Thank you for your reviews of the last chapter. As always, it means so much. This is a long one. Let me know what you think of it.
Chapter 13 - For Once in My Life
Inspired by For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder
It took Rick a few minutes after waking up to realize that he was completely alone, and that Carl's side of the bed was cool to the touch. He sat up in bed and looked around the midsized bedroom. Early morning sunlight was bleeding through the blinds, illuminating the bookshelf filled with video game cases and graphic novels but there was no Carl.
A part of him was a little concerned over what his son could possibly be doing, but it was outweighed by the certainty of his whereabouts that came with the smell of baking bread wafting in from downstairs. If there was one thing his son loved more than comic books and video games, it was food.
Almost on cue, a chime went off from his phone and he grabbed it from the nightstand.
Michonne: Breakfast will be ready in 20. Don't bother getting dressed, just come down. And good morning by the way. :)
Smiling to himself, his fingers flew over the screen.
Rick: Good Morning, baby. I'll be right there.
He was grinning when he climbed out of bed, and after taking care of things in the bathroom, he made his way downstairs.
Michonne's deep belly laugh greeted him as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and it was followed by more laughter and animated voices. When he rounded the corner into the kitchen, he found Michonne making breakfast, while her mother and Carl watched from one of the barstools at the kitchen island.
At the dinette, sat the man who could only be Michonne's father. He was reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. He hadn't expected to meet Michonne's dad for the first time in his pajamas, and he tugged nervously at the hem of the old Braves t-shirt he liked to sleep in.
"Good morning Rick. Did you sleep well?" Aline asked with a bright smile that reminded him so much of Michonne's.
"Good morning, ma…" She raised an eyebrow and he caught the ma'am before it could slip out. "...Aline. I did sleep well, thank you."
"I see where Carl gets his manners from," she commented approvingly.
"I try my best," he said; ruffling Carl's hair and walking over to plant a kiss on Michonne's cheek. Even being in the presence of her family wasn't going to stop him from greeting his girl with a kiss. "Mornin'."
Michonne looked up from the eggs she was scrambling and blessed him with that smile of hers that made his knees go weak.
"Good morning," she said. "Breakfast will be ready in a minute, and there's coffee on the island."
He nodded, and he thought he saw a smirk on Aline's lips as he made his way over to the coffee pot.
"Oh! Where are my manners?" She exclaimed, turning around to face her husband at the table. "Sam! Come meet Rick."
A corner of the newspaper flipped down revealing a man with a stern countenance, scowling at him over the rim of his glasses.
"He can come on over here and meet me," he grumbled before flipping the paper back up.
"Don't pay that old grouch any mind. Get your coffee first," Aline instructed, while patting his arm. "Cream and sugar are on the table."
He did as he was told; pouring himself a cup of coffee and steeling himself for whatever her father was going to throw at him. He sat in the chair to the right of him.
Clearing his throat, he said, "Good morning Mr. Pierce, sir. I'm Rick Grimes. Thank you for letting me come down here and get to know you and your wife a little bit."
Sam cut his eyes at him and grumbled something that sounded like "good morning" before going back to his paper.
Rick sighed, reminding himself that he didn't have to win Sam Pierce over during one meal, and after adding sugar to his cup, he reached for the creamer.
"Figures," Sam mumbled.
He froze with the creamer bottle in his hand, his eyebrows knitting together.
"Sir?"
Sam shrugged and explained, "I'm just saying, it figures that you would take your coffee sweet and light."
Michonne joined them; frowning and carrying a platter of eggs, and hash browns and a bowl full of sausage gravy.
"Stop it, daddy. Just because you like your coffee muddy and bitter, doesn't mean the rest of us have to drink it that way."
Aline followed her carrying the biscuits he'd smelled baking, but she still had a hand free to snatch the paper from her husband's hands.
"What did you go and do that for?" He asked his wife, who put a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Because breakfast is ready, and you are not going to be rude at my table," she said, before she took a seat across from her husband.
Carl delivered the pitcher of orange juice to the table and sat in the chair across from him, while Michonne sat next to him; giving his hand a squeeze under the table as she slipped into her seat.
"Bless the food, Sam."
Still grumbling, Sam did as he was told; blessing the food with the gusto of an old time preacher. Afterwards, they all dug into breakfast.
He noticed that Aline had only served herself a small amount of everything, but was happily eating a slice of buttered toast and sipping on a steaming cup of tea. Remembering how the treatments had killed his father's appetite, he understood. Besides, she seemed perfectly content just to be sitting there with her family.
"When is Noah getting here?" Michonne asked.
Aline answered, "He said he'd be here by noon. We should be back from the hospital by then."
Today was Aline's last treatment in this first round, and Michonne wanted to be there with her. Their trip had been planned around that, and Rick was happy he was able to accommodate her.
If he was going to be left alone with her dad while she went to her mother's appointment with her, he'd better make an attempt to get get to know him.
He squeezed Michonne's knee and cleared his throat.
"Mr. Pierce, Michonne tells me you're a fisherman. I do a little fishing myself."
Sam looked up at him over the rim of his glasses. It was both skeptical and interested; like he wanted to talk about fishing, but he didn't want to be won over so easily.
"What kind of fishing?"
"All kinds. I took Carl up to the Chattahoochee River for some fly fishing last year and we pulled in few nice sized brown trout."
"I caught the biggest one," Carl added.
Sam looked over to Carl with a playful skepticism in his eyes.
"How big was it?"
Carl held his arm straight up over his head.
"It was as long as my arm!"
Aline and Michonne laughed and Rick couldn't believe it but Sam actually chuckled at that too.
Sam leaned over and raised an eyebrow at a still grinning Carl.
"Did you reel that monster in all by yourself?" He asked.
Carl nodded; his mouth too stuffed with food to speak.
Sam sat up straighter and twisted his lips like he was thinking.
"Well then. Maybe I'll have to take you and your father fishing down at the pier while the ladies are at their appointment so you can show me the ropes," he said; turning his piercing stare back to Rick. "If that's ok with you, of course."
He swallowed hard. There was no doubt in his mind that this was going to more than just a fishing trip. This was going to be Sam's full investigation of him; a deep inquiry into if he was worthy of his daughter.
"That sounds good."
Sam continued silently appraising him for a minute, before giving him a single nod and turning his attention back to his food.
"Alright then. We'll leave after breakfast," he said.
Rick caught Michonne's eye and smiling, laced her fingers with his under the table. He had a feeling that he'd just walked into a plan concocted by her and her mother to bring the men together, but it didn't matter. It was what needed to happen. Now, all he had to do was make the most of it.
For the rest of breakfast, Aline nudged the conversation along by asking him the typical questions about his job, his family, how he and Michonne met. He answered them all gamely and even though Sam kept pretending not to pay any attention, he could tell he was tuned into every word.
Carl had already gone upstairs to get dressed, when the front door swung open and a tall young man with Sam's coloring and Aline's wide, dark eyes burst into the house.
"Noah! You're early!"
He dropped his bag by the door and walked over to plant a kiss on Aline's forehead.
"I had a feeling you were gonna make breakfast and I love your breakfast," he said with grin; as he sat in the empty chair and filled his plate.
Michonne waited until he was already eating with a huge smile to say, "Tough luck because I made breakfast today."
Noah's smile faded and he looked back to their mother.
"You mean I got out of bed before 8 in the morning for Mimi's cooking?" He complained.
That caught Rick's attention. Mimi? He'd never heard anyone call her Mimi before, he'd have to file that away for another time. Meanwhile, Sam, Aline, and…Mimi…were frowning at Noah.
"Hush! You know your sister is a good cook," Aline chastised.
Noah rolled his eyes and started pushing his food around the plate with his fork.
"Not as good as you," he mumbled, but Rick even heard the note of teasing in his voice.
Sam stood up from the table and cleared his plate before walking over to where Noah was sitting. He placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a shake.
"If you don't like your sister's food, you can take your mooching butt back to Miami."
"I'm just messing with her, pops," Noah argued.
"Uh huh. We're leaving to go fishing in 30 minutes and you better be ready!"
With that, Sam planted a kiss on the top of Aline's head and left the room.
"What's the matter with him?" Noah asked; but then he looked around the room and locked eyes with Rick. He smirked and continued, "Never mind. It's all perfectly clear."
Aline cleared her throat.
"Noah, this is your sister's friend Rick."
Rick rose from his seat and extended a hand to Noah, who grasped it firmly.
"It's good to meet you."
"You too," Noah said; looking him up and down. "You know, you don't look like a sheriff from Georgia. I was expecting someone older with a little less hair and a little more belly."
Rick shook his head as an image of Jackie Gleason in a sheriff's uniform popped into his head.
"Sorry to disappoint you. I got a few years left before I go full Buford Justice," he joked.
Noah's face crinkled up in confusion.
"Who?"
Rick sighed. He'd forgotten how young Noah was.
"It's the sheriff from Smokey and the Bandit," Michonne offered; an air of superiority in her voice, but that didn't aid Noah's recollection of the character. He pulled out his phone and his fingers tapped against the screen. After a few seconds, his face lit up with a wide smile.
"Oh yeah! That's exactly what I meant!"
"Please!" Aline huffed. "My daughter has better taste than that!"
"Thank you mom," Michonne said, sticking her tongue out at her brother and making Rick smile even harder than he already was.
Aline stood up and walked into the kitchen.
"Besides, if she's gonna bring home a white boy, be better at least be a fine one."
"MOM!"
Michonne looked absolutely mortified, and Noah was stifling a laugh. Aline looked at both of her children with innocent eyes.
"What? You know your man is fine!"
Rick's face heated, and he busied himself with helping clear the dishes from the table. He heard Carl scrambling down the stairs, and was thankful for him. The presence of a child had to get that conversation back on track.
Carl popped into the room, stopping when he saw Noah, and Michonne walked over to introduce them.
"Carl, this is my little brother, Noah."
"Hi Noah."
"Hey, little man."
"Your room is really cool! Can I read your comic books?" Carl asked.
Noah's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.
"My comic books…are y'all staying my room?" He asked; his tone a mixture of hurt and disbelief.
Aline shrugged. "I put Rick and Carl in your room because it would be more comfortable for them."
"Where am I going to sleep?"
"On the sofa bed," she replied, like it was nothing. To Noah it was definitely something. Michonne was right about him getting bent out of shape.
"Mom…" Noah whined, but Aline wasn't having it.
"Well, there's always the bed in your own apartment in Miami," she suggested, and that made Noah's eyes narrow into thin, little slits.
"All y'all are set on sending me back to Miami today and I'm starting to feel some kind of way about it."
Rick was enjoying the Pierce show so much that he barely realized it when Michonne grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the kitchen to the soundtrack of Aline and Noah arguing and Carl's giggles. They didn't stop until they were up the stairs and behind the closed door of her bedroom, where she wrapped her arms around his waist and a buried her face in his chest.
"I'm really sorry about all that," she mumbled.
He chuckled and held her tight against him.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Your family is perfect, Mimi."
She groaned.
"When Noah was little he couldn't say my name so he called me Mimi," she explained. "It would be so, so weird, if you called me that."
"I won't," he promised.
"They aren't always this ridiculous," she began, but he didn't want to waste another second of their time alone so he silenced her with a kiss.
She melted into him, and returned his kiss with the same fervor. He was trapped in a strange dichotomy of needing the kiss to end quickly so it couldn't escalate and wanting it to go on forever. Eventually, he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.
She sighed; a dreamy smile painted across her lips.
"My mom is right about one thing. My man is fine," she said.
"Yeah?"
"Mmm hmm. So fine," she purred. That sound had his body reacting in a way that no number of cold showers could set right.
He kissed her temple before reluctantly stepping away from her and the temptation she was peddling.
"I'd better get ready to go fishing. I don't want to make your dad wait."
She sighed, "Good idea. This is his way of getting to know you and once he does, he's gonna love you."
"I hope so."
"I know so," she said. "How could he not, knowing how much I love you?"
"I love you too."
She opened the door and he backed out of the room, stopping when he hit something firm. Michonne's face had paled and her wide eyes told him exactly what he'd bumped into.
"Hi…daddy," she whispered.
He spun around and was face to face with Sam, who had his arms folded across his chest and a suspicious glint in his eyes. Those eyes flicked between Rick and Michonne, making his frown grow deeper.
"We're leaving in fifteen minutes," Sam said; and he turned to walk down the stairs without another word.
Rick looked back to Michonne who looked just as deflated as he felt.
"It's ok," she reassured, "Nothing happened."
He nodded, but he continued across the hall into Noah's room to get dressed. He hoped she was right, but he had a sinking feeling that he'd already earned a strike.
They were about an hour into their fishing trip, and Sam had barely said two complete sentences to him. He was starting to think that winning over Michonne's father was a lost cause. But then, Carl walked with Noah back to the bait shop to get snacks and left the two of them alone together.
This was going to be real test; the conversation fathers liked to have with the men their daughters brought home. He was still readying himself for it when Sam turned to him and kicked things off.
"So you're a cop. Why'd you choose that career for yourself?"
"I wanted to help people, and it's kind of the family business. My father was a cop and so was his father."
"And you're divorced?" Sam asked.
"Yes, sir. We got married too young and it didn't last. Irreconcilable differences," he replied; deciding to leave out the fact that their irreconcilable differences involved their views on monogamy. That was too much detail, but then he worried if Sam thought that getting divorced was a sign of him being unwilling to work at a relationship.
He was just about to clarify things when Sam nodded, seemingly done with that line of questioning. He sighed heavily and turned to face Rick.
"My daughter is really taken with you," he said; and Rick didn't know how to respond to that. It was more a statement of fact than a question. Before he could land on the right thing to say, Sam spoke again. "You seem nice enough, but I brought you out here so we can talk man to man. That's my baby girl you're with, and I need to know what your plans are."
"Sir, I love Michonne…"
"I'm gonna need more than that." He paused for a beat, and fixed him with a hard look. "Has she told you what happened before?"
"Yes, sir."
"Mike said he loved her and Aline and I loved Mike like a son. When we moved down here, knowing that she had him, set our minds at ease about leaving her by herself in Atlanta. When he called me and asked my permission to propose, of course I agreed. Her marrying him was inevitable at that point." Sam stopped talking and stared out across the water. "Then, he did what he did and broke my baby's heart."
Rick snorted, "He was a coward."
Sam nodded. "But he still broke something in her. Now, you're here; mending all those broken parts of her after a few months. Do you understand why I'm skeptical?"
"Yes, sir, I do."
"I know it's not right to make you pay for what he did. But I can't help but wonder if I'd been more observant, I could've prevented her from getting hurt."
"Mr. Pierce…"
"I know it's not my fault, but like I said, that's my little girl. I didn't protect her before, but this time, I'm damn sure gonna try."
Rick stood silently, absorbing everything Sam had just said. Mike's actions had not only scarred Michonne, it had scarred her whole family. They'd trusted him with their beloved daughter and he'd betrayed them all. Aline had responded by putting all of her trust in Michonne's choices; loving him because Michonne loved him. He was going to have to earn any trust he got from Sam.
He'd have to let go of the idea that admitting that he'd already been thinking about marrying Michonne, would help his cause at all. Sam had already been burned by that one. All he could do was be honest, and hope that Sam believed him. And if he didn't, he'd just have to keep proving it for however long it took.
"I understand where you're coming from. If I were in your position, I'd be skeptical too," he started. "You should know that aside from my boy, your daughter is everything to me. She's the love of my life. You asked me what my plans are, and I plan to do everything I can to make sure Michonne is happy because her happiness makes me happy. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I do know that I want to be with her for as long as she'll have me, which I hope is forever."
Sam just stared at him, and Rick could see the wheels turning in his mind as he processed everything he'd just said.
He pushed on, "I'm not asking you to believe me. I'm asking you to give me a chance to show you that I mean everything I just said. I know you love your daughter. Let me show you how much I love her too."
He held out his hand and Sam's eyes traveled from his face, down to his hand and back up again before he gripped it tightly.
"Deal," Sam agreed as they shook hands. "But if I catch you coming out of her room again while you're here, deal's off. I know my daughter is gorgeous, but you're gonna have to control yourself under my roof. You hear me?"
Sam was smirking at him, and the look her was giving him over the rim of his glasses wasn't as hard as it had been. If he didn't know any better, he'd almost think Sam was teasing him.
Rick bit the inside of his cheek to stop the smile threatening to break out across his face.
"Yes, sir."
Carl's rapid fire chatter and Noah's laughter alerted him that they were no longer alone, and both of them returned their attention to their fishing poles.
"Michonne doesn't need to know what we talked about. I don't need her and her mother on my back. This is between us," Sam asserted.
Chucking, he agreed, "Of course".
"Now, Rick, some people think dominoes is just a game of blind luck. I'm not one of those people. There's a strategy to this game, and you are fortunate enough to be in the presence of a supreme strategist!"
Michonne smiled and shook her head; her daddy's grandstanding always entertaining. He'd already won twice, and now he was schooling Rick on the ins and outs of being a dominoes expert.
Her dad had been on his best behavior ever since the fishing trip he, Rick, Noah, and Carl had taken earlier that day. When they'd left, Rick's nerves had him turning red and almost shaking, but when they'd returned later, they'd been laughing. She'd spent most of the afternoon on the beach with Rick, Noah, and Carl while her mother rested, but when her dad fired up the grill to cook his world famous ribs, he'd called Rick over to watch and learn his technique. His secret rub and marinade was still on lockdown, but watching the two of them bond over beer and barbecue had made her extremely happy.
Now they were playing dominoes while she washed the dishes with her mom sitting at the island. Her mom's favorite Motown playlist was streaming through the speakers and she hummed along to the songs she knew by heart.
"Your father is over there talking a bunch of mess!" Aline commented with a shake of her head.
Michonne laughed and nodded.
"Of course he is! It wouldn't be daddy if he wasn't."
"You're right about that," Aline agreed. "Looks like they're getting along."
"Thank goodness! I was worried after daddy's performance during breakfast."
A frown marred Aline's pretty face, and she said, "We had words about that, so he'd better have cleaned up his act…"
Her mother's words were cut off by Carl running into the kitchen.
"Michonne? Noah said there's an ice cream shop down the street that has a milkshake and fries flavor. Can we go?"
"What did your dad say?"
"He said I should ask you. Can we?"
Her mother cleared her throat and Michonne had a pretty good idea why. Rick had just pulled the "go ask your mother" trick, and Aline was going to put that in her pocket to be thrown out when needed. Knowing that, there was no version of Michonne who would deny a kid ice cream.
She replied, "Well, yeah! After I finish the dishes, ok?"
"Cool!" Carl darted back into the living room and let everyone know that he'd gotten her approval for ice cream before rejoining Noah in their game of Mario Kart.
"That little boy is a sweetheart," Aline laughed; her annoyance with Sam forgotten.
"Carl is the best kid. I think I fell in love with him faster than I fell for his dad."
"That's good. You three make a cute little family."
Her cheeks warmed under her mother's discerning stare. It was the second time she'd heard the three of them referred to as a family, but it still made her heart flutter in her chest.
"Do you like him, mom?" She asked. "You haven't said anything…"
During her mom's treatment, they'd talked about so many things but she hadn't gone there. While she knew that her mom accepted him, liking him was a different animal.
Her mother raised an eyebrow, and rested her cheek on her palm.
"Would it matter if I didn't?"
"Of course it would."
Aline clicked her tongue. "Don't lie to me in my own house. You're so in love with that man, you can't even see straight. So I guess it's a good thing that I like him."
She felt the smile spreading across her face. She hadn't realized how much she wanted her mother's approval until that moment.
"Yeah?"
"He's sweet and his mama obviously raised him right. He also looks at you like you hung the moon, and that's all I want for you. You deserve to be cherished, baby girl. I'm glad you opened yourself up to finding that."
"So am I."
"Doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes," Aline added, grinning. "And that bowlegged strut he has? Hmmm...I see why you made peach cobbler for him so fast!"
"Mom!" She gasped; surprised again at how much her mom seemed to approve of Rick's looks. She had to admit that his walk was pretty sexy.
Ignoring her, Aline continued, "That said, I can't imagine it's easy with you in Atlanta and him in King County."
Her mother had always been three steps ahead of her. It was annoying when she was teenager and trying to pull a fast one about where she was actually going when she said she was spending the night with Sasha, now it was just expected.
She kept washing dishes, stalling until she figured out how to dodge that question. They hadn't told anyone their plans for the end of the summer, but that hadn't stopped her from clearing out her second bedroom and buying framed Avengers movie posters for when it became Carl's room.
She must've stalled too long because her mother's mouth dropped open and her eyes were wide and bright.
"Michonne Pierce! You know you ain't ever been able to hide anything from me!"
"Shh...you can't tell daddy! Not yet, anyway."
"If you're about to tell me there's a wedding coming, I make no promises!"
"No, but Rick is moving to Atlanta at the end of the summer," she admitted.
"Really? Will he be residing at your house?" Aline asked; a wide grin spreading across her face.
"Yes," she replied. Her mother clapped her hands together and Michonne could almost see the visions of a wedding and more grandchildren dancing in her head. "Aren't you supposed to be upset about me living in sin or something?"
Aline shrugged.
"You're a grown woman and life is short. You need to do what makes you happy."
"You can't tell Loretta yet either. Rick wants to sit her down and explain it all," she warned.
"I won't say a word, but don't worry about Loretta. She knows how much he loves you, and she's been preparing for something like this."
"You two talk a lot these days, huh?"
"She's a hoot! She calls me every Tuesday morning like clockwork and updates me on you and Rick in between telling me all the gossip going around King County," Aline laughed.
"She's definitely something else."
Michonne shut off the water and folded the dish towel. Carl and Noah had finished their game, and Sam was gloating about beating Rick in another game of dominoes.
"I think they're ready to walk to the ice cream shop," observed Aline.
"Yep," she agreed, and she had to admit that the very thought of a scoop of the homemade Blackout Chocolate Cake ice cream was making her stomach growl. "Do you want us to bring you some ice cream back?"
"No, baby. The treatments make my stomach a little unhappy. I think I'm just going to lay down for a little while."
Michonne paused; the reminder of her mother's illness like an icepick to her heart. It was usually right there at the forefront of her thoughts but seeing her mother so well, even after having her treatment earlier, made it seem like before. Before her locs were gone, before she'd lost weight, before she got tired so quickly, and before cancer.
"I'll stay here and keep you company," she offered.
Aline shook her head.
"No, you go with your boys. I'll be fine here with your cranky father. Just bring him back some butter pecan."
"Mom…"
Aline rose from her seat and placed both hand on her shoulders.
"Mimi. I'm fine. I promise you," she said; the corner of her lips curling in a smile. "I love you, and I'll see you in the morning. Ok?"
"Good night, mom. I love you too."
She watched her mom disappear down the hallway heading for the stairs, and released a heavy sigh. The tests that would let them know if more treatments were necessary were scheduled for the next week, and she knew she'd be counting down the minutes until they had the results in hand.
Rick was having a hard time falling asleep. Carl was passed out next to him; sprawled across the bed like a starfish. He'd pushed his son's foot from digging into his low back twice already, but it had found its way back again and his kidney was suffering.
He'd also gotten too used to drifting off to sleep all wrapped up in Michonne. They had another month before they moved in together, so he'd have to get over it. Maybe it was a good thing to go through his withdrawals now instead of when he had to go back to work.
He sighed and glanced at his phone. 2am. He climbed out of bed and smiled as he moved Carl over so he was back on his own side. Thinking that he still wasn't going to be able to sleep, he silently crept out of the room. He paused in the hallway outside Michonne's door and debated sneaking in to sleep, but then thought better of it when he glanced at the closed door of her parents room.
He needed some air, so he headed downstairs to sit out on the deck for a little while. He was almost at the door when he noticed a figure sitting at the kitchen island.
He flipped on the light, and sucked in a breath when he realized it was Aline with her head resting in her hands.
"Mrs. Pierce? Are you alright?"
Her head slowly turned his way and she gave him a weak smile.
"We've already talked about this. If you don't call me Aline, I'm gonna retract my approval of you."
He grinned and leaned against the chair next to her, still concerned about what was keeping her up.
"We can't have that," he said.
"No, we cannot," she agreed. "Why aren't you asleep?"
"My son is a wild sleeper and…I don't know. I'm just having a hard time falling asleep."
"You can say it. You can't sleep without Michonne."
He blushed and reluctantly nodded.
"You got me," he admitted a little sheepishly. "Why are you still awake? You should be resting."
She rubbed her forehead and sighed. "The nausea is always worse at night. When I lay down, it feels like the room is spinning and it makes it hard to sleep."
He nodded; remembering how sick the treatments made his father. The only thing that made it better was the ginger tea his mama stocked up on.
"Was there any tea in the basket my mama sent you?"
"That ginger tea ain't nothing but the truth! I was on my way to make a cup when I needed to sit down."
"Where do you keep it? I'll make it for you."
"You don't have to…"
He shrugged. "I want to. It's not like I'm sleeping anyway."
She finally gave in and pointed to a yellow canister near the coffee maker. He grabbed the kettle from the stove, and set about making them both a cup of tea. He felt Aline's eyes following him around the kitchen, but she didn't say anything.
He sweetened both mugs with a hint of honey before handing Aline her cup and sitting in the chair next to her.
She took a tentative sip, but then smiled approvingly.
"I usually use sugar but this is good. Thank you."
"You're welcome," he replied. "This tea was just about the only thing that helped my dad with the nausea. He'd drink it, and then he'd ask mama to bring him a piece of her lemon pound cake. It was the only thing he wanted to eat so she made sure she always had some for him."
"Good thing all I want is toast with butter. It's just about the only thing Sam can cook without burning."
He laughed, "Yeah, that is a good thing."
"Tell me the truth, did you and Michonne pick this this week to to come down so she could be here for my treatment today?"
"It…it wasn't the only reason. She wanted to be here for the last treatment since she missed the first."
She sighed. "It might not be the last. We have to wait and see what the tests say."
"She knows that. She's choosing to be optimistic,"
"She always acts so strong, but I know this has to affecting her. How is she really?"
"She's worried about you, and it shows sometimes, but she's so positive about everything. She tells everyone that her mom is a fighter and is going to kick cancer's ass. She signed her whole office up for the charity walk in downtown Atlanta coming up in October and she's got them organizing fundraisers and everything…"
He paused when he realized that he was gushing, but he didn't know any other way to talk about Michonne. She was like all of the superheroes Carl liked to read about rolled into one, spectacular human being. She was everything.
He dragged his hand down his face and laughed to himself. God, he was such a lost cause and from the wide smile on Aline's face, she knew it too.
"She's amazing," he finally finished, and that word barely scratched the surface of what he thought of her.
"Thank you, Rick."
"For what?"
She covered his hand with his and he looked up to see her eyes glistening with tears.
"For being there for my baby; for loving her the way you do. The Lord knew she was going to need someone and He sent her you, and I am so thankful."
"Aline…"
"Listen to me. I'm going to be that fighter my daughter knows I am, but you know better than anyone how this whole thing could end. Knowing that she has you, Carl, and Loretta, gives me one less thing to worry about."
He squeezed her hand and swallowed the emotions threatening to choke him.
"She does have us, and we're gonna be there no matter what," he began, "And when you beat this, we're all gonna celebrate with you."
She twisted her lips into a grin and squeezed his hand back.
"You know, weddings are excellent places to celebrate. Didn't you two meet at a wedding?"
"Our first date was at a wedding,"
"See? You could bring this thing full circle."
His face got hot, so he was sure he'd turned that shade of pink his mama had told Aline about. He rubbed the back of his neck and struggled to find the right words.
Her light laughter interrupted his train of thought.
"Breathe, Rick. I told your mama I would echo her request, even though I'm far less concerned about the order of things than she is. I'm just teasing you…sort of."
"Sort of?"
"What kind of mother would I be if I didn't encourage you to go ahead and pull that trigger instead of just playing house?"
He narrowed his eyes, trying to decide if she was fishing for information or if she really knew they were planning on living together. The corner of her lips were turned up in a grin, and somehow he just knew which one it was.
"She told you!"
"My daughter has never been able to keep anything from me," she boasted with a wink. "Who's idea was it?"
"I'm the one who decided to move to Atlanta to be closer to her and Carl. It was her idea for us to live together."
She nodded like she'd already known the answer.
"You're good for her. She follows her heart with you instead of just doing what she thinks she's supposed to do. Everything with Mike was planned; like they were following a map. I hate what he did to her, but it was for the best. He never made her as happy as you do."
"We make each other happy."
Aline smirked and took another sip of her tea.
"Loretta told me that she and your dad only dated about two months before they got married. Sam and me only dated for six. When you know, you know. How long have you and Michonne been together?"
"Three months."
"Y'all are right on track," she laughed, and the joy in her eyes made him join in with her. Their mamas had joined forces to get him and Michonne married off, and neither of them were going to stop until they walked down the aisle.
They were still laughing when Sam walked into the kitchen, and he stopped in the archway with his hands on his hips. His eyes shot from Aline to Rick and back again.
"What's going on?" He asked; a deep frown etched into his features.
"I couldn't sleep and Rick was kind enough to make me a cup of the tea his mama sent me."
His expression went soft as his wife claimed his full attention.
"Are you ok, honey?"
She dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand.
"You know I feel seasick after my treatments, but I think that tea is already working. Can you help me up the stairs, dear? I think I can lay down now."
Sam rushed to wrap his arm around her waist.
"Thank you for the tea, and the company. Good night, Rick."
"Sleep well, Aline."
"By the way, I think you and Michonne should go out on a date tomorrow night. Noah and Carl can go to that movie he was talking about."
"That's not…"
"It wasn't a question. I'll talk to Noah and Michonne in the morning."
"C'mon, honey. Let's get you back to bed," Sam interrupted; gently guiding his wife toward the stairs. "You can go back to meddling in their business after the sun comes up."
"I'm not meddling," she argued, but Sam just shook his head and kept moving her along.
"Mmm hmm," he mumbled, before glancing over his shoulder to Rick. "Thank you for keeping her company. Good night."
Rick watched as the two over them argued in hushed whispered all the way up the stairs to their bedroom. They reminded him of his mom and dad; together so long that they irritated the hell out of each other but still loved each other something fierce. They were the loves of each other's lives, and know that he'd found his, he was looking forward to ending up just like them.
Michonne put her hands on her hips and watched Rick chase Carl through the sand. It was their last true vacation day and they'd wanted to spend as much of it as possible on the beach, so they'd gotten up early and staked their claim on the sand before it got too hot.
They'd spent most of the morning playing in the surf with a few of her and Noah's old boogie boards her parents had kept in the garage. Carl absolutely loved it once he'd gotten the hang of it, and the three of them rode the small waves together, laughing and splashing each other the whole time.
Afterwards, she'd set about helping Carl build his Stark Tower sandcastle, but it ended up looking more like the leaning tower of Pisa than anything from the Marvel movies.
Every now and then, she'd notice one or both of her parents watching them from the chairs on the deck. Her mom was in one of her big straw hats, and smiling at their antics.
That was what distracted her enough for Rick to scoop her up and run into the water with her. That ignited a fierce game of tag that ended with her yelping as Rick grabbed her around the waist and spun her around as her giggles filled their air.
Noah had joined them around mid morning, taking his opportunity to get to know Rick a little better as she helped Carl look for seashells for his back to school, what I did on my summer vacation project. Every time she glanced over their way, Rick and Noah were laughing as they tossed a football back and forth. She had to remind herself not to stare at the way Rick's patterned board shorts rode low on his slim hips, revealing the V of his lower abdomen. It was too distracting; especially since they still had a full day before they could do anything about it. His body made dirty thoughts race through her mind and made her skin flush from more than just the Florida sun.
It had been such a good day, and she was beginning to feel a little sad about their vacation ending. Everything had been so natural with the three of them; their own little family doing all the things families did on vacation and loving every minute of it.
It was finally time for lunch, and she jogged up to the house to grab the sandwiches she'd prepped for them that morning. She was just about to head back out when her mother caught her in the kitchen.
"You and Rick don't need to spend your last night here cooped up with us old people," she declared. "You should go have yourselves a date night. Noah said he'd take Carl to that movie they were talking about."
She recognized the look on her mother's face as the one that was not to be argued with. It was probably the same look she'd given Noah when she'd suggested he take Carl to the movie. Still, she had to try. Even though it would be great, she and Rick didn't need a date night. She'd come home to spend time with her family.
"But mom…"
Aline held up her hand to silence her.
"I already asked Rick and he's onboard."
Michonne sighed.
"We both know you didn't ask him. You told him."
Aline shrugged.
"Either way, he agreed," she said.
Then it dawned on Michonne that Rick had been out with her all morning. When did her mother get a chance to talk to him about them having a date night?
"When did you get a chance talk to Rick anyway?"
"Never mind that. After lunch, you should come in so you both can get cleaned up and ready for your date."
And that was all there was to say about it. Her mom walked out of the kitchen headed for the living room, leaving Michonne standing with her father. He'd been sitting there listening to them the whole time, but keeping quiet because he knew his wife better than anyone.
"Why do you even try arguing with her? You know how your mother is," he teased.
"I don't know. You'd think I would've learned my lesson after 35 years."
"Yep," he agreed. There was a short pause before he spoke again. "So. I got to know the man you brought home a little bit."
"So…what do you think?"
"He's alright, I guess."
She folded her arms over he chest and raised an eyebrow at her dad. While she hadn't expected a glowing approval or Rick from him, she'd expected more than "alright".
She echoed, "Alright you guess?"
Sam nodded and met her skeptical look with one of his own.
"No man is good enough for you baby girl, that one included. Thing is, I think he knows that too and that's a good thing."
"Why?" She asked.
"It means he's gonna try his best not to…" he paused; looking around the room like he thought something or someone was going jump out of a corner. Then, he lowered his voice and continued, "…not to fuck this up."
Michonne bit her lip to stop the laugh from spilling out of her. While her mom didn't really mind cursing except at her table, she hated that word and she had her dad so shook about using it, that he was watching his back in his own home.
"Daddy…"
"That's all I got to say about it. If you're happy, I'm happy for you."
Her father wasn't the type to gush about anyone, so she knew that was probably all she'd get out of him when it came to what he thought about Rick. If he'd hated him, she'd never hear the end of it.
He turned around to go back to what he was doing, but she grabbed him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you, daddy."
His arms tightened around her.
"Yeah, yeah. I love you too," he said. "The sheriff better be good to you. I'd hate to have to come up there and beat his ass."
"He is good to me," she assured.
"That's good, because you know I'd beat the brakes off him."
This time, she couldn't stop the giggle.
"I know, daddy. You most certainly would."
After cleaning up from their beach day and sending Carl off to the movies with Noah, Michonne ordered a car to take them into the heart of Miami. They ended up at a little restaurant on Calle Ocho that Noah had introduced her to on one of her visits. It was a hole in the wall; with pounding rumba pouring out of the speakers of the patio where they'd found a table. It was a great place to people watch; and they sat there drinking Mojitos, and feasting on roast mojo pork, black beans, rice, and plantains until they both were stuffed and satisfied.
They walked hand in hand through the streets and markets of Little Havana, unabashedly flirting like they were on a first date. He was already so handsome; but scruffy, tanned, and relaxed had become her favorite look on him. His sun kissed skin made his eyes even more striking, especially when he was looking at her like he wanted to completely devour her. That look sent electric shocks pulsing through her body in all the right places and sent her heart racing into overdrive.
She wasn't the only one either. He was completely oblivious to it, but she'd caught more than one woman brazenly checking him out when they thought she wasn't looking. She didn't care though; she just tightened her hold on his arm and let them look all they wanted. He was sexy as hell and all hers.
Even after the sun went down, it was still that sticky kind of hot that made you feel like you were melting. They found refuge in a bar where they ordered more drinks and listened to the live band playing salsa music that you couldn't help but move along to. They slid into a booth, where he pulled her into his side and held her there; occasionally planting kisses behind her ear. One of his hands never strayed too far from her thigh; his bold fingertips occasionally drifting past the hem of her skirt to trace light circles against her skin.
Eventually, she was able to convince him to dance with her, and she pulled him onto the floor where she wrapped herself around him and moved them both along to the beat. His big hands held on to her gyrating hips, pulling her in close enough to his body that she could feel his arousal poking against her belly.
He buried his face in the side of her neck and dragged his lips across her heated skin. His hands slid lower until he was massaging her ass and she moaned against his ear.
"You're gonna get us kicked out of here," she whispered.
"Look around. We're the least indecent couple here," he countered; and she couldn't argue with that. The couples around them were practically making love through their dancing. Women were wrapped around their men like a second skin as they gyrated their hips in time with the beat.
Light nibbles on the curve of her ear brought her attention back to him, and she closed her eyes and gave in to the pleasure coursing through her body.
He whispered, "You're going to make me forget my oath not to make love to you in your parents house."
She giggled and tightened her arms around his neck.
"My daddy likes you. You can't mess that up," she teased.
He groaned and held her tighter against him.
"I know, but Jesus Christ, I want to."
His eyes were dark and full of so much lust that she almost wanted him to forget that oath too.
It was still early when they finally made it back to her parent's house, and instead of letting him escort her to her bedroom door and kiss her good night, she led him out onto the beach. They were both a little buzzed, and they were both laughing as he pulled her into his lap after he fell into one of the beach loungers.
"I can't believe we're flying back home tomorrow. This has been, without a doubt, the best vacation I've had in a long time."
He kissed her temple and sighed contentedly.
"Me too. I kinda wish we could just stay here forever," he agreed, but then added, "…in a hotel far away from your dad."
She laughed again, stretching out next to him and resting her head over his heart.
"Are you ever going to tell me what you talked about?"
"Nope. That's between him and me. He's just being a dad trying to take care of his little girl, and I respect that. If I had a daughter, I'd be the same way."
Maybe it was the fact that she was a little buzzed, or maybe it was because she'd just spent a week in a motherly type role. Either way, even she was a little surprised by the question that spilled from her lips.
"Do you want more kids?"
"Is this one of those real talks?" He asked. Ever since they'd decided to move in together, they'd been talking about the future more in what she'd dubbed "real talks". They were never planned; one of them would just say something that would lead to a real talk. There was only one rule to a real talk; they had to be completely honest about their thoughts and feelings. Real talks were going to lay out the path to their future together.
She nodded into his chest and said, "Yep".
His answer came fast; like he didn't need to think about it at all.
"I would love to have more. What about you?"
"I do," she began; that she was absolutely sure of, but there was more involved for her and the real talk required that she be open about it. "But I'm 35. So it might not be easy. It might not happen at all. Would you be ok if it didn't?"
He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
"I've already got everything I need with you and Carl. Anything or anyone else would be a bonus."
She looked up at him and saw no trace of disappointment or second thoughts. All she saw in his eyes was love and contentment and it sent her heart soaring. She loved this man; so much that it made her forget that she didn't believe in soul mates because somehow she'd found hers. He was more that what she'd always wanted. He was what she'd always needed and she hadn't even known it until the day his bowlegged strut as her mom called it, carried him into her life.
"What?" He asked; pulling her out of the epiphany she was currently experiencing.
"I love you," she whispered, just before crushing her mouth to his.
It was a kiss that escalated quickly. Before she knew it, he'd dragged her on top of him; his hands slipping under her dress and holding on to her ass to keep her in place. Suddenly, she was rubbing against his hard body like a cat begging for a treat as her tongue swept through his mouth tasting the trace of lime left from their drinks.
They needed to stop; she knew that. They were slightly hidden by the deck above, but they were still out in public. The last thing she needed was one of the neighbors telling her dad that they saw her and Rick going at it like a couple of teenagers or worse, calling the cops. They definitely needed to stop but every time she would grind her soft core against the rock hard bulge in his pants, she'd forget another reason why.
"Awww…I'm gonna tell Pops."
Startled, she practically jumped off of Rick and into the lounger next to him. Her heart was pounding for multiple reasons, and it only relaxed when she saw her brother leaning against the deck railing smirking down at them.
"Noah, don't you have anything else you could be doing?" She asked through gritted teeth.
"Look, I didn't come down here expecting to find you two dry humping. You do realize that Pops considers this sliver of beach part of the house, right?"
She glared at him as she finished straightening her clothes, and shifted so that she was blocking the only evidence that dry humping was exactly what they'd been doing.
"I hate you," she spat.
"You love me," he insisted, and then jogged down the stairs and flopped in the chair next to the one she and Rick were sharing. "I'm guessing you had a good time on your date?"
Rick spoke up, "We did. Thanks for taking Carl to the movies. We appreciate it."
Noah shrugged.
"No problem. Little man is real cool. He's out cold now."
Her annoyance lifted slightly at that, as she remembered how Carl was already idolizing Noah like a big brother. Noah was good with him too. It was probably because he was nothing but a giant kid himself.
A mischievous grin appeared on Noah's lips, and he cleared his throat, and nodded at Rick.
"I feel like I need to do my brotherly duty and warn you about treating my sister right, but I have a feeling Pops already did that."
"He did," Rick confirmed.
Noah continued, "So all I'm gonna say is, I haven't seen my sister smile so much in a minute. As long as you keep making her smile like that, we good."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"…And I'm warning you that I got a line of dudes asking for her number so once you step out of line, there ain't gonna be any stepping back in."
She rolled her eyes and dropped her head back against Rick's chest.
"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not interested in dating any of your boys?" She asked, exasperated.
"You say that now because you got a man. But if your man happened to mess up, he should know that there are other men more than willing to take his place."
She was about to argue, but Rick pressing his fingers into her hip stopped her.
"You're right," he said. "But I know how lucky I am that your sister chose me. Those other guys may be willing to take my place, but they're gonna be waiting a long, long time."
Rick and Noah kept talking but she barely heard the rest of their conversation, as she wondered how was it possible that she was still falling in love with Rick. That answer was more than just the right answer, it was a perfect one in a weekend full of perfect things. She'd thought she was already in as deep as she could go, but he kept pulling her deeper and making her want to never surface.
Too soon, Noah was gone and Rick was leading her into the house and up to her bedroom door. Their flight was leaving early the next morning, and they needed to get some sleep.
He quietly kissed her goodnight as her back pressed against the door; his strong hands cupping her face as his lips slanted against hers. She wanted to giggle because she felt like a teenager being kissed after a date. Even as chaste as it was, it stoked a delicious warmth in her belly and she didn't want it to end.
When the kiss broke, he whispered "goodnight" against her lips and slowly backed away, looking a little remorseful and a lot turned on. She needed to escape that dark gaze before she pulled him into her room with her.
She reached behind her back for the knob, and pushed her door open to scurry inside.
"Good night," she whispered, and as she slowly pushed the door closed she added, "I love you."
He was still watching her just like he did when he dropped her home in Atlanta; waiting for her to be safely inside before doing the same.
"I love you too," he replied, just as her door clicked shut.
Rick glanced at Michonne in the passenger seat as they headed toward the airport and back to Miami. The sunglasses she was wearing were more for hiding her puffy, red eyes than blocking the sun. There'd been a lot of tears while saying goodbye to her family, and while he'd expected Aline to get emotional, even her father's eyes had glassed over as he'd hugged her goodbye. He'd known they were a close knit family, but seeing them first hand had illustrated their deep connection.
Then, when Aline enveloped him in a hug matching the intensity of the one she'd given her daughter, well, he'd gotten a little choked up himself. The handshake and bro hug he'd gotten from Sam and Noah had been so warm, and from the way all three of them praised and hugged Carl, he was assured that they'd accepted both of them into the nucleus of their little family.
It did make him think a little bit. Was it strange that everything seemed to just be falling into place for them? He didn't know. Maybe this was just how things went when two people who were for each other, finally came together. Maybe when it was right, things came a little easier. The only thing he knew for sure was that after all they'd been through with prior relationships, they each deserved some happiness and they'd found it together.
Keeping one hand on the steering wheel and his eyes on the road, he reached over and squeezed her knee. He was just about to pull his hand away when her fingers wrapped around his.
"We'll come down again soon," he promised. "Actually, we should get them up to Georgia so our mama's can finally meet."
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the slow smile spreading across her lips.
"They'd love that. Do you think your mom would want to host Thanksgiving for everyone at her house? I don't think my place is big enough."
He could already picture his mama happily planning every detail of a big, family holiday gathering. It had been just the three of them for a while, and his mama was happiest when she had a lot of people to take care of.
"She'd love it. There's plenty of room for everyone to stay at her house too. I'll talk to her about it when we get back."
"Ok."
She kept holding his hand, and went back to watching the scenery fly by outside the window. He glanced up at Carl playing his game in the rearview mirror, and a thought occurred to him. If there was one thing their vacation had reinforced for him, it was that the three of them were good together. It was time to put their plan in motion.
"Hey, Carl? Can you turn that off for a minute?"
That got the attention of both passengers, and he felt Michonne's eyes on him. He tightened his hold on her knee, and once Carl's eyes met his in the mirror, he cleared his throat.
"We wanted to talk to you about some changes happing at the end of the summer," he began, and Michonne's eyes widened. She'd worried about Carl being upset about the move because he loved his friends in King County, and he wouldn't get to see them every other weekend any more.
He, on the other hand, was pretty sure Carl would be ok with it. They'd still spend a lot of time back home, visiting his mama, Jeff and Savannah; giving Carl plenty of time with Duane and Sophia.
"What changes?" Carl asked.
"Well…I'm moving to Atlanta so I can be closer to you and Michonne."
"What's gonna happen to our house?"
"I'm gonna ask your uncle Jeff if he wants to rent it for him and Savannah."
Carl was quiet as he processed that news, and the longer the silence stretched on, the more Rick wanted to fill it.
"We're going to go visit your grandma and all your friends as much as we can, and I'm sure grandma would love to have you spend time in the summers with her."
"Ok," Carl agreed. "Where we gonna live in Atlanta?"
He was about to answer when Michonne squeezed his hand. She turned back so she could be face to face with Carl.
"I was hoping the two of you would want to move in with me. I have an extra bedroom that would be perfect for you."
"Cool!"
"So you're ok with it?" Rick asked.
Carl nodded, and answered, "Michonne's house is really cool, and I really like T'Challa."
Michonne's face was transformed by a brilliant smile, and the nugget of worry Rick had about telling Carl their plan completely vanished.
Carl continued, "I'm glad you'll be closer too, dad. We can all see each other more."
"Yeah. That is definitely the best part," he agreed.
"Does grandma know we're moving?"
"Not yet. We had to tell you first. We'll talk to grandma about it when we get home," he replied, and watched as Carl's expression turned thoughtful in the mirror.
"Do you think she'll be ok with it?" Michonne asked, and Carl shrugged.
"Yeah," he said. "She just gets really…emotional…sometimes."
Rick chuckled to himself. Carl was only ten and even he knew his grandma had a tendency to overreact. Telling his mama he was leaving King County was the equivalent of dropping a bomb, and he and Michonne were going to be right at the center of it.
After reading that terrible Angela Kang interview about S10, I needed to drown myself in happy Richonne, so that's why I stayed with this one instead of going back to LTD. I needed zero…or at least minimal…angst for just a little while.
I love the Pierce Family and I think they love Rick and Carl even if Sam isn't ready to admit it. If anyone has actually tried that milkshake and fries ice cream from Coolhaus, please let me know if it's good. I read that it actually has pieces of French fries in it. I've tried the other flavor. It is from Jeni's and it is killer!
Ok, so the next chapter will pick up with letting Loretta know about the move. That should be fun...right? As always, thanks for reading and letting me know how much you love this story. Y'all are amazing and my heart is so full when I read your reviews!
Also, I have some overall things I want to see happen in this story, but let me know if there's anything you want to see. Maybe we can fit some it in!
Until next time!