6.Broken arrow...

I wake up with an arm around my waist holding me against a chest. I look behind me and see Daryl still asleep.

He looks so peaceful when he sleeps. I carefully take his arm away from my waist.

I look back at him to see if he is still a sleep.

Blue eyes looking deep in my brown eyes.

"Good morning Dar." I say standing up and putting on my t-shirt and boots.

"Morning"He say getting up.

"I will see you later, I have to change my clothes for the day and find out what the job is for today." I smile at him before exiting his tent.

" Okay" I hear him say.

I see Carol busy doing the laundry.I walk up to her to greet her.

"Morning." I smile at her.

Lori comes out of her tent towards us.

"Good morning. I can't believe I slept in." Lori says to us.

"You must have needed it. Feeling all right?" I ask her worried.

"Next time wake me, all right? Especially on laundry day."She say to Carol.

"I can manage. I had an idea I wanted to run by you."She say hanging a t-shirt up.

I feel guilty that I don't help with this type of stuff.

"What's that?"Lori ask

"That big kitchen of theirs got me thinking. I wouldn't mind cooking in a real kitchen again. Maybe we all pitch in and cook dinner for hershel and his family tonight. Kind of looking for things to keep my mind occupied. After everything they've done for us, seems like the least we could do." Carol explain her idea to Lori.

"Ladies I'm so sorry I don't help out a lot with this things." I say to them looking around.I not good with this emotional stuff or caring about things like house work. I was always outside helping my dad with manly things and not really helping my mother.

"It's okay Melody.You help a lot by protecting us and looking for my little girl." Carol say looking at me with a kind smile.

"Alright, well I see that Rick and the searching group is gathering around the car. See you two later." I say to them walking to the group.

"Morning, guys."

"Let's get going. We've got a lot of ground to cover." Rick say walking up to the car where we all are waiting.

"All right, everyone's getting new search grids today."Rick says point at the map that was the new area we are going to search.

"If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl and Melody found, she might have gone further east than we've been so far." Rick say looking at us. Daryl join us busy putting on a long shirt on. I didn't change yet.

"I'd like to help. I know the area pretty well and stuff." The young boy says to Rick.

"Hershel's okay with this? " Rick ask.

"Yeah yeah. He said I should ask you." He say trying to hold his eye contact.

He is talking bullshit.

"All right then. Thanks." Rick say obviously believe him.

"Thats bull.." I was about to say but Shane interrupt me.

"Nothing about what Daryl and Melody found screams Sophia to me. Anyone could have been holed up in that farmhouse." Shane say negative like always.

" Anybody includes her, right? " I ask with an attitude getting fed up with his negative ass.

"Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high." Daryl show him having my back.

I smirk at him.

*It's a good lead." Andrea says.

"Maybe we'll pick up her trail again."I say trying to keep hope alive.

"No maybe about it."

"I'm gonna borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here, take a bird's-eye view of the whole grid. If she's up there, I'll spot her."

"I'll take the opposite side then we can meet in the middle." I say to Daryl looking at everyone.

"Good idea." Rick say impresse with our plan.

"Maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there too." T-Dog say grinning at Daryl.

"Wait,What?" I ask confuse at T.

"Chupacabra?"Rick also look confuse.

"You never heard this? Our first night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a chupacabra." Dale telling us the story.

The young boy trying to hide his laugh but fail Daryl already caught him.

"What are you braying at, jackass?" Daryl snap at him.

"You believe in a blood-sucking dog?" The young boy ask Daryl.

"Do you believe dead people walking around?" Daryl sarcastic ask him.

"He has a point boy." I say smirking at the young boy.

The young boy try to take the shotgun that was on the car hood, but Rick stop him.

"Hey hey. Ever fire one before?"

"Well, if I'm going out, I want one."

"Yeah, and people in hell want slurpees," I say sarcastically to him.

"Why don't you come train tomorrow? If you're serious, I'm a certified instructor." Shane says to him.

"For now he can come with us," Andrea says to us.

"He's yours to babysit then," Shane says to her.

"All right, Andrea, T-dog, I want you guys to cover this side. alright."

We start to go our own way. I grab Daryl arm to stop him.

"Hey you can go. I'm just going to change alright. Be careful." I say to him serious.

"Alright."He say walking away.

I don't get him one minute his open and the next he close himself shut.

Men.

I walk to my truck to get clothes to wear. I choose a army print legging, black shirt with my combat boots. I brush my teeth at my truck and put my hair in high ponytail that I cover with my army cap.

I take my back pack with my first aid kit and water. The weapons I take is my Bow and arrow, Two machetes, throwing knives, my daggers around my wrist and my two pistols that I hide in my truck. I'm not going to give up all my guns and besides, I'm qualified to use them.

I secure all my weapons and start to walk in to the forest. I can see Daryl's tracks. I walk the opposite way.

While I'm searching for Sophia I also hunt. I got ten squirrels and one rabbit. I come to a river bed I follow it till I see horse tracks. Daryl must have already cover this side. I follow the track when I see something that make my blood run cold.

In the river bed was a body but it's to far to see who it was. I climb down using the tree roots to get down. I land on my feet splashing in the water.

When I turn around Five walkers stumble out the bushes.

Great.

I shoot the nearby walker in the head with my bow. The second one I run to and kick him. He fall on his back try to get up. I quickly trigger my daggers and stab him in both his eyeballs.

I was so focus on the walker I just killed that in a second I forget about the other three. I look behind me and seeing the third walker already dead. The forth walker walks to me making me turn my back to the fifth walker I quickly take one of my throwing knives and throw it to the walker head killing him insteandly. I was to late to kill the last Walker it grab my hair pulling me towards him.

Fuck!!!!!!!!!

I turn as quickly as I can. He pull Some of my hair making it sticks to his fingers. Shit that hurts like a bitch. He was so close to my neck.

I close my eyes preparing for the bite.

I will see soon Dad.

I hear something go off in a blink of an eye, I fall backwards to the ground with a dead walker on top of me. I look at it, an arrow stinking out his head.

What the fuck?

The walker was pushed off. I look at two blue eyes looking in mine. I sit up and hug him. I almost died.

*Daryl point of view*

I wake up and see my brother standing in front of me.

I must be tripping.

"Merle."

"What's going on here? You taking a siesta or something? A shitty day, bro. Like me to get your pillow? Maybe rub your feet?"

"Screw you."

"Huh-uh. You're the one screwed from the looks of it. All them years I spent trying to make a man of you, this is what I get? Look at you. Lying in the dirt like a used rubber. You're gonna die out here, brother. And for what?"

"A girl. They lost a little girl."

"So you got a thing for little girls now?"

"Shut up."

"Cause I noticed you ain't out looking for old merle no more."

"Tried like hell to find you, bro."

"Like hell you did. You split, man. Lit out first chance you got."

"You lit out. All you had to do was wait. We went back for you. Rick and I, we did right by you."

"This the same Rick that cuffed me to the rooftop in the first place? Forced me to cut off my own hand? This him we're talking about here? You his bitch now?"

"I ain't nobody's bitch."

"You're a joke is what you are, you liking this girl Melody. Do you thinks she likes a white redneck trash like you and playing errand boy to a bunch of pansy-asses, niggers and democrats. You're nothing but a freak to them. Redneck trash. That's all you are. They're laughing at you behind your back. You know that, don't you? I got a little news for you, son. One day they gonna scrape you off their heels like you was dogshit."

"Shut up. Leave Melody out of this."

"Hey. They ain't your kin, your blood. Hell, you had any damn nuts in that sack of yours, you'd got back there and shoot your pal Rick in the face for me. Now you listen to me. Ain't nobody ever gonna care about you except me, little brother. Nobody ever will. Come on, get up on your feet before I have to kick your teeth in. Let's go."

I snap out of my hallucination when I hear someone scream.

I see Melody being grab by a walker. I pull out the arrow.

Fuck this hurts.

I took out my crossbow that fell in the water not so far from me.

I shoor the walker in the head and it fell on top of her. I walk slowly to her. Kneeling down and push the walker off of her. She sit up and pull me in for a hug. She was shaking.

+ Melody point of view+

I didn't realize I was shaking.

"Calm down Melody, You are alright." Daryl say clearly in pain.

I pull away when I look down at his side.

It is a arrow wound.

I pull out my first aid kit and take out the bandages.

"Sit still"

I didn't have kit with the stiches in side.

Fuck!.

I take the bandage and lift up his shirt and cover his wound the best I can.

I look at him he doesn't look well. It looks like he is in another world or something.His eyes are looking straight through me.

I stand up and hold out my hand so I can help him up, but he reject it.

"What's your problem Daryl."

He ignore me. What the fuck.

He sit on a tree trunk and cut open a squirrel and start eating it raw.

What the hell is wrong with him.I distract myself by look for a way out. I go to the spot were I climb down.This will work.

I hear Daryl walk to my direction and also look up.

"Do you need help?"

Again no answer.

This is pissing me off.

I grab a tree root and start to climb up.

"Son of a bitch was right."Daryl say looking up.

"Who are you talking to?"I stop and look at him.He must have hit his head hard and losing lot of blood too.

"I liked it better when you were missing."

He must be hallucinating.

"Yeah? Since when?" I keep a eye on him.I tried many times to help him but he rejects my help.

I grab on a root almost on top but like always life have to screw with me. The last root I grab was loose. I fall down knocking the wind out of me. With a blurry vision I see Daryl on top.He look down at me.

"Melody?"He must have snap out of his hallucination

I cought when the air goes through my lungs.I sit up and touch my behind my head. I feel a warm liquid on my fingers. I look at my fingers and see blood.

Shit.

"Im fine just go,I catch up with you."I yell at him.

He did what I tell him and disappear. I stand up and walk back to where we climb up.Pain went through my left thigh. I look down and see my machete cut open my thigh.

I use all my strength to make it to the top again.

I made it.

I look around and see Daryl tracks. I limb the path back to the farm.

I did catch up with him. He was just a few miles away from me. I climb over the wire and see Rick,Glenn,Shane and Dale run up to us. I'm losing a lot of blood.

"Is that Daryl? and Melody."Dale ask while Rick point his gun at us.

"That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head. You gonna pull the trigger or what?" A gun shot went of shooting Daryl down.

I snap out my dizziness and fall to my knees next to Daryl.

"No! No! No! "I yell with tears in my eyes.

" Rick!" I yell at Rick. "Help him"

They lift him up and walk fast to get him to Hershel.

Glenn help me up.I walk quickly behind them ignoring the pain in my leg.

"What on earth's going on out here?" Hershel ask.

" I was kidding."Daryl mumble.

"Come on."Rick say to Shane to help him with Daryl.

"Oh my God. Oh my God, is he dead?"Andrea ask with worried written all on her face.

That bitch.

I snap. I walk up to her and push her against the RV. I hit her with my head to her nose.

I grab her hair and pull her down to the ground then I kick her in the stomach sending her away from me. I feel hands grabbing me and pulling me towards the house.

I see Dale helping a bleeding Andrea up.

"You bitch." I yell at her trashing in the person arms trying to get loose. The person pull me towards the house. I start to feel the pain in my leg. I hiss out with pain when I step forward with the leg thats cut open.

We walk in to the house. We walk upstairs to a room. They put Daryl down on a bed and T Dog help me sit on a chair that's in the corner. I start to feel dizzy.

"You alright Mel" T Dog ask worried.

"Yeah I'm fine,you see that bag over there" I pointed to a stitching kit that was next to Hershel.

"Yes"

"Bring it please"

He give the bag to me.

"I can call Patricia to help you." Hershel kindly offer while stitching up Daryl.

"No, I'm fine thanks maybe you can just stich the cut up thats on the back of my head." I cutting my legging short so I can stitch my leg up. I clean it first may I add it burn like a bitch.

I bite hard on my teeth and start to work on my leg. I was almost done when T-Dog walks in with the doll of Sophia. Daryl was awake while Hershel works on his wounds.

"Guys, isn't this Sophia's?"T Dog asks.

"I found it washed up on the creek bed right there. She must have dropped it crossing there somewhere."Daryl answered trying to be tough and not to show any pain but I can see right through him.

I put a bandage around my leg and drink some painkillers that were in my backpack. I make myself comfortable on the chair and cross my arm in front of my chest listening to their conversation.

"Cuts the grid almost in half." I say looking at them.

"Yeah, you're welcome." Daryl sarcastic say to Rick.

"How's he looking?" I ask Hershel when he finished up the wound on Daryl head.

" I had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly."He answers me with worried written on his face.

"Any idea what happened to my horse?" He ask Daryl.

"Yeah, the one who almost killed me? If it's smart, it left the country." He answers Hershel angry with sarcasm.

"We call that one Nelly, as in nervous Nelly. I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask. It's a wonder you people have survived this long. He'll be all right."

Hershel starts to stitch up the wound behind my head.

"It's not a big cut. But you need to take it slow. Just relax and don't walk around on that leg." Hershel says kindly smiling at me.

I nod a thank you before he leaves.

Now it's just me and Daryl alone in the room.

"Look Melody, I'm sorry I was an ass to you. I wasn't in the right mind. I couldn't tell what was real and what was fake." Daryl says looking up at the ceiling.

I look at my hands and sigh feeling drained.

"It alright" I answer him tired.

"You look so comfortable on that chair," He says sarcastically.

"Screw you," I smirk at him limbing my way to him. He makes space for me to get in to lay next to him.

I lay my head on his chest, my hands on top of his stomach away from his wound and I put my sore leg on his crotch not really caring how it make him feel cause my leg hurt like hell.

I listen to his heartbeat getting sleepy.

I wake up when I hear someone entering the room. I still keep my eyes closed.

"How are you both feeling?" Carol asks putting our food down. I feel Daryl's muscles tense up. He doesn't like to be cuddly in front of people. I open my eyes and look up at him. I can see he feels uncomfortable not with me but with the situation. I sit up and greet Carol.

"Hey, Mel, How are you feeling." She asks again.

"As good as we look," I answer her getting up.

I feel like shit. My body hurts and I'm starving.

"I brought you two some dinner. You two must be starving."Thank you for the food" I say to her kindly. I take my plate and sit in the corner.

"Watch out, I got stitches." Daryl snaps at her when she gives him a kiss on his head.

"You need to know something. You two did more for my little girl today than her own daddy ever did in his whole life. I didn't do anything Rick or Shane wouldn't have done. I know. You're every bit as good as them. Every bit."She says gratefully looking at us both.

"No problem Carol."

She stands up and leaves us alone with our thoughts.

____________________________________________

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