This is the last chapter and thank you to all who have joined me on the journey. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this and sharing it with this community! To all the reviewers, guests and silent readers, I appreciate each and every one of you! Alright, here we go!

Chapter 15

Present Day Memorial Day

"I was going to call you and see if we can meet up tomorrow morning at the diner before we head back to Atlanta, but now is as good a time as any," Rick said. He eyed Michonne and silently told her everything was ok, and she gave him a nod and went back towards the kitchen. Andrea was peeping around the corner. "You want me to kick his country ass," asked Andrea as Michonne was pulling her back towards the kitchen. "No" said Michonne, "they are fine."

"Too bad the history, because he is kinda cute, even with that crooked nose and funny little walk." Said Andrea. "He has a limp genius; he was shot in the hip." Andrea shrugged and pondered out loud, "I wonder how that affects his" Michonne put her hand up and cut her off, "You will never find out Andrea, understand?" Michonne emphasized as she laughed and shook her head. "Understood" laughed Andrea.

When Michonne got back into the kitchen all eyes were on her for an explanation. "Carl wants a relationship with Judith, so for Carl, we have to start communicating with Shane to set up times when Carl can see and talk to Judith. He has custody of her and we are doing this for Carl, but I think it is for Rick also. They had a friendship for a long time, they were like brothers. That kind of relationship is not so easy to let go, Rick needs closure." Michonne said as she stared back towards the living area as if she could see through walls.

Rick and Shane sat down for the first time since the affair in the small living room area at the front of the house near the front door. Rick did not want him going any further in the house than that, and he wanted the conversation to be quick. "Look Shane, like I said, I was going to call you and see if you wanted to meet tomorrow morning to discuss Judith and Carl. Carl wants to have a relationship with Judith and after yesterday, I am sure we would need to go through you for that instead of Lori."

"Yes, after Lori's breakdown, it's gonna make it easier for me to get sole custody officially. I had a lawyer getting ready to fight for it, but well you know the rest, but I would love for Judith to get to know Carl. That won't be a problem man, any time and any place you want."

"Good, I will be in touch. Maybe we can still meet tomorrow morning at the diner, let Carl say goodbye."

"Sure Rick, that sounds great." Shane said nervously.

"We will be here, mostly weekends, some full weeks, for large part of the summer, so there will be multiple opportunities for them to see each other then. Once the fall comes, we will have to come up with a schedule. Probably be mostly face-time conversations until the holidays." Said Rick.

"Sure, Sure," said Shane, "like I said, I am open to anythang," Shane eyed Rick hoping he would be open to hearing him out.

"Look, while I am here, I would like to tell you what has been on my mind and in my heart Rick. I would appreciate it if you would let me and hear me out."

Rick hesitated, then gave Shane a nod and then set back fully on the couch with his arms folded across his chest.

Shane licked his lips and cleared his throat, sat forward in the chair and began, "Rick, I am so sorry for what I did, and I know, I know no amount of sorry can make up for it. But I still wanted to say it. What I did to you was beyond despicable. We were best friends since elementary school, no we were more than that, we were brothers. I can't even forgive myself for the shit that I did, so I don't really expect you to forgive me, but Rick I just want you to know that if I could do it all over again, it would be different. I would be different. I was selfish and I only cared about myself. My needs. I thought the people in my life were a one-way street. They support me without any reciprocity. It was always me, me, me. And after I lost you man, do you know that I still didn't get it." Shane said unbelievably. "You know I really thought you would come running back to be my friend. Hell, I was so into myself, I actually believed that after a few months, you would get over the affair and we would be brothers again. Shane uncomfortably chuckled and eyed Rick. "I even told that to Lori. I was just so delusional." Rick just sat and listened. He showed no emotion.

"Even when I got shot in the hip and lost my job, I didn't get it. I blamed everyone for my lot in life, but I never once took responsibility for my actions or accepted the consequences of them either. When Judith was born, that's when it started to change, not much, but a start. But when Lori's crazy switch stayed on longer than it was shut off, I knew I had to step up. I had to keep her safe. Then the longer that I actually spent being a father, the more I reflected on my life. I, at one point I got it. It really hit me when I caught the woman I was gonna marry having sex with a friend of mine. And it couldn't be angry Rick, you know after I caught them." Shane reflected.

"I was a terrible person and an even worse friend. I wanted to, no I needed to change for my daughter. I sucked it up and continued to live with Lori, not because we were together, we were not, but I needed to watch over my child. To his day, or rather till yesterday, I was still living in that toxic environment for Judy. Because I needed to put her first. Anyway, in all that time, my biggest regret was losing you as a friend. I, with all my heart Rick, I want to ask for your forgiveness, and possibly, I am not saying be what we were, but maybe you can accept me back into your life in whatever way possible beyond just Judy and Carl." Shane stopped and stared at Rick and Rick tilted his head and placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose and thought about his next words.

"Shane, first of all, I do forgive you, because without you doing what you did, I would never have what I have now. I have a beautiful life. A gorgeous and loving wife, three wonderful kids, a great career, and a great set of friends that are like family. In some strange twist of fate, you were the one that stared that ball rolling on all of this," Rick waved his hands around his lake house. "I can't be mad at you for giving me the opportunity to be who I was meant to be and be who I was meant to be with. Second, I am happy for you and that you finally got yourself together enough and are trying to be a better man so that you can be a great father, BUT, we will never be anything to each other beyond Carl and Judith." Shane nodded and tilted his head downward to look at the floor with tears rolling down his face. Rick sat forward on the couch mirroring Shane's position for emphasis.

"I forgive you, but every time I look at you I see betrayal, I can't forget that, Rick explained. I can't forget seeing you in my bed with my wife. I can't forget you thinking the whole situation meant nothing and that I would come running and begging for my wife back and for your friendship."

And you just confirmed what I already knew," said Rick, "I knew you well enough to realize that when you never once, after everything happened, came to me like a man to admit what you did and apologize, I knew that you believed I would come running back with my tail between my legs. And it was confirmed when you were overheard bragging about that shit like it was cute, and just know when you admitted it. I can't forget that. Our whole friendship, it seems you thought I was some pussy ass loser that should have begged you to be my friend. I'm not gonna lie, that hurt hearing it because it solidified for me that you were never really my friend or my brother. I was just another person you used to make yourself feel good. Another person you used to support you but without any support sent back my way. Looking back, I realized that I got nothing from our friendship. You know how I know that Shane?" Rick asked the broken man sitting in front of him.

Tears rolled down Shane's face and before he could answer, Rick continued. "I know that Shane because the friends I have now all support me, just like I do them, and it feels good Shane. It feels good to have genuine friends. I also have a wife that supports me and builds me up like I support her and I build her up every single day. I trust her with my life. I could lock my wife in a room with you overnight and nothing would happen except for you trying to make a move and her kicking your ass till you are black and blue. She ain't no Lori. Those men in the kitchen right now helping me get ready to celebrate the holiday, they ain't no Shane. I don't need Lori's and Shane's in my life anymore. That phase of my life is dead and gone. Only thing I need from you is your cooperation because Carl needs Judith."

Rick stood up indicating it was time for Shane to leave. Shane stood and followed Rick to the front door. "Thank you for this talk, Rick said, "Evidently I needed it just as much as you did, but not for new beginnings Shane, but for closure." Shane nodded "I understand man, but I had to take a chance didn't I?, I will see you tomorrow at the diner Rick. Thank you for listening man. I appreciate it."

"You have a good life Shane, and I do wish you the best," said Rick as he closed the door and went back into the kitchen to finish preparing the food for his family and friends.

Rick sat by the lake watching everybody eating and enjoying the day, some were on their fourth plate, some were swimming in the lake, some were playing cards and some were halfway drunk, but everyone was having fun. Rick knew that Memorial Day was a day to celebrate our fallen soldiers, but he also used today to reflect and celebrate the memory that created his new life.

"Hey, come 'ere," Rick said to his wife as she sauntered towards him. He patted his thigh for her to sit. "This has been a very interesting, eye-opening and fun-filled weekend," He laughed as Michonne sat on his lap and he thought this had to be the most bizarre and socially awkward weekend of his life.

"Yes, it has, and your mama saw to that," Michonne laughed and she looked lovingly at her husband and running her fingers through his curls like she knows he likes. "Yeah," Rick sighed, my petty mama surly did."

Rick squeezed his wife tight, brought her closer to him, her side firm against his chest and closed his eyes and inhaled her in, "It's our last night here, why don't we start working on baby number four, a girl to balance the kids out." Breathed Rick seductively as he kissed her neck.

Michonne reflectively tilted her head as he kissed her and closed her eyes, and chuckled between the wonderful sensations Rick was giving her, "Rick, we can barely keep up with Carl and the Twins. Don't you think three is enough?" She murmured as Rick started to kiss up her jaw and to her earlobe and whispered, "Nah, it ain't."

"OK," giggled Michonne, "but you are 100% on diaper duty."

"Anything you want baby, I love you." He said as he looked her in her beautiful brown eyes.

"I love you more," Smiled Michonne as she looked into his gorgeous blue ones.

"Impossible," declared Rick with every fiber of his being.

As Rick sat with his wife on his lap, and looked at his kids and his extended friends and family, he smiled because what was happening right in front of him was even better than the memory of the life that got him to this exact place.

Mrs. Ella witnessed the beautiful scene between Rick and Michonne as she sat with her husband, Michonne's parents, and Herschel each holding either a Twin, or Archer, Glen Jr., or Lily as they rested from the day near the lake.

"So," whispered Richard Sr., "How did your master petty plan turn out?"

"I know my son," Ella said as she turned and looked her husband in the eye. "He needed closure from those two or he would have barricaded himself and his family and friends inside this lake house all weekend. All he does when he comes down here to visit is sit in our house or go and sit in Herschel, Morgan's or Tara's house, then come back and sit in ours. Always trying to avoid the town and the people in it like it was him that did wrong!," exclaimed Ella.

"He would have never attempted to get closure. So Yes, I forced it. I knew Lori would kick up mess, but Hell, I didn't think she would go full on box cutter crazy. But, in a way, she evidently needed to get some mental help and now she is getting it."

"You are stretching it now Ella," scoffed her husband.

Maybe, but she is getting help she needs now right? And Shane was itching to talk to Rick, which would have never happened if Rick stayed hidden up in that lake house! Besides, Rick needs to be comfortable to venture out into HIS town and show off HIS beautiful family," emphasized Ella. And I don't regret forcing it one bit!"

"I guess everything turned out for the better," sighed Richard Sr. "He does appear like a weight has been lifted from him. But did you have to be so," he briefly paused as if he was thinking of the right words, "so petty?"

"Rick is stubborn just like you," said Ella "it takes a good swift kick in the pants to get you two going in the right direction. Just telling Rick what he needed would not have worked, you know that. Just like I had to remind him how much he missed King County a year ago when he came down to pick-up Carl and I took the scenic route home, passed right by this very property. He loves this town, despite that Shane and Lori, and I needed to remind of that."

"Yeah, I guess you might be right. He needed to face Lori and he also needed to talk with Shane. Now he can close the book on those two for good and enjoy all parts of his life, including the one here in King County," chuckled Richard Sr.

"I did what I had to do, and I would do it again," said a satisfied Ella.

"I know you would darlin," said her husband "that's why you are the official Queen of Petty."

The End