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 Twelve

 

As much as I hated it, I did suck up my pride to go see my brother and the others off, however, I had no doubts that Ricky knew just how displeased I was with him when he left.  I didn’t say anything to Lori or Shane after the group departed, afraid that I may say something hurtful to either one of them.  So instead, I grabbed the large stack of Shane, Carl and Lori’s laundry and headed for the quarry. 

A smile broadened on my lips as I approached the gossiping hens at the bottom of the quarry, but I did groan a little when I saw that it was Ed who was on watch duty.  I want to know in what world sitting on your ass watching women work counted as any kind of a duty—though, as I looked across the quarry and saw Shane splashing around with Carl…I thought better of saying anything about it and starting something. 

All four women—Jacqui, Amy, Andrea and Carol—looked up as I approached, each of them giving me a timid smile, well except Andrea who seemed to have taken her Prozac this morning and was beaming at me. 

What a strange woman.

I said my hello’s and toed off my boots, sighing in comfort as the cool water lapped over my burning feet.  Carol who was closest smiled and handed me a crude mixture of detergent and a thick scrubbing brush.  God, why hadn’t I ever learned how to do this?

“So you and Shane?”  Amy asked after a minute of silence. 

I looked to her raising a brow and she immediately defended herself.  “What?  It’s not like he’s made an attempt to hide it.  He’s been practically peeing on your leg since you showed up a couple of days ago.” 

“Got that right, honey.”  Jacqui agreed, laughing when my face darkened with a blush. 

“So, you and Shane, have you always been together?”  Amy asked again. 

Obviously, she isn’t going to just let this go.

“No,” I said quietly.  “I never even knew he had feeling for me until…”

“Well, no time like the present.  We never know when the day might be our last.” 

I nodded, thinking that Carol definitely made a strong point. 

As we worked our way through the astonishing pile of clothes Jacqui looked over to where Shane had just fallen on his ass in the water.  “I’m beginning to question the division of labor.” 

“Can someone explain to me why the women wound up doing all the Hattie McDaniel work?”  Andrea piped in a minute later, but I seriously couldn’t help but laugh…Shane, he just looked so silly all soaking wet and hollering like a drowning cat. 

Amy smiled at me and then looked back over at her sister.  “The world ended, didn’t you get the memo.” 

I snorted. 

“It’s just the way it is,” Carol replied, her eyes darting over to where Ed had just let his second cigarette in the last fifteen minutes. 

The resigned look on her face sobered me fast.  This was probably nothing new to Carol, nothing new by a long shot. 

“I do miss my Maytag,” she said a minute later, sighing wistfully as she thought about the machine.  I hummed in agreement; this beating your clothes on rocks was for the birds. 

Andrea sighed next, a dreamy look on her face when she talked about her fancy car.  I really couldn’t relate though.  I had driven that rusted out CJ most of my life… and I wouldn’t know how to work a GPS if you put it in front of me.  Shane, on the other hand would probably be creaming his shorts right along with her…what was it with men and shiny electronics? 

“I miss my coffeemaker with a dual drip filter and built in grinder, honey.”  Jacqui said with a little shimmy of her hips. 

“Amen to that, sister.”  I said laughing.  Dear Lord, how I missed Starbuck’s.  The mornings just aren’t the same without good coffee, though; I don’t think I’d trade a bunch of beans for the hunk of shirtless man meat I get as a wakeup call now. 

“My computer…texting,” Amy said looking forlorn.  I stuck my tongue and curled my nose.  Electronics just weren’t my thing.  Shane had to literally stay on the phone with me the entire time I set up my laptop for work. 

“What do you miss, Birdie?”  Carol asked sweetly, looking over at me with a small, timid smile. 

I thought about it for a minute.  I guess I was pretty lucky.  I had my family, my dog, a wonderful man who loved me.  The only thing I guess I really missed was…

“I miss my job,” Almost every eyebrow shot up at my answer and I raised my hands in surrender.  “Tell me you wouldn’t want to play with Tiger cub’s and baby Elephants all day.” 

“Awe,” Amy cooed, making a face that told me she was still a kid at heart.  “You were a Zoo Keeper?” 

I nodded, not bother to explain the actual description that my job entailed.  It didn’t really matter anymore anyways.  I just hoped my animals were okay.  That they had gotten out and were terrorizing the walkers as we speak. 

“I miss my vibrator.”  Andrea said suddenly, looking like she really meant that too. 

Jacqui’s eyes widened as she “mmmmm’d” and gave her a look that said “you nasty, girl” while the rest of us snickered.  The only one who looked bothered by this topic of conversation was Amy and she was looking mighty green around the gills.

Carol looked around, eyeing her disgusting husband for a moment before she turned back to us, rolled her eyes and quietly said.  “Me too.”

I choked on my own spit as I laughed, trying not to fall in the water while the rest the girls fell out in raucous peals of whooping laughter. 

It was nice getting to know these women.  I had never had many girlfriends, mostly because the ones I did have were only interested in getting to Shane or Rick through me, but I could see myself making real friends here and that made me smile. 

“What’s so funny,” Ed said hatefully as he strolled down to the edge of the water, looking at all of us like we had just broken the Chain-gang rule of no talking or something as equally ridiculous. 

Andrea rolled her eyes, looking up at the heavy man with pure distain as she casually said.  “Just swappin’ war stories, Ed.”

All laughter and good humor were gone as he continued to make his way toward us, coming to a stop just behind me.  A tingle of dread crawled down my spine like icy spider legs and somehow I knew that with this many strong willed women in one space, things were not going to end well here today. 

God, sometimes I really hated being right.