TWO

"Ya need to get yer ass back into bed, woman. 'Ts too soon for ya to be up and movin." Shane explained as he gripped Jenny's elbow, guiding her back towards the stairwell of the farmhouse. Jenny, of course, glared and flinched out of his grip. He shook his head. "Why the hell ya got to have such a damned hard head, woman?"

"Because I saw you taking that asshole into the barn."

"The kid? You know him?" Shane asked, eying her. The hard gleam of her eyes told him that yes, she did know him somehow and he'd been fully prepared to sit her down and grill her, but then he saw the fear lurking just beneath the surface in her eyes and his stomach lurched as something the kid said earlier; something about what they did to the women they found.. It came back to him then and it took everything he had not to go out to the barn and kill the little fucker.

"When I saw him, I remembered something, okay? And if he's one of the ones who did this to me, Shane Walsh, bet your ass I'm getting my revenge." Jenny growled out as she glared up at the much taller man. Shane's face contorted a moment, a mask of rage that disappeared as quick as it came and he snarled something that sounded like he'd known it, that the kid was lying when he said he didn't join in on the stuff his group did.

He'd had this feeling the kid had been lying, Jenny's admitting to a flashback only proved it in his mind. He felt her hand on her arm, small and soft. He looked down at her and she shook her head. "You're not going out there, Shane Walsh. It's my problem. We clear?"

"I'm going out there if he's one of the ones that did all of that, " he gestured to the fading yellow bruises and the cuts and scrapes that were healing over on her face and neck and arms, "To you."

"I'm nothing to you."

"You're a part of this group now."

"When I'm healed, Shane Walsh, I'm going to go it on my own again, okay? I got fucked over by the last group I was a part of." Jenny explained quietly.

"It's not safe out there for you to be alone."

"Yeah, well, it's not safe to be in a group of people either. I tried. They tried to kill me, obviously." Jenny gestured at her body and the bruises and scrapes all over it. Shane shook his head, not even sure why he was bothering to argue with her.

All he'd done was save her life that night.

Beyond that, he really didn't know why he kept trying to be around her lately. She'd been there a week by now, they spent most of their time around one another fighting.. Or being painfully quiet. She always looked afraid and alone, like she was lost but too proud to reach out, to want or hope for help.

Maybe it was the similarities in the look in their eyes that kept pulling him back to her over the past few days. He shook his head as he looked at his hands and thought to himself that he really was hard up for the life that his friend Rick had if he was imagining he could have it with a virtual stranger.

"They ain't us."

"Yeah, well."

"Yeah well, nothin. You're gonna stay with the group."

Jenny muttered "Whatever" under her breath and then with her head tilted to one side, she asked him quietly, "What's it matter anyway? I mean most of the time, we're fighting.. Or avoiding each other. And people tell me you're not a trustworthy guy, yet you saved my life that night, Shane Walsh.. And you look like you want to barge out that door, into that barn, rip that guy's throat right out."

"I ain't a good guy." Shane started, but Jenny shrugged and said quietly, "And I'm not the girl you think I am either, okay?"

"Don't matter. I still don't think he ought to get away with the shit they did to ya." Shane grumbled, looking at her, holding her gaze. Jenny gave a nod and muttered quietly, "Me either but it's not your place; Shane Walsh, to go out there and take 'em all on."

"Well you damn sure ain't in the shape to do it."

"I've been fighting my own battles since I could walk. Trust me."

With those words, she walked away from him and out into the yard. Shane stood there, trying to figure out why this all even really mattered and what concern it was of his. She'd just screw him over like Lori had.. And she didn't seem to want to be around him or talk to him often. So really… It wasn't like he had to be around her.

But he couldn't stop himself from feeling protective, either.

And it really bugged him.