A/N: I know I owe you an update to my other story "Different Kind of Fear" but wanted to challenge myself with something a little different first. I wrote this story for another fandom I was in and decided to adjust it a bit to fit Richonne. If you recognize the story from my other pen name and the other fandom, trust me I didn't plaigirize it. It is indeed me :) I thought the premise worked for these two and I just love putting our two favorite warriors in sticky situations. This is A/U where Lori and Rick are going through a divorce. Michonne is an attorney and Shane and Rick are detectives in a Homicide Unit in King County. Carl and Judith are in this story and Judith is his biological child.

Hope you enjoy :)


Shane paced around the table, almost at his wits end. "Listen Phillip your alibi is falling apart. Your prints are on the knife. That's what we like to call a slam dunk. "

Your attorney said you were ready to confess. Has that changed?" Michonne asked first to the suspect and then to his counsel. It was early evening but they had been working almost nonstop for the past two days. Rick and Shane were handling interrogations and she was busy getting subpoenas and negotiating with the attorneys. Her patience was low and Rick was on a warpath.

The suspect was fidgeting trying to come up with a lie. "I told you I didn't touch that girl."

"Come on. We have our guys right now scrolling through those security tapes and we know what they are going to find. You and your buddy going into Alyssa's room at the same time she claimed she was raped and stabbed," Rick asserted. He was trying to get this confession to have this day over as soon as possible. He had already missed scheduled time with his kids and Lori was giving him a hard time about it.

Phillip was considering his words but still not budging so Shane pushed a little harder. "You can tell me. What? Did you come on to her and she turned you down?"

"Hold on a second," Phillip's young attorney said checking his iPhone. Rick grunted and Michonne tried to hide her annoyance. This was why she hated dealing with lawyers fresh out of law school. Too green. Her frustration reached its peak when he walked out of the room. No experienced lawyer in their right mind would do that but his client wasn't deterred.

"Oh please. No bitch would turn me down, not even you," he said nudging his head in Michonne's direction.

She arched her eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Yep. I'm sure if you weren't fucking loverboy here you would be all over me." He then turned to Rick. "Tell me is she as tight as she looks."

Rick was out of his chair before Shane could reach him. His fury was immediate and Phillip was struggling to breathe.

"Rick, Rick stop," she insisted resting a hand on his arm while Shane held him back. If he kept it up, she would have to collar him for assault and that was the last thing she wanted to do. Over the past couple of years since she'd been the Assistant District Attorney assigned to Kings County homicide division they had formed an unlikely friendship.

Rick finally let go and backed up a few paces.

Relieved, she straightened her suit and gathered her wits. "Detective Grimes why don't you step outside while Phillip and I continue our little chat?"

She sat down at the small table avoiding eye contact with Rick hoping he would take the hint. He huffed but eventually left the room while she and Shane continued.

As he turned the corner to his desk he ran right into his pissed off Captain.

"What the hell was that?" Hershel asked, trying but failing to keep his voice down.

Rick press the palm of his hand into his right eye willing himself to stay calm. "I'm sorry I just got—that guy was just-"

Hershel sighed and decided to give him an out considering his personal turmoil. "Look it's been a long few days. Why don't you get out of here and go see your kids? That's an order."

"Thanks Cap."

Rick collected his jacket and keys and dialed Lori on his cell.

It took another hour but Shane was finally able to crack the suspect and he confessed.

"Good job both of you," Hershel said.

"Thanks but I'm just the attorney. It was your guys that did the hard work. He'll be arraigned in the morning."

"You did good Shane. I wish your partner would've been able to keep it together enough to help you in there," Hershel added.

Shane and Michonne exchanged a look but said nothing. However, his comment sparked Maggie's interest, who had just arrived to bring her dad some dinner and kidnap Michonne for a drink. "What happened with Rick?"

"It was nothing," she answered while walking back to the main floor to get her briefcase.

She knew that Rick had been a bear lately even moreso whenever he missed time with his children. Hershel tried to talk to him a few times already and he would be fine for a day or so but slip back into his old habits once he had a terse conversation with Lori.

It was common knowledge that very few could tame Rick Grimes but if there was one person it was Michonne. It was the main reason Hershel was happy she was their ADA even when he saw interactions between them that could potentially be a conflict of interest.

Maggie gave her dad a quick kiss on the cheek, gave him his food and scurried to catch up to her. "Seriously, what was that about?" she whispered.

She ignored her, gathering her belongings to go home.

"Ok you don't have to answer. You can tell me all about it over drinks. Come on let's go to Pelletier's. I'm sure Carol has something that will fix you right up."

Michonne groaned in response. "Raincheck please I'm exhausted."

"Aww come on Michonne we never hang out anymore. I'll buy. Please. One round," she pleaded.

"Ok. One round and that's it."

Three rounds later, Michonne was officially tipsy and feeling more relaxed. They talked about everything from Maggie's string of bad dates to Michonne's lack there of and work of course.

Maggie was teetering closer to drunk than tipsy. "So what the hell happened with Rick?" she slurred taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh you know just same ole same ole. He missed another day with his kids and he was a little testy when a suspect said something to him."

Maggie nodded in understanding. "Is he still taking the separation bad?"

"I guess so. He never really talks about it. I do know that Lori officially filed for divorce."

"Ouch."

"Yeah ouch." Michonne took another swig of beer and thought about Rick's mood swings over the past year. It had been happening so often that she was uncomfortably accustomed to it. She never knew what she was going to get on any given day because he didn't talk about it much. One day she got so frustrated with his ups and downs that she considered asking to be temporarily reassigned to another division but she didn't want to work with anyone else. Rick, Shane and Hershel had become like family to her, moreso than her own. It was also how she met Maggie.

"Earth to Michonne," Maggie teased waving her hand in front of her face.

"Oh sorry I was just thinking about a case," she lied.

"Ok we need to get you laid," Maggie announced.

She groaned. "Oh please. How the hell did we get from Rick's temper tantrum to me getting laid?"

"You work too much and it's taking its toll on you. Only one way to cure that," she replied wiggling her eyebrows.

Michonne laughed. Her friend was always the one to help her have a little fun in her life and she certainly needed the comic relief.

"I'm fine."

"Oh god not that again. I'm fine I'm fine," Maggie mocked. "Ok, if not laid then we need to at least get you a good kiss or a date or something. When's the last time you've been out?"

Michonne shot her a dumbfounded look.

"My point exactly. Let me look around and see who I can find in here." She whipped around in the stool and scanned the bar looking for available men. It was a Tuesday night and not much to choose from. She hated that Carol was off tonight because she knew everybody in the city and could easily play matchmaker.

"No prospects?" Michonne teased. "There's hardly anyone in here."

Maggie rolled her eyes in obvious disgust. "Ok fine. The next person that comes in that door you are going to flirt with them or get their number."

"Ok whatever," she said blowing her off and ordering another beer.

Maggie took a quick call on her phone before turning her attention back to Michonne. "Have you talked to Rick since he left earlier?"

"Nope."

Maggie watched her body language sensing there was something more going on. "What did the suspect say that ticked him off so much?"

Michonne's body went stiff. "The same sort of thing that suspects say all the time. I think he was just sensitive because he's in a bad mood."

"Which is?" Maggie nudged.

"He said something about I would be fucking him if I wasn't fucking Rick and I must be really good or tight or something like that," she explained not noticing her friend's amusement.

Maggie smirked and Michonne was confused. "What?"

"Nothing."

They both took a sip of beer and Maggie eventually sputtered into her bottle laughing.

"What?" she asked in frustration.

"Mich how many people accuse you and Rick of sleeping together? Why do you think that is?"

She blew her off and concentrated on her drink. It was true there had been rumors of her and Rick having an affair. She saw the looks they got when they were in the lab or in court. She found out a few months ago that word spread to other precincts and people speculated that she was the reason Rick was separated. Thankfully the rumors hadn't reached her boss…yet.

"I have to say I'm a little surprised that nothing has happened. I mean Rick has been separated for a year. Why haven't you guys hooked up?"

She almost choked on her drink. "Are you crazy? He's my colleague Maggie."

"Well you don't have the whole he's married defense to fall back on anymore so you're going with the coworker excuse hunh?" she joked shaking her head. "You know I love you. You're my friend so I'm just going to be honest with you. You both have the hots for each other. It's so damn obvious to everyone. I think you both know it too but you won't talk about it which I will never understand."

Maggie spoke with such confidence about their situation that it threw her off guard. She teased her about Rick in the past but she seemed so matter of fact this time that Michonne realized she was being serious.

"There's so much sexual tension with the two of you that it's stifling. I mean have you ever thought about it?"

"No!" Michonne exclaimed turning in her seat to face her.

"You are lying through your damn teeth."

"I-I have-ok-maybe," she stuttered.

"You totally have and there's nothing wrong with that. Grimes is hot. Everyone thinks so. He's got that sexy zaddy cowboy thing going on."

Michonne rolled her eyes again contemplating Maggie's words. She was tipsy and this was the wrong time to be having this conversation. The truth was she had thought about it during late nights when she was home alone and she allowed herself for just a moment to think about her Rick's hands all over her body and the pure weight of him laying on her, pushing inside of her-

She shook her head to get rid of the errant thoughts. "I'm done with this conversation." She pulled out some cash to pay for her drinks.

"Oh no," Maggie protested, grabbing her hand. "You have to stay until I finish this last beer and we will share a cab."

Michonne reluctantly agreed.

"Plus we have to wait for your new conquest to come in the door any minute now."

She pulled out her phone to kill time while Maggie sipped slowly on her beer. She had two text messages from Rick. One apologizing for his behavior in the interrogation and another saying he would pick her up in the morning and take her to breakfast as a peace offering. She smiled at the message and began to text him back telling him it was fine and she expected nothing less than a top of the line breakfast.

"So what does Rick want?" Maggie asked playing with her beer bottle.

"Just telling me that he would pick me up for work in the morning," she answered before thinking. When she caught Maggie's smirk she sighed. "How did you know it was Rick?"

"You're so obvious. I knew from that smile on your face that it was him," she pointed out to Michonne's disgust. "Hear me out. Why won't you guys just hook up for one night? That's it. Just see what it's like. Take the edge off. Maybe it will cure some of the sexual tension you guys have," she tried to rationalize. "You aren't dating anyone, he's single now, he's hot, you're hot and he's not like any of these losers you normally date. It's Rick. You trust him. And if there's nothing to it then no harm no foul."

Michonne ignored her, setting down her jacket to go to the bathroom.

"Are you listening to me?" Maggie asked annoyed.

"No. I need to use the bathroom. These beers are kicking in."

As she stood, Maggie heard the bell above the door ringing, signaling that someone was coming in. She tapped Michonne's shoulder so she could see who her next date would be.

They both gasped when they saw who it was

It was none other than Rick Grimes.

"Well I'll be damned," Maggie grinned. "Rick we're over here," she yelled before Michonne could stop her.

There was hardly anyone in the bar so he would've seen them anyway before her friend's loud declaration. She didn't know why she suddenly felt uncomfortable being near him but she needed time to regroup. She was tipsy, tired and the pressure on her bladder was increasing by the second.

"Hey what are you guys doing here?" Rick asked, seeming a little uneasy.

"Well we can ask you the same. I thought Michonne said you had your kids tonight."

He tensed at the mention of his kids and she nudged Maggie to back off but she was too tipsy to catch on.

He shrugged his shoulders and sat down motioning towards the bartender. "I spent a little time with them but it's a school night so not much we can do.. I'll get them this weekend."

"Sorry Rick," Michonne said. The hint of sadness in his eyes killed her. He could be a jackass sometimes but she hated to see everything he was going through with his family. They held each other's gaze a little longer before she heard Maggie clearing her throat.

"Umm Michonne. Didn't you have to pee?" she asked with a knowing grin.

"Oh umm yeah," she stuttered suddenly concerned about leaving him and Maggie alone. "Ill be right back."

She could hear Maggie order him a beer and some laughter from Rick while she scurried off to the bathroom. She was determined to go as quickly as possible so Maggie wouldn't have enough time to do any real damage. Her mouth was a loose canon when she was sober so she could only imagine when she was near drunk. In five minutes, she was in and out of the bathroom held up temporarily by two middle aged women before finally staggering out.

When she rejoined them at the bar, Rick seemed a lot more relaxed and was genuinely amused. She held her breath worried about what they talked about.

Maggie didn't leave her in suspense for long. "So apparently Carl is mortified because his best friend's mom thinks Rick is sexy and asked him out."

"Yeah so he's officially not talking to me," he added.

"Why? You didn't do anything? Did you?" she asked teasing and cocking a perfectly plucked eyebrow at him.

He held up his hand in objection. "Hell no. She's like ten years younger than me and has that whole desperate housewife thing going on. What could I do with that?"

"Plenty," Maggie retorted. "Divorced single moms would love to—"

"Ok ok," he cut her off. "Well I'll put it this way. I wouldn't want to do anything with her. She's not really my type."

His eyes briefly met Michonne's and she found herself smiling at him and he returned it before taking another long drink of his beer.

"So what is your type Rick?" Maggie asked and Michonne tried to kick her but couldn't reach her leg without it being obvious.

"What do you mean? Like physically?" He seemed to be enjoying himself and the line of questioning which threw her off. She didn't know what was going on. They didn't have these types of conversations. It was always off limits or so she thought, but this was the most relaxed she'd seen Rick in months. She wanted to put an end to it but decided to stop herself for that reason. Her curiosity was also peaked. She wanted to hear what he had to say.

"Yeah what kind of woman does Rick Grimes find attractive?" Maggie asked pivoting herself in his direction and looking overly interested.

He swirled his beer bottle around for a minute thinking over the answer. "I don't know. It's been awhile since I've had to think about it. I don't know if I have a type."

Maggie wasn't taking no for an answer. "Everybody has a type. Let me help you. You clearly like slender women. You seem to like the plain, June Cleaverish thing."

"Maggie!" Michonne squealed slapping her arm.

"What?!"

Rick was laughing at the exchange, which once again caught her off guard. She was expecting his anger or at the very least for him to remove himself from this conversation.

"Sorry she's had a few too many," she apologized reaching for the cash in Maggie's hand to give to the bartender.

"Oh no please. You two have single handedly made my night. It's on me," he offered. He pulled out his wallet and threw the cash on the bar.

"Well thanks Rick," Maggie said slapping at Michonne to leave her alone. "Now where were we?"

"I think you were asking me my type," he grinned. "Ok let's see. I guess I like a good smile, someone who's funny—"

"Because you're not," Michonne interrupted.

"That's real funny Michonne," he said emphasizing funny and catching her eye. "Anyway I don't think I have a preference on trivial things eye color or hair color. Lori was a brunette but any color works for me."

Michonne suddenly wished she had another beer but she needed to sober up. Especially since Maggie was clearly not concerned for her own personal sobriety and it was their rule that both of them wouldn't get drunk whenever they went out.

"Are you an ass or breast man?"

"Oh my god! Maggie really?"

"You are such a buzzkill."

Rick smirked and joined in. "Yeah Michonne stop being a buzzkill. And to answer your question I'm a big fan of both," he responded with a flirtatious edge to his voice. He was still on his first beer so she knew he wasn't drunk. "But if I had to choose I would definitely say I'm more of an ass man."

Maggie sputtered into her beer and she knew she had to get her out of there before she said anything else.

"Ok Rick as fun as this was we are going to head out. Were you meeting someone? Shane?" she asked noticing that he came in alone and no one had joined him yet.

He dropped his eyes for a split second and she saw his demeanor change. "No actually I was just stopping by on my way home to have a beer."

"Oh."

She didn't know how to fix his mood but she was disappointed that she managed to upset him that quickly.

"Michonne has a nice ass," Maggie blurted out and he started laughing again.

"Lets go," she yelled at Maggie. "There should be cabs out there waiting."

"Don't worry about it. I have my car outside. I'll take you both home," he offered and had his keys and jacket in hand before she could protest.

"Are you sure? You should stay longer if you want.'"

He raised his eyebrow and smiled walking to the door. "Oh trust me. I'm sure there will be no one else in here nearly as entertaining as you two. It's fine."

Maggie muttered the entire ride to her place which thankfully was only fifteen minutes from the bar. Michonne was on pins and needles the entire time hoping she wouldn't say anything else embarrassing. Instead she went on and on about her recent failed dates and asked Rick if he had any friends she could meet. Miraculously she sobered up by the time Rick parked in front of her apartment building stopping Michonne when she got out to help her up the stairs. They watched her walk in and then they were off to Michonne's condo.

There was a comfortable silence between them during the ride and she found herself watching him while he drove. He seemed to ebb and flow between being amused and deep in thought.

"I know I apologized already but I wanted to say it again. I don't know what came over me today," he admitted and his eyes left the road briefly to meet hers.

"It's ok Rick. I know it's a tough time. It's fine."

"Things are finally getting a little settled. We agreed on a custody arrangement that works for the kids. Doesn't disrupt their routine too much."

He seemed like he was trying to convince himself and she wanted nothing but to assure him everything would be fine. "I'm glad."

He gazed at her again with a neutral look that she couldn't quite read and moments later they pulled up to her small driveway. He sat for a minute and she was about to open the door when it seemed like he had something on his mind.

"Pick me up at 8 tomorrow? Gives us time for you to treat me to breakfast," she quipped trying to nudge him.

"Yep. 8 is good."

"Good night," she said gripping the door handle until she heard him talk again. "So…," he began and she turned around to see him smiling. "Maggie thinks we should hook up for a night hunh?"

She stilled and closed her eyes trying to will away the murderous thoughts. She was going to kill Maggie.