Hi everyone,

Thank you for your wonderful feedback. I truly appreciate it. As you will note the characters are definitely OOC. Unlike the AMC's version, our Michonne deserves to have all kinds of attention but her heart only belongs to one man. However, she's doing her best to keep him at bay but she's losing the battle. I trust this chapter will answer many of your questions, if not, you can PM me. It's a little different from my other stories but I hope you will like it. This will all make sense later if you haven't already guessed it. If you have, kodoos to you.

In the first chapter, we saw that Michonne have a rather acrimonious relationship with her family. Her mother Donna is extremely domineering. In that family, it seems the Williams' women are very strong-willed and as such, the fireworks are just beginning.

We saw the two important men in Michonne's life. Her confidant and work husband have been very protective of her especially when her past caught up with her.

...

The Other Man

Rick had had a rough night after his encounter with Michonne. He felt bad for confronting her the way he did but it was clear she had been avoiding him for one reason or another. First, she still obviously never read his letter. That was the first misunderstanding which kept repeating itself. The second misunderstanding was the look that was exchanged between them which led to their hooking up and then her reaction after the fact. He understood that until their child was born he had no rights but he had hoped with Michonne knowing the child's father wanted to be a part of the pregnancy she would acquiesce sooner rather than later.

He knew no amount of flowers or chocolates was going to fix the mess he found himself in. His pushing the envelope last night cost him too. The invite he thought he'd get to the ultrasound was a bust and Michonne wasn't taking his calls; at least that much hadn't changed she hadn't been taking them since he moved back to Atlanta. They needed to talk and the sooner the better. He wished Michonne would read the damn letter and then perhaps she'd understand why he was so insistent in sharing this part of the pregnancy with her.

Rick affixed his Wayfarers to his face as he exited his office building and crossed the parking lot. Ordinarily, he would park underground; today however, he was running late for a breakfast meeting so he opted to park outdoors in the lot adjacent to his building. The lot was also used by the restaurant patrons. Rick had just thrown his briefcase into the back seat of his vehicle and was about to get into his car when he saw Stone holding the car door open for a visibly upset Michonne. Stone's hand was at the small of her back and he didn't like it one bit.

Common sense told him the two were not an item because Michonne would have never taken him home. However, common sense was no friend of the green eyed monster. He has always had feelings for Michonne and those feelings just multiplied when he discovered she was carrying his child. He only wished they could share the experience together.

When he imagined all the women the mistake could have happened to he was speechless because it happened to Michonne… to them. If that wasn't a sign from the universe, he didn't know what else it could be.

As he watched the two together, he cursed. Fuck, that should be me holding her right now, he thought and in that moment he resented the other man for his closeness to Michonne. He always had but now even more so.

...

Rick did some digging into Stone's background. He found out he too was also in Europe about the same time Michonne was and they quite possibly were there together. It made him sick to think of the implications. He did notice that Stone seemed rather comfortable around Michonne and he didn't like it at all. They were awful cozy working together something which bothered him because they looked almost like husband and wife.

His sources told him that Stone was engaged to be married but he also knew Stone also had a thing for Michonne. He learned that tidbit in college when he discovered Stone was also living with the Williamses, which luckily for him took Stone out of the running to be Michonne's suitor. Stone didn't feel right about hitting on his host's daughter. It sucked for Stone because by default he was automatically relegated to the friend zone. Rick's only rival then was Ezekiel Payton, a man with no honour. Payton knew he was in love with Michonne from the moment he laid eyes on her; his only problem was that she rendered him speechless and by the time he rolled up his tongue from off the library floor and was able to string a coherent sentence together, she had already accepted a date with Zeke. In a matter of minutes but what felt like an eternity, Stone was not the only person relegated to the friend zone.

Five months before the baby daddy revealed himself…

Dreams

The phone at Michonne's bedside rang incessantly. Damn! It always happens just when the dream was getting good. Just once she'd like to get to the end where he climaxed so she could see his face. Just once. It didn't matter how many variations of this dream she had, she never got to the end where he reveals his identity to her. What kinda perverted shit is this? she thought.

It all took place in a mansion somewhere over looking a lake. Consistently, she walks into the room of a social event where everyone is masked. Some were in full costume others weren't. She wore a beautiful cream and white gown with hints of gold lace adorned with floral appliques. Her dreads were woven into an intricate knot atop her head, her makeup was done in nude shades with a pop of shimmer to her lips. On her face, a golden mask adorned with gold pearl flowers. On her feet, cream peep-toed pumps. He was dressed in a black Armani suit, white shirt a dark tie with a gold Celtic knot tie pin, black socks and Italian dress shoes. It seemed almost by design he always wore a full face mask.

Upon entering the mansion it was as though a magnetic force took over. The minute she arrived he knew, they are drawn to one another. It's as though their sole purpose at this event was to find one another. The crowd around them blurs. They are the stars of this story. Sometimes they'd dance all night, other times they'd disappear and have sex in various locations in the huge mansion. Sometimes he simply stood behind her on a hillside holding onto her tiny waist, his head atop hers as she looked off into the distance in deep thought as if contemplating what their future could be.

She had no idea why she felt so connected to this man, he had a calming way about him. He just made everything feel so right.

Unfortunately, the dream always ends without her knowing his identity but in the pit of her gut, she suspected he knew who she was. What was even more frustrating was the fact that he never spoke to her no matter how hard she tried to engage him to do so. The fact he wouldn't speak to her made her believe she knew him and his voice would give him away.

His eyes spoke, however. They bore into her it was as though they saw through her very soul. Again, they were masked so their true shape and depth were concealed but they haunted her. What was he trying to tell her? Just once she wished he'd say something… anything.

She felt like she was on a precipice and there was nothing but an abyss below. She was falling without a safety net because her analytical brain had long forsaken her. She was in love for the first time, truly deeply in love with a man whose identity she didn't know but she knew him all the same. It was absolutely irrational, so much so, she could never speak of it to anyone.

No matter how many times she tried rewriting their story it fell apart. However, there was this calmness within which made her feel like everything was going to be okay. It made her feel safe, it was hard to explain. Other times, she felt as though she was at war with herself and needed protection because he made her a complete mess. She wasn't completely rational around him, she was more vulnerable but his strength, his confidence, and his presence gave her a peace of mind.

Occasionally the stranger was six feet tall, short brown hair, stocky build with blue eyes. Most other times he was just a couple inches shorter, slicked back brown hair with silky curls, a lean muscular build with blue eyes.They were her damn weakness his… their eyes.

There were times when the dream had both men in it; at such times, the dream leaked away like sand through her fingers. This particular version confused her it left her feeling torn because she cared for both men. She didn't understand this bit because she was never a cheater but she had been cheated on.

In the past, she may have been guilty once or twice of substituting the image of a college crush to get her to the finish line when things weren't the greatest in a past relationship but she never dwelled on it. It's not like it mattered anyway.

Back then, She thought there might have been something there during their last year in college but she was wrong. One night, she practically threw herself at him but he rejected her. He hadn't even slept in the bed with her and she woke up to find him gone. It was as though their kiss never happened. The kiss that made her knees weak. The one she thought meant forever. The one that gave her visions of a family and a happily ever after. The kiss that broke her heart and made her cold, some would even say she became unfeeling because she guessed wrong.

However fleeting the encounters were she did notice a distinct difference between both men. The taller one made her feel safe. There was love between them but it wasn't the same as she experienced with the shorter man. Her heart never felt in danger with the tall man the way it did with the shorter man. Her heart felt as though it was running away, her mouth grew dry and she felt naked before him. Rationally she knew to feel vulnerable with him there was already some level of trust between them, but it scared her.

She had this sixth sense that maybe she knew these men. She prayed that she was wrong. She needed to be wrong.

She didn't know whether her past memories were entwined into her dreams. She knew one of their body types because it evoked memories of a summer long past when she was trying to forget her forever in a kiss. The other, if these men were in fact, whom she thought them to be, then being with him was what might have been.

For her own sake, she hoped she was just losing her damn mind, which would be a better alternative to her predicament. In her case, neither path would be fruitful. The notion itself was crazy or maybe she had driven herself that way from her recurring dreams. She was at the end of her rope with frustration and from the imposed drought she was going through because of her treatments, it was all getting to her.

Reaching for the phone she took the handset from its base, "What?" she asked her voice raspier than usual, her breath was laboured. The caller on the other end was her best friend, her colleague, and work husband, Peter Stone.

"Uhh … Am I interrupting something?" He asked then he cleared his throat. They've talked a million times on the phone before but her voice never sounded that way. The only time it ever did was when their bodies were one. It was a journey back in time for him. Her breathing on the other end of the line was affecting him in a way it shouldn't. He shook his head to block what couldn't and shouldn't be happening. Their wild summer was behind them because their friendship and professional relationship were more important.

"You woke me up, I was sleeping. Why are you calling so early Peter, is something wrong?" She asked wondering what possible reason he had for calling at such an ungodly hour and waking her from her dream, even if it was going nowhere fast.

"Can't I just check in on you? I know you wanted to do this alone but we've been through so much together. I just wanted you to know you're not alone. I'm here if you need me. You can reschedule it and I'll go with you. By the way, you wouldn't believe who's back in town."

"Peter, did you seriously call me to play twenty questions? I'm in Savannah you're in Atlanta, who's back in town?" Michonne was cranky, she lost the possibility of trying to chase that dream down the elusive rabbit hole. Basically, she now only had time for a quick shower and getting ready for her appointment.

"Grimes' back in town and he's set up shop with Shane Walsh. You do remember them from law school, don't you? By the way, you never did tell me what happened that night. You promised to … but you conveniently forgot to do so while we trekked through Europe for a month. You know, I still feel somewhat used and abused, right?"

She hadn't honestly thought about Rick Grimes in years until these stupid dreams started. She had buried that night deep down. She had moved on. Obviously, he had too. "Good for him," was all she could think to say. The mere mention of his name caused some pangs but she wasn't about to dwell on them because today, was about to be the happiest day of the rest of her life. Remembering the phone attached to her head she said, "Thanks for the offer and the wake up call Peter but I gotta run and for your information, nothing happened."

At ten o'clock that morning Michonne's IVF procedure was done using donor ID 9141973. She had paid for donor ID 9131973.

Donors

ID 9141973 was described as Caucasian and Christian. Height: 5'10", Blood type B+, brown curly hair with blue eyes. An educated male with degrees in Law and Criminal Justice. He was also described himself as a family man. The status on his specimen vials read: PRIVATE in big red letters.

ID 9131973 was described as African American and Christian. Height: 6'2", Blood type AB+, black curly hair with brown eyes. An educated male with a degree in Business Management. He was also described himself as an adventurous man who enjoys traveling and photography. The status on his specimen vials read: Anonymous in big green letters.

Back to where it all began

Rick had many regrets in his life when it came to what he ought to have done. He was a damn fool not to fight Zeke for Michonne. He saw her first. There was a code damn it, but because she rendered him speechless Zeke saw his chance and took it. He remembered the day she walked into the law library like it was yesterday. She was a vision. He didn't know her then but he wanted to.

He was sitting next to his classmate Peter Stone. They were shooting the breeze waiting for the rest of their team to show up. They were waiting for Andrea, Michonne, Shane, and Ezekiel. Shane had already targeted a blonde between the shelves.

An exotic creature walked into the room and heads turned men and women alike. She was the most stunning woman he had ever seeing. She was the colour of dark chocolate and he bet she tasted even better. She wore her hair in dreadlocks with a bandanna tied around them. Her face was simply stunning and she had beautiful expressive dark chocolate eyes, her cheekbones were a make artist's wet dream; her lips, they were full and shaped like a heart. He could only imagine what it felt like to kiss them. Her dark haired friend whispered something to her and then it happened. The most radiant smile broke onto her lips and her teeth sparkled. She captivated him and in that instant, he knew she could make him do anythang. His heart skipped a beat he was ruined and he didn't even know her.

...

The day the doctor gave him a clean bill of health, Rick packed his bags and left for Atlanta. It was a difficult decision to leave his mom behind but in fact, he needed a change of venue. One that didn't remind him of past six years and all he had endured, all his mom had endured. He needed a sense of normalcy to his life. There wasn't a day that went by that he hadn't thought about Michonne and the night that could have been and what might have been their life together. But the past two years, when he was fighting for his life it all came into perspective. He was glad she didn't have to go through that, it would have killed him to see her suffer along with him. His only hope was that in time he could get a reboot and he was willing to do whatever it would take to get a chance with Michonne.

He knew she was angry with him. A week after the turmoil had settled some he tried calling but she had already disconnected her phone. He tried calling her home and was told she was traveling for the summer. He tried emailing but his message was undelivered; she had blocked him. This was all way before he got his diagnosis. With his dad gone, he had to help his mom with the firm so within a month he began working in the legal department at Grimes Realty.

It took some time for his mom and him to be okay. It seems while he was away in Atlanta his father was diagnosed with throat cancer. His mother wanted him to come home but his father refused. He wanted him to finish his education. That night, after Michonne passed out, he got a call from his mom telling him to come home as soon as possible, she was a mess on the phone. All he could think of was getting to her. His mom wouldn't' make a call like this if his dad was okay so he knew whatever awaited him was critical.

Michonne was safe. He watched her pass out two hours before and her loser boyfriend hadn't shown up. So he left, he hadn't stopped to think of the implications of her actions from earlier that night. In hindsight, he realized only too late, their kiss was not so much trying to make a boyfriend jealous but because she actually did have feelings for him. With Zeke not showing up after seeing her kiss another man obviously, the designation of the boyfriend title was null and void but he wasn't aware of it. They hadn't made it public.

Michonne always kept him at arm's length while she chummed around with Stone.

Rick really couldn't take being around her much unless they had some assignment to do. He was jealous of both Payton and Stone and their close proximity to the woman he secretly desired to be with. Mostly, he hated Payton because his liberties went much further. He eventually moved into an apartment off campus with Shane. He knew what the rumours were about him but he knew the truth. He was not half the ladies man they made him out to be because he never got serious about anyone. He was secretly hoping that Michonne would realize Zeke was an ass and a cheat. He wanted her to come to the realization on her own and then he'd be there for her.

He knew she'd caught him staring at her from time to time when he thought it was safe to do so, but instead of generating some kind of conversation between them she'd push him further away. He would have settled for a good ole tongue lashing even just once. She infuriated him with her steely silence. What the hell was he to do? He wasn't into cheating and he liked her way too much to even suggest such a thing.

Until the night when his world turned upside down, there was never so much as an inkling of her feelings towards him.

Before long time had passed, he was four years in Savannah. The time spent with his mom had repaired much of the hurt he felt for being robbed of the last years with his dad. Eventually, she talked him into looking into cryopreservation just in case. His dad was only fifty-one when he was diagnosed. He died two years later. He finally relented and did so and within six months was diagnosed with the same cancer as his dad. Fortunately for him, his early diagnosis meant early treatment.

Rick got his clean bill of health a month before his thirty-second birthday. It happened December eight and it was the best Christmas gift ever. He vowed to try making the best of his second chance at life. He was going to say something, even if saying something got him a door in the face but he sure as hell was gonna try.

He was at the arrivals gate in Atlanta being greeted by Shane the same time Michonne went through the departures on her way to Savannah.