I don't own the walking dead.
I know I'm starting a new story, but I needed to push this one out so I could focus on the arrangement update.
Please review.
Prologue: welcome home.
Ten years wasted away, but it does not feel as if time has passed. However, his childhood home has more tales to share. Rick inhales the fresh air, and he opens the driver window. He stares at the endless British garden, which is out of place in the Deep South. Standing tall with its vibrant green, the garden is a reminder of his grandfather eccentricity.
Slowly, tears pool in the corner of his eyes. The young man thumbs press on his tear duct, and it is enough to stop the building torrent. Another deep breath calms his nerves, and Rick looks ahead. He hates this place and the history, which coats the crumbling walls. The memories continue to be oppressive, and some memories, which he long ago forgot resurface. He hates this place and its multiple secrets.
The young man inhales again, and he considers his next move. He could return to New York and forget about this family gathering. For the past ten years, his absence has never bothered anyone. They are now used to it, but his grandfather's message may express the contrary. Rick's heart has a slow beat, and his mind continues to bask on the tragic past. He pulls his window down and continues to seek fresh air.
Undecided, he rests his head on the steering wheel. From the private parking, he hears the loud noises. There are joyful laughs, and he recognizes a few voices. A soft feminine laugh echoes louder than the others, and his scarred heart rediscover the sharp pain of betrayal. Rick fails to inhale, and the tears refill his eyes. Her laughs continue to have the same echo.
His finger tightly holds the wheel, and he makes his decision. The young man closes his car window and glances at the ranch with a heavy heart. Rick starts his brand new sports car, and he is ready to leave King County as he did ten years ago. He hates this place and the lives who continue to thrive in such a miserable place.
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Too lost in his thought, he forgets to drive away. The loud noise of his motor attracts the wrong attention. Rick does not notice her until her hand hits his car window. He raises his head to meet her bright grin. The young man freezes, and he continues to stare at her smile. The young woman continues to knock at his window.
"Fuck," He whispers between closed teeth, and the young man hesitates on his next move.
He did not expect anyone to discover his presence. Is it too late to make a quick exit? Warry blue eyes clash with glistening irises. Tears of joy have already filled the young woman's eyes. A hand on her heart and her wide smile are enough of an answer for Rick. It is too late to exit cowardly. The young man takes a deep breath, but he does not lower the car windows nor does he open the door.
His reluctance to any action does not faze the newcomer. She raises her hand and points her finger down. Rick understands the meaning of her hand movement, but he is not sure about the appropriate action. There must be a way to exit the ranch before the interaction goes beyond what he can tolerate. He continues to warm his car's motor, and his foot caresses the pedal.
He raises his head and stares into vibrant blue eyes, which widen to appeal to his soft heart. The same heart, which he wants to protect by leaving the ranch before it is too late. However, Rick Grimes always had a heart too big. He lowers the car's windows and offers a warm smile to his favourite cousin or his almost little sister Maggie.
"You came!" Excited, she shouts on top of her air-filled lungs.
The sound hurts Rick's eardrum, but it warms his hesitant heart. Her excitement starts to nip at his hesitation.
At least some missed me. He thinks, and the thought comforts the young man.
Rick is not sure that he is welcome in his family home. After what he said and did the last time, he expects some hateful reaction to his presence at the family brunch. Some might not have forgotten or forgiven. Although, very few people know what he did. Perhaps, the secrecy protects him. Rick continues to lose himself in his thought. He almost forgets about his cousin until the high pitch of Maggie cries of joy reminds him of her presence by his side.
Maggie misses the signs of turmoil on his face. Quickly and efficiently, she slides her hand through the lowered car window, and she unlocks the door. With a strong pull on Rick's arm, she drags her cousin out of the car. Her shaking arms wrap themselves around Rick's neck. She kisses his cheeks an incommensurable amount of time. The high pitch laugh, which escapes her lips, threatens the young man's hearing ability.
"You came…You came." The young woman continues to repeat in an awe.
Ten years passed since their last visual contact. Although Maggie tried to establish any sort of contact, Rick has not allowed anything from the past in his present life. Old grudges, which he wrongfully allocated. A shame, which continues to keep him rooted in a sought solitude.
"I did?" He replies to ensure that this moment is real.
Although, how real is the moment does not matter to him. Rick missed his almost sister, and so he returns the intensity of her hug. A bright laugh fills the parking while he spins her around as if she is still the young child, who he used to carry around the town. Rick has seen Maggie transitioned from childhood to adolescence, but he missed the transition to womanhood.
When he left, she was seventeen and presently, she is twenty-seven. Now, her age has ceased to matter, and she feels a lot like her younger self, who idolized Rick. When he puts her down, she soundly kisses his cheek and takes his hand. Her excitement continues to silence his fear, and it is easier to drag him around.
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"Grandpa Richard and uncle Carlton will be so happy to see you." She adds while she continues to drag him toward the Grimes' humongous country home.
At the mention of both men, Rick's heart beats at two different paces. From a peaceful beat to a frantic one. One reaction is pure joy and impatience to meet the man, who he loves so much, but the other one is a mixture of too many emotions, which he cannot express. He inhales and tries to stop the motion.
"They will?" Absently, he questions the young woman, who continues to drag him through corridors.
Rick knows his grandfather will be happy to see him because he is present at the man's request. However, he is unsure of his father's reaction. Through the years, their relationship has deteriorated until it ceased to exist.
The house is humongous, and Rick forgot that detail. He has forgotten many details about the ranch and the stories attached to it. His coping mechanism the past year has turned around selective amnesia, and he slept most of his despicable mistakes under the rug. Despite his best efforts, he continues to remember why he left and who carries the blame. If only she had kept his secret, life would have been different in the past ten years.
The young man stops in front of the living room's door, and the voices resonate louder. Two voices rise above the other one, and the laughs become deafening. Abruptly, Rick stops moving, and his body tenses. Maggie can no longer drag him, but they are almost inside the room. The young woman stamps with impatience while she faces the closed door. She needs to show to the entire family that the prodigal son has returned.
"Come on Rick. I can't believe you came." Excited, she adds more strength to her pulling motion, but Rick does not budge from his spot.
He becomes an unmovable mountain, and he does not feel ready to face the ghost of his horrendous past. Rick inhales, and the stress invades his bloodstream. The young man can taste the bitter bile on his tongue, and her smile flashes behind his closed lids. Instinctively, he steps back, but Maggie's firm hands prevent his escape.
"Maggie, please slow down." Out of breath, Rick pleads.
The emotions overwhelm him. He inhales and stares at the door. Their voices continue to become louder. He can say who is present, and he recognizes every undertone, which adds a distinctive touch to their voice. From his father's voice to his stepmother soft laugh, and the heavy drawl of mister jones' voice, which echoes against every wall. The joyous laugh of his grandpa's best friend reminds Rick of old times. There are two younger voices, which he does not recognise. However, his grandfather's voice glues Rick's feet to the floor. The voice is so rich and so warm, and he admits that he missed his grandpa.
"I can't slow down, and you have to meet everyone," Maggie adds a soothing smile to her statement.
Her look appears to say more than her words, but Rick brushes away his suspicions. Only a selected few know his secret, and the smiling young woman does not understand his fears. The young man tries to silence his anxiety, and he will have to pretend for a few hours.
"Have you met my husband oh and the children. Hurry up." Excitement carries Maggie's voice further than the corridor.
Rick stares at Maggie while he discovers that she is married. Ten years of complete silence, which will have continued if his grandfather had not sent the cryptic text. The young man is only present because he worries about his grandfather's health. For years, Rick has forgotten what he means to have a family, and he does not want a reminder.
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"Can I have a minute to breathe?" Rick pleads while they continue to close the distance to the door.
Maggie turns to face him, and a deep frown twists her feature. She quizzically stares at Rick, but she does not vocalize anything. The young woman squeezes her cousin's hand, and she continues to lead the way. Only a few remaining inches before chaos returns to his life. Rick feels helpless, and he does not want to relive his intricate past. The young man does not want to face his past mistakes, and he does not want the stares to incriminate him.
"You had ten years to breathe, Ricky. Now, you have..." She stops in the middle of her chastising tirade, and she opens the door.
Maggie's eyes search the room for a particular person. When she spots him, her excitement increases, and she drags a helpless Rick inside the living room. The option of running away totally disappears. Rick attempts to plaster a smile on his tightly closed lips, and he straightens his posture. It is an impromptu return in the lions' den.
"Grandpa...grandpa look who is here." Her words tumble on each other to come out.
Maggie is too excited to make sense, and she pushes Rick toward their grandfather. Her hands firmly placed on his broad shoulder, she keeps her cousin under the sudden spotlight. Eyes are on him, and two pairs of them have a lot to say. Blue irises seek the sight of the ground, and he tries to avoid few judgemental looks. Rick's eyes peruse the room, and they meet three empty chairs.
One chaise belongs to Maggie, and the second chaise should be his. Consequently, he assumes the third chaise must be hers. She is a sort of a lifelong nemesis. She is the teenager, who ruined his life because secrecy was a concept, which she understood. Everyone else is of attendance, and he discovers two new faces. They are young children, and they may be his younger half-sibling. Blond hair, pale skin, and blue eyes are very distinctive traits. Definitely, they favour their mother Jessica or Jessie for the intimates.
The young boys look nothing like Grimes, but the remark will awaken a decaying cadaver. After his misplaced thought, Rick stares at his father and the stare, which he receives in return, says a lot. The animosity has not disappeared, but he did not expect it to disappear. Water has not passed under the bridge, and ten years of silence does not help the resolution of their conflict. Unable to support the accusation in the older man's eyes, Rick looks away for a second.
"Young Richard." The voice of Mister Jones (or Grandpa Morgan as Rick has called him his entire life) draws him out of the staring contest with his father.
Rick exhales, and he attempts to release the fury before it influences his reaction. The young man faces his grandfather's best friend with a smile, and he returns Morgan's warm hug.
"Haven't you become a man?" Morgan muses while he breaks away the embrace with the newcomer.
"When the rascal left, he was already a man." Rick's grandfather or Richard senior corrects his friend.
At twenty-two years old, society assumes that a person is a man. Consequently, Rick was a man when he chose to leave king county and never look back. He ran with his secrets, his anger, and the shame of his actions.
Morgan's pat Rick's back, and it feels like the younger years of his life. The older man continues to smell like black tea and wisdom. Rick smiles at the old men banter. Morgan says than twenty-two is still boyhood, and Richard senior feels the need to disprove his best friend. The exchange continues for a few minutes. For the first, Rick remembers that he used to love the ranch. The banter between the two old men, who he knows as grandpa, is a scene straight out of his childhood, and it is a sort of unexpected comfort
"Give me back my grandchild, Morgan." Richard senior approaches Rick and engulfs the young man into a strong hug.
The association of a rib-breaking hug and the rampant sensitiveness turns breathing into a complicated task for Rick. However, the young man will not ungratefully complain. He tightens the hug, and it lasts for a minute.
"Thank you for coming." The old man whispers in Rick's ear.
"I know you don't want to be here, but well..." His voice drops lower when he brushes his own secret, but he does not finish speaking.
Very few in the room know what is happening with Richard senior. At the exception of Morgan and Rick, which needed to have a strong incentive to attend a family reunion. However, the old man will announce it in a week once he has a few businesses in order. With a warm smile, he faces his grandchild, and he drags him into another hug.
Cigarettes in hand, she tries to calm herself. She peers outsides, and they are many cars. How did she forget about Georgia's sun? Sweat runs down her forehead, and she attempts to wipe it. She must resemble nothing like the glamorous celebrity, who she is. Michonne drags her rear-view mirror, and she attempts to fix the make-up, which the ardent heat destroyed. Exasperated by the state of her sweat-covered visage, she dramatically sighs. The young woman stares at the garden outside, and she wonders why she came.
"I hate this place." Michonne whines when her agent picks up the phone.
She pulls on her cigarette and blows smoke in circles. The young woman continues to stare at the English garden, which does not fit well with the rest of the landscape. The smoke in the car does not disappear, and so she opens the window. The humid heat assaults her, and her sweaty skin becomes sticky. Every little inconvenience is a reminder of why she so happily left this place behind.
"This place will be good for your image." Her agent replies with disinterest.
After her scandal, he could care less about her hatred of the little town. He needs the young starlet to control the damage, and they have to work on her image.
"Presently, nothing can help with my public image. Should I remind you that we tried everything?" Michonne counters her agent allegation.
She takes another deep inhalation of the warm smoke of her cigarette, but it does not help her nerves. She throws the carcinogen object by the window, and she searches inside her glovebox for something stronger. However, her agent must have emptied it. The young woman curses and the need to return to New York increases. Michonne does not want to spend a minute in king county, but she does not have a choice after receiving a summon.
"They just refuse to forget about that scandal. A week later and I can still see the picture everywhere." She continues to speak while she massages her temples.
It is a waste of effort. The combination of the heat and her frustration results in a strong headache. In addition, she is battling a hangover. For a second, she does not understand what her agent replies. She inhales and she walks out of the car. The heat engulfs her, and Michonne continues to curse the small town. Five years after leaving King county, she has yet to regret her decision.
"The sales of your album are dropping. Your first attempt at acting might as well be the last one," her agent reminds her, and his tone announces an angry argument.
Michonne closes her eyes, and she attempts a breathing technique, which she learned in her yoga class. It appears to work and she pursues her conversation. The young woman cannot believe how fast the wind change in Hollywood. A few days ago, she had the perfect career, and a little scandal threatens to destroy everything. Now, she has to do damage control and pretends for the public eyes. However, coming back to king county even for an hour appears to be an extreme punishment.
"I know Philip, and you don't need you to tell me." Her frustration returns, and she regrets throwing her cigarette.
"So I don't have to remind you to polish your pure country sweetheart image." Patronizingly, her agent Philip Blake adds.
Michonne does not appreciate his tone. When the entire situation is in perspective, he is the one to blame for this scandal. However, she bites her tongue because she does not want to start a pointless argument.
"You should have thought about it before you offered me the cocaine." Despite her best effort, she snaps at him.
She closes her eyes and tries to forget that she might lose her career over a paparazzi picture. A week ago at a party, Paparazzi took a picture of Michonne jones also known as America sweetheart snorting a line of cocaine. Days later, the scandal continues to gain traction. Hot topics after hot topics, she is the industry talk and the proof that Hollywood ruin the pure souls. It is not only bad for her career but for the entire industry. Slowly, she is becoming a pariah.
"Babe, I didn't know you never had a line before. Why would I mess with my business like that?" Philip, who is more than just her agent, says with a lack of remorse.
"I..." She stops mid-sentence when she pots a familiar face.
"Michonne?" He questions her abrupt silence
"I have to go. The welcome comity just stepped out of the house." She whispers as the person continues to close the distance between them.
"Please behave and let the paparazzi take a maximum picture." In a very business oriented way, he adds.
For him, Michonne's purpose in king county covers a publicity stunt. It is a return to her country girl roots.
"Philip, you know..." he interrupts her before she can form a proper argument.
"I don't want to hear anything about privacy. As long as you are still painted out like a toxico in these streets. We're losing money, and so smile while you're doing what they do in small villages. Be America sweetheart." He does not allow any space for argumentation.
"I will try, but now I have to go. Love you, babe." Softly, she agrees with his demand.
Michonne tries to be private, but Philip often tries to broadcast their life. Now, she is against the wall, and she is easier to convince.
"Okay and please no bitch resting face." He adds in a very serious tone.
Michonne does not know what could be the adequate reaction. She stutters while she tries to find an answer.
"Philip...Philip," she repeats but he has already disconnected the call.
"Great..." she cries annoyed, but she plastered a smile when her grandfather reaches her.
"Michonne." Maggie cries with joy, and she stands to hug her childhood friend.
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With open arms, Michonne catches an excited Maggie. She returns the hug, and in a quick glance, she shares a conversation. Both women have a lot of catch up to do, and it is a tacit agreement that they will spend the night doing so. Michonne takes a deep breath, and she faces the rest of the table. Purposely, she avoids three people on the table. With a polite smile, she attempts to hide her discomfort.
"Baby girl." Richard senior calls for her.
A wide grin spreads on Michonne's lip, and she runs into the old man arms. He places a kiss on her forehead, and he pulls her chubby cheeks as he always does. The young woman pouts in a sort of old habit. They both laugh at their antics. For a second, Michonne forgets that she hates this little town.
"Grandpas." She addresses her grandfather Morgan and Richard senior.
Michonne looks for a seat, and she tries to avoid the empty one. Ten years later, she continues to remember the hurtful words that he told her. She helplessly stands in the middle of the living room, and she forces her eyes to stray away from three people. The heaviness of hold secret threatens to suffocate her, but she attempts to brush her old fear away.
"Take a seat near Richard, baby." With a soft tone, Morgan orders his grandchild.
In a second, Michonne's expression morphed into a canvas of despair. She stands her ground, and she cannot flinch a muscle. She does not even dare to glance in his direction. After a minute of self-encouragement, the young woman risks a glance. It is a rush of confusing emotion, and she almost feels like a terrified little girl. The air ceases to supply her lungs, but she attempts another glance at Rick. Unfortunately, He returns her glance, and their eyes lock on each other.
A figment of her imagination but the conversation around her has stopped. The world has blurred and only blue irises continue to exist. In ten years, nothing has changed, and she finds the same dark mixture of emotions in his eyes. Her heart strongly constricts, and the blood rushes to the capillaries under her cheek. She tries to avert her eyes, but he does not want to release her look.
"How old are you both?" Richard senior question when he notices the weird interaction between the youths.
"Twenty-seven and thirty-two. Does he still scare you?" Morgan supplies the answer for both of them, and he proceeds to embarrass his granddaughter.
Michonne forces herself to break the spell. Although, she does not find the courage to take the empty seat. She knows what she saw in the agitated blue of his eyes. Ten years later, he continues to hate her. She inhales and attempts to empty her minds, but a specific night wants to resurface. She wants to push the memory of his blue eyes away from her thought. She glances back at Rick, and now, he chooses to ignore her.
"Grandpa." She complains, but Morgan's statement carries an ounce of truth.
She was not always afraid of Rick, and it took a specific night. Beforehand, she used to be a timid girl with a huge crush on her best friend's brother.
"The very famous singer and actress, Michonne Jones continues to be afraid of Richard junior." Her grandfather continues his teasing.
"grandpa, I'm not afraid of...Rick." She stutters when he abruptly raises his head to look at her.
She wants to walk out of the room, and the disdain in his look infuriates her. Michonne attempts to take a deep breath, and it is a futile task. He continues to look at her, and she relives that tumultuous night. Words of apology threaten to live her lips or maybe she will explain the entire situation.
"Morgan, stop teasing Michonne. Baby girl, you can come to sit by me." Richard senior intervenes.
"It is fine. I will take the empty seat." The strength of her pride pushes her to answer.
Her steps are unconfident, but she walks up to the chair by Rick. Careful to avoid contact, she sits but it is pointless because her arm overrides his forearm. Michonne intends to move her arm as soon as she comfortably sits, but Rick is faster. He grabs her hand with his thumb and forefinger, and he discards it as if it is a leprosy-infected object. Michonne convinces herself to remain calm, and she subtly moves her chaise away from Rick's one. Ten years after the incident, he continues to hate her. She has long ceased to be hurt by his hatred, but there is a residual ache.
"Now everyone is here we should have dinner." Richard senior announces, and Michonne does not have an appetite.
She steals another glance at Rick, and she remembers why she hates King county. It has to do with his ten years of absence or perhaps, it has to do with his presence.
Hours later, he cannot push away thought of her. Rick pulls out his computer and attempts to work. It ends in another failure to focus, and his mind wants to think about Michonne. She no longer resembles the girl, which he started to hate ten years ago. Before the fatidical night, she was Maggie's best friend and Grandpa Morgan's daughter. A little teenager, who will become quiet in his presence, and it changed in a night. She found her tongue and ruined life with it.
He would not have recognized her after ten years, and it is strange because he continues to hate her. She has become a pretty woman, and it is a strange thing that he noticed. However, he spends the entire dinner staring at her. Rick does not remember eating, but he remembers studying every detail of her visage. Now, his mind wants to review the same detail. Frustrated, he closes his computer and unceremoniously throws his body to his bed. He closes his eyes, and he does not want to think about Michonne jones or anyone else. Although, his last conversation with her resurfaces. He remembers the tears in her eyes and the anger in his voice.
"Fuck." He curses and opens his eyes.
A knock on his door becomes his saving grace. His thoughts are too heavy, and Rick just wants to forget about the past. However, the past walk around this ranch. It lives in three judgemental eyes.
"Can I come in?" Richard senior's voice fills the room.
"Yes, grandpa." Rick answers and he is thankful for the interruption.
Three hours spent musing about Michonne makes him furious. He sits and makes space on his bed for his grandfather. The young man knows to expect a difficult conversation with the older man. Perhaps, a lecture about disappearing for years, which he does not want to hear.
"How are you settling in?" his grandfather asks.
"Nothing has changed much," Rick answers while he looks around.
The wallpaper in his old room has not changed, and apart from the dust around nothing was added. The place looks like a mausoleum to his person, and so he does not feel comfortable. The emotions of the past continue to resurface. The anger and the rejection of guilt, for Rick nothing has changed.
"Apart from you and me." Richard senior corrects.
He looks at a grandson, who he knows very little of his life. Rick has a successful multinational, and he is a successful CEO, who made the Forbes list. However, Richard senior does not know the intimate detail. Does he have a girlfriend? Is he happy? Ten years and so many things lost through the wasted years.
"Yeah, although you do have new grandchildren." Rick points with slight curiosity.
"Sweet kids, but..." A knock at the door interrupts him before he can share another family secret.
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"Grandpa..." Michonne opens the door but she stops when she notices Rick.
She wants to close the door, but Richard senior stands to open the door widely. The young woman doesn't have a choice and she enters into Rick's private space. Curiosity, which needed to be fed ten years ago, roars, and she attempts to catch detail about the owner. There is dust on everything, and the room has its story much like the looks between them.
"I see Morgan must have started to tell you the news." His voice brings her out of the inspection of Rick's space.
"I'm so sorry..." she starts but the words are too hollow.
"For what I am an old man, lived my life to the fullest. Still has a few more month to continue living. I will have you around." Richard senior brushes away her worries.
The old man has discovered that he had an advanced stage of cancer. In a very resilient fashion, he already made peace with his fate. However, he wants to take care of a few businesses.
"I thought I will find her with you. She always like this room." Morgan enters the room, and he walks to his granddaughter.
"I was looking for grandpa Richard, and Maggie told me he was in... Rick's room" She continues to have trouble with Rick's name, and the murderous glance of the young man contribute to her anxiety.
"I didn't mean to interrupt anything." Michonne continues to speak, and she notices Rick's eyes on her.
She takes a deep breath, and she decides to ignore him. What needed to be said, she heard it ten years ago. He should not scare her because ten years ago he made a promise to her. She is not a teenager recovering from a heartbreak. She is Michonne jones, Grammy winner and she can confront him if the necessity to do so exits.
"You didn't interrupt much and your timing was quite perfect." Rick's grandfather reassures her.
"Perhaps, you may want to sit." Morgan supplies.
"Okay." She sits and looks at her grandfathers.
"Should I or should you?" Morgan questions Richard senior.
"As you both know, I'm in the terminal phase of a colon cancer. Nothing much we can do but spend time together." He starts as an introduction.
For a second, Michonne glances at Rick, and she finds compassion in his eyes. The news is strong enough to subdue the existing animosity between them. Instinctively, she moves closer to him. She tries to hold his hand, but he moves it out of her reach. It is a transient cordiality and she should not assume otherwise. Although, he does not move away when she sits by his side.
"And you imagine I will be too busy to take care of family business. Morgan does not want to do it alone." Richard senior continues his monologue.
The old man worked on his speech for a few days, and he does not want to waste time with his goal. He places a comforting hand on Rick's shoulder, and it grounds the young man. Rick inhales and his hand recovers his grandfather's one. He expected the news, but the confirmation is hard to listen. Subconsciously attracted by the human warmth, He leans closer to Michonne, but he corrects his posture when he notices.
"We created it when we were young and inseparable. Now, we're old and somethang doesn't change. Richard will need all of my help, and I won't be able to control the business." Morgan interjects when the emotions overtake his old friend.
"I think you should have this conversation with dad," Rick says.
He does not want to talk about business. He wants to hug his grandfather and prays for a recovery. The young man doesn't care about the trivial matter.
"If he didn't listen to or allow his gold digger of wife to control him, we would have talked to him. I didn't work that long to lose it over your father stupidity." Richard senior was never a man of diplomacy.
"We know you're both doing great in life. Rick, the company is right up your alley of expertise." Morgan intervenes
"I don't really have a role or the ability to do anything." Michonne joins the conversation.
" I don't have any other relative. You get to have what I have." Morgan ignores her concern.
"I have a career. Grandpa." She counters.
"I know, and we thought about it." In a soothing tone, Richard senior respond.
"I could buy her shares." Rick proposes.
He cannot work with Michonne. He does not want to imagine a future when he is forced to interact with the woman. Her mere presence brings back the anger that he no longer wants to feel. Strangely, tonight her presence is a sort of comfort. Her arm brushing his arm continues to ground him when he wants to break into tears. Her warmth keeps away the tremor, which threatens to shake his body to the core. However, he continues to hate her.
"Not an option. Grimes and jones should continue to be Grimes and Jones." Firmly, Richard senior dismisses the idea.
"We have been thinking about it for years, and there is a close in my will and Morgan's one. When it became clear that your father wasn't to be trusted with money, and I had to retake the company. You became the best choice." His voice retrieves its warmth.
"You're twenty-seven years, and Rick is thirty-two years old. We just think you're mature enough..." Morgan starts to stutter when Rick's angry eyes meet his.
"Oh please don't let it be what I think." With a tone, which expresses his incredulity, Rick almost shout.
"Richard." His grandfather tries to chastise him.
"No, and even less with her." He replies with a glint of fury.
Suddenly, Michonne warmth is no longer grounding. Rick walks away from her, and he cannot help the depreciative laugh. If they knew the history between him and their precious Michonne, they will never ask something so ludicrous. He glances at the young woman, and his stares continue to be intense. He continues to pick detail. She is physically different. She is extremely beautiful, and his hatred for her cannot make him deny such fact. However, she is the same brat, who ruined his life.
"Can it be cleared for me?" Michonne asks.
"You're inheritance comes with A few conditions." Morgan offers and Rick laughs.
"I think a marriage of convenience is more than a few conditions."