True love stories never have endings."

— Richard Bach

Two Islands

There were two phone calls that changed Mike Benton's life; the one when his wife was missing, and the one when she was found. Mike was stunned. He had no words. The unexpected news caused the woman who slept next to him to pack her things and remove herself from the narrative. Mike was taken to the airport where he was bombarded by local and national news outlets. They were waiting. He waited.

His wife, Michonne Benton was found alive.

There were two phone calls that changed Lori Grimes' life; the one when her husband was missing, and the one when he was found. Lori was in tears. She was elated. The surprising news caused the man who slept next to her to pack his things quietly and remove himself from the ongoing story that was being reported morning, noon and night. Lori was whisked off to the airport pausing only for her first ever interview.

"Mrs. Grimes! Tell us what your initial thoughts were when you got the call that your husband was found?"

"Shock at first then..." Lori began to cry. "I am still surprised. Like this has to be a dream."

"Take us through that initial phone call..."

Lori drew a blank. She was overwhelmed by the mere thought that her husband, Rick Grimes was found alive.

Mike paced. He couldn't sit due to the anticipation. Everytime the door swung open he expected to see his wife but it was always a random airport employee or security personnel who was orchestrating behind the scenes to make his two minute reunion as private as possible.

When Lori's husband finally appeared from another room she almost didn't recognize him. His face was different as was his stature. He seemed very much different in ways she couldn't pinpoint just then with his full beard and how thin he felt in their first long embrace. The only thing she recognized when stepping away to take him in was that his blue eyes were bluer still.

Mike was surprised by the tears he shed freely once his eyes caught sight of his wife, Michonne. Her dreads were much longer and the dress she wore was two sizes too large. Somehow she appeared even more beautiful than he had ever recalled. She was glowing. He couldn't wait to embrace her and when he did he couldn't help but feel something between them. It did not, could not go unnoticed.

There was a female officer trying to hold two squirming two-year-olds. They were practically identical from the distance in which Lori stood with her husband who became completely distracted by them. She watched him help the officer by taking the two little girls. Before Lori could say or ask they were abruptly escorted to an awaiting car that had two child seats ready to be occupied.

Rick cleared his throat, "Lori, meet Judith and Abigail."

Mike loosened his hold on his wife and glanced from her belly to the security who overheard the revelation that was obvious just by looking at her.

Michonne stated the obvious to her husband Mike, "I'm pregnant."

Abigail and Judith remained terrified of every sight and sound inside of Lori's home. The little girls were glued to Rick. He didn't have to worry about where they were when they wouldn't allow him to put them down. He didn't mind comforting his daughters knowing they required his protective presence.

Rick could tell that Lori had questions but she remained speechless, aloof.

Lori kept her distance. She watched her husband - who was an absolute stranger to her. He slept on the floor with the two brown babies haphazardly on top of him instead of taking the bed in the spare room.

"How far along are you?" Mike finally found the nerve to ask Michonne, a woman who was in every way a stranger inside of his home.

"Five months."

Mike nodded. He didn't have any other questions even though he knew he should. The silence grew the first night. There wasn't any way to process so many thoughts that crossed his mind. One thing he wanted to know was why did she prefer the floor to his bed.

"Michonne take the bed. I can sleep out here on the couch."

Rick was startled when he finally awoke the next morning. He was completely disoriented. He tried to find his bearings while his chest heaved up and down. He then realized his babies were no longer clinging to him.

"Abbie, Judy!" He called out to them from the living room.

With no response, Rick became frantic in his search throughout the house. Within a matter of seconds he found his daughters standing in the kitchen together staring at Lori and Lori staring at them. He witnessed a brief disdain on Lori's face that was quickly hidden once she spoke.

"Those were one of two names we decided on if we were to have a little girl," Lori said out of nowhere.

"I named them."

Rick now had each daughter clinging to his legs asking to be picked up.

"The one with the curly hair is Abigail and the one with the wavy hair is Judith."

It was practically the only way to tell them apart in the beginning.

"They have your eyes. Your nose." Lori commented.

Rick nodded.

He was more surprised Lori hadn't offered them anything to eat. He could tell his twins were curious about what Lori was actually eating.

"My girls are hungry," Rick informed Lori who made no move to accommodate.

"Oh."

The awkward pause was unsettling for Rick.

"I'm not sure what Michonne would want them to eat." Rick eyed the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter.

"Michonne?"

"Ma Ma." Rick's little girls grabbed at his chin wanting him to show them where their mother was, to find her, to say her name again and maybe she would come to them if he spoke louder, shouted.

If Rick could summon the woman that he spent three years with on a deserted island by shouting from Lori's home to where ever the hell she was at he would have. Their pampers felt mushy and knowing Michonne a good bath was a requirement.

Rick nodded to his daughters and confirmed with Lori, "Their mother."

The information had put Lori in mental overload. She had to walk away to process how she felt about everything.

Rick watched Lori exit the kitchen with her sandwich in her hands. Immediately he goes over to the fruit and takes out two Bananas. He chopped them and placed them on a small plate on the floor where he sat them down to share while he tried to locate where the diapers were and a change of clothes for Abigail and Judy once he gave them a nice warm bath. He was grateful that someone had the foresight to provide the things that he would need for his daughters since their rescue.

Michonne was startled and disoriented when she awoke. Her first thoughts were her babies. "Judy... Abbie...! Rick our babies!"

"Michonne. Michonne. It's me, Mike. It's me. What are you talking about?"

Michonne found her bearing. She had quickly realized she was no longer on the island even though she felt stranded. Separated from what was familiar. What she held so dear. This was worse.

"I need my babies Mike. I need them." Michonne felt what she knew all to well from experience before the plane had fallen from the sky, a full-on panic attack. How did she survive them for three years? Her mind went into autopilot in search of medication. Medication that didn't exist and if it had it would have been long expired. She began opening and closing drawers throughout Mike's home as if Xanax would magically appear.

"What are you talking about?"

"Rick has my babies."

"Who's Rick?"

"The father of my babies."

"Why would you think you would find them in the drawers?"

Abigail and Judith had finally fallen asleep on the couch after a very long crying spell for their mother. If they weren't crying for Michonne they were crying because the television was on. Rick had to keep the television off even though he wanted to watch the news regarding how their rescue was being reported.

He was happy that his highschool friend, Shane had stopped by to see him. The two men shared a tearful embrace.

"Your Daddy responded well to the news. Mother Ella says he is cured of his deathbed knowing you are alive."

"She called me from the hospital. Well, she called Lori and Lori gave me the phone. My Dad sounds good. He says he's looking forward to his discharge from the hospital."

"The moment you were declared dead, nearly killed him, Rick."

"I can imagine."

"Mother Ella has been telling everyone who would listen or show concern it could be any day for your Daddy passing on. Your rescue saved his life?"

"Not God and prayers?" Rick questioned sarcastically.

"Stranded on an Island for three years and you still don't believe in a higher power?"

"It took being stranded on an Island with a particular woman to give me a whole new outlook on listening to her gut and releasing negative thoughts into the atmosphere."

"You know I am going to want to hear about this. I want the unedited uncensored version when everything settles for you and when you are ready to talk about it."

Rick chuckled, "Sure thing."

"A female companion." Shane took a look at Rick's sleeping babies. "Better than any damn ball like in the movie, Castaway, I bet. Where's the mother?"

"With her husband."

"How's Lori taking it?"

Rick shrugged. "We haven't really talked. A major disconnect has happened. She can't seem to formulate a sentence or a question."

Shane glanced back over at the two little girls, "I am not sure what needs to be said when this speaks volumes. I can just imagine that it is a lot for you all to take in."

Shane finally took a seat across from Rick as they talked. If no one else in the house was thankful that his best friend was alive and well, he was.

Rick lowered his voice.

"I need your help."

"Sure anything," Shane responded quickly.

"I have to find Michonne."

"Michonne?"

"Their mother. My wife."

"Wait-what?"

"I need to find Michonne. It was her crazy idea. She suggested this and not once did I think to have her location nor does she have mine. I guess with everything going on around us and about us-I really need to know that she is okay. Her babies need her and I know they really want to see their Mama. It's been twenty-four hours and it's not going to work being separated from each other. I need her. I don't like feeling more lost than ever. I don't like it. I don't like this feeling. If I don't get to her, she is going to be really upset. I got to get to her with our babies."

On the island, Michonne was sick with worry because Rick still wasn't back with their twins. The day turned into night with the moon held high. She was in anticipation wondering when she would see his sillouette plus two. Her worry began to turn to anguish, for all she could hear was the lapping of the waves. Normally the breeze was welcoming but that evening it brought no sense of comfort. Her twins were still missing and Rick had yet to return with or without them. Suddenly she heard the creak of the door that slowly pushed open. Her eyes locked with his before finding her babies in each of his arms appearing unharmed. She fell to her knees sobbing.

She was so thankful her babies were ok. Rick had come back to her with her babies.

This was also the sight etched in Rick's memory.

A/N: 12/29/2018 7:52pm Updated and corrected.

My plan is to clean this up on here as much as possible before removal. I had a guy describe my style as a tapestry. Interesting, I thought.

A/N: 11/7/2017

If you are new to this story I appreciate you taking the time to read and possibly enjoy. Keep in mind this was written a long while ago battling insomnia. I would like to think there is an improvement in my writing in my newer stories but what I hope you or anyone that is reading this understand that This is Richonne re-imagined. I don't profess that this is a great piece of writing but it gives you a clue to how the story moves and continues to flow with other stories.