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...
Daryl sighs in relief when the car lights flicker and the vehicles all slow to stops. He grips the reins and slides down Dumbass' side.
He had been the one to get the animal on their way out of the house. Ryder had expressed his concern in leaving the poor horse, it didn't know any better and would most likely die trying to escape from the walkers.
It had been a long travel away from the house that was almost a home- if Daryl was forced to make an estimate, about four hours had passed. Based on the set of the sun, it was around one in the afternoon.
The group still hadn't come across a house or a building worth fighting for with the state they're all in. It seemed the walkers had won once more, an added tally and strike to their victories in this never ending battle.
The cold is ruthless and freezing all of their spirits. If any hope of finding a range of space to camp for the night was there, it was getting frostbite and dying.
He wraps the reins around Glenn's door handle and quickly places himself in the car Nina and Daphne are seated in. Once he's inside, the warmth makes him itchy and he squirms, but nonetheless he waits for Rick to share the game plan.
Sadly, Nina sits on the other side of Daphne's car seat. But the caring coziness in her eyes makes him feel warm inside, and when she subtly reaches over and takes one of his hands in hers to warm it up, he feels almost too hot.
"We're running on the tears of our soul." Nina deadpans. It's true. The fuel light had been flickering for over fifty miles. Rick almost slid a little on the road, Nina thinks the car tried to kill itself.
"We had to get as far away from the heard as we could, we can't find any neighbourhoods now." Rick explains, grimacing as he remembers how even though the snow slowed the walkers down significantly, the group still had to take multiple turns and off roads to lose them.
"Gotta be somethin'." Daryl remarks, making sure his cold fingers don't touch Daphne's sleeping body as he adjusts the blanket over her.
"If we could get up an icy hill, we wouldn't have to worry about walkers very much." Lori suggests, mindlessly drumming her fingers on her bulging stomach.
"And what about the eight and a half month pregnant woman we'd have to worry about getting up and down said hill?" Nina teases. Lori looks over her shoulder and playfully swings her arm at the other mother.
"We could stuff our already full vehicles with more people. Keep driving until we find somewhere?" Nina throws out, leaning her head against the rest.
"Only imagine the others are low on gas too." Rick shuts that idea down, staring ahead out the windshield. He felt the weight sinking onto him. The group is his responsibility, and right now they're at a dead-dead end. Walkers one way, no gas the other.
"Where's the map?" Dixon questions. It would be so much easier if they could find out where the nearest neighbourhood could be.
Rick side eyes Nina who sits unbothered by the question. "Somehow it was randomly placed in a bag. A bag that could be in any trunk."
Nina, now feeling the stare, looks back at him. "Well, if looks could kill, I'd be on the floor." Sarcastically waving her hands. Rick rolls his eyes at her and gives it up, dropping the topic.
Now feeling tension in the air from the situation, she feels as if it were her fault. If she hadn't been in such a rush to get out with Daphne, the map would have been put in one of the bags the group keeps in the front of the car instead. "I can just go around and look for it."
"And how are you gonna do that?" Lori raises her eyebrows, not wanting the younger woman to leave and die of frostbite.
"With the moves like jagger." Nina steps out, immediately snuggling closer into her jacket.
The small, rustic cabin in the woods would have to do for the time being. Nina ended up finding the map with the loving help of Daryl, and it did not help. Glenn ended up finding the beat up place when he went out to quote on quote, 'let one leak'.
The horse is secured in the narrow garage, spare blankets being thrown onto the floor for more warmth. Nina feeds the big animal some oatmeal and a rice crispy treat, retreating to the cabin afterwards.
Everyone is let loose inside, glad to not be so squished together and cramped.
Maggie and Carl cover the broken windows with blankets. Carol, Daryl and Nina sort out the little amount of food they had time to gather during the attack. Almost an embarrassingly small amount of edible items lie in front of them, Nina deadpans the pile. "It's almost like we weren't out suffering for food almost every day."
Daryl readies his crossbow on his shoulder and steps toward the door, "I can go hunting, but it ain't gonna be much."
"Alone?" Nina worries. The snow and starving walkers flashing in her mind like a picture book. What if he got caught? What if the snow got to him?
"Nah," His eyes search the small crowd of people. "I'll take Ryder."
Ryder straightens up and quickly pulls his jacket back on. Nina puts her hands on his shoulder from behind, prompting the boy to look up at her. "You behave. Do not leave Daryl's side even for a second. If I hear you tried to pull some bull-"
"I won't." He cuts her off, softly. A tiny corner smile on his face at her concern.
Nina pulls away. "And lastly. It's cold," she fits her hat and gloves on his frame. "Snug as a bug in a rug." She smiles with pride.
Daryl and Ryder have only been gone for thirty minutes or so, but Nina had her mind on other things.
Upbeat happy, but also calm music plays lowly in the small bedroom from the cassette player, it sounded like Right Down The Line to Nina, but it's been a while so she could be wrong.
Upper body only covered with a bra as skin to skin contact is very important. She sways around the room with Daphne on her chest in her arms. Nina hums the song down to her baby.
It's times like these that Nina craves, just her and her daughter. Nothing else mattered when it was just them, as long as Daphne was with her in her arms the world faded to the background, and it was just the two of them slowly dancing to the sound of Nina's music.
Daphne was the most calm in these moments, listening to her mothers sweet voice humming to her. Sure, Daphne most definitely wouldn't remember this, but Nina would, and she'd make sure to tell Daphne when she's older.
A/N, sorry this took so long 😭
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