13: dinner party
"You look amazing," Rick announced, walking out of the bathroom to see his wife standing in the mirror, examining herself. She wore a long teal maxi dress that was stunning against her chocolate skin. The fabric hugged her body at all the right places, accentuating her ass and her growing cleavage. "Where'd you get that?"
She continued to study herself, unsure of how she felt about it. "Maggie and I went 'shopping' this morning in Kimberly's closet," she revealed with a shrug. "At least, I think her name is Kimberly."
"Well I'm gonna tell her thank you, because it's perfect on you."
"Not quite." She held the fabric against her stomach, trying to gauge whether it showed too much. "I look pregnant," she frowned.
He chuckled. "You are pregnant."
"Yeah, but I don't wanna look it."
He walked up behind her, resting his hands on her hips. "You don't look it." He kissed her bare shoulder and then the back of her neck. "You look amazing."
"You said that already," she smiled, resting her head against his chest. They made an attractive couple, she noticed, as she stared at their reflections. She'd never noticed before, having never stood with him in a mirror, but down to their heights and body types, they complemented each other well. "How much time do we have until this thing starts?"
"Not very long. Why?"
She began to slowly gyrate her backside against his crotch and gave him a devilish smirk. "Just wondering."
"We don't have time," he chuckled, giving her ass an affectionate smack. "Don't."
"You sure?"
His eyes closed and his grip on her hips tightened. "Seriously, we don't."
"All right, well… if you get bored at this party, you can just think of how I'm not wearing any panties. Let that sit on your mind." She then walked away to start on her makeup.
"You're cold, baby," he called after her.
"I'm quite hot, actually," she shot back from the bathroom.
He let out a hefty sigh, attempting to compose himself, and went on to find his tie. There was a knock at their bedroom door just as he completed his Windsor knot. Rick knew by the sound of the knock that it was Carl.
"Do I have to go to this?" he frowned when his dad answered the door. His blue eyes expressed every bit of boredom he expected to be at this so-called party.
"Well they're doing this for us, so yeah, I would say you need to show up."
"Why are they throwing us a party?" He walked into the room and exasperatedly plopped onto his parents' king-sized bed. "This is dumb."
"How is it any dumber than us having Christmas parties and game nights back at the prison?"
"We actually knew each other, Dad. We did that to spend time together."
"And they're doing this to welcome us to the neighborhood. It's the same thing; they'd like to get to know us."
"We didn't make anyone go to a welcome party when they came to the prison."
"Well, Carl, everybody's not gonna do the same things we do." He sat down next to his son and offered him a small smile. "Listen, it's been a week and nobody's tried to kill us. Let's just go as a show of gratitude."
He nodded, but he still didn't like it. "I need help with my tie."
"Oh, so you can tie a clove hitch, but you can't tie a tie," Rick smirked. "Go on and get it."
He hopped up energetically, off to find the tie he'd been given in his new collection of clothes. Just as quickly as he was gone, Judith came crawling into the room, having slowly followed after her big brother. They had been sharing a room until the fourth bedroom could be furnished with cribs, thereby making Carl her de facto babysitter. In turn, she followed him everywhere her little knees would carry her.
"Great job watching your sister!" Rick shouted after him sarcastically.
Michonne was retreating from the bathroom as the infant began to pass her by. "Well hi there, pumpkin," she cooed, picking her up from the floor. She was donning a brand new dress, striped in turquoise, pink, and yellow, with yellow shoes to match. "You're looking snazzy tonight, my dear."
Rick sat in awe, watching Michonne and Judith move towards him. He'd never seen her with makeup before, and it sparkled on her like the sun, stopping him in his tracks. "How the fuck did I get you to marry me?"
Her big brown eyes, trimmed in gold, narrowed at him in confusion. "What?"
"I just... can't believe you're mine."
"Well technically, I'm the one that suggested we get married."
"Yeah, yeah, all part of my plan," he grinned.
"Uh huh." She leaned in to give him a kiss as she handed over Judith.
"Oh, that's just gross," Carl made a face as he reentered their bedroom. "Get a room."
"I think we're in our room," Michonne shot back. She purposely gave Rick another kiss, longer this time, knowing it would disgust him further. "Say somethin'."
"I bet you this is a form of child abuse," he joked, shielding his eyes.
"You're lucky you weren't in here five minutes ago."
"Make it stop!" he was yelling.
"Shut up and get over here," Rick was laughing. "We need to be leavin' soon."
He handed his tie to his dad and watched while his sister crawled around the bed like a little ladybug. "So… is this gonna be our home, you think? Like, for good?"
"It's hard to say," Rick exhaled softly. "I don't want any of us gettin' too comfortable. There may be no Governor or Gareth, but there's always, always a threat looming, and I don't want us getting weak." He locked eyes with Michonne, as this was meant for her too.
"Good. Me neither," Carl replied seriously.
"But I also want you to enjoy your life, Carl. It's possible to be happy here and still be safe."
He nodded as his dad completed his knot. "I know."
"I need you to know that," he emphasized softly. "I feel like I'm always seesawing between scaring you to death and crippling you, but this life we live now? It's all about balance."
"I got it, Dad."
"All right," he grinned. "Take Judith and wait for us downstairs."
Michonne had been quietly listening to their exchange, feeling honored, as she always did, to be in on their father-son bonding. But she and Carl had their own connection, and she knew that he had something else on his mind. "Just a second there, cowboy. Why'd you ask if we're gonna be here for good?"
He stopped trying to pick up Judith and sat down between Rick and Michonne. "What do you mean?"
"I said what I mean," she mocked him. "Spill."
"Well…" His adorable 14-year-old face turned bright red as his baby blues averted the question. "I was just… thinking."
Rick was frowning as he waited for his son to speak his mind. He glanced up at Michonne and silently questioned her. "What are you doing," he mouthed to her.
She winked at him as she poked Carl's thigh. "Spit it out."
"Okay. There's this girl-."
"There it is!" she teased him excitedly. "I knew it."
"Okay. Yeah," he continued nervously. "I just thought, if we're gonna be here for a while, it would be cool if I maybe talked to her a little bit."
Rick had to stop himself from smiling uncontrollably. Carl had become so jaded, he wasn't sure he would ever experience anything close to having feelings for a girl, much less acting on them. "Who is this girl?"
"Her name's Jamie," he answered softly. "She's the other aide at the school with me."
Michonne had seen her walking home with Carl the day before. She was a cute little black girl, probably the same age as Carl, if not a little older. "She's James's daughter," she told Rick, knowing that he and her father had already shared a few laughs in passing. "She was out there smilin' at Carl when he came in the house yesterday."
"Were you watching me?" he was blushing.
"Of course I was."
"And I follow you over to the school in the mornings," Rick inserted. "So whatever move you're thinkin' about makin', just remember, we see you."
"I can't even tell whether you guys are serious," he shook his head.
"That's the point, son."
"I wonder if other people have normal parents…" It would've been the last thing in the world he actually wanted, but he liked to tease them as much as they did him.
"And what makes you think they'd want you?"
Carl stifled his laugh as he looked over at his dad. As much as he hated to admit it, he loved this side of him – playful and happy, open and available. It had been a long time since he could just sit and laugh with his family, even before the turn. It seemed that Michonne had freed his father in some strange way. He couldn't believe he was about to say it, but… "Seriously though, I'm really glad you guys are my family."
Touched, Rick pulled his kid into a headlock and kissed the top of his head roughly. "I guess we're glad to have you around, too."
"So Rick, how long is it that you've been on your own with your two kids?"
Rick looked up from his plate, a bit stunned by the question. The dinner party to welcome his group was underway, and things were going fine, but it had somehow turned into an interrogation to find out just how available their men were. Daryl and Tyreese were being questioned too, but Rick receiving the brunt of it, and he was not quite comfortable with it.
"I, um… I'm very lucky," he cleared his throat. "Everyone sitting here has helped me raise my kids since the very beginning."
"None of us are on our own," Carol confirmed with a nod, glancing over to him. She wasn't sure why he was acting so strange, but figured he probably just wasn't used to female attention anymore. "We're very close-knit."
The woman that had asked the question, Carrie, was nodding, but kept her eyes on Rick. She was an attractive woman, long blonde hair, warm hazel eyes. "That's nice." She flashed an immaculate smile his way before taking a sip of wine.
"Nothing more important than having people you can count on," Tyreese appended. "This road would've been a lot harder alone."
"Impossible," Carol agreed.
"Well we're really glad you all found us," another young woman, Olivia, joined in. "Nice to have some new, handsome faces around here."
Michonne rolled her eyes dramatically, catching Sasha snickering at her as she did. It was clear that both of them were past the point of boredom with the current conversation. "Kim, did I hear you say something about a movie night?"
Michonne had taken a liking to Kim – possibly because she was the only married woman under 40 around there. "Umm, yes," Kim glanced over to her, confused by the sudden switch. "Once a month, we do a matinee for the kids and then an evening thing for the adults. It's actually quite nice," she nodded.
"Most folks use it as a date night sorta thing," Olivia looked to Rick. "You probably haven't had time to consider dating, but now that you're in a safe space…"
"I think I'm good," he declined kindly. He smirked to himself when he felt Michonne kick his foot. "I'll keep that in mind, though."
"Oh, speaking of which," Carrie seemed to suddenly remember, "Rick, I was wondering what your favorite dish was. Or if there's anything you haven't had in a while that you'd like me to make."
He let out a laugh that he had to disguise as a cough when his wife kicked his foot a little harder this time. He wasn't sure why she was taking their inquiries out on him, but he found it funny, nonetheless. "You really don't have to do that, Carrie. I'm a very simple man, I don't need much at all."
"No, I'd really like to. You're the new sheriff here, and you take care of us, so I think it'd be nice if someone took care of you."
"I am very well taken care of," he smiled back at her. "But thank you."
"Rick, please. I hate knowing you come home to that big old house every night without a hot meal waiting for you."
Michonne had practically stomped on his foot now and that one hurt. "I couldn't ask you to do that," he croaked out.
"He likes barbecue," Michonne finally answered for him, curtly. "Spare ribs, pulled pork, brisket, mac and cheese. Not too much sauce, but it should be more tangy than sweet. Sweet tea, too, if you can swing it. Have at it." An awkward silence overtook their end of the table while everyone gazed at Michonne. "We talk about food a lot," she shrugged.
"Would you excuse us," Rick stood from his chair, signaling for Michonne to come with him. "We'll be just one…" His sentence trailed off into the air as he pulled her towards where the bathroom was located. He waited until they were out of earshot before he spoke. "We gonna do this all night?"
She frowned, unsure of what he could be referring to. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You've kicked me every time one of them says my name," he chuckled. "What's goin' on with you?"
"I want to strangle them," she answered honestly. "Amy, and Olivia, and especially that bitch, Casey."
"Carrie."
"Whatever," she waved dismissively. "That one might get my katana."
He really hated to laugh at a crazy pregnant woman, but she was not making it easy. "Baby…"
"I know how I sound, Rick, you don't have to say it."
"It's actually kind of adorable," he chuckled. "But don't be rude."
"I'm not being rude!" she whispered harshly.
"You and Sasha are about to roll your eyes out of your heads. And if I've noticed, other people probably have, too."
"Trust me, they're too far up your ass to worry about me or Sasha."
He quietly laughed at her obvious resentment. "Michonne Grimes, are you really jealous?"
She absolutely loved the sound of her full name on his lips. "Yeah, you keep laughin' at me." She smirked as she quickly ran her hand over his crotch and then held onto his belt buckle. She smiled in satisfaction when he flinched in reply. "You okay?"
"Shit," he exhaled uncomfortably. "I think we oughta get back to our seats..."
"Yeah, you're right." She purposely grazed his dick again and then turned around to head back to the table. "We can wait 'til we get home. In a few hours."
He quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her into the guest bathroom, careful not to slam the door in his fervor. He needed her then, and he didn't want to wait. He pulled her close, and she responded with a hungry kiss, smiling at the taste of him. He pulled down the front of her dress, carefully pulling her plump breasts into view as he sucked lightly at her soft nipples. She smiled at how delicate he was, despite the urgency she could feel in his groin. His cock was pressed against his zipper, causing an excited shiver to go down her spine.
Michonne pushed him onto the toilet seat and lifted her dress as he lowered his pants, both of them now naked from the waist down. She approached him with a sly smirk on her face, quickly straddling him, pleasantly surprised when his fingers brushed across her slit. He moved his hands to her ass, grunting softly as she guided him into her pussy.
She began to rock against him slowly, driving Rick crazy. "Fuck," he groaned into her skin. She moaned back in response, and he covered her mouth with his hand, realizing that silence was of the essence. The only sound in the room was their bodies, her pussy pounding against him, wanting him to be as deep inside as possible. The pleasure was becoming unbearable.
"I'm gonna scream," she breathed quietly.
"Don't," was all he could get out. He was at the edge of his own sanity.
The eruption in her core began to strike, and she slowed considerably, while Rick used his free hand to finger her clit. She bit her lip so hard, she would've sworn she drew blood, as he brought her to climax in a matter of seconds. "Jesus fuck," she hissed against his face. Her body felt like it was on fire. Before long, Rick was done for as well, unable to take any more of her slow grinding. She had a way with her hips that his mind didn't understand, but his body instinctively responded to. He came with a guttural grunt, shooting into her more forcefully than either of them were prepared for.
As the two of them recovered, he pushed her hair from her face, staring into her eyes tenderly. He didn't want her to move, he felt so comfortable and alive beneath her. "I love you," he stated softly.
She wiped at the sweat beads forming on his nose and offered a small smile. "I love you, too."
He sighed and kissed her chest one more time. "We should get back, though."
"We should." She reluctantly dismounted from her husband, letting her dress fall back into place as he pulled his pants back on. She almost couldn't believe they'd just done that with nearly 40 people sitting just a few feet away. "You're an awful influence, you know," she joked.
He stopped fixing his belt to look up at her, flabbergasted. "Me?"
"Yes, you."
"You're the one that came to this party with no panties on."
"You're the one that liked it."
He shook his head, laughing, checking his hair in the mirror before they left. Daryl had informed him that that was the main thing that always gave him away. "You ready to do this?"
She rolled her eyes at the thought of sitting with these people for another indeterminate amount of time. But none of those other women had what she had, which admittedly had her feeling a little smug. She grinned at her man and opened the bathroom door. "After you, officer."
The two of them returned to their seats as innocently as they could, which meant, of course, that they looked guilty as hell. But neither of them cared, as they goofily smiled at another as if they'd just figured out the secret to life.
"Quick announcement," Rick declared loud enough for the entire table to hear him. He pulled Michonne's hand towards him, interlocking their fingers so that they were tightly entwined. He couldn't take his eyes off of her as he made his statement. "Michonne and I are married." Amused, he watched her eyes widen in surprise, followed by a couple of gasps from those across from them. "This is my wife, and I am madly in love with her."
Michonne kept her eyes on Rick, too, understanding exactly what he was telling her. It was time to stop hiding their happiness. "And we're having a baby," she added contentedly. As it turned out, she actually had figured out the secret to life. It was in spending it with Rick Grimes.