A special treat. Read till the end.

Michonne and Jake finally made it back to Alexandria, the day was close to coming to an end and Michonne was more than ready to get some sleep. She had seen Carl and the others leave Alexandria and followed them soon after, by the time she made it to them they were being attacked by a small herd. Michonne's first instinct was to protect each and everyone of them and she did.

Before Michonne headed to her house she had to make a stop to see Rick and tell him what Carl did. Michonne felt in some way she had an obligation to do so, she would want him to do the same. In the short time of knowing Carl she had already formed an attachment towards him, she saw Andre in him.

Michonne knocked on the door, where she was greeted none other than Carol. There previous meetings only prepared her for what to expect from this woman.

"I'm here for Rick." Carol always had her poker face, but Michonne noticed the small twitch at the mention of Rick's name.

"He's busy at the moment, I'll tell him you stopped by," Carol was about to close the door before she felt a presence behind her keep the door open. She turned around to see Rick.

"Hey Michonne," Rick gave a small smile as he said her name. "You needed to talk to me?" Rick said with his accent. Rick just looked at Carol as to move out of the way. Carol got the hint and left, she was none to pleased.

"Hey Rick…" Michonne stepped to the side, so they could both talk on the porch. "It's about Carl." Rick seemed concerned.

"What is it?" Carl was inside of the house so he knew not something too bad happened.

"Carl and a couple of other kids snuck out of Alexandria earlier today, I followed after them and by the time a reached them they were being attacked by a few walkers." Michonne said. Rick took a breath as to calm himself.

"Thank you for telling me," Rick needed to digest this, if something had happened to Carl he would have been devastated.

"You're welcome," Michonne said in her soft spoken voice. Rick and Michonne stood there looking at each other, something that they have done since meeting. After a few moment Michonne spoke again, "I need to get going, all I'm seeing now is a bath in the near future," Michonne tried to joke a bit, she was unnerved when Rick didn't laugh, but his stare only intensified. "Rick are you ok…"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good, uh...I'll see you later," Michonne nodded as to agree, she turned around and left. Rick watched her leave, he needed to get that mental image out of his head and deal with his son soon.

Jake sat in his room in complete darkness. He knew his time was coming to an end. That in a few hours the world as he knows it will be seen through the eyes of someone that isn't him. He gulped, not knowing how to process it. He would be leaving behind everyone he loves.

Jake avoided his mother as he came into the house, out of respect Michonne hadn't told her yet, but in the end it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Jake couldn't even muster the courage to tell her that he is dying. Jake got up from his bed and walked into the bathroom. Jake closed his eyes before turning on the bathroom light, he wanted to see what he looked like in his own time.

1….2….3…

Jake opened his eyes. He was pale as a ghost. His eyes was bloodshot red. Sweat was forming on the top of his brow. A stream of tears fell down the side of his face. "This is it." Wiping the tears from his face, he went back to his bed...accepting his death.

A few hours passed before Jake mother, Eliza, came up to Jake's room. She had not talked to him since this morning. They would usually have there daily discussions everyday, this was actually the highlight of her day. Jake is what kept her sane in a world like this.

"Jake sweetie," Eliza knocked on his door, " Jake. Open up. Don't you want to know about what I snagged from the pantry today?" Eliza said smiling, she got a few chocolate bars for them to share.

A few more moments passed. Now she was nervous, the smile she previously had on her face dissipated. "Jake I'm coming in!" Eliza opened the door slowly, nothing but darkness. "Jake are you in here…" Eliza felt uneasy now, she reached for the light. The room appeared to be empty, Jake must have left again was all she thought, as Eliza turned to leave he felt the something take a chunk out of the back of her neck.

"AAAAAH!" Eliza felt the blood gushing out of her neck. She turned around to this Jake, but this time he was not her son, but a monster. Eliza tried to back up from the room but the Jake was still charging at her. Eliza cried as she looked into his eyes. "Jake please stop!" She said through weeps. Eliza used one hand to fight him off and the other to cover her neck.

Eventually, she was backed up to the staircase and could feel herself slipping, "HEEEEELLLP!" Eliza screamed as her and Jake fell down the steps. They both went tumbling down, cracking of bones could be heard miles away. Eliza began crawling for the door, she looked back to see her bone sticking out of her leg. Jake was struggling to get up but his growls could be heard.

"HEEEEELLP!" Eliza screamed again. She knew she was a lost cause but wouldn't give up yet. Jake made his way towards her now, Eliza didn't have another calling cry, the blood from both her neck and leg had started to make her faint.

An arrow came out of nowhere and shot Jake right in the head, Eliza looked up to see one of the members of the new group standing there with a crossbow.

More residents of Alexandria came rushing into the screams could be heard from the ones who had not been exposed to this type of world. A trail of blood could be seen from the doorsteps to the stairs. The new residents were numb to this.

"What happened!" Deanna came barging in. She looked around, "SOMEONE ANSWER ME!" she barked out. No one responded, it was a mystery to mostly everyone.

"Jake must have gotten bit…" Kelly looked at despondent, she knew something had to have happened to him, when he didn't come to her house after he gotten back.

"What did you say…" Eliza asked. Some of the members of Alexandria were tending to her wounds, but they knew she was dying.

"Jake was bit, we went out of Alexandria today trying to practice killing the roamers…. There were too many of them… they must have bitten him then…" Kelly said through weeps.

Eliza was too weak to respond, but the guilt she felt for not watching Jake was self evident in her face.

Deanna was in shock of what she heard. "Everyone leave," Deanna searched for Michonne and Maggie, who had both just arrived. "Michonne, Maggie you stay." Everyone began to exit, except for Rick, Michonne and Maggie. "I said everyone leave."

"I'm not goin anywhere." Rick son was in part to blame for this and he needed to be here, he felt guilt for putting this mother in this situation as she was about to die.

"Leave." Deanna was in no mood at the moment.

"Deanna let him stay." Michonne said, she knew Rick felt in someway guilty for the events of the night. "Carl was with them." Was all she said to get Deanna to understand. Maggie was over at Eliza talking to her as she struggled to stay alive.

Deanna crossed her arms over her chest, "So you know what happened?" Deanna asked Michonne. Michonne nodded and went on to explain what she told Rick.

"In all of that I hadn't even checked to see if Jake was actually bit." Michonne scolded herself.

Deanna listened intently, "I think you and Rick need to start work as soon as tomorrow, we cannot afford to have something like this happen again." She turned to Rick, "You see how this will look if people figure out it was your son who was out there with Jake when it all happened, the people here are already skeptical of all of you, please don't give them any reason to add on to there suspension." Rick nodded his head to that.

"I think she's about to go…" Maggie said, she was holding on to Eliza's hand. She hated this for her, losing people was always hard for her and seeing a mother die after losing her son didn't make it any better, Rick and Michonne came to the her side.

Michonne looked at Rick and could see how he was truly hurt. The arrogance was gone, she saw a man who hurt for a woman who lost her son. She knew what he was feeling because she felt the same. "It's not your fault," Michonne said as she put a hand on his back.

"I just-"

"Rick it's not your fault," Michonne said softly. Maggie listened closely to there conversation as she still tended to Eliza. Michonne was what Rick needed, Maggie figured it out at that point. From there first time meeting the connection had been evident, she got Rick to come all the way to Alexandria. Michonne calmed Rick whenever she was in his presence, and she was doing it again at this moment.

"Thank you." That was the second time he said that to her today. She really was special. Michonne was still rubbing his back, and he felt his body ease. "I'm sorry, for what happened," Rick said to Eliza, she didn't respond. Rick put his hand over his face and got up to leave.

It was the next morning in Alexandria. Carol, Rick, Daryl and Glenn, were all meeting to discuss the repercussions of last night.

"What happened last night after we left?" Carol asked. Rick stood at the end of the balcony looking out at the rest of Alexandria. He thought much of last night. From seeing a family die, to opening his emotions to Michonne.

"Nothin' Deanna just wanted to know what happened," Rick said

"So what happened?" Carol came towards Rick.

"He was bit, when Carl and some of the other kids snuck out." Rick stated. He still needed to talk to Carl, who had been avoiding him.

"Well, what did she want with Michonne?" Carol asked.

"She was just there, just like Maggie. Deanna trust Michonne." Glenn cut in, Maggie had talked to him last night about this. Carol didn't seem convinced.

"Right, well Mi-"

"Stop. Talking. About. Her." Rick bit out. He was tired of Carol plotting against Michonne. "If things come to it to where we have to overrun this place then we will, but Michonne will not be apart of your fucking plot!" Rick glared at her with a look that will kill.

"Rick-" Carol was cut off again.

"I don't wanna hear it." his southern drawl came snarling out. He turned to face Carol finally. Daryl got up from where he was at.

"Both of you chill out." Daryl interjected and stood between the two. Rick gave Carol one more glare before he went back into the house.

"You see what I am saying! Rick isn't in the right state of mind and he has not been for a long while. If the worst comes down to it, some changes are going to have to be made." Carol was done horsing around.

Daryl now was seeing where she was coming from. Michonne had gotten to him good, and he knew his emotions could cloud his judgement. "Yeah, you're right."

Glenn could feel things going to hell.

"OPEN THE GATES!" Tobin yelled down. A blue minivan was coming up to the gates.

Damien and Heath were coming back from there run. They had not found much this time like many others. Both were the two best hunters from Alexandria therefore, they did all the heavy weight.

"I'm ready to get some sleep in that damn bed, boy" Heath said. Him and Damien were some of the only few black people left in Alexandria so there was a connection there.

"Man, who you tellin'" Damien was just as tired as Heath was maybe a bit more so, doing more of the heavy lifting.

"Who is that." Heath was tapping on Damien shoulder before he noticed a dark-skinned chick with dreads, she looked pretty from behind. Damien hopped out the van, and began jogging towards her.

"Hey! You going to leave me like that!" Heath screamed out.

"Hey there," Damien made it behind the lady, she turned around to look at him, "Nice to meet you, I'm Damien," He was caught off guard by how beautiful she looked. He extended his hands, "and what's yours?"

Michonne just looked at the man. He reminded her so much of Mike it was terrifying, "Michonne," she gulped. She had to have been seeing a ghost. She didn't even notice his hand extended.

"Beautiful name, for a gorgeous lady." Damien put his hand down ignoring she didn't shake it. She continued to stare. "I've never seen you around here before." Damien tried to keep up the conversation.

"I just got here a few days ago," Michonne tried to get over the striking resemblance to her ex-lover.

"Did anyone else come with you?"

"Yeah a whole group actually," Michonne replied.

"Any husbands, boyfriends..:" Damien tried to slip that in.

"No," Michonne said light heartedly, he didn't have any game.

"Well are you looking for any anyone, I know this guy who is a bit over 6 feet tall, dark, very handsome face." Damien showed his pearly whites.

"Nice try, your cute though." Michonne begun walking again. She didn't have time for love.

"You think I'm cute," Damien was following her.

"Damien, I'm not in the right place at the moment." Michonne said.

"Well good thing, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," Damien stopped walking with her, "Call me when you're ready," he said out loud.

Michonne shook her head and kept walking. She was headed back to her place to get ready for constable duties, then to make a stop at Deanna's house.

"Mom, you sure we should trust these people," Aiden and his brother were in Deanna's office "Look at what happened last night, if this trend continues there may not being much of us left." Spencer nodded his head in agreement

"And what do you know about last night?" Deanna questioned.

"Ron came up to us, and told us that Rick's son Carl basically forced them out there to kill those roamers, and it makes sense," Spencer said.

"There are three sides to every story, I have told you this all of your life. Do not be so quick to jump to conclusions." Deanna pointed out

"Mom, we at least have to be cautious of these people, they are practically feral animals." Aiden said.

"Well maybe you should tell one of them that right now." Deanna pointed behind to see Maggie at the door. Aiden and Spencer were embarrassed.

"Yeah. you should say it to me next time." Maggie came in and sat at the seat directly across from Deanna. "If you two would excuse us me and your mother have important business to discuss.

"You heard the lady! Get." Deanna led them to the door. "Now Maggie, we have some important things to discuss, just waiting on Michonne to get here." Deanna sat down now, "What do you think of Michonne?"

"Me?" Deanna shook her head in response, " I think she is a great addition to Alexandria-"

"Let me be more specific, what do you think of Rick and Michonne? I know you saw there interaction last night," Deanna was curious, she didn't want to believe that she was the only one who caught on to last night's events.

"Oh that's what you are talking about, in my honest opinion, there is an undeniable connection they get each other."

"Right I know you are thinking something else?" Deanna wanted to know if Maggie sees what she really see's.

"What you think that-" Maggie was cut off.

"Michonne!" Deanna stood to her feet and greeted her, "How have you been since last night," Deanna looked at Maggie and gave her a wink. Maggie let out a light chuckle.

"Am I missing something…" Michonne was confused.

"No no, have a seat, now after what took place last night I think we need to have a community get together, a party here tomorrow night to lift the spirits up," Deanna spoke.

"That actually sounds like a good idea, we need to acquaint ourselves with everyone sooner than later." Maggie said

"I agree, I feel there may be bad blood boiling, this should be good." Michonne said

"Great I'll get the word out and we can do this thing."

"You dumb bitch!" Pete was fuming as he was talking to Jessie, "Ron almost died because of that damn kid."

"Pete calm down." Jessie said, her and Pete were in the the kitchen arguing over something again.

"No! Next time watch the damn kids like a good fucking mother!" Now that hurt Jessie, all she wanted to be was good to her kids and to be questioned of that hurt. She knew that he was drunk and he didn't mean it but it still hurt.

"Pete you don't mean that." Jessie tried to approach her, but was met with a back hand to the face.

"Yes I fucking did now leave me alone." Pete grabbed his bottle of scotch and went back to his nightly spot outside on the porch.

"Carl…" Rick found him outside, "we need to talk.

"I know." Carl was dreading this conversation all day.

"You knew better than to be out there without telling anyone," Rick began to chide him.

"Dad I can take care of myself, you don't need to watch me." Carl tried to explain himself.

"No Carl, you are still my kid and if something was to happen to you I wouldn't know what do," Rick was getting emotional the thought of losing Carl was enough to make him go insane.

"Dad, you have to trust me, I promise I won't get hurt, just trust me." Carl basically pleaded. "I love you." Carl hugged Rick.

"I love you too Carl, just tell me when you do something like that again." Rick held him tighter.

"What about Michonne, I think she is still mad at me." Carl was worried he damaged his relationship with his Michonne, "you should have seen the way she looked at me out there," Carl gulped at the thought of that.

Rick laughed, "I don't think you have to worry about that," Rick said. When Michonne had came to him earlier she seemed genuinely concerned about Carl.

"You sure?" Carl was as confident as his dad.

"Yes I am, how about we go over there and you can apologize yourself?" Rick offered as a solution.

"Okay" Carl said with a smile.

Carol sat in her room alone. She knew things in Alexandria would go to hell, nothing in a world like this lasted. She wanted to protect her family at all cost and it became harder by the day with Rick falling in love with Michonne.

She feared Michonne more than anything, having the ear of Rick was practically having control of everyone in their family unit, and with that Michonne needed to be dealt with. Back at the barn Carol should have let Daryl shoot her when he had the chance and all of this would have been avoided.

This place at least would have been theirs, and her not having to live under the thumb of Deanna, someone who most likely doesn't know how to shoot a gun. Carol wouldn't have to wear this fake get up, and walk around giving out stale cookies. The more she thought about it the more mad she got.

If Rick couldn't see straight, maybe he shouldn't be the leader for much longer.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Michonne opened the door to see Carl and Rick at her door, this was a pleasant surprise. "What are you two doing here it's late." Michonne leaned against her door, her hair was pinned up in a ponytail, and wore a slim tank top.

"Carl wanted to say something to you," Rick averted his eyes a bit and pushed Carl forward.

"I'm sorry Michonne. It was stupid of me to go out there and really don't want you to be mad at me." Carl looked down after saying that.

Michonne sighed, "Come in," Michonne instructed. Both Rick and Carl followed her into the living room, they all sat. "Carl I just want you to be careful, this world is a dangerous place now, and there is no need to put yourself into it if you don't have to," Michonne stated.

"Yeah my dad just said that to me not that long ago," Carl looked at Rick.

"Well your dad is a smart man then," Michonne gave a small smile to the both of them, "your dad has your best interest at heart you would be wise to listen to the old man once in awhile." Carl and Michonne began laughing,

"I guess you are right." Carl looked at his dad again who just continued to stare at Michonne. "I should get going, Judith is probably looking for me." Carl got up as did Rick, "NO! I mean no dad you and Michonne need to discuss things about work or something right." Rick was confused.

"I actually do need to talk to your dad," Michonne said. "We can walk out with you and just talk outside."

Michonne and Rick were now alone on the front porch, "So what did you need to talk about?" Rick was hesitant to ask. "Is it really about work?"

"Look at the stars," Michonne ignored Rick's question. She had been watching the sky since getting out here, she took a deep breath, "they look so beautiful. Like they are actually at peace."

Rick looked up, he hadn't paid attention to the sky for a while to busy trying to survive. "Yeah it is beautiful," Rick now let out a breath.

"One day I hope to see a world as peaceful as the stars above," Michonne was letting Rick into her inner thoughts now, "But that doesn't seem possible in this, so I just take moments like these to just feel that feeling even if it's for a few minutes."

"These moments are few if any at that," Rick hated being the pessimist.

"I know, that's the reason I want this to work, this place affords us these moments," Rick now looked at Michonne. She was opening up to him even if it was for a bit. "So why do anything to jeopardize that,"

"I'm not." Rick tried to defend himself.

"But you are," Michonne turned to Rick, she put her hand on the "M" of her necklace, "Make this place work Rick,"

Rick stepped closer to Michonne, they were now in the same orbit, the height difference became more obvious, "Why are you saying this?"" Rick asked.

"You're people I know that they are planning something, I can feel it," Michonne said, "Tell me I'm wrong Rick?"

Rick just looked at her, he couldn't lie or hold a poker face. "Right now it's just an idea, no one has a plan to do anything to this place yet."

"What about you, what do you think?" Michonne pressed his chest with her finger as she asked. She looked right into the depths of his eyes. Last night she saw the humanity, the father, a man she could grow to care for. That's why she is even deciding to have this conversation with him.

"I don't know, I just want my family safe," I want you safe.

"I understand, I just hope you make the right decision." Michonne closed her eyes and let out a breath, the next thing she felt was a warm pair of lips press against the top of her head. A wave of electricity ran through her body and her breathing stopped. She didn't open her eyes again until he left but heard for the third time in the last 24 hours….

"Thank you."

Tell me what you think!

How do you feel about Rick and Michonne's relationship? Will Damien be a problem?