One more step

Alive

Lori and carol rushed into the RV following Rick and the stranger carrying a small blonde. Daryl laid her out on the bed. Carol quickly grabbed the first aid kit as Daryl assessed her head. The bullet had only grazed the side of her head. Rick stood back in shock. Lori entered "Rick, what is it?" He was crying now, the redneck worked furiously trying to see how bad she was hit. Lori looked down at the girls face and screamed. Shane was now standing in the doorway he started to enter but quickly retreated as Carl ran towards his mothers scream. "Carl, me and you we gotta go get water." He looked worried "we already got water. what's going on?" Shane firmly grabbed his shoulder and pushed him to the jeep. "We need more now get in the truck."

Merle stood outside the RV. Daryl was in there he knew the girl would be protected.

Rick watched as the redneck cleaned the wound carefully then took the superglue from the short haired woman next to him. No one spoke. Lori sat against the wall. Daryl held the wound together until it set. He leaned over her softly putting his calloused hand on her soft cheek. "Come on girl, can't do this to me now. I got your sorry ass half way across Georgia. no quitting now." carol had walked outside and was now back in the doorway, "Lori, the group is asking questions. Shane is down at the quarry with Carl." Lori could hear the bickering outside. So could Daryl. Merle was involved placing blame. Lori stood and took one last look at her daughter before leaving to try to explain. Daryl wasn't budging. Rick kept waiting for him to move, when he realized it wasn't going to happen he went to the end of the bed and touched her knee. He needed to know she was really there that this wasn't some nightmare. Daryl could feel him there but refused to give up his spot. He had kept her alive. He had kept her fed and warm for the last month. No one else was stepping in now. Rick could see the possessiveness in Daryl over his little girl. He didn't know whether to be thankful or angry about it. He broke the silence, "how long has she been with you?" Daryl kept his hand and eyes on her face, "a little over a month. since the night of the bonfire." Ricks mouth dropped open. He had not placed the men but he remembered them clearly now from the diner. "she made us go back to your cabin. We waited two hours for ya. Had to leave when it was overun. She sat there knowing you'd show up, but ya didn't." Rick swallowed hard thinking back to that night. "When I got home the walkers were everywhere, I grabbed my wife and son. Shane pulled up just as we were ready to go. We fought our way back there but the roads were gridlocked. It took 18 hours. Shane and me have gone back everyday thinking she would show up there. I wrote on the wall for her to wait for us there." Daryl didn't care what the reason was, "you left her. those boys she went off with to the bonfire. One of her got her drunk and tried to take her behind a truck. Saved her from that too." Rick realized that these men were not going to hand her over easily.

It was well into the night hours when Daryl decided he had to move. He had needed to take a piss since their hunt that morning and thought he was gonna burst. He thought the sheriff was out. He had been silently slumped against the wall. Daryl got up and slowly crept outside. Everyone had gone off to their tents at the urging of Shane. Merle had been given a tent as a peace offering. He had not gone and gotten the truck or motorcycle. Daryl figured it was in case they wanted to take off with Elli. He was unsure of this group. Her mother hadn't come back in to check on her and somebody had almost killed her. He readjusted his pants and stalked back up to the RV noting the Asian sitting on top of the RV apparently on watch. He climbed back in the RV and stopped. Rick was sitting in his spot tears falling down his face. He was singing to the girl.

"Gotta hold on easy as I let you go.
Gonna tell you how much I love you, though you think you already know.
I remember I thought you looked like an angel wrapped in pink so soft and warm.
You've had me wrapped around your finger since the day you were born.

You're beautiful baby from the outside in.
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again.
Go on, take on this whole world.
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl."

Rick studied the girls face perhaps as if it would wake her. She didn't budge. He sobbed and kissed her forehead. Daryl continued towards the bed and took Ricks place at the end of the bed. Rick started to move for Daryl then realized that he wasn't coming to claim his place. He turned to Daryl "I never got to tell you thank you." Daryl shrugged biting his thumb "Ain't nothing. she's strong and stubborn." Rick shook his head and chuckled, "yeah sorry to say she got the stubbornness from me. But I know her, she is strong but she wouldn't have made it this long without some help. I owe you and your brother for that." Daryl didn't respond looking at her face. He didn't want to be thanked, he wanted to go back to that morning and pick a different hunting spot.