A/N: Some of you have never been pregnant and single and it shows... ;-)

I'm kidding. Thank you for sticking with me. Sorry this update has taken so long, I wanted to get it right x

March 4th

Colette perched gently on the edge of Michonne's bed, waiting for her daughter to wake. She loved how peaceful she looked when she slept, the usual stresses of her day disappeared and her beautiful features looked no different than they had done twenty years ago. She stroked Michonne's hand gently with her thumb causing her to stir.

"What time is it?" Michonne asked through a yawn as she stretched her arms out of the duvet.

"Almost 11." Colette passed her a steaming mug of coffee.

"Thanks."

"How are you feeling?" She brushed her braids away from her forehead to survey the bump on her head.

"I'm fine. It looks worse than it is I think." Michonne grimaced slightly at the memory of the assault, but truthfully the pain had began to subside.

"Well you're not moving from this bed all day."

"Mom, I'm fine." Michonne rolled her eyes, but made no movs to leave the bed. Being back in her old bedroom always gave her comfort, and the quietness of the suburbs was a nice change to her hectic city life. She felt like she could breathe again; she heard birds chirping and lawnmowers as opposed to the car horns and sirens of SoHo.

"You're not taking care of yourself, someone has to." Colette chided as she pulled the duvet straight. "Are you ready to tell me what happened yet?"

"I told you, mom." She sighed.

"I mean with Rick."

"We got in a fight." She shrugged, the memory of it still playing on her mind. "He walked out, I let him leave."

"What was the fight about?"

"It was stupid really. I'd just...I'd had a day...and I thought that he'd be there for me because that's where he always is. And he didn't answer his phone and when I did get hold of him it turned out he'd been with this girl he'd been seeing a few months ago..."

Colette raised her eyebrow.

"...he said nothing happened with her, he was helping her move into her new house."

"And you believe him?"

"I think so. It's like, since I met him he just seems like he's too good to be true. And I'm waiting for him to show me he's not. So when it happened I just thought 'ok then, this is it' and I was almost glad in a way. But I believe him that nothing happened, and he has no reason to lie."

"Nobody's perfect, baby. He's human, you're human. What did he do after you called him?"

"He was at my door in record time." She said with a sigh, already realising what her mom's end point was likely to be.

"And what has he done every single other time you've needed him?"

Michonne nodded. "He's been there. He'd probably be here now if I called."

"I know what it's like, honey. You get used to being on your own, it starts to feel like a weakness if you rely on somebody. It's almost easier to carry on by yourself because at least you won't let yourself down."

"Yeah." Michonne mused.

"But this baby is going to change your life. And if you've got someone in your corner who is kind and thoughtful and he's there for you when you need him...that's a good start."

"I know."

"You're going to have to let him in eventually one way or another."

Colette patted her knee and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.


March 6th

"Michonne..." Rick approached the bench outside of his building to find her sat with her phone in her hand and a huge houseplant next to her.

She stood up as he drew nearer. "Hey. Sorry to just spring myself on you."

"It's no problem. Were you waiting long?" He gave her a reassuring smile. He was pleased to see her despite their argument. She looked good. She always looked good.

"No, I got Jesus to tell me when Daryl was making his way back to him." She rolled her eyes. "Figured it would be soon since they're inseparable."

Rick smirked. "Yeah, he left right after the game."

"So..I didn't know if guys liked flowers as an apology, and I always thought your apartment could use a house plant so..." She gestured to the Benjamina plant overflowing from a ceramic pot.

"I love it!" He smiled as he surveyed it. Rick always smiled as if he was flirting, and the flicker of his eyes as he covertly surveyed her body threatened to give him away.

"Can you hear me out? For a few minutes? Then I'll go."

Rick nodded. "Course."

"You are never going to get the perfect package with me." She started. "I'm damaged, I'm still heartbroken, believe it or not, by the fact the only man I loved in my adult life ended up cheating on me in my own bed! I work way too much. I'm stubborn, I don't let people in - not easily anyway. My life looks perfect from the outside, but it's messy. I'm messy. I make mistakes. I'll make a hundred mistakes just in the first month of our kids life. I'm scared. I am so shit scared of having this baby that I thought it was better to shut you out than confront it."

She paused for a moment to check his reaction. His facial expression was hard to discern; a mixture of concern and confusion. "But I'm here." She decided to continue. "I'm here even though you might not even like me right now, because I don't want to lose you. You asked me to call you when I know what I want...and... I want to do this with you. It's what I've always wanted. I'm sorry it took me so long to say it, I'm sorry I pushed you away when I needed to keep you close."

Rick didn't speak for what felt like the longest time. Eventually he nodded slowly.

"I'll take that. I'll take messy, I'll take scared. God Michonne, I am terrified. And you think you're gonna make mistakes? I am too! I have no idea what it's gonna be like. I've never done this before. Not the baby part anyway, and it's not like I have a father to learn from or ask for advice." He said the last part as if he was just coming to the realisation himself.

"We're both learning."

"And after Lori I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to trust anyone else again. Ever. And I didn't for a long while. This... feels different. That's why it's easy for me to open up and let you in." He cocked his head to the side and sighed. "You need to let me in though. Properly in. Or it won't work. None of it. We can just cut our losses and work out a visitation schedule in court or whatever."

"I know, I know. Rick...is it too much to ask that we just hang out. As friends. Just at first. Getting to know each other. No expectations."

"I'd like that." He nodded.

"I'm not trying to be a bitch." She smiled to try and reassure him.

"I never thought you were." He chuckled. "You're pregnant, you're allowed to be a bit unreasonable. Sometimes."

"And I'm not trying to mess with your head or take advantage of your feelings."

"I know." He nodded earnestly.

"I just...it's been a long time since I've done this."

"Me too, but I'm willing to try. And I'm willing to start fresh now."

"You know I like you? Don't you?" She asked.

"I do now." He grinned.

Michonne smiled and tugged the lapels of his jacket together. He wrapped his arms around her. Their first physical contact in a long time. He felt cold from the outside air, until he pressed his lips to her forehead and left them there for what felt like an eternity. She closed her eyes and breathed him in.

"You can trust me." He whispered. "I'm still here."

She knew what he meant. He was still there despite her crazy few weeks, despite her pushing him away he was still there and he was still willing to try. That was Rick, he was here and she wasn't going to let him go again.


March 10th

The knock on the door couldn't have been anyone else. 8am on scan day. She opened the door to him, and his dimples and his smile and his beautiful blue eyes. He was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"Come on! You ready?"

"Almost." She said, toothbrush hanging half out of her mouth, but still looking flawless. For the first time Rick noticed her belly was starting to swell. He felt his heart leap before she covered it with her coat.

"I wanna see baby Rick Junior." He urged, stepping inside the apartment.

"So you think it's a boy now too?" She teased, choosing a pair of boots to pair with her burgundy dress.

"No I'm just messing. It's a girl for sure."

"I don't care either way." She quickly applied her lipstick in the mirror and grabbed her purse, shooing Rick out of the door

"Me neither." He grinned and almost sprinted to the elevator. "Let's go find out!"

It was second nature to her now, climbing on the bed, the cool squirt of the gel and the wand moving along her skin.

"Are you finding out the sex today?" The sonographer looked at them.

"We are." Michonne confirmed as Rick nodded next to her.

"Ok." She smiled. "Let me just complete my checks then I'll let you know."

Rick squeezed her hand as the different parts of their baby came into view on the screen.

"Looks like a girl." He whispered.

"Nah uh. Boy." Michonne whispered back.

"It's a girl." The sonographer said as she slotted the wand back next to the machine.

"No way!" Michonne laughed. "A girl!"

"I knew it." Rick grinned as he pulled Michonne's hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.


"You happy, daddy?" Michonne asked as Rick wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they made their way out of the building.

"I'm so happy." He squeezed her. "Are you?"

"I am." She grinned. "I can see her, now. What she's gonna look like."

"Oh yeah? What's she gonna look like?"

"Your dimples, my eyes...your nose..."

He screwed up his face. "Not my nose."

"Ok. My nose."

He nodded firmly. "She'll be beautiful, I think she'll look just like you."

"I don't care how she looks...it doesn't even feel real does it, saying 'she'?"

"It doesn't." He agreed. "I think it'll sink in soon."

"I hope so! We need to pick a name now!"

"Michonne Junior?"

"One Michonne not enough for you?"

"Nope!" He said decidedly.

"Good because this one wants to get you a pizza tonight."

"Tonight?"

"If you wanna?"

"I...yeah...course."

"Ok. My place then? After work."

"It's a date." He said a little too excitedly. "A friend date."