It had been about a week after Hershel began to bend Rick's ear about starting the gardening and farming project, and he'd been putting pressure on them now, telling them tilling and seeding needed to be completed soon. They could've acquired a rototiller during their last run to make the job easier, but it would've been a waste of fuel and space, and besides, what else where they going to do with their time? As they worked the plots, Rick took a moment to look his son over, noting that he seemed less tense now, if not a bit downtrodden by recent events. He looked good & healthy, in fact, more so than he had in a while, Rick thought before he actually realized why Carl looked different. He reached out to ruffle Carl's hair, and this time he did not avoid his father's touch, "Nice hair," He said, smiling.

"Thanks, Michonne offered to cut it, so I took her up on it", he said grinning, his round cheeks taking on a rosy hue, "When do you think she and Daryl will be back?"

The boy's mood had taken a nose dive after Michonne and Daryl had announced their plans to resume their search for the Governor. Around the same time, Rick had agreed to step back from his leadership role, and to head the farming project with Hershel. The Counsel was formed soon thereafter, its purpose, in Rick's abdication, was to make decisions, handle disputes, assign duties and to organize watch and supply run schedules. With everyone in the prison voting for the candidates who' d expressed an interest in participating, Hershel, Carol, Sasha, Glenn and Daryl were assigned to the Counsel, with Dr. S. stepping in during Daryl's absence.

"Soon, I'm sure", he told Carl, with no degree of certainty.

"The people from Woodbury, it was a good idea, I see that now."

"What changed your mind?" Rick asked, stooping down to pick rocks and stubborn weeds out of the planting bed.

"Just seeing all of the improvements we've made with them, I suppose. Patrick, he's pretty chill. And Michonne."

"What'd she say?" He asked, glancing up at Carl, trying and failing miserably at pretending to be only slightly interested.

"She said your decision was 'sound', and that she'd have done the same thing," he stopped what he was doing to look down at Rick, "So, you trust her right? You'd have to. Back in the old neighborhood you let us go off by ourselves?"

Rick gathered the debris he'd strewn about the plot and tossed it into the wheelbarrow, "I do, but that was never the issue, Carl."

He brightened, "So…I can go on runs with her then?"

He glanced at the boy, "Carl."

"Dad," he shot back, punctuating his irritation by stabbing his garden hoe into the ground.

"Son, no", Rick said, nudging Carl's shoulder, "Look, I know this ain't exactly excitin', but it gives us plenty of work to do around here."

Carl nodded, returning his attention to the soil. Rick watched as the boy concentrated his efforts into singling out an earthworm, and mashing the creature to pieces with the garden hoe.

"Hey, enough of that. Here", he said handing him a potato fork, "It's a bit easier."

"Sorry", Carl mumbled as he accepted the fork, placing the hoe off to the side.

"I'm not doing this to punish you, you realize that, right?" Rick asked, eyeing the pistol holstered on Carl's thigh. He'd told Carl to leave it behind on numerous occasions, and it bothered him that his son seemed to cling to it like a security blanket.

Carl nodded, "Yeah."

Rick was up and about a bit earlier than usual. Beth hadn't had much luck sleeping the night before, and in her restless boredom had offered to take Judy very shortly after Rick had gotten up. While he was reluctant to allow his time with Judy to be shortened, he agreed, wanting to get a head start on planning the layout of the pig pens. They'd been able to capture two live sows already, one of which was about halfway through her pregnancy, according to Hershel. The enclosures needed to be completed before the piglets' spring arrival in a few short weeks.

He hadn't bothered trying to wake Carl just yet. Michonne and Daryl had returned from their most recent unsuccessful mission the previous evening, bringing with them a boatload of fun items for the kids. Carl had been up most of the night again, reading and re-reading the newest editions to his growing comic book collection furnished solely by Michonne. Daryl had already filled him in on the details of their latest outing, but Rick hadn't spoken to or even seen Michonne despite waiting around in the most populated areas of their little community. He began to have a sneaking suspicion that she was purposely avoiding him.

Rick gathered his collar around his neck against a chilly gust of wind as he headed out towards the plots. Daryl had left the truck out there for him, with its bed full of wood pallets, logs, and various other pieces of scrap lumber to use for the construction of the enclosure. He grunted as he hauled a heavy chunk of wood he'd chosen to spend the rest of its life as a fence post from the heap. It was slow work on his own, but some of the younger men and boys would be up to help him soon, and he didn't really mind having a few quiet moments to himself. He glanced up from what he was doing and froze. Through the light mist of his warm breath hitting the air, way off in the distance through the thicket, he spotted a flash of light colored fabric. For one paralyzing moment, fear crept into him- he'd made so much progress lately, and hadn't seen Lori since before Andrea died. Relief overcame him as he spotted the same light-colored fabric moving off towards the wooden footbridge over the pond. He watched for a while longer, almost certain that it was a walker until he got a better glimpse at what, or who, rather, was moving about. Grinning to himself, Rick grabbed a machete from where he kept it hanging outside of the new make-shift shed, and quickly headed out towards the main gate, entering the padlock combination to slip through the pedestrian entrance.

Rick unsheathed the machete he'd attached to his belt, and carefully approached Michonne's position as she fought off two walkers at once, mindful as to not startle her. As much as he'd wanted to see her, he preferred to keep his head attached to his body. He joined her, darting around and ahead of her to intersect a third walker that ambled towards her. She stared at him, breathing heavy and eyes wide in surprise, but she kept her katana lowered towards the ground. He gently grasped her arm, tilting his head down to peer at her until she slowly nodded.

I'm fine. Her heart, pumping hot blood through her and already buzzing in her ears from the thrill of fighting, thumped in her chest when she felt his grip tighten. She looked at him questioningly as he attempted to pull her to him, and when she resisted, the glint in his eyes became dangerously playful. She smirked, ballsy move, she thought, as she stepped into him, following his lead, and enjoying this little game a bit more than she should have. He'd been persistent, despite her attempts at distancing herself, and she found it tiresome to keep up her façade of disinterest around him, so why even bother? She reasoned. His presence calmed her, put her at ease, and perhaps to the extent of lowering her inhibitions too much, but it was getting more difficult for her to be perturbed by this realization. She'd missed him, really, his shy, sweet manner and the intense yet subtle heat that seemed to radiate off of him whenever they were close. She welcomed and appreciated his affections, especially now after enduring more than a week on the road with Daryl Dixon, who, in her opinion, had turned out to be quite the cold fish.

"Hey", he whispered, the vapor from their labored breathing mingled as he pulled her close, "Don't hide from me." Speaking in the gentle drawl he'd always used with her, he captivated her with his earnest blue gaze, and could've easily held her there for as long as he wanted.

Suddenly, startled into action by the sound of snapping twigs, they both whirled around to face the direction of the disturbance, weapons at the ready. Rick's eyes widened in disbelief, "Carl?"

Carl stood there with his pistol in-hand hanging at his side, glancing rather suspiciously between the two of them.

"Shit", Michonne said sheathing her katana, "I'm so sorry, I should've known he might follow me."

"It isn't your fault", he told Michonne, then to Carl, "Carl, what are you doing out here?"

Carl lowered his head, hiding his downward cast eyes beneath the brim of his hat, "Just in case she got into trouble…" he murmured.

"Oh, Carl-"

"Carl, who gave you the combination to the gate?" Rick demanded.

"Beth-"

Rick cocked his head, "Beth?"

"No, not her…she was with Zach…I overheard."

Ah. The angry crease in Rick's brow relaxed somewhat as understanding dawned upon him.

Carl's lower lip trembled as he recounted what he'd overheard. He'd been pinning away after young Beth for some time now, only to lose her to someone she'd known for a mere few weeks. Zack had, in an effort to prove just how brave he was to Beth, revealed to her combination to prove he'd had access to the gate, and would often venture out on his own.

"It's awful brave of you to look out for Michonne, but you just can't go doing stuff like this," Rick said to him.

Carl nodded, his head still downward, and wiped his nose with his sleeve.

"Hey," Rick said softening his tone. He gave the boy's shoulder a squeeze, "I'm not angry, Ok?" He reassured him, glancing between him and Michonne. "Ok", he nodded, "so, what's on the agenda for today?"

Michonne glanced at them, smiling uncertainly, "Really?"

"Sure" he said, "Let's make it a fa-" he cursed himself inwardly, mortified that he had very nearly said family outing. He smiled when he realized she had pretended not to have noticed his slip-up, "Let's make it a group outing. We can check the traps while we're out here."

"I'd like that," She said. The combination of her warm smile and soft, soothing voice acted as a salve for his jumbled nerves.

"Carl, stay behind me," he said, pressing a couple of fingers into the boy's shoulder, "Cover us. Shoot only if you have to."

Carl nodded, accepting those terms, and grinned as he chambered a round, "Awesome."

They cautiously began their walk through the woods, with Carl and Michonne falling a little bit behind Rick, speaking softly to one another. "There's a trap for larger game down this way," Rick said, starting off in the direction he'd indicated. Michonne took the opportunity to form her hand into a shape reminiscent of a quacking duck while gesturing towards Rick with her head, eliciting a strangled snicker from Carl and a confused backwards glance from Rick.

Rick swung his head around upon hearing the unmistakable groans and wet slurping sounds that could only be of feeding walkers. Acting on pure instinct Rick gathered Michonne and Carl behind himself with a hand at her forearm, halting the group's forward progress while he assessed the situation. Rick glanced at Michonne. Part of him had expected her to protest, or at least to sidestep him, but she waited patiently for his queue. "Looks like it was a boar," he said, frowning.

"Ugh," She said quietly, scrunching her nose, "Damn shame."

With a firm squeeze to her arm, he let her jog ahead of them, and watched as she quickly tore through the walkers who'd been feasting on the carcass.

"Cool," Carl remarked.

Rick took out the next walker, cleaving its face in two with his machete, sharply tilting his head to dodge the brain matter spraying towards his face. He looked down at his shirt, and flicked away the wet bits of skull that landed there. He glanced at Michonne as they continued walking, "You like doing this?"

She stopped and turned to him, actually thinking about it for a moment. She cast her eyes off to the side before finally meeting his gaze again, "No," she shook her head sadly, "No, It's disgusting."

Rick nodded, understanding both her words and her actions.

"Hell of a workout, though," she remarked, smirking as she brushed past him.

They remained quiet for the most part, only exchanging brief observations or suggestions for which path to take next. They came to a clearing, and halted when they saw a big red horse grazing there.

Rick kept his voice low as to not startle the horse, "I've seen that horse before, weeks ago", he told them.

"Me too, I can't believe it's still alive", Carl replied.

"Stay, Here", Rick told them, removing his belt. The horse, which Rick thought looked to be a red dun quarter horse, began to back away as Rick made his approach, "Whoa boy, whoa…" he said gently. With little warning, the horse snapped its head around when it detected approaching walkers. Panic-stricken, the horse took off, nearly trampling Rick before he could duck out of the way.

They watched, momentarily stunned as the horse, nearly running into yet another walker, reared up wildly. It smashed its hoof through the soft skull of the approaching walker, bucked, and then took off at a gallop. As it ran, it tossed its head occasionally, its golden-red mane and tail catching the bright sunlight. To Carl, it was one of the most beautiful horses he'd ever seen, and to him it looked like it was almost literally on fire.

"We're going to lose him!" Carl yelled, leveling his weapon at the approaching walkers

Without missing a beat, Michonne crouched low, bringing her blade up and across, deftly eviscerating and decapitating both walkers in one fluid movement before taking off after the horse.

Rick held out his palm to Carl as the boy's posture shifted, ready to bolt.

"Carl…"

Carl quickly glanced between his father and the direction Michonne had gone, hesitating only for a moment before taking off after her.

"Carl No!"

Rick caught up with them moments later, Michonne, having accurately calculated the horse' path crouched behind a shrub. Carl quietly approached her hiding spot, flattening himself against a tree as the horse galloped towards them.

"Don't!-" Rick cringed inwardly when he saw Michonne emerge from her hiding spot directly in the horse' path, fearlessly, or foolishly, rather, Rick thought to himself, she began hopping up and down where she stood, waving her arms about and shouting, "WHOA, GIRL!" The scabbard she wore across her back had shifted with her energetic movements, and Rick's eyes followed the lower end of it as it bounced comically against her bottom.

The horse, caught by surprise, reared up onto its hind legs and snorted loudly, but it obeyed Michonne. She glanced over to Rick, confusion and uncertainty creeping onto her features.

He nodded, "Go on, she likes you…" Rick watched in fascination as Michonne slowly approached the mare. The creature shifted, nervous, but no longer frightened, with the left side of its body now facing her.

"It's okay…" she said gently, as she approached the frightened creature. Its ears pricked forward as Michonne approached, and it turned its head slightly, to watch her. "That's it sweetheart…" tentatively, she reached out to caress the horses' muzzle. The horse bowed its head, welcoming her touch.

Michonne looked around at the others, beaming at them, while Carl carefully approached the horse, now oddly calm.

"Must've had a woman owner, you think?" Carl asked.

"Well, look at this shit," Daryl said, grinning and crossing his arms, seeming to appear from nowhere. "I headed down here when I heard all the noise, thought you could use my help. Guess I thought wrong."

"Yes, you did," Rick grinned as he watched Carl and Michonne fawning over the big red mare, "We're gonna need to change the combination on that padlock," he told him.

Rick and Daryl straggled behind Michonne and Carl as they slowly lead the horse to the gate using Rick's belt as a lead line. The two men listened quietly as others chatted excitedly about their most recent adventure. Rick gazed ahead at the two of them, becoming engrossed in their idle conversation when he wasn't glancing around for possible threats.

"Hey", Daryl called to him. When Rick didn't answer, Daryl nudged his shoulder to finally get his attention, "Hey. Haven't seen you grin like that in months", he teased.

Rick's eyes blinked open the moment he heard Judy's cries. He switched on the book light he kept in his bunk, and sighed when he saw how early it was. She'd be hungry for sure, and probably needed a diaper change. He laid her onto his bunk and switched on his desk lamp to tend to her, "Hey there, baby," he whispered to her. She squirmed and laughed as he ticked her tummy, her big blue eyes gazing up at him adoringly. He flipped a hand towel onto his shoulder, getting ready to prepare her breakfast.

"Come on in", Rick said after he'd heard the light taps against the bars of his cell, "you're early-", he said turning, fully expecting to see Beth. He stood there for a moment with Judy cradled in his arms, stunned, as Michonne emerged from behind the drapes. He slowly sat on his bunk, looking up at her, waiting. He patted the top of his mattress to his left, but she shook her head, deciding instead to lean against the frame of the cell's opening.

...everyone's looking for someone to blame...

…if you share my bed you share my…name…

"I loved Andrea", she started, "It was so good for once to have another living person to talk to, but I knew…it seemed as though every time we'd come across some strangers, especially men, she'd want to show herself. As if what we were doing for each other wasn't enough, as if she trusted them more to protect her because they were men, never mind the possible risks…It was like a slap in the face." He stared at her, but said nothing. His eyes urged her to continue.

Her voice, soft and breathy, drew his eyes first to her lips, and then to the hollow of her throat where she fingered the tiny 'M' charm she wore as she recounted more bittersweet moments with Andrea. The affect Andrea's visit to the prison had on her hadn't gone unnoticed by him, and couldn't help but to still feel the same anger towards Andrea. He'd wondered if Andrea even believed the nonsense she'd allowed to pass through her lips, especially after Michonne had revealed to them all what Philip really was. He'd observed their exchanges carefully during her visit, and had scoffed at Andrea's ridiculous accusations, but Michonne had taken them to heart. Andrea had been indifferent to Michonne's reaction, but he had not, could not have been, even if he wished it. He'd watched how Michonne had looked on, longing after a wayward loved one, someone who didn't even deserve her devotion, had all but tossed it aside, and the envy those memories evoked surprised him. He selfishly wanted that for himself, her longing looks, her unconditional loyalty, and more. Afterwards, he remembered, she'd merely stood there looking hurt as Andrea climbed into the vehicle they provided for her. Michonne did not walk out with the rest of them to watch her drive off, and instead, had remained close to the wall where she stood, hiding there until Andrea was out of sight.

"Thank you for talking to Carl, by the way, and for the hair cut. I really do appreciate that."

"Yeah, no problem," for a moment, her eyes dropped to the sleeping infant in his arms.

Rick pounced on this first-time opportunity, "Would you like to hold her?"

"Oh-" She stammered, and, almost imperceptibly, inched closer the opening of the cell, grasping at drapes that hung there low behind her back.

She'd attempted to be discrete, but it was too late. He noticed it, he saw it, there in her body language, and in her sad nervous smile. He learned more about her in that one instance than he had in any of their discussions or interactions over the past few months, and something inside of Rick crumbled. He felt as if her emotions were somehow tied to his, had a direct effect on his, and it was preposterous, he realized, that this woman, not much more than a friendly stranger, really, could influence him so. While he wouldn't use the word delicate to her face, something in her mannerisms and in the way she spoke when alone with himself or Carl made him feel fiercely protective of her, almost as protective as he was of Carl and Judy - protective or possessive? He thought bitterly to himself as he wondered if what he was feeling was even a fraction of the sickness Shane had felt towards Lori - Whichever one it had been, he realized that it had started even before their munitions run. He was sure that such a tough exterior, the almost impervious blanket she wrapped around herself, had to be protecting something fleeting and rare in this world, a kind, beatific soul, who'd endured as much grief and loss as he had. Someone who very easily felt the pain and joy of those around her, could easily sense what they needed, and that, he could identify with greatly.

"I'm afraid I'm a nervous mess with the little ones, I wouldn't want to drop her," she said, barely regaining her composure.

"So, not a baby person", he brightened, a desperate attempt to lighten the mood, especially with Judy being so close. He carefully placed Judith into her crib, bringing him close to where Michonne stood. He smiled, "Are you a horse person? You were great with the mare we brought home yesterday."

"Never really tried to be. Beautiful creatures."

He stepped closer, no longer resisting the urge to do so, giving in to the pull she had on him that he'd almost classify as magnetic had they not been so similar. She shifted a bit on the balls of her feet, but she held his gaze and did not shy away from him. His eyes dropped involuntarily, skirting along the graceful lines of her collar bones. He reluctantly stopped them from dropping even lower before he returned his attention to her face,

"You wanna learn how to ride?"