Finding Sophia (The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Nineteen: Love is Stupid

"I don't regret leaving," I told the council bluntly, "if I hadn't, I doubt I would've ever wanted to stay here. But, while I was out there, I realized how much I needed a group. And, if you'll have me, I'd like to join your group again."

There's a moment of silence and I really think that they're going to reject me, tell me that I can't stay. I switch my weight from my left foot to my right, crossing my arms over my chest. Tyreese, Sasha, Hershel, Carol, and Daryl were sitting at the table, the last four sitting in the same positions as last time. Tyreese was sitting next to Sasha and across from Hershel.

"I say we let her back in." Tyreese speaks up.

"She's been gone a week." Sasha says, "She made her choice."

"We take people in." Daryl claims, "We let 'em decide. This ain't a dictatorship, Sasha."

Carol says, "I vote we let her stay."

"Me too." Hershel says.

Michonne speaks up and asks, "You brought that little girl back?"

"I just taught her what she needed to know." I shrug. "She did the rest."

She seems to think about it, staring me down with a glare like no other. "You were alone before that?"

"I was." I nod.

"I vote we let her stay. If she wants." She pauses, "And give her a cell in C. We got plenty left." She has no idea how much I'd appreciate that.

"Why?" Hershel asks.

"She was alone with that little girl. We don't have any right to pull them apart." She claims calmly, almost as if she'd been practicing this. I try to hide my excitement. All I wanted was to be with Sophia again...being with Sophia in the cell block would be fantastic. "She's as much a part of this group as anyone."

"We don't just let people into C-." Sasha said.

Daryl interrupts, "What if we pulled you and yer brother apart?" She doesn't respond to that. I guess Tyreese is her brother.

Carol says, "She deserves it as much as anyone else. She was there when no one else was."

"So we're agreed?" Hershel asks. Everyone seems to nod, including Sasha. "Good. Daryl, would you show her to her cell?"

The redneck simply nods and stands, hid crossbow slung over his shoulder, and motions for me to follow him. I do, twisting my bracelet around my wrist. He leads me out of the library and straight to C.

"That night...why did you vote me to stay if you told the council I was leaving?"

He unlocks one of the empty cells and pulls it open, "I didn't vote that we left ye. I voted we let ye go if he wanted t'."

"That doesn't answer my question." I claim, crossing my arms over my chest.

He shrugs, "Force o' habit, I guess."

I look into the cell and sigh. I hate cages. I hate confined spaces. I was used to them, yeah, but I hate 'em with a passion.

"Thanks." I mutter. "Do you...know where Sophia is?"

"Probably helpin' Rick and Carl with the farm plot." He guesses.

Sophia didn't know I was here yet. She hadn't seen me come in, at least. I needed to see her. I mutter a small thanks, toss my bag on the bed, and escape the redneck before he has anything else to say to me.

Rick. I suddenly think. Rick was the guy who saved Sophia. Rick was the one who saved her. Rick and Carl...Carl's Rick's son. Rick was the one who led her back to the highway, the one who ran after her. He saved her as much as I did, even more, in fact.

Speak of the devil, I see a trio digging in the dirt in a small farm plot, next to a pen with pigs. This place was good, I'll give it that. It was well run and they had a good group of people, with a definitive leadership. Too much or too little of that would've resulted in its downfall a long time ago. I'm still a little hesitant about the whole 'socializing' thing, considering the thought of real people not even two weeks ago was no more than a myth, at least to me.

I finally reach the three people. Carl, the boy with the sheriff's hat, I believe, was looking over at the pigs, dumping feed in every so often. Sophia was standing next to him, chatting away. I smiled to myself. Rick saw me before anyone else. I pressed my finger to my lips and he nodded, returning to his weeding, a small smile on his face.

"I don't think you've talked the poor boy's ear off yet, chipmunk." I say, crossing my arms over my chest. She turns around lightning quick, her eyes wide and her smile diminishing.

"Andie!" She exclaims. She runs up to me and, if I hadn't caught myself, would've tackled me to the ground. "I thought you left." She mutters.

"I came back." I assure, holding her close. Rick and Carl are about to interrupt, so I hold my hand up to stop them. "I'm not going anywhere." I promise. When we pull apart, I ask, "So these are the infamous Carl and Rick Grimes." I put my hands on my hips, "Heard a lot about you two." I look to Rick and say seriously, "Thank you."

A wave of confusion overcomes his features and asks, "Why?"

"You saved her. Before I met her, you ran after her. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He says, "Daryl was the prime guy looking though." Guess Mr. Dixon is pretty popular around here.

"And you." I turn to Carl, "You're the hot boy who gave Sophia those flowers and -."

Sophia covers my mouth and glares at me like no other. I smirk underneath her hand as she and Carl both blush. Rick simply chuckles and goes back to his work. She grabs my arm and hauls me away from them.

"What was that?" She asks.

"You and I both know you like him."

She rolls her eyes and says, "Yeah...so?"

"I knew it!"

"Aren't you the one who said love was stupid?"

"And what do you say to that, Ms. Peletier?" I ask casually, crossing my arms.

She thinks about my question a moment before biting her lip and answering, "Love might be kinda stupid...but it's really fun for the ride."

"Which is why I hunk you should go for it."

"You trust my group?" She asks.

"For the most part. Some people are questionable, but others are ok. I like Rick and Carl for sure. Still debating on Daryl."