Chapter 1:

It had been about a week since Michonne had been back in Kings County and she was nowhere near close to being finished unpacking. It was her first time back home since she left for New York after high school. She wasn't the least bit surprised that everything and everyone still looked exactly the same just with a little bit more wear and tear. Since she has gotten back she had managed to avoid most people by staying inside. On the rare occasions she stepped outside she was met with wide eyed stares. She knew people remembered her but now she was different. When she left Kings County she was happy, full of hope, excited to see what was to come in New York. But now, she was harden, cold and she met people's stares with glares daring them to say something to her. After ten years in New York she was tired and struggling to feel happiness again and so she decided maybe coming home would be best for her. But with all the stares she was now getting she wondered if she had made the right decision.

One person who she had yet to see, thankfully, was Rick Grimes. Rick and Michonne were always close their friendship starting as kids but when she decided to go to New York and he stayed in Kings County they argued and couldn't manage to bring their friendship back from it. The last time they talked there had been many curse words dropped and middle fingers held high. They were both stubborn despite being young and neither one of them could manage to pick up the phone and call the other one. Even though she had had yet to see him she had heard her mumblings of who he is now. From what she had gathered from the town's not so discreet gossiping, Rick was angry. He was divorced, she didn't even know he had gotten married. He was now on paid leave for an indeterminate about of time from being a sheriff, something that Michonne knew was his dream career even as a young child. And now apparently Rick had a son, who was going to be with his mother for 2 weeks.

Michonne walked over to her kitchen and opened her cabinets and sighed. She was already out of coffee and had to step outside again and deal with the stares again. She contemplated going without coffee for the day but quickly shook that thought as a yawn began to surface. It was about 10 in the morning on the Friday and she hoped there was a chance the people of this town were either at work or at home but she knew this was probably wishful thinking. She was already dressed in tight denim shorts and a loose fitting top. She slipped on her flip flops and sunglasses as she walked out the door, grabbing a small purse. She was headed to a local diner to first get a cup of coffee and some breakfast and then to the supermarket to get coffee for home.

Her walk to the diner was met with stares, something she was starting to get a bit used to, but luckily there seem to be last people out today. She entered the diner and slipped into an empty booth. There were a few heads inside but she kept her eyes down on her menu not wanting to initiate a conversation with anyone.

"Hey dear, what can I get yo-Michonne! I thought I heard rumblings of you comin' back to town. How are you?" Asked the waitress excitedly with a strong southern accent.

Michonne sighed and rolled her eyes, her dark sunglasses shielding her true feelings. She looked up at the woman and couldn't place her but she obviously knew Michonne. "Fine." Said Michonne simply.

The woman paused for a moment an awkward smile crept on her face, this was not the Michonne she had remembered and it seemed like the rumors were true. "Alright….Well what can I get ya?"

"Coffee. Black. Scrambled eggs. Toast. That's it." Michonne handed her menu over still not attempting to start a conversation. She saw a slight nod and an eye roll as the waitress walked away. Michonne finally took off her sunglasses once the waitress left, leaning back in her seat and glancing out the window as she heard shouting.

"Go fuck yourself!" "Fuck me? Do you know who the fuck you're talking to?" Michonne heard two distinct voices outside as the men slowly came into view and one of them was Rick. Even after 10 years, his voice was different but in some ways remained the same and Michonne recognized it instantly.

There was a rumbling in the dinner as people saw the commotion happening outside.

"Here we go again…."

"He's off the handle."

"He's gonna kill someone one of these days."

"I don't understand why he hasn't been locked up yet. So what he was the sheriff! If that was any of us we would have been sitting in jail by now."

Rick and this other man were now toe to toe, screaming profanities at each other. So the rumors were true Michonne thought to herself. Her coffee was brought over to her and she sipped it as she got up. "I'll be right back." She said to the waitress, stepping out of the diner.

Rick and this man were now rolling around the floor and seemed like Rick was the one winning this fight. Michonne sighed as she watched their fight, one hand on her hip. "Rick." She said firmly. She saw him slow down, he was on top of the man and his fist was cocked back as he was about to punch the man again but before he could do so he looked up at her his brow furrowed, a look of confusion as he saw her and took her in.

While she looked harden, her face was still young the only major change was the addition of her waist length locs. Rick on the other hand looked like hell. He had small bandages on his face and now there were new cuts from his current fight. He had a beard that also didn't help in aging him. His beard was sprinkled with grey hairs and his curls that still looked the same from years ago laid messily on his head, sticking to his forehead due to sweat. His blue eyes that Michonne always loved did not hold any happiness but anger and loneliness. He continued to stare at her as he got off the man.

"Michonne?" He asked roughly.

"What is this Rick? I leave you for 5 minutes and you turn into some bad ass?" She asked sarcastically, with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you...what are you doing here?" He asked, running his hand through his hair to push it off his forehead. The man who he was fighting was still on the ground, a group of people now surrounding him. He yelled curses towards Rick but he ignored them, his attention now solely on Michonne.

Michonne looked back to the diner, seeing her food sitting at her booth. She sighed and turned back to the diner. "Come on Grimes." She said, walking back to the diner hearing Rick's hard footsteps behind her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked again once they were seated.

"You want something?" She asked, ignoring his question taking bites of her food and sips of her coffee.

"Michonne." Said Rick firmly and she can hear the hint of anger in his voice.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "First of all Rick don't' get fucking pissy with me, okay?" There was a pause, "...I'm home. I wanted to come home. So I did. Is that okay with you?"

There was a silence after this as Michonne ate and Rick just stared at her. The other people in the restaurant were staring at them as well expecting some sort of large blowout to start.

"Yeah….that's okay." Said Rick, leaning back on his seat. He heard mumblings of the people in the diner at his reaction but he ignored them. He took a piece of toast from Michonne's plate and smirked when he heard her sigh.

"So you're just beating people up in the streets now?" Michonne asked.

"He said some things…" Said Rick his voice was low but there was anger behind it.

"Like what? Called you ugly and made fun of your hair? You're a grown ass adult Rick get it together." Michonne sounded as if she was scolding a child.

"You don't know shit about who I am Michonne." Responded Rick as he fidgeted in his seat and looked out the window.

Michonne nodded a bit, she agreed with Rick. They were friends for years but now they were different and she didn't know him just like he didn't know her. "You got married?" She asked, changing the topic. There were rumblings of a divorce but she noticed Rick still wore his ring.

"I was. Not anymore." He wasn't going to expand on details and Michonne wasn't planning on asking for any.

"And a son?" She asked, Rick squinted at her clearly wondering how she knew this information. Michonne gave him a smirk, "You know people talk in this town Rick."

He gave her a slight smirk in return, "Yeah I have a son...His with his mother right now." He paused for a moment. "Did you bring any kids back with you?"

Michonne looked at him, her face was stoic but she was sure her eyes gave something away. Anger? Sadness? Grief? She wasn't sure but gave him a slight smile anyways trying to erase it, "No. No kids." She reached into her pocket and took out a 20 leaving it on the table. "Get whatever you want. I gotta go." She said, slipping out of the booth.

"Hey…" Said Rick causing Michonne to pause before walking towards the door. "You're...you're staying for a while?" He asked.

Michonne nodded, giving him another slight smile, "Yeah...I'll be here. Maybe next time I see you, you won't be bashing someone's face in?" She asked with a smirk.

"Yeah...maybe" Said Rick. "See you around."

"See you around Grimes." She said, leaving him at the booth.