Rick glanced at Michonne and passed her Joy before turning around, but he didn't put his hands in the air. Michonne turned, and stared into the face of the two remaining men.

"So you're the son of a bitch who shot my wife" Rick spat, his hand resting on his gun.

"She and that kid killed three of my buddies, and if you even think about reaching for that gun you're gonna leave that baby there without parents".

Rick glared at the man.

"Now you're gonna take us to wherever y'all are stayin', and I know it's close, and you're gonna give us some food. That's all we want, and then we'll leave."

Michonne spotted movement behind the men as Carl suddenly returned from the cabin with Michonne's katana in hand. He paused, immediately realized what was happening, and cocked his gun.

Rick didn't seem to see Carl but he said "we're not taking you anywhere", and immediately two shots rang out in quick succession, shooting each man in the head.

Rick was startled and pulled his gun thinking they were under attack.

"It's me dad" Carl said calmly, handing Michonne her katana while taking Joy from her.

Rick looked at Carl in amazement. "That was... Good shot" he stammered.

Carl looked over at Michonne and she gave him a knowing grin. Rick wasn't sure what the look was about, but after the way Michonne was avoiding his eyes a few minutes ago, he was glad to see a smile on her face. As they waited, Rick and Carl scanned the forest with their guns at the ready.

Soon, they heard the engine of the car approaching. As Daryl pulled up he noticed the two dead men on the side of the road.

"I miss somethin'?" He asked.

"Carl took care of business" Rick said with pride, patting Carl on the back briefly before helping Michonne into the backseat. Carl sat next to Michonne with her leg propped on his lap as Rick held the baby in the front seat.

As Daryl took off down the road, Carl let out a sigh. Michonne reached out and patted Carl's hand. He looked at her and Michonne mouthed "ask him tonight" looking at Rick. Carl smiled and nodded his head.

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As they pulled up to Alexandria there was quite a crowd of people waiting for them to come back, adding to Michonne's embarrassment. They were polite enough not to bombard them with questions, especially when they saw Michonne was injured, but she tried to avoid eye contact with anyone as Rick carried her to the infirmary.

Rick stayed by her side as Winston, the resident nurse, who had also helped her while she was being held captive at Negan's compound, cleaned and stitched her gunshot wound through her thigh, almost in the exact same place that Merle had shot her a few years ago, but in the opposite leg.

"You are one lucky woman" Winston mused as he stitched. "With all the injuries you've had, I'm surprised you can still walk straight". His words were supposed to be a joke, but he made Michonne think back to being shot by Merle after deciding to leave Woodbury, being beaten and having her ribs broken by one of Negan's men, and a brand new gunshot wound now. Winston immediately realized his joke wasn't funny and quickly apologized. "Well I'm done here, I just want you to stay here for a few hours to make sure we don't get any more bleeding or a fever. Then you can take her home Rick". Rick nodded and Winston quickly took his leave.

Rick sat down on the corner of Michonne's exam bed and held her hand. Once again she avoided his eyes and instead looked down at her wedding ring.

"Michonne" Rick called softly. She dragged her eyes up to his face, but still didn't look him in the eyes.

"What is going on?" He asked, rubbing her hand. His words weren't accusing, but she felt the weight of her guilt on every syllable.

She knew she'd have to talk to Rick eventually, so she took a deep breath and began. "Rick" she croaked, "I'm so embarrassed. I'm so sorry for going out there with them. I... I just felt so trapped here. I felt like I was losing who I was and... I never meant to put them in danger. I thought I could handle it... If something happened to Carl or Joy I wouldn't survive it. Please forgive me." she said, sobbing now.

Rick snuggled closer to her. "Michonne, of course I forgive you" he whispered. He put his hand under her chin and turned her head so that she was looking in his eyes. "I love you. When Sherry told me you hadn't come back... you know I don't handle that well". She nodded, tears still dripping down her face.

"What happened out there?" he asked.

"There were men, they didn't see us, they would've walked past us, but Joy started to cry, so we ran. One caught up to us and Carl shot him. We had to kill the other two, but when one started shooting at Carl I distracted him, and... that's how I got this" she said looking down at her wound.

"Michonne" Rick said "I know you feel bad, but what happened wasn't your fault. We haven't seen people out there for a year."

He moved in closer. Her brown eyes were flicking back and forth and he could see the question she was asking him.

Do you still trust me?

He answered her without her having to ask it.

"Like I said on our wedding day, I am yours forever. I trust you with our children's lives, I trust you with my life. I will always trust you".

And just like that he was on her, kissing her passionately, running his hands through her locs, cupping her face. Her relief turned to passion as she searched his mouth with her tongue, wanting to show him how much he meant to her. They were abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door.

They reluctantly pulled apart and Michonne quickly wiped her face before Carl burst in carrying Judith and Joy, one in each arm.

"Mama!" Judith yelled excitedly. Michonne had to hold back tears as Carl dropped her on the bed and she crawled over to Michonne, wrapping her arms around Michonne's neck.

"Hey baby girl!" Michonne sniffled, "Did you have fun with Auntie Maggie?". Judith nodded and pointed at Michonne's bandage.

"Boo boo?" she asked.

"Yea, mama got a little boo boo" she explained to Judith, "but mama's better now"

"Kiss it?" Judith asked, and Michonne was full out crying now. She nodded as Judith crawled over to her wound and gently kissed the bandage.

"Thank you" she said, her voice breaking "It's so much better now".

Judith crawled back up the bed and nestled herself in Michonne's arms. Carl sat on one side of the bed, bouncing Joy in his lap, while Rick sat on the other.

The warmth Rick felt, seeing his whole family together, was overwhelming. The whole family sat in a comfortable silence, listening to Joy coo and Judith giggle as Michonne tickled her. As Rick glanced over at Carl, he could tell he was lost in thought about something. Just as Rick was about to ask him what was wrong, Carl broke the silence.

"Dad, tonight I want to talk to you about something, after dinner" he said quickly. Rick was a little confused. "Ok" he said, glancing over at Michonne. Michonne didn't meet his eyes and Rick immediately knew she knew what Carl was going to talk to him about.

"Is it something good?" Rick asked, fishing for details. Carl gave a half smile "Yes" he said, "It's something good".

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Winston let Michonne leave the infirmary after a few hours of monitoring, giving her some painkillers. Rick was so overjoyed that she was coming home so quickly that he picked her up and carried her home, carefully swinging her through the streets of Alexandria, and she was mortified.

"Rick" she hissed "please stop". But he seemed to take pleasure in her embarrassment, as he swung her around with Carl laughing hysterically behind them. Carl was holding Judith's hand and carrying a sleeping Joy.

"Weeee" Judith chimed in, and Michonne couldn't help but join in with the laughing.

Carl opened the front door and Rick gently placed Michonne in a chair at the table.

"Ok, what would you like to eat tonight?" Rick asked.

"Depends on who's cooking" Carl grumbled, and Rick playfully slapped Carl on the back of the head.

"Spusgetti!" Judith sang. "Spaghetti" Carl corrected. "Spusgetti!" She said again.

"Sure, spaghetti would be great" Michonne said, glancing at Carl with a look that said 'he can't possibly mess that one up'

Michonne immediately went into mother mode. "We have some tomato sauce in the fridge Rick, Carol made it fresh last night. And Carl, put Joy in her crib, go wash your hands, and then put Judith on the potty please, see if she'll go, and then go pick up that pile of clothes you left behind your door, don't think I didn't see them..."

Carl rolled his eye. "You know, you're getting very bossy mom" Carl said, laughing, throwing back the words she'd said to him that morning.

"Boy, you're so lucky I can't get up right now" Michonne threatened, half-heartedly raising her katana in his direction.

Carl, feigning fear, quickly grabbed Judith and sprinted upstairs, with Judith laughing the whole time.

"So... I just boil the water and drop the spaghetti in there right?" Rick asked. Michonne tried not to laugh at Rick's lack of cooking skills, but she couldn't help a giggle. "Yes Rick" she replied.

"Are you laughing at me?" Rick asked, staring her down. "Yes Rick" she laughed again.

"I'm gonna take that smile off your face" Rick growled, advancing on her. "Yes Rick" she said softly.

He plopped down in the chair next to her and kissed her gently at first, but more and more roughly as both of them got carried away. His hands were working their way underneath her shirt when a loud cheer from upstairs startled them. "She used the potty!" Carl called down the stairs. Rick and Michonne both cheered loudly from downstairs. "Good job Judy!" Rick yelled up the stairs. He kissed Michonne again and then bolted up the steps to hug Judith.

As Michonne sat at the table, she couldn't believe what she had almost lost, and that she ever wanted to be anywhere else than here.

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After dinner, after a nod and a wink from Michonne, Carl asked Rick to step outside with him. The night was pretty dark, and the porch lights weren't on, so the only light came from the open front door. Carl and Rick stood there in silence for a little while, listening to the crickets chirp and faint voices coming from the other houses in Alexandria.

Rick started. "Carl, what you did today... you saved Michonne and I and Joy too. I just want to say thank you, and I'm proud of you son".

Carl looked at Rick. "It's what men do, right? I'm a man now".

Rick smiled "Yea Carl, you're a man, you have been for a while now".

Carl just nodded, looking off into the distance. "Dad... I'm an adult now, a man... and I... I know what I want". Rick just looked, having no idea where Carl was going with this.

"I want to marry Enid" he said.

Rick just looked at Carl in shock, not fully understanding what Carl was saying. "You want to what?" he asked.

"I want to marry her" Carl said again, looking Rick in the eye.

"You want to... marry... Enid?" Rick asked again, still in a bit of shock.

"Yes dad" Carl said, a little frustrated.

"But..."

"I'm not too young" Carl started. "Age is nothing but a number now a days. And I contribute to the community, I have a job, I can take care of her, I can protect her. And I love her dad. And she loves me."

"Carl..."

"So I just wanted to ask you out of respect for what you've done for me, taking care of me, and raising me in all of this. But like you said, I'm a man now, and I have to make decisions for my family, and Enid is part of my family now"

"Carl" Rick said, putting his hands out to stop Carl from saying any more. "Carl. You are the best man I know, and everything you just said to me is true. I've seen the way you protect this family, and what you would do for them. I would never stop you from doing something you're this sure about. You have my blessing son".

Carl paused as if he were expecting Rick to say something completely different. Rick reached out his hand to shake Carl's, and Carl shook his hand back. They then turned and looked out into the darkness.

"Does this mean you'll be doing your own laundry?" Rick joked. "Funny dad" Carl shot back.

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As Rick and Carl reentered the house, Michonne searched their faces for any clue of what happened outside. Both of them had on a poker face, and it was driving her crazy.

"So...?" she asked.

"So what?" Rick asked her, trying to look clueless.

"So what happened with you and Carl?"

"We just talked" Rick said, shooting a look at Carl who was trying to hide his smirk behind his long hair.

Michonne wasn't having it. "Carl" she said in her sternest voice. And that tone meant:

Don't you dare keep your mother waiting.

"I'm getting married!" he said happily. Michonne waved him to come over to her, and she planted a kiss on his cheek. She then waved for Rick to come over, and she kissed him on the lips whispering "good job babe".

As the excitement died down a little, Carl's expression changed slightly.

"What is it Carl?" Michonne asked him.

"I still have to convince Glenn and Maggie" he sighed.