A/N: Okay, okay, no excuses this time except that I must and will do better with updates. Thank you all for still reading!

Michonne liked Glenn. He was a sweet simple boy and a dedicated detective that did what was asked of him. She even adored his goofy sense of humor. He was a good person and becoming a good friend…but she swore to God if he didn't walk out that door soon, there was a good chance she would kill him. It wouldn't be a pretty death or a fast one. It would probably be some form of torture, much different from the sweet torture she was enduring.

Rick made calculated strokes. Not pulling all the way out for fear of their skin slapping together and being heard. Instead, he left just the swollen tip of his cock inside before he drove back in. The friction against her overly sensitive clit was excruciating and she struggled not to scream. Initially he kissed her to muffle her moans but as his thrusts became deeper, they couldn't concentrate long enough to hold the kiss.

His strong, lean body held her against the shower wall, both of his arms firmly planted underneath her thighs. Her breasts caressed his chest and she struggled to find a place on his water soaked body to plant her fingernails. She wanted, needed to sink her teeth into his shoulder. Something, anything to counterbalance the beautiful torment she felt between her legs. Rick's eyes were screwed shut and even when his breathing changed, his rhythm never faltered. Michonne was slick and ready and he buried himself as deep as her lush body allowed. He knew he should've showed some restraint but once he was inside her he simply couldn't stop.

When he held still and rolled his hips, she whimpered and his hand flew up to her mouth just in time but caused her leg to slip. Startled, they both froze for a second to see if Glenn heard them.

"Nope. I'm just around the corner," Glenn said, still deep into his conversation.

When it was evident they hadn't been caught, a mischievous grin crossed Rick's face and he continued. Michonne exhaled, laying her head on his shoulder trying to ride the wave and focus on anything but that familiar burning creeping up. This orgasm would be more intense, this she knew, and there was no way she would be able to keep quiet. She wanted to both kill and kiss Rick for putting her through this. For having to use more energy that she had in awhile to focus on not making a single sound.

It wasn't any easier for him. He wanted to come. He wanted to come the second he was inside her. Bringing her to the edge with his fingers had already started the ascent and now he was ready to fall over. The tingling in his cock was getting stronger and as she laid her head on his shoulders, he in turn rested his head on hers. Their lips were inches apart but neither moved closer to kiss. Instead they closed their eyes. She breathed out when he breathed in and he thought about the irony of the situation. How this moment was a metaphor for how he'd felt over the past few days. Fighting every intense feeling he had for her but having to stay quiet. It was a dance they perfected, probably long before they fell into each other's bed.

Her breaths began to quicken and he knew she was close.

"I want to scream," she whispered.

Her walls closed in on him and he knew it was inevitable. "You're so close baby. I can feel you."

Suddenly Glenn's voice faded and the door slammed behind him. Rick waited a few seconds giving Glenn more time to walk out of earshot before he widened his stance, spreading her open even more and grinded directly against her clit.

"Now baby," he rasped between his frantic thrusts. "Now you can scream."

Michonne threw her head back and cried out his name. Her body wouldn't stop convulsing. He joined her shortly after, spilling himself deep within her crevice and repeating her name over and over. Once her breathing was under control, she opened her eyes and found his blue ones staring back at her. The look almost made her shy and she bit her bottom lip to stop the blush forming on her cheeks. Rick grinned and if they weren't in such an intimate position she would've slapped him. Her first instinct was to make a joke about the situation. They had just fucked in a shower at work like two horny twenty somethings and almost got caught by their co-worker. Instead, she surrendered to the ever growing feeling of adoration she had towards him.

Rick put his forehead against hers and kissed her sweetly. The water was beginning to get lukewarm again and their skin started to prune but she didnt care.

He kissed her slow and lazy as if time stood still. It could've lasted forever but there was something he needed to ask.

"Michonne?"

Their foreheads were still together and her eyes were closed as she rubbed her hand back and forth along his arm. "Yeah?"

"Go on a date with me."

Her eyes popped open. "What?"

He smiled placing another chaste kiss on her lips. "Go on a date with me and before you get ready to turn me down or say maybe we shouldn't or it's too much too fast, I want you to keep in mind that I'm still in you." He looked down at their lower halves still connected to drive his point home.

Michonne laughed. "Ok. Ill go out with you but you have to keep one thing in mind."

He lifted his eyebrow in anticipation. "What's that?"

"I don't have sex on the first date."

As luck or karma would have it, Michonne ended up working the next few days on a deposition with Glenn. The first day they were alone all day together she kept watching for signs that he knew about her and Rick but he was impossible to get a read on. As obvious as his puppy dog crush on Maggie was, when it came to other things he played his cards pretty close to the vest. Between her deposition and his cases, they kept missing each other but managed to fit in a few texts and phone calls.

By Friday it was time for their date and Michonne hoped he didn't catch a last minute case. She wrapped up the last of her brief and was on her way out when Carol stopped her in the hall.

"You are in quite a rush Michonne. Got a hot date or something tonight?"

She stiffened for a second but quickly recovered. "I do actually."

That's all it took for Maggie to come out of her office to be nosey. "Anyone we know?"

Michonne glared at her but remained silent.

"Did you finally throw poor Deutoronomy a bone?"

She sneered and rolled her eyes. "First of all, wrong book of the Bible. It's Ezekiel not Deutoronomy but I'm sure you knew that."

Maggie shrugged her shoulders. "Does it even matter at this point?"

"Second of all," she continued ignoring Maggie's question, "No it's not Ezekiel because I broke it off with him and no I'm not telling you who it is."

Carol moved in closer, not wanting people in the hall to see her engaged in girl talk with her employees. "What's with all the secrets? You used to confide in us before."

Michonne tried to think fast. The truth was she would talk to Carol and Maggie about this before. Even Sasha, their paralegal got an earful about her (nonexistent) love life when there was something to tell.

"I'm not being secretive, just cautious that's all. This may be pretty special and I don't want to jinx it."

Maggie smiled knowingly as Bob walked up. Despite their shit, she really was happy for her friends.

"Good for you Michonne," Bob said as he handed her the mail outside of her door. "There's nothing wrong with keeping some things to yourself nowadays."

She smiled victoriously. "Thank you Bob. See at least someone around here knows about keeping things sacred."

Maggie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Yeah yeah I'm sure he does. Speaking of keeping things sacred, no need peeking your nose in halls listening to our conversation Bob. Sasha isn't here today."

Bob stopped in his tracks while Carol smirked and walked away. "I'm going back to my office."

"Thanks for the heads up."

As Bob scurried away, Michonne stood in the hall dumbfounded.

"Why are you looking like that?"

"How long have Bob and Sasha been together? And how did that get by me?"

Maggie rubbed her shoulders as they walked down the hall. "They're not together together, they are still figuring some things but don't worry hun. A lot of things get by you."

Michonne slapped her arm. "They do not."

"Yes they do and Ill run down all the examples another day but for now go ahead and get ready for your date with your hot man."

Her first instinct was to object at the term but instead she smiled and said "Thanks Mags."

An hour and a half later she was walking side by side with Rick down a quiet street a few blocks from her apartment. She had changed into a simple black dress that hugged her curves in all the right spots while Rick opted for a black blazer, white shirt and dark blue jeans. Their arms brushed but Michonne fought the urge to take his hand.

"Are we almost there?"

Michonne stopped in front of a small building that looked almost like a house. "We are here. Come on in."

Rick paused and looked around at the run down windows and old red door. "Does someone you know live here?"

She pointed to the sign that was so old you could barely read that it said, "The Spot."

"Oh, this is where we are eating?"

Michonne ignored his less than enthusiastic response and walked in. She gave a quick hello to the hostess and walked to a table near the back.

Rick followed close behind and noticed how comfortable she seemed to be in the establishment. No one blinked an eye when she sat herself. "So I take it you come here often?"

"You could say that."

Within seconds, a young Carmel skinned woman with short curly hair and full lips were at their table with a notepad in hand. "Hello there stranger. You want your usual?"

Michonne smiled and gave her a hug. "Oh Tina please it hasn't been that long. Ill take my usual, but he will need a menu since he's a virgin here."

Tina gave him a quick up and down. "Well if this man is still a virgin then you aren't doing something right." She nudged Michonne who grinned from ear to ear.

"Oh please his ego is big enough. Please don't encourage him. Tina this is Rick. Rick, Tina."

Rick enjoyed seeing this side of Michonne. Her and Maggie did their share of banter but this was different. "Don't you worry. She's taking good care of me."

"She better." Tina winked at him. "I don't usually venture out to different flavors but for you sugar, I'd be willing to make an exception."

Michonne grabbed a stray menu from the table next to them and handed it to Rick. "We are good for right now thank you very much. If you're just going to hit on my date then Ill take it from here."

Tina waved her off. "Oh stop it. He seems to be enjoying himself. "

Rick grinned, completely ignoring the menu and focusing on the ladies in front of him. "I'm having a blast."

Michonne rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you are."

He glanced at the menu for a second and then handed it back to Tina. "I'm easy. Ill have whatever her usual is too."

Tina took the menus and leaned in a bit closer. "Easy hunh? You better watch who you say that around, sounds a little like an invitation to me."

"Would you get out of here and put our orders in? This is why you won't be getting a tip."

"Oh please," Tina laughed as she walked off. "You always tip great because you love me."

Rick watched Michonne settle into the modest wooden chairs and look around the place as if she was coming home. There was an easiness about her in this environment that he enjoyed. There was an old school jukebox against the wall, bellowing an old R&B song that he vaguely remembered. Michonne closed her eyes for a moment reveling in the old tune. In his apartment, she had begun to let her guard down a little but it was nothing compared to how she was here.

"My dad used to own a place like this back home."

He froze and they both stayed quiet when Tina brought over their waters and a bottle of red wine that he didn't remember Michonne ordering.

"He had just opened the restaurant when he found out he was sick. His dream, taken from him just like that. Once the medical bills started piling up he couldn't afford to keep it open. I think mixed with the depression of losing his dream it just made him fade quicker. He died within 6 months of being diagnosed."

Rick couldn't think of anything else to say but, "I'm sorry." And he put his hand in hers across the table and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I knew your dad had cancer but I didn't know he died so quickly."

She nodded and momentarily felt a little embarrassed. Before they were lovers, she considered Rick as one of her closest friends but there was still so much about her life that he didn't know.

"My mom took it hard. They didn't have a savings or anything and she had put everything into my dad. Helping at the restaurant, taking care of the house and when he died she just...lost herself. But she did what she had to do to keep a roof over our heads. I remember she worked three jobs at one time. I always came home to an empty house. I didn't have anyone to help me with homework or school projects because she was always working."

Michonne paused and swallowed hard taking a sip of water to steady herself. It had been years since she talked about this. Even when Carol almost mandated her to see a therapist after her outburst, she managed to wiggle out of it. "The case with Jessica Brown, if you want to know the reason why I got so involved, that's why. It reminded me so much of me as a kid. Left alone in the house while her mom tried to find a way for them to survive. My mom never turned to being a prostitute but I believe if that was the only way for us to make it, she would've. You do what you have to do to protect your kid."

Rick nodded, understanding that sentiment all too well. "Yes you do."

"But I saw everyone's faces when they found Monica Brown's body. The judgment, the comments. Saying she should've been home with her child. You know she had gotten fired from two of her jobs because Jessica was sick in the hospital and she had to miss three days of work?"

He did know that. They dug deep into Monica's background after her murder and it was clear that life had dealt her a bad hand and the world had no pity for a single mother.

"She did what she had to do. There were plenty of times that I went more than 24 hours without seeing my mom. When she came home, I was asleep and when I came home she was at work. There were times I didn't know if she was going to be okay or I was scared to death that someone would report that I was home alone a lot. We got visited by social services once but thankfully nothing happened."

Tina arrived with their meals, effectively cutting off the conversation. "Alright here's our special. Hope you enjoy it sugar." She winked at Rick and trotted off leaving them with plates of baked chicken, rice and gravy and cabbage.

Michonne laughed and began to dig in. "Tina is my cousin on my dad's side. She's a trip in case you haven't noticed."

"I have." The food was better than anything he'd tasted in a long time.

"Her mom, my dad's sister moved out here shortly after he passed away for my uncle Morgan's job and then she ended up opening this place as a tribute to him. That's why I brought you here. I wanted you to see another side of my life and maybe it would help you understand a little more of me and why I am the way I am."

Rick was grateful. Of all the gifts she could've given him, this was the best one. He was falling in love with her, there was no doubt. But with that fall came the fear of the unknown. Her gesture meant more to him than she could've realized. "Thank you. I know this wasn't easy for you to talk about but thank you."

She nodded and continued to eat breathing a little sigh of relief that she got that part off her chest but there was still more that she had to tell him. "I got suspended."

She waited for Rick's reaction but he just gave her a blank stare so she continued.

"Because of the Monica Brown case. Carol was talking about giving the bastard who murdered her a plea bargain because she didn't think the jury would care enough to convict someone of first degree murder because of Monica's occupation."

Rick sighed and set his fork down. The sad truth was Carol was right and Michonne read his mind.

"I know she's right. I know we've never gotten first degree or barely second degree murder convictions when prostitutes are involved but Rick she was talking about a plea that would've had him out in 2 years. That's bullshit."

"It is. That's our justice system for ya."

Michonne stopped eating, the anger building up all over again. "This is why I became a lawyer to stop shit like this. There was no way I was going to sit there and agree to give that man 2 years for murdering a young mother just because he felt she overcharged him for a blow job. Before I knew what was happening, I came across the desk on him and his attorney. One of the guards had to hold me back. When Carol tried to talk to me about it, I had some not so nice words to say to her too."

That was a surprise to Rick. Carol and Michonne always had a good rapport and he knew she appreciated Carol as not just a boss but a mentor. "You did?"

"Oh yeah. But we're past it now. It did earn me two days at home folding laundry and doing some spring cleaning though."

"I knew you got suspended."

"What? How?"

"I'm a detective Michonne. Our work lives intersect all the time. You don't think I noticed you were off the grid and suddenly Sasha was intercepting your calls."

"It was only for two days. How could you have caught on that quick?"

Rick smiled. "Some say I am a pretty astute detective."

"Astute hunh?"

He shrugged and sipped on his wine. "That and I do tend to keep up with you just a little bit. Especially since it was right after our night together."

"Only a little bit. Are you sure about that?"

Rick took one of her hands and held it for a few seconds, his index finger circling the inside of her palm. It was a simple gesture, but just erotic enough that goosebumps formed on her skin. A slow lazy grin formed on her face. "Nice try Grimes, but you're still not getting laid tonight."

He laughed loud and the sound broke through the tension of her personal confessions. "I wouldn't be so sure about that Miss ADA. You should tell your body that." He leaned in to make sure no one else heard him although there were only a handful of people that had trickled in. "I can see your nipples getting hard, your thighs are pressed together and your breathing is shallow."

Michonne took her hand out of his and immediately cursed the fact that he was able to read her so easily. Of course as a police officer we was trained in reading body language but the fact that he could dissect her, made her feel off center. "I told you I don't have sex on the first date."

He grinned and threw a generous tip on the table. "Come on let's get out of here."

On the walk back to her apartment the sexual tension was thick and she once again fought the urge to hold his hand. Rick seemed oblivious to it though, effortlessly talking about Judith and Carl and she followed up with a funny story about when how her and Tina would bicker as kids and her uncle Morgan had to split them up. It was the easiest "first date" she'd ever had. It was both scary and comforting. When they got to the front of the building, she kept walking but paused when she didn't hear his footsteps behind her.

"What are you doing? Come on."

Rick rocked on his heels, pulling his keys out of his pockets. "Actually I'm going to head back to the car. I parked not too far from here."

Her head tilted to the side waiting for any sign that he was joking. "You don't want to come up?"

"You said you don't put out on the first date remember?"

Walking towards him, she pulled him close to her by his jacket. "I think you're worth making an exception for."

Later tonight he was going to regret this but he needed to say it. "It's not that I don't want to. You have no idea how much I want to. This is the real deal for me Michonne and I want to prove that. So if that's your dating rule then so be it. I don't want to treat this any different than what you would do for someone you were serious about. I hope that makes sense."

Rick was never the best communicator, he had an ex-wife to attest to it, but putting that sentence together took more out of him than he realized. Having sex would be the easy part but he needed to prove to her that they were so much more than that.

Michonne's disappointment was evident but she was moved by his admission. "It makes perfect sense Rick."

He exhaled and scrubbed his hand down his face. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be. Thank you for showing me that you take this seriously."

He smiled and felt relieved.

"So if my rule is that I don't have sex until the fifteenth date you would be cool with that too?" She asked trying to tease him.

"I would be cool with whatever it takes to be with you." Her whole body again instantly covered in goosebumps. "Well just so you know it's not."

His sigh of relief was loud and clear. "And thank goodness for that."

She took his hand and squeezed it tightly. "I do kiss on the first date though. I mean if it's a good date."

"And this qualifies as a good date?"

"It was a great date," she clarified.

With the backdrop of a perfect fall evening, she leaned in to kiss him and it was soft and sweet. At first, she pulled back ready to say goodnight until she caught a glimpse of his eyes. In the darkness, his blue eyes sparkled, taking her breath away. This time she leaned in and the kiss quickly turned frantic. The second she felt his tongue tangle with hers, she stopped. They were reaching the point of no return. Apparently he felt the same. "Get in the apartment Michonne. Now," he warned.

"Fine." She huffed and pulled out her keys. He walked her to the entrance and gave her a quick, chaste kiss.

"Good night Rick."

"Good night."

He watched her walk in and stayed until he saw her turn on the light and knew that she made it in safely. And because she knew him, he felt his phone buzz with a text from her.

You can leave now. I'm inside.

Rick smiled and typed back. Leaving

Thank you for the best first date I've had in a long time

His fingers hovered over the message before he replied. The pleasure was all mine. Until next time.

He put the phone back in his pocket, walking and smiling down the street. For the first time in a long time he noticed the moon, the stars, the sounds of the city. All the simple things that he had taken for granted lately while he wallowed in his own unhappiness. Being with Michonne made things more focused. Suddenly everything became Clear.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review, honestly they are what keeps me going sometimes when I'm struggling with writer's block. And don't worry, there is still much more I have planned for these two :)