This Special Night
"Will this one be okay?" Tobin asked Michonne as she inspected the rooms.
"Yes. Thank you." She said.
Tobin handed her the keys to the 2-story brownstone apartment just a few blocks away from their home. She walked around the apartment again and took in the feel of the place. It was comfortable, the colors were bright, and there were lots and lots of books in the bookcase. It looked like no one had ever lived there, and perhaps no one had. This would do nicely she thought as she went about stocking the refrigerator with some food she took from the house.
She changed the linen on the bed, set up towels in the bathroom, and put her clothes away in the chest of drawers. This place of course wasn't as big as the house she lived in with her family, but she liked it. Rick was out on a run with Daryl, so she took the opportunity to do what she needed to do. She scanned the titles on the bookshelf. Best sellers, all of them, and many were first editions. This must be where the book of the month club gets their books, she thought as she picked one she thought she would like. She went upstairs and put it on the nightstand for later. This was the right thing to do. Whether Rick agreed or not, she needed this. He did too. Time and space.
Michonne took a shower and decided to take a nap. Rick would be home soon and curious as to why she was at the brownstone. She left a note for him at home, and he would come find her. She would tell him why at that time.
Rick opened the front door and could tell right away no one was there, but he called out for Michonne anyway. He went upstairs and took a shower. He stood in front of the mirror and realized it was time to shave again. After his shave, something grabbed his attention. A piece of paper sticking out from under the towel he just used. He grabbed the paper, and could tell it was from Michonne.
I'm at the brownstone, #7
"Why is she there?" He said out loud.
He wiped his face and got dressed. He walked the few blocks to the brownstone and rang the doorbell to number 7. When he got no answer, he tried the handle and the door opened.
"Michonne?" He said stepping inside.
Several candles were lit and he could smell food cooking.
"I'm in the kitchen." Michonne called out.
He walked in further and just caught a glimpse of her head as she was putting something in the oven.
"What is this?" He said curiously.
"I didn't move out if that's what you're thinking." She said stepping out of the kitchen.
"To be honest, the thought did cross my mind. What's this about?"
She poured him a drink and handed it to him.
"The wedding night we never had. Congratulations."
"Same to you." He said smiling. He took a drink of the whiskey and looked around the room, and then his eyes moved upward towards the bedrooms.
"First we're going to have dinner."
He laughed and gave her a kiss.
"Thanks for shaving. How did it go out there?"
"About the same. It's hard getting used to the fact that the only threat out there now is the walkers."
"You don't still see Negan as a threat?"
He looked at her flatly and shook his head. His eyes expressing the loathing he held for Negan.
"He'll be dealt with. Right now we can move around without worrying about running into saviors."
He pinched at the bridge of his nose and looked around the room again.
"What's the protocol for this evening?"
"Dinner will be ready soon. Go ahead and sit down, you look tired.
"I am."
He looked at her and smiled.
"This is great. Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, the night's not over."
"Oh I'm sure I'll be thanking you then too." He said removing his boots.
Dinner was simple but good, and they talked about the kids, Maggie, and how much the group had changed with their group spread out to other communities.
"That could be a good thing." He said sitting back in the chair.
"How's that?"
"Having our people in the other communities is having some say so in how they run things, and also we'll know more of what's going on."
She nodded thinking about how thin they were spread now.
"How do you feel about Carl going to the Hilltop?"
"He's growing up, and Maggie could use him there."
"Rick."
He looked up into her eyes.
"How do you feel about Carl going to the Hilltop?" She repeated.
Rick looked away and out the window.
"I really don't want him to go, but I can't hold him here if that's what he wants."
She could tell Carl's decision affected him more than he was telling.
He got up from the table and walked over to the window.
"He's my son Michonne." He said with his voice breaking. "I've spent so little time with him. Before the outbreak I would sometimes pick him up from school in the police car. He thought a lot of me then."
Michonne got up and joined him at the window.
"He still does. You're his hero. When we were in that train car at Terminus, they had taken you and the others away, part of the group was losing hope, Carl told everyone that you would be back to get us, and no sooner had he said that, there you were opening the door with a machine gun in your hand. He doesn't express his feelings as easily as you do, but he thinks more of you than you think."
She put her hands behind his head and grabbed hands full of curly hair. She brought his head down to hers and she kissed him.
"You're my hero too."
"I feel the same about you."
"I'll be right back." She said going upstairs.
Rick turned and watched her walk up the stairs and then turned back to the window. It was getting dark and had started to rain, and he thought deep down how grateful he was that Lori was not alive to see how different Carl was now. She would have blamed him for their son being who he is now. He shook that thought from his mind. Carl is who he needs to be to survive.
"Grimes! I need your help with something."
He put his glass down on the table and went upstairs. The upstairs was dark with candlelight coming from one of the rooms. He walked to that room and stood speechless in the doorway. The entire room was dark and bathed in candlelight. His eyes bulged and his jaw dropped when he saw her. She stood about 10 feet from him. She was dressed in a white, very short, off the shoulders negligee which had a slit in the center from the hem to the top, barely exposing lace panties. He really couldn't speak because words could not describe how she looked to him.
"Y-you're so beautiful." He managed to say with a hoarse voice.
He shook his head genuinely touched and humbled.
"What am I going to do with you Mrs. Grimes?" He said seriously.
"I have at least one suggestion." She said, her voice thick with passion.
His eyes continued looking into hers as well as over every inch of her.
"Michonne." He said inhaling and looking at the floor briefly to gather his thoughts. "For the first of the many times I'll be thanking you tonight, I want to thank you for this special night. I'm not sure about our future, but anywhere with you is where I always want to be."
A tear slipped down her cheek and he went to her to wipe it from her face. They looked in each other's eyes confirming again that they had never been so loved.