chapter four,
the heavens cried.

    THE ABYSS WAS CRUEL and dumbing, her fiery heart had frozen over with despair. It crept into her brain, kissing it lightly passing on the abyss' darkness. It infected her mind and body, it almost seemed like she was one of the dead just wandering with no meaning. Oh, how she wished she could perish in the tears that built up within her. The water would fill her lungs causing her to choke until she was blue in the face, for her eyes to meet the darkness once more. The woman who ached for flames was now frozen over in anguish and misery.

    Finley was the only reason why she still stood.

    Nadia had been aimlessly floating for the past three weeks, trying her best to keep her mind busy. It had only been three weeks since the incident. Three weeks since she had agreed to stick by Rick and his crew. The idea of abandonment petrified her, being alone was her deepest fear. She wasn't capable of raising Finley alone, especially in the current emotional state they both were in. The woman needed people, an excuse, to keep her mind busy. Finley, however, needed space to withdraw herself.

    The young girl seemed to neglect herself, hair left untied and bags appearing beneath her youthful eyes. Finley steered clear of Nadia, which stung her deeply, deciding to keep the company of Carol and Daryl. Daryl barely spoke to anyone, other than Carol and Finley, Beth's death striking him deeply. Carol welcomed the small talk from the young girl. It was no surprise, the pair were the only ones Finley was familiar with.

    Emotions were running high within the group, as a whole. During the three weeks, they managed to lose Tyreese too. Nadia barely knew the guy, but it didn't take much to realise that he was a good man. Expectingly, Sasha had begun to spiral further. Which had caused a few bumps in the road, specifically attempting to take a hoard on her. There were brief mentions of the woman losing so much already, instantly making Nadia's gut grow heavy, but now she had lost her blood. It was an eye-opener, Nadia now understood Sasha's flippant ways.

    To make things even worse, they were now walking on foot in the blazing Virginia weather. The plan was Washington, which was a scorching journey after both vans stopped operating, but the water was running low and so was morale.

    Sweaty strands of hair clung to Nadia's cheeks, standing sluggishly on an endless road with the group, and her mouth dry. They had decided to take a break to scavenge. The rationing was killing her, she had a mouthful of water left in her flask. She was also waiting for Finn, who had decided to leave the waiting group with Daryl in search of supplies elsewhere.

    She was grateful for him. The man was conflicted with his own grief but still entertained Finley. Even when the woman herself had said and done things against the man.

    Thought of the young girl plagued her mind, concern contouring Nadia's face, Carol slowed beside her. "She's a smart kid," She stated. Turning to acknowledge the woman, Nadia nodded in agreement. "Just give her some time, she'll bounce back. All kids do."

    "I never did thank you," Nadia muttered, thinking of a familiar winged vest. "Both of you. You both could've turned a blind eye, and left her for dead."

    A light scoff left Carol's lips. "She found us and threatened us to take her back to you. Followed us all the way to the stupid van on the bridge, and even acted all excited when we stumbled down in it." Nadia chuckled lightly at Carol's words, remembering Finley telling her the adventures of their escape from some of the dead back in the city.

     "I never was good with kids," Nadia shrugged, continuing to stare at Finley. Flashes of Javier appeared in her mind, creating a stinging pain in her heart. What would he do? She shook the thought of him off quickly, face falling at just his name.

     Carol placed a warming hand on Nadia's exposed forearm, a sweet smile gracing her lips. "Most mothers aren't at first," Her face fell slightly. "Finley loves you, anyone can see that. You being here, for her, is enough. You might not be her mother but... you're all she's got. So, just wait for her to come to you and be ready to scoop her up."

     Gradually, she nodded at the older woman before she sat down with the group. Nadia never thought this moment would come. A woman telling her how to help raise Finley, she never thought she'd be alone to pick up the pieces. Regardless, she was appreciative of Carol and how welcoming she had been of Nadia.

    Everyone decided to take a rest, waiting for Finley and Daryl to return. Nadia sat while watching Sasha stand intimidatingly, rifle never leaving her grasp. The grieving woman was wearing a blank expression, as sweat rolled down her cheek. It reminded Nadia of herself before she found Finley and Javier. A state she never wanted to be in again, that's why she needed to surround herself with people.

    A pop of a bottle drew her attention away from the woman and now to the redhead. Abraham, a man that had returned to the group, sat taking a long swig of an alcoholic beverage. A snicker left her dry lips at the fool.

    "That won't help," She mumbled, raising an eyebrow at the man. Abraham replied with an unbothered shrug and quickly downed some of the contents.

    "That's all we found," Tara replied.

    Rosita, who was close to Abraham, sighed heavily at the man. "He knows it won't help," She nodded.

    "He's a grown man," Eugene added. "And I truly don't know if things can get worse."

    The snapping of twigs alerted the crew, all eyes zoning in on the area it came from. Sasha instantly aimed down her sight, while Nadia grazed her axe with her fingertips. Everyone soon relaxed when the culprits made themselves known. Daryl and Finley appeared, forcing a sigh of relief from Nadia's lips. However, they returned empty-handed which caused everyone to deflate further. Staring up at the scruffy man, Nadia nodded appreciatively at him. He replied by doing the same. Everyone began to stand, ready for the trek once more.

    Before she could acknowledge the fifteen-year-old, she scarped towards Carol and claimed a spot beside the woman. Carol gave her a reassuring smile, noticing the pained expression on her face, before offering some water to Finley. Nadia had to convince herself to be happy, knowing Finley had others to speak to. However, she could not deny the shot that struck her heart.

An hour goes by, feeling like an eternity, and sluggishness begins to settle into everyone. Everyone had slowly begun to mimic the dead, feet falling behind them and mouths hanging low. Unlike them, they were aching for a drop of water. Surprisingly, Nadia still hadn't caved to take a swig of what remained in her flask. Daryl seemed adamant to do the same.

    Glenn turned to face Daryl and Nadia, who were walking side by side in silence. The man offered his bottle to Daryl, noticing the dreary look he held. "Daryl," He motioned.

   "Nah," Daryl replied gruffly, quickening his pace. Glenn attempted to offer again, which caused Daryl's posture to shift. "Don't."

    Nadia's golden brown eyes analysed the situation carefully, feeling an unnerving tension grow from Daryl. "Hey, we can make it together. But only together," Glenn attempted a third. Glenn sighed when Daryl ignored his advice and sped towards his wife, Maggie.

     It was obvious that Daryl hadn't touched a drop of water in a while, his lips were chapped and he had been out scavenging for most of the day. His stride had slowed over time, originally being at the front of the line to now at the back. The woman decided to reach into her bag, shuffling around a few items, ready to offer it to him. Nadia wasn't usually giving but she had yet to apologise for nearly taking his face off with her pistol.

    "Tell 'em I'm looking for water," Daryl ordered Abraham.

    Putting a spanner in her plan.

    The crossbow-wielding man descended into the forest beside them, his figure engulfed in branches. She halted her steps, watching him go. This could be a chance at a peace offering and a thank you. Briefly, she stared at Finley who was still beside Carol up ahead. The girl was listening to the older woman, as they spoke amongst themselves. Finley cared about them both. Fuck it.

    "Me too," She muttered half-heartedly towards an unbothered Abraham.

    Then, she chased after the winged vest man with the bottle in hand. Nadia was amazed at herself, three weeks ago she would have neglected this man as a whole but for some unexplainable reason, she felt drawn to fall him. Was it because of the way he was towards Finley? Was it because she felt pity for him? The woman was baffled.

    Trudging through bushes and foliage, Nadia scanned through the array of openings in search of Daryl. A curse left her dry lips, mind finding it hard to collect thoughts due to the unforgiven weather. Whipping at the sweat on her brow, she caught sight of a familiar figure. Quickly, she continued to chase after him.

   Soon after, she found a short path that headed toward an abandoned barn. Where she found a sitting Daryl, nearby, under a tree with his back confronting her. A sigh of relief fell from her tired body, finally finding him. However, as she slowly approached him, the oxygen in her lungs caught in her throat. Shivers ran down her spine, eyes falling at the sight before her.

   Daryl sat there broken, curled into himself while harming his hand with the cigarette that previously sat on his lip. She didn't need to analyse his face to know he was crying, the slight shake in his shoulders was enough for her. People deal with grief differently, it was an odd observation. Finley had closed herself up, Sasha had allowed herself to spiral, while Daryl needed to force the feeling pent up within him. Nadia, however, avoided every waking thought of Javier and did her best to keep her mind elsewhere.

    A sad sigh escaped her lips, shocking Daryl. The grieving man turned, knife in hand ready to threaten a stranger but halted his actions at the sight of Nadia. Daryl was quick to turn away from her, once more, hands wiping at his tear-stained face and stubbing the life out of the nicotine on the grass.

    "Here," Nadia shook the bottle next to his ear, now standing beside him. The woman analysed the burn on his hand, all too familiar with the way it began to scar. "Drink and chuck some on that, it's a second-degree, and it'll scar," She stated casually. Nadia didn't want him to feel the pity she had for him, that was the last thing he needed from her.

    Daryl grunted, shoving the bottle away. "Hell, you doing out here?"

    The woman ignored his angered tone, inviting herself to sit beside him. "Daryl, don't be an ass," She pleaded softly. The tone caught Daryl off guard, eyes peeking through his strands of hair at her. "Take it," She offered once more.

    "Don't need it," His hair clung to his forehead while strands hid his eyes.

    A soft but exhausted sigh left Nadia's dry lips, "Just trying to help."

    They sat there, for what felt like hours, just staring at one another. It was as if they were mentally reaching out to one another, waiting for the other one to give in.

    "Why'd you come after me?" He muttered.

    Shaking her head, now holding his intense gaze, she shrugged. "Honestly, I asked myself that question on the way here," Nadia admitted. Twirling the bottle in her hand, she examined his sorrowful face. Every inch of it.

    "Told ya, go back. I'm fine," The man grunted, once more.

   A large sigh left her lips, noticing the imaginary wall built up around him."Maybe because I knew you needed a drink? Maybe I wanted to say sorry for nearly killing you in the city or... thank you for keeping an eye on Finn..." Flashes of Dawn's brain's painting the white tile burned into her brain, "And putting a bullet in that woman's head." Nadia allowed every possible answer to falling from her lips, allowing herself to be transparent for once. His gaze was so intense and filled with mixed emotions, she thought she might explode.

    Daryl noticed this, in the way her lip wobbled and her eyes darted everywhere but him after. So, to Nadia's surprise, Daryl snatched the bottle from her. The man began to take greedy gulps of the leftover contents and she sighed inwardly at the site. She relaxed.

    The pair continued to drink in the scenery before them, after he discarded the bottle, in silence. It was difficult for the pair of them, to speak on emotions but they both were aware of their grieving bodies. Shoulders brushing one another. If Daryl was honest, he needed this. For someone to sit with him and feel what he felt.

     Licking his lips, he stared at a fatigued Nadia. "She's a good kid, a smart one too. Tried to get her off our scent back in the city but she always found us," He grunted.

     A snicker left her lips, not allowing herself to look at him now. The idea of being so vulnerable made her insecure, so it was best not to stare at the man. "You're not the first to say that to me today," She laughed.

    "Cause it's true, strange not hearing her yap at the moment." He replied, pulling another chuckle from Nadia.

"I want her to be okay, to be a normal kid. With or without him." Nadia began to explain, halting herself shortly after, realising Daryl didn't need to hear some sob story.

   Only the breeze seeping into the gaps of the trees could be heard. Silence seemed to consume them, it was surprisingly comfortable. She fiddled with the grass below her before speaking once more. "I know what it's like to grieve alone, you lose yourself. You lose part of you and I never want that to happen to me again, to be alone again. I thought you might feel that way too." She muttered it, in hopes he wouldn't hear her confession but he did.

     He heard every word.

     Daryl stared at the woman the whole time, as she watched the grass below her. The man was entranced by the contrasting actions before him, the hard exterior of a woman had cracked under his gaze. He couldn't believe it.

    "Ain't no need to say sorry or thank you...already forgotten," His voice sliced through the thick tension in the air while pushing himself to stand. Nadia followed the man, finally allowing herself to watch him. The man stood over her, an unreadable look on his face. "Check the bullets next time, woman." That joke relieved her slightly, she offered him a tight smile in response, as she followed him to stand.

    The pair soon left, not a word exchanged after, feeling the presence of one another. A peculiar feeling stung them both, they were merely strangers and somehow they had shared a vulnerable moment. For the first time in these past few dreadful weeks, they both allowed themselves to soften. Even if Daryl's stare was intense, she was thankful she ripped this tense ache from her chest. Allowing drops of emotions to seep through, to help Daryl.

    She was thankful for that small moment.

    They both were.

NEVERTHELESS, THE TRANQUILITY DARYL and Nadia shared was soon shattered. Both had been brought back to reality, after their silent walk back to the group, due to a discovery. Rick Grimes stepped towards the pair, a piece of paper in hand, as they appeared from shrubs. The sheriff's face had a harsh scowl while passing the paper to Daryl. Nadia wasn't able to get a glance, however, just by Daryl's face, she knew it was bad. Then in the corner of her eye, she noticed something peculiar.

    A whole case of water bottles. The woman was salivating at the sight, she noticed how Finley's eyes were trained on it hungrily too. It struck her, how this was the first ounce of emotions she had shown since the discovery of Javier's death. Nadia's face seemed to drop, watching the girl carefully. Rick soon passed her the note, and dread set in instead, it read 'FROM A FRIEND'. Daryl had already begun to search the perimeter around them, his blue eyes trained to every treeline. Panic had set in for everyone, weapons out and alert. Nadia did the same, hand firmly grasping the hilt of her fire axe.

    Screwing up the paper, Nadia chucked it into the forest. "Someone knows we're weak, it seems like bait," She vocalised to Rick who nodded in agreeance.

    "What are we gonna do?" Tara questioned hands firmly on her rifle.

    Rick paced, in a conflicted state of mind, "Not this, we don't know who left it."

    "If that's a trap, we already happen to be in it," Eugene piped up, eyes never leaving the sustenance he so desired. "I for one would like to believe it is indeed from a friend."

    Finley coughed, mouth dry. "It's just water...what any harm could it do?"

    Nadia shook her head, in disagreement. "There might be a catch, Finn, we can't risk that."
Finn simply ignored the woman, once again, her dark eyes lingering on the bottles.

    "What if they put something in it?" Carol questioned, an attempt of being devil's advocate.

    That thought seemed to pause everyone, forcing them into complete silence, as the crowd watched the entertainment of bottles. Suddenly, Eugene was quick to snatch a bottle from the road. Everyone protested against his actions but he continued to stare at the bottle in his hand hungrily.

    "Quality insurance," He mumbled, as he fumbled to loosen the cap.

    Before a drop could meet his dry lips, Abraham was slapping the bottle and the contents out of his grasp. The ginger man had a face of disbelief, whereas Eugene had a face of disappointment while staring at the now-empty bottle. However, to everyone's surprise, Finley was quick on her feet and grabbed a bottle.

    "Finn!" Nadia shouted, already reaching for the girl.

    Suddenly, cracks of thunder were heard. The echoes being carried by the wind into the group's ears caused everyone to stop. Lightning cracked again the sky sending heaven's light through the clouds, the shade of the sky now turning a deep grey. Nadia's heart slowed, watching the sun disappear and Finley dropped the bottle at the sight above.

    Then the heavens cried.

    The instruments within the sky determined to sing out, the trees and grasses as their percussion. Even the rain came in orchestrated rhythm, appearing the as the master of the scene. The reason for the happy giggles leaving everyone's lips. Each raindrop is a kiss dropped onto Nadia's dirty covered cheeks. Each one is the same filled with relief and emitting the woman to relax and treasure them. To add to the orchestra of the weather, the familiar laugh of Finley made her heart sing.

    Eyes fell on her surroundings and she couldn't help but feel the deep feeling of sadness, the same that she had suppressed in her gut for three weeks. Finley was smiling brightly with Carl and Michonne. Rosita and Tara were laying on the road, rain falling perfectly over them, basking in the glory.

    The melody of the orchestra was a bittersweet one, Finley was finally smiling brightly but Nadia couldn't help but think of him when rain appeared. It seemed she wasn't the only one stuck in their thoughts, Daryl and Maggie both wearing emotionless faces. However, a grip on her arm captured her attention. To her surprise, Finley was there staring at her happily. It broke her heart but she allowed a genuine smile to grace her lips. Don't get caught up in the thought of him.

   "Everybody! Grab something, anything you can find," Rick called through the clatter of rain.

    Nadia was eager to busy her mind, instantly gathering Finley's flask and her own. Anything to get rid of this gut-wrenching feeling. Finley was by her side, with no hesitation. Still wordless but her presence still lingering. Then the storm grew vast, its playful vortices unaware of their own strength. Sound alone, shaking everyone's bones to the core.

    "Uh, guys!" Finley shouted through the relentless storm. Finley gripped tightly to Nadia, her body struggling against the razor-sharp wind and rain.

    "We need to move!" Rick called, collecting the items used to collect water.

    Daryl was swift to his side, hair now plastered to his forehead and cheeks. Nadia noticed how the stormy weather matched perfectly with his ocean-blue eyes. "We found a barn!" He hollered.

    "It's not too far, we can get there before this gets worse!" Nadia agreed, hand attempting to shield her face.

    Without a second thought, everyone was following quickly to leave the once-welcoming rain. Nadia and Daryl now lead the torch to a place of refugee, in hopes to be protected from the awaiting storm ahead.

author's note!

ahhhh finally some daryl and nadia content!!! sorry this chapter is short, i wanted to push something out before i chuck myself into my uni work <3