now and then like T-Dog, Glenn, Andrea, Lori who still seemed apprehensive to Laura, Dale, and even Maggie and Hershel.

As far as her last few months go, she considered this possibly the best day she had in a long while. It was quiet, peaceful, no accidents or violence. Just a little work here or there, checking in on people, and lending a hand when they could.

It was a good day, but she found herself anxious for Daryl's return. She knew why to, she wanted to spend time around him, but feared being around him too much and make him feel like she was suffocating him.

She'd give him his space and time alone, which was the real reason she didn't insist on going with him to hunt. She knew that was his and didn't want to push her bounds. She would go hunting with him in the future, that much was certain, but they spent a good deal of time together lately and she wanted him to take a break, breathe, and just have his privacy.

Daryl was a very private person, his opinions were always out in the open, but when it came to his decisions, how he reached them, and his feelings on something... That was never clear, he always kept that close to his chest and Laura didn't hold that against him. She even found his secrecy rather charming really, it was just another part of him as much as his hands or his southern drawl.

No complaints, a day at Rick's side and he included her in whatever he was doing, she felt something akin to a right hand man. She knew that was actually Shane, but it didn't make her feel any less important.

Her opinions on subjects held weight with Rick, he thought of her as honest and she was always to the best of her ability. She said what she meant in the best possibly way she could. Rick always seemed to take her word to heart.

That, combined with his position as leader of the group, made Laurafeel like an important and effective member of the group.

She wanted it to be like this for however long she had with this group, to walk and talk with Rick, help make decisions that matter, help people whenever they needed it, and when all is said and done, spend the rest of that time with who she cared about most.

All in all, Laura began to grow that much closer to the group, all of them treating her like family. She really saw what she meant to the group now, how they acted with her around, comfortable, relaxed, completely at ease. They didn't tense at her approach, shun her, ignore her, or speak down to her.

They all did what she wanted from the start, they cared about her, each one she spoke to that day showed concern over the treatment Shane had given her. She was a little embarrassed to say that she greatly enjoyed the attention.

It was new and refreshing.

She really thought that after so long of making bad decisions, wrong turns, and discovering things for the worst, that she finally found a place to belong.