The Walking Dead: The Shane Walsh Alternative (Season 2)

Clearing The Highway

I wake up to see Lori getting dressed. I give her a playful smack on her bare ass. "Mornin' babe." I announce. "Stop playing around." She suggests, as she pulls her pants up. "Where were you last night? I woke up and you weren't in bed." She inquires. I was having the most fun I've had since the geek apocalypse started. "I couldn't sleep, so I took a shower." I give her the short answer. I get up, stand behind her, and wrap my arms around her waist, resting my hands on her pregnant belly. "Were you worried about me?" I tease. "Look around. I'm always worried." She replies. I kiss her on the cheek. "Don't be." I tell her before heading towards the door. "Meet me in the main post when you're ready." I say as I exit the room. While walking to the main post I see Carl and Sophia playing with a deck of cards. "Carl, go tell everyone to meet me in the main post." I instruct. He nods his head and takes Sophia with him to gather everyone.

I get to the main post and wait for everyone else to arrive. Andrea shows up first, smiling at me as she sits on the floor against a wall. Seconds later Lori enters, and I can see Andrea's smile disappear. She puts on her serious face and glares at me. After a few minutes everyone is gathered in the main hall, all attention on me. "We need to put last night behind us. A lot of blood was spilled, but it's over now, and we're still here." I start. "Not all of us." Belle reminds me. I motion for her to keep quiet. "We need to keep our heads in the game and worry about 'the right now' and not the past. Today we WILL clear that highway and have open transport to other close by areas, so we can easily scavenge more resources. I want all hands on deck for this. Carol and Dale will stay here with Carl and Sophia. The rest of us need to be ready to get out there in the next 20 minutes, so do what you gotta do and meet back here, lets go!" I instruct the group.

As everyone disperses from the main hall, I follow Andrea back to her room. "What happened last night was--" I start. "Wonderful." Andrea finishes. "It's the first time I actually felt alive since the geeks took over the world." She continues. "Yeah, it was fun, but I've been thinking and we probably shouldn't do that any more." I tell her. "Yeah right. What happened to 'next time'?" She asks."It was all a mistake." I try to explain. "Really? Running around with someone else's wife and kid is really what you want to do?" She snaps. I've never told her that, how did she... "You think I didn't know? She has a ring, you don't. Her son calls you Shane, not dad. It's pretty damn obvious. Taking care of another man's family, is that what you want? If it is I won't stand in your way. I just thought I'd give you an alternative option, 'cause sooner or later you won't measure up to her husband, in her eyes. With me, you don't have any shoes to fill, just cover my ass, I'll cover yours. Think about it." She explains before heading back to the main hall.

Back at the main hall, everyone is all set to go to the highway, so we embark on our mission. All I can think about is the last time we did this, and wound up in a shootout with Dave's group. Before I know it though, we're finished clearing the highway, and surprisingly enough my Jeep and T-Dog's van are still waiting for us at the end of all the immobile cars. We pack our findings, mostly canned foods and some hunting equipment, into the van, and everyone stuffs into the vehicles to drive back to the fort. I drive my Jeep with Lori in passenger, and Daryl, Beth, and Belle in the backseat. I peek over at Lori and see her fiddling with her wedding ring. "Miss him?" I ask. "Every day." She answers while looking out the window. "What about me?" I inquire. She looks at me confused. "What about you?" She asks. "Would you miss me, if I was gone?" I elaborate. "Of course I would. What are you getting at?" She wonders. I pull the Jeep in Fort Benning's lot. "Nothin', forget it." I say as I exit the Jeep.

As we re-enter Fort Benning, Carl runs up to Lori and tightly hugs her, before going back to Sophia and Carol. Before I can do anything, Carol and Dale are pulling me aside to talk privately. "While you were gone, we found something that could be a problem." Dale explains. "What is it?" I inquire. "We found a couple geeks in the Fort. There's a small hole in the east wall. I think they came through there. If the geeks can get through there--" he begins. "Then so can people." Carol completes the sentence. "Can't we cover it up?" I ask. "We don't have much to block it up with. Even if we get a vehicle in front of the hole, it'll probably keep geeks out, but a living person would be able to maneuver past it." Carol explains. "Well that's gonna have to do for now. Let's use T-Dog's van. Keeping the geeks out will have to be good enough, and we'll have to keep someone over there for watch." I tell them. They nod their heads. "I'm on it."Dale volunteers himself and leaves the hall for the van.

"Shane! Come play cards with us." Carl shouts. "Sure bud, what ya playin'?" I ask while walking towards him, Sophia, and Carol. As I reach them I hear yelling outside of the Fort. "Hey! Who's in there!? Come out now!" The booming voice demands. What now? "Andrea, get in position. Daryl, Glenn, with me. Now! Daryl tosses me a shotgun and the three of us head for the door. I peek out through a crack and see a large African American male in his 50's, a large caucasion male in his 30's, and a caucasion female in her 20's, standing right by our door. Behind them is 4 more armed men, as well as 2 armed women. I open the door and exit with Daryl and Glenn, closing the door behind us. "Who are you? What do you want?" I ask the trio. "Who am I? I'm General Marcus Revis, who the hell are you?"  The African American man announces.