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ACT ONE
(pretty stranger)

VERONÍCA SOOTHINGLY rubbed her friend's arms as they looked out at the forest. The gunshot that rang through the air not long before worrying Lori, which worried Veroníca.

"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked, making. Veroníca bite her tongue, in hopes of not replying snarkily.

"Why one, why just one gunshot?"

"Maybe they took down a walker." Daryl answered glancing in between Lori and Veroníca as he did so.

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker. Shane either—they'd do it quietly."

"She's right, shouldn't they have caught up to us by now?" Carol added, looking at the redneck for answers.

"There's nothing we can do about it anyway. Can't run around these woods chasing echos."

"He's right, Rick knows what he's doing, i'm sure the gunshot was necessary." Veroníca agreed, sending Daryl a smile which he ignored.

Lori nodded a little at her friend before turning to Daryl once more. "So, what do we do?"

"Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the R.V."

The group silently agreed before they began walking, stopping when Andrea started talking to Carol.

While Veroníca couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, she did make out Andrea's last sentence. "We're all hoping and praying with you. For what it's worth."

"I'll tell you what it's worth. Not a damn thing. It's a waste of time all this hoping and praying 'cause we're gonna locate that little girl, and she's gonna be just fine." Daryl spoke sternly, pausing a moment before continuing. "Am I the only one zen around here?"

"Zen isn't the exact word i'd use to describe you." Veroníca smiled, pretending to ponder for a moment before she spoke up once more. "I'd use gruff."

At her joke, Glenn dropped his mouth open in shock before laughing and high-fiving the woman. "She—"

"Where'd you learn that word. Your son?" Daryl squinted, not seeming amused at her joke.

Glenn was definitely amused though, more so after Daryl's remark. Fortunately, his amusement didn't drop when Daryl ignored the man's offer for a highfive.

So as the group continued walking, Veroníca's smile stayed on her face as she listened to Glenn quietly giggle to himself.

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The group remained semi-silent, minus Andrea's random bursts of complaining. "As the crow flies my ass." Andrea mumbled, groaning when she walked into a spiderweb.

"You complain quite a bit." Veroníca finally spoke, continuing to look in front of her as she did.

"Well, You would to if you actu—" Andrea suddenly stopped, her voice now replaced with her screams of fear.

Veroníca's head immediately shot to look at her, being a bit confused when she watched the blonde trip and fall, the flesh-eater walking not far behind her.

The blonde's screams continued which earned a little eye roll from Veroníca before she made her way over, immediately slicing her machete right through the flesh-eater's eye.

As the body dropped, she then stuck her hand out, waiting for Andrea to grab it.

Andrea glanced at the hand before ignoring it, standing up on her own. Veroníca then retracted her hand with a scoff before turning her body back to the group who now surrounded the two.

"Andrea, are you okay?" Carol asked, breathing a little heavily from running over to the pair.

"Never bette–" Andrea's sarcasm was cut short when a woman on a horse rode up to the group, leaving them all awe-struck.

The group didn't have any time to ask questions, seeing as the pretty woman immediately spoke. "Lori? Lori Grimes?"

"I'm Lori."

"Rick sent me, you've got to come now."

"What?" Lori questioned, still very confused and a little in awe of the woman.

"There's been an accident. Carl's been shot. He's still alive. But you've got to come now." At the woman's words, Lori immediately hopped on the horse, handing her backpack to Veroníca as she did so.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—We don't know this girl. You can't get on that horse." Daryl spoke, nervous for Lori's safety.

After his plea, the stranger spoke again. "Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl? Backtrack to fairburn road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox. The name is Greene."

After her directions the woman rushed the horse, exiting the area with Lori behind her. Leaving the group with lots of confusion, and even more questions.

"What the hell was that?" Veroníca voiced, looking around at the group who stood around her.

"Hell if I know." Daryl mumbled, walking away as the group followed behind.

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"Shot?! What do you mean shot?" Dale questioned, staring at Glenn in shock.

Glenn passed Veroníca her water bottle back before answering. "I don't know Dale, I wasn't there. All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori."

"You let her?"

"Climb down out of my asshole, man." Daryl replied, obviously frustrated.

"In Daryl's defense—the chick was hot—like Jennifer Aniston hot. I'd let her take me too." Veroníca smirked.

Her remark earned mixed looks, while Glenn slightly nodded, Daryl squinted with a look of disgust, while Carol and Dale just widened their eyes. "Okay—And I heard screams, was that you, Andrea?"

Andrea didn't answer the man, instead she walked past, making Veroníca roll her eyes. "She got attacked by a walker. Close call." Glenn answered.

"Andrea, are you alright?" At Dale's question the woman just glared at the man before walking into the R.V., slamming the door behind her.

When Dale wandered off, Veroníca turned to Carol with a playful smile. "So dramatic!" She laughed.

Carol smiled at her words, adding on with a sigh "Women." dramatically rolling her eyes as the two laughed lightly.

-

The group, or atleast the ones that were currently on the road, had a brief moment of silence before Daryl spoke. "Carol, it's just temporary."

"No. I won't do it. We can't just leave."

This time Dale budged in, sighing as he did so. "Carol. The group is split. We're scattered, and we—"

"What if she comes back? And we're not here? Could happen.." At Carol's words, Veroníca soothingly rubbed her shoulder as she nodded and spoke up.

"She's right. If Sophia found her way back she'd—she'd think you guys left."

Daryl stared at her intensely, seeming to think over her words before he agreed and turned back to Carol. "Okay. We got to plan for this. Let's say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign, leave some supplies. I'll hold here tonight, stay with the R.V."

"If the R.V is staying, I am too."

"Thank you, thank you both." Carol sent a smile to them, soon after sending a smile to Veroníca as she placed her hand on-top of the one that was placed on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Well if you're all staying then I am—"

"Not you Glenn, you're going. Take Carol's cherokee."

"Me? Why is it always me?" Glenn whined.

"Not just you, it's also Veroníca."

Glenn faked a laugh and sent a sarcastic thumbs up to Dale before speaking. "That helps so much, thanks."

"We have to find this farm, reconnect with our people and see what's going on. Veroníca has to see her boy. But most importantly, you have to take T-dog there." Dale paused as gestured to the sick man. "That cut has gone from bad to worse. He has a very serious blood infection. Get him to that farm, see if they have any antibiotics because if not he will die. No joke."

As Dale rambled on and on, Veroníca furrowed her eyebrows as Daryl left, walking to his bike before digging in it.

It wasn't long til the redneck came back, carrying a plastic bag full of medicine bottles. "Why'd you wait til now to say anything, I got my brother's stash. Crystal, X. Got some kickass painkillers. Oxycycline. Not the generic stuff either. It's first class."

Veroníca then nosily grabbed the bag, peeking in before pulling out a bottle with a wide smile. "Can I have this?"

"No." Daryl deadpanned, grabbing the bag back before yanking the bottle out of her hand, shoving it in the bag again.

As the redneck carried the bag back to his bike, Veroníca simply shrugged her shoulders before turning to Glenn with a slightly sad smile. "I'll get it eventually."

"Sure, Ron."

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