A/N: I know, I know it's been a while kids. Truthfully, this chapter was 85% written and was going to be published on January 26th...and then I got the news Kobe and his daughter died and immediately put my laptop down. This world has been an utter shit show for the past few months since but here we are quarantined, it's Michonne's last day on TWD and I needed to get this out. Also, all this time at home despite working 16 hour days during the week has given me a lot of ideas for new Richonne stories. One that I have already written some of but I will finish this one first. Hope you enjoy and I'm so sorry about the long wait.

"Oh for fuck's sake, put the phone away, it's girl time." Maggie slapped the table as she walked up startling Michonne. They were back at the bar where it all started. Michonne sitting in the back booth where she first confessed to her friend about sleeping with Rick.

Setting the phone down, she kissed her cheek. "Hey I had to pass the time while I was waiting on you. You are," she looked at her watch, "25 minutes late."

Maggie settled in, throwing her coat into the booth and signaling to Rosita who happened to be on duty tonight. "Well someone has to get the work done these days since you are shacking up."

Michonne was ready to protest when Rosita walked up. "Hey strangers, what are you two having tonight?"

Maggie raised her eyebrow in an 'I told you so' way that her absence had been felt everywhere lately. "Ill have my usual. Michonne?"

"Just a vodka soda for me."

Rosita had just turned the corner when Michonne instantly went into defense mode. "I'm not shacking up. You know someone had to stay at his place and help take care of him while he healed."

"Yeah yeah, so you say. I think it's only the preface for things to come. How is he doing?" She took a handful of nuts and looked Michonne over while also checking her phone.

Instantly, she felt guilty. "I'm so sorry Mags. Thanks for jumping in and taking on so much while I'm working through all this with Rick."

Maggie squeezed her hand back. "You mean working on Rick's dick."

They both laughed and Michonne waved her off. "No ma'am. Sex has been off limits."

Maggie's mouth dropped. "Really? Well he did just get shot but that sucks. How is Rick handling it?"

She smirked, shaking her head thinking of all his antics since the injury. The handjob in the bath tub, her almost giving in, his insistence that she sit on his face while he licked her pussy into oblivion while keeping his arm and shoulder completely still and once again she almost gave in. And up until Maggie walked up to the table he had been sending her pictures that looked straight from the cover of those bad Harlequin romance novels that she used to read in college. Her favorite picture of him so far was with the bed sheet at his waist, a clear erection tenting the material. Another where he tried to pose with his arm above his head and hide the cast but bulge his muscles. After her incessant texts teasing him about his fake Fabio impressions, he finally stopped and said that he would have something for her when she got home. Once again it would be another test of her willpower to hold out.

"That well hunh?" Maggie took a sip of her drink and grinned. "And based on that tense look on your face it doesnt look like you're handling it that well either."

She sighed and took a long sip from her drink. It wasn't just about dodging Rick's sexual advances and her need to be close to her boyfriend, it was his ex-wife too.

"Oh shit," Maggie motioned again to Rosita. "I know that sigh anywhere. Rosita, go ahead and bring another round."

Relieved, Michonne buried her head in her hands and slowly felt the tension leave her shoulders. Truth was, she did miss hanging with Maggie and having someone to talk to other than Rick. They were so deep in their own cocoon that she hadn't realized she didn't have anyone else to confess her feelings to.

"Go ahead and tell me all of it."

Thirty minutes later, Michonne had spilled her guts about everything from how easy their domesticity had been, the conversations and how she enjoyed taking care of him to the overbearing need to slap the shit out of Lori.

"Baby mamas are always a problem." Maggie shook her head and finally put her phone away.

"She's not a baby mama," Michonne chuckled. "She's a scorned ex-wife who is grasping at straws and looking for any way to disrespect me. I've been doing my best." Even as she said the words her fists were clenching, tension filling her body. "But you know I can do a lot of things, but passive aggressive disrespect is not one of them. Thank god Carl is so damn smart and Judith is young and aloof. They haven't bought into her shenanigans but I just can't help but think that at some point something will change."

Judith was young, but she would get older and if the tension with them continued at some point she would take her mother's side especially since Lori didn't mind making it known that she felt there was something going on between her and Rick before their divorce.

"Rick wouldn't let that happen."

Michonne shook her head. "It's not up to Rick. He wants to believe that everything will work out and he's putting on this brave face with the Lori thing and the investigation and Negan."

Maggie rolled her eyes and dug into the cheese fries they ordered. "Negan is on ice. I don't think you have anything to worry about with him. Where is Rick anyway?"

"He's with Shane." Michonne grabbed some fries as well. "Guess he needed some bro time too."

"Whatever it takes for me to get some time with you," Maggie squeezed her hand. "And to talk you off the ledge. Rick is right to be positive. You guys will come through all of this. Negan is an asshole, always has been. He's going to shit bricks when he finds you and Rick are dating."

Michonne choked on her fry. "Trust me that's the last thing I need him to know. I know he's going to claim conflict of interest."

Maggie lifted her eyebrow in confusion while Michonne kept talking.

"And then Lori acted all weird when he told her about the case and Negan digging into stuff so if she opens her mouth we are screwed."

"Hold on a second," Maggie held up her hand. "Why would it be a conflict of interest? You aren't even doing anything on the case."

"Well I'm close to it. I haven't had to do anything in court yet because nothing has happened yet. But I'm preparing the case."

"But still, so far Negan has nothing on you. And that's not what I'm talking about when I say he's going to shit bricks. I meant it's because he's always had the hots for you. Knowing that you hooked up with Rick is just going to make their rivalry worse. And why is Lori—"

"Hold on there." Michonne flipped back her locs, hands firmly on the table to hear all of this. "What do you mean? He wasn't after me?"

Maggie tilted her head giving her a look she's seen too many times to count. "How many times did he ask you out?"

"Girl he's asked everyone out. It's what he does. Didn't he try to hit on you?"

She nodded. "Of course he did. Because he does that stupid charming thing where he tries to hit on everyone but he never asked me out on a date like he did with you."

She waved her off. "I didn't pay him any mind."

"No you didn't. And maybe that was part of the problem."

And she let the comment sit there.

"You don't think that has something to do with—"

Maggie shrugged. "No, yes. I don't know. Maybe not. It seems like there is something deeper there but either way, IAB has backed off, you haven't had to represent him. So no harm, no foul."

Michonne thought over her comments while eating a little more in silence when her text message went off. It was Rick and a picture of a doctor's form with the words "See you tonight."

She smiled, zooming in on the pic.

I hope this isn't something that you and Shane made in photoshop.

It was a little after 7pm and she was a little bothered that she didn't know he had a doctor's appointment that day. Knowing Rick, he probably had it moved up. There were some restrictions at the bottom and of course he didn't have full range of his arm but she would read through it all later.

"Why was Lori acting weird?"

Michonne snapped back to reality, momentarily distracted by how she planned to sex her boyfriend later that night. "Wait what?"

Maggie ate the cherry before draining the rest of her drink. "Why was Lori acting weird? You mentioned something about her acting funny when Rick told her about the case and Negan."

Michonne shrugged and ate a little more of the food. Anything about Lori just threatened to put a damper on the evening. "Why does she ever act weird or do anything she does? She's ridiculous," she said dismissively.

When Maggie didn't respond she watched her clearly deep in thought. "Yeah but about Negan?"

Michonne wracked her brain trying to recall what Rick told her about how Lori suddenly got fidgety and softened her stance when he mentioned Negan. Considering where they were in their marriage when all of the Negan drama took place it didn't make much sense. "You think there's more to it?"

"When it comes to her, I wouldn't put anything past it."

Her phone buzzed again, this time with Rick asking her ETA but she was too focused on Maggie to respond.

"I'm just saying. Keep an eye on her."

"Yeah," Michonne agreed. She sent a quick text to Rick letting him know she was out with Maggie and sent another text to someone else. "That's exactly what I will do. Now enough about me. What's up with you and Glenn?"

Her footsteps echoed down the long hall. It had been awhile since she'd been to this building. The sparse decorations had given way to something much more modern. Art work in the lobby, oak desks, leather chairs. A far cry from when he was just starting out but it didn't seem like that long ago. Just a few years but it seemed like a life time. So much had happened. They hadn't talked in years, but there was a time when he was her life line. As she approached the door, she watched the man who helped her through one of the toughest times in her life but felt like a stranger.

Her hand was poised to knock but he was already waiting for her. "Lori Grimes," he announced with his usual grandstanding. "Wait. It's still Grimes isn't it?"

"Negan Anderson." She adjusted the strap on her purse suddenly feeling nervous under his stare. "And yes it's still Grimes. I'm divorced but still kept the last name."

"Well I know that." He took his legs off the desk and rounded the desk towards her but settled on the edge of it instead. "If I didn't know that, him gallivanting around with Michonne would be a lot more embarrassing for you. Well, more embarrassing than last time."

That trademark smile greeted her but everything about it warned her that this meant something else. "I'm not embarrassed."

"Sure you are." He smiled again, perusing her from head to toe. "You forget the first time you came running to me?"

Lori stood silent trying to shake the encounter from her mind. It was after Negan had already warned her about Rick's crush on Michonne. His motives were selfish, she knew he wanted Michonne for himself. But instead they found themselves in an emotional affair. "I didn't come running."

"Oh yes you did darlin'. Oh my husband is in love with another woman. Oh he's going to leave me. What on earth will I do?," he mocked in a high pitched dramatic tone.

She had forgotten just how much of an asshole he could be. "That was a long time ago."

"And yet the result is still the same. He's with her. And you're here with me. Seems the same to me."

He crossed his hands in his lap and motioned for her to sit. Instead she stayed rooted in her spot. There was still something about him that was magnetic. Despite having all the smarmy nature of most defense attorneys, he could be a good guy. At least back then. "How did you know about him and her?"

Negan's smile widened. "Any fool can see those two are banging each other's brains out."

"So is that why you're going after Rick?"

His smile dropped but he quickly recovered. "Is that what you think? That I'm some jealous little school boy that's mad because Rick got the girl."

"Wouldn't be the first time," she snapped back.

Negan was impressed at the comeback, giving her a slow, sarcastic clap to show his gratitude. "Well well look at Mrs. Grimes getting defensive. Oh," he covered his mouth in faux embarrassment. "I guess that's Miss Grimes now."

Lori watched him in disbelief. Of all the dumb decisions she'd made in her time of need, he was definitely #1 on the list. "You're a jerk."

Negan looked her up from top to bottom and backup again. He knew the silence would drive her mad and that's exactly what he wanted. "Now I do remember a time you didn't think I was such a jerk."

Lori pursed her lip, nervously cupping her hair behind her ear. She was fidgeting, bouncing back and forth on her feet.

He had her right where he wanted her. Standing up, he walked slowly towards her, surprised that she held her ground. He expected her to back up or run away. "I remember when I had you right here in this room. Screaming my name," he whispered and tucked an errant piece of hair behind her other ear.

The move knocked her off balance. The memories flooded back. How broken she'd been seeing Rick pull away from her. His time at work increased and she felt terrible, undesired. And then there was Michonne. With her brains, confidence and beauty, she was everything that Lori wasn't. She'd made the decision to be a full time wife and mother, abandoning her dreams of being a nurse. But without Rick, what was she? "That was a long time ago."

"So you keep saying. But it feels like just yesterday. Doesn't it?"

Lori swallowed and it was so quiet in the office, she swore he could hear it. Something about him terrified and intrigued her at the same time. This is why she was pulled in back then and made a mistake. "No it doesn't," she replied weakly.

"Speaking of, how is Judith?"

Her heart stopped. Of course he went there. "You son of a bitch!"

He stopped her hand before she could connect with his face, gripping her hand hard. The pain slowly spread. "Don't try that again darlin or this reunion is going to take a different turn."

She pulled back, snatching her hand from his. There was no way she could have this conversation with him so close. "If you really wanna know. Judith's fine. Rick's daughter is fine," she emphasized his name so there was no mistake.

"Hmmm." He circled the desk and went back to sit down in his chair, the rustle of the leather beneath him echoing. He crossed his legs at the ankle again, pointing at her. "So why are you here again?"

Lori lost her train of thought. The mere mention of her little girl had knocked the wind from her chest. Judith would always be a difficult topic between them and he hoped that they would never have to speak of her again. It was her pregnancy with Judith, that indirectly caused the end of their affair and why it was never fully consummated. She'd been on his desk, scratching at the flimsy wood, clinging for dear life while Negan licked her swollen folds. When she came, she got dizzy and thought it was from the orgasm. Instead she wound up throwing up on his floor and despite Negan playing it cool, she was so embarrassed that she left. The next morning, she was staring at a positive pregnancy test, quickly ending their dalliance. Negan had called the next day and like the coward she was, she couldn't tell him, despite confiding in him in all the weeks leading up to their brief tryst. Negan hadnt found out until Rick shared the news of his new baby on the way with all his colleagues. "I'm sorry."

"What?"

"For everything back then. With my pregnancy and getting back together with Rick. How I handled it." She watched him closely for any sign of softness in his eyes as she further explained herself. Nothing. "I should've told you that I found out I was pregnant the next day. I shouldn't have ignored your texts and calls."

Negan sat up and shrugged. "No big deal. Your loss. I have to tell you that was the first time I had a chick throw up on me but I guess you had your reasons. I know that…..now."

For a second, Lori thought she saw something there. The reason she had turned to him in the first place. He was sweet but had an edge. Something she felt Rick was missing. It was different. He looked at her like he found her attractive and it was pathetic just how much she needed that. "You really were special to me. All the time we spent on the phone and talking."

"The time I spent licking your pussy," he said cutting her off.

It jolted her from her trip down memory lane.

"Too bad you didn't return the favor before you threw up all over my damn floor."

Lori pulled her coat closed, somehow feeling more embarrassed and vulnerable than she did that night.

"Now I'm going to ask you for the last time. What are you doing here?"

"Stop what you're doing with Rick. Whatever it is you're planning. Stop it. This stupid little vendetta of yours is—"

"Are you done?"

"I'm serious." Negan was infuriating at times but she needed to end all of this. Finally she was realizing there was no future for her and Rick and all the drama was getting to her. Making passive aggressive remarks at Michonne was one thing but Negan setting out to ruin Rick's career was something else. Or at least that's what her juvenile way of thinking told her. No, her and Michonne would never be on the same side but if she or Rick lost their careers and they found out she had anything to do with it, co-parenting with him would be damn near impossible. It's not like the side glances and distance she was feeling from Carl wasn't already glaringly obvious. Her kids were all she had left and she didn't need them hating her too. "I don't know why you've always hated Rick and clearly you don't plan on telling me so—"

Negan lifted his eyebrow, the edge of lip slightly upturned. "Now, who said I hated him?"

She scoffed and moved closer toward him. Hoping that some sense of proximity would lead to transparency. "You don't have to say it. Even back then it was evident with all the —"

"But it served your purpose back then right?" He called her out and it was enough to make her shut up. "It was all gravy when you hated him too and there was no problem. I could do whatever, including making you scream my name while you were carrying his child."

The reflex to slap him hit her again. Negan looked between her hand and her face, daring her to try it again. How could she have ever been so vulnerable and reckless back then? No wonder her marriage had fallen apart. "I need to go."

He reached for her and she jerked back.

"Don't."

"Are you sure?" He smirked and licked his lips in the menacing way she had become accustomed to. "I mean the way Rick has Michonne climbing the walls these days I'm sure you could use someone to dust the cobwebs off that pussy."

Disgusted, she turned and walked to the door fighting the urge to slam it. "We're done here."

He shrugged, walking back to his desk. "I guess we are."

With her mind spinning she heard his menacing voice as she walked back down the hall. "If you ever change your mind I'm here." She was pissed at herself and the fact that she ever thought she could change his mind.

Her mind was still racing when she crossed the street, heading back to her car. There was something about the whole exchange that rubbed her the wrong way. Something didn't add up. He was too cocky, too arrogant, too—

"Ahhhhh," she screamed when a hand touched her car door the same time she did.

"You should probably pay more attention when you're walking alone at night."

Lori clutched her chest, willing her heart rate to slow down. "Glenn what are you doing here?" Nervous, she started looking around and at his car to see if anyone else was with him.

"Don't worry. I'm alone."

Her shoulders relaxed. After the run in with Negan she couldn't handle another confrontation tonight. "Well what are you doing here?"

Shuffling on his feet, he looked from his phone back to her. Guilt written all over his face. How he was a cop that actually interrogated criminals was beyond her. Who could be intimidated by this face?

"Wait. Were you spying on me?"

He crossed his arms. "Now why would I be doing that? It's not like you're at your ex-husband's sworn enemy's office late at night."

"Ugh. It's not late. It's," she looked at her watch. "9:32pm"

"Yeah late a night. Why?"

"Why what?" She needed an answer and fast. This wasn't how all of this was supposed to come out.

Glenn inched closer leaning against her door so she couldn't open it. "We either talk here or at the station. Your choice."

Lori scoffed. "Oh please."

"I'm serious. Talk now or you're going in."

"For what?"

"Obstruction of justice. Unless you and Negan are old pals then I have to assume you being here has to do with Rick's case."

Damn. Maybe he was better at interrogation than she thought. The silence was deafening while she pondered her next move.

"Ok." He pulled the handcuffs from his back.

"Ok fine!" She put her hands up in surrender and he tucked the handcuffs in his back pocket. "I'll tell you everything. I was just trying to help."

Glenn rolled his eyes. "Because you've been a big help so far."

"Let's get out of here." She shivered even though it wasn't cold and glanced over her shoulder. "We can talk at the diner around the corner."

"Works for me."

"Ugh I can't believe Rick had you follow me," she huffed as she opened the car door.

Glenn grinned. "Wasn't Rick. It was Michonne."

Michonne carefully walked up the steps to Rick's place, the drinks taking more of a toll on her than she realized. She hadn't heard from Glenn in an hour and wasn't sure if he was able to track Lori down. Maggie and her darn advice. Either it was going to blow up in her face or give her the information she needed.

Fishing in her purse for his apartment key, she almost fell in when the door opened.

Rick stood before her in nothing but his black boxer briefs with a piece of paper attached to the front of his bulge. "I've been waiting for you."

Michonne giggled as he pulled her inside and pinned her against the door. Her drunkenness slowly fading away. "What's with the paper over your dick Grimes?"

He kissed her ear, her cheek, her jaw, making his way down her throat, causing her to drop her purse. Her legs parted eager to feel him between her thighs even with clothes between them. "You haven't answered me."

"This." He reached down to touch himself, lingering on his erection before handing her the paper that was his doctors release. "It's my doctor's note. I didn't want you to have any excuses," he kissed her chest, "why you couldn't," kissed the top of her breasts, "ride my cock all night long."

Michonne acted like she was reading the note thoroughly but her vision was blurry. Slightly drunk from the alcohol but more by his touch and his kiss. It hadn't been long but it seemed like forever. "Hmmm, all night long," she moaned.

"Mhmmm."

His fingers slid up her skirt, into her panties and she was lost. Rick led her to the bedroom while the contents of her purse laid on the floor by the door. Her phone vibrated incessantly... with a call from Glenn.