This was written for A Very Richonne Christmas for Richonne Just Desserts. An AU where Michonne is reunited with Rick at the local Christmas festivities in King County.


The tree towered before her, majestic with its twinkling lights and artificial snow fluttering off its green tips. Nat King Cole crooned in the background. Children joyfully skated around the portable ice rink, tightly gripping their parents' hands. Locals chattered as some attempted to capture the magical feeling in a selfie.

Michonne smiled. Christmas. It had snuck up on her again. She swore it was only the Fourth of July last week. I've been working too hard, she admonished herself as she took a careful sip of hot cocoa from her cup. The sweet liquid warmed her entire body.

She let out a contented sigh. A visible, long, puff of breath escaped her lips, the cold air stung her nose and cheeks. She needed this. Time to clear her mind. Time for herself. And what better way to do it than by spending time taking in the Christmas spirit?

She had been feeling nostalgic. So she'd driven to King County, the closest thing to feeling like home. The town had gone all out this year and the holiday spirit was evident everywhere she looked. It reminded her of simpler times, put things in perspective.

Her eyelids fluttered shut. She could happily lose herself in such a sublime moment.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Or not, she thought irritably. She knit her brow, refusing to tear herself away from the serenity.

"Miss?"

She reluctantly opened one eye, looking for the perpetrator who'd interrupted. Both eyelids flew open as they landed on a gorgeous pair of blue eyes.

"Rick?"

She knit her brow in pleasant surprise. He smiled widely, immediately tempering it into a knowing grin, his eyes crinkling humorously.

Rick Grimes. She hadn't seen him in years. He'd aged well since the last time she saw him. The lines around his eyes were more defined, streaks of gray could be found in his ever-curly hair and beard. He looked older, more refined, yet still as handsome as the day she met him.

A smile slowly spread on her lips. "Oh my God, Rick! How are you?"

She pulled him into a hug, immediately feeling the spark in her chest she had once dismissed as a youthful crush. Feeling his firm body against hers – though harmless enough – roused a warm sensation of yearning familiarity. She inhaled uneasily, filling her lungs with his tantalizing aftershave. It took her back to a time when he'd been the object of her unrequited, secret affection.

He was rookie cop, new to the King County Police Department and she was a young college girl completing an internship at the DA's office. They'd become fast friends but being that he was a married man, she'd kept her distance. That being said, it hadn't stopped her from admiring him from afar.

He had never found out about her unrequited feelings and she had never acted on them. When she left, she thought she'd overcome all of that. She thought she'd finally moved on. Apparently not.

She swallowed nervously and pulled away, revealing her elation with a bright smile. "It's been years."

"It has," he agreed, studying her face, taking in every small, perfect detail. He slightly shook his head in disbelief. "You look great, Michonne. The years have treated you good."

She smiled widely, feeling a surge of heat in her ears. "Well, thank you. Not lookin' too bad yourself, Officer Grimes," she retorted.

"It's sheriff now, actually" he corrected her.

"Oh, sorry, Sheriff Grimes."

He softly chuckled. "Yeah, sounds good comin' from you."

"You've probably been waiting years to hear me say it," she teased, naturally falling back into their playful bantering.

He grinned at her with a challenging look in his eyes before casting down his gaze. He took a hesitant step forward, looking up to gaze at her with a gentle smile. "I have."

She bit her lip. There it was. The way he'd say things or look at her always made her stomach flutter. She never quite knew how to process it.

She cleared her throat nervously. "Yeah," she repeated softly. Suddenly, she remembered the reason why things had never gone further between them. She took a subconscious – and literal – step back as she casually inquired, "So, how's the family?"

Noticing her attempt at putting space between them, a hint of disappointment crossed his face but was quickly replaced with a relaxed grin. "They're good."

Her heart fell but she forced herself to continue her line of questioning. "Lori, right? And your boy? I haven't seen him in years. He must be all grown by now."

A hesitant look passed over his features before he nodded, glancing down at his boots. "Yeah, Carl's good. Just turned ten last month. Almost as tall as me. Smart, smarter than I ever was," he said with pride in his voice. His expression became somber but continued. "And, Lori's, she's-she's good. She just got remarried a few months ago."

She tried not to gawk at him as she processed the news. He was single. Or rather, not married. Maybe. Her brain went into overdrive. "Oh, I...," she trailed awkwardly, as she tried to figure out how to proceed.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, we got divorced last year. Things just didn't work out like we thought they would."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, it's good though. We're good." He glanced away, as if casting off the shame of his admission.

She knit her brow slightly. Leave it to Rick to feel guilty about a failure beyond his control. Things really hadn't changed much.

"And you? You're okay?" she asked in concern.

He looked slightly startled by the question but was quickly replaced with an appreciative grin. "I'm doing better. Things are getting better. So that's good, I guess."

Hesitant about ruining the moment, she casually asked, "So, you getting remarried anytime soon, too?" She took a small sip of her drink, anxiously awaiting his reply.

He narrowed his eyes humorously. "Not that I know of." He arched his eyebrow knowingly, silently picking up on her unsubtle curiosity.

"What?" she protested with a smile.

He snorted softly before returning the question. "And you? How've you been?"

"Yeah, it's been good. Not married or remarried or anything. Just working hard. Decided to take a break and came down to look at the lights. See if anything's changed."

He nodded, turning to look at the tree in front of them. They stood next to each other, observing the scene in amiable silence. After a moment, he glanced at her. "Anything changed?"

She sighed deeply, staring at the tree in front of her as she took another sip from her cup. She nodded as she lowered her cup. "Some things." She turned slightly to glance at him. "Some things never do."

He studied her eyes curiously. They roamed over her face as if to memorize every detail, pausing at her lips. He blinked a few times before nodding and turning back to face the tree.

Her insecurities immediately settled in. Should she make a move? Would he be interested? Maybe she'd be pushing her luck. Maybe he never saw her like that. Tension filled the air. Rick's face reflected the same trepidation she was experiencing. It was as if they both wanted to say something but were second-guessing themselves. After a moment, they decided to break the silence simultaneously.

"Listen, if you're not..."

"I hope I'm not...,"

They paused and glanced bashfully at each other, laughing awkwardly. They turned to face each other, waiting for the other to speak. Rick took a step closer, closing the distance between them.

He spoke first. "I was just gonna say, if you're planning on stickin' around, maybe we could catch up?"

She studied his eyes, recognizing genuine eagerness in his gaze. He wanted to spend time with her. She smiled. Maybe after all these years, they were finally on the same page. Maybe fate had finally intervened and blessed their reunion with the possibility of something more.

"I'd like that," she replied.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

The look in his eyes told her Christmas had come early for him. He bit his lip, almost shyly, a look of promise lurking behind his gaze. "Good," he rumbled out.

Eagerness thrummed in the hearts of the rediscovered friends as they restrained their elation with muted smiles and fidgety hands. As the night passed, they settled into the magic of their surroundings, lights twinkling in their eyes and a reignited hope burning in their chests. Christmas had come and, along with it, the promise of a long-awaited romance.