Joe found Rick in his tent with Elize, the two talking in low voices. They froze a little when he stepped inside.
Joe grinned. "Relax. You're not that good at hiding."
Rick sighed while Elize smirked and leaned against his shoulder. "See? Why should we hide?"
"I don't want Carl getting the wrong idea," Rick muttered.
Elize huffed and turned away.
Joe dropped it casually. "Carl already knows. How do you think I found you?"
Both of them stared. "What?"
Joe shrugged. "Anyway… What's the plan for today?"
Rick exhaled. "Not much. Just getting ready for winter."
"Alright. I'll leave you two alone."
Joe stepped back out into camp, scanning the yard. Sophia sat with some of the rescued women, who were teasing her about having a crush on Carl.
He made his way to the stables and found Maggie and Emma crouched beside a small calf that didn't look very healthy.
The calf lay on it'd side, an abscess jutting out from its abdomel.
Slipping up behind Maggie, he wrapped his arms around her. She let out a sharp squeal, while Emma jolted before smiling when she saw him kiss Maggie's cheek.
Maggie broke free and smacked his chest. "You scared me!"
Joe staggered back, grimacing. Both women rushed to him, worried, only for him to grab them both into a playful bear hug.
Their giggles filled the air, Emma snorting between laughs. "You're the best." Maggie's smile was bright.
"So," Joe asked, "What are you ladies up to?"
Maggie caught her breath. "Trying to get this calf to feed. He's too weak."
Emma nodded. "We think it's an infection from the umbilical stump."
"Can't give it antibiotics?" Joe asked.
Emma sighed. "We could, but the infection's spread. There's also an abscess on his stomach. We don't have the tools to lance it."
"So you're stuck?" Joe asked.
Both women nodded, their faces somber.
Maggie said, "Might have to put him down."
Joe tilted his head. "At least we could have steaks, right?"
Maggie shook her head. "It's not safe,"
Emma shook her head. "We could cut away the infected area. If we cook it long enough, we'd be fine."
Maggie blinked, then smiled at her. "Guess that education paid off," she said, hugging Emma.
Emma laughed.
Joe smirked. "So? Steak tonight?"
They both laughed and nodded.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?"
They told him to carry the calf out back. Joe lifted it easily, took it behind the stables, and put it down with one clean shot from his Glock.
Maggie and Emma worked quickly, cutting away what they couldn't use. When they were done, Joe hung the carcass from a chain and started butchering the good meat. There was enough for everyone to have a portion.
He stacked the slabs into a large plastic container and carried it to the house with Maggie and Emma following.
In the kitchen, he asked, "Where's your spices?"
Maggie brushed past him, bending in front of him to pull a spice rack from a low cabinet.
Setting it on the counter with a smirk before taking Emma's hand and heading back out.
Joe watched them go, then sorted through the rack. He pulled salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
He dumped a cup of salt into the container, filled it with water, and massaged the meat until the water turned cloudy.
After draining it, he rubbed in more salt along with the pepper, garlic, and onion powder into the meat.
After working the seasoning in for a couple minutes, he washed his hands.
Then he sealed the container, carrying it over to the fridge.
...
Joe slid the container into the fridge and closed the door with a quiet thump.
The sound of footsteps on the wooden floor made him glance over his shoulder.
Beth stepped into the kitchen, her hair pulled back, a few loose strands framing her face.
She looked from him to the spice rack still on the counter. "What are you doing?"
Joe leaned on the counter. "Prepping dinner."
Beth tilted her head. "Really?"
"Yeah. Figured a good meal might settle folks in after… well, after everything."
Her expression softened. "That's nice of you."
She hesitated, almost like she wanted to say more, then added, "You didn't have to."
Joe shrugged. "Nobody has to do anything. Doesn't mean it's not worth doing."
Beth smiled faintly at that, then stepped closer. "I'll help, if you want. I can make cornbread."
Joe smirked. "Cornbread and steak? You'll ruin people for the apocalypse."
Beth gave a small laugh and shook her head as she headed toward the pantry. "Guess we'll just have to risk it."
Beth rummaged through the pantry, pulling out cornmeal, flour, sugar, and a small bottle of oil.
"Alright, big guy. I'll get started."
Joe arched a brow. "You sure you can handle it?"
Beth shot him a sideways glance. "You doubt me?"
She stepped close enough that her arm brushed his as she set the ingredients on the counter.
He smirked, continuing to observe her.
Beth measured the cornmeal, leaning forward over the counter just enough for him to notice, her hair swinging down to one side.
"You know," Joe said, "most people wouldn't go all out like this in the middle of a world falling apart."
Beth's lips curved as she whisked the dry ingredients. "Maybe I like the idea of people remembering what a real meal feels like."
She slid the bowl toward him. "Pour in the milk for me?"
Joe reached for the jug, their arms brushing briefly. Her eyes flicked up to meet his before she looked back to the bowl. "Thanks."
While she stirred, she hummed softly, not enough to fill the room.
It was just loud enough for him to hear. Every so often, she leaned into him when reaching for something on the far side of the counter, her body pressing against his.
When the batter was ready, she poured it into a cast-iron skillet and tapped the spoon on the rim.
"You know," she said lightly, "you clean up pretty well for a guy who butchered a calf in the morning."
Joe chuckled. "And you make a decent seductress for someone trying to look innocent."
Beth's cheeks flushed slightly, but her grin didn't falter. "Guess we're both full of surprises."
She slid the skillet into the oven, then dusted her hands off.
"Alright, your turn. Let's see if you can help me get this table set without breaking something." She glanced at his large rough hands.
Joe shook his head with a faint smile, grabbing plates while Beth moved around him.
Close enough that each pass made it seem just a little less accidental.
...
By the time the sun dipped low, the smell of sizzling meat drifted across the yard.
Conversation quieted here and there as people's attention pulled toward the kitchen.
Joe carried the first tray of steaks to the dining room, setting them in the center of the long table Hershel had insisted they extend with extra boards.
Beth followed with a cast-iron skillet of golden cornbread, the butter melting in slow rivulets along the edges.
Patricia, Carol, and a few of the rescued women brought bowls of beans, mashed potatoes, and roasted corn on the cob.
Even Sophia came in with a plate of baked beans, grinning sheepishly as she placed them on the table.
When everyone had found a seat.
Some at the main table, others along benches and smaller tables.
Hershel stood, hands resting on the back of his chair.
"We've had… a lot happen in the last day," he began, his voice steady but warm. "But tonight, we're all here. That's worth being thankful for."
Heads bowed briefly as he said a short prayer, then the clatter of forks and the low murmur of voices filled the room.
The rescued women, still wary, relaxed little by little.
April sat beside Andrea, who coaxed a smile from her by describing one of Amy's clumsy fishing trips.
Sophia laughed at something Carl whispered, cheeks pink. Daryl even cracked a rare grin at one of Glenn's muttered jokes.
Joe carved a thick steak in half, passing a portion to Amy, then another to Andrea, making sure they got the best cuts.
Across the table, Maggie caught his eye with a quick smile before returning to an animated conversation with Emma about something.
Beth, seated at his right, leaned in to quietly ask, "How's it taste?"
Joe took a bite of cornbread, still warm and soft, and gave a small nod. "You'll ruin me for store-bought."
Her lips curved in satisfaction, and she nudged the basket toward him like it was their private exchange.
The air in the room felt lighter than it had in days.
For a little while, there were no fences to reinforce, no threats in the dark.
Just the clink of dishes, the warmth of food, and the low hum of people feeling human again.
By the time plates were scraped clean, the tension between old and new faces had softened into something like familiarity.
Joe leaned back in his chair, taking it all in.
The laughter, the shared stories, the smell of the last steaks cooling on the table.
He let himself think, just for a moment, that maybe this could work.
...
Bang!
Ratatatata!
The laughter died in an instant. Chairs scraped. Sophia and Carl clung to their mothers.
Joe and Rick were already moving, shoving through the door.
Joe burst outside, scanning the field. Rick came up beside him... and froze.
Hundreds of walkers poured through the first fence, crushing it like matchsticks despite the reinforcements.
Muzzle flashes erupted from the windmill, Jimmy firing wildly.
The structure groaned, bolts snapping, before it toppled into the horde.
Jimmy's scream cut through the gunfire, then vanished in the roar of the dead.
Joe hit the steps two at a time, sprinted to the moving truck, and yanked a duffel of guns from the back.
He tossed a rifle to Rick, who caught it mid-run and charged back toward the front lines, others falling in beside him.
Joe dropped the duffel, swung his sniper up, and started picking off the fastest walkers.
The headshots bought them precious seconds.
Glenn appeared at his side, face pale. "What do we do? Hunker down?"
Rick shook his head. "A herd this size will tear the house apart."
Joe's voice was hard. "Get everyone out. Grab what you can."
Glenn nodded and ran inside, shouting orders loud enough to be heard over the chaos.
The rest of the group spilled from the house, arms full of supplies.
Joe caught motion near the stables.
Daryl sprinting flat out, half a dozen walkers on his heels. Joe fired quick and clean, dropping each one in turn until Daryl broke free.
Rifles barked from every direction, Andrea, Maggie, Rick, Daryl, laying down cover fire.
Hershel strode toward the herd, his shotgun booming.
Luckily, the dead began to split, part of them veering off after the livestock.
Joe's scope caught nothing but closing faces. They were too close now.
His mind wasn't on the horde, it was on Amy and Emma.They were the least trained of his women.
He glanced at Maggie and Andrea, firing shots accurately for a second before rushing to get Emma and Amy.
He grabbed them both by the hand, pulling them toward a car already half-filled with terrified women.
Across the yard, the others were shoving whatever they could into the moving truck.
The second fence shattered just as fast as the first, under the weight of the dead.
"Time to go!" Joe shouted. "Move it!"
Engines roared to life. Women scrambled into vans and sedans. Daryl dragged Carol and Sophia into Rick's car, then vaulted onto his motorcycle and gunned it.
Hershel was still on foot, stubborn to the last. Joe spotted the walker coming up behind him and fired once.
The thing dropped at Hershel's heels. The old man looked back, startled.
Realizing there was no resisting this herd and that his farm was doomed, he finally hustled to his truck.
Beth was rushing to the truck, dragging Patricia behind her.
It happened fast. A walker lunged from the side, jaws clamping onto Patricia's arm.
Her scream was raw and ragged.
Beth refused to let go, Hershel prying her away, shoving her into the truck.
The convoy tore down the dirt road... the water truck, moving truck, cars, and vans.
Joe stayed at the rear, covering their retreat until the last vehicle disappeared.
He scanned the yard... no one left.
Or so he thought.
…
Andrea was fighting her way toward him, but the swarm cut her off.
A walker slammed her to the ground. She screamed, stabbing again and again until her blade found its skull.
She stumbled to her feet, sprinting for the treeline...
Only to be seized by another. Out of bullets, her arms shook as she held it back.
The walkers teeth snapping shut just inches from her face.
Just then a flash of steel.
Michonne, katana slicing clean through the walker's neck.
Andrea gasped for breath as Michonne hauled her upright.
No words, just a quick nod before they vanished into the woods, the noise of the herd still raging behind them.