Here's another for the "Richonne Alphabet Series". Letter "I". A small Richonne moment I imagine happened in during the current hiatus.


"This is impossible," Michonne muttered under her breath.

Rick smiled, shielding his eyes from the sun. The smell of hot asphalt filled the air. The cicadas buzzed in the distance, all signs of a hot summer day.

He watched as she crouched, silently approaching the skittish mare once again. The horse eyed her warily, standing near the edge of the abandoned parking lot. She murmured reassurances as she edged closer to the animal. Reaching out, her fingertips brushed against its quivering sleek coat. After a few cautious caresses, the horse bolted away, leaving her huffing with impatience.

She glared at Rick as he walked toward her, snickering under his breath. She placed her hands on her hips. "Are you laughing at me?"

His grin grew wider. "Not laughing, just enjoying the show."

She held back a smile. Feigning irritation, she playfully snatched the canteen of water from his hand. "You said this was easy. We've been here all morning." She took a drink of the refreshing water.

He shrugged, placing his hands on his hips. He glanced at the horse who was now on the opposite side of the parking lot, grazing at a patch of plants growing through the cracks of the pavement. "She's a stubborn one."

She wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist and handed him the canteen. "I know you're referring to the horse," she jested, standing next to him with a sigh of resignation. She shook her head. "Today is just not my day."

"You giving up?"

She squinted up at the blinding sky. "The sun's overhead."

He considered her response. "A little sun never stopped you before."

She knit her sweaty brow and pursed her lips.

He knew that look. It was the one she had when she was trying to come to terms with a failure. He couldn't let her accept defeat.

He knit his own brow, nodding at her in encouragement. "Come on, you got this."

She gave him a doubtful look.

He tilted his head toward the horse. "We'll do it together."

A few hours later, with the sun beginning to set, they managed to mildly tame and leash the horse together. They bribed her to follow them home with a bag of fresh fruit.

Taking a bite of a crisp apple, Michonne wiped away its juice from her chin, inquiring while chewing, "So how long did it take you and Daryl to bring Flame in, back at the prison?"

Rick remained silent for a moment. Watching Michonne feed the rest of her apple to the now docile horse, he reluctantly mumbled, "Three days."

Michonne stopped in her tracks. "Three days?" Her companions came to a halt. "So the whole 'it's easy' thing was a lie?"

Rick angled his head with a squint, weighing the pros and cons of labeling what he said as a lie. "Well, it was easier than hunting a deer."

She held back a smile.

He peeked over the horse's muzzle. "I still owe you one, by the way."

His quiet voice brought out her smile. "Maybe you should take me with you next time. We might actually catch one."

He bit his lip at her teasing as she continued leading her horse toward their new home.