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Everyone sits outside now as the sun was setting they'd waited there all day for Sophia, just in case she heard the bells but- she never came. Shane and Rick could be seen disputing ten feet away and Julia didn't need to listen to know in what. Rick was spewing hope while Shane was disregarding it all saying the girl was dead without saying it.
Julia just scoffs staring at her bloody combat boot with furrowed eyebrows. Raya sat in the ground next to her slowly looks up and smiles at Julia trying to be friendly.
"M- Julia can I ask ha somethin?" The little blondes voice asks curiously as Julia's leg bounced. "You probably would anyway so go ahead." Julia states making the child scrunch her nose taking some offense before it's quickly forgotten.
"Are you and Mr Daryl datin?" Raya asks so only Julia could hear and Julia wished she hadn't because she choked on her saliva hearing it.
"What the hell made you think that? And no..... boys have cooties." Julia says awkwardly as Raya shrugs before pointing to the arrow on her hip. "Then why'd you steal his arrow?" She asks curiously and Julia shrugs.
"To annoy him because he pissed me off." Julia explains like it's normal but Raya just smile's mischievously clutching her teddy bear closer to her chest.
"So- your bein mean to him?" She asks with her little southern drawl making Julia nod vigorously trying to show she in fact did not have anything going on with the red neck..... anymore.
"That means ya like him." Raya exclaims making Julia shush her and clamp a hand to her mouth as the others could be felt having curious glances. "What bullshit are you ranting about." Julia asks with a scowl but the small blonde girl just smiles knowingly and looks to Daryl. He glances to the two also curious but his face remained passive with no emotion.
"My daddy used to say that when boys or girls are mean to each other it means they like each other. I had a boy named David who would pull my pig tails everyday, stole my pencils, and said mean things for a month until I told my daddy. He said the reason he did all that is because he liked me. So- that means your stealing his arrow because you like him." She says with a giant smile as Julia looked at her dead panned.
"That is-........ the stupidest shit I've ever heard. Sometimes sweetheart you can just be mean and nasty because you hate someone." Julia said it so sweetly at first but after the pause her voice came out cold and harsh.
"Why are you mad at him?" She asks and Julia sighs aggressively and looks at her exasperated. "Because he's an ass." Julia says it simply as Raya still looks confused and mutters something that makes Julia side eye her but not comment. She was pretty sure the girl said something about swearing being bad but Julia swore like a sailor.
"Ahem!" Shane says while walking over once again trying to give off a leader type vibe but Julia just halted him down as his eyes catch with hers briefly.
"Y'all gonna follow the creek bed back, okay? Daryl you're in charge. Me, Rick and Julia. We just gonna hang back. Search this area another hour or so just to be through." Shane explains calmly but Julia gets ready to complain but Daryl speaks first making her bite her tongue for now.
She sure as hell wouldn't be staying alone with just Shane and Rick. Daryl and Rick yeah but Shane? She would rather eat and shot nails then be around him more then necessary.
"You're splitting us up. You sure?" Daryl asks while his eyes flick to an annoyed Julia who crosses her arms not moving to Rick or Shane's sides.
"Yeah we'll catch up to you." Shane says softly as Julia snorts to herself. Always trying to play the good guy.
"I want to stay too. I'm her friend." Carl says with determination before Raya looks up at Julia with pinched eyebrows.
"I wanna stay with Ms. Julia." Raya says in a strong voice as everyone looks to the small girl. Julia grimaced and looks to Rick before shaking her head. "Carl can take my spot then..... I'd feel more comfortable taking her back to camp." Julia lies through her teeth making some of the adults look at her like she had three heads.
With Julia it always felt like you had whip lash, one second she's claiming Raya is nothing to her and the next she watches out for her well being.
Unbeknownst to them this time it was just a way to get out of being around Shane. Again.
"Just be careful okay?" Lori says after a long silence grabbing Carls face and pulling him in for a hug and kiss on the head. Raya stares at them longingly as she twists her body side to side anxiously. "I will." Carl agrees before Lori goes to Rick and kisses him goodbye.
Both Andrea and Julia watch Shane's reaction as Rick and Lori embrace and he scoffs silently looking away from them.
"Here take this. Remember how to Sue it?" Rick asks handing Lori a pistol Julia makes a loud groaning noise. She already knew Andrea was about to be whining and bitching some more over the weapon.
"I'm not taking your gun and leaving you unarmed." Lori says like it's a completely stupid idea and Julia had to agree. With Carl there they'd need more protection considering he had never taken a Walker down. Julia doubted the kid even could without crying as he seemed a bit sensitive.
"Here got a spare. Take it." Daryl mutters while handing a small black pistol to Lori. Andrea could be heard making a noise of disbelief while shaking her head and Julia threw her head back groaning loudly.
"Someone shoot me now." Julia huffs storming past Daryl who she thought snickered but she didn't check as she walked towards the way they would be heading. Stopping by a grave stone Julia rolls her eyes trying to mentally prepare for this long annoying trip.
Raya soon stood beside Julia and the two standing in a comfortable silence. Daryl walked past them and Julia immediately followed him since him and Glen were the only ones that didn't irk her.
Plus statistically they were the most useful and had the highest Walker kills. If Raya would be safe next to anyone it would be them and Julia.
The group had been walking for barely 15 minutes when Carol could be heard calling form the back in desperation. "So this is it? This the whole plan?" She asks before plopping down on a log making everyone stop as well taking a break.
"I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups." Daryl agreeing that being spread so thin with three small groups was dumb.
And of course that just gave Andrea her perfect moment to complain about weapons.
"Carrying knives and pointy sticks. I see you have a gun." Andrea states with her eyes on Lori the entire time and Julia just sighs over it already making her way over slowly as Lori looks up with annoyance.
"Why you want it? Here take it. I'm sick of the looks your giving me." Lori says while holding out the gun to Andrea to take.
"We all are. The silent mutters too like no offense but it's getting on my last damn nerve so-.... Either take it or shut up you don't wanna know the third option." Julia snaps loudly making Andrea glare at her briefly before her eyes go to the gun that's outstretched to her.
"All of you have been giving me looks." Lori states in a dark voice making Julia brows furrow ready to input her two sense but Loris attention went to Carol first.
"Honey I can't imagine what you're going through. And I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him. When Sophia ran he didn't hesitate did he? Not for a second. I don't know if any of us would have gone after her the way he did-..." Lori starts to say making Julia loudly clear her throat giving a pointed look to Lori.
"..... except maybe Julia. And he has had to make hard decisions and nobody could have done it any differently. Anybody?" Lori asks and looks at everyone as Julia goes to raise her hand Daryl grabs her hand roughly shoving it back down making her glare at him bitterly.
"I would've." She whispered quietly making him give her a look as if to say now wasn't the time for that. He too probably knew leaving Sophia there to find her own way back wasn't the smartest thing to do but- Rick tried his best.
He'd been doing right by the group since the quarry, plus he didn't need people arguing as he was put in charge.
"Y'all look to him and then blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you." Lori says angrily before drinking some water as Julia bitterly mumbles to herself.
"I'm being stopped right now." She says before glaring at Daryl who still held her hand down at her side in a stiff hold.
Julia moves her glare form Daryl to Andrea who hands Lori the pistol back. Julia snorted with disbelief, all that complaining just to give it over after barely holding it a minute. "Fucking pathetic." Julia sighs shaking her head.
Roughly pulling her hand free from Daryl's large calloused hands. Julia grabs Rayas hand and begins leading the way until Daryl comes in front of her and Raya silently.
Raya had this small mischievous smile that made Julia narrow her eyes at suspiciously but bit her tongue for now having an idea what the small girl was thinking.
The group walks in a less tense silence now that Lori had cleared the air. Julia walks with Faha and the small child begins swinging their arms humming a small turn to herself when everyone freezes as a lone gun shot rings out.
Julia gives a look to Daryl since he seemed to be the only realest there, a lone gun shot wasn't a good sign. But he shook his head where only she could see it and they kept walking for another good 20 minutes but Lori stops and stares the way they came from for the third time.
"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asks no longer being a raging bitch much to Julia's relief. If the blonde said anything stupid again Julia was ready to just feed her to a Walker herself.
"It was a gunshot." Lori explains calmly but her eyes were wide with a light panic.
"We all heard it." Daryl says calmly trying to act clueless but Lori seemed to be gaining brain cells much to Julia's surprise. She too pieces it together that one wasn't a good sign.
"Why one? Why just one gunshot?" Lori asks as Daryl shrugs trying to play it cool but his explanation was obviously dog shit. "Maybe they took down a Walker." Daryl tries to sound nonchalant but Julia chuckles shaking her head.
"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one Walker. Or Shane. They'd do it quietly." Lori says with exasperation before looking back once again.
"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol adds to the growing panic making Julia sigh and look up to the sky before looking down at everyone blankly.
"You guys are giving me a migraine." Julia huffs while Daryl too seems to be getting fed up. "There's nothing we can do about it anyway. Can't run around these woods chasing echos." Daryl complains making Lori look at him with uncertainty.
"So what do we do?" She asks and Julia scoffs and intercepts this time getting fed up with being stuck around them still.
Julia already wanted to take back her inner monologue on Lori gaining brain cells. Because after one gunshot she lost all the new found common sense she had been graced for a bare minute.
"The same thing we've been doing. Look for Sophia while getting back to the highway." Julia says it like they're all stupid and Andrea even looked to agree with Julia as she nods and looks to Lori calmly. "I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV." Andrea says with a calmly voice rather then her whiny high pitched one she'd been suing for days since the CDC.
Julia would have to remember to thank god for that one, the first good thing he's ever done for her.
"I'm sorry for what your going though. I know how you feel." Andrea says walking back making Julia sigh looking at the sky that was slowly darkening. They didn't have time to be socializing couldn't they walk and talk at least?
"I suppose you do. Thank you. The thought of her out here by herself... it's the not knowing that's killing me. I just keep hoping and praying she doesn't wind up like Amy. Oh god. That's the worst thing I ever said." Carol says with a whimper as Andrea shakes her head and waves it off.
"We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth." Andrea says calmly but Julia quickly shot a part of that down. "I'm hoping not praying." Julia says with a cold tone that makes everyone stare at her funny before shaking their heads.
Julia was just-.... A character.
"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, she's gonna be just fine." Daryl sneers before walking away from Andrea and Carol as Julia watches him walk away with a glint in her eye.
He looked good talking about how praying was dumb it made Julia smile at him. "Am I the only one zen around here? Good lord." He says with a huff and stops as Julia stands in front of him with smile all of a sudden.
"You've earned this back." Julia says while holding the lone arrow out to him. Daryl stares at her before looking at the arrow and snatching it roughly from her hand.
Julia still flinched a bit at the suddenness with his grabbing it but her smile didn't fall as she now fell in step behind him holding a Rayas hand and dragging her along.
Julia trusted Rick, and Daryl- she could see them having mutual interests but they probably would never be friends. Julia didn't do friends. She could consider a select few of the group as her survival acquaintances though.
After walking for at least another hour the group stops simultaneously and look around. They were panting due to walking all day long and even Raya was looking sleepy as Julia had to carry her here and there.
"We'll lose the light before too long. I think we should call it." Daryl calmly says not knowing how Carol would react to it. "Let's head back." Lori agrees and Carol looks to her with sadness still evident but also some hope.
"We'll pick it up again tomorrow?" Carol asks making everyone nod briskly with determination. "Yeah we'll find her tomorrow." Lori confidently states making Julia nod slowly still unsure how true that was at this rate.
Daryl whistles and and soon everyone follows in a line again while keeping their eyes peeled for Sophia. Just in case she accidentally stumbled across them or left any signs on where she might be.
"Here let me carry her." Glen says when Julia keeps hoisting the small girl up since her arms were getting tired. At first Julia stares at him with distrust but taking a deep breath and squeezing her eyes shut she slowly had a the small girl over. But she does glare at Glen in wanting who- didn't understand for what but he just nodded hoping it was the right response.
It seemed to be as Julia looked away and started walking a bit behind him, unbeknownst to Glen she was still watching him like a hawk.
Making sure his hands stayed in respectful places and didn't wander. Not that they would it was just Julia's paranoia and distrust with men making her so tense.
"How much farther?" Lori asks impatiently clearly worried for Carl and Rick hoping they'd be waiting at the RV for them.
"Not much maybe a hundred yards as the crow flies." Daryl calmly says while Glen can be heard grunting as he lifts Raya up. He too seemed to be getting tired but Julia would promptly tell him no backsies. Whenever he would look to someone for some assistance, he'd smile faintly shaking his head.
"Too bad we're not crows." Andrea sighs tired and face red from the constant walking. "I don't know some of us here could probably pass for one." Julia says nonchalantly as she side eyes Andrea making the blonde scoff and look to the others.
"Okay seriously what is your problem with me?" Andrea asks and Julia laughs a short cruel laugh before shaking her head. "I don't like people who bitch simple as that." Julia states nonchalantly making Andrea do a scoff and shake her head.
"Funny coming from you Julia." She sasses making Julia lift a brow. "What's that supposed to mean?" Julia asks with an edge as Andrea stares at her funny. "It means it takes one to know one." She childishly says making Julia's eyes narrow at her with annoyance.
"I'm the last one you want to be starting with sunshine if you were smart you'd shut up. Or I'll leave you to be Walker bait." Julia huffs walking away from the blonde taking the rear of the group.
"As the crow flies my ass." Andrea huffs from the side of the group aways away before her loud screams pierce the air. "OH GOD DAMN IT!" Julia shouts as her and Daryl are the closest yet their still too far to save Andrea.
She was going to die.
Right before the Walker could fall on andrea and eat her a woman on a horse saves the day hitting it in the head with a bat while Julia stares with some surprise.
"Lori? Lori grimes? Whoa!" The girl says replacing her bat in its holster as Lori and the rest of the group including Julia and a now awake Raya follow.
"I'm Lori." Lori says while staring at the woman confused since she had no clue how she knew her name. But- Julia had an idea how and something about it felt like bad juju.
"Rick sent me you've got to come now." The woman demands making Lori even more confused.
"What?" She asks softly and the woman confirms Julia's suspicion of something having gone wrong. "There's been an accident Carl's been shot. He's still alive but you've got to come now. Rick needs you just come." The woman exclaims in a panic making Lori instantly set her pack down and go to climb up on the back of the horse.
"Whoa whoa whoa we don't know this girl. You can't get in that horse." Daryl says while watching Lori proceed to do the complete opposite of what he says.
"Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?" The woman asks Glen who says a soft uh huh.
"Backtrack to fairburn road. Two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mailbox the name is green hyah!" The woman says before making the horse start running off with Lori on the back.
"I think I just got my First Lady boner." Julia says with a longing stare after the woman making everyone slowly turn to her even a confused Raya. Mostly because she didn't know what the phrase or a certain word meant.
Daryl just rolled his eyes especially when the Walker re sat up and wheezed. "Shut up." He spat before shooting the Walker and leading the group to follow him towards the Rv once again.
___________________________________
"Shot? What do you mean shot?" Dale says incredulously as the group slowly exits the woods and steps over the guard rail. Julia couldn't wait to sleep already as her body ached.
"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." Glen pants as he walks past the olde Roman. Dales eyes going to Daryl and non of the women which Julia bitterly thought of as sexist.
But she was far too tired to start a debate like that she just wanted to curl up and sleep already.
"Climb down out of my asshole man. Rick sent her. She knew loris name and carls." Daryl's snaps storming past Dale as Julia passes him while holding a sleepy Rayas hand guiding her to the Rv to tuck her in on the couch opposite of T-Dog.
The girl didn't put up a fight this time and instantly fell asleep not even needing Julia to be with her. Julia slipped out of the Rv and sat by the tire as the sun slowly set.
Dale gathered the adults around outside the Rv to let Raya rest as they all stood swaying leg to leg with exhaustion. He voiced that they needed to go to this farm to regroup.
Julia didn't want to, not because she didn't care that the small boy was shot. She didn't know if this group had men- men that had truest bad intentions. Intentions like Shane from the CDC that night.
"I won't do it. We can't just leave." Carol says with pain and tears glazing in her eyes.
"Carol the group is split. We're scattered and weak." Dale states like it's not something he wants to do but need too. But Julia didn't want to go either so if need be she would be the one to stay.
"What if she comes back and we're not here? It could happen." Carol states with confidence that her daughter would return. "If Sophia found her way back and we were gone. That would be awful." Andrea agrees making Julia nod.
"I'm staying." Julia says with finality as Daryl slowly glances at her and nods. "Okay. We got to plan for this. I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign, leave her some supplies. We'll hold up here tonight stay with the RV." Daryl says casually but Julia could have sworn she saw Andrea give him a look and smile that he missed.
"If the RV is staying I am too." Dale agrees making Carol nod and look emotional. "Thank you. Thank you all." She whimpers making Julia do an awkward smile back.
She wasn't doing it for Sophia but her own mentality.
"I'm in." Andrea says but Dale shakes his head. "No you and Glen gotta go. Take Carols Cherokee." Dale mutters lowly as his eyes flick around them searching for someone.
"Me?" Glen asks at the same time Andrea scoffs and asks why her. "You two have to find this farm, reconnect with our people and see what's going on, but most important you guys have to get T-Dog there. This is not an option. 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, T-Dog will die, no joke." Dale rambles making the Korean and Blonde nod solemnly.
After hearing the phrase 'blood infection' Daryl went to his bike and pulled out an entire bag of pills making Julia straighten up and stare at them.
She preferred needles but- she'd snorted her fair share of pills when she couldn't afford heroine.
"Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle why you wait till now to say anything? Got my brothers stash." Daryl threw the tag at Fake before calmly setting the bag of Pilsner down and digging for certain prescriptions.
"Crystal, C. Don't need that. Got some kick ass pain killers. Oxycycline. Not the generic stuff neither it's first class. Merle got the clap on occasion." Daryl says while passing the bottles over like it's no big deal before stashing the rest on his bike again.
Julia bites her thumb nail as her eyes now stay trained on the area Daryl hid them in again. That familiar itch to get high raking at her thoughts despite being clean since that day the bombs hit Atlanta.
She could see Dale glancing at her and scurried away from the others as they helped Glen and Andrea turn the car around and send them on their way.
It was going to be a long itchy night for Julia.