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Natalie went out of the house to the barn, she went over to her stepmother and sat next to her, with her knees up to her chest, "I'm so sorry, I wish I was here, to protect you and Shawn, you deserve that much from me, but I wasn't," tears streamed down her face as she remembered her stepmother's kindness, "I hope you can forgive me."
She buried her head into her knees as she cried silently, she felt a hand on her neck when she saw that it was Lori, who was giving her a small smile, an attempt to comfort her, she shrugged it off.
She heard multiple footsteps approaching the area, "want us to start burying them?" T-Dog spoke.
"Let's dig a grave for Sophia," Lori ordered causing Natalie to turn her head towards her.
"And my stepmom and brother," Natalie said with a scowl, standing up and turning around to the group. She had tear stains on her cheek and her face was red from the anger she felt towards Shane. No one responded to her. "Over by the trees," Natalie said a little calmer and pointing towards them. It looked peaceful there, far away from the horrors of the barn.
"I'll get the truck," Shane grumbled and walked away.
"The truck?" Jimmy questioned.
"We bury the ones we love, we burn the rest," Andrea responded easily.
"Everyone deserves a proper send-off," Natalie snapped.
"We don't have time, there are too many bodies," Lori responded.
"Then you should've thought twice before shooting them all," Natalie growled.
She stormed away, got herself a shovel and started to walk towards the trees where they wanted the burial. She stared at the ground then started digging.
Hours had passed and no one had uttered a word to anyone, Natalie never looked up to look at Rick's group, fearing she would snap and hurt someone.
Natalie went back into the house to see her father packing up Annette's things into a suitcase. Her white dresses, her pictures, her jewellery, any and all of her belongings were packed up.
He was dressed up in a shirt and trousers, still missing his tie. Picking up his tie, Natalie went over to him and wrapped it around his neck. "Daddy?" She started, "How you feeling?" she said as she tied the first knot.
"They're gone," he said back with a single tear falling down his cheek.
She finished up the tie and held his cheek, wiping away the tear. She pulled him into a hug and felt his body shake.
"Come on," she said pulling away, "It's time."
The two groups stood in a line staring at the graves, in silence.
Herschel said no words like he had for Otis.
Shane hadn't done his soliloquy like he had for Otis.
As far as Natalie could tell, he didn't care for their loss.
One by one, they had left the site until there were no bodies left, except for the ones who slept in the grave.
Natalie was with the horses. She tended to her horse, trying to distract herself. She heard the door open, she turned to see Rick. Not wanting to see him she turned back around.
"How you feeling Natalie?" Rick started. Natalie rolled her eyes sick and tired of people asking her about her feelings, she just wanted to forget.
When Rick realised she wasn't going to respond she walked to the other side of the horse, opposite Natalie, "What's her name?"
"Cupcake." Rick raised his brow up at her with a smirk. "I named her when I was five." She explained the immature name, whilst smiling briefly. "She was a gift from my mom before she left."
"I thought she died," Rick asked.
"That would be Maggie's mother," she informed whilst brushing the horse's mane. "My mom left me and my dad, on my fifth birthday."
"I'm sorry," Rick said sincerely. Whilst petting Cupcake's back but never taking his eye's off of Natalie.
"Don't be," she scoffed and let out a harsh laugh, "she was a bitch, I left home just to go find a woman who never wanted to be found." She sighed. "I left home, I left the people who loved me infinitely, I left them behind for my own selfish needs, I never came back not even when I found her, not when I graduated, not when I got my job as a surgeon, not even when I got married, not until I had Emmy, and even after she was born, I hardly came here."
"You're here now." Rick comforted, "that's what matters now."
"I came late," Natalie said as tears appeared in her eyes, "Beth's mother and my stepbrother are dead, if I was here I would've been able to protect them so no one would be dead!" Natalie shouted tears falling down her cheeks. Rick came by her side and pulled her into a hug, at first she didn't wrap her arms around him, they stuck by her side, until she suddenly felt more comfortable and then she slowly brought up her arms, around his waist.
"This isn't your fault."
"Worst of all I never got to say goodbye to any of the people I've lost," she said pulling away and wiping at her eyes. "Not to Annette, not to Shawn not even to Chris."
"Chris?" Rick asked.
"My husband." She said pointing to her ring finger. He nodded. "Most times I couldn't stand him, there were times he would just be so irrational and- and unfaithful, I acted like I didn't know because all I ever wanted for Emmy was to have what I didn't; two loving parents." Natalie let out another harsh laugh, "I'm sorry, I have no idea why I'm even telling you this."
"It's alright, you needed to get it out of you it seemed, and I don't mind, after everything you've done for us, I think I should pay you back somehow."
She smiled, "Just help me keep my family alive."
"I will." He nodded firmly and smiled.
"NATALIE!" Maggie screamed from the house. Causing both, Rick and Natalie to dart back to the house.
"What is it?" Natalie asked frantically, "What's happened?"
"It's Beth," Maggie said crying.
Natalie and Rick stormed up into her room, to see Beth lying on the bed eyes up at the ceiling. "Oh my god, Beth." Natalie softly grabbed her chin and looked at her eyes, "She's in shock. Can you hear me, baby?"
"Where's Herschel?" Rick asked.
"We can't find him anywhere," Glenn informed.
"Oh, Christ," Natalie said storming out and into her father's room.
The entire group had joined her, looking through Annette's things. "Your stepmother's things?" Rick asked.
Maggie nodded, "he was so sure she would recover, that they'd pick up where they left."
"Looks like he found an old friend," Shane said chucking a flask a Rick.
"I didn't take Herschel for a drinker," Rick stated.
"He started when my mom left then stopped when Maggie was born," Natalie stated.
"Yeah, he didn't even allow liquor in the house." Maggie continued.
"Is there a bar in town?" Rick asked.
"Hatlin's."
"Then that's where I'll find him," Rick said.
"I've seen it, I'll take you there," Glenn said.
"I'll come too," Natalie said.
"We need you here," Maggie spoke up. "What if something happens to Beth while you're gone."
"Nothing will happen, just keep her hydrated and keep an eye on her" Natalie said looking at her sister, "she needs her father. That's all, someone to remind her of her mother. Besides, it's my job to look out for all of you, you're safe here, dad isn't out there. So let me go get him." Maggie sighed but nodded. Natalie pulled her into a hug and kissed the side of her head, "I love you and stay strong."
"I love you too, stay safe."
Natalie smiled before walking out, leaving the commotion behind her, as Lori and Shane pestered Rick not to go. She walked to the car and sat in the passenger's seat.
After five minutes or so, the two men finally got into the car.
Rick drove the car down the road, Natalie stared out the window looking at all the scenery around her, it looked untouched, the way nature should be.
She turned her head slightly, when Glenn came in between the two front seats, fumbling with the shotgun in his lap.
"Maggie said she loved me." Causing Natalie to look on ahead to the road whilst smiling to herself. "She doesn't mean it." Then causing her smile to drop and her eyebrows to scrunch up in confusion. "She can't - she's- she's upset- confused."
"Hold on there, Maggie may be in pain and she may be grieving," Natalie started, "but she's smart enough to know what she's feeling."
"No, no," Glenn responded shaking his head, "she wants to be in love, she wants someone to- to..."
"Glenn, it's pretty obvious to everyone Maggie loves you, and it's not like you're the last man standing, so what's the problem?" Rick laughed.
"I didn't say it back," Glenn said bluntly, "I've never had a woman say that to me before. You know, except my mom and my sisters."
"Maggie's the same, Glenn," Natalie said smiling finding this amusing, "she's never said 'I love you' to anyone before, you are the first." She turned in her chair to face him, "she wouldn't say it if she didn't mean it."
"We barely know eachother, we're practically strangers. And I stood there like an idiot when she said it."
"Don't doubt that you did, but you also looked like an idiot on the horse when you came back from the pharmacy run, that's right I saw you, but you did that in front of her. And she still fell in love with you," Natalie said, "Look, I know my sister, she wouldn't lie about this, you put a smile on her face, Glenn," Natalie said happily, "what's there to smile about in this world we live in now, only your loved ones can do that, and you do that for her, you make her happy."
"She's right," Rick agreed, "and when we get back, return the favour. Not like she's going anywhere."
We approached the town and as we went to get out, Glenn started talking again, "Rick, I know about Lori, her being pregnant, I got her those pills."
This was news to Natalie but she didn't intervene in their conversation.
"I figured."
"I'm sorry I kept it from you."
" You did what you thought was right." Rick said getting out the car, "just so happened it wasn't."
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