- Okay. So I'm starting a series of one-shots for Richonne. This is my first one. Most of my one-shots will feature sex. Because I like it. Some will be dramatic. Some will be comedic. But they will all be Richonne because I am obssessed. And we need more Richonne around here. -
First Tale:
Scratching an Itch
Synopsis: Lori is still alive after the birth of baby Judith. Rick never went crazy. Michonne recently arrived at the prison about a month or so ago. How will these three people navigate their changing relationships?
Rick was leaning against the bars of the open cell, watching Lori breastfeed Judith. It was something he always admired. All the ways a mother's body changed during and after pregnancy. A small smile ghosted his lips when Judith cooed.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Lori asked, her eyes warm with affection. It was times like these when she was with her newborn baby, that she felt closest to Rick. And he with her. She could tell by the look in his eyes. It was like they weren't having any difficulties at all. She blinked and looked down at Judith. But it was all a lie. They were having difficulties. Hell, they were practically separated. They just didn't have a piece of paper saying it was so.
"Yeah," Rick whispered. He swallowed. He wanted to say something else but he couldn't. He didn't know what else to say. He never knew what to say around Lori. Not anymore.
He had meant to repair their marriage after finding them a nice place to settle down. A safe place. And this prison was it. They hadn't had a major incident in three months. But now that he was ready to try to talk...to get things better between them...he didn't find it so easy. The months of trouble and silence lay between them, thick like a blanket. Heavy like a stone.
Rick looked around for something to say. Nothing came to him. His eyes landed on the dark woman who had recently showed up behind their fences as she walked over to a wall downstairs and leaned against it. She seemed to be deep in thought. Rick watched her with a thoughtful frown. There was something mysterious about her. Hell, who was he kidding? Everything about her was mysterious. He frowned. Sometimes mysterious wasn't good in these apocalyptic times.
"What are you looking at?" Lori asked, noticing his frown.
"The woman with the sword," he said. "Michonne." His tongue massaged the name.
"I don't particularly like her," Lori said. "I tried to talk to her the other day and all she did was frown at me."
Rick nodded. He hadn't seen her smile yet. Scratch that. He saw Carl running over to her and a smile bloomed across her face. He hadn't seen her smile when Carl wasn't around. He watched the two strange friends. He had no idea what it was about her that made Carl open up so much. Nobody in the prison could make him light up like she could. Not even him or Lori. He didn't know that his own lips were turning from a frown into a smile. "What?" Lori asked from her spot on the bed.
"Carl seems to have taken to her pretty well," Rick said.
Lori's brows lifted. "Carl only likes her because she has a sword," Lori said. "He thinks it's cool."
Rick watched Carl give Michonne a high five and he knew it was more than that. He liked her because she somehow understood him on a level that no one else did. Rick felt the foolish urge to duck out of her sight when she looked up and her eyes met his but he didn't. He stood where he was and stared at her. She stared back until Carl pulled her attention back to him again.
"I just think it's strange that she says she's been traveling alone all this time," Lori said. "How is that possible? I feel like she has a group and she's spying on us. I just don't trust her."
Michonne saw Rick coming towards her later that day and she knew that she was going to have to endure the distrust in his eyes and the unreasonable anger once again. It seemed unfair to her. Tyreese, Sasha, and those other newcomers were allowed in and not bothered past the first interrogation. It wasn't the same with her. He just kept coming back to push her buttons. The only one who had wholly welcomed her into the group so far was Carl. And the fact that he was Rick's son was part of the reason that she didn't just kick him in the balls and leave the prison for good whenever he approached her like this.
That and the fact that she didn't want to go out there on her own again. Even the cool distancing and the suspicious stares were okay as long as she was around other people.
She sat her sword on the bed of the prison cell that they had allowed her to have and she put her hands on her hips. When Rick stopped in front of her, she stared at him without speaking so that he could get what he had to say out of the way.
"Going somewhere?" he asked, nodding towards the sword she had just dropped onto her bed.
Michonne nodded. She wanted to tell him to mind his fuckin' business but she knew that that wasn't the way things worked around here. She had to play nice or she wouldn't be a part of any of the reindeer games. She had found that out when she had gone on a supply run with Rick, Daryl, and Maggie early on but didn't stick with their agreed upon plan. It didn't matter that her running off by herself had allowed them to find a quicker and safer route out of the town; it only mattered that she didn't stick to the plan. That's all Rick remembered anyway. She hadn't been able to get him to look at her in a good way ever since.
In fact, his eyes were hard with intensity whenever he looked at her.
"The women are sending Glenn for some feminine hygiene products later today," Michonne said. "I'm going with him."
"Is he okay with that?" Rick asked.
Michonne squinted. "Yes," she spat in a hard tone. "I'm not going to be sneaking along in his shadows or watching from bushes. He invited me." Michonne knew she was being defensive but Rick was really starting to get on her nerves.
He nodded and squinted his eyes at her. He looked a tiny bit bashful. She took that as a victory. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "A lot of people around here just still find it hard to trust you," he said honestly. He watched for any change in Michonne's facial expression but she only stared at him with a scowl. It was as if she didn't expect any different. "It's because you don't talk to anyone and keep to yourself." Michonne frowned. "A smile or two wouldn't hurt either." Michonne frowned further.
Rick surprised himself when a chuckle escaped his lips. It surprised Michonne as well; she literally took a step back. "I'm sorry," Rick said with a shake of his head. Then he left. Michonne stood there, wondering what the hell just happened.
"I'm sorry?!" Rick muttered to himself in disbelief as he left. "What the hell is wrong with me?! I must have looked like an idiot!"
After that strange run-in with Rick, Michonne had another stranger run-in with his wife. She had just gotten back with Glenn from their supply run and she had brought back a comic book that she had found for Carl. Not long after she had given it to him did Lori come up to her in the kitchen area with an angry look in her eyes. She threw the comic book down in front of Michonne. "I don't want you bringing garbage like this back to my son again!"
Michonne looked at the comic book then back up at Lori. She remained seated but her face was a visage of confusion. "I don't understand," she said. "It's just a comic book."
"It's filthy!" Lori said. "And violent! It's not decent for a boy his age!"
Michonne chuckled. She couldn't help it. "No," Michonne said. "The world outside is filthy and violent. This is a comic book. Anything he sees out there is gonna be much more graphic than what he sees in here."
"Exactly," Lori said. "What's out there now is hard enough. Why bring him back something that won't let him escape from it for a little while? I'm sorry, but I want you to stop bringing him things like this for a while. I'm sure you don't understand what it's like to be a mother-" Michonne's face froze into a hardened mask, "-but I want him to continue to be a child for as long as he can so...I hope you respect my wishes."
Michonne stood up from her seat. Lori was frightened but she refused to back down.
"I'll stop bringing him the comics," Michonne said simply, before leaving.
That night in bed Michonne thought about her son. Usually she could get away from thoughts of him but tonight...they wouldn't leave her alone. She would have a memory and smile but then the cold reality of the present would intrude and her smile would fall away. Then she would have a memory again and be happy...before it was gone once again. It was a torturous cycle.
So when Rick appeared at her cell again that night, she wasn't in the mood for his unpleasant attitude towards her. She didn't say anything to let him know that she wanted him to get out but she didn't acknowledge his presence. She played with the bottom of the bunk above her.
"Glenn thinks it's his birthday today," Rick said. "Everyone is down there celebrating. You wanna join us?"
Now that she wasn't getting lost in her thoughts anymore, Michonne heard them. They were enjoying themselves. "I don't think so," she said. "I'll wish him a happy birthday tomorrow. That could very well be his birthday too."
Rick didn't laugh at her weak attempt at humor. "Suit yourself," he said before turning to walk away.
"Rick?" He stopped. Michonne wasn't sure why she called him back. She just knew that she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts tonight. But she didn't want to be crowded with people by going downstairs either.
"What?" Rick asked, coming back to her cell door.
"What do you miss most about the world before it changed?" Meaningless conversation. That world was dead and gone so there was no use reminiscing about it. But it was the kind of topic Rick might appreciate.
Rick stood in the doorway silently for a moment. "I don't know," he finally said. "Hot showers probably." Another silence. "You?"
"The convenience of food," Michonne said. "It was everywhere. And there was all kinds."
Rick chuckled. "What else?" he asked, curious to know more about her.
"Uh uh," Michonne said, sitting up. "It's your turn."
"Mmm..." Rick shifted on his feet. "Television. Your turn."
"Internet."
"That's good," Rick said.
"It's not a competition," Michonne said, a smile spreading across her face.
Rick shrugged, soaking up the sight until he remembered to keep the game going. "Um...airplane travel."
"Ugh," Michonne said. "Not me. I hated airplanes. I always got stuck next to the most obnoxious person." Rick laughed. This felt good. He couldn't believe that he was finally having a normal conversation with the mysterious Michonne. "Um..." Michonne tried to think of her next thing. "Sex," she blurted out.
A silence followed. Michonne was mentally flogging herself. "I mean it's still possible," she continued. "But I haven't done it...after the change...It's been a while." Michonne wished she would stop speaking. This time she was the one calling herself an idiot.
Rick cleared his throat. "Um..." He tried to think of something to detract from the awkward atmosphere but nothing came to him. He could only think about sex. "Hell," he finally said. "How can I beat that?"
Michonne laughed. "You can't. But like I said, it isn't a competition."
Michonne stood up from the bed. She had a destination but she wasn't quite sure what it was. She meandered to the desk against the wall and fiddled with a few objects there. Rick watched her, not moving from his spot at the door. The celebration downstairs was becoming louder and louder.
Rick's eyes moved over the shape of Michonne's body. He couldn't make out all the details in the dark but he got the picture. She was beautiful. He felt immediate guilt wash over him for admiring another woman's body while his wife was just downstairs. But he couldn't move when Michonne came to stand in front of him, her destination becoming clear.
Michonne felt a tingling between her legs. She couldn't believe she was actually getting horny for the meddling leader of the prison. 'It really has been too long,' she thought. She invaded his personal space, her breasts brushing his chest. When he didn't move away, she thought maybe his meddling had a purpose. She could see that he and his wife were on bad terms. They hardly ever spoke. Maybe he missed sex just as much as she did.
She brought her hands up to rest at his waist. Rick could feel her touch through his shirt. It made his stomach flip, his heart pick up speed, and his breath hitch. "What are you doing?" he asked, not wanting to seem like he was welcoming or anticipating her next move. Which is exactly what he was doing. His eyes went down to her lips; he could make them out because she was so close and his eyes had adjusted to the darkness.
Michonne moved closer, her breasts now pressed flush against his chest. She slid her hands against his back. She basked in the feeling of her growing arousal as she just stood pressed against him. Closing her eyes, she breathed him in and responded to his question. "Scratching an itch," she rasped. She lifted her face to his and covered his lips with her own. His beard scratched against her face as she kissed him. She liked it.
Rick tried to fight the pleasure he felt with her lips pressed against his but it was a losing battle. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her harder against himself. He wanted this mysterious warrior woman. And he wanted all of her. He wanted her badly. His hands moved down to grasp her voluptuous hips. He ground her pelvis into his hardened manhood. "Yeah," Michonne encouraged against his lips, breaking the kiss for a moment. "Slap my ass, Rick." Rick obliged. He brought the palm of his hand against the roundness of her behind with one quick tap. Michonne moaned and ground against him of her own volition. She could feel his bulge as hard as a rock.
Rick covered her mouth with his, engulfing her in another kiss. He pressed his tongue inside, not waiting for an invite. Michonne stumbled backward, taking the full passion of his kiss. "Mmm," she groaned. His arm was now encircling her shoulders while the other encircled her waist. He had her completely. She couldn't get away even if she wanted to. And she didn't want to.
Michonne pushed back with her own tongue and held him tightly as well. They stumbled back into the bunk beds, Michonne pressed against them. It was just a tangle of tongues and limbs before they both broke apart for a moment, needing to breahe. "I want you inside of me, Rick," she pleaded. "I want you to fuck my brains out."
Rick's manhood grew harder still at the words coming from Michonne's mouth. But amongst the voices downstairs, he could hear the lilt of Lori's voice as well. And something underneath all of the animalistic lust surfaced. Before Michonne knew what was happening, Rick was pulling away from her. Pushing her away. Breaking away. He didn't say anything. He just turned on his heel and left the cell, leaving behind a hot and bothered and extremely unsatisfied Michonne. "What the fuck?" Michonne whispered aloud as she heard Rick's footsteps retreat down the corridor and away from her cell.
The next morning, Michonne woke up, bitter. She thought about finding some other man around the prison to satisfy her needs but after only ten minutes of consideration, she realized she didn't want just some other man. She wanted Rick. But she didn't know what the fuck he wanted. He had just peeled her off and run away like she was one of those walkers outside. She tried not to blame herself but she was thinking that maybe it was her dirty talk that scared him off. Maybe he wasn't into that kind of thing.
"Where were you last night, Rick?" Lori asked. They were standing on the stairs on the first floor of the prison. "Everybody was having a great time downstairs; I thought you would come out and join us."
"Oh," Rick said. His mind flashed to Michonne.
"I want you inside of me, Rick."
"I want you to fuck my brains out."
He shook the thoughts away, guilty. "I was just really tired yesterday. I went to my cell to sleep."
"Well, it's a shame," Lori said. She gently burshed Judith's soft hairs away from her face. "We had a great time."
"Sounded like it..." Rick said. He reached forward to stroke his child's soft, angel hair as well. Lori smiled up at him, gently. "Do you think we can fix this?" he asked. "Us?"
Lori drew in a shaky breath. Wow. He wanted to talk about this now. "I-I'd really like to try," she said, hope straining her voice.
Shaky. Deep in thought. Uncertain. That's how Rick looked when he spoke his next words. "I don't think we can work this out," he finally said. "I think it's over."
Over. Finality. He was saying they were done. Lori's eyes filled with tears. She had suspected it for a while now, but to hear him say it...She drew in another shaky breath and headed off up the stairs. "Lori-" Rick called after her.
"No," she said. "No. Leave me alone, Rick. I just- I need to be alone."
Rick was hurting. Later that night, he found himself back in Michonne's cell. She was on the floor doing push-ups, her vest off and thrown on the bed. She only wore her tank top and jeans. She didn't acknowledge Rick for the first few minutes that he stood there; she just let him watch. Finally, she spoke. "You like what you see?" she asked.
"...Yes," Rick said. His voice was shaky with pain and lust.
Michonne stopped doing her push-ups and went to a standing position. "You're pathetic, Rick," she said quietly. Angry at him. Angry at his faux passive nature. She had seen him out there against those things. Against other people who threatened his home and family. He was anything but passive. She just wished he would bring that same authority to getting what he wanted in relationships. Well, she wasn't going to do all the heavy lifting this time. "Well, if you're standing there hoping I'll grab your dick again, it's not going to happen. You had your chance with me and you blew it."
Rick looked down at the floor, his hand on his hip. Michonne wondered if he would just leave, rejected. "That's not what this is about..." he started.
"Bullshit," Michonne interjected.
"I didn't come here for a repeat of last night," Rick explained further, his hands trying to help express what his mouth was saying. "I came to talk about it."
"Bullshit," Michonne said again.
"Michonne-"
"You want to fuck me," Michonne supplied.
"No-"
"Just say it. You want to fuck me," Michonne repeated.
"Goddamnit, Michonne."
"Say it, Rick."
Rick was on her quicker than she expected. It took two steps for him to reach her. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her against his chest, where she had been last night. His arousal grew in his pants. Michonne waited with bated breath, her own arousal growing. Rick leaned into her ear and rasped quietly, intensity edging his voice. "I'm going to fuck your brains out."
Michonne drew in a shaky breath. That voice saying those words made her knees weak and her womanhood throb. She pushed away from him though. After last night, she didn't want to make it easy. "Who says I'm going to let you?" she asked.
This was his chance to leave again. To escape. But he pulled her closer. Held her tighter. "You don't get a say," he growled against her lips before pressing his mouth against hers. Michonne gave him a little – she couldn't help it – but she pushed him away again. An expression of insecure hurt flashed across Rick's face as he stumbled back two steps.
"Get out of here, Rick," she said. "You can't handle me."
Rick ground his teeth and accepted the challenge. He was on her again. He grabbed her upper arms, pushing her against the wall, and then he turned her around. Her back was pressed against his chest and her cheek pressed against the wall. He loosened her belt buckle with a skilled hand and then unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans until he could push his hand down inside her underwear. Michonne gasped when she felt Rick's rough, warm hand cup her center. It felt delicious. She widened her stance to give him more access.
Rick smiled, glad to know that her initial fight had simply been her playing hard-to-get, as he had expected. He pressed his clothed bulge against her round hips and closed his eyes to fully enjoy the sensation. When she pressed back against him he groaned and moved the palm of his hand against her heat. Michonne rotated against him, enjoying the feel of his hardness on her backside. She could tell that he was enjoying it too. He slipped a finger between her wet folds.
"Ohh," Michonne gave a sighing groan. "Put another one inside me," she whispered passionately. Rick did so. He could feel how wet she was down there. It made him excited. His hips pushed against her and his fingers pushed in and out of her.
Rick's hands were causing different images to flicker through Michonne's mind. Different things that she wanted Rick to do to her. Different things that she wanted to do to him. "Rick," she whispered, pleasure coating her words. "I want your tongue there."
Rick brushed Michonne's hair aside and nipped the back of her neck before removing his fingers and turning her to face him. It was becoming clear to him that Michonne wasn't such a silent mystery in the bedroom. She was telling him what she wanted and when. It was a turn-on and took a lot of guesswork out of the act of love-making. Rick pulled Michonne's jeans down and Michonne helped him rid her of her pants by stepping out of them. As he slid the jeans away from them he admired Michonne in her purple tank and black panties.
Michonne writhed her hips, wanting. But his stare only made her more aroused so she didn't rush him. When he moved forward, she threw her leg over his shoulder. Rick could smell the scent of her arousal through the fabric of her underwear. His tongue darted out for a taste; Michonne jerked at the sensation and she sucked air through her teeth. She placed her hands on Rick's head. "Again, Rick." Rick licked her through the fabric of her panties again and she moaned. She rotated her hips, wanting more. Rick gripped her hips, holding her still and then closed his mouth over her womanhood. Michonne felt her muscles tense in pleasure. "Oh, fuck!" she groaned. "Yeah, Rick."
His name on Michonne's lips in the midst of pleasure was an aphrodisiac for him. He pushed his tongue against her center and she bucked against him. Her foot slipped against the floor but Rick pressed her against the wall to help her keep her balance. Wanting to feel his lips directly on her center of heat, Michonne peeled her panties over to the side. Rick took to her juices like a bee took to honey. Michonne's head fell back against the wall and she rotated against his lips, drowning in the pleasant sensation. Rick inserted his tongue where his fingers had been before and Michonne gasped. She went up onto her toes from the sheer pleasure of it and Rick had to keep her balanced once again.
"It feels good, Rick!" Not only was his mouth doing wonders but his beard – which she hadn't been a fan of before – was pleasantly scratching the insides of her thighs. Encouraged by her words, Rick ravished her more with his tongue. It was as if he wanted to devour her whole. Michonne's legs grew weak and she knew she had to stop him. She gently pushed him away from her, breathing heavily. Standing on her own two feet again, she rid herself of her panties and her vest. Rick took the time to stand up and begin to rid himself of his clothes as well. He took off his shirt but before he could take off his pants, Michonne stepped forward and stopped him by placing her hand on his hands. "Let me," she offered.
The strain in Rick's jeans tightened as Michonne worked on his buttons. After unzipping him, she pushed his jeans and boxers down over his hips, squatting with the action. Rick stepped out of them and stood breathing heavily with Michonne in front of him, her face level with his erection. Michonne gave him a wicked smile. "Is there anything you'd like while I'm down here?" she asked.
Rick laid a hand on Michonne's head to urge her forward but Michonne brushed his hand away. "I want you to say it," she said.
Rick chuckled. He had never been good with talking dirty. He had always felt that it was kind of disrespectful. But Michonne seemed to like it so... "Suck me off, Michonne," he rasped in a lust-filled voice.
Feeling hot at her core, Michonne wrapped her hand around the base of his penis. "Yes, sheriff," she sassed before taking him into her mouth. Enveloped in the heat of her mouth, Rick let his eyes close in ecstasy. He and his wife were on bad terms so he hadn't been pleasured by a woman in almost a year. His hand went to Michonne's head again so that he could feel the movement of her head on his shaft. The tip of his member hit the back of her throat when she took him all the way in.
"Ohh," Rick groaned.
Michonne pulled slowly off of him and stood up. The confused and longing expression he gave her almost made her laugh. "Sorry," she said. "I would go longer but...I want you to fulfill that promise you made me."
She moved to the bed and laid onto her back, watching Rick as she did so. Seeing this warrior woman lying there for him – submitting to him – Rick felt his manhood jumb with wanton anticipation. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him. Rick followed her to the bed and climbed atop her. Michonne lifted her legs, allowing him a space between her thighs. "Fuck me, Rick," she whispered. Rick pushed into her slowly, watching her face the whole time. Her eyes closed and her mouth opened on a silent moan as he pushed all the way in.
Rick had to keep from thrusting into her involuntarily. It was so hot and tight inside; he had to close his eyes and gain control so that he wouldn't finish prematurely like a little boy. When he adjusted to the feel of her, he began to move. "Oh, god, Michonne!" It was excruciatingly pleasurable. Michonne lifted her hips and met his slow thrusts. Her hands moved down to grip his hips, pushing him deeper inside.
"Oh. Yeah," she hissed. "Rick...tell me what you wanna do to me," she pleaded wantonly.
Rick's body lay flush against hers, his head leaning over her shoulder and his weight on his elbows. He was too weak with pleasure to raise himself any higher. "I...I wanna make love to you all night long," he ground out. It took a lot of effort to get his mind to string those words together. He couldn't think of much past her tight walls.
Michonne moaned and gripped Rick's skin with her fingernails when he began to put more intensity behind his thrusts. "When did we stop fucking and start making love?" Michonne managed to gasp out.
"I want to fuck you all night long," Rick corrected.
Michonne chuckled. He was cute.
"Oh!" A wave of pleasure hit her anew as Rick's intensity increased. He gripped her hip and began to thrust into her harder and faster. Michonne's arms closed around his shoulders, holding on for dear life as the squeaks in the mattress beneath them began to grow louder and more continuous. "How does it feel, Rick?" Michonne whispered in his ear, her voice hot with passion.
"Good," Rick pushed out. "So good." Words were becoming difficult for him.
Michonne sank her teeth into Rick's shoulder, trying to keep from screaming out as Rick pistoned into her. When he stopped suddenly, she knew it was because he had been about to spill his seed and he wasn't quite ready yet. Maybe he was planning to do this all night long. If he kept riding her, like he just did, Michonne wasn't sure if she could hold on.
Michonne pushed Rick over onto his back and straddled him. "I'm going to ride you now," she stated. Rick lifted his hips in anticipation as she positioned him where she needed to be. Then she slid down his shaft until he was filling her once again.
She leaned forward and pressed her hands against his chest before moving her hips against him. Rick gripped her as she rode him. Her body moved in a way that made Rick's mouth hang open. "Fu-" Rick breathed. His hands moved to her breasts as she rode him wildly. There was something about being on top of an out-of-control Rick that drove Michonne crazy. She felt herself about to climax but didn't have the willpower to stop it. It felt too good. A short, guttural cry escaped her lips and she began to shudder as an orgasm raced through her body. Rick felt her walls clutching his member. "I'm – I'm coming!" he gasped out.
Michonne hurried off of him and captured his member in her mouth once more. Rick gasped, surprised by what was happening. He was sure he reached the ultimate pleasure. His hips bucked involuntarily as he sprayed his seed into her hot, inviting mouth. Michonne swallowed everything he gave before slowly pulling away from him.
When she lay beside him in the bed, Rick turned to look at his beautiful, silent, warrior woman who liked to talk dirty in the dark. "Well," he asked. "Did I manage to scratch your itch?"
Michonne smiled. "I think that's something I need to be asking you," she said. "Will you be coming tomorrow night as well?" She tried to keep the hope out of her voice.
Rick leaned forward and kissed her lips.
After dressing and leaving her cell a few minutes later, Rick stopped short when he saw Lori not far away. She had tears in her wide, disbelieving eyes and a sleeping Judith pressed to her chest. It was clear that she had heard some of what had gone on in Michonne's cell. Rick's heart fell to his feet and his stomach clenched. "Lori-" He stepped forward. She stepped back.
"...Is that why you said it was over?" she whispered brokenly. "So that you could go and screw someone else and still have a clear conscience?"
He wanted to hold her. "Lori-"
"Go to hell, Rick," Lori said, a tear slipping down her cheek. "You were right. It's over." She turned down the corridor and left, her footsteps retreating into the darkness. Rick knelt where he stood, weighed down by a pain in his chest. It really was...over.