A/N: This is my 1st fanfic so I'm looking forward to your feedback. I posted this over on my tumblr and thought I'd also post it here.

-1-

It's Friday afternoon. The windows are down in the pickup truck as fresh air blows across Rick's face. He has been driving on the highway now for just a little over an hour, the sun is getting ready to set in the distance as his hair blows in the wind. The radio begins to play an Alan Jackson song. A small smile slowly appears as this song takes him back to one of their first dates.

XXXXXXXXXX

They both stood in silence. Shoulder to shoulder as they wait in line to get their reservations. She decided to take him to some kinda fancy restaurant for dinner where he felt a bit out of place but since they were in her neck of the woods he thought to just go with the flow. The hostess looked him up and down and judged him by his choice of casual attire. It didn't help the uncomfortable feeling but he knew the only person's opinion that mattered was hers and she told him in fact, that she loved his old cowboy boots. He told himself, You are just over thinking thangs, and like a mindreader, she reached out and rubbed his forearm to comfit him, he looked at her from the side of his eyes with a crooked smile and nodded to show her that he was ok, she nodded back and let go of him. Her hand then fell to her side with the back of their hands grazing but her index finger lingering to keep touching him, without a thought he took her hand and interlocked their fingers. He slowly looked up at her and she was trying to hide a grin that turned into a full smile once he turned his head to actually face her, to which he suddenly froze. He thought That smile could light up her whole face, the whole room for that matter. He noticed there was a sparkle in her eyes and he couldn't bring himself to look away from her as she finally broke and turned and started talking to the Hostess about the booking.

She finally looked back at him and jerked him from his thoughts as they followed the waiter to their table, still holding hands all the way. They sat and talked, laughing and enjoying themselves. He liked that he felt more at ease with her then with anyone he'd ever met. Plus it was good to hear someone actually laugh at his so-called 'lame' dad jokes. He found it fascinating that she had this way of knowing him better then he knew himself. That night he found that he could sit and listen to her talk all day long and still want to come back wanting more.

The food she suggested that night didn't sound like something he'd willingly order for himself because he was a simple meat and potato kind of guy but for some reason he trusted her judgement and once the meal arrived it looked like something straight off of the food network and he couldn't believe how amazing it tasted.

When dinner was over, he drove her back to her small apartment, during the car ride, he noticed that an Alan Jackson CD caught her eye. As she grabbed it, she gave the cover a once over.

"Do you like Alan Jackson?" he asked curiously as she flipped over the CD to read the song titles.

"Kind of…" She said.

He raised his eyebrows, surprised she even knew who Alan Jackson was, given she was a quote/unquote 'city girl'

"… Truth be told, I only really know one song" she admitted. He nodded with a grin as he continued driving.

They stopped at a red light. He couldn't stop his eyes from peering over at her. He checked to see if she was still reading the CD and then his eyes panned down to the rest of her body. The bright blue dress she was wearing was a tight fit on her torso accentuating her breasts, the dress than draped loose at her waist, it fit her well, he paused to take in all of her features again this time stopping at her long lean legs that seem to go on for days. He admired her silky smooth skin as it shined in the street lights. He scratched the back of his neck as thoughts of his own lips caressing her legs came into his mind as he bit down on his bottom lip. He then heard her chuckle and his eyes quickly darted back up to meet her face trying to remove all lust from his eyes but failing. He thought she was looking at the CD but she wasn't anymore. She was looking directly at him and she was zeroing in on his lustful thoughts. The side of her gentle face leaning against the head rest of the rental car. Oh crap! He thought knowing that he had just been caught in the act of checking her out. But he still he had to ask "Whats so funny?"

She stared back at him, her brown eyes not bothering to blink as he looked back at her, he could see the same sparkle in her eyes as before and it captivated him again, before she finally said "Just you… and your wondering eyes".

Yep, busted. He grips the wheel with both hands as he scoffs and tilts his head to the side still not breaking their eye contact "but can you blame me?" his voice thick with lust now.

They smile at each other as the light turns green.

XXXXXXXXXX

In a boardroom she sits. She waits, as she thinks to herself, this is the last meeting for the day and you'll be home free. She will be home, finally home to him. She looks at her watch for the sixth time in less then 20 minutes and sighs as it reads 4:15pm, it is like time is moving in slow motion, she thought.

When the meeting is finally wrapping up, she stacks her folders as she talks with a staff member sitting beside her before standing and leaving the room. She thinks about him, and how he is driving to her right now. She is walking to her office when she is snapped out of her train of thought when her assistants interrupts.

"Miss Williams, I've moved your Monday lunch meeting back to 1pm just like you asked and left the morning open. Mr Whitmore will be in to see you at 11am, like you asked" the young man says slightly out of breath trying to keep up with her.

"Wait" she stops "I did not say to leave the morning open Noah. I said to push my meeting back and to put my morning down as unavailable until the Whitmore meeting" She said sternly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Miss Williams, I'll-I'll be sure to change that" as they both began to walk down the hall.

"it's ok Noah, don't sweat it. When you've done that, you can go home for the day"

The young man's face lit up, his boss was very stern but also extremely nice. He thanked her and they stopped as they reached her office door before adding "Your messages Ma'am and your brother called, he wants you to call him back ASAP, something about a baby?" he says with a slightly confused look on his face.

She smiled and said "Its always 'ASAP' with him" before rolling her eyes at Noah, she took the messages and walked into her office. Noah closed the door behind her to give her some privacy for her calls. She places her work folders down and took a seat behind her hand made wooden desk.

She closes her eyes only for a moment as she remembers him again, this time with no interruptions. His tough but gentle face, his hands resting on her waist has he pulls her closer to him, his cute ringlets that fall onto the back of his collar when left too long without a trim and his stubble she knows would have gotten longer by now since he hates shaving. She smiles to herself. Then opens her eyes. She sits quietly at her desk, looking at the messages in her hands, she reluctantly picks up the phone and exhales before calling her brother, knowing that he is just blowing things out of proportion, like always!

She looks at her watch after hanging up the phone. It now reads 4:35pm she thinks to herself, I will be out of these doors in 25 minutes! After another call she tidies her desk from all the paperwork laying all over it, she then decides to text Rick. Knowing that he can't be too far away, as he told her he'd see her at 5:45pm at the latest.

XXXXXXXXXX

While paying for fuel his phone chimes, a text message. His face lights up when he knows it's from her, he slowly walks and reads:

'I can't wait to see you'

He starts typing a message back right away and hits send. Then locking his phone and putting it in his back pocket before he hops behind the wheel and continues to drive.

He is now so close he can see the city skyline as another stupid smile appears on his face, he adjusts himself in the seat, eager to be in her arms again he's waited all week for that moment, her toned but slender arms, he loves when they are wrapped around his neck and her face is so close to his, he can see that sparkle in her big brown eyes. That sparkle, He only ever notices it to be there when she is looking at things she truly, truly loves, like his kids, him or sadly Carol's homemade chocolate chip cookies. Thinking about seeing his love again, he feels butterflies in the pit of his stomach, after almost 2 years she still has this effect on him. He sees the Atlanta turn off and takes it. He leans over feels inside the glove compartment, feeling under all the papers, he pauses while still trying to steer, he then tries to tidy it up by pushing all the trash in and closing it, he then looks at the stereo and checks the time. 4:50pm. I'm early, he says to himself as he keeps driving.

He now grips the steering wheel with one had as he turns the radio down to concentrate on the busy city streets. Hearing the old pickup bed rattle as he slows down and changes gears and stops at a red light. A guy in a BMW pulls up beside him and he checks out Rick's ride and having the same expression that the hostess had all those nights ago but he thinks about his love and how much she adores him. But driving to and from Atlanta has taken its toll on them but he still does it. He does it for her, no one else, just her. Sure he's lost contact with a few people now-a-days because it seems like he is never in King's County, but this is the woman he loves and he'd follow her to the end of the world and then some. He looks back at Mr. BMW in his tailored suit and thinks, thats right, you can take the boy outta the county but you can't take the county outta the boy, he smiles to himself thinking how she would of loved that dad joke.

XXXXXXXXXX

Her phone lights up in her hand. She reads his instant reply:

'You and me both darlin'. '

She holds the phone close to her chest and she leans back in her chair thinking of him, the taste of his lips, the smell of his hair and the small features on his face, like the little wrinkles that appear next to his eyes when he smiles his big goofy smile. The way he can be shy but at the same time if he knows what he wants, there is nothing in this world that can stop him from getting it, after all it is one of her most treasured traits about him, thats how he managed to snag her in the first place.

She misses him, his eyes, his intense blue eyes. She misses that feeling that she gets when she looks into them, like they can look right into her soul and see her for all that she is, all the scars that she tries to keep hidden from this world. The same scars that he himself has, that he too keeps burred deep down within himself. Yes he is a big strong county boy, but he can be vulnerable and if he doesn't want you too see that side of him, you won't ever know it was there. He can lock that side of himself away from you forever and sometimes even himself. But when they look at each other, when her big browns meets his piercing blues, they both see past all the smoke and all the mirrors. They see each other for who they really are, they see into each others cores. And they can both now love at a different level then either one has let themselves before. They see all the imperfections the other has and nothing can scare or tear them apart.

Her email notification sounds from the computer as it snaps her out of it and she continues to work, returning calls and sending more emails. She checks the time on the computer. 5:00pm. A huge grin falls upon her face. She quickly shuts her computer down and collects her things. She turns off the lights and locks her office door.

"Finished already?" a co-worker asks

"Yep" was all she could say as she walks past in a hurry putting on her white knee length coat.

"How the hell do you do it Williams? You finish all your case work and everything, right at 5pm on the dot? Every Friday?"

She quickens up her pace to catch the elevator as it arrives to the floor. She turns back in time to say "Magic!" and adds a wink, the co-worker just rolls their eyes and yells back "have a good weekend!"

She waves her hand to acknowledge the farewell without looking back as she turns the corner to catch the elevator. She hits the L for Lobby, she then adjust her handbag on her shoulder. Once behind the cold, silver doors of the elevator the butterflies hit her as soon as she is standing still and motionless. The quicker I gets home, the quicker I gets to see him. She tells herself, I will see his face again in less than 44 minutes.

The elevator doors open. She is looking in her purse for cab money as she steps out into the busy Lobby. Looking up and then down again, she see's it. A small flash of blue, she looks back up again to focus, the lobby is busy but once there is a clear view she sees it, from across the Lobby and through the glass doors, she see's it, she couldn't of missed it even if she tried. At the front of her building, it was him. Her Rick. Leaning against his blue '82 Ford Pickup Truck with the back-bed filled with the last of his moving boxes.

Without control, his face lights up as he sees her, He has his arms folded across his chest and he leans. She loves that he chose to surprise her like this. She keeps one eye on him as she crosses the lobby, behind his salt and pepper scruffy looking beard he's wearing that goofy smile that's reserved only for her, his hair is slicked back as he wears a v neck t-shirt with his favourite black jeans - the jeans with the one small hole just above his knee and his got his good old, worn out, cowboy boots on. Typical country boy she thinks to herself.

He can't take his eyes off her, it's like she is floating across the lobby to him, he looks down and sees those beautiful long legs coming out of her white coat that hides the snug fitting yellow patterned dress that shows off all of her curves that are in all of the right places and with matching yellow pumps to complete the look, she always knew how to look right, the only down fall, he can see, is this dress does not have a plunging neck line but he rationalises to himself that it would've be very unprofessional of her if it was. Her hair is tied back into a sleek and elegant bun that sits on the crown of her head, he loves her hair like that because it shows off her amazing neck and shoulders.

Once she is though the revolving glass doors he reaches into the truck and pulls out a single white rose. She stops and takes in the sight before her. They lock eyes and her face then suddenly lights up with that earth shattering smile as they both think that this was the last day. The last day we would have to wait to see each other. No more long trips back and forth, no more visits that last only a few days sometimes even hours. They have both loved and lost but this was their new beginning at real life together.

Rick's head was down but his eyes were still on her as he shyly smirks. He then gives the rose a twirl with his fingers and she runs to close the distance between them. He bends his knees slightly as she meets his open arms. Both his arms wrapped around her waist and hers around his neck. He straightens himself up as she comes onto her tippy toes. His head naturally falls to her shoulder and they both stay this way for a little while, basking in each others touch and smell. He kisses her neck several times while she closes her eyes and tries not to giggle too loud at his itchy beard scratching her. Both are glad to be together at last. She moves her head into him as she presses her lips to his ear and whispers "God, I've missed you"

Rick loosens the grip on his special girl and pulls his head back just far enough to see all of her face beaming with joy.

"Come on Mich'onne, I only had to stay back an extra week for the station transfer to go though." she sighs at the mention of her name falling out with his thick southern accent "And besides, now I'm here for good" he adds with a smile.

She raises an eyebrow and says: "Still… I've missed you like crazy -" as she nestles her head back into his neck.

He grins as he rubs his free hand up and down her back. She moves back out and presses her full lips to his in a long but sweet, tender kiss.

Once they are apart she adds "- and so have the kids, we've all missed you Rick"

He tightens his grip one last time before letting go of her and he officially hands her the rose. She cheekily takes it from him and smells it. He watches her has she admires her gift and she gently holds onto the bottom of his shirt to keep him close to her.

Rick coyly says "You know, Carl is old enough now to not miss me" Michonne glances at him as he continues "and well… Judith is-"

Michonne cuts him off "-Don't you dare say: 'Judith isn't old enough to know thaaangs' - Rick, she is talking now!"

He rolls his eyes and places a playful love tap to her backside and then moves to open the door behind him before adding "just because you THINK she called you momma once doesn't mean she's -"

"Richard Grimes!" she cut him off again and adds a little slap to his chest for good measure "I know what I heard! Not you, nor Carl can say any different" she said a matter of factly.

"yeah, ok, fine… whatever you think darlin' " he says as she climbs into the truck.

He closes her door and walks around to hop into the drivers side. All the while admiring her and her beauty.

"Oh how was brother and sister holdin' up as baby sitters?" he adds after he sits behind the wheel.

She shoots him a side glance. He frowned before saying "Oooo, that bad huh? You'd think with Sasha being a school teacher and Ty being around Judith for all this time, they'd pick up on it by now"

She shrugged her shoulders and added "Its the last day" as she sighs at the thought of the busy and borderline stressful week she's had, everything from school enrolment to unpacking in a 4 bedroom house.

He puts his belt on and turns the ignition and shifts the gears out of park. He pauses and takes one last look at her in her relaxed state, happy to be with him again and putting an end to a hectic week. All of a sudden he can hear his own heart pounding in his chest. Then his eyes drift from her to the glove compartment in front of her. Right in the very back, under all the papers crammed in there, there is a small black velvet box. A box that contains a single diamond ring that he and Carl pick out for her last weekend before the kids left Kings County with Michonne to start their new life in Atlanta.

She looks over at him and and he says "Yeah. Lets go home baby"

Huge smiles on both of their faces at the thought of their own home waiting for them as Michonne rubs his knee in agreement and her index finger finds that little hole in his jeans.