I had left the group after Carol basically blamed Rick and I for losing Sophia. I didn't want to talk to anyone, I just wanted to be alone. I was still sitting on the hood of a car about half a mile away from the group. I was staring at the moon since it was basically right in front of me. It was almost like I could reach my hands out and grab it. So I did, I reached my hand out and it was like I could feel the weight of the moon in my palm.

"What you doin' little bird?" Daryl said, sitting next to me.

"Little bird? I thought I was a little rose?" I said dropping my hand back into my lap.

"Eh, It doesn't matter either way you're my rose and my bird." I smiled at him. "So you're gonna come back?" He asked me as he placed his hand over mine.

"Not yet." I said looking back up at the moon.

"Raven. Come on you can't beat yourself up over this and you sure as hell can't stay out here. It's too dangerous." I looked over at him.

"Daryl, I used to do this shit all the time by myself. I'm fine. I can handle myself."

"Just cause you can don't mean ya' should." Daryl said. I sighed

"Please Daryl just go. I want to be alone."

"Nah, I ain't leavin' ya'." Daryl said as he laid back onto the windshield of the car. I sighed in defeat.

"Fine come on." I said hopping off the car and waking back to the others. Daryl got off and walked with me.

We didn't say anything but once we got there he climbed into the RV. I watched him lay down on the ground. I climbed up to the roof of the RV to find Shane.

"Go on. I'll take watch." I said with my rifle over my shoulder.

"No, I know you haven't slept and you need to get your sexy ass down that ladder and get some sleep." Shane said to me.

"No, I can't sleep and if we are all going to look for Sophia tomorrow then people who didn't leave a 12 year old to die need more sleep than the people who did." Shane got up.

"That's why you can't sleep? I thought it was the nightmares."

"No, now just leave that way I can take watch." I said snatching his binoculars from him.

"Okay. I love it when you take control." He said licking his lips and crawling down the ladder and walking into the RV. I took a deep breath and kept watch for walkers. The next morning Dale gave Rick the weapons Carl had found the other day so that way we could all go looking for Sophia.

"Everybody takes a weapon." Rick said. Daryl and I already had our crossbows and knives so we didn't need one of those.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need. What about the guns?" Andrea said, throwing a fit.

"We've been over that. Daryl, Raven, Rick and I are carrying. Can't have people popping off round every time a tree rustles." Shane said

"It's not the trees I'm worried about." Andrea responded.

"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See, then it's game over for all of us. So you need to get over it." Shane yelled at Andrea.

'Those two would be perfect for each other.' I thought to myself.

"The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side. Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark." Daryl said to the group before walking off. I followed right behind him. Lori and Rick decided to bring Carl along. I honestly wasn't sure that was a good idea but it was their choice. I could hear Dale and Andrea arguing about her gun and Andrea's wanting to kill herself. Honestly I didn't care for Andrea that much. I was slowly learning that she was the type of person I used to stay far away from. I knew she was heart broken over he sisters death but fuck, she really let Dale have it. We all left and headed for the creek.

Daryl led the way I was behind him and Rick behind me. We stumbled up on a tent out in the woods.

"She could be in there." Shane said.

"Could be a whole bunch of things in there." Daryl said as we slowly approached the tent. Rick held his hand up to make sure everyone stayed back a bit. Daryl sat his crossbow down and approached the tent. Rick called over for Carol and the whole group came over.

"Call out softly. If she's in there, your is the first voice she should hear." Rick instructed Carol.

"Sophia, sweetie, are you in there?" Carol called out softly Daryl was still in the fighting position, knife ready. He looked kinda cute, arms tensed up showing his strong muscles, knife ready to go. I shook my head off all the nasty thoughts and focused my crossbow on the tent.

"Sophia, it's mommy. Sophia. We're all here, baby. It's mommy." Carol called out again. Rick put his hand up for her to stay put as him and Shane approached the tent. I stood next to Carol aiming at the entrance of the tent. Daryl slowly unzipped the tent as I walked closer now standing right in front of him and next to Rick. I nodded to him that I was ready and so did Rick. Daryl opened the tent and a vulgar stench came out of the tent.

"Oh god." I whispered coughing and trying not to puke and so did Rick and Shane. It smelled like rotten tuna and dog shit was warmed up in a microwave and then humidity did it's thing. The smell was nothing I have ever smelled before. Daryl went into the tent to see what was in there. Me and the boys stayed outside trying not to fucking vomit out the little food we had.

"Daryl." Carol called out and he walked out.

"Ain't her." He said leaving the tent and picking up his crossbow.

"What's in there?" Andrea asked him.

"Some guy. Did what Jenner said. Opted out. Ain't that what he called it?" Daryl said, pulling his crossbow over his body. We all froze when we heard what sounded like church bells ringing out in the distance. Rick pointed towards where they came from and we all ran in that direction.

"Which direction?" Shane asked as we hit a clearing.

"I think that way. I'm pretty sure." Rick said, pointing off to the right of us.

"Damn, it's hard to tell out here." Shane said, trying to zone in on the sound.

"If we hear them, maybe Sophia did too." Carol said, having some hope that we would find her little girl.

"Someone's ringing those bells, maybe calling others." Glenn added.

"Or signaling that they found her." Andrea said.

"Or Sophia is ringing them herself." I said jogging right behind Rick and Daryl.

We found a church not too far from us but it didn't have a steeple or bells.

"That can't be it. Got no steeple, no bells." Shane said, pointing out what I and everyone else had already seen. That didn't stop Rick, Daryl, and I from running towards the church. Everyone followed shortly behind us. Once we got to the church Rick, Daryl, and I walked up the steps towards the doors with Shane right behind us. We got ready for whatever could be in that church. Rick and Daryl opened the doors as Shane and I watched. There were four walkers just sitting in the pews. We walked in and each took a walker. Rick and I are taking the ones on the right. Daryl and Shane taking the ones on the left. I drove my knife through its head as the guys hacked away at their walkers.

"Sophia!" Rick yelled throughout the small church. Daryl walked up to the statue of Christ on the cross.

"Yo, J.C., you taking requests?" He said

"I'm telling you it's the wrong church. It's got no steeple, Rick." Shane said, looking at Rick. I had just walked outside keeping my eye out for walkers. That's when I heard the bells again. I ran around the building and found a speaker connected to a box on the wall. Glenn ran over and shut off the bells sound.

"A timer. It's on a timer." I said looking at everyone. We decided to take a break for a bit as Carol said she wanted to go inside the church for a bit. Daryl and I sat on the stairs in the church.

"Hey you doin' ok?" He asked me.

"Yeah, I'm good. Really." He sighed and looked at me.

"Raven, I heard you and Shane on the roof. What's goin' on with you two." Daryl asked me.

"Look Daryl, when I'm ready I'll tell you." I whisper trying not to let others hear. He nodded at me and we listened to Carol praying for her daughter's safety. She got up and sat down next to Lori. Her and Lori had gotten close. I guess it was a mother thing. I didn't get it, I always was closer with guys. Just not Daryl. Carol was close to him. Closer than I was with him, I'm not the jealous type but, sometimes he goes off just to be with her. Guess that's because of my brother's. I got up and walked out of the church. I saw Rick and Shane arguing across the field. We all left the church and walked over to them.

"Y'all gonna follow the creek back, okay? Daryl, you're in charge. Me and Rick, we're just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so just to be thorough." Shane said, walking over to us.

"You're splitting us up. You sure?" Daryl said to Shane.

"Yeah, we'll catch up to you." Shane responded.

"I'll stay too, I know how to track so you could use the help." I said walking away from Daryl.

"Hey, you sure?" He said before I left his side. I nodded and walked over by Rick.

"I want to stay too. I'm her friend." Carl said from his mothers side. Shane and I looked at Rick and I just shook my head and Shane did the same.

"Just be careful, okay?" Lori said, holding her son's face in her hands..

"I will." Carl said back to his mom.

"When did you start growing up?" She said before hugging him and kissing his head. Rick walked over to Lori and gave her a kiss. Daryl came over to me.

"Hey be careful. I need you to come back in one piece, I wouldn't be able to stand these people if it weren't for you." I laughed and punched his arm.

"Okay, Dixon. You sure you're not growing sweet on me?" I said winking at him. Blush covered his face.

"Nah, you're just entertaining. You're too much of a loud mouth and pain in the ass for my likein'." Daryl said walking off towards the highway.

I rolled my eyes at him and caught up with Rick, Shane, and Carl.

"So when did you become a big boy?" I said to Carl as Rick and Shane walked off to talk to each other.

"A while ago Aunt Raven." I laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Do you think we will find her?" Carl asked me as we sat down on the front steps of the church.

"Carl, baby, we will find her. I know we will. I promise we will find her." I said giving him a side hug and kissing his head. Looking off into the woods. Shane walked out and said Rick needed a minute and sat down on the stairs next to Carl.

"Get what you needed?" Shane asked Rick as we walked out.

"Guess I'll find out." Rick said walking off. The three of us got up and followed him.

"You stay next to me okay Carl." I said to him as we caught up to the boys. We walked through the woods for a while, not stopping. Rick was leading us and Shane was behind him. I had Carl between Shane and I. After a bit we heard some branches snap and Rick stopped us. I pulled Carl close to me and raised my crossbow. Rick pointed off in the direction of the noise and we slowly walked over there. Through the trees I saw a buck. It was big and beautiful.

We had made it over to the clearing it was in. Carl started to walk towards it and I stayed right behind him. We watched the deer for a second till I saw a flash of light.

"Sniper." I whispered. I grabbed Carl and pulled him behind me just as a gun shot rang through the woods. I heard Rick and Shane yell.

"Carl!" I turned around and he was on the ground blood oozing out of his stomach. I looked up at them and felt a burning in my side. I placed my hand where the pain was and looked down to see blood pouring out of my body.

"Help Carl." Was all I could say before blacking out.