AN: I'm proud of myself for taking this story slower. If y'all want me to pick up the pace, let me know.

Chapter 4: Making Friends

"Wow! You guys look so pretty," Sophia said wistfully. "Can you make me look like that too!?"

"Sure," Vanessa said. "If it's okay with your mother."

"Mommy can I?"

"Yes. Just mind your manners," a woman Vanessa had never met before said.

"Hi y'all I'm Vanessa or 'Nessa. Whatever you prefer. And I'm Lori's little sister."

Everybody did a quick introduction before Vanessa went to put makeup on Sophia. They came back a short while later, Sophia grinned from ear to ear.

"Thank you Miss Vanessa."

"You're welcome sweetie."

Vanessa sat next to Shane at the table. She wasn't really hungry since she'd eaten before she took a shower. Her hair was now down, rather than being in a messy bun. Shane smiled at her, and handed her a bottle of white wine.

"Your favorite, right?" he asked.

"Yep," she took a big gulp from the bottle. Shane worried what would happen if she got drunk tonight. She was a wild drunk she'd do things she'd never dream of doing normally. It didn't take long for the wine to affect Vanessa. Thankfully Carl and Sophia had already been sent to bed by their mothers. She stumbled around the dining room.

"Hey! You!" Vanessa pointed at a woman across the table from her. She had long black hair and gray eyes with freckles around her nose. "What's your name?"

"Farah," she said.

"I didn't see you earlier!" Vanessa shouted. "Why ain't you drinking?"

Farah shrugged.

"'Nessa, why don't we get you to bed?" Shane asked, wanting to be alone with his girlfriend. "You can open your present."

Vanessa got up like a kid on Christmas and ran to her room. Shane was right behind her. She pulled the present out of her bag, and sat down her bed. Shane sat with her, with his arm around her waist. She slowly pulled the ribbon off. Shane smiled. He'd been waiting for this moment.

"Shane Walsh!" Vanessa exclaimed. "Did you get a present for me that was really for you?" she held up the red and black lingerie.

"Guilty."

"Go take a shower and I'll put this on," Vanessa said in a commanding tone.

"I like the sound of that," he grinned and walked into the bathroom that was joined with 'Nessa's room. She got on the confusing outfit as fast as she could. She was just in time, Shane walked out of the bathroom in only his towel.

"Sit," Vanessa commanded. He obliged, and took a spot at the foot of her bed. She straddled his lap, as she did, she could feel the hardness of his erection through the thin towel. A wide grin spread across her face. Her lips pressed to his roughly. She wanted to do something rough, something not like what they'd done back home. She tought it was amazing, but she wanted it to be better, if that was possible. She worked her way from his lips to his cheek to his neck. She roughly kissed his neck. Shane grew tired of not being in control. He leaned back on the bed, then rolled over so that she was under him.

"My turn, Darlin'," he smirked. She pouted. "You'll get your turn again soon." He kissed her lips again, and took his turn at her neck. He worked to get off her 'outfit'. "How the hell do you get this thing off?"

"Zipper's in the back," she moaned as he sucked on her delicate neck. He lifted her up and undid the lingerie and pulled it off completely. He moved his lips down from her neck and sucked roughly on her newly exposed breasts, biting and sucking on them. His towel fell off of his lower half. "My turn," she tugged at his black hair, which pulled him back from her breasts. He passively laid on the bed.

Her lips slowly made their way to his manhood. She kissed the tip of it before she took it into her mouth. Licked and sucked on it. Shane moaned loudly.

"Mm, 'Nessa," he moaned, but made her stop before he could come. All of this was driving him crazy. He wanted to be inside of her again. It had been two long months, he couldn't stand it any longer. He laid her back down on the bed. When his manhood slid inside her she moaned. "You're so wet."

"For you," she managed to say between moans.

They made love again and again. Vanessa laid down next to Shane. Her head rested on his still naked chest. He stoked her dark hair. They were both exhausted.

"You still awake?" Shane asked.

"Yeah," Vanessa replied, obviously sleepy.

"I just want you to know something."

"And what's that?"

"I love you," his voice was only at a whisper when he said it. Vanessa's heart hammered in her chest. No man-other than her dad, who didn't really count, had ever said that to her.

"You do?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes."

Shane feared she wouldn't say it back. He'd never said that to any of his other girlfriends.

"I love you too."

With that, they both fell asleep. Vanessa woke a few hours later. She couldn't sleep. Nightmares of what Shane and the rest of the people must've been through out there kept haunting her. She was just glad that he was here with her now. Vanessa knew there were only one way she'd be able to go back to sleep, nightmare free, and that was to drink a glass of milk. All they had here was powdered, but it'd have to do.

All of the alcohol had worn off hours ago. Surprisingly, she didn't have a hang over. In fact, she felt great. When she stood, there wasn't any dizziness or a headache. She smiled and looked for some clothes to put on. Shane had only worn a towel, so instead she put on a thin bath robe from the bathroom. When she got to the kitchen, she wasn't alone.

"Oh, hey 'Nessa."

"Hi, Rick."

"What are you doing up?"

"Nightmares."

Nightmares weren't a rare occurence for Vanessa. She'd always had them ever since she was a kid. Rick knew about them because Lori had told him when Carl started having them.

"What about?"

"Those things."

"Ah," it was obvious Vanessa didn't want to talk about it. "Are you really okay with this Shane/Lori thing?"

"Yes and no," she said honestly. "They thought we were dead, Rick. C'mon Shane's your best friend, you two are similar. I'm Lori's sister we look alike, some what. I'd be mad if it was anybody but Lori. If he'd gone and done it with that Andrea chick, hell yeah I'd be pissed."

"I guess you're right."

"Plus, for you to not be pissed at Lori for that, she can't be pissed at you for..."

After Vanessa drank her milk, she went back to bed. She noticed three angry-looking scratched on the side of Shane's neck. Whoops, she thought with a laugh.

The next morning, after showering, Shane and Vanessa walked into the dining room. T-Dog greeted them with eggs.

"Shane," T-Dog said. "What the hell happened to your neck?"

Shane noticed the scratches for the first time. "I have no idea," he lied. "Must've done it in my sleep," he gave Vanessa, who was trying to keep from smiling, a pointed look.

"I've never seen you do that before," Rick said, clueless to the situation.

"Yeah, it doesn't sound like me at all," he elbowed Vanessa gently. Rick still wasn't understanding the joke. Lori whispered in his ear then he had an 'Oh' type look on his face.