THE COLD WAR (Daryl Dixon)

CHAPTER TWO: MOTHERLY ADVICE

As the trio soon walk along side each other for a while a rustling ahead makes the three duck down and grab their weapons. Julia has both swords in front of her before she crouch walks forward with the men.

They see movement through the brush and it's a long haired Walker.

Daryl does a hand motion for Rick to go distract the creature making Julia grip her swords tighter as Rick runs ahead of the Walker. "Dibs." Julia whispers to Daryl who side eyes her but says nothing.

Julia creeps up from behind the Walker ready to impale it's head as Rick whistles and waves getting it's attention.

The Walker let's put a bellowing roar and right as Julia goes to pierce it in the head and arrow goes through it's eye socket and makes its body drop right in front of her.

Julia whips around and glares at Daryl who acts unbothered as she stomps her foot at him. "That one was mine asshole. I called dibs." Julia snaps while Daryl approaches ignoring her completely.

"No no- I called dibs. I don't care if the world goes to shit or doesn't that means I get the kill you pansy pusher. Now I get to slap you as punishment." Julia seethed lifting her hand to smack the red neck but he simply catches it.

He still doesn't say anything as he seems to be taking her in but Julia rips her arm away from him aggressively. "Don't fucking touch me." She speaks in a calm normal tone as she grabs his arrow from the walkers head.

Daryl stretches his hand out for it but Julia simply clutches onto it and puts distance between them so he can't take it back by force. He could try but she'd mess him up the second his finger tips even brushed her.

Rick stared between the two with an unknown emotion that went unnoticed by the pair. Rick then crouched down and inspected the Walker for signs it had been around Sophia. He flips it on its back as Daryl looks around the area for any signs of the missing girl.

Julia too bends down to look and spots fresh blood on it's finger nails and shirt.

"SOPHIA!" Daryl yells not looking at what Julia had noticed as her finger slowly points to it. "Fresh blood." Julia voices her finding making both men look to see the blood as well. Rick opens its mouth and sighs, "It fed recently." He basically repeats Julia's finding making her give him a look.

She didn't comment on his stupidity.... Loudly. It was just a mutter about men being incompetent making Rick glance at her a bit surprised. He didn't know what he did to upset her, but he did what all men do.

Undermine her intelligence and try to take the credit. That's how Julia saw it anyway when really Rick had been agreeing with her on what the fresh blood meant.

"There's flesh caught in its teeth." Rick announces looking away from an annoyed Julia. She would still bitterly believe this was better then being with Shane.

"Yeah what kind of flesh?" Daryl asks as Julia just blankly stares at the men. She decided to give the silent treatment until her knowledge was valued. Or at least she would try but if any fucker pissed her off she'd still cuss them out.

"Only one way to know for sure." Rick says while opening the walkers shirt. It's belly was descended meaning it had quite a big meal. Julia couldn't help but scrunch her face up at the sight as Rick held a knife ready to gut it.

Daryl stops Rick and gets in a more professional position, he was hunter surely he knew how to properly gut things.

"Here I'll do it. How many kills you skin and gut in your life?" Daryl asks while pulling out a large hunting knife. Julia's eyes linger on the weapon and she noticeably puts some space between her and Daryl making Rick stare at her softly.