Ride or Die

by Sassy Lil Scorpio

Shane and Andrea leave Rick's group, determined to make their own way. Their encounters put them to the test of what it really means to depend on each other for their survival. In time, they find shelter with a brutal group of survivors run by a man wielding a barbed wire baseball bat. Will they finally obtain the peace they long for? {Canon Divergence} {Shandrea}

4. Two's Company, Three's a Crowd

Two's Company, Three's a Crowd

If I told you that I loved you
You'd maybe think there's something wrong
I'm not a man of too many faces
The mask I wear is one

Sting "Shape of my Heart"

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months.

Shane and Andrea had lost track of how much time had passed since leaving Hershel's farm. There was that brief stint when they ran into Morales, but since that time, they haven't seen another living person. Society was dead and sometimes it felt they were the only two alive, although they knew there were other survivors. During their travels, they had been fortunate to find cars to siphon gas from, but he knew she was getting tired of being on the road, especially since most of that time spent out there was in the dead of winter. It was getting warmer now, but the bouncing around was becoming monotonous. Staying in various places for short spaces of time—a movie theater, a grocery market, a skating rink, and a coffee shop—had helped them to rest and scavenge for supplies. Before long they were out on the road again and it was never-ending. Now they had hit a dead end. Several feet in front of them was a barricade made from stacks of tires, fences, and wooden crates. Beyond the barricade was a group of buildings. It looked like a small town.

"What's this?" Andrea asked when Shane stopped the Hyundai. She scanned the barricade and was shocked to see two men come towards the vehicle. One held a rifle and the other held a shotgun.

"Who knows, but we're 'bout to find out." Shane got out of the car and pointed his Glock 17 at the two men. "Where the hell are we?!"

The two men exchanged an amused glance. "Stand down." That was the man who wore a bandana on his forehead.

"You first."

Surprisingly the two men lowered their weapons. They both raised their hands in the air and looked at each other as though trying to decide what to do. One said something and the other nodded in response.

"What're they doing?" Andrea tried not to let fear enter her voice.

Shane was about to respond when the black man spoke to them. Beside him, the younger white man with the bandana smirked.

"Welcome to Woodbury."

oOo

Soon after being discovered outside of the gates by the two sentry guards—Shumpert and Crowley—Andrea and Shane had been escorted by a quiet man named Milton. They found out that they were in a community called Woodbury. The entire time Milton brought them to the building, he had made little conversation. It felt awkward, but they adjusted quickly. Now Andrea and Shane sat in a large meeting room across from the supposed leader of the community as he explained how they created their safe haven after the outbreak started.

"This is our 'Town Hall' where we have community meetings. As you can see, we've cleared it out."

Andrea and Shane exchanged a curious glance. They couldn't believe that any semblance of order existed in the world now. It was refreshing to see since they thought they'd seen the last of civilization.

"I'm sorry, forgive my rudeness. This whole time I've been rambling about Woodbury and I didn't even introduce myself." He flashed a warm smile. "The name's Philip Blake, but folks around here call me 'The Governor'. People look to me for leadership, so I became unofficially in charge here. They gave me the moniker. I use it, but 'Philip' is who I really am. And your names?"

"Andrea." She smiled back at Philip and caught his eye. "Thank you for allowing us in here."

His expression brightened. "Pleasure's all mine. And your traveling companion?"

"Shane." He spat out his name as though he had been forced to say it.

Shane kept his arms folded across his chest. Philip's calm expression never wavered and he remained unfazed by the newcomer's closed off demeanor.

"I get it," he said, nodding. "I'm sure you both have seen a lot out there. Now that you're here, you don't have to worry about the biters. We have running water, food, and shelter. You'll be safe here in Woodbury."

"Sounds like a dream come true," Andrea said. "I'm glad we found this place."

"I'm glad you did too. So…" Philip scanned their hands, noting there were no wedding rings. Well, her hand bore no ring, and he wasn't sure about him. Odd couple…but were they a couple? "Are you two married? Together?"

Shane and Andrea exchanged an uneasy glance. They didn't have a label for themselves. Partners was the most sensible term, but even that had a tinge of romantic connotation.

As though reading Philip's mind, Shane spoke up. "We're partners." He wrapped his arm around Andrea's shoulders and pulled her close to him.

"We've been traveling together out there for some time now…" Andrea said, her voice trailing off.

She didn't want to openly say it, but she felt thrilled and relieved all at once. They didn't have to be out there anymore—they could live here! She felt Shane squeezing her shoulder tighter and wondered why he was acting so defensive. This place was safe, Philip or "The Governor" seemed like a decent man to let them into his community when he barely knew them. There was a long awkward silence now and she smiled at The Governor again. She noticed he returned the warm gesture.

Shane stared at him with an expression that was almost a glare, but not quite.

"So where are you guys from?" Philip attempted to break the tense silence.

At that same moment, two men walked into the meeting room, interrupting the conversation. One man was of Latino background, tall muscular build, and wore a baseball cap backwards. The other man was impossible to overlook. His right hand had been amputated and he wore a substitute appendage with a bayonet at the end. Philip gestured towards them.

"This guys are my right-hand men. Merle Dixon's my lieutenant and Cesar Martinez's is second-in-command. Merle's Merle and Martinez prefers to go by his last name." He noticed the shocked stares exchanged between Merle and Andrea and Shane.

"Look what the cat dragged in!" Merle said, grinning. "The hotheaded cop an' Blondie. Two people I never wanted to see again in my lifetime."

Philip looked both confused and astounded. "You know each other?!"

No one answered his question.

"Hey, douchebag. Where've you been hidin'?"

Merle glared at Shane. "I don't answer to folks who don't use my name."

"Merle." Shane used the same edgy tone when he had introduced himself to Philip.

"That's more like it. How's my baby brother doin'?"

"He's doin'."

Merle shook his head. "Still the same asshole cop from the camp." He turned to Andrea and made obnoxious kissing noises at her. Next to him, Martinez chuckled. "Long time no see, Sugar Tits."

Andrea glared at him and turned to Philip, surprised that he knew Merle.

"Where are you guys from?" Philip asked a second time. "It seems you three know each other."

"Andrea's buddy left me cuffed to a roof. That's how I got this," Merle said, holding up his prosthetic hand-blade.

Andrea realized that Merle didn't know Shane and Rick were best friends and when he last saw her, it was around the same time they met Rick Grimes. "We were with a group in Atla—" She started, but Shane cut her off.

"We wanted to do our own thing an' came across your place."

"You're in luck because you found the best place possible to live in, especially given these trying times." Philip smiled again. Shane didn't return the smile. He paused now, noting Shane's coldness and uncertain of what to make of it.

Shane's glare remained focused on Merle, who smirked at him. Martinez appeared indifferent as he observed the group.

"You got an eye problem, Deputy Walsh?" Merle asked. "You seem to love eyeballin' me an' The Governor."

Andrea quickly covered for Shane. "He's tired, we've been on the road for months."

Philip nodded. "I can give you guys a full tank of gas. Your Hyundai is parked down the street. I'd also like to offer you two a good night's sleep, so that you can decide in the morning if you want to stay here or continue on your way."

Before Shane could disagree, Andrea jumped ahead of him. "We'll stay."

"Terrific! I'll have Milton show you where you both can stay for the night, and if it works out that you want to stay permanently, then consider it your new living quarters. I'll have Milton escort you."

oOo

It had been an hour since Milton had brought them to their new apartment. It was small and perfect for two people. The furnishings were decent: a full-size bed and a dresser in the bedroom. A couch, and a coffee table were in the living room, a kitchenette with a small table and two chairs, and a tiny bathroom with a shower stall. They had small amounts of everything they needed: food and water in the fridge, cookware, towels in the bathroom, and some other items for daily living. There were toiletries and two towels. It wasn't a lot, but it was more than enough for Andrea. She was thrilled with their new shelter. Shane didn't appear impressed. He sat in the bedroom and watched her take off her shoes and blouse.

"What're you doin'?"

"Taking a shower for the first time in months."

She stepped over to him and ran her fingers through his hair. He pulled away from her touch.

"Stop it."

"What's wrong?" She frowned, unsure of why he had snapped at her. "I was just noticing your hair grew back. It's thick and curly again."

"That means I need to shave it off again."

"Leave it, I like it."

She left to go turn on the shower. Shane watched her, but remained sitting on the bed for the moment.

oOo

Andrea didn't turn around when she heard the shower door open and close. The hot water hitting her body was a luxury she hadn't experienced in a long time. She wanted to enjoy the time by herself, lost in her thoughts while doing what used to be an ordinary everyday activity. With Shane standing behind her in the shower stall, her alone time was cut short. Had this occurred when they had first left the farm, she would've whipped around to face him, eager for his hands to roam all over her body. Now she stood facing the wall, not wanting to see him and her heart tightening in her chest when he rubbed soap over her back, her stomach, her hips… She let him do it anyway and tried to keep from shivering when his fingers lingered between her legs. Inevitably, her body betrayed her as she knew it would because he was impossible to resist. Warmth flooded between her legs and tingling spread throughout her body…but her heart remained enclosed in ice.

She didn't remember how they left the shower stall—if he scooped her up in his arms, if he placed her on the bed…Maybe she walked out of the shower stall by herself. Or maybe she simply wanted to be elsewhere. All she knew was it didn't take long for her to end up on her back with him on top of her. Isn't this how it always is? She knew the answer to her question, but that didn't bother her. What disturbed her was that the question had crossed her mind in the first place. His warm kisses were icicles stabbing her skin and his hands that were once like a wildfire tearing through her body now felt like cold clay. Still, she spread her legs for him and didn't react when he glided into her body. It was mechanical for her and she wondered if it was that way for him. She didn't moan or gasp; instead she stared at the ceiling wanting it to be over sooner than later. Above her, she heard him groaning with pleasure as he used her body for his release.

She had always loved the way his fingers entangled in her hair, but this time she stiffened when his fingertips grazed her scalp. She didn't wrap her legs around his hips to draw him in as she usually did. She wouldn't whisper his name in his ear, writhe in ecstasy, or give any indication that she was getting any satisfaction from his performance. Because that's all this was—a performance to make him feel like he was in charge and she had no say—except to enjoy it and ask for repeated encores.

Their exchange before she went to take a shower and his arrival in the shower stall showcased the reality of their connection. Andrea would reach out for Shane and he'd pull away. He'd reach out for her and she'd accept it. It was always on his terms and she was tired of it. She was done with "moving nowhere fast" as she had told him the night Morales' camp got overrun. Physically, he was easy to be acquainted with. Her favorite spots were stored in his tactile memory. If she was tired, he knew how to arouse her so that she was wide awake and ready to go. Emotionally, he was barren, leaving her wanting more although he had nothing to give. Every time he entered her, he took a piece of her soul that she could never gain back and she never received his heart in return. Time had changed nothing between them. She thought it would be different, that things would change and he would see her as someone he could trust and develop a relationship with. The more their bodies intertwined, the further apart they became. She remembered last week when she had interlocked her fingers with his after laying beside him in the Hyundai's backseat. He had quickly removed his hand from hers, making it clear that they weren't together.

And if they weren't together, why did he send Philip Blake that murderous glare when the Woodbury leader asked if they were a couple? That did it. She wanted to confront him about it, but she didn't even want to talk to him—much less have sex with him. His name was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to stop when suddenly Shane withdrew and rolled off her. He lay next to her, breathing hard and when he attempted to place an arm around her, she inched away from him—similar to what he had done the week before.

"You ain't feelin' this."

Andrea would've curled up on her side of the bed to face him, but she decided she was fine with him knowing that she didn't enjoy their intimacy tonight. "It was alright." She grabbed the sheet and covered their bodies with it.

"It ain't alright." His voice tried not to betray anger, but it was present. "Your mind was elsewhere the entire time."

Just like your heart? A wry smile flashed across Andrea's face, but Shane missed it. She was glad she didn't ask the question aloud. Instead, she thought of how she wanted to approach the topic. He should understand what she wanted and needed…what they both needed to survive… She also admitted to herself that Shane was right: she was indifferent and surprisingly, he had noticed. It shocked her since he tended to focus on having his needs met through her regardless of how she felt.

"My mind was full of questions and no answers."

Shane scoffed. "So ask an' you may get the answer you want—or don't want."

"Why were you glaring at Philip Blake?"

Shane stared at her for a long while before answering. "You mean to tell me that you ain't feelin' us tonight because of another man?!"

"No, I—"

"That's like me stoppin' us to talk 'bout Lori."

Andrea's face reddened out of anger at the mention of Lori. She turned away now, ashamed that she had brought this up at the worst time. He touched her shoulder, urging her to turn around to face him. She did so and it took everything she had to look him straight in his eyes.

"What's this 'bout, Drea?"

"'Drea'?"

"That's my lil nickname for you. I used to call Lori 'Lor' for short."

"So now you're talking about another woman?" Andrea remembered the shared hostility between her and Lori Grimes.

"You were actin' frigid 'bout a man, an' now you mad at me for tellin' you I shortened your name the same way I did for another woman?! That's straight up bullshit!" Shane turned his back on her now, refusing to engage with her.

"Why did you give Philip the evil eye when we met him today? We just got here and I'd like to stay here for a little while—maybe for good."

He still wouldn't face her.

"I'm not doing this with you, Shane. If we're gonna have this conversation, then you better face me."

Shane turned around so that they were at eye level with each other. "Spill your guts an' don't be messy 'bout it."

"You were practically glaring at him the entire time he welcomed us. I'm sure he noticed it. Merle did."

"What's your point, Drea? An' to hell with that douchebag redneck."

"My point is I don't want to risk losing what we found here…stability, shelter, food—running water for us to take a shower—"

"Together," he finished for her, although that wasn't the direction she was going in and he knew it.

"I thought you didn't see us as being together, Shane," Andrea pointed out. "We're not going steady and we're not riding off into the sunset together, remember?"

"No argument there."

"What are we then? If we're not in a relationship, then why are you jealous?"

Shane abruptly leaned over the bed and grabbed his boxers and t-shirt off the floor. He got dressed without a word. Then he found Andrea's bra and panties on the floor and tossed them to her.

"Put 'em on," he growled.

Andrea stared at him, dumbfounded by this angry behavior. "What the hell is your problem? I asked you a simple question and you have yet to answer it."

"I said put 'em on."

Saying nothing, she did as he asked—or demanded. Looking around for something else to displace his anger, he bunched up the sheet that Andrea had found and threw it aside. He sat up in the bed so that he was facing her now.

"You wanna know why I was lookin' at him weird today? It's 'cause I don't trust him. He's fake as hell an' all that sweet-talk was to disarm you. Maybe you didn't notice, but he was focused on you the entire time. I was in his way—he didn't like that too much. Actin' like I was cock-blockin' when he jus' met you."

Andrea studied Shane as the pieces fell into place. "You think he's going to pursue me." She could sense his fear of her leaving him—it had come up before at the camp.

"He already is, Drea. I'm a man an' know these things."

"My name is Andrea."

"Alright, An-dre-a," he said her name with deliberate slowness, dipping his head enunciating each syllable. "He wants you for himself an' tried to impress you with his 'I'm the Governor of Woodbury' shtick, an' it worked. By the end of it, you had goo-goo eyes for him. Governor…" Shane scoffed. "I'll call him Guvnah."

"So what if he wants me? What's it to you?"

"You're mine." Shane hit the bed with an open palm. "I jus' made you mine. Now he'll smell another man on—"

"What the hell, Shane?!" She was horrified now. He had went from being protective to possessive in less than a minute.

"We're in this together; that's what I thought you wanted when we left the group. Ain't that what you said?"

"We're in this together, but we're not together."

"We got each other's backs, look out for each other like friends do. You said you we'd be partners—"

"Partners—not fuck buddies."

Shane chuckled. "That wasn't an issue when we hooked up the first time. Way I remember it, you rubbed me the right way an' it went from there. Why's it a pro—"

Andrea slapped him mid-sentence, her suppressed anger about their "friends with benefits" arrangement had finally exploded. It had started at the camp where they had run into Morales and his family and had grew as time went on. She had never expressed her frustration until tonight. She was always good about hiding it, but his vitriol toward The Governor brought it out. His overblown reaction to a kind man offering them shelter infuriated her, considering they had been out there for months constantly on the go. Still, she never imagined she'd ever hit him. She gasped, realizing what she had done and now afraid of how he would react. Shane was a very strong man. If he wanted to, he could easily beat her until she was unconscious. He could kill her. She didn't know as much about him as she thought and when he spoke again, his voice was dangerously calm as he rubbed his cheek where she had smacked him.

"I'm not gonna retaliate an' hit you back if that's what you're afraid of. I don't hit women. Love screwin' their brains out like I did yours jus' now, but hit? Hell no."

Andrea stared down at the bed in disbelief that she had been having passionate (passionless?) sex with this man for the past several months—even though she wanted a more real connection with him. The thought of him harming her terrified her. Even when Shane made it clear that he wouldn't strike her back, she felt doubtful. Now she was mad at herself for acting impulsively and she knew Shane had every right to be angry with her.

"I've never hit a woman in my whole life an' not 'bout to start," he repeated as though reading her mind. "Even when they piss me the hell off like Lori. You pissin' me off right now, but I'm gonna break it down to you: anyone who needs to put a title on themselves like 'Guvnah' is tryin' to lord power over others. I don't trust him. Period. He ain't gonna boss me around, an' I won't let him do it to you."

Andrea opened her mouth to tell him that no man would ever be the boss of her. Not Dale Horvath, not Shane Walsh, and definitely not Philip Blake. He saw that she wanted to respond and held up his pointer finger, indicating for her to wait until he finished speaking.

"Now if you still wanna say I'm jealous, then be my guest. I've been jealous of other men before. Not gonna lie 'bout that. I was jealous of Rick—but I ain't jealous of Philip, Guvnah, Blake, or whatever bullshit nickname he has for himself. I don't trust him, an' it'd be best if you keep your eyes wide open instead of fallin' head over heels jus' 'cause he offered you food, a roof over your head, clothes, an' runnin' water. He offered me the same, an' you don't see stars in my eyes."

Andrea was silent as she contemplated what he told her. He was being protective of her—he was making it clear that he had her back and wouldn't let anyone manipulate or harm her. Just as she considered the positives of what Shane was doing, memories of Dale warning her against him flashed through her mind. Anger rushed through her now and she could barely contain it. Before she thought about the impact they would have, the words rushed out of her mouth:

"Let me make one thing clear, Shane. I joined with you to partner with you. I'm not a little girl, I don't need a babysitter, and I sure as hell am not a damsel in distress. You have my back and I have yours too. So do us both a favor: don't pull a Dale on me."

Shane rubbed his head as he stared at the floor. Andrea thought she threw him completely off guard with that last statement, especially given the past tension between both him and Dale. Then his dark eyes met her green ones and she wasn't sure if she felt sorry for hurting him. Or sorry for the restrained anger that came out in his comeback.

"Fair enough, Andrea. Lemme make one thing clear to you as well. I ain't your man, your boyfriend, or your husband." He spat out the word with venom, recalling when Philip Blake had assumed the two newcomers were married. "We partnered up an' we can still be partners. I have your back, you have mine. You wanna do somethin' nice? Don't pull a Lori on me."

He locked eyes with her. She couldn't tear her gaze away from him. He had an intense stare; it was intimidating especially since she didn't know what he was thinking. Andrea was the first to look away. When she did, Shane got up and closed the bedroom door, pitching them in darkness.

They didn't speak to each other for the rest of the night.

oOo

By the time Andrea woke up, it was half past noon. She was exhausted as she couldn't sleep after arguing with Shane. She decided to take a shower, not realizing he was already gone. As the hot water hit her, she wondered again why Shane had acted the way he did. It wasn't like she was jumping into bed with Philip (or "The Governor"—she wasn't sure which name to use when she thought of him). She was just relieved to not be fearing for her life every second. Especially after losing Amy, having a secure place to live was a priority. Although Shane wanted to wait until they got to Maryland, she open to settling down in a permanent shelter sooner than later—especially if the opportunity presented itself. She figured she'd talk with him later about it.

She finished her shower and wrapped herself in a towel. Upon entering the bedroom to get dressed, she was surprised to see he was gone. Andrea felt guilty for the brief relief that washed over her. She didn't want to be around Shane if he was going to cause problems—especially after what happened at Morales' camp. She had an inkling that he would be their undoing at this new community. Then she saw the note on the bed. It was written in sloppy handwriting as though the person had been in a rush.

Andrea, I'm scoping out the town. See you later today. Hope you've cooled off by then. I already have. –Shane

There was an arrow pointing to the other side of the page. Andrea smiled when she read the rest of the note.

P. S. You don't have to worry about me 'pulling a Dale' on you. I want a woman who will be my partner, not a girl I have to father. So far, you fit the bill. –S.

Deciding that she forgave Shane for last night—because he apparently had forgiven her, Andrea got dressed quickly and left the apartment. She looked forward to whatever the day had in store for her.

oOo

Shane walked around Woodbury, checking out the community. It was quaint with shops that had been boarded up, although a few were open. He passed by the community center and the "Town Hall" where he and Andrea had met Philip Blake. There were several apartment buildings. He watched as everyone milled around without a care in the world. They were untouched by the fact that outside the walls decaying corpses roamed around devouring the living. He wondered if they knew how to survive out there. He kept walking around to see if there was anything he should be suspicious of. As he did, he noticed the stares he was getting from other Woodbury citizens, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to part with his Mossberg 590 or Glock 17. He carried the former over his shoulder and the latter was tucked in his cargo pants. He needed to be prepared for anything, so he shrugged off the angry looks that men sent his way and ignored the shocked expressions from women who were too scared to confront him.

He continued down the street and saw the sentry guards at the gate. Shumpert and Crowley stood guard. He could pick them off like flies if he wanted to, but he wouldn't do that. Right now, he had to make sure Woodbury was a safe haven for him and Andrea. Although the community appeared safe, Shane wasn't convinced that Philip Blake (or "The Governor" as he called himself) was someone they could trust. He came off too glib, slick. He didn't like Philip Blake from the moment they first met and he felt troubled that Andrea was already enamored with him.

He especially didn't like how they had only been in Woodbury for less than a day and already they were arguing. Shane knew that wasn't a good sign, so he left her the message to try to get them back on good terms again. He was aware that he could be stubborn, but he didn't want an argument to carry over into the next day. He thought about the note he had left for her and hoped she had found and read it.

At that exact moment, he felt the intense stare of someone watching him. Shane turned around and scanned the area. No one there. He walked around some more and felt the same stare. He turned around again and then glanced across the street. A slim black woman with shoulder-length locs stood in place, watching him. She was of short stature, almost Andrea's height, and she had a solid build as though she exercised regularly. He decided to find out what her issue was. As he got closer to her, he noticed she didn't back off. She wasn't intimidated by him.

"What's your problem?"

She didn't answer him; instead she focused on his Mossberg 590.

"Let's pay multiple choice. A, you're havin' a bad day. B, you like what you're lookin' at. C, you got restin' bitch face. Or D, all of the above."

She still didn't respond and he noticed she was staring at his shotgun. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she looked infuriated.

He grinned and held it out to her. "You like it?" He took it back, chuckling. "You can't have it."

She studied it and then met his eyes. Her eyes had narrowed: she was seething with anger although she didn't utter a single word. Then she turned around and walked away in the opposite direction. There was no way a woman would stare at him, his gun, and then not answer his questions. He decided to follow her.

oOo

"Good afternoon, Andrea." Philip greeted her with a broad smile.

She had been walking around Woodbury when she ran into him. He was outside by one of the main buildings talking with a group of people when he noticed her. He excused himself from the group and came over to her.

"How was your rest last night?"

Andrea hesitated before answering. "It was good…you know it's difficult to sleep the first night at a new place."

"I know what you mean. I'm sure you'll adjust to living here in no time."

She decided to use his first name. "Thank you, Philip."

"My pleasure. While you're out here, I can introduce you to some folks." He took her hand and led her to the group of people he had been speaking with. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet our newest member, Andrea."

It was a small group of five people, two men and three women from diverse racial backgrounds and ages. However, what they all had in common was the bright way in which they welcomed her. They smiled and shook her hand as they introduced themselves. Mr. Jacobson, Eric, Karen, and Alicia. Andrea was pleasantly surprised as she never expected to experience generosity after the outbreak. In Rick's group, she was an outsider and she doubted anyone cared about her. The only ones being Dale and Shane.

"Welcome to Woodbury," an elderly woman in the group said.

"This is Mrs. McLeod," Philip said. "She's the matriarch of Woodbury, keeps watch of everyone. She knows everything there is to know about living here."

"It's very nice to meet you," Andrea said, shaking her hand.

"I'll be back in a little while," Philip said. "I'll take Andrea for a walk around the area and when I get back we can discuss more details about the upcoming barbeque."

As they started making their way throughout the town, she couldn't help but feel surprised. Life in Woodbury was both ordinary and extraordinary. A barbeque seemed like such a luxury these days, a true rarity. In Woodbury, they talked about it like it was no big deal. Either the townsfolk weren't impacted by the outbreak or they were and chose to live the best lives possible. She mentioned this aloud.

"We try to keep a semblance of normalcy here, Andrea. This way the people don't have to be reminded of what's out there, of what and whom they lost from the time everything started."

"I can appreciate that, I'm sure the others do."

Philip nodded. "I hope you like what we're doing here, building community; restarting civilization. You can say we still hold onto our dreams although life has become a nightmare."

"It definitely has…"

Her voice trailed off and in her mind flashed an image of Amy reanimating before her very eyes. She shook her head, refusing to let the image take hold of her mind. If she didn't, she would feel depressed all day and she didn't want that for herself. Right now, she wanted to enjoy this new beginning in a new place. She had plenty of time (or so, she hoped) to process her grief.

"What did you do with your last group? I could use you and Shane in some capacity, so that you're both productive."

Andrea thought before answering. "I used to stand guard, make sure our group was safe from walkers."

Philip nodded, clearly impressed. "We can always use those skills. Safety is my number one priority and you'd be working on behalf of the Woodbury community. Maybe it'll motivate you both to stay here. How does that sound?"

"That would be great, Philip. Shane was in law enforcement before everything fell apart. I was a civil rights attorney. He taught me how to shoot and I've gotten really good."

"Have you now?" He flashed a warm smile—that same smile was starting to weave its way into her heart.

"Yeah, I can show you sometime." She smiled back.

"You can work the gate as a sentry guard. You know, the place where you both came in from?"

Andrea nodded. She wondered if she was being too open with him, since she hadn't even known him for a full day yet, and then decided to be completely transparent. Philip was easy to talk to, friendly, and charming. Charming. That exact word described him best.

"So you and Shane are…" Philip let his sentence hang in the air, unfinished. He waited to see what she would say.

Andrea shrugged and gave him an uneasy smile. "We're together…but not together. Does that make sense?" She knew it sounded strange and now she realized it was difficult to accurately describe what she and Shane had. This was especially true since she knew she felt one way, but he felt differently.

"No, not exactly. How can you both be together, but not together?"

"I guess you can say Shane and I are close friends. Partners."

"Ahhh, I see." Philip nodded as though he understood. His face revealed no emotion as he took in what she told him.

They walked past several stores that were boarded up. A handful were open, but they were far and few between. She marveled at everything, appreciating how normal and every day the community appeared. Just then, a Woodbury citizen ran over to Philip, asking to speak with him.

"Sure thing, David. What can I do for you today?"

What can I do for you today? Andrea's heart melted. From his openness to wanting to help his people, to showing genuine concern for all, and a willingness to serve others—not only was she impressed by his character, but she had to admit: he wasn't too bad on the eyes. Okay, he was handsome. He had a way of speaking smoothly with confidence that put her at ease and his smile was real. Another Woodbury citizen came over to them with the same concern that David had just expressed.

"There's a man walking around with a shotgun. We don't know if it's loaded."

Philip looked surprised as his eyebrows furrowed together, trying to figure out who was walking around Woodbury with a firearm in plain sight.

"Did he threaten anyone, Haley?"

"No." Haley appeared to be in her twenties and carried a compound bow. "But he's getting everyone upset and nervous."

"Did anyone approach him?"

"People are too scared to say anything to him. It's that new guy who came here."

Andrea's eyes widened when she realized Haley was talking about Shane.

Philip nodded as he planned how to address the situation. "He can't have that gun out while he's here."

"I'll talk to him," Andrea volunteered. "I know him, he won't hurt anyone."

"I don't know that—no offense," he quickly added. "It's my town and I have to lay down the rules." He offered a slight smile. "I'm sure you understand."

Andrea watched as he got directions from Haley. He then took off to where Shane had been spotted. She followed after him, hoping to diffuse the situation if needed.

oOo

"'Michonne', huh? Nice name; sounds French."

Her serious expression hadn't changed, but she had opened up. A little. They walked on the opposite side of the street now, having reached the entrance gates and made a turnaround. Woodbury was smaller than Shane originally thought.

"Ain't you gonna ask me my name, Michonne?"

She was quiet before answering. It was as though she wanted to do it on her own without being prompted. "What's your name?"

"There we go. Shane."

Michonne nodded and then looked around, checking to makes sure no one was in earshot. "Your shotgun, it's a—"

"Mossberg 590, from my days as a deputy sheriff."

"He didn't ask you to give it up? The man who runs this place allowed you to keep it?"

"Philip Blake?"

They walked past several apartment buildings. Past more Woodbury citizens who kept sending glares his way. Shane ignored them.

"He calls himself 'The Governor'," Michonne said under her breath, wanting to make sure no one was around while they had their conversation.

Shane scoffed. "He ain't no Guvnah an' if he wants me to call him that, then he best call me King Shane."

Michonne didn't smile. "He made me give up my weapon."

"What'd you have? An AK-47?"

"A katana."

Shane whistled, impressed by what Michonne had revealed. "You're a samurai?!"

"I wouldn't call myself that, but I know how to use it. Took time to hone my skills."

"I'm sure you're a pro. So how'd you end up here?"

"I got tired of being out there."

He fully understood that. It was the main reason why Andrea (because it was more her call than his) had accepted the invitation to stay in Woodbury.

"Before here, how'd you survive? Were you in a group?"

"Was," Michonne replied. "Place got overrun."

She became quiet. Shane had a feeling there was more to her story than she let on. Michonne was putting up walls and she'd allow him in, but only so much. He accepted that and decided not to push it. Besides, he didn't sense she was a bad person or someone with a hidden sinister character. No, that (dis) honor belonged to "The Guvnah". Michonne was real.

"So it was jus' you an' your katana?"

"No. I had walkers with me. Cut their arms and jaws off, chained them up and used them as camouflage."

He had to admit that Michonne's survival instincts impressed him. He couldn't say that about many people. He remembered when Rick and Hershel attempted to bring walkers to the barn before he stopped them. This was different. They were going to house the walkers in the barn and Michonne was using them to survive.

"That's badass!" He thought that was the best way to describe his admiration of her survival tactics.

Michonne responded to his compliment by smiling in a wry manner. She continued walking side by side with him. "It worked. Walkers couldn't smell me. They smelled the walkers—they smelled death."

"That's a great idea. I wish I had known that when…" Shane's voice trailed off as he thought of that night at the school with Otis. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He didn't want to go there. He decided to let Michonne do the talking.

"When I first got here, it seemed alright. Now I feel like I'm locked up and I don't trust the man who runs this place. I thought you were one of his guards…his henchmen."

"Hell no. I ain't any of those things for him. I wouldn't make you give up your weapon 'cause I hate it when anyone tries to take the gun out of my hand. Where'd he take your katana?"

"I don't know, but when I get it, I'm leaving here. If walkers get in, I have no way to defend myself."

"You right 'bout that. We gotta find your katana is an' get it back to you."

Shane and Michonne continued walking and suddenly stopped when they saw Andrea and Philip approaching them.

"Who's that?" Michonne asked. She knew who Philip was, but not the blonde woman next to him.

"That's my partner, Andrea. The other one is that stupid punk tryin' to make moves on her."

"What?!" Michonne was shocked, but she didn't have a chance to ask Shane what he meant as Andrea and Philip were right in front of them now.

"Good afternoon, Shane. Michonne." Philip nodded politely to them.

Andrea watched as he handled the situation. She decided she would step in if necessary.

"Listen, I know it's rough out there, you probably faced death at every waking mo—"

"Cut the bullshit an' get to the point," Shane said, cutting him off.

"You can't carry your shotgun with you around town out in the open the way you're doing. You have to turn it in."

Shane glanced at Andrea and then at Philip. He ignored her pleading look that read "please do as he says".

"Like hell I will. I'm gonna carry her aroun' if I want."

"You're frightening people here and I won't allow that." Philip was calm despite the pushback he received. "You can give it up willingly or it'll be confiscated."

"Folks should be more scared of what's out there—more than what I'm totin' aroun'. Even if I give her up, I still got this one." Shane pointed at his Glock 17 tucked in his pants. "You gonna go down my pants to get it?!"

"Shane!"

Shane glanced at Andrea and saw her shake her head in disapproval. He said nothing to her. Well, he had plenty he wanted to say, but that could wait. Beside him, Michonne watched everything. She didn't step in or get involved. Shane was under the impression that she was a sharp observer.

"If you can't follow the rules here, then you can't stay." Philip's tone remained firm.

"Problem solved. Michonne, it was nice knowin' you. Andrea, we leavin' tonight. Let's go."

He turned around started down the street. Philip and Michonne watched as Andrea left them to catch up with Shane. She ran in front of him, stopping him from going further.

"Give it to him, Shane! We're not leaving here."

"Nope."

"Don't do this. We can't go back out there."

"You can't, but I can." He walked around her and continued forward.

"If you wanna go, then go, 'cause I'm staying." Andrea folded her arms across her chest. "I won't let you ruin a good thing."

He turned around slowly and stared at her in disbelief. "You ain't comin' with me?"

Andrea looked back at Philip and then at Shane. "Why are you doing this?"

"No, the question is why're you doin' this?" Shane started towards Philip. He walked past Andrea, leaving her to stand by herself. "Philip, lemme ask you somethin'—if I call you Guvnah, will you call me King?" He looked over his shoulder, noting the annoyed look on Andrea's face. "I see you like makin' moves on my Queen. You best watch yourself."

Philip stood in place, not moving or responding to Shane's words.

Michonne shook her head and walked off in the opposite direction to get away from the drama that was unfolding in front of her. She figured she'd run into Shane again and at that time, they could talk more. She was glad to see that someone else in town didn't trust Philip Blake. Right now, it was better for her to leave. As she did, she heard Philip call out to Andrea. She glanced over her shoulder and then forced herself to continue onward. What she saw was bad and would only get worse. She didn't want to be around for it.

"See you tonight for dinner?"

Andrea nodded in silence.

Shane was in the middle and he looked from Philip to Andrea and back to Philip again. He couldn't believe what he had heard. There was no way in hell this Guvnah told him not to carry his shotgun, threatened to take it from him, and then invited his partner to dinner—and right in front of him! He needed to put an end to whatever was starting between Philip and Andrea—and defend his own honor at the same time.

"She ain't seein' you for nothin' tonight." He quickly went back to Andrea and grabbed her arm. "You an' me need to talk."

Andrea wrestled her arm out of his grip. "Don't touch me." She was embarrassed now and wanted to run away. She started in the direction of their apartment and Shane followed close behind.

Shane and Andrea had their backs turned…so they didn't see the knowing smirk spread across Philip's face…

oOo

Hours had passed since the street confrontation. Andrea sat on the couch looking straight ahead while Shane paced back and forth in the living room. He had been going on for the past half hour about Philip Blake wanting him to give up his guns. Andrea was tired of it, although she knew Shane wouldn't stop anytime soon.

"Why the hell should I give up Shockwave? See how I carry Lock 'Em Up? In my pants, he's not gonna reach down there for him. I'm carryin' my guns aroun' 'cause I need to be prepared."

"We're safe here, no walkers can get in." Didn't he see the gates surrounding Woodbury?

"We don't know that. Say one of 'em get in here—say five of 'em do or ten, fifteen—twenty? We're gonna need our guns, our knives—everythin' we have to get rid of 'em. Where's yours since he wants me to give up mine? Where's Sweet Piece?"

Andrea's eyes flicked to his and then averted to another point in their apartment. Shane caught on right away.

"You ain't give up yours, but you expect me to give up mine?! I bet he didn't even ask you! No, Andrea. It don't work that way." Shane eyed her up and down. "Lemme ask you somethin'—you said you don't like rollin' over when Hershel told us to give up our guns on the farm—remember that?"

She didn't answer right away—she knew he was right, although she hated to admit it. "Yeah, I do, but this is different."

"Damn right, it's different! Hershel told us to lay down our guns—he ain't take them from us!"

Andrea shrugged, nonchalant.

Shane snatched his Mossberg 590 from the couch. "I'm gonna hide it after you go to sleep, so you won't know where she is, an' so that you don't get any bright ideas of turnin' her in."

"I wouldn't do that to you," Andrea said, her anger rising. "Why don't you trust me? Where the hell is this coming from?!"

"How do I know that? Strollin' aroun' town with him—an' what the hell is this 'bout dinner?! You jus' met this guy an' already he wants you at his place?!" He sat down next to her and she got up and sat on the opposite end, putting distance between them.

"He invited me over for dinner. It's not a big deal."

Andrea hoped her tone was neutral. She looked down, feeling ashamed that Philip had asked her, or more so, she felt guilty for wanting to spend time with him and not Shane. At the same time, the guilt was slowly eroding the longer the conversation went on.

"I thought you an' me were meetin' up. I wrote that in the note to you. Didn't you read it?"

"I read it, but at the rate we're going, I don't even want to be in the same room as you."

"Where do you wanna be? In his bedroom as his personal piece of ass?" Shane might've stopped there, had he seen the horrified expression on Andrea's face. He didn't though and continued talking without considering how his words affected her. "If he cooked you dinner…" He scoffed and shook his head, "…then you're on his menu for dessert."

Andrea's head snapped in his direction. She couldn't believe what he had said—and that he was laughing about it! He acted like he was a famous comedian telling the funniest jokes on stage. She was so angry that her entire body was shaking. She was tempted to lash out at him—hit him just as she did last night. Was it last night? They had only been in Woodbury for two days, but it seemed like forever. All they had done since they arrived was fight nonstop. She stared at Shane who seemed oblivious to how painful his words were. She struggled to find the right words—the fact that none came readily to her was an indication of how hurt she felt. When she finally spoke, she couldn't hear her own voice.

"You're unbelievable…you know that, right?"

Shane shrugged, unfazed by her reaction. Then to his surprise, Andrea got up and headed for the door. Without looking behind her, she left the apartment. As she slammed the door behind her, she wondered for the first time if leaving Hershel's farm with Shane was a mistake.

oOo

Andrea tried to concentrate on the dinner that Philip had prepared for them: spaghetti and garden salad. She appreciated that he made the effort for her, but her heart wasn't there and he sensed it. He had asked her to share dinner with him at his apartment before they had found Shane and Michonne. It was a modest apartment, nothing fancy, although it had more rooms than the one she shared with Shane.

Philip watched Andrea carefully, noting her quiet demeanor. She appeared to be thinking of something…or someone. He remembered her and Shane arguing when he told him to turn in his shotgun—and the way he had grabbed her. Shane was the source of her stress, so he decided to find out more information. Pry a little more…

"Who is he to you? I know I keep asking and you can tell me to stop. I'm just wondering about your connection to him."

Andrea put down her fork. She had been twisting her fork in the spaghetti, but it never left her plate. She decided it was time to stop pretending she had an appetite. "Who?" She knew whom he referred to, but didn't want to answer that question.

"Shane, the man you came here with. Is he your boyfriend?" Philip paused when he saw Andrea staring down at her plate of food. She had barely touched it. "I'm sorry…I'm getting too personal."

"We're just friends."

"Seems like you're both on different pages. He sees you and him as being a couple and you just see it as a friendship."

"I don't think he sees it that way," she paused, thinking of what she was about to say. "I know he doesn't."

Philip blinked. "Are you sure about that?"

Andrea played with the salad on her plate, not responding to Philip. For the longest time, she had wanted to be more than friends. Shane had brushed her off so many times that she had decided to put that hope out of her mind. It was still there, but she refused to continue dreaming a dream that wouldn't happen. Even so, she had to settle things with Shane before they got worse. She was still reeling from what he had implied before she left. For the first time, she hated him. Hate was a strong word, but it was the most adequate word that described what she felt towards him now, especially after what had occurred earlier. She hated the way he grabbed her in front of Philip and Michonne, she hated that he was mad that another man was in the picture when this entire time he kept thinking of Lori, she hated that he was starting to control her, and she hated his twisted sense of humor.

"I hate him." I hate everything about him.

"You hate him?!" Philip sounded shocked. "I'm sure you don't mean that."

Andrea suddenly looked up and met Philip's eyes. His expression was a combination of shock and curiosity and it was then that she realized she had accidentally slipped the words out. She didn't want to say them aloud; they were meant to be her private thoughts, but now it was out there. She knew she shouldn't continue, but she wanted to get it off her chest. Carrying those negative feelings was starting to take a toll on her, so she figured it was better to let it out than keep it inside.

"I hate that he's treating me like he owns me—we're supposed to be partners on the same level."

Philip nodded sympathetically. "I hope you and him can work things out, so that you guys stay here."

"We will, Philip. He just has to get used being here…and I have to accept that he's never gonna come around."

Without asking her to confirm what she meant, Philip made his intentions clear. "His loss is my gain, Andrea."

She looked at him, trying to figure out what to say to that. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was expressing interest in her. She had to admit she felt the same way on a small level with him, but it was best not to delve into that. Not yet. She said nothing, although his concern was drawing her in. The silence between them was awkward, but it didn't last long as Philip clapped his hands together as an idea came to him.

"Forget dinner. I have two things for you: key lime pie and a proposal." He flashed a charming smile. "Which do you want first?"

Andrea smiled, feeling her anger towards Shane melt away. There was something to be said about Philip and the way he managed to turn her around in a matter of seconds.

"How about together? You can tell me the proposal over the key lime pie?"

"Sounds perfect." He left and returned with the key lime pie. Slicing a piece for her first, he shared his proposal with her. "What if I offered you a job here? Same for him, but let's focus on you first." He gave her the plate and then cut a slice for himself.

"Thank you," Andrea said, as she dug into the pie. It brought back memories of her and Amy going out for lunch and sharing a key lime pie together. She also liked the taste of lime, but the memories of Amy meant a lot more to her. She found she was liking Woodbury more and more…and she was liking Philip more and more... "What kind of job did you have in mind?"

"You mentioned you're a sharpshooter, so why don't we put your skills to use as a sentry guard. You can work a shift with Haley at the gate. When do you want to start?"

"Tomorrow!" She laughed now and he laughed along with her. "I'm sorry, do I seem too eager?"

Philip shook his head. "Not at all. You're fitting right into Woodbury…or is it that Woodbury's growing on you?" He snapped his fingers as another idea came to him. "I know you need to blow off some steam, so why don't I take you to the fights?"

"'The fights'?" Andrea's eyebrows furrowed together. She was uncertain about his suggestion. What were "the fights"?

"I'll show you."

Clasping her hand in his, Philip led Andrea out of his apartment and into the community. She was surprised to see most of the community's residents up and about. They were walking in the same direction as them.

"Everyone goes to the fights," he said gesturing to the Woodbury citizens walking down the street. "We do this two or three times a week, just for fun."

Deciding not to question it, Andrea squeezed Philip's hand as he led her to the makeshift arena. For the first time since arriving at Woodbury, she felt happy. Truly happy and not under stress or pressure. She hoped she could maintain this feeling for as long as possible…

oOo

Andrea returned to her apartment an hour after the fights had ended. As she made her way to the second floor, she thought about what she had seen. A makeshift arena had been developed for the Woodbury citizens to sit and watch while the two participants—Merle and Martinez—battled it out gladiator style. The two men had been surrounded by six walkers that were chained down. At first, Andrea had thought the whole scene was barbaric and she told this to Philip. After he explained that the walkers' teeth had been removed and that there was no chance of them biting anyone, Andrea was able to enjoy the fight. It helped to know that it was staged. No one got seriously hurt and true to his word, the Woodbury citizens blew off steam as they yelled and cheered. Andrea had joined in and enjoyed herself, much to her surprise.

At the end, Philip had walked her halfway home and surprised her when he gave her a single rose. It seemed he had conjured up the rose from thin air—she didn't see him walk out of his apartment with one. She was going to thank him for a wonderful night when he lifted her face to his and kissed her. It was quick and sweet—and it made her smile. She was still smiling when she opened the door to the apartment and found Shane sitting by himself on the couch. She flicked on the lights and saw his dark eyes were wild and panicky.

"I was waitin' for you."

"What for?"

"For when you'd come back. Where were you?"

"None of your business."

"You are my business."

Andrea ignored him as she searched the apartment to find a place to put the rose. She went inside the kitchenette and put the rose in a tall glass. After filling it with water, she came back to where Shane was sitting on the couch.

"He gave you that?" He squinted at the rose. "I can give you better."

She looked down at the rose, remembering her shock when Philip had gave it to her. When was the last time Shane had gave her a rose? Or made any romantic gestures? The answer—never.

"You're jealous that another man gave me a rose, but you don't see me carrying on about how you walked around Woodbury all day with another woman."

"Her name is Michonne an' you ain't see me go by her apartment after knowin' her for three hours."

"She actually has a name?" Andrea didn't hide the sarcasm in her voice.

"Yeah, she has a name unlike that pretty boy who calls himself 'The Guvnah'. She's a real woman unlike that pretend man. What'd you have for dinner? Ramen noodles?"

"We ate—wait for it—food! And dessert was good," she threw in. "Is there anything else you want to know?"

Shane didn't hesitate. "Did you fuck him?"

He had the damn nerve to ask something so personal in such a crass manner! She knew she shouldn't be surprised—Shane had no filter. The shock wore off and gave way to anger. She was about to tell him no, she didn't have sex with him. They had shared a brief kiss. A simple sweet kiss and nothing more—although now she wished she had done more. Then she decided to approach it a different way.

"What if I did? After all, I was his dessert, right?" There were tremors in her voice as the anger she felt from before hit her full force now.

Shane stared at the floor, ashamed. "I was wrong for sayin' that. I'm sorry, Drea…an' I'm sorry for the way I grabbed you earlier...I was out of line." He rubbed his head, uncertain of himself.

Andrea didn't acknowledge his apology because she didn't she accept it. She decided to twist the knife a little more. "What if I am sleeping with him? What're you gonna do about it?"

He looked up at her now, his eyes widening. The first time she had answered his question with a question, it had went right over his head. Now her words sunk in and he couldn't speak for a few seconds. Then the words tumbled out: "You…you were with him?!"

"I said if. IF."

He was still silent and then he quickly squashed the anxiety that almost kept him from pressing forward. "Soon as I help Michonne get back her katana, we gonna get gone from this craziness."

"There's no 'we', not in the way you think. What's this about Michonne and a katana?"

"I don't know when we're leavin', but we are." He talked over her and didn't hear what she said. "We're gettin' the hell out of this place—far away from this woman-stealer-weapon-hoarder."

She set the glass with the rose down on the coffee table. She didn't realize she had slammed it down in anger. "What about what I want, Shane? Does that even matter to you?"

"Yeah, it matters to me, but you don't know who you're dealin' with."

"Then enlighten me."

"He's a charmer; that's not good, Drea."

"Funny you say that because I find him to be charming."

Shane threw her an exasperated look. "Someone who's tryin' to charm you has somethin' up their sleeve. They ain't honest. Like in that play Into the Woods when Prince Charmin' tells Cinderella: I was raised to be charmin', not sincere."

"Since when do you go watch plays or musicals?"

Into the Woods also happened to be Amy's favorite play, but Andrea didn't mention that. She tried not to let grief about Amy wash over her. Why was everything in Woodbury bringing up memories of Amy? Her grief was relentless, it kept hitting her when she least expected it. She wished her grief would go on vacation. Leave her alone for at least a week. Instead, her grief was a workaholic and never took time off. It made her want to scream. For an instant, Andrea thought of opening the window to do exactly that and then decided against it. She needed to focus on this conversation.

"Some chick I had dated wanted to go see it an' I wanted to get laid so I endured it—don't look at me like that. I'm bein' real with you unlike Mr. Charmer with his agenda."

Now they were back on track again. "And what's his agenda? Aside from offering me a place to stay, a job—"

"A job—what job?!"

"So I can contribute. He said he'd get you one, too. I told him you worked in law enforcement."

Shane bolted from the couch and stood eye to eye with Andrea now. "Keep my name out of your mouth when you talkin' with him! He's tryin' to get you to plant roots here—that ain't happenin'! You came with me an' you leavin' with me before the week is out. End of story." He went over to the coffee table and snatched the glass holding the rose.

Andrea's eyes widened when she realized what he planned. "Shane! No—what're you doing?!" She ran to the window just as he opened it and chucked the rose outside along with the glass. She flinched when she heard the glass hit the ground outside.

Shane shut the window and turned to her. "That takes care of that. You sad? Tell him to get you another one if it means that much to you."

She glared at him now and it took everything to restrain herself from hitting him. "You're twisted."

"I ain't twisted. Be thankful it was a stupid rose that got thrown out. Next time it'll be him that gets tossed out of a window."

Andrea didn't say anything as she backed away. He stood in place, watching as she put space between them. She had to get away from him. It was getting to the point where what she had said earlier was true: she couldn't stand to be in the same room with him. She couldn't believe those thoughts ran through her mind, but she couldn't ignore or avoid them. The longer she argued with Shane, the more repelled she felt by him. This last action frightened her more than she cared to admit. She finally understood what the rest of the group felt at Hershel's farm and why they viewed Shane as irrational and dangerous. She decided to try a direction that had worked in the past when it concerned his poor communication skills.

"Do you remember when I told you that your presentation needs work?"

"What 'bout it?"

All the painful and embarrassing things Shane had said and did to her today came rushing to the forefront of Andrea's mind. "You haven't learned a damn thing. Do you hear yourself at all?"

"I hear the sound of my voice." He looked as though he was trying to hold back a laugh and then it burst forth.

"I'm not laughing, Shane. I'm gonna lay it down where I stand."

"Go right on ahead, darlin'." Shane smirked. "Speak your mind."

"This entire time you've talked about me like you own me, as though I'm your property. 'You belong to me'. You said shitty things to me today—degrading things—things I'd never thought I'd hear coming out of the mouth of someone who claims to be my partner and friend, the man who would always back me up, catch me if I fall."

"I'm tryin' to stop you from fallin'—never mind catchin'. You jus' don't see it."

"It's hard to see it when my so-called friend refers to me as someone's 'piece of ass' or 'dessert'."

He sighed. "I'm said I'm sorry. What else do you want me to do?"

"I know exactly what I want you to do. I want you to keep your mouth shut."

A long aching silence expanded between them as they stared each other down.

"You sound like Hershel now…" he muttered and shook his head, disagreeing with her. "You ain't right, Drea. That man wants you for himself for some twisted reason."

"'That man' you speak of has treated me with more respect and decency in the last twelve hours, more than you have today, Shane. He's offering me—and you—shelter, safety, clothing, and running water. He even wants to offer us jobs so that we can be productive."

"That's bullshit!" Shane swung a clenched fist in the air, dismissing what she said. He paced up and down and came right back to her. "I'm the one who covers you, who's got your back no matter what! I protect you an' keep you safe! That's me—that ain't him!" He didn't realize he sounded as though he was back on Hershel's farm, telling Dale and Lori on separate occasions that he kept Carl and the group safe.

"We are safe in here, that's what I keep telling you, but you talk over me—you don't listen to anyone except yourself!"

"'Cause you got no common sense—"

"SHUT UP!" Andrea finally exploded, fed up with his talking down to her, his acting like she couldn't protect herself. She was shocked by her outburst and he was too because he backed off. "You're the one with no sense! You still carry Lori with you—it's why you won't let me get close to you. Then when another man shows interest in me, that's when you want me for yourself?!"

"Don't go there 'bout Lori." His tone was a cross between quiet rage and recent heartbreak. He recoiled slightly, upset that Andrea had brought up Lori.

"Why not? She's the reason why you keep me out of your heart—we both know it's true, Shane."

He found some other point in the apartment to focus on. She couldn't tell if he was tuning her out or didn't want to admit she was right.

"I want—"

"Who cares what you want?! You don't care about what I want!"

"Shut up an' lemme finish my thoughts, Andrea!"

Andrea blinked. She knew she shouldn't be shocked that he told her to shut up. After all, she had just told him those very same words.

"I was sayin' I want you as my partner. We protect each other, I got your back; you have mine. "

"That's nice, now we're 'partners'." Andrea let out a dry laugh. "My 'partner' grabs me by the arm in front of everyone, talks down to me, treats me like I'm an object he owns. My 'partner' doesn't value my worth until someone else sees it."

Shane stared at her, uncertain of what to make of her reaction. "Don't know why you find that funny. I thought that's what we agreed on—an' I don't treat you that way."

"Ever since we've been here you have treated me that way." Her green eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me you treat me like I'm special to you."

"You came here with me an' that's all that matters."

He stepped towards her and she stepped back from him.

"And you think that makes me yours? You obviously need a reminder of what you told me the first night we got here: you're not my man, my husband, or my boyfriend—you're none of those things to me." Andrea's voice hardened. "You don't get to pretend you are when it's convenient for you." She pointed at him as she continued backing away from him. She already had it in her mind to leave as soon as their arguing was over. "You're not allowed to get mad when I spend time with another man when you made it clear that I'm not your woman, your wife, or your girlfriend. It doesn't work like that, Shane."

Shane was silent for a long while and when he spoke again, Andrea wondered what he really felt about her and the possibility of them being more than partners and friends.

"I never said I didn't wanna be with you."

"You never said you wanted to be with me either."

Another long silence passed between them. They stared at each other, both shocked that they were arguing like this. The last time Andrea argued with Shane this badly was when he brought up Amy while giving her shooting lessons. They had bumped heads during their brief time with the last group, but it wasn't as awful as now. Andrea was about to break the silence when Shane did.

"I'm here with you—that should mean somethin' to you 'cause it does to me."

"I mean something to you, Shane? You actually care?" Her sarcasm was unmistakable.

"I don't always say it, but I do care 'bout you—more than you know."

"You said your heart's under lock and key. You said there's no 'us' and that we ride together, sometimes screw around together—but that's it."

Shane couldn't say anything to that. He had said those words to her.

"You can keep your heart locked up. I'm going for the man who's interested in me."

"That fake-ass pretty boy who calls himself 'The Guvnah'? He ain't nobody; he jus' wears a mask that's pleasin' to you." He turned away from her and started towards the window.

"He respects me. You don't give a shit about me except for when I'm shooting walkers or spreading my legs for you."

Shane whipped around to face Andrea who remained impassive. He stared at her and she glared back at him. Slowly, he made his way back to the couch. The entire time he was unable to mask his shock and hurt. When he sat down, he avoided looking at her.

"It ain't like that, Drea, an' you know it." She had stabbed him in the heart with her accusation. Furthermore, Andrea had no inkling of what he felt. "Why the hell would you even say that?"

"Because that's when you're most open with me, when you don't hold back. That, when we're fighting to stay alive like at that camp, and when we argue. Otherwise…"

"Otherwise what?!" His anger was a delayed reaction. He hoped his next words cut her open. He wanted her to hurt, just as she hurt him with her accusations that he was only with her for sex. "You say I'm usin' you, but you jump on it every chance you get. Half the time you're the one startin' it, but I'm the one usin' you?!"

Andrea's lips trembled. He couldn't tell if she was going to spit at him or cry. He told himself he didn't care what she felt, although he knew that wasn't true.

"You never stopped me when I initiated it. I guess it'd be a different story if I was your woman, huh?" Or if I was Lori. Those words almost burst forth and she was glad she exercised self-control. She imagined saying it aloud and pictured Shane losing his temper.

"Listen to yourself." Shane crossed his arms across his chest. "Actin' emotional 'cause I don't call you girlfriend or wifey."

"No, I'm upset that I've tried getting close to you, Shane. I'm good enough for you to sleep with, but not good enough to be your woman."

"Why're you still goin' on 'bout bein' my woman? I told you I ain't here to hold hands with you—I made that clear from the get-go."

"Because I want to be with you—there, I said it!" Andrea threw her arms in the air, frustrated that she had exposed herself and knowing it wouldn't change a damn thing. It was going to happen eventually and now the truth was out. "I want you, but you still hold onto a woman who's far from here—a woman who treated you like shit. When another man shows interest in me and I want to explore it, you get all jealous and possessive."

"It ain't jealousy. He's no good—he took Michonne's weapon an' now he wants to take mine. He ain't—he's not what you think he is." He rubbed his head, anxious and unsure of how to respond to her statement of wanting to be with him. Although he had a feeling it wouldn't come out right, he decided to try. "You're not with me in the way you want, but you still mean somethin' to me."

"What am I to you?"

"I'm sure I've answered this question before, but since you insist…three things, darlin', an' in no particular order. Partner, friend, an' lover." Shane ticked off on his fingers.

"There's no love between us then."

Andrea tried not to let her voice betray her disappointment. More than anything, she wanted to love him. She wanted emotional intimacy with him and not just a quick romp in the bed or Hyundai. Those times were a much needed release for both of them, but she wanted more. Shane was difficult to love, but she was confident that she could love him in a way that no woman ever had. What made him more challenging to connect with were the fortress walls he had built to protect himself while shutting her out.

"There was never love between us; it's 'bout time you get over that."

The moment Shane said the words he knew he was lying more to himself than he was to her. There was so much he loved about Andrea. The way her blonde hair flowed on her shoulders or how she wore it in a ponytail with tendrils framing her face. The sly smirk she gave him when she started gaining confidence in her shooting skills. How soft her skin felt against his whenever they had sex. Andrea had the smoothest skin that felt like silk against his own rough calloused skin. How she respected and listened to him when the group dismissed him at the farm. Her sincere way of understanding him and how it made him feel less lonely. The way she held her own, offered to back him up, partner with him, befriend him when everyone hated him or thought he was crazy—that was the most important aspect that he cherished about her. He voiced none of this now, although later on he would wish he had.

"Then don't get mad at me for wanting to spend time with a man who's emotionally available and wants to be with me." She had flinched inwardly at his last response, but resolved to hide her hurt. She didn't want him to see how terrible she felt from knowing he didn't feel the same way towards her.

Shane didn't mask his annoyance. "He's playin' you, you'll see."

"I see a man in front of me who doesn't appreciate what's in front of him—and who thinks he can control my every move because of his own hang-ups."

"Don't come cryin' to me when you finally see the truth."

Andrea shook her head and a wry smile flashed across her face. "Don't worry, I won't come to you. I'm done arguing with you, Shane—and I'm done with you."

"What?!" His eyes bulged when he heard her last sentence. There was no way—

"When you decide to treat me with decency—as though you actually give a damn about me outside of fucking me in that Hyundai or in that bedroom—when you learn to talk to me like I'm a human being worthy of the same respect I give you—then we'll pick up where we left off." The entire time Andrea spoke, she backed away from him. Her words were slow and deliberate to ensure he heard her message loud and clear. "When you're ready to behave like I'm your partner and your friend—then we'll talk. Until then, don't speak to me. Keep your mouth shut—and stay the hell away from me!"

Before he could stop her, she stormed out of the apartment. Shane heard her running down the flight of stairs. He raced to the window in time to see her bolt outside and hurriedly walk down the street. He thought of going after her, but decided against it, thinking it would make everything worse. Anxiety gripped his heart when he imagined her going to The Governor's apartment, him opening the door, inviting her in to spend the night with him, leading her to his bedroom and—he stopped those thoughts before they could go further. It would torture him more if he imagined Andrea in bed with Philip Blake.

The worst part for Shane were that his words were already haunting him: There was never love between us; it's 'bout time you get over that. She wanted to connect with him on a deeper level—and yet, he kept pushing her away. He wouldn't allow her to get close to him. There was no way he would go through that heartache again of getting close to a woman, only for her to turn around and shun him while she went for another man in front of him. This had happened with Lori and he didn't want history to repeat itself with Andrea.

He wanted Andrea—not just sexually and physically, but emotionally as well. Shane wanted the same thing Andrea wanted, but it was too risky. There was too much to lose and he felt safer keeping her at a distance and only having a physical connection with her. As much as it stabbed him in the heart when she accused him of only being interested in her sexually, the truth was his actions and behavior gave that impression. He was using sex as a barrier between them and they both knew it. She couldn't hurt him if he just saw her as an object to release sexual tension. That was surface level. Beneath the surface, hopes of being with her were dashed whenever he thought of Lori and what had happened between them when Rick returned. Even so, he wanted to hold onto her, but he didn't want her to get too close either. Now he realized that he had pushed her away and he didn't know how to undo it.

Aside from that, Shane hated this arguing and he hated more that she didn't see the truth in front of her. Andrea thought jealousy was his main reason for disliking Philip Blake, but Shane knew something was off about Woodbury's "Governor." He realized that he was starting to look like the crazy one in all this, while Philip Blake/The Governor got off scot-free. He remembered when she told him that he said the right things, but his presentation…Shane knew that his message wasn't heard by her because of how he expressed it. He just hoped Andrea would come around. She'd come back later and they'd work out everything. She had to come around…

oOo

An entire week had passed since that last argument. They didn't speak to each other all seven days. During that time, Shane made attempts to repair what was broken between them, but he soon learned that the damage had been done.

The first morning after the argument, Shane had woke up early and cooked breakfast for her. He had made eggs and bacon exactly the way Andrea liked it. Scrambled and browned as she hated runny eggs. He made sure to make the bacon extra crispy. A tall glass of cold orange juice completed the meal. He remembered her saying how much she wanted to have that for breakfast when they had first left Hershel's farm.

He had never done this for any woman before. He did it once for Lori, but she didn't count since they had to camp outside when the outbreak first started. Before the outbreak, if a woman was still laying in his bed the morning after, he wanted them to leave—not make them breakfast. Andrea was different though and he wanted to solve their conflict before it worsened. He had written a note for her and placed it on her side of the bed so that when she woke up she'd see it and read it. A, I'm sorry about last night, let's talk over breakfast. -S He remembered how he and Rick used to get breakfast together when they started a shift in the morning. Rick had told him it was important to start the day right and Shane had decided he would put his best friend's wisdom into practice—especially if it would help mend the brokenness between him and Andrea.

He had heard her get up and dress herself. While he waited, he thought about what he'd say to her—more so, how he would communicate that he was truly worried about her and that he wasn't just jealous like she thought. The man they had just met wanted Shane to hand over his weapons and invited his partner for dinner—something wasn't right with this picture. He also wanted to tell her that he wouldn't 'pull a Dale' on her, that he'd respect her decisions, no matter how hard it was for him to do so—even when it came to this other man who called himself "The Governor".

He had waited and waited…and watched as she left the apartment without speaking a single word to him. He rushed inside the bedroom and didn't see the note on the bed. He thought she had taken it with her when he spotted a crumpled piece of paper in the small trash bin. Without picking it up, he knew it was the note he had left her. He ended up eating the breakfast he had cooked for her.

That was the first day. It had stretched on with no ending in sight—or it felt like that to Shane. He had wandered around in the community with his Mossberg 590 and Glock 17 as his only companions. Michonne wasn't around that day and he didn't know where to find her, so he had kept to himself. He had returned to the apartment that night and waited for her. Andrea had entered and before he could say anything to her, she removed a pillow and a sheet from the bedroom and put it in the living room. She had slept peacefully on the couch, while he had laid awake all night in the bedroom alone, staring at the ceiling.

He tried again on the second day with the same results. On the third day, he decided to try something new as he was tired of his passive note writing. He brought her breakfast in bed—only for her to knock it out of his hands. While he had picked up pieces of bacon and scrambled eggs off the floor, she had bolted out of bed, got dressed quickly, and rushed out of the apartment before he had finished cleaning up the mess.

By the fourth day, Shane had stopped making her breakfast; he had stopped writing notes for her as he'd only find them in the trash. He had stopped trying to make conversation with her as she'd only look the other way or get up and walk out. That same day, he ran into Andrea and Philip in the community. They had been walking in opposite directions on the same street. He had hoped that she'd let up, make eye contact with him, smile, nod—some small gesture to acknowledge him. Instead, she had walked right by him without uttering a syllable. He was invisible to her. Worse than that: he didn't exist to her. In her eyes, he was as good as dead.

Hours after that incident, he had found a place in Woodbury where he could get gin and tequila. Lucky for him, they had quite a stash, which was surprising given how difficult it was to come by. He brought home several bottles of each drink and drank until he couldn't stand. Getting drunk and passing out on the couch was a pleasant escape and made it so that Andrea had no choice but to sleep in the bedroom. He'd drink all night, pass out drunk, sleep during the day, wake up in the late afternoon, wander around Woodbury or stay cooped up in the apartment and repeat the cycle. Sometimes it changed slightly with the timing, but it was all the same. It was easier for him to get drunk so he could avoid thinking about what was happening to him and Andrea.

And how she and Philip were getting closer…

Andrea, on the other hand, had greatly enjoyed those seven days. If that week had been hell for Shane, then it was heaven for her. She had woke up that first morning and saw the note next to her. Without a second glance, she had tossed it in the trash. She knew he was waiting for her when she got dressed. As far as she was concerned, he could wait all day and night. She had no desire to speak with him. There was nothing more to say. He wanted to act controlling, talk down to her, treat her like an object that he owned, imply that she was incapable of making sound decisions, expect her to be content with sharing her body whenever he wanted sex yet deny her an emotional connection—all this while holding onto Lori Grimes.

She was done.

She had made a new friend named Philip Blake and she wasn't going to keep him waiting. When she had left the apartment, she knew he saw her, but she didn't care. Shane's feelings were unimportant as she decided it was time to put herself first. Their partnership was over. Right now, she just happened to share the same living quarters as him. That's all he was to her now: a roommate and living companion. Nothing more.

Philip had officially introduced her to Haley, the woman whom she would work with at the Woodbury gate. Haley had been a sentry guard for a month and offered to train Andrea. Andrea enjoyed Haley's company and they started a friendship. Using different weapons was often a topic of conversation between the two women—Haley used a compound bow and Andrea had noticed that she wasn't very good with it. She had lousy aim, but she was fun to chat with. Haley had to put down her brother and father before they reanimated and Andrea had shared with her that she put down Amy after she had turned. That had been an interesting conversation. They had talked about their lives now and what their lives were like before the outbreak.

Of course, they also talked about men—how they couldn't live with 'em or without 'em. Although Andrea enjoyed their "girl talk", she wanted to avoid talking about Shane, but he always came up. Haley had asked who he was to Andrea—everyone seemed to ask her that same question. Philip, Haley, Mrs. McLeod, Karen, Martinez, Mr. Jacobson—even Merle asked what she was doing with him. Who is he? Is he your husband? Boyfriend? How long have you known him? Are you and him friends with benefits? She didn't want to associate herself with him anymore, so she described him as a "traveling companion"—exactly how Philip labeled him during their first meeting. There were no undertones of a shared and mutual connection, be it friendship or love, with that label. It was neutral and detached. Exactly as she wanted it now that she was no longer on speaking terms with him—which she eventually told Philip.

She had returned that first night and wanted to keep her distance from Shane, so she took out a pillow and sheet and put it in the living room. She'd sleep there. He had been standing near the window and turned in her direction as she fixed the sheet on the sofa. She had felt him staring at her the entire time. By now, Andrea didn't let the tension between them affect her. Her sleep, like her feelings and decisions, were more important to her than him. She had slept soundly and woke up the next day to see the same note. She threw it out and continued to ignore his attempts to rectify things…

By the fourth day, he had finally gotten the message that she didn't want to speak with him and that nothing he did (including kind gestures like cooking her breakfast) would turn her around. Whenever he tried talking to her, she would leave the apartment. She had even passed him on the street without acknowledging him. She had seen him from a distance away and resolved to pretend that he didn't exist. When she walked by him, she was surprised to find that she felt no guilt about ignoring him—and it had also indicated to Philip that he could move closer to her. That same evening, she had returned from the fights to find Shane passed out on the couch, empty bottles of gin and tequila littered all over the floor. She had been tempted to clean it up, but then she figured it was his mess, so he should clean it himself. She had shared with Philip that she had walked into her apartment and found Shane completely wasted. In fact, she found herself sharing a lot with him. Unlike Shane, Philip was open and invited Andrea to talk to him about anything. He didn't shut down topics or build emotional walls to keep her out. He encouraged her to speak her mind and made sure she felt heard and understood—just like on the first night they had dinner together.

Philip had even invited her to move in with him.

Andrea had turned it down much to his disappointment. She was furious with Shane, but she didn't want to give him another reason to hate Philip if he ever found out about this proposition. After everything that had happened with Shane, she resigned herself to not sleep with Philip. Sleeping with Shane had clouded her judgement and made her believe there was a romantic connection between them when there wasn't. She didn't want to make that same mistake with Philip. He was attractive and poured attention on her, flattered her, and made her feel beautiful and alive, but Andrea knew it was best not to cross that line. She would kiss him here and there, and twice, they had made out on his couch, but she wouldn't go further with him. Once, he had slipped his hand under her blouse. She had put her hand on his, indicating she didn't want to go in that direction. His hand retreated and he apologized if he had crossed a line. He respected her choice and didn't make her feel guilty for it. He treated her as he always had since day one: with respect and adoration.

The rest of the week had been repeat of the same thing—she'd return at night, find Shane slumped on the couch, sometimes a half empty bottle grasped in his hand, one combat boot hanging off his foot and the other missing. They were about to enter their second week of no communication, when Michonne intervened. Although Michonne's actions to intercede were unintentional, it set into motion the events that would lead to her departure from Woodbury as well as Shane's and Andrea's.

One day after that first week, Michonne went to their apartment and found Shane sprawled out on the couch surrounded by over a dozen of empty gin and tequila bottles. The smell of alcohol was strong inside the small living space. Michonne felt she could get intoxicated just from breathing in the fumes. Shaking him awake didn't work, so she grabbed an empty pitcher from the kitchen and filled it with cold water. She returned to the living room and stood watching him. Shane was still asleep, completely unaware that he had an uninvited guest/friend. Michonne threw the water on his face. Shane sat up right away and twisted around to see who was in the apartment with him.

"What the hell, Michonne?!" He glared at her. "What're you doin' here? How'd you get in?!"

"The door was closed, but opened easily when I got here. I bet he never gave you a key; that means anyone, including myself, can get in and out of your apartment at any time. Anyone can trespass."

Shane rubbed his head and sat up now. "I ain't seen you in ages."

"I know, but I saw your friend and learned a lot about this community—including where you live."

"Like how it's run by a woman-stealin' asshole who won't let you keep your katana? We knew that already. Tell me somethin' new—aside from knowin' where I put my head down at night."

Michonne sat down next to him and gestured at the empty bottles. "What's all this?! You've been getting drunk this entire time?"

Shane shrugged and lay back against the couch. His head throbbed painfully like it had been tightened by an iron vise. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep. Being intoxicated and sleeping were the only things he looked forward to these days.

"You need to pull yourself together, Shane, and listen to what I'm about to tell you."

He shot her a sideways glance, but said nothing.

"Your friend, Andrea, is working with The Governor. He's got her out there guarding the gate. She's been doing this for the past week or so, and when she's not there, she's with him all day; she goes to the fights—"

"I know she's with him!" He snapped and then forced himself to tone it down. It wasn't Michonne's fault that he had driven Andrea away and he didn't want to lose his new friend. "I—I know this all already, that's why…" He gestured at the bottles. "What's this 'bout fights?"

"There's an arena they built near a factory. It's small, but it can sit most of the community. They use walkers to surround the fighters. Add an extra thrill, I guess." She frowned, disgusted by what she had witnessed the other night.

Shane shook his head. "I left the funny farm to find another place where whacky folks hoard walkers for fun. So sick of this stupid crap."

"That's the least of all this, Shane."

"You mean there's more good news?! Spill it."

Michonne watched him, trying to anticipate his reaction when she finally revealed the last part. "Merle stole your shotgun today—the Mossberg 590 that you were carrying around when I first met you."

Shane abruptly sat up, his eyes opened wide and he turned to her. "No way in hell…" He bolted out of the couch and went into the bedroom where he had hid the shotgun several days ago.

Michonne shook her head as she followed him. "That's why I had to find you…I've been noticing weird things about this community. No one leaves here—"

"That's gonna change 'cause I'm leavin' this shithole once I get my gun back. What the hell?! They snatched your katana an' my shotgun. Assholes."

She stood in the doorway and watched him turn the bed over, searching for his firearm. "He got in here easily. I saw him slip in and slip out. I told you these doors don't lock. You weren't given a key, neither was I when I first got here. Haven't you ever noticed that?"

Shane put the bed back in place and turned to face her. He never noticed it until Michonne mentioned it: Milton had never gave him or Andrea a key for the apartment. He didn't know how this significant detail had escaped him all this time. And Andrea was so infatuated with Philip that she probably didn't care.

"They took it to the same place where my katana is—The Governor's headquarters."

"You sure 'bout that, Michonne? How do you know?"

"I followed him and got my katana back, but they took it away again."

"What the hell's that 'bout?"

"I'll explain later. Merle went inside a building with your shotgun and came back out with The Governor. The Governor's been going in and out of that place all week, sometimes with Andrea. Anyway, I came over here and found you passed out." She pointed at Shane's Glock 17 tucked in his pants. "I'm glad he didn't reach for that."

Shane grinned and took out his Glock 17. "I wish he had 'cause I woulda shot him on the spot." He tucked the Glock 17 back in his pants again. "So what're we gonna do?"

"You should talk to your friend."

"She ain't gonna listen." He stared at the wall, not wanting to face Michonne. "We ain't on speakin' terms. Been more than a week an' we ain't have one syllable of conversation."

"We need to change that." Michonne usually looked serious, but now she appeared thoughtful. "I'll take you to where she's at and be your back-up."

"I appreciate that, but she ain't gonna listen," he repeated. "I made mistakes with her…I said an' did things I shouldn't have."

"Aren't we all guilty of that at times?"

"Yeah, but now she's with him…I never knew how much a woman meant to me until I saw her with another man…this ain't the first time either…but that time she wasn't mine, she was his..."

Michonne's eyebrows furrowed, puzzled by what he meant. She wasn't certain if he was referring to Andrea or another woman. It sounded like two different women. He was speaking in a vague manner and she sensed he wanted to keep it that way. She didn't offer advice, judge, or validate him—nor did she question him. She simply listened.

"She's really at the gate standin' guard?"

Michonne nodded. "She's been there all week."

Shane decided what he needed to do. "Let's go check it out."

"Before you go anywhere, take a shower, shave your beard, and change your clothes. You've been depressed and not taking care of yourself." He was about to protest and she stopped him. "I know because I've been where you're at. Do this for yourself before we head out there. You'll thank me later."

Shane sighed, but followed Michonne's suggestion. When he finished, he was cleanly shaven, refreshed physically and mentally, and ready to take on whatever lay ahead. Michonne led the way and he followed her.

oOo

Fifteen minutes later, Michonne and Shane reached the gate. The entire time they walked there, she told him more details about what she'd learned about Woodbury: how The Governor stashed away walkers for the fights, the complete control he had over everyone including Merle. She had found where the walkers were located and decapitated several before she had been caught—which resulted in her katana being taken away for the second time.

"He gave you a good scoldin' for that, huh?"

"He did. I told him that people with nothing to hide don't usually feel the need to say so."

Shane laughed for the first time in more than a week. "You definitely right 'bout that. He actually told you he's got nothin' to hide?"

"Yeah, and he didn't like my response to him." She shrugged. "The good thing that came out of it was I found out where he lives. I'm sure my katana and your shotgun are somewhere in his living quarters."

"We gotta steal back our stuff."

Michonne nodded. "We'll plan it out later. Right now, you have to sort things out with your friend." She pointed at Andrea who stood guard and now faced them…

Andrea had spotted them when they were approaching the gate. She was working a shift with Haley, who also watched as Shane and Michonne came closer. She stared at them, not wanting any part of Shane and wondering why he brought Michonne with him. Was he trying to make her jealous by hanging out with another woman?

Michonne noticed that Andrea pulled a younger woman closer to her and whispered in her ear. After that, the younger woman nodded. She thought she saw a smirk on the younger woman's face, whereas Andrea remained emotionless. This didn't sit well with Michonne, but she knew Shane needed to clear the air with Andrea.

"You got this, Shane." She gently pushed him forward, urging him to talk to her.

He glanced over his shoulder and mouthed thank you. Michonne nodded and smiled briefly, before resuming her usual stoic expression. As Shane walked closer to the gate, he noted the M14 rifle Andrea carried. He was about to say something to her when a younger woman with a compound bow came down and approached him directly. He didn't know who she was, but he didn't have a lot of time to wonder as she was right in front of him in mere seconds.

"Can I help you with something?"

"I came to speak to her," he said, pointing at Andrea who watched them.

Haley didn't bother to introduce herself to the man, but she immediately knew who he was. As he and his female companion approached the gate, Andrea let her know that this was the man everyone had aked her about. Shane Walsh. Haley recognized him as the same man who had been carrying the Mossberg 590 over a week ago. At that time, she had told Philip Blake that Shane's presence with the shotgun was frightening many of the Woodbury citizens. Given that prior knowledge and what she had recently learned about him from Andrea, Haley now faced him without an inkling of fear.

"She doesn't want to talk to you."

Shane forced himself to stay calm. "I'd like to hear that from her, thank you very much."

"No, she's made it clear." Haley spoke in a sing-song voice that was funny to her, but obnoxious to Shane. "She's not talking to you—and she doesn't plan on speaking to you anytime soon."

"Again, I wanna hear that from her mouth an' not yours." He could feel his heart beating against his chest as his temper rose.

"Do I need to get someone to escort you out?"

"Is your name Andrea?"

Haley looked past Shane's shoulder and saw Martinez approaching them. She glanced over her shoulder and gave Andrea the thumbs up symbol, thankful that they had teamed up to address the current problem standing in front of them. She backed off and went back to resuming her position next to Andrea as she let Martinez handle the rest. Andrea watched Martinez confront Shane.

"You got a problem?" Martinez asked as he stepped in front of him.

Shane scowled. He glanced at Michonne, who shook her head. She felt disappointed and annoyed for him.

"The problem is you an' I'm gonna solve it." Shane attempted to get around him, but Martinez blocked him.

"Look, she doesn't want to talk to you. You're disturbing the peace with your bullshit."

"Ain't no one disturbin' the peace except you."

"I'm not one to handle domestic disputes—that was your calling before the world went to hell," Martinez said, still grinning, "but right now, you're the one causing the dispute. I'd step off if I were you or—."

"Or what?" Shane challenged. He tried to get around Martinez again; the entire time he kept his eyes locked on Andrea's, who watched everything.

"Or I'll put you down myself." Martinez's tone became menacing as he blocked him again. He raised his FN FAL semi-automatic rifle and aimed it at Shane's chest.

"You gonna shoot me?" Shane walked up so that the barrel was pressed against his chest. "Let's see if you got the balls to do it."

He was doing the same exact thing when Dale had first held a rifle at him in the woods back when he was still on the Greene farm. Dale didn't have the nerve to shoot Shane then and Martinez didn't now. Martinez lowered his gun, but he remained where he was in front of Shane.

Shane scoffed. "Didn't think so."

"You better leave," Martinez warned. "Or next time, you won't be so lucky."

Shane took a couple of steps backwards and watched as Martinez turned to face Andrea and Haley. He noticed that Andrea's cold expression never changed and Haley appeared relieved. Although she still refused to speak with him, this was good enough for today. Now she knew that he wouldn't continue accepting her silent treatment. There was just one more detail…Shane lingered around a little longer and when Martinez turned around, he punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"Oh my God! Haley, get Merle—NOW!" Andrea demanded as Haley rushed down the steps.

Haley sent Shane a scathing glance before sprinting up the street to find Merle.

Shane smiled sweetly at Andrea. She shook her head as she glared at him. He could tell she was angry that he had knocked out Martinez. She had that icy look in her eyes. He didn't care. Let her be angry. If she had come down and spoke to him, then Martinez wouldn't have gotten knocked out in the first place. Feeling confident about what he had done, he now returned to Michonne who appeared neutral about the entire thing.

"Seems we accomplished something today—not exactly what we came to do, but still successful," she remarked.

"We accomplished plenty. Martinez is on the ground like a lil bitch, Andrea's pissed off, an' her bosom buddy has run off cryin' for Merle." Shane grinned as he and Michonne left the gates. For the first time in more than a week, he felt energized. "Now 'bout those fights…"

oOo

That evening, Michonne took Shane to the makeshift arena located in the back of the factory. On the way there, they started plotting how they would break into The Governor's quarters to retrieve their weapons. Discussing their plans gave Shane a sense of hope that he could leave with Andrea in the near future. For Michonne, she felt relief that her time in Woodbury would be cut short once she retrieved her katana.

After arriving at the factory, they remained hidden in an area that wasn't well-lit. They were close enough to see everything. Two bleachers were situated on either side of the arena and packed with cheering Woodbury citizens. Just as Michonne described, walkers were brought in by Woodbury guards and chained to various parts of the arena so that they surrounded the fighters inside. The fighters for that night were none other than Merle and Martinez.

"He got over that punch pretty quickly," Michonne commented on Martinez who circled Merle in the arena.

"He's jus' savin' face." Shane scanned the area, searching for Andrea and The Governor. "Not gonna waste too much time here, Michonne. I can't believe what these people do for entertainment."

"You and me both."

She watched Merle deliver an uppercut punch to Martinez who landed hard on his back. The crowd roared as Martinez got up in time to miss a walker grabbing for his face. Someone released the chains so that the walkers were closer than before.

"Time to take care of business."

Shane took out his Glock 17 and aimed carefully at the walkers in the arena. There were six in all, so this shouldn't take long. He wanted to make sure he didn't kill a living person—not even The Governor who was on his list of people he hated most. He had the first walker in his sights and pulled the trigger—

Deafening screams filled the arena as gunshots rang out. Three walkers surrounding the arena collapsed to the ground with blood pooling around their heads. The Woodbury citizens scattered in all directions, trying to avoid the gunfire. No one knew which direction it came from.

Merle and Martinez stopped fighting and scrambled out of the arena. They found Philip and Andrea. It became apparent that whoever was doing the shooting was not aiming for living human beings—they were aiming for the walkers. There were several more gunshots and the other three walkers hit the ground face first. Like the first three, they were also shot in the head. Now the arena was completely empty as the Woodbury citizens flooded the streets as they ran back to their homes.

"Search the place," Philip ordered. "We're gonna find out who did this and deal with them."

"You think it was one person?" Andrea asked.

"We'll find out."

Merle and Martinez were still searching the area for the culprit when the shooter revealed himself. Shane stepped out where he could be seen. Staring directly at Andrea, he pretended to blow the smoke off his Glock 17 before tucking it in his cargo pants. She watched as he walked out with Michonne, who sent her a hard look. Then they were gone. Before she could say more, she left Philip and went after Shane. She didn't hear Philip calling her back or Merle and Martinez shouting at her to return as soon as possible. No—she needed to confront him first.

oOo

Shane was laying comfortably on the couch when Andrea burst through the door of their apartment.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

She stormed over to him. He was kicking off his combat boots, oblivious to how she had rushed inside, yelling at him. One of his boots knocked down two empty bottles and they shattered; the glass skidded across the floor.

"Do I have to ask you again?!"

Shane looked up at Andrea, who stood over him. Her face was reddened and her green eyes were ice cold. She looked like she'd murder him on the spot.

"Is that what I needed to do to get you talkin' to me again, Drea? Kill some walkers? 'Cause if that's the case, I woulda slayed an army of 'em jus' for you."

Andrea didn't respond to his humor. He was at it again with his stupid jokes and sarcasm. At one time, she would've laughed, but now she found him to be infuriating.

"You could've killed someone tonight!"

"But I didn't. Don't know why you so sad 'bout walkers bein' put down. They're easy to replace, you got plenty of supply to choose from."

"This isn't about the walkers and you know it!"

"I know how to aim a gun; I'm a sharpshooter. You learned from the best, but you've forgotten that, haven't you?"

"I'm not answering that question."

"'Cause you know it's true. Anyway, now that we're on speakin' terms again for however long this lasts, I might as well tell you—"

"I don't want to hear shit about Philip."

Shane pounded the couch with a clenched fist. "Damn it, are you gonna let me finish or not?"

Andrea said nothing so he took at his cue to continue.

"Your beloved man has beloved men who steal for him."

"What?!" Andrea's eyebrows furrowed, completely clueless as to what Shane referred to.

"That douchebag hick Merle an' his lil friend, Martinez—"

"You knocked him out today!" She cut in. "You were told to leave and kept carrying on."

"He's fine, Andrea! He was out there fightin' tonight! An' if you had stepped to me, face to face, we coulda worked things out, but no, you wanna get all your lil Woodbury friends involved in our business."

Her eyes dropped to the floor now that he had called her out on sharing with others about their recent conflicts. She had said more than she should, but she didn't see it as a bad thing. She was trying to make friends with the Woodbury residents since she had been at odds with the friend she had come with.

"Now as I was sayin', those two douchebags are in the habit of takin' stuff that's not theirs. Also known as stealin'."

"What are you talking about, Shane?" She didn't hide the contempt in her voice.

"Merle stole my shotgun."

"How do you know? Did you see him steal it?" Andrea searched for a chair to sit on and took one from the small table in the kitchenette.

Shane's eyes narrowed, clearly annoyed. "Michonne saw it—she's my witness. "

Andrea sank into the chair. "I could've convinced Philip to let you keep it."

"Not wasting time waitin' for you to play Ms. Diplomat. I'm gettin' it back, he jus' don't know it yet."

"How're you getting it back?"

"If I tell you, you'll run back an' tell him since you so cozy with him."

"I wouldn't tell him and I'm not 'cozy' with him." She looked away suddenly, as though he could see right through her to know the truth.

"You can't even look me in the eye when sayin' that. S'okay. Reverend Shane sees an' knows all." He sat up and grabbed a bottle of tequila off the floor. He wasted no time in popping it open and chugging it down. He offered some to Andrea, who shook her head.

"What does 'Reverend Shane' see?"

"That Philip Blake also known as 'The Guvnah' as he likes to be called—he loves charmin' your panties off an' you enjoy every second of it. Reverend Shane been told you 'bout those charmers. Wolves in sheep's clothin'. Me an' Michonne see the light. The rest of ya'll are wanderin' in darkness."

Andrea watched as he finished drinking and threw the bottle over her head. It crashed against the wall and she whipped around when she heard it shatter. She turned back to him as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"That could've hit me."

"But it didn't."

She felt alarmed by his nonchalance and watched wide-eyed as he snatched a second bottle from the floor and opened it with ease.

"Want some?" He grinned as he held it out to her.

"No." She looked repulsed by the thought of sharing a drink with him.

Shane shifted on the couch. "You mad 'bout today with Martinez an' the fights. You'll get over it. You got no choice."

"You're behaving the same way you did on Hershel's farm. Not listening to anyone, doing whatever you want to do."

"I thought you an' me were on the same page when it came to Hershel's farm. That's why we left. Then we hit Woodbury where everyone is plastic an' the leader is a psychopath who knows how to hide his true colors."

"I'm not hearing anything you say about Philip," Andrea repeated.

"Yeah, you playin' 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'."

They didn't talk for several minutes. Shane drank more while Andrea forced herself to stay seated, although she was tempted to leave him there.

"Can't believe all it took was one man to get between us."

"There's been one woman between us the entire time." Andrea's tone was matter-of-fact, but the truth was she was tired of Shane's double standards. He lashed out at her for being with Philip, but the entire time he was pining away for Lori. When he wasn't doing that, he was hanging out with Michonne.

Shane shot her a hateful glare. "Don't bring Lori into this. I'm sick of you bitchin' 'bout her."

"At least one of us is." She met his glare head-on, unafraid of his reaction. "You need to stop worshipping the ground she walks on."

He gulped the drink and set the bottle down on the floor. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Shane was silent for a short time. When he spoke again, his voice was completely calm—a clear indicator that he was holding back from letting his rage fully express itself.

"Say one more thing 'bout Lori an' I swear I'm…" But the words never came to him. He was close to threatening to leave her and telling her she'd have to fend herself, but he couldn't say the words because he was afraid she had already chose Philip Blake over him. Rather than finish his open-ended threat, he opted to focus his anger on his new rival. "He's a dumbass…Philip Blake." He spat out the name. "He's fake as the sun is hot. He's a man of many masks. 'Guv-nah', Pretty-Boy, blah-blah-bullshit. Me: what you see is what you get. One mask an' that's me! He ain't nothin' special."

"He's in charge of Woodbury." She ignored his drunken idle threats and his ridiculous accusations against Philip.

"So you think that matters to me?" He finished drinking and this time set the empty bottle down on the floor.

"So I thought things would be different once we left the farm…that you'd be different…and yes, it should matter to you." She noticed he didn't throw the bottle this time…maybe out of respect for her. It was hard to tell.

Shane made a face that indicated he couldn't believe what she was telling him. "You thought I'd be different?! Andrea, you can take me out of Hershel's farm an' put me in Woodbury, the White House, the moon, Mars—anywhere I go; I'll always be me. You can't take Shane Walsh out of Shane Walsh. Nice try."

"Don't I know it," she muttered.

"He's got you believin' his illusions. You an' Michonne matter to me. She's good. I wish I mattered to you like I used to."

He paused to grab another bottle, but it was empty. She wondered if he knew it was empty or if he just didn't care. When he spoke again, she heard his voice crack with unfettered emotion. Or was it the alcohol coursing through his system?

"I thought we was friends, that you'd cover me jus' as I'd cover you. Thought we was gonna be partners. Nope! You run to the first man who looks at you. Always happens this way. Let my guard down, let 'em in. Drop me the moment another man shows up an' then act like I don't exist. Protect Lori, get her an' Carl to safety. Teach you how to use your own gun. Waste time puttin' my heart on the line." He scoffed. "Pairs of boobs. First, Lori, then you. Same woman, different body. Shoulda never looked back after I banged you both. Shoulda treated you both like you treat me. Throw you away like trash. Then we'd be even-steven."

Andrea blinked away her tears. She couldn't tell if they were tears of rage or tears of pain. Shane comparing her to Lori was an emotional beating and her heart was bruised and swollen. Even if he was drunk, she knew he wasn't lying about what he felt. The strangest part was him saying he let his guard down with her. Andrea didn't think that was true, but in Shane's eyes, he had let her in his heart just by being with her. She abruptly got up, leaving the chair in the living room, and went inside the bedroom. When she slammed the door behind her, she hoped it was loud enough to jolt him out of his drunken state. Andrea couldn't stand being around him when he was intoxicated. Leaning against the door, she hoped he didn't get any ideas about following her in there. It was too late as she heard his slurred speech from the other side.

"Still shuttin' me out, huh?"

She refused to answer and winced when he hit the door. After several minutes, she heard him shamble away. Deciding to stay there for the night, she grabbed a pillow and sheet from the bed and laid on the floor to get some sleep. He didn't return and when enough time had passed, she cracked the door open to peek at Shane. He was asleep on the couch, lying face-down with the empty bottle clutched in his right hand. She closed the door and slid down to the floor. Their exchange had left her feeling empty like the numerous bottles strewn across the living room. Andrea thought about everything that had happened since the moment her and Shane had arrived at Woodbury. It wasn't until hours later that slumber finally released her from ruminating about their crumbling friendship…