This One Shot is dedicated to nat_Richonne, Tigerwalk, MrsG, Trinrichonnetrash and MsJRichonne
Lots of fluff! Enjoy.
Sophia.
Carl was mortified by the scene unfolding in front of him. He wished he knew how to stop it. So far nothing he tried was working. If things continued in the same vein as the evening progressed things were going to get ugly.
Maybe he was over exaggerating. His friends and family seemed to be having a good time. The weeks and weeks of preparation for their first festival was worth all the hard work despite the endless trips he made between the three communities. The Hilltop was thriving, the greenery produced was bountiful and had to be distributed weekly. The Kingdom had an ongoing weekly barter of various meats which consisted mostly of deer, horse and the occasional cow thrown in as a surprise for the Festival. Everything gathered for preparation at Alexandria, which was equivalent to the headquarters of the new civilization.
Carl was proud of what they had accomplished. Negan had subjected them to a brief life of oppression. His father had come to the realization, with the help of Michonne that a life of tyranny was no life to live. They went to war. They banded together and fought the saviors with a lot of guns, manufactured bullets and plenty of courage. They were victorious against the evils of Negan's group. They ended every last one of the saviors and Negan had died by the hands of Maggie.
Carl felt vindicated watching Maggie kill Negan, he had taken her husband's life in the most brutal way. It was only fitting.
A year had passed, after a long period of mourning, cleanup and rebuilding. The three leaders of each community decided it was time to celebrate; celebrate the fact for once in a long time they were all living. It was carded to be a whole day event, Michonne had him running errands for her all day. She wanted to ensure things were going to go exactly, perfectly right today. They were off to a good start. The weather was cooperating, the sun hung brightly in the sky with no signs of rain. There were lots of food and alcohol. They even had music, which added to the relaxing ambience. Tara had thought it necessary to set up a dance section where folks could feel free to let loose. Much to his surprise, people had actually taken advantage of the dance floor and the eighties music blasting from the one radio and speaker they found.
"I think you're dad is drunk," Enid said, handing him a glass of punch. She laughed as her gaze followed Carl's, his mortification grew at her observation. If his girlfriend noticed his father was three sheets to the wind then everybody else could. The drinking only contributed to the debacle he faced.
Rick Grimes was drunk, which lead him to believe he could dance.
Nothing could ever erase the image of his father doing the Macarena.
"You think I can make him stop? The other kids are beginning to laugh."
"Carl! Beginning? Where have you been for the past half hour?" Enid chided.
They watched Rick take hold of Judith, now they were dancing to 'Eye of the Tiger' by Survivor. His sister seemed to have no rhythm either. Her arms and legs were flailing about, mimicking their dad perfectly. His dancing was one shot short of a seizure.
"Hey Dad!" he shouted.
"Hey son! Come join us!" Rick beckoned, his stance a bit shaky.
Carl approached Rick and touched his shoulder. "How about we take a break and go in the house," he pleaded, in hope that his father would listen.
"Nah, I wanna dance some mo'," Rick laughed.
It was clear that Carl needed reinforcements. He stooped down to his little sister whose hair had gotten longer, he touched her flowing curls. "Hey Judes! Go tell mama to come get daddy. Run quickly." He watched her eyes light up at the mention of the word mama. She was absolutely smitten with Michonne, she skipped off to do as asked.
"Why don't you bring Enid...let your old man show her a few moves," Rick teased a palm on his stomach. He extended his other arm and imitated the dance of the cha-cha-cha.
Carl groaned again. He saw Daryl and Aaron pointing in their direction, they were clearly sharing a joke at Rick's expense. The minutes ticked by slowly.
He was happy to see his sister skipping back to his side, her pink dress blowing as she hopped.
"Mama said she's helping aunt Maggie with the baby." Judith resumed her spot on her daddy's worn cowboy boots as though she never left.
Carl sighed, maybe he needed to go to Michonne himself. If he explained the situation to her she would come and take his dad away from the dance floor.
Rick was the Leader of Alexandria, hell if things were really to be made official Rick would rightfully be the President of this new world.
Presidents weren't supposed to be drunk and dancing as though they'd been struck by lightning.
"Dad I'm going to get Michonne." He spoke loudly for Rick to hear him over all the noise.
"Great, bring your mother! Maybe we can all do the electric slide. We can have our own tradition - the Grimes dance off!" Rick added a real slide to his statement and Carl felt like pulling his hair out.
He jogged away to plead with his stepmom.
"Carl! What are you doing here? I was so sure you'd be hanging with Enid?" The beautiful warrior knew her son was love-struck for the pretty brunette. Enid had come out of her shell considerably since she became friends with Carl.
"Michonne, could you come get your husband please? He's ruining the dance floor for everyone," he informed. Michonne and his father tied the knot in a quiet, simple ceremony with only him and Judy as witnesses and Father Gabriel as overseer. They wanted it done as soon as the war was over. He was glad for them both.
Rick told him that Michonne was the love of his life. He saw the truth shining in his eyes every time his father looked at her.
"For everyone else? Or just you?" she asked handing over three month old Glenn Jr to Maggie.
"Michonne, you need to see him! He drank too much, now he's all hip and cool on the dance floor, at least he thinks he is! He's crazy talking about a Grimes dance off!" His arms folded while he waited for her rebuttal.
Maggie burst out in a fit of laughter at the visual Carl's rant provided.
"Carl give your dad a break! You of all people should know how much he is need of a breather. It isn't easy being the leader. Maybe you should be glad he's finding a moment just for him?" Michonne tried to help, Carl had a way of trusting the sentiment behind her words. "We fought hard and won for moments like this. Now that it's here don't take that away from your dad."
Carl felt guilty, he didn't think a year ago they would get moments like this either. Where they get to let their guard down and be free to enjoy the comfort of the lives they now had.
"It must be tired being so right all the time." He grinned, appreciating the subtle ways Michonne was able to reason with him.
"Can you at least come see how horrible a dancer he is though?"
Michonne and Maggie shared an amused glance. They both followed Carl, eager to see Rick on the dance floor. Michonne was sure Carl was exaggerating.
When they reached the Courtyard where the festivities were taking place she heard Rick trying to convince Ezekiel and Carol that he could do 'The Worm'.
Carl and Michonne's eyes held in a comical stare down. "Ok...it's bad," she said, headed to meet Rick.
Carl laughed with victory in his throat, happy that Michonne was about to shut things down.
She approached her husband slowly, Rick held his hand out to her which she took happily. He held both her hands and glided her on the dance floor to a song she had never heard before.
In two minutes of dancing he had stepped on her booted feet three times.
Rick searched her face until he found home in her spice brown eyes and said, "you're beautiful you know that? And so light on your feet."
Michonne laughed loudly, "That's because you're on my feet Rick." Carl was right, his dad was a bit drunk and he was a horrible dancer.
"I love you Michonne." His words were slurred but the sentiment was well received. "I love you too Rick," she replied to her drunk cowboy of a husband.
A thought popped into her head and she had an idea of how to get the revered Leader with two left feet off the dance floor and away from their son's judgmental eyes.
"Sheriff, how about we go home and do a little horizontal dancing of our own." She knew he was always ready for her. Not to mention they were actively trying for a baby.
Rick looked at his gorgeous wife and smiled through his light head.
He held her hand and twirled her one last time, "lead the way." He knew she always would.