Author's Note: Thank you all for being patient and waiting for this next chapter. Inspiration for TWD has been hard to come by but I know I promised to finish my fics and I'm still working towards that goal. I had to post this chapter and then take it down again due to the site's malfunction, so thank you for patiently dealing with that confusion as well. I hope you enjoy this long chapter, and please review at the end! Thank you!
"How did you get those injuries?" Deanna asked softly, folding her fingers in her lap. She leaned in closer to Michonne, studying her features. She had asked Rick the same question about her, but as the leader of the community she had to ask Michonne as well, just to compare their answers. She had to make sure she understood the people joining her community. She'd made a mistake before, and it didn't work out well. She didn't want history to repeat itself.
Michonne's eyes flicked to the ceiling for a moment in frustration. She didn't really want to rehash the Jocelyn incident, but she respected the small woman for asking questions that she had to know was uncomfortable.
"There are some very sick people out there," Michonne replied, hoping Deanna would leave it at that. Deanna studied Michonne briefly but didn't push any further.
"How did your group find us?"
"You'll have to ask Rick," Michonne said simply. "I was mostly unconscious when the decision was made, so that's all I can tell you."
"And now that you're healing, why did your group decide to stay?"
Michonne sighed and leaned back in her chair, taking a second to think about what she'd say.
"We needed to stop being out there. Out there, anything goes. There's no one to answer to, and you have to kill to defend yourself and to protect others. We were losing ourselves. We want to be part of a community and have lives beyond just surviving. The children deserve that."
Deanna nodded as Michonne spoke, and her eyes had a twinge of understanding.
"And now that you're here, what do you want?"
"We want to live. We want to sleep without keeping one eye open. Mostly, we want the children to be safe and have an actual childhood."
"That's what your group wants, but what do you want Michonne?"
Michonne froze. She had been thinking about the entire group for so long she didn't think much about what she wanted for herself. But even as she wracked her brain for an answer, the realization slowly came over her. She had what she wanted. She was happy with what she had. Rick, their children, and this new baby was all she wanted. When it came down to it, as long as she had them she had everything.
She smiled slightly, her left hand unconsciously moving to rest on her abdomen.
"I have what I want."
Deanna studied the faraway look on her face, and her sharp eye took in the placement of Michonne's hand as it rested against her belly. She smiled and nodded knowingly.
"How do you think you can contribute to our community?"
"I'll contribute however I can. Your doctor saved my life. He used bandages and medication on me. The least I can do is go on a run to replace what was used."
"Oh, I'd never ask that of a woman with your injuries," Deanna said, raising her hand to silence Michonne. "And Pete mentioned that you were pregnant." A smile lit up Deanna's face and her eyes showed sincerity. "Congratulations, this community could use a few more children. I wouldn't risk you and your child's life to get something as trivial as bandages."
"I can take care of myself," Michonne protested. "I'm good with a sword."
"Oh, I don't doubt that," Deanna said. "Many in your group have spoken about your skill with your katana. Especially Sasha, she has a lot of respect for you, and she seems like a woman who isn't easily won over, so it must've been earned. Do you mind if I asked what you did before all this?"
"Why does that matter?" she asked.
"Oh, things like that matter a great deal," Deanna said with a small smirk on her face."
Michonne shifted slightly in her chair, and a dull pain in her side warned her that her healing process was not quite complete. She didn't really want to delve into her past with this woman, but she figured answering her question wouldn't hurt.
"I was a lawyer, a defense attorney."
Deanna nodded and her smile grew. "I knew it was something like that."
Her confidence threw Michonne off. She thought the woman would be surprised about her past occupation. Michonne had changed so drastically since those days that it seemed like she was some other person, with some other family, and some other life. She wasn't the same woman who put on a skirt and blazer every day and worked cases. Michonne's face must have portrayed her surprise, because Deanna chuckled.
"I am exceptionally good at reading people. It helped me in the Senate, but if that career didn't come through, my back-up was becoming a professional poker player."
Michonne chuckled slightly.
"I'm serious," Deanna said softly.
Michonne leaned back in her chair and interlaced her fingers, mirroring Deanna's posture.
"What are you trying to do here, in this community? What do you want?"
Deanna tilted her head in amusement at Michonne's flip in the conversation.
"I'm trying to rebuild what was. There's gonna be a government here one day. I see a vibrant community here, with industry, commerce... civilization. Real lives. It might be horses and mills but…"
Deanna paused and studied the incredulous look on Michonne's face.
"What? Does that sound like a pie in the sky?"
"No," Michonne said, shaking her head slightly. "It's just ambitious."
"We've survived this long, and we're going to keep on surviving and thriving. With help from people like you."
"If this is how you're saying it is, then this is what we wanted."
Deanna nodded and smiled warmly.
"We're glad to have you."
***can08writer***
Rick was having trouble adjusting to the slower pace of life in the Alexandria Safe Zone. He was used to being on the move, his head on a constant swivel looking out for walkers, or people, or the next situation that required him to fight for his own life and the life of his family.
Since they'd arrived, his number one concern was Michonne's recovery. And now that she was healing, he was surprisingly unnerved that there wasn't much for him to do. The group still hadn't received jobs, although Deanna did want to meet with them all later that night.
He sat on the porch with Judith seated on one knee and Gracie on the other, as he watched the townspeople move about. Carl and Enid had been invited to relax by the lake with the other teens since it apparently was a Saturday and there was no school. The rest of the group were dispersed throughout their two houses, and Michonne was being interviewed by Deanna in their dining room so she wouldn't have to walk over to Deanna's house. Her body was healing incredibly fast, Rick begrudgingly acknowledged that it was because of Pete's skill as a surgeon, and she'd argued that it would be nothing for her to walk the two blocks to Deanna's, but Deanna insisted on making a home visit.
Rick looked down at the gurgling babies on his lap. All of this was surreal. He couldn't remember the last time he had time to just be. To just spend time with his daughter. To relax without thinking about the next two steps ahead. It was nice.
He studied Judith and noticed freckles forming on her cheeks, just like Lori had as a little girl. When had Judith developed freckles? When was the last time he had enough time to actually study his little girl?
"Don't grow up too fast on me," Rick said, pressing a kiss to the top of Judith's head. He looked down at Gracie and did the same to her curly brown hair. Neither of them could help who their mothers were or what they had done. That went for their fathers as well.
Rick watched the walls of the community that surrounded them. Deanna had said that her husband Reg had built them along with their sons and others. It was an amazing feat, a practical way to seal themselves off from the rest of the world. Rick's mind went back to the prison and what they'd been trying to build there. If the governor hadn't destroyed everything, maybe their old home would look similar to the community here in Alexandria.
Rick had spoken to Deanna just that morning about placing more guards on every wall of the community, not just the front gate, and a sniper in the tower. She said she'd ask around to see if there were more volunteers to cover additional walls, and she stationed her son in the watch tower for the day, but she seemed lackadaisical about the need for more security. She insisted that they'd never had the need. Rick found that incredulous.
He was anxious about the lack of security at the moment, but at least she was putting things into motion to correct that security breach. The day before, Rick had gone out to the woods with a backpack and the excuse that he was searching for wild mushrooms and berries for Carol to make soup and pies with. In reality, he'd gone back to where he'd buried his handgun and machete and retrieved them, stuffing them into his backpack. Deanna may not see the need for security, but he wasn't leaving his family's lives in her hands. He had his handgun tucked into his back pocket as he gently swayed the babies in the rocking chair.
A loud shout startled Rick. He ignored it at first, thinking some of the community's children were playing, until he heard another shout coming from the gates. Rick's blood ran cold, he knew something was wrong. He stood immediately and entered the house where Eugene was reading a textbook on the sofa.
"Eugene, take the kids, something's happening at the gates."
Eugene looked up startled. "I… I… I don't have the proper parenting skills to be a sufficient babysitter for two infants. Perhaps someone else would be better equipped…"
Rick didn't hear a word he said as he plopped both babies in his lap and jogged to the dining room where Michonne and Deanna had just finished their interview.
"Deanna something's happening," Rick said, before reaching into a drawer in the china cabinet and removing his machete.
"Wh… what? What is it Rick? What's going on?" Deanna demanded, her eyes wide. They immediately narrowed. "How did you get a machete?"
Michonne stood up silently and made her way to her bedroom to retrieve her sword which had never been collected because of the dire state she was in when she first entered Alexandria.
"Rick!" Deanna called, following after him as he made his way to the house's front porch. Just then she could hear it too, whoever was at the gate was yelling frantically.
A pop rang out through the air, coming from the watchtower.
"We're under attack," Rick growled, running towards the gate. Daryl appeared right behind him, and Rick tossed him his handgun. Abraham, Carol, Sasha, Maggie, Glenn, and Beth were a few yards behind.
"Wait! Our weapons! We don't have our weapons!" Sasha called.
Carol skidded to a stop. "I'll go to the armory, the rest of you grab what you can!"
Carol sprinted off towards the armory, and the others made their way to the gate, grabbing gardening tools as they went. The Alexandrians that they passed looked from them to the gates in concern, but very few actually moved to do anything. Some were actually running away from the gates, and one man leaped from the ladder that led from the scaffolding, collapsing to his knees before scrambling on all fours to take cover.
The hairs on the back of Rick's neck stood up in alarm.
"What's going on?" Rick demanded of the lone guy on gate duty who was standing on the scaffolding, crouching behind the steel panels.
"There are dead out there! A bunch of them!" the man yelled in a panic.
All of this panic over walkers?
Rick ran over to the gate and pulled back the opaque covering preventing them from seeing outside. He took in a small group of walkers, around fifteen, stumbling their way down the road leading to the community.
"Where are the rest?" Rick asked, confused about what the big deal was. The man looked back at Rick in fear and didn't answer.
"I only see a handful," Abraham called in confusion. Deanna emerged next to Rick, fear on her face.
"All this commotion over fifteen walkers?" He asked Deanna in confusion.
"I'm… I'm sorry…" Deanna stammered. "We've never had something like this happen before. Can you… can your group handle that?"
Rick calmly turned to his group. "It's just a few. Everyone have something?"
He looked to see if any of the Alexandrians would be joining them, but the ones that hadn't run to the safety of their homes were planted firmly in their spots, except for Aaron, who gave Rick a nod and took up a place behind Daryl. Daryl passed the handgun back to Rick since he wouldn't need it against walkers, and Rick tucked it back into his jeans.
Deanna noticed their exchange of weapons, and eyed them quietly but said nothing.
In the back of their small group, he was startled to see Michonne with her katana, ready to go.
A protest almost rose up in his throat, but the wordless look she gave him let him know to let it die. He nodded at her and turned to the gate, his fingers wrapping around the bars. He pulled it wide enough for them to exit single file, when a barrage of gunfire made him duck and take cover.
He searched wildly for the source and his eyes fell on the sole man on gate duty emptying his gun into the direction of the walkers. He was barely aiming, his hands shaking wildly, and every bullet simply bounced off the asphalt.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Abraham growled.
"Hey!" Daryl called. "Stop!"
But the man continued firing into the group of walkers wildly, making it too dangerous for the group to leave the gates. Abraham climbed up the ladder behind the man and yanked him away from the wall, snatching the gun from his trembling hands.
"Damn idiot," he mumbled under his breath.
The walkers were now in a frenzy, clawing at the wall and the front of the gate, forcing Rick to slam it closed again.
Rick rolled his eyes in frustration at the Alexandrians. Had any of them even been trained how to use a gun?
"We'll stab them through the gates then," Rick said. The group lined up and began shoving their gardening tools through the slots in the gates, taking out three walkers that way. The problem was they couldn't reach all of them. Rick was hesitant to use his gun on such a small group for fear of attracting more. The most efficient weapon was Michonne's katana, which was thin enough to fit through the gate, and long enough to reach the walkers' heads. She took out three more on her own as Deanna watched nervously.
Another shot rang out from the guard tower, ricocheting off the concrete and not hitting anything.
The walkers turned towards the guard tower and began to wander in that direction. Rick groaned in annoyance.
"Do you have a way to signal Spencer to stop shooting?" Rick yelled at Deanna.
"Um… yes... there's a walkie."
"Well do it, or your son will be trapped in that tower. Or worse, he shoots one of us. His aim doesn't seem to be that great."
Deanna called up to the man still shaking on the scaffolding. "Pass me the radio!"
Rick turned to his own group.
"Let's take care of these walkers before they trap Spencer."
Just as they were about to leave the gate, Carol jogged up to them, out of breath, with weapons in hand, passing out knives and guns that she'd stuffed into a bag.
"I would've been here sooner but I had to wake up Olivia to get the keys to the armory. This whole system is damn ridiculous. What'd I miss?"
"Fucking Rambo up there wasted a bunch of bullets on fifteen walkers for nothing, and we got a sniper that can't aim in the tower," Daryl recapped.
"Fifteen walkers? We don't even need guns for that," Carol said flippantly.
Deanna called out to the group. "I told Spencer to stop shooting."
Rick slid back the gate and the group made their way outside. Rick slammed his machete against the steel walls, and the walkers turned back around. Without any words or audible plan, the group wordlessly made a V formation behind Rick, with Michonne backing him up on his right. Dispatching walkers started off fairly routine, and they quickly stabbed and slashed their way through the reanimated bodies. Michonne swung her katana casually to decapitate a walker, when the sword hit something hard enough to create sparks, startling her. Her katana bounced off the object and fell to the ground, and the walker was on her, reaching for her. Michonne grabbed both of the walkers arms, maneuvering them so it couldn't grab on to her, but it was still struggling against her, pushing her backwards. Michonne shoved the walker in an attempt to get enough distance away from her so she could grab her sword, but the walker leaned back in on her, refusing to give her any space.
Rick turned and saw the situation. He immediately yanked out the metal pole that was embedded in the walker's shoulder, before slicing his machete through the walker's head. It collapsed immediately to the ground. Michonne looked up to thank Rick, but before a word of thanks could leave her mouth, she reached down for her sword, told Rick to duck, and swung over his head. Rick barely had time to get out the way before her katana sliced the head off a walker that was coming up behind him.
When they were done, bodies lay scattered around the gate, the fetid blood slowly creating stinking trails in the grass. There was an eerie silence, and they silently checked in with each other for injuries. Michonne looked to Rick and found him staring at her, his eyes slowly scanning her arms, her legs, and then resting on her abdomen. After a second or so his eyes met hers and she smiled.
"I'm fine," she muttered.
He nodded and squeezed her forearm before escorting her back into the gates.
When they re-entered, Pete and Denise were flanking either side of Deanna, both with gauze in hand and worried faces. Denise's eyes were wide and fearful, while Pete looked at them incredulously.
"Thank you," Deanna called to them, as they stalked past her, somewhat annoyed at the chaotic way in which her people responded.
"No one is injured?" Denise asked somewhat incredulously, squinting at them as if someone was hiding a bite or a scratch.
Rick paused in front of Deanna, and Michonne stopped beside him.
Rick's eyes squinted, and a scowl scrunched his eyebrows together. Michonne knew just from his body language that he was pissed.
"Deanna", he hissed. "You need to train everyone that gets on that wall. Today! And everyone who operates a gun needs to have gun training. You're lucky it was only walkers that showed up at your gates, 'cuz if it was people you'd all be dead. And my people are keeping their weapons, because we know how to use them."
Deanna leaned away from Rick and cringed slightly in the face of his wrath. Before she could respond, Rick grasped Michonne's elbow and escorted her back to their home.
***can08writer***
Later that night, the group had reassembled in the dining room of one of the houses for their meeting with Deanna. She stood awkwardly in front of the crowded table, and received a few glares of disapproval from Carol, Daryl, and Abraham. Rick watched coldly, wondering what she'd say. If she refused to take his suggestions about security seriously he'd lose all respect for her.
Deanna scanned the group, taking in their faces. She knew they weren't happy, and she was beginning to understand why Rick said what he'd said. She was embarrassed about how she and her people responded to the dead that arrived at their gates, and deep down she knew that the arrival of these strangers had been a blessing.
"I'd like to start off this meeting with an apology. I apologize for how my people responded to the threat we were faced with today. But mostly, I apologize for how I responded. I am the leader of this town, and I should have stepped up as a leader. I have to admit, I was just as shocked as they were. And I know that our community has to change and grow to catch up with the rest of the world."
Deanna paused, and the room was dead silent. When she realized they were all staring at her she straightened her back and cleared her throat.
"I've seen and heard enough from each of you to know that you're a highly capable group. In terms of trust, I've seen you attempt to integrate yourselves into our community. I've seen you give a fair shake at becoming part of us, and I'm convinced that you can be. I've seen you risk your lives today, to keep everyone safe. I want to thank all of you for stepping up, even when we… well… we fell short. And Beth was a member of your group. Knowing what I know about her, if she was with you, your group must be good people. I trust her judgement, and she vouches for you."
Deanna turned to look at Beth who smiled and nodded her head.
"But you've all been through trauma, like we have been. I would like you all to meet with Denise at least once for a counseling session. I have recommended everyone in the town, including myself, to see her at least once. She's an excellent psychiatrist, and it helps sometimes… just to talk."
Daryl scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"I only ask that you see her once. But maybe you'll want to see her beyond that. Now, to the subject of jobs. I've listened to all that each of you have had to say about your prior experience and what you'd like to get involved with here. And I've seen what you can do. I've made assignments based on how I think you could help best, of course, if you disagree with where you've been assigned you're welcome to discuss a change in jobs."
Deanna glanced around the room, meeting eyes with each person before continuing.
"Maggie, you've told me about your farming experience, and to be honest we need all the farming knowledge we can get. If our community is to survive we need a sustainable food production system, and I'd like you to design it. Not only crops, but animals as well. One day I'd like us to have cows, pigs, chickens, and goats if we can find them. I think you're the best person to plan out how we can do that. Beth, you're already involved in our town's day care and school system, but if you'd like to take some time to help your sister with this task, we'd all be appreciative."
Maggie looked at her sister and smiled. She then glanced at Glenn before nodding her head at Deanna, confirming her willingness to take on the job.
"Glenn, you've told me that in the past you'd go on runs for the group to find supplies. We need someone who knows how to do that safely. We want to expand, we have growing children, and we have babies on the way," Deanna said, purposely glancing at Michonne. "There are things we still need from the outside world that we're just not capable of making or growing here. At least not yet. Glenn I'd like you to join our run team."
"Okay," he said excitedly.
"Sasha, I know you're very proud of your progress with a rifle. I've heard several other members of your group mention that you're skilled with it. If you're willing I'd like you to protect us all in the sniper tower. I know I'd sleep a lot better knowing someone with your skill level was up there. But part of that responsibility is I'd like you to train Spencer and three other volunteers as well."
"Alright," Sasha said with a nod. She'd been hoping to get assigned to the tower anyway, she didn't want to get out of practice with her shooting. And based on what she'd seen from Spencer she wouldn't sleep easy with him up there either.
"Sgt. Ford, as an army man I know you're more than capable of defending yourself from the dead, and I was tempted to put you on the wall, but you've told me that you do have experience working construction as well. Knowledge of building is essential as we expand our town and make it even safer. I'd like you to join the construction team if that's okay with you."
"Do I get to carry my gun?" Abraham asked.
"Well considering you'd be outside the gates when working, I don't see why not," Deanna responded.
Abraham grunted his approval. "Call me Abraham," he added.
"Abraham," Deanna repeated.
"Mr. Porter. You seem to be a very well-read man, and knowledgeable about a variety of subjects. I think your talents might be needed in engineering. We need to find new ways to get what we need from what we have. A more efficient way to purify our water supply, keep our solar panel grid going, and use our spaces efficiently. I'd like you to be our civil engineer, working with Maggie, Abraham, and my husband Reg of course, to design our community better. More efficiently."
Eugene thought for a moment, allowing silence to penetrate the room. "Your job proposal is acceptable to me," he said finally.
"Father Gabriel, the mental and spiritual wellness of our community is important to me. Your calling as a pastor is a unique one, and a profession that could be very helpful to us now and in the future. I want you to oversee the morale of our community, and work with Denise when needed to check on our town's mental health. We've had requests for a prayer or bible study group, and I don't know anyone in our community better suited to leading that than you. I also would like you to oversee any possible weddings or unfortunately funerals that may arise."
"I um… I'd be glad to," Gabriel said softly.
"Ms. Peletier…"
"Carol," she interrupted quickly.
"Carol," Deanna repeated. "I saw how you thought quickly, running to the armory to get weapons for the group. You seem like a very… observant woman. Always ready to do what needs to be done and handle situations. I think you'd fit in well with training the community to defend themselves. I'd like all of you, if you'd be willing, to help train others, but Carol, would you mind being our main self defense teacher?"
A small shrug from Carol was the only response Deanna received, but she seemed to know not to push the issue.
"I'll be the first student in your class when you begin," Deanna said with a small smile. "Now Daryl. I've been trying to figure out where exactly you'd fit in here. I've been studying you, watching where you feel most comfortable. I know you don't exactly like being here, but you're here for the sake of your group. Our group now. And I respect that. And then, the perfect opportunity arose and now I think I know where you belong."
Daryl stared at Deanna, waiting for her to continue.
"You belong out there. I know it. I've seen it. And I think I know a way for you to be out there, and still be one of us. Aaron and Eric have both requested that Eric be taken from his duty as town recruiter. He just doesn't quite feel comfortable out there. And they've requested that you replace Eric as our town's second recruiter. I think you feel comfortable out there. I think you're a good judge of character, and I think that's how you can help our community. If you're willing."
Daryl huffed and was silent for a few moments. "Eric doesn't wanna risk his life out there so y'all wanna send me?"
Deanna smiled. "We want to send you because you know what you're doing. I'd guess you were comfortable in the woods long before walkers were roaming the Earth, were you not?"
When Daryl again was silent, Deanna pulled out all the stops. "There's something else you should know. Aaron has something for you, to sweeten the deal and help you with your new job. I hear you're a biker, and he just happens to have a spare. I'm sure it'll be helpful when you're looking for people."
Daryl's eyes met Deanna with a hint of curiosity. "What kinda bike?"
"Maybe you should go find out for yourself. It's in Aaron's garage. He's waiting there for you."
Daryl glanced at Rick and then Deanna once again. He grunted out a breath before standing and leaving the room.
"Well, I guess that's a maybe," Deanna replied with an optimistic shrug.
"You didn't give me a job," Rick reminded her.
Deanna smiled and clasped her fingers, placing them on the desk. "I did. Michonne as well. The two of you work together like a well oiled team. I saw that when the walkers came to the gate. And the both of you are leaders, people respect you, you get things done. As our community grows we'll need someone to maintain peace and restore order. Rick, I know you were a deputy before, and Michonne, although we don't yet have a court system, your experience in criminal justice and your ability to handle yourself will only be an asset. And so, I'm asking the two of you to be our town's version of law enforcement. It's what you were. It's what you are."
Michonne turned and looked at Rick, a small smile on her lips. He seemed somewhat surprised, as if that job wasn't what he was expecting. She had to say Deanna's reasoning made sense. She and Rick worked well together, and both of them had experience with maintaining law and order. But she also knew Rick wouldn't be happy with her having a job that may potentially put their growing child in danger. And right on time, Rick voiced his concern.
"She's pregnant. I don't want her put into dangerous situations that she could get hurt in."
"I'm pregnant, not an invalid Rick."
"I understand your concern about safety, which is why two more of my people, Tobin and Scott will also be joining you. That way shifts will be fair and no one will patrol alone. But also, the two of you will set up the shifts on the wall and oversee how the walls are monitored. You brought up some very valid points about our security Rick, and I think you'd be the best person to address them."
Michonne turned back to Deanna and smiled. "I accept the job."
Deanna smiled and nodded at Michonne. "I'm glad. And you Rick?"
Rick's face didn't hide his displeasure, but he looked at the smile on Michonne's face and couldn't resist. If having this job pleased her then he'd have to accept. He'd do it if it made her happy.
"Okay," he agreed.
"What about me?" Carl asked, crossing his arms.
"Oh," Deanna said quickly looking at him. "I assumed you'd be in school with the other children your age." She looked up at Rick in confusion. "He isn't going to school?"
"Yea, he is," Rick said, looking at Carl. "If you want a job after school that's another thing, but school first."
"Why? So I can go to college?" Carl asked with a pointed look.
"Look. My son isn't skipping school. You still need to learn what you can about the world. Even if… it's not the same world anymore."
"I need to learn about the world we live in. How to build things, how to hunt, how to protect myself, even though I know how to do that. How to stitch wounds," he said, looking at Michonne. "I don't need to learn how to write essays, and solve quadratic equations."
Rick sighed and opened his mouth to argue back at Carl, when Michonne raised her hand.
"Carl is right. The school curriculum should be relevant to life now. We need to make sure that children in this community can be productive members of the community the way it is. They should learn how to protect themselves, and go on runs safely, and how to handle walkers, as well as the general school curriculum. Maybe it'd be wise to create a school curriculum as a community, where we decide what skills children need to learn."
"That's a great idea," Deanna said.
"But until then Carl, you're going to go to school with everyone else," Michonne stated.
Carl sighed but said nothing more.
Rick smiled slightly and discreetly reached over to place his hand on Michonne's thigh, thanking her for dealing with Carl's outburst. She imperceptibly placed her hand on top of his, and then slid her hand to his thigh, following the curve of his thigh upwards until it reached the junction between his legs.
Rick nearly kicked Glenn when his leg shot out in front of him in surprise, but it narrowly missed, hitting the leg of the table instead with a thud.
"Are you alright Rick?" Deanna asked, drawing attention back to him.
"Yea, I'm fine," Rick quickly covered.
Michonne had to fight to hold in her snicker, but she held her hand where it was, slowly increasing the pressure on Rick's bulge.
"Well that's all. If you have any questions or suggestions about your job please come right to me. And once again, thank you all for your bravery earlier. I know that together, we can build a better Alexandria for everyone."
Michonne slowly removed her hand from Rick's lap as the others stood and left the room, but Rick grabbed Michonne's hand and held it as they stood and followed after the others.
"What was that?" he whispered under his breath.
"It's been a long time. Too long. I'm pregnant, and horny, and I want you. Now."
"I think we should wait…"
"It's been four days since the stitches were out. I'm fine." Michonne said while rolling her eyes.
"I know but…"
"Rick!" Michonne hissed. "I swear to God, if you don't fuck me in the next 24 hours you'll have hell to pay."
"Yes ma'am," Rick said with a chuckle, looking down at Michonne. Her brow was furrowed and displeasure saturated her features, but all he could think was that she was adorable when she was frustrated.
"Rick!" Deanna called from the front door of the house. She was on her way out, halfway on the porch. "May I speak with you for a minute?"
"Uh…" Rick looked from his needy lover to the older woman by the door. He had half the mind to tell Deanna she'd have to wait until tomorrow, lift Michonne in his arms, and carry her up to their bedroom to ravage her thoroughly, but Michonne grumpily placed a hand on Rick's chest.
"I'll take Judith and Gracie upstairs to bed. You talk to Deanna. But don't be long," she whispered in a deep sultry voice.
Before Rick could give a response, Michonne had already turned and was headed towards the girls who were seated in Enid's lap. He really didn't want to talk to Deanna right now, but he inwardly sighed and headed to the front door.
***can08writer***
Michonne lay in bed on her back, with her hand on her belly. She was still digesting the knowledge that she had a baby inside her for two months already and didn't realize it, but she was grateful for her ignorance. With the hardship, and stress, and danger that they encountered every day on the road, if she'd known she was pregnant she would have just worried, unable to change the situation for the better in any way. And maybe if she'd known about her unexpected passenger she wouldn't have been able to protect her family in the way that she had. Jocelyn may have even tried to use her pregnancy against her in some way.
Although there was no other man alive that she would have picked to be the father of her baby, there was a part of her that was unsure about the speed in which her life had changed. Months ago she was wandering around alone, only the memory of Mike and Andre to keep her company, and now look where she was.
She snuggled into the bed and stretched her toes and ankles. She pondered her new job title. It was exciting to be working with Rick as her partner, but knowing her man, she anticipated disagreements about how many hours she would be working and what she would be doing when she became heavily pregnant. He was protective. It was one of the things she loved about him. Carl too had become protective of her like his father and she knew when she was close to her due date it would be difficult for her to do anything dangerous with that duo around. If only Judith could talk, she needed someone else to back her up against the protective men in her life.
She rolled over to her side and realized she was lying on the side in which she'd been stabbed. The area was still tender to the touch, but she'd healed quickly over the last few days. And the lack of constant pain made her realize how much she missed Rick's touch. And other parts of him.
Where was he anyway? She sighed. She had half a mind to march back downstairs and tell Deanna she'd have to talk to him later. The older woman was saved by the fact that Michonne was too tired to get back out of bed. She wasn't sure if it was her healing body or her pregnancy or both, but she'd been feeling very fatigued. Once she got into bed she'd be asleep within fifteen minutes, and today was no exception. She let out a long yawn and then blew out the lit candle on the end table next to her bed.
She turned on to her opposite side and closed her eyes, but in a few seconds she was uncomfortable once again. She was hot. The weather had been stuffy lately, and even though the window in their room was open there was no breeze to speak of.
She sighed and sat up, pulling her t-shirt over her head and tossing it to the ground. Happy to rid herself of the offending clothing, she snuggled into bed once again and rolled onto her stomach. Now somewhat cooler, she quickly drifted off to sleep.
***can08writer***
Rick walked into the bedroom that he and Michonne shared, 45 minutes after the meeting had ended. Deanna wanted to discuss the logistics of security, and although Rick really wasn't in the mood to talk to her, he realized it was important. For the night, Aaron and Abraham volunteered to do gate duty, as they couldn't trust any of the Alexandrians who had previously been scheduled on the wall to protect them. Tomorrow they'd have to come up with a schedule so that only competent shooters were taking watch until the others could be trained.
He wasn't surprised to see that the candles had been blown out. No matter what Michonne said, she was still recovering from a major injury, and since she was also in her first trimester, the fatigue was very real. He stopped short though when he saw the way that she was sleeping.
She lay in the middle of the bed on her stomach, with the sheets haphazardly wrapped around her waist and legs. Her right leg was bent, causing her luscious bare behind to peek out from beneath the sheets, displaying the smooth, firm surface.
Rick froze in place and stared at the parts of her naked body that weren't covered by the sheets. The indent of her waist, the curve of her bare shoulder, the muscles of her naked thighs. It was amazingly erotic watching her that way. She was always beautiful, but even more so in these quiet moments when she didn't know she was being observed.
He quietly removed his shirt and pants, folding them and placing them on a chair in the corner of the room. He padded into the bathroom with bare feet, and took a quick shower to wash off the sweat from the day, and when he re-entered the room he was satisfied to see Michonne was still sleeping in the same position.
Carefully he crept to the bed, watching her still body. As he moved closer he could see her full breasts, spilling over the top of the sheets. He loved what pregnancy did to her body. Every part of her that he loved before was enhanced by the arrival of their child. As her body prepared to bring their baby into the world it became more welcoming, more sustaining, and more beautiful. Although she wasn't showing yet, he noticed that her body was becoming rounder, her breasts fuller. It was fascinating.
He licked his lips and slowly crawled on to the bed, his weight depressing the mattress. He crawled up Michonne's sleeping body, over her legs, her ass, her waist and back, until his mouth made contact with the back of her neck. He kissed her gently there, but she didn't stir. Slowly he allowed his body to rest on hers, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and pressed his chest against her back, being sure not to rest too much weight on her. His hardening dick pressed against her ass, jerking a bit when he made contact. He began to kiss her neck, cheek, and ear, the parts of her face that he could reach.
"Mmhhh," she grumbled in complaint, her eyes still closed. "It's too late to be starting trouble. Shouldn't have taken so long."
"If you don't want trouble, don't go to bed naked," Rick scolded back, his hands reaching around and lightly flicking her dark nipple.
"I was hot," she explained.
"I know you are," Rick whispered in her ear.
His hand followed the natural shape of Michonne's body, leaving her nipples and sliding down to her stomach, following the curve of her not yet there baby bump, and then reaching underneath her and between her parted leg until they found her rapidly moistening heat.
She sucked in a breath when his fingers rubbed against the nub between her legs.
His mouth kept busy, kissing her shoulder and face, and he noticed when her hips began to gyrate of their own accord, inadvertently or maybe purposely rubbing against his hardened dick.
Rick raised up higher on his left arm which was holding most of his weight and leaned over Michonne so their mouths could make contact. He kissed her gently at first, but her tongue drew him in more, solidifying their bond and their want for each other.
"Stay right here. Don't move," he demanded, before making a trail down her back with his tongue. Michonne obeyed, lying there motionlessly as Rick pressed kisses into her back as he slid down her body. She wasn't sure what he was going to do when he peeled the sheets away from her, laying her bare before him. He pressed deep kisses to each of her butt cheeks, getting lost in their softness, and sending moisture flowing between her legs.
Without warning, Rick's tongue made contact with her pussy and she stiffened in surprise.
She gasped in air as his tongue began to move, licking her slit, kissing and tugging on her lips from behind. He ate at her with a hunger, a desire, a possessiveness of her that turned her on immensely.
He'd told her not to move, but she couldn't stop the swiveling of her hips that went in turn with the licks of his tongue.
He moaned as he pleasured her, inhaling her smell, devouring her taste. He grabbed her ass and squeezed the cheeks, pushing himself inside of her more deeply. Humming a tune of his own making between her legs to add to her pleasure.
Michonne gripped the pillows tightly as Rick did his work, her body only able to hang on for the ride. Rick propped her ass up higher, giving himself more access to her. His tongue lapped at her, savoring the salty taste and the fact that every lick made her muscles tremble harder.
"Mmmmm" he moaned, before reaching around her with his right hand and thumbing her clit.
"Rick," Michonne whimpered softly, his name coming out as an involuntary groan.
The way her pelvis was wiggling in his hands from the sensation of his tongue only made him harder. He gripped her ass, watching as his fingers dug into the flesh.
Her legs opened wider for him, and he smacked her ass, releasing a pop through the room.
"Uh, Rick. Fuck. Fuck!" she murmured. She was pleading with him to stop while begging him for more at the same time.
He pulled his mouth away from her pussy for a few seconds just to catch his breath, but he didn't leave her hanging. He took a finger and rolled it between her folds, getting it thoroughly soaked. He then slowly inserted it into her now dripping pussy.
"Ahh!" Michonne groaned and her ass lifted higher up into the air.
He pressed another kiss to her ass. "You like that baby?" he asked with a smooth, silky voice. When she didn't answer, he rubbed his beard across her smooth skin, the scratchiness driving her wild. She tried to roll onto her side to have more control of the situation, but he grabbed her hips to hold her in place.
"Stay just like that," Rick commanded, running his fingers through her folds once again.
Michonne whimpered and buried her face into the pillow.
"I like looking at your pretty little pussy," Rick whispered, his mouth inches away from it, the vibration from his voice being picked up by her sensitive nerve endings. He continued pumping into her with his fingers as he took little nips at her clit. "All of this. All of this ass, all of this pussy is mine," he groaned, and he felt her muscles clench around his fingers.
"Uhhh, shit. Fuck me please?" Michonne begged, her legs and back becoming involved in rocking onto him. She was on the edge and she wanted him to push her off.
"I'm not done," he grumbled. He held her waist high in the air so there was space underneath her. He lay on his back and shoved his face underneath her so her legs were straddling his head. He then gripped her ass cheeks again and pressed her against his face, mercilessly sucking at the lips of her womanhood.
"Fuck!" Michonne yelled, her head lifting off the pillow with an expression of agony. She rocked her pelvis against his face again and again as he stimulated every nerve he could. Sucking, licking, and lapping at her. Her thighs shook at each of his movements and she got into a push up position, her body contorting in an effort to control what was happening to it.
Michonne could feel a dull throbbing between her legs that built in intensity with every passing second. Her toes went numb, and she grabbed hold of Rick by his hair, pressing him impossibly hard against her clit.
A growl came from deep within her throat as instinct and need took over her thoroughly and she came with complete abandon, the muscles of her legs and fingers clenching around Rick with no regard to his wellbeing. A clear fluid burst from inside her, and Rick didn't think twice before lapping it up, his tongue overstimulating her swollen clit. Without a second to come down from the first high she came again, this time her muscles spasming from the strain on them.
After a few seconds of complete ecstasy, Michonne fell forward onto the bed again, her muscles giving out on her. She gasped with her eyes closed, her body covered in a sheen of sweat, and a satisfied smile on her tired face.
Rick slid from between her legs, his face covered in sweat and cum which he greedily licked from his lips. MIchonne pried her tired eyes open when she didn't feel Rick come lay next to her on the bed. Instead he was watching her from the edge of the bed, a mischievous grin on his face.
"What?" Michonne asked, still panting.
"I like this view," he said, trailing his fingers up her calves to her thighs, and once again her firm behind. Even through her exhaustion she felt her body respond to his touch once again, always ready to go.
"I can barely move," Michonne said, not to stop him, but to inform him of her current situation.
"I don't want you to," he said, crawling up her body until his head was parallel with hers. He molded his body to hers, his chest on her back, his pelvis pushed against the curve of her ass. He bit her shoulder possessively, almost the same way a lion bites the back of the neck of a lioness when mating.
Michonne's pussy immediately clenched in anticipation of his dick finally penetrating her. She didn't have to wait long as she felt Rick rub against her, and she obediently spread her legs to welcome him inside. He thrust into her wet pussy from behind and she let out a small squeak before falling into the pillows once again.
Rick grunted in approval as he moved inside her. This position allowed him to go deeper and feel every ridge of her vagina as he thrust, and it wasn't long until he worked himself into a frenzy. He slid his arms underneath her shoulders, using them as leverage to bounce his body off of hers. Their skin was glued together by sweat and fluids, allowing Rick to plunge into her deeper and harder. He could feel her body squeeze around him, letting him know she was reaching her threshold again.
"Dammit Michonne," he growled, digging his nails into her shoulder. "Fuck. I love you. I love you baby. Fuck I love you."
Michonne groaned and stiffened and they came simultaneously, Rick falling on top of her body as his penis spurted into her rhythmically, and her body clenched in time with him to push his seed further inside.
His limbs draped over hers, his sweaty head plastered to her shoulder, his limp dick still inside her. Michonne panted loudly, her mouth hanging open. For minutes they said nothing, both trying to receive the oxygen that had been stolen away from them.
Suddenly Rick realized he shouldn't be putting all his weight on her. He moved his deadened limbs and slid out of her, creating a mess on their sweaty sheets.
"No," Michonne demanded, grabbing his arm. "Don't you dare. Get back here."
Obediently, Rick lay on top of her again, planting a kiss to the back of her shoulder which now had a hickie from his previous biting.
"What was all that about?" Michonne asked.
"You looked so sexy sleeping naked in that position. I saw you and I… I just wanted to claim you. Make you mine."
"I am yours," Michonne stated.
"I know. I just… wanted to reiterate that. I know you know, but… I just wanted to claim you."
Michonne closed her eyes but a smile slid across her face. "I like when you get all possessive. It's sexy. It makes me feel safe… and horny."
Rick chuckled and entwined the fingers on their right hand.
"So I wasn't too rough?"
"No. You were just right. You sure know how to eat a girl."
Rick burst out laughing with that comment, and pressed more kisses to Michonne's back.
"Best girl I've ever eaten," Rick responded.
Now it was Michonne's turn to laugh.
"You need your rest. Go back to sleep now," Rick said once his giggling subsided.
"Mhm. You wake me up, fuck the shit out of me, and then demand that I go back to sleep? Is that how it works?"
"Yea, that's how it works," Rick said, a yawn escaping from his own mouth.
"Who put you in charge?," Michonne asked softly, her fingers relaxing their hold on Rick's.
"Mhm. I'm the law around here," Rick grunted out, his head falling to rest on Michonne's back. "Didn't you know?"
"Hey, I'm a deputy too," Michonne reminded him, her sentence followed by heavy breathing.
There was no response from Rick, and the two of them immediately fell into a deep slumber, their bodies stacked on top of each other.
***can08writer***
Michonne was sitting at the kitchen table, going over a list of Alexandrians who had signed up for Carol's weapons training classes. There were only ten volunteers, but it was enough people that she and Rick were working out a watch schedule for them once Carol trained them to competency. Deanna had agreed that every able-bodied adult living in the community had to have weapons training, but they would start with the volunteers.
Carol had reported sobering statistics from her first few classes. Most of the volunteers had never even held weapons before, and those that had, including the ones who were stationed at the front gate, had never been trained. That explained their reaction when walkers actually showed up at the gates.
She and Rick had begun their jobs as constables, or officers, or whatever they were, making rounds and taking note of any security breaches. They'd noticed a few of the panels in the wall were shaky, and since Rick was on duty now, he'd gone to Deanna and her husband's house to let them know.
Michonne had to admit she was shocked when Deanna had shown up at the house two weeks ago with matching uniforms for she and Rick, as well as the other two deputies. She'd scoffed, and Rick held his uniform as if it'd grow fangs and bite at any moment, but they'd gone to their room and tried it on. When Michonne stepped out of the bathroom in her oversized uniform, and she saw Rick in his, they'd frozen.
Rick's eyebrows had shot up his forehead. His eyes did a quick sweep of her body, taking in the shirt that was left untucked, the tie that fell against her chest, and the jacket that was at least three sizes too big for her. She was swimming in her clothes, but to him she was beautiful. If anything, the uniform emphasized how much smaller she was than him. She was petite, but she was fearless, tenacious, and a force to be reckoned with. And she was his equal.
When Michonne saw Rick, a heat radiated from her cheeks to other parts of her body. The way he looked at her, like she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, even in this old, funny smelling security guard uniform, staggered her. She took in the way he wore his uniform and loved everything she saw. He looked so handsome in the shirt and tie, and the way his shirt tucked into his tight jeans made her bite her lip. She blinked rapidly to gain control of the various thoughts running through her head.
"Well, at least this shirt is big enough to accommodate our baby in a few months," she said, trying to get a hold of herself. Rick was silent, but he squinted his eyes and allowed them to run up and down her body unashamedly.
"What do you think of the outfit?" she asked, wanting to distract Rick away from staring at her like that. He was so handsome she didn't know how she was supposed to do rounds with him looking like that.
"I've always liked a woman in uniform," he said softly, taking a step forward.
"Rick…" Michonne warned.
"The way that shirt hangs off of you, the way that jacket wraps itself around your shoulders…"
"Rick!" Michonne sighed.
"The way that tie wraps around your beautiful neck…"
Michonne snorted in laughter. "You horn dog."
Rick gave her a winning smile as he stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"There's something sexy about my girl wearing the same clothes I do."
"Your girl?" Michonne chuckled. "I haven't been called a girl in a long time."
"Excuse me. My wife."
Michonne pulled back from him so she could look into his eyes.
"What?"
"I called you my wife. If you're okay with becoming that title. I know this relationship has happened pretty fast, but I've never been more sure about anything. I want you to be my wife."
Michonne blinked for a moment as Rick's words slowly diffused into her brain.
"You want to marry me?" she asked.
"Well we don't have to have a wedding. Not if you don't want to. It could just be between us. But I want you to be my wife. I think of you that way. I feel that you are. And if I have to introduce you I want to be able to call you that."
Michonne smiled, showing off her beautiful white teeth. She nodded. "Yea… yea I want that too."
"So it's a yes?" Rick asked, his blue eyes widening in happiness.
"It's a yes," Michonne repeated, grabbing Rick by the cheeks and pulling his face to hers. "It's a hell yes".
"Can I tell everyone? I mean, Carl first, but everyone after that?"
Michonne pulled back from Rick for a moment. "Uh, lets keep this to ourselves for a little while. I want this to just be between us… at least for now. When I'm ready we tell Carl together, and then we can tell everyone else."
Rick nodded and pressed her against him once again. "Whatever you want. I just… love you. So much. I want you to know that."
"I love you too Rick," she muttered, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't need to cry all over her new uniform. "If you say anything else I'll burst into tears and I don't think I'll be able to stop," she warned.
"Okay crybaby," he teased, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Sexy, badass, uniformed crybaby."
Michonne popped Rick in the chest playfully and took a step back. "Don't make me put you on your ass, deputy", she giggled.
It had been two weeks since that conversation, and they still hadn't told anyone about their decision to get married. Michonne wasn't in a rush. There were so many other things going on that were more pressing. She and Rick were clear about their feelings for each other and for now that would have to do.
"Michonne, can I talk to you for a minute?" Sasha asked, startling her from her thoughts.
"Huh? Oh… yea, sure" she replied, watching Sasha as she took a seat at the table.
"So… I have something to ask you, and I'm not sure how you'll take this. I mean, if you don't want to it's absolutely fine, and I'd understand, but I think… I think it'll help you and Rick. And…"
"Sasha?" Michonne asked calmly. "I don't even know what you're asking."
Sasha sighed and then paused before looking Michonne in the eyes.
"I want to know if I can take Gracie. As my daughter. I want to adopt Gracie. I know you promised Jocelyn you'd care for her, and you and Rick have been doing just that, but I know the two of you have your hands full. With Judith, and another baby on the way, it's a lot. And… really… it's for me. Recently I've been feeling like I need something, someone, to love. After I… after you helped me in the woods, you told me that everything after that point was my second chance at life. I'm ready for that now. I'm ready for a second chance and I think if I had a child to love everything would be worth it. The deaths, the suffering, it would all be okay if I knew in the end I gave this little girl a home, a family. She doesn't need me but… I think I need her. And if you and Rick are okay with it, I'd love to give her a home."
Michonne was floored by what Sasha asked. She had to admit, caring for both Judith and Gracie was a lot, and she was wondering how she'd balance everything when she was ready to give birth, and after. It was a bit overwhelming. Carl and Enid had helped them out a lot, as did the rest of the family, but it was unfair to depend on the teenagers to care for the babies. It was easy to forget that they were children themselves and deserved freedom.
"I uh… I don't know what to say," Michonne replied after a few seconds. "You're right that it's been hard caring for two infants, but Gracie has become part of our family. But I also know that three babies would be almost impossible for us to handle right now. Gracie deserves the attention that every child should get. She deserves all the love she can get."
Michonne sighed and rubbed her abdomen gently before meeting Sasha's eyes again.
"And you deserve all the love you can get too. I know that you love her, and you'd take care of her better than we can right now. I think I can speak for Rick too when I say that if adopting Gracie would make you happy, then we're okay with that."
Sasha relaxed and smiled with a smile so genuine it lifted Michonne's spirit.
"But there's one issue that has to be addressed," Michonne said, and Sasha's smile dropped. "Enid. She considers Gracie her sister, and she may want a say in who raises her."
"Damn. I didn't even think of that," Sasha whispered, shaking her head.
"Maybe you should talk to Enid first. See how she feels about this."
"Yea, I'll do that," Sasha replied thoughtfully. "Thanks."