Just Keep Walking

Ninety eight

"Daddy? Daddy, what was you and Aunt Tara talking about?" Mary asked as they walked home, her eyes large and inquisitive.
"Tara... Do you... Do you remember when Tara and Heath went on that super long run? Well, Tara found a group, called Oceanside. They have a lot of guns, but Tara promised them that she wouldn't ever tell anyone they exist. But now she had to."
"Are we gonna go get them? They can help us. Be friends."
"Maybe. Us grown ups need to have a talk, but I think so."
"If we go to see them, can I?"
"It's dangerous, I don't know."
"I know. I know. But I can do it. I'm strong."
"You're too strong. I wish you didn't have to be." Rick answered simply, as they walked up their porch steps.
"Can't change it now," Mary shrugged with a smile, "and it means I'm not gonna die any time soon."
"No," Rick chuckled, "you're not." He opened the door, Bertie running out and jumping up at them. Mary giggled, stroking him, then went inside, running to Michonne and hanging off her arm.
"Hey, my angel." Michonne smiled, effortlessly lifting her onto her hip.
"We all need to talk. Have a meeting. Mary, go get your colouring book and pens, you and Judith are going to go see Jo and Izzy."
"I want to go to the meeting." Mary whined.
"You don't need to, okay, because you already know it all. Instead, you have to  look after Judith. Okay? That's your job, and we all got jobs to do."
"Okay." Mary sighed, going upstairs.
"I'll explain in a minute." Rick nodded to Michonne. "Carl! Come on down! 'Chonne, where's Jude?"
"Napping. Rick, what is it?"
"Tara found another community on her run with Heath. They have guns, and lots of them." Rick explained, and Michonne's mouth fell into a smile.

"Thank you so much." Rick smiled to Jo as he went to pick up Mary and Judith later that day.
"No problem. They had lunch, they're just playing in the living room." Jo explained, welcoming Rick inside. "Mary, your daddy's here!"
"Daddy!" Mary squealed happily, running over and jumping into his arms, bright red lipstick on her lips, orange nail polish on her fingers, a tutu over her dungarees.
"Hey, baby. Have you had a good morning?"
"Yeah. We played tea parties." Mary nodded.
"That sounds like fun." Rick smiled, kissing the top of her head.
"It was."
"Dada-da-da!" Judith babbled, reaching up, desperate for Rick's touch, and Rick put Mary down, ruffling her hair, then he picked up Judith. Instantly, Judith laid onto Rick's chest, falling into him.
"Okay, I'm gonna get these two home. Thank you so much for having them, I really appreciate it."
"No problem." Jo smiled.
"Bye." Izzy smiled shyly.
"Bye, sweetie." Rick smiled back, as Mary waved at Izzy, then Jo. Rick walked out, holding Judith on his hip with one hand, and holding Mary's hand with the other. When Rick walked into the house, Michonne smiled at him, her eyes full of love.
"This is why half of the women here are in love with you." Michonne laughed.
"What?" Rick scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"You're attractive, and amazingly good with your two gorgeous daughters." Michonne answered, and Rick laughed, rolling his eyes.
"People like me because of my kids. Not really any other reason." Rick chuckled.
"It's because I'm super cool." Mary smiled.
"Yep."
"Can I have some candy?"
"No, if you're hungry then you can have something healthy. Do you want some carrot sticks?" Rick offered, Michonne finding it touching how much effect Rick put into simple snacks; he could just give her a candy bar.
"Nah. I'll wait for dinner. I'm not really hungry, I just wanted candy." Mary shrugged.
"Okay," Rick laughed, "why don't you go play with Bertie. I found you those tennis balls, go play catch."
"Okay." Mary nodded, her independence growing, and the child ran away.
"Outside!" Rick shouted, as he heard a crash, and a few seconds later Mary ran outside, Bertie by her side. Once she was outside, Rick laid Judith in her crib that they kept downstairs, then he leant closer to Michonne.
"Hey." She breathed, and Rick kissed her slowly, then hungrily, pressing her against the wall.
"Dad?! When are we goin' to Hilltop to tell them?" Carl shouted down the stairs, jogging down them as he did so. Rick and Michonne stepped apart guiltily, and Rick cleared his throat loudly.
"Shall we... Actually, shall we go now? You wanna come? See Enid?" Rick suggested.
"Yeah. And Mary?" Carl smiled.
"Sure. She'll wanna see Mag. 'Chonne?"
"Nah, I'll stay with Judith. Let you guys have some time alone."
"Gabriel can look after Judith. You don't have to do that." Rick said softly.
"No. They need some time alone with their dad." Michonne insisted.
"Carl, go check on Moo outside." Rick sighed, nodding to the door, and the boy left.
"What?" Michonne laughed.
"They're... They're our kids. Not mine." Rick whispered, his voice thick with pain and shock.
"I... Rick. I... It's just... It was you raising them for so long. Just one parent. Now... Now there's me too. I don't want them to feel... Suffocated. They should still have some time with just you. So they don't feel like I'm replacing you."
"They don't." Rick insisted.
"They don't say they feel like that. They might." Michonne corrected.
"'Micho..."
"No. I'll stay and look after Judith. You'll be back for dinner. Go."
"Okay. Bye." Rick whispered, his breath flickering against Michonne's ear as he kissed edge of her jawbone.
"Bye." Michonne smiled, tilting his chin to her, then kissing his lips gently. Rick's words comforted her, but she knew that she would always be an outsider with the Grimes family. Not with Judith - she didn't remember life just with her, her siblings, and Rick - but Mary and Carl had memories of having one parent, and of Lori. She felt like she'd always be an outsider, even if no one admitted it.