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 Twenty-Eight

 

“We need to get to that basement, now.”  My brother stated, finally realizing that this was not the saving grace he had once thought it was.

“I’m going to pack,” I whispered against Shane’s peck.  There was no way in Hell I was staying here any longer than was required.  From the moment we stepped foot into this place I knew it was bad news…and I was Goddamn right! 

Shane nodded as he and my brother, along with T-dog prepared to go investigate. 

“Be careful,” I told him, popping up onto my toes to kiss his lips sweetly.  “Please be careful.” 

He nodded once, kissed my temple and then disappeared down a dark hallway with the rest of our men—well, excluding Dale and Glenn.  

~

When the power cut off a few minutes later, Lori and Carl met me in the hallway looking scared and panicked.  “Why is the air off?” 

“I don’t know,” I lied, hating to do it, but not really wanting to instigate widespread panic…telling Lori would do just that. 

As Jenner stormed passed us, nearly knocking me over, Daryl poked his head out of his room and demanded to know what was going on.  Jenner ignored him, merely grabbing the bottle of Soco out of his hands and preceded on his way down the hall. 

“Jenner?”  I questioned, scooting along behind him, Trusty right on my heels. 

“Energy use is being prioritized.”  He answered, not bothering to stop and explain.  Not that I needed him to.  I understood very well what was happening, now if I could have made my brother understand that we would have been well on our way down the highway by now.  “It’s not up to me anymore.  Zone 5 is shutting itself down.”

Stubborn ass!

Daryl came storming after us, shoving me behind him and getting in the doctor’s face.  “Hey man, I’m talkin’ to you!  What do ya mean “it’s shutting itself down?”  How can a building do anythin’?” 

“Goddamn computers,” I muttered exasperatedly in his ear. 

“You’d be surprised,” Jenner commented, his lips screwed up in a grin, like this was some huge joke.  Bastard; this wasn’t a laughing matter.  Was he suicidal? 

“Rick!”  Lori yelled as she and Carl were making a run to the front of the line when he and the others came into view. 

“Jenner, what’s happening?”  Ricky asked disappointment and irritation written all over his face as he gripped his wife and child to him. 

Shane came up behind me, pulling my back to his chest as he asked me in a whisper what was going on.  I had nothing to tell him that I hadn’t already. 

“It was the French.”  Jenner said suddenly as he came took another pull off the bottle of Soco and passed it back to a confused Daryl. 

“What?”  I asked, not understanding the out of the park comment Jenner just up and made. 

“The French,” Jenner repeated.  “They were the last ones to hold out, as far as I know anyway.  While our people were bolting out the door, they stayed in the labs till the end.” 

“Till the end?”  My brother asked, confusion also coloring his face. 

Jenner shrugged.  “They thought they were close to a solution.” 

“Yeah,” I said, suddenly annoyed with all of this small talk.  “What happened?”

The blonde smiled at me, almost as if he were somehow entertained by my temper.  “The same thing that’s happening here.” 

“Let me tell you somethin’ you son of a—

“Ta Hell with it, Shane, I don’t care anymore.  Lori, grab our things.  Everyone, get your stuff; we’re getting out of here…Now.” 

Shane looked down at me, a proud smile forming on his lips.  Well, he could be proud later, right now we had to help the others. 

“Alright everyone, you heard him, grab your shit!”  I yelled, trying to get the ball rolling.  They were still standing around watching the clock count down.  Come on people, there’s no New Year’s Kiss at the end of that countdown. 

Just as Glenn and a few others reached the doors, an alarm sounded and the doors sealed shut. 

“Did you just lock us in?”  Glenn yelled.  “He just locked us in!” 

My heart was thudding wildly in my chest as I tried to figure out a solution.  Why was Jenner doing this?  Could Jenner even help us anymore?  Why wouldn’t he have told us about this sooner? 

No matter what I thought of, only one thing kept ringing through my brain…we were trapped.  Then the only thing I could feel was anger.  This man had betrayed me…betrayed my family.  He was a threat. 

“Why would you do this?”  I screamed as Daryl wizzed by my head, his bottle of Soco raised in the air…the intent to strike Jenner with it clear. 

Shane and T-dog surged forward, trying to push Daryl back as he screamed profanities and threatened the doctor I had once felt sorry for.  It was obvious that most of the people standing here with me wanted to grab that bottle from Daryl and do the job themselves.  If glaring daggers at someone could actually kill them, well then Dr. Edwin Jenner would be nothing but a pile of ashes courtesy of one Lori Grimes…she looked ready to slaughter his ass. 

“What happens in 28 minutes?”  My brother asked, his chest heaving with anger and worry for his family. 

Jenner laughed a small humorless laugh.  “Do you know what this place is?  We protected the public from some very nasty stuff!”

Shane growled and took a step closer, daring the obviously smaller man to take a chance and swing on him.  I held no doubts that Shane would have taken him apart. 

“Jenner?”  I growled, taking a step around my husband and shoving myself right into his line of sight.  I was hoping that if all else failed, the resemblance I held to someone he was familiar with might make a difference.   

He sighed then, his shoulders slumping in defeat.  “In the event of a power failure in a terrorist attack, for example…H.I.T’s are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out.” 

Gritting my teeth together, I bit out.  “Tell them so that they can understand you.” 

He sighed again.  “Vi, define H.I.T’s.”

“High Impulse Thermo baric Explosives: consist of a two stage aerosol ignition that produces a wave of significantly greater power and duration than any other known explosive except nuclear.  The vacuum pressure affect ignites the oxygen between five thousand and six thousand degrees and is useful when the greatest loss of life and damage is desired.” 

“What does that mean?”  Carol cried, obviously understanding that it wasn’t anything good as she clutched her daughter to her chest.  Ed sat on a desk chair, looking at his feet…ready to give in and give up.  Like I said; he’s the worst kind of pig.

“It lights the air on fire,” I said, trying to hold myself upright and not collapse under the weight that we were really locked in here like caged animals. 

Jenner nodded, only sadness in his eyes as he looked at me.  It hit me then, the dread I had been feeling since we stepped foot into this place…it was him; Jenner.  He wasn’t a man anymore.  He was nothing more than a walking, talking shell…he was no more useful than a walker trying to eat you.  That bastard had tricked us when he said those doors wouldn’t open again.  It pissed me off! 

“No more pain,” he said softly, “An end to sorrow, grief…regret—

“And what if we don’t have regret, you coward?!  What if we’re just tryin’ to survive?!  Then what?  You still gonna lock us in here and kill us off like cattle because someone you loved died?!”  I screamed, grabbing the axe from Daryl’s hand and marching up to Jenner. 

“Open the damn door!”  I demanded, tears streaming down my face as I pointed the axe in his face.  “My nephew is not dyin’ like this!” 

“You know,” Jenner mused, looking nostalgic all over again.  “You reminded me so much of my wife.  You look and act just like her.” 

He pulled a photo out of his lab-coat pocket and I gasped when I saw it.  She very well could have been me.  She had blonde hair and she was older, but she could have been my twin sister she looked so closely related. 

“Out of my way!”  Shane yelled and suddenly the axe was grabbed from my hands and Daryl and Shane went to work, hacking away like they might get somewhere. 

Jenner turned to me then, his eyes fueled by despair.  “You should have left well enough alone, but I guess…in the same token, you’re too much like her; she couldn’t leave anything alone either.” 

“Easier for whom? You?”  I asked furiously. “Look Jenner, I’m very sorry your wife died…but I still have my family.  I just got married to the man I’d been in love with for 19 years and known for 30.  I’m not gonna just die like this!” 

“I’m doing this for all of you.  You know what it’s like out there—

“Yes,” I replied, my voice raising in pitch the angrier I got.  “But I also know what it’s like in here…it’s the same as space dementia.  You’re completely out of your fuckin’ mind!  Please, don’t kill us off like this.” 

“Can’t. Make. A. Dent.”  Shane panted as he lumbered near my back. 

Jenner smirked and I fought the urge to smash his face in.  “Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher.” 

“Well your head ain’t!”  Daryl yelled, lunging forward with his axe raised. 

Ricky and Shane luckily caught his arms before he could sustain any real damage, because I had a feeling, nothing short of Jenner’s will would get us out of here.  

“Take it easy.  Just back up…”  Ricky cooed, trying to get the furious man to calm down. 

Jenner nodded to my brother.  “You wanted this,” he vowed.  “Last night you said you knew it was only a matter of time before everybody you knew was dead.” 

“What?” Shane asked Rick, bewildered.  “After all your big talk?” 

“I had to keep hope alive, didn’t I?”  Ricky replied defensively. 

Growling and shoving Shane aside, I glared at my sentimental, idiot brother and the man who manipulated him.  “My brother was shit-faced drunk last night!  Don’t you dare have the audacity to act like he would want this for his boy!  For his wife!  For his twin sister!  Because he doesn’t!  And he never would!  You bastard!” 

“What part of “Everything is gone” don’t you understand?”  Andrea growled. 

Wrong time, bitch! 

“Listen here, Bitch.  I’ve tried to be understanding to your grief.  Believe it or not, I cared about Amy too.  But I don’t care about you…or any of your poor me bullshit!  If you want to stay here, then have at it.  But my brother, my nephew…my family, we have a right to try and survive, and not kill ourselves off because a coward says we should.” 

“This isn’t right,” Carol chimed in, “You can’t just keep us here!” 

I had news for Carol, that psycho could very well keep us here if he wanted.