Chapter Two
"What the hell was that?" Shane questioned, looking to Rick after they dismissed the recruits that night.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Rick responded coolly while he changed out of his uniform.
"Bullshit, you know exactly what I'm talking about!" Shane smirked at Rick, pushing his face closer to the locker to block his actions. "I told you some of these recruits' man, can get you in trouble. You seen Harrison? That one is definitely worth it." Rick glared at him, earning a chuckle in response.
"I know, I know. I can't help myself. That's why I got you here now, to set me on the right path." Shane supplied while backing up, grabbing his bag from the bench.
"Is that right?" Rick asked, looking at him while grabbing his duffel bag. There was a small pause before they both laughed.
"Goodnight Dianne" they yelled into the office as they made their way out of the building. Both headed towards Shane's pickup truck in the lot as they had rode in together.
"Not that I don't love having you" Shane stated, smirking as they threw their bags in the back "but when are you gonna get your own place? I need my space open and available to bring my females over."
"You know you are a real asshole." Rick threw back at him while sliding in the passenger seat, waiting for Shane to get in before continuing "I'm looking for something, any day now. Maggie's helping search. Just gotta give her a little time. She's new to real estate." Rick replied.
"Maggie? Hershel's daughter? Chief Greene's daughter? You sly dog, you." Offering a hi-five with one hand, starting his truck with his other.
"Wait, what? No, Maggie is just a friend. Hershel knows my situation and referred me to her. That's it." Shane skeptically eyed Rick, his hand falling to the wheel before he pulled off.
"You know Shane, everyone doesn't think like you." Rick offer, a hand slipping out the window to hold onto the roof of the truck.
"Uh huh, I'll be sure to remember that tomorrow when you and Recruit Hawthorne are eye fucking." Shane said before turning on the radio.
But what the hell was that? When he saw the dark-skinned beauty with heart shaped lips and almond shaped eyes, he became mesmerized. It wasn't just that she was gorgeous, even with her hair pulled back in a bun while wearing sweats. There was something captivating. His heart quickened, his hands got sweaty. He had to resist the urge to touch her just to see if she was real. He saw her breathing pattern change; did he scare her? Did he make her uncomfortable? He was her superior after all and should be setting an example.
That night as he laid in bed in Shanes' spare room which had become his defacto bedroom, he saw her chocolate eyes again. She intrigued him. He hadn't felt that in… damn ever.
Rick met Lori in Junior High School when he was a skinny kid with a big nose and ears. He and Shane had bonded over their common attributes in elementary school. By time high school came, the guys had started to fill in especially Shane while Rick remained on the slimmer more toned side.
Lori remained a waft through it all. She was never a complicated girl, she liked to be pretty, to be fawned over, to be popular. Lori aspired to be a wife, have kids and be kept. Rick thought those were all reasonable requests, he could carry out. Everyone seemed to encourage the relationship, it made sense on paper. They dated, he proposed after he got his associates degree, all the credits he needed to join King County PD. The following year they got married and he bought them a house.
Rick's father had been a Lieutenant in King County, making him a legacy. It made it easier to make it through since people looked out for him. He used any leverage he had to drag Shane through with him.
The first two years on probation were tough but Lori didn't mind since Rick could now afford the lifestyle she always wanted. Rick was satisfied with the status quo, being respected at work and in the community.
Lori showed off to her friend Carol, her husband Ed unable to provide the way Rick could, especially since his promotion to Sergeant. But as the years went by Lori and Rick's relationship became monotonous.
"You said you wanted kids. Maybe we should try?" Rick suggested one night while they lay in bed.
"Do you want it?" Lori asked, rolling over to face him in the bed.
"Of course."
A few months later they were pregnant and then came Carl.
The light was back. The joy that Rick felt when he held his son made him anticipate coming home each day. Weekly family trips to the park, zoo and aquarium filled his days off. But it still wasn't bridging the gap that continued to grow between he and Lori.
Everything he tried only seemed to make her more impatient, he wasn't sure what he'd done but she was pissed at him all the time. They began to disagree on everything which lead to arguments, sometimes in front of Carl. Rick recollected his parents fights and how he never wanted Carl to experience that. His response was to avoid Lori at all costs which lead to her becoming more explosive. He threw himself into work even harder and another promotion to Lieutenant followed.
"Now you're getting cocky." was her response. "Sometimes I wonder if you even care about us!" Lori screamed at him in front of Carl.
"The difference between men and women, I'd never say something that cruel to her." Rick complained to Shane while having lunch in their RMP one day.
After that, Rick resigned himself to become a close-mouthed son of a bitch. He and Lori no longer shared a bed. At first, he took up sleeping on the couch until he ultimately moved into the guest bedroom.
Rick didn't want to think about what came next, so he turned over and shut his brain off.
The following day Rick resolved himself to avoid the recruits until he couldn't anymore. Thinking about the alluring recruit was unprofessional. But that meant regretfully, hours in close proximity to Colonel Blake.
Philip Blake was a derisive manipulative man with goals to become the next Deputy Chief. Unfortunately for him, it was an appointed position and Chief Greene had no intentions of promoting him. Blake knew this, but if he could use his Jim Jones type sway on enough people then he could force Greene's hand.
"Afternoon Lt Grimes- Oh wait, sorry its Captain now." Blake announced as Rick walked to the instructor's office. "And Rick I just want you to know I'm glad that promotion didn't turn out to be posthumously." he nodded his head with faux sincerity.
"Thanks." was all Rick could muster without resorting to expletives turning into the office.
Blake followed Rick stopping in the doorway watching so that Rick couldn't even settle in.
"I think that now that you are gonna be here as my subordinate…" he smiled. Ricks jaw tightened. "We should have a truce, after all it's your choice to move into my territory."
"I think things between us are pretty clear." Rick stated with a scratch of his eyebrow. Philip snickered then walked away.
Rick had some interactions with him that let him know he was never going to be a part of any ceasefire. Rick had even testified against Philip in an IAB investigation which he was sure he knew.
Rick took being an officer of the law seriously, as an honor to be trusted with such power by its citizens. He hated that there was the thin blue line. Rick knew that any "bad apples" would spoil the whole bunch. He fought hard to ensure the integrity of police officers. Hence the reason he applied for a transfer to the academy. Help mold the minds of future rookies before they encountered poisonous co-workers and bosses like Blake.
"Hey, just ignore him." a woman's voice broke his train of thought. He focuses his vision to see a blonde standing in the door frame.
"Hi, I'm Jessica Anderson. But you can call me Jessie, I'm a Police Administrative Aide here." she waved and walked over.
"Rick Grimes." he extended his hand to hers and they shook.
"Yeah, I think anybody who's anybody knows you." Rick rolled his eyes and grunted. Jessie giggled, pushing her hair behind her ear.
"I'm sure they gave you a tour of the facilities but… I know all the hidden gems." she leaned in close and whispered.
"Uh, good to know… I don't wanna hold you up." he supplied with an earnest expression.
"Oh, no you can interrupt me whenever. I'm right in the next office." Jessie offered, batting her lashes and stepping backwards out of the office as Shane was entering. He eyed Jessie then smirked at Rick.
"You know this is just not fair." Shane joked as he ran his hands through his floppy dark hair.
"What are you talking about now?" Rick rolled his eyes again and placed his hands on his hips.
"I've been here for quite a while and I'm fighting for everything I got. You walk in with those baby blues and apparently those weird legs of yours and you are swimming in it. Only you aint." Shane declared.
"Weird legs?" Rick raised an eyebrow and Shane burst out laughing.
"Look here Brother. You been through it with Lori. Thought it was just shit couples go through or a phase. But you deserve to get a taste."
How many times could Rick roll his eyes. Shane started out on a sentimental note but had to end it in a very Shane way.
"That all? Cause I've got stuff to do, thangs." they both laughed.
Rick knew Shane meant well. Hell, they'd been best friends forever. Their relationship had a natural balance. Shane being charismatic, blunt and a hothead. Rick was the calm, responsible family man. "Officer Friendly" he'd once called him. He had saved Shane from countless acts of stupidity in their lifetime, but Shane came through for him in an immense way.
Rick reversed the car so quickly after they dropped the spike strips, he'd nearly gave Shane whiplash. The other deputies had already put their vehicles in roadblock formation. The radio let them know the perpetrators were headed straight their way. Everyone's guns were drawn while their hearts stammered in anticipation.
The car appeared on the horizon and raced directly into the strip sending it careening onto its side. It continued into several rollovers until it came to a crunching stop in a nearby field.
"Holy shit!" Shane howled, eyes locked on the scene.
Assuredly, whomever was inside was severely injured and ready to surrender. Rick began to ease forward. The passenger door flew open and the suspect climbed out brandishing a gun.
"Put it down!" was all Rick could manage to get out realizing he had no where to go for a tactical retreat. He returned fire.
It happened so rapidly, Rick's body was being pushed and he spun to the ground as the impact of what several punches to the gut felt like hit his ribs. He cried out but with the spike of adrenaline managed to see Shane and the other officer's takedown the gunman. Rick still had the wherewithal to know that was one man down, one to go. When the driver's side door opened, he rolled into the high brush, Shane surging forward with his shotgun and taking out the second gunman.
"Rick!"
"I'm alright, that son of a bitch shot me! Can you believe that?" Rick exclaimed as he got to his feet.
"He caught you in your vest?"
"Yeah, you do not tell Lori that happened ever, you understand?" Rick responded.
Securing the scene was cop 101. They had gotten sidetracked by that miracle of Rick's close call when an unknown third gunman crawled out. He unloaded his clip just as Rick raised his arm, tagging him where the vest didn't cover.
From there, it all came in disorienting flashes and searing pain. Shane pressing on his wound and yelling. The plummet of the EMT's placing his stretcher in the ambulance. Bright ceiling lights rolling past him. The tugging at his body.
Then, sleep.
Mirages and visions of Shane, Carl, Lori and Hershel.
Then, he woke up.
"That vase, that's something special. Fess up, you steal it from ya Grandma Gene's house?" Rick managed to croak out, his throat dry and his limbs heavy. He heard a chair slide against the floor.
"Well, I left her that spoon collection." Shane replied as he hurried to the bed. Rick coughed instead of laughing. Shane ran to the sink and poured a glass of water on his way back to the bed he yelled through the threshold for a doctor. He slowly poured some water into Rick's mouth.
"When I saw you get tagged, it scared the hell outta me." Shane offered, holding the glass for Rick.
"Me too." Rick offered a weak smile before the doctors and nurses rushed in.
"I'm gonna try to reach Lori." Shane backed out of the room to give them space.
Evidently, he had been in a coma for over a month. It was touch and go for a while. As they looked him over, he just imagined seeing Carl and Lori's faces. When they finally arrived, he broke down.
"Dad!"
Carl screamed and ran to his father, jumping on the bed so they could embrace and Rick winced.
"Carl…"
Rick sobbed and reached out to Lori who stood gob smacked. Her feet eventually carried her to his bedside. They hugged over Carl.
He owed Shane. For saving his life, sitting by his bedside, watching over his family, even bringing him flowers.
The recruits were allowed a more leisurely day not filled with lesson plans on penal law but instead driving instruction. Tomorrow would be the first day of RMP training. Each instructor would be paired with a different company, tradition was to draw from a hat for who they taught.
"Dixon got Company 01." Sergeant Rhee announced.
"Cause I only work with the best." he rattled off as he headed for the door.
"You don't know that!" yelled Lt Dianne Cahill.
"When you got a Dixon, you'll always be the best." Dixon shouted from the hall.
Varying degrees of laughter took over the room as they continued to pull slips of paper from the hat until everyone had picked except for Grimes. Rhee handed him the last paper.
"Fortune has smiled on ye brother. For company 02 is thine." Lt Payton stated while grasping Rick's shoulder.
"I see you are still preparing for your play. How's it going?" Rhee questioned.
"Astounding!" Zeke's voice boomed.
Rick walked towards the gym for the second P.E.T tests to commence, Shane hot on his trail.
"Company 02!" Rick ignored him and kept walking.
"Now, I know you heard me. What are you gonna do? Wanna switch?" he taunted before detouring into a classroom where some recruits were assembled.
Rick considered the offer but didn't want to feed into the rhetoric. He was disciplined and had self-control. Besides he didn't even know if Hawthorne was attracted to him. Attracted to him? What the hell was he thinking? He just needed to calm down, you saw her once no big deal.
Wrong.
Recruit Hawthorne and the rest of Company 02 were in the hall and made way so he could pass. They all quickly jumped out of his way, but Hawthorne was too slow and they collided. Rick grabbed her arms to steady her from bouncing off him. His hands immediately tingled at the contact of her silky skin and he could have sworn she shivered.
"S-so sorry Captain." she stuttered.
"It's …that's ok." then realizing that he still held her. He reluctantly let her go.
"Company 02 fall into the gym!" he ordered. That was the wrong move.
When Hawthorne about-faced her sweatpants perfectly displayed her round peach shaped ass in motion as she ran. Rick couldn't help but stare.
"You're gonna hurt your neck craning it like that." Dixon uttered as he walked by. He had absolutely been transfixed by the plumpness that filled out what are undoubtedly horrible police department issued sweatpants. His own sweatpants needed to provide him some space and he quickly thanked god he always wore boxer briefs.
After a quick adjustment, he headed in. From what he could tell the other instructors already had the wristband recruits on one side, while the others relaxed on the bleachers. He looked to the ones preparing for the physical exam and couldn't find her. Confusion raked him, where could she have gone?
He whipped around to catch her watching him from the benches. She looked away before they could ogle one another. She'd passed the P.E.T. test the first time, only one-third ever did that most needed constant training to be ready. That meant her body was probably amazing under those clothes.
He turned away from her before he needed another adjustment.
But curiosity got the better of him.
"Was she watching me again?" Rick swiftly about-faced and headed in her general direction and she indeed eyed him.
This time she maintained contact, fighting him for dominance. He couldn't help but grin as he took a position near the stands.
Recruits were allowed to motivate their classmates and when Recruit Williams was called up, Hawthorne trotted to the edge of the track, displaying her squeezable ass as she bounced up and down, yelling her friends name.
Dixon was correct. He would indeed hurt his neck if he kept this up. So instead of standing there objectifying, her he decided to investigate her instead.
"PAA Anderson, can you get me Recruit Hawthorne's file asap. I'll be at my desk."
Jessie surprised and delighted by his entrance hung her phone up and scurried for the file cabinets.
"Here you go Captain." she slid the file onto his desk. When he looked up he noticed her hair was removed from its previous ponytail and maybe an extra button was undone on her blouse as well.
"Uh, thanks. That'll be all."
"Are you sure? Maybe there's something I can help with?" she offered, batting her lashes again.
"Naw, I think I got it from here" Rick replied. She looked crestfallen for a moment then rebounded.
"I hope I'm not being too forward but… we've all lost things but we can get something back."
Rick was confused for a second then recalled everyone knew the story of The Famous Rick Grimes.
She must have decided to cut her losses, departing after his head nod.
His fingers tingled with anticipation. Hopefully knowing more about this alluring woman would put his mind to rest. He opened her file to find her photo displayed above her bio. How could she look this good in what's usually a hideous DMV picture? There was a playful upturn to her full soft lips. Her skin appeared a rich satin, which he could attest to. If her arms felt like silk her cheeks had to be lustrous. There was a story in her yes, she coyly looked up at him.
Getting this out of his system was allegedly the plan so he read on.
"Michonne."
Her first name.
It felt sexy coming from his lips. He only hoped he was pronouncing it correctly.
The rest of her file read neutrally; twenty-five years old from Castleberry Hill. He wondered what she was doing here instead of Atlanta PD. A HBCU supplied her college credits, criminal justice major and dance minor. He wondered what type of dance. He pictured her completing sensual fluid motions.
"Michonne."
He really liked the way it rolled off his tongue. He could say it in so many ways.
His phone rang as he thought.
"Grimes."
"Hey Rick, It's Maggie. I think I found you the place!" her words broke out of his daydreams.
"Hey Maggie, really?"
"Yeah, sorry it took so long, I just wanted to make sure it was perfect. It's a three-bedroom, two-bathroom condo, floor to ceiling windows, parking in a gated community. Parks and pool for Carl. Clubhouse, basketball courts and barbeque area for you."
"Wow, that sounds great. When can I see it?"
"That's why I was calling. I know your schedule is third shift, but could you see it Friday morning?"
"Sure, I can do that. Shane will be happy if you get me outta his place sooner than later."
"I'm sure. I'll text you the details and see you Friday."
Well he had some good news to share with Shane. Hopefully, this place was exactly what he was looking for.
Rick granted himself one more look at Michonne's picture before returning the file. This investigation just heightened his interest more than decreased it.
"Michonne."