Avoidance (Chapter 19)

A/N: By request for Oreganofox. This is based on the kitchen scene from Claimed. Rick is tired of being avoided.

Rick looks across the way at her, unable to believe that she is there, standing in front of him, whole and healthy after everything they had endured. He is beyond grateful that she found him and Carl, that she chose to find them.

"How are you feeling?" She asks with concern.

"I'm fine." When she scoffs and rolls her eyes, he continues with, "I'm getting there. I'll be ok."

"You should let me take a look at you. I'm no nurse, but I can bandage you up a lot better than what you managed to do on your own," she offers.

Rick nods. "Well, I used up whatever this place had available, so…."

"We need supplies. That's no big deal. I'll take Carl with me. We should be able to find what you'll need," Michonne tells him.

"I can come too," Rick suggests. "I wanna help."

Michonne looks at him pointedly. "You were unconscious yesterday."

He shrugs his shoulders and returns, "Well, I'm awake today."

"We need you strong. Just rest. Just one more day." She gives him a slight smile as she moves to the opposite counter to grab her vest.

"So now you need me? After everything has gone to shit?" Rick inquires softly.

"Are you really going to start this now?"

"The way I see it, I better take the chance while I still can. You could run off again tomorrow," he states.

"How many times am I going to have to explain myself to you?"

"Until I get the answer I want to hear," he tells her.

"And what answer is that? It's because of you that I stopped looking in the first place and look where that got us." Her voice is a harsh whisper as she glares back at him.

"Yeah, you stopped looking for him and every time I got close, you came up with some excuse to push me away….Carl is still grieving…..I should concentrate on my kids…now is not the time…I'm not ready….what's the excuse now? Let me guess. We just lost our home….Judy's gone…."

Michonne practically springs over to Rick and glares up at him defiantly. "Judy's…..not…..gone. Someone from the prison got her. I know they did. I just know it."

"I'm not going to sugarcoat things any more. I'm not going to fool myself into thinking everything's going to be ok." He sighs heavily. "I did that at the prison. Fooled myself into thinking we had a choice about how we wanted our lives to be….that we didn't have to fight any more. All we do is fight and I just thought…." He trails off and looks away from her.

"What? You thought what, Rick?"

"I thought I could find something good again…..something I wanted to live for in addition to Carl and Judith. I wanted something with you," he ends with hesitation.

Michonne inhales deeply and exhales slowly. "Why? What makes you think that anything we could have would be good in the world we live in now?"

"Is that your way of rejecting me again?"

"No. I'm not rejecting you, but tell me how we do this. How can I open myself up to you and give myself to you in all of this chaos?" She takes a step back as she notices the intensity in his eyes. "I don't want to lose anybody else, Rick. I'm not going to lose anybody else, especially not you, not Carl, and not Judy. I just can't."

"So we just close ourselves off and avoid what we could be to each other? That's no way to live either."

"It's working for me," she returns.

"Because you won't allow anything or anyone else in. It's time for you to stop pushing people away. Stop pushing me away, Michonne." He takes a step toward her which only makes her take another step away from him.

"Things are better that way." She decides to take a stance to show him that he can't intimidate her.

"Better for who? You're not unaffected by me. I've seen you look at me because I'm always looking at you." He drops down just a fraction to look directly into her eyes. "I challenge you."

"Challenge me? To what?"

"I challenge you to kiss me. If nothing's there, if we shouldn't be together….a kiss should tell us everything, right?"

"Just one kiss?" She asks cautiously.

"Just one."

"Fine," she agrees as she steps closer to him. She places a hand on his chest and leans in slowly, planting her lips against his. Neither of them attempts to deepen the kiss, so she steps back after a few seconds.

"Well, there you have. There's your one kiss. Any fireworks for you?" She doesn't give him time to answer as she says, "Me either" and turns to walk away.

Rick's nose flinches as he watches her. He peels himself away from the sink and walks up behind her, grabbing her with one hand to turn her around while placing his other hand at the back of her head and slamming his mouth against hers. He holds tight, snaking an arm around her waist to pull her against him.

He pushes his tongue against her lips to gain entry but she refuses. Undeterred, Rick drops his hand from her head to her ass eliciting a gasp, allowing him to delve into her mouth for a taste he has coveted for weeks. The soft groan that escapes her brings a feeling of satisfaction as he continues to kiss her.

Her body floods with passion as Michonne decides to give up and give in, wrapping her arms around his waist as she finally returns his kiss, sucking on his tongue as she offers hers for the same.

He pushes her back against the counter, knocking pots and pans to the floor as he lifts her, never breaking their kiss and ignoring any pain from his battered body. He plants himself between her legs and palms her thighs, slowly moving his hands upward.

"What's with all the noise?"

All three of them freeze as Carl walks into the kitchen and witnesses the compromising position his dad and Michonne are currently in.

"I guess you guys aren't mad at each other anymore, huh?" He asks boldly.