Hey guys! I'm finally back with another chapter!

Sorry to keep you waiting this long, life just gets a bit busy sometimes. I hope you guys will enjoy this one! x

I tore down my walls

and opened my doors

and made room for one

so baby I'm yours

The warmth of his body eased me into consciousness and kept me feeling safe. What had just happened? I shivered a little and felt myself being placed on the bed, Rick's strong arms supporting and comforting my weak body.

The past month had spread me thinner than I realized, and I had forgotten how Rick's presence could be a roller coaster of emotion. I was sleep-deprived, stressed out, and pregnant. I haven't been feeling very well all day, but tried to push it into the back of my mind. Probably because I didn't even want to entertain the idea that there could be something wrong with the baby. I blamed it on not having slept very well lately, and thought coming home to Rick and getting a good night's sleep would finally make me feel like the old me. I'd expected him to try to slay me with his gorgeous smile and those blue eyes, and make me forget all my worries. In a million years I never expected him to propose to me, at least not now. We never talked about it, he never mentioned the idea of marriage. We just went about our lives day by day because our relationship was so unusual, we didn't plan for the future like normal couples. We never talked about weddings, children, nothing. We were more in-the-moment. But still, the last thing I remembered was him kneeling down and presenting me with a ring. My over-whelming happiness was immediately clobbered when suddenly my breathing stopped, my head swam and my vision blurred. Rick was quick enough to keep me from crashing down onto the hardwood floor as I blacked out.

I opened my eyes and blinked to adjust to the bright lights of our bedroom. Rick was looming over me, his hand stroking my cheek and his blue eyes boring into mine, concern etched over his features.

"Michonne, are you alright? How you feelin'?"

I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I tried to sit up but he stopped me.

"You should lay down for a bit. I'll go get your coat." He quickly got up and rushed out the room. My brows furrowed in confusion.

"My coat?"

"I'm taking you to the hospital." I heard him reply from the living room.

"Wh- What?" I sat up straight now.

"Rick, I'm fine. I'm just a little dizzy."

A few seconds later he returned with my coat, purse and boots. I watched his every move, and I could tell he was tense.

He didn't say anything in response. He simply placed my coat and purse on the bed beside me before kneeling down in front of me with my boots in his hands, ready to put them on for me. I didn't comply yet. Instead, I took a few moments to observe him.

His breathing was shaky, he was trying to compose himself and I realized how scary me fainting really was for him. I knew he spent most of his life just waiting for everything he loved to be taken away from him again. It was the reason why he'd never even thought about becoming a father.

He kept his head down, and his gaze locked to the floor, waiting for me to let him put on my shoe without having to discuss the urgency of this with me. I reached out my hand, and caressed his cheek, silently asking him to look at me. He hesitantly indulged, and when his eyes met mine all I could see was guilt.

As if this was his fault. All the stress that I had gone through - he knew it was 'cause of him. And if it had harmed our baby in any way, I knew he would never forgive himself.

"Hey…" I spoke softly, trying to comfort him. That single word alone made his composure crumble, and he let out a heavy breath that he'd been holding in.

"Everything's fine, okay? Fainting is a totally normal thing in pregnancies. I've been on my feet all day and feeling kind of nauseous for a while now, that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with our baby." I tried to reason with him, trying to make him feel better.

He placed his hand over mine, letting those words sink in for a moment. His eyes drifted from my face toward my whole body, like he was lost in his thoughts. Like he was desperately trying to convince himself to just believe me and hold onto hope. Eventually, he began to nod his head softly.

"Yeah." He agreed, nodding his head with more confidence now. His other hand moved up and down my leg.

"I just wanna make sure…" He said softly, while his other hand moved up and down my leg.

Now I was the one nodding at him.

"Okay." I said, before finally letting him put on my boots and help me stand up to put on my coat as well.

...

We only spend a couple of hours at the hospital. Rick and I had waited in the waiting room for a while, trying to stay calm. None of us had spoken a lot. It was late and I knew he was just as tired as I was. His head was resting against the wall behind us, his eyes closed. He had his left arm draped around my shoulder, while his other hand was protectively resting on my belly. I never knew I would love the feel of his hand on my stomach as much as I do. It felt so good to finally have him here with me. I knew there was still the unresolved proposal hanging in the air between us, but just being with him in comfortable silence made me feel like everything was fine. No matter what happened, we'd be okay. I let out a tired breath, laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes until we were called in.

Denise ran some tests with me and, thank god, she was able to assure us that there was no need to be worried. I was 10 weeks along and everything seemed to be alright. We did an ultrasound, and got to hear our baby's heartbeat. Nothing could have prepared me for the look on Rick's face when Denise showed him the first glimpse of our baby. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the screen. He tightened his hold on my hand and started laughing when a few tears fell from his eyes, making my heart swell.

The rapid galloping of our babies heartbeat filled the room, and Denise explained that fainting during early and middle pregnancy is quite common due to the rising hormones. She also noted that my blood sugar levels were low, and I admitted that I hadn't been eating very well lately.

"It helps to eat protein like egg, cheese or meat at each meal to even out blood sugar." She explained as I pulled down my shirt again, and I nodded.

"Got it."

"If it keeps happening frequently you should definitely let me know though."

"I will."

I looked over to Rick and saw the relief on his face.

Everything was settled, I was ready to leave, but there was a weird silence. Denise seemed to be contemplating to say something, but couldn't muster up the courage.

"Is there anything else?"

"Oh um.. It's just..." She began. "I know you guys were really worried, and the past couple of weeks have been hard for you since you were separated for so long, but you guys shouldn't forget whose baby this is. You two are probably the strongest people I know. With that blood condition of yours, Michonne, I think you're gonna have a strong and healthy baby, no matter what. I don't think you have anything to worry about."

She gifted us with a warm smile, and we returned it.

"Thank you, Denise."

I wasn't sure how late it was by the time we got out the hospital. My tiredness was long forgotten when we made our way back to Rick's car. Instead, I was feeling more excited than ever. I felt Rick begin to swing our interlocked hands back and forth, and when I looked over to him I saw him grinning like an idiot and I started laughing. He suddenly swooped me up in his arms and swung me around as my giggles filled the empty parking lot. When he placed me down his strong arms curled around me tighter and I buried my face in the crook of his neck. I listened to the sound of his steady breathing before shifting again to look at him. I reached up and with a barely there touch I traced the little scar that slashed across his nose and under-eye. I secretly loved it, the way it added to his rugged appearance. Such a tough guy, yet so sensitive about scars that in my eyes only added to his beauty for the life story they told. I loved that he let me trace them with my fingertips. He used to hate it, but when he realized it had somehow become almost therapeutic for me to focus my attention with such detail and carefully run my fingers over the marred flesh, it in turn became like therapy for him and he'd become far less concerned about his scars. You could almost say he liked them now, or at least they'd finally served a greater purpose than the painful lessons they taught.

I felt his hand press the small of my back, pressing me closer as my fingers laced through his long hair. I felt a peace and comfort I hadn't felt in such a long time, and as a tear fell slowly I realized that I still hadn't told him I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I wanted to say yes. I wanted to marry Rick.

I bit my lip nervously. I didn't know what to say, how to start, I didn't even have a complete memory of how much of his proposal he got out before I lost consciousness. The soft thumping of his heart was possibly what I missed the most while he was gone, or the deep rumble from his chest as he spoke low and soft to me when we'd make love, or the way everything felt better just knowing he was next to me. After I started medical testing for the military, he was the first person to truly help me feel that I wasn't alone. Having him in my home made me feel more at ease than I ever had, and moving in to his apartment made me happy and comfortable even when he wasn't around. No one could ever make me feel the way that he could. He made me brave, I made him good, and together we made each other better people.

"Ask me again." I whispered. He stilled for a moment before answering.

"I didn't get to ask you the first time. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head before I could get a word out."

This earned genuine grins from both of us and he laced his fingers with mine.

"I'm not gonna ask you again tonight. I've had enough excitement."

I found myself pouting, and moved a small strand of hair that had fallen into his eyes.

"You didn't buy that ring today, did you? I don't want you marrying me just because of this week." His eyes seemed to flicker with mirth when he said,

"I bought that ring when we were in Paris. I wanted to ask you when we got home, but then I got my orders and it just didn't feel like the right time."

My mouth fell open. He had been planning on marrying me, and then everything came crashing down. Everything could have been so perfect if he hadn't gotten those orders. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He's always been trying his best.

He seemed to be able to read my mind and sighed.

"None of that matters now. Everything's good." He kissed me chastely before adding, "Everything's perfect."

"Ask me again. Please."

His blue eyes danced back and forth across mine and his breath caught for a moment before he relaxed and gave a small shake of his head.

"No. Not now. That wasn't how I wanted to ask you anyway."

"So when are you gonna ask me then?" I said.

"Oh, you'll see." He grinned.

For the next couple of days, our lives had seemed to go back to normal. Or at least as normal as it could get considering that we had a baby on the way. Rick was still in overprotective papa-bear mode, watching my every move, making sure I drank and ate enough and trying to keep me locked to our bed. As overdramatic as he was, I couldn't deny that it was sweet.

But work had already started to become really stressful for him again. Even though the enemy had been eliminated and the mission had been completed, the way that things were executed had opened up a whole new case. Since coming back from his tour Rick hadn't even had the time to reunite with any of our friends. He found himself stuck in a whole lot of paperwork and dozens of meetings and inquiries that all resolved around Jessie. It had taken a few days of him coming home from work exhausted and irritated to finally get her court-marshalled for the damage she had done to the mission and the lives she had put at risk in the process.

"It was worth it." He said in the end.

"I would have done far worse to her if I had the chance. She deserves a lot worse for what she's done to us. To you."

"That's in the past now." I tried to soothe his anger.

He let out an exhausted sigh.

"Yeah, I know.. I guess I should just let it go now."

I didn't want to see him upset about this any longer. I was fine, we were fine, and there was no point in dwelling on it anymore. Since getting back from the hospital I was determined to hold onto positive thoughts, I had gone through enough stress during this pregnancy.

I smiled at him.

"Besides, I think Sasha or Maggie probably already had the chance to jump her this past week." I tried to joke, and I saw the corner of his mouth twitch a little until it turned into a grin. Just imagining it made him burst into laughter, which made me laugh in return.

"Glenn told me she was basically scared for her life every time she set foot into military base after what she said to you." He added, which only made me laugh harder.

"Well good. I was starting to regret not having scratched her eyes out back then. Remind me to thank Maggie and Sasha."

Our laughter slowly died down, and we fell into comfortable silence again, until he added,

"We should go out for dinner soon. I mean with our friends. We haven't really seen in them in forever."

I smirked.

"You just can't wait to break the news to them, huh?"

He grinned and pulled me closer to place his hand on my stomach.

"I can't keep this a secret any longer. I feel like I'm gonna burst soon." He laughed.

"Alright then." I agreed as excitement filled my chest.

"'Chonne, babe, let's go." He called from the living room.

"Two seconds I swear!" I slipped on my heels.

"You said that ten minutes ago. We're gonna be late." I straightened my white chiffon dress – the one I wore to the the charity gala – and stumbled out the bedroom, practically skidding to a stop in front of him. He was texting as he stood near the front door, looking sleek in that all black suit I loved, and his eyes slid from his phone to my feet and slowly climbed my body before meeting mine. He grinned wickedly.

"I've been wondering where that dress went."

"Of course you have." I laughed.

Having dinner with our friends was a much needed escape for Rick and I. I hadn't realized how much I had missed being with everyone until now. Hershel, Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, Daryl, everyone came and I was more than happy to be with all of them again. We truly were a family, and I knew Rick could feel it too. When I began telling everyone what big news we had been keeping from them for a while now I almost couldn't get the words out properly because I couldn't contain my excitement. Rick had reached out his hand for mine, and finished it for me.

"We're having a baby." He proudly announced as cries of joy erupted from our table and I was pulled into hugs and showered with kisses.

The girls couldn't keep their tears at bay, and I was overwhelmed by all this love.

"Oh my god, I'm so happy for you Michonne!" Maggie cried and I laughed, trying to keep my own tears from spilling.

"Congrats, man!" I heard Daryl say to Rick as he gave him a pat on the back and Rick laughed.

It took me a while to notice that Hershel still hadn't moved from his seat at the table. He slowly stood up, and everyone paused for a moment to watch him make his way over to Rick and I. Maggie smiled at me once more before releasing me from her grip and moving aside. As Hershel got closer I could see the tears that were welling up in his eyes. He came to a halt in front of Rick and when he couldn't contain his smile anymore his tears started to fall and he pulled Rick into a tight hug.

"I'm so proud of you, son." Hershel spoke, and I felt hot tears flow down my cheeks now.

Hershel had found Rick when he was a traumatized little child without anyone who loved him and decided to take him under his wings, cause he deserved a chance. He deserved a family, he deserved a normal life, and he deserved to be loved. A it had been a hard road for them, but they made it. It was the most heart-warming scene between a father and his son I had ever witnessed, and it overwhelmed Rick. It took him a few seconds until the wave of emotions that had hit him washed away until he too, wrapped his arms around Hershel tightly and hid his smile in the crook of his neck.

...

It was much later, and I was talking to Sasha and Daryl when I noticed Rick had left the table a while ago, and decided to go see where he was. I found him on the balcony of the restaurant, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"Hey." I spoke softly, not wanting to startle him. He turned around and smiled.

"Hey."

I crossed my arms across my chest to shield myself from the cold as I walked to stand next to him.

"You alright?" I asked carefully. He was leaning against the balcony railing and moved his head to look up at me for a few seconds, his blue eyes gazing into mine. He let out a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He said before shifting his gaze back onto the view of the city before us. Something was definitely on his mind, so I placed my hand on his shoulder and slowly dragged it toward his neck. He slowly closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of my fingers lacing through his curls. A few minutes of us just standing there in silence passed before he eventually stood up straight again and his warm hand found its way around my waist. He kept his gaze down, and I softly bushed my fingers against his cheek.

He finally looked at me.

"I think I wanna meet my brother."

That was chapter 11! If that scene about that dress sounded familiar to you; we're now caught up with the end of 'You Are The Cure'!

Please don't forget to leave a review, I enjoy reading them so much!

Hope you all have a merry christmas x