#richonnefics

She tilts her head out of curiosity and focuses on the man who drew her attention.  She searches the people around her, ensuring that no one is watching then draws a deep breath and attempts to delve into his mind to find out who he is.  Her concentration falters as she encounters a wall of forbidding black.  She scoffs and shakes her head, readjusting her focus. Her second attempt is a failure as well and now her heart begins to race.  She swallows deeply as her nerves start to fray.  What the hell?  She has always been able to read people, young, old, male, female so why couldn’t she divulge anything from this guy?  He drew her attention for a reason and now there is some sort of block?  She panics and wonders if her magic is starting to fade.

She quickly turns her attention to the guy seated next to him and offers an audible sigh of relief as he is an open book, full of color and laughter.  For good measure, she delves into the mind of another gentleman at the table and quickly pushes his thoughts away.  He was vividly recalling his passionate night before with a woman he’d met at a bar.  She gives herself a shuddering shake to dispel the images she grasped.  

She starts to relax, realizing that her gift is as prevalent as ever but can’t help the worry that eases in as her eyes travel back to the guy with the nice laugh.  She suddenly remembers her surroundings and tries to return to the scarves she was admiring moments before.  Curiosity gets the best of her so she concentrates on the guy once again.  She lets out a groan of frustration as the forbidding black wall reappears.  This is a first for her and she doesn’t understand what is happening.  Who is he?

She grabs a couple of scarves and asks the vendor, “How much?”  She pulls several bills from her wallet, utters, “Keep the change,” and starts to make her way towards the parking area.  She looks back at the table to see the gentlemen preparing to leave. She is tempted to try one last time but before she can even blink or think, a pair of bright blue eyes lock in on her worried brown ones and the world around her disappears.  The tingling sensation envelopes her body once again and tiny flutters dance in her abdomen.  He smiles and she turns her head, confused by her reaction.  This guy is dangerous.  She increases her pace, seeking out her car as a welcome place of refuge.

She struggles with what to do as part of her wants to return to the square and ask this guy who he is while the other part of her is saying to get as far away as possible.  The latter wins out as she starts her vehicle and steers it toward the shelter of her home.

XXXXXXXXXX

“Rick you coming?”

The voice of his partner draws him back to the task at hand as he returns his attention to their table and his deputy’s hat resting on it.  He places the hat on his head and looks back at the spot the beautiful woman just vacated.  His eyes instinctively search for her but he realizes she is gone and decides to forget about the hairs raising on his arms when his eyes connected with hers.  It was a strange sensation, one he’d never quite experienced before but the feeling was gone and she was gone so he left his thoughts there at the eatery.

He laughs as Shane pats him on the back with a smile and the four of them move off to their squad cars.

Later that night, long after his shift ends, he is in bed tossing and turning and muttering in his sleep as the brown eyed beauty visits him in his dreams.  She is a vision of pure perfection as she appears to float towards him, wearing a sheer flowing gown.  He drops his eyes to her chest expecting to be pleasantly surprised by a pair of ample breasts.  To his disappointment, he can’t make anything out even as his eyes drop lower.  She smiles when he meets her gaze again, almost as if she knows exactly what he is thinking.  Who are you?  Desperation rises in him as he awaits her answer. Instead she approaches him and he has to look up to see her face.  She circles him, her hand stretching forward but there is no connection.  His eyes follow her, afraid to miss a moment.  Tell me please.  She reaches for his face and leans in to kiss him.  His anticipation and desire rush to the forefront and he lifts himself higher in an effort to reach her.  Just when her lips were about to touch his, a blaring beeping noise sounds, pulling him from his slumber.

He slaps a hand onto the dismiss button of the annoying alarm clock and sighs heavily as he looks up to the ceiling, questioning his dreams.  He has to know who this woman is.  He won’t rest until he has some answers.

Meanwhile, the woman in question is tossing and turning in her sleep.  She sits up with a gasp and reaches for her bedside lamp.  The light reveals the calmness and emptiness of her room and a frustrated groan escapes her as she recalls her dream.  Those blue eyes and dark hair reappeared in her subconscious and now she can’t help but worry even more.  She thought she could forget what happened today but that is not the case.  She realizes who she has to talk to and makes plans to leave first thing in the morning.

XXXXXXXXXX

Her grandmother opens the door with a tsk.  “What’s got you so spooked?  Dark circles under your eyes…..not a good look Mimi.”

“Something’s happening,” Michonne relays.  “I just don’t know what.”

“Well come on in and tell Gma all about it,” her grandmother offers.

Once they’re inside and seated, Michonne starts to relay the event from yesterday.  “I was at the market   and I got this funny feeling.”  She realizes she has to downplay it as her grandmother loves to get dramatic. “There was….there was this guy and he looked at me and I got that feeling again so…..”

“Well dang you ever heard of attraction?”

Michonne rolls her eyes then takes a deep breath and rushes out, “I couldn’t read him.”

The eyebrows on her grandmother’s forehead lift with curiosity as she whispers, “What?”

“I said I couldn’t read him. I tried more than once but it was like there was some sort of block or something.”  She looks directly into her grandmother’s eyes.  “I thought I had lost it but I could read the other men he was seated with.  So it’s just…..him.”

Her grandmother nods her head thoughtfully.  “Are you dreaming about him?”

The panic in her granddaughter’s eyes answers that question.

“Does it mean something?” MIchonne asks anxiously.

“Well it could but this has never happened before.”  Gma answers. “Not in my lifetime.”

“What hasn’t?”

“The bonding.  Our history tells of a man and woman connected throughout time, living in different worlds but always connecting.  They somehow find each other and….”

“Let me stop you there. This is not a harlequin romance,” Michonne interrupts.

Her grandmother gives her an exasperated look and says, “Do I look like I’m making this up?”

“No but….it just doesn’t make sense.  I wasn’t able to read him and….”

“Maybe that’s why. He’s your soulmate and you won’t be able to manipulate him like you can others,” Gma relays.

“I don’t manipulate people. I’ve never used my gift to harm anyone,” Michonne states.

“I know but maybe this is the universe telling you this is what you need from the man you’ll fall for.”

Gma watches her granddaughter absorb that information then turn nervous eyes to her.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Beats me,” Gma says as she shrugs her shoulders.  “Was he cute?”

“That has nothing to do with it.”

“I’ll take that as a yes and seeing how spooked you are, I’d wager he’s a fine specimen of a man.” Her grandmother gives her a knowing look.  “Girl, you are in trouble.”

Michonne spends the remainder of the day with her grandmother, perusing through the giant books of lore about her family and others with special gifts.  There was only a small paragraph about bonding and it was exactly what her grandmother had already told her.  It was clear there hadn’t been many occurrences of this so called bonding so Michonne decided she wasn’t going to worry about it.  At least, she was going to try not to.  She knew there was hardly any chance of her seeing this gentleman again and she was obviously overreacting.  Right?

She gives her grandmother a hug and a kiss and promises to visit again soon before she walks to her car and drives away.

The next week passes by in a blur but Michonne continues to dream of the dark haired guy.  The dreams were like watching a new movie each night. It was him.  Always him but the time era was different for each encounter. The one thing she can’t brush off is that each and every time, she saw herself with him.  They were deeply in love and no matter the time or place, it was him and it was her….together.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rick sat at his desk, images of the brown eyed woman bombarding his every waking moment.  He can’t stop thinking about her or dreaming about her.  He has to know who she is and he has to know now.  He realizes his only recourse is to return to the restaurant where he saw her before.  He knows there is a slim chance he will see her again, but he has to try something. Otherwise, he might go crazy.

He was too preoccupied to invite Shane so he ventures to the restaurant alone.  He seats himself at the same table, checks his watch to ensure that he was there at the precise time he saw her before, and settles in to wait patiently.  He looks around and notices the same vendors as before and hopes fervently that she shows up.  Surely there is an explanation as to why she has been appearing in his dreams each and every night since he saw her.  He needs to know what’s going on.

He is startled as a slight wind ruffles his hair and a soft gasp seems to caress his ear.  He looks up and sees the woman from his dreams standing several feet away from him.  She seems to be rooted to the spot she was standing in, staring at him as if she couldn’t believe he was there.

He immediately realizes there was no way he could have heard her gasp from where she was standing but he can’t deny what he heard.  He lifts himself from his chair, carrying his sheriff’s hat in his hand, and starts to walk towards her.

Michonne is telling herself to turn and walk away but finds she can’t.  The man she thought she’d never see again is making his way directly to her and she couldn’t tear her eyes away.  She takes him all in as he runs a hand through his hair before placing the wide brimmed hat on his head.  He stops in front of her and gives her a shy smile.

He searches her soft brown eyes before greeting her quietly, “Hey.”

“Hi.”

His eyes drop to her lips. “Would you like to get a cup of coffee?”

She can’t read him but she knows they almost kiss each and every night in her dreams.  She hones in on her feelings of anticipation and desire, her heart racing like never before.  On impulse, she steps to him and places her lips on his.  

The shock of kissing a stranger or being kissed by one never registers for either of them.  His hands go to her waist and he pulls her closer, deepening their connection.  Suddenly, there is a burst of light behind their eyes and a merging of their deepest desires, their dreams, their wants, their needs.  He opens up to her like a book waiting to be read and she drinks him in all the while pouring out what she knows and feels into him.

All too soon the kiss ends and they stand on the cobbled street, resting their foreheads together. He swallows nervously, trying his best not to be intimidated by everything that just happened.  Her heart is near to bursting, she is so happy to know who he is.  He is definitely her soulmate and Gma was right about the bonding.  She can feel the questions bubbling up inside of him as he is unaware of any family history that involves magic.

She takes his hand in hers and tells him, “I will answer anything you ask but we can’t do it here.” She leads him to her car.  “I can take you to my grandmother.  She’ll know more about this than I can tell you.”

He searches her eyes again. “Tomorrow.  Can we see your grandmother tomorrow?  Right now, I just want to catch up with you.  It’s been centuries.”

Michonne rolls her eyes heavenward and asks, “Do we have to?  I seriously cannot believe I let you guys talk me into paying for this.”

“It’s going to be fun,” Andrea inserts.  “We haven’t taken a trip together in years so don’t try to back out now.”

“But a ski resort on Valentine’s Day weekend?”  Michonne asks.  “I hate to point out the obvious but I’m minus a plus one now so what do I look like going on a romantic ski trip?”

“You’re looking at this all wrong.  There’s plenty for a single woman to do on a ski trip.  It doesn’t have to be about couples only,” Maggie adds.

“Yes, you keep reminding me,” Michonne retorts.

“Besides it wouldn’t be the same without you there,” Andrea includes.

Shane looks to Rick.  “She makes a valid point, man.  I know you want to back out too, but you’ll have fun. You gotta come with us.”

Rick shakes his head. “I don’t know.  I…..”

Michonne interrupts with, “That’s it.  If Rick’s not going, I’m not going.”

“Oh no!”  Maggie whines.  “Look what you’ve done Rick.  Come on don’t back out now.”

They continue to go back and forth before moving on to another topic.  Hours later, the friends are preparing to leave Sasha and Bob’s place. Rick watches Michonne from a short distance.  He has known her for years and considers her a close friend.  They were there for each other when their marriages collapsed and he knows she is someone he can always depend on.  He figures they could probably make this upcoming trip bearable if they decide beforehand to basically spend their time there together. They already know the couples would be doing couple activities so there was no reason for them not to enjoy themselves as well.

He walks toward her.  “Hey.  How about we make this trip worth our while?”

“Oh no.  They’ve convinced you, haven’t they?”

“Well we’ve already paid for it so let’s just go.  You wanna be my Valentine for the weekend?  Nothing heavy.  Just two friends enjoying the slopes and the attractions.  We might as well make the best of it right?”

Michonne considers his words, thinking that she’d enjoy the trip more with someone by her side. Maggie, Sasha, and Andrea would be there, but she knows majority of their time would be spent with their significant others as it should be.  She is sure Rick is feeling the same about his friends.  She gives him a quick once over and offers her hand.

Rick grasps her hand gently, giving it a light shake.  “So, we have a deal?”

“We have a deal.”

“Great.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ski trip was off to a great start.  They traveled there together and Rick was most attentive.  He and Michonne have always gotten along but she never considered him as anything other than a friend.  She is seeing a side of him she had never noticed before.  She knew he was a good husband to Lori, but she concludes she was too distracted with her own marital issues to notice anything more.

They arrive at the resort and although they are all a bit tired, they have to make it to the slopes for their scheduled guided tour.  They agree to meet back in the lobby in forty-five minutes.

Michonne looks around, admiring the décor and the huge fireplace in the corner of the room.  The champagne chilling in the ice bucket and the roses decorating the table bring a smile to her face.  She believes she will enjoy this trip more than she ever thought she would.

The guided tour was informative and she wasn’t as stiff and out of practice as she thought she would be. Rick flew across the snow like he’d been doing it his entire life.  Of course the guys had to make it into a competition instead of just enjoying the slopes.  The ladies enjoyed their time but ended the outing watching the guys act like they were participating in the Olympics.

That night, Rick and Michonne sat together during dinner and basically formed their own little world. They talked and laughed and occasionally included their friends.  Sasha watches them closely and hides a knowing smile.

They walk from the resort restaurant to a small bar/nightclub where the ladies take to the dance floor and the guys stand by and watch in awe.

The next day, Rick and Michonne are seated in the lobby waiting for the others.  They had planned a shopping excursion in town.  He grabs a brochure and shows her services offered by the in-house spa.

“They’ve got a couples package.  You game?”

“Why not?  We’re here.  We’re enjoying ourselves.  Let’s live it up,” she adds.

He reaches for the resort phone on the table next to them but is interrupted when a young man holding an expensive looking camera approaches them.

“Excuse me.  My name is Roger.  I handle PR for the resort.  I noticed you two out on the slopes yesterday and at the restaurant last night.  You seem to really be enjoying yourselves and I wanted your permission to use photos of you for our new brochure.  I’m willing to show you what I already have.  I showed them to my boss and he thinks you embody what we want couples to experience if they visit here.”  He preps his camera to show them the images.  “So how long have you two been married?  Do you have any kids?”

They look at each other and then back at Roger.  She starts with, “Oh we aren’t…..”

Rick interrupts her and says, “Let’s look at those photos.”

Michonne hides a small smile and swallows a bit nervously as Rick holds the camera and Roger scrolls through the photos.  She will admit they look more than happy in those photos and they look good together.

“So, what do you think? Do you like them?  Can we use them for our brochure?”  Roger asks.

“It’s fine with me as long as it’s fine with you,” Rick tells Michonne.

“The photos are beautiful and I’d be honored to be part of your promotion.”

Roger smiles widely.  “That’s great.  Thank you so much.  We have a form for you to sign and we’ll mail you copies of the finished product.”

Once Roger exits, they share another look, a knowing look and Rick offers his hand to Michonne. She smiles and places her hand in his.

“I think we got more than we bargained for on this trip,” he states.

She smiles.  “Yeah I can agree with that.  But then maybe it’s just this place.  It’s romantic and meant for couples.  Maybe we’re just under its spell.”

“Is that your way of asking me out on a date once we get back home?”

“It might be the only way to dispel the magic of this place.”  She answers.

He smiles.  “Maybe.  But I think we should continue to enjoy the magic while we’re here.”

She nods in agreement, noticing as his eyes drop to her lips.

His heart races as he thinks she’s been right in front of me all long.  

She was sure Rick was leaning in to kiss her but a clap on his back and Shane’s booming voice stifled the moment.

“You guys ready to go?” He asks.

“Sur…..”

“Actually, Rick and I planned a spa day.  We’ll see you guys at dinner,” Michonne says.  She wanted him all to herself for just a while longer.

Sasha, Bob, Maggie, Glenn, Andrea, and Shane look on as their friends walk off hand in hand smiling and talking like they are the only two people in the world.

“What just happened?” Bob asks.  “Rick and Michonne?”