The Walking Dead: Danielle Grimes

40. The Church

Danielle's POV

When the sun rose, we started to walk again. The coldness from the night was gone being replaced with warmth. Speaking to Daryl last night was a release but I still can't let my guard down. It's hard.

A rustle from the trees causes us to stop and raise our weapons. I have my claw raised as Daryl steps out with a few squirrels hanging over his shoulder as he raises his hands. "We surrender." He jokes. Everyone relaxes and lowers their weapons.

He walks beside me and Rick as we start moving again. "No tracks, no nothin'." He mutters quietly to us. "So, whatever you heard last night..." Rick starts in the same time. "It's more of what I felt. Like someone was watching." Daryl corrects. "I felt the same way." I speak up.

"Just keep an eye out." Rick tells us as he moves to walk next to Carl and Liam whose making funny noises at Nugget who is in Tyrese arms as he smiles softly at the three.

He's good with children.

Daryl comes closer to me and nudges my arm. "Hey." I smile faintly at him. "Hey."

"You good?" He asks. "Gotta be." I use his catch phrase. "You can talk to me. Ya know that, right?" He says making me look at him and I give him a soft smile. "I know." He gives me a peck on the forehead as I change the topic. "Looks like a successful hunt."

"Yeah, if you like squirrels." He mutters just as a voice shouts out. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!" Everyone tenses and grips their weapons as Rick raises a hand up to stop us from moving.

"Dad, come on." Carl looks up at Rick pleadingly. "Come on." After a small hesitation, Rick nods to us and we all follow Carl in the direction of the shouting.

"ANYBODY! PLEASE! HELP ME!"

We run until we find the person shouting. A man wearing all black was on top of huge rock as a few walkers surrounded him. The group springs into action taking out the walkers as I stood back with Carl and Liam.

"Come on down." Rick commands the man. The man's entire body shook with fear as he slowly climbs down the rock, standing in front of Rick. I look at his collar noticing a white band.

He's a priest.

Rick notices his silence and furrows his eyebrows in confusion. "Are you okay?" He asks. The man responds by holding up a finger before doubling over and throwing up.

Lovely.

"Sorry." He whispers as he stands up straight again. "Yes. Thank you. I'm Gabriel." He introduces. "Do you have any weapons on you?" Rick asks and Gabriel let's out a nervous chuckle which dies quickly when he sees us all glaring at him. "Do I look like I would have any weapons?"

"We don't give two short and curlie's what it looks like." Abraham replies. "I have no weapons of any kind. The word of god is the only protection I need." Gabriel responds. "Sure doesn't look like it." I mutter the same time Daryl says. "Sure didn't look like it." Making us both look at each with a smirk.

"I called for help and help came." Gabriel replies with a smile. "Do you have any food? What I had left was dropped on the ground." He says. "We have some pecans." Carl holds out some nuts to him.

"Thank you." Gabriel responds giving Carl a grateful smile. He looks over at Tyrese whose still holding Judith. "That's a beautiful child you have." Liam steps closer to Tyrese, his hand gripped on the handle of the kukri I gave to him, as though he's sort of guarding Judith.

"Do you have a camp?" He asks Rick. "No, do you?" Rick replies not missing a beat. "I have a church." Gabriel answers. "Off course you do." I mumble sarcastically as Abraham hears me, chuckling quietly.