The twins were used to communicating without words by this point in their lives. They knew how the other worked, they knew the other's mind.. They didn't always need to speak their thoughts into the void for the other to acknowledge- they just knew.

With that being said, Nanami being unable to understand his sister at this very point in time was frustrating.

They walked a distance away from each other, didn't make eye contact, didn't help the other get food. Nanami felt like he was traveling with a stranger.

They spent two days in silence, though it was still helpful as they found a gas station and stocked up on supplies and shelter for a couple nights.

Nanami wishes he had half a mind to ask Sakiko why she just had to take the money from the cash register- but he decided he was tired of arguing.

They hadn't seen many geeks- only one or two that strayed in the distance that caused them to change direction. They only saw each other and that can hardly be said as they were hardly acknowledging one another.

Walking on opposite sides of the road- a piercing scream rings through the air and causes Nanami to stumble. His eyes dart around before pinpointing where it came from and taking off in the woods.

"Nanami!" Sakiko scolds, chasing after him.

Nanami pays her no mind, forcing his feet to move as fast as he could manage.

"Nanami!" Sakiko hisses, reaching to his arm but missing.

Nanami tugs his knife out, tackling a geek to the ground as the two roll on the ground. A female cries, falling onto her back as she pants in fear.

"Sophia?" Sakiko asks.

Sophia whimpers, scurrying on her hands away from Sakiko with wide eyes. Sakiko brushes her off, looking to Nanami who was still fighting against the geek that was taller than him.

"God's sake," Sakiko huffs under her breath- forcing herself to look stronger.

Pulling her own knife out, Sakiko hurries to Nanami, kicking the geek to the ground and placing her foot on it's throat. Before she could stab it, Nanami does it instead.

"I had it!" Sakiko complains.

"I got it," Nanami tells her, wiping the bloody knife off onto the walker's clothes and standing up straight.

Nanami turns his back to her, walking back to where Sophia was still trembling in fear. Sakiko scoffs, placing her knife back into her pocket and returning to where she dropped her bags to the ground.

"How'd you make it out here? Are you hurt?" Nanami asks, kneeling beside Sophia.

Sophia nods, bottom lip shaking as she holds her hands up- her palms bloody and cut open from where she'd fell time and time again trying to get away from the walkers that were chasing her.

"Where are the others?" Nanami asks.

"Nanami-"

"Stay out of it for a second!" Nanami snaps, cutting Sakiko off.

"Th- the camp.. CDC.. Road.. Walkers.." Sophia gasps out, tears falling down her face even more.

Sakiko slumps against a tree, crossing her arms as she watches Nanami ease a careful hand to Sophia's injured ones, trying to wipe the dirt off the wounds.

"There.. There was so many.. I- I just ran," Sophia whimpers, "I don't know.."

"It's okay," Nanami comforts, "We'll help you get back."

"Nanami," Sakiko calls, annoyance dripping in her tone.

"We're not leaving her behind!" Nanami defends, "Carol and Ed are probably worried about her. We have to help-"

Sophia suddenly chokes out a larger cry, hiding her face in her forearms.

"What? Are you okay? Hurt?" Nanami asks.

"Dad.. M-My dad," Sophia shakes her head.

"Ed's dead?" Sakiko bluntly asks- another cry escaping from Sophia.

"Kiko!" Nanami hisses.

Sakiko holds her hands up in a feign surrender.

"The camp was.. So many walkers.." Sophia tries again, "M-my dad.. Jim.. Jacqui.. Amy.."

"Amy.. Amy's dead?" Sakiko asks- a softer tone this time.

Sakiko scolds herself- she shouldn't care. She doesn't care. Really.

So, why could she only think about how Amy went out of her way to help her when she was 'sick'?

"Daryl-"

"Nanami-"

"Shut up, Sakiko," Nanami demands.

The two hold a tense eye contact for a couple seconds that felt like hours. They weren't on the same page and didn't understand what the other was thinking. But, as Sakiko's eyes were cold- Nanami could figure it out at least.

Shaking his head at his sister, Nanami turns his head back to Sophia, "Is Daryl okay?"

"He.. He didn't come back with Merle," Sophia recalls, "And he's been looking for you two. He thinks he's tracking you and said he'll split off from us once it's time."

"Where are you supposed to go?" Nanami asks.

"We were going to Fort Benning.. Shane said it would be safe there, but.. The RV broke down on a highway and then a bunch of walkers came through. We were hiding under the cars. I.. I got out too soon and two found me. Rick told me to find my way back to the highway and I was going to but then that one found me."

"Do you remember what the highway looked like?" Nanami wonders.

Carefully, Sophia nods, "It was a traffic jam.. A lot of cars broke down together."

"Did you go from the cars, down a hill, then the water was awhile out?" Sakiko asks.

Nanami begins to shush her again until Sophia nods, "Yes. That's where Rick told me to hide."

"You've got to be kidding," Sakiko scoffs.

"You know the place?" Nanami questions.

"It's.." she begins, "No. I don't."

"Kiko," Nanami pointedly calls, "We have to help Sophia get back to her mom."

"We don't have to," Sakiko rephrases.

"It's the right thing to do," Nanami reminds.

"Who said I wanted to do the right thing?"

"We're helping," Nanami shuts down, "And you know where the highway is so you have to help."

"Mom.. My mom must be so worried.. She.. She.." Sophia begins, her head swaying.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Nanami startles, catching Sophia's head as she faints.

Sakiko's eyes widen, taken aback by the girl's condition.

"Come on," Nanami grunts, "Help me get her up."

"What?" Sakiko asks.

Nanami pulls Sophia's arms around his neck from behind, beginning to lift her onto his back.

"Come on!" Nanami hurries, "We've gotta get her back."

"Says who?"

"You wanna leave her out here? Let her get sick and die or get bit by a walker?" Nanami asks, "If we do that, we're killing her ourselves. We get her back to the others and let them take care of her."

At the thought of Sophia's life at stake, Sakiko's feet move. She helps him load Sophia onto his back, Nanami struggling under the weight.

"You know the highway.. Let's go," Nanami urges.

Sakiko looks to Sophia's face, her hair covering her sweaty features. She couldn't just leave the girl for dead.. That was cruel..

Rolling her eyes just to remind Nanami she didn't like what was happening, Sakiko begins back in the direction they came from.

With Sakiko further ahead, Nanami leans in to Sophia's ear. Even though she was unconscious and wouldn't hear- he had to let her know.

"Thank you," Nanami whispers, "For saving us."

𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--

sophia precious baby stays alive leTS GO