"I've got pretzels, Twizzlers and carrot sticks," Michonne listed as she pulled each snack out of the large tote bag she had on the floor in front of her. She was settled into the passenger side seat of Rick's SUV, at Daryl's insistence, and was turned over her shoulder toward Daryl and Carl, displaying the choices in a fan.
Daryl grabbed a bag of pretzels out of her hands as Carl reached for the Twizzlers. "Good call on inviting her, Rick," he said, eyeing his friend in the rearview mirror. Rick shook his head at him, remembering the ribbing he had taken for doing just that. They had been on the road an hour and a half and the two backseat passengers had already asked to stop once for what amounted to their second lunch. This was dessert.
"Carl, we are going to be there in 30 minutes and you know Karin has a big dinner planned tonight." Rick's words fell on deaf ears as Carl pulled a handful of candy out for himself then traded bags with Daryl.
"He's a growing boy," Michonne shrugged, taking a bite of one of the carrots that remained.
"Sure is," Rick scoffed, eyeing his son's reflection.
Winters in Georgia weren't cold by any means but, compared to the rest of the year, January had everyone bundled up. Rick had layered on a navy blue, henley style shirt with the top buttons undone and his bright, white t-shirt was poking through the top. Michonne couldn't help but notice the way it made his eyes look almost like they were glowing. She wondered how they could really be that blue. She'd met many people with the recessive trait but his were a hue all of their own. She also noticed he hadn't been keeping up with his razor again and his hair needed a trim, the ends looking like they had been set free to fulfill their dream of curling. She shook her head, feeling as if she had let her gaze linger too long and went back to her carrots. "You going rogue again?" she asked, between crunches. She gestured to his face while keeping her eyes straight ahead.
Rick eyed her with his head tilted to the side, not understanding her reference.
"Your face," she said while reaching a hand up to graze his cheek with the back of her hand. "It's losing the war."
Rick felt a trail of heat, where her hand had touched him, pulling his mouth into a smile. "The Sheriff is on vacation this week," he explained with a sly grin that made her belly flip just a little bit.
She averted her eyes back to the window, trying her best to study the mountainous terrain that they were traversing. She wasn't yet accustomed to the cocky side of Rick Grimes and she felt a warmth rising in her cheeks, despite her unwillingness to meet his gaze.
…
Michonne eyed the sign at the foot of the steep incline leading them to the row of vacation rentals nestled on the side of the mountain: "Welcome to The Hilltop". Despite the cold, she couldn't help but roll her window down and take in the crisp, fresh air. It smelled like the snow that was falling lightly from the sky and she sucked in a deep breath letting out all of the responsibilities of life as she released it. For the next 3 days, she was on vacation and she could not wait to relax and celebrate the New Year surrounded by friends. With the exception of Andrea, she hadn't even known these people last New Year's Eve but she couldn't think of anyone else she would rather be with.
Carl read the numbers on each building they passed out loud as they climbed the winding road. Each building was slightly different but they all maintained the same basic, dark wood and stone facade. When they had almost reached the summit he called out "712", recognizing the address of their destination and Rick slowed to take the turn into the driveway.
The home that Tyrese had secured for the occasion was actually two separate buildings, one large and one small, adjoined by a pergola that covered a stone patio, anchoring them to one another. The dual accommodations would be necessary as they were expecting almost 20 of them, including the kids, by the time everyone arrived. Michonne's head swiveled around as the car took the curve of the driveway, keeping her eyes on the mountains that rose behind the structures like apparitions out of the fog hanging low all around them.
The patio was set with a fireplace and chairs surrounding it, a large grill and a wide open view of the beauty that surrounded them. A light snow had been falling all morning and the air was cool enough here that it had remained on the ground, covering any grass that may have remained this late in the season. Small, white lights hung from the pergola and, though it was only mid afternoon, they cast a glow on the stone below like a spotlight directing them to the best spot in the house.
Pulling around the circular driveway they noticed many of their friends had already arrived. Glenn's car was parked at the beginning of the line, followed by Sasha's then Abraham's and then a black sports car they didn't recognize. Rick pulled into the spot behind the coupe and inwardly wondered about the driver's choice of vehicle for the slick roads he had just navigated.
"Hi guys!" Karin called, meeting them in the driveway as Rick got out and popped the tailgate to begin unloading their bags. She greeted Carl first, hugging him and admiring what seemed to be a growth spurt just since she had last seen him in October. After releasing him with the knowledge that Tim and Isaac were already inside, she turned to the adults and greeted them one by one. "You have to come see this place," she said excitedly, pulling Michonne away from the group.
Rick and Daryl grabbed their bags and the bags Michonne and Carl had left on their dash inside, and made their way around to the front door of the larger building where Karin had appeared. They climbed up three stairs and immediately heard the sound of laughter from the brightly lit room before them. A large, open living room with two brown, leather couches and some purposefully placed chairs, opened into a kitchen. There stood a table for 10 with a granite topped island offering additional seating. The living and dining areas were separated by a massive, floor to ceiling fireplace that was currently casting light and warmth over the large group that settled in various spots around the room, catching up with each other. A built in cabinet on one side of the living area had its doors open revealing the source of the background music that mixed with the happy chatter.
Maggie spotted them first and jumped up from the spot she had been occupying on the floor in front of the couch, careful not to spill her freshly poured glass of wine. "Hey! Look who's finally here," she chided. "Are the roads getting bad?"
"Nah, just had to stop a couple times," Rick answered, glancing at Daryl while embracing her.
They set the bags by the entry and went about the room greeting their friends who had already made themselves comfortable. Rick could hear Carl laughing with the other boys from a room upstairs and noticed Lizzy sitting at the kitchen island with a friend whom he hadn't met before. Glenn had handed he and Daryl beers when their tour had made its way to the kitchen and Daryl took his outside to smoke a cigarette before eyeing the rest of the accommodations.
Maggie, Sasha and Sasha's new boyfriend; Bob, were occupying one couch, while Abraham, Francine and Shane lounged on the other. Andrea was nowhere to be found at the moment but, Rick guessed she was wherever Karin had led Michonne off to. Tyrese stood at the stove stirring a large pot of what looked like marinara sauce and Rick came to stand beside him.
"I thought Karin was doing the dinner tonight?" he asked, peering into the pot.
"She's giving tours right now, stuck me on stirring duty." Tyrese pulled a spoonful of sauce out of the pot and up to his nose to breath in its aroma. "I can't take credit for this."
Rick nodded. It did smell divine. "Just tell me where you want us and I'll get those bags out of the way."
"Most of the bedrooms are in the other building. The boys all wanted to share one of the bunk rooms here if that's ok with you. I think Carl is up there now." He gestured to the stairs to their right.
"That's fine. I'm under no illusion he's here to spend time with me," Rick laughed as he finished his first beer quicker than he had intended.
"I put Abraham and Francine in this building and Karin and I are sharing the other room with the girls, so if you don't mind being in the opposite building as Carl, you can take whatever is left next door."
Rick nodded and started to turn toward the door when Karin reappeared followed by Andrea, Michonne and a man he didn't recognize.
"Hey, thanks for bringing my bag in," Michonne said, coming to stand next to Rick. "We were just checking out the other building. This place is huge!"
"Rick, this is our friend Mike," Karin said, gesturing to the man who stood beside her. He was tall with ebony skin and closely cropped hair and wore a white t-shirt that seemed too light for the current temperature. "He and Ty work together," she explained.
"Nice to meet you," Rick said, offering a handshake.
"You too." Mike answered with a large smile that reached all the way up to his eyes. "I appreciate you all having me. My plans for the holiday fell through last minute and Ty was nice enough to invite me."
"The more the merrier," Karin said happily.
"That your car out front?" Daryl asked, coming in from his smoke break. Mike confirmed the black Camaro they had spotted was his and he and Daryl turned to go back outside to check it out.
Once the two had closed the door behind them, Karin turned to Michonne and nudged her shoulder. "So, Mike is single," she said in a conspiratorial tone.
Michonne felt her cheeks flush at Karin's comment and stole a quick look at Rick while she deliberated on how to respond. She didn't want to have this conversation in front of him for reasons she couldn't quite place and was relieved when he took the opportunity to step away and grab the bags that were still laying on the floor near the door.
Rick wasn't sure how he felt when Karin decided to inform Michonne about Mike's relationship status but, he knew he didn't want to be a participant in the conversation. He had intended to busy himself but remain close enough to hear Michonne's response. Unfortunately, the conversation and music that filled the room, combined with Karin's hushed voice, made it impossible to eavesdrop. He picked up his and Carl's bags, hesitating at Michonne's, all of a sudden feeling self-conscious about carrying it for her.
"I'll grab it," Michonne said, noticing Rick tentatively reach for her bag. She gave Karin a small smile in lieu of a response to the information and came to the spot where Rick stood, picking up her bag. "Karin showed me what rooms were left next door. I'll show you."
Rick grabbed Daryl's bag for him and followed her down the steps and out into the fresh air. They crossed the patio and came around to the front of the building. Michonne opened the door where they found another small set of stairs matching the entry to the room they had just left. Climbing to the top, they entered a much smaller version of the living room where their friends were currently gathered. This one did not open into a kitchen like the other but, it had its own fireplace and a mini bar area with a refrigerator that looked like it could hold a couple of six-packs and snacks at most. There was a sliding glass door that led to a small landing that could be used to access the patio. It was as warm and inviting as its counterpart, just on a smaller scale. Most of the gathering was clearly meant to be done next door.
Crossing through the room, they came to a staircase and a small hallway that looked like it lead to one bedroom and a bathroom. "Maggie and Glenn took that room," Michonne pointed as she began to climb the stairs. When the reached the top they were looking straight into a laundry room with a hallway on each side of the landing. "Shane and Andrea," Michonne said, pointing left. "There is a bunk room next to them and one to the right. Bathrooms at the end of each hall. We figured girls in one and guys in the other." She looked to him for confirmation of the plan.
"Sounds good. Daryl's getting top bunk since I had to haul his bag," Rick smirked. "Which one is which?"
Michonne smiled, knowing that one of them was going to be stuck sharing a wall with Shane and Andrea's room. It clearly hadn't occurred to him yet so she pointed to her left. "That's you guys."
They parted ways, each retreating to their decided upon sleeping quarters. The two bunk rooms were identical, each containing a futon, which had been pulled out to create a full size bed, as well as a bunk bed with a full size bottom and a twin on top. Michonne threw her bag onto the bottom of the bunk set and snickered at the thought of Daryl climbing into the top bunk that matched it down the hall. She assumed Rick would choose to sleep below him, giving Mike the single bed to himself. That would be the considerate thing to do, so that is what Rick would do.
She sat down on her bunk and dug through her overnight bag on her lap, searching for her toothbrush and other toiletries so she could have easy access to them. She assumed she wouldn't want to be searching for them when she finally retired for the evening. Choosing a drawer in the dresser between the two beds, she shoved some clothes in, trying to consolidate so Rosita and Tara would each have their own once they arrived. Michonne was looking forward to sharing the room with them. She enjoyed both of their company and bunking with other women reminded her of some of her favorite nights hanging out and chatting with her college roommates in their tiny dorm room.
With a quick spritz of rose water on her wrists and a glance in the mirror at the state of her outfit after the long car ride, she found her way back to the hall to meet Rick for the walk back to the adjoining house. She was about to call his name when she saw Mike walking out of his room. "Oh, hey," she said, assuming that Rick had already left since Mike was leaning on the doorway, blocking any exit.
"Hey. I was just throwing my stuff in the boys dorm," he smirked. Michonne smiled at the reference given she was just making the same comparison. "I kinda assumed you would be sharing a room with one of these guys since you rode in together."
'That was smooth' Michonne thought. Karin obviously hadn't had the same talk with Mike regarding her lack of attachment and she was grateful for the woman's discretion. "No, we were just coming from the same place so we shared the ride," she said, feeling as though she was lying to him without meaning to.
"I see, well, I was about to head back. You comin'?" He nodded his chin toward the stairs and she turned to lead the way.
"So, what were your plans tonight? The ones that fell through," she asked, feeling him right behind her on the stairs.
"Oh, uh, I was flying to Vegas, actually. Meeting some friends. Ended up having to work on Monday so it wasn't worth making the trip only to have to leave a few hours after the ball dropped." He stepped ahead of her as they got to the bottom of the stairs and crossed the living room. He arrived at the front door ahead of her and held it open.
"Vegas? Wow. Hope the party here can hold your interest. You aren't exactly in for that kind of night with this group."
"Oh, my interest is already peaked," he said, letting his gaze wander up and down her as she passed by him to step outside.
Crossing the patio, Michonne opened the door to take the steps into the living room where their friends were gathered. The scent of the dinner that Karin and Tyrese were cooking invaded her lungs as she reached the landing and she paused to breath it in. Andrea appeared to her left, handing her a wineglass and Michonne stepped aside to let Mike pass by her to enter the room. To her surprise, he stopped beside her, still smiling.
"We were wondering where you were," Andrea said, filling her glass with the bottle of Merlot she held. She tipped the bottle at Mike, silently offering him some and he held his hand up to decline.
"I think I'll stick to beer," he said, finally moving on. Michonne watched him walk toward the kitchen and her eyes fell on Rick who was standing at the island talking with Shane. His eyes met hers but instead of holding her gaze just a little too long, as was his habit, he quickly looked back at Shane and took a sip from the bottle he was holding.
"Come on, you haven't met Bob yet. Sasha's new guy." Andrea pulled her by the arm to the set of couches and she took a seat in between Maggie and Sasha, awaiting her introduction.
…
The afternoon was spent in various states of relaxation. Some of the guys had taken the kids outside to throw the football around and most of the women had spent the time catching up with Karin, whom they rarely saw. A few of them had made a trip into town to pick up some more snacks and items to stock the bar.
By the time evening rolled around they had taken turns showering away their long car rides and afternoon laziness and changed into more festive attire. Well, most of them. Rick and Shane were wearing slightly less casual versions of their regular button down shirts and Abraham had put on a sweater adorned with two knitted reindeer fornicating, much to Francine's embarrassment. Daryl hadn't even tried, opting for a long sleeve t-shirt.
"Michonne!" Carl yelled as she emerged through the front door with Maggie, the two being the last to join the group after readying themselves in the adjoining building. "You have to come see this game!"
Michonne had chosen a pair of black, pointy heels this evening, rather than her comfortable boots. They showed off the top of her ankle where her tight, black pants came to a tapered end. A bright, red, silk top hung from cap sleeves on her shoulders, landing just below her backside, the color of the fabric matching her lipstick perfectly. Her hair was up and a dainty gold chain with the letter M nestled on her chest contrasting with the larger, more ornate gold baubles that hung from her ears. Most of her more elegant clothes had remained packed when she moved from the city to the sleepy town she now called home and she was delighted to have a reason to dress up. She quickly turned her attention to the kids who were gathered around the TV, taking turns playing a video game on the XBox that the home was furnished with.
"Oh my gosh, Carl! What is this?" She scrunched her face in disgust as she watched him manipulate the buttons on the controller to shoot what looked like a grotesquely animated zombie in the face. Virtual blood and guts sprayed all over the screen and the kids all cheered.
"It's awesome! Wanna play?"
She glanced over her shoulder at Rick to see if he was aware of the violent game his son was playing and found his gaze was already on her. She arched an eyebrow at him, tipping her head toward the screen in silent question but he just shrugged, giving her a lopsided smile. When she returned his grin his eyes dropped to her neck, then down her legs then back up to her face before he slowly turned his head back to Daryl who seemed to be saying something to both him and Shane.
"Uh, sure," she said, remembering Carl had asked her a question. "What do I have to do?" She took a seat on the couch between Carl and Isaac and they both explained to her what each of the buttons on the controller should be used for. Glenn had found his way over to the TV as well and was already calling the next game.
Rick was listening to Daryl rant about the time the Sheriff had insisted he wear a suit to a dinner celebrating the culmination of a case he had been involved in but, his attention kept drifting back to Michonne. She looked like she belonged at a fancy restaurant, sipping cocktails made with top shelf liquor yet, she currently sat on her knees on the floor violently tapping at the game controller in her hands and laughing as she handily defeated Glenn in a bout of zombie killing. He was taken by her appearance, as he figured most of the men in the room were. Especially Mike who apparently also had an affinity for video games given his close proximity to the match. More than that, though, he was enthralled by her happiness. Her laughter captivated him as she seemed fully immersed in her current task with no other thoughts besides the joy of the moment. He wondered what it was like to feel that buoyant. He got a taste of it every time she was around him, her smile pulling his own mouth upward without even trying. Her lightness was drawing him like a moth to a flame as he considered how heavy everything had been for him for so long.
"Rick," Shane called, pulling him back to the conversation he was supposed to be a part of.
"Yeah," he replied, snapping out of his thoughts.
"What's the name of that restaurant that Lori made us go to in the city? Where they had the dress code and such?"
"I don't remember," he said, standing from his stool and making his way toward the living room to get a better look at her. Just as he arrived Michonne jumped up, holding the controller over her head, and cheered as Glenn collapsed onto the couch behind him with a loud groan. Carl and the other boys were laughing uncontrollably and Maggie stood from the chair she had been occupying to offer her condolences to her boyfriend.
"That was impressive," Mike complemented with an exaggerated, slow clap.
"Thanks," she smiled, handing the controller to Carl. "I'm done, though. I need a drink."
"Me too," Glenn said, pulling himself back up to standing. "Losers pour. I'll be right back." He motioned for her to take a seat and she and Maggie settled into the couch opposite the boys who were setting up the next match.
"One more, guys," Rick called. "It's almost dinner time." The kids all nodded as Rick took a seat next to Maggie. Mike settled on the arm of the couch next to Michonne.
"Wouldn't have pegged you for the video game type," Mike grinned down at Michonne from his perch. "You showed these kids how it's done."
"I've never even held a controller before. I just have a bit of a competitive streak and Glenn was a little too sure he was going to beat me," Michonne said proudly.
"Well, you certainly put him in his place," Maggie laughed, genuinely amused at how easily she had beat Glenn.
"After seeing that dart game the other day, I'm surprised you're such a good shot," Rick said, smiling as he took a sip of the beer.
Michonne's lips curled into a grin of her own. "I really don't think you can hold that game against me, I was just warming up."
"Warming up by tossing all your darts onto the floor?" he laughed, tilting his head the way he always did when he was challenging something.
She tilted her own head, mirroring his signature squint and leaned around Maggie to make eye contact with him. "Apparently, you don't remember our epic beer pong battle," she chided. "I can't be good at everything."
"You just need a little practice. Next time we're at Morgan's I'll show you how to keep your darts out of the wall."
"Oh, boy," Maggie sighed, sinking farther into the couch as her two friends conversed across her.
"Listen Grimes, I'm up for a rematch anytime."
Rick's eyes crinkled in amusement. "Well, you were playing the kid if you remember," he smiled, gesturing to Carl. "But, you're on, if you think that's wise."
"Why? You nervous?"
"Not at all." He took another sip, not letting his eyes drop from hers.
Before Michonne could offer a retort, Karin announced that dinner was ready and Maggie used the opportunity to extricate herself from the middle of their conversation. She stood, leading the way to the large table in the dining room where everyone took their seats.
A/N Sorry this chapter ends in sort of a weird place. The next part of the story was getting sooooo long that I had to pick a place to cut it or I'd never get more posted. Thanks for reading!