Disclaimer : Usually I don't see the point in doing this but since I do mention quite a few things in here I'll just say it anyway. I don't own anything in my story but Nicole and her spunky attitude. But if I did own at least half the stuff in my story, I would probably die of sheer bliss, honest to God.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter... it's mainly Nicole / Glenn cuteness. :) ...Your welcome...

I couldn't hear much besides water lapping gently at the shore and birds singing somewhere off in the distance. There weren't any voices or footsteps or any indication of really anything around me, yet I was surrounded by a few dozen men going about their business. The silence once again put me on edge... but it shouldn't have. The scene that stretched out before me, the picturesque turquoise water and the almost marble rocks was too beautiful for anything to bother me. I rolled my eyes as I looked over and saw yet another member of my 'Hot Guy List' saunter past with a polite wave and a heart melting smile. The sun was warm and comforting and I felt relaxed sitting on the hood of one very pretty red car, my hair down for once and framing my face in messy brunette waves. I was wearing some ripped up shorts and a tight Linkin Park T-shirt, my combat boots covered in dirt and loosely tied. I smiled back at Bradley Cooper and sighed to myself. I knew it wasn't a dream, since Adam Levine was in the next car over, with his shirt still on. Damn. If only. Oh, wait... there it goes. I'm dreaming. Sweet.

My eyes fluttered open and I sighed, rubbing my forehead and sitting up slowly. I opened my eyes and jumped a mile in the air before I realized where I was again. Dale's RV. Campsite in the hills. It's safe, Nicole. You're safe. Calm down.

"Morning, Nikki." My head snapped up at Glenn's voice and I squinted my eyes at him. He was sitting at the table next to me, grinning, a book in his hands.

"Morning, pizza boy." He laughed and shook his head,

"So, heard you talking this morning..."

"Screw you, Glenn."

He chuckled, "Not a morning person. Got it."

I rolled my eyes and used the table to pull myself up, reaching for my bag and sliding into the seat across from Glenn. He went back to nerd-ing out and stuck his nose in his book. I dug into my bag and found my toothbrush, toothpaste, and my little makeup bag, grabbing them and retreating to the tiny ass bathroom in the back of the RV.

When I finished, I could have passed for twenty. A short twenty-year-old, but still, twenty. The blessing of my talent with makeup and being -cough- rather gifted in the chest region. I could keep this up forever. I'd have to. For one, I hate being treated like a kid... If these people all knew my age, they wouldn't let me go anywhere without supervision. I'd be stuck in with Carl and Sophia and the Morales kids and I'd go crazy. I'm older than my age. I always have been. I can handle myself just fine - and if they knew I was fifteen... they would write me off. I'd rather be out on the front lines doing all I can to help out instead of stuck behind the curtains and have people assigned to protect me. I can protect myself. I don't need a damn babysitter.

I walked out of the bathroom and grabbed the half-destroyed t-shirt from my bag, slipping it on over my tank top. I didn't exactly have another change of clothes so my shorts, tank top, bra, current pair of underwear, and my ripped-up shirt was all I was going to get. This sucks.

"What you reading?" I asked Glenn casually while I tied my hair back in a low bun. He flipped the book up and showed me the title, Eragon. I laughed. "Good book."

He set the book down and raised his brows at me. "You've read it?"

"Yeah, no duh!" I smiled, "All of them. Paolini's a genius. Okay, so I may be a bit of a nerd, on occasion."

"On occasion." He repeated, laughing. "Wouldn't happen to be a Trekky, huh?"

"Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, you name it." As I spoke I saw his eyes get bigger and bigger.

"Wow." He laughed and grabbed his book, standing up.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing."

"Whatever, pizza boy." He rolled his eyes at me and started walking out of the RV. I closed my bag up and followed him, grinning.

"Nikki the nerdy stripper," He muttered as I hopped down the steps beside him, "Your just setting yourself up for this, you know."

I punched his arm and he flinched back. "Woah! Violence never solves anything!"

"Wanna bet?"

"Yeah, I'll bet-" His sentence disappeared as he looked over to the Mustang. I could almost literally see his heart drop with the look of complete betrayal and hurt on his face.

"Glenn?"

He groaned. "Oh, the car!"

"The what?" I asked, "The- oh."

I could have cried. I could have curled up in a ball and just cried. They were stripping my car. My Mustang. My beautiful little red car that got us out of Atlanta and saved everyone's asses, and they were tearing it apart, piece by piece. Heartless frigid bunch of-

"Morning Glenn, Nicole." I heard Rick's voice but I kept my eyes on my slowly dying car.

"Look at 'em." Glenn muttered to Cop-Man. "Vultures. Yeah, go on, strip it clean."

"Generators need every drop of fuel they can get." Dale said. "Got no power without it." He reached out and patted both our shoulders. "Sorry, kids."

"Thought I'd get to drive it at least a few more days." Glenn mumbled.

"I wanted to take it up and down the freeway," I added, "You know, record my best times."

"When you get your license, Nikki." I hit his arm again.

"Maybe we'll get to steal another one someday," Rick said, walking off.

"I sure freaking hope so." I mumbled. "Three things I miss most about what life used to be like. My Xbox, Quantum Leap re-runs, and my cars. God, I miss cars."

"Why so big on cars when you don't even have a license?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"My bio-dad was a total gear-head. He owned a car shop and I worked there most days. If I wasn't out playing football with my brother I was underneath a car with a wrench."

He laughed, "So no pink dresses and pigtail braids in your childhood, I take it."

"Only in my nightmares, Glenn." I smiled, "That's what you get from growing up with a bunch of brothers. I lost every ounce of feminism the minute my dad handed me a controller and taught me to play Call of Duty."

He sighed and looked back over at the now almost dead Mustang. "It's kind of depressing, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah. Very." I crossed my arms and glared as Dale rolled a tire past us. "That's it, I'm declaring our next trip to Atlanta." I raised my voice into an encouraging speech-type voice and jumped up onto a nearby tire, "Operation 'Cool Car'. In order to replace that which we have lost, and repent against those who would strive to destroy our dreams of driving in style! We will ride into Atlanta on the stallion of revenge and we will take back that which is ours, our freedom to drive Mustangs and Lamborghini's! We will have our reward! We will receive payment for our hard work! WE WILL GET A COOL CAR!"

We both busted out laughing and gave me a high five, "Amen!"

Dale and Jim rolled their eyes at us as we doubled over and I felt my eyes start to water I was laughing so hard.