"Hey Chief how do you keep Michonne in such great shape?"

Rick looked up from his paperwork. "Pardon me?"

Deputy Chief of Police, Peter O'Leary smirked. "I mean Michonne is like 10 years older than Holly, but she looks more than 10 years younger than her. How do you keep her motivated?" He continued before licking off his fingers the honey mustard sauce from his wings.

"And do you think you're a prize?" Rick shot back at his friend who was being critical of his wife, Holly. He hated the chauvinism that was so much a part of Peter.

"Nah. I know I'm a slob." Peter confessed as he took a piece of bread from his lunch platter and sopped up the rest of the sauce.

"Maybe you guys can get in shape together. You know, make a pact."

"Rick do you honestly see our fat asses on an exercise bike or a treadmill?"

Rick grew frustrated. He and Peter had this conversation at least once a week now. Their talk always ended with his friend making some excuse about why he couldn't change his lifestyle. Rick raked his hand through his hair. "Start off slow. Baby steps. You guys could take a 10 minute walk around the block."

Peter took a glazed donut out of a small white bag. "I've got to find my sneakers. You know I packed them up before we painted the house."

"Man you're hopeless. How did you ever survive the outbreak?"

"I told you. I wasn't always this size. I looked a lot like you when I was Boston PD. I had a 32 inch waist, a full head of dark hair and stuff. And Holly, she looked like Cameron Diaz when we got married. We fucked like jackrabbits."

"Pete, you're younger than me. You've gotta know you're killing yourself eating this way. Hey how about you and Holly go walking with me and Mimi one evening?" Rick suggested. He knew Peter would decline which meant that he wouldn't have to lie about Michonne's absence should he agree to go walking.

"Let me think about it."

Rick laughed. "I'll take that as a no."

"It's easy for you. You've got that gorgeous wife that keeps you motivated. She keeps you young and handsome Rick. You're a very lucky man."

"That I am." Rick said grimly.

Before Rick left for work this morning he made breakfast. He felt like fool cooking enough for two. He left a plate for Michonne on her nightstand. He knew she wasn't going to eat any of the food he prepared for her but it made him feel better knowing that it was there if she felt hungry. Maybe there was some outside chance that the smells from breakfast would pull her out of her broken state. Rick held Michonne in his arms and tenderly washed her blank face. As he tended to her personal needs, he pleaded with her to come back to him. Michonne continued to look through him. Anger gnashed within Rick. He slapped the basin he used to wash Michonne across the room. Water sailed and splashed all over the room, saturating both the bed and Michonne. Again she didn't stir.

"Look at what you've made do!" He had roared at her, snatching up his police vest and nap sack in a fit of rage. Rick headed for the stairs. He looked back into the bedroom and saw his wife sitting up, undisturbed with water streaming down her face. Rick froze. He cursed himself. She had never abandoned him during the countless times he needed her. He dropped his things and headed back to the bedroom. Rick picked Michonne up and carried her to Judith's old room. He placed her on a twin bed still made up with pink sheets and frilly pillows. Stripping Michonne down to her underpants, Rick dried her off and placed her underneath the sheets. He brought her breakfast into the room.

"I'm sorry Mimi for being so selfish. You take all of the time you need. I want you to have you time but you have to promise that you'll come back to me. Take all of the time that you need. I love you."

Rick kissed her and squeezed her hand. He left Michonne and went back to their room. He stripped their bed of the soaked linens and threw them aside. Next he got a mop and soaked up the water from the floor. Unable to take another step, Rick collapsed into the loveseat in the bedroom. His energy was spent before even clocking in at work. His pride was getting the better of him. He finally admitted that he was older now and needed help. Rick reached into his jeans' pocket and pulled out his cell.

He cursed himself for not thinking about this years ago.

He made a call to an old landscaping buddy. When the arrangements were made he grabbed his things and headed to the driveway. When he got into the truck he hesitated but eventually dialed the numbers. He got voicemail. Rick sighed before he left his message.

"Hey Judith, this is Dad. I hate to bother you but I could use your help with something."

Many years ago he assured Michonne that if she married him the days of her always having to have her shit together would be gone. He would protect her. He would pick up the slack and be her champion. But what happened when the champion needed a champion?

Rick wearily turned the key to the ignition. Before he pulled into the road a car zoomed by forcing him to slam on his breaks. He cursed his carelessness and continued on as the car parked on the street by his neighbor's home. Ordinarily he would've waited to see who got out of the car but another 12 hour day was waiting for him at headquarters.

Peter sensed a turn in Rick's mood so he left him and went to his own office. Surprisingly, a secret service agent from the treasury department had been waiting for him. It had not been the first time they had spoken. Peter also had visited the governor's mansion and had personal meetings with Governor Lang and his cabinet. They kept each other appraised of the potential quagmire they hand on their hands. The male agent wasn't dressed in the usual garb of the dark suit and sunglasses so identified with the secret service. He was dressed in regular street clothe, easily blending in with headquarter personnel.

"We intercepted two more threatening letters the governor. "

Peter sat on his desk and sighed. He dropped his head into his hands. "That makes four total this week if you count the two I intercepted directed at Chief Grimes."

"Are the letters identical to the ones from before?"

Peter handed the agent the letters. He studied them briefly.

" What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word
As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.
Have at thee, coward!"

"What, are thou drawn among these heartless hinds?
Turn thee, Benvolio; look upon thy death."

" This, by the voice, should be a Montague.-
Fetch me my rapier, boy.
What, dares the slave come hither covered with an antic face
To fleer and scorn our solemnity?
Now, by the stock and honor of my kin, To strike him dead I hold it not a sin."

" Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford
No better term than this: thou art a villian."

" Thou, wretched boy, that didnst consort him here,
Shalt with him hence."

-TYBALT

"Yup they're the same."

" So now what?"

"We maintain the status quo. Keep the detail on Grimes and his wife."

"If he finds out about this there will be hell to pay and it will start with me."

"It may not come to that. This is just precautionary. This could be someone just trying to get a rise."

"Do we keep the detail on his children?"

"For now, yes."

"So this guy is a Shakespeare fan...a fan of the arts. What a nut. And what is the is the obsession with Tybalt?"

"The main theme with Romeo and Juliet is star crossed lovers but it's also mainly about family. Tybalt was all about protecting his family's honor. In the story he was a hot tempered and irrational guy…unpredictable. So yeah, we're going to keep the detail on his kids. We just don't want to take that chance."

"Understood."

"The more Chief Grimes goes after the syndicates trying to take over the tri-state area, the more likely the threats will continue. It's like what happened with old Chicago and Al Capone. Unfortunately Capone had a majority of Chicago PD on his payroll."

"You think that's going on here?"

" We're not ruling that out."

"Rick is one of the first friends I made here when my wife and I arrived in Alexandria 20 years ago. I feel like I'm betraying him."

"Grimes is a man full of pride. He would only hinder our investigation. He'd want to take it over himself. The governor and the secret service cannot afford interference from anyone."

The agent placed the letters into his jacket pocket . He handed Peter his card. "I know that you have my contact information-but just in case."

Peter took the business card and shook the agent's hand.

"Until we meet again." The agent said, heading for the door.

Peter nodded.

"Before I forget. Thank you for providing a layout of the chief's house. That will be very helpful in case of an emergency."

Peter shook his head in the affirmative. He fell into his chair at his desk and restarted his paperwork.