A/N: Thank you all so much for your patience. I know I say this every update, but it's been a while so I thank you! I appreciate the reviews, I read them all and love the support you all have provided me. Ok, so I'll let you get to it.


"Why don't we just leave today?" Sasha suggested during breakfast the next morning, drawing Michonne's attention away from her quiet conversation with Andre.

"Today?"

Rosita exchanged glances with Jesus before she leaned forward. "We all sort of just rushed back out without much warning," she explained, catching Rick's eyes. She had discussed it with him earlier that morning about the need to return back to Alexandria as soon as possible. "Our people are going to wonder what happened to us if we don't return soon."

He nodded. "They're gonna send someone to look," he added. There were plenty times in the past where that had happened, with bad results, that he was determined to avoid having more people leave Alexandria.

Michonne did not need further explanation. It was enough of a surprise to find Carl's father and friends in the town only a couple days after he had gone missing. She should not be shocked to hear that others would come if they all did not return in a reasonable timeframe.

"Mom, can we leave today?" Andre asked eagerly.

"We still have packing to do," she countered. "And the animals."

Enid motioned to her and Carl. "We'll work on that while you guys are gone."

Carl nodded. "Yeah, we'll get it done."

Michonne's eyes fell on her son's anxious face. She knew he was excited by the prospect of seeing Alexandria and understood the others' desire to return, especially for Rick, who's other child was still there. She was holding out.

"If we get back in time," she relented quietly, before she stood up and pulled her katana on. "Sasha, Rosita, we're gonna take the truck out to town. If you two don't mind driving it in." The two women nodded and Michonne turned to Jesus. "You and I will take the horses."

They all moved to get up and Michonne shook her head, holding up her hands. "Finish your food," she insisted. "It's gonna be a long day… Andre, with me."

They watched the boy shove the remainder of his food in his mouth, jump out of his seat and hurry after his mother, leaving the others in the cafeteria as they made their way upstairs.

"You want to stay another day?" Andre asked, his voice tinged with impatience.

"If we don't get back by midday."

Andre muttered something under his breath and she tweaked his ear. "Ow! What?"

"Watch your mouth," she scolded as they stopped in front of the art studio. "I just want to make sure we're not risking safety for speed."

Her son did not respond, instead peering into the studio forlornly. She watched him for a moment, reaching out to run her hand over his hair.

"Andre, I don't think you can take them with you," she whispered and he looked up at her.

"You said you wouldn't burn my paintbrushes!"

She shook her head. "I'm not talking about the brushes. I'm talking about the canvases… the paintings. I don't think you can take them with you."

"Why not?"

"Because there's probably no room at Alexandria for them. I'm guessing most people arrive with nothing… We can't bring all of this with us. We shouldn't."

Andre seemed to accept her reasoning, sighing loudly as he returned to looking into the studio. Michonne ran her hand through his locs, constantly impressed by him. There had been many moments since the turn where she believed that her actions, intentional or not, had impacted him in such a traumatic way that he would not be able to function in this new world. At times, especially after violent interactions, she had the worst imaginings that her son could become the worst parts of the most awful people they had encountered. When she trained him, she saw flickers of it, but as she attempted to provide him with positive outlets, makeshift therapy, and as much love as she could, she was thankful that those impulses faded.

The familiar clicking of boots alerted Michonne and Andre to Rick's approach and they both turned to see him walking up.

"Hey," he greeted and she smiled.

"Hey."

Andre waved. "Hi Rick. Ready to help?"

Grinning, Rick nodded. "Yeah. I just came to find you. Rosita, Jesus, and Sasha are ready to go to town with you," he motioned to Michonne.

"Good," she responded, patting her son on the head. "Let's go."

Rick observed Andre glance furtively into the studio before trailing his mother towards the stairs. Rick fell in step with Michonne.

"Andre will show you the rooms that still need to be packed," she told Rick as they headed downstairs.

"I think we'll be able to get it done."

"Yes, well…" She reached out and pulled Andre to her. "We'll see…"

Andre watched his mother for a moment before he leaned forward and grabbed Rick's attention. "Is it true you have tests for new recruits?"

"Yes."

"We were never tested."

"I know. You don't need to be, though," Rick pointed out confidently.

"What's the test?" Andre asked.

"Just three questions."

"What are the questions."

Rick stopped, slightly concerned now. As often as he had asked them, he had actually never done it in front of a child and he had never been interested in that child's response. The type of question never seemed appropriate for a child.

"It's really not important."

Michonne raised an eyebrow. She had not pursued it last night, but now her curiosity was piqued, mainly by his hesitancy to discuss it. She knew why and decided to address it.

"Andre, why don't you go tell the others I'm on my way."

"But mom-"

"Now," she snapped. Andre reluctantly complied and continued on towards the gym. Michonne waited until he was gone before she turned to Rick, hands on hips. "What are the questions?"

Rick had no interest in arguing with her. "How many walkers have you killed?" She snorted and he shrugged, thinking of Alexandria when he had first arrived there. "You'd be surprised."

She stared at him for a moment and the ceded. "Too many to count at this point."

"How many people have you killed?"

Michonne's face darkened and her mind flashed briefly to the burning compound of Fargo.

"Twenty-five… maybe thirty…"

Rick saw the look on her face and found no reason to continue. Instead, he nodded and slowly turned to leave. They were behind schedule as it was.

"What about the third question?"

"I've seen Andre," he replied over his shoulder. "I don't need to know why."


"Be good while I'm gone," Michonne instructed as she got on her horse. "Andre, you're in charge."

Jesus snorted back a laugh at the look on Rick's face, prompting Andre to put his hands on his hips in annoyance.

"Why is that funny?"

Jesus shook his head, smiling at Andre. "Nothing. I just don't think I ever thought I'd see the day where Rick was usurped by a child."

"I'm eight!"

"Which is the perfect age." Jesus motioned to Rick, who was hiding a smile. "Old man needs a break."

Michonne laughed and shifted atop the horse. "We gonna have a problem?" She was looking directly at Rick.

He shook his head. "No. Andre's in charge."

"Carl. Enid."

They grinned. "Andre's in charge."

Satisfied with the response, she waved goodbye. "See you in a couple of hours."

"Bye Mom," Andre and Carl called simultaneously. Rick's face indicated he was still getting used to hearing that as he followed Michonne and Jesus to the gate where Sasha and Rosita waited in the car.

"We'll be fine," Rick assured her. "We'll try to have everything ready when you get back."

"Oh I know," she replied, though her tone betrayed some level of uncertainty. They were nearing the point of departure from the school it was clear she was not ready. Realizing she was being watched, Michonne sighed and turned her horse motioning to the gate. "See you soon."

Rick shared a glance with Jesus before he helped open the gate and watched them leave. He knew his people could handle themselves and he trusted that Michonne would do what she could to bring them all back.

Looking up the hill, he saw Carl, Andre, and Enid finally heading back to the gym. His mind went to Judith and he yearned to see her soon. He wanted to hold his little girl again and ready or not, he was heading back to Alexandria today. He just hoped Michonne would be ready when she returned.


The ride into town had been quiet, as Jesus allowed Michonne time to just think. He had noticed her growing discomfort with the upcoming departure and recognized the apprehension. It was familiar to what Rick and his group had shown when Jesus first arrived at Alexandria.

"What were you? Before the turn?" he asked quietly as they cleared the trees and rode the horses onto the main street.

Michonne caught his eyes and smiled. "A lawyer."

"Really? Did you have training?" She frowned and he motioned to the sword on her back. "You and Andre. You're both really great with that. I was wondering how you learned."

She shrugged. "Sort of just taught myself… then taught Andre."

"He's a great kid… he's gonna be fine in Alexandria…"

They fell silent for a little while as they maneuvered the horses behind one of the buildings. Michonne found a few wandering walkers and drew them to the back where they were able to remove their arms and mouths, chaining them up around the horses to mask them.

"You are a wealth of great ideas," Jesus complimented.

Michonne laughed and pointed down the alley. "Down here," she led the way to the one store she had been working on since they had arrived. Realizing where they were, Jesus turned to her.

"This is where I stole your car," he stated apologetically.

"Yeah, it is." She motioned to the third floor of the store. "It was being used by the military before the town was overrun. They locked some stuff up there and I can't get to it."

"Why not?"

She snorted. "Only way to get through the locks is a saw, but it's taking longer than I expected." She caught the look he gave her and she rolled her eyes. "I wasn't a handyman before this thing started and that is a military grade locker. The noises draw too much attention."

He followed her in, surprised by the amount of dead walkers lining the floor as they made their way up the stairs. The hardware store was looted already while the second and third level each had grated, iron doors with broken padlocks and old school key pads. Jesus was impressed. She had clearly spent a lot of time working on getting into this place and it made more sense now why it was taking a while to get what she wanted. The place had been locked down like a fortress. When they reached the third floor, he could see a large electric saw in the corner near a massive, thick steel cabinet up against the far wall. A few tables lined the other walls with huge communications equipment, scattered stacks of paper, and satellite maps. Certain items were definitely missing.

"You've been busy."

Michonne smiled and removed her pack, pulling out a couple of large rechargeable batteries. She handed them to Jesus and pointed to the saw. "If you don't mind."

"Seriously?"

Michonne pointed outside. "I'm gonna meet up with Sasha and Rosita, make sure they know where to go. Can you handle that by yourself?"

Jesus smirked and nodded. "Yeah, I can handle it."

She headed back downstairs in time to see the truck turn the corner onto the other street. She ran to catch up and waved them down.

"We were wondering where you two had gone," Sasha stated as she got out of the truck.

"Where is Jesus?" Rosita asked and Michonne motioned behind her.

"Hardware store." As if on cue, they could hear the starting buzz of the saw and then the cringe worthy meeting of metal. "He's working on something."

Sasha raised an eyebrow. "And what are we working on?"

"The one thing in this town Andre and I weren't able to get," Michonne answered, leading them down the street. As they walked, Sasha and Rosita took the time to gather more information about their companion.

"Was the town deserted by the time you got here?" Rosita asked.

"Pretty much. A couple people were holed up in one of the corner buildings, but we dealt with it." She looked around. "Town was overrun for a couple of weeks after that."

Sasha observed her for a moment. "Are you ready to leave this place?" The question caught Michonne off guard and she shrugged. "I just mean… nowadays, most people stay in one spot unless that place is destroyed or something awful enough makes them leave. Most people don't just pack up their homes and travel miles to a new home with people they've never met before."

Michonne paused for a moment, thinking about the question. She recalled her conversations with Carl and decided to be just as forthcoming with them. "My son needs friends… he needs a family, not just me," she admitted, continuing to lead the way down the street.

"And you?" Rosita questioned softly.

A ghost of a smile graced Michonne's lips. "My son says I need friends," she quipped, breaking whatever tension was left between them and causing them all to laugh a little as they finally reached a fenced off area behind what looked to be a gun store.

"What the hell?"

In the enclosure, seven small walkers standing around a few wooden crates in the back. It was fairly innocuous.

Rosita and Sasha exchanged confused glances. They had seen how effective Michonne and Andre were at dispatching walkers.

"What's in the boxes?"

"Water filtration systems," Michonne answered, shocking them both.

"Seriously?"

Michonne nodded, pulling out a folded up piece of paper from her back pocket. She unfolded it and offered it to Rosita, who looked over what was an inventory. A military grade inventory.

"They left a lot of stuff behind," Rosita observed, looking the list before handing it to Sasha. "So what's going on with that?"

Michonne had seen the look Rosita and Sasha shared and pointed to a spot in the corner just out of view of where they stood. "There are about fifty walkers hiding back there. I tried once to get to those crates and they swarm before I can get past the fence."

"Why not just open the fence and let them out?" Sasha asked. "Wait till they leave."

Outlining the fence but being careful not to touch it, Michonne walked along the sidewalk, pointing out hundreds of tiny bells attached to the fence.

"They don't respond to any other noise but the bells," she informed them. "We've tried banging pots and such to lure them out, but it's just the bells for some reason… You touch this fence and they're out before you know it. There's too many for Andre and I to fight off alone and I wouldn't be able to cut through fast enough. It's a deathtrap in there."

Sasha smiled. "So what's your plan?"

She motioned to the roof of the gun store. "There's a way to get in without being heard, but my son's not strong enough to lower me down in there so we could never try it."

Rosita looked around. "So we go to the roof, lower you down into an enclosed space with walkers triggered by unusual noises, you hand us the filtration systems and then we pull you out before you get eaten by said walkers."

"Pretty much."

"That's incredibly dangerous."

Michonne snorted. "Suicidal, probably."

Sasha shouldered her rifle and grinned. She had the best feeling that they would definitely get along well with Michonne. "Let's do this."


Most of the morning was spent hurriedly moving things out of the building and finding places in the horse trailer to put them while still maintaining room for the animals once they were loaded. It did not take long for them to scatter in an effort to divide and conquer. Rick found himself in the art studio, staring at a small oil painting of what seemed to be a bleeding animal.

It was strange.

Reds, blues, blacks, greens, and oranges all clashed to form this cruel, brilliant form, prostrate on the ground. A huge red splash right across the middle.

It was beautiful and sad.

"Are you lost?"

"Shit!" Rick swore when he knocked over an empty easel as he whirled around to see Andre standing in the corner, watching him with the same intensity as any police officer Rick remembered from before the turn.

"Sorry," Rick apologized as the child approached before he frowned. "How..." he motioned to the door, knowing he had not heard it open. "How did you get in?"

Andre motioned to the closet. "There's a hole into the next room," he explained.

"Did your mom just teach you to sneak around everywhere?"

Andre shrugged as he came to stand next to Rick, his footsteps deliberate and barely audible on the concrete. "Mom says one of the best ways to die in this world is to be heard."

Rick was simultaneously impressed and depressed by the knowledge this boy before him had to learn at such a young age. As small and well trained as he was, there was no doubt in Rick's mind that Andre had had an incredibly difficult life since the turn.

"Good words to live by," he whispered.

Andre motioned to the easel Rick had bumped into. "Did I scare you?"

Rick snorted. "No... you just have a knack for appearing out of nowhere that I've never seen before."

"Thank you," Andre replied, his chest swelling with pride. "Why are you in here?"

"I was looking for Carl and Enid."

"They're finishing loading supplies in the plow. And kissing," he added with a grimace.

Rick snorted at Andre's honesty. "Oh they are?"

"They really like each other."

"Yeah... they do."

Rick admittedly did not spend too much time thinking about Carl's relationship with Enid, but he knew Andre was correct in his analysis. He knew it had been a while since the two had been together so he was not so uptight about it to interrupt what little alone time they had together. He just hoped they would not take things too far.

"Do you like anyone?"

After last night's revelation about the gossip magazines, Rick should not have been surprised by the boy's probing questions. Clearly deprived of conversation with others, Andre seemed to be making up for lost time by gathering as much information about the people around him as possible and sharing it with others in order to develop a relationship.

What did catch him off guard was the unusual smirk on Andre's face. Like he knew something that Rick did not and was extremely happy about it.

Choosing not to answer the question, Rick smiled and motioned to the painting he had been looking at before Andre had arrived. "You did this?"

Andre nodded. "Mom doesn't paint."

"What is it?"

Andre was quiet for a moment, his face becoming stoic. It was a disarming look on a eight year old and Rick once again felt his heat constrict at the thought of the boy in pain.

"You don't have to tell-"

"It's Ellory."

Rick frowned. "Ellory?"

Andre pointed to the black and blue bleeding form on the canvas. "Ellory." He pointed to the face, a white and black mass with menacing eyes. "That's Ellory."

"What's Ellory?"

"Ellory was a bad man. That's him."

Rick stared at the painting for a couple of seconds before he realized that what he was staring at was a man, not an animal. The fingers were barely formed, but as Andre motioned around, Rick started to get a better idea of what was being conveyed. The red gash was right across the man's chest.

Rick glanced back at Andre, who seemed unaffected by what he was looking at, but Rick sensed a need to discuss it more.

"What happened to Ellory?"

"He died."

"How?"

"I killed him."

A strangely peaceful silence fell over the studio as Andre sat down on the cold floor and just stared at the painting. Rick lowered himself down beside him and waited. He had learned early with Carl that pushing these conversations would end badly, but he also knew that this child desperately wanted to talk about it. It was written all over his tired, young face.

This had been the first painting that Andre had ever done and his mother often asked why he continued to work on it.

She hated it, but never asked him to destroy it. He had refused to discuss the actual moment, often feigning ignorance in order to placate his mother's worry, and so she allowed him this outlet. But he knew she loathed it.

Andre's memory of the moment faded in and out of clarity.

Ellory had found them after they circled back to burn the compound. Andre could not for the life of him remember the events leading up to him falling out of the tree on top of the man. Just the blood and the screams and the sound of tearing flesh.

Andre kept the painting to remind him of bad men, but as he sat next to Rick, he had a feeling he needed to let it go.

"Mom read books about child therapy... she thinks this helps."

"Does it?" Andre nodded but said nothing. Rick took a deep breath. "Andre..."

"Yes."

"How many people have you killed?"

Andre's eyes widened in realization and he turned to Rick, eager to provide the most accurate information.

"Five," he answered quickly, saddening Rick immensely. The man knew how it had been with Carl after his first kill. But he had many people around him to help Carl through it. He could only imagine how it was for Michonne alone.

Rick looked around and only saw images of trees and pigs in the other drawings and paintings.

"Was Ellory the first?" He asked quietly. Rick wondered how Michonne would react to him having this conversation with her son, but he felt compelled to continue as long as Andre was willing.

"Yes." Rick was quiet for too long. "Aren't you supposed to ask why?" Andre inquired, almost annoyed that he was not getting the same treatment as his mother. She had told him about her talk with Rick before she had departed with the others.

Realizing that Andre wanted the full questioning, he acquiesced. "Okay, why?"

It seemed as if Andre was less prepared to actually answer the question as he was to just hear it. He fell silent and Rick patiently waited for him to gather his thoughts. Andre carefully removed his katana from his back and rested it in his lap, gripping the katana tightly as he stared at the painting.

"He hurt my mom."

There was a warning in there, He could hear it distinctly in the child's voice. He was absolutely positive he had just been threatened with death from a pint-sized eight year old boy with a sword and in that moment Rick knew he would do everything in his power to protect Andre just as fiercely as he did Judith and Carl. He would make sure whatever awful experience that had led him and Michonne to this place would never happen again.

Taking another deep breath, Rick looked around the studio. "Are you gonna bring this with you?"

Andre's face contorted. "Mom says there's probably not gonna be room."

Rick frowned. "There's room in the trailer for it."

"No... at Alexandria."

"Oh..." Rick instantly thought of Jesse's abandoned garage and those awful owls she had left behind. "Actually... there is."

Andre's eyes brightened hopefully. "Really?"

Rick nodded, offering the child a reassuring smile. "Yeah. We can set you up there."

In a moment of joy, Andre hopped up and instantly began collecting his brushes and turpentine. Rick got up, grinning at the happiness he witnessed before he moved to help. He reached out to take the Ellory painting when Andre yelled at him.

"Not that one!"

Rick paused and watched Andre walk back over, his eyes filling with tears as he quietly contemplated his art.

To Rick's surprise, Andre reached out and tugged gently on his arm.

"Rick," he whispered so softly that Rick had to crouch down to hear him.

"Yeah?"

Andre sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Can you help me burn it, please?"

Rick's heart clenched painfully and he nodded without hesitation.

"Yeah... I'll help."


"How's the arm?"

Jesus snorted. "I'm fine, Michonne," he assured them as they rode the horses through the trees, nearing the school. "It wasn't that bad."

She smiled and sighed. "Good… that saw's a beast."

He laughed. "Yeah, well, I'm glad I was able to get in before all those walkers swarmed up the stairs."

"That's what the bazooka's for."

"Can you believe they left that behind?"

"People do stupid shit when they're scared, even soldiers."

Jesus nodded, watching her in admiration. "Yeah… not a lot of soldiers would have done what you did at that gun store."

She shrugged. "Water filtration is important."

"Most people wouldn't risk getting bitten for a piece of bread these days."

She was about to ask him another question when she finally noticed the smoke rising up from the school. Without a word to her companion, she spurred the horse and took off at full speed. She raced towards the back gate, gearing up to clear the gate as she whistled loudly. The horse leapt, striking a tied walker in the head as it stuck the landing and she galloped up the hill to where the bonfire was. She slowed the horse as she saw Rick and Andre sitting on the ground near the fire, with Carl and Enid standing close by.

The teens approached Michonne as she finally stopped the horse and dismounted.

"What the hell is going on?" She demanded and Enid pointed to her son.

"Andre wanted to burn something," she explained.

Michonne frowned. "What?"

Carl shrugged. "Wouldn't tell us what. Just asked us to build a fire."

Taking a deep breath, Michonne nodded and motioned behind her. "Okay... um... Jesus was right on my heels with the others. Why don't you two go open the gate."

The teens smiled and left to greet the others while Michonne carefully approached Rick and Andre, who seemed unaware of her arrival. They seemed to be looking over a map of some kind.

"But why doesn't it eat anyone?" Andre demanded and she heard Rick chuckle.

"I honestly don't know... I stopped asking years ago."

"Andre," Michonne called, drawing their attention. When they turned, she instantly zeroed in on the tear stains on Andre's cheeks and his puffy eyes. Any good benefit of the doubt left her as she knelt down and grabbed her son's face. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

Rick motioned to the fire. "Michonne-"

He was silenced by the look in her eyes before she returned to Andre. "Andre-"

"Rick helped me burn the painting of Ellory," the child explained quickly, detecting his mother's deadly protectiveness overtaking her. He smiled. "It's gone, Mom."

It took a moment for her to realize he was talking about and then she looked up at Rick, who was watching Andre with a mixture of pride and tenderness.

"He did," she gasped, catching Rick's gaze.

He shook his head in an attempt to downplay his role. "Andre just asked me to build a fire."

Michonne's mind was racing and it took her a moment to respond. "Um..." she took a quick breath. "Um, Andre... are you okay?"

He nodded, giving his mother a kiss before looking around. "Where are Carl and Enid?"

"They went down to the gate. Why don't you go and help them, baby," she suggested quietly. "Rick and I will be down in a minute."

Andre looked between the two and poured. "Are you going to talk about me?"

Rolling her eyes, Michonne pinched Andre's thigh, prompting him to stand up quickly. "Boy, go to the gate," she chided.

They watched as he grumbled away before Michonne turned back to Rick, unsure of how to address him.

"Andre told you about the painting."

"Yeah."

"He told you about Ellory."

Rick tilted his head to the side. "He told me what he thought I needed to know."

Michonne matched his stance, pulled in by his beautiful blue eyes. "Which is?"

He had a feeling she was not actually interested in what Andre had told him about the mysterious dead Ellory.

Standing up, Rick motioned to Andre's retreating form. "There's a psychiatrist at Alexandria," he told her quietly. "I told him if he talked with her he could see the tiger at the Kingdom."

Michonne's eyes widened. "You suggested that my son see a psychiatrist?"

Rick snorted. "No, actually he asked me about the doctors." He ran his fingers through his hair and looked down at his boots. "Look Michonne, I'm sorry... if I overstepped my bounds... he just seemed like he needed someone to talk to."

She was quiet for such a long time that he looked up to see a strange look on her face. "He does..."

For a moment they were drawn to each other, stepping into an orbit outside of the world around them. Michonne felt her body grow hot under his gaze and knew she affected him similarly when she saw his pupils dilate. She wondered briefly why she was so drawn to this man that she barely knew.

"Thank you," she breathed, taking a step away. She could have sworn she saw disappointment in his eyes, but she pushed it out of her mind. "Um... it would be good for him to talk to that psychiatrist, when we get there."

Rick nodded. "Okay. When we get there," he agreed, watching her carefully.

Michonne took a shaky breath, glancing over at the bonfire before her eyes rested on the incoming party of cars and horses. Andre was laughing with Carl as they led the way up the hill. Enid and Jesus were helping Rosita and Sasha sort through their findings. Andre looked happy with Carl. With his brother...

"Rick..."

"Yeah."

"Rosita said that we had the option to go to Hilltop or the Kingdom, if we wanted."

"Of course. We wouldn't keep you at Alexandria. You should see the other communities."

His tone suggested that this was not what he preferred. Watching Andre, it was not what she preferred either.

"I'd like us to stay at Alexandria. At least initially."

Rick moved to stand next to her. "There aren't any homes available right now for you to move into..." She looked up at him and looked over his face. He refused to look at her.

"Mom!" Andre yelled. "Mom come here!"

She waved but did not move from her spot immediately, prompting Carl to join in.

"Mom! Mom!" They both called, grinning at the annoyed look on her face and the amused look on Rick's.

"Okay! I'm coming!" She snapped, causing Rick to chuckle. She caught the amusement in his eyes and it seemed as if they came to the same conclusion at the same time.

"Michonne... you and Andre could stay with us until something opens up... if you want."

For some reason, Michonne found herself smiling.

"I'd have to ask Andre first."

Rick could not help but snort. "He's all for it."

Again, her eyes widened. "You asked my son?"

He shook his head. "He asked me... right after we burned the painting." It was impossible to hide the amusement on his face. "Andre doesn't have much of a filter."

Michonne smiled, taking Rick's breath away and causing his heart to race. "No he doesn't..." Her smile faded as she watched the others move to the gym and open the doors. She realized then that they were actually about to leave. They were about to pack up everything and move to an unknown place. She was about to risk the safety of her and her son for an unknown...

She gasped when she felt Rick's hand rest on her arm. Their eyes met and he offered her a smile.

"Are you ready?"

Michonne's chest constricted and she reached up to take his hand, swallowing hard when he squeezed gently. Looking into his eyes though, she was not scared.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm ready..."


It was unclear how Andre, Enid, and Carl managed to get all of the animals into the trailer, but by the time the piglets were all rounded up and placed in their own stall, it was clear the younger people were eager to depart.

Michonne insisted on being at the head of the caravan in the truck pulling the horse trailer with Andre. Sasha and Rosita agreed to trail in the snow plow carrying most of the guns, food, and other supplies. Jesus would take up the rear in a car while Carl was intent on taking the other car with Enid, much to Andre's chagrin.

He settled when Rick suggested accompanying him and Michonne in the truck.

With everything packed and ready to depart, they all waited on the soccer field while Andre and Michonne did one final walk through of the school.

"We'll keep everything locked down and the traps set just in case," she whispered to her son as she rigged up the final wire.

"Just in case what?"

"We need to come back."

Andre looked worried. "You think we'll need to come back?"

She shook her head. "Andre, you never know what we'll need. This place may be useful to the Alexandrians."

"Aren't we Alexandrians?"

She caught his eyes and smiled. "Yeah, I suppose we are." She reached out and pulled him into a quick hug. "I love you, Andre."

"I love you too Mom."


"Abraham! Come down and let me relieve you," Tara called. "You can't stay up there another day."

"I'm staying up until she gets back," Abraham responded gruffly.

Tara sighed and climbed the ladder. "Stubborn son of a bitch," she grumbled as she came to stand next to him. "You need to get some rest."

Abraham snorted as he puffed on his cigar. "I'm staying up here, Tara."

"Sasha will be back soon."

The man stilled for a second, removing the cigar from his lips and staring at the rising smoke. "I just need to know she's okay."

Tara smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder. "She'll be fine. Rosita and Rick are with her."

Abraham remained quiet, returning the cigar to his mouth.

"Tara! Abraham, you two okay?"

They glanced behind them to see Aaron and Eric approaching the gate. Tara waved.

"We're good. Where are you two headed?"

Aaron motioned to Eric. "To check on Eric's new arrival, Thomas. We're gonna have spaghetti later, you're welcome to come over," he called.

"Abraham's stuck up here til Sasha gets back," Tara responded, prompting the couple to smile.

"She'll be back soon, Abe," Eric assured the man. "The place wasn't too far."

Aaron nodded. "Yeah, and Eric and I were talking about heading out tomorrow if they didn't get back by then."

"Thank you," Abraham answered while Tara glanced back out to the other side of the wall.

"Um, Abraham..."

He turned to see a large truck turning the corner onto the road leading up to Alexandria, pulling a massive horse trailer behind.

"What the hell?"

Tara pulled out her gun. "Aaron get some back up. We've got a big unknown coming!"

Abraham lifted up his weapon and looked through the scope, watching as a giant plow and a couple of other cars turned onto the road after the truck.

"We got a few bogies coming up," he announced before he focused on the driver of the front truck. A gorgeous black woman. A small dreadlocked child. "Rick Grimes."

Tara's eyes widened. "Rick?!"

Abraham examined the other cars and breathed a sigh of relief when he caught sight of Sasha sitting in the passenger seat of the plow next to Rosita. "Open the gate!"

They all hurried to get the gate unlocked as the caravan neared.

"Denise!" Tara yelled, hoping her girlfriend would hear. "Denise!" Eric shot her a puzzled look and she motioned to the speed at which the cars were arriving. "Just in case."

"Wow!" Aaron exclaimed as the caravan passed the gates and slowed to a stop.

"Hey Rick! What is all of this?" Eric asked as the leader got out of the truck.

The man pointed to the car nearest them. "We found Carl," he announced triumphantly just when the teen jumped out, smiling meekly at the shock on Eric's face.

"Carl!" Tara greeted, pulling him into a quick hug. "Oh thank God!"

"Hey Abraham," Sasha greeted warmly as she hopped down from the plow. They grinned at each other and shared a loving kiss as she stole the cigar from him. "Good to see you."

He ran a hand down her back, resting on her rear as he planted another kiss on her temple, sending up a silent thank you. "You found Carl," he noted and she nodded, motioning to the caravan.

"And a couple more new members," she added.

Rosita came around the other side and clapped Abraham on the back. "Hey Abe." They all gathered around Rick and Carl while Michonne and Andre slipped out of the truck, eyes wide.

"Mom," Andre gasped, tugging on her sleeve. "Mom, look at the houses..."

"I see... oh Andre..." She pulled the child to her, giving him a hug from behind as she looked around the bright community. There were people coming out of their homes, aroused by the excitement at the gate. All eyes were on her and her son and for a moment she felt overwhelmed. She could sense Andre wriggling in her grasp, hopping up and down eagerly awaiting an opportunity to see the rest. Michonne's heart raced before her eyes landed on Rick, who was watching her as well. He offered her a smile and she tried to smile back.

"Carl!"

Elena ran up to the teen and pulled him into a bruising hug. "You're alive!"

Rick hurried over and gently pulled the young lady away from his son, motioning to his shoulder. "Carl was shot... Denise!"

Tara turned to see the doctor hurrying over with a baby on her hip. They shared a quick kiss before Tara took their daughter and pointed to Carl.

"Babe, he needs your help."

"Denise, Michonne patched him up really well, but if you could just check him out," Rick insisted, grabbing Michonne's attention.

"You're the doctor?" She questioned, pulling Andre along with her.

Denise smiled and held out her hand. "Yeah, hi. You are new," she acknowledged. "Are you from the Kingdom or Hilltop?"

Michonne shook the woman's hand. "Michonne. We're from..."

Rick smiled. "They're from here, Denise. Do you mind checking on Andre? They've been out in the elements for a while." He exchanged glances with Michonne. "We want to make sure he's healthy."

Denise saw the anxiety on Michonne's face and the nervousness at the crowd that was growing. Nodding, she motioned towards her infirmary. "Sounds good, Carl you too." She gave Tara's hand a quick squeeze. "Welcome to Alexandria."

Rick hesitated to follow them as he saw the crowds gathering. He knew he needed to address them, but he also did not want to leave Michonne and Andre alone when they had just arrived. He also wanted to ensure that nothing that belonged specifically to the two was carried off for community use.

Rosita nudged him. "Take care of this, Rick," she whispered, pointing to Jesus and Sasha, who were already corralling people away from the trailer and plow. "I'll keep an eye on Michonne and Andre. Once Denise checks them out, I'll bring them to your place."

Rick rested a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you," he muttered.

She snorted, turning to catch up with Denise's group. "Thank me later. Things are about to get interesting here, Rick!"


Michonne could barely wrap her mind around Alexandria. After being released from Denise's care with a clean bill of health, Andre took off before Rosita could insist they return to the Grimes home. They ran into the little team transferring the food and guns they had brought to the armory and pantry. Olivia welcomed them excitedly, overcome with the prospect of members who knew how to cure meats and make cheese. Michonne did not register much as she saw her guns inventoried.

"You'll have access to them when you want," Rosita assured her quietly. "Olivia's meticulous about keeping track of everything, so you'll know who has something you want if it's not here." She smiled. "Plus, Eugene can make more bullets for anything that's running low."

"You have someone who makes bullets?" Michonne's tone dripped with incredulity as they moved along, trailing after Andre.

They followed after him as he ran down the street, looking around rapidly and pointing out every little thing to his mother.

"The houses are big, Mom!"

Michonne grinned. "I see that. Really cool, huh?"

Andre nodded, taking his mother's hand as he led the way to the chapel. "Mom, look!"

A slender, black man appeared from the front in a priest's outfit, which took Michonne by surprise while Andre seemed to enjoy the sight.

"Hello!" Andre greeted and the man smiled.

"Hi, new arrivals!" He replied happily. "Welcome! I'm Father Gabriel!"

Rosita waved. "Hey Gabe. This is Michonne and Andre."

"Nice to meet you," Michonne addressed, shaking the man's hand.

Father Gabriel sensed her astonishment at his appearance and he chuckled. "I'm here as a shoulder to lean on or an ear to talk to," he offered.

"That's really cool," Andre awed before he saw the pond. "Oh! Do you have fish?!"

"Andre!" Michonne snapped as they watched him run off for the water.

Rosita rested a hand on Michonne's shoulder and pointed to a couple of women who were walking by the pond and took notice of Andre. They approached the boy with a smile and introduced themselves, which only seemed to excite the child.

"Michonne, he's safe here," she insisted and Gabriel nodded.

"We look out for each other here," he assured her. "You've come to the right place."

Michonne watched her son interact with the women quietly. The last time he had interacted with so many people, they had been at Fargo.

"I see you've met our resident man of faith."

They turned to see Rick approach with a smile on his face. It was plain to see that the man was happy to be home.

"Rick, good to have you back," Gabriel acknowledged with relief. "We were all wondering when you'd find your way back to Alexandria."

Running his fingers through his hair, Rick nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's been a little while," he muttered before looking over at Michonne. "You okay?"

Her body warmed under his tender gaze and she pointed out Andre, who had been joined by two other children at the edge of the pond.

"Rick this place..." They could she was hesitating to commit to the exact words to describe the place. Rick came to stand next to her, prompting Rosita to tilt her head at Gabriel and the two headed over to investigate what Andre was up to. Rick waited patiently by Michonne's side as she gathered her thoughts.

Even at Fargo initially or the school, she had never felt so hopeful about a place in her life. Something about Alexandria and the people inspired something in her. Stirred something in her.

"His father gave up because he thought a place like this would never exist again," she murmured so only Rick could hear. He saw her eyes water as she watched her son burst out laughing with the other kids. She watched Gabriel and Rosita engage with the two other women, various weapons visible and ready, yet there was an ease. An awareness about them. Vigilance.

"It's not perfect, Michonne. We've fought and bled for this place. We've lost people for this place. We've killed... It's still a work in progress, but it's here and it's ours... it's yours." She glanced over at him, transfixed by the intensity in his eyes. "You're gonna help me make it better... for Andre and Carl and Judith."

For a moment the world faded away. All of the anxieties Michonne held melted and any concern Rick had about her and Andre's ability to adapt to this new place disappeared.

It was just them and they understood each other completely.

Nodding, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, turning to look back over at Andre, who was waving her over.

"Okay, Rick," she whispered resolutely, waving back to her son. "Okay."


A/N: Please read and review! Thanks!