Michonne sat the patio table, correcting assignments and entering grades into her laptop. She tapped her pen to the rhythm of "25 or 6 to 4" as Peter Cetera's voice sailed out of the stereo set up in the yard. Although the main power grids in the continental US were brought back online several years ago, major and sometimes prolonged outages were experienced. Pushing her glasses back over her eyes, Michonne raced to get all of her data entered in case one of those outages swept over Alexandria. Thanks to the restoration of the grids and satellites, the rebirth of the internet and limited mobile phone access was made a reality. As a result, Michonne was able to work remotely as a law professor.

She groaned but joyfully marked up a paper with red ink. "I swear that when I lecture I might as well be talking to a fruit salad. I would never have had the nerve to pass this mess in to one of my professors. This is unacceptable. F!"

Rick shook his head while he worked the grill. "Wow Mimi, remind me to never take one of your classes. You even scared me!"

"Why must you insist on calling me Mimi?" Michonne asked for the millionth time ever since Rick first gave her the nickname over twenty years ago.

"Because I know that it ticks you off." He shot back smiling.

Michonne smiled at her husband who was dressed in khaki shorts, a black t-shirt, and a backwards baseball cap. She adored the curly patches of silver-black hair that escaped from under his hat. Michonne was never a fan of Rick's chicken legs, but when he walked, she would nearly lose it. The majestic bow-legged cowboy that swiftly checked her for bite wounds and threw her over his shoulder a lifetime ago was still a very big part of him. After all of this time, they still lusted after each other. They were older now but very well preserved despite all that it took to arrive at this point in their lives. Their family was one of intense intrigue to the people of Alexandria: The "good 'ol boy" deputy sheriff, now their Chief of Police who liberated entire communities of people, killed criminals with his teeth, and married a stunningly beautiful black samurai who used her magic sword to kill walking corpses and a giant man with an eye patch who kept heads in an aquarium. Rick laughed at how crazy it all sounded. If he hadn't lived it, he wouldn't have believed half of that shit himself.

Rick looked over at his wife who continued to grade papers. Except for her glasses and the random strands of gray hair salted in her shoulder length locks, Michonne looked exactly like the woman he fell in love with in Georgia. She worked hard at keeping herself healthy and it influenced his lifestyle as well. She was always inspiring him whether she knew it or not. She was highly intelligent, witty, fearless, and compassionate. But he learned a bit later on in their relationship how "flighty" she could be.

"I've got food!" Exclaimed Carl as he came onto the patio. He shook hands with his father and examined some pies on small table near the grill. Carl turned up his nose in disapproval.

"What is that?"

Rick leaned into Carl and watched Michonne to make sure she wasn't listening. "Sweet potato pies made with soy milk."

Carl stuck his finger down his throat.

"When she isn't looking, throw them out!" Rick continued.

Michonne cleared her throat and looked up from her papers. "Don't think that I didn't hear that! Anyway, more for me."

"No problem, Mimi." Rick responded jovially, shoving the pies from him.

Carl sat next to Michonne and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He adored his stepmother for choosing to love him when she didn't have to. He called her "Mom" for a brief period after she and his father married but unexpectedly one day Carl experienced a great amount of guilt. Eventually he and Michonne talked about his feelings during a hike and a lunch that they planned just for them. She reassured him that it was ok for him to call her whatever he wanted but her love for him would never change. Judith, however, Carl noted, was adamant about who her mother was. A woman named Lori may have brought her into this world, but Michonne Grimes was her only mother.

"Where are you sisters?" Rick asked Carl as he finished up on the grill.

"Judith looked like hell so I think she went to take a shower upstairs. Catherine went to make a phone call." The younger man responded as he and Michonne laughed at some of the answers her students gave on their papers.

Rick groaned. "Well they'd better hurry up before the only thing that they'll have for supper are these wonderful sweet potato pies made with soy milk."

Michonne glared at Rick who was pretending to lick his fingers after smelling her pies. She knew that he was trying to get a rise out of her. If he kept it up, he would be sleeping on the couch tonight.