AN: Still don't own anything from The Walking Dead, except my DVD sets – yep.
Ignore geography when reading this. Ignore that most of the characters on the show originate in Georgia, 100s of miles away from Virginia and the Safe Zone. As long as you ignore all of that, this will flow easily…lol
Chapter 1: No Chance
The moon's silver light was the only brightness they had as they traversed one of the many wooded areas. Her steel-toed boots were actually lighter on the leaves than his smaller Tiimberland boots. She actually didn't mind it. They had his father and "uncle" to ward off any of the others like them. It was all fine, unless he…
"Mommy, I'm hungry," his little voice informed her.
She didn't stop her steps as she held onto his hand. "We've discussed this. No talking."
He whimpered. She tried to numb the sound that clawed at her heart. It was okay to whimper, but to all out wail was what could do them in. She couldn't lie to herself; her son was good. His protests and demands had dramatically dropped when his dad and uncle changed. He was a true survivor. She wished she could tell him more often of how proud she was of him, but their world didn't allow her too much opportunity for that. She used to dote on him with a large dose of reality before the world changed anyway. Their bedtime was full of laying in the bed together as she helped his sleep come along by ways of travelling to space, distant kingdoms, or fairytales. Their days were spent with her encouraging and disciplining him in the ways of chores and homework. Mrs. Robinson expected her daycare students to continue their learning experience at home. Michonne expected Andre to understand what expectations were and to meet exceed them.
Currently, she taught him to expect a monster at every turn, to be extremely hungry and tired, to be dirty, to expect that true happiness and the past were gone. She'd love to weep for him and cry his sorrows before he'd truly understand the young life that he'll soon to miss. A childhood wasn't important. It was all about survival now, and that meant she couldn't have a moment to mourn the death of her son's innocence for him.
They finally came upon a clearing, unlatched a gate, and made their way to a large farm. They were quiet until Michonne tied her former lover and friend to the front door. Andre ran past her.
"Auntie," he screeched. He jumped on a blonde woman who was lying on a couch.
"Andre," her weak voice let out. "I missed you!"
"I'm hungry," he informed her as he climbed on her in order to hug her.
Michonne deeply sighed. In the past, she wouldn't have allowed these two to shower each other with affection. Who knew what kind of sickness she carried with her? Then again, the world was full of disgusting pathogens by now – she was sure of it. There was no use of protecting him from microscopic monsters when his own dad could have eaten him if she didn't carve out his jaw. She shuddered at the thought and silently watched the interaction before her.
Andrea hugged him back tightly. "I have a surprise for you." She reached in between the couch's cushions and pulled out an object. She held it up to the four year old and made a peculiar face to add more excitement.
"Chocolate!" the three year old exclaimed. Michonne silently smiled and inwardly sniffled.
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Rick sighed as he pulled the binoculars away from his face. Daryl needed a vacation. He had to. He hardly dealt with anyone in the Safe Zone. Rick was sure that the only structure that his brother cared to know of was the one that he rarely rested his head in. So, as a true friend, he offered to go out on this scouting mission. That didn't work to well, but it happened.
"What do you think," Aaron pondered.
Rick bit his lip. "I think you must be out of your mind to even be tracking them." He rubbed his shirt on the binocular's lens.
"I know you and your family were out here for a while, but look at how things have changed once you joined us. The fact that…"
"They look pretty dangerous to me," Rick rudely interrupted.
Aaron rubbed his head uncomfortably. "You said that about those other women not too far from the road."
"Women can be dangerous."
Aaron deeply inhaled. "We found their bodies right after. Or what was left… Didn't you and your people take people in at one point?"
Rick grimaced. "It wasn't necessarily always by choice, and we didn't go out looking for them. When you go out with Daryl, does he just say 'yea, okay' to every suggestion that you got?"
"No, but he isn't contrived about every suggestion either." The pause in their conversation was tangible. "Rick Grimes, why did you demand to come out on this mission?"
Rick's jaws clenched. "Daryl needed a break."
"Is that so? He seemed to finally be at ease once we started scouting together. I think it's all you."
"What are you," Rick's stance shifted as his head cocked to the side. "My psychiatrist?"
Aaron chuckled. "I did work as a therapist for a bit…"
No one cares, Rick thought to himself. He stopped himself from voicing that opinion. Aaron wasn't a problem, not a problem at all. The problem was that he didn't want to admit the truth to himself about a decision that was hard to get away from. This was his vacation. He continued to ignore his comrade's question. "It's late. We should call it in until the morning…"
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Andrea's hacking was beyond a growing concern.
"Are you asthmatic?" Michonne inquired.
"No," the woman mumbled.
Michonne grunted as she felt her head for a fever. As she did so, she eyed her baby who had fallen quickly to sleep on a loveseat after she gave dose of children's Nyquil…just in case. "Here," she handed her friend a green pill – the adult version. "I hope you can swallow without water."
"Hmmm, there's a joke in there."
Michonne just stared at her.
"I know you didn't always not joke."
"There's not much to joke about anymore," was her response.
"Andre…you still have your Peanut. Not everyone gets to see their loved ones for even a little bit. I can joke because I'm grateful that you two found me. I'm a lucky son of a bitch, to be honest."
Michonne stared at the door. Her dead companions' bodies were still. She was always ready to see their chests inhale and exhale. Instead, the only things that remained alive about them was their need to feed. "'The Lord Giveth and Taketh Away'. That's all this place is." She rolled her eyes and turned away from Andrea's direction as she tried to get as comfortable as possible on a reclining chair. Andrea's words were very true. Michonne just couldn't allow herself to be comfortable with that thought.
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The heavy footsteps were upon them quicker than her alertness let her react to. She jumped up to grab her katana, but it was swooped up from behind her seat. She groggily but forcefully punched one of them square in the jaw. The man swiped her leg with his foot, but managed to not let her drop to the ground.
"We're not tryin' to hurt you," he yelled with a Southern twang.
"What the hell," Andrea asked as she stumbled up from her rested position, only to fall back down.
Aaron's temples flared as he tried to calm the situation down. "We're not here to hurt you", he declared. "We're only here to help," he attempted to say in a calm tone.
"Or rape us," Andrea retorted. "Two women with a little boy…we're not stu-" Her words were interrupted with hacking.
Rick had Michonne pinned to the ground. "I told you this wouldn't work."
"If you don't get off of me…"she began to threaten from beneath him. Andre was in eyeshot and still easily sleeping off his medicine, despite the commotion. "I'll have to kill you if you harm any of them."
Rick could sense that she meant all that she said. He recognized this identifiable presence in her that could easily kill without a thought. "No one's goin' to hurt anyone, all right?"
"What do you want with us?" Andrea faintly probed.
Aaron sat by her, knowing she was too feeble to try to kill him. "We want to help. We're from a camp, more of a town, and wanted to bring you all to a safe place."
"Sounds like a load of crap," Andrea coughed.
"If we really wanted to hurt you, don't you think we would have just done it by now? You're sick." Andrea swallowed hard, knowing it was true. "You two are living with a baby. How much longer do you have before this place isn't safe? Our home has been standing since right after the Turn."
Andrea still looked at Aaron as if he had two heads.
Michonne's head replayed the many near-death situations they encountered. She didn't tell Andrea, but her most recent run only yielded enough to go on for a day. Their time was running out. She listened to their back and forth, with Rick's heavy breathing still upon her. Her eyes focused more on her son, her baby, her Peanut.
"We're going," she announced.
"What?" Andrea exclaimed as much as possible.
"Get off me," she demanded of Rick. He did as she told him. She dusted her vest and trousers off. "We're going. We don't have much of a choice. If it's a trap or not, we were going to die here soon, anyway."
"It's no trap," Aaron tried to reassure her.
"What's your name," Michonne asked.
"Well Aaron, I don't know you. I just know what I'll do if something bad happens to my people."
They soon opened the front door to walk out to a RV that was suddenly parked in front of the farmhouse. Andrea, assisted by Aaron's leaning hold, led the way. Rick followed behind Michonne who carried a sleeping Andre. She paused and gasped, looking at the remains on the ground.
"You knew them," he implored.
Michonne collected herself. "They're not who they used to be, but if anyone was meant to put them down, it was me." She said this while avoiding all eye contact, staring off into the rising sun.
That was another thing with this woman he could recognize. He grabbed the gun out of his hand. No child should have to live with the memory of having to do that. He snatched the gun away, even though he pleaded and argued with him to allow him to be the one to send his mother off. He just couldn't stand by as his son lost more and more innocence. Besides, he failed her enough already.
"I'm sorry," Rick apologized. If she heard him, Michonne didn't show any signs of it.
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Andre finally awoke, happy to be in a vehicle for what felt like years. His mother allowed him to jump around for this moment. Andrea slept off some echinecea tea that Aaron had prepared for her. Both women were cautious about the drink, but they were already heading to these people's home. The ride was uncomfortably quiet. Michonne could faintly hear some of their conversation in from the front.
"Well, I'm sure you'll be happy to be back home, back with your family."
"Yes, Carl and Judith are my life."
Michonne took note that the aggressive Rick was a family man. She wondered if that mattered anymore.
The gate was opened by an attractive young man. Aaron helped Andrea get out of the vehicle once again. Michonne's eyes squinted as she held her son and took in the large houses and void of dead people. She almost had vertigo – was this place real? She had to be on the set of "Desperate Housewives" or something.
"Whoa there," Rick helped her maintain her balance. "We don't need you falling out with your son in your head."
"I'm fine," she shrugged his hand off of him and placed Andre on the ground in order to hold his hand.
Rick pinched his nose. "It's all a lot to take in. I understand. This place isn't like out there, but give it some time, and.."
"Rick," a woman yelped and pounced into his arms. "OhmyGodImissedyousomuchthoughtyouweregonnadieohmyGod!" She began to shower him with kisses. He slightly inhaled.
"Ahem, Jessie, this is Michonne. Michonne, this is Jessie," he introduced.
The perky woman held out her hand, but it only increased Michonne's uneasiness. "Excuse me, I have to catch up with my…Andrea." She hurried off.
The couple watched as she nearly ran from them. "Rick, she has a kid. How did the two of them survive out there…with a child?"
"I seriously have no idea. Where's Carl and Judith?"
"Um, I got so caught up with my sculptures, I'm not sure. I think they're either with Carol, or Maggie, or Sasha, or one of them…"
"Sasha? Sasha always stays in the watch tower."
"Oh, come on Rick. You know children run all over the place in here. I mean, Ron and Sam always come home. You barely ask about them…"
Rick simply walked away, not caring much to respond to what he knew was a really a loaded question.
AN: You may have noticed that Michonne is more talkative than her initial introduction. This is because Andre is still alive, although her boyfriend and friend died. Also, Andrea doesn't know Rick or anyone else that Michonne doesn't know. Please comment and let me know what y'all think of this so far – smooches!
