In Another Lifetime (Chapter 9)
Dawn closes her eyes in frustration as the car stalls. She purses her lips together and silently counts to ten before speaking. "Surely you remembered to put gas in the car?"
"Course I did. I ain't stupid, bitch," Martinez frowns as he tries to start the car again.
You could've fooled me. "Well what's the problem? And why did you have to come through the woods?" Dawn asks.
"It's called camouflage. You want them to find us before we're ready to be found?" He returns.
"If you had just let me handle things….."
Martinez scoffs. "You weren't making any progress. You need to start facing facts. That Grimes guy don't want you. Stick with my plan and we'll both come out looking pretty."
"Whatever. I was just trying to get a little taste first. He looks like he's working with something really nice."
"You can't miss what you never had. Besides, I don't mind giving you what you need." He reaches over and pushes his hand in between her legs, rubbing her roughly.
"Can you just get us out of here? That cabin is another few miles away."
"What you gonna do with those kids after we kill their Mommy and Daddy? Adopt 'em?" Martinez laughs at his own joke. With her silence, he adds, "You should just put them out of their misery too."
She refrains from responding, her plan is to have Martinez take out Michonne, Rick will then take out Martinez and she can play the innocent victim, telling him it was all Martinez's evil plan to get even with him. That would ensure her way back into Rick's good graces. He'll need someone to help him with those boys after their Mom is gone. She smiles inwardly as everything she has ever wanted is all within reach. The cock sucking, the fucking…it will all pay off when she has a man like Rick Grimes on her arm. He used to be a police officer, an upstanding type of guy, the type of guy she never had. Plus he's leading Woodbury now. Everyone will have to respect her if she's with him. For the first time in a long time, she'll know what it's like to be in a committed relationship. She'd be faithful to Rick because that's what he deserves.
Martinez lets out a relieved sigh when the engine finally turns over and the car roars back to life. He puts it in drive and presses down on the accelerator only the vehicle remains unmoving. "What the hell?" He presses down harder, the noise and back fire almost deafening yet they remain at a standstill.
He slams his way out of the car and walks around the vehicle, noting that the back tires are mired down in mud. "Shit!" He looks around cautiously, surveying the area. He instructs Dawn to slide over into the driver's seat as he prepares to try and push the car while she accelerates, hoping they can get unstuck. He ends up covered in mud and angry as none of his efforts moved the car even an inch.
Meanwhile, Rick, Michonne, and Tyreese are on the main road, searching diligently. It dawns on the latter that Martinez may be moving through the woods. The Governor did it all the time. He said it was the best way to find people…smart people. Anybody taking the road on foot was looking to die.
Several minutes pass after they veer off the road and Michonne is looking out of the passenger window for any sign at all. Rick reaches over and grabs the hand resting on her thigh and gives her a quick squeeze. She glances his way, his determination evident and reassuring. They both jerk as they hear a succession of pops. They can't tell if it's back fire from a car or actual gun fire but Rick turns the truck in the direction he thinks the sounds came from.
Martinez fires off two shots as the walkers start ambling toward them. Dawn panics and slams down on the accelerator, desperate to get the car to move.
"Pop the trunk. You better hope those kids are up," Martinez stresses. He knows there is no use in trying to get away in the car. They have to make a run for it. "Dawn, get out of the fucking car and help me!"
Dawn is frozen. She's never had to face walkers before. Not like this. She reaches for the gun Martinez insisted that she take. She's not sure how to use it but he gave her a quick lesson and told her it was ready to fire. She just hopes her aim is accurate and true.
Martinez sees that the numbers are growing. He lifts the trunk of the car and shakes the older kid roughly. Carl begins to stir, wondering where he is. He looks over to his side and sees Andre is sleeping.
"What's going on? Where are we?" Carl asks as his eyes pop with the sound of walkers nearby. He searches around him and grabs a shovel. He uses his other hand trying to wake Andre.
"Come on, kid. We gotta go," Martinez tells him.
"Huh? Andre's sleeping. He won't get up. I can't leave him here like this," Carl hisses sharply. "Behind you!"
Martinez turns around and fires at the walker behind him. Of course where there is one walker, there are more so they only have a matter of minutes before the others are on them. "Let's go!"
"I need you to help me get him out. Can you carry him? I can't wake him up," Carl tells Martinez desperately.
By now, Dawn is yelling for Martinez to help her as several walkers have made their way to the car. He grabs the automatic from the trunk and makes short work of the walkers near Dawn. He opens the door and tells her to get out, knowing the noise will only draw more of them.
Carl wants to call for help but doesn't want to attract any more attention to himself or Andre. He reaches up and tries to grab the trunk to close it but doesn't have much success. He knows the adults just wouldn't leave them like this. Tears of anger, frustration and fright sting his eyes but he blinks them away quickly. If he has to fight to keep himself and Andre alive then that's what he's going to do.
Michonne sees the car fitting Mr. Charles' description before the others do and is jumping out of the truck before Rick pulls to a complete stop. He calls her name but she unsheathes her sword and starts cutting down walkers, trying to get to that car. She can see Martinez attempting to coax Dawn out of the car unsuccessfully.
Martinez decides he is going to save himself since Dawn is too scared to leave the safety of the vehicle. There are two walkers at the trunk but he can't be bothered. He steps to the front of the car and freezes when he sees Michonne fighting her way to them. "Shit!" He lifts his automatic and is about to take her out but the gun jams. He grabs the glock from the belt at his back and takes aim only to hear a pop and feel a searing pain in his shoulder.
Rick Grimes has caught up to his wife and obviously saw what Martinez was about to do. The latter turns in the opposite direction and makes a run for it.
Carl is swinging the shovel with everything he's got, trying to keep the walkers at bay. A shot rings out and the first walker drops to the ground. He then sees a blood covered blade and knows his Dad and Michonne are there. Tears of relief slide down his face, but he's also worried about Andre. He can't get him to wake up.
Rick lifts the trunk all the way and grabs Carl as Michonne grabs Andre. Tyreese assures that the boys have been found and goes after Martinez. Both parents are beyond relieved, checking the boys for injuries.
"Are you alright? What happened?" Rick asks anxiously.
Michonne continues to shake Andre to no avail. He is just….lifeless. She slams her ear against his chest and squeezes her eyes shut as the thump thump of his heart is there but slow. She turns to Rick. "He won't wake up. Why won't he wake up?"
"Come on. We've got to get him to Denise," Rick suggests.
"Help! Help me! Don't leave me here!" Dawn's plea is heard loud and clear and only serves to remind Michonne that they wouldn't be here if not for her.
She places Andre back in the trunk temporarily, ignoring Rick when he whispers her name, retrieving her sword from the ground. She throws the driver's door open and drags Dawn out of the car. "What did you give them?! What was it?!" She slaps the other woman across the face. "Do you even know what it was?! You stupid…." She lifts her sword and was just about to swing.
"MICHONNE! DON'T!" Rick yells.
She lowers her sword to her side, her eyes never leaving the face of the woman in front of her. She clenches her other hand into a fist and delivers a solid blow to Dawn's nose. She watches as the other woman drops to the ground. "Don't you ever show your face in Woodbury again. Ever."
"You've just ruined everything," Dawn garbles through the blood trickling into her mouth. "Why do you even exist?"
Michonne ignores her and looks to Rick and the boys, wondering if Andre is ok. They need to get back to Woodbury. The click draws her attention back to Dawn. She scoffs as the other woman is pointing a gun at her. She is so angry she wants a reason to kill her. She remains silent and immovable as Dawn fires a shot and misses. My turn.
BLAM! The shot rings out and connects with Dawn's head. Rick had drawn his weapon and wasn't going to give Dawn the chance to fire off another round.
The reality of what Rick just did to save her sobers Michonne up quickly. He didn't have to do that. I was going to handle Dawn.
"Let's get the boys to the truck and try to find Tyreese," he instructs quietly.
They do just that, walking in silence as she holds Carl close and Rick carries Andre. She climbs into the rear seat, sitting in between the two boys, Andre still sleeping, his head resting in her lap. Rick starts the truck and goes in search of Tyreese.
Moments later they meet him walking in their direction, dragging Martinez behind him. Both men are covered in blood and Rick is unsure if it's theirs or walkers'. He puts the truck in park and gets out to help Tyreese load Martinez into the back.
Michonne purposely doesn't look behind her. She can't tell if Martinez is dead or alive but he must be alive. Otherwise why would they bother bringing him back? She's not sure how she feels about that. He shouldn't be allowed to return to Woodbury. Not after what he had done. She takes a deep steady breath and decides she and Rick will talk about it after they've taken care of the boys.
They return to Woodbury and several people rally around them, trying to help them. Mr. Charles and Otis help Tyreese take care of Martinez and Sasha leads the way to the infirmary where Denise is waiting. The small area is already fully illuminated as night is falling fast.
Carl checks out fine but Denise feels the dosage was too high for Andre and that's why he hasn't come out of it yet. She decides to keep him overnight and prays that he will wake up in another hour or so.
Michonne suggests pumping his stomach but Denise tells her whatever it was has been digested and they just have to play the waiting game. She suggests that Rick and Carl go home to rest but they both protest and refuse to leave.
Denise puts Andre in a room with two beds and Michonne is sure to put Carl in the extra bed, telling him to rest. Jeanette brings dinner and the three of them eat but only out of necessity.
When Michonne finds herself drifting off, she gets up from her chair and moves over to the window, trying to stay awake. Rick follows her and pulls her into his arms, neither of them uttering a word. Just holding each other and offering comfort.
Andre's eyelids start to flutter as he coughs and sputters to wakefulness. He croaks, "Mom…my?"
Michonne and Rick are by his side in a split second. She grabs his little hand. "Are you ok baby?"
He shakes his head slowly. "I don't….feel….good."
Michonne grabs the pan next to the bed and holds it while her son throws up. Denise walks into the room as he continues to dry heave. She gives him time to recover and then examines him again.
"He needs water, but only small sips. Just a little at a time. I'll have Jeanette send over some soup and see if he can keep something down." She smiles. "He's awake. That's the best sign ever."
The next morning finds the Grimes Family safe and ensconced at home for the day. Rick smiles as he witnesses Michonne asleep in the middle of the bed with Andre on one side of her and Carl on the other. She hasn't let go of them and they haven't let go of her.
Tyreese had come by the infirmary to check on them and to apprise Rick of what he was able to find out. Apparently, Bob was helping Dawn and Martinez with their plans albeit reluctantly. Shumpert knew what they were up to but drew the line when they involved the kids. He admitted to wanting to overturn Rick's rule and that's why he didn't divulge what he knew to anyone.
Rick rubs his head anxiously as he feels a headache coming on. He wonders what his decision should be in dealing with these people and they have to be dealt with. There's no doubt about that. He scoffs as he thinks about what the world has disintegrated into and the fact that they are still dealing with human issues like this. Shouldn't we be pulling together? He also wonders at his lack of emotion of having to kill someone. He replays those events in his head over and over again, trying to piece together another scenario. All he knows is that woman could've killed Michonne and he couldn't allow that to happen. He lost Lori and realizes it was no fault of his own, but he can't help but carry that burden and wonder what he could've done differently. He won't make that mistake with Michonne. He won't hesitate.
Two days later, things are somewhat back to normal. Michonne reluctantly allowed the boys to go back to school. They were ready especially knowing that Dawn would no longer be there. Otis' wife, Patricia, had taken Dawn's place. Thinking of the latter has Michonne pursing her lips together. Rick told her that Tyreese led Shumpert and some other guy to where her body was and had to kill several walkers who were feasting on her remains. They also buried what was left of her. She shouldn't feel such coldness but thinking of the harm this woman put her children through only makes her thankful she is not around to wreak even more havoc.
She makes her way to the makeshift holding area where Rick and Tyreese are guarding Martinez. Rick has been struggling with what to do about Martinez and the others involved. Sasha and Tyreese vote for banishment. Rick agrees but can't help thinking that may leave them vulnerable for some sort of retaliation later on.
She can detect the raised voice as she gets closer. She walks inside and closes the door behind her.
"Oh there she is….the high and mighty queen of Woodbury, Michonne Grimes," Martinez licks his lips as he looks from her to Rick. "You better kill me coz I swear if I get out of here, I'm gonna make you wish you had killed me. I'm gonna beat you to a bloody fucking pulp and then I'm gonna screw your wife while you watch…."
"Shut the fuck up Martinez," Rick warns.
Michonne observes quietly, noticing how agitated Rick is becoming. She shares a look with Tyreese, wondering if they should just go with his instinct to ban Martinez.
"Or what? You ain't killed me in all this time so you must not have the balls to do it," Martinez fires back. He smiles as he knows exactly what buttons to push with this guy. "You know what they say about black chicks. It takes a LOT to please them. You sure you getting the job done?"
The python is out and aimed at Martinez's head in a split second. "You're gonna stop talking about my wife that way. You got it?" He pulls the hammer back and Michonne starts to panic.
"Rick…." Tyreese calls.
"Do it, motherfucker! I dare you!" Martinez shouts.
"Rick….." Michonne reaches out and touches his hand. He slowly lowers the gun with a flinch of his nose, his frustration evident. He holsters the weapon and walks away, grabbing Michonne's hand and pulling her with him.
They take a walk around the community, arriving at the park. He takes in a deep breath and releases it before gazing at her.
"I'm struggling with this. I upheld the law before, put criminals in jail. What do we do now without those resources? Do we continue to hold him like this or do we banish him and just hope he never comes back?" He sighs and gives a slight smile. "I could kill him. Part of me wants to kill him, but I know that's not the right thang to do."
She reaches over and plays with his curls affectionately, curls that have grown longer. "Maybe you shouldn't make this decision. Why not call another meeting? Let everyone have a say in this. All of it doesn't have to fall to you."
He contemplates it for a short moment. "Ok. We can talk it over with Tyreese and Sasha and see what they think. It's a good idea."
"Good. We have the beginnings of a plan. Now, how about some lunch?"
They make their way to the apartment and Michonne moves off to their bedroom to remove her sword and cardigan. She can hear Rick walk into the room and stop.
"So what do you want to eat?"
When he doesn't answer, she turns around to look at him. He is leaning against the wall by the door, his arms folded across his chest. "I'm hungry…..but not for food."
Time seems to crawl in that moment as her heart rate increases and her breathing escalates. She drinks him in with her eyes, knowing he is doing the same as his eyes travel downward. She takes one step, then two and feels his arms wrap around her waist without even realizing she had reached him.
He slams his mouth against her, true hunger driving him, hunger for her. He pivots once and has her against the wall, one hand traveling down to grasp her thigh and lift it. He wants her to feel what she does to him.
She gasps as his hardened ridge comes into contact with her most vulnerable area. She can feel him despite the material of their jeans and all she can do is try to hold on as he seems to be everywhere all at once.
"Rick….Rick….I…we….I can't….I don't…want….to get pregnant," she pants as he sucks on her neck.
He lifts his head to gaze at her. "We won't."
She rubs a hand against her face anxiously. "I…thought….shouldn't we….talk….first?"
He takes a step back, his chest moving up and down rapidly. "This is all I've got to say." His eyes never leave hers as he walks backward to his side of the bed. He holds his hand up, removes his wedding band and places it on the nightstand.