In Another Lifetime (Chapter 11)

Michonne can't believe she is on the brink of release and they aren't even undressed. They made it to the bed and quickly started a make out session where he planted himself firmly between her thighs and proceeded to grind against her. She answers by clutching his head and lifting her pelvis to meet his. She groans into his mouth as her body shakes and shudders. She wants to protest when she feels his weight lift from her but only opens her eyes to see what he is about.

Rick pulls her boots off before swiftly removing her pants and panties. He drops to his knees and spreads her legs. Her gasp and slight whimper urge him on as he dives in to taste her sweetness. Her scent, her flavor, her texture all serve as some sort of elixir that drives him to please her like he has no other.

She thrashes her head from side to side as she lifts her hips to meet his mouth at her core. She gasps and groans, grabbing his hair to hold him against her. "There. Right there." She wants to scream as she feels her body responding to him yet again. Tears sting her eyes as she stiffens, the orgasm moving through her with wave after glorious wave. She has never had this reaction before. It's him. All him.

Her chest heaves up and down as she goes into relaxation mode, her core still throbbing. She stares up at the ceiling in a complete daze and yelps as she feels him slide inside her, filling her completely. The tears escape as she wraps her arms around him and holds on tightly while he moves back and forth, burying his face in her neck, his hands palming her ass.

An hour later, she is awakened by a gentle caress at her hip. She opens her eyes to a smiling Rick and smiles back before covering her mouth to stifle a yawn. "I took a nap?"

"We both did." He leans forward and kisses her shoulder, amused that she is naked from the waist down and he is still fully dressed yet they had an explosive lovemaking session. "That was amazing….and I'm sorry."

"I think we'll be fine but we can't do this unprotected again." She gives him a stern look. "I mean it."

"I know."

After a quick shower together, they walk to the makeshift school and wait for the boys to be dismissed. From there, they visit the supply store allowing the boys to get a treat before returning home to start dinner and spend time as the family they have become.

The next morning is routine again as they see the boys off to school, then meet Tyreese and Sasha at the holding area. Most of the community is gathered around as they escort Bob and Patricia to the front exit/entrance. Bob remains stoic as he accepts the backpack of provisions but Patricia pleads loudly telling them they are killing her by sending her away.

Michonne struggles for just a moment with their decision but only has to recall what happened to realize this is best for all involved. She takes a deep breath and ponders over the events of the last few weeks. Regardless of what was before, this is how they have to live and survive now and that's all that matters. She can't dwell on the invisible blood on her hands or the fact that Mike would not look at her the same if he were still here. Her eyes find Rick who gives her a reassuring nod and she knows there is no condemnation or judgment in his heart for her.

Patricia's cries and shouts bring her back to the present situation.

"You might want to keep quiet. The noise draws the walkers," a lady in the crowd tells Patricia as the gates are opened, Bob and Patricia walk out, and the gates are closed again. Mr. Charles, Noah, and Sasha watch from the top of the wall as Bob and Patricia make their way on foot.

Six weeks later

The community is thriving under Rick's leadership. The weak sections of the wall have been fortified with plans to secure it in its entirety section by section. Guards are on duty at the front and rear, vegetables and fruits have been planted, and at least three new citizens (Zach, his pregnant girlfriend, Taylor, and her brother, Josh) have been welcomed to the community. Noah and Tyreese found them during a supply run about three weeks ago.

Rick is currently making his daily rounds, Carl and Andre with him, allowing Michonne some alone time at home. He looks at the smiling faces of the two boys and is thankful that they still find some joy despite their current circumstances. He hones in on that word joy and realizes that he has found some too. Losing Lori hurt more than he ever imagined but finding Michonne has truly been the best thing that has ever happened to him.

He feels a tug at his leg and looks down at the curious face of Andre. "Yeah?"

The little one points across the way and Rick glances over curiously, placing his hand atop Andre's and pushing it down. His mama always told him it was rude to point at folks. His eyes pop as he notices Zach and Taylor walking their way. She didn't look that pregnant three weeks ago.

"She has a baby in her belly right?" Andre asks.

"Yes, she does," Rick answers, already wondering what the little guy is thinking.

"So my Mommy looked like that when I was in her belly?"

Carl sighs. "Yes Andre all women with babies in their bellies look like that. My Mom looked like that too. Right Dad?"

Rick only nods as Zach and Taylor approach them. He greets them with a smile. "Y'all settling in ok?"

"We are. We just wanted to thank you….I mean, I know we already have but we just want you to know how grateful we are. Denise even had prenatal vitamins and she's reading up on delivering the baby and everything," Taylor relays.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure everything will be just fine," Rick returns.

"We're sure of it. Can I talk to you for just a moment?" Zach inquires. At Rick's nod, they move away a few steps and Taylor entertains the boys.

Andre has a million and one questions about her belly and even asks to touch it. Taylor obliges and laughs when the baby kicks, eliciting a comical expression from Andre. Carl stands nearby and can't help noticing Andre's face. The curiosity grabs him and he has to know more so he starts asking questions as well.

"So did the stork come and put the baby in your belly?" Andre asks.

Taylor smiles and says, "Well, something like that."

"Do you know if the baby's a boy or a girl? What are you going to name the baby? Do you have any clothes for the baby? What about…."

"Andre please. She can only answer one question at a time," Carl reminds him. "You don't want to tire her out talking. She has to rest for the baby."

The younger one nods with understanding. "Right." He looks up at Taylor. "Is the baby still moving?"

Taylor nods. "I think she likes the sound of your voice. She hasn't stopped moving since you started talking."

"She? So it's a girl?"

"We're not sure. I'm just kind of hoping for a little girl," Taylor supplies. "You two would probably make great big brothers."

"Big brothers? You mean we could be brothers for your little girl?" Andre wants to know.

"Well not quite. I just meant if your Mom and Dad decided to have another baby then I know you guys would be a big help taking care of your little brother or sister," Taylor states.

Andre's eyes light up as he looks from Taylor's belly to Carl. "We should be big brothers. Mommy and Rick can have a baby, right?"

Carl slowly begins to smile as he thinks about having a little brother or sister. He had always hoped his Mom and Dad would have another baby but that never happened. Now that his Dad is with Michonne….well, maybe just maybe they could have a baby together. "I'd love to have a baby brother or sister."

Taylor laughs at the two animated little boys.

"Do we have to write a letter to the stork like we write one to Santa Claus so he'll know what we want?" Andre inquires.

"I think your Mom and Dad have to write the letter to the stork," Taylor cringes with her fib but doesn't know what else to say.

"Thanks," Andre says as he turns to walk away. He thinks better of it and looks to Carl. "How do we know the stork is still here? What if something bad happened to him?"

Carl smiles at Taylor, then looks back to Andre. "Well how'd she get a baby then?"

Andre makes a mad dash for Rick, dancing from side to side as he waits to be acknowledged.

Carl offers a thank you to Taylor and moves over to stand with Andre.

Rick finishes his conversation with Zach, impressed with the young man and his possible capabilities. He turns his attention to the boys after bidding Zach and Taylor a good evening and asks, "Think Ms. Jeannette still has some skittles?"

"We don't want skittles," Andre tells him.

Rick frowns. "Well that's a first. You guys see something else at the store you want?"

"We want a baby brother or a baby sister," Carl states.

Rick falters then looks long and hard at the two expectant faces. "Wh…what?"

Meanwhile, Michonne is resting quietly. Cleaning up always makes her tired so she decided to lay down. The opening of the front door has her smiling as she hears Rick and the boys returning. The latter two race into the room and jump onto the bed, talking excitedly while Rick stands in the doorway, exhibiting a thoughtful expression.

"Michonne! We have a great idea and you and Dad need to write the letter to the stork tonight!" Carl explains.

"A letter? The stork? Carl, what are you talking about?" Michonne asks.

"Mommy, we want to be big brothers so you and Rick have to write a letter to the stork and tell him to put a baby in your belly," Andre explains.

Michonne falters and sputters as she attempts to comprehend what she just heard. She looks to Rick who has a silly grin on his face and back to the boys who haven't stopped talking but she can't decipher a word. Baby in your belly continues to float through her head. "Wait. Just wait a minute. Slow down. What are you two talking about exactly?"

They both start telling her about their conversation with Taylor and how the stork will bring them a baby but she and Rick have to tell the stork what they want.

"Boys I'm sorry but I'm not going to have a baby," Michonne explains.

"Why not?" Andre counters. "Is it because you and Rick didn't go to the church to get married yet?"

"You guys can do that tomorrow after we send the letter to the stork," Carl supplies.

Michonne scratches her head and looks to Rick for some assistance. "We're not going to the church to get married and we're not going to have a baby. We don't even have a way to send a letter to the stork. There is no more post office. Remember?"

The boys immediately start to protest so Rick walks further into the room and joins them on the bed. "First of all, let's not get into a hurry about any of this. Getting married takes time and having a baby takes a lot of time. Even if we could send the letter, the stork may not have a baby right now."

"Then how did Taylor get her baby in her belly?" Andre wants to know. "The stork got her letter. She said you and Mommy have to write a letter and tell the stork what we want just like we do with Santa Claus."

Michonne shares a look with Rick, wondering how they answer that one. "Ok. We'll write a letter and see if the stork sends us a baby." She is ready to end this conversation immediately.

"Let's go get some pencils and paper," Carl suggests.

"Yeah," Andre inserts.

Rick is amused by the entire conversation and loves seeing Michonne squirm. "Do we want a boy or a girl?"

The younger ones yell, "A boy" before scampering off the bed to go to their room in search of pencils and paper.

Michonne scowls at Rick. "Why are you encouraging them?"

He lifts up on his knees with a smile as he moves toward her. "I think it's great they want to be big brothers. Would you even consider it?"

"No," she answers quickly. "It's just not a good idea."

"So we're not going to write a letter to the stork?" He asks, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

She laughs with him. "We wouldn't be able to live with those two if we didn't."

He wraps his arms around her waist and stretches his body atop hers. He was just about to kiss her when they hear a loud, "Ewwww….." from the doorway. Rick rolls off of Michonne and looks at the boys, thinking their aversion to kissing girls is beyond comical. Boy are they in for a rude awakening in a few years.

Hours later, the house is quiet as the boys are sound asleep. They wrote two letters to the stork and entrusted them to Rick to get them mailed.

The latter is currently sitting up on the side of the bed, breathing hard as they had just finished making love. Something doesn't feel right so he switches on the bedside lamp and stares down at himself.

"Shit," he says aloud.

"What is it?" Michonne asks breathlessly.

"The condom broke again."

She pops up to a sitting position. "What? Again? Rick, what is going on?"

"I think…..maybe…." He looks away from her, almost too shy to admit the issue.

"Maybe what?"

"The condoms…..they….they're um…too….small," he confesses.

Michonne's mouth drops open as she is rendered speechless. She tosses her hair over her shoulder and places a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. "I need to go to the bathroom." She grabs a robe and exits the bedroom.

Rick watches her leave the room and ponders if he'll be able to procure more condoms. Otherwise, he might get cut off.

Michonne closes the door behind her and releases a quiet giggle. She wonders how long he has known the condoms were too small and why he didn't try to get any bigger ones. Dang were the bigger ones all taken? She notices the paper holder is devoid of paper so she opens the cabinet to retrieve more and her eyes zero in on the unopened package of sanitary pads. She frowns as she tries to recall her last cycle and surmises that she probably should've had one by now.

The realization is slow but concise as she calculates that a missed period could mean a possible pregnancy. She shakes her head, refusing to believe it. They only made love 3 or 4 times without protection but…..hell the condoms broke several times after they obtained them so…

This can't be true. What are we going to do? Did Rick and the boys jinx me? She plops down on the lidded toilet with a heavy sigh, not sure if she should scream and cry or throw something and cry. More time than she realized must have passed because Rick was at the door knocking and asking if she was ok. She stands to open the door and allows him inside.

"You alright?"

"I…I don't know," she answers.

"What's going on?"

"I…I just realized…" She swallows nervously before she continues. "….that I haven't….had a period."

Rick is quiet as he deciphers what that could mean, watching Michonne closely to gauge her reaction. He can't help thinking that he really fucked up this time. He waits patiently for her to say more. When she doesn't, he offers a quiet, "I'm sorry."

She looks up at him. "It's not your fault. I'm just as much to blame as you are." She takes a deep breath and releases it. "I'll just see if Denise can….confirm it in some way. I guess the boys will get their wish after all."

He drops to his knees in front of her. "Hey. It's gonna be ok."

"I hope so." She wraps her arms around him as the tears slowly trickle down her cheeks.

XXXXXXXXXX

There is not much in the world that frightens Michonne but she cannot bring herself to go to Denise and find out if she's pregnant or not. It's been two days and they are still in limbo. She smiles when she thinks of how sweet and understanding Rick has been. She wonders if she should share her fears with him. She knows he has to be curious and wants to ask but is giving her space. The truth is Andre spent nine days in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and it frightened her so badly that she vowed to never go through it again. Thinking that she could lose her baby terrified her and even though Mike wanted to try again, she could never bring herself to agree. She spent those days wondering if she had done something wrong during her pregnancy. She knew that it could've been any number of things, but she couldn't help those thoughts.

That happened when they had the best care and professionals on hand. Her son's surgeon was number one in his field and to look at Andre today no one could ever guess that he had been born with a defective heart valve. The surgery corrected it and they were assured that he could and would lead a healthy, normal life. That is not the case now. They are not in the best circumstances to bring a child into the world but they do have access to medical care. Denise is enthusiastic about all things related to healthcare so she knows she would be in good hands. The boys are expecting it and Rick….he tries to hide it but she knows he wants this baby.

Mike drifts to her mind as he does from time to time. Would he be hurt that she is pregnant now? Something she could not bring herself to do again with him. She had emphatically decided that she wouldn't have any more children and now here she is…..a widow in an apocalypse knocked up by her…..boyfriend? Lover? Pretend husband? She closes her eyes, knowing that Rick is much more than that and maybe this is the catalyst for her to truly embrace all that they could be to each other. Maybe this all happened for a reason or it was just the way it was supposed to happen. She decides right then and there that she will put all fears aside and see Denise first thing in the morning.

Meanwhile, Rick is keeping busy, taking inventory of their weapons and ammo. Noah was supposed to handle the task but Rick gave him the time off and told him he'd take care of it. The quiet atmosphere gives him a moment to think and contemplate how he should approach Michonne about the pregnancy. How can he tell her how much he wants the baby without putting them at odds? He's not even sure why she is so against the idea. Maybe if he could find that out, they could attain some sort of balance. Right now, she won't even go to the infirmary to confirm the pregnancy and he doesn't want to push her.

Honestly, his feelings are a bit hurt. A baby would be a living, breathing representation of the love they have for each other. He knows with everything in him that he is in love with her but maybe this reluctance proves that she is not in love with him. He places the clipboard on a nearby table, his concentration broken. His head is telling him to confront her….to get everything out into the open so there will be no questions as to how they feel about each other but his heart is ever considerate of her and he doesn't want to make demands. He sighs heavily and decides to head home. His mind isn't on anything but her and the baby she could possibly be carrying.

Dinner was quiet for the adults but animated for the children as they talked about their day at school and their time at the gun range. Michonne had acquiesced to allow them to start training with Sasha at Rick's suggestion.

The faraway look on Rick's face doesn't go unnoticed by Michonne and she knows she has to talk with him and soon. Later, she tucks the boys into bed and reads them a story while Rick takes a shower. She stays with them until they are both asleep and studies them lovingly, wondering who the baby would look like. Would he or she favor Carl or Andre or a mixture of both? She looks over to see Rick standing in the doorway and realizes that this pregnancy may be a good thing.

She lifts herself from Carl's bed and moves toward Rick, grabbing his hand and leading him to their bedroom. She closes the door and proceeds to explain to him about Andre and how she vowed to never allow herself the possibility of going through another ordeal like that.

"I was so terrified that I'd lose him, that I did something wrong during the pregnancy so I made up my mind never to get pregnant again," she relays.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know…..but Andre survived. Everything turned out ok. Just like I know this pregnancy will be ok," Rick tells her.

"I'm going to the infirmary in the morning. If we're pregnant, you're right….it will be ok." She takes a deep breath. "Most of all, I realized how much you want this baby and that I'd do anything to make you happy."

Rick smiles with that admission as he takes her into his arms. "Thank you but I need you to be happy too. I don't want this if you don't want it."

"I guess you have some sort of effect on me. I was looking at the boys earlier wondering who the baby would like." She smiles as he drops his forehead to hers and kisses her softly.

In the early hours of the morning, Michonne is awakened by a pain in her lower abdomen. The feeling is almost foreign but she remembers it well. Cramps. She slowly makes her way to the bathroom and moments later discovers the source of her pain. Her period had arrived.

A/N: Awwww….no Richonne baby right now. Rick is going to be so disappointed. Y'all think he went ahead and got the big condoms?