A/N: This series has a lot of fluff, but it's mixed in with creepy shit. It's like disturbing fluff. Like the kind of fluff a serial killer has after chopping up his victims. Halloween is just around the corner as I'm writing this, so I think this is perfect timing for this series. Please enjoy.

CHAPTER 2

BASEMENT

Rick saw Shane lift his shotgun, but not even Shane was fast enough when the zombie slipped on its own blood and slammed into Rick, knocking him into Shane, and all three of them hitting the ground. Rick was nearly blinded by the pain shooting through his shoulder.

"Shane," he found himself screaming, "Shane!"

The shotgun hit the ground and spun away. The walker's face had a single hole for its mouth. It opened its mouth and prepared to take a bite of Rick's throat. Shane grabbed the zombie's ruined face with his bare hands. He didn't cringe, but Rick did. Rick watched Shane lift the zombie off him and throw it aside.

"Up, up!" Shane cried, pushing Rick as he stumbled to his feet. Rick instinctually went for the shotgun, but Shane pushed him ahead, grabbing the shotgun for himself. He turned around and pointed the gun at the walker.

"Don't," Rick cried, pushing the gun down, "The others will hear you! We're right next to the front door."

"Fuck," Shane said as the walker got to its feet and started towards them. "We have to go to the basement."

Rick nodded once, taking the lead. Shane had the gun at the ready, pointing it at the walker as they went around it to the hallway. Rick ran to the shambles that used to be the doorway to the basement staircase. He paused, fumbling for the light switch.

"Other side," Shane cried.

Rick flipped the switch and he started down the basement, putting his hand on Shane's back as he went down into the darkness. If there was another walker down here they were dead, Rick knew it, because he was weak and weaponless and couldn't see in the complete darkness.

They reached the end of the staircase as the walker got to the beginning.

"Now?" Rick cried as Shane backed him into the darkness.

"Not yet," Shane said softly. "I was further down last time."

Something touched Rick's shoulder and he jolted. "Shane –!"

Shane turned around, seeing the hand reaching out from the shadows. He pulled Rick behind himself and raised the gun, firing at the arm. It jerked and disappeared into the darkness. Shane turned towards the staircase, the faceless zombie already reaching the end of the staircase. He fired twice, dropping the zombie down.

He turned to the other zombie – he heard more than one moan coming from the darkness – but they didn't come after him. They stayed were they were, the one closest to the light reaching out with its green, decomposed arm.

"Rick, help me find the light switch," Shane said.

Together they went towards the base of the staircase and felt around for the light switch. Rick finally found it and flicked it on at once. The entire basement was filled with light.

"Oh God," Shane gasped.

Four walkers were tied to shelves bolted to the ground. The one Shane shot was covered in blood, each of the walkers groaning and pulling at their restraints, a mix of rope and chain to keep them there. Rick took his eyes off the zombies long enough to spot some canned food underneath the sink.

"S – Shane," Rick whispered, pointing towards the cans.

Shane glanced at the cans, then back at the walkers. "I can't leave them in here with us."

"I know," Rick said. "But we have to conserve on our ammo."

"Then how will we kill them?" Shane asked.

Rick looked around and spotted it. He pointed to the chainsaw on the shelf between two zombies. "We can use that to cut off their legs and their heads."

"Good idea," Shane said.

Rick grimaced. It didn't feel like a good idea.

-T-H-E- -W-A-L-K-I-N-G- -D-E-A-D-

Shane sighed deeply, looking at the chainsaw in between the two zombies. "I don't know, I wouldn't want to get scratched out trying to get the damn chainsaw… maybe I should kill one of them first?"

"And waste more ammo?" Rick grumbled. He was sitting on the floor, against the washing machine, feeling the pain settle in from earlier. The adrenaline had blocked the pain, but now that he was calm his should throbbed like a mother fucker and he was having a hard time breathing. He hated feeling this way. He felt so useless.

"Hey."

Rick opened his eyes – he hadn't even realized he closed them – and saw Shane's face inches away from his. He took a sharp breath in and glanced around. Still in the basement.

"Did I fall asleep?"

"Yeah," Shane said. "You just went quiet and I…" he looked at Rick's shoulder and he could see a blood spot underneath the fabric. "You reopened your wounds, Rick."

Rick sighed deeply. "Yeah…"

"I'll fix you up later," Shane said. "Just let me take care of these walkers so we can rest in peace."

Resting… every night for the past month Rick has slept in Shane's arms. He didn't know what to think about it. It should feel wrong, but it didn't feel wrong at all. In fact it was downright comforting, the feeling of Shane's body so close to his own, protecting him, keeping him warm and caring for him.

Rick opened his eyes again. He'd fallen asleep again. Shane had a metal poll in his hands, and he was using it to fish for the handle of the chainsaw. He finally stuck the end into the handle of the chainsaw, slowly moving it away from the zombies. One of them smacked the chainsaw off the poll, and it went sliding towards Rick.

"Sweet," Shane said, dropping the metal poll and picking up the chainsaw. He revved it up, smiling to himself as he did so. "Give me five minutes, Rick, and then we can leave."

Rick watched as Shane sawed off the zombie's legs, watched their stumps dangle in the air, because they were still tied to the shelf. He went around in a circle, taking off their legs, covering the shed and himself in blood. Then he sawed off their arms.

"Their heads," Rick cried, "Their heads!"

He gritted his teeth at the pain of trying to yell over the noise. Shane was in his own little world, slowly taking off their arms. All the zombies remained almost passive during the whole thing, except for the smallest zombie. That one screamed as Shane cut its arms off.

Rick got up to his feet too quickly, the whole room spinning and he went down to the ground, landing against his shoulder. He screamed as the pain shot through me. The chainsaw stopped right away and Shane rushed over to him. "Rick?" he cried.

He reached out, realized his hands were covered in blood, and stopped. "Are you ok?"

"Stop it," Rick breathed deeply, tears brimming his eyes from the pain. "Stop torturing them, Shane. Please."

"Okay," Shane said softly. "Okay… I'll stop." Rick blinded and the tears fell from his eyes. Shane looked guilty, and very sympathetic. "I'm sorry," he said.

-T-H-E- -W-A-L-K-I-N-G- -D-E-A-D-

Continued…