A/N Thanks guys so much for the reviews, follows, favorites, and support. I do love you for it. This one is lengthy, I know the last add was rather short. It was tough to write. A lot of sad going on, but I promise the next chapter to be fluff! And maybe even a little steamy. Who knows? Without further ado, I give you chapter 3..
"Rick?"
"Yeah...yeah it's me," Rick smiled.
She remembered his voice.
"How'd you get my number?" she blurted out.
She had heard the smile in his voice, and felt the butterflies fluttering around as soon as that familiar twang filled her ears. But she couldn't deny the slight creepiness from his end. They'd never exchanged numbers. Besides their night together, she knew absolutely nothing about the man except he set her body ablaze.
She heard him clear his throat.
"Oh, I… I'm sorry for comin' off kinda sketchy. I'm… I'm a sheriff's deputy."
Michonne could picture the rose in his cheeks, as he explained himself. She hadn't been all that worried about how he got it really. She had a knack for reading people. Not as well as she had come to read Rick like a book, but she always trusted her gut. She glanced up at the bathroom door, remembering Negan was on the other side of it.
"Deputy Rick. Kind of has a nice ring to it," Michonne teased as she imagined Rick in his uniform. Being a country boy, she just knew there was a hat involved.
He'd never heard his work title sound so good. Rick imagined her smirking as the words left her full lips, even showing her pearly white teeth. He remembered the feel of said teeth, nibbling on his ear, his neck…
"Rick," he heard her calling to him.
He quickly shook his head out of his thoughts. He'd called for a reason, and not for a recap of that night, though he wouldn't mind rewinding the clock.
"I'm sorry. What'd ya say?"
"Nothing… I just was wondering why you called."
Michonne thought about the long hair beauty that had escorted him to the club. She'd seen plenty of married couples stumble into her place, but none had been as sad-eyed as Rick and Lori. It was none of her business, and she knew that. She just couldn't understand what Rick was doing calling her, while he had an entire wife at home.
"Well… I thought that maybe…" he inhaled deeply, "I don't understand why I get so nervous, when I talk to ya. I'm not sure I could say this if we weren't on the phone."
He was positively adorable. A wave of ease passed over Michonne. She didn't quite understand that either. Nervous people always made her nervous too. It was just that contagious. But not him. Anything he did made her feel content.
"It's okay, Rick. Take your time."
She looked back at the door. Although she really did mean what she said, she knew Negan wasn't the most patient man when it came to his sexual desires.
"Right."
Rick closed his eyes and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Somehow her words were calming. He looked around his closed office. He knew no one would disturb him. These days, everyone treated him like a glass figurine. Cheryl, his assistant, was the only one who actually stepped in, and she'd always announce her entry over the office intercom. He sighed quietly, telling himself to get this over with before he lost his nerve.
"I was wondering if maybe, you'd want to meet to ya know… talk a bit."
Although it had come out almost as one word, Michonne smiled as she heard his words. She couldn't deny she'd been thinking of Rick. More than just how he felt inside of her. While it was great, more than that actually, there was something else. Something she couldn't put her finger on. But soon, her smile faded. Lori was his wife. Sex was one thing. She knew that. But she couldn't invest in someone who wasn't already emotionally available.
Rick felt his stomach drop at the silence on her end.
"You, uh… you still there, Michonne."
"Michonne, what're you doin in there girl?"
"Be right out!" She yelled, looking back toward the door.
Rick fidgeted in his chair at the muffled voice he'd just heard. There was no doubt about it. It was a man. The same one she'd been with at the club. The guy she was with sometimes.
"Look, Rick. I'd love to meet with you… but… you're married. And I'm...well I'm complicated. We just have too much going on to make this more.."
She couldn't lie to him, and say 'more than what it was'. She knew it was more than just sex with them. She felt it in his kiss, in his simple touch of their hands. And if she felt it, so did he.
"Michonne… I get where you're comin' from. Believe me I do. But I know there's something here. Something that feels right. Look, me and Lori. We've been over for a long time. Neither of us had the nerve to end it before it went to shit… Scuse my French."
Michonne giggled at his attempt at protecting her ears. He was the definition of a gentleman.
Rick's heart skipped at the heavenly sound of that laugh, as small as it was.
"We've decided to split for good. We just have to finalize it, and tell Carl."
Rick's hand lifted from his lap, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn't meant to mention Carl so soon. Why'd he go and do that? Scare her off even more. When he talked to this woman, it was like.. He was someone different entirely.
"I know it's a lot, Michonne. I do. But I'm just askin' you to give it a chance. I have a feelin' bout it. I know you do too otherwise you woulda written me off as some whacko usin' his deputy privileges to be a bonified creep. If I'm wrong, you can hang up right now."
Rick waited for the dial tone after he took a page from her book, but when he heard her soft breathing he continued.
"It doesn't have to be now if you don't want it to. We can just talk, or text, whatever it is you're feelin comfortable with."
A sigh escaped Michonne's lips. She wasn't one for messy situations, because she didn't like the uncertainty of them. She didn't live the most traditional lifestyle, but there were rules, prior to what people believed. While her relationship with Negan was open, they were always honest with one another. They were upfront. That's how they had lasted so long. That's why they were best friends. But this thing..with Rick… it was dangerous. It was something completely unknown.
"I gotta go, Rick," she almost whispered.
She could hear the disappointment in his exhale.
"All right. I understand."
"Hey, Rick."
"Michonne?"
"Take care of everything, then call me."
A half smile appeared on his face, and he nodded as if she were standing in front of him.
Somehow, the smile was contagious, and graced her face too.
"Bye, Rick."
After heading back into their office, Michonne told Negan she wasn't in the mood anymore, and that she'd see him at the event tomorrow. Before he could begin his questioning, she'd put her strapless sundress back on, thankful she'd left her bra and panties at home in her top drawer, and left the building.
She'd just made it to her 2014 Altima, when her phone buzzed in her hand. It was the same number Rick had called her on ten minutes earlier.
We take care of everything, then we try this.
Michonne read, and reread the message. Rick wasn't the only person who had work to to do.
"Hey, Carl, c'mon out here for a minute," Rick called from the back porch.
He'd convinced Lori, to let him handle dropping the bomb on their son. The boy had grown distant from his mother since the scandal between her and who once looked up to as a blood. Some would have even called the ten year old cold. But Rick understood. He felt it, and then some. But Carl loved his mother. They both did. And even though he was angry, and confused on how to deal with her, for the sake of being loyal to his father, she'd always be his mother. She'd always love him unconditionally no matter how he treated her. Rick couldn't have her being the bad guy again. He needed to let his son know he'd have to let go of this anger. He'd have to move forward, just like they were.
"What's up, Dad?" Carl asked as he poked his head between the screen door.
Rick patted the empty space on the swing he sat on. He'd put it up the year Lori and him moved in. Rick's father left it to him in his will. Lori had always said she wanted a swing to watch the stars in. Ten years later, it still hung sturdy.
Carl plopped next to his father, and looked at him with eyes that matched his senior.
"I just wanted… to talk to ya."
"About what?"
Rick wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. This was a lot tougher than he expected. He didn't want to hurt his son, especially when the situation had nothing to with him in the first place. No, his parents had screwed up and put him in the middle. Rick shook his guilty thoughts from his minds.
"Well, about me and mom. I know you're hearin' all types of thangs from your classmates, around town, and I just wanna say I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry for all of it," Rick kept his head down, and stared at the worn brown boots he'd owned for too many years.
"C'mon dad. None of it's your fault. It's mom's. It's Shane's. But you ddin't do anything wrong. They're the assholes in all of this."
Rick whipped his head toward his son. His eyebrows raised in surprise, then bunched in anger.
"Now Carl, i get you're angry. I really do. But you watch your mouth."
"Sorry," he muttered and looked away at the tree in the far left corner of the yard.
"Now look. Your Mom, and Shane made a mistake-a big mistake that cost a lot. But everyone makes em'. We're all human here. And it hurts. I ain't sayin' it don't hurt. Hurts like hell. But they ain't below forgiveness. I forgive them," Rick began.
He hadn't really believed it until the words left his mouth. But he was being honest. He'd forgiven Lori. Shane too, although his ex best friend would never hear him say it. Not just because he'd transferred to Alexandria PD, but because Rick didn't feel like it'd make a difference. Even though he'd managed to forgive Shane, he'd never see him the same way again. He'd never be able to trust him.
"Are you guys gonna get a divorce?"
Rick finally met his son's gaze, his blue orbs covered in confusion. When Carl shrugged his shoulders, he'd forgotten just how smart the kid was.
"I mean, that's what happens right? When you can't work things out? That's what happened with Ron's parents."
Rick shook his head. While he was right, Pete Anderson was a dickwad who couldn't keep his hands to himself. Lori and Rick had gone through some shit, but their shit didn't compare to the Anderson's. Rick chose not to get into that with his son.
"Right, that's what happens."
Rick studied his son. Watched as the boy fidgeted with his fingers. He placed his hands over Carl's.
"Look son, I don't know how this thing is gonna end up. We don't wanna hurt you anymore than we already have."
"I wanna stay here with you, Dad."
As happy as he was with Carl's declaration, he knew it wouldn't be that simple.
"I'm happy to hear that, buddy. But there's no way to guarantee that's gonna happen. Look at me."
He turned so that his left leg was propped up on the bench, and the Grimes' boys were face to face.
"I know you're angry at your mama. And it's okay. But you're gonna get past it. You're gonna move on from this."
Carl's eyes glossed over.
"So… it's okay for me to still love, Mom?"
Rick's heart broke in two. He couldn't believe what this had done to his son. To his baby boy. He pulled Carl into his chest, and instantly felt his tee shirt dampen.
"Of course it is, son. Of course it is. This doesn't mean you stop lovin' either one of us, you hear me. We're always gonna be there for you. We're always gonna be your mom and dad."
Rick felt his own tears slipping from his eyes, and down his cheeks.
"Even if you don't love each other anymore?" Carl asked, his voice muffled in the hardness of his father's chest.
Rick pulled back from their embrace. He wiped at Carl's face, until the tears were no more, and he cupped the boy's round chin.
"Carl, we will always love one another. We will always love each other because we will always love you. Understand?"
Carl shook his head, wiping his nose with the arm of his pajama shirt.
"Being a grown up sucks, huh?" Carl rolled his eyes.
Rick wiped at his own face, and couldn't help the hearty chuckle that left his mouth, and ruffled Carl's dark brown hair.
"Yeah son, sometimes it does."
"Mich, c'mon nah. We've never lied to each other. Why start tonight?"
Negan had showed up at her apartment half an hour after the closing of the club. Two in the morning, and he wanted to have this discussion now. Not that she could sleep. Not since Rick had called her. That was two weeks ago. She'd read that text from him about a hundred times, but still hadn't mustered up the courage to talk to Negan. They hadn't made love since that day, which was unheard of. Not to mention her frequent absence from the club. He stopped buying that 'late night at her art gallery' bullshit after a week of it. Now they were in her room, her crossed legs, back at the headboard, and him on the edge of the bed.
"Talk to me, Mich."
She didn't have to look up at him to know, those brown eyes of his were glued to her. Studying every move, every fidget, every breath. He was always that way with her. Observing her. There for every change. Every single change. He wanted to be the first one to notice. He wanted to be the only one close enough to her to notice. And he was, for a quite a while.
But seeing every single change always has it's downsides. Seeing every change means knowing when something isn't right. Knowing when change means he won't be there to see it anymore. Not how he wants, anyway. All that was left was to hear from the lips he'd miss.
Her head leaned backward to rest on the black cherry stained wooden headboard. She knew he'd wait for her to start. He always did. Michonne inhaled deeply.
"I don't know, love. Something just… I just... "
"It's that fella, from that night, with the wife who left me with my cock out?" Negan teased.
He sighed, when she gave a weak smile, but finally looked up at him. He quickly kicked his shoes off, and joined her at the head of the queen sized bed. He patted his lap, and she instantly laid her head in it, turning so that she was on her back, and gazing up at him. They found comfort in this position long ago. Something so simple, but it was theirs. He tangled his fingers in her locks, stroking her scalp with the tips. She closed her eyes as he soothed her in a way that only he could. At least she thought so, until she'd met Rick. It was weird. Comparing them in that way, when in fact, it wasn't the same at all. Negan had a way of soothing her body. While Rick, Rick seemed to soothe her soul.
"We had a good run didn't we?" Negan whispered, looking down at her with admiration.
She knew. He was madly in love with her. He knew she knew. He didn't say it often. Not that he needed to. He showed her every moment they were together. But he also knew it wasn't the same for her. He knew she loved him very much. Never doubted it for a second. But something was missing. And as long as they'd been together, he thought he would have figured it out by now.
"Yeah. We did. Never a dull moment with us."
Negan smiled, bent down, and kissed her lips gently. They stayed that way forever it seemed, each savoring the taste they'd never get to experience again. And it was okay. New things-moving on, moving forward, that was what they were good at. And it wouldn't stop just because they weren't together anymore. It never did.
"I love you Neg. Always will," Michonne said as a tear fell from her eye as she caressed the side of his face, memorizing the scratchy feel of his beard.
He smirked that devilish grin she knew she'd miss more than anything, and wiped the tear from her face. He left his hand on her cheek, committing every curve of her face, the smoothness of her rich chocolate skin, to his mind.
"Always, Darlin. Don't you forget it."
A/N Let me know your thoughts, good and bad. I hoped you guys enjoyed it! Sad to say, this next chapter will be the last one. I don't know if it'll be this long yet, but it'll be worth it, I promise! Thanks you all! You're so great!