1. I Found

e i g h t e e n

LOST

"Sophia!" Theo called out chasing her down into the forest. 

"Sophia!" She called out again but there was no response. 

Suddenly she was bumped into from behind her. 

"Shh" She crouched in front of Sophia before looking behind her to see a lot of walkers coming towards them.

"Keep quiet okay" She nodded taking Sophia's hand. 

They began to run, further away from the highway. 

Further from everyone else. 

"Where is she!" Daryl began looking around worried.

"Sophia, she got spooked and ran, Theo chased after her, she'll be back" Glenn explained to Theo.

"No. I'm not sitting her and waiting for her to not come back or to come back, Rick!" Daryl yelled as Rick looked over towards him stressed. 

"Are you coming with me or am I going alone?" Daryl asked as Rick nodded. 

"Find them" Carol cried as Andrea held her tightly. 

His heart sank, Carol wasn't going to be able to take it anymore, her daughter was the last thing she had left, and she was only 12.

"What are we meant to do?" Glenn asked

"We need to keep collecting fuel, as soon as they have Sophia we have to go" Lori explained as she walked back to everyone else.

"Okay" Glenn began collecting a group of looks from the rest. "We need to keep going, collect anything and everything you can, water in that van you found, we need to take at least two of them, food will be spare, but anything edible, you get, clothes, think about when it begins to get colder, it doesn't mean you need four different outfits but you need two that you can adapt, keep in pairs and keep close, Dale you fix that RV yet?" Glenn asked. 

"Shane is working on it, i'm keeping watch" Dale smiled

"Good, keep doing that, Andrea. I want you to stay with Carol, and everyone else gets to work." Lori ordered

"Why are we now taking orders from you?" Shane asked, leaning against the RV.

"Well, you wanna say anything different?" Lori asked, genuinely looking for an answer.

This caused Glenn to smile.

He responded with an annoyed sigh before Theo looked at T-Dog.

"Are you going to be alright?" Glenn asked T-Dog.

"Just, give me a few and I'll be out collecting fuel again," he smiled at her, trying to push through the pain.

Daryl's heart was going a million miles an hour. 

It was getting dark and the tracks that they found came to a dead end as they became trampled by walkers tracks.

"Daryl. Theo is smart, but she left her gun behind, all she has is her knife." Rick panicked 

"You're right, she is smart. But we need to be too. It's getting dark, and we should go back and start again before we get lost and then there's another search party for us" Daryl suggested. 

"Your right." Rick sighed as he looked around for one final time. 

"Let's go" Daryl nodded making their way back to the highway. 

Rick and Daryl returned.

"You didn't find her?" Carol wept as everyone went to comfort her.

"The track went cold, but we will be straight back to it in the morning Carol I promise" Rick looked full of guilt. 

"You left her, she's my baby" Carol cried

"She is with Theo, they're going to be okay" Daryl began.

Rick's eyes became watery.

He was scared and worried about his daughter. 

"You alright'" Glenn asked Daryl, walking away from everyone else.

"Yeah, she'll be okay. She is the strongest one here" Daryl nodded trying to convince himself. 

"You wanna watch with me?" Glenn asked, talking about keeping watch.

He nodded, going quiet.

"Dale, get some sleep" Daryl told Dale. He instantly nodded as everyone went to get some sleep but Daryl and Theo.

A couple of hours passed, most of their night being silent.

"Somethin' on your mind?" Glenn asked, breaking the silence between them.

"No, just wondering about them out there in the dark" He admitted.

"I think we are all going to look for her tomorrow, more eyes" Glenn explained to him.

"I hope she is okay" Daryl bit his nail as he watched the woods closely

He wanted to protect her with everything he had.

He was so mad that he left her alone under that car. 

That stupid Korean boy was right.

He liked her a lot, he cared about her a lot.

But was still scared to get close.

He had to try and fight what he was feeling.

But every time he tried, all he could think of was that kiss at the CDC, and how much he wanted to do it again, and again. 

He was falling fast...

Meanwhile...

"Theo, I'm scared" Sophia whispered as they sat closely under the fallen tree, hiding from the walkers and trying to keep warm. 

"We are going to be okay. In the morning we will head back the way we came. And eventually someone will find us" Theo reassured her. 

"How are you not scared?" She asked shaking as Theo held her closely. 

"Who said I wasn't" Theo smiled, trying to make her smile, but it didn't work. "Of course I am scared, but something you have to be brave for others...."

"I want my mummy" She cried. 

"I know, it's going to be okay" Theo nodded as she continued to keep a close eye on the woods, walkers were passing but luckily none were coming their way.

They managed to survive the entire night without having to fight off a single walker, but unfortunately that meant Theo got no sleep what so ever. 

"Come on" Theo took Sophia's hand in hers. 

Sophia nodded keeping close to Theo, walking behind her, her hand in hers, never leaving her side.