Chapter 3 My Rules
"How have you survived on your own for so long?" Rick asked quietly, trying not to disturb Michonne who had drifted off to sleep in the passenger's seat.
"I had a few simple rules that I followed," she paused, "until recently when I let my judgement slip."
Rick glanced at her and waited for her to speak again but when he was met with silence he prompted her to speak again. "What are the rules?"
"Why does it matter?"
"Just making conversation."
She snorted. "The most important rule was not to trust anyone, ever. I always keep moving. Stay away from groups. Pretty basic rules."
"But you stopped following them?"
Silence.
"Is that how you ended up with Negan?"
She chuckled. "I think I need an attorney present in order to continue this conversation Officer Grimes."
"You aren't on trial or being accused of a crime Lucy."
"Feels like I am. In fact it feels like I'm a prisoner."
"And if I told you that you weren't a prisoner, just a guest?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "Being a guest means I joined you of my own accord Officer Grimes. We both know that isn't the case."
Rick went quiet and didn't speak again until they pulled over for the night. "Why are we stopping?" Lucy asked.
"Because I'm tired and there's a house we didn't notice when we first came through this area. We'll settle down for the night here and see what supplies we can gather from the house," Rick said angrily.
Michonne shook her head. "Simmer down Rick. No wonder she feels like a prisoner."
Michonne leaned over to Lucy and whispered. "I think it's his time of the month of something because he's been a grumpy bitch this entire run."
"I heard that," Rick said from outside the truck.
Lucy chuckled and started to follow Michonne. "You stay here. At least until we make sure it's clear. We can't give you the machete back just yet and I don't want to risk you getting hurt."
"You aren't worried I'll run?"
Michonne rolled her eyes. "Will you?"
Lucy thought for a moment before she responded. "No."
Lucy like Michonne. She was direct and didn't pull punches. She was obviously in love with Rick and he was in love with her which made Lucy ache for the relationship she had developed with Coach… Negan. "Dumbass," she mumbled.
She watched Rick and Michonne through the dirty, cracked windshield. They approached the house slowly and tapped on the front door loudly several times waiting for any biters… walkers to show. They didn't speak she noticed but worked closely without hesitation that they were going to be there for each other. Lucy swallowed hard. If only things had been different. She closed her eyes and saw Negan's face. He was smiling and open. Something he had only been with her. A shout pulled Lucy from her vision and she watched Michonne drive her sword through the skull of a bi… walker.
A sword? Lucy's jaw hung slack for a moment. She hadn't noticed Michonne's weapon of choice but it was awesome. She preferred her machete over anything, but a samurai sword was pretty amazing. She could do some damage with that thing for sure.
Michonne motioned for Lucy to leave the truck and join them in the house. She really did like Michonne. She had a good feeling about her. A feeling that she hadn't had about anyone in a long time.
The front porch of the house was wide with a swing and overturned rocking chair. She stepped through the front door into the dim room and waited for her vision to adjust. "We'll move the couch against the door," Rick said. "We can bed down in the living room on that rug for the night."
"Lucy you want to work upstairs with me?" Michonne asked. "Looking for anything we might could use?"
"You trust me to do that?"
"I trust you to do a lot. Do you trust you?"
"I only trust me lady."
"But you want to trust me," Michonne said with a grin. "I know you don't like grumpy bitch Rick, but you like me alright."
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Don't call me a grumpy bitch," Rick said as he pushed the couch against the front door.
"What are you going to do about it… grumpy bitch Rick?"
Rick flipped around and glared at the two women. "Lucy you might want to step back from her for a minute."
Lucy didn't have time to react before Rick was tackling Michonne and taking her to the floor where he tickled her mercilessly. "Rick!" the woman squealed between laughs. "Rick Stop!"
"Do you give?" he yelled at her.
"I give! I give!"
"I'm not a grumpy bitch and if you call me that again you will receive the same punishment."
He glanced up at Lucy who was watching them with a smirk on her face. "And if you encourage her I will take you down to young lady. Everyone woman needs a good tickling to remind them who's in charge."
Michonne snorted. "Yeah and every man needs a woman to refuse to fuck him so that he knows who is really in charge."
Rick laughed. "I'll start in the kitchen."
He moved away from them and Lucy watched the exchange between him and Michonne with interest. "How long have you been together?" she asked.
"As a couple or as a team?"
"Both."
"We've been a team, family, for a couple years now, but we only became romantically involved a few months ago."
"You suit each other."
"I think so. Come on let's tackle the upstairs before it gets too dark to see."
Lucy followed Michonne feeling an ache that just wouldn't go away.
