This chapter takes place almost directly after chapter 4, if you wanted to know.


To Tell the Kids

"Michonne and I are having a baby. She's pregnant," Rick let out to Judith and Carl at the kitchen table, wasting no time and not wanting the tension to become too much to deal with.

Carl wasted no time with his instant reply. "Well, are you gonna propose to her then?"

Rick nearly spit out his drink, "What?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? You got her knocked up but you're not gonna propose to her too?"

"Carl," Rick sighed out, rubbing at his unusually tired face, "It isn't that simple."

"Carl," Michonne added, walking into the room with a disappointed look on her face. "Just because you're older now doesn't mean you can talk that way." Underneath, Michonne knew he was just speaking that way because he was distressed and understandably worried.

"Why not?" Carl said, interrupting, "You love each other, so it makes sense, doesn't it?"

Judith sat quietly, a perturbed look on her tiny face. Michonne sat next to her at the kitchen table. The tiny girl immediately scooted over into her lap and hugged her upper torso tightly. It was as if she knew exactly how the whole thing worked. Michonne beamed down at the child who was practically her daughter. She was her daughter in very way that was important. Judith didn't talk much, but the way she felt was perfectly communicated.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Carl accused, a look of worry coming over his face. "You could've prevented it."

Rick and Michonne shared a knowing look before Michonne began to talk. "We just found out yesterday, I promise you."

Rick was still pondering his sons you could've prevented it. His thoughts didn't last very long as Carl began to talk again.

"I mean.. after what happened to mom.. after what almost happened to Maggie. Why would you want to keep it?" He looked down at his feet, but he needed to get it out.

"You're worried about me?" Michonne asked softly. Carl just nodded sadly.

"I don't want that to happen to you, too. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if it did." Tears shined in Carl's eyes, reminding Rick and Michonne how young he still was. How much innocence he still had left within himself.

Michonne found it difficult to speak after that, so Rick did instead, tightly squeezing her shoulder from where he stood behind her as a reminder that he was still there, no matter what.

"We want this, Carl," Rick began, his son finally looking up, "I know it's scary, I'm scared too. Out of my mind, actually. But we've got this. We'll all protect this situation and we'll make the best out of what we're given."

Judith watched her big brother with tears in her eyes too, wondering why he was so upset.

"I know. We'll do everything we possibly can," he said, then sat beside Michonne and Judith. "It's okay, Judy," he whispered, taking her into his arms, "Michonne and dad are giving us a present. A little brother or sister like you."

Michonne and Rick watched the kids with identical smiles, their hands tightly clasped together. Rick leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head, Michonne leaning further into him when he did.

They watched as Judith and Carl whispered back and forth, stuck in their own little world together.


They were within the privacy of their bedroom once again. "That went better than I thought," Michonne said later that evening, "There weren't as many tears as I was expecting."

"That's true," Rick nodded pensively.

"Not you too. What?"

"Nothin. I wasn't thinkin''," he said back instantly.

"Oh please, it was all you were doing. Rick," Michonne sighed out wearily, "I know you, there's something on your mind, I can tell. Please, just tell me what it is."

"You think Judith understood what we were saying?"

Michonne looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding her head up and down definitively, "I think she did. I think she definitely knew what."

He opened his arms up from where he lay on top of the sheets and she instantly knew what he wanted. She walked over and lay down on top of him, his arms closing tightly around her for the second time that day.

He traced invisible patterns up and down her thin collarbones before kissing her there, making her smile widen. He was being especially touchy today, but she knew why. She openingly welcomed it. It was tranquil. Peaceful.

"Perfect," he whispered out of nowhere tiredly.

"We'll talk more with them tomorrow," Michonne whispered before lifting her head ever-so-slightly to kiss Rick directly on his plump lips. "Maybe even tell the others too."

Rick's heartbeat quickened at that, causing Michonne to laugh to herself. "One step at a time?"

"Yeah. One step at a time."

With that, they drifted off together.


Two people wanted a thing like this to follow up chapter 4, I hope it was what you wanted. Thank you so much for your continued support of my work, it means the world to me as a writer.