Chapter 28: What We've Built
A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapter. Thanks for not hating me! Sorry about the wait. I wanted to give a shout-out to those who left me feedback here: literaturechick; Danesadie; MannaRN; Cleo; michkk2010; flacagonzales; Theycanstillgrow; Nay; courtgirl26; MJRL; MsAttitude1; jerkchickenz; atm0000; LovemesumRick; Nwfanmega; UrGirlHan1; Firefly-class; zeepsagirl; ; NicFF; RBGzMom; robinxstarfire44; and Guests.
Okay, let's see what our faves are up to…
Night had fallen over Alexandria; Rick's children were bathed and fed and presently surrounding him in the common living area. Shane and Sara had given them the space they needed to have some quality time. Carl played board games with his younger siblings; their laughter wafting through the large house and filling it with warmth. Rick sat in his armchair, with Richie on his lap, and watched Judith beating her older brothers at Chutes and Ladders. The children were oblivious to the joy Rick was feeling; they continued their game while their father smiled. It was the small moments like this that he was fighting for. It was their future that he would walk into battle for.
A sense of contentment washed over Rick, even though he knew they had a long way to go. The war was only just beginning, yet he had another day with his family. Regardless of how it turned out for him, he was happy knowing that he got to have one more day with the people he loved the most. He sighed to himself, and then hoped that Michonne would not take too long to join them.
…..
The time had almost approached ten o'clock in the evening, and Richie was fretful. No matter what Rick did, he could not get his little boy to settle into bed. He had paced the corridor and the downstairs area rocking his son in his arms; still the child whimpered and fussed. Shane and Sara had offered to take the boy, but Rick would not have it.
"I've gotta learn how to put him down for the night," he had told them. "Gotta get him used to me again."
Rick gave the child some warm milk and more hugs; Richie's eyes looked slightly drowsier than before.
"Did you wanna try to lay down again, sweetheart?" Rick asked his son; the small boy rubbed his eyes and nodded to his father.
Rick kissed his brow and then carried him back up to their sleeping quarters. When they reached the door of the children's room, Rick peered in and noticed that Judith was still awake, too.
"Go on back to sleep now, honey," he whispered to her. "Your brother's ready for night nights, now."
"I can't sleep," she whispered back to her father.
"Baby, you gotta try."
"I'm scared, and I miss my Mama," she lamented.
"Aww, Judy, you don't gotta be scared," said Rick as he rocked a dozing Richie back and forth in his arms. "And your Mama will be here in a few days."
"I know," said the little girl. "But I'm scared…and sad…and I wanted to ask you somethin'?"
"Anything, sweetie," said the doting father to the frightened child.
"Can we sleep in the bed with you?"
…..
The small candle, that sat atop the nightstand, illuminated the otherwise darkened room. Rick, Judith, and Richie sprawled out on the small double bed; the little boy slumbered in between father and daughter. Rick had begun telling Judith a bedtime story, and she was fully engaged in the tale.
"Was there a lot of rain?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered. "It was comin' down in buckets. I had a long day and night. I was pullin' double shifts when I was a police officer."
"What's pullin' a double shift?" she asked unknowingly.
"It's like when you're doin' a lookout or guard duty, and someone else is supposed to take over for you, but they can't, so you have to do their duty as well," Rick explained; Judith nodded in understanding.
"I had to pull a double shift that night, so I was drivin' home real late…"
"In the rain," Judith reminded; Rick smiled.
"Yeah, in the really heavy rain," he repeated. "And all of a sudden, I see these hazard lights flashin' a little ways up the road. I slowed down, and stopped next to the car. I couldn't see very well on account of the rain, but I rolled my window down, then the other car did, too. I saw a person staring back at me, lookin' all stressed out."
"Who was it?" Judith asked, eager to find out who was in the stranded individual.
"It was a young lady," said Rick.
"Was she pretty?"
"Yes," said Rick. "She was pretty."
"And she was in trouble?" asked Judith.
"Yes, she was. She told me her car was out of gas, and she was on her way to meet her family when the storm hit. She wasn't a local, so she had no idea where she was. I told her I could help, and that I was a cop, but she didn't look like she wanted to trust me right away."
"Because you were a stranger?" asked Judith.
"That's right."
"But did you have your police uniform on?"
"Nope," said Rick, smiling over at his daughter. "But I did have my badge."
"So, she knew you were really a cop!" Judith said excitedly; Rick had to shush her so as not to rouse her brother.
"Yeah," he answered. "She knew I was a cop, and that I was there to help."
"Then what happened?" Judith asked keenly.
"Well, she called her sister…"
"On a walkie?"
"Kind of," said Rick. "But it's called a phone."
"I know what a phone is, silly," Judith corrected, and they both shared a giggle.
"Of course you do," Rick supplied.
"Then what happened?"
"She called her sister and let her know that she was okay, and that a police officer was going to give her a ride home. But, her sister wasn't so sure that was a good idea…"
"Because you were still a stranger?"
"That's right," said Rick. "So, her sister asked to talk to me on the phone, and she asked me all of these questions."
"Like what?"
"Well, she asked what my name was and where I worked and who my boss was. She asked what I was doin' drivin' around late at night; she wanted to know if I had a gun on me…"
"Did you?"
"Nope," said Rick. "I wasn't in my uniform, and I left my gun and uniform in my locker at work."
"But what if walkers came by?" Judith queried, forgetting a moment that this story was from before the Turn.
"Oh, honey," said Rick. "There were no walkers 'round then."
"Oops," said Judith, a little sheepishly. "I forgot."
"That's okay," Rick offered.
"What did she ask you next?"
"Let's see: She asked for my badge number; she asked me how far away I lived…"
"Did you live far away?"
"Not too far, just over in the next county," Rick explained.
"And then what?"
"Well, the nice sister was very embarrassed when the kind o' bossy sister on the phone asked to keep me on speaker…"
"What's on speaker?" Judith asked.
"It's when you can keep talkin' on the phone while you do other things, like drive," Rick supplied; Judith nodded. "So, I was on speaker the whole time I was drivin' the nice sister home, the bossy sister was askin' me about which streets we were on, and how far away we were."
"So, she was makin' sure you didn't get lost?"
"Somethin' like that," said Rick. "So, after a little while, we made it to the house where the sister who was stranded needed to be. It was the bossy sister's house and she still had me on speaker when we pulled up."
"Then what?"
"I told the sister on speaker that we made it, and that I'd help the other sister to the door."
"That's nice of you," Judith offered; Rick grinned. "Then what happened?"
"Well, I ended the call, gave the phone back to the lady I helped, and then gave her my jacket so she could hold over her head while she ran up to the door in the pouring rain."
"Aww, that's so nice of you."
"Yeah, I didn't want the lady to get her hair wet…"
"Did she have pretty hair?"
"Yes," said Rick. "Very pretty hair."
"Like my Mama's hair?"
"Yep," said Rick. "A little shorter, but just like Mama's."
"Then what?"
"Well, I didn't have an umbrella or my jacket, so I was soaked through to my bones…"
"Oh, no," Judith frowned.
"Yes, wasn't good," Rick replied. "So, we got up to the front porch, and the lady with the nice hair thanked me, and knocked on the door. After a second, the door opened, and the bossy sister was standing there. The two of them hugged and squealed because they ain't seen one another in ages."
"So, you got her home safe to her sister?"
"Yup, I did," said Rick.
"That sure was nice of you," Judith offered. "Was the bossy sister real happy?"
"She was," said Rick. "When she saw how soaked from the rain I was, she felt so sorry for me."
"Did she do somethin' nice for you?"
"She did," smiled Rick. "She asked me inside so I could dry my clothes out."
"So you didn't catch cold?"
"Exactly," Rick replied.
"So, she was actually nice, too?"
"Yep."
"Was she pretty, like her sister?"
"Yeah," said Rick with a reflective smile. "But, I think she was prettier."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah," he admitted. "She was the prettiest lady I'd ever seen in my whole entire life; in the whole entire world."
"No way," said Judith, dubiously.
"Yes, way," Rick replied with a smirk.
"Nope. Don't believe you," said the little girl, adamantly.
"Why not?"
"Because my Mama is the prettiest lady ever, in the whole world," Judith said, as a matter of fact.
"Well, Judy," said Rick, holding back a laugh. "Can I let you in on a little secret?"
"Okay," she answered, raising her eyebrows and nodding her head.
"The bossy sister?"
"Yeah?"
"She was your Mama," Rick offered with a smile. "That was the first time I met her."
Judith's eyes went wide, and she covered her open mouth with her hands.
"No way!" she said, her voice muffled.
"Yes, way," Rick replied.
"So, the nice sister was Aunt Shiri?"
"Yep."
"And this is a true story?"
"Yes, honey," said Rick. "True as the blue Georgian skies."
"Oh my gosh," said Judith, as she smiled to herself. "So, if you didn't ever stop for Aunt Shiri that night in the rain, you might not've met my Mama?"
"Maybe not," said Rick. "But, I think we were meant to meet, me and your Mama. Nothin' could keep us apart; nothin', not even that rainstorm, could keep us from findin' one another. Even now, we found each other."
Judith nodded, taking it all in. "Did you love her right away, ya know, when she opened up that door, and you seen her and how pretty she was?"
"Yes," said Rick, wearing a wide grin. "As soon as I saw her standin' in the doorway, I knew I was gonna marry her."
Rick felt tears of happiness welling in his eyes as his daughter smiled at him. Judith yawned and drew the covers up.
"You sleepy, honey?" Rick asked, noticing how her eyelids began to look heavy.
"Yep," she answered, yawning again. "When Mama tells me stories, I feel sleepy. Thank you for tellin' me one."
"You're welcome," said father to daughter.
"Daddy?" asked Judith; Rick smiled at the term of address she used.
"Yeah, sweetie?"
"I'm real glad you found my Mama back then," she whispered in earnest. "And I'm glad you found us now, too."
\m/o.o\m/
It was early morning when Michonne and her entourage strolled up to the Alexandria Safe-Zone. She took in the large walls; each watch point manned by stern-faced individuals with automatic weapons. Messages had been radioed from each checkpoint back to the Safe-Zone and someone had ventured out to meet them. They had been informed that Rick Grimes' wife was on her way, so everyone was eager to get a glimpse of the woman who had come back from the dead. There was no shortage of Alexandrians who volunteered to bring Rick's wife, and her party to the Safe-Zone. Finally, after a day of travelling, both on foot and by vehicle, Michonne, her troops, and their guide, had arrived at Alexandria. She and her fellow Oceansiders wore white bands tied to their right arms; it was how the guards knew they were allies.
She stood at the head of her group and scanned the area. Old cars, loaded with walker traps, were blocking a clear path to the main entryway; it was free from the dead. Her gaze fell upon the hand-painted sign that hung high near the main gate. Its message was plain and to the point, it read: WELCOME TO ALEXANDRIA SAFE-ZONE: MERCY FOR THE LOST, VENGEANCE FOR THE PLUNDERERS.
A small smile graced her pretty features; she knew her husband would have wanted something succinct, yet effective. She wondered if he had come up with that phrase, specifically. Not wanting to waste any time on the outside, she whistled out, signalling that she and her people were ready to be received.
"I'm Michonne Grimes from Oceanside," she announced. "We're expected."
The sentry eyed the convoy, then the guide, before he held his hand up in greeting, and spoke to someone on the ground. A moment later, the great, heavy gate creaked and then slid open. Andrea was waiting to meet them. Michonne nodded in the woman's direction; she responded in kind.
"My children and my husband?" Michonne asked.
"They're fine," Andrea replied, as she turned and started walking. "Follow me."
"Come on," said Michonne to her group. "Where are you taking us?"
"We have to get you all processed," explained Andrea.
"Processed?" asked Michonne guardedly.
"Yeah," said Andrea. "It's something we do with all new arrivals."
"I wouldn't call us arrivals in the general sense. We're not all staying here," Michonne offered. "We're not moving in; we're here to fight."
Andrea sighed and turned back to face Michonne. "I get it," she said. "But rules are rules; we still need to process you."
"Can someone at least tell Rick we've arrived?" asked Michonne, her irritation growing.
"Of course," Andrea said flatly. "I'll get someone to go get him."
…..
After what seemed to be an hour, under armed guard, inside of the living room of one of the residences, Michonne was called to a small room. Seated at a table was Andrea; she had a pistol and a Polaroid camera on the tabletop. Michonne sat across from her after she gestured to the seat.
"What took so long?" asked Michonne as she stared at the woman adjacent to her.
"I ask the questions around here," she replied.
"Where's Rick?"
"Something came up," she replied, getting the camera ready.
"He couldn't drop by…"
"Let's get started," said Andrea, interrupting Michonne who sighed and leaned back in her chair.
"How many walkers have you killed?" asked Andrea.
"Hundreds," was Michonne's short answer; she folded her arms over her chest and glared at the blonde woman.
"How many people have you killed?"
Michonne blinked quickly a few times as she tried to remember the people she so obstinately tried to forget, "Too many."
"How many is too many?" Andrea pressed, raising her brow. "Five? Ten?"
"More than twenty," said Michonne, not drawing her gaze from her inquisitor's stare.
"Why?"
"They tried to hurt the people I care about," said Michonne coolly. "They tried to hurt my family."
The two women stared at one another for a moment as silence hung over them; Andrea went to speak when suddenly, the door to the interview room flung open and Rick was standing there.
"You wanna tell me what's goin' on here?" he asked of Andrea. "What the fuck is this?"
"I'm processing the Oceansiders, Rick," she replied. Her heart was in her throat; he looked angry.
"Not her," he said. "Not my wife. Get up, Michonne. This is over; Andrea's done."
Michonne stood and shot the blonde woman an unimpressed look. She followed Rick out of the room.
"Your people," said Rick, as he took hold of his wife's hand. "Have they eaten?"
"No," Michonne replied. "We got here an hour ago, and were brought right here. We've been waiting."
Rick's jaw clenched, and he glared back at Andrea.
"You wanna explain to me that the hell you're doin'?" he asked of his right-hand.
"I…I was processing them, Rick," Andrea stammered. "Like we always do…"
"Stop!" he spat. "This is unacceptable. These people are our guests; they're soon to be our comrades, and you treat them like they stumbled in off the streets? Michonne is my wife…"
"Rick, I…"
"Enough!" Rick yelled. "Get them food and water, Andrea. Now! I'll deal with you later."
…..
Michonne was amazed at how the place looked, more than anything. It was like stepping back in time to one of the communities from before. Not much on the outside looked like the Safe-Zone did. It was very much decrepit out there. Rundown; decaying. This was a liveable, thriving community. Michonne could see why Rick and his group wanted to fight to hold on to it. It looked like a place that she and Rick wanted to live in before the Turn, but never got around to really being serious about. Mainly because they were each so busy with their lives; with work and raising their children. And they were content with what they had.
These past few years had shown her that material possessions did not matter much, unless they afforded you real safety from the horrors of the world. What mattered most was having the people you loved in your life. Having her boys and her husband gone for so long almost crushed her. If not for her young daughter and baby son, she would have given up; she would have let this world consume her. Now, as she looked around the unfamiliar surrounds, she knew she was home; she knew she would stand by Rick and fight for what he had built.
He was truly their leader in Alexandria, in every sense of the word; as the pair walked, hand-in-hand, to the Grimes residence, people approached him. They wanted to meet his wife; they wanted to meet Michonne. Rick introduced her proudly to each of them; he reiterated that her people were joining the Safe-Zone in their fight. He made time to put their worries to rest, even though he did not need to. Michonne smiled to herself, proud of Rick, and what he had accomplished. She suddenly grew a little dejected; lamenting how she only wished she could have been by his side through it all.
"They love you here," she said, after they had spoken with the last person on their short journey through the Safe-Zone.
"Nah," he said humbly, as they stepped up onto the front porch of the house that was now their home together. "Just a mutual respect type of thing. I think they're more interested in seein' you."
Michonne rolled her eyes, "Yeah, right. They don't even know me."
"They know you've kind o' come back from the dead," he offered. "They know I've got my whole family back. They're happy for me."
"True," she said, standing in front of him and taking hold of his lapels. "Though, I'm not quite sure all of your people are that happy about it."
Rick let out a sigh; he knew what, or rather, whom his wife was referring to.
"I ain't gonna make excuses for Andrea," he said. "She's bein' a real asshole."
Michonne raised her eyebrows, smoothed down the front of her husband's shirt, and then offered him a chaste kiss. She brushed a stray curl from his face, and then said, "We're going to have family time now; me, you, and our babies. No interruptions; no outside responsibilities. Just us. But later, after the kids are settled and sleeping, me and you, we're gonna talk. Okay?"
"Okay," he answered knowingly.
"We're gonna talk about why Andrea is being an asshole."
A/N: Next time, Michonne gets to spend some quality time with her boys, André and Carl, before she and Rick have a little talk! Thanks for reading.
