Michonne was walking through the thinly snow covered streets of Alexandria with Daryl, talking about plans to reinforce the weak points in the newly formed walls. The sun was setting and the cold wind was stinging her cheeks, her hands had started to numb and she could still feel the cold radiating through her pockets, she couldn't wait until she got home in the warm where her family was. They were her family. The boy with the piercing eyes who reflected his father and the baby who was starting to speak new words. Of course they could not replace her Andre, she felt as if they were his siblings.
"Heard what I said?" Daryl said breaking her out of her trance
"Huh? Oh not really sorry, can we talk about this later? My fingers are about to fall off" She laughed off and he just grunted a yes back at her.
They got back to the house where Carol was just walking out tugging one of Daryl's poncho around her neck.
"Why you got to steal all my clothes all the damn time woman?" He questioned. Carol said that she just grabbed it before coming outside. Michonne watched the pair interact wondering if something had happened between them.
"Carl and Judith are inside. Jude is just sleeping." Carol spoke before getting wrapped up in Daryl. Michonne nodded and left them and went inside just after she caught Carol's words "What? I had nothing warm and you left it in my room."
"Must've forgotten it this morning, too many things distracting me" She heard Daryl murmured, Michonne quickly got away from the door before she heard anymore, her suspicious confirmed something had definitely happened between them.
Michonne walked into her house to see Carl as he playing with the paper thin pages between his fingers, he wasn't reading, just staring off towards the fire place.
"What's got you thinking so hard?" She spoke as she made her way to the warm orange glow in the middle of the room.
"Just dad being dad. He came in before stressing about something, he was just mumbling nonsense before he walked out again." He kind of chuckled so he wasn't that worried "Maybe you should talk to him again."
"Usually when he is thinking about something it would take a while to talk him out of it." She said while holding her hands out to the fire.
"Oh I don't know. Dad thinks you are pretty persuasive, mom." She froze and put her head over her shoulder to see Carl staring at her, wide eyed.
She took a deep breath and smiled at him and she saw that he had softened his expression "Ah I'm- I'm sorry about that 'chonne. Yeah." Michonne walked over to the lounge and sat by him. "Don't be Carl, It's all good."
Silence came between them and Carl went back to his book while Michonne watched Judith sleep in her cot in the corner.
"I don't think we need to tell anybody."
"So just let them figure it out?" Carol and Daryl had come inside bickering, which had removed the silence. Daryl hadn't realized Michonne and Carl were still in the lounge room when he spoke next "I love ya Carol, but I don't want them asking us all these questions." He stopped in his tracks when he saw two amused faces at him and he quickly made his way up the stairs. Carol chuckled obviously amused at Daryl's embarrassment and followed behind him but not before giving the faces a sweet smile.
Carl turned to Michonne and they chuckled between them loud enough for Judith to wake up. Michonne got up and bent down to pick her up, her cries were those of annoyance and tiredness "So Carol and Daryl hey?" Carl asked. "You reckon Dad knows?"
"Probably not, he is pretty unaware sometimes. Shhhh, come on now baby." She was moving her side to side while patting her back.
"I've been singing to her lately, to the best of my ability." Carl spoke up. Michonne looked up at him and laughed. "Any particular songs?"
"Anything that comes to mind really." Michonne started to sing the first thing that came to her head. It was slow and she hoped Judith would be mesmerized by the song how Andre had been.
'Remember those walls I built?
Well, baby they're tumbling down
and they didn't even put up a fight
they didn't even make a sound
I found a way to let you in
But, I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of you halo
I got my angel now'
Carl watched as Michonne sung to his baby sister and hope they she would grow up calling her mom too. "It's calmed her down, but she ain't going back to sleep."
"That was beautiful by the way, you're a good singer."
"I mean I'm no Beyoncé" Carl wasn't too sure who that was but left her singing, thinking of what it would be like if Rick and Michonne got together. Michonne was practically his mother, nobody could replace Lori but if he could choose anyone to take her place it would be her.
Rick had walked in more calmly then he did before and greeted Carl in the kitchen. "Hey dad"
Rick nodded at him and put his hand on his shoulder before walking into the lounge and saw Michonne holding Judith, making faces. He walked over and put his hand on her lower back and kissed Judith's head. "I can take her from you if you want."
"Only if you want but I'm alright with her." She smiled back at him "Carl said you came in stressed. Want to talk about it?"
"It's not that important, after dinner?"
"Sure, which you are in charge of tonight by the way" He waved his hand acknowledging and went upstairs to shower the day away. As he walked away his chest tightened at the image of Michonne and Judith, Judith needed someone like that, Carl needed someone like that. Maybe he needed someone like that too. He walked to the bathroom door and could hear the shower running, he tapped the wood.
"Yah" Daryl growled from the shower.
"How long you going to be?" He saw the door handle shake and Daryl's distinct voice protest. Carol slid from behind the door with a cheeky smile. "He won't be long."
Rick's eyes followed Carol back down the stairs, then turned to see Daryl at the door and he raised his eyebrows. His wet hair slicked back out of his eyes and his glare was on full display. Rick Laughed.
"Shut up. She'll be the death of me." He grunted and Rick took his place in the bathroom.
He finished his shower and made his way to start dinner. Michonne was still in the lounge room with Judith and Carl was trying to tease Daryl while he stoked the fire. Carol was in the kitchen starting dinner which Rick quickly took over. "Go in and I've got this." Carol happily obliged
"Michonne looks so natural with Judith." She smiled before walking out.
Carl had taken Judith and they all sat in the lounge by the fire, waiting for dinner to be ready. Carl was trying hard to teach Judith to talk, hoping Carl or brother would be her first words, Daryl took her next sat her up in his lap.
"Okay lil asskicker, this one sounds like dad but trust me it would be better to say Daryl first." It went back between Carl and Daryl competing on teaching her. Carol could see Michonne looking at them with so much love, she could tell that she was a mother herself. A mother, like her, who had lost a child. Michonne could never say it out loud but Carol knew. Michonne might have been a warrior and reserved but she was also caring, nurturing, and motherly.
After sometime Rick had finished dinner and called everyone to grab a plate, they all sat around the table. Carol and Daryl next to each other, opposite them sat Carl and Michonne and Rick at the head with Judith in his lap. They were devouring their food making light conversation there before Carl broke it with something all three wanted to know "So, guys, tell me. How long was this going on for?" He spoke to Carol and Daryl.
He kept his head down while Carol smiled. "I think they figured it out Daryl" They talked about it for a while before Judith started acting up in Rick's lap. She had finished her dinner, sauce all over her face.
"Mama" Rick froze down at his daughter. Her first proper words. Words that were comprehensible. But it wasn't the word that shocked him and everyone else at the table it was Judith saying mama while trying to reach out to Michonne. Her face had soften and her hands fell into her lap. She felt her throat dry up and her heart paced quickened, she was about to cry along with Judith.
"Mama" she sounded desperate and tried her hardest to grab Michonne. She looked at Rick and he picked her up and handed her over and as soon as Judith fell into place in Michonne's arms she settled down.
"Damn, I really hoped Carl was going to be her first words." Michonne laughed at him and looked back at Rick who looked at her with affection. Michonne gathered herself and she went back to eating and they continued their dinner like it was nothing. Like it was just another natural family gathering.
After dinner Michonne had carried Judith up to Rick's room and decided to sing her to sleep.
'Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace
You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby, I can feel your Halo
Pray it won't fade away'
"Goodnight my baby girl." Michonne laid her down and traced the back of her hand over her cheek. She turned around to leave when she saw Rick standing in the doorway.
"You're good for my kids. You know that right. I'm sorry if it was too much pressure on you"
"Not at all Rick." She whispered "Didn't you want to talk?"
"It's was nothing." He assured her.
She looked back her the crib "I love them."
"They love you, we all do." She smiled at him and he placed his hand on her shoulder. He stared at her, her beauty radiating when she spoke of his kids, their kids. "Goodnight Rick."
"Goodnight." He said before placing a chaste on her temple. She stared into his eyes before breaking the contact and leaving him to go back to her room. Rick walked over to the cot and smiled down at his baby. "I'm glad you love Michonne. So do I."