Mending Fences - Chapter 3: "Blessed"

Rick didn't realized that he had fallen asleep. Feeling weight across him, he tried to get up. He heard a moan. Looking down, he saw Judith and Logan lying down across his mid section..their heads resting on him and their bodies tucked away under them...Judith from the left, Logan from the right. Both was sound asleep. He pushed back his head. 'I guess this is where I am sleeping tonight.' Smiling to himself. He closed his eyes again.***********

Michonne rolled to the side, partially hoping to feel a warm body next to her. It has been so long. She stretched out her hand and felt an empty spot. She put on the light. Rick wasn't there. She slipped out of bed and pulling her robe from behind the bathroom door she began putting it on as she headed downstairs.

The first thing she saw was dim lights. A big broad smile flashed across her face at the sight of the bodies on the floor... books, papers and other things was scattered around them. She was so unbelievably happy to see this. Wiping a tear from her eyes, she quietly walked over to them and gingerly began clearing the area.**********

Rick didn't even have to open his eyes to know she was there. He felt her presence ever so strongly. He kept his eyes closed as he heard her moving around them. It took every fiber of his being to not pull her down on the floor with them...to cuddle like they used to. He knows that she still loves him but he needs to be patient...to work his way back to her..for her to forgive him. He kept his eyes closed and let her do her thing peacefully.************

After a couple of minutes of skipping and hopping around them, the area was finally cleared. She went into the laundry room and taking out a large blanket she walked back to the living room. Kneeling down, she covered the trio. Pulling back a blob of thick, brown curls from Judith's face, she kissed her youngest daughter gently on the forehead. She leaned over to the other side.************

Rick had very cautiously opened his eyes just in time to see Michonne coming back with a large blanket. He quickly closed his eyes and soon felt the warmth of the blanket over them. The night was silent so he heard when her lips touched Judith's forehead. He felt her body brushed across him as she leaned over to Logan's side. It felt good.*************

As Michonne leaned over, she looked at her last born and couldn't help but laugh in her mind. Although she had just given birth only a couple of weeks prior...ultimately it was Rick's insatiable appetite that lead to his conception when Judith was only three months old.

Although she was happy, she was worried of having two babies so close together plus have three other children...all under age 10. Soon, she found out that her fears were baseless and unfounded. Although Rick was the lead undercover agent on the Murray-Jarrett drug case, she had a great support system from his parents and his sister Carol who was able to stay at their house until Logan was one year old and Michonne was able to get her vacation request approved.

Michonne kissed her son smiling in her heart. Now she looked upon her sleeping husband's face. She loved the low stubble on his face...said stubble gave her so much pleasure between her legs back in the day. His mother and sister hated it...yet he kept it. His time in prison barely aged him and she was eternally grateful for that.

He seemed abit paler though. She reached out her hand to touch his face...to kiss him and stopped midway..wondering if she should. She was still so angry at him..for not heeding her warnings, her intuitions about the dangers of the Murray-Jarrett drug case.

He didn't listen and as a result three precious years was stolen from them..from their family...from their children...from their love. Michonne closed her eyes in searing anger when she remembered that it would have been longer than the three years. She remembered their argument in the jail cell after their attorney's visit.

Two weeks before the verdict …..

"No Michonne! I am not going to plead guilty! How can you ask me to do that?!"

Rick was pacing furiously in the cell infront of her.

"Do you think I am guilty?! That I killed that officer?"

"Are you seriously asking me that? Of course I don't think you are guilty but it's not up to me! I am not on that jury!

"I...am..not..pleading...guilty!"

Michonne slapped Rick hard across the face. She was fully in tears now. She was glad the children wasn't with her today..for them to see their parents like this..fighting.

"Did you not hear one word the attorney just said?!" She screamed at him through tears. "There must be unanimous verdict! If one juror finds you guilty..it OVER! You could face 15 years in prison...minimum! 15 years Rick!"

Rick looked at her stubbornly. Michonne walk up to him and cupped his face in her trembling hands. Her voice was low..breaking.

"Please..listen to me. Both you and I know you didn't do what they say you did but I am not on the jury. They don't know you like I do. They don't know that you are not capable of what they are accusing you of. But the fact remains...an officer died..and they want someone to pay for that...anyone. Unfortunately, that someone they singled out was you..because all the evidence points to you.

"That's false evidence…I didn't do this Michonne."

Rick whispered to her. She hugged him and he held on to her tightly

"I know..I know.."

"So please don't ask me to give up 3yrs of my life..I am innocent."

Michonne pushed away from him. It was she who was fuming now. She pointed her finger at him.

"I warned you about this case..didn't I?! DIDN'T I?! It was bad enough they wanted to put you undercover but then they made you as the lead investigator. I told you about my concerns..my fears..that these people are not to be messed with but you didn't listen!"

She paused to catch her breath. Rick walked up to her but she batted his hand away.

"I am not asking you to give up 3 years of your life! I am asking you to not risk 15 years of our life Rick! OUR LIFE! Our children's lives. Logan will be in college by the time you get out. College! We've built 13 years of a solid foundation in love and trust in our marriage..five beautiful children came from this love and trust! Why didn't you trust me about this?

Michonne energy was all spent when she flopped down on the cold steel chair in the cell. Suddenly she bursted into flooding tears. Her voice cracking.

"I am not asking you to do anything. I begging you to not ask me to live fifteen years without you...without your love. Do not ask me to sleep in our bed for fifteen years alone knowing that my innocent husband is spending those fifteen years in a cage. Do not ask me to explain to our children that they can only see their father once a month for ten minutes in a crowded room. Do not ask me Rick...please...do not ask me."

Her face was now buried in her hands trying to stifle her cries. Rick had died a thousands deaths seeing his wife like this. He kneeled down infront of her and pulled her into his arms as she sobbed.***********

When the judge announced to the jury that a plea deal of three years in prison was reached, Rick's attorney asked the judge for a poll to be conducted of the jury's verdict. Michonne's worst fear had been confirmed. Four jurers found Rick guilt. His sentence... 25 years.************

Michonne looked down at Rick. She don't know what she would have done if Rick was sent away for 25 years. She remembered them taking him away to begin serving his three year sentence immediately.. how she clung on to him..trying to savour their last kiss as free husband and wife before he taken away from her.

She remembered the court officers trying to pry her hands from around his neck because she didn't want to let go and Rick screaming at them that they were hurting her when one of the officers violently twisted her arm, forcing her to cry out in pain.

She remembered seeing three officers dragging a kicking and screaming Rick out of the court and the expletives that was coming out of his mouth. She remembers being taken to the hospital for a bad arm sprain and having to lie to her older children about how she got it in order to keep their parents bad behaviour from them.

She remembers it all. Despite all that has happened she knew in her heart that even if they had sentenced Rick to 25 years in prison she still would have waited for him till he got out. Who was she kidding? Yeah..she's pissed at him now but she loves him and always will. She is so blessed to call him her husband and father of her children. There is no other man for her...in this life or the next. Michonne softly caressed Rick's cheek and kissed him on the lips.***********

Rick waited for Michonne to turn off the light and head back upstairs. He opened his eyes and slowly wiped the tears that was now freely flowing from them in the dark.************