This is my Undead Life

Disclaimer: I don't own Dead Like Me or any of the characters. Wish I did then it would still be going and probably on its like fifth season by now. On the other hand, the plot of this fiction and Quinn are mine, so no touchy without permission.

A/N: Okay, let's see a show of hands. How many of my readers on my other fictions are yelling at me to finish those before I start a new one? Well, sorry. Couldn't help it and I hope you enjoy this one too. This is an R/G paring. Yeah, weird, I know, but I got a vague idea and I'm going to act on it. And since the new movie coming out, it seems as if this will be an AU, oh well. Hope you enjoy.

Just a heads up, Italics are George's thoughts/narration and the rest of the fiction is in third person. Confusing probably, but it's the way I had to work it out. I don't like first person.

Prologue: Just one of those days

You know those mornings where you wake up, pound the alarm clock off, stare up at the ceiling willing yourself to fall back to sleep? Those days where the sun is shining right through the bedroom window asking all the little birds to twerp at your window, squirrels to nibble on their acorns and cute little chipmunks wave and say good morning. Where everything seems right with the world?

And you don't give a shit.

That is my morning… each and every morning. Unfortunately for me-

"Georgia! Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" Daisy said cheerfully with a bright smile and grabbed the warm comforters and sheets from off of her room mate. She walked over and opened the curtains and then walked out the door leaving it wide open, "Der Waffle Haus awaits and so do our reaps. I gave you a full half hour to get ready."

I don't have the liberty or the luxury of a lazy roommate that will allow me the comfort to say 'fuck off' to that little chipper bird or the sun shinning into my room. And strange enough most would say she had a voice of an angel and a face to match…They don't live with her.

"Thank you, Daisy," George grumbled and pulled the covers back over her head, "That's twenty-seven more minutes that I could have spent asleep."

After a few more thousand seconds of staring at the back side of her sheet, George grumbled and slid out of bed. Nothing but the usual to wear, but she didn't really mind or care for that matter. It was one of her days off from Happy Time and lately she's been glad for the no work, just reaping days. As morbid as the thought was, those days were the most soothing.

George threw on her jeans that were lying on the back of her chair, tennis shoes, a clean shirt and sweat shirt from her closet. The bathroom was empty and that meant that George finally will not have any trouble getting her teeth and hair brushed. Afterward she walked over to Daisy, still as chipper as ever in the kitchen. She walked around the small area with a bright smile and her hair and face already done up. No wonder George had the main bathroom to herself this morning.

"Please tell me that the coffee is ready," George whined as she sat at the small counter.

"Would I be as chipper as I am now if it wasn't?" Daisy handed her a mug and sat next to her.

"Yes, and that sickens me," George took a sip of the coffee with a slight scowl on her face. How did she end up with such a bright room mate?

"Come on, Georgia," Daisy put her mug next to the sink and turned off the coffee maker, "The sun is shining and the day is new. Might as well enjoy it while you can."

Even though with it being a no work day, it was still one of those days that you know was going to change something that you have come to know as comfortable. Last thing I need. The world loading its 'fuck with me' gun once again.

"Why are you in such a chipper mood today?" George downed the rest of her coffee and pulled at the bottom of her sweat shirt, "It's almost freighting."

"I'm fine, just feel the need to be chipper this morning is all. It's strange, as if I need to cheer someone today."

George rolled her eyes and headed for the door, "You woke me up, you coming?"

"Of course," Daisy grabbed one of what she liked to call her 'cuter' jackets and skipped after her.

At Der Waffle Haus, Rube was sitting in his corner, looking quite distracted at his daily planner. The rubber band was off; the pages were open and his hand frozen over the sticky notes. Mason sat across from him at the table with a straw hanging loosely from the right side of his mouth. Apparently he was waiting for a refill of juice or whatever he had in the now empty glass to his left. There was no sign of Roxy yet, otherwise they probably would have the skinny on what was going down with Rube. Daisy and George took their time approaching the booth just in case this was just one of Rube's moods. Daisy took the initiative coming up to the table and smiled at the two guys.

"Morning you two, and what are we up to today?" she slid in next to Mason who gave her a smile that was only reserved for her these days.

"Morning, luv," he greeted back and looked up at George, "Morning Georgie-girl. Have a good rest?"

"It was all right," she shrugged her shoulders and looked at her seating choices. It felt like an actual choice today.

No, more like a painful decision. But it was the seat at Der Waffle Haus, not the decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima. What the hell is wrong with me today?

"Something the matter, Peanut?" Rube pulled her back to reality and closed his planner, placing the rubber band back around it.

"No, not really," she shook her head.

"Then sit down all ready. You're going to make me nervous standing there, like you did something that I haven't found out about yet," he picked up his jacket from the seat and placed it over the side of the booth railing. George sighed and knew that her choice was made for her. She sat next to Rube just as Kiffany strolled up with order book and Mason's refill in hand.

"All right, most of the group is here," she smiled, "Now, what can I get for you guys this morning?"

"I'll have a number six," Daisy smiled not even looking at the menu and shifted her eyes to Mason.

"Can you cover me?" he pleaded with her.

"Fine," she rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Then I'll have a number five and please don't skip on the fruit, Kiffany, my love," he smiled and handed her the two menus that were on their side of the table.

"And you two?" she shifted her eyes back to Rube and George.

"I don't know what I really want today," George sighed and just tapped on the face of the menu, "Can't find anything that jumps out at me today."

"Then I'll order," Rube grabbed both of the menus on his side and handed them to Kiffany, "Two Banana Bonanzas, a side of extra, extra, extra crispy bacon for me, and a cup of coffee and orange juice for my girl here."

"Coming right up," Kiffany smiled and took all the menus to behind the counter and left off the order.

"Your girl, huh?" George playfully punched his arm, "Thanks, Rube."

"Don't mention it," he took a quick look down at her, "It looks like you need a major cup of coffee this morning anyway. You look like crap."

"Thanks…" she rolled her eyes and stared somewhat blankly at the table.

After a few more moments Kiffany brought out their orders and they all ate in semi-silence, except for Daisy's view about the weather and Mason's 'did you know' morning session about the other many orifices you could hide crack. Half way through, George gave up on finishing her meal.

"You know, Roxy would not appreciate all that talk if she were here, Mason," George pointed out to her friend.

And neither does my stomach.

"But she isn't here, now is she?" he smirked and stuck out his tongue at her.

"Yeah, that's mature."

"Okay people, down to business," Rube took a deep breath and took out the post-it notes, "One for everybody today."

He stuck one on the table for Daisy and Mason but left off George and himself.

"And still waiting for mine," George said with a sigh.

"You get to wait with me. Roxy, you and I have a group reap today. Not too long from now either," he checked his watch and then looked at Mason and Daisy as if they were only there to annoy him, "Don't you two got a place to reap?"

Both of them looked at their post-it and then began to climb out of the booth, Daisy threw her part of the tab on the table before she got too far away. George turned to Rube as his eyes were glued once again to his planner.

"So what are we reaping today?" she asked and sipped on her orange juice, "A bus of seniors? Shooting spree? Laboratory explosion? I heard they opened another one right on top of the one from a few months ago."

"None of the above," he gave her one of those sad smiles he gives every once in a while. Usually when there was some bad shit about to hit the fan. There was something up with this reap. He knew what it was, but as of now he wasn't going to tell her; and knowing him well enough, she wasn't going to push it this time.

Since Mason was gone she decided to give her breakfast another chance. Even with the empty seats on the other side of the booth she didn't move to take one of them. Rube didn't ask her to move and she didn't want to get up. It makes sense since he made the decision for her this morning to begin with. Might as well leave some room for Roxy whenever it was she got in.

"Why is Roxy late?" George asked herself more than Rube.

"Department meeting," Rube said, "We talked earlier. She's coming soon."

She's the one usually sitting next to Rube when George comes in. George always wondered what the relationship was between the two of them. In one way she didn't want to know, but at the same time she wouldn't have been surprised if they were secretly seeing each other under the cover of darkness or some shit like that. To think, Rube dating. Strange and for some reason the thought made George a little confused and…

Was that anger?

"What did you guys talk about?" she asked, trying to look distracted.

"Just stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Old people stuff. Why so interested in my conversations?"

"I'm not," she shrugged.

"What is going on in that mind of yours? Something has to be bugging you," he leaned back into his corner and interlaced his fingers over his chest.

George looked at him with a face that was probably really close to 'what the hell?' and 'what did I fuck up this time?' rolled into one. It was weird in one way for him to ask and comforting in another. He was actually acting like he was going to listen. He was listening.

Should I be scared?

"Nothing really," she turned back to spin her glass of orange juice in her right hand, "Just another day. Can't really focus my thoughts on anything in particular. Keeps skipping around, subject to subject, changing. Is that normal?"

"Everything changes," he sighed and played with the rubber bands on his wrist, "Nothing seems to stay for too long."

"Is that suppose to mean something, Rube? Something gonna change?" she looked at him, making him acknowledge her once again.

"Everything does at one point, Peanut," he gave her a half smile and patted her hand that was laying closest to him, "Just be glad it's not something you did for once."

"Yeah, that's a real comfort," she rolled her eyes and then let them linger on his hand over hers.

It was the longest he's done that. Even when Betty disappeared or that time when she went back to her house after he told her not to, it was never this long. His eyes went dead once again, his deep thinking. She used to be scared of that when she first started as a reaper. Near three years ago now. She wasn't scared anymore, just the opposite. He was one of the most comfortable and safe people to be around, even when she did fuck up. A few seconds of silence, she felt his hand begin to move from hers, but before he could move it she put her other hand over his. He looked her in the eyes and she gave him one of her rare smiles. It seemed like he needed one.

"Am I interrupting something here?" Roxy dropped into her seat across from them and put her hat off to the side. She smiled almost knowingly at Rube before she erased the expression from her face.

Great timing, Roxy.

"Nothing that you haven't seen before," Rube slipped his hand from between George's and grabbed the post-it sticking to the back of the planner.

"For you," he leaned over and put the top one in front of Roxy and then turned to George, "And you get yours later. I'm sticking to your side like glue today."

"Lucky me."

"Time for coffee?" Roxy looked toward the counter where Kiffany was washing off a piece of the counter.

"Not today. We are running late as is," Rube grabbed his jacket from the railing and nodded at George to get out. She slipped out the side and Roxy sighed and followed in suit with the other two.

"Don't tell me there is a twenty foot wall that they have to climb," George complained as she saw the cadets of a police academy all prim and proper and in formation. Last thing she needed was another dead cadet telling her how sad her last day was. Police, military or otherwise.

"Nope, only a six foot one," Roxy sighed as she remembered her fast yet effective police training.

"Great," she strolled behind as Roxy looked at her post-it and looked for the last name that was printed on the back on one of the cadet's uniforms.

"Let's see," Roxy sighed and looked through the lines of unmoving cadets, "Looking for a Q. B. Corplet."

"And what are we looking for, boss? Or should I say who?" George asked as Rube stood next to her watching Roxy and then looked up at the sky as if looking for a sign.

"Just wait."

"Wait, wait, wait," she sighed in an almost playful manner, "Is that all I'm going to hear from you today?"

"Cadet Corplet! Over here!" Roxy yelled from the side of the yard, calling over a police cadet that looked like she was in her late teens. The cadet stopped from her run with her classmates and looked at the officer in full uniform and immediately came over to her. Her brown hair was up in a tight bun and her middle muscular frame hidden by a duty belt and a few dozen magazines.

"Yes, Ma'am?" she asked and stood at attention.

"Parade rest, cadet."

The young cadet relaxed a bit and looked straight ahead.

"What's your mile time?"

"Eight-forty and still improving, ma'am!"

"Good," she patted the cadet on the back and popped her soul, "The last time you shined your boots?"

"This morning, ma'am."

"What time?"

"Six a.m., ma'am."

"Six a.m.? Are you sure?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Roxy looked into the cadet's eyes as the cadet looked straight forward. Never wavered and never looked at Roxy, "Good job, cadet. Go rejoin your class. You got some land to cover."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."

And with that off went young Cadet Corplet, unaware she would never complete her academy.

Roxy walked back to Rube and George and then back at the cadet, "That's a shame."

"What's that?" Rube asked.

"She would have been a great cop," Roxy sighed, "I wonder how she goes. She looks like she's fit."

Without warning, one of the training police cruisers busted through one of the wooden walls and ran right toward the group of cadets running. Cadet Corplet was the last one in the group and was the only one caught under the tires. She didn't even hear the calls and yells from her training commanders or other classmates. And she never heard the car's horn being pushed by the frantic cadet behind the wheel.

"Did you see that coming, Roxy?"

No answer?

"Roxy?" George turned to her side were her friend once was, and found only air and Rube, "Where'd she go? She's got a soul to take to their final destination."

"Not today," Rube said softly, "Today, that's our job."

"But it was-" and it finally hit her. Roxy was gone, "She filled her quota, didn't she?"

"Yeah."

Remember that 'fuck with me' gun I was talking about?

Click.

Bang.

"You knew this morning, didn't you?"

"Yeah," he sighed again and began to walk toward the new soul standing by what used to be her body. Rube came up next to her and looked over the heads of her classmates and instructors, "Not exactly what you thought it would be is it?"

"Not exactly, but better than being killed by a suspect, I guess," the recently deceased Q.B. Corplet replied and stared at Rube, "I'm assuming since you can see me and all you're supposed to take me to my final destination?"

"Not exactly," George came up to her and patted her on the shoulder, "Your case is a little different. Just like ours were."

"Come on, kid," Rube patted her on the back and pushed her toward his truck he had parked out in the front parking lot, "We got a lot to talk about. We'll explain in the truck."

"Yes, sir," she nodded taking a small look back at her body and classmates and then to the truck in the distance. She began to jog toward it slowly and then ran harder as she went.

"Sir? She must still have that academy mindset," George said and Rube just nodded.

"Might serve her well," Rube nodded, "Never did you."

George sat next to Rube once again as Q.B. Corplet sat across from her, trying to push a napkin but her hand kept floating through it.

"You sure you didn't want to go to your funeral?" he asked as her hand passed through the table again and another sigh left her, "We had time. Still do. You're parents certainly got it together quick."

"They always did get stuff done fast when they did it together. I didn't, and still don't, want to go because I didn't want to watch my family and friends cry. It was weird enough to watch my autopsy. But will I get to say goodbye to them at one time or another, right?" she asked quietly, "According to you guys, I'll get a physical body at one point. Isn't that correct, sir?"

"As much as you and others may want to," Rube took a look in George's direction, "I-"

"It's not allowed," George said quickly. She remembered the last time she saw her family. She would have been nineteen if she was still alive at the time. Last time to see her sister mostly, walking away from her on that slightly windy day in November. In that cemetery, "And believe me, it's not worth it. Keep the memories you got."

"I take it that you speak from experience, ma'am?" the young woman asked.

"We both do," Rube added and George gave him a confused look. He never talks about his life or his family he left behind.

"But this shouldn't be happening," she began to look around for an answer, "I'm only seventeen! It isn't fair! I didn't even get my first alcoholic drink yet!"

"You weren't the only one," George crossed her arms in front of her chest and Rube smiled.

"What do you know? You're only- what? Eighteen, maybe?" the young cadet stood up and yelled at her, "What right do you have telling me the facts?"

"Three years on the reaping job, that's what. If I were still alive, I would be passed my twenty first birthday, smart ass," George didn't even flinch by the cadet's outburst, "Now sit back down and breathe."

"When do I get a physical body, sir?" she asked as she sat back down.

"Whenever you accept you are dead and can move on," Rube took a sip of his coffee, "So take a break and accept it."

"Take a break," she began to chuckle to herself and brushed her hair back, "Right…"

"And stop calling me sir," Rube took a deep breath, "It's starting to get very annoying. You aren't in the academy anymore. You're dead."

George thought back to her first day dead and put a hand over the girl's. She needed something that she could still feel. Something she could still get a grasp on. She looked up and wiped some of the tears away.

"Thanks," she took a deep breath and chuckled a bit more, "There's no way you can get someone else, huh?"

"Nope, you're stuck, kid," Rube leaned back in his corner, "And welcome to the league of the undead."

"What?" the girl looked up and saw a waitress standing next to her.

"And what can I get for you guys and your new friend here?"

"How about some banana bonanzas and coffee all around, Kiffany?" Rube smiled.

"And a side of extra, extra, extra crispy bacon?" George added with a smile at Rube. He smiled thanks back and nodded to Kiffany.

"You got it," Kiffany smiled and wrote it down, "And welcome to the group, honey. Some of the best people in the world."

Cadet Corplet looked back at George and Rube, "She can see dead people too?"

"No, she's human," Rube's smile disappeared and he opened the paper just enough to find his cross word and folded it down again, "It looks like you've accepted. Congratulations."

"Great…" she put her head in her hand, "I guess this is like a club?"

"Almost, think of it more as a public service," George replied, "And let me be a little nicer than Rube here was on my first day and give you a place to stay. You'll stay with Daisy and I."

"Daisy?" she sneered at the name.

"And she is as bad as she sounds," George nodded.

"Lovely."

"You sure that's the thing to do? Daisy doesn't even know about the new reaper," Rube asked putting his paper down and spotted Kiffany walking back with plates, "Probably won't for a couple of days."

"It's okay, I'll just find a place to bunk until I get acquainted," she sighed and thanked Kiffany as she looked at the pancakes in front of her.

"By the way, what's your first name?" George asked, "We only had your last name. Unless you want us to call you 'Corplet' or 'Cadet' all the time. Or even Q. B."

"Quinn," she answered and pushed her hand forward for a handshake, "And not the medicine woman."

"Got it," George replied and shook her hand. Rube smirked and dug in to his pancakes and bacon.

"I'm assuming we aren't the only ones," Quinn said as she took her first bite, "This Daisy character is one too, right?"

"And Mason, you'll meet them in a couple of days," George took a drink from her coffee and noticed Quinn hadn't taken even a sip from hers, "Coffee not to your liking?"

"Not a big coffee drinker," Quinn replied.

"Get used to it," Rube grumbled through his pancake, "You'll need it."

"Oh great," Quinn rolled her eyes and looked at her stomach.

"What?"

"You didn't tell me that hunger was the only thing that I had to worry about," she got up and looked around a little, "Bathroom?"

Both George and Rube pointed her to the hall and she took off. George sighed and looked at her boss with a bit of banana at the side of his mouth.

"What?" he asked catching her stare.

"You okay?"

"About?"

"Roxy."

"It was her time to move on. I can't help it any better than you can, Peanut," he swallowed what he had in his mouth and put his fork down for a minute, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Neither one of us had a post-it today, did we?" she asked. He shook his head, "I didn't think so."

"I know you'd figure it out."

"I still would have gone if you asked me to," George took one of the napkis from the dispenser and wiped off the banana that was still at the side of his mouth. She then took hold of his hand closest to her and gave it a small squeeze.

"I know."

She smiled a little as she felt him squeeze her hand back.

As bad as that feeling was this morning and as bad as it was losing Roxy, I didn't think that it would have hurt this much. Losing another friend. You would think I was used to it. That I really should expect it by now. Maybe the biggest part really was that it wasn't only me. It was Rube too. And it was the worst and scariest thing to see the single tear fall down his cheek.