Thank you again for reading! Finally Figured out where I am going with this. Bear with me as I set the stage but more Richonne and Grimes family shenanigans to follow. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy the ride!

"Good morning all and all hail the Grimes family on this fine Saturday morning!"

Rick stared at the man on his doorstep in the all black getup, complete with an adorned cross-shoulder mayoral chain. He took in the bright smile and long dreadlocks and then eyed the bulky two all-black bodyguards holding sentry behind his visitor, offering them a sweeping gaze before returning his hard eyes to the man in front of him.

"Governor."

Rick tried to sound friendly. Tried to remember that he actually liked this man, had fought beside him countless times and considered him family. That this man had welcome him and Michonne into the Commonwealth with open arms. Had given them home and their pick of jobs; the kind of jobs that gave them a quiet, easy life and let them be home in time for dinner. Michonne as a teacher at the local high school and Rick as a local peace officer. Ezekiel had done so so much for them, but in this moment all he could think about was how pissed he felt when he remembered….

Their gazes met and Rick saw the moment Ezekiel saw it too, and he almost smirked as Ezekiel quickly took half a step backwards and squared his shoulders and addressed Rick in a less theatrical lowered his tone.

"Hello old friend, I hope I'm not disturbing anything…" He offered tentatively. Rick didn't respond, instead he just stared, part of him enjoying making the other guy squirm a little. It had been this way for over a month now. He really should be done with this. Hell, Michonne had told him to be done with it. But sometimes, like now, all he could think about was what had happened while he was gone.

"Look, I wouldn't be here, this early on your day off, if it wasn't important." Rick saw it then, the hint of unease and felt his body tense in response. "Look, I know what you said last time. And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important Rick but I need your help. There's been another incident and I need your eyes on something back at my office at the Commonwealth Guard." Rick sighed and rubbed at his brow. They had talked about this, before, and the time before. I'm not a leader, I'm not that guy anymore. I don't want to be.

"Ezekiel…look, we've talked about this." He half whispered. "You have the Commonwealth Guard for that kinda thang. I'm a Peace Officer." Bar fights and traffic stops were most of the action he saw nowadays, and since the CRM that was all the action he wanted or needed.

"Look, Rick I get-"

"Uncle Ezekiel!" Whatever he was about to say was cut short as RJ burst out like a whirlwind from behind Rick. Rick felt his annoyance fade as he watched Ezekiel embrace his son. This was the man who had given them a home, the same man who had stood by his wife's side and protected his children all those years when he couldn't. He needed to remember that, even if he was being a pain in the ass right now.

"Hello young RJ, growing taller as always. You must have grown a foot since I last saw you, young King!" Ezekiel popped the brim of RJ's hat and Rick felt himself tense again the way Rick always did. This guy. He felt his hand start to curl into a fist but was suddenly overcome by the scent of brown sugar and cocoa butter filled his senses, as Michonne slid her soft hand into his right hand to intertwine their fingers together.

"Uncle Ezekiel!" Judith was next to her mother, all smiles at the sight of their visitor too.

"Judith!" His smile was genuine as they hugged. "The star pupil of Commonwealth school. I hear nothing but tails of your never-ending accomplishments every time I visit. Nothing but stupendous and studious feats." Rick grunted. Next to him Michonne smaller hand squeezed his, drawing his attention. Be nice. Those deep brown eyes implored before she stepped forward for an embrace.

'Hey Zeke." Their hug was brief and Michonne was back at his side, in large part because of the daggers Rick was shooting Ezekiel's way. "What are you doing here? Please, come in. Can I get you something to drink? Coffee?" She was walking them back into the house before Rick could protest. To their credit Ezekiel's knew better than to enter their home and bodyguards hovered on the doorstep.

"Um, no thank you Michonne. My apologies." He said when he caught site of the breakfast table. "It was not my intention to disturb the Grimes family at this early hour but I wished to speak with Rick. I am in need of his assistance at my office if had a few moments to spare."

"I don't." Rick offered pointedly. "Got plans with my family."

"We're going fishing at the Lake! After my Dad and I get a new fishing pole at the store." RJ preened and Rick couldn't help but return his son's smile with his own as he lovingly ruffled his curls. That's my boy.

Unfortunately, that was just the opening Ezekiel needed.

"Excellent! I would happy to give you a ride. I am in need some of Rick's help and sound advice and I could have them back in no time." Oh hell no…Rick started to reply, but Michonne and RJ beat him to it.

"Cool!" RJ yelped, eyeing the gleaming black Suburban that was the Governors official vehicle idling in front of their house.

"That would be great. I'm sure Rick would be happy to help in any way he can." Michonne replied, keeping those doe eyes on him. Rick read the expression in them clear as day. He could do this one thing, it was nothing compared to what they had been given…a second chance to be here and build a home with the ones they loved. Besides, when Michonne looked at him like that, with those sexy soulful brown eyes, he couldn't deny her anythang. Even this.

Rick sighed. "Yeah…that would be great. Let me get my stuff." Inside the house Rick grabbed his belt, gun, gun holster and hatchet. In the corner of his eye he watched RJ grab and holster his own hatchet and follow suit. The sight filled him with a sense of pride he couldn't explain. Their kids were young, but in the land of the dead they weren't too young to be prepared to defend themselves, even here in the Commonwealth Green Zone.

Rick nodded as he turned to kiss the top of Judith's head as she cleared the table.

"Take care of your mama." Judith nodded and he turned to Michonne and looped an arm around her waist pulling her flush with his muscled form to look into those eyes then to the lush curve of her lips and back to those doe eyes.

"You owe me big time." He whispered.

Michonne smiled. "And you promised you would be nice." Especially about the other thing her eyes said with an arch of her brow.

"…Yeah…" Rick conceded before he lowered his mouth to hers. Her mouth was soft and he could taste the sweetness of the maple syrup from breakfast as he lapped at mouth her in easy, gentle strokes that made him want more. He had to pull himself away and touched his forehead to hers to stop himself. "One hour. We can meet you at you at the lake." He iterated. Michonne nodded and he stepped back.

"Dad, c'mon." RJ squeezed between them to give his mother the fastest hug in history before dragging Rick towards the door. "Wait till I tell everyone at school I rode in the Governor's car!"

It took less than ten minutes for the Governor's car to make it to the Bait and tackle Shop. The store was more of a hardware store, housed in what was the Commonwealth's Business District, with a collection of stores and businesses it was the closest thing to what had would have been outdoor mall before the fall. There was a section cornered for the Farmer's Market and Art Fair lots of outdoor seating for people to visit with each other and enjoy the day. It was a slice of civilization that offered a remnant of past lives where people could forget that the dead now outnumbered the living.

The Saturday crowds loved the normalcy of it all, almost as much as they loved their Governor. They all stopped to say hi and shake hands. Rick ignored them as he hurried RJ along, was conscious of the stares and whispers as they made their way to the Bait shop. He heard some of them mutter his name but he didn't care or have time to think about it too hard. He needed to get this meeting with Ezekiel over with so he could get back to his wife and his daughter and the lake.

Thankfully the Bait and Tackle Shop owner was all ready with RJ's new rod, so they paid and gathered up the new kit while Ezekiel was still lauded over his people. To his credit, RJ seemed to take it all in stride, enjoying the the wide-eyes and slack jaws of the school kids who thought it was "cool" that he was hangin' with the Governor. He was now once again sitting in the 3rd row seat of the Governors old model Suburban, talking the ear off of one of Ezekiel's guard detail, a young kid with deep olive skin and longish dark hair who reminded Rick of a young Glenn.

Rick watched them for a moment, unable to hide a smile as RJ rambled on about that one time they caught a trout "this big" in the lake by their house and his Dad helped him reel it in. Hell, he could watch RJ all day; could watch him talk, watch him sleep. Eight years of missed time with his boy had made him feel like this. Like he never wanted to look away or miss a single moment or let go. And he would be damned if missed anything else with his son.

"He's a great kid." The smile was promptly wiped from Rick's face at the sound of Ezekiel's voice next to him. The other man had been watching RJ as well and continued quietly so only Rick could hear. "I remember when he was yay high, always quiet, but his eyes would light up every time he talked about you and regaled anyone who would listen with tales of his Father's heroics. And how he believed you were out there and would come home one day."

Rick tensed. He truly was glad RJ had had people like Ezekiel, looking out for him when he couldn't. But he couldn't not be bothered by all the time he had missed with his son. Years where this other man got to see him grow…amongst other things.

"Tell me, was that before or after you tried to put the moves on my wife?" Rick said suddenly, his face deadpan as he stared into the other man's face.

Ezekiel went still.

"…Rick…we talked about this, at least I thought we talked about this. It wasn't like that, I wasn't in a good place when that happened…" He spoke in almost a whisper, and Rick noticed then that the other man looked almost hurt. Shit. Which freakin' sucked because he liked Zeke, a lot. Rick heaved a deep sigh, and briefly touched a hand to the bridge of his nose.

"Look, you're right. I'm an asshole. We did talk, and I understand. But…but, it doesn't mean I don't want to sometimes rearrange your face every time I see you now. But, your family and you took care of my family. So I'm gonna try…ok? I'm gonna try. It will just…take a second." Ezekiel's resulting smile of relief was instantaneous as the SUV finally rolled to a stop outside the Commonwealth guard post building known to most as the North Guard Wall.

Rick eyed the plain red-brick building ahead bordered by guard towers and miles and miles of wrought iron fencing that bounded the Northmost edge of the Commonwealth. At almost twenty minutes from the actual city this fence was heavily guarded and patrolled by members of the CG, the Commonwealth Guard, sworn to protect the security of the city from the outside world; from every foreign threat, alive or dead. It was just one of five outposts and although this was area was heavily secured and patrolled, even with his gun and his hatchet, the idea of having his son this close to the unknown was less than thrilling. But he had promised Michonne, so he needed to get this over with and fast.

"Ok, lets get this over with." Rick, started to open his door, even as one of Ezekiel's cadets was reaching to open it.

"Excellent, I can have my young Kenny over here watch over RJ while we conduct our business…" Ezekiel offered.

"No, need." Rick offered quickly as he moved the seat back to let RJ out of the back. "My son goes where I go."

As if on cue RJ hopped out of the vehicle and came to stand next to Rick, mimicking his stance with his own belt and hatchet tucked away safely. Rick looked down at his son and offered him a wink that made RJ beam. Then he was back to eyeing Ezekiel expectantly.

"After you, Governor."

Ezekiel eyed the Father-son duo with something akin to amused admiration before he was nodding and exiting the car too to lead them into the building.

As they followed behind the Governor and his guards, up a set of stone steps, Rick surveyed the iron fence and guard post a mere yards away where fresh cadets milled about in what looked like some sort of training exercise.

"Dad, look." Next to Rick RJ tugged on his shirt and pointed beyond the wrought iron fence, to an opening where cadets were systematically working to put down two walkers.

"Junior, stay close."

Rick's eyes stayed on the cadets with the walkers, even as he pulled RJ closer. The cadets looked adept enough but they were young and he knew better than anyone how Walkers got when they were riled up and out of control.

Inside, the Commonwealth Guard post was an typical older style brick government building filled with recruits and cubicles and maps of the Commonwealth and the Perimeter Wall. Like the CBD, here too the Governor was an instant celebrity. CG soldiers stopped to shake hands and salute, while they eyed Rick and RJ, the only civilians with open curiosity.

"This is so cool." RJ loud whispered again and Rick smiled at his son. And tried not to think about how much this place reminded him of another army base, one he had tried for the better part of a year to forget. In that moment the t-shirt he wore felt suddenly heavier, constricting almost as they walked through the building. Rick felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand as they moved further into the structure. His eyes moved over his surroundings. Nothing looked strange or odd or out of the ordinary from the times he had been here before. But he couldn't shake this feeling…this uneasiness. He felt his heart rate pick up, forcing him to be on alert in a way he couldn't explain. And then, just then, Rick swore he could feel eyes on him and his son, studying, analyzing…waiting…The feeling was overbearing and Rick could feel his mechanical hand curl anxiously and involuntarily at his side. He hadn't felt this in a long time, this sense of inching dread that seeped its way into the air. Not since he was at Cascadia base…

"Dad?" RJ's voice broke through the fog as he looked up at Rick. His forehead creased in slight concern. RJ was young but he could be perceptive and picked up on his Dad's moods easily.

"I'm good buddy." Rick smiled. It's nothing Grimes, get it together! Cascadia base was done; obliterated. A distant memory. And he would be damned if he would make RJ feel any of his uneasiness. So it shook off that feeling as they headed further into the CG.