Carol wipes the tears with her sleeve before they can fall, not letting her body's reaction curve her faith that Harry was able to find and keep her little girl safe.
If there is anyone Carol trusts with her whole being besides her daughter is him. She knew from the second he walked up to them, trailing behind Lori and Shane, holding the hand of Carl, she knew by his protective stance that he was a good man, his eyes never left his nephew. The only time he bothered to allow Carl to leave his sight was when he heard her daughter's voice ask if Carl wanted to play.
Feeling the aged hand of Dale causes her to look up, returning the small smile as dale speaks, "I have no words to say that can comfort you, but I don't think there is a better person to have gone after her, if there's anything I know about Harry is he won't stop until that girl is safe in your arms." He reassures squeezing her shoulder.
"I know, Harry is..." She pauses, not sure how to put it into words.
"He's different, but a good type of different." She can see the darkness that she has in Harry. The type that will do anything to protect their loved ones, it's the sole reason she allowed Ed to use if she kept his attention he'd stay off her, luckily she had been prescribed sleeping pills she would spike her husband when he tried to get too rowdy. So many times she had been tempted to thrust a kitchen knife into his neck, but held back to not further traumatize her child.
"How's Andrea?" Carol asks, trying to change the subject placing her palm upon dales, returning the grip in thanks.
Dale lets his hand fall as he breathes out a tired sigh, reaching up to take off his hat, fanning his face to relieve himself from the heat.
"She's here. I'd rather she hate and live than die for nothing. I might sound selfish, but she can't just carve herself into my heart and then try to leave." Dale says, gesturing to let her lead towards his Rv.
Carol picks at her sleeves trying to keep her mind off the fact that her daughter is in the woods. Her gaze comes to the blonde man as they pass the doctor Harry was able to convince to tag along.Dr.Jenner is currently tending to T-dog making sure the wound isn't getting infected.
The slim figure of Jacqui hovering being the usual mother hen she is, though Carol knows that she pays extra attention to Harry. She adores Harry, even before he rushed after her Sophia. She's glad that she isn't the only one to see Harry's value and worth.
Carol would follow the man just for causing her sweet Sophia to smile in the dark world they found themselves in.
Her gut tells her they will be fine, but her heart still worries.
Stepping up to the RV she is just about to put her foot on the first step, when the familiar sound of a gun going off resonates throughout the woods, the fact that it's only one makes her heart flutter, frantically spinning with her she raises her hand upon her rapidly beating heart. She shares a look with Dale as a foreboding feeling creeps throughout her body.
The sight of birds schatter in the sky, sending an ominous message.
———-
Sophia lets out a soft goan her eyes flutter, waking up. Feeling warmth beneath her she presses her face into the warm chest, the familiar forestry sent invading her as she inhales deeply. Sophia tenses at how human-like the warmth below her feels, the arms she realizes, around her tighten protectively making her freeze in disbelief as the chest vibrates with an achingly familiar voice.
Soothing the fear that had steadily been building up.
"Heyy, it's okay, it's me, Harry" Harry's comforting hold that had been securely around her loosens allowing her pull back and stare down at the man, his curls sprawled across the floor and his green eyes alight with a ethereal glow, mirth filling the Green eyes, like…
Like the pretty tiger!
"Harry!" She exclaimed with tears gathering her vision at seeing one of the people she wanted most. Her mama is her heart, but Harry is safe and he feels like home.
"Where is the pretty kitty?" Her muffled voice reaches Harry's ears making him smile in pride at her unintentional complement, cradling her in his lap having sat up to hold the little thing in his grasp.
He must have shifted in his sleep, it has been a while since he used his animagus form so his control isn't the best.
He had just gotten to her as a walker was about to make her neck a meal, seeing what was happening he didn't even think before swiping the thing away, hindsight he realizes he could have changed and head back towards the highway, but his instincts were haywired, so all he did was use his head to flip the little girl on his back while placing a sticking charm, as he bolted not in the mindset to deal with the dead.
"Sweetie, how much do you remember?" Deciding to base his truth on how much she knows, not because he doesn't trust Sophia, but not to overwhelm her.
"I-I remember the m-monster tried to eat me before a loud roar and then the mean thing was gone and I was thrown on the back of the big striped kitty, and he took me away, and I wasn't falling off no matter how hard he bucked as he ran so fast. " she says in one breath, to use to plead her case with her fa- Ed.
Closing her eyes she feels anxiety fill her as the events play through her.
"Where?" She tries to get out wanting to know about the tiger, but her breath comes out in short breaths.
The scary hands of the ugly monsters reaching towards her, she tried to stay where Rick told her to, but the mean monsters found her, she ran and ran, then one came from behind a tree and grabbed her.
She remembers the foul smell as the monster's mouth nears her neck. their moist breath clinging to her throat as it growls into her ear, the sound replaying in her head. The monster had just been about to bite her; she could feel the teeth touch her neck when an even more ferocious growl that made her chest rattle came out, the hands of the monster disappeared, then the next thing she knew what was being tossed onto the back of a big striped cat.
"Sophia, look" The soft tone echoing throughout her body causes her panicking thoughts to stop. The man's almost musical tilt causes a calming sensation to envelope her.
Sophia opens her eyes, only to gasp as thousands of lights float before her enveloping the room in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Just when she thinks she sees one color it shifts to another, and then another.
"So pretty," she whispers, reaching into the cloud of sparkles, feeling a wave of adoration and protection envelop her. The fears of last night fade as she weaves her hand through the pretty floating sparkles.
Wherever her hand goes the glitter moves out of the way swirling like the night sky casting a glow in the shack. "This is so cool!"
Spinning in a circle she stops to give Harry a delighted smile not knowing what's happening but knowing nothing this pretty can be evil.
The monsters outside are evil, her Fa-Ed was Evil.
Harry, Harry is good.
"Mr. Harry, this is…." She doesn't have words to describe the feeling and prettiness before her. She inhaled softly when the sparkles started to swirl around her.
Harry lets his magic play with Sophia feeling contentment as his magic causes Sophia's ace to be alight with a happy flush as she spins around watching the glitter flourish like a typhoon around her before.
Harry wants to speak with Sophia to make sure she understands what has happened and that she shouldn't speak of it to just anyone.
So, with regret Harry flicks his finger towards the ceiling, letting an amused smile pull his lips when his magic seems to pout before congregating up into only to explode in a silent firework.
"How'da' do that? And could I learn to do it!?"" The innocent questions from her trusting eyes makes Harry belt out a belly laugh not knowing how to answer such a broad question.
Harry goes on to explain, as much as possible for her age, on what he is and can do.
Harry feels pride wrap around his heart as Sophia takes everything so well, even agreeing to Keep in their little secret.
Harry had just been in the middle of explaining to Sophia, How Norbert became Norberta.
When a loud gun shot goes through the air, at the same time Carls monitoring charms off in his mindscape, the charm flashes critical as the life force of Carl seems to flicker and fade. Harry doesn't hear Sophia as he stands there with his heart in his throat at the thought of losing the only reason he is even bothering with this shit hole of a world.
Carl is his Humanity.
The world better pray the boy makes it or Harry will show them that the rising dead is child's play.
Though Harry slightly perks up as when his senses register the Dixons causing him to realize they have Dr. Jenner, hoping the man knows more than virology.
He can tell exactly where they are as they press on his trail. His emotions have left magical residue from leakage. Harry being the only current conduit for magic. This causes him to be extremely sensitive to any magic outside of his body.
Turning to give Sophia a gentle smile, if it's a little forced he is too wind up to care standing up he holds out her hand,
"Are you ready to see your mamma?" Using them as a distraction, cursing his inability to aparate to Carl. It's been too long since he's used it to try it with Sophia in his current emotional condition.
——-
Hershel squints as he sees a figure sprinting sporadically with a boy jostling in his arms. A red stain can be seen on the boy's chest area. Pushing off the rocking chair he shouts for Patricia, listening as the footsteps of everyone stampedes towards him.
Sprinting down the steps as fast as his aged body can he meets the man in a sheriff uniform. Looking past just as a larger male followed by Otis stumbling through the tree line.
"Please, my boy!" The sheriff yells as he nears.
"Please you guys, he shot him, he's dying please, it's my baby boy." Hershel doesn't let the shock of what he heard let him freeze. Yelling for Patricia to clear off their dining table and get his supplies, while instructing his youngest Beth, to gather some water. Allowing the man past, Hershel pushes himself to ignore the aches, a child is in his hands.
He hopes God will be on the boy's side.
The last thing he registers as he loses himself in keeping the boy stable is his oldest leaving their farm on Old Nelly.
——
"God damn, why are we even out here?" Merle growls out as he dodges a branch trailing after Daryl the heat inside the forest is worse with the density of the trees not allowing good airflow. "If an officer competent had done his job, we'd be on our way, now we're busting ass looking for Harry and a ."
"Where did you go?" Daryl speaks absently, ignoring his brother's ranting.
His mind focused on Harry's paw prints scattering around the forest floor, debating on whether or not to mention Harry's trick.
"…Now we're following wild cat tracks." Merle starts, admittedly not as keen with this part of survival as his brother, but the only cats around here are mountain lions.
"If the missy was found by whatever made these then she's minced meat, poor chicky." Merle muses, thiinking on how cruel that would be, to be hunted by the dead, only to get killed by what looks like a fucking tiger.
As long as they find Harry he could care less about the liability in child clothing. He's only out here looking for the girl because he knows Harry and his brother are Sissy's.
That's what he tells himself at least.
A single shot resonates causing both Dixons to instinctively shift into a defensive stance turning towards the direction the sound came from.
Daryl's bow is drawn pointing, looking for any walkers that could have woken from the noise, he looks to his brother who has his machete drawn, he hopes they can find a solution to Merle's hand problem.
"That was only one shot," Daryl says, his instincts telling him something had happened.
"no one would waste a bullet for just one." Daryl finishes turning to look back to the trail then towards the sound of the gun, debating on which direction he and his brother should go.
His brother makes the decision for him saying,"I don't know why your on this wild goose chase, but I trust you" his brother gives him a serious stare as he turns to go back towards the group knowing he's just a liability for his brother with his arm.
Not that he's gonna give Darlina a bigger ego than he's got.
"Ya sure?" Daryl asks watching his brother walk back towards the group appreciating the trust in his brother, the man doesn't give compliments out easily and if he does it's usually in the form of an insult.
Merle just waves his good arm up, continuing his stride without replying.
A/n:
So, Sophia is in the know.
I hope she didn't react too unrealistic (in that there was a lack of reaction.)
Sorry I annoy myself with my self consciousness in my writing.
So, Dixons and Harry are mostly likely a certainty.
I'm half a mind to add Negan (if he can have a harem, so can Harry) just because I love his character and Jeffrey portrays him so fine.
But if anything it will mostly just be them being protective of Harry more than actual romance, for those that are turned off, not to say I won't write Romance, or fluff.
I just don't want to cheapen my writing by doing too much when I'm so "new".
I appreciate all of you who like this story.