Standing in her full-length mirror, Michonne looked at her outfit. Light blue distressed jeans with a peek a boo salmon crop top: white low top converse on her feet with her signature locs tied up in an updo. Silver hoop earrings adorned her ears. In a word, she looked hot. She hoped she looked ok to do this. She couldn't believe she agreed to it. She only needed a work date. How did she become the girlfriend of Rick Grimes. Was she giving more than she was getting? No. Rick had agreed to attend another function or two of her choosing whenever she needed him. That could definitely come in handy around the holidays. It got real old always being put at the kid table for her mom's holiday brunch. She looked at herself again. "Am I really doing this?" she asked herself
Flashback to a week ago
"Your girlfriend? Isn't that a bit much?" Michonne asks Rick.
"Well not really. You said you want to pretend we've been seeing each other for a while. All my friends know I don't casually date, so yeah you would have to be my girlfriend." Rick hoped that didn't sound desperate.
Michonne gave him a look. "Your girlfriend huh? Well, I guess we could do that. This does need to be believable, I guess."
"You guess what?" Sasha asked finally coming back down from her Daryl high.
"I'm Michonne's boyfriend."
Daryl quickly started to choke on his drink. "What the fuck? When did this happen? I mean, yeah when the fuck did this happen?" He starts to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing man. I just never saw the two of you together and you never said anything. I never thought you wouldn't tell me is all." Daryl furrows his brow looking suspicious.
"It's not real. We're helping each other out." Sasha, Daryl, and Rick's heads turned to Michonne at her admission. Sasha and Daryl both looked confused while Rick looked, she wasn't sure, disappointed? "We're just helping each other out."
"Yeah. It's not a big deal at all. It's just pretend." Rick said backing her up. She had a funny feeling when he said it's just pretend, but she shook it off.
Present time
Sasha had been hassling her all week if she was sure she could pull this off. Of course, she could. It was just a few dates and then she would have the prize; a partnership. This was a means to an end.
Doorbell rings
Michonne looked at herself once again in the mirror. "Here we go." She walks out of her bedroom and heads downstairs to open the door for Rick. Oh wow
Rick is wearing navy blue jeans that hug him like a second skin, baby blue button-down shirt with the top button opened. His beard is perfectly trimmed showcasing his cherry lips and his curls are tamed showing off the blues of his eyes. His look is finished off with a pair of softly worn black cowboy boots. "Hey Michonne. You look fantastic."
"Thanks Rick. You look great yourself. I'm ready to go." Michonne reaches behind her, grabs her purse and locks the door. She takes a quick breath asking for strength.
"Are you nervous?" Rick asks her.
"Nervous, no. I'm just going to meet your family for the first time and I still hardly know anything about you." Michonne was feeling nervous which is something she was never comfortable with.
"Don't worry. No one should grill you too hard and I told you enough on the phone that we should be ok." The two had texted every night that week getting to know each other. They both were pleasantly surprised at how easy their conversations flowed, like they were old friends. "Just remember, I apologize now for the ridiculousness of my family. You won't have to endure them long."
She laughs, "Thanks for the warning, but I'll be just fine. I'm really looking forward to meeting your family." And she meant it. As nervous and awkward as she felt meeting Rick's family knowing this was a ruse, she was genuinely excited to meet them. They made small talk until the car pulled up to a lovely country house sitting on a cul de sac. The home was grey two story with a wraparound porch that had shutters that were so blue, they reminded Michonne of Rick's eyes. There were flower beds lining the sidewalk and driveway. This was the kind of place that looked perfect to grow up Michonne thought to herself with a smile.
"Here we are, casa Grimes. You sure you're ready."
"Let's do this Puck." Michonne had started calling Rick Puck, after he shared his love of hockey with her during one of their late-night conversations. Rick walked over to her door to open it for her. When she stepped out of the car she took his hand and they intertwined their fingers. For a second they both stopped and looked at each other for a minute. They stood there for a second, just breathing together. There was no sound, no movement just two hearts beating as the blood flowed through their fingers.
"Well damn boy, she's hotter than I thought." The two looked in the direction of the loud voice to see Jeff bounding towards them with arms outstretched. "Oh wee, how you doin miss lady. You must be Michonne. Good grief you are a looker. How the hell this scrawny geek get a knockout like you on his arm?"
Michonne couldn't help but smile. "He's not so bad, once you get used to him." Michonne surprised herself and took her arm and wrapped it around Rick's waist. He stiffened at first, not used to the contact, but relaxed quickly once he felt her hand on his lower back.
"Thanks babe." Rick responded and followed suit, wrapping his arm around Michonne. "Where's Mom and Dad?"
"They're inside. Mom is dying to come out here, but I told her to give you a second to come inside."
"And yet here you are bothering us."
"What can I say, I'm awesome like that." Jeff said with a laugh. "Is that for Dad?" He's pointing to the beautifully wrapped present Michonne is holding.
"Yes, it is, and no you can't say we went in half this time lazy. You can buy Dad his own damn present."
"Jeffy, leave Ricky alone so I can meet his girl." Jeannie Grimes yells from the front door. Jeff, Rick and Michonne start walking towards the house. Jeff kisses his mom on the cheek and disappears inside. Rick and Michonne walk up the steps and stand in front of the Grimes matriarch.
"My goodness, you are absolutely beautiful. Welcome to our home Michonne. I'm so happy to meet you." She comes down and gives Michonne a huge hug. Michonne stands there not really knowing what to do. She hasn't been hugged like this in goodness knows how long.
"Mama, let her breathe you're smothering her." Rick says gently prying his mom's arms away from her bone crushing hug.
"I'm sorry, it's been so long since you've brought a girl home Ricky, and I'm just… Oh enough come inside please, everyone is here." Michonne goes to follow his mom but Rick pulls her arm back. "You're ok right?"
"Yeah, I'm ok. We got this," she says with a smile.
"We got this." He says back to her. They smile at each, their hands searching the other out to hold onto for comfort. Slowly, their fingers again intertwine as they walk up the stairs into the house.