RE-WRITING! Guardian Angel. (A Walking Dead/Daryl Dixon Fan Fiction)

Chapter 16.

We ventured through the forest, occasionally calling out for Sophia, but we got nothing. I was now walking with Glenn as Daryl was powering ahead, crossbow raised. Andrea kept sending Lori and I glares, obviously not liking the fact that she didn't have a gun.

"So this is it? This the whole plan?" Carol asked,  sitting down on a log. We all stopped and looked at her.

"I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups." Daryl commented. 

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks." Andrea scoffed. I rolled my eyes at her. "I see you have a gun." She said to Lori. 

"Why, you want it? Here, take it." Lori snapped, holding the gun out to Andrea. "I'm sick of the looks you're giving Piper, and me." Andrea snatched the gun from Lori's hand. "All of you." She sighed. "Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through and I would do anything to stop it, but you have got to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him." She then said to Carol. "When Sophia ran he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second. I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did or made the hard decisions that he had to make or that anybody could have done it any differently. Anybody?" She asked, looking at each of us. "Y'all look to him and then you blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you." She snapped. There was a moment of silence as Andrea held the gun back out to Lori, who took it. 

"We should keep moving." Andrea said. Lori nodded before we all continued through the forest. I walked beside Glenn and Lori as we trekked through the woodland. After another five minutes of walking, a gunshot sounded, stopping us. Lori looked back, anxious. 

"Come on, keep moving." Daryl ordered. Lori looked at us hesitantly before continuing to walk. I glanced back in the direction we came before walking with Glenn. We walked for a little longer before Lori stopped again, looking behind us. 

"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked, as we all stopped again. 

"It was a gunshot." Lori stated. 

"We all heard it." Daryl said. 

"Why one-- Why just one gunshot?" Lori questioned. 

"Maybe they took down a walker." Daryl replied. 

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker, or Shane. They'd do it quietly." Lori argued. 

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asked. 

"There's nothing we can do about it, anyway. Can't run around these woods chasing echoes." Daryl explained. 

"So, what do we do?" Lori asked. 

"Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway." He answered. 

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV." I reassured Lori. She gave me a short nod before walking beside me, she placed a hand on my shoulder as we continued our trek. 

"I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel." Andrea suddenly said to Carol, stopping us once again. 

"I suppose you do-- Thank you." Carol smiled. "The thought of her, out here by herself... It's the not knowing that's killin' me. I just keep hopin' and prayin' she doesn't wind up like Amy." She sighed, before realizing what she'd said. "Oh, God! That's the worst thing I ever said." She exclaimed, taking Andrea's hand. Andrea shook it off.

"We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth." She smiled. Daryl scoffed and walked over to the two. 

"I'll tell ya what it's worth-- Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time, all this hopin' and prayin'. We're gonna locate that little girl and she's gonna be just fine." He snapped. "Am I the only one zen around here? Good lord." He exclaimed before walking off. Lori and I smirked at each other, before looking at Andrea and Carol who both followed after Daryl. I looked back at Lori before we both followed Daryl too.