Michonne wasn't really looking at Rick on their trek back to Alexandria, which worked out because he wasn't exactly looking at her, either. Both were focused on keeping their balance and eyeing their journey ahead, one foot step at a time.

She closed her eyes, and Carol, who was helping her, stopped and asked if she was okay.

"I'm fine. Go on," Michonne growled lowly, careful not to attract any other potential threat that might be lurking around the corner. If she had to, she knew she'd take out a whole army of that group of men who'd attacked her and Rick. But given the choice, she'd much rather go back home to a shower and a bed.

She could hear Rick wimpering as Morgan and Abraham helped him along. She wanted to look at him, to see if she was okay. Despite her own shock and physical pain, she knew Rick well enough to know he wasn't okay. Not by a long shot. Not only was his body hurt badly, but even more importantly to Rick, his pride had been wounded.

Instinct told her, from what she'd learned about Rick and observed about him during the time they first met at the prison, that he'd felt terribly guilty that he hadn't been able to be there for Lori during her ultimate time of need. In some ways, she'd suspected, that Rick had kind of checked out of the relationship, perhaps even prior to this new world. But those were questions for a different time, different environment. All Michonne knew was what Rick didn't- that he couldn't know- that she still cared about him, and she still trusted him with her life every bit as much as she had before. And, on top of that, she still trusted him with her heart. But she couldn't say that now...there would be questions from the others, questions she surely wasn't ready to answer.

"The walls..." Michonne whispered.

"We got them cleared, for now," Morgan answered. "We need to rebuild, but we need to regroup. Glenn and Ju..well, we need to get you both back home. Everything else will follow suit."

Stopping for both her and Rick to catch their breaths, Michonne looked at Morgan, though it took her a lot of strength to turn her head. "Why..why are you here? Why are you doing this...why now?"

Morgan took a deep breath. "Rick...he knew my son. He was the last person on earth who knew my boy. He saw my wife, but she wasn't really my wife..."

Michonne knew exactly what he meant.

"I guess if there's one person left who knew your son, you'd follow them to the ends of the earth. Myself, I could have just..I should have just...but I can't let my world go down without making sure that Duane Jones was here. I guess I owe it to myself as much as to Rick to see to it that he carries on." And with that, Morgan repositioned his arm around Rick, and the weary warriors all continued to drag their tired and blistered feet back to their little camp.

"Thank.."

"Michonne, you don't have to thank me. Rick would have done the same for me. He has done the same for me. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think you were there, too," Morgan smiled.

"You're not crazy...now," Michonne responded, and Abraham and Carol smiled- almost- at the little break of the tension in their little group. It wouldn't last, there were far too many questions. And of course, little Judith and Glenn were still very much missing.

Abraham, being a military man himself, knew that they very much had a mission to continue on with. But even the most tired of soldiers needed a bit of breathing room every now and then, he'd learned a long, long time ago. He'd heard Daryl tell Rick that Morgan had found the map that Abraham had given Rick once, inscribed with his name. "The new world's going to need Rick Grimes."

Abraham himself had lost his family, everything that had made his life worth living for ..before all of this. He couldn't make heads or tails of what the world had become, and heaven knew he had never been a sentimental man.

But somewhere, somehow, deep down inside, he felt something strange when he thought about his little role in helping reunite Rick and Morgan. If Morgan hadn't helped Rick..if Rick hadn't found the group...if Abraham hadn't come across Glenn...

If he didn't know any better, he'd almost say that he felt a little bit of hope. One thing was for certain...they'd come too far to quit now. Judith and Glenn were coming back to them, and that was a mission Abraham would die if need be to see brought to fruition.

He owed Rick that much.

Kind of like how Eugene owed Abraham for giving him protection and places to survive along way.

In the end of the world, when the human population was dropping like flies, it seemed to Abraham at the moment anyways, that this really, really was a small world indeed.

"Abraham?" Carol questioned as she waited for Abraham to pick up the pace. "You okay?"

"I'm better than okay. I'm alive, ain't I?"

Carol bit back a smile, and then turned her attention back to help Michonne.

It wouldn't be too long before their little group made their way back home.

And when they first arrived, Abraham stopped in his tracks. "I'll be a son of a turd eater..."

They all stopped, and even Michonne was able to break into a small grin when she saw what awaited their arrival.

At the front gate was Eugene, letting them in. And beside him was Maggie...beside her, was a very much alive Glenn.

What Michonne saw next both made her want to cry and throw up at the same time.

There was Jessie, holding on to a very alive Judith.

Of course, it was remarkable that the baby was there. That was the important thing.

This little twinge she felt when she saw Jessie holding Rick's daughter...well, that wasn't really a big deal. They were all alive, and they were together again.

Jessie...in all of this, Michonne had almost forgotten about Jessie.

But that could wait. Rick had to get treated, she needed her shower.

Everything else could wait.

She'd survived a near-gang rape and possible murder.

Rick was alive.

The walkers had cleared, for the time being.

So why did Michonne feel like Jessie was a threat to Michonne's own well being- or at least her happiness?

tbc