NORA WATCHED OVER HARLEY AS SHE SLEPT OFF THE ILLNESS COMBINED WITH THE STRESS OF THE EVENTS THAT JUST HAPPENED,

It was the dead of night when they made it into a neighbourhood and went into the first house that looked secure enough.

They don't know who survived. If anyone survived.

She glanced over at her friend, who had cried herself to sleep. She was strong, every time they had lost a group, Harley never seemed to affected. 

Nora thought it was because the way she was raised. Harley was a foster kid, she was used to going from family to family, not making any real connections.

But this group was different. For both of them.

They were family.

And now they were gone.

When the sun rose, Harley didn't. Nora didn't blame her, she was still infected from the flu that spread through the prison.

Nora turned her gaze to the empty water bottle on the floor by the couch. They were going to need supplies soon. But she didn't want to leave Harley in the state she was in.

She heard gunshots in the near distance and Nora reached for her gun.

Could it be one of them?

Could it be someone from her group?

Nora turned her eyes to Harley once again. It didn't seem like she was going to awaken any time soon.

With a sigh, Nora stood. She would regret not going to see who it was. 

The brunette locked the front door and placed a chair underneath the doorknob before doing the same to the back door. Once secured, left Harley a note before she headed out through the back window.

Nora walked down the streets, gun in one hand and her backpack over her shoulder.

She didn't see any signs of life. Not even a walker.

She heard a few more gunshots and Nora knew she was getting close. But close to who?

Friend or foe?

Nora came across a group of dead walkers, all piled upon each other, with multiple bullet holes littering their bodies.

Someone was here. Their shot wasn't perfect, but that could've been the panic of being ganged up on by the walking corpses. It doesn't tell her anything she needed to know except the shooter was here.

She followed the pair of tracks that led towards the road. Nora decided to keep going, she couldn't be that far behind the person behind the gunshots.

It only took a few more minutes to spot him. He was sitting on the roof, eating out of a large can of something. 

"Carl Grimes... where is your other shoe?" Nora asked with the widest smile on her face.

Tears filled Carl's eyes as he scrambled towards the open window. He rushed down the stairs, knocking over piles of books before he got to the front door.

The Grimes boy let out a sob as he ran through the front yard, his hat flying off, and nearly knocked Nora over as he wrapped his arms around her,

"I thought everyone was gone." He cried into her shoulder.

"I'm here, Carl, I'm here." She whispered, kissing the top of his head,

She found him. Nora wasn't the last one standing.

Nora gave him another minute of comfort before pulling away, "Are you alone?"

He shook his head, "My dad and I are holed up in a house a few streets over. He's hurt... bad."

She brushed his hair from his face, "Alright. Harley and I are down the street. Let's go get her and we'll follow you back." Carl went to grab his hat before following the older woman, "What are you doing out here alone?"

"We needed supplies. And dad isn't strong enough right now." He told her, "Did you see if anyone else made it out?"

"Sorry, kid. Harley's still sick, we didn't have the strength to look or to fight." She wrapped an arm around him, 

They made it back to the house Harley and Nora were staying in and snuck through the window. Harley woke up to the vibrations of the two walking across the floorboards. She quickly sat up and grabbed her gun.

She released her breath when she spotted Nora and Carl walking in through the kitchen. The redhead dropped her gun and rushed to hug the younger Grimes boy.

Harley quickly pulled away and began to sign quickly, "What happened? Is there anyone else with you? Rick? Daryl?"

Carl struggled to keep up with her sign language and looked to Nora for help,

The brunette turned to Harley and signed back, "Rick's in a house a few streets over. He's hurt. Grab your bag, we're gonna head over there."

She nodded and reached for her water bottle and backpack, slinging it over her shoulder before following the two to the front door.

It wasn't more than a fifteen minute walk. Would've been ten if Harley wasn't weak still. 

Carl led them through the back door, "He's on the couch by the door." He told Nora,

Nora walked through the doorframe and paused when she spotted Rick. He was laying there, so still. The right side of his face was bruised and swollen, his shirt torn in multiple places.

He looked so weak, which was different for Nora. She's never seen him like that. 

She went to kneel beside the couch and reached out to press her hand against his arm, "Rick." She whispered, but he didn't stir. Nora sighed, "We're here now. It's gonna be okay."

Nora stood and joined the others in the kitchen, "He's still out." She signed and spoke at the same time, "Just needs more rest."

The trio ate some cereal that Carl had found the day before. As the sun went down, Nora went around the house collecting anything that could be useful.

She found some t-shirts in the master bedroom and collected a few. Rick was gonna need to change when he woke up. They all needed a change.

She found a large button up and stripped off her dirty jacket before slipping it on. These days, even putting on a clean shirt made you feel slightly better.

Nora put Harley to sleep in one of the other bedrooms before checking in on Carl, who was in a room that clearly belongs to a teenager before the world fell.

She climbed onto the roof, deciding that was the best place to keep watch. Nora was only out there for a few minutes before she heard crying coming from inside the house.

Nora went downstairs to see Carl sitting across from the couch, sobbing, with his gun laying on the floor between his legs,

Rick was on the floor, his hand stretched out towards his son, groaning in a walker-like fashion,

"I can't." Carl sobbed.

Nora rushed forward and reached for Rick's hand, "Hey." She paused and Rick's blue eyes pierced hers, "It's okay, Rick. Just rest."

Rick collapsed once again and Nora moved to wrap her arms around Carl, "I can't do it. I can't." The teenager cried

"I'm so proud of you." Nora whispered, brushing his hair back, "You're so strong, Carl."

When morning came, Rick finally woke up and was completely competent. They all sat on the couch, snacking on the jars of pickles,

"You shouldn't have risked it, going out there like that. It's dangerous." Rick told his son after Carl recounted what had happened while Rick was unconscious,

"I was careful." He defended,

Rick sighed, "It's good that you found more food."

"I found even more." Carl informed them, "But I ate it."

"What was it?" Rick asked,

"112 ounces of pudding." Nora snorted and tried to keep her laughter in.

Rick turned somber, "I know we'll never get things back to the way they used to be."

"What?"

"I only clung to that for you. For Judith. Now she's gone." Rick's voice shook and Nora reached for his hand and he squeezed it, "And you... you're a man, Carl. You're a man. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be." Carl told his father, giving him a small smile, trying to comfort Rick,

There was a knock on the door and Nora reached for her gun. Rick tried to stand but she pressed a hand to his shoulder, keeping him down. 

Harley and Carl stood with their guns and Nora went to peek through the peephole on the door before smiling.

"What?" Rick asked,

"It's for you."