Chapter 15 - Just Say Yes
Inspired by: Just Say Yes by Snow Patrol
Monday
"Hungry?" Andrea's question hung in the air as Michonne finished the sentence she was typing on her laptop. "Michonne!"
She looked up to find Andrea staring at her expectantly. It was after 7, and she hadn't left her office since before lunch. Had she even eaten lunch? She didn't remember, but her stomach rumbled as the smell of burgers and fries hit her nose.
"Yeah, sorry. I could eat."
She pulled her glasses off her face, squeezing her eyes shut to fight against the headache that was pricking at the edges of her mind. Other than hungry, exhausted had become her natural state. Days in court and nights prepping for being in court, was taking its toll.
The rusting of the paper bag stopped and she opened her eyes to see her food spread out in front of her, and Andrea already eating. Both of them had a tendency to go all in with their cases, and they always knew when to step in with just what the other needed. In this case, it came in the form of red meat, grease, salt, and carbs.
"Thank you, Andrea."
"No problem, I know how you get," Andrea said as she popped a fry into her mouth. "How do you think it's going?"
Michonne glanced at the papers spread across her desk and shook her head.
"I think we're doing well, but Negan was good on the witness stand. I noticed some of the female jurors getting a little captivated by his charisma. He made them forget for a minute that he was on trial for sex trafficking, rape, and murder."
"I'm constantly amazed by the depth of human stupidity," she sighed. "But you turned that around. You were, I don't know…possessed up there. You made him show his true colors."
Michonne nodded. She'd made him angry during cross examination, and he'd let that charismatic mask slip. His evil, sadistic nature had come across loud and clear as he avoided answering her questions by making sexist comments and leering at her. It made her feel like she needed a series of showers at the highest temperature she could stand when it was over.
"I just hope it was enough."
"Of course it was! You're Michonne Pierce; the baddest assistant DA in Atlanta!"
She grinned around her mouthful of burger.
"Co-baddest. You're right up there with me."
Andrea shrugged, "Well, that goes without saying!"
They went over a few more details of the case as they ate, and it was good to have a sounding board she could work through all of the intricacies of the case with.
When they were done, Andrea kicked up her feet on the edge of her desk and exhaled loudly with her hands over her stomach.
"I'm so full and getting sleepy, so let's talk about something else. Tell me about that dreamy boyfriend of yours."
Michonne smiled to herself at just the thought of him. That was another reason she wanted this trial to be over, it was keeping her from spending time with Rick.
"Everything is great. We're counting down the days till the move. I can't believe it's the end of summer already."
"When's the big day?"
"Friday, but he's already moved a lot of his things in. He's not bringing much because he's leaving almost everything in the house for his brother."
"No moving party?"
She shook her head.
"Not this time, but, we're planning something for the following weekend. We want the first weekend to be just us and Carl."
Andrea groaned but the accompanying eye roll betrayed her teasing.
"You three are sickening. You know that, right?"
"Shut up," Michonne laughed, but there was a time not so long ago that she would've said the same thing.
"Speaking of Carl, Ezekiel called me back. He says he'll draw up the new visitation schedule paperwork, and the filing for change of physical custody. The filing should be enough to scare Rick's ex out of fighting the new visitation schedule, and if it doesn't, he'll represent Rick in court pro bono."
"He's a good guy. I'll have to send him a case of that wine he likes so much."
"He'd like that…especially since his heart was broken when I told him you were seriously seeing someone."
It was Michonne's turn to roll her eyes. Ezekiel had been flirting with her ever since Andrea had introduced them at a happy hour the year before, but that was all it was. He'd never pushed for more and she'd assumed he just liked to flirt.
"I don't know why considering he never asked me out."
Andrea clicked her tongue.
"He claims he was biding his time, but I think he was waiting for you to make the first move. Either way, things are the way they're supposed to be. You and Rick belong together."
"Yeah, we do," she mused. "Did I tell you we ran into Mike the other day?"
Andrea's eyes widened and paired with her cheeks full of burger, she looked pretty comical.
"God, no! What happened?"
"Nothing really. He acted a little too familiar and Rick got a little possessive…" She giggled and shook her head. "…which was pretty hot actually."
"His alpha male side jumped out, huh?" Andrea asked.
She nodded; the memory of just how thoroughly he'd claimed her once they'd gotten home making her toes curl. A jealous Rick was a dominant Rick, and she'd enjoyed submitting to him more than she'd expected.
She cleared her head and returned to the topic with a sigh, "Since then, all I can think about is how things ended up how they were supposed to. You know how devastated I was when things ended with Mike, and while I wish it could've ended differently, it wasn't meant to be. I know that now."
"And what brought on this epiphany?"
"It's like you said…Rick and I belong together. I love him so much, Andrea. If I'm being honest, it's more than anything I ever felt for Mike. And Carl…I love that kid like he's my own. This is how it's supposed to be."
Andrea reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
"Yeah it is, babe," she agreed. "You deserve this happiness more than anyone I know."
Her phone buzzed on the desk and she laughed when she saw Rick's face on the screen.
"Speak of the devil," she said, while Andrea stood and started gathering their trash. "You don't have to go. I'll call him back…"
"No, I'm going to pick up my stuff from my office and then you're leaving with me."
"Andrea," she began, shaking her head. She couldn't leave yet. There was still too much work to do before court the next day.
Andrea glared at her and she knew that look well. It was her "no arguments" look and Michonne knew from experience that she'd never convince her to leave without her.
"I'm not accepting any excuses. Be ready to go in ten minutes."
Michonne sighed and picked up the phone from her desk.
"Fine," she grumbled, sliding her finger across her screen to answer Rick's call. "Hi."
"Tell me you're not still in your office," he groaned.
She chuckled and said, "If I did that, I'd be lying."
He sighed into the phone and she could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Baby, you know I'm not comfortable with you being there so late by yourself," he said.
"I know. I'm only staying for a little while longer. Andrea is making me leave when she does."
He hummed his pleasure at hearing that.
"Good. I knew I liked her for a reason."
"Besides…once you're here full time, I'll have less incentive to work late."
His warm chuckle through the line made her smile.
"Another reason I can't wait for the end of this week."
"Me either," she agreed; glancing up to find Andrea standing in her doorway with her hand on her hip, completely ready to go.
"Can I call you back when I get home? Andrea is tapping her watch in my doorway right now."
"You'd better. I love you," he said; and no matter how many times she heard them, those words made warmth blossom in her chest.
"I love you too."
She ended the call and gathered her things, joining Andrea in the doorway a minute later.
"Sasha just texted me. She and Maggie are at the wine bar and being there with a pregnant woman is making her look like a lush."
Michonne knew where this was going. There were very few things that could make Andrea turn down an invitation for wine.
"Andrea…"
"I told her we'd stop by for a minute so let that man of yours know you'll be calling him back late."
"I have court tomorrow," she argued.
"We'll make it an early one! C'mon, please! It's been forever since we've had a girl's night."
She sighed in defeat. There was no talking Andrea out of something like this and if she was being honest, she did miss Sasha and Maggie…and a glass of wine did sound really good after the week she'd had.
"Fine. But if I bomb in court tomorrow, I'm blaming you."
Andrea grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"I knew you were my bestie for a reason!"
Michonne laughed as they walked out together. She was probably going to regret it the next day, but a few glasses of wine with her friends was exactly what she needed.
Wednesday
Rick watched as Jeff pushed his way through the mass of people crowded into the best and only pub in King County, the Ramblin' Rose. Shane had set the whole thing up as a guy's night out, but when he'd walked into the bar and found half the town in there, he'd realized it was actually a going away party. When he'd asked for confirmation, Shane had only shrugged and shoved a beer into his hand, before getting out of the way as everyone came up to wish him well. That was about an hour and three beers ago, but it was finally turning into the guy's night out he'd been promised as the crowd thinned out.
"You're late," he scolded, and Jeff frowned.
"Mama wouldn't let me go until Savannah was asleep and it was a three story night."
Rick laughed under his breath. Mama didn't mind keeping Savannah, but she loved forcing Jeff to be a grown-up more. Before he could tease him about it some more, Shane came up and slapped Jeff on the back.
"Hey, asshole! You're about three beers behind. You need to catch up!"
Shane and Jeff had always acted like brothers, but they were the arguing, fighting, and competitive kind. Rick had always thought it had something to do with the fact that both of them were way too much alike, and nothing could convince him otherwise.
Jeff looked around and and grinned when he saw who was working the bar.
"Is it just me, or has Rosita's ass gotten rounder over the years?" He asked.
Rick rolled his eyes, while Shane's followed Jeff's to focus on the bartender in her short skirt. Both of them were leering at her and grinning appreciatively like a couple of creeps.
Shane finally looked away with a low whistle and shook his head.
"Now that is a practically perfect ass," he said, "but she's still pining over that jackass Monroe."
Jeff ran a hand through his hair and straightened his collar, a smirk Rick knew well playing on his lips.
"That's only because I haven't been around."
Jeff had been crushing on Rosita ever since she was a couple years ahead of him in high school. She hadn't given him the time of day back then, and Rick wasn't sure why he thought that was suddenly going to change.
He jolted when Shane slapped his shoulder, choking back a laugh.
"Hey Rick, your baby brother thinks he's going to pull Rosita when better men have tried and been shot down!"
He wanted to laugh with Shane and tease his brother, but there was something about the look on Jeff's face when he looked at Rosita that held him back. It was like she was the center of the universe, and he recognized that look because he was pretty sure that was how he looked at Michonne.
So instead of piling on with the jokes, he just took a swig from his beer. Jeff was his baby brother after all.
"My money's on Jeff," he said; and Jeff gave him a grin while Shane frowned in irritation.
"Oh yeah? How much money are you willing to put on it?" He asked.
Rick shrugged and answered, "If he gets a date, you get the next round, and if he doesn't, it's on me."
Shane nodded.
"Deal."
"I can't believe you two are betting on me," Jeff laughed.
"Well, I did so go on over there and get your girl."
They watched as Jeff strutted over to where Rosita was working at the end of the bar. He leaned forward and they chatted for a bit, and when Rosita blushed and smiled, Rick knew he'd won the bet.
"Pay up Walsh. My brother is coming back with something you could never get."
"Not yet," Shane grumbled.
Then, Jeff reached across the bar and tucked a strand of hair behind Rosita's ear, which made her smile even wider and made Shane slam his bottle onto the bar.
"Goddammit! What is it with you Grimes boys?"
Rick laughed at his friend's outburst.
"Must be something in the genes," he offered.
Shane shook his head in disgust.
"Whatever, man. Y'all make me sick. First, you somehow manage to land Michonne who is ten outta ten. Now, Jeff is going out with Rosita, who only comes in second to Michonne! It ain't fair!"
"Maybe if you stopped being such a jackass, you could get a nice girl too."
Shane smirked and downed the rest of his beer.
"Nah. I ain't looking for a nice girl. I just want a ten who has a thing for jackasses."
That comment was peak Shane and the laugh erupted from Rick.
"You're an idiot," he said.
Shane grinned wide and tapped his beer bottle against his.
"Yeah, and you're gonna miss the hell out of me."
He hated admitting it, but Shane was right. He was going to miss the man who'd been is friend for most of their lives.
"That is unfortunately true," he agreed.
"Damn, you must have the weight of the world on your mind tonight," Shane muttered. "You agreed with me way too easy."
"What are you talking about?"
Shane peered at him through narrowed eyes.
"We been friends a long time. You can't hide anything from me. You ain't having second thoughts about leaving, are you?"
Rick shook his head. That was at the very bottom of the list of things going on in his head. He couldn't wait to be in Atlanta full time. Just the thought of seeing Michonne every day…waking up with her every morning and falling asleep with her every night…was enough to make him want to blow off his last three days of work and go to her.
"No. Michonne is just about the only thing in the world I'm sure about."
"Well, you're chewing on something over there. You might as well spit it out."
Rick sighed. Shane wasn't going to let it go and deep down, he didn't really want him to. He'd already made his decision, but he needed to talk to someone other than his mama about it.
"I've been thinking, and I've decided I'm gonna ask Michonne to marry me."
Both of Shane's eyebrows shot up.
"Yeah?"
Rick sucked in a breath and nodded.
"I love her, man. I know we already decided to move in together, but I want to start really building a life with her, you know?"
Shane shrugged.
"Now, you know all that marriage stuff is way outside of my wheelhouse, but if that's what you want, I support you. Michonne is a hell of a woman. I understand wanting to lock that shit down before she realizes she can do better."
"Shut up."
"I'm just fucking with you. You're sure she's gonna say yes?"
"We haven't talked about it but…yeah. I'm pretty sure."
Shane grinned and slapped his back.
"Good for you! So when are you going to do it?" He asked.
"Tomorrow night after I move in. She won't be expecting it at all," he answered. He knew if he tried to take her out anywhere special, or did anything out of the ordinary, she might catch on to what he was planning and he wanted it to be a surprise. He also wanted it to be just the two of them when he poured his heart out to her. He was man enough to admit that he was probably going to cry like a baby and he didn't need an audience for that.
Shane asked, "Do I get to be your best man this time or are you picking Jeff again?"
Rick laughed at the hint of annoyance in Shane's voice.
"You're still mad about that?"
Shane frowned and polished off his beer before slamming the bottle onto the bar.
"Hell yeah I am! We've been friends since before he was born!"
"He's my brother," Rick argued.
Shane narrowed his eyes.
"He's your little brother, and he's still the biggest pain in the ass."
"Why? Because he's going out with Rosita?"
"We don't know that for sure yet."
Rick looked up and saw Jeff grinning from ear to ear as he made his way back over to them carrying a beer and three shots of what looked like whiskey. There was only one reason for him to be smiling like that and it was definitely going to burst Shane's bubble.
"Oh, I think we do," he mumbled as Jeff rejoined them.
Jeff offered each of them a shot before raising his in the air.
"Gentlemen," he began proudly, "I will be escorting Ms. Espinoza out on a date tomorrow night."
Shane slapped the bar and downed his shot.
"Sonofabitch!"
Rick tried to keep the laugh at bay as he patted his buddy's back.
"Cheer up, man. He still has to convince mama to keep Savvy two nights in a row."
Jeff threw back his shot and shook his head.
"No sir! A date with Rosita is worth paying Beth Greene to keep her."
Rick could no longer contain his amusement. He raised his glass to his brother and laughed long and hard before swallowing the liquor in one gulp.
"Congratulations, Jeff! Rosita's a nice girl so don't be an ass, ok?"
Jeff shook his head the exact same way he'd done when he was a little boy and their mama was accusing him of doing wrong.
"No worries there. I've been waiting my whole life for this. Ain't no way I'm messing it up."
"All I wanna know is when my dream girl is gonna show up. It ain't fair," Shane grumbled, which made both Rick and Jeff laugh for a good long time.
They continued on like that for a while longer; laughing and ribbing each other like they had their whole lives. This was something Rick was going to miss about living in King County. He'd have Abe and Glenn in Atlanta, and Daryl would be in and out, but Shane had been his best friend for a lot of years and he wanted to make sure that didn't change. Now that Jeff was back and on the right path, he wanted to keep rebuilding that relationship too. He'd have to be sure to invite both of them to come to Atlanta every now and then for a guy's night.
"Well, well. I guess it's true, boys. Officer Friendly is leaving town."
Rick tensed at the sound of that amused, country drawl, his knuckles turning white from his grip on the beer bottle. Merle Dixon was the biggest asshole in three counties and Rick had a hard time reconciling the fact that he was Daryl's older brother. He'd been nothing but trouble ever since he'd moved to King County a few years earlier, and Rick had locked in up in the drunk tank to sleep off one of his benders many a night. That was between the calls about him swindling people at the garage or picking a fight with someone. He'd been better ever since Daryl had moved to town, which probably meant he was overdue for some hell raising.
"Merle. You here to wish me well? I didn't know you cared."
"Oh, yeah...I damn near fell out when I heard we were losing my favorite officer of the law."
"I'm sure. Well, thank you for the sentiment. I'm sure you have other places to be."
"Oh no. Me and my friends here are gonna have a few drinks."
Wondering what kind of people would consider themselves friends with Merle, Rick looked around to see who else was there and the entourage made complete sense. Joe Buchanan and his band of wannabe bikers were fixtures at the roadhouse on the outskirts of town. It was where he usually picked up Merle for being drunk and disorderly so it was no surprise that they were running around together.
The bar had gotten way too crowded all of a sudden and he looked over to Shane and Jeff so they could leave. The two of them were still arguing over which one was better with women, and he knew he'd have to appeal to their needs if he wanted them to leave with him.
He tapped Jeff's arm and said, "Hey, I'm getting hungry. Let's go over to Giovanni's and grab a pizza before it closes."
Jeff shook his head.
"Naw, we just ordered wings and another round."
Then, Shane chimed in with, "Anyway, it ain't like your girl is up waiting for you at home. Have some fun!"
Chuckles and whispers rose from the group on the other side of him, and he caught the end of a sentence that made his face flush with anger.
He practically leapt off his barstool and glared at Merle, whose shit eating grin made his blood boil even more.
"What did you say?" He demanded.
"I wasn't talking to you," Merle sneered.
"You were talking about my girl so that concerns me."
Merle took a step forward, standing close enough that Rick could smell the cheap liquor and cigarettes on his breath.
"What? You gonna arrest me? Last I heard, speech was still free."
"Say something like that about my girl again and you'll wish I just arrested you."
The movement and tone of voice must've been enough to get Jeff's attention because Rick felt his brother's hand on his shoulder.
"C'mon, Rick. Let's get out of here," Jeff said in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
Rick shook Jeff's hand from his shoulder.
"Nah. Not until he finds the balls to say that shit to my face."
"He ain't gonna find em, because he never had em to begin with," Shane cut in; suddenly standing at his other side.
Merle just kept grinning and it made Rick want to tear him apart even more.
"I was just telling my friends here about you not being able to satisfy your wife, and since she left you, you've been carrying on with that Nubian queen of yours. Don't know how you think you can keep a woman like that satisfied."
Strike one…
Rick closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. Merle was asking for a beating but as an officer of the law, he couldn't give it to him.
"That gal's got your nose wide open. I guess it's true what they say. Once you go black you ain't coming back."
Strike two…
Rick's anger flared again and his mind was quickly working through the consequences of kicking Merle's ass. He only had a few days left on the force and a new gig set up in Atlanta. Would the fallout really be that bad? Besides, it was Merle Dixon. Nobody in King County would blame him for doing it. In fact, he might get a medal for giving Merle the ass whooping he deserved.
Both Jeff and Shane knew him well enough to know he was nearing his limit for bullshit. He closed his eyes and took another breath. Merle was trying to get under his skin, and his brother and his best friend were trying to get him out of there.
"Shut the hell up, Merle," Shane bit out.
"You know, pizza would be awesome with our wings. Let's go," Jeff said, as he tried to physically pull him away from Merle. The piece of shit wasn't worth the headache he'd have to deal with, so he resigned himself to walking way.
He turned to Jeff and nodded, but before they could go, Merle chuckled.
"She's friends with my baby brother, ain't she?" Merle teased. "You ever wonder if he had a hand in breaking her in real good for you?"
Strike three…
"Aw hell…" Jeff muttered, and that was the last thing Rick heard before the crack of his fist colliding with Merle Dixon's face.
Next thing he knew, he had Merle on the floor, pounding the hell out of him. One hand squeezed his throat as his fist repeatedly connected with his jaw. His knuckles ached from the impact of bone on bone, but he didn't let that stop him from trying to rearrange Merle's face.
Somewhere in his periphery, he noticed a crowd gathering around them; their shocked gasps mixed in with the curses being thrown around by Jeff and Shane. He half expected to be pulled off of Merle by then, but when he saw both of them shoving at the guys in Merle's posse to keep them away, he understood.
That moment of distraction allowed Merle to get a good hit in right under his eye and it stunned him enough that Merle was able to roll away and get to his feet.
Rick hurried to his, not willing to give Merle any kind of advantage, but instead of attacking, the other man backed away; busying himself with trying to stop the blood pouring out of his nose.
"You broke my goddamn nose," Merle yelled.
Rick grabbed one of the bar towels and threw it at him.
"Well, you got lucky cause I meant to knock your teeth out."
"I'm pressing charges! Police brutality!"
Rick was well aware of the trouble he was probably going to get into for fighting. It may be his last week in King County, but that didn't give him the right to go around starting bar fights. Problem was, knowing all that didn't stop him from wanting to really give Merle something to cry about. Lucky for both of them, Shane got up in Merle's face before he could.
"Get the fuck outta here, Merle! You ain't pressing shit."
Merle held the towel to his nose.
"I got all these witnesses that saw Officer Friendly attack me for nothing."
Shane rubbed the stubble on his head and glared at Merle.
"If you try it, I'm sure you got some outstanding warrants I can call up. Or maybe I'll come investigate that little trailer of yours. Hell, I might do that anyway."
Merle glared right back at Shane for a minute before backing away.
"I see how it is. Ain't nothing the law can do for me anyway," he said, before turning his attention back to Rick. "You better be glad you're leaving. Otherwise, you might need to watch your back."
That made Rick lunge forward and if Jeff hadn't been holding him, the fight would've started all over again. He was still seething as Shane and a couple of the other guys in the bar escorted Merle and his friends out. He didn't even start to relax a little bit until they were out of sight.
"Calm down. He's gone," Jeff said. "Here. Have another drink."
Rick glanced at the tumbler of amber liquid his brother had shoved into his hand before downing it. Every muscle in his body was still wound as tight as a drum and he was having a hard time getting himself back in check.
"The sheriff is gonna be pissed when he hears about this," said Shane as he made his way back into the bar. "I'm gonna be hearing his mouth for weeks…maybe even months. You're damn lucky you're leaving!"
Rick snorted. He couldn't care less about being chastised by the sheriff.
"He knows Merle Dixon is the biggest asshole in King County. He was asking for it."
"I'm sure he was, but what did he say that started it?"
He was finally relaxing a little bit but recalling the disgustingly ignorant thing Merle had said to kick it all off, had him getting angry all over again. His hand tightened around the glass.
"It doesn't matter. It was disrespectful to Michonne and I'm not having that from anyone, least of all a piece of shit like Merle Dixon," he growled.
Shane and Jeff exchanged a glance before shaking their heads and taking their seats. The wings they'd ordered were waiting for them on the bar, and after another moment, Rick joined them on the middle barstool.
"Alright, alright," Shane conceded, giving him a once over. "You're probably gonna have a shiner in the morning. Your woman's not gonna be happy about you messing up that pretty face of yours."
It was almost like the mention of the one punch Merle landed, made the sting of it come back and Rick ran his fingers across his cheekbone.
Jeff leaned across the bar with that same goofy grin he'd had from the minute he'd noticed Rosita was working that night.
"Rosita, honey, can we get some ice for my brother?"
"Sure thing," she replied, and a few minutes later, Rick had an ice pack pressed against his face.
As the night wore on, his mood improved and by the end of it, he was mostly drunk and laughing with Shane and Jeff again. They shut down the bar, and he was grateful he didn't live too far to walk. Jeff walked with him after Shane went home with some redhead he'd been eyeing all night, and because it was better for him to sleep it off someplace other than their mama's house.
They stumbled into the house and Jeff collapsed on the sofa. Rick paused in the living room and took in the boxes stacked in the corner. It was mostly Carl's stuff from his room and the few things he was taking with him to Michonne's. Most things he was leaving in the house for Jeff, but it was still strange to see it all packed up. He was really leaving the house he'd once thought he'd live in forever with Lori and Carl; the house that held so many happy memories but had become a place of misery for a good while until he'd forced himself out of it.
Now, he was embarking on a whole new chapter in a new city, with a new job, and hopefully with a new fiancé.
Jeff's mumbling pulled him from his thoughts.
"I still can't believe you're letting me live here. I love mama, but it's gonna be nice having my own space again."
If he was being honest, he couldn't believe he was basically handing the house over to Jeff either. They'd cut a deal where Jeff would pay minimal rent in exchange for keeping up with all of the maintenance of the house. A few years ago, he'd have never even made an offer like that, but his brother was turning his life around and all because of becoming a father. He'd already painted Carl's old room pink and was filling it with stuff for Savvy. He was trying to be a good dad and Rick respected that.
"You know she's gonna be over here visiting Savvy every chance she gets."
Jeff snorted, and kicked his legs up on the sofa.
"Yeah, but there's a big difference between visiting and staying."
Rick chuckled and walked down the hallway to his bedroom. If Jeff thought living three miles away from their mama was going to stop her from trying to run his life, he wasn't going to be the one to burst his bubble. The only reason he thought he'd be safe from it in Atlanta was how much she liked Michonne.
He flipped on the light in the master bathroom and got his first good look at his eye. It was red and swollen, but not as bad as he'd thought. He was going to have a nice shiner for a while though.
He laughed to himself and shook his head as he began brushing his teeth; his imagination running wild with all the ways Michonne was going to react when she saw it. She wasn't going to be happy. First of all, he'd gotten into a bar fight with an ignorant jackass, but most importantly, he'd allowed said jackass to mess up his "pretty face" as she called it.
Friday
"I can't believe you got into a bar fight," Michonne said for at least the third time since she'd seen him show up at her door with Shane, Jeff, a truck full of boxes, and a black eye.
"It happens."
He wasn't planning on telling her how or why it happened and he'd instructed Jeff and Shane to keep their mouths shut too. He had big plans for that night and he didn't need those plans getting ruined because of Merle Dixon's mouth. That was one of the reasons why he'd rushed the guys to hurry on back to King County and leave him and Michonne to the boxes.
"But your face..."
"It's nothing. It'll be gone in a few days."
He could see the lawyer coming out when she furrowed her brow and parted her distractingly red lips to ask more questions. He panicked; knowing if she asked him what had started the bar fight right out he'd have to tell her everything, so he silenced her with an unexpected kiss.
She responded like she always did; by melting into him and wrapping her arms around his neck as she surrendered her mouth to him. She tasted like the strawberries she'd eaten for breakfast, so sweet and ripe that he didn't want to let her go. As much as he wanted to get lost in her, he needed to get his plan in motion. Reluctantly, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.
"As much as I'd like to keep this going, didn't you say you had to go back to the office for a little while?"
She threw her head back with a groan.
"Yeah, the defense attorney wants to talk about a deal, I said no, but the DA wants to hear him out," she explained. "I just want to stay home with you."
She had to go to work, so she was wearing one of those sexy pantsuits that hugged her ass and always got him all hot and bothered. He'd have to get used to them now that he was going to see them regularly. She was also terribly cute when she was pouty, but he couldn't let that distract him. He had things to do.
He rubbed his hands up and down her arms and kissed her forehead.
"When do you think you'll be home?"
"By 5:30. I'll bring dinner…"
He shook his head.
"I'll take care of it."
A smile stretched across her gorgeous face making his heart still in his chest.
"Are you sure?" She asked, and he could see the wheels turning in her head about his cooking. Breakfast he was good at, but dinner that didn't involve a grill...not so much.
He nodded and felt his lips spreading into a smile matching hers.
"Yeah. I got this. I can order Door Dash with the best of them," he teased, making her laugh. He wanted to record that laugh and use it as his alarm, his ring tone...anything that allowed him to hear it on demand.
She nodded and leaned in to plant a light kiss on his lips.
"Ok…I'll see you later then," she said. "I love you."
She tried to back away but he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. There was no way he was letting her leave with only a peck on the lips.
"I love you, too," he whispered, before kissing her soundly and leaving her a little wobbly on her heels when he let her go.
He sent her off to work with a playful smack on her ass that made her giggle happily. He watched until her car was down the street before releasing the breath he was holding. It was time to set his plan in motion, and his nerves were starting to kick in. He was suddenly second-guessing everything and he didn't know why. There was no question that he loved Michonne and wanted to marry her, but maybe he was rushing things; maybe she wasn't ready.
The ring had been burning a hole in his pocket ever since he'd picked it up from the jeweler and there was no way he was going to be able to keep it a secret if he backed out of asking her that night.
Still debating with himself over what to do, he lifted one of the boxes marked as "Carl's Stuff"and headed toward the room that was going to be his. He stopped when he saw the sign taped to the door.
CARL'S ROOM
NO PEEKING
THAT MEANS YOU RICK :)
It felt like he'd been grinning continuously ever since he'd met Michonne, but there he was grinning stupidly at her handwritten sign. He knew she loved his son with her whole heart, but he was more than happy to see the evidence of it again and again. It made him wonder for the millionth time how he'd gotten so lucky to have her in his life. She was the sun and his whole world revolved around her.
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he lowered the box in his arms to the floor so he could fish it out. As if he needed another sign that he was doing the right thing, there it was like the text had been sent from God himself.
Michonne: Did I tell you how happy I am now that you're here? Because I'm so unbelievably happy, baby. You make me so happy.
His fingers danced across the screen as he typed out an answer.
Rick: Same here. Get your work done so you can come home and let me show you how happy you make me.
And now that any lingering hesitation he had was gone, that was exactly what he was going to do.
"Honey, I'm home!" Michonne announced, pushing open the door to her house. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so hard at the fact that she could finally say that. Rick was there; her home was now his home, and her jubilation at that had her almost to the point of bursting. Curling up with him every night and waking up with him every morning was her new reality and it had her feeling like a kid on Christmas.
She'd expected to find her new live-in lover in the kitchen fretting over whatever he'd decided to make for dinner, but the kitchen was empty and the house was quiet.
"Rick?" She called, but there was no reply. Thinking that he'd probably fallen asleep in the bedroom, she put her things down and headed that way, stopping abruptly in the living room. T'Challa was sitting smack dab in the middle of what looked like rose petals. She surveyed the room, realizing that even though the petals were spread out everywhere thanks to the cat, it was supposed to be a path.
She glared at the cat.
"You can't even let him be romantic, can you?"
Her answer came in the form of a haughty meow as T'Challa rolled around in the petals and spread them out even more. Maybe Rick was right. Maybe the cat really did hate him.
Shaking her head, she followed what was left of the trail to the door leading to the deck, and when she pushed it open, her breath caught.
Her deck had been transformed into a sparkling oasis with strings of white twinkle lights hanging around the wooden posts and draped over the railing. A colorful blanket was spread out over the middle of the deck, with two matching oversized pillows she figured were meant to sit on. A bottle of wine was chilling inside a bucket of ice, and there were plates of appetizers she recognized from one of her favorite restaurants in the city along with a mini chocolate cake that she knew had to come from Carol's diner in King County. The playlist that she'd used the first night Rick had come to her house was softly playing in the background and the entire deck was covered with bouquets of red, pink, and white roses.
Standing in the doorway that led to the bedroom was Rick, looking so good that her stomach did a few flips. He was wearing his black jeans and a white button down shirt that provided a nice contrast to his still fading Miami tan. His hair looked damp from a shower, and he had it combed back away from his clean shaven face. He would've looked liked a classic movie star if not for the purplish bruise under his right eye, but even that gave him a ruggedness that only added to his good looks.
She must've been staring because his full lips tilted into a crooked grin that warmed her from head to toe. Words still failed her as she watched him strut across the deck toward he walked over and pulled her into a hug, and she pressed her nose into the side of his neck to breathe in his clean vanilla and sandalwood scent. God, he was sexy; and she was so grateful that they'd decided to spend one night alone together before getting Carl.
"Welcome home, darlin," he said, and the deep timbre of his voice and that drawl had her melting in his arms.
"Rick…what is all this?"
He smiled a little wider and led her over to one of the pillows, guiding her to sit down before doing the same.
"I wanted our first night living under the same roof to be special. Do you like it?"
She blinked as she took in everything he'd done in the few hours she'd been gone. Of course she liked it. It was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her.
"I love it!"
"I love you."
At that point, she was honestly surprised that she wasn't a puddle at his feet.
"I love you too," she echoed, leaning over to plant a soft kiss on his lips.
"Are you hungry?"
"Always. You know that."
"Then, let's eat before these potstickers get cold."
They ate under the stars; enjoying their urban picnic of appetizers and desserts as the sun dipped low and set the sky on fire. They took turns feeding each other bites of food between kisses and sips of sparkling wine, and she wished every night could be like that one. Yes, they were living together now but real life wasn't going to let every night be something out of a romance novel. So she was determined to be present and relish every second of their date night, and all thoughts of work were locked away.
"Thank you for this," she said after they'd finished eating and she'd returned from changing into a light sundress. "You outdid yourself with this date night."
"It's more than a date night. And it's not over yet."
She walked past him to retrieve her wineglass from the blanket, smiling at the innuendo lacing his words.
"You know you're spoiling me, right?"
"Good, because that's my goal."
She shook her head laughing.
"What am I going to do with you, Rick Grimes?"
"I don't know," he whispered. "You could marry me."
She froze; wondering if she heard him correctly. She'd been expecting a comeback about moving things inside or christening every room of her house. What he'd actually said wasn't even on the list of things she'd been expecting, so she was sure she'd heard him wrong.
Slowly, she turned around and sucked in a breath when she saw the small, green velvet box in his hand. A nervous smile played on his lips, but his eyes shone with love and hope. He stepped closer and lowered his eyes to his feet for just a minute before his shoulders squared and he lifted his head; his jaw set in determination.
"I've been rehearsing what I was gonna say for days, but now that it's time, I can't remember a word of it. So I'm gonna have to wing it, if that's ok with you?"
Tears stung her eyes, and she covered her mouth with a trembling hand as she nodded.
He cleared his throat and took her hand in his.
"Michonne. You are the most amazing woman I've ever known. You are so damn gorgeous, inside and out. You have this incredible strength that I'm constantly in awe of, and you have the biggest and kindest heart. Being loved by you is like having the sun shining on me all the time and it just fills me up to bursting with warmth. I've never felt like this before and now I want to always feel like this. On top of all that, my son absolutely adores you and you love him back just as fiercely as you would if he were your own, and as a dad, what more could I want?"
Tears were falling freely down her cheeks and it was on the verge of turning into an ugly cry. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that her entire body vibrated with every thundering beat. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him too, how much she loved Carl and the little family they'd built, but the words were stuck in her throat. So she squeezed his fingers to let him know that she was still with him.
He got the message because his fingers tightened around hers and his smile grew a little more confident.
"I'm so ridiculously in love with you, Counselor. You got me pinching myself everyday because a woman like you choosing to be with a guy like me, only happens in dreams. Well…if it is a dream, I never wanna wake up from it. I know we haven't been together that long, but I want to be your husband. I want to make you laugh till your sides hurt, and scandalize my hometown by making out with you in public. I want to love you and make babies with you; navigate this crazy world with you as my partner, my best friend, and my wife. Most of all, I want to spend forever with you...and I want forever to start as soon as possible."
She wanted to throw her arms around him and scream "YES" to the rooftops, but something wouldn't let her and that something was Mike and the wedding that wasn't. She'd been in this position before. She'd been so happy…so optimistic about her future with the man she loved, but it had fallen apart. She knew Rick wasn't Mike and she knew in her heart that he'd never hurt her, but that part of her that had been so hurt two years earlier insisted on holding her back like a chain tethering her to the past.
Rick squeezed her hand again, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"You're in your head. Talk to me, baby."
He knew her so well, and she owed him honesty about what she was thinking, even if she was angry with herself for thinking it.
"Are you sure?" She asked; her voice trembling. "I mean…really sure?Because I love you so much and if it turns out that you're…not sure, I…"
He shook his head and lifted her hand to his lips.
"I'm sure," he interrupted. "You and me, building a future together…I want that more than anything."
"Rick," she breathed, as her last bit of hesitation crumbled away. "I…"
He held up a hand and shook his head.
"Before you say anything else, I need to actually ask the question, ok?"
Realizing he was right, she nodded; swatting at the tears that had leaked out to stream down her cheeks. He dropped to one knee at her feet and stared up at her; his eyes shining with tears of his own. He cracked open the jewelry box, revealing the most gorgeous ring she'd ever seen. Even in the fading sunlight, it sparkled magnificently. It was obviously antique, and it was just the simple and delicate beauty she would've picked out for herself.
Rick cleared his throat, and asked in voice so calm and clear, "Michonne Pierce, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?"
"Yes," she croaked.
The tears he'd been fighting since they started, began trickling down his cheeks.
"Yeah?" His voice cracked and the word came out no higher than a whisper.
"Mmm hmm," she sounded, her head bobbing up and down emphatically.
His fingers shook as he slipped the ring on her finger and she was surprised that it fit perfectly. She didn't think about it too long because as soon as the ring was on, she launched herself into his arms and they fell backward onto the blanket kissing, laughing and crying.
She brushed his curls off his forehead and just stared down at her handsome fiancé. There was a part of her that still couldn't believe it. A few minutes ago, she had an amazing live-in boyfriend and now, she was engaged to marry the love of her life.
"I'm ridiculously in love with you too, you know."
His grin nearly split his face.
"That's good considering you just agreed to become my wife."
"I can't wait," she said, and she meant it. She'd go to the courthouse and marry him on Monday morning if they could get away with it without their mothers having a meltdown.
"Me either," he agreed.
She rolled off of him and curled into his side; holding her left hand up to the light causing the diamond to sparkle brilliantly. It was a gorgeous ring; so different from the ones she'd seen in jewelry stores and magazines. Different from the one she'd worn just a few years earlier.
"It was my grandmother's," he offered; reading her mind like only he could. "…but seeing it on your finger makes makes me think it was always meant for you."
The fact that it was a family ring made it even more beautiful in her eyes. The delicate band wrapped around her finger like it had been molded for her, and the three diamonds rested on an intricate art deco setting, reminding her of something out of The Great Gatsby.
"I love it," she whispered into his chest and she grinned when she felt his lips press against her forehead. "You know…we should call our meddling mamas and tell them the good news."
He squeezed her closer and she nestled into the warmth of his body, inviting his clean, woodsy scent to wrap around her.
"How about we wait and tell them in the morning?" He countered.
"Besides, I was thinking we could start practicing the baby making part."
The smile burst across her face before she'd fully processed his words. So that hadn't been a slip of the tongue brought about by him "winging it". They'd talked about it before, but knowing that he'd been listening when she'd mentioned that having a baby was something that needed to happen sooner rather than later, made her positively giddy. Having seen how he was with Carl, she was certain that there was no greater gift she could give her children than to have Rick as their father.
She leaned her head back and found him staring down at her with dark, blue eyes filled with love and longing.
Stretching close enough that her lips brushed against his, she whispered, "Well, practice makes perfect".
Then, she fused her lips to his in a kiss she hoped conveyed how much she loved him and how thrilled she was at the prospect of becoming his wife. Her tongue swept through the warm cavern of his mouth, tasting the hint of the red wine and chocolate cake they'd shared.
As the kiss went deeper, she climbed on top of him and lovingly held his face between her hands as she plundered his mouth. He held onto her tightly; his fingers digging into her skin through the thin fabric at her waist as he braced himself against her onslaught of passion. The skirt of her dress skirt bunched up at her hips as she moved her body in time with the thrusts of her tongue. They finally broke apart, gasping for breath as her body continued to burn for him.
"We should go inside," he mumbled against her lips before capturing them in another kiss.
She reluctantly pulled away, sitting up so that she was straddling his lap. Of course he was right. She was about three seconds away from unbuttoning his jeans and releasing the hardness pressing against her center. She looked down at his pink cheeks and swollen lips and wondered if that would be such a bad thing.
Biting her lip, she pulled her dress over her head leaving her in only the lacy purple bra and panty set she'd picked out that morning to celebrate their new living arrangement. Now they were celebrating a whole lot more.
His eyes darkened and dilated even more than they already were as his hot gaze traced over her body. He swallowed hard, and even the bobbing of his Adam's apple added to the wildfire of her desire for him.
"Michonne?" He rasped; his voice cracking from the weight of his desire.
She grinned as her fingers made quick work of the buttons of his shirt. One of the selling points of her home had been how private that deck was. Maybe it was time to finally make use of it.
"I'm good right here."
Thank you for reading and reviewing and pushing me to finish this. It truly means a lot.
This chapter was completely different and I ended up not liking it and rewriting it. I hope this makes up for the delay. Let me know what you think!