The Calm Before
When Rick woke, the sun was already blazing outside. Michonne was still dead to the world; half her body lay atop his. He gently slid out from under her, careful not to disturb her sleep. Nabbing a blanket from his room, he placed it over her, then went to take a cold shower. After getting dressed, he scurried off to the kitchen, making breakfast for the two.
...
As if on a timer, Michonne rose to the scent of homemade pancakes dancing across her room. She grabbed the bathrobe resting at the edge of the couch and put it on before skedaddling to the kitchen.
"You're up. Morning." Rick smiled, exposing his pearly, white teeth.
She took a plate and then went to the counter. Burying her attention in the food, she never allowed her misty eyes to wonder.
"Morning."
If his concentration wasn't explicitly on her, he might not have heard it. He took quiet steps behind her and whispered in her ear as he stared at her fresh face.
"We gonna talk, or what?"
Her hand trembled uncontrollably, her fingers twitching with nervous energy. She almost choked. Rick chuckled, massaging her back as he handed her a glass of orange juice. Michonne turned to look him in the eyes for the first time since she woke.
"Don't you have work?"
She gave him the side-eye after rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, I do in about a half hour. Don't worry, I'm all ready, as you can see. What's your plan?"
"What plan?"
"For later."
"Nothing really. I'm not doing anything today."
"Good. Shane and I are going out for drinks later; come with us... Daryl and Sasha will be there, and whoever Shane's dating this week."
Rick studied her with a predator's unwavering attention, wanting to hear a definitive answer. For every second she delayed, a kiss laced her neck.
"Okay."
Her heart raced in her chest as she turned from him. She felt a shiver run down her spine, a tingling sensation that spread like wildfire.
"Okay. Stay for the day…It ain't like you can call your brother, and I don't have Morgan's number. I'll go by and get your phone, pick you up after the shift... be good."
Before Michonne could withdraw her mind from its faraway places, his arms were wrapped around her. She felt a rush of susceptibility, as a surging tide of warmth left her limp. He bent her head, kissing her softly at first, and then with a swift spectrum of intensity that made her cling to him.
At that point, Rick left.
This man has no frigging shame.
...
It was after nine when Rick picked her up. And when they got to the bar, everyone was already there. Shane was the first to notice them, so he called them over to the table.
"Mike let you out, huh!"
"Shut up, Shane!"
The group burst out in laughter. Michonne snatched Sasha and Daryl in a tight embrace, kissing them on the cheek as she and Rick took their seats. Before Sasha entered their little group, she'd been the youngest; due to having skipped two grades, but now she shares that title with the former. She was content. She no longer faced harassment from the guys for being the baby. It was also nice having a more permanent female around, given that Shane changed women like he changed clothing.
"Okay, who's your friend, Shane?"
"Oh, this here is Phoebe... Phoebe, you already know Daryl and Sasha. This guy is my best friend Rick, and the one hitting me with the stink eye is Michonne."
Her eyebrows lowered, pulling closer together. Squinting her eyelids, the corners of her lips pointed down as she rolled her large brown eyes. Shane, observing her reaction, allowed a devious smile to appear on his face.
"Hello, Phoebe, Michonne Hawthorne."
"Rick Grimes"
Though both of them shook her hand, Rick did not attempt to get to know the woman, nor did Daryl. In his opinion, it made no difference because they all knew she would be out of the picture as soon as she entered. But regardless of what they believed, Michonne and Sasha tried their best to be hospitable.
Here, I forgot to give it to you in the car."
Rick sat back in his seat, one arm behind her, his beer in the other, peering brazenly into her eyes. She took the phone she'd forgotten about all day. Her thoughts were wandering elsewhere, namely to them. She was terrified of where they were going but didn't want to resist it.
Whatever happens, happens.
That's what she decided as she took the phone. Their eyes met, but this time she didn't break it off.
"Thanks. Did Mike say anything?"
"No. What can he say? Let's not talk about that asshole."
Michonne concurred. She grabbed Sasha and Phoebe and went to get some fresh beverages.
"Thank God Mike didn't come; that man always ruins the mood."
"There ain't no Mike. She left him."
Daryl didn't talk much, but he could help show his interest in the topic.
"What happened?"
"Don't know. Didn't ask… All I can say is, it was a long time coming."
"What about you two? Don't think we ain't noticed." Shane made it clear, stating it without looking at him.
"We're not together if that's what you're asking. We're gonna take things slow."
"You sure about this man?" Shane's face hardened in concentration, and he arched an eyebrow.
Rick looked at him with a strangled expression.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
Wanting to change the subject, he turned to Daryl.
"Did you think about what I said? I told you that you'd be a great cop."
"Nah, man. It ain't for me... I'm good where I'm at."
Rick had not had the opportunity to answer since the girls returned. Michonne could sense the tension in the air.
"What exactly did you do now?"
Shane's voice caught in his throat, words halted in mid-sentence, and eyebrows shot up, forming a high arch of astonishment.
On her face, her delicate, brown, dark pools exuded a powerful, uncompromising intelligence.
"Why did you think it was me?"
"Who else is that much of a dumbass?"
"Aye, I ain't do nothing!"
"I know it's you!"
His gaze raced across the room, looking for confirmation and encouragement. She got to her feet and thrashed him with her rag.
The group could only laugh at their usual cat-and-mouse behaviour. Phoebe turned to Sasha.
"I guess they're close, huh?"
"Mhm. Michonne has known them for almost ten years now. Compared to those four, I've only known them for three. Look, let's not do this."
Sasha's gaze was stagnant. Phoebe Surprise had taken hold of her, threatening to spill from her lips in an uncontrollable gasp. Rick watched the exchange with alertness in his eyes and then turned his attention back to Michonne.
...
The rest of the night was uneventful. He ran a bath for both of them when they arrived home. He had to assist her because she was Drunk. He initially went for her phone but ended up taking the rest of her belongings so she could avoid Mike as much as possible. He'd talk to her in the morning about living here rather than hunting for an apartment; even if she was resistant, he was confident he could persuade her. He planned to take his time. He was aware of her insecurity. He'd be patient as he moved forward.
Yeah, that's what I'll do.
He got out, carrying her out of the tub. She'd fallen asleep by this point. He dressed them both and went to bed.
...
Two months had passed since that day. The two had been going at a steady pace. Waiting for her hadn't been easy, but it was worth it in his eyes. He sat in the police cruiser, and Shane was next to him, talking.
"She's basically living with you, man; how the hell is that going slow?"
"We're more like roommates if I'm being honest."
"A roommate you just so happen to be sleeping with, right? I just don't get why you'd do this… Have you thought about what happens if it don't work out? We got the same group of friends, Rick."
"This didn't just pop out of nowhere; I mean, the sleeping together part did, but... I've had these feelings for a while now. It was one of the reasons Lori and I didn't work out, other than the obvious stuff, of course."
Shane cast a sceptical eye focused on an empty space in the air between them. Muscles stiffened, not responding.
"Look, I get it, I do, but she's the one I want, and I'm positive she wants the same thing so-"
Before Rick could finish, a dispatch came through. When they got to the location, Rick and Shane recoiled in horror, overwhelmed, they stood frozen.
A child, at the age of five or six, sat atop a female adult, devouring her. He was in no way, shape, or form expecting to see cannibalism at the hands of a little girl, nonetheless.
Rick called out to the child to get her attention, and he did.
"Hey, stop that right now!"
The little girl grunted in response, rushing at them, ready to jump on Rick, but Shane shot the child in the head in a hurried reaction.
His heart stopped, their chest hurting straight through to their back, a sickening wave of terror welling up from their belly at what had occurred.
"Shit! We gonna have to investigate, man."
"What?" Rick asked as if he hadn't heard what had been said.
"We got to search the place for drugs or something. That shit wasn't normal!"
"Yeah…"
"You do the call in, I'll look."
"Okay…"
By the time backup and forensics came Shane had completely swept the apartment.
"The mom shot herself in the head. Couldn't find anything to make that kid act like that though… You filled out the report, right?"
"Yeah… Cap's here."
"Why?" Shane's eyes flattened, and his face hardened in concentration.
Thinking about his conversation with the old detective, he frowned, and a shadow passed over his eyes.
" It would seem that the folks 'upstairs' wanna keep this quiet, and apparently, this ain't the first time either."
"That ain't fucking suspicious at all."
"You okay?"
"I wasn't the last time I checked," said Shane. "Not unless I'm missing something."
"Sorry, that was a stupid question."
"Nah, man… It's been a wild night. Don't sweat it… I guess no drinks tonight."
"Nah, I heading home this shit…" Rick shook his head, rattled by all he'd seen. A prickling sensation shot up their spine.
He and Shane said their goodbyes before they left. When Rick got home, he found Michonne on the couch waiting for him.
"Hey…"
"Hey…"
"You're back."
"Yeah…"
She seems off.
He seems off.
He walked up and sat next to her, kicking off his shoes, he stared at her. His eyes were blue in the middle and bloodshot everywhere else. Michonne patted her lap, urging him to lie down, which he did.
"You must have had a hard day?" She asked while rubbing his temples.
"We killed a kid today." Michonne's hand paused for a second but soon resumed. "We found her eating her mother's corpse."
She stroked his dark, curly hair, waiting for him to go on, but he didn't.
She wondered if to tell him after the day he had.
No, I have to. I really shouldn't wait.
"Rick, I have something to tell you…"
"Hmm?"
"I'm pregnant…"
The place was so quiet that one could hear pain drop. Rick's throat was restricted by a firm knot, making it difficult for him to breathe. Michonne, on the other hand, felt her gut clench into a tight ball as she waited for him to speak. Both of their hearts were pounding in sync.
"What?" He stood up as the words finally registered in his brain.
"This all your fault, you…Why didn't you use protection?" She yelled at the top of her lungs, hitting him in his chest.
"How's that my fault alone?"
"You seduced me!"
She moved away from him as her chest pounded rapidly. She had a tingling sensation that spread like wildfire throughout her spine.
Rick grew unnaturally still, A quick bark of laughter burst from his throat. He stared at her, eyes marking her the way a tiger watched a bunny.
"Damn… so we're expecting." He passed his hand through his hair. "Alright."
"How are you this calm?"
"I don't see the problem. You've always wanted kids and I've always wanted kids, you ain't sleeping with anyone but me, and I ain't sleeping with anyone else either. We also live together… Unless you have feelings for someone else that I don't know about?"
"Of course not!"
He got up and invaded her space. He bent his neck, connecting their foreheads, and took her two hands in his.
"So what's the problem… Hmm?"
His voice was so gentle as he looked down at her. She felt her legs turn to mush, but Rick held her steady in his chest, placing a soft kiss on her lips, and then her nose.
"This is fantastic news. Tomorrow, I'm working a short shift. When I get back, we'll go to the doctor… Okay?"
"Okay…"
The next day, as Rick ate lunch in the car with his partner, he was fidgeting, eager to get off the clock. Shane, noticing could not help but ask.
"You good, man?"
"Yeah, just waiting to punch out."
"That shit yesterday, it's been popping up more and more. They can't hide shit. Something more is going on. This morning, Hal met someone like that. Heard they ripped into his stomach, and they had to rush him to the nearest hospital."
"Really ?"
"You're right about them keeping this thing hush-hush. I only heard about it cause I was there when the old man got the call… I don't like this, man."
The two sat in silence for a while until Rick opened his mouth, changing the subject.
"On a positive note, I'm gonna be a father."
Shane's expression was deceptively composed; his surprise was only given away by a brief gasp.
"Wow… so much for taking things slow." He let out a nervous laugh.
"We're going to the doctor today after I get off."
"So that's why you're time sitting. Congrats man… We've got like five minutes left till we're off; might as well go."
Rick was about to refuse when they received a dispatch on two men fleeing from a robbery. They were close, so they went on the chase. They were the first to catch up; luckily, backup was right behind. It was then that bullets started flying, and an unexpected third man was among the suspects. This changed everything. Caught by surprise, Rick got shot twice in the crossfire. One bullet in his shoulder, the other lung in his stomach.
Rick stood rigid with terror, too overwhelmed to move until his legs gave out. Realising what happened, his heart stopped, and his chest hurt straight through to his back. Shane ran to him as quickly as his legs could carry. His skin lost all colour, becoming chalk-white as Blood drained from him.
"Rick, stay with me!"
Shane took off his jacket, trying his best to stunt the bleeding.
"Rick!"
"Rick!"
His consciousness began to fade, though he tried his best to stay awake. Grabbing onto his best friend and holding on desperately.
"Chonne… she's waiting... We were supposed to..." His breath caught in his throat as he struggled to get the words out.
"I know, I know. Just hold on; help is on the way!"
Those were the last words Rick heard before everything went dark.
...
Michonne sat beside his hospital bed, hoping he'd wake up. It had been a week since he slipped in a coma. The city was in such disarray that residents were advised to stay indoors. Shane, as a cop, was well aware of the situation. They would have left the city soon. But she couldn't leave him, and neither could Shane.
He stroked her back to comfort her.
"Chonne, you should eat something."
"I will… I'm just not hungry right now."
"I understand that, but-" The sound of screaming and gunfire broke his train of thought. "Stay here."
Shane got up to investigate what was happening. She nodded her head in acceptance. When he got back, there was panic glued to his face.
"We gotta go now!"
"What's happening?"
"The military… They're killing everyone. Things are worse than I thought. We'll meet up with Daryl and Sasha, then leave the city."
Shane went to get Rick so the three of them could go, but the military, however, was right on their tail. His muscles tightened, and he stood motionless, trying to figure out what to do. Shane looked at Rick, then at Michonne, knowing he had to make a decision. Even if he brought Rick along, it was clear he wouldn't get very far, at least not while lugging his comatose body. He repositioned his best friend on the bed and reconnected him to the machine.
"What are you doing?"
He held her shoulders so their eyes met. He needs to be straight with her.
"We can't take him... I'm sorry."
"What are you talking about… He's right here. We can't just leave him!"
"We ain't got a choice... Think about it. We either try, and all of us die, or we leave him. Think about the baby and what he would want. Come on, Chonne.
"But-"
He took her hand and pulled her behind the bed, slapping a hand over her mouth to stifle the short scream that she emitted unwillingly. He pulled her to his chest, trying to calm her rising panic. The soldier entered the room about to fire at Rick, but his leader called him back. He held her face, drying her tears, waiting for the men to move from this area.
"We're leaving, and that's final. Help me block this door."
She took one last look at him before they left.
...
The room was silent apart from his heavy breathing and the beep-beep sound one often hears in hospitals that indicates you're alive. His lids were heavy as he slowly opened his eyes, squinting in an attempt to sharpen the blurred images before him. He turns to the right, feeling sick to his stomach. It was then Rick noticed the flowers at his bedside wilting. He slowly got up, realising the place was quiet—too quiet. His legs felt slightly numb, but he felt them. Snatching the machine off his body, he stood up. He could feel the blood rushing to his legs as he touched his bandaged stomach, Rick fell into an uncontrollable laugh.
I'm alive.
...
...
...
N.B.
Thank you all so much for the feedback. It really gives me the motivation to go on. I also needed a Richonne fix and this helps a lot. I have a bunch of ideas for stories. My problem is that I need a higher attention span while being stubborn. I, showing you all my Richonne writing it like the perfect incentive to continue especially knowing that other people are waiting as well so Thank You from the bottom of my heart.