Fifteen Years Ago*
A/N: You know the moment when you can't listen to a sad old country song unless you think of your OTP, yep, that's what's going on here.
AU Richonne, pre-ZA, and some adult situations! Let me know how you liked it :)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead, nor do I have the right to anything by Conway Twitty
I saw a man today who said he talked to you not so long ago, I think, a month or two.
As my mind raced back in time, I prayed oh Lord don't let it show.
He thinks I forgot you fifteen years ago.
The Georgian spring days had not yet become as warm as they had in recent years; and a cool gentle wind was sweeping across the lush, green landscape in King County. Sheriff's Deputy Rick Grimes and his partner Shane Walsh sat in their squad car eating lunch with their windows rolled down, thankful for the comfort of the refreshing breeze. They often ate in the vehicle, even if their patrol was uneventful and the days were slow, much like that day had been. The two men had remained best friends since childhood and spoke together comfortably about anything and everything. Shane did most of the talking while Rick was content to listen to stories about his friend's exploits and conquests when it came to the opposite sex. Rick, even when they were teenagers and young men, never really knew if to believe half of the stories that Shane told him about who he was screwing, who was good, who was great, if he'd go there again etcetera, etcetera. All the same, he still listened. Presently, his partner was reliving what had happened several weeks ago when he had spent the weekend in Atlanta for some reason or another; the reason was missed by Rick while he sat shaking his head.
"…I swear man," Shane continued. "Some of these college girls would suck it so hard that your boxer shorts get pulled up your ass." He laughed loudly as Rick let out a small laugh that was more aimed at his friend's crassness than at what he had just disclosed.
"Shit, Shane," offered Rick, smirking. "You are a class act."
"You fuckin' know it! Then, get this, after she was done, we came outta the bathroom…"
"Class act," Rick said again.
"Shut up man, yeah so we came out and she goes over to her friend who's even hotter than her, and we all leave together. Even though her friend was a black girl with a white girl's ass, which is, as ya know, a damn shame, I was still in heaven."
Rick rolled his eyes and scrunched up what was left of his hamburger in the wrapping and tossed it into the brown paper bag.
"Do you ever listen to yourself? You shouldn't say shit like that, man. Makes you sound like a real asshole." was Rick's reply.
Shane just laughed at his friend's assessment of him.
"You used to like hearin' this shit when we were younger."
"Yeah, well, we're old now," said Rick grinning a little.
"Fuck, man, I almost forgot to tell you. Guess who I saw while I was there?"
"Hopefully a nurse at the sexual health clinic?" Rick joked.
"Ha! You're so funny. No, seriously. Before I ended up at that nightclub, I was at a cop bar and guess who walked right in with her cop friends? Fuckin' Michonne, man! I knew it was her straight away, but she hardly recognized me. I totally fuckin' forgot to tell your tired, sad old ass."
Rick turned to look at Shane now, hoping silently that his expression would not betray him and the mixture of emotions that had resurfaced at the mention of her name.
"She asked about you too."
"Yeah?" was all that Rick could muster.
"Shit, how long has it been, man, since you've seen her?"
Rick found some composure, enough to answer his friend as he stared out of the windshield and squinted.
"Fifteen years."
Fifteen years ago and I still feel the same; why did he have to mention your name?
Rick answered as his mind raced back to the first time he had met her all those years ago…
"How are ya, Deputy?" asked Gerard Toomey, a short, stocky, balding white man of around 60 years old. He was sweating profusely as he fumbled with his briefcase before placing it on the counter of the reception area in the King County Sheriff's Department.
Shane nodded in greeting.
"I'm doin' fine Gerard, are you here for Damien?" he asked, as he discreetly looked to the young African-American woman who was with older man. She did not seem as bothered by the heat as her companion was. She seemed quite comfortable dressed in a grey knee length skirt and light blue blouse with her dreadlocked hair pulled into a bun at the back of her head.
The lawyer nodded. "Yes, we're here to see him."
Shane looked at the woman again and smiled at her before continuing to talk to the man. "He broke his bail conditions, could be serious this time. You can come through Gerard, but his girlfriend is gonna have to wait out here."
"I'm not his girlfriend; I'm not anyone's girlfriend…" she said before Gerard interrupted her.
"Oh no, no. Michonne's workin' with me; she's my intern," he explained.
Shane smiled again, in a cocky way this time.
"My apologies ma'am. Glad to know you ain't involved with that shit-kicker," he offered as he had them both sign the visitor register and let them both walk through into the back of the station before leading them to the area where the holding cells and interview rooms were located.
"Glad to know that you're single as well," Shane added, as he held the door for both Michonne and Gerard; she rolled her eyes at him, but smiled a little at his last statement and stood quietly while the Deputy unlocked the door to the interview room.
"I'll bring him up directly," Shane said before walking off.
Not too long later, Michonne was standing at the end of the corridor pressing a small circular button. She was attempting to have someone unlock the door that kept those who had been locked up contained in that area of the station; it was taking longer than she had expected. She looked up to the corner where the security camera was positioned; shortly after, there was a buzzing sound, a click and the door was able to be opened. Michonne made her way back to the reception area, expecting to find the Deputy who had not too long ago brought them through. Instead of the young man who had let her and Gerard in, there was a different Deputy, another young white guy, out in the reception area. He smiled at her, and she responded in kind taking note that he was good looking.
"Afternoon, ma'am," he offered warmly.
"Hello," She replied, noticing that his eyes were really very blue.
"If I could just get your autograph here," he said in a light-hearted manner, referring to the visitor register.
"Of course," she said and approached the counter where Rick then handed her a pen. She quickly signed her name and then gave it back to him. He lifted up the visitor register and studied her name a moment.
"Michonne?" he asked. "Is that right? Is that how you say your name?"
She smiled, a little amused by the adorable way that her name sounded in his southern drawl. She nodded and looked down at his name tag.
"Deputy Grimes? Is that right?" she supposed ever so playfully.
He chuckled slightly and offered his own nod before adding:,"Just Rick is fine."
"Hi, Just Rick, I'm Michonne, nice to meet you," she teased as she beamed a wonderfully bright smile at him that lit up her pretty face and almost made him forget his manners.
"Hi Michonne, nice to meet you too."
A/N: More to come…
*Fifteen Years Ago by Conway Twitty