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CHAPTER NINETEEN,
shots fired.
━━━━
Itwas never easy losing someone you loved, but what was worse than that was losing someone after you already thought that they were dead. When Daryl came back to the prison the following night, he refused to speak to anyone - even Nicole. She knew he was grieving - she couldn't imagine losing Nolan after she just got him back. Hell, she didn't even want to think about losing her brother.
After Nicole and Rick's fight, Rick had called for a group meeting. He told them in his own words what had happened to Michonne, trying to explain what he'd done. He tried his best to do so. Rick eventually gave up his sole leadership, saying that he couldn't be the only person calling the shots anymore. Nicole would be lying if she said she wasn't glad that he took her advice. Rick told the group that it was all of their decisions whether to stay or to go. Nicole was surprised that everyone wanted to stay and defend their home.
Later that night, the news was bestowed to Rick, and Nolan didn't hesitate to spill the Governor's secrets to him - easily telling him the horrible things he'd done and about the horrible things he'd do. The two of them came up with a surprisingly well-thought-out plan. Nicole assumed it was because of Nolan's military and Rick's police experiences. Everyone listened carefully as they finalized the plan. Nolan explained that the chances were that the Governor would attack close to dawn when he would assume they'd be sleeping. He told the group that innocent people were fighting alongside that psycho - teenagers - and that they were scared.
After the group got most of the memo, Nolan offered to take watch since he was the newest member of the group. No one really complained as they went to turn into their cells and await the incoming war the next day. Nicole, however, couldn't sleep. She kept counting the rungs above her like it would change and carving small designs into the grey concrete wall.
Eventually, Nicole decided to get up. She checked on Cheyanne, who decided to stay in the cell next to her by herself, and couldn't help but smile when she saw her daughter's brown mop of hair frill everywhere as she slept with her mouth wide open. When Nicole turned around, she glanced over to the perch, seeing an all too familiar figure laying there.
Daryl laid on his bed in the perch, as usual, staring up at the ceiling. Nicole carefully moved over to him, sitting down on the mattress as she crossed her legs. Neither of them talked - content with each other's silence even if Nicole wanted him to say something. Anything to assure her that he hadn't cut her off completely. She allowed her fingers to interlace with his; she didn't see how he exhaled like the air was just knocked out of his lungs.
