A/N: Thank you for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews! Your comments are seriously the best thing ever! I enjoy them so much, you have no idea. I look forward to them just as much as you look forward to new chapters! :) Here we go…

I Dare You

Inspired by: I Dare You by The XX

Michonne had been an early riser ever since she was a child. If she had to trace it back to something, it was probably the fact that her parents always had jobs that made them have to get up at the crack of dawn which meant she did too so that they could make sure she got to daycare and later, school. After Noah was born, they got up even earlier to make sure they had time for the multiple drop off locations.

In high school, it was early period honors classes during the week and a job working at a grocery store on weekends to save money for college which was more of the same. Clark Atlanta wasn't cheap even with living at home and a handful of partial scholarships and grants. Then she'd met Mike and he was pre-med with a course load just as demanding as hers and they had to grab any time they could to be together. Sleep was a luxury between school, work, and being in her first real relationship.

Her full scholarship to the University of Virginia Law School made things easier but she was still up early every day for class or to study. Mike was at medical school back in Atlanta so her early mornings and late nights were filled with phone conversations to catch up on their lives. She was young, ambitious, and in love and the lack of sleep seemed more than worth it at the time.

When she came back to Atlanta for her job with the District Attorney's office, she'd been living with Mike and he liked to get up early to go to the gym. She'd go with him most days, just to have a little bit of time together before they both spent long days trying to build their new careers. Later, it was excitement over wedding planning that pulled her out of bed on days she didn't have to work, followed by months of not being able to sleep at all because her brain was too busy searching for any clues she might have missed or things she had to have done wrong to make Mike do what he did.

When she'd finally stopped blaming herself for what happened, she'd thrown herself into her work, fitness classes, binge-watching shows on Netflix, and anything else she could think of to fill the hole Mike had left her with; things that made sure she was out of bed and out of her head before 8AM.

So as she laid in her bed staring at Rick curled up on his side next to her, she noticed the clock on the nightstand behind him read 11:15am and she had a hard time remembering the last time she'd stayed in bed that late. They were supposed to be at Sasha and Abe's by 3:00 and and she still had no desire to get up.

He must've driven to Atlanta right after his shift because when he'd arrived at her house a little after midnight, he was still in his sheriff's office uniform giving her another chance to tell him how good he looked in it. She meant it too. She worked around men in sheriffs uniforms all day but none of them had ever captured her attention like he did. If she was being honest, it was the man inside the sheriff's uniform that had her so totally enraptured. He checked boxes she didn't even know she had before she met him. God forbid they ever fought because all he'd have to do was give her one of those slow smiles and say her name with that rough drawl of his and she'd forgive him anything.

One of said smiles was on his lips as he dropped his duffel bag on the floor by the door, and enveloped her in his warm embrace burying his face in the side of her neck.

"I missed you", he whispered as he left a trail of kisses down her neck to her collarbone. She sighed, thinking about how he'd never truly left her thoughts all week. She could only smile and hold him a little closer.

"I missed you too."

She warmed up some leftover Chinese food and they ate at the kitchen island as he told her about his day. It had become a habit to call each other at the end of the day and catch each other up on the day's events. While her calls were pretty regular, his were all over the place depending on his shift. He told her all about busting a mobile meth lab on the outskirts of the county that the sheriff's office had gotten a tip about. He and Shane had ended up chasing one of the suspects around a field for nearly an hour and she had to laugh when he admitted that neither of them were as young as they used to be.

She'd told him about the case she was working and how much she wanted to win it so the defendant would be locked up for the rest of his life and unable to hurt anyone again. When she'd gotten a little choked up talking about the 12 year old victim, he'd taken her hand in his, held it close to his heart and told her not to worry because she was going to win. There had been so much certainty and confidence in his eyes that some of it leapt over to her and she became a little more sure of winning too.

Even though it was the picture of domesticity, she felt it was a perfect night. T'Challa had even behaved himself more than usual. He sat and silently glared at Rick from across the room instead of actively trying to scratch or bite him. It was slight progress and as she gave Rick the tour she'd failed to give him the week before, the cat followed them from room to room.

Even though he'd tried his best to hide it, she'd noticed his yawns and red eyes so she'd taken him to her bedroom where she'd helped him out of his uniform and into her bed. When she climbed in next to him, he dragged her into his arms so that her head was resting on his bare chest and she'd draped her arm across his torso and her leg slid between his.

"Good night, Michonne…", he'd said, planting kiss on the top of her head as his fingertips gently brushed against her arm.

"Good night…" She'd kissed his chest and closed her eyes, content to let his gentle breathing lull her to sleep.

Those events and a very comfortable night of rest using him as her pillow, led her to that moment of watching him sleep as the sun peeked through the blinds casting its light across the room and the bed. He looked so calm as he slept, but she couldn't resist running her fingertips against the rough stubble on his cheeks and across his full, pink lips. His dark eyelashes fluttered for just a second but he didn't wake up so she shifted a little closer to him and slid her hand up to those silky curls at the nape of his neck that she loved. She smiled to herself thinking about how she'd already decided that he was never allowed to completely cut off those curls or else.

She slid closer until their foreheads and noses were touching and closed her eyes, breathing him in. That feeling was there again. The one that made her feel like she was a teenager getting drunk for the first time off Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill at a high school graduation party. He made her feel so out of control but so grounded all at the same time. She couldn't explain it. All she did know was that she loved everything about the way he made her feel. Overtime she was reminded of a poem by Nikki Giovanni where she wrote, I love you because you saw me one Friday afternoon and decided that I would love you…

That's how it happened for her on a Friday afternoon in King County when he'd stepped out of his comfort zone for her and when she saw him out there, using every ounce of confidence he had to remain standing, she had to step out of her comfort zone to join him.

Back in the day, her friends would've teased her and called her "sprung". They would've been wrong because it was more than that. She loved him and even she knew it was absolutely crazy. If anyone had asked her a month ago if she believed that you could fall in love with someone so quickly, she would've laughed in their faces but here she was irrevocably in love with Rick after two weeks.

She still had to quiet that little voice of doubt living in the darkest corners of her mind trying to plant seeds of caution; the part of her that had given up on love after having her heart broken so callously. It was a constant battle to not let that voice take over her thoughts but one that she was willing to fight it. Rick was worth it.

Her reverie was interrupted by his hand finding its way to her hip and she opened her eyes to find his cerulean eyes open and shining at her.

"I could get used to waking up like this…" She grinned at the sound of his raspy morning voice and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Me too." His hand had moved from her hip and slid underneath her tank top and his fingers were tracing circles across her stomach. "Good morning…"

"Good morning…" He drawled as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. "I'm sorry for falling asleep on you last night…"

"It's ok. I think chasing bad guys through the fields of King County earns you a pass. Besides, you're awake now…" Her hand returned to the nape of his neck and pulled him in closer, parting her lips beneath the gentle pressure of his. The hand that had been on her stomach had moved around to her back to push her body toward him until her breasts were squeezed against his chest. She sighed as his tongue slipped past her teeth to tangle with hers.

His kiss lit a fire inside of her and it left her emboldened enough to push him onto his back and climb on top of him. His rumble of laughter broke their kiss and she sat up on her knees and just looked down at his handsome face for a minute.

"Are you saying we need to make up for lost time?" He was a beautiful man by any measure and he was looking at her like she'd hung the moon. The love she saw in his eyes was overwhelming and she hoped that he saw the same reflected in hers.

"That is exactly what I'm saying." She pulled her tank top over her head and threw it to the side, enjoying the way his eyes widened and his mouth fell open in awe. She took his strong hands in hers and brought them up to her lips before leaving them to cup her breasts.

"My god…you're so beautiful…", he mumbled, dragging his thumbs in circles across her hardened nipples and sending shivers throughout her body. She already felt him hardening beneath her and she trailed her hands down the flat plane of his stomach, her fingertips dancing across his abs to his pelvis.

"So are you…" His expression changed as his hands slid up to her neck and pulled her down to crush his lips against hers. He kissed her desperately and she felt it all the way down to her soul. She slid her body against his, grinding against his thigh as their kiss turned even more passionate.

His hands moved around to her back where she felt his fingers tightening against her skin before moving lower to slip into the back of her boy shorts. She gasped against his mouth when he took her behind in both of his hands and started gently kneading it. While his hands were busy with his favorite part of her body, hers returned to a favorite part of his. She captured his face in her hands and took control of the kiss away from him; drinking him in to the point where they were sharing the same breath.

She needed him and he seemed to know it because he slowly started dragging her underwear off her body. She allowed one hand to leave his face to slide down his chest and into his boxers where she found him ready and waiting to be freed. Reluctantly, she broke their kiss and rested her forehead against his as she reached for the nightstand drawer. Once she found what she was looking for, she sat up on her knees so that she was straddling him and smiled down at the look of wonder he had etched across his features. He always looked at her like he was amazed she was there; like she was part of a wonderful dream that he could wake up from at any minute.

"I'm not going anywhere…", she mused and as if he could read her thoughts, he smiled and nodded.

"You'd better not." She opened the foil packet and he sucked his breath in through his teeth and bit his lip as she unrolled the latex around him. His face turned an even deeper shade of pink as his breathing became more erratic and he sucked in his breath through his slightly parted lips.

She raised herself up slightly before slowly sinking down to fill herself with him, making his eyes slam shut and a guttural moan shake them both. She wanted to look at him. The way his face contorted in pleasure was too much of a turn on and she wanted to take it all in but she couldn't. Every time she moved, he just felt too good. Giving up, her head fell back and her eyes fluttered closed as she began to slowly roll her hips.

"Shit…Michonne…you feel so damn good…" His hands were on her hips as she moved her hips in slow circles using her hands to brace herself against his abdomen. He'd ceded complete control to her and he was only along for the ride as she set an achingly torturous pace.

"You like that?" His deep moans were answer enough but he also managed to give her a verbal response in a breathy rush.

"God, yes…" She tried to focus on the glorious sensations moving through her body as she rode him, her mind becoming just as filled up as her body was. She didn't realize he'd sat up until she felt his hands and mouth on her breast. His tongue repeatedly swept across her nipple adding to the pool of desire building inside of her. After spending what felt like hours on one, he moved to the other giving it the same expert attention. He held her even closer so his mouth could explore the space between her breasts, to the hollow of her throat, to her chin, and finally to her mouth where he claimed it definitively.

"You taste good too…I could kiss you all day…" He breathed those words between kisses and all she could do was hum in response. She was way past the point of words but she loved hearing him talk. The country drawl was more prominent when he was turned on and it stuck a chord in her that heightened her desire for him.

Her pace had grown frenzied, her breathing was out of control and she could tell that he was barely hanging on but he continued letting her have her way with him. His lips traveled along her jawline and up to her ear, his breath hot as he growled, "I love you, Michonne…god I love you…"

That was all it took to unleash the torrent of emotions that had been building inside of her. Her own voice was nearly unrecognizable shouting his name as her body tightened around him in wave after wave of unyielding rapture. She squeezed her eyes shut as she fought against the lightheadedness that threatened to overtake her.

He swallowed her moans with a kiss and took over control since she had released the reigns. Before she knew it, she was being pounded into the mattress as he hit her with thrust after soul shattering thrust. She almost couldn't believe it when she felt that familiar tightening like the coiling of a spring and she squeezed his body between her arms and thighs. Her nails dug into his back leaving red tracks across the pale skin there.

She was at a point where she though she might be able to form sentences again but she wasn't sure how long that was going to last. She wanted to tell him before she was overcome again. He'd made sure she heard his heart and he deserved to hear hers too.

"…love you…Rick…I-love you…" It was all she could manage but it was enough. His thrusts became a little bit harder and he finally let go. He shattered in her arms in a cacophony of curses, grunts and moans but through it all she heard her name as his body stiffened above her. That, mixed with a few more shallow thrusts was enough to help turn her back into a quivering mess right along with him.

Exhausted, he collapsed on top of her with his head resting on her shoulder and that's how they stayed as they struggled to return to reality. She ran her fingers through his hair and planted a few kisses on the top of his head until his breathing returned to normal. When it did, he lifted his head to look at her, his eyes looking like dark blue pools she wanted to dive into. He kissed her again, slowly, like they had all day to stay in that bed enjoying each other. As much as she wanted that, she knew they couldn't.

"Rick…the party starts in a couple of hours…" He sighed but continued to kiss her cheek and jawbone.

"I can't believe you expect me to move after that." Her laugh shook them both and she kissed his shoulder.

"Just think…the faster we get to this party, the faster we can leave it." He raised up off of her and rolled over onto his back groaning deeply and covering his face with his hands.

"Yeah…ok. I do have an idea though." She sat up on her elbow and smirked at him.

"What's that?" He looked over at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye and she wondered how anyone could ever not love him.

"Sharing a shower would be a time saver, don't you think?" She shook her head and laughed as she calculated how long it would take for them both to get showered, dressed, and across Atlanta to Abraham's birthday party. They were already going to be late, she figured. Might as well be late for a good reason.

"No, I don't. But I'm willing to give it try."

XXXXX

"I'm not even going to ask why you were late today…" Michonne turned her attention away from chopping tomatoes for the salad to find Sasha smiling at her as she put the finishing touches on her famous deviled eggs.

"It was traffic…" Sasha rolled her eyes and grabbed the paprika.

"Traffic? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?" Michonne could feel heat rising to her cheeks and she refused to look as Sasha because she knew that if she did, the truth would be written all over her face. Rick's shower idea had gone exactly how she'd expected it to go, making them even later than she originally thought. She wouldn't have traded that time for anything though. He smelled like coconut and shea butter again, but he still didn't care so neither did she.

"Sasha…"

"Girl, you know I'm teasing you. I'm glad you're happy, Michonne! Rick seems like he's one of the good ones." She glanced out of the kitchen window and found Rick with a beer in his hand, talking to Glenn and Maggie while Abe ran the grill. Of course she focused on her man and she was relieved to see how relaxed he looked out there with her friends. His Braves cap was pulled low over his eyes and he had his head cocked to one side and was smiling at whatever Maggie was saying. She sighed to herself and went back to chopping the salad.

"He's definitely a keeper."

"I can tell. You're practically glowing and he walked in her with his arm around your waist like he was letting everybody know he wasn't going anywhere! The man's got swagger! You'd never think he was about to face the firing squad." She frowned and raised an eyebrow at Sasha.

"What firing squad? Abe and Glenn welcomed him into their little brotherhood as soon as they saw the kind of beer he brought!" Sasha laughed but not before she shook the spoon she was holding at her.

"Yes they did, but you cheated by telling him their favorite kind! Abe didn't get that luxury when he met all of you…" She tossed the tomatoes into the bowl with the lettuce and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"That was because you enjoyed watching him squirm." A pink blush crept across Sasha's face and she just shrugged.

"Yeah, he's cute when he's uncomfortable. Doesn't matter though. Daryl and Andrea aren't here yet and there's no bribing either of them to behave." Sasha and Abe were the most unlikely match but they were so happy and Michonne was so happy for them both.

"Yeah, I know…" She was cut off by Maggie breezing through the door carrying the empty tray the meat had been on.

"Y'all should hear them out there! Not one of the three has a lick of sense! Rick fits right in with them!" She put the the tray in the sink and turned back to her friends. "What are y'all talking about in here?"

"Nothing…just Michonne's smoking hot new man!"

"Oh my god, I know! He's such a sweetheart too! But I already knew that from the way people back home talk about him." Maggie gave her a big grin and rested her hand on Michonne's arm. "You've obviously got him wrapped around your finger already…"

"That's not the only thing she's got him wrapped around…", Sasha mumbled with a secretive smile. Maggie raised her eyebrows and joined Sasha in looking at Michonne like they were waiting for her to give every little detail of what she and Rick were up to in the bedroom.

"Really? Spill it, girl!" Michonne shook her head and started chopping cucumbers for the salad.

"Really? Are we 16 or something?" Sasha and Maggie exchanged a look before Maggie sighed and lovingly squeezed her arm.

"Come on, Chonne! Give us old married ladies something to think about!"

"You two have got to be kidding me…FINE! It's…" Her thoughts were jumbled and she couldn't think of the right words to describe what Rick made her feel.

"DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE UNTIL I GET IN THERE!" All three women laughed as Andrea walked into the kitchen wearing a smirk on her pretty face and immediately hugged them all.

"Andrea! You made it!" She nodded and her eyes immediately travelled beck to Michonne.

"Yeah and just in time for the dirt! You can continue now…"

"He makes me feel…everything…all the way down into my bones. When we're…together…I feel whole." The three of them glanced at each other before running over and wrapping their arms around her.

"AWWW! We're so happy for you!" That's why she loved the three women in that kitchen so much. They were the most supportive friends anyone could ever ask for.

"No that's it! You know I don't kiss and tell.." Sasha grinned over at Maggie and Andrea.

"You don't have to. All we have to do is look at either of you to know that y'all really love getting stuck in traffic!" Michonne rolled her eyes at Sasha's little innuendo but Maggie caught on fast and started laughing uncontrollably leaving Andrea the odd person out.

"Stuck in traffic? What the hell does that even mean?"

XXXXX

"Listen to them in there cackling like a bunch of hens in a hen house…" Rick laughed to himself as Abraham took another swig of his beer and poked at the chicken and steaks on the grill.

"If Sasha heard you talking like that, she'd kick your ass, Abe…", Glenn chimed in causing Abe to break into a wide grin.

"She'd probably just call me an idiot and I've never claimed otherwise." Abe laughed and turned his attention back to him. "So…you and Michonne…what's going on there?" Rick just shrugged and looked up at the burly red head with the handlebar mustache. If he wasn't going to get into it with his own best friend, he wasn't about to get into with her friends.

"We're dating…getting to know each other a little better." Dating seemed like a horribly inadequate word for what they were doing but it was the only one he could think of. There wasn't a word to encompass what they were to each other after such a short amount of time that any one could understand.

"Just so you know, that fine woman deserves the whole world. If you ain't gonna be the one to give it to her, just move the hell on." Abe spoke with conviction and it Rick respected that. Glenn stepped up and gave Abe a pat on the back.

"Abraham, give the man a break!" Rick could tell that Glenn was the peacemaker of the group. He'd been the first to greet him after Sasha and Maggie and had pretty much talked and asked him questions nonstop ever since the ladies sequestered Michonne in the kitchen.

"What? I'm just looking out for Chonne…", said Abe, turning his attention back to his steaks as Glenn turned back to him.

"Sorry about him. He's a little low on social skills." Rick nodded and shrugged.

"No, I understand. I'm glad she has friends like you." He meant that too. It had only been an hour or so but he could tell they were good people. He'd never been a person who had dozens of friends. Of course he was friendly and could hang out with the guys with the best of them, but Shane was probably the only one he considered a true friend and they'd know each other since birth. Abe and Glenn seemed like the type of guys he could add to that friends list. Glenn was funny and friendly and Abe was definitely a nut but in a good way.

Glenn glanced back toward the house and Rick followed his gaze to where he could see Michonne, Maggie, and Sasha laughing through the window. A blonde woman he hadn't met yet had joined them and it looked like they were having a ball in there.

"Yeah…Michonne is like my sister. Me, Daryl, Sasha, and Michonne lived on the same street growing up and Abe and Maggie married into the madness."

"They're kind of a package deal if you get what I'm saying. Like a buy one get three free kind of thing."

The sound of a motorcycle filled the air around them and a few minutes later the man Rick recognized as Daryl came walking through the back gate dressed all in black with motorcycle boots despite the heat. He was smoking a cigarette and he barely gave him a second glance before walking over to greet them.

"Hey…y'all got another one of those beers?" Abe reached into the cooler and tossed a bottle to Daryl who used the edge of the picnic table to pop the cap.

"Daryl, you know Rick? He's here with Michonne." He could feel Daryl looking him up and down but he stood tall under the scrutiny. Something had told him that Daryl would be the difficult one. He'd been living in King County for a couple years running an auto repair shop with his brother Merle. Now Merle was probably the biggest asshole in the county and when Rick was still a deputy, he'd been called in the deal with Merle plenty of times. Daryl on the other hand was quiet. In fact, the only person in town he seemed to actually have conversations with was Carol at the diner. He'd sometimes wondered what they could possibly be talking about because they seemed like they were at completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

"Hey, Daryl. Nice to officially meet you." He extended his hand in greeting, but Daryl ignored it completely and kept drinking his beer. He cleared his throat and retracted his hand.

"I seen you around town", Daryl rasped and Rick nodded.

"Yeah…you too." They silently stared at each other a little longer, sizing each other up and Rick heard the message he was sending loud and clear. If he hurt Michonne, Daryl was going to hurt him plain and simple. The thing was that Daryl and the rest of her friends had absolutely nothing to worry about. If he hurt Michonne, he'd deserve every bit of their wrath.

"Where the girls at?" Glenn nodded toward the house and Daryl headed that way immediately. Abe flipped the steaks and yelled after him.

"Daryl! Tell them the steaks are almost done so they need to shake a tail feather with the rest of the food." They watched as Daryl disappeared into the house and Glenn turned to Rick as soon as he was gone.

"Don't take it personally. He's not much of a talker." That was an understatement if he'd ever heard one. Rick nodded and finished what was left of his beer.

"I can tell." It was only a few minutes later when everyone poured out of the house with Michonne and Daryl pulling up the rear. He was talking and Michonne was laughing at whatever he was saying but right in the middle of it she glanced over and winked at him.

He felt a blush creep onto his cheeks as he watched her make her way over to them; spending a little too long thinking about how alluring her legs looked in the red shorts she was wearing and how much he enjoyed having those legs wrapped around him.

They placed all of the side dishes on the table as Abe cleared the steaks and chicken from the grill while proclaiming that their tastebuds were about to go on an extra special journey. Michonne moved to stand next to him and took his hand in hers.

"Everything good out here?" Her warm brown eyes looked almost golden in the sun and it was a struggle to remember that they weren't alone. He squeezed her hand and nodded.

"It's great."

"All right you two! Stop eye fucking each other so we can eat!" He could only laugh as Michonne rolled her eyes and led him over to the table as Abe's proclamation earned him a slap on the back of the head from Sasha.

"I can't believe I married an idiot…"

"Darlin…I've never claimed otherwise. Now, let's eat!"

The food was delicious and so was the conversation. He was introduced to Andrea, Michonne's friend from work, who reminded him of a female version of Shane. He was intrigued by the thought of those two meeting one day and the fireworks that were sure to go off. Andrea was also the only one to give him a real third degree. After she was done with him, he felt like he'd been on the witness stand for real. The only thing that made it stop was Michonne giving her a look he couldn't read, but obviously Andrea could.

Later, after Happy Birthday had been sung and cake had been eaten, they sat around and Rick got to listen as they told stories about their friendship and they were more than willing to share embarrassing ones featuring Michonne.

"Do you guys remember the time we went to visit Michonne at UVA and we were trying to go to that club in Richmond and we were stopped at the top of this hill but it was raining so hard that you couldn't see the road…" Sasha started and Michonne closed her eyes and shook her head with a laugh.

"Oh my god…and Glenn was driving and we thought the road curved but it didn't…" Rick had to smile at the little sheepish look she had on her face. It might've been the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

"And y'all dumbasses ended up stuck on some damn railroad tracks!" Daryl added his part with a disgusted little snort.

"Holy shitballs! How have I never heard this story?!" Abe's face was red with amusement. Sasha shook her head at her husband and wagged her finger at Daryl.

"What do you mean, y'all? You were there too, Mr. Dixon!" He shook his head and took a long drag from his cigarette.

"But it was you three that thought the road curved!"

"Whatever!" Michonne dismissed him with a wave of her hand but at that point, Rick was more interested in how the story turned out.

"What happened?", he asked. Glenn shrugged and he could've sworn he saw his cheeks turning a little pink.

"We tried to push it off but it was really stuck and this was before everybody had cellphones…", he began but then Michonne jumped in.

"…so Daryl saw some blue lights flashing at the top of the hill so he goes running up there to get help…" Sasha was laughing almost uncontrollably at that point, so much so that she had to pause. Rick glanced at the faces of the other people at the table who were not involved with the story and Abe, Maggie and Andrea were all laughing just as much as he was. His attention returned to Glenn who was continuing with the story.

"…and this car drives by on the road that we obviously drove off of and this guy asked if we needed help. We're like yeah, but then we let Michonne drive off with this total stranger…" Having slightly regained her composure, Sasha nodded and reached for Michonne's hand.

"…and 30 seconds later we were like shit, we just let our friend get into a stranger's car and drive away! We're never going to see her again!" Rick spun his attention incredulously to Michonne who was covering her eyes with her hand. His mind immediately started running away with all of the different horrible scenarios that could've happened because of how stupid that decision was.

"Idiots didn't get a license plate or nothing!" Daryl complained, but Rick could tell he was trying not to smile. Michonne dropped her head against Rick's shoulder and he could feel her smile.

"In hindsight, that was the absolute dumbest thing I've ever done but he was nice! He drove me around until we saw a police car."

"Meanwhile, we were completely panicking at this point thinking not only do we have to get off these tracks but we have to file a missing persons report on Michonne! But then Daryl comes back with the police car from the top of the hill and Michonne comes back about 5 minutes later with two more police cars."

"So there we are stuck on railroad tracks in the pouring rain surrounded by three police cars with their lights flashing and everything!"

"Me and Michonne climbed into the back of one of the police cars and Daryl and Glenn stayed out in the rain with the cops as they figured out how to get it unstuck."

"How'd they do it?" Maggie asked.

"They were finally able to push the damn thing off with one of the police cars." Daryl answered.

"Then one of the cops told us that we were about a mile away from the worst neighborhood between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta", Michonne added.

"Needless to say, we never made it to the club", said Glenn and Sasha nodded her agreement.

"No. We went and ate nachos at this restaurant looking like a bunch of drowned rats but it was still a fun night!"

"It was so much fun!", Michonne was laughing but Glenn only shook his head disbelievingly.

"I don't know if fun is the word. When my dad saw the scrapes on the bottom of the car he was pissed and I told him I ran over a traffic cone! Imagine if I'd told him the truth!" Maggie smiled and hugged his shoulders.

"Aww…Daddy Rhee would've gotten over it!"

"The Daddy Rhee you know is not same one I had at 22! He's mellowed out a lot!"

As everyone else at the table fell into separate conversations, Rick placed a gentle hand on Michonne's knee and she looked up at him with her eyes still teary from laughing so hard.

"Tell me you're not getting into cars with strange men anymore…" She slapped his leg and started laughing again.

"That was the only time, I swear!" Sasha must have heard and she raised an eyebrow and leaned over to him conspiratorially.

"That wasn't her first time in the back of a police car…but that is a story for another time…", She tried to whisper but Michonne heard every word and her eyes went wide. Rick leaned his head to the side and smirked at her.

"Is that a fact?" Michonne couldn't even look at him. She only glared at Sasha.

"Shut up, Sasha!" Rick laughed and made a mental note to ask her about that one later. As the night wore on, he was even more assured that he was going to like spending time with that group.

XXXXX

It was entirely too early the next morning when he sat on the edge of the bed and gently tucked one of her locs behind her ear. They'd stayed at Sasha and Abe's much later than either of them intended but it had been too much fun to leave. At the end of the night, Maggie, Sasha, and Andrea had hugged him like he was their old friend too letting him know he'd won them over. As for the guys, Glenn and Abe talked about going to see the Braves play and asked if he was interested. It was guy code for saying that he was one of them now and Rick appreciated it. As for Daryl, he had to take the fact that he was actually making conversation with him by night's end as a good sign.

She looked like an angel as she slept and he hated to wake her but he couldn't leave without saying goodbye. His mama had requested his presence at church for Mother's Day in addition to their annual dinner at Dominic's Italian Bistro which happened to be the pinnacle of fine dining in King County. Service started at 10:30 and he had to get home and change. It had been barely 6am when he'd reluctantly extracted himself from her arms to go get ready to leave. Now, it was time to go and as much as he knew he had to, he didn't want to.

His palm cupped her cheek and she finally started to stir.

"Michonne…" Her eyes slowly blinked open and a sleepy smile appeared across her lips.

"Hey…it's time?"

"Yeah." She stretched and sat up in bed. "Sorry for having to wake you, but I need you to come lock the door behind me. I can't leave unless I know you're safe in here."

"It's a safe neighborhood", she argued but he was having none of it. He didn't know what he'd do if something happened to her. It was something he didn't even want to think about.

"Nowhere's safe enough to keep your doors unlocked." He was grateful when she finally sighed her acceptance of what he was saying and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"So overprotective…" He nodded his complete agreement with that statement. It was probably one of his most defining characteristics.

"Only for the people I love." She squeezed his hand and he moved so she could get out of bed and his eyes followed her nude form appreciatively as she went to grab her robe that was hanging on the back of the door. "You're making leaving real difficult on me, Michonne…" She glanced over her shoulder with her version of a cocky grin just before slipping into the silky garment that only fell to her mid-thigh.

"Am I? I don't mean to…" Her locs were loose around her face and she looked like an absolute goddess standing there. The tightening in his pants told him he had to leave before the distraction became too much to ignore.

"Don't play coy. You know exactly what you do to me. And we're both gonna suffer if I don't make it back home for church with my mama." Her face turned serious and he saw the hint of nervousness in her eyes that was there every time he brought up the fact that she was meeting his family next weekend.

"You're right. I don't want her to have any reason not to like me when I meet her next week." He crossed the room and placed his palm on her cheek.

"Hey…look at me." She did as he asked and he smiled down at her. "My mama's gonna love you and Carl's gonna love you too so stop worrying so much." He punctuated his words with a confident kiss. He knew they were going to love her because how could they not? She was the most amazing woman he'd ever met and she had a way about her that made people want to be around her.

"Ok, I'll try", she agreed with a smile that he eagerly returned.

"Ok." He took her hand and together they walked out into the hallway and then to the living room.

"What are you going to do with the rest of your day?", he asked.

"I'm going to call my mom but we won't celebrate until I'm down there in two weeks.", she answered with a shrug. That was news to him and selfishly his first thought was that he wasn't going to see her for a while after next weekend.

"You're going to Florida?" She nodded and looked up at him and he saw the exact moment she realized that she hadn't told him that.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. My brother and I are going for Memorial Day weekend. I leave Thursday night and come back Monday."

"I'm going to miss seeing you that weekend but at least I won't feel guilty about working all the way through. Carl's going to be with his mom and it's usually a busy weekend for us at the station."

"I'm sure but I'm going to miss seeing you too."

"I'll pick you up Friday when I come get Carl, ok?" She nodded and wrapped her arms around his midsection, hugging him tightly against her.

"You be good this week", she whispered. He took her face in his hands and rubbed his thumbs against her cheeks as he stared into her gorgeous eyes. The goodbyes got harder every time time they did it and Shane's suggestion about moving to Atlanta floated through his mind briefly before he shook it away.

"I always am. I love you." He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her with everything he had and her body practically melted into his. When it ended, she hugged him tighter with her head resting against his shoulder.

"I love you too."

He'd put his bag by the door so it would be ready for him but then he moved to grab it, he found T'Challa curled up on top of it.

"I don't think T'Challa wants me to go." She looked down and laughed when she saw that her cat had claimed his bag as a new bed.

"See? I told you he'd come around." He was still skeptical though, so he slowly reached for the bag expecting the cat to move, but T'Challa stayed put and kept challenging him with that creepy stare that cats seemed to have mastered. When his hand got a little too close, the cat had the nerve to hiss at him. "T'Challa! No!" She scooped up the cat and it nuzzled her chin lovingly.

Rick shook his head and grabbed his bag, thinking the whole time that he was getting played by a cat.

"Looks like we still have a ways to go…"

"I guess so", she agreed as he opened the door and turned to look at her one last time. "I'll call you later." She nodded and gave him a smile to drive home on.

"Sooner is better."

XXXXX

A/N: The railroad track story is, embarrassingly enough, so very true. It happened to me and my friends a long time ago. :) As always, thank you for reading and please let me know what you think!