Disclaimer: I own nothing.
––
Carol felt Mason watching her as she worked, but she ignored him as she worked. She saw it was about five now, and she wondered if Daryl was going to come and see if she was done. She really hope not. She didn't want Daryl to see Mason, because the shop was emptying, and they would kill each other.
"Mommy." Sophia ran over to her.
"Sophia?" She looked up, but it was Amy who had brought her to the shop. Thank the Lord. "Hey, honey."
Amy and Paige walked over to the counter, Paige smiled at Carol and Jacqui, and Amy ordered two slices of cheesecake and a cup of coffee with two glasses of milk. Carol got them for her, and the girls found a table, and Amy carried the cheesecake over then went back for drinks, paying and thanking Carol.
Mason looked over the young blonde woman that came in with the two little girls. He knew both of them were Dixon girls by their eyes. The little redhead that was Carol's was also Daryl. He knew she would never let Merle near her, and he knew she wasn't Merle's type. The blonde was, and damn, at least one of his sons shared his taste in women.
So, little Darylina finally managed to have a kid. He never thought he'd see the day. He almost shit bricks when he found out he knocked that bitch up the first time. He didn't think Daryl had it in him. He'd hope the little bastard had learned his lesson the first time when that boy died. Kid was hard to teach apparently.
And the little brunette who looked just like her mom was Merle's. Tsh, she held herself like just like Merle did: confident, protective, cocky. He had a feeling she'd be a smart mouthing little bitch when she was older, just like her father. Of his two sons, he figured Merle had enough sense to not get some hussy pregnant. After everything that asshole had been through, he's just going to undo it all for that little money pit. That blonde ain't that hot. Tsh, fucking dumbass.
"All right, hold on." Amy hopped up and asked Carol for some pens. "Any color will do."
"Here." She grabbed two from the drawer and held them out. "I thought Daryl was watching Sophia."
"Thank you." She grasped them. "He was watching her, but something came up. He knew I was nearby, so he called me, and I picked the girls up. I decided cheesecake was needed."
"Did he leave to go help T? He's still injured; he can't help T at the shop. I'm going to kill him."
"Calm down. I'm sure he's slouching against some wall and just joking around while T works on something they're keeping a secret."
"You're the only one keeping a secret."
She smirked. "Well, it's my secret to keep now, isn't it?."
"As long as it doesn't involve murder, keep it."
"And I will. For another week anyway." She cocked a hip. "Hey, since we're practically sisters and our daughters are cousins, don't you think I should get free food and drinks here?"
"Amy. Chair."
She laughed then turned and sat down with the girls. She watched them play Tic-Tac-Toe on napkins, feeling the eyes of a man across the room on her. She knew this man. He was Mason Dixon, and she wished he hadn't shown his face here, because she was going to kick his ass if he made one move toward these girls. She'd only met him once, and that was years ago.
Merle had just effectively screwed her over every surface—minus the stove—in the apartment. They were just resting on the floor, catching their breathes, but she was so exhausted. She passed out and woke up in up their bed, covered by the sheets, to see Merle and Mason in the kitchen, talking—more like growling—at each other. She didn't know what they were arguing about, but the next thing she knew, Mason was spitting up blood in their kitchen. Merle grabbed her and hauled her out of the apartment, wrapped in only a sheet. He gave her his shirt then bought her something to wear. They didn't go back to the apartment for a week.
What the hell was he doing here? She heard Paige groan and looked over as Sophia won yet again. "May I?" Amy asked Sophia.
"Sure. Umm, could she use your pen, Paige?"
"Sure. Here, Mommy. Can I see if Jacqui needs help with the muffins?"
"Yes, she'd love that." Amy accepted the pen and smiled at Sophia. "Don't hold back."
She laughed. "I won't."
Paige glanced at the man in the corner of the Greene Leaf. He looked a lot like Merle and Daryl, and she knew he was her grandfather. She had no interesting in meeting him. She went over Carol and asked if she could go into the back and help Jacqui.
"Well, we're going to close in about three hours, so we won't be making anything else, but she might need help putting stuff away."
"Okay." She slipped into the back. "Do you need help?"
Jacqui looked over. "Yes, I do need help. C'mere."
She climbed onto the chair. "Do you know him?"
"The man sitting by himself?" Jacqui met her eyes.
"Uh-huh."
"Unfortunately, yes I know him." She crossed her arms. "His name is Mason Dixon, and he's your grandfather."
"I know he is." She bit her bottom lip. "He's a bad man."
"Yes, he is."
"Why is he here?"
"I don't know, sweetheart." She tucked a curl behind her ear. "I'm sure he'll leave soon."
"So, what are we doing?"
Jacqui began to explain to Paige what she needed help with while Carol tended to the few customers in the shop, asking if anyone wanted anymore coffee or anything else. She wasn't sure if going over to Mason was a good idea or not, but she wanted to know what he was doing here. She could remember the only other time she wanted to talk to him. Daryl would've killed her if he knew about it, but she wanted to talk to him. He was her future father-in-law, even though they both wished he wasn't.
– – –
Carol woke up before her parents, siblings and Daryl. She dressed and made herself something to eat then left the house. She dug her keys out of her purse and began to unlock the door to her car. She jumped when a light surrounded her, and she turned slowly, lifting a hand to block the light, seeing her mother holding a flashlight.
"Where do you think you're going this early in the morning?"
"To...pick up some coffee for the Greene Leaf. Daddy asked me to...so, here I am, going to get coffee."
"That was last week, Carol. This is you sneaking out. Why are you sneaking out?"
She sighed. "I...want to talk to Mason Dixon, tell him about the baby and tell him to permanently leave us alone. Don't try and talk me out of it. I need to do this. I need to."
She nodded. "Well, do you have any Celtic Thunder CDs? I'll need music."
"You—you're coming with me?" Carol was flabbergasted. She expected her mom to wake the house and let her sisters, brother, Dad and Daryl lecture her on how stupid she was being. She didn't even consider her mom agreeing with her, let alone offering to come with her so she didn't have to face him alone.
"Yes, of course I'm coming. I'm not letting my daughter meet with a man so callus he abused his own flesh and blood. Besides, I need some air, and we can talk about my grandchild on the way. And the wedding, but we may need tissues for that."
Carol smiled, tears burning in her eyes, and she nodded, getting into the car. She drove to Mason Dixon's crappy little trailer, wondering if he would be there. He most likely would be there, drunk and passed out. She wasn't going to leave until they talked, and if he tried to hit her, she was going to call the cops and have him arrested. She wasn't scared of him, and she knew she could use one of the many bottles of vodka lying around as a weapon should be lunge at her. She would be fine, especially with her mom right there.
Annette gazed at the trailer then at her daughter. "Do you want me to go in with you?"
"No. I want to talk to him myself." She undid her seat belt and pushed open the door. "If I'm not out in fifteen minutes, call the police."
"If you're not out in fifteen minutes, I'll be burying a body then calling the police."
She smiled. "I love you too, and thank you for not babying me."
"Babying you?"
"You know, asking me if I wanted you with me with...that tone. The one you used was...like you trust me, and you know I can do this alone." She gripped her hand and squeezed it. "I'll be right back. Fifteen minutes."
She watched her daughter march over to the front door, knock then open the door. She shifted in her seat and said a small prayer for both her daughter and Mason.
Carol felt her dinner rush up to her throat at the smell of the trailer hit her, and she had to focus really hard to not be sick. She knew it always smelled, but my God, it smelled like someone lit a brewery on fire! Plus, with her pregnancy that increase her sense of smell to make sure she didn't ingest anything that could harm the baby, didn't help her queasy stomach.
She swallowed hard and buried her nose in her jacket sleeve. "Mason!" She turned the light on beside her and saw a mess of liquor bottles and pizza boxes. It was disgusting. Oh, my gosh, something just moved! "Mason!"
In the doorway to his room Mason stood, leering in on the small redhead who had barged into his house without permission. He wore a tan flesh-colored t-shirt that was dirty with holey jeans. He looked like death, but unfortunately, he was still alive.
"Well, if it isn't the mouthy little bitch." He stepped into the living room. "What do you want? Come to spread your legs for me this time?"
"Not even if you were the last man on God's green Earth."
"Figures." He sat down on the couch. "Since you came all this way, I doubt you're gonna just leave. What the hell do you want, slag?"
"It's Carol, Mason." She crossed her arms. "And what I want is for you and your disgusting self to stay away from Daryl and Merle."
He looked at her, his shoulders shaking as laughter busted through him. He tossed his head and bellowed out laughs so deep, they practically shook the room. He laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes.
"Look, asshole, I don't want to even hear your voice again in my life, so—"
"Bitch, who the fuck do you think you are?" He rubbed his jaw. "Some little nerdy girl whose cherry's just been popped? You ain't ever gonna scare me, so whatever bull—"
"You don't scare me either!" Carol interrupted him. "I will never be afraid of a pathetic, drunken son of a bitch who can only feel good about himself by beating the daylights of his own flesh and blood! You don't even have the balls to beat them sober! You have to get high or drunk, because you're too much of a coward to be able to see them with clear vision as you draw blood and leave scars!"
He stood up.
"Now, I came here to inform you for two things."
"And those two things are?" he growled.
"I am pregnant—six weeks pregnant—with Daryl's child, and we're getting married." She searched his eyes. "Now, I don't want you around us ever! Daryl may never take you to court, but I will. If I see you or think I see you, I will not hesitate to get your ass thrown in jail for what you did to him and Merle!"
"Pregnant?"
"Yes, pregnant. Now, I—"
"Daryl? This is Daryl who got you pregnant?"
"Yes, Daryl."
He chuckled then went hysterical again. He fell onto the couch, kicking the air with both feet, and his face was blood red. He couldn't catch his breath, and he slammed his hand down on the table hard once—twice—three times. He just kept bellowing laughs that echoed back at her at the thought of Daryl actually having it in him to knock her up. "Jesus H—" He laughed again.
She rolled her eyes. "I've no doubt Daryl is a more proficient lover than you."
He stopped laughing then. "He'll be the one boy you bed, so yeah, you'd say that."
"All I want from this is your word that you will never bother me or Daryl or our children ever."
"No."
"Why? Daryl's eighteen and able to take care of him, and you clearly never gave a shit about him."
He grabbed a cigarette from a pack on the coffee table and lit it up. "Whatever "relationship" you think you have with the boy ain't gonna last. He's gonna leave you or you're gonna leave him."
"That's not going to happen. I love Daryl wholeheartedly, and I would never leave him."
He blew smoke in her direction and pointed to her stomach. "That little mistake growing inside you is gonna be a bastard. You ain't gonna be no Dixon, just a bitch that got knocked up by one."
"My child will have a father and a mother, and I will marry Daryl, but you? You will not be a father-in-law or a grandfather. You'll just be a pathetic drunk who has nothing but his next bottle." She looked into his eyes. "You're nothing, Mason, and you'll always be nothing."
He stood up, taking a deep drag, and he walked over to her. He grabbed her chin and held her in place as he blew the smoke in her face. "Get the fuck out of my trailer." He shoved her back, and she coughed into her jacket.
"Were you always like this?" Carol hovered by the door. "With Daryl and Merle's mother as well? Did you wish them away while she was pregnant? Did you resent her for letting herself get pregnant?"
He just looked at her.
"I'm glad she's dead. At least you can't hurt her anymore." She opened the door. "And I'll make sure you never hurt Daryl again. That's a promise." She left the trailer and got into her car.
"You're late."
"I know." She buckled her seat belt with shaky hands. "I'm okay." She gripped her hands to still them, taking a deep breath.
"I can see." She reached over and moved hair out of her face. "Let's go get breakfast. You're eating for two so that granola crap isn't enough. I will not have some skinny little grandchild. I want him or her to come out all fat and cute."
She smiled and hugged her. "I love you, Mom. Thank you so much for everything."
Annette smiled and held her. "Don't thank me. It was my pleasure, pretty girl."
"No, I am going to thank you. You and Dad didn't have to be such amazing parents, didn't have to sacrifice things for Shawn and for me, but you did. I love you both so much and respect you so much for that." She tried not to cry, but her life could've have been like Daryl's, and it made her ache to think how shitty Mason was when he could've been like her father. He chose to be shit, and she was thankful that her parents chose to be amazing. She was also thankful to have gotten Daryl away from Mason, and she would make sure Mason never hurt Daryl again.
"If we're going to cry, can it be over eggs and wheat toast?" Annette mused, wiping away her daughter's tears.
"I'm sorry." She took a deep breath. "I don't know why I'm crying."
"It's all right. Let's get out of here." Annette squeezed Carol's hands. "And I love you too, pretty girl. Here." She grabbed a tissue from the glove compartment. "Dry your eyes and take a breath."
Carol nodded. "Thanks." She calmed down and balled the tissue up, starting the car.
"While we're at breakfast, we really should discuss the wedding. Nothing too big, because we both know how Daryl feels about people. He gets uncomfortable, and that's the last thing we need. Perhaps just family and Merle?"
"That sounds nice."
"By the way, let's never tell Daryl we were here. He would lose his water."
Carol laughed. "Yes, he would."
Annette smiled and glanced at Carol, wondering if she could mentioned Emily, Carol and Shawn's older sister who was stillborn. It was the worse day of her life, but she knew it was a possibility; her mother and grandmother and great-grandmother had lost their firstborns as well. She barely survived, and had she not had Shawn a year later, she wasn't sure where she'd be. She was scared to try again, but three years later, she discovered she was pregnant with Carol, and everything worked out. Maybe it would be different for Carol. She was strong, a fighter. Telling her would only make worry endlessly, and for all Annette knew, Carol would have a healthy baby. No, it was best she kept this to herself. Everything would be okay. She would pray for it all to be okay.
Carol glanced over at her mom. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"You look worried."
"No, I'm just tired. I need coffee."
"Are you sure that's it? I know the difference between worry and tired."
"Yes, I'm okay." She smiled. "Worry about Daryl. You smell like cigarettes."
"Oh, crap. He'll know I went to see Mason. I need to take a shower when we get home. Distract Daryl with farm work, please. He'll try and j—ask me how I feel today."
"Jask? I didn't know that was a word."
She laughed nervously. "It's French?"
"Uh-huh."
– – –
Carol sat down across from him, crossing her legs, and she met his eyes. "I thought I told you never come around me or Daryl or our child."
"What can I say? This shithole has the best coffee." He smirked. "Speaking of, I want a refill."
"And I want you to die a slow yet befitting death." She returned his smirk. "We're out of coffee tonight. I just gave the rest to the gentleman behind you."
"Well, look at you. All grown up and trying to be the man." He scoffed. "How's the other kid doin'? Bet he's feedin' them worms nice this time of year, if there's anything left of him."
She clenched her jaw.
"So, you and the boy tried again, eh? She's cute."
"Luckily for Daryl, he got his looks from his mother." She rested her hands in her lap. "Why are you here?"
"Came to see my grandchildren. Why else?" He leaned back in his chair. "What's her name? Sarah? Sophie? Wait, no, no. Sophia. That's what you called her. Sophia Dixon. And the other one? The curly-headed one. What's her name?"
"That's none of your business."
"She's my kin, ain't she? That makes her my business."
"No, it doesn't." Amy planted herself beside Carol after making sure Sophia went into the kitchen to help Jacqui.
"You're the little blonde I saw at Merle's however many years ago. I thought you was dead."
"Me too. Hoped, anyway." She glared. "Why are you here?"
"Like I told my daughter-in-law, I'm here to see my grandkids." He smiled at her. "Is that so wrong?"
"Yes, it is, especially for a son of a bitch like you." She slapped him across the face with every ounce of hatred and strength in her body, and Carol shot up. "I know what you did to Merle! I saw the scars. How dare you show your face here? Let me go, Carol!"
"Stop! Stop! There are other customers. Calm down." She pulled Amy aside. "It's all right."
Mason blinked and chuckled deeply. "Now I get it. You're a fiery little thing. You must be a spitfire between the sheets."
"What?" Amy lunged. "What did you just say to me?!"
"Amy, stop it!" Carol pushed her back. "This is not the time nor place. Just go help Jacqui. Go."
"Mommy?" Paige looked at her from the doorway to the back. "What happened?"
Mason turned in his seat. "I happened. C'mere."
"Don't!" Amy demanded. "Go back and help Jacqui. I'll be there in a minute."
Paige narrowed her eyes and stepped back. "Mommy, come and help us."
"Go." Carol pushed her toward her daughter.
She sent a look of hatred to Mason then escaped to the kitchen. "Give me something to break!" She pushed hair out of her face.
"The freezer has ice over the vent." Jacqui held out the icepick. "Have at it."
She took it and went to the freezer. "Do not let me get locked in here."
"I won't."
In the other room, Carol opened the front door. "You need to leave, Mason. Right now."
"No."
The other customer left a tip and bolted from the Greene Leaf, Carol didn't have time to stop him, and she turned to Mason with such ire. She let the door close and grabbed his shirt, jerking him forward and she growled, "I wasn't asking."
– – –
Sasha stood there, numb then she groaned. "Oh, God." She barely made it to the bathroom as bile ran up her throat. She heaved into the toilet, emptying the content of whatever was left in her stomach.
"Sasha." Shawn went after her and gathered her hair away from her mouth. He bent down behind her and gently rubbed her back. He didn't even focus on what Vivian had just said to him. He wasn't going to think about it for even a second. Right now, his wife was getting sick, and he was going to tend to her. "Just get it out."
Vivian closed the door and went into the kitchen, finding a cloth in the laundry and wetting it, setting it gently to her cheek, wincing. "Do you have anything for pain?"
Shawn scoffed and shut the door, turning to his wife. "Do you want some water?"
She opened her mouth to say something, but wasn't able to. She threw up, gripping his hand tightly, and he ran his hand down her back until she felt better. She flushed the toilet and leaned against him. "I think I'm done."
"It's all right. C'mon, I'm right here." He helped her stand up and led her back to the living room, sitting her down on the couch and fetching her a glass of water. "Move," he told Vivian, who was blocking the sink.
"Ooh, ask nicely."
He gently pushed her and filled the glass with water, returning to Sasha. "Here."
"Thank you."
"Quite the whipped boy you have." Vivian wiped the last of the blood away and sat down on the sofa across from Sasha. "You'll have to tell me your trick."
"First acquire a soul," Shawn hissed then stood up and faced her. "Okay, what bullshit are you trying to pull? By the way, you should know I don't mind you talking, because I'm not really listening."
"Heh, how adorable, you think you can insult me." She waved it away. "And I'm not pulling anything. After our encounter, I discovered I was with child. I didn't have to do the math. When a man makes you come like you did, you certainly don't forget." She smiled seductively.
"I'm gonna throw up again." Sasha covered her mouth with her hand.
"Just breathe." He sat down.
"No, I need to get some air." She stood up and set the glass down then left through the back door.
He clenched his jaw. "Why now? Why after all this time?"
"He's been asking questions, and I figured you would rather answer them yourself." She crossed her legs. "I didn't mean to upset your poor wife."
"Bullshit. You live to destroy lives." He glowered. "And I know for a fact you didn't have my son."
"Do you now? You...don't seem sure." She searched his eyes. "Do you not remember? We didn't just do it once. You made love to me all night."
"Made love? Tssh, yeah, right. We had sex. Once." He wasn't sure though. He didn't fully remember.
"Well, I could always jog your memory."
"I like the holes."
She smirked. "Well, our son is waiting outside. It's a hot day, and I don't want him waiting in the car for hours. Shall I bring him in?"
"Sure, go get your kid. My only kids aren't born just yet."
"If you so much as mention them to him, I'll make you regret it."
"Look, Vivian, he's not my son. You can bring him in here and parade him around like a show pony, but he is not my son."
"You'll see for yourself." She left the house and went to get her son.
He rubbed his jaw and went to see how Sasha was. He found her sitting by the pool, staring at the water with a hand over her mouth, rubbing her belly. He took a deep breathe before walking over to her. "Hey."
"Is she still here?" She wouldn't look at him.
"Yeah, she's—she's gone to get her son."
"Jesus." She shook her head, eyes closed. "Just when I thought today couldn't get any worse."
"Sasha, I assure you this boy isn't mine." He dropped down to his knees in front of her. "He's not mine, and the reason you found blonde hair on my clothes and smelled perfume is because I've been helping Amy prepare to audition for a part in Romeo and Juliet. She wanted it to be kept a secret just in case she didn't get the part, because she didn't want anyone else to get crushed. I am so sorry you thought I was having an affair. I just don't like breaking promises."
"You were just... Oh, God." She opened her eyes. "No, don't be sorry. That's very sweet of you."
"You were wishing me dead this morning, weren't you?"
"Just for an hour."
He laughed.
She took his hand. "What if the boy is yours? What are you going to do?"
"A paternity test, for one. I doubt the kid is mine."
"You don't even remember the night, Shawn. He may be."
"I'll deal with that when the truth is revealed, yeah?" He met her eyes. "What about us? What does this do to us? Does it change anything?"
"All it does is give our kids a half-brother."
He smiled. "God, I love you." He kissed her.
"A-hem." Vivian cleared her throat loudly. "Nathan, this is Shawn."
A little boy with shaggy brown hair walked by her legs and looked at Shawn with similar blue eyes. He was about ten feet away, wearing a dark green shirt with denim overalls with a character on the chest. He knew she'd put him in that just to add to the facade, but now that the boy was right in front of him, it was so uncanny. He looked just like Shawn, only with Vivian's complexion and fingers, but the rest resembled him.
Shawn felt his stomach drop, and he stood up as the boy eyed him. "Nathan, yeah?"
"Or Nate, if you like," Vivian said softly.
Shawn approached the boy and got on his knees. "Hey...you."
"Hi." Nathan looked at him.
Vivian smiled and turned her gaze to Sasha. "Let's give them a minute."
Sasha rose and entered the house after Vivian, sending a glare to her and pulling the door shut. "I don't know what you're trying to do here, but if you hurt him in any way—"
"If I hurt him?" She laughed outright. "Do you not recall the pain of him cheating on you? Why go back to him? Are you so desperate?"
"Do you not remember what happened in the living room? I'll gladly refresh your memory, Vivian."
She folded her arms. "Look, I'm not here to hurt anybody. I just want my son to meet his father."
"Well, we'll see if he is the father in an hour." Sasha glanced out the window as Shawn spoke to the boy.
"So protective." Vivian ran her eyes over Sasha. "Do you really love this man so much?"
"Yes, I do."
"How? He was engaged to you, but still he came to me. He chose to come to my house that night, accepted the drink and kissed me." Her brown eyes burned holes into Vivian. "He doesn't remember, but I do. I remember every kiss, every touch, every thrust. Do you know how many times he made me come?"
"If you think you're getting under my skin, you're really not." She shrugged. "Because you had drunk Shawn, and trust me, there's a difference. One you will never know."
"We'll see."
"We'll see?" Sasha laughed. "Oh, you think Shawn's going to divorce me and leave our twins fatherless? Wow, I don't know what makes you so obtuse, but I'm thoroughly impressed at how well you make it work."
"Marriage is just a word."
"Not to Shawn. He loves me deeply, unconditionally and our children too. He despises you with every fiber of his being, and Shawn doesn't hate, but he's made a special exception for you." Sasha shook her head. "You know what? This should be a quiet moment."
She made some tea to calm her nerves and watched Shawn talk to the boy. She couldn't help but smile. She knew Nathan might be his son, but that look on his face was just so endearing. He was going to be like that with their children, and that made her happy for a minute then she began to wonder. She began to wonder why Vivian would have unprotected sex with a man she didn't even know. Unless she knew who he was. She doubted Vivian wanted Shawn's sperm for his good hair gene. What did she want Shawn for? And why show him Nathaniel now?
"So, twins? Triplets?" Vivian asked. "You or Shawn said kids, and I don't see any other children around here, so...which?"
Sasha scoffed. The bitch didn't even have the decency to listen. That didn't even surprise her. "Why does it concern you?"
"Well, they'll be my child's siblings, so I'd like him to know about them."
"What I'm having doesn't concern you, because for all we know that kid may not even be yours."
She glared. "He is—"
"Yeah, yeah." She took a drink of her tea and sat down at the table.
"Don't be worried about labor. It's not too bad." She then smirked. "But I only had one child."
"If that," Sasha murmured as she took another drink of tea.
The backdoor opened, Shawn walked in with the boy holding onto his fingers, and Vivian smiled at the sight of it, as did Sasha. He tried to get the boy to let go so he could talk to Sasha, but he was unyielding. Shawn just let him hang onto his fingers as he went over to his wife.
"Well, I think it's cotton swab time. Vivian, get your kid, please."
"Drop the y." She went over to Nate and told him to let go gently, picking him up. "Let's go. We can take my car. There's more room, and you two can talk to Nate."
"No, thank you." Sasha rose. "We'll go individually."
"Have it your way. We'll see you soon."
Shawn waited until she was out of the house before he spoke. "I think you should stay here."
"What?!"
"I just don't think it's necessary for both of us to be there. He might be my kid, not yours. Well, I think you'd know if he was yours, but that's me digressing." He locked the backdoor. "I just don't think I need you there. I'll call you with news."
"The woman you had an affair with—"
"Why do you say affair? It was one freaking time!" He shook his head. "I'm sorry. That just bugs me."
"You don't even remember, Shawn. It could've been several times."
He narrowed his eyes. "Are you kidding me? You're going to believe her over me? Her?!"
"I know she's lying, but maybe not about all of it."
"Oh for God's sake, Sasha!"
"Don't yell at me, because you slept with her!"
"Okay, you know what, I'm permanently done with this argument." He grabbed her cup of tea and poured it into the sink. "Let's go to the hospital." He grabbed her hand and led her out of the house. "Wait, I forgot my keys." He ran back inside, grabbed his jacket and keys then locked up and got in the car.
She crossed her arms, not looking at him.
"I refuse to let her come between us again," he told her, starting the car. "I'm an ass, and I had an affair where I may have gotten her pregnant, and we'll deal. We always do, yeah?"
She exhaled and saw his hand reaching for hers, so she smiled a little and took it. "Yeah."
––
Sasha waited with Shawn in the waiting room, watching as Vivian and Nathan played with blocks a few feet away, and Shawn held his wife's hand in both of his, nervous and a little shaken. He knew Sasha had said Nate would just be their kids half-brother, but he felt if Nathan was his, it would cause problems between them. They would have to have Vivian in their life constantly, and Sasha hated her as much as Shawn did, so whenever they saw each other, it would be tense and awkward.
To be completely honest, he seriously didn't want Nathan to be his son. The kid was really great and polite from the forty-five minutes they spent together, but he didn't want his mistake with Vivian to have brought that child into the world. He didn't want to remember that night any more than he already did, and that kid would be a constant reminder to both him and Sasha. He didn't want to do that to her, but he wasn't going to push away his son. It would be so hard on all of them, even the twins, because he would have to explain it to them, and they would know that, even though he loved their mother with his entire soul, he still...betrayed her in the worst way. He didn't want them to know that for as long as possible, but if Nate was his, he'd tell them when they were twelve or so. God, they would hate him for it. He knew they would, because he still did.
If Nathaniel is his son, he'll have to deal with Vivian more than any man should in his life. She was a foul woman. She was selfish and money-grabbing and needy and just atrocious. She was everything he found unattractive in a woman. Honestly, how she managed to raise that boy to be so polite and soft-spoken was beyond him. Hell, he probably learned it from his many nannies. Vivian was the type of woman who couldn't keep a plant alive, let alone another human being, so definitely the nanny.
He slouched in his seat, holding her hand tighter. He didn't know what he would do—apart from the right thing—if Nate was his son. He had so many plans for the twins, but they were babies, not a kid. He didn't know how to entertain a little kid. Sophia was easy, because she was Carol's, and he knew what Carol liked as a child. He just remixed it with a little Daryl. And God. But Nate? What the hell did he do there? Seriously?
Sasha watched as Shawn went from confident to worried to frozen with fear, gripping her hand tighter with each shift. She knew how terrified he was. They were both preparing for babies, and to find out he might had a child who wasn't a baby was...difficult for them both. She still didn't know how she felt. She may know when the results were in. Or she would just feel nauseated again.
It was the possibility that Shawn had create life with a woman who he hated before he made life with the woman he loved. She didn't want to be pregnant that early in their relationship, especially since they were taking it slow, but to know that maybe someone else had given birth to his child... She wasn't even sure. She would never wish away life, because it was so beautiful and precious and priceless. All she wished is that the results were negative, that Nate wasn't his son, and that Vivian was just screwing with them to try and break them up.
Dr. Subramanian walked over to them, feeling as if it was only yesterday Carol and Daryl were sitting there, waiting for the results on Sophia. "Shawn, Vivian."
He lifted his eyes, but didn't move. "Well?"
"Well," he nodded, "Nathaniel Lovelace is...your biological son."
Shawn paled. "What?"
Vivian smirked. "I told you." She tucked hair behind her ear. "Shall we speak?"
"Are—are you positive?" Shawn asked.
"Yes, he is." Vivian stood up. "Now, I want to talk to you."
"Shut up," Shawn snapped. "We'll talk when I'm ready, not before. I need to get out of here. Umm, I'll see you at home." He kissed Sasha, setting the keys in her hand, and he ran out of the parking lot.
"Can I get you anything?" Dr. S asked Sasha.
"No, thank you." She stood up. "I have to go after him."
"Maybe I should," Vivian offered. "We can talk while you...get some rest."
"Look, Vivian, he's my husband. Just because you had his kid before me doesn't give you a claim to him, so shut the hell up and tend to your child." She departed, following Shawn in the car.
––
"Oh, shit!" Jacqui ran out to the front door. "Carol, stop. You don't want to do this."
"Yes, I do!" She was so tired of men like Mason, and that comment about Ethan just added to her hatred. She wanted him to pay for all that he'd done to Daryl and to Merle and to his wife. She wanted to make him bleed as he made them bleed.
"Mommy, no!" Sophia screamed.
Carol was breathing heavily, and it took everything she had to let him go. She wouldn't hurt him in front of her daughter. She wouldn't. She shrugged off Jacqui's arms. "I'm fine." She held her hands were Jacqui and Sophia could see them.
"I'll handle this." Jacqui rubbed her back. "Go and help Amy."
She nodded and started for the back. "It's okay."
"Leave, sir. Otherwise I'll calling the police."
He chuckled darkly. "As if I would listen to a nigger."
"That's it! Sophia, back now!" Sophia ran into the back, and Carol grabbed the coffee of the customer who ran out and tossed it on Mason, glass and all. "Get out!"
Jacqui went to call the police.
Mason rose, wiping coffee from his face, and he slapped Carol to the ground. He tried to kick her, but she rolled away and got onto her feet. "You bitch." He lunged, she ducked and let him run into the table, falling over with it.
"Amy, keep the girls back!" Carol shouted when the door started to open. She backed up from Mason. "What, am I too much for you?" She smiled, very arrogant.
He shot up, Carol braced herself, and he tried to hit her again, but she dodged him again, and he fell into the table behind her. He gripped his jaw, finding blood there.
The front door opened, Carol looked and saw Daryl, and she was kicked to the ground before she even say his name. She groaned and looked up to see Daryl tackling Mason to the ground, and she gasped as Daryl punched Mason in the face, hard.
"Daryl, stop it, please!" Carol pushed herself onto her knees and stood up as blood splattered onto the floor from Mason's face. She grabbed his arm to stop him. "Stop! You're going to kill him!"
"Good." After all these years, the fucker showed his face. Not only was he in the Greene Leaf, but he kicked his girlfriend and God knows what else. Daryl didn't care before if Mason hit him, but he would never let him hit Carol. How dare he think he can just hit Carol? No. No, Daryl had had enough of him. He needed to be stopped.
"Sophia's here." She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. "Don't let her see you do this. Please, stop it." She held him tightly. "Please."
Daryl looked up, but didn't see Sophia. He could hear the girls in the back, though, and he didn't want them to see him like this. He stood up, and Carol embraced him tightly. He kicked Mason's legs aside and led Carol away from him. He looked her over. "You okay? I saw that kick."
"I'll be fine. God, your hand." She looked over the busted knuckles and brought his hand to her lips, kissing it. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah." He wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.
"Bunch of pussies," Mason spat.
Daryl spun around and slammed his boot into his father's face, hearing a crack when he broke his nose. "Shut the hell up." It felt good to hurt Mason, but Daryl wasn't going to become him. He might always have this burning hatred for his father inside of him, but day by day, seeing his daughter and seeing Carol helped him to forgot about what happened, forget the hatred. He hoped that someday they helped to rid him of this hate.
Mason laughed as he held his nose, snapping it back into place. "You screamed like a little bitch when they broke your arm."
Carol tensed. He was there? Oh, God, Mason was there? Why didn't Daryl say anything about it? Did he not know? God, how could a man watch as a group of people beat the shit out of his son? Mason Dixon wasn't even worthy of being called a man. He was scum, lower than scum.
"You whimpered like a little girl as they beat your ass. Tsh, hoped they'd finished you, but they didn't. Damn shame that." He wiped the blood away, turning his head to look at them. "Fucked you up good, though, didn't they?" He laughed.
"Daryl." Carol gripped his jacket tighter. "Let's get ice for your knuckles."
Mason didn't move from the floor, Carol tended to Daryl's hand, and Sophia didn't leave their side. Amy held Paige close while Jacqui got ice for Daryl, and they all agreed to just tell the truth. And about ten minutes later the cops arrived, Rick spoke to all of them about what happened, and they all told the truth. Amy had hit him first then Carol with the coffee cup and then he just attacked her and Daryl walked in and punched him to protect Carol and the girls.
"Do you think he woulda went after the Jacqui and Amy and the girls?" Rick asked Daryl.
"Yeah, I know he woulda." He adjusted the ice on his knuckles.
Rick nodded. "Well, it's a damn shame your cameras are out."
Carol glanced over from where she sat with Sophia in her lap. "Our cameras?"
"Yeah, Jacqui told me they were broken. Damn shame, right, Walsh?"
"Yep." Shane nodded. "We'll just have to take y'all on your word."
Rick arrested Mason for assault, and they left after making sure the girls were all right. Rick had given them both a chocolate police badge, and he even gotten them to smile a little. They were both raised to smile when they thanked someone, but it was still a smile.
"Well, the blood's cleaned up and the tables are back in place." Jacqui turned the lights off. "Hopefully, this won't impact our customers."
"I doubt it," Amy assured her. "You guys have the best coffee."
"Thank you." She smiled. "Drive safe, you two."
They exited the Greene Leaf to let Jacqui lock up, Sophia and Paige hugged goodbye while Carol thanked Amy for keep the girls back. Daryl thanked her for that too, and she just shrugged it off. They headed out, Amy and Paige going the opposite way, and Daryl grasped Carol's hand as they walked to his car with Sophia, who was pale and quiet.
At his place, Sophia just slowly removed her shoes and jacket, and Daryl asked to talk to her. Carol nodded and went to call her parents and tell about what happened.
"Hey." He sat down on the floor in front of her. "Been real quiet."
She set her shoes by the door and sighed, nodding.
"Your mom was just protectin' y'all. That man was a bad guy. He woulda hurt y'all."
"He's my grandfather though." Sophia had heard him. He wasn't the most soft-spoken man in the world. "But he's bad?"
"When I was a kid, he used to beat me, like Ed did to your mom."
"Why?"
"I dunno. He was the same to Merle."
She had tears in her eyes. "Mommy yelled at me."
"You ain't in trouble. I swear."
"No, her voice was the same when she wanted me to leave, so Ed would hurt her. Did he hurt her?"
He nodded. "But she'll be all right. Mason's gonna pay for what he did. The right way, by law and all that."
"He won't hurt Mommy again?"
"No one's gonna hurt her again or you ever."
She hugged him. "You either, Daddy." She dug her hands into his back. "Promise me."
He smiled a little. "I promise."
– – –
They were lying in his bedroom, Sasha was across his chest with the tips of her toes barely brushing the floor. They were wrapped up in the sheets, looking at the pictures he had dangling down on strings, and he twirled a purple tulip in between his fingers. They'd been dating for six months now, and already she was head over heels in love with him. She'd kept telling herself not to fall in love so soon, because of what happened the last time, but she just couldn't help it. She'd never met anyone like Shawn before, and she probably never would meet someone like him again. She made a promise to not tell him how she felt just yet. After all, the last time she told a man she loved him, he left. She didn't want to see that repeated.
"Tell me something," he softly said, running the petals of the tulip down her shoulder.
"What do you want to know?"
"Am I your favorite hello?"
"What?" She rolled her head to look at him.
"I'm just curious. Am I your favorite hello?"
"Uh, no. No, you're my most annoying hello," she teased.
"Well, fine. I'll just return this." He dangled a box over her nose then pulled it back when she reached for it. "No, no. This is for my other person who knows I'm their most favorite hello."
She rolled onto her side, moving her arm to rest across his stomach. "What is that?"
"No, nothing. It's not important anymore."
"Shawn."
He smiled. "Sasha." He leaned up and kissed her, holding a box out to her, but she didn't take it. "You are my heart, my soul, and I know I'm going to love you for a long, long time."
She smiled a little. "You are so weird."
He set the box on his chest. "This is the ring I intend to use when I ask you to marry me."
She laughed. "Well, that's confident!"
"And truthful." He pushed the box toward her. "There's a ring in there that I'm going to use when I ask the most beautiful woman in the world to marry me, some photographer guy."
She moved the box aside and pushed up on her knees to hover over him. "Well, I hear the photographer guy is pretty great."
"Not really." He took the box and dropped it into the drawer. "But this woman? She's just gorgeous in every way. I mean, I don't see what she sees in him."
"Well, there's the great smile, the beautiful eyes, and oh...the sex. It's pretty good too."
"Well, I feel like a high schooler."
She laughed. "What, you can't take it?"
"No, my ego is so fragile."
She shook her head and smiled. "Can I talk to you? Like adults. Mature adults."
He nodded.
"I want to thank you for that night in the snow storm. I really appreciate you listening to me when I told you the whole story. It was really sweet of you."
"What, you're not used to a guy listening to you?"
"Not one that is giving me his undivided attention." She kissed him. "Thank you."
"I just wanted to get into your pants."
"Shawn!"
"What? The talk was over." He laughed. "And how do you know I wasn't being serious?"
"Because I know you better than you think." She leaned down and kissed him, her long fingers grasped strands of his hair, and she parted his lips. She felt his hands on her hips, pulling her closer, and she heard something.
"Mmm." He pulled back. "Shit."
"What is that?" She listened.
"That would be my parents." He ran a hand through his hair. "Would you be willing to hide in the closet?"
"No, I wouldn't be willing to hide in the closet." She stood up, gathering her underclothes. "All right, where are my pants?"
"On the tripod." He slipped into his boxers and jeans. "Your top's...on the chair there."
They quickly got dressed, Annette and Hershel hadn't called to him, so they weren't suspecting anything. If they had thought he had any company, they'd have called to him and lectured about the house rules. They could have sex in the house, but no one else. That was creepy and scarred him mentally, and it was unfair. All right, it was his fault for buying more equipment and not saving up for his own place, but he helped them out too. All of the time, actually. He worked the Greene Leaf and made sure everything worked and was up to code; he made sure the fridge was full of food and helped out with the farm whenever he could. Couldn't they cut him some slack? Ever?
Sasha adjusted her belt and glanced him, giggling a little. "You missed a button."
"That explains why it's uneven."
"You're impressively skilled at taking them off but not putting them on?"
"Well, there's no fun to be had with them on," he mused, re-buttoning his shirt and fixing his collar. "Do you have a hairbrush? Your hair gives us away."
"And yours doesn't?" She dug a brush out of her purse.
"When have you seen my hair decent?"
"Was that intentional? Or are you just that lazy?"
"Both. I was very popular in high school."
She rolled her eyes.
"What? I was."
"No, I remember." She ran her brush over the tangles in her hair. "You were an asshole too."
"An asshole? How would you know if I was an asshole? I kept that side to myself."
"Do you remember the freshmen with braided hair and glasses?" She met his eyes.
"A lot of freshmen had braids. Fishnet, French, twisted, waterfall—whatever else you X chromosome bearers came up with. Why?"
"Well, it was the third week of our freshmen year, and my friend Donna accidentally ran into a senior." She watched his face to see if he remembered at all. "It was chilli and chips in the cafeteria, and it dumped all over one of the seniors."
He thought back, trying to remember a Donna.
"The boy who it dumped on didn't mind, but his friend...went off on her." She crossed her arms. "That was you, Shawn."
"Me? I went off on a freshmen? Tsh, that's not... Wait." He suddenly remembered then. "Yeah, Donna. She wore black-framed glasses and her hair was braided down her back. Yeah...oh, God."
"You made her cry."
"I did." His voice was soft. "I completely humiliated her."
"Yeah, you asshole."
"Well, from my point of view, she ruined my paper for the next period that I was reviewing, and that cost me to get an F for that six weeks. I didn't have a flash drive with me to print off another copy, and I was pissed at myself, but I took it out on her. I normally wear this necklace, but I took it off to shower that morning, and I forgot to put it back on." He ran his hand down his jaw. "But I totally made it up to her. Did she tell you that?"
She shook her head.
"I felt so bad about making her cry, so I bought her two sour cream doughnuts and chocolate milk and apologized endlessly the next day. Next Monday, anyway. I spent the entire weekend thinking it over, which was pure torture, because that could've been Carol. I grew up with the clumsiest kid ever, so I couldn't understand why I snapped like that. I was already failing that class anyway. What was one more F?"
"You bought her doughnuts and chocolate milk?" She closed the space between them, sliding her arms around his waist.
"I even took her to a football game. It was terrible, and we ended up in my car, shaking to death it was so cold." He laughed softly at the memory. "I literally gave her two layers of my clothes to keep warm. It was horrible."
"Please tell me you did not—"
"Hell, no! She was a freshmen, and I was a senior. It was like cradle robbing. She was fresh out of eighth grade. Gross!"
"You do realize we're the same age, me and Donna. And me and Carol."
"Yes, well, you were born before Carol and Donna both, yeah?" She nodded. "That's a good...three month difference."
"All right, I'll let you have that." She pursed her lips. "Wait, didn't you bring me doughnuts and chocolate milk at work once?"
"They were coconut-y and I would've eaten the dozen by myself. I already had Beth telling me I'm fat, so I had to share."
"You are getting a little round," she teased.
"It's muscle."
"Sure, okay."
"Well, I'm going to go give myself an eating disorder for you."
"Shawn, that isn't funny."
"I didn't say it was." He walked backwards toward the door, holding onto her. "Let's go get something to eat. All this food talk is making me hungry."
"I need my purse."
"Trust me, we're coming back here." He kissed her.
"Now you're just getting cocky."
He smirked and took her head, heading down the stairs. "Oh, crap." He ran back up. "Your father's down there."
"My father?" She smiled at the fear on his face. "I wonder why."
"Okay, umm, are you willing to go out the window? 'Cause I am."
"It's been six months. If you really want to marry me, he'll be your father-in-law."
"Do you want me to faint—in a very manly way—and fall down the stairs?"
"Stop being so ludicrous. Come on." She took his hand and all but shoved him down the stairs. She smiled at her dad. "Hey."
"Hey." He smiled back. "Shawn, I can see you."
"Huh?" He stepped out from behind her. "I just dropped a penny. Dr. Douglas. It's great to see you. I would love to stay and chat, but we have plans."
"Unless you're starving, I think dinner can wait." Sasha stepped into the living room. "What are you doing here?"
"He's come to help repair the RV," Hershel answered. "Since Shawn's been...preoccupied with other things, and I have to tend to the farm, I don't have much time to fix it."
"Other things being fulfilling my lifelong dream of being a photographer," Shawn quickly shot back. "Not Sasha."
A silence.
"So, the RV?" Sasha sent him a slight glare before turning her attention to Hershel. "I thought you'd both sold it years ago."
Annette traipsed into the hallway where Shawn stood, and she nodded toward the stairs. They sat down the steps as Hershel, T-dog and Sasha talked about the RV and its repairs. Annette saw how Sasha played with a twisted leather band that was very important to Shawn, because Ethan gave it to him when he was young, as she spoke with Hershel and her father. She also saw how Shawn kept adjusting a necklace that held a lot of flash drives—he always kept flash drives on that necklace ever since he was in high school—and she'd noticed a small red hat in between flash drives. Jacqui had given it to Sasha when she decided to become a fire fighter. It was a sweet exchange.
"You're awkward enough as it is without putting this much effort into it."
"Well, this talk has been lovely—"
"Shawn, he doesn't mind," she whispered.
"He doesn't?" He met her eyes then glanced at T-dog. "Seriously?"
"Not anymore." She exhaled. "He sees how happy you make her."
"Then why glare me to death?"
"Because of her ex." She crossed her legs. "You probably don't know that he and Sasha were considering marriage."
"Whoa, marriage? She said they'd only been dating for, like, a year."
"Do you expect her to go around telling the entire story?"
"No, I just thought she'd have told me that. It's been six months. I don't plan on going anywhere."
"She'll tell you when she's ready, I'm sure." She laced her fingers together. "Anyway, as I was saying, Theodore was just trying to let her recover from that relationship before she got into another."
That explained why he told Shawn not to get any ideas. He honestly didn't. He thought she was hot, sure, but he didn't think about asking her out. He didn't date that much, mostly because he worked all the time, and he didn't really like any of the women in this town, save for Sasha and Lilly. He got his fill of dating in high school. And then he met Sasha.
He just flirted with her from time to time just to see that adorable smile, and he tried to be friends, but he had feelings for her. He knew that she did too, but he didn't want to upset T, because he had a lot of respect for him, so he didn't act on it. Sasha then took matters into her own hands and grabbed him and kissed him at the Christmas Eve party. For a second, he thought he was standing under then mistletoe, but he wasn't. Then he thought it was the spiked eggnog, but she asked him to dinner a week later. It took him a week to fully get over that kiss. She was quite a woman.
"Do you understand that at all?"
Shit, she was still talking? Oh, crap. "Huh, yes. Yes, I do."
"Really, you understand the process of gene therapy?"
"I'm sorry. I was lost in thought." He ran a hand through his air. "Were you really talking about gene therapy?"
"No." She laughed, and he chuckled. "Just be respectful. That's all I ask."
"I am respectful and gentlemanly and whatever else you raised me to be." He hated when she told him to be respectful, because he was. "I love Sasha, for God's sake!"
"What?" Everyone—even Shawn—asked.
Oh, no. No, no, no, no. He paled. Did those words just come out of his mouth? He'd never even told Sasha how he felt, and he just announced it to the entire room. Well, maybe if he looked down, he would be naked. That would make this just another nightmare. He glanced down. Nope, he was dressed, fully dressed and being stared out. Speak, Shawn, it tends to be helpful.
He climbed to his feet as Sasha approached him, trying to speak. "I...me, Shawn...kinda love you, Sasha." Hopefully, she bought pepper spray, because that was horrible. Me, Shawn? He wasn't raised by apes, just wolves apparently.
She slowly smiled with a few tears in her eyes. "I love you too."
"Really?" It was more judgmental than he meant it to be. It sounded like Really, you love this idiot? Poor girl, where's your medication?
She laughed a little. "Yes." She kissed him and hugged him.
Shawn held her tightly, lifting her off the ground. Holy shit, this woman loves me. He was so surprised for some reason, but it was the best surprise.
"Well, there'll be no separating them now," Hershel mused.
Annette smiled. "Why don't we go check on the RV?"
They left to give Sasha and Shawn a moment, Shawn kissed her deeply, and she smiled at him like sunshine. He vowed then to make sure she wore a smile that happy for the rest of her life.
– – –
Sasha located Shawn at her old apartment. It hadn't been rented out to anyone just yet, she'd forgotten to give the super her old emergency key that was hidden under the fire extinguisher; and Shawn knew both the hiding place and that she'd forgotten to turn it in, so of course he'd go there.
She looked around the living as Shawn sat in the window, hands in his hair, his head by his knees. "It's so much bigger empty. Echos more too."
"What's your point?" His tone was soft and deep, not at all like his normal tone.
"There's no point, just stating the obvious." She sat beside him. "Do you remember our first date?"
"What are you—?"
"Do you remember our first date?" she repeated.
"Yes." He exhaled slowly. "I took you to that little Mexican place, because you liked spicy food, and they had the best spicy food."
"And you cried."
He chuckled once. "Your food could've lit the world on fire without trying. I swear it made my throat bleed."
She smiled. "You were a mess, but you got through it."
His smile dropped. "This is different. It's not food or death in the shape of food. It's a kid." He looked at her. "It's a kid I have with a woman I hate more than anything."
"Yes, it is." She nodded. "You'll get through this too. I know you will."
"It's not just—Sasha, it's—God!" He shot up and began to pace the length of the living room. "This is a little boy who I don't—who I can't even—Tssh! I can't do this, Sasha. I can't. I—I already am freaking out about our twins, and now this pops up? How am I gonna do this?"
"How are you going to do this?"
He slumped against the closet wall to him. "When you told me you were pregnant, I just put on a show for your sake. I didn't want you to know how utterly unprepared I am. Even now I'm not ready to be a father."
"All the books say you'll be ready when you hold your child," Sasha said, "but that's not true in your case."
"Well, great. I'm worthless even according to the books." He collapsed to the floor.
"Shawn, you're not a textbook father. You're just a guy who loves deeply and respects everyone and is willing to do anything for a smile, even for a stranger. You're not Ethan or Hershel, and you never will be them."
"My fathers wouldn't have cheated in the first place."
"Okay, Shawn, you have to stop comparing yourself to them! I love you, but if you say that one more time, I'm going to kill you! You're nothing like your fathers, but that doesn't mean you'll be a horrible father! You're a fantastic uncle and a good man! You'll be an amazing father to our twins and to Nathan! Yes, things are a little complicated, but life is complicated!"
He was silent.
"Life is an endless spiral of unknown and complications, you just have to accept that and move on. Right now, there's a little boy who wants to know his father. Are you going to just sit here and wait for the super to arrest you for trespassing or is the man I fell in love with going to come back?"
A beat.
He picked at his jeans and blew out a sigh. "I'm not the man you fell in love with anymore, Sasha. I'm not a good man. I'm just...a man-child who shouldn't have pursued you three years ago."
She stared at him, not sure who this man was in front of her.
"Just leave me be, okay?" He didn't look at her.
"Shawn, you can't be serious."
"Well, I'm not." He smiled at her. "But you should've seen your face. That was priceless."
"You're an asshole! I really thought you meant that!"
"I am a man-child, yes, but the rest was bullshit." He hopped up. "Let me drive. I know what need to do now."
"And what's that?" She neared him.
"To go shopping for our nursery." He kissed her, setting a hand on her stomach. "So, bunk-cribs, no or yes? How about a lava lamp?"
"No and no."
Before he could reply, he felt the baby or babies kick, and he let out a small laughing breath. He met her eyes, and she fell in love with the look his eyes held. He didn't move his hand for a moment then he opened the door and held a finger up. "They agreed with me."
"I'm sure they were trying to kick each other."
"Would you let me win just once?"
"No."
"Fine, but I'm drawing you a bath when we get home for being punching Vivian. And a massage for chasing me down."
"All right."
––
Carol turned the bathroom light on as Daryl spoke to Sophia, and she lifted her shirt up, seeing the black and yellow boot print on her stomach, and she touched it gingerly, wincing at the pain. She didn't think he'd kicked her that hard, but he must have put his weight behind it. It took up almost half her stomach. God, it was like with Ed, only Mason's foot was much bigger.
"Shit." Daryl's eyes widened as he entered the bathroom. "Carol, that ain't good."
"I'm okay. Really. It'll heal."
He pulled her to him by her hips. "You gotta get checked out by a doctor. He might have bruised a rib or somethin'."
"I'm okay. It hurts, but it's just a bruise."
"That ain't just a bruise. You're gonna get looked at by Dr. Stookey tomorrow. No arguin'."
"Fine, but when I come home completely healthy, you're making me waffles."
"Tsk, we'll go out and get waffles."
She smiled and kissed him, closing the space between them. "You worried me." She rested her forehead against his, her eyes closed. "I—I know he deserved it, but God...I didn't think you were going to stop."
"For a minute there, I didn't think I was gonna stop either." He stroked her stomach gently, his thumb brushing over the Cherokee rose. "But you stopped me."
She leaned over and kissed him. "I love you."
He started to kiss her again, but he heard Sophia. "Damn. Do you think we can—?"
"No." She giggled. "Not even if we were both unscathed. She'd keep calling." She wrapped an arm around his neck. "So, my birthday is tomorrow, and Beth wants us to have a celebratory breakfast since I don't want a party. She's also agreed to watch Sophia for a few hours while we celebrate on our own."
He smirked.
"And I think Maggie got a gift for me that will you enjoy."
"Can't wait."
She kissed him once more then stepped back. "I'm exhausted. Let's order a pizza and watch a movie in our room?"
"'Our' room?"
She nodded. "Our room."
He grabbed her by her hips and kissed her deeply, and she giggled at first then opened her mouth to his and moaned softly. He wanted her so much, but he would wait. They'd have tomorrow and the next day and the next day. Mason was going to rot for the longest time Rick could get, and Carol and Sophia were moving in. Things were looking up, and he didn't feel the need to keep his guard up for the first time in his entire life.
– – –
"Beth Dianne Greene," Carol growled, seeing her entire family and Amy and Paige and Andrea and Dale in the dining room with breakfast food and presents and balloons in the corner. She didn't want a party, and this was a party. After spending two hours in the ER for X-rays and other useless crap, she was ready to eat, take a nap and spend time with Daryl then Daryl and Sophia. She didn't want to deal with people. Damn you, Beth!
"Dale and Andrea came over to give you a card, and they saw the balloons... Okay, fine! It's a party. Just deal with it, all right? Every birthday is a gift, so enjoy!"
"No one is singing to me." She sat down at the table. "Is that fresh pineapple?"
"I know how much you loved it in high school," Andrea said, "so I brought some for you."
"Thank you. That's so sweet." She smiled. "I'll be less grouchy once I have sugar and coffee. Pass the pineapple, please."
"So, we finished the nursery, kid." Shawn handed her the syrup. "It's kick-ass."
"Really?" Her brows shot up. "I am stunned. You're growing up!"
"Ha ha." He rolled his eyes. "You should come by and see it. You'll be even more stunned."
"I will." She smiled.
"Hey, when this is over, can I talk to you? It's important."
"Sure."
"I hope I'm not going to cut into Daryl doing weird sex stuff to you."
Carol giggled when Daryl nearly dropped the salt. "Don't worry. There's won't be any Little Dixons any time soon." She crossed her legs. "Speaking of Dixon, did Jacqui—?"
"Yes. She called when she got home. We've agreed to wait until tomorrow to bring it up." Beth handed her the biscuits. "Talk 'bout happy things. Like Karen. How is she?"
"I don't know. I haven't called her in a while. I didn't want to interrupt her anniversary, and lately, I've been so busy. I'll have to call her tomorrow."
"So, how's your arm?" Amy asked Daryl. "Have you finally let it just heal? Because if I find out you're trying to use that arm, I'll sedate you until it's heal, mister."
He rolled his eyes, chewing to avoid answering.
"Speak, Daryl. I'm not going to stop bugging you." She set her fork and knife down to make a point.
He swallowed. "It's fine. Carol and Sophia get on me enough, so shut up."
"So, how much longer are you two going to be staying with Daryl?" Annette asked, pouring water into her teacup.
Carol glanced at Daryl. "Do you wanna tell them?"
"Tell us what?" Hershel repressed the smile.
"We're gonna live together." He didn't look away from her. "We'll—"
"A-hem," Amy interrupted.
"She'll pack up their stuff tomorrow." He sent her a glare, and she smirked. "Amy's gonna help too."
"I can't, but I would love to. I'll be with you two in spirit."
"I'll help," Beth offered.
"I can help the day after." Maggie bit into a piece of bacon. "Is that all right?"
"Yes, I need as much as possible, especially since it'll be just me moving stuff." She'd accumulated a surprising amount of junk these past few months, and she needed help to move it out. She didn't want Sophia to lift anything, and Daryl couldn't, so Beth was really helping her out. It hurt to lift anything. She dropped the toothpaste this morning, and she had to wake Daryl to go and pick it up for her. She hoped she felt better tomorrow. If not, Beth was working alone.
Amy felt her phone ringing, and she would've ignored it, but she knew who it was. She excused herself and went out to the porch. "Hey."
"Hey."
She glanced back at the house to make sure no one was around. "I thought you were being all sneaky and disappearing into the night."
"I heard 'bout Mason. They all right?"
"Why not call them?"
"'Cause my brother will wanna know where I am, try to help me, and I don't want him involved with this."
They'd found out last month that Andrew had in fact been beaten to death, but there was no forensic evidence according to Maggie, and there was no way to find who had done it. Merle didn't want to chance it, so he went into hiding, but only for a little while, she hoped. She didn't like the idea of him sitting somewhere dark and just waiting.
"But you'll involve me?" she teased.
"Only this once."
"Merle, you already involved me. It's really okay to talk to me. I don't mind."
"How's Daryl? He's all right, ain't he?"
"Y—yeah, he's good. His arm is healing, and he's knuckles aren't broken, although he did break Mason's jaw and nose." She heard him chuckling. "Carol's going to be living with him now."
"Good. That's real good." He paused. "How's Paige?"
"She's real good too." She leaned against the rail. "She's excited about this summer. We're going boating with my parents, sister and Dale. She's already trying to find a swimsuit and sunglasses."
"Boatin'?"
"Yeah. We're going to Florida for a few weeks then possibly going on a cruse. I'm not sure about the cruse just yet, but I might go. Paige just loves my parents." She laughed a little. "Oh, don't worry about any charges. Once they met Paige, they just didn't care who her dad was."
"Damn, I was lookin' forward to pissed off parents."
She giggled.
"You sound good. Happy, I mean."
"I am." She exhaled and leaned back a little. "I have a feeling my life's going to get better after next week."
"The Shakespeare thing?"
"How—how did you know?"
"I know people."
"Yes, the Shakespeare thing." She bit her bottom lip. "I just hope I get a part. Any part will do at this point."
"You will."
"Thanks. I hope to see you at my debut."
"You wish."
She laughed softly. "Be careful, Merle. I know most of the guys were arrested for assaulting Daryl, but Tomas knew a lot of people."
"I got this, sugar. Just keep the kid and yourself safe."
"Always."
He hung up then.
"Goodbye." She lowered the phone and sighed. She needed to stuff her face with waffles. Lots and lots of waffles. She returned to the dining room and took two waffles and some raspberries.
"So, do you have any names?" Dale asked Shawn.
"Yeah, I have the perfect names. Thing One and Thing Two." He waggled his eyebrows.
"If they don't disown you for that," Dale joked.
"Who invited you again?"
"Shawn." Annette slightly glared, eating a strawberry.
"I'm kidding. He knows I'm kidding. I love you, Dale. You're like a... Wait, how old are now? Like a hundred?"
"Don't worry," Sasha told Dale, "I'm going to raise our kids. He's just supplying the money."
"I'll drink to that." Dale smirked.
Shawn set his unused knife to his chest over his heart and twisted it then returned to his biscuits and gravy.
"Use the spoon," Maggie laughed a little. "Gl—Glenn, use the—"
"What? I got it." He waved his hand to shake out the pain. He really wanted a piece of sausage. It was freshly microwaved and Shawn had hogged the last of it for his bowl of biscuits and gravy. "Thanks, Beth."
She nodded, taking a drink of chocolate milk. "Do you want some more butter, sweetie?"
Sophia nodded, not able to reach it after Grandpa moved it. "Yes, please." Sophia sat up as Beth smooth butter over her pancakes. "Thanks."
"You're very welcome." She checked her phone and found a text from Zach. She smiled and replied under the table, knowing her father's rule about texting at the table.
"Is that Dr. Cutie Cole?" Maggie teased.
"He's a surgeon, Mag."
"So? He's adorable, especially with you."
She blushed. "Stop treatin' me like I'm twelve."
"As an older sister, I can only see you as twelve years old."
"Don't worry, Beth," Glenn tried to comfort her, "my sisters still treat me like I'm four. I occasionally find my old baby clothes laid out at the foot of my bed. And I don't even live with them anymore. They just come into my apartment whenever they want. They leave me notes everywhere. I wake up to find them sticking my face too."
She laughed. "Wow, that's sad."
Maggie giggled and took his hand. "That reminds me. You need to buy milk."
"So, Suki can drink it all. She's the reason I only buy food for one night at a time. She'll eat anyone out of their house."
"If he belches happy birthday, I'm leaving." Andrea filled Paige's glass up with orange juice.
"I can kinda do the alphabet." Paige knocked her knees together. "I can get to S."
"Merle can gets to Z on one Coke." Amy crossed her legs.
"That's disgusting." Andrea took a drink of coffee.
"Of all the things Merle does, that's one of the least disgusting things."
"I don't even want to know what he did with you, because I think I'd have to kill him."
"I was talking about things out of...grape." She tossed one at her. "You're perverted."
"Do you really want to start a food fight?"
"No, please!" Paige held her hands out. "No, throwing food!"
"Beth will scold you," Shawn added. "It's surprising how bad she can make you feel."
"Yes, I will scold and yell," Beth called from the other side of the table.
"We'll finish this later," Andrea told Amy.
"Can I watch?" Shawn mused.
Annette choked on her tea, and Hershel rubbed her back. "Shawn Tanner Greene, that was unnecessary."
"Please! All they'll do is talk anyway. It's the Horvath way. You're all very boring by the way. No offense, I still like you, but man, you're so dull."
"You didn't think I was dull at prom," Andrea replied.
"What happened at prom?" Annette demanded.
"Water balloon fight." He high-fived her. "Andrea crashed my senior prom, and it was so worth it to see those cheerleaders scurry in six-inch heels. It was killer. Best prom, hands down."
"Did you go to many proms?" Sasha asked.
"Yep, all four years I went to prom. It's the after that I en—I mean, it was all bad dancing fun." He ducked his head and focused on his food.
"When you were a freshmen?" Amy frowned, a little grossed out.
"No, the summer before my junior year. The first two proms I went to, the chicks were gamers, and I wasn't as hot then."
"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes.
"I still had a baby face, so I was like the little brother."
Paige giggled as he stretched out his cheeks.
"If he were anymore in love with himself, he'd be carrying around a mirror." Dale shook his head.
"If I was a chick who loved herself and accepted herself, you'd all be proud of me."
"But you're not." Carol looked at him. "You're an annoying, twenty-seven year old who used to want to marry Holly Marie Combs."
"Well, she was spunky and adorable. She still is. Maybe in our next lives. I pretty much love this life too much to change anything." He smiled at Sasha.
"I don't know whether to gag or cry," Amy teased.
"Gag." Carol ate a piece of pineapple.
"Pretty girl, can I at least bake you a happy birthday muffin?" Annette inquired.
She sighed. "If you want to make me a cake, that's fine. I really don't even mind at this point."
She smiled happily. "Then I'll expect you back here at six for supper."
"You hear that, Daryl? You only have until six." Shawn held up six fingers. "Don't be late, or they'll expect another grandkid."
"If Shawn were to go missing, would anyone here care? No? Great." She sent him a glare.
"Think of my children."
"They don't know you yet."
"True. Thank of my wife."
"Do you mind, Sasha?"
She pursed her lips. "Just as long as someone pays the bills, I don't care."
"And this you guys in your twenties. Gosh, I can't wait for the thirties. They'll be such fun."
Carol's birthday was really great. She spent a long time at breakfast with her family then she and Daryl went to his place to celebrate there, and they returned to the farm for a family dinner. Since they were all coming back over, Carol decided to open the gifts then. She assured Daryl that Maggie's gift would be used at least once today.
– – –
"Is that the last of the gifts?" Carol asked Beth, who had packed up her entire room before Carol even got there this morning.
"Yes." She carried the box downstairs.
"I love you! Thank you so much for this!"
"Well, I didn't get you a gift, so this is my gift."
"Beth, you made me breakfast and dinner and took care of my daughter." She shook her head and hugged her. "You're an amazing little person, and I love you so much."
She smiled. "I love you too."
"You're my hero. Seriously." She gave her a big, fat kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. I am getting you the best Christmas gift ever."
"Eww." She wiped the kiss off her cheek. "Go wake Mom up."
She laughed and headed upstairs. "Mom, I want to thank you for raising Beth to be such an altruistic person, whom I love dearly. We should start a Beth Friday or something." She poked her head into the room. "You're still sleeping?"
"Daddy said she was tired last night."
"Oh." She stepped into the room and climbed onto the bed. "Mom, wake up. It's going on noon now." She reached over and touched her arm, gasping. "Wow, you're cold." She crawled over her mom and smiled. "Mom, wakie wakie. It's a beautiful day and—"
Her mom wasn't moving at all. Her chest wasn't moving, her eyelids weren't twitching, and she wasn't even breathing. She wasn't breathing. And she was so cold. Too cold for the weather they were having. It was still summer, so...why? Oh, God. Oh, God, no. No.
"Mom?"
The world stopped spinning as Carol realized her mother, the woman who appeared to be sleeping peacefully with her light red hair down her shoulders, was dead.