NICOLETTE
After what happened at the CDC, they had been traveling for hours, trying to get as far away from the city as possible. As the landscape changed in front of her, Nicolette couldn't help but think about Jenner—the desperation in his eyes, a desperation born from losing his wife and from the crushing realization that he couldn't make a difference. It struck her that they might have to live like that forever, weighed down by grief and helplessness.
She noticed a walker as Daryl kept driving, just wandering aimlessly in search of something to kill. It was a stark reminder that this was no longer a safe world. If there was one thing she had learned that day, it was that she didn't want to die afraid, consumed by misery. She simply didn't want to die.
Jacqui's image flickered in her mind. She said she didn't want to end up like Jim and Amy. She had given up. Nicolette clenched her jaw, remembering all of them and how fast they had been taken away from them. Her gaze fell on Sarah, who had fallen asleep a few moments before as Daryl drove silently. They could all die any minute, but it was that thought that made her realize how much Nicki wanted to keep living. She didn't want to end up like Jacqui or Jenner.
"We should stop." Rick's voice made Nicki lean over to listen closely as Sarah woke up, a bit startled.
"What is it?" she asked, looking around.
"Just Rick talking," Nicki answered calmly, then glanced at the radio.
"We need to find some food. Copy."
He was right. They were lucky they still had weapons. Soon, they would be hungry, and searching for food in the dark wouldn't be easy. They were still far from the woods, so Daryl couldn't hunt.
"Where? Copy?" Shane's voice crackled through the radio.
"About two miles," Glenn replied, surely studying the map as he had been doing since they left the quarry. "There are smaller roads there, some shops—maybe some food." After a moment of silence, he added, "Oh yeah... copy." His uncertainty made Nicki smile a little.
"Hope we find some food," Sarah said after taking a breath.
"We ain't doing anything," Daryl almost growled. "You stay in the car."
Sarah scoffed, raising her brows.
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and my sister," she argued. Nicki noticed Daryl glance at Sarah for a moment before turning back to the road.
"Whatever." Daryl's tone was dismissive, and Sarah's expression shifted to one of pure disbelief.
Nicki frowned slightly, observing the escalating tension. Sarah wasn't someone who lost her temper easily.
"Are you saying that I can't?" Sarah insisted, turning her body fully to face him. "Daryl," she pressed when he didn't respond.
"Am sayin' don't be stupid" he spat.
Nicki's mouth fell open as Sarah's face paled, her eyes widening with anger.
"I want to get out," Sarah said, stiffening her posture.
"What?" he asked, frowning.
"Stop this car! I want to get out of here," she declared, reaching for the microphone of the radio. When Daryl moved to stop her, grabbing her wrist, Sarah pushed his hand away.
"Don't touch me!" she shouted.
"Stop acting crazy, girl!" he shot back.
"Stupid and crazy?"
As they continued to argue, Nicki's frown deepened, glancing between them. She had never seen her sister lose her temper like this; Sarah was usually calm, funny, and understanding.
Suddenly, Daryl slammed on the brakes just in time to avoid hitting the RV in front of them. Nicki yelped, bringing her hands up to brace herself against the seat in front of her.
"Nicolette, get out!" Sarah said, opening the door. Still reeling from the earlier exchange, Nicki heard Daryl speak.
"Hey!" he said, opening his door with a glare. "Hey, you! Get back inside!"
"Get lost!" Sarah exclaimed. "Nicolette, now!"
"What the hell?" Nicki muttered, wide-eyed, before jumping to the front seat to get out of the car.
"What's going on?" she heard Glenn ask as he approached, his gaze flicking between Sarah and Daryl.
"Nothing," Sarah said, crossing her arms defiantly as Rick walked closer. Rick wore a small frown as he assessed the situation between Nicki's sister and Daryl.
"We gotta figure something out," Rick said, turning to Shane as he walked by, leaning his back against the car T-Dog had been driving. Soon, all of them were out of their vehicles while Dale kept watch, ensuring no walkers approached. Only Andrea was missing.
"What should we do?" Lori asked, her voice laced with concern.
"We have to find a safe place," Carol said, drawing Sophia closer to herself. It was true; they couldn't keep wandering aimlessly. The road was anything but safe.
"Fort Benning," Shane suggested, glancing at Rick for confirmation. Rick took a deep breath, scanning their surroundings.
"Yeah, I was thinking that too."
"How many miles to Fort Benning?" Sarah asked, turning to Glenn.
"About 125 miles," he replied, his tone serious.
Everyone exchanged worried glances. One hundred twenty-five miles was a long way from where they were, especially with no food and little gas. They were still shaken up after everything that had happened. And they were all exhausted, both physically and mentally.
"How much gas do we have?" Rick asked, looking around at the group.
"Pick-up's almost empty," Daryl replied, glancing at the gauge.
"RV's got a bit," Glenn said, "but not enough for 125 miles."
"Four cars," Sarah chimed in, surveying the vehicles. "That's surely a lot of gas."
"Mom, I'm hungry." They all turned towards Carl.
"Me too," said Sophia, her voice small.
Nicki felt the pang of hunger as well, and she was pretty sure everyone else did too.
"Maybe we should find something first; we can wait a few more hours," Lori proposed, looking towards Rick, who nodded.
"Yeah..." He turned to Glenn. "Think you can find something?"
"Think so," Glenn said, scanning the area.
There were a few shops along the road; maybe there would be something useful.
"I'm going with you," T-Dog said, and Glenn nodded in agreement.
"You need someone else?" Sarah asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
"We should be fine," Glenn replied. "If we need anything, I'll make sure to call you." Sarah smiled a little at him.
"Alright," she said sweetly. "Be safe." Glenn and T-Dog nodded before starting to run away.
"I'll go that way; maybe there's more gas," Daryl said, pointing in the opposite direction before glaring at Sarah, who returned his glare with equal intensity. He adjusted his crossbow on his shoulder and began to walk away.
"What's this about?" Nicki asked, stepping closer to her sister as she noticed Rick and Shane moving away from the group, deep in conversation.
"What's what?" Sarah replied, frowning.
"This with Daryl," Nicki said simply, sitting on the hood of an abandoned car. "You're acting pretty crazy." That made Sarah turn towards her with a glare that made Nicki frown in return.
"I'm not," Sarah shot back. "He's been an ass to me for quite some time."
Nicki frowned again. "When?" she asked. "He saved your life. You've traveled together—"
"Okay, maybe not for quite some time. But he has been an ass," Sarah retorted, raising her hands in frustration before turning to where Daryl had walked away. "It's not like we talked much when Merle was around."
She was right. While Merle had been with them, Daryl had mostly followed his lead, letting Merle do the talking. But since Merle had gone, Daryl had started to open up more, becoming more comfortable with the group, even if he remained grumpy.
"He's right," Sarah continued, making Nicki look at her closely. "I can't protect us both. I have to learn. I have to."
Nicki wondered how much worry her sister was carrying, how much she wasn't sharing. It was inevitable—lately, Sarah had been acting more like a mother than a sister. Not that Nicolette blamed her; there were just the two of them now. But she hoped Sarah wasn't putting too much pressure on herself.
"That's what he told you?" Nicki asked, noticing Sarah glance at her from the corner of her eye.
"No..." Sarah hesitated, making Nicki turn to follow her sister's gaze. What had happened between Daryl and Sarah? Their earlier argument seemed to be a continuation of something deeper. Daryl might not be the politest man, but Nicki had seen them together; they had seemed to get along well until now.
"I... just don't get him," Sarah said, crossing her arms over her chest, frustration evident in her voice.
"Sarah." Dale's voice made them turn.
"Yes, Dale?"
"We should check the RV," he said, gesturing for her to come closer. "125 miles seems too much for it to make it."
Sarah tied her brown hair into a ponytail and walked towards him, ready to get to work. They had to make this work; they were too many for the number of cars available.
Nicki watched her sister working on the RV's engine, noticing how she was starting to get the hang of it. Nicolette bit her lip, a wave of longing washing over her. She wanted to find her place too—something she was good at, something that would allow her to help the group instead of just standing by, watching.
"Mom says we'll stay here all night," Carl's voice broke her thoughts as he sat next to her on the car.
"You're here because...?"
Carl shrugged. "Just because. And my mom told me to come here."
Nicki chuckled, looking away. "That makes sense." She leaned back on her hands, and they fell into a comfortable silence. Nicki glanced up at the sky; it was hard to believe anything was wrong when she couldn't see the ruins around her. The sky was still blue, and the sun rose every day. It was inevitable to feel small in the face of such vastness.
"Are you ever afraid?" Carl asked after a few moments, making her turn her attention to him.
"Why do you ask?"
He took a breath. "Dad's right—you never answer a question."
Nicki looked over to where Rick was talking with the others, probably discussing their next steps. "I answer with a question when there's no point in answering," she replied simply, making Carl frown.
"What does that mean?"
"That everyone's afraid," she said, remembering the fear she had witnessed inside that lab. Every single one of them—no one was excluded. "Even your dad" she said looking at Carl, that silently nodded his head.
"Then why don't you ever show it? Not even at the CDC?" he pressed, his piercing blue eyes studying her intently. He was observant, always analyzing everyone around him.
"You're a strange one," she said, getting off the hood.
"Still no answer," he said, trailing behind her. She chuckled softly before turning to face him.
"Stop asking stupid questions, then."
After that, she walked a bit farther, always staying within view of the adults. But she couldn't stand being still for hours on end.
She looked at the empty streets, once bustling with noise and full of life but now silent and ruined. The only sounds were their voices and the occasional clank of tools as they worked on the RV. She wandered aimlessly for some time, losing track of the moments. It felt like time was both flying and dragging on, but she kept walking.
Nicki wondered what Fort Benning would be like. Safe? Lively? Or maybe it was just another place filled with strange men waiting for them to commit suicide.
There wasn't much she could do, though. Just wait. That seemed to be all she ever did—wait.
"What are ya doin'?" Daryl appeared behind her, startling her. He certainly moved silently.
"Walking?" she said, shrugging her shoulders. His gaze flicked over her, and following his line of sight, she saw him observing the others.
"They know," she said. "That's the only thing I do." Then she looked up at him. "Find anything?"
He was chewing the side of his lip as he nodded. "A lit'le," he replied before starting to walk past her. "Don' wander 'round." She nodded as he moved toward the others.
It wasn't long before Glenn and T-Dog returned from their run. They had apparently found some food: chips, protein bars, and cereal. Nothing particularly nutritious, but it was something. They'd even found some canned goods. Carol and Lori began discussing how they should save it for the right moment, weighing their options carefully.
"Every little bit counts," Lori said, glancing at the small stash.
They also found bandages, plasters, and even some painkillers. Daryl mentioned he had found some gas, but it wasn't enough for all the cars they had.
"We could use Shane's jeep gas for the RV," T-Dog proposed.
"The pick-up's too," Daryl added. "I can keep goin' with my brother's bike."
"That could work," Rick said, nodding. "That way we'll have the RV, the car, and the bike."
"We won't attract much attention," Dale remarked, glancing over at Sarah, who was still working on the engine.
"Alright," Rick said, his tone resolute. "Let's rest today. We leave tomorrow at first light." They all nodded, feeling a bit relieved to finally have a destination.
"Sophia," Carol said, caressing her daughter's head, "let's get ready to eat something."
"Yes, Mom," the girl replied, nodding and following her mother.
"Nicki!" She turned when she saw Glenn walking toward her, a wide smile on his face.
"You okay?" she asked, noticing his excitement.
"I've got something for you," he said, taking off the backpack from his shoulders and kneeling to the ground.
"Is that a new shirt?" she asked, observing him. "After the run we made, I could really use one."
Glenn chuckled. "I'll make sure to remember it next time." He rummaged through his backpack, and Nicki frowned slightly as he struggled to pull something out. But once he did, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Is that..." she whispered as he stood up from his kneeling position. "Is that a bow?"
He chuckled again, looking at the sleek black bow in his right hand and the quiver full of arrows in his left. "You tell me," he said, gesturing for her to take them.
Nicki felt her eyes welling up as she reached out, brushing her fingers against the weapon. "It's a takedown bow," she whispered, a smile breaking across her face. "Some people use it to hunt." Her hand finally closed around it, and she slowly brought it closer, inspecting it with a grin. Then she turned and grabbed one of the arrows from the quiver still in Glenn's hands.
Immediately, she positioned it, nocking the arrow, raising the bow in front of her with her left hand, and pulling the string back until the arrow touched her lips. She felt the tension in her hand, the arrow practically begging to be released. Her gaze fell on a bottle left on the side of the road a few meters away. She pointed at it, focusing intently on the green glass shining under the sunlight. Nicki took a deep breath, a small smirk on her face, before releasing the arrow. It brushed her cheek, making that satisfying sound she had missed so much. The arrow flew straight and true, hitting the glass bottle and shattering it into pieces.
Nicki lowered her bow slowly, unable to stop smiling. She hadn't felt this joyful in a long time; her cheeks began to hurt from the effort. Turning to Glenn, who was still staring at the glass on the ground, she hugged him tightly, throwing her arms around his middle and making him stumble backward in surprise.
"Thank you," she said, beaming.
"Don't mention it," he replied, gently patting her hair. They stepped back, turning to the others, who were all watching the scene with wide eyes.
"Holly shit!" T-Dog exclaimed, breaking the stunned silence.