AN: Set Post-TOWL Episode 6, about a month and a half, or so back in Alexandria. A glimpse into life in the Safe Zone, and talks about future plans, and new additions to the Grimes family. Rated G for Grimes kids shenanigans, Rick 100% being an 'Ask your Mama' kind of Dad, and Michonne's love of cute felines.

"Hope I'm not interruptin'."

Rick's voice cut through the chatter in the meeting house, and he grinned at the sight of Michonne with Aaron at one of the tables in the large, open space, papers spread out between them, coffee cups pushed aside in favor of note scribbling and planning.

"You are, but I don't mind." She leaned in for the kiss she knew was coming, a quick press to her forehead while he moved towards a basket full of vibrant green apples perched at the end of their long table. "How was the visit?"

"Don't know what all to expect, with it only being the second one, but we're friendly." Rick grabbed a Granny Smith and polished it against his denim shirt before taking a big bite. "Got a good sense of humor. I like that in a shrink. Floated the idea of maybe gettin' a new prosthetic."

Michonne's brows arched, taking in the casually shared bit of information. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Rick replied, offering her a look that spoke of a deeper dive into his thoughts, knowing he'd share them later. "Somethin' to consider."

"Nothing wrong with a cool upgrade," Aaron said, waving his own prosthetic with a flourish. "And Doctor Bakare is a great asset. We were lucky to steal him from the Commonwealth. A double-certified surgeon and psychiatrist?"

"Pretty much a unicorn," Michonne added, smiling at Rick's huffed laughter. "His sister's the archery instructor, right?"

"She is," Aaron replied with a nod. "Hope Bakere. Medaled in the Olympics and everything. Silver, I think. And I believe she has some medical training, too."

Rick swallowed his bite of apple and whistled lowly. "That's damn impressive."

"The kids seem to think so. I hear RJ's really taken to the bow."

Which made his father beam proudly. "He has. Can't say we've been enjoying the practice all over the house, but if it's for learnin'…"

"I don't know how archery connects with bouncing tennis balls up and down my floors and on the walls," Michonne added, shaking her head. "But I'm happy he's getting the training, and having fun."

"I know I am, for Gracie, too. As a matter of fact, I think their lessons should be wrapping up soon."

At Aaron's words, Michonne glanced at her watch. "Oh, you're right. If you want to pause things-"

"-I can get 'em." Rick offered. "Seems like you've got some momentum on…whatever it is you're workin' on."

"Possible expansion plans," Aaron explained. "Being allied with the Commonwealth, and now the supply drops with the Civil Republic, we're able to maybe stretch further south, and finally incorporate the Cherrywood development for future growth."

"Really?" Rick asked. "All of it?"

"Not completely. Just a few of the front duplexes, to start," Aaron replied. "They'd be good to convert into apartments, for single people or small groups. We'll have to clear and assess repairs first."

He nodded at that. "Not bad. I remember Deanna wantin' that, way back when. It's good, makin' it happen."

"Made possible by Michonne." Aaron was happy to boast about his friend. "She laid the groundwork for how Alexandria could thrive beyond. The Safe Zone has been rebuilt, but it couldn't have happened without that foundation."

Michonne's graceful smile made Rick's heart swell, an equal measure of pride and love reflected in his face when their eyes met. "Yeah, she's real good at that, seein' the big picture, makin' shit happen."

"I think that's enough ego stroking." Her smoky voice was even, and a little playful, and didn't betray the flush of warmth in her cheeks and the fluttering in her belly at her husband's intense look. "Rick, get the kids. Aaron and I need to hammer out a few more details before we can present the proposal to the rest of the council."

"Guess I got my marchin' orders." Rick briefly cupped his wife's cheek, grinning at how warm it was, despite the slight chill in the air and he laughed when Michonne swatted his hand away, knowing she'd been found out. "I'll leave y'all to it."

He finished his apple on his walk, tossing it into one of the compost bins near the stables and continued on and through the front gates. There was a clearing in a field not too far, where he knew the archery lessons took place. They seemed to have wrapped early, because he could spot a group headed towards him, walking the road back towards the Safe Zone gate led by a tall, dark skinned woman with close-cropped curls clutching a bow with a quiver of handmade arrows strapped to her back.

"Good shootin'?" he asked by way of greeting, nodding at the kids who followed their teacher, ranging in ages as young as RJ and a few others who appeared to be older than Judith, most likely teenagers.

"I think it went rather well," Hope Bakare replied cheerily in her clipped accent. "Even with the excitement towards the end."

"Excitement?" Rick's brow furrowed in confusion, head tilting as he looked beyond where he stood with Hope to see his children. Judith clutching a medium-sized cardboard box with 'ARROWS' etched in marker on the side, surrounded by a few other kids, including her brother. "What's goin' on?"

"Dad!" Judith's steps were careful as she approached her father, her katana on her back and her fingers tightly holding to the box. "Look what we found."

"What is-" Rick peered inside the box, surprised to see two kittens. Tiny and black, save for small patches of white fur along their on one's little paws and the other's nose. "Where did they come from?"

"The forest near the practice field," Gracie said, eyes wide and eager. "They were meowing really loud."

Judith nodded at her friend. "And we didn't wanna leave them there."

Rick could understand that, given the circumstances. Odds are, the girls more than likely saved from the same fate that had probably befallen the mother.

"They're so small," RJ remarked, leaning further into the box with his hand outstretched, almost as if to touch one but hesitated, yanking his fingers back and gripping his bow. "Can we keep 'em, Dad?"

They were walking towards the gates again, and Rick looked down at his children, who were still enamored with the sleeping kittens and he sighed. "Think we gotta talk with your Mama about that one, Junior. They're not babies, but they're still kinda young to be on their own. They'll need a lot of lookin' after."

"Should we take them to Doctor B?" Judith asked. "I mean, he's a people doctor, but I dunno, he knows a lot of stuff."

Rick smiled and ushered the kids inside the open gate, letting his arm settle around his daughter's shoulders as the rest of their classmates and teacher scattered to their respective homes. "Not the same thing, Jude."

"We'll show Mama, first," RJ decided, grinning up at his father. "She loves cats. And she knows a lot about everything."

"That she does, son." Rick said with a laugh. "Guess that's what we're doing first."

Michonne and Aaron were packing away their papers when Rick returned to the meeting house, kittens and kids in tow.

"Well hey guys, how was practice?" Michonne asked, greeting her children with a bright smile.

"Apparently action packed," Rick told her, nodding towards the box that Judith carried over and gingerly set atop the table.

"Me and Gracie found them, Mom. Aren't they cute?"

Michonne and Aaron peeked inside, sharing twin looks of surprise at the now-awake kittens, currently pawing at the sides of their cardboard carrier.

"They were just out in the field?"

Michonne looked to Rick, several questions and their answers passing through their shared gazes and he nodded at the unspoken one, knowing she recognized the obvious mother abandonment by way of walker interference.

"We did the right thing, right Dad? Not leaving them there?" Impossible to resist such a question from his daughter, inquisitive dark eyes regarding him closely.

Another series of looks passed between husband and wife, and Rick eventually nodded at Judith's question, and smoothed down her hair. "Yeah, Jude. You and Gracie did a good thing."

"You did," Aaron added with a nod.

"Can we keep 'em?" RJ said, clearly focused on the most important part. "Dad says they're too young to be on their own. So we gotta help, right?"

Above their children's heads, the silent conversation continued, Michonne's pursed lips, and Rick, rubbing at his brow with his thumb, shoulders lifting in a noncommittal shrug.

"Uh…well…"

"We can look out for them," Michonne offered diplomatically. "Like how you helped Uncle Daryl with Dog. But it's a lot of responsibility."

"-But that's good for us, right?" Judith countered, sounding so much like her mother, confident in her reasoning, Michonne couldn't help but be impressed. "More responsibility? It's how we learn, like practice."

"And I can help!" Gracie added enthusiastically. "We can share chores. We always do, with gardening and stuff."

"Learning animal care is pretty essential," Aaron said, gesturing to Michonne. "We already teach them how to handle the horses and chickens. Besides, what better way to be hands on and gain experience from an actual cat-lover."

"Yeah, Mama, you love cats!" RJ reminded her, and Michonne could hardly hide her smile, even as she shook her head at her son's contribution.

"The cat art collection don't lie, sweetheart," grinning when she paused the adoration of her son to cut her eyes at Rick, who held up his hand in surrender. "I told 'em they had to bring it to you."

"You got me most of those statues," she reminded him, shaking her head.

"And now the kids brought somethin' better," Rick said, fully amused by the whole situation.

One of the kittens seized the moment to plead its case, paws braced on the box's edge, pulling itself up to standing while meowing, earning 'aww's' from the kids as Michonne reached out, stroking the soft fur between its ears.

"They're tuxedos," she said, a hint of fondness in her husky tone as she continued to pet the adorable little showoff. "See the black, with the white patches? I had a cat like this when I was about your age, Jude."

"Really? What was their name?"

Michonne smiled. "Bootsie. She had little white feet, and it was the cutest thing." Gingerly, she lifted the kitten, cradling it in both hands, patiently as it settled on her chest and nuzzled into her sweater.

"One of my favorite spots too," Rick muttered, low enough for the kids to miss it, but judging from Michonne's snort and Aaron's twitchy smile, the adults heard him loud and clear.

"Looks like they're sisters." Michonne peered down at the other kitten, busy scratching at the box's bottom. "Maybe about six or seven weeks old, I think. They seem to be in good shape, so maybe they weren't alone for too long. A little underfed, but we can fix that."

"Girl cats!" Gracie said, bouncing on her toes. "Cool!"

"You should name 'em," RJ told her, which was rather diplomatic, though Rick was sure he was just happy to have something new and interesting around. "Since you and Judy saved 'em from the walkers."

"Think that's a good idea," Rick said, and Michonne nodded in agreement. "What's it gonna be, girls?"

Gracie and Judith exchanged a look, nodded, and smiled. "Ramona and Beezus." Judith beamed at her parents. She had readily taken to the book they'd brought her, enjoying the idea of loving something her mother had once treasured as a child. She and Gracie read it together, and Aaron had promised to look out for the rest of the book series on his runs, though had only managed one other so far. Still, it was enough for the girls, and apparently left a lasting impression.

"That's great." Aaron ran a gentle hand down the back of the kitten still in the box. "We'll keep Ramona and Beezus together for now, while they get better."

"Think that's for the best," Rick replied.

Michonne hummed in agreement. "Glad you think so, Grimes. Since you'll be on cat-watching duty while Aaron and I work on expansion plans."

Her smile was small and a little triumphant, and Rick figured he deserved it for putting her on the spot. He nodded, and conceded his 'well-played' with a grin. "Guess I can do that."

"Yes!" came the chorus of excitement from the kids, who returned their attention to the box, listening as Aaron explained the proper way to handle kittens.

Another meow from the cutie cuddled to her chest, and Michonne looked down at the sweet face blinking its greenish-gold eyes up at her, and she couldn't help but smile, her thumb stroking the white patch of fur on its nose.

"Hey Ramona," she said, her voice just as gentle as the scritches she placed behind the kitten's ears. "Welcome to the family."

AN: One of my favorite small details from TOWL was Michonne loving the Ramona Quimby series, because I was also a Ramona girlie, and it's such a sweet connector for her and Judith to enjoy the same books. Also full disclosure, I've yet to finish the last 10 episodes of the main show, so I only know a few details about the new relationship between the Commonwealth and ASZ outside of them now being allies, but this is my version, so we're just rolling with it.