Mending Fences - Chapter 6: "Back in the Game"
Rick was thirsty during the night and went downstairs to get a glass of water. There he met Carl going upstairs to his room.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"Are we good?"
Carl looked at his father.
"I want to show you something."
Rick followed Carl back into the kitchen.
"Did mom tell you about her attack?"
"Sophia did."
Rick saw a sense of relief come over him.
"Sophia and I was trying to convince her to tell you when she got out of the hospital but she refused."
"She's adamant like that."
Carl pulled out an envelope and gave it to his father. When Rick opened it and saw the words 'PETITION FOR DIVORCE' he felt a jolt ran through his heart.
"Was she that angry? Hurt?"
"Yes. I was."
Both Carl and Rick heads snapped around fast to see Michonne walking towards them.
"I'm sorry mom."
"It's ok. Full disclosure…right?"
She hugged and kissed him.
"But it wasn't necessary. These papers mean nothing to me. I will never leave your father. You know that right?"
Carl nodded.
"I was just worried..that's all."
"Ok. Go back to bed. You have school in the morning."
Rick and Michonne watched Carl until he disappeared. They looked at each other.
"Rick."
"You don't have to explain."
"Yes. I do. I want to. The attack affected me physically but it shredded Sophia emotionally and mentally. She wasn't eating or sleeping properly for weeks and she even wet her bed a couple times too. Carol told me about her waking up screaming for me while I was in the hospital and when I got home I saw it first hand. It was painful Rick. It was difficult. We went to counselling and it didn't help. I didn't know what to do or how to help her. I had these drawn up out of hurt and I retaliated badly."
"She seemed fine now."
"Yeah..thank god for that. I rearranged my schedule so that I will always be at home before she comes home from school. She just needed the visual reassurance that I am ok. It took some time but she's ok now."
Michonne hugged Rick tightly. He hugged her back.
"Please don't hate me! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have done it!"
"I don't hate you. You don't have to be sorry. I caused all of this...the attack on you and the effect it had on Sophia. All that's on me and me alone...ok ."
Rick saw that Michonne eyes was getting teary and he wiped them. Michonne took the papers and tearing them in half she took some matches and went to the kitchen backdoor.
"Come."
Rick followed her out. She gave Rick half the papers and kept half for herself. Then she gave him the match.
"Light it."
Rick light the match and put it to Michonne's half of the torn papers. He was smiling as he did it...so was she. She dropped it on the ground and they watched it burn. When it was ashes Rick held out his half and Michonne lit it and repeated the process.
"I would have never filed it Rick. You and me...we were always better together than apart. That's never going to change."**********
Rick was helping Logan and Judith get ready for school when Abraham showed up. Rick answered the door and they embraced each other with a bear hug.
"Where's the lady of the house?"
"She's upstairs getting ready to leave for work."
Soon enough Michonne came downstairs followed by Carl, Sophia and Andre.
"Hey Michonne."
She hugged Abe.
"Hey Uncle Abe!"
The three eldest greeted him as they went into the car with Judith and Logan close behind. Michonne gave Rick a long, passion filled kiss. It left him grinning from ear to ear.
"Have a good day today."
"Oh he will! It's going to be a blast."Abe said winking at her.
Rick watched as Michonne drove away with the kids.
"What's that all about?"
"Get dressed. It's your first day of work."**********
After a quick shower and he was dressing Rick smiled at how lucky he is. Despite all that has happened his family stuck by him through it all. Abe is his most loyal friend and they started the police academy together.
However after five years in...Abe decided to start his own PI firm and even encouraged Rick on many occasions to partner up with him. He was eternally grateful that he was now getting a shot again at providing for his family. Ten minutes later they left the house.************
They had been driving for about twenty minutes and Abe took note of Rick's sombre mood.
"You alright?"
"I really f*cked up man! I really hurt Michonne and the kids. Why the f*ck didn't I listen to her?! I left her to struggle on her own!"
"Don't be too hard on yourself man. And you didn't need to worry about Michonne and the kids. She did good holding everything down. I put her on to one of my clients who's an investment banker. He showed her a few investment pointers and boom! She was on her way."
"And the attack? I almost lost her! I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it. Sophia was there! My daughter was right there Abe when it happened. So many things could have gone wrong that day! Thank god for that good Samaritan."
"I took care of those assholes who attacked Michonne. As a PI I do a lot of work for cops where cheating wives are concerned..so I racked up a couple favours. I called in one."
Abe saw the look that Rick shot at him.
"Nothing illegal..I swear. Just take heart that those people will think twice about approaching your family again. I guarantee it."
Rick sigh.
"I can't thank you enough Abe..for looking out for my family. Making sure they were ok."
"You don't have to thank me. I would have done it even without you asking me to. Besides..I made you a promise in that courtroom and I meant it. You are like a brother to me and that makes Michonne and the kids family."
"You know she had divorce papers drawn up. She was hurting so bad because of me."
"Did she file it?"
"No. She said she had no intention to."
"Then believe her!"
"I do!"
"Look man. I know that I am on the outside looking in but one thing I can tell you..don't ever underestimate that woman's love for you. Michonne is a rare breed. You don't find mates like that everyday but when you do, you hold on to them with your ten fingers and ten toes and you don't let go….ever. Most women would have left you at the beginning of the trial and the rest would have after they were attacked...especially in front of their kid. She stayed..remember that."
Rick smiled to himself.
"I am lucky..aren't I?"
"Damn lucky and I am jealous of you. My one wish is to find someone just like her but between me and you I think you took the last one."************
Abe pulled up in a parking lot across from a diner. He pulled out a file, opened it and gave it to Rick to read. There were pictures and notes scribbled about.
"Is this the target?"
"Yeah. His name is Oliver Sandy. He's a chemist with a drug company called Chemcal Corp Ltd. He's suspected of selling company drug formulas to rival drug company Vistol Labs Ltd. He has been coming here every Monday for the past two months and I guarantee that the food isn't that good."
Rick looked in the back seat of the car. Files were scattered all over.
"All these are cases?"
"Yeah. Most are about Cheating spouses, a couple is on corporate espionage and one or two is company theft."
He glanced over at Rick briefly.
"I could really use a partner."
"Hmmm."***********
They were sitting for only about forty five minutes when their target showed up.
"He's here."
They watched as Oliver parked and looked around. Then he walked into the diner. About five minutes later another man showed up from around the corner of the diner. He smoked his cigarette furiously and nervously. He crushed the butt under his foot and went inside. Abe took pictures of everything.
"Now we wait."
Rick got an idea.
"Wait here."
He ruffled his hair and took a hat from the back seat and put it on. He took out his phone and finding the video and recording app he put it on.
"I'll be right back." He got out of the car and walked over and into the diner. Abe smiled to himself.**********
When Rick entered the diner, he did a quick visual sweep of the place and finding his target he found a seat giving him the best vantage point. He sat down and ordered a sandwich, his cellphone pointing conveniently in the desired direction.
"What the hell do you mean you don't have it? Oliver..you have no idea who these people are! They will kill me and then my family. You f*cking promised!"
"I am trying my best man. After the last formula went missing they moved everything to the vault and only three people have access to it. I can't get anymore right now."
The man nervously drank his coffee, spilling some.
"Jesus Christ man! Get a grip!"
"I can't. These people are scary f*cks and they don't like excuses."
"Relax! They need us!"
"Yeah...until they don't and get rid of us."
The man gulped down the rest of his coffee and then grabbed the collar of Oliver's shirt.
"Don't f*ck me over! Get the formula! The faster you get it and I give it to them, the better I'll sleep at night. I just want to be done with this. I want to be done with him."
"I'll do my best." Oliver said dismissively.
"You better!"
The man rushed out of the diner. **********
Rick and Abe watched the amateur video that Rick took of the encounter between the two men.
"This guy is really afraid of someone."
"Yeah. It would have been nice if he said a name."
"He's too scared. He only said 'him'. That's how afraid he is."
Suddenly Abe's phone rang. It was his secretary. One of his clients is at the office asking to speak to him.
"Ok. I'll be there in thirty minutes."
He hung up cursing under his breath.
"Need me to come with you."
"Nah. But tomorrow you are officially in this. You'll come by the office and I'll get you settled in..partner."
Abe held out his hand. Rick smiled and shook his hand.
"Partner."
Abe whistled triumphantly.
"This is going to be so much fun!"**********
When Abe dropped Rick back at his house, he handed him all the files he had in the backseat of the car.
"You need to catch up."
"Ok. Tomorrow then."
"Ok..partner." Abe said grinning as he drove off. Rick balanced the files and went inside.**********
When Michonne arrived back home with the kids in row, the house was quiet. She was pleasantly surprised that dinner was already prepared but Rick was no where to be found. The children ran upstairs to their respective rooms. Michonne went into the kitchen and took a small sample of the dinner of spaghetti and spicy meatballs. It tasted good. She missed Rick's cooking. The children came rushing back downstairs towards the kitchen ready to eat. Andre took Logan and Judith to the dining table while Sophia and Carl began sharing out the food on plates. They took down one for their mother.
"Have you seen your father?"
"He's in the bedroom."
Michonne took her plate and went upstairs. **********
When Michonne pushed opened her door, she found Rick on the bed with file papers scattered everywhere.
"Today went well I see."
"Yeah."
Rick didn't even look up when he answered her. She put down her dinner on the table by the bed and began to strip to take a shower.
"Be back in a jiffy."**********
Ten minutes later Michonne emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed and energized. That's when she saw that her dinner was gone.
"Really Rick? Ughhh!"
Rick was grinning at her.
"Sorry babes. Sit down..I'll go get more."
He sprinted off the bed, giving her a peck on the cheek before rushing out the door. Five minutes later, he was back.
"This was the last remaining. Our kids are brutal."
He saw that Michonne was engrossed in the files on the bed. She took the plate from him and began eating.
"So what do you think?"
"Hmmm. Some pretty intense stuff here."
"Yeah."
When Michonne realized that Rick was staring at her, she met his gaze.
"What?"
Rick took the plate of food from her and put it on a nearby table.
"What?!"
"I just want to look at you...to tell you thank you for everything."
"Rick…"
"No...hear me out. I love you. Believe that. Trust that."
Michonne caressed his face.
"I do believe that...I do trust that. I love you too."
Rick slowly pulled Michonne close and they began kissing...slowly first and then more intensely. She pulled him back on the bed on top of her...the files making crackling noise beneath them. He slipped himself between her thighs. Their breathing became more rapid now..more desperate. Michonne groaned and wrapped her legs around Rick's waist as he devoured her lips and then moved to the sensitive areas in her neck.
"Rick!" Michonne whispered.
"Yes?"
"Take me now!"
Rick sat up instantly and ripped off his shirt while Michonne pulled off her top. Rick pulled off his pants and was about to do the same for her boy shorts when there was a knock on the door.
"Mummy?"
"Shit!" Rick cursed under his breath and he sprang off the bed. Grabbing his clothes off the floor he ran into the bathroom as Michonne dragged on her top. She went to the door and opened it. It was Logan.
"Yes baby?"
Logan pushed his school bag at her.
"I have homework. Can you help me?"
Michonne looked back at the bathroom where Rick was hiding naked.
"Sure but let's go to your room...ok?"
She followed Logan out and closed the door behind her.*********
Rick heard when the door closed and looked down at the boner that was staring back up at him. He stepped into the shower and groaned as the cold water hit him.***********
The next morning Abe came to pick up Rick to take him to the office. He was shocked at the condition of his files.
"What the hell happened to these?" Abe asked as he picked up a few torn files. The look on Rick's face said it all.
"You shagged on the files?! What the f*ck man!"
"I didn't even get to second base."
"Why?"
"Logan came knocking. He wanted Michonne to help him with his homework."
"Ah..kids." Abe said grinning. "The best boner killer."
"Can we please not talk about this?"
"You was the one who put it out there...on my files."
Rick squinted at him.
"Fine! Let's begin."