Finding Sophia (The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Thirty-Nine: Silent Night

"I had sisters." I tell Maggie. This catches her attention, as she's sitting in the church, just staring aimlessly at the wall. She'd told Gabriel the other night during the execution that, "It's just four walls and a roof." In regard to the church. "Two of them, Rebecca and Anna. Two brothers, too, Michael and Jonah."

"Why are you telling me this?" She asks, her eyes tear-stained. We'd only made it back here last night, and it the same evening, early in the morning. We were the only two up.

I practically ignore her question and sit next to her on the pew, "We were Catholic, and my mom loved kids. We lost my dad when I was around 16."

I wait a moment, waiting for her to respond, when she asks, "What happened?"

"Lung cancer, even though he never smoked a day in his life. Best man I ever met." I explain. "I don't know what happened to the rest of my family, y'know? We weren't very close. I moved here from Tennessee on my own. Maggie, I don't know if they're alive or dead or walkers..."

She hugs me. She grabs me and hugs me. "You're here now." She tells me, "You're here now."

"So are you." I whisper, holding her. She nods and sniffles a bit.

When we pull apart, she asks, wiping her eyes, "So what happened with Sophia's...?" She motions to her ear. I look over to the sleeping girl, who's desperately holding onto Carl as if he's her last lifeline. The reunion between them had been sweet, but was cut short by an overprotective Rick.

"She said it was a group of bandits. Tortured her for a bit. Cut her ear off as a point." I shake my head, "She said it with a straight face, like that's the way the world is. They left her for dead, and says they, as in the hospital people, found her on the side of the road, bleeding out and scratched up. Dawn hit her too, so that didn't help anything." I sigh, "At least she got the medical attention she needed when she needed it." I think back to the prison, and how we were so safe, so prepared, and neither of us got sick. Out there, she was bleeding out in the middle of the road and I shot. I live for irony.

I sigh, simply staring at Sophia. She was only fourteen, maybe fifteen, and had gone through more than I had. She lost her ear for God's sake. And she didn't whine or complain about it either. She took it, took it as if it were a fact of life.

"I'm glad she's still here." I nod in response. "What was it like?" Maggie asks, "Those two years, all alone?"

"It sucked." I tell her, "It was hard, but we did it. She was kidnapped early on, but after that, it was mostly just the walkers we had to worry about."

"She and Carol..." She says, looking at the sleeping woman, "They don't seem exactly...very close."

I shrug, "They were apart for two years. Sophia tells me she loves her mom almost on a daily basis. They just...show it differently, I guess."

Maggie cracks a smile and nods slowly before glancing outside. "You're knight in sweaty rags is outside alone." She rubs up on my with her arm suggestively.

I roll my eyes, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." She claims, "Go." She orders.

I try to think of a witty comeback, but I'm already up and halfway out the door. He was sitting on the steps of the church, and thanks to my silent feet, I creep up behind him and sit next to him.

"Hey." I tell him. He jumps a little, but still, for the most part, unaffected.

"Hey." He mutters without any sign of enthusiasm.

"You okay?" I ask.

He's about to shake his head, when he sighs and claims, "I coulda done somethin'." 

I shake my head, "Daryl, there was nothing anyone could've done." He simply looks over at me before looking back down at his hands. "You're included in anyone." I tell him.

He wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. I smile, surprised by the sudden change in position, but I let it happen. "I know."He tells me. I shut my eyes, resting my head on his shoulder, when we hear the moans of a lone walker.

"Thought we'd have a silent night for once." I sigh, pulling out my knife. I stab the walker, and that's it.