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They say you never experience unconditional love until you hold your first child in your arms. A statement that Rick Grimes knew all too well. Very early into his marriage with Lori he remembered being over ecstatic when she showed him the positive pregnancy tests. Telling all who would listen that he was going to be a father. The feeling of pride and protectiveness grew when he found out he was having a daughter. Promising to do everything in his power to protect her from the cruel world. Unaware of how cruel it would one day become.

Nadia was perfect. Of course, like all kids, she had her moments, but in Rick's eyes Nadia Grimes was the perfect child. She was cheeky, kind and knew how much he and her mother were wrapped around her finger. He still remembered how the three-year-old was able to easily convince them to let her compete in the Lil'Miss Orchard pageant. Batting her brown eyes as she hugged him tightly. How could he possibly say no?

Though neither he nor Lori expected the toddler to actually win the entire competition.

The small Grimes family screamed as Nadia's name was called. Watching the girl in her pink dress being pulled to centre stage.

"Did you think she was actually going to win?" Lori asked her husband as they clapped, watching little Nadia jumping for joy on stage.

Rick shook his head, smiling in pride for his firstborn, "Not a chance... I honestly thought we'd have to buy her that dollhouse she'd been askin' for to cheer her up," he chuckled.

So did his wife. The pair cheered for the girl as she was given the bright orange sash and crown, "You seriously think she's not gonna use that crown to try and get that damn dollhouse?"

Rick's smile only grew from his wife's comment, though his focus was more on his little girl. Seeing Nadia searching for her parents in the crowd. Her small hands struggled to hold onto her massive bouquet of flowers as she waved to the pair. Pointing to her crown.

Her father nodded as he gave her a double thumbs up, "Maybe we should get her that dollhouse still. That along with the crown might be an easier way to ease her into becoming a big sister," he suggested.

Lori subconsciously placed a hand on her stomach, "Maybe you're right."

Rick's pride had only grown when Carl was born. Now having two children he happily watched as they both got along... ish. Of course like all kids they had small fights here and there, but other than that they were pretty good kids.

Kids at one point he thought he'd never see grow up.

Rick Grimes didn't understand why he was alive. In all seriousness, he shouldn't have been. He'd been shot, stabbed, comatose and beaten beyond belief in his forty-ish years of living. So when he found them again in Atlanta he promised never to lose them again.

Failing miserably.

Forced to watch his kids get shot, beaten, attacked and almost killed too many times to count. Seeing his eldest slowly dying before his eyes.

Of course Nadia wasn't technically dead in the Prison they lived in, but the version of his little girl was. Lost and eaten along with his wife.

Rick had no idea what to do. Every time they talked or whatever he tried to help fix her, it only ended in another fight. So many goddamn fights. Nadia always screaming while her hands played with a silver locket her mother once owned. The council often scolded him to talk to her and demand she treated people better as she often made others cry; but what was he supposed to do? It wasn't as if she'd listen to him. Hell, trying to help her only pushed her further away.

Leaving the cellblock they lived in all together. Sleeping in Death Row of all places.

His friends would often give their condolences. Blaming her hormones or trauma for her attitude, but Rick hated it. He didn't want to fight. He didn't want her to act like that anymore. He just... he just wanted his daughter back.

Which is why he almost died when the prison fell.

"Kids!" Rick had screamed over the ashes of his home. Struggling to stand as he screamed for his family, "Carl?! Nadia?!"

Rick Grimes limped towards the broken base. Going over cracked concrete as he did his best to stay awake. Broken and beaten as he searched for his children.

If it wasn't for his son, Carl, shooting two of the oncoming walkers, it may have been his last moments.

The young teen quickly ran into his father's arms as the older man let out a sob, "Nadia. Judith? Where are they?"

Carl looked at his father for a moment, puzzled, before shaking his head, "I don't know."

Rick only pulled his son closer as they started to walk through the burning courtyard. Passing corpses of those they knew and those they fought against, as they searched for the girls. Seeing something neither wanted but had expected.

A lone baby carrier rested on the pavement. Empty and covered in a few splatters of blood. With a broken bow and scattered arrows littering the crime scene. Both of the Grimes men's stomachs dropped at the sight. Seeing a familiar silver locket resting a few inches away from a leather jacket Nadia Grimes never took off.

It was as if all the air had left Rick's lungs. Unable to properly cry as he assessed the situation. Gathering everything from the context as Carl started to shoot the walkers coming their way.

He was a wreck. Pulling his sobbing son away from the proof of Nadia and Judith's death as he knew if they stayed any longer they would be dead as well.

Rick didn't get a moment to grieve. He wanted to. Oh God, he wanted to. He wanted to sit alone in a room and scream. Cry out for his first born and never stop, but he couldn't. He wouldn't. He may have lost his daughter but if he started crying he knew it would never stop. If he started to break down it would be the death of his son. He couldn't do that to the boy. Nadia would come back alive just to kill Rick if he let anything happen to Carl.

He had to keep Carl alive, for Nadia Grimes.

So needless to say, when Rick watched his presumed dead daughter guarding their camp, a world of guilt drowned the sheriff.

Nadia had somehow not only survived, but managed to save him and a whole lot of others. She managed to do things he never thought possible and came back different.

Rick actually couldn't believe how much his eldest seemed to have changed over the course of three weeks. Her hair was shorter. Any trace of blonde was now gone, while her clothing was drenched in a layer of soot and old blood. Her demeanour seemed to be more intense than before. Watching how her grimey fingers glided across her large weapon. An axe. Something he never thought she'd use.

He couldn't help but wonder just what exactly happened to his little girl while they were separated.

Nadia kept her eyes forward as a familiar man took a seat next to her. Not bothering to talk pleasantries as she talked survival with him, "Daryl's on the other end. As is Tyreese and that new girl... Rosita?"

He nodded, "Yeah."

"Okay," She gave one as well, "The four of us took a different flank, so you should get some sleep."

Rick only shook his head as he pulled out his Colt, silently saying he was going to stay. Which only made Nadia sigh, "Dad, you spent the day over a bleeding trough. You need some sleep."

He shook his head, "You spent the day fighting cannibals and blew up a community. You need some sleep."

Nadia had actually chuckled at his jest. Shaking her head, "I'll sleep when the dead are gone."

"So, never?"

She kicked him, causing him to chuckle, "When's the last time you actually did sleep?" He asked her.

His daughter shrugged, "A while ago. It's not like I could actually sleep if I tried right now anyways."

"Yeah... I get that," Rick mumbled before letting out a sigh. Even if they spent almost a month apart, Nadia still knew her father well. So as he went to speak she quickly shut him up.

"If you even try to fucking apologize, I will shoot you," she said, blandly. As if she wasn't lying; because she wasn't.

"Nadia-"

"Don't. Okay?" She finally looked at him, the sneer he had become so used to seeing was replaced with a look of concern. "From what Michonne told me, I left before you even made it back to the prison courtyard. So, if you say you wish you tried to look for me, you would've been gone."

He frowned, "It still doesn't make me feel better."

Nadia took one of her hands off her axe and gripped his wrist, "It worked out. You did everything you could've done, and so did I. I'm here now."

Rick nodded, slowly, gripping his daughter's hand and feared to let go. Not wanting to risk losing her a fourth time. She was able to notice his staggered breaths as he clutched her hand. Frowning, "Are you okay?"

Rick shook his head, "No."

The teenager put her axe aside and wrapped her arms around her father. Rick folded like a stack of cards and rested in her embrace. The officer didn't know what was worse about the situation; how his daughter was comforting him instead of the other way around, or rather how safe he now felt.

After he was able to calm down Rick Grimes reached up and gently caressed his daughter's face. Watching how she leaned into his touch. His mind fluttered back to when she was a little younger than Carl.

Ever since he could remember, Nadia had always tried to be the stronger person. No matter the losing streak of her football team, bad grades or personal problems she had, the young girl would always hold her head up high. Acting like everything was fine. They weren't. They never were.

Before the fall of society the worst he had ever seen Nadia was after losing a prestigious pageant in California. Her and Lori came back two days early as the then fourteen-year-old didn't even place in the competition. She hid in her room, not even bothering to greet the men, while Lori informed him over the failure.

Rick waited only an hour before checking in on his daughter. Silently picking up the teen and resting her face in his lap. No words were spoken. They didn't need to. Instead the pair just let the silence do the talking as they embraced. Rubbing her back as she cried.

Even if Nadia wasn't crying now. Simply relaxing in Rick's hand, he couldn't help but be reminded of that day. She may have been stoned-face, but she was still broken.

"Carol told me," he could feel her tense. "About what happened. About what you did."

She let out a sigh, "How much did she tell you?"

He frowned, "The men. The girls. All of it."

Nadia pulled herself away and went back to her original seated position, "So you still think I'm a monster then?" She couldn't help but ask her father, as how could he not see that? She allowed someone to execute a child. Killed a man with her teeth and chopped another into lego pieces.

She was a monster. Just this time Naida wasn't denying it.

The beast just wasn't expecting another to praise her for it, "I'm proud of you."

"What?" Nadia turned her head. Looking at him confused as he repeated himself, "I'm proud of you for what you did. For what you had the strength to do to survive."

"Dad. I killed people."

"And doing so, you saved your sister. You saved your boyfriend. Me. Carl. All these people," Rick gestured to the camp. "We are alive because you had the strength to make those tough decisions."

He took her hand once more. Squeezing it tightly, "And now I know you can manage without me. If I die, you will be fine, because you will do what is necessary for the rest."

Nadia glanced back at him. Looking down at their interlocked hands. Focusing on a familiar orange bracelet she had made him. Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight.

"I missed you so much," she whispered. "I thought you were... I thought I'd never see you again."

It didn't even take a millisecond before Rick pulled her into a tight hug, "I'm here. I'm here."

Her own arms wrapped around him. Gripping the faux fur on his jacket, doing everything to keep him close. Rick listened to her own staggered breaths. Nadia trying not to cry.

"I'm sorry."

"Nadia-"

"No, I am," she pulled back. "I didn't... I wasn't a good person back there. I was... evil to you at the prison. You didn't deserve that."

"You were upset. You were grieving-"

She shook her head, "That's not an excuse, dad. I treated you like shit. Everyone like shit," her words were muffled as she tried not to cry.

Rick quickly pulled her into his chest. Soothing her as she cried, "Shhh, shhh. It's okay. I wasn't the best person either," he rubbed her back.

"I didn't know what to do... your mom always told me I could never speak and after-" Rick paused. "After what you had to do, I guess I thought not talking about her was easier than doing so. I'm sorry for putting you through that. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me."

Eventually they pulled apart. Rick remembering something, "I think you might want this back," he reached up and removed a small silver trinket from around his neck.

Nadia felt her breathing stagger as her mother's locket was returned to her neck, "How did you..." she didn't get to respond as he pulled her back into his embrace. Comforting her.

Nadia mumbled, "I miss mom. I miss her so fucking much."

He teared up as well, "I do too. Every damn day."

"I don't... we can't let Judith grow up without knowing her, okay?" She looked up at her father, "She deserves to know about her."

Rick nodded, "And she will."

The two embraced for a while longer. Allowing the calm moment to occur. Something they never thought possible in multiple points since the tragedies began. Healing.

Eventually speaking as the sun started to appear from the cracks of the earth, "I don't think Carl likes Lincoln."

Nadia breathed out a small chuckle, "Is that truly a surprise?"

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