In which Nina gets to stop running for a while, receiving the love that doesn't confuse her, a family thicker than thieves, and the understanding of how to survive the apocalypse.
Or,
A pregnant woman stumbles across a farm in the apocalypse. She gi...
A couple weeks passed with Ryder in their troupe, his spot easily earned after proving himself. It took hard work but he eventually wiggled into the cracks of their hearts, mending what needed fixing inside of themselves.
Carl took the boy under his wing and where one was, the other wasn't far. Nina was glad the group took so well to him, because she's grown a type of motherly relationship with him- and not the one where the mom is oddly attached to him in a weird way.
"Ryder, help me set the table." Nina calls for said teen. Ryder parts from Carls side to help the older woman place bowls and cutlery strategically.
"What'd ya make?" Ryder asks, setting the last spoon down.
"Why do I always have to cook something? I got takeout tonight, I'm sick of cooking for you guys." Ryder shoves her shoulder lightly, laughing at her. Nina bumps her hip into his side to push him away playfully.
"Funny. Ha ha."
"Always." Nina serves the dinner equally on the plates. "Just rabbit stew and bread." She answers his question.
Carol took up her free time teaching the boys how to bake, cook, craft, anything you can think of. Lori initiated the thought, helping assist Carol, deciding it would be good for Carl and Ryder to know how. Nina just thought it would be nice for the women to not be the only ones in the kitchen.
"You think I could take Dumbass for a ride after dinner?" Ryder glances up for her answer. Dumbass is what he named the horse Nina found on her first scavenge. Ultimately, after Ryder took such a liking to it, she decided to keep the large animal. And after Carl named it, Nina thought it was too funny a name to let it go.
"I don't know, it gets pretty dark after dinner..." She trails off, not sure of what to think. Being outside in the dark never got any safer after the end, that's for sure.
"I'll take Carl with me." He pleads.
"That... doesn't make me feel any better. And I know for a fact you haven't talked to Lori about this- or Carl."
"Talked to me about what?" Carl wonders in after hearing his name.
"He wants you to go with him to take Dumbass out."
"No." Carl shuts the idea down immediately. "Wha- why?" Ryder gapes.
"Last time we went on that thing I got thrown into a snow bank." Carl deadpans at his friend. Thus the name Dumbass.
"Dinner!" Nina calls, still chuckling at the conversation going on between the two young boys.
The rest of the group walks in and take their respective seats, Ryder sitting the closest to Daphne's highchair to feed her some broth.
Daphne slaps the spoon away, causing the stew to splatter all over Ryder's face and everyone bursts into laughter. Daphne giggles at Ryder's face.
"I'll get you a napkin," Nina tells him through her own laughter.
"Better not stay up all night. You either Carl. You both need sleep." Nina reminds them, Lori and Rick already having said good nights. Keeping a steady hold of a sleeping Daphne in her arm as she tucks the blankets over his lying body.
She looks back and forth between the two boys, seeing them glance at each other with smirks and then simultaneously nodding.
They looked mischievous, but she knew they wouldn't do anything too rowdy seeing as T-dog is sleeping on the couch five feet away.
Tomorrow, Ryder was going on his first run with Rick, Daryl, Carl, Maggie and Glenn. It took a lot of convincing to get Nina to agree, it was not an easy task. She loves his dedication to proving what he believes needed to be proven over and over, that he is good enough, but she knows everyone already sees that fact. She doesn't feel the need for him to potentially get hurt for trying to open a window that was already wide.
But after clearing her mind of the situation and looking at it from a different perspective, she sees now that helping is one of his love languages. That he wasn't trying to continually prove himself, but that he was showing his love in a way that made sense to him.
And after that she was able to get a hold on the fact that even though the possibilities are dangerous, he made it this far and he would be surrounded with the others.
Now sleep was all she had to worry about. Ryders sleep, not hers. Because it would be the straw that broke the camels back if she were to come down the stairs in the morning to see him awake with bags under his eyes and dragging his feet, Nina would deny him of going out so fast his head would spin.
"Don't be up all night worrying, I'll be fine." He assures her, smiling as he notices how she was the mother figure he never had.
"Goodnight," She blows out the candle next to his little bed. Nina swipes the growing hair out of his eyes and runs her thumb over the bruise he got from when he walked into Rick and they both fell on their asses.
"Goodnight." He yawns.
"Goodnight." Carl whispers from his own sleeping bag beside the boy.
"Sleep tight," Nina smiles at the Grimes child before walking upstairs.
The next day came and went. Ryder and Carl split away from the rest of the group. He and Carl made sure the things they slipped in the bags they were given wouldn't be spotted or noticed, it was a surprise that no one would expect during a time like this.
In the store Ryder also killed a few walkers, he was very proud of himself.
The plan the two of them had was bullet proof. Carl was on watch tonight, Ryder would pretend to be asleep until Nina went to bed, and everyone that slept downstairs were heavy sleepers.
That night the two of them put their plan in motion. Nina went to sleep less than ten minutes after she said goodnight to him, Lori kissed Carl's forehead before she went to bed, and then everything was set.
Ryder continues cutting the paper as Carl hands him the items and sets up the living room. Sticking the last piece of tape on the wrapped item, Ryder sets it with the rest and stands up to admire the work.
He and Carl did good. "You think they'll like it?" Ryder asks, nervously scratching the back of his neck, not having been with the group as long as Carl.
"I know they will." Carl answers with a proud grin.
A/N, this one's short. The next one won't be.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
That's what she said.
Edit: I wasn't going to post this one today, but 1 thousand reads? I thought y'all deserved it. I love every single one of you, and stop being shy in the comments 🙄
