Silence overrode conversation as Rick and Michonne walked to the truck. Rick had an appreciation for silence. It could be a needed buffer between calm and strife, it could mark consent, or it could be a glaring sign of turmoil requiring a cease of communication. But sometimes silence was just silence.

A failure to find the right words.

There was much he wanted to say, but even more he needed to say. Rick glanced at Michonne as she sniffled, his hand swept up and down her side in an offer of comfort. Tears slipped down her cheeks and another shard of his broken heart fell away. The knot in his throat grew tighter, its expanse wider. He was walking, he heard his footfalls on the pavement, and felt the cool late autumn air on his face, but he was a man crushed. Crushed by the weight of this threat, the pain it had caused Michonne, and his unfortunate presence in the midst of it all.

Before they'd encountered the accident scene, his biggest concern had been how romantic he could make his marriage proposal. Thanksgiving seemed like a lifetime ago. Now, the concern wasn't how he proposed, but if he ever could.

Rick helped Michonne into the truck and then climbed in beside her. Sighing deeply, he gripped the steering wheel and turned to her. Even with the use of every word ever created, he couldn't say enough to express what she meant to him. He was mesmerized by her. Their love was a miracle, a force unto itself that nothing and no one could destroy, but…

But.

He knew what he had to do, and he loved Michonne and Andre too much to not do it. To fight to the end, to make Sybil pay for daring to hurt Michonne, Andre, and himself was what Rick wanted, but was it fair to put Michonne through that on top of Mike's perilous condition and Carl's grief? He knew the answer.

Minutes ago, he actually thought they would walk into Mike's room and maybe see him sitting up and talking. That a page would turn and a new normal would begin. Like the one he had with Shane and amazingly the one Shane was starting with Andre in this move to Buckhead. A new page? The idea was laughable now. Mike was still in a coma and Sybil had made this bad situation worse.

Anguish had Rick twisted in knots, but he had to press through. The pause between Michonne's sniffles had grown longer. Rick drew a deep breath. The time had come for silence to join his heart in being broken. His eyes burned with the threat of tears. It seemed strangely appropriate they were still in their funeral clothes.

Releasing the breath he held, Rick forced the tears back and the painful words off his tongue. "Michonne, I think it's best we go our-"

"Shhh." She pressed her hand to his lips, ending his words. A tear he couldn't dam rolled down his cheek. "You are not doing this, Rick."

"But…" He sniffled.

"No 'buts.'" She brushed the wetness away. "I won't have you falling on the sword in altruism. You have nothing to prove to me, Andre, or anyone else. You love us, and you're not a danger to him."

"Sybil doesn't agree."

"She's not the authority."

"I can't be the reason you lose Andre. Not for one day, not for one hour."

"You're not. I can't lie, when I saw those papers and heard her threats, I was shocked and scared, and then angry and scared. If Sybil was acting in Andre's best interest that would be one thing, but this is about punishing me for being honest with Mike about my love for you. Because I hurt her brother, she is determined to hurt me." She glanced at the envelope on her lap. Her eyes narrowed, but the fire in them burned brightly. "I'll be damned if I'll sit back and let that bitch take you or my son from me."

"So we're fightin' this?" he said, needing only her confirmation to take on this battle he was more than ready to start.

"To the end, yes."

"I love you." Reaching over the console, Rick brought Michonne into a kiss, wondering how, even with his good intentions, he thought he could ever walk away from her. Their destiny was sealed before their paths had crossed. He was hers, and she his. Nothing they said or anyone could do would change that. He stroked her cheek. "When I suggested…"

"Shh." Michonne pecked his lips. "You wanted to spare me, I understand. It was the reaction Sybil expected from you."

"What?"

"If Mike told her about us, she would know proclaiming you a danger to take Andre from me would motivate you to walk away, because you love me enough to do it. She's crafty. She is the shark in every joke about my profession."

"Has she always been this way?"

"Yeah. The three Connor siblings are dogged, persistent. It's mostly a positive thing, they're all successful professionals, but Sybil was the only girl, and though their parents didn't have a lot, she usually got her way. We got along great until I turned down Mike's first proposal, and she didn't spare Mike her opinion of me for that decision. She'd just had her second baby, but it wasn't just hormones that had her riled. Rick, the only thing not having you will spare me is happiness. And that's what Sybil wants. She sees me as the enemy."

"This is going to be hard. Fighting Sybil, her anger, and vindictiveness."

"You said this morning that we can handle hard if we do it together."

Rick smiled, nodding. "I did, and we can."

"We will."

"Where do we start?"

Michonne fanned the envelope against her hand. "With these documents," she said. "They're official, but this judge must be a hack. I wish I had some strong judicial contacts, but business law doesn't exactly lend to a lot of court appearances." She raked her fingers through her locs, groaning. "The grounds for removing Andre are baseless. Sybil and her parents, who I can't believe are a part of this with her, reside in Sacramento. This whole situation is crazy. Mike loves his family, but if he wasn't in a coma, he'd be fighting Sybil and this foolishness harder than we're about to. Drive us home, I'll call Andrea on the way."

"What about Andre?"

"He's with your parents and Carl; safe, smiling for the first time in days, and away from Sybil. That's the way he's gonna stay, no matter what it takes. She wants a fight, she's got it."

Rick pressed a kiss to her hand and held it to his chest. "Sybil has no idea what she's fooling with."

"None at all."

"Thank you for getting here so fast, Andrea," Michonne said, handing over the documents as she showed her friend into the living room. She and Rick had been home about thirty minutes, enough time to change into comfortable clothes and speak briefly to Claire and Gary about the situation and inform the boys, without setting off alarm bells, that it might be a while before they got back. "I really appreciate it."

"Please, you don't have to thank me." Andrea settled into the armchair as Michonne joined Rick on the sofa. "Nobody is taking Andre from you." Andrea shook her head, sifting through the papers. "Julia Warren."

"You know her?"

"Only by reputation."

"Sybil said she's a friend."

"Is she as bad as we think?" Rick asked.

"Depends on your side of the courtroom," said Andrea. "She has tunnel vision when it comes to children and their welfare, and that's not always a good thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Her teen years were spent in foster care after one of her little brothers was severely beaten by one of the numerous 'uncles' her mother brought around."

"She's made child safety a personal charge," Michonne deduced.

"Yeah." Andrea nodded. "Many years later, her brother still carries physical and emotional scars, and she has those memories. Even the suggestion of abuse will have her remove a child. For her, a safe child bests an upset parent every time. Her mantra is hurt feelings heal faster than broken bones and shattered spirits."

"Her concern is admirable and I'm all for child advocacy, but all it takes for her to remove a child from a secure and loving home is an implication?"

"Pretty much. Warren's stand is well known, Michonne. Sybil being a friend makes her well aware of that."

"Wouldn't the friendship make this decision questionable?" Rick asked.

"Well…" Andrea scrunched her face.

Michonne tapped Rick's knee. "It's unethical, but not illegal," she explained. "Lawyers and judges can be friends, and Warren has a clear stand on child welfare, so Sybil is using the connection. But we have recourse, because none of this is right. This leap is huge, and the judge is only going by Sybil's word which is biased and out of context."

"Absolutely," Andrea said, sitting forward. "The cause for this order is not even razor thin. The investigation ended with no charges or sanctions, neither of you have a criminal record, and you're both respected in your careers. The fact Sybil did this is clearly an act of retribution. Whether Warren knew that is secondary for now. In the cause of justice, this ruling cannot stand. I know judges, too, even more here in Gilbert County, and the court house is only ten minutes away." Andrea stood. "I'll request an emergency stay of the order. Andre's not going anywhere. Is he in his room or is Sasha on her way with him?"

Michonne and Rick shared a glance. Andrea's disclosure only served to strengthen Michonne's resolve in their decision being the right one. Sybil wouldn't be getting her vindictive clutches onto Andre. And she and Rick were willing to go as far as necessary to ensure it.

"What?" Andrea groaned. "Michonne?"

"You said it, Andrea." Michonne and Rick stood, their hands locked, their stance reinforced. "Andre's going nowhere."

"Thank you for coming and cluing us in on the judge," Rick said, as he and Michonne ushered Andrea to the door. "We appreciate your help."

"What are you two…" Andre stopped talking and held up her hands, exhaling sharply. "You know what, I don't want to know."

"That's for the best," Michonne replied. "You're an officer of the court."

"If you want to be technical, we're all officers of the court."

"For us it's different."

"I love Andre, too," Andrea said.

"Yes, and you're fighting for him in the courtroom."

"Which is where you two should be, showing this love, your dedication to each other and Andre. Doing that will also keep you both from being arrested. This order is flimsy, but it is an order."

"I don't think we're gonna be arrested," Rick said. "Deputies in the tri-county area are like a big extended family, but getting arrested is a risk we're willing to take."

"In less than half an hour, Sybil will be at that door with law enforcement to take my child away, while his father is fighting for his life. Does she really expect us to stand for that? Accept it without a word? To have her rip my son away with officers when he needs me most? It's not happening." Michonne rubbed Andrea's arm. "I can't let you get caught up in the details. You fight the fight at the courthouse, Rick and I have it here. We do."

Releasing an exasperated sigh, Andrea nodded and gave Michonne a hug. "Good luck."

Michonne showed Andrea out and then walked into Rick's waiting arms. As concerned as she was about how far Sybil would take her wrath, locked in Rick's embrace, feeling his comfort and hearing his words of love, she could almost ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "We can take care of this, can't we?"

Rick pressed his lips to her forehead. "Absolutely," he said, holding her closer.

"We could go to jail, Rick." She pulled back, looking into his eyes. Her fingers raked his curls. "Carl needs you right now. His birthday is Saturday."

"He needs us both. It wasn't me Carl was clinging to at the funeral. Right now, he needs you more than ever. We talked about this on the way home. I love Andre as much you love Carl. No one is taking him from you. The boys are with my folks, they're good. We're making sure it stays good, and it will." He held her tighter. "It will."

Approximately ninety minutes after Sybil delivered her threat, the doorbell rang and Rick and Michonne were face to face with the embittered woman once more. Two Gilbert County deputies flanked either side of her. As pointless as it was, Michonne wanted to believe that Sybil wouldn't actually show up at her house with law enforcement. That uniformed men with guns wouldn't be there to take Andre away, yet here they were, and it was maddening.

Sybil stepped inside, calling for Andre. The scent of leather from her Burberry coat and her expensive French perfume trailed her path. Rick gave Michonne's hand a little shake, the stroke of his thumb calming and comforting.

Sybil glared at their joined hands and then fixed them with a scowl of disapproval. "Where is Andre?"

"Where do you think?" Michonne answered, her defiance strengthened by Sybil's disdain.

"I think I don't see him, and if he's not here, that makes you and your friend in violation of a court order."

"That order is trash and you know it."

"I know of late you've gotten intimately familiar with trash." Sybil fired a pointed gaze Rick's way. Rick smirked, unfazed, but Michonne wanted to dropkick the woman. "Is Andre here?"

"With dangerous Deputy Rick Grimes on the premises?" Michonne scoffed. "I wouldn't dare put my son in such danger."

The younger of the two officers, a stocky African-American male, gasped. His expressive brown eyes widened in awe. "You're Rick Grimes?" the Teddy bear of a man whose name tag read "Douglas" said. "The Rick Grimes?"

"'The'?" Michonne and Rick replied.

"Yeah!" Douglas elbowed the arm of his partner, a kind-looking, curly-haired man that one could mistake for a relative of Rick's. "Aaron, this is the guy Jonesy was always talking about."

"Whoa, wait." Rick held up his hand. "Jonesy? You mean Morgan Jones?"

"Yes, sir. He was the lead instructor for T-Dog and me at the academy," Aaron replied.

"T-Dog?" said Michonne as Rick remarked with "Was?"

"T-Dog is my nickname, ma'am. Theodore Douglas," said T-Dog. "Jonesy moved to Texas to be a ranger when his wife got some big promotion. Been a few months now. We were his last group. Man! He talked about you like you were born wearing the uniform."

"Sure did," Aaron agreed, nodding. "He told us how you rescued a cat from an icy lake for a worried little girl."

"Aww." Michonne touched Rick's arm, moved by his daring and sweetness. Rick had shared stories about the deputy with four year's seniority who'd helped show him the ropes, but she hadn't heard the tale of the frosty feline. "You didn't mention the kitty rescue when you told me about Morgan." She smiled. "So heroic."

Rick's cheeks pinked. He always thought of others, and was so humble when receiving credit for it. "The cat was barely beyond the edge," he said. "I did what anyone would've."

She stroked his hair. "You did way more."

"What is this?" Sybil barked. She waved a finger at the officers. "You two are here to see that there is a peaceful transference of my nephew, not fawn over Rick Grimes. Andre is not here, which makes them," she said, pointing at Michonne and Rick, "in violation of a court order." Her jaw squared and eyes narrowed. "Arrest them."

Prolonged silence followed. The officers didn't move.

"What are you waiting for?" Sybil bellowed. "Arrest them."

"Ma'am, is this really necessary?" asked Aaron. "If the child isn't here, he can't be in danger from anyone present."

"You here to do a job, so get over the hero worship. They are disobeying a court order."

Michonne clenched her fist, groaning. "For God's sake, that order is a piece of…" She sucked in a breath. "You don't give a damn about Andre. If you did, you wouldn't have brought officers, as nice as they are, here for this 'peaceful' transfer. This is about hurting me because I fell in love with Rick." She touched Rick's shoulder. "He was willing to walk away, but I refuse to allow you to dictate my life. I loved Mike, you know I did, and because we share Andre, I will always care for him. But I am in love with Rick. Mike accepted that. Why can't you?"

"Because I'm not blinded by your faults."

"No, just your own. Mike is important to me, and I want what's best for him, which is why I ended things. Mike and I managed to find a good place. He and Rick did. Now, Mike is fighting for his life, and instead of us coming together to rally around him, you are keeping us away from Mike and trying to rip his son, my son, from me. How do you think he'll feel knowing what you're trying to do?"

"I wish I knew, but seeing as Mike is in a coma, what's the point in speculating?" Sybil pointed an accusing finger. "You hurt my baby brother, and somehow he literally got caught with his pants down with your deputy's wife, and is fighting for his life. I want you to hurt like he's hurting," she said, stepping closer, glaring. "I love Andre, I have children, so he'll be well cared for, but the sight of you… Infuriating isn't the right word. I want you to feel the fear of losing someone you love so much like my family is right now. You've earned it."

Rick sheltered Michonne behind him. "She is hurting, and has been long before you came to town with threats to rip Andre away!"

"It's okay, Rick." Michonne moved in front of him and stroked his shoulders. "It's okay."

"The hell it is. I can't stand back and watch her rail at you another second." Anger darkened Rick's cerulean eyes to a stormy midnight blue as he stepped closer to Sybil. "You're worried about Mike, we all are. It's a distressing time for all of us. My son's mother died in the accident that hurt Mike, there's plenty of pain to go around, but what you're doing is making things worse. As a mother, how can you do this to another woman? Taking the nephew you proclaim to love from Michonne is not the answer, and we're not standing for it."

"Andre will never be turned over to you," said Michonne. "After this, you'll be lucky to get a visit with him. If being arrested is what it takes to keep you from my son, so be it."

Sybil shrugged. "Do it your way. I'll find Andre, it shouldn't be too hard, and you and your lover will be in jail." She turned to the officers, snapping her fingers. "Arrest them."

The apologetic officers approached just as a cell phone rang. Sybil reached into the pocket of her black coat and pulled out her phone. Michonne and Rick shared a look. Maybe Andrea had worked her magic and it was the court calling with news that this farce was over. It wouldn't take an unbiased judge more than a minute to overrule the order. The officers had halted their movements, maybe they thought it was over, too.

"Is everything okay, Mama?" Sybil said, putting a pin in Michonne's hope that it was the court. "He what?" The catch in Sybil's voice caused Michonne's heart to sink. She welcomed the comfort of Rick's hand in hers as thoughts she didn't want to think filled her head. "Yeah, of course, I'll be right there."

"Is it Mike?" Michonne asked, battling tears, holding tighter to Rick's hand. "Is he…"

"He's...He's awake," Sybil said. "Mike's awake."

~Thanks for reading!~

More to come...