"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." ― William Shakespeare
The following morning, day three in Alexandria, Georgie woke up in a queen size bed, on fresh cotton sheets. Physically, it had been the best night's sleep she'd ever had. It had taken forever to fall asleep because her mind was racing with so many thoughts, but eventually her body succumbed and it had been a dreamless sleep. Rolling to one side, she could see out the windows and the sky seemed a bit grey and overcast, which better fit her mood. Even with her son curled up beside her in bed, she wasn't completely happy.
She knew her son went to school in a garage with other young kids in the mornings while the older kids went in the afternoon, but today she was going to keep him home with her. She didn't want to leave Tristan out of her sight. So, Georgie let him sleep a while longer as she climbed quietly out of bed and made her way to the bathroom with some clothes that had been delivered for her the evening before by Olivia from the Pantry.
Taking a quick but hot shower, she changed into one of her new outfits; a pair of khaki pants that were screamed "PTA mom" so she rolled the bottoms up to mid-calf, a loose-fitting white V-neck shirt and a sweater wrapped around her waist for later if the air got cooler. By the time she came out of the bathroom, Tristan was still asleep so she brushed her hair and tied it back into a ponytail and lay back down on the bed to watch her son.
After about twenty minutes, Tristan stirred awake and smiled up at her when he realized she was looking at him.
"Why are you looking at me?" he giggled.
"Because I love you and I haven't been able to look at you for so long, so get used to me doing it a lot from now on."
Tristan rolled his eyes and Georgie retaliated by tickling his sides which got him cackling. As he sprung out of bed with the nimbleness of the cat, he announced he had to pee and darted out of the room to the bathroom. Getting back up, Georgie walked out into the upstairs hall and knocked on the bathroom door to let him know she would be downstairs fixing them some breakfast.
As she walked down to the lower level, she felt like she was walking through a dream; as if she was going to wake up and be back out in the real world, sleeping in the woods, surrounded by the group. She had a bed to sleep in, not leaves and dirt. She had clean clothes to wear every day, not the same things that she'd worn for weeks on end and began to fall apart after a while. She had food to readily eat, instead of going days without. She even had more than just water to drink. She could make tea or coffee. There were bottles of wine in the cupboards, too.
But the material things still paled in comparison to the things that mattered most to her that she was still going without.
Yes, she had her son, but not her daughter, and she never would again, which broke her heart every day when she thought about it. And also, she woke up missing Rick, as well as Judith and Carl. She wanted them to be in this house with her and Tristan, not Jake. She'd rather the five of them become a new, blended family rather than pretend to patch back up her old one with the man she married a decade ago.
That's what he was.
Jake wasn't her husband, he was just the man she married.
The evening before when the three of them sat around the table, putting the puzzle of a covered bridge together, she watched how Jake smiled and laughed along with their son, but she still could feel nothing for him.
This pretense was going to drive her mad.
When she did reach the kitchen, there was a note taped to the faucet written in Jake's chicken scratch handwriting.
Gone to the Infirmary. Will be there most of the day. I'll be back for dinner. There's frozen chicken in the freezer. Thaw it and cook that up.
Georgie scowled and crumpled the note in her hands. Walking into the living room, she pulled back the safety screen from in front of the fireplace and threw the paper onto the logs to be burnt with them later. Once back in the kitchen, she found some eggs in a little basket, not realizing someone must be keeping chickens here. There were also apples sitting on a shelf, so she pulled those out and decided scrambled eggs and apple slices were the way to go for breakfast.
While she prepared the food, Tristan came downstairs and went straight for his army men on the coffee table, but the eggs didn't take long and within a couple of minutes, she was calling him over to the table to eat. While Tristan picked at his food, Georgie made a cup of tea on the stove, but she found herself zoning out, long after the kettle began to whistle.
She was daydreaming about Rick and a smile was tugging at her lips when she heard Tristan's voice cutting through.
"Mom, it's whistling," he called out.
Blinking, Georgie smiled over at her son. "Oops, thank you, honey."
Turning off the burner, she grabbed a mug from the cupboard to her right and poured the hot water in before dipping in a tea bag and letting it sit for a minute.
"Aren't you gonna have breakfast, mom?"
"Hmm—oh, no, I'm not hungry right now."
Tristan bobbed his head to some music that was playing only in his mind as he nonchalantly went back to nibbling on one of his apple slices. The scene brought a smile to Georgie's face and she began to move around the kitchen to fix her tea the way she liked it.
After Tristan was done eating breakfast, he asked if he was going to school, and Georgie shook her head, saying he was spending the day with her instead, which he liked the idea of. He asked if he could ride his bike after he got dressed and she said yes.
She brought her tea with her into the garage where Tristan grabbed up his green bike and she pressed the button to open the garage door for him. As soon as he zipped out of there, she followed behind him. There was no need to worry about cars in this place running him down. She could let him run free which was pretty nice. As they made their way toward the front of the house, she watched as he rode around in circles and occasionally tried to ride without hands, but she firmly told him to stop that so he wouldn't hurt himself.
Not ten minutes later, Georgie spotted Carol walking up the sidewalk and she laughed.
"What are you wearing?"
Carol smiled brightly and came to a stop beside Georgie. "It's my costume. Do you like it?"
"No, burn it."
"I just told Daryl that we need to keep up appearances to make this work."
"Tell me about it."
Reaching out a hand, Carol brushed her fingers through Georgie's ginger tresses and frowned at the look of sadness in her friend's eyes. "What's wrong, sugar plum? Aren't you happy to have your son back? This is what you wanted."
"Of course I'm happy to have my son back, but when I see him, I expect to see my daughter nearby, and then I remember I never can." She kicked her boot at the ground a little while she shoved her free hand into her khakis. "But that's something I've been dealing with a long time now. What I want now isn't exactly the same thing I wanted a year and a half ago, or even two months ago." Taking a few steps back, Georgie sat down upon the steps up to the front porch and held her mug between her knees. Taking a sip, she kept her eyes focused ahead on Tristan. "How are Judith and Carl doing? Are they starting to get used to this place?"
Carol nodded, sitting down beside Georgie. "Judith is fine. Carl's made some friends already I hear. There's a girl named Enid, and a boy named…actually I don't know what his name. I just thought it was sweet that there's a girl here Carl's age. Maybe she'll be his first girlfriend."
Georgie grinned. "Now that is definitely cute." Letting out a laugh, Georgie shook her head.
"What?"
"I'm trying to imagine Rick giving Carl the Birds and the Bees talk."
Carol laughed as well. "He'd probably take Carl out on a supply run outside these walls, with the pretense of manly bonding over killing walkers, while really just trying to look for condoms. Then he would stumble over his words and end up just shoving the entire box in Carl's hand and say something like, 'You gotta do what you gotta do, but be safe about it.'"
Snorting with laughter, both women leaned into one another just as they both turned to their right, spotting Rick walking up the middle of the road with a shoulder bag across his chest and a his Colt and machete holstered at his belt as usual. He was sporting the same clothes as the previous day, and the day before that when Georgie had cut his hair for him.
"What's so funny?" he wondered as he neared them, placing his hands on his hips.
"Just girl talk," Carol replied.
"Where you headed?" Georgie asked, catching his eye and holding it.
"I'm, um, gonna head out and check the perimeter."
"Oh, okay." She nodded. "Keep safe."
"Will do."
With a gentlemanly bow of his head, Rick began to walk away, turning right onto the main road into Alexandria.
As Georgie watched after him, Carol nudged her. "What's happened between you two?"
"Nothing." She gestured to the house. "I'm keeping up appearances to make this work, too." Taking another sip of tea, she added, "We all gotta play our parts."
A couple hours later, Georgie was in the garage, tinkering with some of the tools to see if there was anything she could use to start making things again like when before the world fell apart. There was actually welding tools and she wondered if those were something Jake had picked up along the way in memory of her, or if they belonged to whoever it was that originally owned the home. Either way, she would make good use of everything. Maybe she could even go on a few runs with others and find some pieces of scrap metal no one would need. There were those two houses immediately outside the fence that were nothing but ruins now. She could easily scavenge for something there.
Tristan was sitting on the driveway trying to fix the chain on his bike that had popped off on him. Georgie had tried to help him but he had insisted he wanted to do it himself, but the kid just couldn't seem to get the hang of it. He had been sitting there for ten minutes, off and on, struggling, but Georgie had to admire his determination to see it through without asking for her help.
The sound of shouting from near the gate perked her attention, as Georgie set down a box of nuts and bolts. She darted out of the garage and told Tristan to stay put as she ran down the street to see what the commotion was about. She was coming up just behind Daryl when she saw Glenn and Aiden, Deanna's son, arguing about something.
Deanna ran over with Maggie in tow when they, too, heard the argument starting.
"Aiden! What is going on?"
"This guy's got a problem with the way we do things," Aiden replied smugly. "Why did you let these people in?"
"Because we actually know what we're doing out there," Glenn responded calmly.
Aiden turned around and took a swing at Glenn, but Glenn was able to duck and come back up and punch Aiden, instead.
"Aiden, no! That's enough!" As Nicholas jumped on Glenn's back, Deanna continued to shout at them. "I said that is enough!"
Daryl ran up and pulled Nicholas off, and really looked as if he was about to choke the guy out when Rick and Carl came hurrying in from outside the gate.
"Whoa, whoa! Hey, hey, hey!" Rick went straight to Daryl and grabbed him, trying to pull him away. "Let's not do this now."
Michonne got right up in Aiden's face when he stood again. "You want to end up on your ass again?"
"Cool, alright?" he replied.
Daryl began pacing from side to side like a cage animal ready to attack Nicholas again, or Aiden. Rick had to stand in front of him with his hand held out to keep him back, trying to get him to calm down and not be rash. They had a good thing going and didn't need Deanna kicking them all out at this point.
"I want everyone to hear me, okay?" Deanna spoke. "Rick and his people are part of this community now in all ways as equals." She paused, making sure everyone heard her. "Understood?"
Aiden shrugged as his mother looked up at him. "Understood."
"All of you turn in your weapons." Deanna gestured to both Aiden and Nicholas. "And you two come talk to me."
Georgie walked up closer, past the elderly couple who had come out of their home to see what the commotion was about, and up behind Daryl, placing a hand on his arm as Deanna turned and looked at Rick.
"I told you I had a job for you," Deanna said to him. "I'd like you to be our constable. That's what you were. That's what you are." She threw a look and a smile to Michonne. "And you, too." Michonne looked surprised while Deanna brought her focus back to Rick. "Will you accept?"
"Okay." Rick nodded, looking at Michonne; as if he would only really do it if she would.
"Yeah, I'm in," Michonne agreed.
Daryl scoffed and shook Georgie off his arm. Stepping back, he picked up his crossbow and walked away back in the direction of their homes. Georgie looked after him, but remained where she was, turning back toward the group assembled before her.
"Thank you," Deanna said to Glenn.
"For what?" He seemed confused.
"For knocking him on his ass."
As Glenn walked off, with Maggie following him, Deanna took her leave of them all, seeing that the gate was closed, while Georgie walked up to Rick and Michonne.
"So you're the new sheriff in town now, huh?" Georgie questioned with a small smile.
He was still processing the information when he nodded at her. "Yeah. Looks like." With a nod to Michonne, he asked, "You think we can do this?"
Michonne stood firm and maybe even a little amused. "I know we can."
"Then we can, and we will."
With a nod of her own head, Michonne walked away from the pair, gesturing for Carl to follow. When the young teen walked off with the swordswoman, Rick and Georgie were left more or less alone in the middle of the road.
"Jake left a note this morning saying he's gonna be at the Infirmary all day. Do you and the kids want to come over for lunch?" She folded her arms and stepped closer to him.
Subconsciously he let his hands touch upon her elbows as if he wanted to draw her in for a hug, or more than that. "I probably shouldn't," he replied. "You got things to work out with your husband, don't you? I would just complicate things."
"Rick."
Rick stepped away to pick up his bag. He looked back at her, clearly suppressing the longing for her he was feeling. "I'll take a rain check."
As Rick walked up the road, Georgie followed a few feet behind, but they both continued in different directions to separate houses.
That night, Rick came down the stairs in his new constable's uniform and was met by amused faces. He scanned the room for one face in particular, but then remembered Georgie wasn't there. He continued out the double doors from the kitchen, where Daryl was on the porch, as usual, smoking a cigarette.
"We good?" he asked, shoving his hands in his coat pockets.
"Yeah. You a cop again?"
Rick sighed, looking down at himself as Carol came out onto the porch from the front door. "I'm trying it on for size."
"So we're staying?" Carol asked.
"I think we can start sleeping in our own homes. Settle in."
"If we get comfortable here, we let our guard down—this place is gonna make us weak."
"Carl said that. But it's not gonna happen," Rick insisted, walking over to the side of the porch, facing Georgie's home. "We won't get weak. That's not in us anymore. We'll make it work." Turning back around, he added, "If they can't make it then we'll just take this place."
Carol and Daryl looked at him, and then each other.
Without another word, Rick walked down the stairs of the porch to take his first nightly patrol around the roads as constable. His pace slowed when he came to Georgie's house, half expecting to find Jake sitting there like the night before, but the porch was empty. Lights were on in the home, though, and he was tempted to sneak up the porch and look into the windows.
Instead, Rick turned right, heading in the direction of the gate. He walked past the old Millers couple's home and turned left with the road, walking by the solar panels and then coming up the road in front of the rowhouses. His boots clicked quietly on the pavement, keeping his head forward as he looked around for anything that might be off. But nothing was. It was simply a peaceful, quiet night with no threats from the outside world.
At least not yet.
Making another left, he turned back onto the same road he started on, just at the opposite end, past Aaron and Eric's house where they had a railroad crossing sign on their porch as some kind of decoration that was lost on Rick. Smirking to himself, he looked at the Infirmary on his right and wondered if maybe Jake was in there and Georgie was home alone with Tristan and then maybe he wouldn't feel like he couldn't go to the house to check on her.
However, he didn't need to do that.
When he came back toward the intersection, he spotted a light on coming from Georgie's garage and turned to head over to it. His footsteps were practically soundless as he approached, finding Georgie kneeling on the ground, fixing a greasy bike chain.
"Need any help there, ma'am?" he asked with a smirk.
Georgie looked up at him and had to laugh at what she saw. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Officer Handsome in the flesh."
Rick looked down at his attire again and rocked slightly on the heels of his boots as he nodded. "Reporting for duty."
They smiled at each other and for some reason it felt like a million years since they had done that.
"Tristan's bike chain fell off this afternoon and he insisted on fixing it himself without any help but he ended up making it worse. I don't know how, but he managed to twist it and knot it."
Rick stepped forward and crouched down beside her to get a better look at the bike. "If this was the old world, I'd say just buy a new one."
Georgie rolled her eyes. "I tried loosening the knot up but I pinched my finger and I can't find any oil in this damned garage to grease the chain up."
"How come Jake isn't in here helping?"
Georgie scoffed. "And get his delicate fingers dirty? Clearly, you jest."
Rick looked at her. "Carol mentioned to me how you were playing a part like the rest of us." He covered her hand with his. "What part are you playing?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I know it means keeping my son in my life."
She looked back at him, staring at his bottom lip and wanting to bite down on it and then kiss him until the sun came up, and she probably would have too if she hadn't forced herself to look away in time. Rick didn't let go of her hand right away, though. He lingered there, enjoying his closeness to her.
When she looked back, she stood up and he stood with her.
"You got some grease—" he began to saying, rubbing his thumb across her cheek but frowned when it only smudged it more. "Shit," he mumbled.
Georgie leaned into his hand and closed her eyes. "It's okay. I'll wash it off later."
Rick just stared at her. "What do you miss about before?"
"It's not morning," she replied with a smirk, opening her eyes back to him.
"What do miss about before Alexandria?" he amended.
Becoming serious, Georgie answered, "You." She took a step closer to him. "I miss you. What do you miss?"
"Us."
The door that led into the house clicked opened and they both practically jumped away from each other, expecting someone to walk in on them. No one did, though, but Jake's voice did.
"Georgie. Wrap it up in here, okay? Your dinner's cold."
Georgie glanced toward the door as it shut again and then she looked back at Rick who shoved his hands back into his coat pockets.
"Sorry," he muttered. "Didn't know I was keeping you from sitting down for a family dinner."
Georgie shook her head. "That dinner was made, like, two hours ago. I just didn't eat it when it was ready," she assured. "I couldn't sit down at that table with them and eat like everything was peachy."
"It's not? Peachy, that is."
"More like sour apples." She reached her hand out and touched her fingertips to his lips. "This is peachy."
Removing one hand from his pocket, he hooked his fingers into one of her belt loops and pulled her up against him, while casting a wary eye at the door that led into the house. Slowly, he brought his baby blues back toward her face and smiled a little as he pressed his lips to hers and then let them trail along her jaw and to her ear lobe.
"You let me know when you're done playing pretend here," he whispered.
Pulling his face away from hers, Rick winked and stepped back. Once more, both hands were in his coat pockets. Bidding her goodnight, Rick walked out of the garage and out onto the road.
Unaware that Jake had caught a glimpse of him from one of the windows in the breakfast nook.
A few minutes later, Georgie had recomposed herself and turned off the light in the garage. She headed back inside the house and walked into the kitchen, over to the sink to wash her hands. She looked up, seeing Tristan watching a movie on the TV above the fireplace and it brought a smile to her face. She wasn't even paying attention to Jake, who was sitting at the kitchen table.
"Did you and Constable Grimes have a lovely chat?"
Georgie paused for a moment and looked over at him. "What?"
"Don't play dumb. I saw him leaving."
Georgie wrung her hands try and turned off the faucet. "He saw the light on in the garage and asked if he could help with Tristan's bike chain," she replied, reaching for a paper towel. "There's not much for him to police in this place. Walking around, checking the perimeter, getting cats out of trees. That sort of thing."
"I don't want him coming by here when I'm not around."
"You don't get to impose that—"
"And I don't want him around our son when I'm not around."
"Jake, you're being—"
"And, I don't want you near him when I'm not around." He turned and looked right at her as he spoke those last words. "What will this place think if the good doctor can't keep his family together?"
Georgie snickered. "I could give a shit what this place thinks. All I care about is our son in this arrangement," she said as she balled up the paper towel and tossed it into the waste basket under the sink.
Turning away, Georgie walked out of the kitchen and into the hall toward the stairs. She was halfway up when she heard Jake's footsteps following after her and on instinct she quickened her pace. When he reached the bottom step, she darted up the rest, but he was faster and had a frightening look in his eyes. Before she could reach the second floor, he grabbed her ankle and pulled her down. Georgie fell back onto her ass on the steps and he climbed up over her, grabbing her wrists tightly to keep her there.
"Don't you get smart with me, Georgie."
Her nostrils flared and her chest puffed with defiance as she glared at him. "Get off me."
"You will not disobey me."
"Get off me," she repeated.
He got right in her face. "The chicken wasn't cooked all the way tonight and the salad was shit. You need to do a better job at that. The house was a mess and could've used a decent cleaning. You need to earn your keep around here, sweetie."
"It's a good thing Deanna offered me a job at the Pantry."
"Your first priority is this house and this family before anything else."
"Fuck you."
Jake brought a hand to her neck; just holding it there, not squeezing. "I will." He grinned. "That's gonna be your other priority. And if you fail me, or if you make a fool of me, I will make your death look like an accident."
Georgie paled at his words and went stock still.
"Daddy? What's going on?"
Jack released his hand from Georgie's throat and turned around to look at their son with a smile. "Mommy fell on the stairs. I was just helping her up," he replied. "Why don't you clean up your toys and we'll all do another puzzle together before bed."
Tristan hesitated. His eyes locked onto his mother's and she forced a smile and nodded at him.
"It's okay, honey. I'm just gonna go to the bathroom and Daddy's gonna pick out the puzzle."
"Okay, mom," Tristan replied, looking warily at his dad who smiled back at him still.
As soon as the boy was out of eyesight again, Georgie and Jake looked back at each other and Jake poked a finger roughly into her chest. She swatted it away and he held her hand down in response.
"Don't test me," he warned.
"Did you see that, Jake? Our son isn't stupid. He's gonna put two and two together on his own that you and I under the same roof like this isn't for the better."
Grinding his body against hers, Jake burrowed his face into her neck and whispered into the same ear Rick had whispered in earlier. "The only way you're leaving this house is in a body bag."
Leaning back, Jake released her and stood up. Georgie looked away from him as he continued silently up the stairs to Tristan's room to find a puzzle. She quickly gathered her wits about her and hurried up the stairs and darted into the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she locked it and sank down against it to the floor where she started to shake in both fear and anger.
How could someone she once loved enough to marry and raise a family with have become so evil and terrifying? She'd rather walk into a herd of walkers without any sort of weapon for protection than deal with Jake.
Why didn't she just run away with Tristan to Rick and the others during the day when Jake was away? How could Jake suddenly have this fearful hold over her? She used to tell him, back when they were happily married, that if he ever lay a finger on her or their children that she would castrate him. Why couldn't she gather that same strength now?
A loud bang on the bathroom door shook it and her as she turned her head.
"Don't keep us waiting down there," Jake barked.
Climbing to her feet, Georgie flushed the toilet to make it sound as if she had used it. Turning on the faucet to the sink, she gripped the sides and looked at her reflection.
Don't be so damn stupid. You're stronger than this! Run, run, run, run, run!
Looking down at the water going down the drain, Georgie decided she would be sleeping with her hunting knife tonight.
Bright and early the next morning, Georgie was up and showered and dressed before the sun even rose. She hadn't been able to sleep well after her interaction on the stairs with Jake and all the tension in the air while they put that other damned puzzle together. Tristan had slept in her bed again. It was her only safeguard against keeping Jake away in the night in case he tried anything. She knew he wouldn't be so bold as to do anything with their son right there.
Puttering around downstairs, she briefly looked out the front window and saw Sasha walking up the road toward the Pantry with a bag slung over her shoulder. Turning away from the window, Georgie reheated her chicken dinner from the night before; having cut it up into smaller chunks and adding seasoning to it. Adding it to a salad with lettuce, chopped up tomatoes and walnuts with balsamic vinaigrette, she stored it into a Tupperware container and then made a thermos full of coffee. When Jake came downstairs, dressed for the day, Georgie had a place setting at the table for him and cracked two eggs over a frying pan.
Georgie smiled sweetly at him and he looked at her with a curious eye.
"Someone's in a good mood," he commented.
"I had a lot to think about last night and, you know, you're right. We really should make this work." He just stood there and she gestured to the table. "Sit. I'm making you breakfast. Two eggs, sunny side up, with fried tomato slices, fried mushrooms and some baked beans. Almost close to a traditional English breakfast. Just missing the sausage, unfortunately. Coffee?"
She held up the pot, pouring it into a mug.
"Um, yes." Jake took a seat at the table and watched her as she added a little bit of sugar, remembering just how he used to like it. He took the mug from her when it was offered. "I like this new you," he remarked. "See? I told you it didn't have to be so difficult between us."
"You were right. I was just in this mindset of being so used to living that harsh life out there. I've just been trying to remember how life was before."
"I understand."
"I packed you a lunch, too, with a thermos of coffee to get you through the day at the Infirmary," she informed. "And what do you think of a green bean casserole for dinner? There's a great recipe right on the can and we have all the ingredients already here. I wouldn't need to go ask for anything at the Pantry."
Jake nodded, sipping his coffee. "Sounds good."
"Wonderful," Georgie smiled.
"What are your plans for the day?"
"I'm going to get Tristan up shortly and then, after some breakfast, walk him to his school lessons. Probably see what I could do in the Pantry today. Maybe I could work on fixing Tristan's bike chain. I had no luck last night. I just need oil, I think, to grease the chain."
"Sounds like a full day so far."
"Gotta earn my keep," she said, reiterating what he said to her. "I see that now."
Jake smiled charmingly at her and nodded as he took another sip of coffee. "Good to hear."
After his breakfast was finished and on a plate before him, Georgie took her leave and went upstairs to wake Tristan. She had him get dressed and come downstairs where he hugged his father goodbye as Jake prepared to leave for the Infirmary.
"Don't forget your lunch." She walked over to him and handed him the chicken salad in the Tupperware container and the thermos of coffee.
"Thank you." Leaning, Jake kissed Georgie and smiled as he stepped out the door.
As soon as he was gone, she shivered and wiped her mouth and then dropped the act. She got Tristan some breakfast – a packet of oatmeal with apple slices cut into it – and then gathered up whatever it was he'd need for school. Hand in hand, she walked with him. He had to show her the way, though. She knew the classroom was in a garage somewhere but she didn't know which one. Once they arrived and Georgie became introduced to the woman teaching them and what time their lessons would be over, she headed over to the Pantry where Olivia greeted her and gave her some mindless tasks to do.
Georgie went to work and was there when Carol showed up for supplies to make cookies. It was also when Georgie learned the Monroes were holding a party to welcome all the newcomers.
When two men walked in that she had never met before, Georgie watched Carol and how meek she was presenting herself and decided to eavesdrop when the men asked Carol is she was afraid of guns.
"Mm, no, I well, I had a handgun and I carried a rifle when we were on the outside, but I'm not an expert," Carol was saying. "Not with those, at least."
"Well, my name is Tobin. And whenever you want, I'd be happy to teach you. Just better to be safe than sorry."
"That'd be nice. Thanks, Tobin."
"Thank you, Olivia," Tobin said.
Georgie watched as the men left; neither having greeted her in anyway, as if she were invisible. Olivia and Carol exited the room where the guns were stored and Carol pulled Georgie aside once Olivia was out of eyesight.
"What happened right there?" Carol pointed to a small bruise on Georgie's chest, just above her bosom but below her throat.
On instinct, Georgie touched it and tried to look at it. She remembered Jake poking her hard there with his finger the night before and smiled reassuringly. "Oh, I was trying to fix Jake's bike chain last night. I pulled back my hand too fast and was holding a screwdriver. It came back and hit me," she lied.
Carol narrowed her eyes and then nodded. "Oh, okay. Be careful next time. You don't want to poke an eyeball out." Then she leaned in closer and whispered. "The window back in that gun room. I unlocked it. Before you leave here, make sure it's still unlocked for me."
Georgie moved closer. "What's being planned? I hate feeling so left out of things now."
"Don't worry about. Just make sure that stays unlocked, if you can, and I'll see you tonight at Deanna's party." Carol hugged the younger woman, who reciprocated and then bid her adieu.
A short while later, Georgie handed over a notebook she had been tallying the food stock in to Olivia and announced she had to leave to walk her son home from the school room, but would be back the next day most likely.
Heading back to the house, hand in hand with Tristan, who was telling her what he'd learned, Georgie saw Rick up the road a ways in his constable uniform again, walking side by side with Michonne who was in her own constable uniform as well. She waved at the pair and they waved back and the voice in Georgie's head screamed at her, telling her this was her chance; to take Tristan and run to them and tell them what a sociopathic psycho Jake was revealing himself to be.
But she chickened out, and instead she quietly pined after Rick all the way back into her house.
She spent the rest of the afternoon, making lunch for her and Tristan, finally fixing his bike and then sitting on the porch while he rode it.
A few more times, she had seen Rick walking around and, as always, he waved to her and exchanged a smile with her. During one of those times, she was caught in a daydream about him when Tara and Rosita came walking by, calling out her name.
"Earth to Georgie, come in, over."
Blinking the daydream away, Georgie looked to find both the younger women, standing at the base of the stairs and chuckling.
"Must've been some daydream you were having there, smilin' like a loon," Tara remarked.
"Anything good?" Rosita pressed for details.
"Oh, it was very good," Georgie replied with a laugh. "What's up?"
"You going to the party tonight, right?"
"Huh? Oh—yeah. I am."
"Cool," Tara nodded. "We'll see you there."
Georgie waved goodbye to them as they headed into the house next door. It appeared the group was finally settling in to both homes.
Turning her attention back toward Tristan, she called out to him to put his bike in the garage and come inside. She was going to start making dinner.
She was going to start to pretend again.