Finding Sophia (The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Forty-Two: 100 Miles

Just as I promised, I took Noah to Virginia, with or without the group. Seventeen days after Beth died, sixteen days after we left the church, we made it. I stayed behind to make sure nothing attacked our car, and to take care of Judith. After my rant the other day, it turns out that made Rick only trust me more. I'd been holding her more, but I didn't mind. I loved Judy. At the car was me and Sophia, Abraham's group, and Sasha and Gabriel and Carl, and Glenn and Maggie. Rick, Michonne, Carol, Daryl, Tyreese, and Noah were the only ones going to check the neighborhood, just to make sure it was legit.

I looked over to Eugene. He had his nose buried in a book, as usual, and he hadn't spoken to me since the church. Gabriel had a similar story, but he was doing his best to occupy himself with his machete, though it was still foreign in his hands. Rosita was, on the other hand, sharpening her knife expertly, occasionally sending Eugene a death glare. Abraham, Tara, Sophia, and Carl were on watch, while I, of course, took care of Judy. 

She cooed in my arms, grasping at my shirt. I bounced her a bit while trying to make a bottle at the same time. I looked at the amount of formula left. Maybe, if we were lucky, we would have a week's supply left. I wondered if we could find her some applesauce. I hate applesauce, though.

"Need some help?" I heard someone behind me. I nearly bent over backward to turn and see Tara standing there, her gun resting on her hip, similarly to the way I was currently holding Judith in my left arm.

"I got it." I assure her, smiling faintly as I mixed some of the formula together. Ignoring what I said, she takes over making the formula, shaking the bottle within a few seconds. "Thanks." I say.

"No problem." She returns the smile. 

"So, ponytails..." I trail off and her smile disappears.

"You remember that." She says, pursing her lips.

I nod, "Yeah, I do. And I've seen the way you look at me. Tara, I'm not judging you for anything he made you do. He was manipulative and crazy."

"That's the thing," she says as I take the bottle and begin to feed Judy, "I was the first to volunteer. The first to agree."

"But here you are with us now." She looks to Judy, and then nods, and then looks away from everyone, toward the ground. "I trust you, Tara." I tell her honestly. I definitely trusted her more than Eugene and Gabriel. She looks back at me, wide-eyed, as if that were some honor she'd been striving to earn this whole time, and she smiles.

But, interrupting us, the others ran back with a bitten Tyreese. The first thought that ran through my mind was Sasha can't lose anyone else. She's already lost Bob, and that's killing her still. But as I watch Rick hack his arm off, I know it's too late. I hold Judith away so she can't hear the screams, but it's no use. But finally, they stop. And it's all over. Carl takes Judith from me, and Carl and Sophia go on babysitting duty, shifting between watches. 

Everyone's on edge for the next ten minutes or so, and not a sound was heard except for the distant moans of walkers and nature. I pace. I rub my hands together. I run my hands through my hair. Sasha keeps her eyes fixed on the van, as if it might offer her some sort of comfort. Tara and Rosita are on the far side of the bus. Abraham and Noah and Glenn and Maggie are on watch. Eugene and Gabriel are being useless, as usual. Daryl is sitting on the grass next to the spot I pass every time I begin a new pace, and he's pulling up blades of grass and ripping them apart. Rick, Michonne, and Carol are working on Tyreese, even after the screams stop. Maybe he just passed out. Maybe they're bandaging the arm up right now, and he'll be fine. I look over at the kids and a smile appears on my lips. Judy's giggling as Carl and Sophia help her ignore the world around her. I wish...I wish Eugene wasn't lying.

Tyreese didn't live. The bite was too set in, and the fever overtook him before they could do anything. Carol was the one to put him down. Daryl and I dug the hole. Rick said a few respectful words. Sasha made the cross for her brother's grave. No one shed a tear.

We stayed only one more day to bury Tyreese when Rick and Michonne announce we're heading to D.C. It makes sense, considering Eugene being a lying coward, the cowardice would mean lying to people to make them give you want you want. Noah's neighborhood was a bust. Overrun and unsafe, especially for the kids. There was no way it was salvageable, even if we cleared all the walkers. We'd need to rebuild the walls, and then we'd need more people just to have a safe night. No walls. He told us he had a cure in Washington. He figured Washington was safe, of all places. It made sense, even without the cure.

I changed the bandages on Sophia's "ear". It's sort of like an eye patch, but it doesn't wrap around her head, just a patch covering where her ear used to be. She hissed a few times, but like always, she never complained. It didn't seem to be infected, and she didn't even seem to miss it. 

But just like that, we're walking again. On the open road, all seventeen of us, including Judy. One hundred miles to Washington, both on foot and car. It shouldn't take much longer than a week, but I hate walking.

And that's all we seem to do anymore.

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****Do ya'll like this story? Or should I scrap it? I really enjoy writing it, but I don't know if ya'll want me to keep it up or not.****