Carl survived the night.

The same couldn't be said for Otis, who had died to make sure the equipment got back in time with Shane, and who's sacrifice was honoured the next morning as everyone at the farm gathered rocks from under the trees and put them in a wheelbarrow for a ceremony later on in the day. Jupiter helped gather the stones, enjoying being out in the misty morning as much as she could considering what she was doing.

She'd got a few hours sleep after walking the perimeter for a few hours, and the cold morning was refreshing, and she found that her foul mood from the previous day had passed, meaning she felt like a jackass for acting like a child in front of the others- especially Carol, who had enough on her plate. She'd apologise to the older woman later, she decided as she worked, doing her best to be civil to Shane. She may not like him very much, but he had just saved Carl's life, and had clearly paid a price for it. He had a haunted look in his eyes, like he'd seen too much bad in the world and it had finally got to him. It was that bad that Jupiter almost asked him if he was ok, but then she remembered the look in his eye as he pointed that gun at Rick's head...

So they worked in silence, except for Beth- Hershel's youngest daughter, who sang quietly as they worked. She was a sweet girl with a nice voice, sparing a smile for the strangers with her, even though they were all partially responsible for one of her people's death. Jupiter made sure to always smile back and make an effort to talk to the younger girl, who seemed to appreciate the effort.

They were gathering rocks when the unmistakable sound of Daryl's bike reached their ears and they all stood up and watched the road. As their vehicles rounded the corner, Glenn and Shane headed to the house to meet them, and the others followed, probably curious about the others. Jupiter hung back though, deciding to try and distance herself from the group so when she left it would be easier. She'd already decided to hike back through the woods to the highway and start getting a car ready, while looking for Sophia on the way.

So she didn't talk to anyone until Otis's funeral, when she apologised to Carol, feeling Dale and Daryl's gazes on her, but she ignored them and spoke only to Carol after the service.

"Carol, I'm really sorry for how I acted yesterday. I was childish and out of order, and I didn't mean to add to your problems... You guys just want to find Sophia, and of course I want that too. I didn't mean to make it about me..." She swore, but Carol just gave her a weak smile and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh honey... You wanted to help. You didn't upset me at all. I'm just thankful you're all so willing to bring her home. It means so much to me."

Jupiter relaxed and hugged Carol back, spying the others over her shoulder. Now was as good as time as any, yet Jupiter couldn't bring herself to tell them that she was leaving just yet.So when she and Carol separated, Jupiter returned to the house for just long enough to grab her bag and weapons before she turned and started hiking across the fields, heading for the trees that would lead her back to the highway, and hopefully a working car.

While she was in the woods, she listened carefully, calling out for Sophia every now and again, hoping that the little girl had maybe found her way somewhere roughly near their original stopping place and she'd hear Jupiter calling her. Though of course it wasn't only Sophia who could hear her, and after an hour of hiking through the trees, Jupiter realised that she'd attracted a few walkers with her shouts. There was four of them and one of her, but she wasn't weak this time, and definitely not afraid, so when the first came at her, she swung her bat without hesitation, knocking it on it's ass.

The others were too close for her to finish the first one straight away, so she turned her attention to them, fighting them off and killing them all. It was messy and she was panting from the effort afterwards, but she still managed a grim smile at the comforting ache in her muscles. It was good to be doing something that involved actual effort, and any walkers she killed were less that could find Sophia before her people do.

It didn't take long after she took down the walkers to find herself back on the highway, passing the car with the supplies for Sophia on it, all untouched as Sophia was still lost in the woods somewhere.

Trying not to think about any alternative, Jupiter got to work on finding a car that would get her back to Atlanta in one piece, and then hopefully out again, lest she run into the people who were probably still looking for her. She would not be taken back willingly, and thats even if they had any intention of letting her go back after what she'd done... She shook her head. She didn't have to think about that because she wasn't going back there. She was going to Atlanta to find Alaska, and then the two of them were leaving again. She was never going back.

She managed to find a semi decent car that still worked, so she took the keys and stored them in her pack and then sat on the hood for a while, watching the woods and hoping that Sophia was just going to walk out of them and see her. Then Jupiter could take her back to Carol and leave knowing that the group were going to be ok. Carl had survived, asking for Sophia to be ok didn't seem like too much to ask, Jupiter thought. Yet Sophia didn't come back out of the woods, clutching her doll and crying for her mum. The only sound was the wind in the trees.

Jupiter sighed and got down from the hood of the car and pulled on her pack, taking her bat again as she headed back into the woods, her foot complaining, but she ignored it and pushed on, walking a different way back, covering more ground and shouting for Sophia again, half hoping a walker would come again. None did, but she just walked on, calling Sophia until her throat was sore.

It was nearing dark when she got back to the farm, crossing the dark fields and heading towards the lights under the trees that showed where the others had pitched their tents. Jupiter's tent was still in the RV as she'd slept on Hershel's sofa the night before, and hadn't needed it. She'd put it up later, she decided, knowing that she wasn't interested in sleep right then. It was likely to be another long night.

She didn't bother to tell anyone that she was back as she doubted they'd even missed her, and instead sat down on the edge of a field, leaning against a tree and watching as the final hints of day time disappeared, and the darkness reigned once more.

It was quiet except for the sound of people talking back at the makeshift camp, though they were too far away for their chatter to be anything other than vague mumbles to her ears. But that was how she liked it. She didn't want to be involved that much, not when she was trying to distance herself from them still, though their talking gave her a small amount of comfort.

She played with her knife, stabbing it into the ground repeatedly, her mind elsewhere as she debated what to do. She had to make up her mind and form a plan of how she'd find Alaska in the city. She could always start back where they'd lost each other, but the airport had been overran last she saw and it'd be hard to sneak in and out, unnoticed...

She heard Daryl coming before he spoke, calling her name in the darkness before he sat down beside her, his crossbow in his lap. He said nothing, and for a while neither did she, still pissed at him for not letting her help find Sophia, but then she sighed and looked up at the stars, speaking without looking at him.

"I'm leaving."

As usual, Daryl said nothing at first, though he began to pick at the grass in front of them, tearing it up in his hands and utterly focused on that for a few moments. When he spoke his voice was quiet.

"When?"

Jupiter took a deep breath and then sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she thought about it. "I don't know. I was gonna go yesterday, when you guys went looking for Sophia. I was gonna slip away quietly. Go back to Atlanta... but then Carl got shot. So I'm gonna stick around until he's out of the woods. Make sure I say goodbye before I head off... he's a good kid."

Daryl nodded and looked at her, his hands stilling.

"Why? Why back to the city? It's not safe."

Jupiter just laughed, meeting his gaze. "Is anywhere? I'm not fitting in here. You guys don't need me, and I left someone behind in the city... she wouldn't have left me willingly, so I'm gonna go back and find her..."

Daryl was silent for a few seconds, and she wondered if he'd said all he wanted...

"Bullshit," he called, and Jupiter looked up in surprise. "Bullshit. You saying you don't fit in here? That's a lie... and your friend? I told you before, she's probably dead. You're running because you're scared, so don't bullshit me, Jupe. You wanna feel sorry for yourself? That's fine. But don't lie to me about why you're leaving. You're the only one making you."

She stared at him, getting angry again, but he didn't look up, and after a few seconds she realised that he was right. She did fit in. She knew she had, and she was just making excuses to make herself feel better about leaving...

"You're right..." She breathed, and Daryl looked up, his face curious, but she just shook her head. "You're right, but I'm still going... Alaska is practically my sister, and I'm going to find her, whether that be alive, or a walker. I'm going to find her, and if need be, I'll put her down... But at least I'll know."

That was something Daryl could agree with, and he nodded, throwing the grass away and then facing her completely. "I got a question for you though... I could use your help finding the lil girl before you go... And once we find her, I'll come back to Atlanta with you. Help you find your friend and I'll find my brother... That fair?" He asked, offering her his hand to shake, and she nodded, shaking on it. His deal was better than anything she could have hoped for. She'd have someone to watch her back in the city, and someone who knew the area better than she did. Plus, if she did find Alaska as a walker... She wasn't sure that she'd ever be ready to do what had to be done for her best friend, so at least if she choked, Daryl would have her back.

The next morning everyone gathered around the map on the front of the truck while Rick divided them into search parties for each part of the grid. She and Daryl were gonna take some horses and head up a ridge to try and spot any clues that the little girl might be hiding near by. The others each chose a section to search and then they armed themselves and split up, heading out. Jupiter and Daryl headed back to the stables to get their horses ready.

Jupiter hadn't been riding since she was 10- an experience that ended with a broken arm and a fear of the beautiful creatures that lasted all throughout her teenage years and into adulthood. Not that she was going to mention that to Daryl... Not when they were looking for Sophia and the horses meant they could cover more ground quicker. She was gonna get on with it and hopefully realise she had nothing to be scared of. Of course, that was easier said than done, and when they reached the stables and stepped inside.

Daryl headed straight for a stable, but Jupiter hesitated, trying to calm her racing heart.

It's ok... It's just a horse, She reminded herself as she carefully picked up a head collar hanging on a stable door before walking inside. The horse inside was magnificent, a lovely chestnut colour with a white stripe down it's face, and black hair. It turned to her when she walked in, standing frozen against the door. It was thoroughly unimpressed with her and turned back to its hay net. Jupiter took a deep breath and then approached, throwing the guide rope over the horse's neck and then quickly but efficiently put the head collar on the horse. The horse barely even blinked, for which she was thankful, especially as it only took a little guiding to get the horse out of the stable so she could tie it up outside while she put on it's saddle.

Once she actually started remembering what she was doing, she got more comfortable, though she still jumped violently when her horse snorted next to her. Other than that though, it was all smooth sailing. Until it came time to get on her horse... She hadn't been on one since the day she was thrown and broke her arm in two places, and she found getting back on almost too hard to even attempt.

She'd been standing next to her horse for a few moments, trying to work up the courage to get on, when Daryl whistled at her and she looked up, seeing that he was already on his, just waiting for her. Determined not to show her fear, she just nodded at him and took one final breath before hauling herself up and onto the horse, swinging her leg over and then gripping the reins tight. From there she nodded at Daryl again and the two of them set off for the woods.

They had been riding in silence for a while when Daryl finally spoke, breaking the silence between the two of them, though not turning to look at her when he questioned her. "So what's your story... What'd you do before all this?" He asked, and laughed a little as she thought back.

"A better question would be what didn't I do before all this?"

Daryl looked back at her, silently waiting for an explanation, so she obliged. "Well I studied three years of Sport Science at university, and then when I graduated, realised that maybe I didn't want to do that, so I moved in with Alaska and her boyfriend, who happened to be a tattoo artist. So I worked for him for a while, mainly just as a receptionist, but he taught me a little of what he knew. It was there that I met my fiancé, Jake, another guy who co-owned the shop..." She took a breath and Daryl asked her another question.

"You married?" He asked, but she just smirked and raised her hand, showing no ring.

"No. But more on that later... Basically it didn't work out so well at the shop as I fell out with Alaska's boyfriend, so quit, and then moved in with Jake... I drifted for a year or two, working various jobs where I could, saving up my wages to pay for our wedding. My parents refused to pay for anything as they thought I was too young to get married, and neither of them were too impressed by Jake, as they'd expected for me to do better... But I loved him..." She smirked a little at the bitter memory that wasn't so far in the past before continuing, answering Daryl's other question. "Apparently more than he loved me... He cheated on me with my replacement at the shop. So I called off the wedding, and then me and Alaska used my savings to pay for this trip."

Daryl was staring at her, looking like he didn't know if he should laugh or not, but when she grinned at him, he lost the battle and barked a short laugh. "Sounds like you weren't having a great year, even before all this... How'd you find out about him cheatin'?"

Now Jupiter stopped laughing, and remembered that night. "I know when I'm being lied to. So I asked him outright, and he came clean."

"How'd you take it?" Daryl asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes as he looked at her. Jupiter smirked and blushed a little, slightly embarrassed of her reaction.

"For the first ten seconds? Really well. I spoke to him calmly, but then I thought about it some more, and then it just hit me all at once, and I can honestly say it felt the same as somebody kicking me in the chest. It hurt to breathe. So I wanted him to feel that pain, and lost my temper. I punched him in the face... Broke his nose... But then that was it. It was like a switch had been flicked in my brain. He didn't love me, so I wouldn't love him. I left with my overnight bag, and never went back... Two days later and Alaska and I were on our way here." Jupiter thought back to the flight, wondering if she'd never got on it. If she'd forgiven Jake and went home, would things be different? Would she be dead?

Daryl's voice was quiet when he asked his final question, no longer looking at her. "Do you still love him?"

Jupiter didn't even have to think about her answer, having known it since she walked out of her shared flat with Jake that night. "No."

After that she asked Daryl about any women in his life, and was only a little surprised to find out that he hadn't had a girlfriend when the world ended. Not because he couldn't get one, but because he seemed more of a loner type, and maybe more of a one night stand type of guy, rather than an actual relationship guy. Though from what he told her, he was also a drifter, following his brother around from place to place- even though from the sound of him, Merle Dixon was an arsehole.

Daryl hunted as they went, shooting a few squirrels with his crossbow and tucking them into his belt. Jupiter was impressed with his crossbow skills and was just debating asking him to teach her, when he suddenly held up a hand, peering through the trees and down into a ravine. She looked to where he pointed, unsure of what she was seeing until her eyes landed on the doll on the log. Sophia's doll.

The two of them dismounted and climbed down into the ravine. Daryl ran to the log, picking up the doll and looking at it. It was definitely hers, so Jupiter looked around them and cupped her hands around her mouth, yelling for Sophia, hoping she was nearby and could hear them. Daryl joined in, and the two of them stayed where they were for a few minutes, listening for a small voice, or the sound of something coming closer. But... Nothing.

Sophia didn't appear, or yell back. Still, the doll was a start, and more of a clue than any of them had found so far, so Jupiter refused to lose hope. They'd just have to head back up to where they were before and try again.

Daryl said nothing on their way back up, clearly deep in thought. Jupiter wanted to comfort him, but didn't know what to say. The doll was a clue, but at the same time, it was just a doll. What they really wanted to find was Sophia.

When they got back on their horses, the pair of them were filled with a new determination. In fact, the two of them were so busy looking for any other clues that they didn't notice the snake until it had already spooked the horses. Both reared up, and Jupiter gripped on tight, scared her fate would be the same as when she was ten, but she managed to stay on her horse, even when it bolted. The same couldn't be said for Daryl, who fell of his horse and tumbled into the ravine below.

"Daryl!" Jupiter shouted as her horse ran. If she had been concentrating, she might have been able to dodge the tree branch, but as it was, she only looked up in time for it to catch her in the stomach, taking the wind from her and knocking her from the horse and after Daryl. She bounced off every rock on the way down, it felt like, only thinking to bring her hands up to protect her head after she'd already smacked it. She felt her finger break and just had time to cry out before she hit the bottom and stopped, losing consciousness soon after.

She woke to the sound of Daryl swearing and found him laying close by, looking as bad as she felt. She groaned and tried to sit up, her head banging, and blood flowing freely from a cut above her eyebrow.

"Shit!" She swore, holding her shaking hand in front of her face. Her middle finger on her left hand was broken, sticking out at an awkward angle and painful to move even a little. Luckily that looked to be the only one, though she suspected she'd cracked a rib too as breathing and moving hurt like a bitch. Still, she had to move. Both of them did, before any walkers found them and they were defenceless to fight them off.

"D... Daryl," she gasped, trying to move closer to him without breathing too much. "You all right?" She asked, knowing he wasn't but not sure if he could move or not.

"Peachy," he bit, and she almost laughed, but then she saw the bolt through his side and swore colourfully. He needed the doctor, but the horses were gone, and they were both injured, stuck in the bottom of a ravine, with no help coming for god knows how long.

They were in so much shit.