November 25, 2010
~*~ SW ~*~
Although they declared it a PT free day, Shane isn't a bit surprised when Scout rolls out of bed at the indecently late (for her) hour of six. He rolls out of bed to follow and for the first time since they set a regular schedule, they're the only two running. He finds he likes the quiet pacing alongside each other, and he wonders if they met before the world ended, if they could have had mornings like this one.
It's an interesting daydream, picturing how she might slot into his old life. To be fair, he knows in reality, it would have been him slotting into hers, with her commitment to the Marines. But it's easier to picture her in his life, tolerating his often-shitty work schedule, going on runs together around the high school track. Maybe it's easier because she's actually been inside his little house back in King County, helping him pack away what memories he did want to keep. The cabin here was never her personal home in the same way.
He supposes this life's just as good in its own way. At least now there's no paperwork when he shoots a man no longer fit to live.
The circuit they run is well trodden by now, especially by the rule that everyone runs in pairs at minimum. It also gives them an easy perimeter check of the remote areas of the nightmare thicket (he still finds Honey's term for it suits better than anything else). There are game cams out here, but it's not as monitored due to the river itself combined with the thicket. If danger ever threatens, the odds are that it'll be from the direction of the Eldridge farm and dry land. It's part of why instead of putting another gate in the thicket and bridging the river to reach the horse farm addition, you have to go the long way around through the Eldridge property and skirt the riverbank that way.
Technically, it leaves a wedge of unfenced property between the main Homestead at the newest portion, shaped much like the Homestead acreage, but on the opposite side of the river. Shane suspects one day, they'll have that brought into safe hands too, but for now, no one wants the river bridged.
The entire perimeter is around a mile and a half, and they use that for the long run once a week. Today they're doing the 'shorter' route that doesn't encircle the upper twenty acres where all the housing is.
Their first circuit shows they aren't the only ones up early, because Jazz is headed down to the sheep pastures for morning milking with Patrick trailing along. The sheep aren't part of what the kids call "critter duty" since Jazz considers them his personal project, but the pairs rule applies, so one of his roommates always gets to tramp down with him if Sophia doesn't. The two boys make an odd pair visually, with Jazz the image of a tall, strong athlete and Patrick the image of every geeky sidekick Hollywood ever envisioned, but in personality, they're sweet kids and very similar.
Both boys wave as Scout and Shane pass, calling out greetings.
"When's the next lambing?" he asks Scout. He can never remember exactly, other than the fact that there are two separate flocks of ewes pregnant down here right now, and another flock nursing lambs still.
"Late January."
They're starting to reach the sheep paddocks and the usual greetings of friendly ewes. Out of habit, Shane scans for the guardian dogs. He doesn't see Lettie, the female, but it's likely because they've got a litter of pups only about two weeks old. Boomer, the male, moves from behind the flock to eye the runners with disinterest. Of all the dogs on the property, these two interact the least with people, but he sure as hell won't forget Boomer's echoing bark back in September when he came to 'fetch' help when an ewe had trouble lambing. Jazz lost the ewe in the end, but both lambs survived with their adoptive mothers.
"Ought to move an RV down here because you know Jazz at least is going to want to stay closer."
She makes a noise of agreement and he'll hopefully remember to suggest it to Merle and Hershel.
They finish the run in what's probably record time without pacing or checking on others and tumble into their shower. It's unlikely anyone will come looking for them with the holiday atmosphere, and he wonders if he could coax Scout into a morning spent in bed. Neither of them was asked to provide food for the community meal, although Shane makes a pitstop by the kitchen counter to tip ingredients from fridge to crockpot before following Scout into their shower. His addition to the family supper tonight should be a good one.
chapter gap due to rating
After, she's laying against him mostly asleep, a novelty for them when morning sex is a rare luxury.
"Love you," she mumbles before making an unexpected play to nip his right pec.
He yelps. "Love you too. What was that for?"
"Mmm. Needed some teeth to match the nail marks."
"Jesus, woman, get some sleep." But he's laughing as much as she is.
A nap does sound good, naked together in their snug little cabin. Today is a day to be thankful after all, and more than anything else other than the baby girl on the way, this is what he's most thankful for.
~*~ CP ~*~
Carol can't help the automatic headcount she does, verifying all the family's here, although Scout and Shane have the look of a couple that spent their morning off in the sort of activities that leave one dehydrated but happy. She's starting to wonder how long their honeymoon phase will last, because they've been in it in some form or another since July. She kind of hopes it's a long time, but she knows the baby's arrival will rearrange a lot on both sets of parents.
It reminds her of the exam she had with Caleb yesterday. She covers shifts for the non-doctor medical personnel to have a day off each week, and yesterday placed her with the quiet young doctor. He was a little surprised, since most of the women prefer Cricket's oversight for all things gynecological. But her original checkup hadn't been with pregnancy in mind, and since she knew the exam would by necessity discuss private aspects of her sex life, asking her stepdaughter to do it was a little bit weird.
It had taken him less than ten minutes to remove her implant, coaxing it out with nothing more than the tip of a scalpel after an incision so small he didn't even stitch it after. She wishes the clinic she had the prior ones replaced at had been as skilled. Her arm is sore, but the healing incision under an X of steri strips and a Wonder Woman band-aid that he winked at her about. He sent her home with prenatal vitamins and ovulation kits to cover the next three months, and a request to add a couple of in between meals snacks to her day because he feels her weight is borderline low still.
Merle was so tired from a day spent reinforcing the Eldridge fencing after Terminus radioed in about a herd on the move their way that he was asleep before she got out of the shower last night. His team borrowed Glenn's two for extra hands and they got the entire three-quarter mile stretch done, even when it meant eating supper at the fence sides as they ran welders as the light faded.
Since she needed to be up early between preparations for both meals, she left him to sleep. Tonight's soon enough to tell him.
"Relax, darlin'. The family's all here, even the extras, and based on the lack of leftover seating, I don't think anyone's loose in the place except the watch standers." The two people on duty were the two older men from Grady, both as happy to spend the noon to six shift together as in a group. Carol's already sent them heaping plates of everything and an entire pecan pie to share. Merle tugs her to sit and motions for Hershel to stand.
The room quiets as they see the white bearded man move to the head of the long buffet of food. Religion might not play a huge part in their daily lives, everyone left to their personal observances, but Hershel's willingness to sit with anyone in need of counsel or advice leaves him as the defacto spiritual counsel for Homestead.
"I'm not going to make a long speech, because I can hear the tummies rumbling from here as we smell all this wonderful food that so many have brought to share with us. Much like the fabled first Thanksgiving that most of us learned about in elementary school, ours is an example of how people can come together in a foreign land to not only survive, but thrive through taking care of each other. Many of you embarked on a perilous journey to arrive here, just like the Pilgrims. Our old world is gone, but we've already proved we're able and willing to overcome adversity to build a new one in its place. So today, we remember those who could not make it to be with us, but we give thanks for those we still have around us and all the blessings our community has offered us.
"I'm not going to lead you in prayer, but I find there's a verse out of the book of Jeremiah that suits our community. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small."
He smiles kindly over the large group. "Now how about we let these hungry little ones take a shot at the food. Then the ladies, and with luck, gentlemen, they'll leave enough food for us or have pity on us and feed us by their own hands."
The teasing quip is unusual for Hershel, but it sets the right tone, and excited children pop up all over the room, with the mothers of the smallest ones accompanying their trips. In the shuffle of getting plates filled, Carol ends up with Hershel across from her and she finds she really enjoys the man's smile. He offers a hand across the table to her and she realizes his immediate family managed seats alongside him: Maggie, Glenn, and Beth. She takes his hand, letting him lead a quiet blessing of their meal, but the surprising part is feeling Merle's large hand slip into her free one. He squeezes it on the 'amen' and returns to his food as if he hadn't participated in the prayer.
From the movements along the table, everyone joined in, and she smiles at her food, feeling that sense of calm that prayer has always given her settle over her. Their large family isn't all at the one table, but having that sense of the twelve of them who are at this table together is enough.
Some aren't family, although with the Dixon personality, Carol thinks she should append that to 'yet', like Honey's roommate Lydia or T-Dog. Eugene's inclusion may be as much the empty seat and the willingness of both Honey and Lydia to find his speaking habits charming.
Jamie's with Amy and her sister, not so far away that Carol can't see his tall dark figure between the two blondes, Dale nearby as always. Scout's other adopted Marine is with Jamie's group, although she worries for his sanity since he's obviously flirting with Andrea. He hasn't even turned twenty yet.
Patricia's inability to sit on the stool seating at most of the tables means she's at the better table and her four ducklings followed. She looks happy enough with the two other pregnant women and their families. Christopher, who normally isn't far from Scout at most meals, is sitting with his family, who have the young woman whose mother was Bryce's coworker on the local police force among their number.
Lori's at this table though, as uncomfortable as Carol knows she'll find the seat, between Daryl and Carl. Rick seems to finally be accepting that being Carl's father and Shane's best friend is going to bring him into the family orbit, because he's next to Scout on Carl's other side. He's carrying on a debate with T-Dog across from him that is keeping both men and their closest table mates entertained. She's still not entirely sure how Sophia ended up so far away, between T-Dog and Jazz, but she suspects the youngest Dixons are providing an expanded buffer zone between Honey and the man.
That particular Dixon doesn't seem to care, so perhaps the hurt's faded enough for friendship to be premiere again. She's enthralled with Andre's chatter next to her anyway, where the toddler's booster seat allows him to sit between his mother and the teenager. With Abby on her other side, she won't lack for enthusiastic conversation.
She wonders at Lilly and Meghan not being included for a minute, finding Tara's sister and niece sitting with Felipe and Miguel among the elderly mobile enough to attend the group meal. The body language between the two nurses makes her wonder if she's missed a budding relationship.
"Eat your food before it gets cold, Mouse." Merle reaches out to fill her glass and then Hershel's and Maggie's before passing the pitcher of sweet tea down the table. "You look like you're gonna eat your weight in spinach."
She grins. "I've missed it. There's nothing like fresh spinach, and creamed spinach is my favorite way to eat it."
"Could build you some cold boxes up at the house to have some of your own, if you want."
The casual offer to just build her something from nothing is so perfectly Merle that she leans out to kiss him instead of responding.
He's smiling she draws away, one hand on her knee. "Guess that's a yes, please?"
Maggie's giggle saves her from the small fit of embarrassment, but she's still blushing a little when she responds. "Yes, please."
Hershel watches them with amusement mirroring his daughter's. "Might be something for the younger ones to tackle. Most have enough skills to build raised beds for the cabins and planters for the Village so that people can grow their own herbs, greens, even tomatoes or peppers later when it's warm again."
"Or flowers, Daddy. Don't forget the flowers."
"There's pretty flowers that make good foodstuff and medicine too, so yes, flowers too."
That's probably the reality of their life for a good long time now, beauty and utility rolled into one. Carol finds she doesn't mind. The idea reminds her of her Dixons, every one of them.
~*~ LG ~*~
"Here ya go, Tiha."
Lori straightens a little at the term Jazz uses as he slides a dessert plate with two pieces of baklava on it. There's extra honey beyond what she knows he normally drizzles on the sweet, and he's got a little of what she terms 'Dixon mischief' in his soft smile.
She knows her place in Daryl's life, even if they haven't even talked about making it anything formal. And Abby's a given, with her constant use of 'Mama'. But the rest of Daryl's family simply uses her name, although the insulatingly polite 'Miz' is dropped by now. But she doesn't want to embarrass the sweet kid who just called her aunt, so she thanks him and dips her fingertips into the honey like a naughty child. He laughs and joins in a seemingly fierce debate between Sophia and Carl about which dessert is the best.
Her son is advocating hard for the strawberry-rhubarb pie, probably as much to make his father smile as any true liking for the dessert. They both know the boy's favorite is sweet potato. Sophia's advocating for pecan pie, and Jazz attempts to lure both to his side of things by offering bites of the rather tasty looking banana pudding on his plate. Since he's offering and she was curious about it earlier anyway, she snags a bite using Daryl's spoon, since her fork doesn't really work for pudding.
"Hey, woman. That's my spoon," he objects, stealing it back.
"Shouldn't leave it unguarded around a hungry pregnant woman then."
He snorts, pretending to hide the utensil on the other side of his plate before picking it back up to eat his own pudding. It really is very tasty for the bananas not being the soft, near-overripe mess that Lori knows is the preferred state before banana pudding.
She shifts on the uncomfortable seat and it draws the attention of the three closest males. Daryl's she understands, but the two teenagers' is a bit cute. "No worries, boys. I'll survive one meal without a cushion, I promise."
"Bet Mama would loan you her tub if you wanted a long soak," Jazz suggests and Daryl nods.
The thought of that lovely clawfoot tub does sound tempting. Carol and Merle both have repeatedly offered the use of their bathroom to both Lori and Patricia. Daryl did manage a tub in their cabin, but it's a small one meant more for Asskicker's future baths than a bulky pregnant woman of Lori's height. Lori also knows that the various members of the family have collected a veritable treasure trove of luxury bath products in Carol's domain. The way they say I love you is in so much more than words. She's even seen Scout trek through the deck door with a bag from one of the truly expensive beauty product lines, and that would have had to been a deliberate side run.
"Alright. It does sound perfect." She's not due any cooking for supper since Carol's declared the evening meal to be one both pregnant women attending spend time enjoying the company and not working in the kitchen. That makes her feel a little guilty, despite her contribution to the lunchtime meal, except that even Carl seems unusually excited about being one of Carol's kitchen crew. It should be an interesting meal, and she knows it's the first time Carol's ever headed up a family holiday with such freedom to look after everyone she loves.
Daryl slips off his seat and goes down a few places to drop an arm across Carol's shoulder. He apparently relays the request during the half-hug, because Carol leans backwards in full confidence he won't let her fall and grins at Lori. "Try the chamomile or lavender oil and take a bottle home with you. It'll help with leg cramps," she calls down the table.
Something to help with that certainly sounds like heaven, so she nods and smiles, while Daryl spends a few more minutes speaking softly to Carol before he lets her go and hip checks Merle into the table on the way by. Merle roars with laughter, so she wonders if he said something to Daryl that didn't carry.
Daryl doesn't make it back to his seat though, because Abby slides one spot over and giggles as her father pretends to huff at her. But he smiles and kisses the top of her head as he sits next to Honey instead. Abby leans carefully into Lori, arms going around her in a hug. It's very sweet until she provokes Carl into joining the hug as more of a hug war than a cuddle, but Lori can only laugh and enjoy the embrace of her two kids as they compete over who can hug her best.
She glances over Carl's head when they settle down finally to actual hugs and catches Rick looking at her. Looking over Carl is getting harder as he hits his growth spurt, but for this Thanksgiving at least, he's still young and small enough to see his father's smile no longer holds any hint of sadness or wistfulness when he looks at her and Carl. Despite the beard, it's finally more what she remembers from their youth, when she first grew to love the pretty blue-eyed boy with the soft curls who included her in everything he and Shane did.
When he reaches out and takes her hand from where it's around Carl's shoulder, she squeezes it a little tighter than she probably normally would.
Her first love's going to be better than just okay. This moment, bracketed by both her children and the men who gave them to her, might just be the happiest she's ever been.
~*~ TC ~*~
Tara feels drool sliding slowly down her chest and into her cleavage, but she doesn't care one bit. Christian's stuffed as full as a baby can be, pampered with so many bites of food between Cricket and Shane in his little high chair at the end of the table that he didn't even need a plate of his own. But once he got a full belly, his eyelids got heavy and he reached for Tara.
Aside from the surge of contented love that having the baby sleeping on her shoulder gives her, she's being pampered by Chrissy, who thinks holding a sleeping baby means she gets her pie hand fed to her, bite by bite.
She argued with Lilly a bit, when her sister said they'd spend the meal separate, but her sister won in the end, like always. She knows the pair were welcome at the Dixon table, and they'll be at the supper later, but she has to admit that Lilly's probably right that Meghan's cheerful chatter is bringing enough joy to the elderly attendees that Tara's surprised they haven't had to perform CPR from too much sheer happiness among those folks.
Her niece has gone from a sickly grandfather who couldn't remember her, with Alzheimer's ravaging his brain for most of Meghan's life, to being an honorary granddaughter to at least a dozen of the nursing home residents. The last few months are the first time she's heard Lilly use their mother's native language with her daughter, and Meghan's learned fast. It makes Tara miss her mother and curse the cancer that took her from them the year Tara graduated high school.
But she thinks the woman who survived a perilous and illegal crossing to America all the way from Colombia would be happy to see where they are today. Lilly's happy for the first time since their father got sick and her husband bailed as soon as the reality of caring for a man losing the basis of who he is set in. Tara never intended to join the department where she grew up, wanting a place in a bigger city like Atlanta, but she was incapable of leaving her sister behind to care for David Chambler alone.
Today, seeing her sister smile and Meghan laugh and feeling Christian drool on her damned boobs, she looks at her partner and gives all her thanks to the courage it took her to yell out from that rooftop and fire the shot that saved Cricket's run partner from an unseen walker. They were strangers and a possible danger to her family, but it was the best risk she ever took.
She thinks her late mother looked out for her family that day.