A/N: So, I was feeling a little better, and bored, so I decided to write yesterday. Accept this long-ish one shot as a token of my appreciation to this wonderful fandom. Iâm a bit out of rhythm with my writing(Thatâs code for please be gentle with meâŚlol).
As always, thanks for reading. I really love all of you guys. This is the best fandom that Iâve ever been apart of. You all are some of the most supportive people Iâve ever met and I wholeheartedly appreciate you.
âLook at this spread. You werenât lying when you said you were going all out,â Michonne commented as she walked in the backyard. A large, white tent sat up in the middle of the huge yard where many guests started to gather. Lanterns strung around the perimeter of the yard gave it a party feel, and a large sparkling pool, with a Jacuzzi off to the side seemed inviting. Â
âNow that youâve been over for the first time, you get to experience our larger than life cookouts. The bigger the better. Shane damn near invited everyone on his Facebook friends list,â Sasha commented as she brought out some meats to her husband.
Shane stood by the grill talking to some man, with greying, short hair. Very short. He wore a plain white tee and blue jeans with running shoes. She could only see the back of him and quickly realized that he had a nice body. Firm back muscles and strong arms. A nice ass, as well, if she was being honest. Michonne shook her premature lustful thoughts away as the man started to walk off the deck, and she lost him to the crowd.
âHey baby. Got the hamburgers seasoned and brought you some more hot dogs. Imma get more steaks seasoned soon,â Sasha said as she handed him the platter of uncooked meats. Shane gave her a big kiss on the lips, then smacked her butt.
âThe seasoning on those hamburgers was good, babe. You did a good job,â Shane commented, making Sasha beam. Â
Sasha took the time to introduce her co-worker to her husband. âShaneâŚthis is Michonne. She just joined the firm not too long ago. Youâre moving back to Atlanta from Florida, right?â Sasha asked and Michonne nodded her head. Sasha continued. âMichonne, this is my husband Shane. He is a detective at the Atlanta Police Department.â Shane nodded in her direction.
âNice meetinâ ya. Iâd shake your hand, but I just touched the hamburger meat.â
âNot a problem. Nice to meet you, too.â Michonne smiled as she looked around. âYou guys are throwing quite the event.â
Shane agreed. âYeah⌠my wife loves to throw big shindigs. Ainât that right, Sash?â
âThatâs right, babe, but you do too.â They kissed each other on the lips, then smiled as they leaned away from one another. âI love your crazy ass.â
âI know,â Shane replied confidently. âLove your sexy ass more.â Sasha kissed him once again, then started another conversation, mostly about the current updates to their backyard, and the law firm Michonne just started at. They all drunk from their beer bottles as the conversation wore on.
Michonne joined in, going into detail about her move. âThe move was grueling, but I made it happen with very littleâŚâ
âMichonne?â She heard someone say from behind her. That voice. She knew it. It was peppered with age and distinction, but she knew it.
She turned around to see the man from earlier with the greying hair and firm muscles. But she knew this man. âRick?â she said in surprise. âWow!â Complete shock covered her face. Michonne hadnât seen him in years. It had beenâŚ
âYou two know each other?â Sasha chimed in, interrupting her thoughts.
Shane turned and faced Rick. âYeah partner, yâall know each other?â
âYeah,â he said without looking at Shane. âJesus, wowâŚitâs been whatâŚ19 years?â Rick seemed to be in shock tooâŚlike heâd seen a ghost from his past. In a way, you could say he did.
Michonne awkwardly smiled. On the outside she tried to remain calm. On the inside, she turned into a puddle. âYeahâŚitâs been about that long. How have you been?â she asked in the best, upbeat voice that she could.
âIâve been good. Iâve been good. Damn, Michonne.â Rick just stood there taking her in. She had on this pink, long sundress with thin straps. The long dress hid her beautiful, satin legs that he remembered distinctly. He could tell Michonne still worked out. The dress hugged every curve of her hips and assâŚher breasts. The exposed skin of her shoulders and chest captured the rays of sun, soaking them in and highlighting each delicate, supple area of her body. He may have started drooling if he didnât catch himself.
Michonne stopped caring years ago about Rick, but last she heard he had married. Had a kid named Carl, who should be around sixteen or seventeen. But she stopped caring about Rick so long ago. Moved on with he own life and had her own family. Andre, her sonâŚand his father, Mike, who she just separated from months ago. Andre stayed in Florida with his father for the summer, and Michonne tried to get out to enjoy the long summer nights as often as her work scheduled allowed. She hadnât had so much time to herself in 9 years since the birth of her son.
But Rick looked good standing there with tanned skin. A completely grey beard covered his cheeks. He used to have these long, luxuriously unkempt curly that she oddly found herself missing, but the short hair worked for him. His lipsâŚlord the memories she had of them. The way those pink lips ran over her body and caressed every spot. She shook her head, so the thoughts escaped her.
âGood to hear things have been going good for you.â Thankfully, Michonneâs phone started to ring and she excused herself to answer it. Rick just stared at her as she walked away.
âHi, mommy,â the angelic voice on the other end stated. A big smile crossed Michonneâs face.
âHey, Andre. Mommyâs big man. What are you doing?â
âOh, me and dad are about to go fishing. Iâve been having so much fun, mommy. We went surfingâŚand on jet skisâŚâ
âJet skis?â The mother in Michonne started to get worried. She just knew he could get hurt.
âYes, mommy. It was so fun. Dad said, âhold on tightâ, so I held on real tight and didnât let goâŚeven with the big waves.â
Michonneâs skin started to flush hot. She worried about the things the two would do over the summer. If she had her son, they would be going on nature trails, museums, and to theatre shows. She used to be adventurous, but the thirty nine in her became soft. Just last week, Andre said he saw a real live alligator on a swamp adventure. She nearly fainted on the phone. Her and Mike had got into it over his safety, but Mike insisted that Andre needed to do boy things that kept his mind engaged.
I promise he wonât get hurt. Heâs with the greatest man in the world. Thatâs what Mike told her, so thatâs what she had to believe.
âThat soundsâŚfun,â she concluded.
âIt sure isâŚdid you want to speak to dad?â The bright youth asked her. Michonne told him no. She wouldnât fuss. She had no energy to fuss with Mike right now.
âOkay mommy, Iâll talk to you later. I love you to the moon and back.â
Michonne gushed. She just loved her little boy. âTo the moon and back,â she replied. It was their sweet little thing they said to one another before he left her for school, or went to bedâŚand now over the phone, as he was hundreds of miles away.
âDo you have some time to talk?â That familiar voice asked just as Michonne got off the phone. It almost seemed as if Rick waited patiently for her to get off of it before he came over.
Nervously, Michonne smiled. If she said ânoâ, it would seem like she held onto the past that separated them years ago. Reluctant to give off that impression, Michonne nodded her head. âUmâŚsure.â
Rick couldnât believe how beautiful Michonne had gotten over time. Her locs had grown even longer and took on a slight blonde hue. She said she lived in Florida, so the beach must have been a favorite pastime of hers. The years had aged her well. They werenât so kind to him, he felt.
He wanted to touch her handâŚto hold it, but that thought was just thatâŚa thought. He had no right to lay one finger on her soft skin. Not after all of these years.
âWhat have you been up to? How long have you been back in Atlanta?â He shot questions at her quickly. Michonne answered them just as fast.
âNot much. WorkingâŚbeing a mom. I moved back about 6 months ago.â
âWowâŚI had no clue.â
âYeahâŚâ Michonne started to feel less uneasy being around him, but not by much. âYouâve been in Atlanta this whole time? You still on the force?â
âYeah. Moved back when I was thirty. Iâm forty-two now. Shane and I are partners. He invited me to this thing yesterday, and I had other plans, but Iâm glad I cancelled them.â The tiniest of smiles crossed those pouty, pink lips she recalled running all over her bodyâŚbetween her legs. Jesus.
He wouldnât stop staring at her. And the uncomfortable feeling came back from his stare. From those blue eyes of his. God, she used to get lost in them. Just so lost, and they were making her feel lost again.
Michonne looked away from his intense gaze and searched past his shoulder for Sasha. She didnât see her over by the grill where her husband still stood barbecuing. âI heard you got married to someone named Lori not too long after we broke up.â Michonne looked down at his wedding finger and noticed a faint line there.
âDivorcedâŚgoing on 5 years now.â After he said that, his face had an odd mixture of relief and sadness.
âOh, Iâm sorry to hear that.â Michonne knew all too well what that felt like. Putting so much energy into a relationship to have it blow up in your face. She noticed Rick look at her finger.
âIâm still married. Things have been rough, but they are getting better by the day.â She liedâŚkind of. She remained married still, but every time Mike and Michonne spoke, there was nothing but drama and heartache. Michonne felt nothing but resentment towards him.
And although she separated from Mike a while ago, she couldnât bring herself to take her wedding ring off. Maybe because the move wasnât final for her. Maybe because in the back of her mind her law firm in Florida still wanted her back, and maybe one day her and Mike could reconcile things. Maybe she gave up temporarily, but by keeping that ring on her finger, things could go back to the way they were before he cheated on her.
But was that what she really wanted?
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