#truereadersonly

Tara Thornton hadn't planned to end up in Shreveport under a fake name, working at a high-end strip club called Moonlight Lounge, but life had a way of flipping her the bird and handing her a pole.

She was damn good at it, too. Three weeks in, and she already had a fanbase—sugar daddies, bachelorettes, even a few moody vampires who liked her sass. But she wasn't doing it for attention. She liked the control. The spotlight. The way she could disappear into a persona with nothing but stilettos and glitter. Tara Thornton was dead. Now she was "Stormy," and Stormy didn't take shit from anyone.

That is, until he walked in.

Alcide Herveaux. Broad shoulders, five o'clock shadow, a smirk that could melt panties—and a walk that screamed alpha werewolf and full-time heartbreaker.

Tara had seen some wild things since becoming undead-adjacent, but nothing could've prepared her for this.

Because Alcide wasn't just there to watch.

He was on the damn flyer.

"FULL MOON FANTASY NIGHT — SHIFTERS STRIP TOO!"

"What the hell," Tara muttered into her vodka soda, nearly choking when she saw him take the stage in nothing but a flannel shirt and construction boots. The crowd roared.

She gawked.

He didn't recognize her—yet. But she sure as hell recognized him. Her ex-running buddy, brooding werewolf, backwoods Adonis. And now? Apparently the headliner in a Magic Mike knockoff show called "Lycans Unleashed."

By the time his hips started rolling to Ginuwine's "Pony", Tara was questioning everything—her fake name, her no-touch rule, and her ability to stay out of trouble.

After the show, they ran into each other backstage. Literally. She turned a corner and face-planted into a wall of bare, sweaty abs.

"Tara?" Alcide blinked, towel slung over his shoulder, still glistening.

"Don't you 'Tara?' me, Channing Tatum!" she snapped, eyes darting to the green sequin thong peeking out of his duffle. "I leave Bon Temps to find peace and a pole, and you're out here grinding like a damn were-stripper?"

He laughed. "I could say the same about you, Stormy."

Her jaw dropped. "You knew?!"

"Smelled you the second I walked in. You think perfume covers wolf blood, girl?"

Tara narrowed her eyes. "You still talk like a backwoods fortune cookie."

They bickered. They flirted. There was tequila. One too many games of truth or dare in the empty VIP room. And when she dared him to prove he still had "alpha stamina," he didn't back down.

Let's just say the champagne room saw some serious action that night.

The moon was full, the music was loud, and Tara remembered what it felt like to lose control—not in a bad way, but in that hair-pulling, toe-curling, "oh, so this is what I've been missing" kind of way.

By morning, they were tangled in silk sheets, clothes scattered like glitter, and Tara's no-touch policy was in shambles.

Alcide grinned at her, all smug and shirtless. "So... you think we should co-headline next week?"

She threw a pillow at him.

"Only if I get top billing."

Tara never expected to find Alcide reading a damn book backstage in the greenroom of a strip club, shirtless and wearing leather pants. But there he was, sprawled across a velvet couch like a centerfold for Brooding & Brawny Monthly, eyes narrowed on a tattered paperback.

"What the hell are you readin'?" she asked, towel draped around her neck, glitter still clinging to her thighs.

He held up the cover. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Tara blinked. "You're kidding. That's your pre-show ritual? Reading about string-bean Ichabod and ghost horses?"

Alcide gave a shrug, the movement making his abs do something distracting. "It's classic. And Ichabod gets a bad rap."

"Oh, does he?" she said, crossing her arms. "The same fool who ran off screaming into the woods over a pumpkin?"

Alcide grinned, slow and dangerous. "He might've been scared of ghosts, but he had guts when it came to women."

Tara raised an eyebrow. "Guts? The man was shaken every time a girl looked at him sideways."

He flipped a page, voice dropping into a soft imitation: "I profess not to know how women's hearts are wooed and won. To me, they have always been matters of riddle and admiration."

There was a pause.

Then Tara snorted. "Wow. So you're Ichabod now?"

"I'm just sayin'," Alcide said, standing up—all six feet and too many inches of him—"maybe he was awkward. But he had a soft heart. Foolish, maybe. But honest."

She rolled her eyes, but something about the way he looked at her—like she was that tempting morsel the book mentioned—made her forget what comeback she had loaded.

"Ichabod bent, but never broke," he added with a playful edge. "Kinda like me."

"Oh lord." She backed up, bumping into the dressing table. "You quoting 19th-century lit at me to get laid?"

"Is it working?" he asked.

She tried not to grin. "You smell like baby oil and sawdust."

"You still smell like vanilla and trouble."

Tara hated how her pulse kicked up when he closed the space between them, how she had to tilt her chin to look him in the eye. "You know I can kick your ass, right?"

He smiled, slow and wolfish. "You can try."

Their mouths collided in a kiss that started sweet and teasing, but quickly lost its manners. Tara grabbed the waistband of his ridiculous stripper pants. He lifted her onto the counter without breaking contact.

She pulled back, breathless. "Alcide. Seriously. If anyone walks in, we're gonna end up on a banned list."

He smirked. "Then let's give 'em a story."

His lips found her neck. Her fingers tangled in his hair.

And Ichabod Crane was very far from her mind.

Tara lay tangled in silky sheets, limbs pleasantly sore, with Alcide flat on his back beside her like a centerfold for Feral Gentlemen Quarterly. The air still smelled like sex and sandalwood.

She was staring at the ceiling fan, one leg hooked over his. "You quote one more line of dusty-ass Ichabod Crane and I swear to God I'll smother you with this pillow."

Alcide chuckled, voice thick with sleep and satisfaction. "You didn't mind it when I said that line about tempting morsels."

"That's because you said it while you were between my thighs, Romeo."

He gave her that lopsided grin that made her stomach do flips. "I like this side of you."

She looked at him sidelong. "Which side is that?"

"The one that isn't throwing bottles or threatening to stab somebody."

Tara raised a brow. "Give it time, wolfboy. You've seen what happens when I'm around Sookie."

He laughed. "Oh, I've seen. Hell, Sookie can't even go grocery shopping without getting half the town possessed or catching feelings for some moody immortal."

"Oh, don't get me started on her vampire throuple era," Tara muttered, sitting up and grabbing a grape from the minibar fruit tray. "Like girl, pick a bloodsucker and commit."

Alcide leaned on one elbow, watching her with open amusement. "And don't forget Sam. Remember when he shifted into a dog just to watch her sleep?"

Tara gagged. "Creepy-ass Scooby Doo stalker vibes. And I was the one everyone thought needed therapy."

Alcide reached over and stole a grape from her hand. "You're not wrong. Honestly, out of everyone we knew, you and I might be the sanest. Which is a low bar, considering Lafayette used to talk to ghosts and make gumbo at the same time."

"He was fabulous, though," Tara said fondly. "Rest his sparkly soul."

A comfortable silence settled between them for a beat.

Alcide trailed a finger down her thigh. "You ever think we just missed our moment?"

She looked at him, serious now. "Maybe. Or maybe this is our moment."

He nodded, his smile softened. "I'm good with that."

She lay back down, resting her head on his chest. "So... what now? We become the supernatural version of Channing and Amber Heard from Magic Mike XXL?"

"I don't think she was in—"

"Don't correct me on Magic Mike trivia when we literally just had sex in a dressing room called 'The Fang Bang Boudoir.'"

He shut up.

After a minute, she sighed. "Maybe I'll stay awhile. Make some cash. Watch you awkwardly hump the air to Usher songs."

"I don't hump," Alcide muttered. "I gyrate. Like a professional."

She smirked. "You hump. Majestically. Like a werewolf doing community service at a bachelorette party."

He groaned and rolled on top of her, nuzzling her neck. "You keep talking like that and I'm gonna hump you into next Tuesday."

"Promises, promises."

The siren wailed once.

Then silence.

Then the gates opened—and there they were.

Rick and Michonne, walking side by side through the dust and smoke, clothes torn, skin smeared in blood that wasn't theirs. Rick's curls were soaked, hanging in dark spirals over his brow. Michonne had a fresh scrape on her cheek and a wild, satisfied smile. Her katana hung low at her hip. Rick's hand rested on his holster.

They looked like vengeance.

They looked like victory.

They looked like they were about to fuck.

Rosita, leaning against the wall with a half-eaten protein bar, arched a brow. "Well. That's happening."

Aaron passed by, sighing. "Guess I'll go reinforce the floorboards. Again."

Eugene didn't look up from his clipboard. "I predict seismic activity in the east wing by 2100 hours."

Carl made a gagging sound from where he and some other teens were roasting marshmallows by the communal firepit. "Gross."

Inside their house, the door had barely closed before Rick had Michonne pinned against it.

"You gonna keep smilin' at me like that?" he asked, voice rough, hands already skating under her torn shirt. "Like you knew I was watchin' you slice that walker in half just to make me lose my damn mind?"

"I did know," she whispered, nipping his bottom lip. "And I did it anyway."

Rick groaned, pulling her harder against him.

"I swear to God," he growled, lifting her effortlessly, "if you keep fightin' like that—killing for me like that—I'm gonna wear you like a badge."

Michonne wrapped her legs around his waist. "Then earn it, Sheriff."

He carried her straight to the bedroom, kicking the door open, boots still on. They landed hard on the mattress, Rick's mouth already at her neck, kissing, biting, hands everywhere at once. Her shirt was gone in seconds. His holster fell with a thud.

She rolled him over, straddling him like she'd claimed him in battle.

Rick looked up at her—hair wild, eyes glowing, chest rising and falling with need.

"You celebratin', Queen?" he rasped.

She leaned down, kissed him slow, deep.

"No, baby," she whispered, dragging her nails down his stomach. "I'm feasting."

Ten minutes later…

The walls shook.

Literally.

Outside, Tara took a bite of her sandwich, unfazed.

"Well, there it is."

A distant thud. A high, breathy scream. Another thud.

Eugene ticked a box on his clipboard. "Estimated time of escalation: 8.2 minutes."

"Is that a new record?"

"No. Second place."

"Which was first?"

"The pantry. Last week."

They both flinched as another bang echoed through the night.

From his porch, Father Gabriel took a very long sip of wine.

"Bless them," he muttered. "And also… please, God, strengthen their drywall."

Back inside, Rick was flat on his back, drenched in sweat, his curls damp and matted, fingers tangled in Michonne's hair as she moved like smoke and fire above him.

He groaned, half-laughing. "You tryin' to kill me?"

Michonne leaned down, lips brushing his ear.

"Not kill," she whispered. "Just… tame."

Rick bucked up hard. "I ain't tame, woman."

She grinned. "You're mine. That's better."

Another roll of her hips. Rick saw stars.

And outside?

Alexandria cheered.

Literally.

A slow clap started near the community fire. Someone whistled. Someone (probably Jerry) shouted, "GET IT, QUEEN!"

Rick groaned into Michonne's shoulder.

"Oh God."

Michonne bit his neck.

"Louder, baby."

Rick walked into the town meeting with his curls still damp and a very slight but undeniable limp.

He adjusted his belt like it was his dignity, nodded at a few council members, and pretended the previous night hadn't been an R-rated symphony of headboard percussion and gruff declarations of love loud enough to set off the solar motion lights.

Michonne followed, radiant and unbothered. Her dreads tied up in a loose scarf, her skin glowing like she'd moisturized with victory. She sat down beside Rick, calm as you please, like she hadn't broken multiple sound barriers with her celebration moans.

Aaron cleared his throat. Loudly.

Rick didn't look up from the clipboard. "We're reviewing gate patrol protocols and the status of the east barricade."

Tara raised her hand without shame. "Sorry. Quick question first."

Rick sighed. Deeply. "No, Tara."

"Oh come on," she grinned. "You shook the damn water tower."

Eugene stood up. "Indeed. I measured a 1.3 magnitude structural tremor in the southeast quadrant, primarily due to what I believe was an enthusiastic rhythmic thrust pattern—"

"Eugene." Rick barked.

Michonne just smirked and folded her arms, waiting.

Eugene cleared his throat and produced a laminated placard. "To avoid future false alarms and widespread awkwardness, I hereby present the Alexandria Intimate Encounter Flag Protocol."

He flipped it.

On one side: A bold red flag labeled 🧨DO NOT APPROACH. CELEBRATION IN PROGRESS. 🔥 On the other: A calm green with ✅SAFE TO ENTER. CEASED FOR NOW🏁.

Carl—sitting in the back, arms crossed, and legs kicked out—let out the most aggressive teenage sigh in recorded history.

"God, can we not?" he muttered. "We get it. They're married. They're gross. The walls have ears. I live in those walls."

Tara cackled.

Michonne turned to Rick with a serene expression. "Well, I for one think it's thoughtful. We wouldn't want to traumatize the children."

Rick side-eyed Carl, who just groaned and pulled his hat lower over his face.

"I'm seventeen," Carl muttered. "I've survived Alpha. I don't need a goddamn 'parental advisory' flag outside my house."

Michonne, not remotely sorry, took the laminated flag from Eugene and gave it an approving look. "Nice work, Eugene. Good font."

Rosita passed Carl a protein bar and clapped him on the back. "Hang in there, kid."

Carl muttered, "I hate everyone."

That night, the red flag fluttered proudly outside Rick and Michonne's porch.

Carl, passing by on patrol, didn't even look.

He just muttered, "They better reinforce the damn floors this time."

Meanwhile, inside, Michonne pressed Rick back against the wall, her fingers in his curls, her voice velvet smooth.

"You hear that?" she whispered, hips rolling against his. "Even Carl knows we got it like that."

Rick groaned. "You tryna make him move out?"

Michonne smirked. "I'm tryna make you stay in."

A prank. A grudge. A very unfortunate town-wide broadcast.

Carl had had it.

It was one thing to pretend he didn't hear the moaning. It was another to ignore the occasional banging from the floor vent. But last night?

There were timestamps.

10:42 p.m. – Laughter. Moaning. Headboard starts creaking. 11:07 p.m. – Someone yells "Keep begging!" 11:09 p.m. – Headboard breaks. 11:11 p.m. – "OH MY GOD." (Unclear if this was Rick or Michonne.) 11:12 p.m. – RJ laughs. Judith claps.

Carl hadn't slept. Not even a little.

And today, as Rick and Michonne strolled around Alexandria like two smug cats who'd eaten the town's supply of cream, Carl decided: They were going to pay.

He waited until nightfall. Rick and Michonne were home. The red flag was already flapping outside.

Carl, hoodie up, silent as a walker, snuck over to Eugene's broadcast station. With a few quick adjustments (thanks to Eugene's detailed and very unguarded schematics), Carl activated the town's emergency PA system. And then, with the press of a single dusty button, he unleashed his wrath:

"Code Red. Code Red. 🧨House of Grimes is under siege. Reports of rhythmic structural impact. Please send backup. Possibly a priest. Or a mop."🧨🏁

Silence. ☠️

Then—

"🧨Rick Grimes has gone feral. I repeat: Rick Grimes is feral. Michonne is not accepting hostages. This is not a drill. 🧨"

Carl ended transmission and booked it back to his room before the scream-laughs started.

Across town, Rick leapt out of bed, tangled in the sheets, half-hard, hair wild, "The hell?!"

Michonne didn't move. Didn't blink. Didn't even stop stretching.

Rick scrambled for his pants. "You heard that?! That was our house! Someone said I was feral—!"

Michonne rolled over, chin in her palm. "You are feral. That's not new."

"But it's a code red! A whole-ass townwide broadcast! What if someone's out there?! What if they saw—"

Michonne stood, slow and smooth, wrapping herself in a sheet like a queen preparing for war.

"Baby," she said, leaning in. "There's no emergency."

Rick blinked. "How do you know?"

She smirked. "Because Carl's been humming "Careless Whisper" under his breath all day and wearing that smug little face."

Rick paused.

"...We got played."

🎵☀️🌻☕

The next morning, Tara was still wheezing from laughter. Rosita and Spencer had already made shirts that said, "FERAL GRIMES ENERGY." Eugene installed a lock on the broadcast booth.

And Carl?

Carl walked through town with a protein bar and zero remorse.

Rick passed him on the way to the armory, jaw tight. "You think that was funny?"

Carl didn't even look up. "No. I think it was necessary."

Michonne walked behind them, sipping coffee.

In honor of The Breakfast Club movie (1985)

"You wanna walk with me to class?" Andy asked, nudging him again.

Brian nodded. "Yeah. Just… maybe don't tell your dad you got detention for saving a nerd. I feel like that wouldn't go over well."

Andy rolled his eyes. "Nah. I'll just tell him I got it for decking a guy who deserved it."

"He'll probably throw you a party," Brian said.

"Right? He might even let me keep my stereo this time."

They turned the corner together, voices fading into laughter as they disappeared down the hall.

And for once, Brian didn't feel like a fish out of water.

He felt like he belonged.

Brian headed down the hallway, dragging his feet toward the football field, lost in thought. Russ Bainbridge from the physics club and Wyatt Donnelly from math caught up with him, practically bouncing with curiosity.

"Hey, Brian!" Wyatt called.

Brian offered a half-hearted smile. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

Russ jumped in first, "So, I got a new telescope from my dad yesterday. You wanna come over and—uh—check it out?"

It was a transparent cover. Everyone in the clubs had seen it—Claire Standish, laughing next to Brian Johnson at lunch.

Wyatt couldn't hold back. "Dude, you were sitting with Claire Standish. At lunch. What the hell?"

Brian shrugged, already tuning them out as they neared the field.

"You know what? Maybe later..." he mumbled, motioning toward the bleachers.

Russ grabbed his arm. "Brian, what are you doing? Physics is that way. That's... wasteoid city."

"I know," Brian replied simply. He shrugged off the concern and kept walking.

John Bender spotted him first. He stood up from the bleachers, squinting in disbelief. "Brian? What are you doing here?"

"What, I can't have a joint now?" Brian asked, feigning nonchalance.

Jim Baker, the towering smoker next to John, stomped out his cigarette and stalked forward. "What's this dweeb doing here?"

John threw out a casual hand, signaling Jimbo to back off. "I'll handle it."

Brian sighed, stepping closer. "What happened? Since lunch, I mean. Everyone scattered. Like none of it mattered."

John guided him toward the edge of the bleachers, a little away from the others. "What're you talking about?"

Brian narrowed his eyes. "Don't play dumb, John. I thought... I thought what we had—' The Breakfast Club'—meant something."

John's jaw tensed. "Look, lunch was fun, alright? And we're friends. But this?" He gestured around him. "This is the real world. Don't get soft."

"You say that like you don't believe it meant anything."

John hesitated. Then, softer, "I didn't say that."

There was a long pause. John fished out a joint and lit it, then handed it over.

"Here. Now beat it."

Brian took it, lips twitching into a smile despite himself. "Yeah... sure. No one needs to know."

John nodded and turned back toward his friends, but not before throwing one last glance over his shoulder.

Brian ducked behind the dumpster, trying to light the joint. The wind kept snuffing out the match. The cool March air had turned sharp and gray. He was just about to give up when he heard a voice behind him.

"Brian?"

He turned. Claire was walking toward him, Angela beside her, both wrapped in their coats, faces glowing in the fading light.

"Claire? What're you doing here?" he asked, caught between surprise and awe.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said, her eyes twinkling. "I saw you with Bender's crowd. That was… pretty bold."

Brian chuckled nervously. "I had a thing. You know. A... joint thing."

Angela grinned. "Classic Brian."

Before he could reply, Andy and Allison appeared from behind a parked car, their cheeks pink, Andy suspiciously glossy-lipped.

"Seriously?" Brian muttered, deadpan. "What does a guy have to do to get some peace?"

John reappeared like smoke on the wind, sauntering over with a smirk. "You're all way too easy to find."

Angela's eyes met his, and the storm brewing in him calmed instantly. "Hi, John," she said softly.

He blinked, caught off guard. "Hi."

His voice lacked its usual bite.

"So, Sport-o," Bender asked Andy, "heard you got detention."

"Already? News travels fast," Andy muttered.

Bender grinned. "Heard you broke Gus Polinski's nose. Guy cried all the way to the nurse's office."

Brian winced. "You say that like it's a good thing."

John shrugged. "And who says it's not?"

Andy chuckled, trying not to. "I told Vernon Gus was using slurs and threatened someone. Only got two Saturdays."

Brian still looked guilty.

"Don't sweat it," Allison chimed in. "I've got Saturday too."

Andy raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

She looked away, dramatic. "My plot to assassinate the teachers was foiled."

They stared.

"She defaced a hallway mural," Bender translated, deadpan.

"Of course she did." Andy sighed. "You're a bad influence on everyone, Bender."

"Next stop: Vegas," Andy added, "where we blow our money on booze and strippers."

Brian choked.

"To be fair," Bender laughed, "she was already painting when I found her."

"And you stayed?"

"Nah, Carl caught us. Said he'd let it go if we helped clean. But she insisted on confessing."

Andy turned to Allison. "Why?"

She looked at him, quiet and sure. "I knew you and John would be there."

Andy's ears turned pink. He looked at the sky. "You're ridiculous," he mumbled.

"Aww, look—he blushes," Bender teased.

Allison took Andy's hand, and he didn't pull away.

John passed the joint down the line. "Help yourselves."

Brian grinned, exhaling smoke. "Bender's a terrible influence."

Andy just laughed. "That he is."

John looked around the circle of mismatched souls, the last remnants of a Saturday they once shared.

"So, we're really doing this?" he asked. "The Breakfast Club. Throwing the rulebook out the window?"

Angela raised her hand. "Done with the snobs. I pledge allegiance to the misfits."

Andy smirked. "Told off the wrestlers. No going back now."

"I-I guess?" Brian stammered. "I mean, I want to. But if you guys—"

"Shut up, Brian," Andy and John said in unison.

Andy raised a fist. "To The Breakfast Club."

The others joined in, one by one, voices soft but steady. "To The Breakfast Club."

John lifted his fist last, eyes scanning their faces. And for a moment, beneath the gray clouds, it felt like something more than rebellion. It felt like home.

As the final bell echoed faintly in the distance, none of them moved. The wind tugged at their coats, and the school behind them loomed like a closing chapter.

But out here—beside the dumpster, sharing stories and smoke and stolen moments—they weren't athletes or brains or princesses or criminals. And for the first time, maybe ever, they weren't afraid to burn a little brighter together.

Before he was the White Wolf, Geralt of Rivia crossed paths with a woman no bard ever dared to name - the first goddess, life‑bearer, and the planet's oldest force. One night with her shatters everything he believes about magic, destiny, and himself. When she vanishes through a portal and visions of their unborn child haunt him at dawn, Geralt sets out to uncover the truth… and learns that some fates begin long before a Witcher ever draws his first blade.

🪄🔮

A/N: A Christmas present for the grown and gifted. A/U Richonne — All lemons, no chaser. King County’s Halloween-loving queen Michonne is tasked with hosting the county’s first haunted Christmas bash. Sheriff Rick Grimes? He’s the naughty Santa with a costume kink and a thing for Mrs. Claus. This is explicit, consensual, and unapologetically Richonne. If you thought it was Shane or Negan—bless your heart.

🎃Happy Halloween, and Merry XXX-Mas 🎄

A late-night silence, thick with the scent of cinnamon and dust, settled around Michonne. The glow from her ten-foot black Christmas tree—adorned with skulls and deep crimson candles—cast long, dancing shadows across the room. She was the queen of Halloween-meets-Christmas, and tonight, she was finalizing the county’s annual party, a spooky-elegant masterpiece.

She dipped a finger into the steaming, frothy “Ghoul Nog,” the concoction's subtle spice hitting her tongue as she adjusted a life-sized "GingerDead" house that leered from the entryway, its black icing piping unnerving and perfect. The air was a heavy mix of mulled cider, black hot chocolate, and the faint, sweet perfume of red velvet. An eerie, flickering orange glow from the string lights played across her face as she smoothed the collar of a skeletal elf in a Santa hat. Every sense was alive with the macabre holiday spirit, a world away from the Sheriff's office where Rick still hadn't called.

She brushed a hand against a vintage stocking, filled with ghostly surprises, her worry a growing chill that no amount of roasted chestnuts could warm. It wasn't like him, especially on Christmas Eve, to miss their final planning. As the unsettling quiet stretched toward midnight, the thought of his absent presence became a heavier weight than the wide black belt of the risqué Mrs. Claus dress he’d bought her. The party was perfect, an unforgettable scene of dark elegance—all it lacked was its Sheriff.

It was late, and Michonne had waited for Rick as long as she could. Christmas Eve had turned quiet; her haunted holiday party plans half-assembled and her mood flickering like the eerie orange lights she'd strung across the mantle. She finally gave up and went to bed, too sleepy to keep holding out.

Rick had promised to help finalize the details of her first Halloween-themed Christmas party—a concept he'd suggested with a wink and a wicked grin. He'd even gifted her a Mrs. Claus dress so scandalous it could've been banned in three counties.

She'd tried it on for him earlier that week. Within minutes, they were tangled on the couch, heat rising, until Carol knocked with the borrowed punch bowl and Rick had fled like a man escaping temptation. Michonne had laughed then. But now, with no call and no sign of him, she was just…irked.

She had just started to nod off when the mattress dipped.

The scent hit her first—cedar, bourbon, and something distinctly Rick. Her body hummed in recognition.

"Mmm… you're finally here," she murmured sleepily.

"Shh," came the low, unmistakable voice of Rick Grimes—King County's naughtiest Santa.

She pouted. "But I want to hold you."

Instead of a response, her nightie was pulled up around her waist, and her panties edged down her legs. His tongue began licking the seam where her ass met her thighs, and she wriggled approvingly.

"Mmm, Rick, that feels good," she hummed.

The oral attention froze momentarily, then redoubled—frantic licks, teasing nips, and a growl that vibrated against her skin.

Michonne gasped, now wide awake and quivering. She tried to roll over, but a firm hand pressed her lower back, keeping her grounded. Then the pressure lifted, and a familiar silk scarf was wrapped gently around her eyes.

She smirked. "So that's the game tonight?"

"Mmm hmm," Rick murmured, voice velvet and heat.

"Okay, Santa. I've been a naughty girl this year… maybe you need to punish me a little."

The responding growl was pure Rick—possessive, reverent, and hungry.

A large hand gave her bare ass a light spank.

"Oooh, Santa," she moaned.

A Richonne x Ichabbie Crossover 🕯️👻

The estate was older than memory—its walls steeped in secrets, its chandeliers trembling with stories no one dared retell. Michonne stood in the grand parlor, adjusting the skeletal elf perched atop the black Christmas tree. Crimson candles flickered in wrought-iron sconces, casting shadows that danced like spirits.

Abbie Mills entered from the hallway, arms full of vintage stockings and a box of antique ornaments shaped like skulls and broken hearts.

“You sure this place isn’t actually haunted?” she asked, setting the box down with a thud.

Michonne didn’t look up. “Haunted is the point. We’re reclaiming the aesthetic. Besides, if it is haunted, it’ll have to get in line behind my trauma.”

Abbie smirked. “Fair.”

They worked in silence for a moment—two women bound by grief, grit, and the kind of emotional intelligence that made ghosts nervous.

Michonne broke the quiet. “You ever throw a party to forget something, only to remember everything?”

Abbie paused, fingers brushing a cracked ornament. “Only every Founders Day.”

The front door creaked open.

Rick stepped in first—jeans, boots, flannel, and a punch bowl that looked suspiciously like the one from Michonne’s Thanksgiving. His eyes scanned the room, landing on her with a softness that made the candles flicker.

Behind him, Ichabod Crane entered like a man walking into a battlefield—cravat immaculate, coat dusted with snow, eyes sharp and searching. He paused at the threshold, gaze sweeping the room like he was reading a map of emotional fault lines.

Rick nodded at Ichabod. “You the historian?”

Ichabod tilted his head. “You the sheriff?”

“Used to be,” Rick said, setting the punch bowl down. “Now I just show up where Michonne tells me.”

Ichabod’s gaze flicked to Abbie, who was watching him with a mix of fondness and suspicion. “And you, Lieutenant Mills?”

Abbie crossed her arms. “Still the lieutenant. Still the one keeping you from getting possessed.”

Michonne raised an eyebrow. “You two good?”

Abbie shrugged. “We’re fine. Just… ghosts.”

Rick looked at Michonne. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Just… ghosts.”

Ichabod stepped closer to the tree, eyes narrowing at the ornaments. “This estate was built on a burial ground. The architecture is colonial, but the energy is older. Something here remembers.”

Rick frowned. “You saying this place is haunted?”

Ichabod’s voice was quiet. “I’m saying grief leaves footprints. And some houses never stop echoing.”

The lights flickered.

Michonne and Abbie exchanged a look.

The punch bowl bubbled.

And somewhere upstairs, a mirror cracked.

The mirror in the upstairs hallway had been covered with a velvet cloth since the estate changed hands. No one knew why. No one asked. But tonight, the cloth had slipped—just slightly—revealing a sliver of glass that shimmered like water disturbed by memory.

Michonne stood at the base of the stairs, staring up at it. Something in her chest tightened.

Abbie joined her, holding a tray of ghost-shaped cookies. “You feel that?”

Michonne nodded. “Like something’s watching.”

Rick and Ichabod were in the parlor, sipping cider and debating the architectural integrity of the estate. Rick leaned against the fireplace, eyes on Michonne. Ichabod stood stiffly, hands clasped behind his back, gaze flicking between the tree and the shadows.

“Ichabod,” Rick said, voice low. “You said this place remembers. What does that mean?”

Ichabod turned slowly. “It means the veil is thin. And tonight, with the solstice and the emotional weight in this room… it may show us what we’ve forgotten. Or what we’ve refused to see.”

Rick’s jaw clenched. “I’ve seen enough ghosts.”

Ichabod’s eyes softened. “Not all ghosts wear chains. Some wear choices.”

Upstairs, Michonne reached for the velvet cloth. Abbie touched her wrist.

“You sure?”

Michonne’s voice was steady. “I need to know what it wants.”

She pulled the cloth away.

The mirror shimmered—and then fractured.

Not with cracks, but with visions.

Michonne🪞

She sees herself in the kitchen, years ago, laughing with her husband. The light is warm. The air smells like cinnamon. Then the scene shifts—Rick at prom, watching her from across the room, his eyes full of something he never said. She sees herself walking away. She sees the moment she could’ve stayed.

Rick🪞

He sees Lori. The fights. The silence. The way he buried his feelings for Michonne under duty and guilt. He sees prom night—her eyes, her touch, the way she looked at him like he was more than the golden boy. He sees himself choosing silence. He sees himself now, choosing her.

Abbie 🪞

She sees her mother’s warnings. Her own fear of vulnerability. She sees Ichabod bleeding in battle, calling her name. She sees herself walking away from him, again and again, afraid of what it means to stay.

Ichabod 🪞

He sees Grace Dixon. He sees Abbie in every century, every echo. He sees himself writing letters he never sent. He sees her smile, her strength, her refusal to be anyone’s tether. And he sees the moment he knew he loved her—when she didn’t need him, but chose him anyway.

The mirror pulses once, then goes still.

Downstairs, the punch bowl bubbles violently. The candles flicker. The skeletal elf falls from the tree.

Rick rushes to Michonne. “You okay?”

She nods, eyes wet but clear. “I saw it. I saw what I buried.”

Abbie turns to Ichabod. “This place isn’t haunted. We are.”

Ichabod steps closer. “Then let us be the ones to break the curse.”

🪞For those who want the ghosts to kiss, cause haunted girls deserve soft endings too. Click here to read what happened... 😏🎃

Tara Thornton’s Season 3 arc gets a fierce, fandom-defiant rewrite (back in 2011) in this sultry supernatural remix. When a tall, curly-haired British vampire with a taste for chaos crosses paths with Bon Temps’ baddest bartender, sparks fly, blood simmers, and boundaries blur. Franklin Mott may be unstable, but he’s also intoxicating—and in this version, he stalks Tara, not kidnaps her. No chains, no assault—just obsession, tension, and a whole lot of mind games.

This is the story where Tara doesn’t just survive—she seduces, slaps, and outsmarts. Glamour-proof and grief-hardened, she’s a formidable flower blooming in the middle of vampire madness. And Franklin? He’s about to learn that fixation cuts both ways.

Franklin didn't knock. He flew.🥀

One moment he was on the porch. The next, he was hovering above the roof, peering into windows like a ghost with a crush. Three windows over, he found her.

Tara.

The curtains were thin. The window cracked open. She was undressing.

He watched, shameless and transfixed.

She peeled off her halter top, jeans, and hot-pink lace panties with the kind of grace that made him forget centuries of restraint. Her body was poetry. Her silence, a dare.

She stepped into the shower, steam rising like a veil. Franklin didn't blink. He didn't breathe. He just watched.

Inside, Tara let the water wash away the day—the bar, the vampire, the ache. But not the thoughts. Not Franklin. He lingered in her mind like a bruise she couldn't stop pressing.

She dried off, slipped into a silk robe, and grabbed a bottle of lotion. At the window, she closed her eyes and let the breeze kiss her skin. Goosebumps bloomed. Franklin nearly groaned.

She sat by the window, legs crossed, robe parted just enough to tease. As she rubbed lotion into her arms, Franklin stepped into view like he was browsing produce at the grocery store.

"Taarraaaa," he crooned.

Tara screamed, dropped the lotion, and lunged for her phone. "That's it! I'm calling the damn police!"

She hated cops. One had killed Eggs. But Franklin didn't know that. He just watched her fake a call while the movie theater listings played in the background.

He smirked. Then pulled her panties from his pocket and waved them like a trophy.

"You left these."

Tara's cheeks flamed. "That's just wrong."

"I'll stay out here all night unless you invite me in."

She eyed him. He was crazy enough to do it. And she wasn't about to scrape grilled vampire off Sookie's roof.

"Just say what you came to say and get off the damn roof."

"May I come in and rub that lotion on you?"

"Asshole," she hissed.

Franklin sighed. Time for honesty.

"I need to know where Sookie is. I can't tell you why."

Tara's heart sank. Of course it was about Sookie. Again.

"What the hell do you want with her? Did Bill send you? Is this what vampires do—rotate fang-bangers like shifts?"

Franklin bristled. "I don't want Sookie. I want you. But my employer needs to find her. And no, it's not Bill Compton."

"Who's your employer?"

"If I told you, we'd both be in danger."

"Then why should I help you?"

"Because you care about Sookie. And because you trust me. A little."

Tara hesitated. If Sookie was in danger, she had to know. Even if it meant letting this vampire into her room.

"Fine. You can come in. Don't make me regret it."

Franklin climbed through the window, smug and silent. He picked up the lotion, eyes trailing her robe like it was a map.

"Why are you so guarded?" he asked. "Is it me, or are you like this with everyone?"

Tara crossed her arms. "I learned early not to expect much. People disappoint."

Her voice cracked. Franklin stepped closer, pulled her into a gentle embrace, and kissed her forehead.

"You deserve happiness," he whispered. "And I'll do whatever I can to make sure you feel it."

She leaned into him, surprised by the safety in his arms.

"I never thought I'd trust a vampire," she murmured. "But here we are."

She traced invisible shapes on his chest, then looked up. "Tell me what your employer wants with Sookie."

"I don't know. Maybe it's about Bill. Maybe it's politics. I don't care. It's just a job."

"So your boss is political?"

Franklin nodded. "You could say that."

"What do you do for him?"

"I'm a private investigator. I find truth. Been doing it for over a century."

He blurred across the room and dimmed the lights. Only the lamp glowed now.

"So… are you going to tell me where she is?"

"I don't know," Tara said. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you without knowing your boss's intentions."

Franklin respected that. Loyalty was rare.

He sat beside her on the bed, lotion in hand. She motioned for him to begin. He squeezed the bottle and rubbed the lavender into her feet, slow and firm. Her muscles melted.

They talked.

Franklin told her about his human life—his wife, his sons, the smallpox. About being turned against his will. Tortured. Rescued by Russell. About his vampire bride, a former slave who looked like Tara and loved adventure.

Tara listened. Then shared her own story. Her mother. The Maenad. Eggs. The funeral. The pain.

Franklin saw it then. The anger was armor. The sass, survival.

She was formidable. And he was falling.

Franklin watched her sleep, her breath slow, her brow finally smooth. She looked peaceful. Rare. He found a blanket draped over the chair and laid it gently across her body.

No kiss. Just a whisper.

"Goodnight, wildflower."

He slipped out of the room and padded downstairs, eyes scanning the Stackhouse living room like a detective in a crime scene. Newspaper clippings. Old photos. Nothing useful. Just small-town clutter and sentimental ghosts.

Sookie wasn't here. But someone else was.

Franklin smiled to himself, already plotting his next move.

If Tara was the storm, maybe her cousin held the lightning.

The trio pulled up to Fangtasia a little after 10:30 PM.

The line outside was long but moved quickly. At the door, Willa Burrell stood looking sleek in a micro-short lace black dress and lace-up high heels, her stance both inviting and authoritative.

"Hi, Lafayette!" she beamed the moment she saw him.

"Hi there—" Lafayette started, but before he could finish, Sookie all but shoved past him.

"Hi, Willow! I'm Sookie, remember me?" she asked, her voice dripping with expectation.

She didn't even notice she'd said the wrong name. But one thing Sookie was sure of—Eric must have mentioned her to his new progeny.

Willa didn't correct her. Instead, she simply smiled, nodding in recognition. "Welcome. Tell Ginger you have VIP service." She handed Lafayette a sleek black card with 'VIP' embossed in bold red.

Lafayette grinned, feeling somewhat reassured. "Thank you, honey." He winked at the brunette before asking, "Tara in there?"

A flicker of something passed over Willa's face before she answered. "She's here… go on in."

That was all Lafayette needed. He sashayed inside, James and Sookie close behind.

The newly renovated Fangtasia was stunning. A sprawling dance floor, golden cages with writhing dancers, a bar gleaming with brass and mirrored glass. Even the floors sparkled with embedded gold flecks.

But Lafayette's sharp eyes went straight to the stage—where Pam sat like a damn queen.

Draped in a crimson off-shoulder ruched blouse, skin-tight black leggings, and knee-high red boots, the blonde exuded power.

Lafayette let out a low whistle. "Lawd, the Ice Queen still serving looks."Pam was literally dressed to kill.

And yet… There was still no sign of Tara.

"That looks like the VIP area," James said loudly over the pulsing bassline of the club's music. He gestured toward a sleek door on the right side of the dance floor.

Sookie barely heard him. The moment she stepped inside the newly renovated nightclub, her breath hitched. Towering, sultry images of Tara, Willa, Eric, and Pam adorned the walls, their gazes smoldering even in still form. But it was Tara's picture that made Sookie's stomach twist.

Tara, her childhood best friend, had always been rough around the edges—jeans, sneakers, and a permanent scowl at the ready. The Tara in these pictures, though? A full-blown femme fatale. Dark, piercing eyes, glossy lips, and a body wrapped in midnight leather like she owned the world. Sookie swallowed hard, a heat creeping up her neck.

It wasn't jealousy, of course. No, of course not. She was just... surprised. That was all. Tara had never cared about this kind of thing before. Why the hell did she look like she belonged on the cover of a vampire fashion magazine now?

Before she could process it, her gaze snapped upward. A big, red neon sign glowed over a guarded door.

Sookie clenched her jaw. Tara had a whole damn club named after her...?

A hulking man in a black tracksuit loomed in front of the entrance, arms crossed like he was daring someone to start trouble.

"I think we supposed to give this to you, big bear," Lafayette cooed, batting his lashes at the bouncer. If he was intimidated, he sure as hell didn't show it.

The man didn't speak—just took the cards and stepped aside, letting them through.

The VIP lounge was dimly lit and luxurious, with swanky tables and plush chairs arranged for optimal indulgence. A massive one-way mirror stretched across the room, giving them a full view of the club without being seen. The music from outside trickled in softly, just enough to feel like a heartbeat.

Not a moment later, Ginger teetered in to take their drink orders.

"Damn, this ditzy bitch still here lettin' random vampires chew on her narrow ass," Lafayette mused the second she left, shaking his head. "You see all them bite marks on her?"

James chuckled, leaning back with ease. "It's a lifestyle for some humans."

"Mm-hmm. I just hope her dumb ass gets our orders right. That hussy dumber than a box of hair."

James laughed, shooting his lover an affectionate glance. "Right on, lover. A positive is the only type for me."

Lafayette smirked, pleased, and the two shared a look that needed no words.

Meanwhile, Sookie sat stiffly, barely hearing them.

"You awfully quiet, sweetheart. What's on yo' mind?" Lafayette asked, eyes sharp despite his easy demeanor.

Sookie startled. "Oh, nothin'. Just takin' it all in," she lied smoothly, forcing a smile.

The truth was, she felt like an outsider in a place that used to feel familiar. She had pictured Eric lounging on his throne, watching her with that unreadable expression, ready to summon her over so she could finally tell him—and Tara—about her new life.

Instead, Pam sat there, cool and detached, as if Sookie's presence barely registered.

And Tara?

Nowhere to be seen.

Sookie's fingers curled into her lap. She wasn't jealous. Nope. Not one bit.

She just really, really needed a drink.

"Geez," she sighed, plastering on another smile. "I could really use a drink right now."

Not a second later, Ginger strolled back in with a tray full of cocktails. "Pam said the first round is on her," the platinum blonde chirped gleefully, her red lips stretched into a wide grin.

Sookie and Lafayette were momentarily shocked into silence.

"Please tell Pam we appreciate her generous hospitality," James said smoothly, handing Ginger a twenty-dollar tip.

"Well, this is new," Lafayette drawled, tilting his head. "Vampire Barbie is playin' nice for a change. I ain't even mad—what she want, though?" He took a slow sip of his drink, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Thirty-five minutes and two strawberry daiquiris later, Sookie had grown restless. By the third apple martini, Lafayette's dirty jokes had everyone in the VIP room cackling. With each drink, he became more animated, much to James' delight. At one point, he got up and did a dramatic reenactment of Ginger's famous scream, complete with flailing arms and a slow-motion collapse onto James' lap.

"Baby, I swear to God, she gotta be part banshee," Lafayette declared, sipping dramatically from his martini.

"Or part Chihuahua," James mused, biting back laughter.

"You mean full-blooded Chihuahua," Lafayette corrected. "High-strung, shaky, and will hump any leg in sight."

The room erupted in laughter, except for Sookie, who had checked out of the conversation entirely. She drummed her fingers against her thigh before standing abruptly.

"I'm gonna excuse myself to the ladies' room," she announced, but no one was paying attention. James and Lafayette had already launched into a full-blown debate about whether vampires could get seasonal depression.

Sookie pushed her way through the crowd and made it to the restroom, where she handled her business, washed her hands, and reapplied her rouge lip color. She gave herself a once-over in the mirror and nodded approvingly.

Still got it.

But instead of heading back to the VIP room, she took a right—toward Eric's office.

A tiny voice in her head told her this was a bad idea. A much louder voice told the tiny voice to shut the hell up.

Without knocking, she twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.

And instantly regretted every decision she had made in life.

Her breath hitched, her doe eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in horror.

There, in all their undead glory, were Tara and Eric.

Tara—completely naked—was straddled over Eric's equally nude, muscular form, moving in a way that left no room for interpretation. Her toned back glistened under the soft glow of the office light, and her long curls bounced with every roll of her hips.

Meanwhile, Eric—her Eric—had his head tilted back, eyes squeezed shut, his hands gripping Tara's waist like she was the last meal on Earth.

Sookie made a strangled noise. Something between a gasp and a hiccup.

"Eric! Tara! Oh My—Tara!" she croaked, barely recognizing her own voice. She wasn't even sure she had spoken aloud until—

"WHAT?" Tara snapped, not even bothering to pause her movements. Then, as if registering the voice, she turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of the blonde gaping at them from the doorway.

"Oh. Hey, Sook." Her tone was so casual, that she might as well have been answering a FaceTime call. "What are you doin' here?"

Sookie blinked. Once. Twice.

Then bolted.

She shoved past a group of vampires near the dance floor, nearly sent a waitress flying, and burst through the doors of Fangtasia like she was fleeing a burning building. The cool night air hit her face, but it wasn't enough to wash away the image seared into her brain.

Tara? And Eric?

What the hell were they thinking?

Scratch that—were they even thinking?

Inside the office, Tara huffed and gave a halfhearted attempt at looking guilty. It lasted all of three seconds before she shrugged and resumed exactly what she was doing.

Because, honestly? She wasn't sorry at all.

"Is you gonna tell me why you sittin' here lookin' like you just seen a ghost?"

Lafayette huffed, rushing toward Sookie. He had seen her storm out of Fangtasia like a bat out of hell and figured she'd either drunk too much or had one of her patented dramatic meltdowns.

She didn't respond. In fact, she was just sitting there, arms crossed, lips pursed, staring straight ahead like someone had told her they were out of sweet tea at Merlotte's.

Lafayette's eyes narrowed.

"Sook, you plan on parkin'-lot-pimpin' all night, or you got a damn point?"

Sookie shuddered, her entire body twitching with disgust. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't unsee it—Tara and Eric, all entangled like some supernatural porno. Her face twisted like she'd just smelled a dead possum.

"I'm ready to go home."

She clipped, shaking her head. She still refused to make eye contact, probably because she knew if she did, she'd pop a blood vessel from sheer irritation.

Lafayette cocked his head. "What you mean, you ready to go home? We just got here. Besides, Tara wanna see you."

Sookie's eye twitched.

"Tara...! Tara...!" she practically growled through clenched teeth.

Lafayette instinctively took a step back. Homegirl was lookin' straight-up cray-cray.

"Yes, Tara. You know, the reason we came here in the first place?" He gave her a once-over, watching her face go beet red. "Damn, Sookie, you look like you one deep breath away from throwin' yourself onto the hood of James's car and faintin' like a plantation wife."