Contagion Chapter Thirteen
Avery who had watched everything go down stood there in shock as she looked at Sophia's dead body as well as the other dead bodies and she turned to where Daryl was and she frowned at the sight of him holding Carol. It was clear Carol was hurting and Avery knew Daryl himself had to be hurting. He had thought Sophia was alive and now it was proven that he was wrong.
Seeing Daryl start to stand with Carol, Avery heard Daryl telling her not to look at Sophia's body and Avery felt her heartbreaking just a bit more for the woman. She wasn't sure what she'd do in her shoes but luckily she'd never be in Carol's shoes. She'd never have kids to begin with at this rate.
When Carol was finally all the way up Avery watched Carol push off Daryl before heading away from the barn and the site of the walker massacre. Looking down she felt tears in her eyes not sure what to even do at this moment to make things right or okay for anyone. There was nothing to be done.
Before anyone could say anything or do anything else though Avery looked back up as she watched a distraught Beth pull away from Jimmy and start to head towards one of the walker corpses laying on the ground.
"Wait..wait..wait," Zac spoke up as Beth walked past him and he reached out trying to stop her from going to the body on the ground.
Ignoring Zac, Beth just continued on the path to her mother's dead body. When she reached her she bent down and moved one of the other walkers off her before reaching out to touch her dead mother as she started to cry harder. "Ma," she spoke as she turned her mother's body over so she could see her face though the moment her mom's body was turned over she became hysterical when her mother lunged for her and she started to scream when her mom's hands connected with her hair before grabbing a hold of her arms.
Zac who had been watching Beth was one of the first people to her when the corpse that had been her mom lunged for her and he along with most of the other men began to pull a hysterical Beth away though her mom seemed to have almost a vise like grip on the girl and god damn it he hated to admit it out loud but he really didn't want a hair on the girl's head harmed. Not after the fact that he seemed to be getting close to her recently.
Once Beth was safely away Zac watched as Hershel took her and he turned around in time to see T-Dog kick the woman's corpse in the head though it wasn't enough to actually end her for good and she still struggled to get up, to have a fresh meal out of any of them standing there.
It was only Andrea putting a scythe through her head that seemed to stop her and he gave Andrea a satisfied smirk before turning to walk to Kate though when she just gave him a glare and walked away he raised an eyebrow wondering what he had done now to make her mad.
"We've been out... We've been combing these woods looking for her and she was in there all along?" Shane asked as he followed behind the Greene family as they headed towards their house. When they didn't answer he decided to speak again, "You knew."
Maggie turned to Shane giving the man a glare, "Leave us alone."
"Hey Shane, just stop man," Rick sighed as he reached out for Shane trying to get him to stop and leave these people alone. They too had lost people and Beth was hysterical. They didn't need Shane making things worse.
Shane pulled away from Rick's touch, "Get your hands off me," he sneered before talking to the Greene's again. "I...You knew and you kept it from us."
"I didn't know," Hershel said as he held onto Beth as they continued the walk to their house. He was feeling hopeless and he just wanted Shane to leave them alone.
"That's bullshit!" Shane muttered at Hershel's denial. "I think ya'll knew."
Maggie who was continuing to get angry at Shane turned to face him again, "We didn't know!"
"Why was she there?!" Shane continued even after Maggie's denial as well.
"Your.." Hershel started but then stopped as they reached his house and he let Patricia take Beth inside. "Otis put those people in the barn. Maybe he found her and put her in there before he was killed."
Shane almost wanted to laugh at that, "You expect me to believe that?" he asked as he inched closer to Hershel though Rick reached out to keep a barrier between them. "Do I look like an idiot?"
"Shane, hey hey hey," Rick told his friend trying to keep the peace though he wasn't sure he could at this moment.
"I don't care what you believe!" Hershel spoke as he locked eyes with Shane. He was angry at the man for even starting this whole mess to begin with.
Rick shook his head as he watched things unfold around him, "Everybody just calm down."
"Get him off my land!" Hershel yelled at Rick not wanting Shane on his land at all anymore.
"Let me tell you something," Shane stated as he walked towards Hershel again.
Maggie saw red as she watched Shane go towards her dad and she moved from where she had been standing on the porch, "Hey," she said as she reached out and stopped Shane from touching her dad. "Don't touch him!" she told Shane before slapping him hard across the face.
When Taylor stepped in and pushed Shane away from her some Maggie just shook her head as she eyed Shane, "Haven't you done enough?" she asked disgust apparent in her voice.
After Maggie spoke Hershel looked at Shane for awhile as he watched Maggie head inside and then he started up the stairs. When he made it to the top he turned to look at some of the group who had been standing there. "I mean it," he said his voice sounding serious. "Off my land."
Once Hershel headed inside Avery turned to see Zac walking off and then she looked at Taylor who was beside her, "You should probably go check on Maggie," she whispered knowing Maggie would probably need Taylor. "It's been awhile since you've been in the dating game but yeah, go check on her," she smiled before walking away to head towards the tents and try to collect her nerves after everything that had happened and went down.
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Taylor looked at Maggie as he watched her looking out the window of her house, "I have to ask you," he started knowing he had to get the one question that was bothering him now after Shane's out burst out in the open. "Did you know she was in the barn?"
When Maggie just turned to give him a look Taylor looked down and sighed knowing he shouldn't have asked her, he should have just known it in his gut. "You know, maybe in some weird way this is for the best," he mused. "At least we know and now we can move on."
"Move on?" Maggie asked as she sat on the arm rest of her couch and looked at Taylor.
Nodding Taylor looked down at Maggie, "Yeah, it's just like it meant so much to everyone. Finding her, you know? And then..."
"So now you'll just move on?" Maggie questioned interrupting Taylor as he talked. She just didn't get how the group could move on after everything that happened earlier. How did you move on from losing someone?
Again Taylor nodded, "If we can," he sighed before sitting down in a chair. "I mean, we've lost others," he said as his mind went to his own family. "This is..This is Sophia. The whole group and this one was different," he frowned before looking down. It almost felt like losing Sophia had somehow fractured the group or maybe they had already been that way and no one had noticed.
Maggie looked away from Taylor as he spoke, "So what happens now?"
"We bury her," Taylor answered watching as Maggie looked away from him. "With your step-mom and stepbrother."
"And then?" Maggie questioned him again almost afraid he'd tell her they'd leave. Maggie didn't want Taylor leaving her because she had already fallen in love with him.
Taylor shrugged, "I don't know," he answered honestly because he really didn't know what would happen after that.
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Zac who had found Kate in the tent not long after going after her sighed after just setting there in silence for awhile, "Are you going to speak to me?" he asked not really understanding why she seemed to be angry at him.
"Why don't you go talk to Beth," Kate spat out as she shook her head, her gaze not even going to her husband. "Go and talk to her because I don't want to talk to you right now."
"Is this really about Beth?" Zac asked as he sighed. "I thought we were over that issue," he muttered thinking she had gotten over her issue with Beth the day he had taken her out shooting on her own.
Kate shook her head, "We were never over it. I just pushed aside my jealousy of you taking her out alone to shoot guns. But then today at the barn you run to her instead of even checking on me," she spat out feeling as if in that moment Beth had came first to her and their child. "I'm your wife and I'm the one carrying your baby not her."
"She was close to dying Kate," Zac responded as he shook his head though he knew deep down Kate had a right to be angry. He had kissed Beth and still not confessed. He..he may have been developing feelings for the youngest Greene girl but he was trying to ignore them for the sake of his wife and he thought he was doing okay so far. "I'm not going to let someone get bit if I can help it. Last I checked you weren't close to getting bit at the barn."
Kate just laughed bitterly, "There were people closer than you Zachary. You literally moved like a damn bullet out of a gun," she frowned as she shook her head. "You used to move like that when I was in danger or you thought I was..now it seems like it's Beth you want to save," she shrugged before standing from the cot she had been sitting on. "So go talk to her because I am done talking to you," she told him before walking out of their tent. She needed to get away and just clear her head.
After Kate left Zac just stayed where he was for the longest time. He could partly see where Kate was coming from yet at the same time he couldn't and hell maybe she did have a right to be angry since he had kissed Beth and he still hadn't fessed up but if he did fess up Zac was pretty sure Kate would kill him.
Shaking his head he stood from where he sat finally and left the tent, heading towards the main house.
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Jessica who was at the barn with a few of the other group members looked up as Rick came back towards the barn. She wasn't sure why she couldn't leave here quite yet but she had been helping dispose of some of the bodies. It was a way to help her shock over the events of what had happened. It was her way to forget that Sophia was dead. That Sophia had been in the barn.
How had she and Glenn not seen her when they had snuck into the barn? How had she been right under their noses? She had been right under everyone's nose.
"You want us to start burying?" T-Dog asked as he looked at Rick.
Avery who had came back to the barn nodded at T-Dog's words, "We need a service. Carol would want that.," she spoke though she also figured Daryl would want that too. Maybe it'd help him heal. Maybe he wouldn't be as broken as he had been before. He was just starting to come around.
"Yeah, we all want that," T-Dog replied as he looked at Avery.
When Rick didn't say anything Lori sighed before looking down briefly and then back up at the group, "Let's... let's dig a grave for Sophia, and Annette and Shawn, uh, over by those trees," she nodded knowing that would be a nice place to bury them. "And we'll need a truck to move the bodies."
"I'll get the keys," Jimmy volunteered but was stopped by Shane.
Putting his arm out Shane shook his head, "No no," he repeated before walking off to go get the keys for the truck. "I got the truck."
"And the others?" Jimmy asked as he looked at the other corpses besides the ones Lori had mentioned for them to bury. "That's a lot of digging."
"We bury the ones we love and burn the rest," Avery answered Jimmy as she gave him a sad smile.
Seeing Rick standing in the same spot still being silent Lori walked closer to him, "Let's get to work," she spoke knowing they had a lot to do.
After Lori spoke Avery sighed as she began to pick up bodies to put in a pile to move. Seeing Jessica coming towards her she raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"Just wondering how Daryl was doing?" Jessica asked as she shrugged. "I know he was hoping we'd find her."
"I think everyone was hoping that," Avery answered as she shook her head. "But I don't know how he is. Last I saw him he went on the RV where Carol was. I'm afraid he is going to close himself off again when he was just opening up," she admitted not sure what she would do if it came to that point.
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Walking in the woods Kate eventually came to a stop behind some trees as she broke down crying. She hadn't meant to lash out at Zac like she had. She hadn't meant to get jealous about Beth, not when her real problems was the fact that Sophia was dead and again she found herself rethinking this pregnancy.
Putting a hand on her stomach as she cried she looked down at the cross necklace she wore around her neck. It had been a gift when she had gotten back into church again. Reaching up she angrily pulled it from her neck and threw it into the woods. She didn't care where it went just as long as it was off her body.
"I don't believe in you anymore," Kate spoke as she looked towards the sky. "If you existed how could you let this happen? How could you let innocent people suffer?" she asked harshly as she shook her head. "You don't exist and even if you do you have a lot of explaining to do."
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Avery sighed as she got out of one of the holes they had been digging and she wiped her hands off on her pants. Hearing T-Dog say that was it she knew the graves were ready and she turned and headed off to the RV to let Carol know that everything was ready.
Seeing that the door was open already she climbed in, looking briefly at Daryl was sitting on the counter beside the sink before looking at Carol. "They're ready," she said letting them both know they were ready to start the funeral. When Carol didn't move she frowned, "Come on," she said to the woman before chewing her lip.
"Why?" Carol asked unable to look over at Avery.
"Cause that's your little girl," Daryl answered before Avery had the chance.
Carol shook her head as she looked up at Daryl, "That's not my little girl," she spoke knowing that thing that came out of the barn wasn't Sophia. "That's some other thing," she stated as she looked away from Daryl. "My Sophia was alone in the woods. All this time I thought..." she started before getting chocked up some. "She didn't cry herself to sleep. She didn't go hungry. She didn't try to find her way back," Carol sighed as she shook her head again. "Sophia died a long time ago."
After Carol's words Avery looked down briefly feeling tears sting her eyes but she remained calm as she looked at Daryl. She could tell from the look on his face that Carol's words had affected him. That the woman's refusal to come to the funeral had affected him.
Shaking her head she backed off the RV before she broke down crying in front of Daryl and as much as she was falling for him she wasn't ready to cry in front of him.
When the funeral finally did start the only people missing where Carol and Kate though Avery wasn't sure why Kate had opted out.
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"You missed the funeral," Zac said to Kate as he watched her come into their tent. "You just decide to pull a me?" he asked her feeling angry that she had went off without telling him.
Kate shook her head at Zac's words, "No," she answered him much more calmly than she had talked to him before. "You knew I left. I just needed to clear my mind."
"So you could get paranoid about me liking Beth?" Zac asked as he walked closer to her, dropping his harsh tone as he did so. "I don't like her," he revealed as he reached Kate and cupped her cheeks in his hands. "I may have kissed her but I don't like her."
"You kissed her?" Kate asked still keeping her voice calm though she was shocked by this revelation.
Zac nodded knowing he owed her honesty, "The day I took her to shoot guns. It was just one kiss and it meant nothing," he lied again hoping she couldn't see through his lies.
Kate nodded at Zac's words, "I'm glad you told me," she smiled before moving away from him. Maybe it was his being honest that was the reason she was only shocked by his words and not hurt. All she ever wanted from Zac was honesty. "Beth's not the real reason I was angry though. I was angry because Sophia being gone..being a walker..she..she made me change my mind about being pregnant."
Hearing Kate, Zac frowned and reached out pulling her close to him again as he hugged her, "I'm sorry," he spoke as he did his best to comfort her.
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"A few more trips," Rick spoke as he watched Andrea and Mac load the bodies of the rest of the walkers into the back of the truck so they could go and burn them.
"We got lucky," Andrea told Rick as she lifted the body of the walker her and Mac were carrying into the back of the truck. "If that barn had any more, we could've been overrun."
Mac sighed as he looked at Andrea after they got the body of the walker in the truck, "Good thing Shane did what he did when he did," he agreed knowing that Shane had made a smart move.
"You can't tell me this was right," Dale said as he looked at Andrea and Mac.
"It wasn't," Rick spoke knowing Dale had a point. "It'll cost us with Hershel."
Andrea shook her head at Rick's words, "He's grieving. He'll come around, see we had no choice," she spoke before looking at Dale. "Look, I shot too. This wasn't all Shane."
"Look, I got no qualms about it," Mac said as he took Andrea's side. "Walkers in my backyard?" he mused before shaking his head no at that thought.
Looking at Mac, Dale sighed, "I'm not saying that we shouldn't have taken care of the problem, but creating a panic?!"
"There's no point arguing about it. It's done," Lori said from where she stood beside Dale.
Opening the door of the truck Mac looked at Andrea, "We better get moving," he said knowing they should haul the bodies off.
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Coming out of the kitchen where she had been helping Beth clean up Maggie looked at Taylor who had been leaning against a wall, "So if your group leaves, you wouldn't stay?"
"I... I hadn't really thought about it," Taylor answered being taken back by her question. "I mean, I... I didn't know that..." he continued trying to think of the right words but they were failing him. "Do... do you think this is really the time... To discuss this, I mean?" he asked not sure if it was after everything that had happened.
Maggie shrugged at Taylor's question, "Well, I'm not really feeling like there's a lot of time for anything," she admitted knowing that now days you weren't really guaranteed long.
"No no, there... There is," Taylor reassured her as he walked closer to her. "There is. I mean, I-I... I want..." he started but again he was at a lack of words of what to say in the moment and before he could get more words out there was a crash in the kitchen and the moment he looked towards it he saw Beth laying on the floor.
Maggie who had heard the crash turned in time to see Beth falling, "Oh my god," she muttered as she ran into the kitchen getting there right as Beth hit the floor. The dishes from the drainer were all on the floor but she ignored them as she bent down to see about her sister.
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An hour later Maggie frowned as she hovered over the bed that she and Patricia had situated Beth in, "Sweetie, can you hear me?" she asked as she looked down at her unresponsive sister. Beth's eyes were still open and just staring back at her so lifelessly. Looking up as she saw Lori come to the door Maggie sighed, "What's wrong with her?" she asked the woman a bit too harshly.
Lori who had came to check on Beth after everyone had been briefed on what happened with Beth just shook her head, "She might be in shock. Where's Hershel?"
"We can't find him anywhere," Glenn answered as he stood in Beth's room as well. He and Jessica had offered to look for Hershel as Maggie and Patricia had helped get Beth situated.
At Glenn's words Lori walked off to find her husband.
Sitting down on the bed where Beth laid Maggie reached for her hand, "Hey, kiddo," she smiled continuing to speak to her sister in hopes that she'd respond.
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"Your stepmother's things?" Rick asked Maggie as they stood in the room that was Hershel's. Lori had came and found him after she had been informed that Hershel was missing. The moment they had came in here they had found boxes of stuff on the bed. Boxes he was pretty sure belonged to Maggie's step-mother.
Maggie nodded as she leaned against the night stand in the room, "He was so sure she'd recover," she said knowing her dad had been so sure. "They'd just pick up where they left off."
Picking up a flash that was on the night stand Shane examined it, "Looks like he found an old friend."
"That belonged to my grandfather, gave it to dad when he died," Maggie answered looking at the flask that Shane had picked up.
Taylor raised an eyebrow at this information, "I didn't take Hershel for a drinker," he said surprised that he had missed those signs in Maggie's dad, especially since he himself liked to drink or well used too.
"No, he gave it up on the day I was born," Maggie stated as she took the flask from Rick after Shane had thrown it to him. "He didn't even allow liquor in the house."
Rick who had been listening to the exchange looked at Maggie as he now had an inkling where Hershel could be. "What's the bar in town?"
"Hatlin's," Maggie answered Rick. "He practically lived there in his drinking days."
Rick nodded betting that's where he would be, "Betting that's where I'll find him."
Glenn who had been in the room as well knew he had seen that place the times when he and Jessica had went to the pharmacy, "Yeah, I've seen the place," he said seeing Rick look at him. "I'll take you."
Rick smiled at Glenn's words, "All right, I'll get the truck," he said as he started to leave the room hearing Glenn follow behind him but before they could leave he turned as he heard Jessica stopping Glenn from leaving the room.
"No," Jessica stated as she held onto Glenn's arms not wanting him to go back out after what happened the last time.
Glenn locked eyes with Jessica, "It's an easy run," he told her knowing she was worried but it was easy.
"Like the pharmacy?" Jessica asked as she raised an eyebrow reminding him of their last trip.
Rick walked a bit closer to Jessica and Glenn, "Hey, Jessica?" he asked as Jessica turned to look at him. "I'll bring him back," he told her before leaving the room.
As Rick left the room Glenn walked closer to Jessica trying to explain to her that the pharmacy run was different than this run.
Watching as Rick left and Lori and Shane followed after Taylor turned to Maggie and he walked to where she was, ignoring Jessica and Glenn as they argued over him going. "I'm going to go with them," he told Maggie as he reached out to brush some hair out of her eyes.
"Why?" Maggie asked not understanding why he'd offer to go looking for her father.
"Because he is your dad," Taylor spoke as if that should make all the sense in the world. "He is your dad and I'd do that for you."
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Sometime later Rick looked down as he and Glenn waited by the car for Taylor who was still talking to Maggie. Jessica had went off after bidding Glenn goodbye and from what he could tell she was still reluctant to have the boy go out there but she had agreed to it finally.
"You ready?" Rick asked Taylor when the man walked closer to the truck after hugging and kissing Maggie for what seemed like an eternity.
"Yeah," Taylor answered his voice coming out shaky. Getting in the front seat he watched as Rick got in the driver's side and Glenn got in the back. He hated that his voice had been shaky and he hated that he was scared but Maggie's final words to him before he left had shook him to his core and somehow made him scared shitless.
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"You want to be in the main house don't you?" Kate asked as she eyed Zac. Ever since they had received news about Beth something had changed in her husband. He no longer wanted to hug her or even kiss her which was what they had been doing when they had gotten the news from Mac who had ruined what Kate was sure was going to lead to sex. Something they seemed to be doing more of lately for comfort when they got the time that was. "You want to know Beth is okay."
Looking at Kate, Zac nodded as he felt his cheeks grow hot. "I do," he confessed as he sighed. "She's a friend," he justified still not wanting to admit that he had feelings for the young girl. He may have admitted to the kiss and Kate may have been super okay with it but he knew she wouldn't be okay with his awakening feelings for Beth. If she knew she'd probably tell Hershel once Hershel was back on the farm just so the old man could kill him.
"She's a friend and I worry," Zac stated again as he ran a hand through his hair.
When Zac said that Beth was his friend twice Kate forced a smile not sure if she believed him but how could she doubt him? Yeah he had hid their kiss from her but up until now he had been a faithful husband. She trusted him...nothing could break their marriage. "Then go in there," she told him giving him her blessing.
"A..are you sure?" Zac asked as he looked at Kate, locking eyes with her.
"Positive," Kate answered as she forced another smile. It was after she spoke that she watched Zac move quickly as he exited their tent and the moment he was gone she laid back on the cot, heaving a sigh. "What's happening to my marriage?' she asked herself not sure if this new world was now affecting it too. Couldn't she have one good thing?
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Avery sat in front of the RV and crossed her arms over her chest. What she had been afraid of with Daryl had seemingly happened. He was closing himself off and he had even moved his tent farther away from the rest of the camp. "Damn it to hell," she whispered to herself not sure how she could get Daryl to open up again. He had been doing so good..they had kissed and would probably now be at square one all over again.
"You okay?" Mac asked as he came to sit down beside his sister.
Shaking her head Avery looked at Mac, "Daryl's reverted back to his old self."
"You mean he changed?" Mac asked confused.
"Yeah, he did but then Sophia's death broke him," Avery replied as she kept her eyes on Daryl's new camp site. "I don't know how to get him to open up again," she said as she looked down. She knew the days leading up to their kiss she had basically been a thorn in Daryl's side but she wasn't sure if now was the time to pester him and always be around him. Not when he was reminding her of the Daryl from the quarry. The Daryl from before Merle being gone.
"Then break him," Mac told his sister as he reached over and pulled Avery to him. "You are a Hanson I'm sure you can figure out how."
Avery who had watched everything go down stood there in shock as she looked at Sophia's dead body as well as the other dead bodies and she turned to where Daryl was and she frowned at the sight of him holding Carol. It was clear Carol was hurting and Avery knew Daryl himself had to be hurting. He had thought Sophia was alive and now it was proven that he was wrong.
Seeing Daryl start to stand with Carol, Avery heard Daryl telling her not to look at Sophia's body and Avery felt her heartbreaking just a bit more for the woman. She wasn't sure what she'd do in her shoes but luckily she'd never be in Carol's shoes. She'd never have kids to begin with at this rate.
When Carol was finally all the way up Avery watched Carol push off Daryl before heading away from the barn and the site of the walker massacre. Looking down she felt tears in her eyes not sure what to even do at this moment to make things right or okay for anyone. There was nothing to be done.
Before anyone could say anything or do anything else though Avery looked back up as she watched a distraught Beth pull away from Jimmy and start to head towards one of the walker corpses laying on the ground.
"Wait..wait..wait," Zac spoke up as Beth walked past him and he reached out trying to stop her from going to the body on the ground.
Ignoring Zac, Beth just continued on the path to her mother's dead body. When she reached her she bent down and moved one of the other walkers off her before reaching out to touch her dead mother as she started to cry harder. "Ma," she spoke as she turned her mother's body over so she could see her face though the moment her mom's body was turned over she became hysterical when her mother lunged for her and she started to scream when her mom's hands connected with her hair before grabbing a hold of her arms.
Zac who had been watching Beth was one of the first people to her when the corpse that had been her mom lunged for her and he along with most of the other men began to pull a hysterical Beth away though her mom seemed to have almost a vise like grip on the girl and god damn it he hated to admit it out loud but he really didn't want a hair on the girl's head harmed. Not after the fact that he seemed to be getting close to her recently.
Once Beth was safely away Zac watched as Hershel took her and he turned around in time to see T-Dog kick the woman's corpse in the head though it wasn't enough to actually end her for good and she still struggled to get up, to have a fresh meal out of any of them standing there.
It was only Andrea putting a scythe through her head that seemed to stop her and he gave Andrea a satisfied smirk before turning to walk to Kate though when she just gave him a glare and walked away he raised an eyebrow wondering what he had done now to make her mad.
"We've been out... We've been combing these woods looking for her and she was in there all along?" Shane asked as he followed behind the Greene family as they headed towards their house. When they didn't answer he decided to speak again, "You knew."
Maggie turned to Shane giving the man a glare, "Leave us alone."
"Hey Shane, just stop man," Rick sighed as he reached out for Shane trying to get him to stop and leave these people alone. They too had lost people and Beth was hysterical. They didn't need Shane making things worse.
Shane pulled away from Rick's touch, "Get your hands off me," he sneered before talking to the Greene's again. "I...You knew and you kept it from us."
"I didn't know," Hershel said as he held onto Beth as they continued the walk to their house. He was feeling hopeless and he just wanted Shane to leave them alone.
"That's bullshit!" Shane muttered at Hershel's denial. "I think ya'll knew."
Maggie who was continuing to get angry at Shane turned to face him again, "We didn't know!"
"Why was she there?!" Shane continued even after Maggie's denial as well.
"Your.." Hershel started but then stopped as they reached his house and he let Patricia take Beth inside. "Otis put those people in the barn. Maybe he found her and put her in there before he was killed."
Shane almost wanted to laugh at that, "You expect me to believe that?" he asked as he inched closer to Hershel though Rick reached out to keep a barrier between them. "Do I look like an idiot?"
"Shane, hey hey hey," Rick told his friend trying to keep the peace though he wasn't sure he could at this moment.
"I don't care what you believe!" Hershel spoke as he locked eyes with Shane. He was angry at the man for even starting this whole mess to begin with.
Rick shook his head as he watched things unfold around him, "Everybody just calm down."
"Get him off my land!" Hershel yelled at Rick not wanting Shane on his land at all anymore.
"Let me tell you something," Shane stated as he walked towards Hershel again.
Maggie saw red as she watched Shane go towards her dad and she moved from where she had been standing on the porch, "Hey," she said as she reached out and stopped Shane from touching her dad. "Don't touch him!" she told Shane before slapping him hard across the face.
When Taylor stepped in and pushed Shane away from her some Maggie just shook her head as she eyed Shane, "Haven't you done enough?" she asked disgust apparent in her voice.
After Maggie spoke Hershel looked at Shane for awhile as he watched Maggie head inside and then he started up the stairs. When he made it to the top he turned to look at some of the group who had been standing there. "I mean it," he said his voice sounding serious. "Off my land."
Once Hershel headed inside Avery turned to see Zac walking off and then she looked at Taylor who was beside her, "You should probably go check on Maggie," she whispered knowing Maggie would probably need Taylor. "It's been awhile since you've been in the dating game but yeah, go check on her," she smiled before walking away to head towards the tents and try to collect her nerves after everything that had happened and went down.
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Taylor looked at Maggie as he watched her looking out the window of her house, "I have to ask you," he started knowing he had to get the one question that was bothering him now after Shane's out burst out in the open. "Did you know she was in the barn?"
When Maggie just turned to give him a look Taylor looked down and sighed knowing he shouldn't have asked her, he should have just known it in his gut. "You know, maybe in some weird way this is for the best," he mused. "At least we know and now we can move on."
"Move on?" Maggie asked as she sat on the arm rest of her couch and looked at Taylor.
Nodding Taylor looked down at Maggie, "Yeah, it's just like it meant so much to everyone. Finding her, you know? And then..."
"So now you'll just move on?" Maggie questioned interrupting Taylor as he talked. She just didn't get how the group could move on after everything that happened earlier. How did you move on from losing someone?
Again Taylor nodded, "If we can," he sighed before sitting down in a chair. "I mean, we've lost others," he said as his mind went to his own family. "This is..This is Sophia. The whole group and this one was different," he frowned before looking down. It almost felt like losing Sophia had somehow fractured the group or maybe they had already been that way and no one had noticed.
Maggie looked away from Taylor as he spoke, "So what happens now?"
"We bury her," Taylor answered watching as Maggie looked away from him. "With your step-mom and stepbrother."
"And then?" Maggie questioned him again almost afraid he'd tell her they'd leave. Maggie didn't want Taylor leaving her because she had already fallen in love with him.
Taylor shrugged, "I don't know," he answered honestly because he really didn't know what would happen after that.
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Zac who had found Kate in the tent not long after going after her sighed after just setting there in silence for awhile, "Are you going to speak to me?" he asked not really understanding why she seemed to be angry at him.
"Why don't you go talk to Beth," Kate spat out as she shook her head, her gaze not even going to her husband. "Go and talk to her because I don't want to talk to you right now."
"Is this really about Beth?" Zac asked as he sighed. "I thought we were over that issue," he muttered thinking she had gotten over her issue with Beth the day he had taken her out shooting on her own.
Kate shook her head, "We were never over it. I just pushed aside my jealousy of you taking her out alone to shoot guns. But then today at the barn you run to her instead of even checking on me," she spat out feeling as if in that moment Beth had came first to her and their child. "I'm your wife and I'm the one carrying your baby not her."
"She was close to dying Kate," Zac responded as he shook his head though he knew deep down Kate had a right to be angry. He had kissed Beth and still not confessed. He..he may have been developing feelings for the youngest Greene girl but he was trying to ignore them for the sake of his wife and he thought he was doing okay so far. "I'm not going to let someone get bit if I can help it. Last I checked you weren't close to getting bit at the barn."
Kate just laughed bitterly, "There were people closer than you Zachary. You literally moved like a damn bullet out of a gun," she frowned as she shook her head. "You used to move like that when I was in danger or you thought I was..now it seems like it's Beth you want to save," she shrugged before standing from the cot she had been sitting on. "So go talk to her because I am done talking to you," she told him before walking out of their tent. She needed to get away and just clear her head.
After Kate left Zac just stayed where he was for the longest time. He could partly see where Kate was coming from yet at the same time he couldn't and hell maybe she did have a right to be angry since he had kissed Beth and he still hadn't fessed up but if he did fess up Zac was pretty sure Kate would kill him.
Shaking his head he stood from where he sat finally and left the tent, heading towards the main house.
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Jessica who was at the barn with a few of the other group members looked up as Rick came back towards the barn. She wasn't sure why she couldn't leave here quite yet but she had been helping dispose of some of the bodies. It was a way to help her shock over the events of what had happened. It was her way to forget that Sophia was dead. That Sophia had been in the barn.
How had she and Glenn not seen her when they had snuck into the barn? How had she been right under their noses? She had been right under everyone's nose.
"You want us to start burying?" T-Dog asked as he looked at Rick.
Avery who had came back to the barn nodded at T-Dog's words, "We need a service. Carol would want that.," she spoke though she also figured Daryl would want that too. Maybe it'd help him heal. Maybe he wouldn't be as broken as he had been before. He was just starting to come around.
"Yeah, we all want that," T-Dog replied as he looked at Avery.
When Rick didn't say anything Lori sighed before looking down briefly and then back up at the group, "Let's... let's dig a grave for Sophia, and Annette and Shawn, uh, over by those trees," she nodded knowing that would be a nice place to bury them. "And we'll need a truck to move the bodies."
"I'll get the keys," Jimmy volunteered but was stopped by Shane.
Putting his arm out Shane shook his head, "No no," he repeated before walking off to go get the keys for the truck. "I got the truck."
"And the others?" Jimmy asked as he looked at the other corpses besides the ones Lori had mentioned for them to bury. "That's a lot of digging."
"We bury the ones we love and burn the rest," Avery answered Jimmy as she gave him a sad smile.
Seeing Rick standing in the same spot still being silent Lori walked closer to him, "Let's get to work," she spoke knowing they had a lot to do.
After Lori spoke Avery sighed as she began to pick up bodies to put in a pile to move. Seeing Jessica coming towards her she raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"Just wondering how Daryl was doing?" Jessica asked as she shrugged. "I know he was hoping we'd find her."
"I think everyone was hoping that," Avery answered as she shook her head. "But I don't know how he is. Last I saw him he went on the RV where Carol was. I'm afraid he is going to close himself off again when he was just opening up," she admitted not sure what she would do if it came to that point.
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Walking in the woods Kate eventually came to a stop behind some trees as she broke down crying. She hadn't meant to lash out at Zac like she had. She hadn't meant to get jealous about Beth, not when her real problems was the fact that Sophia was dead and again she found herself rethinking this pregnancy.
Putting a hand on her stomach as she cried she looked down at the cross necklace she wore around her neck. It had been a gift when she had gotten back into church again. Reaching up she angrily pulled it from her neck and threw it into the woods. She didn't care where it went just as long as it was off her body.
"I don't believe in you anymore," Kate spoke as she looked towards the sky. "If you existed how could you let this happen? How could you let innocent people suffer?" she asked harshly as she shook her head. "You don't exist and even if you do you have a lot of explaining to do."
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Avery sighed as she got out of one of the holes they had been digging and she wiped her hands off on her pants. Hearing T-Dog say that was it she knew the graves were ready and she turned and headed off to the RV to let Carol know that everything was ready.
Seeing that the door was open already she climbed in, looking briefly at Daryl was sitting on the counter beside the sink before looking at Carol. "They're ready," she said letting them both know they were ready to start the funeral. When Carol didn't move she frowned, "Come on," she said to the woman before chewing her lip.
"Why?" Carol asked unable to look over at Avery.
"Cause that's your little girl," Daryl answered before Avery had the chance.
Carol shook her head as she looked up at Daryl, "That's not my little girl," she spoke knowing that thing that came out of the barn wasn't Sophia. "That's some other thing," she stated as she looked away from Daryl. "My Sophia was alone in the woods. All this time I thought..." she started before getting chocked up some. "She didn't cry herself to sleep. She didn't go hungry. She didn't try to find her way back," Carol sighed as she shook her head again. "Sophia died a long time ago."
After Carol's words Avery looked down briefly feeling tears sting her eyes but she remained calm as she looked at Daryl. She could tell from the look on his face that Carol's words had affected him. That the woman's refusal to come to the funeral had affected him.
Shaking her head she backed off the RV before she broke down crying in front of Daryl and as much as she was falling for him she wasn't ready to cry in front of him.
When the funeral finally did start the only people missing where Carol and Kate though Avery wasn't sure why Kate had opted out.
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"You missed the funeral," Zac said to Kate as he watched her come into their tent. "You just decide to pull a me?" he asked her feeling angry that she had went off without telling him.
Kate shook her head at Zac's words, "No," she answered him much more calmly than she had talked to him before. "You knew I left. I just needed to clear my mind."
"So you could get paranoid about me liking Beth?" Zac asked as he walked closer to her, dropping his harsh tone as he did so. "I don't like her," he revealed as he reached Kate and cupped her cheeks in his hands. "I may have kissed her but I don't like her."
"You kissed her?" Kate asked still keeping her voice calm though she was shocked by this revelation.
Zac nodded knowing he owed her honesty, "The day I took her to shoot guns. It was just one kiss and it meant nothing," he lied again hoping she couldn't see through his lies.
Kate nodded at Zac's words, "I'm glad you told me," she smiled before moving away from him. Maybe it was his being honest that was the reason she was only shocked by his words and not hurt. All she ever wanted from Zac was honesty. "Beth's not the real reason I was angry though. I was angry because Sophia being gone..being a walker..she..she made me change my mind about being pregnant."
Hearing Kate, Zac frowned and reached out pulling her close to him again as he hugged her, "I'm sorry," he spoke as he did his best to comfort her.
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"A few more trips," Rick spoke as he watched Andrea and Mac load the bodies of the rest of the walkers into the back of the truck so they could go and burn them.
"We got lucky," Andrea told Rick as she lifted the body of the walker her and Mac were carrying into the back of the truck. "If that barn had any more, we could've been overrun."
Mac sighed as he looked at Andrea after they got the body of the walker in the truck, "Good thing Shane did what he did when he did," he agreed knowing that Shane had made a smart move.
"You can't tell me this was right," Dale said as he looked at Andrea and Mac.
"It wasn't," Rick spoke knowing Dale had a point. "It'll cost us with Hershel."
Andrea shook her head at Rick's words, "He's grieving. He'll come around, see we had no choice," she spoke before looking at Dale. "Look, I shot too. This wasn't all Shane."
"Look, I got no qualms about it," Mac said as he took Andrea's side. "Walkers in my backyard?" he mused before shaking his head no at that thought.
Looking at Mac, Dale sighed, "I'm not saying that we shouldn't have taken care of the problem, but creating a panic?!"
"There's no point arguing about it. It's done," Lori said from where she stood beside Dale.
Opening the door of the truck Mac looked at Andrea, "We better get moving," he said knowing they should haul the bodies off.
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Coming out of the kitchen where she had been helping Beth clean up Maggie looked at Taylor who had been leaning against a wall, "So if your group leaves, you wouldn't stay?"
"I... I hadn't really thought about it," Taylor answered being taken back by her question. "I mean, I... I didn't know that..." he continued trying to think of the right words but they were failing him. "Do... do you think this is really the time... To discuss this, I mean?" he asked not sure if it was after everything that had happened.
Maggie shrugged at Taylor's question, "Well, I'm not really feeling like there's a lot of time for anything," she admitted knowing that now days you weren't really guaranteed long.
"No no, there... There is," Taylor reassured her as he walked closer to her. "There is. I mean, I-I... I want..." he started but again he was at a lack of words of what to say in the moment and before he could get more words out there was a crash in the kitchen and the moment he looked towards it he saw Beth laying on the floor.
Maggie who had heard the crash turned in time to see Beth falling, "Oh my god," she muttered as she ran into the kitchen getting there right as Beth hit the floor. The dishes from the drainer were all on the floor but she ignored them as she bent down to see about her sister.
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An hour later Maggie frowned as she hovered over the bed that she and Patricia had situated Beth in, "Sweetie, can you hear me?" she asked as she looked down at her unresponsive sister. Beth's eyes were still open and just staring back at her so lifelessly. Looking up as she saw Lori come to the door Maggie sighed, "What's wrong with her?" she asked the woman a bit too harshly.
Lori who had came to check on Beth after everyone had been briefed on what happened with Beth just shook her head, "She might be in shock. Where's Hershel?"
"We can't find him anywhere," Glenn answered as he stood in Beth's room as well. He and Jessica had offered to look for Hershel as Maggie and Patricia had helped get Beth situated.
At Glenn's words Lori walked off to find her husband.
Sitting down on the bed where Beth laid Maggie reached for her hand, "Hey, kiddo," she smiled continuing to speak to her sister in hopes that she'd respond.
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"Your stepmother's things?" Rick asked Maggie as they stood in the room that was Hershel's. Lori had came and found him after she had been informed that Hershel was missing. The moment they had came in here they had found boxes of stuff on the bed. Boxes he was pretty sure belonged to Maggie's step-mother.
Maggie nodded as she leaned against the night stand in the room, "He was so sure she'd recover," she said knowing her dad had been so sure. "They'd just pick up where they left off."
Picking up a flash that was on the night stand Shane examined it, "Looks like he found an old friend."
"That belonged to my grandfather, gave it to dad when he died," Maggie answered looking at the flask that Shane had picked up.
Taylor raised an eyebrow at this information, "I didn't take Hershel for a drinker," he said surprised that he had missed those signs in Maggie's dad, especially since he himself liked to drink or well used too.
"No, he gave it up on the day I was born," Maggie stated as she took the flask from Rick after Shane had thrown it to him. "He didn't even allow liquor in the house."
Rick who had been listening to the exchange looked at Maggie as he now had an inkling where Hershel could be. "What's the bar in town?"
"Hatlin's," Maggie answered Rick. "He practically lived there in his drinking days."
Rick nodded betting that's where he would be, "Betting that's where I'll find him."
Glenn who had been in the room as well knew he had seen that place the times when he and Jessica had went to the pharmacy, "Yeah, I've seen the place," he said seeing Rick look at him. "I'll take you."
Rick smiled at Glenn's words, "All right, I'll get the truck," he said as he started to leave the room hearing Glenn follow behind him but before they could leave he turned as he heard Jessica stopping Glenn from leaving the room.
"No," Jessica stated as she held onto Glenn's arms not wanting him to go back out after what happened the last time.
Glenn locked eyes with Jessica, "It's an easy run," he told her knowing she was worried but it was easy.
"Like the pharmacy?" Jessica asked as she raised an eyebrow reminding him of their last trip.
Rick walked a bit closer to Jessica and Glenn, "Hey, Jessica?" he asked as Jessica turned to look at him. "I'll bring him back," he told her before leaving the room.
As Rick left the room Glenn walked closer to Jessica trying to explain to her that the pharmacy run was different than this run.
Watching as Rick left and Lori and Shane followed after Taylor turned to Maggie and he walked to where she was, ignoring Jessica and Glenn as they argued over him going. "I'm going to go with them," he told Maggie as he reached out to brush some hair out of her eyes.
"Why?" Maggie asked not understanding why he'd offer to go looking for her father.
"Because he is your dad," Taylor spoke as if that should make all the sense in the world. "He is your dad and I'd do that for you."
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Sometime later Rick looked down as he and Glenn waited by the car for Taylor who was still talking to Maggie. Jessica had went off after bidding Glenn goodbye and from what he could tell she was still reluctant to have the boy go out there but she had agreed to it finally.
"You ready?" Rick asked Taylor when the man walked closer to the truck after hugging and kissing Maggie for what seemed like an eternity.
"Yeah," Taylor answered his voice coming out shaky. Getting in the front seat he watched as Rick got in the driver's side and Glenn got in the back. He hated that his voice had been shaky and he hated that he was scared but Maggie's final words to him before he left had shook him to his core and somehow made him scared shitless.
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"You want to be in the main house don't you?" Kate asked as she eyed Zac. Ever since they had received news about Beth something had changed in her husband. He no longer wanted to hug her or even kiss her which was what they had been doing when they had gotten the news from Mac who had ruined what Kate was sure was going to lead to sex. Something they seemed to be doing more of lately for comfort when they got the time that was. "You want to know Beth is okay."
Looking at Kate, Zac nodded as he felt his cheeks grow hot. "I do," he confessed as he sighed. "She's a friend," he justified still not wanting to admit that he had feelings for the young girl. He may have admitted to the kiss and Kate may have been super okay with it but he knew she wouldn't be okay with his awakening feelings for Beth. If she knew she'd probably tell Hershel once Hershel was back on the farm just so the old man could kill him.
"She's a friend and I worry," Zac stated again as he ran a hand through his hair.
When Zac said that Beth was his friend twice Kate forced a smile not sure if she believed him but how could she doubt him? Yeah he had hid their kiss from her but up until now he had been a faithful husband. She trusted him...nothing could break their marriage. "Then go in there," she told him giving him her blessing.
"A..are you sure?" Zac asked as he looked at Kate, locking eyes with her.
"Positive," Kate answered as she forced another smile. It was after she spoke that she watched Zac move quickly as he exited their tent and the moment he was gone she laid back on the cot, heaving a sigh. "What's happening to my marriage?' she asked herself not sure if this new world was now affecting it too. Couldn't she have one good thing?
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Avery sat in front of the RV and crossed her arms over her chest. What she had been afraid of with Daryl had seemingly happened. He was closing himself off and he had even moved his tent farther away from the rest of the camp. "Damn it to hell," she whispered to herself not sure how she could get Daryl to open up again. He had been doing so good..they had kissed and would probably now be at square one all over again.
"You okay?" Mac asked as he came to sit down beside his sister.
Shaking her head Avery looked at Mac, "Daryl's reverted back to his old self."
"You mean he changed?" Mac asked confused.
"Yeah, he did but then Sophia's death broke him," Avery replied as she kept her eyes on Daryl's new camp site. "I don't know how to get him to open up again," she said as she looked down. She knew the days leading up to their kiss she had basically been a thorn in Daryl's side but she wasn't sure if now was the time to pester him and always be around him. Not when he was reminding her of the Daryl from the quarry. The Daryl from before Merle being gone.
"Then break him," Mac told his sister as he reached over and pulled Avery to him. "You are a Hanson I'm sure you can figure out how."