A/N: I was talking to fellow Richonner and fic writer severelybabykryptonite about when Rick gives Supercuts the chop in S6 and what it will mean for his character i.e. the lengths he would go to protect a member of his family; I came up with this ficlet. Some S6 speculation.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead

There was still the overwhelming stench of rotted flesh that permeated the air of the Alexandria Safe-Zone. The residents were working around the clock to ensure that repairs to the wall were made and the mass of remains, walker and human alike, were dealt with accordingly. The sun relentlessly beat down on the tired people below; its heat causing the putrid smells to assault the senses more vigorously than usual.

Michonne took some water from her canteen and drank it; the cool liquid quenching her thirst and revitalizing her in the slightest. It had been a long morning for the survivors after having to stave off an almost unthinkably large herd of walkers the day before; even though MIchonne's ankle ached from where she had twisted it, she insisted on helping with the clean-up. She placed her water back to the ground and continued to drag the remains of a repugnant corpse to the back tray of one of the trucks that they were loading. The remains were to be driven off-site and then burned. It was not the best duty to have at the moment, but it was necessary and Michonne would always do what was necessary. She and Rick were the same like that.

Rick.

They had fought long and hard from the dawn until the sun was almost ready disappear. She had not seen him at all that present morning; his bedroom door was still closed when she left their house to go and help salvage their new community. Their new home.

Michonne found Rick sitting quietly and seemingly contemplating his actions; she had seen him do it a number of times before. Usually, the worry, regret and unease were etched across Rick's face for her to see. Now, as he sat near the window in his bedroom, Rick looked peaceful; almost serene. Michonne called his name softly and he glanced in her direction.

"I was lookin' for you," she offered, stepping closer to him. "Everything okay?"

Rick nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You? No more trouble out there?" he asked, feeling some concern spring up inside of him.

"It's all good. I wanted to make sure you were alright," Michonne offered as she took up a seat next to him on the bed.

"I'm good, Michonne. You don't have to worry about me," he said in earnest.

Michonne shrugged it off.

"I do though," she said with a small smile which Rick returned.

They sat in comfortable silence a moment before Michonne spoke again.

"You wanna talk about it?" she asked, nudging his shoulder softly with her own.

"About what?" Rick queried.

"About what happened with Jessie," she said.

Rick sighed and rubbed his hand over his face; the two day old stubble feeling coarse under his fingers.

"Nothin' to talk about," he said genuinely. "I did what I had to do."

Michonne nodded.

"I know. But I know you didn't want to," she said with understanding.

"Of course I didn't want to have to do that. I didn't want her to die, especially not like that and especially not at my hands," he said tiredly.

"She was a good person…you're okay with it?" Michonne prodded.

She just wanted him to say that he would be alright; that he was not withdrawing back into his deep, dark thoughts again. That he had come to terms with his actions and that he was not going to let the guilt and resentment eat him up.

"I have to be," Rick said, looking down at his hands.

Michonne's gaze followed his own. A little hesitantly, she reached her slender yet strong hand over and took hold of his. Rick gave a gentle squeeze before looking at the woman sitting beside him.

"Are you okay with everything that happened?" he asked her, showing that the concern was mutual.

"Yes, I am. As long as you are," she said softly.

"And I am," he proffered, searching her eyes with his.

Rick ran his thumb over Michonne's hand absentmindedly.

"Was this the first time you've had to kill someone like that? You know, someone who wasn't a…" Michonne tried to find the right words.

"A bad person? Someone who didn't deserve to die?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Michonne. "Someone like that."

Rick sighed and looked at the wall.

"Yeah. I guess it was the first time I've killed an innocent person," he said with a heaviness to his countenance.

Michonne felt a deep regret wash over her.

"I'm sorry," she said, drawing her hand away from Rick's grasp and standing. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

"Hey," he said as he too got to his feet and gripped her arm gently. "Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."

Michonne, in an effort to leave, stood with her back to Rick, before she finally turned to face him.

"I know," she said. "But it still feels shitty."

"You don't have anything to feel bad about. I made the call to do what I did. I'm the one who took out the machete and cut her. I'm the one who let those walkers drag her away. I sacrificed her, not you…"

"Maybe I could've saved her…" Michonne said quietly.

"Michonne…"

"Maybe if I'd have just been quicker, stronger; if I didn't fall on my ass, we wouldn't have lost anyone. You wouldn't have had to do that. I have to take some responsibility here. Those boys, they have no mother now because of me…"

"No," said Rick adamantly as he placed his hands on Michonne's shoulders and brought his face closer to hers.

"That's was all on me; not you. And I stand by my choice. Yes. She didn't deserve to die like that. Yes. She was a good person, but you know what? So are you. You, Michonne. You're the only person besides my kids who means everything to me. So maybe I did choose to sacrifice an innocent woman and left those boys motherless, but there was no way I was gonna let her drag you down too when those walkers got hold of her," said Rick.

Michonne looked down at the scratch marks on her arms where Jessie's fingernails had dug deep into her flesh when the woman held on to her for dear life as the walkers tore her apart. She recalled the fear, confusion and pain in Jessie's eyes as Rick swung his red handled machete and swiftly cut through her arm, effectively freeing Michonne from meeting the same fate as she did.

She stepped closer to Rick and looked into his eyes.

"I made the right choice, Michonne; and that was the choice that kept you alive and I don't regret it," he explained while running his hands up and down her arms soothingly.

"And I would do it a hundred times over if it meant keeping you safe," he added before he drew Michonne into a warm embrace.

He wrapped his arms around her small waist and closed his eyes; savouring the feel of her body pressed so close to his. Michonne whispered her gratitude in his ear; thanking him for saving her life once more. Rick breathed deeply, content to have her with him another day so that they might face the world together.

"Don't thank me," Rick whispered to her in turn. "Just know I'll always choose you."