Kam: Actually I thought everyone would think Rick was in the wrong for this one. Michonne was in an actual relationship with Gabriel and the flames haven't died. Despite what Rick thinks, Michonne isn't his wife. She's not his woman period. She literally says it, but Rick kisses her thinking a good dicking would change her mind only to be shocked that she could separate her emotions from sex. What separates Michonne from Lori is definitely time. Rick was in a coma only long enough for the flowers in his vase to die. He was Lori's husband; she was over his "death" and pregnant by another man in a matter of weeks! Rick was gone for almost two years in this story. Him showing up and wanting an instant family with a woman who was never his is arrogant. But... we all let it pass because it's Rick Grimes. ;-) LOL

KK: You are 100% correct. They are definitely not ready for that! Gabriel is definitely a security blanket. All they need is time to work on their issues and to find their way back.

Just a reader: It did take the Michonne character a while to be expressive, but I took that as her taking time to open up to the group. I have this story focused more on her. I did not realize that Sasha/Daryl was such a popular subship in Richonne. I like it, but what about Daryl/Carol? *crickets* :( There's someone with Sasha I've always wanted to try writing. I won't pair Daryl and/or Sasha heavily until the sequel though. Right now they're just best friends of our couple.

vatos: I love your penname. I wonder if you noticed that I made Sasha's love interest from the Vatos episode. Guillermo is fine. They aren't going to stay together though.

Chapter Four: It's Complicated

After a couple days of being cordial, Rick was starting to match Michonne's state of bother. She was so warm to Carl and Judith, but she was cold to him. They tried to avoid each other, but found it hard in their small housing unit. He hadn't tried to talk to her about what transpired. He didn't regret anything that he did. He honestly wished that it had gone further. He was convinced she'd see how much he loved her if they had. She would see that he could satisfy her in every aspect of their lives; and opening up sexually would allow them to open up about everything else. However, she bluntly told him sex between them would mean nothing. Not even her luscious lips on his dick could rouse him from that blow. The biggest insult to Rick was that she would continue talking to her imagined version of him. When he heard her do this he wanted to shake her, tell her he was right in front of her and make her talk to him without yelling. Instead they just stared at each other until Judith cried. He was surprised she functioned so well seeing things. When he saw Lori he became a shell. It was uncanny that it was the time Michonne came into his life. He owed her everything. If she hadn't come with the formula Judith wouldn't have survived. She empathized with him and told him about Mike. It made him feel less crazy and alone. She was able to bring Carl back from despair. She saved his kids. She saved him.

When Rick started work he and Carl would be working at the same time on Thursdays. He decided to walk with him to get a feel for their routine. Carl always liked when his shift matched someone he knew. It validated his adulthood. It was bittersweet to go to work. He loved what he did and loved being useful, but if life was the way it was he wouldn't have to be an adult. Rick was thinking the same. He was sad that Carl's childhood was over. Many kids his age were also working. A few were even married and starting families. He was glad Carl wasn't going that far, but that was probably his fault. He had to be the man of the house since Rick was gone. Michonne could certainly take care of herself and Judith, but the Grimes's sense of honor was strong. Neither of them were going to let Michonne raise Judith by herself.

"I still think about mom sometimes."

"Yeah, I thank about her too." He gave Carl an unsure grin. "She wouldn't like that you're workin' now."

"What do you think about it?"

Rick thought about how he'd phrase his answer. "Honestly I feel a little guilty. If I was here you wouldn't have had to grow up so fast."

"I don't know dad. I still think I'd want to work."

"Me and Lori always tried to keep your childhood."

"The lego thing?" Carl scoffed. "I noticed. ...I really regret being so mean to her before she died. Now I don't even have her picture. I can still remember that moment, but mostly I keep remembering being disrespectful and hurting her feelings."

Rick thought about it. He remembered being destroyed about Lori's death, but now he didn't feel anything. It didn't even worry him that he was emotionless about it. Death happened. It was always best not to let it take you. Depression was a death sentence in this world. Randomly, Rick thought about Carl talking back to Michonne. He never saw Carl do it. It made him chuckle. "I don't think you could ever pull that on Michonne."

"No. She snapped me back to reality when I did once. She took off her belt and actually spanked me. Can you believe that?" Carl rubbed his butt still thinking about the sting. "I still love Michonne, but it hurt."

Rick wasn't moved. Even though he and Lori weren't ones for corporal punishment, he realized the apocalypse and Carl having to kill was more damaging than Michonne's discipline. His father and mother would be proud. They were religious Southerners who bragged about their belief of spare the rod, spoil the child. Even though his whippings would never be more than a hand or paddle, he believed in science and chose to raise Carl with alternative punishments. He doubted alternative punishment could work now. Time outs left the children too vulnerable. There was nothing to really take away. Grounding couldn't work because they all had jobs to do. One thing was clear to Rick, Michonne wasn't Carl's friend. She set boundaries and commanded respect. She protected, nurtured, and disciplined. Michonne was now Carl's mother. He hoped Lori's spirit was pleased. "You were shot before. I think it pales in comparison."

"You've never been whipped by Michonne."

Technically he was wrong. Rick was very much whipped. "I better stay on my best behavior then."

"You weren't last night. Why don't you trust Gabriel?" Rick stopped walking. "I gave the headphones to Judith so she wouldn't hear you two yelling."

"How much did you hear?"

Carl stopped walking and turned to his dad. "The walls aren't that thick. There was a large crash. ...Did you hit her?"

"God no! Why would you-"

"All I know is that you two hate each other."

"I don't hate Michonne." Rick shook his head. "It's really complicated."

Carl shrugged. "It seems simple to me. Either let it go or get her to like you. Whatever you tried last night didn't work."

Rick laughed to himself. "No, I suppose it didn't. Even if things don't happen, I'll never leave y'all again."

Carl frowned and continued walking. They were arrived at the gardens when Carl turned to Rick. "Dad, don't make promises you can't keep."

Rick was floored that Carl would tell him that. He wondered if he was really gone so much. He did work long hours as a sheriff before the turn. He also was the leader and went on many force or stealth missions with his group. Lori complained about both. Lastly they were separated for so long. He could see why Carl told him that. It sort of stung that he did.

Rick couldn't wait for the day he could work. He needed to provide for his family, but the people of Alexandria still had to observe him and his group. They still didn't allow them to have weapons. Rick was strapped anyway. He had two knives and a gun. Since he wasn't frisked since the first day he didn't worry that he'd get caught. Maggie and Glenn made weapons the night they arrived. Daryl hid some of them in accessible places for them. They hadn't let the rest of their group know. It had been the five of them for so long that they distrustful even to the others of their group. Daryl didn't even tell Carol. He told Michonne last night that he trusted her. Perhaps that was just talk. He always slept lightly to be alert and he didn't tell her about their weapon's stash. Maybe he would always be this way.

He walked back to see Michonne was awake and doing chores. She taking clothes down from the clothesline and folding them. Judith was close to her playing with a ball. The hazel-eyed toddler accidentally bounced it away from her. Instead of going after as most toddlers would she continued to stay under Michonne until the dark skinned woman got it for her. He smiled. Judith was so smart. She was definitely taught well. He wondered what happened to make that lesson stick.

"She's an amazing mother isn't she?"

Rick didn't even have to look to know who it was. It was Gabriel. He was also watching the familial display in awe. It made Rick disgusted. He continued being cordial and said. "Yes, she is." There was an awkward silence. There was a lot of things unsaid. Michonne and Gabriel were romantically involved, but Rick's arrival put that in jeopardy. Gabriel never was a father figure to Carl or Judith. Carl taught him how to fight. Carl was also the one in charge when Michonne would leave. Most of the time she would come back injured. She pretended she was alright in front of the kids, but when they went to sleep Gabriel would have to tend to Michonne's wounds. The worst was when Michonne was attacked by a pack of wild dogs. Every time Michonne left Gabriel promised himself he'd get stronger; he did, but only enough to protect himself. He wasn't on Michonne's level. He wasn't Rick's level either. Gabriel started to shuffle his feet. He came there for a reason and Rick's patience was very thin. "You have someth'en you want to say to me?"

Gabriel wasn't expecting Rick to be so blunt. He did want to talk to the former sheriff, but there was something about Rick's guarded aura that unnerved him. He swallowed, "I'm going to ask Michonne to marry me. I'd would appreciate it if you would stop looking at her the way that you do."

Rick gave him a look that reminded Gabriel about his brutality. Thoughts to kill ran through Rick's mind. Gabriel was where he wanted to be. Rick should have been the one to see Judith's first words and steps. Rick should have been the one to get them to the Safe Zone. Rick was the one who should be proposing! He didn't know exactly what happened when they traveled together, but Gabriel was a little too gutsy for his liking. Rick was burning to cut him down to size. "You should have stayed the same spineless prick I knew before. You would live longer."

Gabriel shook, but kept his hand over his weapon. "Don't threaten me, Rick."

"Don't start someth'en you can't finish." Rick tilted his head. "Do it. Draw."

Gabriel looked at Rick with great mistrust. "You're just looking for an excuse."

"I told you years ago that if you became a threat to my family I'd kill you."

"You're being irrational, I haven't threatened anything. I'm not trying to be Carl or Judith's father. I have a daughter. I know my place in their lives. I'm very much aware of Michonne's roll in their lives. I just want to love her and make her happy. Doesn't Michonne's happiness come first?"

Rick just scoffed and headed to his house. Michonne's happiness? Everything in Rick was certain he could make her happy. He would do anything to make it happen, anything other than leave.

Michonne was grateful for this run. There was a lot of tension in her home. She asked if he's always going to shoo Gabriel away from her. Rick told her that he would, saying if Gabriel was so willing to walk away he didn't deserve the lunches or her. Unfortunately he shot himself in the foot with that move. Michonne was ending thing with Gabriel. By corralling him away, he was prolonging the relationship. Things were too confusing for her. She didn't want a relationship with either of them. Michonne thought the time away on the run would give her clarity. She only felt more confused. Rick and Michonne had been separated longer than they had been together. It would be understandable for there to be no feelings between them. Unfortunately she didn't feel nothing. She felt too much. Everything been them was raw. The anger, the desire, they were both so strong and intimidating. Rick definitely pissed her off. After two years he thought he could just waltz in and become her man. She was upset because she knew that Rick still had that mindset. Had she always followed him so blindly? She knew that she had. She was his right hand woman. They were confidants, partners, and connected. Part of her wished that he'd approached her then. They never had time to settle though.

The day was still. There wasn't even wind. The sky was an ominous dark grey and Michonne could smell the oncoming rain. There were almost back to the Safe Zone after a two week excursion. She sped up knowing her group had no choice but to follow her pace. "'Chonne."

Michonne stopped once she heard the gruff call of her name. She turned to see Daryl outside the Safe Zone and on the trail with her. "Why are you outside the Safe Zone?" There was no way they'd let a probationary member outside the walls. She wondered why he sneaked out.

"We was worried."

"He sent you." Michonne did not like that.

"Been tailin' you fa days." She didn't know that. Daryl was definitely quiet. She wondered if she was rusty from being in the walls instead of the road. "You ain't gon make it before the storm."

Michonne ignored him and continued walking. She didn't doubt that he was right, but she wanted to go home. They journeyed together and ignored the sounds of the thunder. They increased their pace with each rumble. As Daryl predicted, the sky seemed to burst into rain. Michonne and her group dashed a mile to the Safe Zone. Together, Michonne and Daryl created a path to keep the group moving forward. The wind began to pick up. Their vision was beginning to blur, but they made it to the outskirts of base. The gates opened. Supplies were rushed into storage and everyone sans guards went to their homes. Daryl and Michonne ran to her unit. Michonne hurried to get her keys. It was cold, wet and the wind was making her dreads slap her neck.

Rick was sitting on the couch with a towel. Michonne wondered how he knew that she'd be back that day. Probably because he sent Daryl. She took the towel and went to her room. She was slightly nervous that drying off with Rick in the room would escalate. Her nipples were hardened to the point where they hurt. Droplets of water rolled down her body the way Rick's hands did weeks ago. She needed to get those drenched clothes off before she got sick.

Michonne peeled the clothes off her body and dried off as much as she could. She wrapped the towel around her head and put on a large shirt and shorts. This was her usual nighttime attire. Michonne realized that Daryl didn't have anything to wear. She knew Rick didn't have anything and Carl's clothes were too small. She took the shirt off and dressed into tighter fitting cotton. She folded the clothes and walked to the couch and placed them on the arm of the chair for Daryl. Rick scanned her body and tried to remind himself why he shouldn't take her on the floor. Carl and Judith were sleeping. Her new attire showed everything. Even though the cloth shorts went past half of her thigh, it accentuated her behind so much it seemed criminal. Rick liked the curve of her back and neck. With her locs in the towel, Michonne's neck appeared more slender. Maybe if they had a relationship prior the transition would be easy. He would always regret that.

Later...

Michonne found that she couldn't sleep. The storm had still and the change in noise disturbed her sleep. She got out of bed and checked on Carl and Judith. They were knocked out. Storms always managed to put Judith to sleep for an odd reason. Carl was probably too tired from work to be bothered with the storm. Michonne finally checked on Rick. To her surprise he was sleeping. Daryl too. This was the first time she'd really seen Rick sleep since he returned. She doubted storms put her to sleep like it did for Judith. She assumed it was because Daryl was near him that he'd allowed himself to actually sleep. Knowing that made Michonne a little jealous.

Rick was no longer sleeping, Daryl neither. Rick sat up and looked in Michonne's direction. His guard lowered when he noticed her. Daryl moved from the floor and nudged Rick. He signaled Michonne's direction. Rick nodded and left the sofa. He walked to Michonne and without any emotion stated, "We need to talk. Talk for real."

Michonne nodded and led him to her room. She let him sit on the bed while she stood at the door. "Are we talking about that night?"

"I, uh, don't think that there's nothing new to say about that. You know how I feel and what I want."

"Yes, loud and clear. I think we should start from scratch. You still have to get used to Alexandria. Maybe Judy can move in the room with me and you stay with Carl in that room."

"Sounds good. I think that could work."

"...I know you're back, but I don't want to leave."

"I don't want you too. You're their mother."

Michonne shook her head. "I'm not. We all pulled our weight out there."

"It was different with you. The way Carl speaks of you. The way Judy looks at you."

"They have a mother Rick. I also wouldn't want to deprive that title from a woman if you remarry."

Rick laughed at the idea. He couldn't see him forming a bond with anyone else like that. He also felt that was hypocritical after what Gabriel told him. "What about you? If you remarry?"

Michonne looked puzzled. She never gave that much thought. Even when Gabriel proposed she never thought of what a yes would entail. "I'm not getting married any time soon. I never gave it thought." Rick smiled. "What?" He only smiled harder. "What?"

"Nothing." Michonne smiled and leaned her head on the door. It surprised her that talking to him had been that easy. They used to talk easily in the past. Maybe underneath it they were the same people from years ago.

Next Chapter: When keeping it real goes wrong.