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Summary:  Part 2 of the Lil’ Bird Series.  With the hope of CDC lost, the Grimes and the Walsh families are on the road to Ft. Benning.  What will Birdie find along the way?  Will Birdie and Shane remain side by side wherever the road might lead?  *No evil Shane* 

Warning:  This fan-fiction is rated Mature for Language, Gore and Adult Situations.  Readers under the age of 18 are strongly discouraged from reading.

Pairing: Shane & Birdie Walsh

Chapter Six

 

I found Shane sitting in the middle of a pew when I returned to the group, still furiously rubbing my eyes.  His eyes crossed over to my face and he did a double take when he saw the fresh tears still screaming down my cheeks.  His dark eyes narrowed, zeroing in on my red-rimmed eyes and his mouth curled down into a deep frown.

“What the fuck happened now?”  He demanded in a whisper as his rough calloused thumbs began brushing the wetness from my eyes.  He was damn murderous as he tried to comfort me, pulling me under his arm and tucking my head into his chest. 

His heartbeat was erratic, beating wildly in the pulsing vein at his neck.  “What happened, baby?”  His tone was softer now, but I could practically hear his teeth grinding in his mouth as he gritted out question after question.  “Was it somethin’ Rick said?”

I nodded, but was honest when I told him, “I don’t wanna talk about it right now.” 

“Baby, if he said somethin’—

“No,” I told him, shaking my head against the soft cotton of his t-shirt.  “I just ripped him a new one…please just leave him be.  Give him some time to think about everythin’.  But we will be discussing this leaving business, later.” 

“Alright, Birdie, I let it go…for now.” He conceded, dropping a kiss to my head as we watched Carol praying to the large statue of Christ who was morbidly covered in walker blood.

It was saddening to watch Carol beat herself up over Ed’s disappearance.  Did she really believe God was punishing her because she prayed for absolution against the man who had caused her grief and pain for years?  I guess this wasn’t what she had thought when she had prayed to be delivered from her bondage.  If Carol really loved Ed, then in my mind, the woman was a Saint. 

“I gotta go see what Rick has planned,” Shane said, kissing my temple as he rose.  “You gonna wait here with Lori?” 

I nodded, but tugged on his hand as he started to walk away.  “Please—

“Best behavior,” he said with a smirk.  “I promise.” 

“Thank you, baby.”  I told him, kissing the knuckles of the hand I still held. 

He looked down at me, an expression of complete devotion on his face.  “I love you.” 

Shane had told me he loved me in a lot of different ways over the years…friendship, partnership, lovers…but he had never said it quite like he just had.  Every single insecurity I had ever had…every doubt…it was gone, lost in the loving tone in which he spoke. 

With tears welling back up in my eyes, I replied.  “I love you, too, Shane.”

~

Lori met me at the end of my pew a few seconds later; her eyes looked a lot like mine.  What the hell was going on around here? 

“Lori?”  I asked, concerned. 

She didn’t say anything, but she threw herself at me and embraced me in a hug that almost hurt.   “Thank God you’re not leaving, I don’t know if I could do this without you.”  She cried. 

Oh Dear Lord, I thought to myself as the urge to smack my brother senseless burned anew. 

“Lori… Shane and I, we’re not goin’ anywhere.”  I told her, holding her tightly too me.  Man, she acting weird lately. 

“I know,” she said, pulling back.  “I know, I confronted Shane about it…he said he was just angry.  What the hell did Rick say to him to piss him off so bad?  Is that why he snapped at Carl this mornin’?” 

“Yeah,” I told her with a sigh, “Look, we need to get out there, but we’ll talk about that later…and about whatever it is that’s got you actin’ like a mad woman.” 

Her eyes went wide for a second before she schooled her features and pulled a neutral face as she nodded. 

We found the boys outside arguing…again, before he patted Ricky on the shoulder stormed towards, rubbing his head and clearing his throat.  Lori and I looked up from where we were sitting in the grass with Carl and Sophia as Shane made his announcement. 

“Ya’ll are gonna follow the creek-bed back,” he said, tugging up his loose pants and Lori and I made to stand.  “Daryl you’re in charge.  Rick and I are gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so…just to be thorough.”

Daryl looked at Shane and Rick like they were crazy.  “Splittin’ us up, you sure?”

“Yeah,” Shane answered, looking to me.  “We’ll catch up to you.” 

“I wanna stay too,” Carl piped in and I had to grip Lori’s arm when she stumbled at her son’s declaration.  “I wanna help; like Dad.” 

Lori looked worried, but she kissed my nephews head and told him to be careful. 

“Take Tru with you?”  I told them both.  Ricky looked up but didn’t say anything as Shane asked me if I was sure. 

“Yeah,” I told him, walking over to the gathered group of Glenn, Andrea, Carol, Sophia and Daryl.  “This group already has one bloodhound.”  I said, playfully smacking Daryl’s shoulder. 

“Watch it, Red.”  Daryl growled, and Ricky snorted behind his hand. 

Shane didn’t look very impressed by the redneck and I keeping up a playful banter, but he could suck it, Daryl and I were friends…and he needed to get over it. 

Ricky approached Lori as I made my way to my husband, giving him my best set of puppy eyes that had always made him melt. 

“Woman,” he growled teasingly as he pulled me too him and swatted my ass.  “You’ll be the death of me.” 

“Awe, come on, Papa Walsh, ya know I only have eyes for you.”  I told him, squeezing his sides. 

“It ain’t your eyes I’m worried about.”  He groused into my hair.  “Be careful out there…stay close to the sleazy redneck.” 

I grinned and bit his nipple through his shirt, laughing quietly when he growled.  “I promise not to stray from my suitor.” 

“Birdie,” Shane growled lowly into my ear.  “If you’re not real careful, girl, I’m gonna punish you later.”   

I pulled back from his chest and looked up at him from under my lashes, making sure to give him my most innocent smile.  “Promise, Sherriff?” 

He looked completely dumbfounded that I was flirting with him like this and I guess he had reason to be shocked.  Rick and I were always the quiet ones in school, and I was always the quiet one at home.  I didn’t even have a boyfriend till the end of junior year and other than that wild…wild 21^st birthday party, I was always just shy, sweet, innocent little Birdie.  My poor husband really didn’t have a clue what he had married into. 

“Go on, Smart-ass.”  He swore, kissing me once before pushing me off towards Lori who was excepting a spare gun that Daryl was carrying.   Andrea looked ready to spit nails by this point. 

She could go fuck herself.  Lori was a crack shot and though she wasn’t currently certified, she had been trained and at least knew how to turn the fuckin’ safety off. 

“Trusty,” I called out, snorting a bit when he tripped over his own ears as he climbed to his feet.  “You go with Papa Walsh.  Be good, boy.”  I bent down kissing him on the top of his stinky head and got a nice slobbery kiss in return before I turned and ran to catch up with the others. 

I really didn’t like the idea of splitting up any more than Lori or Shane did, but I could only pray that we found Ed quickly before anything else bad happened. 

~

We had only been walking a little ways when Carol dropped down onto a felled tree and started bitching once more.  I really enjoyed Carol’s company on most days…but since Ed had gone missing she had turned into this…different person, and whoever she was now was grating on the already overly sensitive nerves that Andrea had been working since we left the Church.  Every few minutes…Andrea would turn to Lori and I, scoff at us and then turn away again. 

It was obvious what her problem was and I was just biding my time until she said something, ‘cause when she did, she was gonna get an earful. 

“So this is it?  This is the whole plan?”  Carol asked, looking to Daryl who cut her off.

He sighed.  “I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups…cover more ground—

“Carrying knives and pointing sticks,” Andrea interrupted hatefully before she rounded on my sister-in-law.  “I see you have a gun.” 

Lori head snapped up with fire glowing in her eyes.  “Why, you want it?” She asked, glaring at Andrea as she passed her the small revolver.  “Here, take it.  I’m sick of the looks you’re giving me.”

As Lori held out the gun, I swooped in, snatching it up before Andrea could get a grip on it.  “No, I don’t think so.”  I said, handing the gun back to Daryl.  “Lori, if you don’t want it than give it back to Daryl.” 

Daryl stepped forward, taking the pistol from my hand and Andrea walked up to get in my face.  “Who died and made you Queen all of a sudden.  Just because you’re married to—

“This ain’t got nothin’ to do with that, Andrea,” I said, taking a step closer to her.  If she thought for one second that she was intimating, she really had another thing coming.  “Look, you have no idea how to safely handle a gun.  You’re a smart woman…and I’m sure you could learn pretty damn quick, but until you do…back the fuck off.  Lori’s been trained and you stuck a loaded gun in my brother’s face not three days ago.” 

She scoffed, but said nothing else as she raised her hands and backed away.  It might have had something to do with the fact that I was holding a loaded 30/06 pump action rifle.

Lori sat down next to Carol, rocking herself in her anger.  I knew this would happen, but I was genuinely surprised that this hadn’t been said last night.  “Look, I know what it’s like…missing your husband, to see what you have and not being able to do anything to stop it.  But, you have got to stop blaming Rick.  It is on your face every time you look at him…

I made my way around the fallen log, and pressed a hand on Lori’s shoulder in support and comfort as she continued to speak.  Carol already knew how I felt about her scathing looks towards my brother and it was in my opinion that Lori was being very generous with her words.  I would have lit that woman up like the Times Square Christmas tree faster than she could blink. 

“Once Ed ran, he didn’t even hesitate…not even for a second.  I don’t know that any of us would have gone after him the way he did, made the hard decision that he had to make.  I don’t think that anybody could have done it any differently.” 

As Lori finished I had to admit that Carol looked thoroughly chastised.  I was proud and jealous all in the same gesture…maybe it was a Mom thing that I could just never understand.  I had basically said all the same things to Carol the night before…and she never once looked as guilty as she did right now. 

“Anybody?”  Lori asked, her head darting from one face to another.  “You all look to him and blame him, but he’s not perfect.  If you think you can do this without him, than go right ahead…Nobody is stoppin’ you.” 

Everyone was deathly quiet as Lori said her piece, every one of them looking just as scolded as Carol.  Andrea murmured a soft apology and Daryl handed Lori the gun back. 

“We should keep moving,” Andrea said, looking from Lori to me with her face softened.  I nodded before extending my hand to my sister and helping her to her feet. 

I walked up past Daryl and he awkwardly threw his filthy, sweaty arm over my shoulder.  “Ya alrigh’, Red?” 

I scoffed at him before hugging his side.  “Just another day in paradise, Dixon, just another day.” 

~

“You know…Rick and I were fighting the day he was shot.” 

I stopped dead in my tracks, my head turning to Lori.  It was a really off the wall thing for her to say…but I guess I did say we’d talk about her acting funny. 

“Yeah…what about?” 

She shrugged her shoulders.  “I really don’t remember now, but I know I was bein’ a bitch—

“Lori,” I scolded but she shook her head. 

“No, I was…I was tryin’ so hard to get him to fight with me but he just—

“Lori,” I laughed.  “You know better than anyone how Rick is with you.  To him, you might as well been a southern belle from Twelve Oaks…you’re a lady to him and he was raised with better manners than that.” 

She laughed with me.  “I know…but it always irked me that he would never have it out with me when he’d always fight with you.”

I snorted at that.  “I ain’t no lady…I’m nothin’ but a sister.” 

“The Aristocats.”  Sophia said softly next to her Mama and every head, including Daryl’s turned to look at the shy child.  “It’s from the Aristocats, right?” 

I nodded.  “Good call, Sophia.  It’s one of Carl’s favorite movies.” 

She smiled and Carol laughed.  It was the first time I had seen her smile or laugh since Ed went missing yesterday.

Lori laughed next to me.  “How could I forget?”

“’Cause you ain’t the one who had to watch it on repeat for week straight when you and Ricky went on that second honeymoon,” I grumbled.  “I’m pretty sure Shane can quote the entire thing word for word.”

She laughed hard, covering her face with her hands to muffle the sound.  “Oh God, he tortured Rick for weeks with that damn song.  It got so bad that Rick would come home whistling it at the end of every shift.” 

“Well,” I chuckled.  “That’s what he gets for goin’ on a sex filled vacation and leavin’ Shane and I to be tortured by an evil four year old obsessed with all things Disney.” 

She nudged my shoulder with hers, “You and Shane could have had just as much fun if you both weren’t cowards.” 

“Oh yeah,” I scoffed.  “I’m sure Rick wouldn’t have had a heart-attack if he came home and found out that Shane and I did the dirty on the kitchen counter.” 

“The kitchen counter, huh?”  Lori teased, jabbing my sides with her bony elbow.

“Shut-up,” I grumbled.  “There was a lot of pent up frustrations flyin’ around in that kitchen.” 

“Oh—

Whatever comeback she had died as we all heard the lone gun-shot echoing off the trees.  Instantly, my heart climbed into my throat as dread and anxiety filled my entire being.  Something was horribly wrong.  My twin senses were tingling.  Something had happened to Rick…and it was something bad.