Author note at the end. Enjoy.
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[Glenn's POV – Retrieve Farm Animal]
Glenn watched as Alex turned his attention to Clementine, a small smile playing on his lips. It was good to see him engaging more with the group again. But there was no time to dwell on that now. They had a job to do.
"Alright, people," Rick called out, his voice carrying across the yard. "Let's move out. We've got animals to rescue and a farm to check."
Glenn hefted his backpack, double-checking that he had everything he might need - water, energy bars, a flashlight, and extra batteries. He caught Maggie's eye as she climbed into one of the vehicles, and she flashed him a quick smile that made his heart skip a beat.
As they pulled away from the farm, Glenn found himself in the back of a pickup truck with Daryl and Shane. The wind whipped through his hair as they sped down the empty country roads, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement mixed with apprehension. Every run outside the relative safety of the farm was a risk, but it was also a chance to do something proactive instead of lazing around.
Though with everyone getting in rhythm, the chores were getting easy to do and freeing up more time, it would also make him more restless if he had nothing to do. So, most of his time was spend teasing Beth with her sister. Help out Shawn to fix some small things. Sometimes, even go back to digging the trenches.
The whole farm was surrounded by the trenches except for the entrance. But it would help to have more of them, another layer a little further away in case of a herd. "You ready for this, chinaman?" Daryl called over the wind, a hint of a smirk on his face. Glenn rolled his eyes at the nickname but nodded. "Again, I'm Korean," he shot back, earning a grunt of approval from the hunter.
As they drove, Glenn's mind wandered to the task ahead. Rescuing farm animals wasn't exactly something he'd ever thought he'd be doing in the apocalypse, but then again, nothing about their current situation was what he'd expected.
He thought back to his life before all this - delivering pizzas, studying, worrying about money. It all seemed so trivial now.
The truck slowed as they approached their destination, and Glenn's senses immediately went on high alert. He scanned the area for any sign of walkers or other threats as they pulled up to the abandoned farmhouse.
Rick killed the engine and turned to address the group. "Alright, we do this quick and quiet. Daryl, Shane - you're on perimeter. Make sure we don't have any unwanted guests. Glenn, Maggie, Shawn - you're with me. We'll check the house and then move on to the barn. Beth, you stay with the vehicles. Be ready to move if things go south."
As they dispersed to their assigned tasks, Glenn fell into step beside Maggie. "So," he said, keeping his voice low, "ever rescued farm animals before?" Maggie grinned, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Once or twice."
"Really?!" He asked back in surprise, before Maggie giggled, making him roll his eyes in exasperation. "Well, not farm animals, but a dog or two from the kill shelters before all of this." She continued, watching Rick leading them carefully through the entrance of the farm.
Their banter was cut short as they reached the farmhouse. Rick signaled for silence, then carefully approached the front door. Glenn held his breath as Rick turned the knob, half-expecting a horde of walkers to come pouring out.
But the house was silent, eerily so. Dust motes danced in the beams of sunlight that filtered through the grimy windows, and the air was thick with the musty smell of abandonment. "Let's make this quick," Rick whispered. "Check for any supplies, but don't take any unnecessary risks."
Glenn nodded, moving towards what looked like the kitchen. As he rummaged through cupboards, he couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. This had been someone's home, someone's life. Now it was just another empty shell in a world full of them that they were there to scavenge.
His search yielded a few cans of food and some basic medical supplies, which he quickly stuffed into his backpack. As he turned to leave, something caught his eye - a family photo, knocked face-down on a side table. Against his better judgment, Glenn picked it up, brushing off the dust.
A smiling family stared back at him - mom, dad, two boys, and a dog. They looked so happy, so normal. Glenn felt a lump form in his throat as he wondered what had become of them. Had they made it out? Or had they...
"Glenn?" Maggie's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "You okay?" He quickly set the photo down, nodding. "Yeah, just... thinking." Maggie's expression softened, understanding in her eyes. She squeezed his arm gently, and Glenn felt a warmth spread through him at her touch.
Their moment was interrupted by Rick's urgent whisper from the other room. "We've got company. Two walkers approaching from the east. We need to move."
Glenn's heart rate picked up as they quickly made their way out of the house. Outside, he could see Daryl and Shane already moving to intercept the approaching walkers. "Glenn, Maggie - get to the barn," Rick ordered. "Start getting those animals ready to move. We'll handle this."
As they jogged towards the barn, Glenn noticed the livestock trailer. "Mag, check it out." He whispered to her and she noticed his gaze at the trailer. "Nice, I'll bring the truck with Beth around."
With a nod, they split up.
As Glenn approached the barn, he could hear the soft bleating of sheep and the clucking of chickens. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the heavy wooden door. The smell hit him first - a pungent mix of hay, manure, and animal musk that made his eyes water.
"Oh man," he muttered, waving a hand in front of his face. "Definitely not pizza delivery anymore."
Inside, he found himself face to face with six sheep huddled in one corner, four goats eyeing him warily from another, and a small flock of chickens pecking at the ground. For a moment, Glenn stood frozen, realizing he had absolutely no idea how to handle farm animals.
"Okay, Glenn," he said to himself. "You've faced walkers. You can handle a few sheep." He approached the sheep slowly, hands outstretched in what he hoped was a non-threatening manner. "Hey there, little guys. We're here to help, okay?"
One of the sheep let out a loud "Baa!" that made Glenn jump back, his heart racing. "man, give a guy some warning, will you?"
After a few more attempts, Glenn managed to get a rope around one of the sheep's necks. "Ha! Got you!" he exclaimed triumphantly. His victory was short-lived, however, as the sheep decided it didn't appreciate being caught and started to drag Glenn around the barn.
"Whoa! Hey! Stop!" Glenn yelped, struggling to keep his footing as the surprisingly strong animal pulled him this way and that. He could have sworn he heard the chickens clucking in amusement.
Just as he was considering letting go of the rope and admitting defeat, Maggie appeared in the doorway, a grin spreading across her face at the sight before her. "Having fun there, Glenn?" she asked, laughter in her voice.
Glenn shot her a look that was equal parts relief and exasperation. "Oh yeah, hahahaha. Time of my life. You gonna help or just stand there enjoying the show?" Maggie chuckled, moving to help him coral the sheep. "City boy like you, I'm impressed you even got this far."
Together, they managed to get the sheep under control and started leading them towards the trailer. As they worked, Glenn couldn't help but notice how natural Maggie seemed with the animals, a little envious at that.
"You make it look so easy," he commented as they loaded the last of the sheep. Maggie shrugged, but there was a hint of pride in her smile. "Grew up doing this. It's second nature by now."
As they turned their attention to the goats, Glenn felt a growing sense of admiration for Maggie. She was tough, capable, and kind – qualities, especially the last one, seemed increasingly rare in this new world. Instead of distracting her, he mostly focused on helping with the chickens.
Their teamwork made the process go much smoother, and soon they had all the animals loaded into the trailer. Glenn wiped sweat from his brow, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
"Not bad for a pizza boy, huh?" he said with a grin. Maggie laughed, playfully bumping his shoulder with hers. "Eehh." All the smile disappeared from his face as he mock glared at her. "What do you mean, 'eehh'"
"Will you two stop flirting. Please?" Beth shot back from inside the truck, a look of envy on her face. Glenn felt his cheeks flush at Beth's comment, but before he or Maggie could respond, a commotion from outside caught their attention. Rick's voice rang out, urgent and tense. "We've got more walkers coming! Everyone, get ready to move!"
The lighthearted moment evaporated as Glenn's hand instinctively went to his weapon. He shared a quick glance with Maggie, seeing his own determination mirrored in her eyes. "I'll check the barn one last time," he said. "Make sure we didn't miss anything."
"Be quick," Maggie nodded, already moving to secure the trailer. Glenn jogged back into the barn, his eyes scanning for anything useful they might have overlooked.
As he moved towards the back, something caught his eye - a trapdoor, partially hidden under a pile of hay. Curiosity piqued, he brushed aside the hay and pulled it open. To his surprise, he found a small cache of supplies - canned food, some medical items, and even a few boxes of ammunition.
"Jackpot," he muttered, quickly shoving the items into his backpack. "Glenn!" Shawn's voice made him hurry, turn towards it, missing the journal at the button of the pile. Everyone, except Daryl and Rick were already inside their respective vehicles.
Without much delay, he bolted towards the two and got on the back of the truck, with the former cop and hunter doing the same. "Go!" Daryl ordered and Shawn accelerated, leaving the place behind.
The journey back to Hershel's farm was tense, with Glenn keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings from the back of the truck. The animals in the trailer were restless, their bleating and clucking adding to the nervous energy.
"You alright?" Daryl's gruff voice broke Glenn's thoughts, bringing him back to the present. Glenn nodded, his grip tightening on his weapon. "Yeah, just... thinking about how close that horde was."
Daryl grunted in agreement. "We'll have to find a way to either thin it out or make them change the direction." He paused, then added, "You did good back there. Quick thinking with that barn."
Glenn felt a surge of pride at Daryl's words. Coming from the usually taciturn hunter, it was high praise. "Thanks," he said simply, knowing Daryl wasn't one for long conversations.
As they drove, Glenn's mind wandered to the family photo he'd seen in the farmhouse. He couldn't shake the image of those smiling faces and replace them with his own family His sister, his parents.
He deeply missed them but he couldn't ponder on it for too long, so he shook his head to get the thoughts out.
The familiar sight of Hershel's farm on the horizon brought a wave of relief. As they pulled up, Glenn could see the others rushing out to meet them. Alex was among them, his face a mix of concern and curiosity.
"Everyone okay?" Hershel called out as they came to a stop. There were nods all around as they began the process of unloading. While Alex observed everyone, to make sure there weren't any injury on their person. But his eyes stopped as soon as they came to contact with Beth's.
Glenn, in that moment, realized that Alex now knew due to his friend getting a bit red in the face before looking away. The sight made him chuckle, as Maggie joined his side. "What's up?"
Beth, also sensing something wrong, her joyful and happy expression turned to confusion at Alex for evading her stare. "Come on, could use a bit of help." Shawn called out to Alex and Glenn, who immediately walked up to Maggie and Beth's older brother, while Rick parked the trailer facing the barn.
Getting the animals settled proved to be almost as challenging as catching them in the first place. The sheep were skittish, the goats stubborn, and the chickens seemed determined to scatter to every corner of the farm.
"Whoa there!" Glenn yelped as a particularly feisty goat lunged at him like a tiny, four-legged linebacker. He barely managed to sidestep, dignity intact—until he saw Maggie effortlessly wrangling another goat like it was second nature.
"City boy," she teased, a smirk tugging at her lips, but there was warmth in her eyes. Glenn felt his cheeks flush, not entirely from exertion. Glenn opened his mouth to defend himself, but a sudden THUD interrupted him, followed by a wheezing, high-pitched groan.
"OOF."
Everyone turned just in time to see Alex collapse like a poorly built scarecrow, curled in a fetal position, hands clutching his most vulnerable area. The culprit? A goat standing proudly nearby, clearly pleased with its precision strike.
"Did… did that goat just nut-shot him?" Glenn asked, blinking. "Oh yeah," Maggie confirmed, biting back laughter, though others weren't as kind. The goat backed up for another go. "NONONONONO—" Alex squeaked, scrambling backward like his life depended on it.
Just as the goat charged, Hershel came to the rescue, taking it by the horn surprisingly easily and stopped it with a fond smile on his face. Giving it a firm but gentle tug to redirect its attention. The animal huffed, seemingly annoyed that its rampage had been cut short.
With a small shake of his head, Hershel glanced down at Alex, who was still curled up on the ground, groaning. "Son, I don't know what you did to offend this goat, but I reckon an apology might be in order."
Maggie covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, while Glenn let out a snort. "You think it'll accept a formal letter of regret?" Glenn joked. Hershel gave the goat a once-over and shrugged. "Might want to throw in a peace offering. Maybe some feed, or a promise to stay out of kicking range."
Alex finally managed to sit up, wincing. "Noted," he croaked. Hershel chuckled, giving the goat a pat on the head before guiding it away. "Alright, enough foolin' around. Let's get these animals settled before the next thing that needs wranglin' is you lot."
As the group continued to settle the animals, Glenn couldn't help but notice the way Alex kept stealing glances at Beth, only to quickly look away when she caught his eye. It was almost comical how oblivious his friend had been to Beth's feelings, and now that he knew, he seemed completely at a loss.
"Hey," Glenn said, sidling up to Alex as they finished securing the chicken coop. "You okay there? Looking a bit... jumpy."
Alex startled, nearly dropping the feed bag he was holding to protect himself from the goats nudging him gently. "What? Me? No, I'm fine. Totally fine. Why wouldn't I be fine?"
Glenn raised an eyebrow, fighting back a smirk. "Uh-huh. And it has nothing to do with a certain white haired farmer's daughter?"
Alex's face flushed red, and he busied himself with feeding the goats, especially the black with white spots one, the one that headbutted him hard onto his groin. "I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered unconvincingly.
Glenn chuckled, patting his friend on the back. "Sure you don't. Look, man, it's okay. Beth's a great girl, and—"
"Glenn!" Maggie's voice called out, interrupting their conversation. "Can you give me a hand with these supplies?" "Coming!" Glenn called back. He turned to Alex with a grin, ignoring his friend's raised eyebrow. "We'll finish this talk later. Just... don't overthink it, okay?"
As Glenn jogged over to help Maggie, he couldn't help but feel a sense of amusement at the whole situation. In the midst of the apocalypse, with walkers and danger at every turn, they were still dealing with crushes and awkward romantic tension. It was almost... normal.
Though, he stopped when he saw Rick's wife and Shane arguing, with the woman whispering something to him, yelling at him without raising her voice. All the while, Shane looked… despaired. As if he had lost everything.
As soon as she was done, she turned, her eyes catching Glenn, but she ignored it and walked back inside. Leaving Shane devasted.
"That looks like woman trouble." Glenn heard the voice, turning to find Kenny also worryingly staring at the scene.
Glenn nodded grimly, his eyes still on Shane's retreating figure. "Yeah, it does," he agreed softly. Kenny sighed, shaking his head. "I've seen that look before. Man's carrying a heavy burden."
Glenn felt a twinge of unease. He'd noticed the tension between Shane, Rick, and Lori before, but had tried not to pry. Now, though, he couldn't help but wonder if there was more to the story than he knew.
"Should we... do something?" Glenn asked hesitantly. Kenny gave him a wry smile. "In my experience, getting involved in other folks' relationship troubles is a quick way to make enemies. Best to let them sort it out themselves."
As they watched, Rick emerged from the house, his expression tense. He looked around, his eyes landing on Shane for a moment before moving on. Glenn couldn't help but notice the way Rick's jaw clenched, the subtle shift in his posture.
"Come on," Kenny said, clapping Glenn on the shoulder. "We've got work to do. Can't be standing around gossiping like old ladies."
"Hey," Maggie's voice broke through his thoughts. When he noticed his surroundings, he was already right next to Maggie. She looked at him for a moment, concern evident in her eyes. "You okay? You looked a million miles away there."
Glenn managed a small smile, seeing movement in the corner of his eyes, he turned, only to see Clementine with Alex's slingshot in her hand, followed around by Carl and Duck. The sight made him smile at the trio.
Glenn nodded, pulling himself back to the present. "Yeah, just... thinking about everything that's happened today." He glanced at the trio again, then back at Maggie. "It's kind of surreal, isn't it? A few weeks ago, I was delivering pizzas. Now I'm wrangling sheep and dodging walkers. It seems like years ago…"
Maggie chuckled, her eyes softening. "But you're doing good, Glenn. Really good." Her hand brushed against his, and Glenn felt that now-familiar flutter in his chest.
As they worked to unload the last of the supplies, Glenn's mind wandered back to the cache he'd found in the barn. "Oh, hey," he said, suddenly remembering. "I found something back at the farm. In the barn."
Maggie raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Yeah? What kind of something?"
Glenn shrugged off his backpack and unzipped it, revealing the canned food, medical supplies, and ammunition he'd discovered. "There was a trapdoor. Hidden under some hay. I grabbed what I could before we had to bail."
Maggie's eyes widened as she took in the contents. "Glenn, this is... this is great. We should tell my dad."
As they made their way towards the house to report their findings, Glenn noticed Alex still awkwardly avoiding Beth's gaze. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It was almost comical how his friend, usually so confident and capable, was reduced to a blushing mess around the farmer's daughter.
"What's so funny?" Maggie asked, following his gaze.
Glenn nodded towards Alex and Beth. "Just... watching Alex try to navigate this whole crush situation. It's kind of adorable, in a painfully awkward way."
Maggie smiled, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Maybe we should help them along a bit. You know, give them a little push in the right direction."
Glenn considered this for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah, I think we should let them figure it out on their own. Besides," he added with a grin, "it's way more entertaining this way."
As they approached the house, Glenn saw Rick and Hershel deep in conversation on the porch. Their expressions were serious, and Glenn felt a twinge of concern. There always seemed to be something new on the horizon.
"Hey," he called out as they climbed the steps. "We've got something to show you." Rick and Hershel turned, their conversation halting. "What is it?" Rick asked, his voice tense.
Glenn opened his backpack, laying out the supplies he'd found. "There was a hidden cache in the barn at the other farm. I grabbed what I could before we had to leave."
Hershel's eyebrows shot up as he took in the haul. "Well, I'll be damned. Good eye, Glenn." Rick nodded, a small smile breaking through his serious demeanor. "This is great. Really great. Good work."
As the day wore on and the excitement of the supply run settled, Glenn found himself in Maggie and Beth's room, with Beth missing. "So, anyone got enough energy for a game of cards?" Shawn asked as Maggie and Glenn settled next to each other on top of the bed, their legs touching, while Shawn decided to ignore it.
Joining the trio was Carl, Duck, and Clementine who looked too eager.
As the children settled around them, Glenn couldn't help but smile at their eagerness. It was moments like these, simple and almost normal, that made the harsh reality of their world a little more bearable.
"Alright, kiddos," Shawn said, shuffling the deck with practiced ease. "What'll it be?" "Poker!" Duck exclaimed loudly, earning surprised looks from the adults and an eye roll from Clementine.
"How about we start with something a little simpler?" Maggie suggested, trying to hide her amusement.
As they began to play, Glenn found himself relaxing, the tension of the day's events slowly going away. He watched as Carl's brow furrowed in concentration, as Clementine's eyes lit up when she made a good play, as Duck dramatically bemoaned his bad luck.
These kids had seen and experienced things no child should have to, yet here they were, laughing and playing like any other kids.
The game progressed, filled with laughter and playful banter. Glenn couldn't help but notice how Maggie's hand would occasionally brush against his, sending a small thrill through him each time. He caught Shawn's knowing smirk and felt his cheeks warm slightly.
As the sun began to set outside, casting long shadows through the window, Glenn heard footsteps approaching. The door opened to reveal Carley, looking slightly curious while also relieved.
"Mind if I join?" She asked and when everyone nodded, Clementine eagerly so, they scooted over to have some space for her. Because of that, Glenn and Maggie's entire leg were fully in contact, both acting as if it was nothing, though they couldn't hide their smile.
Though that smile turned into disappointment, when Lee also asked to join, and with no space on the bed, Shawn decided to take the decks of cards to the living room, with everyone who wanted to play, joined and made their own group.
Herschel, his wife, Annette, Daryl, and Carol forming one with one deck of cards, playing together. Carol and Daryl seemed to spark a friendship to which most people were surprised.
Rick, Lee, Carley, and Kenny formed around group to play with another deck of cards. Katjaa didn't join but she stayed by her husband's side, enjoying the joyful mood. Shane was in a corner of the room, staring at everyone yet his eyes mostly darted to Lori and Carl, who were with Shawn, Maggie, Glenn, Duck, and Clementine.
"Where's Alex and Beth?" Glenn couldn't help but ask Shawn and the older man smirked. "Outside, on watch duty."
"Wait really?!" Glenn whispered in shock, looking to Maggie, then back to Shawn, who was holding a knowing smile. His eyes trailed to Hershel at the dining table with the older group, except Daryl, then back to Shawn, almost asking with his eyes if his father knew.
In exchange, Shawn scoffed, "He was the one to throw them both outside."
Glenn couldn't help but chuckle at Shawn's revelation. "Hershel threw them outside? On purpose?" he whispered, glancing over at the older man who was engrossed in his card game.
Shawn nodded, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Yep. Said something about 'young folks needing to sort out their feelings' and 'better they do it where I can keep an eye on them.' Not to them obviously."
Maggie stifled a laugh. "Daddy's always been more observant than people give him credit for." Glenn couldn't help but laugh at that, unconsciously, turning to the man, only to see Hershel staring back at him with a knowing look then to Maggie before turning his gaze back to his wife and his playmates.
Color drained from Glenn's face and scooted a little away from Maggie, making her confused, while Shawn chuckled knowingly. Lori, in their group, couldn't help but smile at the interaction while petting her son's hair. Though her eyes contained no warmth when she met Shane's.
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Author Note:
Hey guys, how are all of you. It's me again.
It's been a long time and I finally had some time to write a chapter. It's around 4k words. The plot of this chapter, as you could see, was a light one but also advancing the plot a little. Sorry if this is slow to some of you.
For the past two weeks, my mind was still on this story and ways to make it interesting and good and due to that, the plans I had keep changing. Down the line. Not right now, cause currently, I'm simply struggling due to writing an original plot points and such.
I do have the second half of the story already figured out a little. But its always the first half that I don't know how to continue. So, please give me ideas by commenting anything and everything that comes to mind.
Another thing that you might have noticed in this chapter, Lori, Rick, and Shane's tension slowly spreading and people taking notice of it. I have to search what exactly happened at the farm, though I know some of it. If someone can summarize in the comments, I'll appreciate that as well.
Next chapter, it'll back on Alex's POV and how the watch duty is going with Beth. It's going to be another 4k chapter at least, but most of it will be on their character development and getting to know each other instead of just a superficial relationship. It will also reveal Alex's density and the reason behind it. Though it won't be direct and I really hope some of you takes notice of that. Again he is not an Isekai MC who is dense due to being stupid.
There is actual psychological reasons and the context of the situation he is in. Some of you may already know. Good for you.
Anyway, I'm sorry if that seemed like spoiler, but needed to explain it right away due to complains that might shoot my way.
If you have any questions and such. Comment them please.
Or you can tell me how this chapter was so far.
I hope you all enjoyed this, stay safe.
Author out.