A/N: Here is Chapter 14. Richonne has arrived back at the ASZ but it seems Carl, Luna, and Ila may have caused some problems. Let see what happened and how the family handles it.

After a hearty breakfast and heartfelt goodbyes Michonne, Rick and Noah began the trip back to Alexandria. Sierra and Colton remained at the Kingdom but would return with the groups of specialist from the Kingdom. The trip back to the ASZ was peaceful except for the constant chatter of Noah from the back. Michonne stole glances at Rick as he drove them back. The light of the midday sun shining into the van giving a youthful glow to his features. Rick would sneak small caresses of her leg once Noah dozed off to sleep.

"So how do you want to handle this once we get back?"

"Handle what…oh…" she thought about the question but did not have an answer. They weren't together as a couple well not that she could see and there was still a lot of unknown things about him that she wanted to learn about before jumping into anything.

"Well, I think we should keep getting to know each other. Take it slow. This morning was great but I don't want to ruin something good by being careless and blind. So if we could..."

"Take it slow," he repeated cautiously as he peered at her. His hands opening and closing around the steering wheel nervously.

"Yes… I know that may not be the answer you were looking for.."

"No… it's exactly what I was looking for. I don't want to rush things with you either. I want to get to know you in every possible way," Rick removing his right hand from the steering wheel he grasped hers and brought it towards his lips placing a soft kiss on her knuckles. "It was different with Carl's mother we were high school sweethearts so we did the typical thing that was expected, we rushed into marriage and family life but all of that time together we never really knew each other. If that makes sense."

Michonne nodded her head as he continued to speak.

"Near the end, I didn't know her and she didn't know me. We were like two strangers sharing a house but we were only together for the sake of Carl," he releases her hand and places it back on the steering wheel. "I don't want to live my last days on this earth struggling to love someone else."

Michonne smiled to herself as she turned to peer out the passenger window watching the changing landscape as they made their way back to ASZ. Her heart was racing at the thought of getting to know Rick better and not rushing things. The sex was amazing but you can't just live off of that alone. "So when are you taking me out for our first date?"

Rick eyebrows raised as he glanced at her "First date… I think we are past that point … don't you think?" he questioned a half smile on his face.

"Maybe, but you can still woo me."

"Oh, I will definitely try."

Arriving back to ASZ Rick parked the van inside the front gate. They were greeted by Abraham and Sasha who were on watch at the moment. As Rick was giving the shorten version of the success of their visit to the Kingdom out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jessie Anderson running towards the group her eyes wide and her blonde hair flying all around her.

"Oh thank god you are back Rick," breathlessly she breathed out her eyes slightly panicked.

Rick's eyebrows furrowed as he studied the out of breath and flushed woman. "What wrong?"

"I will tell you what's wrong… her sisters are what's wrong." Jessie glared and pointed an accusatory finger at Michonne.

"What are you talking about?" Rick glanced back at Michonne and then Jessie.

"They beat him up. I mean just attacked him for no reason. I mean who does that to a kid."

Rick heard Michonne take a deep inhale and cursed under her breath.

"Beat who up?" his annoyance flaring at Jessie and her theatrics.

"Carl… they beat Carl up… he is in the infirmary right now with a black eye and bloody nose…"

Before she could finish Michonne was jogging towards the home, she shared with her siblings. Noah trailing right behind.

"I just think the whole family is just dangerous. We need to tell Deanna so they can leave."

"No ones leaving Jessie. Don't you need to go check on your kids?"

With that Rick quickly headed in the direction of the infirmary concerned about his son's condition. If what Jessie said was true he was going to have to get to the bottom of this mess and fast before it blew out of proportion. As Rick entered the infirmary, he could see Carl being treated by Denise with a cold pack being held firmly against his nose.

Denise jumped at the sight of Rick. "Oh shit. You scared me, Rick… he is doing fine just some bumps and bruises…" she stuttered.

"You want to tell me what the hell happened Carl. I was only gone for one night and come back to your face like this," he waved his hand in the direction of his sons slowly swelling face.

Carl removed the ice pack and glowered at his father before grumbling out "nothing happened," and placing the pack over his nose again. Rick could see that his bottom lip was also swollen. He looked like hell warmed over. Rick put his hands on his hips and began to pace back and forward.

"This is nothing?" his voice rising as he continued to look at his battered and bruised son.

The door to the infirmary opened and in walked Shane with the same flustered and breathless look like Jessie Anderson. "Rick man… hey, can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

Taking one more look at Carl Rick turned and left the room and stepped outside.

"Hey man. Glad to see you made it back.."

"Cut the shit Shane what the hell happened to him."

Running his hand through his hair, Shane let out an exasperated sigh. "Man all I know is what I saw when I arrived. Jessie ran into the house talking about they were killing him or some shit. So I raced over, and they were in the backyard circling him like he was a damn steak dinner. They each took turns charging at him, and he was holding his own, but he was still getting worked over pretty bad. Merle told me to hold up to let them finished, but I had to jump in when he took a cheap shot and hit Ila in her side from then it was over. She whirled on his ass something terrible," Shane ran his fingers through his hair as he finished telling the story " He is a fighter cause he continued to fight back, but then the other sis got in a few good hits, but Ila took him to the ground with a good wallop to his chest. When I jumped in to break it up, I caught one across my temple. I damn near blacked out." Rick saw the bump on his head, it was still fresh but he could see that it was going to be one hell of a knot.

Rick stepped around Shane and hurriedly made his way towards the house Shane right behind him, as he got closer he saw Merle come down that steps and hold his hands out to slow Ricks hurried pace.

"Hey now, whoa there daddy. Don't go charging in there ready to start a fight. Your son already got his ass kicked I don't think you want to be number two."

Rick jaw set and his eyes narrowed as he thought of how he wanted to wipe that smug ass look off of Merle's face.

"Don't go giving me those puppy dog eyes. Gonna make me think you like me or some shit." Merle laughed. Rick took a step to the side to go around Merle, but he held out his prosthetic arm to once again halt his progress. "Nah I'm serious you need to put out the fire before you go into the den of lionesses. They didn't do nothing wrong. I mean nothing that your boy didn't ask for."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean," Rick said through gritted teeth.

"Your boy asked them to kick his ass... well not in those exact words but they were back there doing some kind of training, and he kept telling 'em to hit him harder and other bullshit. Well, he got his wish when he hit the one with the purple hair in her side. She went to wailing on his ass like he stole something."

Rick paused as he took in what Merle said." So you're saying they didn't just attack him."

"Hell naw. He asked for that ass whopping." Merle glanced toward Shane, "and this one trying to swoop in got his shit rocked also. Purple haired chick ain't nothing to play with… Damn such a waste."

Merle rubbed his chin as he kept speaking "so like I said, if you don't want to end up like your boy. You should come back later."

Merle turned and headed towards the pantry for something to eat as Rick and Shane continued to stand out front of the house. Shane was the first to speak as Rick was still digesting what he just learned.

"So what do you want to do? Like I said I came in on the ass end of it so maybe Merle is right…maybe it was some kinda training."

"Yeah…maybe. I need to talk to Michonne about it."

"What the hell for man? You know she is going to side with her sisters."

"We don't know that. Michonne doesn't take sides like that. If you're wrong she calls anybody out on it."

"Oh, so you some kind of expert on her now. Y'all were gone for just one day did you get pulled in that fast."

Rick didn't say anything. His mouth pressed into a hard line as he stared at the front door willing it to open and Michonne comes out and tell him what happened. But it still remained closed. Rick lowered his head and walked up the short 3 steps to the front door.

"Man, do you want me to go in there with you," Shane said from the bottom step.

"Nah, I think I can manage."

"Alright," Shane turned and walked back towards to infirmary to get something for a headache and the slowly rising knot on his head.

Raising his hand to knock the door was opened suddenly, and there stood Luna with red-rimmed eyes.

He cleared his throat. "Hey, where is your sister?"

"She is in the back with Ila," she sniffled. She opened the door further to let Rick enter. She closed the door and headed to the living room "Just down that hall is Ila room," she called out as she took a seat in front of the piano.

Rick watched her for a moment as she lifted the cover of the piano and began to tap on the keys her head hung low and her shoulders shaking as she quietly cried. He turned in the direction of the hall, as he passed the kitchen he saw Noah at the stove preparing something. He approached the closed door and knocked a few times, but there was no response. He turned the door handle and entered the room.

There was no light in the room save for the natural light that was pouring in through the windows. Rick could see that Ila was adjusting well to the new house. Little trinkets lined the dresser, and there were clothes strewn all over the floor. He heard the shutting off of water and saw the light coming from the bathroom. Lightly wrapping his knuckles against the door, he called out "Michonne… Ila… are y'all ok in there?"

The lock of the door disengaged, and he opened the door. He stopped short at the scene before him. Ila was resting on the bathroom countertop with her shirt half off exposing her bra covered upper torso, her right arm held above her head. Michonne was blotting alcohol along Ila side that was bleeding in some places. She winced and pulled away from her sister's touch as the alcohol burned her open sore.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'll live. How is Carl doing?"

"He'll live."

She nodded her head as she turned to focus on the wall as Michonne continued to administer care to her sister. Rubbing a salve ointment on the exposed and reddened skin. Michonne placed strips of gauze over her wound and taped the pieces to her skin.

"So what happened?" Rick probed his eyes focused on Ila as Michonne worked on her.

Michonne stood up and removed the gloves from her hands as she folded her arms and frowned at her sister. "The same thing that almost always happens when I leave these three alone."

Ila turned her head slightly to glance at her sister before facing the wall again.

"Training. It was just training." Ila huffed out.

"That was not fucking training. He has a bloody nose and maybe even a black eye Ila," Michonne hissed at her sister. She knew they would get into some kind of trouble while she was gone but nothing like this. "So again what the hell happened?" Michonne crossed in front of her sister to throw away the cotton balls and bandage wrappings away. Placing herself in front of her view forcing Ila to meet her angry gaze.

Ila met her sister's angry gaze with one of her own her forehead creasing and eyes blazing. The intense gaze between the two continued for a few moments till Ila broke anger that blazed faded and was replaced with hurt. She lowered her eyes and looked away "I told you… training," she whispered as she jerked her arm back through her shirt but she regretted the quick movement as pain shot up her side. Michonne face soften as she saw the pain that crossed her sisters face, she sighed "You need to put some ice on and take some acetaminophen."

"I know what I need to do. Thank you very fucking much," she retorted as she hopped off the countertop and stormed pass Rick out the bathroom and out the bedroom door.

Michonne rested her hands against the cool countertop as she hung her head. Her head felt heavy as she lifted it to stare at her reflection she could see the deep worry lines now etched on her face. Her eyes met Ricks in the mirror's reflection. "Carl has always since that day he was kidnapped been angry that it even happened and scared that it could happen again. So he still wants us to push him harder and harder to make sure it doesn't happen again, but he doesn't want me or Luna to train him. He always wants Ila because he knows that she won't hold back. This isn't the first time someone has walked away with a bloody nose of a black eye, and I'm sure it won't be the last," she breathed as she held his reflective stare.

Rick leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed across his chest watching her as she spoke.

"So what's going to happen now with them?" he questioned.

"Well there is going to be a lot of sulking and maybe some angry words, but they should be ok by tomorrow. They all just need to sleep on it," she murmured as she rose from her leaned position on the counter and walked towards the bathroom door Rick straightened and moved so she could exit.

"Just give him some space… don't push him for answers… he will tell you, and he will be over here later tonight apologizing to Ila and Luna."

Rick reached his hand out and grasped her waist before she could walk past him pulling her back into his space he pressed her body against his chest. She pulled in a deep breath and fell into his caress rubbing her face against his shirt.

"This is still new to me, and my gut reaction will always be to protect everyone I care about. I know I still don't know much about you and your sister's relationship with Carl but please don't shut me out," he said anxiously as he rubbed his hand up and down her back.

Placing her hand on his chest, she pushes back, so she was looking into his blue eyes. She planted a chaste kiss on his lips then another before pulling away and lightly patting him on his chest as she broke from his grasp and headed to the bedroom door. Glancing back before she left a small smile appeared as she causally voiced "Don't worry…I'm not done with you yet."

Ila made her way to the front of the house and out onto the porch. Taking a seat in the patio chair being careful not to bump her side. She slumped into the chair with a heavy groan and leaned her head back in the chair. She could feel the ebb and flow of a headache developing. The cluster of the afternoon's events on repeat in her mind and she grimaces at the sight of her punching Carl square in the nose and sweeping his feet from under him as she slammed her striking sticks across his chest as he fell to the ground. She could only imagine the bruise he is going to have from that strike, but he took a cheap shot at her side which enraged her, and she forgot that it was just practice. She groaned at the reminder of the hurting she gave Carl. He kept taunting her and Luna to hit him harder and harder.

She was broken from her thoughts by the heavy footsteps of someone approaching, but it did not cause her enough distress to raise her head. Whoever the fuck it was could just leave her the hell alone.

"Hey, there sugar tits. You look like shit hung out to dry," Merle boomed as he stepped past her and took a seat on the lounger in the corner.

Ila sighed as she adjusted the ice pack on her side again.

"Don't you have somewhere else you need to be like out hunting squirrels or some country shit?" She said, her eyes still closed as she breathed in deeply and exhaled trying to calm her inner annoyance.

"I see you and your sister like beating up on little kids why don't y'all try some that fancy shit on a man and see how you handle that."

"Well, when I see one I will ask… now will you please just shut the fuck up," she cut her eyes at him. Merle was still in the same clothes from last night watch his white undershirt showing signs of yellowing sweat stains and his pants covered in dirt. He looked like he just finished crawling through a dirt trench.

"Hey don't get pissy with me cause you gave that boy more than he wanted?"

Ila sighed and tried to continue her deep breathing exercise when she hears the metallic grinding of a flask being opened. Tilting her head to the right, she saw Merle take 2 quick sips before placing the top back on and putting the silver flask in his back pocket.

Ila raised to a sitting position in the chair and leaned over the side. She extended her hand toward Merle making a gimme motion.

Merle scoffed "So talk shit about me, and now you want some of my hooch?" he drew his eyebrows together as he glared at her "you have lost your rabbit ass mind."

"Whatever Merle just share some of the damn drink before I beat your ass."

He glares at her some more before reluctantly reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his flask and placing it into her waiting hands.

Ilas eyes lit up at the shiny container. She shook the container and listened to sloshing of the liquid inside. Unscrewing the top of the flask, she tilted it and let the surprisingly cool liquid flow down her throat.

"Hey… hey now, go easy on that… that ain't no weak ass hooch,"

Ila removed the flask and began to cough as the liquid burned a hot path down her throat right to her stomach. Handing Merle back his flask she continued to cough, her eyes wide and watering at the potency of the liquid.

"Good shit ...huh," Merle chuckled as he took another sip before putting his flask back in his pocket.

Slowing catching her breath and waiting for the pain in her side to subside again. The warmth of the shine slowly began to settle on her stomach. Her brows drew together as she gaped at Merle. "That's homemade shine… I can tell… and apple flavored too."

Merle just nodded his head as he stared out towards the street. Ila leaned over in her chair and snapped her fingers drawing his attention.

"Ok… where are you hiding the rest and how much do you want for a bottle."

Sucking his teeth Merle "So you like what old Merle got now…" Ila rolled her eyes at his lewd suggestion. "Don't get ahead of yourself and get your dome rocked. I am only interested in the shine and the shine only," she said irritated

"What the hell do you want and you better not saying anything remotely fucked up," she warned her eyes narrowed to slits as she watches him lick the bottom of his lips before letting out a raucous laugh.

"Oh, I'm sure I can come up with something. Let me think about it, and I'll tell you later."

Come that evening just like Michonne said Carl made his way over to the house and apologized to Ila for the cheap shot to her side but not before he, Ila and Luna heard an earful from Michonne about their carelessness and his want to prove something that they already know he can do.

Rick joined the family for dinner, but he did not stay long after as he was on sentry duty that evening, but he told Michonne he would come by tomorrow so they can speak to Deanna about the new developments with the Kingdom.

By the next day, the three troublemakers were on the front porch hanging out. Noah and Carl were playing chess while Ila and Luna were laying down flipping through some old magazines.

Noah was the first to see trouble coming down the road. "Hey… hey," he taps Carl on his shoulder to get his attention.

"What?" Carl turns in the direction that Noah is looking and see Dr. Pete Anderson stomping down the road his face flushed red and sweat pouring down his brow.

Carl rose from his seat ready to greet the resident doctor when his eyes caught the glint of the pistol in his right hand.

"Oh shit…" he swore.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Also, don't panic Ila and Merle are not going to become an item but Ila will have to do something for Merle in order to get that bottle of hooch. Now where the hell is Pete Anderson running off to with a pistol in his hand. I won't keep you waiting too long for that answer. Remeber reviews are always welcome and needed.