The Grimes Daughter (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 23

————Rick's POV————
I watch my daughter walk into the RV. Daryl hurt her? Keeps hurting her? What does Glenn even mean by that? Are they together? No, she would have told me. Or would she? Would she keep it from me, because she knows I won't agree?

Daryl is protective, or can be. But he isn't very responsible, or as I see it, Caring. I don't want my daughter to be anything to him but a friend,  a fellow survivor. I rather her be with Glenn. He may not be as strong, but he is definitely as protective, and more caring.

I'm taken from my thoughts as Shane yells at Daryl, "Why the hell does that hurt her? You dating or something?" Shane definitely thinks like me, but has no right to ask that. That's my job. "Stay out of it Shane, I'll handle this. You have no part in it." I say harshly.

He back away slowly, and stares at me as he says, "look bother, I know we are not what we were, and me any Alex are not very good either. But you have to understand I will still protect her. Not as a lover, or father. But as an Uncle, fathers friend." He says. I sigh, I know it's true. But that's a topic for another time.

I turn to Daryl, "are you dating her?" I ask. He looks a little shocked I actually asked that. "The Hell you think Officer Friendly." He snaps. "I don't know!" I yell at him. He looks down and shakes his head. "They why did you and Carol hurt her so bad." I ask. I really need to know.

"I don't know." He admits. I sigh and nod. "Alright Everyone, go get some sleep. We are going out tomorrow to find Sophia." I say and start walking away. I find a Car and crawl in. Carl joins me a minute later. And I fall asleep with tonight's event on my mind.

————Alex's POV————
I wake up in the RV and get ready for the day. Time to go looking for Sophia. Probably dead. But a body is better than nothing. I throw on a light blue shirt and ripped jeans. I walk out and see everyone else looks like they just got up too. I catch Glenn's eyes and he smiles at me. I smile back. I forgive him for last night.

I made my way to Dad with the rest of the group. He told us we were going as a group, sense only Daryl can track. Dale and T are staying behind. I guess to keep watch. And T hurt his arm. "Everyone take a weapon." Dad says as he unrolls a pack of knifes and machetes.

I have my knife so I don't take anything. "This isn't what we need, we need guns." Andrea argues. "No, we don't need everyone shooting a gun at bushes, it could draw in a herd." Shane explained. "You have one." She counters.

"Shane, Daryl, Alex, and I will have one because we are trained to have one." Dad snaps. She doesn't argue again. Good, it was giving me a headache. We head out. We follow Daryl as he tracks our footsteps. "This is where you left. She kept going the right way." Daryl explained.

We kept following him. Every once and awhile I saw Carol place a hand on his shoulder, but he always pushed it off. "This is where she got off track." Daryl says. I don't see anything different, but he is the tracker, not me.

"Was she chased by walkers or something?" Carol asked fearfully. "Only one set of prints." He responds. We follow the track, they go cold after a while. We continue anyways. We reach a tent. "Call for her. If she is in there she will want to hear your voice." Dad says. Carol nods softly.

"Sophia, sweetie are you in there? It is mommy." She says. Daryl unzipped the tent and the smell hits us immediately. He coughs then goes inside. A minute later he comes back out and shakes he head. We all let out a sigh.

The we hear bells. We all look in the direction it came and I bolted towards it. I hear people behind me calling my names but I keep running. I hear steps behind me running and guess it's Glenn. He is the only one that's close to my speed. I see a Church off in the distance and I run to it. I stop outside and wait for the others. Once we have everyone again, and we have caught our breath, we go in.

There is 3 walkers sitting, as if they are actually at church. Creepy if you ask me. We take them out and call for Sophia. "It's not this one man, there was no bells." Shane points out. Then we hear bells again. We run out and see Glenn rips some cords out of a box. "It was on a timer..." He says. I Groan. This is great. Just perfect.

We all huddle around Dad and Shane and listen to the new plan. "Me and Shane Will look a little longer. Daryl, you lead everyone else back." Dad says. "I'm going to." Me and Carl say at the same time. I smile, he is just like me sometimes. "No, go back with Daryl Carl. Alex you can come." He says.

"What? Come on, I'm her friend. I wanna help find her too." Carl Argues. "He isn't gonna learn to hunt or survive if you don't let him Dad." I point out. Dad think for a minute before nodding. The rest of the group starts heading back, and we wait outside the church for Dad to pray.

After a minute he comes out and we go on out way, back into the woods. We are walking and walking, sometimes calling Sophia's name. Suddenly Dad and Shane stop. They are starring at something. I follow their gaze and see a beautiful white tail deer  stand in a clearing.

Shane pulls out his gun, but Dad pushes it down as Carl start off towards the deer. I follow after him to make sure the deer doesn't kick him or something. Carl gets closer, and the deer just looks at him, unsure if he is gonna hurt him.

Movement catches my eye, past the deer, into the woods. It's a man, with a gun. And it's pointed right at the deer. I feel it, he is gonna shoot. I jump forward and push Carl down right as a shot goes off. Searing pain goes threw my body. My hands reach for my side and I scream in pain. I was shot.

I hear people yelling, sounds like my name. I can't tell though. Everything is blacking out, becoming distant. The last thing I remember is seeing my own blood on my hands and Dad's strong arms Reaching around me and pulling me off the ground.