Mothers Know Best (Chapter 12)
A/N: As always, thank you for reading, reviewing, and the awesome support. I appreciate all of you.
Rick drops his eyes down to his lap just for the sake of composure. All types of emotions rage within him, but he quells them down. He knows he has to handle this delicately and he has to do this the right way. He eventually lifts his head and locks eyes with a silent Carl. He then looks to his wife. "The new DA?" He nods. "Well, that's certainly something you wanted. I know how hard you worked to get as far as you did with your career, so…." He swallows visibly as he is having difficulty getting the next few words past his lips. "….whatever you decide to do, I'm there. I'll support you. No matter what."
Michonne's eyes light up with happiness as she smiles. "Really Rick? You mean that?"
He takes a deep breath and releases it. "I do."
"Does this mean we're moving to Atlanta or are we going to have to have two homes again?" Carl asks as he looks from one adult to the other.
Michonne pushes her chair back and moves over to Rick who makes room for her to sit on his lap. She kisses him soundly and whispers, "Thank you." She then looks to Carl. "We won't have to have two homes again because I'm not going to accept the position."
Rick jolts with surprise as he asks, "What?"
"Really?" Carl exclaims. "But I thought this was the big job you wanted."
"It is…or was, but I have a more important job here, helping your dad take care of you," Michonne returns as she rubs her stomach. "And whoever this little person will be when she or he comes along."
Her husband lifts a finger to her chin to get her attention. Once her eyes turn to his, he looks into them deeply. "Are you sure?"
She smiles at him warmly, cupping his face in her hands. "I am." She leans in and kisses him softly, preparing to pull back when she feels his hand move to her upper back and press her to him, bringing their mouths together again.
Rick opens his mouth, ready to taste his wife with his tongue when he hears his son clearing his throat.
Carl hits his fist against the table, making his silverware, plate and glass vibrate. "I'm still here."
Michonne laughs as Rick was so caught up in the moment, he honestly forgot where they were. They both look over at Carl with a smile. "Sorry."
Hours later, they are in bed, but Rick is restless. Thoughts of Michonne turning down this job and what it will mean for her are constantly flitting through his mind. He sighs heavily, wondering if she made the right decision.
Michonne looks over at him. "What's wrong?"
"I can't help thinking that you'll regret turning down this position. You wanted it for so long and here it is. It practically landed in your lap and you're not going to take it?"
She turns on her side to face him. "Honestly, I wanted to, but then I thought about the stress and the issues they're having now, but most of all, I thought about us and Carl and the baby. My family is what's important. I choose you, I choose Carl, and I choose our baby. I'm happy, Rick. I don't need anything else."
He turns his body to face her, lifting himself on an elbow. "So you're going to be a housewife now?"
She scoffs. "Don't press your luck buddy. No, I'll get back into law again." She moves over onto her back, placing both hands on her belly. "I just want to concentrate on the baby right now." She smiles as he sidles over to her slowly.
"Did I tell you how much I love you today?" He asks as he returns her smile.
"No, but you can whisper it in my ear while you're showing me just how much you love me."
He doesn't hesitate to accept her invitation as he moves in for a kiss.
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Michonne is laughing as Shane leans over talking to her stomach. She is sitting in Rick's office, waiting for him so they can go to her doctor's appointment together.
"Hey, there, little guy. This here is your Uncle Shane. Just checking in with you. See how you're doing today." He smiles up at Michonne as she shakes her head.
Rick walks into his office, taking in the scene. "Would you please not embarrass my wife like that?"
"I'm telling you that baby can hear me. They say you can play music and talk to him and he hears it all," Shane advises.
"And just how do you know all this? You got a kid around here you ain't told us about?" Rick asks.
"Naw, man, I dated a chick who was about 7 months pregnant and she was reading all these books and stuff, so I picked up on a few things," Shane tells them.
Rick and Michonne share a look.
"Do we even want to know what happened?" Rick asks.
"Nope," Michonne answers.
"Hey, y'all know I don't discriminate. Everybody needs love," Shane explains.
"Are you ready, babe?" Rick asks.
Michonne nods as Shane helps her up from her chair. She walks out hand in hand with Rick after he informed Shane he'd return as soon as the visit was over.
He helps her into the vehicle before making his way to the driver's side to prepare to travel to the doctor's office.
She inhales deeply, then exhales and says, "I think I want to find out what we're having. I'm getting antsy about it."
"You said you wanted to be surprised," Rick reminds her.
"I know, but I think I'd rather know. Don't you?"
"I already told you we're having a boy. I just know it." He smiles as she narrows her eyes at him. "Rick Grimes, Jr."
She laughs at the silly grin on his face. "Whatever Rick Grimes, Sr."
"You got it babe. Glad we're on the same page." He laughs as he drives off.
Forty-five minutes later, they are in the examination room, waiting to see the doctor. He waltzes in after a quick knock, greeting them with a smile and giving Rick a handshake. He asks Michonne how she has been feeling and if she has any questions before he begins. Shortly after, there is another knock at the door and his nurse walks in and the doctor begins his examination.
He frowns as he checks the baby's heartbeat. "Did we have Mrs. Grimes scheduled for an ultrasound today?"
The nurse scans the paperwork inside the folder she is holding. "No. Looks like we were planning another one at 28 weeks. Do I need to send her downstairs?"
"Doctor?" Rick inquires.
"One moment please. I'll return shortly." He exits the room with his nurse.
Michonne and Rick share a look, but both decide not to panic. He grabs her hand with a squeeze and a kiss.
Several minutes later, they find themselves in the ultrasound area with the doctor in tow. He watches carefully as the technician administers the ultrasound, waiting for the picture to appear with the sonogram.
Rick and Michonne are trying not to panic, but want to know what's going on.
"Is there a problem, Dr. Stevens?" Rick asks.
"No, no problem at all." He laughs. "I just needed to confirm something." He points to the picture of the baby. "Do you see this little line right here?"
Rick and Michonne nod.
"We believe that's another leg. I was trying to make out some other parts, but he or she seems to be hiding pretty well," the doctor informs. "I heard two heartbeats and that's what we're picking up with the ultrasound." He looks at the confused expressions on the couple's faces. "Twins, Mr. and Mrs. Grimes. Twins."
An hour later, they are sitting in Rick's parents' living room, waiting for Ms. Mae and Walter who are just now pulling up in the driveway. They make their way inside anxiously.
"I'm sorry. We were at the grocery store and it took longer than I thought. Is everything ok?" Ms. Mae looks from Rick to Michonne. "Oh goodness, y'all found out if we're having a boy or a girl, didn't you?"
"You may as well stop asking. They ain't saying a word until we settle down, but you can tell they're about to burst, so come on in and sit down," Gladys instructs with a smile.
Once everyone is seated, Rick takes a deep breath and says, "We're having twins." He and Michonne laugh at their parents' expressions as they slowly comprehend what he just said.
"Run that by me again," Arthur requests.
"Twins. They told us we're having twins," Michonne repeats.
Gladys and Mae are speechless.
Michonne looks over at her dad and immediately goes to his side as tears are spilling down his cheeks. "Dad, it's ok. Don't cry. Please don't cry." The tears come for her as well as she hugs him tightly.
Walter wipes his face quickly. "I just….I thought we'd never have any grandkids. You were always so focused on your career, then you got with Rick and we got Carl and today, you're telling me we're gonna have two new grandbabies at the same time? Just….I can't believe it."
He looks over at Rick with the expression of a proud father. "Come here, boy! " He stands as Rick walks over to him and pulls his son-in-law into a warm hug.
Arthur joins them and hugs his son as well. "I don't know how you did it, but good work, son!"
The ladies laugh as the men are actually beaming with the news.
Michonne looks over at her mother and mother-in-law who have yet to say anything, but continue looking at each other. "You two alright? You haven't said anything.
Ms. Mae clears her throat. "We're just trying to keep it together."
"Right….and um…two babies, so that means we have to buy two of everything and…are we having two girls or two boys?" Gladys asks.
"We're not sure yet. One of them seems to be in hiding and we're not sure of the gender, but the one we were able to see is definitely a little boy," Michonne tells them. "We go back to the doctor in two weeks instead of four in hopes we can get a better look at the other baby."
"We've gone from no grandbabies to three in a year's time. I can't even think straight," Ms. Mae confesses as she feels the sting of tears. "I knew He'd work it out. He always does." She grabs her best friend's hand as the two women smile at their children.
Later that night, Rick and Michonne are enjoying the quietness of the house as Carl has retired early after hearing the exciting news. They ordered take out and had dinner at Rick's parents' house as Ms. Mae and Ms. Gladys were too excited to even think about cooking. Shane came over as well as Daryl, Sasha, and Darlene. It turned into a mini celebration and Rick and Michonne couldn't be happier.
They are lounging on the couch in the living room, supposedly watching TV, but neither of them is paying much attention. Her back is against his chest as they stretch out comfortably, his hand resting against her stomach.
She sighs with contentment. "We've got more work to do."
"I know. We'll start this weekend, but we still have a little time left," he reminds her.
She nods against his chest. "I never thanked you."
"For what?" He asks.
She turns her head and lifts her eyes to his. "Just for being there and never giving up on me. I made things kind of hard for us, but you were always there. From the very beginning, you were taking care of me. You didn't even know me, but I was the first one you led out of the courtroom that day."
He shakes his head as he remembers how eventful things were when they first met. "I think I knew as soon as I saw you that I wanted to be someone in your life. I'll always be there for you. No matter what." He pauses. "And I hope we ain't keeping tabs, but I wasn't always a picnic either."
"No, but you knew what you wanted and you went for it. I'm glad you did." She takes his hand and brings it to her lips for a soft, tender kiss. "I remember when you tried to tell me everything was going to be ok. You were right, so….thank you."
Rick smiles, wondering yet again how he got so lucky as to find a woman as beautiful and loving as his wife. "You know you don't have to thank me. I do what I do because I love you."
She tries to turn so she can face him, but her stomach won't cooperate. She falls back against him with a laugh. "I love you too. I don't know what I'd do without you."
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Two weeks later, she is sitting in the small parking garage at the hospital, waiting for Rick to arrive for her doctor's visit. She was working at the church today, so he opted to meet her there rather than her picking him up as before.
She sees the familiar blue and white sedan and prepares to exit. As soon as her door is opened, a man materializes from behind the SUV and strolls right up to her. She gasps and starts to close her door until she realizes who is standing in front of her.
"Judge Martinez? What are you doing here?" She asks.
"Just checking up on you. I'm sure you've heard all about my stint of bad luck lately. It's just amazing to me that things started going downhill as soon as I took a liking to you." He informs her.
"Well, I'm sorry about your misfortune. I'm sure you'll hire the best representation." She surmises that Rick will be walking up at any moment, so she pushes her door open wider, prompting Martinez to move back so she can exit the vehicle.
He looks at her stomach. "You're fucking pregnant?! This gets even better."
Rick walks up, calling her name and stops as he sees the stranger standing only inches away from his wife. He reaches for her arm, pulling her to his side, protectively. "Excuse us. Do I know you?"
"Let me guess. You must be the husband. Well, it's nice to finally meet you. I see you didn't waste any time plugging her up." He extends his hand. "Judge Martinez, by the way."
Rick only glances at his hand, catching that unsavory remark he made about his wife. "Is there a reason you're here?"
"You know what I am nowadays? I'm a man with nothing left to lose. My descent seemed to start happening as soon as I decided I wanted a taste of your wife." He looks Michonne up and down. "Why would I go to jail not knowing how sweet of a ride it is between those beautiful brown thighs of hers?"
Michonne gasps as Rick draws a fist back only to stop mid-air as Martinez draws a gun and points it at him. She tries to step in front of him, but Rick takes a hand and keeps her at his back. Her eyes search around wildly, praying that someone, anyone will walk up.
"Step the fuck away or I shoot you right here, right now. I'm going to jail anyway. What's a simple murder gonna matter now?" Martinez smirks.
"Please…don't. I'll do whatever you say. Just…put the gun away," Michonne offers.
Rick wants to curse, but quietly bides his time in order to make a move against this crazed man.
"Well, look a here. Now, she wants to do what I tell her. Better late than never, right? If memory serves, pregnant pussy is the best pussy." He smiles as Rick flinches.
Michonne eyes Rick's gun, wondering if she can grab it and incapacitate Martinez without causing any injury to her husband.
"Get over here, bitch. We're going to take a little ride," Martinez sneers.
Michonne slowly tries to move around Rick but her husband pushes her behind him.
"She's not going anywhere with you," Rick growls.
She gasps as Martinez pulls the hammer back on his weapon and aims at Rick's head. "Don't!"
Her shout temporarily distracts Martinez and Rick makes his move. He grabs the other man's wrists, pushing the gun upwards as Martinez squeezes the trigger, making the gun fire.
Michonne yelps and quickly ducks down behind her car. She looks around frantically, wondering what to do. She jumps when the gun goes off again and again and the scuffling from the two men struggling stops. She cautiously peeks around, clearly expecting to see Rick walking towards her. What she sees makes her heart falter and slam so hard against her chest, she feels like she is having a heart attack. She screams as she races to her husband.
He is sprawled on the cement floor, his eyes closed. She feels like it is taking her forever to reach him. She finally drops down to her knees, calling his name over and over again. Martinez sits off to the side, looking from the gun and back to the man apparently dead on the concrete. He realizes he needs to get out there. He tries to grab Michonne. "Come on. Let's go. Get up."
She feels Martinez grab at her arm and immediately starts pressing buttons on Rick's walkie talkie shoulder mic, praying that someone could pick it up as a distress call. She screams as Martinez grabs her hair, yelling at her to get up.
By this time, the shots have been heard and a couple of hospital staff make their way to the garage. Martinez is distracted by the curious onlookers, so Michonne takes that opportunity to grab Rick's gun, taking the barrel in her hands and rounding on him blindly with the butt. She connects with his nose and is temporarily satisfied with his scream of pain and outrage.
He falls back and she kicks him hard between the legs, the gun effectively dropping from his hands. A male nurse races over to help Rick while a paramedic driver assists Michonne in subduing Martinez. The police sirens are heard and Michonne is in a shaken daze as Shane and other officers arrive.
She looks behind her to see them bring out a stretcher and load her husband onto it. She sees the blood and starts to crumble to the ground.