"Where the hell do you think you're going!" His deep growl rang across Alexandria as he reached the front gates.

Abraham, Sasha, Spencer and Tara were loading up two of the cars with their weapons and gear. Michonne stood there with them, her katana on her back. That could only mean one thing.

"Looks like daddy is pissed." Abraham chuckled at her.

Michonne rolled her eyes and stepped towards Rick who approached, huffing and puffing.

"You ain't goin!" He pulled at her hand like he was scolding a child, "We talked about this." Her round stomach between them reminded him why he was so upset.

"Rick," She took a deep breath, "First of all- get your damn hands off of me. You know I dont play like that," She was very calm for a woman who was pregnant and had been sitting around for months and months, "Second of all, we did not talk about it. You lectured me and I made it very clear to you that I was going on a run today because I want to do my part now that I feel better."

"Lectured? I didn't-"

"Yes you did!" She cut him off and pulled her hand free from his steely grasp.

Now she was mad.

Meanwhile their friends watched from a distance, "Should we?" Sasha nudged Abraham signaling if they should get involved.

Before the man even got the chance to answer Tara whispered back, "No! Are you crazy? This is like better than porn."

Sasha smiled tightlipped while she slapped Taras shoulder, and Spencer laughed. Because it was so true. Their chemistry was so captivating.

"You can't make me sit around the house," Michonne's voice came out strong, "I can handle myself."

"No," Rick was determined, "It's stupid to go out there and take a risk. The baby could come early. I won't let you."

She glared at him, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," His face tightned, "You ain't going."

Michonne was about to snap.

Sasha and Abraham changed glances, "This could get ugly." She whispered to him.

And he nodded, "This is what happens when you put two alphas together. A damn pissing contest all over the place."

"So you don't think we are alphas?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

He snickered, "No darling, you are, I'm just a lap dog."

She shook her head at him and took steady steps towards the pair, not sure if it was okay to get involved, but she was not going to watch these two fight infront of everybody and maybe say something they might regret later.

"I get it, It's not my place to come up here and try to meddle, but you two need to calm down," Sasha looked at Michonne's babybump, "for that one."

Michonne hated that everyone treated her different when she was expecting. She understood the concerns, but it frustrated her that they almost seemed

to have forgotten who she was. She was a fighter and she would never step outside those walls if she had a feeling she couldn't protect their child.

"I know how much this place means to you," Sasha looked at Michonne with compassion, "But I think Rick is right. You need to let us be the ones who help you this time around. I don't think any of us could live with ourselves if something went wrong."

Tara and the men nodded in agreement behind them. Rick was relieved that the others were on the same page.

Michonne sighed, she was frustrated because Sasha was right. So she knew this time she had to give in.

"And you," Sasha quickly turned towards Rick who was a bit taken aback, "Need to watch your tone. Next time you come for her like that I will drop you myself. Don't talk to your wife like that."

Rick raised his arms in surrender, "You're right, I was wrong for that."

Sasha gave Michonne a hug, then turned towards the gates and walked back to the cars. Abraham was beaming with pride, "Atta' girl!" he shouted as she reached them.

Michonne and Rick waved goodbyes to their friends. As the silence took over, she turned around to walk home. Not saying a word. He followed her. He knew she needed space after their spat, but it wasn't easy to just continue his day if he indeed hurt her feelings.

"Michonne." He called out. Usually he would call her 'Chonne so she knew he was serious.

"What?" She turned to look at him.

"I'm sorry." He was like a dog with his tail between his legs.

The dark beauty just turned back around and kept walking towards home. She didn't have the patience to deal with this hot headed man she called her husband.

Michonne cradled her bump and sighed. She felt so disconnected from him. Their relationship had always been equal. They stood together, and she hated the fact that he had made her feel like Mike did way back then. She did not feel like she was home.

Rick watched her from across the living room. Not really sure how to approach her. This was something he was bad at. When he was with Lori she always said how she hated it when he just shut down and left in the middle of an argument. So he was confused. This time he tried to talk, but she was the one who shut him out. So this was basically karma biting him in the ass. Now he knew how it felt.

"Hey," Carl greeted them casually as he walked inside, "What's for dinner?"

"Leftovers from yesterday, let me fix you a plate. " Michonne shifted uncomfortably, and walked towards the kitchen. Not giving Rick anything. He was like air to her. She was happy that Carl gave her an excuse to leave from the situation. She was not ready to talk.

Carl sensed the tension between them. He had never seen them so far apart each other and this silent. Usually when he walked in they were side by side. Sometimes even too close for his liking.

"What did you do?" He turned towards his father who was looking out of the window.

"Nothin'" Rick grumbled.

"Dad," He pressed on, "You did something. She looks sad."

"I did not want her to go outside. I can't have her out there."

Carl understood why his dad felt that way, but at the same time he understood why Michonne was probably offended. Knowing his dad, he probably didn't approach her with sensitivity.

"Rick!"

Both of the men bolted as they heard her yell.

"Rick!" She was borderline screaming. Neither one of them had heard her scream like that before.

The Grimes men ran towards her voice which led them into Judith's bedroom.

Michonne was holding her and visibly shaking and the girl was crying In her arms, "There is something wrong. She is burning up."

Carl didn't even have to hear his parents say the words, he rushed downstairs and out of the door to get Siddiq.

Rick took Judith from Michonne. Instantly looking for marks. He prayed inside his head that there wouldn't be any. There was no way, not inside their walls. He looked at his wife and swallowed, "She is not bitten."

Judith was weeping, but very lethargic and pale.

"She was fine when I got her from Gabriel." Michonne was panicking, fear dripping from her voice and her mind racing, "She was saying she was tired, but I thought she just needed a nap. I didn' check her-"

"Hey," Rick took a hold of her hand while holding Judith against his chest, "She is going to be fine. I need you to breathe. Just take a deep breath."

His blue eyes found her brown ones and she did what he told her to do. She took a deep breath and tried to stop the panic from complately consuming her.

"Momma." Her little voice brought her back and she took her from his father arms.

"Go turn on the shower. Not too cold, Not too hot." She instructed him calmly while running her fingers through Judiths silky hair.

He did as she told him. Meanwhile she took off Judiths clothes and Rick watched in awe as she stepped in the shower with their daughter, hugging her tight and sitting down with her while the lukewarm water poured over them. Michonne still fully clothed, kept petting her har and swaying a little as her tiny body clung to her.

Judiths cries went silent and she seemed calmer.

Rick sat down on the bathroom floor and watched them. The whole moment was just overwhelming him. His eyes watered at the sight.

Finally, Carl and Siddiq came into the bathroom. Without any words Siddiq quickly reached to touch Judiths forehead, "Quick thinking," he pointed at the shower, "She definately has a fever, but this is good, the water helps."

"Whats wrong with her?" Rick was worried out of his mind.

"I think she has the same thing as Max," He brought up the boy from next door, "Some sort of flu. Usually harmless, but this one spiked a fever for both, it's always a risk."

"Why didn't they tell us he is sick?" Carl asked, frustrated, "If we knew she wouldn't have been playing with him today."

Bad memories from the prison re-surfaced for him.

"He got sick just a couple hours ago," Siddiq explained calmly, "usually with kids, this is how it goes. They get sick almost at the same time. Whatever desease this is, it seems to only affect children. Looks like a regular cold, but thankfully we have medicine that they need to take the fever down."

Judith was almost dozing off in her mothers lap. She held her mom tightly, and twisted one of her dreads around her little finger.

"Are you alright?" Siddiq peered inside the shower at Michonne who was looking very uncomfortable. She would shut her eyes in discomfort then open them back up again.

Rick held out his hand to her, "'Chonne I can take over."

She shook her head, even though it was very painful sitting there on the tile floor as the baby pressed on her bladder, Judith was a priority right now. No amount of pain would make her leave.

"I'm fine." She answered and squeezed her husbands hand, "I'll keep her here until you get the medicine."

The kind doctor smiled at the dedicated mother and walked into their hallway. Rick followed him suit.

"You need to keep an eye on her," Siddiq whispered, "It looked like she was having contractions, but didn't want to say anything."

"I know," He whispered back, "It's too early."

"Try to keep her calm. I know Judith being sick like this is a trigger for her, but we don't have anything right now that would save a preemie."

"She told you?" Rick looked confused for a moment, but then realized the obvious.

"We had to talk about her first birth."

He nodded, patting the doctor on his back, "I'll take care of them, both, thank you again."

As they said their goodbyes he heard laughter from their bathroom. When Rick walked inside he had to take a step back to marvel at what he saw.

Carl had squeezed himself inside the shower, both of them dripping wet with Michonne. They just sat there and laughed as even tired Judith giggled at how funny they were.

"Carl and momma are naughty!" She looked at her brother and mom, "clothes in the shower!"

"I can see that." He kneeled down on on their level, "think you have room for one more?"

Well thank god their shower was a big one. Both Michonne and Carl made room for him. Now they were all squeezed under the steaming shower.

"This is oddly relaxing." Carl leaned against the tile wall.

"It is," Michonne agreed, running her hands through Judith's hair , "Andre loved the water. So if he got sick I would sit for hours under the shower until his fever was down."

"Momma?"

"Yeah?"

"Will I go to heaven like Andre?"

The question made Rick and Michonne's stomach drop.

Carl was quick to react, he did not want his little sister to think about something so grim, "Judith you have a cold okay? The doctor just said that you will be fine, and I know he wouldn't lie."

"Your brother is right, that is not happening anytime soon," Michonne continues, "You will be old and grey when that happens."

"Like daddy?"

"Prettier than daddy for sure." Michonne chuckled.

"Ouch," Rick flinched dramatically, "Am I not pretty for my age?"

"Daddy!" Judith gasped, "Boys are not pretty. They are handsome!"

They all laughed at the smart girl. Michonne felt their other daughter kick away in her stomach as she looked at the family around her. This would always be home.

"She fall asleep?" Michonne was laying comfortably on their living room couch as Rick sat down and moved her legs on his lap.

"Yeah, her fever is down for now," he sounded exhausted, "Carl wanted to sleep with her for tonight."

She nodded, not really having the energy to even think about anything.

"She is gonna flip out when she sees her braids tomorrow." He rubbed her feet, desperately trying to keep the converstation going, "I still can't believe she slept as you did them."

"That's the least I could do for her." Michonne sighed deeply, "She has been asking me to do them for months and I've told her over and over again that my back hurts and I can't. I shouldn't have done that."

Rick let out his own long breath, rubbing a tired hand over his head, "You are allowed to say no to her."

"I know," she huffed frustrated, "it doesn't change the fact that I feel bad about it."

He was growing weary of the bite In her tone.

"Can we talk about what happened earlier?" He gave in. He positioned himself to look her directly In her eyes.

She remained silent.

Rick moved his hand on her stomach and smiled as he felt their child move around, "You know how much I love you and I would never hurt you if it was up to me."

"But you did hurt me today Rick," She was clearly still upset, "if you had listened. You would have known that we were taking two cars because Sasha would have driven me back way before sunset while the others went further. I would have stayed In the car while others cleared the way. I would have never gone there and acted stupid because I'm carrying our child."

"'Chonne" he barely choked out, "I did not mean-"

"I forgive you," She rested her hand on top of his, leaving him speechless, "Because I know you meant good. And the end of this pregnancy is nervewracking. Because I know you love me. Next time just take a moment to actually listen before going off the rails."

"I just need you to be safe," His voice coming out as a deep whisper, "I need you to tell me more. I don't' want us to fail because we didn't talk."

Her heart sank, she did not want him to think that there was even a possibility of them failing.

"When I was with Mike," She started, "He knew exactly how smart I am, but he talked down to me because he was afraid that I had my shit together more than him. He was afraid that I would figure that out. And I did. That is why I am here and he is Not."

Rick rubbed her stomach and listened closely.

"That is also why Andre isn't here," She felt sadness, her eyes staring into him, her jaw set, "Mike's insecurities is what got them both killed. He couldn't handle being the weak one, the one who was afraid and he made the wrong decision because of that. He didn't change with the world, so the world swallowed him up."

"I would never do that to you," He swallowed hard, feeling a lump build in his throat, "I know how damn' smart you are and I trust you with my life, our kids lives."

"Then why didn't you listen?"

"Because like Daryl says sometimes I'm a stubborn dumbass, " He said gruffly, "I know it's not an excuse, but I've seen you in pain- like earlier today in the shower and you won't talk about it, so I'm worried 'Chonne."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, tears filling her eyes, "I didn't mean to shut you out. I'm scared- and I can't be scared because I need to protect her. I can't fail her like I did Andre."

"It's okay to be scared," He comforted her and wiped away the tears that were falling from her eyes, "You never failed Andre, okay? That is not on you. Our Jolie is going to be so lucky to have you."

She smiled wide at the way his accent turned french-ish when he called their daughter "Jolie" he hadn't let it go since she told him Jolene was a variation of the french name and what it meant. Pretty. He had concluded if she had anything at all from her mother that was the perfect nickname for her.

"Just promise me you will keep her safe."

"I promise. " He leaned in to give her a light kiss, but she captured him with passion.

"I Love you too." She whispered against him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. It was very easy for them to just lose themselves in each other. He moaned at the feeling of her hands in his hair, then she moaned in return as he kissed her back. She did also giggle lightly at him because clearly her round stomach was frustrating to him as he tried to find a position that wouldn't hurt her. The kisses grew frustrated, both wanting more.

"Can you not makeout In the living room! We agreed, no making out In the living room! Jeez!"

They lifted their gazes to see Carl there, awkwardly holding his one hand over his eye.

"Sorry." Rick mumbled as he lifted himself more upwright, feeling like a teenager who was caught redhanded. He helped disholved Michonne up as well.

"Well I was going to go and sleep anyway... so goodnight..." She trailed Off awkwardly and slowly made her way to the stairs.

He followed her, keeping his hand on the small of her back, "Goodnight son."

"Goodnight."

Carl watched them disappier upstairs and smiled cheekily.