Michonne opened her eyes to sunlight filtering through a hole in her tent. She squinted at the sun invading her irises and arched her back in a stretch, her knees cracking and complaining about her sudden movements. She slowly rolled her head to the right to face the man lying next to her and was startled by his piercing blue eyes staring back at her.

"It's about time you're awake," Rick said, leaning over and planting a kiss on her forehead, his beard gently scratching her skin.

"It's creepy to stare at people while they're sleeping, you know?" Michonne asked, smiling back at her husband.

"Says the number one offender…" Rick retorted, and Michonne elbowed him in the side. "Ouch. I'm old, you know. Show some respect," he complained.

"Oh I forgot," Michonne said, pushing herself up to a sitting position, "I shouldn't elbow an old man, you might have a heart attack. Then again, if you didn't have a heart attack from what we did last night…"

"Hey, I'll never have a heart attack from that," Rick laughed, leaning over and planting a series of kisses to Michonne's bare stomach, causing her to giggle and push his head away.

"You think the others heard us?" she asked, suddenly concerned.

"With your moaning? Probably," Rick chuckled, and Michonne elbowed him again.

"Ouch!" Rick said louder, and feeling a little bad about hurting him, Michonne climbed on top and straddled him.

"Today's the day," she said excitedly.

Finally, five months of non-stop building and their new home at Washington Caverns was more or less ready for them to move in. Michonne was surprised they were able to build the whole thing in such a short amount of time, but they'd had an incentive. Judith was due any moment now. In the past few days she'd scared them twice with Braxton-Hicks contractions that had them convinced she was in labor.

Judith and her daughters had moved in with Andre and Gabrielle temporarily until the Grimes homestead was completed. Andre's family shared their building with two other Washington Cavern families that lived upstairs and downstairs, but they were willing to allow Judith and the girls to share their limited space. The family was hoping she wouldn't go into labor before the house was finished, and they were grateful when the finishing touches were put on the three room cabin. There were still more things that had to be done, furniture that had to be made, other supplies that the house had to be stocked with, but the structure was finished and over time they'd get or make whatever else they needed. Rick, Michonne, Kaleb, Akisho, Carl, and Collin had all still been sleeping in tents in the caves and they were more than thrilled with the prospect of sleeping under a solid roof again.

"Today is the day," Rick repeated. "We've got a lot to move. We'll need all hands on deck. Kaleb on wagon duty, Carl and Andre on loading, all the kids on unpacking. It's gonna be a lot…"

"We've got this," Michonne said, wiggling slightly on top of Rick, her small movement making him immediately forget his anxiety about everything they had to get done.

"Everyone knows the plan. Everyone knows what to do. We all want to get in that house ASAP so stop worrying," she said softly, shifting on top of Rick again.

He let out a grunt and purposefully grabbed his wife's rear end.

"Rick!" Michonne said innocently, "is that all you think about?"

"You are such a tease, woman," he rumbled, letting his fingers wander and slide across her still smooth skin. He couldn't believe how well Michonne aged, she didn't look much older than when he first met her. The only hints were the strands of gray that rudely invaded her long locs.

"Well like you said, we've got a lot to move, so maybe we should…"

"You're not going anywhere," Rick growled, flipping Michonne over so she was underneath him, but he was careful to put his hand under her head so she wouldn't bang it on the floor.

"Rick…"

"Shhh. I have some business to settle with you before we go out there," he demanded, nibbling on her neck.

"Hmmm, been taking that Viagra, huh old man?" Michonne joked, happily grinding up against Rick's prominent erection.

"I don't need no Viagra to get in the mood for Michonne Grimes," he boasted, pressing himself against his wife.

"Hey dad, we're gonna start loading the wagon," Carl's deep voice called from the other side of the tent's fabric. "When you guys get dressed, meet us outside."

"Uh, yea. Okay Carl," Rick called, frustratedly resting his forehead against Michonne's.

"Good morning Mom," Carl called with a snicker. He knew good and well what his parents were probably up to.

"Morning Carl," Michonne grumbled. She leaned forward and pecked Rick on the lips. "At least tonight we'll have an actual door to close and lock them out," she whispered.

Rick groaned and flipped on to his back. "Whatever happened to empty nest syndrome?"

***can08writer***

"Oh yea, I remember the diapers stage," Carl laughed. "I am so glad that's over. But I think boys are worse, Collin shot pee into my face at least ten times."

"I don't know, Monique doesn't shoot pee, but I swear at times I think she's just aiming that poop," Andre professed, as he lifted a bag full of the family's belongings into the back of the wagon that would be transporting it to their new cabin.

"The wonder of parenthood," Carl said wistfully. "One moment they're pooping on your face, the next they're embarrassed that you exist. At least from what I've heard. Collin isn't up to that stage yet but I'm sure it's coming soon."

"Yea, I'm a long way away from that," Andre laughed. "I'm just looking forward to the stage when she starts talking. I think it'll be amazing when all these weird sounds she makes have an actual meaning."

Carl smiled. "When Collin started talking, it was just awesome. Wait till she calls you daddy for the first time. I swear it's the best feeling in the world," he reminisced as he pushed a few of the larger items to the back of the wagon to make more space up front.

"Can I be honest with you man?" Andre asked, leaning against the back of the wagon. "I'm kinda jealous of the bond Monique has with Gabrielle. I mean, that's her mom, how can I compare with that? Gabrielle literally feeds our daughter with her body. Monique needs her mom in order to live. And like, I change diapers, I play with her, I rock her to sleep and all that, but still I feel… I guess inadequate. I feel like at this stage it's really hard for me to make a huge bond with my daughter 'cuz she's still so dependent on her mom, y'know? It seems like that bond babies have with their moms in the beginning is so much more than I can have."

Carl was silent for a while as he thought about how to respond to what Andre just said.

"Was that really dumb?" Andre asked, self conscious from Carl's silence. "Maybe I'm just trippin'."

"No, it was honest," Carl said with a nod. "I didn't have that experience. My wife died a few days after Collin was born…"

"Shit. Oh I'm sorry man, I shouldn't have said anything."

"No. No! It's okay. I'm just saying I never had that feeling because I was Collin's only parent. But if Enid had lived I know she'd be the one feeding him most of the time and I know I'd probably be a little jealous. Maybe all dads feel that way. Maybe Mike, your dad, felt that way when Michonne was taking care of you. I wonder if my dad felt that way when Lori, my mom, was taking care of me. But in the end it doesn't matter. You don't have to breastfeed a kid for them to know that you're their parent and you love them. They learn that by the other things you do, spending time with them, laughing with them, changing their diapers even though they poop on you."

Carl shook his head. "Sometimes I feel so guilty because when I think back to my mom, I have trouble remembering her face. I mean, I remember she had dark hair, brown eyes, and she was skinny. I remember how she made me feel, and I have lots of memories of her picking me up from school, driving me to baseball practice, baking cupcakes with me… I remember her, but I have trouble remembering her face exactly. I was 13 when she died, it's been decades and I haven't seen a picture of her since… but I feel like I should remember."

"If you can remember how she made you feel that's enough right?" Andre asked. "I guess that's what we should hope for. That our kids can look back on how we made them feel and that's what they remember about us."

Carl sat down on the back of the wagon and allowed his legs to hang off the end. Andre moved closer to him, sensing he had more on his mind. "If someone asks me about my mom, the first person I think of is Michonne. She didn't give birth to me, but she's been my mom longer than Lori was. I feel so much guilt thinking that way, because Lori was the best mom she could be considering the circumstances, but Michonne has been there for me through a lot. And I'm glad she considers me her son."

Andre blinked for a moment and studied the horizon as he thought about what Carl just said. He placed a hand over the back of his neck and unconsciously rubbed it. "When I think of my mom, I think of the woman who raised me for most of my life. I don't remember much of Michonne being my mom, but knowing that she gave birth to me, and she loved me for the first three years of my life creates a bond. She shares my DNA, and a link to my heritage that I didn't think I'd ever know. I'm grateful that Monique will have a grandma, and that I've found my half brother, and my family will have more people who love us, but I don't know if I'll ever think of Michonne the same way you do."

Carl nodded. "I understand. It's a weird situation. Actually, it's kind of funny. Michonne gave birth to you and you don't consider her your mom. I met Michonne as a pre-teen and she's the first person I think of as mom."

"Family is just weird that way I guess," Andre said with a resigned shrug.

***can08writer***

Four days after the family moved into their cabin, in the early morning hours, Judith gave birth to a baby boy that she named Tony after her husband. The family members took their turn proudly passing the newborn around. Somehow, the birth of the baby in the completed cabin christened the home as belonging to the Grimes family forever.

When Judith and baby Tony were settled and resting calmly on the bed in her room, Kaleb entered with his hand behind his back.

"What's that?" Judith asked, playfully trying to look around her little brother's back.

"A present for baby Tony. Something I made for him."

Kaleb pulled out a piece of smooth, polished wood that had a fork in it. Between the two forks was a string that had little shiny stones attached. When Kaleb moved the wood, the stones clinked together and made a soothing noise.

"It's a rattle," he explained, putting it into his sister's hands. "I know he's too little to use it now, but he might like it when he starts exploring the house."

"Oh Kaleb, this is so cool. You made it?"

"Yea. Well, Dad and Andre helped me a little with sanding the wood down. And Carl helped me attach the stones. But it was my idea… mostly. Well, actually my first idea was making a knife, but mom said to go with the rattle…"

Judith laughed and opened her arms, inviting her brother in for a hug. "It's perfect Kaleb, really. I'm sure he'll love it. When he's old enough."

Kaleb leaned in and studied his new nephew. "He looks like you," he commented, running his finger down the baby's cheek.

"No, he looks like Tony," Judith replied, her eyes filling with tears. "He looks just like his daddy."

Kaleb agreed. He'd noticed that Tony Jr. was a spitting image of Tony senior, he just didn't want to rub it in.

"You okay sis?" Kaleb asked softly.

Judith smiled and leaned down to kiss her son's forehead. "Yea. We're okay."

***can08writer***

"The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout," Michonne sang to the chubby brown skinned girl sitting in her lap. As she sang she bounced the baby to the beat.

"Down came the rain and washed the spider out," as she sang, the little girl stared at Michonne's hands which were doing movements to go with the song.

"Out came the sun and dried up all the rain," Michonne continued, tickling the baby who giggled responsively.

"And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again," she concluded, clapping her and the child's hands together.

"Aggrrruhhh," the baby gurgled, kicking her little legs and staring up into her grandmother's eyes.

"Did you like that song Momo?" Michonne cooed. In response the girl kicked her legs again.

"Okay, let's sing it again. The itsy bitsy spider…"

Just then, Andre stepped from the house onto the porch where Michonne and Monique were seated in a rocking chair he'd made as a housewarming present for the Grimes family. He looked over at them and smiled.

"I come bearing lunch for a hungry little girl," he announced, offering up a bottle half full of breast milk. "Compliments of her mommy."

Monique saw the bottle and immediately began to fuss, her happy disposition turning frustrated when she realized that it was lunch time and her needs weren't being immediately tended to.

"Oh okay Momo, okay," Michonne soothed, laying the hungry girl down in her lap and giving her the bottle. Immediately the frustrated cries ceased, and the only sound that could be heard was the girl's contented slurping.

"Mess with her lunchtime at your peril," Andre commented, lowering himself onto the top step of the family's porch.

"Well, another thing she has in common with her daddy," Michonne laughed. "You were the same way. Come hell or high water, if you weren't fed promptly on schedule anyone in hearing range was going to suffer. Your dad and I got politely thrown out of a movie theater, a church, and a library before we learned who was boss."

Andre smiled and looked down at the girl who was still focused on devouring her lunch.

"I heard you call her Momo."

"Oh, I hope you don't mind. It just seemed like a fitting nickname for her."

"It's just funny that you call her that. Momo means peach in Japanese. My mom would call my little sister that all the time, because sometimes if she were running around a lot her cheeks would get pink like a peach."

"I had no idea," Michonne said, shaking her head slightly.

"There are so many similarities you have to my mom, it's a little uncanny."

He paused and looked up quickly. "I mean, you are my mom… but… well…"

"Andre, it's okay. She was your mom in the ways that really matter and I know that. I understand that, and I accept it. I am just grateful that I can be your friend now. I can be Monique's grandmother. If that's all I can be, I am grateful for it."

Michonne took a breath and Andre noticed the shimmer building in her eyes. "Just getting to hold her… to sing to her… to be her grandma… it's more than I've ever… more than I ever expected. And just to get to know you…"

Michonne's lip trembled. "Andre, just knowing you're alive, after believing you were dead for so long. It's such an unbelievable blessing. I don't care what you call me. I love you and I will until the end of time. And now I get to share the rest of your life and… that just means everything."

Andre stood and approached Michonne and his daughter, whose mouth was now hanging open contentedly and her eyes were shut in slumber.

He leaned down and wrapped his arms around Michonne's shoulders, hugging her tightly. With her one free hand, Michonne returned the gesture, grasping on to Andre's arm and planting a kiss there.

"Well," Andre said, sniffling a little to suck up a tear that was threatening to tumble down his cheek. "It's getting a little hot out here, and before I came out Judith said she was ready to open the rest of her baby shower gifts. Are you ready Michonne?"

Michonne looked up at her prodigal son and smiled proudly. "I am."

Author's Note: Y'all, it's been four whole years between chapter 11 and chapter 12. Thank you everyone who still cared about this story enough to read the final chapter. I had to take a break from writing Richonne for various reasons, mostly having to do with losing the inspiration to write, but like I've said in the past, I do intend to finish my stories, and I have a couple of them that are not completed. Thank you to everyone who continued writing reviews during that 4 year break and who encouraged me to keep trying to write even when I didn't feel like it. When I can, I will finish my other stories. Thanks for reading and reviewing!