"You still look the same," Luke said as he came up to the sink beside Michonne. "Same hairstyle, same shining eyes, same beautiful smile."
"You're just saying that because I'm washing the dishes for you," countered Michonne. "I must have been starving or that was one hell of a dinner you made. When did you become such a good cook?"
"When I had to," Luke answered. "There's a lot you don't know about me now Michonne. This world has changed me."
She nodded thoughtfully. "I never thought I would do the things I had to do just to survive."
"It seems like it worked out for you though," Luke gestured towards a sleeping Glenn and Heath. "From what I've heard, you have a great family and community going. I'm happy you found that."
"It hasn't been easy, but yeah, I'm glad I have them too," Michonne said as she dried her hands. "So are we going to have the 'what have you been doing for the last 10 years' talk or what?"
Luke smirked. "Yeah, let's do that, but first come here, I want to show you something." He led her down a hall and through a few of the smaller galleries.
Michonne knew it wasn't smart to follow Luke. He could have been leading her to a trap or worse, but Michonne trusted Luke. She knew this was the man who had loved her unconditionally, even at her worst. She knew this was the man that spent eight hours constructing an Ikea desk for her, drove all around Atlanta looking for her favorite discontinued candy, and held her and comforted her when her grandfather died. She knew this man wouldn't hurt her.
As Michonne walked behind him, she took in Luke's form. It was one that she used to know very well. She couldn't help but wonder if his abs were still rock solid, if his arms could still lift 250 pounds, and if he still had that scar above his left elbow. She followed Luke as he turned left into a larger gallery and stopped when they were in front of a painting.
"The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane, 1858," read Michonne. "You remembered?"
"Of course I remembered. You only made me watch that movie ten times and gushed about Johnny Depp when we should have been studying for mid-terms."
Michonne laughed at the memory, "We had some good times didn't we?"
"The best," Luke answered honestly. "When I moved away from Atlanta, I kept seeing that damn movie everywhere – on the plane, in the bin at the stores. It was like the universe telling me I had made a huge mistake."
Luke chuckled and sat on the bench in front of the painting as he recalled how lost he felt when he got to DC. Part of it was getting acquainted with a new city; the other part was learning to live without Michonne by his side. Since the moment he met her, he knew she would be the best thing about him. Sure she hated his guts at the beginning, but he knew they could be amazing together once he broke down her walls. The ultimate power couple: taking down bad guys, prosecuting criminals, running their own law firm, all while raising five kids. He saw an amazing future with her.
And they were well on their way there too if his dream law firm hadn't called him back. Instead, they offered him a job and opportunity he couldn't turn down. The only catch was that it was in DC. For as long as Luke knew her, he knew Michonne would always be an Atlanta girl. He knew he shouldn't have asked her, but he did anyway. He had asked her to move with him to DC, which had lead to a two-week long argument about what was best for both of them. It ended with her deciding he should take the job, and she stay in Atlanta where she was already working at a great firm. Michonne honestly thought he would have put up more of a fight to get her to move but Luke had wanted to do whatever made Michonne happy. He knew that even if she did move to DC it was for him, not because she wanted to. He knew it would have led to her eventually resenting him for taking her far away from her family and friends.
If it's meant to be, we'll make it work. She had promised him that but he knew a long-distance relationship was hopeless. Luke knew he would be too busy with his new job and he knew a woman like Michonne would constantly have male suitors throwing themselves at her feet. He knew he should have never gotten on that plane to DC; he knew he should have never let Michonne go. He knew all of this but his ambition still got the better of him. They tried to make it work for almost a year but the distance was putting too much of a strain. If it's meant to be, we'll see each other again she promised him tearfully.
And he did see her again, more than 10 years later during the zombie apocalypse. He almost didn't believe it was her when he saw the three figures walking through the thick snow, but her unforgettable laugh sealed the deal. He had planned on following them for a little while, just as a precaution, but the second Michonne slipped and walkers started to swarm her, he knew he had to take action. When he saw her face, he felt that familiar warmth and tingle in his heart. The first woman he had ever loved and never thought he'd see again.
But here they were. At the Smithsonian Museum. Staring at a painting of Ichabod Crane.
"It's must be nice staying in the museum," Michonne said breaking the silence and joining him on the bench. "How long have you been here? Do you have people to get back to?"
"I've been here for a few months. I had a few friends from the firm since the beginning but they decided to venture away to find their families. Most of DC got evacuated quickly, but all those left turned on each other quickly. It was pretty terrifying there for a few months but this whole area is nearly empty of people now so it's just been me and the undead," he joked.
"If there's one thing I can count on, it's you always trying to crack a joke during the most inappropriate times Luke," Michonne said. "I miss that."
"Do you?" He looked in her deep brown eyes for a few seconds. "God Michonne, you were the last person I ever expected to see here but I'm so glad you are. You may be the last person on Earth who knows who I really am."
She smiled at his confession. He may be the last person on Earth to know who she was from before too. The last person who reminded her of what she had wanted all along, a happy, loving family.
"It's a good thing you're going back with us to Alexandria then."
Yay Michonne! I love that lady but she is so hard to write so my Michonne is a bit AU lol. Thanks for sticking with this story. It's been so therapeutic for me to write, and I hope it gives you something as well.
