Nicole didn't sleep the previous night. Thoughts swarmed her mind about her family on the highway. She prayed that they wouldn't leave them lost in the forest with no hope of ever finding them again.

Nicole knew how to survive. Well, to an extent. Sophia, on the other hand, was shielded from everything. Even the reality of the world before. Sophia reminded Nicole of Amy in a way. Sophia's innocence would get her killed. She'd have to toughen up if she wanted to survive the mess they lived in. Carol would have stop protecting her daughter from everything.

Nicole's thoughts veered to Cheyanne. That little girl was probably a wreck -- worrying about her mother. Nicole was all that Cheyanne had left. Cheyanne was all that Nicole had left. Neither could imagine life without one another. They didn't want to and that's what drove Nicole harder to get back to their family.

After Sophia woke up, the pair ate the two cans of sardines they had found. Sophia detested the taste of it, but she was hungry. She knew that this was all they would have for a while. Nicole continued eating, disregarding the complaints of the younger girl beside her.

"Nicole?" Sophia broke the silence before hesitantly putting another sardine in her mouth.

Nicole swallowed the mouthful she had. Just like Sophia, Nicole hated the taste. She was hungry though and that was all that mattered. "Yeah?"

"When we find my mom, can-" Sophia paused questioning whether or not to ask her question. She knew her mother would not approve of it. "Can you teach me to shoot?"

Nicole stared at the little girl with evident shock on her face. Sophia continued speaking, "I don't wanna be afraid anymore. I don't wanna run from walkers anymore."

"If your mom agrees, Sophia, I'll gladly do it." Nicole offered the girl a smile before standing up and placing her empty can in the trash. Sophia smiled and stood up. She stepped over to the trashcan and placed her sardine can in it.

Nicole breathed and slipped the shotgun she found over her shoulders. She grasped her bat and set it on her shoulder. "You ready to go, Sophia?"

No response. Nicole spun around and Sophia wasn't there. The older woman's heart froze. "Sophia!"

"Nicole, come here!" Sophia's soft voice called from the living room. Nicole sighed in relief. She wandered into the living room where Sophia stood on a chair reaching toward a string that was hanging from the ceiling. "It's an attic. There might be some supplies."

Nicole walked over and ushered her down, handing Sophia her bat. Nicole climbed onto the chair and knocked on the attic. She paused for a moment. She was listening for any noise. When there wasn't any, Nicole pulled down the ladder. She climbed up and glanced around.

It was dark, but the daylight from outside shined through the linen. It gave her enough light to see a jug of water in there. Nicole smirked in pride and seized the jug. Her smirk faltered when she realized it was empty. "Shit."

Nicole clambered down and showed Sophia the jug. "That's all that's up there," Nicole sighed. Nicole took her bat from Sophia's extended hand.

"Maybe we can go to the creek, where Rick left us," Sophia offered up. Nicole cocked her head and glanced down to the young girl. She felt proud. Sophia may have been a timid and skittish little girl, but she was smart.

"Good idea, Sophia." Nicole marched away and set the empty jug and bat on the table. She drew out her .9mm and added the bullets into her clip.

"How many do you have?" Sophia asked, clutching her doll. She watched the way Nicole handled her gun. She mentally took notes.

"I have five bullets now," Nicole replied as she shoved her clip back into the gun. She tucked in back into her jeans. "You ready to go, Sophia?"

Sophia sighed and nodded. Nicole grasped her bat and the empty jug. They two started out toward the creek to fill up the jug. They didn't talk in the off chance that a walker was nearby. Nicole held her bat on her left shoulder as they walked.

Sophia held tightly onto Nicole's dirty white shirt. She didn't want to get left behind. They eventually reached a part of the creek. There was a waterfall, a pool and rock paths down there. The only problem that Nicole noticed was the steep drop to get down there.

Nicole groaned and squatted near the edge of the drop. She slid off the shotgun and placed it against the tree. "I want you to wait here," Nicole told the little girl. Sophia's face spread with fear.

"No, Nikki, please," Sophia pleaded, grabbing onto Nicole's white shirt. Nicole turned and was about to say something to the young girl. But that's when the ground crumbled under her feet, sending Nicole tumbling down.

Nicole landed on her ankle with a sickening crack. It reminded her of the pleasurable sounds of bashing walkers heads in. "Nicole!" She heard Sophia cry out.

"I'm okay!" Nicole responded as she tried to get up. When she put pressure on her ankle, a painful cry escaped from her mouth.

"Can you climb back up?" Sophia called down. Nicole got nervous leaving her up there by herself. She didn't want to lose her after coming this far and this close to getting them back home.

Nicole moved her hands down to her ankle. She tugged up her right jean leg. Bruising and swelling were prominent around the site. With a sigh, Nicole knew that her ankle was either fractured or broken. She hoped that it was just fractured. "No!" Nicole called back up.

"I'm gonna come down!" Sophia shouted.

"Be careful!" Nicole glanced around for her blue baseball bat and that cursed jug. She saw it sitting close to the water. Nicole was thrilled that it made it down safely. The jug floated on top of the water.

Nicole heard the ground crumble as Sophia slid down. She maneuvered carefully down the roots and loose dirt. They both released a sigh of relief when she got down without injury. Sophia scrambled over to her friend. "Are you okay?"

"My ankle is either fractured or broken," Nicole groaned.

"What can I do?" Sophia asked frantically. She wanted to get out of here before monsters came. She wanted her mom.

"Get my bat for me," Nicole ordered. Sophia nodded, setting down her doll and running over to grab Nicole's bat.

Sophia handed it to the older woman. Nicole sighed and started to stand up. She pressed her weight onto the bat, using it as a makeshift crutch. Sophia shuffled behind her friend as she limped over to the fallen tree that laid down the middle.

Nicole sat down. She started wondering if her group was even looking for them. She hoped that Daryl would find them. Nicole ached to be home with her family. She wanted to crush all of her family in hugs -- especially her little girl.

Sophia peered up to Nicole with a fearful gaze. "Nikki, what do I do?" She asked.

Nicole sighed as she sat there. She ran through the possible solutions she had to try and help her ankle. "Sophia, go look for two sticks about this long," Nicole said as she measured about six-inches. "And about the width of my wrist." Nicole motioned her wrist to the little girl.

Sophia nodded and dashed off to try to find what Nicole asked for. Nicole moved her bat to sit in her lap. She surveilled the surroundings; they had made quite a bit of noise.

Nicole felt her ankle throbbing as Sophia came back with the sticks. "This was the best I could find," Sophia announced, handing them to her.

"You did good, sweetheart." Nicole smiled and ripped off the bottom of her white t-shirt. Once she ripped it off, it looked like a crop top. Nicole couldn't care less though. She slid off her dainty, blood caked tennis shoe from her right foot. "I need you to hold these here," Nicole said as she shifted the thick sticks to the sides of her ankle.

Sophia did as she was told and Nicole tightly tied the white fabric around them. She made sure it was tight before she stood up. "Let's keep going," Nicole whispered as she shifted her weight onto her bat. That's when a walker slugged from the forest. Sophia started to cry behind her.

Nicole tried to lift her bat, but she lost balance. She didn't want to waste a bullet, but she had no choice. Nicole's left hand removed her gun from the tuck of her jeans and aimed. Nicole was not left handed, so her aim sucked when she shot. The first bullet pierced the shoulder of the monster. She shot again. This one grazed its cheek. "Shit!" Nicole cried. She tried to back up, but she lost balance again.

Nicole collapsed to the ground, dropping her gun. Sophia grabbed Nicole's gun in a hurry and aimed. Tears slid down her face as the thing limped closer. "Sophia! Shoot!" Nicole cried.

Bang!

Sophia's single shot went through the monster's head and it collapsed. That's when it hit the little girl. That was the first time she had killed something.

Nicole huffed, leaning back onto the rocks under her. She took a massive inhale before she sat back up. Nicole grabbed the gun from Sophia, who stood in shock of what she did. Nicole shoved the gun back into her jeans. She cringed at the heat that radiated from it. "You did good, sweetie. Thank you," Nicole praised as she started to get up. She used her bat as leverage.

"We need to get out of here before more walkers come," Nicole stated before Sophia wrapped her tiny arms around Nicole's waist. They limped off. Neither realized that Sophia left the one thing that gave her some comfort: her doll.