That first night...

Rick wondered when he became so old. He stood propped at the bar of what Glenn assured him was the "hottest nightclub in town" feeling like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"You having a good time?" Glenn shouted at him as he squeezed through on the way to get another drink.

"Great!" Rick shouted, the word dripping with sarcasm, his friend too drunk to care. "Where the hell is Daryl?"

"He found a friend." Glenn gestured to a darkened corner of the bar to see that Daryl had joined another table, he was talking to a long haired man wearing a beanie and a long leather coat. They were surrounded by three women.

"Yo Rick!" Daryl stood up to beckon him over. "Come meet some people."

"Here goes nothing." Rick mumbled as he made his way over to the table of strangers, unsure how he'd be able to even hear them over the thudding bass of the music.

Thankfully it was a little quieter in the booth as Rick slipped in next to Daryl.

"This is my best buddy Rick!" Daryl was already well past drunk, his hand landing heavily on Rick's shoulder as he introduced him. "Rick, this is Jesus, Sasha, Maggie and Michonne." He grabbed Rick in a headlock, using his free hand to pinch Rick's cheeks. "Gorgeous ain't he? And single!"

"Thanks Daryl." Rick released himself from Daryl's grasp.

"Anyway we need some more shots don't we, c'mon." Daryl moved Rick out the way before taking Jesus by the hand and leading him towards the bar.

Rick sat back down, this time next to one of Jesus' friends.

"Michonne...wasn't it?" He met her eyes with his.

"Indeed." She stretched out her hand, he shook it. She was beautiful, but if she'd been at all charmed by Rick then she gave zero indication.

"What's the occasion?" He gestured to the bottle of champagne on the table.

"Sasha has just got engaged!" She pointed at her friend who in turn flashed a huge rock his way.

"Congratulations Sasha." He smiled.

"Hey you want some champagne?" Maggie stood up and was pouring Rick a glass before he could even respond.

"Thanks." He took the glass. "Hey, what accent is that?"

"Georgia!"

"No way? Me too!"

"No way! Atlanta?"

"Just a little outside, King County."

"I know King County. My daddy owns a farm around 20 miles away."

Glenn returned to the table with a round of drinks for them all, Rick gratefully accepted.

"Your friend is from Georgia." Maggie said to Glenn as he sat down next to her.

"Wait, you're from Georgia too? Small world." Glenn said. Rick smiled, recognising his friends flirty interested voice a mile off.

"How about you?" Rick turned to Michonne.

"New Jersey, not quite as exciting as Georgia I'm afraid."

"I'm not sure I'd call Georgia exciting." He was shouting to be heard over the music. "I like your necklace."

She smiled as she instinctively reached for the silver chain with an 'M' dangling from it. It had been a gift from her grandfather Andre when she'd got into law school. Before she had a chance to tell the story...

"I HOPE YOU'RE ALL IN THE MOOD FOR SOME SHOTS!" Daryl had returned to the table with Jesus and a turntable full of dark purple shots.

"That doesn't look good." Rick said quietly to Michonne.

"Nah uh." She nodded her head.

"Everyone has to do one." Daryl passed the small glasses around.

"I will if you do." Rick said to Michonne.

She sighed. "May as well, right?"

"Cheers." He held up his tiny glass and she did the same.

"Cheers." She repeated. They both drank the disgusting glittering aniseed in unison, making the same face as they felt the burn on their throat.

It was at that point the evening began to pass in a bit of a blue. Daryl and Jesus alternated between the dance floor and bringing back more of the disgusting shots, eventually stopping with the latter when everyone begged them to.

"Do you dance?" Michonne nodded towards the dance floor where hundreds of people were dancing and grinding to a song that neither of them were willing to admit they'd never heard before.

"Not really. Do you?"

"Not really."

They both laughed.

"What the hell are we doing in here then?"

"Being good friends!"

"Talking of friends...ours all seem to have gone..."

"You're right!"

"Come on then. You can at least hail me a cab."

"Ok. Or you could just come back to mine?" He flashed her a smile. The shots had loosened his inhibitions.

"I'm a lady."

"And I'll treat you as such..."

"Another time maybe." She grinned as Rick flagged down a cab.

"Raincheck then." He smiled as he held the door open.

Michonne hesitated before getting in. Not knowing that her 30 second thought process - that went something like; "he's hot, I'm horny, fuck it" - would change the entire course of her life.

"You know what Mick."

"It's Rick but ok."

"Rick. Get in. It's your lucky night."

"You sure?"

"Yes! Now get in before I change my mind!"