Tangled and Dark Chapter 2
Early the next morning, Michonne opened her eyes and found Rick lying beside her smiling.
"Mornin'," he said sleepily.
"How'd you sleep?" Michonne asked slipping from the bed.
Rick swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, watching Michonne scurry around the bedroom gathering clothes.
"I slept fine. Hey- slow down. Talk to me," he said reaching out to her.
Michonne let out a long sigh and sat next to Rick on the bed. They looked at one another in silence, searching for words as they sat holding hands.
"This is new, "Michonne said finally.
"Yeah, it is."
Michonne flopped back on the bed, suppressing the urge to run out the room to avoid talking to him. She stared at the ceiling for a long time, the only sound in the room, their breathing. Rick looked down at her, brushing her dreadlocks away from her face.
"You back for good?"
Michonne turned on her side to face Rick, who lay next to her.
"Yes. For good."
Moving closer to her, Rick took Michonne's face in his hands and kissed her.
"Good. I'm in no shape to go after you."
Michonne beamed at Rick and cuddled closer to him. It seemed natural for them to get back under the covers and kiss like excited teenagers, forgetting about any responsibilities for a brief time; enjoying and invested in the moment.
"How did this happen?"Michonne wondered aloud as she pulled away gently.
"You stood there at the fence with the baby formula; you were like an apparition. That's why I took so long to react. I really thought I was imagining you." Rick answered pulling her arms around him.
"Really?"
"Yep. As you know, I wasn't in a great place mentally; not sure if I'm 100% now." Rick laughed.
"I just thought you were mistrustful; with every right, but I didn't know I was your dream girl," Michonne teased. She held him tight. "I wasn't in perfect working order either, but when you got me inside the prison and I got a look at you and sensed who you were…"
"You knew that you had to have me, yes I get that a lot," Rick joked.
"Hey, I'm serious – I knew in my gut that you were a decent man and I didn't want to be too far from that energy. It had been a long time coming, y'know? Before I met Andrea I had been traveling with…" her voice trailed off and she pulled away from Rick, sitting up suddenly.
"You don't have to talk about it, right now. Hey, I was talking to my dead wife and friends on a telephone that didn't work, so believe me I…"
"It's not that; Rick those walker pets of mine? They were my boyfriend and his best friend. I let them turn."
Rick stared at her, processing the information. He had known there was a story behind the walkers she used for camouflage but he had no idea they were related to her. He wasn't repulsed; on some level he understood the self-inflicted misery; he understood that she had to bear that pain for a time because she had been powerless to change the circumstances.
As Michonne shared with him the horror of losing her child, he felt nothing but empathy and his love for her grew deeper. He pulled her back to him and kissed her.
"I promise I won't let you down. All I can do is try, Michonne."
"That's all I can promise you, too. I'm all in. Just never lie to me. If this thing runs its course, let me know," Michonne said earnestly. "I need honesty."
Trying to lighten the mood, Rick said "Okay, I honestly don't want you to ever wear an oversized man's shirt again."
"I cannot promise that."
Later downstairs, Carl and Rick sat at the kitchen table eating dry cereal when Michonne joined them wearing a large man's shirt, which caused Carl to break out into a fit of laughter.
"You know I make this look good," she said as she tweaked with the shirt until it took on a new life on her slim frame.
"Actually, it looks okay now that you tied it like that." Carl said catching his breath.
"Mm-hm. That's what I thought. You ready to check out the neighborhood with me? I definitely think we could use some provisions."
"Let me find a shirt and I'll go with you, "Rick said standing.
"Why don't you hold down the fort until we get back?" Michonne answered.
"I'm fine, Michonne," Rick said putting his bowl in the sink.
"Maybe so, but another day of rest couldn't hurt, right?" Michonne and Rick exchanged a look and he shrugged his assent.
"Alright, but be careful."
As Carl and Michonne walked slowly down the street, Rick watched marveling at how things had shifted so drastically in the past few days. They'd become complacent living at the prison, adjusting to their little community of survivors and briefly, stupidly feeling comfortable; this had been their downfall ultimately; relative happiness and the resulting return to normalcy in an otherwise insane world. Rick vowed to never let that happen again, should this new adventure reap the benefits of some degree of normality. He wasn't certain that Judith was dead, but he couldn't give Carl that kind of hope just yet, even with Michonne back in the family and their burgeoning romance. No one was promised the next day; they were all well-aware of that sad fact.
Returning back inside, Rick shoved the couch back in place and sat down, closing his eyes.
Michonne came down the stairs dressed in a short summer dress, her hair pulled up into a chignon and a broad smile breaking across her face.
"Well?" she asked twirling for him.
"Wow," Rick said admiringly as he took in the full effect of her transformation.
The indigo dress illuminated Michonne's smooth dark skin and Rick couldn't help but want to pull her close and nuzzle her neck.
They danced without music, Michonne's head on Rick's shoulder, his arms pulling her tighter against his chest. Michonne reached up to stroke his face and she pouted just a little.
"I want to know what you look like without all that, "she whispered smiling up at him.
"It's the only mystery I've got, "Rick countered, pulling away from her to look her in the eye."It's not going anywhere any time soon. I've gotten used to it."
"We'll see." Michonne smiled kissing him and slowly dematerializing.
Rick turned around, confused, looking for her; suddenly she reappeared dressed as usual; her katana at her side.
"Let's go!" she urged.
"What are you talking abou...?"
Michonne grabbed Rick's hand and placed a gun in it.
"You're our leader, so lead!"
"Michonne…" Rick pulled her to him in an embrace from which Michonne wrested herself.
"They're in danger, c'mon!" Michonne pulled Rick along with her and they ran through an endless series of corridors, the sound of a baby's cry growing fainter and fainter.
They fought walkers nearly every step of the way, growing weary. Rick followed Michonne breathlessly, leaning against a wall momentarily.
"You've got to fight with me!"
Just as Michonne said that a walker approached her from behind, his mouth wide as he came closer about to bite her neck.
"Michonne!"
Rick woke up sweating and disoriented. How long had he been asleep? What time was it?
His mouth was dry, so Rick walked to the kitchen for water. As he stood by the window draining what was left in the bottle, he saw a group of walkers approaching the house.
Instantly, he ducked down so they wouldn't see him and sped around the house securing the doors and windows.
Rick found a fireplace poker and stood near the kitchen window waiting for the walkers to close the short distance between the back yard and the back door. He held his breath as the group of walkers ambled past the house.
He ran to the front window and peered out. Carl and Michonne encountered the walkers and dispatched them deftly and walked to the porch. Rick moved the couch and let them in. He was breathing heavily when they entered the room.
"You okay?" Carl asked dropping his bag on the floor.
"Yeah, I'm fine. How long were you gone?" Rick asked distractedly. He looked at Michonne who seemed fine, but he couldn't shake his nightmare.
Michonne stood with her bag on her shoulder and watched Rick in silence then walked to the kitchen. When she returned she sat next to Rick on the sofa.
"Bad dream?" she asked. There was no judgment in her voice; she just asked the question with the same tone one would use when inquiring about the weather.
Rick nodded, closing his eyes.
"It's just a dream." Michonne said rubbing his back.
Carl watched as the two people closest to him spoke and asked his father if he was hungry. Receiving a mute nod in reply, Carl slipped to the kitchen to rustle up something for them to eat.
Michonne sat next to Rick, leaning back and staring straight ahead. She was exhausted but she wouldn't let him know that. Slipping her hand into his she said, "Maybe we need a change of scenery."
Rick leaned back and looked at her chuckling, "What do you suggest? Disney World?"
Michonne laughed saying, "Can you imagine Disney World filled with walkers?"
Carl entered the room with opened cans of the odds and ends they'd found on their latest run and spoons.
"Disney World?" he asked smiling and handing his father a can.
"Now I can't get that picture out of my head, "Rick laughed shaking his head.
Carl smiled at them and ate his canned pork and beans in silence.
"We've still got to find the others before we do that, "Carl said chewing slowly.
"We'll find 'em. It's just a matter of time." Rick said, for once believing what he said.
"We saw an Explorer at the last house we searched, but didn't take the time to check it. You wanna go back tomorrow?" Carl asked.
Rick leaned forward and picked up an open can of garbanzo beans. "Sounds like a plan."
They ate in silence for a time, each of them thinking about the fate of their friends until Michonne said "Hey, I've got a surprise for you."
She walked to the kitchen and came back with two cans of fruit cocktail and spoons.
"Ta da! Dessert!"
"You really have a sweet tooth, don't you?" Rick commented declining her offer of the first spoonful of fruit from the can she held out to him.
"Yes, sir I do. However, I don't go around eating one hundred and…"
"Hey!" Carl complained, stopping her before she could finish.
Michonne reached into her back pocket and produced a deck of playing cards.
"Who's up for a game of crazy eights?"
They played into the night, laughing and forgetting their troubles. Carl let out a long yawn and stretched.
"I think I'm going to bed, "he said, picking up a candle and going upstairs.
"Goodnight, son," Rick said still playing cards with Michonne.
"Goodnight. Hey- don't' think you won that volleyball game."
Carl walked up a few stairs and looked back at his father and his best friend laughing and trading insults as they played cards. He shook his head and made for the bedroom, where he fell asleep with a contented sigh.
"How could you change it to hearts? I was almost out!"
"I'm crafty, Grimes."
"I think Carl slipped you that eight before he went to bed!"
"Don't be a sore loser."
"You haven't won yet, woman. When I win…"
"Pigs will fly, buddy!" Michonne laughed tossing down a card. "Only one card left."
Rick frowned at her and said, "I still have a chance, don't count me out yet" and threw down an eight. "Let me see now…let's make it diamonds"
Michonne looked up at him with a pout as she picked up a card from the pile, "Despicable move."
"I've been saving that one. So, as I was saying, when I win, you'll have a penalty."
Rick's eyes twinkled as he proceeded to provide her with a list of possible penalties.
"One: you will have to declare me the King of Crazy Eights."
Michonne shook her head in the negative.
"Okay…two: you have to tell Carl that I am the King of Crazy Eights."
"Rick, that's the same as the first one, really."
"Awright…when I win you have to do anything I ask."
Michonne snorted derisively before asking, "What if I win?"
"Same stakes."
"Uh-uh. I get to shave that beard."
Rick sat stroking his beard, thinking.
"I don't know, Michonne…"
"Ya chicken?" Michonne picked up a card from the deck and slapped it on the table. It was an eight. "Let's change it to…spades."
"Okay, I will concede the win to you."
Michonne jumped up with a laugh and did a happy dance.
"Finally!"
After heating water on the stove and preparing the shaving kit, Michonne ushered Rick into the dining room and pushed him down on the chair.
She draped a towel over his shoulders and gently placed a warm towel on his face. Rick let out a groan of pleasure.
"Mmm…feels good, "he sighed, relaxing. "This might not be so bad after all."
Michonne sat across from him on a dining room chair and spoke.
"It's been a long time since someone's taken care of you, hasn't it?"
Rick removed the towel from his face and sat up straight, staring at the woman he trusted with his life.
"Why do you say that?"
Michonne stood and picked up a pair of small scissors and began to trim his beard.
"Y'know, I kind of like the beard now that I'm up close…maybe just clean it up a bit, yeah?"
She moved closer for accuracy, gently tilting his head. Reaching over him for the shaving cream, she lost her balance and fell on his lap. Rick wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, gently parting her lips with his tongue.
"Maybe later," was all that he said.
