Sugar and Spice

Chapter 15

When morning broke Daryl had decided it was best that we moved to our own tent, which I was fine with though I would miss a real bed. I knew that I should be out helping the group but at the moment I didn't want to leave him, it felt too soon. At the back of my mind the image of his body dropping to the ground made me never want to leave him again. It was something I never wanted to see again. I lay against his chest cuddling into his side while playing with the frayed end of his shirt, my face squished against his chest as he gently stroked a hand through my hair. This was selfish, but I just couldn't.

The sound of someone walking into the tent made me look over though I made no attempt to move away from him, when I spotted the flash of blonde.

"Hey." Andrea called making me roll my eyes, I knew that she was just trying to protect the book but that doesn't mean I can't be angry. "This is not that great but," Underneath me Daryl moved, grabbing whatever she was handing to him, making me look up at him with pout eyebrows creased together. Daryl just smirked at the expression as he remembered the conversation from last night.

"What no pictures?" The hunter teased, making me chuckle under my breath before I buried my head into his chest. As I blocked out the conversation not even realising when the blonde left. "You know I'm okay right?"

"I know." I muttered looking into his eyes, though when he gave me a sympathetic smile I could tell he didn't believe me. I sighed pushing myself up to sit next to him. "It just scared me I almost lost you and for a moment I realised that I wouldn't know what to do," Daryl gave me a sympathetic smile bringing a hand up to stroke my cheek gently. "If you ever do that to me again I will kill you." I whispered, making him chuckle, I leant down giving him a kiss only to be pulled down to lay by him again clutched tightly to his chest.

The two spent the day cuddled up together just enjoying each other's attention ignoring the noises that came through from outside.

~

Despite me telling him to stay in bed and rest Daryl had gotten up with the rest of us to sit around the small fire eating breakfast. There was quiet chatter coming from several around the fire all in their own worlds though we were quickly pulled together when Glenn stood up bringing their attention together.

"Umm so there's walkers in the barn." Glenn finally stuttered out making everyone freeze, at first we didn't believe him jumping up to head down to the barn, each standing waiting for Shane to confirm whether he was right or not. Once it was confirmed the group broke out into arguments. Shane was all for leaving while a few weren't, especially Carol.

"Because my daughters are still out there." Carol spoke up quietly, while Shane looked for a way to try and let her down easily.

"I think it's time to look at the other possibilities here." I scoffed in disgust from the side making the man glance over at me.

"That girl is still out there, Daryl is close to finding her so we're staying." I told him sternly, staring him down.

"Daryl found a doll that's it." I glared at him as he turned to argue with Rick, I took it as an opportunity to storm off tired of his bigioted behaviour needing some time alone away from everyone, I finally came to my truck unveiling the supplies that were in the back. I'd spoken with Rick about sorting through it so I decided to busy myself with organising it into canned goods and throwing away anything that was damaged or not good. I smiled seeing Daryl and Carol down by the lake. It made me happy that he was getting close to others after talking for a bit. The hunter left her making his way over grabbing a box to sort through himself.

"You okay now?" After years Daryl knew the way I ticked and especially to leave me alone when I was in a mood. I just gave a nod and a subtle smile resting a hand on his.

"Yeah I'm okay now," I moved to work on the same box as him, taking out a plastic packet of mouldy bread and chucking it out into a plastic bag. "I'm sorry for blowing up like that you were probably humiliated." Daryl shot him a smirk.

"You've done worse." The hunter called over his shoulder as he turned to grab another box shooting a smile over his shoulder, while I just gave him a fake hurt look as I continued to work. The two of us continued to work together till we saw everyone gathered by the porch, we made out way over. Glenn stood up when T-Dog and Andrea walked over, asking if they knew where Rick was.

"We were meant to leave an hour ago." Andrea told them, Daryl quickly piping up once we were close enough. "Damn right you were."

"What about Shane? He'll know where they are." I asked glancing around only to be met with the same level of confusion, when I heard something behind me I perked up turning to see the man in question walking up to us with a bag of guns.

"Here we go." Daryl said, stepping forward slowly to meet Shane before everyone else, he was just as confused as everyone else by the ex cops sudden appearance and angered expression. "What's all this?" Shane took a gun from the bag handing it over to him all the while he stared at me. "Are you going to protect your own?" Daryl glanced back at me before nodding and taking the gun from him, Shane stepped behind handing over a rifle to me as well, I stared down at the rifle I knew how to shoot but didn't Hershel ban guns on the property.

"What's happening?" I whispered to Daryl watching as Shane handed out the guns, I placed my rifle on my shoulder, he went to speak up only to be cut off by T-Dog. We all turned to spot Hershel and Rick leading two walkers, our group sprinted over to the three of them.

"Why do your people have guns?" Herschel asked, gripping the stick keeping the walker away, most stared at him as if he was insane as we watched the walker snap his jaw. I trained my rifle, the woman ready to shoot if she got loose. "Are you kidding me, do you see what you're holding on to?!" Shane screamed circling them and pointing. "I see who I'm holding on to!" Herschel yelled back, the more noise they made the more snarls erupted from the walkers.

"Shane just backed off." Rick tried to stay calm and keep the peace but it wasn't working, all I could focus on was the snarls of the walkers and the way Hershel was struggling more and more. I was completely broke out of my daze when Shane fired three rounds into the female walker's chest still yelling. Another round of shots went off.

"That's his heart and lungs, why is it still coming!" Shane yelled again making Hershel look at the woman he was holding in shock. "Shane enough!" Rick finally yelled, throwing all hopes of being calm out of the window, Shane nodded. "Yeah your right that is enough." The ex police officer marched up to Hershel and the walker shooting it in the head making Hershel drop to his knees in shock. "Enough risking your lives for a little girl that's gone!" Shane yelled to Carol, but Daryl still flinched beside me.

"Enough living next to a barn of things that are trying to kill us! Enough! Rick it ain't like it used to be! Now if you'll wanna live you've got to fight to survive." Shane yelled, quickly turning to and running to the barn grabbing a pickaxe he began to hack at the lock before prying it off along with the chains. I stared eyes wide before running forward to stand in front of everyone, Daryl following behind me rifle raised the same as mine. It didn't take long for the walkers to begin stumbling out, I held my breath glancing at my fiance who gave a nod of reassurance. That was all I needed to shoot the first round hitting the first walker I spotted, several of the other group members came sprinting over. The only sounds that could be heard on the farm were the cries of the Greene family as they mourned over already dead relatives and gunshots from the group. At that moment I didn't care as I killed as many as I can, eventually the flow thinned till all that was left were bodies on the floor, slowly I lowered the rifle thinking it was over till a small groan came from the barn.

A small figure wandered out of the barn letting out quiet snarls as they stumbled out. Everyone stared in shock, though I didn't know her I could tell from everyone's shocked silence who this was. Footsteps came up behind us trying to run to her daughter, but Daryl grabbed her by the waist pulling her down. I dropped to my knees next to the two glancing back at Sophia.

"Carol no." I told her with tears in my eyes, but she was just staring. "Carol look at me okay." I said managing to make her turn slowly to face me instead, I wrapped my arms around her allowing the grieving woman to bury her face in my shoulder. She winced underneath me as the gunshot went off sobbing harder. I glanced over at the dead body of the young girl, a single tear running down my cheek as reality finally set in on how fucked the world really was.