Light in the Darkness

Chapter 7

Everyone left the room so Herschel could finish looking me over. "Few days and you should be able to start moving around, but for now rest," he said patting my uninjured shoulder gently. Rick walked back in with a tray of food and Herschel left shutting the door. He walked over sitting the tray down for me and sat with me quietly. I could see him deep in thought when I finally broke the silence, "Whats on your mind old man." He scoffed and laughed before turning to me. "Thank you, if you hadn't been there and saw Otis, Carl would have been the one hit," he said putting a hand on mine. It sent tingles up my arm and I blushed. "Carl and Sophia are everything to this group, as long as I'm around, nothing bad will happen to them without a pretty tough fight," I said turning back to my food. Rick leaned back looking at me, "They aren't the only ones important to us." I smiled and blushed again. Jesus Christ would you stop Y/N, I thought to myself.

The door opened without a knock and Lori walked in with Shane. I saw Rick tense up a little looking away from them. "I uh just wanted to say thank you, for what you did for Carl," she said stiffly as if the words were poison in her mouth. I nodded and they both quickly left the room. Herschel came back in to see how I was doing with the food. I tried talking him into letting me go sit outside and I pouted. Rick snickered at me before standing and going to leave. "I bet you get your way a lot with that lip," Rick said. He froze in his tracks realizing what he said before walking out blushing. Hmm interesting, I thought to myself.

A couple days later Rick heard me begging to come outside. He came stomping in and wrapped me in a sheet before picking me up making me squeal. He carried me out while everyone stared in shock and set me down on a chair. He went to walk away and turned back with a look that said not to argue and pointing his finger at me, "You stay right there, if you wanna go back in you call for someone." I stared at him wide eyed at the way he handled me. It was gentle but still he man handled me. He motioned to me to close my mouth and I did. As he walked away I heard Daryl laughing and glared at him. "Sorry gotta be tha first time I've seen anyone shut you up," he said smirking and I turned away huffing. This time I heard Dean and Sam laugh as they sat next to me. Dean winked at me making me pout more.

I sat talking with everyone who came up to me. When it was getting dark, Rick came back up and picked me up. He carried me back in and laid me back on the bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow I fell asleep my body exhausted. Rick pushed a stray hair from my face before walking out shutting the door. The next morning I woke up and Herschel gave me the all clear. "Just take it easy ok," he said looking at me sternly. I nodded and Sam helped me walk outside and sit on the stairs. Carl and Sofia came running up and showed me what they had been working on in their workbooks and I helped them do a few extra pages before they went back to their moms. "You're really good with them, you have any kids?" I heard Rick ask from behind me. I looked up and smiled, "Not unless you count my brothers." I watched my brothers helping Daryl skin some animals he had hunted down. He laughed and sat close to me on the stairs. Just being near him gave me butterflies and I thought what I had thought been a dream. "When our mom died, our dad spent every waking minute hunting down the demon that killed her. Kinda left me to pick up the slack. Besides, our life doesn't really leave room for attachments," I said looking down sadly, "We made a lot of enemies being who we were nevermind the legality of what we did." He nodded understanding what I meant since I had told him about us using cover stories while impersonating federal agents to work our cases. "What about now?" He asked fiddling with a piece of grass.

I shrugged my shoulder thinking. "This is a whole new world, for all of us, opens whole new doors for us," I said giving him a small smile. He stood up smiling holding out his hand, "Feel up to a walk?" I nodded and took his hand and let him help me down the stairs. We walked slowly around the camp and he showed me where everyone was set up. They had been helping around the farm and hunting daily to do their part. It was their way of thanking Herschel for saving me and also a hope he would let us stay here.

When we were walking back I saw Cas staring at us with a small smile on his face. I blew it off and we walked back to the house. I told them I wanted to stay in a tent. I felt bad sleeping in a soft bed while everyone was on cots. They finally agreed, but I had to stay with someone. "She can sleep in me and Dad's tent," Carl piped up. I hid my shock but before I knew what was happening him and Rick walked with me to the tent I would be sharing with them. Rick moved his cot next to Carl's and set up a cot where his had been. Then he hung a sheet so I would have privacy. As the days went on I started helping with things little that I could do with the stitches I had. Once they came out I started helping Dean with traps he was seeing up for things other than the dead.