Surviving. (Book Two.)

Chapter Twelve.

*Sarah's POV*

The two of us immediately relaxed, lowering our weapons as he continued to stare at us.

The smile that was on my face faded slightly as I peeked behind him, trying to find Carol but when I didn't see her and she didn't appear, I grew worried.

"Where's Carol?" Michonne asked, a frown on her face.

Daryl turned back to look at the bushes where he had just come out from, "C'mon out."

Both Michonne and I stepped back as a tall, skinny boy emerged from the shrubbery. He couldn't be more that twenty years old.

"Who's this?" I asked, scanning him from head to toe.

"This is Noah," Daryl said gruffly, "We got a lot to talk 'bout. Best to do it inside."

Michonne watched the boy silently for a moment before smiling at Daryl, "We're glad to see you. Come on."

He looked confused as we all climbed the stiars to the church and I felt his hand on my arm, tugging me to a stop. "You two go on ahead." he said when Michonne turned, "Gotta talk to Sarah 'bout somethin'. Tell Rick he's wi' me."

He then took a seat on the steps where Michonne and I were sat just minutes ago, patting the spot next to him, "'m sorry tha' I left without telling any of ye'."

"You must have had a good reason to," I mumbled, "I know you. You wouldn't have just left us for nothing."

A smile graced his face for a minute before he looked up at the sky.

"So why did you leave? Where's Carol?"

"Y'know how I went out to talk to her? Try and bring her back in? Well when we were talkin', a car drove by. The same car tha' took Beth." he explained, "So we followed it."

He now had my full attention, my hand gripping his arm tightly, "And? Where is she?"

"Tha's the thing. She's in Atlanta. A hospital. That kid in there, Noah? He knows wha' goes on in there 'nd he's gonna help us get her back."

This was good. We had so many bad things happen to us the past couple of days that hearing that Beth was in fact alive, this could be the little pick up that everyone needed.

Daryl stood up, "'m gonna go tell Maggie."

"Ahh," I mumbled, "You can't do that...see, she's gone. Glenn too. They've gone to Washington with Abraham's group and Tara."

"Jesus," he muttered, "Anythin' else happen while I was gone?"

When I didn't answer, he grasped my arm and pulled me up, "Wha' happened?"

"Bob's dead," I mumbled, feeling his hand tighten slightly, "He got bit when they went to the foodbank yesterday. And Gareth's group came by but they're gone now."

"Gone as in?"

I nodded, "Yep. Rick didn't let them get away this time."

He sighed and ran his hand over his face, "I should'a been here. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I mumbled, moving to the door, "And it's a good thing you went. Daryl, you found Beth and all we need to do now is get her back and then we'll go to Washington."

He followed me back inside, greeting Rick with one of those man hug things they always didn't, "Good to see you."

I took a seat beside Sophia, noticing that she was somewhat glaring at Noah.

"It's his fault my mom is in that place." she muttered bitterly, "If he hadn't shot his gun, those people wouldn't have come and she wouldn't be lying in there."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, eyebrows furrowing.

"They hit her with a car!" she yelled, gaining everyone's attention, "Because they were looking for him!"

Noah looked down, guilt washing over his features as she got up and stormed into Gabriel's office, where she slammed the door shut behind her.

"I'd give her a few minutes." Rick said gently, hands on his hips as he looked at Daryl, "How about you tell us everything you can?"

****************

It was decided that we'd leave for Atlanta in the morning as soon as we had fortified the church a little more since a few of the group would be staying here.

Sophia was still in a funk, choosing to sleep in the office with Zeus instead of out here with the rest of us, much to Rick's dismay.

Daryl let out a groan as he lay down beside me, crossing his arms behind his head.

"You okay?" I whispered, turning on my side to look at him.

"Mhmm," he mumbled, "Jus' glad tha' something good is happening to us."

I smiled and scooted closer, ignoring the feeling of his eyes on me as I settled myself on his arm, "Definitely think we're due something."

"Comfortable?"

I hummed quietly, my eyes falling shut, "Very. You make a good pillow Dixon." We then descended into silence and I heard his breathing deepen as he began drifting off and I decided to tell him that I was planning on going along with them tomorrow.

No more sitting on the sidelines.

"Hey, Daryl?"

He stirred, angling his face to me so I knew he was listening, "Yeh?"

"I'm coming with you tomorrow. You know that, right?"

His lovely eyes opened and he stared at me, "Had a feelin' ye'd say tha'. Is there any way tha' I can convince ye' to stay?"

"No."

"Kay," he said immediately, which surprised me, "'m gonna try and convince ye' again in the mornin' though."

He was practically asleep by now, obviously having had a long couple of days and I smiled to myself, kissing his cheek before finally getting some sleep.

*************

Daryl did spend the majority of the morning pestering me about staying; Things might go wrong. Ye' could get hurt. We might all die.

And although he was trying to scare me, I'm proud to say that it didn't phase me and we were now all in a warehouse in the middle of Atlanta, working out a plan to get those in Grady Memorial's attention.

"At sundown, we fire a shot into the air," Rick mumbled, "Get two of 'em out on patrol. Then when it's dark enough so their rooftop lookouts can't see us then we go. We get up to the fifth floor and Daryl takes the guard out."

"How?"

"He slits his throat." Rick answered bluntly, which shocked me, "This is all about doing this quietly."

"Rick," I said, "We should try and do this peacefully. If we go in there and kill their guards, what's to stop them killing Beth or maybe even Carol."

Daryl nodded, pointing at me, "Tha' could work. Nobody has to die."

I smiled to myself, keeping my eyes on the diagram he had drawn in the dirt but I could feel his eyes on me.

"Okay," Rick muttered, "New plan. Anyone else have any ideas?"

"Capturing the guards," Tyreese said quietly, "We could do that. Maybe make a deal with this Dawn woman. We get 'em to radio in, y'know?"

Noah nodded, "Yeah. That'll work. They're trying to drive her out anyway. They'll help us."

Rick looked skeptical during the whole explanation but due to the fact that Daryl said he was for it, he seemed to agree.