Chapter 19:
"What's got you in such a good mood?"
Rick tried to reel back his smile when he noticed Sasha watching him, "Does it look like I'm in a good mood?"
"Well you're smiling. I could probably count how many times I've seen you do that", She smirked, adjusting her rifle strap on her shoulder.
"Thanks", He responded dryly, looking over his shoulder at the rest of the town, "Abraham coming?"
"Yeah, he said he would"
"Good. He can drive".
"We all set?", Glenn appeared from the other side of the RV with Jesus, who was followed by Maggie, "We got everything loaded up already"
"Just waiting on a few", Sasha replied, stepping on to the vehicle.
The humming of a motorcycle echoed throughout the town on the quiet morning, and Daryl soon approached them, wearing his usual indifferent expression.
"Who else are we waiting for?"
Rick looked back to the RV door to see Michonne leaning on it, her arms folded over her chest, "When did you get here?"
"Before you", She answered with a shrug, a playful smile spreading across her lips.
His eyes refused to leave her face, "Well then it's just-"
"Let's get this show on the road", Abraham boomed, stalking towards them, "Morning ninja lady. Rick"
"Hey", She chimed as she turned back into the vehicle.
Rick realised he would have to behave himself in front of the others, but it wasn't easy.
He had noticed that Michonne was a morning person, with more energy than the rest of them, himself included. She sat at the table in the RV, her katana propped up beside her, with Jesus sat in front of her. The two of them wasted no time engaging in conversation, leading Rick to wonder what they could be possibly be discussing that made them both so animated.
"Ezekiel will be over the moon to see her"
Rick almost frowned as he glanced at Maggie, "Yeah"
"He's not that bad you know. A little… loud but, he's like the rest of us", the Brunette remarked quietly.
"He's annoying", He deadpanned, looking towards the front of the vehicle.
"He probably thinks you're annoying too"
"Let him. I want to keep this whole thang short and sweet, we get in, we trade, we leave"
"He's gonna want to catch up with the ninja lady over there", Maggie giggled.
The frown appeared on his face as he muttered, "I bet he will"
Rick had forgotten about the other leader, and his apparent interest in Michonne. His good mood slowly began to sour when he thought about it, and the fact that he may witness some degree of flirting from Ezekiel, bothered him greatly.
"You alright there?"
Maggie's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, "Yeah, just thinking-"
"Hey Rick! Up here!", Abraham called from the driver seat.
Rick places himself at the front of the RV, peering out the windshield to see what caught Abraham's attention, and it quickly became apparent. The street was covered in blood, with abandoned burnt out vehicles on either side of the road, still burning as they drove pass. Rick's eyes darted all over the place as he tried to figure out what had happened there.
"No bodies", Michonne's voice nearly scared him as she appeared beside him.
"Unless they all turned", Abraham suggested, still looking out the windshield.
"With that much blood? They must of lost limbs… and if that was the case then there would be a trail leading somewhere, not just one big pool"
Rick thought about it as he looked out the driver window, "She's right"
"We should probably keep our eyes peeled for the rest of the journey", She spun on her heel and walked back down the vehicle.
He nodded, "Yeah. We'll do that"
Abraham glanced over his shoulder at Rick, with one of his eyebrows raised, "...Alright then"
By the time they reached the Kingdom, they hadn't seen anything else, and Rick wasn't sure if that was a good thing. The school building where the Kingdom was settled was still standing and undisrupted, which was a relief to them all.
"You think he knows about what happened back there?", Jesus quizzed as they prepared to leave the vehicle.
"We'll have to ask. Could be the same people that torched that town you told us about", Rick answered, adjusting his gun belt.
"Hopefully. Rather it be one group than two"
"Good point".
Once they reached beyond the gates, the group wasted no time unloading their inventory for their Kingdom, while Rick, Jesus, Michonne and Maggie went into the building to find Ezekiel. The halls weren't that busy with residents, as it was still early in the day, though the people they did see greeted them with warm smiles as they made their way to the man's office.
"Well good morning!", Ezekiel boomed when he caught sight of them all, "Glad you could make it!"
Rick inwardly groaned while the others said their hellos, "We need to talk"
"I forgot how serious you always were", the grey haired man chuckled, placing himself in front of Rick, "I have no problem with that, so how about we do it over lunch? I think we should use these trades as an opportunity to catch up with each other"
"That's a great idea", Maggie chirped, sending Rick as teasing smile.
"How about next time? We wanna go check out a town that Jesus told us about", Rick rebuffed as politely as he could.
"Yeah, they were attacked, we don't know by who", Jesus informed from beside him.
Ezekiel sighed as he shook his head, "We've seen it too. And another attack not far from here on the-"
"Street. We saw coming up here. Any idea who?"
"No. We haven't had any problems with anyone"
Rick's eyes roamed past the man, "We'll find out then"
"Does Dwight know of this?", Ezekiel directed his attentions to Michonne.
"Not that I'm aware of. But I plan to head over to the Sanctuary soon, so I'll let him know", She announced, her hands on her hips.
"And how are things with Negan? I imagine you're keeping him in line?"
"It's what I do best"
Ezekiel grinned at her, "I me never thought I'd be jealous of that man-"
"Anyway", Rick interrupted rudely, "Why don't we go check on everythan' outside"
"Good idea", Jesus wasted no time turning back towards the door.
"Of course!", Ezekiel clapped his hands together in agreement, "We've been able to be a little more generous since we just traded with the Sanctuary"
"We appreciate that", Maggie allowed Michonne to walk out the office door before her, and Rick slipped passed her too, as he didn't want to have to hang behind to talk to Ezekiel.
"You were quick to turn down that lunch offer", Michonne snickered under heavy breath when Rick caught up with her.
"Did you wanna stay?", the question left his lips before he could consider if he wanted her reply.
"My love for food would dictate that answer"
He breathed a sigh of relief, "Good."
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, "You thought something else would make me want to stay?"
He shook his head as if he never thought such a thing.
A little chortle left her, "Did you forget where you were last night?"
"Not at all."
"Well neither did I, so you don't have anything to worry about"
He bit his lip as he looked at her, wishing they could have a moment alone so he could greet her the way he truly wanted to, "I'm glad to hear that"
She flashed him a smile that he was growing obsessed with, "Eyes front"
He stopped leering at when they arrived at the front of the building, and the kingdom residents were loading items onto the RV. Rick did notice they were giving his community considerably more than they gave them, and he made a mental note to thank Ezekiel, when his gaze wasn't glued to Michonne.
"Ezekiel!"
Everyone's attention turned to the three men who stormed towards the fence, bleeding heavily from unseen wounds. Rick reached for his gun, and as did others around him as they went to meet the injured.
"A group, they stopped us on our way back here", one man panted, his shirt drenched in blood, "They killed the others, and the horses... shooting at us"
Ezekiel's eyes roamed them, "How far?"
"We probably just ran eight miles", the other breathed, holding his side, "She said she's coming for us, if we don't stay on our territory"
"She? Who is she?"
"We didn't get a name… she just told us to stay away"
Rick looked past the three men, scanning the horizon "Get them inside!"
Other residents came to the men's aids, while Ezekiel seemed to be frozen in shock. Jesus stood beside him, "This is some kind of turf war?"
"Sounds like it", Michonne sheathed her sword.
"You need to find out where they were when they were attacked, and pin point the other two attacks on a map or somethan', then we can work out where they are", Rick ordered.
"Are we going after them?", Glenn quizzed, looking to Rick.
Michonne shook her head, "That wouldn't be wise. We don't have a clue what we're up against, and how close we are to them either. They could have ten people to every one of us, and we already know they're hostile"
Rick nodded in agreement, "She's right. We don't even know who we're looking out for yet"
"A woman apparently", Ezekiel finally spoke, looking beyond the fence, "We'll have to talk to them"
"How many people were out there?"
The grey haired man frowned, "I think eight in total went out"
"She killed five of them… let two live… that's a warning", Daryl rasped as fidgeted with his crossbow.
"Three men came back?"
"That one in the middle ain't gonna make it, he was bleeding out from his whole stomach"
Ezekiel shifted uneasily before turning back to the building, "Right."
Rick thought over their predicament with the unknown group. He could already tell the Ezekiel was unsure of what to do next, which didn't leave him feeling too comfortable himself.
"Once we get a map of the area they're trying to claim, then we can figure out what to do next", Michonne insisted, stepping beside him, "There's nothing we can do until then"
He looked down at her, his racing mind starting to calm, "Yeah. Alright"
He had always known Michonne could be a more than capable leader, but having her beside him to help make decisions on the spot was a great help. She offered advice from a logical and rational point of view, and he trusted her perception, as it gave him confidence in his own.
They arrived back at Alexandria in the late afternoon, after staying to discuss all possible outcomes with Ezekiel. It was more to put the man's mind at ease than anyone else's.
"Everythan ' alright here?", Rick queried as he strolled past Tyreese at the front gates.
"No problems at all", the man informed, closing the large metal structure.
Rick slowed when he saw Michonne step out the RV, before it went on to the pantry, "You heading home?"
She slowly nodded, "Yep. I'm sure your son was bored without me to entertain him"
He smirked, "I can't disagree with that"
The sun rays lit up her eyes, causing them to glow in a delicious honey tone, under her dark lashes. Rick no longer cared that they were planted in full view of everyone, he wanted that image of her imbedded in his memory. He didn't think it was fair that he could find himself completely at her mercy, while she seemed perfectly capable of functioning around him, though he didn't rule out the possibility that it was all just an act, and that she was just a drawn to him.
"Uh, so…", She bit her lip as she dropped her gaze, and it was another of her many mannerisms that he found endearing.
"I could come by when he's done with you?", He offered, his eyes roaming all over her face.
She shook her head as a little chuckle left her, "You're not sick of me yet?"
"I'd be lying if I said I was"
"Well, then you're more than welcome to come over", She spun on her heel and walked away from him, and he would have watched her until she disappeared up the street, if he didn't sense someone beside him.
Sasha stared at his head with narrowed eyes and a hint of a smile as she crossed her arms.
Rick cleared his throat, "What's wrong?"
She shook her head, "Oh, nothing at all"
"Good, go home, get some rest"
"I should tell you to do the same, huh?"
He froze on the spot, while she snickered as she stepped past him. Of all the people to have caught him leering at Michonne, he wished it wasn't Sasha, as she would be one of the very few that were more than happy to tease him about it.
He stalked up the street to his home, hoping to have the remainder of his evening to do as he wished, until he saw Jessie sat on his porch steps, looking directly at him.
"How can I help you, Jessie?", He asked tiredly when he was close enough.
"Hey, I just wanted to talk to you about a few things… if you weren't busy or anything? I saw the RV pull up so I thought I'd wait for you here", the women explained as she stood up.
"Go on."
"Well firstly, uh, the last time we spoke, I was a little out of order-"
"Not to me, but yeah, I get it. Water under the bridge. Go on?", He hurried, though kept his tone polite.
She hesitated as she tried to catch up, "Uh, okay, well secondly, I was wondering if I could go along with the next outing?"
"No.", He didn't allow any dust to settle on the request.
Jessie's shoulders fell, "Rick, I know you think that I'm incapable of helping out around here but I've been-"
"It's not that at all. The next time we go out is to go check out another group, which could potentially be ten times more dangerous than just the usual 'outing', and I'd rather take the people suited for the job. That's why you can't come"
Her dark brows furrowed, "Really? Another group?"
"Yeah", He sighed, shifting from foot to foot.
The blonde nodded, "Okay. Fine, I understand. But after that?"
"After that, I'll think about it", He inched past her and began stomping up the stairs.
"Thanks!"
He stepped into his home and breathed a sigh of relief, "Carl?!"
"Yeah?", the teenager answered from the living room.
Rick followed his voice, and found his laying across the chair reading a comic book, while Judith played with a set of cups on the floor beside him, "Y'all alright?"
"Yeah. We're good. How was it?"
He groaned as he sat in the vacant couch, "Some of Ezekiel's people got attacked out on the road, and they killed six of them. A couple horses too. "
Carl dropped his book to his chest to look at his father, "Same people Jesus told you about?"
"Maybe… we're not sure"
"What's the plan?"
"Figured out where they are… scope them out for a while"
The teen nodded as he looked down at Judith, "Okay"
"Nothing happened here, right?"
"Nah… I mean, I helped guard Negan for a little while…"
Rick's eyebrows sprung up, "Excuse me? Why?"
"Eugene needed the bathroom, and obviously two people have to watch him and I was walking by so I did it", the teen shrugged.
"Did he say anythan' to you?"
"He asked where Michonne was... that's it"
Rick pulled his reaction back, "Alright. Listen, I don't want you down there ever again, you understand me?"
The teen nodded, "I know"
"The man's always looking for an opportunity to get out of there, even when it doesn't seem like it, and I don't want him to-"
"I know, dad. I'll never go down there again"
He relaxed a fraction, sitting back on the couch, "Good".
The teen sat up to look at him, "...But I don't get why she still goes down there?"
Rick raised an eyebrow at his son, attempting to come across as fair, though he often asked himself that question, "Because they're friends. That's why"
"I get that but, he tried to break out and she had to stop him… that's the second time she's had to do that, so won't he be mad? He looked mad today…"
He wished his son wasn't so intuitive, "That's somethan' they're gonna have to figure out themselves. It's easy to become attached to someone in a time like this, especially when they've helped you as much as they've helped each other"
The teenager seemed to absorb his words, "I guess you're right"
"I am", Rick smiled when his daughter saturated herself at his feet, "You can go over there and see her if you want. She should be home now"
"I was actually going to go hang out with Enid… Carol said she'd watch Judith for a little while"
Rick's brow furrowed at him as he scooped the toddler up, "Oh?"
Carl rolled his eyes, "We were going to see what Eugene doing. You know he's trying to make bullets?"
"Yeah. I'll be amazed if he does", He gave his daughter and exaggerated smile as he set her down on his lap, "Go on out then, don't keep your friend waiting… and I might be out later, gonna take a shift on one of the watchtowers"
"Alright."
He didn't necessarily want to lie to his son about his whereabouts, but he didn't want him to get the wrong impression either. His pairing with Jessie put a strain on their relationship, and he was hell bent on keeping things positive with the teen. While it was an added bonus that Carl and Michonne got along well, he still wanted to wait to bring their new situation up, as it was still very new.