Amanda returning to her apartment is disappointing, although Rick reminds himself that practically living together when they've only known each other for two months is something his old therapist would have a field day with. So he's patient instead, using some of his free nights to put in appearances at Merle's bar. The paperwork is underway to close on the club that's part of the cover he's using with Gorman, and he's reminded of just how slow undercover operations can go sometimes.

Saturday at least adds some extra interest when a volunteer shift at Jesus's shelter when he's passed a thumb drive by the smiling, bearded man. "Courtesy of Eugene," he tells Rick. "You'd left work yesterday when one of his searches finished compiling."

Rick thanks him, returning to work unpacking donated canned goods and putting neatly on shelves in the big store room for the shelter's kitchen. Carl's out front, tutoring, and Rick often joins him, but there hadn't been anyone needing him today. When Jesus doesn't leave right away, he looks up. "Is there something else?"

"You wouldn't happen to know why we received a significant grant from a charitable foundation that was earmarked for paying for professional tutoring, along with an updated library of all the books we use for the kids here?"

"Why would you think that?" Rick asks, calmly placing another can on the shelf. The donation hadn't even been from any funds he manages, but just a well placed suggestion to his cousin. Running the family company means his cousin has many, many more strings to pull than Rick does, and Rick doesn't ask him to pull them often. They don't have enough volunteers for tutoring here, nor the budget for the expensive services available to kids like Carl.

"Just a hunch, I suppose. Receiving such a specific set of titles and supplements to them seemed like someone had visited the center, at least." Jesus smiles warmly. "We'll be sure to put the funds and books to good use." He leaves Rick to the shelf stocking, and only then does Rick allow himself a smile about the encounter.

When they get home, he takes a look at the data on the thumb drive and realizes quickly that it'll work better as printouts. Eugene's included some significant analysis as well, which he appreciates since financial paper trails aren't his speciality. That's what he has Yumiko's firm for, with his personal and family finances. She even employs her own CPAs.

But he doesn't want to involve Yumiko any further than he already has, so whatever financial expertise Eugene's absorbed will have to do. Setting up the files to print, he texts Amanda to join him to go over everything. If it ends up being a weekend visit, so much the better.

Aside from a delay due to a family dinner she already had planned, it does end up being a weekend, at least Amanda's weekend. She stays Saturday through Monday night, but doesn't seem upset when he avoids sex over the weekend, but the instructions from the clinic had been clear on abstinence. It's not like he tells her about the appointment, since it feels like he'll jinx himself if he talks about it before the results are in. She seems distracted, and he's selfish enough to let it help them avoid the conversation a little while longer.

Instead, they finish the last of the review for the investigation, which is frustrating because they are still no closer to who Gorman's boss is. So far, the trail seems to end with the corrupt sergeant, and Eugene's notes state there's no more digging to be done. Anything new will have to come from the man himself.

Work sidelines any plans to meet with Gorman. A five-year-old kid goes missing in Rick's jurisdiction, wandering out of the house during the night on Tuesday. Every deputy with the department is part of the search, along with volunteers from surrounding departments, both county and city, and a healthy number of state law enforcement. She's found alive forty hours after she was last seen, and he's never been more relieved in his life.

Rick hadn't come home during that time period, sleeping in his office the one time he ran out of steam. Thursday night is a date with his shower and then his bed, with only a short conversation with Amanda to tell her that the girl was found. The surprise is that he wakes before his alarm to answer his bladder's demands, and he's not alone in bed.

He can't resist kissing her awake, since it's only fifteen minutes before her alarm would go off anyway. She smiles sleepily at him. "You came over because I was having a rough night," he says softly.

"You didn't sound quite like yourself," she replies, hand smoothing across his chest through the t-shirt he slept in. "Last time I worked a missing kid case, I had nightmares."

There's an odd note in her voice that makes him think that case didn't have a good ending like his did. Coming here might have been for mutual comfort last night, but either way, he's glad she came.

He's an hour late to work, not because of morning sex, which would be preferable, but due to helping work a car accident of small car versus deer. Dianne looks up when he crosses to his office. "Left a message on your desk. Elderly lady. Thought it was your Grandma Jean at first."

Rick thanks her, going to pick up the small pink message slip. He recognizes the name right away, despite never having met the woman. Carl makes regular visits to see her, after all. Figuring he's in for another shovel talk of sorts from one of Amanda's family, he returns the call. What he doesn't expect is an invitation to lunch the next day, but he accepts. Like she tells him, they have family in common.

Saturday finds him pulling up in front of a retirement village building not that different from the one that Jean lives in across town. This one is a little older, a little less fancy, but from what little he knows of Daryl and Amanda's adoptive mother, the elderly woman probably doesn't allow either of them to supplement her income the way Jean finally let Rick and Shane do for her. Getting out of the car, he meets her as she stands up from where she's been sitting on a bench near the entrance.

She's dressed like many women of her generation for a special dinner out; a pastel green pant suit over a floral blouse, accompanied by a dark green leather handbag. Her white hair is neatly pinned into a twist at the back of her head, and she studies him with honey brown eyes that haven't lost any sharpness with age. Her only jewelry is a plain white gold wedding band on her left hand, a silver cross on a chain around her neck, and a delicate watch fastened around her left wrist.

"Lieutenant Grimes," she greets him, offering a hand. "I'm Susan McGinley."

He takes the hand and smiles before tucking it in the crook of his arm. Some of the manners his mother trained in him come in handy, especially in interacting with any Southern bred woman over sixty. "It's nice to finally meet you, ma'am. Call me Rick."

She eyes him as they reach the car, seeming to approve of him opening the door for her. "Then you should call me Susan."

The fact that they're having this lunch without Amanda, or any of the rest of the family, makes him nervous. Meeting a woman's parents for the first time typically involves the woman being along, although he hasn't had a lot of experience. Something tells me Susan's not anything like Lori's barely lamented late mother.

"I made a reservation at my mother's favorite French restaurant in town, if that's good for you," he tells her once they're en route. It may be ironic that he's taking Susan to something most would consider a first date restaurant, while he and Amanda have yet to do anything of that nature. They've shared meals and attended the one ballgame, but nothing like this.

"You're going all out for the good impression, aren't you, son?" Susan asks, seeming amused as she glances over at him.

"Even without considering me and Amanda, you're Carl's grandmother. I'm not sure I'd survive his righteous temper if I offended you somehow."

That makes her laugh. "He probably would take more offense than my children would. He's still got all the idealistic fervor of the young."

The rest of the drive is filled in with Susan asking him about the missing child and the particulars of how they were able to find her. "Thank you for indulging my curiosity," she tells him as they park the car. "Amanda hates to share any part of her job she thinks might worry me."

"I have to admit to being that way myself sometimes. It's easier, when the story has a happy ending." Rick holds the door for her, giving his name to the hostess, who smiles and leads them to a cozy table.

Once they've placed their order for drinks and an appetizer, Susan looks around. "This is properly nice. Maybe I should have been adventurous and tried something other than a cheese, fruit, and nut appetizer."

"Well, if you want to, we can order another, although to be honest, I've never been brave enough to try anything but that one and the beet one. I think I'm too much of a Southern boy to ever enjoy snails or pate, to be honest. My mother's fond of the rabbit pate, though."

"I'll save my adventurous spirit for the entree, I think."

It doesn't take them long to settle on their order, and the simple appetizers arrive with their drinks. Remembering how much he'd liked the duck that his neighbor gifted him with, Rick opts for the duck leg confit, although half of his choice is due to it coming with mushroom ravioli. Susan orders the grilled lamb after Rick recommends that dish and the salmon.

"It's been a long time since Amanda showed any real interest in a man," Susan tells him once their waiter has left the table. "I liked Luke, really I did, but he was no more suited to my little girl than you were suited to Lori."

Rick fiddles with the stem of his wine glass. "I don't know much about Luke, other than he couldn't handle her being a cop." In some ways, Amanda has an advantage over him for the significant parts of the past. The dating he's done since Lori hasn't been anything important, and Amanda actually knows his ex-wife better than she knows Rick.

"He was a sweet man, a music teacher for one of the city high schools. Too sweet really. Came from a good, solid, middle class family, with still married parents and two adorable younger sisters. Not the sort of life that really prepares someone for being married to a cop from Amanda's background."

His job and the extreme differences in their background had both been strikes against his marriage to Lori. In some ways, Amanda's better off than Lori had been, because she was young enough in her foster care years to not remember most of it. Susan McGinley might have barely made ends meet after her husband died, but it meant that Amanda grew up working poor, not the sort of poverty that he knows Daryl spent his first nine years in and that Lori spent her entire youth in.

Susan's studying him, not seeming out of place at all in the expensive surroundings. Her clothing isn't designer like his mother's, but she's got the type of self-confidence that probably makes her blend in anywhere. "You have a bit of a type, Rick."

The simple statement makes him chuckle softly. "My brother once pointed out that my type is as opposite of my mother as I can get, while he gravitates more to the stereotype of marrying a woman like mom."

Evelyn and Shane have always had a closer relationship than she and Rick have had since Rick made it to adulthood. He suspects it's easier for Shane, since he had his actual mother to compare Evelyn to. Sometimes it jars, to consider Michonne's similarities to Evelyn, but there are enough of them that they can't be ignored.

"Funny how it works that way." Their meals arrive, and Susan continues once they've each had time to enjoy a few bites of food. "I suspect Amanda has always been looking for someone like my husband, even though she never met the man. He was a teacher, like Luke, although he taught middle school mathematics. But we were married for twenty-five years, so she idolizes things a bit."

The idea makes sense to Rick. "She seemed disturbed that I was willing to take a job that would only last for a year when I moved here."

"I think she finds you unsettling," Susan admits. "And she hasn't figured out how to ask you where you're headed to see if being together is a safe enough bet for her."

Rick takes a deep breath. "My original plans were that if Carl decided to go to MIT, I might move up there. I've got family in the area, so it wouldn't be a major change. But here lately, he's been talking about Georgia Tech a bit more. I think he's reconsidering moving so far away from his siblings." It's something he can thank Beth for, since she's arranged tours for Carl on the campus he might not have gotten so easily without a senior to set them up.

"And if he stays here in Georgia?" The dainty bite Susan takes of caramelized potato belies the way she keeps her gaze on him.

"There are usually job openings in the area. It might not be as hands-on as I have now, but work wouldn't be hard to find. It'd mean deciding if I wanted to keep my lease or buy a house, I suppose, but honestly, that would depend on Amanda." It's the first time he's truly admitted how serious he is. Right now, if Carl still choses MIT, Rick isn't sure he would follow unless Amanda somehow wanted to live in Boston.

"The house or the job?"

"Both. If things work out between us, I would need her input." He never gave Lori choices like that, and it backfired on him spectacularly. That's not mentioning the third issue, whether or not his tests come back with good news. Amanda's adopted, so she might not consider it the problem some women her age would, if it's bad news.

"Smart man."

Susan smiles at him, drifting the conversation talking about Carl and Naomi until they finish their meals. She even opts for dessert, a rich chocolate mousse cake, while Rick can't resist the lemon sorbet. At Susan's hint, he orders a half dozen macarons to take home, hoping Amanda comes by after she gets off work.

Since she came last weekend even without sex being part of the equation, he's hoping the invitation he gave her stands. He wishes this damn investigation was over, because he's taking too many people other than Amanda out for nice meals and events. Cooking for her isn't quite the same thing. He would like to spoil her beyond Beth bullying her into the clothing for the charity ball.

In the car to take Susan home, the significance of the chatter about the kids finally hits home, after the older woman just flat out admits she hopes for more grandchildren past Daryl and Lori's newest. He knows Lori wants to stop after the current baby, and Carol and Merle are done, so that only leaves Amanda.

It's not a subject he's going to broach with Amanda's mother before he even tells her, so he makes some offhand comment about great grandchildren not being terribly far out of the picture. Granted, he sincerely hopes Carl waits a decade or so, but his son is about to be eighteen. If he's entirely honest, he thinks he'd be happy enough if his son makes it to at least twenty-five before fatherhood is part of his life. When he was in college, three years seemed like nothing. Now, looking back, he knows the three years between twenty-two and twenty-five are damn near a lifetime in adding significant adult experience.

When they stop at the light nearest the small farmer's market in Susan's neighborhood, she looks more tempted by the gathering of outdoor booths than she did by the chocolate dessert. "We can stop by there, if you like," he offers. "I could use some things at home myself that didn't get shipped in by truck."

Having a supermarket attached to his building, no matter how upscale, doesn't really replace being able to visit the farmer's market that took over the courthouse square every Saturday back home. Susan nods, so he finds a spot to park. His canvas shopping bags are at home, so he buys one for each of them at the artsy booth near the entrance before they go browsing.

Her choices are definitely leaning toward the traditionally southern: tomatoes, field peas, okra, and squash. Rick finds a couple of nice eggplants, plus a nice cabbage, sweet potatoes, and a few tomatoes of his own. When Susan lingers over a display of flowers before selecting a potted marigold, he wonders if Daryl got his love of plants from his adoptive mother.

He takes the cheery little flower in its painted pot, which is the only thing Susan allows him to pay for other than her shopping bag. It's easy enough to carry along with their two bags of vegetables. "This reminds me of some of the things Lori makes," he comments, looking at the design.

They're out of earshot of the booth when Susan shrugs. "Hers are better, but one of my neighbors has been feeling under the weather. I think it'll cheer her up, especially if I tell her a handsome younger man bought it."

Rick laughs. "If that helps, feel free."

The pretty weather makes their walk back to the car a leisurely one, and Susan broaches the topic of her daughter again. "Amanda's mother was only fifteen when she was born. If she'd given her up for adoption right away, things would be easier on her, I think. But to keep her four years until she was forced to surrender her rights? That's a weight my girl has carried a good long time."

"I can imagine," he admits, thinking over how Amanda keeps puzzling through the odd connections his family manages. It's not the same as Shane and Andre, because Rick's nephew has always had his mother, even if his birth father was useless. "What about her father?"

"A complete unknown. I don't know if Amanda did any research to see if she could figure out who he was, but I think she would have told me if she found something." They've reached the car and settle their purchases inside. "Her mother died of an overdose when Amanda was twelve. I honestly think she's so cautious in her personal choices. Her greatest fear is making her mother's mistakes."

There's something behind those words that Rick can't quite put his finger on, but since Amanda is neither a teenage mother or an addict of any type, it slips his grasp. "Hopefully she's starting to understand which mother she actually takes after." And then, for the slightest hint he can't stop himself from adding, "I could see her with a half dozen adopted kids, you know."

Susan makes a delighted noise before taking a seat in the car. She lets him get back on the road before asking, "Adoption wouldn't bother you?"

Rick shakes his head. "My brother was never officially adopted, something more like Merle, but his son is adopted. I've lived too many years with Shane to think blood is required to make someone family." Not to mention that most people think Jean actually is Rick's grandmother, an assumption neither of them ever correct.

"I think I understand why Daryl likes you so much. He's always said the same about him and Mandy."

"Daryl?" Rick asks, laughing. "Not Amanda?"

"Oh, Mandy likes you just fine, but there's a big difference between the relationship a man and woman develop versus the friendship you and Daryl have, Rick, and you know it. It's not traditional or expected, but it works, and I'm glad it does. I think you're good for jolting my daughter right out of her protective shell, and that would never have happened without Daryl being comfortable with you."

Rick pulls into a visitor's spot at Susan's building. "He did take the time to tell me to be patient with her. Said she'd run before she'd admit she was attached."

Susan laughs. "That sounds like him. He adores his sister, but he's wise to her quirks, probably because he shares most of them. Difference was, he met Lori and threw it all out the window to be with her. Mandy? Her hangups have to go out one at a time, I suspect."

"I told him I could wait it out, and I intend to," he tells her. She smiles and pats his hand, before inviting him up to deliver the plant to her neighbor. The other lady is wheelchair bound, and thrilled with both the plant and her visitors. It ends up being a good half hour before Rick bids them goodbye, far too entertained by both women.

Times like this make him wish his mother was more like these down to earth women, and it reminds him he should probably take Jean out for a weekend lunch, too. The adventurous old woman probably would try those snails with him.

When he checks his phone, there's a message from Amanda that she'll see him Sunday, but housework is piling up at home. He eyes the box of macarons before texting Beth, who happily shares Amanda's address. If she's unhappy he's there, he'll just deliver the desserts and be on his way.

As nervous as he'd been to meet Susan McGinley, he's glad he did, because every encounter with her family just gives him such a good dose of hope. Given enough time, Amanda will trust that he's in this for the long haul, and he doesn't have to be in a hurry for that to happen. Time is something they do have plenty of.