a slight return home, chapter nine
Title: A Slight Return Home
Fandom: The Walking Dead
Pairing: Rick x Michonne
Rating: M
Summary: Rick’s death shakes Michonne’s world to its core. With her daughter and her remaining family, she tries to navigate her changed life, and all the struggles and surprises that come with it.
Author’s Note: It's been ages since I've updated this. I'm so sorry. The motivation just wasn't there for the longest time, but good news - it seems to be back! Plus, I just finished my classes for the semester, and I'm not working right now because of the pandemic, so I should have lots of time to write!
I listened to "Mystery of Love" by Sufjan Stevens while I wrote this, and it's obviously where the title comes from. I also listened to "Wasteland, Baby!" from Hozier's album of the same name.
Read the Author's Note at the end after you're done with this chapter. There's some important stuff in there!
Here's chapter nine of A Slight Return Home!
read chapter one on tumblr, archive of our own or ff.net
read chapter two on tumblr, archive of our own or ff.net
read chapter three on tumblr, archive of our own or ff.net
read chapter four on tumblr, archive of our own or ff.net
read chapter five on tumblr, archive of our own or ff.net
read chapter six on tumblr, archive of our own or ff.net
read chapter seven on tumblr, archive of our own or ff.net
read chapter eight on tumblr, archive of our own or ff.net
read chapter nine on archive of our own or ff.net
the mystery of love
It all changes one day, suddenly.
Spring is at its most robust in Virginia, and the day outside is nothing short of beautiful. The afternoon sun shines brilliantly upon them, the trees are in full bloom, and she can hear birds singing as they fly about.
She's in a good mood, for the first time in what seems like forever. Things have been quiet for a few months now - no new threats, no dangerous communities to fight. And she has the day "off", as they tend to call it; she's not on watch, isn't going on any runs, doesn't have any duties around Alexandria to tend to.
So she's home, and it's so warm outside that she pulled shorts and a t-shirt out of her dresser this morning. The kids just finished up lunch, and quickly scurried outside to continue playing. She can hear their voices along with the chirping of the birds, and it puts her in an even better mood. She smiles as she wipes down the counter where she made sandwiches. Her bare foot taps against the cool hardwood floor of the kitchen as she sings an old Billie Holiday song her mother used to play for her under her breath.
"Michonne?"
She jumps at the sound of her name, drops the rag she's wiping with on the floor and turns towards the noise frantically, one hand gripping the edge of the counter with all her might while the other goes to her back to grab the katana that isn't there.
But when she does turn, she finds it's Rick.
"Shit, Rick!" she breathes, bending over and placing her hands on her knees as her muscles relax. She takes a moment before she stands up again, trying to steel herself for whatever kind of conversation will come next. She tries to disguise her hesitation by reaching down and picking up the rag from the floor, and as she straightens herself, she tosses the wet thing on the counter.
Then, she looks at him.
Things with Rick have still been...difficult. More than difficult. She feels like they're swimming together in a river full of molasses, and not even in the same direction, at times. Any progress is slow and heavy on their limbs. They're sad and sticky and stuck, and making little progress. Maybe not making any progress. And there's always that underlying fear in the pit of her stomach that they'll never make any progress at all.
But she tries not to think that way, keeps telling herself that this will get better if she only gives it time. That she'll find a way to bring him back. Even if it takes twenty years, she'll find a way to bring him back.
He's here in front of her, at least. That's more than she can say on most days. And she's keenly aware that this is the first time she's heard him say her name in over two weeks.
"I'm sorry," he mutters, taking a step back and turning his head to look over his shoulder.
"It's fine," she says quickly, remembering all at once how careful she has to be. He's a skittish, abused animal, constantly hovering along the edges of her world, and if she makes one or two wrong moves, he might run from her.
"It's fine," she tells him again, but she realizes that he's still looking away from her.
"Rick," she calls, but he doesn't move.
"Rick."
She says it more forcefully this time, and he turns back around.
"I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine," she assures him again, and he nods slowly, like he's hearing her words for the first time.
Silence falls over them. She waits for him to talk, but he doesn't. Instead, he stares at her, eyes slightly squinted. He used to look at her like that all the time. Before they were together, she never quite knew what it meant, and it made her stomach churn in a way she didn't understand. Afterwards, she knew exactly what it meant, and it still made her stomach churn, but in the best possible way. Because when he looked at her like that, it meant he was thinking of him and her and a bed - or a wall, a couch, a table. Anywhere private. Where they wouldn't be seen, and hopefully not heard.
It's different this time, slightly softer and less penetrating. It's like he's trying to decide something. She wants to stay quiet, to give him the time he needs, but after a minute she starts to fidget, and she can't help but say something.
"What's up?"
He bites his bottom lip, and glances away momentarily before his eyes return to her. His hands fall to his hips, and she almost smiles, because he always used to stand like that. It's a remnant of the past, of a better time. And it's nice to know that at least something about him hasn't changed.
"Can we talk?"
Her eyes widen in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that to be his answer, and resists the urge to jump for joy because maybe this is the start of it, maybe they'll finally get somewhere, instead of just fumbling around in the dark. Maybe they'll turn to face each other in that brown river.
"Yeah," she answers, trying to temper the excitement in her voice. She could still scare him away. "Yeah, of course."
He nods once, and then turns around and walks away. Confusion floods her before she realizes he's headed for the dining room. She looks out the window briefly, to take one more look at her kiddos, and then follows after him.
She finds him standing by the table, and he motions for her to take a seat before he does. Always the gentleman. She half-smiles at him, and then sits at the head of the table.
He walks to the complete opposite side of the table, and takes his seat.
Or maybe he just wanted to make sure he didn't have to sit too close to you, chimes a voice inside her head, but she pushes that thought away. Even if that is true, this is going to be a good thing. They're going to make progress.
She watches him get settled and then waits for him to say something. But again, he hesitates. She waits awhile, and then goes to speak. Prompting worked in the kitchen, after all.
"So what do you want - "
"Is there someone else?"
She doesn't react right away, blinking hard twice. She decides she must've heard him wrong.
"What?" she questions, and the word comes out whispered and half-strangled, but he hears it still, and asks her again.
"Is there someone else? Was there? Is there? I don't know. Does it matter?"
She gapes at him, mouth hanging open. He shifts nervously in his seat.
"It's just, you've been distant since we came home from the infirmary. I know I was gone for...a long time. I mean, I'd understand. Seven years is seven years. It's a long time."
She can't process what's happening, even though her thoughts are racing a mile a minute. It's as if all the gears in her brain stopped working and started up again in strange patterns.
"It's okay. If there is. It's okay. We'd have to think of something with the kids, but other than that, it would probably be pretty easy. I'm sure there are empty houses. Or if not, I could always move in with Daryl, or - "
"I still have all of your clothes?"
She doesn't mean for it to come out sounding like a question, but it does. And she knows it's kind of stupid, but she can't think of something else to say.
"You do," he concedes. "You do. But...I don't know. Things have been...not good. And I know it's my fault, but like I said, you've been distant, too. And I just want you to be happy."
"I'm trying to give you space. To give you time," she murmurs, dazed. "You need time."
"I know. But I just want you to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted. All I'll ever want. For you to be happy."
He shrugs.
"Seven years is a long time. And I just want you to be happy."
"Seven years is a long time," she breathes, repeating his words mechanically.
"And I just want to know. I need to know," he amends. "Is there someone else?"
"Is there someone else?" she echos again.
He stops talking, staring at her cautiously. He might be a scared animal, but she's a bomb waiting to explode, ready to go off with the slightest touch. But she's still floundering at the moment, flopping around like a fish on a hook, gasping for breath that won't come.
She looks down at her hands. They're trembling, she realizes. Her heart is beating in double time.
"Michonne," he sighs. The sorrow in his voice is palpable.
And it decides her.
Fuck it. Fuck the waiting, the hesitation, all the caginess. Fuck that constant feeling of teetering on the very edge of a cliff, desperately wondering if someone is going to grab your hand and pull you away, or shove you in the back and push you off.
She knows that there's no going back, she knows that she might scare him off, but she can't do this anymore. She can't. She's tired, so tired, more tired than she's ever been. And she can't do it anymore. She won't.
Fuck it all. She explodes.
She stands abruptly, her chair falling back and crashing to the floor. She pays it no mind. He jumps, but he doesn't get up. He doesn't run.
"Seven years is a long time. Do you think I don't know that? Do you think I didn't feel every day of those seven years?"
She's shouting. She knows she is. But she can't stop herself. She's expelling everything that's been pent up inside her, and she can't stop.
But he's not running.
"I woke up every single one of those days and missed you. Most days I didn't want to. Most days it felt like it would be easier to die than to get out of that bed, but I did it anyway. For Judith, and then for RJ. And for you. For seven years, I did everything for you. Because I knew you would want me to. That you would want me to live."
She's crying. She can feel tears running down her cheeks. And she's right in front of him now.
But he isn't running.
"And so I got up. I lived. And I kept your clothes, and your toothbrush, and every single, little fucking thing because I couldn't do it without you. Without reminding myself that it was what you wanted."
She pulls his chair out from the table, turns it so it faces her. He's still light enough that she can manage it without much effort.
And he doesn't run.
"I talked to you, I went to visit you. I raised our babies. And I loved you. More than anything else, I loved you."
She stops suddenly, her chest heaving. There's tears in his eyes now, too. And she's tired. Tired from yelling, but tired mostly from carrying the weight of everything these past few months have brought. From thinking that at any moment, her world would collapse in on her.
She's so tired. She collapses onto his lap, her head falling into his chest, over his heart.
And he doesn't run. He doesn't even tense.
"And now," she murmurs, "now you want to know if there was someone else? There wasn't anyone else. There isn't, there wasn't, there never will be."
"Michonne."
She feels his voice rumble in his chest. Her name isn't a whisper this time. He doesn't murmur it, or mutter it. He says it, with his whole voice.
She lifts her head.
"Baby," he says, tucking a loc of her hair behind her ear.
She grabs his face with both of her hands, sitting up straight. She hovers over him slightly, close enough now that she can see the light freckles on the bridge of his nose, the flecks of cerulean in his light blue eyes that shine with tears.
And he doesn't run.
"I missed you every day," she tells him. "I loved you every day. I loved - "
He leans up and kisses her.
She doesn't respond at first, because she doesn't expect it. She stills in shock as her brain sputters to make sense of what's happening and her lips don't move back against his. And by the time it registers - that he's not running, that he's kissing her - he pulls away. And the loss of him, of their contact, is so profound that she almost begins to cry harder.
Don't stop, she's about to say, but the words die in her throat as she looks at him.
He's staring up at her again, but his eyes are different. They're not squinted, and the tears in them have dried. And he isn't trying to decide anything. Instead, he looks decided.
He's looking at her like he loves her. Like he's hungry, and the only thing he wants is her.
It's how he used to look at her, almost always. Even when they weren't in the bedroom - when they went on runs, when they were out in the community doing various jobs - there would always be a hint of it, deep in his irises.
She remembers the first time he looked at her like that. That night on the couch, their hearts pounding as they kissed furiously, both of their shirts half untucked, the button of her jeans undone, hands anywhere they could find the other's bare skin. His lips left hers only to kiss across her jaw, down her neck, and settle on her collarbone, where his lips moved and his tongue danced against her skin.
His teeth nipped at her lightly, and she groaned at the pleasurable pain.
He pulled away and hovered over her. She could feel him, cooped up in his jeans, pressing incessantly against her inner thigh. She almost pouted at the sudden stop, and was about to tell him to get back down here, but then she looked into his eyes.
The first time he had pulled away, a few minutes earlier, he had smiled down at her, softly and happily. She held his face, ran her fingers over his cheekbones, and smiled back.
This time, he didn't smile. He stared at her, chest heaving, wild curls framing his face like a halo of dark light, mouth hanging open.
He looked like he wanted to devour her. And he had, that night and so many others after it, thoroughly and absolutely.
It's how he's looking at her now.
She feels a buzzing throughout her body, and a bolt of desire makes her shiver as it settles between her thighs. She wants him. She wants him.
She's never wanted him more.
She doesn't know which one of them leans in again first, but she supposes it doesn't matter, because when their lips crash together, everything flies out of her mind except for him. Him, and his lips and his body and his heart. She places one of her hands on his chest, so she can feel it beat wildly underneath her palm.
(he's alive he's alive he's alive he's alive and he's not running. he's with her. he's finally with her.)
He's already hard beneath her, and she feels herself clench around nothing, longing for him. Longing to feel him inside her, to welcome him home. She reaches for his pants while he stands with her and lays her back on the empty table. She undoes his belt and then yanks it from the loops on his pants, dropping it to the ground. The metal buckle thumps as it hits the hardwood floor, and she jumps at the noise before laughing softly at the sudden sound. He joins her, and it makes her laugh harder.
She's happy. She's so happy, and he is, too. She almost can't believe it, but she does believe it because she feels it. She feels the warmth blooming in her core and spreading into every single one of her atoms, she senses the joy rolling off of Rick in waves.
She believes it because it's real. It's radiating out of their every pore, and it's so real.
She continues laughing, covering her mouth with her hand. But he tugs on that hand, and she lets him pull it down, placing it on his shoulder instead. Then, he takes his index finger and gently runs it along her bottom lip, in the shape of her smile.
"I've missed you," he whispers.
She smiles, as tears gather in the corner of her eyes. She doesn't know if they're happy or sad, but it doesn't matter. Because either way, she knows he'll be there to catch them when they fall.
She leans up again to kiss him, wraps her legs around his waist as he trails his fingers up and down her bare thighs. Each touch of his hands on her skin leaves fire in their wake, a pleasant burn that spreads across her skin and sets her aflame, burning away her old self and making way for rebirth. Like the spring outside, she's blooming, the buds and blossoms inside her watered and nurtured by the light in his eyes, by the feel of his body against hers. Flowers grow between her ribs.
His hands creep under her t-shirt, travel up her sides and hover over her chest before moving down again. He grabs the hem of her shirt and she sits up, helping to pull it over her head. It falls to the floor along beside his belt.
He stares at her, licking his lips. She leans back on her hands. Her bra is already out of place, her breasts practically spilling out of the garment. And he keeps staring. She feels herself getting wetter. She forgot how wonderful it felt to be ogled by the man that you love. She raises her eyebrows, challenging him.
What are you waiting for?
His eyes meet hers for a split second. And then he dives in, headfirst.
He buries his face in her cleavage, inhales her. And it gives her his answer.
I'm not waiting for anything. Not anymore.
He kisses and nips and the soft flesh of her breasts, and one of his hands reaches up her back, his fingers starting to fiddle with the clasp of her bra. She closes her eyes, lets out a soft moan, before opening her eyes again.
"Wait," she says.
He shakes his head, lets out some muffled hum of protest, and she laughs.
"Rick, wait," she repeats, grabbing his head and lifting it from her chest. His bottom lip juts out in adorable pout, and her smile is so wide that her cheeks hurt.
"We shouldn't do this here," she tells him softly.
"Why?" he asks, and she can hear the slight nervous lilt in his tone. Like he's afraid she's going to reject him suddenly.
She runs her hand over his hair in an attempt to soothe him. He's been keeping it short, like he did before he was taken. The fuzz feels good under her fingers.
She doesn't want to do it here. She wants to bring him back into their room, back into their bed. Take the place she poured so many tears and so much sorrow into and drain it. Fill it up with love again.
She wants to take those final steps to bring him back to her, wholly. And there are practical reasons, too.
"Because the front door is unlocked. And because the kitchen window is open. Someone could hear us."
"You plannin' on being loud?" he asks, a wicked and aroused glint appearing in his eyes.
He's half-teasing her, she knows. But the other half of him is excited at the prospect. His eyes dart around her face, one corner of his mouth ticking up.
"You planning on making me be loud?" she counters.
He bites down on his bottom lip, and then stands, taking her hand. She laces their fingers together as he bends down to pick up their shirt and belt.
"C'mon," he drawls, the southern twang more pronounced as it always is when his voice is rough with pleasure.
He leads her up the stairs and down the hall, but stops when he comes to their room. She can sense his hesitation, but she waits for him.
Finally, he reaches out, hand shaking. He turns the knob, and the door falls open. She can see the sun shining in through the sheer white curtains, filling the room with light.
He doesn't move to go in, so she steps around him, tugs on his hand and beckoning him forward.
"Come on," she urges. And it takes him a moment, but he follows her.
She lets him walk past her, and then closes the door behind them. She watches him as he stands at the foot of the bed, back towards her, gazing around the room like he's never been there before.
"You were always here."
He turns to her, tilting his head to the side.
"What do you mean?" he questions.
"You were always here," she tells him again. "It wasn't just the clothes. I always felt you in here. Like you had left part of yourself behind the last time you went away. And when I wanted to feel close to you, and it wasn't practical to go to the bridge, I would take the kids to Aaron's, and come up here and crawl into bed. I'd lay my head on your pillow. Sometimes I would cry, other times I would talk, but a lot of times I would just, lay there. And I would feel like you were there with me."
She walks towards him, and wraps her arms around him tightly, resting her head on his chest, above his thumping heart.
(he's alive he's alive he's alive he's alive)
"This is yours, Rick. This room, this bed. It's all yours. It always has been, and it always will be."
They're silent for a minute, but then she feels him nod above her.
"Okay," he whispers, before pulling back so he can look into her eyes.
"Okay," he repeats.
"Okay," she says back, nodding her head.
He leans down to kiss her.
They pick back up where they left off in the dining room, wrapping themselves around each other. He sits her down on the bed, takes off her bra, finally. He palms her breasts as he kneels down, places a long kiss on each nipple, and then moves his mouth down her stomach, stopping when he gets to the waistband of her cotton shorts. He tugs them down slowly, and then peels off her soaked underwear.
She's naked before him, for the first time in seven years. But there's no nervousness, no awkwardness, no hesitation. All she feels is anticipation. Eagerness for what she knows will come next.
He stares at her from his place on the floor, mouth hanging open, breaths labored. She wants every inch of him.
She reaches for him, begins to unbutton his shirt. He assists her. As he's shrugging it off his shoulders, she goes to start on his jeans, but she stops when she sees it.
He's gained a lot of weight since he came home, but she can still see his ribs. She can still count each one of them.
She stares. She can't help it. She stares, and it takes her back to when she found him, cowering in the corner of that cold, dark room, scared and abused and halfway to death.
The people who did that to him, they're dead now. They're dead, and they will never hurt him again. But it's not good enough. She wants to go back, to line them up and kill them all over again, one by one, watch them suffer, see their fear, their -
"Michonne," she hears, in some small part of her brain. His hands cradle her cheeks, and he tilts her face up. He's gazing down at her with the slightest frown on his face.
"Stay with me," he whispers.
Her eyes flit back to his ribs for a moment, but she takes a deep breath and looks back at him.
They're dead, she reminds herself. It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that he's here, holding her. Loving her. He's alive.
They didn't win. He's alive. She leans into his hand, and feels the beat of his pulse against her skin.
(he's alive he's alive he's alive he's alive)
He's here, and he loves her.
Stay with me.
"Always," she promises.
He brings her face to his, presses his lips against hers softly. For a moment, they're quiet, pressed against each other and swaying back and forth slightly.
She begins to pull on him, forcing onto the bed with her. He laughs as she scoots back towards the headboard, and he pushes down his jeans and boxers, throwing them on the floor before turning over and crawling on top of her.
Once he's settled in, she reaches down and holds him. They both groan as she strokes him, him shifting above her as his hips buck. He drips into her hand as she continues to stroke, and she reaches down with her other hand to cup his balls.
"Fuck," he murmurs, his voice strained. She can tell she's torturing him, but she can't stop. She loves it - loves making him feel like this, loves the weight of him in her hand. He feels so good, and he's not even inside of her yet.
She speeds up her strokes, and he moans again, louder this time than the last. He reaches and grabs her hands, brings them up and holds them in his, lacing their fingers together.
"I want you," he says breathlessly. "I need you."
She lays back, her hair spreading out on the pillows, all around her head.
"Then take me," she tells him, reaching out again and guiding him to her entrance.
He does.
He enters her in one movement, and neither of them can help the loud groans they let out. They don't move right away as they treasure the feeling of being connected once again, finally.
But then, she grows impatient. She swivels her hips, communicating to him without words, and he begins to thrust.
It's almost like their first time, in a way. Things aren't perfectly smooth, and there are bumps and stutters along the way. Their bodies together aren't the well-oiled machine that they used to be. Neither of them are exactly how they used to be. They have to get used to this again. To find out who the other is, now.
She couldn't be more eager to learn.
They find a steady rhythm after a few minutes, and his thrusts get faster as she moves her hips in time with his. He pauses for a moment, readjusts them so he can reach her more freely, and then trails his hand down and begins to move his fingers against her.
She feels it, that tightening in the pit of her stomach, the beginning of the tide that will take her over. He begins to move his fingers more intently, syncs them with the movement of their hips, and the feeling grows. She's standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean, and she's about to jump.
She lets go of everything. Everything that's been plaguing her for so long - for seven years - and lets it fade away. All of the worry, the pain, the exhaustion, the sorrow and loneliness. All of her doubts and insecurities and responsibilities and fear. She lets them go, until there's nothing left except her and this bed and him. Him, moving above and inside her, panting in her ear, setting her nerves ablaze.
She clings to him as he continues to thrust, crying out as he kindles the fire inside of her.
And she falls.
Her muscles spasm around him as she hits the water below the cliff. The waves overtake her, and her head goes under. She's drowning, but it's okay. He's here, and she never wants to breathe again.
She relaxes all at once with a contented moan, sated and happy. He continues to move above her, pressing his face into the crook of her neck, his moans still echoing throughout the room even though they're muffled by her skin. Her hands roam up and down his back, wander down to his ass and squeeze.
"Come on, baby," she murmurs in his ear.
She feels his muscles stiffen suddenly, and then the warm rush as he comes inside of her. She closes her eyes, relishing it. Relishing him.
He collapses on top of her, his face still buried in her neck. They both heave as they try to catch their breath. Their chests are pressed together, and she can feel his heart pounding.
(he's alive he's alive he's alive he's alive)
And she's home. Finally, she's home.
***
It's warm again today.
She'd opened all the windows and doors when she'd come downstairs, so the fresh air could drift in and freshen up the house. She can feel the pleasant breeze blowing against her skin now, as she folds towels in the living room.
It's quiet at home. The kids are out with Daryl and Dog. She isn't sure where Rick is right now, but she knows he's nearby.
She hears small footsteps dash up the front porch steps.
"Momma!"
She smiles. It's RJ.
She sets the laundry basket she had on her lap aside, and gets up to greet him at the door. Her bare feet pad against the hardwood floor and echo softly throughout the entryway.
"Mom-"
Her eyebrows furrow as she wonders what made him stop his second call for her. She approaches the screen door and is about to open it, when she spots her son, standing on the porch and staring cautiously at something in the corner. She frowns, but then she realizes.
Rick must be sitting on the porch.
She almost runs out to them reflexively, to insert herself into the situation and try and ease the awkwardness between them. Things with RJ and Rick still aren't quite where she'd hoped they'd be. Rick is trying, and she knows RJ is too.
They'll get there. They just need time.
She steps back a bit, decides to let them work it out on their own. She angles herself in the doorway so she won't be seen by either of them.
"Hey, RJ," Rick says carefully. She knows he's trying not to scare off their son.
It takes him a minute, but RJ finally responds.
"Hi br...Daddy."
She smiles softly. RJ forgets to call him Daddy a lot, having referred to him as the brave man for so long. But he's getting better.
"What are you up to? I thought you and your sister were with Uncle Daryl."
"We are, but I gotta pee."
She puts a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.
"Hmm. Well, you better get in there."
"Yeah," RJ answers. He looks for a moment longer, then turns towards the house. He takes a step towards the door, but stops again.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah, son?"
"Judy said...Judy said you used to sing to her when she was a little baby."
"I did," Rick answers.
"A song about dreams," RJ continues.
"Yeah. It's called Dream a Little Dream of Me."
"Yeah. That one."
A silence falls over them. She's about to go outside, when RJ speaks again.
"Will you sing it for me?"
"Yeah," Rick says, and she can hear a sort of strong emotion in his voice. "I'd love to. Come over here."
RJ walks over without hesitating, and her heart leaps. She hears the rocking chair Rick must be sitting in shift.
"Now, I'm not that good of a singer…"
"Momma and Judy say your voice is good."
"They're just being nice. You'll have to tell me what you think, okay?"
"Okay."
There's silence for a moment. Then, Rick starts.
Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper, "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me
Rick starts to move on to the next verse, but RJ interrupts.
"You have a good voice!"
"Aw, thanks, buddy."
"Keep going, please," RJ insists. Rick laughs.
"Whatever you say."
Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear
Just saying this
She can't see them from the angle she's at, but she still doesn't want to make herself seen. She quietly rushes to the living room, so she can look out the window.
Rick is sitting in the rocking chair, and RJ is sitting on his lap, facing his father. She can't see Rick's face, but she can see RJ. The boy's eyes are wide and bright as he watches Rick, a grin on his face.
She feels tears gather in her eyes, as she watches the two boys she loves most in the entire world.
Sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams, whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me
She smiles.
But in your dreams, whatever they be
Dream a little dream
"RJ! What's taking you so long?"
Judith runs up the path to their house, Dog and Daryl trailing behind her. RJ wiggles off of Rick's lap as his sister jogs up the stairs.
"Daddy sang to me. The dreams song! Just like you said."
"I thought you had to pee," Judith questions.
"Oh yeah!" RJ exclaims, like he'd just remembered his reason for coming home in the first place. "Momma!"
He runs towards the door, and she wipes at her eyes and walks to the door, arriving just as RJ flings it open.
"Momma, I have to pee!"
"Then go to the bathroom, silly!" she tells her son, placing her hand on his back and gently pushing him in the direction of the bathroom as he scurries past her. She waits until she hears the door slam shut, and then she ventures outside.
Judith is at the rocking chair talking to Rick, in voices too low for her to hear them. Instead, she waves at Daryl, who's still in the yard, throwing a tennis ball around for Dog.
"Hi, Mom," she hears suddenly, and looks down to see Judith walking past her and into the house.
"Hey, Judy."
Daryl walks up the steps to the porch. He throws the tennis ball once more, and then turns towards Rick and Michonne.
"What's up?" he asks.
"Nothing," she answers. " Just hanging around. Did some laundry."
"That's not what I mean. You're all smiley."
"Smiley?" she questions.
"Yeah. Judith was telling me how y'all had this nice breakfast this morning, and the two of you were all happy. And I can tell now. You look...lighter or some shit."
"What are you talking about?" she asks, trying to play dumb. But there's a slight thrill that runs through her, at the fact that the past twenty-four hours have changed her so much that other people can tell.
Daryl doesn't answer her. Instead, he looks between her and Rick. Rick, who's sitting outside, whistling some made-up song.
Daryl grins. And she feels like it's the first time her and Rick slept together all over again, when their whole family barged in on them when they were half-dressed.
"Nevermind," Daryl mutters, and moves towards the house. Before he opens the door, he turns towards Rick.
"Hey, me and Aaron are going out tomorrow, s'long as it don't rain. You coming?"
"Uh...sure. Yeah."
It's not the first time Daryl's asked him to go on a run since he's been back, but it's the first time Rick's agreed. He always had excuses - something about being too weak, or fearing he'd be a liability instead of an asset.
She smiles at his answer. Daryl grins again, too, and then starts into the house. He calls out, just loud enough for them to hear it.
"Yeah, y'all are smiley for sure."
She looks at Rick, and he looks back at her. They burst into laughter.
She walks over to him, leans against the porch railing as she stands in front of the rocking chair.
"Why do I feel like a kid who just got caught having sex at summer camp?"
He laughs again, and then pats his lap, signaling for her to sit down.
"I'm not as little as RJ," she warns.
"I'll manage."
She smiles, and then sits down, leaning back into him. He wraps his arms around her, resting his hands on her stomach. She places her hands over his, and closes her eyes.
"So, you were spying on us?"
"I was," she admits freely. "I love seeing the two of you together. I couldn't help it. Plus, I'll never pass up a chance to hear you sing."
He presses a kiss to her bare shoulder, next to the strap of her tank top.
"What did our little bird want?" she wonders.
"Apparently, she doesn't want to pass up a chance to hear me sing, either. She asked if I would sing that song for her tonight before bed."
It's been years since she's sang Judith to sleep. She smiles gently.
"She's missed you, too. More than you know."
"Yeah," he whispers. "I kind of...got that. When she was talking to me."
She nods. They're quiet for a few moments, listening to the sound of the soft breeze blowing around them.
"Michonne?"
She shifts, turning so she can see his face. He stares at her, bringing his hand up to trail along her cheekbone.
"I love you," he breathes.
It's the first time she's heard him say that in seven years.
"I love you, too," she tells him, and places a kiss on his forehead before wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her cheek on top of his head.
She knows things won't be perfect from here on out. Sex isn't a magic spell that will fix everything, as much as she wishes it was. There will be obstacles in their continued journey back together. He'll still have bad days. She will, too. There will still be nightmares, still be pain. And they'll never be the same as they were.
Instead, they'll be something new. Something that's suffered, but come out on the other side. And they'll be stronger for it. She knows they will.
They love each other. And their love is strong enough to weather any storm, to survive any fire. It's gotten them this far in the new world, and it will continue to sustain them. That's all that matters.
They love each other.
She closes her eyes, tightens her arms around him.
"I'm so glad you came home to me," she whispers.
"Always," he answers gently.
She hears the kids running around inside through the open window. Daryl shouts after them, something she can't make out, but Rick laughs. The sun shines on her skin. She hears the sound of the town thriving and bustling around them. The sound of her home. Their home.
And she smiles.
***
A/N: This is the first time I've ever written smut, so I hope it turned out okay and wasn't too clunky.
Alas, my dears, this is the last real chapter of this story. I have a short epilogue planned, but other than that, this is where I will leave this version of Rick and Michonne - at the start of a new beginning, finally on the same page and together with their family like they're always meant to be.
ALSO - the absolutely lovely @mdgart has agreed to create some of her wonderful art in honor of this chapter! It’ll most likely be posted somewhere on tumblr - I’ll be sure to reblog it here - but also keep your eyes open and on our twitters (mine is @hawthornegrimes and hers is @ms_doomandgloom) for that some time in the near future. I'm so excited for you all to see her beautiful work!
Thanks for reading! I hope this chapter was worth the wait. (Props to anyone who can come up with the other fictional couple I referenced in this chapter.)
xoxo,
rebekah
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