"If you never try, you'll never know. You are what you manifest."
― Germany Kent

Rick was going all in. Especially after hearing a couple of moans and a few spine-tingling yeses, Rick felt he needed to be pinched because he had to have been dreaming. He was mesmerized to have the most attractive woman underneath him as he pumped and humped her erratically. He was spent, near exhaustion and ready for sleep.

Michonne barely hid the look she had on her face. She was perplexed. He was like an energizer bunny for the longest until he grunted and froze in place before rolling off to what was his side of his bed. The look on her face didn't go unnoticed by him.

Rick was confused by it, "You're not tired?" He lifted himself by an elbow after taking off the condom and tossing it in the small trash can he had by his bed for the occasion along with a damp towel from earlier.

Michonne shook her head. She wasn't tired, not even a little bit.

"Why not?"

Michonne shrugged. Bashful.

Rick continued to gently trace with his fingers random spots upon her warm moist skin. He paid particular attention to her breast, mostly her nipple area. Discovery of how his touch caused more moans and gasps was intriguing and reenergizing. Soon his hands were guided between her legs. With her subtle guidance, he learned to finger her. He was receptive to her verbal cues. The more she whined and writhed, the more he began to spiral out of control. His need to be inside of her while she came over and over again had him excited. Rick took her parted mouth with his. He climbed back on top and began thrusting in the same rhythm he did with his fingers. He was determined to keep her making sounds. He was heady and full of lust.

Michonne's hips reached for him to hurry, to not fall behind the high wave she was riding. She instinctively grabbed his hips to slow his pace, which caused his eyes to roll back, hooded, darkened by a desire to consummate, to cum. Michonne was close. She could almost feel a big one outside of being fingered by his middle and ring finger. Now that he was back on top, her body gave off signals; she was going to experience a big O. But it came in as an oh. An oh, okay, maybe next time? Michonne had never been sexually vocal about her needs. This was due to the belief in allowing the guy to determine position and frequency, so she thought.

Rick was fast asleep. His arm remained draped across her waist while he slept until she eventually fell asleep too.

Hours later, the morning started like no other day for Rick and Michonne. This new development caused them to acknowledge how a night of good sex enhanced their daytime hours spent together.

Michonne's first thoughts upon waking up to the smell of food wafting through the air felt as close to heaven as one could get, and Rick felt the same, sensing her presence in the kitchen. She wore his blue pajama top while he had on the bottoms with a white t-shirt, both barefoot.

"Yum," Michonne announced her presence. "I used your toothbrush and your water pick."

This information caused Rick to pause before he turned to greet Michonne with a smile. "How do you like your eggs, Michonne?"

"However you plan to serve them, except for sunnyside up, or poached, but any other way, like scrambled with cheese, is preferred. Lightly scrambled. But I am open."

"Lucky for you, my Mom got us some cheese!"

"Wisconsin?" Michonne noticed the deli package on the kitchen counter.

"The best cheese is from Wisconsin."

"Not Kraft?"

"Wisconsin is known for cheese. Have a taste." Rick took a couple of steps away from the stove, and before placing a piece in her mouth, he kissed her upon her eagerly awaiting lips.

For Michonne, cheese was cheese. For Rick, he loved an enlightened Michonne who would slowly admit the difference.

"I was thinking we play hooky again. Spend another day together," Rick suggested sheepishly.

"I don't have any time left."

"What about the paid day off? You haven't used yours yet. Unless you are saving it for something else?"

"No, I don't have it saved for anything else."

Rick was silent. He stepped back to tend to the eggs frying in the skillet. He scrambled as he tried to gather his thoughts, ideas of spending time they didn't necessarily have wasn't realistic, and he felt he had no right to monopolize her time.

"I took the liberty of having your car moved from Daryl's garage to the Toyota dealership."

"What?"

"Two months, Michonne?"

"You don't understand, Daryl, I can afford. Anywhere else-not at all."

"I've got it covered, Michonne."

"I can't pay you back, Rick."

"I didn't ask you too."

"You don't want me using your car, huh?"

"Never said that."

"Thank you."

"Your welcome."

"Well, what do you want to do today?" Michonne relented.

"I thought we could go to the museum. Maybe have a picnic." Rick prepared both plates with a helping of eggs, sausage patties, and pancakes. He set the food on his small kitchen table, pulling out a chair for Michonne to sit closest to him.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Really."

"Okay."

"While you were sleeping, I got a call from my Dad." Rick poured Michonne a large glass of orange juice before he poured some for himself.

"Yeah?" Michonne began to eat.

"Yeah. He has something he wants to tell me."

"Is everything okay?"

"I don't know. I will soon find out."

Michonne quickly made a call to Go Stop, as did Rick. They both called off for the whole day. Michonne sifted through the tickets in his glove box, looking for the museum passes while Rick drove.

"You should consider leaving some clothes at my place, Michonne. A toothbrush too."

"You should consider leaving some clothes at my place, Rick. Your water pic too."

"You want one?"

"I would like one. Yes."

"We can stop at Walmart if you like. We can grab one and some more condoms while we are there."

"Are you going to keep condoms at my place as well?"

"I can."

"I have to try to be less accessible."

"Why?"

"It is a quality I am trying to work on. I am getting better with creating boundaries."

"Where boundaries shouldn't exist? Is your accessibility a character flaw?"

"Why don't you have a girlfriend already?" Michonne was flabbergasted.

"I'm working on it, Michonne. I finally feel like there is something to all this manifesting we've been doing."

"I've told you everything there is to know about manifesting, Rick."

"Tell me how much longer?"

"Until you have the person of your dreams. You have to be confident she is a keeper."

"I'm pretty confident. Not sure about her and what she thinks about me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Mortal Kombat?"

"Last Friday?"

"Any Friday?"

"You are demanding."

"I need clarity, Michonne."

"Clearly. I've been losing consistently and without fail."

"Not exactly the answer I am looking for, Michonne."

"I don't like being deceived."

"Who does?"

"I am very open to the possibilities of you. You have been a perfect friend to me." Michonne admitted.

"All I want to know is if we are on the same page?"

"You've been sneaky." Michonne was referencing the time Rick had stolen her manifesting notebook off of her desk at work over a month ago. He had the inside scoop of what it would take to be a good friend, a boyfriend, a husband, and a father to her future children.

"Observant."

"Nosey!"

"I don't want five kids, Michonne."

"I do. Now stop influencing my list."

"Two kids tops!"

"Did you put that on your list?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Not needed. You are hearing me loud and clear. I want two. No more than three, and that is pushing it. I am willing to compromise, but five is out of the question."

"You govern your paper. I hold authority over my paper. I listed five names for five nonexistent children. I will not have you determine who gets to enjoy me as a mother. One. Abigail..."

"I like that name."

"Second, Carlton. Third, RJ. Fourth, Andre. Five, Jasmine."

"Okay." Rick smiled. He was confident he wasn't going to be the father of five kids. One, two, maybe three but not five.

"What is it you want to know?"

"When are we done manifesting?"

"I can only speak for myself. I'm done when I have a friend. A friend who will take my hand and say, Michonne, you are such a great girlfriend. You are smart, funny, and a great person that I love to be around. I love to take you places. I love to take you to restaurants and use up free tickets because Dad just so happens to have tickets to sold-out events on the regular. Dad isn't a gangster. Dad isn't the owner of Go Stop Insurance because if he were, that would mean you aren't just any Grimes pretending to be Mr. Rick Groomes."

Rick laughed.

Michonne was surprised by Rick's reaction. "Yeah?"

"I've never denied anything, Michonne."

"You were adamant he wasn't any way shape or form a gangster."

"Sorry to disappoint you."

"I'm not disappointed in the least."

"Now, back to manifesting. I'm wondering when does the realization happen?"

"Well, we don't want to jinx anything," Michonne warned.

"We?" Rick caught the inclusive word they were beginning to use more and more often.

"I."

"I'm not superstitious," Rick informed.

"Then, you are someone who has not had a series of bad things to happen and recognized a pattern."

"That does not describe superstition, Michonne."

"It describes exactly how unlucky in love I have been. What was the last critique you received from a girlfriend?"

"Critique?" Rick wondered if Michonne was referring to the sex they had last night. "Are we referring to last night? Are you saying I didn't handle that well?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Michonne pretended not to have a clue to what he was referring to.

Rick began to turn slightly crimson being on the receiving end of a distinct look from Michonne. She had a powerful effect over him, more than ever before more than anyone he had ever known.

"I want you to know I am receptive. I'm willing and open. I will be the first to admit; I haven't been in a lot of relationships. But a common theme...I'm not transparent enough with my thoughts or emotions."

"Really?"

"I keep a lot of things bottled up inside," Rick admitted an inherent trait from his father.

"I'm good at popping the cork. Pat me on my back now." Michonne turned ever so slightly.

Rick smiled as he continued to casually stroke the back of her hand, gingerly following along an invisible line between her fingers. At the same time, he had the other on the steering wheel.

"I find it easy to talk to you, Michonne. With or without your random questions."

"I like to know your thoughts on certain topics."

"Here's a question, what did you think about the sex last night?"

"Why?"

"I thought it was amazing. You are amazing."

Michonne turned her face to look out the passenger window of his car. She was slightly embarrassed. Shy.

"I want to please you, Michonne."

"I'm pleased, Rick."

"I'm pleased, Michonne."

"I wonder what you are like when you have the girl of your dreams."

"From Mars to Venus."

"I have a secret to tell you."

"What's that?"

"You are an excellent friend to me."

"How long have you known this, and you are now telling me?"

"For a while now." Michonne giggled.

Rick squeezed and kissed her hand, causing Michonne to smile shyly at him as he drove in the direction of his parent's house.

"Where are we going, Rick?"

"To my parents."

"Why?"

"I've been summoned."

"I haven't."

"I thought you said you like my Mom?"

"I do."

"She will be happy to see you."

"She's always super happy to see me, Rick. It is almost unnatural."

"I promise you, Michonne, there's nothing wrong or unnatural to like the company of another person genuinely. I am happy you're happy. I enjoy talking to you and listening to you. Isn't it what women want? A guy that likes to talk and listen to you during any time of the day or night. Now, do you understand why I don't understand women?"

"Women or me? I thought this was about your mother?"

Rick sidestepped what could have Michonne in a tangent by starting as nonsensical as sometimes she would be. He wanted to slow her down and consider what he was saying in every way he presented himself to her. "You're my first, Michonne."

"First, what?"

"First, to bring over to my parents."

Michonne didn't have a response. This would be the third time showing up to Rick's parent's house. She had nothing to compare it to because not one single guy she had ever thought she was dating had ever taken her to meet their parents. Ever. Never. Ever. Never.

"You are aware that your mother thinks I am your girlfriend?"

"I'm aware that you think so too."

Michonne was so tied up into knots on the inside she had somehow missed what Rick had said. "This will be extremely exhausting."

"Only if your manifesting isn't complete."

"I'm going to be attached to your hip, Rick," Michonne warned.

"I don't mind."

"I'm not leaving your side for one minute."

"I kind of like that idea. My Dad, not so much. There's something he wants to discuss with me in private. I will need a few minutes alone with him. He is usually very concise. Won't take long. When he is finished, either side of me you want to glue yourself too will be readily available."

"Oh, dear! For heaven's sake, come in and join me in the kitchen. I am preparing Senior one of his favorite drinks."

"Mom, where's Dad?" Rick held onto Michonne's hand as they entered his parent's home.

"Out by the pool, Son. He's waiting for you."

Michonne was full of dread. Her stomach had knots, and the short back rub she received from Rick before he opened the glass doors to go out to his father did little to relieve her apprehension. Michonne took in a deep breath in hopes that her partial truths were not considered half lies.

"So, my son Richard has told me a lot about you."

"He has?"

"Of course, I had to drag it out of him. He isn't very forthcoming. Just like his father out there. Both can be very pigheaded."

"Pigheaded. I have never come across that side of him."

"That's because he is in love with you. Now, dear, Richard likes lemonade or Long Island Ice tea. If you like to prepare him a little something, the ingredients are over there. I'm making myself a smoothie. Would you like to make one too?"

"Sure! Where would you like me to wash my hands?"

"Over here in the sink is fine. Richard is such a sweetheart to bring over some fresh produce from Hershel's Market. He said, you two go often."

"We do."

"I am so happy that you two spend so much time together. I will admit, Senior was quite alarmed by this new development. He has since acquiesced seeing how natural you two are around each other and how often Richard reference that he does indeed have something special or at least he considers you very special to him. Now to have you here with us on Thanksgiving would be a delight. Richard told me it's my job to ask you since you are Manifesting yourself to be somewhere else on that day?"

Michonne had practically gone mute. She allowed Rick's mother to drive the conversation. A gulp of the Long Island ice tea helped to ease her nervous energy. Sitting next to Rick on the lounger surprised her to the point she would have much preferred her Tea.

"I think this is the best time to make it official, Michonne. I am and have been exclusively dating you for a while now. I don't foresee an end in sight between us and our friendship. I look forward to continuing dating you."

"Are we coming out in front of your parent's Rick?"

"Yes."

Rick repeated almost word for word what she had said in the car on their way to his parent's house.

"...I am that friend who will take your hand and say, Michonne, you are such a great girlfriend. You are smart, funny, and a great person that I love to be around. I love to take you places. I love to take you to restaurants and use up free tickets because my Dad just so happens to have tickets to sold-out events on the regular. My Dad isn't a gangster. My Dad is the owner of Go Stop Insurance, and that means I am not just any Grimes pretending to be Mr. Rick Groomes. I am Richard Sinclaire Grimes, CEO of Go Stop Insurance."

A/N: Still writing. This was for whatever reason difficult because I think I am missing something. A puzzle piece is missing, and I will put this on pause for a day or two to look back over this.