1 - Stay With Me

A weight lifted from his shoulders the second he heard her whistle. She was back. She was safe. She was alive.

He immediately stood from his crouched position, where he had been listening to Hershel's sermon on effectively nurturing plants. Things break, but they can still grow is what he'd said, just before Rick's attention was snatched away.

Rick turned for his son, his adolescent face relaying that he heard the sound too, and was just as excited as his father that their friend had made it back home. "Let's go," he directed Carl towards the front of the prison yard, where they would open the gates for her.

It took a concerted effort every time, but they were able to release the doors, allowing Michonne to gallantly ride through on horseback. She looked happy to return to what was now her home. And generally speaking, she was. She had been gone for a month, and the time away had taken its toll on both her body and her spirit. She needed to see her boys again. Her unspoken wish was granted as she hopped off her horse to find their smiling faces running towards her.

"Glad to see you," was Rick's greeting to her. He never really knew what to say when she returned from these trips, so he tended to keep it simple and honest. He was glad to see her.

"Glad to see you too," she answered, making sure to look him in the eye. It sounded flirtatious, but she meant it genuinely. She turned for the younger Grimes, who had taken to her horse, and grabbed the stash of comic books she collected for him out on the road. "Somebody hit the jackpot," she grinned, handing over his gift.

"No way!" Carl's baby blue eyes scanned the books as a smile took over his face. "Awesome! Thank you."

"I get to read 'em when you're done," she winked, amused by his excitement. She grabbed the other souvenir she'd found for his father, and handed it over. "And I found this," she told him, presenting him with an electric razor. She watched him accept with confusion and then a smile. "Your face is losing the war," she offered jokingly.

He nodded at her antics, but he was more concerned with how much time they would have together. It was never much. "You gonna stay a little while?" He wasn't going to beg her, but he hoped his eyes relayed the fact that he really wanted her to.

"Just a little while," she quietly promised.

The two of them stood side by side as Daryl and his mini entourage came rolling down the driveway. He couldn't help but smirk at the two of them, standing there all awkward and clueless, but more than anything, he was happy to see Michonne in one piece.

"Didn't find him," she revealed in reference to her search for the bane of their existence, The Governor. "Thinking of looking over near Macon." She could see that Rick was obviously dismayed by this news, but Daryl didn't seem so gung-ho about it either. "It's worth a shot," she added defensively.

"Seventy miles of walkers. You might run into a few unneighborly types," Daryl prophesized. "Is it?"

Isn't it, she thought. She had made it her mission to find this man, so it had to be. But she didn't want to end up in an argument about this within her first five minutes back at home, so she conceded.

Daryl went on to explain that he was headed on a supply run, offering Rick a spot if he wanted to take it. But Michonne knew he wouldn't, because he never went more than a couple of miles outside of the prison anymore. That was her job now.

"I'll go," she volunteered before things could get too uncomfortable.

Carl had been listening to the entire conversation as he walked Michonne's horse up to its stable, and he was none too pleased with their decision. "You just got here!" he contested.

She turned to him with a reassuring smile, but made sure to catch Rick's eye, too. "And I'll be back."

It was close to midnight when Michonne found herself trudging across the empty prison yard, headed for the guard tower. It was noisy out there, due to the walker buildup, but she found it oddly peaceful. Maybe because it was nice to hear something other than her own thoughts.

"Hey, gorgeous."

She smiled at the sound of Rick's voice, pulling her from her random musings, and looked up at him. He stood against the rail of the guard tower, staring down at her with a smile, looking sexy as ever. "You talkin' to yourself?" she smirked.

"I missed you," he returned, ignoring her compliment.

"Not enough to come with me on the run today." She was teasing – she knew why he didn't. But a small part of her hoped he would change his mind if she went. They rarely had a chance to be together away from the prison. Even if it was with six other people.

"You're really gonna try and guilt trip me right now?"

"If it works," she grinned.

"Get up here," he nodded towards their little hideout for the night. "I saved you some dinner."

"Aren't you sweet." She quickly bounded up the steps, where Rick met her at the top with a pleased look on his face. His eyes averted her though, and she knew he was scanning the yard for people. "No one's out there."

He looked back to her, satisfied with her answer, and pulled her in for a kiss. It was soft and seductive, causing her knees to buckle once their tongues touched. Perhaps it had just been way too long, but her body had obviously forgotten what a good kisser Rick was.

"I think you really did miss me," she chuckled as they came up for air.

He gave her another quick kiss on the lips. "I did." He then took her hand into his and led her inside. "Come on."

Inside the tower, where Rick had been waiting for nearly an hour, there were two comforters on the floor, as well as a sleeping bag, then the infamous orange backpack, which was full of supplies like water, crackers, ammo, books. It was an apocalyptic overnight bag, for all intents and purposes. Across the room, at the small desk in the corner, sat a plate with a sandwich on it. Somehow, he always knew when she hadn't eaten. But that was probably because she typically forgot to eat anything other than breakfast, unless he reminded her.

"You're too good to me, Grimes."

"I'm sure you'll make it up to me, Dillard."

That was certainly what she had planned. But in the meantime, she sat down to her sandwich while Rick watched her. It was a BLT, made with lettuce and tomato from his own garden, which made her smile. She did her best to keep her mind off of the cute little pig that had to be slaughtered for the bacon. "You ate?"

He nodded, leaning against the tower door with his arms folded across his chest. "But I saved room for you. Don't worry."

She bit her lip in anticipation. He always said things like that, and she felt the heat rise in her face every single time. "Hershel said you weren't feeling so great, but I guess that's not true..."

"I'm all right."

"You sure?"

He'd just watched a woman kill herself, and it reminded him that for a while, he'd been headed down the same path. He was rattled. But he always felt better when Michonne was around. "I'm sure."

She took a few big bites of her sandwich before responding. "Good."

"How about you?" he asked quietly, almost unsure whether he wanted the answer. "You were on your own for a long time."

"I'm used to it," she shrugged nonchalantly. "In fact, it's a little easier when I know I have a place to come back to."

"Not just wandering aimlessly," he nodded in total understanding. He recalled when she talked of her days before finding Andrea, how she would just roam the woods, killing walkers and trying not to die of starvation. No real reason to live, and plenty of reasons to just give up. "I'm glad to hear it."

"You know I'm doing this for a reason, right? That I'm not just running away?"

"Of course," he offered a slight frown, reassuring her that he got it. He didn't like it, but he got it. "You're doing what you think is right."

"But you don't agree with me," she knew. Rick and Daryl seemed intent on making her feel guilty about this, without really even trying.

"I didn't say that." He moved across the room to close the distance between them, standing behind her as she finished her meal. He let his hands fall to her bare shoulders and began to gently massage away the obvious tension in her body.

Her head fell back, resting against his torso as she let herself melt into his touch. He obviously didn't want to discuss it any further, so she didn't either. "That feels good," she sighed softly as she moved her hair out of his way.

Pleased with her reaction, he continued down her back as he leaned in to kiss her neck. He closed his eyes at the sensation, her smooth chocolate skin tasting just as lovely as he remembered. "I think I missed this the most," he whispered, his southern accent suddenly in overdrive. His fingers slowly slipped down her shirt and inside her bra, playing with her nipples as his lips continued across her collarbone.

Michonne could feel herself getting wet from just the feel of his tongue on her skin. She needed this. She needed him. Badly. She only had to glance up at him for a moment and he knew exactly what she was looking for. The two of them were on the floor, tearing off one another's clothes within seconds.

Both of them on their knees, Rick was bent over her body, licking along her beautifully muscular back as his hands roamed over her breasts and then palmed her backside. He reached around her front to dip his fingers inside her, but paused when he felt the soft curls covering her pussy. "So you want me to shave, but you don't do it yourself?"

She looked back at him, in disbelief that this was what he chose to focus on in this moment. "Really, Rick?"

"I just think it seems like a double standard..."

This was another thing he always seemed to do – making her laugh in their most awkward and intimate moments. She was starting to believe that if she didn't laugh at least once during sex, something was wrong. "Tell you what," she offered breathlessly, turning her body to lie on her back and face him. "When you shave up here, I'll shave down there."

"Fair enough," he couldn't help but grin as he stared at her picture perfect tits. He went on to finger her with one hand, stroking his own dick with the other as he prepared to enter her.

Michonne spread her legs wide, impatiently awaiting the feel of him inside her. It came slowly and teasingly, at first just the tip of his cock, rubbing against her clit. Then he penetrated her hot center for only a moment before pulling out. He had a sly smirk on his face, knowing he was driving her crazy.

"Do it," she growled.

Her wish was his command. He pushed inside without any more hesitation and began to pump steadily, her breathing and moaning to every thrust. Her favorite thing about fucking in the guard tower was that they didn't have to be quiet, and she was sure to prove it.

"Oh god, Rick," she whimpered loudly as her nails dug into his shoulders. His stroke was driving her out of her mind, and she could feel herself on the verge of an absolutely sublime orgasm. This was exactly the welcome home she was looking for.

A few hours later, the two of them were still wrapped up in one another. Michonne was using Rick's back as a pillow with her arm draped across his bare waist. She could feel the sweat underneath her face, being stuck to him for so long, but she didn't care to move. She probably even needed the contact, just to feel normal again. It wasn't until she realized what time it was that she thought of removing herself from their position.

"Hey." She attempted to wake him by lightly slapping his ass. When he stirred, she lifted herself from his body to search for her clothes. "I'm gonna head back."

"Right now?" he frowned. He had also been enjoying their closeness, especially after having gone so long without it.

"It's gonna be morning soon."

"Yeah…" He contorted so that he was on his side now, and grabbed her hand, holding it over his chest. "But what if we just stayed here?"

"Really?" she asked, somewhat surprised. They'd done this many times, and he never asked her to stay. In fact, he was the reason she was so careful in the first place. He was clear that this was for the two of them only.

"I'm not ready for you to leave yet," he confirmed with a small nod. "Stay with me."

She didn't know what this meant, if anything, but she was quite happy to do exactly that. "Okay." With her hand still cradled in his, she cuddled up to his back and wrapped her leg around him, enjoying the warmth of their naked bodies so close together. Nights like this were why all those days alone were okay.

A/N: I got this kernel of an idea over the weekend, and it transformed into a whole story between then and now. So… stay tuned! I probably should've waited to start this during the mid-season break, but I'm way too impatient, and I'll probably have some other ridiculous idea by then, lol. So we're off on another adventure! I hope you enjoy! -Ash