I ran as fast as i could through the woods. I had pieces of branches and limbs smacking me in the face, but the only thing I was focusing on was getting to Sophia. "Sophia!" I shouted, whipping my head around to find the small dirty blonde haired girl. Rick was way behind me seeing as I ran a lot faster than he did, but he caught up quickly when I stopped to look around for her. "Where is she?" He asked breathing heavily. I glared at him, he should know if I knew the answer to that then I would not be stopped right now. I instead chose to ignore his ignorant question and kept running ahead leaving Rick behind.

"Sophia!" i called out as I kept running. I heard a third pair of footsteps run from my left and I immediately pulled my knife out on reflex. But when I collided with the small body that was Sophia, I quickly sheathed it and took her in my arms. Rick Ran up behind and stopped when he saw i found her. "Shoot them!" Sophia cried out reaching for my pistol on my hip. I swatted her hand away, and took her hand in mine. "No Sophia, the noise would attract that herd back from the highway" I told her. 

I then looked to Rick. "You kill them, I'll get Sophia back to the highway" I told him, motioning to the two walkers who were advancing on us from the South. Rick nodded and started running for the two walkers that chased Sophia into the woods, while I kept a firm hold on Sophia and started walking back the way I came. 

I didn't realize how far we ran into the woods. But by seeing that the sun was quickly setting it made me realize we had been chasing Sophia for hours, and I could tell she was growing tired. "You sure are fast kid" I said to her as we walked slowly and quietly through the woods, me never once dropping her hand in fear that she would run off again. "Sorry" was all Sophia said for the next half hour.

I felt like we were getting closer to the highway, but we needed to get there quick. I noticed we only had about twenty minutes of light left. Some rustling in the trees to our left made us both stop, Sophia clinging to my side for dear life. 

I heard growling and wrapped an arm around Sophia pulling her into my side. One walker stumbled out from the bush and I pushed Sophia behind me to grab my knife off my hip. But my eyes went wide went not just one but at least a dozen of those things stumbled out at me. "Shit" I hissed. I heard Sophia whimper behind me and call my name. I heard her footsteps again running on the soft forest ground, and I chased after her once again only this time I had over a dozen drooling freaks on my tail. And I knew in that moment that Sophia and I wouldn't be getting back to the highway anytime soon...

Daryl's POV:

Savannah has been gone for over four hours, after Rick and her chased after Sophia in the woods. None of them were back yet and I felt this ache in my body from her not being around. The last time I felt this was when Merle and I spent a week looking in every inch of our town for her. I remember the feeling of dread that I might never see her again, the thought alone was something I couldn't bare. 

I loved Savannah. I loved her more than I ever wanted to admit to myself, and I always have. I've loved her since we were kids, that love just ignited as the years went on. She was everything to me, my best friend, my family, my heart. She has always been the light at the end of the tunnel of my shitty life, and I was thankful every day for her. Thankful that my piece of shit father moved in next door to her. Without her i would have nothing. 

I hated what I did to her at the CDC, so much so I took to trashing our room and breaking anything I could get my hands on. I was always scared to tell her my feelings, in fear of rejection and her not feeling the same as I. Which is why I pushed her away, thinking she was just drunk and not making any sense, but I was wrong. She did love me, as much as I loved her and if they never came out of the woods then i might never get the chance to even tell her. 

"Baby brother, you're gonna bite your finger off if you don't stop" I heard Merle say beside me, and I realized I had chewed off my entire fingernail without realizing it. 

"Cant help it" I told him leaning against the RV and staring out into the woods waiting for her to come back. "Princess is tough, toughest woman I ever met" Merle told me before patting my shoulder and walking over to comfort Carol which had me raising my eyebrows. 

Some rustling in the trees had me running over to the railing to see if it was Savannah coming back with Sophia. But when Rick stepped out alone, my heart dropped. He climbed the hill to the highway and looked around confused. "They aren't back yet?" he asked with worried eyes when he saw Carol crying and Merle and I looking frustrated. 

"No, they ain't back" I simply said, surprising myself by the anger in my voice. It wasn't directed at Rick, he knew that. But this whole situation had me wanting to put my fist through something. Anything at this point. "What happened?" Merle asked.

Rick shook his head and leaned against a car, running his hand through his hair. "We caught up to Sophia, she sent me to go kill the walkers that were chasing us while she was going to get Sophia back to the highway" Rick said, feeling distraught and confused as to how they weren't back yet.

"Shit man" I heard Shane say as he sighed and sunk down against a car. The entire group's mood just depleted in that moment, especially now that the sun went down. "I'm going after them" I said grabbing my crossbow off my back and walking for the woods. "I'm coming too" Merle said placing a hand on my shoulder before cocking his pistol. I nodded at him before we both leaped over the railing and power walked to the woods. 

"Daryl wait!" I heard Rick call from behind me. Him and Shane both were running up to us. "Ya'll shouldn't go out there right now. It's too dangerous, you should wait until morning" Rick said with his hands on his hips. I scoffed and looked at him like he was crazy. "You're out of your damn mind if you think I wont go out there looking for her" I growled at Rick taking one step forward. 

"Daryl we cant lose two more valuable member of the group tonight, in the morning we can all go out there together looking for them" 

"Any of you try to stop me from looking for Savannah, I'll put a fucking bullet between your eyes" I growled at him. Rick backed off and before he could say another word I turned around and stomped into the forest with Merle on my tail. I was going to find her and Sophia or die trying. Because I knew if I never found Savannah I would die inside anyway.