A/N: Sorry for the delay with this installment. I've been traveling a lot for work lately and time to write has been difficult to come by. Hopefully, now that things have slightly calmed down, I should be able to get back on track! Thank you to all of my follows, faves, and reviewers! You guys rock! I'm constantly amazed by the positive reaction to this story! I love the feedback and it really inspires me to keep going with this. :)

Halo

Inspired by: "Halo" by Beyonce

Monday

Michonne always had a hard time coming back to work after a long weekend, but coming back to work after having one of the best weekends of her life was something all together different. She'd finally made it into her office after getting a late start due to laying in bed thinking about Rick for 40 minutes after her alarm went off. Now that she was there, she was finding it very difficult to concentrate leaving her thanking God that she didn't have court that day.

It wasn't just her mind sabotaging her day. The sky reminded her of his crystal blue eyes. The barista at Starbucks had a sprinkling of salt and pepper stubble on his face just like Rick had the night they met. The radio was playing one of the songs they'd danced to at the reception. She'd walked into her building and was surrounded by men in sheriff's department uniforms; none making it look as good as Rick did. It was almost like everything around her had conspired to make sure she couldn't get him off her mind. Not that she really wanted to.

"Michonne! Are you even listening to me?" Andrea's stern tone startled her out of her thoughts and Michonne saw the way her friend was looking at her and she knew she was in for it. Andrea Wade was another ADA in her office and one of her dearest friends. It hadn't always been that way. Andrea had treated her like competition instead of a collaborator for months after she started working there. Until one day they were signed to work a particularly tough case together. Over months of trial prep filled with late nights and early mornings, they became friends and three years later, they were nearly inseparable.

She watched as Andrea tucked a stray lock of her blond hair behind her ear and raised an expertly arched eyebrow as she waited for her to acknowledge that question. Michonne sat up straighter in her chair and picked up her fork.

"Of course I'm listening!" Andrea rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.

"What was the last thing I said?" Michonne groaned and stabbed at the salad she'd ordered as an apology to her body for all of the rich food she'd indulged in all weekend.

"Really, Andrea? Are you really going to make me recite our conversation?"

"You have absolutely no idea, do you?" With a resigned sigh, she gave up the ghost and offered her guilty shrug.

"Fine! I'm sorry! I spaced out for a second there." Michonne observed the victorious smile that crept across Andrea's face as she went back to eating, and readied herself for the Wade version of the Inquisition.

"Must've been some wedding if you're still hungover…" She immediately shook her head in denial.

"You should've cancelled your plans and come to the wedding! We missed you there."

"Like I could! It was my parent's 40th Wedding anniversary! I still don't understand why they moved the wedding up…and stop trying to change the subject from you being hungover!" Andrea was right; she was trying to redirect the conversation and she should've known that she wouldn't be able to do that to another lawyer.

"I'm not hungover! I'm just…tired." Andrea narrowed her eyes and tilted her head disbelievingly.

"Why do I get the feeling you're lying to me?"

"Because you're a born skeptic", Michonne replied with a laugh. She also knew that she wouldn't be able to distract Andrea for long and she just wasn't ready to talk about Rick yet. She dramatically glanced at her watch before continuing, "Don't you have a 12:30 hearing? You'd better get moving…"

"Shit! Thanks!" She watched as Andrea practically jumped out of her seat and began smoothing the navy blue power suit she was wearing. She gathered up the remnants of her lunch and headed over to the door before glancing back to Michonne. "…and I'm not going to forget about this! You're definitely hiding something…"

"Don't you have Judge Monroe? You know how she is about starting on time…" Andrea rolled her eyes and walked backwards out of the office.

"This isn't over, Michonne!", she yelled. Michonne laughed to herself and wiggled her fingers at her.

"Bye Andrea!" Grinning to herself, she resumed eating her lunch and asking herself why she hadn't just ordered the slice of pizza she really wanted. She probably would've grabbed her purse to go back downstairs to get a new lunch if the Star Wars theme hadn't alerted her that someone was calling her.

"Pierce", she announced, as she brought the phone to her ear without looking to see who it was. There was a slight pause before she was greeted by the deep, drawl that sent shivers through her body and made her drop her fork.

"Michonne?" She nervously cleared her throat and started straightening her clothes like he could somehow see her through the phone. Be cool, Michonne. Just be cool…

"Rick…hi…" She jumped up and quickly made her way over to close her office door. It was an unwritten rule in the office that when doors were closed, the person inside was not to be bothered and the last thing she wanted was for someone to interrupt the call she didn't even realize she needed until she heard his voice.

"Hey…are you busy? If you are, I can call back…" She was shaking her head for a good three seconds before she remembered…again…that he couldn't see her.

"No! I mean…I'm just having lunch. Are you at work?"

"Not yet. I got home a little after 5, slept for a little while, now I'm on my way back." She and Andrea always went down for lunch early to beat the crowd so she glanced at her watch again and realized that it was almost noon.

"Not another double, I hope…" She understood why he was doing it and she admired him for it, but she couldn't help but worry about his wellbeing.

"No. Normal shift today but it's gonna be a long week. I'm not complaining though. I'll have the whole weekend with Carl...and time for you on Sunday." Grinning, she sank into her chair and turned to stare out the window at the city.

"I'm looking forward to that." It was probably the most true thing she'd said all day and the weight of that admission scared her a little bit. She'd only known the man on the other end of the line a few days but she already felt like there was something different between them.

"Me too…so how's your day going, counselor?" His gravelly voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she refocused on their conversation.

"It's good...better now that I'm talking to you."

"Is that right?" The hint of teasing in his voice made the smile she already wore grow even wider.

"Yep. In fact, I'm sitting at my desk smiling like an idiot right now."

"Well…if we're confessin' things…I'm sitting in my truck outside the station doing the same thing." He was in just as deep as she was and that thought made her feel warm all over.

"Good to know I'm not the only dork in this relationship!" His low laugh filled the silence between them and she loved the sound.

"Relationship, huh? I like the way that sounds." When she closed her eyes, she could picture the wide, satisfied grin she knew had spread across his face at her words. She shook her head at how happy his happiness made her.

"I think two dates with the promise of a third meets the minimum requirements of a relationship."

"Darlin', we've been in a relationship in my mind since the minute I saw you." That unabashed confidence he'd displayed when he'd asked her out the first time bled into his words and it turned her on just as much as it had then.

"What are you doing to me," she asked in a husky whisper; more to herself than to him. There was a short pause before he cleared his throat and spoke.

"I could ask you the same question. You've been on my mind since the minute you drove out of here. I can't stop thinking about you…not that I want to."

"Same here…" Before she could gather her thoughts enough to form a coherent reply, she was interrupted by a male voice with a deep accent that immediately recognized as Shane's.

"Rick! Get your twitterpated ass in here so we can get to work! Hey, Michonne!"

"Hi, Shane…" She laughed at irritated look she just knew was on Rick's face but her laughter faded as soon as she realized that she really had to say goodbye. "Sounds like you have to go…"

"Yeah…" The hesitation in his voice amplified her desire to keep him on the phone but she knew she couldn't do that.

"Be safe, Rick."

"I always am. Talk to you later?" Even though he had to know that they were definitely going to talk again, his hopeful undertone made it even more difficult to hang up.

"Sooner is better."

"Always…bye Michonne."

"Bye." She hit the end button on her phone and inhaled deeply. Something about that man made it hard to breathe even when they weren't in the same room. As Michonne continued to stare at the city outside her window, she couldn't help but wonder how she was going to survive the days until she saw him again.

XX

Wednesday

"Ok, Spill!" Michonne looked up from her phone and was met with Andrea's irritated stare. She was sitting at Antonio's for Wine Wednesday with Andrea waiting for Maggie and Sasha to arrive. She slipped her phone into her purse and picked up her wine glass.

"What are you talking about, Andrea?"

"Ever since you got back from Glenn's wedding, you've been floating around the office like you're on a goddamn cloud! And...you're always texting! You never text!" Andrea was on to her, but Michonne still wasn't quite ready to tell her about the weekend she'd spent in King County with one very handsome cop. The whole weekend still felt like a dream and the only way she knew it wasn't was through the texts and phone calls they'd been exchanging over the last few days. Every time she heard the ringtone she'd given him, her stomach would do little flips and her heart would skip a beat.

Michonne took a sip of her wine and smiled at her friend.

"I'm happy! Aren't I allowed to be happy?"

"Of course you are, but you're hiding something from me, and I want to know what it is!"

"Hey, y'all!" She looked up to see Maggie and Sasha walking toward the table. Michonne was surprised to see Maggie. Even though the honeymoon was scheduled for after the school year ended, she was sure Maggie would be spending every free moment with her new husband. She was glad to see her though and showed as much when she greeted her with a warm hug before turning and greeting Sasha with the same.

"Hey Maggie…hey Sasha!" Both women settled into their seats and ordered their drinks. As they settled in, they shared details about their lives. Wine Wednesday had become a weekly ritual every since they'd all become so close and they'd spent many a night talking about everything under the sun over multiple glasses of wine. It had been their place to celebrate when Maggie had announced her engagement, when Sasha passed the EMT exam and met her boyfriend Abe, and when she and Andrea won big cases. As Michonne listened to Maggie gush about life as a newlywed and Sasha describing her nervousness about introducing Abe to her family for the first time, she was reminded of all the reasons why wine night was about more than just wine.

"So did Michonne tell you about her boyfriend?" Michonne glared at Sasha as Andrea turned to her with her eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a half smirk.

"I knew it! Who's the guy?"

"His name is Rick and he's a cop in King County…"

"King County? Seriously? No offense, Maggie." Maggie's green eyes sparkled happily and she laughed at Andrea's comment.

"None taken. It's slim pickings down there especially after Michonne scooped up one of the last good ones left!"

"Yeah and the man is fine!" Sasha chimed in. "Even I was distracted by that sexy, bowlegged walk of his. I had to look away before Abe caught me staring!" Michonne felt her cheeks grow warm. Yes, she'd taken note of that walk and found it to be just as hot as Sasha described. Andrea turned back to her with an open mouthed stare.

"Did you meet him at the wedding?" There was a hint of disbelief in Andrea's voice and Michonne was sure it had something to do with the fact that it had never been her m.o. to just go out with guys willy nilly. She'd always been the build a friendship first type but Rick had completely blown that out of the water.

"No, I met him at a restaurant the night before, we talked for a little while, and then he asked me to be his date for the wedding." Andrea laughed to herself and brought her wine glass to her lips.

"He must be smooth as hell to get you to accept that offer!"

"He's…" A litany of words like kind, funny, confident, genuine, attentive, and magnetic ran through her mind before she finally settled on one. "…sweet."

"…And sexy as all hell!" Sasha added. "Every woman at that wedding, single or otherwise, was checking him out but he only had eyes for Michonne."

"I so need to see what this guy looks like…" Almost at Andrea's command, Maggie pulled out her phone and began scrolling through the photos.

"I've been meaning to send you this, Michonne. We got some of the pictures from the photographer and this one was an unexpected gem!" Maggie held her phone up revealing a photo of Michonne and Rick. Michonne didn't even remember the picture being taken, but it was at the reception and she was pressed into Rick's chest and both of them were smiling into the camera. She couldn't help the way her eyes were drawn to Rick. He looked so happy; his cheeks bore a slightly pink hue and his crystal blue eyes sparkled with joy. Seeing the sightly greying stubble on his cheeks reminded her of they way it felt against her skin and beneath her fingertips. She smiled wistfully as the memory of their kisses came flooding back.

"You two look so wonderful together!" Maggie was gushing and Michonne couldn't stop smiling. Andrea snatched the phone from Maggie's hand and carefully inspected the photo.

"Damn, he is fine!" Sasha nodded at Andrea's appraisal and took a long sip from her wine glass.

"Told you!" Andrea handed the phone back to Maggie.

"What's this guy's story?" Maggie pressed a few buttons on her phone before setting in on the table and turning her attention back to Andrea.

"Well, I don't know him well. He was a few years ahead of me in school. I do know that he was married until his wife left him for another guy. My daddy says Rick was pretty torn up about it for a long time, but he's a good man and a good father."

"…and Michonne has already got him wrapped around her little finger!"

"Guys, I don't think…"

"From the way she's been acting all week, I'd say the feeling is mutual…" Michonne felt her face grow hot and she averted her eyes so she wouldn't have to meet the questioning stares from her friends.

"Can we please stop talking about this? It's been less than a week!"

"Oh Michonne! We're just happy for you! Ever since that asshole left you at the altar…" She felt the sting of the memory of that day and it must have been visible because Andrea's words suddenly trailed off.

"Please don't bring that up. It was two years ago and I'm over it." She really was over him. She barely even thought about Mike because he didn't deserve any more of her time. But if she was being completely honest with herself, the pain was still there just below the surface and while she was over Mike, she hadn't completely moved past what he'd put her through.

Andrea shook her head apologetically and took a breath before speaking again.

"I'm sorry, it's just that it's been so long since we've seen you let anyone in!"

"Yeah and you deserve to be happy, love", Maggie agreed with a nod. Sasha chose that moment to jump in and pile on too.

"So forgive us for being all up in your business but it's good to see you so happy!" Michonne should've known she wasn't going to be able to escape wine night without talking about Rick but she did know that her friend's nosiness was coming from a place of love. She shook her head in defeat and chuckled before taking a deep breath.

"Ok, ok! Y'all are relentless…I don't know how it happened so fast but I've completely fallen for this guy. When he kisses me, it feels like…I don't know…like he's worshipping me…"

"So he's a good kisser?" It was like opening the floodgates; once she started talking about Rick, she couldn't stop.

"Oh yeah…my knees literally went weak the first time…" Andrea gasped in shock and slapped her arm.

"First time? So you kissed him more than once, you hussy?!"

"It was only twice and the second time…I swear I saw stars…", she answered with a laugh as Maggie cleared her throat.

"…and scandalized a small town on a Sunday morning from what I heard." Michonne's eyes widened and she stared at Maggie incredulously.

"Oh my god! How did you…never mind, I know what you're going to say. It's a small town." She dropped her head into her hands and groaned loudly at the news that she really was the talk talk of King County.

"My sister filled me in when I called her yesterday. From what she said, it sounded pretty hot!" Again, she felt her face growing hotter by the second both from embarrassment and the memory of being in Rick's arms.

"We were both so wrapped up in it that we kinda forgot we were out in public!"

"Damn girl! What is this guy doing to you?" She looked up at Sasha and shrugged.

"I don't know! He makes me feel things I haven't felt in a long time. Even though I know I should slow things down, I don't want to. I just want to be with him…doesn't that sound insane?" Maggie smiled brightly and gave her hand a tight squeeze.

"It sounds like you need to stop worrying about how fast it's going and just enjoy it." Andrea nodded and finished the last of her Pinot Noir.

"Maggie's right. Embrace the happiness…and him…every chance you get!" Michonne laughed and knowing the conversation couldn't end until each of them had their say, she looked over to Sasha to give her verdict.

"If it doesn't work out, we'll kick his ass but you'll be fine…but if it does…it could be everything." As Michonne looked around the table at the three women who had become like sisters to her over the last few years, she knew that they were right.

"You guys are the best friends anyone could ask for…I'll try my best to stop overthinking it", she grinned and signaled for the waiter before she continued, "but now that we're done analyzing my love life, can we please order more wine!"

"Before we do that…I have something to tell you all." The other three sets of eyes at the table turned to look at the newlywed. Michonne took the initiative to jump in and ask.

"What is it?" Maggie shook her head with a laugh.

"I'm really surprised none of you noticed that I'm not having wine…that I haven't been having wine for a few weeks now…" Michonne's lawyer brain went into overdrive but before she could get her mouth to catch up with her brain, she heard Sasha gasp.

"Oh my god! You're pregnant!" Maggie's face exploded with joy as she began giggling uncontrollably.

"Yes! I'm due in January and now you all know the real reason the wedding moved up from June." Michonne leaned over toward Maggie and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"I'm so happy for you! I know Glenn must be ecstatic!" Maggie nodded and squeezed her back.

"He is…we both are and I can't wait to introduce this little one to their three aunties!"

Michonne sat back in her seat and smiled to herself and listened as Maggie was bombarded with questions from Sasha and Andrea. She made a mental note to text Glenn as soon as she got home. She'd known him her whole life and he'd never been able to keep a secret but somehow he'd kept this one from her. For the first time since she'd met him, Rick was the farthest thing from her mind as she thought of all the ways to give Glenn a hard time about keeping secrets.

XX

Saturday

Rick Grimes would like FaceTime…

Michonne smiled to herself as she accepted the call and was greeted by Rick's smiling face. His hair was hidden by a Braves cap, pulled low over his eyes which were made even more blue by the navy t-shirt he wore. The greying scuff on his cheeks was a little more pronounced, giving his face a more rugged look. She hoped he didn't shave it before their date the next day because she couldn't wait to feel it beneath her fingertips and against her skin.

"Hey handsome…"

"God, you're pretty!" Even though she knew he was exaggerating, she lowered her eyes and blushed demurely at his compliment.

"Liar…I'm just getting home from the gym so I know I'm a sweaty mess!" He shook his head emphatically and kept smiling at her through the phone.

"No, you're beautiful and nothing could make me think otherwise."

"Well, thank you and you're not so bad yourself with that country boy thing you have going on right now." He looked just as good in a t shirt and baseball cap as he did in the suit he'd worn to the wedding. Not to mention how he was somehow able to make that drab khaki sheriffs office uniform look good. She smiled to herself when those memes about getting a man who can do both came to mind.

"I'm glad you like it because this is me at my most…me", he explained with a laugh. She was about to let him know that wearing a t shirt with her hair pulled back was pretty much her natural state, when she was distracted by the sound of children laughing.

"Are you FaceTiming me from Sophia's birthday party?"

"Hey, I'm between supervision shifts and I needed the reprieve. I'll take jailhouse duty over managing a dozen ten year olds any day!"

"That's pretty bad! So what did you and your one ten year old get into last night?"

"I grilled some hot dogs and we camped out in the backyard. Shane stopped by for a little while and we had a very competitive game of Uno.", he answered with a shrug.

"That sounds like a lot of fun!" He nodded and grinned back at her.

"Oh it was…and there may have been s'mores involved…", he teased, immediately making her crave the chocolaty concoction.

"Are you trying to make my mouth water?! I bet Carl loved that!"

"He did! I was just glad to get him out of his video games for a little while." He was entirely too humble and it made her want to reach through the phone and pull him into a hug.

"You're a great dad…"

"I'm doing my best for him."

"Good, because that's all you can do." There was a short pause as she let her words sit with him for a minute. She could sense that it was what he needed to hear. Finally, the moment passed and his focus completely returned to her.

"Did you finally decide where we're going tomorrow night?", he asked with a half-smile.

"I'm still thinking…" She didn't mean to sound whiny but he'd been asking her that question all week. He'd asked her to pick the place for their date because he didn't know Atlanta that well. At the time, she'd readily agreed but since then, she'd struggled with it. Nothing seemed perfect enough.

"You're still gonna be thinking when I show up on your doorstep." It was her turn to shrug and she made sure to add a teasing grin.

"Maybe…I guess you'll just have to wait and see." He smiled and she noticed his eyes had turned darker and the emotion in them was palpable even through the screen. He pulled his lower lip through his teeth and it sent a shiver through her as she remember the way those lips felt against hers.

He'd just opened his mouth to speak when she saw a little dark head pop into view behind him.

"DAD! Can I have another piece of cake?" Rick turned around and she laughed to herself as she watched him try to guard the screen. Her eyes widened as Carl maneuvered to slide between his father and the phone peering into the screen. She inhaled deeply as anxiety settled in on her. Meeting Rick's son was not on her agenda for the day, not because she didn't want to but because it was yet another thing happening very fast.

"Carl!" Rick had tried to sound firm but Michonne could hear his exasperation. Carl ignored him completely and continued to stare at her in confusion. His dark hair was a little long and it fell across his eyes that matched his dad's.

"Who are you talking to?" She heard Rick sigh before his face appeared next to Carl's in the screen. Side by side, she could really see how much they looked alike and she could immediately tell that Carl was going to be a heartbreaker when he got older.

"Carl, this is Miss Michonne." She took Rick's introduction as her cue to push her nervousness to the side and smile and wave to Carl.
"Hi Carl." She heard the tremor in her voice and she told herself to calm down. He was just a ten year old boy…a ten year old boy who was the absolute light of his father's life…a ten year old boy whom she desperately wanted to like her.

"Hi…I like your shirt." She glanced down to remind herself which shirt she was wearing. It was her oversized Captain America shirt she liked wearing to the gym because it was long enough to cover her bottom. She gave Carl a full, toothy grin as she realized she had an in.

"Thanks! Are you a Captain America fan?" His face lit up like the Atlanta skyline.

"Yeah! Civil War was so cool but Spiderman was my favorite!"

"I liked it too but I think Black Panther was my favorite."

"He was amazing! I can't wait for that movie! I told my dad we have to see them both in IMAX." She nodded her agreement but decided to offer him another option.

"IMAX is cool but Dolby Cinema is the way to go. The sound is so good the chairs even shake!" Carl's eyes went wide.

"Really?!"

"Oh yeah! I think there's one in Morrow which isn't too far from where you live." She couldn't help but laugh at the look of excitement on Carl's face. He turned to his father who was wearing an amused little grin.

"Dad! We have got to see them in Dolby Cinema!" He turned back to the camera with excitement still shining in his eyes. "Are you going to come with us to see them?" She glanced at Rick and was stuck by the happiness that was written all over his face. If he allowed her to make plans with his son, he was telling her that he planned to still be with her in February and maybe even in May which was over a year away. It would tell her that even though they'd only known each other for a week, he was all in. From the look in his eyes, she could tell he knew that too.

Her heart jumped in her chest when he nodded without hesitation and she turned back to Carl, pretending to think about the question.

"I'll go…as long as we go opening night and eat popcorn with M&Ms. Deal?" Carl nodded and burst into a wide smile.

"Deal!" There was a brief pause as Carl's expression changed back to his original questioning one. "Are you my dad's girlfriend?" The question pulled a nervous cough from her and stunned her with it's suddenness. When Rick placed his hands on the boys shoulders and called time on the conversation, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Carl, say bye to Miss Michonne and go on and get your cake."

"But dad…", he protested, as he turned back to his dad. Rick shook his head and stayed firm.

"Go on…" Carls shoulders slumped when he realized his dad wasn't playing. He turned back to the phone and waved his hand at her.

"Bye, Miss Michonne!" How was it possible that she already adored that kid?

"Bye Carl and you can just call me Michonne." She winked at him and he grinned back at her before turning his back to the camera. He was facing Rick, but she was still able to hear him, in a loud whisper, give her the best endorsement a kid could give.

"She's really cool, dad!" She couldn't see the expression on Rick's face but she did see his hand lovingly ruffle his son's hair.

"Yeah, she is. Now get going!" Rick turned back to the camera as Carl ran off. "Sorry about that. I think he heard Shane refer to you as my girlfriend last night..."

"I should've known…" Rick pulled off his baseball cap and ran a hand through his wavy, dark hair refusing to meet her eyes.

"...and since that is what you are…" Her brain slowed to a crawl as she processed those words. They'd joked about being in a relationship earlier in the week, but it had been a long time since she'd been anyone's girlfriend. For some reason, that sounded more serious than just saying they were in a relationship.

"Am I now?" He dragged his gaze back to her and behind the anxiety she was in his eyes, there was hope.

"You are if you want to be." His words were firm and confident like he'd never been so sure of anything in his life. His certainty made her more certain that things were going just they way they were supposed to go.

"I want to be." He smiled broadly and pulled his cap back on his head as relief settled in.

"Thank God! I mean, you just met my son! What kind of father would I be if I let a woman who wasn't my girlfriend do that?" He was entirely too cute and she couldn't help but giggle.

"I'm glad I got to meet him and your Best Dad status is still in tact…but you should probably get off the phone if you want it to stay that way!"

"Yeah, you're probably right…", he agreed, "…by the way, that picture you sent me of us at the reception…"

"What about it?" He shook his head slightly as his lips curved into a playful grin.

"I love it! I'm thinking about printing it and framing it for my desk at work just so I can see you and your gorgeous smile every day." She covered her face with her hands and laughed out loud. It was like he was reading her mind because she'd thought about doing the same thing.

"Honestly…I made it the wallpaper on my phone so I can see those pretty blue eyes of yours to tide me over until I can see them in person again." He bit that bottom lip of his again and she watched his eyes trace the angles of her face like he was trying to commit it to memory.

"I can't wait to see you…in person." His voice came out as whisper but the emotion behind the words were perfectly clear.

"Me either. I'll talk to you later?" The breathiness of her voice surprised even her and caused Rick to clear his throat before speaking.

"Sooner is better…"

"Stealing my lines now Sergeant?" The was a hint of mischievousness in his eyes that reminded her of Carl's right before he asked her the girlfriend question.

"Just borrowing."

"Mmm hmm…bye Rick."

"Bye...oh and get ready to be thoroughly kissed when I see you tomorrow." His eyes had regained that darkness from earlier and his words held nothing but promise. She smiled to herself and leaned her head to one side giving him the same caress with her eyes that he'd given her. Suddenly, she knew exactly what she wanted their date the next night to be and her mind began to race with things she needed to do before the next day.

She pulled herself back into the moment and this time, she bit her own lip as her mouth curved into a smile.

"Rick Grimes…you better be a man of your word."

XX

A/N:

Phone conversations…check

Carchonne…check

Love scene…stay tuned!

As always, please review! :)