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At first Julia woke up disoriented and groaned rubbing her face as her throat felt immensely dry. The only bright side the drugs had brought were the lack in usual nightmares and her body had relaxed.
Slowly opening her eyes.... Julia realizes she's in someones tent.
Slowly turning her head she stares at a person shaped lump and narrows her eyes at them. Sitting up Julia grabs her pocket knife and slowly pulls there blanket down making the person also scream.
"AHHHH!"
"AHHHHH"
Julia and Andrea just stare at the other wide eyed and screaming until someone came bounding over in a panic. Shane, Dale, Glen, T-Dog and Daryl. Rick and Lori were getting the special privileges of sleeping in the house since Carl was injured. Otherwise Lori could have been there to explain and Rick would have been in a panic as well.
"What the hell are you doing in my tent?" Andrea snaps as Julia looks around utterly confused. "I don't know! I must have- been sleep walking." The girl excuses and roughly pushes past everyone's bodies and cussing lowly.
"She's a fücking psycho." Andrea could be heard saying as Julia grabbed some clean clothes. Walking away Julia can still hear Andrea going off to Shane how she's creepy and weird which makes her whip around raising two middle fingers.
"AT LEAST IM NOT A FUCKING RAGING CUNT ANDREA!" Julia yells before storming to the house for a shower. She hadn't taken one yet but Dale advised her the family was more then willing to offer it.
Julia stood on the porch just staring at the door with conflicting emotions as someone looks out the door from inside confused. He watches the woman shift from foot to foot with a grave expression. So slowly Hershel approaches and gives her a strange look as she stares at him with a foreign expression.
"Julia right? I'm Hershel we uh- didn't really get to talk much yesterday." He says in a calm tone as Julia stares him down before wincing.
"Yes I was- wondering if I could use the shower." She says in a unusually timid voice making the man nod and open the door for her. She did look rather- dirty as she was covered in dust and sand.
She hadn't been that filthy yesterday.
"You sleep in the dirt or somethin?" He asks not being an ass but not being friendly either. Hershel didn't want his family or himself to get too attached to these people. Julia stiffened and seemed to bite her tongue to refrain from saying something nasty. Rick asked her to be respectful to the man- and it was proving difficult.
He was a man after all.
"Yes. I like to sleep by the Rv tire." She explains slowly and waiting for him to show her where the shower she could use was.
Hershel blinks slowly because he hasn't expected her to actually have been sleeping in the dirt. He just assumed maybe she had gotten dirty while doing her search for Sophia the day prior.
"I see." Is all he says before clearing his throat and showing Julia to the bathroom that's connected to a spare bedroom. Julia pauses outside the door of the room and seems to assess him as he opens the bathroom door and explain how to use it. He stops realizing she hadn't followed and turn to see her staring now not at the bathroom but at a cross over the door.
"Somethin wrong Julia." Hershel asks and Julia looks to take a deep breath still staring at the cross before her eyes go to Hershel's and she shakes her head mutely looking down.
"I saw you at the funeral yesterday.... You and your girl are uncomfortable with religion it seemed." He notes making Julia furrow her brows unable to refrain from rejecting the small girl. "She's not mine. I'm not sure why she was uncomfortable but- I just grew up... religious is all." Julia says the last part grimly as he assesses he more.
From what he seen the day prior she didn't seem all that religious to him.
"Thank you for the shower." Julia says changing the subject which makes him nod and leave her. Julia made sure to lock the bathroom door and keep the shower curtain peaked open just in case someone tried to sneak in.
The hot water felt amazing and Julia scrubbed at her skin until it was a bright pink. No matter how much she washed herself she somehow always felt dirty....
After a while Julia finally stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. Stepping out with her dirty clothes in hand she scurried out of the house in a hurry. Even when she visited Carl briefly she did the same thing she didn't stay long as she always looked stiff and uncomfortable.
Julia put her dirty clothes aside to wash them later but she did notice Carol grab them. Julia didn't say anything knowing the woman probably wanted to be kept busy.
Julia wore a tight fitted maroon tank top she'd nabbed on the interstate. It definitely showed off her back again which earned stares but she just ignored them and walked with her chin high.
"Julia heard about the mishap this morning you good?" Rick asks and Julia swallows and nods. "I'm fine. Just- sleep walk sometimes." She lies easily as he nods and looks uncomfortable with what he was going to have to tell her.
And honestly it made her almost want to tell the truth of being high ti get out of it.
"Julia- if that's the case we need to get you a tent or a room in the house you can't be wandering alone. What if you'd gone in the woods and got bit by a Walker or somethin." Rick explains calmly but Julia's heated glare at him told him she was reacting just like he knew she would.
"I'm not moving. I sleep by the RV no ifs ands or buts about it. You'll have to physically move me and- no offense I don't think any of you dick weeds wanna try that." Julia spat storming past him as he sighs squeezing his eyes shut.
"Julia please." Rick calls as she approaches the rest of the group who stands around a map.
"Nope." She says popping the p as the group stare between the two. "I'm sure Andrea would be willing to share her tent." Rick tries and before Andrea could whine like she looked ready to do Julia let out the loudest scoff.
"I would rather sleep in anyone else's tent then hers. Except Shane.... I'd never sleep in Shane's tent." She says it nonchalantly as everyone looks confused as Shane looks annoyed.
"Then the Rv." Rick tries and Julia sighs looking at him with pursed lips and a clenched jaw. "Your not just going to drop this are you?" She asks seeing he was being stubborn and he actually smiled at that and shook his head.
"I can't lose anyone else Julia, we've really been having a losing streak as of late.... I don't want to add another tick on that list." He speaks metaphorically as she goes to say something about being called a tick Shane sighs aggressively.
"Just sleep in the RV so we can get onto important matters here." Shane says with exasperation and Julia's eyes slowly go to him staring blankly,
"I don't think we were talking to you baldy." Julia sneers making the man glare at her as she looked to Rick. The two stare each other down but soon Julia sighed shaking her head. She felt like she would regret this, "Fine. Now let's talk about Sophia." She huffs with a pout as Rick smiles victoriously.
"Alright morning guys let's get going. We've got a lot of ground to cover." Rick says to the group that had been their audience making Julia shake her head muttering on the stupidity of men.
"All right everyone getting new search grids today. If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl and Julia found, she might have gone further east than we've been so far." Rick explains while pointing to a map.
Julia didn't really focus on the map since she partnered with Daryl and he could just track their way back. Something she was going to ask him to teach her once they found Sophia, even if he said no she vowed to be annoying and scare off all his hunting customs if he didn't.
"I'd like to help. I know the area pretty well and stuff." The boy Jimmy from Hershel's group says walking up and making Julia subtly move closer to Daryl and hide a bit behind T-Dog and Rick.
Only one of them seemed to noticed and he stared at her suspiciously as Julia looked awkward and down at her feet anxiously.
"Hershel okay with this?" Rick asks and Jimmy immediately says a few yeahs making Julia narrow her eyes sensing a lie but she wasn't a snitch so she wouldn't speak up unless he was being put with her and Daryl.
"He said I should ask you." Jimmy lies making Rick instantly believe it causing Julia to mutter again on the stupidity of men.
"Nothing about what Daryl and Julia found scream Sophia to me. Anyone could have been holed up in that farmhouse." Shane says with that normal doom and gloom making Julia glares at him.
She was told to respect Hershel that didn't stop her from sassing Shane.
"Anybody includes her dumbass and no offense I don't see many people walking around let alone the size of a child." Julia explains while crossing her arms making Shane look to glare at her but not say anything.
"Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high." Daryl agrees with Julia causing her ti smile smugly at Shane who lowly tsks.
"It's a good lead." Andrea says in a soft voice to Daryl making Julia stare at her a bit suspicious on why. "Maybe we'll pick up her trail again." Rick agrees and Daryl immediately shuts down the maybes.
"No maybe about it. I'm gonna borrow a horse, head up this ridge right here, take a Birds Eye view of the whole grid. If she's up there I'll spot her." Daryl explains using a little too many I's and singular tenses for Julia's liking.
"Good idea. Maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there too." T-Dog teases making Julia look confused to be fair she didn't exactly talk to people much so of course she too was clueless on the matter.
"Chupacabra?" Rick asks looking somewhat amused but also unsure.
"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 explains while passing guns out.
Daryl confidently nods as Julia looks at him with a small grin, she was ready to tease but Jimmy snickering made Daryl snap at him. "What are you braying at, jackass?" He asks that actually does make Julia snicker to herself earning some looks as she laughs softly.
The group itself really couldn't think of the last they'd seen her laugh sober.... or smile really. It was always such a rare sight laughter had to be even harder to ever see.
"You believe in a blood sucking dog?" Rick asks with humor as Daryl looks to take some offense that no one believes him.
"We've got dead people walking around, what sounds crazier?" Julia snorts before Daryl could defend himself and Rick stares at her before slowly smiling.
He really liked seeing Julia breach from her cold hardened shell. Participating, smiling, and laughing and he hoped soon they could be considered friends.
"Guess you got a point there." Rick says with a small knowing smile before Jimmy reaching for a gun makes him stop the boy.
"Hey hey. Ever fire one before?" Rick asks taking the gun.
"Well if I'm going out, I want one." Jimmy says with clear signs of fear of the dead making Daryl snort as he throws his bow over his shoulder. "Yeah and people in hell want slurpees." Daryl sasses making Julia cough a laugh as she follows his form that leaves the group.
As they got a good distance from the group Daryl turns to Julia with a scowl and lifted brow. "Where the hell do you think your goin?" He asks and Julia looks to the sides of her before around and pointing to her chest.
"Are you talking to me? Cuz- I don't see anyone else around but I know you can't be asking me that." Julia sasses as his eyes narrow.
"Where do you think I'm going asshole? I'm going to search with your dumb ass." Julia says before continuing the walk towards the horse stable but Daryl comes rushing up and blocks her path.
"I'm doing this one alone." He sneers and Julia blinks slowly before a crooked smile comes to her lips.
"Either you let me come voluntarily or I follow you, I'm not teaming up with Shane and Andrea that's a death wish on my brain cells and Rick- well he's too much of a moral compass at times. Besides you need a partner who can handle themselves and that's me so- lead the way." She says with wave to go, he begins to stare her down.
"Losing sun light the longer you wait." Julia sniffly says making him grumble and turn away. His pace fast and strides longer then hers but she easily kept up and walked along side him.
"You ever even ride a horse?" He asks as Julia looks at the animals with wide eyes. They were tall and intimidating.
"How hard could it be- they have a saying it's just like riding a horse. Can't be that hard." She says with a scoff as he saddles up his horse. Julia watches him and waits for him to it to hers but he just climbs onto his horse and stares at her waiting.
"Saddle your horse up." He says with a knowing smile thinking this would stop her from going.
"Seriously your not going to help me." She asks with narrowed as he just continues to sit and stare at her waiting for her to say she won't go. "....... Fucking asshole." She mutters and before he can process it she's climbing onto the back of his horse and wrapping her arms weakly around him.
He went absolutely still and inhaled a breath as she felt stiff holding onto him.
"What the hell do you think your doin?" He asks incredulously once he finally could muster a clear thought. "You did this to yourself by not helping me so go." She instructs waiting for him to make the horse move.
"No."
"Go."
"No"
"No."
"G- don't do that shit." Daryl huffs but none the less over it he begins to make the horse walk and they leave the horse stable. If matter couldn't get worse they had to walk by everyone in their group who gawked at the sight of them.
And little Raya watched with a small knowing smile aimed at Julia that received a scowl for now. She knew the little girl would have some choice words later.
Daryl's ears were bright red at the attention and Julia smirked yes she would have preferred to not be touching him or any man really. But she completely put it on him if he would have just helped her.... This would be a good lesson for next time.
"Hold on." He sighs and before Julia could try to say a sassy she was he made the horse run and Julia clung into him for dear life.
That was the moment Julia decided she despised horses.
___________________________________
When they reached the woods they slowed down and Julia scratched Daryl's abdomen in punishment for him making the horse run at full speed. She heard him hiss and cuss and began patronizing him until they started sweeping their gazes around the woods.
They stop on the ridge and Daryl has his sights set on something making Julia squint unable to see it.
"Wait here." He says tying the horse so it wouldn't wander he didn't need Julia falling off because she didn't know how to ride.
"My thighs are killing me. Let me come with you! this saddle sucks." She groans and tries to swing her leg over before stopping and putting it back down with a hiss.
"I think me and this saddle are one now." She seethed as she had a leg cramp, Daryl just snorts and leaves her there to cuss after him to come back but he ignores her. He wasn't too worried on her following either given her current state of things.
Julia sat on the horse and looked around for any walkers or signs of Sophia. Slowly her eyes went to Daryl who bend down picking something up.
It must have been another clue as he began yelling for Sophia with still no answer.
He soon comes rushing up untying the horse and straddles it with a doll hooked to his belt loop similar to his arrow on Julia's. "You found her doll." Julia notes softly looking around that was a good sign.
Daryl immediately makes the horse move to continue looking over the ridge, while remembering where to tell the others they found the doll. Well more so him. He'd make it a point to say he found it just to irk Julia more too.
As the two continue looking for my signs of the girl they make some birds fly off in fear. The horse neighs anxiously and that makes Julia looks little unsure but shake it off.
Daryl manages to make it keep going but Julia was starting to get a bad feeling. As they walk through a pile of leaves Julia sees something move and the next things she knows the horse is tearing up.
Daryl tries to calm her but the horse keeps thrashing until it succeeds in knocking the pair off it's back.
Julia felt disoriented as she fell the scene of trees and rocks meeting her as her body hit off things on the way down. The funny thing was she couldn't feel the pain yet due to the adrenaline.
Finally she lands in the water and feels her gaze staring up at the sky as her head aches.
"Jesus." She can't help but say in disdain as she looks around the pain finally setting in making her hiss. Looking down- she has an arrow in lodged in her side. The arrow she'd stolen from Daryl and tied on her belt loop somehow had snapped off and pierced her in the side.
"Oh fuck me." She says noticing the blood water surrounding her as she slowly sits up with a muffled yell.
Her body felt like it was in agony.
Slowly looking over she sees Daryl in a similar position, even with an arrow in a matching spot except his was in tact unlike the splintered one inside her.
It was going to suck getting back to the group, but Julia couldn't help but smile and laugh to herself shaking her head. She should have just let him go by himself she thought bitterly....
Unbeknownst to her.... He was having similar thoughts.