VITRIOL | Shane Walsh

XIX

My heart shattered when Rick broke the news about Lori to Shane and I but the blow was somewhat softened when we heard about the brand new addition to the Grimes/Walsh family. They'd probably have to have a talk about that later but right now all I cared about was the cute bundle of joy I was babysitting. I had little Judith sat on my lap and we were fully immersed in a book of fairy tales.

"What are you doing out here, little girl?" the wolf asked in a voice as friendly as he could muster." I read out in a silly voice causing her to giggle. Carl bounded down the stairs and looked around the living room.

"Where's Dad and Shane?" I looked over my shoulder at the teenager.

"Your Dad's looking for Negan's stuff and Shane's gone to steal the guns the saviours are hiding" I turned my attention back to baby Judith and turned the page over. Carl said a quick goodbye before he threw on his sheriffs hat and left "to go walk around".

We soon finished reading Little red riding hood and Judith had grown restless, so I carried her outside to the porch where she could fall asleep for a while. Her head eventually dropped into my chest as she dozed off and I smiled at the simplicity of just being able to look after a child again. As soon as we rallied enough guns and ammo for a coordinated attack we could be thrust upon sanctuary and I'd be able to have my own baby boy in my arms. Charging in now would do nothing but get us killed.

After many hugs and cuddles, Judith was out for the count and I carried her back up to her bedroom. I took the quiet opportunity to clear up her toys, take a shower and change into a cute bohemian summer dress.

- - -

I didn't give much thought to the sound of vehicles driving into Alexandria that afternoon but as soon as I heard the big bad wolf approaching the front door, I pegged it upstairs to look out the main window. Cars and men had lined the peaceful streets of Alexandria.

I could hear talking moving its way upstairs and I climbed inside the wardrobe. The door to the room opened and I held my breath.

"Would you look at that! I haven't seen one of these in a while" I could hear his voice draw nearer to the door and my guess was that Negan was looking at the dartboard. "Would you like to do the honours?" I heard shuffling around and then a loud thud was heard as a dart hit the target.

I silently yelped in shock and covered my mouth with my hand. One of the shelves above was starting to collapse with each throw and the only thing holding it up was the other hand I had free. "Atta boy! Now that is what I call a bullseye. Carl, would you like to show me and my son here the rest of the house?" He asked in a more rhetorical manner.

I was not only confused as to why Carl had got involved with Negan but I was confused as to when he magically gained a son. It was just my luck that when they were starting to leave the opposite end of the shelf collapsed and made a disruptive banging noise as it slid down inside the storage unit.

"Ho-ly shit, that scared the shit outta me" Negan boomed and walked back toward the door. "Got any skeletons in the closet Carl?" He laughed before opening the doors and making immediate eye contact with me pushed up against the back of the wardrobe.

He had the same wolfish grin on his face as the day I met him and he ran his tongue across his perfect row of teeth.

"Would you look - at - that" he drawled in a low tone. He stepped to the side and I saw Carl standing in the doorway. His bandage had been unravelled from his eye and his hat was nowhere to be seen. He swallowed a thick lump in his throat before glaring at Negan.