I am laughing at your comments about them having nine kids. When I started reading all the great fan fiction, I always thought that if Rick and Michonne met before Lori and Mike, and married early, they would have a ton of kids. So with this story, since that is how I wrote them, I gave them a ton of kids! LOL...but at least she was only pregnant 5 times, they had some multiples!
Again, this chapter is still background on their family dynamics with a friend thrown in. Next chapter will still be some family stuff also before we start to see the problem arise...
Chapter 2—The Marriage, The Kids, and The Best Friend
Loud yelling snapped Rick out of the blissful reflection on his past, and into the present as RJ was running and screaming trying to get away from his older sister giving him chase.
"Hey, Hey, calm down. What's going on Judith? Why are you chasing your brother?" Asked Rick knowing RJ did something to make her angry, as usual. It was like it was embedded in RJ's DNA to be mischievous and annoying, Rick thought. The boy just could not help himself.
"Because he keeps coming in my room and rummaging through my stuff, he had my bra on his head dad!" Barked Judith. Rick looked at his daughter wondering when she started wearing a damn bra. He was not ready for her to grow up. She was still his little princess.
"And he brings the triplets in with him, I had to run all of them out and my room is a mess!" Screamed Judith as she tried to grab for RJ but he slid out of her grip. Judith liked a tidy room and she had trained Abigail well to make sure her sister was neat also. Judith had been eyeing one of the two extra bedrooms for a while now, wanting her own room, but she really could not complain since Abigail was so orderly and quiet.
"RJ, what did we tell you about getting the triplets to participate in your little pranks. Now, both of you stop it," cautioned Rick, "Go get ready for dinner, RJ you stay out of Judith's room, and I better not hear that you have the triplets running amuck again!" Snapped Rick knowing that not only will they all be causing havoc again; the mayhem would probably start again within the hour. Those four were exhausting.
Rick quickly sauntered into the kitchen and greeted his wife with a squeeze on her behind and a chaste kiss on her lips. He loved kissing and touching Michonne, any chance he got. He loved being near her and she equally loved being near him.
"Hey darlin," he whispered, "I missed you, did you miss me?"
Michonne looked at Rick so lovingly with her big brown eyes that he almost melted on the spot. After all the years they had been together, the intensity of their love only grew. He moved to kiss her on her cheek and down her neck then back to her lips before she could even answer. She let out an almost silent moan before she placed a small amount of distance between them.
Michonne chuckled and shook her head "I always miss you when you are not with me," she breathed as she darted her eyes all over his face. He became so enamored that he almost forgot where he was and started to move his hand up her thigh, until he heard Andre. "Hey, Hey now, too much!" Both Michonne and Rick rolled their eyes and smirked at their son.
"So, when is your first day Captain?" Michonne queried as she stepped back and saluted her husband and ignoring her son.
"Hey, Hey now," said Rick mimicking his son's words and grabbing her waist, "save that for the bedroom."
"AHHGain," emphasized Andre, "kid in the room," he said as he pointed at himself with his thumbs.
"Then get out," deadpanned Rick to his son but never taking his eyes off his wife.
"Monday morning," Rick said refocusing his full attention back on his wife then whispered in his wife's ear, " today is Thursday, can we celebrate every night till I start, as your gift to me," Rick seductively panted as he broke into a devilish grin while he pinned his wife against the kitchen counter draping kisses along her jawline and down her neck.
"Of course," Michonne purred and smiled. Andre just walked out of the kitchen shaking his head at the lack of control his parents had with their children in the vicinity and warned the rest of the brood not to go in there because, "Mom and Dad were at it again," Which caused a collective yuck and a look of distaste from six of the nine kids.
"I made reservations for dinner, I didn't have a chance to cook tonight, unless you want to do pizza and salad. Have it delivered?" Asked Michonne.
"Nah, let's go out, we can start the celebrations. We can leave the kids here and we just bring them back sumthin." Rick smiled still hugging and kissing on his wife.
"No, Rick. The kids go, they can't wait hours to eat until we get back," she laughed at her husband who is always trying to ditch his kids.
"Why don't we order pizza for them then? Problem solved," replied Rick with his perfect solution.
"No, final answer," Michonne told Rick, "Now go get dressed."
Rick hated going out to eat. Not because he hated restaurants, he loved them. Not because he hated going out with his wife, he adored that even more. It was all the kids. He loved his kids with every fiber of his being, but there were just too many of them to try to go out and have a nice calm dinner. They always had to wait an extra-long time for a table since they were seating eleven. Then it took time to get the triplets settled. Then Carl and Andre would fight about who had to go and take Jackson and RJ to the restroom, once to wash their hands, especially Jackson's which for some reason were always gross, and another time to use the restroom, RJ and Jackson always had to go, they had weak bladders Rick guessed.
Then it was like pulling teeth for them all to decide what they wanted to eat. Carl and Andre never wanted anything cheap, they always had expensive taste with not a dime in their pockets. Rick would roll his eyes when they ordered steak or shrimp. He would always tell them no, then Michonne would give him the evil eye and Rick would reluctantly let them order what they wanted. Jackson and RJ only wanted chicken fingers and God forbid if they did have them on the menu. One time, they had to ask the kitchen to cut and bread a chicken breast and paid handsomely for the extra service. Rick was annoyed. Since then, he and Michonne would always look at the menu online before choosing a restaurant. They pretty much stick to ones they know now, and only try different restaurants when it is just the two of them on a date night. The triplets will eat anything that is put in front of them. They just liked to eat. Judith and Abigail were not picky eaters, but Judith loved dessert and they would often have to wait for her to finish before they could all leave. One time, to Rick's annoyance, the dessert she ordered was one that took forty-five minutes to make. They were supposed to order it before dinner. That was a fun night trying to keep everyone settled while they waited. Rick put his foot down that if it was not quick, it was not getting ordered. Michonne eagerly agreed. Then there was the bill, it was often excessive, and he would slide it to Michonne, and she would laugh.
And that was just the food. The looks from the restaurant staff and patrons were exhausting. The comments that ranged from "oh what a beautiful family, to wow y'all have a lot of kids," and it grated Rick's nerves. Michonne always took it all in stride. Sometimes they would get looks because they were an interracial couple. That ranged also between the positive and negative spectrum. One time a white man who Rick had never met walked by and tried to give him a high five after he checked out Michonne and it was bizarre. There was a black man who gave Rick the nod after he eyed the two several times as if he approved, and Rick nodded back and just smiled and shook his head. Rick did not need anybody's approval to be with Michonne or to love Michonne.
But as much as Rick was slightly annoyed by the affirmations here and there, it was much better than what they sometimes received at the other end of the spectrum. The simple-minded ignorant people that gave them dirty looks. Those that believed that races should not mix, and they should definitely not mix enough to have one child, definitely not nine. Those times would enrage Rick, but Michonne was always there to calm him. Tell him it was not worth their time and effort and it was the other person's issue, not Rick and Michonne's. Michonne was always composed in those situations, well until somebody asked if Carl was her child. Then Rick had to calm her down.
After dinner, they were walking to their front door and there was Shane sitting and rocking on the porch swing. Michonne was not in the least bit surprised, she knew exactly why he was there. He claimed he had stopped by the check on his good buddy Rick, but really, Shane knew they went out to dinner and there was a pretty good chance he could piece together a pretty decent meal for free. Knowing Carl and Andre, Shane thought he was sure to rustle up at least a steak. For as long as Rick could remember, Shane was tight with money. He hated to spend a dime if he could avoid it. He figured it was because his family struggled as a kid. He got to know the stinginess his best friend possessed because they spent a lot of time together over the years.
Shane followed Rick to the Police Academy and back to King County as a deputy and served under Rick when he became Sherriff. When Rick moved to Atlanta and joined the Atlanta PD, a few months later Shane followed suit. They worked in the same Precinct right up until Rick's promotion as Captain. As they both rose through the ranks, Shane finally settled down when he met his match. None, not one of their friend group thought Shane and Andrea would get along when Michonne introduced her to the group. Andrea was an attorney at Michonne's law firm and was a damn hoot. She kept Michonne in stitches at work so much so that they became great friends. When she introduced her to Shane, it was fireworks. Not Rick and Michonne level fireworks, but at least a sparkler, maybe a bottle rocket or two. When they started dating everyone was shocked, and when they got married, they were stunned. When they had children, well by then it was old news, so they were all pretty much expecting they would eventually have kids and were happy to celebrate the announcement.
"Hey Captain, did you bring any leftovers with ya?" Asked Shane looking in everyone's hands. When he spotted Carl holding the bag he darted to his side.
"Let me hold that bag for you nephew," Shane grinned winking at Carl while he took the leftovers from him. Carl just shook his head and handed over the food.
They all walked in the house, Shane already digging into the bag and shoving French fries in his mouth.
"Where are Andrea and the kids?" Asked Rick, Michonne listening while trying to corral the triplets.
"She went to her parents for the weekend. I have a shift tomorrow and Saturday and couldn't get off work," shrugged Shane. "Since she's gone, I signed up for some double shifts, make a little money. House is too quiet without em anyway."
"What do you need extra money for Shane, you don't spend what you have. You take advantage and mooch off of us and the kids," smiled Michonne.
"Gotta mooch when the mooching is good Michonne!" Laughed Shane, "Hey, speaking of taking advantage, guess who I saw today Rick," Shane said eyeing Michonne which only alerted her senses. She yelled for the older kids to come and get the triplets; she had a feeling she wanted to hear this.
"Who?" Asked Rick.
"Lori," Shane said a bit flabbergasted with Michonne watching.
"Really, how is she doing?" Rick Asked eyeing Michonne.
"Seemed ok, she had a rainbow of kids and none of them looked like her husband," Shane cracked up.
Lori had four children, and unbeknownst to her husband, by four different daddies. Not one of them from her actual husband. People who knew the couple whispered he had to know he did not father any of the children. There were two brunettes, a blond and a redhead. None of them looked like her spouse, or each other for that matter, except or a few similarities here and there from Lori. Most people felt sorry for her husband. He looked haggard and beatdown on a daily basis. She had done a number on him. The constant nagging, her never satisfied attitude, the cheating, and the not his kids thing, had smothered her husband's soul and killed his spirit. Rick already knew he dodged a bullet with Lori. He realized now that he dodged two!
He hugged his friend and Shane was wondering what the heck Rick was doing. Rick looked his friend in the eye and informed Shane that from this point forward, he could have whatever free meal he wanted and could come by the house anytime to eat with no complaints. Shane grinned wide and Michonne cleared her throat at her husband. Michonne expected to see Shane a whole lot more. Shane accepted the invitation without hesitation and went to see what was currently in their refrigerator to add to his meal.