I enjoyed writing Carchonne interactions so much in 'Something Else' that I decided to start 'Something More' with a chapter heavily focused on them. There is some Richonne in this chapter as well so hopefully there is a little something for everyone!
Michonne woke up to the dawn light filtering through the curtains in the master bedroom she now shared with Rick. She smiled as her eyes slowly opened and she enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by the warm male body wrapped around her. Stretching slightly so as to not wake up Rick, Michonne gently laid her hands on top of the ones resting lightly on her abdomen. She took comfort in the quiet, steady breaths against the nape of her neck.
It had been almost a month since she and Rick had declared their love for one another and became a couple. Michonne smiled as she remembered everyone's reactions when they were told. She and Rick told Carl together the morning after as they greeted him when he came down for breakfast. Carl smiled slightly and nodded with a simple, "Good." That small statement said so much and Michonne knew that, in his special way, Carl was happy for them and approved.
Their extended family members responded with a variety of reactions, from excited hugs to handshakes and slaps on the back with a few comments snuck in between.
"About damn time!" from Abraham.
"I am more than slightly relieved by this development as I am certain it will assist our leader in maintaining his composure on a more consistent basis." from Eugene which earned him an elbow from Tara.
Aaron simply smiled at Michonne as they both remembered their conversation on their supply run and how Aaron believed them to already be married while he observed their group on the road. Michonne returned his smile with a grin and a nod acknowledging his intuition.
The rest of the residents either responded with puzzlement as word spread because they thought Rick and Michonne had already been a couple or congratulatory smiles as they passed them on the street.
It had been a time of happiness throughout the community when they saw their leader relaxed and telling jokes. It was as if normal life snuck in behind the giant walls that protected them and, for a little while at least, hell was kept on the other side.
Michonne and Rick navigated into their new relationship with ease due to the familiarity they already had with each other and the trust and bond that had been born from their close friendship. Living together as a couple was similar to how they had lived together as friends. Same routines with the kids and their duties with the community. Meals together. Working together.
Except now?
Now Rick kissed Michonne whenever they had a private moment. Behind a half closed door, behind a tree, on the stairs. It didn't matter. He found opportunities throughout the day to draw her close and make her heart race with his clever mouth. She found herself smiling as she trained the residents and built up the walls because she never knew when Rick would find her and pull her into a quiet corner. In return, Michonne looked for ways to show Rick she loved him. She supported his leadership, validated his decisions and challenged him when needed. But she also provided stability at home for Carl and Judith and showered them with attention and affection. Michonne loved providing meals for her new family and giving Rick a shoulder rub at the end of the day to ease the tension his labors had caused.
She wasn't fully domesticated though. She still went out on runs and assisted with the expansion in order to keep her senses and skills sharp. She didn't forget for one moment that each day was a gift and she did everything she could to protect her community and her family. One of the things she loved the most about Rick was that he supported her need to retain that warrior self that she had started to nourish the day the world went to hell.
Michonne sighed with contentment at her thoughts and sent a thank you to whoever was watching down on her because she knew second chances were rare these days and she was going to appreciate every moment she had with hers.
The gentle breathing on her neck got a bit heavier as Michonne felt Rick's hand slowly move from her abdomen to cup her breast as his hips moved closer and she felt his hard length against the hem of her t-shirt.
"Good morning beautiful," Rick's husky rasp hummed in her ear and Michonne felt herself start to get damp. She didn't think she'd ever tire of this complicated, beautiful sexy man. Hopefully, she'd have many years to test her theory.
Rick rolled her over onto her back and she smiled into his sleepy blue eyes.
"Good morning Sheriff," Michonne's heart raced as he cupped her face and looked at her with his heart in his eyes. He had come such a long way this past month and allowed himself to be an open book with her while still maintaining his tougher facade with others. She loved the two sides of this man and everything that made him the complex leader, father and lover that was helping to make this community healthy and whole again.
Michonne threaded her fingers in his curls and pulled his face down to hers so she could capture his lips in a kiss that she knew would lead to their favorite way to begin each day. Lips and tongues moving in tandem, Rick groaned and pulled Michonne's shirt over her head in one smooth motion and Michonne arched her neck as Rick rained kisses down her throat and chest and she moaned as he pulled her hardened nipple into his mouth.
Oh yes, mornings were indeed the highlight of her day.
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At noon that day, Michonne returned from her training sessions to relieve Carol who was watching Judith. Michonne made sure to carve several hours out of her day to spend with the baby and took special pride in having it be her Judith toddled over to when she took her first steps a few weeks ago right before her first birthday. She hadn't known she could ever love another child after Andre died but Carl and Judith claimed their positions in her heart and she allowed herself to feel like a mother again. No one would ever replace the space in her heart for Andre but she realized she had plenty of room for her new family.
As she chatted and caught up with Carol, Judith banged happily on the pots and pans she had strewn on the kitchen floor. That little girl was already asserting herself in a house full of alpha personalities and Michonne wondered if she'd end up being the strongest one of them all when she grew up.
Once Carol left, Michonne walked over to the window overlooking the backyard and watched Carl go through his Aikido exercises. He spent hours each day working on what Morgan had taught him and then spent additional hours on target practice and melee weapons. It was as if he was trying to make himself into a fighting machine to compensate for the loss of his eye. And each hour he trained was an hour he didn't have to interact with young people his age, didn't have to socialize and make small talk.
Carl didn't have patience for that anymore.
While he had regained his memory over the past month, his darker personality, cynicism and anti-social tendencies remained an impact from his brain injury and from losing his eye. He reserved his affections for his sister and always volunteered to babysit her and he didn't pull away when Michonne or Rick hugged him. He smiled every so often, mostly when Judith did something silly or if he was within earshot of one of Abe's profanity laden rants.
But he never laughed. He never joked around. The light-hearted, open, hopeful teenager died the horrible day those bullet fragments destroyed his eye and damaged his brain.
Michonne and Rick helped each other get to know this new harder Carl. This young man obsessed with weapons and battle and who shied away from society. When Rick became impatient with Carl's sullenness, Michonne would lay a hand on his arm to gentle his approach and when Michonne teared up when Carl didn't react to humor like he once did, Rick made a point to laugh for both of them.
Thank God they had each other to help get through this transition because there were little heartbreaks each day that they had to navigate and they were able to because they had each other's back.
As Michonne watched Carl go through his exercises, an idea started to form and a new determination came over her. Sometimes being a parent meant showing tough love and perhaps that was what Carl needed. He'd had time to heal. Now he had to wake up and figure out how he would actually live.
And she'd show him how.
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The next night after dinner, Michonne caught Rick's eye and he nodded. She had discussed her plan with him earlier and he supported it completely. Picking Judith up out of her high chair, Rick announced that he would give her a bath and read to her before her bedtime. As Carl finished rinsing his plate and loading the dishwasher, he made to go upstairs as well.
"Carl, hold up a minute, will you?" Michonne kept her tone casual because Carl was very skittish these days when it came to 'serious' conversations and she wanted to play it cool.
Carl turned to face Michonne with a questioning look.
"Got a second? I want to run something by you. Come sit with me on the porch." Michonne and Carl had spent many evenings on the large front porch, sometimes in deep discussions about strategy and weaponry and once in awhile ruminating over shared memories. Michonne treasured those moments with Carl as she saw glimpses of his old self come through for fleeting seconds as he got excited or enthusiastic about the conversation.
She was hoping his comfort level with the setting would aid her in the conversation they were about to have.
Carl followed her out and sat in his usual spot on the swing as she sat in hers on the top step, resting her back against the banister so she could face him.
You've battled a herd and evil men, Michonne, you can handle a stubborn teenager. Use the brain you were given and get this done. Michonne took a deep breath and smiled at Carl who was looking back at her with caution, wondering what was going on.
"I've seen all the work you've been doing these past few weeks. Getting yourself in shape, working with Morgan and Rosita and Daryl. You've really developed some amazing skills. I've asked Heath and Scott to keep an eye out for a katana in their travels because I believe you're more than ready to learn that."
Carl's good eye widened as Michonne knew he coveted her sword and never failed to watch her work with it.
"I was just wondering what your plans are. What do you want to do with these new skills you have? I mean, it's great that you're practicing and all but it looks like you're ready to put them to use. So what are your thoughts on that?"
Carl stared at her for a full minute before answering, "I want to protect this place. Kill walkers and anyone who tries to take it."
Michonne's heart broke a little, as much at his monotone delivery as his mercenary words. She expected them, of course, but logic couldn't always win over emotion. So while she was ready to continue the conversation, her heart needed to catch up. Michonne forced her tone to be matter of fact.
"This place certainly needs protection. It's a big community and these walls are a beacon to anyone who gets close enough. We need all the soldiers we can get, that's for sure. So, let me think about this. You've improved your accuracy with a gun since your injury, correct?"
Carl nodded.
"Daryl taught you how to use the crossbow and you've taught yourself how to shoot a bow and arrow?"
Another nod.
"You've learned everything Morgan could teach you with the bo staff?"
A nod with lowered brows as he most likely wondered where this conversation was going.
"Add to those skills, your increased capabilities with machetes, daggers and hatchets as well as hand to hand combat." Michonne stopped there, nodding her head as she took inventory of Carl's abilities. Carl had stopped swinging and sat very still, looking at her intently.
She had his attention.
"I have to say I'm very impressed with you Carl. Not only have you healed from your injury, you've worked hard to make yourself stronger, quicker and more lethal than you were before you were hurt. That takes a lot of dedication."
Michonne leaned forward, resting her arms on her legs.
Time to close the deal.
"You're fifteen years old and are deadlier than most of the people here. I have to admit that I'd be hesitant to take you on and I bet your Dad would think twice. He never could get the hang of that staff no matter how much Morgan tried to teach him and I failed miserably at the crossbow. Your Dad and I, we're great with the weapons we know but we're adults and adults can only learn so much before our brain just gets tapped out."
Carl was now leaning forward on the swing, his position mirroring hers, feet stopping the swing from moving.
"The thing about kids, Carl? You're sponges. Your capability for learning and absorbing new things is ten times, no a hundred times greater than an adult. Whether it's a foreign language or a musical instrument or, in our new world, learning a way to kill and fight. You're the perfect example of that. Fifteen? And capable of taking on someone like Abraham? Or Daryl?" Michonne smiled to herself as she saw excitement light up his eye. So close.
"That's power. That's potential. And that has so much value in this community. We have 52 residents in this town. Twelve of them are between the ages of eight and sixteen and three of them are under five. If you do the math, that's only 37 adults to protect this place if we have to. That's not a whole lot is it?"
Carl shook his head.
"Now I'm not a military strategist or anything but in the time I've spent in this crazy new world, living to see the next day includes two things. Smarts and numbers. We're working on the smarts but we're way low on the numbers. Now your Dad and I have been talking with Aaron and Glenn and Daryl lately about finding more people but in the meantime? We have to work with what we have."
Carl frowned and tilted his head, so like his father in that moment, Michonne's heart ached.
"I don't understand. What do you mean work with what we have?"
This was it.
"We have to train the children. The twelve children who are old enough to learn. We have to evaluate their capabilities, design a training program appropriate for their ages and then work with them every single day until they can not only defend themselves but each other and everyone around them."
Carl sat back on the swing, his mouth open in surprise as he took in Michonne's words. Michonne sat back against the railing once again, giving Carl the time he needed to absorb her pitch.
"Train the kids? With knives and guns? They'll be too scared. They won't listen. They..."
"You listened. You learned. You'd never shot a gun in your life before the world changed. Why are they any different? Less capable?"
Carl stood up, his agitated state clear in his raised voice, "They're just kids! They haven't been out there! I was out there! I had to learn or I would die! These kids go to school and play video games and walk their dogs. They're not going to be able to stab a walker in the head or shoot a person dead! That's just crazy!"
Michonne stood up and walked over to Carl, lowering her voice to a soothing tone.
"And what if they suddenly do have to be out there? What if the walls are breached again but only worse? Where we can't repair them? What if we have to leave this place at night because some group is camped outside ready to take it over? What if they bring a tank, Carl?" Carl's bowed head whipped up as he stared at Michonne. She knew he was remembering the fall of the prison and losing his friends.
"Shouldn't those kids get the same chance you did to survive and fight and live? Shouldn't those kids learn to contribute to the community they live in so they can protect it when needed? Who are we to deny them that chance?"
Carl swallowed and whispered, "Why are you coming to me with all of this?"
"Because you're going to be the one to teach them."
Carl backed away from Michonne, bumping into the swing. He shook his head, denying the thoughts she put in his head as he backed slowly to the door of the house.
"No, not me. I can't. Not me. Don't ask me to do this."
"If not you then who? Everyone else has a job to do. No one has the time that's needed to do this right. We need someone dedicated to teaching them. Someone who knows what it's like to be scared of the weapons, the uncertainty. Someone who remembers what it was like to be innocent and helpless."
Michonne moved closer to Carl, placing her hand on his shoulder, shocked at how tall he had grown.
"Someone who learned how to fight and to survive and to live. That's you Carl. Only you. They need you to show them the way. Can you do this? For them? For all of us?"
Carl stood still, no longer backing away as he breathed heavily and stared at Michonne, fear and trepidation in his eye. Michonne forced herself to stay composed and centered and to not let Carl see the emotions that rose up in her as she dragged this boy back out amongst the living. Come on Carl. You've got this. You can do this.
Suddenly, Carl's breathing slowed and he looked past Michonne, into the distance, and she knew he was contemplating, turning possibilities over in his head.
"I'd need their commitment. Their parents' commitment."
"Yes."
"We'd need to make practice weapons, set up targets, all at different sizes and heights and weights."
"Agreed."
"I can't be alone with them. I may snap. Yell at them. I may frighten them with my..."
Michonne shushed him, "Do you think you would frighten them more than Daryl would? And could you imagine Abraham working with them? He frightens me, let along that little Connor boy who would only come up to his belt buckle!" That got a small chuckle out of Carl which warmed her heart.
"You're going to have to gain their trust. They'll listen to you if they get to know you first. Kids like the familiar. The known. Kids are also naturally curious and way more adventurous than us adults. You remember what it was like to be like them. Become familiar to them and they will follow you and do what you want them to do."
"How do I do that?"
Michonne shrugged, playing it casual. "Attend some classes with them. Play soccer on Saturdays with them. Walk Judith in her stroller when they're out walking their dogs. Be present with them and they will get to know you. They'll ask you about your patch because they're curious. Tell them about it. They'll ask you about how it is out there. Tell them about that too. Talk to them. Listen to them."
Michonne smiled as she imagined Carl in his new role. "You're Rick Grimes' son. The boy warrior. The boy who has survived being shot twice and is stronger and more skilled than some of their fathers."
Michonne leaned in close as she whispered...
"They will worship you."
Carl stared again at Michonne and after a long minute, he slowly smiled, allowing pleasure to brighten his beautiful blue eye.
"Worship huh? Not a lot of kids my age get worshipped. I'd be stupid to turn that down."
Michonne's breath held.
"I'm in. But you'll have to help me."
Michonne couldn't help the few tears that filled her eyes as Carl took that giant leap back into society. It wouldn't be easy and he most likely would terrify a few kids along the way. But in the end, it will have been worth it. Their community would be stronger and more prepared. Children would be equipped to survive.
And Carl would have purpose and a reason to come out of his self-imposed exile.
Michonne gave Carl a quick hug. "You've got this Carl. And I've got you. You won't do this alone, I promise."
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Michonne padded tiredly into her bedroom after taking a long hot shower. She smiled as she viewed Rick sitting up in bed, the blanket pulled loosely over his lap, a book resting on his bare stomach and reading glasses perched on his nose, looking deliciously relaxed. Today was a good day and she allowed all of the sense of accomplishment and joy and pride wash through her as she sauntered over to the bed, her graceful movements catching Rick's eye and forcing him to put his book down.
He looked her up and down over the rims of his reading glasses, "You look very pleased with yourself. You'd think you performed a miracle or something today."
Michonne smiled as she climbed up on the bed, straddling a now very focused Rick. "I am very pleased with myself. I'm pleased with Carl for being brave and I'm pleased with you too."
Rick ran his hands up under Michonne's t-shirt, squeezing her bottom.
"Me? What did I do? Today was all you and Carl."
Michonne bent down and gave Rick a long, thorough kiss, her tongue coming out to meet his for several delicious moments before she pulled back slightly and smiled.
"I'm pleased with you making my world one I want to live in and make better. And you know what I do when I'm pleased?" Michonne wiggled her hips into Rick's as she whispered those words into his ear.
"No, but I have a feeling I'm about to find out. At least I sure as hell hope I'm about to."
Michonne's left hand slowly drew off Rick's glasses then made its way down his bare chest to where the top of the sheet was caught between them. Delicately holding the sheet between her fingers, Michonne smiled as she kissed Rick once more.
"Oh yes indeed, Sheriff. And I think you'll be pleased too."
