Greetings fellow writers and readers, I am back with the next chapter and we are back at the present where Rick is arguing with a pregnant Michonne about coming home with him. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Sorry for the long wait. Comment, Suggestion and requests are always welcome. Thanks for all the support for this story.
"I'm pregnant" She turned around and Ricks eyes landed on her baby bump. His eyes flashed with anger as he took a few steps towards Michonne. "How could you keep this from me?"
Glenn protectively pulled Michonne behind him blocking Rick from getting any closer. "Rick please calm down."
"You knew she was carrying my baby and you didn't tell me. How dare you? After everything we been through together, you keep this from me" He pointed his index finger into Glenn's chest.
Maggie quickly steps between Rick and Glenn. She wanted to put an end to this before any punches were thrown. "Rick, it wasn't our place to tell you. She was hurting and needed some space to figure things out."
He tilted his head to the side and pinched the bridge of his nose trying to calm himself down. "If I didn't come today when were you planning on telling me? Were you ever going to tell me?"
"Yes I was but not today. I was going to tell you when the time was right. I just needed time. You hurt me Rick and I was too embarrassed to tell you about the baby. The baby is mines so you don't need to worry about it. This" she pointed to her stomach "is not going to ruin your picture perfect family with Jessie"
"How dare you? You are not going to keep my baby from me." He growled at her.
"I never said I would" she responded with a glare of her own.
"Pack your stuff, you coming home with me now!" he yelled at her
"No I'm not" she yelled back with frustration "How dare you try to come here and control me? You don't own me. I don't belong to you and you made that perfectly clear"
"Rick you're not being reasonable." Maggie intervened.
"I'm not being reasonable, are you serious? You all three hid the fact that she's carrying my child from me and I'm the one not being reasonable."
"I understand how you feel but like I said before it wasn't our place to tell you. You can't come here and demand that she moves back in with you and as of now she needs more time to think and so do you." Maggie replied.
"I don't need time to think, I'm not moving in with you." Michonne crossed her arms over her chest and continued to glare at Rick.
"Yes you are!" He announced with a powerful voice as he clenched his fist trying to control his temper. Ricks anger reminded her of the morning when Rick almost killed Pete outside of the Anderson house, the same morning where everything changed for them. She stayed quiet as she pondered about her next response. She knew it would be in her best interest to calm Rick down before he did or said something they might all regret. She knew reasoning with him was not going to accomplish anything right now. He was mad and he had the right to feel that way but she couldn't push back her feelings or what she wanted for herself to please a man that wanted nothing to do with her. The same man who didn't have the decency to look her in the eyes when he told her that she was a mistake. She wondered if he would think that having this baby with her was also another mistake but she pushed that thought to the back of her mind. She didn't want to make this situation any more uncomfortable especially when the children were right upstairs probably hearing every word that were being said between both parents. She held her tongue and decided not to response to his last statement but it seemed to have edge him on farther.
Rick knew by her silence that she was not going to go home with him and that really irritated him. "Have you lost your mind? You think am going to let you continue living here while you're pregnant with my child. What are you going to do when you get bigger and it gets harder to move around? Glenn and Maggie won't always be around; they have responsibility to this community. At least if you live with me I can make sure there's always someone with you. I can take care of you and our baby." He was more upset about Michonne safety than her hiding this pregnancy from him. He was angry that he put her in this situation especially after what happen to Lori. He knew Michonne was strong and most likely would have a healthy delivery but it didn't stop him from thinking about the possibility of losing her. He felt like an idiot for not realizing months before that Michonne might be pregnant. He knew they had unprotected sex three times but he was only thinking about his needs and not the consequences that would follow. He was being selfish and that's what hurt him the most. Michonne was always thinking about his needs but that night Michonne needs were far from his mind. He had to make things right, he couldn't continue to be apart from her especially now that she was pregnant with his child.
"I don't need your protection. I can take care of myself and this baby just fine. I've been doing fine these past three months without you." Michonne whispered in a harsh tone hoping to keep her voice from traveling to the children.
"Have you really? You been doing fine without me, is that why you haven't seen our kids for an entire month and how you've been avoiding me like I was the plague. If you were doing just fine without me than you would have come to me like a sensible person and told me you were pregnant with my child." Rick sighed with frustration as he shook his head in disbelief.
"Maybe it's not your child." Michonne mumbled under her breath. She couldn't hold her tongue any longer. She was exhausted and tired of Rick acting like a jackass. She had enough of his bullshit. When he told her that sex with her was a mistake she took it with stride and walked away but no he couldn't do the same for her. He had to make a scene and put all the blame on her for not telling him she was pregnant. He knew they had unprotected sex and he never once showed concerned. He could have come up to her any day these past three months and asked her if she was pregnant but he didn't because he was too busy playing house with the blondie next door. It sicken her to know he could easily move on with someone else after everything they been through together.
"What did you just say to me?" Rick couldn't believe the words that just came out from Michonne mouth. For a moment he thought maybe he heard wrong, Michonne was not the type of person to go so low as to use something he trusted her with to hurt him.
"Oh no" whispered Maggie with a stunned look plastered on her face. She knew what Michonne said wasn't true but with Ricks past it was something that shouldn't be lied about. Everyone knew that there were questions about Judith paternal father. They were never sure if Rick or Shane was the father of Judith since Lori slept with both men and it was something that pained Rick for the longest time. She wished these two would sit down and talk this out instead of yelling, hurting and threatening each other.
"Maybe a sensible person like me went and fucked somebody else after you made me feel worthless and maybe that person is the father of my child." Michonne replied as she paced the floor behind Glenn. She knew she went too far but she couldn't stop herself. She was just furious and wanted to hurt him the same way he hurt her, an eye for an eye but now she was regretting those words. She knew what she said hurt Rick deeply and she wish she could take back those nasty words. Lori actions with Shane deeply hurt him and it was something that almost threw him over the edge. She didn't want him to ever wonder if their child was really his. He was the only man after Mike that she slept with. This child was as much as her as his and she would never keep their baby from him. She knew he would be a good father to their child and most important he would protect the baby with his life, a hurtful reminder of what Mike couldn't do for her precious baby boy Andre.
"Don't fuck with me Michonne, don't you fucking dare. I know you wouldn't go and have sex with just anyone. You are not that type of person. So don't fucking lie to me. You better never try to put doubt in my mind that this child isn't mine. You hear me?" He replied as he took a few steps towards her. "Step aside Glenn" Glenn was still blocking his path towards Michonne and he could feel himself losing his temper. He felt insulted that Glenn would think that he was capable of harming Michonne. He would never intentionally hurt the woman he loved especially when this beautiful woman is pregnant with his child.
"I will gladly move aside if you could just keep your voice down for Carl and Judith sake and remember that yelling is not going to make Michonne do anything that she doesn't want to do. We all know that this child is yours Rick, you never have to question that we promise you. She's just upset and don't forget hormonal so please just calm down." Glenn knew he was in dangerous territory. He knew Rick was becoming more unstable especially since Michonne move in with them. He didn't want Rick to do or say anything that could make the situation worst especially for Michonne. He love Michonne like a brother would love a sister and these past three month had strengthened their relationship. "Ouch" He said as he felt a stinging sensation from Michonne pinching his right arm, a sweet reward for calling her hormonal.
"My hormones have nothing to do with me not wanting to move in with him." Michonne responded from behind Glenn.
"Okay" Rick told Glenn clearly ignoring Michonne last comment. "I'll keep my voice down but I have one question to ask you. How would you react if you found out Maggie was three months pregnant with your child and I kept that secret from you?" Rick asked with a look of distrust.
Glenn wouldn't deny that he felt conflicted hiding Michonne pregnancy from Rick especially with everything him and Rick been through. Rick was his brother and his loyalty will always lie with Rick but it doesn't mean what he did for Michonne was going against Rick. He hopes Rick would come to realize that he's good intentions towards Michonne and keeping her secrets had benefited Rick at the same time. He knew if they had not agreed to keep her pregnancy a secret being the loner Michonne was she was bound to strike out on her own and who knew where that would have left them.
"I would probably punch you in the face." Glenn replied as he took a cautious step to his right letting Rick have a clear path to get to Michonne.
Rick took a few steps towards Michonne and froze right in front of her. He felt all the anger slowly slipping away as he stared into her beautiful brown eyes that shined with unshed tears. For a moment he forgot how to breathe. He was at a loss for words. He was finally seeing her, seeing the gift she carried for him. She was pregnant with his child and he felt a surge of pride. He wanted this and he wanted her but he wonder if he had the patience to show her.
Silence fell around the room as Rick and Michonne continued to stare at each other. Michonne was tired of yelling, she just wanted to crawl back into bed and forget this day ever happen. Rick was just making her feel worst. She felt herself tearing up and took a steady breath to calm herself down. She wanted Rick to fight for her the same way he was fighting for this baby. She wanted to go home with him but she wanted him to want her even if she wasn't pregnant.
It broke her heart to stand in front of Rick and know that no matter what he said to her she would choose to walk away from him. She couldn't live with him especially when he was involved with someone else. She wasn't ready to enter the home where he broke her heart but most of all she couldn't bear to look at him knowing that the love she felt for him was unrequited. Michonne felt lightheaded as she remembered the lonely nights she cried for him. She brought her right hand to her forehead as she swayed on her feet. "Rick" she whispered as she crumbled to the floor. "Michonne" Rick yelled as he sprang towards her and caught her before she hit the floor. He lifted her up into his arms and brought her over to the couch to lay her down. He felt like a freaking idiot, being the father of two, he should have known better than to argue with a pregnant woman. "Michonne, wake up." He gently taps his right hand on her cheek trying to make her regain consciousness.
"I'll go get her a damp towel." Maggie told Rick as she hurried passed him to get to the kitchen.
"It's probably nothing but I'm going to go fetch Rosita to make sure everything's okay." Glenn informed him as he ran out the front door to make his way to the infirmary.
"I'm so sorry Michonne. I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to do right by you. I thought you deserve better than me." He laid his hand on her belly and gently rubbed her stomach in a circular motion. "God, you must think your daddy is a bully."
Michonne slowly opened her eyes and groaned. She felt a familiar hand on her stomach and groaned again. "You're awake." Rick smiled down at her. It took her a moment to take in her surrounding and to remember what had taken placed a few minutes ago. She tried to sit up but Rick wouldn't let her. "You should continue to lie down. Rosita should be here any minute to check you over."
"I'm fine." She replied with a long sigh.
"I know you are but it's better to be safe than sorry, so don't get up." Rick told her leaving her no room to object.
"You are a bully." She whispered as she closed her eyes.