AN: I don't personally like Andrea…or Carol really…so I'm tryin' somethin' different here lol.
"Mom, can I go with dad on a water run?" Aidan asked happily as she hung up laundry.
"To where?" She asked cautiously. They'd been in a camp outside of Atlanta for nearly two weeks and everyone was still adjusting. Shane had become their leader, so to speak, and it was as if things had gone back to the 1900's. The women were left to the laundry, the cooking, and the cleaning. Charlotte hated it, but she didn't have much of a choice. She carried a gun on her, granted the dangers and she knew how to handle one.
"Just down to the quarry. He's taking the jeep. Please mom?"
"Be careful, okay?" she kissed his head and he went on his way. She watched her son get into the jeep with his father, and then she noticed the glance he sent Lori's way. Which, she resented. It wasn't because she was jealous, but she knew what was going on with Shane and Lori. It may not have been obvious to everyone, but Charlotte knew. And quite honestly, it made her sick. Rick had been dead only two weeks, and Lori had already moved onto Shane of all people. He was Rick's best friend! Charlotte knew that if she and Shane were still married she wouldn't have gone straight to Rick if the tables were turned. That was just wrong. It also worried her. What if he started putting Lori and Carl before Aidan and Grace? She just hoped that sex wouldn't blind him.
"Mom, can me and Kenzi go swim in the quarry?" Grace came up and asked. Charlotte sent a look over to the Dixon's camp to see the eldest brother, Merle sitting and staring, while the younger one, Daryl was cleaning his crossbow.
"I'd rather you didn't," she replied. Daryl didn't bother her. He was usually quiet and kept to himself, but Merle kind of gave her the creeps. He was loud, crude, and a mother's nightmare so to speak. He was the kind of man that she didn't want her daughter near, and Shane felt the same way.
"But mom…please?"
"Not right now. Why don't you two help me with the laundry. I have to was more and you can walk down there with me, get your feet wet."
"No, we'll just go back to our tent, c'mon Kenzi." Grace had started back talking, and been what you'd call a 'typical teenager'. Charlotte didn't like it, but unfortunately, there wasn't much she could do about it. They had more stuff to worry about.
"I can help you, if you'd like," Carol offered. Charlotte had liked her since day one. Carol was such a sweet woman, always ready to him. Her pig of a husband didn't deserve such a sweet person.
"That be nice, thank you."
"No problem."
The two took the trek down to the quarry and began using the wash boards.
"Sophia's such a sweet kid," Charlotte commented. Automatically the two shared the 'mom bond'. They were bother mothers that cared so much about their children.
"So are Aidan and Grace," Carol agreed. "You and Shane aren't married, are you?"
It was funny, they'd been living together for nearly two weeks, but they didn't know each other very well still. "I've been wonderin' this too," Andrea said from behind them.
"Need four more hands?" Amy asked.
"Well, if you're willing to work just to hear my sorry excuse for gossip, y'know, I can't really say now." Charlotte smiled at the two blondes. They both took seats and gathered up some of the laundry and began washing. "We aren't. But we were…In another life it seems like…"
"What happened?" Amy, the youngest of the women asked.
"We grew apart? Fell out of love? I don't know…It happens though. You get used to living one way of life for too long and you just don't wanna do it anymore."
"How long were you married?" Andrea asked.
"Almost ten years. Look, I'm an open book here, I don't like secrets. So I hope that y'all don't like think any less of me or anything. You're all great people."
"Why would we think less of you?" Amy knitted her brow. Charlotte, from what she'd seen was pretty awesome. The first night in camp, while everyone was still recovering from seeing the city bombed, she got everyone organized and away from danger. She brought the group together.
"We got married straight out of high school because I was pregnant…" She shrugged. "I don't know…It's probably a common thing, but in my town, it didn't happen much."
"The way I see it, you did the right thing and raised two good kids," Andrea said. "And it's not like you and Shane cheated on each other. We're not judging you. Hell, have worse skeletons buried in my closet. A list of asshole ex-boyfriends-"
"Andrea always goes for lost causes," Amy commented, earning her a smack on the arm from her older sister and a look that could kill. "Hey! It's true!"
"So what! You always date losers!"
"Calm down you too," Charlotte said in a motherly voice.
"Yes mom," they said at the same time, causing Charlotte to roll her eyes. She was younger than Andrea, so she wasn't sure how well that worked out.
Across the way, they could see Shane and Aidan filling up jugs of water. "Anybody else wonder what's goin' on between him and Lori?" Amy offered to the conversation. Another smack to the arm from Andrea followed.
"Must we ask that here?"
"Ow! Stop hitting me!"
"Girls, calm down," Charlotte said, again. She shook her head, they fought like cat and dog! They were worse than Grace and Aidan. "Plus, Andrea, I really don't mind. I'd like to know that myself."
"Hi Mom!" Aidan called over, waving to his mother. She waved back and finished with the basket she was working on. She stood and moved it out of the way. As she headed back to her spot, she heard tires against the dirt, and Shane's jeep was approaching.
"I can take up all the wet laundry so y'all don't have to carry it," he offered. Charlotte stood yet again.
"Thank you," she went to pick up the basket of wet clothes when the dark haired man stopped her.
"That's heavy. I got it, Char," he stated, and put it in the back of the jeep, which Aidan opened.
"Thanks…again."
"Mm hm. Anymore?"
"I've got one," Carol too went to pick hers up, but Shane took it and added it to the jeep.
"Last call." He looked around and saw Amy and Andrea still working. "A'right. See y'all. Be careful now."
"Bye Mom!"
"Bye sweetheart."
Everyone went back to their original task and Charlotte started washing more laundry. The blonde sisters had brought down two more baskets. "Chivalry isn't dead," Amy snorted.
"Shut it." Charlotte rolled her eyes.
"And what's with this 'Char' thing?" the younger blonde asked.
"That's just what he calls me. Always has. Did anyone get the Dixons' laundry?" The three other women looked around awkwardly. "I'll go get it." Her hands were getting wrinkly anyway. Plus, she wasn't afraid of the Dixons. Merle worried her a bit, just because she was never sure where his head was at, but Daryl seemed harmless enough. Hot-headed, but harmless. He wouldn't hurt anybody that didn't deserve it, she could tell.
As she made her way up the hill and to the rednecks' camp, she watched people, who wouldn't know each other if it weren't for the circumstances, interact. Kids played, life went on. She slowed her gait the closer she got. She didn't really want to speak with Merle. And, she was in luck. Only Daryl was out of the tent. He was sitting and cleaning his crossbow.
"Do you have any laundry you want washed?" she asked. He didn't look up from his task, not once when he spoke.
"Why ya askin' me for?" He replied. His tone was always harsh, she didn't like it, but at least he wasn't making crude comments. "Y'all ain't never asked 'fore."
"Well I am, because I'm doing the laundry. And did you ever think to, I don't know, maybe bring it to me or someone to wash it?" Her tone was harsher than she intended, but he seemed like he'd be like a duck anyhow. Whatever she said wouldn't stick like water to a duck's back, it would simply roll off.
"Merle, get yer lazy ass up," Daryl said, rising from his spot. He unzipped the tent and walked in. Charlotte heard low speaking between the brothers before Daryl came out with a pile of clothes.
"Do you have a bag or something to put them in? My arms around that big…" The pile would be heavy. And stinky, she thought. They'd smell like sweat and other unknowns.
"No. Guess I can carry 'em," he offered halfheartedly. He didn't really want to, but they needed their laundry washed. He'd worn the same things a few times over now, and with animal blood and days worth of sweat on them, his clothes were getting pretty rank.
"I'd appreciate that." He sighed and began following her to the quarry. If he was going to offer, she'd take advantage of it.
"Damn," another rough, southern accented voice called. "Girl, where ya goin'? My bed's this way!" It was Merle…Of course.
"Why ya think I'm goin' the other way?" Charlotte called back.
"Yer confused, that's all. I'll straighten things out for ya."
"Go to hell, Merle," she replied, her voice flat. She wasn't going to let any of it affect her. He was only doing it to get a rise out of her. After all, there was no way that worked with anybody that had more than half a brain cell. Merle certainly wasn't a looker. "This camp won't last long…Not enough people." At first, Daryl thought that she was talking about the impending walker threat but then she continued. "People are like horny animals…it won't be long until everybody starts sleeping with people…And then it'll all crumble and it'll be like a reality TV show."
"More than the asshole cop an' his skank?" Daryl offered. Charlotte knitted her brow. Then she figured it out.
"Lori and Shane?" Daryl nodded. Charlotte started to say something about Shane not being an asshole cop, but he'd been an asshole to Daryl for no reason, so she couldn't exactly correct him. "So it is true…"
"Assholes scared off a deer," he mumbled to himself, making a disgusted face.
"Dangerous, stupid, and keeping us from venison. Those assholes!" Charlotte said with the shake of her head. She looked over at Daryl and saw the corners of his lips twitch, before they receded into a frown.
When they arrived at the quarry, Daryl dropped the clothes and left. Well that was odd, Charlotte thought to herself. She wasn't sure how she felt about the younger Dixon brother at this moment. He wasn't really what she'd expected. That was their first real conversation and he hadn't made any comments about anything sexual-well not that had to do with him really…Just that Lori and Shane were moronic and scared off a deer, which didn't count.
AN: It was longer this time. And, Charlotte actually spoke to Daryl! Lol, I won't be rushing into anything between the two, just an fyi.
