SARAH

"And where'd ya go from here?" Daryl's question made Sarah look at him in frustration. Rick had sent Daryl, Sarah, Maggie, and Glenn to look for more supplies while he went to find more gas.

They had been on the road for five months. Sarah had thought that time would make it easier, but it didn't. They were all tired, scared, and disappointed that they couldn't find a place to stay.

The best place they had found was a house in the middle of nowhere. They managed to sleep two nights there before a herd of walkers passed nearby. The house was large enough to fit all of them, but the doors weren't strong enough. They could never have held back that many walkers, so they had to leave and get back on the road.

Lori's baby was growing, and after five months, she was starting to show. Sarah was very worried about her, like everyone else. The woman was holding it together, and Sarah was impressed by her strength. The thought of pregnancy was already daunting with all the help of modern medicine, but in this situation, Sarah was terrified for her. She felt deeply for her, especially seeing how Rick had distanced himself from her. Their relationship was on the brink after Shane. And for that same reason, even Lori's relationship with her son was strained.

Sarah and the others did everything they could to support the Grimes, trying to make them feel less alone. But the weight of their situation was heavy on the group.

"I don't like this game, Daryl," she complained as he approached her with his crossbow in hand.

"Not a game," he answered, shaking his head, "I got ya here, ya got me back. That's the deal."

Sarah glared at him with a little smile, "I don't remember a deal."

Daryl and Sarah often went on supply runs together. That time allowed them to get to know each other better. Daryl was no longer harsh; he spoke softly and gently. And Sarah liked those moments when they were alone, talking and smiling. Each conversation seemed to draw them closer, and she felt more at ease with him than ever before. Daryl was teaching her so many things, and with him by her side, her fear of the walkers felt less overwhelming. He had become protective of everyone, and that included her.

However, Daryl was frustrated by Sarah's poor sense of direction and wanted to help her improve. But Sarah didn't enjoy those lessons. No matter how many times he tried to help her, she just couldn't get it right, and that made her feel stupid.

"Ya need ta learn," he spoke softly, looking at her. "Where is the meeting point with Glenn and Maggie?"

Sarah looked at the deserted street, the remnants of that town in ruins, swallowed by silence. Broken windows and peeling paint created an unsettling atmosphere while rusted cars sat abandoned, their metal bodies slowly succumbing to rust.

Daryl turned to her, his expression serious. "It's not just about following the road. You have to-"

"Pay attention to your surroundings," Sarah repeated, repeating the words he had already told her many times. "I did," she assured him, looking up at him. "But..."

She stood there. She had been walking in the streets for two hours, but everything felt foreign and confusing. On the right side, she noticed an old diner, and the sign was now on the ground. She had not noticed it before. So, probably, they had to turn left, but there was a park overrun with tall grass and wildflowers. Sarah was not sure they had walked near a park, either. She felt a knot tighten in her stomach; she had no idea how to find her way back to their camp.

"I… I don't know..." she admitted, feeling frustration and embarrassment washed over her.

Daryl sighed, sensing her struggle. "Okay, let's take it slow. We've got time."

"I'm completely hopeless," she complained, her voice laced with self-doubt. "And you know it."

"Ya need ta learn, Sarah," Daryl replied, searching her gaze. "What if ya got lost

"I'm always with someone," she answered, trying to lighten the mood, but Daryl shook his head, his expression serious.

"Ain't an answer."

"You'll find me," she insisted, her tone soft.

"Ya can't count on that," he replied, his brow furrowed, but his gaze softened as he took in her confidence.

"Yeah, I can," she said with a little nod. If there was something she was sure of, it was that Daryl Dixon would have always helped her. She knew she could trust him. But she noticed the worry in his eyes. Daryl was trying to help her for her safety. That made her want to give it a try again. She didn't want him to worry about her.

As she looked around, something caught her eye—a weathered sign for an old gas station partially hidden by overgrown weeds. "Wait… I remember that sign!" she exclaimed, her heart racing. "We passed it earlier. I noticed it when we separated from Glenn." She looked up at Daryl, who was observing the direction she had been pointing at. Sarah was waiting for his response with hope, and she giggled happily when she saw him smirk.

"Is it right?" she asked, excitement bubbling in her voice. "Is it?" Daryl finally nodded.

"We came from there, yeah." Her smile beamed, but it quickly faded when he added, "How do we get there?" Her puzzled expression must have amused him, as he snorted and shook his head.

"Relax," he said, his tone reassuring. "Ya did yer job for today." He then turned to walk away. Sarah watched him with wide eyes.

"You're so mean," she teased, quickening her pace to catch up to him.

She followed him through the empty streets. They met some walkers on the way, but they were very few and Daryl was quick to put them down silently with his arrows. It felt strange. Sarah was still worried about the walkers, how could she not be? They roamed every street. They appeared out of no where, alone, or in herds. But now she did not felt like panicking when she saw one or two walking far from them. She was wary, and would never take her eyes from their frame, but once she would have run the other way. It was a strange feeling. And she shared it with her sister.

"I see them slow," Nicki had told her one night, as they were taking watch. "Have they always been that slow?"

Sarah looked at her sister. On Nicki's face had appeared a frown, but Sarah could relate. "I know what you mean," she answered putting a log in the fire in front of them. "They seemed so fast once."

They stood silent for a moment. "Is it a good thing? Or bad?" Nicolette asked.

That was a good question. Nicki had always been inquisitive and smart. And it was very difficult to keep things hidden from her. She had understood many things about Shane even before Sarah had the chance to observe him. And she was sure that her sister knew how Sarah hated for her to grow up in that world.

"For now if it keeps you alive, I'm good with anything."

Being on the road was difficult and tiring. The winter was almost over, and Sarah could not wait for it. Sleeping on the ground with the cold was almost impossibile, they all had to sleep next to each other because they could not make a fire too big, since the walkers were attracted by the light. It was easier when they found a place, but it didn't happened all the time. They caught cold, and sometimes fever, but likely they had found some medicines. They had to find food and clothes and they had to run from the walkers since they couldn't use too much ammo. It was better to have some available all the time. They could not risk to be out of it.

With all of that, thinking that her sister was getting used to have walkers around was almost a comforting thought.

"They ain't back yet." Daryl said as they arrived to the meeting point.

Sarah looked around, hoping to see Glenn and Maggie walk towards them. "You think they are alright?"

Daryl was chewing the inside of his cheek, looking at the ground, probably trying to find some traces, to make sure nothing had happened. "I think they are." He said.

Sarah nodded, taking a breath. It was always difficult to split up from each other. It was so easy to loose people. She still remembered the farm where they had lost Dale, Andrea, Shane, Patricia and Jimmy in two days. Or the quarry, where they had lost so many people in few minutes. Now they were so few. And that made her even more anxious.

"Hey," Daryl's voice took her attention, "Ya said ya were lookin' for gears for yer stuff." He said gesturing towards a shop a few meters from them. She smiled when she saw the sign.

"A toy store," she said, with shining eyes. There were many things that she could use.

"Ya wanna take a look?" He asked looking at her. She had been trying to find more things for her traps and make shift weapons. Especially since they had to leave many of her inventions a few days back since they had almost been overran. She only had the things she had stuffed in her bag, but she was almost over. She really needed new stuff, but she didn't want to put Daryl in more danger. "We have ta wait anyway." He said, probably seeing her uncertainty. She looked at him, he seemed relaxed as he observed her waiting for her answer.

"Alright," she said, finally, "But if at any moment you think we have to ran away we will."

Daryl nodded with a little smile, "As you wish, ma'am."

They walked towards the shop. Sarah was no more surprised to see how much dust there was on the shelves, or the darkness that had enveloped the shops, or some shelves being broken. It had became a normal sight, now.

"I can't see, anything," Daryl said as he tried to spot walkers inside, then he turned to her, "Use yer magic."

Sarah smiled as she took the bag from her shoulders. She put it down, opening it to take what she was looking for. The makeshift lure was a battered plastic bottle, once vibrant with a colorful label, now faded and stained from days of exposure. Inside, it contained a mix of small metal washers and gravel, creating a cacophony of clinks and clatters with every shake. Sarah then got up, as Daryl walked towards the door to open it for her. They both had their knives in hand when Sarah made a step inside, shaking the bottle in her hand. Then she stopped to hear if there was something. Then she did it again for a couple of times and finally they heard a growl. Daryl and Sarah shared a look, before the girl took a led bracelet from her pockets, cracked it to make it glow and put it around the bottle. The growl was closer, so Sarah throw the bottle on the other side of the shop from where she and Daryl were. The bottle rolled on the ground making noise. It was easy to make the walker follow the noises since everything was so quiet.

From one of the corridors appeared a walker. It was a woman. Sarah wondered if she had died there, or if she had entered once she turned. The walker followed the noise and the light around the bottle took its attention, so that she and Daryl went completely unnoticed.

Daryl looked at her for a moment, before aiming his crossbow at the walker, shooting it in the head. As the arrow hit the walker, it fall limp on the ground. Sarah turned to Daryl with a satisfied look, seeing him eyeing her.

"Ya're smart, girl," he said, stepping toward the walker to retrieve the arrow and the bottle.

Sarah felt a blush creep up her cheeks at his compliment, but she shrugged it off. "It's not difficult to outsmart brainless creatures." Their eyes met when he handed her the items back.

"Ya should give yerself more credit," he replied, their fingers brushing briefly. For a moment, their gaze lingered before Daryl stepped back, adjusting the crossbow on his shoulder and looking anywhere but at her.

"So," he said, clearing his throat, "What do ya need?"

What's happening? she asked herself, not for the first time.

"Umm… yes," she answered, turning slightly, hoping he hadn't noticed her blush. "Marbles, springs, jump ropes—Lego too, if you find any."

"A'right," he said, nodding. "I'll take this alley." Sarah smiled, feeling a warmth spread inside her. "Call me if ya need."

"Will do," she replied, trying to ignore the racing of her heart.

Every time she was with Daryl, her heart felt like it was trying to escape her chest. It was strange how just a glance or a brush of their hands could make her cheeks flush. I

It was strange, and each time he was near, she found herself studying him, captivated by the way he moved and the lines of his face.

As he walked away, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was shifting within her toward him, and the realization made her pulse race.

It had been a good idea to scavenge in that shop. Sarah had found many useful items for her makeshift traps—marbles for creating sound bait, a whistle, and several spring toys she could modify for her purposes. Daryl had discovered jump ropes, tape, and a handful of LED sticks.

"Check it out," Daryl said, a hint of pride in his voice as he showed her a plastic bag filled with colorful Lego pieces.

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she tucked it into her backpack.

He shrugged, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "The lady asked."

"Such a gentleman," she teased, unable to hide her own smile. They stood in a comfortable silence for a moment, and again her cheeks blushed again. But then, fortunately, Daryl's gaze shifted behind her.

Sarah turned to see Glenn and Maggie approaching, relief flooding her. "There they are!" she said, letting out a happy sigh.

"Ya got everythin'?" Daryl asked from behind her. When she nodded, he stepped past her. "A'right, let's go then."

As they moved to join their friends, Sarah felt a warmth spread through her, something unfamiliar and exhilarating. What was that all about? She had never felt this way with Glenn, despite the time they had spent together. These feelings were not entirely foreign, though. She remembered blushing and feeling awkward around her ex-boyfriend Peter when their friendship began to shift toward something more.

But this is not possible, she thought to herself as she observed Daryl walking ahead. She could not have developed feelings for Daryl Dixon.

She shook her head slightly, trying to dismiss the flutter in her chest. This was Daryl. He was her friend, had protected her many times, and had become a person she really relied on.

It was not possible. I don't have a crush on Daryl, she said to herself.