I don't even know what the time was when I was woken up, hell, I think the only person who knew that was Dale. All I knew was that the horizon was just breaking over the trees and the remnants of the night sky was forming a line just above the tree tops. I didn't bother with getting changed properly, I just went to the bathroom and changed my shirt into a baggy pale blue shirt that draped on one shoulder, pulling my hair into a neat high ponytail, keeping up the loose strands of my hair.

I hopped out of the RV staying back by the vehicle so that I wasn't as close to Daryl as I probably would have done yesterday. It was difficult to not keep trying to catch his eye. Last nights events of almost kissing him seemed so vivid in my mind and I couldn't help but feel guilty about it, after all, I was leaning in to him as well but I couldn't bring myself to do that. I couldn't fall for him, I couldn't kiss him. Jacob was always in the forefront of my mind and I wasn't sure if I was ready to get rid of his memory just yet, let alone fall for someone else when we live in a world now where you risk losing the ones you love every single second of the day.

"We'll travel in groups. Daryl, you'll lead; you know these woods better than anyone." Rick nodded his head towards Daryl as they were all gathered around the hood of Carol's car, looking at the beat up map that was sprawled carelessly across the top of it. "We'll go in groups, staying to this side of the creek, then make our way back up the other side." Rick motioned to the side of the creek.

"Why there?" Andrea questioned as she stuck her thumbs through the belt loops on her jeans.

"It's her only landmark." Daryl hoisted the crossbow over his shoulder and walked around the hood of the car to the side of the highway, waiting for the rest of us.

"Daryl and I will be up front, we need the best eyes on this." Rick informed us, rolling up the man and handing it to Dale.

"Annora," I looked up as Daryl's voice called out to me and I couldn't help but stare straight at his eyes with a little bit of shock; like I was surprised he'd even remember my name, let alone talk to me properly.

"Stay up front, don't want you to wander off." I didn't know if I should have been flattered that he was looking after me or a bit pissed off.

We were steadily making our way towards the side of the highway when Andrea's voice started echoing across the now silent highway.

"-Are you afraid once you give it back to me I'm going to stick it in my mouth and pull the trigger?" She barked at Dale. "Annora was going to stay, back at the CDC, why don't you take her gun off of her?" She bit.

"Because she doesn't know how to use it properly, she's not at risk." Dale responded. I didn't think it was meant in a harsh way but it still hurt my feelings a little. I knew how to use it, I'd had a little practice with it when I was with Jacob, but I didn't like using it. There was a difference. No one responded to what Dale said so they were either choosing to ignore what he had said or they agreed with him. I sighed and looked up as the group began moving again, trying to catch Daryl's eye so we could talk about what had almost happened last night but he wasn't even bothering to look at me. All he'd said to me all morning was an order.

Andrea eventually scoffed at the lack of answers people had given her and turned back to the RV.

"I'm just trying to protect you." Dale protested as calmly as he could.

"Well don't. I'm not your wife, I'm not your daughter and I'm sure as hell not your problem." With that, she slammed the door of the RV and stalked off to the side of the highway with the rest of us.

It took us a while to make our way back to the trail they had found yesterday before it was dark again, but everyone was blindly following Daryl, like he knew exactly what it was he was doing. Personally, I'd never even attempted tracking, all I saw were foot prints in mud; sometimes there weren't even prints and then I'd have been lost.

"Daryl." I whispered to him and grabbed the top of his arm, nodding my head towards a yellow tent sitting amongst the trees. He nodded back towards me, motioning to Rick as well, motioning for the others to stay put as he and Rick approached it. At least he was acknowledging that I was trying.

Daryl made his way calmly around the tent, looking for something inside; a walker perhaps? Or Sophia?

Carol began calling out softly to Sophia, if it was her in there, Carols' voice was going to be the first one she heard.

Daryl counted down slowly as he opened the tent door and pulled open the flap, coughing slightly as the smell hit us, and I had to back up a bit as it hit me. I couldn't describe what it smelt like, but it wasn't a very pleasant smell. There was someone inside, the smell of death wafting through the trees and hitting me like a truck.

"Just some guy. Did what Jenner said; opted out." Daryl confirmed as he walked out, holding his cross bow away from his face. The sound of bells was the next thing I heard, church bells.

"That way." Rick pointed through the trees and ran off in the direction he thought it was coming from, Daryl hanging at the back of the group as we all followed Rick through the trees.

"Where is it coming from?" Lori asked as we stopped in the trees, trying to pinpoint the location.

"It's hard to tell out here." I shrugged and looked around, trying as best as I could to hear where they were coming from; almost being left behind as they ran off towards a church Rick had seen.

"I'm telling you man, it's not the church, there's no steeple. No bell." Shane had a point but Rick didn't listen and ran across the courtyard of the church, the bells getting louder as we approached, Glenn running around the side and pulling something off the wall, the sound of the bell's instantly stopping.

"Timer, it's on a timer." I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, turning my attention to the church.

"How many walkers do you reckon are in there?" I asked Glenn with slight panic in my voice as Daryl, Rick and Shane made their way up the steps.

"We're about to find out." Daryl kicked the door open and ran in, shooting a walker in the eye, the three of them taking down four walkers in total.

"Sophia?" Rick called running around. She wasn't here, even I could see that.

I sighed and walked over to one of the old tombstones, someone's name engraved into it, leaning up against the stone and closing my eyes.

We needed to find Sophia, for Carol's sake but I didn't know how far they were willing to go to try and find her. Would we even manage to find her? The woods was a big place and she could quite easily have been anywhere, but they were determined; at least for a while.

I leant my head back and looked around at everyone. Lori and Shane were arguing over something whilst Andrea stood and listened. Talk about invasion of privacy. I laughed a little at myself and rolled my eyes, closing them and taking in the cold of the wind that blew against my face.

"You look comfortable." Daryl's voice came from over my shoulder, opening one of my eyes and smiling as he stood there. I couldn't find my voice as he offered his hand to help me up.

I took it and jumped up, brushing off the dirt and played with the ends of my hair.

"Daryl, about last night-"

"It's fine Annora."

"No, it's not. You deserve to know why I backed out. I mean it's not that-" I started to rambled, playing with my hands but again, he stopped me.

"I told you it's fine, quit bugging me about it." He shrugged and walked back towards the rest of the group.

Maybe he just didn't want to talk about it, maybe he wanted to forget that it ever happened and all I was was just a close friend who he almost kissed. Either way, I let out a groan and stalked back towards the group, Shane and Rick up front.

Leaves crunched underneath my boots as we walked through the once silent forest. It was eerie, nothing but the sound of the leaves to disrupt the silence. No birds. No animals. No insects, just leaves.

"We'll find her." I heard Andrea whisper to Carol as we walked back through the trees. Shane, Rick and Carl had all gone off one way into the woods to look for Sophia, the rest of us heading back to the highway.

I was nervous for them to be out there on their own without the protection of the others around them, but Carl as safe with Rick; after all, sheriff and father.

There had been a gun shot going off not too long ago and everyone was worrying about it, although no one had said it out loud but Lori. We knew they wouldn't be stupid enough to unload just one round because of a walker, Rick was more aware than that. That's what sent my teeth on edge.

"Quit worryin', they'll be fine." Daryl whispered to me as we walked, crossbow ready in case something surprised him. I didn't dignify him with an answer. I mean how could he not be worrying about this? They could have been hurt, someone could be dead. Although I was thankful he'd decided to start treating me like before. I liked having that weirdly attractive crossbow wielding security blanket.

"How much further?" Carol asked as we continued to walk through the woods, watching where we stepped, careful for both walkers and not tripping over our own feet.

"About 100 yards as the crow flies." Daryl replied, keeping his eyes forwards as he stepped over a fallen small tree.

"Too bad we're not crows." I heard Andrea mumble. I had to be honest, as much as I didn't like Andrea right now, that made me smile. We carried of walking, no sign of anyone stopping for a breather.

People stopped for a little bit, Lori sitting down next to Carol on one of the fallen logs in the woods, offering her some water. I wanted to carry on walking next to Daryl, but a scream made us both turn back; Daryl's crossbow poised whilst he pushed me behind him.

Andrea was lying on the floor kicking at a walker that was trying to get her; Damn that girl had some lungs on her. Before anyone had any chance to get the walker, a woman rode out of the woods on a brown horse, smacking the groaning walker over the head with a baseball bat, knocking it to the ground.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" The woman stopped dead in front of Andrea, her country accent flooding the woods.

"I'm Lori." Lori stepped forwards, worry spreading across her features.

"Rick sent me, we need to go now."

"What?" Lori questioned, concern for her husband flooding through her, I could see it in her blue eyes.

"There's been an accident; Carl's been shot."