Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, ect., are the property of their respective owners.  The original character and plot are the property of the author.  The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise.  No copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: When the world ended the only thing Birdie Grimes wanted to do was to get home to her family.  When she finds her sister-in-law and best friend on the outskirts of Atlanta, will she finally get the chance to tell him how she really feels?  Will love blossom?  *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 Walsh x Birdie Grimes

~Author’s Note~

Thank you DamonSalvatorelover789~ You asked a really important question and one that I should have answered on my own long before now. 

Shane is a good guy in this fiction and Lori (will remain a bitch at times) will not be bumping uglies with Shane.  Shane is totally with Birdie in this.  I can’t stand cheaters and that kind of constant angst would drive me nuts. 

For those of you looking for that kind of drama there will be a little with Andrea in later chapters (Think of her as the All Hated Lori) for this guys.  I will not be kind to her in this.  Well, I don’t think I’d be kind to her in anything…

Anywhooo, rant—rant, thank you DamonSalvatorelover789, iLoveBeckAndAvan, gypsykl79 and Leyshla Gisel and all those of you that have favorite and who are following this story.

LittleRin26

Chapter Four

 

Hours later, when everything was settled, the entire camp seemed to be celebrating all of the supplies I had brought with me.  I didn’t care.  My brother might have been gone, but Lori—who had become my sister—along with my nephew and Shane were here…nothing but Rick coming back from the dead could have been better. 

Everyone had gathered around the campfire—excluding those who would be finding their way back to Atlanta tomorrow.  Lori, Carl and Trusty were settled, snuggling under a quilt Clara Grimes—my grandmother—handmade when Carl was born, and I had to sneaky suspicion the Carl was giving him scraps under the blanket.  It would be the only way Trusty would stay away from Shane like this.  Sometimes I wondered why Rick even bought me the dog—he was clearly a traitor when it came to Shane. 

Shane was next to me on the ground, both of us under a wool blanket that looked like it came from an Army Surplus store.  It itched like Hell but…I couldn’t exactly complain, Shane was like a damned heater, always had been.

After dinner had been eaten, Shane had to take first watch, so I hunkered down in bed with Carl, Trusty at the foot of the cot.  It was the best sleep I had in a good long while.  No nightmares, no panic…just my baby nephew in my arms.

~

The next morning was something surreal.  At first, I really thought I had dreamed the whole thing, but as I looked around, it became apparent—from the clothes of my nephew sprawled around the tent and the smell of Lori’s deodorant—that I was wide awake and this…apparently was heaven.

I made my way into camp where the sweet Carol was making a breakfast of chocolate pancakes—helped by my flour and canned chocolate.  Everyone was all smiles, except for Amy and Miranda—but, I guess if my family was in Atlanta it would be a little worried too. 

A little later I was trying to find out where Trusty had run off too, I suspected he was with Shane or Carl…but I hated not knowing where he was. 

“Hey beautiful,” I nearly jumped out of my skin as Shane breath whispered against my neck.  “Sleep well?”

I smiled stupidly, “Yeah, really well.  You?”  I asked as I turned around to face him.

He smiled, his dark eyes lighting up with his smile.  “A lot better knowin’ yer safe.”

“Is that right?”

That cocky grin appeared on his face just as fast, before he turned serious.  “Look, I ain’t got watch tonight, can we talk?”

“Of course.” I told him, my face burning with embarrassment. 

Why did I let him do this to me?  At the age of 35 I had been on plenty of dates, and had several lasting relationships—I even had a guy ask me to marry him—but never, never had any of them made me blush the way Shane could.  Perhaps that why none of those previous relationships ever panned out? 

I wasn’t stupid or naïve—I had known since I was 16 years old that I was in-love with Shane Walsh.  I’d of had to be deaf, blind and dumb not to notice.  But ever since we were of age to start noticing the opposite sex—Shane noticed every girl with a beating heart except me, and it…hurt. 

So, I had given up.  I never let on to how I felt about him, trying my best not to show the hurt every time he and Rick invited me to the movies with them and Shane brought along some beautiful blonde that I could never live up to.  But I never…not in all the time I spent with Patrick (lasting relationship # 1) or Jason (lasting relationship # 2) had I ever really felt that spark, that underlying fire that I felt every time Shane was near.  For the longest time, I had given up on relationships entirely—there was no point. 

But…here he was now, and hinting at something more than friendship. 

To sum everything up: I was terrified. 

“Birdie!” 

My head snapped up at the desperate shout of my name, looking into concerned dark eyes.  Shane’s warm hands were resting on my shoulder, lightly shaking me in a rocking motion. 

“What the Hell, Birdie…you just stopped talkin’, you alright, darlin’?”

Blinking up at him stupidly, I stuttered out an apology.  “Sorry. I-I, uh, guess I spaced out for a minute or…two.”

He breathed a sigh of relief, the tension unfurling from his shoulders as the ass chuckled at me.  “Damn, I hope you were thinkin’ of somethin’ good, ‘cause you got the dreamiest look on yer face for a second.”

Smirking a little, I eyed him with much more courage than I actually had.  “Wouldn’t you like ta’know?”

With his cocky smirk back in place, he leered at me.  “Ya’know it, darlin’.  Anyway, I gotta run—gotta go for a water run.  Sure ya don’t wanna come with?”

I shook my head, frowning slightly because I really did want to go, but I had other obligations in the way of a tightly-wound 12 year old who forced me into a game of go-fish. 

“Naw,” I told him, smiling at him teasingly.  “I’ve got a hot date.”

He laughed loudly at this and shook his own head in amusement.  “Sure ya do.  Do I need to chaperone this hot date?”

I smacked his arm playfully.  “I’ll have you know that Carl Grimes is the cream of the crop ‘round these parts.”   

“Okay, okay…” He conceded, his face still tickled with mirth.  “I’ll let you get to yer date… just save me a seat later, alright?” 

“You got it, cowboy.” 

Something in his face changed with my teasing jab and his face turned serious.  It darkened with an emotion I hadn’t ever seen on his face before as he strolled forward. 

“Yer playin’ with fire, Birdie,” he told me gruffly, his voice husky as he reached and roughly grasped my hip with his hand.  “and yer gonna get burned.” 

Shane’s face loomed over mine, desire obvious in his posture as he closed the distance between us with a single tug.  His deep brown eyes lingered at mine and then flickered down to my lips.  My tongue flicked out of its own accord to moisten them—my mouth had never felt dryer. 

Taking the invitation, he leaned forward, his intent to kiss me obvious—until Carl slammed into my side, hugging my leg as he shrieked “Save me!”

Trusty came barreling in behind him, barking once and nearly knocking us both down when he bumbled between my legs.  Stupid dog!

With my heart thudding wildly in my chest, I realized that I was probably close to having a heart-attack.  Shane looked unaffected—other than the obvious frustration with my nephew—but he smiled nonetheless. 

“And who is your Aunt Birdie savin’ ya from.”  Shane chuckled, ruffling Carl’s hair as he spoke. 

“Mom,” he gasped, slightly winded as he pulled himself further behind my legs.  “She wants to cut my hair.” 

Looking up, I did indeed see my sister-in-law brandishing a pair of sheers and looking mighty pissed off about having to chase down her wild boy. 

Shane just looked at me, his smile not wavering as he shook his head, muttering to himself and wandered back towards his jeep—I bet if I were a fly on his shoulder I would be getting a good lesson in foul language. 

“Carl, my boy, you are in serious trouble.”  I joked, petting his head. 

~

Several hours later after the promised game of go-fish, I chuckled distractedly scratching at Tru’s neck as I watched every grimace my nephew made as he sat between Lori’s legs—getting his hair cut. 

Shane plopped down next to me a few minutes later—also eating up the sour faces Carl was pulling as he wiggled and winced with every snip of Lori’s scissors. 

I cut my eyes to Shane to find him already looking at me—grinning like the cat who ate the canary.  We were obviously thinking the same thing—Payback’s a bitch!