Rick peeked into their bedroom and saw Michonne was still sleeping. It had only been a few days since their first battle with Negan and betrayal by Jadis and her group. Michonne had insisted on coming home after spending only one day in the infirmary. She wanted to be home. He shut his eyes, blaming himself for putting them being in harm's way, especially her and Carl. Even though he tried not to worry about either of them, the fact that he loved them made worry part of the deal. He silently dropped to his knees beside her on the floor and moved her hair from her face. Her lips and eyes were still a little swollen, and there was noticeable bruising around her neck, and she still had some trouble speaking. She stirred a little and he gently placed his hand on her back. Her eyes opened and she gave him a tiny smile which was all she could manage, but it had meant all the world to him.

"Hey." He said, smiling back at her.

"What time is it?" She croaked out and stretched.

"Almost noon."

She sat up and groaned softly as she touched her hands cautiously to her face.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Less today."

Sleeping on the floor didn't help the aches in her body. She was grateful, however, that as stiff as she was, there was no real damage done. She rubbed the back of her neck that seemed to ease the throbbing in her head.

"The fight with the governor was worse than what happened on that balcony."

"Michonne, please lay back down." He attempted to coax her.

"This floor is killing me. I have to get up."

Rick bit his lip and nodded.

"Alright, but only until I come back. I'm going to the infirmary and borrow a bed from them."

"Rick, you don't have to."

"Yes, I do. We're going to Negan's sanctuary and I know you'll want to be there."

She placed her hands in his and let him help her up from the floor. With her standing close to him, he seized the opportunity to hold her in his arms.

"Tighter." She said, nuzzling into his neck. "My body is fine." She said softly.

"Yes, it is." He said, feeling her smile against his throat.

He gently squeezed her into his embrace until she emitted the familiar involuntary moan he loved to hear. She closed her eyes and relaxed into his arms, cherishing every moment.

"So, we're going to see Negan." She stated into his neck.

He released her totally put off by the mention of the name. He moved her locks back and lifted her chin to examine her battered face.

"Are you up for it?" He asked, searching her puffy eyes.

"I will be."

"Good, but this time I want you on the ground with me."

"Okay." She agreed nodding.

"I'll be back shortly with the bed, and I want you in it for the rest of the day."

"Rick."

"No argument. I need you at a hundred percent and I'm sure you want that too."

"Okay, okay. You win."

"That's a first." He said, under his breath as he left the room.

"I heard that." She called after him on her way to the bathroom.

"I wanted you to." He replied, loud enough for her to hear as he descended the stairs.

"Is Michonne up?" Carl asked, waiting for his father at the foot of the stairs.

"Yeah. She's feeling better today. I need your help."

"Okay."

"Michonne needs to lay in a bed, so we're going to get one from the infirmary."

"Dad, is she going to be alright?"

"Yes. Her face is a little sore and her head hurts, but she's okay."

"I was really worried about her." Carl said, looking down.

"Me too."

Rick looked at Carl and saw how serious he was, but Carl would not look him in the face.

"Carl, what is it?"

"Dad, I thought we lost her." He said, looking up at Rick. "I don't want to lose her too. I don't want to go through that again."

Rick let a tear fall undisturbed from one of his eyes as he saw the panic and fear in his son. The conversation he had with Michonne regarding this was something he should have also had with his son.

"Carl, I want you to understand what I'm about to say." Rick turned Carl to face him, putting both hands on his son's shoulders. "We are going to lose people. There's no way to prepare for it except to know that it could happen, to you, me, Michonne. What we're doing is important. We're setting things up for the future and that begins here and now."

Carl looked in his father's eyes without saying anything in reply, and Rick watched him closely.

"Carl." Rick said, moving his head to get Carl's attention.

"It would be nice to live life with some kind of order. I understand Dad."

"Good. Let's go get that bed."

As they walked to the infirmary, Rick continued to periodically take looks at Carl. He understood more in the brief time since the world ended than Rick had when he was Carl's age.

"Dad, when I get older I want to have the kind of relationship like you and Michonne have."

"You do?"

"Yeah. The two of you really enjoy being together. You get along without arguing or fighting. I remember how it was with Mom." Carl said sadly.

Rick looked down recalling how Lori would pick a fight with him at any time, sometimes in front of Carl.

"You and Michonne have the finest kind of relationship. That's what I want."

"The finest kind." Rick repeated, whole-heartedly agreeing with his son.

"When this is all over, do you think the two of you will get married?"

Rick smiled shyly, embarrassed at how frank the young can be.

"I'd like that, when this is all over."

"Do you think she'd want to?"

"I'd hope so."

"I think you should ask her now."

Rick laughed thinking he would like nothing better than to ask Michonne to marry him, but she had been in a relationship that didn't result in marriage, and he wanted to know why before proposing to her.

"Not just yet Carl." Rick said smiling.

Right before they got to the infirmary, Rick cleared his mind of the pleasant thought of starting a life with Michonne as his wife, officially. There were more pressing matters he had to deal with, and she would agree with what should be on his mind.

Once Michonne was tucked securely in the infirmary bed, Rick sat on the edge of it, gazing out the window. She had been dozing in and out of sleep and would occasionally roll from one side to the other. She reached out and touched his back and then moved her hand around to his stomach. His torso tensed at her touch and he inhaled sharply.

"Carl told me Jadis shot you."

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"It just grazed me."

"She was standing awfully close to you; how could she miss?"

"I guess she was counting on you being gone and them winning the battle."

Michonne laughed and then winced from the pain in her face.

"Yeah, she didn't want to damage you too much before getting a chance to lay with you."

Rick laughed and shook his head.

"You care?" Michonne said mocking Jadis.

She enjoyed watching the blush on Rick's face deepen in color.

"She has nerve, I'll give her that."

"That's all you better give her." Michonne smirked. This time she smiled, careful not to smile too big.

She looked in his eyes and saw something serious in them.

"What's wrong?" She asked clearing her throat.

"You really are sounding better."

"Rick." She urged, knowing he was trying to avoid her question.

"Just something Carl said."

"What was that?"

"Apparently, our relationship has made an impression on him."

"How so?"

"He wants what we have. He refers to our relationship as the finest kind."

Michonne looked in Rick's eyes displaying as much love as was in her own.

"He's right. It is."

She tugged on his shirt to pull him down to her and she kissed him. Before either one of them wanted the kiss to end, they heard a knock on the front door. Soon after that, footsteps running up the stairs.

"Dad, Morgan's downstairs."

"Tell him I'll be right down."

"What's been going on out there?" She said, sliding up easily to a sitting position

"Some groups have gone out looking for saviors. I haven't gone…"

"I know why you're not out with them. Thank you."

"We go together." He said, gently touching her face.

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

"We go together." She agreed.