western nights ( shane walsh )

2.02 ; precious loss

                                                          Not much time had elapsed since the group left the C.D.C., and their next destination was Fort Benning at Shane's insistence. Leaving the nursing home was easier than going into it, which made a lot of sense since they decided to leave during the morning the safest time of day. 

They made a necessary pit stop to refuel their vehicles and gather essential supplies. Along with Rick decided that they were going to drop one of the cars so that there weren't that many things on their trail. The relentless repetition of the sun beating down on them made the passage of time blur.

Daryl stumbled upon an abandoned motorcycle, a fortunate find amid their preparations. As everyone fueled their vehicles, ensuring they had enough to reach the next gas station, Lori observed Natalie. Natalie, clad in the same clothes she had worn for the past couple of days, had a buttoned-up shirt tied around her waist. Faith sensed a gradual departure of vitality from Natalie's demeanour over time.

Despite the shared experience at the C.D.C. and the unresolved argument, Natalie and Lori hadn't addressed the incident. Natalie emerged from the RV, a gun secured in her belt—now given to her by Rick, who had taken over the responsibility from Shane. Shane, unable to reclaim the firearm, found himself unable to have a private moment with Natalie.

"Are you finally getting in my car?" Shane questioned raising an eyebrow and grabbing the attention of the young women. 

Natalie turned toward Shane, surprise evident on her face as his voice cut through the air. "Why, want me to?" She crossed her arms, tilting her head ever so slightly, her gaze fixed on Shane. A subtle smirk played on her lips, a challenge in her eyes.

"Rick is clueless," Shane pointed out, a note of frustration in his voice. Natalie chuckled, shaking her head in disagreement. "Fort Benning is my first option... Wouldn't have lost people to it."

"Shane, don't blame Rick for something he couldn't control," Natalie defended Rick, her tone firm. Shane dipped his head, locking eyes with her as if trying to discern her thoughts. "Alright, let's settle in," Dale intervened, repeating the plea to diffuse the tension.

Nodding towards the RV, Shane followed Natalie as she finally yielded, walking up the stairs. He closed the RV door behind them, leaving Dale to watch the two disappear inside, settling into the booth.

The car ride stretched endlessly along the empty road. Natalie decided to close her eyes, lying down next to Shane. Curled up in the corner, her eyes were semi-closed, the slow attempt to fall asleep evident.

"It looks complicated," Andrea observed from across the table, watching Shane clean the inside of the pistol. His eyes lingered on Natalie's gun on the table, tempted to hide it from her, but he resisted, knowing she'd notice.

"The trick is getting all these pieces back together the same way. I can clean yours, show you how?" Shane suggested, taking out a grey pistol, and aiming it in front, Andrea's weapon. "Looks sweet."

"He gave it to me, my father," Andrea explained, laying back a bit on the table, finding comfort. "Just before Amy and I took off on our road trip. He said, 'Two girls on their own should be able to defend themselves.'"

Nodding in understanding, Shane continued, "Your father is a smart man. Look, it's a limited capacity. See, it only holds seven rounds."

"Oh jeez," Dale interjected, pulling them back into the conversation.

Natalie waited a moment, Shane tapping on her leg to wake her. Pretending to be fully asleep, she turned and rubbed her eyes, looking at Shane and nodding towards the view. Ahead of them, a traffic jam loomed, cars flipped and burned, a haunting scene left to dust with no signs of life.