Cassie strolled alongside Natalie as they made their way back from the clothesline, where they had just finished hanging up laundry with Amy. The group had split, with half heading into town. Shane, ever protective, had prohibited Natalie from going, but Glenn stepped forward, offering to fetch whatever she needed from the city—a gesture that elicited gratitude from her.
A flicker of frustration simmered within her, a silent rebellion against Shane's decision to keep their connection under wraps. Unfazed by the prohibition, Natalie clutched the gun Dale had given her, a tangible reminder of her newfound self-reliance. Engaging in a casual conversation about berries with Cassie, she couldn't help but let slip a different revelation.
"I think I might be in love," she blurted out, the words carrying a girlish tone that drew Cassie's curious gaze. The immediate assumption led Cassie to inquire about Ethan, but Natalie swiftly corrected the misunderstanding.
"No, wait," Natalie chuckled, shaking her head to dispel any confusion, and the two friends laughed together. Engaging in a conversation from their shared childhood, Natalie couldn't deny the undeniable warmth such talks brought.
Hushed voices maintained privacy as Natalie divulged more, leaning into the friendship's trust. "Shane?" Cassie ventured, naming the last person Natalie was close to. The unspoken dynamics between them resonated through the subtle exchange of glances. Natalie held her silence, letting Cassie's enthusiastic squeal fill the air.
Caught in the moment, they paused as Andrew, Cassie's father, checked in on them. Cassie reassured him with a thumbs-up, and the conversation resumed, delving into the nuances of Natalie's connection with Shane.
"He's old... almost my dad's age," Natalie confessed with a casual shrug, attempting to downplay the age difference. As Cassie expressed confusion, Natalie delved into the complexities of their situation, weaving a narrative of legality and comfort. Urging Cassie into secrecy, she explained the need to keep their relationship concealed.
"Why? Wouldn't it not matter?" Cassie questioned, her head tilted in confusion.
Natalie, caught in the uncertainty of Shane's motives, turned away, avoiding Cassie's scrutinizing gaze. "I don't know."
𓇻
Returning to the site, an eerie emptiness permeated the air, casting a gloomier shadow than usual. The once-bustling spaces now echoed with a haunting silence, the absence of familiar faces creating a void. The usually vibrant surroundings seemed dulled, with fewer people dotting the landscape, leaving only the children and two other women meandering about.
Among them, Lori's figure stood out, strolling through the desolate site, a palpable sense of solitude enveloping the once lively location. "Half of them in this bag are safe; Blue ones can be used for medication" Andrew informed Lori handing the woman the bag.
"Thank you, we could use the most medication that we can get right now." Lori held onto the bag and looked inside of it eyeing the food berries compared to the ones that can be used to save someone who had gotten hurt. "Is everything okay?" She had checked up on her daughter.
Strolling over to her mom; watching Cassie go towards the lake with her father ruffling her hair. Everything inside of her would always be jealous when she saw things like this missing it. "Yeah, I'm fine" Slowly retorting her eyes away from this. "You don't think we can use some of those berries for breakfast now?"
"We're going to have to look" Placing the bag on the table outside of the RV. "You can help Coral do it if you want, she should be back from her bathroom break in a minute." Lori continued to eye, Natalie causing the young woman to become uncomfortable turning and looking at her mom with a fake smile knowing that the energy was off. Picking up that there was something that wasn't being said to her.
Carl and Sophia were both sitting close to the small radio listening in on it and waiting for something since it was what they had to do to kill any time that was boring them. "Hello? Hello?" A male voice had questioned over the static all around's ears had perked up turning the direction thinking that it was nothing but a mistake. "Can anybody hear my voice?"
Quickly Amy had run towards the radio picking up the walkie and speaking into it. "Hey? Hello!?" Worry came out of her voice since this was the first time they had heard anything since Shane and the three of them had come to the sight of being the last people to do so.
Lori, Dale and Natalie the three of them gathering around listening. "Can you hear my voice?" It came out static with barely any trace of what the person on the other side had truly sounded like.
"Yes, I can hear you!" The blonde exclaimed happily. "You're coming through."
"Anybody who reads, please respond. Broadcasting on the emergency channel. We'll be approaching Atlanta on Highway 85." The man continued to speak not hearing Amy's response. "Anybody reads, please respond."
"We're just outside the city. Damnit." Amy cursed hitting the radio as the man's voice cut out. "Hello? Hello?" She tried again to reach him. "He couldn't hear me. I couldn't warn him."
"Try to raise him again," Dale instructed before noticing Shane walking over from his gathering wood journey with Ethan. Natalie was shocked that the man had come back with no bruises on him. Wondering what they had talked about not wanting the two of them together. "Come on, son. You know best how to work this thing."
Putting the axe inside of the wood; grabbing the walkie and putting it to his mouth bending down a little. "Hello, hello, is the person who called still on the air?" He spoke into the radio waiting for a response but it was nothing but static. "This is Officer Shane Walsh, broadcasting a person unknown, please respond." Once more nothing was causing Shane to sigh. "He's gone."
Trying to come up with something to keep everyone's mind on something good that could come out of this stranger and whoever was trying to contact them. "He's going into the city, he can't be that far from the group" Shane looked up at her talking.
"He's as dead as them" Ethan joined the group crossing his arms and eyeing Natalie.
Lori had folded her arms; "There are others. It's not just us." Hopefulness had come out of her voice.
"Yeah, we knew there would be right?" Shane's words had almost sounded backhanded coming out of his mouth, but he was just tired of the loss of hope. "That's why we let the CB on."
"Lots of good it's been doing." The brown-haired woman scoffed; one hand lying on her hip. "And I've been saying for a week, that we ought to put signs up on 85 to warn people away from the city."
"Folks got no idea what they're getting into." Amy chimed in from Shane's eye level.
"We don't have enough time." Shane shut them down standing back up on his feet with the hat in his hand; Dale eyed Natalie from the side knowing that she had a lot to say but didn't know how to say it and if she wanted to.
The older man had eyed her nodding his head for her to say something. "We can easily make time." Her voice came out soft and demanding almost. "Send people one at a time down there, scope out if there are people."
"Or walkers" Shane cut her off; glaring at her a bit. "We don't have the luxury of doing that." Rubbing his mouth looking away from her as he was talking. "We are surviving here. We are day to day."
"Who would we send? Iris? Lori?" Dale turned listening to Lori and Natalie's conversation.
"I'll go. Give me a vehicle." Lori declared not backing down.
Rubbing the side of his neck while catching his breath. "Nobody goes anywhere alone, you know that." Shane rolled his eyes annoyed that she was questioning his leadership.
A pout had formed on her lip; "It's not fair" Natalie complained crossing her arms and storming off since she wasn't able to do anything.
She wanted to learn how to use a gun, or what was happening in the city so that when it came time to go she wasn't lost overthinking the fact that it was easier to die now than it would've ever been before. The dirty blonde-haired girl had made her way past Shane storming away.
Lori had started getting ready to talk her daughter down before Shane stepped in front of her. "I'll handle this one." He spoke with his hand out before turning and making his way following in the ghost of Natalie.
The young women started to storm away towards the tent area of the site. "What, are you pissed at me?" Hearing Shane's voice following behind her caused Natalie to turn a little looking at him yet continuing to walk ducking and going into the tent she shared with her family. "You can be pissed at me all you want. It's not gonna change anything. Nat."
Natalie had stood there with her hands holding her almost in a hug of its own. "Change what that it's not fair." Turning to him and tilting her head a little bit. "None of it's fair, Shane. Can you not take it?"
"I'm not putting you in danger okay?" Shane strolled over to her, cupping the sides of her face; causing her to look up more at him. His finger stroked the side of her face softly. "I make you feel like sometimes you wanna slap me upside the head... I'll tell you what, girl. If you feel that need, you go right ahead. I'm right here."
Staring into her eyes as she looked up at him angered. He bit the bottom of his lip waiting for something. "I'm serious" Natalie's eyes searched his, looking at every speck.
"So am I" He smirked moving his hands to cup the back of her head; around the neck area.
Her voice tone was more sensitive to protect herself than it was to protect him. "Then don't smirk at me, or laugh"
"You can't just walk off, all half-cocked. Like that" His voice became serious one more time. "Do it for my sake, if you have to"
"Yours?" Teasing him with a smirk.
In the hushed atmosphere, Shane's quiet hum reverberated, setting a subtle rhythm to the unfolding moment. Natalie, feeling the tension in the air, slowly raised her arms, encircling them around his well-defined, muscular neck. With a firm yet gentle grip, he drew her closer, their bodies almost melding together.
Their faces hovered mere inches apart, breaths mingling before Shane, unable to resist the magnetic pull, pressed his lips forcefully against hers. The kiss was a collision of raw intensity, a symphony of longing, and passion. Natalie responded in kind, meeting the fervour with equal ardour, the connection forming an unspoken pact between them. His hand had come up with his hand inside of it, holding the side of her face and walking her backwards towards her bed.
"Iris!" Carl had called using Shane to get off of the young women, and Natalie stood up with Carl ducking his head coming into the tent. He acted as if nothing was happening between the two of the.
Shane ruffled the kid's hair ducking out of the tent and leaving the siblings behind. "Mom wanted me to come check on you so that it didn't look weird of her coming back here."
Natalie chuckled, smiling and wiping a tear that was in the corner of her eye. "Nosy" Joking along with him. "I'm fine; You?"
Carl silently nodded his head with a small smile. "Yeah." Lori acted as if she wasn't watching and seeing both of her kids check in on each other; with a small smile on her lips happy that they looked out for each other in times like this instead of just letting go.