Shane is glad that they tend to invite people over regularly because they've gotten fairly skilled at throwing together side dishes that expand the meal. The venison roast is large enough to accommodate four more adults and four children, especially since two are babies. If they didn't have visitors, they'd have lunch tomorrow. They are shy one resident tonight since Amanda elected to have supper at Jessie's house to keep the chaos of new introductions to a minimum.
"More people means more to eat all these taters, right?" Enid quips, carefully draining the water off the boiled potatoes.
"But I like potatoes," Austin says, frowning. He's got the masher, waiting patiently for Enid to bring him the bowl so he can do his part.
"I know you do, buddy, but even you can't eat that whole crop," she tells him.
Shane smiles as he walks over to the double wall oven to check on his additions. Two sheet pans of brussels sprouts, neatly halved and seasoned, are both ready to be added to a serving dish, so he grabs the mitt and takes care of it. Paul reaches over to steal one, making a face at the heat even as he pops it into his mouth.
"Hot, but just right." Paul pauses to run a hand down Shane's back. "It'll be just fine. If there was going to be drama, it would have happened down at Shirewilt, not at the family dinner table."
"I suppose you're right." Shane leans into the touch, loving how tactile Paul always is. "Although you and Lori may fight over these sprouts. They're her favorite, too." He knows Paul won't mind that he deliberately selected a vegetable Lori loves as a welcome to their home, even if it is a shared favorite.
"That explains why you made three times as many as you usually do." Paul steals a kiss before breezing out to the back patio to retrieve the corn he's roasted in its own husks on the grill.
"Open the bottom oven door, Dad!" Rory is on her way to him, pie pan carefully in her hands. "Apple pie coming through."
Giving her the assist, Shane operates the oven door when she retrieves the second pie to slide alongside the first. He glances around the kitchen and dining area to see what else needs to be prepared, but everything is as done as it can be. Even the table is set, courtesy of Enid and Austin while they were waiting for the potatoes to boil. The two mashed potato cooks have it well in hand, including enthusiastic taste-testing if they've seasoned them properly, and he has to grin when he sees the dollop of mashed potato on Austin's cheek just below his eye.
The doorbell rings, and Shane rolls his eyes. They've considered disconnecting the thing, but Austin likes it, so it stays. When Shane swings the door open, he isn't surprised one bit to see that Carl's the one pressing the button while grinning from ear to ear.
"I figured ours worked, so I figured yours would, too," he announces to Shane.
"Ours may not work after today if you keep messing with it," Lori says, but she's smiling through the warning.
Judith is in Lori's arms, with Daryl just behind them both with one hand on Lori's shoulder and a pan of cornbread balanced in the crook of his other arm. Behind them, Merle's got a toddler, who Shane hasn't been introduced to yet, on one hip, while the woman who wears a ring matching Merle's is carrying their baby in a sling against her chest. Considering some of Merle's behavior in camp and what got him left behind on the roof, Shane makes note that he isn't the only one who changed drastically from the quarry camp.
"Best listen to your mama. I seem to remember she knows how to disable a smoke alarm with a screwdriver, so a doorbell would be easy pickings," Shane says, smirking when Lori takes the hint and huffs in mock outrage. "C'mon inside and meet the kids."
Introductions go quickly enough, with Shane finally getting names for Merle's family. He's curious about the story there, but it'll keep for now. The couple looks happy, as do Daryl and Lori, although he'd say those two can't quite soothe their nerves, not that he blames them. He's a little surprised that Hershel didn't come, just to analyze Shane after his behavior at the farm, but he figures the veterinarian decided tonight was a family meal, even if Shane invited Lori's entire household.
"And your wife?" Lori asks hesitantly, just as Paul eases inside with the huge platter of roasted corn on the cob.
He eases the food down on the kitchen island before coming to offer a hand to Lori, who takes it out of polite habit. "I do look good in a dress, but I usually prefer husband."
Lori blinks hard twice, letting go of Paul's hand before looking to Shane, who steps up and slips his arm around Paul's waist and nods. "It's good to meet you, Paul."
"Welcome to our home," Paul says, and the easy charm he falls into is something Shane always enjoys seeing Paul display is evident as Paul turns to Carl. "You must be Carl. Everyone here has wanted to meet you and Judith for the longest time, myself included."
As much as Shane wishes he could spirit Judith back into his arms for a cuddle, he doesn't want to overwhelm the baby, who is playing a bit shy and hiding her face. Instead, he motions to the table. "There's plenty for everyone, and pie and homemade ice cream for after."
"There's really that much fresh milk to spare?" Lori asks, moving to take the chair closest to the high chair that Rory has set up at the table.
"I can set you up for the full tour tomorrow," Paul offers. "We aren't as established agriculturally as Hilltop or the Kingdom, but we're getting there. We've got three guernsey cows here, thanks to Ezekiel's generosity, plus six dairy goats, half of which we've captured on the loose while out on runs. The poultry flock isn't big enough for fried chicken on the table, but it keeps us in a decent amount of eggs even while we expand it."
"Chickens are way better at outsmarting walkers than I ever would have given them credit for," Shane says. "Hell, most of the farm animals are. Up on the Trail, I saw a herd of cows take down a lone walker. The ice cream is a bit of a treat when we've got a surplus on milk, though."
Austin scrambles into the seat on the other side of Judith's chair, smiling brightly at the baby, who coos at the attention. "Pops says it makes it more special when we don't have it every day. I helped make it and picked out the flavor. Can Judy eat ice cream?"
"She's never had it," Lori tells him. "But I'll bet she enjoys it. What flavor did you pick?"
"Salt and caramel. It's Rory's favorite, so maybe Judy will like it too since she's a girl like Rory."
"That sounds lovely to go with apple pie." Lori glances at Shane, her smile both amused and fond at Austin's version of salted caramel. "And I'm sure Judy will enjoy having a bite."
The meal passes easily enough with innocent questions about life in Alexandria. Carl isn't all that impressed by the idea that he should start attending a formal school again, but the fact that both Rory and Enid go persuades him to give it a try. Shane will fill Lori in on the exceptions for schooling later if it becomes an issue, but if Shane's girls can adjust after all their independent time outside the walls, he figures so can Carl and the other kids with Rick's group.
Dessert is a hit, and Lori wins a reluctant smile from Rory by complimenting the pies. "I've actually had Shane's Grandma Jean's apple pie, and this tastes exactly like hers."
"Dad had the cinnamon measurement wrong, and he forgot the nutmeg," Rory says, shrugging. "That's why his didn't taste quite right. Pops helped me figure it out."
"Did you combine grandma recipes?" Lori asks Paul as she cleans mashed potatoes out of Judy's hair. "Mine just used the store-bought apple pie spice."
Paul shakes his head. "I suppose it was someone's grandma's recipe, but not mine. One of the cooks at a group home I lived in as a kid would let me help out in the kitchen sometimes."
"Pops really knows how to cook," Rory says before nudging Carl. "C'mon. You can help me with dishes, and then I'll show you my video games."
"You have video games?" Carl asks, looking astounded and not arguing as he and Rory begin gathering up everyone's dishes. He follows Rory to the sink, already chatting about which ones are best. Enid leads Austin off to wash up.
"Is there really a surplus of power for things like that?" Merle asks. "I saw the solar panel farm on the way in, and a lot of the houses have their own, but your leader seems a bit uptight."
"Not enough to play all night," Shane says. "But there's plenty of electricity for kids to get an hour a day doing something fun. If you want Carl to have a computer or a console, just check with Olivia, and she'll arrange whatever you prefer."
"Same for anything else recreational, like bicycles. I didn't want to overload everyone on the first day or fill the houses with things you had no say in," Paul adds. "There's a wealth of board and card games, too, and enough books for about four libraries."
"We actually debated banning Paul from runs, because we were running out of space for the books he was bringing back."
"They won't last forever out there. When they're gone, they're gone."
Shane laughs at Paul's exasperated tone, reaching over to snag Paul's hand and squeeze gently, running his thumb over Paul's wedding ring. He doesn't mind Paul's love of collecting and saving books, because some of his happiest evenings are spent tucked against Paul while his husband reads aloud to him. When Shane looks back toward Lori, she's smiling as she watches the exchange between them, and the nerves he's noticed all night seem to have finally settled.
"I need to use the ladies' room," Lori says, picking up Judith as she gets to her feet.
"It's just past the foyer," Shane tells her. "Do you need to change Judy?"
"No, I think she's fine. In fact, maybe she can say hi to Paul while I go."
Lori gives Paul just enough time to steady Judith in his lap before heading off. Daryl casts a glance after her, but he doesn't seem concerned, so Shane dismisses it as a convenient excuse for Paul to finally get a chance to hold Judith. Like every other kid Shane has ever seen Paul meet, it's love at first sight, and Judith is fascinated with Paul's beard, getting to her feet with his help and tugging. She hadn't seemed all that interested in Shane's, but his is trimmed far closer to his skin than Paul's and not as accessible to tiny little fingers.
When Lori returns, she looks embarrassed and a little flustered, but Shane doesn't have to ask because she's carrying a small stuffed bear. Considering how long he's known Lori and her curious nature, he isn't surprised that sending her to the small guest bathroom that is directly across from the door to the master bedroom would result in her taking a peek. Considering Enid had taken Austin to the master bath to wash up after supper, he's guessing the kids caught Lori exploring, and the bear was sitting on the changing table in Shane and Paul's room.
"Austin wanted me to bring Judith the bear," Lori says. "He also asked if Andre likes to play with Legos."
Andre's excitement is all the answer needed as he squirms down from the table, and Michonne simply laughs at her son's reaction.
"They're the toddler-safe ones. Austin has trouble with the smaller ones," Shane explains, getting up from his own chair and rescuing the bear from Lori's nervous hands. He passes it off to Judith, who babbles happily before chewing on the terry cloth material. Offering his hand to Andre, he leads him into the foyer and points out the worktable across the living room where Austin is waiting.
When he turns to go back into the dining room, Lori snags him by the elbow, and he realizes she followed him. They're just out of sight but probably not fully out of earshot of everyone else, but he concedes to her need to talk out here.
"I'm sorry for snooping," she begins before laughing softly. "Well, I'm mostly sorry. I should have waited to let you show me."
"I didn't figure you'd let her stay right away," Shane says. "But we wanted to be ready when she could stay the night, and I didn't figure either of us would be comfortable if she were upstairs."
"It's a beautiful setup. I don't know how Paul managed that in a single day, but it's obvious he's going to love her as much as we do." Lori rubs at her eyes, and Shane realizes she's teared up a little. "I remember thinking she might not have any parents at all because of choices I made at the farm, and now she's got two sets of parents."
Shane knows Paul had help from the kids to set up the nursery corner of their bedroom, but the help doesn't matter so much as Paul's belief that everything would work out where Judith was concerned. He can't blame Lori for being emotional because he damn near cried himself when he spotted the cozy crib in their room.
"She seems comfortable enough with both of you," Lori says. "Why don't we try it out tonight? "You've missed out on so much already."
He does remember to restrain himself when he envelops Lori in a bear hug, but it's a close call on squeezing her too tight out of sheer gratitude. "Thank you, Lori. I'll try not to wake you at midnight with a pissed-off baby."
She sniffles and giggles before hugging him back. "I'll try not to wake you up missing her then. It'll be the first night she's spent away from me."
"I'm sure you can find something to distract yourself," he suggests with a wink, and the silly gesture works to make her laugh outright.
It'll take time and probably a few therapy sessions with Denise to completely clear the air between them, but for now, they've found their way back to the friends they were before Rick was shot. That's the best scenario he could hope for after just how out of control he was at the CDC and the farm. Maybe he'll even suggest including Rick in their therapy. It can't hurt, and the kids will certainly benefit from their attached adults getting their emotions sorted into better order.
After their guests leave, Shane barely gets any time with Judith for the simple reason that without her mini-hostess duties, Rory latches onto Judith and doesn't let go. She even insists on being taught how to give Judith her bath and manages to get her endlessly squirming baby sister into pajamas that were part of Paul's optimistic planning ahead for life with a baby in the house. It's only when Judith's finished the bottle of warmed-up breast milk that Lori sent over that Rory finally passes her back to Shane.
"She likes us, doesn't she, Dad?" Rory asks as Shane settles into the glider near the crib to rock Judith as she grows drowsy. "She didn't even cry once all night, and babies are supposed to miss their mamas and cry when they're away, aren't they?"
"She definitely likes us," Shane agrees. "Not all babies fuss when they're away from their mamas. When Carl was little, he was always pretty happy to stay with me, too. I think they know when whoever cares for them loves them."
"I didn't want to like Lori, but she's kind of nice." Rory sounds like the admission confuses the hell out of her. "She talked to Austin the same way she did to Carl."
Shane knows that Lori could probably have been a raging bitch and still won Rory over by virtue of treating Austin sweetly. None of their guests had batted an eye at Austin, and while Carl definitely spent more time with Rory and Enid, he'd ended the evening playing a board game with Austin. Shane is glad everyone took it in stride, considering the trauma that still creeps out of the darkness on the twins from being abandoned due to Austin's Down syndrome.
"We all made mistakes back in Georgia, sweetheart. Lori's a good woman, and she'll always be kind to Austin. Give it enough time, and she'll consider him family just as much as Carl is, I promise you."
"I hope so. It might be nice to have an aunt." Rory leans forward to press a kiss on Judith's forehead before leaving Shane to coax Judith into a deep sleep.
It feels like a dream to have everything settle in so neatly, and Shane is eternally grateful that so far the kids are accepting Judith's place in their lives and home with such grace. Juggling more responsibilities will be tricky, even with sharing Judith's custody instead of her living here full time, but he thinks it's going to be worth every bit of extra work. Breathing in the sweet scent of clean, slumbering baby, Shane finally feels the last of the ache that nearly drove him out of his mind in the mountains release. He'll never be the easygoing man he was before the world upended itself, but he's not haunted anymore.
Not with his daughter in his arms, his older kids in the next room, and later tonight, the man he loves curled next to him in bed. This is the bliss Shane never dreamed of before, but he can't imagine ever going without it.
A/N: I know it's been a long wait to reach the end of Shane's journey in this, but this chapter just felt like the perfect ending. Shane left Georgia to escape the pain of losing Judith, and he ends the story with her in his arms. I hope it was worth the wait! :)