A/N: This is a story that was dancing in my mind and wouldn't leave me alone till I written it all out. It was supposed to be a one-shot but I has now evolved into a mini fic no more than 5 chapters. So please enjoy and remember reviews are always welcome.
The sun was slowly beginning to set on the horizon, turning the bright blue sky into wisps of dark orange and yellow. The air was hot and dry. Michonne looked at her bare patch of land through her screened door. Sand devils danced through her unattended fields as the light wind picked up and tossed dust and dried corn husks about. The land was thirsty for water from the spring rains that were long overdue. She knew the drought was coming well before spring arrived. The harsh winter kept the frozen ground rock-solid for months. When winter was over everyone began preparing for the spring rains and began tilling their fields, but Michonne knew better. She waited, and people scoffed and laughed at her telling her she will have a terrible crop this year because she was waiting so long. But she didn't mind the talk people were always going to talk, but she knew what Mother Nature had planned, and so she waited. The rains never came only scorching heat that baked the earth destroying any seeds that were planted.
Turning away from the dreary scene out front she makes her way down the hallway of her shotgun styled home passing her front sitting area. A comfortable, modest couch and table for entertaining the few guests who drop by filled the space. As she strolled past her bedroom, she glanced at her queen size bed with her grandma's patterned quilt draped along the end of the bed and vintage mirrored dresser which took up most of the space in the room.
She could hear the muffled conversations coming from her front porch of her boyfriend Shane and his longtime friend Rick Grimes. They were discussing what to do if the rains didn't come soon.
"We can't wait much longer, or there won't be any time for a crop to come in, and we will be up shit creek come fall," said Shane.
"Yeah, ya right but what can we do," said Rick as his scratched at his 5'oclock shadow that was growing in. His pants and boots were covered in the dust from the survey of his land he did earlier in the day. The drought was hitting him especially hard this year with the engine of his plow blowing a head gasket he had to spend money that he really couldn't afford just to stay afloat.
Michonne stepped through the screen door with a glass of water in each hand and passed one to each of them. Rick nodded his thanks for the cool drink. Shane just sat his aside and continued to run his fingers through his hair with worry. Michonne placed herself next to his chair and began to run her hand soothingly along the top of his back. Rick glanced as Michonne comforted his friend. His eyes traveling up her body and drinking in her form. The blue cotton sundress clung to her supple curves in the stifling heat. Hastily averting his eyes, he began to drink deeply from the glass of water.
Michonne paused her motions and walked to her porch steps and looked up towards the sky. The sun was sinking more into the horizon, and the subtle sounds of crickets could be heard. "Well, I have an idea. You know old Hershel Greene in the next county over told my daddy that he switched his crop over to sorghum last year and it's been doing well in this heat. My Pa says his crops are growing and he even offered some seeds in exchange for wheat or eggs. Maybe we can go talk to him and get some seeds. We can still have a decent crop before winter hits again," she voiced looking over shoulder at Shane.
Shane's face was blank as he stared out into the front yard. He gave an unenthusiastic "yeah we can probably look into that," as he folded his arms behind his head. Michonne nodded her head and turned back to the door saying "Dinner is almost ready," over her shoulder as she entered the house again letting the screen door close behind her.
"That's not a bad idea," said Rick as he sat up more in his chair. Shane continued to stare out at nothing before turning to his friend and scoffing.
"Let me tell you something the day I take advice from a skirt will be the day my nuts are cut off. She don't know nothing about this land or what this drought is going to mean for everyone in this county," he said dismissively.
Rick turned away from his friend as he is taken back at his harsh statement about his girlfriend. To hear him speak as if she didn't matter rubbed Rick the wrong way. Rick knew Michonnes family from over the years of helping her father out on his property or watching his father barter and trade with her dad. Her family had live in the county for generations just like his family, and they have always helped one another. Michonne father even deeded her 10 acres of land at the back of his property almost 5 years ago so she could start a life of her own and during that time she has done well for herself with her small heard of animals and healthy corn crop. Rick knew that the Michonne and Shane haven't been together for very long and he was still kinda baffled at the odd mash-up.
"Well her people have been through their fair share of hardships here so she may know a thing or two."
Shane side eyed his friend as he reached for his now tepid glass of water and took a small sip from the glass. His face creased at the taste of the warm water, rising from his chair he poured the contents onto the long-dead flower bed the lined the front of the porch.
"Nah…she just needs to know one thing, and that's to stay in the house and in her place," he said sitting the glass down with a hard thud.
Michonne sat on her bed in her room next to the open back window her hands clenched into fists and body tense after hearing her arrogant ass boyfriend talk about her like she was some kind of dog. "Fuck him, "she cursed as she launched into action. She went to her closet and pulled the bi-folded closet door wide open. She grabbed all of Shanes clothes and shoes from the closet and his meager grooming items from her dresser and placed them all into a large suitcase. She dragged the heavy leather case out to the back and chucked it into the back of Ricks pick up so when he left he can take his dumb ass friend with him. She said a silent prayer of thanks that he did not have a lot of things at her house. Once she completed her check to make sure nothing of his remained she went back to the front and announce that dinner was ready. Rick took that as his cue to head home himself and try to figure out something for dinner. Being a bachelor had its perks but also its drawbacks.
"Alright, I guess I best be getting home also and round up some supper..." Rick tilted his head towards her "… Michonne."
"Rick before you go I made a big pot of stew so I made you a bowl to take home," she stepped into the house and quickly returned with a covered bowl of her stew.
"Why thank you. I appreciate it," Rick said looking at the huge foil-covered bowl. He guessed he could eat off the stew for 2 days if he played his cards right.
She nodded her head a small smile on her face. "Now if you could do one more favor for me before you go."
Rick looked toward his childhood friend Shane who was just as confused as he to what she would want to have him do. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she dropped the hammer. "Take Shane with you…his stuff is already in the back of your truck, and I would feel much better knowing that he makes it home safe with all of his things," she said it so fast that it took Rick a moment to realize what she just said. He blinked a few times as he looked at her and his friend who was dumbstruck at the moment. As the initial shock began to wear off Shane loudly voiced his irritation.
"Now wait a minute… what the hell are you going on about woman? Why the hell is my stuff in his truck?"
Michonne turned towards Shane her eyes narrowed to slits "Because this is my house. This is my land. If you can't respect me enough to value my opinion on something and you just degrade me as if I am nothing, then you can take your no good ass somewhere else, because my daddy didn't raise no fool and he didn't raise me to take no shit off of no man."
With that, she quickly turned and entered the house slamming the screen door and then the main wooden door behind her. The sound of both locks engaging on the door.
Shane stood there mouth gaped at what just occurred he was broken from his stupor by the ruckus laughter of Rick who was holding onto the step railing bent over.
"Welp I guess your balls are left intact, too bad you don't have anywhere to rest em now," he gasped in between chuckles.
"That shit ain't funny."
Shane walked hurriedly to the door swinging open the screen door and began pounding on the heavy wooden door.
"Come on Chonne open up! This shit here ain't funny. Let me in so we can talk about." He continued to pound on the door but stopped as he heard the familiar sound of the racking of the 12 gauge shotgun Michonne kept in the house.
"The only thing you are going to talk to if you keep banging on my door is buckshot. Now get off my damn porch," she yelled through the door.
Shane raised his hands and backed away from the door. Rick also took cover not wanting to be a victim of his friends' stupidity. As he descended the steps, he cursed under his breath as he walked around to the back of the house where Rick's truck was parked, and sure enough, all of his belongings were piled in the bed of the truck.
Rick whistle through his teeth at the sight "Man she is done with your ass."
"Shut the fuck up and just take me to my mommas."
Rick laughed again as he and Shane piled into the cab of his truck and started down the dirt road. Rick look in his side mirror and could see the full figure of Michonne standing on her porch watching them leave. Rick shook his head and smiled at the strength it must have taken for her throw his friend out. Rick made a mental note to make sure to personally return her bowl spotless and maybe throw in some flowers.
A/N: Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this. I will post Part 2 later today.
