A/N: This was written as a one-shot based on the bedtime story Rick told Judith in chapter 28 of my other story, This Ain't Georgia; some readers indicated that they would have liked to read it as a stand-alone, so here goes. You can read this without reading TAG. Enjoy!
Once Upon a Time in Georgia
"Maybe you should take one of the cots out back," a feminine voice said to Sheriff's Deputy, Rick Grimes, as he clocked off just before midnight. Rick turned his head to see Cassie, a rookie, looking at him with a hopeful smile. "Storm's gettin' worse out there."
"Nah," he offered, with his slow drawl. "I pulled a double shift; I need to get home to my kids."
"Yeah," said the young woman, somewhat disappointedly. "Of course."
"You have a good shift. Goodnight," said Rick, as he closed his locker.
"Night," his colleague replied, as she watched him walk away; all the while admiring the widower's bow-legged strut.
Even though Rick had changed out of his uniform, he still had his brown jacket on. He drew the zipper of the jacket all the way to the top, pulled his hat low over his eyes, and stepped out into the wild storm.
The wind was strong. It caused the rain to smack against his exposed skin, stinging him as it made contact. Rick hurried to his car and climbed inside, pleased to be out of the elements. He let out a relieved sigh, started the engine, and drove off into the night.
He had not driven too far out on the highway when something up the road caught his attention. Through the heavy rain, Rick saw the red reflections of a car's taillights; the hazard lights were also flashing. He slowed his pace and came to a careful halt beside the stationary car.
He could not see clearly on account of the downpour, so he opened his window slightly; the other driver did the same. It was a young woman.
"Everything alright, Miss?" he asked. He was not sure that she had heard him properly, because of the wild weather, so he rolled the window down further, and spoke loudly. "Did you need some help, Miss?"
She offered a reply, but he could not hear her, so he got out of his car, and walked to her window.
"Sorry," he said. "Couldn't hear you over the rain. You need some help, Miss?"
She took in his jacket and hat, before asking, "You a cop?"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied. "Just got off duty. You havin' car trouble?"
"Yeah," she said, seemingly relaxing at this newfound information. "Out of gas."
"Ain't nothin' open around here at this hour," he explained. "How far is your house? I could give you a ride, if you want?"
"I'm actually not from around here," she admitted. "Just in the area visiting family. I've got the directions, but not too sure where I'm going. Couldn't really see the signs in this weather anyways."
"That's okay," said Rick. "I know this place pretty well. I can get you to your family. What d'ya say?"
"Okay," she replied. "Let's do it."
With that, she grabbed a bag and got out of her car. She climbed into Rick's car, and got comfortable. He had removed the hat and jacket, and she noticed he was wearing civilian clothing. Alarm bells sounded in her head.
She reached for her phone and said, "I'm gonna call my sister."
After a moment, she spoke to someone on the other end of the line.
"I'm coming – yes. Yeah, I'm okay – I ran out of gas, but a police officer stopped and he's giving me a lift – no, I didn't ask to see his ID – Hold up," she turned her head to Rick. "Can I see your ID, please?"
He took no offence to the request, and was impressed that her sister was so careful.
"Sure," he replied. "It's in my glove compartment. If you just wanna reach on in there and get it."
She did as he advised and retrieved the star-shaped badge with his photo identification next to it in a dark leather wallet.
"Rick Grimes," she repeated, before mouthing a Thank You to him. "He's legit – he just showed me his ID – is that really necessary? Okay, okay."
She turned to face Rick again and then said, "She wants to talk to you."
Rick nodded and took the phone from his passenger.
"Hello?"
"To whom am I speaking?" the voice on the other end of the phone asked.
"Rick Grimes."
"What are your credentials and who is your superior officer?"
"Deputy Rick Grimes, King County Sheriff's Department, ma'am," he offered amicably. "Sheriff Gable is my boss."
"What're you doing driving around late at night and in this weather?"
"I just finished my shift and was on my way home when I saw your sister needed help –"
"Are you armed?"
"No, ma'am," he replied honestly. "I left my sidearm at work. I don't feel comfortable with having it in my house when I've got young kids –"
"May I have your badge number, please?" she asked.
"Ah, yeah, of course," Rick replied, before reciting the number to her.
"And is Rick short for Richard?"
"Yes, ma'am."
She seemed to be writing the information down.
"How far away do you live?"
"Just over in Bishop County," he replied.
"Well, we're not too far away," she said. "Can you hand me back to my sister, now?"
"She wants to talk to you, now," he said as he handed over the phone to the embarrassed looking young lady.
"Do I have to?" she asked, before shaking her head and rolling her eyes then putting the phone on speaker. "Sorry, Officer. She's going to give you directions over the phone."
…..
The short trip was longer because of the rain and Rick's decision to go slowly. The trip was made awkward by the fact that he and his passenger were not able to engage in conversation. It was because her sister was still on the phone asking Rick where he was, and which street they were on. The young woman glanced over at him, offering an apologetic smile. She knew her sister was worried, but sometimes she took things a little too far.
"We're just turnin' up your street now. Be there in a minute. Get the coffee on," he joked.
Soon, he brought the car to a halt outside of their destination.
"We're here," he informed the woman on the phone. "I'm just gonna help your sister to the door."
"Okay," she replied. "Thank you."
Rick ended the call, and then turned to his passenger, offering her a smile.
"That was interesting," he said. "She always like that?"
"Pretty much," the young lady replied, and they both shared a laugh.
"Here, let me," he offered, and she handed her bag over. "And take my jacket; you can use it to keep the rain off your head."
She accepted the garment, and they both exited the vehicle. The woman ran up to the front porch first, and Rick came along behind her. His boots caused splashes in several puddles as he raced toward shelter. By the time he was standing next to the lady he had assisted, his clothes were soaked through.
"Thank you," she said with a smile, before knocking on the door.
"No trouble at all," Rick replied, just as the front door opened.
His passenger and another woman fell into one another's arms, and squealed as they did so. Rick stood back quietly, waiting for their greetings to end. Once they stopped hugging, the woman at the door spoke; right away, he noticed her voice: She was the sister who was on the phone.
She offered Rick a grateful smile and he felt his heart flutter. She was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She extended her hand, and he placed his in her palm, giving it a little shake.
"Hi," he offered.
She shook his hand and then said, "Hey, I was actually reaching for Shiri's bag. But it's nice to meet you."
"Oh," he said a little sheepishly. "Sorry, of course. Her bag. Here you go. It's real nice to meet you, too. Thanks for the directions."
"Thanks for bringing my sister to me," she offered sweetly, and her voice sounded even more rich in person. Rick wished he had more reasons to keep talking to her. "And thanks for being such a good sport; I know I can be a little –"
"Bossy," said Shiri.
"I wouldn't say bossy," she said. "Maybe fussy?"
"It's okay. And, I don't blame you. And, you're welcome," he smiled. "It was nothin'. Always happy to help."
He could have stayed outside talking to her forever, but then a particularly strong gust of wind whipped up, and caused Rick to shiver quite noticeably.
"Oh my goodness, you're soaked to the bone. Please, come inside and let me dry your clothing –"
"I don't wanna impose –"
"Don't be silly. You helped my sister, and got drenched in the process," she offered. "Please, it's the least I could do."
"Okay," Rick said with a smile. "Thank you."
"By the way, my name's Michonne," she said, with a smile of her own.
…..
The second cup of coffee warmed Rick as much as the first had. Shiri had long since retired after her journey, but he and Michonne sat up talking. Rick wore an oversized t-shirt and some too-tight sweatpants she had found while his clothing dried. It turned out that she was funny and smart, and held great conversation. She was a single parent, like he was, who worked a full-time job. She, and her young son, had recently moved to the area, and Shiri was her only sibling who was there to visit. He listened with great interest as she spoke about her family life, and how she was settling in.
"So, it's only been around three months since you've been here?" he asked, feeling connected to her.
"Yeah," she replied, feeling comfortable in answering his questions. "Not quite a local yet, but we'll get there."
"I suppose someone's already given you the tour, then?" he queried, leaving the slight hint to float between them, amidst the attraction he thought was definitely mutual.
"Are you offering to show me around, Deputy?" she asked flirtatiously, nothing there was definitely an allure between them.
Rick tilted his head to the side, gave her a little crooked smile, and then said, "Yeah."
Michonne nodded, and grinned at him, before saying, "Well, you found your way here, so I guess you know your way around."
"You made it easy," he replied. "You led me here."
"Yeah," she said, absently biting her bottom lip in the most distractingly appealing way. "I guess I did."
He was just about to flirt back with her a little voice called out, "Mommy?"
At the foot of the stairs stood a small boy, who was rubbing his eyes. He walked towards them, and then stopped when he noticed Rick sitting on the sofa.
"Head on back to your room. I'll be up there in a minute, sweetie," she said, and the little boy did as he was told.
"I'd better get goin'," said Rick, looking down at his watch which read one forty-five. "It's late, and the storm's probably keepin' my little ones up, too."
Michonne nodded her head in understanding, and then said, "Of course. I think I heard the dryer beep about ten minutes ago, so your clothes should be okay."
"Thanks for the coffee and the chat," he offered, as they both stood up.
"It's okay," she offered. "I'll grab you an umbrella, too."
"Oh, that's not necessary," he said.
"I'll just get it from you when I see you again," she said with a hopeful glint in her eyes.
"Yeah," he said with a smile. "I'll hang onto it until then."
"I appreciate you helping out tonight," Michonne proffered happily.
He grinned at her and then said, "It was my pleasure."
…..
A few days after the storm had passed, Rick was back at work going through a pile of paperwork. It seemed the roads were not that safe in the aftermath, and a few minor accidents had occurred. He did not really mind desk work, and it afforded him the opportunity to daydream about the beautiful woman he had met recently: Michonne.
It was mid-morning and the mail had arrived.
"There's somethin' here for you, Rick," said Cassie as she dropped a small envelope on his desk. "Looks like a card. You got a birthday comin' up soon?"
"Nah," Rick shrugged as he released the flap and reached inside; Cassie took his silence as a hint that he did not want to engage in further conversation with her so she left him alone.
He pulled a quaint little card out of the envelope. When he opened the card, he looked the bottom to see who had signed it. His face lit up when he saw Michonne's name scrawled neatly at the end. He quickly read the message she had written:
Dear Rick,
Thank you for helping my sister out the other night.
I was wondering if your offer of showing me around is still on the table? If so, here's my number.
She ended the note with her mobile number written just above her name. Rick could not help but smile to himself. He felt his face grow warm and his stomach do little flips. He could not explain it, but meeting Michonne on that stormy night left him intrigued with her. He did not know what the future held, but he was almost certain she would be in it. He picked up his phone, and then dialled the number. Her voice was as sweet as he remembered.
"Hello?"
"Michonne?"
"Yes?"
"Hey, it's me Rick Grimes," he offered, oblivious to the fact that she was beaming brightly and telling herself to calm down as butterflies filled her stomach. "I just got your thank you card, and I wanted to let you know my offer still stands."
"That's great," she replied, doing her little happy dance. "What did you have in mind?"
He leaned back in his chair and then said, "How about we get our kids together, and go somewhere for a picnic?"
"That sounds like a good plan," she replied. "Are we going anywhere in particular?"
"Not really," he admitted. "I ain't too fussed about where we end up, as long as it's with you."
"I'm glad you said that," she responded happily. "Because I feel exactly the same."
~End~