Chapter 12 - Summertime Magic

Summertime Magic - Childish Gambino

"GO CARL!"

Michonne's voice rang out across the field and made the smile on Rick's face stretch even wider. After sliding onto third base, Carl briefly grinned over at him before giving all of his attention to the bleachers where Michonne and Jeff were still on their feet cheering. Carl waved wildly in their direction for just a moment before refocusing on the game as the next hitter approached the plate.

Rick looked back to Michonne, who was chatting in her animated way with his brother as they waited for the next pitch. She'd just gotten in from Atlanta that morning, only a few minutes before they had to leave for the field. Carl had been worried that she wasn't going to make it in time, and the way his face lit up when her car pulled into the driveway, made Rick's heart so full. They were his whole world and seeing how much they already loved each other, was almost too perfect.

When she threw her head back and laughed at something Jeff said, he was sure his brother was telling tales out of school. Putting aside the fact that he was going to have to clean up whatever lies about him Jeff was perpetuating, he tried to focus on the fact that she'd charmed yet another member of his family. It was a good thing too because he was pretty sure that Michonne was it for him.

That knowledge was causing the nerves he already felt at finally meeting her family, bubble up into a frenzy. They were leaving right after the game for their Triple R vacation.

Carl had given it that name, and it stood for Rollercoasters and Relaxation Road trip. They were driving to Orlando to spend a few days at Universal Studios before heading down to Miami to spend a few days at the beach with her family before flying back. It was that second part that had him on edge for the last few weeks.

Michonne kept assuring him that her family was going to love him and that by the end of the week, he and her dad would be going fishing and swapping some tall tales about their past fishing trips. He acknowledged that she was probably right, but it didn't make the pit in his stomach go away. He wanted her family to like him more than he'd ever wanted anything, but he was fully aware of how parents could be when it came to their daughters; especially after what went down with the last guy she brought home to her family.

Add in the fact that they were planning on moving in together after knowing each other less than six months, he expected no less than a full on inquisition. They hadn't even told Carl about their plans yet, not to mention his own mama, but he had a feeling it was a topic he was going to have to broach with her family…her father more specifically. He wanted to show her dad that his intentions with Michonne were good; that she was worth moving his whole life for. If that wasn't enough, he did have something else he could share, but that was something he was still in the thinking stages of and he'd rather keep it to himself for as long as possible.

The kid batting struck a low grounder that sent Carl sliding into home. Everyone was cheering loudly including Rick, but he heard Michonne's voice above them all. That's how in tune with her he was, and as Carl returned to the dugout with his teammates, Rick turned to steal another look at the woman he loved. Just as he turned his head, something else entirely caught his eye and faded his smile.

Lori; the reason his mama had decided to stay home with Savannah instead of coming to Carl's game. She'd insisted on seeing Carl before the Florida trip, and there she was. She'd already attracted a crowd of team moms, eager to greet their prodigal sister. He could practically hear them gushing about her pregnancy and whispering about his new girlfriend sitting in the bleachers.

Michonne was still laughing with Jeff, oblivious to Lori's arrival, and as the latest batter struck out to end the game, and Rick braced himself for the moment his past and his future would finally collide.

"Mom!" Carl darted off the field toward his mother and Rick took a deep breath before following. All he had to do was be civil and not let her get under his skin, but getting under his skin had always been one of her greatest talents.

"Hey, baby!" A wide smile appeared on his ex-wife's face as she wrapped her arms around their son.

"Did you see me score?" Carl asked.

Lori nodded and ruffled her son's hair.

"I sure did, superstar," she replied; with a huge grin that faded when she turned her gaze to Rick. "Hey, Rick."

He nodded and reminded himself to be nice.

"Hey. Glad you were able to make it."

"I had to see my boy before you take him on this little trip of yours," she said.

He had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at her derisive tone. Luckily, Carl interrupted them before he could say anything.

"Guess what, mom? I convinced Dad to take me to the Kennedy Space Center!"

Rick loved seeing Carl so excited. This trip was all he'd talked about for weeks. During the route planning sessions, Universal Studios and the Kennedy Space Center were the two things all three of them agreed on, besides spending a few days lounging on the beach. Carl was still in his astronaut phase, and a trip to the space center was definitely going to blow his mind.

"Wow, that's great! Your dad is going all out, isn't he?" Lori asked; her excitement level a little too high.

"Yeah," Carl confirmed; his head bobbing up and down. "…and then we're going to stay at Michonne's parent's house right on the beach, and we get to fly home! It's gonna be so fun!"

Lori's wore a thin smile for Carl's benefit, and her feigned enthusiasm may've been able to fool him, but it didn't fool Rick. He bit the inside of his cheek and waited for the other shoe to drop. He didn't have to wait long.

"It sounds like it," she said. "Carl, sweetie, I left something for you in my car. It's in the bag on the backseat."

She held out the keys and their son took them with a wide, crooked grin before running off toward the parking lot. Lori waited until he was out of earshot before she turned back to Rick, and that sour look he'd come to know so well during the end of their marriage was back in full force.

"I still can't believe you're doing this," she huffed.

"We already talked about this, Lori."

They'd talked about it multiple times. They'd talked about it so much that he was practically to his breaking point. She'd been fine with their trip to Florida when she thought it was a father and son vacation. Then, she found out Michonne was going with them, and topping it off, they were staying with her family, and she'd been pissy about it ever since.

All he could think was if she was that bent out of shape about his summer trip, she was going to completely blow a gasket when she found out about him moving in with Michonne at the end of the summer.

"Well, excuse me for being worried about you taking my son to stay with strangers in another state!"

He rolled his eyes at her intentionally overdramatic response, trying to keep his promise not to let her get to him.

"They're not…" He paused and shook his head. "You know what? I'm not doing this with you. I agreed that you should meet Michonne because she's going be a part of Carl's life, but you have no say in any of this."

Before she could respond, he saw that Carl was on his way back with a bag in one hand and dragging Michonne along with the other. Her red shorts were barely peeking out from underneath the hem of her long white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows; leaving her long legs on display. He'd never understand how she could be more beautiful every time he saw her, but somehow she was.

Both of his loves were smiling, but when his eyes met Michonne's, she couldn't hide the hint of nervousness he saw in them. She'd agreed that she should meet Carl's mother, but she'd worried about it to the point of distress. She finally admitted it was because she already disliked Lori for hurting him, and she didn't want that animosity to show in their first meeting in front of Carl. He'd kissed her forehead and assured her it would be fine, thinking the whole time that she'd been spending entirely too much time around his mama.

"Carl seems to really like her," said Lori, and Rick nodded; ignoring her slightly bitter tone.

"He does. She adores him too." He felt the burn of Lori's eyes against his face. "I know you have something to say, so you might as well go on and say it."

After a long moment, she huffed, "I don't remember you ever looking at me like that."

"Like what?" He asked; his eyes never leaving the subject of their conversation.

"Like the sun rose and set in me. Maybe that's why we didn't make it, huh?"

She sounded almost wistful and Rick refused to spend any time trying to figure out why. He wanted to say they didn't make it because she decided that sleeping with her boss was more important that the life they'd built together, but he kept that to himself. He was saved from having to say anything at all by Carl and Michonne.

They came to a stop and he immediately reached for her free hand, weaving their fingers together and squeezing tight. She looked up at him briefly, and blessed him with one of those secret smiles she reserved just for him. It was little more than a slight uptick of the corner of her lips, but coupled with the mischievous twinkle in her eye, it always made his breath catch in his throat.

"Mom, this is Michonne. She has a comic book collection like me," Carl said.

Rick chuckled to himself at how excited his son was to introduce his dad's girlfriend to his mother. At ten, he had no concept of awkwardness. He just wanted his mother to meet this awesome person who liked comic books as much as he did, who just happened to be dating his dad.

He stepped in to make the introduction more formal.

"Michonne Pierce, this is Carl's mother, Lori Blake."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Lori," said Michonne.

Rick held his breath as Lori looked her up and down. He prayed that she wasn't going to petty enough to cause a scene in front of their son. He was even more worried when Lori's face lit up with a bright, but obviously fake, smile.

"Same here! It's nice to finally put a face with a name. Carl just goes on and on about you," Lori said; using that voice of hers that dripped southern hospitality.

"He's a great kid."

Lori looked so proud that you would think that compliment was completely for her; like Rick had no part in the reasons why Carl was such a great kid.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Lori responded; sugar still pouring out of both sides of her mouth. "Carl tells me y'all are going to be staying with your family."

"Yes. My parents have a place on the beach. Carl is going to stay in my brother's room which is already decked out with a PS4 and plenty of comic books."

Carl was practically bouncing on his heels and Rick had to laugh.

"You're not gonna stay in that room all day, son. There's a beach out there too," he reminded.

Carl just nodded, and the excitement never left his face.

"I know. Michonne said she'd help me build a Stark Tower sandcastle."

"I said I'd try," Michonne laughed.

"There is no try," Carl teased and Michonne's grin grew even wider.

"Hitting me with a Yoda line, huh? I see you, Carl."

The back and forth that seemed to come so naturally for Carl and Michonne, always amused him, but from the way Lori's eyes had narrowed, the limit of her congeniality was about to be reached. He glanced at his watch and then looked to Michonne.

"We should hit the road if we want to stick to our schedule," he said, before ruffling his son's hair. "Carl, tell your mom bye."

Carl wrapped his arms around his mother and kissed her belly goodbye too; telling his little sister not to come out until he got back.

Lori put a hand on her hip and seemed to dig in for a discussion.

"Hold on a minute, Rick…"

Before she could finish her thought, Jeff jogged up behind her and tapped her shoulder.

"Is that you, Lori?! It's been forever since I laid eyes on you," he greeted; and if anyone was better than Lori at fake southern hospitality, it was Jeff.

Lori brightened and beamed at Jeff.

"Hey, Jeff! Carl told me you were home," she said, sounding sweet as pie.

He wrapped his arms around his former sister in law and rolled his eyes over her shoulder. Ever since Rick had shared the whole story of his divorce over a few beers on his back porch one night, Jeff had firmly joined team "Lori is the Devil" with their mama and Michonne.

Rick laughed under his breath and nudged Michonne and Carl toward the car. He'd owe Jeff one for taking a bullet for the team.

"Bye Lori! I'll make sure Carl calls you when we get to Florida," he called over his shoulder as they took the first steps toward the rental car and their much deserved vacation.

They arrived in Orlando just after sunset, and Rick was pretty sure he was in the middle of a dream. He'd been referring to their trip as their first "family" vacation to himself for while, but being on the road with Michonne and Carl, proved just how true that was. Their road trip had been filled with greasy food from hole in the wall diners, a whole lot of laughter, and good natured arguing over the radio. Carl had even kept his head out of his Nintendo Switch long enough to have a long discussion with Michonne about the latest Marvel movie they'd gone to see the week before, and all of their theories.

It was everything he'd wanted that road trip to be and he couldn't be any happier. It just made him that much more sure about everything that had been running through his mind lately. Moving to Atlanta so he could be closer to the two people that made his whole life worth living wasn't just the best decision, it was the only decision he could've made.

They checked in to their hotel on Universal Studios property, and he'd been surprised and pleased to discover that Michonne had booked them a suite with a separate bedroom. He loved the way her mind worked, and he'd made sure to show her just how much behind their closed and locked door later that night.

They spent the next three days being dragged around the theme park by one very hyper ten year old. They rode every ride, spent entirely too much time in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, saw shows and parades, and went down some pretty terrifying waterslides.

When they made their way back to the room late Tuesday night, he was carrying Carl who was fast asleep on his shoulder, and Michonne was walking right next to him with her arm looped through his. Even though he was exhausted down to his bones, happiness blossomed deep inside his chest.

After tucking his son into bed, he went into the other room and found Michonne perched on the edge of their bed, rubbing her foot. She looked up at him and the amusement on her face told him everything he needed to know about how tired he looked.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"I used to think Carl was getting too old to carry around. Now I know I'm the one who's too old," he groaned.

She laughed.

"You really didn't have a choice. He was falling asleep in his ice cream."

"Tell me about it," he agreed.

She crossed the room and draped her arms around his neck. Even exhausted, he didn't hesitate in grabbing heaping handfuls of her ass. It was most definitely his favorite thing. The day the'd spend in the water park had been both the best and the worst day of his life. While he'd enjoyed seeing her walk around in the modest, but still sexy as hell, pink one-piece suit she wore, he hated the way every man they passed turned to ogle her in it. The only thing that had kept him from completely losing his mind, had been the fact that she was there with him and she never let him forget that.

She kissed his cheek and he focused on her glowing eyes and wry smile.

"You know what would be really good right now?" She asked, and he shook his head. "A nice, long, hot, bath," she continued.

"Yeah?"

She nodded and her smile grew even wider.

"I also think there's room for two in that spa tub in there."

His hands tightened on her body and he pulled her softness flush against him; letting her feel that every part of him wasn't tired.

"That sounds really good," he agreed; certain that he had a dopey smile plastered across his face.

She kissed him on the tip of his nose before slipping out of his arms and heading toward the bathroom.

"How about I go get the bath started while you get that bottle of wine we picked up yesterday?"

He nodded and said, "You got it, baby."

Ten minutes later, they were relaxing in the tub with the water a few degrees below scalding, and scented with her coconut body wash. She was sitting between his legs; her head resting against his chest. Her eyes were closed and a smile played on her lips as he dragged the washcloth against her soft, supple body. She had one arm draped backwards around his neck, and her fingers tangled themselves in his hair.

"I was just thinking," he mused.

"About?"

"Tomorrow, after we visit the space center, we'll be at your parent's house, so tonight is the last night we can be like this."

The very idea of doing anything remotely sexy in her parent's home sent a shiver racing down his spine. He was determined to do anything he could to make sure her parents liked him after this trip, and getting caught making love to their daughter was not the way to accomplish that.

"True," she agreed.

He started a trail of languid kisses along the curve of her neck and she leaned her head back to give him better access. Her eyes fluttered shut again when his fingers dipped below the bubbles and found her hot and ready for him.

"So even though I'm exhausted," he said, "I'm determined to make this one count."

"You sure you've got enough in the tank?" She asked, and he answered her question by pulling her earlobe between his teeth.

He whispered, "Darlin', when it comes to you, I've got energy to spare."

Her reply to that came in the form of a low, breathy hum as his fingers continued their slow and comprehensive exploration of her. His free hand found its way to one of her breasts, and he loved them almost as much as he loved her ass. They just fit so perfectly in his palms and were always so receptive to his touch. This time was no different; her nipple hardened almost instantly at his touch, and he was rewarded with her sharp intake of breath.

Her hands slipped down to his thighs and he bit his lip when her nails dug into his skin. He could tell she was close. Each passing moment had her unravelling against him a little more and as she writhed against him, his own arousal rushed through him like wildfire. Before he knew it, he was achingly hard and each time she brokenly moaned his name, it made him feel like he was going to erupt.

He put that in the back of his mind because he wanted to focus on her. He loved watching her break apart from pleasure. Right before, she'd squeeze her eyes shut, creating an adorable crinkle between her eyes that made it look like she was concentrating on the sensations traveling through her. When she'd get there, her expression would go completely slack as her body stiffened and her her lips parted in an "O". It would leave her limp and boneless; her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

This time was no different; and as she recovered, he planted kisses along her neck and shoulder until she turned her head and smiled at him with bright, happy eyes. Her beauty never ceased to steal his breath, but like this, with her skin flushed and glowing, she was at her most beautiful and he'd never get over it. He'd never get over anything about her and he hoped he'd never have to. In just a few months, she'd become as essential to him as air. He loved her more than he'd ever thought possible, and that was exactly what he saw reflected back at him in her wide, dark eyes.

He covered her mouth with his and his tongue tangled with hers in a kiss he could only hope expressed everything he was feeling. By the time they climbed out of the tub, the water had gone cold and their fingers were pruny, but it didn't matter as they fell into bed wrapped around each other and spent hours exhausting each other in a multitude of different ways.

It was late when she used her key to let them into her parents house the next day. They'd spent way too long at the space center, making their arrival much later than planned. She'd texted her mother to let her know not to wait up, but the light in the living room window hinted that she hadn't listened. She should've known that nothing was going to keep her from meeting Rick that night.

Rick and Carl followed her into the living room and as expected, her mom was sitting in the recliner with her feet up, working on a crossword puzzle. She looked well, considering she was in the middle of chemotherapy, and if it wasn't for the colorful scarf tied around her head, there's be no sign of her illness at all. The last time she'd been home, Aline had been so sick from her treatments. She was so elated to see her mother looking well.

Her whole face lit up with a smile when she looked up, and Michonne smiled back just as big.

"Mom, you shouldn't have waited up for us," she began, but Aline cut her off by standing up and waving her hand.

"I took a late nap today so I was wide awake anyway," she explained. "Now give me a hug, baby girl. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she said; doing as she was told and wrapping her her mother in a warm hug. "Where's daddy?"

"He was watching one of those westerns of his on the tv upstairs, but last I checked, the only thing he's watching is the inside of his eyelids."

Michonne giggled, but was a little thankful they didn't have to go through those introductions right then. That was definitely something she was happy to save for after a good night's sleep.

Her mom released her and turned her attention to the guests standing in the archway.

"Now introduce me to your boys," Aline demanded in her firm but still teasing way.

Michonne laughed to herself and motioned for Rick and Carl to join her. This was it. She was about to introduce the man she loved to her mother, but she wasn't nervous about it at all. He was a good man through and through, and her mother would see that right off the bat.

Rick, on the other hand, wasn't quite as secure. He'd been nervous about meeting her family ever since the trip was booked.

She grabbed his hand and wove their fingers together to calm his nerves.

"Mom, this is Rick Grimes and his son, Carl," she introduced.

Rick cleared his throat.

"Hello Mrs. Pierce, ma'am. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said, with a tremor in his voice that Michonne found completely adorable.

Aline grinned before closing the distance between them and pulling him into a hug.

"None of that. You'll call me Aline or else," she commanded; her tone still warm and welcoming. She held him for a few seconds, before pulling back and taking his hands in hers.

"Yes, ma…Aline," he corrected.

Her mother nodded approvingly and have his hands a squeeze.

"I'm happy to finally meet you too. You're even more handsome than you are in your pictures!"

Michonne's smile spread wider as she watched the blush creep up Rick's neck to his face.

"Thank you," he stuttered.

"Oh, my! Loretta was right about how cute you are when you get all pink and flustered," she laughed; letting go of his hands and patting his cheek.

Michonne bit back a giggle as Rick turned even more pink. She'd forgotten to warn him that their mothers had been conspiring over their relationship and just about everything else for weeks. They'd become fast friends over the phone, and Michonne wasn't sure if that was a good thing for her and Rick or a really bad one. There was no telling what kind of schemes those two could come up with when left to their own devices.

Rick recovered, and gave her mother his best half grin.

"What else has my my mama told you?" He asked; his tone light and playful.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Aline teased with an amused wink before turning her attention to Carl, who was already beaming up at her. "And this handsome young man must be Carl."

"Hi, Mrs. Pierce. Thank you for letting me and my dad stay at your house," Carl greeted happily.

Her mother smiled even brighter if that was possible, and Michonne was so happy to see her so close to her old self that it almost brought tears to her eyes. It had been too long since she'd seen her mom smile so much.

Rick must've noticed her getting emotional, because she felt his warm fingers wrap around hers. She met his eyes and they were shining at her with so much love as he silently asked if she was ok.

She squeezed his hand back and nodded as her mother's voice pulled her attention back to her and Carl.

"So polite! You can call me Miss Aline and you both are very welcome here," she replied. "My daughter tells me that you love peanut butter cookies. Is that true?"

Carl's eyes went wide and he answered, "Yes! They're my favorite!"

That was an understatement. The mere promise of peanut butter cookies could get Carl to do almost anything.

Aline laughed, "That's good because I baked a fresh batch this afternoon. You wanna be my taste tester?"

Carl nodded excitedly and that made her mother laugh even more. Right then, Michonne recognized something else about their interaction. She'd known her mom had wanted grandchildren for a while, but the way she was already doting on Carl made that fact even more clear. It was yet another thing for her and Loretta could bond over.

"Well, come on then. One cookie before bed won't hurt you." Aline headed into the kitchen with Carl right on her heels. "Chonne, show Rick up to Noah's room. That's where he and Carl will be staying. I'll bring Carl up in a few."

Michonne nodded, and picked up her bag from where she'd dropped it. Just like Rick had predicted and she had already known, there was absolutely no way her parents were going to let Rick stay in her room. They were cool, but not that cool.

Her kind drifted back to the hours she and Rick had spent all wrapped up in each other the night before. He'd had her close to speaking in tongues during that last round, as she'd braced herself against his chest and rode him into a state of perfect bliss.

Just thinking about their lovemaking was causing a knot to form in her belly, but then she remembered where she was and the knot quickly loosened.

She sighed; resigning herself to the fact that those memories were going to have to last until they got back to Georgia and could make new ones.

"Where's Noah going to stay when he gets here?" She asked in an attempt to pull her mind out of the gutter.

Aline shrugged, "The sofa bed will be just fine for your brother. He doesn't like it, he can drive right on back to his apartment in Miami."

Michonne shook her head and laughed as she headed up the stairs with Rick on her heels.

"Why is that funny?" He asked.

"Because Noah is her baby but he's been displaced by you and Carl. I told you had nothing to worry about."

Rick's heavy sigh floated up from behind her.

"It wasn't your mama I was worried about."

Thank you for being so patient with me and for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it. I do love So Alive and this happy version of Richonne so much.

I split this chapter because it was getting too long. Next chapter: Rick finally meets Michonne's dad and gets to see the entire Pierce family in action.