Firstly, I don't own The Walking Dead. All credit for this amazing show goes elsewhere. Sam and Dean are based on Supernatural, and unfortunately I don't own that either. Now I've gone and depressed myself.
This is a long fic only because I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't stop writing. I love feedback, but no pressure. I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you do decide to give feedback or rating, please don't be cruel. I'm a big ol softie... Thanks!
Hope you like the beginnings of Shane's feeling developing here, and for the interactions between the group. I enjoyed feeling them out. And yes, I based the characters of Sam and Dean on Supernatural. It just seemed to fit somehow, but there is no storyline based on Supernaturals Sam and Dean's hunter lifestyles...
Shane did not feel like dealing with Ian this morning. His mood was tense, anxious, and nothing the man did did anything to make it better. Ian must have sensed it because he took his usual place by Trouble and proceeded to jab snide comments on Shane's direction every chance he could. Shane tried to ignore it and concentrate on how he was going to keep everyone safe today.
"How many of those arrows you got?" Shane asked Trouble when the group had gathered in the control room to gather weapons. The guys were pulling their camouflage on and masks were moving down over faces. She had pulled on a deep gray tee shirt and hip hugging jeans that dipped low. Again, she had pulled hair off her face in a high ponytail. She had secured a large arrow sling over her shoulder and he glanced back at it, thinking how strange it was that this dancer from the night before was standing there, ready to kill things. He brushed the thought away.
"Two dozen or so." She said, fiddling with the bow. "Plus the ones I retrieve today."
"Good." Shane nodded and started grabbing large blades and knives from the wall and handing them out to the group. They tucked them away in their belts, and when he got to Ian, the man gave him a sly grin that made Shane roll his eyes and set his jaw.
"Alright, when we get up there, we move hard and fast. Stay quiet. Do NOT fire unless you have to. Use the knives instead for close contact. Trouble is gonna cover us while we get the bodies to the road. We clear?" He spoke with a determined authority and they nodded silently, and headed up to the surface. As they passed through the gate and into the bright Mississippi sunshine, he saw Trouble push her sunglasses on and look over at him with a smile that seemed to say 'Here goes nothing...'
They piled into two of the vehicles and went over the hill to stop outside the gate. Sam and Tanner hopped out and scanned the area thoroughly before Sam unlocked it. He swung it back and let the two cars move through.
The small convey moved down the gravel driveway and turned to the right on the roadway ahead. The street lay deserted around them, buildings lay quiet and broken glass littered the sidewalks. When Shane was confident they had moved far enough up the roadway, he directed Dean to pull over and the car behind parked beside them. Trouble tossed pairs of gloves to everyone and they pulled them on.
Trouble took a spot in the middle of the road and threaded an arrow on her bow so it would be ready if she needed it. They would pass by, handing her the old arrows. She kept her eyes focused on the street and buildings, looking for any sign of movement. Shane ducked into the trees with the others on his heels, heading to the outside of the wall. They started working in pairs and began to drag the bodies away and back through the sparse trees toward the roadway. They moved quickly and efficiently, stacking a little more than a dozen before Shane noticed Trouble had taken a hunter's stance, her arrow aimed down the road. He paused, watching as she sent the arrow flying and planted it squarely in the forehead of a walker several hundred feet away. It was alone, but he frowned as he headed back to the wall. He didn't want her out there long.
He heard a grunt as he reached for another body and saw Sam dart past him, his knife firmly in his fist. He turned and saw that a walked had made its way down the wall behind him, and Sam plunged the knife into its skull. It dropped to the ground, and Sam put his foot on its neck, yanking his blade free.
Shane nodded at him and he and Dean resumed dragging a corpse to the asphalt. They dropped it and headed back out. They passed Tanner and Sam who were dragging two smaller bodies each.
It was HOT. The sweat was streaming down all their faces and backs, and soaking the fabric of their shirts, making them stick uncomfortably to their skin. Even Ian had wiped that smug grin he constantly carried off his face and looked completely irritated. They had blood drying on their clothes, pieces of tissue and bone clung to their pants and boots.
Occasionally, the ping of an arrow being let go would break the relative silence. Trouble was doing a good job of covering them. Shane kept his eye on her, watching her as he worked. She was intense, focused on her goal, and it was evident that turned her emotions off when she hunted. The killer persona she put on outside the gate fit her perfectly. No fear, no anger, just a quiet determination that settled over her.
They were nearly done. When they dragged the last few bodies out to the road Shane held up his hand and gestured to the bodies Trouble had dropped while they worked. Shane and Sam went a little ways ahead, Ian and Dean moved in the opposite direction. Trouble started to follow Dean, but she paused when she saw him and Ian freeze and sprint back toward her. Their heavy footfalls on the concrete made Shane turn to look and he felt a jab of alarm when he saw Ian's pale expression. Their eyes were wide and they ran into the trees, Shane and Sam close behind.
"Around the bend." Dean was breathing heavily, speaking in short bursts. "A dozen. Maybe more. Headed this way."
"They don't know we're here. Go up the trees, stay hidden." Shane said quickly and they scattered to the nearest low branches. Sam went up and Trouble handed him her bow before she swung herself up into the leaves. Shane followed Dean and Tanner up another tree close by. From his place on the oak he had scaled he could see Sam and Trouble across from him and peering down at the road through the greenery. Ian was just beyond them, but Shane could only see part of his legs through the foliage.
They remained there in silence for a few minutes, listening intently to the growing sounds of dragging and groaning. The group of walkers wasn't huge, but it was coming from the direction they needed to got back through to get back to the house. They had to wait for it to pass. To fire would only mean they would draw more, and if the horde continued moving this slowly, they'd be stuck in the trees for an eternity. He realized they were going to have to scale the wall somehow, and stay completely hidden as they did so. He quickly scanned the branches above him and saw one that came close enough to the wall for them to jump for it. It looks large enough to accommodate them all and he decided they needed to go for it before the walker reached close enough to see or hear them.
He caught Trouble's attention and held up a finger to his lips. "Climb down and stay low. Get up here." He whispered and she nodded. She turned back and whispered back to Ian in the next tree. A moment later, he saw Ian dart into view on the ground, keeping himself hidden behind the trunks of the trees. He reached the tree Shane was in and scrambled up it just as the first walker stumbled into view on the road behind them. They froze, watching it. It didn't even look over in their direction, and Shane heard Tanner let out a breath.
"Get out on that branch and jump for the wall." He said, pointing to the spot he had picked. "Go and be quiet!"
Tanner nodded and moved carefully over to the branch. He stood up, using smaller branches for leverage, and inched out onto the outstretched branch. Shane watched anxiously as he paused at the end and leapt. He grabbed for traction as he hit the wall, legs dangling underneath him. He pulled himself up and scrambled over the wall, disappearing over it. Ian followed, letting out a grunt when he hit the concrete and dropped out of sight.
Dean and Sam dropped lightly out of their tree and scaled up his, swiftly.
"Go." He hissed and Sam moved out onto the branch. He misjudged the distance a little and went toppling over the wall, letting out a loud grunt when he fell. Trouble winced when she heard it, and Shane tapped her arm, motioning for her to go. She moved to the branch he was perched on and started to pass when a walker jerked into view below. She froze, and he pulled her back toward him putting his back against the trunk. He circled her waist with his arm and held her tightly to his body. She was tense and her breath shallow under his touch. They watched the thing pass below and when Shane was satisfied it was far enough away he lessened his grip and allowed her to move forward out onto the branch. She threw her bow over the wall and jumped, nimbly landing on the narrow surface, but she didn't go over. She got to her feet and looked back at him.
He was halfway out the branch when he heard the cracking. He dove for the wall as the tree gave way, cracking loudly, and the world went into slow motion all around him. He saw Trouble reaching out for him and his hand wrapped around hers. He couldn't get a grip on the wall with his arm and he hit his chest against the corner of the wall painfully. She leaned forward too much when she had reached out for him, and when he lost his grip, he pulled her with him. They fell to the ground together in a heap, and Shane felt the wind violently knocked out of him. Trouble rolled away from him and let out a soft moan of pain.
"Trouble?" Dean's voice came from the other side of the wall sharply. "Shane?"
Shane got to his knees, his chest throbbing painfully. He reached out and grabbed Trouble's arm, pulling her up. The walker that had passed in the minutes before had turned around and was now less than ten feet away. He grabbed the bowie knife from his side and launched forward, burying it in the walkers ear. It let out a groan as it fell and he yanked the knife out of its skull.
Trouble had her back to the wall and looked slightly dazed. Shane went to her, desperately looking for a way up the wall. There were no more branches close by that would remotely support them, and he grabbed his gun and positioned himself in front of her. Luckily, the sun had began to set, sending shadows along the ground and through the tree. The other walkers were still oblivious to their presence and weren't heading their way.
Suddenly a heavy rope ladder came flying over the wall and hit Shane in the shoulder. Looking up, he saw Dean's head come over the edge and looked down at them.
"Come on!" He hissed and Shane grabbed the ladder and pulled it tight in front of Trouble. She looked at it blankly for a moment. Shane saw a fine trickle of blood start to run down her temple and he realized that she must have hit her head when she fell.
"Pull her up!" He called to Dean and picked her up by the waist with his large, muscular hands, pushing her toward Dean's outstretched hands. She reached up and took them, allowing him to raise her to the top of the wall. Shane quickly crawled up the ladder after them and pulled it up behind him swiftly. Dean helped Trouble down into Sam's arms and he and Shane dropped softly to the ground.
"What the hell happened?" Ian blurted when he saw the blood on her cheek.
"Shh. Get back to the house." Shane said, his voice low and commanding. He reached an arm around Trouble's waist to support her and they all moved as fast as they could across the field and toward the house. As they reached the gate it started to slide smoothly open and Shane could hear it clink closed behind them as they hurried to the elevator.
Anna and Warren met them as they emerged, Anna wringing her hands with worry, their eyes wide when they saw the blood streaked faces and clothes they all wore. They must have looked pretty bad, because Warren let out an audible gasp. Shane was so focused he barely noticed the others. He swung Trouble up into his arms, lifting her completely off the floor, and headed back toward her bedroom. He put her down gently on her bed and sat down next to her, smoothing her hair back where it was becoming saturated with blood. Dean and Sam crowded her on the other side, and Ian and Tanner were at the foot, faces pinched and tense.
She opened one eye and looked up at the people above her.
"Oh my God. I'm fine, people." She pushed herself back onto the pillows and raised up a little, waving a hand at them. "See? Fine."
"You're bleeding." Ian stated blankly, his eyes still echoing the anger from earlier.
"It's gonna take more than that to get Trouble, isn't it?" Dean smiled at her and squeezed her knee.
"Get back. Don't crowd the poor thing." Anna said, pushing past Shane to lean over Trouble. She had a damp towel and dabbed at her forehead gently like a mother hen tending her chick. Trouble clenched her teeth as the fabric brushed the small cut and rapidly growing lump there.
"Anna, it's ok. Don't worry. It was just a little bump." She said gently, her hand pushing the towel back.
"You let me worry about that, young lady. Now lay back." Anna ordered and Shane backed up to allow the older woman easier access to Trouble. She frowned at him resentfully as he did so.
"You gonna tell her it was no big deal?" She asked him. "Or are you just gonna abandon me here?"
Shane opened his mouth to speak, but he just closed it again and shook his head helplessly. Truth was, he had been terrified. When he saw her tumble from the wall he had been thrown into tunnel vision. All he could see was how easily she could have been killed, how in a second the walkers could have found them and he couldn't have saved her. How he could have gotten her killed. He wanted to punch something, break something, and he set his jaw firmly, trying to keep calm.
"You boys get on out of here. Let me take care of her." Anna began to shoo them out of the room, despite cries of protest all around, including Trouble's.
"Anna, come on!" Shane heard Trouble say impatiently as the door shut behind them. The hallway seemed almost claustraphobic, none of the men really wanted to leave. Finally, Ian let out an irritated sigh and mumbled something about needing a drink, and Tanner followed him as he headed out into the common area.
Dean let out a long breath and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand tiredly. "Thank you." He said, looking up at Shane after a moment.
"For what?" Shane asked incredulously.
"For saving her life." Sam said.
"I could have gotten her killed." Shane responded, clearly frustrated.
"She thinks she can beat anything. She's too damn stubborn to listen to anybody." Dean growled, throwing a pissed off glance at Trouble's closed door.
It was one of the reasons Shane liked her so much. She was an awful lot like him. He leaned back against the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah, well, she'll be ok. It could have been worse." Sam said.
"Yeah? What about next time?" Dean spat and headed off down the hallway. Sam gave Shane a small, grateful smile and went after him. Shane stood there a minute, listening to Anna's muffled coos through the door. Finally, he sighed and walked slowly to his own room.
Letting himself inside, he saw where Anna had washed the clothes he had arrived in and folded them neatly, leaving them on his bed. He walked into the bathroom and stripped his shirt off. He was, like the others, splattered with blood and tissue, sweat and dirt, and in the mirror he could see an angry bruise had already formed across his chest from when he had hit the wall. It was broad and violent looking, a deep purple color, and Shane knew with a painful certainty that he had cracked a few ribs. He flipped the shower on and stripped the rest of his clothes off into a pile on the tiled floor before stepping into the stream of hot water. The bottom of the tub quickly turned red with blood and it swirled around his feet and down the drain. He watched it go, his brain numb and his body aching with the adrenaline that was done coursing through it wildly.
Suddenly, Shane balled up a fist and slammed it into the tile wall beside him. He did it twice more, feeling his knuckles throb. He let the pain focus him. He breathed in deeply and rested his head in his hands against the cool tile. There would be no more excursions out that door for a long time, he said to himself as he leaned there. Even if he had to tie her up, this would not be repeated.
Voices from the kitchen could be heard when Shane re emerged from his bedroom and he followed them. Tanner, Ian, Sam, and Dean sat around the table in the adjoining nook, passing around a large bottle of tequila. Dean was downing a large gulp when Shane entered and Ian stood up fast, shoving his chair backwards. It hit the floor with a loud clatter, and Shane saw Sam jump at the noise.
"What the hell happened out there?" He demanded angrily, his blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "How did she fall? What did you do?"
Shane felt his anger bubble over and he took a couple long strides till he was chest to chest to Ian, his face in his. If this guy wanted a fight, he was going to get it.
"Stop it!" Dean said harshly, trying to get in between them. "Come on! Shane saved her life. She could of gotten down but she didn't."
Shane didn't say anything, his eyes planted angrily on Ian's face. He let Dean push him back a little and Ian growled in disgust and stomped out of the kitchen. Dean looked at Shane apologetically.
"He didn't mean that, man. Don't listen to him." The younger man said, taking his seat again slowly and grabbing for the bottle.
Shane sat down in one of the chairs and took the bottle from him. "He's right." He said flatly after he took a swig.
"Don't ever tell him that, even if you believe it. It makes him an egotistical asshole." Sam said lightly and Shane raised his eyebrow at him.
"He isn't one already?" He asked and they laughed loudly.
"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Dean grinned. "Shane's on fire here, boys!"
Shane smiled and leaned back in his chair, his arms resting above his head.
"We're not going back out there. You know that, right?" He said, eying them closely.
"No argument here." Dean said, scratching his chin absently. "I've had enough of this crap for a while.
"What about the bodies? Burning them?" Tanner asked tentatively.
"It'll wait." Shane said flatly and the kid shut his mouth, nodding silently.
Dean stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm going to get cleaned up. This shit stinks like hell."
Shane watched them leave the kitchen and he grabbed the bottle again, taking another long drink. He felt the burning in his stomach even out, and he looked up as Anna came into the kitchen. She smiled when she saw him.
"I heard you were quite the hero, young man." She said calmly as she began to make tea. "Trouble said you saved her life. We should be thanking you."
Shane shook his head and stared at the bottle. "I'm no hero, ma'am." He said softly. "How is she?"
"Stubborn as ever." Anna answered. "I keep telling her not to take the chances she does. That something bad is going to happen. But, she doesn't like being told what to do."
"Doesn't seem like it." Shane stood and went closer to the counter she was working at.
"It's a good thing you're here. Maybe you can talk some sense into her." Anna gave a knowing flick of her eyes up at Shane as she handed him a hot tea mug. "Why don't you go take this to her for me, will you?"
"Yes ma'am." He said and left the room quickly.
Shane came to stand in her partly open doorway, cup in hand, and leaned against the frame. She was sitting in the bed, her knees up to her chest, arms wrapped around them. She had kicked her shoes off and changed into a clean white oversized tee shirt, her hair wet from where Anna had washed the blood and dirt out of it.
"Anna sent you some tea." He said, and she turned her face toward him when he spoke.
"Thanks." She gave him a small smile. He brought it to her and she took a small sip, grimaced, and placed it on the side table. He sat down gently on the side of the bed and rested his elbows on his knees. "I'd rather she'd sent vodka."
"How you feel?" He asked, glancing at the small white bandage Anna had put on her temple.
"She gave me some pills so I expect to feel pretty good here in a minute." She said and stretched her long tanned legs out in front of her. "You?"
He shrugged dismissively, and focused on his hands. It didn't seem particularly appropriate to let his eyes run up her legs to the bottom of her tee shirt the way they were aching to do.
"Thanks, Shane. Out there, you know, it got a little fuzzy. You came through." She tapped his side with her leg and gave him a small smile.
"I didn't do anything. I got you in the mess to begin with."
"Bullshit." She said flatly and his eyes met hers. "I got sloppy. I know better."
"You shouldn't have waited for me." He said roughly. "You should have gone over the wall and left me."
"Yeah, because that's exactly what you would have done, right?" She said sarcastically. She had him there. "Please don't tell me you're going to get on me, too. I'm so sick of everybody around acting like I'm gonna break. I've saved their asses more times than I care to count. If you're going to do that, you might as well leave cuz I'm so done."
He set his jaw firmly, pursing his lips. This was pointless. "Thanks." He said simply.
She actually looked shocked. "Well, that's a first." She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "So," She said, changing the subject quickly. "We have to go back for the cars. We can do it in the morning."
Oh, no. Don't even think about it, he thought. "It can wait." He said firmly and she pressed her full lips together grimly.
"I really don't want-"
"It'll wait." He said again, a little harsher and she held up her hands.
"Fine. Whatever you say." She let it go. She went to get up and her elbow hit him in the chest. He winced reflexively and she paused, looking and looked down at him confused. Before he could react, she reached down and grabbed the bottom of his tee shirt and pulled it up, exposing the vivid bruise across his muscular chest.
"Oh my God..." She breathed and looked up into his face, eyes wide. "Shane! Why didn't you say anything? You're really hurt."
"It's fine, it looks worse than it is." He said but she wasn't listening. She had grabbed the material with both hands and pulled the shirt completely off over his head. He sucked a breath in as her cool fingers traced the mark on his hot skin. She leaned over him and saw another one going from his side around his back. She was inches away, her hair brushing over his face and he breathed her vanilla and citrus scent deeply.
Her eyes found his hand, slightly swollen and red from where he'd punched the shower wall. It still ached, but when she touched it the pain faded. "How did you hurt your hand too?" She asked, confused.
"I don't know." He lied again. How would he explain that, anyway?
"Lay down." She ordered and he looked up at her quizzickely. "You're damn right we're not goin' out tomorrow. You need to rest, Shane. That looks like it hurts like hell." She said and pushed him back gently. His back hit the mattress and he looked up at her, startled.
"Here. You need this more than I do." She said and reached for an ice pack Anna had given her. She placed it gently on his chest and he gasped at the rush of cold. "Sorry." She winced at his reaction.
"It's ok." He said softly, watching her fuss over him. She sat down next to him and reached back to the table for the bottle of pills Anna had left. Shaking a few out in her hand, she put them in his mouth, her fingers brushing his lips with her fingertips. He took a sip of the lukewarm tea she held up to his mouth and swallowed.
"I gave you a big dose. You look like you can handle it. It'll probably knock you out but at least you won't be feeling that." She said, her hand drifting back to his chest and staying there. "Get some sleep, Shane." She turned and flicked the lamp next to the bed off.
"Here?" He asked, not believing how fast things were moving around him.
"Hell yes. I'm keepin' an eye on you, brother." She scoffed as she stood again and grabbed his ankles, swinging them so he fully across the bed. He scooted up and laid back against her pillows, watching her with baited breath. She walked across the room and shut the door before she came and sat beside him. Grabbing the tv remote from the table and flicking it on, she settled on the pillows too and looked down at him.
"Get comfy, Officer. You're not going anywhere."