Chapter 25:

While she was able to get her sword and Liane's gun back after she found Government Guy's apartment she wasn't able to find anything else on him or even the town. She'd been on the road with Liane for a while and she knew when they did come across people they were usually talking about a place where people could live that was safe from the undead hordes.

Even though she hadn't come across many people since the plague hit the people she did meet didn't mention anything about Westwood. The town was well established and she noticed this about each apartment she visited while looking for her weapons and signs of anything wrong with the place. The apartments were kept clean and tidy. A lot of the furniture must've already been there before the town was established or found during supply runs. Bedding and linen was miss-matched in every apartment she came across. The kitchens were small but functional enough a family could prepare a decent meal. Based on the chatter around town each townhouse housed at least four people even if they didn't know each other before the outbreak.

Despite the sudden intrusion from Government Guy, Harrison Yates and Mr. Mackey forcing her to hide while they discussed entertainment, the generators and Mackey and Towelie's experiments she was determined to find out exactly what was wrong with the town. She didn't know what it was but something about Westwood and Government Guy gave her the creeps.

"You can begin your experiments again in the morning Mackey." Government Guy said as he took boxes of drinks from his personal refrigerator.

"Don't be a party pooper." Yates hit him across the back of the head with his good arm. "You got the good shit made for tonight didn't you?"

"Towelie finished the last batch this morning." Mackey meekly dropped the subject. She quickly realised that she might have to talk to Mackey. She knew he didn't like being around them. She hoped she could get him on her side.

"Nnnniiiiicccceeee!" Yates exclaimed as they left. Once the coast was clear she was able to rejoin the party without anyone noticing she'd been missing the whole time.

XXXX

She anxiously paced back and forth while the other survivors including Sharon and the others she left behind in camp gathered in the living room. She didn't want the kids listening in but since they were going to hear about it anyway she let them hang around for the meeting.

"There's no easy way to say this." She began nervously. She fidgeted with her fingers and tried to suppress nausea as her stomach churned. "This has to be a group decision or a volunteer basis only because I can't decide this on my own."

"Is this about my little brother?" Jimbo asked as she expected he would. She would have to tell Randy's family.

"Is there going to be a trial?" Little Stan Marsh asked. "This is about dad being a dick right?"

"That is what this is about and there is going to be a trial." She would just have to say it since it was Randy's idea in the first place. "I'm sorry kid, but your father demanded a trial by combat."

"You mean like Game of Thrones?" It was Kyle Broflovski who asked as people around them obviously didn't know what to think.

"A normal trial like before would be better for everyone especially the little kids." Her father was right. Even though she would rather throw Randy Marsh to the walkers a normal trial would be better. At least it would be a group decision and not just hers alone. "I'm not the only lawyer here."

"Trial by combat?" Sharon seemed confused by the notion her ex husband had demanded. "Who authorised this?"

"It wasn't my idea Sharon. Your ex husband demanded it. He wanted to fight my husband, but I won't have that." She snapped bitterly and in doing so put Sharon in her place. She was still hurt after Sharon accused her of cheating with Randy when she must've known she didn't want to be with her ex husband much less associate with him in the first place "Because of Randy's stupid request I have to choose a champion."

The others were murmuring amongst themselves. It was Barbrady who helped her to a recliner chair as she felt faint. She just wished she could rest without having to deal with power hungry morons.

"Who's going to be the champion?" PC Principal asked as he was trying to settle PC babies.

"I can't choose." She didn't want to choose. She wished she didn't have to. Ever since he barged into her cabin he'd been very unreasonable. She couldn't be certain her side would win. "I can't guarantee victory."

"Is this a fight to the death?" Sheila Broflovski asked as everyone looked around wondering who she was going to choose.

"It is?" She noticed Randy's family were horrified even though she was sure Jimbo Kern, Ned Gerblanski and even Stanley Marsh were familiar with Game of Thrones and the trial by combat concept.

"Randy you idiot!" Jimbo cursed his little half brother. "Why would he want a trial by combat?"

"He wanted to fight my husband. I'm not allowing it. I can't choose a champion so it has to be on a volunteer basis." She felt like it would be a waste of life if her side were to lose. The walker pit was a better idea.

"You're not going to let Officer McDaniels fight him are you?" Stan obviously already knew the answer to his question.

"No kid and Alexander was Randy's second choice." She couldn't get rid of the lump in her throat. She desperately needed to vomit.

"I can't die." Kenny McCormick reminded them. "I can do it."

"I can drag him to hell. It won't take much effort." Katherine reminded them she was the Grim Reaper and since the outbreak began she'd been dealing with a lot of lost souls.

"No Katherine!" She wouldn't allow the children to volunteer. She didn't care if they had superpowers. "New rule. You have to be over eighteen if you really want to volunteer."

The little superheroes groaned simultaneously even though she knew they'd dealt with worse threats in the past she still wouldn't let them fight an adult in a trial by combat. "I don't even want you kids to watch this trial."

"I don't either." It was something she and Sharon could agree on and talk civilly about.

"When is this trial mom?" Katherine asked as she opened a bag of Cheesy Poofs. She sat on the floor with her fluffy white kitten in her lap and her other three cats sleeping near her.

"You're not allowed to watch this Katherine. You and your little friends will just have to wait here while we deal with this." She wouldn't let her. She panicked when the children had left the cabin. Katherine had promised she wouldn't wander off from the property or put herself in danger again.

"I'm the Grim Reaper mom." She reminded her. "I need to reap the soul when the fight is over. It is a fight to the death isn't it?"

She knew she'd have to let Katherine attend the fight. The Reaper duties were split between Katherine, Kenny McCormick and Dovahkiin Hughes since all three children were Netherborn. "It's your turn to reap this week isn't it?"

"I'm gonna reap souls at some point you may as well get this over with quickly." Katherine also reminded Randy's family that she wouldn't have to reap at all if Randy hadn't insisted on this type of trial. "If he loses it's his own fault."

"Mayor?" She noticed her aide Johnson in the doorway. He was supposed to be on guard duty down at the barn with Detective Murphy.

"Who's guarding the prisoner?!" She snapped with obvious annoyance. The last thing she wanted was for Randy to attempt escape while he was waiting for his trial.

"Murphy." Johnson was out of breath and could hardly talk.

"What is it Bob?" Barbrady asked after he double checked the main house was secure.

"It's Marsh." Johnson collapsed on the sofa between Blake and PC Principal. "I'm sorry Mayor, but he wants to talk to you."

"Oh for the love of God!" She shouted with frustration. "What the fuck does he want now?!"

XXXX

"What do you want now Marsh?" It was cold outside. Snow had started falling and she knew she would need to find snow mobiles to make runs. She had one at the cabin, but she would need more. Being out in the cold reminded her they would need another supply run soon. Before she could think seriously about it she had to deal with Randy Marsh. She just wanted to get it over and done with.

He smirked as if he thought he got the better of her. "You can't kill me."

"You're the stupid idiot that demanded a trial by combat." She reminded him coldly. "If you lose it's your own fault!"

"Wouldn't you want the baby to know its father?" Even though he was restrained in a way to make escape for him impossible and he wasn't a threat she felt sick to her stomach. The weight of instant dread crushed her.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" She honestly had no clue. All she knew was that he was tormenting her. She hated looking at him since it reminded her of her mistake.

"Congrats on the bundle Mary." His malevolent smirk became wider. He shifted every now and again to find a more comfortable position. "What are you going to call it?"

"Bundle?" She quickly realised he was talking about her pregnancy. She kept this information from the other survivors. Only her blood relatives knew she was expecting. Her husband was adamant the baby was his child not Randy's

"You're having a baby right?" Randy tried and failed to break his restraints. He responded with sulking when Officer Foley hit him across the head with a baton. When he overcame the pain from the blow his smirk returned. "My baby!"

Her face paled. She was trying not to think about it. She wanted her husband to be the father. "T-this baby isn't yours."

"So you are pregnant?" He taunted her with her mistake. She didn't want to be reminded about what happened back in camp.

She couldn't keep it in. She didn't even make it out of the barn before she threw up on one of the hay bales. She couldn't stop the tears as hot rage overwhelmed her. Even though she didn't know the paternity of her unborn child she wouldn't allow Randy to be the father. The baby – no matter who the actual father was – was Officer Barbrady's. "You'll get your trial by combat tomorrow evening!"