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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE,
the big spot.
✦✧✦✧
The ride to the Big Spot was quiet for the most part. Nicole enjoyed getting out of the prison - her favorite part was being able to feel the rushing wind through her hair. It made her feel truly free compared to the safety of the claustrophobic prison walls. Now, she was grateful to be able to call somewhere home, just sometimes, she missed being outside with the fresh air. Sometimes she missed the Atlanta camp because she could lay out looking at the infinity of stars above her and the constant stream of cool breezes. She missed that.
Daryl pulled to a stop. Nicole glanced over to the store, listening to the quiet music in the distance. Sasha used that to draw away the monsters that paraded around the parking lot the last time that they were here. With a quiet sigh, Nicole swung her leg over the back of the motorcycle. She swayed in sudden dizziness for a split second before Daryl gently grabbed onto the small of her back to steady her. "Ya alright, Nik?"
The blonde woman remained silent for a moment, allowing her vision to regain itself and for the black spots to disappear. "Yeah," she muttered, turning to face him with a soft smile. "I'm good." Daryl nodded, watching as Nicole limped over to the chainlink. She scanned inside as Daryl informed Bob about this whole mission. "C'mon. Let's go," Nicole said flatly as she pulled out her baseball bat from her sheath.
The group followed after her as Daryl told them the plan. Nicole wandered inside of one of the tents the army had set up; she sighed at the sight of a mostly decomposed body. Other than the rank smell, everything was clear, so they found themselves at the Big Spot doors. Daryl knocked on the window, checking to see if there were any unwanted guests inside. Nicole leaned against the brick beside him, staring down at her feet tracing her bat against the concrete. "Okay. I think I got it," Zach's voice brought Nicole back from her trance. She glanced up to the younger boy, then to Daryl, who had an amused look on his face.
"Got what?" Michonne questioned as she walked closer to the trio.
"Zachy, here, had been trying to guess what Daryl did before the turn," Nicole informed her with a chuckle. "It hasn't been going very well."
Zach moved closer to the redneck, settling down beside him. "He's been trying to guess for, like, six weeks," Daryl spoke flatly. Nicole could tell that he was amused by his guesses. The truth was Nicole didn't know what Daryl did before shit hit the fan either. He never told her, but she made some internal guesses of her own. Frankly, she didn't think it was really any of her business what he did before. He was who he was meant to be right then, and she loved that person now.
