- Right after promising to try two updates in a week on this fic I gave you guys the longest wait yet on this particular story. Sorry. It shouldn't happen again. -
Recap of previous chapter: Rick and Michonne got married. They danced.
Michonne then went to find Mike and Andre who she admitted she saw at the celebration. While she went to find them, Rick had a chat with Ezekiel wherein he left with the parting words that Michonne was his. She no longer was a citizen of The Kingdom.
Mike and Michonne shared a dance with their son that made Rick feel bitter. He and Mike had a tense first meeting which ended in Mike requesting permanent residence at Alexandria Safe Zone. In front of Michonne, Rick had to agree. But he didn't like it.
Chapter Seven: Life Has a Way of Surprising You
The celebration at the Alexandria Safe Zone was still very much underway. The darkened streets were now lit by paper lanterns and candles. From somewhere a short distance away, Rick could smell the succulent scent of roasting meat. He heard the clink of glasses as a party nearby gave cheers to some unknown comment. No thoughts of rationing or the new threat was on anybody's mind. Tonight was about celebration and only celebration. Troubles could wait until tomorrow.
Rick's eyes found Michonne just as she was saying goodbye to her family. Sending them off to the guest homes set aside for the visiting parties until a new, permanent home was assigned to them. He watched her linger at her son's side with adoration in her eyes and knew it must only be because the little boy was now fully asleep with his mouth hanging open that she was even sending them off now. If the boy didn't need the rest, she probably would spend all night with him.
Rick squinted when Mike bent down to place a soft goodbye kiss against Michonne's temple. She seemed surprised as well because she took a step back and then released a shy chuckle.
When Mike disappeared into the crowd with Andre, Michonne looking after them, Rick walked over to her side. He only got her attention again when he took her hand and led her back to the dance floor. Soft music was still wafting over the crowd's chatter that had grown louder as the night went on.
Michonne allowed Rick to lead her to an empty spot amongst swaying couples and position them for another dance. She was still happy from the realization of knowing her family would now be here with her so she looked up at Rick with a small smile. Even her annoyance with his past actions couldn't put a damper on how content she felt.
Rick was surprised to see her smile. It was a far cry from the scowl she usually turned in his direction.
"I never thought I would be ignored at my own wedding," Rick said, his voice a low growl. He squinted his eyes. A flash of Lori in her white wedding gown crossed his mind's eye. They had been joined at the hip throughout their entire wedding ceremony and in the days after.
Michonne's lips turned up further into an indulgent smile. "I'm not ignoring you," she replied.
"Well..." Rick raised his watch to eye level. "I've been alone for the past...two hours. Feels like being ignored to me..."
"That's funny," Michonne teased dryly. "I didn't know you were so sensitive. How about this? Next time we get married I won't leave you alone for two hours."
A genuine smile flashed across Rick's lips. "Very funny."
The bells hanging at the end of Michonne's locs brushed against Rick's hand where it lay against her back. He let his thumb stroke upwards. The tinkling jingle of bells followed.
Rick stared down at Michonne, his new wife, and really thought about the implications of that. He had agreed to this marriage with his community in mind. But he hadn't thought of what this meant for him as an individual. He had just gotten married. This woman was going to be with him for the rest of his life. Living in his home.
Thoughts of Lori flashed across his mind. He didn't notice that he had stopped moving to the music.
"What's wrong?" Michonne asked, bringing him back to the present.
"Oh...nothing..." He began to dance again. The smell of meat filled his nostrils once more. "You're going to have a tough time on your hands re-distributing the rations after the celebrations are over."
"I can handle it," Michonne responded. "Beats the alternative."
A long silence fell over the dancing couple. Rick let his hand brush against the bells again to create another soft jingle. He remembered the way Michonne looked at him before. With understanding. And the last few hours spent alone at a celebration in his honor weighed on him. He felt the need to explain a few things to the woman in front of him. "...It wasn't always like this," Rick said.
Michonne met his eyes in the flickering candlelight of the streets. His gaze was still so blue, even under the darkness of the night. She waited for him to continue. To elaborate on what he was talking about.
"I wasn't always like this." It was the best he could do for now.
"None of us were," Michonne responded. "We all changed when the world did. We had to. All we can do now is draw a line at the necessary and the unnecessary. And some of the things you do are unnecessary."
Rick was both taken aback and intrigued by her blunt words. "You just say whatever you want to, don't you?"
"I say what needs to be said."
"Hmm..." Rick said with a sigh through his nose. "Well, this is going to be interesting."
"What?"
"Our marriage life. How are we going to live together when my wife doesn't even like me?"
A twitch of a smile threatened to pass Michonne's lips once more. "There you go being sensitive again," she said. "Besides, you don't like me either. You said it yourself."
"I said I don't know if I like you," Rick corrected. "There's a big difference."
"Not really."
"There is. The jury's still out on it for me. You made the decision to dislike me before you even laid eyes on me."
Michonne chuckled. "Are you really trying to play the victim here?" she asked.
"Just stating the truth," Rick said with a shrug.
"No, the truth is I have good reason to dislike you," Michonne chided. "How's that for saying what I want."
Rick sucked air between his teeth and pretended to think about it for a moment. "It's refreshing. Most of the people here don't even tell me what they think anymore." A scowl touched his brow as he thought of the failed conversation he had tried to have with people he once would have called friends.
"Can you blame them?" Michonne asked. "You said it yourself. You're not the leader you used to be."
Rick stopped dancing again. "I still do everything I can to protect my people," he said, staring down at Michonne. "That hasn't changed."
Michonne nudged him to start moving again. "I didn't say it had. I'm just saying you're probably not as personable as you used to be." Rick moved through the next steps of a simple box dance.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rick asked.
"Well..." Michonne explained. "You've killed two men in the streets without giving your people so much as an explanation." She raised an eyebrow. "If I didn't have to, I wouldn't talk to you either."
"Is that what they need? An explanation?" Rick snarled the last word between his teeth.
"It would help..." Michonne said.
Rick was silent for a moment as he considered it. "...I can schedule a meeting for next week," he finally said.
Michonne nodded. "That would be good," she said. She was estimating the wedding celebration to be a week-long affair so the week after should be as good a time as any. "We can also use that moment to recruit more people in the run to find the Saviors' base camp. We don't know how many of them there are and they seemed to know the area pretty well. We could easily be ambushed if we're not careful. Whose good for a mission like this?"
"I'll handle it," Rick said. "Don't worry." On missions like this, he liked to keep a balanced number of capable warriors both inside and outside the walls. To do that, he had to sit down and look at the roster of people in his community.
"If it's manageable, I'd like Sasha and Daryl to come along with me," Michonne said. "I'm already slightly familiar with them and they seem capable."
Rick studied Michonne closely. "Anybody else?"
"Not that I can think of at the moment..."
"Would you like Mike to go with you?" he asked, sure that she would jump on the chance to go on an outside mission with her ex-lover.
"Oh, no," Michonne surprised him by saying with a shake of her head. "Mike doesn't go on runs outside. He prefers to stay inside and help where he can there."
Rick's brows raised. "Okay," he said. "So where would be a good place to put him? Pantry? Wall duty? Construction? Everyone has to pull their weight in some way. And everyone has to learn how to defend themselves. Sasha teaches target practice Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Hand-to-hand combat is taught by Paul Monroe every other day. There's a schedule posted on the bulletin board in the infirmary. You should take one and give it to him the next time you see him."
"Okay," Michonne said. She glanced around, a sudden thought coming to her. "Do you have a school system set up here?" she asked. "We had a rudimentary one at the Kingdom."
"We do," Rick said. "Mrs. Niedermeyer teaches reading and writing to kids about your son's age on weekdays from noon to three."
Michonne nodded. "Good."
The bells brushed against Rick's hand again.
"Whose idea was it to put these bells in your hair?" he asked.
"Maggie's. She said they were good luck."
"Ahh..." Rick wrapped the end of a ribbon around his finger and tugged gently.
"What are you doing?" Michonne asked.
Rick gently pulled her closer to his chest. "It's odd..." he said.
"What is?"
He pulled her closer still. When she didn't pull away, he pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arm completely around her waist. Michonne stared up at him curiously. "...I don't think you dislike me as much as you pretend," Rick said, his voice a low whisper.
"Why do you say that?" Michonne asked, unshaken.
"Well, for one, you're here talking to me," Rick said. "Two...you're here dancing with me. And three...you haven't scowled at me all day today. Not even when I pulled your hair." He did it again for good measure.
"I'm in a good mood," Michonne said pulling her ponytail over her shoulder and away from Rick's hand. "Besides...We should at least try to keep up appearances. Even if this is just a political marriage, we should make it seem real to everybody but us. That way, looking from the outside, we won't have an obvious weakness in our plan of unification."
"Does that include Mike?" Rick asked. "Keeping up appearances?"
"Of course," Michonne said, her expression hard. "We're not together anymore. I think that's clear to both of us now."
Rick nodded. "It didn't seem that way judging from tonight."
"What do you mean?"
"You two were dancing just as close as we are now," Rick said. "And you had a child in your arms. It was a touching sight." A hint of bitterness tainted his voice. This time Michonne was the one to stop dancing and she took a step back.
"I was welcoming my family home," she said. "I won't explain or apologize for that."
"And you shouldn't," Rick said. "We're nothing to each other but a truce agreement. You've made that clear. But since you're the one who mentioned keeping up appearances, I just want to clarify that Mike's not your partner anymore. I am. You don't side with him, you side with me. You don't agree with him, you agree with me. And the sooner you realize that, the easier it will be for all of us."
"It doesn't work like that," Michonne said. "I side with what's right."
Rick nodded. "Okay." He glanced around, feeling suddenly crowded by the amount of people. "I think it's time we call it a day," he said. "And head home." He wanted to talk to Michonne in private.
"I want to go greet Ezekiel," Michonne said. "You can go on ahead. I'll meet you there." Her expression was closed off. She was annoyed with him again. Rick sighed and watched her turn and make her way towards the man sitting on a slightly raised platform off to the side and under an awning.
Rick clenched his teeth together. He was being left alone once again.
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Michonne was met with a wide smile when she met Ezekiel where he sat.
"Are you enjoying yourself so far?" she asked as she bent down to give him a quick hug.
"I am," Ezekiel said, his eyes sparkling. "This place is grand. How are things for you? You're not homesick, are you?"
"I was...but maybe that will change now that Mike and Andre are here."
"I see that you found them a little while ago." Ezekiel clasped her slender hand between his two large ones. "I'm happy for you. It'll warm my heart if you say you'll miss me a little bit though."
Michonne smiled. "Of course I will," she responded. "I do."
Ezekiel smiled wider. "That's good to hear. Rick is good to you, isn't he?"
"He's as good as he can be," Michonne said with a nod.
Ezekiel took note of the indirect way in which she answered. "Is he a good leader?"
Michonne looked out over the crowd at Rick. He was staring up at her from where he stood with his hands on his hips. His eyes were squinted in frustration. "I can't lie and say he's perfect," she said. "This world has done a number on him." She fiddled with the bell lying against her chest, remembering the gentle, playful way he had pulled her hair. "I don't think he's too far gone though..."
"Mm..." Ezekiel said, studying Rick from where he sat as well. "I trust your judgment so if you don't think he's anything to worry about...I think so as well."
He grabbed her hand, pulling her attention back to him. "What about you?" he asked. "Do you think you can be happy here? Can this be your home?"
Michonne nodded. "Wherever Andre is...that's my home..." She squeezed Ezekiel's hand and gave him a questioning look. "It is okay that they stay here right? Mike and Andre?"
"Yes," Ezekiel said. "I was planning on sending them this way anyway if Mike hadn't made the decision on his own."
"Did he already talk to you about staying here?" Michonne asked curiously. "Before coming?"
"No...but I knew the minute he volunteered to come to the wedding that once he saw you, he would want to stay." Ezekiel looked her over in her beautiful purple gown. "And I have to say, I'm not surprised. You look beautiful."
Michonne smiled again. "Thank you," she said. "But I'm sure it's not because of any residual feelings that Mike decided to stay...He just knows that we're a family and families should stick together. Especially in this world."
"...Possibly..." Ezekiel said with a non-committal shrug.
Michonne looked back over the crowd but no longer saw Rick among the throng of people. 'He must have headed home,' she thought. She turned back to Ezekiel.
"I'll probably be heading out sometime next week to try to find the Saviors' base camp," Michonne said. "A group of us will be going."
"That sounds like a good idea. I was thinking about sending my own party."
"We'll send someone to report back to you what we find as well. It should be no problem."
Ezekiel nodded. "Please do. That way we can at least know where an attack may be coming from. Last time we were surrounded. It seems like they have a lot of people."
"Was it over a hundred?"
"That's what we've heard," Ezekiel said with another nod. "You should be careful. You and your people. We don't know what to expect with them just yet."
"I don't know how they got so close to us with motorcycles," Michonne mused, almost to herself.
"Be extra cautious," Ezekiel advised again.
"We will."
Ezekiel continued to hold Michonne's hand and smiled up at her. "I miss you, Michonne," he said sincerely.
Michonne smiled back. "I miss you too."
"See if you can visit sometime."
"I will..."
Michonne gave Ezekiel a farewell hug and made her way back down from the raised platform onto the street. This was her second time saying goodbye to the man who had given her her first sanctuary. And it wasn't getting any easier. At least this time she knew that he would be there for a few days more.
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"Where is it?" Rick asked, hurrying toward the wall he had just now been informed had a weakening structure. He stopped at the instructed wall and could definitely notice a dent in it.
"Yeah," Tobin said, running up beside him. "I just kicked it as I was walking by and it dented in like that. I think it's rusting. We need to start construction with new materials."
Rick nodded. "I had planned on that anyway but I thought we'd have a little more time to gather the materials." He looked over to see Nicholas on his other side. "You two should notify Abraham immediately. Tell him to meet me tomorrow at-"
Rick was cut off when a hard object impacted his head. Pain shot through his skull before darkness overtook him and he fell to his knees, unconscious.
Riff stood over him with a lead pipe, breathing heavily. He looked between Tobin and Nicholas and they all shared a nod.
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Rick awoke a few moments later with a throbbing pain in his head and darkness instead of vision. The feeling of tight constriction around his eyes and his head let him know that he was wearing some kind of fabric blindfold. A piece of fabric was also tied tight across his mouth. He twisted his wrists to feel that he was bound by some intricately knotted rope. Any movement invited painful friction. The ropes were bound tight.
Blood pumped angrily through his veins as his last moments came back to him.
Riff. Tobin. And Nicholas.
He grew still and listened as voices reached his ears. They only seemed to be a few feet away.
"Do you think this is a good idea? To do it at this time?" Nicholas asked. "During his wedding? Won't people miss him?"
"Now is the perfect time," Tobin said. "It's busy. People are celebrating. No one will suspect it. And do you really think anyone will miss him if they do realize he's gone? They'll only celebrate harder."
Rick gritted his teeth and twisted his wrists again, trying to see if there was any way he could get loose. He moved his leg slightly, imperceptibly, to check the weight of his holster. It was empty. They had taken his gun. He worked his wrists harder. That didn't matter. He would kill them without it.
"That's probably true," Nicholas said with a nervous laugh. "What about his new wife? That...Michonne? Won't she realize he's missing soon enough? I mean...she will be expecting a wedding night."
"Hell, I'll show up and give her one," Riff's gruff voice chimed in. "This asshole fucked my wife; I might as well fuck his."
Rick's fists clenched and he pulled harder against the ropes even as they cut into his skin. Images of all of the ways he would kill these men sifted through his head. Wrapping the same rope that was currently around his wrists around Riff's neck until his eyes popped was top of the list.
"No!" a new, deep voice interjected. It made Rick's heart freeze and the rest of his body too. "We're not involving anyone else in this. This is just about Rick. He's our target. Focus on that."
Nicholas's nervous laughter stopped. "Sure thing, Abraham."
'Abraham...' Rick's stomach clenched. They had fought side by side together. They had built this place together. Abraham was in his inner circle. Or at least he used to be. 'Who am I kidding? I don't know any of them anymore,' Rick thought. He wondered who else's voice he might hear. Daryl's? Maggie's? Sasha's? These people weren't his friends. Not anymore. Not only was he alone but he was the enemy. Rick's hands went slack. He stopped moving. He stopped struggling. His head fell and he only waited. Waited for their next move.
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Michonne walked into the home that was now hers as well and was surprised to find that it was completely dark inside. 'Did he just go straight to bed?' she wondered.
"Rick?" she called. "Rick, you here?"
When she got no response, she continued to make her way inside and cut on the lights of the living room. She looked around and got a familiar tugging sensation in her gut. The one that always told her something was wrong.
'Is he being sensitive again?' Michonne wondered. She carefully took off her shoes and then headed up the stairs, the fabric of her dress brushing lightly against her skin and the bells of her hair tinkling with every step. "...Rick?" she called again when she reached the top of the stairs.
She looked towards his room. The door was closed and it didn't open. There was no movement inside. 'He's probably just ignoring me,' she thought. 'He didn't seem too happy when I left him again.' She headed towards her bedroom at the other end of the hall but stopped mid-reach for the doorknob. 'Did he bring home some woman even after our talk at the wedding?'
Without thinking much more about it, she whipped around and went to Rick's room. "Rick!" she called. She knocked loudly on his door and when she got no response, she threw it open. "Ric-..."
He wasn't in there. The room was empty and untouched. That feeling in Michonne's gut grew. She knew never to completely ignore it.
She turned on her heel and made her way back down the stairs, grabbing her katana as she made her way out of the door. 'Maybe I just lost him in the crowd,' she thought as she left the house. 'I hope so.'
