It wasn't difficult to notice that Andrea had changed since the CDC. She had become more argumentative, and it was what was slowly driving Parker insane. Yes, of course, she understood that Andrea was upset about losing Amy, but that was no excuse for the way she was acting and treated everyone around her. Rick unrolled an arsenal of melee weapons. "Everyone takes a weapon."

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need," Andrea said, a hand on her hip as she eyed the arsenal laid out in front of her. "What about the guns?"

"Andrea, we already went over this with you," Parker said. "Shane, Daryl, and Rick have guns because they know how to shoot them. They will only shoot them in an emergency. The rest of us, including you, cannot be trusted nor are we trained, regardless of what you think." She was a bit upset when she wasn't allowed to carry a gun since she was a good shot, Rick knew that too. But she also understood that fewer people having guns meant there was less ammo being used. Daryl had to hide his smile while Andrea looked furious. Shane intervened before an argument could break out.

"We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles."

"It's not the trees I'm worried about," Andrea countered.

"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment and a herd happens to be passing by," Shane said. "See, then it's game over for all of us. So you need to get over it." Parker, who had picked up a large blade, gestured to the rest of the group with it.

"Do you see anyone else complaining?" Andrea didn't say anything and Parker raised her eyebrows. "I didn't think so."

"The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, and come back down on the other side" Daryl explained the plan. "Chances are, she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark."

"Stay quiet. Stay sharp." Rick instructed. "Keep space between you and always stay within sight of each other."

"Everybody assemble your packs," Shane said.

"Dale, keep on those repairs," Rick added. "We got to get this RV ready to move."

"We won't stay here a minute longer than we have to," Dale promised. "Good luck out there. Bring Sophia back."

"Keep an eye on Carl while we're gone." Parker's eyes widened.

"I know where this is going. I'm leaving." She walked over to where Daryl was and when she approached him, he threw a can of beans at her.

"In case you get lost."

"Wow," Parker said, putting the can in her backpack which she has had since the beginning. "I'll be fine. Thanks for the extra food though."

"You can never be too sure," Daryl smirked. When the group headed out, Parker found herself at the front with Rick and Daryl. The machete she had picked up was strapped to her belt, next to the knife she always carried in case of emergency. She had gotten quite skilled with it, and even Rick seemed impressed when he saw her flipping it in her hands out of boredom a few days ago. 

Daryl ordered everyone to stop about two miles into their walk, crouching down as he peered through some bushes. Parker crouched down next to her brother and looked through the bushes, locating the tent set up between the trees. It seemed to be abandoned, but you could never be too sure in the apocalypse.

"She could be in there," Shane said quietly.

"There could be a whole bunch of things in there," Daryl told them all. Rick silently ordered everyone to stay back, and Parker stepped back to stand next to Carl, who was more than happy to show the knife he had been allowed to carry to someone who would appreciate it. While Daryl checked the tent out, Rick called Carol forward and the rest of the group followed her.

"Call out softly," Rick whispered. "If she's in there, yours is the first voice she should hear."

"Sohpia, sweetie? Are you in there?" Carol called out softly. "Sophia, it's mommy. Sophia, we're all here, baby. It's mommy." When nothing happened, Daryl pulled back the tent flap and gagged, coughing a little as the smell hit him. Rick and Shane stood outside, each trying to stifle their coughs because of whatever was in the tent. The scent was overwhelming. Parker assumed it was some type of corpse, whether it be human or animal.

"Daryl?" Carol asked. "Daryl?" Daryl stepped out of the tent.

"It ain't her."

"What's in there?" Andrea asked.

"Some guy," Daryl replied. "Did what Jenner said. Opted out. Ain't that what he called it?" Parker heard the sound of bells in the distance and shared a look with Lori. Without wasting a second, the group ran to try to locate the source. They sounded like church bells, but who could be ringing them? Was it Sophia?

"What direction?" Shane asked.

"I think that way" Rick responded. "I'm pretty sure."

"Damn, it's hard to tell out here," Shane panted.

"If we hear them, then maybe Sophia does too," Carol said exasperated.

"Someone's ringing those bells," Glenn said. "Maybe calling others."

"Or signaling that they found her," Andrea offered quickly walking away.

"She could be ringing them herself," Rick said, running off. "Come on." They ran for another half a mile until they emerged from the trees and saw a church in a clearing. Parker looked at the building, which seemed to be the only possible source of the bells, except there was one small problem.

"It can't be this one," Parker said. "It doesn't have a bell tower. No bells. Rick.."

"She's right," Shane said. "It's the wrong church." Rick had already run, leaving everyone with no choice but to follow him. They ran until they reached the church. While Daryl and Rick carefully pushed the doors open, everyone else waited. 

There were three walkers inside, sitting on the pews. Their heads turned when they heard the doors open and they all slowly stood up. Shane, Rick, and Daryl spread out around the room, taking out the walkers with ease. Parker stayed at the entrance with everyone else, watching the men work.

"Sophia!" Rick shouted suddenly, making Parker jump. Daryl headed to the front of the church.

"Hey, JC, you taking requests?"

"I'm telling you, it's the wrong church," Shane said. "It's got no steeple, Rick. There's no steeple." As soon as he said it, the bells started ringing again and Daryl pushed everyone out of his way, running around the corner with Parker hot on his heels. There was a speaker connected to a control panel, which Glenn took apart by pulling on the wire, silencing the bells.

"A timer," Daryl blew out a breath of air, "It's on a timer."

"I'm gonna go back in for a bit," Carol let them all know before returning to the church. Parker watched her go, feeling sorry for her. She waited on the steps outside the church, head in her hands feeling defeated. Maybe Sophia was dead. Maybe they were just chasing ghosts, running in circles in search of someone who was already too far gone to be saved. 

It was only a matter of time before they had to give up. When she realized where her thought process was heading, Parker became angry at herself. She couldn't afford to lose hope. Not in this world. Not after everything that had happened. She wouldn't lose hope. After everyone left the church, Shane informed them that they would have to follow the creek back to the road and continue their search. Rick and Shane would stay behind for a while longer, searching the area for another hour before following them.

"You're splitting us up?" Daryl asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Shane nodded. "We'll catch up with you."

"I want to stay too," Carl said. "I'm her friend." Rick shared a look with Lori, asking for her permission.

"Just be careful, okay?" Lori said to Carl.

"I will."

"When did you start growing up?" Lori said, hugging her son tightly. Rick and Lori said goodbye before Rick pulled out his gun.

"Here. Take this. Remember how to use it?"

"I'm not taking your gun and leaving you unarmed," Lori responded.

"Here, got a spare. Take it." Daryl said, holding up a small pistol. Andrea scoffed and Parker looked at her.

"There a problem, Andrea?" She got ignored by Andrea, who had pushed her out of the way and headed after the rest of the group. Parker almost laughed at how childish she was before she too followed the rest of the group. Parker ended up walking with Daryl, side by side, as they headed back through the forest from where they had come from. Parker played with the knife she was carrying and Daryl noticed, watching with concern.

"Careful, you don't want to cut yourself," Daryl warned.

"Yeah, yeah." Parker waved him off. "I've had a lot of practice."

"How are you feeling?" Daryl asked.

"I feel fine," Parker answered, sparing him a small glance. "I think resting was good for me, although, remind me never to get punched in the face." Daryl laughed.

"I won't let anyone hit you again."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Daryl." Parker kissed her teeth making a 'tsk' noise. "I've seen the way Andrea's been looking at me. She looked ready to knock me out cold."

"Leave her," Daryl said, shaking his head slightly. "She ain't worth it."

"She couldn't get a hit off me to begin with. I'm related to the Sheriff."

"So, this is it?" Carol spoke suddenly. "This the whole plan?"

"I guess the plan is to widdle us down into smaller and smaller groups," Daryl said back as they all huddled up for a break.

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks," Andrea commented, looking pointedly at Lori. "I see you have a gun."

"Why, you want it?" Lori asked, pulling the gun out of her waistband. "Here, take it. I'm sick of the looks you're giving me." Andrea took the gun and Lori added, "All of you." Then she looked at Carol. "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."

"She's right," Parker added. "When Sophia ran, he didn't wait a second to go after her, did he? No, not for a damn second. I don't know if any of us would have gone after her the way he did, or made the hard decisions that he had to make, or if anybody could have done it any differently. Would any of you have done what he did? Anybody?" No one spoke, so Parker scoffed, shaking her head. "You all look at him and blame him when he doesn't do something perfectly. Like he's a monster when he makes the wrong call. If you think you can do this," She waved her hands around, "Without him, go right ahead." She looked directly at Andrea. "Nobody is stopping you." Andrea handed Lori the gun back.

"We should keep moving." They heard a gunshot echo throughout the forest and for a moment everyone froze. Daryl told them it was nothing and informed them that they needed to keep moving. Everyone did as they were told, but Parker caught Lori looking back from time to time, with a worried look on her face.

"Are you still worried about that gunshot?" Parker asked, turning around.

"It was a gunshot," Lori responded, not able to mask the worry in her voice.

"We all heard it," Daryl said.

"Why one?" Lori asked. "Why just one gunshot?"

"Maybe they took down a walker," Daryl tried to think of reasons to shoot a single bullet.

"Please don't patronize me," Lori replied. "You know Rick wouldn't risk one gunshot to put down one walker, or Shane. They'd do it quiet."

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol pointed out anxiously.

"There's nothing we can do about it anyway," Daryl replied. "We can't run through the woods chasing echoes."

"So what do we do?" Lori asked.

"Same as we been," Daryl answered, stepping forward. "Beat the bush for Sophia and make our way back to the highway."

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV." Andrea tried to assure them all.

"Come on, Lori," Parker said softly. "I'm sure they're okay. Maybe it was just someone else?" She put her arm around Lori's shoulder, leading her away from the rest, walking ahead. Andrea turned to Carol and said she was sorry for what she was going through and Carol smiled slightly before her face fell again.

"The thought of her, out here, by herself..." Carol trailed off, looking around the woods. "Out here... it's the not knowing that's killing me. I just keep hoping and praying she doesn't wind up like Amy." Carol seemed to realize what she had said when Andrea looked away, face contorted with pain. "Oh, god. That's the worst thing I've ever said." Andrea shook her head.

"We're all hoping and praying with you... for what it's worth."

"I'll tell you what its worth it," Daryl offered, walking up to them. "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. Am I the only one zen around here? Good lord." Lori and Parker couldn't hide their smiles at Daryl's words before the group left and continued their journey. Eventually, they stopped, aware of the impending darkness that seemed to be rapidly approaching. "We'll lose the light before too long," Daryl said. "I think we should call it."

"Let's head back." Lori proposed.

"We'll pick it up again tomorrow?" Carol asked, wanting to make sure that they'd still look for Sophia.

"Yeah, we'll find her tomorrow," Lori responded, nodding her head. Daryl whistled and motioned for the group to follow him. There was no doubt that Parker felt completely safe being in the woods with Daryl because he seemed to know exactly where he was going and what he was doing. She left Lori's side and walked with Glenn, striking up a quiet conversation to pass the time as they walked. "How much farther?" Lori asked.

"Not much," Daryl replied. "Maybe one hundred yards as the crow flies."

"Too bad we're not crows," Andrea murmured. They only walked for a few seconds before Andrea screamed and Parker's blood ran cold. She grabbed Glenn's hand as they ran towards Andrea's screams. Shouting her name as they did so. Apparently, Andrea had a guardian angel. A girl riding a horse had saved her from the walker who was trying to reach for her, pulling the horse to a stop..

"Lori?" The girl asked, looking at Andrea. "Lori Grimes? Parker Grimes?"

"I'm Lori," Lori spoke up, raising her hand a bit.

"And I'm Parker," Parker added.

"Rick sent me," The girl explained briefly. "You've got to come now."

"What?" Parker asked, her eyebrows furrowed.

"There's been an accident," The girl explained desperately. "Carl's been shot. He's still alive, but you've got to come now. Rick needs you. Just come! I can only take one of you."

"Lori, go." Parker started pushing her forward. Lori took off her backpack, handing it to Parker and Daryl held out his hand to stop her.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah. We don't know this girl! You can't get on that horse!"

"Rick said you had others on the highway," The girl spoke. "That big traffic snarl?"

"Uh-huh." Glenn simply nodded, almost in a trance as he stared up at the woman.

"Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm." The girl said. "You'll see the mailbox. The name is Greene." Without another word, they galloped away with Lori clinging to her waist. Once they were gone and a moment had passed, Parker staggered back into a tree, lowering herself to the ground. She let out a silent sob once she hit the ground.

"Parker!" Glenn exclaimed, kneeling next to her, "Are you okay?"

"We have to go," Parker whispered, struggling to control her breathing. "Carl... no. Oh my god."

"She's having a panic attack!" Carol said, "Calm her down."

"Parker," Glenn patted her cheek lightly. "You need to breathe." She shook her head, hands clutching Glenn's shirt. Now that the girl and Lori were gone, the reality of her words had sunk in and Parker felt as if a knife had pierced her heart. Carl had been shot. He was fine for now, but that didn't mean he would be fine by the time they got there. She had to get to him and make sure that he was okay. He was her nephew for God's sake, and if she never had the chance to have a child, she was grateful to have been able to play a role in raising Carl. He was like a son to her and she was terrified of losing him. She felt like she couldn't breathe, but she forced herself to hold her breath before inhaling enough air to feel herself relax a little. "Come on," Glenn said. "That's it, you're okay." Parker nodded.

"I'm fine. We have to.. we have to get to Carl." The walker the girl had hit with her baseball bat sat up, grunting. Daryl, still annoyed, raised his crossbow, and shot it muttering a quiet, 'Shut up.' Everyone walked away, and Parker pulled the arrow out of its head wiping it off on its clothes. "Just gonna leave this here... dumbass." She jogged after them, tossing the arrow to him.