Michonne sat at the round table in the dark lit room. Beer and chicken wings could be smelt in the air and the venue resembled an old club. "So something is telling me this isn't a regular restaurant," Michonne said, eyeing the stage that protruded from the front of the room.
"Well they do have food here." Maggie responded suspiciously. "There'll be some entertainment to go with your meal."
"Yea, you needed to relax, so sit back and have fun." Carol added.
"Ladies take your seats. The show will begin in five minutes."
"Show?" Michonne questioned, knowing she was in for some sort of surprise as Carol and Maggie giggled.
"Oh yea, you're going to need this." Maggie pulled a lace headband out of her bag with the title Bride at the top.
"Alright ladies, you are in for a treat. We've got a crowd favorite ready to put on an amazing show tonight. You know the house rules, hands stay above the belt, nothing less than dollar bills, and please, whatever you do, have a good ass time. Now put your hands together for Mustang Merle!"
"Mustang wha-?" As soon as Michonne turned around she saw what could only be described as a hillbilly in a bunny speedo and bowtie. "You've got to be kidding me." Her mouth was held agape as she looked across at Maggie and Carol hooping and hollering at the trainwreck on stage. Carol began digging in her purse, pulling out crumpled dollar bills and waving them over her head luring the stripper nearer.
It was close to midnight when Michonne plopped onto her guest bed. The day had truly exhausted her with so many emotions running through her head. Rick had completely surprised her with being such a stand up fiancé, she could not even compare. What had she done for Rick other than threaten his job, force him to marry her, and get him involved in a tangle of lies? She had to get out of there, for his sake.
Michonne pulled out a laptop and searched for the soonest flight out of Atlanta to New York. The air seemed to thin in the room as she scrolled down a list of flights, her fingers fumbling over the mouse pad. She knew Rick would be hurt but she knew he would be too blinded to let her go. She had to go. Matter of fact, she would take the quickest flight back to New York and file her paperwork as quick as possible and hope for the best. She should have done that in the first place.
"2:12 AM, Okay that gives me time to pack and get a cab to the airport." She purchased the ticket and moved quietly through her room aiming to not wake up Carol or Maggie, fighting back tears as she packed all her things.
She rolled her suitcase through the quiet airport with a swiftness, her eyes red and puffy from her excessive crying and lack of sleep. She made her way to the line of awaiting passengers. Michonne looked out at the moon shining alone in the dark sky. Alone. Was she ready to go back to being alone? This weekend she had been surrounded by people at every turn, and contrary to her expectations, she enjoyed it. Kids running around the house, Dave grumbling about something first thing in the morning, Maggie going back and forth with Carol, and then there was Rick. This wonderful surprise of a man. She wallowed in the blue of his eyes, the way his curls flopped about his head right after hopping out the bed, the way he gently caressed her fingers when they held hands, his depth, his honesty.
"Next please," the grumpy blond, with a tight ponytail summoned her forward. "Passport or ID?"
Michonne fumbled through her tightly packed bag. "Shit," she thought to herself. Lip gloss and crumpled receipts tumbled to the floor as she pulled out her wallet, handing her ID to the TSA agent. The woman studied the card closely, reaching down to the walkie on her chest to announce, "I'm going to need security up front."
"What?" Michonne panicked. "No, no, no, I just flew in to Atlanta a couple days ago. I just need to make it back home."
"Ma'am, I need you to step aside. We're just going to have someone check your documentation. Standard procedure."
A man appeared from around the corner with a crisp tucked-in white shirt, black pants, and a belt full of gadgets and gizmos.
Michonne held tighter to her purse. "Why does that man have handcuffs? Is that standard procedure?"
"Ma'am, I need you to calm down and follow him behind the curtain."
"Can I make a phone call?"
"Once I'm done with the inspection you can make as many calls as you want."
Michonne sighed, she was sure she would miss her flight.
Michonne thrummed her fingertips on the cold steel table, her heel tapping nervously below. The conclusion of the inspection was that her U.S. citizenship status had expired, yet since it was the weekend and the immigration office was closed, she had to have someone come and vouch for her. She could not travel until her status was cleared. Michonne had embarrassed herself. Rick was the first person she called, crying hysterically on the phone with words spilling out her mouth a mile a minute through rushed gasps.
She knew she would have to explain herself once she got there. Here he was, Prince Charming, and in true Cinderella fashion she had ran away in the middle of the night. Anger. It was the only realistic reaction she could expect. She broke his trust, and now she expected him to come save her.
Light streamed through into the dark small room and the sight of the door flying open and slamming against the wall sent Michonne scooting away from the table. "I don't care. I need to see my fiancé now!" Rick paused in the doorway once he saw his beautiful princess. "Michonne," he exhaled, moving quickly to kneel beside her and pulling her into a tight hug.
She hugged him with equal pressure. "Rick I'm so sorry."
Just then the strict blond security guard from earlier came bolting down the hallway, almost sliding past the doorway once she caught sight of Rick. "Sir, you need to give us your proof of identification before we let you back here. If I have to chase you again, you'll be leaving in handcuffs." As she spoke, Rick held on to Michonne's face with both hands, his concerned eyes searching hers. "Are you ok?" He asked catching his breath. Michonne's eyeballs veered over his shoulder at both security guards impatiently waiting on Rick to address them. "Rick you should probably answer the lady." Rick sighed, pulling his wallet from his back and tossing it behind him. His eyes never left Michonne. "Everything you need should be in there, but I'm not leaving until she goes with me."
The disgruntled security picked his wallet up from the floor and exited the room shaking her head. "Rick I'm so sorry."
"What . . . happened?" Rick sighed. "Everything was fine yesterday, what happened?"
"I-I, I got scared. We were lying to your family and then your family took me in. I couldn't stand you at first but then I really started to like you. A lot. In fact it surprised the hell out of me. I felt like you were starting to feel the same and it started to become confusing. I wasn't sure what was real and what was a conjecture of the agreement. I didn't want to trick you into something."
"Michonne you weren't tricking me into anything. I knew what this was when I agreed. Granted, my feelings for you did change, but that made the deal even sweeter. I need you to marry me, because I would love to date you." Rick smiled as he placed a stray lock behind her ear. "What do you say?"
"What happens when we get back to work?" Worry was written all over Michonne's pinched eyebrows.
"I'm your husband, you're my wife. Simple as that." He took her hand in his. "This is real for me. I want it to be real for you too."
Wind whipped through Rick's curls as he travelled down the lonely road in his father's beat up old truck. As soon as he got Michonne's call he had swiped the keys from the end table at the house without asking. He did not want to disturb the rest of the house at such a late hour. The truck squeaked and squawked, every bump in the road could be felt. The air conditioning had stopped working years ago and one of the windows was stuck open, yet Dave's old truck was reliable as can be. Rick remembered getting through some of the toughest decisions of his life in that truck as a teenager.
Rick reached over and slid his hand over Michonne's, interlocking his fingers in hers. Her brown eyes glowed in the moonlight. "I won't tell anyone what happened. You won't be able to explain this to our family without giving up our whole agreement. Let's keep it between you and me, agreed?"
"Rick, I'm tired of lying." Her voice soft like a wilted flower.
"I know sweetheart, and if you want we can still tell the truth, but not until you're in the clear with your citizenship. I can't risk it."
"Rick are you sure?"
Rick sighed and slowed down the truck as he rode through a grassy plain. Michonne bounced around in the front seat. "Where are we going?"
"You think too much," he rasped. Rick brought the car to a complete stop under a large oak tree.
"For a smart woman, you second guess yourself a lot. What are you so afraid of?"
Michonne silently stared out the window until she was ready to confess. "That you'll change your mind and leave." She looked at him, tears fresh in her eyes.
"Michonne I've had every opportunity to run. Hell, you damn near got deported at the airport and yet I'm still here." He turned to cradle her faced in both his hands. "I'm not going anywhere."
Michonne startled Rick, fumbling hastily onto his lap, her lips connecting with his. Rick groaned. He missed the warm feel of her body next to his. Michonne's tongue dipped into his mouth and greeted him with fervor. His hands squeezed her hips with need as she ground her hips into him. "Make love to me Rick," she pleaded in a faint whisper. She began unbuckling his belt. "Michonne baby… fuck, wait. We shouldn't do this right now."
"Why not," she asked rubbing on his chest.
"I don't want any part of you thinking that I'm with you just for the sex," he chuckled.
Michonne smiled. "Okay, fair enough. Take me back to Carol's."
Maggie quickly peeked out the window curtain as the rest of the wedding party settled in their seats below in the backyard. Rows of white chairs were connected with giant yellow silk bows. The yard was covered in white lilies and the tables off to the side were covered in crisp white tablecloths, and yellow accentuated marble centerpieces.
"Michonne you look absolutely gorgeous." Maggie stood nearby as Michonne was getting the finishing touches put on her make-up.
"Maggie I can't thank you enough. Everything looks so beautiful."
"You're family now. No reason to thank me. I'm so excited for you and Rick."
"Are you trying to sabotage me and have me ruin my make-up?"
Maggie chuckled, "No, I promise I'm not. I'm just glad to have a sister." She grabbed her hand and squeezed lovingly. "Oh, and before I forget, this is from Rick."
She reached over to the vanity behind Michonne and handed over a gold envelope with her name inscribed on the front. "I'm going to make sure everyone is ready downstairs and then I'll have Dad come back up to get you okay?"
"Yea, thanks Maggie."
"Alright, you're all done Michonne," the make-up artist told her as she held up her brush and stood back to admire her work.
"Thank you Sophie, can you give me a minute alone?"
"No problem."
Michonne waited until she heard the click of the door closing to open the envelope. She pulled the thick white card with his endearing handwriting. The note read:
I know to you this is just a way to get your green card, but we made a deal. As long as you're my wife, I'm going to treat you as such. I know I'm not perfect and I still have a lot to learn about you, but you excite me, and I don't mean just in a sexual way. You come to work early every morning, looking mean as hell, ready to dominate in any argument, and people are scared of you, but believe it or not I've always admired you. People don't even realize you're this sweet, goofy woman with a kind heart that secretly has a soft spot for kids and cranky old men. I feel like I get so much from you and every day I'm with you I'm going to get even more, and I don't want that to stop. So please, trust me.
-Your Husband, Rick
Knock, knock. "You ready sweetie?" Michonne attempted to wipe the smug grin from her face as Dave's gentle voice came through the door. "Yes Dave, come in."
The short man waddled up next to her in his nice blue suit. "Let me see those shoes really quick."
"What?"
"C'mon, let me see them," he insisted. Michonne lifted the hem of her dress to show silver studded heels. "Alright, you passed. Just wanted to see if you had on running shoes or not."
"Dave," she giggled. "That's not funny." She looped her arm in his and headed through the doorway.
"I told you about Dominique running off to New York. I'm not letting you run off unless you take my sappy son back with you. I figured you got cold feet last night. I noticed my keys had moved from last night, but as bright and cheery as Rick was this morning I knew you two had worked it out."
"Nothing gets past you Dave. Should I be scared? I feel like one day you're going to randomly tell me you used to work for the CIA or something."
He patted her hand and chuckled, "In due time."
Once downstairs, Dave walked Michonne down the aisle without a hitch. The small audience of family members oooed and awwed as the wind swept back Michonne's stunning dress. Michonne locked eyes with Rick and when she reached him, the first thing she mouthed from beneath her veil was, "I trust you." The pair never broke eye contact as they exchanged vows. Rick supplied her with a more than healthy kiss and the event workers quickly transformed the entire backyard into the reception area.
Michonne laid her head against Rick's chest as he swayed them from side to side. As expected his family took pictures of the pair as they relished in their first dance, yet Rick only had eyes for Michonne. He tapped her back to get her attention. "I'm glad you decided to trust me Michonne. I gotta get something off my chest." She looked at him puzzled, but her arms never fell from his shoulders.
"What is it Rick?"
"I know just last night you said that you were scared that I would leave, but baby I'm in love with you, and I don't care if that makes me sound crazy after just a couple days but-"
"It doesn't," she interrupted, she fell fast into the deep blue pools sparkling down at her. "I love you too Rick."
"Yea?"
"Yea . . . I didn't realize it until last night." She bit her bottom lip in slight embarrassment.
"Is that why you were all over me?" Rick smirked.
"Maybe," her blush deepened right before yawning into the crease of her own elbow.
"Babe, the night's just started."
"I'm sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night."
"Well then I'm really sorry because I don't plan to let you get much sleep tonight either."
"Rick!" Michonne squealed hoping none of his family were reading their lips.