A/N: Hey, everyone. I'm here with a chapter update. I honestly beat myself up too much about this. I appreciate the support and feedback from everyone, and a lot of the criticisms are valid. However, I am choosing to stand by my original plan for this story. Red Dirt Road was a dreamy teenage existence for our faves. This story shows that people grow up and change; that they make decisions and have to live with them. I hope those who were disappointed with my characterisation and direction will continue to read this. I'm sorry to those readers who were made to wait while I fought with myself. So, here we go. Enjoy!

After rinsing the glasses she and Sasha had used, Michonne wiped her hands on the towel and retrieved her ringing phone from her pocket. She smiled when she saw Rick's name on her screen.

"Shhh," she said to Sasha. "It's Rick."

Sasha proceeded to do a suggestive dance, albeit with difficulty due to her being very pregnant. Michonne had to hold back a laugh as she took the call.

"Hi, Rick," she said.

"Michonne, hey," he replied. "How's my lil' buddy André doin' today?"

"He's feeling better," Michonne replied, touched by the fact that Rick was concerned about her son. "Just had a little too much sun. Thanks for asking."

"Ah, no need to thank me," he said in earnest. "I was worried about the little guy. Did y'all need anything? I could come by if you did."

"Aww, that's so sweet of you to offer," said Michonne as Sasha made kissy faces at her friend. "We're not at home right now…"

For some reason, Rick liked the way she referred to the old house as home.

"…but if you wanted to come by later, that'd be nice," said Michonne. "We don't really need anything in particular, but I know André would love to see Carl. He's looking forward to seeing him again."

Rick nodded his head, even though Michonne could not see him.

"Alright," he said. "Sounds good. And what about you?"

"What about me?" she asked, taking note of the playfulness in his tone.

"You lookin' forward to seein' anyone, too?"

Michonne had to smile and bite her lip. Rick was flirting with her and she found him to be so adorable.

"Maybe," she replied, just as flirtatiously.

"Just maybe?" he asked.

"Okay, maybe a little more than maybe."

xXxXx

It was a little after dinner time when Rick and Carl had come by. The boys watched TV in the living room while the adults sat out on the front porch and conversed.

"They get on so well," Rick pointed out. "Should plan one o' those, what do people call 'em?"

"Play dates?" asked Michonne.

"Yeah."

"I don't think that's necessary," she said with a smile. "You can come over here any time you like."

"Any time?"

"Yep," Michonne replied, noting the change in the mood. "Whenever you like."

Rick instinctively licked his lips. Silence passed between them as he grew contemplative a beat.

"Are you sure you're still okay with this?" asked Rick as he glanced sideways at Michonne. "With us seein' each other while you're here, ya know, given our history?"

"Yes," Michonne replied in earnest. "We're grown ass adults. What happened while we were kids was so important to me. I was in such a sad place. You helped me through it, Rick. You really did. But what came after couldn't be helped. It's part of growing up. We change. We make choices. We make mistakes."

Rick nodded his head in understanding as Michonne continued.

"I chose to move so far away," she reasoned. "I couldn't expect you to follow me. I couldn't expect you to wait for me. You were my first everything."

He smiled gently at her words.

"But that doesn't mean us trying to make it work was actually gonna work. And what we're doin' now doesn't have to be us trying to pick up where we left off."

"Who are you tryin' to convince here?" he asked.

"No one," Michonne replied. "It's just something Sasha kind of said."

"What was that?"

"That feelings might resurface."

"I'll always have feelings for you, Michonne," Rick answered sincerely. "You were my first everything, too. Can I ask you somethin'?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think us agreein' to sleep together while you're here cheapens what we had?"

"No, I don't think that for one second," she replied quickly. "What we had was special, but that doesn't mean it was the height of our experience, if that makes sense. There's still so many experiences to be had. This is another one. I'm just glad I get to be in this time and place with you while it happens."

"You don't think any less of me for askin' you to be with me like this?"

"Of course not," Michonne replied as she reached over and placed a hand to Rick's arm. "You're not forcing me to do anything I don't want to do. Truth is I'm not stayin' here forever, so let's make the most of it and have a little fun while we're at it."

…..

Michonne stood with her hands on her hips and watched, in the fading light of the Georgian sun, as Rick made his way down from the old treehouse of their youth. He decided to check it out there and then in case the children wanted to play in it.

"Y'know, this isn't the type of fun I had in mind," she called out as he descended the rickety steps.

"I just wanted to see if it – woah, shit!" said Rick as he lost his footing and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Oh my god, Rick! Are you okay? Shit!" said Michonne in a panicked tone.

"It's okay," he said as Michonne rushed to his side and placed a hand to his shoulder. "My ass broke my fall."

"What ass?" she teased.

"You really gonna insult me when I'm wounded?"

"I thought you said you were fine on account of your ass breaking the fall?" she asked with a playfulness he found adorable.

"It hurts," said Rick, pouting in her direction. "Rub it for me?"

Michonne let out a boisterous laugh and said, "You're so corny."

"So, you're not gonna rub it?"

"Nope, not until we make a date," she said while holding out her hand to help him up.

Rick dusted off his jeans with one hand while holding her grip with his other.

"You want a date-date or a time and place for some ass-rubbin'?"

"I don't know," she answered in earnest. "How about we each get a sitter, make a night of it, and you surprise me?"

Rick pulled her closer and then pecked a quick kiss to her lips before saying, "Alright, sounds damn good to me."

xXxXx

Sasha, André's babysitter for the evening, reclined on the bed and rubbed her pregnant belly as she watched Michonne look at herself in the mirror.

"How easy is it for you to get outta that outfit?" asked Sasha as she tilted her head to the side and took in the light blue sundress.

"Fairly easy, I guess," Michonne replied.

"Come on, you might as well just wear an oversized shirt with no underwear on."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you're gonna get laid either way."

Michonne rolled her eyes playfully at her friend and said, "I think it's actually a date-date."

"You think?"

"I told him to surprise me."

"So, it's gonna be like a romantic, candlelit dinner? You being wined and dined?"

"Maybe."

"Interesting."

"How so?"

"This will prove some of my suspicions."

"Should I even ask?"

"Nah," said Sasha with a grin. "You just keep getting ready for this date."

xXxXx

The soft music from some old country song played in Rick's pick-up as he and Michonne drove down the red dirt road near his family's property. They pulled off the road and headed to one of the back paddocks in a secluded area where they would be afforded privacy.

They came to stop in a clearing as Rick turned off the engine and then looked over at the woman beside him.

"I just gotta set some things up and we'll be ready for our moonlit picnic," he said with a smile.

Michonne returned the beam and thought his idea really was a nice surprise meant to emulate the first time they had shared an intimate moment in their youth.

"You sure we'll be completely alone out here?" Michonne asked as she watched Rick climb out of the vehicle and set up a tiki torch nearby.

"Yep," he replied as he lit the torch and then set about unloading a few other things. "Gates are all locked. No one ever comes out here. It's the perfect spot for stargazing."

Michonne smiled and asked, "You need some help with setting up?"

"Nah, I got it. But you can hop on out if you like."

She did as he advised and climbed out of the passenger's seat. She walked to the back of the pickup and saw where Rick had set up a foam mattress, pile of cushions, a picnic basket, and some wine. The warm glow of the torch and the coolness of the full moon gave the whole scene a romantic ambiance.

Rick spread a blanket over the mattress as Michonne remarked, "This is amazing, Rick, and so country I love it."

He let out a small chortle and said, "Thought you'd like it."

"It's very unique. It's so you."

That made Rick smile as he offered a hand to help Michonne up onto the back of the pick-up truck. They got settled, then he poured her some wine before serving her some food as the stars danced above them.

…..

The meal was finished and so was the bottle of wine. Yet, it was not the wine that had Michonne's face feeling warm, but the way Rick's lips felt pressed to her neck as she stared up at the night sky. He brought his kisses back to her lips before shifting so that his body was on top of hers. They broke apart a moment, both breathless, as Rick studied her features in the moonlight.

"That night," he whispered as he stroked her face. "The first time I kissed you. I meant what I said."

"What'd you say?" she queried while threading her fingers through his curls.

"There was no one half as pretty as you."

"Is that what you said?" she asked with a smile before Rick captured her lips with his once again.

"I don't know," he replied as he drew away from her ever so slightly. "But I was thinkin' it. And it's still true now. You're so beautiful, Michonne. God, you're so lovely."

They kissed again as Michonne shifted underneath of him and parted her thighs. Rick shifted so that he was between them. His lips found her collarbone as her hand found its way to his erection pressed achingly against his jeans. Rick's breath hitched when Michonne palmed at his hardness. She went to undo his zipper when he stopped her.

"Rick?" she asked, her voice deep from desire. "Do you want to? You feel like you want to."

"I do," he answered, resting his face in the crook of her neck. "But I didn't bring anything. I brought everything else, but no protection."

Michonne let out a little huff but then stroked his back before saying, "This really was meant to be just a stargazing date, eh?"

"Yeah," he said in his drawn-out southern drawl.

She smiled and then shifted in an effort to sit up as she said, "Damn, I was enjoying where that was heading."

"Hey, now," Rick responded as he gently eased her back into a reclining position. "You still wanna see stars?"

Michonne bit her lip and said, "Yes."

Rick kneeled between her thighs, snaked his hands up under the hem of her dress, and pulled her panties off her hips before saying, "Alright, then."

…..

Michonne had travelled to many places because of her job as a journalist. She had seen and experienced many things in her lifetime. But there was absolutely nothing that compared to what she was presently experiencing: The feeling of Rick Grimes' skilful lips and tongue lapping at her pulsing sex as she stared up at the starry night sky.

"Oh, ohhhh," she moaned, unashamedly as her pleasured cries got lost in the vastness of the space surrounding them.

She gripped Rick's hair tighter and rolled her hips as he sucked her sensitive bud between his swollen lips.

"Rick," she murmured as he slipped two fingers inside of her. "Oh, Rick."

He withdrew them and continued licking her sweet pussy, humming as he devoured her. He pressed his thumb to her clit before sliding his fingers into her warm, wet center. He curled his fingers and found her spot as he sucked her pulsing nub.

"Hmmmm," Michonne moaned as her toes began to curl.

Her mewls urged Rick on as he sucked and fingered her with more fervor. Soon, Michonne's hips bucked and her eyes closed as she came in Rick's mouth. He drank up the flowing nectar of her climax as she panted and clenched her eyes tightly. Satiated, she vaguely contemplated that the stars she saw when her orgasm washed over her rivalled those that dotted the dark canvas above her and Rick. As she came back down to earth, she mused that there was no one else she would rather see both kinds of stars with.