The Past Returns

by walkingdread

AU where Shane survives being stabbed unbeknownst to Rick and the group. What will happen when they meet again over a year later?

AU where Shane survives being stabbed unbeknownst to Rick and the group. What will happen when they meet again over a year later?

He felt it go into his abdomen and looked at the man on the other end of the knife, his best friend. With a look of horror on Rick's face they both fell to the ground.

"DAMN YOU FOR MAKING ME DO THIS SHANE. THIS WAS YOU NOT ME! YOU DID THIS TO US! THIS WAS YOU NOT ME! NOT ME!"

He could feel Rick pull the knife out of him as he looked down to see the blood on his hands.

"NOT ME!"

He felt the searing pain in his stomach as he saw Rick break down above him, crying out. Shane then heard Carl's faint yell from across the field, "DAD!"

Rick stood up, putting the knife back in its sheath and turned in the direction of his son's voice. Shane couldn't see Carl; he could only see Rick suddenly turn to look back down at him. With a look of remorse and fear he whispered, "I'm sorry" before running to his son.

He lied there for a while longer as he thought about what Rick would tell Carl, Lori, and the group about what happened. Would he lie or tell the truth? He would have to lie or someone would come back for him, he thought. Rick wouldn't take that chance. He left him there to die. He should have made sure the job was done before he left.

Shane started to get up but was met with immense pain from his stomach. After several more attempts he successful rolled over and got to his knees. Looking around him he could not spot any of the group. Instead he saw walkers immerging from the trees. Trying to ignore the pain he managed to get to his feet. He wasn't sure where to go but he needed to find somewhere to hide from the walkers. He couldn't go to the house; it was too far away anyway. He decided on the small barn where they had kept Randall tied up. It was the closest to him and the group wouldn't find him there.

He was about 30 yards away from the barn when he stumbled and fell to his knees. He caught himself before he fell any further but the pain ripped through his stomach. He crawled over to a nearby tree stump and used it to push him self up and continued toward the barn. As soon as he got inside he fell to the ground in exhaustion and pain. He kicked the door closed and sat up against it. Taking of his shirt, he ripped it and tied it around his stomach to dress the wound. The walkers outside were getting close judging by the increasing groans. Hopefully the walls and door of the barn would hold up to keep the walkers out, he thought before passing out.

/

Shane had been at Grady Memorial Hospital for 47 days. He was scavenging for supplies in a nearby convenient store when a black car with a white cross on the back pulled up and two cops got out. They pulled their guns as they slowly approached him. He didn't see the need to try to fight them; there was two of them and one of him. They cuffed him and led him back to the car avoiding all of his questions. Before he got in the car he wanted to know what they wanted. They tried to put him in the back seat but he refused turning to face them, "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?" The next thing he remembered was waking up in a hospital bed.

Over the past month and a half he had become a part Dawn's squad at Grady Memorial. It wasn't hard to slip back into a uniform and he was on board with their ideas to an extent. In return he got a roof, food, and free medical care. He spent most of his time as lookout sitting on roofs looking down at the streets through a scope.

If he was honest he was glad to be with a group again. He had grown tired of being out there on his own. He had met a few groups on the road but they never lasted. He had come back to Atlanta in hopes of finding more supplies but most of it had been picked over in the last two years. He could see himself sticking around the hospital for a while; it was comfortable…until Beth Greene showed up.

When Officer Gorman came in carrying Beth Greene, Shane could not believe his eyes. It had been over a year since he had seen anyone from the group. He never talked to Beth directly when they lived together but he remembered her suicide attempt. He couldn't believe she had lasted this long, she had to have still been with the group when they found her.

Shane pulled Officer Gorman aside, "Where did you find her?"

"She was alone in the middle of the road close to that old cemetery several miles out."

There was no way she was alone, he thought.

"You're sure she was alone?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Its just hard to believe a girl like that could survive on her own. Did you look for anyone else?"

"No."

If she was with the group they could come look for her soon. He would have to keep a low profile incase they showed up. He wasn't sure he was ready for that reunion.

The next week or so went pretty slowly. Not much had changed. He had successfully avoided Beth for the time being, spending most of his time outside keeping watch. He had been thinking about the group a lot since Beth showed up. So often he considered going to talk to her but he had managed to ignore those urges. He wondered who was still alive and if they were all still together. He wondered where they were. Most of all he wondered about the baby, if both the child and Lori had survived birth. Did it look like him? He missed Lori and Rick. Surprisingly, even to himself, he did not blame Rick for stabbing him. He had planned on shooting Rick himself, after all. Shane's walkie came on and he heard Dawn on the other side,

"Officer Walsh, come in."

"I'm here."

"Report back to my office ASAP."

"Copy that, on my way. Over."

He stood and strapped his gun onto his back and headed back to Grady Memorial to see what princess Dawn wanted. He and Dawn hooked up about a week after he got there. She wasn't his favorite person in the world but she was hot. She probably wanted her afternoon quickie. She was the only one that knew about the Beth situation and so far she had kept his secret.

He walked through the empty halls of Grady memorial and climbed the stairs to the floor where they kept most of their operation. He waved at Officer Lambson as he passed him and another officer talking in his office. Shane turned the corner on his way to Dawn's office and almost ran into Beth Greene.

"Oh sorry, excu…."

She stopped mid word as she saw the person standing in front of her. They stood there looking at each other not knowing what to do or say. She was wheeling around a mop and bucket as Dawn had assigned her to janitorial work. Shane cleared his throat and began to speak, "You're probably pretty confused."

"Uh yeah. You're supposed to be dead." He could see the thoughts flashing across her face as she tried to figure out what had happened. She looked back up at him, "Rick lied to us?"

"Um not exactly. He probably thinks I'm dead."

"He's not the only one."

Just then static came over Shane's walkie, "Officer Walsh, what's your 20?"

Still looking at Beth he held the walkie at his mouth and pushed the button, "Almost there."

Hooking the walkie back to his belt he relaxed and shifted his weight to the other foot, "Listen, you probably have a lot of questions but I'm needed right now so…do you want to talk later?"

A look of uncertainty spread across her face as she seemed uncomfortable.

"Um…I guess."

"Come by my office around ten." He walked away from Beth Greene.

After leaving Dawn's office Shane headed to his own where he sat and thought about what was going to happen now that Beth knew he was alive. He had been watching the clock ever since he ran into her in the hallway. Dawn had noticed he was distracted earlier and was not surprised when he told her why. "You had to run into her sometime, besides its best that you don't have to hide from her seeing as she is going to be here a while."

"She is?", he had responded.

"Well yeah. She is the best help I've gotten in a long time…besides you of course…and now that Noah has run off I need a new assistant of sorts."

He smirked at her comment but did not return the favor. Their relationship was more of an arrangement than a relationship. They weren't in love or anything.

He swiveled back and forth in his office chair as he waited for his ten o'clock appointment to arrive. The thought that she might be too scared to show up crossed his mind. He wasn't exactly officer friendly when he was with the group and they had never spoken to each other until today. He heard a gentle tap as the door slowly opened and Beth meagerly stepped inside his office.

"I was beginning to think you weren't gonna show."

"Oh am I late?" Her eyes flashed to the clock then back at him.

"No. I just…here sit down." He pulled up a chair from the corner and put it next to his desk so they would be facing one another. She sat down and clasped her hands in her lap clearly uncomfortable in his presence.

"Were you with the others?"

She looked hesitant like she didn't know if it was safe to tell him anything.

"I'm not gonna go after them or anything. I'm just curious."

She shifted a little in her seat. "I was for a while at the prison but it was attacked and then it was just me and Daryl."

He would have never guessed that she was with Daryl of all people.

"You were at a prison?"

"Yeah, we had built a community there. We were happy for a while…but then the Governor came and ruined everything."

"The Governor?" What kind of name is that?

"He was the leader of another community a couple miles away, Andrea was with him. She and Michonne found his community after the farm was overrun by walkers." She looked up at him. "That happened right after you were…"

"We'll get to that. Who's Michonne?"

"A woman that joined us at the prison. She brought Judith baby formula."

"Judith?"

"Rick's daughter." She looked away as she realized how this information would affect him.

He rubbed the top of his head as he thought of the next question he was afraid to ask. "Lori?" He cleared his throat before looking back at her.

"She didn't make it."

He leaned back in his chair and rested his head on his hand. In that moment he was furious with Rick. He should have protected her.

"She died giving birth….Rick went crazy after it happened."

Shane nodded, thinking of the pain that must have caused but wishing he had been there to help.

"The baby? She's healthy?"

"Oh yeah she was beautiful. I watched her most of the time. Carl helped a lot too."

A silence passed between them for a few moments as they both were caught up in their own thoughts. Beth was the one to break it.

"I don't know if any of them are alive. The prison was attacked so fast…the Governor killed my dad in front of everyone."

"Jesus, sorry."

She nodded at him with a look of thanks before she fell silent again. A few moments later she sat back up and unclasped her hands becoming visibly more comfortable around him.

"So are you going to tell me how you're alive?"

He mirrored her posture as he tried to figure out where to start.

"What did Rick tell you?"

"He said you led him out into the pasture alone and tried to kill him then he killed you."

"After he stabbed me and I was on the ground, Carl called out to him and he ran off. I got to the small barn where we kept Randall and passed out there. Woke up and everyone was gone and the big barn was burnt down. Won't Daryl come looking for you if you were together when the other officers found you?"

"I don't know. I think if he was going to come for me he would have been here by now."

Shane could see the disappointment in her face and he felt bad for her. All he really remembered about her from the farm was the incident where she tried to kill herself. He was impressed that she survived this long but clearly it hadn't been easy.

/

The next day Shane was walking down the hall when the doors at the other end swung open and two officers came in carrying a woman. He grabbed a wheelchair sitting by the wall and ran up to them. That's when he recognized her. He couldn't believe it. She looked a little different now; her gray hair was longer.

They rolled her off to a room and he went to find Beth. She was in her room writing in a notebook when he walked in. She saw him then quickly put down her pencil and closed the book before sitting up.

"They just brought in Carol."

/

Shane had returned to his perch on top of a building overlooking the area around the hospital. He had to get out so he could think. He got claustrophobic anytime he stayed inside too long. He had gotten used to being outside and on his own. It had been a couple days since Carol was brought in. She had woken yesterday while Beth was with her. She told Beth that everyone from the group had found each other plus a few more at this place called Terminus and they were now hold up in some church. Her and Daryl had come back to find Beth and ran into Noah. Beth had filled him in this morning and he immediately left to come to the roof. They would regroup and figure out a way to get Carol and Beth back. He knew it.

He saw one of the police cruisers speed by below and turn the corner. He grabbed his gun and ran over to see where they were coming from. He looked over the edge of the roof and into the alley below when he saw what looked like officer Lambson being chased on foot by the cruiser. The CV from the cruise came on, "Stop…Stop…I'm not askin again." Lambson didn't listen and the cruiser sped up and hit him, knocking him to the ground forcefully. A man with a full beard got out of the cruiser and walked over to Lambson. Shane thought it looked like they were talking as the man crouched next to Lambson but he couldn't hear them as far away as he was. Suddenly the man shot Lambson and returned to the car and drove off. Shane wasn't overly attached to Lambson but that was a harsh way to go out and he felt bad for him.

A little while later Shane heard some shots fired right below him. He looked out to see a couple cops running by followed by the bearded man that killed Lambson and one holding a crossbow. Shane propped up his gun on the ledge and looked through the scope. He saw the one with crossbow stay behind and check out the burnt-out area close to the water tower. Who he believed to be Officer Licari sneaked up behind the guy and brought him to the ground. They fought on the ground for a while before the bearded man came back and point a gun at Licari. The other guy got up and held out his hand as if to stop him from shooting another cop. The bearded man didn't respond as the other guy called to him,

"Rick."

Shane almost dropped his gun. Did he say Rick? As if to answer his thoughts the guy called out again,

"Rick."

He realized at that moment who the other guy was as well, the crossbow should have given it away, Daryl Dixon.

"Jesus", Shane mumbled under his breath. They looked like Hell. His mind went back to earlier when he saw Rick Grimes hit an officer with a police cruiser then execute him. Rick definitely wasn't the good guy anymore. He and Daryl tied up Licari and left. Shane turned and slid to the ground in disbelief. Beth did say Rick went crazy after Lori's death but this was so much worse than he imagined. He wasn't sure if he wanted to face him. He was afraid of Rick Grimes. The world really had gone mad. Suddenly he was really glad he told Beth not to tell Carol he was alive. He hoped that she would keep his secret.

Shane had a lot of thoughts running through his mind as he made his way back to Grady Memorial. He knew that the group was here to get Beth and Carol and from the looks of them they wouldn't be making it a friendly affair. He considered telling Dawn what he saw but something in him wouldn't let him do it. It's not like he was overly attached to any of the people at Grady. He felt no strong need to protect them but he also knew that Dawn would not let them take Beth and Carol without resistance.

He made it back inside the hospital without being spotted and went straight to Dawn's office. Walking into her office he was surprised to find her and three other officers standing around her desk, tension filling the room. Dawn looked up as he came in then excused the other officers.

"Beth's people want to make a trade for her and the new one. They say they have two of ours. You say you know these people, should I trust them?"

Shane had to think about how he should respond to the question.

"I think it's worth a shot to try to do it as peacefully as possible."

Dawn nodded in agreement. "What about you? Are you going to reconnect with them?"

Was he? He had to think about it for a minute. He couldn't deny that part of him wanted to see them again, see Judith. Part of him just wanted to see the look on Rick's face when he saw him alive. Another part of him was hesitant to get involved with them again knowing what he saw them do in the alley. Maybe he would get along with the new Rick Grimes but maybe they would clash even harder than before.

He exhaled before looking back at her to respond.

"I don't know. There is a lot of history there that would stir things up. Not to mention they think I'm dead."

She placed her hand on top of his in an attempt to reassure him.

"You always have a place here ya know."

"Yeah I know."

She stood up and strapped on her gun as she got ready to leave.

"Time to make a trade."

He turned to look at her, surprised.

"You are doing it now?"

"They were already on their way when you got here. You might want to steer clear of the north hall."

Shane settled into the chair in the security room and turned on the dusty security monitors. He wanted to get a better look at the group before he made any decision. He flipped through the cameras until he found the right one. Dawn, Beth, and Carol were at one end of the hall with the rest of the officers and Rick, Daryl, Noah and a few others were at the other end. There was no sound but he could tell the situation was tense. Rick looked worn down, so did the others. They must have been out on the road for a while. Shane couldn't believe he was looking at Rick Grimes again, after all this time and everything they had been through. Looking back and forth between both ends of the hall he couldn't figure out which group was the larger threat. They traded an officer for Carol then an officer for Beth and started walking out when something Dawn said made them turn back. He wished he knew what she was saying. Suddenly Noah stepped forward and walked over to stand behind Dawn and Beth followed him. She hugged him while Dawn spoke to them. Whatever she said made Beth turn toward her. Beth and Dawn were standing so close together he couldn't see either of their faces in the camera angle. They moved suddenly and then he heard the shot as he saw Beth fall to the ground. Then another shot as an emotional Daryl killed Dawn. He could not believe what he just saw play out in front of him. Why did Dawn shoot Beth? He knew what he had to do. He ran out of the office and toward the hall. He heard Rick say that they were taking anyone that wanted to come with them before he stepped out into the hall.

"How about me?"

Rick's face was white as a ghost as he gripped his gun in his hand. Daryl looked up through his tears and froze when he saw Shane. Carol stepped in front of Daryl slowly and wiped the tears from her face as she tried to speak. "Shane?" Her voice was quiet and raspy from being unconscious the past day and now crying. He took a few steps toward them when Daryl raised his gun. Shane stopped. A girl standing behind them in an army jacket looked back and forth between them before speaking. "I don't know who you are," she said looking at Shane, "but we don't need to spill anymore blood here."

Shane looked at Rick who had his eyes locked on him.

"Rick…"

"I killed you. You're supposed to be dead."

"You didn't finish the job. Look, I don't want anymore trouble."

He saw Daryl lower his gun out of the corner of his eye and he began to move forward again slowly with his hands up.

"I'm sorry about Beth…Let me take you guys outside before anyone else gets hurt."

The big guy standing in the back spoke up. "I think that's a good idea."

Daryl walked over to Beth's body and picked her up before stumbling towards the door. It was strange to Shane seeing Daryl Dixon so emotional. The Daryl he remembered was always cracking smart-ass jokes and acting like he was too cool to be a part of the group. When Shane looked back at Rick he was still watching him. His look was so intense it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Never in all the years he had known and served next to Rick Grimes had he been so intimidated by him. The rest of the group started walking towards the door and Shane motioned for Rick to follow. Rick put his gun back in its holster but kept a tight grip on it, motioning instead for Shane to go.

"You first."

Shane slowly walked by Rick, scared that any sudden movement might set him off. Once passed, he followed the rest of the group down the hall and descended the stairs to the first floor and out the back door. The whole time he could feel Rick's eyes burning a hole in the back of his head. Stepping out into the sun they were met with others from the group. He couldn't believe so many of them were still alive, Rick, Daryl, Carol, Maggie, Glenn. They were some that were noticeably missing, Lori being the most obvious but there was also no Andrea or Hershel or T-Dog, and now Beth. Suddenly another absence hit him, Carl. Where was Carl…and the baby?

Shane was drawn out of his thoughts by Maggie's screams. He looked up to see everyone staring at Beth's body in Daryl's arms. Only few people had noticed him and they were not people he recognized, a big guy with a stupid mustache, a girl in pigtails, a woman with dreads and a sword, and another girl. Maggie had collapsed onto the ground with everyone standing around her. They stayed that way for a while. Shane kept his distance afraid to approach while they were in such grief. Glenn was talking to Rick when he caught sight of Shane. He looked from Rick to Shane and then back to Rick, clearly trying to decipher if Rick saw what he did. He slowly stepped around Rick and took a few steps toward Shane before pausing. Shane knew he recognized him without any problem; he looked pretty much just like he did the day he "died." He had the same haircut and wore basically the same clothes. Glenn was the only one from the rest of them that would recognize him except for Maggie who was too upset to even notice or care. The others didn't pay him any special attention probably assuming Rick picked up another hostage while inside.

Glenn was gripping his knife at his belt but did not release it from the sheath. Rick placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Glenn turned to face Rick with a look of surprised confusion,

"He can't come with us!...Right?"

Rick took a second to respond, "He says he doesn't want any trouble."

Glenn stepped back not convinced, "and you believe him?"

"I do."

"He tried to kill you!"

"And I killed him!" Rick glanced over at Shane, "or I tried to."

Rick grabbed Glenn's arm and dragged him a few more steps away from Shane.

"Let me deal with him. You be with your wife. She needs you."

Glenn relaxed and nodded. He looked back at Shane one more time before returning to comfort Maggie.

Rick walked up to Shane with something clearly on his mind. Shane could tell because he was staring at the ground like he always did when he was mad or anxious. "Carl is in the truck with my child. I need to talk to him before he sees you. Wait here." He looked in Shane's eyes searching for compliance or defiance.

Shane nodded, "Yeah, man."

Rick headed toward the truck but stopped a few feet away from Shane and walked back with a new, angrier expression, "If you try anything on me or any of these people…I will kill you…again." He looked straight into Shane's eyes with a determination and resolve he had never witnessed from Rick before. Rick disappeared into the truck while the others continued to comfort Maggie. Carol looked up from the group still not completely healed from being knocked unconscious by a car. She looked at Shane before walking over and standing next to him. She was still facing the group when she spoke, "What are you planning?"

Shane turned to her, "What?"

"Surely you are planning something, you tried to kill one of us before who says you wont do it again?"

"Last time it was about Lori…and she gone now."

Carol faced him now, "What about Judith? Do you think of her as yours?"

"I haven't even seen her but there's as good a chance that she's mine as there is she's Rick's."

"You're wrong. She's all of ours. We all look after her and we will all protect her with our lives."

He looked at Carol shocked by her confidence and candor. "Did everyone in this group develop a giant set of balls while I was gone? Or did you take Daryl's?"

Carol stepped in front of him to look him directly in the eye.

"We've all been through a lot…TOGETHER. You don't know."

"Got it. Damn."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the truck door swing open and Carl step out. His eyes found Shane immediately. Shane couldn't believe how tall Carl had gotten. Had it been that long? He looked like a lanky teenager growing out his hair to spite his parents. He was walking toward him with confidence and purpose. As soon as he was standing in front of him, Shane felt Carl's fist hit his face.

Shane held the side of his face in his hand and looked at Carl.

"Jesus Christ! I take it you didn't miss me."

"That was for trying to kill my dad."

Shane looked over at Rick and saw what looked like a hint of a proud grin on his face. The commotion had gotten Maggie's attention who was staring at Shane while Glenn explained to her what was happening.

"Let's go!" shouted Rick motioning for everyone to load up the trucks.

/

They had gone to find Noah's family in Virginia but left one more person shorter. The funeral for the man named Tyrese was a somber occasion and now they were camping in the woods before heading to Washington. Shane was sitting on a log on the outskirts of the camp trying to keep his distance so as to not make anyone uncomfortable. He heard the crunching of the leaves behind him until Rick sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Rick finally spoke.

"I'm glad you're not dead. I know it probably doesn't seem like it but…I am."

"You could've fooled me. I thought you were going to try to kill me again back at the hospital."

"I thought about it…for a second."

"Well I'm glad you didn't."

"Where have you been…since the farm?"

"Mostly on the roads around Atlanta. I held up with a couple for a while in a Wal-Mart."

"They get bit?"

"No, I just got tired of being a third wheel."

He heard a chuckle under Rick's breath. So…he hasn't completely gone off the wall.

Another few moments passed in silence before Shane asked the question he'd been dying to know, "Was she in a lot of pain?"

Rick shifted a bit, "I think so. I was stuck in another part of the prison when it happened. She was strong though, and Carl was with her but he doesn't talk about much."

"I'm sorry, man."

"Me too."

Rick sat still for several minutes with his head hung low. Shane felt comfortable for the first time in a long while. Never in a million years did he think he would be sitting next to Rick again talking about their lives without being at each other's necks. He was about to speak when Rick spoke first.

"You know I thought about that night at the farm almost everyday. Sometimes I would be trying to go to sleep at night and my mind would just lie there thinking about whether or not I did the right thing or if there would have been a way we could have gotten past it all. Even when we were in that prison and I could rest knowing that my wife and son were safe I still couldn't sleep because I kept playing it over and over again. I could remember so vividly the feeling of the knife going into your stomach and the instant terror I felt afterwards. I could hardly look at Lori after that night without thinking about it or blaming her for putting us in that position. Of course I didn't really blame her but it was easier to put the blame on her rather than myself. The worst part is that she died thinking I hated her for it. We were never the same after. We hardly spoke for months. Carl and her weren't on good terms either. He hated himself for it for a while after she died. We still haven't really talked about it. I think it's just too hard for both of us, specially with each other."

Rick was twisting his wedding ring around his finger. Shane couldn't image how hard it must have been to go through all of that. He was surprised that Rick was talking to him of all people about it but he was the only other person that would understand how losing Lori felt. He looked at Rick who was still staring at the ground.

"Lori knew how much you loved her…and she loved you. I always knew that even when I didn't want to."

Rick looked at Shane and nodded. He exhaled then shifted to grab a stick lying on the ground in front of him to take the place to his wedding ring as something to fiddle with. He turned to speak to Shane again but in a much more lighthearted voice.

"I'm surprised you don't want to kill me," he said while pointing at Shane with the stick.

Shane was taken aback by Rick's statement.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Well, because I tried to kill you."

Shane smirked, "Is it weird to say I was kind of proud of you?"

"Yes."

A grin spread across Shane's face, "Well I never thought in a million years you had the balls to do something like that. And believe me it was a long time after I recovered till I felt that way."

They looked at each other and both started laughing.

Shane couldn't believe this situation, "Oh man" he said through his laughter "What were we thinking?"

Rick was smiling, "Man who the hell knows. Let's just blame the apocalypse."

"You got it brother."

Laughter started to fade and turned back into awkward silence. Several moments passed before Shane spoke again.

"I want you to know that I know now how crazy I was. I did some stupid things that put everyone in danger. Man…my mind just got away from me. I never wanted to kill you…I just got lost…couldn't see things straight anymore."

"It happens to the best of us. Anyways…you were right about some stuff. About not taking chances on strangers and protecting my family first. That kind of thinking has gotten this group through a lot of shit."

"I know. I saw you take out that cop in the alley. That was rough man."

"Not one of my prouder moments but that's how bad things have gotten. Man you would not believe the crazy people we have run into. First this psycho who called himself 'The Governor' tried to run us out of the prison by taking Hershel and Michonne hostage and then he killed Hershel in front of all of us, in front of Beth and Maggie. He near about killed me but Michonne got to him before he could finish the job. Then he shot up the prison with a tank. We were all separated for weeks after that until we found each other again at this place called Terminus. The people there wanted to kill us and eat us. The apocalypse makes monsters out of people."

"For someone who says they don't trust strangers you sure have collected quite a few."

"Yeah. They're good people. Some of them were with the governor, some we found on the road."

"You seem pretty tight."

"Well going through all that shit together…you bond." Rick laughed to himself.

"They trust you."

"I trust them."

"This Michonne girl seems pretty tough."

"Oh yeah. We didn't start off on the best terms but she has been a great help with the group. She and Carl are pretty close."

"Something going on with you two?"

"What? No."

Shane looked at Rick and could see that shy kid from high school again, never the guy to make a move but he knew there was something there even if Rick didn't.

The mood shifted a bit more serious.

"Hey man, I would really like to stick with you guys."

Rick turned to Shane, "Aren't you already?"

"You know what I mean, as a permanent situation."

"Listen I know that you're good but some of the others are going to need more convincing. They don't know you as well as I do. They just know the crazy Shane from the farm. It might take some time to earn their trust."

"I'm up for the challenge. Carl might be a hard sell though."

"He'll come around. He was mad at me for a while for killing you."

"Maybe there is hope for us." They laughed as they stood up and walked back to the rest of the camp.