Contra
"Don't do it!" Noah pleaded. "We know where your family is. Let us go and I'll tell you...please!"
"Don't you lie to me boy!" John replied looking over at Noah. "You lie to me and I'll shoot him then rip your skinny arms off."
"No...I swear, I'm not lying. Your wife and your son were with us just a few days ago but they left...I swear!"
John took the gun out of Daryl's mouth and pointed it at Noah, "Stand up." Noah stood in front of John. John towered over the 19 year old by a good six inches and must have weighed 70 or 80 pounds more. "Now you tell me what you know right now. I'll decide if you're lying or not. Tell me who I'm looking for exactly?"
"What do you mean?" Noah asked.
"Describe them to me so I'll know you're telling the truth about meeting them."
"Your wife, uh Clare: she's short, pretty with dark brown hair. Your son is Jack. He's skinny with brown hair, maybe five or six. Then Aaron, he has short curly brown hair and Heath is a black guy...dreads and glasses. I promise, they were all there."
"Okay okay. I'm glad you know how to tell the truth unlike that lying piece of garbage on the ground," John said glancing over at Daryl. "Now tell me where they are."
"I actually...I...I don't know where they are right now," Noah stammered, "but they were at our home just a few days ago. We helped them. We gave them food and put your wife's arm in a cast. We helped them find a car then they left."
"And just where are you good people callin' home?"
"Noah, don't tell him shit!" Daryl yelled.
"I don't believe anyone was talking to you," John said calmly turning his attention and his gun back towards Daryl.
"It don't matter where we live. They ain't there anymore," Daryl yelled.
John, who had remained placid through the entire exchange, flew into a rage. He stomped over to Daryl and kicked him. First in the ribs then in the head. ""I'LL DECIDE WHAT MATTERS!" he screamed as he kicked. He bent down and grabbed Daryl by the collar of his jacket and rammed his fist into his jaw. He punched him again and again. Daryl's eyes finally rolled to the back of his head as he slipped into unconsciousness.
"STOP! STOP! You're gonna kill him!" Lee shouted.
John threw Daryl back to the ground and hurried back to Noah. He whipped Noah around like a rag doll and took his left arm in both his hands. With nearly no effort at all, John snapped the bone in Noah's forearm. Everyone winced, even John's men, as they heard the bone break. Noah cried out in excruciating pain as he fell to the ground holding his mangled arm.
"SHUT UP!" John yelled kicking Noah repeatedly. Suddenly, he stopped then took several steps backwards.
John threw his hands in the air. He took several deep breaths. He straightened his jacket and combed his hair back with his fingers coolly. "Whoa, I am sorry about that. Really, I am." John looked around at everyone self-consciously. "Sometimes I can really lose my temper'" he chuckled. "Clare's been so good to me all these years but I'm pretty sure she ran off with my boy because I can lose my cool sometimes. I don't mean to, it just happens. Please, please, in all sincerity, forgive me for the outburst. I'm so embarrassed."
Lee looked at John with horror and confusion.
"I know. I know. I've made a real fool of myself here. What can I say? I'm a sick man. I have some real ugly mental health issues. I can be real crazy sometimes," he said twirling his finger in circles near his temple. "I haven't been on my meds in months. Then all the dead people walking around and the collapse of society, it's just really jumbled things in my mind and I'm just not myself. Again, I'm so sorry."
John walked over to Carl. He put his hands on his hips then smiled at the teen. He pulled a knife out of his belt and swiftly put it up to Carl's eye. Carl didn't flinch. John looked directly at Lee and spoke in a calm tone. "Let's try something different. I'm going to stay calm, I promise. You tell me right now where your home is and I'll let this youngster keep both his eyes. That's a good deal for everyone, right?"
Lee stared back at John with his mouth hanging open.
"Please," John said, "I really don't want to embarrass myself again."
"Don't tell him, Lee," Carl said without fear.
"You know what kid? The neighbor lady down the street from me is blind. Or at least she was blind – she's probably dead now. Anyhow she got around just fine without being able to see and I bet you'll be okay to." John said as he slowly pressed the knife across Carl's eyebrow. Carl squirmed in John's powerful arms as blood dripped from above his eye. "Hey, you're not as tough as you sound. Now please, don't interrupt me. I really don't like that."
"Yeah, yeah...I'll tell you. I promise. Just please don't hurt anyone else." Lee said in surrender. "We're in Waycross. We're at the library there."
"Is that true? Because if we drive all the way there and I find out you weren't telling the truth, I'm going to take out both this kid's eyes. I'll probably be so angry, through no fault of my own, that I'll take out everyone's eyes. That'll be a huge mess and then I'll just feel bad again."
"I'm telling you the God's honest truth," Lee said trembling.
John let out a heavy sigh, pulled the knife away from Carl's eye and stood up, "Okay then. Let's go!"
…..
As eight o'clock approached, Michonne was busily getting ready for her date with Rick. While Rick was still on his watch, Michonne recruited Abraham to help haul two outdoor chaise lounges up to the roof. She brought up blankets, pillows and candles. Carol had even made fresh bread.
Michonne cleaned herself up and slipped a gray, short-sleeved, cotton maxi dress over her head. She fixed her hair in the mirror and sprayed a small amount of perfume on. Eternity. It was her favorite perfume before the turn and it still was after. As she smelled the fragrance, she closed her eyes and sighed. Life was feeling more and more normal with each passing day.
Michonne opened her eyes and looked over at her sword, hanging in it's sheath on a hook. It occurred to her that it had been a few days since she had even touched it. It was the longest she'd ever gone in the last two years.
The night Michonne told Rick they were expecting, Rick pleaded with her to not go on any more runs. It was a relief to Rick that Michonne didn't argue with him. She knew she was fine to still go outside the library. She knew she was as capable and strong as she had ever been but she wanted to give Rick the peace he desperately craved. The peace she felt he deserved. She agreed that instead of runs, she would start taking extra watch duties or help Bob and Carol or anyone else that needed it, within the library walls. She would spend more time with Judith and Carl.
Michonne walked over to her sword, picked it up and put it over her shoulder. She swiftly pulled it out and whipped it over her head and through the air. She looked in the mirror as she wielded her sword around skillfully and gracefully. She had never once seen what she looked like with her weapon.
"What are you doing?" Rick said from the top of the stairs.
Surprised by his presence, Michonne spun around and aimed her sword in Rick's direction."Trying to stay in practice. I'm obviously already losing my touch because I didn't even hear you come up the stairs."
"I've seen what you can do with that thing. I don't think you have to worry." Rick motioned for Michonne to hand him the sword, "Can I see it?"
Michonne placed the handle in his hands and backed away. Rick backed even further away then swung the sword back and forth through the air. She smiled admiringly at him as she watched him.
"Do you want to start taking that out on runs?" she asked. "You look like you know what you're doing with it."
"No," he said as he let the sword relax in his hands. "It belongs with you. If I'm out there and you're in here with the kids, I'd never want you to be without it. I just wanted to see how it feels." Rick walked back towards her and slipped it carefully into the sheath on her back. "I'm not gonna lie, you look pretty sexy wearing a dress with your sword on your back."
Michonne smiled, "I just wanted to be ready for our date," she said returning her sword to the hook. "I'm gonna take our food up there so hurry before it gets cold. Get cleaned up and meet me up there," Michonne said.
"Yes ma'am!"
Michonne only had to wait five minutes for Rick. He climbed through the hatch and walked over to her side, the record player in hand.
"You brought the record player!" she beamed.
"I even did you one better," he slipped two albums into her hands. "I figure if you can give Johnny Cash a chance, then I should do the same, so I brought Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder." He set the record player and albums down on a small table.
Michonne wrapped her hands behind his neck and moved her lips towards his. She smiled and talked between kisses. "I'm impressed. You're good at dates."
"Thanks. It's good to know I haven't forgotten everything."
"You ready for some cold spaghetti?" Michonne asked as Rick placed an album on the turntable.
"Of course," Rick replied. They sat down with their plates at a small bistro table with candles atop.
After dinner, Rick pulled the two chase lounges as close together as they could go. Michonne reclined on her side and Rick placed a blanket over her and sat down. He laced his fingers through hers and let out a sigh.
"What are you thinking about?" Michonne asked as she stared into his blue eyes.
"Everything of course," Rick moved his hand up and down her arm. He stopped at the scar that was left by the gunshot wound from their terrible first night at the cottage. He fixed his eyes on the scar and ran his finger in small circles around it. "What would my life look like if you hadn't made it that night?"
It was a rhetorical question. It was more of Rick thinking out loud than an actual inquiry but Michonne answered anyway. "You'd be fine."
"Maybe."
"You and Carl would have made it to Waycross. You still would have found your brother and Mikey dead and you still would have found Liv alive. The rest of our family still would have made it here with Judy and you'd still be happy."
"Something would have been missing. I wouldn't have just gotten over you and moved on."
"You would have. We've all lost something but we've gone on. We don't really have a choice."
"We have a choice." Rick replied.
"No we don't. People like you and me, we don't have a choice. It's not in us to give up."
"You're right," Rick said. He moved his hand from the scar on her arm to her stomach. His hand gently caressed the lower part of her abdomen where their baby was just starting life. "It's not in us to give up. But I know I wouldn't have just moved on without you. It would have taken a piece of me. I know because every time I'm away from you, I feel like a part of me is still here."
"Well now a part of you will always be with me." Michonne placed her hand on Rick's hand as it continued to hold on to her womb. "Rick, I know you're worried about me having this baby, but the more I think about it, the more peace I have with it. I'm not worried, I'm just...I'm just happy. I'm happy that we're giving Judy a little sister or brother. I'm happy that we're living and not just surviving. I'm happy that we're creating a life instead of taking one. This is right and good."
Rick moved down and rested his head on her stomach. As they lay their in the still and tranquil coolness, "Three Little Birds" began to play. Michonne laughed and Rick looked at her confused. "What?"
"Don't tell me you've never heard this song," Michonne said in all seriousness.
"I don't know...maybe. Why?"
"This is one of my very favorite songs ever. It's 'Three Little Birds'. See, even Bob Marley is telling you not to worry," she laughed.
Rick laid his head back down on her stomach, "Sing it to me." Michonne ran her fingers through his dark curls and sang along with the music in her serene and beautiful voice:
Don't worry about a thing
'Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Singing' don't worry about a thing
'Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Rise up this mornin'
Smiled with the risin' sun
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true
Saying, this is my message to you
Singing don't worry, 'bout a thing
Cause every little thing is gonna be alright
Singing don't worry, 'bout a thing
Cause every little thing is gonna be alright
Rick moved back up and next to Michonne and pulled her close to him. He held her securely in the crook of his chest and arms. "I can be happy. If you're happy, I can be happy too. When I know I'm coming home to you, it calms me. When I know Judy or Carl are with you, I have peace. I'm happy knowing you are the one carrying our baby. I just have to undo some of the last couple years and remember to just breathe. I know I don't gotta worry. I know no matter what, we'll be alright. I do."
"Yeah, we will be," Michonne said closing her eyes and taking the moment in.
For a few brief moments, Rick and Michonne had fallen asleep. A cool breeze opened Rick's eyes. He heard the sound of a motor. Suddenly, they both sat up.
"Did you hear that?" Rick asked.
"Yeah. Someone drove up and parked out front." They both leaped up from where they were reclining and ran to the brick ledge on the side of the roof. They looked down and saw the RV parked out front. "They're back early," Michonne said with a sigh of relief.
"Something's wrong," Rick exclaimed. "Where is Daryl? He's not on his bike. He's not with them."
They both hurried down the roof hatch, out of the closet and down the stairs. Glenn and Abraham saw them running and followed behind them. "What's going on?" Glenn asked.
"Daryl, Lee and the boys are back, but something's not right," Rick exclaimed. They ran through the library and through the front door. Michonne waited inside the foyer peering through the window while Rick, Glenn and Abraham ran out and towards the RV. As they approached, the door of the RV swung open. Rick readily had his hand on his gun as he watched Carl being shoved out the door and onto the sidewalk, blood dripping down his face. He ran towards his son and knelt down next to him.
"Carl, are you alright?" Rick asked frantically as he quickly examined his face. Before Carl could answer, a burly man stepped out and looked down onto Rick. Rick's focus promptly went from Carl to the man towering above him.
"Well hello there. My name is John and I think you have something that belongs to me."