Chapter 37
Way of the Sword and Way of the Heart

It was weird to watch Dad and Aaron loading up our usual horse and cart without me, prepping to go hunting and gathering like I was used to doing. Now my job was revolved solely around remaining prepared to donate if necessary.

Only a few days since arriving back home and everything was already so weird. At mealtimes my family was now adamantly encouraging me to take far more than my appropriate ration. When I couldn't bear to reach for more of my own accord, one of them would stack a few more bites onto my plate without asking and urge me to finish it or I couldn't leave the table.

I didn't understand what this was all for, but Michonne and Dad explained that if I wanted to be useful, I needed my strength for it. I needed to be ready to donate when the time called for it and apparently, I was deeply under-weight for my size and age.

This new routine was strange and uncomfortable. I didn't like this treatment. I didn't like eating more than I was used to while everyone else's diets remained the same. This didn't feel right to me at all.

My attention once again turned to the two men as they left through the gates. Dad gave one final wave goodbye to me as they turned to go. I didn't return it. It was like a wave of rejection that hit me with their exclusion and I turned from the sight, trying not to feel hurt about this development but being hurt about it all the same.

It was for my own good, after all. But even as the words rang through my head, an aching bitterness sunk deep into my chest, making me storm angrily down the street and promptly ignore anyone who greeted me. I was so angry. So, frustrated and mad about this whole stupid mess. I was sure that Michonne would be able to talk Dad into loosening this short leash he had me on, already. Now, it looked like I was on a choke collar instead!

Speaking of the woman herself…

I stormed down the street but stopped when someone stepped into my path. Michonne was in front of me, blocking the way as she looked down. "I know you're angry, Judith." She tried to say gently. "But this is only temporary. We're not planning to keep you locked up indefinitely. Just until things have quieted down."

I huffed, still angry despite her words and balling my fists in my pockets, while I stood there.

"In the meantime, I want you to come with me."

She turned and I obeyed with no argument. I had nothing better to do, after all. We circled around our house and I first assumed she was going to distracted me with the laundry hanging on the lines and billowing in the warm breeze. I was stunned when she threw a finely carved wooden sword to me. It took me off-guard so much that it smacked me once in the shoulder before landing on the ground with a clatter.

She stood there with an identical sword in her own hand and giving me a look I couldn't discern as she stared down at the one she had tossed me. Apparently, I was meant to catch it.

"Tomorrow you will catch it." She confirmed sternly, though not unkindly. "Now pick it up. We need to get some muscle on you and we'll start by giving you a workout plan. Everyday we're going to train together, build up some meat on those twigs." She indicated my thin arms and legs, using her own sword to point them out.

"I can't help being skinny." I whined. "It's just the way I am."

"Well we're going to fix that."

I felt angry about the idea, feeling there should be no reason I need to change myself. "What's wrong with the way I am?"

"There's nothing wrong with the way you are." Michonne tried to explain. "But you're underweight and malnourished. If you want to donate you need to be healthy for that and the truth is you're not, Judith."

"But… I go outside and I exercise and I'm not fat and eat all my vegetables—how can I be unhealthy?!"

"It's very dangerous for you to donate if you stay at the weight you are now. It could lead to serious medical issues later in the future and we want to avoid that as much as we can." Michonne tried to explain. "What we want to do is get you on a regular routine with appropriate diet and exercise. I promise, Judith, this is a good thing."

I didn't really believe her, though. "Is this just to distract me from wanting to go beyond the fence?"

There was the smallest of pauses from Michonne as if she were wondering whether she ought to lie or not. "Yes and no," she finally settled on. "This is going to be part of your job from now on. We're not trying to tear you down, Judith. We're trying to build you up. Self-defense and cardio is a benefit."

I looked at the sword in my hand, wanting to be angry about it, but I had always admired Michonne for her swordplay. It would be a wonderful skill to know, not to mention extremely useful for the next time I found myself facing down some wild men like the Wolves. For a time, Carl himself had been trained personally by her. It looked to be my turn now.

"Alright," I finally sighed, caving at last. I already knew a bit of self-defense already. In school, in place of gym, Rosita would train us with machetes and other possible weapons, then instruct us on basic fighting techniques. What it all came down to and what she could never seem to drill into us enough was that if handled correctly, EVERYTHING was a weapon. A glass, a rock, a pencil, it didn't matter so long as you knew how to inflict the most damage against your assailant with your chosen tool.

It was probably the one subject in school I ate up eagerly. Going into the forest was a risk every single time. I had nothing to fear from walkers, but as the Wolves had demonstrated before, I was a fine little meal for anyone with a pulse and bad intentions. Protecting myself was priority one.

We were even taught how to defend ourselves from predators like wild dogs and bears now, too apparently.

This would be my first-time training to hone a formal sword, though. The way Michonne moved with her own katana was something truly mesmerizing. No one could ever question her ability as a warrior and the fact that she was taking time to give me private lessons seemed like a surreal privilege.

I really shouldn't have been so rude. With a deep breath I was ready to comply with her instructions.

For that first lesson, Michonne studied the way I held the weapon and my stance, correcting me where I needed it. She also took a closer look at my muscles, feeling the width of my biceps while probably taking mental notes for a regular exercise plan. She started me out on some simple drills, how to swing the weapon, how to move backwards, how to step to the side nimbly, how to keep focus—on and on.

I didn't realize how grueling swordplay really was. Michonne and movies always made it look so… effortless and languid. I had no idea how truly off-balanced I was until Michonne started instructing me on this stuff.

We worked for two whole hours, taking only occasional breaks to rehydrate. That first lesson really took a number out of me and when lunch finally came around I was starving enough to eat all the food given to me.

I was still irritated about the obvious attempt to distract me and chose to vent my frustrations out to the only one who seemed interested to hear me.

"It's just like they don't care what I want." I ranted to Mari in my room later that day. "I mean I get this is all for the town and the other communities and stuff and I want to do my part and all, but I don't want to be cooped up like this. I have two unique talents. I should be able to use both of them to their full potentials. I want to do more than just be a juice box! And they say it's only temporary but I don't think it will be. Dad's always wanted to keep me shut up behind these walls. He doesn't believe I can take care of myself out there. He thinks I'm going to get killed—but I'm not!"

Mari sat there, swinging in the hammock while I paced my room, gesturing angrily and venting till I was at the end of my rope.

She didn't seem annoyed to my rants and ravings, but listened patiently till I fell back onto the swinging bed, holding my face in my hands and groaning at the ceiling.

"Maybe… try be patient?" She said, struggling with the English words.

Her advice was like everyone else's, doing the opposite of what was intended and only made me feel more frustrated about the situation. Just when it felt like I was going to growl with more annoyance, she reached out to me and touched my hair, threading her fingers through the short lochs and stroking it back gently.

All my frustrations somehow just seemed to melt away. What in the world?

It was like a wave of pleasure instantly swept through me at the contact. I didn't understand it. Other people had stroked my hair before and couldn't summon such a response from me, but when Mari did it… something in me melted.

"Whoa…" I murmured, raising my elbow to glance up at her.

She drew her hands away from me, perhaps fearful that I disliked it. I didn't usually like people touching me after all.

"Don't stop!" I said, wanting the presence of her hands back immediately.

They returned to what they were doing and I lied there, a puddle of jelly while her hands worked through my hair and even massaged my neck and ears.

A wave of total tranquility overpowered all other emotion inside me. I had been so worked up over the events of the past few weeks, unable to find comfort in any offered reassurances. Who knew that a couple of skillful strokes of these hands could reduce me to a lump of relaxed pudding?

I didn't know how long I stayed there but the first thing to break through the sea of pleasure was the pressure of two lips pecking me against the brow.

My eyes snapped opened and I stared up in shock at the orbs of gold above me.

Mari drew back, a blush sweeping over her tanned cheeks and I sat up, facing her.

"L-lo siento." She said shakily, her cheeks growing pink.

There was a long moment of silence while our blushes filled the space between us. Then I tried speaking.

"Did you just… kiss me?"

I saw her swallow. "S-si. I did."

My eyes went wide with the confirmation. "H-have you wanted to kiss me before?"

Her blush grew more intense. "Si…"

Whoa… this was a big step in our relationship. I had been kindling a small attraction to her for a while now, but I never acted on any impulses out of fear of rejection. Just because I felt that stuff didn't mean she would, too. And the thought of sabotaging our wonderful friendship over something so stupid wasn't worth the risk to me. Just being close with her was enough, in my opinion. There was no pressure for more than that.

I also kept in mind her past and the trauma she endured before arriving in Alexandria. If anyone needed to set the pace for a serious relationship, it was her and she needed that to keep from regressing back to that panicked, suicidal girl.

In that moment, my attention was focused entirely on her and I swallowed in turn, listening to her continue.

"You ever want… uh… besando—or kiss—me, too?"

My mouth went dry and the room became very hot all of a sudden.

"Well… I—I don't know. I haven't had much time to think of… kissing anyone." My eyes suddenly went to her lips just then, wondering how they would feel pressed up to mine.

Her eyes grew hazy as she leaned closer in, as if in anticipation. "Would you like to."

I could feel the puff of her soft breath against them and my heart quickened.

"I… uh… I don't… I don't really know… how…"

"No te preocupes… I do."

"Well… I just… I've never… I've never actually… no one who wasn't family at least…" I stuttered and babbled lamely, probably sounding like a complete idiot and putting her out of the mood anyways.

She didn't seem discouraged and leaned forward a bit more. "That's okay."

I swallowed again, growing sweaty at her proximity.

"It's okay if you don't want to…" she reassured.

"No! I—I do! I just… I want…" What did I really want? What on earth was I waiting for? It looked like she was ready for this if she was offering so earnestly. "A—actually I don't really know what I want."

She leaned closer into me and a furtive smile played on her lips while she gazed back at me. "La promenta I careful with you."

Those words combined with her accent and the knowing smile on her face did odd things to me. Butterflies flitted through my stomach and my heart did tiny little flips in my chest. I swallowed again, summoning what I could call for courage just then.

"I… o—okay then."

Very carefully she took my face in her hands, looking down on me with a look that paralyzed me.

"Tal vez… er… maybe close your eyes?"

That seemed like a good idea. If I had to watch her move in I wasn't sure if I would be able to go through with this before I chickened out. My eyes shut tight and I sat there, contemplating on whether I should pucker up or not.

It seemed like her lips were on me before I really had a chance to make a decision. It was brief and hardly what I would call "life changing." It just felt like we were bumping faces.

My eyes opened and I looked back at her, confused. Was that it? Boy did I worry for nothing.

Surprisingly, she didn't seem to be done.

Her hands were still cradling my face and I watched her as she leaned once more in, bequeathing me a second kiss, then a third that lasted longer than the first two. One the forth she did something bold. When my mouth parted absently, she took the chance to slid her tong through and graze my lips gently. A serge of feeling swept through me with that, much like what I felt when she stroked back my hair.

On the fifth kiss her hands moved to rest against my collarbone and she gently pushed me back into the pillows of the bed. Her kiss lasted longer for this one and when my lips parted again in surprise she plunged in.

I squeaked, startled by the action and sitting up, breaking the kiss through the shock.

Mari looked at me, an embarrassed blush sweeping over her for the bold move. "¿Demasiado?"

My fingers went to my lips in stunned surprise. "I—I don't know what… it definitely wasn't expected if that's what you meant."

I wasn't angry about it, just surprised. When she saw that I wasn't going to get shout or lecture her, she inched back towards me.

"¿Te gusta?"

I stared at her blankly, forgetting what gusta meant.

"Um… y-you like it?" She asked in English.

"I… well yeah I liked it."

"Again?"

She leaned closer to me, eagerness in her gaze and I just about flatlined with how pretty and ready she was. Oh boy did I want to go again! If my heart would just stop hammering against my ribs then maybe I could stop overanalyzing this situation enough to concentrate.

"I… uh… yes?"

Her hands moved back to cradle my face like before. My eyes grew big at the sight of her nearing face, heat sweeping through me while my neck began to sweat nervously.

"Try to relax." She suggested.

I nodded, physically incapable of doing so even as she said it. When her lips pressed against mine, though, I melted once again. The kiss took over all of my senses and I leaned back just as before, thinking of nothing but her while I fell into the contact.

"Hey, Judith, just wanted to let you know that Dad is—,"

The kiss broke instantly when Carl—that fucking idiot—burst into my room without so much as knocking!

His words cut off as he processed the position we had been in before his untimely interruption. Face glowing scarlet with heat, I grabbed the pillow from my bed and chucked it at him furiously.

"GET OUT YOU BIG, STUPID DUMMY!"

He did so, slamming the door with a parting, "OH—MY BAD!"

The red in my cheeks was there now for an entirely different reason and only grew more at the thought that our extremely private exchange had suddenly been granted his unwanted audience. When I stole a glance back at Mari it only got worse. Oh gosh I wish she wouldn't look at me like that.

"Well…" I said, my mouth dry once more. "I—I guess both our dads are back now."

"Si…" She whispered. God, why did she have to whisper like that?

"Do… you want to go down and meet them together?"

"Si." She smiled, threading her fingers through mine. The warmth of her smile and touch of her hand brought on heat and comfort and playful butterflies I never could have imagined.

We held hands the whole way down, nearing the cart as several citizens unloaded what looked to be two well-sized does and some bags of whatever had been caught in the snares. When Aaron spotted us coming forward, his face split quickly into a large grin and I watched as he elbowed my father, pointing towards us excitedly.

I had to look away when our eyes met, my now constant blush growing even more. Dad's smile looked even larger than Aaron's had been and held something sly behind it the closer we came. At the sight of it I almost wanted to instantly drop our clasped hands , but a reassuring squeeze from Mari discouraged that idea.

When we approached them at last I couldn't stand to look at the smug look on his face. It was the same one he got when he revealed the punchline in his stupid dad jokes.

"Sooooo…" he began, "Anything happen while we were gone?"

"Shut up." I muttered, squeezing tighter to Mari's hand. Despite my resolve a small embarrassed smile graced my own features.

Author's Notes: So, I guess it's official now. For those of you anticipating this for a while , it's finally happened. Maridith is an official ship now! I've been waiting to do this for so long.