I dig cowboys//R.G.

5

Rick, Shane, Daryl, Hershel, and I were all gathered around Carol's Cherokee. Discussing where we should look for Sophia.

"How long has this girl been lost?" Hershel asked to no one in particular.

"This'll be day three." Rick answered flatly.

Maggie then walked up with a map and some rocks in her hands. She laid the map onto the hood of the car, putting the rocks on the corners so it didn't blow away. We all examined it, to get a good look at what was around.

"We'll grid the whole area. Start searching in teams." Rick was the first to speak.

Hershel quickly turned to him, "Not you. Not today. You gave three units of blood. You wouldn't be hiking five miles in this heat before passing out." Then the old man turned to Shane, "And your ankle- Push it now, you'll be laid up a month, no good to anybody." He said to the two officers, they just bowed their heads, feeling defeated.

"Guess it's just me and Michelle." Daryl grumbled. I knew that we would be going our separate ways. Daryl always liked to do things with just him. I respected that.

"I'm gonna head back to the creek, work my way up there." He grumbled once more, not taking his eyes off the map.

"I'll drive up to the interstate, see if she's there." I said putting my backpack on. Out of the corner of my eye I see Dallas glancing at me, I was gonna drag him along with me anyways.

"All right. Tomorrow then." Rick said, mainly to Shane and himself.

I walked over to Dallas, who was setting up our tent.

"Hey, Dal. I'm driving up the interstate to see if Sophia made her way back to the highway, want to take this old Bronco for a spin?" Hershel had this Bronco in his driveway, I complemented him on it one day and he said I could take it out whenever I liked. So I was gonna take him up on that offer.

Dallas' head turns to the truck, a smirk growing on his face. "Sure. But I'm driving." I giggled and followed him to the car.

We were down the road a little ways just in a comfortable silence, a Johnny Cash CD was playing. I love Johnny Cash. Something about his southern voice that has always been soothing.

"What happens if we find Sophia and she's bit? What should we do about that?" Dallas questioned. That possibility never entered my mind but now I'm hyper aware of it.

"We do what needs to be done. We take her back to her mother and have a proper service for her." I said looking down. I hoped it didn't have to come to that, but in this world that was the bigger possibility.

A few hours later We arrived back at the farm. We hadn't found any sign that Sophia had been back to the highway. Once I got out of the car, Carol came up to me fast. I shook my head, giving her a sad smile and hugged her.

"I'm sorry Carol we're gonna keep looking and won't stop until we find her." I knew she was tired of hearing all the sympathy, I don't know what else to say to her, though.

"I'm forever grateful for you, Michelle. Just know that." She gave a sad smile that made my heart twist for her, and with that, she walked off to the house to start dinner.

I decided to walk down to the field to just get away from everything. The last few days, hell, the past few months have been utterly exhausting. We can never catch a break, I guess.

After a few minutes of admiring the view, I heard footsteps behind me. I didn't look to see who it was, I was mostly annoyed that someone interrupted my silence. I like silence.

Rick stood off to the side. Taking in the same view I was. Maybe he was just doing the same thing I was doing. Although, he could pick a different spot away.

He finally decided to speak after a few moments of it being silent, "Their fields are beautiful." he said, never taking his eyes off of the plains.

"Yeah. I've always wanted to live somewhere like this. View full of land, beautiful house, away from everyone. It's like it's own little world over here." I said taking in the view some more.

"Well, you can't get something like that in Chicago." He laughed. I laughed along with him nodding my head.

"So, have you decided to talk to Lori, yet?" I asked pulling a cigarette out of my breast pocket.

His eyes twitched when i asked, "Nope, but she's pregnant." He stated flatly. Oh shit. How was that going to work? In this world?

"Oh." Was all I could muster. "Rick, what are you thinking?" He looked like he was deep in thought.

"Well if my allegations are true I know for a fact this child isn't mine. But what can you do? What's done is done, there's no going back." He finished, he looked sad.

I didn't say anything else and wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt his arms snake around my waist, his head nuzzled into my neck. I heard him sniffle and I knew he was crying. I just held him for as long as he let me, not saying any more.

I broke away and sat at my original spot, finishing my cigarette.

"You know those things kill ya." he stated, wiping his face from any tears.

I chuckled, "Yeah, that's what I gotta worry about in this world. Lung cancer." It was funny how all of the things we used to worry about, rent, school, even looking both ways when crossing the street. None of that mattered anymore. All that mattered was survival.

"How's Carl doing?" I asked rubbing my arms from the wind.

I watched him as he shifted uncomfortably. "He's okay. He's been asleep off and on all day. But he's good." he said looking relieved as he said those words aloud.

I smiled, "That's good. Real good." It was silent again, a comfortable silence.

Rick then turned to me, "Hershel wants us off the farm once Carl gets better and when we find Sophia." He said. I looked at him, I could see the worry in his eyes.

"I think with your persuasiveness and my blunt personality, we can convince him to let us stay." I got him putting a hand on his shoulder, I gave him a small smile and walked towards Dallas and I's tent. I felt Rick's eyes burning into my back side as I walked away. I got this churning feeling in my stomach that I was all too familiar with.