Mothers Know Best (Chapter 17)

A/N: Yes it has been way too long since I updated and I sincerely apologize. I hope you all are still liking this story. I'm including a small recap at the suggestion of Zeejack. Thank you all so much.

Previously: Rick, Shane, Walter, and Arthur escort T-Dog and Brian to the DA's office in an effort to clear Michonne of the fictitious charges against her. They meet the new DA, Andrea Harrison, who is all too eager to help them. Judge Martinez appears with his lawyer and wife and is surprised to see Brian and T-Dog (his previous accomplices) there. He immediately goes on the defense and a lot of dirt is revealed in front of the one person he was adamant about keeping it from.

Rick and company return to King County going straight to the hospital where Michonne was admitted after having an episode upon learning of the charges filed against her. They complete the process and paperwork needed to clear her name and Shane ensures that the new DA has all that she needs to stay the charges.

XXXXXXXXXX

She rolls her head from left to right as he pleasures her with his tongue. He delves in deeply, flicking the tip of his tongue against her clit over and over again. She moves her hips, enhancing the sensation, her swollen belly hiding him from view. No matter. She can feel him on a massive level of intensity.

She clutches the sheets as the tremors begin, a conglomerate of sparks concentrated at her core. The spasms hit full force and her knees drop even further to the side as her husband continues to lick her into oblivion. Her emotions overwhelm her as tears come to her eyes, the love she feels in that moment consuming her.

"Oh, Rick….I…..I love you…..so much," she sobs, her body still shaking.

He lifts up suddenly and leans to the side to get a good look at her face. The tears are streaming from her eyes as she stares up at the ceiling. He slides up next to her and asks, "What's wrong?"

"That was….just…..so fucking good." Her voice hitches as she tries to get her emotions under control.

He gives a slight smirk as he wants to believe her but realizes her hormones are playing a role in this as well. "Anythang to satisfy my wife. My very pregnant wife who probably shouldn't be engaging in any type of…."

She puts a finger to his lips. "Don't say it. This…this is healthy. It's….it's a form….of….exercise."

"Exercise huh? Babe, you just got out of the hospital," he reminds her.

"And I'm fine. Now, why don't you just lie back and let Mommy take care of Daddy?"

He knows when not to argue so he drops to the bed and closes his eyes as her hands start to caress him gently. She takes her time placing kisses down his body, tonguing his skin slowly. She moves lower and pulls him into her mouth, suckling gently.

It's not long before he gives over to the sensations, allowing his wife to make love to him in any way that pleases her.

XXXXXXXXXX

The Grimes family falls into a routine with the passing of several days. Rick is at his weekly therapy session accompanied by Arthur and Carl is keeping Michonne company while Ms. Mae prepares lunch and dinner for the family. Stepmom and stepson are sitting in bed with a board game between them, laughing and talking jovially.

Carl lets out a huge sigh and offers, "I don't think I'm ready."

"Ready for me to beat you at this game? Probably not, but…." Michonne trails off as he shakes his head and she notes the slightly worried expression he displays. "Everything ok?"

Another sigh. "I don't know. I'm kind of worried about being a big brother. How do I know I'm going to be good at it? You and dad started those Lamaze classes even though you didn't finish them, they had to help right? Then you have all of those baby books to tell you what to do or what to expect. Why isn't there a book like that for big brothers?"

Michonne smiles at Carl's genuine concern for his impending new status as a big brother. Her heart swells with love for her son as she tousles his hair affectionately. "First off, you're going to be an amazing big brother. I have no doubt about that. As for the book, I would love nothing more than to take you to the bookstore and see what we can find, but your dad would kill us so how about we go online and order something?"

"Do you think a book like that even exists?"

"I don't see why not, but let's find out." She pushes the board game aside and tells Carl to grab her laptop. They peruse an online site and order a couple of books that he seems interested in reading. She pays the extra fees to have it delivered the very next day and is just as excited as he is to help him on his quest to big brotherhood. "Feel better now?"

He nods. "Thank you. You always know how to solve problems."

She gives him a big hug and was just about to tell him they could resume their game when her mother walks in.

"Lunch will ready in a few minutes. Rick and Arthur are probably on their way back. I'm sure they stopped along the way to pick Gladys up and your daddy should be right behind them," Ms. Mae informs.

"Does that mean I can go downstairs and join everybody at the table for a change?" Michonne asks, hopefully.

"Oh heavens no. You won't have that husband of yours scowling at me. Besides, you know better. Dr. Stevens said bed rest and that's exactly what you're gonna get. Right Carl?"

"Right, Ma Mae."

The next day, the books arrive but Carl is too busy helping Michonne put a plan into action with the assistance of Walter and Arthur. The latter two convince Rick to join them on a trip to Atlanta as Arthur is thinking of purchasing a new vehicle. They take Carl with them but what Rick doesn't know is that Michonne is the one actually making the purchase. She wants to surprise her husband with a new truck. Arthur and Walter will get him to choose one that he likes, complete with his choice of amenities and make the arrangements from there. The process will take a couple of weeks as they want to ensure that Rick is getting something he truly wants. Michonne is excited to see his reaction when he realizes the truck is for him.

They also took care of the donation for the hospital bills for T-Dog's wife, utilizing a sister church of their home church to make the transaction anonymously. They also have plans to assist Brian with a move to another city. Walter called in a couple of favors to help him obtain employment and hopefully a fresh start.

XXXXXXXXXX

The hour is 2 am and Michonne moves over onto her back as the little ones start moving around. She sighs heavily as she stares up at the ceiling. This is the second night in a row that they have awakened her with their activeness. All she can do is smile as they move about slowly. She wonders what they are doing as she touches her belly softly. She waits patiently to see if they'd calm down enough for her to go back to sleep but after 5 minutes she realizes that they are not planning to rest anytime soon so she should probably watch TV or something. She grabs the remote resting in the middle of the small space between her and Rick and powers on the TV.

Rick pops up almost immediately and reaches for his wife. "Babe, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Go back to sleep. They're just up and at 'em again," she informs him.

He smiles sleepily. "What are they doing?"

"Kicking or punching….maybe both," she answers as she flips through channels.

He eliminates the space between them, his hands going to her stomach. He gasps when he feels distinct movement and looks to his wife with sympathy. "Well do you want anythang to eat while you're up?"

"Surprisingly, I'm not hungry….yet. That could change in the next few minutes," she laughs.

"Well what are we watching?"

"Rick, you don't have to stay up with me. Get some sleep," she tells him.

"I do. We're in this together. Remember?"

She smiles as they snuggle closer together and alternate between watching TV and being entertained by their active twins.

The early morning activity turns into another family ritual with Carl joining his parents in their bed as the twins are a mass of motion at 2 am precisely. Rick started placing snacks on his nightstand before going to bed because he knew they'd all be up with the babies.

Michonne relayed it to her mother and mother-in-law and they both assured her that the babies were just preparing her for their early morning feedings. She feels a little guilty that Carl and Rick insist on staying up with her but she is sure to tell Carl as soon as school starts back that he wouldn't be able to break his sleep like this. He agrees albeit reluctantly.

During their next doctor's visit, Rick is sure to tell Dr. Stevens about the babies' nocturnal activities and he offers to prescribe a sleeping aid for Michonne but she declines. The doctor reminds her that she needs just as much rest as the babies so he suggests that she sleep as much as possible during the day if the babies are most active at night. She accepts the advice and thanks the doctor, especially grateful for a good report. They will return every two weeks and then once a week one month prior to her due date.

They leave the doctor's office and Michonne convinces Rick to take her and Carl for ice cream and a drive to the reservoir to look out over the lake. She is so happy to be out of the house and out of the bed that she just wants it to last a little while longer. Of course, he wanted to take her straight home but couldn't deny her when she turned those soulful brown eyes on him. He gave in as he always does and when they arrive home they find their parents seated in the living area, scowling because they were late and had them wondering when no one answered their calls.

"I'm sorry. I was just so happy to finally leave the house that I wanted to be out for a little while longer," Michonne explains.

"We don't mind that at all but you could've sent a message and let us know that you got a good report from Dr. Stevens," Ms. Mae offers.

"You mean send a text," Michonne corrects.

Rick interrupts before his mother-in-law could catch on that her daughter was correcting her. "We got a very good report. We go back in two weeks and then it'll be every week as we get closer to the due date. We're still on bed rest though."

The mothers breathe sighs of relief before asking more questions about their outing.

Another week passes and the boys are in Atlanta car shopping with Shane in tow this time. Michonne is being accompanied by Ms. Gladys who is downstairs watching a game show while a roast is cooking. The boredom of bed rest and the curiosity about the Martinez case is getting the best of her. She eyes the phone and her laptop longingly. Rick refused to discuss it because he didn't want to stress her. She has assured him that she wouldn't get stressed but he won't chance it.

She powers on her laptop and quickly types out an email to Andrea Harrison. She was just about to hit send when the phone rings and startles her. She sighs as she reaches for it, already knowing that it's Rick checking in. She hears his voice and the guilt settles into the pit of her stomach.

"Hey. You feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," she answers. "How's the car search coming along?"

"It's going well although Dad is asking me a whole lot of questions. I never realized he was so indecisive. You think it's old age?" He laughs.

She joins in before answering, "He just values your opinion. That's all."

"And Shane is acting like he's buying a car. Telling Dad he should get this and get that. He even asked the salesman about installing a police scanner. What does Dad need with a scanner?"

"Well you know how much your Mom and Dad like to know what's going on around here," she inserts.

"If you say so. I'm going to try to convince them to cut this search short. I don't like being away from you too long. Think if I start complaining about my shoulder they'll be ready to call it quits?"

Michonne shakes her head. "Your shoulder is healing very nicely Mr. Grimes. Don't jinx yourself ok?"

"Ok. You're right….as always. I'll be home soon. Love you."

"Love you too." She replaces the phone and quickly deletes her email. Conversing with the DA may be considered a conflict of interest although she could be called upon to testify for the prosecutor's office. She scoffs as the likelihood of that happening is nil if her husband has anything to do with it. She takes a deep breath and releases it, grabbing her trusty pen and word search puzzle book to occupy herself and her thoughts.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rick assists his wife into the bathtub slowly. She insists that she doesn't need any help but he politely ignores her. The water of course isn't hot enough so he obliges her, wondering yet again how she can stand it as hot as she does. He gets it to a temperature she's satisfied with and watches as she leans back to relax, her eyes closing in contentment.

"Would you…..uh…..like me to wash your back?" He asks quietly.

"Hmmm….that would be nice." She opens her eyes and looks directly at him as he kneels by the tub. "It would be even nicer if you joined me."

"Are you sure?"

She nods with a slight smile and watches attentively as he stands and begins to disrobe. She will never get enough of appreciating his nakedness. He is one fine specimen of a man. She leans forward and scoots up to make room as he steps into the tub and takes a seat behind her. She waits for him to get comfortable before resting her back onto his chest and her head on his shoulder.

He wraps his arms around her, his hands resting on her belly as they sit and enjoy the intimacy of their closeness. He caresses her stomach in slow, smooth circles as she massages his thighs. "Hmm….that feels good."

"Your arm ok?" She asks cautiously.

"It's fine."

"So what did you think of the names I came up with? Are you ok with them?" She inquires.

"I like them. Both are unique but did you ask the grandmothers?"

"No. Only you and I know. I want to keep it that way," she admits.

"Ok. Whatever Mommy wants."

They relax for a while longer before languidly and lovingly washing each other. They stare into each other's eyes as they dry off and dress for bed, lying in wait for the little ones to awaken.

Days later, they have another visit with Dr. Stevens while Mae, Walter, Gladys, Arthur, and Shane await the arrival of Rick's brand new truck. Michonne wanted to witness the unveiling so to speak so she planned it on a day she'd be able to leave the house.

A couple of hours later, they return to see the brand new truck with a huge red ribbon on the hood sitting in the driveway.

Rick frowns. "What's going on?" He parks the SUV behind it while he and Carl help Michonne exit the vehicle.

Their parents and Shane step out of the house, the latter on his cell recording everything.

Michonne and Carl plant themselves by the driver's side of the new dual cab dark navy truck and motion to the others as they all yell, "Surprise!"

Rick's expression is one of confusion as he shakes his head and asks again, "What's going on?"

"This is your truck babe. I thought you needed an upgrade especially if you're going to be traveling with our precious cargo," Michonne announces.

Rick takes in the huge, shiny truck and gasps. "Mine? But I thought Dad was…."

"That was just to get you there and to get you to pick out what you liked. Did we fool you?"

Rick places his hands on his hips, drops his eyes to the ground and says, "You sure did. I….I don't know what to say. This….this is too much."

Shane continues to record them but shouts, "You can thank yours truly for sealing the deal. That is one fine truck man."

Michonne walks over to her husband and hugs him. "You deserve it."

He kisses her on the cheek as he whispers, "Thank you." He looks toward the house. "Well I was saving something for you but I guess now is as best time as any." He breaks away and walks toward the house. "Hold on."

"Guess I need to keep recording. This is getting even better," Shane informs.

"What is he up to?" Ms. Gladys asks.

"I was sworn to secrecy," Shane answers.

Michonne looks to Carl. "What is it?"

The younger one simply shrugs and looks toward the front door as his Dad emerges with a small box in his hand.

The parents smile at each other as they witness Rick place the box in Michonne's hands.

"I was gonna wait until birth day but…..here ya go," Rick states.

Michonne smiles as she opens the box to unveil a beautiful sterling silver bracelet with the word 'MOM' encrusted in diamonds. Tears spring to her eyes as the gift is more appreciated than he will ever know. She looks to her husband, the tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's beautiful."

"Awww….y'all stop all of this. My heart can't take it," Ms. Mae announces.

"Just too sweet for words," Ms. Gladys agrees. "Who knew our kids would be soulmates Mae?" She nudges her best friend as they look on proudly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Michonne looks at her husband and back to Dr. Stevens in disbelief.

"I know you were expecting a vaginal birth but I really think it would be less stressful for you with a Cesarean section. Your blood pressure is doing fine but it may spike during labor and I don't know if I want to risk it," Dr. Stevens advises. "I'll give you all the information you need on the procedure. The recovery is a bit longer but you'll be fine." He takes a deep breath as he recognizes the concern on his patient's face and her husband's. "Do you have any questions?"

Michonne is still speechless as she never factored in having a Cesarean. She had planned for a vaginal birth the entire pregnancy.

"Is there an increased risk for the babies?" Rick asks.

"The risks are no higher than a vaginal birth. If we were to take the babies too early, that may be a factor but I'll schedule it for the due date unless they decide to come early which is a possibility," Dr. Stevens informs.

"She'll have to be sedated right….so will she get to see the babies at all?" Rick takes Michonne's hand, trying to reassure her.

"There will be a small window of time before she goes completely under."

Rick nods. "Ok. We'll read up on it Doc. We'll be fine."

Dr. Stevens claps Rick on his good shoulder. "Of course you will. I'm going to take care of you. I promise." He exits the room leaving them alone.

Rick sees the worried expression on his wife's face and knows she's not happy with this change in plans. He squeezes her hand and says, "Babe don't stress. I know this wasn't part of the plan but it's going to be fine."

She looks to him with a slight smile. "I just….I didn't prepare for this."

"I know but we've still got time. We're going to meet this head on just like we do with any other challenge, right?"

She takes a deep breath and releases it, squeezing his hand in return. "Right."