Intrigue Part II

Michonne can't help but notice Rick and Judith as they walk towards the exit. She's not sure what possesses her but she stops the parent in front of her with a curt "Excuse me" and rushes off towards the exit. She approaches them at the door. "Hey. I just wanted to say good night." She looks down at Judith with a smile. "Excellent job out there, young lady."

Judith beams with the praise. "Thank you."

"So….I uh….didn't want to rush you but did you look over that information I gave you?" She asks Rick.

"Actually, I did. I was just gonna discuss it at the next karate class," he answers.

She deflates inwardly as she knows that will be next week sometime. "Of course. That's fine. I'll just see you next week."

"I uh….I was planning to come to class with Carl tomorrow."

She can't contain her smile as that news makes her very happy. "Great. I'll….I'll see you then."

"Good night," he says softly.

"Good night," she returns just as softly.

Judith looks from her dad to her instructor and back to her dad again. She tugs on his hand which seems to divert his attention from Ms. Michonne. "Let's go, Daddy."

He gives a slight nod as he places his hat on his head and exits with his daughter.

Michonne is excited for the remainder of the evening just knowing she will see Rick Grimes on tomorrow. She's not sure what has happened to her. She feels giddy and wonders at this feeling of a school girl anticipating any sort of interaction with her crush. She shakes her head and gets back to work.

The next day, he arrives just as he said he would, looking even more handsome in his uniform. They greet each other and she tries more than ever to concentrate on her students. Later, once the class ends, she greets a couple of parents and answers the usual questions before making her way to Rick. She has about 10 minutes before the next class starts.

"Hi" is the first word out of both their mouths. She smiles which only makes him smile as they stare at each other.

"So, what do you think about the tournaments?" She asks.

"I think it's a great idea. A trip to Japan is going to be quite expensive though," he observes.

"Yes, but we have plenty of time to plan for it. I was thinking of starting some fund raiser activities in the next couple of weeks. I'll garner the initial response and if we get a pretty good start, I'll go ahead and sign us up. What do you think?"

He nods, even more impressed with this woman. Seems like she is always thinking and always a step ahead of things. "Well, I'm more than happy to help. Just let me know what you need me to do."

"Great. I will. I think I have your number and email address listed on an information sheet. Is it ok for me to call you or email you?" She inquires cautiously.

"Of course."

For the next few days, they exchange text messages and emails, conversing about fund raising activities. Thanks to Shane and Leon Bassett, he has started attending both classes for Carl and both for Judith. Their first fund raiser will be a car wash early Saturday morning.

It's Thursday evening and Andre has just given her the perfect opening to invite Rick to dinner. He and Carl were talking about pizza and her son couldn't help but boast about their Friday night ritual. She and Andre make pizza just about every Friday and she overheard that Carl is a pizza lover.

That 10 minute window is open again and she decides to go for it. They've been communicating albeit through their electronic devices but it's communicating all the same. So what's a little dinner between friends….and their kids?

She smiles as he approaches her. She can't help but wonder if he is just as attuned to that 10 minute window as she is. "Hi." Once he returns the greeting, he asks a question about the car wash on Saturday. She answers quickly then swallows nervously as she prepares to ask her question.

"So, I….uh….I heard Carl is a pizza lover. Andre and I make our own just about every Friday night. I was wondering…..if you, Carl, and Judith don't have any plans tomorrow night….would you like to come over for dinner? I'm sure the kids would love making their own pizza."

Rick is slightly taken aback and the nervousness kicks into overdrive as he starts to perspire lightly. "That….that would be nice. Do we need to bring anything?"

"No. I have everything we'll need. Is six o'clock ok?"

"Six o'clock sounds fine."

"I'll just text you my address," she supplies.

"Ok."

Carl and Andre approach, the latter telling his mom it's almost time for the next class. She looks to Rick and says, "I guess that's my que. I'll see you tomorrow."

He agrees and watches as she and Andre move away.

"What's going on tomorrow?" Carl asks.

Rick gives himself a shake and turns his attention to his son. "How do you feel about making pizza with Ms. Michonne and Andre tomorrow?"

"Really? Like at their house?"

"Yeah. She just invited us over," Rick tells him.

"Awesome!"

Friday night arrives and Michonne can't help her nervousness. She took off from the school a little early so she could come home and be sure to have the place in tip top condition. Andre is always the best helper and knows exactly where to place things.

The clock on the stove reads 5:53 when the doorbell chimes. She smiles because for some reason she knew he'd be more than punctual. Andre jumps down from the barstool he was occupying just as excited as his mom. They both move to the door and open it to greet their guests.

Everyone is all smiles as the kids gravitate to each other and move off to the living area. Rick is bearing gifts as he steps across the threshold at Michonne's gesture. She tries her best to contain her reaction. She's never seen him outside of his uniform and the view in front of her now is excellent. The denim button down shirt and dark jeans hang off of his frame just right.

She accepts the ribbon encased boxes and closes the door gently before moving towards the kitchen area. "Thank you."

"You're welcome" is all he can manage as he looks off to check on his kids before locking his gaze on her yet again. The orange tank top and blue jean capris she is wearing appear simple and comfortable but fit her to near perfection. He is beyond ecstatic that she invited them to dinner.

She sets the boxes on a nearby counter as she takes a few items out of the refrigerator to place them on the island alongside several other ingredients. "So have you ever made pizza before?"

He shakes his head. "Not at all. Delivery or carry out is all I know." They share a laugh before Michonne says, "I understand. I was part of that hustle and bustle, but I've learned to slow way down since moving here. Anyway, once you've got this under your belt you won't want pizza any other way."

"Really now?"

"I promise." She removes some items from a drawer and calls the kids into the kitchen. They all don aprons and start the process of making pizza.

A/N: So this always happens to me. I start out thinking the story will only be one part, then I need more to complete it and here I am needing to write even more. Looks like there will be a part III. Thanks for the inspiration Richonne and all my fellow Richonners.