CHAPTER TWO

The small group came out of the woods at the far end of an open field. They could see several people moving around an RV in the distance. The adults moved to keep the children between them, with Derek and Daryl in the lead.

"Walkers! Walkers!" Someone shouted from the top of the RV.

"How the hell do we look like the dead?" Stiles asked incredulously as several men began to run across the field towards them.

"They just told the woman to let them handle it," Derek said, his alpha hearing being better than Daryl or Teddy.

"Buncha dumbasses," Daryl grumbled.

"Shit, she just cocked that rifle, get down!"

Harry and Stiles dropped to the ground, while Daryl and Derek turned to place themselves on top of the two children. Harry was able to get up a silent Protego just as the crack of the rifle rang over the farm.

"I'm going to kill a bitch shooting at my kid. Hope you don't mind, Daryl," Harry snarled as the group got to their feet.

"I'm ok dad," Teddy whispered.

"I'll help ya. You ok, Sophia?"

"Why are they shooting at us?!"

"Like your Mr. Daryl said, sweetie. Bunch of dumbasses," Stiles grinned at the kids. The kids didn't know that the grin was from imagining the absolute hell Harry was about to unleash.

Just then four men from the other group arrived, weapons at the ready. The man in the lead had another gun aimed at them.

"Daryl?"

"Gettin' 'bout tired y'all pullin' guns on me! Who the hell let that stupid bitch be on watch? She nearly shot Sophia!"

"Oh my God, Sophia," the Asian guy breathed.

"I'll be damned," the black guy said.

"Who the hell are they?" A guy with a shaved head demanded.

"They found Sophia and were helping her find her way back to her mom. They also have a kid that you shot at, and have another gun pointed at!" Harry snapped. "And if that gun isn't lowered in two seconds, you're going to find yourself shooting off rounds every time you fart!" The gun was lowered. "Now, if you don't mind, we promised to deliver Sophia to her mum, then we'll be on our way."

Harry grabbed up Teddy while Derek scooped up Sophia and the group began making their way to the others. The bald guy attempted to move into their path.

"I wouldn't do that dude, you just pissed all of us off. Not a good idea, especially when you threaten his son," Stiles smirked as they walked around the man. Daryl did not even realize he was falling into step with the new group and not Rick.

As soon as they were close enough to be easily heard, Stiles called out cheerfully, "We have a special delivery for Carol. Is there a Carol here? Need a signature for the delivery please."

Stiles smiled hearing Sophia giggle into Derek's shoulder. Derek began to put the girl on her feet when he saw the woman with short gray hair come out of the RV.

"MOMMA!"

"Oh my God! Sophia!" Carol grabbed her daughter and the pair clapped to the ground in tears.

At that time, an old man with white hair came stomping from the house.

"What is going on out here?"

"Sorry Hershel, one of ours thought there was a walker."

"Oh yes. Four adults, with two kids who are obviously playing. So easy to confuse for one of the dead," Harry said sarcastically. Harry nodded at the older man, "Doc Greene."

"Mr. Potter, it is good to see you and young Teddy. What brings you here?"

"We found a lost lamb. We were trying to backtrack her trail when we ran into Daryl after he fell off a ridge."

"I am glad the girl was found," Hershel gave a small smile, then looked sternly at Daryl. "Where is my horse?"

"Better be in the next county after it threw me."

"If you had asked, I would have told you not to take her. Name's Nelly, as in Nervous Nelly."

Daryl snorted and walked off towards his tent.

"Well, we got Sophia back. We'll be heading out, Doc "

"No! You can't leave!" Sophia protested.

"I don't want to leave yet dad," Teddy complained.

"Teddy-o, my dude. We don't want to intrude on people. They don't know us. We can't expect them to be okay with anyone staying," Stiles explained to the young boy.

"Well I know Mr. Potter, and this is my farm. It's getting late. You brought that girl back, you are more than welcome to stay?"

Harry, Stiles, and Derek exchanged speaking looks. "We'll head out in the morning then, if you don't mind."

"We can make room for y'all in the house…"

"That's alright, Doc. We'll just set up our own tent. We don't want to be a bother. These are my friends Derek Hale and Stiles Stilinski, and you of course know Teddy."

"Stiles Stilinski, really?" Hershel asked, surprise in his tone. "I knew a Stiles Stilinski when I was in the military. Any relation to Elias Stilinski?"

"My grandfather," Stiles relied cautiously.

"What a small world. We served together in Korea. He was a friend, a good man. How is he? We kept in touch for a few years after the war. Did he only have the one son?"

"Yeah, yeah, dad was an only child. Grandad passed about six years ago. Dad…dad died three years ago," Stiles finished in a whisper.

"I am sorry to hear that, son. You boys get yourself set up. Stay as long as you like. Come up to the house when you get hungry, ya hear." Hershel gave a glare at the other group before walking away.

"I'll go set us up next to Daryl," Derek said, grabbing the bags from Harry and Stiles. Harry turned to the gathered group, eyes cold, and scowl firmly in place.

"Now who is the soddin' bloody idiot that decided it would be a grand idea to shoot at children?! One of which was MY SON!"

"I am so sorry! There was a glare and I thought…" Andrea began.

"Oh, I highly doubt you thought! That would mean you had more than two functioning brain cells. The absolute level of incompetent dumbassery that allowed you to touch a gun, let alone give you such an important assignment as watching for the safety of your group, is astounding."

"Who do you think you are?! You don't have a clue…" Shane demanded, attempting to get in Harry's face.

"Oh, let me!" Stiles grinned. "Deputy right? Sophia said you were Sheriff deputies?" Stiles waited for the nod. "The big guy over there is Derek. I am Special Agent Stilinski, FBI; but just call me Stiles. And this is Supervising Agent Harry Potter of MI6. Oh, and my dad was the Sheriff of my town. I grew up in the station, so don't think you can use being a local LEO to try to sound important either."

"Bullshit!" Shane puffed, face turning red from anger.

"Catch," Derek called ad he lobbed two square-ish items

in their direction. "Neither of you cleaned out your bags. These were still in them."

Harry's hand shot out with seeker-honed reflexes and grabbed the wallets out of the air. He flipped both open and held them for the two former deputies to inspect. "Happy? Have I proven my…" Harry pauses to look the two men up and down, "credentials are bigger than yours?"

Stiles watched and agitatedly scrubbed at his head when he saw the people around them relax, just because of their former credentials. "Right, let's just get set up so we can get some rest and head out first thing in the morning."

Harry and Smiles joined Derek where he was finishing their tent near Daryl. They settled down to relax, when Smiles whispered, knowing Daryl would be the only one able to hear, "So, what's up with keeping all those zombies in the barn?"

A/N: I know Hershel is not old enough to be in the Korean War However, Scott Wilson was about 16 when the war ended. So, Hershel is a few years older to make this work.