[b][u]Nero[/u][/b]

Nero drove the black 4x4 Ranger silently down the curving and twisting road that zigzagged around and at the some points through this mountain. It was actually ironic in a way, that the same kid he had allowed to tag along with him, was the same one who happened to be holding onto the keys of the Rover. Was a shame that kid didn't really know how to drive yet, Nero would have liked a nap inside a moving vehicle again, doubted he would sleep though anyways so what was the real point in the thought? He had lucked out this time it was not often you found a viable vehicle with some gas in it, his body almost chugged now from sitting down again, and the heat was a god send all on its on. That had been the first thing Nero had done when he got in blasted the heat, looking beside himself Shawn was fallen asleep with his hood over his face, it was probably better that he went to sleep, the kid looked like he had not slept in two days as it was. The truth was Nero understood his want to get revenge even if it cost him his own life, and a lot of memories of his first year had come back to him. An once again the only two people he actually found himself get close too, Clover and Carter, made their way back into the crevice of his mind. It had only been a short time, but it had been something bout them, something that Nero found relaxing he did not know why it was like this or what they possessed that made him feel that way.

[b][u]9 Months Earlier...[/u][/b]

Nero sat silently at the edge of the small fire, the warmth was nice in its own way even though it was always pretty hot in Georgia. Around the fire Clover and Carter were sitting silently eating out of an unmarked can. Nero just smoked a cigarette himself not really feeling all that hungry, not after the nauseating smell of those Walkers they had come across. A combination of heat plus decaying walking puss bags equaled a pretty nasty spine stiffening aroma that not even a can of febreeze and two hundred scented candles could erase from your nose. 

[b][i]"You know Nero those will kill you one day."[/i][/b]

Nero looked up silently at Carter as he had that small grin on his face, he was forever scolding Nero about his need to smoke cigarettes, he was right in a way but then again then was a lot worse ways to pass on from this life.

[b]"Given the countless other ways to die in this world alone, I think this one time, Cancer of the lungs seems the least painful in any case."[/b]

Nero became silent again as Carter took another bite from the can in his hand, even though Carter was just using that excuse as a reason to try and find a since of normality out of this hellish situation, it was nice to be able to think about something other then death. It wasn't talked about but even a month of this new world had worn them all thin to a large extent, the countless death experiences, watching people get torn apart as they screamed for life, the tears, it was enough to drive any one person insane. However all three of them plus the other few of this group seemed to make it work and get through it, at least for now anyways. Nero looked at Clover who was silent as ever, she was not one to make conversation as much as Carter, however out of the group she was the youngest and it was obvious that she was more effected by this then most. It was way to much to ask a young woman to keep a perfect composure in this new world, so Nero did not hold it against her, hell a lot of young woman had already taken their own lives to avoid it. 

[b]"Think I am going to turn in a tad early tonight, wake me when its my turn for sentry duty."[/b]

Nero silently got up and retired to his black and ragged stitched up tent, the only real place he had to himself anymore, entering he zipped up the front entrance tight and layed down on the make shift cot he had set up. He wouldn't sleep probably but resting his eye's did a lot for his energy levels, letting his eye's close to his unknown surprise he drifted off to sleep rather quickly.

[b][i]"Nero have you seen Clover?"[/i][/b]

Nero slowly opened his eye's and then almost like a reflex shot up looking around having heard the voice, however nothing seemed out of the ordinary letting his eye's adjust Carter had his head poked through the tent flap.

[b]"What did you say Carter?"[/b]

[b][i]"Have you seen Clove, I went to check on her and she is gone."[/i][/b]

[b]"No I have not seen her, that does not sound good."[/b]

[b][i]"I am going to go look for her I will head east little ways you take west we can cover more ground that way."[/i][/b]

Nero nodded as he shook his head to wake himself up fully, grabbing his guns he secured them around his shoulders, exiting the tent Nero went left as Carter was going right. Nero didn't like this at all, it was not like Clover to just run off somewhere, in fact it was very much unlike her that perhaps someone had a hand in this. However Nero had not been walking long before he heard a soft crying in the distance, quickening his step but keeping as silent as possible Nero moved forward removing one of the Beretta's from its holster and readying it in his hand. Nero came to the edge of a small clearing, in the center near a small lake Clover was huddled near by, slowly Nero made his way out into the clearing, it didn't seem like anyone else was here or it was some kind of trap.

[b]"Clover?..."[/b]

Almost immediately Clover was startled and quickly wiped her eye's, bending down she dipped her hand into the small lake to make it look as if this is why she had been there in the first place. Replacing his gun in its holster but no clasping it Nero approached Clover speaking:

[b]"What are you doing out here by yourself Clover? You had us both worried."[/b]

[b][i]"I just came out to get some water, took longer then I thought it would, I am done now we can go back."[/i][/b]

[youtube]tmRzcWHZKas[/youtube]

Nero smiled a little bit she was brave right up until the very end, never one to show any kind of emotion even towards Carter himself, although like Carter Nero knew better then that. It was not hard to see that it was hurting her deep inside, no matter how strong she tried to make herself look. Nero walked up to the small lake as he bent down dipping his own hand in, watching the water developed thin wave lines distorting his reflection and then slowly smoothing themselves out. Looking at Clover he spoke quietly to her.

[b]"When I was a young man back in Italy I had a nanny for a short time named Alberta, an older woman who had a heart of gold, she practically raised me for the first part of my life. My parents were always gone on business and never had enough time for me, so Alberta was what you might call my adopted mother. She used to take me to a park where there was a beautiful small river running through it. One time I was crying near the river secretly because my parents had chosen not to come home on my birthday, to busy to care for such things. Alberta was a smart and wise old woman, she could tell that I was hurting and very much like I am now she came over to the river side and put her hand in it disturbing the water. See."[/b]

Nero put his hand back in the water as more small wave lines appeared distorting their reflections in the water, they slowly smoothed out again before the small lake became still once more.

[b]"She told me that life was very much like water, full of waves and lines that make it hard to see the true reflection within it. There is always going to be waves in life, and that we must learn to weather them. Like the surface of this lake, the water slowly but surely smooths out and becomes still, much like life does. The water much like life does not stay distorted forever, and sooner or later the image becomes clear, and once you can see it you start to realize, that were all just reflections in a life size pool of water. One second were there and the next were not, but that is not for us to decide in the end if we are there or not."[/b]

Nero looked at Clover, she was remaining strong but the tears were slowly forming in the corner of her eye's again.

[b]"I know that it is hard to understand it was very much the same way for me when she told me. However Alberta passed away when i was thirteen years old and I was left alone. It took me many years to finally see what she had tried to tell me that spring day in the park, do you know what that was?"[/b]

Clover silently looked at Nero as she caught his eye, the tears were there again, but she was faltering slightly now showing the person deep down inside.

[b]"What she was trying to tell me was that the things in our life are like shimmers on the surface of water. Sometimes it takes longer, sometimes it takes less time, but the shimmers eventually smooth out. Nothing bad can last forever, because like those shimmers even those things must come to an end. An when they do we finally see that the things that hurt us the most are the same things that make us strong. You are young still, still taking your steps into this world, a world that is unforgiving even more so now, and you are facing things that even grown men like me, like carter would fall to. You are becoming strong well ahead of your time, and one thing you must learn is that even the strongest must sooner or later fall. There is no shame in crying, because crying is a way to help smooth out the shimmers, and to release the pain we feel. Don't ever think yourself weak if you cry, because it takes a stronger person to cry and let it out then a person who keep its all in because they don't want to show weakness in front of others. Everything that has a beginning has and end Clover regardless of what we want to believe, but we can decide how it ends that is the only true power we have even now in this torn world. Your not alone Clover, not as long as there are people who care for you, always remember that.[/b]

[b][u]Present Day[/u][/b]

Nero silently looked over at Shawn as he slept, he was a lot like Clover in many ways and in a lot of ways he wasn't. But the thing they shared was that they were being forced to be stronger then they were prepared to be. It could not be denied that they were a lot like Nero as a kid, learning to be strong at a young age, perhaps thats why he found himself staying with Clover and Carter and why he could not deny taking this kid with him. In a way it was like looking at himself as a child and he was Alberta trying to show them that even though life is hard, there is always a way to rise above it.