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Like many of us I'm doing a TWD rewatch, looking for all those pre-relationship moments, and a great little one in 4x01 is after Michonne arrives back at the prison -- there's a moment where Daryl tells her "Glad to see you're in one piece." HOWEVER, when he says that he turns to look directly at Rick. Who in turn quickly looks away, almost bashful.

You can just imagine what Daryl had to put up with, with Rick in those early days. So I had to fic it.

Rick never said the words aloud. He never outright said, "I'm worried about Michonne. I hope she's okay. I hope she comes back." He was never that obvious. But to someone like Daryl, a man naturally of few words himself, it was clear as day that their fearless leader was never fully relaxed whenever that smartass/badass - who was more than capable of taking care of herself - wasn't safely tucked away behind their walls.

But what Rick would say when she was gone was - "There was a herd moving south, right?" Where Michonne had last gone hung unspoken between them. And when Daryl answered Yeah, Rick would just place his hands on his hips and nod, jaw tight, as he scanned the perimeter of the compound as if waiting for someone to magically appear.

He would say - "There's a lot more bandits out there, roaming in packs. Isn't that what you said?" A grunt and a shrug from Daryl, and Rick would nod like they'd just had a conversation and go back to his farming, digging the shovel into the dirt with a bit more force than necessary, making a point to not look at the fence. They hadn't heard from Michonne in two weeks.

He would say - "Nights are getting cold," while standing outside at the communal kitchen, plate in hand, his gaze always drawn to the barely visable fence line. Daryl had hummed in agreement, fighting the urge to tell him that Michonne should be fine as she had pilfered his poncho, something Rick already knew.

And on one strange occasion he said, "Do you think we should get some more ... art? In here?"

This had stopped Daryl in his tracks. "What?"

Rick shrugged, perhaps a little sheepishly, but continued. "We have a library, potted flowers, even some toys and things for the kids. This is our home now. Thought ... maybe it could use a bit of ... brightening?"

Daryl just starred blankly. "You want me to, what? Bring back pictures?"

For a moment it looked as if Rick was about to finally say what was actually on his mind, before he instead gave a rueful smile and waved his hand in the air as if to dispel the conversation. "Nah, nah, never mind. It was just a thought."

He walked away, leaving an utterly perplexed Daryl behind who simply shrugged and went on his own way. It was only later that day as he passed by Michonne's empty cell did his eyes fall upon that weird colourful cat thing, the one that looked like it was about to start a fight. It was such a stupid, useless thing but Daryl remembered how Michonne had presented it to him with an air of triumph, as if it was the most gorgeous thing in the world. He didn't get it.

Did Rick really think that if he made the place more art-filled, Michonne might want to hang around longer? he wondered, then immediately dismissed the idea. Well, clearly not because he gave up before he started. Like with other things.

Only once had Daryl said the unsaid thing.

Almost everyone was asleep. Well, Carl was hid under his blankets reading comics and there were low conversational sounds coming from some darkened cell, but for the most part things were quiet.

And they were kept quiet by an exhausted Rick, pacing back and forth with a fussy Judith, bouncing her non-stop so her cries wouldn't awaken the entire community. He'd nodded to Daryl, who in turn took a moment to ask if he needed help putting Judith to sleep tonight.

"No, thankyou" said Rick tiredly. "I think she's pretty much worn herself out by now. Should be sound asleep soon."

"You too."

Rick sighed. "Yeah. I just ..." He shifted Judith a little, "Even when I do get to bed, I can't seem to stop thinking. Thinking of plans for the future, for the people we have in here. The people we bring in. How to protect everyone inside these walls. Keep our people safe despite ... well, despite everything." Rick looked at Daryl as if he might have the answers to those questions he hadn't quite asked.

All he could do was shrug. "We just try. Trust that we all know what we're doing. Lookout for everyone here. Not much more we can do, is there? Future don't care about anyone's plans."

Rick didn't look totally reassured, but he still smiled slightly as Daryl's efforts. "Yeah. I just worry, is all."

"I know." And as Daryl passed by he gripped Rick's shoulder and muttered, "Shouldn't worry so much. Michonne'll be back, all in one piece. You'll see."

And the man had the audacity to look confused, stuttering out, "Yeah, I know that, but - but I wasn't talking about Michonne, specifically. I'm not worried about her. She can take care of herself, I know that, and she always comes back, it's just ... with everything ..."

As he trailed off Daryl eyed Rick critically for a moment. He really thinks he's selling it, he thought, before giving a soft grunt that was akin to laughter and wandering off to bed, leaving a somewhat disconcerted Rick behind, gently bouncing a sleeping Judith.

And the very next day who should come riding through the gates but one Michonne, smiling, baring gifts and all in one piece, as Daryl made sure to point out to Rick, who's ears suddenly went bright red as if Michonne might somehow be able to figure out that they'd been taking about her just that night before.

But she didn't notice. She was too caught up in her almost obsessive search for the Governor and already planning her next venture out, unaware of Rick's barely suppressed disappointment or of the sigh that Daryl kept clenched behind his teeth as he tried to subtly talk her out of another long run. It wasn't her who was stuck with Rick and his wordless pining.

Because it was pining, even if he never said nothing. If they were in school Daryl might've suggested he pass her a note.

When she had quickly offered to go back out again with the rest of the scavenging party - even though, as Carl had said wistfully, she'd just got back - and Daryl could do nothing more than give Rick a comforting pat, grimacing slightly as the man's expression said exactly the same thing his son had vocalised.

God, this was going to wear thin soon.

Ah well. Wasn't like they had TV anymore.

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Two things that got Rick to say the word 'fuck' on TWD:

A compound of cannibals hell bent on killing and eating everyone he cares about

This guy

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Richonne edit to Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy when?

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Michonne by @QuaniaPrince

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The moment when Michonne finds Jadis' information about Alexandria, when she rips it into pieces, you can just feel the rage and heartbreak as she finally destroys the thing that kept her husband scared and broken and trapped, kept him away from his family for years, kept her children's father imprisoned. Some flimsy sheets of paper and a cruel woman. It's like Michonne is finally ripping the last of the chains off Rick, finally, fully setting him free and bringing him home, and Danai Gurira's acting in that scene is phenomenal, no notes.

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Fuck dating apps, I want to meet someone the old fashioned way (my village is being raided and I offer myself in place of the other villagers but a reformed warlord watching from the bushes is so enamored by me that she kicks the ever loving shit out of every single raider there so I tag along with her despite her protests)

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Aside from TOWL having a straight up fantastic ending, I'm just so glad that it had an ending.

No stingers. No surprise cameos. No cliffhangers.

Just. A happy, narratively satisfying ending.

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I just think it'd be really funny if he

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yknow it's a real shame that romans didn't have access to australia specifically for augury reasons. i really wish i could have seen a roman augur have to deal with australian birds. like imagine trying to properly interpret an omen from a fuckin. cassowary

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God, can you imagine what Rick would've been like if he'd been there for Michonne's pregnancy? He went to so much effort to find her toothpaste - and not just any sort, the exact flavour she said was her favourite - I can just see him off on a two day scavenger hunt just to bring her back a jar of olives she mentioned craving.

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I'm gonna be real, I really liked Gabriel and Anne's relationship, storyline and heartbreaking conclusion. I love it when absolute weirdos find each other and fall in love.

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Jadis referred to Michonne as Rick's wife, because during the years that Rick was trying to escape the CRM he kept telling Jadis it was to return to his daughter and his wife.

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I'm convinced rick had to sleep with Jadis to keep Alexandria safe. Like at first she had this fantasy she had saved rick and he's all happy and grateful and he forgets his wife and kids he's so grateful and he and Jadis live in CRMLand together the end. But reality works out different and she gets nasty and then he is basically being raped. That would explain the panic attack he has with Michonne during that love scene it's maybe a flashback and Michonne knows he's still hiding something from her. I hope it's not this but I dunno 😔

I also hope it's not that, but also ... I don't know ...

I'm not sure if Jadis had a fantasy of a happy little life with Rick. Her pervy nature seemed more rooted in a fantasy of control, humiliation subjugation, as rape fantasies tend to be. She liked the idea of owning 'things' and to her Rick is just another thing for her to possess, as evidenced with how she casually told Michonne that she'd 'lay with him after', after Michonne was finished with him. (as if she could ever be)

And I can't help thinking of Gabriel, wondering if Janis still - if ever - felt genuine tenderness towards him, and if maybe that contributed to her keeping Alexandria secret.

The comics had a lot more horrible sexual assault that was either lessened or competed erased from the TV show - something I'm more than okay with. However, if we're now in a show where Rick can say 'fuck', what other plot points can be explored?

Either way, 8/9 years is a long time to be continually sexually harassed and would've def contributed to Rick's almost complete mental destruction. However, if you're right and that was the reason specifically that Rick had a panic attack while with Michonne, I will claw my own face off.

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Jadis stop being a fucking creep

Also, anyone else worried about what deal they had to keep Alexandria secret?

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Release the King

IYKYK