It would have been any other day if it wasn't the day that they were going to exile an injured 17-year-old. Nicole's average day hadn't changed all that much since the beginning of this monstrous outbreak. It still held the same morals; except now, she had more people to care for than just herself and her daughter.
Wake up.
Keep her family healthy and alive.
Survive.
Sleep.
Repeat.
Nicole seemed to value this daily grind every spare second. Before she met Daryl and the rest of the group, she only cared about Cheyanne's wellbeing. Now? She would rather die than put any of these people -- her family -- in danger.
Nicole knew that she had made some mistakes. Hell, her entire life seemed to be consistent of mistakes but each one led her here -- to the one place she felt safe. She departed from the linen that resided overtop of her. The past few nights Nicole stayed in Daryl's tent, far from the vicinity of the rest. Cheyanne insisted they stay with him and Daryl didn't seem to argue with the insistent child, especially since she stayed with him while her mother was missing. The bright sun peered down through the trees in front of the dainty blue tent.
Nicole acknowledged the barren campsite and the ashy fireplace. Daryl and Cheyanne were nowhere in the vicinity. Even though it was lonely, the serendipitous chirps of the birds allowed a gentle smile to cross Nicole's face. She loved how happy they seemed even in the worst of times.
She turned her head toward the clopping of horse hooves against the decaying grass. Nadia trotted up the hill on a beautiful, ebony mare. Nicole gave the woman a toothless smile and limped closer to her friend. "Nadia, to what do I owe this pleasure?"
Nadia rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "I am here to check on you," she said as she dismounted from the mare and quickly tied it off around a branch. "And to check your brace."
"Per whose request?" Nicole questioned in a sarcastic tone. She turned and limped her way toward the fallen tree beside the fireplace.
"Who's campsite are you in right now?" Nadia quipped as she walked over to her friend with a bag of supplies to patch up her injuries. Nicole sighed and raked her right hand through her blonde hair. Of course, it was Daryl. Nicole thought with a sigh.
Nicole sat down onto the log and Nadia bent down in front of her. "He cares about you, you know," Nadia declared as she began unlacing Nicole's boot. She tugged it off with minimal grimace from Nicole.
"I know. I care about him too," Nicole murmured as Nadia slowly unwrapped her ankle from the makeshift brace. Nadia glimpsed up to her friend with a quirked, cutesy brow. "It's not like that, Nadia," Nicole chuckled out.
"You could've fooled me," Nadia playfully shot out as she finished unraveling the brace. "Okay," Nadia whispered, feeling the back of Nicole's ankle. Nicole could feel her nimble fingers press around the fracture site. "I'd say, you maybe have a week or two until it is fully healed." Nadia glanced up to the blonde woman with a smile. "You'll be back to kicking ass in no time."
Nicole chuckled, raking back her hair. "Who's to say I stopped?" Nadia scoffed and began wrapping a new brace around Nicole's fractured ankle. "Hershel's been working you."
Nadia shrugged. "I'm his assistant. It's my job," she nonchalantly replied as she continued wrapping the brace. "You doing okay? With everyone still recovering?"
Nicole glanced to her nails. Was she? No one had truly spoken to her or truly asked about her well being since they got back from town. Everyone beat around the bush when it came to Sophia and that day. Most everyone stopped asking about it; well, except Carol and Shane. They liked to bully Nicole any chance they got. Nicole knew Carol was grieving, but Nicole wished that she would stop, even if it was her fault.
"I guess." Nicole shrugged as Nadia finished up, slid on her boot and tied it back up. Nicole wasted no time standing up. "I gotta go check on Chey."
"Nicole." Nicole paused and turned around to her friend. "Don't let them get to you. It wasn't your fault." Nadia's brown eyes watched Nicole's dull green ones with sorrow before turning around to walk back to her horse. Nicole wiped the brimmed tears that she hadn't even realized welled. "You want a ride back?"
Nicole nodded as Nadia untied the horse and mounted her. Nadia offered a hand to Nicole and pulled her onto the horse. They rode back down to the farm, where the rest of the group resided.
The duo got off of the horse and split ways. Nadia went to go check on Beth and Nicole walked over to the RV. "Good morning, sleeping beauty," Dale called from on top of the RV.
"Good morning, Dale," Nicole called with a grin on her face. She entered the RV and saw that Carl and Cheyanne were playing Go Fish. "Hey brats," she announced as she entered.
"Hey, Nikki,"
"Hi, Mama,"
"What've you heathens been up too?" Nicole chirped as she sat next to her daughter. Nicole couldn't believe how much both of them had grown since the beginning of this. She assumed that in this world it was a child's goal to grow up fast or die.
"I helped Mrs. Lori do laundry this morning before she went to check on Beth," Chey told her mother before asking Carl if he had a seven.
Carl sighed and gave his friend his seven card. "I've just been doing what my mom lets me. I wanted to help my dad take that boy away," Carl paused, glancing up to Nicole. "I don't think we should let him go, though."
Nicole was taken aback by his sudden statement. "What do you mean?"
Carl looked to the older woman, dead in the eyes. "I mean, I think my dad and Shane should kill him. He's a threat to us all."
Nicole scoffed. "Carl, you realize that he is not even six years older than you, right?"
Carl broke his gaze. "That doesn't mean he can't hurt us. Evil doesn't spare the innocent," Carl sighed before asking if Chey had a five. Nicole knew that Carl was thinking of Sophia. She knew it, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for the captive boy.
Nicole breathed, before standing up. "You two keep playing your game, I'm going to go find Daryl," Nicole uttered out.
"He said he needed some time alone. Check by the pond, I found him there one day," Cheyanne called out as her mother exited the RV. Nicole sighed and searched for the pond that Cheyanne was talking about. After about 10 minutes, she found it and Daryl.
"Hey, hillbilly," Nicole chirped from behind him. He didn't flinch and barely even acknowledged her. Nicole noticed how his shoes were sitting behind him and how he had his crossbow thrown across his back.
"Hey, Nik," he grumbled out, not looking back. Nicole could hear the sloshing of his feet in the pond. Nicole wondered what was going through his mind. He was so complex and it made Nicole worry.
Daryl had a tendency to hide his emotions; so did she. Nicole knew him better than anyone else in the camp, but she didn't know him more than he knew himself. Hell, she wasn't even sure he knew himself. He hid behind his brother's shadow all his life; he even got thrown in jail a few times for his brother. Nicole didn't think that he knew who he was anymore; this world was changing him, and he didn't like it. "You mind if I sit?"
With no response, Nicole moved forward and lowered herself down to sit next to him. She crisscrossed her legs and angled herself toward him. "What's wrong?" she questioned when she saw the barren look he held on his face.
"It's just--" Daryl paused breaking his gaze of the pond to meet his friend's eyes. "It's nothin'. Don't worry 'bout me." Daryl separated his eyes from hers and looked back to the dark pond. Daryl didn't want her to worry about him more than she already did.
Nicole sighed and placed her hand on his dirty arm. "Can I at least sit with you then?" She inquired, feeling her stomach knot up. Daryl grunted in response. A toothless smile crossed her face for a split second before she began rubbing small circles on his tricep. Nicole was fine with Daryl hiding his emotions; they were his to hide, but she wanted him to know one thing. She would be there for him, even if he didn't want her too.
At this moment, there were no monsters. There were no strangers. There was no apocalypse. At this moment, there were just two lost people comforting each other in the only way they knew how. Silence.
I got a review from AMRS90: hi! thank you so much! that means a lot to me. lori and rick actually don't know the nicole's whole story because she is so closed off. now, they know bits and pieces of it, like Dylan and her struggle with drugs and stuff, but they don't know the full spanse of it. like they don't know that she was raped, they just assume that cheyanne was Dylan's. Nikki is a very reserved character, and I'm so glad that I am portraying that correctly if you are noticing her opening up more :)
Daryl and Nicole definitely have some type of feeling for each other, but they don't think it's anything more than the family bond they have. just a quick question for all of you, do you ship them yet? the sequel, which is currently in the works ;), has a lot more dacole moments than common ground, which mostly revolves around them growing as friends. but yes! Daryl will start showing more feelings for Nicole and Cheyanne. thank you so much for reviewing! :) have an amazing day!