Parallel Hearts (Chapter 21)

A/N: I honestly don't know how to thank you all for continuing to support this story. I know I've said more than once that this was supposed to be a one shot and here we are on chapter 21. Just amazing. Richonne is the best and so are Richonners!

Previously: Michonne and Herschel escape Woodbury with the help of Tyreese and Zoe. They meet Rick, Glenn, T-Dog, and Daryl on their way to rescue them and encounter the Governor and his people on the road back to the prison.

Rick tilts his head to one side. "Well I think that's where you're going to have a problem. She gets to choose who and what she wants and I honestly don't think she'd choose you." He frowns. "Your first mistake was taking her against her will, putting your hands on her. I'm almost sure that's not the way to win a woman over especially not that woman." He is barely able to restrain his anger at the thought of this asshole putting his hands on Michonne in any way.

The Governor's slight smugness dissipates as he tries to rein in his emotions. "Oh she'll come around especially after I kill you and tear out what you put in her belly."

Rick falters for a second at the mention of their child. "What the fuck did you just say?"

"You heard me. I get rid of you. I get rid of the baby. What will she have left? Nothing so she'll be more than open for someone and something new. I'll get her pregnant again and….."

Rick throws a hard right straight into the Governor's mouth. "Don't threaten my family. I'll kill you before I let anythang happen to them."

The Woodbury group raises their guns so the prison group does the same only Zoe lifts her hand and cautions her people to wait. She looks directly at T-Dog, hoping she can communicate to him that she doesn't want any gunfire between the two groups.

The Governor covers his mouth, hiding a smile as he knows he hit the mark he aimed for. He wanted Rick Grimes pissed off so he would make a mistake, a mistake that would lead to his death. "That's it Rick. Let all that frustration and aggression out. I know how it must feel knowing you're fighting a losing battle. I'm going to win because I always win."

Rick goes to hit him again but the Governor blocks his blow and counters with one of his own directly into Rick's stomach.

Michonne takes a step forward, everything in her wanting to race to Rick's side and end the Governor once and for all but she can feel Herschel tugging on her shirt from behind. She lets out a long, shaky breath and looks to T-Dog at her side. The latter gives her a reassuring nod. She knows Rick can do this on his own but she also knows they are better together…..in everything.

She focuses on the two men again, thinking that Rick would need a moment to recover but her boyfriend counters with a booted foot to the Governor's knee all while slightly doubled over holding his stomach.

The Governor lets out a yelp as he goes down on the knee Rick targeted. He makes a grab for his adversary but gets a hard elbow to the nose, the sound of bone cracking ringing in his ears and the flow of blood dribbling down into his slightly open mouth. "You son of a bi….."

WHAM! Rick punches him again, this time aiming for an eye. He goes to deliver another blow but the Governor grabs a hand gun from his holster and tries to point it but Rick grabs his wrist and knees him in the chest causing the Governor to relinquish his hold on the weapon.

Rick kicks the gun away and wraps his forearm around the Governor's neck, applying as much pressure as possible. He swings him around to face his people, ignoring the choking noises and the clawing fingers digging into his arm.

"I'm….gonna….ki…." The Governor attempts to speak, spewing blood in the process but Rick pulls upward, cutting off his air. The latter grabs Michonne's katana from the former's shoulder and tosses it to the ground.

"That doesn't belong to you." He gives his attention to the Woodbury group but doesn't loosen his hold. "I don't know what kind of place you're running or what you were hoping to accomplish at the prison but we will fight back. Your man here kidnapped people, threatened to kill others….we've got enough shit to deal with just surviving." He strains to keep his hold on the Governor, knowing he can't afford to let go. "This ends here and now."

The Governor panics as he can feel himself getting dizzy and growing weaker. He scrambles for the knife at his back, ignoring the instinct to pull the arm away from his neck. The surprise is evident on his face when he is suddenly released. He plants his hands against the asphalt and coughs while attempting to suck in some air.

The click of a hammer being pulled back on a gun has him tensing to a freeze. He looks around wildly as he remains on his hands and knees, wondering what his next move should be.

"Put your hands up. Put 'em up now," Rick utters harshly. He looks off to the tree line of the forest and notices several walkers slowly making their way towards the road. "The prison is off limits to you and Woodbury is off limits to me. That's it. That's the deal. Take it and you live."

Michonne closes her eyes briefly as she shakes her head, knowing that they'd never be able to trust this man to keep his word. Babe you have to know that.

The Governor sputters. "You….you think you can set terms for me? I'm the leader. I tell you what to do."

Rick takes one step closer and puts the barrel of his gun to the back of the Governor's head. "No more talking. This is done."

Zoe knows if Rick pulls that trigger it will only send the rest of them into a gun fight. She's not risking any more innocent lives so she does what she's been waiting to do ever since they brought her brother's body back to Woodbury. She breaks from her group, ignoring them as they call her name, and steps to stand at the Governor's side as he kneels.

Her eyes connect with his and she watches his lips as he tells her, "Do it." She nods and fires one shot straight to the Governor's temple, killing him instantly.

A chorus of gasps, expletives, and hisses sound from each group as they witness the Governor fall to the ground, unmoving.

Rick steps back as Zoe turns to face her people, placing herself in front of him. He watches as she lifts her hands, continuing to hold her gun.

The shock soon wears off and her people start launching questions at her….."Zoe what the hell are you doing?" "You just shot the Governor. Do you realize what you've done?" "Are you out of your mind?"

She takes a deep breath. "Say what you want but all of you know he was wrong. If he wasn't getting our people killed then he had us taking out other groups. Innocent people who didn't deserve what we did to them. I can't live like that anymore. This is a chance for us to do things the right way." She looks to Martinez, knowing he'd be the one to cause the most trouble. "You know I'm right. You wanna tell these good people what you've been doing for the Governor's daughter."

Martinez frowns. "You shut your mouth about that. I was just….doing what I was told to do, earning my keep."

"You were getting people killed and feeding body parts to a walker." She looks to the others. "Y'all knew about it but nobody said or did anything. It can be different now. Join me or join him." She points her gun at the Governor's body.

"You're siding with them?!" Martinez shouts.

"I'm not siding with anybody but tell me what these people have done wrong. They came to Woodbury at the Governor's invitation and decided they'd rather stay where they are. What's the crime in that? Yet he kidnaps this man's wife, threatens to kill their baby, and you're ok with that?" Zoe shouts.

Tyreese, Daryl, Glenn, and T-Dog want desperately to look to Michonne, wondering if she truly is pregnant but keep their eyes on the threats.

A shot echoes through the air as Cathy takes out a walker rambling towards the road. She looks to them and says, "We need to take care of the real threat."

The others from Woodbury agree and take aim as the walkers appear. Rick and his group join in and the walkers are dispensed of easily and quickly.

"The noise will only bring more. We should leave before that happens," Rick explains to Zoe.

She nods in agreement, watches as he retrieves Michonne's sword, and walks with him to join his group. Before she can say anything, T-Dog approaches her.

"You did the right thing. Thank you."

Zoe nods and looks to the rest of them. "I don't know what happens after this but if I have any say we can live in peace. I promise."

"You don't have to go back there you know. Come with us," T-Dog offers.

"If I get through this, I will but I'm not a coward. I'm going to tell them what I've done and hopefully we can all decide on how we live instead of being told what to do. Thank you for having the courage to fight back. You gave me the courage I needed. I feel relieved now," Zoe states.

"Thank you…..for everything," Michonne exudes.

Tyreese chimes in. "Hey. Could you look in on Donna? Tell her I'll be back but I really need to go to the prison and see my sister."

Zoe agrees. "I'll tell her."

T-Dog extends his hand and Zoe accepts softly. She then walks back to her group, looking them all directly in the eyes, refusing to cower. They make quick work of getting the problem vehicle started, load up the Governor's body, and travel in the opposite direction to Woodbury.

Rick, Michonne, and the others pile into their vehicle and as soon as they are safely making their way to the prison, Glenn blurts out, "Michonne are you pregnant?"

XXXXXXXXXX

They return to the prison, greeted by smiling faces with obvious expressions of relief. Handshakes and hugs are shared followed by a bevy of questions. Sasha is questioning Tyreese, Beth is bombarding her dad, and Maggie is interrogating Michonne.

Rick holds a hand up. "Maggie, I know you're concerned and you mean well but I really need to get her to bed."

Maggie's eyes grow wide with panic. "Why? What happened out there? Tell me."

"I'm fine Maggie. I promise," Michonne assures.

"Yeah she's just pregnant," Glenn announces.

That reveal is met with complete silence, elevating the sound of the walkers growling and rattling the main fence. Herschel is the first to recover as he joins Rick on Michonne's other side to deflect the comments that are sure to come next.

"I would suggest you save your questions for when she and Rick are up to answering them. Jacqui and I are more than capable of handling this so no one should be worried. We're going to get her something to eat and let her rest."

Michonne rolls her eyes heavenward about to relay that she is not an invalid but Rick pulls her toward him and leads her inside. Voices fill the courtyard as soon as their backs are turned but she ignores them and looks forward to the comfort of their bed.

Herschel is sure to check over Michonne to the best of his ability and assures himself and them that all is well. He instructs her to eat until she is full and to sleep for as long as she wants. He smiles when the two of them show just as much concern for his well-being. He lets them know that he is fine and no harm came to him while at Woodbury. He then leaves her in the capable hands of the man she loves and makes his way to the courtyard. He pauses at the door and frowns as he hears Shane's words.

"I don't wannna rain on anyone's parade but a baby is not a good idea right now," Shane voices.

"It's not like they planned it or anything. I guess it just happened," Beth assures.

Sasha nods. "Beth's right. Things like that happened before the world went bad so what's the difference now?"

"The difference is….if we have to go back out on that road again, we're fucked," Shane states.

"Who says we're going back on the road again?" T-Dog asks.

Shane rubs his head in frustration. "This place ain't no guarantee. What if we lose it?"

"We're going to make sure we don't," T-Dog counters. "We've been making plans to secure things here so we just keep moving forward with those plans. Simple."

"How we gonna keep the baby from crying and drawing walkers?" Shane wonders.

"We can handle it Shane," Jacqui inputs.

"We'll get the baby a pacifier, whatever he or she will need. We can do this," Daryl says.

"I hope you're right," Glenn adds.

"I don't know. I'm kind of excited for them. I didn't think I'd ever see a baby again," Noah responds.

Herschel chooses that moment to join them. "We should all be mindful of the things that could happen but I don't want us to look at this as a hindrance. In my opinion, children have always been a blessing. This happened for a reason. Maybe to teach us that life has to continue despite what we're faced with right now. Rick and Michonne are a strong couple and they want this baby. They're going to do everything within their power to bring him or her into this world and we should help them. We owe them that much."

Maggie and Beth look at their father with pride as the former agrees. "Daddy's right. We should all help each other. I mean, we don't know who could be next. Things happen."

"Now just wait one damn minute. Nobody else needs to be getting it in their head that it's ok to have a baby," Shane urges.

"How can you make that decision for any of us? It's about choices, something we still have a right to," Sasha returns. "Are you going to police who's having sex and who isn't?"

Daryl touches a hand to her arm as he can detect that she is getting heated.

Shane drops his head with a snort and just because he knows he has hit a nerve, he pushes forward. "If that what it takes….."

They all start speaking at once but Jacqui holds her hands up to calm them. "He's only joking. I assure you." She cuts her eyes at him with a warning. "Listen, Herschel and I knew about this early on and we're making all the necessary provisions to handle Michonne's care. Everything's going to be fine."

"Jacqui's right. Why don't we hear what Tyreese has to say about his time out there with Donna?" He looks to the tall, bearded man with a smile. "It's good to have you back."

Sasha looks around as everyone starts to agree. The talk about pregnancies and babies has her thinking of her own current situation. She has an IUD that should've been removed before the world went haywire. She kept putting it off, thinking she had time to get it done and now she's not sure how she will get it removed and what damage it could cause if she doesn't.

Daryl bumps her shoulder with his to get her attention. "What are you thinking so hard about?"

She grabs his hand. "We need to talk."

XXXXXXXXXX

Michonne pushes Rick's bowl aside with a heavy exhale. "I promise. I can't eat any more. Would you please finish your food? I shouldn't have to remind you that you have to stay healthy too."

He retrieves the bowl and dives in, his thoughts ping ponging from left to right. "Are you really ok?"

"I am. I just….I can't stop thinking about that little girl. She was his daughter and he obviously couldn't put her down but…..wasn't it cruel to leave her that way?"

He nods as he chews. "It was but I guess he just couldn't let go. I'm not gonna feel sorry for that sick bastard. Not after what he wanted to do to you."

"I'm not feeling sorry for him but I can't help feeling sorry for her. She's a child Rick. What if we…..could we….."

He puts his bowl aside and pulls her to him. "No. Stop thinking about it. That would never happen to us. Never."

She looks into his deep blue eyes, knowing that he would give his life for her and their baby. "I know. You wouldn't let that happen. I wouldn't." She draws strength from him, basking in the reality of the love they share despite all the adversity they've faced.

He feels the need to distract her so he asks, "What do you think everybody's saying right now?"

She laughs. "That we're crazy for doing this."

"Is that what you think?"

"It has crossed my mind but I've never been happier than I am right now. That's because of you and our baby," she admits.

He kisses her cheek softly. "Me too." He sighs heavily. "I can't tell you how scared I was when I realized you'd been taken. I don't know what I'd do if anythang happened to you."

She hugs him tightly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't….."

"Babe it wasn't your fault. We underestimated that guy….plain and simple. I won't be making that mistake ever again."

"Me either."

"Come on. Let's get you to bed," he says as he sets their bowls aside and turns the bed down.

"Can we take a shower first?"

"Anythang you want."

The prison is quiet and drafty as they make their way to the bathrooms. Meanwhile, Sasha is having a talk with Daryl, Glenn and Maggie are in the watch tower, preparing to stay all night, Beth and Noah fawn over Herschel, ensuring that he gets something to eat and gets to bed early, Shane and Jacqui retire to her cell where she continues to convince him that the addition of a baby would not hinder the group, and Tyreese and T-Dog share a meal while discussing what happened earlier with Woodbury.

They are all relieved to be safe for yet another night, hoping for the same sense of security on tomorrow.