My bold and italics are back!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Anyway thanks so much for all the comments much appreciated! Over 15,000 reads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Y'all are awesome!! On to the chapter!!

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Sophia was now settled in her own room right across the hall from ours. I was sitting on my bed looking down at the scrapbook from my graduation party. I ran my hand slowly over my favorite photo of Daryl and me. I sighed and closed the book gently.

There was a lot I missed about us being together back in the day but there were a lot of things that I didn't miss. The fights were the worst. Sometimes Merle would sit back and just egg both of us on, Daryl more than me. Both of us then would yell at Merle but of course Daryl would stick up for him.

I sighed again and shook my head lightly. I don't know why I started thinking about this. Maybe taking care of Sophia was bringing back memories. Memories I didn't want to remember. I started thinking about a lot of different things while sitting in my room by myself.

People were up and walking around. Correction, dead people were up and walking around. They were eating anything with blood running through their veins and a heartbeat. I didn't believe it when I first heard about it. I thought it was just some small sickness going around.

The day though that Logan came busting down my door changed my mind completely. He started throwing bags at me and telling me to pack my shit. I asked him about Mom and Dad but he didn't answer and ran back down stairs. I quickly packed as many clothes as possible.

I threw my bags over my shoulders and ran down stairs. Logan was running around the kitchen like a mad man packing a bunch of canned foods and other food that didn't spoil. I placed my bags on the counter and helped him pack the rest of the food.

"Where are we gonna go?" I asked him breaking the silence. He slung the heavier bags over his shoulders while I threw my bags over my shoulders. Logan made sure all the doors and windows were locked before running into the garage and throwing our bags in the car.

Logan jumped in the driver's seat and I jumped into the passengers. He messed with the radio as he tried to find a working station. Finally a voice crackled in the speakers. "Please don't panic. Everyone stay calm. Make your way to Atlanta. Refugee centers are set up for everyone." Everything ended up being a lie. Atlanta was a bust.

While on our way there people were already turning around and telling everyone to get away from the city. The city was overrun, military were turning people away and military was shooting the living. Logan quickly reversed and started taking back roads, bad idea.

After about three hours of driving we never ran into another person, never found a gas station, or anything that was useful. I sighed and propped my feet up on the dashboard. "Do you even know where we are?" I asked him. Logan didn't say anything.

I smacked the dashboard a little. "Damn it, Logan. Say something," Logan growled. "Shut up," he said. I glared over at him. I couldn't believe he was talking to me like this. "Watch it! I am older than you," I said. Logan rolled his eyes and continued to drive.

There wasn't anywhere safe. There wasn't any refugee center. Atlanta was a bust. Military obviously wasn't helping any. Logan and I didn't have any weapons except for a couple knives. Mine being a small flimsy pocket knife that I knew would break easily.

The car started to slow. "Why are we stopping?" I asked Logan looking over at him. Logan's hand slammed on the steering wheel. "Damn it! We're out of gas!" he said hit the wheel against. I let out a aggravated sigh. "You've got to be kidding me."

The car finally stopped with a sudden jerk. I groaned and leaned my head against the window. "Now what?" Logan asked. I looked over at him. "I don't know you seem to have all the answers," I said my voice dripping with sarcasm. Logan glared over at me.

"This isn't time for fighting. We need to stick with each other," Logan said. I sighed again and nodded slowly. "I know, you're just on edge and I don't like it," I said. Him being mean brought up bad memories of Daryl and I's fights that we always seemed to have.

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. Daryl. I wonder what happened to him. He was a hunter. He could survive in a world like this. I knew he could. The question was did he want too. There was only one place I knew Logan and I knew and could survive in.

I looked over to my right to see a patch of woods. "We need to head into the woods," I said pointing to them. I looked back over at Logan who was looking in the same direction. "You're right," he said. I nodded. "I always am," I said. Logan groaned and got out of the car.

We both quickly took what we could carry along with the keys to the car just in case we could come back to it. We started walking into the woods making sure we were as quiet as possible. It was silent between us. The only thing we could hear was the crunch of the leaves under our boots.

"I can't believe this is freaking happening," I whispered. Logan nodded a little. We had been walking maybe 30 minutes. My mind was wandering in between my parents and Daryl. I had a feeling my parents were dead seeing as Logan didn't say anything about them.

He was quiet and I think he knew more than he was telling me. We had stopped after about a couple hours of walking and decided to climb a tree to eat. We stayed silent just eating a couple cans of whatever we had brought. We tried to take it easy not knowing how long it would be before we saw more food again.

After finishing our food we sat and let it digest a little before starting to walk again. We had been in the woods for a few hours. The Georgia heat was not taking it easy on us at all. We were sweating like crazy and trying to take it easy on the water while trying to stay hydrated.

"We're gonna have to camp in a tree and find it soon. We don't need to be walking through these woods at night with these things walking around. I'm not becoming dinner," I watched a small smile creep across Logan's face. It made me feel a little better.

I didn't have a clue at what his problem was. I didn't know if he was just trying to be the 'man' and stay strong, but he was starting to get on my nerves. We walked for about another 30 minutes when the sun started sinking. We stopped trying to find a good tree to sleep in.

We stood back to back as I looked one way and he looked the other. "Do you hear that?" he asked me. I turned around so I was facing him. "Hear wh-," Logan quickly covered my mouth with his hand and gave me a look telling me to keep quiet.

That's when I heard it....and smelled it. The hissing, the groaning, and the smell of rotting flesh. Logan turned around and pushed me behind him a little. Coming towards us were three of those things. Okay so three wasn't that bad, but this was my first time seeing them.

Up close, they scared the shit out of me and I froze. I thought Logan did too but he quickly shoved me behind him more and pointed towards the tree. "Get up there. I'll take care of them," he said. I didn't want to leave him, but I knew he was just trying to protect me.

Before I even had a chance to climb the tree an arrow whizzed by my head and I heard a squish then a thud. I felt my breath coming fast as my eyes became wide. I felt like I couldn't breathe and I was going to hyperventilate. I had no clue who had just saved me.

I felt a breeze go past me and I pressed myself against the tree, I watched a guy in a sleeveless plaid shirt pull the arrow out of the thing's skull and wipe the blood off on its shirt. Now I could properly thank my hero. I watched as my brother took another down.

There was one left and I watched as the guy who's back was still to me loaded his crossbow again but another guy came out of nowhere and killed it before he had a chance. "Damn it, Merle," I heard him grumble. Merle? I knew a guy named Merle.

I watched as crossbow guy turned around and I felt my breath catch as our eyes connected. Daryl. Never did I ever think I would see him again. Him of all people I had to run into during an apocalypse. We hadn't left things on good terms and I knew he still hated me.

"Well well if it isn't ole Sugartits," I heard Logan growl beside me and I elbowed him just trying to ignore Merle's smartass comments. "What are ya fuckin' your brother now?" Merle asked me. This time I growled and I lunged towards him but I felt a pair of arms...strong arms stopping me.

I turned around to see it was Daryl holding onto me. I looked down at his arms and then back up at him. He coughed awkwardly before letting go of me. "Leave her alone, Merle," he growled. I wanted to smile because Daryl was sticking up for me, but I stopped myself.

I stepped back towards Logan who I could tell was still mad. "Y'all alone?" I asked them. Daryl nodded slightly. "We have a small camp set up a little that way. We were just scouting the area and hunting the game," I shrugged a backpack off my shoulders that I knew had a bunch of canned food.

I held it towards Daryl. "We'll uh, trade you a bag of food for a place to stay for the night," I said. I pushed the bag towards Daryl a little bit more. He looked over at Merle who was looking me up and down and licking his lips which made me glare right back at him.

"One night," Merle grunted while turning on a heel and marching back towards their camp. Daryl met my eyes once and gave a slight nod before following his brother. Logan and I looked at each other before we slowly started heading towards their little camp.

That night I couldn't sleep at all. One the tent was hot and stuffy. Plus Merle was trying to feel me up all night. I had finally given up and went outside finding Daryl taking watch. It was awkward when I had first stepped out. Daryl stared at me over the small burning fire.

It was pretty quiet between us. Daryl paced slowly back and forth in the bed of his truck and I sat by the fire. That was until both of us broke the silence. We had both asked the same question. "How are you?" It was weird listening to his voice talking to me.

It was softer than earlier, gentler. We both didn't say anything after that. We had simply chuckled at the awkwardness of asking the question and we went back to silence. We had stayed silent most of the night and when I was tired I finally decided to turn in.

Daryl stopped me that night before I had gone in the tent again. I think I was a little surprised when he did. I wasn't expecting him to talk to me. We hadn't spoken to each other in six years. That night though we had spent the whole night catching up.

Daryl and I also started reminiscing about things that had happened between us. I was a little shocked at how much he had remembered. We laughed, we got angry, I had even caught myself tearing up a little bit that night. It seemed like that was just yesterday.

"Is this weird for you?" I jumped a little hearing Daryl's voice. He had brought me back to the present. I looked over to see him leaning against the door frame to the bedroom. My eyes connected with his briefly before I looked down at my hands again.

"What do you mean?" I asked him. I felt the bed sink and Daryl was now beside me. With the hunter in him I didn't even hear him walk over. I laid on my side as I faced him. "This whole Sophia thing? Taking care of her now," he said. I was hoping he didn't think it was weird.

I shrugged a little. "I don't know. I mean to a degree yes, but to another degree no. I've always liked Sophia. She's really sweet. Just like....Carol," I whispered my voice trailing off. Daryl reached out and squeezed my hand a little. "I get what you mean."

"This isn't going to bother you, is it?" I asked him. He shook his head. "No, I'd rather know she was safe along with you than anyone else. I mean no one deserves to get bit and die but especially a kid," I nodded agreeing with him. Daryl pulled the covers over us.

"Let's try to get some sleep," he said while wrapping his arm around me. I snuggled into his side more. As I was about to doze off I heard tiny feet padding across the floor. I knew it was Sophia but I didn't know what she was doing. I sighed a little.

"Emery," I heard her little voice call out. She was standing in the doorway of my bedroom. I knew Daryl wasn't asleep. He was faking. He probably just didn't want to deal with her. I sat up a little and looked at her. She was hugging the rag doll that Eliza had given her.

"What is it, Sophia?" I asked him. She squeezed her doll tighter. "I-I had a scary dream," I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. I could already tell I wasn't the greatest with kids. I didn't know what to say to her or what to do. I felt Daryl's hand squeeze my hip a little.

"I'm sorry, Soph," I said. She shifted uncomfortably. "Can...can I sleep with you and Mr. Daryl?" I cracked a smile at her calling him Mr. Daryl. It made him sound so old. I chuckled a little and looked down at Daryl who had one eye open and was glaring slightly at me.

I gave him a sympathetic smile. He knew what I was thinking. Sophia had just lost Carol she was probably having nightmares about her mom getting bit and turning. I looked back over at Sophia. Her bottom lip was out a bit. I couldn't tell if she was about to cry or if she was begging me.

Maybe it was both. I was seriously at a loss at what to do. What if I told her no? Would she hate me? Daryl shifted a little and groaned. Suddenly the blankets were flung back. Daryl walked over to Sophia and picked her up causing her to giggle. He walked back over and laid her beside me.

Daryl laid on the other side at first with his back to me. He slowly turned around and his eyes locked with mine before I looked down at the sleeping figure between us. I ran a hand lightly through her hair. She sighed contently and snuggled into me more.

I looked back up at Daryl. He had a slight smile on his face. His hand that was resting on the pillow reached out and grasped mine. I felt his fingers lace with mine and I felt a smile creep across my face. Daryl leaned over me Sophia and planted a soft kiss on my lips.

"I love you," he whispered. I looked down at Sophia and looked back up at him. I couldn't hold in the smile any longer and let it glide across my face. "Yeah, I love you too." I whispered back. That night I went to bed happy. For the first time in a long time.

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