Richonne (Short Love Stories) Reminisce (Chapter 15)
A/N: This is a request from Babe Malf. Hope I did this idea some justice. Also, shout out to Codename-me for her much appreciated feedback. Thank you.
Scenario I
Rick and Michonne were on duty, patrolling during the afternoon hours. As usual, they weren't expecting to find anything, but the job had to be done. They note the citizens of the Safe Zone carrying out day to day activities, keeping the community operating. The family had been there long enough to grow acclimated to the place as everyone had jobs to do and felt as if they were contributing to the community's survival.
They have arrived at the gate just as Daryl and Aaron were returning from another scouting trip. Michonne distinguishes immediately that they are not alone. The two men they are escorting appear dirty and unkempt, their faces hardly visible beneath their shades and facial hair. They are laden down with backpacks that seem to be brimming with supplies.
Daryl rolls his bike right up to Rick. "Brace yourself." He turns to one of the newcomers. "Hey. Come take a look."
One of the men removes his backpack as he approaches Daryl and Rick cautiously. Rick's eyes are questioning as Daryl looks between the two. Michonne is curious as well.
The newcomer's face breaks into a smile. "Well, I'll be damned. It really is Rick Grimes."
"Do I know you?" Rick eyes the stranger, preparing for anything.
The stranger removes his shades. "Well, it has been a long time, but surely you recognize your brother…brother."
Rick's mouth drops open. "Shane?!"
Michonne vaguely remembers Rick relaying the story of his best friend and partner, Shane Walsh. She recalls that Shane saved his family when the breakout began as Rick had been shot in the line of duty and was still in the hospital. She also recalls that Shane and Rick had a falling out over leadership which prompted Shane to leave their group over a year ago. No one had laid eyes on him again until this very moment. She wants to be happy for Rick, but can't help wondering if this will be a good idea or bad to allow Shane Walsh back into their lives. She is shaken from her reflections as Rick grabs her hand, pulling her to him and introduces her to Shane.
She nods politely, looking to Rick for his slight lapse in judgment. Everyone knows they're together, but they decided to keep it professional while on duty. She gazes at Shane as he sizes her up openly.
"What are you trying to tell me here, man? Where's Lori….and Carl?" Shane asks, looking around.
Michonne can feel Rick tense up. She gives his hand a squeeze and whispers that she'll let him get caught up with his friend and will see him later. She is relieved as Rick slowly relinquishes her hand and gives her a nod.
Shane obviously knows something is amiss as he retrieves his backpack. "By the way, this is Scooter. I been on the road with him for a while now. Guess we lucked up when Daryl and Aaron found us. This place looks like heaven, man." He and Scooter follow Aaron and Daryl to Deana's office.
At least 48 hours have passed since Shane's arrival and he has been welcomed with open arms by the family. He is staying with Rick, Michonne, and the kids for now and Aaron and Eric decided to take Scooter in until a house is available.
The Grimes family and Shane have arrived home after having dinner at Maggie and Glenn's place. Rick and Shane opt to have a drink on the patio as Michonne prepares a fussy Judith for bed. Carl offers to care for his sister, but Michonne declines, telling him to go on and retire for the night. As soon as she calms Judith down, she dresses for bed herself and lays down with Judith nestled in the crook of her arm, one of the baby girl's favorite places. Moments later, the two of them are fast asleep.
"Man, you know how sorry I am to hear about Lori. That must've been real hard on y'all, but I just gotta say something," Shane professes. He continues as Rick looks to him with expectancy. "You have got to be the luckiest son of a bitch I know. How in the hell did you snag a woman like Michonne?"
Rick gives a slight laugh, unable to answer the question as he is still trying to figure it out himself. He knew she was out of his league as soon as he saw her at the fence.
"I mean, she's beautiful, has the body of a freaking goddess, and looks like she could kick your ass," Shane laughs.
"Maybe that's what I like about her," Rick jokes.
"Well, you better hold tight to that one. A lot of men are gonna be hankering for her," Shane informs.
Rick allows his words to seep in. He knows what he has with Michonne is rare and there is no way he is going to do anything to mess that up. "Guess I'll go on to bed now. See you in the morning."
"Yeah, uh….hey Rick? Something's been eating at me, man. I thought I could do this, but being here, seeing what you and your family have done, I don't want to destroy that." Shane looks to his friend as Rick's expression goes from content to questioning to suspicious.
"What are you talking about Shane?"
Shane sighs heavily, rubbing his head. "You see, I didn't know it was you behind these walls. If I had known, maybe I could've changed their minds."
Rick sits up, his entire body tense and alert. "Whose minds?"
"I was supposed to come in and infiltrate this place. Get my group in here to take over. I'm supposed to meet them and give a report in the morning. Only I don't think I can, knowing you're here, your family's here."
Rick stands up. "Wait one fucking minute, Shane. You're telling me there's a group out there waiting to come in and attack us and you been knowing this shit all along?!"
"It's what we do, man. I been with this group for damn near 6 months now. I hooked up with a couple of guys when I hit Fort Benning. We went on to South Carolina and the group got bigger as we traveled. I got about 25 guys answering to me. I make most of the calls, but it ain't all up to me. Our leader is Cy. You wanna know how he got his name? He's fucking psycho. Get it?"
"And you're telling me all this? Why? You're giving us a chance to leave? Just what are you planning to tell them about us?" Rick is doing all he can to hold back on punching Shane in the face. He can't believe he was this stupid, this gullible to trust him. I guess some shit just stays the same.
"Look, man. I'm…I'm tired. I'm really struggling with this. I've done a lot of shit I ain't proud of and I just want….I don't want anything to happen to this place but how can I stop it? I'm warning you. That's what I can do. You can pack up and leave now, hell you can try and fight if you want to, but your women, your kids…I'd send them away if I were you. Michonne especially. They'll like her, they'll try and break her…in every way possible."
Rick grabs Shane by his shirt and slams him against the back door. "You sorry son of a bitch! This is my family you're talking about! You used to care about these people! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"Man, I ain't have to tell you shit! I could've told them everything they needed to know and let them come in and kill you in your fucking sleep! I'm warning you so you can do something about it!" He pushes Rick away from him. "Get your hands off me!"
"Alright, you warned me. Now what? You said you're struggling with this, so that means you don't want to do it. Tell me what I need to know so I can do something."
Shane shakes his head. "If they find out I told you anything, I'll be just as dead as you. These motherfuckers are lethal, Rick. Just go, man. Take your family and leave."
"You could change this. Meet up with them tomorrow, find out what their plan is and let us know so we can counterattack. You know we're good people, Shane and you know we don't deserve this," Rick states.
[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
The hour is well after midnight, but Rick has gathered his family together so everyone can hear Shane's real purpose for coming to the Safe Zone. Once the initial shock wears off, Shane goes on to explain his plan to meet up with his group as organized and gather information on their exact strategy.
"How do we know we can trust you?" Sasha asks.
"You don't. It's just the chance you're going to have to take," Shane answers.
"Shane…" Rick's voice is a warning, but he is interrupted by Carol.
"You're going to do the right thing, aren't you, Shane? Otherwise, why are we even here? You told Rick all of this for a reason. You're going to help us keep this place." Carol is adamant with her statements. She eyes Shane, giving him a glimpse into who they used to be if only for a moment. She remembers how he defended her against Ed, how he took care of her after Sophia. She knows there has to be a good man in him somewhere.
"We all have our orders, so let's get to work," Rick tells them as he prepares to head to the armory.
"I don't. What are my orders?" Michonne asks.
Everyone freezes momentarily, looking from her to Rick and back again. Daryl pulls them out of their lapse with a curt "Let's go y'all". He nods to Rick, letting him know he would handle things while he took care of home.
Rick sees everyone out of the house and sends Carl to his room before he faces Michonne. He drops his head, unwilling to meet her questioning gaze. "I…didn't give you any orders because I'm sending you and the kids away from here."
Michonne narrows her eyes, slowly comprehending what he is saying. "That makes absolutely no sense. We're safer inside these walls."
"Not if Shane betrays us. Not if these assholes manage to get in. I can't….I won't risk it. Glenn and Maggie are going with you. There's a town about 50 miles from here. You'll be safer there. As soon as things are clear, I'll come for you."
"No." Michonne looks up at him defiantly. "I'm staying here and defending our home…with you. The kids can go with Maggie and Glenn, but my place is here."
Rick closes his eyes, trying his best to hold his temper at bay. "Don't do this. Not now. I need to make sure you and the kids are safe. Just in case things go bad."
"And I'm telling you I'll be safer here…with you. You need me," Michonne presses.
Rick allows her to think he is relenting, already forming a plan in his mind to get her to safety willingly or unwillingly.
They all work into the early am hours. Shane proposed to kill Scooter so he wouldn't warn Cy and his group, but Rick and Daryl convinced him to just lock him up until the dust settles. They secure him with zip ties to the wrists and ankles, duct tape his mouth, and lock him up in the holding cell at the constable's office.
Rick and Michonne return home and attempt to get at least a couple of hours of sleep. He holds her closely, unable to stop his mind from whirling with all the possibilities of this impending threat.
Michonne is unable to sleep as she knows how worried Rick is. She squeezes him tightly. "It's going to be ok. We haven't come this far for everything to go to shit now."
"Hmmm…" Rick sighs deeply, wanting to believe in her words.
Hours later, Glenn, Maggie, Carl, Judith, and Beth are loading up in a van. They have plenty of supplies and weapons as they are prepared to be away for at least a week. They are hoping it will only be a day or so, but they're prepared just in case.
Rick has lured Michonne to the constable's office on the pretense of discussing strategy. He struggles with himself for even contemplating this and he realizes he could be causing irrevocable damage to his relationship, but his stubbornness wins out.
He takes her by surprise as he softly grabs her wrists and pulls them behind her back. He is taken by surprise when he hears her giggle.
"Rick, we don't have time for this. You should've gotten it in when we were in bed. Let me go." Michonne thinks he is just being frisky.
He removes the zip ties from his back pocket and secures her wrists. He does the same to her ankles before she even realizes what he's about.
"Rick, what are you doing? Take these off." She struggles against them to no avail.
"I told you I was sending you away with the kids. I meant every word."
She gasps as he tosses her over his shoulder and walks out of the office. "You can't do this!" She kicks out, stretching her body to throw him off balance, but he keeps moving.
He avoids the questions and the looks as he arrives at the van and gently places Michonne on the very back seat.
"Rick Grimes, let me out of these things right now." Michonne is sure this is all a joke. She knows he can't possibly be serious about any of this.
He leans down and kisses her softly on the lips. "I love you."
Michonne is speechless as he exits the van. She scrambles to a sitting position as best as she is able and looks out of the window to witness Rick saying goodbye to Judith, Carl, Beth, Maggie, and Glenn. He can't be serious. "Rick! Let me out of here!"
"You know this is all kinds of wrong, right?" Maggie asks him as she tries to avoid eye contact with Michonne. "She's going to make us let her go."
"Just don't, ok? This is for her own good. Hopefully, I'll see you guys in a day or two," Rick predicts.
Carl eyes his father, then looks to Michonne. "Dad, I don't think this is a good idea."
"Just take care of your sister, son. I'll see you soon." Rick kisses his children and steps aside as they pile into the van.
Glenn and Maggie are in front, Carl and Beth sit on the middle row with Judith in between them, and Michonne is on the rear row.
"Glenn, don't drive away." Michonne warns. She is completely ignored as Glenn starts the vehicle, puts it in drive and travels out of the Safe Zone. She looks back at Rick as he stands where they left him. She is so angry, tears start to roll down her face.
Three days later, the fight is over. Shane actually came through for them. They knew the attackers' main points of entry, where they were placing each man at the wall. Shane warned them that they would take Sasha out first in the guard tower, so she was concealed in a bucket crane lifted high above the walls at a vantage point. Their numbers weren't as large as they originally thought as only 15 or so actually scaled the walls and entered the Safe Zone. They were dispatched quickly.
Shane was able to get to Cy and take him out, prompting Rick to wonder if that was his plan all along. He still can't trust his old friend completely, but he is willing to start by accepting him and the 2 or 3 survivors into the Safe Zone. He leaves Daryl in charge as he prepares to travel and retrieve his family.
An hour later, he drives into the small town, searching for the van. He finds it in front of an old gas station. He parks alongside it and moves cautiously inside the station, machete at the ready. He can faintly hear what he thinks may be Judy's gibberish as he allows the sound to guide him. He comes to a back door and tries it, but it is locked. He knocks tentatively, waiting. Seconds later, the door is thrown open by Glenn aiming a gun at his head.
The two men relax with recognition as Glenn allows Rick to enter, closing and locking the door behind him after perusing the doorway to ensure no one, walker or otherwise, had found their way inside.
Rick takes in the scene before him. They created a makeshift camping ground out of a back storage room, one side of the room for sleeping and the other obviously for cooking and eating.
Michonne notices him right away and the smile she was directing at Judith fades immediately. Her heart begins to race as she has to admit she is glad to see that he is alive and well. She wasn't sure at this point, but she is still very angry with him. She doesn't know if she can forgive him for what he did.
Carl races to him and hugs him fiercely. "Dad. You're ok?"
"I'm fine, Carl." Rick says as he returns the hug and moves further into the room.
"So everything went ok? Everybody's fine?" Beth asks.
Rick nods. "Shane came through. Thank goodness."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go home," Maggie suggests.
They all begin to gather up their supplies, making several trips to load everything into the two vehicles. They are leaving with more than they came with as Maggie and Glenn went on a supply run while they were there.
Michonne walks out to see the van ambling its way down the road. She quickly glares at Rick. He obviously sent the others on their way, so he could have some time with her. "I'm not talking to you."
"Fine. Just listen then." He takes a short pause. "When Shane told me what those guys were about, it terrified me. I made up my mind right then and there that you wouldn't be part of it. I had to protect you somehow. I know you can take care of yourself and you don't need me to do that, but I want to take care of you. I need to be able to do that. It lets me know that I can be of some use to you."
Michonne's expression softens as she realizes what Rick is saying. He wants her to need him. He needs to feel needed. "Well, you could've asked me. You didn't have to manhandle me like that."
"I'm sorry. I felt that was the only way I was going to get it done. You weren't going to listen otherwise and if you want me to be completely honest, I was expecting you to run up to those gates at any moment during that fight."
She laughs as the thought crossed her mind several times. "Well, you can thank your son and daughter for that. They were in good hands with Beth, Maggie, and Glenn, but I couldn't leave them."
"You put the sword up, remember? You said you were tired of fighting. I understand that and sometimes, babe, you don't have to fight because I'll do it for you….if you let me."
They both smile shyly, finally taking the time to really look at each other and realize how long they had been apart.
"Were you too mad to even miss me?" Rick asks.
"I missed you," she says softly.
"I missed you, too." He walks over to her slowly and pulls her in for a long awaited hug.
Scenario II
"Man, you hear that? Something bad's going down," Shane tells Rick. They are in the woods away from the prison, checking the snares and scouting for more game.
"Yeah, I hear it and we should just ignore it," Rick returns.
"I can't. Come on." The two men walk in the direction the sounds are coming from. They arrive at a clearing to see a small herd of walkers, surrounding something or someone. They soon learn it's a someone as a silver blade comes up again and again to slice through each walker and dispatch the threat in no time at all.
They look at each other in complete surprise and amazement as the small person lifts her head, breathing heavily after such an exhausting feat. She doesn't notice them right away, but when she does, she is in fighting mode once again.
They are a distance away, but can see that she is covered in blood, a very lean, but shapely woman and she is obviously exhausted.
"We don't mean any harm. We were just out here hunting and heard the commotion. That's all." Rick holsters his gun to show her he is being peaceful.
She raises her sword, her eyes never leaving them. "Stay back."
"Are you hurt? We can help you. We have a place not far from here…" Rick trails off as she raises her sword higher, then moves backward and retrieves a backpack. She secures it on her shoulder and is about to continue walking rearward away from them when more walkers start ambling out of the trees.
He can see the slight panic in her eyes as she realizes she can't take on another herd just now.
Shane grabs his friend by the arm. "Let's go!"
Rick looks at the stranger and yells, "Come on!"
She doesn't hesitate as she runs straight for them, catching up to run alongside them, away from the threat. They run for a long enough time to put the needed distance between them and the walkers. They are now moving at a regular pace and Rick can't help looking over at her every few seconds, something about her is stirring him.
She keeps her head down, obscuring his vision of her face.
"You gonna tell us your name?" He asks.
She remains silent.
"Come on now. We know you got a name. We're just trying to be helpful here. No harm intended," Shane adds.
They stop as the prison comes into view.
"This is our home, but we can't let you enter unless you tell us your name and answer some questions for us," Shane reveals.
She finally lifts her head, her hair falling back, revealing her beautiful blood stained face. "You should already know who I am because I certainly remember you two."
"Hey now! You're that uppity lawyer with the fancy name, ain't ya?" Shane remembers.
Rick just stares at her, unable to believe his eyes.
Hours later, they are at the prison, enjoying a quiet dinner with the others. Michonne sits off to herself, keeping quiet. She did agree to tell them her name and she answered the three questions, but remains quiet and reserved.
Rick can't help but remember the time they met. She was new at the County Attorney's office, fresh out of law school. He and Shane had just graduated the academy and for some reason most of their cases were assigned to her. Of course, there wasn't a lot of work in King's County, but things did happen.
She was just so well put together, always on time, always organized. It bothered Shane to no end, so he deliberately did stuff to rattle her and she hated it. He was never in on it, but she labeled him as being guilty by association. They worked together for six months before she landed a job in Atlanta and moved away.
There was always something about her. Whatever it was made him really cautious around her at first, then they got to know each other a little better and those last 2 months were really nice between them. He never told Shane this, but he remembers going to Atlanta to meet her for drinks one night. Nothing happened, but he certainly wanted it to. Fast forward a month or so and she had met someone and he had met someone hence the end of their communication and what could have been.
He watches her now, wanting to put the rest of her story together. Did she get married? Have kids? If so, why is she alone? Did something happen to them? Where was she when the world went haywire? The questions continue to flit through his mind. He can't help wanting to know more about her. It's been years, but looking into her eyes when she finally gave him her attention helped him to remember how he felt so long ago. He recognizes that she is different now. She hasn't smiled once while being here. Most would be happy to have food to eat, a roof over their heads, but she's just….here. He knows that feeling of just existing. Now that Lori is gone, that's all he is doing…existing, not living. He looks over in her direction, this time catching her eyes. In that split second before she looks away, he sees it. She's just as listless as he is.
Weeks have passed and of all people, she has warmed to Carl. He is thankful as his son seems to be a lot happier when she is around, but he is also resentful. She laughs and talks freely with Carl, Shane, Daryl….hell, mostly everyone at the prison. All except him. It makes him wonder if she even remembers the short association they had. I guess it would be easy to forget since nothing really happened.
It's close to dinnertime and she normally goes to her cell before washing up and making her way to the mess hall. He waits patiently before walking to her cell and knocking tentatively.
She moves the curtain back and her eyes widen slightly at the sight of him. "Yes?"
"Can we talk for a minute?" Rick asks.
Michonne is cautious but she allows him to enter. "What's this about?"
"I just need to ask you something if that's ok," he tells her.
She nods. "Ok."
"Do you remember what you were doing on August 29, 2003 around 7:30?"
She stares directly into his eyes. "I was having drinks in Mid-town with a handsome blue-eyed sheriff's deputy."
They both smile shyly at each other.
"So you do remember?" Rick inquires.
"I remember everything." Michonne returns.
"Well…..would I be too forward if I ask if we can pick up where we left off?"
She sighs as she considers his question. "I can see that you've been through a lot. I have too, but I guess we can try."