March 5, 2011
~*~ SW ~*~
Although Carol restructured the work and run rosters by last Saturday, he and Scout held off on the changes, doing final assessments of their teams. There are folks who probably don't need to be on runs that could go as long as a week at a time. But first they're meeting with their team leaders in the old portable construction building down by the equipment barn. Everyone knows something's up, because all teams were told to report down here prior to supper.
Shane glances to his wife, who is intent on a map hung on the wall of their planned search. He thinks the only reason she's been truly settled and not crawling out of her skin over the unknown threat is entirely Judith and Anaya's influence. Just as their people weren't quite ready for what's to come, their daughters needed their time too.
But that time's run its course, so now comes the hard part.
Daryl's the first in the door, Jamie and Glenn practically on his heels. It's not surprising, since Daryl's better aware of what the meeting's about than most non-council. As they take their seats, watching Scout as intently as Shane was, the others start trickling in: Jacqui, Danny, Ryan, Rachel, Amanda, Karen, and Quinton.
As soon as Quinton folds his tall frame into one of the folding chairs, Scout turns and studies the team leaders they've trained hard these past few months.
"We're going after the man who ordered the Vatos killed, aren't we?" Karen says. "Finally."
Scout nods. "Not all of us, not at first. We don't need to leave Homestead unprotected and a smaller group will go unnoticed better than a large one. Three teams at a time, rotating a week in the field and a week on regular supply duty."
Daryl looks between them, and Shane knows the moment the man realizes why Shane's tense. "You two are going to split leading the field teams."
"Yeah. Can't have us both gone for days at a time at the same time. That's the other issue, why we're meeting now. The color teams, those are the ones going to the field. If there's anyone on your team you think needs to rotate off, we do that today. Swap out with people from the other teams that have fewer obligations," Shane explains.
"Who's with who?" Jamie asks. The Marine's body language shows he's wary, as if Shane would want him anywhere but at Scout's side when he can't be.
"I'm taking mine, Jamie's and Rachel's teams. Red, Orange, and Purple. Shane's taking his, Karen's, and Amanda's. Green, Blue, and Black. I'm going to ask Morales to drop off my team for a while. He can shift onto one of yours if he needs to or take another work assignment." With a baby due any day now and two small children at home, no one wants to ask the man to do this task. The other two men on Scout's team, Carlos and Tanaka, are childless, although not single.
"He could run my team," Danny offers. "And I can go with you."
"That's one idea, except I'd like you on Shane's team to spread out our technicians a bit more."
Danny glances to Shane and nods, and he relaxes a fraction. He wasn't sure the young Marine might not argue the issue of replacing single-mother Maria on his team. He knows Maria will bitch about it, because she'll happily hunt monsters to the end of the world after Grady. But she's got a ten-year-old daughter and a teenage foster daughter, so Shane can't see dragging her this far into the unknown any more than Scout can imagine taking Morales. Rick and T-Dog have families, but neither are single parents.
Scout meets Jamie's gaze and the other Marine shakes his head vehemently. "Don't even suggest it, Scout. I'm not stepping down off my team because Amy's pregnant any more than you or Shane are staying off yours with an infant at home"
His wife sighs, but Shane's relieved. It was possible Jamie might take the offer, and while putting either Bryce or Abraham in charge of Jamie's team would put someone even more experienced than Jamie with Scout, he simply trusts her adopted brother more.
"Alright. Does anyone have any concerns about team members they think need to rotate out?"
Amanda Shepherd speaks up. "Considering what I've heard about this bastard we're going hunting, I'd like the ladies from Grady shifted elsewhere. Candace and Sally are doing a lot better now, but a man who'll order the murder of elderly people for supplies sounds like the kind that hires men like Gorman. Plus, Sally's got her brother to look after. It's not that the other ladies wouldn't care for him, but she's all he's got."
Karen, Sally's team leader, nods in agreement.
"Any preferences on borrowing from the other teams?" Shane asks, running the possibilities through his head.
"Need a medic most of all. Christopher or Zach."
They usually take all seven teams, which usually includes Danny's lookout team along with medic Zach, while Christopher acts as medic for Daryl's two teams and Zoe for Glenn's three. Since they're leaving Danny's team at Homestead, Amanda's got a point. Scout's going to need one too.
He prays she'll take it as he offers it, because he knows Christopher's level of devotion to his wife's well-being. "We'll take Zach and put him on your team, Amanda. Karen? Got a preference for your open slot?"
Scout gives him a look that tells him she knows exactly what he's up to, but she doesn't argue.
"Abraham. We're cop-heavy on our side, and while I know Bryce served too, he's more cop than Marine now." The former school teacher has a gift for analysis that Shane likes, one of the reasons she was actually his first choice of the three remaining teams when he and Scout sorted them.
"Your boys going to be good with you out in the field?" he asks. It's a concern, although the two adopted boys and Tyreese's daughter Julie will have the big ex-football player here every day.
Karen shakes her head. "They'll be alright, and it's only every other week."
"Jamie? Any concerns?" Scout asks.
"For my team? No. If anything, we're military heavy, with Scott and Garrett being Guard. Franco ought to feel lonely sometimes, as just a lowly cop." The note of teasing in Jamie's voice doesn't help him entirely escape Shane or Amanda's raised eyebrows.
"Rachel?"
"Jeffries and Andrea shouldn't have a problem with it. Let me talk things over with Donna and see if she wants to transfer off, but if she does, I'll take Bryce. I'm happy with a cop-heavy team," she drawls softly, elbowing Jamie playfully.
"That's settled then. We'll announce to our teams, and get back to me tonight after you know about Donna," Scout says.
"Which of you's going out first?" Daryl asks. He doesn't look like he'll like either answer.
"My team this week. We'll head out tomorrow and plan on spending four days on the road and back home Thursday evening. We're going to run five days on, two off, as long as things hold to plan."
Shane nods. "This could take months. We know the bastard's south and probably west of Atlanta, based on the intel we got. We guess more west than just south, because I doubt a group led by Marines completely missed an active town along I-75, even if town is smaller by today's standards than it used to be."
"And if we find others while we're out there?" Karen asks.
"Same policy as always. Assess to see if they're a viable fit for immigrating here if it's a small group. Larger one that's not the asshole? Then we see about setting up trade. We can't be the only ones left, but I expect to find pockets of survivors as we go."
"We're gonna search the whole state if we need to," Shane adds. "Just because we think he's to the west doesn't mean it's true, or that he hasn't moved. Might've gotten tired of babysitting civilians. Be alert even if you're on the teams up here still."
"We're going to use the interstates as search wedges. Shane's teams will be responsible for the area between I-20 and I-85. Mine will work between I-85 and I-75. Start at Atlanta and work outward. Clear roads and set strategic blockades so you can get back fast if you need to."
"And get used to MREs. We've been collecting those little bastards up for a reason," Shane adds. They've got enough stockpiled between raiding the overrun military checkpoints and the ones they liberated from the air base outside Atlanta to supply their field teams easily past the end of the year.
Jamie grins. "I'm gonna beat feet to Mama Carol and make sure she hooks my team up with all the maple sausage ones."
"You take all the breakfast MREs, Gator, and I'm gonna tell Amy about that incident in Germany," Scout says.
"Hey, now, you're supposed to be my sister, woman."
They dissolve into a banter that eases tension among the other team leaders. Shane meets Daryl's gaze and they both sigh. What they've got to do isn't pretty and doesn't contribute to Homestead the way they're used to, but the thought of people like the ones they killed at the nursing home making it here, to where their children are?
That's an intolerable idea entirely.
~*~ CP ~*~
Carol posts the new work rosters officially now that the run teams know of their new task. She feels selfish that she's grateful that Merle's never been needed regularly on run teams. She can't help the feeling, especially as she sees glimpses of how uneasy Shane and Scout are both going to be. They've been co-leaders for so long, it's going to be foreign to everyone to see one left behind as the teams pull out of the gates.
That continuing selfish part is glad that Daryl and Glenn aren't part of it, especially since Honey's taken Maggie's spot-on Glenn's team for the foreseeable future. It's bad enough that three of her immediate family will be out each trip for days at a time. Five if you count the kids' ties to each other, with Christopher and Danny going.
She cups her belly absently. She's less than six weeks along still, by the calculation from her last cycle, and she can't wait for the eight-week mark and an ultrasound. She knows she only has to ask to have one done earlier, but with no symptoms of any problems, she just doesn't think she should. The studies were still uncertain on what constituted too much ultrasound exposure. So, right now, their policy is the eight-week one to confirm dates and a twenty-week one for assessing general development and gender.
Lori got three extra ones in her third trimester, but those were all due to her prior complications.
Carol's real hopeful of none of those for her pregnancy. She was lucky with Sophia to have an easy pregnancy with few symptoms other than an expanding waistline. She's hoping for the same this time, especially after watching Maggie's bout with super-strength reflux.
But it's certainly going to be nice having that ultrasound done in two weeks and being able to see and hear that everything's on track. After all, her last baby will be fourteen before this one arrives.
"You keep standing like that and you're going to be sharing your news before the first trimester's up like you wanted," Cricket says behind her, grinning as Carol startles and jerks her hand off her belly in reflex.
Her daughter is grinning with the puckish intent she likes to use, just when you forget that she might not rock the boat as much as her sisters, but she's does like to stir the waters.
"Speaking of end of the first trimester, when are you telling the rest of the family?"
With Maggie, Michonne, and Cricket sharing a due date and Amy only days behind them, Cricket's the only one of the three who hasn't revealed her pregnancy yet. Then again, Amy's refusal to drink to celebrate her sister's return gave away her condition. Andrea, far from being disgruntled, seems intent on being the world's best aunt, at least once September ever gets here. Michonne disclosed hers once Abraham returned, and that was not the paternity note Carol ever expected to make.
She's got a lot of company with the pregnancy, at least, even if she's not officially due until November fourth and the cluster of younger women all due around mid-September.
"Tonight at supper. Although at this point, I'm not entirely sure who hasn't figured it out."
"We have an observant family. I'll count myself lucky if we get the ultrasound done before someone knows other than me, you, and your dad."
Cricket giggles. "I'm about ninety percent certain Daryl's wise to it already."
"You think he's that observant?"
"Where you and Daddy are concerned? Absolutely. He's got new daddy brain fog right now, but you gotta remember, out of all of us, he's most familiar with Daddy's mannerisms."
Carol thinks of Merle's increased need to touch her if he's within an arm's length of her. It's not just focused on her belly and the minuscule life within, but all of her. Even in his sleep, he's got to be in contact. It reminds her in a way of Scout's issue with touch as an unconscious reassurance.
"He's going to make how Daryl treated Lori look standoffish, isn't he?"
"Oh yeah." Cricket slings an arm around her waist for an impromptu hug. "Looks like it may rain by end of supper. Let's go see if I have any surprise left to give the family."
Carol follows easily, smiling to herself. Their family tree's about to get tangled into a blackberry thicket, with her own child arriving weeks after its biological niece or nephew as well as two adoptive ones, but she doesn't mind being a pregnant grandmother one little bit.
~*~ DC ~*~
Denise hasn't been part of Homestead for three full weeks yet, and it already feels more like home than anywhere has since Dennis died. Nowhere was really home as an adult, everything feeling too foreign after eighteen years of living with her twin. Their life goals split them far apart for many years. But when the world started dying around her, he was the first to her side. She thinks he would have loved this place.
She certainly doesn't have to worry about getting looks like Aaron and Eric did back at Alexandria, not that there's anyone she's interested in yet. She's never been especially skilled at knowing for sure if interest will be returned or even possible.
Tim and Christopher's relationship turned out to be somewhat news to the community, she realized, based on the assessing but happy looks the men got. Christopher only laughed when she asked and made allusions about road trips being good for solidifying relationships. But with them and two other same-sex couples in the community, none of which are treated any differently than the dozens of opposite-sex couples, she wishes Aaron and Eric hadn't felt so obligated to Alexandria. They would really love it here, and she misses them. Until the other communities feel safe, she can't even check in via radio, like she can with Olivia at Hilltop.
"Denise?"
She smiles as Jessie takes a seat beside her. "How was your watch shift?" she asks the other woman.
"Interesting. A lot more to it than just making sure unwanted things don't get in."
"Is that something you're going to want to keep doing?" Today's shift was alongside the usual pair in the watch room. Nichelle's a nice lady, with couple of boys around Ron's age, and Mandy has a teenage daughter. Denise is more impressed by the fact that Homestead shows very obvious adaptations for Mandy's wheelchair though.
"Maybe. At least to give them days off. Sam seems fine with being left with the other kids. It's hard to remember being really safe to let kids just roam a bit."
Denise can agree there. Alexandria was safe enough. At least no rotters ever got inside while she was there. Children rode bikes and played in the streets, usually with little adult supervision, simply because child snatching just wasn't as much a worry when you knew everyone and there were no roaming strangers.
Here, there are enough of the younger kids that there's a loose organization of adults who keep an eye on them. Denise isn't quite sure of the actual pattern, since it's not something formal on the work roster that she's seen. It's like the adults just play pass the torch on who keeps a general eye out on days like today, where there are no classes at all.
She's seen Sam trailing along with Logan more often than not, and where Logan goes, the two girls introduced as his new nieces usually aren't far. And it's usually hot on the trail of Honey's very tall younger brother.
"He helped fold laundry today," Denise tells her friend.
"Really? How did they manage that?"
"Jazz's work shift today. He had all his little shadows working along like the little animals in Snow White."
Jessie laughs, a carefree sound Denise never heard before she came here. "I wish he had the same inspiring effect on Ron."
"It would be helpful, wouldn't it?"
But despite their similarities in age, Ron seems wary of Jazz. Denise suspects a bit of jealousy as the cause, as there's no mistaking that Jazz is a very well-loved and well-cared-for youngster in his family. Rough around the edges as Merle Dixon may be on first impression, there's no mistaking the care he takes with his offspring. Denise still isn't entirely certain who all qualifies for that, even with her own budding friendship with Cricket through their shared studies.
"He doesn't think Jazz is aware of the 'realities of the world' the way he is." Jessie's tone gives away her ideas about that. From an adult prospective, it's easier to see that while Jazz may seem insulated here, living a bit of a charmed life, he has reactions – and training – that remind both women of Honey mentioning months spent outside walls with her siblings.
Months.
Considering one of her first youth patients in the new office Homestead set up for her is one of the other children on that long journey, Denise is privy to a lot more background on Jazz than she might be otherwise. She might suspect Lizzie Samuels of a crush on the teenager if her session didn't indicate more envy toward Honey as Jazz's sister than toward his ex-girlfriend.
Ryan seems grateful to have her skills here. It's not like the other medical personnel neglected Lizzie's care. Hell, they probably know more about childhood psychology now than some of her actual psychiatrist colleagues did. But the more experts the better, as far as Ryan's concerned. She's just glad no one second guessed her changing the girl's meds. She saw the tremor forming in the girl's hand and buried herself in the pharmacy to debate the pros and cons of working around the anti-depressants versus anti-anxiety meds. It'll take time to assess the girl fully, but she thinks the med she was prescribed before the apocalypse was entirely wrong.
Ron drifts over to sit across from his mother, grumpily eyeing where Sam's happy in the midst of about a dozen children.
Before she can attempt conversation, Cricket settles across from her with Christian in her arms. The baby stands on his mother's legs, bouncing happily.
"He's such a beautiful boy. How old is he?" Jessie asks. While Denise has met the baby multiple times around the infirmary, Jessie hasn't.
"Almost fourteen months."
"I overheard that you're expecting another?"
Denise thinks it's a gossipy sort of curiosity that compels Jessie's question as much as the usual mother-to-mother type. It's not the first time she's seen that confusion on someone faced with a pregnant lesbian.
"In September." Cricket exchanges a somewhat commiserating smile with Denise.
Tara sits with plates, which makes Christian even more excited. He starts making a hand motion like he's stabbing his fist with two fingers. His other mother grins. "You want sweet potatoes, little man?"
She offers him a bit of roasted sweet potato that he mushes into his mouth. He makes another sign.
"Good, yes." Tara grins.
Denise wonders just how big a vocabulary the baby has. He leans out over the table to offer her his next bite.
Cricket giggles. "He likes to share his favorites."
She takes the bite and copies the sign that seems to mean good. He cackles and goes for another bite, before offering the one after that to Ron.
She's happy to see the teenager take it and even copy the 'good' sign. So few things make Ron smile these days, but it seems even he isn't immune to baby antics. It gives her a few ideas for helping him settle in. If he's not comfortable with kids his own age, maybe a little magic from the littlest Homesteaders will work.
~*~ SW ~*~
Shane thinks the scene in front of him might be one of the cutest he's ever seen. While Judith's birth seems to have taken Abby and Anaya from disinterested to best buddies, it means it's rare to see only Anaya interacting with her sister. But Abby's taking advantage of Lori being baby-free for a cuddle with Lori, so Anaya's sitting in front of the bouncy seat facing Judith.
Based on Judith's determination to mimic Anaya's wide smile each time the girl's face reappears in peek-a-boo, he can't wait until the game is accompanied by giggles.
"She's been smiling a lot more since Judy came," Daryl says, nudging him to offer him a bottle of one of the barleywines that still seem to linger around. He drinks so rarely anymore that he almost refuses, but Daryl's got a bottle of his own.
"Yeah. Worried she might have trouble adjusting, but I think she likes the big sister gig."
"You find out any more about where she was before Terminus?"
Isn't that the ongoing and unending mystery? Even Jazz hasn't gotten her to talk.
"Other than the night before Judy was born when she admitted her mama died when she was five, no. She doesn't seem to have many nightmares, so I'm hoping we're imagining worse than it was."
Daryl sighs a little, fiddling with his bottle. "Might not remember 'em when she wakes. We only knew mine because I shared a room."
"Has Abby said anything?"
"No, but she's a deep sleeper. Might ask those little girls of Jacqui's."
Shane files that away, just as Anaya calls out, "I think she needs a diaper change, Tåta."
It takes him a minute to respond. They've used the term regularly with Judith, but Anaya's stuck to given names. Just as she starts to frown, he grins so hard it damn near hurts.
"Yeah, sweetheart, I'm coming."
If his voice is just a little too rough, he knows Daryl won't say a word.
It isn't until a couple hours later, when they're home and Anaya's tucked in bed that it really sets in.
He's watching Scout recheck her gear one last time. She's been in and out all evening with preparations that remind him all too much that they're about to be apart for days. They haven't spent a night apart since the quarry except for the night before the wedding.
"You aren't gonna forget anything," he ventures.
She glances back at where he's sprawled on the bed and he can almost visibly see the switch throw in her brain to drop her out of 'Marine Mode' to wife mode.
Amorous wife, from the way she carefully shuts their door.
She pads over to the bed and trails her fingers up his bare skin from ankle to the leg of his boxer briefs. He enjoys the near-electrical thrill of arousal it causes, but shakes his head.
"Tired?" she asks, moving onward to sit on the bed next to him.
"Not really. Just absorbing the fact Anaya called me Tåta tonight."
Scout's face lights up with happiness. "I knew it'd be you she switched on first."
"Why's that?" He loves Anaya, as much as he loves Judith. But he doesn't see how it's different between them as parents.
"She just had a mom, before, that she's mentioned. Easier to replace a parent you've never had or don't remember. Like Jazz and Honey with Carol."
"Guess that makes sense. Felt like it was proof I'm doing something right."
"She loves me, Shane, but she adores you." Scout strokes his jawline, seeming to be completely undisturbed by the statement that he's the favorite parent.
"Not sure why she's favoring me." He doesn't do anything wildly different than Scout does.
"It could be a phase, but I'm hoping it's not. You're a good dad. I knew you would be, just watching you with Carl and Abby and my siblings." He gets a kiss to punctuate those words.
"Didn't have much of an example of being a good dad growing up." And as much as he loves Rick, his best friend's fatherhood style isn't one he wants to mimic. "I just think of my old man and do the opposite."
Or thinks of Merle, Daryl, or Hershel and does the same.
"Good enough template. It's how my daddy learned."
"Gonna be a real test, seeing how she handles you being gone."
"Real test will be you being gone. I'm expecting a setback that week."
"Scout, if it's gonna hurt Anaya, I can figure something out. Let Rick take my team."
"We'll face that issue if it comes."
He's said the right thing though, because she's moving astride his thighs to massage his chest. It reminds him of that first rough night, back at the quarry when Rick's low opinion of him set him for a downward spiral. He sprawls under her, letting her expert hands turn his bones to mush.
How the hell he's supposed to go four nights without her, he doesn't know. So when she tests the waters again, touch shifting just the right side of enticing from soothing, this time he rolls her beneath him to initiate a massage of his own that ends in something to keep them both warm over nights apart.
