Nothing Really Matters

It had been an insane 48 hours, for all of us. She had broken down at the airport and at first I had freaked out completely. Andy had looked at me when I rushed towards them, just shaking his head. I knew he could deal with her better than I could at that moment. I hated seeing her cry. I just wanted to make it stop and know what the hell had happened. But he made me realize that it actually didn't need to be something bad. She might just need to let it all out. She had fallen asleep in his arms and although I knew she probably looked at him like a brother, I couldn't help but feel a pinch of jealousy over the fact that she had chose to turn to him instead of me.

"Don't."

Andy said when I walked over to them.

"What?"
"Don't see it like that."
"Like what?"
"Just because this happened now doesn't mean she choose me instead of you. We both knew you've never been able to see her cry. She probably did want to make you worry too much."

I hated that he could read my mind sometimes.

"Fine... We gotta go though."
"Well, I'm not going anywhere unless you take her."

He gently released her arms around his waist before I scooped her into my arms. She opened her eyes for a second but closed them just as fast.

"I love you."

She mumbled and snuggled her head into my neck before going back to sleep again. I had anticipated trouble at the gate but we were the first once on. I expected Andy had something to do with it but I was just thankful to finally being inside the plane, going home. Mingus would change flight in Atlanta to go back to New York. I would've wanted to spend a little more time with him but he had school to attend to. Thank God for first class seats! I was able to put her down without even waking her up. I was I bit restless, which was crazy. I should have been just as exhausted as her, but I really could get my head straight after our conversation that morning. I had never in a million years thought the possibility of actually becoming a father once more would present itself. I had been ok if it hadn't but I had always wanted a baby girl. The fact that we had two completely adorable twin girls on set hadn't really helped.

"Andy?"
"Yeah?"

He looked up from his magazine and I could tell at once he understood that I needed his full attention for a while.

"Are you ok?"
"Yeah... I think so. It's just... We got talking this morning and she wants you to interview us. She really doesn't want to talk to the press but I guess she feels a need to explain what's been going on. It could probably work if you were the one, wouldn't feel so... intrusive."
"Of course. Just let me know when and where."
"Some time next week, sooner rather than later."
"Sure. So what's really up?"
"She...This morning, she... She gave me a wedding gift I guess you could say. Quite the surprise as well. I wasn't really prepared for it."
"What was it?"
"She wants kids...Well, I told her I wouldn't really mind getting another kid and she sort of... Agreed."
"Wow... That really was quite unexpected. But how...? I mean... I'm guessing adoption?"
"Yeah."
"Shit... Are you sure?"
"I think so. I mean, it will take some time and we both agreed it won't happen for a while. I don't want to share her with anyone just yet. I guess she could change her mind but that would be fine."
"You have waned this for a while now, Norman."
"I need her more than anything else. It wouldn't be the end of the world if it didn't happen, but it would be... pretty awesome if it did. She just never stops amazes me. She went to see a shrink in Boston. I think it helped a lot."
"Really? That's great. What else happened?"
"We haven't really had time to talk that much yet. She was going to burn down the house she lived in."
"Burn it down?"
"Yeah..."
"Did she?"
"No. She had it torn down legally."
"I'm impressed. She's getting pretty good controlling her impulses. At least the once that could get her lucked up. Whose idea was it to get married?"
"Who the hell do you think?"
"I'm not sure actually. You're the same shade of crazy."
"Thanks, man.... But I did. It just slipped out before I could think about it. I mean she had already changed her name so I guess I figured, why the hell not?"
"So it's really all done? She does exists?"
"Yeah. There was an attorney at the house when she got there. Apparently she had been with her mom before she died and she had told her everything that they had done to London. What he had done."
"So she inherited everything?"
"Every last penny.... Fuck, it's a lot of money, man. I mean, an insane lot of money."
"What are we talking about here? Steven Jobs kinda of insane?"
"You know who Steven Jobs is?"

I grinned at him and hit his shoulder.

"Fuck you! Everyone knows who he is…Was."
"Says the man who can't even open his inbox... She said it was a 10 digit number."
"10....?! Wait, how much is that? Like 100 million?"
"1000....Fuck.... I really don't care, ether does she but... Fuck, it's... She gave away half of it already though. Her dad's half."
"To what?"
"All sorts... UNICEF, SPCA, some hospitals and shelters. And Mingus."
"Mingus?"
"Yeah. When she left the first time she took all his cash. He probably didn't know he had them so no harm done but I... I check his back account this morning. She had deposit 1 million bucks into his collage found."
"He's all set then."
"Yeah but damn... I'm not sure I actually like it. I know she wants to help but I should be able to provide for my own son, right?"
"Don't be such a dick! You're not going to be one of those who are intimidated by the fact that your girlsfr.... sorry, wife, has more money then you? I know you're old, man, but surely not that old?"
"Shut up! It's just... weird. And it bugs the hell out of me that she never said anything."
"It's probably just as simple as she said it was, it never mattered. I mean what good did it ever do to her, having that kind of money? It probably made things worse."
"When you put like that... Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
"I mean for everything... Thanks, man."
"You're welcome."

What the fuck, man! You got married?!

When I finally turned my phone back on in the cab outside the airport there were more texts and missed calls then I had ever had. Most recently one from my onscreen twin brother.

Yeah.
Congrats! How the hell did that happen?
Long story...
We got to get together soon. Seems a lot has happened.
Sure has.
You ok?
Great! How are you?
Same. Think they would let me in the zombie world?
Sure. Come down for a couple of days, it would be great.
Will check my schedule and get back to you ASAP.
Awesome.
Congrats again, bro. She's hot!

London had managed to sleep even through the landing and the fact that I carried her off the plane and into the terminal. Somehow I even managed to say goodbye to my son at his connecting flight without waking her. It wasn't until I opened the front door at home that she finally steered slightly and looked up.

"We're home, baby."

When her eyes began to drupe again I carried her straight to the bedroom and put her to bed.

"You too...."

I wasn't sure she was talking in her sleep or not but I bent down and kissed her forehead.

"I'm coming, I just need something to eat."

-----------------------

It was confusing waking up the next morning. At first I had no idea where I was or what time it was. Norman was nowhere to be seen but I could hear him move around in the kitchen as I finally realized we were home again. As I sat up I noticed I was still wearing the same cloths as I had been flying in. The alarm clock showed 8:55 am. I had been asleep for more than 18 hours. And I was starving. After ditching the cloths in the bathroom for an oversize t-shirt of his I headed straight for the kitchen. A shower would've to wait until I got some food into my system again. He was at the counter with his laptop in front of him, drinking coffee.

"Good morning, sunshine."

All thoughts of food vanished the same second he looked up and smiled at me. I could almost hear my brain stop working and I wondered for the 100th time how I could still feel weak at the knee when he looked at me like that. Like I was his favorite person on the planet. This time though I must have frozen a second too long, cause he was suddenly in front of me.

"Lo?"
"Sorry... I think we need to break up."

He stared.

"You're too fucking hot for my brain to handle. It actually shuts down."

He caught on to my mood at once and screwed up his face in an absolutely ridicules grimes and pulled his hair back, making it look like it was all gone.

"What about now?"

I burst out laughing and he caught me in his arms and hugged me to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and made sure his hair was still as shaggy as I like it.

"Never cut your hair."
"As long as Daryl doesn't cut his hair, I swear I won't."
"Good."

My fingers got tangled up in his hair as I pulled him in for a long kiss.

"I love you, Mr. Reedus."
"I love you too, Mrs. Reedus. Breakfast?"
"I'm not done making out yet!"
"Sorry..."

He gave in with a smile and as so many times, if not all other times our making out ended with sex. This time on the kitchen table.

"Why aren't you on set?"

We were back at the kitchen counter and I was finally eating breakfast and he was on his second one.

"They let me sleep in. I'm going at noon. You wanna come?"
"Yeah of course. We can take the bike."
"Yes I guess we can finally do that."

I know he had missed taking the bike to set with me, since my crazy father had forced me to hide in the car every time.

"I talked to Andy by the way."
"Oh, good. When do you wanna do this?"
"I was thinking it's up to you really. No pressure, babe, take your time."
"I rather just get it over with."
"We have Wednesday morning off, doing a night shoot."
"It's Monday today, right?"
"Yes. You've been sleeping for like 20 hours."
"Did you really carry me of the plane?"
"Who else would have? You're not still heavy enough to make much difference."
"I'm working on it."
"I know."
"I'm sorry about breaking down last night. I know it couldn't have been easy to stay away."
"No, it really wasn't. But Andy seemed able to handle it."
"I just don't want you to think I choose to turn to him instead of you. It just... He just happened to be there at the time and I know you hate when I cry so I tried to... Block you out."
"I know. I'm glad you have him."
"Thank you."
"There's something I need to talk to you about though."
"Ok?"
"Why did you deposit 1 million dollars into Mingus collage fond?"
"Don't you want it?"
"I'm not saying that, I just... I'm not sure what to feel about it."
"He's your son I just wanted to help. He deserves the best and I don't want or need all that money for myself."
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing with all that money and... It's an insane amount of money, Lo."
"Would it make you feel better if I didn't have them? Cause I could think of a lot of charities that need them more then I do. I mean, what the hell do you do with 500 million dollars?"
"By an island in the Caribbean...? Fine, I get it. I would just have liked you to tell me first."
"I will keep that in mind the next time."
"Next time?"
"Yeah... He has a birthday every year you know."
"London. No."

It was a short word but he made it pretty clear then that he didn't want my money for his son. I could respect that, it just felt so strange to finally be able to help but not quite allowed.

"Ok."