Searching For Home

Chapter One

AN: This is a side story to my main Hanson/TWD story. It will follow Isaac/Nikki as they travel this new world.
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Isaac looked around him as he hid behind a tree in the woods. The tour bus had ran out of gas a few hours ago and ever since then he and his family had been on the run. They had been running on the highway from a huge herd but eventually thanks to an explosion not far from downtown Atlanta they had to go in different directions and somehow while Nikki and the kids had went one way Isaac had wound up in the woods by himself with no weapon as Nikki had been the one who had the gun.

"Come on Isaac just keep moving," he spoke to himself as he tried to catch his breath and look for anything he could use in case he got cornered by a walker. He really didn't want to die, not until he had found his family again though as he sat here next to the tree he was hiding behind he couldn't help but feel like he was going to die. He wasn't sure he could run anymore and he wasn't sure he would see Nikki or the boys again.

Leaning against the tree he swallowed hard as he closed his eyes. Isaac was almost wishing now that he had stayed with the main group and went to the CDC but no he and Nikki had decided to follow through with their plan. They had decided to go find her family in Florida. They should have known they wouldn't get far. They should have known that with the way the world was now that their luck wouldn't get them into another state.

Opening his eyes Isaac felt tears go down his cheek as he looked up at the sky through the trees, "Dear God, I'm not sure I really believe in you much right now but if you do exist don't let me die without seeing my family..all of them again. Don't let me go without me telling Nikki I love her one more time or getting the chance to hold my boys one last time. I need that just once more before I go," he sighed as he reached up to wipe his tears away.

It was after he spoke that he stood up again and started to run deeper into the woods. He ran until it was dark and somehow during that he had wound up using a fallen stick to kill a walker or two and now that it was nighttime he made his camp for the night under a bunch of trees. He knew he wouldn't get much sleep being this exposed but he'd have to try getting some sleep otherwise the exhaustion would catch up to him.

As he laid down and closed his eyes though he heard a ruffling in the distance that caused him to open his eyes and reach for his stick. Holding the stick tight he sat up and looked around. He didn't hear the distinct moan that came with walkers so he hoped he was safe, even if the ruffling was getting closer and making him feel even more endangered than what he already was.

"Hello?" Isaac asked warily as he eventually stood up and walked towards the ruffling. It was when he did that he froze in his track as he saw Nikki coming towards him carrying one of their boys in her arms.

"Ike?" Nikki asked as she walked closer to the figure as she carried Monroe in her arms. She could have swore she heard her husband but then again maybe she was going crazy after the day she had.

Isaac nodded his head, "It's me," he said relieved that the noise had been his wife. Stepping closer to her he took in her appearance seeing that she was covered in blood. "What happened?"

"The boys and I were..we got ambushed by walkers," Nikki frowned as she came to a stop in front of Isaac and held Monroe too her. "Ev didn't make it. He got bit and I just had to leave him," she said knowing she had to leave the church they had been in, otherwise she and Monroe would have been bitten and died as well. "I had to leave him but I couldn't let Monroe or myself die," she said as she shook her head. "After we left him I just started running and I didn't stop. Every walker I saw I shot them because I was so fucking angry at what they had done to Everett," she frowned more as she fought back tears.

Frowning as he listened to his wife Isaac pulled her closer to him, "Shh...we will be okay," he whispered as he kissed her forehead. He was sad over Everett's loss but he knew they didn't have time to mope or be sad about it. They had to keep moving and going for themselves and Monroe. "We just need to rest for a bit and keep going," he said as he led Nikki to where he had been laying before hearing her.

Nikki followed Isaac though she wasn't sure she believed his words, though she didn't voice her disagreements. Instead she laid Monroe who was asleep down and soon she laid down beside him. She knew she needed to try to sleep if she wanted to be able to keep herself and her family safe.

"I wish we had stayed with your family Ike," she told him when she felt him lay down beside her. "I wish we hadn't left to find mine."

Isaac nodded as he slipped his arm around Nikki's waist, "I do too," he whispered before drifting off into a fitful sleep.
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For the next three days after that night in the woods Isaac and Nikki kept walking and they eventually had found their way back to the highway where they had came across a sign telling them of a town called Woodbury. It was only a few more miles ahead.

"Do you think we should go?" Nikki asked as she looked over at Isaac. "It's close and it might have shelter. We need shelter and to find more guns and ammo cause we're running low."

Isaac looked at Nikki as he thought over that question. He knew they did need shelter and also to look for more guns and ammo, "We can try it," he said as he gave her a smile before continuing to walk. Hopefully Woodbury would have what they needed.