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 Sixteen

 

It was complete chaos… everyone was dying and there was nothing I could do to stop it.  It didn’t seem to matter how many of them I killed, more kept coming.

Shane was screaming for the rest of us to make it toward the R.V., but I just couldn’t.  There were so many that needed help…I had to help them, I couldn’t not help them. 

“Birdie!”  Lori screamed, forcing me to look her way and nearly killing me because I wasn’t paying attention.

A walker lunged at me, taking me to the ground with enough force to rock my head and make me see double.  It was growling and snapping at my face and I realized the only reason I hadn’t been bitten or scratched was because I had somehow instinctively protected myself with the stock of my rifle. 

“Help me, please!”  I screamed.  I was fighting the thing off the best I could, but with my brains swimming with dizziness, I was fast losing hold of my grip. 

“Birdie!”  I heard Shane screaming.  I couldn’t tell where he was.  Screams seemed to be echoing off screams and nothing was making sense to me. 

In a last ditch effort to save myself, I bucked up, arching my hips high enough to slide my knees up and kick the half rotting man off of me. 

A shot rang through the night air, just as I was struggling to get to my knees again and I looked up to see a dirty, blood-soaked hand.   Following the path of flesh with my eyes, I uncovered even dirtier arms and a blood stained muscle shirt.  Bright blue eyes regarded me before he shook his hand again; trying to make me understand that it was alright to take it.  It was Daryl.

“Thank you,” I told him as he helped me to my feet.  He just nodded and all of the ire he held for me earlier in the day seemed to have disappeared.  He looked genuinely concerned as he looked me over, his eyes clearly scanning for bites or scratches. 

Faster than I could comprehend, more shots were fired and my brother’s voice carried over the distance.  “Carl!  Lori!”

It didn’t take long but soon, all walkers were silenced and instead of screaming, the blackness of the night was filled with morning cries for our dead.  My brother surged forward, embracing his wife and child, holding them tightly to him as he sobbed into his son’s hair. 

“Shane!”  I screamed as my eyes frantically searched out his tall frame but I couldn’t see him. Finally losing my cool, I screamed again.  “Shane!”

“Jesus, Birdie!”  He yelled, forcing his way through the others. 

“Shane!” I cried, taking off in a crooked run to him.

“Oh God, Birdie!”  He yelled, pulling me close to his chest.  “Oh God!”

“Sh-Shane!”  I sobbed, burrowing my face into his chest.  “Amy, I saw Amy…”

“Shuhh darlin’, shuhh…” he said, pulling me closer to his chest.  “I’ve got ya.  I’ve got ya.  I won’t ever let anythin’ happen to you.”

“I love you, Shane.  I love you.” 

“Shuhh,” he soothed, holding me as tight as he dared.  “I love you, too, baby.” 

~

Waking up the next morning to Daryl throwing one of his temper tantrums was not ideal.  In fact, if I would have had the energy I probably would have put that pix-ax through his brain just for yelling. 

I hadn’t wanted to lay down last night because I was sure that there were better things that I could be doing, not to mention that no force on this earth could have put me to sleep, but Rick and Shane insisted that Lori and I try and get Carl to rest for a few hours.  So Lori and I made a pallet out of blankets on the ground in the middle of their tent—we were still too scared to sleep next to the walls.  It took a while but with Lori and me on either side of him, and with Trusty at his feet, Carl fell asleep, and I joined him not long after. 

Shane came rushing at me as soon as I stumbled from the tent.  I thought I would feel better when I woke up, but…I think I felt worse.  My head was pounding so loud I was sure the others could hear it and I was fairly certain that sleeping on the hard ground did little to relieve the pressure off the uncomfortable bruise on the back of my head. 

“Baby,” he said lowly as I swayed.  “You need to sit down.” 

I nodded, complying because I really did need to sit down, preferably before I fell down. 

“What the Hell happened to your face?”  Rick asked in a growl as he came over to squat before me. 

I looked up, my eyes squinting against the blinding sun, but I didn’t miss the look of distain that crossed Shane’s face as he snarled, “Ed wrapped her one across the face yesterday.  She hit her head on a rock when she fell.” 

“What?”  My brother growled at the same time Daryl yelled, “Son of a bitch!”

Where did he come from?

“Where is he?”  My brother asked lowly, his face turning a unique shade of purple I had never seen before. 

Shane snickered and Lori snorted as she exited the tent.  “He’s hiding away.  He’s scared to death that Shane will make good on the rest of the ass kickin’ he has coming.”

I gaped at them.  “That fat bastard survived?”

Shane nodded, looking pissed.  “Yeah.  I saw him this morning.  When the walkers attacked…he just ran.  Left his wife and daughter behind and ran like a little bitch.” 

“That sounds like him.”  I said offhandedly and Daryl snorted as he approached. 

Daryl looked a little strange standing there, shuffling from foot to foot nervously.  “You got a concussion?”  He asked tersely, his head jerking up, gesturing that he was talking to me.

“Yeah,” Shane answered.  “A bad one.  Her whole left eye was blown out yesterday.” 

Daryl nodded before sticking his hand out with a closed fist, like he wanted me to take something from him.  I opened my hand without word and he dropped three pills into them.  Two large white circles and a small bar in the color peach. 

“Percocet and Phenergan.  Should kill that headache and stop ya from pukin’.” 

My mouth fell open in surprise, as did Shane’s, Rick’s and Dale’s.  Lori just snorted but threw a hand over her own open mouth the minute Daryl turned on her and glared. 

“Thank you,” I told him sweetly, meaning every word. 

Shane nodded his thanks as well, but my brother clapped him on the back and told him “thank you” outright. 

Daryl just shrugged and said, “Can’t let all the good people ‘round here go to Hell.”

My brother laughed and I thought Lori might pee her pants.  I knew what that bitch was thinking—yeah, yeah, I attract all the bad-boys…but I didn’t think this had anything to do with my looks.  I think Daryl honestly liked me and my brother because we weren’t scared to tell him like it was. 

Either way, Rick stood briskly, that look of murderous intent back in his eyes as he took in the large purple splotch that discolored my cheek and turned to Shane, “I don’t think the women and children in this camp are safe anymore with Ed around, what do you think, Shane.”

Shane laughed, nodding his agreement.  

“Well,” Rick said, smiling down at me briefly.  “Let’s go arrest the bad guy.” 

Shane kissed me sweetly before turning and following after my pissed off brother.  Yeah, I think Ed Peletier is going to live to regret the day that he ever pissed off a member of the Grimes family; we tend to be a little vindictive.