A/N***~~~ Happy Inauguration Day! Now, that we all got to breath a small sigh, why not treat yourselves with a lil more slow burn Richonne? Wait, that might be a bit more torture lol
I'm sorry, it took me so long to respond to your reviews, the links from the emails were not working. So eventually I just figured to respond from my laptop, duh lol But as always I'm happy you all are here to read my work. Reviews are not only welcomed but encouraged, especially the detailed, funny ones. But you can air your grievances too, these two with the will they won't they, right? lol
I am writing another Richonne multi chap story that will be coming soon plus a Valentine's Day one shot featuring the Richonne version from Knots and Another Way. So if you haven't already checked those out give them a try so you will ready to dive in. As usual, thank you for backing me! And let's keep Richonne Alive in 2021!
Eight
"Bye Ms. Harris."
Andrea stood in the middle of a few kids that took turns hugging her.
"Have a good weekend, Ms. Hawthorne!" the students chirped as they ran off and she waved.
"See you Monday!" Andrea returned as she grabbed her bag and coat to join Michonne in the hall.
"Remember when you didn't want to take this job because you hated kids?"
"Ugh, don't remind me. These little buggers are getting to me."
Michonne chuckled as they walked to the main office. "I know, when you volunteered to tutor afterschool this year I was surprised, you're usually the first one out of the door."
"I know and this session fell on a Friday no less. What is happening to me?" Andrea exhaled making Michonne snicker more.
"You two finally ready to go?" Sasha immediately stood and retrieved her things when she saw her girls in the doorway of the main office.
"Yep."
Sasha came around the counter to join them and they walked to the teachers parking lot.
"You coming over to my place, Andrea? We are going to celebrate Michie's awakening." Sasha and Andrea did a little dance while Michonne playfully rolled her eyes.
"No, unfortunately I have some things to handle." she huffed.
"Like what?" they eyed her.
"Just stuff." she was being vague which only made them stare at her more.
"It's Friday, must be a dude." Sasha speculated.
"Why does it have to be about a guy? I have a life outside of dating." she placed her hands on her hips as they arrived at her car and the duo just looked at her amusedly.
"Fine, it's about a guy, but not in that way. I have something to handle."
"Okay okay, you don't have to convince us. You go take care of what you need to. We can all hangout another time." Sasha assured.
"Michonne, you inspire me." Andrea announced.
"Me? What did I do?"
"Well, besides getting rid of that loser. You've put up with my damn near constant shenanigans since college." Michonne softened.
"Honestly, I don't know how she made it this long, you've been killing me for the couple years we've know each other." Sasha teased making them laugh.
"I'll see you guys later, have a good weekend." Andrea embraced them both then got into her car.
They watched her pull off before heading to Sasha's car. Daryl had insisted that Michonne stay the night at his and Sasha's place after the Mike incident. He didn't want him showing up unexpectedly on her while she was all alone. She rode in his truck over to his place, leaving her car behind which meant she came to work that morning with Sasha.
They placed their items in the backseat and got in, buckling their seatbelts before Sasha pulled out of the parking lot.
"How was your day? You know after everything."
"It was good, I actually feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me. That's crazy, right?"
"Not at all. Once you clear all that fuzziness out of the way, you can finally focus."
"What fortune cookie did you read that in?" the women giggled.
"It just came to me, but I'm glad you got over that fear of letting go. Sometimes, it's just what you need to be open to the next experience that's coming to you."
"The right experience."
"Yes, girl."
They drove on further nearing Sasha's house. "You haven't just encouraged Andrea, you know."
"How so?"
"Don't say anything to anyone. But Daryl and I have been…trying for a while." Sasha drove into her driveway parking next to Daryl's work truck, turning the car off before facing Michonne.
"Trying?" Michonne questioned while Sasha smiled and nodded.
"Like having a baby?" Michonne became animated.
"Shh…but yes."
"I'm going to be an aunt?" Sasha giddily nodded her confirmation before Michonne undid her seatbelt, leaning across to hug her friend. "I'm going to be an aunt!"
Sasha beamed. "Michonne, you have to promise not to say anything. I've only just taken the test and Daryl and I agreed to wait until I was further along before we told anyone."
"Oh my god! I'm going to be an auntie!"
Michonne completely ignored her request, scrambled out of the car with Sasha laughing and following her. She skipped up the steps and entered the house seeing Daryl standing at the kitchen counter eating a sandwich. He turned at her abrupt entrance and saw Sasha's apologetic face behind her and instantly knew. Michonne loped over to him while he scuttled to the other side to avoid her.
"Sash, I thought we weren't saying anything yet."
"I know but she pulled it out of me." Sasha shrugged.
"Yeah, right." Daryl replied as him and Michonne continued their game of cat and mouse around the counter, making her laugh.
"Daryl would you stop running from me, I want to hug you."
"Naw!"
Michonne giggled and finally gave up, going to sit on the couch with Sasha joining her.
"I'm so happy for you two!" she beamed while looking between the pair.
"Thank you, I'm only a few weeks in, we think. I have an appointment to see the doctor this week and we will know exactly how far along I am. Ugh, I just think about the beers I had at the party."
"It'll be fine, you only had a couple."
Michonne beamed at her childhood friend. "Daryl's gonna be a daddy!"
"I hope it's a little girl." Daryl stated after finishing off his previously discarded sandwich and Sasha lovingly eyed him.
"A girl? I would've thought a boy was right up your alley."
Daryl opened his mouth to speak and his girlfriend cut him off. "He's softer than you know." making Daryl blush and attempt to hide his face in his hair.
"But I don't care either way as long as the baby's healthy."
Daryl nodded. "Me too, really. Look, I got another call to respond to, I'll see ya'll later."
He came over to kiss Sasha and Michonne took advantage jumping up to hug him from behind, making him squirm. Michonne released him and he unenthusiastically hugged her before grinning and heading out the door.
"This is amazing! It makes me forget all about yesterday's nonsense with Mike."
"I'm glad, so what's the plan?"
"What do you mean?" Michonne sat back down.
"Now that you don't have that deterrent anymore, do you plan on telling Rick how you feel?"
"I'm not sure. I only just broke up with Mike, plus he's got something going on with that Jessie chick. Should I just actively try to break them up?"
"No, that never works in one's favor. Remember girl, they say, 'How you get em, is how you lose em'."
"Damn, that's true..." Michonne slumped while she thought. "Also, I want to come into a relationship fully ready, giving them my best. I think I should take some time and clear my mind, not just jump at lust."
"Lust, huh?"
Michonne covered her face. "I ran my fingers through his hair."
"You did what? When?" Sasha came to sit closer to her so they were both on the same couch.
"Yesterday, before the whole Mike incident. Rick let me hang out at his place while I waited for Daryl. He was getting ready for work and he had a few curls out of place and I just…"
Sasha's jaw dropped at the starry eyed expression on her friend's face then she began to consider.
"Andrea's still messing around with Shane?"
"I'm not sure, why?" She pulled out her cellphone and began to send a text.
"What are you doing?" Michonne tried to peek at her screen.
"That's our way of getting info on what's really going on with that woman without you having to question Rick."
Michonne nodded starting to understand.
"We need to figure out where the hell she came from, how invested he is in her. All while you are getting yourself emotionally primed then bam, magic, fireworks and the stars align."
"Stars align?"
"Michie, stay with me here, stars align." Sasha dramatically waved a hand in the air.
"Stars align." Michonne grinned then swooned.
Sasha grabbed her phone as it chimed a reply. "Yes, we are in business."
The two women five-fived then fell back giggling.
"Dad!"
"I'm coming!" Rick had just been startled from his sleep by the worrying calls from his son.
He clambered out of bed grabbing a t-shirt to put on as he narrowly avoided stubbing his toe on the end of his dresser before he stumbled sleepily out of his bedroom.
'Bang bang bang'
"Michonne!"
"Dad, there's some guy banging on Michonne's front door." Carl informed him as he entered the living room.
"What?" Rick jogged to the front door alertness hitting him. "Step back Carl."
Once his son had stepped back enough to his liking he looked through the peephole and saw Mike. Rick immediately opened his door and the man turned around to face him.
"Of course, it's you." Mike slurred his words and teetered.
"What the hell's going on? Mike, what are you doing?"
"I need to talk to – wait a minute, I don't have to fucking explain anything to you!"
"Mike, you are drunk and you need to calm down."
Rick hadn't even realized that Carl had gotten closer. "Why are you banging on Michonne's door?"
"Oh great, there's a smaller version!" Mike threw his hands in the air.
"Carl, I know who he is. You can go to your room."
"But Dad-"
"I can handle this." Rick calmly stated to his son to reassure him. Carl slowly withdrew but not before he mean-mugged Mike.
"I'll be right in my room if you need me Dad."
"Okay." Rick nodded even though he never turned his back on Mike.
"Michonne, I just want to apologize. I'm sorry!" the drunk man pressed himself against her door when he spoke.
"Mike, I think you should call yourself a cab and go home. Get some rest, sleep it off."
"I don't have to listen to you. I want to see Michonne. I know she's home, her cars in the parking lot. She's just avoiding me. Michonne!" he rambled.
Rick stepped into the hallway closer to the sloshed man. "If Michonne is home then she doesn't want to speak to you. You should go."
Mike balked at his closer proximity and attempted to stand up straighter. "You don't want a fucking problem with me."
"I think you've got that all wrong; you don't want a problem with me." Rick said in a menacing tone.
"After everything you've done now you want to fight me too? You know what, I'm not trying to mess up my face I have important clients to see. I should call the cops and have you arrested."
"I am a cop." Rick stepped closer still.
"Of course you are!" Mike began to cackle and his body swayed.
"Look, whatever happened, she will speak to you when she's ready. Banging on her door is not the answer."
"This is all your fault."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Everything was fine before Rick Grimes came along."
Rick chewed his lip as he glared at the man.
"I started putting everything together, like how did she get into her place before Daryl even arrived."
Rick's eyes squinted but he remained silent.
"It could only be you, I don't even have to ask. Every time I turn around, you are somewhere looking at her, smiling at her, shit you probably dream about her."
Rick kept his cool but the man wasn't lying.
"But guess what, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to win her back."
"Win her back?"
"Oh, don't pretend you don't know."
When confusion began to mar Rick's face Mike chuckled. "Wait, she didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
Mike smirked to himself. "If it wasn't for you, then that means I can fix this. I need an Uber."
He pulled his phone out then turned and began to stumble his way down the hall to the elevator while Rick watched. Without another word Mike stepped on when it arrived and departed.
"Again with that one!"
Rick was nearly startled out of his skin when an older woman he knew now to be Mrs. Neudermeyer stepped into the hallway.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that there was a ruckus going on over there last night. Yelling and shouting from that one and Michonne."
"Wait, what?"
"First, she's having ragers because of you." she pointed a finger at an even more perplexed Rick. "Now, she's having lover's quarrels! Michonne is such a nice girl."
"And then what happened, last night?"
"Her dirty motorcycle friend showed up and ran him off." she shook her head. "I have half a mind to report all of this to the board."
Rick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mrs. Neudermeyer, you don't need to do that. There won't be any more problems and definitely no ragers."
"Well, I guess I can let it slide this once." the woman softened and stepped back into her apartment without a word.
Rick shook his head to clear it before he went back into his apartment to find Carl looking at him anticipating an explanation. "That's Michonne's boyfriend. Apparently, they had a spat last night. Must've been sometime after I left for work."
"Is she okay?"
"I don't know. Once he left, if she was home, I think she would have come out so she really must be out."
"Oh, I have her number, let me text her to see if she's okay."
"Good idea, Son."
Carl ran to his room to retrieve his phone and came back typing furiously on his screen. The two waited on baited breath for a response staring at the iPhone when ellipses finally showed up.
'Hey, Carl. Yes, I'm fine. How are you?'
'I'm ok but there was a guy here at your place banging on ur door. I just wanted to make sure u were ok.'
They watched as ellipses showed up then disappeared then returned before a message came through.
'I'm fine, I'm at my friend's house for the weekend. A guy banging on my door?'
'I think he's ur bf.'
'Omg, are you okay? Is he still there?'
'I'm fine, I'm just worried about u. But don't worry, my dad chased him off.'
'Thank your Dad for me. I'm so sorry you had to see that. I will deal with it.'
'I will & no prob!'
'Sorry again Carl, I'll see you soon.'
'Later.'
"Well, at least she's okay."
Rick and Carl both swept their hair away from their faces at the same time. The father son duo went to the couch and flopped down.
"Michonne doesn't deserve this. She's so cool."
"I know, she's amazing." Rick sighed.
"She should be with an awesome guy who appreciates her."
"You're not wrong."
"So?"
Rick looked over to see Carl stared at him. "What?"
"Dad, you can't be this slow?"
"Carl-"
"Sorry, that's not a cool thing to say but, you should ask her out."
Rick looked around uncomfortably.
"I've seen the way you look at her, you clearly like her."
Rick opened his mouth but then shut it.
"Everyone can see it unless they are pretending not to." Carl smirked.
Rick sat up straighter. "I probably shouldn't be having this conversation with you but… Jessie?"
"What about her? You just, just started dating, break up with her."
"Carl, I can't start something with Jessie saying I would try to see where it would go then drop her just like that to run off after another woman."
"You said you'd try, you tried." he shrugged.
"I don't even know if Michonne's into me."
Carl just stood and squinted his eye at his father. "I'm not going to repeat what I said a minute ago. It would be disrespectful."
The teenager started to walk off before Rick called to him. "Carl…you think I'm awesome?"
"Ugh!" the boy exclaimed before he continued on his way back to his bedroom while Rick chuckled to himself.