Chapter 1

Michonne stood upright and alert as she surveyed the cheering crowd from her vantage point on the stage. Her eyes sweep across them slowly and carefully. She takes her job very seriously and in her 10 years of service in the CIA many have tried but no serious physical harm has ever come to any of her charges.

As the fourth senior person out of the team of eight tasked to protect Senator Ian Grimes, his wife Elizabeth, their 34 year old son Rick Grimes, their daughters 30 year old Maggie Grimes and 21 year old Beth Grimes, she is directly responsible for their son Rick. It has been wildly rumoured for months that he will announce his plans to run for Mayor of St Alves City.

She touched her right ear slightly and nodded while slyly glancing to the left side of the crowd. There she saw a man dressed in dark blue jeans and a black leather jacket moving effortlessly through the crowd towards the front of the stage. She glanced at the back of the crowd and saw fellow Agents Mills and Rascolli expertly moving in to flank the suspect from the back and the side.

Looking to her right, she saw two of her superiors Agents Ford and Walsh taking their positions behind the Senator as he made his rousing speech. Agents Jones and Benjamin took their places behind Maggie and Beth. Agent Sims, the third most senior member of the team took his place behind Mrs Grimes while Michonne quietly slipped behind Rick.

The man moving through the crowd took note of their new positions and stopped…lingering between some people. Mills and Rascolli also held their positions as well. All eyes were on the suspect and he knows that he has been made. Michonne blocked out the senator's words to focus on the threat.

"As I seek a third term as your senator, I want to assure you that I will make every effort that the culprits of the Wall Street Aston Rush Ponzi Scheme will be brought to justice!"

The crowd cheered wildly at the Senator's proclamation. The man in the crowd looked purposefully from the Senator to Rick and then to the Senator again.

"I will not rest until these criminals are behind bars!"

The crowd screamed again. The Senator lifted up this hands in the air and the crowd slowly became silent.

"I have a very important announcement to make."

The Senator looked towards his son and nodded. Rick stepped forward, smiling broadly.

"I am so so proud to announce that my son Rick has officially decided to run for Mayor of this great town St Alves City!"

The announcement sent the ladies in the crowd into a frenzy. Rick stepped forward to the edge of the stage and stooped down to touch the hands of his adoring and screaming female fans. Michonne kept Rick in her peripheral vision but her eyes were fixed on the jacketed man in front of her. The man began walking towards the stage again. Suddenly he reached into his jacket and began to violently push his way through the crowd. It was Agent Ford who saw yell out first.

"Gun!"

Michonne saw the gun and her first instinct was Rick. She had to make sure that he was safe. As the man aimed for the stage Michonne lunged forward and grabbed Rick by his shirt collar turning him around and yanked him towards her. She saw that Agent Mills was the first person to reach their target. He raised the suspect's hand above his head and the first shot rang out.

Rick fell on top of her hard. She rolled over on him then spun her body over his and sat upright straddling his mid-section in the reverse position...her back and posterior facing him…gun in hand. Although she didn't anticipate any action today she was glad she wore pants. The shot sent the crowd into disarray with screams of different decibels piercing the hot midday air.

She glanced over at her colleagues and saw that they too had swung into action. Maggie and Beth's screams were partially drowned out by the crowd's but she saw the terrified looked on their faces…especially Beth's. This is her first political rally. Jones and Benjamin were shielding them with their bodies. She aimed at the man who was struggling with her colleagues with her gun in one hand and used the other on Rick's legs to steady herself.

"Get out of the way!" she screamed as people were running wildly in the line of fire.

She had to turn and twist her body in several angles to get a clear line of sight. Suddenly she felt hands on her hips steady her from behind. Her head snapped back to see a terrified Rick staring back at her. She nodded and focused on the task ahead of her. Finally, after a couple of seconds she got her desired shot and was about to pull the trigger when her colleagues wrestled the man to the ground. The man was screaming.

"Murderer! You're a murderer!"

Ford, Walsh and Sims had already guided the Senator and his wife off the stage and to the vehicle.

"Move!" she shouted to Jones and Benjamin.

The agents grabbed Maggie and Beth and dragged them off the stage. Michonne turned around and grabbing Rick, she pulled him off towards the back of the stage and unto the ground. Still covering him with her body' she watched as the vehicle carrying the senator and his wife sped off and as Maggie and Beth was being bundled into the second waiting vehicle.

"Atwell!" Jones called out to her.

That was her cue. Michonne dragged Rick to his feet and pushed him infront of her towards the waiting vehicle, using her body to shield him from the back, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any other shooters.

"Rick!" Maggie cried as she reached out to her big brother. Benjamin pulled Rick into the safety of the car.

"Go!" Michonne roared at them and the car sped off. She watched as it disappeared down the street.

Slowly, she walked back and turned her attention to the man that Mills and Rascolli had successfully detained. The man was on his chest, faced down on the burning asphalt. They pulled the man to his feet and Rascolli handed Michonne the suspect's gun…a 9mm. Michonne walked closer to the man and he spat in her face.

Mills slammed his fist into the man's rib cage twice and he crouched down in pain. They pulled him up to his feet again and as he gasped for air Michonne head-butted him knocking him out cold.**************************

when Agents Jones and Benjamin walked into the house with Rick, Maggie and Beth, their parents rushed up to greet them. Maggie and Beth sought comfort from their mother while Rick and his father embraced tightly.

"Are you alright son?!" Ian asked, trying his best to control the tremor in his voice. He had to stay calm for the sake of his family.

"Could have been better." Rick joked trying to make light of the situation.

His father began checking his body for wounds.

"I wasn't hurt dad. The agents got me out."

Suddenly, they heard Maggie and Elizabeth cry out.

"Beth!"

Their heads snapped around to see them hovering over Beth. She had fainted. They rushed over to the ladies.

"She's in shock! This is her first political meeting."

Rick picked up his baby sister and began carrying her to the sofa.

"And it will be her last! Elizabeth said adamantly.

"Mom!"

"Don't mom me Maggie! I knew that this was a bad idea! We all know how sensitive Beth is. She isn't built for the hustle and bustle of political life!"

"Neither was I but now I'm a counsellor's aide."

"Maggie please! You grew up around Rick and his friends! Climbing trees, playing football…fighting boys and other girls! You were a damn tomboy! You can't compare yourself to Beth!"

Maggie and Rick grinned at each other. Rick gently put Beth down on the sofa.

"Those were good old days."

"No! It wasn't! Do you know how scared I was seeing you high up in those trees with Rick and his idiotic friends?!'

"Hey!" Rick said, a smirk on his face. "You know I looked after Maggie. I wouldn't have let anything happened to her. Beth too if you had let her roll with us. You know how much she wanted to hang out with us."

"Over my dead body! Not my sweet Beth!"

Elizabeth caressed an unconscious Beth's face. Ian, Rick and Maggie looked at each other. Rick and Maggie knows that their mother loves them but they both know that she always had alittle extra love for Beth. That's understandable and they don't mind. What parent wouldn't love a child that was just like them? While Rick and Maggie were loud and boisterous like their father, Beth took after their mother. She's sweet, kind and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She sees the best in everyone. While Rick and Maggie thought it was cute, it irked the hell out of their father and it caused many arguments between their parents.

Rick was 13 and Maggie 9 when Beth was born. They were both experts in climbing the many trees in their backyard by then so their father decided to build a tall tree house where the only way to get up inside was to climb up in a knotted rope. Rick remembered seeing their mother holding months old Beth on her hip by the kitchen back door shaking her head in frustration.

When Beth started her walking stage, she gave their mother tons of grief. Rick and Maggie would often catch a young Beth looking at them through the back screen door for as long as her stubby legs could hold her up, many times smiling at them through a toothless grin. So it was no surprise when their mother almost had a heart attack when Beth started to practice what she had often seen her older siblings doing outside in the house.

Beth had their mother scrambling after her constantly. However, it was when Beth was 4 that they all, their dad included understood their mother's fears. Somehow, Beth had managed to get outside despite the child proof house and began climbing the rope to the tree house. She obviously knew that Rick and his friends would be up there and that faithful day they were.

Rick and his friends were playing a game of cards when they heard his mother scream out. When they rushed outside, they saw his baby sister on the rope almost seven feet off the ground. The colour drained from his face. His mother screamed for his father and he came rushing into the backyard from his man cave.

Standing below, he carefully coached the youngest Grimes into letting go of the rope. She eventually did and their father caught her. Their mother grabbed Beth from his arms and rushed into the house in tears and showering Beth with kisses. The tree house was demolished that very evening and their mother didn't speak to their father for almost a whole month.

After ten minutes, Beth was finally waking up.

"What happened?" Everyone looked at each other but no one said nothing.

"I fainted…didn't I?"

"Yes! No more political meetings!"

"Mom…I'm 21 years old. You can't ban me from supporting dad and Rick at these rallies."

"We'll see about that young lady!"

Beth looked at the rest of the family.

"Dad? Rick? Maggie?"

No one said anything as the matriarch of the family glared at them, daring them with her eyes to say something different. Rick was the first person to back away from a potentially explosive situation. Maggie followed him.************************

The agents were actively patrolling the grounds of the senator's estate. Agent Ford was on the phone speaking to Michonne getting an update.

"What's the status Atwell?"

Michonne was looking at their suspect through a two way mirror in one of their interrogation rooms. They wasted no time in getting the suspect to the CIA HQ for questioning.

"Suspect's in custody. I'm going to question him now."

"Go home Atwell. I've already assigned other agents to do that."

"But sir!"

"Atwell!"

From the tone of his voice Michonne knows not to push her luck.

"Fine!"

"Tell Mills and Rascolli to go home as well."

"Ok. See you in the A.M sir."

Ford hung up the phone. Rick walked up to him.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yes."

"Are the other agents on their way over here?"

"No. They took the suspect to HQ and then I sent them home."

"Oh."

"What?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to say thank you to Agent Atwell. I didn't know who that man was aiming for but if it was me…she saved my life."

Agent Ford looked at Rick. He knows that Rick is very new to the political arena having just come fresh out of the corporate world. Now that his father has convinced him to enter the race for mayor, his life is about to change. He has to know that.

"What happened today is just a taste of what your life is going to be like in the future. It's very very different from Wall Street. People actually gets killed in the name of politics."

"Apparently."
"This isn't a joke Mr Grimes. This isn't a game."

"You don't think I know that? Today just prove how serious this is."

"Good…so think long and hard about this and if this is what you really want to do then be prepared to always be thanking Agent Atwell."

Rick cocked his head at his remark.

"What do you mean?"

"When it was rumoured that you might be running for mayor, Atwell was pulled off another security detail. She is specifically assigned to you. She's good at her job and today just proved that. Don't take her for granted or make things difficult for her. Just listen and follow her instructions and I guarantee you your political life will be a good one. I hope we are clear Mr Grimes."

"Crystal. Now I really have to thank her in person."

"That wouldn't be necessary. You still being alive today is enough for her."

Agent Ford left Rick to go speak to his father as Rick quietly absorbed his words.***********************

Michonne drove up to her apartment complex compound. Calvin, the stocky security officer waved at her. She waved back and pulled into her designated parking spot. Coming out of her vehicle, she kicked off her shoes and picking them up, walked to her apartment door 5D at the end of the row. The night's darkness was slowly creeping in.

A stray cat, which she has come to name Kiki suddenly appeared at her feet purring loudly. Michonne looked around cautiously to see if anyone was looking. She quickly scooped up her furry friend, tucked her inside of her jacket, opened her front door and slipped inside. She walked into the kitchen and taking down a tin of cat food, she emptied its contents into a bowl on the floor. Kiki wiggled her way out of Michonne's jacket and went straight for it.

"We are gonna get caught one of these days you know."

Kiki looked up at her, licked her lips and resumed eating again.***********************

Michonne woke up to a slew of text messages to her phone…6 to be exact. She read them through heavy eyelids.

"Oh thank god!" she murmured out loud.

The senator has cancelled the rest of his public speaking engagements until further notice or atleast for the rest of the week. She and the rest of her team had the time off until then. She pulled the covers over her as Kiki balled herself into a tight ball at the end of Michonne's bed.************************

When Michonne finally woke up from her slumber it was almost 12 noon. She walked downstairs to the kitchen in ultra-short, bootie hugging, pink boy shorts and a thin strap spaghetti top. She feed Kiki again and poured herself some orange juice. She then walked over to the sofa and sprawled herself on it, staring at the ceiling. She haven't had time off like this in months and she didn't know what to do. She reached for her phone and sent a text.

"You wanna go to Barney's tonight?"

"You buying?"

"Yeah."

"Cool."

"I'll meet you there for 6. Call the others."*************************

Michonne walked into Barney's around 6:15pm clad in tight stretchy blue jeans, black heeled boots and a red partially see through top. She had her hair in a ponytail and the only jewellery she wore was small gold stud earrings. She spotted her crew and began making her way over to them. As she passed the various pool tables, she caught the attention of all the men playing there.

Some of them turned their head to look at her while they made their shots and missed while others literally stop playing to give her their undivided attention. Michonne ignored them and greeted her colleagues. Out of team, only four of them including herself made it.

"Damn it Atwell! Do you always have to do that?!" Mills exclaimed.

Michonne looked at him genuinely confused.

"I just got here! What did I do?"

"Look so good!" Sims chuckled.

Michonne rolled her eyes at them.

"You don't have to keep reminding us what under your work suit."

"Can you imagine if all female agents looked like her?"

"Yeah…most of our clients would be dead. We wouldn't be able to protect anyone!"

"Guys…stop!"

Suddenly Jones roughly cut in the playful banter.

"When are you going to marry me Atwell?!"

Michonne, Mills and Sims turned to face Jones as he took another shot of tequila and gestured to the bartender to pour him another. Michonne could see he was plastered.

"Is he drunk already?"

"Yes."

"No!" Jones shouted with slurred words.

"Yes! He was the first one to get here."

"I'm not drunk!"

"What happened?"

From the looks on their faces it could only be one thing….Lauren, Jones's girlfriend broke up with him. Again. Michonne took the tequila shot meant for Jones for herself and swallowed it in on gulp. She needed it for her umpteenth prep talk with Jones about his love life. The liquid burned her throat. She held him square at the shoulders and he blinked at her through glassy eyes.

"Look…I know you love Lauren but she doesn't love you. This is the third time she has left you and she cheated on you twice."

Michonne paused to look at her sad friend.

"Let her go. You can do better. You will do better. I promise you that."

Jones smiled at her, looking hopeful.

"You mean like you?"

She shook her head.

"No. Someone better than me."

"There is no one like that. You're the best gal I know."

Michonne hooked her hands under his arm and pulling him to unsteady feet.

"Come on buddy. That's just the alcohol talking. Time to get you home."

She dug into his pockets and threw his car keys to Sims.

"Can you call a cab please?"

"Already did. They're outside waiting." Sims said shaking his head.

They watched as she took him outside.**********************

Michonne tucked Jones into the back seat of the cab. Suddenly he grabbed her arm.

"You know we will be good together."

The alcohol from his breath was stifling her. Michonne had known for some time that despite Jones having a girlfriend, he also had a crush on her.

"Give me a chance Atwell. I'm free now. I wouldn't take her back if that's what you are worried about."

Michonne wiped the sweat from his brow.

"You know that that's not going to happen. Besides…how do you even know we'll work out? Are you willing to throw away 6 years of solid friendship and working relationship over something that might not work out?"

He pondered her words for a split second.

"Yes."

"Well I'm not."

She gently freed her arm from his grip and closed the door.

"Go home and sleep. You'll thank me in the morning."

Michonne watched as the cab disappeared down the street. She went inside and a man followed closely behind her.*********************

Michonne saw the figure hovering in the corner alittle distance from her when she was watching Jones's cab leave. He was there when she brought him out to the cab. She walked back inside the bar at a slow but steady pace. When she passed the second pool table she spun around quickly, startling her unwanted shadow. She grabbed him and slammed him down on the nearest pool table.

"Who are you and why are you following me?!"

There were people in the bar looking at them as Michonne held the man down. Seconds later Mills and Sims was at her side.

"Trouble?"

"Don't know yet. This guy was outside when I took Jones to the cab then he followed me inside."

Sims and Mills glared at the man.

"What do you want with our colleague friend?"

"I just need to give her something."

He reached into his jacket but Sims wasn't taking any chances. He grabbed the man by his throat.

"Let me!" He said forcefully.

Sims reached into the man's jacket carefully and pulled out a brown envelope.

"You've been served!" the man gasped.

"What?!"

Michonne grabbed the envelope from Sims hand. The man's words stunned him and he released his throat. Seeing his freedom the man fled the bar. Michonne tore open the envelope as Sims and Mills stood by awkwardly. The bold black letters jumped out at her like a bogeyman at Halloween.

JEREMY MORROW (Claimant)

VS

MICHONNE ATWELL (Respondent)

FOR

DIVISION OF MATRIMONIAL PROPERTY AND ASSETS

Michonne immediately turned to the 6th page and quickly skimmed through the list of property being contested. Tears stung her eyes when they rest on a familiar address of a piece of property that is close and dear to her heart. A small choked cry escaped her lips as she made a dash for the bar's exit.