The doctors tried to get Rick to leave the room while they examined Michonne, but one look from him and they didn't ask again. Feeling numb, he stood in the hospital room as insignificant as a fly on the wall. Praying was not something he did often, but he made an exception, for her. He couldn't even see her for all the medical staff crowded around her. Gratefully, she was unconscious, he really wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
Bob had cooperated with the police, and advised them of the dose he gave her which made her treatment easier. Rick had wanted to kill them for committing such a heinous crime intentionally, which was inexcusable, as far as he was concerned, but they would get what they deserved.
After what seemed like hours, the doctor finally approached Rick.
"Detective, I'm Dr. Miller."
"Rick Grimes." Rick said, pulling his eyes from Michonne to the doctor.
"She's out of danger, but I can't know when she'll be waking up. She was given a relatively small dose, anything more than that probably would have killed her. Have you arrested the person who did this?"
"Yes." Rick said blandly.
The doctor noted the depth of concern from the man he was speaking to, and started to leave them alone.
"Dr. Miller, she means a lot to me, and I'd appreciate it if I could stay with her. She has no other family."
"I believe she would want that as well. She was whispering your name before she went completely unconscious."
After the doctor left, Rick slowly and quietly moved a chair by her bed and sat down. He reluctantly took her hand in his, and he was satisfied just looking at her face. For the first time in his life he felt helpless. She was precious to him and he didn't want to lose her to this. He wiped tears from his face as exhaustion started to take him. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes and gave in to a fitful few moment's sleep. Michonne moved slightly and he opened his eyes to see her sitting bolt upright about to vomit. He quickly stood and grabbed the bedpan and held it up to her mouth as she vomited into it. Pulling her locks back, he reached over and pressed the buzzer to call the nurse.
"I-I closed my eyes for a second and she just sat up." He explained to the nurse who ran into the room.
"This was expected Mr. Grimes."
"Please, call me Rick." He said, wanting to say something, anything that even remotely sounded less helpless.
While she wretched into the bedpan, the nurse took her temperature. When Michonne finished vomiting into the bedpan, she started crying and looked wildly around the room.
"I want to go home." She said, finally looking at Rick.
"Not yet, baby. They're making sure you're okay."
She shook her head and tried to get out of bed on the opposite side from where he stood. The nurse stopped her and Rick quickly went around the bed to her.
"Michonne, no."
"What happened to me!" She cried out through tears.
"Get back in bed and I'll tell you everything, but you have to calm down or they'll strap you to this bed."
She looked in eyes, and through her drug-induced haze could see him. She quietly got back into bed and awkwardly wiped the tears from her eyes. He sat down on the bed beside her and wiped away her remaining tears.
"What's the last thing you remember?'
She held her head down and focused on her lap.
"Everything." She whispered and started to weep. "How could I be so stupid?"
He put his arms around her and she cried into his shoulder.
"You weren't stupid. You trusted someone who was trusted by someone you loved."
She looked at him with eyes full of so much hurt and sadness it made his heart ache.
The doctor entered the room and Rick looked over at him.
"The doctor's here."
She leaned back on the pillow and Rick handed her a tissue. Rick got up and stood back from the bed while to doctor examined her.
"Hi Michonne. How do you feel?"
"Disoriented and disconnected."
"That's pretty much how you should feel. It'll pass within the next few days."
"When can I go home?" She asked.
She was frightened, and it was heard in her voice.
"Tomorrow or as long as it takes for the diacetylmorphine to leave your system."
"How long will that take?" Rick asked.
"Dr. Adams, this is my boyfriend Rick Grimes."
"Mr. Grimes, Michonne was given a small dose, so we think it will be out of her system by tomorrow. I know you want to go home, and we'll try to get you out of here as early as we can."
"Okay." Michonne said looking at Rick.
The doctor turned to leave the room and Rick walked across the room to follow him out.
"I'll be right back." Rick said to Michonne. "Dr. Adams." He called after him.
"Yes."
"Is she going to be alright?"
"Yes. She'll be fine. The nurse said she vomited and that should be the worst of it, but she might be a little disoriented for a while yet."
"Is there a chance of her developing an addiction or experiencing any withdrawal symptoms?"
"No, not with just one dose, and a small one at that."
Rick sighed in relief.
"Mr. Grimes, keep her close and watch her. Reassurance will help get her through this. Will you be staying with her?"
"Yes." Rick said, knowing there was no way he was going to leave her.
"Good. She shouldn't be alone right now. The main thing, especially with someone like Michonne, is her mental state. She was violated with a dangerous drug against her will. She's going to need some time getting used to that."
"Thank you, Dr. Adams."
Rick entered the room and saw how defeated she looked. He smiled at her sadly and walked over to the bed.
"Rick, I was thinking that you should go home tonight; sleep in your bed. I'll be alright." Michonne said sitting up and wiping her eyes.
She wouldn't look at him when she spoke; afraid he would see the shame she felt.
"I'm not going anywhere Michonne."
"You don't have to stay here with me." She insisted.
"I know that, but I want to." He said quietly.
She gathered up what little bravado she had left and looked at him.
"Go home Rick, I want to be alone." She said, sternly looking him in the eyes.
He studied her eyes and her voice and demeanor he had only heard her use in the courtroom. He knew it was an act, and was reluctant to give in, but she probably could use some time to herself right now. As strong as he was, she could talk him into anything, and he would let her, no matter how he felt about it. He closed his eyes and looked down at the floor.
"Okay Michonne, whatever you want." He said looking back up with tears in his eyes.
He walked over to kiss her cheek. Their eyes met, and although the movement was small, it meant everything to him when she gently touched his forearm, and looked into his eyes with a warm smile.
"I'll be back tonight."
"Rick."
"Give me an inch Michonne, please." He said, getting a little frustrated with her insistence.
"Okay." She said, realizing he was giving much more than he was getting.
He sat back down on the bed and rubbed her arm gently.
"This didn't just happen to you." He said, looking down at his hand on her arm. He looked up briefly at the ceiling and then at the IV stand next to her bed. "You mean more to me than I think you realize. I want you safe and well taken care of. Will you let me take care of you?"
She looked at him for a long time before speaking.
"Yes."
Rick drove over to his father-in-law's sports bar after leaving the hospital. The place was packed and he was told Buck was in his office. The door was cracked and he knocked and stuck his head inside.
"Rick, come in."
"Hey Buck. How are you?"
"Doing good. How's Michonne?"
Rick was surprised Buck would ask.
"I heard about what happened, and Joanne told me you needed the kids to stay with us a while longer."
"I'm sorry about that."
"Don't apologize for that. They're our grandkids and we're happy to be able to spend the time with them."
Rick nodded and briefly looked away.
"The doctor said she'll be okay. I need a favor Buck. I want to get her out of the city so she can get back to herself."
Buck opened a desk drawer and produced a set of keys and handed them to Rick.
"The pantry is full, and there're steaks in the freezer."
"Thanks Buck."
"Take good care of her Rick."
"I will."
"Rick, I've always liked you, even when you were a kid."
Rick shifted on his feet and squinted at Buck.
"I know, I know you don't like to hear this kind of talk, but I'm long overdue telling you this. I know my daughter was difficult, but you stayed in it and took care of her. I'll always appreciate that. You're like a son to me Rick, and I'm overjoyed you found someone who makes you happy."
"Thanks Buck."
Buck nodded and cleared his throat.
"Bring some fish back if you get out on the lake." Buck said, shaking Rick's hand.
"Will do Buck. Thanks again."
His next stop was home for a shower and to pack a bag. He spent a few hours with the kids before Judith's bedtime. While he read a story to her, his mind wandered and he knew he needed to treat what happened to Michonne like the crime that it was, but the harder he tried, the angrier he got about it. She was going to be fine, he kept telling himself, but he needed to be reassured as much as she did.
It was close to the end of visiting hours when he made it back to the hospital. Michonne was sleeping when he walked into her room. He went to her bedside and kissed her forehead, and she stirred.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better. You came back anyway." She said with her voice thick with sleep, but clearer.
"You thought I wouldn't?"
She opened her eyes and smiled at him sadly.
"You found me yesterday." Her lips trembled as she fought back tears. "I knew you would. Just as I knew that no matter what I said, you'd be back."
"You would do the same for me."
"I would." Her voice fading some. "If the world was in chaos, and everything as we knew it was over, I would find you and follow you anywhere."
"Really?"
"Of course, because you know how it goes."
"How what goes?"
"Everything. The world, people, me."
He smiled at her through squinted eyes.
"I don't think I understand that."
"It doesn't matter. Just know that I'm with you. I know who you are Rick Grimes, and I love you."
She slowly drifted off to sleep and he stood and kissed her again.
"Tell me all this again when you wake up."
"I will. I know who you are Rick Grimes, and I…love…you." She repeated drowsily.
He was surprised she was still awake, but she was fading fast. He took another look at her face before leaning back in the recliner and closing his eyes. What she said to him brought tears to his eyes. He had given up on finding love again, and she was more than he could ever dream of.
The nurse was in and out of the room throughout the night, and around three in the morning, Michonne woke up and smiled watching Rick sleep. She knew he was worried about her, and it showed on his face without marring his handsome looks. She gently got out of bed and took one of the blankets off the bed and covered him. He stirred and opened his eyes.
"What are you doing up?" He said yawning.
"That bed was making me crazy. Go back to sleep."
"Not a chance. I wanted to talk to you anyway."
"Okay." She said climbing back into the bed.
He stood up, stretched, and placed the blanket back onto her bed.
"How do you feel?"
"My head is clearing."
"Good. Maybe they'll let you leave today."
"I sure hope so."
"Michonne, if it's alright with you, I'd like to take you away for a few days."
"Where?"
"To the mountains. Buck has a cabin up there."
"I'm not much of a camper."
"Not that you know of." He said taking her hand. "But camping wasn't what I had in mind. I plan on you getting some fresh air, resting on your own terms, and maybe fishing."
"Fishing?"
"Yeah, heard of it?"
She smiled at him sweetly and thought about his plan.
"Let's do it." She said smiling and kissing his hand.
Around ten a.m., Rick stood nervously by while the doctor examined Michonne before deciding to release her. She was given a somewhat reluctant release by the doctor with her promising to get as much rest as possible. Rick was instructed to bring her back in if she developed a fever or suddenly became drowsy or lost consciousness. He took her home to change and pack a bag, and she grabbed all the fresh fruits and vegetables she just bought before her ordeal.
She was excited to be going away with Rick. Even though she was supposed to be convalescing, she felt stronger with a clearer mind, and thought fishing would be good for her, and time alone with Rick would be good for them.
The drive was uneventful and pleasant with a brief dispute over listening to Rock-A-Billy or Rhythm and Blues. Percy Sledge decided for them with the unmistakable opening to the tune, When a Man Loves a Woman. Rick let go of the dial, and let the words of the song wash over him. The song translated to him fully how he felt about Michonne. He pulled the car over and parked. Michonne looked at him curiously, but she could see in his eyes that what he was feeling was huge.
"Get out of the car." Michonne said quietly, turning up the volume of the radio.
When he got out, he started to walk around to her side of the car. She stopped him in front of the car, and stood close to him.
"Dance with me?" She said, putting her arms around his neck.
He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her in close. They began to sway gently together to the music. The strong man in her arms was vulnerable in a way that touched her completely; washing any doubt or fear she had regarding living her life with him.
Cars on the road honked as they passed them. When the song was over, Rick slowly released her, kissing her shoulder, neck and finally her lips.
"Thank you." He said with one last quick peck to her lips.
He walked her to the passenger side of the car, and closed the door after she got in. They sat quietly for a while, each thinking about the incredible moment they just shared. He started the engine and pulled back onto the road. Not expectantly, Rick reached over and placed his hand on her thigh, sending those butterflies in her stomach swirling around her insides. She put her hand on his, feeling his warmth and strength that she knew would always be at her disposal. The secret smile that graced her lips threatened to give away the fact that she was solely devoted to him.
During the four-hour drive up into the mountains, Michonne slept a great deal of the way, but was coherent and lucid. Rick divided his time between watching the road and watching her. He didn't fool himself regarding the scare he got from her experience, and how afraid he had been, and still was, because it wasn't over. There would be a trial and she would have to go over every detail of what she went through. His goal during this time was to get her strong again. Fearless.
"You want me to drive for a while?" She said, putting the seat back in an upright position.
"I'm good."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I enjoy driving."
She leaned forward and looked out at the scenery.
"This is incredible. Have you been up here often?"
"More when Lori and I were dating than I did after we were married."
"Why is that?"
"One thing then another. I was going to school and working. Even the weekends seemed to be hectic. The truth of it is, I don't think Lori liked it up here much."
Michonne thought about that for a while. It seems Lori didn't like much of anything, which to Michonne seemed to also include Rick. She made a promise to herself that she wouldn't ask any more questions about Lori.
They talked more about other things and Rick was impressed that Michonne was awake when they pulled up to the cabin. It was about ten p.m. and when she stepped out of the car, the view from in front of the cabin took her breath away. Moonlight shone down on the water making it sparkle with light. Rick got out of the car and watched Michonne gazing at the view.
"Rick." She said almost in a whisper. "This is…I don't have words for it."
He walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her.
"I'm sure you'll come up with a few before we leave."
She leaned her head back on his shoulder and took it all in.
"Thank you for this Rick."
"This is nothing compared to what you'll see at sunrise. Let's go inside, it's getting cold out."
He took her hand and they walked up the cabin steps together. He unlocked the security door and turned off the alarm. She almost gasped when he turned the lights on. She hadn't expected the cabin to be so modern looking.
"This isn't what I expected at all."
"Buck isn't the roughing it type. He said he had enough of that when he was growing up."
He took her upstairs and gave her a choice of one of the three bedrooms.
"Where will you be sleeping?" She asked awkwardly.
"In one of the remaining two rooms."
She gave Rick a long look and knew she would be probably sleeping alone, so she picked the small room with the mountain view at the side of the house. Rick shook his head as she went into her room. He had a feeling these sleeping arrangements won't last the weekend.
He went out to the car and brought in their bags and the food.
"Are you hungry?"
"I sure hope you can you cook." She asked smiling. "Because according to you, I can't."
"Let's scramble some eggs, together." He said, pulling her into the kitchen by her belt.
After watching how he scrambled eggs the way she liked them, she successfully scrambled eggs for him. They sat down and ate their eggs and talked about Carl, Judith and Rick's hopes for them. Michonne was impressed at how well he knew his children. Even though his in-laws helped with the children, she felt that he would be able to care for them without Buck and Joanne's help.
When she yawned, he got up and picked up their empty plates and took them into the kitchen.
"You look tired. Come on." He said motioning to her.
She wearily got up from the table and followed him up the stairs. He took her in his arms and kissed her gently and held her for a few moments.
"Sleep well." He said, slowly releasing her.
"You too."
He went back down the stairs to clean the kitchen and secure the house. He finally climbed back up the stairs, and before going to his own room, went to check on Michonne. He stood at the door and looked at her lying there on her stomach with her arms spread wide. Her back slowly rose and fell with her quiet breathing. She looked totally peaceful, and he hoped she was having sweet dreams. Yawning, he went to his bedroom at the front of the house. He stood there for a time looking at the view of the lake. He was surprised Michonne passed on it. The windows in this bedroom were wall to wall. He couldn't wait to close his eyes and slip in between the cool sheets. Removing his clothes with his eyes closed, he thought he would fall asleep standing before he could lay down. He lay down on the bed, stretched out on his back and as he closed his eyes, wished Michonne was there with him.
Waking up around three, he got out of bed and got dressed. He walked down the hall to check on Michonne. She hadn't moved and was sleeping soundly, sprawled out across the bed. He went down stairs and started checking on the fishing equipment. Buck kept the rods and tackle in a small room in the back of the house. From what he remembered, the boat was stored in the woodshed. He went out back and took the boat down and walked it down to the lake shore. When he got back to the cabin, Michonne was standing, frozen in place, at the bottom of the stairs. The look on her face concerned him. She was frightened. When she saw him, she walked over to him and put her arms around him.
"What's wrong?"
"I woke up and when I didn't see you, I didn't know if this was real." She said starting to cry.
"It's okay." He said, holding her tightly. "I just went out to put the boat in the water. We're having fish for breakfast."
"I'll go get dressed." She said abruptly, pulling herself out of his arms.
Rick stood there clenching his jaw, hating the pain she was going through. Hopefully, he thought, fishing might help.
She stood on the dock looking down at the small boat.
"I'm not a very strong swimmer." She said firmly.
"Then you better stay in the boat." Rick smirked, and handed her a life vest.
Defiantly, she put the vest on and ignored his outstretched hand as she climbed into the bobbing craft by herself. He purposely climbed roughly in behind her making the boat rock even more vigorously from side to side. He side-glanced at her and smiled in amusement at her gripping the sides of the boat.
Once out in the middle of the lake, he pulled out from a tackle box, pieces of bait Buck kept in the freezer.
"Can you bait a hook?"
"City girl here." She said, raising one hand.
He clicked his tongue and gave her a disapproving look.
"You take a fishing hook in your left hand, and a piece of bait in your right hand…"
"Really?" She said, cutting him off.
Clearly, she was uncomfortable in the small boat, but she managed a smile and shook her head. He showed her how to cast her line and before he could pick up his own rod, she got a bite.
"Rick!" She said, nearly jumping out of the boat.
He helped her reel in her catch and to their surprise, the fish on her line was big enough to feed them both. Feeling extremely proud and cocky, she started baiting her own hook and was an expert at casting very quickly. He sat back and watched her enjoy this time. The smile on her face was all he needed to give him some satisfaction out of the recent trauma she had been through.
After about three hours, she had caught eight nice sized fish. She stopped and looked over at her haul and at Rick's smiling face as he unhooked her last catch.
"What are we going to do with all this fish?"
"Clean and freeze them. Buck asked us to bring him some fish back."
"This was fun." She said smiling.
Her exhilaration was contagious and comforting to him.
"Ready to go in?"
"Yeah." She said reluctantly.
He noticed her mood darkened slightly as she looked down into the water.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just a little tired."
He rowed them back to shore, and she helped him unload the fish and tackle. He pulled the boat along the dock to the shore and out of the lake.
"I'll come back for that stuff." He said.
"I got it." She said, picking up everything and walking toward the cabin.
Rick rinsed off the equipment and put it back where Buck had it stored. Michonne was quiet now and responded to Rick with one word answers. They stood together at the kitchen sink washing their hands. She dried her hands and walked over to the front window and stared out at the lake. He watched her while he cleaned the fish, and knew there was something she was feeling she wouldn't talk about. There was a tenseness in her body that made him think of suppressed rage. Rick joined her at the window and gently touched her shoulder. He was always sensitive to her moods, and didn't want to push her.
"Talk to me." He said, turning her toward him.
"What?"
"You had a good day and now you've got something on your mind that's beating you down."
"So?"
"So, is this how you're going to be from now on?"
"What do you mean?" She asked turning away from him.
He was starting to get frustrated and decided he would push her.
"Since you insist on answering my questions with questions, I'll give you a statement. Get your head out of your rear end and find your courage Michonne."
He turned from her and walked back toward the kitchen.
"Do you have any idea what I've just gone through?" She asked, still standing at the window.
He walked back over to her so fast she took a step back.
"Without being injected with heroin myself, I've suffered every inch with you. I've watched light fade from your eyes which nearly tore my heart out. I've cried and prayed, afraid the doctor would tell me you would have to withdraw from what was injected into your veins, but thank God you don't have to go through that." He stopped and swallowed hard to cover the emotion in his voice. "Even if you did, I would be right there with you. What is it going to take for you to realize how blessed you've been and fight? It could have been a whole lot worse."
She tried to turn away, but he stopped her.
"I don't have any fight left." She said quietly.
"I haven't seen any fight in you at all yet. This is not something you can afford to feel sorry for yourself about." He had raised his voice and then intentionally lowered it. "I believe that's how people get addicted to heroin. They give up and think that's their only option because of something they can't get over. Is that what you'd rather do, give up?"
Her eyes flashed angrily at him.
"There it is." Rick said goading her. "Who are you angry at Michonne? Me, Mike or Terry?"
She looked bewildered as she searched his eyes.
"If it's Mike, you need to let that go because he's dead. Terry was the one who abused you. Do you want to hit him? He's in jail at the moment, so hit me!" He yelled, as a tear spilled out of his eye.
Instead of standing there waiting, Rick gave her shoulder a firm but benign shove. She backed up a step and he pushed her again.
"Go ahead and hit me Michonne!" He yelled again, moving in closer to her.
"No." She lifted her chin, trying to stand her ground.
"Yes. I want you to because we're not going to live like this."
He shoved her again, but this time she stumbled back and fell to the floor.
"Get up and show me that you're still in there."
He stood a few feet from her and glared down at her. This was not what he wanted, but he decided that if this was what she needed, he would gladly do it.
She practically snarled at him as she stood up. Her breathing was rapid and she wanted to hit him.
"I'm not going to stop, just like Terry wasn't going to stop shooting you up with that poison."
He grabbed her shirt and roughly pulled her to him.
"You better hit me before I make you hit me."
Her eyes widened and she hit him square in the jaw, nearly knocking him to the floor. She landed punches he didn't really feel because he was with her in this too.
The rage she felt weighed heavy on her and it blinded her. In front of her was Terry; the man who had ruined the person she had worked hard to become. The hot tears spilling from her eyes fueled her rage and she struck at him again and again. She struck at the smile on his face as he held her still; the one who lied in her face about everything. The amount of anger she felt was frightening to her; some of it was because of what Mike did, and she knew Rick was right, she needed to let that go, Mike was dead. Terry was incarcerated and would stand trial for what he did.
Finally, she stopped and bent over still sobbing, exhausted and out of breath. Rick walked quietly away from her and went to stop the blood that dripped from his face and down onto his t-shirt. He dabbed at his nose and lip to stop the bleeding. He reached over with his foot and slammed the bathroom door shut just as he started to weep. He sat down on the lid of the toilet seat and cried with the towel to his mouth to muffle the sound. It had been hard for him to understand exactly what she was feeling inside, but now he had seen it in her rage.
Michonne's hands shook as her anger subsided. The last thing she heard was the bathroom door slamming shut. She looked at the closed door and knew why it was closed. She nervously walked to the door and tried to knock and call out for him, but she couldn't. Walking away twice, and back twice, she knew that if the roles were reversed, he would insist on seeing her even if she didn't want him to.
"Rick." She said quietly, closing her eyes hoping he would answer.
She heard him clear his throat before he spoke.
"Yeah."
She could hear the emotion in his voice.
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah."
When she opened the door, he was leaning over the sink with the water running. He was dousing his face with the water, but she could see aside from the water, the tears pouring from his eyes. He had taken his shirt off and she noticed a couple of scratches on his arm, neck, and one over an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry." She blurted out, shocked at what she had done.
"It's not your fault Michonne." He said, trying to concentrate on stopping the blood.
She started to cry while she looked at what she had done to him. He finally put the towel down and walked over to her. Slipping his arms around her, he pulled her close to him.
"You hit like a girl." He whispered in her ear.
She let out a tearful laugh which quickly turned into sobs again because she could hear in his voice he was crying, and she tightened her hold on him.
"Shh-shh." He said calmly. "It's okay now. That was what you needed."
They stood there together until she calmed down.
"Why don't you go for a walk or something while I cook the fish."
She lifted her head and frowned. She started to speak, but he shook his head and put a finger to her lips.
"Let's move on from here."
"Okay." She said quietly.
Michonne took Rick's advice and went for a walk. She felt some relief from releasing her frustrations, but at what cost. What did he think of her now. Would he still look at her with love in his eyes? Hitting him the way she did was the last thing she thought she would do, but thinking back, he was right; it was something she needed to do. She was fighting Terry, but it was Rick who stood in his place; took the blame for what Terry did, and allowed her to strike out at him.
Rick was glad she had taken his advice and went for a walk. He needed time to pull himself together. He was emotionally spent, but he would do it all over again if it was something she needed to do.
Suddenly she felt drained of energy, her body was tired, and her emotions were scattered. She dragged herself up the steps to the cabin, and the smell of fish frying managed to bring a smile to her face. She stepped inside and walked to the kitchen counter and watched him move comfortably around the kitchen. The cuts and bruises on his face were beginning to show, and she walked over to the freezer and pulled out the ice bin."
"The fish smells good."
"How was your walk?"
"Enlightening." She said, filling a towel with ice. "You really do love me, don't you Rick."
She closed her eyes and held up a hand before he could speak.
"That wasn't meant as a question for you, because I know the answer. It was more of a confirmation for me. What I should have said was, 'Rick really does love me.'"
He looked at her and smiled with eyes full of love.
"Grab a couple plates." He said finally.
They sat together and chatted quietly over their fish dinner. The conversation was light and sweet in a way that made them both blush. She loved the way he looked at her during the quiet moments, and it humbled him that she looked at him as if he was the most precious thing on earth, and that she was the first to discover him.
After dinner, they cleaned the kitchen together and enjoyed the sweet silence between them. When they finished, he walked her over to the couch and they stretched out together and watched the setting sun.
"This is nice." She said as they watched the view over the lake.
"It is." He said, nuzzling her neck.
"Do you think we'll always be this way?"
"Seriously, I don't."
"Why not?" She asked, lifting her head to look at him.
"Have you met us? The attorney and the cop us?"
"I forgot about them." She said thoughtfully. "But this is what I want for us."
"Then we'll have to work at it. Being alone like this will have to be a priority."
"We can do it." She said starting to yawn.
"You're my hero, you know that?"
"Why, because of how I am in the courtroom?"
He shook his head and smiled at her sadly.
"No, because of how you are with me."
He kissed her forehead and they settled down and allowed sleep to take them.
Michonne woke up a brief time later, and for an instant forgot where she was. She was still on the couch, but Rick had gotten up. She sat up and looked around the quiet room and felt quite alone. Now that she was with him, she no longer wanted to be alone. She got up and saw him sitting on the front steps. The view was tremendous and she stepped out onto the porch and sat down beside him.
"I didn't want to wake you." He said, looking up at her. "Are you okay?" He asked, still looking at her face.
"I am." She said sitting down beside him.
Her mood had changed a bit and he noticed.
"When I woke up I was confused as to where I was, just for a moment. I started to feel the way I did before I met you; like something was missing. When I saw you sitting out here, I realized what was missing was you."
He reached out and touched her cheek with his hand.
"I don't want to wake up another day without you Rick." She smiled sadly with tears in her eyes. Will you marry me?"
His eyes widened and he nervously smiled.
"Are you sure?"
"I know who you are Rick Grimes, and I love you."
He smiled at her with so much pride he thought his chest would explode.
"You remembered to tell me that."
"I did, because it's the truth. I meant it then and I mean it now, with all my heart."
"I love you, and yes Michonne, I will marry you."
He leaned toward her and gently kissed her.
"Congratulations." She said, kissing him back.
"Thank you." He said laughing. "Congratulations to you."
He made a face remembering something he had forgotten. He reached into the pocket of his jeans, and she sat confused wondering what he could be doing. She finally smiled watching the look on his face as he pulled out a small pouch. A tear slid down her cheek as he reached into the pouch and pulled out a pear-shaped diamond ring. Her jaw dropped and he removed the ring and placed it on her finger.
"Rick, it's beautiful. When did you…?"
"It belonged to my grandmother."
Her face changed slightly as she admired the ring. Rick noted the change and understood it.
"It would have been a little insensitive of me to give you a ring that might have been offered to someone else."
She looked up and smiled sadly.
"Lori had a ring picked out before I even asked her to marry me. I never told her about this ring. Looking back, this ring was always meant for you. My grandmother left the ring to me in her will; it came with a note. I put it in a safe deposit box and forgot about it until I knew I was going to ask you to marry me. My grandmother's note told me to only give this ring to the love of my life, and that's you."
She smiled at him and the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks glistened in the moonlight.
"I love you Michonne."
"I love you." She said, pulling his head down to hers to kiss him.
She broke the kiss and lowered her head. He lifted her chin to search her eyes.
"What is it?"
"Do you think Carl will be okay with the change in our relationship?"
Rick smiled and looked out at the lake.
"Carl felt it before we did I think. He won't be surprised."
"He's a good kid."
"Yes, he is; much to Lori's credit."
"What about the rest of your family?"
Rick scowled, closed his eyes and shook his head.
"There's only Ed left, my dad's brother and his wife and daughter. I haven't seen him for years."
"Why is that?"
Rick scoffed and took her hand in his.
"Let's just say he's holding on to the hope that the south will rise again."
"Oh, I see. Is that going to be a problem?" She said.
He looked at her and smiled at the tone she usually only used in the courtroom.
"Probably. He still talks to me like I'm Carl's age."
"He should know you're getting married."
"Okay, but why?" Rick said, without hesitation.
"Your uncle and I will have the same last name. He should know, in case we bump into each other. He won't be the first person I've had to deal with who sees the world differently."
"Okay, if that's what you want."
"It is. I think we should have him and his family over for dinner."
"Michonne, Ed is a class A jackass. I've given him respect only because he's my uncle, but I won't stand by and listen to him disrespect you, which he will."
"That's why we should initiate the introductions."
He looked at her, and knew the only person he should be afraid for was his uncle. She was strong, even more so now. Finally, a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
"This should be fun. I'll call him when we get back."
"Speaking of which, we're still leaving tomorrow right?"
"You anxious to get back to work?"
"You brought me here to bring me back to who I am."
"I did ask for it. I guess I'm getting spoiled having you all to myself."
"This won't be the last time." She said, smiling brightly.
He looked at her and stood, pulling her up with him.
"Let's go to bed." He said, hugging her. "For the first time." He whispered in her ear.
There was no mistaking what he meant.
"Rick Grimes!" She said, pretending to be startled.
"You wanna wait? We can wait."
"I'm done waiting." She said frankly.
He placed his hands on her shoulders and pointed her toward the door. They held hands and walked together up the stairs, and into the bedroom with the best view in the house.
The soft early morning light on the lake was a view Michonne would not soon forget. She lay on her side looking out at the morning with a smile. The smile on her face was well-earned and warranted, and judging from the limp arm across her waist, Rick was still sleeping; also, well-earned and warranted. She moved slightly and felt his arm tighten around her.
"Good morning." He said softly, kissing her shoulder.
"Mm. Good morning."
He gently tugged on her waist, rolling her onto her back. She looked up into his eyes and moved his curly hair back from his face.
"We have a lot to do when we get home." She said, enjoying how her fingers felt in his hair.
"Such as?"
"I think the first thing we should do is tell Carl we're getting married."
"I agree." He said nodding. "Where should we live?"
"I would suggest we move in here, but our commute would be a bear."
He laughed and turned his head to look at the lake.
"You moving in with us would be easier, and since the house is relatively new to us, you can decorate it however you like."
She was quiet for a few moments, and he could tell she was weighing the options.
"Okay." She said finally. "Besides, your house is more kid friendly than mine."
She noted how relieved he looked and it made her happy. He rolled over onto his back and sat up.
"I know you're the one with the bigger salary, and I'm not sure how I should feel about that. It doesn't bother me, but we do need to talk about it."
"Okay." She said seriously. "First of all, I don't want what we have to ever be about money. I have an idea and if you agree with it, let's do it and never talk about it again."
"Go on." He said inhaling, grateful for a possible solution.
"We open a joint account; all the money goes in there, and we do everything from that one account." She said in a rush of words.
She looked at him carefully not knowing how he would feel about it. He looked out at the lake for a long time. Her salary was nearly double his, and in the world he was raised in, the man was supposed to be the primary breadwinner, but with the money being in one account, maybe he could forget his male ego and concentrate on what was really important to him, her and his family.
"Rick, we trust each other and we both know it's not about the money, that's why this is so awkward to discuss. The money will be ours, not yours, not mine."
"Just like the children are ours." He said finally.
She smiled brightly at him.
"Okay." He said, smiling back. "Let's do it."
She threw a leg over him and sat on his lap.
"Now, how about a proper good morning?" She whispered bringing her face down to his.