Chapter 5

Several reporters were around them, lights from their cameras flashing rapidly… at him and around him. Lori struggled against Michonne who tightened her grip on Lori's forearm causing more pain.

"Stop! You're hurting me!"

Rick looked around at the people who were taking in what was going on and waiting patiently for what he was going to say or do about the situation. He smiled at them then turned his full attention to Lori. Maggie nudged him slightly.

"Rick." She whispered.

She was worried that Rick would confirm Lori's lie in order to save her any embarrassment in front of the reporters. He looked at her reassuringly.

"Mr Grimes." Michonne said firmly and he looked up at her. "Is she your fiancée?"

Lori saw the look on his face. She decided to make one last plea to save herself.

"Tell them Rick! Tell them I am your fiancée!"

Rick looked Michonne firmly in her eyes.

"She's not my fiancée."

Lori's eyes bulged with embarrassment as two reporters quickly took her picture in her subdued position and then went to stand infront of Rick with the other reporters waiting impatiently for more. Since he announced that he was running for mayor, there have been newspaper headlines about his love life…mad speculations about who is the lucky lady that he is dating or might be interested in. Michonne motioned for one of her colleagues to take Lori to a secure room in the back. However Lori refused to go quietly when she was being handed over.

"Please don't do this to me Rick!" Rickkkkkkk!"

Michonne watched on slightly irritated at the scene that this woman was causing as a few more reporters took pictures of a screaming Lori being dragged off out of sight.

She didn't like clients who had baggage…baggage that could make doing her job more difficult than it already is.

When Lori was finally nowhere in sight she took her place directly behind Rick as he fielded the barge of question that she expects to come his way now. Maggie stood on his right, next to him.

"Is she your girlfriend then?" one reporter asked.

"No. She's not. She's my ex-girlfriend. We broke up two years ago."

"Do you have a girlfriend now?" another female reporter enquired.

"No…unless you are willing to give me a chance." Rick chuckled seductively.

The female reporters giggled at Rick's open flirtation while their male counterparts rolled their eyes. A faint smile cracked on Michonne's lips. He appeared to be a friendly, easy going person…a good quality for being mayor. After the giggling died down another question was asked by one of the male reporters.

"So…you don't have a fiancée or a girlfriend. Is there someone you are interested in?"

Rick smiled broadly.

"Come on Mr Mayor and I dare call you that. There must be someone that gets your juices flowing."

Rick looked back at Michonne briefly who looked at him side eyed. Maggie caught that look in Rick's eye as he watched Michonne before turning back to the reporters. Maggie looked at Michonne, who held her head forward and then she looked at her brother.

"Maybe there is someone." Rick finally answered.

"You can't just leave it at maybe. We need more." One reporter protested slightly.

"I don't know what else you want me to say."

"Ok. Well answer this. How long have you known her or him?"

Some of the female reporters shot daggers at the reporter for adding a him to the mix.

"Firstly…it's a her and secondly, we just recently met."

"Have you spoken to her as yet?"

"Yes but briefly."

"Have you told her how you feel? What was her reaction?"

"Like I said...we just met. I can't spring my feelings on her just like that. She'll think I'm crazy." There were chuckles in the crowd. "As for her reaction to me…we'll just have to wait and see."

"I'm going to ask the question that we all are thinking about this mystery woman. Given what happened recently…the assisination attempt do you think she is capable or ready for public life? That she can handle herself as being the wife of possibly this state most popular mayor?"

"I can assure you 1000% that she is very capable of handling herself as my wife. Presently now, she is more capable than me!" Rick said laughing. "But I do suspect that she would prefer her private life to remain just that…private."

"Do you think she will say yes when you eventually ask her out?"

Rick paused before he answered.

"I really really hope so. I am making moves to try to get to know her better…as friends first though…to feel her out...see if she is interested in me as I am in her."

"And then more?"

"Yes. Then more if she will have me."

"Wow. From the way you are talking it seems that you may have found the one."

Rick smiled to himself causing everyone around him to smile in solidarity with him too. Maggie looked at the reaction of the crowd to Rick and saw that they were eating out of the palms of his hand but she knows her brother. This isn't a ploy to get votes. There is someone that he is really interested in and serious in getting to know them.

Here it is she is setting up Thia to go on a date with him and he clearly has eyes for someone else. She wondered if to tell her Thia that there could be someone else in Rick's life and end the match making there. While he was vague in saying who this woman is, from his earlier reaction she suspects who it is, but will wait to see if anything really develops between them.

However, from all reports, she doesn't have much faith that anything really will. The situation needs to be assessed for the time being.

"Finding the one is so rare." Rick said, finally speaking. "I hope I am that lucky and blessed."

Maggie looked around and saw a few female reporters wiping their eyes. Tomorrow's newspapers headlines would be explosive with Rick being the main trigger. She was proud of her brother and from the looks on the faces of their parents and Beth, they were proud also. Maggie decided to end the interview so that Rick could continue mingling with potential sponsors for his upcoming campaign. She hugged Rick and congratulated him while she went to see a certain intruder.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The room that Lori was being held in was small and dreary. She was livid that Rick would hang her out to dry like that in public…in front of reporters no less. He would never do such a thing. 'This is all Maggie's fault!' Lori screamed in her head. 'She did this!' she got up and began pacing the room as the other agent looked on.

Rascolli felt sorry for her. His colleague laid her ass out with pictures to prove it. Michonne was one of the few agents that high profile people actually request for. Her reputation precedes her and she have been managed to preserve a certain amount of professionalism that most of them struggle to maintain even on a good day and a few of them have out rightly failed miserably.

Only the basics are known about her. She entered the service young under Agent's Ford supervision. She also married young but not much is known about her spouse. And she doesn't have any kids. That's it. She often has beers with the rest of them when they are on breaks but she keeps information about her personal life flowing at a minimum.

She keeps it simple. Maybe they should all take a page out of her book. The door opened and Maggie walked in. She nodded and he left the room.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You are either the dumbest or the most desperate woman I have ever seen."

Maggie's words cut Lori deep but she refused to show her emotional wounds.

"The press conference denial of entry wasn't a big enough hint for you so you came here? Have you no shame?"

Lori said nothing.

"How did you get in here?"

"I have nothing to say to you Maggie."

"I guess you want to see Rick huh? I would be alittle ashamed to face him right now if I was you."

Maggie saw Lori pursed her lip in anger.

"He denied you public! How sad is that?" Maggie said laughing. Lori had had enough.

"Rick would never do such a thing to me! This has your prints all over it…your stench."

"The only stench around here is the one of your unwanted presence. Get a grip Lori and some pride! My brother has moved on and you're history."

The anger that was building up in Lori finally surge forth and she lunged at an unsuspecting Maggie as she was walking out of the room.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Maggie felt the rush of force against her body and then she crashed to the floor. She flipped herself unto her side pushing the weight off her. Seeing it was Lori, Maggie straddled her and began delivering stinging slaps to her face as Lori unsuccessfully tried to deflect them. It was the screams that caused Agent Rascolli who was walking back to the room from getting a cup of coffee to rush into the room.

"F*ck!"

Rascolli dropped the cup from his hands, ignoring the burns of the hot liquid through his pants to pry Maggie off Lori. It was difficult as Maggie seemed really strong fighting against him as he tried to detach her from Lori but Maggie held on to Lori's hair and she was dragged across the room.

Lori's blood curdling screams filled the room. When Rick and Michonne finally entered, Rascolli was holding Maggie against one side of the room to protect Lori who was nursing her wounds. Rick looked at the situation and he immediately got angry.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Rick demanded.

Lori was quick to give her side of the story first.

"Maggie attacked me!"

"That's a damn lie Rick. She attacked me!"

Seeing that Rick was more inclined to believe his sister, Lori began crying.

"Look at me! Look at what she did to me!"

Lori rushed towards Rick to fall into his arms but saw the look on Michonne's face and remembered what she is capable of. After all, she was there to protect Rick. She stopped halfway and looked from Michonne to Rick. Rick said nothing to her. He looked back at Maggie as she appeared at his side after Rascolli finally released her.

"She's crazy Rick. Glad you got rid of her and found someone else."

"What?!" Lori asked taking a step closer to him but still maintaining a safe distance because of Michonne. "Is this true Rick?"

"That's not important. What's important is whether you are lying to me or not. Did you attack Maggie?"

"Rick I swear! She attacked me first."

Michonne looked around the room briefly and smiled. She gently tapped Rick on his shoulders and he turned to her. She tip toed slightly to whisper something in his ear and instinctively Rick put his hands partially around her waist to steady her against him. When she was finished they looked into other eyes and for a minute Maggie swore that they had forgotten that there were other people in the room.

Michonne…finally realizing the placement of Rick's hands on her body began pulling away from him but she could feel his resistance in letting her go as his hands lingered around her waist. When he finally did he let his hand slid softly over her before turning back to Lori.

"You say that Maggie attacked you first."

"Yes! You have to believe me!"

Rick cocked his head at her.

"Rick! Are you really going to believe her over me?!" Maggie asked shocked.

"That depends Maggie."

"On what?!" she asked, anger now rising in her throat.

"On what the cameras tell us."

Rick saw the colour drained from Lori's face.

"Cameras?" Lori asked visibly shaken.

"What cameras?" Maggie was confused.

"Those!" Rick said pointing to the left hand side of the roof in the room. Everyone looked up and right there was a small ceiling camera…light on red still recording.

"So Lori. Is that what the cameras will show us? That Maggie attacked you first?"

Lori looked at Michonne to Rick to Maggie and then to Rick again.

"Rick…I can explain."

"You're a liar and you were just caught bitch!"

Michonne decided to leave the room. This was a family matter and she is not needed here anymore. Rascolli was the first one out of the door but Rick called out to her.

"Hey."

Michonne turned to him.

"Don't go."

"This is a personal matter. I don't belong here."

"I want you to stay…please."

Maggie observed the way her brother was looking at Michonne. This is serious business. She turned to Lori who was also looking the unspoken communication between Rick and the Agent and she didn't like it one bit. Rick walked up to Michonne to close the gap between them and Michonne herself took one step back to widen the distance again. Rick stopped so as to not make her feel boxed in.

"If you need me I'll be outside."

"I need you in here…now."

Michonne swallowed hard.

"Not for this."

She left the room, leaving Rick disappointed. When he turned back to Lori Maggie saw ire in his eyes. He stalked up to Lori with such determination that she was afraid that he was going to do something to her.

"Rick!" She called out. "She's not worth it!"

Without taking his eyes off Lori, he whispered in a low, venomous voice.

"You and I are through! Don't call me, don't write me, don't text me, don't email me…nothing." He turned to Maggie. "Have her escorted out of the building now!"

"Gladly!" Maggie said triumphantly as she picked up her phone to dial security.

"Rick wait! Give me another chance!" Lori called out after Rick as he stalked out of the room. "Please!"

He was gone.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Maggie decided to ride home with her brother in his vehicle with Agents Rascolli and Atwell. She caught her brother a couple of times looking at Michonne on their way home but Michonne kept her eyes looking straight outside. She was more than positive now that Rick was interested in Michonne but Michonne was a riddle…very hard to read, something that she was good at. Twenty minutes later they were back home. Maggie and Rick went inside to speak to their parents while Michonne and Rascolli reported their return to Agents Ford and a fifteen minutes briefing, Ford and Walsh sent the agents home. They watched as Michonne got into her car and left.

"Are you ok?" Maggie asked concerned for her brother.

"I'm fine. I just closed a disastrous chapter in my life."

"Ready to start a new one?"

"Yeah."

"With Agent Atwell?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

Rick kept his eyes forward away from his sister's.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hmmm. Only time will tell Rick…only time will tell."

She kissed him on his cheek and headed inside.~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~