Thanks to all of my wonderful followers and favoriters, and two Lily and Wendy, the reviewing divas. You guys make me so happy. TodY is my 15th birthday, and literally all I did was write FanFiction. Oops!

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Nicole POV.

"When you feel my heat, look into my eyes. It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide."-Demons, Imagine Dragons

I pulled at the straps of my pack, adjusting it while I walked. It was the last thing I needed to bring in the house with me, then I was done. Hershel had finally gotten over himself and had decided to let us stay in the house. Winter was coming up fast, and leaving us outside, especially with a pregnant woman, would not have been a good idea. Today we had all moved our things in the house. It was cramped and crowded, but it was warm.

An icy wind blew through the air, sending shivers up my body. I hadn't worn my jacket, and I was starting to regret it. I walked into the house, opening the door as little as possible, so as not to let the cold in. The places was a cluttered mess. Stuff was everywhere, and so were people. Glenn had moved into Maggie's room, something I would not stop teasing him about. Jimmy had moved in with Beth, and Patricia had moved in with Hershel, to save space. Lori, Rick, and Carl had been given the other upstairs bedroom, since Hershel thought it was inhumane to make the pregnant woman sleep on the couch. There were two beds in the basement. One had gone to Andrea and Carol, and the other to T and Shane. We knew none of them were happy about having to share with the other, but they all knew that they were still lucky to get beds. When we had first learned that they were short a bed, Daryl and I had been the first to volunteer to give it up. I knew Daryl didn't want to share a bed with anyone and I barely knew these people. Everyone else had made the wise decision to not argue, although I know Rick wanted to.

"Funny, isn't it?" I heard a voice say. Lori emerged from the staircase, her dark hair dripping. "All of us crammed in this one house. A few days ago Hershel wanted to kick us out." She stepped slowly, like a hunter approaching a deer. I knew why she was acting this way. We had both lashed out earlier, but she had been the only one of us to resort to physicality. She was scared of how I would react. For a few moments she just looked at me, the sorrow visible in her eyes. "Nicole I'm-"

"It's Okay Lori." I said gently, turning to face her. "You just lashed out. A lot was going on, and I know my acting the way I did didn't help matters any."

"Are you sure you're okay?" She implored, stepping closer. She reached her hand out to brush my face. The bruise was almost completely faded, but the memory was still fresh.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Lord knows I can take a hit." I chuckled, grabbing her hand, holding it gently. "I really am fine Lor. My question is: are you okay?"

She eyed me quizzically. "What?"

"Are you okay Lori? Apocalypse, dead husband, not dead husband, scorned lover, surprise pregnancy, teenage son. You've been through a lot. So, are you okay?"

Under my firm gaze, she finally sighed, her shoulders sagging under some invisible weight. "No." She whispered. "No, I'm not. That's why I'm trying to keep Carl distracted. This world, it's tearing me apart. All of the happiness that I used to know is gone, and I just, I don't want that for my son. And this baby," she placed a hand protectively on her stomach. "This baby will never know anything other than this pain. I just… I feel like I'm a horrible person." Her voice was small, like a timid child talking to a stranger.

"Lori." I sighed, letting her hand fall. She looked up, avoiding my gaze. It was hard, because she was a few inches taller than I was, but that didn't stop me. "Lori." I reached forward, cupping her face with my hands. "Lori, you are not a bad person." Her eyes made contact with mine, dark brown on soft gray. "This baby is not going to be full of pain. And you want to know why? Because this baby is going to be loved. This baby is going to have a mother, practically two fathers, a brother, and one hell of an aunt," that caused her to chuckle slightly. "Trust me, as someone who grew up with two parents that barely equated to one, this baby is the furthest thing from unhappy."

A tear slipped down her cheek. I offered her a weak smile, which she returned gratefully. "You always know what to say." She said, shaking her head.

"I know." I smirked. She laughed, shoving my shoulders gently. I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you." She said softly. Then she reached out her arms and wrapped them around my body, pulling me into a tight hug. "Thank you Nikki." We held this position for a few blissful moments before I pulled away, smiling at the woman who had helped raise me.

"You're Welcome."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The rest of the day was calm. Slowly, everyone had brought all of their stuff into the crowded farmhouse. Rick had insisted that every exit had a vehicle, full of gas, next to it, just in case we needed a quick getaway. Carol, Lori, and Patricia were making dinner for everyone while Rick and Daryl were leaning over the table, making plans for tomorrow. Tomorrow, they were going to drop Randall off in the woods, like we should have done a week ago. Now, they were just trying to figure out where. We had no idea where his group was, if they were still even in the area, but we tried to pick the path that looked the least likely for a group to hide out there.

Shane was collecting firewood that we would pile in the barn as soon as Randall was gone. Andrea was with Beth and Maggie, teaching them some more self defense. I sat in a cushioned chair in the living room, carefully cleaning one of my AKs. It was a delicate process, and so far only Rick had mastered it.

Suddenly, the front door was thrown open. Shane burst through, his arms flailing. He stopped in the living room. The others came running in, eyes full of worry. It was at this time that I noticed the giant bruise and the blood that covered the side of his face.

"What happened?" Rick asked, his brow creased in concern.

"Randall." Shane got out between gasping breaths. "He….broke the beam…..for himself free…I chased him…he attacked me. When I woke up…. he was gone. Then I ran back here." His breathing was rapid and unequal. Obviously he had been running.

"He escaped?" Daryl hollered, practically shaking the ground.

"Took off into the woods. Not sure where he went after he knocked me out."

"We have to find him." Rick said coolly. "We split up." He stepped forward, turning so he was facing all of us. I could tell what was coming next. I could see it in his eyes. There was a plan coming. "Shane and I will work our way west, from where Shane last saw him to the creek bed. Glenn, you and Daryl go the opposite way. He couldn't have gone far." The men all nodded. He turned to face the rest of us. "T, load the cars with some supplies and gas, just in case. Lori, Carl, keep a look out through the bedroom window. Girls, Hershel, keep an outside watch. And Nikki, perimeter too, outside the house. Alright, let's go." Everyone else scattered, getting their various weapons. I just walked forward, pissed off.

"Rick, let me go out and help with the search." I pleaded.

He immediately shook his head. "No Nik. I need you here. You're the strongest fighter out of all of them. I need you here to protect them."

"That's a load of bullshit if I've ever heard it." I rolled my eyes. "What's the real reason?"

His eyes were softer now, full of love and protectiveness, like the gaze of a loving older brother. "You heard what Randall said. If those men found you out there, you know what they would do. I wouldn't risk it."

I swallowed slowly. I knew there was no way I was winning this argument, so I just sighed. "Fine. You suck you know?"

He rolled his eyes. "You know you love me." He chided. It was my turn to roll my eyes. Quickly, I pulled him into a tight hug.

"Be safe man."

"I will." He promised, breathing into my neck. Slowly, he let go, turning to leave the house. As he walked away, Shane followed him out of the house. And then a thought hit me. Rick had said goodbye, had told me he cared about me, had tried to protect me. When was the last time Shane had done that? Rick wasn't even blood. Shane was.

Why was he like that?

Everyone took up their positions quickly, everyone armed to the teeth. The men had set out almost immediately. Lori was keeping a close eye on Carl, knowing that he had a knack for doing the wiring thing at the wrong time. I was now pacing back and forth along the fence of the property, my mind on high alert. I didn't know what I was looking for, men, Walkers, but I was ready. I had an AK with a full jacket, my bow, and my axe at my side. I was like a Boy Scout with weaponry, always prepared.

Hours passed, with the sun set and the moon rising, and still no word on Randall. I was starting to get anxious. Where were they? Were they in trouble? Were they dead? There was no way to tell. All I could do was wait.

I was starting to sway on my feet from exhaustion. I had been awake for a solid 36 hours now. I was so tired that I thought I was hallucinating when I saw two figures out in the pasture as I made another lap.

They were small blobs on the dark horizon, but they were there. It took a moment for my brain to register, but when it did I took off running towards them, by bow drawn. There were only two. I could take them without using the noisy gun.

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, which was apparently pretty fast. I was close to the men in only a minute or two. They might have been walkers, but I think they were men.

As I got closer, I could see the outlines of their bodies. Yes, they were still human. I got close in just enough time to-

Oh my god. He stabbed him. The man had stabbed the other man. His dark figure crumbled in the man's arms, which broke his fall.

I ran closer, now fully intrigued. What was happening? Who were these men? As I got closer, I could see their features more clearly.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Shane. The man that had been stabbed was Shane, and the one that had stabbed him was Rick. My hero had stabbed Shane.

I couldn't suppress the cry that escaped my lips. Alarmed, Rick turned towards me, having just now noticed my presence. I stared at him with wide, tear filled eyes. His face was washed with fear and pain, a bloody knife hanging limply in his left hand.

"You-you stabbed him." Was all I could say before I dropped to my knees, gripping my bow with shaking hands.

"Nikki, it's not what it looks like." He pleaded, stepping closer to me. I locked eyes with him, my entire body trembling. Carefully, I raised my loaded bow. His entire body went rigid. For the first time in my life, I saw fear plastered across Rick's face, look of sheer anguish. He was horrified. He started to say something, but I only saw his mouth moving. I didn't hear any sound. In fact, I didn't focus on anything he was doing.

No. I was focusing on something different altogether.

No, I was focused on the walker that was staggering behind Rick. The walker that used to be my brother.

Without thinking, I released the arrow. As if in slow motion, it flew past Rick, who was looking at it in shock, and hit the monster in the shoulder, knocking it onto its back.

"Nikki." I heard Rick say, but his voice sounded distant, like it was coming from miles away. Carefully, I dropped my bow to the ground. Then, I slid my gun off my shoulder and dropped it to the ground unceremoniously. I knew what I had to do.

And there was only one weapon to do it with.

I walked pat Rick, my legs shaky. Carefully, I pulled my old axe out of its holster at my side. The oh-so familiar weight of the weapon was reassuring. Slowly, I raised it up over my head. And then, I swung, striking the walker directly in the head. I let out a cry of anguish, tears now streaming down my face. I groaned and sighed and hyperventilated, not caring about what I looked like. (Imagine Daryl with Merle) I yanked the axe out, trying to avoid looking at the dead monster's face. I swung again, this time splitting the skull more. And I kept doing this, over and over again, until the face was nonexistent, until there was more blood on my legs than in the head, until Rick grabbed my arms and pulled me away from the gruesome scene.

I dropped to my knees by the body, my entire body numb, unfeeling. The tears were still flowing, but it was as if my mind had left me. I couldn't process the situation.

"You son of a bitch." I sobbed. "You son of a bitch. You son of a bitch."

"Nikki…" Rick whispered. "I'm sorry you had to do that. He was your brother and.."

"He hadn't been my brother in a long, long time. In a way, he's been dead for a while. I just finally got to put him out of his misery." I whispered. I held my silence for a few more minutes, before Rick spoke again.

"Nil, we need to get back. We need to tell them what happened." He said gently, placing a ha d on my shoulder.

I nodded slowly, using his arm to pull my weak body off the ground. He had already shouldered my bow and my gun. I started to walk away, but something stopped me.

"Leave it." I said as he stopped over to pick up my axe.

"What?" He asked.

"I said leave it." I whimpered.

"Nikki are you sure?" I turned to face him, and looked down at the axe.

The paint was faded and chipped. There was a giant brack running up the handle. The blade was chipped and jagged. Fresh blood stains covered up the old ones. Dried blood still soaked into the crevices, giving it a smell that reminded me of death.

For years, that axe had served one main purpose- to protect me from the monsters, monsters like Marcus, like the men Randall had been with. It was a comfort, something to carry with me to remind me of my past and to protect me in the future. That thing had always been a source of comfort for me. But now, now it wasn't.

Now, it would always and forever be the weapon K had used to split open walker Shane's head. It asthma axe I had used to cut off Marcus's hand. It had done its one job. It had protected me from my demons.

But now I didn't need it.

Now, now I was strong enough to fight my demons hand to hand.

All of my past demons were dead.

"Leave it." I said firmly, looking him in the eyes. He nodded slowly and put it back down, leaving it where it had been. He came up to me and wrapped his arm around me, and we started to walk back towards the inviting light of the farm house.

And we were leaving the axe and my brother behind.

And the end to another one. Next one is the end of Season 2. Leave me a review, if it so pleases you!