Forager || Rick Grimes

t h i r t e e n

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Lori and Natalie left Rick in the dining room, who watched the two women, with a confused expression.

They walked out to the porch outside, Natalie leaned up against the banister staring at Lori waiting for her to start talking.

"Look I appreciate everything you've done for us; saving Carl, letting us stay, giving us food, a place to sleep but you had no right to talk to Shane the way you did just now," Lori said scowling with a low voice, to which Natalie furrowed her brows slightly. "He's being pragmatic, something that I think your family doesn't know how to do."

Natalie nodded her head in fake understanding, "I get it, you're defending your husband- oh sorry, my mistake Shane isn't your husband and you're not his wife," she said breathing out a laugh, "how stupid of me. for a second there I thought you were from the way your behaving. Do you by any chance defend Rick the way you are now for his best friend or do you always leave it for someone else to do? Just a thought." She said giving her a friendly yet sarcastic smile before walking away and climbing down the stairs to the field. Lori remained where she stood, following Natalie with her eyes.

Natalie felt them, she turned around to face her, "I have every right to talk to him the way I did, he forced my family to face their biggest fears of losing our families forever, when they weren't even  prepared to do so, he put Beth in that state, he caused my father to run off to making us follow and save then Randal," she said harshly, "Everything that has happened here has happened because of Shane."

She finally walked away, leaving Lori to scowl at her retreating figure.

Hours may have passed but Natalie didn't notice. She sat with her knees to her chest and her arms resting over her knees.

She watched nature pass by her, the wind gently moved her hair and the sea of summer grass ahead of her.

Natalie felt as though being on the farm there was an eternity in each second, a joy that came from the birdsongs and a gentle and comforting steadiness constantly filled her body.

Then she would remember the harsh reality she lived in. The reality that held walkers. That held Shane.

She signed in defeat as she attended to find a source of relaxation but had failed because of her thoughts.

Arms circled her neck, she leaned her head into their arms and exhaled seeing it was Isabel and Emilia sitting next to her. "What you doing out here ma?" Isabel asked as she rested her head on Natali's back.

"Thinking."

"About what?" Emilia asked also leaning onto her mother's side.

"There are so many things that are going through my head, that shouldn't concern you two," she said smiling at them.

"Maybe we can help," Emilia said smiling.

"How you finding it here?" Natalie asked.

"I like it, it feels safe," Isabel said, "haven't seen a walker in weeks."

"Hopefully it stays that way." Isabel lifted her head and came in front of them both, sitting cross-legged.

"Do you mind?" Isabel started looking down at her fingers, "me calling you ma?"

"Why should it?" Emilia immediately said, "you're my sister, that means my mama is your mama!" Isabel smiled but still looked at Natalie for confirmation.

"She's not wrong, you are my daughter," Natalie said opening up her arms to which Isabel instantly climbed into.

"I've never had a ma before," Isabel started, "when I was born she left me to my dad, never seen her, don't where she or what's she's been doing or what she even looks like."