AN: I have to start of with a HUGE apology. I feel so terrible! I was suppose to update this one Friday MORNING with my other two stories, but no, it wasn't done. Then I'm like "Okay, I'll finish is and update Friday night." because I was at my grandma's and I could. I thought I had finished it, so I took my flash drive and a thought I left it in my mom's car…because I couldn't find it in my bag…so when she comes to get me, I'm like "Well I can update that real quick before I leave" No. It WASN'T in my mom's car, and I start frantically searching my bag because this flash drive has ALL of my stories on it and I don't have them backed up anywhere…(bad idea) and guess where it was? My bag! So I tried to update really quick, because we needed to get home and such. No. I NEVER FINISHED THE CHAPTER! So, I posted it, then had to take it down. I AM SOOOOOO SORRY Y'ALL! I will make this one supper long in hope for forgiveness! I feel like such a horrid person right now…on top of that…I just realized I have a really screwed up accent…I am not southern, yet I say y'all (and am the only person in my house to do so) and I say horrid…any words that I type, usually any sort of weird wording I use is how I talk…Damn rambling again…sorry.
ShutxThexFrontxDoor- OMFG! That's so awesome! I'm glad I'm not the only one! And, if he is, I bet in a later season, when Rick is fully himself again, he'll look at 'his' daughter and realize that it's Shane's lol. And, if your story is on here, I'm gonna read your story it it's on here. I have a ton of time tonight as soon as I post these chapters. I couldn't make Vanessa be in crazy town any longer, I didn't want y'all to get bored, if I did another chapter like that it would be like "Oh, Vanessa's in her cell…yet again for the whole chapter…and she's doing absolutely noting fun and this story is going on forever…" lol.
EdwardCullenfan2009- As I've said before I don't get to update much…but I try to update as much as possible.
Castiel Angel Heart- Don't worry too much for Rick. He's got Carl…at least. That would be nice if they could just go get a blood test but even though Vanessa's a doctor, she can't exactly do that without a lab. Rick is probably gonna stay a little crazy for a while…just because he was in the show. Wow… "Shane would be a more stable father" that sounds like a slight oxymoron on how he was at the end of season 2 lol. We'll just have to see where things go with Shane and Vanessa.
"How can this be?" Shane asked, dumbfounded.
"Shane, I know from experience that you know exactly how this happened," Vanessa stated flatly as she eyed their own daughter.
"Darlin', I'm really sorry-"
"Don't apologize, not again anyway," Vanessa said, still the flat tone in her voice.
"Darlin'-"
"Shane," she stood and closed the gap between them. "Stop talking and listen," she paused making sure he wasn't going to interrupt again. "You don't need to apologize because now, there's a baby here. One that is part of my two favorite people, even if my sister isn't here now, her children are, and I'm gonna do everything I can for them," Vanessa wasn't mad because Shane had already apologized for him and Lori, and what was done was done, it's not like she could've changed it if she wanted to.
"You're too good to me," he stated looking at her with wide eyes. Most anyone would be mad, furious even.
"Count is as me making it up to you for if for ignoring you for the past few days."
"Okay," he smiled and kissed her forehead sweetly. "I love you. I'm gonna go take watch."
"I love you too," she stole his lips for a kiss. "Be careful."
"I will," he passed Larayne off to Beth and went outside.
"You two seem back to yourselves," the younger woman smiled.
"Yeah. I don't know what it is, but Shane's the only person who has ever been able to make me so happy..."
"That's sweet. I used to always dream about finding someone who loved me like that," Beth said, sadly. "Getting married, having children..."
"You will...one day," Vanessa said, reassuringly. "The world may've changed now, but deep down, people are still who they always have been."
"Do you think so?"
"Yes," Vanessa said confidently. They traded babies, and Vanessa looked happily at her daughter. She loved how the young child was always so happy. She didn't know the horrors of the world around them. And she planned to keep it that way. "Things won't stay this way, not forever."
"How do you know?"
"Because I just do. A cure will be found, some way, some how."
"How?"
"Somebody's got to be immune...they always are. How do you think they cured everything else?"
"I guess."
"Your dad...he might be immune. That whole cutting his leg off thing...it shouldn't have worked. I mean, this virus would spread right away into his blood stream..."
"You were a doctor before this, right?"
"Yes."
"Maybe you could be the one to find the cure."
"I don't know...I don't think I'm that smart."
"Sure you are. Maybe you could try."
"I'd need medical equipment that we don't have. Woodbury had it though," she said, thinking out loud.
"Maybe Rick and Woodbury will work it all out, and then you can use it there."
"That'd be nice," but, Vanessa knew that Rick and the Governor wouldn't work anything out. She'd be surprised if everyone survived the meeting.
"We should go," Merle said. "They've been gone too long. An' we can use this as our chance to kill the Governor," everyone was still in the living room? Is that what you'd call it? On their down time, everyone kind of stayed there…so it must've been it.
"I agree," Vanessa piped up, being the first to respond. Merle was right, they had a golden opportunity right there, they should take it.
Merle was so close to making some smart ass comment about her being a woman and needing to just stick to taking care of the kids, but he'd heard the stories and knew she was tough as nails and everyone listened to her, especially Shane, and he was almost as good as getting Rick on board with something.
"You really think so, Ness?" Shane asked.
"Yes! He'll kill us Shane, and I don't want our baby getting killed because of that sick bastard."
"Okay, I'm in," Shane said.
"No, guys, Rick said to stay here," Glenn said.
"Have you met the Governor?" Vanessa asked Glenn. "Do you know what he's done? Do you really think they'll come to an agreement and everything just be peachy? No. Hell, I'm not even positive Rick's coming back. He's a sick man and he will do anything to get what he wants."
"But Rick-"
"When are ya gonna grow a pair and do what has to be done?" Merle asked, knowing for once that this was something that was for the good of everyone. He wasn't just thinking of himself for once and the Chinese kid was shutting him out, 'He's Korean,' Daryl's voice popped into his head.
"I'll go with ya man," Shane said, he knew that that's what Vanessa wanted too.
"Go in there, finish it, and get back. Okay?" she spoke quietly as she pulled his shirt collar and pressed her lips to his. "I love you."
"I love you too," he murmured, kissing her lips again.
"C'mon, we ain't got all day!" Merle shouted.
When Vanessa walked into the 'living room' where they also cooked and ate food, her nose was assaulted by the worst smell. She moved to a nearby trashcan and expelled her stomach contents.
"Are you okay?" Beth asked, moving to her side.
"Yeah…I just…ew do you smell that?"
"What? The squirrel that Carol's cooking?"
"I guess…but that smells terrible. No offense, Carol."
"None taken. We eat what we can get though. Fresh meat is better than nothing."
"Yeah…I need to get some fresh air."
"I'll go with you," Beth offered. As she set Judith in the crate that had become her bed. Maggie was sitting at the table holding a sleeping Larayne, as per her request. Beth and Vanessa walked out of one of the doors and stood in the space that was nearly covered with boards and other things that would protect them from an attack.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Beth asked, genuinely worried for her friend.
"Yeah, it just makes me miss breath mints…and tooth paste," the blonde chuckled softly.
"I can get you a bottle of water?"
"Nah, I'll live. This is gonna sound gross, but before I found out I was pregnant with Raynie, I got used to it."
"That is gross," Beth agreed with a smile.
"Tell me about it," Vanessa sighed dramatically. But then something dawned on her…the only other time she had had a weak stomach was when she was…no. That was impossible. Why would she even consider she could be pregnant? That was so silly of her. But, there was a slight nag, that wouldn't go away. She couldn't be pregnant again though, not that she wasn't able to be, but that she didn't want to be! Larayne was only three months old…and her sister had died during child birth.
"You don't think you could be-"
"Don't you dare even say what I think you are!" Vanessa exclaimed covering the younger woman's mouth with her hand. Beth said the last word muffled by Vanessa's hand, which she only removed when she knew that Beth wouldn't open her big mouth again.
"Seriously, Vanessa? What if you were?"
"I don't fuckin' know!" she snapped. "Sorry, I just don't wanna think about that," she regretted snapping on her friend right away, she was one of the few people that Vanessa felt like she could trust.
"It's okay…maybe you should talk to Shane about it?"
"Yeah…maybe…" Vanessa sighed, putting her face in her hand. There was no way the group could handle three babies. Plus, she'd only puked once. It wasn't like she'd been vomiting every morning. Now, all she had to do was wait…wait for Shane and everyone else to show up. And, this part was important, she couldn't let her imagination run wild.
Time. It was a curious thing. It would seemingly go faster when something fun was going on, but when it was anything boring, or sad, everything seemed to be going in slow motion. When, in reality, it never changed. 365 days in a year, 52 weeks in a year, seven days in a week, 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds a minute…and it just went on forever. Vanessa felt as if time was moving slower than an inch worm journeying from Ohio to Ireland! She sat in the watch tower, not watching for walkers, but for her husband, and the other group members. She hated waiting. And was very, very impatient.
"Want some company? And a cup of tea?" Carol offered, as she walked up behind Vanessa in the watch tower, whose feet were dangling over the edge.
"Sure," she replied. The older woman joined her, taking the same sitting position as the brunette. "You better not start too though," she warned, meaning about what happened earlier.
"Okay, but I just wanted to tell you that the second pregnancy usually has less morning sickness…"
"How do you know?"
"I was pregnant once before Sophia…it was suppose to be a little boy. We were gonna name him Andrew, after my father…but Ed, he…that's when everything started. He got mad at me and pushed me down the steps," Vanessa could tell how hard it was for Carol to tell her this things, so she pulled the older woman into a hug. "Well," Carol continued with her story while hugging the younger woman. "When I got pregnant with Sophia, I didn't even know until I was a few months along…I didn't throw up almost at all."
"Oh God…I really hope I'm not…If I am, I'm going to kill Shane."
Carol let out a noise that was similar to a laugh, but it was restrained as if she was trying to hold it back. "You think I'm kidding? I'm not going through that again. It was the worst pain I've ever felt. I don't get why people did 'natural' births before the fuckin' apocalypse!"
Another laugh, this time not as held back. Laughter, it was always said to be the best medicine. Apparently that was still true during the end of the fucking world.
AN: Again, I am so sorry! I don't really know much about being pregnant and such if that whole second pregnancy thing is true or what…so sorry if it's not accurate, we'll pretend it is for the purpose of my fanfic. Please tell me what you thought. Review=reply next chapter.
