Madeline lay silently enjoying the feeling of just being in Shane's arms. At the moment she was trying to forget all the issues going on outside. She just enjoyed the feeling of his nude body pressed against hers. "What are you thinkin about?" He asked before pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder. "Nothing really…it's kinda nice you know." Shane smiled. Thinking about nothing anymore was a pretty rare occurrence. Somebody was always worrying over something. "Yeah it is. We don't get to do this much in the day anymore. We are going to have to get away more often." Madeline smiled before rolling over on top of Shane pinning his hands above his head, "You're always too busy." Shane rolled his eyes. So she thought he was to busy. "Yea usually makin sure Rick aint gonna get himself killed or make sure he aint doing something stupid. As you can tell it isn't a successful mission sometimes." Madeline laughed leaning down kissing his lips softly, "Why don't you worry about us for a while? Dad's a big boy he can take care of himself. Besides you need to relax." Madeline let her hand ease between their bodies and begin stroking his manhood. Shane closed his eyes with a soft sigh. "Yea I think your right. But if he gets killed don't say I told you so." Madeline nodded, "Fair enough." Shane lay quietly for a few moments letting Madeline caress him, "Yeah your right. We do need to get away every once and a while for this. It's hard to get any now when we first wake up because Emily thinks the seconds she wakes up its time to get in bed with us." Madeline smiled. Shane was right there. Every morning around 5 am Emily would make her way into bed with them. She had to make an entrance though. Unlike most children who would go to one of their parent's sides and climb in Emily would have to stand at the foot of the bed and crawl up between Shane and Madeline under the covers. She had been doing it for a month or two now which was killing their morning love making time. Madeline smiled remembering the first morning Emily had done it…
It was early morning. Everyone was still sleeping…well everyone but whoever was keeping watch. Madeline was sleeping peacefully when all of a sudden Shane jumped. "Holy fuck what was that?" He yelled before flipping on the light. Madeline sat up rubbing her eyes, "What's wrong with you? I didn't feel anything." Shane nodded, "Something cold touched my leg I don't know what it was." Madeline's eyes drifted to the small lump halfway in-between them. "What is that?" She whispered as Shane pulled the covers back. Emily lay looking up at them with a mischievous looking little grin on her face. "It's me!" Shane sighed relieved it wasn't some small walker or something that managed to wiggle its way in. "And daddy you said that word again…that's another nickel in the swear jar." Shane sighed pulling Emily up so she was perfectly in-between her parents now. "What are you doing out of bed baby?" He asked as Madeline quit laughing. Emily smiled, "I'm awake." Shane nodded still feeling extremely tired. He had done watch most of the night and was looking forward to sleeping late. "I see that." Emily giggled, "My eyes are open." Shane sighed trying not to get irritated. "Yeah I know and you're not in your bed." Emily glanced at her mother who had her usual gentle smile on her face. "Well I woke up and it was dark so I decided I needed to go potty. Halfway there I stumped my toe…it still hurts. After I went to the potty I was thirsty so I went to get some water. It was all dark and Carl was snoring really loud on the couch so I threw water at him and he's mad now. He'll be ok though. So he told me to go to bed and when I was walking by here I wanted to see what you and mommy were up to." Shane raised an eyebrow thinking about how Emily reminded him of that kid that was a chatterbox on full house. "Well dalin we were sleepin like most normal people do at this time." Emily nodded, "Yea and I don't want to go back to my room…it's creepy in there now." Madeline moved her pillow over glancing at Shane who had decided to lie back down. She guessed he had caved and decided to let her stay, "Ok just go back to sleep babe. Daddy is tired." Emily grinned snuggling against Madeline. "no snoring." Shane smiled putting an arm around Madeline and Emily. "I don't snore." Emily giggled, "Do to daddy." Shane smiled, "Go to sleep."
Shane smiled, "I don't mind though. Kids growin up to damn fast." Madeline nodded feeling a little sad herself. "But if we are having another baby we get to do it again." Shane chuckled slightly, "Yay for sleepless nights. We better be gettin back darlin. I got to go talk to your dad about that Phillip Blake guy." Madeline sighed as Shane began to pull his clothes on. She was hoping he would forget this nonsense and not want to go. Hopefully he wouldn't but the way that guy put the emphasis on his kids getting killed made her think Shane would go right along with him. She knew Shane would do anything to keep her and Emily safe but what if this guy was a danger not a blessing?
Shane found Rick sitting in the living room looking at an old photo album. "You bored?" Rick snapped his head up obviously shocked to see Shane standing there. "Oh no…was just thinking and I found this album." Shane nodded sitting down beside Rick glancing at the photo of Rick's mother when she was younger. "Hey Rick you ever think about how much Madeline looks like Rosemary? I swear that girl looks just like your side nothing like Lori's. I think Lori was just an incubator for her." Rick laughed at that. Madeline didn't look a thing like Lori. "Yea she does look like mom. So where did you disappear to after that governor guy left?" Shane grinned evilly, "Rick if I tell you…you will be screaming too much info at me." Rick nodded looking away awkwardly, "Yeah I don't want any TMI." Shane grinned, "That's what I thought. Look Rick you want to talk about all this?" Rick looked back at Shane. Much to his surprise he didn't look angry or upset. He looked just like normal Shane that he could say anything to. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go with him man. Something about that dude isn't right. Shane I aint sayin that because you're my best friend either…I just don't want to loose you. I want you to know that you're not alone here and I would do anything to show you this is where you belong. Yea we don't see eye to eye much anymore at all but this place would be fucked without you." Shane was actually shocked by what Rick said. He was expecting him to be a smartass for god forbid handcuff him to something again to prevent him from leaving. However, here was Rick talking to him like he used to like a calm and collected man. "Well I don't think you have anything to worry about. I don't think we will leave. Madeline is freaked out by the guy and quite honestly I think he's got a few screws loose." Rick nodded. He couldn't agree more. The guy seemed like he didn't just have one screw loose but the whole damn tool box was messed up. Rick quickly looked back at Shane with a gentle smile, "That really touched me what you said you know?" Shane nodded, "I mean every word of it. Rick even though you sometimes make me want to kill you or choke you out I can't just go throw away a friendship we have had since 1st grade. I've went through too much shit with you. Of course…I was always the bad influence." Rick smiled, "You were the brains behind most of our crazy crap we got busted for." Shane grinned thinking about the past. If some insane idea of something to do entered his head Rick was usually up for it, "Hey now you didn't help me steal the principal's car." Rick shook his head laughing, "I was your look out dumb ass."
Madeline meanwhile, walked outside with a load of wet clothes to put on the line. She tried to keep her mind occupied from thinking about what Rick and Shane were discussing. If either one of them came out with new bruises she would know it didn't go well. Her thoughts however, were thrown off when she saw something moving in the field. It looked like a woman lying on the ground. Madeline frowned putting the laundry down before fishing her knife out of her pocket. If this was a walker it didn't stand a chance. As quietly as she could Madeline walked over. It was indeed a woman lying on the ground bleeding heavily. Madeline's eyes widened as she squatted down next to her. The girl's eyes opened slowly and looked at Madeline before raising a shaky hand and touching her cheek. "Are you an angel?" Madeline shook her head quickly, "No. Are you bit?" The girl shook her head slowly. "No. I got the hell beat out of me and was left here." Madeline looked around quickly to see if anyone was on the porch. Thankfully Darryl stood keeping watch. "DARRYL GET OVER HERE!" Madeline shouted before looking back at the girl who looked no older than 17. "You're going to be just fine. Do you have a name?" The girl looked at her sadly. Her week green eyes were getting dim as she began to breathe heavily, "Marla." Madeline nodded as Darryl finally got over to her. "What's this? She bit?" Darryl asked panicked. Madeline shook her head, "No she's been beat. We need to get her to the house and get her stitched up. Herschel should be up by now. She's loosing blood quick." Darryl nodded carefully lifting Marla into his arms and walking as quickly as possible to the house.
Rick and Shane looked up in unison as Daryl came running into the house with a bleeding girl in his arms. "She aint bit don't ask!" Darryl yelled before carrying her into a spare bedroom as Herschel walked by. "Hershel we need your help this girl…she's bad man." Herschel walked in looking at the girl with a shocked expression. "Get me kit Darryl she needs some stitches quick."
Shane looked up as Madeline walked in. He and Rick quickly walked over. Shane pulled Madeline into his arms pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, "What's with the girl?" Madeline sighed, "She was just lying in the field all alone. I don't know what happened. I couldn't leave her there all beat up." Shane nodded as Rick glanced in the room. "You get any info on her?" Madeline shrugged, "All I know is her name is Marla. She couldn't say much else. Dad she can't be more than 17." Rick looked sadly at the girl on the bed. She looked pretty bad off. Hopefully Herschel could work some magic on her like he had for Carl once upon a time.
Madeline sat quietly in the living room with Shane and Rick waiting for some news from Herschel. Andrea and Jenny had gone to find some spare clothes to put her in when she could get cleaned up. Madeline looked up as Hershel walked out with a smile. "She's doing better. I think with some rest she will be just fine. Rick I think you and Shane should go talk to her." Rick glanced at Shane before walking into the room. The girl lay propped against two pillows her face looking horribly bruised. "Hi Marla. My name is Rick Grimes. You already know my daughter Madeline this is her husband and my partner Shane Walsh. Marla can you tell me who did this to you?" Shane stood quietly. He and Rick had seen plenty of domestic violence cases to do them a life time. Marla looked around the room before looking back into Rick's kind eyes. "The governor. He's the leader of that crazy survivor town called Woodbury. If you don't do what he says you end up like this or worse. Please don't tell him that I am here!" Rick held up a hand before smiling gently at her. "Relax dear. We won't. Your safe here. No one will hurt you now." Marla's eyes looked relived. Shane meanwhile, tightened his grasp on Madeline's hand. He hated seeing any woman look like this regardless of who she was! No woman should be beaten by a man! Here was Shane rolled his eyes not believing that he was going to go join this idiot. Definitely not now! Rick turned to Shane, "Can we go talk?" Shane nodded quickly looking back at Madeline, "Stay here baby." Madeline nodded as she watched Shane and Rick walk out with a worried expression. She hoped they wasn't planning anything bad now. But judging the expression on Rick's face World War 3 was about to start.