A/N – Okay here at last I have Dane (Daryl and Shane). When I wrote Play, Punish, Mark, Own the absolutely Machiavellian Pass The Porn Tea reviewed and said she wondered how my Shane would react when he met Daryl, given that Daryl has Mac's face. Of course I had to go there. My apologies for taking a lot longer than I expected.
Story points are as follows:
1. In Play, Punish, Mark, Own I described Norman's actual back tattoos on Mac, thus for Daryl they will have to be something different, as will his others, only placement will be the same.
2. Merle informed me he didn't want to die and that he wished to keep his hand – and you know I obey anything he requests of me – thus this story will go to what I personally call Au-ish from Season one. Same characters, same storyline, but not following the exact one already portrayed.
3. Shane obviously doesn't go insane and get killed and re-killed by Rick and Carl. Just FYI on that for you up front. His relationship with Lori also does not exist.
4. If you haven't read Play, Punish, Mark, Own you don't need to, but be advised there will be references to it in this story.
5. This is slash/yaoi/male-on-male so if you don't like it, don't continue to read past this point.
6. If you are still reading then be advised that when I get to the sex scenes, they will be explicit, that is how I rol. There is no 'fade to black' as they did in Penny Dreadful (apologies, I'll stop that rant now).
Still with me? Excellent, I give you Shane and Daryl…
Mac, it was Mac. Shane shook as he stared at the man walking toward him carrying a bow of all things. No. His mind was fuzzy, it was a crossbow. He trembled, the cold in his bones belying the humid warmth of the day as he stepped forward, open uniform shirt flapping around him.
"Mac, I thought…" The man stops and stares at him with a scowling frown.
"The fuck? I ain't Mac cop. Don't know who the fuck you're talkin' 'bout but it ain't me." He says with a strident drawl that signals hillbilly. The worst kind of hillbilly.
"Well now Darylena, you got a multiple personality I don't already know about?" The bull of a man moving up behind Mac sniffs as he looks with eager eyes at Shane despite hovering almost protectively at Mac's back.
Shane only has eyes for Mac. But before he can move forward, there is a tug on his arm. He looks down and sees a fragile hand tugging his sleeve. "Shane, let's go." He looks up into Lori's grieving gaze and lets her lead him away, her other hand clutching Carl.
##########
"Mac." Shane whispers softly. Tossing in bed that night he dreams of throbbing pain cutting into his side, blood dripping, and a body slamming inside him, drawing both pain and ecstasy out of him in blinding ropes of pleasure. He wakes, soaking in his own come.
His dream had given him an orgasm he hadn't even woken up for, his brain had been so mired in his Mac in the deepest recesses of his mind. It had played tricks, Shane thought bitterly, fucking tricks. Allowing him to think for those first few seconds upon waking that Mac was still alive. Shane could swear his scent was hovering in the air as if he'd left the tent only moments before. .
Rubbing himself clean and ignoring the resulting stirring of his cock as he wipes himself off, Shane shakes his head. It can't be him, he was truly dead. Walter and Devon had killed him, just as he'd taken their lives.
But somewhere, buried down deep, the tiniest kernel of hope sprouted inside Shane that the man he'd seen yesterday was indeed Mac. They had been identical.
It's a couple of days before he sees him again. The old man, Dale, told him they were the Dixon brother's. Merle and Daryl. Not Mac, Daryl. Still. He had Mac's mole. His mole.
His nights begin to take on the same theme. Dreams of Mac, pain and pleasure coalescing into an orgasm that wakes him with his heart beating out of his chest. But the hope persists.
##########
After they'd been in camp for a few weeks, Shane found himself alone during the morning watch. The place was silent, nothing stirred except the few house animals that had managed to find their way to their ever expanding camp, or were brought along by owners. Shane loved this time of day. He moved off the roof of the campervan quietly, not rocking it or rousing his inhabitants as he stepped lightly down the ladder.
Finishing a call of nature he steps out of the tree line still doing up his belt when he sees Daryl settling his crossbow across his shoulders as he stands outside the tent he shares with his brother. Shane stops and watches him. He's truly Mac's twin in every way. Maybe a little heavier, shorter hair for sure.
It was a curiously fashionable cut for the man now that he thought about it, as was that still carefully maintained goatee. Mac's had been a piece of bum fluff most of the time. Scraggly and growing across his lips until he sat still long enough to let Shane trim it.
He had not been happy when Shane had grown a full beard during the winter he'd been in town. But still, Mac had become a lot more solid once he'd stopped dropping meth like it was fucking candy as well. Daryl was strong, very strong. And quick and light on his feet. Frowning, he spies ink on the back of Daryl's right shoulder. Just like Mac.
The other tattoos on his hands looked homemade, that one on his shoulder though, that looked professional. As did the red numbers inked on his inner right forearm. From what he could see from the edge of it sticking out from the torn off sleeve of the shirt it was a wing of some kind. An angel? Talk about a fucking juxtaposition. Just like Mac, Daryl was an odd combination. Fucker was hot. Palming his cock Shane stayed still as he drank in Daryl. All the while his mind was picturing Mac. Naked, bleeding, hot, sweaty. His. Swearing as Shane fucked him like the animals they both were.
Shane's mouth watered as he remembered taking Mac, owning him, his mouth licking and sucking over his tattoo's on his right shoulder, he remembers biting so hard over them in attempt to make his own imprint over the demon that ran his mates soul. He'd drawn blood, put his own scar right there over that exquisite artwork that Mac had worn. His demon's riding his soul all the way to hell, right alongside Shane.
Fuck, he missed Mac. He'd never considered another man in his life before or after him. His women always a parade through what Lori called his revolving bedroom door. Until now.
Without realising it Shane moans as he thinks of Mac and the pleasure-pain they always drew from each other. Daryl turns, fist raised and knife already unsheathed in his hand. Shane's heart stops as he sees the fear in his eyes.
It disappeared as soon as he saw Shane, but Shane had still seen it. He steps forward thoughtlessly with a grin, ready to ignore the flash of it for Daryl's comfort only to stop when Daryl pushes out the knife.
"Stay the fuck away from me cop. Don't speak, I ain't whoever you think I am." His words are terse, barely more than a harsh whisper and he glances back to his tent as he speaks.
"No, I know that, I just…" Shane trails off. He doesn't know that, not really, not truly. And he doesn't know what the fuck to say. Before he can even think of anything Daryl has somehow faded backward without tripping or falling and disappeared into the trees. Shane blinked. If he hadn't seen it he wouldn't believe it.
After standing there like a fool for several minutes he's roused by an unpleasant noise from the Dixon's tent. Pulling a face Shane walks away. That was not a snore.
##########
Over the coming weeks, Shane accepts leadership of the camp easily, a burden he shoulders without any issue. It's what he was trained for after all. They set up perimeters and snares and Glenn goes into town daily. Daryl and Merle hunt game, making sure they all have protein at least. None of them were starving. Glenn's hauls are too small though. Too small for the size of the camp they are now. They've been able to contact people via the CB radio to direct them away from Atlanta, the highways. They've been settled for several weeks when Shane gets up the courage to finally confirm Daryl isn't Mac.
The few encounters they'd had, had only whetted Shane's appetite to confirm the man who mirrored his mate. He needed to know for sure. And there was only one way to do it as far as he could see. Snorting to himself over the word mate Shane nevertheless felt it appropriate. They were fucking animals. In every way. Wild, feral and untamed. He needed an equal. And he'd never realised that until Mac had taken him and made him his bitch.
And he'd made Mac his in return. Who the hell knew what would come from that? He sure hadn't.
And so, Shane follows Daryl to the river one evening as he bathes. He's made sure Lori and Carl are occupied. He isn't sure what to think of Lori and her clinging. On one hand he understands it, on the other he finds it disturbing. But he can't turn her away. He misses Rick too. Would never forgive himself for letting him get shot that day. Months ago now.
Shane remembers the argument Lori and Rick had had the day he'd been shot. Rubbing an ache over his heart that was larger now for the loss of Rick as well as Mac he walks steadily down to the creek and follows it to the place Daryl has found that no one else uses.
He'd had to look for it, but he'd found it. He arrives at the clearing just as Daryl walks out of the river. Shane's mouth waters as he sees his pale skin gleaming in the early evening light. Mac had gleamed like that too.
Stepping forward the one thing he doesn't expect is the crossbow to come up, loaded and ready to shoot. Though really, he should have, "Easy Mac it's just me." He says as he steps forward again, Shane holds his palms up, empty and facing Mac.
"I done fuckin' told you, I ain't Mac." The words are still terse, and now uneven though still emphatic. Daryl's nervous about something. But he stands firm against Shane. Shane's cock doesn't care, he wants this person who looks like his Mac.
"Okay, easy. I'm sorry, like I said before, you could be twins. That's what I wanted to check. Mac, my Mac, he had uh," Shane paused not sure exactly how to say this but looking at Daryl he knows fucking around isn't the answer. Honesty is.
"He had some words burned down his side, kinda' like this." With that Shane reached back and pulled his t-shirt up and over his head, leaving his arms trapped inside it, so he was less of a threat he turned to the side and showed his own scars.
He swallows as he sees Daryl's eyes drop down. He's quick, but Shane sees the revulsion as he reads the words before he schools his features to a blank face. The side with Mac's carved into it first, then the side with Bitch carved into it second. "If I could just see you ain't got those, I reckon I'll stop thinkin' you're him." He says. He ignores the ache in his heart that Daryl feels disgust at the marks Mac had put on him. That more than anything told him this wasn't Mac. But, he couldn't back out now. Daryl would think he was more of a pussy than he did now. Putting the t-shirt back on again, he hooks his thumbs into his belt and waits Daryl out. He has to know for sure and this is the only way he knows his mind will accept that Daryl is not Mac.
Keeping eye contact, Shane doesn't look at what else he can see of Daryl's body. The towel he has around his waist isn't large but it covers the essentials. Daryl considers him for the longest time, just looks at him. Shane feels like he's staring into his soul. Like Mac used to. He found himself trembling.
Eventually, Daryl sighs and re-hitches the towel around his waist, then, surprising Shane he stays facing him, puts his crossbow down and grabs his trousers and yanks them on sans underwear. Once they've covered him, he lets the towel fall and does them up and buckles his long black belt. "Alright then, see?" He stands in front of Shane with his arms crossed, his palms tucked up under his underarms out of the way so Shane can see his sides.
Stepping forward carefully, Shane keeps his hands away from his gun. He moves forward the remaining steps while keeping his eyes locked with Daryl. When he's but a step away he takes a breath and looks down.
Nothing. Well not nothing, he can see faded scars all over Daryl's torso and some along his sides that look like they started on his back. But his sides carry no burned words whatsoever. Before he can stop himself or realise that it won't be welcomed, Shane reaches out a finger and runs it softly along Daryl's side.
A sharp hiss answers his touch, he is fascinated to see goose bumps follow the pad of his finger. Then suddenly Daryl has awoken and his hand smacks Shane's away sharply. "The fuck? I ain't a fuckin' fag like you and your Mac, back the fuck away." Ignoring him now Daryl picks up a sleeveless shirt and buttons it quickly.
Then, gathering his things up he heads back to camp leaving behind a dazed and confused Shane.
##########
Daryl finds himself shivering in the hot humid air that evening as he tries to sleep. Merle thankfully, has decided to sleep in the truck bed with his bike. Protecting his stash.
Rubbing his side again where Shane had stroked him Daryl shifts restlessly. It was crazy but it felt cold to the touch. No, not cold. Cool. Like by touching Daryl he'd somehow lowered his body temperature, but only in that specific spot.
He thinks once again of that long index finger stroking down his side. He'd stroked over Daryl's scars like they were nothing. Indeed he had some fucking serious scars of his own.
The evening light hadn't allowed Daryl to see them clearly. But he could see enough to know that words had literally been carved into Shane's flesh, even though still somewhat neat. and still eminently readable. Mac's Bitch.
And Daryl thought his family was fucked in the head.
Shaking his head at the thought that Shane, a fucking cop had allowed himself to be carved up like that Daryl rolled on his side and resolutely willed himself to sleep. He had a long day of hunting tomorrow.
The next day he watches as Lori talks to Shane in the early morning light. He listens but steps away from her touch. Woman was always touching him. Shaking his head Daryl headed off into the woods. Merle was still asleep and Daryl was happy to leave him that way.
"Daryl, wait up." Daryl scowled at Shane as he jogged toward him. He stopped a little distance away and walked the remaining steps. "Just wanted to say thanks for last night, I'll try to remember you're not him. Just fuckin' weird, even got the same fuckin' moles and shit, freaky shit man. Though, you got an extra one there." Shane points to the two moles, on Daryl's face, one slightly smaller, sitting right by the outside of his nostril. Daryl frowned, Mac had had the same moles as well?
He watched as Shane shakes his head as he swipes of his baseball cap and scratches a hand through his mop of curly hair. It was greasy and looked like he had mini-dreadlocks sticking up everywhere at the moment. It made him look vulnerable Daryl thought.
Something in Daryl unfurled at that thought but he jerked back regardless as Shane went to step further forward. He saw Shane frown at his skittishness. "You okay man?"
Daryl snorted. "Yeah man. I'm fuckin' fine. Got meat to hunt. And for the record, I don't give a shit about you and your dead faggy boyfriend and your kinky carving names into each other's skin shit, just stay the fuck away from me." He turns and fades into the woods leaving Shane staring after him.
Feeling the gaze on him despite being some distance away Daryl looks back. Shane is standing stock still and just watching him. And the crazy fucker is grinning.
He can't help it, before he turns and moves out of eyesight Daryl flips Shane the bird. He'd deny it if asked but he found himself smiling at the faint chuckle he swears he hears filter over to him.
For now though, he has some hunting to do. And if he wondered exactly what words Shane's Mac had had burned into his own flesh? Well there wasn't anyone around to hear his thoughts, so that was okay.
##########
Shane talks to the main group a few weeks later. He's already spoken to Glenn and while he's not happy, but he sees the sense in what Shane is proposing. None of them are happy. Lori refuses point blank to let him even consider heading into the city. Shane agrees if only because he knew for a fact he wouldn't shop well.
Sure he'd remember bullets, some food. But anything else he'd plumb forget and he knew it. Dale had already said he shouldn't go either. But not because he was leader. Because he was the only one who stood any chance of keeping the Dixon's in line.
He'd noticed himself Merle seemed to back down around him, Shane knew it was because he was mostly on something and didn't want him to know it. Mac, no Daryl, he could tell immediately didn't touch any mind altering substance at all thank fuck. It was going to be bad enough when Merle blew through his stash, he didn't need to deal with both brother's coming down. At least he knew what to expect after having gone through it up close and personal with Mac.
After a time they decide no female parent's should go into town. Which left Andrea and Jacqui going and while Andrea didn't mind, her younger sister Amy sure did. Shane had developed a massive headache as he was sure Glenn had by the time the group had been decided.
Merle had volunteered, Shane had accepted for one reason. The man could shoot, they'd need a lookout. Glenn sighed as he walked with Shane that evening.
"You're killing me man, making me responsible for all these people." He took off his own baseball cap and scratched through his hair. It was hanging in dirty clumps.
"I know, but we need the supplies, I'm thinkin' we need to maybe make a move. Just 'cause they ain't made it this far up the mountain yet, don't mean the geeks won't. We ain't prepared and we should be." Shane swipes his own hat off and scratches his head. "I'm thinkin' Fort Benning, what do you think?" Glenn looks at him and Shane looks back puzzled.
"You're asking my opinion?" Glenn says in a shocked tone.
"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Shane asks him as he settles his cap back on his head.
"No, I just thought you were happy making the decisions." Glenn says as he pushes his hair back and puts his own cap back on as well.
"You're valuable, I appreciate valuable, you're sneaky and I appreciate that more than I can say." Shane says bluntly. He knows Glenn is sneaky, he has to be to get around in Atlanta without any trouble. "Plus, you don't complain and whine, you do what needs to be done, only one maybe two other people here to do that and ain't that a fuckin' shame." He mutters his last sentence but Glenn hears him.
"Daryl's like that." He says as he looks directly at Shane.
Keeping eye contact Shane puts his hands on his hips. Glenn was ferretting. But he'd answer anyway. "Yeah, he is, valuable and appreciated by me even if no one else." Shane confirms Glenn's thoughts.
"I, uh, don't think he swings toward liking men though." Glenn stammers as he says this, half expecting Shane to beat him to a bloody pulp.
"I never used to either, but that is a discussion for another time boy, let's get back, you need a good night's sleep." They walk back slowly together.
When the come into the camp night has fallen. They gather around the campfire and accept their meals. Shane thinks he'll take a walk down and bathe later on, it's a warm night, should be nice and peaceful.
Making sure Lori and Carl are settled he says goodnight to them and grabs a towel, soap and a clean change of clothing. "Mind some company?" Glenn asks as he steps out of his own tent carrying the same things.
"Nah, 'bout conversed out though." Shane warns him.
"After the day I've had, silence will be nothing but a blessing Shane." Shane chuckles at Glenn's weary words. They're true though. The discussions and debates over the larger group going to town had exhausted him too.
They walk down the path to the water and then Shane leads Glenn along to the small clearing Daryl used. "Wow, I had no idea this was here." Glenn says as they begin to disrobe.
Getting naked Shane takes up his cake of soap and walks over the rocks and into the water until it reaches his thighs. Then he begins to wash himself down. Glenn does the same. As Shane had said there was no conversation.
Feeling himself relax in Glenn's company was a nice change. Usually he'd only ever relaxed like that with Mac. Or Rick. God he missed them.
Submerging himself in the river to rinse off, Shane stands and begins to walk to shore. He is brought up short as he sees a shadow standing over his clothes. It takes him a few seconds to realise its Daryl.
"Hey Daryl," He says companionably. "It's sure a nice night for bathin' go on in. Moon ain't too bright." Shane says to him. He continues walking forward and deliberately doesn't look at Daryl as he stands and stares at Shane.
Taking up his towel he dries himself off as Glenn emerges from the river behind him. "Hey Daryl, isn't this place great? Shane just showed it to me." Glenn takes up his own towel. Both he and Shane are comfortable in their nudity.
"Yeah, it is great." Daryl says with a sarcastic tinge to his voice. He drops his crossbow and then begins to disrobe as well. Shane notices he doesn't show them his back, kind of doing a mincing sideways walk to the river, cake of soap and shampoo in his hand.
"Am I interrupting something?" Glenn asks quietly as Daryl dunks himself in the water.
"Hell no, stay and sit awhile, I don't want to go back yet and I think I make Daryl uneasy enough that he'd stick me if I made a wrong move." Shane looks at Glenn.
"Okay, I didn't want to go back straight away anyway." Glenn says. They dry off and Shane dresses in his cargos and pulls on his boots, leaving off his shirt he spreads his towel out and lies down on it. The rocks aren't comfortable, but he's still enjoying being outside and away from the odor of the camp. The night was finally giving away to something approaching cool which made it more pleasant.
Glenn dresses fully but lies down as well. Neither of them talk as they look at the stars and listen with half an ear to Daryl's bathing. He seems to be taking an inordinate amount of time. Shane slowly realises that he's not wanting to get out of the water while they're still there.
Rolling his eyes he sits up. "Daryl get the fuck out, you ain't got nothin' we ain't seen before." He lies back down as Glenn snickers.
He hears some muttered cursing and then Daryl wades out of the water. Shane resolutely keeps his eyes closed. He hears Daryl wiping himself off and the sounds of his getting dressed, then he jerks, his pectoral muscles flexing as cool water sprinkles down on him. Opening his eyes he looks up to see Daryl flicking water at he and Glenn from a rag he'd soaked.
"Fuckers." He says in a surprisingly mild voice. He sits down to put his boots on but then surprises both men by staying. He bunches up his towel to use as a pillow. "You take care of my brother tomorrow Chinaman, you hear me?" He says without looking at Glenn as he sticks a twig in his mouth and begins to chew on it.
"I'm Korean." Glenn says mildly with a sigh. Shane thinks he sounds like he's said those two words his whole life.
"I know." Daryl answers and Glenn sighs louder. Shane shakes his head.
"You really enjoy fuckin' with people don't you Daryl?" He says as he sits up and hooks his arms around his knees as he raises them. He deliberately doesn't look at Daryl or Glenn.
"Yep." Daryl answers as he moves his twig from one side of his mouth to the other. Before he can say anything further Glenn switches on a small torch and flicks it over them both. The light pauses on Shane's side.
"Dude, what the hell is that, is that a word?" Glenn's voice is shocked, but it carries a hint of something else as well. Shane doesn't look for what else it might be.
"Yeah, it's a word Glenn and yeah it was carved into my skin, same as the word on my other side." Shane answers him evenly. He looks over at Glenn and sees him looking back. He nods at Glenn's raised brow and he gets up and walks around to Shane's other side. Standing on the other side of Daryl, Glenn shines the torch down Shane's flank, reading that word too. Shane doesn't turn to see if Daryl is taking advantage and having a closer look under the torchlight.
"Mac's Bitch. Shit man that had to hurt." Glenn moves back to his own towel and sits down again, this time cross legged and facing Shane.
"It did, believe me it did." Shane answers him. No use lying. Anyone with half a brain could tell it had hurt. "I've managed to keep anyone else from seein' it 'till now though, you understand?" He asks Glenn.
"Yeah, yeah. I understand." Glenn says as he switches off the torch. Silence descends on the three men. It's a surprisingly comfortable one given the men and their differences.
In the old world they would have maybe crossed paths on a street somewhere, Shane may have given them a ticket, Daryl may have fixed an alternator for Glenn and Glenn may have delivered one or both of them a pizza. But that would have been the extent of their interactions. And indeed, apart from Shane, neither Glenn nor Daryl knew what each other had done for a living. Shane, they both knew and Shane knew what job they had both held too. For Shane himself though, it was obvious from the day he'd arrived. The other two? Not so much. Shane knew because he'd checked what people had done in order to look at what jobs they should be assigned to keep the camp running as smoothly as possible.
This world, this world as it was now, was making them all forge new alliances. And they were beginning to discover that the three of them, well they may have had more in common than they thought.
Not the least of which was the fact that they were all happy sitting there in silence.
After a time Glenn speaks. "How the hell did you end up with those words cut into you Shane? It must've been hell." He says the last sentence softly.
Shane doesn't answer for a time, but he can feel both men waiting for an answer, just as he can sense Glenn won't press the question any further. And Daryl would never press.
"I don't rightly know that anything I say will make sense Glenn. Mac…" Shane paused for a while and again neither man said anything, letting him think on what to say, or even whether he'll say anything at all.
Cruising down memory lane Shane wonders exactly what he can say that would make sense. "He was…volatile I guess would be a word you could use. Crazy if I'm bein' properly honest. But," Pausing again Shane thought of Mac and smiled slowly. "He was my kind of crazy. We fit. Hell, maybe we were each other's kind of crazy."
"Huh," Glenn said after a time when he realised Shane had finished talking. "Your kind of crazy. That makes a disturbing amount of sense. And I'm even more disturbed to realise that I don't care, I think I like you anyway."
Shane's head jerks up and Glenn suddenly bursts into laughter. "No, shit! Not like that, dude eww!" He exclaims and Shane breathes a sigh of relief.
"Good thing man, Mac is the only man I've ever fucked or let fuck me, I ain't lookin' to go down that path again." Shane jerks as Daryl finally enters the conversation.
"Yeah well, Lori's got ideas on that." He says no more as his eyes flick up to Shane and then down again.
"True." Glenn concurs before Shane can say anything.
"Hell." Is all he can say. To have his suspicions confirmed by two other men no less means his concerns are valid. "Hell." He repeats himself.
Standing up, Shane's good mood has been taken by the thought of Lori. "Guess I'd better be headin' back. Night all." He says as he grabs up his towel and dirty clothing.
He's away and up the path before Glenn or Daryl can answer.
They lie there for several more minutes, but the silence isn't comfortable with Shane missing. Glenn eventually stands and gather's his things without speaking. With a muttered goodnight he walks back up the trail as well.
Daryl lingers a while longer. He can smell Shane and Glenn still on the air. He puzzles over his feelings, it's something he's not used to, looking into how he's feeling. It comes to him slowly that he feels relaxed.
He puzzles over why, right now with the world in a state of chaos he's feeling that way. And that answer comes to him slowly as well. Because being around Shane and to a lesser degree Glenn was relaxing. Shane, and Glenn were both capable men, they didn't rely on Daryl in anyway, could look out for other's and handle themselves without fanfare or the need for assistance.
Shaking his head, Daryl rises and gather's his belongings as well. Looked like he'd be sharing this clearing with them both from now on. He was halfway back to camp before he realised he was surprisingly okay with that.
Two days later, Daryl meets Rick Grimes. It is not love at first sight.
A/N - Now if you're familiar with my work you know I usually post very regularly. I'm sorry but I won't be doing so with this story. I am writing it, it will not be abandoned etc. I hope to post semi-regularly which to me is at least monthly. I always post my local time on a Saturday which will translate for most of you to be late Friday, early Saturday posts. Please be patient and thank mrsreedus69 as I asked her if she wanted me to post as I went or if she was happy to wait until I'd finished the whole story before I posted it. She was adamant that I post as I write. And so I obeyed.