Thanks everyone for the great responses!

CLKit – Welcome to the story! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

I'm posting on an odd night because this next chapter will be broken up between this chapter and the next. I intended it to all be Chapter 24, but felt it was just too long. I'll post Chapter 25 on Sunday.

Chapter Twenty- four

Upon hearing Lori's hysterical declaration, that she was behind Shane's insane behavior, Rick had asked a reluctant Carl to wait outside, down the hall in the small waiting room across from the nurse's station. Considering the implications of what Lori had started to confess, Rick knew it was not something Carl needed to be privy to.

"Why are you here?" Rick impatiently asked again, after Carl was out of the room and he suspected was safely down the hall.

"I was trying to stop this." Lori shakily answered. "But I couldn't."

"You knew Shane would come after me?" Rick questioned, his vexation rising.

"I provoked him." She regretfully confessed. "I've been provoking him for months." She said, stunning Rick.

"What're you talking about?"

"I continued sleeping with him, even after you warned me about his obsession with me and Carl…I told him that it was you holding up the divorce, that I'd wanted out for months…" She revealed what Rick had already guessed. "And then last night, I told him that you forced me to sign the divorce papers by threatening to expose our relationship and ensure that you'd get custody of Carl. But he was happy. Glad that I was finally free of you, then said that we could still be together, that we could fight you for custody of Carl, but … I rejected his suggestion, told him the truth, that he made me feel wanted, like I still had something to offer after my marriage to you fell apart, that I used him to try…and make you jealous, to make you see that you still felt something for me…I told him, that he would never be you, that for me it'd always be you." She detailed, leaving Rick with no response but to scoff in disgust.

"Shane didn't seem angry, just hurt, so, so hurt by what I'd said, and I left him that way." She continued. "Regretful of my actions, hopeful that he would be okay, but then today he called me, calmer than I'd ever heard him…" She said, then stopped, fret in her tone. "He said, if you were gone, things would finally be as they should. I asked him where he was and he told me he was with you and that you were on your way to Atlanta. I tried everything to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. So that's when I tried calling you, but you wouldn't answer." She tremulously stated. "So I picked up Carl and came straight here. He could've killed you." She gasped, seemingly in new realization. "I thought he was going to kill you." She cried. "I did this. I couldn't see past my own anger and need. My own desire to get you back at any cost." She said. "I'm so sorry." She sincerely expressed.

"I don't know what you want me to say? That I forgive you, that I understand?" Rick asked her with calm fury.

"I want you to know that I never wanted any of this to happen. I was stupid. I didn't know where else to turn when we decided to divorce. I wanted you back, but you…didn't love anymore." She pitifully admitted. "Shane was the only one there."

Rick shook his head at her gall, unable to sympathize with her scheming, guilt and terrible judgement. "I can't do this." He then said. "I can't give you what you want."

"I don't want anything…"

"But you do." Rick disputed. "You want me to accept your apology and to understand that you were going through some crisis which caused you to create this mess with Shane."

"Rick, that's not…"

"Stop Lori, just stop!" He yelled. "I'm not doing this anymore. I'm done." He exclaimed.

"Rick I know you're angry…"

"You need to go." He cut her off. "You need to take our son and go back to Palmer. Right now." He stated, what he had no other choice but to demand. If he could, he would take Carl back himself, because at that point, he didn't know if he could trust her with their son.

"I know you're angry with me and that…you can deal with me right now, but Carl wanted to see you, to make sure you're okay." She tearfully argued. "He needs to see you Rick, really see you."

"I will see my son. I will assure him that I am fine, but when I'm done. You need go."

"Rick, I'm truly sorry."

"Just go!" He ordered and watched in ire as his ex-wife, left the room.

Michonne stood face to face with the young boy, holding his innocent and curious gaze, in nervous shock, finding it unbelievable that she was standing face to face with Carl Grimes, whom she'd heard so much about, and thus felt like she knew. She couldn't believe that she was finally meeting the one person Rick loved more than anyone –his child. Angst surged in her heart, reminding her of what she wouldn't soon forget that she, just hours before was carrying Rick's child, and that now she was going to have to tell him that it was no more. Michonne drew a breath and swallowed back the intense grief that was racing within, threatening to break her down.

"Do you know my dad?" The young boy asked, breaching her reverie.

Michonne was tempted to tell him no, that she'd made a mistake and was about to enter the wrong room. After all, if Rick's son was there, then his mother couldn't be far away. Perhaps the woman was down the hall or in the room that she was about to enter. The door was closed, indicating the need for privacy. Even though Rick had shown up, coming there from 300 miles away. How so quickly? She in that moment realized and questioned. Moved, she knew by what she'd told him, that she was pregnant. Despite what she'd seen in his eyes, felt it seemed from his soul, she had no idea where they stood. For all she knew, his wife, the mother of his child, could be in that room right now and they could be joyfully reconciling after his harrowing ordeal. She suddenly wondered if she should go, just head home and leave him and the miscues and obstacles that had become their relationship behind. However, her heart said different, strongly urging her to stay, telling her that every adverse thought she had was untrue, that Rick Grimes was everthing she knew him to be and more, that he was her match, the man she'd never looked for, but had found. Thus, she'd fought the logic in her head that was telling her to walk away, and forgone the lie she'd contemplated to truthfully answer the question…

"I do."

"How do you know him?" Carl quizzed.

"He's a friend" She replied, then moved to go, determining that Carl being there, had to mean that Lori was in Rick's hospital room. Thus, it'd be best if she waited for a chance to speak with him elsewhere.

"How did you meet?" The boy pried as he followed, causing her to stop, to return her attention to him and guardedly respond…

"I had car trouble. He helped me out."

"Today?"

"No. A while ago." She said, then commenced her retreat, feeling that their conversation had gone far enough, when his words stopped her again.

"You're her aren't you?" The boy asserted, his tone a combination of interest and realization. "You're the one that stopped my dad from getting back with my mom." Completely thrown, Michonne stood motionless, her back to Carl, not really sure how to respond. How had he known who she was? How had he put it together that she'd been involved with his father? She knew Rick had told him nothing of their relationship except that he'd met someone, not who she was, where she lived and their connection. And why would he think she was responsible for his parent's broken marriage? Anger joined the litany of emotions that were already raging within, due to the experiences she'd endured that day. Could his mother have planted such thoughts? She questioned, remembering Rick's accounts of Lori attempting to sabotage his relationship with Carl. She should walk away. That was the best thing to do, to not even answer. Michonne concluded. However, she couldn't just walk away. She had to address his accusation.

"I'm not who you think I am." She firmly countered.

"Then why did my dad come here?" Carl indignantly questioned.

"Your dad can answer that."

"He was with you wasn't he? When it happened?" He pushed, his irritation growing.

"You really should talk with your dad." Michonne reiterated again, then again began her exit but the boy blocked her path.

"I know he was with you. He came here for you." He inferred, exasperation in his eyes and voice. "This is all your fault!" He lashed out. "If he wasn't here, this never would've happened!"

"Carl!" They suddenly heard and looked in the direction of the voice to find that it was who Michonne assumed was Carl's mom. Being as the woman had apparently emerged from the room that was several feet away, making her way the short distance down the hall to them. "What are you doing?! I'm so…" She began to apologize, turning her eyes to Michonne, but Carl stopped her, telling her "This is the lady dad left us for."

"Misonne?" Lori scoffed in annoyance.

"It's Michonne." She corrected, matching the woman's suddenly harsh gaze.

"Carl, your dad wants to see you." The woman directed to her son, who rejected the implication in what she'd said and countered by stating that he wanted to remain with her, but Lori uttered the words once more, this time ordering her son to go see his father, to which the boy reluctantly complied. "What are you doing here?" The woman questioned with ire, after her son disappeared from the hall.

"I could ask you the same thing." Michonne retorted, still boiling about the lies she was sure the woman had told Carl about the cause of her marriage to his father being destroyed. "You're a long way from Palmer."

"Rick is my husband." Lori fumed. "I belong here. You don't."

"You don't own this hospital or Rick's time." Michonne angrily quipped. "Furthermore, where I belong or don't belong is none of your business."

"It is my business when it involves my husband and child." The woman strongly contented. "See that's something you don't get. In Carl, in our child, Rick and I share a bond that can never be broken. And that's why we will always be connected." Lori said, striking a nerve she didn't know was there, nearly crushing Michonne in that moment, but she held it together, to counter the woman's boastful assertion.

"I get it all too well." She tartly replied, giving no indication of the wound that had just been doused with a mountain of salt, cutting her deep. "That you'll do whatever it takes to hold on to the scraps that's left of your relationship with Rick." She zinged, causing the woman's cheeks to flame red with fury. "Even if it means using the son you share." She said. 'You're just a trifling bitch who don't give dam about anything but what you want.' Michonne was so closed to saying, but held her tongue, remembering that Rick's son, who loved his mother was just a closed door away as was Rick, and she didn't want to add more fuel to the explosiveness that was the situation. "You're not worth my time." She said instead. "Never have been. Never will be."

"Of course I'm not, because you know you can't compete with what I share with Rick."

"I'm not trying to compete." Michonne fiercely revealed. "Because there's nothing there to complete with." She charged, then walked away, leaving Lori infuriated beyond words.

"Hey Little Man." Rick tiredly exclaimed at the wonderful sight that was his son, whose expression was too serious for his liking.

"I'm not a Little Man." Carl denied. "I haven't been a Little Man since I was 9."

"So you're not a Little Man anymore, because you're one year older?" Rick lightly queried. "So what then should you be? Man Boy?" He teased. "Big Carlton?"

"Dad." His son laughed, pleasing Rick.

"Come here." He then requested of Carl, who immediately obeyed, coming to the bed where Rick gave him a sturdy hug. "I'm okay." He reassured him, thinking his son's previous look of discontent was related to worry over his condition.

"Did Uncle Shane really do this?" Carl asked after pulling back from the hug.

"He did." Rick answered with honesty.

"Where is he now?" The boy curiously queried.

"In jail." He said, his words visibly shaking Carl. "It's okay. I'm okay." He reiterated. "Just a few bruises here and there."

"If that's true then why are you still here?" The boy questioned, his tone etched with anxiousness.

"Because my head got knocked around a bit during my encounter with Shane, and I have a concussion." Rick explained. "You remember what that can be like. Right?" Carl nodded in understanding before asking...

"Can I stay the night here with you? Like you and mom did when I was in the hospital?"

"Not this time." He said, his response causing Carl to sigh in disappointment. "You have school tomorrow. So you and your mom are going to drive back to Palmer this evening."

"You staying here?" Carl then questioned.

"Just for the night; Doctor's orders."

"Are you staying longer?"

"I hope no…"

"No, I mean here in Atlanta." Carl gingerly clarified.

"Why would you ask that?"

"You came here for something." His son stated, then paused as if he was unsure whether to say more. "Was it for her?" He then blurted out. "Was it for Michonne?"