Author's Note: Had the idea for this years ago when I first watched the show but lost myself in writing other TWD projects. Also, in this one shot, Shane will be a bit OOC since I tried to make him a better man LOL And I included two references to other fandoms. Can anyone guess what those were? Hope y'all enjoy <3

I glanced up beneath my dark lashes only to find Shane yet again eyeing Lori. A scoff built up in my throat but I swallowed it down, leaning back inside the abandoned car to rummage through it. There were candy wrappers littering the floor board, an empty tuna can in the corner and the all-encompassing stench of decay that emanated from the dead walker in the back seat but otherwise, nothing to be found.

A sigh escaped my mouth and I shook my head as I sat down in the driver's seat. This was the fifth car I'd tried already. However, at least it was taking my mind off of the problem at hand. Don't get me wrong - I'd always known Shane had a wandering eye. All of that started way before this outbreak began. I knew what a womanizer he'd always been. And yet...I still loved him. Don't ask me why - it didn't remotely make sense. Somehow, I'd always been convinced there was a better side of him, that he wasn't the player everyone made him out to be. Not always, anyway.

But lately? Lately things had changed. This was taking it a lot farther than just gawking at half-dressed women online or at the grocery store. And not just because none of that existed any longer but because his roving eye had, I suspected, transitioned into something much worse - all-out cheating. I'd been afraid of that the entire time - what woman wouldn't be? But I always trusted Shane implicitly, trusting that no matter what he may say or do - it would never go beyond that. I was wrong.

I'd met Lori not long after Shane and I began dating what felt like a million years ago now. He'd insisted I meet his best friend and co-worker, Rick and his wife, Lori. To say the two of us didn't hit it off would be an understatement. Yet, I felt we had an understanding that we must be cordial to each other because of our husbands. They were friends yet it didn't mean we had to be enemies. Right? No, apparently wrong.

Ever since Rick had been "pronounced" dead via Shane, my husband had been taking up a lot of time with Carl and by association, Lori, too. Carl needed a father figure in his life at the time and to be honest, it was heartwarming to see Shane take on the role of dad to him. Deep down, it made me yearn for a child of our own - just watching him laughing and spending time with the boy.

But all of that changed when I began to notice just how much time Shane was spending with not only Carl but his mother as well. Now I know what you're thinking - she's overthinking this, over-analyzing the situation. A guy can look if he wants, right? Sure, of course, no problem. If that man was indeed single (and had no intention of being otherwise).

But therein lied the problem - Shane was very much not single. We had been married for two years prior to this apocalypse, now three. And before that, we had dated for another two. I'd spent at least five years of my life in love with Shane Walsh and there was no way I was about to lose him to Lori Grimes of all people. The woman couldn't half drive, for crying out loud!

A smirk split my face at the thought of Lori's many botched driver's ed tests, that bit of knowledge thanks to a hilarious drunken blurt from Rick. But that burst of happiness faded out quickly as a shadow passed over me. Glancing up into a deep chocolate-brown gaze filled with concern, I rolled my own eyes. This was exactly why I had rode with Daryl on his motorcycle instead of riding in the RV - Shane was not exactly the person I wanted to talk to at the moment.

"Babe, you can't keep on avoiding me like this," Shane said pointedly as I got out of the car, side-stepping him as I did.

"How far are we now to Fort Bennett?" I asked, deflecting his question with one of my own.

My husband huffed indignantly at the change in subject, "So that's how we're gonna play it, huh? You're transparent when you're deflecting, you know,"

"And you're pathetic when you're fishing," I retorted, arching an eyebrow at him as I maneuvered my way to the next car and opened the passenger door.

Shane's dark gaze narrowed, "Don't think I didn't realize what you did there. No throwing TV quotes at me,"

I snorted, "Surprised you even knew what it was, Walsh,"

"Don't start that with me, sweetheart," he shot back and I rolled my eyes, "But I can bet you that Daryl Dixon doesn't know that about you,"

"Look," I said, whipping my head around at him so fast, I knocked a half-empty (and very moldy) box of Junior Mints off the dashboard, "I'm busy here, okay? Why don't you go help someone else?"

He opened his mouth to retort something but bit it back and begrudgingly turned on his heel, the rifle in his hand hitting against his leg as he walked off in the opposite direction. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes, I truly wondered what had possessed me to marry that man.

Minutes passed as did my anger while I scoured the floorboards for supplies to no avail. I was lost in my own reveries, mulling over the Shane-and-Lori situation when a cry of joy rang out and arching an eyebrow, I glanced over my shoulder. Glenn was standing in front of the RV, fixing the still-smoking radiator while Shane stood opposite him behind a very large Spring Water truck. Apparently, the truck still contained at least part of its cargo - several gallons of fresh bottled water.

Shane had popped the top to one of them and dunked his head under as it cascaded down the tendrils of his dark hair. I bit my lip, admitting to myself despite my irritation with him just how attractive he truly was. No wonder Lori had sought him out for comfort when she once thought her husband was dead.

"It's like being baptized, man!" he shouted to Glenn, laughing as the water soaked his khaki shirt.

His cocoa-brown eyes locked on me then, watching him over my shoulder and I quickly turned my head in the opposite direction.

"Baby-doll, if you want to admire me then why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer," Shane remarked, smirking over at me.

Scowling, I wrenched myself out of the car and marched over to him, determined to give him a piece of my mind.

"For your information, I was actually trying to ascertain how Lori Grimes can be so delusional to have fallen for such a womanizer like you. Frankly, I can't see it," I spat, anger making my blood boil.

But instead of retaliating, Shane looked at me blankly for a fraction of a second then his expression slipped into that of confusion.

"What are you talking abou-" he began to ask when he abruptly cut himself off, his gaze zeroing in on something behind me.

Wordlessly, he grabbed me by the shoulders and nudged Glenn before gesturing to what lay just over my shoulder. Glenn's eyes widened and he hurriedly slid under the RV for cover.

I shook my head in bewilderment, "What's going on? Shane?"

I barely got his name out before my husband's hand was clamping down over my mouth and I was dragged under one of the cars beside us - of which, even in my frazzled state I was almost positive was a 1967 Chevy Impala. I began to thrash in his grip and that's when I heard it - the groans, gnashing of teeth and heavy footfalls closing in around us along with the accompanying rank stench of decay. My eyes widened, heart beating fast in my chest as I instinctively clung to Shane.

His arms tightened around me, his wet shirt making me shiver despite the heat of the day. But not our argument nor the cold remotely registered in my mind as the pure terror of being so helpless pervaded my thoughts.

The sound and sight of the walkers surrounded us now on every side and I felt tears prick my eyes at the fear that overcame me. How would we get out of this? Would we survive this? What if one of the others made a sound or even I did by accident? Would they swarm us? Would we all be eaten alive only to be transformed into a mindless cannibalistic corpse?

I hadn't noticed my rapid breathing until Shane's gentle touch cupped my face, tilting my jaw up so that I could meet his eyes. Droplets of water from the tips of his hair rolled down my neck but our close proximity calmed me. In his eyes were a swirl of emotions but the most prominent was concern and love. His gaze was searching and slowly, I began to nod as my breathing evened out.

Moving to rest my head on his chest, Shane held me tighter and I felt the cool metal of his 22 necklace as it dangled across my skin. We stayed like that for a long time until finally, the sounds of the walkers began to fade into the distance. When we were sure the coast was clear, Shane helped me as we both climbed out from underneath the car.

Silently, my body collided into his as I hugged him fiercely.

"I'm so sorry. For everything," he whispered into my ear as he held me, "I was just trying to be there for Carl and Lori. I didn't realize how it looked or how you felt."

It felt like a weight had been lifted at this confession and my eyes fluttered shut in the warmth of his embrace. All this time, I'd been so worried over if Shane was about to leave me for Lori. And for what? It hadn't even been true! We'd almost lost our lives today and I was determined that no matter what there would be no more hostility and complete honesty.

Who knows how much time we had left in this twisted world we'd been thrown into? We had to make the most of our time here. And me? I wanted my time to be spent with him.