Michonne had been confined to the medical bed at hilltop for a week for observation. Keeping her in the bed was a full-time job as Rick, Carl, and Jada rotated Michonne guarding duties.
"I can get up to go to the bathroom" Michonne insisted. "It's just to the bathroom! I haven't felt cramps in two days."
"And we're gonna keep it that way" Carl said, handing her a bed pan.
Michonne rolled her eyes. "You and your dad are overreacting. Me and the babies are fine. Dr. Carson said so."
"And yet, you're still using the bed pan" Carl insisted with a smile, turning to step outside. "Call me when you're done."
A few minutes later, Michonne called Carl back in to the room.
"Don't even think about emptying it" Michonne said, "there's some lines mothers and sons should never cross."
Carl laughed as he settled into the chair next to her bed.
"I'm glad the babies are healthy and growing, but I am so bored" Michonne said.
"So, if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?" Carl asked, propping his legs up on the side of Michonne's bed.
"Pre or post apocalypse?"
"Both" Carl said.
"Pre-apocalypse Iloved to go to the Bahamas. My family would go every year. It was my favorite place to be, warm sand, blue water, good food... I miss it there."
"And post apocalypse?" Carl asked.
"Post apocalypse my favorite place to be is home with my family, my favorite people in the world."
"Aww that's so sweet" Carl said.
"Are you mocking me?" Michonne asked with a grin on her face.
"Nope, just admiring how much you love us."
"I do, you know."
"I know."
"So how is it going, having two little sisters now? I know your dad and I didn't really get to ask you, or decide as a family if Jada would fit…" Michonne began.
"It's… it's okay. I really like her. She's funny, and she's so helpful with Judy, and Judy just loves having another girl around. I think you made the right decision, bringing her in. I think she's…" Carl paused for a moment and laughed as nostalgia overtook him. "I think she might be one of us".
Michonne smiled at Carl's words and reached for his hand. "Well, you seem to be a good judge of that."
"Soon I'm gonna have four younger siblings" Carl said shaking his head incredulously, "I just can't believe it."
"I know it's kind of a shock. It is to me, too. But I'm glad you're their big brother, Carl. It's such a relief to know that if something happens to your father and I, that we can depend on you to do what's right. Not that we plan on anything happening to us any time soon."
Carl smiled and then looked down at Michonne's blanket. "When you guys were gone, I didn't want to believe that you were dead, but… I was getting there. I was scared. I was so scared about raising Judy by myself, but I tried to stay strong for her. I'm so glad you're back."
"I am so proud of you Carl, and your dad is too. I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, and you shouldn't have to raise your siblings. We'll try our best to make sure you never have to."
"But if it comes down to it, I will" Carl said nodding.
Michonne smiled and her eyes filled with tears. "I know you will. Because that's the kind of man you are."
Carl's face turned red in embarrassment. "Yea, let's just hope that never happens" he responded with a shrug.
"Where's your dad?" Michonne asked.
"He was getting Judy dressed but she threw a tantrum because she didn't want to wear socks. He tried to calm her down but she was just screaming. Jada distracted her with a magic trick while dad got her socks and shoes on. That's what they were doing when I left. Dad probably took them to get some food after. He'll be here soon."
"A magic trick huh? That's some quick thinking on Jada's part" Michonne said, impressed.
"Yea, she's really a great kid. She takes after her big brother, y'know?" Carl said with a sly smile. Michonne and Carl shared a laugh as they waited for the rest of the Grimes to arrive.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxx
A year after the birth of the twins
"Ok Judy, stop right there" Carl called to his sister. The three year old stopped walking and turned around to face her brother, excitedly bouncing and moving around.
"Hold your hands out to the side like I showed you" Carl instructed, demonstrating the pose for her. Judy held both of her arms straight out from her sides with her palms facing forwards.
"Ok, now you say ready, set, go!"
"Ready. Set. Go!" Judy screamed enthusiastically, and Carl and Jada took off down the street, running towards Judy full speed. As they pounded the pavement, Carl slowed down just enough for Jada to run past him. Jada reached Judy first and scooped up the girl who served as the finish line, spinning her around in circles while Judy squealed in glee. "I won!" Jada said excitedly, dancing around with Judy.
"Yea, you won" Carl admitted with a slight smirk, "this time at least."
"I win every time!" Jada answered confidently.
"Hey, don't get too cocky or I may have to fix that."
"In your dreams" Jada said with a roll of her neck. Carl loved to make his sister think she was faster than him, but she was becoming a good runner and was close to beating him for real soon. "Mom said if I get fast enough to beat her she might let me come out on a run with her one day and practice using her katana on some walkers."
"I know" Carl responded, walking beside Jada and Judy as they headed towards the open grass area in the middle of Alexandria, "you've gotten good with the katana, but having a real moving walker in front of you is different from training with the dummies. And it takes a lot more practice to get good at killing real walkers."
"Yea I know" Jada said in agreement, "but maybe you can train me too? Mom can only do it once in a while because of the twins, but if you can train me too maybe I can get better faster?"
"Me too!" Judy said from her comfortable spot in Jada's arms.
"Yea I'll see what I can do" Carl said to Jada. "Now as for you", Carl said to Judy, "you still have a few more years."
"I wanna go to the train too!" Judy whined indignantly, having no idea what the two of them were talking about, but knowing that whatever it was she wanted to be a part of it.
"Ok, you can go to the train too" Carl humored her, calming his little sister. "Yaaaay!" Judy said excitedly, clapping her hands. When they reached the end of the block they spotted Michonne, carrying the identical twin girls, Michonnay and Risha, one in each arm. The girls resembled Michonne greatly, inheriting her large expressive brown eyes, wide nose and luscious lips. Their hair was kinky like hers, but as their hair grew, the bottoms of it had a curl on the edges that was all Rick. Michonne loved to stroke the hair at the nape of the babies' neck to relax them and put them to sleep, just like she did to Rick's. It was the babies' first birthday and the family decided to celebrate with a family picnic. Michonne had dressed the girls up in identical poofy purple party dresses Rick had found on a recent run. Michonnay happily chewed on a flower that was attached to the front of her dress while Risha chewed on her fingers. The girl's hair was styled into two puffs on the top of their heads, a style that took Michonne almost an hour to do since the rambunctious girls kept crawling and toddling away from her whenever she stopped to get a brush or rubber band.
"Aww they look so pretty" Jada said, reaching out and gently pinching Risha's cheek, causing the girl to smile and show off her dimples and her two bottom teeth that were growing in.
"You look pretty" Judy repeated, tickling Michonnay's foot causing her to giggle. When the twins saw Carl, they both reached out their pudgy little hands to him and whined for him to hold them.
"Looks like your biggest fans have arrived" Michonne said playfully to Carl as she passed him both girls.
"What can I say?" Carl joked, "I'm a ladies' man." He maneuvered his sisters, one on each hip. Michonne playfully patted Carl's back and grabbed Judy's hand. "C'mon, let's go get daddy".
The group of six walked over to the front gates where Rick was ending his watch shift. When he saw his family approaching, Rick passed his weapon to Rosita who was relieving him, and quickly climbed down the ladder to meet them.
"Hey dad" Carl said.
"Hey son" Rick said happily, and then he leaned over and kissed Michonne. "And how's my girls?" Rick asked his daughters.
"Daddy, Carl said I can go on the train" Judy stated proudly.
Rick turned to Carl with a questioning look. "Jada wanted me to train her, Judy heard the conversation" Carl explained.
Rick gave an amused look and patted Judy on the head. "Jada, you're still working on becoming a warrior princess, huh?" he asked. "Yea, like mom" Jada said, looking at Michonne who smiled.
Rick turned to his two youngest daughters. "And look how pretty my baby girls look today. Happy birthday sweethearts". He kissed each of the girls on their heads as they gurgled in laughter, and then took Risha from Carl. The family began to walk to the grassy picnic area.
"Your baby girls gave mommy a run for her money when she tried to do their hair" Michonne said to Rick.
"Is that so?" Rick asked, turning to Risha. "Crawling away from mommy again huh?"
"Yea, they even know to go in two directions so one of them won't get caught right away. I think they're smarter than we think." Michonne laughed.
"Of course you are, sweetheart" Rick said to Risha. "You're smart just like your daddy aren't you?"
Michonne smirked at Rick. "Can you believe they're already one? It's so cliché saying this, but it seems like yesterday they were born."
"Yea, I'm just so grateful that we have them, and they're healthy, and you're healthy." Rick leaned in and gave Michonne another kiss on her cheek, and then the side of her neck, and then her throat.
"Ewww guys, save it for when you're alone!" Carl called from a few feet ahead of them, "I hear the kissing without even turning around."
"Well walk a little faster then" Rick quipped, getting one last kiss to Michonne's lips.
They finally arrived at the picnic area and Michonne spread out a blanket. She then placed Michonnay and Risha on it. She and Rick settled down next to the babies, as Judy convinced Jada and Carl to play a game of freeze tag. A few minutes later, Aunty Chaniece and her sister Ann walked by, out for an afternoon stroll.
"How are my girls?" Aunty Chaniece sang happily, as the twins, hearing her voice, crawled towards her. They climbed up on her legs, using them as a support to stand. "Mishy and Rishy, look how pretty you are babies! Happy birthday!"
"How are you ladies?" Rick asked, "Why don't y'all come join us? we're just having a birthday picnic for the girls."
Aunty Chaniece gave Rick a sideways glance. "Rick, you already know, with Ann's arthritis if she gets on that blanket she'll never get up again."
"Oh hush Chaniece, he was just tryin' to be nice" Ann scolded her sister.
"Oh, I'm just joking Ann. Don't upset yourself and break a hip."
Michonne chuckled at the sisters. "Thanks for the pie you sent yesterday Aunty Chaniece, you know how much we love it. We had to stop Carl from eating the whole thing himself."
"Well if my boy wants some pie I can bake a whole one just for him. It isn't any trouble at all, I know y'all have plenty of apples here."
On cue, Carl spotted Aunty Chaniece and Ann and came over. "Carl honey, I'm gonna bake you a pie, I heard you enjoyed my last one so much."
"Really?" Carl asked, overjoyed. "Awesome! Thank you Aunty Chaniece!"
"Not a problem Carl. Now, I'm actually glad I saw you all because I wanted to talk to you about the wedding food. It's coming up fast and I still need four heads of lettuce from hilltop for the salad, and some cantaloupe from the kingdom for my fruit salad. And I know we still have loads of potatoes at The Farm for my famous potato salad."
Even though Michonne had decided that she was fine without an official wedding, once Carl heard that the pair had decided to get married privately during their ordeal he begged them to have an actual ceremony.
A year previously
"We decided not to have a ceremony. We decided that we love each other, so we're married, and that's the only ceremony we need", Michonne explained from her hospital bed at the Hilltop.
Carl stared at Michonne for a moment in disbelief. "You're not gonna have a wedding? What about the dress, and the flowers, and a big party, and the presents?"
"We don't need all of that. We already have everything we need Carl."
"Well what about us?" Carl asked indignantly.
"What?"
"What about me, and Judy, and Jada? Don't we deserve to see our parents get married? I mean, I know you guys don't want it, but I do. I want everyone to know how much you love each other. I want to see a party where you guys are the center of attention. Dad's been leading this group for years, and you've been by his side, and you guys never get recognition. I want you to have a wedding day where everyone is looking at the two of you."
There was a silence for a few seconds. Michonne was stunned by Carl's words. She didn't realize that the children might want to see them get married officially, she just figured that it wasn't something she needed.
"Would that make you happy? If your dad and I had a ceremony?"
"Well yea. And don't forget the party afterwards" Carl said with a smirk.
"Hmm… something tells me the party would be the highlight of your day."
"Well, it's not like we have those often."
Michonne had given in for the sake of the children. It wouldn't hurt to be the center of attention for a day, but the party seemed to just get bigger and bigger as time went on, and most of the wedding fever was fueled by Rick, Carl, and Aunty Chaniece.
"Your potato salad is a legend" Michonne agreed with Aunty Chaniece, "I think I lived off of it for the last three months of my pregnancy."
"Yep, I'm surprised my little babies here weren't born addicted to potato salad" Aunty Chaniece joked.
"Ok Aunty Chaniece, dad and I will get you and Aunty Ann anything you need. Thanks for getting all the food together" Carl said thankfully.
"We like cooking" Ann explained, "we like feeling useful in some way. And my husband Thomas is gonna help us too, we've got a whole catering service going on in our kitchen."
"We're mighty grateful" Rick said, grabbing hold of Michonnay who was about to put a blade of grass in her mouth, "and tomorrow Carl and I are heading to the Party City to get some decorations."
"Sounds good. Now come on Ann, we've still got a few things to plan before Saturday" Aunty Chaniece said to her sister, "bye sweethearts, happy birthday" she said to the twins
"I'm coming, I'm coming" Ann grumbled, following after her sister.
"Bye Aunty Ann! Bye Aunty Chaniece!" Michonne called after the women, "I'll stop by after I put the twins to bed."
"Okay dear, see you later" she called.
When the older women walked away, Michonne turned to Rick with a grin. "You're getting decorations for our wedding from a party city?"
"Hey, you're the one who said you wanted it low key" Rick retorted. "If it were up to me we'd have the wedding at an actual catering hall with fine china and a string quartet, after we cleared the hall of rotting walkers of course."
"Oh, so romantic" Michonne teased, "maybe we could give out walker fingers as party favors."
"That's the spirit!" Rick responded as he pulled Risha and Michonnay closer to them. "Don't worry honey, this wedding is going to be great. You just have to show up and enjoy."
After Carl, Rick, and Michonne let the younger girls have fun chasing each other around, they called them back over to sing happy birthday to the twins. Michonne pulled out a batch of cupcakes she had made with some cake mix Glenn and Daryl had found on a run. She pulled out two of the cupcakes and stuck a birthday candle into each of them. Once she lit it, the babies were enthralled, trying to reach out to grab the bright, moving, flame. The family sang happy birthday together, and then Jada and Judy blew the candles out for their sisters. As Rick passed everyone a cupcake, Michonne took a moment to reflect on how grateful she was to have her family, and especially her two miracle daughters who she thought may never survive.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The night before the wedding
Michonne laid back on the couch as Jada silently painted another one of her toenails the light shade of pink that the little girl had picked out. Jada had insisted that she do Michonne's nails as a wedding gift to her, and Michonne was so moved by her oldest daughter's gesture that she burst into tears. But now that the girl had started painting she'd gone quiet, and Michonne could see that she was far away in her own world.
"Jada?" Michonne called, catching the girl's attention once again.
"Sorry" she said, sheepishly. "I was just thinking."
"You don't have to be sorry" Michonne explained. "Do you want to tell me what you were thinking about?" but the tears that she saw welling up in Jada's eyes answered all of her questions.
"C'mere" Michonne insisted, opening her arms. The girl quickly went to them and gave Michonne a hug.
"I remember you said your mom used to do your nails when the two of you were on the road. Is that why you wanted to do mine?" Michonne asked.
Jada nodded slowly. "When I was sad, or scared, or if we saw something really bad, my mom would do my nails when we camped for the night, to make me feel better. It was just something we had between us. I had like five different colors and she'd paint my nails a color depending on my mood."
"Were you trying to make me feel better? Less nervous about tomorrow?" Michonne asked. Jada nodded slightly.
"And I want us to have something that we do, too. Like me and my mom did" Jada responded sweetly.
Michonne's heart was so full of love for the girl at that moment. She couldn't believe how resilient this child was in the face of cruelty and loss, and yet she still was kind and sweet.
"Oh, I want that too" Michonne said softly, pushing Jada's hair from her face. "I think we should make that a thing. We have a girl's night where we do each other's nails and talk. Maybe Judy could join us sometimes, and other times it's just us. Would you like that?"
"Yea!" Jada said enthusiastically.
"Okay, finish up my nails and then you've got to get to bed. We have a big day tomorrow!"
"Okay mom" Jada said, as she picked up the nail polish again.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After Jada finished Michonne's nails and headed off to bed, Michonne went to kiss the rest of the children goodnight. Michonnay and Risha were already asleep in their cribs and Michonne bent down to kiss their foreheads, breathing in their sweet baby smell. She gently rubbed her hand over each girl's curls and then went to Judy's room. Although Judy had been put to bed a half hour ago, she was still awake when Michonne quietly opened the door.
"Hi mommy" Judy said from the darkness, to Michonne's surprise.
"What are you doing still awake?" Michonne asked before sitting on the side of Judy's bed.
"I was waiting for you to say nite nite" Judy explained.
"Oh, I see, well goodnight my beautiful girl. I will see you in the morning for the wedding."
"Mommy, does a wedding mean you and daddy will go away from us?" Judy asked.
Michonne was so startled by the question she paused for a moment. "No honey, no daddy and I aren't going away from you. We'd never do that. We're a family, and a family stays together. Who told you that?"
"Carl said you and daddy were going to the moon and we had to stay here"
Michonne was completely confused. "The moo… oh, a honeymoon!"
A honeymoon? We're going on a honeymoon? Really? Michonne thought. She and Rick hadn't discussed going away somewhere. Especially with the twins being so young.
"Um… Judy, daddy and I aren't going away for long. I promise we'll be back. It's just like a short run that married people go on."
"But why? Do you have to go on a run when you get married? Why can't we come?"
"You know you can't go on runs yet, you're too little. And a honeymoon is a special run, just for married people. But don't worry, I promise we'll be back soon. We'll always come back for you, ok honey?"
"Ok mommy" Judy said.
"Ok. Now go to sleep so you're not a little sleepyhead tomorrow. I love you Judy, goodnight."
"Goodnight mommy" Judy said, and snuggled a little deeper into her covers. After Michonne kissed Judy's forehead, she went to her own bedroom to say goodnight to Rick. They, or mostly Rick, decided that they would spend the night before the ceremony in separate houses, just for the sake of tradition. Rick would get ready in their home, with the kids, while Michonne slept over Tara and Rosita's house. Michonne was not one to follow rules just for the sake of tradition, but she did like the idea of surprising Rick with her dress.
She found Rick sitting on their bed, next to Carl. As soon as the two of them saw Michonne, Carl hopped up quickly.
"'Night mom, see you tomorrow" he said quickly, as if he were trying to change the subject.
Michonne eyed him suspiciously, but let him off the hook. She'd find out what they were talking about from his father.
"Goodnight Carl" she said, touching his arm as he passed her to return to his room. As soon as he left, Michonne rounded on Rick.
"So, we're going on a honeymoon?" she asked
Rick's eyes got wide and then he quickly struggled to maintain a normal face. "What makes you think that?"
"Your daughter cannot keep a secret, and she thinks we're going to the moon" Michonne said, placing her hands on her hips.
Rick shook his head in amusement. "I know she can't keep a secret, which is why I didn't tell her. She must've overheard Carl and I talking." Rick looked up at his wife with her hands on her hips and her look that demanded to be told the truth. "I'm not telling you anything else, so don't look at me like that. And please don't ask me Michonne. You know I won't lie to you, and I want it to be a surprise."
Michonne stared at Rick a while longer until she realized he was serious about not telling her. "Fine" she sighed. She held out her arms to Rick who happily got up and nestled himself in them. "I'm heading over to Tara and Rosita's" Michonne said, rubbing her face against Rick's nice smelling neck.
"Okay baby, you know I'll miss you tonight, but I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well" Rick said, planting a kiss on the side of her neck.
"You know I won't without you, but I'll see you in the morning sweetie. I love you", Michonne responded.
"I love you too sweetheart", Rick said as he reluctantly let go of his wife. "Don't stand me up!"
"I wouldn't for the world" Michonne called as she left the room.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
"Michonne"
Michonne heard a soft voice calling her name. The voice sounded far away, and it was so soft that she convinced herself to ignore it and drift back to blissful sleep.
"Michonne!" the voice called again.
What? I'm tired, I got to bed late. Leave me alone! She thought, as she ignored the voice.
"Michonne, I know it's your wedding day, but if you don't get that behind out of bed, child…" Aunty Chaniece called, gently shaking Michonne.
Michonne's eyes fluttered open and she bolted upright. "What? What time is it?" she asked.
"Time to get ready. The wedding starts in three hours" Aunty Chaniece said.
"I slept that long?" Michonne asked as she stretched. She was usually awake by 5:30.
"You must've needed the rest. And I don't blame you with them babies crawling around. But if you sleep any longer you'll miss the wedding."
Michonne sat up from the bed and stretched.
"I brought over some breakfast for you, and Tara and Rosita are setting up a make-up station in the living room."
"A make-up station?"
"Their idea. They're just waiting for you."
Michonne stood from the bed. "Thank you, Aunty Chaniece. I'm just going to take a shower."
"Wait honey, I have something for you" Aunty Chaniece said, pulling out a package wrapped in tissue paper.
Michonne's eyes widened at the sight of the present.
"I know you don't like to be fussed over, but I wanted to give you something on your big day, even if you're already married" Aunty Chaniece teased. Before Michonne could speak, she held up her hand.
"Just open the package" Aunty Chaniece demanded.
Michonne complied, unwrapping the tissue paper. She revealed two diamond earrings that sparkled brightly in the light as if they'd been recently cleaned.
"They're beautiful" Michonne gushed, admiring the earrings' sparkle.
"They're my mother's. They've been in the family for generations. When we escaped from my home I shoved them into my bag, wanting to hold on to the past, and what I thought was precious. I thought that if we could ever be normal again, I would regret losing them. Ann and I, we never did have any children. I was planning to pass them on to my daughter if I ever had one. Now, I've realized that I do have a daughter, and I'm honored to give these over to her on her wedding day."
Michonne looked into Aunty Chaniece' eyes which were beginning to run over with tears. Her eyes matched Michonne's. Michonne opened her arms and embraced the older woman in a hug.
"Thank you" she sniffled, "I'm honored to be your daughter. And I'll pass them down to mine when they get married."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Two hours later
Rick had been at the church for a half hour, greeting the guests that had traveled from Hilltop, the Kingdom, and The Farm for their wedding. He tried to engage in small talk, and listen to the congratulations as more and more people showed up, but his heart and mind was racing with nervousness. He thought it was hilarious that he was nervous about getting married to a woman who he'd been married to for over a year already, but he was.
Carl, Rick's best man, sensing his father's nervousness would occasionally crack jokes to ease Rick's mind. He would whisper things like "Hey dad, does the drinking age still apply?", and "I wasn't supposed to write a best man speech, right?" to make Rick crack up with laughter. The two men waited patiently in the church for the number one woman in their lives to show up.
After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Maggie entered the church with a smile, and signaled to the choir director from The Kingdom for start singing. The choir began their acapella rendition of Shania Twain's 'From this Moment on'
From this moment life has begun
From this moment, you are the one
Right beside you is where I belong
From this moment on
From this moment, I have been blessed
I live only, for your happiness
And for your love, I give my last breath
From this moment on
I give my hand to you with all my heart
I can't wait to live my life with you I can't wait to start
You and I will never be apart
My dreams came true because of you
From this moment, as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing, I wouldn't give
From this moment on
Rick watched as the flower girls, his four daughters, appeared all dressed in white dresses. Judy was first with a basket full of white flower petals that she happily sprinkled on the ground. Jada was behind her, holding one of Michonnay's and one of Risha's hands as they tightly grasped their flower petals in the other. There were many oooohs and awwwwws as the four girls made their way down the aisle. Rick was almost in tears and he hadn't even seen the bride yet. And then he saw her.
Michonne was dressed in a simple white silk dress, that flowed straight down to her ankles. It was sleeveless, and had a sharp V neck that went down past her breasts, revealing slight cleavage that had Rick hardening immediately. Michonne had gone back and forth on the type of dress she would wear, she had never been self-conscious before, but she did realize that the permanent scars on her back from her ordeal at The Farm would be visible if she wore certain dresses. After thinking about it for weeks, she decided that she didn't care. The scars were part of who she was now, and she wouldn't hide that. Not from Rick, not from the wedding guests, not from anybody. The dress was devoid of any beading, sequins, or jewels, but the way that it hugged Michonne's curves made her look flawless. Rick noticed the beautiful diamond earrings Michonne was wearing. His eyes then moved to her face and he was captivated by the glow that was coming from her. She looked effervescent. He noticed that she had make-up on, and he realized it was the first time he'd ever seen her with make-up since he'd met her. He was in absolute awe. Aunty Chaniece escorted her down the aisle, looking like a proud mama.
Michonne couldn't help but beam when she first spotted Rick. He was wearing a white button down dress shirt with a light blue tie, and she almost burst into tears as she knew that he wore the blue tie because he knew how much she liked when he wore blue and it brought out his eyes. He had brushed his hair, making it fluffy and immaculate, and to her surprise he had completely shaved off his beard, making his face as smooth as a baby's bottom. She hadn't seen him so freshly shaved since they had arrived in Alexandria, and she couldn't wait to rub against his smooth skin. Carl stood next to him looking as handsome as ever. He had even trimmed his hair slightly, making it look more tame. Her heart filled with gratitude and pride for the gorgeous men in her life.
When they stopped at the front of the church, Aunty Chaniece took Michonne's hands and put them into Rick's, and then kissed Michonne on the cheek. She winked at Rick, and then took a seat in the front pew next to the girls.
"You look beautiful" Rick said, his voice full of emotion. Michonne grinned in response. Rick turned Michonne around and the two of them faced the waiting congregation in the church. Rick began to speak.
"I know usually at weddings people read vows expressing their love and devotion to each other, but Michonne and I have already declared our love to each other, in words and deeds. The proof of our love is found in our family, our five children, and all of you. So we've decided to take this time to express our love for our family, which includes every single one of you. Especially those of you who were with us in our darkest times, especially on the road to Alexandria." Rick turned to Michonne and nodded, gently stroking her hand.
Michonne began. "We wanted to take the time to acknowledge our extended family and tell each of you what you mean to us. Carol, let's start with you." Carol's eyes widened in shock at the mention of her name and her face immediately turned red.
"Carol, you have saved us so many times I can't even keep count. In the prison you did some things to keep us safe that we didn't understand at the time, but we all know that you have always had our best interest at heart. You and Tyrese, who is no longer with us, risked your lives to protect Judith on the road. You kept her safe even though she was a defenseless infant. You sacrificed for her, only to bring her back to her father, and inevitably to me too. At Terminus you blew up a building to save our lives, and came in there like a commando all by yourself, all to keep us alive. When the Wolves attacked our home, without you, everything could have been lost, everyone. Our children could have been lost. After all the pain and trauma that you have been through, you have become a hell of a woman, and we wouldn't be alive without you. So, on behalf of Rick and I, we would like to thank you, and we love you."
When Michonne looked up at Carol the woman was sobbing into her hands, totally overwhelmed by the words. No one had ever publicly acknowledged Carol that way in her entire life. No one had ever openly said how much she was loved and needed. Michonne quickly scurried over to Carol and hugged her, followed by Rick who kissed her on the cheek. When they let go, Carol placed a hand on Michonne's cheek as thanks and the couple moved away.
"Daryl" Rick began. "What can I say about Daryl. You're my brother, and I mean that with every fiber of my being. We all have the family we're born into, but the family that we choose, sometimes that's even more special. Daryl, you saved Michonne, Carl, and I when we were on the road. You were even willing to take a beating to save our lives. You have saved my life personally on so many occasions. And when others had stopped looking for Michonne and I, and with good reason, you didn't give up. You saved Judy's life when she was only a day old, finding formula for her when I couldn't. Thank you brother, for everything." Daryl was chewing his lip and nodding his head. Rick held out a hand to shake Daryl's hand, and to everyone's surprise Daryl gave Rick a hug. Rick reciprocated, patting him on the back, and then they quickly let go, overwhelmed. Michonne reached over and squeezed Daryl's hand, and then continued on while Rick got a hold of himself.
"Maggie, my sister. You are such a ray of sunshine in this dark world that we live in. After all you've lost, you are still the most positive, caring, encouraging person that I know. I am inspired by you every day. Your strength of character is amazing, and if something were to happen to Rick and I, which it almost did, I would want you and Glenn to take care of our children. I know that they would be in good hands with a mother like you. We love you, dearly." Maggie was already crying from the words said to the others, but she wrapped her arms around both Rick and Michonne and hugged them. "We would be honored to" she responded. Glenn who was sitting next to her nodded in agreement.
Michonne continued. "And Sasha, you have grown so much from the time you first came to the prison. You have lost so much, and yet you're still going, you're still alive, you're still you. I admire you deeply, and I admire your ability to come back from the brink. I wish I was half as skilled with a rifle as you, and I just want you to know that we love you." Sasha reached out a hand and squeezed both Rick and Michonne's.
"Glenn" Rick said, "if it weren't for you, none of us would be here. Especially me. Sometimes I think about what would have happened if you had decided not to save me that day in downtown Atlanta. If you had decided to not risk your life for a random fool in a tank. If you hadn't radioed me when you did I was preparing to put a bullet through my head rather than get ripped apart by those walkers. I remember your first words to me. 'Hey dumbass'." Everyone laughed at Rick's words, including Glenn. "But I owe you so much. I owe you everything. I never would've found my family without you. And I would do anything for you Glenn, I mean that." Glenn hugged the couple and then returned to his spot next to Maggie.
"And last but certainly not least, my only son, my baby boy, Carl. Carl how can I even begin to describe how proud I am of you. How grateful I am to have a son like you. You have been through more than I could ever imagine." Rick stopped and wiped a tear from his eye, and Michonne reached out to hold Rick's hand. "You got shot twice, and injured more times than I can count. And every time you hurt, I hurt. In the beginning, I wished I could have saved you from all the trauma that living in this world would bring, but now I realize that all the trauma helped to shape you into who you are now. And I wouldn't trade that for the world. I admire how much you care for your sisters, and how when you thought we were gone you just stepped up. I know that if something ever happened I could always count on you to do the right thing, and that's everything. Everything. You took care of Judy from the day she was born, when I wasn't there physically and emotionally. You brought Michonne and I together, you brought this family back together, when I couldn't. And you found us Carl. You didn't give up, even when others told you that you should. You saved us. You are such a good man, and Michonne and I, we love you. I love you Carl." Carl released a sob as he collapsed into his father's arms. Carl knew that he was loved by his father, but to hear his father mention all the things that he had done, and been through, and how he was proud of him, brought him to tears. Michonne allowed Carl and Rick to hug, knowing that this moment was a special moment for the two of them. Once Carl let go of Rick, he hugged Michonne, and Michonne was shocked by how much taller Carl had grown, and how much of a man he'd become. It wasn't that she hadn't seen him every day, but at that moment she realized that he really was a grown man. And she was proud of the role she played in shaping him. She nuzzled her head into his shoulder and whispered "I love you son." Carl nodded and squeezed her tighter. "I love you too" he said back.
Once Carl had let go and Michonne regained control of her emotions, she spoke again. "Our life and our happiness is due to the love of everyone here. Whether we met you on the road like Abraham, Tara, Rosita, Eugene or Father Gabriel, or we met you here in Alexandria, or we met you at The Farm like Jorje, Aunty Chaniece, Jada, and a long list of others, you are connected to us. There's a long list of people who are gone, who helped keep us alive, and who helped us become the family that we are. Lori, Carl and Judith's mother, Shane who got Carl out of Atlanta, Andrea who helped me to trust when I thought I couldn't trust anyone, Beth who convinced me to open my heart to Judith even when I didn't want to, Tyrese who protected Judith on the road, Hershel who helped Rick heal when he was grieving, and so many others. They will be connected to us forever. All of you will be connected to us forever. And we just wanted to tell you all that we love you" Michonne said, finishing their tribute. There wasn't a dry eye in the church as everyone reflected on what was expressed.
Rick turned to Michonne and placed both hands on her face. Now he spoke softly, not concerned if the people around him heard what he was saying. "And to my beautiful wife. My love, my protector, my confidant, my warrior, and the mother of my children. I love you most of all." He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Michonne's lips, pressing himself into her. Michonne was overcome with love for this man who had saved her in every way possible. Forgetting everyone around her, she kissed him back, opening her mouth to deepen the kiss. She clung to him tightly, feeling his heart beat against her own. The rest of the room was silent, they seemed to know the couple needed this brief moment to share their affection with each other.
When they were done, they pulled away from each other, but still held hands.
Rick turned to the gathering of family and friends. "So, you all already know this, but I now declare us husband and wife" Rick said in his most official voice, causing Michonne to giggle. "And I know I already did this, but I will now kiss my bride… again."
Rick kissed Michonne again with more passion as the entire gathering stood and cheered wildly. Jada hugged Judy, Michonay, and Risha tightly as she bounced up and down in excitement.
"And now, let's eat!" Michonne said to the crowd.
Carl lifted Judy, Michonne held Risha, and Rick held Michonnay in one arm and held out an elbow for Jada to wrap her arm around his, and the entire family walked from the church to the applause of their happy family and friends.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Immediately after the ceremony, everyone dug into the tables full of food that had been saved up for months. Auntie Chaniece had cooked the majority of it with help from her sister Ann and Ann's husband Thomas, all of them proud to be feeding so many people once again. Daryl and Jorje had gone out two days before and had taken down a 250 pound deer, and the smell of the meat roasting on a spit was mouthwatering. Auntie Chaniece's apple, pumpkin, and peach pies were a hit, and Michonne laughed hysterically and squealed as Rick smashed pieces of it on her face as he was pretending to feed her.
Loud music blared from a cd player as people danced in the grass or in their chairs. "May I have this dance?" Rick asked Michonne, staring into her eyes.
"Okay" Michonne said, nodding. "Wait, can you dance?"
Rick scoffed at Michonne's question. "Of course I can, don't you know I'm a man of many skills? I dance as well as I sing."
Michonne smiled. "Well in that case, yes you may have this dance."
Rick stood up and held out his hand to Michonne who placed hers in his. He kissed her hand and then led her to the grass where the dancing crowd moved out of the way to make space for them. Rick made a hand signal to Glenn who was the DJ for the night. He quickly changed the song, and a medium tempo beat blared across the town. Michonne immediately recognized the song.
"You didn't" she said with a smile.
"I did" he replied, pulling her close to him and rocking side to side.
"You gonna sing for me too?" she asked, looking into her husband's eyes.
"The things I do for love" Rick said with an exaggerated sigh, "okay fine"
Michonne smiled as they rocked together for the intro to the song. When the words began, Rick sang along at the top of his lungs.
"I-I'm so in love with you, whatever you want to do, is alright with meeeeee"
Michonne smiled at Rick's goofiness.
"'Cuz you make me feel so brand newwww. I want to spend my life with youuuuu. Let me say since, baby, since we've been together. Ooooh, loving you forever, is what I neeeeed." Rick's voice cracked as he held the note causing Michonne to burst into laughter. She then joined in with his loud singing for the next verse.
"Let me be the one you come running toooo. I'll never be untrueeeeee. Ooh baby, let's- let's stay together, loving you whether, whether, times are good or bad, and happy or sad."
The two of them were singing so loudly they could be heard over the speakers, but they didn't care. The love Michonne felt for Rick at that moment was so much stronger than any love she'd felt for a man in her life. She was so grateful for the second chance that God, fate, the powers that be, or whoever else was controlling their lives gave them when she decided to head for the prison that day.
As the two of them sang and danced together on their wedding day, she was grateful for all the bad that happened because it all lead to this moment in time, of complete happiness and contentment.
As the sun set, everyone, including the visitors who had traveled to Alexandria for the party began to find a place to settle down for the night. They had to end the party at sundown so that the noise wouldn't attract walkers. The day was so perfect it was easy to forget that they had dangers lurking right outside the gates.
Carl brought the twins over to his parents. "I'm gonna bring them home" he said to his parents. "They're getting sleepy. And Risha really needs a diaper change" Carl said, making a disgusted face.
Michonne reached out to take Risha. "I can change her before you take her…" Michonne began, and Carl practically slapped her hand away.
"Uh… no. It's your wedding day, and the beginning of your honeymoon. I've got this. Jada promised to help with the twins, and Judy is on big sister duty too. I don't expect to see either of you for the next three days. Not out on the wall, not wandering around town, and certainly not coming home. Go have fun 'cuz this is the last time I'm watching all four girls by myself" Carl said seriously.
"Three days?" Michonne asked, looking at Rick.
"You said you wanted to do something nice for a honeymoon, besides escaping a slave farm and dodging booby traps and walkers. So, I'm gonna give you that. It's my gift to you."
Michonne smiled and her heart overflowed with love for her husband. "But where? How? And we've never been away from the babies that long…"
"Shhh" Rick said, cupping her cheek. "Just trust me."
Michonne nodded. "Say bye to mom and dad" Carl said to his sisters. The babies just looked on curiously as Rick and Michonne each kissed the little girls on the forehead and cheeks.
"Jada! Judy! Come say bye to mom and dad!" Carl called to his sisters. The girls who had been dancing and chasing each other around in the grass raced over. "Bye mommy, bye daddy" Judy said, giving both of them a hug. "Have fun but hurry up and come back!" Jada said, hugging them.
"Bye girls, be good and help Carl with the babies" Rick reminded them. "Okay dad" Jada said. Carl walked off with the twins, one in each arm, as Judy followed behind him. Jada began to run off too but stopped and turned around, coming back over to whisper something in Michonne's ear.
When Michonne heard what Jada asked she smiled and nodded her head. "Sure. I think they'd like that" Michonne responded. Jada smiled again and ran off after her siblings.
"What was that about?" Rick asked, perplexed.
"She asked if she could paint the twins' toe nails if they got sad and missed us. It's… it's a girl thing" Michonne said after seeing Rick's confused look.
He nodded. "Must be."
"So where are we going?" Michonne asked, curious to see what Rick had planned. Rick took a handkerchief from his pocket. "I'll tell you, but I need you to use your imagination a little bit. This is to help you."
Michonne allowed Rick to wrap the handkerchief around her eyes.
"I need you to trust me" Rick said.
"I do" Michonne responded.
He kissed Michonne's neck and then moved behind her with both hands on her shoulders.
"Let's walk"
As they moved through the streets, Michonne could hear other wedding guests shuffling about, yelling 'congratulations' to them and 'have fun'. Michonne was totally clueless, but others seemed to know where she was going. As they walked, Rick began whispering in her ear.
"Carl told me you used to go to the Bahamas with your family every year, and you loved the beach and the sand and the water. So, I want you to pretend that's where we are. We're in the Bahamas, on our honeymoon, and we're gonna be there for three days."
Michonne snorted at the idea of pretending to be somewhere she clearly was not, but she knew Rick was trying, so she went along with it.
"Ok. I'm in the Bahamas. Got it."
"Good. It's the first night of our honeymoon. What would you like to do?" Rick asked, as he led her down the street.
"Oh, there's all kinds of things I'd like to do" Michonne giggled.
"We can do anything you want"
"Anything?"
"That's what I said"
Rick stopped walking and said "watch your step" as he led her up the steps of a porch. Although Michonne didn't know which specific house she was in, she knew it was one of the Brownstones in Alexandria.
"Well if we can do anything, and I'm in the Bahamas, I'd like to go lay on the beach for a while" Michonne said, challenging Rick.
"Well I knew you'd say something like that, and that's not a problem" Rick said smugly.
"Really?" Michonne asked, intrigued.
"Nope" Rick replied, guiding Michonne inside the home. "We can go to the beach. But you have to change into your bathing suit first, unless you wanna go skinny dipping?"
Michonne laughed. "Ok Rick, I'll play along. Where's my bathing suit?"
Rick led her through the house and into another room. "I went and got you a bathing suit. I'm gonna take the blindfold off now."
Rick reached behind Michonne and removed the blindfold from her eyes. She found she was in a bedroom in the brownstone. Almost every surface of the bedroom was covered in candles that illuminated the room so brightly it seemed as though the lights were on. The candles all were scented, filling the room with the sweet smell of cinnamon, cherry, peppermint and all kinds of other yummy flavors. One would think burning that many scented candles at once would be overpowering, but together they just made the room smell wonderful. There were rose petals on the bed, and they made a path out of the bedroom into the living room, but Rick had closed the bedroom door. On top of the flower petals, on the bed, was a sky blue bikini.
Michonne took in the sights and smells of the bedroom and then glanced at Rick. He was grinning like the Cheshire Cat and his expression made her smile.
"Rick, it's beautiful" Michonne said.
"This is just the beginning" he whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek. "Put your bikini on and call me when you're ready. I'll come get you and we can go to the beach." Michonne glanced at Rick sideways, but he ignored her look and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Ten minutes later, after much primping in the mirror, Michonne had her bikini on and was ready to see what her husband was up to. She would've just walked out of the room, but he'd asked her to call him when she was ready, and she didn't want to ruin any of his surprises.
"Rick can I come out now?" Michonne asked somewhat sheepishly.
"Nope! I'll come and get you sweetheart" he called, and a few seconds later he entered the room. He had put swim trunks on himself and Michonne couldn't help but notice his toned and hairless chest and abdomen. She realized he had freshly shaved his chest hair just for her as well. She licked her lips at the sight of him. He paused at the sight of her and took a few seconds to gaze over her body lecherously.
"You look amazing baby" he said. The way he looked at her made her blush. Since she had given birth to the twins not long ago, she was worried about the effects that might have on her body. She did now have stretchmarks on her abdomen and arms, and her breasts and hips had gotten larger, even though she was still a petite woman. She was always secretly relieved when he enthusiastically revered her body.
"You do too" she responded flirtatiously. Michonne glanced down and this time she noticed he had a blindfold.
"Is that for me? Again?" she asked incredulously.
"Just trust me" he answered, wrapping the blindfold around her eyes.
"Can't I just see where I'm going?" Michonne whined playfully.
"And ruin the surprise?" Rick asked.
He led her out of the bedroom and into the living room. Michonne could feel the silky rose petals crunch under her toes as Rick pushed her along, and suddenly, she felt sand. She paused for a moment and wiggled her toes, feeling the grains of sand stick to her feet.
"Rick? Why is there sand in the living room?" Michonne asked.
"Because we're in the Bahamas, on the beach" he replied. He moved her forward a little more and to her surprise she could feel a cool breeze that felt wonderful on her skin. Rick let go of her for a few seconds, and after he grabbed her arm again she could hear a soundtrack of waves lapping at the shore, and seagulls flying overhead. As far as she was concerned, it felt and sounded like she was on a beach.
"You did all of this?" Michonne asked, her voice shaking with emotion. She could feel Rick's arms slowly wrapping around her waist and caressing her back.
"You said you loved the beach. I couldn't bring you there, God knows I tried. I even tried to check out that lake 40 miles away, but it was overrun and I figured you didn't wanna go walker slaying on our honeymoon. I swear I will take you to the beach one day, when things are safer. I couldn't bring you to the beach now, so I brought the beach to you."
"Rick…" Michonne managed, before her emotions took over and she could no longer speak.
"You don't have to say anything" Rick said, kissing her tear stained cheeks. "Just come sit on the sand with me."
He led her over to a spot on the sand that was covered with a towel. He helped her sit on the towel and he sat down next to her.
"Turn over, let me put some sunblock on your back" he suggested.
Michonne laughed but obeyed, laying on her belly and resting her head on her arms. She could hear Rick pop open a bottle of sunblock, and hear the sound of it squirting into his hands.
"Is that real sunblock?" Michonne asked incredulously.
"Of course it is, I can't have you burning in the sun now can I?" Rick joked. Michonne heard Rick rub the sunblock onto his hands and then she could feel the cool, sticky substance being applied to her lower back, just over the top of her bikini. Rick's touch was gentle and warm, and the sunblock was wet and slippery, and the way that he was sliding it over her body made her get wet instantly.
"Mmm that feels so good" Michonne moaned.
"You feel so good" Rick replied, slowly working his way up her back. As his hands made their way to her upper back, they glazed over the scars of her brutal beating. They had escaped from The Farm almost two years ago, but every time he saw her scars it brought his mind back to that traumatic day when he watched the love of his life brutalized in front of him. Michonne could feel his fingers pause over her scars, and she knew what he was thinking.
"Something makes me think you aren't trying to protect me from the sun, you're just trying to cop a feel" Michonne joked, instantly taking his mind away from his darker thoughts.
"Something tells me you're right" Rick replied in his southern drawl, and he continued rubbing in the sunblock, his hands purposely dipping underneath her bikini top now and again.
"This is wonderful Rick. I can't believe you did all of this for me. The sand, the breeze, the beach soundtrack… with the blindfold on I can't even tell we're inside."
"Oh, I'm not done" Rick whispered. "Wanna go swimming?"
"Really? How are you gonna pull that off?" Michonne asked in awe.
"Stand up" Rick commanded. He pulled her upwards and led her over to another side of the large living room. "Here, take a step up" he said. Michonne lifted her leg over what felt like a plastic barrier, and to her surprise she could feel warm water touching her feet. "You didn't!" Michonne said in glee, as she pulled herself over the barrier and realized she was standing in a swimming pool. She laughed hysterically as she kicked the water with her feet.
"Can I take the blindfold off now?" she asked.
"It's gonna ruin the illusion" Rick said as he climbed into the pool as well.
"I don't care, I have to see this" Michonne said, reaching for her face. She pulled the blindfold down and saw the full scale of what Rick had done. The living room floor was covered in sand that was lined with a tarp to keep it in one area. On top of the sand were two beach towels and two beach chairs. Oscillating fans were on in the corners of the room to create the cool ocean breeze, and he was playing a beach sounds soundtrack on a nearby cd player. The two of them were standing in a large kiddie pool. The water came right above Michonne's knees, but the temperature of the water was warm enough for one to believe it had been warmed by the sun. The dining room table had a whole tropical set up complete with fruits, and alcohol, and he had even decorated the room with blow up palm trees.
"Are those palm trees from Party City?" Michonne asked, causing Rick to laugh heartily. "I can't believe you did all this. This is amazing", Michonne said.
"I'm glad you like it. I wanted to make it as beach-like as possible. I was even gonna have heat lamps so it felt like the sun was…" Rick began but he was interrupted by Michonne's lips on his.
"Truth or dare?" Michonne asked, smiling.
"Truth" Rick responded.
"You ever go skinny dipping in a kiddie pool?" she asked seductively, sliding her fingers under the elastic of Rick's swim trunks. Rick growled as his hands swiftly untied her bikini top.
"No, but that's about to change"
Author's Note: This is the last chapter. I have never written such a long chapter in my life, but I had so many things that I wanted to add to wrap this story up. I want to thank everyone who stuck with me through the entire story, and please write a review to tell me what your favorite part was. Until next time!
