— NO ONE IN THE CAMP WERE the same from the events that happened in the previous day, everyone still couldn't believe what they had seen come out of the barn.. They didn't want to believe what they had seen. Ever since the group had found Sophia as a walker, the group had barely said another word to each other. Zoe went back to Nate's tent after the barn incident, and she didn't want to leave his side. She hadn't exactly left the tent ever since that day, and she didn't want to - he made her feel safe, and she didn't want that feeling to go, especially in a world like this. Zoe wanted to hide away from the world even more when she found out they had to leave the farm - and didn't know what they were going to do now, as Lori was pregnant.. They couldn't be travelling in the caravan with her mom in this state, especially when it came to food, she would need all of the nutrition she needs for the baby. Even Nate had begun worrying about what they were going to do - especially since it was stressing Zoe out. Since Hershel had told them to pack and leave, he had been needing to be there for Zoe, making sure that she was okay, as the last thing he wanted, was for her to be okay.
Everyone in the camp could tell that this was hurting Rick more than anything else - he had been the one to make the call on the search for Sophia, when all along, she had been in the barn. But, everyone knows that it wasn't his fault and he couldn't have known. Zoe knew that her dad was someone that took other people's pain in like it was his own - it was something that the Grimes all had in common, and it wasn't a good trait to have, especially in a world like this. If Rick was the leader, he needs to change his ways.. You can't save everybody.
"The ceremony is in a minute." Nate told Zoe, popping his head into the tent, to see her in the same place he had left her when he left earlier in the morning to sort out the bodies with the others and bury the ones they knew. When she simply nodded at him, with no other words, he sighed and laid down next to her, allowing her to cuddle his body, "This was no-ones fault." He told her, as he stroked her hair, "No one knew that she was in there, especially not your dad." He said. He knew that Zoe had been worried about her father, but even more about being kicked off of the farm - they had all gotten on so well here, it would be a shame to have to move on, especially since Glenn had found something in Maggie, Hershel's daughter.
"What are we gonna do?" She asked, not bothering with anything else he had mentioned, the only thing running through her mind right now, was if her mom was going to be okay, and if they were going to be able to look after her. "We can't leave. We have nowhere to go, we don't have a reliable food or water source, my mom's pregnant, Nate. Hershel can't kick us out." She rambled, as he carried on playing with her hair in attempt to relax her.
"I know." He said quietly, also thinking the same as her - although he hadn't spoken much with Lori, or Rick for that matter, he cared for them deeply, along with Carl, because they were Zoe's family, and he would do anything to keep her happy. "Maybe when she tells him, he might change his mind." Nate spoke, having some sense. Surely, a religious man like Hershel wouldn't kick out a pregnant woman onto the street? All Rick had to do, was tell him.
"Yeah." Zoe agreed, looking up at Nate with lust in her eyes, she truly didn't know what she did to deserve him in her life. She didn't even know how the two of them happened, she guessed it was from the night in the CDC, but she didn't know. The two had gotten along better than anyone else in the camp, besides Zoe and Glenn - so it didn't come to a surprise for anyone else in the camp when the two began to show their feelings.
Rick knew. Nate knew that he knew, but the question was, why hadn't he said anything? He was sure that the man didn't like him or his brothers when he first arrived at the camp outside of Atlanta, mostly because of Merle, but maybe since the farm, his opinion had changed. Rick knew that Nate made his daughter happy, as well as Lori, and the two decided to let the two of them get along with it, not wanting to destroy something good in Zoe's life. They all needed someone to hang onto in this new world, and Nate was the perfect guy for Zoe.
"Let's go." Nate told her, stroking the side of her face, causing the girl to smile for the first time since the incident - he never failed to make the girl smile. Giving her a quick kiss, they both got up, and set off for the ceremony of their loved ones.
——
For most of the day, Zoe had stuck near Glenn, due to the fact he had been upset about having to leave Maggie. She had tried cheering him up, but nothing would work - Zoe didn't even know how she would feel if she had to leave Nate, the two of them had basically become inseparable. "If she offers, are you gonna stay here?" She asked him as she sat besides him on the swing on the porch.
Glenn looked at her with a shocked look, "You think she'd ask?" He asked Zoe, not believing her words. He didn't think that he would be welcome after the whole barn incident, but then again, he was terrible at reading girls.
Zoe shrugged as she looked out at the farm she would have to leave, and as she did so, she saw Nate walking up to the two of them - "Maybe." She spoke, watching him approach the best friend duo. "She seems like she likes you a lot." She informed her friend, as he seemed pretty oblivious to his whole relationship with Maggie. Even being younger than him, she knew a lot more. When Glenn didn't reply, Zoe looked towards the front door, to see Maggie, just walking out, probably having heard Glenn's voice. Quickly, she nudged him, and motioned towards the girl, causing him to lighten up at the sight of her.
With a smile and a quick side hug, Glenn rushed off to speak to her, and Zoe wished that he would go with his heart, no matter what. "What was that about?" Nate asked, walking up to the girl with his rifle in hand. He had just been let off of guard duty, and the first thing he thought of, was to see her, and he was glad he did, as she still seemed down. Nate knew that Hershel wasn't going to kick them out of the farm, not if Lori reveals she's pregnant. He was sure of it.
"I think Maggie wants Glenn to stay on the farm when we leave." She told him, squinting her eyes to look up at him due to the sunlight, "I think he should. If he wants to." She said. Sure, she would miss her best friend - but she didn't want to be the one to stop him from being with his potential love. If it wasn't for her mom, dad and brother, Zoe would probably pick to stay with Nate, too..
Nate furrowed his brows at her, not expecting that answer from the girl, "You'd be okay with that?" He asked. Since the first time he met her, he had seen Zoe and Glenn hit it off, they had been best friends since the beginning of the outbreak; no one in the group could imagine the two without each other, even if they hadn't been hanging out as much as they used to.
Zoe shrugged, "I mean, it's not up to me, is it? If Glenn loves Maggie then he should do what he wants." She answered truthfully, knowing that she would do the same if the scenario was different.
Nate smiled at her encouragingly, "Well, we're not leaving so he doesn't have to make that decision yet." He told her.
Zoe shook her head at him, not knowing why he was trying so hard to convince her that they weren't going to get kicked off of the farm, when everyone had heard what Hershel said. "I don't know why you think that.." She began to say, only for a loud chatter of broken dishes or glasses to sound in the kitchen in the house, breaking the two out of their conversation. Within seconds, the two had rushed inside of the house to find what had happened, only to find Beth, passed out on the floor by the sink, "What happened?" She asked, instantly rushing towards the girl on the floor.
Maggie shook her head, "I don't know, she just collapsed!" She informed Zoe, as the two of them hovered over Beth. No one knew what had happened, it seemed as if the girl was fine one minute, then collapsing in the next. "Is she okay?" Maggie asked frantically.
Zoe leaned over to listen to Beth's breathing, and it seemed like she was breathing extremely fast to be normal. "I think she might be in shock." Zoe suggested, then placing her head on the girls chest to see if she could hear her heart beat, and she could tell instantly that something wasn't right, "Her heart rate is really high." She informed everyone.
It was then, did Nate lift the girl up and bring her upstairs so she could rest on a bed, and in the next few minutes, Lori had shown up after hearing the news of what happened to Beth. After informing Maggie the same thing that Zoe had guessed, the group of them were wondering where Hershel had gone off too, as it was unusual of him to leave without letting anyone know. "Where's Hershel?" Lori asked Maggie, knowing that they definitely needed him to treat his daughter.
"We can't find him anywhere." Glenn informed Lori, as he and Nate stood to the side. It was then, did Lori leave to get Rick, knowing that something definitely wasn't right. If anyone knew what to do, it would be him..
"Your stepmothers things?" Rick asked, as he looked through the things in Hershel's room. Not long after seeing Beth, Lori rushed to get Rick, and within ten minutes, he and Shane had arrived to get to the bottom of where the man had gone.
"He was sure she'd recover." Maggie answered, still feeling awful for her dad. "And he'd just pick up where they left off." She informed them all.
This made Zoe feel awful that her group had ended up opening the barn and killing everything in there, but then again, Hershel had unrealistic expectations, and what happened.. Happened for the best. As they all stood in his room, Zoe was the closest to Shane, watching as he picked through photos on the dresser, and when he picked up a hip flask, which seemed to have been drunk dry. "It looks like he found an old friend." Shane revealed to the rest of the group, after he and Zoe had gotten a good look at it.
After chucking it to Rick, Maggie spoke again, "That belonged to my grandfather." She informed them all. "Gave it to dad when he died." She said.
"I didn't take Hershel for a drinker." Rick told her.
"No, he gave it up on the day I was born. He didn't even allow liquor in the house." Maggie said, not believing that her father could have possibly drank any.
"What's the bar in town?" Rick then asked, knowing that Hershel could have had a relapse. Zoe wouldn't blame him if he did; his whole life had been turned upside down..
"Hatlands." Maggie told them. "He practically lived there in his drinking days." She said.
"Then that's where I'll find him." Rick revealed.
"Yeah I've seen the place. I'll take you." Glenn told Rick, as he had been to town many times during supply runs with Maggie - he knew how to get around.
"I'll come with, for backup." Nate then spoke, causing Rick to nod appreciatively. As soon as he said this, Zoe's heart sunk, knowing that it meant she would have to spend some time away from him, she didn't like it, but then again, she wasn't going to stop him. When her father left the room to get the truck, Zoe immediately rushed up to Nate.
"Are you sure you want to go?" She asked, really not wanting him to go and leave her. It seemed as if her mom had the same idea, as she stalked after Rick as soon as he left the room. "I mean, it's pretty dangerous and I don't want you.." She said.
"I'll be fine." He assured her, taking her hand in his, ignoring Shane's glare from behind Zoe. The man thought of himself as the girls dad, and it wasn't a secret that he didn't like any of the Dixon's.. "You don't have to worry about me." He told her. When she gave him the puppy dog eyes that always got Zoe what she wanted, he sighed and pulled her in for a hug so he didn't have to see her upset.
No matter what, he would always come back to her.