Hey, I'm back with another story and I hope you like it. This story is twenty chapters and fully written. I have to do small edits for each chapter, but thought I would post the first two do see if anyone is interested in the read. I will take me another week to finish the small edits for chapters 3-20 then after that I will post each chapter consistently, probably in another week.
Also, just so no one gets frustrated. The supernatural beings are not featured until Chapter 6, and then they are a prominent and heavily focused part of the story for chapters 6-20. I wanted chapters 2-5 to focus on how Rick handled his do-over and what changed and what stayed the same.
Also, please review and let me know what you think. I have another story complete, a one shot for a chapter 2 for A Serendipitous New Year done, and another close to being finished.
If this one does not interest anyone let me know that too and I will shelve it for a while and focus on finishing and trying one of the others. With new characters being added, I am not sure if you would like or take to it. I really hope you like these two chapters and in the story. Again, let me know your thoughts!
Chapter 2—Jessie Anderson AKA The Blond
The next few days in Alexandra were calm and quiet and that was because Rick knew what to expect and planned accordingly. He was determined to make things right, at least up until his vision ended. After that, he prayed that everything he knew and fixed to make right would have a positive trickledown effect on events further into the future. His first task was to sever the connection that he had with Jessie Anderson, (which was none!) remembering what she actually meant to him, a reminder of days gone by and nothing more. Rick made it his mission to quickly shut down the blond and rid her from his life. After what he saw, the heartache that he experienced, Rick did not even want her to even be a casual acquaintance. He wanted to ignore her as much as possible. Not because he thought he would backslide and fall for her, but because he truly despised her. Hated everything she was about. Jessie was the worst.
When Jessie came to his front door on their third day in Alexandria at a God-awful time in the early morning hours to seductively introduce herself, Rick did not fall for the old okie doke this time around and instead called for Michonne to handle the situation. After he opened the door and saw her, Rick struggled to keep the sour look of distaste off his face. He wanted her gone and he especially wanted to continue to avoid her at all costs in the future. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with the blond. It was a bit extreme he knew, but Rick wanted to make double sure he did not give out any signals to the blond who destroyed his previous life.
'Or is it my other life, or was it my life at all?' Rick thought confusing himself as he stared past the blond deep in deliberation. Jesse just stood and watched him, wondering if he was thinking about her as he looked out over her shoulder. She looked back to see what caught his attention, then turned back and stared at his face. Jessie thought he was handsome and she was taken by him from the time Rick stepped foot into the gates. 'He is perfect and the one for me,' Jessie thought as she twirled her finger around a loose strand of her hair and examined his gorgeous face. Jessie was trying to focus Rick's attention back on her and called his name.
"Rick?" Jessie smiled.
When Rick snapped to, and focused his attention back to the present, he did not even ask what she wanted. He just walked away from the door almost as soon as the confusing thoughts about how to categorize his fake past life cleared. Rick threw out a displeasing comment as he walked off back inside the house, leaving her on the porch, waiting.
"You can talk to my girl…, I mean my wife," Rick told Jessie as he left Michonne to deal with the blond. Michonne was more than his girlfriend. She was his partner. His life partner and his love partner. He thought she deserved a title much deeper than a girlfriend.
Michonne was confused as to why she was called to the front door and why Rick just walked away back into the bedroom and did not stay to talk to the woman. She looked at the blond wondering if she had any common sense or, was she just so rude as to disturb the household so early in the morning, then back to Rick catching him just as he disappeared into the room wondering why he did not even try to figure out what woman needed. Why he walked away so quickly. Michonne was perplexed.
"Can I help you?" Michonne smiled softly at the woman looking her up and down and placing her in the pretty but plain category.
"Oh, I was just going to offer to give Rick a shave and a haircut. I used to be a beautician," Jessie stammered not realizing Rick was taken even though she knew absolutely nothing about the new group of individuals and she herself had a husband.
"Do you have the tools with you? I think most of the guys need some attention. Was this for everybody or just Rick?" Michonne asked as she leered at the now nervous woman and knowing exactly the game she was playing. The rest of the crew had already split up and moved into their own houses. She, Rick, and the kids along with Darryl were the only ones living there now. "What was your name again?"
"Oh, umm, it's Jessie. Jessie Anderson. I live next door and I am part of the welcome committee," Jessie tried to cover.
"I just bet you are," Michonne grinned quickly determining her THOT status. "So, do you take appointments, or do you want to do all the guy's now?"
Jessie did not miss the innuendo and gave Michonne a disingenuous smile.
"If you want, I can just leave the scissors and clippers with you and when y'all are done you can just return them, I don't mind. Like I said, I live right next door," Jessie uttered trying her best to finish the conversation with the intimidating woman so she can get back home to her owl sculptures.
"Will do," Michonne replied as she shut the door and effectively shut down the blond.
"RICK!" Michonne hollered looking for her new man. When she found him in the master bedroom looking though the welcome box that they received their first night, she stared at him for a second.
"What in the hell was that Rick?" Asked Michonne with a sharp tone.
"What was what?" Rick replied feigning innocence. Michonne noted his innocent face was kind of cute.
"That!" Michonne pointed towards their front door as if Rick could see it though the walls, "you purposely left me so that I could shut down her ulterior motives Rick. You are not slick."
Michonne looked at Rick up and down trying to put the puzzle together but missing too many pieces. Rick was still pretending to be clueless and Michonne came to an epiphany.
"You are usually slow on the uptake Rick; how did you know so fast that she was interested in you?" Michonne inquired with a tilted head and a smile. Rick noticed her arms were also crossed across her chest and her deceptive smiled was not a friendly one. That was her "take no shit" stance but Rick decided to still fling as much poo as he could.
"She was interested in me?" Rick said pretending complete surprise and Michonne narrowed her eyes at Rick, he was not telling her something and Rick knew how much Michonne hated secrets. It drove her mad, and she could be relentless until she found out the information. Rick sighed as he knew he could not keep a secret from her for too long, his vision made that crystal clear.
"You ain't gonna believe me," Rick responded.
"Try me," Michonne said hands now on her hip and looking at him up and down. Michonne did not like being in the middle of mess. And Rick calling her his wife to Jessie, felt like mess.
Rick told Michonne about the vision he had at the gate, and she sat down on the bed and stared at Rick for a few seconds before she laughed, got up and walked towards where Rick was standing.
"You have been out there too long Rick; you are losing it." She said as she sauntered up to him and placed her hands on each side of his face and then gave him a peck on the lips. "But I am here for you," she finished and left the room to check on the kids. She hollered from the stairs, "I will shave you after I check on the kids."
"Nope, I have not been out there too long at all," Rick said to himself before returning back to the welcome box whistling an old gospel tune, then switched to singing the words slightly altered, "I once was lost, but now I'm found, the Visions saved a wretch like me!" Rick sang as he celebrated successfully avoiding JessieGate.
After a very intimate shave and romp in the bathroom right after, Rick focused on a way to deal with Carol. He knew she would be approaching him soon, so he needed an effective method to shut her down and keep her more focused on helping to build the community and not hijack it. Sure enough, before the end of the day Carol pulled him to the side.
"Rick these people are weak, we need to…." Carol started before Rick put his hand up to stop her cold.
"I know, they are weak Carol, but we can make this place strong for everyone, including the people here. I know I was not at the camp when you arrived back in Atlanta, but I was there shortly after when Ed was still alive, and I remember how you were. I remember how weak you were, and I also remember how weak you felt you were at Herschel's farm and at any point during that time, even when we first got to the prison, we could have cut you lose for the exact same reasons you are about to give me now, Rick preached."
Carol was shocked, she opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it again and Rick continued.
"But we didn't. That is because you were stronger than you thought. You survived losing Sophia, you survived being on the road with walkers and even worse humans trying to kill us at every turn. You survived the prison, and you even survived when you went nuts and killed those people."
"I did not go nuts Rick, I did what I thought was necessary at the time for the safety everybody," Carol said angrily tired of defending her choice. She felt she was already punished for her crime, yet here Rick was throwing it in her face again.
"But it ended up not being what was necessary Carol. What was necessary was medicine. And had you been rational and not running off half-cocked, you would have figured that out without an ounce of bloodshed," continued Rick. "But you survived being out there on your own after we exiled you. After I exiled you. Then you came back and saved us from being eaten by cannibals. How did you go from what you were, weak and feeble, to the strong warrior that you are now?" Rick Asked.
Carol did not respond, but Rick saw the rational wheels turning in her head.
"Don't go back to acting irrational. Don't make the same mistake. Think smart. Do this the smart way and teach these people to learn to survive just like you had the opportunity to learn," finished Rick hoping he got through to his friend. His family.
Carol nodded, still unsure but conceded to Rick's plan of attack.
"Also, I need you to keep an eye on Pete and Jessie Anderson. There is something odd going on there," Rick said, and he saw Carol smirk and Rick smirked Right back. "Hey, I said let's not hijack, I didn't say we shouldn't watch our backs and figure out what's up with this community. I am going to talk to Deanna about doing some volunteer training for the people."
"Volunteer?" scoffed Carol.
Rick tilted his head at the woman, 'Did she not just listen to what I said,' Rick thought.
"Yes, volunteer, trust me, with these people you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar, but I do have a plan to make them see if that don't work. If she refuses, then I will let you in on plan B. But that plan is just for me and you Carol. So keep quiet about it," requested Rick knowing full well Michonne had to approve it first. He learned his lesson.
"Ok Rick, I trust your judgment," Carol said walking away still very skeptical of Rick's new attitude. She was sure that Michonne got to him. Carol shook her head in frustration at the notion that Rick was letting her lead him around by his little Rick. Carol was not an advocate of their coupling. Carol thought Michonne made him weak.
Rick now had a laundry list of other tasks to take care of leading up to an attack by the wolves and the mass herd invasion which were still a few weeks away by his calculation, so he had time. After that, Rick was blank. That was all he saw in his vision, and Rick prayed that those two events would be the worst of it.
"Deanna, can I talk to you for a minute?" Asked Rick as she opened the door to her home.
"Sure Rick, come in." She smiled. "I wanted to talk to you also, I think I have the job for you here."
Rick smiled and entered the home and when he came out, he was a constable, along with Michonne, and he also had an answer to his request.
"Not necessary Rick, we are fine. I want to rebuild civilization. Not encourage the wild wild west! We don't need weapons in here! Blah Blah Blah," Rick mocked when telling Michonne what Deanna said. "Then she said you and me were constables and gave me these damn uniforms to wear, WE ARE IN THE DAMN APOCOLYSPE AND SHE WANTS US TO PLAY PRETEND!"
Rick already knew that trying to get Deanna to understand with words would not work. She needed to be convinced with action. So he planned to meet with Carol for Plan B, right after discussing it with Michonne. Again, he was not going to make any decisions without her knowledge or input.
"Rick just be careful," was Michonne's response to his plan of having Carol let in some walkers so that Alexandria can get a taste of the outside and to see if any of them were equipped outside of Aaron, who was about the only one who knew what he was doing. Before he could get with Carol about his approach, Carol came to tell him about Jessie and Pete.
"He's beating her and the kids, and most times while he is drunk," said a disgusted Carol whose mind was flooded with her own abuse at the hands of her husband.
Rick already knew, he just wanted confirmation.
Rick thought about how he wanted to approach Deanna about Pete Anderson. Rick knew that Deanna was going to side with Pete being as he was the only doctor. This is partly what exacerbated his mental break before. Rick decided to be direct. Since he never acted a fool, demanding things change in Alexandria as soon as he stepped foot in the community, and instead came in with a more positive and accommodating attitude, and as the constable, he thought Deanna would be more open to listening to his plan.
His first go around, Rick was hollering like a lunatic demanding that Pete be killed. He cringed thinking about his previous behavior. He got sidetracked again for a few minutes in the middle of the street wondering if previous was the word. 'Was it previous if it never happened?' He stood there contemplating when he was abruptly shook from his thoughts by Darryl.
"What the hell you doing man? You goin' crazy again?" asked Darryl scanning Rick up and down for any signs of lunacy.
"NO," Rick sucked his teeth at his brother, "Just thinking about how to deal with the Anderson Issue with Deanna."
"What Issue?" asked Darryl annoyed at his Rick's behavior.
"Pete, her husband, is beating Jessie, the kids too. I was gonna go talk to Deanna about what we need to do," replied Rick who seemed more agitated than he needed to be.
Darryl decided to give Rick a dose of reality.
"You think Deanna don't know? You think the leader of this community don't know that the sole doctor is beating his wife?" Asked Darryl who could not believe Rick could be so stupid.
"I don't know Darryl," Rick exasperated, "these people live like everythangs perfect outside these walls. Maybe they know and maybe they don't, but that don't mean we still shouldn't do anythang about it." Rick said a little irritated at his friend for thinking like the Alexandrians and choosing the ignore the problem.
"Before you go over there, have plan on how to handle that shit Rick, that don't involve you screaming and hollering about killing and such," Darryl demanded.
"What the Fuck?" Rick meant to say that last part to himself, but instead said it out loud.
"Look, all I know is that somebody whispered in my ear at the gate to watch your aggressive ass and keep you calm and rational. Even put a few concerning images in my mind on what can happen if I don't. I been watching you and you have been all right so far, let's keep it that way. Let's go talk to Michonne and come up with a plan," Darry requested walking toward he and Rick's house.
"Why do we need to talk to Michonne," Asked Rick already knowing the answer. Basically she was smarter than all of them combined, but he did not want Michonne involved in the Jessie Anderson mess. Rick wanted to avoid that at all costs.
"Cuz that damn voice told me when in doubt, ask Michonne," Darryl stated as he continued walking towards the house Rick shares with him, Michonne and the kids without giving Rick a second look. Darryl wanted to get Rick settled quick. What he saw in the vision the beings gave him was downright crazy. And sad.
Rick was dumbstruck. He wondered how many other people in the family got insight like he and Darryl did. He also wondered how many other people saw his humiliation. Before he could ask, Darryl stopped and answered.
"Don't seem like none of the others got what we got, I asked, and they all looked at me like I lost my damn mind. I thought I did at first too, so when I broached you about it just now, and saw the look on your face, I knew they talked to you too." Darry said waving his hands in the air as if they people he was talking about lived in the sky.
And for all intents and purposes, maybe they did. Like aliens, or maybe actual Angels. The bible did say they carried flaming swords. Maybe they flamed up in a blue light right along with their weapons.
Rick was relieved that no one else witnessed his epic failure. He blew out a breath and followed Darryl inside their home. They were right, whomever they were. It did not take long for Michonne to come up with a smart plan that even Deanna could not refuse. Michonne told Rick to get Carol to talk to Jessie and get her to open up about the abuse, maybe even have Carol share her own experience with Jessie to make a personal connection with the blond.
"Tell Carol to let Jessie know that we are here to help her and her children, and we will make sure her, and her children stay safe," Michonne told Rick. "Make sure Carol assures Jessie that the Atlanta group will not ignore the problem. That will be a step to help her be more willing to come forward."
"Ok, I will get on that right now," Rick said as he started to leave to go look for Carol.
"Wait, I'm not finished yet!" Replied an annoyed Michonne gesturing for Rick to sit back down on the couch. Darryl shook his head at his anxious friend. Darryl got a glimpse of Jessie, but he would never tell Rick that. He saw the number that awful blond did on him and how she left Rick a shattered man. A lonely man and all because of one bad, crazed decision. Darryl was determined to keep Rick on the right track by any means necessary.
"Once she does," Michonne continued, "then get Jessie to come down to the constable's office to talk to either you or me. Whomever she was most comfortable with."
Michonne stopped and looked sarcastically at Darryl, both thinking the same thing and chuckling.
"I got three squirrel hides that it'll be Rick that blond goes to," Darryl decided to verbalize out loud and looked a Rick. Rick gave Darryl the evil eye for bringing up anything romantic about Jessie Anderson in front of Michonne.
"Shut up Darryl, you don't know that," exclaimed Rick knowing damn well he probably did. 'Damn them for given Darryl visions too,' Rick thought.
"You shut up fool, you know I'm right," Darryl teased pointing his finger in Rick's face.
Rick narrowed his eyes and decided to leave it there before they said too much.
'Whatever,' Michonne thought as she pictured Jessie Anderson running into the Constables office looking for Rick, and only Rick, in damsel in distress mode. 'Probably wearing her best dress and heels with her hair done up and pink lipstick slathered over her thin lips,' Michonne said to herself and rolled her eyes. Michonne saw the whole thing in her head and decided that she did not give a single fuck. Jessie did not have a chance in hell to capture Rick's attention, even before Michonne put all that ass on him, Jessie was no competition. Michonne nearly killed Rick the first time they slept together that second night after the group split up and moved to their separate houses. When Michonne came home that evening from checking out Maggie and Glenn's home and helping Sasha get settled, hoping their talk helped Sasha start to deal with her loss, Rick was ready for her. He had put Judith down and she was sound asleep, and Carl was so excited to finally sleep in a soft bed, he was out like a light also.
Rick had candles lit, which Michonne thought was a waste but romantic so it was appreciated. Rick was freshly showered standing in front of their bed with just his pajama bottoms on. Michonne could have sworn he was posing and wanted to laugh, but instead she licked her lips and eyed his naked torso with lust. She looked back up and saw him smirk, and Michonne laughed and sauntered into the bathroom. Rick watched her fantastic ass as she walked away, and he noticed she was nervous too and that made him feel better and less anxious about the night. Rick thought about joining her when he heard the shower start, but he also heard her lock the door, which caused him to frown.
Michonne showered and prepped, thanking God that a razor was in the welcome box. With everyone in the house sharing the bathroom that first day, she did not have time for much maintenance beyond getting clean, especially with Judith and Carl to take care of also. She knew what Rick was silently asking for standing in front of the bed, shirtless, and looking sexy as hell and she wanted it too. So after stepping out of the shower and drying off, she grabbed the lotion, not the cocoa or shea butters that she preferred, but hell, she finally had a proper moisturizer, she was not gonna knock it, and walked into the bedroom.
Michonne seductively asked Rick if he could help rub the cream into her skin and he gladly accommodated, smiling from ear to ear. He rubbed her everywhere. He touched every single part of her body and then invaded it using his fingers, his tongue, and finally his cock. Rick was in bliss at the warmth and tightness of her. He had to close his eyes several times to prevent himself from spilling all he had inside of her. He eventually had to pull out and go back to using his tongue to help keep from exploding. Once he was back under control, he thrust into her again, and by the look of her face, she was in bliss too. They called each other's names, and cursed, and said filthy words, as both were in a state of ecstasy. With each stroke, each caress, each kiss, each touch, it all felt like they had done this before. It was familiar and comforting. Coming together felt like both the first time and the millionth time. After, while they held each other, they both smiled and wondered why they waited so long but conceding that the wait was worth it.
While they snuggled together to sleep in a nice, soft, warm bed, the last thought Rick had before he drifted off to sleep with Michonne in his arms was, 'how in the fuck did I get involved with that plain jane blonde when I had all this, my Michonne.' He kissed her shoulder glad he was on the right track, shut his eyes and followed her to sleep.
All Rick does now is beg for more. The man is all of a sudden insatiable. Went from not a single touch to constantly wanting to feel her up, especially her backside, and have sex and other such related activities. It gave Michonne whiplash. Michonne was right in the instance that Jessie was not competition, in this life or the other life Rick experienced. Rick was just too crazed to figure it out sooner, too stupid to pump the brakes with Jessie, and too late to get her back because of Ezekiel. Rick was just too everything, but he knew the truth about his love for her in his alternative life. He carried her in his heart every day she was gone. It was always Michonne, in no matter which life he lived.
"Ok children, stop," Michonne said eyeing both Rick and Darryl who were now shoving each other back and forth on the couch.
"He started it," Rick cried.
"Baby snitch," Darryl responded.
"I SAID STOP! I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT, I AM FINISHING IT!" Hollered Michonne and both snapped back to attention from their childish antics. Rick and Darryl had to laugh from the silliness of it. Michonne continued telling the two immature men the rest of her plan.
Michonne insisted that Carol go with Jessie to the station to make sure Jessie follows through with the reporting the abuse. Then, and only then, should Rick go to Deanna with Jessie's written complaint in hand and then advise placing Pete in a different house until the matter could be settled for good.
Rick loved the idea and asked Michonne to join him in their bedroom for a confidential conversation concerning a private issue that he would like to discuss with her. Rick was not fooling anybody and both Michonne and Darryl knew Rick wanted to do anything but talk in that bedroom. Unless it was dirty. Michonne declined and told him to go back to work. Rick was not happy. Darryl thought it was funny as hell.
The plan worked like a charm. Later that same day, Jessie made the report, and an angry Pete was being escorted to his new living quarters with a firm directive from Michonne and Rick, the two constables, to stay away from his wife for the foreseeable future. Rick got Deanna to agree that if he could not follow the directive, then Pete would face certain death. Banishment. That got Pete's attention quickly and he abided by the order without further complaint. Deanna also threw in an ultimatum about Pete's excessive drinking. Stop, or they would go on runs looking for other doctors to take his place. Rick mentioned the possibility of other communities after Deanna's proclamation, and Deanna nodded agreeing that they needed to start scouting for other likeminded neighbors.
Jessie was thrilled at the news, a little too thrilled and did not stay in her lane. She kissed Rick on the cheek and informed him if there was anything that she could do to thank him, she would gladly accommodate. Of course, learning from his previous timeline of what can happen when Jessie made moves on him, Rick ran to find Michonne and told her right away what happened. Michonne rolled her eyes at Rick for being clueless and not keeping his distance. She wanted to ask him why he even let her get close enough to kiss him in the first place, but then decided Rick was sometimes too oblivious to anything concerning infatuation, so she just told him she would handle it. He grinned at her and kissed her cheek. Michonne left and had a talk with Jessie Anderson soon after and from that point forward, Jessie was no longer an issue. She received Michonne's message loud and clear. Jessie was not happy, but she was not dumb enough to directly do anything about, about what she considered to be a love triangle. She was dumb, but not stupid enough to go up against Michonne. So Jessie Anderson became a problem in a different more irritating way.
