Dedicated to SugarySweetZee.

It's my fault. Rick said to himself as he commandeered the panel van stacked with boxes of Ready-to-Eat meals and cans of food they found in the school gymnasium along with their much prized hard earned newly aquired guns. Michonne in the passenger seat to his left sat silently deep in thought.

I wanted to give her the deer. He recalled what had happened a few short hours before, how stupidly he climbed the Ferris wheel ride to get a good vantage point with the hopes of shooting the deer that was grazing nearby.

I shouldn't have climbed up on the ride. Rick blamed himself for inadvertently making her think she'd lost him when he'd fallen from the top of the defunct ride and walkers gathered around him.

It was while they were collecting the guns, going around to each and every slain walker left strewn on the grass, she was at least one hundred feet away from him. She stooped down before a dead walker laying in the grass then paused. That was when he happened to look up and saw her slowly put her right hand to her forehead and sob. He will never forget how her shoulders shook.

Never has he seen her in such a state. That is when it occurred to him that when he'd fallen off the Ferris wheel and become surrounded by the dead, she'd thought he was dead when it was the deer's flesh she saw hanging from their rotted mouths. Seeing her cry showed that she couldn't come to terms with the thought of losing him. She loved him that much.

He'd hoped they would spend another night together in the gymnasium, their little getaway. But, after they got the guns, she wanted to go home and he wasn't going to argue. He understood why. It was my fault.

Before they'd continued their journey home, he'd stopped the vehicle in the middle of the road, trees lined both sides gave shade. There they had that talk. The talk that he'd dreaded having but was necessary. He told her that in going up against Negan and the Saviors, they could lose each other, that, they can lose each other. Chocking back tears, she turned to him and told him,

"No, I could never lose you," "Yes you could. I can.", he said and with that she turned away and looked out the window. A tear rolled down her cheek.

There, in the shady spot on the road, he looked into her eyes and told her no matter what, whoever survives, one of them must lead the others. He made it clear that she was more than competent to fill his role should anything happen to him and he could not lead.

"How..how do you know?", she asked. With tears still in her eyes, she didn't understand why he would want her to be the one to fill his shoes.

"Because you lead me here.", he replied.

He said this with his hand gently placed on her cheek. He said this because everything she has done for him and the children has made him the leader that he is. Strong, confident, fearless. He said this because he didn't want her to lose sight of what they wanted to do. That all that they have been fighting for is not for them but for the children, for Alexandria, for the future.

************00000************

"Turn here!", Michonne said suddenly. She pointed at the road on his right. He made a sharp right and drove into a small plaza that was hidden from the main road. A car repair shop was next to it.

They drove right inside the garage and Rick killed the engine.

"Why are we here?", he asked looking at her.

"Shopping.", Michonne replied and reached under her seat and took out a crowbar then hopped out of the van closing the door behind her taking her katana and a rifle with her and began walking towards the parking lot.

"Shopping? For what?", he asked when he hopped out from his side and closed the van door behind him.

Puzzled, he didn't understand what she had on her mind. They were less than a mile away from home and this sudden detour was not planned. He quickly pulled down the garage door before leaving the shop. He thought it was best to keep their van hidden in case strangers happened to be in the area.

Not giving him an answer right away, she continued walking towards the adjoining stores. She walked up to a door. It was locked. Banging on it a couple of times and waiting, she didn't hear anything or anyone stirring inside and so proceeded in jimmying the lock with the the crowbar giving Rick enough time to catch up. He watched her in silence as she managed to force the door open and enter. They braced the door from the inside with a heavy filing cabinet. Inside the store were at least ten different beds on display.

"We need a bed.", Michonne announced.

Rick smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

"You mentioned losing sleep a few miles back. If we are going to fight the Saviors, we need to get enough rest and sleeping on the ground isn't going to help, now, is it?", Michonne said.

Two weeks ago, Negan and his cronies came to their community and took most of their beds and out of spite, he left them to burn on the side of the road. Since then, they had been sleeping on the floor.

"No. It's not.", Rick replied agreeably while smiling at her.

He agreed that sleep was important if they wanted to be rested and alert when they fight Negan and the Saviors. He smiled because he she seemed to be back to her old self. Practical and thinking ahead. He turned around and proceeded to inspect the beds. Touching them and plopping himself down on a couple as he went along, trying to decide on which one was perfect.

"Hey! How about this one?", he asked out loud. He was already on the far side of the room, a good distance to where he left her.

When she didn't answer he sat up and looked around.

"Mich..?", he began and his voice trailed off for what he saw took him off guard.

Naked. Completely naked, she was on her side in the bed staring straight at him with a look that he alone knew. Immediately, he sprang up out of the bed he was in and went to her removing his own clothes and boots along the way. By the time he reached her, he was completely devoid of said clothes and boots and was thoroughly hard. His manhood jutted out before him pointing directly at her.

He hopped in next to her kissing her deeply and satisfyingly. They made love.

************00000************

Laying on their backs, they stared up at the ceiling while they caught their breath.

"This one is fine. Let's take it.", Rick stated breathlessly. He turned his head and looked at his beauty next to him. Her body was sheer perfection. Sheer sexy perfection. He ran his finger lightly up and down her flat tummy and she gave a light giggle.

"This one? Are you sure?", Michonne asked turning her head in his direction.

"Unless..", Rick began while straddling her and nuzzled her neck and began peppering her smooth skin with tantalizing baby kisses.

"Unless…what?", Michonne asked raking fingers through his curls and looked into his eyes when he stared down at her with a knowing smile.

"Unless we test each and every one before settling on the best one.", Rick replied nuzzling her neck some more and kissing her skin.

Giggling softly, she kissed him then began, "One down…"

"Nine more to go.", he ended and they resumed making love.

************THE END OR IS IT************