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

Chapter Seventeen

 

It was getting later.  The sun was high in the Georgia sky and already everyone in camp seemed to be soaked through with sweat.  By this point everyone had wandered off on some task or another and I felt entirely useless, but between Rick and Shane…I was on a no heavy lifting…no exertion duty. 

Rick had torn out of camp about a half hour ago, heading up to the ridge that overlooked downtown.  He was crouched in a squat, speaking into a wireless walkie.  He must have been trying to reach Morgan again. 

Shane wasn’t far from him, obviously watching my brother’s back at a distance and it made me laugh.  Shane had always been the protector.  Ricky was no wuss, but he was a gangly kid…and it seemed Shane was always getting into fights with the older kids to protect him.  

“So, where headed to the CDC?”  I asked, coming up from behind and squeezing Shane’s waist. 

He sighed, hanging his head.  “Yeah, Rick said that they were broadcastin’ somethin’ about a cure.” 

“Yeah, and what do you think?” 

He spun around, holding me to him as he bent down to press his warm lips against mine.  His kiss was more demanding than before, harsher, but I think that because he was scared. 

“You know what I think, Birdie.  But you also know I trust your brother’s gut.” 

Smiling, I pushed off on my toes, capturing his lips with mine again, running my tongue along his bottom lip.  He groaned and parted his lips without question, responding in a way that only made the spring in my lower belly coil tighter.  If I didn’t have that man soon, I think I might combust. 

“What happened with Andrea and Jim?”  I asked, because when Daryl decided to freak out…I took off. 

As far as I was concerned that little spat was unnecessary, not uncalled for entirely but definitely unnecessary.  Even if I believed Daryl was right about Amy needing to be taken care of—and as much as I disliked Andrea in general—I couldn’t get past how insensitive it was for him to say some of the things that he had with Andrea sitting right there.  But, if I were being honest with myself, I guess the people in this group hadn’t exactly been fair to him either.  So, I left before I could say anything that I may come to regret later, either to him or the rest of the group.  

Cowardice as it might have seemed, I couldn’t even stand to look at Amy’s body; I had really liked her despite the being quite a few years older than her.  I could easily imagine Rick and I having her for a little sister; she was a perfect mix of our personalities. 

Shane shifted uncomfortably, lowering his eyes to the gravel beneath him.  “Andrea took care of it.”  I nodded, I had heard the shot. 

“And…Jim?”

Shane sighed, “Rick wants to make a go for the CDC.  He thinks they can save him, but…”

“Yeah, I happen to agree with you and Daryl.”  I told him gripping his bicep. “That poor man is gonna be miserable traveling in his condition.

He looked down to me with unmasked surprise on his face and I shrugged my shoulder.  “I love Ricky, you know that, but he isn’t using his head on this one.  I have no idea how long it takes for the infection to set in, but by time we get ourselves together and actually get on the road…”

He nodded as I trialed off, no more needing to be said.  Shane knew that there was a very good possibility of Jim turnin’ on us before we even made it to Atlanta and I think that scared him just as bad as it did me. 

We remained silent for a moment, both taking comfort in the others embrace, before Shane jutted my chin with his thumb, bringing my attention back to his face. 

“You ridin’ with me?”  He asked hopefully, but I shook my head.  “Birdie—

“Shane, it’s a good idea to keep the Semi.  You never know when were gonna need the fuel or another “safe” spot to hang your head for the night.  Walkers can’t climb and that sleeper sits pretty high off the ground.” 

“Someone else can’t drive it?”  He argued, his fists settling on his hips defiantly. 

“Like who?”  I asked my nose curling up as I squinted against the sun.  “Shane, baby, not too many of us here took the time to get our CDL’s before the world ended.  Dale has the R.V., Jim’s in no shape to drive, T’s got the Church van and more than enough passengers and I don’t know about Daryl, but it doesn’t even matter ‘cause he’s got Merle’s bike and his truck to worry about.” 

“What about Glenn?” He asked but as his face twisted into a grimace I realized that even he knew what a last ditch effort that sounded like.

“Yeah, no.”  I laughed, swatting his shoulder. 

“Birdie,” he sighed, rubbing my arms with his calloused hands.  “I don’t want ya ridin’ by yourself.  I won’t know how to go on if somethin’ were to happen to you…if we were to get separated again.”

I smiled at him, my best reassuring one as I popped onto my toes to offer his cheek a little peck.  “Shane, I won’t be alone…I have Tru.” 

He snorted.

“What’s goin’ on over here?”  Ricky called to us from a distance, his feet eating up the ground in hurried steps.  “A lovers spat?”

“Don’t get cute, Ricky.”  I told him sternly, crossing my arms over my chest. 

Shane grumbled next to me.  “Your sister wants to take the Semi by herself.”

“Birdie, you can’t haul that tanker down the road,” Rick said, approaching me with a small frown on his face.  I frowned back, opening my mouth to tell big brother to shove it up his ass, but he held his hands up in surrender.  “We can’t use diesel for anythin’, but I guess if you want to keep the sleeper…”

“I do,” I told him bluntly.  “I’ll have Shane or Daryl drive me down to the road to load it in a minute…it’d be a mistake not keeping the fuel.” 

“Chirp’s right,” Daryl grunted suddenly, making his way over with his pix-ax slung across his shoulders.  “Ya never know when we might need the fuel, plus that Semi will be real good for pushin’ shit out’a the road.”

“Chirp?”  My brother questioned, completely ignoring the way Shane growled, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

“Chirp?”  I parroted, my eyebrows disappearing into my hairline with the mention of the “cutesy” nick-name Daryl had apparently dubbed me worthy of. 

He just shrugged, “Her name’s Birdie, ain’t it?”  He said like that made all the sense in the world.  I guess it kind of did, but then again I was still in shock that Daryl had thought to give it to me. 

I could feel Shane tensed up behind me, and I didn’t even need to see his face to know he was shooting Dixon the mother of all glares.  Hmmm?  I wonder if this is just another way for Daryl to get under Shane’s skin.  It made a Hell of a lot more sense than Daryl giving a pet name for shits and giggles. 

“Alright,” my brother stated, pulling his head honcho hat on and smirking at Daryl.  “Daryl, you wanna run Birdie on down to the road to get the tanker loaded?” 

Daryl sighed but nodded his head in agreement.  “Yeah, alright.”

Shane piped up.  “I’ve got it.” 

Oh, my gruff, knuckling-dragging caveman.  You worried Dixon’s gonna steal your girl? 

Admittedly, if I had never found Shane again, I certainly wouldn’t have minded the extra attention from the rugged hunter…there was just something about him.  None of that mattered however, I loved my Italian Stallion—as Shane had so proclaimed himself in the Eight grade—and no force on this earth—even Daryl’s sky blue eyes—could turn my head from him.