Emerging from the bathroom, Natalie almost collided with Maggie, whose startled reaction indicated she hadn't expected the encounter. Natalie, curious, asked if everything was right and closed the bathroom door behind her, emphasizing the need for a private conversation. The two hadn't connected in a while, each preoccupied with their respective responsibilities.
Maggie, visibly nervous, nodded in response. Natalie, keenly observant, registered the unease and nodded in understanding. As her gaze shifted to the kitchen, where her father was, Maggie seized Natalie's arm, ushering her outside of the house in a hurry.
In the shaded corner of the farm, away from prying eyes, Maggie divulged the urgency. "My dad's trying to get rid of ya'll," she confessed. It was information Natalie was already acquainted with, having had a conversation with Rick about convincing Hershel to extend their stay.
Natalie, standing there with a mixture of apprehension and fear, acknowledged, "I know. My dad mentioned something about convincing him to stay longer." The sunlight played across Maggie's face as they both squinted, contemplating the uncertainties that lay ahead.
"He's certain, ya'll are nun but danger" Maggie admitted to her, shifting on her feet feeling guilty about this. "' Specially after that incident with Daryl."
Natalie sighed, recognizing the weight of the situation. "Yeah, that didn't help our case," she acknowledged. "But we're not all the same. We just need a bit more time to prove ourselves."
Maggie nodded, understanding the complexity of the predicament. "I know, but my dad can be stubborn. He thinks this farm is the last haven left, and he doesn't want anything jeopardizing that."
"It's safe to keep Walker's away..." Natalie pointed out, Maggie blinked a couple of times shocked that she knew this information.
Holding on for a second the two of them waited; Maggie seemed to be irritated now. "Glenn told you...."
"We just need a little more time," Natalie reiterated not caring if Glenn told her or not, a plea in her eyes. "We can't survive out there on our own, not in this world. We need this place. I need this place, Maggie...Walkers or not..."
Maggie sighed, torn between loyalty to her family and sympathy for Natalie's predicament. "I'll try talking to him too, but I can't promise anything. After ya'll found out about it" she admitted, glancing back at the farmhouse where her father's stubbornness could alter the fate of their group.
Maggie sighed, looking at her hands, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Are you and Glenn, you know, sleeping together? You can tell me, and all, but I just wa—"
"No... No," Natalie shook her head, a small laugh escaping her lips. She couldn't help but find the question a bit amusing. "We're just friends, Maggie. Nothing more."
Maggie raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Really? 'Cause it seemed like there might be something more going on. I mean, you're always together, and, well, people talk, you know?"
Natalie chuckled, "Glenn's a great guy, but too young for me...." Crossing her arms around her chest with a small tilt of her head. Maggie eyed this and nodded her head.
Maggie gave her a knowing look. "Okay, just making sure."
Natalie grinned, appreciating Maggie's attempt to lighten the mood. "He's a great guy though," Admitted to her knowing that Glenn liked Maggie since he laid his eyes on her with it being a bit obvious. "He told me 'cause he was worried..."
The young woman had turned to the smell of food being made, it hurting her stomach cringing at the smell of it. "Ya' okay?" Eyeing Natalie who nodded her head swallowing the throw up at the bottom of her stomach trying to come up and out of her stomach.
Nodding her head trying to lie, knowing if she opened her mouth up would come out. "I gotta go on the run, but...." Natalie gave her a thumbs up with both of them walking away from one another. Holding onto her stomach that was acting up on her.
Dale observed Natalie from a distance, his eyes thoughtful as the woman settled into a creaking rocking chair. The world seemed to weigh heavily on her shoulders, and Dale could sense the internal struggle she was experiencing. Lori, her mother, cast a knowing look at her daughter, a silent acknowledgement of the turbulent emotions that accompanied the challenges Natalie faced.
Seated in the rocking chair, Natalie grappled with a barrage of thoughts that threatened to overwhelm her. The ominous prospect of Walkers in the barn loomed in her mind, tangled with the complex realities of her pregnancy, the ambiguous nature of her relationship with Shane, and the looming threat of being expelled from the only haven she had felt secure in for quite some time.
The rhythmic creaking of the chair mirrored the internal oscillations of Natalie's emotions. The air carried a heavy silence, punctuated only by the distant sounds of life on the farm. Each creak seemed to echo the weight of her concerns, and Dale continued to watch, a quiet guardian of the young woman caught in the tumult of her thoughts.
"My wife was pregnant" It broke her out of the train of thought and turned to Dale, walking up the house and standing against the railing. "She was a meat-eating gal-- my wife. But with the pregnancy...that Thanksgiving the turkey, she couldn't be in the house for two days before it was aired out could smell it from miles away, poor thing."
Sitting in silence she didn't know how much Glenn told Dale. "Shane..." Were the words leaving Dale's mouth causing her stomach to drop? "Glenn couldn't hold it in."
"He was supposed to tell you about the Walkers." Natalie sat up a bit on the chair making herself more comfortable.
Dale chuckled. "Well, he did...But it was obvious he was concerned for your safety with these said Walkers on site." Ducking down to meet her eyes the two of them looked each other in the eyes. "Is it Shanes?"
"Yea, no doubt" Natalie rubbed the side of her nose examining the situation and how it looked. "It looks bad, but everything was with my consent, always has been..."
"That's all that matters, yea," Dale reassured her eyeing the young woman. "Does Rick know....He doesn't does he." Natalie nodded rubbing her hands down on her pants tired of hiding this from everyone but not wanting to tell until she knew what she wanted to do with the baby.
Waiting for a second Dale continued to eye Natalie; "Glenn said you're not keeping it...." Hearing that out loud Natalie's heart dropped cocking her head to the side trying to keep her emotions inside of her.
"Dale...My little brother was just shot," Natalie tried to make him understand why she didn't want a baby running around doing anything at the moment. "This baby's daddy's only thought in this world is survival...Shane gave up on Sophia how do I know he wouldn't do that to his own."
The silence that was formed between the two of them made Natalie know everything that she needed to know. "Are you sure it's not Ethan's..." Almost as if he didn't want this to be Shane's baby one bit.
Nodding her head. "I and Ethan haven't done anything since a couple of months ago... Besides, we always used protection." Informing the man who seemed to want to know everything about what was going on. "I'll tell Shane when he comes back," Lying just wanting to end the conversation.
Natalie got up from the chair and went down the steps leaving Dale sitting there confused and not knowing what to do about the whole thing.
𓇻
Lori, Carl, and Natalie retraced their steps back to the chicken coop, a sense of camaraderie prevailing among them. Natalie, regretful of missing out on the previous visit with her little brother, joined them with a determined spirit. The trio found themselves surrounded by clucking chickens, their feathers shimmering in the sunlight.
Lori settled into a comfortable position, tossing handfuls of feed towards the eager flock, each grain creating a small flurry of excitement among the feathery residents. Natalie stood beside Carl, mimicking her mother's actions, but she couldn't shake off the playful facade. With a subtle grimace, she pretended that the scent of the chickens bothered her, suppressing a smile as she engaged in the playful charade.
Carl caught up in the moment, laughed as he observed the amusing act Natalie put on. The three of them, amidst the clucking and pecking of the chickens. "It's not that bad," Carl talked about the smell putting more food in front of the birds.
Holding on for a second and cringing away; "It smells like shit,"
"Language," Lori threw the chicken food towards the young woman. "Why don't you take a break." Knowing why the smell was bothering her Natalie shook it off.
"You're always so worried about us." Carl teased Lori a little bit.
Natalie raised her eyebrows, "It was worse before you," Elbowing her brother with their mom laughing and shaking her head.
"It's my job," Lori mentioned to both of them. "We have to be worried all the time about our kids."
Waiting for a second to nod her head understanding that if she went through with this baby that's all she would be doing. More than what she does with just Carl as well. "No, it's not. You're a housewife." Carl joked Natalie laughed ducking her head away from the chickens.
Lori was shocked by this but amused throwing the birdseed towards her youngest. "Yeah, Punk?" Carl had laughed at his response. "You see my house around here?"
"Then what does that make me." Natalie turned to Carl who was about to say something. "Be careful, I have the water." Warning her little brother who went silent shaking his head; Lori laughed at this.
Still stunned by all of this; "Maybe he deserves the water now that I'm thinking about it."
Going back to doing their things; not talking for a second before Carl pointed something out with the baby chicks around. "They don't have a mom," Not letting either woman answer. "Maybe she got eaten."
Lori stopped for a second looking at her youngest and the mindset he was grabbing onto. Natalie took a second ruffling Carl's hair, "Everything is food for something else."
"I guess, you're right" Trying to just give in to what Carl was saying to her.
The sounds of the gate opening caused Lori and Natalie to turn to it. Rushing over to the women, Maggie seemed to be on the edge of anger coming back from the run. "Hey! We got your stuff!" Maggie's yell broke.
Natalie thought she was coming towards her, but instead going to Lori remembering that Lori was the one who told Glenn to go and get these pills under her name.
So now Maggie thought Lori was the one trying to get rid of her baby. "Maggie hang on please!" Glenn quickly followed along, Carl was now paying attention to this confused about what was happening and why Maggie was mad.
"Come on, over here." Lori played into it so that no one else knew that her nineteen-year-old daughter was pregnant.
Maggie didn't care pulling the stuff out of the bag, "Why? Nothing to hide. We got your special delivery right here." Throwing everything on the floor that Lori had asked for, The Chickens ran into the main coup more scared. "We got your lotion, got your conditioner. Your soap opera digest!"
"Maggie," Natalie tried to calm her friend down.
"Next time you want something get it yourself, we're not your errand boys." Everyone stood around not knowing what to say, Glenn not knowing how to calm her down.
Natalie's eyes gazed at the blood that was on Maggie's shirt her shirt starting to race. "And here's your abortion pills," Throwing it directly at Lori hitting the ground.
The short-haired women had started to walk away from them now leaving everyone silent. Lori didn't care about Maggie's outburst nodding for her son. "Come on, Carl- Let's go find your daddy..." Carl stared confused about everything that had happened listening and going on with Lori.
Natalie went over picking up her pills. "You didn't need to get any of this stuff, Glenn." Warning him and grabbing it all from the floor. "Go after her, I'm okay" Nodding his head and turning around to follow a storming Maggie.
Her eyes gazed at the pills in her hand, biting her lip a little bit and walking out of the chicken coup. The girl only ran her hand through her hair thinking about if Maggie was okay, not knowing if that was her blood or not.
A quiet expanse of time unfolded before Glenn managed to locate Natalie, who had sought solace amid the tall grass. Each blade seemed like a protective shield, offering her a momentary escape from the complexities that surrounded them.
Glenn approached her, crossing over a fence that stood between them, casting a watchful eye on Carl and Ethan in the distance. The two of them were engrossed in their world, with Carl learning how to correctly sharpen wood to be a spear.
Strolling towards her he had groaned a bit sitting next to her. "Maggie's okay?" Turning her head squinting at the boy with a hat. "I don't want her to be mad-"
"We were attacked." He had informed her knowing that since she seemed shaken up along with blood being on her shirt. "That was what the blood is, It's not hers..."
Letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank god," Muttering into her hand. "I shouldn't have told my mom to ask you to make a run, for something I don't even know I need..." Pulling it out of her pocket and looking down at the pills inside of her hands.
"I offered her since you would've stopped me" Glenn exposed himself taking the hat off of his head. "We came back...Don't think about it if I didn't" He could tell she was thinking a lot about this. "I'll always come back, come-and-go boy" Joking towards her.
Natalie had laughed nodding her head remembering how sneaky he could be. "That sounds," Informing him causing Glenn to nod ducking his head and wanting to take it back.
"Will they even work...It's been two days." Glenn questioned her as she shrugged her shoulders not knowing how any of this works.
Glenn had gone into his pocket pulling something out it was a small pill bottle. "Prenatal vitamins..." He informed her, "Whatever choice you'd make I'll help you." Natalie placed her head onto his shoulder nodding and wanting to cry to Glenn.
"I love you, Glenn," Natalie said with nothing but platonic kissing the top of his head and standing up from the grass. "Thank you, for these."
"Love you too," Glenn put out there. "Iris." He called causing her to look at him before walking away fully from him. "I don't think you should be making this alone...If not Shane, tell your dad..."
Her heart was beating fast at this choice; She had nodded towards Glenn promising that she would say something to her dad or Shane. "I will," Muttering and then fully turning away.