#Muse || Juniper Wolfhart

[deputygonebye]

@jundlcndwastes || Taken from here.

Women were often underestimated when it came to their knowledge of cars and how they operated from underneath the hood. Luckily for Juniper, she had been raised by a mechanic and knew more than a lot of men did, too. She wasn't going to lie, she did like crushing their egos just a little bit when she could do more than them. ❝ Yeah, actually. If you wanna grab that screwdriver and help me unscrew these bolts that would be great. ❞ Her plan was to replace the alternator and get this car running, giving them another transportation option. Plus she just really liked the car.

A campsite was, within due time, occupied by more and more survivors. Georgia bred and born, Juniper and her father were the first to have come so far outside of the state. Raised in California - the land of golden poppies and Valley quails - mistreated in California. Shane had been skeptical of them since their arrival. Strangers that were welcomed far too quickly into the group by Rick and the others; settlers that were sharing space that wasn't theirs to be part of to begin with. Questionable characters who looked as tired as Shane, himself, felt, hearing that Juniper had smuggled immigrants across borderlines only increased the ex-deputy's hesitation toward them. Doubt that settled itself to a calm simmer, smaller in size but still there just underneath the surface, peacefully did both he and the girl coexist. Friendly, in all ways, cordial, even when discussions seemed to have shown difference of opinion. Relations better than what they once were at the start, Juniper had found herself in warm regards within Shane's heart. She and August, always to be protected by the steady hands of a former officer of the law.

They were part of the gang. They were friends of Shane's - there had been worse that both he and the camp had seen - great assets and reliable. They belonged there.

"Still workin' on that alternator?" Shane asked as he did what he was told, screwdriver in hand, bolts loosened with fluid motion of the wrist. "Thought you and Jim got that all fixed up yesterday. Guy used to be a mechanic, you're pretty damn good with cars. I'm a little surprised right now, Miss Juniper. Real surprised."

Poking his head back out from beneath the hood, sunlight warming the hairs on top of his head, he said, a little cocky, a little hurt, "you know, you could've asked me for help, too. I know my way around a vehicle. Speakin' of, you ever think about givin' her a bath? Poor baby's as dirty as a pig in mud. Even a little bit of water would do her good, a rinse. Walkers or no Walkers, a clean car can be the very difference between life and death. Least, give her a little love and tenderness, woman. She ain't no beast of burden!"

[jundlcndwastes]

☆ ───── starter call for captain juniper wolfhart, a star wars oc with verses available for the walking dead, sons of anarchy, star trek, and more! like for a starter from her and if you're a multi, let me know which muse you'd like one for.

[jundlcndwastes-moving2]

☆ — STARTER CALL FOR CAPTAIN JUNIPER WOLFHART, A STAR WARS OC ! She does have multiple verses (such as the walking dead, sons of anarchy, mcu, etc.) she can work with. Please give this post a like / comment below for a starter. If you’re a multi please specify what muse(s) you would like a starter for.

[jundlcndwastes]

☆ ───── you taught me the courage of stars before you left

august & juniper wolfhart | a father/daughter smuggling duo as featured on jundlcndwastes, a multi muse oc featured in the star wars rpc. multiple verses available.

[jundlcndwastes]

☆ ───── JUNDLCNDWASTES. An independent & semi-selective multi muse oc rp blog centered in the STAR WARS universe, as well as verses for the walking dead and sons of anarchy. Featuring smuggler CAPTAIN JUNIPER WOLFHART, her smuggler father, the dangerous crime lord they crossed, and an Order 66 youngling survivor. Written by Christina, 30, she/her. Discord is for mutuals @ razzamatazz. DNI if you're a minor or a personal blog, you will be blocked. carrd & memes & starters & starter calls & wish list.

Affiliated with these beautiful stars in the galaxy | @godsdefied & @aintashes & @paramounticebound & @cfmartyrs & @hopegained & @magikborn. I can also be found at @untilthcyrot & @sookiestackhcuse.

May the force be with you ♡

[jundlcndwastes]

☆ ───── you taught me the courage of stars before you left

august & juniper wolfhart. a father/daughter smuggling duo featured on jundlcndwastes, a multi muse oc featured in the star wars rpc. multiple verses are available.

[jundlcndwastes]

Send me "&" for my muses reaction to yours tracing one of their scars. | asked by @wldflwerhoney for happy !

❝ Are you sure you don't want to check out the one on my knee? I got it when I was ten years old from a bike accident. Gravely road, bad brakes...not a good mix. ❞ Humor was Juniper's best way of deflecting. Despite feeling it from time to time when she moved in certain directions, or when she caught a glimpse of it in the mirror after showering, she didn't really like to remember that she had a nasty scar that took up a significant amount of space across her shoulder blades. It perfectly matched with August's as well and she wondered if the club had ever seen it. If they had, they had to have known their mechanic had the same one.

Happy knew. He was the only one who saw what the gang across the border had done to the Wolfharts. It was better than burying their bodies in the desert at least, right? She felt herself shiver underneath the tips of her fingers as they traced over the ridges. Sometimes she wondered what he thought when he touched them, but she never saw an obvious look of disgust. That had to count for something.

[jundlcndwastes-moving2]

☆  — LIKE THIS POST FOR A STARTER FROM CAPTAIN JUNIPER WOLFHART , A STAR WARS OC. IF YOU’RE A MULTI MUSE PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT MUSE(S) YOU’D LIKE A STARTER FOR. IF YOU’RE A SIDEBLOG PLEASE COMMENT WHAT BLOG IT’S FOR. <3

[deputygonebye]

Roasted over a small fire, more charred in certain spots than others, fish had been the meal of choice that night. Every alternative depleted - bellies so full of fish already, yearned for a taste of something new - minnows and minuscule bass, barely able to fit between both hands. Cooked over flame as best as could be done; seasoned with wild herbs gathered by the women survivors, accompanied by a simple mushroom dish fixed by Amy. Mushrooms tossed with rosemary - prepared in a skillet pan over top the same fire, until softened and browned to perfection. All hands gone into creating the feast that nourished an entire camp, from where he sat, chewing his ration of roasted bass, still pained by hunger but nonetheless fed, Shane noted the toll. From his plastic throne - a piece that matched Jacqui's, a garden area set, so ivory and dusty - Lori's hands appeared crusted over with dirt. Carol's nails were painted burden-brown rather than a color deserving of her. Andrea's cheeks burnt from the sun; the pan that Dale wielded to serve what was left, the blackened scraps at the edge, trembled.

Paper plate discarded, placed with the other garbage that would be used to light and keep bright more fires, the fish to be cooked tomorrow, Shane wandered into his bachelor tent without a word. Promised to secrecy, buried deep in the back corner, nearest where his cleanest clothes and other possessions occupied, he fetched two beers. Glass unbroken and still intact; paper logo untouched, unaffected by the end of the world. Miracles of gold they were, a burn that Shane desired more than he initially believed himself to. It had been too long since the taste had been upon his tongue. Bitterness of good memories - hops and malt that balanced just as was needed - the days before survival was all that mattered. Life hardly a guarantee; an oath that Shane couldn't renounce. Never to relinquish, merely to distract by the pop of a bottle, entertain, rather, with the bliss of a summer's temperature beer. Peace within golden bubbles.

Brown eyes shifting from left to right, Shane exited his shelter and headed for the woods. Surrounded by an army of trees, dense bush and weed, there was no need to voice the question, for he already knew. Someone had decided to follow. A curious onlooker, a nosey neighbor who wanted further contact than just what tent holdings would allow. Familiar footsteps that smothered grasses - he would've known her pattern of walk anywhere - akin to a wolf who was on the hunt, silent but deadly. Back still toward her but smile across his lips, Shane could find humor in their secret. An almost childlike experience; the past come back to haunt them both. It was stupid and ridiculous. Perhaps borderline witless, but even so, it made Shane relax. Dropped the tension from his shoulders, the crosses that he carried for himself and others. Shane was normal again.

"You sure do like watchin' me, don't you?" Shane teased as he turned around, a proud radiance about him. "Didn't have to say nothin'. You knew just where to find me. You're somethin' else, you know that, Juniper?"

Shane laughed, handing her the second beer, keeping the first within his own grasp, tight and unwilling to drop so precious a discovery. "As promised, a drink. Ain't cold, like I said earlier, but I think we're luckier than most folks. Ain't too often somebody comes along somethin' like this. I think I'll make a toast. Here's to us and our camp! Here's to these Coors Lights! And here's to you, Ms. Juniper Wolfhart, the best mechanic this side of Georgia! Don't know where we'd be without you."

She hated it for Carl that he had to grow up in all of this. At least the adults like the two of them standing here taking care of this car were able to grow up in a normal world doing normal things and only having to worry about the little things instead of life-and-death situations. They could run around the streets and all they had to worry about was making it home in time for dinner before their parents began to grow concerned over their whereabouts. You ran around out here and you were bound to run right into the hungry creatures with their guttural moans and groans who didn't want to leave you alive for nothing.

Back then, you worried about first dates, good grades, finally getting your license, and turning twenty-one so you could say that you legally had your first drink. You didn't have to make sure you were armed to the teeth at all times in case you ran into a walker or just another human being who would kill you for what little supplies you had on you. Carl would only hear stories about what it was like at his age before the world shut down. All of his firsts would be unique compared to that of his mom and dad's.

❝ Sounds like you had a hell of a time though, ❞ she joked with him. Stealing a parent's car to go out for a joyride was something that she could relate to. Where she lived out in Texas, there were plenty of empty roads that she could take in her father's car and press down on that gas pedal, letting that acceleration stick turn and turn until she was nearing 80MPH. The exhilaration from it all was an adrenaline rush like no other back when she was sixteen. Hell, she was lucky a cop car wasn't planted behind a bush waiting for an idiot teen like her to shoot by 'em. Juniper was also a bit jealous of Shane and Rick - their friendship stretched back that far and they still had each other in all of this. She didn't even know if her friends from way back in school had even made it this far.

Juniper smiled, just as flattered as could be that someone would want her of all people to teach them how to drive, especially someone else's son. If Lori and/or Rick wanted to sit there in the car with her while she taught their son to drive she was completely fine with that, maybe even expected it for the first driving test, especially if it meant making Lori warm up to the idea of someone else teaching her son something important. More than that, it was nice to be recognized among the group. Everyone was skilled in some way, shape, or form, and she was recognized for being so skilled when it came to vehicles, and how slick she was behind the wheel, too. ❝ Thanks, ❞ was all she mustered up at that moment, not even able to really touch on what his words meant to her just yet. Maybe later over that beer.

The mechanic had to give it to him - he did a terrific job cleaning the car. So instead of holding her applause, she went ahead and clapped her hands together a few times. ❝ You know, if the whole sheriff's deputy hadn't panned out for you, you would have made an excellent car detailer. I can even see my reflection, ❞ she said, leaning it to dramatically look at her reflection in one of the windows, brushing a stray piece of chocolate brown hair behind her ear.

Leaning back again, her lips grew into a wider smile when he mentioned the story about how he managed to get his hands on some beers. Nothing said celebrating a job well done than some cold beers later tonight. ❝ Hey, that doesn't sound half bad. Beer is beer, warm or cold. ❞ She shrugged her shoulders; preferably cold, but beggars couldn't be choosers anymore. ❝ Yeah, Shane, I'd really like that, ❞ she agreed to it.

[deputygonebye]

One section of the car done, body as clean as the elements would allow, another moved onto, to the back did Shane travel with his sponge and bucket. Suds splashed onto the ground due to the sway, plopped onto both grass and dirt alike, a small mountain of white colored foam. Hubcap started upon - scrubbed from rim to spoke - a dance between Shane's hand and the grime that refused to budge. Back and forth motion set to the clump of dried mud, intensity and pressure from a wrist that had already witnessed so much, fingers that had awarded death to Walkers unaware. Fingers that used to do so much more; hands that knew not the touch of violence but the gentleness of love. Family and friends, a small town that was called home, a past that Shane could never return to. Life was what the Geeks deemed it to be. Soaked in blood, feral, barbaric in ways that seemed impossible to imagine. A life that was made better by new friends, too, the kind that Shane wouldn't have met otherwise.

Juniper one of the few, as Shane crept around the bumper of the car, focused his attentions onto the brake lights and trunk, splattered in dust they were, dipped his sponge back into his bucket, his mind did wander. Never would admit to the accusation but nonetheless true, regarding Juniper and her talks with the ladies had become a past time of his. Never done intentionally, of course, more so a happening of circumstance, a consequence of he and Juniper's unshared responsibilities to the group. Out fishing while she helped with the laundry by the same lake. Teaching Carl various knots and safety measures while she worked on the cars in need of repair with her father, a setting sun and campfire glow their mutual lighting source. Brown eyes unable to look away whenever she was around, Juniper very easily could capture Shane's concentration. As if it were the most natural of things - the former deputy an accidental agent.

Sun baked bird feces washed from the trunk, perfectly placed in the middle for Shane to see, the expression of disgust still painted upon his face even after the mess was gone, sponge dumped back into the water and then done so again for good measure, to the last portion of the vehicle did he venture, the final frontier. Two car doors remaining plus their wheels, handles, and windows, efforts for the day would see their end come the car's complete finish. As sparkly as the day that it was purchased from the lot - beaming and beautiful - cleaned for another day. Hunched over a bit as to get a better view, an inspector of an unprofessional kind, Shane went back to his work. Fought against the crud that was so stubborn, nearly dug the whole sponge into the body of the car, enough force to leave a dent should Shane have tried.

Shane said, glance switching between the car and Juniper. "Rick'll be okay with it. He was actually gonna take the boy drivin' before all this happened. On the backroads, just like we used to when we were kids. Nothin' crazy. I'll tell you what, Juniper, there was nothin' scarier than when his old man caught us tryin' to do doughnuts in the field just outside of town. Alright, I was tryin' to do doughnuts. But it was Mr. Grimes' car, and Rick knew better than to mess with his daddy's baby. To be fair, he did try to stop me, but you know me. I don't listen none too well sometimes. That was the first time a grown man ever yelled at me, you know that? I used to put poor Jean through hell, get her real angry every once in awhile, but that, that was the first time a father figure ever gave it to me. From that moment on, I didn't mess with another person's car ever again. Least, not while I was sober."

"Lori. She'll take a bit of time." Shane nodded, eyes flickering to the mentioned woman who was just across the campsite, scissors in hand, Carl's chocolate-colored locks between fingers, ready to be snipped and cut short. "Mama bear's never been one to let her cub go off too far. Might make her nervous to even think about him drivin'. But we've all seen you, Juniper. We know what you can do, how you understand cars inside and out. If Carl really wants it, Lori will let him have it. I know it'll make his day once he's given the chance with you."

"Alright!" Shane's voice rang in cheer and self-congratulations, sponge dropped into the bucket with a careless splash, back of the hand across the forehead, sweat wiped away. "I think my work here is done. She's back to her old self again! Hold your applause, Juniper. Hold your applause. You see here, girl? That is how you clean a car. Your welcome for the lesson and the show. I think this deserves a reward. Hey, don't tell nobody, but on the last supply run, I found two unopened cans of Coors Light. The grocery store that Glenn and I snuck into had some in the old staff room. Guess some folks were hidin' a stash for after hours. What do you say to sharin' a cold one with me after dinner tonight? Well, Georgia summer cold, but beer is beer and I ain't gonna turn down a drink. I could really use it. You care to join me, Juniper? Offer is yours, if you want it."

❝ I'm nothing if not nice, ❞ the former smuggler teased the deputy, lips sealed shut but nonetheless smiling widely from ear to ear. She could only imagine what she had said about him, surely something so casual that even she had already forgotten what it was. Cute for a jackass. That had her snickering at the memory that came flooding back to her. She had mentioned as much to Andrea in what she thought was confidence but she imagined the blonde must have said something to Shane, surely in good fun instead of ratting her out for being a jackass herself, or the deputy had somehow overheard them and was waiting to use this ammunition against her when he found the right moment to.

❝ Cute for a jackass, cute for a jackass... ❞ She repeated a couple of times, pretending to try and recall her own words that she definitely remembered saying. ❝ Ya know, some such words might have been said the other day but I don't remember saying them in front of you. Are you spying on me, Deputy Walsh, or do you and Andrea like spilling secrets of the camp to each other? ❞

Juniper spared a look in his direction as he scrubbed at the thick dirt that coated one of the car windows, that tightly furrowed knit of his brows as he concentrated on cleaning it thoroughly as if they were putting this car in a Ford showroom. More than that, she let her brown orbs take in a few distinct features, as much as the clothes that he hadn't taken off - despite her playful suggestion to take off his shirt - allowed her to innocently gawk before he could catch her. Yeah, he was cute, she hadn't been lying to Andrea when she admitted as much. She just had to cover her own ass by calling him a jackass, too, which he could act like when he wanted.

She scoffed and finally closed the hood of the car now that she was done working on it. ❝ You try and dump a bucket of soapy water on me and see what happens next, Walsh. ❞ Try me, the look on her face read clear as day. Arms folded over her chest as she thought about Glenn's car and the state of it. He was right about that. The horn did blare pretty loudly and did need to be inspected. ❝ I'd have to look a little closer but it might just need a good tune-up. Maybe some new parts where old ones are outdated or even someone thought they were putting in the right parts but screwed up. I'll have to check everything out. ❞

Juniper was taken back, her arms dropping back down to her sides and her brown eyes lighting up some. ❝ Me? ❞ Out of everyone in the camp that the kid had at his disposal, his parents included, or even Shane himself whom he'd been close to while Rick was missing, she hadn't expected that Carl would want her to be the one to teach him to drive. It made her feel something, something real special. ❝ He wants me to teach him to drive? I mean, yeah. Yeah, I'd love to, if his parents are okay with it. ❞ Lori might be a little hesitant, at least Juniper thought his protective mother would be, and she understood that. Rick could be a little more open-minded? She wasn't too sure yet.

[deputygonebye]

Dust from the roads that coated cars like a second skin, the carwashes with bubbles scented of lemon, they were both concerns from an era of time that felt so long passed. More like a dream than not - a very distant and clouded memory - care that mattered no more. Businesses were relics that stood humbly in their graves. Massive piles of brick and stone lumped into the ground; shattered windows and machinery rusted on the former inside. There were no cars that needed the touch of fabric curtains nor the boost from conveyor belts. Foam cleanings wouldn't save lives from Walkers. Considered a good car if it still worked, mind never paid to the shine hubcap or the sparkle of a rearview mirror, the world had changed. Become more volatile than Shane could've ever imagined, the simple pleasures of the heart, what was once so commonplace, were gone.

Chastened, perhaps, still was there value in the cleanliness of a vehicle. Shane knew that just as much as everyone else in the camp. No tires to take them anywhere, stuck like ducks in the mud would they be otherwise. Walkers would be able to snatch them without vacillation. Frightened deer running from wolves, members separated and unable to find one another, lost and alone. It was a fate that Shane wouldn't allow to happen. Pointless though it may have seemed to any else who spotted him beside the car, then on bended knee and rubbing his sponge against the car's driver side door, dunking the sponge back into his bucket when needed, the car of Juniper's needed the attention. Rust wouldn't keep her nor any of their friends trapped should devils from the wood appear. Starved, wandering for days, searching for even just the smallest bite. One soap bubble and deep work of his wrist able to prevent the worst, Shane would do it. Until the bone snapped under the pressure, he would do it, and do so proudly.

Sponge scrubbed against a particularly stubborn splotch of dirt that had caked itself onto the handle, Juniper's expression gave cause for a smirk to be welcomed onto Shane's smug face. Like a naughty little boy who got what he was so after, a prize that was more so stolen than actually won, he loved to play such a game with her. Never did Juniper ever turn him down. Gave it all back to Shane plus some, equal was their field and greatly did they use it. It was normalcy amongst the craziness of their usual lives. Minutes that felt so good to have, made the hours easier to bear, nearly made the former deputy forget all about the tragedy and the loss and the heartbreak. He loved to watch her work. Skills proved themselves time and time again, Juniper and her father incredible members of the camp, their criminal past inconsequential. Somewhat; for Shane still wondered about it, was inspired and all the same dumbfounded.

"Oh, they were so very nice." Shane answered, sweat dripped down from his forehead and over the bridge of his nose, the back of his neck becoming ever more damp. His voice was far from solemn. Lighthearted, rather, as if everything that he dared to say was part of a never-ending joke. A joke that only he knew the punchline to.

"You said I was cute. Cute for a jackass, though. Some part of me believes that you were comparin' me to a donkey rather than somethin' else. Would that part of me be right, Juniper? But, hey, no worries. Like I said, revenge is best served durin' times like this. Don't step too close. Might end up gettin' more wet and soapy than you were hopin' for today. My hand might slip on this sponge here. Might knock the bucket onto you, too."

Shane asked, a wicked gleam to his eye, "you ever figure out why Glenn's new ride has been actin' all a mess? Damn thing has the loudest horn I've heard this side of the state. Wailin' bastard - still have no idea why he drove that thing into camp. Out of everythin' else that was at his disposal, he chose that. Shame, he did pick a beauty, too. It's a waste out here. Least, in the grand scheme. Kid sure does love it, though. Carl, he's been askin' for a ride in it. Told him he'd have to talk to his folks about that. Heard that he wanted you to take him. Special request. You wanna start givin' drivin' lessons to a 12 year old?"

Juniper never caught herself being idle. Even when everything seemed relatively quiet and she could see the smiles on everyone's faces when they finally felt like they could relax instead of being so on edge all of the time (and no doubt for good reason, too), she didn't always feel like she could join them. Okay, so she might have had a few drinks with the other when there was liquor to spare, or even just sitting on the porch having a conversation that didn't have anything to do with the end of the world for once. Nevertheless, she always had an itch to do something useful because something would inevitably happen. She wanted to be as optimistic as someone like Beth who believed in the good of people and that the farm had been a safe haven for her family, but she had seen a lot of havens fall and good people die. She didn't want that to happen here . . . so she put herself to work to always be ready for something.

This week's something was making sure that the cars on the farm could actually run when they needed to, whether it was for an emergency or a supply run into one of the neighboring towns. So she didn't mind getting dirty, from the dirt underneath her fingernails that were nowhere near some pristine girl's, to the smears of oil on her pants when she wiped her hands. Juniper Wolfhart was far from a girly girl. It had never bothered her before the end of the world that she wasn't like the rest of these girls who took the time to go to salons to doll themselves up and it certainly didn't bother her now.

Juniper continued her business underneath the hood and even though she had been playful about Shane chipping in by giving the car a bath, it really wouldn't hurt the exterior to get rid of the film of dirt on the windshield and the rest of the muck that might not have had a prayer of getting washed off during the next rainfall, whenever that was. The summer was thick with humidity and they needed good rain any day now. She grinned to herself when he joked about taking off his shirt and she would be ashamed of herself if she didn't play into it. She turned away from where she was working and leaned her butt against the car. Arms stretched out on either side of her until her hands felt the metal of the car to balance herself against. ❝ If you take your shirt off, I'm not going to stop you, ❞ her tone seductive in nature, and if he wanted to take it as her continuing to tease him in their banter or take it seriously, that was up to him.

❝ I should be done in two minutes tops, ❞ she estimated, looking back at her work and confirming with herself that it wasn't going to take any longer than that until the car was ready to go. She looked back at him, a single brow raised curiously. She scoffed. ❝ Oh yeah? What did I say again? I'm sure it was nothing but nice things, ❞ she teased the deputy.

[deputygonebye]

jundlcndwastes

Juniper had only ever belonged by her father's side. Her entire life consisted of that strong bond between them and doing everything together, including being introduced into the family business. Granted, that family business was a criminal lifestyle and she hadn't known anything else and so for her, it was perfectly natural and she wouldn't have had it any other way. Because of that, she had put all of her trust in him and only him. Everyone else could have easily turned on them and had, considering when the world went to shit they had just been arrested and put into detention center cells, but that was neither here nor there.

The point was that when the world did end up falling apart, she had to learn to rely on other people. That didn't come easy either when everyone was only in it for themselves. Survival was hard, damn hard, and trusting other people wasn't always a good idea. So for a while there, it had just been the Wolfharts until meeting Shane's group. They had taken them in with relative ease and they made sure to do their parts, trusting their comrades and hoping that trust was returned.

But Shane was an ex-deputy. Things hadn't started off too smoothly with him considering his law enforcement nature clashed with the surprising truth as to what the Wolfharts had been up to when the world was still pieced together. Who would've suspected little Juni got her hands dirty with border crossing? Over time it seemed that Shane had warmed up to her though, and she was relieved for it. ❝ Yeah, but I think I'm almost done with it. ❞ Shame, too, considering it had been giving her something to do when there wasn't much else going on. ❝ He was but honestly, I don't mind doing this all on my own. I made him think his services were better put elsewhere so . . . ❞ The petite woman shrugged. It was nothing personal against Jim, but she was on her own little mission here, getting the work done at her own pace.

Juniper used her forearm to swipe some beads of sweat from her forehead, not minding today's heat at all really. She had been used to it. It was the winter months ahead of them she was dreading, praying it wasn't as icy cold as Jim told her it could be. Yeah, she wasn't a big fan of anything below sixty degrees; fifty pushing it. She grinned brightly at his compliment and laughed softly to herself.

❝ I've been around cars my whole life. My grandpa was a mechanic, and had his own auto shop, too, for years before he passed away. You know, my dad always wanted to start his own business, too; told me we'd run the place together, but ya know, the world had other plans I reckon. So yeah, like I said, I've been around cars my whole life so I know a lot. ❞ That was followed by a wink, knowing that most men didn't expect most women to know much about cars and Juniper could certainly handle her own around any one of them.

Juniper laughed out loud, twirling a wrench between her fingers. ❝ Hey, if that's the way you wanna help me out with this baby then by all means, get a bucket and a sponge out here and wash it for me, huh? ❞

Juniper and August, what was had between the two of them was special, practically priceless. A love that knew no limit - such was clear whenever their eyes met - a bond that reminded Shane so much of his own with Jean. Never to be mistaken for a mechanic, but just as dedicated to her craft as a homemaker, it was she that taught Shane the lessons of life. From how to bake a perfect poundcake without burning the edges, to always choosing compassion rather than callousness, Jean was the greatest teacher. A pedagogue of peace and warmheartedness; never a preceptor of cruelty. There would've been nothing without Jean. No tenderness nor kindness, Shane all alone in the world and without a clue on what to do. Because of her, all was possible, the best pieces of Shane's splintered soul brighter, not overshadowed by the tragedy of their family. A wink by Juniper acknowledged through a youthful smile upon his lips, closed mouth with the corners raised, he understood just what she meant. There was no need for words to explain.

Overseeing the span of the campsite, mountains like a cage around the survivors and mighty trees their unbreakable fence, Juniper was surely the only woman that Shane had met, and could note, who genuinely liked to get her hands dirty. Coated in motor oil or brake fluid - fingertips used for matters other than laundry or cleaning or haircutting - grease along the slender bones and against tan skin. More so a workhorse than an idler, an active participant to the needs of the group, in the more messier sense, there was no speculation as to how she found her place. With Jim on one side of her discussing the beauties of car service, Dale on the other sharing wisdoms about life, sometimes Rick when it came to the more sentimental of conversations. Regardless, Juniper carved her name well into the group's persevering heart.

Her and Shane nearest a vehicle in need of care, Andrea and Jacqui allocating lunch on plates just beside the open firepit, Jim with Glenn next to him just across the rocky way tending to stock inspection, medical and artillery bags opened and sorted through, with playful grumble did the former policeman do as was told. A head shaken in true disbelief; a strut that was almost comical in its motion. Laughter that floated across exhaled breath so easily, a bucket and sponge was not what Shane had in mind when he offered help. Something other than, perhaps a second set of eyes to study possible damage, a second hand to wheild the wrenches as would be needed, but not that. Soapy sponge and water filled bucket the very last concern, from a job that Jim had completed hours before, items no longer in use, either object was grabbed just as Shane promised he would. Respectfully, a nod of the head to Juniper's direction before he turned on his heels: yes, ma'am.

"You want me to take my shirt off, too? Give you the full experience?" Shane teased, dropping the bucket onto the ground once returned to where Juniper and the car was, sponge plopping into the suds. "It's too late to take back my offer, ain't it? Well, girl, you're damn lucky Jim wasn't usin' the bucket no more. Would've had to resort to the ol' spit and shine method. An old rag and some good elbow effort. You done yet? Sooner you get finished here, the sooner I can give this sweet lady the lovin' that she really needs. Unless, of course, you wanna lend a hand. Won't refuse the help. Won't say no for the chance to splash you with some soapy lake water, either. I still haven't forgotten what you said about me yesterday, Juniper. Revenge, I hear, is best served in times like this."