A/N: This ficlet is from the Richonne Writing Network series "Milk & Honey" and answers the question Who is the Stricter Parent? Taken from the episode Knots Untie

"Your world just got a whole lot bigger."

The group exchanged looks of both excitement and concern. The momentary awe at catching two of their leaders in a compromising situation had worn off. Michonne was too busy trying not to make eye contact with Carl to truly grasp the weight of Jesus' statement.

"Well sounds like we have a trip to make," Rick declared and she exhaled in both relief and frustration. There was never a dull moment. She didn't even have time to fully process what happened between them last night before they were thrust into something else.

Carl lingered at the table as Rick stood up eyeing her without being too obvious. Sensing the atmosphere he smirked at the two of them and walked off. Michonne raised her eyes to the heavens thanking a God she wasn't quite sure she believed in. Voices murmured all around them, Maggie asking Glenn and Abraham's opinion, Jesus on the porch talking to a distrusting Darryl, and Judith's baby babble fresh from waking up. But before they headed out, she wanted to mention something to Rick before she forgot.

"Hey can I talk to you for a second?"

Rick's lips turned up in a lazy smile. "Sure."

Without a word, she walked to her bedroom and shut the door behind them. When she turned around, Rick's gaze was on her chest. Her braless chest.

"Can you focus?" she asked partially annoyed, partially amused. This was the first time they were alone in each other's company after fucking each other ten ways from Sunday just a few hours before. It was weird going back to the status quo after they had been so intimate.

Rick cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck, trying to stop paying attention to her pert nipples visible in her thin shirt. "What's up?"

"It's about Carl."

"What about him?" Rick asked, all trace of humor gone at the mention of his son.

"Yesterday he was wandering around the woods with Enid."

Rolling his eyes, he blew out a breath in frustration. "I've talked to him about that. I had a feelin she was escapin outside the walls but didn't know he was followin her."

Michonne nodded in agreement, folding her arms. "Yeah. I'm worried about it. Anything could happen out there especially after that last herd."

He wiped the sleep from his eyes, rolling the exhaustion out of his shoulders. The exertion from last night was starting to creep in on his aching muscles. "I'll talk to him. I can't have him doin that. Not right now while everything's so unstable. Thanks for letting me know."

Rick stalled for a second, swallowing back some of the sexual tension in the room. He gave a slow perusal of her body, one that she noticed him give her before, but this time it was much different. He'd seen every inch of her perfect body, knew what she felt like inside, how she tasted. He shook his head to rid himself of the errant thoughts. Handling Carl was the priority right now. "Let me talk to him before we leave, maybe give him a few extra shifts working around here. I have to tell him about us anyway. May as well kill two birds with one stone."

"Wait," she said, putting her hand on his forearm to stop him. "I already handled it. I talked to him last night."

Amused, Rick lifted his eyebrow, imagining what that talk was like. "You handled it?"

"Yeah. I told him it was dangerous and he didn't need to do it again." She purposely left out the part about him considering her family and telling her he loved her. Now that her and his dad had taken the next step, she didn't know how Rick would take it.

"Ok," he relented. "You handled it."

Michonne tilted her head, eyeing him speculatively. "Why do you say it like that?"

He waved her off. "It's nuthin'"

"Well if it's nuthin then tell me."

Rick smiled. "You know how the two of you are. I think he respects and listens to you but I think you probably let him off a little easy."

She really wanted to be annoyed at the suggestion that she wasn't much of a disciplinarian but Rick's obvious teasing tone made it hard. "It was a very stern talk. What else am I going to do? Send him to his room with no TV or Video games. We're pretty limited with options. Plus, I am not easy on him thank you very much."

"So after your very stern talk," he said mocking her, "Did you share a Big Kat with him?"

Michonne's face dropped for a second but she quickly recovered. How the hell did he know? There was one lone candy bar Carl had been hoarding that she was reluctant to eat due to the shortage of toothpaste and her intense attention to dental needs. However, hunger won that batter. Her and Carl has sat on the porch and watched the stars with Judith for a little while…and shared the Big Kat.

Rick grinned. "I knew it."

She scoffed and he kissed her, his heart full knowing how much of a soft spot she had for his son. "I appreciate you talking to him and I won't go behind you and say nothin but you have to admit you're a little biased."

Michonne kissed his nose, her heart still trying to catch up with the sudden shift in their relationship. "I think you're just jealous that you're not my favorite Grimes."

There was no denying that. Carl had captured her heart first and in turn showed him the way. "I've always known that and I'm fine with it. I'll settle for second."

With his lips pressed to hers, her eyebrows lifted in question. He pulled back, sucking his teeth in faux disgust. "Damn I'm not even second?"

"Well kinda. Carl and Judy are tied for first so I guess that makes you second."

His back was against the door and he pulled her into him. "I'll take it."

She kissed him, planning to make it chaste but Rick quickly got carried away. Forgetting everything that was going on around them, he savored her plush lips and satin skin.

A knock on the door startled them both.

"C'mon guys lets hit the road," Abraham called out and then promptly shuffled away.

Michonne let out a heavy sigh. "Back to it."

"I guess so. Just for the record, from now on I'll take on bad cop with the kids. They've got you too wrapped around their fingers."

She slapped his arm. "They do not. It's about balance."

"Well there's always one parent that has to be bad cop. You'll be good cop. It's fine," he declared nonchalantly, placing a quick kiss on her lips. Before she could respond he was gone.

A parent.

He called her a parent.

Their parent.

For a moment she stood in shock not believing the last 12 hours of her life. Everything changed in a blink of an eye in this new world.

And it soon would again.