Chapter Fourteen: Moms

Rick and Michonne were prepared for this moment. It had been a month; but right on schedule, the Saviors came with their troop of motorbikes and the semi. The gates of Alexandria opened without any hesitation. Rick was glad he wasn't facing this moment alone. Maggie stood to the left of Rick. Her eyes burned with hatred. She never got to see the man who killed her husband. If it wasn't for Rick's plan she might have become Carl 2.0 and followed them back to base with a rifle. Her hate was so strong she was willing to wait. It would take a lot of self control, but she would get all her aggression out on Negan's corpse. Since walkers kept charging until the headshot, Maggie knew she could torture it for days, maybe weeks until it became useless or she felt better. She'd do everything in her power to make sure that Negan and the Saviors died. Tara was by Maggie's side. She also knew what they were about to do. She hoped she had the strength to play along. Tara just wanted this over with. She liked Alexandria. It made her feel safe. She hadn't felt safe in years. She didn't appreciate the Saviors taking that feeling away from her.

For the past week, they'd made preparations for the Saviors' tribute. They removed all, but ten bullets from all the guns. There weren't that many to begin with. This process inspired an idea from Eugene. He didn't say what it was yet, but he assured Rick that if all went well many of their problems would be over. Once they emptied their guns, they stashed half of them stealthily throughout the neighborhood. The Saviors wouldn't find them unless they searched thoroughly. Even if they found them, they'd be empty. They also stashed rations throughout their homes. They didn't know how much the Saviors would take so they trusted the Alexandrians to hide a week's worth of food for themselves just in case. If this proved successful it would determine how they would operate when they finally did go with their plan to kill Negan and the Saviors.

As soon as Negan appeared there was a collective tensing. Rick thought he'd thrown away any notion of religion, but he was slightly convinced that Negan was the devil; the Saviors were his demons. He had to send them to hell. These weren't men. They were no longer people. Rick hoped they didn't do anything to his son. He didn't know what he'd do if Carl was dead.

"There you are, Rick Grimes. What a fucking welcome party!" His attention turned to Rick's companions. "Who are these lovely women? Your wives? Good for you! They're all so fucking hot!" Negan had a weakness for beautiful women. Tara, Maggie, and Michonne definitely met that criteria. Tara avoided his gaze, Maggie's intent was obvious in her glare. Michonne was unreadable; he had no idea what was on her mind. This intrigued Negan. He stared at Michonne; she stared back. She didn't look intimidated; if she was he couldn't tell. Negan walked closer to her. Rick pulled out his gun. He was sick of Negan fucking with his family. Negan stopped in front of her, "Easy there sheriff, I know she's taken. Fucking fuck, you have excellent taste in women. Your goddamn tastes aren't too far from mine. Shit, we could actually be friends. Not to be a fucking cocksucker, but I have a black wife too. Her name is-"

"Where's Carl?" Michonne asked. This conversation was pointless.

Negan grinned. The Grimes family just continued to get more and more interesting. They were a mystery to him. Carl only told him that Rick was his father and Michonne was his mother. He didn't say anything about Judith or the close companions that'd become his aunts and uncles. Carl was so vague that Negan didn't know which of Rick's female companions was Carl's beloved mother. Negan liked the woman in front of him. Michonne had been one of the most exotic women he'd ever seen. She was a strikingly beautiful woman and apparently fearless since she spoke to him so direct. It was the sword that had him smitten. He debated taking her back to the Sanctuary and making her his. How many people had she cut down with that sword? He'd fantasize about that when he had sex that night. Negan wondered how Rick managed to snag such a woman. She didn't look like someone to fuck with, or someone who'd settle. This said a lot about the kind of man Rick must be.

Negan moved Lucille from one arm to the other. Michonne watched him, but didn't stir. "You're asking me where Carl is? If you don't keep track of your son. And you guys really, really, don't. How the fuck am I supposed to?"

"Where is Carl?" Rick repeated the question. The last thing they needed was parenting advice from Negan.

"Well you fucking asked for it. Go get the boy!" A few Saviors went to the trailer of the semi truck. Rick looked there anxiously. He needed his son back. Negan turned to Rick; his grin was malicious. "I can't fucking wait until you see what I've done with your little boy."

All Rick could see was red. Before Rick could fully realize it, he aimed his Colt at Negan. "Rick no!" Tara jumped on Rick's arm. Rick accidentally fired, but it hit the ground due to the angle. Tara held his arm and whispered in his ear. "Remember the plan. Not yet."

Negan laughed. "There she is! The voice of reason. Carl told me his mother was wise. I'd listen to her."

"Dude can you just not?"

"Looks like all of Rick's women have fucking spunk."

Tara wanted to gag for multiple reasons. The thought of being married and intimate with Rick made her want to vomit; he was like an older brother to her. More than that, she was a lesbian. How could he think she was Michonne? "Wait? You think I'm Michonne?"

"Oh," he turned to Maggie. "Michonne?"

Maggie folded her arms. It took everything she had to stay where she was. "I'm definitely not Michonne."

Negan's confusion was getting awkward. If it wasn't for the murderous bandits pillaging their community it would be sitcom funny. Tara gave Negan an awkward frown. "Umm, Michonne's black."

Negan looked from Maggie to Tara, then Michonne. He shrugged. "Makes sense. I don't see race."

Before anyone could say anything, they noticed their boy bound with a thick sack covering his face. He was struggling. He shuffled toward them eerily. Michonne ran to him and cut his arms free. They only dangled by his side. "Carl?" There were only muffles. Michonne tried to hold her emotions; it was hard to breathe. What did they do to him? Why were his arms so limp? Why wasn't he speaking? Michonne took the sack off his face. She let go of her breath.

Blue eyes focused on her. He called for her. He was bound and gagged, but that was it. There was nothing. Everything was still intact: no bruises, no injuries, no amputations. Carl was alive. Michonne embraced him and let herself cry silently. Her lips quivered in a twisted mixture of hurt and elation. She just held him. Rick also went to Carl. He did his own examination before holding him tight. He noticed Carl was trying to speak. Rick took his gag off. "Carl?"

"I'm so sorry dad. Michonne, I'm so sorry." Carl thought he'd never see them again. He couldn't help his tears. He truly thought he was going to die. Carl promised it'd be different this time. He'd be around more; he wouldn't take life for granted.

"..." Michonne wanted to say something, but could only sob. There was only one time Carl was lost to her, the fall of the prison. Even when that happened, she found him almost immediately. This time he was gone for weeks. There were no clues to his whereabouts; even if they did find the Savior's base it would have been war to get him back. Every day she didn't see him broke her heart. To have him safe, especially knowing the savagery of the Saviors, restored her faith in life. Michonne hadn't lost another child.

Negan watched their interaction. There was so much love between their small family unit. He could hardly believe that their picturesque family was made up of cold, hardened killers. "Can I say something?" Rick looked at him with disgust and predatory malice. This encounter enforced a lot of insecurities he had about the security of his family. Rick had gotten another lucky break and had his family again: his baby was safe at home, his lover was his arms, and so was his son. Nothing was going to ruin this for him. "I don't quite understand the hostility of that look. His arms will probably be fine in a day or two. I'm sure you understand the precautions we had to take after he killed so many of my fucking men." Negan used Lucille to point at Carl. "Your asshole son, who shot many of my guys..., shot them fucking dead, is returned to you safe and sound. For the past month, I've done nothing to harm him. I made sure he was fucking happy, fucking healthy, and let him fucking live long enough to see his own little asshole be born. Has that little shit been born yet? I really want to see that little fucker."

Michonne thought about what Negan was saying. "Jesus Christ." Michonne was going to figuratively kill Carl!

Rick wasn't thinking about that at the moment. As delighted as Rick was about Carl's return, it had to come with a price. Maggie was thinking the same. "What are you planning?"

"Excuse me."

"Stop acting nice. What do you want? What more will you do?!"

"You think I've got all these little communities at my feet because I roam the countryside bashing in Asian-American skulls?" Tara had to tackle her other companion. Maggie screamed and tried to claw her way out of Tara's hold. Tara ignored her friend's strikes and tried to comfort her. Negan watched her reaction with amusement. "Too soon?"

"Yeah, well she was married to the Asian-American you're graciously referring to."

Negan decided that Alexandria was his favorite community. He wondered if this was what it was like taming a wild horse. Getting Maggie to heel would be difficult, definitely more so than Rick. "What's with these cripple motherfuckers pulling the baddest bitches?" His Saviors laughed. "No offense. As I was saying, everyone tows in line because I provide them a service. I keep them safe. We're the Saviors, not the kill-your-friends-so-you-don't-like-us-at-alls. Are we going to kill your friends if you don't cooperate?" He smiled at Maggie. She balled her fists. "Absolutely. I'm pretty sure we've established that. And now I've established that if you do cooperate, as I believe you are, we won't do bad things to your son. Even though he killed a few of my men because he doesn't know any better."

"You brought my son back; it may not seem like it, but I'm grateful. It doesn't make up for what you did to Glenn; we'll never forgive you for that. However, we'll cooperate. It's just business. Y'all have to really be providing us with a service though. I won't put my family through this if there's nothing to be gained."

Negan nodded. Bringing Carl back had the effect he wanted. He knew it made him look magnanimous. They'd be grateful and resist less. "Okay then, this feels like progress to me, yeah. I can be reasonable."

"So can I," Rick said. Those were just words. There were so many lies being told. Neither Negan nor Rick were reasonable men. This wasn't business, this was strategy. And what service was Negan referring to? Michonne was reminded of what she had told Carl months ago. Always watch action, not words.

Michonne grew concerned about Carl's arms, she didn't understand why they were so limp. As soon as the Saviors left she would take him to their clinic. She wanted to stay by Rick's side while the danger was present. Rick was playing his role well, but she didn't want anything unexpected to happen in her absence. Time seemed to progress slowly. Negan continued to talk, make underhanded shots, and watched them as they watched him. The Saviors eventually finished raiding their community and left. Rick took a deep breath, he kept reminding himself that everything was going according to plan. Nobody died and he even had Daryl out there to see where their next stop was. He didn't dwell on it long because turned his attention to Carl. They prepared for this.

"What happened?" Rick was referring to Carl's arms. He too noticed how lifeless they were. He wanted to know whether or not they disabled him.

Carl spoke on his way to the infirmary. "The last day he had me in this thing. It kind of was like being crucified except nothing happened to my feet."

"What else did they do to you?"

Carl frowned. "That's the weird thing, that was it. The entire month it was like he was trying to get to know me. At first I thought it was to fish information, but it seemed more like gossip and small talk. How do I like the Sanctuary? What's the craziest thing I've seen before Alexandria? Do I play sports? Which one of his wives is the hottest? Stuff like that."

"..."

"Their base is a big building, with a lot of space and floors. I don't know how to really describe it. It sort of reminded me of a mixture of the prison and a store, but it was neither of those things. I think it had machinery in it before." Rick decided he would ask Eugene for help to figure out what Carl was trying to describe. "There aren't that many non-Savior people there, like around 40. Those people are kind of like our people. And there seems to be many Saviors scattered around."

Michonne and Rick opened the doors of the infirmary. "We'll continue to talk about this later. It's more important that you get better."

"I wish I had more to tell you. I don't have much to show from getting caught. I don't know where the base is, what it is, or how to beat them."

Michonne touched his hair. She studied his face, still in disbelief that she almost lost him. "Our focus is your health first. We'll talk about this later."

Carl felt guilty. Even after everything he'd done he was still their top priority. Even though he had information about the Saviors, they were still making sure he was mentally and physically okay first. Michonne wasn't a clingy or overly affectionate person. His father was very hardened and would never display weakness in front of an enemy. When they hugged him he knew it was because they were truly relieved he was back. Maybe his parents had things unsaid too. "I'm sorry." And I love you, Carl wanted to say. "I won't do something like that again."

Later...

Carl told them all he knew about the Sanctuary, Negan, other prominent Saviors, and Lucille. After talking about the layout, they figured it was an old factory. Rick had Aaron and the Monroes search old maps for the possibility of their location. Rick's group were from Georgia. They needed assistance from a native Virginian. He was impressed with how willing they were to help. Despite their eagerness, Rick felt like it would be best if they didn't know everything he intended to do. Carl didn't know what direction to start because he was in the semi's trailer on the way to the Sanctuary and blindfolded on the way back. Rick didn't focus on that. They'd gained new information and he had his family. Carl would officially be home after an overnight stay in the hospital. His arms were put in slings so they wouldn't be stressed and recover properly. All of Alexandria came to visit, even more than Rick. Judith stayed in bed with Carl most of the stay. She was elated to have him back. Judith couldn't even be bothered to move when all of the teenagers came to visit Carl. Even though all of the teens didn't get along, they came at one time to see him: Mikey, Ron, Sam, Chenelle, Anna, Hunter, Combs, Danny, and Enid. They filled him in on what he missed and urged him to get better. Hunter and Combs said they'd see him at work before leaving. Danny, the psychiatrist's son from Grady, didn't know him well so only left gifts. He only went to get to know the group. Chenelle and Sam stayed silent the whole time. Ron also didn't say much. Carl understood even though it hurt because they were good friends when he first came to Grady. Mikey kept them laughing the entire time. Anna was impressed by his bravery and flirted with him shamelessly. Enid punched him in the stomach and called him an idiot before leaving with the Andersons. Chenelle followed behind.

"Hey, Chenelle. Can you stay for a second?"

Chenelle looked at the Andersons for an answer. Sam avoided her eyes. Ron held Enid's hand and continued walking without her. She swallowed and sat back down. "Okay."

Judith looked at Chenelle and smiled. She knew from Rosita and a couple other women what was happening with Chenelle. She started singing. "Baby, baby, baby,-baby-baby waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! I need milk!"

"How are you doing?" Carl asked.

"I'm the one who should be asking you that." Chenelle replied quietly. Her vision was blurry from tears. "I'm really happy you're back."

"Me too." Carl grunted as he sat up more.

Judith clutched onto her brother and looked at him. She was very concerned. "You okay, Cawl?"

"I'm fine, Judy."

"Okay..." She put her head on his chest and continued being with him. From Judith's perspective it was their first separation. Judith never remembered a moment away from Carl until then. She didn't like it. Carl wished he could rub her hair and console her. He noticed Chenelle looking at them. He could see there was a lot she was thinking about. Carl knew she was analyzing him and with young children; now he was certain he should ask his question. After an awkward silence, Judith peeked at Chenelle and filled it in with more baby sounds. "I'm a baby!"

"No Judy, you're a big girl!" corrected Chenelle. She always thought Judith was cute.

Judith gave her a toothy grin. "Noooooooo, I'm a baby!"

Carl jumped into the conversation. He needed to speak with Chenelle alone. "If you're a baby, then you're not big enough to have a cookie. Or color with Officer Bello."

Judith's eyes grew large. "I'm a big girl! I'm a big girl," she affirmed and practically jumped off the bed. Judith bounced excitedly and held out her hand for Chenelle; the girl took Judith's hand. Carl looked at her quizzically. "If you take her to Bello, will you sneak off?"

"You'd only find me." Chenelle said. She knew where this was going. She led Judith away to a female Grady officer. She debated leaving, but decided to go back to Carl's room. He was still serious and somewhat stony. She didn't like this side of Carl.

"...The first person I killed was my mother." Chenelle's eyes widened. The day she lost her virginity to him she'd asked him who was his first kill. He didn't tell her. She had no idea the story was that painful. "We were staying at a prison in Georgia and got overrun with walkers. Mom went into labor with Judy, but something was wrong. I don't get it. It seemed like she was fine one moment and there was blood the next. Maggie had to-" Carl was choking on his words. This month has been a test of strength for him. It was hard for him to continue. "Mom told me goodbye and Maggie saved Judith. Mom was gone, just like that. And I had to. It had to be me because I loved her. I couldn't let her turn."

"..."

"If you had told me you were pregnant earlier, I would have probably told you to get rid of it. You have no idea how dangerous this is."

Chenelle's face twisted with hurt. She couldn't understand why he would say such a cruel thing. "I'm not stupid. I do know that this is dangerous. I may not have seen it first hand, but I know that tomorrow or next week I could die from complications. I know that even if I deliver perfectly I could die from infection, clots, heart attack, stroke, or shock, later on. I think about this everyday!" Tears streamed down her face. She held her bump protectively. "We could both die. Or worse, I'll be fine... and he'll be dead."

"..." So it was a boy.

"Are you going to ask me?" Chenelle feared this question for the last six months. "You haven't asked, which isn't like you. why?"

"...Because I won't like the answer either way. If you say no, then the rumors are true and I didn't protect you. ...I know firsthand what that's like and I would feel like shit if that happened to you and I didn't notice. If you say yes, then it means I was stupid and put your life in danger for ten minutes of pleasure."

"Two minutes."

"No it wasn't. I mean it was my first time too so-"

"Do you regret Judith being here?" She cut him off. She wanted to tell him no matter what happened, this baby wasn't a tragedy. The baby was a new beginning. His response wasn't what she expected; honesty shocked her.

"...In the past, yes. I love Judith, but if she wasn't here mom would still be alive. I love her, but I miss my mom." Carl did the math again even though he didn't have to. He and others had throughout the past month. That baby was his. "Do I have to ask?"

"..."

"Even if you don't say anything, this baby has a good chance of looking like the father."

Chenelle burst into tears. At first Carl thought he got it wrong and wanted to apologize. He wasn't wrong. "I'm sorry. I was scared! I didn't know what you'd do, or your family would do if they found out. ...I used to love you. I really did; but you never loved me. I didn't think you'd love this baby. And you just said you want me to get rid of him."

"I don't mean now. It's way too late for that."

Chenelle didn't understand why he kept saying that. "Why'd he have to be yours?! I am always so sad and sick and hurt all over. I want to puke everyday and have headaches and backaches and cramps. His kicks hurt me! I'm scared that Dr. Anderson was right and he'll rip me apart. He told me to abort too. I've never felt more depressed and lonely and I just want Gabriel! ...your dad took the only person left in this world that truly loved me. Your dad took him from me and it's not right! This isn't right!"

"Chenelle" He had no idea how the conversation shifted to their parents. He wasn't going to let her disrespect them.

"Gabriel was my father, like Michonne is your mom! I need my father! He didn't deserve whatever Rick did and you know it! And you know it was over Michonne which makes no sense! Gabriel dated Michonne first!"

"She didn't want Gabriel."

"Did she even have a choice?!"

"My dad would never force Michonne to do anything! If she's with him then she wants to be." She scoffed. "Fuck you, Chenelle."

"You did. And now I'm tied to you people forever! All these excuses... You're an awful person! Your dad is an awful person! So bad that I was willing -still willing- to let everyone think Dr. Anderson is this child's father over him being a Grimes!"

"You're fucking crazy! If you think the Andersons are better than us, you're just as batshit as everyone knows you are!"

"I'm crazy?! I'm crazy?! You go after an unknown group, by yourself, with one rifle and no other supplies, and I'm crazy?! Your whole family is insane!"

There was a knock on the door. Officer Licari opened the door. "Is there a problem here?"

"No." "Yes!"

Officer Licardi rubbed his stubble. This was an awkward domestic dispute. He'd heard everything. Unfortunately so did several others. The gossip would spread as soon as the situation was diffused. He sympathized with them both: Chenelle because he also disliked Rick Grimes and thought he was a crazy, controlling bastard, and Carl because of his baby mama issues. "I think you should take a walk."

Chenelle took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll calm down. I never meant for this to happen. I don't even know how this happened. I helped you put the condom on."

Carl was so angry. He knew he should end their dispute there, but he continued. "The condoms were expired. It either broke or wasn't effective." He was sure it broke. At one moment he felt a different and pleasant sensation and didn't know what it was.

"How do you know this?" Carl only had a sixth grade education.

"Negan told me." It had the desired effect. Chenelle grew silent and pale. "And he can't wait to see our little fucker." Negan asked him if he knew what sex was and teased him about being a virgin. Carl took the bait and grew defensive about his sexual status. It didn't take Negan long to figure out which girl. "You should have told me. I would have been able to protect you. I was caught off guard so he knows it's mine." When Negan told him about the ineffectiveness of condoms in the new world Carl freaked out. Negan laughed and threw him a party; he got drunk and made Carl sing lullabies while he swung Lucille.

"Damn kid, that's rough." Officer Licari didn't know whether he should leave because the intensity died or try to get Chenelle out of the room.

"...Is this your way of forcing us to be with you?" If Negan was interested in their baby, the Grimes were the only ones remotely able to keep him at bay. "You're just like your father."

"Well you're nothing like Michonne."

"Good! I don't want to be. If you think that bitch, Enid, will be the Michonne to your Rick, raising my baby in blended family without me you're a fucking idiot! You're not going to swoop in and decide shit for me and MY child. Mine, Carl, mine! You don't even want him!"

"I do want him!" Carl was confused. Did he want the baby?

"You people are not going to take another relative from me. Just do what you do best and disappear." Chenelle got up rather quickly for someone her size. She pushed past Officer Licari and stormed out of the infirmary. Carl was livid. He wanted to hate her, but he couldn't. His father did orphan her and he was nowhere during most of her pregnancy. He was stuck with her too. This did not go well.

"Damn, kid... Welcome to the world of grown-ups."

The Next Morning...

Michonne had been analyzing the moment with Negan since the moment the Saviors left. She had to admit, that was a good move to bring Carl back alive. With Carl dead, it would be just the fuel they needed to go to war. Even if the Saviors lived, Negan would have been out a source of food. They didn't produce as many crops as Hilltop, but nobody was starving in Alexandria. Negan was smart for that. He was also oddly likable. This is what made him dangerous. Negan showed his power and numbers, then he coaxed you out of fear. He tried to change the narrative of being looted into a business transaction. It was probably part of their plan to lure them into a false sense of security. Since Negan had absent minded moments and cursed too much, he appeared less intelligent than he was. It also made it hard to tell jokes from serious rhetoric. His promise of providing services was an example of that conundrum. Michonne didn't doubt that the Saviors did offer protection of their colonies. They probably were good because she hadn't seen many walkers around Alexandria in the many years she'd lived in Virginia. It didn't matter if the Saviors were good or not; Alexandria didn't need the Saviors. For weaker people Negan's grift would be a good hustle, but they knew better. They could only trust themselves with their future.

Rick saw Michonne slowly getting dressed. She had a lot of things on her mind. Rick did as well. Rick stopped her from putting on her pants. Michonne stared at him through the mirror. Rick was fully dressed in a worn pair of jeans and gray t-shirt. She was surprised. This was the first day she hadn't helped him with his clothes. She smiled. Rick was adapting well to his one hand. He'd mastered putting on his clothes. Now he wanted to practice with a more important trick, taking hers off.

Rick wrapped his right arm around Michonne's waist and used his left hand to pull the flowy, green top from her body. He kissed her neck and shoulder. Michonne's skin grew warm. She loved the feeling of his lips on her body and Rick loved tasting her. He looked at them in the mirror. Michonne looked sexy standing in a puddle of her clothes. Her skin seemed to radiate against his. His focus was solely on her: those smooth long legs, leading up to her delicious pussy, her curvy hips, flat stomach, to her breasts that looked magnificent in the light brown bra she wore. It needed to come off. Rick studied it wondering how he would unhook the damned thing. He swept Michonne's dreads out of the way. He kissed the back of her neck and slowly licked it. He could tell her nipples were getting hard in the bra. Now he definitely wanted it off. He used his right arm to hold one side of the bra while he pulled the other side and maneuvered with the hooks. He pressed harder and tried again. It took about five attempts to finally get it off. Rick smiled. He felt insanely accomplished.

Rick wasted no time unbuttoning his jeans and unzipping them. His cock sprung out, ready. He impatiently removed his shirt. Adrenaline was flowing through him. It felt good to know he could undress his woman. It was a simple task, but made his pride soar. It made him feel like a man. He pulled Michonne's hips towards him and bent her forward. "Stick your ass out," Rick commanded gruffly. Michonne locked eyes on him and followed his command. He loved that. There was no nervousness or uneasiness in her stare. This was just like every other time they fucked despite Rick's injury. Knowing that it didn't bother her made him love her more. And he would show her.

Rick slowly eased himself in her pussy. She was tighter than usual; the month Carl was missing had them too unnerved for sex. Instead they laid next to each other and talked. As intimate as that was, they were glad to return to normalcy. Michonne clinched causing Rick to moan pleasurably. Michonne was going to have to readjust to him. Her body would mold to his again when they made up for that month of celibacy. Her pussy grew wetter from the thought and Rick's cock spreading her. His hand was gripping her hip tightly. He slowly moved within her, loving the feeling of her slick heat gripping him. He gradually increased his pace. The sounds of slapping echoed through their room. Michonne loved that sound; so did Rick. It fueled his thrusts. Michonne's skin pebbled from the intensity. Michonne swiveled her hips as Rick pounded into her. The feeling almost made Rick's knees buckle. "Jesus..." He could feel every inch of her pussy. Her move movements made their fucking sensational. He didn't think he'd last longer. "Shit, Michonne."

"Did you miss this pussy baby?"

Rick's cock jumped inside of her. He felt like a teenager. He wasn't creative enough for dirty talk so he just answered her question. "Yea-yes."

Michonne smirked. He was so cute. Even though he was slamming into her, something as simple as dirty talk had him flustered. "Yes Rick, oh shit yes!" Michonne straightened up, halting his thrusts. She turned to Rick who met her with a desperately heated kiss. He was still throbbing inside her. She could feel every pulsation causing her to gasp in pleasure. She ran her fingers through Rick's hair and continued to take their sloppy kisses. Michonne took her leg and let it rest in Rick's right arm. At first he tried to grab it, but recovered quickly. He locked it in his arm and looked into the mirror. Their hair was equally messy from sex. Their skin glistened from a layer of sweat. His eyes locked on her pussy. She watched him as he watched them. "Fuck me Rick. Fuck your pussy." Rick slowly moved. He'd never tried this before even when he had two hands. Rick's breathing hitched. Even though his movement was restricted, watching his cock disappear into her pussy was incredibly erotic. He could tell Michonne enjoyed it too. Her walls contracted sporadically. He knew she would come soon. So would he.

Michonne held onto his neck and played with her clit with the other hand. "Oh my God." Was she masturbating to their fucking. Rick couldn't handle the image. His balls grew tight. His grip tightened on Michonne and he came in an eruption. He cried out in pleasure. "Shit, oh my God!" He used his left arm to brace himself and wouldn't collapse. Michonne was still rubbing herself with him attached. The only thing he could do for her was not fall. Hypersensitive after cumming, the feeling of Michonne's orgasm made him understand the term little death.

The lovers looked at their image one more time before separating with a kiss. They had to get their children from the Grady infirmary.

"That was incredible. The thangs you do to me... Jesus."

Michonne smiled as she pulled up her pants. "I have a good partner."

Rick blushed. "I came first."

Michonne kissed him, "This time."

Rick smiled and continued putting on his clothes. Then he put on his gun holster. He was surprisingly done before Michonne again. She smiled at him and put on her sword. Rick held his hand out to her. She took it. They left the house together.

Their neighbors waved or stopped them to talk. Some of them were concerned or complained about what the Saviors took from them. Others asked about Carl. Michonne held Rick's hand tighter to keep him calm as he reassured the Alexandrians that it wouldn't be this way forever. Rick was disappointed to see how few Alexandrians carried a weapon at all times. This further reinforced the knowledge that they would never be able to win a war with the Saviors.

He thought about their recent encounter with the Saviors. There were many things that bothered him. "Michonne, what do you think Negan meant by let Carl live long enough to see his own little asshole be born?" Rick asked, "Was he talking about a near future or a distant one?"

Michonne was impressed. He was thinking the exact thing she was. "That's what I want to know."

"You usually know everythang."

Michonne chuckled. "Everything?"

He laughed as well. "Well everythan' that has to do with Carl. He tells you everything."

"Carl used to tell me everything. He's always on the go. At first I thought it was good because of how much he contributed, but I might have let him grow up too much."

Rick shook his head. His blue eyes searched hers. He believed every word he said. "The world did that, not you."

"Yeah... But we can't blame the world for him being a father before he's eighteen. Carl and Chenelle did that to themselves if it's true. I don't get it. We had the talk. Each time he'd say: I know. I got it. I already know this stuff. Chenelle has been a nurse for Dr. Anderson long enough to know contraception, that's why I think that bastard is the child's father. She does a few MCAT workbooks for fun and all of a sudden she's his nurse?" She couldn't blame Gabriel for bragging on his daughter's talents.

"That's probably not what Negan meant then. If Carl was the father of Chenelle's baby he would have said something. He wouldn't let her raise it alone. He's a good kid."

"That is true."

"Negan did confuse you and Tara." Michonne rolled her eyes. Rick sighed. He hadn't forgotten the hostility between Michonne and Tara. "Are you sure you're okay with her being around?"

"Yes. I already told you not to do anything. ...She'd do anything for you and honestly we need that right now."

"Yes. We do. I hate having to pretend I'm dealing with this arrangement. If it was just Negan, we could kill him and be done, but this is a business. Someone would just replace him. Kind of like taking down drug dealers in the past. A small victory before someone else replaces him." Michonne nodded. "We have to do this right."

"Eugene says we have two options. Materials from mines are toxic and readily available. It just seems like they'd be hard to extract or sneak back inside. We can't afford to lose people. We could also try pesticides. I really like that idea. We could have a bigger harvest if we used them, and it would make sense to have them. We'd just have to be careful when we use it ourselves."

"The second option seems to be the better one. I think it would make the other communities more likely to join."

"We need to go on runs, hit libraries and study before we get the actual poisons. This is really going to take a while."

Rick nodded. "The longer we plan, the less he'll suspect."

Michonne and Rick walked into the infirmary. Then they went to Carl's room. Judith was playing with Carl's hair. She took the bows that held her ponytails and put them on him. Carl just let her. Michonne wished she had a camera. Rick knocked to get their attention.

"Dadee! MeSown!" Judith abandoned Carl and reached for them. As usual she jumped in Michonne's arms. "A lot of people came. I saw babies! Sanelle habing a baby! Her tummy is dis big." She spread her arms out and giggled. "Was your tummy like dat when you had me MeSown?" It grew silent. Michonne didn't know what to say. Judith looked at Michonne inquisitively. Her eyes had darkened to match Lori's, but Judith thought her eyes were dark like Michonne's eyes. Michonne had been the only mother she'd known. Judith decided to ask Rick. "Dadee did MeSown have a big tummy wid me?"

"Judy... Do you remember when Carl told you about Lori?"

"No." Judith said dismissively.

Michonne thought about her words. "Well I'm told Lori was a very pretty lady, just like you. She had brown eyes and long brown hair just like you, Judy. And she loved you very much."

Judith smiled, "Nice lady!"

Rick looked at Michonne and decided he'd tell Judith the rest. "You and Carl were in Lori's tummy. Lori was your mommy."

Judith looked at her father then back at Carl. "No! I was in MeSown's tummy. Cawl was in MeSown's tummy."

Michonne looked in Judith's eyes. "No baby. You and Carl were in Lori's tummy."

"...no! No! No! No! No! NO! NO!" Judith fought Michonne's grasp. "You mean!"

"I still love you Judy. I'll always love you."

"But you don't wanna be my mommy." Judith said starting to cry. "You don' love me."

"Judy, I do. I love you more than you'll ever know." Judith continued to cry and rub her eyes. Michonne's heart was breaking.

"No, you don't! Why do I say hafta MeSown not mommy?"

Michonne looked at Carl. She was asking him just as much as she was asking Judith. "Are you sure that's alright? I don't want you to think I took your mother away."

"Yes," Carl and Judith answered at the same time.

"So you my mommy now?" Judith asked. The words were broken by her sniffles.

"I think I've been your mother for a long time, sweetie."

"I love you MeSown." Judith grimaced and tried again. "I love you mommy."

"I love you too, baby."

Michonne and Judith held each other for a while. Rick was amazed at the strength Michonne had at this moment. He hadn't really helped in this situation. Michonne was always better with his children. Rick still didn't know if he'd ever tell Judith that he wasn't biologically her father either, but if he did he would make sure she wouldn't doubt his love for her.

Carl closed his eyes. He also felt like Michonne had been their mother long before this moment. He wondered how hard it was for Michonne to get through this. Now that he learned he would be a father soon he wondered how his parents did everything. Carl hated himself as their son. He hated himself as a father and as a friend. For the past month he'd done nothing but cause them stress. Now he was about to make it worse.

"Mom, dad, I have something to tell you."

(A/N) I updated much faster than usual. I think this was my longest chapter. So much happened in it. I just wanted to mention before people get mad at Carl what he meant when he said "I would have probably told you to get rid of it." From Carl's prospective (and reality) pregnancy is dangerous. His mother died from complications, Judith was a walker magnet, he heard of Andre's tragic death, AND he's probably witnessed stillbirths and miscarriages throughout Alexandria. As much as they hate each other right now he doesn't want Chenelle dead which could happen easily because of their baby. It's been an amazing coincidence that this chapter came around Mother's Day.

Don't forget to review.

Next Chapter: Planning