Ok, so this goes out to dillie60 who wanted a little more with different mythological creatures and .pebbles who wanted Lori to watch as Rick's life soared! I will try to add different aspects of their lives to Serendipity when I can, so this story will have no real completion timeline. It will chronicle how various mythical/legendary creatures have shaped the lives of Rick and Michonne and the rest of the crew. There will be no real linear order, unless it just works out that way, but right now I just see random little shorts detailing a shot in time in their lives.
This one involves five magical creatures who inspire luck and good fortune in their careers.
I meant this to be a short maybe 4000 word one-shot….it turned into and almost 9,000 word one-shot. Sorry for the length, I got carried away. I kept adding to it every time I went to edit it, so I just decided to stop editing and just post it.
Enjoy! And please leave a comment and me know what you think! Oh and if you see any errors let me know. like I said I had to just stop editing or this monster of a one shot!
A Serendipitous New Career
"Ok, you all have your assignments, so get to work!" Concluded the Supervisor of all the Magical Creatures of Area 1G, which includes the great state of Georgia. "Oh, and don't forget, a few of you will have some competition, Lep, you are one of em so be on the lookout."
"First of all, it's Leprechaun not Lep, I already told you that, and second, my actual name is Clancy, and third, why will I have competition?" Asked the little man dressed in all green and tightly grasping his personal pot of gold.
"Well, your assignment is Rick and Michonne, they are highly coveted and other multicultural creatures from all over the world want in on shaping the lives of those two, so just know you might run into a few other legends. But have fun!" Smiled the supervisor as he walked out of the briefing room leaving the Leprechaun alone to anxiously think about his plan of attack.
This new development worried Clancy the Leprechaun as it was highly unusual, not unprecedented, but atypical that mythical creatures would come from all around the world for a single assignment. That anomalous occurrence only happened when clients were VIP, and not low-level celebrity VIP, these were those rare soul mate VIP's, and Rick and Michonne were the two most celebrated and recognized of them all. Clancy felt privileged and honored to have received the assignment and he did not want to mess this up. It was also exceptional that more than one legendary figure would be assigned to a single patron, but that was thanks to those two idiots, Baby New Year and Cupid. Now it seems their antics ruined it for everybody. Many mythical creatures were now forced to compete for top position.
Rick and Michonne had already been bestowed with love, so this time around, good fortune with their careers was going to be conferred. Clancy wanted to make sure that he was the one that would spring good luck on the famous couple who were known through out all the lands of magic. The Leprechaun needed to act fast, and hopefully beat his competition to the punch.
Now, keeping a job and being brilliant in your career has nothing to do with luck, instead it is all talent and hard work. All a mythical creature could do was grant access and opportunity to recipients and put them on track towards their goals. Keeping and achieving his or her career is solely up to the receiver of said luck. For instance, a person who is gifted with good fortune may get an interview right away, but their talent and experience would land them the position. Once in the position, more doors would always open for them as long as their desire to succeed and willingness to work hard was always at the forefront.
The luck only made sure they were always given an opportunity; the shining was left up to each individual. Another aspect of the gift would be that no matter what, a person's achievements would always be noticed and never dulled behind anyone that would nefariously take credit for their accomplishments. Those with a touch of mystical fortune would always been seen for their success, or lack thereof. The endowments could also have the opposite effect. If a client chose failure and ruin, well they would epically succeed in that also. The misfortune aspect of the mystical gift giving was always misunderstood, so the legends had to be careful with whom they shared their offerings. It was based solely on the person it was bestowed upon whether their luck would be good or bad. Cupid had it easy, love was love and it was fated. But fortune had more to do with individual ambition and drive and less with fate or kismet once the opportunity was utilized.
As Clancy the Leprechaun prepared to leave and head to his destination, his supervisor stepped back inside the conference room and added another component to the job.
"Oh, one more thing," appended the supervisor, "Rick and Michonne come with a crew. Don't forget them. They were all visited by Baby New Year and struck by Cupid together, so they will always reap the same magic as our two stars of the show."
And with that final comment, the Leprechaun nodded, and eagerly dug around through his pot to find the most perfect nugget of gold fit for the prestigious couple. Once he made his choice, Clancy set out to meet and offer his most bestest luck to the much-admired couple.
"Michonne, what time is your interview today?" Asked Rick still in bed and hoping Michonne had time to fool around one more time before she had to leave.
Since they met over a year ago, they have spent all of their time together. Michonne had graduated top in her class at Harvard Law the May after they met and decided to live with Rick in King County while she studied for her bar exam. She spent the summer studying, amongst other naughty things, took the bar exam in September, and got an early Christmas present from the great state of Georgia when she received her perfect score. Michonne immediately applied for multiple positions in Atlanta. Rick knew at that point that he had an important life decision to make. To stay in King County and have a long-distance relationship with Michonne, or transfer to a Sherriff's department closer to Atlanta. The day his one true love opened that envelope from the Georgia State Bar Association and looked at him with her beautiful face grinning from ear to ear, Rick's decision was made. When he told Darryl and Glenn his decision, they were ecstatic at the good news. Darryl had already moved to Atlanta along with Glenn, and both were eager to for Rick and Shane to make the move too.
Rick had already talked with the Sherriff when Michonne first took the bar exam about transferring out of KCPD, so when Rick went to talk to Sherriff Horvath, his old silver haired boss already knew what was coming.
"She passed," smiled Dale happy for his best deputy's girl.
"She did," grinned Rick with the pride evident all over his face.
"Well Rick, I knew this was coming and I already talked with some colleagues of mine when you first came to me about your transfer, although I hate to see you go, I have some good feelers for you," stated the Sherriff.
"Really? I can't even begin to thank you enough for your help and support Dale, I appreciate it," acknowledged Rick grateful for the leg up.
"Yes, I hate to see you go, but I know you have a bright future ahead of you Rick, both career wise and in the love department too, you got a good one with Michonne," declared Sherriff Horvath.
Dale informed Rick that he talked to the Mayor and along with his reference, got one form her also. Rick was shocked and humbled that the two thought enough about him to do so. Dale took it one step further and informed Rick that the Sherriff's at Cobb, Futon, and Dekalb counties were waiting for his application and resume.
"You think there is a chance that I could go in as a Sergeant?" Asked a hopeful Rick who had taken and passed his Sergeant's exam and had been waiting on an opening in the KCPD.
"I will tell you Rick, honestly, the odds are not high. They like their young transfers to enter as a deputy and then work their way up, sorry kid," said the Sherriff apologetically, "and they may have their own deputies waiting on a promotion too."
Rick nodded in understating and was just grateful for the opportunity that Dale provided. Rick did not mind a little hard work. He could be patient, especially having Michonne by his side. So when Rick set up his interviews, it was for a county deputy, even though he was way too smart and talented to start at the bottom.
"It's at two o'clock," disclosed an excited Michonne who was doing a happy dance, which Rick thoroughly enjoyed watching, "This is the one I want Rick. It's the MOST prestigious firm in Atlanta, they have a brilliant and diverse staff and, once I pay my dues, I know I can get on the partner track or maybe even open my own firm, the name alone would follow me! If I branched off, my own firm would be prominent just because I was an attorney at Peyton, Jones, and Divers!"
Michonne by then had jumped from the floor and onto the bed jumping around like a kid. Rick enjoyed watching her from that angle. He thought laying down on his back and looking up at Michonne was heart stopping. Rick thought he could lay in that same position and stare up at her for weeks on end.
"So which would you want to do? Partner or start your own firm?" Smiled Rick excited to watch his girlfriend's enthusiasm.
"Not sure, but getting this job will surely help make my path clear Rick!" Michonne happily screamed as she jumped on the bed on last time before straddling her boyfriend. Rick taking advantage of the time they had and the current location of his love, quickly flipped her on her back and prepared to send her out on her career search thoroughly satisfied. Rick wanted to get Michonne's day started off right.
"What are you doing here Goldy McSprinkles, trying to get a sneak peek you perv?" Laughed Aten, the ornately decorated Egyptian scarab.
"The question is what are you doing here, aren't you supposed to be crawling around looking for a mummy or something," replied Clancy, the very annoyed Leprechaun now staring daggers at his rival.
Before Aten could respond angrily to what that silly mummy movie did to ruin his reputation as a bringer of positive change and renewal, Bisa, the African Jengu mermaid, also a bringer of good fortune, was there to answer for him.
"Both of you are old and tired, Bisa is here now, you two can leave because…" smirked the Arrogant Jengu mermaid before she was interrupted by what she considered a four-legged freak of nature.
"What the hell are you?" Jeered Gabriel the unicorn strutting up to the scene, "are you a damn mermaid? How in the hell are you even breathing right now? And walking? Don't look now, but your tail is dragging," The unicorn smirked when the mermaid looked back and her beautiful ornate tail.
"You like?" Returned Bisa with a confident smirk on her face.
The unicorn blushed. He was indeed looking. That mermaid tail was too fine and too plump for him to not be mesmerized.
"I've seen better," Feng the Chinese Dragon mumbled and shook his head.
"This coming the runt of all dragons," quipped Bisa looking at Feng who was the size of a housecat.
Clancy did not expect four other mythical figures to be there fighting for dominance, one maybe two, but not four, so he just took a deep breath and focused on his task at hand. He was currently transported to a mythological waiting area, along with the other four, because Rick and Michonne were at it again. They were all unsure how Rick and Michonne ever got anything done, they never left the bedroom it seemed! And "bedroom" was being narrow, they copulated any and everywhere; the bathroom vanity, the bathroom shower, the kitchen island, the kitchen table, the couch, the rug in front of the fireplace, in a secluded park, in the car, one-time Rick was unloading the lawnmower out of the hot dusty shed in the backyard and when Michonne bent to help him with the gas can, they dropped what they were doing and did it inside the hot shed too. They were insatiable and very prolific. Cupid made sure their love was strong and everlasting, the legends guessed that extended to sex too. That arrow Cupid shot them with was potent!
While they sat in the overcrowded waiting room, and because they all knew it would be a while because Michonne and Rick were not into quickies, the Five legends agreed to share the tasks of distributing career luck and good fortune between the other couples in the crew first. Aten the feisty beetle would take Darryl and Sasha. Gabriel the unicorn would take Glenn and Maggie, and Clancy, Bisa, and Feng would take Shane and Andrea. Those two needed a triple dose because they were something else. Andrea was good with one dose, she was serious about her career just like Michonne, and did not take her job prospects lightly. But that Shane however, he needed all the luck he could get, so they decided it was best to triple team him. Divvying out the responsibilities for the crew was easy, but when it was time for them all to vie for the coveted Rick and Michonne, that was going to be a battle of epic proportions. They each quickly set out to complete their secondary missions before returning to the magical waiting room to try to the be the first to bestow their magic on Rick and Michonne.
When Aten, the scarab beetle, arrived, Darry and Sasha seemed to be having a serious conversation at the kitchen table. Darryl and Sasha were cute, very different, but still adorable. The fact that Cupid saw these two as a match was remarkable, but Aten saw for himself the compatibility of the two lovers and smiled. They really were perfect for each other.
Rick and the rest of the guys were shocked when their quiet and shy friend, whom they never saw date any woman, or man for that matter, decided to move in with Sasha. Darryl got a job at an auto shop in Atlanta, but he was floundering. Sasha did her best to inspire confidence in the love of her life, but Darryl, although good at what he did, knew he wanted more. More for himself and more for Sasha. Darryl just lacked the contacts and opportunity which frustrated Darryl to no end.
Aten decided to listen and make sure that both would be recipients of good luck rather than bad.
"Darryl, I love you and when I start my own practice, we will be bringing in the big bucks! WE, not just me. We are a team, and we will always be a team. I fell in love with an auto mechanic. I am so beyond content with your career baby," smiled Sasha as she sat in Darryl's lap and pecked him with kisses all over his face to Darryl's delight.
"I know, but I am not content Sasha, I just have so many big plans of what I want to do and what I want to give you. I just don't know where to start. I love you so much, and I will never, ever regret moving here. I am just stuck at how to jumpstart my career dreams baby," troubled Darryl and he returned her kisses thankful for his girlfriend's support.
Aten figured he had heard enough to know that both would definitely receive his good fortune with no risk of it turning grave. He shook his ornamental robes and jewels and crawled down the wall of their condo and across the floor and decided to start with Darryl.
Aten sneakily shimmied up Darryl's leg and he jumped so high at the feeling of the bug that he almost dropped Sasha on the ground while he tried to shake the bug from underneath his pant leg. Darryl was stomping his leg on the floor so hard that Aten fell out and onto his back and hurried to flop himself back onto his feet before scrambling to Sasha's ankle. Her scream could be heard throughout the entire residential apartment complex. She kicked her foot and Aten went flying across the room and slithered down the wall in daze. When Aten saw Sasha grab the broom, he quickly came to his senses, and barely made it back to the mystical waiting room in one piece, sans robes and jewels. Five minutes later he went back, and after making sure the coast was clear, quickly grabbed his items. When he finally had a chance to relax back in the waiting area, Aten breathed a deep sigh of relief. Aten hated that he needed to touch the receiver of his luck. Being a bug did not give him any of the fortune he dispensed to others and often had to scurry for his life.
Several days later, Darryl was walking to his usual lunch spot from his job at Calhoun Automotive when he was stopped by a pair of shady looking men in. Darryl thought the leather jacket one of the dishonest looking men was wearing would look better sleeveless.
"Excuse me, are you Darryl Dixon?" Inquired the one dressed in a leather Jacket and holding a baseball bat.
"Yeah, what of it?" Replied Darryl skeptical of the man's motives.
He was a weird, suspicious looking guy whose natural stance seemed to be a deep lean to the back and appeared on the cusp of falling over any moment. He had a wide shit eating grin as he swung his baseball bat back and forth.
"Lucky me running into you like this! I'm Negan," the shifty man introduced as he held out his hand for Darryl to shake, "I was about to call you and try to set up an appointment for us to meet. Can we talk for a minute?" Asked Negan.
"What about and what's the bat for?" Darryl asked looking between Negan and the bald man that was with him.
"Oh, my son has baseball game later this afternoon, and he forgot his bat," Negan chuckled. His kid was always leaving something. "This here is my assistant Simon, but don't mind him, he's nobody," Negan acknowledged offhandedly much to Simon's dismay.
Darryl noticed Simon rolling his eyes and chuckled at the dismissed man then eying Negan up and down to try and get a feel for the man who looked as crooked as his stance. Darryl nodded and grunted and all three went inside the sandwich shoppe and sat at a table in the corner.
"Look, I have some business associates who came to me about your skills fixing their motorcycles. Said you did a damn fine job and noticed that you knew your way around a bike," grinned Negan.
"Yeah, and…" replied Darryl, a man of very few words and lots of grunts.
"They came to me about and investment opportunity. They want to open a bike shop. Exclusively work on motorcycles and offer custom built bike services, and all three said they wanted you on the team. Said your skills were impeccable," stated Negan and gave a chef's kiss at the end.
"What's in it for me?" Rasped Darryl.
"I see you are a man that is direct and to the point! I LOVE IT!" Negan bellowed in his usual overdramatic mannerism. "Here is the deal," Negan began.
Negan informed Darryl he would start at the company as an employee, a valuable one. If in the first year the custom auto bike shop is successful, then Darryl would be moved to partner and take over the running the business full-time, while Negan would move on to another investment. If at some point, Darryl wants full ownership, it would be written into the contract that Darryl can buy Negan out of the business, but Negan reserves the right to keep ten percent if he so chooses.
"So we would be fifty/fifty partners after the first year, and I would be mostly silent, mostly," Negan added. Darryl highly doubted the man in front of him could ever be silent. He ran his mouth animatedly the whole time they were sitting there.
"Everything on the up and up?" Questioned Darryl.
Darryl asked a very good question. Negan looked like a shady character and might be into some very illegal things, same for his bald assistant. But after some research and Darryl asking Rick to check into the man, it turned out that Negan was a legitimate investor, he just had an annoying douchbag personality that made him seem like an untrustworthy individual. Despite his awful persona, Negan was good at making money and was the financial backing behind a lot of legal companies from restaurants to now, custom motorcycle shops.
Darryl talked to Sasha and she was a hundred percent supportive and onboard. He called Michonne, as she of course acted as his pro bono attorney in the business deal. By the end of the month, Darryl was working full time at the motorcycle shop, and looked forward to going to work every single day.
Sasha went into work at the hospital and found out that plastics has an open residency and there were over twenty residents vying for the position. Sasha threw her name into the hat and hoped for the best. When it was announced that Sasha had received the coveted position, she was ecstatic. Sasha wanted to be a plastic surgeon since she first started medical school. Both Sasha and Darryl seemed well on their way to career success.
Gabriel found himself at a farm about twenty miles outside of Atlanta where Maggie Greene, who was working at a veterinary office after recently receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree and was elbow deep inside a cow. You would think that a unicorn would be able to withstand watching the invasion, but he could not.
"Gross," he yelled before vomiting what looked like a colorful rainbow of glitter.
Gabriel closed his eyes at what he deemed an extreme invasion of that cow's privacy and ambled blindly over to Maggie as close as he could get. Once he was close enough, he lowered his head and using his hoof, rubbed his horn until a flurry of magical dust whirled around it. Gabriel blew his unicorn dust around the spunky veterinarian and after Maggie sneezed a couple of times, the disgusted unicorn then hurried and got the hell out of that monstrosity of a situation.
Gabriel then went looking for Glenn who was currently working in a pizza shop. Glenn did multiple jobs: delivery man, pizza maker, cashier, inventory. He knew the in and out of every aspect of the business. With his Master of Business Administration degree, Glenn wanted to open and own a chain of pizza shops, Rhee's pizza. After graduating, his first task was to work for a chain and learn everything he could, from budgets to delivery, so he took a job as a manger. The problem was he got stuck there once he learned everything that he could. Banks were not willing to give him a small business loan as he had zero collateral. Maggie told Glenn that if they cut back, then maybe they could afford to do it on their own. Although not the optimal plan, Glenn thought his girlfriend might be right.
At work, Glenn was short staffed and was acting as a deliveryman to help pick up the slack. Before he set out on his pizza transport route, Gabriel blew a bit of unicorn horn dust in his face and Glenn coughed like he was hacking up something from deep deep down in his gut, then the unicorn returned to the mystical waiting room. After getting his cough under control, Glenn set off surprised to find he was delivering pizza to a small pizza restaurant. It as very odd and Glen was baffled, so he decided to ask what the heck was going on.
"Hey man, I gotta ask. Why am I delivering pizza to you of all people?" Glenn questioned as he looked around the quaint shop that was in one of the best locations in the city.
Right downtown and directly in the center of so many Atlanta businesses, it would be impossible for the shop to not make a killing on walk-in business alone. The restaurant had several tables and booths with old school video game machines scattered along the walls in the dining area. The kitchen area was huge with two giant coal burning pizza ovens. This very place was the business that Glenn dreamed of one day owning.
"Well, in about a month, this place will be closed down and I hate to see it go," sighed the old man as he looked around his pizzeria.
"Why are you closing?" Questioned Glenn.
"I'm old and I am retiring with my wife to Florida. I would love to keep it open, but I am ready to relax, and my son did not follow in the family business," the old man professed with regret in his tone as he fondly ran his hands along the tablecloth.
"I would have loved to take this over," Glenn conveyed as he eyed the red brink that lined one of the walls.
Glenn went on to tell the old man about his degree and his dream. The old man smiled and pat Glenn on the back.
"I tell you what kid, you prove to me you can make a good pizza, and I will let you run this place until you can buy me out completely," offered the old man.
Glenn quickly ran to the kitchen, excitedly put on an apron, and got to work. He first made his own version of pizza sauce, then Glenn made a traditional pepperoni, an all-meat pizza with pepperoni, sausage, and bacon, and then a couple of untraditional options, Bulgogi Pizza loaded with colorful vegetables including corn kernels, a bulgogi sauce base and marinated Korean BBQ beef. Glenn figured he was damn lucky that the old man had the exact ingredients he needed. The other was a Greek inspired pizza loaded with feta cheese, tomatoes, red onion, and artichoke hearts.
"These pizzas are delicious!" Exclaimed the old man.
"Thank you. I hope they are good enough to let me keep your shop open and run it while you are in Florida." asked a tentative Glenn.
"Deal!" Exclaimed the old man and Glenn was so excited he went through the roof! First thing he did was call Maggie, then he called Michonne, the only lawyer he could afford as she offered her services to him for free. Once the contracts were knocked out and signed Glenn, got to work. In the contract, Glenn got the old man to agree to add Rhee to the name of the pizza shop for brand recognition for when he would take over the shop completely. After a month, Glenn opened Sal's and Rhee's Pizza shop and hoped for the best.
Aten and Gabriel were still waiting on a frisky Rick and Michonne. Both hopped that they would be done with their, ahem, business, and each could get on jump on showering them with luck. Unfortunately, the luck they bestowed did not rub off on themselves, so they were forced to sit and wait.
"So, what's up with that freaky horn?" Asked Aten staring at the protrusion coming out of the unicorn's head. "Does that thing hurt? I bet you have massive migraines!"
"Nope, but I bet if I yanked on those two weird ass antennae coming out the top of your strangely shaped head it would give you one hell of a headache," Gabriel snapped with annoyance.
"Look, horny, I was just trying to make conversation, no need for you to get all rude! And while we are it, it's creepy as hell that your body fluids or dead skin or whatever it is you scrape from that bizarre protrusion on your head, is thrown in people's faces for luck. That right there is gross and off-putting," jabbed Aten with a sense of satisfaction.
"IT IS HORN DUST NOT BODILY FLUIDS! AND IT IS WHISTFULLY BLOWN NOT THROWN! Yelled the very angry unicorn.
"Yeah, that might be worse, your horrible breath AND gross old molted sluffed skin…yuck…," laughed Aten at the now agitated unicorn.
Just when the unicorn was about to ram his horn into whatever part of the beetle that would do the most horrific damage, in walked both a very tired looking Clancy, Feng, and Bisa.
"Calm down you two, both your bodies are gross, wait WTF is your body anyway you dung beetle," snorted Bisa who wondered if what he was working with was even considered a body.
"You need to slow all of your rolls and take a dozen seats because you can't judge," hollered Gabriel, "you are covered in slimy scales and what's up with your teeth? They are all like spaced ten miles apart from each other and pointed!"
"Don't hate on my beautiful gaps, you four-legged one horned pain in the …." Hollered Bisa
"Hey, hey now let's not use foul language. Besides, all of you are weirdos, especially the cat, I am the only normal one of the group," informed the leprechaun.
"I AM NOT A CAT! I AM A MIGHTY DRAGON! So, shut it with your little four-leaf clover pot of stupid gold carrying ass? And what's up that that crooked stick, is that a cane to help with your stupid wobble? You can't even walk right!" Shouted Feng now up on two legs and puffing out his chest.
They all were now standing in a fighting stance daring the other to make a move. Once they somewhat calmed down, they all begrudgingly took a seat and continued to annoyingly wait for Rick and Michonne. One of them mumbled "hacks" underneath their breath and all eyes narrowed.
Both Clancy, Bisa, and Feng reflected on their frustrating time spent with Shane and Andrea as they closed their eyes and tried to ignore everybody while they waited. They needed a minute. Like they initially thought, Andrea did not need much. Shane however was a bit much and it took all three of them to bestow that fool with career luck.
When they went to Shane's, he was busy stomping around and throwing a hissy fit complaining to Andrea about how everyone is leaving Kings County and he wanted her to stay and work at the small law firm there instead of looking for a position in Atlanta. Andrea scoffed, she had also just passed the bar and she was almost as well sought after as Michonne. Almost. Michonne graduated first in her class and every major firm wanted her to join their team. Michonne had interview after interview set up and she basically had her choice of any of them. Andrea graduated at the top, but not the very top, but she still had tons of interviews set-up. One of those interviews was at the same firm that Michonne wanted. Andrea hoped and prayed that they would both get a position there, so they could work together every day. Shane was not happy about Andrea's plans.
"I am not moving to King's County! You don't even have a lingerie shop here or a decent shoe store! Yelled Andrea, "I am applying in Atlanta and that's that Shane. I love you to pieces and you know I do, but I am not staying here. Why do you want to stay here anyway? All of our friends will be in Atlanta?" Asked a curious Andrea.
The fact was, Shane loved Andrea more than he ever thought he could and was very interested in moving to Atlanta, but he was not like Rick in terms of the positive accolades Rick received. Sherriff Horvath felt Shane was immature especially in regard to his country shenanigans with women. Shane had a party boy, womanizing reputation and was not shy in letting any and everyone know it. After he met Andera, and cupid did his thing, he was a one-woman man, problem was he liked to tell the deputies at work that he was fooling around because it made for better storytelling. When he told Andrea what he was doing, she rolled her eyes at his immaturity. Shane was a storyteller and a great one at that, often leaving everybody listening in stitches. But after Andrea, he either had to make them up, or recycle old one's form before. So everybody thought Shane was still out there partying and womanizing.
While Shane was pumping up his person life, Rick meanwhile was getting a huge leg up professionally and already had interviews set up in Fulton, Cobb and Dekalb counties. Shane however had received none. Not one place that he applied had called him back for an interview. In this instance, it was not only party reputation that got Shane excluded, but it was also his lack of decoration and ambition. Shane was content with staying a deputy for the rest of his life, which there is nothing wrong with that, but his mission also seemed to many that he did not want to be the best deputy n his field either. Shane appeared to just want to bask in the glory and attention he received from wearing the uniform.
Rick however had already taken, passed, and was promoted to Sergeant in King County. Rick had received several commendations for actions in the line of duty and his references from the Sherriff and Mayor were impeccable. He had a line of people that he worked with and for ready and willing to sing his professional praises. Shane had none of that and he was distraught that he had not lined even a single prospect of an interview to get him to Atlanta and he was too proud to admit that to anyone, including Andrea. Shane never told her that he even applied.
"Look, I'm a small-town country boy and I want to live a small-town country life!" Shane lied.
"And I am a big-city girl and I want to live a big-city life," Andrea returned honestly.
They were in a stalemate and Andrea was packing to leave for her first round of interviews later that afternoon. She was going to follow Michonne into the city and both were going to stay in Atlanta for the next few weeks as they concluded all their job interviews. It did not make sense to travel back and forth from King County to Atlanta every day. Michonne's parents had purchased her a beautiful condo in a high-rise building with astonishing views of the city as a gift for graduating Harvard Law at the top of her class. Andrea would stay with her until she got her own condo, probably in the same building. She and Michonne were thick as thieves. Sasha was also, but she and Darryl could not afford an apartment there just yet.
Andrea knew she would need to find a place fast because as soon as Rick secured his position, he would officially be moving in with Michonne and Andrea was not taking that hour commute from Kings County to Atlanta every day. Andrea was not even sure if once she moved, her and Shane would stay together. Andrea loved Shane with all of her heart, but maybe they were on different paths, she reflected.
Shane's predicament of ambition, or lack thereof, and storytelling, made giving him good fortune a bit more complicated for the three legends. Luck only got you so far, you had to have some talent and a high level of proficiency for the luck to work, otherwise it was either be useless or worse, unlucky. Clancy, Feng and Bisa did not want to risk giving Shane a life of bad luck, so they had to do some investigating before conferring their offerings to him. Their first stop was the Sheriff's office and it turned out, that stop was enough. They got all the information they needed to make a clear decision.
"How are we going to get them to talk about Shane?" Asked Bisa perplexed at how their plan would work.
"Well," replied Clancy, "I was thinking, we can't use our luck on ourselves but maybe we could use it on each other?"
"That is surprisingly a good idea, I didn't think you had it in you to come up with something so clever," smirked Bisa.
"Don't start fish girl," Clancy said cutting his eyes at the mermaid.
"Whatever you two, let's do this," said an annoyed Feng practicing his dragon fire while they waited.
"Ok, look, all I have to do is take one of these here small gold nuggets, tap it with my cane and say Adh Mor, What the hell do you have to do, I don't want no mess with your mermaid methods of spreading luck." Clancy said as he heaved and wanted to vomit at the thought of her putting her yucky slimly scales on him.
"First off you little short clover addict, my scales are not slimy. They feel like the smoothest, softest silk you will ever touch in your naturally stupid hat wearing, buckled shoe dressing life. But yes, my luck is transferred through my scales. I will take a scale and touch the skin of the one I am bestowing the luck upon.
"Gross, you are worse than that horned loser," blanched Feng.
"Do you two want some luck or not, better answer quickly before I put my fin up your tiny…" Bisa bellowed but her comment interrupted.
"Ok, Ok, no need for violence!" Clancy held up his hands in surrender. "Let's do this."
The triple legends got ready and bequeathed luck upon each other. Clancy and Feng had to admit, that scale felt pretty nice. Feng almost snatched it so that he could continue to rub its softness all over his own scaly body, which was more rough. Clancy almost asked the Bisa if he could keep the luxurious scale. It was the softest, smoothest most velvety thing he had ever felt in his entire life, but it disappeared a few seconds after contact and both rubbed their arms at the loss. Feng blew his dragon fire on the leprechaun and mermaid, and Clancy did his thing with his cane and nugget. At first, they felt nothing, and for a minute none of them thought it worked at all, but then all of a sudden everyone's conversation in the police station centered around Shane Walsh.
"Shane is a decent enough guy, I mean he is a bit skivvy sometimes the way he talks about women, but he really is a great cop," declared a confused deputy wondering why he all of a sudden needed to say that out loud.
"I agree, he loves to share his rather humorous but highly inappropriate tales, but the man can solve and close a case!" Exclaimed another just as perplexed as to why he was so excited about Shane's accomplishments.
Just then the Sherriff, who also had no clue as to his sudden urge to leave his desk, walk out of his office, and share his two cents with the deputies.
"If Shane could just get his head more focused on work and less on his crazy antic with women chasing, then he would be almost as good as Rick Grimes," announced the Sherriff.
"Well Sherriff, since he has been dating that blond, he as been more respectful and has seemed to change is ways," alleged another deputy joining the conversation."
"No he hasn't, he was just in the locker room sharing some craziness from last night," chuckled another deputy.
"Yeah, with his girlfriend! I know for a fact that he is lying about the other women because I am friends with a few of them and they say Shane has not done more than say hello and goodbye to them over the last year!" Laughed the other, "I know many a woman mad right now because Shane turned down their advances, he is a one-woman man now!"
All the officers stared at each other and burst out laughing at Shane's dishonest antics, but Clancy, Feng, and Bisa heard enough, Shane was a great cop. His personality was never going to change, but Andrea would put him on the straight and narrow, well at least a slightly crooked and somewhat tapered path at least. Andrea's lane was not the straightest either. So the mermaid, the dragon, and the Leprechaun went back to impart luck and good fortune on Shane Walsh and Andrea Harrison. Within an hour of Andrea getting a single dose from Feng, a tiny spark of this dragon fire, and Shane getting a triple dose of luck from all three, which he desperately needed, Shane received a call from Sheriff Horvath.
"Hey Shane, I just go off the phone with the Sherriff in Cobb county. They are interested in giving you an interview and I told them they could not interview a better cop. Good Luck, I hate to lose you, especially since I am about to lose Rick, but I wish you both the best," said the Sherriff who was genuinely happy for Shane.
"Thank you!" Shane grinned anxiously waiting for his call from Cobb County.
Four days later both Shane and Andrea had secured positions, Shane as a Cobb County deputy and Andrea and a Junior Associate at Peyton, Jones, and Divers.
Back in the waiting room, everybody jumped when the rest area started to disappear which could only mean one thing, Rick and Michonne were done fooling around. All five of the deities ran to be the first one to bestow good career fortune upon the famous couple. The five watched as Michonne was rushing around trying to get herself together and ready to leave and Rick was not helping, instead he laid in the bed watching his beautiful girlfriend run about.
"I'M FIRST! Yelled the leprechaun.
"NO, I AM!" Hollered the scarab.
"NO ME! screamed the Unicorn.
"THE BEST SHOULD GO FIRST! ME!" Roared the dragon.
"Ok, now now," smirked the mermaid, "would you not agree ladies first?" Asked a demur Bisa and the four gentlemen reluctantly and begrudgingly agreed, but started another fight concerning who would go second.
"Well I know for sure the unicorn should go last because he is the WORST!" said the scarab.
"You are a bug, a pest, don't you live in dung?" replied the Unicorn.
"I AM A LEGEND! I DO NOT LIVE IN POOP YOU HAIRY WANNA BE PEGUSIS! ALL YOU DO IS RUB YOUR HORN ON PEOPLE, YOU SHOULD BE ARRESTED!" yelled the scarab.
"I AM DELIGHTFUL, PEOPLE LOVE ME! Hollered the unicorn.
"I WILL SET YOU ALL ON FIRE!" Threatened the dragon.
While the men were busy fighting, Bisa the mermaid had already shed a scale and bestowed upon the couple her good fortune. Clancy went next, followed by Feng, while the other two continued to fight. They finally stopped long enough for Gabriel to sprinkle his horn dust on Rick and Michonne and bestow the two lovers his luck.
"Saved the best for last," claimed Aten the scarab as he smugly crawled towards Rick and Michonne to touch his insect body to their human flesh.
"Weird that you have to actually crawl on them. I think you are a closet freak," remarked Bisa.
"You wanna find out," Aten responded as he winked at the mortified mermaid goddess.
"I think I just vomited in my mouth," choked Bisa heaving into the trash can.
"I think I just threw up on behalf of all mystical creatures all over the world," blanched Feng.
Once the five got themselves together and recovered from the shuddering thought of a beetle and mermaid hooking up, they all turned back to Rick and Michonne.
"Rick, you are going to make me late!" Cried Michonne now rushing to get dressed and meet Andrea so that she could get on the road!
"You will be fine, it's only 10:00am you have plenty of time so don't be speeding. I need you to be careful, you hear me? Rick pled.
"Yes, Yes, I hear you. Ok, when are you coming down for your interview?" Questioned Michonne as she scurried around.
"I will be there early tomorrow morning, my interview is tomorrow at 11am at Cobb, then at 2:00pm at Fulton, and 4:30 Dekalb." Said a nonchalant Rick.
"How did you manage to get all your interviews the same day?" Wondered Michonne impressed with his efficiency.
"I just got a message saying they were able to accommodate my request," Rick smiled looking through his email, "got lucky I guess," Rick shrugged with a bit of cockiness and Michonne shook her head before giving Rick a final kiss goodbye.
They wished each other luck and Michonne left to meet Andrea at Shane's and both were on their way. Rick got dressed and headed to work. He stopped to pick-up a grinning Shane and he told Rick all about his interview at Cobb County.
"That's great!" Celebrated Rick, "Now we will all be in Atlanta together!"
"That's if I get it," worried Shane.
"You will, we both will. I can feel it!" Smiled a confident Rick.
As Rick and Shane walked into the Sherriff's office, sitting on a bench at the entrance was none other than Lori Wayne. Rick immediately rolled his eyes. Ever since they broke up, Lori has been calling after him and he ignored her every single time. Lori would call his home and cell to the point he had to change both numbers. She would show up to his house, to which Rick responded with a certified letter in the mail with the threat of a restraining order if she showed up again, so Lori stood across the street calling his name. Rick was even more serious about getting the protective order once Michonne graduated and moved into his home.
"What the hell does she want now Rick?" Asked an annoyed Shane, "She don't know when she lost and or when to give up, does she? When was the last time you spoke with her?"
"The New Year's Eve party where we all met the girls a year and a month ago, I made a choice that night to not engage in any conversation with her and I ain't starting now," grumbled Rick who was determined to ignore and walk right past her.
Rick had to do quite a bit of ducking and dodging over the last year. At first, Lori ignored him right back thinking it would upset him and he would come running back, but when Michonne moved in with him, Lori lost all her sense became desperate. As she painfully watched her ex-boyfriend happily move on, Lori became more and more determined to win him back. Lori realized she tossed away the best man she could ever have gotten, and she hated herself for her stupidity.
Lori called excessively and always managed to bump into Rick "accidently" while he was out and about town. She would stomp away in a huff when he did not say a single word to her and instead, would simply walk away. She also had the unmitigated gall to call the sheriff's department during one of Rick's shifts claiming she needed immediate emergency help and hoping they would send Rick's unit to her home. When Deputy Basset showed up and saw Lori dressed skimpily in a cotton bra and panty set that was country and unsexy as hell, he knew immediately it was a false call. Lori was hurt and dismayed that Rick was not worried enough to come see about her fake emergency, and Leon wrote her a ticket which earned her a misdemeanor charge. Lori was lucky she did not get arrested, but King County was a small town and she got off fairly light with a fine and some community service.
Watching Rick happy with Michonne was distressing and demoralizing to her, especially when she people would talk about the breakup and Rick's new love behind her back. But mostly it made her angry. When she found out Rick was leaving King County, she was livid. Her opportunity to get Rick back, in her deranged mind, was narrowing. Had Lori any sense, she would have realized there was never one iota of a chance in hell that Rick would leave Michonne for her. Rick had not uttered single word to Lori since that night he met Michonne, hence it was perplexing why she thought he might. Lori thought if she could just have a conversation with him, get him to talk to her, she could get Rick to change his mind.
"I will handle this Rick, you go ahead in," offered Shane.
When Rick walked by Lori, she damn near jumped on Rick's back to get him to stop and finally talk to her. Shane had to pry Lori off and another deputy stepped in between the two so that Rick could enter the station safely.
"Rick PLEASE, you can't leave King County with that woman, this is your home!" Lori shouted desperately.
"Lori, move on. You're embarrassing yourself. Ain't you tired? People all over town have started to make fun of you. You are a laughingstock. They call you "Lunatic Lori, Lonely Lori, and my personal favorite Wacko Wayne," Shane laughed unashamed and fully humored.
Lori was infuriated and tried to move Shane out of the way after she heard Rick chuckle, but Shane blocked her and Rick passed through the secured doors of the King County Sheriff's station, relieved that soon, witnessing Lori's antics would be a distant memory.
"I see 'Loco Lori' is at it again, want me to have her removed and ticketed?" Asked Sheriff Horvath.
Rick laughed. He had not heard that one before.
"Nah, just tell her she's gotta leave. No need to ticket unless she refuses to go and keeps causing a disturbance, I guess," replied Rick.
At that moment, Shane came in sharing that 'Weirdo Wayne' is refusing to leave unless Rick speaks with her and has positioned herself firmly on the station entrance bench. Rick informed the Sherriff that he had nothing to say to Lori and at this point, she is exhibiting disorderly behavior in a police station, and the Sherriff could do with her what he will.
Sherriff Horvath tried to get her to leave calmly and threatened her with a criminal trespass warning, but Lori had nothing to lose so she chose to exercise her right and sat quietly in the station. The Sherriff went to a judge and asked for a temporary restraining order, since she was, at that point, harassing his officer and causing Rick to not be able to do his job.
Once the sheriff returned with the new order, "Loser Lori" tore it up in the Sherriff's face and sat back down with her arms folded across her chest. When Rick left with Shane to start his patrol, Lori accosted Rick and she was immediately arrested for violating that which she just tore up. Rick at no point asked about her well-being or inquired about what would happen to 'Lawless Lori." Rick made a vow to put Lori behind him and he would be damned if he went back on that promise to himself.
The next morning, Rick was on the road to Atlanta for his interviews but got there early enough for a quick stop by Michonne's.
"I GOT IT!" Michonne yelled as she jumped into Ricks arms, legs wrapped around his waist, both their favorite greeting. "I GOT THE JOB AT PEYTON, JONES AND DIVERS!" Michonne continued while kissing Rick all over his face.
"Congratulations!" Exclaimed Rick, "but baby we don't have time for a full celebration, I gotta go. I just wanted to stop by before my interview with Cobb County."
Michonne tried to jump down but Rick was not ready to let her go completely and instead went in for a very deep, languid, and passionate kiss.
"Rick! You are starting something you just said you can't finish," cooed Michonne.
Rick reluctantly let her go and prepared to leave but not before giving her one more kiss and a pat on the butt.
"I will see you after my last interview at 4:30," said Rick backing out of the door.
"Ok, good luck baby!" Encouraged Michonne, "Call me after each one."
Rick went to the Cobb County Deputy Interview, followed by the one at Fulton and DeKalb. In Rick's mind all three interviews went exceptionally well. Too well, and fortunately for him, Rick received a call from all three offering him a position. Cobb county had the best offer, a Sergeants position, which he accepted immediately. Rick could not believe it. When he applied all three counties said the same thing, 'you would have to start as a deputy and work your way up.' DeKalb offered him a Sergeant's position as soon as one came available in six months, Futon did the same, only he would have had to wait two months longer than what DeKalb offered, but Cobb had an immediate opening and Cobb was where Shane was interviewing. As to how Rick received a sergeant's position, Cobb County Sherriff explained that not only did he ace the interview, with his impeccable record and stellar references by both the Mayor and Sheriff of King County, they could not pass up the opportunity to bring Rick onboard. Now he and Michonne had a triple celebration. As Rick made his way to his soon to be new home, he hoped that Shane would also get a position in Cobb County.
Once Rick got home and after they celebrated, in several rooms, Rick and Michonne discussed their luck over Chinese food.
"I can't believe it was that easy," said Rick cracking open his fortune cookie.
"I know, my interview went smoothly. You know they are starting me as a full Associate and not a Junior Associate. That is like, never done Rick! I am so excited!" Yelled Michonne.
"Looks like this cookie is right," chuckled Rick, "you have the luck of five on your side."
A few years later, the whole crew were celebrating all their good fortunes concerning their careers. Business was booming for each and everyone of them and they had not clue that a beetle, a leprechaun, a unicorn, a dragon, and a mermaid, made it all possible.
Darryl and Sasha are living a fabulous life. Darryl eventually made partner and eventually bought the business. He is currently expanding his business to open two more locations. Negan still owns ten percent, he was not going to give up that cash cow, so Darryl still has to put up with his constantly running mouth. Sasha is doing the damn thing as one of the top Plastic Surgeons in Atlanta. Most of her clients stare at her looking to see if Sasha has benefitted from the practice herself, with her flawless, perfect skin. Seeing the need, Sasha created a line of skincare products that rivals any brand on the market.
Glenn and Maggie's careers soared. Maggie eventually specialized in large animal veterinary medicine and got her own television show detailing the unbelievably gross things she did every day. It was not for everybody, but it was a success, nonetheless. I guess there is a market for watching humans putting their hands in the animal orifices. Glenn eventually opened a chain of Rhee's pizza shops that are located throughout Georgia and has since expanded throughout the region. He is currently in the process of creating Rhee's Frozen Pizza for nationwide distribution.
Shane and Andrea are doing great. Shane never really wanted to move up the chain of command, as he enjoyed the day-to-day life of being a deputy. His superiors however informed him that he needed to get "a little more gumption" and start being a leader. Shane was a good police officer, but an even better trainer. He is now in a job where he shares with future deputies entering the police academy his knowledge and skill set. One big plus was Shane found a new wider audience for his inappropriate tales, so let us just hope the new recruits listened more his police expertise in the field rather than his antics in the bedroom. Andrea stayed with the firm for a few years before she branched off and created her own very successful firm, Harrison, and associates which was successful for a few years before encountering more change two years later.
Rick eventually left the Cobb County Sheriff's Office and worked his way up to Chief of Police for Atlanta PD with his name on the shortlist as the next Police Commissioner. And by shortlist, his name is the only one on it. Throughout his career, he was one of the most respected members of the police force, still is.
Michonne made it to partner in her law firm and made it her mission to recruit quality and diverse young lawyers whom she would mentor. Her mentorships were coveted, and many vied for the opportunity. When Michonne's four biggest clients became all too consuming, she eventually left the Peyton, Jones, and Divers, and took her four clients with her, Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, and Darryl. Since the four's popularity has soared, she convinced Andrea to join her and now both are partners at Grimes, Harrison, and Associates. They hired more staff to handle the day-to-day clients and now both almost exclusively work with the quad, only stepping in on cases as their associates' request. Grimes and Harrison consistently rank as one of the top law firms in Georgia, beating Peyton, Jones, and Divers much to Ezekiel, Morgan, and Gregory's chagrin. They are still a little salty at Michonne for leaving with the big four.
By this time, all four couples were also happily married with children, but that is a story for a different set of mythical creatures to tell.
"You know, it was my luck that put Rick and Michonne over the top," bragged Clancy the Leprechaun.
"Don't be ridiculous you heightened challenged, drunk. You just keep fondling your little nuggets and leave the good fortune to the big boys," insulted Aten the scarab beetle.
"I would not say you were a big boy," laughed Bisa the mermaid.
"More like a tiny little annoying gnat," chuckled Gabriel, "But you know what they say about horns," winked the unicorn.
"Nope, we don't even acknowledge your measly existence except for one thing, that unicorns are just horses with pointy pricks that, much like your horn, leaves many hollow and unfulfilled. Is that what they say? Countered Bisa.
"I hate you," seethed Gabriel as he watched Bisa walk away laughing, then turned to see them all laughing, "I really hope I never see any of you again in my life."
"So petty, maybe one day you will as revered as me, the mighty dragon!" Roared Feng beating his chest.
"Mighty? Boy bye!" Cackled Bisa.