"On a scale of one to Rick how crazy is he right now?" Maggie never wanted to be a fly on the wall so badly. It would be an entertaining evening at the the Grimes' residence witnessing the full gamut of Rick's Papa Bear behavior as fifteen year old Judith prepared for her very first date. Michonne adjusted the cordless phone stuck between her shoulder and neck as she committed herself to making a snack for her husband while chatting with her close friend. She hoped the food would be a distraction in some form from the evening ahead. She took a few slices of the whole grain bread she purchased the day before and began to construct Rick's favorite sandwich combinations.
"Well, let's just say he's claiming he's calm, but he's wearing a T-shirt that has D.A.D.D on it. It stands for Dads Against Daughters Dating. Apparently it's a real thing." She shook her head as Maggie's wild laughter amplified loudly on the phone.
"Oh God! This should be recorded. Poor Judy. Tell me more I could use a laugh before Glenn gets home with the boys."
Michonne eyed the clipboard Rick placed on the marble countertop as she continued with her tasks. Surrendering all pride for the sake of a good laugh, she angled the board that held the freshly printed white sheet in her direction so she could read it aloud to Maggie.
Somebody had to share in the madness.
"He umm...he printed a sheet with rules for dating Judith. I swear Maggie this husband of mine is so extra. You would think we're sending Judith off to get married in Vegas instead of a chaperoned dinner at a restaurant."
"Rules? This feels like TV. Of course the Sheriff of King County would have rules for dating his only daughter."

Rick was a protector at heart. It was why he was so good at his job, but when it came to his wife and kids, the instinct was permanently in overdrive.
"Rule number one, I. Am. Everywhere." Michonne tried to keep her voice as serious as possible despite the comedic tone of the hour. She piled two slices of pepper jack cheese on the delicious looking grub and considered making one for herself.
"How is that even a rule?" Maggie asked curiously, while trying to control her urge to get scandalous.
"The first one is probably more like a law. It gets better. Rule number two, keep your hands to yourself at all times. Number three, nothing is ever my daughter's fault and number four, don't even think of her like that. You ready for the last one Mags? Five, I own a gun."
"Oh God! You married a maniac," Maggie commiserated with Michonne. She was quite grateful the good Lord had blessed her with three rambunctious boys. She couldn't imagine how Glenn would behave if they were in the same situation.
"Trust me he's been warned. I told him to go get busy. Right now I'm so glad Carl is home from College for the weekend. They're finally cleaning out the garage like I asked. He's too busy arguing with Carl to focus on Judith right now." She plated the salami sandwiches and opened one of the double doors of the stainless steel fridge with her loafer clad foot, grabbing two beers for her boys and some iced tea for herself.
"So the rules are serious?"
"There's a place for the poor kid to sign and everything Mags! He's being ridiculous."

Rick's rules had long since migrated from the typical parental control measurements that most dads usually tried to implement. It was now an extreme edict of a raving, overprotective father.
Rick wasn't like most men; he was Judith's and Carl's dad and he took his role very seriously. Moreso with Judith who was just like him in so many ways. She questioned him on most decisions made. She needed to know the who, what, when, where and why's for her own justification on any given matter. Rick placated her, because he cherished the closeness of their relationship. It was something he took pride in. Michonne and Carl had an impenetrable, envious dynamic so it made his relationship with Judith even more special to him. The fact that his baby girl was on her way out of the house soon was breaking him up inside.
"Where is the girl of the hour? Is she nervous?" Maggie appreciated Michonne's calm front on most situations. She was able to maintain a sophisticated measure of composure that most often envied in their small circle. The Grimes' needed balance and Michonne was the cool head that evened things out on the scale.
"She's so calm, that's why I didn't want to go upstairs and fluster her. I gave her some options on what to wear so she's deciding now. I should probably go check on her in a bit. Logan and his parents should be here in an hour." She was dreading the exchange between the Cooper's and their son Logan who was completely smitten with the effervescent Judith Lorraine Grimes. They were an upstanding family and she hoped Rick remained as calm as he promised.
"Mom!" Judith called for her from the top of the stairs.

She ended the call with Maggie with a promise to fill her in on all the details later. She liked to still feel needed by her big girl. She couldn't believe it herself, she wasn't as unaffected as Rick thought she was by the fact Judith was old enough to date. She still remembered when she was a little girl and her nickname was Chubby Wubby.
Now she was a straight A student, student body President and on the honor roll at King County High School. She couldn't be prouder of the woman that was blossoming before her eyes. She tried to be as open as possible with Judith about relative teenage complications, like boys and sex and the long list of pressures girls her age were influenced by. She hoped it would foster a confidence and a certainty that Judith could come to her with any concerns she faced. It had worked so far, she was confident in the intrepid girl she and Rick raised her to be in the same manner she felt about Carl.
Michonne trusted her, Judith kept her in the loop with the daily chronicles of her life, although she knew her daughter maintained her individuality with her own friends. Michonne never once felt like she was on the outskirts looking in at Judith. She was a part of Judy's life and she planned to keep it that way.
It was her daughter's first date and she wanted to bask in the moment of creating another memory with her girl before she headed off for College in two blinks of her eyes.

….

Saturday evening strolled by at its own pace. It allowed time for an organized garage and enough time to sit and luxuriate in the living room. Judith finished dressing and was ready and waiting for her date.
Michonne, ensconced in the plushness of her brand new Ashley Taylor sectional sofa, neatly placed in their recently re-decorated living room was watching TV with Rick - who seemed quite reposeful. She hoped it wasn't the calm before the storm.
"What are you wearing?" Rick asked as Judith sashayed infront of her parents in a black, loose- fitting crop top and denim hipster jeans. The flash of skin by her tummy enlarged Rick's pupils to the size of saucers, Michonne held onto his neck in an effort to anchor him.
"A crop top daddy! It was half off at the mall!" Judith answered casting her actuating cerulean blues on her mother to enlist her support.
"You're sure right it was half off! Clearly some of the top is missin' sweetheart. Go find something else to wear!" Rick stood up as Judith set her hands on her hip ready to plead her case like the lawyer she planned to be.
"Rick. Chill. She wears crop tops all the time." Michonne took a sip of her green tea deciding not to buy into Rick's whole Broadway act.
"Not on a date she's not! Go put somethin' else on!" The visuals of any straying eyes or hands on his daughter's body disturbed Rick beyond measure. It was why he purchased the D.A.D.D shirt in the first place, there was no way he was sending Judith off with some excited teenage boy with her belly button exposed.
Nope! Not on his watch!
"Mooomm!" Judith allowed her eyes to impel the more balanced member of the parental unit.
"No! No mom! Look at Daddy. Go change, please baby." He pinched the bridge of his nose as Judith stomped her feet on her ascension to her room. The sound getting louder and louder with each step letting him know she was not too happy with his neanderthal behavior.
Well that made two of them who weren't pleased.
"You are so double standard," Michonne said quietly. Her selective tone would do wonders in ensuring Rick heard the displeasure in her voice.
"Me! I'm double standard. Please explain babe?" Rick took her leggings clad leg back into his lap and began to rub her thighs in an effort to return to the cozy position they held before the teenage disturbance.
"You weren't like this when Carl started dating." She thought she'd start light with serving him some act right.
"Carl's a guy. It's different."
"Different how Rick? The same rules that applied for Carl, applies for Judith. She knows what we expect of her. Cut her some slack." She filtered her fingers through his hair as she spoke. They had the ability to disagree without arguing and it was an aspect of their marriage she guarded with all diligence.

Rick took her wrist and kissed it sweetly, "I trust her babe. It's those young, eager boys with eager hands I don't trust."
"Logan is a sweet kid! They're going to a nice restaurant. His parents will be a few seats away. Look at me." He acquiesced to her request and with one trusting gaze he felt himself returning back to the shores of sanity.
"You have nothing to worry about." Michonne's voice was a soothing balm over his over anxious heart. Rick leaned in and kissed her pouty lips, his body felt relaxed. It was the wife effect she alone possessed over him.
"Is it better now?" Judith asked returning with the same black top and a brightly decorated, floral mini skirt fashionably paired with her brown leather strappy sandals.
"I love this one Judes!" Michonne squealed, rising to hug her.
"Where is the rest of this skirt? I don't like it. Where are your leggings things? Go get one of your mother's to wear." He was being ignored completely now, Judith took out her iPhone and snapped a selfie of her and Michonne, followed by a shot of Rick's shocked expression and outrageous jersey.
Rick saw a bright flash of white light and it almost made him dizzy. He was clearly being omitted from the exchange and he wasn't pleased about that. He grew more impatient when Judith began to type on her phone profusely.
"What just happened here?" His facial expression grew blank as he blinked a few times to regain his focus.
"She's wearing a skirt Rick. I love it honey you look beautiful." Michonne too had her head stuck on her phone, she didn't maintain eye contact with her husband as she spoke. She missed his eyes morph from the acknowledgement of his conniption to flat out dejection.
His eyes danced between his two favorite girls, he folded his arms waiting to be seen and heard by them.
"Double tap and heart emoji!" Michonne said triumphantly as she set her phone on the sofa. Rick looked bewildered and Michonne clarified their previous antics on the addictive social media platform.
"She posted her outfit on Instagram. It's a must Rick." Michonne wasn't even going to concern herself with explaining the evil trappings of Snapchat to him. She thought for sure he would blow his top with that one as she smooth the long tresses of Judith's hair. It was almost to her waist now and the ends of it had grown into a deep chocolate brown colour that Judith loved.

"An insta- what?" The sheriff was the most handsome man she ever met, but he certainly wasn't the most technologically savvy. She was doing the most to get him up to the times. Just last year Rick was probably the only person in King county to own a flip phone. Only last week he allowed her to set up his own Netflix account; he gave into her request because she kept complaining he was inundating her suggested tab with westerns, shark documentaries and hunting movies while simultaneously screwing up her profile.
Carl came through the front door in his sweaty basketball getup. He had gone to play a basketball game with Glenn and the Rhee's boys, returning home sweaty and hungry after their team had won. Carl stepped into the thick of things with Judith and his parents when he got the notification on his phone about Judith's latest social media post. He made it his business to keep tabs of the things his kid sister shared with the world.

Carl laughed loudly at the two pictures, merged into a collage, "Looking good Judes! Love your hashtag. Mom and me looking fly. Almost date time! Hashtag Dad's gettin' a coronary. That's freaking hilarious!" He breezed through the room, giving his mother a kiss and headed to the kitchen for some much needed iced water.
"Tell your date your big brother said keep his hands to himself." With that the oldest Grimes boy was gone. Carl was trying to pack all the activities he missed out on while he was away into one weekend, so his time was valuable. His parents were just happy to have him sleeping under their roof again.
"So the whole world can see what you're wearin'?" Rick's accent grew thicker and heavier with his tortured question. Judith rolled her eyes and Michonne plopped back onto the couch.
"Hardly the whole world Rick. A few friends maybe. Honey go check on your brother for me. Let me talk to your dad."
Judith did as she was told, Rick humbled himself as he caught a glimpse of Michonne's 'about to get it,' eye.
"Could you stop? Seriously. I get it. Your only daughter is growing up right in front of you. I mean how dare she do that? But the more you prolong the inevitable the worse it's gonna be. She is coming back you know! Judith dating doesn't mean she loves you any less. She's gonna need you still to teach her how to drive," Michonne paused as she conjured an image of Judith behind the wheel with Rick as her instructor, "Oh! God! No! I'll teach her how to drive. She's gonna need you for other important stuff. So stop being an ass and tell our baby she looks lovely and you hope she has a good time tonight. Do I make myself clear?"

Rick let her words settled between them like a white flag of surrender, only she was doing the surrendering for him. She was always the cool cucumber to his hot tamales.
She was right. He was being an ass.
"Yes boss." He scratched his brow as he saw a slow smile playing at her lips. That special smile was reserved for him alone. Whilst before he was feeling like a mere peasant at court, he was back to feeling like the King of the castle with his Queen at his side despite the fact he knew he had some apologizing to do.
He still decided to push his luck, "Can he still sign my contract?"
"Rick, we are not giving Logan to sign that thing!"
"And why not?"
"Because you'll scare him!"
"Babe I still don't see your point." The point of the contract was to frighten the young man to an inch of his life.
"Maybe tonight when you're sleeping on this nice couch you'll think about my point." She knew he was goading her with his rationale or lack thereof, she playfully smacked his arm as part of his game.
They settled on the couch in each other's arms when Judith came down the stairs for a third time.
"He's fine. Sleeping away." Judith didn't look Rick in the eye, but he stood to meet her gaze knowing what was fully expected of him.
"I'm sorry honey. I didn't mean to go all Fred Flintstone on you. It's my job to keep you safe and watch you grow and I guess I'm not ready to let my little girl be a…..woman yet. Forgive daddy?" He opened his arm as she happily stepped into his loving embrace. He kissed the top of her head and winked at his wife who always knew the right things to say to help him get his head out of his ass.
He knew she would be proud of him, he got his act right in time.
His bond with Judith was an invaluable treasure that enriched his life with every day that passed. She was his smile on a bad day. She had him weak with just one bat of her long, dark eyelashes. He would do whatever necessary to make sure his not so little girl was always happy. He cherished their movie nights and the time she spent helping him fix Carl's forever broken down Ford. They talked about his job and school and the law they both loved, he enjoyed their rapport. Michonne was correct when she said Judith was a good kid. She was smart and already knew what she wanted out of life. He only wanted the best for her but he knew the best still wouldn't be good enough. She'd always be his little girl. He remembered the little girl who only wanted to play with plastic red cups, now she was all grown up wearing red lipstick. She may have outgrown his lap but she'd never outgrow his heart.
"Thank you daddy." The smiling teenager squeezed him tightly and kissed his stubbled cheek as a peace offering.
The doorbell chimed signalling the arrival of her date.
"He's here!" The excitement danced in his daughter's eyes and he smiled too. There was nothing like Judith's smile and bright eyes to lighten up a dark room.
He smoothed the length of her shiny hair, "Remember what we always talked about right?" He felt Michonne's eyes bore into his back from the couch as he waited for Judith's expected response.
"Yes dad."
"Say it so I can be sure." His arms folded again in wait. Judith mimicked his stance as she began, "If he doesn't respect me, he doesn't deserve me."
"Go on."
"No kissing until you're dead." Judith's voice was a monotone of dry feelings as she droned out the mantra Rick made her rehearse since she turned thirteen.
"And…."
"If he ever makes me cry, you'll make him cry."
"That's my girl," he said, hugging her and kissing her again.
"Dad you're intolerable but I love you so much."

He was smiling because he was her father and there was nothing she could do about it. Judith owned a piece of his heart just like his wife did. He knew one of the best things he could do for his daughter was to love her mother. That way she would know exactly how a woman should be treated by a man. Which is why Rick tried his best to be the standard she judged guys against.

The minute Rick met the Cooper's son and realized he was a skinny, shy, could barely look Judith in her face, respectful young man, he was completely settled on the fact he wouldn't dream of trying anything with his fifteen year old beauty queen. Even if he wanted too, Logan would be too nervous to make a move. This made Rick feel safe. They saw the kids off and returned to their little love nest on the couch.
Tearing away the companionable silence as they watched another crime series on Netflix Rick said, "Larry seems nice."
"His name is Logan babe." Michonne chuckled, snuggling deeper into his embrace. She inhaled his just showered scent and craved a more intimate closeness with her husband.
"That's what I meant." More silence ensued as she heard Rick's thoughts loudly, only because she knew him well enough to know what was going through his mind. She knew she held the final key in closing the door to Judith's first date debacle.
"Daryl said his patrol is gonna take him to that side of town tonight. He said he'll throw an eye on thangs." She imitated his deep incantation of the word as Rick marvelled at the amazing woman in his arms. She always had a trick up her sleeve. It was a measure of comfort to Rick knowing if he couldn't be there at least Daryl was a good stand in, ensuring his sweet, precious Judith was okay without knowing she was being put under light surveillance. It was a downfall to being the only girl in the bunch and having most of her uncles on the force. Rick kissed the top of his wife's freshly styled locs, thinking she never looked so gorgeous. He married the woman of his dreams and she read him like the first book ever written.
"Have I told you today how much I love you woman?"
"No, but you and your credit card can do so tomorrow when you take me shopping Sheriff." He knew he didn't have a say in the matter so he nodded smartly.
"We have one more after the teen right?"
"A spanking new one. Still has the new baby scent and everything." Their three month old son was sleeping soundly upstairs in his crib. He would be due for a feeding any minute now. Andre had been a late gift to them when they weren't even trying to have a baby. His innocent presence was a significant addition to their family and Rick couldn't have been happier now that he had two sons.
"You know the good thing about having the kids out of the house and a sleeping baby is that Mommy and Daddy can have some together time," she teased him as she whispered in his ear the things she'd been wanting to do to him all day.

Michonne licked Rick's ear, he felt his boxers grow tight under his wranglers. He scooped her up in a fluid motion already headed to the white staircase. Her cute laugh permeated the ground floor and she tightened her hold around his neck.
"You know why I married you Mrs. Grimes? Because you're always right."
"You know that is such a true statement." She pecked his lips as a reward for always saying things to make her smile earnestly.
"Maybe we should've extended Judith's curfew tonight by an hour." He made the suggestion and Michonne was genuinely surprised by the gesture. Had she known he would've become this pliant she would have handled things in a more persuasive manner.
"That's a great idea Rick?" She was going to utilize the time wisely. Rick bent to kiss her as he opened their bedroom door. His mind was clear now, strictly focused on his sexy wife.
Michonne wondered if Judith was having a good evening because she was going to ensure she and Rick share a good night.