For their second date, Michonne watched with amusement as she dragged Rick through the High Museum of Art. He quickly picked up on her attempt to annoy him and tried to keep a smile on his face just to spite her, but after an hour the interest was genuine. He enjoyed seeing her in her element. Through each exhibit, she talked him through the background of each painting and sculpture and held his hand as they walked. Truthfully, he didn't remember a word she said. He only remembered how natural it felt to be out like a normal couple.

They were both nervous about seeing someone from work but thankfully they weren't discovered. After the museum, they grabbed lunch at a barbecue place he liked around the corner. When the date was over, he dropped her off at home, both of them lingering at the entrance a little longer than necessary. Neither wanted to say goodbye. Rick stood with his hands in his pockets and a boyish grin while she stood like a love struck teenager swaying back and forth with her hands crossed in front of her. It was just their second date so he figured he wasn't going upstairs. Although he couldn't wait to have sex with her again, it was this side of her that he underestimated how much he wanted as well.

"Good Night Michonne."

She walked into her building, sneaking glances over her shoulder and smiling. "Good night Detective Grimes."

The next day Michonne lounged around her apartment. Usually she would go stir crazy being in her place for too long because she was used to working crazy hours or finishing errands that couldn't be done during the week. And she wasn't hungry because she had just finished the rest of her leftover food that she brought home from her date with Rick.

Rick.

Repeating the name in her head instantly made her smile. She didn't know when she became this person. She hadn't felt this way about someone in—well, ever. Their time together was effortless and instead of having to plunder through the uncomfortable conversation of what she did for a living and her complicated upbringing as she did on most dates, her and Rick just focused on getting to know each other better than they already did.

Initially, she worried the attraction was just physical and that eventually the intense, brooding Rick would return leading to awkward dates. That couldn't have been further from the truth. He was actually romantic and funnier than she ever gave him credit for. She didn't know where they were headed and tried not to overthink it. Ex-wives, work conflicts be damned. For once she was going to live in the moment. She took a shower and threw on a t-shirt and some yoga pants to lounge around in when she heard the text message alert on her phone.

What are you up to?

She smiled at his timing. It crossed her mind to text him but she knew he was spending time with his kids.

Just getting ready to watch some TV. What are you and the kids up to?

Leaving the pizza joint. Going to hang out with them at the house a little more and head home.

Pushing away the thoughts of him hanging with Lori, she texted him back.

Did you guys have fun?

Yeah they are something else. Ill tell you all about it tomorrow.

I look forward to it.

She had just set the phone down thinking he was done for the night when another text message came through.

So, what are you wearing?

Michonne laughed out loud picturing the sneaky look on his while typing the message out of sight from the kids.

You are ridiculous

So you're not going to tell me?

Nope.

When a few minutes went by and he hadn't responded, she reached for the TV remote the same time her phone rang and she answered assuming it was him. "I am not telling you what I'm wearing right now."

There was a long pause. "And thank goodness for that," the familiar female voice answered.

"Maggie?"

"Yep and I would ask who you thought that was but I'm pretty sure I know the answer."

Michonne groaned and sat back comfortably on her couch. "Don't start. What's up?"

"I need you to be a wing woman for me tonight."

Oh no. This was the last thing she needed tonight. "Please not tonight. It's Sunday."

"Come on Mich. It's not even 6pm. I'm at this stupid lawyer thing and I need someone here with me. Plus there is this hot attorney here that I have my eye on and I'm super nervous."

"I didn't know Glenn was an attorney," she joked and took note of Maggie's silence. "Besides how would I help the situation?" She gave up and walked to her bedroom to look for clothes, because she already knew this conversation was going to end with her at this party.

"Because I tend to be a lot more loose when you are around an I may need you to go talk to him for me. You're actually good at that…when it doesn't involve you. Plus, you owe me."

Michonne was rummaging through her closet, frowning at Maggie's comment. "Owe you? For what?"

"If it wasn't for me, you and a certain bow legged detective would still be pushing each other down on the playground instead of telling each other how you really feel remember?"

Michonne sighed as Maggie lowered her voice and whispered into the phone. "And you also wouldn't be having some of the best sex of your life. Now get your ass down here."

"Fine." Figuring she would have to be the designated driver later on, Michonne grabbed a Lyft and was there within thirty minutes.

"Since when do you smile while texting on your phone all the time?" Carl asked annoyed. "Who are you talking to?"

He tried to peek over his dad's arm but Rick pulled back to hide the screen. "Nobody. Come on let's get in the car."

Carl side eyed him and got in the back seat with Judith close behind. The ride back to the house was full of the usual Judith babble and pulling in her dad and brothet for banter here and there. Rick felt his phone buzz in his pocket and fought the urge to answer it right away. He could feel Carl's eyes bearing into the back of his neck. When they pulled into the driveway, they raced inside and Rick checked the message.

Maggie is dragging me to a mixer with her lawyer friends. She said I owed her for all the great sex I've been having. Have a good night. See you tomorrow.

Rick smirked and could only imagine what kind of hijinks the two of them would get into.

Be careful. Let me know that you made it home safe. And she's right. You do owe her. You are having some pretty good sex.

A knock on the car window startled him. It was Lori. "Hey you coming in? I thought you were going to hang out and watch a movie with the kids."

Rick quickly put the phone back in his pocket. "Oh yeah I am. Just wrapping up something."

She frowned hoping that it wasn't work—or anyone else— threatening to chime in on his time with the kids. "It's not work is it?"

"Yeah—uhh no." He was used to equating Michonne with work that he had to make the shift. They were more than that now. Much more. "No, it's most definitely not work. Come on, let's go inside."

Sometime halfway through the movie, he noticed that Lori was no longer cleaning and made her way to the sofa that he and the kids were sitting on. Thankfully Judith was cuddled so close to him that she couldn't really touch him but her proximity made him nervous. What exactly was she trying to pull? This was supposed to be his time alone with the kids.

When the movie was over he took Judith up to bed while Carl meandered around on the porch playing his hand held video game. Rick surveyed the mess they left in the living room and began to clean up after himself. He washed the popcorn bowl, folded the blankets and put them away and gathered the trash to take out.

Lori watched him from the threshold of the kitchen in awe and it wasn't until he came back in from dumping the trash that he noticed her staring.

"You're whistling," she observed. She folded her arms and tilted her head examining his body language. Everything about him seemed different, lighter.

"I was?" He didn't even notice. "Oh yeah I guess I was."

"And you never really helped me do anything around the house," she added.

"Never is stretching it." Rick chuckled uncomfortably and put a clean bag into the trash can. "Would you rather I didn't help? I saw the trash needed to go out and I took it out." He shrugged his shoulders. "No big deal."

Lori continued to watch him as he walked to the porch to talk to Carl.

"So what's going on Carl?" He said sitting down on the porch and patting his son's knee. "What's going on new with you? Anything going on with any girls your age? Your mom mentioned something about you and Enid getting closer."

Carl smiled, half amused and half annoyed. "What are you talking about? And I didn't think you and mom talked about much these days."

He sidestepped the Lori comment and decided to keep the conversation light. "Come on, I'm your dad. I know you don't want to talk to mom about these things so you can talk to me."

Carl shut off his game and turned towards Rick. "I would say with the little smiles and how much you've been on your phone maybe you have something to tell me instead."

Oh shit. It appeared the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Carl could be a detective after all. He wasn't that obvious was he?

"So who is she dad?"

Because he was caught off guard he couldn't hide the guilty look on his face. "Well you had to figure I was probably seeing someone."

"I did. I do. And I know it aint Jessie because Ron has been acting like a total tool to me at school."

That he didn't expect. He'd only met Jessie's boys in passing because they went to school with Carl. He didn't even know they knew about the him and their mom. "Well I'm sorry about that. I can mention it to Jessie if you want me to. Plus I think him hating you may be less about me and his mom but more about you and Enid."

Carl blew him off. "Nice try dad. Don't change the subject. Who is she?"

He crossed his hands across his laps and sighed. "It's not about who it is but whether or not you're okay with me and mom moving on. We don't talk a lot about the divorce but I want us to. You can talk to me about anything. You know that right?"

Carl smirked and mimicked his dad's posture, leaning in. "I know that. I'm good I swear. Plus mom has had boyfriends even though I think a part of her kinda wants to get back together with you."

Rick jerked his head. "You noticed that?"

"Any person with two eyes can tell that. I think you probably need to make it clear that it's not going to happen."

Rick sighed hard, running his hands through his head and eyed the door. Carl followed his train of thought and cut him off. "Not tonight though. Maybe while me and Judes aren't here."

He couldn't argue with that. Lori's reaction would be hit or miss but either way he didn't need her throwing a tantrum in front of the kids. "Good point. Well to answer your question yes there is someone and….I'm happy. Really happy."

"Good for you dad."

Rick stood and patted Carl's growing mop of hair. "You need to cut this."

"Yeah yeah."

"Good night, go ahead and head up to bed." They hugged and Rick walked to his car.

"Hey dad?"

"Yeah."

"I love you."

His throat caught for a minute. "I love you too."

As he got in the car and drove home he saw a text message from Carl.

Is it anyone I know? I have a feeling it is

He laughed out loud and typed back, Nice try. Go to bed.

XXXX

Michonne and Maggie stood near the hotel banquet hall door laughing and drinking while Maggie marveled at her plan actually working. Aldan Chambers was an attractive family law attorney from a small but respectable firm and after some coaxing from her friend, Maggie walked over to introduce herself and they had a coffee date on Wednesday.

"See there," Michonne tapped her on the hand. "He was interested. All you had to do was go talk to him."

Maggie shook her head while gulping down the rest of her wine. "Oh please Mich. Don't act like I'm the crazy one because I didn't approach a guy and ask him out. If it wasn't for me you would still not be talking to Rick."

Michonne waved her off. "Yeah yeah you sound like a broken record. We will name our first born after you ok? Happy now?"

The words were out of her mouth before she realized it. She tried to hurry and gulp down the rest of her wine hoping her friend wouldn't notice but of course she wasn't so lucky.

"Well well well. Look who's talking abut having kids with Rick Grimes," Maggie teased.

"No I just meant—I didn't mean."

"No that's exactly what you meant," Maggie interrupted while laughing.

She started to look a little panicked but Maggie put her hand over hers to calm her down. "Michonne, it's really ok. There's nothing wrong with you thinking about a future with Rick."

Michonne finished off the rest of her wine and checked the time. "It's getting late. You got your date. Can I be excused now?"

Maggie started to worry about her sudden change in mood and gathered her things. "Come on and since I'm not even close to being drunk, I can drive you home."

In the car, Michonne was mostly silent so Maggie spoke up. "I know I give you a lot of shit about Rick but honestly you guys really do seem so happy together. I haven't seen him smile this much since I've known him."

Michonne grinned.

"You too by the way," she added shoving Michonne's elbow. "You're happy. He's happy. I know enough to know that's not just because the sex is great. He loves you. You love him."

Michonne was about to interrupt but she held her finger up in warning. "I swear to God if you tell me that no one has said anything about the L word again, I'm going to stop in the middle of this intersection and put you out of my car."

She rolled her eyes and giggled.

"You love him. Why won't you tell him?" Maggie asked.

Michonne sighed and stared out of the window. The city seemed uncharacteristically quiet or maybe it was just overshadowed by the loud pounding of her heart at the line of questioning. "This all just came out of the blue."

Maggie raised her eyebrow. "You call three years out of the blue?"

Michonne sighed and put her head back against the headrest. "What are we doing Mags?"

"Umm, driving to your house."

She laughed but couldn't shake the dread in the pit of her stomach. "I'm serious. We work together. We're friends. He has kids and an ex-wife who hates me. It's going to get all complicated before we really get a change to—"

They pulled up to her building and she sat in the car for an extra minute staring at her hands in her lap.

"A chance to what?"

Michonne shrugged, struggling to find the words. "I don't know...to get serious about it I guess. I've been so busy in la la land that I wasn't thinking about his kids. I don't want them to think this has been going on while he was married to their mom. And Lori dear god. Don't get me started there. He has two kids already. What if he doesn't want more? What if I do?" She rambled. "And I don't want to switch out of their division but I will have to when we disclose."

Maggie gave her a sympathetic smile. "Sounds like you were doing better in la la land. This reality stuff is overrated."

She chuckled bitterly. "Yeah it always comes to this doesn't it? Real life."

Maggie turned to her and briefly glanced past her at something in the background before focusing back on her face. "Do you want Rick?"

Michonne scoffed. "It's not that simple there's—"

"Do. You. Want. Rick?"

Michonne exhaled and leaned against the back of the seat again. "I don't want anyone else," she said repeating the very words she uttered to him.

"Then you do what you have to do to make it work. I have a feeling that he's serious about you and willing to do whatever it takes."

She smiled but kept her eyes fixed on the ceiling of the car. "Oh yeah? How do you figure? Is this your magic intuition kicking in again?"

"Because it's getting pretty late and he's standing in front of your building right now."

Michonne's head popped up and she instantly locked eyes with Rick, who gave her a shy wave.

She opened the car in disbelief, stepping out on to the sidewalk. As she leaned in the car to get her keys and cell phone Maggie gave her friend the last bit of advice for the night. "Hey Mich. Enjoy la la land. It's really not so bad there."

She drove off and Michonne stood in stunned silence staring at Rick.

He took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. She was beautiful in black slacks, a deep purple shirt that hugged her cleavage with her hair up. He wondered to himself if there would ever be a time when her mere presence didn't knock him off center. He didn't really have a plan when he came over. It was simple. He just wanted to see her. "Hey."

Hey yourself."

They stood at the entrance much like they did earlier in the day not quite knowing what to say to each, but not wanting it to end.

"So funny thing," he started. "I heard that there was some serial killer visiting random law events and when you said you were going I was a little concerned. So I figured I would come check on you. Make sure you got home ok."

As much as she tried to hold in the laughter it came bursting out. "Serial killer hunh?"

He poked his chest out in what she guessed was his protective stance. "Yep."

She walked closer to him and put her hands at his side. "So I take kick boxing, have taken several self defense classes and watched you in action and you think I can't take care of myself?"

He took her hands off his side and held them in his. "Ok. I'm busted. I just wanted to see you Michonne."

She blushed and he was relieved that he had the same effect on her as she had on him. They were both novices in this type of situation. They didn't have all the answers but knew they wanted to be around each other as much as possible.

MIchonne decided to throw him a bone. "I'm glad you came by. I was just talking about you."

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "You were in the car with Maggie so I bet you were."

"Mhmm," she muttered.

"Do I want to know?"

"Don't you always?"

She was in a playful mood and that made him even more comfortable. His forehead lowered to hers and she sighed in response. God, she was falling…hard.

"Do you want to take a walk with me? I know it's kind of late but—"

She smiled up at him and just when she thought she couldn't be more surprised by Rick Grimes she was. Once again he didn't try to come upstairs. "Yes I would love to."

They were walking silently for a few steps when she suddenly stopped. "Wait."

"What's wrong?"

Michonne held her chest and looked around as if she was frightened. "With that serial killer out, are you sure it's safe?"

His fingers relaxed on his weapon and he grabbed her hand again. "Very funny. I'm sure we will be fine. Not only am I amazing in bed but I can also defend a damsel in distress."

She chuckled but moved out of his grasp. "You call me a damsel or anything in distress again and I'm going to knee you in the balls."

"Ow," he yelped imagining the pain and crossed his hands over his family jewels. "I think if you injure me there you will be hurting yourself more than you're hurting me."

She started to hit him in the chest but he blocked her. "You arrogant jackass."

He laughed while dodging her blows until she eventually landed one. "Ouch."

"Oh yeah you are so hurt. That mouth of yours is really going to get you in trouble."

His face lit up at the innuendo and she knew she set herself up for that one. She put her hand over his mouth stopping him before he got the chance. "Don't you dare say it."

He held up his hands in surrender but his thoughts flashed back to the first time she did that and it led to their first kiss. Michonne was thinking the same. It seemed like so long ago but also just yesterday. Trying to play it safe, he backed off and began to walk instead. The temperature was perfect and there were a few people scattered along the street but for the most part it was quiet. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Rick spoke up. "Tell me something about you that I don't know."

She giggled and thought about the question. "Hmm let's see. Oh I know. I wanted to be a ballerina when I grew up."

He chuckled at her confession.

"You're about to get hit again."

"Wait are you being serious?"

"Yes I'm being serious. I wanted to be a professional ballerina," she held her hands above her head in a standard dancer pose.

"And how old were you when you had this dream?" He asked using air quotes.

"I had the dream up until I was about 10 or 11."

"So what happened?"

"Boobs," she answered frankly gesturing towards her chest.

Rick started to laugh again. "Well if it makes you feel better I for one am thankful you are not a dancer and even more thankful for your boobs."

She slapped his arm. "Well thanks for that."

He started to walk backwards so he could face her and kept in time with her slow stride.

"So now it's your turn. Tell me something about you that I don't know."

"This wasn't a game," he pointed out thankful for the new angle because now he could look her in the eyes.

"Why not? Games tend to work well for us."

He stopped walking and she did too. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

She shrugged. "I don't know that it's either. It just works."

He nodded and they started to walk again turning on to another quiet street. "I'm waiting," she nudged.

"Something you don't know," he repeated trying to think of what he could tell her. "Well I I'm pretty sure that Carl knows I'm involved with someone that is not Jessie because of how Ron is treating him at school. It doesn't bother him at all and he's happy that I'm happy."

Michonne stopped immediately. He turned around to see her leaning against a random building.

"What's wrong?"

"Carl knows?" She was starting to freak out. Her and Carl had a good relationship when she was his dad's friend and they talked about comic books. Not when she could possibly be a ….oh god, she was getting too far ahead.

"Carl knows that I am very happy with someone and he hasn't figured out yet that it's you. At least not that I know of."

She sighed and tried to calm herself.

"My kids are everything to me Michonne, and now so are you. Carl adores you and so does Judith. Any excuse they have to spend more time around you works for them, no matter what capacity it is. They are fine with the divorce. It's all fine."

She exhaled and watched him for any signs of deception and found nothing. He was strong in his resolve and she needed to dig deep and be the same way. No, she had never been in a relationship with someone with kids, let alone kids she already had a relationship with but this was Rick. And if he was ok, she was too. "So now what?"

"Now, we keep walking." He took her hand in his as they kept going.

"And you're sure they aren't going to hate me?"

It actually meant a lot to him that she cared so much. "I promise they are not going to hate you."

"And Lori?"

He braced himself for this one because he knew the relationship between his then wife and new friend/colleague was tenuous as best. "Lori knows there is someone. She's not going to take it well when I tell her it's you but that's her problem not mine."

"Oh god," Michonne withdrew her hand from his and walked faster.

'Hey," he called after her and caught up. "You know how she is."

"Yes I do. And I don't feel like dealing with it. I don't want her causing a scene or worse, making it hard for me with the kids. These things take tolls on relationships. We've seen it first hand." Drama was something Michonne did at work, not in her personal life. That's why she made it a point to stay single for so long and women like Lori were the epitome of drama.

Rick ran his hand across her back in an attempt to calm her. "She is dramatic and everything you just said. But she's also a mother. At the end of the day, I have to believe she wants what's best for our children. And what's best for them is us apart and for both of their parents to be happy." He linked his fingers with hers. "And I'm happy."

"I am too."

They started walking again, making another block. "So I believe it's your turn again," he said.

"I'm a little taken aback by all of this that's going on between us," she admitted quietly.

"I said tell me something I don't know."

She blushed. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I know it may seem like I have all the answers but I'm taken aback too. The only thing I know is that when something doesn't feel right I know it right away. At work and with life. I know when a suspect is guilty. I knew my marriage wasn't going to work out even when I was going to therapy for weeks. I knew that when Maggie mentioned something about me and you in that bar that night, that it made sense. And something I had been thinking about a long time."

She nodded her understanding. It made sense. As much of a brooder as he was at times, he was always firm in his decisions on things even if they disagreed whether or not it was right.

He exhaled and prepared himself to ask a question he had to know the answer to. "Are you so taken aback that you want to end this? Or slow things down?"

"No." Her answer was firm and immediate. "I don't want to end this or slow down. This is the happiest I've been in a long time. Maybe ever. I know that it's not going to be easy but we can work through it." She stopped him again as they turned the corner back on her block. She lifted her hand to his cheek and kissed him. It was chaste at first but she deepened it, pulling his lower lip between hers. "I just want you," she whispered crashing her lips against his.

He moaned, wrapping his hands around her waist to pull her close. "I have a question you can answer," he quipped while pulling away from her. "How many dates before you go all the way?"

"All the way?" She asked playfully. "What are we? Carl's age?"

"Don't even put that image in my head."

She kissed him again. "Truthfully. I have good and bad news for you. Which one do you want first?" She asked as they walked closer to her building.

"Give me the bad news. May as well get it out of the way."

"It takes four dates."

"And the good news?"

"I think this counts as a date."

His eyes brightened. He knew she was being lenient with him by calling their walk a date considering they didn't really go anywhere.

"Really? So that makes three total dates then. So close and yet so far." They were at the entrance and it had gotten so late he knew he had to call it a night. She had court early in the morning but pulled him into another embrace laying her head on his shoulder. He smelled her hair and caressed her locs.

"I don't want to let go," she confessed.

"Me either. It's getting harder and harder to let go."

She didn't want him to leave so she stalled again. "So I think it's your turn."

"Hunh?" He stepped back giving her a confused look. "For what?"

"To tell me something about you that I don't know."

He pondered for a moment and then put his forehead against hers. It was now or never.

"Something that you don't know. Hmm," he repeated and ran his fingers through her hair. He put his finger under her chin, making sure her eyes was on his. "I'm in love with you."

A/N: Rick is all in...but he's got baggage. Stay tuned!