Hello again! This is a Jessie chapter….FYI for all of you out there who isn't a Jessie fan.

My position on Jessie is that she is a woman who is damaged and has made a lot of bad decisions in her life. She is finally accepting her role in this new world. As for how it should go with Rick, well here's my take on it.

FYI this whole story takes place in season 6!

CHAPTER THREE – 3 weeks later

Rick looked around the town from his porch. The hoard where gone. The wolves had been defeated. The town looked like it did when he arrived.

But it didn't give him comfort. He was happy that his children, his family now had a shot at a normal life. He could have the life he once had.

But she was gone. She wasn't dead like Lori but she was just….gone. He looked out, across the way and saw her. She was smiling at Heath and Jamie. She looked at Greg and made a comment that made him laugh.

She was dressed in her normal clothes, skinny jeans and a vest top. Her long legs and strong toned arms made light work of repairing the wall that had been broken by the hoard and the wolves' invasion. She looked beautiful. She looked happy.

He noticed she had been doing a lot of that lately. Smiling. She was no longer the silent samurai he first met. She was still hurt, sure, from the pain of her past but she actively fought against it. Whilst before, she would stand still, immersed in her own world. Now she sought out company from all. Not just the family but the new Alexandrian's. It was like she was a caterpillar, newly turned into a butterfly.

She had eventually told him her story of how she survived the mega hoard with Heath and Scott. She also told him about David. The event had changed her. It changed him too. He had gone to look for comfort in the familiar. She had gone to make a new life.

"Hey Rick." Jessie walked up the porch and stood next to Rick. Since their hook-up last month, Jessie had the distinct impression Rick was avoiding her. She looked at him and he looked back. Then she spoke.

"Rick, I think it's time we talked. I can tell you feel awkward about what happened and I just wanted to tell you not to. We were both hurting and took comfort in each other. But we have priorities, our children. Ron and Sam miss their dad so much so I need to focus on them. I have spent too much of their life on their fathers interests, not theirs. I have to make up for that."

Rick looked towards the green field where Michonne was now talking to Jamie. She was smiling at him. The secret smile he thought was just for him.

"Rick, are you listening?" said Jessie, screwing up her face at his inattention.

"Jessie, I'm sorry if I made you feel that I was avoiding you. The truth was that I was surprised by what happened and I….I realised that it was a mistake. You are a beautiful woman but you are right. We have bigger responsibilities than this thang between us. We have children. We have a family. And I.." He hesitated.

"Go on Rick."

He turned and looked directly at her, focusing all of his attention on her face.

"And I realise now that I can't go back. This thang between us? For me it was like I was 25 again. Like when me and Lori where together. It was so simple. I saw you and I thought I could get that back in my life."

"Oh so I'm simple now, huh?" She teased and flipped her hair in his direction.

"No, you know that's not what I meant. I'm just…uuuggghhhhh…not that same man. I was who I was 15 years ago. I had a good life. I met a good girl. I have two beautiful kids by her. But that's it. I am a 40 year old man in the apocalypse with a rag tag bunch of people I see as my family. People I would kill for. People I would die for. This is who I am and I've gotta stop running away from it." Rick took her hand and brought it to his mouth. He laid a delicate kiss on her knuckles and smiled at her.

"I am now the type of guy who shoots people in the street. It's just who I am now" he said with a wily smile.

She smiled back.

"I will always be there for you and help you in any way I can."

"I know. I'll see you around, you hear?" She said and silently walked out of his life.

Rick went back to staring at Michonne.

It had been a strange few weeks for Michonne. Since the break with Rick, she moved into Daryl's home. He had been on a recruiting mission when it happened so she invited herself in. And he was still to return. Oh, how she was looking forward to that conversation.

In the meantime, she was positive about life. She still saw the kids every morning. They had breakfast together, she walked with Carl to school and she babysat Judith in the afternoons. As for her relationship with Rick, it was on a pause.

Her honesty had hurt him. She understood that. But his inability to move past it, hurt. Even now, while he was canoodling with his girlfriend he still stared daggers at her.

Why? She wanted a life. She wanted a relationship. She wanted love. When they got to Alexandria, she hoped she could have this with him. But this wasn't to be. Oh no, he had to be…basic. He went for the pretty blond with the sob story. He wanted to be the big strong man and get on his white horse and solve all of her problems. Well he did. He killed her problem. And now they could live happily ever after.

But what of Michonne? Was she supposed to love a man who wanted someone else? Was she supposed to subjugate her future for him? No. The old adage life is too short was so true now. She had to get hers while she could. While she was alive.

Rick used to joke with Michonne and say we don't die. Well, they do. Glenn died and his wife, Maggie, was pregnant with their first child. She knew the pain Maggie was feeling. She knew how it felt when your heart was ripped out of your chest but yet you still existed. Existed without them. But this pain kept Michonne alive. It kept her wary. It kept her sharp. Until she met her family and could safely let down her guard.

But she wanted the pain gone. She missed her boy but she wanted to live again.

"Hey Michonne, where did you go?" Michonne looked up at the voice calling to her. It was Jamie and his smile was inviting. Jamie was a good looking man. He was tall with honeyed brown skin. His voice was deep and melodic. If she didn't know better, she would have said he was a singer before the end of the world. But no, he had been an illustrator for children's books. She always went for artistic guys.

"I'm cool. You know, chilling and what not." She said with a smile on her face and went back to work.

Jamie had been one of the first Alexandrians to approach her. She had been taking Judy for a walk when he spoke to her. He said good morning to her and she said good morning back. They then started to talk about the wall and the various jobs they had been assigned. This wasn't a mills & boon novel, imaginary music didn't swell when he approached her. But she had a good feeling about him. And it felt so nice to be treated like a lady. Not a warrior. Maybe Rick wasn't the only one who wanted to go back in time.

After her shift was over, Michonne went to Carol's to check in on Judy. As she knocked on Carol's door, she felt a presence behind her. Rick. She composed herself before turning to face him.

"Hey Rick, I'm here to see Judy. I'm guessing you are too?"

He slightly smiled in kind and gazed at her for a long moment before he spoke.

"Uh yeah, she was a bit cranky after you left so I wanted to check on her."

"Oh she's not sick is she?" Michonne said with worry in her voice.

"No no, just tired I guess."

Carol still hadn't opened the door. She must have taken Judith out for a walk.

"Well it looks like Carol isn't about. I'll see Judith later." With that Michonne smiled and walked past Rick.

Rick spoke quickly, 'Michonne, can we talk for a sec. I uhhh want to tell you something."

"Ok Rick, whatcha got for me"? And for a minute, Rick forgot what he was going to say. He stared at her face. Her big brown eyes, her vivacious smile. How had he not seen her before?

"Rick, are you OK?" she said.

"Yes. Sorry I wanted to tell you that Jessie and I are now longer seeing each other. We both realise that we need to focus on our families. It wouldn't have worked out anyway. I did shoot her husband in the face after all." He said in a laconic tone, hoping to put a bit of humour into an awkward conversation.

"Well, if that's what you believe is right for you Rick then good. I'm sorry it didn't work out." Michonne said, trying to be the bigger woman. What she really wanted to do was move away from this conversation. What did it matter to her if they broke up? It didn't change anything. He was still him. She was still her.

"I realise now that I did get caught up with stuff…thangs. I forgot what I had and I'm sorry for it."

Michonne took a deep breath and spoke. "Hey, don't be sorry. We needed to be on the same page. I am still your friend. I am still there for you and our family. No harm, no foul huh." Michonne said with a sad smile. She didn't want her pursuit of a life to ruin her old one. She still loved him.

"Well maybe you could..uuhhh move back in. The kids miss you. And we could try to….I don't know…we could try and see if there is more to this."

Michonne's smile grew sadder, "Rick, you shouldn't have to try anything with me, it's either there or it ain't. It was for me but it wasn't for you. I'm not ashamed to say it. I am now trying to move on and moving back into the home with you would be like a step back."

"Michonne, I…"

"Just stop Rick. Just stop before you make this worse. I've gotta go."

Michonne walked away from Rick. She saw the townspeople around her. She saw her opportunity for a new beginning. And while her heart hurt from rejection, she was smiling. There was still life and the hope of love. It wouldn't be with Rick but she would feel that way again.

Will Michonne be with Jamie, Heath, Greg , Rick or any fine man who comes her way? I will post my next chapter soon. As always, your comments and feedback are very welcome to a newbee writer.