Okay, first off let me apologize for how long it took me to get this update done. I have tons of excuses but I won't give them to ya! I hope everyone is still interested in this story. As always thank you for reading and don't forget to review!
Chapter 11 : Breath Of An Angel
Andrea sits straight up in bed, her hand automatically going to her shoulder. It was almost as if she could actually feel Michonne's teeth tearing into her flesh and ripping it away with her new walker teeth. She can feel her heart beating fast and her entire body is covered in a thin sheet of sweat, her eyes quickly dart to the other side of the room where her companion is now laying. Michonne looked so small laying on that bed, but at least she was still alive and at that moment all Andrea wanted to do was curl up in that bed right beside her love. Standing on shaky legs she slowly makes her way to Michonne's bedside, she breathes a sigh of relief when she sees the slight rise and fall of the woman's chest. Cupping a dark cheek softly in her hand, she can't seem to stop the unwanted tears from slipping down her cheek. "Oh Michonne, I am so sorry that all of this happened to you because of me. Please don't leave me Mich, I can't bare this world if you aren't in it. I can't do it, I don't want to... Not if you aren't by my side. I've lost everyone I love, everyone dies and I'm always left here alone with no one. I just can't do that anymore. My life changed for the best that night you found me in the woods and I'm not ready to give you up yet. You're my person Michonne, you know that one person that you would go to the end of the earth for. The one person who can make you smile no matter what's going on around you."
Andrea leans over and gives the warrior a light kiss on the lips, "Please come back to me Michonne. I'll beg if that's what it takes, and I've never begged for anything. But I need you to fight, fight to come back to me. Remember? You're a fighter by nature, so don't you dare give up on me now!" Smiling sadly she moves away from the woman and back towards her bed, quickly dressing in the clothes Carol had given her when she first woke up. Andrea can't help but wonder if this was how Michonne felt when Andrea was the one sleeping, had Michonne begged the way she is right now? Had Michonne felt like life wasn't worth living, the same way she was feeling? Moving forward Andrea's whole body seemed to be protesting each and every movement she made, she could feel the fever still radiating through her body. The fever was starting to spike again, grabbing the pill bottle beside the bed she pops two of the pills before taking a long drink of the bottle of water that was also beside the bed. Pulling her hair into a loose ponytail she finally makes her way towards the group room. "Hey guys sorry I slept so late, I was physically and emotionally drained. But I'm feeling much better now that everyone is back where they belong." Andrea closes her eyes in a moment of silence for those who were no longer with them.
"Hey Andrea, it's okay you really needed the rest but now that you are awake we should really get to work." Rick stands and gives Andrea somewhat of a chastising look. "We can't afford to sit around and waste daylight."
"Good grief Rick, give the woman a moment before you go to bossing her around. Besides she needs to eat before she can get started." As if on que Andrea's stomach rumbles loudly. "See, her stomach agrees. Carol smiles as she places a small bowl of oatmeal in front of her friend. "Sorry, we don't have many options now days. But it's warm and it will fill your stomach, there's also water at the end of the table as well." Carol leans down to whisper lightly in the blondes ear, "don'y ind Rick. He has his ass on his shoulders about everything this morning.
Andrea smiles back warmly at the womanas she tries to hold in a laugh. "This is perfect Carol, thank you." Andrea quickly takes several bites before finally slowing down and savoring the food when she sees the looks she's getting from the others. "Sorry..."
Rick rolls his eyes but sits back down in his chair, "Just hurry. The weather is bad out today and we need to hurry and get things settled in case it gets worse later. I know you've been through hell these last few day, we all have but we have to get going and not fall behind because we've had a bad day."
"Andrea? How is Michonne? Was she awake this morning?" Carol can't help but take pity on the blonde, Rick was all business here lately and she could see the look of discomfort on her friends face.
Andrea looks over at Carol and gives her a grateful smile. Bless Carol's heart, she is such a kind soul. "She's still sleeping, is that normal?" Andrea directs the question at Hershel even though she is having a conversation with Carol. "It's been quite a few hours now and I'm really starting to worry." Andrea doesn't mention her dream but it's still plays through her mind every single time she closes her eyes.
"She's probably exhausted, I don't think she's slept since you've been back. That paired with her injuries, yeah I would say that it's pretty common. Let's give her a little more time before we start to worry. If she hasn't woken up by tonight then we may have to rethink our options." Hershel catches the look of panic on Andrea's face and tries to give her a reassuring smile, "I'm sure she will be just fine."
Andrea takes the last bite of her breakfast before moving to her feet, "Okay I'm ready." The entire group save for Beth and Hershel follow the blondes lead, it was time they got this day started. Andrea looks over her shoulder at Beth and Hershel, "Look in on Michonne for me? And you'll come and get me if anything changes... And I do mean anything."
"Of course Andrea." Beth gives the blonde as small smile before turning her attention back to the baby in her arms.
Michonne's eyes feel heavy but she can hear someone speaking to her. She knew that voice, it was asking her to wake up and to stay alive. Her heart breaks at how sad and defeated Andrea sounded but then just as suddenly it soars high as she feels the small kiss the blonde places on her lips. And it was in that moment that Michonne knew she had to wake up, she had to wake up for Andrea. There were lots of reasons she should just fall into the darkness that was surrounding her, and there seemed to be only one reason keeping her grounded to this world. And that reason alone was the most important reason there was, Andrea wanted her to wake up. So that was exactly what Michonne was gonna do, she was gonna pull herself out of this hole and get back to the person who needed her.
Michonne's eyes finally open and she looks around the empty cell, her head was pounding and her shoulder felt as if it was on fire. Looking around she sighs loudly when she realizes she's all alone, Andrea is no where to be found. She could have sworn she heard Andrea's voice just moments before, but the room was empty and there was no proof that Andrea had even been there. Michonne thought maybe she was hearing things again, the same way she had at the beginning of this whole mess. "How the fuck did I even get back to this place?" Sitting up in the bed she slowly goes to stand, testing to see of her legs would cooperate with her. Pushing forward she has to brace herself on the edge of the bed, her legs wobbly under her full weight. As she applies more weight to her arm that is pressed into the bed she winces as pain shoots over her shoulder and through her neck. "Jesus, what the hell happened to me?" Sitting down once again on the edge of the bed she slowly slides down the strap of her tank top, she is met with bulky bandaging and no memory of what happened. Looking around the realization that Andrea must have been her imagination playing tricks on her.
"Andrea..." The name slips over her lips in a ghost of a whisper as she racks her brain trying to remember what happened in past few hours. The last thing she remembered was being in Woodbury with that monster that called himself the Governor. Since she was back at the prison then Andrea had to be here as well, it's where she had left her just a day before. But just as quickly she remembers the fever the blonde was fighting and she almost falls to her knees at the thought of the fever over taking the woman. Moving towards the door she ignores the pain as she rushes to the room where she hoped the group was, she needed answers and she sure as hell hoped they could give them. As she stumbles into the room she is only met with the confused face of Beth and a crying Judith. "Beth."
"Michonne, hey!" Beth comes over and gives the dark woman a one armed hug. "It's so good to see you awake, you've been out all night and most of the day. But my dad said you probably needed the rest. How are you feeling?"
"Where is everyone?" Michonne's voice is low and husky from it not being used. Glancing around she takes in that everything looks exactly as it had before she left to go after the Governor. Was Andrea here? She had to be, unless they had handed Andrea over to the Governor the same way they had planned to do with her.
"They're all outside..." Beth cuts the sentence off with a sad look making it's way on her face. "They've been out there most of the day. Why don't you sit down and I'll get you something to eat, are you hungry?"
Michonne ignores the question only to ask one of her own. "What exactly are they doing outside? Is it the Governor?" Michonne can feel the panic as it starts in her gut and then quickly moves into her chest. The group was outside, could that mean that someone had not made it? Michonne's mind was running rampant, had someone she had grown to like been killed?
"He's dead." Beth turns her attention back to the baby in her arms, trying her hardest to avoid the questioning eyes of the other woman. She knew the dark woman was getting frustrated with her with her vague answers.
"Beth, can you please just answer my question? Why are they outside?" She didn't like it at all that the young blonde was being evasive, it was grading hard on her nerves. The young girl wouldn't even look into her eyes, that made Michonne believe it was bad.
"Funeral, we lost one of our own in the showdown. So everyone went out to show their respect."
Michonne's heart breaks at the thought of one of her friends being dead. "And... Everyone is out there?" She is trying her best to get a straight answer, she can fill her heartbeat quicken as she prepares herself for the answer to her next question. "Andrea?" Michonne meant the question to be is Andrea the one they are burying. She can't help but hold her breath, she knew the answer would very well be yes and end her entire existence.
Beth misunderstanding the question, slowly shakes her head yes. "Yes, Andrea." She gives Michonne a small smile, she knew the other woman would be happy that Andrea was up and about.
At that moment she feels as if her heart had stopped beating and she had died right then and there, the tears prick her eyes. Beth had just confirmed her worst nightmare, Andrea was dead and the others were outside right now putting her in her final resting place. A fucking prison, Andrea deserved better than that. She needed to get out there before they finished, she needed to see her one more time. Michonne had only wanted one thing and that was to save Andrea and make sure she had some sort of life. But she had failed and now her reason for existing was no more, she was no more. "no... What happened?"
Beth is utterly confused by Michonne's reaction, she thought the other woman would be happy that Andrea was okay. "Michonne are you okay, do I need to go and get my father?" Beth moves closer, ready to be there if she was needed. Michonne looked as if she was about ready to pass out and her eyes were glazed with unshed tears.
"I'm fine Beth, I just need to get outside with the others." She moves to go past the girl but a hand on her shoulder stops her. "Look Beth no offence but I really don't wanna talk right now."
"I just don't think this is a very good idea, the others will be able to handle this themselves. You can barely stand on your own right now, besides they should be back in any minute now. Just sit down and and I'll get you some water, you look as if you are dead no your feet."
"I have to Beth." You can hear the pain behind every single word. "I have to go and say goodbye or I'll never be able to forgive myself." The thought of saying goodbye to the person she loved killed her inside, she had nothing without Andrea. Yet her Beth sat like all was well in the world, Michonne had thought the young girl felt more for Andrea than that.
"Okay." Beth gives the other woman a confused look, had Michonne and Milton really been that close?" Seeing the sadness in Michonne's eyes she sighs deeply. "Okay but please just take it easy okay?" Just as Michonne is walking away Beth speaks again, "Hey Michonne? I'm really glad you are going to be okay, everyone else will be happy too."
"Doesn't really matter too much anymore, now does it?" The words come out angry as she swipes at the tears rolling down her face, she thinks of her sweet Andrea being laid in the cold ground just outside those prison doors. What was the point in living when the one person she had been living for was now lost to her.
"What are you saying? Of course it matters!" She gives Michonne a look of sadness when she sees the tears, "Why are you crying? Andrea..." Beth finally thinks she understands what the problems is, Michonne thinks Andrea is dead.
Michonne cuts the girl off as she once again wipes at her tears. "It's nothing, I'm just gonna go now Beth."
"No wait Michonne, you misunderstood!"
Walking away quickly shes finds herself outside in the rain watching with regretful eyes as Rick shovels the last bit of dirt on top of the fresh grave. Michonne looks up at the sky, it was almost as if the heavens were crying right along with her. Crying for the loss of one of the most amazing, loving and caring person she had ever met. Falling to her knees as the reality of the situation washes over her, tears wash over her face as she closes her eyes trying to picture Andrea's beautiful face just one more time. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye, she had tried so damn hard to save her and in the end she had failed so miserably that Michonne was sure she'd died right then and there. "Andrea..." It comes out more of a sob than an actual name. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you, I tried so incredibly hard." The slow rain that is falling was mixing with her tears cascading down her face. She could feel the gravel scrapping at her knees through her jeans and the water soaking into her clothes as well. Thunder rumbles all around her and lightening splits the sky, she felt as if the whole world was crashing in around her.
"Michonne? Oh thank God you are awake, I was so worried about you!" Andrea is glad to see Michonne up and about but she was confused as to why she was kneeling in the dirt crying. She could hear her sobbing even though she was still at the woman's back. "Hey, what's wrong Mich? Are you in pain?"
"An... Andrea?" Michonne stands to her feet and quickly turns towards the voice that belongs to the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on. She had been sure she'd never have the pleasure of hearing that voice again, but here she stood right before her with that amazingly cute smirk etched across her lips. Dirt and sweat caked her beautiful face, but she had never look so beautiful in Michonne's eyes. "Am I in heaven? You are the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time."
Andrea blushes at the compliment but still manages to give out a loud laugh as she moves closer. "Sweetheart if this is heaven I'd sure hate to see what hell looks like. "What were you doing down in the mud? You look as if someone told you your best friend died."
"Beth... Beth said, she said..." Her lungs felt as if they were on fire as she gasps for breath, she thought she was hallucinating just as she had done before. But she would damn sure take it if it meant she got too see Andrea again. She had so many things she wanted to say but her mouth didn't seem to want to cooperate with her brain at the moment.
"Whoa, easy killer. Calm down and take a few deep breaths, then you can tell me what exactly Beth said to you to upset you so much and had you on the ground in tears." Andrea would most definitely have words with the young girl as soon as she seen her. "Just breathe babe, in and out." Andrea rubs her hands up and down Michonne's arms hoping to warm the other woman up.
"She said that you were gone and that the others were out here burying you." Michonne moves her hand to the blondes face, just wanting to touch her so she'd know she was really there. Gently cupping the blondes face she gives a slight tug and pulls the shocked woman into her arms, burying her face deep into the crook of her neck. Breathing in Andrea's scent she can't help but smile, only Andrea could still smell like vanilla and apples at the end of the world and covered in muck. "Please. please just tell me that you are real and you aren't gonna just disappear."
Andrea can feel the other woman trembling against her own body. "I'm here Mich. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere." She wraps her arms tightly around the other woman, hoping to give her some sort of comfort but it was actually giving Andrea herself comfort. It felt so good to be held in the woman she loved arms again, "I'm never leaving you you again Mich. It should have never happened in the first place, in case you haven't noticed you are kind of stuck with me. Where ever you are, that's where I want to be. I never want you to leave my side again."
"You're not dead." She wraps both her arms around Andrea's waist as she sobs into the blondes neck. "Andrea, I'll never leave."
The words are muffled because they are said into her neck but it was still clear enough for Andrea to hear. Those words go straight to Andrea's heart and it makes it hurt deeply. She can feel Michonne's tears as they soak into the skin of her neck, "No baby, I'm not dead." She tries to smile brightly as she kisses her warrior on the cheek. "Now come on and lets get you back inside before you catch a cold on top of your other injuries, you don't even have on a jacket." Andrea also notices the woman is without her beloved katana, she must have been in a huge hurry to have left it behind. Of all the time she had know Michonne she's never seen the woman without her sword other than that time in Woodbury.
"I thought you were gone, that they had already buried you before I could get out here. I thought I'd never get the chance to see your beautiful face again, that I'd missed the chance to say goodbye. The thought of you not being here at my side made me want to die right along with you." She clutches the blonde even tighter, the pain in her shoulder making her wince slightly.
"Look at me Michonne, I'm right here." Andrea's heart aches as it's plagued with thoughts of death, especially Michonne's death. She doesn't tell the other woman that she doesn't want her to say things like that, but only because she knows she'd feel exactly the same way.
"But..." She sniffles as she wipes at her eyes. Andrea's body felt so damn good pressed into her own, so war and so alive.
"But nothing, just stop thinking about it Michonne. We are here now and that should be all that matters." Andrea rubs soothing circles over Michonne's back hoping it will make the other woman breathe a little better.
"Who didn't make it? Beth said the group was out here to have a funeral because we lost one of our own, she made it seem as if it was you. I know you aren't out here burying that piece of shit Phillip Blake and I've seen almost everyone else except..." She cuts off mid sentence as she realizes who the one person she hadn't caught a glimpse of was. "Not Carl." The tears are once again sliding down her cheeks, she had grown fond of the young soldier since their trip into town a few short days ago.
"No, not Carl. Milton actually, Phillip shot him and he turned." The pain was evident in her shaky voice, but only slightly.
Michonne smiles in relief to hear that the boy was safe. "I'm sorry about Milton, I know he was a friend." But I'm also thankful it wasn't anyone else, does saying that make me a horrible person?"
"No Mich, it doesn't make you a horrible person, you could never be considered a bad person. He died saving someone, so his death wasn't in vain. Besides if you saying that makes you a bad person then I must be the worst because I would rather it be anyone other than you."
"Sounds like I missed one hell of a fight, I hate I didn't get to see that bastard take his last breath. Hell I hate that I wasn't the one who ended his life. speaking of, who did kill him?"
"Carl?" Andrea says it as more of a question than an answer.
Deciding to let the way the blonde answered her go, Michonne finally forces her attention fully on Andrea's face. She can't help noticing the busted lip and the frown that makes it's way to her face. Lightly brushing her fingers over the lips being sure not to hurt her by applying too much pressure. "What's this?" She lovingly traces the bruise that marred Andre'as beautiful face and then lightly runs the tips of her fingers over the bandage on the blondes forehead.
"I know I must look a wreck but I promise it's nothing, just a little cut is all." She lowers her head, not wanting to say anything to upset Michonne again since she was finally starting to calm down. "How are you feeling? We really should get you out of the rain, do you remember anything that happened?" Andrea's eyes move towards Michonne's injured shoulder, she can see the blood seeping through the white bandages.
"The last thing I remember is being in Woodbury, the Governor was telling me how he was planning on killing you all and making me watch before he killed me. I said something that set him off and he hit me in the head with Daryl's gun, then everything went black. I woke up here and that's all I know."
"Carl shot you.." Andrea wants to take the statement back once she sees the wounded look on Michonne's face. "It was an accident, he was aiming for Phillip. He had us convinced he had killed you and kept your head as a souvenir." Tears once again start yo build behind blue eyes but she wills them not to fall. Michonne was here now and they were both safe.
"Carl..."
"Don't Michonne, he would've never done anything to hurt you intentionally. Wanna tell me what happened after you woke up that resulted in you being out here in the rain?"
"When I came to find you Beth said..."
"Did she say I was dead?" Andrea couldn't believe the youngest Greene would do that, especially after everything they've been through.
"Well no not exactly... Okay so maybe I jumped to conclusions." She lowers her eyes towards the ground, everything made so much sense now. Maybe if she had given Beth the chance to explain before she ran off then she wouldn't be out here in the rain right now.
"Just maybe?" Andrea can't help but smile fondly at the woman she had come to love and so close to losing. Michonne was always the type to jump to conclusions first and ask questions later, but it was still one of the things she loved about the other woman.
Before the conversation could go any further they were interrupted by a solemn faced Rick. "Ladies."
"Rick I'm..." Michonne looks down at the ground, she knew the man would probably be mad at her for leaving the way she had. "I know you are mad, I know I shouldn't have left the way I did but I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to. Andrea is the most important person to me and she will ALWAYS come first.
"It doesn't matter now and I hate to interrupt but I need Andrea to help us clear out the rest of the walkers in the yard before we can burn them. Less chance of the fire bringing more walkers if there is only one going, that is if we can even keep it lit with the rain. They shouldn't be able to see the glow of the fire in the daylight, walkers or other people." He thinks of the Governor and his followers, he couldn't help but wonder if all survivors they encountered now would be the same way.
"I want to help too, Rick." Michonne straightens her shoulders but regrets it instantly as pain and nausea wash over her body once again. She manages to swallow it down quickly before Andrea and Rick can see her discomfort. She hadn't noticed before how sick to her stomach she felt.
"No." Both Rick and Andrea say at the same time, but it's Andrea who actually continues. "Absolutely not Michonne. You don't even have a jacket on, your clothes are soaked to the bone as is." Andrea removes her own raincoat and then slips it over Michonne's bare shoulders. "Here take mine and head back inside, I'll be in as soon as we are done here."
"What?" Michonne goes to hand the coat back but instead slides her arms in the sleeves when she sees the look she's getting from the blonde. "Why not? I can do just as well as anyone else out here." She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms which sends another slab of pain through her shoulder. "This is ridiculous." She bites her tongue to keep from gasping as the pain moves over her entire body. "I'm not a child Andrea, i am somewhat capable of taking care of myself."
"You need to be resting, or have you totally forgotten that you were just shot not a day ago?" Rick can feel his temper starting to rise, mostly anger at himself for allowing Michonne to be hurt by his son. He still needed to sit down and talk to the boy about his actions lately, the last thing they needed was a baby Shane running around.
"No... Have you forgotten that it was YOUR son who shot me?!" Michonne regrets her lash out as soon as the word leave her mouth. She knew it was an accident because Andrea had said it was and she honestly didn't hold a grudge against the young boy.
Andrea moves closer but stops when Rick puts his hand up. "Whoa now, there's no need..."
"No Andrea, she's right. Carl did do that but it still doesn't change the fact that you were indeed shot and you need to be inside, not out here... Being out here could end up hurting you worse than you are now. Do you really want to risk that? You aren't at your best right now, you being out here will only cause Andrea to constantly be looking over her shoulder. That would be dangerous don't you agree."
"I have been resting." The words come out between gritted teeth, she hated nothing more than being seen as someone who was weak. She had never been seen as weak and she wouldn't be seen that way now. She was a fighter, even before this whole zombie shit went down. "Do not treat me as if I am some weakling who can't take care of herself. And as far as Andrea is concerned... You both know I'd never do anything to put her in danger, not for anything."
"Mich." Andrea looks at the other woman with pleading eyes. "No one is saying that you are weak but you do need to rest, please. If not for yourself then do it for me?" She knows it's a low blow but but she'd do whatever it took to make sure Michonne wasn't in any danger. She can feel a headache starting just behind her eyes, she hated fighting with the other woman.
Michonne rolls her eyes and turns her glare towards the object of her affection. "And what about you huh? You were the one with a raging fever and pretty much in a coma!" The truth was, she knew she would eventually give into Andrea's requests but that didn't mean she couldn't make her work a little bit for it first. Sure Andrea had a point, but she had a point that she wanted to be made as well. "Why don't you go ahead and try to argue that fact..."
"Are you really gonna make this about me right now? We are talking about you and how you were shot, do not turn this around to be about me!" Andrea smiles even though the words seem mean, she gives the woman a wink as she goes to walk past her. "Now get inside, the longer we stand out here arguing the longer it's gonna take! You will catch the flu out here, your body and system is weak. We don't have the supplies to treat the flu."
"You can't catch the flu from the rain Andrea. And besides if you are well enough to be out here then so am I, fair is fair. I
ll go inside at the same time and you and not a second sooner."
"What are we Michonne? Five fucking years old? I didn't get shot, I have my weapon." She pulls out her gun and shows it to the woman. "Where is yours?" She loves Michonne but sometimes the woman could act like a spoiled brat, now being one of the times.
"No you weren't shot, you were just tied up and tortured by a mad man!" She reaches back for her katana and rolls her eyes when she sees the blonde smirking at her. "Damn it."
"What's the matter Mich, missing something?"
Rick finally having had enough throws his hands up. "You know what?" Both women look towards the man after his outburst. "How about the both of you go inside, we don't need Andrea after all." The rain is starting to come down faster and all he really wanted to do was get this over with. "It was wrong of me to ask for Andrea's help in the first place.
"But Rick..." Andrea is now glaring at the man as well. "I..."
Cutting the blonde off mid sentence, "No. Michonne is right. Both of you need to be inside, you've had a rough couple of days. It wouldn't hurt to just take today and get some rest, tomorrow maybe you can go with Glenn on a run into town. So just please, take today. Talk, or do whatever it is that you women like to do. We have more important things to do than sit here bitching and arguing. go inside and work out your issues, tomorrow I expect you both to pitch in at least some way."
Andrea looks at Rick as if she is in deep thought, almost as if she was ready to argue with the man that she was fine. But she changes her mind when she sees the lingering look she is receiving from Michonne. "Okay, but this is only today." She smiles as she holds her hand out towards the other woman, "You heard the boss Mich, let's get going."
"I'm not tired." She had never been the kind to take orders from someone, she was a leader not a follower.
"No? Well I am and I would love nothing more than for you to come and keep me company." Looking down at her outstretched hand she wiggles her fingers, "Please?" She lightly chews at the side of her cheek, pleading with her eyes that Michonne take her hand. "Come on Mich, don't make me use force."
Michonne finally takes the offered hand, entwining their fingers together loosely, she knew she would follow Andrea any where. "Yeah okay Andrea, let's go inside then there are a few things I would like to talk to you about anyway." She takes the lead as she pulls a smiling blonde back into the prison behind her.
Once they are both tucked safely away inside their cell and in dry clothes they both sit at the edge of the bed awkwardly. "So..." Michonne had never been so nervous about anything in her entire life.
Andrea can't help but laugh at the terrified look on Michonne's face. "Yes Michonne, is there something you would like to talk to me about? By the look on your face I would say that it's something pretty important." She reaches over and takes Michonne's hand, hoping it would give the woman the courage to say what was on her mind. "You don't have to be scared..."
"I ain't scared."
"You aren't scared." Andrea gives the other woman a chastising look at her choice of words. "And I can tell that you are, you know you can tell me anything."
"It's really good to see you looking like you feel better, I was really worried about you." She reaches up and caresses Andrea's face. "I don't know what I would do without you, you are my world Andrea. Things just don't look the same when you aren't by my side, things seem darker somehow. It's a scary world we live in and I don't want to live in it without you."
Leaning into the touch, she closes her eyes and sighs deeply before smiling brightly. Her own hand coming up to cover the one already resting on her cheek. "I know what you mean, I feel the same way." Andrea's smile falls as her eyes move to Michonne's injured shoulder, "How's the arm? Does it hurt badly?"
"It's a little tender, but nothing I can't handle. My head though? That's a different story, it feels like someone used it as a ball on the tennis court." Bad thing about the end of the world is that there aren't pills just sitting there to help out with the aches and pains.
"It's starting to bleed through, maybe we should change the bandage. Hershel said the bullet went all the way through cleanly, so you pretty much have a hole a completely through your shoulder."
"In a bit okay? I just wanna sit here with you for a while, I have missed you so much. It feels like it's been years since we've sat down and had an actual conversation that didn't involve use screaming and fighting with each other."
"Hey Mich?" Andrea reaches up and starts to rub soothing circles over Michonne's temples, it always seemed to help ease the pain when her head was hurting.
"Hmm?" She can't help but lean into the touch, it seemed to spread warmth all over her entire body. Andrea's fingers felt amazing as they moved across her skin, how she'd ever lived without the blondes touch before would forever be a mystery to her.
"I'm sorry." You can hear the tears in her voice. "I'm sorry I'm the reason that all of this happened. Everyone I love in this world could have been killed, and it's all because I was too stubborn to trust you."
"Andrea don't..." She can feel the blondes pain as if it were her own.
"No, let me get this out or I may not have the guts to do it later. I love you, Michonne. I love you with everything that I am. I hope you know that, that I didn't choose Woodbury over you. I wanted to have a life there, a life where I didn't have to constantly look over my shoulder or sleep with one eye open. But it was always you that I wanted to have that life with, not Phillip."
"I love you too Andrea."
"No..." She takes a deep breath as she looks into Michonne's dark eyes, she can see so many emotions swirling around in those brown orbs. Could love really be one of those emotions?
"No you don't love me?" Confusion fills her head, Andres was starting to make no sense at all and it definitely wasn't helping with her headache at the moment.
"No, I..." Andrea sighs and pulls her hands away, it was now or never. "I mean I really love you and I know you probably don't feel the same about me but I couldn't go another day without telling you how I felt. We have lost so much time already and letting you walk away that day in Woodbury was the biggest mistake of my life, and boy let me tell you I have made a lot of them. Then when I thought you were gone and that I was never gonna see you again..."
Michonne cuts the woman off by kissing her soundly on the lips before pulling back slowly, resting her forehead against Andrea's. "You would be wrong my sweet Andrea, I feel exactly the same way you do. It's like my heart is tethered to yours and when you aren't around it feels like a piece of me is missing, and I don't mean just any part. I mean the most important part, I can't be without you. I know we've both done and said things we regret but I really don't want to dwell on that anymore. I just want to be with you, that's all."
Andrea lets out a loud breath that she didn't realizing she had been holding in. "Exactly? You are sitting here telling me that you are feeling exactly the same way as I do? You actually want to be with me?"
Michonne smiles as she sees the tears shimmering in blue eyes, making them shine like the crystal sea. They held so much love and hope that it warmed her heart, "Yes Exactly. I know we aren't promised tomorrow in this world anymore but I want to spend all the tomorrow's that I have left with you." She reaches up and wipes away the tears that are sliding down Andrea's beautiful face. "Don't cry, please don't cry. You know that breaks my heart, we can finally be together no more bullshit."
"They are happy tears, I can promise you that. I just never dreamed that I'd ever hear you say that you felt the same about me as I do you. I've dreamed of you saying those words to me so many times. i thought they were just that, just dreams that would never come true. Now that they are I', having a hard time believing that you actually love me."
"What's not to love? I'm pretty sure I've loved you since that day in the woods when I saved you from those walkers. Your eyes can captivate me for hours at a time, I could stare at them for the rest of my life and never grow tired of seeing them. Your smile lights up the room and anyone who has the privilege of being on the receiving end of one of those smiles, well they should concider themselves damn lucky. Your hair is so soft and beautiful, it reminds me of fresh honey that my mom use to give me when I was a kid. You are smart, kind and amazingly beautiful. Having you in my life has given me a new reason to live when before I met you I had no reason, I had lost everything and everyone. I live to see your face every single day, I need you as much as I need the air I breathe. When I look at you I see everything that his new world is missing, you are my own little slice of heaven and I never want to lose that. I can face anything as long as I have to by my side to face it with me."
"You really mean all of that? I'm nothing special Michonne, I'm just an ordinary person. You speak of me as if I were a goddess or something. You really shouldn't put me up on a pedestal, one day I'm probably gonna do something to make myself fall."
"Oh no my love, you are far from ordinary. I just wish you could see yourself as I see you, you are amazingly beautiful on the inside and out. If you give me the chance of letting me call you mine then I will tell you how special you are every single day for the rest of my life. You deserve that and I want to be the person who gives it to you."
"You can have forever, however long that may be. And just so you know, you deserve the same treatment as I do... Maybe even better."
Michonne smiles as she slowly moves closer, her eyes rest on the ruby lips she wants to feel on her own once again. "We can start with forever and take it from there." Finally their lips meet again and she feels as if she's died and gone to heaven. The kiss is soft, just the gentle pressure of their lips as they mold together. She had never felt something so amazing in her entire existence. "I love you."
Andrea pulls back slowly, once again resting their foreheads together. "Say it again?"
"I love you Andrea, with everything that I am or ever will be. You are it for me, for how ever long we have left. It's you and me baby, you are all I need. If you want to stay here at the prison with the group then that's exactly what we will do."
"Thank you." Andrea smiles as she places playful kisses all over Michonne's face. "I know you've been wanting to head towards to coast, my parents lived in Florida... Maybe we can head that way and see if I can find them."
"You have nothing to thank me for sweetheart, it's always been you. The heart wants what the heart wants and truth is that it's wanted you from the very beginning, it will ALWAYS be you." She pulls the blonde fully into her arms, not caring about her injured shoulder. "Why don't we just take it one day at a time, we can always decide what we want to do in the long run at later time. Let things settle down here and see what the others are planning on doing, they can't stay here forever."
"I never figured you for such a sap Michonne..."
"I'm not a sap, I'm a bad ass who just happens to be in love with you. Besides I can't help that just the sight of you makes me weak in the knees, it's your fault for being so damn gorgeous."
Andrea moves her head to the crook of Michonne's neck, lightly kissing at the soft flesh she finds there. "Do you know how long I've wanted to hear those words leave your mouth?"
"Probably as long as I've wanted to say them." She nudges the side of Andrea's neck almost the same way the blonde had done to her, placing small kisses over her neck and ear. "I'm sorry it took both of us almost dying for me to get up the nerve to actually say them."
"Michonne not to ruin the mood but can I ask you a question?" When she feels the other woman shake her head she continues, "Why did you leave me? I mean I know you said you couldn't stay but why not force me to go with you?"
She feels as if the breath had been kicked right out of her lungs, she knew this question would come sooner or later. "I didn't want to leave you, I wanted you to come with me on your own free will. I wanted the choice to be yours and yours alone, I didn't want you to regret leaving at a later time. I know you weren't ready to give up the chance at a normal life and that's all I ever wanted for you. To be safe and loved, even if I wasn't the one loving you. Leaving you was hard, I couldn't do it again even if I wanted to. I'm sorry that I left you, I wish I could go back and change it but I can't."
"I never loved him, it was always you that I wanted. Every night I would dream of being in your arms and every morning I would wake up in tears because I knew you weren't there. And then..." The tears are coming down hard now as she chokes on her words, "I am so very sorry Michonne. I almost got the both of us killed because I was stupid and stubborn, I could have lost you forever. He could have killed everyone here. I don't care about my life but what I do care about is the lives of the people I love, the people that I call my family. And yes I do want a normal life but that's just not an option anymore."
"Shh baby, we aren't dead. We are both alive and we can be together now, everything will be okay from here on out because I am never leaving you again. No matter what happens. No one from your family died, sure we lost Milton but you still have all of us here. The people here love you Andrea and you are lucky to have them."
Andrea tried hard to pull out of the comfortable embrace, feeling as if she didn't deserve to be with Michonne. As if the woman deserved someone who would've left Woodbury with her no matter what. "I messed everything up Mich, if I had only left with you that day then everything would be different."
"Andrea you need to stop that right now!" She quickly grabs the sides of Andrea's face, forcing the blonde to look her in the eyes. "Ever thought that maybe if things had been different then we wouldn't be here right now? Maybe we wouldn't have found your old group? The truth is, we all make mistakes. No one blames you for what happened and that goes double for me. You didn't know what kind of man Phillip was..."
"No but you did." Andrea now has tears of sorrow running down her face instead of happiness. "You had that bastard pegged from the start."
"And I should have stayed there with you instead of leaving you there to fend for yourself. So let's just not go there, got it? We can't live our lives based on what ifs my love, let's just focus on right now and take each day as it comes... Together. Shoula, coulda, woulda baby... It's not important anymore."
Andrea chooses not to answer but instead pulls the other woman in for a deep kiss. Her tongue slips out to ask for entrance as their bodies mold together as one on the bed. "Being with you like this, it's so much better than I could have imagined. Now that I have tasted your lips I don't think I could go but a few minutes without having them on my own. I know that I couldn't bare to live without you." She proves her point by placing small kisses over dark lips. "You taste like candy, the best damn candy I've ever tasted in my life." She smiles as she gently crawls her away into her girls lap, her legs going to wrap tightly around her waist and her arms around her shoulders being extra careful of the gun shot wound. "Can I just stay right here for the rest of my life?"
"Andrea, maybe we shouldn't be doing this right now." She pulls away slightly not not completely.
Andrea looks Michonne in the eye as she fakes stupidity, "Do what? All I wanted was a few more kisses and maybe some cuddle time?" he pulls the woman back towards her body, not happy with the space Michonne had created between them.
"Cuddle time?" She smiles and mock glares at the blonde, "Do I look like a cuddler to you?"
Andrea pushes her love down completely on the bed before covering the length of Michonne's body with her own. "Oh I don't know Mich, remember all those times we had to snuggle up to keep warm because it was so cold out? You would wrap your arms around me so tight that I wasn't sure where I ended and you started, I looked forward to those cold nights more than anything. It's one of the reasons I love winter so much now." She leans up and nuzzles her her face into the crook of Michonne's neck, placing slow kisses all over the side of her neck and ear. "Maybe you can make a small exception to the no cuddling deal? I promise I won't tell anyone that you are really a softy at heart. Unless you refuse to cuddle and then I don't know what I might say."
"Hmm, oh really?" She tilts her head to the side, giving the blonde more access to her neck.
"Yes really."
Michonne leans up as if she is gonna pull the blonde into an embrace but instead assaults her sides with her hands. "And what if I say I'll tickle you until you admit I'm not a softy?"
Andrea takes deep breaths of air in between laughs as dark hands wreaked havoc on her body. "Stop!" She can't control the giggles that slip past her lips as she tries to push the dark hands away from her sides.
"Say I'm not a softy." Michonne can't help but laugh as well, seeing Andrea act so care free made her happy.
"But you are my softy." Her blue eyes shine brightly with love and happiness.
Andrea says those words with so much love that Michonne feels her heart swell with pride. "I guess I can handle that..."
Andrea doesn't let the other woman finish as she once again covers dark lips with her own. Kissing Michonne felt like taking a long drink of water after being stranded in the desert for days without any. "Cuddling is still an option. You don't have to answer now, just think about it." She gives her one last kiss before moving to her side of the bed but stops when she feels a hand tightly gripping her own. "Change your mind already?"
"Who is Amy?"
The question catches the blonde off guard, she had never spoken of Amy to Michonne. The smile that was just now stretched across her face slips into a look of sadness. "Amy?" The name barely comes out as the tears gather behind her eyes once again.
"I've heard you call out to her at night sometimes, I never wanted to bring it up before but now I really need to know. Who is she Andrea?" She instantly feels bad for just blurting the question out when she sees the fresh tears building behind those eyes that she loved so much. Reaching up she she tries to brush them away with her thumb. "Hey, I didn't mean to upset you... We don't have to talk about this right now. I'm sorry."
"Amy is, was my sister. My baby sister..."
"Andrea, we don't have to do this right now. I didn't mean to push, I only asked because I want to know everything about you. She was imortant to you and so I want to know exactly who she is, but I'd rather not talk about it if it's going to upset you."
Andrea sighs deeply, Michonne could be so thoughtful at times and it warmed the blondes heart to know that she cared more about her feelings than anything else. "No it's okay, really. I would like to tell you about Amy but I'm sure there will be a lot of tears as I do, so you will just have to bare with me as we talk. Do you think you can do that?"
Michonne wraps her arms tightly around Andrea's waist as she brings her down into a laying position. "Take as much time as you need, I'm not going anywhere."
Andrea lays her head on Michonne's chest, entwining her fingers with Michonne's. The steady thump of her heart calming her nerves. "As I said Amy was my little sister, we were on a road trip when everything went to shit. Dale was the one who found us and took us under his wing, he was a father figure to both Amy and I. Our parents were in Florida and we had no idea if they were still alive or not. One night after me and Amy had been fishing we were celebrating our big catch with a cookout type deal and we had all let our guards down. Amy was coming out of the RV when she was attacked, I just couldn't get to her fast enough. The walker got her on the arm and then the neck, by the time I reached her she was already dying. We lost a big majority of our group that night, everyone who is here now minus the Greene's were in our original group from Atlanta. There's a few that we have lost since then..." Andrea voice cuts off as she thinks of Dale and how she had treated him since the CDC.
"Things were bad after Amy died, I had just lost the one person in this world that I had left. After the attack we found ourselves at the CDC, there was a doctor there named Jenner. After we settled in we found out that the whole place was gonna be blowing up, but Jenner said that it was a way to end it. No more pain or suffering, he was giving us all a way out of this life. The others all wanted to leave, but one of our own wanted to stay. Her name was Jacqui and I had wanted to stay with her, take the way out and just be done with it. I wanted to be with Amy again, I wanted my life to be over. I didn't want to live in this world anymore, does any one really? I mean, who wants to live in a world where everyone they love dies and then comes back to try and eat them? Dale said he wasn't leaving if I didn't, so in the end I left so he wouldn't die too. I treated him so horribly after that, our relationship strained because I felt he had taken away my choices. I was bitter and angry for a long time, I was a total bitch to him."
"Did you ever make it right with him?"
"We were starting to mend our friendship but he was killed by a walker one night at the farm, it just ripped him apart. But I continued to live and at the beginning I hated every single second of it, but then you found me."
"Andrea..." Michonne pulls the woman in even closer as the sobs rack the blondes body. "Thank you for telling me, but that's enough for today I don't want to focus on the bad anymore." She brings her lips to ruby red ones, she can taste the salt from Andrea's tears. "I love you."
Andrea closes her eyes and cuddles up even closer to her Warrior, her eyes suddenly heavy with sleep. "Love you too Mich." She is pretty much asleep as soon as the words leave her mouth, the events of the last week finally caving in on her.
Michonne can't help but smile, things finally seemed as if everything would work out. Kissing the blonde on the forehead she closes her eyes as well, "Sleep well my love."