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Chapter x: Tumultuous Tuesday…
Sunday 12: 30 p.m.
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The sun highlights Andrea's blonde locks, and she wears large sunglasses to shield her eyes from the blinding sun. She raises the rooftop of the Cabriolet, which Mike gave her, and Andrea feels nostalgic. Mike was a great pet, and he was loyal to her. The accountant was notably naive, but he had his merits. Unfortunately, Andrea had to sacrifice him. Survival requests a few sacrifices and some collateral damages.
Andrea did not plan to betray Mike. In truth, she did not plan brutal treason. She wanted to disappear with the money, which he stole from Negan. Andrea never meant Mike's death, but the Saviors found her. Cornered and afraid, she had to improvise. When Negan found her, she had to think fast, and Mike was the obvious choice. Loyal and gullible, he was the perfect sacrifice. She did not regret her choice. Andrea had a mission, and she accomplished it.
However, her partner may question her means. Andrea's forefinger goes on her neck, and she caresses the platinum pendant around it. The Saviors' book safely secured around her neck, and she feels at peace with her actions. They ultimately have the last cartel's book, and they can openly attack the major players in the mob world. Her partner will forgive her for straying away from the plan. Fucking Negan was a difficult task, but the plan is worth the sacrifice.
Andrea looks at the passenger seat, and two heavy bags rest there. She could not empty Mike's side accounts, and she only discovered the one, which he had in America. Andrea's biggest regret is not recovering the entirety money, and it could finance the war, which they want to start.
When Andrea notices her partner's tall frame, she swerves the car out of the main road. He waits for her on the side of the road as he promised, and Andrea's heart beats faster. She stops her car and rushes to him. Andrea jumps in his welcoming arms, and her mouth assaults his lips. She missed his taste, and so she drinks from his lips with eagerness.
"Someone missed me." He chuckles, and his rich voice fills Andrea's ears.
Smoothly, he puts Andrea down, and he starts to look her. Judgement fills his eyes, and he immediately assesses her.
"The Saviors were not supposed to catch up with us, Philip." Andrea starts to explain before her boyfriend points out her mistake.
Philip Blake hates nothing as much as he hates a plan, which deviates from its original intents. Mike Anthony should not have died. His murder prompted the Police's involvement, and as a result, it complicates the situation.
"I understand. You needed to think as fast as you could, darling." Philip calmly replies, and he runs his hands along Andrea's arms.
He kisses her lips to placate her anxiety, and his hands rest on her shoulders. However, Philip believes that it is not Andrea's role to think. Her judgement is poor. Mike's death was a wrong move.
"But you don't like the police's involvement. I'm sorry for deviating from the initial plan, but I have what we wanted." Andrea starts to appease him, and Philip's calm demeanour means little to his true mental state.
Philip's hand goes to the necklace around Andrea's neck, and he appraises the delicate jewellery. He holds in his hand the work of many years, and he can move forward with his vision for Atlanta. Philip no longer needs to hide in the shadows.
"The police are not our biggest problem, but we may have accidentally reveal ourselves too early to our adversaries. I shared my suspicions with you. Because of Mike's death, we can no longer hold back on our next move nor can we plan it. Alexandria is next." Philip uses the word we, but he beforehand decided who carried the blame for this failure.
He does not want to scare Andrea. She knows how he deals with those who deviate from the plan. She may continue to be of use to him, and so her fate hangs on details. Although, Philip has his suspicions about the Alexandria's leader, and he might be a police officer. If anyone looks deeper into Mike's death, the truth about his enterprise will surface. A few names are surfacing, but he only knows the names of the detectives on the case. Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh, Philip needs to approach them. He might have to use similar tactics to the ones, which used on Negan. Philip looks at Andrea, and she can be of use to seduce either Rick or Shane. The Mike Anthony's case needs to disappear. He cannot draw the attention of Alexandria.
Philip's phone vibrates in his pocket, and he disentangles his body from Andrea's one. He glances at the bright screen, and the daylight prevents the words to be visible. He closes his hand around the screen, and he starts to read.
"Fuck." When he finishes reading the message, Philip curses.
"What is going on?" Andrea inquires with a hint of panic.
Philip Blake hardly curses, and when he does, the circumstances require crudity. Andrea's fate is uncertain, and she must be careful. However, she is oblivious to Philip's thought. A lover's faith is blind and naive.
"Martinez has some interesting news." He does not expend, and Philip places an arm around Andrea's shoulders.
"Bad news." She wants to know more, and Philip's answer is a closed smile.
"Interesting news." He says in a tone, which leaves no space for more to be said.
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Sunday 11: 45 p.m.
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Keep an eye on him, and monitor his progress. What is his name? Philip ultimately replies to Martinez's message when he successfully escapes Andrea.
Rick Grimes. The answer immediately comes, and Philip stares at the name one of the lead detectives in Mike Anthony's murder case.
Many thoughts cross Philip's mind, and Rick must fit in his plan. Philip does not like a free player in his game, and he hates uncontrollable variables. Everyone in the game must assume an assigned position. He angrily stares at Andrea, who sleeps next to him. The deviation to the plan results in chaos.
Should we recruit Rick Grimes? The question is almost rhetorical.
Philip wants a tight control on that murder case, and Rick Grimes can be the perfect candidate to help him achieve that. He could deceive him with the dream, which he sold Andrea. He will promise Rick a better life, and maybe he will add Andrea as part of the deal. He needs to find a new use of the blonde, and he hates the increasing number of free players. Now, Andrea is expendable to Philip.
He is a cop by the book, Governor. Martinez replies and he looks around to check Rick's note about Andrea. He never foresaw Rick connect Andrea to Anthony's murder case.
It makes him the perfect candidate. If he gets too close to Andrea, he will become a danger to us. Philip muses, and he questions Martinez on Rick's progress.
Should we just take care of him? The reply is naive, and Philip knows why he is the brain of the operation.
Who takes care of a potentially useful pawn to save one, which no longer is of use? Andrea is no longer worth the efforts to protect her. Rick is a way to access Mike's murder case.
He could be useful, and she is no longer of use. Keep an eye on Rick's progress. He texts back.
Okay, boss. Martinez raises his eyes to peer at Rick's desk.
The governor stares at a sleeping Andrea, and he starts to plan his next move. She had to deviate from the plan, and Philip regretfully sighs. Now, he must come to term with punishing Andrea and fixing her mistake. He leans to kiss her bare back, and Andrea turns to face him.
"You're awake." She mumbles while he covers her lips with his.
"I needed to think about your mistake." Philip simply replies while his knee parts Andrea's legs, and he aligns his manhood with her wet core.
"And?" She questions with her mind half to it while his hands explore her body.
"I haven't come to a suitable conclusion." He says while he pushes his dick into her welcoming sheath.
Philip doesn't think that she will be in a mood for a tryst if she knows of the suitable conclusion. Philip discards anything unprofitable before it turns into a loose end. Now, Andrea is a loose end. Her fate rests on how brilliant Rick Grimes can be, which is unfortunate.
Tuesday around 1 p.m.
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"Maybe you need to divorce." Shane's voice comes out weak.
He is exhausted, and he recently pulled out of a coma. Each muscle of his body aches and renders him weak. Shane can hardly breathe, and he is not alert of his surroundings. They secured an IV to his arm, and the constant flow of morphine does not help with the precision of his mind.
Lori doesn't take into consideration any of these factors. Four hours after emerging from his coma, Shane Walsh has to suffer through the most dreadful conversation, and the topic is Rick Grimes. The other detective is always the centre of attention. The circumstance does not matter, and people always care about Rick.
Drugged with an unclear mind, Shane does not want to hear about the woes of his lover's marriage, but Lori does not care for his comfort. Now, he is awake, and she has someone to talk about the tragedy, which her marriage is. She watched him for several days, and Shane should have the courtesy to be sympathetic to her pain. She is losing Rick, and she must do something about the situation.
"You're his best friend, and you should talk to him. Rick is no longer the same man. You've no idea how he talks to me. I can't lose him over some bimbo. I can't have my family broken because he wants to fool around." Lori ignores Shane's mumbled statement.
Shane will love to ignore her rant, and he wants to sleep. He said his piece, but Lori rejects reason. She refuses to choose him over Rick Grimes.
The young woman does not care for Shane's advice, but she requires his help to control her husband. Shane is Rick's best friend, and his words weighted on the decisions, which her husband took. Without the broken ribs and the sore knee, Shane would laugh at Lori's hypocrisy. The woman has no respect for him, and for years, he denied it. Shane is a stubborn man, and he often disregards truths, which do not favour his agenda.
If Rick can obtain this arrogant woman's love, Shane wants to be able to do the same. The situation is less about Lori and more about Rick. In the moments of rare lucidity, Shane examines his actions. Does he love Lori or does he want a victory on his best friend? The answers to his question are never ones, which he acknowledges. He spent many years in a competition, where he is the only participant.
Shane stares at Lori. Lori is pretty with her long brown hair, her soft features, and her brown eyes. She is the girl next door, and to fall for her charms is easy. However, she is also selfish, insane, and a list of pejorative adjectives. Many years spent chasing after her, and Shane no longer cares if he loves her. He wants to win. He wants to prove to everyone, who does not care that he can be better than Rick Grimes.
"I will talk to him." Exhausted and unwilling to listen to more complaints, Shane lies.
After two hours long speech on why she can't lose her husband, Shane regrets his comatose state. He would not have to suffer through another glorification of Rick. If Rick is so great, why does she seek the warmth of his arms? Obviously, Shane knows the answer, and it infuriates him. Rick is not available for Lori, and Shane is a cheaper replacement. Nothing ever changes, and Rick continues to be the better option. Shane is solely a consolation prize.
Lori's voice starts to give Shane a headache, and he may as well return to his comatose state. How did his entire life become this fuckery? Shane can blame his best friend for monopolizing success and attention. Now, Shane can add a Negan to the list of the people, who complicates his life.
Negan, Shane's mind held onto the name. The traumatic event played back in his mind while his body fell into an artificial coma to speed up his recovery. Shane does not know a bastard named Negan, but he intends to reply to the message. After meticulous calculations, the detective thinks this entire affair is in orbit with the Mike Anthony's murder case. The mobster approach linked to his assault and the need to leave a message are unmistakable clues. To think that the men, who attacked him would send a cadaver in a box to Michonne is not far-fetched. He needs to remove Michonne from his suspect list, but Michonne wounded his ego. No one is more vindictive than a cop, who often abuses his power. Shane needs to prove to the bitch that he deserves some respect for his position. If he cannot do it through her husband's murder, Shane will discover another way.
His thoughts run to how beautiful Michonne is, and he remembers how she proudly disrobed when he requested her nightgown for forensic. She is gorgeous, and he might as well show Michonne that he can own her. When the time comes to leave this hospital bed, Shane will have his work cut for him. Rick Grimes, Michonne Anthony, and Negan are on his target list.
Shane draws a deep breath and focuses on what Lori says to him. Finding her by his bedside was a pleasant surprise until she opened her mouth. Now, he wants her gone, but she insists on pursuing this conversation about Rick. Shane draws another deep breath, and he looks outside the windows. The world outside owes him a lot, and he will collect everything.
"As I said, I will talk to him. If you came here to ask me to save your marriage, congratulation, I'm on board. Now, I need the fucking rest, and you can go." Shane reaches his limits, and his words ooze with venom.
The words are crude and strong enough to surprise Lori. She glares at Shane, but she needs him. Consequently, she swallows her abrasive answer and starts to fake the contrite act. Lori takes Shane's hand, and tears miraculously find their way to her eyes.
"I have been here since they brought you in. Day and night, I was here. No one but me came to see you. Not your best buddy Rick. No one. I was worried and broke out in tears in this same room. I'm not here to talk about Rick, but I'm here for you. No one else is here for you, nor does anyone care for you." Lori's voice breaks at the words, which she needs to emphasize, and she reminds Shane that he needs her at some extents.
Lori tightly squeezes Shane's hand, and she wipes the tears falling on her cheek. In her contrition act, Lori continues to stare at him with a devotion, which he always wanted her to give to him. Shane softens, and he whispers an apology. Lori knows how to manipulate him. The woman forces on the tear flow, and she understands Shane's pitiful hunger for affection.
"I may not be good at showing it, but I love you in my way." The words smoothly come out of her mouth, and Lori leans down to kiss Shane.
She provides him passion and desperation in one kiss. Lori presses her lips against his while she wants to silence his complaints. When she hears steps coming closer to the door, Lori immediately pulls away from Shane.
"I care about you." She whispers when the door opens, and Lori does not withdraw her hand from Shane's hold.
Holding Shane's hand does not incriminate Lori. If it helps her situation, she will allow Shane to believe that she wants to go public affection. However, Lori does not expect Rick to enter the room. Rick's eyes lay on Shane and Lori's joined hands, and he does not react. Although, he does not resist his petty impulses.
"Am I interrupt your little moment?" As she recognizes her husband's voice, Lori trembles.
Lori promptly wipes off her false tears, and she viciously snatches her hand from Shane's grip. Reality regains its rights, and Shane has to face it. Rick Grimes continues to be the obstacle.
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Apart from Rick's steps, the room is silent for a few seconds. Rick walks around Shane's bed, and he nonchalantly sits on the sofa inside the hospital room. He stares at the pair in front of him, and the intensity of Rick's stare increases Lori's discomfort. The existence of shame in his wife surprises Rick.
" He woke up," Lori states the obvious, and Rick cocks an eyebrow.
" That's a good thang. Now, you can remove your nurse costume and go home. I'm judging anyone kink." Rick drawls, and he waits for Lori to take the hint to leave.
When she does not move, Rick blatantly stares at the door. Lori stubbornly refuses to move, and she wears an indignant expression. Lori draws a deep breath, and she prepares for an argument with her husband.
"Rick?" Offended by his clear disrespect, Lori wants to question his change in personality.
Rick crosses his arms, and he sinks in the sofa, where he sits. The last thing that Rick wants is to argue with Lori, but he has no choice in the matter. Consequently, he sits comfortably and braces his mind for the worst.
"Lori?" He deadpans.
"Can you show more concern for your best friend?" Lori fights the need to raise her voice, and Rick defiantly leans closer to Shane.
"How are you feeling, buddy?" He emphasizes every word, and he returns to his initial position.
"Rick?" Lori calls for him with a tone, which announces her growing fury, but Rick chooses to ignore her.
Unfortunately, Rick discovers that infuriating her has lost its appeal. Therefore, he decides to focus on Shane. Rick needs to know if his plan worked. Suddenly, he drags his officer friendly's personality to the surface.
"Don't you ever do another thang like this to me, brother. You got us worried. How are you feeling?" Rick says with a tone, which mimics sincerity.
He looks at Shane, and Rick wishes Daryl and Tyrese went harder on him. Why did he have a guilty conscience? Michonne makes him a softy.
"As if a truck ran over me." Shane answers between coughs and Rick restrains his desire to say that they should have left him in a worse state.
"The fuckers came after you. I have been working crazy hours trying to find them. I almost thought that I would lose my best friend. My wife was happy playing nurse though." He fails to keep the last sentence, and he winks at Lori.
Shane has the decency to feel guilty. Rick attempts to relax, and he needs to locate the pressure points, which will make Shane speak. The trust between both men disappeared through the years, but Rick needs an inside of his partner's mind. Now, it is a game of precision. Rick needs a great control of his pawn, and he can't achieve it without Shane's trust in him.
" They did not want to kill me..." Shane answers, but he does not elaborate, which slightly frustrates Rick.
"How do you know?" He presses the issue, and Shane's look strays to Lori.
Rick forgot about his wife's presence, and so he silently swears. The two detectives focus on Lori, and she moves on her seat with slight discomfort.
"Lori, can you give us a minute?" Shane asks, and Lori does not want to comply.
Lori does not trust Shane. The fool may feel compelled to reveal their affair to Rick. She has not missed the signs of guilt on Shane's face every time Rick takes a jab at her.
"I...Are you sure?" Lori's voice carries a subtle request for Shane to cancel his demand.
"If he has a sudden attack, I will call the qualified staff." Rick decides to shorten the exchange.
He walks up to the door and opens it for Lori
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Rick returns to the sofa, which he previously occupied. Shane stares at him with an unreadable expression, and Rick wonders if his partner wants to play Lori's knight in a shining armour. Obviously, Shane is a designated captain save a hoe.
"You don't have to be so rude with her." Shane sighs, and Rick answers with an eye roll, which he stole from Michonne's book.
Rick doesn't have the time for a pointless conversation. He wonders where Shane and Lori find their audacity. He bites his tongue to stop a petty comment. Rick crosses his arms. He nonchalantly spreads his body on the sofa.
"Hmmm..." Rick noncommittally offers, and he pulls a packet of cigarette out of his pocket.
Shane stares at his best friend with a hint of surprise. He has started to notice Rick's behavioural changes, and as the days pass, the changes are more blatant. Now, the goody-two-shoes is about to smoke inside a hospital room.
"Rick?" Shane questions and Rick doesn't look into his direction.
However, he puts back the cigarette in his pocket.
"You wanna play counsellor for lost cases like Lori and I. The morphine is that good." Rick drawls, and his nonchalant posture portrays his lack of care for his present marital situation.
"No, I'm in no state to deal with your fuckery." Shane retreats, and he questioningly stares at Rick, who answers with a defiant smirk.
"Great, I don't care enough to talk about it, and so what were you saying." Rick directs the conversation away from his private life.
"A fucking message. The Anthony's murder case is a shit hole. Fuckery perpetually crawls out of it." Shane says, and Rick takes in the statement.
He prefers to play dumb, and Rick wants to know if Shane believes the scenario, which he created to keep him busy. Rick needs to know if the Negan angle can hold.
"We have nothang on the murder..." Rick points out, and he knows what Shane hides from him.
"Yeah...We have nothing " Shane does not want to admit that he hid information from his partner.
Lying is pointless because Rick planted everything, which Shane has on the case. Everything comes back to the trust, and Shane is a difficult pawn.
"It does not sound like nothang. I ain't have the time to play those games, Shane. If you're hiding shit from me, you need to remember whoever is after you will come after me, Lori, and Carl." Rick presses on the issues, but he knows what Shane hides.
"Alright...I found the murder scene." Shane gives up at the mention of Lori, and Rick feigns offences.
He needs a way to allow his anger to flow. Rick has an idea of why Shane kept the information, and he does not appreciate it. From all his range of emotions, Rick always does a poor job at controlling his jealousy. Shane's motives are evident. Rick has not missed the way with which Shane looked at Michonne. He is not paranoid.
"Why you ain't told me shit about it." Rick forces himself to calm down, and he itches to have the soothing effect of nicotine to help.
"Michonne," Shane confirms Rick's suspicions, and the other man has to hold on the sofa.
Rick's eyes follow Shane in a predatory manner. He grinds his teeth and reminds himself to play his part. Shane does not have a chance with Michonne. He could spend his days crawling at Michonne's feet, and she wouldn't acknowledge the dust under her shoes before she does his existence.
" Michonne, who is Michonne," Rick asks with a false innocence, but he has already fallen out of his officer friendly character.
His tone fails to mask his anger, and Shane takes note. The murderous look is hard to ignore, and Rick's attack posture betrays his agitated state.
"Yeah... Don't act as if she isn't engraved in your mind. That fucking beauty and you saw as much as I saw." Shane does not have the ability to pinpoint Rick's new attitude, and he helps feed Rick's growing animosity.
"Shane..." Rick tries and fails to keep his tone neutral.
"A fucking suspect Shane." Rick hisses, and he felinely rises from the sofa.
One wrong word and he will finish what his men started. The idea that Michonne fills Shane's thoughts does not sit well Rick. He draws a deep breath, and he slowly talks himself out of his raging anger.
"You didn't have a problem with it when you had clothed sex with her in front of the entire department. Is she another thing that yours only?" Shane bitterness resurfaces, and he can't help the jealousy, which coats his words.
It was less than few minutes, but Michonne was receptive to Rick. She didn't look at Rick as if he was dirt on her shoe. She allowed him to touch her. Is Rick better than he is?
"It's better to focus on what you hide from me." Rick voices his thoughts.
"The crime scene ruled her out as a suspect." Shane takes the hint, and the way Rick hover over his bed frightens him.
"So?" Rick pushes for more answers.
Morbid curiosity, he needs to know how far Shane wants to push it with Michonne. Does he become an immediate target or does he continue to play his role of a pawn? Now, Rick is tempted to take him out of the equation. He does not need nor does he want to deal with a Shane potentially obsessed with Michonne. Aside from his jealousy, Shane can become dangerous for Michonne.
"You were there. You saw how she talked to me as if I was dirt on her pompous designer shoes. So I wanted her to sweat it for a bit, and it would knock her down of her fucking horse." Shane answers, and his answer puts Rick on alert.
All his efforts to remain controlled are futile. Rick moves away from Shane as the temptation to choke the life out of him grows. He needs something to do with his hands.
"Stay away from her. I know you, and this is a bit too far even for you." Rick warns, and his tone delivers the proper message.
"Anyway..." Shane decides to ignore the warning.
"Stay away from her. I mean it." Rick insists, and the verbal threats are on the tip of his tongue.
"She no longer matters. I have bigger fishes to fry. I need you to look into a Negan." Shane bows down of the conversation, and the way with which Rick stares at his IV drip is an incentive.
"Negan?" Rick jumps on the occasion to silence his aggressiveness with a neutral topic.
Another mention of Michonne and he will push that morphine drip to its highest. He may enjoy Shane drifting in slow overdose. The thought is oddly calming.
"He is behind this. Watch out for Dixon too," Shane answers, and his words finally hold Rick's attention.
"Dixon?" He is genuinely surprised by the mention of Merle.
"His younger brother was there, and the way with which he handled Anthony's disappearance case. Man, I looked at the file before, and I know my shit. He sabotaged that investigation." Shane explains, and Rick can only agree.
There is something shady about Merle, and Rick wants to look into it. Merle also handled Andrea's disappearance, and Rick never saw more poorly done report. There is no coincidence in his world.
"Alright, I will look into it, and next time, don't hide important details from me because you want to fuck a suspect," Rick says, and he can't help but brush the topic of Michonne again.
"It ain't like that." Shane tries to refute the accusation, but the malice in his eyes is hard to miss.
"Yeah... Stay away from Michonne." Rick insists, and he squeezes Shane's hurt knee.
Rick needs the relief although he pretends that it is accidental.
"You sound jealous." Shane points out, and Rick does not contradict him.
"You sound obsessed. Nothang good can come out of it." Rick counters and his last sentence is a promise.
Forgotten is his guilty conscious. Shane's potential obsession with Michonne is nothing that he can allow to prosper. Although, he can use it to control his partner. It does not work that way with Rick. When he sees a threat, he needs to neutralize it.
"Alright..."
Tuesday around 2: 45 p.m.
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Michonne almost makes it to the door, but the click of her heels against the floor betrays her. Sasha stops watching Andre and focuses on her. She puts Andre down, and Sasha closes the distance between Michonne and her.
"Where are you going, Princess?" She questions with a teasing tone, and she carefully puts herself between Michonne and the door.
Rick informed her that Michonne might attempt to sneak out. Sasha hates her babysitter's role. With a stubborn person like Michonne, it is more frustrating. Sasha crosses her arms, and she leans against the door. Michonne should take the hint and abandon her idea of leaving the house.
"The bank," Michonne answers, and she expects Sasha to free her path.
"It is not happening," Sasha replies with an acidic sweetness.
She can't believe that Rick wastes her skills on this amateur task. She should be on the field like Tyrese and Daryl. They get to assault a police officer, and she takes Andre to the park so Rick can fuck in peace. Although Sasha adores Andre, she has a harder time with the kid's mom.
"What?" Michonne asks with indignation, and she tries to bypass Sasha.
Sasha easily stops her, and she moves Michonne further away from the door. Michonne wants to shout in frustration. Clearly, Rick Grimes will keep her prisoner inside this house.
"The boss didn't clear it with me," Sasha replies, and she challenges Michonne to insist.
"Since when Rick decides what I can do or where I can go?" Michonne answers with frustration, and Sasha blatantly mocks her indignation.
She stares at Michonne with a facial expression, which reveals her incredulity. Does Michonne know the man, who she is dating? If Rick could control the amount of oxygen going through Michonne, he will do it to protect her from any harm.
"Did he forget to hand you the rulebook when you decided to play house with him?" Sasha deadpans.
"I don't care about his rules," Michonne replies, and she again attempts to bypass Sasha.
Michonne's attempt ends in another failure, and the situation starts to frustrate Michonne. She wants to help with the investigation, but Rick has to complicate everything. Mike's finances need an examination, but Rick wants to lock her inside the house.
"I care...We don't all get away with murder just for fucking Rick. That is the princess' treatment." Sasha tells Michonne, and the other woman frowns at the implication.
"All I'm saying is that Rick will have my head while he continues to trail behind you like a lovesick puppy." Sasha decides to correct her statement.
"It is a trip to the bank," Michonne pointlessly repeats her previous statement.
"Rick didn't approve." Sasha does not budge on her stance.
"Rick isn't my dad. I don't have to clarify where I go with him first, and he can't make me a prisoner." Michonne's stubbornness is futile, but she needs to vent.
Sasha appears the right person to listen, and Michonne believes she is in great need of a friend. She needs to put Rick's advice to use and find a girlfriend.
"Did you have this conversation with Rick before or after you called him daddy?" Sasha teases her when she notices that Michonne has accepted her fate. The heels are coming off, and Michonne is walking toward Andre.
"I don't call him daddy." She rolls her eyes and Sasha smiles at her rebuttal.
"Whatever you call him doesn't change much to the situation." Sasha counters and she returns her attention on Andre.
"Sasha." Michonne whines, and Sasha sighs.
"Do you know how dangerous it is for you outside? Do you know what will happen if Rick's princess is hurt? I'm not risking it, Michonne." Sasha concludes with a no-nonsense tone.
"It's just a trip to the bank," Michonne says without conviction.
"You want to go behind his back," Sasha says, and she wants to end the conversation.
"I'm not trying to go behind anyone's back, and I don't need anyone's permission," Michonne argues, and Sasha blatantly laughs.
They both know that Rick needs to approve of Michonne's movements.
"You need to have this conversation with Rick. The orders are clear." Sasha says, and she starts to tease Andre until the toddler laughs.
"If my safety is the problem, you should come with me." Michonne attempts to compromise.
"Against the orders and I'm babysitting Andre," Sasha replies, and she makes space on the couch so Michonne can seat.
Michonne drops on the sofa, and she envisions her argument with Rick.
Tuesday around 3: 35 p.m.
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Lori waits for Rick at the exit of Shane's room, and at the sight of her, Rick's anger returns. He sighs, and he attempts to bypass her. She holds Rick back by his elbow, and he reluctantly stops to listen to what Lori wants to say.
"Where are you going?" Lori asks, and Rick sighs at her predictability.
"Away from you." He deadpans and moves around her after snatching Lori's hand from his elbow.
For a second, he shocks Lori. In the last days, she can't recognise the man, who she married. This new assertive Rick holds her attention, and it will make the loss greater. She runs after him with no intent to give up. She ultimately catches up with Rick in the underground parking.
"Can you stop for a minute, Rick? We need to talk." She slides between the driver door and him.
For a second, Rick stares at Lori, and he wonders what paths led them to this moment. Without Michonne will he be so off-put by Lori's existence. The liaison between Shane and her bothered him, but it was not an incentive to end everything. However, he made a promise to Michonne. Rick passes his thumb in the space where his band used to be, and he feels no regrets.
"We need to try for Carl." Lori's voice reclaims his mind attention, and Rick emerges from his introspection.
Rick steps back to have a complete view of Lori. He also needs the distance to control his emotions. Carl? He probably heard her wrong.
"Oh, Carl?" He questions with a wondering voice, and Rick's tone mocks Lori.
He wore the mask too long around Lori, and she must believe that he is an unobservant fool. Michonne is not the only reason why Rick wants to divorce. He may be an absentee father, but Rick is observant.
"Yes, your son, who will not recover if we decide to break thing up because of your insecurities and infidelities." Lori believes that she has found the perfect pressure point.
Carl, Rick adores his son, and she has never doubted it. She hopes to manipulate that affection.
"So he is no longer grown enough to handle his shit." Rick questions and throws back at her words of their previous conversation in this same hospital.
Lori blinks, but she does not lose her determination. She has given the situation a great thought, and she has no way out of this mess. Lust misguided Rick and his mistress must influence his opinion. Lori knows her husband to be a gullible person. If Rick is angry with her, Carl remains the safety shield to hide behind.
"Being an absent father is no longer enough for you, and you want to walk out of his life." She pressures, and Lori goes for the jugular.
She attacks a sensitive topic, and she prays that the guilt will help Rick to reason. Lori is not losing her husband to a bimbo. Rick comes with a comfortable lifestyle.
"You're insane." Rick humorlessly chuckles.
Exhaustion starts to appear. Rick tries to avoid a prolonged time with Lori. He is never too long in her presence, and it is for the best. He lacks the patience for such a scene, and she is always able to create one.
"Am I insane for pointing out the truth?" Lori's voice rises, and she can no longer control her temper.
She admits that she may be unable to reason with Rick. Conceivably, she redirects her effort to make him fall in line. Threats and anger were efficient for long, but those years have passed. Rick is no longer a malleable man, who will try to fulfil her wish because he wants to avoid a fight.
"No, you're insane for thinking that you can guilt trip me into staying with you." Rick deadpans, and he finally shoves her away from his car.
Lori does not intend to bow down. She does not care if this is a parking, and she does not care for the warning in Rick's eyes.
"Do you know where Carl is right now?" Rick questions and Lori stops before she can continue to act irrationally.
"I..." She hesitates, and Lori wonders why that specific bit of information is valuable to their present situation.
"You're better at playing nurse than you're at knowing your son whereabouts. " Rick pursues.
"Is it jealousy?" She throws at him with a sense of pride.
If he cares about what she does with his best friend, he must have feelings for her. Jealousy is a string of hope for Lori. The mistress must be Rick's way to show his frustration. Deep down Lori thinks that Rick continues to want her.
"You're insane. A parking is a place as good as another to do it." Rick abruptly breaks the course of her thoughts.
"Do what?" She defiantly asks.
"I want to divorce, Lori. I think you need more time for your extramarital activities. Clearly, being a wife and a mother is not your forte, and the same goes for me. I'm a shitty husband, and I wouldn't try to change anythang to please you." Rick does not say any word with more than a bored tone.
The lack of emotions in his statement renders it unbelievable for Lori. She can't take him seriously, and so she refuses to entertain his folly.
"Do you think about Carl?" Lori refuses to abandon her fake interest in their son's emotional well-being.
"We're shitty parents. I'm not the best father, and with you around, I don't try to rectify shit in the situation. In case you don't get it, I avoid you so much that I end up avoiding my son. You're nothing to me but a poorly functional tool. A cheap lay when I needed a quick way to cum. We're a cracked facade." Ultimately, anger finds its way through Rick's words.
His admission surprises him, and some of the lies, which he wants to believe burst. It is not always his need to protect his son, which makes him stay away from Carl. He has the same desire to protect Michonne and Andre, but he does not hold them at arm's length.
" I do think about Carl, and I'm taking him with me. Playing nurse is important to you. Your retreats are important to you. Carl is waiting for you to pick him at school, but holding Shane's hand is more important than being a mother to you. Carl is grown enough to handle his shit, but you aren't grown enough to handle the consequences of the thang you do." Rick spats and his admission infuriates him more than Lori does.
For Carl's abandonment, he shoulders the blame.
"He can take the bus." Lori manages to filter through everything said, and her lack of awareness exhausts Rick.
"My lawyer will contact you." He finishes with a quiet tone.
Lori attempts to process the words, and she stares at Rick. There must be a sign that she speaks with the wrong man. This cold demeanour and the total nonchalance, he can't be her Rick. Her eyes explore his body, and they conveniently lay on Rick's ringless finger. The words settle in, and they finally have a meaning for Lori's brain. There is a second of hesitation, and waves of fury crush Lori. She takes a deep breath, but it is futile. Ultimately, she gives into her ravaging anger.
"Rick, you're not living me for your bitch." Lori hisses, and Rick does not react.
"You're not taking Carl with you. You're not living me for that bitch, Rick." She hurls at him, and obscenities start to fall endlessly from Lori's lips.
Rick stares at Lori, and his answer to her anger is utter apathy. He ignores the hand gripping on his bicep and shirt, and Rick climbs in his car.
"If you're going to do somethang about it, make sure is nothang stupid." Rick closes his car door and leaves without adding more to his statement.
Tuesday around 5: 15 p.m.
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:
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Carl asks as Rick walks into his room, and the surprise in his son's voice confirms what Rick already knows.
As a father, he failed beyond words. The knowledge makes Rick hesitant. He does not dare to walk into Carl's room, and he awkwardly stands outside. Somehow, he expects his son's anger. However, Carl is calm, and he puts his comic down.
"I take it you ain't happy to see me." Rick questions with a strange timidity.
The interaction with Carl is different. Now, Rick can't hide behind excuses. He admitted that he is more than flawed when it comes to being a father.
" I didn't expect to see you. It isn't the weekend, yet." Carl's answer accidentally twists the knife.
"Yeah..." It does not seem like an answer, but Rick does not know how to offer more.
He draws a deep breath, and he dares to step into Carl's space. Rick looks around the room, and the gifts, which he offered to his son, fill the room. However, they also look as if they don't belong there.
"I need to talk to you." Rick retrieves his words.
"About?" Carl becomes anxious, and his guilt resurfaces.
He looks at his father, and Rick is obviously tensed. Carl knows he may not like the conversation, and so he closes himself off. He picks the comic, which he discarded. Carl has a passive way to express himself.
"I will tell you later, but it is a bit weird that we have to do it here. " Rick truthfully answers.
It is strange, but he does not have that personal relationship with Carl. Standing in his son's room reminds him of that, and he feels out of place. He needs a safer space. Rick walks out of the room, and Carl's hesitantly follows him. They drive away.
...
...
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...
Exhausted and worried, Carl breaks the grave silence.
"Dad is everything okay." He questions while Rick tries to focus on the familiar roads.
They stop in front of the comic shop because it is familiar to Rick. In that place, he pretends to be a good father He buys enough gifts to silence his guilt. Somehow, he needs a reminder that he can be a decent father if he tries. Fortunately, he is willing to try, and so he opens the car door. They step into the comic shop, and they both seem to relax. This is not abnormal.
"Your mom and I haven't been great..." Rick fails to continue, and so he deflects "do you want anything."
Carl blinks, but he says nothing. He knows not to expect more from Rick. Affection is not his forte, but Carl does crave the affection.
" you bought me all the news one last Saturday," Carl replies, and Rick needs another way to move forward.
It is so easy to hide behind habit. Buy Carl some comic and feel less guilty for being absent. However, if he has learned something from Michonne is that habit does not equal comfort.
"Yeah..." Rick sighs, and his vulnerability crawls to the surface.
"Does the situation between your mom and me..." He stops again unable to be his eloquent self.
How can his son intimidate him? With Carl, there is no switch of personality. There is no officer friendly or mobster Rick. He has to be this child's father, and for so long, he has failed to the task.
"You're going to leave right? You know ...you know. That is why you want to tell me." Carl speaks up, and he expresses months of anxiety.
He looks at Rick with anger and slight acceptation of the situation. Lori warned him, and Carl attempted to stop the inevitable. Now, Carl stares at the comics on the shelves. There is a need for comfort, and his thoughts drift to Michonne's porch. He wants to tell her about his mom, his dad, Shane. He wants comfort, and she is the only one, who has shown him that she may care to listen.
"Yeah..." Out of surprise, Rick answers dumbly.
Failure, he can't prevent it. For the first time in many years, Rick is truly vulnerable. He thinks of Michonne, and she would manage to work with his vulnerable side. She understands this side of him, and maybe he should steal a page out of her book.
"Are you going to leave me with mom?" Carl shows bravery while Rick tries to find his footing.
There is a slight hope into Carl's word. Perhaps, Rick won't abandon him. Between an abusive mother and an absentee father that tries to compensate, Carl will rather go with the lesser evil.
"Do you want to stay with your mom...Or do you want me to stay with your mom?" Rick anxiously asks, and his words aren't as clear as he wants them to be.
It is no the apology that he wants to offer nor is it the promises, which he wants to make. The vulnerability is not anything that he knows how to do. Fatherhood is his personal failure, and one day will not change that. Although, he wants to try to be a father. It is awkward and poorly packaged, but he has to try.
"Mom, she is..." He has tried to hold the tears, but Carl crumbles.
He wants to speak, but the threats have not left his mind. Therefore, the tears speak volumes.
"Hey, Carl?" Rick does not know how to handle tears.
Carl is not Michonne, and he can't tell him to find a girlfriend to deal with those. He maladroitly drags his son in a hug, and he rubs Carl's back to soothe his anguish.
"Look I don't want you to stay with Lori, but if you will prefer to stay with your mother, I can understand. She spends more time with you than I do... You don't have to choose me because I'm asking." Rick decides to be sensible and tactful about the situation.
He would not pick himself, and he does not believe Carl will. He is not fit to be a father, and he proves it every day. However, Michonne has managed to convince him that he can amend things, and he wants to amend his relationship with Carl. Playing house with Michonne makes him yearn for an actual family. He does not want to use his underground activities as an excuse to avoid his duty with Carl.
"Mom..." Carl starts to speak, and Rick believes it to be his choice.
"Okay... I understand." He really does, and Lori is the parent, which Carl knows.
Although, that is to Rick advantages. Lori is a horrible mom. She manages to make his pitiful effort looks like a great act of parenting.
"You don't," Carl replies furiously because he will not have the ability to explain.
" then tell me." Rick softly asks.
" can I come with you? I don't want to stay with mom...Mom..." Carl tries again, but he is too scared to talk.
" okay..." Rick is too happy to question the silence.
He hugs Carl, and he does not know what to say. His phone rings and the caller id indicates Martinez. He can't miss that one because it is probably about Andrea. Apologetically, Rick walks away from Carl and puts few comics in Carl's arms. It is too early to break completely with routine. After a quarter hour, Rick returns to the section where he left Carl. He does not want to do this after their conversation, and he has the feeling that Carl wants to say more.
"I have to drop you home, but I will pick you up, tonight," Rick says with regrets, but he needs to follow up on Andrea's case.
Finally, he has the address of his sister, and he wants to press on his advantage. Rick also has to do some arrangement. He is obviously not going to take Carl to the mansion or to Michonne's safe house.
"You're coming back, right." Carl anxiously questions as they leave the comic store.
"Yeah, you remember the case you helped me solve. I need to look through it, and then I will be back for you." Rick answers him with a soothing smile.
"Please, come back," Carl says, as he gets down of the car.
Tuesday around 7: 2o p.m.
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Lori barges into her son's room, and her anger increases as she lays eyes on Carl. She watches him as he packs a bag, and she has the confirmation of what she suspects. Furious, she grabs Carl by his elbow and drags him away from the bag, which he was packing.
"You told him." She shouts at his face and shoves him away from her.
Carl stumbles backwards, and he luckily avoids the fall. He stares at his mother, and he is confused. Above every other emotion, he is afraid. Lori does not appear on her most flattering light. It is easy to read fury from her body language. Carl has seen her furious, but this is on a different level.
"Mom?" He quietly questions.
His soft tone infuriates her. She glares at Carl, and she only sees the reflection of his father. Rick Grimes is an idiot if he believes that it will be so easy to leave her.
"Don't act dumb now. I know you told your father everything. Now he is going to leave us, but you're going to tell him that you don't want him to leave us." Lori says with an erratic tone, but she is no longer screaming.
However, her general state is close to mania. She grabs Carl by the arm, and she pulls him toward her. He winces under her grip on his arm, and her nails dig into his skin.
"You're going to beg your father to stay with us." She growls into Carl's face, and it is an order that he should not disobey.
"Mom, you're hurting me," Carl whines, and he tries to pry her hand away from his arm.
Lori shakes him so he can stop moving.
"You're going to tell your father that you don't want him to leave us. You're going to beg and cry." She insists, and Carl can no longer stand the pain in his arm.
Under her nails, he starts to bleed. Carl shoves Lori away from him, and he faces her with his anger.
"He is leaving you." He viciously shouts at her, and he walks back toward his backpack.
He ceases to face Lori, and so he misses the murderous glance, which she directs at him. When she grabs his hair and pulls his head back, Carl cries in agony. His scalps start to burn, and he attempts to escape her ironclad grip.
"Is it why you told him about me and Shane? I told you what the consequences would be. Look at you, what is that?" Lori shouts in fury, and she releases Carl's head to grab his backpack.
Lori starts to take the clothes out of it. She allows hysterical cries to leave her lips. Soon Carl's clothes are lining the floor of his room.
"Mom... Stop." He grabs Lori's hand, and he tries to retrieve his bag.
"Look at you with your little backpack. Do you think he is going to take you with him? Do you think I will let that happen? Do you believe him?" She viciously spits the words, and she throws the empty backpack at him.
Lori anger and viciousness feed Carl's similar sentiments. He glares at his mother with hatred, and for once, he refuses to believe her lies.
"He is leaving you not me." He does not shout, but the confidence in his words assault Lori.
Carl's words are a truth, which Lori can't presently accept. The situation will hurt less if Rick was abandoning them. Misery loves company. Lori is a miserable being, who has yearned for others. First, she berated Rick about their financial situation, and it led him to the crime words. Unsatisfied by his effort, she sought Shane's company. Shane is as miserable as she is. However, it did not suffice, and so Carl was her target. She threw at him her fear to be abandon by Rick. When making Rick inadequate for her was no longer an option to keep him devoted to her, she started to lash out on Carl.
"Shut up," Lori shouts while she slaps Carl to silence him.
The slap is so violent that Carl's temple bleeds. There is silence in the room. It never went that far before. However, Lori never heard the truth, which she hates so much before. As she processes Carl's words, he analyses his mother's action. Silence relinquishes its holds on the room to chaos. In a second, Carl runs out of the room, and Lori follows him.
"Carl? Carl comes back here." She shouts at the door while Carl crosses the streets.
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...
From the erratic knocks at the door, Michonne can tell that the person behind is desperate. Sasha does not believe the same, and she tells Michonne to move away from the door. Although, Michonne stands behind Sasha when she carefully opens the door. Both women face a scared Carl Grimes.
"That is unexpected," Sasha says as she recognises Carl as Rick's son, and she moves away so Michonne is visible because Carl's searching glances say a lot.
The porch is poorly lit, and so Carl is not completely seen by Sasha and Michonne. Sasha and Michonne switch their position.
"Michonne." Carl sobs and he immediately squeezes between the small door opening and Michonne.
He hides behind her, and Michonne carefully turns to face him. Under the lights of her living entrance, Carl is more visible and so is the wound on his temple. Michonne stops when she takes in the bleeding temple and the bleeding arm around her waist.
"What happened to you?" She anxiously questions while she peruses his body for any other wound.
Carl can hardly hear her question because loud knocking noise covers her voice. Lori shouts his name behind the door.
"Please..." Carl pleads while he grips around Michonne's waist tightens.
He did not know where to go, and Carl feels safe around her.
"It is okay..." Michonne kisses the crown of Carl's head and stares at her door.
"Watch after Andre, can you do that." She asks Sasha, and the other woman checks at the door.
Sasha recognises Lori, and she wonders what mess will happen. However, she does as Michonne asked, and she starts to walk out of the room.
"Can you call my dad, please?" Carl succeeds to say between tears while Lori continues to knock at Michonne's door.
"Do you have a number," Michonne asks, and she can hardly hear herself above the knocking sounds.
"just call the Atlanta PD and asks for homicide detective Grimes," Carl repeats what Rick told him to do in case of emergency.
Michonne looks down at Carl, and it is obvious.