Greeting Fellow writers and readers,
Confession time – My last update to any of my stories was April. I'm sorry for the long wait I've been a little lost these past few months. I promised myself I would set some time aside every week to do some writing but something always get in the way. Quick Recap – In the last chapter we had a flashback where Michonne went on a run to get supplies for her family and friends. While she was gone Clarence Aka Babu rescued Andre from a herd of walkers and hid him in a tree. Andre father and Uncle were high and got killed during the attack. We found out that Tyreese and Sasha were in the same camp as Michonne. Clarence died and Michonne had a miscarriage. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter.
Rick couldn't help himself, ever since he found out Michonne was Andres mother he couldn't keep his eyes off his son. He followed him around the prison, never losing sight of him. He had to know where Andre was at all times. He found himself seated on top of the steps above the cafeteria watching Andre play tag with Carl and Sophia. He couldn't believe how far they have come since the first day he laid eyes on Andre. In one unforgettable moment Andre instantly became his son and Carl's little brother. It was sometimes hard for someone from the outside to understand the bond that they all shared. Lori had a difficult time accepting the relationship between her family and Andre. She showered Andre with love and attention but their relationship was never like mother and son, it was more of a relationship between an aunt and a nephew. There were some days that Rick could tell Lori was jealous of his relationship with Andre but he knew it was rooted in the fact that Lori and himself were no longer getting along. The farther into her pregnancy the more distance she put between herself and them. It was hard for Rick to accept the fact that Judith might be Shane's instead of his but if he could love Andre like his own, he was capable of doing the same for Judith.
Lori never let her feelings towards Rick affect the way she treated Andre. She treated him with kindness and prayed that the same kindness will be given to her child once it's born. Carl didn't have the same feeling that his mother had about Rick and Andre's relationship. Carl never showed any signs of jealously towards Andre, his loved for Andre showed every time they were together. Carl confessed one night that he didn't understand why he felt so strongly for Andre or why he felt so connected to him but he knew being Andre's older brother was a role only meant for him. Rick agreed with Carl, being a family with Andre felt right. As far as he knew, Andre was his son and he was Andre's father. He wasn't going to let anyone take Andre away from him including Michonne. Carl, Andre and Judith were his children and blood related or not, he would protect them.
Rick was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Herschel approaching him from behind.
"You can breathe Rick, Andre's not going anywhere" Herschel said as he took a seat beside Rick.
"Are you certain about that? He is her son. What if she tries to take him away from me?" He asked, waiting for Herschel to put him at ease.
"I can assure you its going to take a hell of a fight to take that boy away from us. You are not alone in this. We all love Andre and we would always do what's best for him which includes letting him see his mother and she might be his mother but don't forget that you are also his father." Herschel informed him.
"I know, a part of me wants to keep him away from her but I know that would hurt him and I couldn't do that to him. It's hard for me to accept that he has another person he belongs to, another person that he loves with all his heart and that also has his trust. What makes the situation harder is that it's the same person that carried and raised him for the first three years of his life, how can I compete with that?" he asked.
"You don't need to compete with her. You're his father who saved him too many times for him to count and he loves you. " he told Rick with confidence.
"I have a feeling you're going to have to keep reminding me of that."
"That's what I'm here for" He reminded Rick with a big grin.
"I forgot to ask, how is she? Has she told you what happen to her?" Rick asked with concern.
"No, she wouldn't tell me what happen or let me look at the cuts on her inner thighs. I had to let Beth finished patching her up. I know what ever happen to her was traumatic and a very brutal man was behind it. I want you to remember that when you're dealing with her." In the short time of meeting Michonne, Herschel was already becoming protective of her. He knew in his heart that she would become a valuable person in their life and he needed to make sure no one tried to hurt her.
"I'll definitely keep that in mind. Do you think she can physically handle going with us?" he asked.
"No I advise her to stay back but she wanted to do this. I think she's feelings guilty for not helping Maggie and Glenn. I know with her wounds if she had tried to help she would have been killed or taken with them. If she had taken that path, we would have never known what happen to them. I am very grateful that she chosen to come here." He sighed with content. "She agreed to show you where they're keeping Glenn and Maggie and she promised me that she would help bring them back so you shouldn't make this journey difficult for her." He warned Rick.
"I won't and I understand where you're coming from but I don't know if we can trust her. I think for now its best if we keep her in our sight at all times."
"You sure you want all of us to keep her in sight at all times?" Herschel asked with a chuckle.
"What are you implying?" Rick asked.
"It just seem like you didn't want Daryl anywhere near her." He answered with a hint of amusement.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Rick replied while avoiding eye contact with Herschel. He couldn't pretend that he didn't notice how beautiful she was or how he didn't feel something drawing him to her but he didn't feel right lusting after another woman when his wife just passed away.
"She's really something to look at, she's beautiful. I can already tell she's going to turn a lot of heads around here. I actually think Daryl and her would make a good looking couple."
"Over my dead body" Rick mumbled under his breath.
"What did you just say?" Herschel asked with a big grinned plastered on his face.
"Nothing" Rick answered as he gaze shifted over to Beth who came down the staircase and stopped in front of her father.
"Daddy, did you tell him?" she asked
"Oh no I haven't, I was just about to tell him"
"What did you want to tell me?" he asked Beth.
"Michonne is awake and I promised her I would bring Andre to see her." Beth told him, sending him her sweetest smile.
"Okay, that's fine but I'm coming with." He informed Beth as he stood up from his seat.
"That's not necessary, I think she need some time alone with Andre, it's already been a traumatic reunion." She informed him.
"I understand but I am not going to leave my son alone with her. We don't really know anything about her and I'm not taking any chances."
"Okay but I want you to remember that she needs us and we need her too. She can help us get my family back so please be nice to her." She pleaded.
"As long as she's nice towards Andre, you won't have to worry about me mistreating her. I give you my word."
"Mommy" Andre squealed with delight in Rick's arms as his hazel eyes landed on his mother.
"Hi peanut" Michonne whispered as Beth help her into a seated position on the cot. She couldn't believe Andre was really alive. She had her son back. She had another reason to breathe again. She couldn't wait to hold him in her arms.
"If you need anything, I'll be in the next cell. Just call out my name and I'll come running." Beth called out over her shoulder as she sends a warning glance toward Rick and made her way out of the cell.
"Thanks Beth" She mumbled as she stared at Andre and slowly shifted her gaze from Andre to Rick. She felt uncleaned and wondered if Rick would allow her to hold Andre. She hated the fact that she had to be on guard around him or that she needed his permission to see her own son. She knew right away that he was the leader here and she needed him to be on her side in order to have access to her son. She saw the way he looked at Andre and knew he wasn't just a man taking care of a supposed orphan boy, he saw himself as Andre father and that scared her.
"Put me down Dada" Andre said as he tried his best to squirm out of Ricks arm. Rick placed a swift kissed on Andre's forehead and set him down on his feet.
Andre stretched his arms out towards his mother waiting for her to pick him up. "Pick me up Mommy."
Michonne with hesitation looked towards Rick for permission. Rick nodded his head in response.
"I miss you so much baby" Michonne told Andre as she gently lifted him onto her lap. She held him tightly against her chest as tears began to fall down from her eyes. She ran her hands down his arms, legs and face, fascinated by how much he grew and how healthy he looked. This was really her baby and she owed all of this to Rick and his people.
"I missed you too mommy." Andre replied as he smiled up at his mother. He reached up with both his palms and laid them against Michonne cheeks. "Don't cry mommy. We together now, Dada will take care of us. He promised he won't hurt you again."
She smiled down at Andre and gently ran her fingers through his curly hair. She wanted to believe that he wouldn't her hurt or keeps her son away from her but she still had her doubts. She learned the hard way that things are never what they seem to be.
"I have something for you." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a purple stuffed bear. "I promised Babu I would return this to you."
Andre squealed with delight "Thank you mommy, I knew he would be safe with Babu. Is Babu here too?"
It was a question that couldn't be avoided. She knew it would break his heart not to have Clarence with him and there was nothing she could do to stop the pain from coming. "No sweetie, he's not here."
"Where is he?" he asked.
Michonne took a deep breath and laid her forehead against Andres. "Babu had to go to heaven sweetie, he was very sick but he wanted me to tell you how much he loved you and that one day he would see you again. You would always be his little peanut."
"Daddy and Uncle Terry went to heaven too." Andre replied with a frown as he tried to remember his last night with his family. "Babu told me to wait for you in our secret hiding place and I did for a very long time but I couldn't anymore because Dada took me with him. I'm sorry I didn't stay." He told her as his eyes glistered with unshed tears.
"Baby you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm so happy that you were so brave and smart to go with him." She felt herself choking up as the last few words left her mouth. "Your Dada took really good care of you."
"I take good care of Dada too" Andre told her in a seriously tone as he looked down at his mother flat stomach with curiosity. He touched her stomach and asked "Mommy where's the baby?"
Rick forgot to breathe as he heard the question that Andre asked. He slowly started to remember the stories that Andre would tell him about his mother and one of those stories were about her being pregnant. He looked at her now and saw no signs of that pregnancy. He automatically knew that the answer to Andres question wouldn't be a happy one. Rick had to fight the urge from reaching over and gathering both of them into his arms. He wanted to tell Michonne that he would take care of her now and she had nothing to be afraid of but Lori standing behind the cell door stopped him from going to them. He rubbed his eyes trying to remove the images from his mind. The moment he reopened his eyes, Lori was gone and Michonne was wiping tears away from her face. He watched her as she laid her hand on top of Andre's hand and patiently waited for her to give them an answer.
Michonne tried her best to forget about the night she lost everyone that mattered to her. A day never went by without her blaming herself for their deaths including the miscarriage. She looked down at Andre beautiful face and tried to push past the pain. It took her moment to gather up her will to respond. "I'm sorry sweetie but I was very sick and my tummy was not a safe place for the baby anymore." She paused and took another deep breathe before continuing. "The baby left my tummy and went to heaven to live with the rest of our family."
"No I want them here with us" Andre wiped furiously at the tears that have fallen from his eyes and buried his face into his mother chest.
She hugged Andre tightly to her chest and rubbed his back as she spoke "I know baby. I wished they were here too but I'm happy that we have each other." She said as she wondered about the man that stood a few steps away from them. She couldn't deny the attraction she felt towards him or that when she spoke those words of having each other she thought about him too. She avoided making eye contact with him, fearing that he might be able to see what she really was thinking about him.
"It's okay to be sad sweetie. I was sad for a very long time, do you know when I stopped being sad?"
"No mommy, when?" Andre asked as he looked up at her with bright curious eyes.
"Today, do you know why?" She asked him as she smiled tenderly at him.
"It's because you found me." Andre told her with a big smile as he hugged his teddy tightly.
"Yes, because I found you." She replied as she stared into a set of deep blue eyes.