A/N: I don't have much to say about this chapter. I appreciate the reviews for chapter 7, they were very encouraging. Please enjoy!
The rest of the evening went about as well as could be expected for the new arrivals. Rick took over for Rosita in showing Michonne and Andre around, but by the time they reached the makeshift stables where the horses were kept, it was clear that the long trip and general excitement of a new place had exhausted them. Andre's eyes were dropping and he was leaning against his mother as he fought to pay attention.
"I think the rest can wait till tomorrow," Rick suggested with a chuckle when the boy knocked over an empty pail. Michonne smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, it's bed time."
They slowly made their way to the Grimes residence, where Carl was waiting on the porch with Enid, talking quietly.
"Hey Michonne, Andre," Enid greeted, standing up. "How's your first day going?"
"Tiring," Michonne answered for her child as he slogged up the stairs. "He's about to collapse."
Enid grinned. "Okay, then I'll go."
Rick frowned. "Where are you staying?"
"With Sasha and Abraham. At least until I can get back to the Hilltop. None of my stuff is here."
The man nodded, catching the disappointment in his son's eyes as the young lady headed down the steps. "Enid, I'm gonna head to the Hilltop tomorrow to pick up Judith with Jesus. Why don't you come with me? We can pick up some of your things and you can stay in Alexandria for a little bit."
Enid looked surprised by the offer but eagerly accepted. "Thank you, Rick," she whispered. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," they responded.
"Thanks dad," Carl added and Rick nodded as he moved to open the door.
"Don't mention it... so... welcome," he added as they stepped into the house, allowing Michonne and Andre a chance to see their new home, at least for the foreseeable future.
"Where do we sleep?"
"Andre!" Michonne tweaked his ear and sighed, looking over at Carl and Rick. "Thank you. I appreciate this... I know it's a bit of an inconvenience-"
Rick shook his head and motioned to the small hall by the stairs. "Michonne, it's not an inconvenience. Here," he led the way to the downstairs bedroom. Carl had already placed the bag with their clothes in there. "This'll be your room. There's a bathroom and closet over there."
Michonne peered in, continuously amazed at what she saw. She could not remember the last time she had an actual bedroom for herself. She reached out and touched the sheets, the soft cloth caressing her fingers.
"Do I get my own room?" Andre asked as he fiddled with the closet door.
"No," Michonne answered, catching the understanding look on Rick's face as she turned to face her son.
"Mom!"
"Andre, just for now," she whispered tiredly. She saw Andre's pleading face and she sighed. "Andre, please."
He sat down on the bed with a huff of frustration. "Fine."
Michonne took a deep breath and pointed to the bag with their things. "Get ready for bed," she instructed as she moved back to the door where Rick stood.
"Goodnight, Andre," Rick called and Andre smiled.
"Goodnight!" He paused and then added, "Thank you!"
Rick nodded. "You're welcome."
Michonne gently closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall in the small hall. Rick shared her exhaustion, but mimicked her stance, waiting patiently for her.
"How are you feeling?"
She smiled. "Good..." Motioning to the bedroom, she offered an apologetic shrug. "Andre's already in love with this place... he just has... expectations. And I just..."
Rick snorted. "Don't worry about it. Besides, our whole group slept in that living room for the first couple of nights when we arrived here."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"So I'm not as paranoid as I feel right now."
Rick chortled softly as he nodded and stood up straighter at the wall, watching the beautiful woman in front of him as she smiled at his reaction.
"No, you're the right amount of paranoid for any good mother in your situation, Michonne," he responded huskily.
They stared at each other for a moment before yawn escaped Michonne's lips and Rick snorted.
"Sorry."
He laughed. "No, I'm sorry. I'm keeping you up." He motioned to the bedroom door. "Get some rest." Remembering his promise to Enid, he pointed behind him. "I probably won't be here when you wake up, but Carl will be around and I'm sure Rosita and Sasha will stop by."
Michonne nodded, somewhat disappointed that she would not see him in the morning, but understanding his priorities. "Okay... goodnight, Rick."
Rick was about to say goodnight when the door opened behind her and Andre stuck his head out, eyes wide.
"Mom, the bathroom had a shower and a toilet and a sink," he informed her. "The shower is all glass!"
"Andre," Michonne sighed.
"Mom, come see!"
Michonne took a deep breath and offered Rick an exasperated look. "Goodnight Rick," she muttered. "I have to go check out a shower before bedtime."
Rick gave her a smirk and a wink. "It's important."
For a brief moment he saw her hesitate, torn between staying out in the hall and returning to the room. They gazed at each other, at once giddy and unsure about the prospect of tomorrow. Both heads of households were about to embark on something terrifying and exciting together.
"Goodnight."
He watched her disappear into the bedroom then headed out to the kitchen where Carl was standing at the island.
"They all set?"
Rick nodded, leaning against the counter. "Yeah... how's your shoulder?"
Carl ran a hand over his arm. "Still sore. Denise said it would have been worse if Michonne hadn't patched me up."
A smile came to Rick at the thought of Michonne, but he said nothing about it. Not that he needed to. Carl caught the look and hid his own smile.
"You gonna get Judith tomorrow."
"Yeah."
Carl snorted. "I can't believe you left her in Hilltop."
Rick's eyes fell on his son. "I needed to make sure you were okay."
Carl sobered up and for a moment remained silent. Thinking over his father's reaction to seeing him in the town, it was the first time he had actually run through the events and emotions that led his father to drop everything, including his daughter, to go racing back to the location where he was told his son had died. It had admittedly been a while since the group had been in any real danger and he'd forgotten about the more aggressively protective aspects of his father's personality that had kept them alive in the early years after the turn.
In the last couple of days, he had witnessed a few things about his father that he had not seen in a long time. It showed in Rick's initial reaction to Carl calling Michonne 'mom'. It showed in the way Rick interacted with the woman in general.
"Thanks dad," Carl murmured finally.
Rick moved around the island and pulled Carl into a hug. "I'm always going to come get you," he replied.
"Even when I may not be there?"
Rick pulled back and nodded. "You and Judith... every time."
Carl smiled and moved to leave. "Yeah, well, hurry and get her. I'm sure she'd love to meet our new house guests."
Rick's face changed as he watched his son leave. "Carl," he called.
"Yeah?"
He hesitated before looking down at the floor, scuffing them with his boots. "I don't say this much, but... your mom would be proud of what you did... with Michonne and Andre." Rick blinked and offered Carl a smile. "I'm proud of you too."
Carl returned the smile, his chest swelling at his father's words. Unable to respond, he just nodded and turned, leaving his father alone in the kitchen.
Rick stood there for a while, soaking in the silence as the craziness of the last few days finally settled in.
Alexandria now had three new residents and he knew there would be questions about the latter two by virtue of the bounty of food, guns, animals, vehicles, and other supplies they had thankfully agreed to bring with them. While many already welcomed Michonne and Andre into the fold, he knew there were a few hold outs in the community that would take issue with the high profile arrivals and especially the very different way Michonne raised her son.
He trusted Carl and Rosita would help mitigate those interactions while he was away, but had a suspicion the new arrivals residence in his home would agitate some. He would have to address it at some point, but there were a couple of other pressing matters that dawned on him as he moved out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his room.
Now however, for the first time in years, he felt something stirring within him and he knew without a doubt that their new houseguests were involved. He was just unwilling to admit which one.
In preparation for bed, Rick found his mind plagued with thoughts of Michonne and he admittedly did not sleep a wink.
The morning light alerted Michonne to the fact that she had overslept. Opening her eyes, she was momentarily disoriented as she looked around and instantly noticed Andre's absence.
"Andre," she called, sitting up and noting his missing katana. Momentary panic struck her, but she refused to yield to it. After checking the bathroom, she left their room and tiptoed into the main area, katana in hand. The domesticity of the kitchen and living room startled her, reminding her of how exhausted she had been last night to overlook the little details that made the house feel surreal.
Laughter drew her to the front of the house and she smiled when she spotted Andre and Carl sitting on the porch, eating breakfast and joking around. Her eyes welled with tears and she looked away, breathing deeply and taking in her surroundings.
So this was the new world she would inhabit. That her son would grow up in…
It looked familiar, as if five years of the dead razing the world had not occurred within the house, with its stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and light fixtures.
She remembered visiting homes like this on Sundays with Mike when they joked about moving to the suburbs. Sheathing her katana, she ran her fingers over the drapes on the windows, simultaneously amused and in awe at the thought of such a thing still existing. A giggle stifled in her throat.
"Mom?"
The front door opened and Andre leaned in, catching his mother's distant look.
"Hey… you okay?" She asked as she approached the door. Andre led the way back out to the porch.
"I'm fine."
"Morning," Carl greeted happily. He motioned to the food at the small table they had set up. "I wanted to wake you, but Andre said you were tired."
Michonne glanced over at Andre. "I wish you had woken me up..."
"You were snoring!" Andre protested as he sat back down. "You never snore."
Carl snorted as Michonne took a seat between them and she nudged him. "That's not funny."
He shrugged his good shoulder. "Here," he offered her some water. "I wasn't going to take Andre anywhere until you woke up. He just wanted to eat on the porch."
"Like in the books," Andre explained before stuffing some sliced apples into his mouth.
"You always want to do things from your books," Carl noted and Andre shrugged.
"They always have fun in the books."
Michonne tussled his dreadlocks fondly while motioning to Carl. "How's your shoulder?"
He touched it gingerly. "Healing. I'm gonna stop by Denise later to get it checked."
She grabbed a slice of apple and looked back into the house. "Your father left," she assumed and Carl nodded.
"He'll probably be gone all day," he told her, catching the disappointment in her eyes before she turned her gaze to the street. She watched people moving around, surprised to see them waving at the group on the porch pleasantly. Even at Fargo, she had been quick to note the rather wide berth the general community gave to Ellory. Even in his absence.
"Morning, Carl! Glad to see you back," one man greeted as he approached the house.
"Hey! Yeah, it's good to be back... Tobin, this is Michonne and Andre."
The man shook Michonne's hand with a warm smile and was surprised when Andre held out his hand to shake.
"Good Morning, sir," Andre beamed while his mother stifled a proud chuckle.
"Good to meet you both," Tobin responded. "I saw you briefly when the caravan arrived yesterday. That's quite the haul! I've never seen so many animals come in at one time."
"Michonne and Andre kept them at a school," Carl explained.
"Well, we're happy to have you and them!" He laughed. "I'm guessing you're staying here for the time being?"
"Rick said there were no other homes available," Michonne tested, watching the man's face carefully. He nodded and pointed to a house further down the block.
"Yeah. A couple of new arrivals already took one of the smaller homes and that one, that used to belong to the Andersons. Carol and Morgan will be using it when they return."
Carl's eyes widened. "Carol's coming back?"
"Yeah, just for the winter I hear. The Kingdom got an influx of new arrivals and she and Morgan offered to stay here while they figure out better living situations. Your father's been bugging her and Morgan about lending a hand here anyway, so it all worked out."
It amazed her that this man offered up so much information in front of complete strangers. Again, she could not help but make comparisons to Fargo, where the atmosphere was rife with secrets. Michonne had excused it as a security issue, but as she sat on the porch, observing Tobin and Carl casually converse, she slowly realized how much more at ease she felt about her decision to enter the gates. Her eyes moved to Andre, who was eagerly taking in all of the information disclosed like the little sponge she knew him to be. She also caught the blink and you miss it surveillance he performed of their surroundings. That instinct had not changed and she was comforted by it.
"Hey."
They turned to see Rosita walking up to the Grimes house, fixing her gloves and offering them a smile.
"Morning!" Andre replied happily.
"I hope you all got some rest last night. I wanted to introduce you to a few more people. Everyone's dying to meet you."
"Can we also see where the animals are?"
Michonne rolled her eyes. "Andre."
Rosita laughed, "Sure thing. In fact, Tobin," she check with the man for a second before continuing, "He can take you there after you finish up with breakfast." She glanced over at Michonne. "You can come with me. Rick was very specific about keeping you close today while he was gone."
The statement caused a brief fluttering in Michonne's heart, yet raised a slightly familiar uneasiness. She did not take kindly to being babysat. "Why?"
Noticing her disquiet, Rosita sat down next to the samurai while Tobin continued to engage Andre and Carl. "Rick wanted me to show you the walls, the guard points, etc. Give you an idea of how safe Alexandria is… Sasha's in charge of security here and after she saw the way you kept the school, she wanted your advice on. She'll be joining us later… are you okay with that?"
Michonne's surprise was evident, but it was replaced quickly by relief. Her eyes fell once more on Andre, who was watching her with anticipation. He had sensed his mother's momentary anxiety, understanding her lingering stress over entering into a new environment, but he wanted desperately to explore their new home and for her to do so as well.
"Mom?"
A smile graced Michonne's lips as she grabbed Andre and pulled him into a loving hug. Looking around the porch and beyond into the streets of Alexandria, she thought of all she had ever wanted for her and her son and realized it was finally being imagined.
"Yeah…" She kissed Andre's cheek, causing him to squirm in her arms. Laughing, she let him go and grabbed another piece of fruit. "Let's see our new home."
"Is that Rick?"
Rick had barely exited his car when Maggie appeared from her trailer, followed closely by Glenn, who was carrying Judith.
"Daddy!" The child squealed. "Daddy!"
Hurrying over, Rick took his daughter in his arms and held her close, releasing a breath he did not realize he was holding. As trying as the past couple of days had been, now everything seemed to come full circle as he held Judith.
"I'm sorry, honey," he whispered. "I'm so sorry!"
"Did you find him? Did you find Carl?" Maggie demanded as she watched Enid and Jesus get out of the car.
"He's alive," Enid announced as she ran over to give her parents a hug. "We found him. He's okay. He's back in Alexandria."
"He wasn't shot then?" Glenn asked and Rick shook his head, finally peeling his eyes away from his excitable daughter.
"No, he was hit, but a boy and his mother saved him. Patched him up, kept him safe at this school south of here," he explained, his thoughts flashing briefly to Michonne and Andre fondly.
"Maggie, you shoulda seen it," Enid gushed. "Two people took over this whole school, with booby traps, animals, a garden, weapons!"
Glenn frowned. "Where are they?"
Jesus snorted. "Brought them back with us. Carl's quite the recruiter. Got them to bring everything but the school and the walkers with them. Drove up here in a damn snow plow."
Maggie grinned at the news, relieved that the journey had not ended in tragedy. Grabbing Glenn's hand, she motioned for them to follow her back to their trailer. "Come on, you can tell the rest over breakfast."
As they walked back up the hill, Rick caught sight of Jesse, watching them in surprise from where she was hanging laundry. For a brief moment, Rick felt compelled to go talk to her, eager to clear the air over his behavior towards her son. Yet, as he felt Judith shift in his arms and thought of his new houseguests, the urge to be better and avoid the mess he became around the blond woman fell upon him. So he chose to avoid her. He resumed along his original path and headed towards the Rhee's trailer.
"Rick!"
Stifling a groan, Rick slowed, allowing Jesse the opportunity to catch up with him.
"Hey," he mumbled and she bit her lip, placing her hands on her hips. It was clear she was trying to appear calm, yet he caught the telltale signs of discomfort and latent attraction.
"Did you find him? Did you find Carl?" she asked.
"Yeah… he's alive and safe…"
"Oh thank God," she gasped. "After you left… I was so worried." She shifted. "I… about Ron-"
As furious as he had been and as disgusted as he was about what had transpired, Rick knew there was not much he could do. Carl thankfully survived his wound and despite Rick's urges to exact punishment, it was out of his hands to do so. Agreements between the settlements left discipline for infractions in the hands of the leadership from which the person resided. Luckily for Ron Anderson, his mother had moved to Hilltop prior to his and Carl's departure, otherwise Rick would have been in charge of meting out justice.
"Don't," he interrupted, holding Judith closer to him. "Carl's safe and that's all that matters now."
"Yes, but the best thing for Ron and Carl-"
"Jesse, I think the best thing for Ron and for Carl is if Ron never goes out on a run ever again. Some people aren't cut out for it."
Jesse's eyes widened, but she did not argue with him. She watched Rick clutch Judith close and looked down at her hands.
"Rick… about us-"
"Rick!"
They turned to see Maggie standing at the door of her trailer, eyes narrowed. "Come on! Sorry, Jesse, but we've got actual things to discuss," she announced, running a hand sensitively over her swollen belly. "You and I will talk later about Ron."
Rick hid a smile at his friend's irritableness. While tolerable of the Andersons presence at the Hilltop, Maggie had never been good at hiding her aversion to the widow.
"I'll see you later, Jesse," he mumbled before heading over to where Maggie stood. Setting Judith down to head inside, he pulled the Hilltop leader into a warm embrace. "Thank you."
She snorted, pulling away and glanced back at Jesse's dejected face before she slammed the trailer door behind her. "Bitch can choke for all I care, and her son too."
"Maggie," he sighed. "I drove her here… not the other way around…"
Maggie continued to rub her stomach ruefully, watching as Jesus played with Hershel Jr. and spoke excitedly with Glenn and Enid. "Yes, but you did drive her here… specifically with that son… who shot yours, by the way."
"I'm aware."
Noting his solemn expression, Maggie sighed. She knew the Andersons were a sore subject for Rick, especially in light of recent events, so it was unfair to throw his disastrous affair with the widow in his face. In an attempt to change subjects, she nudged Rick playfully and motioned to Enid.
"So who's this mother and son fantastic duo Enid was talking about?"
The immediate change in Rick's demeanor surprised Maggie, along with the little smile on his lips. There was an excited glint that she had never seen before and she was anxious to understand the origin.
"Well?" she pushed and he grinned.
"Michonne and Andre," he informed her. "And I can't wait for you to meet them."
Michonne and Andre's first day went by relatively quickly. Andre spent most of his time with Carl, meeting new children, while Rosita and Sasha provided Michonne with a much more intimate tour of Alexandria. They showed her the armory, the guard posts, and the secret tunnel out of the community. It was clear that they were trusting Michonne with a lot of information right out of the gate and as the day wore on, she began to reciprocate, providing them with advice and agreeing to help with improving the security of Alexandria.
By the time Rick returned home, it was much later than anticipated. An unexpected visit from Ezekiel had delayed their trip, leading them to run into a small herd of walkers. While they had been easily dispatched, the encounter had left Rick covered in walker guts, forcing him to keep his greeting brief before disappearing into his bedroom to shower and change.
When he finally came down stairs, he found Andre, Carl, and Enid in the kitchen, crowding around the stove. Andre, as small as he was, stood level with the other two with the help of an apple box while he helped stir whatever was in the large pot before them. It was an adorable sight that made Rick immensely grateful to be home. As much as he loved Glenn and Maggie, the presence of the Andersons at the Hilltop had soured an otherwise wonderful reunion. He was eager to wash the taste of it away.
"What are you three doing?"
"Carl and Andre cooked," Enid announced with a playful grimace, coming around to sit on one of the stools at the island.
"It smells delicious."
"Thank you," Andre stuck his tongue out at Carl.
"Did you have a good first day, Andre?" Rick inquired, leaning against the counter and watching the child and his son stand side by side.
"It was great! Tobin showed us where the animals were and I got to see Father Gabriel's school… Denise too," he added, motioning to Carl's arm.
"You think you're gonna like living here?"
They all smiled when Andre nodded eagerly, encouraged by his positive interactions with what they hoped he considered his new home.
"Where's your mother?" Rick asked and Carl snorted, pointing to the living room.
"She's with Judith."
Rick hesitated slightly, still growing used to hearing his son respond in such a way, but he turned and left them to finish dinner. He found Michonne sitting cross-legged on the floor with Judith, a few of her books, dolls, and cups on the rug around them, along with Michonne's katana. Rick's heart swelled at the sight, paralyzed momentarily by how instantly intimate the mother and child looked, interacting with each other as if they had known each other for four years. They talked quietly with each other, but it was clear that Michonne was not patronizing the girl, as some others tended to, but engaging her energetically.
Noticing that she now had an audience, Michonne looked up in time to catch Rick's surprise before he quickly altered his facial expression.
"I see you two have been introduced."
"Sorry, I've commandeered your daughter," Michonne greeted as he entered the space. She admired how well he cleaned up and the way his recently washed hair stuck to his brow, biting back the urge to brush her fingers through them.
"Can I see it now?" Judith asked, completely ignoring the arrival of her father in favor of continuing her interrogation with the fascinating, gorgeous woman she discovered upon arriving back home.
Michonne smiled, watching as Rick lowered himself down beside them. "In a minute… she is quite the handful," she commented as Judith reached for her katana.
"She is." He watched as Michonne gently moved the sword out of Judith's reach and handed the child one of her dolls with a small knife in its hand.
"Here, you should practice with this first," Michonne instructed before turning her attention to Rick. "Hi."
Rick could not help but grin. "Hey…" She looked more relaxed than yesterday and he could not help but wonder if that was due to being in Alexandria, or being close to him and his family. He secretly hoped for the latter, but was inclined to believe the former until proven otherwise. "How was your first real day in Alexandria?"
"Good… Rosita and Sasha showed me the ropes… You have more people than I expected."
"We're at capacity right now," he admitted, observing Michonne as she helped Judith with the toys. He was shaken by how natural she looked and how well Judith accepted her attention. As she had gotten older, Rick's daughter had become more particular about who she allowed to touch her. A reaction, he assumed, to being passed around frequently as a child during their time on the road. A part from the original group that had arrived at Alexandria three years prior, Judith had not taken to anyone else, yet she clamored over the woman, eagerly interrupting to ask questions.
"Do you kill the monsters with the sword?" Judith asked, reaching out again for the katana.
"Yes, so it's not a toy." Michonne gently guided Judith back towards an action figure. "Have the numbers been pretty steady since you got here?"
Rick shook his head. "We've encountered some dangerous people who wanted what we had. We lost a lot of people fighting them."
Michonne nodded understandingly. "When?"
"A couple of years back."
"And now it's safe?"
Rick snorted, drawing her attention away from Judith. He pulled out his gun and placed it on the floor right next to her sword pointedly.
"It's never completely safe."
She stared at him for a moment, grateful for his honesty. It made her smile as she instinctively picked Judith up and moved her away from the weapons once again. "They want me to help with security."
Relief washed over Rick's face at the news. He had been hesitant about putting too much on her at once, but it seemed that that was exactly what she wanted. To be integrated into the community as soon as possible rather than be treated with kids' gloves.
"Great. Then maybe you can join me on patrol in the morning," he suggested, somewhat jokingly. His heart skipped a beat when she laughed.
"Sure thing."
"Michonne!" Judith called, pulling them out of their conversation as she raised up her doll. "Is this right?"
Michonne shook her head and picked up her katana, placing it securely on her lap. "No, but that's because it's a doll, here." She unsheathed the blade and Rick watched in stunned silence as she reached out to take Judith's hand, carefully gliding her fingers over the edge. "You feel how sharp it is? I know you thought this was cool earlier, but remember, it's a weapon, okay? It's for the monsters."
"Okay," Judith replied, suddenly sobered by the seriousness in Michonne's voice. The little girl listened intently as Michonne began to explain the history of the sword, glancing occasionally over at Rick to gauge his reaction.
All day she had wondered about this. As impressed as she was by Alexandria, the one thing that seemed lacking was the preparedness of the children. Running and playing was all well and good, but it had become increasingly clear to her that Andre was ahead of the curve in his age group. The older teens, such as Carl and Enid, were obviously fit to be beyond the walls, but she worried about the little ones and found herself instantly concerned about Judith the moment she met the girl.
"Daddy, may I have a sword?" Judith asked, attempting to wrap her fingers around the hilt.
"No," Rick responded, picking up his gun and putting it back in the holster. "Be careful." Michonne caught his eyes and he frowned. "What?"
"She should learn. How to use a knife, she should learn… if she doesn't already," she added carefully. When he did not respond immediately, she stood up and grabbed her weapon. "Sorry… it's your house and I shouldn't have-"
"You're right."
Michonne stopped, but before she could respond Andre came bounding into the room.
"Dinner's ready!" he announced, immediately gravitating towards Judith. "Are you hungry?" Judith nodded and Andre grinned, taking her hand from her father's without a thought. "Good, 'cause I made chili."
"I made chili!" Carl yelled from the kitchen.
"I helped!"
"You stirred!"
"Andre, be careful," Michonne breathed anxiously as her son pulled Judith to her feet and proceeded to march back into the kitchen with her in tow. "Andre!"
"I did so help!" they heard him counter as Judith giggled. "Enid, tell him!"
Michonne offered Rick an apologetic look. "I'm sorry-"
"Don't be," he cut her off, getting to his feet as well. "I'm glad they're getting along. I think she's excited to have someone closer to her age in the house."
"Andre always wanted a little sister, so it works out," she quipped right as Andre called them into the kitchen once again.
"Come on! We're gonna eat at the dining table! Like in the books!"
"Everything is from your books," they heard Enid point out.
"Because they're having fun!"
Rick grinned. "Sounds like he's wanted more than just a little sister."
They locked eyes, the giddiness of last night returning once more. Rick thought back to just a moment prior, and the scene of Michonne and his daughter. Of Carl and Andre in the kitchen. Of Andre with Judith… And now the simple sight of seeing Michonne smile… It was breathtaking…
"You're right," he whispered and she frowned, unsure of his meaning. "About Judith, needing to learn. You're right…" He looked down at his feet. "I was waiting for the right moment to begin to teach her. And looks like that's now."
Michonne understood. Again, unspoken, something familiar yet altogether unique was forming and there was no need to elaborate. Reaching out, she brushed a hand along his arm comfortingly before she moved away to join the others at the table. Rick followed closely after, sitting down at the head. Carl insisted that Michonne sit at the other end.
"On a scale of one to ten, how hungry are you?" Andre asked as he placed a bowl in front of Rick.
"Eleven."
Enid smiled, sitting down across from Andre. "Fifteen."
"Twenty two," Carl chimed in.
"Twenty three," Michonne teased, excited to engage in such a diversion. This was something she used to do with Andre when they were on the road, to provide a bit of levity for them. Now, it reminded her of when her parents used to play the little game in the car on long road trips. As she sat at the table, watching her sons interact, watching Judith bounce in her chair, and Rick laugh, her heart swelled.
She felt home.
"Mom?"
Blinking, she gasped when she felt tears fall down her cheeks. Andre and Carl looked concerned. Judith had jumped out of her chair and was tugging at her shirt, offering a napkin. Rick's face was unreadable.
"I'm fine, honey, thank you," Michonne assured the small girl, caressing her cheek and taking the napkin. "I'm okay, sorry."
Judith smiled. "It's okay. Daddy cries too sometimes," she whispered loudly.
Michonne grinned. "Really," she caught Rick's eyes. "I wonder what about."
He returned the gesture and her heart skipped a beat. "You'll just have to stay and find out."
Carl and Enid exchanged amused glances while Andre was too busy digging into his chili to notice this time around.
"It's gonna get cold, Mom," he scolded, breaking the two parents out of their revere. They shared one more look.
"Okay," Rick muttered, his pulse racing under Michonne's piercing stare. "Let's eat."
A knock at the door startled Michonne and Andre out of their sleep. They snatched their katanas off of the nightstands as they sat up, bleary eyes fixed on the door.
"Be ready," Michonne muttered, still struggling to see through the fog of the night. She got up from the bed and carefully approached the door, glancing behind her to see Andre standing by the bed, eyes wide and sword at the ready.
"Michonne?"
The sound of Rick's voice instantly calmed Michonne and she opened the door slightly to let in the hallway light. On the other side, Rick was dressed in a light grey shirt and jeans, along with his trademark boots. Even so early in the morning, she could not help but admire how attractive he was.
"What?" She mumbled sleepily and he smiled at her slight annoyance.
"It's time to earn your keep," he told her quietly. When he caught her confused look, he snorted and motioned behind him. "I'm going on patrol and you're coming with me."
Michonne's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, you were serious?" He nodded and she hesitated, glancing over her shoulder.
Rick caught the look and followed her gaze to see Andre standing by the bed with his katana. Realizing that his early morning wake up call had not been well received, he immediately changed tactics.
"Carl has an extra bed up in his room," he offered. "Andre can stay up there..."
A brief moment passed before Michonne took a quick breath and nodded, looking down at herself before she felt her cheeks warm. "Um... okay... just... uh... give me a moment," she grumbled, gently closing the door in Rick's face. He waited outside and heard her move around the bedroom. "Hey baby," he heard her say. "Go upstairs and stay with Carl while I'm gone."
"Where are you going?" Andre's voice seeped through the door.
"I'm gonna help Rick. I'll be running a patrol, around Alexandria's perimeter with him," she explained. There was a thud. "Damn it."
"Mom!"
"I'm fine."
After another beat, the door opened again and Michonne stepped out into the hallway, katana on her back and a small pistol on her hip. Slowly, Andre appeared behind her, dragging his sword and clutching his pillow drowsily.
"Morning," he yawned and Rick patted him on the back.
"Morning, Andre," he replied warmly. "Why don't you head upstairs."
Rubbing his eyes, Andre moved passed his mother and stumbled towards the staircase. "Okay," he mumbled. He got a couple of feet away and then looked back at them. "Don't patrol too long… We have chores."
"Andre, you don't need to worry about that," Rick responded, surprised that the child was so concerned about such things.
"The animals need to be fed," Andre informed them insistently with another yawn.
"The animals are fine," Rick assured him. "You can go get some more sleep."
"But the pigs…"
Michonne rolled her eyes. "Andre, go back to bed," she snapped impatiently, knowing this would devolve into a debate about who was supposed to take care of the piglets if she did not put an end to her son's tired stream of thought.
"Fine," Andre conceded grudgingly.
Rick and Michonne watched him stagger away, holding back smiles as the small child grumbled to himself and disappeared around the corner. They exchanged an amused glance before Rick motioned towards the front of the house.
"Shall we," he indicated and she followed him towards the door, slowing only when her stomach growled.
"We're not gonna grab something to eat?" She asked and he snorted, opening the front door to walk out.
"Kitchen's closed," he called over his shoulder.
Michonne bit back the smile and readjusted her katana, a warmth washing over her as she followed Rick out the door and into the cool, dark morning.
For the fourth time since they had left the gate, Michonne yawned loudly, causing Rick to chuckle.
"Get enough sleep?" Rick asked and Michonne snorted.
"Just a little tired," she muttered. "I'll be fine once I get moving a bit."
"Carl said you and Andre normally woke up early," he pointed out, prompting her to smirk.
"Yeah, well, it's easy to wake up early when you've slept on five year old gym mats for months, then an old mattress and six hundred thread count sheets have a way of lulling you to sleep like a baby."
Rick laughed. "Yeah, well, how about a few months on a prison cot?"
Michonne raised an eyebrow. "Is that a vague admission about your life before the turn and your inability to avoid the police?" She asked humorously and he shook his head.
"No... we were at a prison... before all of this." He glanced over and caught her eyes. "But you're not too far off."
"In what way?"
"I used to be a sheriff," he explained and she snorted.
"Of course you were, now it all makes sense." He shot her a confused look and she stifled a laugh. "When we ambushed you, there was a look in your eyes..."
"Yeah, shock, at being bumrushed by an eight year old with my Colt Python and a katana."
"Your Colt?"
"I had that gun for a long time… got me out of some scrapes."
"And then you passed it on to your son."
"I wanted him to have it when he got old enough to go out for runs on his own. Seems like he wanted Andre to have it."
She chortled. "More like Andre stole it." Catching his eyes she smiled. "At least initially."
Rick put his hands on his hips, feigning disapproval. "I'm starting to regret bringing you back here."
When she smiled, his heart skipped a beat while she gently brushed by him. "No you're not."
The forest echoed briefly with the sound of their laughter as they continued along the path. Rick watched Michonne when she softly brushed her locs out of her face as she stepped over rocks and branches. She was always deliberate in her movements, eyes hooded with sleep yet somehow still alert.
"So... what about you? How did you learn all of those techniques?"
Michonne shrugged. "Oh you know… I spent a lot of time out there, doing what I needed to do… plus, I watched a couple Bruce Lee and Quinten Tarentino movies..." When he snorted, she nudged him. "Don't laugh. It's half true."
"What's the other half?"
"I used to fence in college."
"Really?"
"Does that surprise you?"
"No, I'm sure you were very active in college."
She stopped and tilted her head at him incredulously, hiding the smirk when she caught the blush creeping up his cheeks.
"I just meant… you seem very disciplined… I'm sure fencing helped hone those skills," he mumbled.
"I honed my skills by protecting my son."
Rick turned to face her completely, leaning against a tree and watching as she listened to the forest around her.
"Michonne," he drew her attention. "You've done an excellent job with Andre."
"I've done the best I can."
He was quiet for a moment, allowing the rustling of the trees and faint cricket chirping to wash over them as they stared at each other.
"You're a wonderful mother."
"Same."
His eyes widened and she rolled her eyes. "I meant you're a wonderful father…"
"Well, now that we've complimented each other thoroughly…"
A chill shot up his spine when she smiled. Breaking away from his gaze, she proceeded back along the well-worn path, dragging her feet a bit through the dirt and listening carefully before she banked right.
"Where are you going?"
She motioned to her heading. "I heard something."
"And?"
Michonne turned to him, a mischievous gleam in her beautiful brown eyes. "Let's see where this goes."
Rick placed his hands on his hips. "I don't want to see where that goes. I want to finish the patrol and get back."
An arched brow and a twitching lip betrayed Michonne's amusement. "Are you afraid, Rick Grimes?"
"No."
"It's just the woods."
"Yes, and those noises are probably walkers."
Michonne winked at him. "Don't worry, Rick. I'll protect you too."
He watched her move off of the path and felt compelled to follow her. Trailing Michonne, he smiled to himself as he watched her hips sway, the sudden urge to be closer to her coursing through him.
"Michonne."
"Yes?"
"What were you… before the turn?"
"A lawyer."
"Yeah, of course you were… a katana wielding, cheese making, law practicing, gardening, crude bomb maker… you're practically the perfect woman."
She glanced back at him and he winked, moving to fall in step with her so that he could lean into her ear. "You did blow up my car," he murmured huskily, causing her to shiver a bit.
"Andre did that."
He stopped and looked down at her, a teasing smirk on his lips that matched hers. He could not recall the last time he had enjoyed himself as much as he did right now.
"Well, then I suppose you are perfect… I knew there was a reason Carl liked you so much," he quipped.
"I thought you were regretting bringing me and Andre back."
"Not Andre. Just you."
She was about to respond in kind when movement over his shoulder drew her eyes. Instinctively her hand went to the hilt of her sword. "There's a walker heading this way," she whispered and he tilted his head to the side, leaning in slightly so that their faces were a hairsbreadth apart. His breath tickled her skin.
"I thought you were going to protect me."
Pulling the blade out, she mimicked his gesture. In the briefest moment, she saw his eyes flash to her lips and her breath hitched, but she swallowed her physical reaction to it and stepped around him, brushing her hand on his arm lightly.
"Rick Grimes, the leader of Alexandria."
"I've learned how to delegate."
She burst into laughter as she quickly dispatched the walker. Rick knew he would never grew tired of hearing that sound.
"So have I. And I delegated Andre to blow up your car." She wiped off her blade and crouched down to check the pockets of walker. "Still want to go back to Alexandria?"
When he did not respond immediately, she looked up to find him watching her with a strange look on his face. When she smiled, he smiled back and shook his head, much to her stunned relief.
"Let's stay out for a little while longer."
Over the next several days, Michonne and Andre spent time becoming more familiar with Alexandria. Carl and Enid accompanied Andre during the day, giving him time to play with the other children, but also showing him their secret escapes and hidden stashes of comics. It was an introduction that overwhelmed the young boy, yet brought he and Carl closer as they got to learn more about each other.
After the initial meeting between Andre, Michonne, and Denise to discuss Andre's mental health, Andre privately asked his mother if Rick, instead of her, could join him at his sessions with Denise. At first Michonne was hurt by the request, but Denise reminded her that while Michonne had witnessed Andre's difficult upbringing and protected him, Rick and Carl were the first people Andre had opened up to about his past. It made sense that he would want to continue that trend, particularly with a secure male figure. Something he clearly lacked his entire life.
It was not an easy thing for her to accept, but as she watched Rick and Andre interact in the mornings and evenings when they were all in the house, she understood. The longer she observed Andre interact with Rick's family and the Alexandrians, she understood.
Despite his best efforts, Rick was constantly drawn away from his house during the day through leadership obligations he had shirked when he left to find his son. For the first few of days after returning with Judith, his only interactions with Michonne were during their early morning patrols, a time they both savored before the rest of the day separated them, and in the evenings. He was touched to be included in Andre's therapy sessions and would touch base with Michonne about it at night, careful not to divulge any information Andre explicitly begged him not to share.
It was difficult at first for them to find a balance, with Michonne and Andre used to being on their own for so long and Rick, having spent the last three years forgetting what it was like to have so many in one space. It took time to navigate, but they enjoyed every minute of it.
To the surprise of several mothers in the community, Michonne was now showing up occasionally at Father Gabriel's sanctuary with Judith, dropping off the little girl with a wave before joining up with Sasha or Rosita. Even during Rick's tryst with Jesse, the widow had never gotten along as well with the child.
For the most part, the two new additions to the community was seamless. In fact, they were well into week two before any real issue came up.
Rick had finally managed to wrestle himself away from leadership duties to steal some time alone with Carl. Enlisting his help, the Grimes men found themselves clearing out the garage of the old Anderson house, where Carol and Morgan were now living. Rick's promise to Andre about a place of his art weighed heavy on his conscience and he took the opportunity to remedy it.
"He's gonna need space over there for the paint," Carl told his dad knowingly, picking up left over wire to clear the workstation Jesse had used for her sculptures.
"You think this'll be big enough?"
Carl snorted as he wiped the sweat from his brow, drawing Rick's attention. "Sorry, you just… you sound like you really care."
Rick frowned. "I do care."
The indignation caused Carl to smile. "I know, I just meant… more than the way Gabriel or Tara care… you reminded me of when I used to eavesdrop on you and Mom… when you were wrapping my Christmas presents." Carl motioned around to the effort they were putting into making this space ready for Andre. "You sounded like that."
Realizing what his son was implying, Rick smiled slightly and returned to shoving abandoned tools into boxes. "He's like Judith… he doesn't remember the time before all of this." His heart constricted, recalling the awful memories Andre told Denise about during his sessions. About Ellory and the way his mother was treated. "I want him to have a place where he can make good memories."
Carl caught the determined look in his father's eyes and nodded, understanding the desire to protect the fearless young boy. "Yeah, me too."
"Rick!"
They turned to see Agnes Thomas, one of the older residents of Alexandria, running up, waving frantically at them.
"Agnes-"
"Rick, you need to come quickly. It's Judith!"
Rick's heart stopped and he dropped the box. "Where is she? What happened?"
"That woman has her outside the gate and refuses to bring her in!" At this, Rick was confused as he rushed out of the garage, followed closely by Carl and Agnes.
"What happened?" Carl demanded and Agnes clutched her chest.
"She's out there with Judith and there are walkers!"
A small crowd was gathering at the gate, which Sasha seemed to be guarding, preventing anyone from leaving. Aaron was on the wall, a worried expression on his face, but his gun was holstered as he watched intently whatever was going on beyond the community.
"Sasha!" Rick barked and she held up a hand.
"She's fine, Rick," she replied, shooting Agnes a disapproving glare. "The situation is completely under control."
Several people at the gate objected heavily in disagreement, but Sasha seemed to ignore them as Rick shoved his way to the front to see through the gate. What he witnessed was at once terrifying and beautiful.
Michonne was sitting on road just a few feet away from the gate, bloody katana and gun lying on the ground next to her. Two dead walkers lay nearby. She had her hands on Judith's sides, holding her steady as Andre stood on one of the block cars, pushing a mutilated walker off of a spike. Three others were impaled, wriggling around to get at Andre's feet as he expertly moved around them. Michonne leaned in and whispered something to Judith, who shook her head, holding up a knife while the walker lumbered towards them. Michonne adjusted the knife so that Judith was holding it properly.
Andre hopped off of the car and quickly sliced through the walker's legs, causing the creature to collapse before it instantly began dragging itself towards Judith and Michonne.
Again, Michonne leaned in to whisper to Judith, and again the child shook her head.
Rick watched as the walker inched closer to his daughter, his heart racing, yet he held his breath, waiting to see what would unfold.
"Aaron, for God's sake, just shoot it!"
Glancing up at the guard post, Rick saw Aaron glance down at him. What had initially looked like concern, Rick could now see was just annoyance about the crowd and it added to Rick's delayed reaction. If Sasha and Aaron were not eager to interfere, then he wanted to wait it out.
"Do you want to try?" he heard Michonne ask and after a moment Judith shook her head, backing up to sit down in Michonne's lap as the walker got closer. Brushing her long, brown curls out of Judith's face, Michonne kissed the girl's temple and gave her a hug. "Andre."
He dispatched the walker before he reached out and took Judith's hand, leading her around the corpse.
"Will I be able to cut through their legs like you did?" she asked and Andre shook his head.
"Your knife isn't sharp enough to do that, but it coulda gone through the eye, over here," he pointed out instructively while Judith listened. He turned the head a little and helped Judith point the knife directly at the eye socket. Audible gasps erupted from behind Michonne as Andre guided Judith to drive the knife through, which the child did with surprising severity etched on her little face. It was the same look that Andre had when he first learned to killed walkers. The children began rifling through pockets and Michonne heard more murmurings at the gate.
"Why do you go through their pockets?"
"Michonne!" Judith squealed in response, pulling out a small lighter and some cigarettes. Grinning, Michonne let her keep one, tucking it in her little pocket before she demonstrated how to use the lighter.
"Rick, you need to stop this," Agnes fumed. "This is absolutely ridiculous!"
"Agnes-"
"She's teaching your daughter how to smoke!"
Michonne stood up suddenly and finally turned to face her audience. "Do you want to know what the number one killer is for children these days?"
"Walkers?" someone ventured meekly and she shook her head.
"Ignorance." Rick felt his heart swell as he watched Michonne scoop Judith up in her arms, gently taking the knife in her hands and wiping it off on her jeans. "You give a child a cigarette and some matches, they can light a signal fire when they're lost. You teach them how to use a knife, or anything sharp really, and chances go up that they'll survive long enough to get home." She motioned to Andre. "You go through pockets and?"
"You could find snacks," Andre recited, cleaning off his own katana. "Or money to burn, or a weapon…"
"That's right." Satisfied by the cowed looks on some of the onlookers faces, Michonne pointed to the remaining walkers. "We're done for the day, Andre."
"Can I helped?" Judith asked and Michonne set her down, handing back her knife.
"Yes, you may. Andre, disarm them and then help her put them down. Be careful, Judith. Remember, they're still dangerous, honey."
"Yes, Michonne," Judith answered as she took Andre's hand again and joined him at the car.
At Rick's request, Sasha finally opened the gate, watching as he approached Michonne while the group at the gate talked amongst themselves. Carl came out as well and immediately headed over to where Andre and Judith were.
"Live walkers?"
Michonne picked up her sword and slung it around her back. "Nothing trains you better than the real thing, and you can't pretend with these."
He stared at her for a moment before turning to watch Andre help Judith line up her little kitchen knife, taking care to move her out of the way if the walkers jerked too closely. It was obvious that the three children had taken well to each other, as Judith did as she was told without fuss, wrinkling her nose when the knife went through bone. She would beam triumphantly before Andre scolded her that it was not a game. Carl bit back a grin as he helped move the corpses on the road out of the way.
"Now do it again, but take it seriously," Andre warned, one hand gripping Judith's shirt tightly while the other rested on his katana, ready to jump in at a moment's notice. "Try the ear."
"Why the ear?"
"Because the brain is in there."
"And it's easier to get to," Carl added, coming over to help Andre with his sister.
"Oh… ew!"
Judith squirmed as she sunk the knife in, letting go quickly as putrid fluids leaked out of the opening. Andre pulled her back and Carl laughed.
"I know, it's gross," Andre acknowledged matter of factly, "but you have to do it or you'll die. And I don't want you to die, so one more time."
"Andre, if she doesn't want to do it, don't push her," Michonne called, but Rick rested a hand on her arm, shaking his head.
"Let them finish," he insisted. She was stunned to find his eyes watery and red.
"Rick."
He gasped and wiped his face, lowering his eyes briefly as he choked back a flood of tears. It was overwhelming to witness such raw emotion on his face and she took his hand comfortingly, allowing him time to collect himself. A jolt of electricity shot up her spine when he laced his fingers with hers and he finally looked up into her eyes.
Words seemed unnecessary as they gazed at each other, warmed by what had just taken place and solid in the belief that what was slowly unfolding was a beautiful, scary thing.
"Mom!" Andre yelled, causing her to blink, but not look away.
"Mom!" Carl tried.
"Mom!" they both continued. "Mom!"
"Mom!" Judith joined in, startling Michonne and Rick into letting go of one another. For a moment they just stared at the confused child, unsure of how to proceed and too fearful of rejection to look at each other.
Before anyone else could say a word, however, Judith held up her hand. "I cut my finger."
Without another thought Michonne was at Judith's side, examining her finger before scooping her up in her arms. "Okay, we'll go to Denise and get that looked at. Speaking of which, Carl did you get your shoulder checked out?"
"No, but it feels fine."
"I told you to stop by the infirmary this morning."
"I know, but-"
Michonne nudged him, fixing him with a serious look. "Help Andre clean up the rest of the walkers and then head over there, okay?"
"Yes, mom," Carl grumbled, helping Andre get down from the car.
"Andre, make sure he goes."
"Yes, mom."
Carl snorted. "Narc."
Andre was scandalized. "What's that mean? I'm not a narc! Mom, what does that mean?"
Michonne sighed, shifting Judith around in her arms. "Carl, don't call your brother a narc. Andre, just clear these walkers from the road, please." She turned to see Rick staring at her once more with a look of awe on his face. She felt the blush creep up her cheeks under his gaze and thanked God for her darker skin as she carried Judith towards the gate. "They're your problem."
"Happily," he responded and she breathed deeply, thankful that the peeping crowd was gone. Thankful for a moment's peace with just the five of them. Thankful that the look in his eyes exuded confidence in her. Acceptance of her growing place in his children's lives. He truly looked happy and as she stopped momentarily to give him a chance to kiss Judith and tell her how proud he was of her, Michonne realized that for the first time in years, she was happy as well.
A/N: Trying to get a lot done in one chapter, so hopefully we can slow things down in the next one and hit a few key points for Rick and Michonne as they continue to form their little family unit. Thanks for reading!
