Author's note: Thank you for the outpouring of reviews for the previous chapter. I got the most reviews I've ever received on a chapter of this fic, and it really brought back my passion to write, so I immediately started on this chapter rather than rest for a few days/weeks like I usually do. If you ever wonder if your reviews matter, please know that they absolutely do. And so, here is chapter 16 for your reading pleasure.
"Sasha!" Michonne yelled, running to her and grabbing her by the knees, lifting her legs to relieve the pressure on her neck.
"Rick!" she screamed, hoping someone could hear her.
"Oh God, oh God," she murmured to herself, glancing around for someone or something that could help her. She screamed for Rick a few more times before she realized no one could hear her, and she couldn't hold Sasha like this much longer.
She realized she had to let go of Sasha again in order to cut the rope. Trying to drop her as slowly as possible so she didn't snap her neck if it wasn't snapped already, Michonne let her go and then swung her katana quickly to sever the rope from the tree.
Sasha crashed to the floor like a sack of potatoes.
Michonne had never felt so panicked in her life. Her hands trembled with adrenaline as she removed the rope from Sasha's neck, revealing purple rope burns that scarred her skin.
"God Sasha," Michonne cried, tears escaping her eyes. She pressed her fingers to the cold skin of her neck, feeling for a pulse. She felt nothing. It was obvious Sasha wasn't breathing. Her lips and face had turned purple, and her skin had a grayish hue. Who knew how long she'd been hanging from that tree? But she wasn't a walker yet, so Michonne had to try something.
"Rick!" she screamed again, to no avail.
She had to do CPR, and she'd taken a class through her job once, but it was so long ago she didn't remember the whole procedure. She tried to think back to all the times she'd seen CPR on television, and replicate that.
She tilted Sasha's head back, took a breath, and exhaled into Sasha's mouth, holding her nose to prevent the air from escaping that way. She then placed her palm on Sasha's chest, and pushed down repeatedly. She knew there was a specific number of times she was supposed to push, but she couldn't remember how many, and she was too panicked to care.
She breathed into Sasha's mouth again, and repeated the compressions, not noticing any change.
"Come on Sasha, please. Please!" Michonne begged, pushing down on the smaller woman's chest again and again. She pulled Sasha's shirt up and pressed her ear directly to the skin on the woman's chest. She thought she heard a faint heartbeat, but she wasn't sure. It could've just been her own, her heart was pounding loudly enough for the both of them.
"Is that you?" she asked Sasha. She held her hand to Sasha's nose, feeling for breathing, but the wind had suddenly picked up, and she wasn't sure if she was feeling a breath or it was just wishful thinking. Still, encouraged, Michonne breathed into Sasha's mouth again, this time trying to fill her lungs up like a balloon.
She pulled her head away, and just when she was about to continue with the compressions, she saw Sasha's lips open slowly, her tongue moving spastically.
"Sasha?" Michonne asked, pausing the compressions.
She reached for her wrist to feel for a pulse, but she couldn't feel anything, and she wasn't breathing. Sasha's lip twitched again, and Michonne's hopefulness turned to despair. She was turning.
Michonne leaned away from her friend and locked eyes on her as she reached for the knife at her waist.
Sasha twitched again in a spastic movement, and Michonne lifted the knife in preparation to bring it down on her skull. Suddenly, Sasha took what looked like a breath, and Michonne paused, confused about what she'd just seen. She waited, staring at the woman who had stopped twitching momentarily, and then she saw another breath. And another.
Still holding her knife with her right hand, Michonne placed the middle and pointer fingers of her left hand on Sasha's wrist, and felt for a pulse. She still couldn't feel one, but it was obvious that Sasha was now breathing, her eyes and lips beginning to twitch once again.
"Oh my God," Michonne whispered. "That's it Sasha, breathe. Breathe."
The woman took gasping breaths, the air rasping through her bruised windpipe, but every breath was a relief to Michonne. She watched as Sasha's color changed over the course of a few minutes. Her skin began to take on its normal brown color, and her lips were less and less purple.
A few minutes later, her eyes began fluttering.
"Hey Sasha, I'm right here. It's Michonne, you're okay. Just relax alright? You have to catch your breath."
Michonne felt for Sasha's wrist again, and finally her pulse was strong enough that she felt it.
Sasha finally opened her eyes, in a confused daze. Her eyes were unfocused and glazed over, and she wasn't blinking.
"Sasha," Michonne called, holding her hand. To her delight, Sasha's eyes slid to Michonne's face, but there was no sign of recognition. "Hey, you're going to be okay, alright? How is your breathing?"
Sasha seemed to be able to move her head now, and it slowly rolled from side to side. She gasped and closed her eyes.
"Come on, stay awake," Michonne said. "Look at me."
Sasha didn't respond and her breathing began to slow again.
"Hey!" Michonne shouted, slapping Sasha's face. Her eyes fluttered open once again.
"You're not gonna die on me. Not after all the trouble I went through to bring you back," Michone demanded. "Wake up. I'm not going back to the group by myself."
Sasha's eyes moved to Michonne's again, and they flicked back and forth across the woman's face. Sasha blinked, and Michonne knew she was able to see her now.
"That's it," Michonne said, nodding her head. "You're gonna breathe, and you're gonna live."
Michonne waited by Sasha's side for five more minutes, until the woman seemed to be able to voluntarily move her limbs.
"Hey, can you sit up?" Michonne asked, once she was sure Sasha could wiggle her fingers and toes. Still not speaking, Sasha attempted to sit up by herself, but Michonne assisted her and was there to catch her when she almost collapsed back to the ground.
"Dizzy?" Michonne asked. "I wish I had some water for you, but I wasn't expecting to be out this long. Rick will come looking for us soon, he'll be worried."
Sasha opened her mouth, attempting to speak, but only a squeak came out.
"Hey don't try to talk. I'm sure you damaged your trachea."
Sasha swallowed painfully and attempted to speak anyway.
"Sor-" she let out with a high pitched squeak. She rubbed her neck, her fingers tracing the angry red burns. "Sor-ry."
"You don't have to apologize," Michonne said, placing her hand on the woman's shoulder. "You were hurting. You are hurting. I'm sorry we weren't there for you more. But this, this isn't the way to go Sasha."
Sasha sucked in another breath, and Michonne was sure it was painful for her to do so, but she definitely looked much healthier than she had 10 minutes ago.
"I... know," she squeaked out. She swallowed again and cleared her throat. "I know," she repeated, her voice hoarse but getting slightly deeper.
Michonne held her hand and gently squeezed it. She certainly didn't want to preach to Sasha, but she also wanted to let her know that regardless of what had gone down between them the day before, she was on her side. And she was going to do everything in her power to help her through her grief.
After a few more minutes of waiting, Sasha attempted to speak again. She felt it was important to talk to Michonne and explain her actions.
"I'm not sure why... I didn't use my gun," she whispered, her voice so soft Michonne had to lean in to understand her. "I could've just ended it quickly…"
A tear dropped from Sasha's eye and created a stain on her dirty shirt.
"I've heard before, if the person does something that can be reversed, like cut shallowly, or use poison or something, they don't really want to die. I hoped dying would make me not feel. But I'm back here…" her voice broke with a squeak. "And nothing's changed, and I'm still… I'm still left with nothing."
"No," Michonne said, caressing Sasha's hand. "You have something. You have family. You're not in this world alone. And even if you don't feel like going on, you do it anyway. If not for you, do it for them. Every minute is a fight to want to stay here, but you can take it minute by minute at first. Then day by day. Then week by week. And maybe one day you'll get to the point where you'll want to be here, because you'll realize if you weren't here you'd miss out on all the beauty this world has to offer. Can you do that? Can you try?"
Sasha looked down at her feet while rubbing the burns on her neck gingerly. "I'm not going to try it again. It didn't happen as quickly as I thought. There were a few seconds where I was just swinging there, my head feeling like it was about to explode, my heart pounding in my chest, my neck in so much pain… and the only thing I could think about was how disappointed my Dad, and Tyrese, and Bob would be. I thought about how much of a coward I'd become. Dad didn't raise me like that. Tyrese always encouraged me to be the best woman I could. And Bob… he just loved me. He wouldn't want me to use his death as an excuse to destroy everything around me, including myself."
She paused, sucking in another raspy breath. "I'm so embarrassed. I'm sorry you had to find me like that. I'm not better but… I don't want to die anymore. Not without trying to live for a little while longer."
Michonne nodded and continued to rub Sasha's hand.
"I won't tell anyone, not if you don't want me to. Just please promise me if you feel the same way again, you won't go anywhere alone. All you have to do is sit by me, and I'll understand. I'll distract you, or just be with you. This life is hard on everyone, but i think there's an endgame, you know? It won't be like this forever. There's more, you just have to fight through the darkness to get to the light."
"How are you so optimistic?" Sasha whispered.
"Because I've been here before," Michonne admitted. "A while ago I lost my boyfriend, and my son."
Sasha listened intently, but then again she wasn't that surprised. Everyone had lost someone in this world.
"When I was on my own, I was in a dark place. I started to envy walkers. Every time I ran into one I thought, I'm just gonna let it bite me."
Sasha's eyebrows rose in disbelief. She never took Michonne for the suicidal type, but then again, she never took herself for that type either.
"Next thing I know, my sword is chopping off its head like it's got a damn mind of its own. So I put the sword down, but I killed them with my bare hands." Michonne gave a wistful smile. "Eventually I just gave up. At first living felt like a mask, until it didn't. I can't say I never thought about dying again. That just wouldn't be true. We're surrounded by death and the dead every day. But Rick and Carl helped change that for me. And I want to help change that for you."
Sasha squeezed Michonne's hand and looked into her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely. "What I did yesterday. To you. To Abraham. To everyone."
"You're gonna tell them yourself," Michonne said, rocking to her feet while still holding Sasha's hand. She placed her other arm underneath Sasha's and helped her get to her feet. She was still wobbly and needed support, but Michonne was surprised she was able to walk at all after basically being dead 15 minutes ago.
She gathered Sasha's gun and knives, and helped her put her boots back on before collecting the rope from the tree. Michonne examined the offending material before throwing it on the ground and walking away.
"You know," Michonne said, wrapping her arm around Sasha's waist before they headed back to the store. "There are ways to hang yourself quickly. If you tie a knot in the right place it'll snap your neck instantly. The way you did it… it seems like you did everything right except for that knot. Like maybe, you hoped someone would find you."
Sasha was silent for a few moments as they slowly made their way through the crunchy leaves.
"I was a firefighter," she rasped. "And a girl scout before that. I know a lot about ropes and knots. I guess…", Sasha shrugged, "I guess deep down I didn't really want to die."
Up ahead, Michonne heard the unmistakable crunch of boots and she instantly knew who it was.
"Michonne?" Rick called out, "Sasha?"
"Over here," Michonne yelled, and then she pulled Sasha closer to herself. She leaned down slightly and whispered into Sasha's ear.
"Everything from now on is your second chance at life. What you do with it now is up to you."
***can08writer***
There were many questions about what happened to Sasha's neck when she returned to the group, and since Sasha refused to answer, Michonne also kept quiet about it. Even to Rick. She figured Sasha would say something when she was ready.
They gathered whatever water they could collect from the furniture store's toilet water reservoirs. In all it came out to two water bottles full, but that water could mean life or death later on in the day.
They gathered their belongings and continued down the road, Daryl helping Sasha walk as she was still a little weak.
Rick wanted to ask Michonne about the Sasha incident, but she seemed set in not disclosing what had gone on. But he wasn't stupid, she had obvious rope burns around her neck, and her eyes were red from the popped blood vessels. It was clear she'd been strangled, and he assumed she'd done it to herself. He was grateful Michonne had decided to go after her, and that she'd gotten there in time.
Rick glanced over at Michonne as they walked, leading the pack. Michonne had been quiet for the past few miles, her eyes fixed on the road ahead of her. It was obvious her mind was somewhere else.
Judith made small noises as she hung on Rick's chest in a harness. He had to be careful about how he held her, since Judith was still sans diapers. She'd already peed on the front of his shirt, and he knew she'd do it again.
Michonne looked over and gave a small smile at Judith's little noises.
"You're way happier without that soggy diaper aren't you?" Michonne asked the little girl.
Judith kicked her legs and began to gnaw on the strap of her carrier.
Rick chuckled at Judith's enthusiasm. "I think she likes the breeze on her skin."
"Wouldn't you?" Michonne asked.
Rick nodded as his eyes searched the road ahead of them. He then turned back to Michonne.
"Are you alright? You seem… preoccupied."
"Yea, I'm fine," Michonne answered quickly. She then paused, thinking about what she'd just said, looked over at Rick, and said, "I'm not... fine. But I will be."
"What are you thinking about?" Rick asked, instinctively moving closer to her so he could read her expressions.
"It's not about you… us… it's not about that. I was just… thinking about who I was before I met you, and how I am now."
Rick was quiet for a beat, trying to understand what was bothering her.
"What about it?"
Michonne looked into his eyes now, and gave him a small smile.
"I'm just… I'm glad that we found each other. Do you remember when we found that car with the child walker inside?"
Rick nodded, his mind going back to the boy walker that he and Carl had released from the locked car. Michonne had gotten upset and disappeared into the woods, while he and Carl ended the walker and burned its body.
"That child, it brought back a lot of memories for me. Bad ones. When I walked away from you and Carl and went into the woods, I started to talk to my boyfriend, Mike. He told me that I knew what I had to do to free myself from the pain. I know it wasn't really him talking, it was my own mind. But there were two choices I could take. I could forgive myself, or I could kill myself."
Rick's eyes widened at the thought that Michonne might have killed herself at that point. It was just after they'd been attacked by the Claimers, and he was beginning to realize how much he truly cared about her. He thought about how devastating that would have been for himself and Carl, and his heart clenched.
"I chose to forgive myself," Michonne continued, "and after I did that I haven't regretted it for a second. Recent events have just made me remember that."
Rick nodded thoughtfully, and Judith let out another coo. He knew she had to be thinking about whatever went down with Sasha in the woods. He wanted to ask her about it but until the two of them wanted to disclose what'd happened, he wouldn't ask.
"I'm glad you made that decision. I don't think Carl and I would've been able to recover if we'd lost you. We certainly wouldn't have gotten as far as we have. And we wouldn't be on our way to Washington D.C."
They met eyes once again and smiled simultaneously.
"I have a lot more to look forward to now," she said, shooting Rick a knowing look.
"You do," he answered, reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder. His fingers gently squeezed her skin, and she covered his hand with her own.
Rick spotted Carl in his peripheral vision, smirking at him from underneath his sheriff's hat. Carol was also watching, but she was being more stealthy about it.
Rick sighed and removed his hand, but Michonne caught it and held it for a few more seconds, making eye contact with him before letting him go.
***can08writer***
By the next day they had to boil the remainder of the water they had left. The two bottles they'd collected from the furniture store, and the two bottles they had remaining was enough to make one bottle of formula for Judith, and allow the others to get a few mouthfuls themselves. But that was it. They were desperate.
There was also another problem. Judith was running dangerously low on formula, as that was the only thing she was eating. Rick had tried introducing her to solid food, chewing up some of the meat they'd hunted and offering it to her, but she'd refused, and Rick couldn't help but notice how small she still was for her age.
He was worried she wasn't growing properly due to malnutrition, among other things.
They found a run down house, cleared it, and scoured the map, looking for any nearby sources of water, but they couldn't find any rivers or lakes that were a reasonable distance away.
"I know that town," Father Gabriel cut in, pointing to a dot on the map. "Spartanburg, South Carolina. St. Elizabeth, St. Sarah's sister church is there. I've gone to the building a few times for church conferences. It's a mega church. It has its own cafe, school, and daycare. There may be formula there and other baby supplies. And water."
Rick glanced at Father Gabriel with a smile. This was the first time the man had truly been helpful, and he was grateful for the lead for getting food for his daughter.
"I remember there also being a super Walmart in that area, and a couple of other mini malls. They may be long cleaned out, but we'll never know until we go."
Rick nodded. "That's it. It's out of the way, so we'll make base camp here. We can use three different teams, one to check out the church, one to go to the Walmart, one to go to the mini malls. If we all go to each location together it might take a few days. If we split up, it'll take one day tops."
The others nodded, desperate for the possibility to get water and formula by the next day.
"Abraham, Daryl, Carol, you take the Walmart," Rick said, pointing at the map.
"Got it," Abraham said with a nod.
"Glenn, Maggie, Gabriel, you guys take the mini malls."
Gabriel's face dropped. "What? You want me to go?" he asked.
"You're the expert on this area. You're the only one that's been there before."
"I… I can't…"
"You can do it Gabriel," Rick declared. "If that's okay with you two," he said, turning to Glenn and Maggie.
Glenn rubbed the back of his neck. "Yea. I guess. You can show us the best stores to check out."
Rick nodded and pointed to the church on the map. "Michonne and I will go to St. Elizabeth's. Everyone else stays put at camp. It's afternoon already, but barring anything major we should be able to get back maybe an hour after dark. Each group should take a flashlight. If anyone gets stuck out there and isn't back by late tomorrow morning we'll come looking."
They all nodded and packed things they might need for their run.
Michonne came up to Sasha who had been sitting on the couch in the house's living room.
"You okay?" she asked, crouching down so they were face to face.
"Yea," Sasha rasped, her throat still painful and swollen.
"Are you still in pain?" Michonne asked, already knowing the answer.
"Nothing I can't handle. It helps me know I'm alive."
Michonne gave her a sad smile and then leaned in closer to her.
"You and Carl are going to be the ones holding down the fort out here while we're gone. Eugene isn't much help in terms of fighting. I need to know if you can handle that right now. If it's too much we'll take Carl and Judith with us."
Sasha sighed and looked Michonne in the eyes. "I can handle it," she said. "I'll protect them. I promise."
Michonne nodded, believing her.
"Thank you, for not telling everyone. I think they know, but thank you. I don't really know what to say about… it."
"It's okay," Michonne said, placing her hand on Sasha's leg. "You don't have to say anything."
Sasha nodded. "Come back safe," she whispered.
***can08writer***
The three groups traveled to Spartanburg together, passing a few straggling walkers, and clearing a house along the way. Rick noticed the sky was darker than normal. It was only 4:30, but cloud cover made it seem like it was just before dusk.
"We might be getting rain tonight," he announced. "If we're lucky, back at camp they'll find some containers to catch it. We could use the water."
A few more miles down the road the three groups parted ways, warning each other to keep their eyes open for danger.
Rick and Michonne saw plenty of signs directing them to St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church. Apparently it was a popular location in this neighborhood, and as they approached it they could see why. It was huge.
There were signs directing visitors to the separate buildings that made up the church. The school, the cafe, the rectory, the sanctuary, the daycare center, parking lot, and church store. A thorough sweep of the church would take hours, but they decided to hit the daycare first for Judith's sake.
The church was locked up, a positive sign for finding supplies. They smashed a window in the lobby to let themselves inside, and the light that filtered in through the large mosaic windows allowed them to see that there were no walkers around.
"Day care center is this way," Rick whispered, and they moved silently across the building's carpeted floors until they reached stairs leading to the basement. It was dark down there, and Rick switched on his flashlight.
They took the stairs carefully, until they reached a hallway with several rooms which they assumed were classrooms. Rick banged on the wall to attract nearby walkers, but the area was silent. Because they were in a basement there was no natural light to illuminate the rooms, so they couldn't split up, they had to share the one flashlight and do this together.
The first classroom was for older children. There was a whiteboard with various names and artwork. Crayons, markers, and toys were neatly put away in different cabinets, and personal belongings were packed into neat cubbies. Michonne spotted a pair of small sneakers that were tucked into one of the cubbies labeled Andrew. It was the same sneakers that Andre had worn. She wondered if Andrew was still alive right now.
Rick was haphazardly rummaging through cabinets and closets.
"I don't think there'd be formula in this room," he concluded. "This isn't where the infants stayed."
Michonne quickly nodded. She wanted to get out of this room.
"I wish we had enough space to carry some of these supplies though," he said as they moved to the next room. "Judith might want to use these crayons and markers in a few weeks when we get to Washington. She really has no toys."
"Maybe we can find something small for her," Michonne suggested.
The next classroom was for younger children. The chairs were tiny, and they observed a reading mat for the teachers to read to the children, a water table with tiny smocks that were hung up, and a puppet center.
Rick made his way to the cabinets, finding glue, napkins, sparkles, and googly eyes, but no baby formula. Michonne opened up a box underneath the teacher's desk and her eyebrows shot up.
"I found the snack bin," she said proudly. "Pretzels, granola bars and juice boxes for everyone!"
"Good find," Rick said, smiling at her. "I can think of at least one person who eats like a growing teenager."
Michonne kept the box under her arm and checked out the library stocked with children's books, while Rick continued searching. After a few minutes he whispered, "ready to move?"
"Yup," Michonne smiled, following him once again as they moved to the back classroom. Both of them let out a sigh of relief. This was the baby room.
Rick went straight to the cabinets but they were locked. He took out his axe and swung it into the metal cabinet doors, denting them in and breaking the locks before he pried them open.
They simultaneously gasped at the boxes full of baby formula.
"Thank God," Rick released.
"Look, they have gallons of purified water too, we hit the jackpot," Michonne observed.
Rick smiled at her before shoving the formula into his bag. While he was occupied with that, Michonne searched the closet and found more supplies. Diapers, wipes, baby lotion, powder, new bottles, and alcohol wipes were all inside.
Shaking her head at the absurdity of their luck, Michonne stuffed her book bag as well. They were packed full of supplies, some couldn't even fit in their bags.
"I guess we're done here," Rick laughed, holding up his hand to Michonne in a high five.
"I wonder what the others have found. If they fared as well as we did, we may not have to worry about supplies for a while."
"Okay, let's get out of here."
They made their way back up the basement steps, carrying the box of snacks and other supplies between them. When they got into the church lobby, they realized it had gotten significantly darker than it was when they'd arrived. And then they heard a roar, shaking the church's roof.
"Is that rain?" Michonne asked, hurrying to the windows. It was more than rain, it was a deluge. It looked as if someone was dumping buckets of water against the windows.
"We can't go out in that," Rick stated, coming up behind Michonne.
"You think it'll last long?" she asked.
A huge gust of wind blew parallel with the church's windows, and they watched in amazement as a whole tree tore its way through the church parking lot.
"I think we may need to stay here tonight," Rick answered.
***can08writer***
The pounding rain shook the windows of the church's lobby as Michonne stared out the window. It was dark outside, and the wind was howling. The rain flew past the windows, propelled by hurricane force winds. If they were outside they'd be soaked. She thought about the other two groups who were currently out on runs, and Carl and Judith, left with Sasha and Eugene. She hoped everyone was able to find shelter and they were okay.
She could hear Rick behind her, using the flashlight to rummage through the pews, looking for soft materials for them to sleep on for the night, but she couldn't pull herself away from the window. She used to love watching thunderstorms as a child. Something about seeing the rain pound and hearing the wind roar was soothing when you were safe behind the glass.
Rick glanced up and saw Michonne staring through the glass with a faraway look, her fingers pressed against the pane.
"Can I get a little help here?" he asked with a playful laugh. He dropped an armful of the cushions he'd scavenged from the pews. They were long and soft enough to make a comfortable mattress for the two of them.
She jumped and spun around.
"Sorry. Yea," she said, coming to join him.
"I was joking," he replied. His eyes scanned her face. "Are you alright?"
"Yea, I was just thinking about when I was a little girl. I used to love to watch thunderstorms. I found it so relaxing."
Rick squatted and began to lay the cushions out on the lobby floor.
"Really? Why?" he asked.
Michonne squatted next to him, helping him rearrange the cushions.
"I dunno, the sound of it, it was like listening to a thousand tiny drums. And the way the water would stream down the glass, there was something beautiful about it. I guess I was just a strange child."
"No, that's not strange," Rick said. "I used to be fascinated with fire as a kid. My mom had to watch me whenever she was cooking. I'd get uncomfortably close to the flame."
"You're right, that is strange," she laughed.
"My mom actually took me to a therapist for it. She thought I'd turn into a pyromaniac when I grew up. Instead I became a deputy."
Michonne paused for a moment. "You were a deputy?"
"Yea. For King County."
"No way," Michonne said, placing her cushion on the floor. "I went to King County's Law Enforcement Ball two years ago. A friend of mine invited me, she knew lots of the deputies in that area."
"I was supposed to go to that ball!" Rick said, excitedly. "Lori and I had planned to go, but we got into an argument. I don't remember what it was about, something stupid, petty. But we ended up not going. I was pissed."
"You didn't miss much," Michonne said with a laugh. "The only good part about it was the open bar. I spent the night nursing multiple drinks as my friend gathered a crowd of eligible bachelors."
"What was your friend's name?" Rick asked.
"Maryann Walters."
"Maryann?" Rick asked, amazed. "I knew her. She dated Shane, my best friend, for a while."
Michonne smiled. "Maryann, she definitely got around. But it's amazing that you knew her. And maybe, if you and your wife hadn't gotten into that fight, we might've met that night."
Rick smiled. "If you had seen me that night, would you have talked to me?"
Michonne looked him up and down. "You? A married man? Hell no."
He chuckled. "Even if I was single I probably wouldn't have had the nerve to approach you anyway."
He reached into his bag and pulled out an emergency candle. He lit it and the room illuminated with a dull orange light. He then turned off his flashlight.
"Why not?" Michonne asked, settling onto one of the pillows and crossing her legs.
Rick mimicked her posture and sat in front of her.
"I wasn't the type of man to approach a beautiful woman. And I'm sure you looked beautiful that night, sipping your drink. Believe it or not, I was very shy at one point."
"Hmm, I don't find that hard to believe," Michonne teased.
"You think I'm shy?" he asked.
"I know it," Michonne said, leaning forward.
"How do you know that?"
"Because if you weren't, you'd kiss me right now."
Rick's eyes widened, and his eyes immediately dropped to her plush lips.
"Would I?" he murmured.
Michonne opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, Rick had leaned forward onto his hands and knees, and pressed his lips against hers.
Michonne went light headed, as their lips touched. The soft contact caused a warmth to build up in her chest, that spread down her arms and abdomen.
Rick couldn't hide his excitement as the kiss he'd wanted to give her for a long time happened. Her lips felt as soft as they looked, and he immediately opened his mouth and sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, tasting her sweetness. Michonne let out a soft moan that turned him on immensely.
He sucked her lip again, and then slowly dipped his tongue into her mouth. When Michonne swirled her tongue around his, the tingling he felt all over his body increased.
His hands moved to caress her face, cupping her cheeks and holding her head there. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, encouraging him to continue.
He wanted her with all of his being. More than anything. He felt like everything that had happened to him in the past few months was leading up to this moment. Was leading to this woman.
Michonne moaned again, and was startled when Rick pulled away from her, breaking their kiss.
Her eyes scanned his, unsure of why he stopped. He still held her face in his hands and he was staring into her eyes.
"I think… No, I know… I love you Michonne. I didn't know it at the time, but I have since I met you in that bathroom. Since I met eyes with you. You're right, I'm shy. I don't say this much, not even to Carl. I try to hide my feelings, put them aside for everyone else's benefit, but I just have to tell you. I love you."
Michonne's eyes widened and then softened. She placed her palms on each of Rick's cheeks and held them, the same way he was holding hers, and then leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Rick's eyes closed in contentment. She moved her head away and he opened his eyes again.
"I love you too Rick," she whispered.
They smiled and gazed at each other, amazed at how happy they both were with those few small words.
Rick leaned in and kissed Michonne's lips again, his lips then began to wander to her cheeks, her ear, and down her neck. Michonne giggled as his beard tickled her cheeks, but she held him to her more tightly.
He placed his arm around her waist to support her, and then gently leaned her back against the pillows before lying his body on top of hers.
Authors Note: Rating on this fic will change to an M next chapter!
