The truth.

I stepped out of Dale's RV where I left the now doctored T-dog on the bed in the back. The would had been a nasty one, but after cleaning it out and treating for potential tetanus, I sewed it up with ease. The last month hadn't been spent on just training to kill, but also to save. While I knew I could probably get Hershel to join us, I didn't want to have to rely on it.

As I bagged up the trash I heard Cat meow from my feet and weave between my legs, before I lifted him up into my arms. I gave a couple scratches behind his ear until he squirmed out of my grasp and took off to the woods, probably to find himself something to eat.

[Lori POV]

I had finally put Carl down to bed as the sun was beginning to set behind the trees. I promised I'd wake him once Rick was done helping T-dog, but I myself needed to see Rick. I thought I'd never see him again. Shane told me he was dead, that there was no way he could survive in the hospital. My eyes glared at the back of Shane as he too was leaned against a car looking at Rick as he pet a cat.

Wait a cat? Rick hates cats and me and Carl are allergic to dogs so the only pets we ever had were fish or hamsters. It was a weird sight seeing Rick like this, not only with the cat but his whole appearance. He had also been in good health, but now he was in shape like he was an athlete. I could see his muscles pressing against his tan undershirt, they weren't like Shane's trying to burst out of the shirt.

Rather they provided a definition that Rick had never had before. Though that wasn't the only thing that changed. Before he never kept any facial hair, but now he had a full beard with his hair on his head grown out just a few inches longer than normal and slicked back. He had a roguish handsomeness to him right now that I had never seen from him before and it caused a desire to build up within me.

It had been several long months since I'd seen him, felt his touch and his love. I shuddered though as I caught Shane in the corner of my vision again. I had been with Shane since then though and that sent a deep pang of guilt from through my body that ruined any feelings I may have just experienced.

As I shook my head I noticed Rick was walking my way with a soft a smile. Pushing down the horrible feeling in my gut I put on a smile and nervously brushed my fingers through my hair. When he reached me he pulled me into a hug that was all to brief and I couldn't stop myself from reaching out to try and continue the embrace.

Looking at his face to find any answers I found that he still had the same small smile as he took a step back and wrapped his arms across his chest. Even that motion from this transformed Rick made him look handsome, the right amount of muscle to not be overbearing. Yet still enough to provide a sense of security, enough to make me feel safe.

"We need to talk." Were the words that came out of his mouth, but I found myself nodding before even really comprehending them. He walked me further down the street to where apparently his vehicle was. I hadn't seen him pull in since we were hiding under the cars from the passing walkers, but I had heard from Dale and even Andrea that he had a nice RV.

And they weren't lying, it was much newer model than Dale's and was loaded down with a horse trailer on back that was now boarded up. Rick had always been a handy man, taking after his father who had been a farmer and a "do it himself" kind of man. I still hated myself for the things I had to Rick that morning, the day that he got shot. I had questioned his care for our family even though I knew he did.

You would think any woman would love a man that bends and is flexible to their wants, but for some reason I wanted one that would take control. And Rick wasn't giving me that.

When we reached the RV he opened the door and allowed me to enter first, stepping in I held in gasp as I saw the interior. This RV was definitely much nicer than Dale's, but that wasn't the only thing. He had guns on a rack by the door along with various knives and machetes, he even had a long 2 edged blade that could could only be a sword judging by its nearly 4 foot blade.

Seeing all this it briefly made me wonder if this was still the Rick I had known. What he had to do to survive this long on his own. Had he been alone all this time? A flash of anger and betrayal shot through me as I thought of him being with another woman these past few months, but i admonished myself mentally as I shook my head. What right did I have to see angry at him if he had been with another woman.

I turned to face him as I heard the door close behind him and pushing every negative thought I had down I knew I had to do whatever I could to be together with this man again. He was the father of my son after all. I leaped into his arms and smashed my lips against his, for the first time in a long time. I squeezed my arms right around his chest to his back where I dug my fingers in desperately, feeling warm spilling out.

Only… he pushed me away with a complicated expression on his face. He held me at arms length and I felt my heart drop and had his arms not been on my shoulders I probably would have dropped to my knees. But I just looked up at him projecting a look of hurt as I searched his eyes for the reason.

"Like I said. We need to talk to Lori."

It couldn't be.. No, there's just no way! How could he have known that me and Shane had been… had been… seeing each other. God I hated myself just thinking about it. And amnesia? Doesn't feel anything towards me? How could that happen? Could a coma really do that to a person?

I felt my chest tighten as I held in my sobs and exited Rick's RV. Apparently he had lost his memory once he woke up, but found out who he was because of the cards that had been left on the dresser in the hospital room. He said he felt nothing towards me anymore besides maybe a friendship, but that he definitely still loved our son.

Can I win him back? Should I even try to get him back? I do have Shane now, but will that even stay the same now that Rick is back? What do I care about Shane anyways, this is all his fault. Had he not convinced me that Rick was dead I would have ne-…

[Rick POV]

Lori had taken the news about as well as I could have hoped for, but if the show is any Indication then she's just bottling it up. All I can hope for is that this doesn't lead to anything stupid.

"Haaa, now to talk to Shane." I sighed out loud as I stepped out of my RV to find the person I was looking for standing not 10 feet away leaning against a car.

"How much did you hear?" I asked him as I brushed my hair back before propping my hands on my hips.

"I heard everything." Came his gruff voice as he took a brief pause and then continued.

"Do you really not remember anything? You don't love Lori? Are you just pretending to love Carl? Because if you are I'll-" I held up hand to stop him and he fell silent.

"I'm glad you heard everything as that makes this a lot easier." I looked out over the trees seeing the moon beginning to rise and let out a breath.

"I don't remember clearly, but I do remember emotions towards people and surprisingly I remember you the most. Before I woke up from the coma I only remember you coming and sitting at my bedside talking to me. I bear you no ill will, Shane and don't have any resentment towards Lori either.

Maybe if I hadn't gotten amnesia it would be different, but as far I can actually remember you were the only that visited me in the hospital." I was going to continue but he cut in.

"Lori and Carl visited too, but you gotta understand that it was hard for them to see you like that." I nodded at his words as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Ya, I imagine so and I don't blame them for that. Especially not Carl. But I just don't feel anything besides a close friendship to Lori, but I can feel it deep in my heart that I love my son. I still feel that brotherly bond with you too, after all you put that gurney in front of my door didn't you?

You saved my life with that. Look you and Lori have my blessing, and before you say anything yes it's obvious. I don't have any feelings like that towards her anymore, and I know it's probably going to be weird for you 2, but that's really not my problem.

I have Carl back now and I have you guys as well. I don't need to be Lori's husband anymore, I'm just going to be a father, a brother and a friend. I'm sure it will take adjusting, but I hope I can at least count on you having my back, brother." I gazed at Shane as I finished my piece and gauged his reaction.

I could tell he wasn't entirely sure what to say as he rubbed his right hand over his short buzz cut hair and let out a deep breath.

"This is a fucked up situation, you know that right?" He asked, his body turned sideways toward me as he rubbed his mouth in thought.

"Ya, my best friend was fucking my wife because they thought I was dead." His expression made me laugh and I had to wave my hands to calm him down.

"Joking, sorry. Ya this is a pretty fucked situation." He nodded and I could see tension in his shoulder loosen.

"Some fucked up love triangle this is." I smirked at his words.

"Sorry Shane but I don't love you like that." I joked and he shot me a half hearted glare before letting out a laugh of his own.

"Thanks Rick." He whispered just loud enough for me to hear.

"For what?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"For not being dead. For being here now, and as selfish as it is to say: for not wanting Lori." He eyed me carefully as if gauging my reaction, but I just smiled.

"Just take good care of her, though you may want to keep your distance for a bit. I imagine she's going to hate you for a little while." I said as I placed a hand on his shoulder and he nodded.

"Now tell me. What the hell is up with this group you've found yourself in? Half of them don't like like they know how to shoot a gun or hold a blade. What have you been doing all this time?" He chuckled as he looked over his shoulder at the small campfire that had been made on the road with several people sitting around it.

"Haha, you'll have to see for yourself man. Half these people never shot a gun before, and there just hasn't been time with us just trying to survive to teach 'em." I nodded at his words and took a step forward and jerked my neck in a motion for him to follow me.

"Well that's gonna have to change from here on out. These people are gonna get firearm training, hand to hand combat training as well as how to use various melee weapons. We can't afford to be weak anymore in this world." He nodded but voiced his concerns.

"That's all well and good but where are we going to get the stuff we need to outfit them all, let alone give them this trai- Holy fuck!" He stopped mid reasoning as I had opened up the back of the horse trailer revealing all my guns and blades that had been mounted to the walls. His eyes roamed the entire trailer before turning to me.

"How the hell did you get all this shit?" I smirked and closed the door to the trailer and locked it up

"Let's just say I haven't been sitting on my ass since I woke up." He just stared at me in disbelief before shaking his head and chuckling wryly.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I like this new version of you Rick." And I laughed at his words while agreeing mentally.

'Me too. I much prefer this version of myself' I thought inwardly.

Next thing I knew Cat was rushing up to me with a huge owl dead in his jaws and I laughed as Shane's jaw dropped from the sight.

"Cat is a mean motherfucker for a house cat. He's saved me a couple times by alerting me to walkers." I said as I retrieved the owl from his mouth and gave him a few pats and scratches.

"Ya, I bet." Shane mumbled as he stared at Cat and me.

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Sorry for the delay, been sick with a cold and killer migraines. I'll try to pop out 2 chapters next week.

Hope you enjoyed