Wake the Dead

We had driven back to the farm after shooting practice, and everyone seemed to be in good spirits from everyone doing so well. I wasn't in as bad of a mood as I was when we left, but I definitely wasn't all smiley and giddy like everyone else, and neither was Lori.

Syd handed me back my gun and I slid it back into my shorts, hoping I don't get it taken away again. I saw Lori walk away from Rick with a scared expression on her face and Rick having sadness on his. I walked over to the bench he was kneeling on. "Rick..."

"Hershel wants us off his farm." He paused. "It's not set in stone and I'm trying to talk him out of it, but it's..it's-" He pinched the bridge of his nose.

I wasn't really even shocked at the statement, I mean I could tell Hershel sometimes got annoyed with us, but I knew Rick had put his hope in this place just to be let down, again. "If Hershel does make us leave, then we will deal with it then. I know that where ever we go everyone will do their best to get by and protect the group. I know that you will do your best to protect your family and make sure we all survive." I paused. "Plus, I think you can be a very convincing man."

He nodded, placed a hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes. "Thank you, Fiona. Thank you for everything. I'm sorry you have had to go through some of the things you did, but you are part of our group, part of our family, so we will all protect you, also."

I nodded at him and tried to flash him a weak smile as I walked away. Damn, these people were making me soft.

Dale started to cook some rabbit meat which I was really happy about because all I've had is squirrel the past week and I was slowly starting to get bored with it. I wouldn't complain about it though, I'm lucky I have food.

Dale handed me a plate and I sat down and ate everything on it in big bites. The sun started to set a little, making the sky become a weird orangey color, the day went by kinda fast. I got back up and Dale put more food on my plate to go take to Daryl.

I walked over to Daryl's tent and saw that his tent door was zipped up so I decided to make my self known just in case he was changing or something. "I would knock, but I don't think that really would work!" I called out.

I heard a few grunts and then him call back. "What do ya want?"

"My bag, I left it in here... and I have food." I said and then waiting for his response.

"Ya can come in." He grunted from inside.

I unzipped the tent and walked in, seeing that he was sitting up on his bed. I handed him his plate and went over to my bag. I took my phone out and turned it off, not wanting to deal with it right now, then put it back in and closed up my bag. I felt him eyeing me so I turned around to face him. "What!?" I asked in an annoyed voice.

"Ya little freak out earlier, what was that all about?" He asked not looking up from his plate.

"Nothin." I said, not really wanting to discuss my melt downs with him.

"Seem to be havin a lot of those lately." He mumbled.

That made the anger rise in my veins. "Do you want me to say sorry, Daryl?! Because I sure as hell am not!"

He looked up from his plate. "I'm saying that it obviously isn't nothin! Do ya got some kind of fuckin problem!?" He said standing up. He gets pissed of just as easily as I do... even talking to him with a bad tone will make him angry.

"I don't need this right now! I was in a fine mood until I came in here do bring ya your damn food! I'm not your bitch!... Get it your fucking self next time." And with that I walked out of his tent, not bothering to zip it back up for him. I heard him throw something in anger and then grunt at the pain it caused him. Maybe I over reacted? Was he just trying to look out for me? Even if he was he can do it without pissing me off so damn much.

I threw my bag into mine and Syd's tent and then saw Glenn coming out of Lori's tent and her sitting up staring at something. I didn't really notice that I was walking over to her until she looked up at me with sad eyes and tried to hide what she was looking at, but I manage to see what it was... Abortion pills.

I sighed deeply and walked inside her tent. She was sitting down at a little makeshift table, so I knelt down and looked up at her. "I know you're pregnant Lori. And I know those are abortion pills." Her eyes went wide. "Please. You can't tell Rick. You can't-"

"I'm not going to tell Rick." I said cutting off her babbling. "That's your job." She relaxed a little and sat back in her seat, debating her options.

"I know what you're thinking." I said, causing her to look down at me. "You're debating weather or not to bring the child into this world." I paused. "I didn't have that choice." She raised a very confused eyebrow at me.

I leaned back and lifted up my shirt, showing the bandaged cut, making her eyes go wide in realization. "What I'm sayin is that I know you really don't want to bring a child into this cruel world and that it wouldn't be fair to the baby. But, I didn't have the choice and I can tell you that the fact that I lost it has caused me unbelievable pain. This is your choice and I believe that what ever you choose, you are doing it because of the love you have for this baby." I looked at her, then stood up and started to walk away, but was stopped by her calling out my name.

I turned around to see that she had stood up and had more tears welled in her eyes. She walked over and put her arms around me, embracing me in a tight hug. A week ago I would have never thought that I would be comforting Lori, or she would be comforting me, but here we are... These people are making me a big softy.

I hesitated, but gave in and hugged her back. After a little bit we both broke away and she looked at me with her teary eyes, them saying everything for her. I gave her a weak smile and left her tent, heading over to mine. The sun hadn't completely set yet, but I was tired as hell.

I slipped off my boots and changed into my comfy shorts, then laid down on my makeshift bed. I realized that I was still wearing Daryl's shirt, but I kept it on. It was really comfortable and the smell of him lingered on it, which surprisingly made me feel safer, but not really... It wasn't the same.

I hope he wouldn't mind that I kind of stole his shirt, but then again I didn't really care.

My body was completely ready to fall asleep, but my mind wasn't, it was still on overdrive. I was thinking about Daryl, Sophia, Syd, the group, if they really think I'm family like Rick said, and if we are going to get kicked out. My thoughts were all scrambled and tangled between each other, but I snapped out of it when I heard talking outside my tent.

"Why do you keep nagging her on like that?!" It sounded like Syd's voice, but who was she talking to?

"Ain't none of ya damn business." I heard the familiar raspy voice of Daryl say.

"It is my damn business! She's my sister! And I don't know if ya can't tell, but she's on edge all the time.. She's not doin too great and your stupid attitude is going to push her over that edge!" I heard Syd yell at him.

Daryl started to snap something back at her, but she cut him off. "Shut up and let me finish!" She paused and Daryl said nothing. "Now she cares about you and I know you fucking care about her, so can you please just cut all your bowl shit out and realize what is goin on around you! For gods sake!"

I didn't hear anything after that for a while, but a bunch of footsteps and the tent zipper unzipping. I watched as Syd stepped inside and took off her shoes. She caught my gaze and realized I was awake. I slid over on my little bed and patted the spot next to me.

She walked over and slid next to me with a long, deep sigh. I immediately wrapped my arms around her, embracing her in a sisterly hug. "I love ya, Syd."

"I love you too, Fi." She responded as she hugged me back and we both fell into a much needed sleep.

*

The next morning Syd and I woke up at about the same time. I changed into a new pair of skinny jeans and decided to take Daryl's shirt off, I've been wearing it long enough. I put on a button up plaid shirt and the belt that Lori gave me. I put my gun back in my waist band and my knife in its sheath, then went and tucked my jeans into my boots. I realized that it's technically been the first time I wore decent clothes.

Syd and I exited the tent to see everyone was already up and sitting around eating eggs, even Daryl. I guess he took my advice and actually went to get his own food this time. Carol handed us both a plate of eggs that we graciously accepted and sat down to eat. I felt Daryl's eyes on me the whole time, but I tried to ignore it and look around the group.

No one was talking, making it weirdly silent. I saw Lori kiss Rick and whisper something to him with a weak smile... I wonder if she told him about the baby yet. I then looked over and saw Glenn look pretty torn about something. He looked over to Maggie who was standing on the porch and then over at Dale, who nodded at him. He walked over so he was standing before the group. "Hey guys." He paused. "So, uh-..... The barns full of walkers."

I practically dropped my fork. Everyone froze and looked up at him with shocked and confused expressions, but soon enough we were all running over to the barn.

Shane looked in between the wood of the barn and then walked backwards running his hand over his head. I came over to look too, and saw a bunch of hungry dead bastards walking around in there. I was trying to get a better look when one appeared in front of me and groaned. "Son of a FUCK!" I yelled in anger, because of this whole situation... and because that walker just scared the living shit out of me.

"Rick you can not tell me you are okay with this!" Shane said striding over to him.

"I'm not! But, we are guests here. This isn't our land. " Rick hissed at him.

"Oh god! This is our LIVES, man!" Shane yelled. "Lower your voice!" I snapped at him.

"We can't just sweep this under the rug." Andrea added.

"We gotta go in there and we gotta make things right, or we can just go. We've been talking about Fort Benning for a while now." Shane argued.

"No! We can't go!" Rick yelled quietly at him.

"Why, Rick? Why not?.... Why?" Shane spit out.

"Because my daughter is still out there." Carol said.

"Okay. Okay. I think we need to start thinking about the other possibilities." Shane said.

"Hey! Shut your damn mouth! We're close to findin her!" I snapped at him.

"Ya! I found her damn doll the other day!" Daryl said throwing his arms in the air as he went over to Shane.

"Ya. That's right, that's what you did Daryl.. you found a doll!" Shane said through gritted teeth.

"Ya don't know what the hell ya talkin about!" Daryl said getting more angry. Rick tried to push them both away from each other.

"No, no. Hey look, I'm just sayin what needs to be said here. You get a new lead in the first 48 hours!" Shane said walking backwards and then towards Daryl as Rick yelled at Shane to cut it out, but he didn't. "An-And, let me tell ya somethin else man! If she is out there and saw ya comin all bent out with your buck knife, and geek ears around your neck... She would run in the other direction!"

"SHUT UP! I'll beat ya ass!" Daryl yelled as him and Shane tried to go at each other. Everyone tried to push them away, but they kept screamin. I came over and shoved Shane back, causing him to stop comin at Daryl. "Keep your hands off me." He said getting in my face and pointing at me, then walking away.

"Just let me talk to Hershel! I'll figure it out!" Rick hissed at him.

"FIGURE WHAT OUT!?" Shane yelled as he stepped toward Rick, but I shoved him back again. "CUT IT OUT!" I yelled at Shane.

"See if we can clear this barn! This is his land! I have to talk to him!" Rick yelled back, trying to keep his cool.

"Hershel, he sees those things in there as people... Sick people!" Dale said, stepping forward. "His wife! His step-son!"

"You knew!?" Shane snarled from behind me.

"Yes, I talked to Hershel yesterday." Dale said to him.

"And you didn't tell us!" Shane had rage pumping through his veins.

"I thought we could survive one more night. We did! Glenn wanted to be the one to tell everybody, anyways!" Dale argued.

Shane started to yell some more, but then the barn doors started to bang and rattle, the walkers heard the yells. They were trying to get us. I would sure as hell not feel comfortable being here with those things.

---

Shane didn't move from the barn after everybody left. He just walked around it and kept on checking to find a weak spot.

I had been walking around the perimeter of the farm for what seemed like hours. All I could do was look into the distance, or into the woods and think about Sophia. I wanted to find her and protect her. I knew that the main reason of me wanting to do that was because I was just like her. I don't want her life turning out like mine, she doesn't deserve that.

I was walking by the horse stables when I heard some commotion inside. "You can't be goin out there. Hershel said you need to rest." I heard a small voice say, Carol?

"I don't care. I can't be sittin here, I'm gona go find her." I heard a voice that I knew was Daryl's right away.

"No. You're going to get your self hurt worse... We don't know if we're gona find her, Daryl." Carol's voice got shaky at the last part. I didn't hear anything after that, but something being thrown and a loud grunt of pain from Daryl. "Jus' leave me be! Stupid bitch."

I then saw Daryl quickly storm out of the stable. I walked over and looked inside to find Carol standing there crying. I walked over to her and put my hand on her arm. "He's just upset. He gets like that a lot." I tried comforting her, but all I got was a nod. I pulled my hand away and walked out, noticing Daryl stopped farther away at a tree to inspect his stitches. I walked over to him and I'm not really 100% sure why.

"Sucks, doesn't it?" I said as I approached him. He turned around and looked at me. "What?" He hissed in an agitated tone.

"Gettin told ya can't do anything. That you need to rest." I put quotations in the air when I said rest, mocking the people who said it. He grunted and continued to inspect his stitches. "I'm close to findin that little girl. Everyone is jus' too damn stupid to realize it." He said, still angry with this morning.

"Ya, I know she's close." I said, looking out to the forest.

"Ya and how do ya know that?" Daryl said a little sarcastically, but still angrily.

"You're the one that found her little hiding spot and that damn doll, geeze." I spit at him.

He stood up straight and looked at me. "Ya, what's ya fuckin point?"

Sometimes I just wanted to punch him in the face.. "Would you cut the shit, Daryl? God, I'm on your damn side! You're not the only one who has been runnin around, risking your life for Sophia!" I said as I walked away. I've had it with his shit, he needs to get over himself.

I had walked away a little before I heard his quiet footsteps behind me and then his arm grab my bandaged wrist. I turned around and looked at him. "What!?!"

"Im jus' mad, Fi! Ya fuckin know that!"

"I'm mad too! Rick's mad, Lori's mad, hell every ones mad! But, you don't see all of us bein assholes to each other the first chance we fuckin get! UGH!"

He looked at me for awhile, but then did the most unexpected thing. He put his hands on my waist and pushed me up against the nearest tree. "Dary-" I was cut off by him crashing his lips down to mine. I was completely shocked, but all the anger that had been running through my body went away as I felt his hand slip under the back of my shirt and run up my back. I put my hand on the back of his head, tugging at his hair as I pulled him into me to roughen the kiss, causing him to groan. I wrapped one of my legs above his thigh and gridded into him, letting out a moan of my own into his mouth. He took his other hand and ran it up the thigh of my leg that was wrapped around him. His touch made my knees weak and stomach flutter.. I snuck my hands under his shirt and then ran them up his chest. God, how long I have wanted to do that... But, before I could think about it he broke away and went to crab his crossbow that he had set by the other tree, leaving me stunned.

He had came on to me, made me all hot and bothered, and then just stopped and left?! I can't even believe that he did that in the first place... He saw the look on my face as he walked past me and smirked. "Sometimes I really want to punch you in the face." I said, causing his smirk to grow as I slowly caught up with him and followed him back to the tents.