I posted this on Tumblr a few months ago and thought I'd add it here. Just some pointless fluff for you guys.
Sophia
Her pleasant surroundings made her feel like time had reset. Which was a lot considering they were living in a zombie apocalypse and things were far from normal. Michonne chuckled at her musings, this life was the new normal. Taking into account they just finished a war, Alexandria looked pretty routine to her. The trees surrounding the houses closest to the wall were in full bloom. They stood tall and proud of their vibrant green shades that beautified the area. The streets were quite hectic, some of the Alexandrians were headed to the recently dubbed 'Glenn House' an area specially designated for farming. It was located at the south side of the community, complete with a beautiful mural in honor of their gone but not forgotten brother and friend.
Guard shifts were scheduled to change which is why Michonne stood at the gates surveying the place she called home. She happened to be relieved by Tobin twenty minutes earlier than normal, courtesy Rick she was sure.
In their brief exchange at the gate all he said to her was, "time to head home."
Home. The word had so many new meanings for her. She began her brief walk up the street.
We're the ones who live, she remembered her mantra and smiled.
It was true and she was going to make every minute of living worth it. Michonne made a left turn and headed up her front steps to see what she could rounds up for dinner for her troops.
She open the door and the first thing she saw was a large variety of vegetables on their very clean granite kitchen counter. Sweet corn, a few cabbages, tomatoes, snap beans and bell peppers were scattered on the counter. The raid at a nearby, very well hidden Greenhouse a couple of months ago had finally yield. Maggie would be happy and Michonne smiled at the thought of her friend, her sister. She knew she was in the right place at Hilltop but she missed her friend terribly. She was family. That's what they all were now, had been for such a long time. With her thoughts on family, her normally busy, semi-loud home was extremely quiet. She wondered where her brood were.
Before she could've made an attempt to investigate upstairs the front door swung open and in walked her loves; Carl, Judith and Rick.
"Hey! We were trying to get home before your shift ended. Looks like you beat us to it," Rick said, as he stepped to her with Judith in his arms. She was already stretching her chubby little arms towards the only woman she would ever know as her mother.
"Hey Jude-bug!" Michonne greeted as she reached for her. She gazed up at Rick and stared into those mesmerizing blue eyes of his. She felt lost in a beautiful maze sometimes looking at them. He bent down smoothly and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
"Don't act as though you didn't tell Tobin to come and relieve me earlier," she chided him. Carl squeezed her shoulders, grabbed an apple from the dining table and headed upstairs with a snicker.
He bent his head briefly as he sat down on one of the dining room chairs and spoke in a light tone. "You're still healing. You need the break and the rest. I don't even know why I agreed to let you return to guarding the gates so soon anyway…"
His eyes locked with hers and she knew he was remembering the war with the saviors a few weeks ago, and the horrible condition he and Carl found her in after her fight with Farron.
"Hey?" she touched the scruffy, almost white beard of his and allowed her fingers to linger there. "I'm here. I'm fine. It's better now." She spoke with renewed conviction trying to bring him back to the present. She noticed his eyes were still afar off.
"We fought the fight and we won. We don't have to feel bad for living. For being happy."
Judith kissed her cheek loudly and grabbed one of her locks. Michonne smiled back at her daughter and waited for Rick's response.
"You're right. As always." Her wise words bringing him back. "Can't blame me for worryin' though."
They had snuffed out every last one of the saviors. It had been a major group effort with sacrifices of their own. Eventually they got more firepower, more fighters and collectively they had an even stronger will. Everyone knew what they were fighting for. A life. A home. Normal, they were fighting for normal. As normal as you could get in the world they occupied.
Rick was holding what he was fighting for as he pulled Michonne and Judith into his arms. Michonne sat on his lap and kissed his cheek, she was warmed by the closeness with Rick. She was totally enamored with this man. Securely in love with him.
"Did you see the haul we got from the garden?" Rick asked trying to lighten the atmosphere but still wanting to keep their closeness. He loved her, hated to be out of her radius during the day because they both had jobs to do. It was why he looked forward to the evenings. They would make up for lost time by making sweet love into the wee hours of the mornings sometimes. Tonight would be no exception.
"I did, as I walked in. Was just going to decide what to make for dinner," she mentioned to him as she rose from his lap, reluctantly handing Judith to her dad. She began to investigate the gathered vegetables.
"You may want to add an extra plate." His sentence was short and crisp and he avoided her glare. She still looked at him curiously.
"Who's coming over? Daryl? Morgan?" she questioned, waiting patiently for his answer.
"Enid," he softly but quickly responded, grabbing Judith up as he rose from the chair.
"Heyyy Juuudddyyy! You wanna go wash up for dinner?" He lifted his daughter in the air and she squealed with delight. He then tried to subtly leave the kitchen knowing exactly which direction the conversation was headed.
"Rrrriiiccckkk?" Michonne grinded out, "Halt!" she continued resolutely.
He turned around mid step, "Yes honey?"
She stared at him seriously before she spoke, "This thing with Carl and Enid is getting serious. You need to have a talk with him." She raised her eyebrows and he decided that maintaining eye contact with her was his safest bet. "Yes dear," he smirked to himself. He knew deep down inside she was a tad bit sad that Carl was growing up and becoming a man.
"Fine. Take Jude-bug and give her a bath. I left the cute purple outfit Carol sent for her last week on our bed. And tell your son come help me with dinner…. maybe he'll talk to me," she ordered sweetly.
He loved when she was being the Queen of their castle, he was eager to do her bidding.
With a small head tilt he laughed, "Oh! he's my son when it comes to dating!? It's going to happen someday Chonne. We gotta accept this. We're at peace now. This is normal," he said to her with a wink. His southern accent was deep and comforting.
"Say bye bye to Mama Judes!"
"Bye bye Mama Judes!" the little girl mimicked. Rick ran up the the stairs with a giggling Judith.
Michonne smiked, she had a lot to be grateful for; her family was alive and thriving. Rick was right. She turned to the kitchen sink and began to wash the vegetables. She heard Judith laugh with her daddy upstairs, then heard the familiar heavy steps of the young man she considered her son coming down the staircase.
"Hey Mich," Carl greeted, fresh from a shower "Dad said you wanted help with dinner, which I know is code for you wanting to talk... about Enid." He grinned as he grabbed a knife from the knife block to start helping the woman he knew as his second mom.
She turned to him and chuckled. This was the new normal, if she was honest with herself normal never felt so good.