AN: I am going to make a promise to all my readers, because every time I write a story it always becomes a love triangle. No more. That will NOT happen this time, and Shane will not become evil. He will do some of the same things as in the show. But, I'd like to think that he's secretly like he is in this next chapter. So, enjoy it. Sorry about all the sappiness.

Chapter 6: Bad Luck

The group drove down the road. Their destination: Fort Benning. A 125 mile journey. Vanessa sat with Shane at a table in the RV. Andrea sat across from them, every few seconds she would give Vanessa a dirty look. Vanessa decided to be the bigger person and ignore her. She didn't understand why the blonde haired woman hated her. As far as she knew, she hadn't done anything to her. Andrea sighed loudly and left, realizing her cold stares weren't working. Shane placed his hand on Vanessa's belly. He was beyond happy. He'd wanted to be a dad for so long, have a son or daughter of his own. Shane had been jealous when Rick and Lori had Carl. Now, he had the perfect woman, carrying his child. His baby.

"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Vanessa asked as she put her hand over his.

"Just how much I love you, and how excited I am." "What if I did something to hurt it...from the other night at the CDC. Would alcohol cause problems?" They both made sure their voices were low enough so that they wouldn't be heard by anybody else in the RV.

"That's a question for you sister," Shane said, being clueless to how babies worked. "So that is what Jenner told you then?"

"Yes," it wasn't a lie. But it wasn't the whole truth either. She had not planned to tell anyone the whole truth. It would only cause a panic among the group.

"Darlin', have I ever mentioned how beautiful you are?" Shane caressed her cheek.

"You are very affectionate today," Vanessa noticed with a giggle.

"It's just...these past two months...without you were hell. Vanessa, I love you so much, it hurts not to be near you. I rather die than be without you again."

"Wow, Shane Walsh, I never thought, not in a million years, that you'd be such a sap," she grinned playfully.

"Love will do that to a man," he lifted her chin with his index finger and his thumb, pressing his lips to her's. The RV came to a hault, Shane and Vanessa separated, to see what was going on.

"Damn radiator hose," Dale cursed. "I knew we needed a new one."

The group gathered outside. They were on the highway in the middle of a road block. Everyone joined in a semi-circle.

"Dale, get to work on the RV, we gotta be ready to move as soon as we get these cars clear. Everyone else, look for anything of use, and we'll move these cars in a little while," Rick said to them. They all nodded, and got to work. Shane stopped Vanessa for a moment.

"Be careful," Shane warned as he kissed her.

"I will."

"Take this," he handed her a hand gun.

"I don't know how to shoot this."

"Line it up and shoot. I'll train you when we get a chance."

Vanessa met up with Carol and Lori. They all headed towards the cars together.

"I don't know how I feel about this," Lori said. "This place is a graveyard."

"Lor, life is for the living. Yes, it's unfortunate that these people are dead, but we've gotta live however we can," Vanessa told her sister.

"Okay, you're right," Lori sighed. "So how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Shane's acting really strange though..."

"Strange how?"

"He's been really sappy and lovey dovey," they approached a car with a box of clothes and began organizing them.

"It doesn't surprise me...'Nessa, you didn't see what he was like without you."

"He seemed...unstable," Carol added.

"Yes, exactly. And, when Rick came back, I thought he'd lost his mind. He was so jealous because I got Rick back but he had no one..."

"Wow," was all Vanessa could say. That scared her, and made her heart ache with longing and sadness. "I buried myself in my work so I couldn't think about anything."

"Aunt 'Nessa, will you play with me and Sophia?" Carl asked. Vanessa looked at Lori and Carol. She wanted to, but didn't want to leave them with her work.

"We got this," Carol smiled. "Sophia, mind your manners."

"I will, Mommy."

"You too Carl," Lori warned.

Vanessa and the kids walked down the highway together.

"So what do you-" Vanessa was cut off by Rick's voice.

"Get down, under the cars!" he whispered. "Walkers!"

Vanessa pulled Sophia and Carl under semi. She held her nephew close to her, with her hand over his mouth, she used her other hand to cover Sophia's from a distance. Walkers drew near to them, their feet moved at the turtle speed, all in the same direction. Their feet scuffed across the concrete as they walked. Sophia pulled away from Vanessa's grip and ran, over the guard rail and into the woods, two stray walkers trailed behind her. Before Vanessa could run after her, Rick was already half way to the woods. She got out from under the semi with Carl, and was attacked by Shane's arms, and lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. But...Sophia...she ran...I just couldn't hold on to her," Vanessa hung her head in shame. Shane tightly wrapped his arms around her.

"It's not your fault. You did what you could."

Lori hugged Carol, as she began to sob.

"Carol...I'm so sorry. I wish I could've done more," Vanessa said. If looks could kill, Vanessa would be dead. Carol wasn't in a forgiving mood. Shane took Vanessa to the RV, he didn't want her to get stressed. He sat her down at the table.

"I found something for you," Shane grinned.

"What is it?" Vanessa asked half heartedly.

"This," he set a small black box on the table. "I know we haven't been together long...but I love you, and you're carrying my baby. So, Vanessa Winters, will you become Vanessa Walsh?"

Vanessa didn't know what to say. She was stunned. Here it was, the end of the world, and she was getting proposed to by Shane Walsh. A man everybody said would never get married. A man she'd had a crush on since she was fourteen. But there was one question bugging her.

"Is this all because I'm pregnant?"

"What do you mean?"

"This," she pointed to the ring, which was the most beautiful princess cut diamond she'd ever seen. "And you being uncharacteristically affectionate..."

"Let me be honest with you, this ring, I didn't find it here. It was my mother's. She told me to give it to some special girl one day," he gave the famous Shane grin. "For some reason, when I was gettin' stuff together, I thought of this ring and grabbed it. Honestly, I probably would've waited if you weren't pregnant."

Vanessa wiped the tears that began to fall from her cheeks. "Damn hormones," she cursed. He looked at her expectantly. "Yes Shane. I'll marry you," she finally said. It meant so much more that it was Shane's mom's ring. Vanessa had been very close with her, they first met at Rick and Lori's wedding. Since Vanessa had a bad relationship with her own mom, Zara was like a mom to her. She had talked about how she and Rick were like her other kids.

Vanessa was twenty-two and still in med school, she was getting ready to leave for class, when her phone began to ring. She picked it up.

"Hello," she said.

"'Nessa..." Shane's voice was barely audible. He was crying, that much was obvious. Something was seriously wrong with him, for him to be crying.

"What's the matter?" she replied, fearing something happened to her sister, Carl, or Rick. They were currently on vacation in Hawaii.

"It's my mom..."

Shane's mom had been fighting cancer for a few years.

"Which hospital?"

"Atlanta."

"I'll be there as soon as I can. I'll call my teacher on the way."

"O-okay."

When Vanessa got to the hospital, she ran up to the receptionist's desk.

"Zara Walsh? Where?"

The blonde haired woman took her time typing on the computer. She popped her gum as she spoke.

"I'm gonna need you to sign in," Shane came to her side, "but you can only go in if you're family."

"This is my wife," Shane said frantically. "I'm the son."

"Okay, sign in."

Vanessa wrote her name with shaky hands, as soon as she finished, Shane pulled her away. If this wasn't a bad situation, Vanessa would've made a joke about suddenly being married to Shane.

"Have you called Rick?" Vanessa asked, knowing he'd be equally devastated.

"No...you were the first person I called," he said. "I went to see her this morning like I did on every off day, and she wouldn't wake, but she had a pulse...I called 911..." he began sobbing again.

"It's okay," she hugged him. But they both knew she was wrong. Zara died that same day in the hospital.

"If the baby's a girl," Vanessa said, changing the subject. "I want to name her Zara."

"I'd like that," Shane kissed her forehead.

"Vanessa," Lori said from the door.

"Yeah, Lor?" she and Shane stood up.

"Carol's just upset, don't pay no mind to what she said."

Vanessa nodded, and they rejoined the group. They all stood by and waited for Rick to return from the woods with Sophia. Shane kept his arms wrapped around Vanessa.

There was rustling in the bushes, beyond the guard rail. Daryl aimed his cross-bow. Rick slowly emerged from the woods, his face red and sweaty.

"Where's Sophia?" he asked. Silence. "She's not back?" Carol began sobbing again.