Chapter 3:
Michonne panted into her pillow as Rick pumped in and out of her from behind. His breath tickled her neck. They lay on their sides with legs tangled together in the early hours of the morning. He would have to start getting ready to leave soon. She was too exhausted to do anything but lay there, but her hand was placed on top of his as he cupped her breast while they held hands with the other. Their intimacy had changed a lot since Judith's birth, but for the better. He was a lot more affectionate throughout it all and she tried to do the same in return, but his timing was off. If he'd given her just a few more hours sleep then she could have done a whole lot more.
He sat up on his forearm and moved her arm behind him so he had better access to her torso. He stroked up and down her taut stomach with his hand, then cupped her full breast again in his hand. He took her nipple into his mouth and she ran her fingers through his hair. Allowing him to play with her breasts while she was nursing took some getting used to, but he acted mindfully.
He caught her lips in one of his passionate kisses when he climaxed. It was her favorite type of kiss.
She waited for him to finish spewing his load. Ever since she'd opted for long-term birth control, she loved feeling him finish inside of her. It turned her on more than anything else. She didn't orgasm but that didn't bother her because she enjoyed the act the most. However, it always seemed to bother Rick.
"You alright?", He asked breathlessly as he propped himself up above her.
"Fine", She replied lightly as she looked towards the nightstand on his side of the bed, "You've got to start getting ready soon"
His eyes flickered downward, "...Yeah. I know."
She continued to play with the hair at his nape, "...Another week."
"Two more after this one", His eyes darted back up to meet hers, "Then that's it. I'll be home for good"
"Yeah.", She would countdown the seconds if she could, and she wanted to let him know that but those last few weeks were crucial. She didn't want him to lose focus because he was worried about her.
"I can't wait.", He confessed in a whisper.
"You're not the only one", She sighed as she looked up at the ceiling, "...Carl's got a Parent Teacher night this week"
"Yeah?", He sounded surprised to hear that, "...Did Lori tell you that?"
"No, he did. He asked if I was going to come.", She looked back at him, "I don't mind going but… I don't really know if that's my place…"
Rick placed his hand on her stomach, "...Well, I won't be there so you'd be filling in for me. I know Lori could probably handle it on her own but… I don't think it'll be a problem?"
Michonne could think of many reasons why it would most certainly be a problem, "Yeah… Maybe I'll talk to Lori."
"I'll do that.", He insisted, "I have to talk to her about when they're moving anyway."
Michonne slowly nodded, "Alright"
His eyes studied her face, "...You didn't cum."
She smirked as she checked the alarm clock again, "I'll live, Rick"
"That's not the point…", He slipped his hand between her legs and down her slit.
She inhaled deeply when his fingers found her most delicate area, "You haven't got time for…"
Her eyes rolled back into her head when he slipped two digits in her still wet entrance and started rocking his hand up and down. He kissed her from her cheek to her neck, "I'll always make time for this"
He fingered her with pure skill and made her body tremble with ecstasy. She spread her legs wide and arched her back of the bed as she got lost in his touch and just as he started to arouse her further with a sloppy kiss, faint gurgles came from the baby monitor on her nightstand.
His hand stopped moving and her eyes rolled open. She peeked at the device, "Wait…"
"She's up already? It's not even five yet?", Rick sat up on his arm again and squinted at the screen. Judith gurgled some more, then finally started to whimper. Rick sighed, "Yeah, she's up."
Michonne waited until he removed his hand before she sat up and climbed out of bed, "I need to get to her before she wakes Andre up"
"I'll get her", Rick insisted as he started putting his sweatpants on.
"You have to get ready to go, Rick", Michonne grabbed her bathrobe from the closet door and put it on, "It's fine, I'll get her."
"...Yeah. You're right."
MIchonne looked away when she saw a certain expression on Rick's face. She wasn't sure what to call it exactly, but it made her uncomfortable. She had this nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was going on with him but she couldn't pinpoint just what it was. Apart of her worried that he suspected she was working, and another part of her worried that it could be something to do with the 'Amazing Andrea'.
She could think of nothing worse than him learning that she was dancing again. It would crush him and subsequently her, too. To make matters worse, she hated going in there even more now than she did before, but trying to make it through the month on Rick's cheque was virtually impossible, no matter how hard she skimped and saved.
Rick was too proud of a man to talk to about it with. Before he abandoned his Hunter title, he was working day and night, running from one part of the city to another and doing any job he could get his hands on. He promised that he'd take care of them all when he found out she was pregnant and he had stuck to his word, but joining the Police Academy was the move that inadvertently made them all suffer somehow.
She knew that wasn't his intention, far from it in fact and she admired him so much doing what he could for his family, however, it was for that reason that she simply couldn't say that they were struggling. He'd quickly convince himself that he was a failure for letting his family get by on so little and Michonne refused to plant that seed in his mind. As soon as he'd completed his time at the Academy she could leave her days of dancing behind her and he wouldn't have to know anything about their little rough patch.
But If he hadn't suspected that she was secretly working, then she considered that Andrea might be playing a part in his strange mood. He spoke of the other woman freely here and there, and Michonne believed that it was because she was someone he trained beside but it became increasingly clear to her that he admired her for more than just his skills and abilities. She didn't rule out the possibility that it was all completely innocent and she did trust Rick wholeheartedly, but she did wonder about the other woman. Just because he wasn't aware that he was sweet, funny, and unfairly beautiful, didn't mean that nobody else was either.
"She's wide awake", Rick commented as he came back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, "I thought she'd go back to sleep"
"Nope.", Michonne deadpanned as she lay on her side facing Judith in the bed, Her daughter sucked away on her pacifier as she looked around the room and kicked her legs occasionally. Michonne sighed, "I've got two hours of sleeping time left so I'm hoping she's kind to me and falls asleep, too."
Rick laid out his uniform at the foot of the bed, "She probably will."
Michonne watched her boyfriend move around the room, "Have you got everything?"
"Yeah", He insisted, "I double checked last night."
"Good.", She sighed as she let Judith take hold of her pinky finger and shake it around like a rattle, "What's happening with your graduation?"
"...Well, It's on the last day", Rick dropped his towel and put on a pair of boxers, "Your mom actually asked me about that on Saturday"
"I hope that you're looking forward to it", Her eyes rolled up to see him, "You've been doing great"
Rick nodded his head as he put on his vest, "I guess you could say that I am"
Michonne looked away as she asked, "Have you invited Lori?"
He hesitated to ask, "I was thinking about that and I think I should for Carl's sake. He likes it when we all do thangs together, including her…"
"Yeah, I've noticed. He doesn't want her left out and rightly so…", She gave Judith an exaggerated smile when she turned her head to look at her mother, "Hey, pretty girl"
Rick put his pants on and huffed as he looked towards the window, "I'll mention it to her…".
Even if he didn't mention it, she still planned to. She laid there silently as Rick finished putting on his glowing white t-shirt and slung his utility belt over his shoulder. He sat his duffle bag by the door then joined them on the bed.
The way he looked at Judith made her heart sigh. He leaned over her and peppered her nose and forehead in kisses, while Judith squirmed beneath him. She cooed and kicked as though they were playing a game, and he beamed at her in return, "My perfect little girl. You need to promise me that you won't grow anymore."
Michonne smirked, "I wish none of them would grow anymore"
"I still remember when Carl was this small. Hell, I remember when Andre was sleeping face down in his crib"
"Don't remind me", Michonne groaned as she held one of Judith's feet between her fingers.
Rick turned his head and gazed at her with his cloudy blue eyes. He appeared a little more peaceful than he did earlier that morning. His eyes trickled down to her lips, then back up to her eyes again, "I love you"
"I love you, too", She declared easily.
"I'm gonna' see if I can leave on Friday night and come straight here"
Michonne tried not to express how bad an idea she thought that was. She needed to work at the club later that week, so if he returned home earlier than planned then that shift would go out the window. She shook her head slightly, "You're going to be as exhausted as I feel now. Just get some rest and you can drive down in the morning. That's safer."
He gave her that look again and she was reminded of the treacherous guilt knots in her stomach. He nodded his head a little as he looked back down at Judith.
Deceiving to him made her feel low. So low that she couldn't even fathom looking in the mirror at times. She knew she was playing a dangerous game with him and risked destroying any trust he had in her but that would only be if he found out, and she'd do everything in her power to make sure that he didn't.
He left shortly after showering Judith with a few more kisses and sending a few Michonne's way, and she thought that she had time to rest for a while longer but Andre decided that he would wake up also, so her hectic Monday started right on time.
Having Carl for a full week instead of just four days was a nice addition. Andre loved his company and Michonne thought it was great that he got to spend so much time with his sister, but shuttling him to school and Andre to preschool wasn't always as smooth sailing as she wished.
"Mommy! Judith keeps kicking an' punching!", Andre whined from the backseat.
"She's just moving around a lot", Carl replied for Michonne, "Babies do that. I don't know why but they just do."
"Thas' bad", Andre responded in his firmest tone, "You only kick an' punch when-when som'body cuts you off"
Michonne frowned as she peered at her son via the rear-view mirror, "Excuse me? Cuts you off? Who¬ Who told you that?"
"Dad did", Andre answered easily, and Carl burst out laughing from the other side of the back seat.
Michonne groaned as she stared through the windshield, "I should have known"
"That was great", Carl sighed as he calmed down, "Dad does get really mad when somebody cuts him off"
"Understandable", She glanced at her wristwatch as she clutched the steering wheel and she almost gasped when she saw the time, "Oh crap!"
"Oh boy…", Carl muttered loud enough for her to here, "Andre, sit back."
Michonne checked all of her mirrors, then pulled out of the lane she was in and into another lane, then on to a side road. Andre cheered from his car seat, "Yay! Mommy's racing!"
Having spent enough time watching Rick on the road, Michonne could admit that she probably learned to drive the wrong way. Her mother would be appalled if she knew how she'd whip around corners and dive in and out of side streets. Her mother would be appalled if she saw how Rick drove entirely.
She made it to the daycare first and left Judith in the car with Carl while she ran with Andre in her arms to his classroom. Her son loved every moment of it. She then ran back to her car and almost threw herself through the window.
"I hate to say this but we've got eight minutes", Carl commented from the backseat while she strapped herself in, "I actually don't mind if we're late"
"I know you don't, Carl", She shot back dryly as she started the car up again, "Let's go."
One thing Michonne could look forward to throughout the week was those few hours that she had to do whatever she pleased, with Judith in tow. Once she'd cleaned up whatever mess that was left over from breakfast and gotten the household chores out the way, she'd go on a stroll through the park or have friends around for lunch, and sometimes she and Judith would just sit back and watch a movie or two. It was nice, but first, she had to get rid of the boys. She arrived at Carl's school within seven minutes, and she would have breathed a sigh of relief if she didn't see Lori waiting by the buildings main entrance.
"There's my mom", Carl said as he opened the car door.
"Oh yeah. There she is", Michonne tried to sound as optimistic as he did when she turned the engine off.
Michonne liked to think that she and Lori had a friendly and cordial relationship with each other, but sometimes they'd find themselves smiling at each other for an awkwardly long time when they ran out of things to say.
"Good morning", Lori greeted as she approached the car wearing a knee-length floral dress and her hair loose, "I was hoping I'd catch you this morning"
"Hey Mom", Carl greeted back as grabbed his backpack from the floor of the car, "See ya' later Judes"
"We were running a little late", Michonne explained as she looked through the open window at Lori, then Carl, "Have a good Carl"
"Yeah, come on", Lori gave her son a little pat on the back, "Hurry up. I'll give you a call later, Okay?"
"Alright. Bye", Carl slung his bag over his shoulder and trudged up the brick steps to cross the schoolyard.
Lori watched him go then peered back at Michonne through squinted eyes because of the sun, "The school is having a fundraiser soon and they were meant to be having a meeting about it this morning but they canceled… And I have sometime before I have to get to work so I thought I'd wait for you to get here"
Michonne slowly nodded, "A fundraiser?"
"Yeah, in a few weeks I think. I wanted to know how parents can volunteer to help", Lori huffed, "You should sign up if you're free?"
"It sounds good. I'll have to look into it…", Michonne tucked the thought to the back of her mind, "...Um, Rick is probably going to call you later and mention his graduation? It's coming up soon and it would be nice if you can join us"
Lori began to smile, "Oh really? That's great. I'd love to come."
"Great. And I'll also be throwing him a surprise party after so you're more than welcome to come"
"A surprise party too?", Lori's eyebrows sprung up, "How lovely. Does Carl know?"
"No, I haven't told him yet. I'll probably let him know a little closer to the date"
Lori tucked her hair behind her ear as she appeared to hesitate, "...Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, I only ask that because Rick isn't really that kind of person. He doesn't like the attention"
Michonne slowly inhaled, "I know, but I think he's just not used to being thanked for his efforts."
She began to nod her head, "...Well, count me in. Maybe I'm wrong and Rick would love that."
Michonnes cheeks started to hurt from smiling, "I hope so"
Lori's eyes traveled to the back of her vehicle, "Is the baby awake? Can I take a peak?"
"Yeah, sure"
Lori opened the car door and kept a friendly distance as she peered at Judith, "Oh, just look at her! She's still so small!"
"With a big appetite"
"Of course", Lori chuckled, "She really looks like you doesn't she? I can't see a hint of Rick anywhere"
Michonne almost frowned at the second part of her comment, "Uh, yeah… She definitely does look more like me but that hasn't stopped her from being a complete daddy's girl"
"I can imagine", Lori closed the door gently, "She really is beautiful though. How are the boys with her? I know Carl adores her since he's always talking about his 'Baby sister'..."
Michonne heart warmed, "Yeah, they're doing good. Still getting used to her but… no complaints so far."
"That's great", Lori grinned at her as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Well let me know about the graduation and I'll make a note of it. If you need any help then just give me a call"
"I will, thanks."
She hoped that she wouldn't regret telling Lori about her surprise for Rick. It was something that she'd been planning meticulously in previous weeks and she wanted it to be a joyful event for him, however, she knew it wouldn't be easy. He preferred to be behind the scenes and didn't like being fussed over, but she was too proud of him to let that moment go unnoticed.
After saying her goodbyes to Lori, she set off to run her errands, which included grocery shopping, paying bills and taking Judith for one of her many check-ups. She had yet to figure out what needed to be done for the week and how she'd get it done. With Carl home, she'd have to sneak around because he'd often be in his room at the end of the night but it didn't mean he was asleep, so sneaking out to go to work or trying to make arrangements for Rick's party wouldn't be as simple. She also had to be mindful of her own son for obvious reasons.
They arrived back home around noon and just in time to, as Maggie was waiting outside her front door with arms open wide, "Where's my little bean?!"
"Take her", Michonne had grocery bags lining one arm while carrying Judith in her car seat in the other, "Please"
"I got her", Maggie took the car seat and began to squeal, "Hey there, bean! Look how big you're getting!"
"You look great", Michonne admired her friend's white blouse and navy pants, "Very nice"
"Thanks. I wanted to look like a grown-up for that interview"
"You certainly do", Michonne rummaged in her purse and pulled out her keys, "God, I need an assistant or something¬"
"I can't wait to get you out of this thing and give you tummy kisses!", Maggie continued behind her, "You sweet little¬ Hey, wait a minute… Her eyes look blue? Are they getting blue?"
"You're not the first person to say that", Michonne shoved the door open with her foot.
"Well, looks like Rick did help after all", Maggie snickered.
Michonne almost sprinted to the kitchen area and dumped the bags on the floor, "I swear, we need to start looking for apartments on the ground floor… With a garage… We just need a house"
"You're free!", Maggie scooped Judith out of the car seat and on to her chest, "I've missed cuddling her"
"I can see that"
"I try not to when Peanut's around because I don't wanna' make him jealous", Maggie shut the front door with her foot, "I think that he thinks that I'm betraying him"
"He also thinks that Judith's an intruder so…", Michonne shrugged as she kicked off her boots, "I wouldn't worry what he's thinking right now"
"God, she's so adorable", Maggie made her way to the counter and took a seat on one of the stools, "How's your morning going?"
Michonne scoffed, "Neverending. How'd your job interview go?"
"Great, I think. I really hope I get it but I haven't even told daddy that I want to move out here, yet.", Maggie huffed as she rocked Judith from side to side, "I wanted to mention the idea to him last night but he was busy"
"Does he think that you want to drive back and forth from here to town every day?", Michonne frowned as she asked the question, then began unpacking her purchases.
"He's going through 'empty nest syndrome' because Beth's up here for college… I was actually planning on checking an apartment later on, do you wanna' come with?"
"What time?"
"Around four?"
Michonne stilled as she thought about it, "I'd have to bring the whole clan with me"
"Bring 'em. We can get something to eat after", Maggie insisted as she ran her hand over Judith's curls, "They need to get used to seeing me regularly again"
"Of course. They'd love that."
"I hope so", Her friend sighed as she watched her move around the kitchen, "How's Rick doing?"
Whenever someone asked about Rick, Michonne would internally groan, "Fine. Just fine. He left on time this morning"
"Uh huh? That's good…", A wave of silence passed through them both, then Maggie asked, "How's… things…"
"Just as weird as they were before", She answered dryly as she placed her hands on the counter and faced her, "...He told me something over the weekend that made me feel…Off"
"What?", Maggie leaned in closer.
"...Andrea did his laundry from him last week…"
Maggie sat back with her eyebrows raised, "His laundry? She washed them for him?"
Michonne nodded her head, "Yeah."
Her friend seemed puzzled, "That's not right"
"That's what I thought, but he said it like it meant nothing so I didn't say anything¬"
"That's something", Maggie muttered the words as she looked away, "That really is something¬"
"But you know Rick… He probably didn't think anything of it", Michonne crossed her arms over her chest as she thought about it a countless time, "And she might not have either? I mean, they're spending so much time together, night and day throughout the week so maybe I'm just being paranoid for no reason and it's really innocent?"
Maggie tipped her head to one side to indicate that she was considering her theory, "Maybe? You could be right…"
"I better be right", Michonne raked her hands through her locks as she went back to her task, "Just a few more weeks and that's all"
"Oh, hows the top secret party planning going?"
"Stressful. The bar wants the money up front because I picked the 'platinum package' so I have to work this week", Michonne stopped again when she realized that what she was about to say couldn't be said in passing, "...I was thinking about going on stage"
Maggie stared her, "Come again?"
"On stage…", Michonne repeated quietly, "...The other girls don't just dance, they usually strip too and Paula said she made five hundred dollars on the stage then seven hundred giving private dances after so she probably took home a thousand dollars after paying Carol¬"
"Hold on a second… A thousand dollars? She made a thousand dollars in one night?", Maggie narrowed her eyes at Michonne, "...And she did what exactly?"
"She gets naked, Maggie"
Her friend continued to stare at her, "...I wish I could dance"
Michonne cracked a smile, "Stop it."
"You think you could go up there and get naked in front of everybody?"
"God, no. The thought alone scares me… but I really want to throw this party for him and we need to have money put aside for after graduation", Michonne bit her lip for a moment, "I can pay off the bar this week... Then give the stage a shot so I can start saving up…"
"I get it… but…", Maggie cringed, "It doesn't seem like you really want to do that, though"
"I don't.", She replied easily, "And I can't wait until the day when I can just leave all this stuff behind"
Maggie's expression changed into something more pitiful, "It'll come soon enough."
"Yeah", Michonne huffed as she reached for another bag off the ground, "Very soon."