Chapter 14 - I Found You
Inspired by: I Found You by Alabama Shakes
Michonne bounced her knee up and down, willing her phone to ring. They'd planned a family FaceTime call so both she and Noah could get the news at the same time, but she was too impatient. Her parents should've been home from her mother's oncologist appointment with the news that could make or break her whole world. She needed to know if the treatments were working. A shrinking tumor would be the best news they could get. If it was still the same or, God forbid, if it had grown, she didn't know what she'd do.
"Baby, calm down. It's almost time."
Rick's steady voice drifted over from the kitchen where he was making coffee at the island. He'd driven to Atlanta after work the night before, leaving Carl with Loretta so he could be there with her when she got the news. It was another one of those moments that left her wondering how she'd gotten so lucky have him in her life.
She sighed, "I know. I'm just nervous. What if…what if it isn't good news?"
He rounded the island carrying two steaming mugs, placing them both on the table before sitting next to her on the sofa. He folded her hand into his before lifting it to his lips.
"Then we keep fighting with her for however long it takes."
She was bolstered by the determination in his eyes, and she nodded.
"Did I thank you for being here with me today?"
"You don't have to thank me. Where else would I be?"
His lips gently brushed against hers just as her phone and her laptop started to ring. She squeezed Rick's hand tighter and pressed the button to accept the call, and smiled as her parent's faces filled the screen. A few seconds later, Noah joined them in a separate window.
"Hey y'all," she greeted, glad that her parents had finally gotten the hang of video calls. When they'd first started, one or both of them would always be looking for the camera.
"Hey baby! Hi Rick!"
Her mother's smile was contagious even on the screen.
"Hey Miss Aline. Hi Sam, Noah," Rick answered.
She tried to listen as they all made small talk, but the not knowing was eating away at her patience.
"Mom? What did the doctors say?" She interrupted.
"The treatments were able to shrink the tumor enough for surgery."
She squeezed Rick's hand and allowed a small, tentative smile to spread across her lips.
"That's good, right?"
Her mother nodded.
"It's really good. They want to schedule a lumpectomy as soon as possible…"
Her mom paused and glanced over at her dad, who nodded before placing a kiss on her temple, and that kiss seemed to give her mom the strength to keep talking.
"If they just take the lump, I'd need to go through radiation too and I just want to be done with it. If they go ahead and do a mastectomy instead, this whole thing could be over. Especially if they take both."
Noah's eye caught hers in the screen and she could see that they had some of the same questions running through their minds. It had to have been a difficult choice for their mother to make. She was trying hard not to freak out, but that was a huge decision.
Both she and Noah spoke at the same time.
"A mastectomy?"
"Mom…"
Her mother held up a hand and silenced them both like she had for their entire lives.
"Your father and I talked about it and we think it's for the best. They're going to do the reconstruction at the same time, so it'll be like nothing's changed."
"When?" Noah asked.
"We haven't scheduled it yet but it's going to be soon," she answered, looking into the camera with love and determination shining in her eyes. "I know you all are worried about me, but this is my best chance to end all of this right here. I have too much at stake not to take advantage of it."
It all made sense, but that didn't stop Michonne from tearing up a little bit. Her mom was willing to go through a surgery that would leave her forever altered, all because she loved her family and wanted to do anything she could to be there for them for as long as she could.
"I get it, mom. Can you let me know when you get the surgery scheduled? I want to come down and help."
"You don't have to do that. I've got your dad here…"
Sam shook his head.
"Nah, you come on down. I mean, I got everything completely under control, but you can come keep your mother company."
Aline smirked and Michonne was sure that she had a matching one on her face too.
"What am I? Chopped liver?" Noah said, pretending to be offended.
Sam rolled his eyes and rubber his forehead.
"Boy, you know good and well I expect your ass here checking in on her too!"
"Mimi, I'll send you the date when I have it," Aline interjected before darting her eyes over to Rick. "Are you sure you can make it another few days without my daughter around?"
Michonne turned and caught sight of the grin on Rick's face.
"It's gonna be a struggle, but I'll make it through as long as I know she's helping you recover faster."
Jesus, she loved that man and she couldn't help herself from planting a kiss on his stubbled cheek. That invoked a chorus of groans from her father and Noah, but it made Rick blush and her mom smile ever brighter which made it all worth it.
They talked for a while longer, and after hearing more details and exchanging goodbyes and I love you's, they ended the call. She sat silently for a moment, still processing everything her mother said.
"She's going to be alright."
He nodded and draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her tightly into his side.
"She is," he whispered.
She didn't realize she was crying until he started wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. She looked up at him to find his concerned eyes searching her face and she could tell her tears had rattled him.
"These are happy tears," she explained; her words instantly softening his expression. "I know this isn't over, but it feels like we're getting there, and I'm just...relieved."
He nodded and pulled her back into his chest. She relaxed into him his lips pressed against her forehead.
"Me too."
They remained like that for a while, cuddled up on the sofa like neither of them had anywhere else to be. But they did have other places to be, and that forced them apart as Rick needed to get back to King County.
She followed him back into the bedroom where he finished unpacking the box of clothes he'd brought with him, and bit back a smile as he filled another drawer in her dresser with his things. She'd cleaned out three of the six for his use and he'd been slowly filling them with each visit.
"Hey…T'Challa hasn't tried to murder me yet. Where is he?"
"He's hiding. We're usually moving things around when you're here lately and he doesn't like it."
"He better get used to it. We only have about a month left till I'm here all the time."
Rick and T'Challa still tolerated each other at best. He was one thing that would always be hers no matter how hard she tried to change it. But just the thought of him being there all the time, making her space their space, made a smile stretch across her face.
She wrapped her arms around him from behind and gave him a squeeze.
"I can't wait," she whispered before kissing his shoulder blade.
He turned around, and grabbed her hips to pull her in close.
"Me either, baby," he whispered before dipping his head to capture her lips with his. She savored the warmth of his mouth which was still a little sweet from the caramel creamer he'd used in his coffee. She wanted to deepen the kiss, maybe even try convincing Rick to call in sick so they could spend the day all wrapped up in each other.
But she knew she couldn't do that. She had a stack of files on her desk and a meeting with the district attorney, and Rick had a lot to catch up with in King County too. So when he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, she just sighed and squeezed his biceps.
"I'll see you soon, ok?"
"Ok," he agreed. "I'm telling mama about the move this week. I'll let you know how it goes."
"You sure you don't want me there with you?"
He shook his head.
"I need to talk to her on my own. She loves you, so she's going to be fine with me leaving…eventually."
She giggled.
"Eventually, huh?"
"I may have to promise her a standing invitation to visit us whenever she wants, but she'll come around."
They shared a laugh and another few kisses before he really had to go. She held tight to his hand as walked him to the door. They passed the door to the room that would be Carl's and he cut his eyes over to her.
"Are you going to let me me see what you've been up to in Carl's room?"
She grinned and dragged him away from the closed door.
"Nope. It's a surprise."
She'd been using every spare minute she had getting Carl's room ready. A few coats of paint, coupled with some things she'd picked up from a variety of websites, ensured the younger Grimes was going to love it. But it wasn't quite ready yet, and she wanted to unveil it to both of them at the same time.
"Fine, but just so you know, I know you painted the room blue."
Her hands perched on her hips and he had to grin at her indignant expression. "Rick Grimes, did you peek after I told you not to?"
"Nope. I saw little spots of blue paint all over your sneakers. I am a cop, remember?"
She rolled her eyes and twisted her lips. She'd known better than to just leave them sitting out.
She playfully shoved him toward the door.
"You get out of here, Columbo, before you ruin the surprise."
His eyes sparkled when he laughed and swept her into his arms for a final kiss, making her squeal like a little girl.
"Be safe out there."
"I always am," he promised with a grin. "I love you."
"I love you too."
A few days later, Rick stood in the kitchen doorway, watching as his mama worked on a lemon pound cake for the church bake sale the next day. The air smelled sweet and warm, and it took him back to when he was a little boy begging her to let him lick the beaters. It was a different time, so of course she let him; they'd never heard of salmonella, and even if they had, it wouldn't have mattered. One beater would go to Jeff and he'd get the other one, and the two of them would enjoy every lick of the creamy, sweet batter.
"Rick! I didn't hear you come in," she said; her voice pulling him out of his memories. "Have you been here long?"
He walked over and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"No, I just got here."
"You didn't tell me you were stopping by. I'm knee deep in my baking."
"I see," he said, gesturing to to other three cakes cooling on the counter. "Is anybody else making cakes for the sale? Or are you just showing off?"
"I can't help it if everybody loves my cakes."
She grinned and he couldn't help but grin too. His mama was cute when she was being cocky.
"Because you got all the other ladies in town too scared to bake one," he teased.
"Oh, hush! I do not," she chuckled. "Everybody has their speciality and pound cakes are mine." She poured her batter into the pan. "So what brings you by? Passing the time until Michonne gets here?"
He shook his head. It was Friday afternoon and that was usually when his girl would make her way into town, but not that week.
"She can't come this weekend. She's in court next week and with the vacation, she needs to catch up on things."
"Are you gonna be alright? You get a little out of sorts when you go too long without seeing her."
"I do not."
She narrowed her eyes and saw right through him in that way that only a mother could.
"Who are you trying to fool? You turn into a grouchy, lovesick fool when y'all are apart too long and you know it."
He did know it, but he wasn't about to admit that to his mama. Hating being apart from Michonne was the catalyst for him moving to Atlanta, and moving to Atlanta was the reason he was standing in his mama's kitchen. He needed to tell her before Carl let it slip, and before Sheriff Rhodes told his wife and kicked off the King County gossip line.
"Can you come sit with me for a minute, mama? I need to talk to you about something."
"Of course. Let me put this one in the oven first."
He sat at the dinette, waiting for her to put the cake in the oven and set the timer. When she finally joined him, she was quiet for a moment as her eyes traced over his face.
"Now. What is it that you're scared to tell me?"
She'd always had a way of seeing right through him, and right then was no different.
"I'm moving to Atlanta at the end of the summer," he announced. His mother was not one to beat around the bush, so he figured it would be best to just put it out there and deal with the fallout.
She blinked a few times as she processed his news.
After a few seconds she asked, "You…you're moving in with Michonne?"
"Yes," he confirmed.
Her face lit up and she reached across the table and squeezed his hand.
"Richard Grimes! Did you two get engaged on your trip? I can't believe you didn't tell me! I can't believe Aline didn't let it slip!"
"Mama," he began, but she was already on a roll.
"When and where are y'all getting married? If it's here, we'll have to get with Pastor Stokes and reserve the church right away!"
He sighed. She was already planning his wedding and he wasn't even engaged. He took both of her hands in his and squeezed them gently until her eyes met his.
"We're not engaged," he said.
She blinked a few times, like she couldn't compute what he was saying; like the idea that her son would be living with a woman he wasn't at least engaged to, was short-circuiting her brain.
"You're not?"
"No. We're just moving in together."
"Just moving in together," she repeated and he nodded. "You're not getting married?"
"No, well, not yet," he said and she frowned at him like she wanted to snatch him up. "What? We haven't been together that long!"
She closed her eyes and released a heavy sigh, before parting her lips to say something. Then, she stopped herself and shook her head.
"So, you're moving to Atlanta," she said; effectively changing the subject.
He wasn't stupid. Whatever his mama stopped herself from saying was only on temporary hold. He just had to wait till it came back for redelivery.
"Mama, you know I been thinking about it ever since Lori left with Carl. Michonne being there, is just more reason for me to be there too."
"I know, baby, and I'm happy for you. I truly am," she explained. "But none of that is gonna stop me from missing you like crazy."
"I know, mama. I'm gonna miss you too."
She smiled and patted his hand.
"The end of the summer is right around the corner. You already found a new job?"
"Billy set me up with the sheriff's office up in Cobb county. Michonne works for Fulton, and we thought it would be best if we weren't in the same jurisdiction."
"And the house?"
"I was thinking about letting Jeff rent it from me," he replied, and she surprised him by nodding along to that.
"That's probably for the best. I love your brother, but he is real good at working my last nerve! Do you know I caught him sneaking the Cooper girl out of my house at 6:30 in the morning? I coulda killed him!"
He grinned just thinking about Jeff trying maintain his cool, ladykiller exterior while dodging swats from their mama. He was going to have to remember to ask him about that one.
"You didn't tell me," he answered, unable to keep the mirth out of his voice. "I guess Jeff is always gonna be Jeff."
She sighed and slowly shook her head.
"Well…except for that he's been doing well, and Hershel says he's picking up the business very quickly. But it is definitely time for him and Savvy to have their own space."
"I'll talk to him about it next time I see him," he said. He had a feeling Jeff was going to jump at the opportunity to get out from under their mama's roof. He may be a grown man, but he was not going to run women through Loretta Grimes's house.
They talked about the move a little more and she took everything well. She asked about Michonne's house, how far he'd be from Carl, and how he was basically leaving the house furnished for Jeff except for Carl's room. She was most interested about the kind of work he'd be doing with the sheriff's office in Cobb. Being cop in a small town like King County was a whole lot different from being one in a city like Atlanta.
He did his best to settle her fears, and after they'd run through every little detail of his move, she covered his hand with both of hers. That thing she'd pushed pause on earlier was ready to be played, and he tensed for whatever it might be.
"Rick, sweetheart, you're not letting what happened with…Carl's mother…get in the way of you moving forward with Michonne, are you?"
"No…and what are you talking about? I just finished telling you I'm moving to Atlanta with her. That's a big step forward."
"You also told me that moving to Atlanta was something you were thinking about doing anyway, so it's not as big of a step as you think."
"Mama," he groaned. "We're good where we are. Besides, people live together before getting married these days. It's not a big deal."
She twisted her lips and peered at him over the rim of her glasses.
"You love her, and she loves you and Carl, right?"
"Yeah, of course." He shrugged.
"And you're already thinking of you, her, and Carl as a family, right?" She continued.
"Yes."
"You see a future with her?"
"Yes, but…"
She shook her head and looked at him like she'd raised the world's biggest fool.
"But what? Those things are the only ones that matter. People live together before getting married to give things a test run. You and Michonne don't need that."
"It's not a test run," he argued. "We're just taking things at our own pace."
"I'm not trying to pressure you," she began but then she must've seen the skepticism on his face because she laughed gleefully. "Ok, maybe I am. I just want you to grab onto this happiness you've found!"
"I promise you I am." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. He may as well come clean with her. It was exactly what she wanted to hear but Loretta Grimes wasn't exactly known for her secret keeping ability. "I'm…already thinking about it. I've been thinking about it. I'm just waiting for the right time."
Her lips curled into a knowing smile.
"I need to get something from upstairs." She said; rising from her chair. She stopped in the doorway and glared at him over her shoulder. "Don't let my cake burn," she warned, before disappearing upstairs.
He chuckled at her warning, but he kept his eye on that cake too. He was a grown man but he had no doubt that she would beat his ass if he let her cake burn.
She was back a few minutes later, and after checking on her cake, she rejoined him at the table and placed an old, green velvet box in front of him.
"What's this?"
He cracked open the box to reveal a ring with a white gold band and a round diamond at its center, anchored by two smaller diamonds on each side. By modern standards it was nothing fancy, but it was so beautiful and delicate that he found himself imagining it on Michonne's finger.
"It's your Grandma Sterling's ring," she said. "I've been saving it for Jeff since you were already married when she passed, but I think you could find a use for it before Jeff will."
"It's beautiful, mama."
She nodded proudly.
"My daddy saved for years to buy mama that ring. When they got married, all he could afford was a gold band with a chip of a diamond in it. Eventually, he made it through medical school and he replaced that ring with this one, but she only wore it on special occasions; preferring that first ring. So when she passed, we buried her right next to him wearing that one, and I held on to this one. I'd love for you to give it to Michonne when you decide to propose."
"Mama…"
"Now, you don't have to. If you have something else in mind, or you don't think she'd like it…"
"No, she'll love it, when we're ready."
"Have I ever told you about how your daddy proposed to me?" She asked.
He honestly wondered for a second if his mama was getting a little senile. Of course he'd heard the story of how his father proposed to her. The whole damn town had heard about Big Carl dropping to one knee in the middle of the town square to ask for Loretta Sterling's hand in marriage.
"Yes. He asked you at the end of summer dance in the town square."
Her smile turned mischievous and she cocked an eyebrow at him.
"That was one of the four times he asked me," she revealed.
His eyes widened. Four times? His dad proposed to his mom four times before she said yes? That was news to him.
"I've definitely never heard that before."
She shrugged.
"It was never applicable till now."
He sighed, knowing she'd gotten him right where she wanted him.
"All right then, tell me. I know you're dying to."
"The first time was right after we...well...it was right after our first time," she explained and Rick's stomach dropped into his shoes, and he immediately regretted asking her for the story. The mere thought of his mom and dad doing…that…was something he never needed in his head even at his age.
"Please stop," he begged.
She ignored him and kept on with her story.
"I said no because he was just feeling good and I didn't think he meant it. He didn't even have a ring for goodness sakes!"
"Oh my God," he mumbled, wanting to cover his ears like a child to shut out his mother's unexpected revelation about the first time she slept with his father. For a hot second, he thought about telling Jeff, just so he could be as traumatized as he was. He scratched that idea when he realized he'd have to actually think about that horrible story again in order to retell it.
"The second time," she continued, and he cringed hoping this one would be less scarring than the last. "He did the whole romance thing, and I knew he meant it, but I wasn't ready to get married. I was just out of college and starting my own life. Marrying him right then seemed like going backwards. I didn't go to college just to end up someone's wife, so I told him no because we had plenty of time for all that. I wanted to make my own way for at least a little while."
That story was far less shocking, but it was still surprising. He'd heard all about how women had been lining up to date his father while his mama was away at school, and any of them would've given their right arm to be his wife. If they'd known she'd turned him down twice at that point, she probably would've been railroaded out of King County.
He was overwhelmed by a wave of affection and admiration for her. She'd always been the outspoken, independent woman he'd been raised by, even when it had gone against everyone's expectations for her.
She sighed and kept on going.
"The third time was the end of summer dance. I said yes in public because I didn't want to embarrass Carl, but as soon as I got him in private, I laid him out for putting me on the spot like that! Arguing was our thing, but that one got heated, we both said things we didn't mean, and we broke up."
She shook her head, laughing to herself as the memory seemed to just wash over her. Then, her demeanor shifted, and she sobered as unshed tears made her eyes shine.
"Then...then your father got himself shot breaking up a bar fight."
He gasped, as that news hit him right in the gut. That was a story neither of his parents had ever shared even though he understood why. They'd almost lost each other before they'd ever gotten started. It was probably why neither of them really talked about the dangers of being a cop when he and Jeff were growing up, but it also explained why he couldn't remember a day his dad left for work without hearing 'I love you' from his mama.
"I-I never knew dad got shot," he stuttered.
She nodded, swatting at the tears just beginning to stream down her cheeks.
"He was rushed from the bar right into surgery before I could get to the hospital. I was a wreck, and all I could think about while sitting in that waiting room was how I couldn't picture my life without him. I knew I loved him; knew I'd never love anybody else. All waiting to be ready was doing was wasting time. I decided that if…if he made it, I wouldn't waste another second."
"Mama," he whispered; squeezing her hand in both of his.
"A few days after that, while he was still in the hospital recovering, I told him to ask me again. He had the ring in the pocket of his uniform he'd been wearing that night. He said he'd been keeping it close for when I woke the hell up and realized we'd always been ready."
He grinned and tilted his head to the side.
"Dad was something else."
She nodded, smiling at him with still teary eyes. The love she still felt for his dad was so apparent even after years of marriage and his death.
"Yes. He was something else," she agreed; picking the ring box up off the table and folding it into his hand. "You hold on to this. I want you to be ready when you finally wake the hell up and realize there's never going to be a perfect moment, and the only thing you're doing by waiting for it is wasting time."
There was no point in arguing with her about it, and maybe the point of her story hit him a little closer to home than he'd expected, but he nodded and slipped the ring into his pocket.
"Ok."
She smiled and cupped his cheek in her palm.
"Now, baby I love you, but you're distracting me from my cakes and I have a reputation to uphold."
He laughed as he stood up and pulled her into a warm hug that lifted her off her feet.
"I love you too, mama."
He watched for a few minutes as she happily went back to her baking, humming along to the oldies playing on the kitchen radio; her words tumbling around in his head. He'd already been thinking about proposing to Michonne, but something had been holding him back. In that moment though, he couldn't think of a single reason that actually mattered.
He walked through the house, pulling his phone from his pocket and scrolling to a number that hadn't been in his phone for very long at all. He was almost to his truck, when a soft voice came onto the line.
"Hello?"
"Aline. Hi, it's Rick."
"Hi, Rick. What can I do for you?" She asked with a smile in her voice.
"Is Sam around?"
"He's watching tv. Do you need to talk to him?"
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't know when he was going to take that leap, but he did know it was going to be sooner rather than later. He had the ring, but he needed one more thing.
"Actually," he began, "I need to ask you both something."
It was Monday when Lori asked him to bring Carl back to Atlanta before the end of the summer, and he'd agreed. Carl wanted to spend time with his new baby sister and going to Atlanta meant he could stop by and see Michonne. It had been almost two weeks since he'd seen her because the case she was working consumed all of her free time. He was aching to see her, and knowing he was so close to doing just that, gave him the strength to deal with his ex-wife.
He watched Carl run inside the house to see his baby sister, and he expected Lori to follow right away, but instead, she turned to him with a rare smile.
"Thank you for bringing Carl back early," she said. "I want him to have time to bond with Judith before he goes back to school."
"You're welcome," he said. She seemed like she was in a good mood, so he decided to go ahead and broach another subject with her. With Carl being home with her, he was sure the news was going to slip out sooner or later anyway. "Actually, Lori, I need to talk to you about something."
She cocked her her head to the side and asked, "What is it?"
"The custody and visitation agreement. It has to change and I was hoping we could do it without ending up in court."
She frowned and folded her arms over her chest.
"Why does it need to change? It's working, isn't it? I'm not gonna make that drive to King County any more than I already do."
He wanted to remind her that she had only made the drive all the way into town a handful of times since the divorce, but he bit his tongue and tried to keep his composure.
He cleared his throat.
"Well…I'm moving up here soon and I want to see Carl more than every other weekend."
Lori stared at him silently as she digested what he was telling her.
"Are you moving in with her?" She asked.
He nodded.
"I'm moving in with Michonne the week after Labor Day. I got a job with the Sheriff's department in Cobb, not far from Carl's school actually."
The silence between them was filled with tension as he waited for Lori to do whatever she was going to do. There were only two options for her: loud and angry or quiet and angry. Either way, he wasn't looking forward to it.
"What are you doing, Rick? You've only known her a few months and you're already willing to leave your home behind for her! What does Loretta have to say about all this?"
Loud and angry it was.
"That's none of your business."
"None of my business?" She challenged. "I don't know how I feel about my son living with someone who is basically a stranger!"
That was enough to make the tenuous hold he had on his irritation to break.
He snapped, "You took my son out of the only home he'd ever known, away from his school, his family, his friends and moved him in with the man you cheated on me with!"
"He's my husband! She's a woman you barely know!"
"I know her, Lori. I know her better than I ever knew you."
Her eyes widened and she stepped back almost like his words had physically struck her.
"You don't have to be mean."
Ignoring her, he brought the conversation back to the only thing they ever needed to talk about: Carl.
"The custody agreement is changing. You can work with me on it or you can fight me, but either way I'm moving to Atlanta and I'm gonna see my son more."
"I'm gonna have to call my lawyer and see about that," she threatened.
"You do what you need to do, Lori. But what you're not going to do is come between me and my son."
He had nothing more to say to her, so he turned and walked back to his truck, leaving Lori glaring after him. He'd told Michonne that he'd be at her house by 5 and he was going keep his word.
The door to Michonne's home swung open and before she could greet him, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. God, he'd missed her. That week of seeing her everyday had spoiled him, and the almost two weeks of not seeing her had him on edge just like his mama had predicted.
He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, begging for access and when she parted them, he dove in and plundered her mouth desperately; wanting to taste her so thoroughly that it would hold him over for a while. Backing her up against the doorframe, he pressed his body against hers, not caring about the neighbors or anything else other than kissing her. Her fingers twisted in the hair at the back his neck, spurring him to keep kissing her until the need for air caused them to break apart panting.
Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at him, and she slowly ran her fingers through his hair in that way that seemed to soothe him no matter what.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
A part of him wanted to launch into everything that was said between him and Lori but he decided not to. He didn't want to waste their time together talking about her. So, he nodded; trying to push his conversation with Lori out of his mind.
"Yeah. Know any good family lawyers?"
She narrowed her eyes and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.
"I do. I'll make some calls tomorrow," she said, her eyes searching his face for more details. "Wanna talk about it?"
He shook his head.
"Nah. Right now, I wanna steal you away from your work and take you out to dinner."
She stared at him for a minute longer before she agreed with a short nod.
"That sounds good. There's a little Italian bistro around the corner. We could walk."
He took her hand and brought it to her lips.
"I like that idea."
She grabbed her things and they walked hand in hand down the tree-lined sidewalks toward the little restaurant. He'd barely seen her since their vacation and was grateful for any extra time he had with her.
She gave him a rundown of the trial that was keeping her away from him. She'd been in court all week presenting the state's case against a man accused of coercing women into unspeakable acts by threatening the lives of their loved ones. It should've been open and shut, but the defendant had money to hire one of the best defense attorneys in Atlanta, and the trial was dragging. She predicted at least another week of 12-16 hour days.
Internally, he balked at the fact that she was going to be unavailable for even longer, but externally, he showered her with support and insisted that she was going to win.
The street became more crowded as they neared the restaurant and they were almost at the door when a voice called out from behind them.
"Chonne?"
She came to an abrupt stop, and he thought he heard her inhale sharply. They both turned around, and there was a man standing behind them holding a takeout bag from the restaurant. He was tall and muscular, with dark brown skin and intense eyes that seemed fixed on Michonne.
His grip on her hand tightened as the stranger's lips curved into a grin and those eyes raked over her from head to toe. But he wasn't a stranger. He obviously knew Michonne and from the way she seemed stunned by his presence, she knew him too.
"Damn…I barely recognized you without your locs," the man chuckled. "Looks good on you. But everything looks good on you."
He clenched his jaw; trying his best not to overreact to the too familiar way this guy spoke and looked at Michonne.
After a few seconds that seemed to stretch on forever, Michonne cleared her throat.
"Hello Mike," she whispered.
He stiffened, and his eyes locked on the other man…on Mike…as his mind tried to sort through the torrent of anger that name had released. This was the man she'd almost married, and the man who'd broken her heart so callously that the scars hadn't completely faded.
Michonne's fingers wove themselves with his, pulling his attention to her profile and all that anger turned into something else completely. Anxiety was pouring off of her, and it ignited every protection instinct he had in him.
She'd told him she hadn't really seen Mike in the two years since the wedding that wasn't. She'd gone to Florida with her parents afterwards, and when she'd returned home, Mike and all of his things were gone like he'd never been there at all. She'd moved into the place she lived in currently, shortly thereafter and that was the end of the story. Mike had been too much of a coward to even explain himself to her, but here he was, standing just a few feet away from them and acting like a long lost friend.
"I'm surprised it took us this long to run into each other."
Michonne shifted uncomfortably; rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand.
"Atlanta is a big city…"
"Yeah, with only a few Italian restaurants as fire as this one." Mike laughed, taking a step closer to them.
Michonne stepped back and squeezed his hand a little tighter.
"Mike, this is Rick…"
Taking her introduction as a cue, he cut her off by tugging her into his side; only letting go of her hand so he could wrap his arm around her waist and rest his hand on her hip. There was no need to go deeper and say what he and Michonne were to each other. His possessive power move should've told him everything he needed to know.
Mike's eyes darted to that hand, and a shadow passed over his features. When his eyes shot back up, he'd schooled his expression to hide whatever emotion he hadn't meant to show.
"I'm Mike," he said through a tight smile. "I'm Michonne's ex."
"I know who you are," he stated, his voice cold and full of disdain. He wanted Mike to know that he was fully aware of everything that happened between him and Michonne, and how lowly he thought of him because of it.
Satisfied, he tapped Michonne's hip to bring her attention back to him. Her wide dark, eyes met his and he wanted to take the turmoil he saw swirling around in them away.
"You ready to go inside, darlin?" He asked, and her entire body seemed to relax. She grinned up at him and nodded gratefully before turning back to Mike, whose lips had flattened into a thin line.
"Have a good night, Mike," she said, and the two of them started for the door again.
"Hey, Michonne?" Mike asked. "Do you think we could talk sometime?"
She glanced from Mike to him and her lips curved into a smile before she looked back at Mike.
"I don't think we have anything to talk about. Take care of yourself," she said. Without another word, they left Mike standing on the sidewalk and once they were inside and seated, he reached across the table and took her hand.
"You ok?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm ok," she confirmed with a nod. "I was just shocked at first. It's been a long time since I've seen him."
"I get it."
"But then I was reminded of how happy I am now, and what happened two years ago doesn't matter anymore."
She was right. Mike didn't matter anymore and the only reason he paid any attention to Lori was because of Carl. Everything they'd been through individually had led them to each other, and all that mattered was the future they were going to create together.
"And don't think I didn't know what you were doing back there with the hand on my hip thing," she scolded, but he could tell she was playing with him.
He shrugged it off, but just the reminder of the way Mike had leered at her, made his jaw clench. Jealousy was a new for emotion for him, but he'd recognized it for what it was the instant he saw Mike's eyes drift up and down Michonne. Even when he'd found out Lori had been cheating on him, he'd been sad, angry, and disappointed; but never jealous. It was something he was going to have to come to terms with though. Michonne was a beautiful woman, guys were going to look at her, and he couldn't go around acting like a possessive fool every time it happened.
"I didn't appreciate the way he was looking at you," he defended, suddenly ashamed of how he'd behaved. "I didn't mean to go all caveman on you."
"Yeah, you did," she teased.
"Yeah. I did," he admitted, laughing.
"Now, let's order. I'm starving," she said. They picked up their menus and he hadn't even gotten through the appetizers when she peeked around the side of hers and raised an eyebrow.
"Besides, I need time to show you just how much I like it when you call me darlin before you go back to King County," she whispered; her voice low and inviting.
He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat as his jeans became uncomfortably tight.
"How about we get this to go?" He asked, making a mental note to call her darlin as much as possible.
Well, that chapter had a few things you all had been asking for.
I hope you liked it. I missed Loretta even though her story may have scarred poor Rick.
Let me know what you thought! Chapter 15 has some drama and it's not from Mike or Lori…
Also, thank you for sticking with me. Life has gotten a little crazy recently and I'm just trying to keep up. You all know how it is when it seems like it's one bad thing after another. I need a break lol and being able to focus on this for a little while, helped a lot.