SKIN AND BONES | THE WALKING DEAD

Chapter Six: Knots Untie

Nate had been right that everyone was pissed when he and Jasper went home. They showed back up in the afternoon to everybody in a frenzy because of their newest visitor that Rick and Daryl brought back.

When they heard the news, Nate broke into a run back to his house and opened the door. He half expected to see his father sitting at the table, surrounded by his friends but it had been someone different. Glenn had been saying something but he stopped as they all looked up to the sound of the door opening.

"Where have you been?" Rick immediately asked him and Nate finally looked away from the stranger to answer.

"We were coming right back but we were out further than we thought." They watched as Jasper came through the door and sighed.

"I told him it was stupid." Jasper said loudly and Nate rolled his eyes. Abraham was the only one that was smirking. Rick looked like he wanted to say something else but only let his shoulders rise and fall and he looked back at everyone else.

"Go sit, we're not done here." Rick said, running a hand over his face. When Nate made his way into the dining room to sit on the window seal, Carl smirked slightly at him and Nate smacked the side of his head. Jasper moved to sit next to him, their thighs almost on top of each other. The unnamed man was in front of them and Rick sat in the empty chair, watching them curiously.

"How many kids do you have again?" The man asked Rick and Jasper sent Nate a look which made Nate's eye twitch. He almost opened his mouth to ask who the hell he was but the man had turned his attention back to the group. Rick had sat down right in front of him.

"Look, we got off on a bad start but we're on the same side, the living side." He flickered his eyes to Daryl. "You and Rick had every reason to leave me out there but you didn't." Nate shifted on his feet as he glanced over at Rick's gaze on the man, knowing full well what that feeling was like. "I'm from a place a lot like this one. Part of my job is searching out other settlements to trade with. I took your truck because my community needs things and both of you looked like trouble." Nate raised an eyebrow, wondering what else happened when Rick and Daryl went out. Rick turned his head towards Maggie, seeming unphased by the statement.

"You're good people and this is a good place. I think our communities may be in a position to help each other."

"Do you have food?" Glenn asked.

"We've started to raise livestock." The man told him. "I can take you. If we take a car I can take you back home in a day and you can all see for yourselves who we are and what we have to offer." Nate bristled, the offer of trade was tempting but was it worth the risk of following a stranger to unknown territory?

"Wait, you're looking for more settlements?" Maggie asked. "You mean you're already trading with other groups?" The man leaned back in his chair.

"Your world's about to get a whole lot bigger." He said with a grin and Nate wasn't sure if he liked the way he phrased it.

They were gonna take him up on his offer, since it was too much to pass up on and they knew how to handle themselves if it backfired. Nate learned that his name was Jesus and it took everything in him to not immediately let out a laugh.

Rick was surprisingly allowing Nate, Jasper and Carl to come with them. He never brought up that the two boys went out by themselves again. The three stood on the sidewalk in front of their house, Rick was holding onto Judith and once Alice walked outside, she offered to take her and he deposited her into her arms. Daryl was talking to Denise as he checked the engine on one of the cars they were taking.

"You sure you're okay staying here?" Nate asked Alice, she shrugged and looked at the baby on her hip. Rick had pulled Carl away from them and Nate wasn't entirely sure what they were talking about but from the serious look on Carl's face, it wasn't anything good. He would have to ask him about it later. Nate knew he had been annoyed with him for sneaking out without him.