Natalie heeded her mother's instructions and made her way to the other side of the Quarry, joining the assembly of women tasked with laundering the clothes for everyone residing at the camp.
Unspoken tension lingered in the air, a palpable weight that clung to the collective effort. As Natalie immersed herself in the task at hand, she caught sight of her mom, walking closely with Carl as they traversed back to the main camp, the unspoken bonds of family evident in their shared journey.
Cleaning the clothes that were in front of her was Shane's, going through his pocket to make sure there was nothing in it. She had pulled out the gun Dale had given her and he had taken it away from her. Without anyone seeing her, Natalie had placed it in her waistband hiding it by pulling her pants up.
Returning her attention to the buckets, Natalie turned to speak with Cassie, only to find Ed looming over the women, his presence a shadow cast over their work. A cigarette dangled from his hand, his proximity suffocating, breathing down their necks. Cassie, attempting to cut through the tension, commented with a haunting smile, "Saw you two having fun. Surprised he didn't break his back."
"Shane's not that old," Natalie muttered, playfully shoving Cassie's shoulder, their hands submerged in the water as they scrubbed away. "Besides, he's hot... and listens. Not that many choices like that anymore. Either way, I'm an adult, not some child you all think I am."
Cassie fell silent, wrestling with her thoughts, and focused on finishing her work before Ed could intervene. Andrea, however, took a bold stand against Ed's intrusive presence. Turning to face him, she challenged, "Ed, tell you what... you don't like how your laundry is done, you are welcome to pitch in and do it yourself." She emphasized her point by picking up a soaking-wet shirt and tossing it at him. "Here."
Ed, unfazed, threw the rag back at Andrea, ignoring her words. The tension escalated, and the women rose in defence of Andrea as Ed dismissed their collective effort. Amy tried to caution Andrea, grabbing onto her wrist, and urging the blonde woman to step back from the brewing conflict.
Undeterred, Andrea continued to assert herself. "What is your job, Ed?" Closing the distance between them, she remained unafraid. "Sitting on your ass smoking cigarettes?"
"I sure as hell ain't listening to some uppity, smart-mouthed bitch," Ed retorted, tossing his cigarette to the ground with an air of arrogance. Natalie couldn't help but feel an air of menace, envisioning metaphorical horns sprouting from his head. "Tell you what—Come on. Let's go." He motioned for Carol to accompany him.
The camp had long been aware of Ed's abusive behaviour towards his wife and daughter. Natalie, despite her disdain for him, spoke up to defend Carol. "You're fine, Coral," she declared, offering a protective shield in the face of the older lady's silence.
As Ed redirected his attention to Natalie, the air thickened with hostility. His demeaning words slashed through the tense atmosphere, targeting Natalie with crude insults.
"Who are you to tell her what to do, a little slut face whore who's the sheriff's little girl? I don't think so. I say it's none of your business—come on now." The older women were now caught in the crossfire of Ed's volatile temper, his attempts to assert dominance cutting through the air like a sharpened blade.
Natalie, her cheeks tensing with a restrained fury, bit her lip. The protective shield she sought to provide for Carol was now overshadowed by Ed's vitriol. "Please, it doesn't matter," Carol intervened, attempting to diffuse the escalating situation.
But Natalie, unwilling to back down, stood up with defiance etched on her features. "Come get her," she declared, holding her head high as she positioned herself in front of Carol. "And at least I can get something, without forcing myself, Ed..."
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western nights ( shane walsh )
Fanfictionthere is beauty and disappointment in betrayal - shane walsh x fem! oc
