—  NATE NEVER FELT STRESS LIKE HE did when Zoe left the prison and he wasn't able to be with her and ensure that she was okay. Ever since his girl was taken by the Governor with Glenn, he had a constant fear that something else would happen to her, and it made him stressed to the max; he knew that he was being stupid, and his behaviour was uncalled for, but he just couldn't help it. He had never loved a girl like he did with Zoe, and he would rather take a bullet than let anything happen to her. Zoe knew that Nate was just anxious that something was going to happen with the Governor again, no matter how many times she had reassured him that she was okay, and if she got the chance she would put a bullet in his head, Nate still had the same worry. Nate wanted to be the one to kill the Governor, he wanted to make him suffer for what the man did to his girlfriend, and he wanted to make that suffer last - he wasn't usually a violent person, but he was towards the people whom hurt the ones he loved. And the Governor hurt the love of his life, physically and mentally, and he wanted to make the man pay for what he did.
But Nate knew that Rick should be the one to kill the man - Rick was the leader, he made the decisions and he made all of the calls, he respected the man. If Rick wanted to be the one to put a bullet in the Governor in the back of his head, then Rick was going to be the one to do that..

When Zoe finally returned from her trip with Rick, Carl and Michonne, Nate was over the moon, his mood immediately shifting towards happiness now that his girlfriend was back home. Not only that, but they had mountains upon mountains of guns, the group now having enough to defend themselves against the Governor and his people, and everyone couldn't be more glad.
"How was the trip?" Nate asked Zoe, as the two walked into the prison with a duffel bag each in their hands, filled to the brim with guns and grenades, all sorts that Nate hadn't even seen before. They must have had a large police station back at the Grimes' home town to be able to bring all of this back.

Zoe nodded her head, "It was good. I mean, we didn't get to see my old house 'cause some dude burnt it on, but I found this." She told the boy, pulling out the old and worn out photo frame which held the photo of herself and her other friends, Zoe, with pink hair. Nate couldn't believe how strange it was to see this girl in a different lifetime, one where they could actually shower freely, and the girl was even wearing makeup, not that she needed it, as she was absolutely gorgeous. "They're my friends, I used to go to school with them until everything went down, Jake was my best friend, but I found him as a walker in his house, I guess he never made it out alive." The girl explained, as the two walked into the prison.

Nate sighed, knowing that it must be hard to find your friend like that, he wouldn't exactly know much about that, even before all of this shit went down, he didn't have many friends, he was known as the weird kid who's dad beat him and his brothers, so no one ever really wanted to talk to him. That's how he liked it, though. He had never been someone who liked to have a lot of friends, he was someone who stuck to themselves, except now, he had a family, people he also considered his friends. "I'm sorry." He told Zoe, noticing that the girl had a sad look on her face as she looked at the photo. It must be hard to know that everyone you knew before all of this was now gone.

Zoe shrugged as they dropped the bags of weapons on the table in the main block, "Don't be. I kinda knew that something would happen to them, I mean, doesn't it with everyone?" She told him, her thoughts flicking back to her mother for a split second.
Nate saw this, he could read the girl like a book, now, and could tell when she was hiding her emotions, this was one of them times. He placed his hand behind her head, bringing her in for a hug, which she instantly accepted, Nate stroking her hair as he attempted to sooth her - he just wished he could take her pain away, and make her the happiest girl in the world, but the way they lived made that impossible. They just had to make the most of the moments they had, which wasn't a lot when they were being hunted by humans and walkers alike.

Rick walked in next with some others following behind him, the duffel bags in tow, everyone was slightly in shock at the amount of guns and ammo they had brought back, they had been so short on all supplies that they had completely forgotten what it was like to have so much with them. The last time they had felt like this was when they had first arrived to the prison and they had found the stacks of food and medical supplies inside, since then, they hadn't been able to find much supplies since then.
"As you can all see, we found a few bags of guns and ammo, thanks to an old friend." Rick spoke up to the group as they all stood around the table with guns laid out on, "This should be enough to defend ourselves.." He carried on, as Nate zoned out, keeping his hold on Zoe as she leaned back into his hold, feeling completely relaxed under his touch.

They had a war coming, and the whole group knew it - Andrea had arranged for Rick and the Governor to meet during the week, where Daryl and Hershel were allowed to go only. Nate had requested to go, he wanted to get a look at the man's face, the man that had terrorised the love of his life, but Daryl decided that it would be best if he went instead, as he knew that Nate wouldn't be able to control his anger. Don't get him wrong, Daryl would gladly beat the Governor to a pulp for what he did to Zoe, he had grown fond over the girl during the last year, and he was glad that she was with his brother, but Rick needed to talk it out with the man to stop any further deaths, and that's why he was going instead. That, and Nate would be able to control Merle whilst he was away, hence why he had suggested that Nate stayed home.
Everyone was nervous, on the edge of their seats in fear of what the Governors next move will be, and wether or not he will make a deal with Rick to leave them alone; no one exactly wanted a fight, no matter how much they all wanted the leader of Woodbury dead, it wasn't worth loosing their own people over, so that's why they were following behind Rick, their leader.

"Do you think the Governor will make a deal with my dad?" Zoe asked Nate, as they laid on their mattress in their cell, the girl lying on his bare chest, staring into the darkness as thoughts clouded her mind. She just couldn't get the thoughts out of her mind that maybe the Governor won't want a deal, and he'll attack with all of his men, killing them all. They may have a lot of guns, but they don't have enough people to use them, and that was their main worry right now. Zoe couldn't bare to loose anyone else she loved, she didn't know how she would get through it.

Nate sighed as he circled his thumb on Zoe's bare back, "I don't know." He honestly told the girl, not wanting to lie to her. He didn't think that the Governor would make a deal with Rick, the man had literally kidnapped two of their own people to find out where they were hiding, meaning that he wanted to take their home, or just kill them all and take their stuff; either way, he wasn't a good person, and Nate knew that he wasn't going to make a deal with Rick to live in peace. He just couldn't understand why the Governor was so attached to killing them all, when they had done nothing to him, he was a complete psychopath, and Nate couldn't wait till someone put a bullet in his head.

Zoe sighed, closing her eyes, "I don't want anyone to die." She admitted, the girl letting out her feelings to Nate, who wished that she didn't have to feel this way.

Nate kissed the top of her head, "They won't. Rick won't let that happen." He informed her, knowing that Rick was going to do everything in his power to keep this group safe, no matter what happens. That's why he was the best leader they could have - he cared about everyone so much, putting their needs before his own, and that's what made a good leader. The Governor could never live up to Rick, and maybe that's why he wants the whole group to die, jealousy. "Your dads a treat leader, Zo. He's not going to let anything happen to anyone if he can help it." He added, the girl nodding at his words, knowing they were true.

And that's how they spent the rest of the night, cuddled up in each others hold, talking about the future and what they were going to do about the Governor. The two of them knew that it was going to be tough, the next few days, with Rick heading out tomorrow to talk to this man, which probably won't end well, they all knew that deep inside, but didn't want to admit it. Carol was the only one who had hope that maybe the man wouldn't start a war, but everyone else knew better, the man was going to try and kill them all, it wasn't a secret. All they could do, was wait.
 
 
 
 
——
 
 
 
 
The group had waited the whole day for Rick to return with Hershel and Daryl, all anxiously awaiting the news on if they were going to war with Woodbury or not. It had been a long day of waiting, everyone anxiously walking around as they waited for the news if they were going to have to defend themselves against a whole town or not. Zoe and Nate had been on watch, along with Maggie and Glenn, who stood in the towers all day to make sure that the Governors men weren't coming to kill them whilst their leader was away. Luckily, it had been pretty quiet all day, only spotting walkers in the distance, but no one could relax knowing that Rick was going to come back with the news on wether or not they would be at war with Woodbury and the Governor. Zoe just hated the fact her father was talking with the man that violated her, and even worse, was that Rick knew about it, he wouldn't say anything to his daughter as he didn't want to embarrass her, but she knew that he knew. She had the worry that he was embarrassed of her, and had to show his face to the Governor knowing what he had done, but she also knew that her father would never be like that, and he loved her with all of his heart.

Nate could sense the worry radiating off of his girlfriend throughout the day, and no matter how much he tried to get it off of her mind, he just couldn't, the girl was trapped inside of her own head, worrying about the future and what was going to happen. Everyone was. No one knew what the future was going to bring them, or even if they had a future, with the Governor living down the road with his strange vengeance. The whole day was strange for everyone, it felt like a waiting game, no one knowing what they were actually waiting for. That is, until Rick came back, and they just knew from the look on his face that it wasn't good news, and were in for a long ride ahead.
They all stood in the cell block as Rick aced them all, "So, I met this Governor. Sat with him for quite a while." He spoke up, Zoe's heart stopping just at the thought of her dad being near the man who did such terrible things.

Merle couldn't help but find this strange, "Just the two of you?" He asked, causing Rick to nod at his question. The man shook his head in disappointment, "We should have gone when we had the chance." He told Rick, turning away from the leader as he began to walk away, Zoe watching anxiously as the man who knew the Governor had said that they have no chance against him.

"He wants the prison." Rick revealed, everyone looking shocked at his revelation - none of them wanted to give up the prison, it was the best safe haven they have had since the farm, they had spent so many months on the road without a sanctuary, and they had finally found one, they couldn't just let the Governor have it because he wanted it. They fought for it. "He wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead for what we did to Woodbury." He said.
Dead silence rang out around the room between everyone, all of them knowing that the next few days were going to be the hardest of their lives, even harder than the farm being overrun, and even harder than being on the road with a pregnant lady for months on end.. They were in for a long ride ahead.

"We're going to war."