A/N: Once again thanks for all the reviews, and I corrected most of the errors present in the last chapter (thanks for pointing them out) so for now I'm going to keep this note short.

So this chapter (as you could probably tell from title) will be Nick-Sarah centric. So the POV of the story will shift slightly but Clem will still appear in this chapter, however expect a lot of Nick and Sarah in this chapter.

Nick was never Luke, Nick couldn't sweet talk a girl like Luke could (although Luke was turned down many times) yet his charismatic words could win just about anyone over, whereas Nick would socialise with people via awkward muttering or angry outbursts.

Luke was better than him in every aspect, Luke was smarter than him, Luke was better looking than him, Luke was more athletic than him, Luke was friendlier than him, Luke was...

He could go on forever, but one thing that Nick had learned is that in no way was he better than his best friend. His uncle's constant criticism of his antics and distant bad memories with his own father had left Nick a very diminished figure, thriving like bacteria in his best friends shadow. Luke would enter a scene all bright and friendly, with his bright clothing (symbolised by his neon orange shirt and bright blue trousers this time round) to showcase his bright personality and lurking in the shadows was Nick. With dark hair and clothing, he couldn't lift a candle to Luke.

"It's Luke's friend"

"Yeah that's Luke's best friend..."

Those labels had stuck to him in the past, never had Nick had an identity of his own, he was simply his best friend's lapdog, a sheep that followed that shepherd. Yet despite this Nick felt comfortable in this shadow, he had low self esteem so he knew he wouldn't amount to much anyway, however Luke could and would and most of his life had been spent supporting his best friend while casting his own feelings aside. He didn't matter.

In the wake of the apocalypse Luke had started changing, becoming more emotionally distant from him and Nick's outbursts (usually in defence of Luke) had switched onto him. Never had Nick been more aware of his own identity than after Pete had died. Pete was his lifeline, his instructor in every way his true father and after his death Nick just wanted to blot out the world feeling as though his purpose was no longer needed.

But he still had Luke. That kept him going.

Then Matthew happened and now Carlos, he should have just let himself die in that cellar. The group would have spared a lot of food and hassle without him around. But now he became much more aware of himself as he stepped out of the hardware store with Sarah by his side.

Stepping away from the crowd, he tried to hard to be quiet after the incident at the ski lodge and yet he had fucked up once again and now he felt a crushing pressure as the eyes of many guards lay upon his shoulders. His shoulders. Not Luke's, not Clementine's, not Sarah's his shoulders. He had to be the man he wasn't if he was going to get himself and Sarah back here alive.

"Come back man"

Those three words, they stuck in his head. Whatever trace of friendship he had survived the obstacles of the apocalypse lingered in those three words. Nick had to get back to repair his friendship with Luke. To find out what the underlying issue Luke had with him, because Nick wasn't going to give up on Luke so easily. He wouldn't give up on someone he had known his whole life. Nick was 21 the last time he checked, for 20 of his years of life he had known Luke and the only year he hadn't known him was when he was a squealing newborn.

He had to get back to Luke. He had to help his friend and he would ensure Sarah came back with him, the only way he could apologise for his major fuck up, (to apologise to Carlos) was to ensure that his daughter did not meet a similar fate.

"MOVE!" Tavia demanded training her rifle on the two former pen dwellers.

"I'm scared Nick" Sarah squeaked from beside him, as her body stiffened and she clung onto the tall's man waist, her nails digging hard into his skin...

"It, will be all right Sarah, we just need to keep moving and we need to find something sharp" He encouraged her, yet his voice was raspy himself as his heart beat at a million miles an hour as he gazed across the open car park there was no corner to sulk too. No shadow to hide behind now. He felt naked and vulnerable in such an environment.

He trudged forward slowly, it hadn't helped that Carver hadn't bothered to give him or Sarah any food or weapons, so Nick kept his eye on the ground for something sharp that he could use against a walker...

"I can't see anything!" Sarah panicked clinging to him harder, squinting as everything seemed fuzzy without her glasses.

"It's alright I got something" Nick replied as he scooped up a shard of broken glass that gleamed at him through the midday sunlight as the last tendrils of morning mist faded out of existence. Twirling the sharp shard in his hands, he ran his fingers across it's jagged edges "This will do" he thought proud with himself as he held the shard at arm's length.

"I can hear a walker!" Sarah squeaked just as Nick himself heard that all to familiar moaning, he turned to see the rotting corpse of a large man approaching him, he drew his arm backwards and held his breath as the walker or lurker (depending on what you wanted to call them) approached him with it's arm's outstretched and it's jaw snapping.

He remembered Jane's advice just as the walker was upon him, grunting he kicked the walker (with force) on the kneecap, the walker collapsed to the floor in a tangled heap, Nick brought the shard of glass down on the walkers' decomposing head, as the sharp glass tore through the man's brittle skull and a puddle of blood spread around his truly dead corpse. Wiping away a sheen of sweat that had developed on his forehead he pulled the glass shard out with a crunching noise that made Sarah jump from where she was next to him.

"Ew, Gross and now we have to cover ourselves with it's..." she gulped at this unable to continue.

"Yeah" Nick sighed sadly as he rolled over the large man's corpse. Taking a grip deep breath he plunged the glass shard into the man's collarbone and using the strength in his somewhat skinny arms, he pulled the glass shard through the man's stretchy plastic like skin until he reached his groin. Pulling the blood soaked shard out of the man he dug his hand into the torn strip in his body, feeling the slippery intestines in his fingers, Nick pulled them out of the man and spread the chunks of guts and endless pints of blood over his black t-shirt and army patterned trousers.

"That smells disgusting" Sarah commented scrunching her nose at the smell that made her want to vomit.

"I know but we have to do it" Nick told her, Jane's advice had been helpful so far so why stop now? Added to the fact Nick could hear more walkers approaching this needed to be done. Pulling out even more guts he looked down at Sarah as her eyes widened.

"Okay now it's your turn" he said as he splashed the guts across her blue shirt as she shivered and whimpered "It's so cold..." she moaned.

Nick continued to rub the guts into every crease and fold of her clothes, ensuring that at least she would be safe. Finally the girl's dull blue shirt and black trousers were stained a ruby red as the walker blood had soaked through her clothes making her shiver uncontrollably as the cold winds (and fear of the approaching walkers) made her bones quiver.

"Okay now get my back" Nick told her as he handed her a few bits of chunky flesh, already both of them were drenched in blood, but when Nick felt Sarah's light brushes of walker guts on his back he couldn't help but shiver too. He was frozen in this dampened state, Sarah began to sniff and sob once again as she continued to wipe her palms across Nick's back, spreading it everywhere. Finally when she felt she had done enough her hands fell limply at her sides.

"Okay... stay close to me, don't panic" Nick instructed, smearing himself in one last layer of guts as he felt as though Sarah's light rubbing on the back of his shirt wasn't as hard as it could have been. Yet for a girl that just lost her father he could hardly blame her, as he extended his arm and pulled Sarah close to his hip "Don't scream okay? Close your eyes if you have too" he instructed, she obeyed his command instantly as her eyes snapped shut and Nick (with his arm around her skinny shoulders) ploughed forward into the tree line and approaching walkers.

They came close, Nick held his breath as he walked on yet they stumbled past him as if he wasn't there, but the sheer number of them lurking in this eerie pine forest made him shiver and panic. He felt Sarah shake violently beside him as her breaths grew more rapid as the encompassing sounds of the walkers approaching unnerved her too the greatest extent.

Nick took the plunge and kept walking, breathing as fast as Sarah was. His entire body shaking yet he kept putting one foot in front of the other, expecting Sarah to scream at any second breaking their cover. He expected himself to freeze up, or to have a walker suddenly latch onto him and bite him, yet no matter how close they came to him, or no matter how much the pair of them panicked. They kept silent, their cover intact Luke's words rang in Nick's head

"Come back man"

He would. He had too.

Finally Nick felt like he could breathe a sigh of relief as he navigated himself onto a small footpath where the walkers seemed to fade, their moaning no longer evident, yet he kept silent while walking along. The next herd could crop up where ever it wanted too, Sarah had dared to crack open her eyes a few inches, although away from the walkers, she kept in silence as she grieved for her father.

They had passed their first obstacle, now Nick didn't know what to do, or where to go, where were they going to find supplies? How would they find their way back? He kept walking onwards hoping for a miracle of some sorts, as he held the glass shard limply in his fingers, but if any walker approached he'd be ready to use it.

It wasn't much. But they were still alive and that in itself was something Nick could finally say something he had done. Not Luke. He had gotten himself and Sarah past that herd.

Now, the journey began.

Clementine, Luke and Bonnie had just finished patching up the barricade. Clementine had hoped she would catch a glimpse of Nick or Sarah in the car park yet she saw nothing. They must have left from the other side of the compound.

"Please be lucky" The old childish prayer, played on her mind.

Bonnie worked in silence, only occasionally muttering a few comforting words to Luke, who was still trying to conceal a few sniffs and sobs. His actions now were rather limp and half hearted, the jolly exterior faded as his shoulders slumped and his head hung low. Maybe he missed Nick more than he realised, Clementine hoped that Nick would come back so he and Luke could discuss and sort out whatever problem they had. That's what Lee had to do with Kenny on more than one occasion.

The door opened silently behind them as Wyatt stepped out with a glum look on his face. "Bonnie, Luke, Clem, Bill wants to see the three of you in his office" he said.

"Joy" was Luke muttered as they put down their equipment and followed Wyatt back into the store. Clementine thoughts were still on Nick and Sarah, she didn't really care what Carver had to say to them. Yet her interest was aroused when Bonnie hissed "Wyatt, what's going on?"

She and Luke looked up, they were nowhere near to Carver's office at all, but by the scavenge room door that Clementine worked with Stephanie in a few days ago. Wyatt looked back at them grimly "Stephanie called us over... It's Rebecca" he responded as he opened the door.

Kenny, Sarita, Mike, Jane, Shel, Vince, Stephanie and Eddie all surrounded a pale faced Rebecca, who was gazing down at a wet spot near her trousers as she grunted in pain.

"Rebecca's waters have broken" Sarita told Bonnie, Luke and Clementine as they walked in.

"Shit! That means the baby's coming!" Luke exclaimed in a growing panic.

"Just when the doc dies, man you people are unlucky" Mike commented.

"How does it feel?" Bonnie asked gently as she approached a glowering Rebecca.

"Well, it's wet!" She snapped as she groaned in pain once again and her hands flew to her stomach "This baby's coming out now..."

Shit! We gotta get you a doctor Rebecca, there's bound to be...! Luke began as he opened the door and was about to call for help.

"NO!" Rebecca snapped freezing the young man in place as she closed her eyes and sighed "I don't want anyone to know... I..." she grunted in pain before continuing "I can't let Bill know it's out now, I just want a few hours with my baby before he takes it away" she said softly patting her bump once again.

"What!? I know you're upset but you could die without proper treatment!" Luke roared, wanting his friend to see sense.

"I know that! But I'm doing it this way anyway!" Rebecca shouted back, as she did Stephanie ran to the door.

"I know where they keep the meds here, I can smuggle all that you need" She told her as Rebecca smiled warmly at her "Thank you, just don't get caught" she warned as Stephanie smiled.

"My whole time here consists of not getting caught, I'll do this just fine" she said before she flew out of the door.

"Well Bill or anyone might hear Rebecca's screams and come running, me and Wyatt can make a distraction to draw him away" Eddie suggested, a hair raising scheme already in his mind.

"Dude's you'll get yourself thrown into the pen if you do that!" Vince warned them, "Do you want a face like mine?" he added gesturing at his own beaten and bloody nose, lips and cheeks.

"Vince dude, you have no idea how much me and Eddie have wanted to cause trouble since Bill went ape-shit. We get one chance to cause chaos without getting killed or exiled, now's the chance to use it!" Wyatt told Vince, as he did Shel stepped up.

"Their right Vince, besides once they find us all here and once this whole things comes out, we'll all be put in the pen anyhow or exiled, hell at least we could all escape together then" She informed them, earning some smiles all round.

"I can't thank you all enough" Rebecca was tearing up at what these people who were willing to do all this, to give up all their freedoms... just so she could have a few hours with her child.

"Don't sweat it, just focus on having a baby" Eddie told her as he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Woah! Okay not only is this stupid...!" Luke began speaking up "But are we forgetting a key detail? Who the hell is going to actually help Rebecca deliver the baby...!?"

"I can. I've done it before" Kenny muttered, shutting up a babbling Luke, as he bent down to where Rebecca was panting on the floor "Okay take it easy..." he muttered reassuringly.

"Well that's solved, anything else you want to complain about?" Jane asked raising a thin eyebrow to Luke who simply shook his head.

"Okay then, with that in mind a few of us better keep lookout, just in case any of Carver's lapdogs come sniffing" Jane told the group, Luke, Mike, Shel and Vince offered to join her in standing by the doorway and listening to any intruders. While Clementine, Sarita and Bonnie surrounded Rebecca trying to comfort her.

"I can't believe this..." Luke muttered angrily "Carlos' is dead, Rebecca's about to give birth, Nick and Sarah are gone and were all beat to shit and now more of us are gonna be thrown into the pen or worse and..."

"It's prom tomorrow!" Wyatt declared dramatically.

This earned him a few odd stares.

"What? Oh come on none of you have a sense of humour" he complained.

Clementine turned back to Rebecca as Wyatt and Eddie flew out the door ready for their "distraction" everything was being set up.

Time for the plan to begin.