Hi all, thank you for your continued support of this story be it quietly reading and/or your feedback it's hugely appreciated. I heard your request and I've been trying to make the chapters longer sometimes it works and other times it just doesn't. This is one of the times it has, so I hope you like it.

The last instalment featured the aftermath of the attack, we saw the fallout from the news articles. Rick was in full handler mode making calls to everyone and a rather difficult one to his mother. Carl's hurting and one innocent question has placed Rick on a tightrope doing a balancing act between two of the most important people in his life. Well, Lori is just her same ole basic self causing trouble. And the cavalry seems to have arrived just in time too at Michonne's place.

...

Lori

Lori was beside herself not only had she been served with divorced papers, her affair was all over the media and because of her husband's selfish actions she had to admit to their son that she had been unfaithful. Lori knew there was no love lost between Rick and herself but if not for her, certainly for their son, she felt he owed them some respect to keep the details of their marriage private. She never expected he would've sunk to the level he had to get out of their marriage. She just couldn't let his behaviour go without addressing it so she called him.

…

Rick

Rick was with Michonne and Morgan in their home office when his phone rang, automatically he answered it and the screeching began. Rick had to pull the phone away from his ear and even then, they could still hear her without the benefit of being on speaker phone. "How could you Rick? "How could you?"

Rick barked into his phone, "Shit! Not now Lori damn it… not now!" as he disconnected the line. Rick had been in the middle of explaining to them all that had transpired while Michonne was asleep so he aplogized for the interruption. Suddenly, it was Morgan's turn to be interrupted as his phone rang, he excused himself and left the office to take the call.

…

Michonne

Meanwhile, as Rick continued his narrative Michonne tried to listen attentively, but somehow her eyes were drawn to his face, his strong jawline which was sporting a five o'clock shadow. Her eyes found his strong pink lips which were no longer hidden. She remembered those lips and what they could do to her, the mere memory caused her breath to hitch. It was the first time she'd notice the change in his appearance and she liked it. She liked his beard too, it made him more distinguished but his stubbled face brought back memories of long ago; she was barely registering what he was saying since her mind fell into the gutter. Her thoughts affected her physically, causing her to cross and uncross her shapely legs as she shifted in her seat. It was Rick's mention of Shane's name that somehow caused her brain to check back into the present and she was very happy to hear that Shane would be okay.

...

Earlier when she woke up she overheard Rick's response to his son as to whether or not he was having an affair. Based on his response to his son there was no doubt Carl was obviously curious about the mystery woman known as "Angel Eyes".

Michonne had watched Rick when he thought he was unobserved and too preoccupied to sense her presence. She watched as the tension slowly crept into his body, his shoulders tightened and automatically he began kneading the muscles at the nape of his neck. His mood had shifted and he was now into protector mode. He was noticeably conflicted, she knew he felt torn between protecting his son and protecting her. His son, Carl, was hurting because of the articles he read but even though Rick's ultimate goal was to build a life going forward with both Carl and herself; it was not the way he wanted to introduce her to his son. She watched him as he provided his son with a very generic answer. It surprised her how well they could still read one another even after all this time.

"Rick, earlier I overheard part of your conversation with your son, why didn't you just tell him?" She asked, stepping into her lawyer mode. He looked at her as confusion played on his countenance. He wasn't following her line of questioning so she rephrased her question. "Why did you side step the question about the mystery woman? I haven't met your son as yet but from our conversations about him, he sounds rather astute for his age. He'll figure it out you know."

"Michonne, are you seriously asking me why I didn't tell my sixteen year old son about a mystery woman, who just happens to be the love of my life? A woman who has imprinted on me from childhood making it impossible for any other woman to take her place? This, after finding out his parents life together was a complete lie? I technically I told him one lie that being, I was with Rovia. In fact, I recruited Rovia's help. His Uncle Shane was hurt and the woman who found him is an old friend of ours from school. I'm hoping like hell he doesn't think too hard on it because he will see that was a highly coincidental trifactor. Shane's presence here is plausible because Andrea was staying with you at the time the accident happened. Carl asked whether I knew "Angel Eyes" technically, I don't know "Angel Eyes" and whether or not I was having an affair, which I'm currently not." He said with a raised eyebrow as he looked at her because from her earlier reaction, he knew they were both on a precipice and it wouldn't take much to fall into the abyss. He had seen her zone out... back to a time and place where life was less complicated between them. "I never denied knowing you… I just didn't identify you or label who you are to me."

"Consequently counselor, you've basically wordsmithed your way out of your quagmire, am I right?" She offered him a small smile, knowing him as well as she did she knew it would disarm the tension building between them; he relaxed and reciprocated with a smile of his own. Her presence always had a calming effect on him and made him feel confident that despite all, everything would eventually be okay.

"It's nice that all that schooling could be used for something." He teased. "I will tell Carl about you Michonne just not under these circumstances. I want you to meet him too. I had to tell my mother about you when I asked her to hire Shane through the company. I didn't want to tell her until my divorce was over but my hands were forced, and now she can't wait to see you which makes the wait that much longer." He confessed hoping that the current interrogation was over. She smiled as she recalled fond memories of her Aunt Mary.

"So counselor, what are you going to do about your wife?" He looked at her with a questioning look on his face. One she felt obligated to respond to. "I believe you should talk to her because ignoring her could only make things worse for you."

Deciding that she was probably right considering the current situation, he dialed Lori's number. As Michonne stood up and turned to leave the room to allow him some privacy he reached for her hand and halted her departure. The small gesture transferred an electric jolt from his touch to her skin. They both felt it and their eyes locked, they were momentarily lost as to their next step. His eyes travelled to her partially opened lips and back. It was then he heard Lori's voice which broke the spell.

…

Lori

Lori answered immediately and began screaming at him, "Rick, how the hell could you? I can't believe you'd stoop so low?" Her rant caused Rick to hold the phone away from his ear so as not to damage his eardrums.

"Lori do you really think I would want my son to find out his parents were living a lie for the past seventeen years? Think about it will you? When Carl asked me about the information pertaining to you I told him he'd have to ask you. It's only right for you to tell him the truth, it's not pretty but it would be worth something coming from the source itself. The reason I came to Atlanta to file the papers is because I wanted it to remain quiet. If I wanted a damn three ring circus I would have chosen any law firm in Kings County and your business would have been around town within five minutes of me stepping outside that office. I'm pissed because this article came out of nowhere." He explained, which cause Lori to reflect on what he said. Although, she was still upset she was no longer yelling at him.

"Then if not you, who did it?"

"I don't know Lori but I will find out," with that promise he end the call and brought his attention back to Michonne.

…

Rick

Rick and Michonne looked at one another and just like that the sexual tension was back in the room. Michonne felt the butterflies fluttering in her stomach and she finally understood what Maggie was saying to her just the day before, she uncrossed her legs, stood up and walked away. Michonne bit down on her bottom lip but she couldn't look him in the eye now that they were both feeling this pull between them.

Rick knew he was in trouble, if he was to respect her wishes he realized that he couldn't be around her much longer. After the day's events, all he wanted to do was to take her into his arms and make her feel safe. He wanted her and he knew she felt the same way too. He cleared his throat and walked towards the window, a moment later he then turned around massaging his left temple, his eyes averted hers as he spoke, "I… er… I'll be leaving for Kings County after Negan's arraignment, but it doesn't change anything between us. I want you to call me if you need me Michonne, anytime at all. I need to know we're still okay… Are we?"

"I understand, we both have our lives to get back to. Rick, I never said it before but thank you for coming as soon as you did. I'm sorry, you were right had it not been for Shane, I shudder to think where I might be tonight. Yeah, we're okay." Her right hand gently caressed the stubble on his left cheek as she leaned in and kissed his right cheek inhaling his musk. "Feel free to stay the night. Good night Rick." She added as she left the claustrophobic confines of the office. He watched as she walked away from him but she didn't look back. Shortly after, when he felt sure the course was clear he left the office and let himself out of the penthouse.

…

Morgan

The next morning Michonne awoke to find her father in the kitchen, he was busy making them brunch. Food was their thing, it made her recall a happier time from her childhood. Perhaps this was where her love of cooking came from. "Good morning Daddy! Is everything okay? You never came back after taking that call."

"Morning Princess, I was about to come and get you. I prepared brunch because you didn't eat much yesterday. How are you feeling today? Did you sleep well?"

"I'm doing well Daddy, the shock has worn off. Yes, I did manage to get some sleep considering I spent most of the day doing just that. Daddy, what was that call about?"

"Why don't we discuss it over brunch?" Morgan replied as he started moving the food to the table at which point Michonne fell in line and assisted him. After they were seated, she raised an eyebrow at her father who seemed to have forgotten their deal. Feeling the scrutiny of her glare, Morgan took his napkin and wiped his lips then he finally broke the awkward silence that fell between them. "Princess, before we talk about me, can we address what happened yesterday? Apart from the shock and all. I knew something was off about that man from the day I met him. You're going to ask me why I didn't say anything, but the truth is he made you happy or at least happier than you had been for years and that's all I ever wanted for you. Plus, I honestly didn't know whether it was because I was biased towards who I thought you should have been with so for your sake, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. When you broke off your engagement I was elated but I had to pretend to be surprised and shocked. Coming back to Atlanta to keep him at bay was a pleasure for me plus it allowed us to be close again."

"Based on what happened yesterday, Negan will definitely not be hanging around me again. Especially, if Rick has anything to say about it." She joked, "But seriously Daddy, what was that call about? It certainly wasn't good news or you would have returned."

"It was a call from Aaron. He informed me that your mother's attorney have already served their Response and Cross-Claim they are alleging abandonment. It means things just got messy. I didn't want to bring anymore harm or attention to you and Richard but your mother leaves me no choice, I will have to use the information about Richard Sr. during the discovery phase. Aaron wanted my permission given the sensitive nature and what it would mean for both you and Richard as well as his family. I told him I needed sometime because I would have to call Mary to give her a heads up so that her team could head this off the best way they can. That said, I called Savannah and Mary can receive us this afternoon. Due to the nature of the visit and the current buzz around Richard's divorce, we won't be going to the estate we thought it would be better handled as a business meeting."

"Daddy you said us, do you thing it wise that I'm anywhere near Aunt Mary at this time? You know how she gets around me? I love her and I know she loves me but us meeting right now is really not a good idea." Michonne thought back to her recent conversation with Rick, where the latter told her that Mary couldn't wait to see her. She smiled because it seems as though the universe just played into her Aunt's hands and she took full advantage of it. She would give anything to see Rick's face the minute they leave Savannah and Mary got on the phone to tell him all about their visit. She wondered whether or not she should give him a heads up but decided against it. She wasn't quite sure she wanted to contact him so soon after last night. It was definitely true they needed space between them and as much as possible. She even promised herself to communicate with him as little as possible because the lines were becoming blurred.

Morgan finished his coffee, he too felt the very same thing about this visit but it was a deal breaker on Mary's part. He knew Mary loved Michonne almost as if the child was hers, she bonded with her when Jenny was going through her post-partum depression and showed little to no interest in anything even her own child. He had tried to get her help but she refused to see anyone. The only person she seemed comfortable talking with was Mary. The only help Jenny was willing to accept was a full time nanny who over time became the housekeeper as Michonne grew older. Morgan reflected back to a time when his presence in the home would probably have prevented the inevitable. At the time, when they decided to start a family and with the difficulty they had in doing so, they made a mutual agreement in their marriage that he would shoulder the finances and Jenny would take care of the home and their child. The decision was made based on the fact that Jenny never expressed any desire to be more than she was and he was happy to provide for his family. Mary on the other hand, had a formal education and always kept one foot in the corporate world, but she was fully engaged in her son's life and by default Michonne's due their children's closeness. The irony wasn't lost on him how another woman just stepped into the role of Michonne's mother where her own mother failed her. Between her Nana and Mary Grimes, Michonne had the love of two women who selflessly loved her and neither was the woman who bore her.

"I know Princess, it's absolutely not my first choice and I'm sure you know that, but Mary made it a deal breaker. I honestly don't understand that woman. I call to talk to her about the ramifications of something that could sully her family's reputation but all she could talk about was her little Michie. I know Richard Sr. had said something about her miscarrying a little girl so when you came along you just filled that void in her. Don't get me wrong Sweetheart, I have absolutely no problem with her love for you, it's something I wished you could have experienced from your own mother, but Mary is ordinarily a force to be reckoned with. However, I don't even think she even heard anything I said nor recognize the severity of how this could impact her family's name given the way they recently went after Richard's wife and her affair was less than a year in duration."

…

Savannah

Two hours later they arrived at Turpin Transport Head Office and were brought up to the top floor in the private elevator. Mary was there to greet them as the elevator opened. She looked very much the same, her petite frame of five feet five inches, her black hair immaculately coiffed into an updo, her make up was tastefully done. She sported a black dress with three quarter sleeves and patch pockets, diamond studs and a beige chunky necklace and beige Jimmy Choo's peep-toe sandals. Michonne wore her braids down with minimal make-up, a floral dress with a black jacket, Christian Louboutin shoes and purse. Morgan wore his black Armani suit white button down shirt, red paisley tie and black dress shoes.

She shook Morgan's hand and embrace her long lost friend. She then opened her arms to the stunning young woman before her and as they embraced the tears flowed. Both Michonne and Mary were very emotional, the love between them was very evident even after all this time. As they pull away from the other, Mary shook her head and took her hand, "Come along dear you need to eat, you're way too thin." It was as though no time had passed, one of Aunt Mary's favourite thing to do was putting food in front of Michonne. Morgan simply followed in their wake and hoped that Mary could actually become focus enough to address the issue which brought him to Savannah.

In Mary Grimes spacious corner office there was a catered lunch set up in their honour. During lunch the three caught up on old times and Mary was happy, the only thing that would make the visit more perfect was if her son was present, but she knew in time that too will come to pass. As the nostalgia waned, the heart of the matter became centre stage. "So Morgan, you mentioned a delicate situation which you wanted me to help you with, what is it about?"

Morgan felt rather uncomfortable but he had to address the issue, after all, it was the sole reason for which he was currently in Savannah. He feared destroying the memories of Mary's late husband but at least he was giving her a chance to prepare for the fallout. "Mary, I recently filed for divorce from Jenny because I found evidence that she was having an affair for the better part of our marriage. I originally filed the petition for a no fault divorce allowing for her to walk away with the amounts specified in our prenup, but they recent filed a response citing abandonment. I had no intention to use the evidence of her affair but I'm now left with no choice in the matter. The problem with this is that the person Jenny was having an affair with was Richard Sr.. The best I can figure it was ongoing for quite sometime and perhaps ended when they split up the kids and she had no choice to relocate to New York City, but she did spend a lot of time coming back to Kings County. I came here to let you know in person so that you can put measures in place to avoid what happened in Richard's divorce."

After he had said his piece, he looked at Mary for some change in her demeanour and found none. He didn't understand, it was as if what he was saying was not news to her. Morgan checked in with her to make sure she understood, "er... Mary?"

"Morgan, you're a little late to the party my dear. Why do you think I relocated to Savannah? When I got to the bottom of what really happened seventeen years ago, instead of coming to Savannah monthly I quietly relocated after Richard's wedding and started going to Kings County monthly. Richard Sr. and I quietly divorced nine months later. He didn't contest it because of what he did. I must say I did have my doubts about those two after I returned to Kings County once my father's rehabilitation was complete. I just had no proof of it and Senior convinced me it was just my imagination but I always felt something was off when I returned home.

Over the years, the older the kids got the more reluctant he was for them to be so close; by the time they became teenagers he didn't want them hanging around together. He claimed he didn't want them being teenage parents. I told him they were too responsible for such a thing to happen and if it did come to that between both families we had more than the means to take care of a grandchild. He just wouldn't let it go so I had Michonne's and his DNA tested to see whether the daughter-in-law I was cultivating for my son could actually be his sister. The tests came back negative but it didn't stop that niggling sense at the back of my mind that Richard wasn't being truthful. I just couldn't shake it ever since the kids were little.

One week I went back to Kings County on a Thursday afternoon as oppose to a Friday evening. I drove down our street and saw the cruiser. I parked down the street a little ways because the Sheriff's cruiser was in the driveway so I walked the remainder of the way. I got home and he wasn't home. I was there long enough to shower and change and had myself some sweet tea on the porch where I sat and waited to see just where the Sheriff would materialized from; when low and behold I saw him letting himself out of your house and kissing Jenny goodbye. I quickly went back inside and hid just in case he would come into the house but instead crossed the street got into his cruiser and drove back to the station. I knew our marriage was over then. He had been lying to me for about ten years at that point because Richard was fifteen.

Later that night, when he came home, in his hand was the glass I had forgotten on the porch. The spot where I had been sitting earlier that day had a great view of your front door; when he saw me I could see the gears in his head turning but he said nothing. His eyes betrayed him though, he knew I knew and from then on we had separate bedrooms. The morning after, I laid down the law, I told him in no uncertain terms that we were done. The moment Richard went off to college I would file for divorce and he'd sign the papers or his days as Sheriff were numbered. He agreed.

I didn't take him at his word because he had been lying to me for years. I immediately put an investigator on him as an insurance policy and over the next few years, I amassed enough evidence on them that if he so much as opened his mouth to contest the divorce that I'd ruin his reputation and put him out of work.

Imagine that, he knew I knew but instead of being even more discreet he carried on as though he was a single man."

It was Mary's turn to check in with Morgan to see whether he registered what she had said. Morgan's shoulders had slumped slightly and he had started his third Scotch. "Morgan, did you hear anything I've said? The answer to your question is that I've known about them for quite some time now."

Morgan acknowledged her question with the nod of his head. He was having a déjà vu experience remembering the night both Michonne and Richard revealed their relationship to him and much earlier that day Richard's questions about his father and Jenny's affair.

Mary then turned her attention then to Michonne and said, "When y'all left for Europe, I truly thought it was because you were having a hard time coping with your Nana's death; poor child, there were only ever two women in your life that acted as a mother figure that being your Nana and myself.

When Richard told me that you were enrolled in boarding school and Jenny magically relocated to New York City, I made him tell me everything. I knew something was off with him too but the only difference is my son could never lie to me. He related to me everything that happened and Jenny banishing him from your house. While I didn't condone what y'all did because it was irresponsible, we have to remember at the same time that you were kids and we your parents saw it coming a long time before it happened. It was also partly my fault, I wasn't home. I did promise Jenny to watch over you but then there was an emergency and I had to rush back here because my father fell and broke his hip. However, Richard knew his son was home alone and for someone who didn't want y'all together he should have been more vigilant.

Richard also told me about the gang hanging out and drinking on the school property and how the Coach's little tramp got cozy with him. That alone got him a slap across the head because it was down right stupid."

The confessions of several decades left the air in the room heavy. The participants breathe a collective sigh, thankful it was over and even more so because their relationships remained in tact for the most part. Morgan however needed to understand the why. "Mary, I'm just wondering why you never saw fit to tell me about their affair? Your life changed and you made preparations to exit your marriage why didn't you award me the same fate?"

"Morgan, you were not ready to leave your relationship. It would have required you seeing it for yourself in order to accept it. I know, even with my suspicions that something was off in my marriage I found excuses to placate that niggling sense at the back of my mind. I don't know why I came home that Thursday afternoon. Why didn't I hire an investigator the moment I felt my marriage change? I certainly had the means to do so.

I'm sorry, but I didn't believe it was my place to destroy what you thought was a sound marriage. You had Jenny on a pedestal and nothing I said to you would have changed the way you felt about your wife but it would have changed our friendship. You trusted Jenny and she violated that trust, but something changed in you overtime that you were able to believe she no longer deserved to be on that pedestal and that is the reason you filed for divorce. Having said all that, do you want the stuff I've held on to knowing that one day you'd need it. Really, Morgan all you had to do was ask."