Michonne

"So we're gonna do it at my house?"

I looked over at Rick as he stroked his chin, in thought.

"Is my yard bigger or is yours bigger?"

I sighed. "I don't know. Yours maybe?"

He nodded. "That's what I was thinking," he started. He looked over at my face, and I could tell he saw the bleakness plastered on it. He grabbed my hand.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," I pushed one of locks behind my ear, "Let's just plan this party," I feigned a smile, just to pacify him.

"I know we've only known each other for maybe a little under three months, but I wasn't born yesterday. And I care. Tell me what's on your mind."

I could feel his icy blue eyes pierce through my soul. I sighed.

"I just.. I don't know. I think I really like you, and I would really like stuff to go well with us. I know we aren't official or anything but I just don't want us to end up in a situation like Mike and I -"

He cut me off. "I don't even want you thinking like that, let alone talking like that. I don't know if we're moving things too fast or not, but I don't care. What I do care about is you. So don't worry about losing me or anything crazy like that, Chonne. It won't happen."

I nodded. "Thank you, Rick." I fixed my face -- and my attention -- back on planning the party.

"You think Carl is gonna wanna have a joint party with Dre? You know, since their ages are so different?" I looked at Rick and he chuckled.

"Trust me, Carl won't have a problem with it. He loves Andre like he's a little brother. He'll appreciate it."

I nodded. "Okay. Good. Speaking of those two, what time is it? I don't wanna be too late picking them up from school."

He looked at his watch. "2:43. Guess we'd better get going."

I nodded and grabbed my keys. "We can just take my car. I'm sure its big enough for the four of us."

"Sounds like a plan," he said before making his way out of the door.

I followed closely behind him, closing and locking the door behind us. I unlocked the car and we both got in. When I started it, my radio instantly began playing.

All you have to do is stay,
a minute.
Just take your time.
The clock is ticking, so stay.

I sang along with Alessia Cara while riding in the direction of Carl's school. I could see Rick smirking at me through my peripheral and it made me smile. When the song went off, I turned the radio down some and spoke.

"Would you like an encore?" I glanced over at him and chuckled.

"Well, to be honest with you, that wasn't too bad. I wouldn't mind you singing for me more often." 

I just smiled to myself and continued the route to Carl's school. We were picking him up first since it was closer. By the time we got there, it was already 3 o'clock. All of the students came pouring out of the doors, including Noah, Carl and Sophia.

"Check that out," I tapped Rick and pointed at Carl and Sophia, who were hand in hand.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I always knew they would end up together. They've been best friends since the third grade. It was something bound to happen."

I looked on as they let each other's hand go and gave each other a short peck on the lips, and Sophia made her what to what I assumed was her mother's car. Carl pulled his cell phone out and dialed a number, and almost immediately after, Rick's phone began ringing.

"Hello?" Rick put the phone on speaker.

I watched Carl's mouth move almost exactly in sync with his words.

"Hey, dad. Where are you?" He looked around.

"I'm in Michonne's car. You see it?"

We watched him look around for a minute until he sighed.

"No, I don't."

Rick and I giggled to ourselves. "Okay, look around now. I've got my hand out of the window. I'm waving it around."

He stuck his hand out of the window and waved it around like he said he would.

"Okay, I see you." Carl started toward the car, after telling Noah he'd see him tomorrow. He hung up the phone and approached the car quicker than I thought he would. I unlocked the door and let him in.

"Took you long enough," Rick joked.

"Aw, it wasn't that long." Carl chuckled and buckled his seatbelt.

"How was school?" Rick looked at him through the side-view mirror.

He shrugged. "Just school," he started as I pulled out of the parking lot, "Nothing special."

Rick nodded and grinned to himself a little. "You and Sophia?"

I looked into the rear-view mirror to see Carl's eyes widen slightly. "You two saw that?" He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, but don't worry. Now we're even," I joked, causing both of them to laugh.

"I guess, if you wanna call it that," Carl said through laughs.

We pulled up to Andre's school and I turned the car off.

"I'll be right back, guys." I took my seatbelt off in preparation to go get Andre from out of his school before Rick stopped me.

"I could go get him for you," he said.

I pondered on his offer for a few seconds, before shaking my head.

"They won't let you because your name isn't on his 'parent/guardian' form."

He nodded, understanding what I said, but before I could leave he spoke again. "I could be added. You know, just in case one day you need me to come and get him."

I absentmindedly nodded my head, slightly taken aback by his suggestion.

He looked back at Carl. "You staying here?"

Carl nodded. "I'm old enough right?" He laughed a little bit as Rick and I got out of the car. I locked the door behind us and we made our way to the building. When we got in, Andre was the first kid we saw.

He ran up to me, with his arms extended and a huge smile on his face. "Mommy, mommy!"

I smiled back and caught him in my arms. I hoisted him up on my hip and kissed his cheek. "Look who I brought with me, Dre."

"Hi, Mr. Grimes!" His smiled widened.

Rick smiled back at him and rose his hand for a high five. "Hey, big guy! How was school today?"

"Fun! We learned about numbers and I can count to 30 now!"

Rick acted excited for Andre. "When we get to the car, I wanna hear all of it, okay?"

Andre nodded.

We went to the office and I set Andre down, grabbing his hand instead. "Hi, Principal McKinley. I need to add someone to the parent/guardian form for Andre."

He nodded at me. "Let me get his file out for ya," he began flipping through files and finally pulled one out. "Here you are," he gave me a pen, that I handed over to Rick.

He filled out the form and smiled. "Alrighty. You two are all set. Have a good one!"

"You, too, Principal McKinley," I smiled as we all walked out of his office.

"Mommy, if Mr. Grimes is here, then doesn't that mean Carl is too?" Andre looked up at me with his big, light brown eyes.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," I winked at him as we left the building. When we got to the car, Andre almost broke the handle trying to get in.

"Carl, Carl!"

I unlocked the door so he could get in. He jumped on Carl and hugged him tighter than I expected him to. Rick and I got in the car and I smiled to myself.

"I missed you, little man!" Carl helped him get buckled into his booster seat.

"I missed you, too! I can't wait until we get home so we can play! Oh, guess what? I can count to 30 now! Mr. Grimes said I can show you all in the car," he stopped for a minute before starting to count, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5," he counted to fifteen like a pro.

"..16.. 17, 18, 19, 20.." he continued all the way up to 30.

"27, um.. 28! And then 28, 29, and 30!"

When he finally finished, the car erupted into applause. "Yeah, Dre! Good job, man!" I reached behind me to get a high five.

"Wow, Andre," Rick started, "I think you count better than I do." He turned to look back at Andre who had a huge smile plastered across his face.

"Yay! Carl, can you count to 30?"

Carl chuckled and gave Dre a shocked face, placing his hand on his chest. "Not as good as that. That was the best counting I've ever heard!"

Andre just smiled at him. Rick leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Let me treat you and the kids to something. Your choice."

I glanced over at him for a second and then turned back to the road. "Or we could go half and half on it."

He shook his head. "Or, or. You could let me treat you and the kids to something. Anything."

I nodded. "Let's take them to Dave and Buster's."

And with that, we started our journey.

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okay dont kill me. this chapter is a filler , and i know it isn't the best quality. but i will be writing a continuing chapter to this one for chapter twelve, and hopefully the wait isn't as long as it was for this one. nonetheless, i hope you all enjoy this. & let me just give an impromptu shoutout.

twdfanfictionist literally writes the best Richonne fanfiction i've ever read. good Richonne fanfics are really, really hard to come across here. so hurry & check the Richonne fanfics out, only if you enjoy good ones.

anyways its good to be back.💋

-lolfanfiics
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