A/N: Hey guys! Sorry there hasn't been an update sooner, been ill and had trouble with motivation but here we are! This chapter mainly focuses on Carl as I've been talking to my best friend Mrtyty2001 and he looks exactly like season 3 Carl! So here it is, dedicated to my best friend and brother!

After dropping off Carl at school, Rick went straight to number 10, his second home. He didn't even bother knocking, knowing the door would be open and she was expecting him. Michonne was in the kitchen facing away from the door with music blaring, unable to hear his entrance. Noticing his advantage, Rick quickly, yet silently sidestepped behind her, grabbing her by the waist and picking her up in the process. Although Michonne knew it was him, it amused her that he thought she had gone soft on him in the past month of them openly dating. She quickly moved her arms into a position so that she was able to tickle his armpits, recently acquiring the knowledge that the man was still ticklish after protesting it repeatedly, and started to move her fingers until he put her down. She then put her arms out to gesture a hug, but as soon as they met, moved her leg behind his as to put him off balance and gave a gentle push to watch him tumble to the floor in shock.

"Well that wasn't very nice was it?" Rick mused in a playful tone, yet trying to sound sincere. Michonne looked back at him with a smile as she stepped over him towards the radio, failing to notice his hand moving towards her ankle. A swift tug later and Michonne fell in an almost elegant manner, her fall being cushioned by Rick's chest as he prevented her from falling onto the wooden floor. The two stayed there; staring at each other, as if they were only seeing each other for the first time again. Rick was the first to make a move and captured her lips into a kiss. Michonne quickly realised that kiss and deepened it, hoping to continue their time together like this. They stayed on the floor, content in each others presence for what felt like forever, but still not long enough when they were interrupted by the sound of Rick's phone in his pocket. The two sighed simultaneously as Rick contemplated ignoring the call, but by the fourth ring the mood was lost. With a sorry look in his eyes, he answered the phone in an agitated tone.

"Hello...Yes this is Mr. Grimes...What?...Carl?...Yes, of course, I'll be there as soon as I can...Goodbye" Michonne looked at him in confusion and he furrowed his brow and massaged the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb.

"What's up?"

"It's Carl, he was in a fight today with one of the other kids at school. They want me to come in and have a meeting with the head teacher." The disappointment was evident in his voice; at Carl and the fact that his day would be spent at a secondary school, not with the woman he loved.

"Carl? In a fight? That really doesn't sound like him, Rick. Someone must have really pissed him off for him to resort to violence."

"I know... I'm sorry Chonne. I really wanted to spend the day with you, but I gotta sort this out."

"It's okay, Carl comes first, he probably needs someone on his side at the moment."

"I need you by my side." Rick paused to think for a moment as he looked into her big brown eyes. "Come with me. You're always there for Carl, especially when I can't be. You're such an amazing influence on him and he already sees you more as a mother then Lori ever was to him." Michonne was bashful at the insinuation. She loved Carl as if her were her own. He was just how she imagined her child would be if she ever had one and the idea that he felt the same filled her with an unexplained joy.

"Yeah, sure, of course. You sure the school will be okay with it? I mean, we've only been together for a few months, public for even less."

"Sod what they think. I love you and so does Carl, we're family. That's all that matters to me." The statement was enough to silence Michonne, in awe of this man in front of her. All she could do was agree and follow, now even more attracted to the alpha male side of her boyfriend, if that were possible.

They arrived at the school within the hour and signed in at the reception; waiting for the headmaster to see them. Michonne lay a reassuring hand on Rick's knee and immediately felt his muscles relax.

"It's okay. I promise. I'm sure he had reason; he's a good kid and you're a good Dad." Rick said nothing as he looked back at her, mentally thanking her; the two not needing words to communicate. Their silent conversation was interrupted by the sound of Carl's footsteps ahead of them. They changed the direction of their view simultaneously towards the teenager. He was bruised deeply all over his face. A small break in the skin was over his left cheekbone and his right eye was obviously swollen and black, yet covered by a white bandage.

"Oh my God, Carl! Are you okay?!" Rick ran up to his son, checking him over for any further damage; Michonne close behind- not wanting to overstep her bounds.

"Dad, chill. I'm okay. Mr Horvath just told me to send you in." Carl never took his eyes off the ground, ashamed of having his Father called in. Rick simply nodded, reached for Michonne's hand and followed his son into the office.

"Sherriff, thank you for coming. Oh hello, Miss?"

"Royce." The man stuck out a hand that Rick and then Michonne shook.

"So as you know, Carl was in a rather vicious fight today with another boy in his class, Ron Anderson. From what we understand, it was Ron who started it with some incredibly offensive an prejudice comments about your partner, Sherriff."

The couple looked over at each other, surprised it took this long for a comment to be made about their relationship. Although times were quickly changing; there were still people in the deep south who had outdated views on interracial couples. However, it wasn't surprised of who made the comments. Rick had received many domestic disturbance calls from neighbours, worried about the Anderson family. Ron's Father was an angry, racist drunk and apparently the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

"I wasn't just gonna stand there and let him get away with it! It's just wrong! Even if it wasn't about Michonne; some people just need to learn a lesson in common decency!" The reddening of his cheeks inspiring a feeling of pride for her surrogate son. She reached out an arm and pulled him into a tight hug; tears forming in both their eyes.

"Ahem" The Head Master coughed to separate the two and continue with the meeting. "Although Carl here was the lesser of two evils, violence is violence and we have to suspend him, not as long as Ron but we cant be seen as weak here."

"That's understandable, Mr Horvath, and don't worry, the suspension won't be the only punishment my son." Carl looked up at his Father with a look of shame and took his turn to follow them outside of the office and return home.

The three walked to the car in silence as Carl shuffled into the back seat and the couple in the front. As they pulled out of the school parking lot, Rick was the first one to break the silence. "You did a good thing. Just not in the right way." Carl was relieved to hear his Father's voice and instantly looked to Michonne for her opinion.

"Thank you Carl. You're a good man, just like your Father, but this doesn't mean you're not grounded for the week. You're gonna have to help me clean my house if you're gonna be home for the next two weeks." As she turned round and delivered the statement she gave him a quick wink, hidden from Rick's view, focussed on the road.

"Of course, Chonne, you're one of us, you're family."