I'm really sorry that I've taken sooo long for this update. My guess is that many of you have moved on to the other numerous TWD-Richonne fanfics but, I've really been so engrossed in those other TWD-Richonne fanfictions that I haven't had time to work on my own stories. So for those of you still interested here's another chapter.

Lanie

Rick aimlessly walks back home after finding out where Michonne would be staying for the time being. He feels completely helpless and partially responsible for the situation that Michonne, Carol, Shyanna, Catori and Tara were in.

For them to finally come a across a thriving survivor community and yet; this community's first principle being based upon the resurrecting of a patriarchal, misogynistic social construct from a millennia on back; was absolutely the last thing Rick or anyone else could've possibly imagined.

The group could only hope that this restoration of the past didn't also include prejudice and blind enmity.

Slowly placing his foot on the steps leading to his front door; Rick pauses to hear who's arguing in the bedroom on the second floor.

"Sounds like Maggie and Glenn", Rick utters to himself.

He couldn't tell if Glenn was upset because he found out about Maggie's pregnancy by accident or if he was upset that they've been back in to a corner when it comes to staying or leaving Greenbrier.

A minute or so later,

Sasha pushes the curtain back while peeking out of the front window. She sees Rick standing on the front porch looking up towards the second floor.

She quickly yells out, "He's here!"

Everyone jumps from their sitting position and makes a quick dash to the front door.

Within five seconds Daryl and Abraham start with a barrage of questions.

Not quite ready to answer any questions; Rick clinches his eyes shut; shaking his head in disbelief at this turn of events.

He passes by Abraham, Daryl and the others then heads straight towards the kitchen.

Once everyone reaches the kitchen; Rick opens the refrigerator and pulls out a bottle of water.

Not too long after gathering in to the kitchen; Glenn and Maggie comes down as well.

The kitchen becomes gravely silent as everyone stares at one another then back a Rick; ready to see if once again they are all about to go in to full attack mode against the people of Greenbrier.

After spending an entire month out of "active duty" there are a few people standing in the kitchen waiting and wanting to see some action.

Rick removes the cap of the bottled water and takes a long and slow sip; as he removes the bottle from his lips; he briefly cuts his eyes over at Daryl who's leaning against the built in oven.

Daryl is staring right back at Rick with his arms folded waiting to her what he has to say. Judging from how long it seems to be taking Rick to speak and from the look of doubt on his face; Daryl already knows there's nothing to be done at the moment. Rick needs to give a credible explanation to everyone in the room. An explanation that will keep them from burning down and destroying this community; an explanation that they can all live with if by chance something horrible should happen to their suddenly relocated comrades.

"What did they say", Rick queries Abraham and Daryl.

Abraham sighs heavily stepping away from the granite kitchen island; feeling a somewhat incensed by Rick's calm demeanor he turns back around, "Tara says…she alright with it but…" he hotly slaps his hand down on the island, "…I can tell she isn't. She says that if this is how it has to be then she's good with it."

Abraham bends his head down close to his arms on the island trying to prevent an outburst. He lifts his head slowly and looks Rick in the eye shaking his shaking head, "Rick, she's just a kid", he corrects himself, "I mean she's not a kid but…"

Becoming somewhat flustered he continues with, "…you know what I mean, man. She has no idea what kind of house she's agreeing to live in or who she's gonna be living with."

Rick looks down at the kitchen island counter top then again looks over at Daryl.

"Look, Carol… she's cool wit it but she ain't, like Abe's saying" Daryl begrudgingly answers.

"Same with Michonne and Shyanna", Rick pauses as he tries to come up with a tactful way to explain the plan when Tyreese states his feeling on the matter.

"Listen, I don't like how they came in here and just relocated the people from our group but, I can't say that I have a problem with this rule about keep all the females inside the walls out of harm's way", Tyreese looks over at Sasha, "I didn't have too much of a choice when it came to my sister's safety but now…"

Glenn looks over at Maggie and quietly agrees.

Sasha sucks in her teeth cutting her brother off, "Don't start with that shit Tyreese! I'm serious you're not my warden nor are you responsible for me!" she yells.

Tyreese visible tries to control is anger at his sister's outburst; he looks Sasha in the eye and with a restrained and low condescending tone he lifts one of his eyebrows and retorts, "Well, according to Greenbrier…I am in charge of you."

Suddenly, Sasha jumps back and begins yelling at her brother, "Who the hell do you think you are, nobody's running me except me!"

Maggie looks at Glenn and shakes her head in opposition, "And my Daddy died back at the prison and I didn't even allow him to tell me what I can't and can do."

Within minutes sibling tensions and martial discourse were reaching a higher than normal pitch in the kitchen. Probably more than anyone in the group has seen in a while since living in the Greenbrier.

As Abraham jumps in to the argument taking sides with Tyreese and Glenn; Daryl stares between the factions then he glances at Rick who's attempting to quell his nerves by massaging the bridge of his nose.

After a few more minutes of everybody shouting and screaming at one another Rick finally disrupts the senseless bickering between group members by slamming his fist down on to the counter top and yelling,

"Enough! Listen!"

"Less than twelve hours ago we were all good with this place", he looks in to the face everyone standing in the kitchen, "I don't like this situation any more than any of you! But whatever…" he restlessly waves his hand, "…this is so far, it's better than what we had to go through out there.

They have too many people for us to start a problem here; we'll have to work with in their system for right now."

Rick s leans his back against the kitchen sink; he takes note of the time on the stove realizing that in less than 8 hours it'll be dark outside. And his closest confidant will be sleeping a house full of strangers instead of a house full of her family. His family.

Coming out of his trance Rick says, "We just-we just can't go back out there", he takes another sip of water, "If one leaves we all have to and I can't take Judith and Carl back out there again.

I'd betraying Hershel if I made Maggie go back out there knowing she's pregnant", Rick wrinkles his forehead further confirming what everyone already knows for a fact, "and we all know Maggie would up and leave if any of us were asked to leave or if any of our lives were at stake."

The room goes eerily silent, "Michonne, Carol, Shyanna and Tara; they're no stranger to the 'old' world or whatever this 'new' one is.

Daryl helps to gather more support for Rick's decision, "Well, now they've split us up we have to make sure they're doing alright. We gotta work out some schedule between all of us so that someone seeing them every day at the very least every other day. We made it this far; we can't lose anybody else now that we've found some place to call home."

Tyreese calmly turns to Sasha and rubs her shoulder squashing the argument they were having minutes earlier, "We'll work out something'."

Glenn, Maggie, Abraham and Sasha, nod in agreement.

"I'll work on getting a schedule together," Sasha says smiling at Daryl.

After the relief of knowing that he had the support of his extended family Rick takes his bottle of water and makes his way toward the steps leading to the second floor, "I need to take a better look at these rules Douglas gave me yesterday. See if there's anything else we need to know. I'll leave the books out from now on in case any of you want to read them over just in case I miss somethin'.

Rick walks upstairs and in to what used to be Michonne bedroom.

He looks around the room and sees that she left behind one of her bandannas. He walks over and grabs it then sits down on her bed. He stares at the bandanna in is hand trying to get a hold on his emotions and his guilt.

He's pissed at the fact that his group is fractured; but he's more upset over the fact that he actually believed that Greenbrier was a community without corruption.

Carl stands in the bedroom doorway, "Where are they? Where's Michonne?"

Without lifting his head to look at his son Rick says, "They've been sent to live with someone else."

"Why", Carl asks.

"They said that any 'single woman' that doesn't have a male relative or male related by marriage has to go and live with a family that has man living in the same house. Of their choosing." Rick adds.

Carl walks further in to the bedroom, "So they just remove them, take them wherever? They don't even asks if they wanna to leave? What if Michonne gets sick, or if she's afraid? What if something happens to Catori or Carol, Shyanna, Tara- what if…"

Rick glances quickly at the tiny alarm clock on the dresser adjacent to the bed. The onset of all Carl's "What if's' starts to set in causing his hands tremble.

The thought of anyone from his group, from his family, being in need scares him.

Then there's the fact that Michonne was now living far enough away that he wouldn't be able to hear if she needed help; if she needed him.

This is the main thought that was now going to keep him up at night until Michonne was once again sleeping under the same roof as him.

He clasps his hand together tightly around Michonne's bandanna so Carl is unaware of exactly how frightened he really is.

"Listen, I told Shyanna that you would pick Catori up and walk her to school and back home again. I promised her that you would make sure to do this."

Rick looks up at Carl, "Can I count on you do that?"

"Of course Dad but-"

Rick gets up and walks over to Carl, places his hand on his son's shoulder, "Carl…I know what I told you at Father Gabriel's church about being a man; you've got to weigh everything. The cost of everybody. If one of us leave we all have to; and I can't send Judith, you, Maggie any one of us back out there again because of politics. I can't…I won't."

"Not even for…", he turns away, "…not even for her. Michonne wouldn't want that…you know she wouldn't."

Carl blows the air through his lips and turns his back to his father trying to hide the water forming in his eyes.

"Dad, I really want them back…", he pauses for a moment, "…I really want Michonne back home", he turns back towards his father; points to himself and Rick, "…wherever we are is home it's Michonne's home right?"

Rick quickly hugs Carl tightly.

"Those are the strongest five woman I've ever known, they know what's at stake. If they decide that its bad then we know what we have to do. But until then…" he closes his eyes and shakes his head in regret, "…we have to wait."

He kiss the top of Carl's head, "I'll find out what it takes to get them back. I'll find a way to get Michonne back home. I promise but…", he clutches Carl's head and brings it close to his chest.

"…but right now we have to make it look like we are alright with this arrangement. We'll have to retreat."