A/N Hi everyone, here is the second installment. Happy 4th, for those of you state side. May it be as magical as Richonne's :)
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Carl and Andre ran in circles, feigning a fierce battle with their sparklers on the grassy hill top at the center of town. Dusk gathered up the horizon beyond them, and the soft hum of anticipation was the perfect soundtrack to their game.
Andre had been enthralled by the hand held fireworks Carl was using nearby, and had taken it upon himself to approach the boy, who had to be twice his age, and strike up a conversation.
"Be careful, Andre," Michonne instructed from the blanket beside Carl's father.
Rick laughed as the younger boy sliced and stabbed the sparkly swords with his son, while Carl pretended to be struck again and again. He had been kind enough to light one of them for Andre and offer Michonne a seat on his blanket while they watched their children play.
She and Andre were new to the place called King's County, and were desperate for some entertainment. They'd seen a flyer for the town's Fourth of July firework display at the grocery store and decided to try their luck. The town was so small, they were sure they had already met all of its residents, but glancing over at the handsome man beside her, she was pleased to find she had been wrong.
"Thank you for sharing," Michonne said. "He's having a blast."
"Of course," Rick replied with a grin, his soft drawl dancing in her ears. "I wasn't looking forward to settin' my hand on fire tonight. They're all his."
"That's what the cup is for," she laughed, gesturing to the makeshift shield she had created out of a few plastic cups she packed for lemonade.
He scrunched his eyebrows at her suggestion, as if his only choices were to burn or abstain in order to maintain his masculine pride.
"Suit yourself," she shrugged, playfully.
He grinned at her, letting his eyes linger just a little longer than necessary.
"So what can I expect from this little town tonight?" Michonne asked. " Am I going to be impressed?"
"It's been awhile, but I seem to remember a pretty good show," he replied. His eyes ran the length of her, admiring the way she had her long, blue and white skirt scrunched up around her knees, exposing her bare legs to the cool breeze gracing the top of the hill. She had kicked off her sandals and her pretty feet were crossed at the ankles.
This was the first time Rick had been to the event since his wife had passed three years ago. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy it, it was just that Lori had always been the one to suggest it and orchestrate the trip, and without her he lacked the motivation. This year Carl had begged him, though, and he decided to make the effort. Sitting here, watching the last of the sun's rays retire behind the horizon and sharing a blanket with a beautiful woman who happen to wander into his orbit, he was feeling like he made the right choice.
"We'll find out soon enough," she said, leaning back on her elbows to face the sky as the first hisses of smoke streaked through the air, bursting in front of them in a shower of red and gold.
Rick tried to focus on the performance that he had been waiting over an hour for, but his gaze kept falling back over his shoulder to Michonne's silhouette, reclined beside him. Each time the sky erupted with light, he caught a glimpse of her face before it quickly fell into the shadows again. She was smiling, quite obviously enjoying the show, and he was enjoying the reflection of it in her large, brown eyes.
She glanced over at him to share her appreciation of the display and caught him already facing her, his mouth curled into a smile. Her face flushed as he dropped his eyes to the ground, then turned back ahead.
Carl and Andre were settled beside each other, knees pulled up in matching embraces, their little faces tipped toward the magic in the sky.
"Captive audience," she commented, nudging his hip with her knee, and pointing at their kids.
Rick chuckled, shaking his head at their awe. "What about you? Is it everything you hoped for?"
"I'll admit this town has some aces up its sleeve," she smirked, thinking how for the second time tonight, she was impressed with the sight before her.
Loud booms reverberated in their chests as they watched every color of the rainbow erupt and streak across the night, between stolen glances at each other. Michonne sat up to toss a blanket to the boys, settling back down just a little closer to her new acquaintance.
He shifted his seat, bending one leg and curling the other one beneath him, his hand moving to the space in between them to support his weight.
The performance signalled its approaching end with a deafening cacophony of explosions and squealing sounds, as the remaining firepower was let loose for the spectacular grand finale. The crowd cheered, answering the noise with their own whistles and claps of appreciation.
Rick glanced over at Michonne, happy to see her in no rush to leave. They stayed for a few moments, watching the people around them gather up blankets and chairs in a bid to make their way down the long, singular road to the bottom of the hill.
"Well," Michonne finally said. "I can see why everyone made the long hike up to the top of this hill. It was worth it."
"Did you park at the bottom?" he asked, eyeing the throngs of people pushing that way.
"We did. Didn't you?" This was her first time in this part of town, but if there was another way up, she hadn't seen it.
"We got a ride," he grinned sheepishly. "My partner dropped us off. They still let police vehicles up the road after they close it to traffic."
"You're a cop?" she asked, wondering if she would have guessed that, given the opportunity.
"Sheriff's Deputy."
"I see," she smirked. "Well Deputy, that sounds like a gross misuse of power."
He laughed heartily at her teasing. "You're absolutely right, ma'am. I've learned my lesson, though. If you're walking down, we'll walk with you."
Michonne laughed with him. "I'm kidding, Rick. You don't have to." She secretly hoped he would.
"Downhill is the easy part," he offered. "Besides, it's a safe town, but I'd feel better if you two weren't walkin' alone."
She glanced over at the hundred or so people filing down the hill and smiled at his feigned concern. If by not alone he meant with him, she would take it. "Thank you, she smirked. "I feel safer already."
He felt his cheeks flush at being caught, but she had granted him at least twenty more minutes of her time on this walk, so he shook it off. He stood, extending his hand to help her to her feet and they gathered their sons from their conversation to begin the trek.
Falling in with the rest of the town, Carl and Andre stepped ahead and the two of them hung back, walking just close enough to allow their arms to brush and still pretend it was accidental. They chatted easily for the first half of the walk until Andre's little legs began to slow and she reached down to pick him up.
"I could give him a lift," Rick offered. "I've had a lot of piggyback practice." He gestured to his son who had probably stopped needing a ride a few years ago.
"You sure?"
"Definitely. Hop on, buddy," he called to her son, as he pulled over to the side of the crowd and knelt to the ground.
Andre's eyes lit up at the idea of riding that high and he scrambled onto Rick's back by grabbing fistfuls of his shirt and hoisting himself up.
Michonne stepped behind them, adjusting Andre so his little arms weren't strangling his ride, and her heart warmed at the sight of the two. It had just been Andre and her since his father took off to 'find himself' a year ago, so the joys of piggyback rides were few and far between. She settled back in next to Rick as they continued walking.
"Michonne," Carl started, "how are you liking King's County so far?"
"I'm starting to like It quite a bit," she answered, smiling at his mature manor. He spoke like a boy much older than his ten years. She stole a glance at Rick, who was adding large bounces to his steps to Andre's delight.
"We could show you around sometime. I mean, it's not a huge place, but we can let you in on some of the secret spots."
"I'd like that," she replied, sharing a smile with Rick. "Well, this is us." She gestured to her vehicle in one of the long rows of cars parked at the bottom of the hill. Rick squatted, letting Andre scramble down from his back. He rested his elbow on the roof of her car as she ushered the boy into his seat.
"Dad, I see uncle Shane," Carl called, pointing to a police cruiser in the next row over. "Bye, Michonne. Bye, Andre. It was nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Carl," she waved, watching him take off running toward his friend.
"I think we should see each other again," Rick said, once they were alone. "If you're available."
"I think you're right," she smiled. She pulled a piece of paper and a pen out of her purse and scribbled her number. His fingers grazed hers as he took the note from her, his blue eyes flickering in the dark.
Maybe it was the energy of a hot summer night, or the whimsical ceremony of the holiday, but the sparks between them now seemed to rival the display they had just witnessed. It was if this night existed just to set them in front of each other.
He finally broke his stare, glancing at the paper before folding it and placing it his shirt pocket. "I'll call you then," he promised.
He reached for her hand, pressing his lips to the back just as a loud squeal sounded behind them. They both turned to see one last burst of color erupt in the sky, gold fire raining down over the horizon as the last straggling spectators let out a final cheer.
