Unexpected Love | Daryl Dixon Fanfic

Chapter 11 - Greene, Greene Grass

I didn't even think, I just started running. I vaulted over the barrier and practically rolled down to the bottom of the hill.

I was quickly back on my feet and started pumping. Sophia must be scared out of her mind. I just hoped that she could outrun those things and get herself somewhere safe.

I must've run for about 10 minutes until I could see the outline of one of the walkers through the trees. As I got close, I kicked out and hit the walkers back, sending it sprawling to the floor. I crouched quickly and slid my knife into the base of its skull, then carried on in the direction it was facing.

I could hear somebody running behind me, but they weren't going to catch up anytime soon. I was on a mission, and I could be faster than Glenn when I wanted to be.

I dashed into a clearing and the remaining walker was clawing at the trunk of a tree. It hadn't noticed me yet, so I snuck up behind it and threw my knife, killing it instantly. It slumped to the floor and that's when I heard it, Sophia crying.

I looked up and she'd somehow climbed up on one of the branches. I approached her slowly and held out my arms so she could climb down.

Instead, she slid of the branch directly into me and wrapped her small body up in my arms, crying into the crook of my neck.

"Hey honey, it's okay. It's okay. You're safe now." I fussed. Whilst she clung on, I stroked my hand through her hair and planted a gentle kiss to her forehead. "You're safe now."

After a while of being stood there comforting Sophia, I heard heavy footsteps coming our way. It wasn't a walker, even they were more aware of their surroundings then this twat.

Said twat was my brother. He pushed his way through the brush and as soon as he saw that I had the little girl, he fell to the ground wheezing.

"I think you need to do more cardio bro." He smiled and mouthed 'thank you' to me whilst he gingerly propped himself up.

"What do you think Sophia? Do you think we should find Rick a treadmill?" She looked up at me and wiped her tear-stained face with the back of her left hand, the other still balled in the back of my shirt. "Yeah." She said with a little giggle.

These children were so resilient. "You should've laid off the donuts hey Sherriff?" I patted Ricks back as he stood up. I would've robbed multiple banks by now if I knew he was going to be the one giving chase.

We slowly wandered back to the highway. Sophia had never gotten down and I wasn't going to force her to walk.

She'd been through a traumatic experience and if she needed security, I was going to give it to her. I was no angel because of it, I just understood all too well the needs of a scared child.

Rick tried a couple of times to take the fearful girl from me, but as he'd just shown, he'd probably collapse after a few yards. We approached the edge of the highway and Rick emerged first.

I heard Carol start crying louder when she didn't see her daughter. When I came into view, all eyes were on me, and a wash of relief went over everybody.

I put Sophia down and ushered her up the hill towards her mother. She ran and clung onto Carol just like she had to me a couple of seconds ago.

The reunion was sweet, everybody crowded around the mother and daughter as Carol let out a cry of relief. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears and the movement of her looking up to me made them fall.

"Thank you, Emma! Thank you so much!" When I reached the top of the verge she let go of her daughter and hugged me over the barrier. "What did we do to deserve you?"