A/N: Enjoy!

(Special shout outs to Winterscorpion and Bolinthings for the inspiration!)

Chapter 21: A Family Affair (part 1)

Nope.

After the call with Shane ended, I turned my phone on silent and pulled my covers over my head. My mind was still reeling from how fucked up everything was before Shane's call. There was no way in hell I was about to focus on how astronomically fucked up things had just become.

What I was going to do was go back to sleep.

I grunted, rolled onto my stomach, settled into my pillow and closed my eyes. Until sleep claimed me, I was only allowing thoughts about a certain blue-eyed person to fill my mind.

Rick.

His name alone put a smile on my face. Thinking about what'd he done before he walked out my condo stretched my smile into a grin.

He had so brazenly used that thumb of his to caress my lips…

He had so confidently declared that we had unfinished business…

He had so unashamedly used his eyes to devour me.

Rick had never touched me like that. Rick had never spoken to me like that. Rick had never looked at me like that. It was all so unexpected, but I loved every second of it! And best of all, everything about him—his touch, his voice, his eyes—told me the same thing…

He didn't want to get off the pot.

He wanted me as much as I wanted him!

Embracing my inner teenage girl with a crush, I giggled into my pillow and did a happy dance before rolling onto my side. I looked at the side of the bed Rick slept on last night and my smile fell just a fraction. Rick's arm had been wrapped around me when I woke up, but I was too consumed by my Fucking Lori Grimes rage to appreciate waking up to his warmth.

I vowed never to make that mistake again.

I reached for the pillow Rick slept on and hugged it to my chest, inhaling his scent. My mind took me back to his thumb rubbing across and down my lips. Rick had no idea how close I'd come to sucking that thumb of his into my mouth. He had no idea that after he left, it had taken a twenty-minute shower for me to ease the ache he stirred within me.

I squeezed the pillow tighter and let out a frustrated sigh. If I kept thinking about Rick, I would have to take another shower.

But I really needed to sleep because Shane would be in King County tomorrow morning. And with things now astronomically fucked up, I needed to be as rested as possible before talking to Rick later.

I groaned, rolled onto my back with my arms still wrapped around Rick's pillow and redirected my thoughts to Lake Chambler, letting the still peacefulness of the lake's dark blue waters guide me to my slumber.

Ten minutes later, I was still wide awake.

It was the lake's fault.

The lake made me think about the way the sun shines on it. The way the sun shines made me think about the magnificent sky the sun shine's in. The magnificent sky made me think about Rick's heavenly sky-blue eyes. Rick's heavenly sky-blue eyes made me think of his handsome face.

I smiled and let out a content sigh.

I really, really loved that face.

Eventually, drowsiness forced all thoughts from my mind completely. The last thought I had before sleep overtook me was the hope that I'd return to the dream version of Rick ravishing the dream version of me against the dream version of our front door.

I woke up annoyed AF.

My mind had not taken me back to the dream version of Rick ravishing the dream version of me against the dream version of our front door. I hadn't dreamed of anything at all. I felt rested though, so at least there was that.

I grunted and looked at the clock on the nightstand.

5:09PM.

I'd slept about three and a half hours before my sleep was interrupted by Shane's phone call, and I'd slept another three and a half hours or so after the interruption. If circumstances were different, I would've slept another six or seven hours before getting out of bed, but I needed to talk to Rick about Shane.

That Piece of Shit Shane.

I sat up and stretched, wincing from the soreness in my arms.

I hadn't seen Shane in a good fifteen years. We'd gone on one date that was memorable for all the wrong reasons after I caught him having sex with his ex-girlfriend in my apartment bathroom. A few months later, he left King County after failing out of the Academy. He had, presumably, returned to his neighboring hometown of Bibb County, but I never heard from him after he left King County.

I wasn't at all surprised when Shane failed out of the Academy. He was too intense, too obnoxious and too big of an asshole to excel in a program that called for so much self-discipline and focus. I remember calling Rick the day after that memorable for all the wrong reasons date to let him know I didn't trust Shane as his training partner or as a future officer of the law. I made sure he knew that Shane Walsh was dead to me.

About a month after I told Rick how I felt about Shane, Rick told me that Lori started expressing concerns about Shane as well. Hindsight being what it is, her concerns were probably nothing more than a cover to hide the relationship she and Shane had developed.

Fucking Lori Grimes.

That Piece of Shit Shane.

I'd only observed those two interacting once but thought nothing of the way in which they interacted. Had I unwittingly watched the birth of their betrayal, mistaking it for friendly banter? Had Rick and I missed something that was right in front of our faces?

First date with That Piece of Shit Shane about 15 years ago

Shit.

I was late.

My tires screeched when I swung my car into the King County Café parking lot and screeched again when I pulled into the space next to Rick's beat up old truck. I threw my keys in my purse and was reaching for the door handle when I remembered my lips.

Shit!

My lips were already colored a pretty shade of purple from my black cherry lipstick, but my look was not complete if my lips did not pop. I found my trusted MAC Lipglass at the bottom of my purse and used my rearview mirror to apply the clear gloss. Once I was happy with the amount of shine on my lips, I smiled at my reflection.

I was late, but I looked good.

I rushed into the restaurant and scanned it for Rick. I smiled when I saw the back of his head and grinned when I saw the handsome face of his training partner sitting across from him. After smoothing down my outfit, I sauntered over to them as if I was fifteen minutes early.

"Hi, Rick! Sorry I'm late. I had a minor hangup."

My minor hangup was that my closest friends were annoying boys who had no interest in my fashion dilemmas. Since I had no one to bounce first date outfit ideas off of, I went through five outfit changes before deciding to wear a jean skirt with a studded belt, a dark purple camisole under a brown leather vest, and knee-high, black leather boots. I also wore my favorite multi-colored headband with the pretty purple accents and my large, purple hoop earrings.

Rick stood and gave me a half-hug in greeting. "We only got here about ten minutes ago," he said. "And Daryl told me he tried to help with your hangup," he added with a smirk, lightly tugging on one of my shoulder-length locs.

I swatted at his hand and rolled my eyes. Daryl's help consisted of suggesting that I wear clean underwear and that I leave him alone.

I raised my eyebrows at Rick, silently telling him to introduce me to Shane already. I'd asked him weeks ago to introduce us.

"Michonne, this is Shane," Rick said, nodding to his partner, who was now standing. "Shane, this is Michonne."

The few times I'd seen Shane had been from a distance, but even from a distance I could see how attractive he was. He was much more gorgeous in person. He had the most dazzling dark brown eyes, a slightly misshapen nose that was adorably cute in its misshapenness, and a plump bottom lip that I was already imagining nibbling on. His hair was shaved low on the sides and thicker on top with fluffy little curls. They weren't as curly as Rick's, but no one's curls were as curly as Rick's.

Shane's body was a mouthwatering kind of amazing! The top four buttons of his short-sleeve, black, satin shirt were undone, giving me more than a peek at his well-defined chest. And while his jeans were maybe a little too tight, I liked how his thick thighs strained against the material.

"Well, well, well, ain't you just a slice of somethin' nice," Shane complimented, taking my hand and softly kissing the back of it. "Very pleased to meet you, beautiful."

His intense eyes locked on mine and I felt a small flutter in my stomach.

"I'm happy to finally be meeting you," I said, putting an emphasis on "finally."

I didn't have to look at Rick to know he was rolling his eyes.

"I've seen you around the Academy, haven't I?" Shane asked, still holding onto my hand as his eyes slid down my body. "Yeah, I definitely have. Ain't no way I'd forget you," he said in a lower, deeper voice.

Damn.

"You've probably seen me," I told him, playing it cool. "I used to go running with Rick first thing Sunday mornings."

Before studying abroad, I would regularly run with Rick. Now that I was home, I wasn't sure if that was a routine we would resume. I hadn't brought it up yet because I was nowhere close to being able to run our eight-minute mile. I'd ingested carbs nonstop for the last six months in Italy, and I was still feeling the effects of that. I didn't know what Rick's reason was for not bringing it up yet. He was probably running with Lori now.

"And after we'd run, she'd make me sneak her into the dinin' hall," Rick said to Shane. "She'd eat her breakfast and then most of mine. Every time."

Oh… my… God.

"We'd run five miles, Rick. I'd be hungry after," I replied sweetly, though I was shooting daggers at him for talking about my eating habits in front of Shane.

"Shoot! Ain't nuthin' wrong with a healthy appetite, Michonne! I, myself, am a man with the most voracious of appetites. I love to eat," he said with a wink. "And damn! If I'da known you were Ricky boy's lady friend, I'da asked for your number months ago!"

He grinned and rubbed his thumb over my knuckles.

Rick let out an almost inaudible unimpressed sigh. I ignored him.

"It's not too late for you to ask for it," I said to Shane, looking him up and down.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, pulling me closer to him. "If I ask real nice, you gonna give it to me, Michonne?"

His brown eyes drilled into mine and his tongue slowly wet his bottom lip.

Damn!

When Rick cleared his throat, effectively ruining the moment, I wanted to strangle him. I almost did when out of the corner of my eye I saw him sit down. He was only supposed to introduce me to Shane and then he was supposed to leave.

I threw a questioning look his way.

Rick dodged the look and started studying the King County Café menu.

"Lemme get your chair for you," Shane offered before I could get Rick's attention and silently tell him to go.

"Thank you, Shane. Such a gentleman."

He stepped behind me, and I grinned when I heard the sharp intake of his breath. I had a feeling he was the type of guy who would enjoy a lack of panty lines. I ensured I had none by wearing a thong.

"Well goddamn!" he belted out, causing a few heads to turn our way. "If I wasn't such a gentleman, I'd ask you if you sat in a pile'a sugar, girl!"

"Shane!" Rick said sharply, though he kept his eyes on the menu.

"Unbunch those tighty whities, partner," Shane playfully retorted as I sat down. "I said I'd ask if I wasn't a gentleman. I'm on my best behavior tonight. Cross my heart."

Shane sat in the chair on my right, and Rick gave him a look that I couldn't quite make out.

"You are one lucky sonuvabitch, you know that?" Shane said to Rick with awe in his voice. "How the hell is a boy scout like you surrounded by such pretty ladies?"

I sent another questioning look Rick's way. His eyes returned to his menu, like he didn't know he'd be ordering a rare steak with mashed potatoes and creamed corn. If he was staying, which he wasn't.

"Speakin' of," Shane said. "Your numero uno has returned."

His numero uno?

Rick and Shane rose from their seats. My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

Not only was Lori walking to the table, but she was wearing one of her plaid, spaghetti strap dresses under a jean jacket. The plaid dress and jean jacket combo was her signature date night look.

What…

"You boys don't have to make a fuss over me." She giggled, blushing from the attention.

The…

"My daddy always said a man who doesn't make a fuss over a good steak, a good beer or a good-lookin' lady ain't no kinda man at all," Shane said as Rick pulled out Lori's chair.

The chair that was directly across from me.

At this very, very small table.

Fuck?!

Lori laughed. "Your daddy sounds like a wise man."

What the fuck?!

"Thanks, baby," she said to Rick, giving him a warm smile after he pushed her chair in and kissed her cheek.

What the fuck?!

"Hello, Michonne," she said to me in a flat voice.

What. The. Fuck?!

"Lori," I said just as flatly.

Rick sat down with his eyes glued to his menu.

I narrowed my eyes.

Richard Arthur Grimes was so dead.

"Feels like it's been forever since we last saw you," Lori commented, tucking her newly curly hair behind her right ear… using her left hand.

Could she have made it any more obvious that she wanted me to see her engagement ring?

That poodle perm-haired bitch!

"Your welcome home party was the last time we saw you, right?" she asked.

"That's right," I answered with a tight smile.

"Ooh-la-la! A well-traveled woman!" Shane exclaimed, oblivious to the tension building at the table. He leaned closer to me, but I kept my eyes on Lori, who kept her eyes on me. "Sounds like you're into explorin', Michonne… Discoverin' secret spots?... Tryin' new thangs?"

"Shane!" Rick said sharply.

"I can't help it, partner!" Shane laughed. "This girl's got the bark in me fightin' to come out!"

"Do not start barkin'," Rick warned him.

Shane laughed again. "You know me too well, Rick!"

Maybe in getting to know Shane so well, Rick had forgotten how well he knew me. What else could explain why I was all of a sudden on a double date with him and Lori?

What the fuck?!

I didn't want to back down from the staredown I was engaged in with Lori but urgently needed to discuss some things with my soon to be deceased best friend.

I slowly dragged my eyes from her to him. "Rick," I said, trying not to grit my teeth, "help me get drinks from the bar."

"I can help Ricky boy with that," Shane offered when I stood. "Give you hens a chance to catch up and cluck while the roosters are away."

"Uh... no." I placed a hand on his broad shoulder and stopped him from getting up. I was a little thrown off by the hen comment but was too pissed off at Rick to give it too much thought. "Rick and I will get the drinks. What's your poison?" I asked him.

Shane's eyes raked over my skirt and lingered on my thighs. He raised his eyes to mine, gave me a big, toothy smile and drummed his hands on the table. "Only the King of Beers will do for a king, baby!"

His loud voice caused heads to turn our way again.

"Budweiser coming right up," I said sweetly to him, gently squeezing his shoulder. "Let's go," I said curtly to Rick, cutting my eyes at him.

"Lori, what do you-"

"You know she wants a Cosmopolitan, Rick. Let's. Go." I grabbed his arm and pulled him from his chair to the bar.

After I put in our order for a bucket of Budweiser and a Cosmopolitan, I put my hands on my hips and stared at Rick. He turned away from me and started bobbing his head to the Goo Goo Dolls song playing softly in the bar area.

I rolled my eyes.

Rick Grimes had never once in his life bobbed his head to the Goo Goo Dolls. He hated the Goo Goo Dolls. He especially hated this particular song—"Slide"—because of how it was used in high school during his baseball games. Every time he or another player was running from one base to another, "So why don't you slide?" would blast over the P.A. system. The team started forfeiting home games until the song was banned.

"Richard," I growled, narrowing my eyes and crossing my arms.

I could see him weighing his fight or flight options. I didn't know why. He wouldn't get far if he chose flight, and he knew it.

He stopped bobbing his head and looked at me.

"Explain to me why I'm on a double date with you and Lori!" I whisper-shouted.

"I… Michonne, I really don't see the problem," he very bravely told me.

"You don't… " I stopped myself to take a calming breath. "You don't see the problem?" I asked slowly, trying not to explode.

Rick swallowed hard and then very bravely shrugged in a very nonchalant way.

He was so lucky I'd recently adopted a cool, calm and collected approach to life and no longer lost my shit in public.

"Rick," I growled, taking a step towards him and poking him in the chest, "I don't need a chaperone. And you know I don't invite Lori into my personal business like this."

I glanced at our table and watched Shane making small talk with Lori.

Poor guy.

"Look, it's not a big deal, Michonne. You wanted to meet Shane. I wanted to introduce Lori to him without her feelin' like the third wheel. Two birds, one stone."

Two birds, one…

I took another calming breath.

"Richard, do you remember that time you lied to me about getting engaged? And how you agreed to hook me up with Shane as part of your apology?"

"I didn't lie about it," he argued.

I gave him a look.

"Yeah, I remember," he mumbled.

"Then you know hijacking my apology with Lori's third wheel ass is bullshit! That's not how an apology works, jerk!"

"'Chonne," he sighed, putting his hands on my shoulders. "Don't be mad, ok?"

I shook his hands off and gave him a death stare.

He rolled his eyes and gently tugged on a loc. "Stop that! You looked so pretty earlier, and now you look so evil."

"Rick," I growled in warning.

"Ok, ok…" He held his hands up and took a step back. "Listen, Shane can be a lot sometimes. And he goes through a lot of girls, Michonne. A lot. None of 'em are smart, and classy and driven like you. I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable with him before leavin' you two alone. And I wasn't tryin' to ruin your night bringin' Lori along. I know you two don't always get along, but... I don't know, I just thought everyone wins this way. Lori's happy. You're happy."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. That wasn't how the universe worked with me and Lori. If Lori was happy, I most certainly was not.

And I wasn't exactly looking for a commitment from Shane. He probably had a good head on his shoulders since he was enrolled in the Academy, but that's not why I asked Rick to set us up. Shane was hot and he looked like fun.

I needed fun.

I had no time whatsoever to prepare for Rick's engagement. Without warning or discussion, Rick was officially Lori's. Lori was officially Rick's. He seemed so happy about that, and of course, if he was happy, I was happy.

But Lori was happy too.

"After we eat, if you're ok bein' alone with Shane, then me and Lori will leave. But if you want us to leave right now, we will…"

I wanted to tell him to leave. I should have told him to leave. But his blue eyes were begging me to let him stay. And when all was said and done, he was just trying to be a good friend to me, even if he was going about it in a very stupid way.

When I rolled my eyes, Rick smiled and gave me a big hug.

"Your Big Kat toll just went up," I said as soon as our hug ended. "I want five a week now."

"It's already at three, Michonne."

"And now it's at six," I shot back.

"Fine, but you're gonna weigh six hundred pounds by the time we're thirty," he teased.

"And you'll still love me and bring me my Big Kats when I want them." I stuck my tongue out at him. "And gross! Don't talk about us being thirty, Rick! That's so old!"

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "It's only eight years away, and it's not that old. Think about it," he said, putting his arm around my shoulders, "me, you and D will live on the same street, and our kids'll grow up together, and they'll be best friends just like us."

"Ok, Rick," I deadpanned, ignoring his happy grin.

Rick didn't always think about things realistically.

Realistically, no one wanted to live on the same street as Lori. Also, the older we got, the more likely it was that the three of us would grow independent of each other. It was already happening. Daryl was doing his biker thing and Rick was doing this marriage thing.

As far as kids went, Daryl would have to lose his virginity to have kids, and there was no telling if that day would ever come. I was considering going to law school after I finished grad school, but I wanted to establish myself at a firm after earning my law degree. Having kids by thirty wasn't a priority for me, and neither was being around other people's kids, including Rick and Lori's.

"I shit you not! It was a goddamn chupacabra!" Shane's voice boomed from across the restaurant, drawing the attention of almost everyone this time.

I watched Lori laugh at whatever story he was telling.

"How much has Lori had to drink?" I asked Rick, noticing that the stick up her ass wasn't lodged as deeply as normal.

"She hasn't had anythang. Just water," he replied, glancing at Lori. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," I said innocently.

I couldn't wait to tell Daryl that Lori could do more than just glare or sit with a pinched expression on her face. I also couldn't wait to tell Daryl about that new spiral curl hairdo she was sporting.

"What are you laughin' at?" Rick asked, smiling at me.

"Nothing," I said innocently, bottling the rest of my laughter to share with Daryl. "Hey, what did Shane mean when he made that comment about me sitting in sugar?"

Rick sighed and pulled his arm from my shoulders. "It's just a line he uses sometimes," he mumbled, "about how sweet an ass looks."

I grinned in delight. "So this skirt was the right choice."

"If you were goin' for too short and too tight, then yeah, it's the right choice," he deadpanned.

"Then it was the right choice!"

Rick squinted at me. "Are you even wearin' underwear, Michonne?"

I laughed. This skirt was definitely the right choice.

"Grab the Cosmo, I'll get the bucket," I said, seeing that our drinks were ready.

I was eager to get back to the table before Lori's stick realized it was too loose and she ran my date off.

I reached for my phone on the nightstand.

Fucking Lori Grimes.

That Piece of Shit Shane.

I unlocked my phone and pressed my text message icon.

Fucking Lori Grimes.

That Piece of Shit Shane.

I quickly pecked out a text to Daryl.

Michonne: Are you with Rick?

I turned my ringer back on and got out of bed to get my duffel bag from the closet.

Fucking Lori Grimes.

That Piece of Shit Shane.

An incoming text message notification chirped.

Daryl: Still at work

Daryl: What now?

Fucking Lori Grimes.

That Piece of Shit Shane.

Michonne: The goddamn devil strikes again

Michonne: Get to Rick's ASAP

I waited for him to respond before setting my phone down.

Daryl: k

I packed my duffel bag with enough clothes to last for the rest of the week and then changed into cutoff shorts and a tshirt. I pulled my hair free from the bun it was in, letting my locs hang loosely down my back, and put my hands on my hips.

There was another text I needed to send, but it wasn't to Daryl and it wasn't about Fucking Lori Grimes and That Piece of Shit Shane.

My eye twitched, but I took a deep breath to calm myself down. My Panty Man emotion would have to remain on the back burner for now. To ensure that it did, I quickly pecked out two more text messages.

Michonne: I'll be out the rest of the week

Michonne: Everything is still a go?

While I waited for a response, I sat down on my couch and composed an email to inform the firm that I'd be out of the office. After I sent it an incoming text message notification chirped.

EP: That is an affirmative to your interrogatory.

EP: Operation P.M.P.M. is a go.

That was all I needed to keep my Panty Man emotion at a simmer.

Michonne: Check in after phase 1

Michonne: Delete these messages

After I deleted the messages, I called Mika to confirm that she knew I was taking the rest of the week off. She didn't ask for details, but she did share how the rumor mill was on fire with news about Lori.

Per rumor #1, Lori showed up at the Greene farm, flaunting her new "dumbass, douchebag, asshole" boyfriend. When Rick saw them, he hulked out and destroyed Lori's SUV.

Per rumor #2, Lori broke into Rick's house and attempted to seduce him with a home-cooked meal. Repulsed by her cooking, Rick hulked out and destroyed Lori's SUV.

Per rumor #3, Lori crashed Nugget's birthday party and refused to leave. After she became combative, the Greene sisters gave her a tag team-style beatdown while Rick, who had hulked out, destroyed her SUV.

Because an entire neighborhood watched me destroy the SUV, I found it curious that all rumors pointed to Rick as being the one to lose his shit. It was just one more thing I'd have to discuss with him when I saw him.

Mika and I briefly chatted about her weekend visit with her sister, and I told her to contact me if she needed me for anything during the workweek.

The last call I needed to make before going to see Rick was to Rick. He answered mid-way through the second ring.

"'Chonne?" he asked in surprise. "Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," I said just as softly as he had.

My butterflies were back and fluttering. And somehow, they were affecting my ability to speak.

"Hi," Rick said after a short bout of silence.

"Hi," I said, nervously twisting one of my locs around my finger.

The steady sounds of our breathing filled our newest bout of silence.

I cleared my throat. "Hi, Rick."

"Hi, Michonne."

"Muhmuh!" I heard Nugget yell in the background. "MUHMUH!"

"Yes, Carl," Rick said, laughing, "it's your Muhmuh!"

"Muhmuh!" Nugget happily squealed.

I wanted to happily squeal into the phone myself, but the joy of hearing Nugget's voice suddenly clashed with the anguish I felt over Fucking Lori Grimes's rejection of him.

My heart swelled with emotion.

My eyes started to fill with tears.

Rick sighed in exasperation and said, "Carl, wait! Wait just a second, son! Hold on, Carl... Ok, 'Chonne, you're on speaker."

"Hi, Nugget!" I tried my best to sound cheerful despite the tears that were falling.

"Muhmuh! Juh ber bee hun co sha zep bok erp-"

"No, Carl! Let go," Rick interrupted. " Don't put that in your mouth, son… Carl, no!"

"Daduuuuuuuuu," Nugget suddenly wailed, undoubtedly shedding a few crocodile tears to sell his distress.

When I heard what sounded like the phone fall to the floor, I chuckled and wiped away my tears. As I continued listening to my guys and their chaos, my laughter pushed my anguish down.

"Carl! Get back over here!" I heard Rick yell.

Nugget, apparently no longer in a state of distress, giggled boisterously.

"Judith! Come back, sweetie!" I heard Rick yell.

And then I heard what had to have been her soft giggle.

"Gotcha!" I head Rick shout.

Rick's voice sound giddy, but I couldn't make out what he was saying over Nugget and Judith's giggles.

"Hey," he breathed into the phone a few minutes later.

"Hey, daddy," I teased, grinning. "Sounds like your hands are full."

"You have no idea, Mich! I've never been so happy to have a playpen."

"You put my Nugget in baby prison?" I asked, laughing.

"Hell yeah I did," he whispered into the phone. "I put 'em both in there. It's a damn three-ring circus in the house! Carl's bein' Carl, gettin' into thangs he shouldn't. And when Judy-pie's not bein' Carl's shadow, she's crawlin' all over the place."

"Oh yeah?" My grip on my phone tightened slightly.

First it was "sweetie" and now it was "Judy-pie."

After less than a day, Rick was already attached.

Shit.

"Mmhmm. Carl just tried to eat my phone, and then they both made a run for it. Little stinkers!"

He sighed the way he often did after a long shift at work, and I pictured him relaxing on the couch with his legs stretched out on the coffee table. While he got comfortable, I listened to the sounds of Nugget's loud babbling and Judith's occasional squeals in the background.

"Soooooo… not that I'm complainin', but I didn't think I'd hear from you until tomorrow mornin' or maybe much later tonight. Is somethin' wrong?" he asked with concern. "Well, is somethin' more wrong?" he tried to joke, but he couldn't mask the concern in his voice.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. I hadn't planned on telling him what was more wrong over the phone.

"I just wanted to stop by," I told him instead.

Rick sighed heavily. "Michonne, you know you can just come over. You don't have to-"

"I know. I know, Rick," I said before he got himself worked up, "but I'm not sure if my key still works. I don't know if the locks were changed or..." I trailed off and anxiously slid the M charm on my necklace back and forth.

The reason I called Rick was to find out if the locks had been changed. I wanted to know upfront if I'd be disappointed or elated when I got to the front door.

Though Rick claimed he was taking certain steps to cement the end of his relationship with Fucking Lori Grimes, it was easier to say something in the heat of the moment than to actually do that something after the heated moment passed.

What if everything Rick said was just talk? What if the locks weren't…

I shook my head.

Stop, Michonne.

Daryl was right. I needed to have more faith in Rick. I needed to stop letting my doubts interfere with that faith. If Rick said he was changing the locks, then he was changing the locks.

"Your new key is sittin' on the table next to the front door. I replaced the garage door opener too, so you also have a new remote for that," Rick said. "Now are you gonna tell me what's goin' on? What's wrong, Michonne?"

The worry in Rick's voice stopped me from dancing around my living room in celebration.

"We'll talk once I get there, Rick. I'm about to leave now," I told him, standing up.

He was silent for a beat and then asked, "Is this about earlier? When I left your condo?"

He sounded so uneasy, so uncertain. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was uncomfortable with how he had touched me, or spoken to me, or looked at me.

I sat back down on the couch.

"No, Rick," I said softly. "That was… good."

I squeezed my eyes shut and cringed.

Oh my God.

This was so embarrassing. I couldn't believe the best I could come up with was "that was good."

I started pulling my M charm back and forth across its chain again and waited for Rick's response. When he didn't say anything, I listened carefully to his silence…

and rolled my eyes.

"Stop smiling," I grumbled, letting go of my M charm.

"I'm not smilin'," he claimed.

"I can hear you smiling, Rick."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about, Michonne."

I sighed. I knew he was smiling even bigger.

"But..." he said.

I sighed again.

Here we go.

"But if I was smilin', I bet you wouldn't mind," he said in a teasing voice.

I picked at the invisible lint on my shorts.

"You wanna know why?" he asked.

"No," I answered with as much disinterest as possible.

He ignored me. "Because you really, really love my face, Michonne."

I ignored him. He was so annoying. So adorably annoying.

"Have you been thinkin' about it today?" Rick asked.

"I have not," I lied.

"Yeeaaaah, you have," he teased. "Michonne Collette Danvers can't stop thinkin' about my face... Admit it," he whispered.

That whisper sent a thrilling tingle up my spine.

I wasn't admitting anything, though. If I did, I'd end up revealing what I was doing during that twenty-minute shower when I was thinking about his face.

Thankfully, I was saved from admitting anything by Nugget's loud babbling in the background.

"Those little stinkers," Rick grumbled. "They're tryin' to break outta baby prison. I gotta go, Mich," he said apologetically.

I didn't mind the disruption at all. Besides not wanting to discuss his face, we had much more serious matters to discuss once we were face-to-face. It was best that we ended the call.

"When dadu duty calls, you have to answer. I'll be over soon," I said.

I heard him smiling again.

"Ok," he replied.

"Ok," I said, hoping he could hear me smiling.

"And Michonne?"

The change in the tone of his voice sent another tingle up my spine.

"Yes, Rick?" I asked softly.

"Just so you know, I was thinkin' about your face too. See you soon."

I stared at my phone after Rick hung up, torn between dancing around my living room like a crazy person or taking my clothes off and running to the bathroom for another twenty minute shower. I'd see Rick sooner if I danced around like a crazy person, so I queued up "Happy" on my phone and danced away.

"Frob choo bee doh irt fah lurp grap imp didi!" Nugget excitedly babbled away.

I was sitting at the kitchen table with Nugget, who was standing on my lap as he babbled.

"What else do you like about being a one-year-old?" I asked.

"Gert bop loo fet bo mosh jaba!"

I grinned at him. "Sounds exciting, Nugget!"

He grinned, put his hands on my cheeks and squished my face.

"Perhaps you should give some thought to remaining a one-year-old for the next five to ten years," I suggested. "Will you do that for me? Will you do that for Muhmuh?" I asked, giving him kisses all over his face.

"Muhmuh!" he squealed, throwing his head back and giggling wildly.

Those giggles would have been infectious if not for the Fucking Lori Grimes rage that was building. It was the third surge since I'd arrived at the house about forty-five minutes ago.

The first surge hit after I parked in the driveway—on the right side of the driveway, where my car belonged—and saw Fucking Lori Grimes's luggage sitting on the curb. I didn't know if these were the things she was planning on coming back for, and I didn't care. All I cared about was getting the lighter fluid, finding some matches and setting her shit on fire.

But when I was opening my car door, Rick came out the house with Nugget and Judith tucked under his arms like footballs and shouted something ridiculous about how fast I got there to see his face.

The surge passed.

The second surge hit right before I told Rick about That Piece of Shit Shane's phone call. Rick and I were sitting on the couch in the living room and watching the babies. Nugget was playing with a toy truck that was almost as big as he was, and Judith was jumping up and down in Nugget's old Jumperoo.

It was my first time really looking at Judith. Her big brown eyes told me everything I needed to know about who her father was.

Before I could excuse myself to get the lighter fluid, find some matches and march out to the luggage, Rick squeezed my knee and asked me to talk to him.

The surge passed.

I really didn't think Rick would be able to get me through this third surge. He was standing at the stove holding Judith and stirring a pot of chili mac & cheese. His back was to me, so I could only judge his frame of mind by how unnaturally stiff his shoulders were. Apparently, he was dealing with his own surge of emotions.

Telling Rick about Fucking Lori Grimes and That Piece of Shit Shane ended up being surprisingly more difficult than I thought it would be. I'd rehearsed what I was going to say on my drive over, but when we were sitting on the couch and I was looking into his eyes, I stumbled over the words that I knew would hurt him on some level. I braced myself for a head tilting, eye squinting, ready to bite a throat out reaction. His face flushed, his jaw tensed and then… nothing.

With a blank face, he got up from the couch and picked Judith up. He studied her face for about five minutes without saying a thing and then asked me if I was hungry. Without waiting for my answer, he walked into the kitchen and started making chili mac & cheese.

His non-reaction reaction stressed me out because Rick Grimes didn't do non-reaction reactions.

I had to count to one hundred to calm myself down.

I had to count to two hundred to stay calm.

I counted to three hundred for good measure and then picked Nugget up and went to the kitchen to check on Rick. When I asked him if he needed any help cooking, he gave me a small smile, shook his head and turned back to the stove. He'd been cooking his chili mac & cheese, steaming baby carrots and taking long looks at Judith ever since.

My surge of Fucking Lori Grimes rage was only growing stronger.

Since Rick was too preoccupied to take Nugget from me, I'd just have to put him in his playpen, get the lighter fluid, find the matches and-

"Muhmuh," Nugget said, interrupting my thoughts. "Pert za eeba cha cho."

I looked into his big blue eyes.

He squeezed my nose.

Who knew that "Pert za eeba cha cho" and a nose squeeze could quiet my rage and stop me from setting luggage on fire?

I cradled my baby boy in my arms and smothered him with kisses until he was red from laughing entirely too hard. After he calmed down, his eyes found the M charm on my necklace and he gurgled in excitement.

"I love you, but I don't think so, mister." I laughed and lifted him above my head. "How about we practice walking instead of pulling on Muhmuh's necklace?"

He gave me an adorable little pout when I stood and put him on my hip.

"Nugget and I are going for a little walk," I told Rick. "Say 'bye bye' to daddy," I said to Nugget.

Nugget waved bye bye.

"Bye bye, son!" Rick grinned and waved goodbye with one of Judith's tiny hands.

Nugget squealed and waved more enthusiastically, making Judith coo and kick her little feet. I suppose some would consider this to be a cute moment, but I stood there unaffected. All I saw when I looked at that little girl was the spawn of Fucking Lori Grimes and That Piece of Shit Shane.

Don't roll your eyes at a baby. Don't roll your eyes at a baby. Don't roll your eyes at a baby.

I plastered a smile on my face and turned to walk out the kitchen.

"Michonne," Rick called out.

I stopped and looked at him over my shoulder. His eyes were clouded with emotions he had yet to express. I held my breath in anticipation of his next words.

"Michonne… you do know Carl's too young to learn how to start fires, right?"

Oh my God.

"Ha ha," I deadpanned. "We're taking a stroll inside the house, Richard."

He smirked and turned back to the stove. "Just checkin'."

I was about to narrow my eyes, but Rick's shoulders looked so much more relaxed now. If I could see his face, I'm sure I'd see a smile.

He'd be ready to talk soon, I was sure of it.

"'Just checkin'," I mimicked, walking out the kitchen. "Can you believe dadu?" I asked Nugget.

"Pluff vart coogla werl," he said, clearly sympathizing with me.

"I know! And I've had to deal with him for decades," I told him.

I headed to the bedroom hallway and set Nugget down in front of me. I took his little hands in mine when he reached out for me.

"Ok, son, let's see what you've got!"

I started walking backwards, holding onto him as he took shaky steps. We walked past my room, Rick's room, the nursery and the guest room. The hallway led us to the living room, which we walked the length of until we made it back to the kitchen.

I held onto Nugget's hands the entire time, so my arms were burning and my back was aching, but I was so proud of my Nugget!

"Good job, baby!" I cheered, lifting him up and giving him a kiss. "Rick, we walked the entire time without Nugget falling down once!"

Rick's eyebrows raised in surprise, and he grinned with pride. "Way to go, Carl!" he cheered, placing a small plate of chili mac & cheese and carrots on Nugget's highchair tray.

At the sight of his food, Nugget started squirming to get away from me. And when I walked to the sink instead of his highchair, he started grunting in a panic.

"You're such a greedy goblin, Nugget! We have to wash our hands before we eat," I reminded him.

His grunting only stopped when the magic of soap and water made bubbles, or "ubbas!" as he called them. I let Nugget have fun with ubbas for a few minutes because I was such a sucker for his giggles.

"Time to eat, greedy goblin," I whispered, taking him to his highchair.

I put his bib on and sat down at the table next to him where my dinner and a glass of iced tea were waiting for me. Rick was sitting across from me with Judith in his lap, feeding her mashed carrots.

He was rolling the dice with the carrots. We had no idea if Judith liked them or if she'd even started eating solid foods, but Fucking Lori Grimes hadn't brought enough formula to last beyond Judith's last feeding a few hours ago. Since Rick's truck was still at the Greene farm, Daryl volunteered to pick up more formula after he got off of work.

Fucking Lori Grimes had taken it upon herself to fill Nugget's closet in his nursery with Judith's diapers and baby clothes, so we at least didn't have to worry about those things while Judith was here with us.

Nugget brought a handful of chili mac & cheese to his mouth and got most of it on his cheeks and chin. "Mmmm!"

"Rick, where's Nugget's big boy spoon?" I asked, massaging my shoulder.

He gave me a sheepish look. "He keeps throwin' it when I try to get him to use it, so I've been lettin' him use his hands."

"Riiiiick," I groaned, "we have to start getting him comfortable with using his spoon. He probably won't get half of this in his mouth using his hands."

Rick looked at Nugget and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. We'll start usin' his big boy spoon at breakfast tomorrow."

Nugget shook his head no as if he knew what we were talking about.

"Yes, we are," Rick said in a singsong while nodding.

Nugget shook his head again and stuffed another handful of mac & cheese into his mouth, getting most of it on his cheek.

"Not helpin' your cause, kiddo," Rick told him.

I laughed and watched him feed Judith another spoonful of carrots. He made the silliest airplane noises with the most exaggerated facial expressions to get her to eat.

That shouldn't have been sexy. I'd never admit to anyone that I thought it was.

Lusting after a man who was feeding his maybe-baby after finding out his garbage wife was a whore felt so wrong.

Get it together, Michonne.

"I think she likes carrots!" Rick triumphantly declared.

"Oh," I replied, massaging my other shoulder.

I heard how underwhelmed I sounded, so I know Rick had too. If he felt a certain way about that, he hid it well.

"Your arms are sore?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, from LuLu."

"You didn't stretch first before you used her?"

I stared at Rick a beat. "No, Richard, I didn't stretch first. I had other things on my mind."

"Everyone knows you gotta stretch before you start swingin' a bat, Michonne," he admonished, smiling.

I rolled my eyes.

Getting into fights at thirty-something was turning into a process, but if I ever found myself in another Beat a Bitch's ass situation, I would remember to stretch first.

"I, um… after these two go to bed, I can help you out with that," Rick mumbled as he fed Judith another spoonful of carrots.

I didn't even try to hide my smile. "As in a massage? Are you offering to give me a massage, Rick Grimes?"

"Mmhmm," he answered, keeping his eyes on Judith.

I was about to start teasing him about how pink his cheeks were turning, but then my cheeks started to burn when I thought about him using his hands on my body in such an intimate way.

"Ok," I said softly, shifting in my chair. "That would be… good."

I cringed at my lack of eloquence. But Rick, who was still keeping his eyes on Judith, smiled.

"Muhmuh!" Nugget shouted.

I gazed at Rick a few seconds longer before focusing on Nugget. His face was covered with chili mac & cheese, and he was offering me a half-eaten carrot covered in chili mac & cheese and his baby drool.

I grinned and took the carrot from him. "Thank you, Nugget!"

I loved this little boy with all my heart, but I wasn't eating that carrot. Nugget often shared his food with me and Rick, so we were pros at pretending to eat his offerings under his watchful eyes.

I took the carrot, brought it to my mouth and pretended to chew. "Yummm!"

Satisfied that I enjoyed his gift, he concentrated on picking up another baby carrot.

"You're gettin' good," Rick whispered, watching as I discreetly put my carrot in a napkin. "I almost believed that."

"Dadu!" Nugget shouted, offering a carrot to Rick.

Since Rick had Judith, I took the carrot and held it up to his mouth. He pretended to eat it from my hand, making overly dramatic smacking and chewing sounds.

That really shouldn't have been sexy, but damn it, it was.

"Mmmmm! Delicious!" Rick said.

Nugget smiled at his daddy and then smashed his hands in his chili mac & cheese. I discreetly placed Rick's carrot in my napkin, put the napkin on the side of my glass of iced tea and cleaned my hands with one of Nugget's face and hand wipes.

We were definitely using that big boy spoon tomorrow.

"Michonne," Rick said, feeding Judith the last of her carrots, "tell me again what he said."

I sighed and looked down at my plate of untouched chili mac & cheese. I didn't want to talk about That Piece of Shit Shane. More than anything, I wanted this to be a typical Monday dinner where the most disruptive thing to happen was Nugget not so innocently shouting "uhoh!" after dropping food he didn't want to eat onto the floor.

"Tell me again, Michonne. Please."

I sat back in my chair and brought my eyes to Rick's. If he wanted to hear what I'd already told him, I'd tell him.

"He said he's looking for Lori and his baby girl Judith… He said Lori's not answering her phone and no one knows where she is. He said he has reason to believe she's in King County... After I told him Lori and Judith are here, he said he'd be driving out from Florida and would be here tomorrow morning."

Rick's reaction to hearing this a second time was almost the same as when I told him the first time. But instead of staring at Judith and walking away, he stared at Judith and started talking.

"When I held her for the first time, I couldn't see myself in her face. I could see traces of Lori, but I couldn't see me. I still don't... No matter how hard I look, I don't," he said quietly.

Because she's not yours, Rick.

"But I started to think about my mama. If Judith takes after any Grimes, it would be her. That would make sense why Lori named Judith after her, wouldn't it?"

No.

If that child was truly a Grimes, then yes, the genes of Rick's mother, Grace Judith, had kicked in. Rick himself didn't inherit any of his mother's darker features. He looked so much like his father that "Papa's baby! Mama's maybe?" was a running joke in their family.

I could see why Rick would think of his mother when he saw Judith, but Judith's features came courtesy of That Piece of Shit Shane.

On my drive over here, I'd given some thought to why Fucking Lori Grimes would name her daughter Judith Grace. I honestly believed she'd done so because she was always planning to weasel her way back into our lives at some point. Manipulating and confusing Rick would make her weasling that much easier.

"But ever since you told me about Shane callin', all I see is him when I look at her… I haven't seen him in over a decade, but I can see his face in hers as clear as day."

Because she's not yours, Rick.

He gently rubbed his hand down her little curls.

"The thing is," he said, looking up at me, "I don't know if that's just what I wanna see or if she really does look like him."

My stomach dropped.

I didn't like where this conversation was heading.

"Michonne, I can't ignore that the last time I was with Lori was that night before you moved in. Knowin' she was also with someone else back then, that she was with Shane, is..."

His face flushed, his jaw tensed and then… nothing. He swallowed hard and pushed down whatever was rising.

"But her bein' with him doesn't change that she was also with me. It doesn't change that there's a chance Judith is mine."

Fuck.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Ultimately, I'd told That Piece of Shit Shane that Fucking Lori Grimes and Judith were here in King County so he would come take his family back to Florida. I was not expecting this curve ball Rick was throwing.

"I'm not sayin' she's mine, Michonne. I'm just sayin' there's a chance."

I rubbed the bridge of my nose harder. Rick was technically right, but he was also absolutely wrong. There was no chance that Judith was his daughter.

Only one thing would prove that.

"When's the DNA test scheduled?" I asked.

"The soonest Dr. Cloyd could arrange one was on Wednesday mornin'. We should get the results back within an hour. After that-"

Judith made a strange little noise. Before we realized what was happening, Rick's white tshirt was covered in the carrots he just fed her.

"Uhoh!" Nugget shouted when Judith started to cry.

"It's ok," Rick cooed to Nugget. "It's ok, sweetie," he cooed Judith. "I guess you don't like carrots after all, huh?"

Rick quickly wiped her mouth, took off her soiled bib and stood up, holding her away from his shirt.

"'Chonne, will you take her?" he asked, holding her out to me.

Huh?

I could barely stomach the sight of Judith. There was no way I was holding her.

"Rick," I complained, leaning away from her.

"Michonne, I'm covered in carrots. Changin' outta this shirt will be easier if she's with you. I'll just be a few minutes."

I sighed and took Judith without looking at her.

"Thank you," Rick whispered, rubbing my back before rushing out the kitchen.

Judith was still crying, but I kept my head turned away from her. Nugget stared at me with a little frown on his face.

"What is it, baby?" I asked him over Judith's cries.

Wait. Was he...

"Carl Glendrick Grimes, don't you squint your eyes at me. I'm trying here, son."

"Hab mo nano grok furfy shoop," he babbled, still frowning.

Oh my God.

When did he get so bossy and judgmental?

"Fine. I will try harder."

I slowly turned my head away from him and looked at Judith. She immediately stopped crying and gave me a bashful look with tears in her brown eyes.

"Hello," I said formally. "I am Michonne."

Judith blinked once, blinked again, gurgled and put her hand in her mouth.

There was something about that gurgle.

The softness of it crumbled the wall I'd been building to keep my distance from her. The sweetness of it made me see her as I probably should have been seeing her as soon as I found out about her.

She was just an innocent baby.

An innocent, adorable baby, who couldn't help who her parents were and wasn't responsible for their actions.

"Hi, Pumpkin," I whispered. "I'm Nugget's Muhmuh."

She gave me a sweet little smile and kicked her feet.

When Rick walked back into the kitchen, her face lit up completely.

I feel the same way, Pumpkin.

"Dadu!" Nugget cheered.

Rick ruffled Nugget's hair and gave me a quick kiss on my temple before taking Judith.

"Did you make a new friend?" he asked her, holding her close.

He'd changed into an old King County Sheriff's Department tshirt and had a towel draped over his shoulder. Judith rested her head on his shoulder and stared at his face.

"I'll try givin' her some formula once Daryl gets here in case she's still hungry," he said, gently patting her back as he sat back down at the table.

"Muhmuh," Nugget whined, reaching his arms out for me.

"Looks like someone's ready for his after-dinner cuddles," I cooed, getting some wipes to clean him up.

While I wiped Nugget's hands, Rick told me Morales had just called and told him he tracked down That Piece of Shit Shane's address in Florida.

"Oh yeah?" I asked.

"Mmhm. And there hasn't been a police report filed against Lori or an AMBER Alert issued for Judith. Morales is gonna keep an eye on that and let me know if anythang changes."

"Was he able to find out anything else?" I asked, wiping Nugget's face.

"He said Shane's been livin' in Florida for the last twelve years and workin' as a private investigator for the last five. That probably explains how he tracked you down."

I rolled my eyes. "You're telling me he's a PI who couldn't keep tabs on Pumpkin and her mother? So he's an a-hole and an idiot," I deadpanned. "Good to know."

When Rick didn't say anything, I looked at him.

"Pumpkin?" he asked, smiling.

I smiled back and resumed wiping Nugget's face. "You heard me."

"How do I get one of those fancy nicknames of yours, Miss Danvers?"

"I tried to give you a nickname the first day we met," I said, laughing. "Don't you remember, Curly Q?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Rick grumbled.

I laughed again. He hated the nickname then and still hated it now.

"Michonne," he said seriously, "… about Shane… I know he'll be here tomorrow, but until we know for sure who Pumpkin's father is, I think she should stay here... with us."

I continued cleaning Nugget's face.

"It'll just be 'til Wednesday, and I'll take full responsibility for her. You won't have to do a thang. Early mornin' cryin'? I'm on it. Dirty diapers? I'm on it. Bath time? Chow time? I'm on it… I just feel like I have an obligation to-"

"It's fine, Rick." I lifted Nugget out of his highchair. "She should stay until we know."

"Yeah?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah."

I was a little bothered by how surprised he was. It must've meant the contempt I'd felt toward Judith was more obvious than I realized. I felt awful about that and ashamed.

"Ud koo wip skee pochy," Nugget babbled, giving me a kiss and a big goofy grin.

"Thanks, Nugget," I whispered. I held him close and gave him a kiss on his head.

"Thank you, Michonne," Rick said in a creepy, high-pitched voice.

I stared at him a beat. "What was that supposed to be?"

"It's Pumpkin thankin' you."

"Has Pumpkin been taking hits of helium?" I asked, grabbing Nugget's sippy cup and helping him drink from it. "I don't like that voice."

"Well, that's how she sounds, Michonne. Isn't that right, Judy-pie?" he asked her. "Yes," he said, answering for her in his creepy, high-pitched helium voice.

"Is that really how you think little girls sound?"

"Yep," he said, shrugging. "Little girls, women, old ladies. You all sound the same."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. He was ridiculous.

When Nugget had enough water, I put his sippy cup down and finally dug into my chili mac & cheese. If someone had told me two weeks ago that I'd be eating dinner with my almost-but-not-quite boyfriend Rick, his maybe-baby Judith, and my son Nugget, I would've done everything in my power to have that person committed.

But here I was.

Here we were.

"Do you have a preference in how you want this all to work out?" I asked Rick.

He scratched the stubble on his jaw, giving thought to my question.

"I'm just curious," I told him. "There's no wrong answer."

"I know... It's just not an easy answer, Michonne. You know how long I wanted to be a dad, so if she's mine, I kinda have a 'the more, the merrier' attitude. I think I could handle another one. I think I have daddin' down."

I smirked at him. "After one year, you think you've mastered dadding?"

"Not really," he replied with a little chuckle. "I'm gettin' there, though. Mostly because of you. But as happy as I'd be for her to be mine, I don't know if this is somethin' you would wanna be a part of, and I don't know that it's fair to ask you to be a part of it."

I looked at Judith. After my conversation with That Piece of Shit Shane, I'd never considered a future with Rick that included Judith in an all day, every day capacity. I still couldn't imagine that future since I was still certain she wasn't Rick's daughter.

"If she's not mine, I'd feel relieved," Rick continued. "I wouldn't have missed out on another child's first few months of life. I wouldn't have to deal with Lori. And I'd also get to spend time with just Carl and you. I was really lookin' forward to that... the three of us bein' together."

I smiled and gave Nugget another kiss on top of his head. "Me, too," I whispered.

An adorable shade of pink slowly tinted Rick's face, and I felt so indescribably happy that the both of us had been looking forward to the three of us.

"We'll know where we stand in two days, and we'll go from there," I told him. "We'll figure it out. Together."

I looked down at Nugget, who was now humming a little song and trying to grab the M charm on my necklace.

"Do you ever think about if you want any more?" Rick asked.

"Two more," I said without hesitation.

His eyes lit up. "Boys? Girls? One of each?"

"Doesn't matter to me. As long as they're as amazing as Nugget, I'm happy. What about you?"

He gave me the brightest smile and a half-shrug. "Two more is a good start."

That smile... I almost got lost in the warmth of it.

Almost.

A good start?

"Rick, how many-"

I abandoned the question when my phone started ringing in the front room: "I've got the eye of a tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire, 'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar..."

Shit!

That was Maggie.

I forgot to call her back.

ShitShitShitShitShit!

I cringed as the snippet from "Roar" played again and again. There were so many ways this call could go, and 99% of them were very, very bad.

"Michonne? You gonna answer that?" Rick asked.

Three loud, impatient knocks on the front door made us jump.

Oh no.

"She's here," I whispered, squeezing Nugget to my chest. "Shit!"

"IT!" Nugget shouted.

"Shit," I groaned.

"Iiiiiiiiit!" Nugget shouted again.

I gave Rick a look when he laughed.

"What?" he asked, amusement shining in his eyes. "I only heard about him shoutin' S-H-I-T. It's so much cuter seein' it in person."

Katy Perry continued screeching about roaring, and there were three more aggressive knocks on the door.

"IT!" Nugget shouted again.

Judith lifted her head from Rick's shoulder and gurgled.

Oh my God.

Was she trying to say…

"Both of you, stop that! That is a very bad word! Swear jar starts tomorrow, Rick."

He laughed again. "What did I do? You're the one who said S-H-I-T!"

I gave him another look.

"Your looks don't scare me, sweetheart, but if you really wanna get a swear jar, I'll get you your swear jar."

"Good," I said, filing away how he said "sweetheart" to swoon over at another time. "So we should probably just answer the door and deal with Maggie head-on."

"You should," Rick agreed.

I tilted my head and squinted at him.

"I should? You want me to deal with Maggie by myself?"

Katy kept screeching.

Maggie kept pounding on the door.

"On a scale of one to ten, she's probably at an eight, Rick!"

"You can handle Maggie at an eight," he said, scoffing. "Besides, she doesn't know about Pumpkin yet. Once you get her up to speed on everythang, we'll come out."

"You'll come out from hiding," I deadpanned.

"That's right." He smiled shamelessly. "Now will you answer the door before she starts pickin' the lock?"

Rick wasn't joking. Maggie had done it before.

I groaned.

"Be extra cute, ok, baby?" I told Nugget on our way to the front door.

He giggled and shouted, "It!"

"A little less cute," I murmured, kissing his chubby cheek.

After I said a quick prayer, I opened the door.

As expected, Maggie's face was set in the most dreadful scowl. What I wasn't expecting to see were the smiling faces of Glenn and the rest of the Greenes behind her.

"It," I muttered.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please take the time to leave a review. It's appreciated!