A/N: G'day, Dear Readers! You support on this one has been truly amazing. I appreciate each and every one of you. This journey is fast drawing to an end, so I wanted to thank you all for sticking with me. Let's check in.
xXxXx
"I need time to process everything," said Michonne, as she fumbled with the handle of the mug; her hot coffee steaming while she leaned back into her chair. Her eyes scanned over her backyard. The flowers Rick had planted had taken root easily and brightened up the once neglected area. A small smile tugged at her lips as she thought of how Rick worked tirelessly in tending to her garden so that she would have a beautiful space to relax and unwind in.
"You need to talk to your man," Andrea advised; Michonne turned to look at her best friend. "You're considering it? You really are considering taking the promotion, aren't you?"
Michonne sighed loudly, placed her cup down on the small table, and pressed her palm to her face. "I have to," she replied.
"But what about everything you've done here?" asked Andrea. "You're just going to gonna leave it all behind?"
"I'm not gonna be doing anything," Michonne answered. "I'm considering what this promotion will mean."
"Okay," said Andrea. "I get it. So, what does it mean for you?"
"The obvious things," Michonne replied. "Enhanced financial security. Climbing that ladder. All of those things that come with a promotion."
"What about the life you've made here?" Andrea asked. "Mich, I've never seen you so happy; this place is good for you."
"I know that," Michonne said. "I know."
"Can I offer some advice?"
"Of course."
"Don't leave it too long before you talk to Rick, okay?"
"Okay," Michonne answered.
xXxXx
The sparse light of the bedside lamp caused the sheen of sweat to glimmer on Michonne's skin. She lay naked on her tummy staring at Rick beside her. An easy smile rested on his lips as he ran his fingers over her bare back; her scant bedsheet covered her lower half as he ceased his trailing at the rise of her backside. Shifting closer, her kissed her shoulder and draped his arm over her form.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered, his inflection deep and husky; his accent thick. A smile played on her lips.
"I'm sure you tell me that every day," she responded.
"It's true every day," Rick relayed; he traced circles on her skin.
"Thank you," she offered.
"No need to thank me," he said softly. "Just statin' the facts. Like, how you're gonna win this big award."
She chuckled. "That's not a certainty," she said. "I've got some stiff competition."
"Yeah, well," he replied. "I'm sure they're talented people who do some great work, but you're it; you're the one and everyone knows it. Your competition may as well save their gas money and stay home."
Michonne smiled. "You're just saying that because you love me," she teased.
"I do love you," Rick said. "But that's not why I'm sayin' it. The work you've done is so selfless and changes people's lives. You've given these kids the opportunity to have another chance. You're amazing, Michonne. You deserve this award. You deserve all of the success that comes your way."
Michonne felt her eyes begin to water as her heart was filled with so much adoration for Rick.
"Come here," she whispered, as she gestured for him to move closer. She then lifted her head from the pillow and pressed a kiss to his lips; it was unhurried and deep. "Did you want to be my plus one for the awards night?"
Rick smiled, before stroking her face with the back of his hand, "I always want to be your plus one, for everything."
xXxXx
The Ambassador Function room at Washington's State Plaza Hotel was full of people dressed in their Sunday best. Soft music drifted from the where the violinist and cellist sat in a corner with mirrors at their backs. The scattered overhead lighting added a dreamy ambiance to the scene. Muffled voices remained undefined in a sea of chatter, while the attendees of the awards evening engaged in polite conversation with one another. Michonne and Rick entered the room, her arm linked with his.
She had her hair pulled away from her face, and fixed low in a neat chignon. Her simple, diamond studs shimmering against her earlobes; they matched her small clutch. A small silver chain hung around her elegant neck. Her red lace Vera Wang Scarlet dress fit her perfectly; the skirt draped down and stopped just above her knees. She wore silver Jimmy Choo Ellie wedges that raised her stature to be at the same height as Rick.
He wore a simple black suit, white dress shirt, and blue necktie that brought his eyes out. They looked like a beautiful couple as they walked into the room and started searching for their table. Since Michonne was a nominee, they were seated towards the front of the room. Upon finding their spot, Rick held the chair out for Michonne and she took up a seat where her place card was. She and Rick shared a smile.
"This is really nice," he said, glancing around at the other people who were there.
"It is," Michonne replied.
"You know anyone here?" Rick queried.
"I know of them," Michonne answered. "I mean, I recognize a few people. But I don't really know any of them."
Rick nodded his head, "You feelin' nervous?"
"Hmmm, not really," she admitted. "Not yet, anyways."
Rick smiled, "Well, I can tell you right now that I am."
"What? Nervous?"
"Yeah," said Rick. "I don't know why; I know you got this."
"Awww," said Michonne as she grinned at him sweetly and took hold of his hand. "I think that's why I'm feelin' okay."
"Why?"
"Because," Michonne replied. "You're here with me."
…..
"Thank you for the kind introduction, Deanna," Michonne started as she glanced around the room at all of the attentive people; most of them, strangers to her. Being the first to speak to the group, it turned out, proved to be slightly nerve-wracking; she just wanted to get it out of the way and return to her seat beside Rick. It was, however, a requirement that the nominees offer some background to the work that had earned them the honor of being considered for the prestigious award. Michonne found Rick's eyes in the mass of faces; he gave her a wide smile. She placed her hands atop the lectern and steadied her breathing. "Turning Point has been the type of Program I have always imagined myself working on; Turning Point has been the Program I have always wanted to create. It had, for a long time, been merely a dream of mine. Now, I am so very lucky to have been given the opportunity to see my dreams come to fruition. I must thank everyone who allowed me to not only design this Program, but supported me throughout. Everyone who believed in the kind of work that I wanted to engage in. Everyone who put their time and energy into this Program. I am grateful to them all. In this relatively short time, we've come a long way!"
Michonne offered a bright beam at the audience, and then pressed the clicker to begin her presentation. A picture of three smiling youths appeared on the large screen; Michonne gestured to them. "These young people here will each be graduating from Turning Point in three weeks; they have been with us from the beginning, and in three weeks' time, they will be ready to start the next part of their journeys. The one on your left is Patrick; he likes Lego, hanging out with his friends, and collecting baseball cards. At Willow Bend, where our facility is housed, Patrick is in charge of the recreation hall. He rosters other participants on to shifts, and keeps track of our equipment. He also does tutoring with our education and training groups. The other participants always look to him for guidance and assistance when they are finding it difficult to keep on track. He is kind-hearted, and always goes above and beyond in offering his peers support. It should also be noted that Patrick received his GED while he was with Turning Point. Patrick came to us after getting in trouble with drugs and stealing. After leaving Turning Point, he plans to continue to work his recovery program and engage in further study: He hopes to one day become a youth worker. Patrick deserved one more day with a chance."
There was applause from the group; Michonne nodded, allowed them to finish, and then continued. "The young lady in the middle is Cyndie. Cyndie loves her family, enjoys camping, fishing and other outdoors activities; she is quite the talented artist, as well. At Willow Bend, Cyndie has been learning about coaching and physical education. She regularly helps out with our Turning Point softball team, and has a really good right arm for pitching. She's smart, too. She has been assisting other young people with their Individual Learning Plans; these plans help them to map out their educational goals for their time with us, and well into the future. Cyndie came to us because she got into fights at school, one of which left a classmate of hers with a broken nose. After leaving our Program, Cyndie hopes to gain a qualification in the aged care sector so that she can help elderly people like her grandmother. Cyndie deserved one more day with a chance."
The audience applauded again, before Michonne spoke once more. "Finally, the young man to your right is Noah. Noah likes comic books, music, and helping people. He is a bright boy with a bright future. At Willow Bend, Noah assists other young people with their reading and writing. He is patient with his peers, and always tries to ensure that no one ends their day angry or sad. He is a beacon of positivity for all of our participants, and a friend to all. Noah came to us after he was a passenger in a car that was reported stolen. His experience has been a little different from many of our other participants because Noah was not at fault, but circumstances led to him being charged with a crime. We were fortunate that he was allowed to serve his time with Turning Point. He has helped so many other young people along the way. When Noah leaves us, he will finish his education. He then wants to go on and attend law school. Noah deserved one more day with a chance."
There came more applause from the crowd and Michonne offered them a smile. "Without these inspirational young people, I wouldn't be standing here before you, on the brink of joyful tears for all that they've accomplished. Turning Point has not just been a way for them to have their records expunged, but a way for them to get on with their lives, learn new skills, and be part of something worthwhile. Without this Program, who knows where Patrick, Cyndie, and Noah would be. They are the ones who should be praised, because, in all of this, they've worked the hardest since they're the ones who took the opportunities that were given to them. They're the ones who took the hand that was dealt to them, and made the most of it. They did something positive with it. And it has not been an easy road for them to travel, not by a long shot. Yet they have persevered, and are an inspiration to me, every single day. Like the message behind the title of our Program conveys, each person comes to a stage in their life that can be a turning point for them. What counts in that instance is not necessarily the decision that is made, but the way in which they deal with what comes after. That is what our Program is about. What we do with the life we've been given and how we move forward from the setbacks in our lives. These young people have shown me, more than anyone, that what we have done, and the mistakes we have made, do not determine who we are or what we will become.
I am proud of the work I have done; I am honoured to have known the participants of Turning Point, as well as the diligent, considerate and gifted staff. We have grown together as a team, and look forward to what is still to come. I thank the Department for giving me this opportunity to share with you all the achievements and aspirations of the young people we are working with. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue my work, and for the recognition. Thank you."
Michonne smiled at her audience as they gave her an energetic round of applause. She found Rick's gaze once more; he nodded his head and beamed brightly at her before blowing her a kiss.
xXxXx
The heavy overnight bag hit the hardwood floor with a loud thud. Rick yawned and stretched out his weary body as Michonne kicked off her shoes and proceeded to turn on the lights in her house. She placed her purse down on the coffee table and Rick removed his boots and slumped into the sofa.
"It's good to be home," he said, while watching Michonne tie her hair back; she fell down next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"It is," she replied, resting her hand on his knee. Rick took hold of it as they entwined their fingers.
"Where are you gonna put it?" he asked, grinning at Michonne. She sat up, let go of his hand, and then reached into her bag; after retrieving the neatly boxed, asymmetrical glass plaque that was emblazoned with her name, she smiled. She removed the trophy from its case, and held it up; the light reflected off of its flat surface.
"I'm not too sure," she answered, handing it over to Rick after he gestured for her to do so.
"Well," he said, placing it down on the table. "We can always wait until we officially move in together."
Michonne smiled, "Yeah. I'd like that."
Rick draped his arm over her shoulder, and they leaned back into the sofa; he kissed her temple and then said, "We've got a few decisions to make, don't we?"
"We do," said Michonne, suddenly feeling guilty for not telling Rick about the offer of promotion. She had gotten busy with work, with the lead-up to the Staff Excellence Award, and, unwittingly or not, used those instances as a reason not to speak to Rick. They were in a really great place with their relationship, and the longer she took to tell him about it, the more it seemed she was keeping it from him. After thinking about it briefly, she sat up and faced him. "Rick?"
"Yeah?"
"I know I should have told you this earlier…"
"What is it?" he asked, suddenly feeling worried by the seriousness of her tone, and the firm expression she wore.
"I'm gettin' there," she said, with a little nervous laugh. "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier; it just never felt like the right time. But I don't want you to feel like I was keeping it from you…"
"Michonne," said Rick. "You're worrying me; please, get to the point."
"Sorry," she said, before sighing deeply. "When Deanna told me that I was being nominated, she also said that they want to promote me."
"You're gettin' a promotion?" asked Rick. "That's good news, right?"
"Right."
"But?"
"But, the job is based in Alexandria, Virginia."
"Okay," said Rick. The mood quickly changed. He tried to remain calm and supportive of Michonne, even though his stomach was in knots and his eyes were glazed over. He was dreading what she would say next.
"It means I'd have to move to Virginia," she stated; she could see the sadness in his eyes as her words sank in.
"Why didn't you tell me right away?" Rick asked, his voice strained; a throbbing in his temple set in. "Were you just gonna take the promotion and then up and leave me?"
"No, Rick," she offered. "I just needed time to think…"
"So, you needed time to think about how you were gonna leave me?"
"No," said Michonne; Rick stood up and started pacing. "Hear me out."
"I'm tryin' to hear you," he said before standing still and placing his hands on his hips. "But you're not bein' fair to me, Michonne. You kept this from me…"
"I needed to think, Rick," she said, growing as frustrated as he was.
"You needed time to figure out how you were gonna let me down easy," he said. "That's it, isn't it?"
"No," she said. "That's not it."
"Then why couldn't you just be straight with me when you found out?"
"I don't know, okay?" she said, getting to her feet and walking towards the kitchen.
"Michonne!" Rick called after her.
"What?" she replied loudly, while searching through the cupboard for a glass tumbler; her throat suddenly dry.
"Talk to me," he said, following after her.
"I don't wanna fight with you," she replied, as she closed the cupboard door and leaned against the counter; her arms folded over her chest.
"I'm sorry," offered Rick, quietly, sincerely. He let his irritation dissipate; opting, instead, to speak calmly with his beloved. He stepped towards her and placed his hands to her upper arms; he caressed her in a comforting manner. "I'm just scared about what this means for us. Things have been goin' good for a while now."
"I know," she admitted. "And this promotion doesn't have to change that."
Rick nodded.
"I'm sorry for not talking to you about it sooner," said Michonne. "I really did need to think. There was a lot for me to process. You get that, right?"
"I do," he answered, before brushing her hair from her face.
"And I need you to know I wasn't trying to close you out or push you away," she swore.
"Okay," he said honestly. "I understand. But, tell me, please: Have you made up your mind?"
Michonne inhaled a deep, slow breath, took hold of Rick's two hands, and then stared into his eyes, "Yes, I have."
A/N: Okay! We will find out what decision Michonne has made in the next instalment. We're so close to the end of this story and I want to cry! It's been great traversing it with you all, Dear Readers. I always get so sad when I end a story :'( Oh, well. I hope you enjoyed this chappie!