A/N: Part of this fic was half drunk writing(I wrote it while sober story wise but filled it in as much as I could while kinda drunk. I'll edit as much as I can when I wake up and you won't read this. Hope you'll enjoy this story regardless...

Chapter 7

"Alright," Rick's warm breath blowing into the cool air as the team leaned forward in the huddle, "we're actually tied right now. We can actually win this. They can't make another touchdown or we lose." He looked over to his son, who's hair somehow still looked commercial perfect despite the running, jumping, tackles and just frigid weather in general it was enduring. "Carl you have to keep up with Glenn. We can afford him catch another damn touchdown."

Deadpanned, Carl looked back at his father. "You literally paired me against the fastest person out here. You really expect me to keep up with Glenn?"

Michonne saw Rick sigh, knowing what he was saying was right. Everyone seemed to be paired against speed versus power in someway. Everyone except for Daryl against Shane, who was the other team's quarterback, and herself with Sasha. The two of them seemed to be on equal footing. Michonne was slightly faster and more agile, but Sasha the firefighter, seemed a bit than her physically stronger. Rick was paired against Aaron, who was surprisingly taking Rick down pretty easily when he was able could catch him. She noticed biggest toss up against speed and power were the two former, professional athletes, Negan the baseball player and Tyrese to former offensive lineman. Between Negan and Glenn, they were the two game player on the opposing team.

Despite them possibly losing, she felt a rush that she hadn't felt in so long. She didn't live in a life where such an exertion of physical activity such as this was an often occurrence. Sure she would do her yoga and had taken up kickboxing, but constant running at the speed she was, along with the occasional tackle. She was sure going to feel every bit of it in the morning, but right now, she was in the zone and loving every bit of it.

"Rick," Michonne spoke up in the huddle, "why don't you switch with Carl. You take Glenn. Carl go for Aaron. Aaron most likely won't get the ball. Tara, you stay with Rosita."

"What about Negan?" Tara looked at Tyrese wit an apologetic wince. "No offense dude, but he's kinda outrunning you a bit."

"Don't worry about Negan." Michonne declared. "Just keep him on the run. Daryl, stay on Shane and makes sure he doesn't pull a fast one." She only gets a grunt in response. She looks over to Rick, who's taking in rearrangement that Michonne constructed. "You're okay with this?"

Rick stares at her for a bit before giving her a soft smile. "I'll follow your lead."

As they lined up in their places against the cocky opposing team, they noticed the slight switch with some of their placings.

"Oh. I see Rick's opened his eyes one decided on taking G-Man himself." Shane boasted with the football in his hands.

"Just say hike already!"

"Hike!"

Everyone takes off running, running whatever play they could. Glenn went long and surprisingly Rick was keeping up with him. Carl kept up with Aaron, even though the latter would easily overpower the former if the ball could go that way. Michonne kept up with Sasha as usual but she kept her eyes primarily on Shane. The quarterback watch his players one by one until he saw one with his usual easy opening and got ready for the throw.

Got 'em.

As soon as the ball left Shane's fingers, Michonne immediately took off running towards to other side, away from Sasha, who was immediately confused. Negan leaped in the air for the catch, not realizing that he what he was in for. As he got hold the ball, he got a hard smack in the side from Michonne, knocking the ball from his grasp and both into the snow.

Everyone stood shocked at what happened. Hearing various 'ooh's and wincing noises, with the occasional 'holy shit's. Before anyone could properly react, Michonne quickly picked up the fumble and sprinted to the other end of the 'field'.

"GO MICHOOOOOONE! GOOOOOOO!" Andrea screamed in excitement from the front porch with her fellow bystanders jumping up and down at the unexpected play.

Tyrese, led the charge in blocking Michonne way to their victory.

"Get her!" Shane shouted he dropped back further down the field to stop her

Michonne's cold feet pumped through the snow in her heavy boots as she tried to dodge the other team that was gunning for her.

"Keep going. I got you." She barely heard the panted, Southern that crept up next to her over the loud cheers. Mainly Andrea's screaming. and saw Rick tryin to hold off Aaron with Carl. His words of encouragement pushed her that much harder.

Rosita jumped on Tyrese's back, unexpectedly dropping him, making Michonne her biggest protection. Rick was still close but now they were headed straight towards Shane, who looked every bit of ready for her. She swiftly goes slant to avoid him, but he moved right along her.

Rick began to pull slightly ahead of her as her new main defense, ready to block off the much larger Shane. "Cross back over." He whispered to her. "I got Shane."

Realizing what Rick doing, trailed slightly right behind Rick until a few moments before reaching Shane and juking to the other side that was wide open towards the end zone. Rick braced himself for the impact of the full bodied Shane that doomed to crash into him. Sure enough, Shane took the bait before he could realize the setup and Rick when flying off his feet.

Michonne jumped in for the touchdown, the heat of victory coursing through her veins as she held the football in the air. Her face lit up in excitement as she saw her teammates, frantic Andrea from the porch, running to celebrate their new football hero. She spiked the ball into the ground. She hadn't felt this alive in years. She felt sixteen all over again.

Everyone crowded around her, giving their congradultations. Andrea, of course, runs and jumps on her, holding with her legs wrapped giving her the biggest hug.

"That was fucking crazy!" Andrea's voice cracked a bit from all the screaming the whole game.

"Traitor!" Shane shouted to his fiancee as he walking over after helping Rick off the ground. Rick chuckled as he slowly limped towards the crowd with Shane trailing behind.

Andrea climbed off of her friend and rolled her eyes at her man pouting. He was such a sore loser. "I cheered for you too, crybaby!" She climbed off Michonne anf have her man sulking man a cheerup kiss.

Michonne looked pass them and caught Rick smiling at her victory. She couldn't help smile brightly right back. She was feeling real good. Picking up the football she spiked by her feet, she walked over to him and handed him the football.

"I couldn't have done it without you."

Rick held the ball in his hands ad looked at it for moments. He had never gotten the game winning ball in high school. In fact, it usually went to Shane. Michonne was giving him something special and she didn't even realize it.

He shrugs at her and hands her back the ball. "I'm sure you'd found a way." Seeing her hesitation, he insists. "You earned it." Her smile widened even more and he could feel a familiar flutter in the pit of his stomach. She took the ball back from his and playfully, gently shoved his shoulder.

"Enough you two!" Shane groaned as he watched them with what he felt should have been his winning ball.

Michonne looked at him and playfully wrapped an arm around Rick's shoulder, posing as a united front. "Sure as soon as you say it, Shane 'O Mac."

"Say what?"

She grinned and raised an eyebrow at his confusion. "That I still got it." The crowd of friends around them gave "ooh"s to hype up her request at Shane's expense.

Shane looked back and forth between his two friends, especially Michonne, before rolling his eyes. Andrea playfully elbowed him to get him. He chuckled at the whole senario. Once again he got outsmarted by Michonne. Once again she dragged their Rick into it, since he was usually the one caught in the middle of their antics as kids. Just as he was about to give her the well deserved props-

"Go on, little brother," Negan's voice appeared unexpectedly as he walked to the front of the crowd. He leaned to the a little bit as he rubbed the right side of his body that she hit him. He cocked his head to the side, his eyes following the length of her body, and flashed a charming smile in her direction, "because she certainly got something."

Michonne blushed at at the forward intrusion, not noticing the smile that was slipping from Rick's face at the interaction.

Later That Night

The Christmas party was well underway. Dinner was an amazing feast that Shane was surely proud of and took every compliment that was fed to him. They played some games such as Taboo, beer pong, Uno and now they were just listening to music while they mingled, until they were play another drinking game. Carol, Sasha, Andrea were sitting on the couch looking over Aaron and Eric's design book they gave Maggie for Christmas for her new baby's room. Carl and Sophia were in Shane and Andrea's bedroom, sneaking alcohol while the adults pretended not to notice. Most of the guys were talking about the playoffs.

Michonne, feeling a bit tipsy, was standing in the doorway of the room she slept in watching Andre, Judith and JR playing toys with Tara. She loved that her son was having such a good time. He was being Tara's little helper with their little tea party with making sure to be patient and gentle to the smaller two kids. When she made that winning touchdown earlier that day, she thought that was the going to be the highlight of her day. But it was the moment when they were all crowding around her, her son ran up to her and gave her a giant hug, then spent the next five minutes rambling on how cool she was. She'd never seen him so excited for her. It was a moment worth shedding a tear over, which she did.

"They're sure having a great time."

Startled by the unexpected presence so close behind her, a light cologne, smelling of an ocean breeze, undertone of outdoors, and a hint of citrus, flowed over to her. She composed herself at the voice recognition and smiles. "Seems like your daughter conned them all into a little tea party." Judith held the tea pot to pour the imagitative drinks, while Andre kept a hand faintly behind her so she wouldn't fall.

Rick nonchalantly shrugged. "It's not so bad."

She laughed at the thought of Rick and Carl sitting down at a small princess table and tiny chairs, waiting to be served and little Judith walked around with her teapot to give them. Their earlier conversation flashed back into her mind. She finally turned around to him and squited her eyes up at him.

Rick suddenly got nervous at her suddenly giving him such direct attention again. Did he say something wrong? They were just talking, right? He tried to avoid eye contact with her without being completely rude.

"So you can have sips of imaginary tea, but the real thing isn't enough to curve you of that nasty coffee habit of your?" Her lips twitched with humor as Rick fumbled for a reply.

"Uh," he was glad that the conversation hadn't suddenly turned completely serious, but now he was kicking himself that he wasn't able to come up with quick, witty retort. That was always Michonne and Shane's ball game, "I mean, one I can taste"

"So you're saying that tea is disgusting?"

"No. I enjoy some enjoy some good ole sweet tea" He mentally patty himself on his back for the quick thought.

"Wow." Taken aback by the obvious smartass remark, her eyes widen with a smile.

"Here's my take on things." She tooks a sip of her beer, before continuing. "I mean, I get it. The caffiene. It's at a higher content than brewed tea. I used to drink the stuff myself. It can be a strain getting up in the morning and you feel the need to get up and going immediately."

He nodded in agreeance. He may have not been some city lw enforencer, but that did't stop him from getting up at the crack of dawn for his work.

"But here's thing," he perked up a bit, somewhat dramatically playing on her supposedly being able to convert him, "all that coffee is having an affect on your body that you probably have never given a second thought to."

He'd heard a version of this before. Sure it wasn't Andrea's more aggressive, reataliation of an"attack" on it, but these were words he'd heard before. It wasn't that he was opposed to it. It just wasn't something enough that he was felt was enough to make a chane for.

"A man of good looks, such as yourself," she playfully tickled the edge of his beard with her index finger tip for a couple of seconds and his breath hitched in his throat at the contact, "can easily have underlying health issue and that coffee you insist on drinking can have a severe. It probably has. Switching to tea may take a bit to adjust," she then pointed directly at his heart, emphasizing her next point, "but with your increased chances of obtaining illnesses such as heart disease and strokes, tea may be the way to go." She dropped her hand and paused for a few seconds. "We're not kids anymore." her face began to lose her smile, turning more serious than she wanted. "Your health is not just about you. But about your children."

They stared at each other, sitting in seemingly total silence, despite the music playing and the conversations that flows throughout the room. As seconds ticked by, he mind took in her words deeper and deeper. Sure he knew tea was the healthier choice. Everyone knew that, but to put things in perspective of his children? He didn't think of it like that before.

Michonne on the other hand was sensing a bit of intensity in his eyes. She couldn't tell if he was thinking about what she said, or if he was trying get a read on her. He was always so quiet, even when it came to bantering. Sometimes it'd seemed like he'd only talk if spoken to or if he just really have something to say. Never really talking just to talk. Like he made sure to keep most of his thoughts to himself. Shane was the one with no filter. Sure she was one to make sure she spoke when she felt something was important. She had no problem shooting the shit with full on banter either. She was smarter with her words than Shane though. Rick didn't really do any of that though. He was more of a listener. They would sit on the rocks by the waterfall and she would just talk. And he would just listen. Maybe the occasional input-

"You wanna drink?"

She snapped out of daze with his offer. Rick wasn't intensely staring at her. In fact he seemed to be bit more casually relaxed. Maybe he'd settled with whatever his mind was wrestling with. Actually his eyes looked a bit flirty? No, that wasn't it. Maybe amused? It felt fun whatever it was. "I'll take a beer."

He simply smiled at her but it made her smile right along with him. "I'll be right back." He walked away with a little more pep in his step.

Just as he disappeared around the corner to go into the kitchen, Negan came out with a large tray full of margaritas and set it on the table next to the wall across the room. "Ladies, I got a tray full of yummy that just wants to get fucking sexy in those tummies." He glanced back at the guys to the side of him, staring at the drinks and rolled his eyes. "You fuckers can have some too I guess."

Sasha was the first to get up to snag a drink. Michonne ignored the commotion and turned back to the little tea party. The kids were now munching on their little homemade cookies with Tara. She hoped that there weren't that much sugar in them. Even though it was a holiday, she knew these kids were going to eventually crash. Also she could use the grown up time without worrying about her kid running around.

A magarita appeared in front of her as an offering. The smell of a smusky, vanilla infused with leather cologned hit her.

"What happened to me getting a beer?"

"Something wrong with my magaristas?"

She quickly turned around at the realization that she wasn't speaking to Rick. Sure she saw Negan bring out the tray of drinks but didn't think he was going walk up to her like this. Now here he was standing by her, very closely, with a two margaritas in hand, smiling his dimpled smile.

"No." She answered his question with assurance. "Nothing's wrong." She looked over to Andrea, who was gleaming at the booklet that was in her lap. She looked back at the guy who was smoothly pushing up on her. Here was this handsome man, a man who she could never ignored the mild attention of, even when she was younger. He was always fun. Exciting. "Well, someone was getting me a beer and I don't drink tequila anymore."

"Well that beer doesn't seem to be here and what, may I ask, is wrong with tequila?"

Her mind tracked back to her college years. A time where partying were events. "It's gotten me in trouble before."

"After knocking my shit earlier, I'm official inviting you to get into some trouble." He leaned again against the wall she was sitting onout of He leaned a bit forward. As if to tell her a secret. "Come on. I'm not asking you to take a body shot or anything. Just tell tell me how it taste."

She would be lying if she said the drink didn't look good. It looked sweet but not that it'd feel it was a trouble like a juicebox. "Deal." She pulled the glassed to her lips, but instead of the expected salt that usual came wish with normal margaritas, it was rimmed with sugar. It sweetened between her lips. She didn't expect it to taste griping as it did. She look"This is pretty good actually."

"Just "pretty good'?"

It was 'bad' enough he had her drinking something that wasn't a comfort taste, she smirked and eyebrow raised at his complaint. "You just peer pressured me into drinking tequila based drink. 'Pretty good' is all you're getting from me."

His eyes light up a bit at her comeback. It wasnt often that someone woulda woman would challenge him, but here was one, someone who had the spunk he always saw and it tickled him in every which of way. "I'll take it then." He stared at her intensely, watched what she could possibly say. "Man, I haven't seen you since my daddy's funeral."

Michonne was expectin the sudden sharp subject, and yet he made it feel so casual "Yeah. About thirteen years ago."

More casual. "You in France now, right?"

Wow. "Yeah. I'm actually considering moving back though. I love it out there, but I miss the States." She didn't thin Negan would know so much about her. It felt weird but not discomforting. It felt nice for some to ask. Andrea would ask, so by association Negan would know. Rick seemed curious but never truly asked. But Negan? "What about you? You still living life on the open road with the motorcycle?"

He didn't smile his smile right away, but his smile still appeared. "I had settled down, somewhat. Moved to Florida. Got married. Wife passed from cancer five years ago." He seemed to try and not seem sadden by his own words.

Michonne couldn't ignore the the covered pained that camaraderie that crepted between them. "I'm sorry." She was a lawyer. Not a doctor, but she could help feel that pain. She had experience the agony before. She'd seen the state. She'd hated it. Her grandpa didn't deserve it. She looked at him with with a resolved in her eyes. He looked back her and she knew he fel the pain she felt. "Fuck cancer."

He smiled at her words., but it made him laugh. "Absolutely."

Negan looked at her for a few moments before leanging comfotable aainst the wall Michonne stood up against. Se wsn't likke the other women he encaountered. Even the women who 'tried' to be tough to proved themesleved, couldn't compared. He leaed in further to make sure she was catching what he was saying. "If you're here til New Year's, remind me to give you a ride on the bike."

"Who says I want a ride?"

He spoke as if he knew what he said was facts, despite possibly not being so. "Didn't want the magarita, but you enjoyed it anyway."

Back over by the couch, Andrea, who, along with most of the other women, was listening Sasha's story about an altercation on Black Friday the month before, spotted her best friend over to the side, leaning against the wall, and her future brother in law sure enough chatting her up. He had Michonne laughing and smiling while just turning up the charm. They looked really flirty from where she was sitting. Son of a bitch!

She averted her eyes over to Shane, who was sipping his beer and laughing right, not paying attention to her or the situation. She quickly got up from her seat and briskly went over to Shane, cutting into the guys' conversation. "Excuse us for a second."

Without another word, she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him over to the margaritas.

Shane confused and slightly annoyed by her sudden interruption. If she was going to say something, she should just go ahead and say it. "What?" She simply just pointed across the room to his brother and her best friend feeling looking comfortable. "Shit." He loved his brother dearly he'd learned most of his love from him, but he wasn't mess up what he wanted. He wasn't completely pissed, not like Andrea, who was tapping him hard in the chest as she looked on, but Rick deserved some play, right? Negan was being his charming cockblocking self, but now wasn't the time. Not to mention he and and Andrea been trying to scoot his best friend on the beautiful show stopper his bestie been crushing on for God know long. "Alright, I'll distract him away before-"

"Too late."

Shane turned around to see where Andrea was looking at and sure enough, there was Rick standing to the side, with two beer bottles in his hand, watching Negan and Michonne, who was absently sipping the margarita she didn't want.

A/N: I'm going to edit this as much as I can when I wake up. Like I said before, I'm drunk posting this so it will be edited. I will say I apologize bout Negan's thirsty ass popping up. There was not supposed to be some damn triangle when I started this. I actually want to slap Negan, but I didn't have it in me to make him a complete douche nozzle in my fic despite how I feel about him in the show. At the end of the day thought this is definitely a Richonne fic. Remember that this is a fic that's based on the Karmin song "Along the Road" so the Richonne will have far more in depth. Missed opportunities but it will come to in time. Slow burn lol. Speaking of which, I think the next chapter or so will be flashback chapters to give more backstory and see more dynamic between Rick and Michonne (& Shane)...