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**Glenn**
"I like your hair!" He shouted over the noise of the party.
Vivian smiled broadly and shyly tucked her shortly cropped hair behind her ear. "Thank you! It angered my mom, so I guess that's why I did it!"
He beamed. "I think it's very pretty!"
"I'm Vivian!" She shouted back, leaning in towards him a little.
"I know!" He returned. "I'm Glenn! Rhee!" He added after a second.
"I know!"
He flushed a little. "Wanna dance?"
"Okay, but if my mom sees us, I'm going to split, okay?" She hollered.
He tilted his head in confusion.
"It's just, if she sees me dancing with you, she'll get ideas!" Vivian explained. "She's always trying to hook me up with someone!"
This threw Glenn for a bit of a loop and he paused, furrowing his brow.
"She wants grandchildren!"
"Oh!"
"Just warning you!"
Vivian took his hand and pulled him into the open area where a few pews had been shoved aside to make room for a dancefloor.
He had barely had time to get a few steps in, when Merle accosted him.
"Where's that goddamned Cajun?" Merle barked. "He owes me a bottle of beer for losing the bet!"
Glenn eyed the man for a second in mild fear. "What?"
Merle motioned to where Milton was dancing sandwiched between Michonne and Andrea. "That brainiac is about to get laid."
"What?" Glenn demanded again.
Merle shoved him with a scowl and wandered off through the crowd.
"Sing, sing, sing!" The crowd chanted as Sergeant Fredricks corralled Major O'Hara without touching him up to the mic as the song ended and one of the soldiers stepped down.
Standing awkwardly before Vivian, Glenn offered her a shy smile. "Um, another dance?" They didn't really get to dance at all, so he thought he'd offer again.
"Sure."
The Major shook his head and tried to escape, but Fredricks kept him trapped by the mic with his open arms.
With the soldiers getting rowdy and chanting, their leader sighed into the mic and said, "if I sing will you all calm down?"
The men roared and stomped.
"Alright, calm down, men!" Major O'Hara commanded sternly, sobering up a few of the fainter hearted soldiers. "I'm going to disappoint you and sing a love song, because I'm disgusted by your drunken behaviour, you reprobates."
"Take it all off, Major!" One of the soldiers catcalled playfully.
"That's a warning, Carter!" O'Hara snarled, pointing at the man. "If I do this, everyone has to get up and dance. Everyone find a partner. Carter, you partner up with Malloy for that 'stripping' crack."
From where he stood, Glenn could see the mirth hidden in the Major's eyes, even though his face read professional as the soldier in question went white and glanced at another soldier beside him.
As the soldier went to speak to Tyreese who was still manning the karaoke machine, Glenn's eyes swept from Vivian who was smiling sweetly at him, over the crowd, finding Carol and Daryl sitting in a pew, talking with Sasha and Rhoades. Cash was laughing with a group of soldiers, Layla sitting perched beside him, leaning in to hear over the din, Adele at her side, smiling at the Major's teasing of his men.
"I'm going to try this acapella," the Major explained almost shyly. "Here's an old Irish song my Nana used to sing to me before she died."
Fredricks moved close to Tyreese and whispered something to the man.
Tyreese smiled and nodded.
"The pale moon was rising above the green mountains," the Major began softly in a surprisingly fine, clear tenor, "the sun was declining beneath the blue sea. When I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain, that stands in the beautiful Vale of Tralee."
Glenn moved in close to Vivian to dance, as the beginnings of some heavy metal music began. They stepped apart in confusion.
Tyreese shrugged at Major O'Hara's curious glance and pointed to Fredricks who was laughing.
Stepping back from the mic, O'Hara chuckled and nodded. "You think I don't know this one, smart ass?" He asked his second-in-command.
Confused, Glenn glanced around to find a few people catching on to the song, most of the soldiers jumping up from their pews to applaud and cheer on their leader.
Grabbing the mic, O'Hara swooped in on cue.
"As I was goin' over the Cork and Kerry mountains I saw Captain Farrell and his money he was countin'. I first produced my pistol and then produced my rapier. I said stand and deliver or the devil he may take ya!"
Unsure how to dance to the song, Glenn looked back at Vivian, but she was busy sliding in close to him, hip to hip, and grinding against him a little. Shocked, but not altogether displeased, he grinned nervously and tried to keep up with the woman. She wasn't as shy as he thought. Maybe just around her mother?
"I took all of his money and it was a pretty penny. I took all of his money, yeah! and I brought it home to Molly. She swore that she'd love me, no never would she leave me. But the devil take that woman, yeah! for you know she tricked me easy!"
The dancefloor exploded with people suddenly and Glenn was pushed in close to Vivian.
"Musha ring dum a doo dum a da! Whack for my daddy-o! Whack for my daddy-o! There's whiskey in the jar-o!" Everyone chanted loudly, Vivian included.
Shocked by the woman, Glenn could only gawp and flounder almost helplessly as people pressed in even closer.
Daryl, who was nearby with Carol stepped back with her to keep from the celebrating mass and Glenn contemplated getting the pregnant woman out of the church as it seemed like everyone was ready to tear the place apart in their excited frenzy. Seemed Daryl had the same idea, as he whispered something to her and they both left.
"Being drunk and weary I went to Molly's chamber. Takin' my money with me and I never knew the danger. For about six or maybe seven, in walked Captain Farrell. I jumped up, fired off my pistols and I shot him with both barrels!"
For a man who was all duty, the Major seemed to be a rock star at the mic and Glenn began to thoroughly enjoy the show. Or maybe it was the energy of a group of rough, road weary soldiers and struggling survivors who finally had a chance to enjoy themselves that sparked electricity across the atmosphere of the church. He joined in the chanting with a nervous grin, almost expecting things to go bad. Having trouble comprehending that they might actually have a chance to really have fun and let loose.
"Now some men like the fishin' and some men like the fowlin'. And some men like ta hear, ta hear the cannon ball a roarin'! Me, I like sleepin', especially in my Molly's chamber. But here I am in prison, here I am with a ball and chain, yeah!"
As the song ended, Vivian leaned in close to Glenn and said, "want to get out of here?"
He blinked at her, trying to decipher her meaning.
She smiled almost coyly and motioned to the door with her head.
Glenn allowed her to lead him to the door.
"I should slap you all with a 1059," O'Hara grumbled into the mic as Glenn was lead out the door.
Outside, Vivian spun around and kissed him boldly.
Glenn struggled for a moment to comprehend just what was happening, before he tentatively kissed her back. He pulled away after a second and winced.
"Sorry, I…just…"
She blushed furiously. "No, I'm sorry, I…it's been a while."
"No," he fought for a way to explain it to her.
She looked so pretty standing before him, nervous and so sweet looking.
Glenn swallowed thickly, before taking a step towards her, hand moving to her chin. Tilting her face up, he softly kissed her lips.
Vivian eagerly kissed him back.
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They stumbled into the wolves den, fumbling and struggling to keep upright.
Glenn slammed hard into a nearby shelf and cursed as his elbow struck the edge.
Vivian pulled back. "Sorry."
He shook his head, about to say something, but the woman pounced again and knocked them back onto Milton's bed.
Swimming among his multitude of pillows and sheets and blankets, Glenn tried to locate the woman, but she found him, mouth crashing against his, her teeth bruising his bottom lip, her thighs squeezing his hip as she straddled him.
"Jesus," he mumbled into the kiss.
"Sorry," she flushed, pulling away a little, "it's been awhile."
"Yeah," he said. "I can kind of tell."
She glanced around them. "Is this your bed?"
"No," he said. "It's Milton's."
Vivian beamed impishly and shed her shirt. "Think he'll mind?"
Glenn swallowed thickly. For an instant he thought of Maggie. Was it appropriate? It seemed like only yesterday she…she was gone.
"Are you okay?" Vivian asked, pulling him back to the present.
His eyes took in her deep, chocolate eyes with the flecks of caramel blossoming out around her pupils, how open and friendly her face was and he realized that he was. He was okay. Maggie would always be there in his head and in his heart, but she was a ghost, she had lived, but she wasn't real anymore. He would always honour her, but he couldn't linger in the past with her. He needed to move on.
"Yeah," he said. "I'm fine."
Vivian dropped down to kiss him softly, hands cradling his face.
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They were lying in Milton's bed, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the sounds of the Georgian night, when Vivian pushed up onto her elbow to lean over him.
"You know what I find strange?" She whispered, politely waiting for him to ask 'what' before going on. "This is the new normal. We've grown accustomed to it all. I don't even blink now when I see one of the dead just walking around."
He nodded. "Yeah."
"It's not just because you're Asian," she said, flopping back down to lay beside him.
"What?" He was confused.
"That I picked you. It isn't because you're Asian and I'm Asian." She giggled. "The truth is, we have our choice of men on the farm, but Sid still isn't over his wife, Delgado is gay, Charon and Mr. Hollander are too old, I'm fairly sure Pace is hidden deep in the closet and Carter is only fifteen. My only options were both Kowalski's and Ryan is with Gwen, I think," she frowned, "and his brother is…well he never leaves his tree when he's at home."
"So why me?" Glenn asked.
Vivian smiled. "Because you're sweet. I like sweet boys."
Glenn smiled shyly.
Laying her head against his chest, Vivian sighed. "I'd watch you walk around here, just generally being nice and helping others and you didn't seem to get the recognition you deserved. I thought to myself, that's the one I want."
"Really? Me?" Glenn asked.
She smiled up at him. "Yeah. You don't think that's too forward, do you?"
"No."
"My mom…she's very forward, I…can I tell you a secret?" Vivian whispered.
"What?"
"She used to be a stripper, that's how she put herself through college."
Glenn laughed. "Dolly? Really?"
"Yeah. It's why she's able to just put herself out there. Sometimes it's embarrassing."
"Did you ever…like, have a boyfriend?"
She shrugged. "A few. Mom came on a little strong with the marriage thing and scared a lot of them off."
"I'm not easily scared," he admitted with a small grin.
She beamed at him. "I bet you aren't."
They both jumped as the door banged open and Merle stepped in, half dragging Milton, who was clinging hard to a bottle of Jack, his face painted with what looked like red lipstick.
Scrambling to get out of the man's bed, ignoring Merle's taunting laughing, Glenn flushed and guided Vivian to his cot as Merle dropped Milton onto his bed and took the bottle, downing what was left.
"Go to bed, Lizard King," Merle teased Milton, who was already curling up in a fetal position.
"Is he okay?" Glenn asked.
Merle shrugged. "Poor little asshole can't handle a Cajun party."
"What happened to his face?" Vivian asked, Milton's sheets wrapped around her.
"He passed out and a few of the boys decided to make him pretty for his hangover," Merle said, heading for the door, adding on his way out, "by the way, I can still see your tits, girl."
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auntheddy - This has nothing much to do with anything, but I feel I need to point out that you're a wonderful human being and I adore you. ^_^
vickih - I can assure you, the next chapter is Caryl. It's been a long time coming, but hopefully it'll satisfy.
Claire Randall Fraser - I kind of enjoy them as well. They've sort of become their own entity and it's horrifying how I never intended for that.
Ciao Bella - One more chapter of stag party good times, then wedding.
Brazen Hussy - Who? Me personally? I guess if you command I must deliver...now I'm off to buy a purple dick! [Exit pursued by bear.]
itsi3 - You're awesome! ^_^ No, but seriously. You're a beautiful person.
Surplus Imagination - Next chapter is Caryl goodness, I promise! Thanks for your patience. ^_^