A/N: Hi all! This chapter is a really short filler, but I think you'll get a kick out of it. Thanks so much for the continued support on this one. I love you all so much! : )

The slight buzzing of the phone that was placed inside of Rick's top shirt pocket vibrated somewhat intrusively against his chest. It served effective at drawing his attention away from the woman who was sitting in the driver's seat beside him. He took the device from his pocket and looked at the screen, sighing when he saw Jessie Anderson's name on his display once again. In all honesty, between attending the interviews and then readying himself for the return trip, Rick had not had the time to answer her calls or even reply with a text message. At that moment, he did not particularly want to talk to her when in the presence of another person; while in the presence of Michonne.

"Did you need to get that?" asked Michonne as she reached to turn the music down.

"Nah, my reception is dropping in and out. I'll send 'em a text," he replied before typing in a message and sending it; he told Jessie the same thing and hoped that it would suffice. A few moments later, he received a response from the woman to let him know it was okay and that she would talk to him later. She bid him safe travels and sent an emoticon with hearts for eyes; Rick felt bad.

…..

The ride home to King County was pleasant; Rick and Michonne listened to music, shared the driving, and stopped once or twice to have a break. At a roadside café, Michonne used the restrooms while Rick quickly called Jessie; she sounded ever so excited to be speaking to him.

"Hi, Rick!" she said cheerfully. "How was the work trip?"

"Hey," he answered. "Yeah, it was okay. Sorry about not bein' able to answer before. Is everything all right? I had a few missed calls."

"Oh, that's okay, Rick. I know how busy you are. And everything is good. I just really wanted to talk to you," said Jessie. "I missed your voice."

"It did get pretty busy," said Rick, ignoring the last part that she had said. "I'm glad to be on my way home. Look, Jessie, will you be around later?"

"Yes," she said too eagerly. "I can drop by your place later if you like?"

"That'd be good," he replied as he spotted Michonne sauntering back towards the hire car with provisions in her hands. "We should probably talk about some stuff and things."

"I'd love that," Jessie answered; she went to say something else, but Rick cut her off.

"I gotta go," he said. "Still a little way to go before we're home. But I'll see you later. Okay. Bye."

She offered him a sweet farewell before he ended the call; Michonne smiled at Rick and then handed him a bottle of water while holding on to her packet of gummi bears. She climbed into the car and Rick followed soon after thanking her. He looked at her, and then down at the candy.

"Really, Michonne?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

"What?" she asked.

"More gummi bears," said Rick with a playful smile on his face.

She opened the packet and then rolled her eyes.

"Hell yes, more gummi bears," she offered in response. "You must've realized by now that I have a sweet tooth."

"I did," said Rick. "About thirty miles back when the last of the other gummi bears lost their lives. I was gettin' ready to arrest you 'cause o' the way you slaughtered those poor bastards."

Michonne laughed out loud at Rick's joke; she threw her head back slightly and playfully punched his arm.

"How many more gotta suffer before you admit you got a problem, woman?" he asked in jest, eliciting more giggles from Michonne.

When she finally stopped laughing, she glanced over at a smiling Rick and held his gaze.

"Who'd have thought it," she started. "That the serious Deputy had jokes."

He chuckled a little himself.

"I never knew you were so funny, Rick," she said, wiping a happy tear from the corner of her eye.

"There's probably a lot you don't know about me," he said, a little seriously this time.

"Oh, please," said Michonne, slapping his arm. "I know everything about you that I need to know. You're a small town southern man; a really great dad who loves his kids; you're hard working; you're tough but fair."

"So far so good," said Rick with a grin, thoroughly amused by what Michonne thought she knew about him.

"You got some skills that everyday civilians don't know about," she offered a little teasingly. "You're a freak and no one knows it plus you can do that thing with your tongue."

Rick laughed loudly to mask his physical reaction to Michonne referring to his sexual prowess.

"Don't laugh, Deputy; that's important," she said with a straight face. "What else? You can get away without shaving for a few days. Everyone gets on with you; you're kind and helpful; you're surprisingly funny; and you care about people, probably to a fault."

Rick bit his bottom lip and then nodded his head before taking a drink from his water bottle.

"I didn't realize you were payin' so much attention to me," said Rick as he slipped the key into the ignition and turned it. He reached his upturned hand out to Michonne and she poured some gummi bears into his palm.

"Well," she said as she settled into her seat. "You kind of make hard not to."

xXxXx

The afternoon sun was still high in the sky when the hire car that Rick was driving pulled up out the front of his home. Michonne would return it, but dropped him home first seeing as both she and Rick were afforded the afternoon off on account of their trip. He squinted as the car came to a halt behind a silver ford hatchback; he did not recall seeing it previously so went about his business of grabbing his bag from the trunk. Michonne stepped out of the car too and walked around to the rear of it; she and Rick stood there in silence a moment.

"Thanks for coming, Rick," she said quietly. "I appreciate the help."

"Thanks for havin' me," he said in reply. "I hope my input can help you decide on who you're gonna choose."

"Oh, it will," she said in earnest. "I was just rea-"

"Rick!" a voice interrupted; he turned to see Jessie bounding down the front pathway. "You're back so soon."

He offered Michonne an unreadable look and then spoke to Jessie, "Ah, hey. What're you doin' here?"

She reached where the two colleagues were standing and invaded Rick's personal space by drawing him into a hug. Michonne turned away and let the couple have a moment of privacy just when Rick pulled away. She felt silly for flirting with him because she did not realize he was as involved as he was with the woman he had gone on a date with. Michonne recognized her from the Facebook profile; she did not try to disguise the disappointment that she was certain was evident on her features.

"I'll get going, Rick," said Michonne. "Thanks again for everything."

Jessie stood closely next to Rick, but he stepped forward towards Michonne instinctively.

"Michonne, this is Jessie," said Rick. "Jessie, Michonne."

The blonde woman registered a look that almost seemed like she recognized Michonne, but it was only through recalling hearing the unique name escape Rick's mouth in their intimate moment. She looked a little surprised and did not hold out her hand in greeting until Michonne did; they exchanged pleasantries and the mood grew even more awkward.

"I really have to go," said Michonne. "It was nice to meet you, Jessie. Rick, I'll see you around."

With that, Michonne got into the car and then drove away, leaving Rick and his lady friend standing in the front yard.

"Did you want to come inside?" Rick asked as Jessie still stood there looking overly embarrassed.

"No," she replied. "I, ah, I don't think we should be seein' each other anymore."

"Okay," said Rick, taken aback but relieved. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about…"

"Just leave it, Rick," she said. "You're not really a nice guy. You got us all fooled. That Michonne. Are you leading her on too?"

"Excuse me?" asked Rick, truly ignorant to what Jessie was talking about.

"Forget it! We're done," said Jessie as she walked to her car.

"Jessie, I don't understand why you're so upset right now," he offered. "I thought we could at least be civil to one another…"

"Leave me alone," she spat.

"I will," he replied. "I just wanna make sure you're okay first."

Jessie said nothing else, got into her car and then slammed the door. Rick was left wondering what had changed in the moments from when she had embraced him to her acting as if she never wanted to see him again. Any other man may have been happy to have their unwanted relationship end before it even started, but Rick needed to know the woman in question was all right. Totally confused by the situation, Rick scratched his head and then walked inside; he would give Jessie thirty or forty minutes and then call her back to check on her. After what had transpired between them, he reasoned that it was the least he could do.