September 24, 2010
~*~ SW ~*~
Shane takes the moment where they're waiting on everyone to file in to cup Scout's face, stealing little kisses as she laughs between them. No one seems to mind, everyone admiring the smooth lines of the white cake and the dozens of orange and yellow hibiscus flowers that have been crafted for it. Everyone's excited for dessert, and he figures that the dozen flavors of ice cream might prove more popular than either wedding or groom cake, but they gamely cut the cake.
To the cries of "you gotta smear it on her face," he grins and reminds everyone she carries a knife and gun on far too regular a basis. Of course, that response time just means she gets him first.
When things turned more formal than words between them in front of family and friends, Scout didn't really want a solo dance, until the wedding addicts convinced her to do it during dessert, moving to the other dances as a solo. They intended for all the songs to be from the collection of music that had gathered in the community center over the past months, but after they did pick their song, all it took was Jazz's quiet request for the first song, at least, to become a live version.
He's not sure if the musicians around the Homestead recorded the music that starts, or if they somehow found one meant for live singing since he's seen Carol's note for future music nights, but it's just Jazz and Beth without the musicians from earlier. He leads Scout into the half of the community center cleared for dancing, stepping close to her just as the duo bring their own flair to "When You Say Nothing at All." He's heard the blended version before mixing the original and the tribute, but the two teenagers just might have that one beat.
But that might be the fact that practical, rational Scout is singing the words softly too. He doesn't think she remembers any of her misgivings about the solo first dance now. He certainly doesn't, and he regrets when it does come to an end, other than they take the opportunity for another lingering kiss in front of everyone.
Jazz is switching the music over to the recorded CD now, each song spaced with a gap between songs so it doesn't have to be babysat quite as much, so he takes the tap on his shoulder with grace and lets Merle step in.
Carol's smile is a little shy, and he wonders when the last time she danced with someone is. But her step is confident enough when he leads her out, maybe helped along by the fact that there's no shyness among the others joining them as the country theme continues with Heartland's "I Loved Her First."
"You look so happy," Carol says softly. "It's a good look on you."
"It is on you too, Carol," he replies. It really is. They've both changed in different ways from the people they were when they met by the side of the highway in a world gone mad. It's still the same crazy place outside this cocoon of safety they've created here, but maybe a cocoon is right for the both of them.
He follows Carol's look toward Merle and Scout, noticing his wife... his wife... has her head on her father's shoulder as they sway more than dance. He thinks Merle's singing the words. He and Carol are silent as they dance, and they aren't the only couple with attention more on father and daughter than their own footwork.
As the song's last note fades, Carol kisses his cheek. "Take care of her, of you both, Shane. Hers is not the only heart you'd break if you don't."
It settles deep in his gut just how right she is with that, as he steps aside once again to let Merle claim his dance partner.
Thankfully, the songs from here on out aren't personal, just a mix of slow and upbeat love songs. It gives him time for his emotions to settle, especially when Cricket simply starts their dance with a kiss to the cheek Carol didn't kiss.
He's loved.
~*~ CP ~*~
Carol sinks into the seat between Jacqui and Michonne with her cup of very much non-alcoholic punch. The two cups of the other stuff, in addition to the wine from the toasts, was already far beyond her usual want for alcohol and she wanted to remember everything about this day.
The other woman smiles at her. "How's the mother of the bride doing?"
"Still being amazed at being the mother of the bride. I think I've danced more tonight than ever in my life." She's danced with Shane, Merle, Daryl, Jamie, and a very bashful Jazz so far. She begged off a dance with Christopher, needing a drink and a break for her feet. "Feels a bit like a twist on Cinderella."
"Something tells me there are no pumpkins in your future at midnight," Jacqui says. "It's good to see you so happy. You're damn near glowing as much as the bride."
"I never expected her to include me in the ceremony today, not over Glynnis or Christopher or one of the other siblings."
"I suspect she wants to acknowledge how much you mean to the family. Merle's been alone a long time," Michonne adds. "I know I love seeing him so happy. As his attorney, I've had the unfortunate privilege of meeting the former Mrs. Dixon a few times. You are so much better suited to him."
Carol stills, looking to the younger woman, who smiles solemnly. "She stays in touch?"
"Only through me, and only then in regards to paperwork and alimony issues. He had to call me for her contact information when Scout was hurt."
"He paid her alimony? But with the legal charges, I wouldn't think a judge would order that?"
"Judge didn't. State calls it alimony because bribery to stay away seems illegal. She remarried two years ago, so at least that stopped."
"I have to ask, what is she like?" Jacqui's expression is pure curiosity.
"In appearance, much like Honey. More Chinese than Chamorro, very pretty still even in her early fifties. In personality, very remote and closed off. I suspect she does care for her children in some way, because she's requested and received yearly updates on them. I know she has been in contact with Cricket for a few years."
Carol fumbles her cup at that. "Does Merle know that?"
Michonne nods. "She's an adult. Their non-contact agreement only covered minor children, and she wasn't the one to contact Cricket first. As to the state of that relationship, you'll have to ask Cricket herself."
"But she didn't come to the hospital to see Scout?"
"Best guess? She isn't capable of facing the two children she hurt the most. I don't think Scout or Daryl has spoken to her since the divorce. Cricket's a neutral party, too young when her mother left to harbor the same level of hurt."
"I can't imagine not coming regardless if my daughter was critically injured." Jacqui nods agreement with Carol's words.
"Me either, especially now that I'm a mother. But she's a mystery to me, other than to say that mental illness defense she used against the neglect charges is likely true. Just not the postpartum depression part." Michonne slides her empty cup into the stack of discards on the table and smiles. "Enough dour talk for today. I'm going to go dance with your man."
She weaves her way through to capture Merle's attention as the songs change, taking Tara's place as his partner. Carol's not sure any of the Dixon males have missed a dance yet. Jazz is actually with someone his own age for the new song, dancing with Beth, which reminds Carol she hasn't seen Sophia in a while. As she scans the crowd, Jacqui nudges her.
"Sophia's over there with the other teenagers. She seemed to run out of steam about the same time you did with the dancing. She's pretty good for her age. I think Leo's two boys are trying to work up the courage to ask her to dance, though." Jacqui waves her hand toward Mateo and Sebastian, who seem to be huddled in the age-old format of boys unsure a girl will accept an invitation.
"Honey's been giving her lessons. I know she danced with most of the family tonight." Keeping track was easy on the dance floor, especially with the orange ribbons woven as streamers into her daughter's steadily lengthening blonde locks.
"Hmm-hmm, she did. Even Jazz. Didn't look like she wanted to switch off to Shane at all. Luckily, the groom hid his amusement well at that."
Carol figures Sophia's crush on Jazz definitely did add to her not enjoying a switch to another dance partner. That little tidbit is going to keep things interesting in a family where Sophia sees the rest as siblings. "Have you danced at all?"
"Twice. Once with Jim, once with Jorge. Boy's light on his feet for an ex-gang member. Plotting on a turn with your man before the night's out, maybe his little brother too."
"And not the groom?" Carol teases.
"I think that man's going to last about as long as the females considered relatives before he sneaks off with his wife and we don't see them again til Sunday morning's run. Which reminds me. I got Scout's surprise for Shane smuggled into their cabin once Rick guaranteed he was clear of the cabin for good."
"That'll be interesting. I don't think he expects it at all. She was so careful for the ceremony to not give it away, too." Carol smiles. Finding the embroidery machine wasn't hard at all, but the blank name tapes a little more so, until one of the guardsmen caught on and recommended an alteration shop near the air base outside Atlanta.
The song's ending and Carol smiles softly. "Well, that's sweet of him."
Beth's been whisked away by one of the other teenage boys, but Jazz has sought out Lori, coaxing the pregnant woman onto the dance floor probably by virtue of Lori being hard pressed to tell the boy no about anything.
"She's been doing her best to fade into the background since we came inside. He's not the first one to go over to her. Scout sat out a dance earlier with her. About gave Andrea a damn stroke to watch too."
"Where is our resident grouch?"
"Disappeared with the pretty blond cop off Karen's team about ten minutes ago after a dance. Doubt we'll see them back. Fairly sure he was the consolation prize because she's been trying for Rick's attention since the dancing opened for everyone."
"And Rick?"
"Has been as busy as possible dancing with everyone but Andrea. She still isn't in his good books after he caught on to the gossip about Lori she started before the baby news. I think she got the point when he danced with Amy after turning her down."
Carol looks around for the best man, who seems to be upholding best man duties by staying on the dance floor. His current partner is Lenore, and the pretty redhead seems fairly entertained by whatever's being said during the slow song. "He's still on the roam?"
"Far as I've seen or heard, although Shane's probably the only one who knows the full details. Seems like he's enjoying being an eligible bachelor, and the ladies don't seem to mind taking him out for a spin."
It makes Carol look around for the rest of the 'quarry folk' and she's happy to see that Dale's settled in nicely with the two older men from Grady and a few of the more spry nursing home residents. The card game they've got going might be out of place at a normal wedding, but she's just happy to see everyone enjoying themselves. Amy's on the dance floor, looking happy enough to be partnered with Jamie, and T-Dog's sitting with Amanda Wakefield looking happy enough for the wheelchair bound woman's company. Glenn's in Honey's clutches on the dance floor, looking a bit panicked while Honey looks about to burst out laughing, so there's no telling what the girl said to the poor guy. But that leaves one rather obvious absence.
"How's Jim doing?"
"Better lately. Sending the interested kids down for lessons in the afternoons is really helping him rebuild himself, I think. Today's just a little more than he's good to handle, so he went down to the shop to tinker a bit. Couple of the Vatos weren't much interested in dancing went down with him, so at least he's not by himself."
"That's good to hear. Can't do much but give him time and space." Once, her world was so narrow one loss would have killed her, she thinks. Now, looking around at her various family members enjoying the post-wedding celebration, she tries to imagine losing multiples. It doesn't bear imagining. Whatever Jim needs to put one day in front of another, they'll provide.
Merle's approaching as soon as the song ends, passing school teacher Gail off to her grinning co-teacher, who seems happy with the new dance partner. "Now, darlin', are you bored with the dance floor already?" he asks, sitting beside her and greeting Jacqui.
"Just needed to give my feet a break. The sandals are very pretty to look at, not so kind to the feet." She motions to Jacqui. "If you're looking to dance again, Jacqui's been tapping her feet along the last two songs, and no nice gentlemen in sight."
He laughs and stands after a kiss to her temple. "Can take a hint. Wanna show me your footwork, Miss Jacqui?"
The other woman laughs and accepts the offered hand, following Merle out as dance partners shuffle and reassemble under the opening notes of the next song. Carol watches as they both start laughing when the old school country song starts playing, but it doesn't deter either of them from a pretty good two-step. Enjoying how far they've come from the jumbled group of survivors in the quarry, Carol goes off to see if there's any ice cream left before she sees if her feet are up to a little more.
~*~ SW ~*~
Shane's debating the logistics of not even making it to the bed with Scout's hand already in the open waistband of his slacks before they even got the cabin's door open. But he's going to manage this one last tradition, even if it kills him to grab her wrist.
"Scout, baby, just a few more feet."
She laughs and releases him, sliding her arms over his shoulders as he lifts her and nudges the door open. Besides, carrying her over the threshold means a fast trip to the bed in the small interior of the cabin.
He's stumbling through the kiss she initiates as he crosses the threshold, and he does manage to kick the door closed. But before he can drop her to the bed, he spots something out of place.
"Why's one of your uniforms on the bed?" He knows it's hers, because while many of the teams wear military gear while on runs, none of the civilians wear anything displaying rank. Scout would probably personally build a pillory to confine them in if they did.
She stills, smiling at him. "Why don't you put me down and take a look."
Puzzled, he does that, not noticing as she wriggles up the bed to stretch out because his attention is now on what the carefully positioned sleeve hid... her changed name tape. He picks up the uniform shirt and runs his fingers across the raised letters of his own last name.
"Scout, you don't have to..." They didn't even discuss it. He just assumed with her family ties and long treasured independence, she wouldn't change her surname. Walsh is his father's name, not something he attaches pride to, but it is also Grandma Jean's, which he does.
"I want to. Lots of Dixons in our little world, not so many Walshes."
He's speechless for a moment, laying the shirt carefully on the chest at the foot of the bed and crawling up the bed to hover over her. "Every time I think I've got you all figured out, you surprise me again," he says.
"Gotta keep it interesting," she says, and movement distracts him from the intensity of emotion the name change evokes. Her hand is resuming its earlier path and he helps her push his clothing down his hips as he lowers his body to hers. She scrabbles at his buttons, getting his chest exposed to her touch, while he ducks his head to her throat, remembering their first night as he slides down the straps of her dress. The skirt flows around them as she guides him to her, the scrap of cloth under the skirt no real barrier to their equal determination for now.
It's not sweet or leisurely, and if his "I love yous" lose more and more coherency each time their hips meet, hers do to.
He loves this woman so damn much, whose sweat slick skin slides against his own, and who matches his intensity with fire of her own.
It takes them a while, after, to detangle from formal clothing not really meant to be worn through making love, no matter what the movies portray. But the kisses they exchange during the process are worth every minute of that part too.
~*~ LG ~*~
"Abby asleep?" Lori asks as Daryl shuts the door behind him.
"Yeah. Curled up with Isabelle in her bunk. Looks like they fell asleep watching The Little Mermaid." The kids under sixteen all were sent on their way as darkness fell, but Daryl and Lori both stayed longer. With Patricia back at the house, the younger kids were well supervised, and it proved again that Abby is slowly regaining her independence when she left with Isabelle, Sophia, Al, Jazz, and Carl without a protest. "Still kinda weird to not have Andre in the puppy pile of kids."
Michonne took a few weeks to just revel in her son being alive and stayed in the house, but having her own space soon became a priority. Since Carl rarely stayed with Rick, he moved out of the family unit he was assigned and into one of the duplex units so Michonne could have a ground floor place for her and Andre.
Three out of the five prior nights, Abby slept in the girls' room instead of with Daryl and Lori. During those nights, Lori discovered Daryl's likely to join her even if it's not part of their little benefits arrangement. He likes to tuck against her back and sleep with a hand curled under the curve of her belly. She's afraid to talk about the change, that he might get embarrassed and call it off entirely.
He looks at the book in her hands and sits down to peer at the page. "What's she up to this week then?"
His level of interest in a baby not his is appealing in a way she's not sure she should admit to, considering the checkered path that led to this baby's existence and his original objections that Scout might get hurt. "Why are you so sure it's a girl?"
He shrugs. "Always guessed right with Merle's kids and with Abby. Was running about 75% right on my coworkers over the years. Seems I'm better when I guess girl. Besides, you got a boy already, so a girl would be nice, right?"
There's that little ache, a twinge. Abby's a girl, and Lori's definitely fallen for the little girl. "Yes, it would be nice."
Daryl stretches a little, running his finger down the page. "Says she's the size of an avocado."
"If an avocado could dance. She was excited by all the music in the party. Or maybe the orange juice I drank, but I'm going to pretend it was the music."
"You can feel her already?" It's a testament to their level of comfort that he doesn't ask before he touches, sliding his hand under the edge of her shirt to rest against the swell of her belly. He's still the only person other than Cricket and Abby to rub a hand across the baby bump. She's showing more than she did with Carl, but the book says that's normal for a second pregnancy. "She's going to be a lil asskicker then, already romping around."
"It started today, actually. I wasn't entirely sure until I was back here and in the quiet, but yeah, she's definitely on the move. You probably won't be able to feel it for a few more weeks at least, though. It's earlier than with Carl, but the book says that happens on later pregnancies especially if you're slender."
"Cricket's doing your ultrasound next month, right?"
"Yeah. She's going to teach Carol how as part of the training she's been doing when she lets the medical staff have an off shift. Abby's got it marked on the calendar." She hesitates, knowing it's going to be a crowded session because she's already told Shane and Scout they should be there during the ultrasound, rather than getting the video after. "You should be there too. With Abby." She adds the last part, just in case.
"A'right. If you're okay with me being there." He isn't looking at her as he says it, more at the book, but he tenses enough that she knows her reply is important to him.
"Of course I am." She yawns hard enough her jaw nearly locks and then giggles tiredly.
"You need to get some sleep." He takes his hand off her belly to tug the book away, placing her bookmark before putting it in its usual spot on the built-in bookshelf. "You were up before the chickens this morning."
"So were you," she grumbles, but she slides down in bed while he goes to shed his wedding clothes. He glances back at her when he's changed his slacks for a pair of drawstring pajama pants. She sleepily pats the bed beside her and he nods, but detours to the bathroom. She's happy for Shane and Scout, glad she was part of making sure their day went well, but she's glad they don't have parties like that very often.
She is just about asleep when he spoons himself behind her, hand against her belly as he relaxes quickly into sleep. She marvels at the ability, but not for long. It was a long, eventful day. The baby flutters gently, butterfly movements within her just under Daryl's hand, and she smiles. Lil Asskicker. Why does she just know that's the name this baby's going to end up with regardless of what she calls her?
~*~ SW ~*~
"We should shower," Scout says.
He agrees, but getting out of their wedding clothes led to a leisurely exploration of each other's bodies that ended with Scout leading them both to completion a second time, arched above him with that pendant the only 'clothing' she wore this time. He doesn't think he'll ever get tired of seeing her skin shine in the dim moonlight from their window, long black hair flowing around her shoulders, knowing he's the reason she's lost all control of English and reverted to her native tongue that he's learning more and more of every day.
He's pretty sure a lot of them aren't words for public use.
He's also pretty sure his brain isn't functioning yet. He marvels that she's even remembering they have a shower already.
"An' change' tha sheets," he drawls at last.
She hums, walking her fingers up his sternum to stroke along his jawline. She stretches a little, causing her body to move against him, and he really wishes for the stamina of his college days. Then again, this is something that isn't going to last a fleeting night or weekend. He musters up the energy to capture the hand and bring it up to kiss against her ring, glad they did opt for some outward sign. Although they don't seem to need it. Both the Grady people and the rabbit farm folks referred to them as married without any introduction.
She's the first to manage to move, kneeling beside him and smiling. "C'mon, Mister Walsh. I'll scrub your back if you scrub mine."
"Well, if you put it that way, Mrs. Walsh..." He's pretty sure that phrase is going to take a few years for the new and happy to wear off.
~*~ GR ~*~
Glenn marvels at the changes in his life that led to him being considered an appropriate chaperone to the older teenagers who have permission to continue the dancing and entertainment until midnight. The newly married couple didn't make it past what would normally be supper time, the younger kids were gone by dark, and the adults over twenty-five didn't last past ten. There were enough odd pairs drifting out that Glenn wondered if there were going to be a lot of interesting mornings after. He's tired, no more dancing left in him, and Maggie doesn't seem to be as perky as normal either. They've retired to a corner table with Cricket, Tara, Carlos, Sam, and Ana.
The oldest of the Vatos is probably the oldest in the community center right now, and he stuck around to make sure his 'boys' behaved themselves around the ladies, or so he initially said. From the needling Cricket and Tara have going, they suspect he's gone sweet on one of the young women and isn't wanting to acknowledge it yet.
"You could just go ask her to dance," he finally interjects. "Then you'll know if she thinks you're too old for her, and these two will have to suck it up if she does."
Carlos looks like he's considering it and finally rises. Glenn isn't even sure what girl is being discussed until the Vato comes to a stop next to Zoe, originally from the National Guard group and now on Glenn's secondary team that Jacqui leads. The man doesn't even have to ask the question for his observers to have the answer, because the young fitness trainer's entire face lights up the second she sees him.
"Told you," Tara tells the rest of the table, as if they argued it. "He shows up for every single one of her classes when Scout's team's in camp. Give it a month and they'll be asking for a housing change. There's no way he was doing yoga just for personal fitness."
"Give it an hour and they'll be glad he doesn't have a roommate, even if she does," Maggie adds. Glenn has to agree. He knows the look on the older man's face, because he saw it in the mirror when he realized Maggie's flirting was serious.
That resolved, he scans the room, trying to remember that although they were told to mainly make sure no one overindulges in alcohol with no reason to truly enforce the old-world drinking age, he does have big brother duties of a sort. Beth's not dancing or even sipping on one of the cups of the bright blue punch that signifies something alcoholic. Instead, she's actually in the middle of a card game with a hodgepodge of older teens - Patrick, Zach, Julie, and Alejandro. Trust Beth to entice boys into playing Uno at a party.
But his other little sister is nowhere in sight.
"Anyone seen Honey?"
"She was dancing with Rafael last I saw her," Ana says. "He's over there eavesdropping on Carlos and Zoe though."
Cricket looks around and shakes her head. While they all know the younger girl is an adult, he still feels like he should follow up. "I'll be right back."
Asking the Vato-turned-construction-worker gives him the information that Honey stepped out to the bathroom, but that it was close to ten minutes ago. So, Glenn goes outside and knocks at the ladies' room door. No answer, but before he decides if he should press the issue or not, he realizes that from the little porch built for access to the bathroom unit outside the community center, he can see his building.
Merle's crew is slowly replacing the metal access ladders and narrow upper level walkways with wider, wooden platforms that the upper floor residents use as porches to enjoy the evenings as the months grow cooler and the mosquitoes are no longer such pests. The angle from here allows him to see the back side of his building - and to locate Honey, who is sitting near the top of the steps to her level, back against the building and feet against the railing. She's relaxed and smiling at whatever T-Dog's just said from where the man's sitting in a chair up on the main level. It's not an unusual sight in the late evenings before everyone calls it a night, even after Honey brought in the exchange student from the rabbit farm as a roommate. Lydia sometimes joins them, but not often.
Domino, the lanky pup she gave T-Dog, is sprawled across the top step to get her head in Honey's lap. He's not surprised to see Augustus lounging at the bottom of the stairs. The big catahoula male isn't usually far from wherever Honey is, except when he accompanies Daryl's teams out on runs. It makes Maggie happy to have the big dog around, so Glenn's made a point of befriending the dog.
Deciding that Honey's safe enough for the night as far as any brotherly oversight is needed, he heads back inside for one last hour of chaperoning before everyone's hustled off to bed with the reminder that it's a work day for many of them. That includes him and Maggie, who laughs at him when he fails to hide his yawn as he sits back down.
"Find her?"
"Yeah. She apparently decided to wander off home without coming back in."
"Alone?" Tara asks, arching a brow.
"Considering she's sitting on the steps shooting the breeze with T-Dog, it seems so."
Mystery solved, he, Maggie, and Tara turn to debating the order of tomorrow's run. They've pretty much turned Canton and the small towns around it into ghost towns in the two months they've been here. There were other runs for essentials like the solar panels, but while Carol may not have earned Patricia's 'drill sergeant' moniker, she has a different sort of logic to the runs she asks Scout to arrange. Scout and Shane's team finished securing the larger locales in Cumming, so now it's Glenn's turn to make sure all the goodies land in their warehouses.
He kind of wishes they could come across another cluster of survivors, good people like the rabbit farm, but as he looks around at the children and young adults enjoying the wind down of today's wedding, he's happy with what they have so far.
Maggie smiles up at him and reaches out to take the hand he's not using to make planning notes and he wonders for the first time how soon is too soon to go browse through the jewelry that's made it into their stores.