AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN I RICK GRIMES

The Trouble With You

The Trouble With You

"Nice," Michonne said, glancing at Rick's get-up as she set down her sword, Rick doing a mock twirl, making Michonne wolf-whistle in exaggerated appreciation.

"I know I'm smokin' hot," Rick said sarcastically, closing the door behind him, "you don't need to tell me."

"Maybe I do," Michonne said mock suggestively, her face then suddenly becoming serious. "This is it, then?" she said, gesturing to their matching uniforms. "We're staying?"

"I s'pose we're sealin' the deal," Rick said wryly, sitting down on the window-ledge, "becomin' the bearers of law and order, the keepers of the keys."

Michonne nodded, studying her sword for a long moment, before half turning away from Rick, brown eyes suddenly becoming unreadable, Rick unable to work out their expression, whether she agreed or disagreed with his decision.

"I don't know if this is some kind of ploy," he said uneasily, fiddling with his cuff, "handin' authority to strangers, or if they're just bein' idiots."

"I don't know if it's for us or for them," Michonne said slowly, "or if Deanna's trying to get rid of the concept of 'us and them' by putting these jackets on me and you - to have the people see it, ours and theirs. You heard what she said, how she waited to see if we needed Alexandria. She said in front of everyone that we were equals, that there was no distinction between those within the walls or outwith them."

"Deanna's a politician first and foremost," Rick said quietly, "she needs all the votes she can get, whether from those outside or inside the walls, but most of all she needs us. To keep this kind of place standin' requires a certain... expertise."

"What, we're heavies for hire?" Michonne said, raising an eyebrow.

Rick plucked at the front of his bomber jacket. "Yeah, he said bluntly, "just look at us."

"Maybe I don't like what I see."

"Neither do I, but the payoff isn't bad, is it?" he said, exhaling sharply. "We have food and shelter and security. As long as there's no bullshit, I'll uphold my end of the deal." Until I deal with Pete, he added silently, hiding his brutal resolve under a bland face, Michonne studying him like she had her sword, almost like she was trying to see through his facade.

"This is a deal, then?" she said, hiding her hope at his words. In her eyes, they desperately needed this place, not just for what it could give them materially, but for what it represented, that they could claw back something of the old world.

"We're stayin'."

~*~

"Auntie Alex! Auntie Alex!"

Alexis turned around, the sound of Sam's excited voice grating on her ears, the sheer volume of it almost deafening her. "Hey up, little man," she said, hastily hiding her annoyance, only for Sam to nearly knock her over, flinging his arms around her waist, Alexis wrapping her arm around his shoulders, steadying them both. "Where's the fire, short stuff?" she said, ruffling up his hair, affection replacing irritation. "You look like you've got somewhere to be."

"I seen Buttons!" Sam said, looking up at her, eyes shining. "He ran past the gate again!"

"Really?" Alexis said, every inch of her suddenly alert.

"Mister Aaron went out after him," Sam babbled, "maybe he'll catch him this time!"

"Maybe I'll catch him this time," Alexis said, ruffling up his hair again, before detaching his arms from around her waist. "Run and tell your mom," she said. "I've got some horse-wrangling to do."