Future Ghosts • TWD

16. The Element of Surprise.

Shane's serious expression morphed into a smile. "What?" he said, humor in his voice.

"The weird ones with Bigfoot in 'em," Rosie clarified.

"What are you... you know what we can talk about that later," Shane stopped himself. Rosie's attempt to change the conversation failed miserably. "The other night at the CDC-"

"I ain't gonna tell no one! I swear! Lori doesn't want me to," the girl rushed out. Maybe if she could get him to believe her, she wouldn't get in trouble.

"That's not what I was going to talk to you about," Shane said. Rosie's eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "When you saw, why did you run? You know no one is going to hurt you when you get in trouble, right?"

"What?"

"When you do something wrong, no one is going to hurt you," Shane said again.

Rosie stared at him for a moment. What the hell was he talking about? "But I did somethin' bad..." she reminded him.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean someone is going to hurt you for it. That's not how it works," Shane told her.

She was beyond confused. Everything she'd known since the day she was born was crumbling at his words.

Is that why Fraser said I had to get out of there? Is that why Merle killed Daddy? Is that why Daryl said Daddy was an asshole? Is it all because "that's not how it works"?

Shane sighed at the look on Rosie's face. A million thoughts were running through her head and she just didn't seem to get it. "The other night, at the CDC, I wasn't going to hurt you. I'm never going to hurt you," he said.

"But... ya gave me the look," Rosie said, picking at a lose string on the bedding to distract herself.

"The look?"

"The look Daddy used ta give me when I was in trouble. Like, if I said somethin' I wasn't s'posed to," Rosie said. The look he gave me after you snitched to him that I punched Carl, remember?

"When someone gives ya that look, it doesn't mean they're gonna do what your dad did, Rosie. It means that, sure, they might be annoyed, but they're not gonna hurt you. No one is gonna hurt you anymore. Ok?" Shane said. His eyebrows were raised as he gave the girl a serious look, which she found kind of funny.

Rosie had no idea how to answer. She didn't quite believe him, for whatever reason. So isntead of assuring him that she understood, she decided to go back to her original plan of distracting him. "Do ya think Obama is a walker right now?" she asked.

"What?"

"Do ya think Obama is-"

"No, I heard you," Shane chuckled. "Just wonderin' why the hell that's what you're thinking about right now."

"Can't stop thinkin' 'bout it. Like, what if he's walkin' 'round the streets of DC eatin' people? Just like any other walker. Does bein' rich and important change anythin', do ya think?"

"That's... a good question. I don't know," Shane replied.

"Can't stop wonderin'."

"Tell ya what, why don't you come out here and I'll show you how to clean a gun. That'll keep your mind off of it. Sound good?" Shane suggested. So far, Rosie had been nothing but hostile towards him, and all of a sudden she was being cooperative, maybe even friendly, if you're willing to stretch. He was absolutely going to take this opportunity to try and get the girl to warm up to him.

"I a'ready know how. My daddy taught me," Rosie replied. Her dad had taught her everything she needed to know about guns. He said she needed to know how to protect herself if the time came. I ain't raisin' no pussy, he said. But Rosie was surprised that Shane had changed his mind about her having a gun. He seemed so against it last night. Maybe Rick had talked him into it.