"Help me." Her voice pleaded from inside the car. "Please."

Daryl looked quickly at her and then to bleeding T-dog on the ground. He grabbed her by the foot pulling her on top of him, and then he grabbed a decayed walker and threw it on top of them. He closed his eyes wondering what the hell was going on. All he remembered was Rick hissing at everyone to get under the cars but he saw the approaching doom of the oncoming herd of walkers. He remembered seeing T-Dog tear his arm apart on the car door and rushing over to help him, but something-someone-was begging him for help. Usually Daryl wouldn't have helped her but it was something in her voice, her eyes that made him reach out and take her to safety.

"Sophia!" he heard Carol shout and his eyes flipped open and he threw the dead body of the two of them.

"It's all clear." He said to her but she just whimpered and pressed herself harder into his body. "You alright little missy?" he asked but the violent shaking was enough of a response for him. He wrapped his arms under her and scooped her up into his arms. Daryl gave T a small kick and the black man mumbled in response stumbling to his feet.

"Daryl please you have to help?" he heard Carol say as tears pooled from her eyes but she stopped staring at the young woman in his arms. "Who's this?"

"Found her scared out of her wits back in a car over there." He motioned to back to where they were with his head. "She wouldn't let go of me."

Lori was the first to make a move at her shaking her shoulder lightly. "Sweetheart are you bit?" she asked but the girl didn't response. "Are you bit?" she asked more firmly but still the girl didn't say a word. Lori took a step back and crossed her arms. "We'll just have to wait till Rick and Shane get back."

"They won't let her stay." Andrea added walking up to the group. "She's just another mouth to feed."

"Dad and Shane wouldn't do that." Carl shook his head.

Lori wrapped her arms around her son. "Of course they won't." she pointed to T-Dog who was trying to stop the bleeding of his arm. "Someone help T-Dog."

"I got it." Glenn replied waving his hand away tying a rag above the wound and pressing had on it.

"We couldn't find her." Rick said breathlessly taking his shirt to his face to wipe the sweat from it. "We'll look some more though, so Carol, don't worry."

"Daryl!" Shane exclaimed from somewhere and inside his arms the girl flinched. "We'll need you to help." He appeared from behind the R.V. "You have good hu-What is that?" his face blanked as his eyes narrowed on the girl in his arms.

Daryl took a step back finding himself oddly protective of the defenseless girl in his arms. "I found he-!"

"You found her?" Shane asked sarcastically walking towards Daryl. "So you just decide to bring her back here when she could be dangerous."

Rick stepped forward placing his hand on the girls arm. "Are you bit?" he asked just as Lori had said. "Are you hurt?" And in the same way she didn't respond.

"To hell with this polite bullshit." Shane spat tugging the girl from Daryl's arms and throwing her to the gravel ground. The girl rolled twice before stopping then Shane put a shotgun to her head. "Now listen here missy. You either respond or become walker food."

The girl pushed herself up to a sitting positing finding Shane's gun holes directly in her face. "I-I-"

Rick put his hand on Shane's gun lowering it. "Shane don't escalate this any further." He walked towards the girl lowing himself to his knees in front of her. Her face held such innocence and the way her hazel eyes glimmered with scared tears made her look delicate. Her dirty blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders stopping just below her breast. "My name's Rick. I was a former police man and sheriff of the town before I was shot." He pulled down the shoulder of his shirt reveling the scaring wound.

The girl looked at him. "I-I didn't get bitten." She shook her head letting the tears fall freely from her eyes. "I'm so scared!" she exclaimed before jumping on Rick wrapping her arms tightly around his body.

Rick looked up at the other members of the group confused as he tried to soothe the slim girl in his arms. "It's alright to be scared." He said as her smell drifted into his nostrils. It was an odd mix of grass and a floral perfume which was shocking saying it's been awhile before any of them had seen perfume. "Now can you tell me how you got here?" The girl pulled away her eyes flashing to each member of the group particularly Shane whose hand was itching his gun. Rick caught it and look sympathetically at her. "Would you like to just tell me in private?"

She nodded letting a tear streak down her cheek. Rick stood up to his feet grabbing the girl's hand to help her up. He placed his hand at the bottom of her back and gave her a push forward to walk. When the group seemed far away enough she opened her mouth. "I-I was with my mom and dad when it all went down. They were quick to go…I didn't know what was going on at the time so I locked myself in my house. My older brother knew I wasn't good with chaotic situations and came to get me. We were on the run for a while until we came across this place. I remember he said he was going to look for supplies and to lie down in the backseat till he returned." She shook her head. "He never came back."

"How long were you lying in the car?" Rick asked looking down at her.

She shrugged. "About a week. Every time I thought it was safe to come out a couple walkers came through. That wasn't the first herd that came through this part."

"You never thought to fight them off or anything to get out?" he raised his eyebrow.

"I don't have any weapons," she frowned. "My brother never let me carry around a gun because I don't know how to shoot."

"We can change that." Rick smiled but then became serious. "Everyone in our group contributes something, so we'll have to find something for you to do to earn your keep."

The girl stopped and looked at him. "Sir, you don't have to bring me into your group. I can tell they don't trust me."

"The only way to survive this apocalypse is sticking together. No offense but I don't think you could make it on your own especially without a weapon." He smiled causing her to laugh for the first time. "We'll fix you up train you in defense and if then you still don't want to be in our group then you're welcome to leave."

"Thank you but –"

"No but's I'm forcing you to come into our group." Rick cut her off but she shook her head smiling.

"I was going to say but I don't think I'll ever be able to defend myself. Those-those things scare me half to death." She said squeezing her eyes shut.

Rick tutted pulling the girl into an embrace. "Don't worry we'll protect you." He pulled away and looked down at her. "What's your name?"

"Rose." She replied as he grabbed her by the arm and walked her back to the group.

"We can't just bring her into our group!" Shane exclaimed at Rick as they mapped out a route to find Sophia.

Rick leaned forward. "Will you keep your voice down." His eyes flashed to Daryl for a second. "She means no harm and look at her Shane she would die if we wouldn't have found her."

The three men looked over to where she was trying to help Glenn hold the tools to the R.V. They all clattered to her feet and she blushed a dark crimson. Dale hurried over to help the embarrassed girl. "No wonder she's a frightened little clumsy girl."

"She was left in a car for a week after her brother disappeared and probably died. Of course she's frightened. She doesn't know what's going on." Rick said sternly to his friend.

Shane snorted. "Oh please you probably just think she's a pretty damsel in distress you can save."

Daryl shifted. "Did you ever catch how old she was?"

"Well she can't be jail bait anymore if you're wondering since there aren't any jails left." Shane added rolling his eyes.

Rick ignored the other cop. "She looks around 22 or 23." Daryl grunted in response and leaned against the car hood as he fiddled with his crossbow. "We better get a move on before it gets dark." He said folding up the map.

It's my first story on here so cut me some slack.

If you want me to contiue comment or something so I don't keep updating to an empty audience.

Lot's of Love xoxo-Kate