A/N: HELLO! As you can probably tell from my username I'm originally a Hunger Game's fic writer. However, I've been a fan of TWD from day one, and I've been a shipper of Richonne from the very beginning. OBVIOUSLY I am THRILLED that the ship has sailed, so of COURSE I had to write a story about them.
I am currently working on a multi-chap fic to tell us what happened between episodes 6x9 and 6x10. As we know it was a two-month time jump, and one minute Rick is chopping off Jessie's arm (BYE FELICIA) and the next minute he's making out with Michonne.
Though I stand with the majority of people who feel like 6x9 should have been the mid-season finale as opposed to 6x8, the writers didn't agree, so us fan fic people get to write about the time between 6x9 and 6x10. THIS one-shot will NOT be that story ;)
This is actually set in season four, right after Michonne finds Carl and Rick in that house in 4x9 ("After). You know, that episode where the Governor DESTROYS our souls and tries to take the prison and the entire group is lost, and Michonne makes the decision to follow Carl and Rick's footprints? Yah, that timeframe.
I hope you enjoy this! Also, of course I own nothing of TWD, though it definitely owns my heart.
If there are any Hunger Games fans out there I've got quite a few stories. I have Everlark and Hayffie. Feel free to check them out =)
FOR HIM TOO
She clutched her sword, which was her custom again now that she was out on the run. She never knew what she might come across, and even though the neighborhood seemed deserted, no one could ever tell in this day and age. She needed to be on guard.
Their footprints had led her here, but there was no guarantee that they would still be here, or how long ago they had left this place if they weren't here any longer. She kept herself on the defensive, her dark eyes scoping out everything all at once.
The empty can of pudding in front of one particular house caught her eye. Her heart skipping a beat she stood there for a few seconds, just staring at the can. With her hand still clutching her sword, she walked up and faced the quaint house. She slowly climbed up the steps, peering into the window.
She had long ago stopped getting her hopes up. There was no point in this new world. But she couldn't deny the relief fluttering around in her stomach when she looked through the window and saw the two of them. They weren't whole. They weren't uninjured. But they were alive.
For the first time in a long while, she smiled.
She felt the tears and attempted to blink them back. She glanced up towards the sky, looking up to a God she wasn't sure existed anymore. Hastily wiping her tears she walked to the front door and knocked.
Both Rick and Carl startled when they heard a knock at the door. Immediately they both drew their guns, pointing. Rick sent Carl a quick look, noted that his son's aim was straight, his eyes focused.
Rick cautiously walked towards the door, slowly eyeing the peephole. He wasn't sure what he'd find. Walkers didn't knock last time he had checked. He wasn't sure what to expect, but this wasn't it.
He froze as he caught sight of the person on the other end of the door. Time literally seemed to stop for the moment, aside from this foreign feeling in the pit of his stomach that he hadn't felt in years. He swallowed that feeling, leaning against the door and chuckling.
Turning to his son he whispered, "It's for you."
To find Michonne standing on the other end of the door was the the last thing Carl expected. He just stood there for a few seconds, his gun at his side, and just gaped.
Michonne smiled at him, and he could see her trying to keep her composure. He himself was trying to do the same.
He was in her arms before he knew it, and she felt familiar. She felt like home, which made no sense, because nothing had felt like home in a long time.
"I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again," whispered Carl.
"I know." Michonne kissed the top of his head, her eyes seeking out Rick. He gave her his signature nod and she gave him a soft smile.
"Let the woman breathe, Carl," Rick said. Carl reluctantly let Michonne go and backed away so that Michonne could step inside. He closed the door behind her while Rick pushed the couch against the door.
Rick stared at Michonne, unable to hide the release he felt at her presence. He knew he was missing something and he had attributed that loss to Judith, the prison… everyone. But seeing her reminded him that there was hope, and he hadn't had hope in a long time. Even when they had the prison there was a fear that they'd lose it all, and they had.
But she was here.
Michonne was here.
Michonne took her sword off, looking around. "Where's Judith?" she asked.
The minute she asked, she knew. It was the way the air stilled and became thick, the way Carl stiffened and Rick's eyes filled with both devastation and grief. She knew.
She knew.
For a moment she felt like she was suffocating, like she was back at that camp, back home from a run only to find her son, boyfriend, and her husband's best friend dead… alive, but certainly dead, evidence of drugs on the table.
Not only had they gotten high, they'd done so in front of her child, and had gotten killed in the process.
She felt her heart stop as she knew what Rick and Carl were going through.
She hadn't spent much time with Judith. That had been deliberate. She couldn't. The first time Michonne had held Judith she'd cried , thinking of Andre, her sweet son Andre, and it had awakened feelings she'd tried desperately to keep at bay.
She'd failed, she realized.
"I'm so sorry," Michonne whispered.
Carl reacted first by stomping off. Both Michonne and Rick looked like they wanted to go after him, but neither of them did. Michonne wanted to ask what happened, but she wasn't sure it was her place. After all, she hadn't told them.
"There's a shower upstairs," Rick finally said, and she understood that he both wanted and needed to be alone right now. With a soft nod she made her way upstairs.
When she came back downstairs Carl was back in the living room, sitting next to his father. Rick saw her first, dressed in simple black leggings that she'd probably stolen from the former woman of the house, and a white crew neck that she probably stole from the former man of the house since it hung down to her knees.
"Don't say a word," Michonne said, forcing a smile. Carl smiled but Rick eyed her. He could tell she'd been crying – her eyes were still slightly red, and somewhat puffy.
He always saw right through her.
"You hungry? Carl recently went on a run," Rick said softly.
"Yah," replied Michonne, sitting down next to them as Carl rummaged around in their bag, producing crackers, a bottle of water, and cookies for dessert.
"It's not much," Carl apologized. "We'll probably have to go on another run tomorrow."
"This is a three course meal as far as I'm concerned," responded Michonne, opening up the crackers.
Carl gave her another shy smile. "Since the bathroom's free I'm gonna go shower."
"All right," said Rick as Carl stood up. Rick reached next to him and gave Carl his gun, just in case. If anything happened he had Michonne and her sword, and she'd saved him more times than he could count in the minute amount of time they'd known each other, the last time only a few days ago from the Govenor. "So how'd you find us?" asked Rick once Michonne had had her fill.
"I followed your footprints on the track."
Rick stared at her. "So it was a conscious decision?"
Michonne looked at Rick. "I think you knew the answer to that when you let me in." He knew her, after all. For all their differences, they got each other.
They studied at each other for several moments, Michonne's dark brown eyes locked with Rick's startling blue eyes. One eye was nearly impossible to look into; it was swollen shut.
"You don't look so good," said Michonne softly.
"I probably look as good as I feel," Rick sighed, leaning against the couch and allowing his head to fall back on the cushions.
"You need to rest."
"I don't know how long we can stay here."
"You need to rest," she repeated firmly. He looked up at her and nodded.
"I'm glad you found us," said Rick sincerely.
"You still need me," Michonne told him, and he smiled softly.
Suddenly he knew and understood why she was here. It wasn't just for Carl. It hadn't been just for Judith. She'd purposely found them, seeking them out despite all the chaos and all of her options.
She had chosen them.
He'd been wrong when he'd thought the door had been for Carl.
The door had been for him too.
A/N I've read every article imaginable on Richonne and I decided to follow along with Gimble who says that 6x10 was Richonne's first time hooking up. Both Danai and Andrew have stated that that was their come to Jesus moment, that they both had a moment of clarity in that episode, so I wanted to stay true to that. I wrote this one-shot to start building up their chemistry. I am sure I'll have tons of teasing Richonne one-shots where I delve deeper into their relationship, because I'm a firm believer that they have SUBCONSCIOUSLY been into each other since "Clear." I hope you all enjoyed this =)