A scream rips from Sakiko's throat as she awakens from her nightmare- Daryl and Glenn shushing her quickly and as soothingly as possible.

"Nana.." she whimpers, "Where's Nana?"

The men share a look, then their eyes fall to the road ahead. The car hits a bump, Sakiko flinching and cowering closer to Maggie. Maggie rests her hand on Sakiko's back, rubbing gentle circles to ease the teen.

"We're.. We're going too far out. Nana might still be near the farm," Sakiko persuades.

"His tracks went cold, Kiko," Daryl reminds, throwing her a look over his shoulder.

The tracks, Sakiko remembers. The tracks that led away from the farm- fresh blood in the woods as a few walkers remained scattered. Sakiko hadn't had a bit of sleep that wasn't accompanied by the nightmares since she'd seen the blood and feared the worst.

Ahead, the car in front of them begins to slow down before pulling to a stop- Glenn following suit.

"Stick back, kids," Glenn orders before he, Daryl, and Maggie step out of the car.

Sakiko and Ryan were silent for a few seconds before Sophia and Carl are climbing into the car- Carl pulling Rick's jacket closer as he shivered.

"I think they're figuring out where to set up camp," Carl reveals with chattering teeth.

"I miss the RV," Sophia admits quietly.

"Shane and Rick will figure something out. They always have," Ryan attempts, though he sounded just as exhausted as the rest.

Sakiko stays quiet, reaching to her jacket pocket and pulling out her old knife from Daryl. Nanami had one matching.. Sakiko felt this was all she had left of her brother.

Though her face was stoic, Sakiko's mind was a storm.

'How could you just leave him?' 

'It should be you out there, not Nanami' 

'You did this to him. If you would've just been better, Nanami would be here'

Sakiko was so deep in her thoughts, she didn't even hear Carl until Ryan nudged her arm.

"What?" she finally asks.

"I said that's a cool knife. Where'd you get it?" Carl repeats.

"Daryl," she answers shortly.

"You guys get to carry knives and guns.. My mom still won't let me near them," Sophia pouts.

"My mom took the gun I had," Carl sighs, "All I have is the knife Shane gave me."

At the mention of guns, Sakiko shrinks further into her seat before rolling her eyes to herself.

Nanami was out there, why was she grieving him?

She was scared of guns, did that automatically mean she was weak?

Frustration builds up in Sakiko like a burning fire until she's clenching the knife in her hand until her knuckles turn white.

--

Waking up himself, Nanami stretches his arms out and nearly knocks over the lamp beside him. Wiping at his eyes, a low growling makes him reach for the gun he'd grown used to sleeping with. In the dark, a low chuckle is heard.

Nanami exhales, slumping back against the wall, "Sorry.. Still not used to it."

"Took me awhile to," the other admits.

Nanami turns on the small lamp, rolling his neck around.

"Hey, Michonne?" Nanami asks.

"Mm?" Michonne questions.

"How far out are we from that highway?"

Michonne reaches into her bag, pulling out the map and studying it for a few seconds.

"About another day," she answers and Nanami groans, "But, I gotta ask, do you really think your group is still there?"

"It's where we met up before," Nanami shrugs, "It's the only place I can think of. I don't know. I'm not the tracker, I couldn't tell."

"You sister and step dad were better, right?" Michonne recalls.

Nanami nearly laughs at the 'step dad' phrase but nods regardless, "He was teaching us. She was better than me. I think her ADHD makes it easier to notice every little thing going on around her. At least that's what the guidance counselor said once."

"Well, if that's your only landmark, we might be able to pick up on them there if that's really where they went."

Nanami nods again, pulling at the strings of the makeshift blanket pallet he'd made for himself, "Hey, Michonne?"

"Do you always ask this many questions?" she asks.

"If you think I ask a lot of questions, just wait until you meet my sister," Nanami huffs.

Nanami meets Michonne's eyes and couldn't help but ask his question anyway.

"Why are you helping me? You could've just left me in that store."

"Left you in that store with about a dozen dead ones banging outside the door?" Michonne asks.

"You could have," Nanami repeats with a shrug.

"I guess I just figured that if I were ever in trouble like that, that maybe someone would lend a hand."

--

"Grab this one, do the same," Daryl instructs.

Sakiko follows, pulling the rope tight and tying it around a low hanging limb. Ryan and Glenn throw the tarp over the ropes, the four straightening out the rigged up tent.

"All right, we got Lori, Carl, and Sophia in the red truck.. Hershel and Beth in the Hyundai," Glenn names off, "We can fit someone in the blue truck and one or two in the bed of it."

"Water's here, y'all," Shane announces, setting down a jug by the fire.

"Someone take my spot," Carl offers, "I'm not sleeping there."

"All right, that'll be Carol's spot," Daryl nods, not questioning the teen as to why he didn't want to stay with his mother.

"After tonight, we gotta go down a vehicle unless we can find some gas," Glenn sighs, taking his cap off to run his hand through his hair, "Someone should find some food, too. We're.. We're low on everything."

"I'll go on a hunt. Scope out the area while I'm out there," Daryl says, picking up his bow.

"I'll go, too," Sakiko hurries to his side.

"It's best you hang back," Daryl denies, "Help get camp for the night set up."

"I need to learn. Remember?" she reminds, "You hunt, I'll skin."

Daryl sighs before nodding his head to the woods, "We'll be back in a few hours."

--

Once the highway was in sight, Nanami broke from Michonne's side and hurried up the hill and over the rails. Taking his gun out, he looks the area up and down before his shoulders slump.

Michonne leads her two walkers closer, though she doesn't make it up the hill with them. She could see the change in Nanami's demeanor from her low point and already tell what she figured to be true.

Suddenly, Nanami begins running. Michonne's eyes widen and the hurriedly unwraps the chains from her hands, tying them around a nearby tree. 

"Nanami!" she hisses as she climbs up the hill.

Once over the rail, Michonne unsheathes her sword and scans the area for the teen. Spotting the top of his head, she runs to him.

"What the hell?" she asks.

"This.. This is one of ours," he pats the car, "My group was here."

Michonne looks over the empty vehicle, "Doesn't look like they're here now."

"No.. But, this mean that they got out, right?" he asks, turning to look at her with hope in his eyes.

He held so much optimism that Michonne couldn't bring herself to tell him how much she doubted it.

--

"Careful, now," Daryl worries.

Sakiko's face scrunches as she lifts the large crossbow, though her arms weighed down.

"It's heavy," she pouts, the weapon shaking as she pointed it up.

Daryl sighs, waving his hand for her to hand it over. She does so and Daryl gives her a pat on the shoulder.

"Do some chin ups, then you can try again," he comforts.

Sakiko pinches her bicep and glares at her lack of strength.

"I can't shoot a gun, I can't even hold the crossbow," she complains, "I can't do anything. I'm useless."

"Don't say that," Daryl gives her a look, "You ain't useless. You just gotta learn."

Sakiko throws her hands in the air, slumping against a tree, "Then, what can I learn?"

Daryl looks her up and down, then to the bow in his hands and the gun in his holster. His knife was on his side and he looks back to Sakiko.

"You still got that knife I gave you?" he asks.

Sakiko nods, pulling the pocket knife out and twirling it in her fingers for him to see. Sighing, she rests further on the tree and begins flipping the knife around seamlessly.

"Am I just supposed to scream and hope someone helps if a walker comes?" she asks.

Daryl shakes his head, a smile daring to grow on his lips as he watches the knife go in circles around her finger without her thinking twice.

"Cm'here," he motions.

Sakiko frowns, shoving herself off the tree and standing in front of Daryl. He takes the knife from her, opening it up so the blade showed.

"Hold here," he teaches.

Sakiko lets Daryl's hands guide hers until she'd pinching the blade between her fingers. 

"Now, bring it back," Daryl continues.

He moves to stand behind her, guiding her body and arm until she's pulling the knife back near her ear.

"I want you to aim for that tree," he points, bending to be more at her level.

"Throw a knife? Isn't that on the same level as running with scissors?" she questions, glancing up to him.

"You'll live," he scoffs.

Sakiko shrugs, letting Daryl's arm pull hers back. Together, they throw the knife at the tree he'd pointed at. It doesn't go into the tree, hitting the ground instead and sticking at a point.

Sakiko looks up to Daryl again and he nods in reassurance, patting her back. She takes the motion, hurrying to pick up the knife before returning to his side.

"Until we figure somethin' else out.. We'll keep doin' this. You'll be the best damn knife flinger the world ever seen."

"And I can take out walkers like this?" she makes sure.

"Once you gout enough trainin' in," Daryl nods.

Sakiko takes a deep breath, a determined gleam settling in her eyes.

"Okay," she nods, turning to face the tree and pulling the knife up, "Again."

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

NANA AND MICHI LETS GOO

daryl and sakiko own my heart

sakiko my little blade baddie i love her sm her growth has been so slow but it's going exactly how i envisioned it