Work Text
Trophy
Chapter 1
"Ugh," Lori groaned and sat her glass of wine down on the kitchen table. "It's disgusting."Andrea raised an eyebrow and took a careful sip of her own glass."It tastes good to me," she said, shrugging her shoulders.Lori leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and placing her head in her hands."I didn't mean the wine.""What did you mean?""Have you seen her?" Lori asked with another groan."Ah," Andrea took another sip and then sat her glass down. "Have
you
met her?""Not officially but have you seen her? She's so much younger than him.""Lori," Andrea reached over and placed a hand in her friends arm. "It doesn't matter how much younger she is, she is an adult and has been for several years.""That still doesn't make it right and I'm not comfortable with my children being around her.""Is that because she's so young or because you...""Don't you dare say it," Lori growled.Andrea raised her hands in surrender. "I wasn't going to say it but that doesn't mean I can't see it on your face.""Shut up," Lori laughed as she raised her wine glass to her lips."Mom!" Carl shouted as he threw the front door open. "Mom!"Lori and Andrea jumped up from their seats, rushing in to the living room."What's the matter?" Lori asked quickly. "What happened? Are you all right? Where's Judith?"Carl smiled. "Shane her asked her to marry him!"Lori's face paled and she gasped, covering her mouth with one hand while the other sought out Andrea to steady her."Mom, you should have seen it. Dad and Michonne were there, too. She said yes and me and Judy get to be in the wedding!""Where's your sister?" Andrea asked, holding tightly to Lori so the other woman didn't crumple to the floor."Oh," Carl looked around. "I guess she's still in the car with Shane.""Is she with him?" Lori asked, finally releasing her hold on Andrea's arm.Carl furrowed his brow and shook his head in confusion. "I just told you she's outside with him."She smiled and reached for Shane's hand as they walked towards the door, Judith running ahead of them.He took her hand, stopped and pulled her close. "Don't worry so much," he whispered in her ear."I can't help it, Shane. She's your ex-wife, she's Judith's mother, and she's Carl's mother. I just want her to know that I love you and both of those kids and when they're with us I will treat them as my own but I don't want her to feel like I'm tryin' to push her out of the way or take her place in their lives."He smiled and reached up to cup her face in both hands. "Don't worry," he said again. "Besides, Rick and Michonne both like you and so do Carl and Judith. And hell, I love you. Those are the only opinions I care about, not hers."She nodded. "Okay, I'll try not to worry but I still want her to...""No," Shane shook his head. "Don't worry about that either. If she thinks you're tryin' to push her out of the way or take her place somehow, that's her problem. Not yours.""Okay. Fine," she replied with a nod. "Can we hurry and go inside so we can meet and get it over with."Shane bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips before removing his hands from her face and taking her hand in his as they walked towards the house.Lori let the blinds pop back into place as she turned towards Andrea."She's pretty," Andrea said with a shrug."Being pretty isn't everything," Lori replied."Never said it was," Andrea grumbled."Mommy," Judith squealed as she bounced through the door. "Mommy! Guess what?! Daddy's gettin' married!"Lori nodded at her daughter. "I know, sweetheart, Carl told me.""I love her, mommy. She's fun and she's teachin' me how to play the piano and she said she'll take me to ballet classes if that's all right with you," Judith said excitedly without pausing for a breath.All Lori could do was nod her head and plaster on a fake smile, praying her daughter couldn't tell the difference.Judith rushed to her room to put her things away just as a heavy knock sounded on the door.Lori took a deep breath, glanced towards Andrea and with a shake of her head she said, "I guess it's time to meet Shane's new trophy."
A/N: So, what do y'all think? Is this worth continuing? My plan was for this to be a one-shot but when I started writing I realized I could make it several chapters. Of course I'll only do so if y'all think I should because I know I already have so many ongoing stories that I need to work on.
Anyway, let me know what y'all think!
-A
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Trophy
Chapter 2
Beth smiled nervously as the front door slowly opened.This was the first time she was meeting Lori, the ex-wife of her soon-to-be husband and the mother of her soon-to-be stepdaughter.What could possibly be more intimidating than that?Her smile wavered and she made a mental note to punch Shane and Rick in the arm as she realized she had paid too much attention to their horror stories of their ex-wife.She made sure her smile was firmly in place as she looked up to Shane and then to Lori. Silently praying Shane and Rick had exaggerated as some ex-husbands did."You must be Beth," Lori said after looking the younger woman over from head to toe."I am," Beth said politely, holding her hand out to the older woman. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."Lori fought the urge to roll her eyes as she stared down at the young blondes outstretched hand, finally taking it in her own after what she was sure was several minutes.She had to remind herself that no matter how much she didn't like this girl, yes she is just a girl after all, she didn't really know her. She already knew she had to make some effort to get to know her and to tolerate her, she refused to think she could like her in any way, for the sake of her children."It's a pleasure to meet you as well," she said with all the politeness she could muster up. "Do y'all want to come in for a drink?""Oh...um...," Beth looked up to Shane at the same moment he looked down at her and then Beth smiled. "I'll take some sweet tea if you have any."She tried not to roll her eyes again, she really did, but she felt the movement before she could stop herself."Beth," she said flatly, "we're in Georgia, of course I have sweet tea."As Lori stepped out of the way to let them in, she noticed the nervous twitch of Shane's fingers and how he pressed one against Beth's lower back and the other clenched in a fist.She wondered if Beth knew what he was doing, if she knew the signs of him being nervous, if she could almost feel her hands twitching along with his.She was so young, so young she probably couldn't read Shane's body language to save her life.Lori fought back the smile that was threatening to appear at the thought that she made Shane nervous and that Beth probably had no idea she was having the affect on him.It made her happy that on some level he wanted her approval. Or at least she thought that was what he wanted.They sat down on the couch and Beth stiffened when Lori sat down next to Shane.Andrea smirked and shook her head.Things were about to get interesting."How did it go?" Maggie asked as she motioned for Beth to slowly twirl around in the dress she had on.Beth stopped, hands on her hips as she stared at her reflection in the mirrors, then slightly turned her head towards her sister."I thought everyone was just jokin' about her. All the stories Rick and Shane have told me, I thought it was...I never would have believed it. Michonne always said she was polite to...Ow!" Beth jerked away as Maggie held her hands up."I'm sorry," Maggie said. "Just hold still while I pin these but keep talkin'.""Anyway, Michonne always said she was polite, cordial to her and she was. She was very nice but almost," she shook her head. "Almost like she knew I would be expectin' the worst."Maggie stuck another pin through the material of Beth's dress then stepped in front of her little sister. "Wait, I thought you were sayin' you thought Rick and Shane were jokin' about her but you said she was polite like Michonne said. So which is it?""She was polite, too polite in fact and then Shane went to tell Judy and Carl bye and she changed. She gave me this horrible, evil little grin and told me congratulations but she sure didn't mean it. Then when Shane came back in, she asked if we wanted a drink before we left and when I declined she shrugged and said that I was still so young and probably couldn't hold my liquor.""What did Shane say?""He clenched his jaw and I could tell he was literally biting his tongue.""Lori!""Lori!"Lori just smiled and waved to the other moms in the room as she made her way towards them."Soo," Julie, one of the women, said. "Carl and Judy are so excited about Shane's fianceé, they're telling everyone about her and how much they love her.""Have you met her yet? What's she like?" Sandra, another mom, asked."She's...she's sweet. She's very, very young.""She's sweet and very young," Olivia, the third mom repeated, raising a brow and smiling. "I think when this little PTA meeting is over the four of us need to go have a few drinks and a little girl talk.""We sure do," Lori grinned."My God! Can you believe how much they're asking of us? When will we ever have time to get our children involved in another after school program? My kids are already in so many things I can't keep up," Olivia said as the four women were seated at a table."Tell me about," Lori said, picking up her wine glass after the waiter filled it. "Carl and Judy are both in an art program. Carl has football and baseball. Judy is in a reading program and in Girl Scouts. And now, Shane's new girlfriend has taken it upon herself to tell Judy she will put her in ballet classes," Lori took a sip. "I don't know why that girl thinks she has the right to do that when she's not the one who is going to have to be at every event.""Ah," Julie took a sip of her wine as well. "I sense a little friction. Is she really that bad?""I heard she was really sweet and that she does a lot of work with the church," Sandra said. "Did you know her parents are Hershel and Annette Greene?""Just because they're her parents and she supposedly does a lot of work with the church doesn't mean she's sweet," Lori replied.Olivia narrowed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "Okay, Lori, spill. I know you're holding something back. What do you know about her?""Well, when they came over I was polite and of course I offered her and Shane a drink. When I did, they looked at each other and then she declined."The other women at the table gasped."Oh my God!" Julie shrieked and then whispered. "She's pregnant?""Well that certainly explains why they got engaged so quickly," Olivia said.Sandra shook her head and shrugged. "Maybe she's not a drinker. I've always heard that her parents don't allow alcohol in their home.""Sandra," Lori began. "I'm not saying that's not a possibility but if you saw the look they gave each other, you would come to the same conclusion I did. That was not a look you give someone if you're not a drinker. It was a look that was hiding something."Beth pushed the buggy down the aisle towards the produce and smiled and waved as she met one of the older ladies from the church.The older woman glared at her and quickly turned to go the other way."That's her," someone whispered as she picked up an apple to place in a bag.She stilled for a moment and then shrugged it off. They couldn't possible be whispering about her.When she reached for another apple, she froze."I can't believe Shane Walsh is with
her," the same some one whispered."Haven't you heard? He
has
to be with her.""What do you mean?""I heard her daddy is making Shane marry her because she's pregnant."Beth gasped and snapped her head towards the women as she dropped her bag of apples.Surely they weren't talking about her.They couldn't be.
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Trophy
Chapter 3
Beth's hands were shaking as she reached out to steady them on the handle of her buggy, giving it a gentle push as she walked away.She didn't give a second thought to the bag of apples she had dropped, leaving them to lie on the floor where they had fallen.She just couldn't believe what she had overheard.It shocked her, how could it not when she had never been the subject of town gossip?Did everyone think that that would be the
only
reason for Shane to marry her?She made her way through the store to the checkout line on autopilot."Lori, are you crazy?" Andrea asked as Lori sat down at the counter. "You can't go around telling everyone she's pregnant.""Andrea, I didn't come over here for you to tell me what I can and can't do. And I didn't tell everyone. I only told Julie, Sandra, and Olivia," Lori shrugged. "It's not my fault or problem if they told someone else."Andrea sighed, shook her head and said, "I don't like her any more than you do but we don't even know if it's true or not. Yes, I know, we both saw the way they looked at each other but they didn't tell us if it's true or not.""I'm sure it is. Why else would Shane want to marry her? She's not exactly his type.""She has a pulse and she's a woman. That's all it takes for her to be his type," Andrea said.Beth was sitting at the kitchen table, head in her hands, when Shane walked in the front door.She didn't want him to see her falling apart like this over town gossip but she just couldn't make herself stop shaking and crying.She groaned as she heard him calling her name."In the kitchen," she called out as she sat up and wiped her eyes, hoping her makeup hadn't smeared.He rushed over to her and knelt down on the floor beside her.She scoffed. "I take it you've heard. Apparently the whole town thinks the only reason you're marryin' me or would marry me is because I'm pregnant.""Beth, baby," he said softly, taking her hands in his. "We both know that's not true. I love you. That's why I'm marryin' you. It wouldn't matter to me if you were pregnant or not. Don't get upset about somethin' we both know isn't true."Beth choked back a sob and tears slipped down her cheeks. "Who would think that? Why would someone start a rumor like that?""I don't know, baby" he whispered as he stood and pulled her up with him, hugging her tightly to him. "Don't worry about it though. I'll find out who did this and put an end to it." He pulled away from her and cupped her face in his hands. "I can't wait to have kids with you but don't let everyone get you down over somethin' that isn't true. When it happens, they'll damn sure know it."Beth clasped her hands around his wrists and tried her best to smile. "You mean,
if
it ever happens."He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks, wiping away the tears that had fallen.As he leaned in to kiss her, she gasped."Oh my God, Shane! What if Mama and Daddy have heard the rumors?" She shook her head. "Surely they won't believe them but what if they do?""I'm tellin' you, Bethie, Mama and Daddy have probably heard the rumors. I'm sure that's the reason they asked you and Shane to come over tomorrow," Maggie said as she gently rubbed her hand on Beth's back.Beth had her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands, her blonde hair hiding her face."Did they seem upset when they called you?" Maggie asked."No," Beth mumbled and shook her head.Maggie put her hands on Beth's shoulders and pulled her upright."Look at me, Bethie," she said, grasping Beth's chin and turning her head to look at her. "Is there any truth to the rumors? Are you pregnant?""Of course I'm not, Maggie.""Then why the hell are you worried?""Because someone started this rumor!" Beth almost shouted as she jumped up from the couch. "How would
you
feel if someone was spreadin' rumors about you?""Beth, there were always rumors about me when I was in high school. In case you've forgotten, I was a bit...well I was more than a bit rebellious but I never let it get to me because I knew what was true and what wasn't.""But it's different for you," Beth whined as she sat back down. "I've never put myself out there like you have. I'm just scared that Mama and Daddy are goin' to think less of me simply because they chose to believe something that isn't true."Shane was leaning back in his chair, his feet propped up on the desk and pinching the bridge of his nose when she walked in.He could hear the whispers as she walked by and right up to his desk."We need to talk," she said.He groaned and glanced over at Rick's desk, hoping his friend and partner could save him but he wasn't there."What do you want, Lori?""We need to talk about this girl you're with and our daughter. Apparently, Beth has taken it upon herself to go ahead and sign Judy up for ballet classes without my consent and since she's your new little toy,
you
need to put a stop to it. Did you even know about it?"Shane removed his feet from his desk and stood up, looking Lori in the eye as he leaned over his desk."Yes, Lori, I knew about it. She may not have had your consent but she had mine and that's all that was needed. And as for puttin' a stop to it, I'm not doin' that. The classes she signed Judy up for are on my days, not yours and you can't tell me what I can and can't do with our daughter. If she wants to go to ballet classes, you can bet your ass I'm goin' to let her."Lori scoffed. "Hmm, the classes are only on your days?""Yes. Since I can't always have those days off.""That explains it then," Lori ground out, her jaw clenching tight and a vein in her neck popping out. "You want to get rid of her on your days. You don't want her around because your precious whore is pregnant. What are you going to do when that baby is born and you get bored of it and Beth? You will be left with nothing but an empty house because you chose that bitch over your own daughter.""Get the fuck out of here," Shane yelled, pointing his finger at Lori. "Now!"Before she turned to leave she glared at Shane and then over to Rick who was now standing beside him and shook her head in disgust. "You're both pathetic.""I think we need to call our lawyer," Rick said once Lori had walked out the door."Yeah," Shane agreed as he took notice of everyone in the station watching them. "and we need to do it quick."
A/N: I'm fully aware this story may be considered "Lori Bashing" but that's not entirely my intent. In the next chapter we'll find out what the Greene's think and meet Shane and Rick's lawyer. Who do you think it is?
Please tell me what you think of this chapter.
-A
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Trophy
Chapter 4
Beth took a deep breath and tightly gripped the dish she held in her hands."Everything will be fine," Shane whispered as they made their way up the steps of her parents house."I know it'll be fine but I can't...I still can't believe everyone thinks I'm pregnant and that's the only reason you would want to marry me," she said as Shane knocked on the front door.It opened a moment later and Shane took a careful step back upon seeing the look on his soon to be father-in-law's face."Bethie, Shane," Hershel greeted them as he held the door open for them to enter.Beth's hands began to shake as she stepped into the house.She wasn't scared of her parents but she didn't want them to think everyone in town was right.She slowly made her way into the kitchen, noticing Shane and her daddy hadn't followed her.Setting the dish down on the table, she turned to her mother who was standing at the sink."Mama," she said tentatively. "I know why y'all asked us to come over and what I'm sure y'all have heard in town but..."Annette turned to her daughter then and gave her a sad smile."Bethie, it doesn't matter to us if it's true or not. If it is, it won't change the fact that it is your child, our grandchild, we'll still love him or her no matter what.""Mama, that means the world to me but," Beth wiped at her face as a few tears fell, "but it's not true. I'm not pregnant. I don't know why everyone thinks I am."Her mother let out a sigh of relief and reached out to pull her daughter into a hug. "Oh Bethie, you have no idea how relieved I am that you're not pregnant right now but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be happy if you were. I'm just relieved that you and Shane won't be newlyweds and new parents at the same time."Beth burst into tears, her whole body shaking with her sobs as her Mama held her. "I'm so sorry this has happened, Mama. If I were pregnant, you and Daddy would be the first ones we'd tell. We'd never let anyone else tell you."Shane watched as Beth disappeared into the kitchen and Hershel sat down in his chair, his Bible on the table beside him.He wasn't the least bit surprised Hershel hadn't said a word to him since Beth walked out of the room, he hadn't even told him to have a seat like he usually did.He couldn't help thinking to himself that Hershel Greene was definitely pissed at him and from the look on his face, Hershel already had a six foot deep hole dug somewhere that was just waiting for him.Shane ran his hand through his hair and briefly closed his eyes.This shouldn't be so hard, Beth's not pregnant and she's soon to be his wife."Beth's not pregnant," he blurted out, his heart feeling like it had stopped in his chest.Hershel raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet."Mr. Greene," Shane began as he moved to sit on the couch near Hershel. "We know y'all have heard the rumors and we need y'all to know that they're not true. Beth's not pregnant.""And what caused these rumors in the first place if she's not?" Hershel asked, surprising Shane for a moment.He shook his head. "Sir, we're not sure. We don't know who started the rumors or why but they're not true. I swear on my life, sir, that when Beth does become pregnant, you and her Mama are the first ones we'll tell."Beth stepped out of the kitchen expecting to find her Daddy standing over Shane's lifeless body so when she saw that they each had a gun out, cleaning it and talking, she took a step back and simply watched them while smiling to herself."Beth, sweetie," her Mama said as she came to stand next to her. "You never have to be afraid to tell us somethin'. When the time comes, I can assure you that no one will be more excited and supportive than us.""I know, Mama," Beth said quietly."Your Daddy really likes Shane, more than he would admit," her Mama smiled. "Shane's a good man and we know he'll take good care of you and any children y'all should have.""I always thought Daddy didn't like Shane especially since he's divorced and already has a kid.""He wasn't thrilled about that and neither was I but the more time we've spent with him, we've seen that that doesn't matter because he obviously loves you."Beth twisted her hands nervously in her lap until Michonne reached over and placed her hand on top of hers."You have nothing to be nervous about," she said quietly."I can't help it, Michonne. Are y'all sure I need to be here for this?""Yes. You're marryin' Shane soon which means you will be a part of Judith's life and Lori needs to respect that.""Was she like this with you?"Michonne shook her head, "No, she wasn't this bad. She didn't like me, and believe me she let me know how she felt, but she was about to marry Shane so she didn't really care who Rick was with.""I guess I just don't understand why she hates me so much.""Well, honestly, I think she's threatened by you in a way she never was with me," Michonne said as she lowered her voice. "From what I've been told, she's always had a thing for Shane, even when she was married to Rick. She probably thought they would get back together at some point.""That doesn't exactly make me feel better," Beth said.Lori huffed as she put her car in park and closed her eyes.She had been dreading this moment for two weeks now but it was her own fault and she knew it.Once inside the small building, her nervousness quickly faded into anger as she saw Shane and Beth, hand in hand, following Rick and Michonne into the mediation room."Lori," Andrea called out, waving her over. "Before we go in there, I want you to know that Shane brought Beth with him so you need to keep your cool otherwise this will not go in our favor.""No," Lori shook her head on the verge of hysteria. "I'm not going in there. This has nothing to do with her. She shouldn't even be here!""Look, Lori," Andrea said as she grabbed Lori's arm and pulled her into the ladies room. "I know how you're feeling right now but you need to calm down before you make yourself look bad.""I can't do this," Lori said, taking a deep breath to try to calm herself down. "I can't go through with this mediation. Maybe this was a bad idea and we should just go to court."Andrea shook her head and crossed her arms. "I'm going to be honest with you, Lori, if we take this to court there's a chance that whatever ruling the judge decides on will not be in our favor. I think we should go in there, act as civilly as we can and there's a good chance things will go our way."Lori took another deep breath and then nodded. "Okay, fine. But if she tries to interfere, I'm walking out."
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Trophy
Chapter 5
Beth thought once the mediation began, her fears and nervousness would fade away but the longer she sat there, the worse they got. Especially when Lori turned her focus onto her and her relationship with Shane.“I don’t want Judith to get attached to Beth the way she’s been attached to some of Shane’s previous girlfriends,” Lori said while glaring at Beth.Shane snorted, “Previous girlfriends? Lori, since our divorce, I’ve dated exactly three women. Yes, I wasn’t with the first two for very long but they only met Judy a handful of times and they had never even stayed the night at my house while I had Judy. Those relationships didn’t last for very long but as for Beth, I’ve been with her for a while now and I plan on being with her until the day I die, if she’ll have me for that long.”Beth smiled at Shane then looked at Lori and said, “I know plans change and there’s no way of knowing for sure how things will end up but I plan on only being married once in my life and that’s to Shane.”Lori scoffed and shook her head. “You’re young and a lot more naive than I would have thought. I was that way at one time and I had planned on being married once and we all see how that ended.”“Lori,” Andrea said sternly to her client. “Now is not the time for you to open old wounds.”“What?” Lori gasped angrily. “I am not opening old wounds, I’m simply stating the facts that could interfere with my children’s lives. Shane doesn’t have the best history with women and we all know that and if Rick and Michonne insist on allowing Carl to interact with the women Shane brings around, then they are just as bad as he is.”Andrea sighed softly. “Lori, let’s step out into the hallway for a moment.”“No,” Lori refused and sat back in her chair.“I didn’t ask you. IF you wish to continue this mediation, then you will step out into the hallway with me so we can discuss things before proceeding.”Lori stood up and glared at her lawyer who smiled softly and turned to everyone at the table. “Can you give me a few minutes to discuss this with my client?” she asked the mediator.“I can give you as long as you need,” the mediator replied.Stepping out into the hallway, Lori rounded on her friend and attorney.“I can’t believe you,” she said through gritted teeth. “You’re supposed to be my friend and you just sat there without having my back.”“Lori,” Andrea said calmly, “I am your friend but today, I am here for you in a professional capacity and you’re making us both look like fools in there. I asked you before we began to let me do the talking and you agreed but you’re doing everything but what I asked of you.”“I…”“No,” Andrea interrupted her, “I don’t want to hear any excuses. You’re coming off as the jealous ex-wife that is threatened by the new woman. If you continue acting this way, the mediator will have to notify the judge and then the judge will, more than likely, rule against you. Is that what you want to happen?”Lori shook her head and sighed, “No, of course that’s not what I want. I just don’t want her having so much control over any decisions in the lives of my children.”“Your child,” Andrea corrected her. “Yes, Shane does get Carl but Carl isn’t his son, he’s Ricks so ultimately any and all decisions concerning him are between you, Rick, and Michonne. Beth, if she does indeed marry Shane, will have to be included in making decisions concerning Judith as she will be her step-mother and will be taking care of her whenever she is at their house and she’ll be taking care of her on her own whenever Shane is at work or busy.”Lori stood there with her arms crossed over her chest and a worrisome look on her face until Andrea asked, “ Do you think you’re ready to go back in there so we can continue the mediation today or do we need to reschedule it?”“Let’s get this over with today before I completely lose my mind.”When Lori and Andrea entered the room, all eyes were on them and Beth visibly tensed.“We’re ready to proceed,” Andrea stated as she returned to her seat.“Then we may continue,” the mediator cleared his throat. “That is, if we can continue peacefully and without any more interruptions?”Lori nodded and took a seat next to Andrea.“The first thing we need to discuss is the Modification Suit. Ms. Harrison, what changes does your client wish to present to Ms. Hawthorne, the attorney for Mr. Grimes and Mr. Walsh?”“As far as the agreement on when the children will be with their fathers, she does not have any changes in mind,” Andrea said. “However, she does wish to make a few modifications as to who will be responsible for the children when in the care of their fathers.”The mediator turned to Michonne, “Do your clients agree to hear whatever changes Ms. Harris’ client wishes to present? After which, you may voice any concerns you or your clients have.”Michonne looked at Rick and then Shane, both men gave her a slight nod of their head. “They agree.”“Okay, Ms. Harrison, please present the changes as your client wishes.”Andrea made a quick shuffle through her papers before pulling out the one she was looking for and handing a copy to Michonne, Rick, and Shane.“As you can see, the agreement on where and when your clients will have their children remains the same. The change that we wish to make is to whom has the responsibility of caring for the children. I believe everyone is aware of the engagement between Shane Walsh and Elizabeth Greene. My client was informed by both of her children that Miss Greene has, on occasion, cared for them in the absence of their guardians when they were supposed to be in the care of their fathers, and in Carl’s case, his step-mother. She doesn’t Miss Greene and she’s afraid that being left in her care could cause harm to her children both mentally and physically. Therefore, she would like it stated in the custody agreement that the children, while in the custody of their fathers, are not to be left alone at any time with Miss Greene.”The mediator nodded and turned his attention to Michonne. “Ms. Hawthorne, do you and your clients have any questions for Ms. Harrison and her client?”Michonne almost scoffed. “Of course we have several questions but before I ask, I would like it put on the record that Ms. Randalls implied accusations and her animosity towards Miss Greene are both unwarranted and unfounded. Miss Greene has never acted in a manner unbecoming and from the interactions I have witnessed between Miss Greene and the children in question, I have seen nothing but admiration and love.” She sighed and gave Beth a reassuring smile. “Now, as I stated, we have several questions at the moment, but my clients reserve the right to present any future questions they may have after we leave here today to Ms. Harrison and those questions, along with the ones asked today, will be sent to Ms. Harrison’s office. To begin, my clients would like to know why Ms. Randall feels the children will be in danger with Miss Greene and why she feels their mental and physical health will be affected.”“Ms. Randall?”Lori leaned forward and placed both hands flat on the table. “This is hard for me because I have seen how happy my children are after being around Miss Greene but I fear she lacks the maturity to care for my children as she’s only a few years older than Carl. That could cause problems within his relationship with Shane and Judy, and with his father and step-mother as well. He will see Beth more as a friend instead of a strong parental figure which is what a teenage boy needs and this can lead to behavioral problems with not just Carl, but with Judy.”“Moving on to my next question,” Michonne said as she looked down at her notes. “I want to address your attack on Miss Greene's character. Are you aware of a rumor going around about Miss Greene being pregnant? And are you aware that it could possible be defamation of character?”“Yes,” Lori stated dryly as she sat up straighter. “I have heard it mentioned a few times. It’s such a shame really but I’m sure Shane is thrilled and I can only imagine how scary it will be for Beth as an unwed mother.”“Okay,” Michonne said through clenched teeth and nodding as she wrote something down in her notes. “Then I say we move on to the issue of custody. The children are the real reason we’re here and, even though you clearly do not want Miss Greene in their lives, you need to realize that you have no control over that.”Lori rolled her eyes and leaned in to whisper something into Andrea’s ear.The mediator, who had been taking his own notes and watching all parties carefully, stood up and looked at Andrea. “Ms. Harrison, I’m afraid I’m going to have to stop this meeting right here and tell you that I am going to recommend a judge become involved before we proceed any further. It’s clear to me that the motivation behind your clients wishes to change the custody agreement have nothing to do with the welfare of the children in question but instead have everything to do with personal issues between the adults in this matter. I sincerely hope, for the sake of the children, that your client and Ms. Hawthorne’s clients, sit down and work out any issues you may have with each other.”Maggie squeezed Beth's hand gently and smiled. “Do not let that bitch get to you,” she said to her sister. “She’s still hung up on Shane and she’s just jealous of you.”“Yeah, well,” Beth mumbled as she stared down into her coffee cup. “Maybe I am naive because I can’t understand why she hates me so much. It can’t just be jealousy or that she’s still in love with Shane. It seems personal because, according to Michonne, Lori was never really that way when she and Rick got together.”“I think that may be because by the time Michonne and Rick got together, Lori was already with Shane and pregnant with Judy. She was the one that left Rick so it didn’t take her as long to move on.”“So, maybe all she needs is to find someone else?” Beth asked, hopefully.“Do you have any idea how weird it would be for the new “trophy” wife to try to set up the ex-wife on a date?” Maggie asked.“I didn’t say I was goin’ to set her up on a date,” Beth grinned as she took a sip of her coffee.“Oh no. Absolutely not,” Maggie said, shaking her head as she stood up and glared at her little sister who was smirking over her coffee cup. “I love you and would do anythin’ for you but I am not gettin’ involved in Lori’s love life.”
A/N: First of all, I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. Second, I obviously took some creative liberties with the mediation part of this chapter but it is fanfiction after all. I hope, after so long without any updates, y’all enjoyed it though. I am writing again but I’m not going to promise any new chapters this time. You’ll just have to keep an eye out for new updates. Anyway, please let me know how y’all are and what y’all thought of this chapter.
-A