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richonnejustdesserts · 7 years

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Teacher’s Pet : A Richonne Round Robin Fanfic

A small town sheriff and preschool teacher find love thanks to the cutest little matchmaker around. [RATED: T]

Chapter 7 (written by @iminyjo)

“…The thing was busted the whole time! I’m standing there looking at him like, ‘Man, are you kidding me?’”

Shane kept going and luckily for Rick, he realized that he hadn’t been listening at all a moment before Shane could. He glanced at his watch meaningfully and stood up from his desk abruptly to avoid being caught.

“Well, I think I’m gonna go stretch my legs.” Rick said, thumbing toward the front doors of the station.

Shane looked caught off guard because he’d been in the middle of a sentence when his best friend bounded to his feet unexpectedly.

“Everything okay, Chief?” Shane ventured.

Rick looked back at him. There was no way for Rick to explain that he was anxious, excited and frustrated simultaneously without facing a serious ragging from his friend.

“Yup.” He answered simply, stretching to sell his boredom better.

The truth was he was restless. He’d seen Michonne Saturday night and then again on Sunday for a picnic at the local Reservoir. Dinner on a Sunday night, basically a school night, proved impractical but rather than cancel they agreed to meet in the early afternoon. The outing had started out charming and chaste enough but had devolved or escalated, depending on your point of view, into a heavy petting session. Without a doubt, as far as he was concerned, it had been wonderful. And if Michonne enjoyed herself even half as much as Rick had with her then he knew already they were both in serious trouble. He was a goner. He could tell already.

But now he wasn’t gonna see her until Tuesday.

Still, Monday nights with the guys was sacrosanct. He’d told Michonne that when they made plans to see each other next. He explained himself and she’d listened carefully. It wasn’t because he didn’t already feel like he could see her and spend time with her and talk to her and touch her everyday. It was just that he didn’t want to be one of those guys that threw his friends over every time his love life had a pulse. And Mondays were his established “Guys’ Night” with Shane and Glenn. Michonne, the amazing person she was, completely understood that, but now Rick was the one feeling deprived.

He sighed.

“Today’s too nice a day to be stuck inside,” Rick announced. “I think I’ll go pick up the kids today. Take ‘em to the park before I take them home. Save Lori the trip.”

Shane just watched him, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll bet.”

“What?” Rick said feigning innocence. Shane had known him too long, it was occasionally annoying.

Shane reclined in his chair with his feet up on the desk and put his hands behind his head. “You never did tell me how the date with the school teacher went.”

Rick cursed himself for not having walked out as soon as he got to his feet. Shane wasn’t even supposed to know about their date but between him, Maggie and Glenn there had been too many witnesses and loose lips to keep anything quiet. Rick was convinced they were trading notes or exchanging texts or something about him. It was like they had a hotline. Everything one knew, the other two did as well in short order.

“It was nice,” Rick answered truthfully but succinctly. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, a hand resting on his gunbelt.

“I’ll bet.” Shane agreed with a smile that suggested he knew more than he technically should. He swiveled in his chair as if he was waiting for something.

“What?” Rick said again.

Shane suddenly looked like the cat that ate the canary, waving him off all smugly agreeable.

“I’m heading out,” Rick said turning to walk out.

“So you said.”

He took a step and turned back to Shane again, spinning on the heel of his boot. “What?”

Shane shrugged in answer; the smile hadn’t budged an inch. “Nuthin’”

Rick sighed again loudly. His shoulders drooped in defeat. So much for even a speck of privacy in this town. “You heard about the museum?”

“HA!” Shane smiled widely then, dropping his feet back to the floor and clapping his hands, rubbing them together greedily, ready to get to the nitty-gritty. “Boy, I had no idea you were such an art-connoisseur!”

Shane laid his country accent on especially thick for maximum effect. “But see son, in the future, I reckon I must advise you to appreciate the arts within the boundaries of the Law.”

Rick scowled. That damn security guard.

“This town is too damn small,” Rick complained aloud more to himself than his friend. He wondered how many rounds this story had already made in just under forty-eight hours.

“…I hear there may even be pictures.” Shane was continuing.

Rick skewered him with a look that if not stopping him entirely, at least turned Shane’s next words from outside statements to inside thoughts. He pursed his lips, making like he was zipping them up and tossing away the key.

Rick groaned. Paying Michonne a visit at school had gone from a wistful impulse to a necessity in a matter of seconds. If this thing had effectively ruined his chances with her, Rick knew in that moment he was going to be personally cracking heads and wringing necks of gossip-mongers all over town until he got all the way back to that security guard.

He looked at his watch in earnest now. “I gotta get over to the school before the bell rings. Cover for me?”

Shane smiled, still irritatingly amused. “Sure thing, Brother.”

“I’ll see you tonight,” Rick made for the door, far more apprehensive than he’d been an hour ago.

***

Michonne strolled down the hall with a large, juicy apple in her hands. This was one of her rare free periods. Her kids and the kids from the Pre-K -B class were having a visit from the local zookeeper. He’d brought in a marmoset, a parrot and a frog. And between them, the two aides and Tanya Wilson, the teacher from class B, the two Pre-K groups’ attentions were completely rapted. Next week when the flautist came, it would be her turn to class-sit while Tanya took the break. In the meantime, Michonne decided the best place to enjoy her minuscule thirty minutes in relative solitude would be in the teacher’s lounge. At that time of day, it was likely to be nearly empty– or at least she hoped, since she didn’t actually know.

Michonne turned the fruit over lovingly in her hands before taking a bite. Her kids kept her stocked in them: Fujis, Galas, Macintoshes, Pink Ladies, Granny Smiths, both Yellow and Red Delicious. She was lucky she genuinely liked them. Having, apparently, conflated the idea of ‘an apple a day keeping the doctor away’ with ‘having an apple for the teacher’. It delighted her that her kids wanted her to live forever…or be invincible, as Jeffie Hill explained it to her. They loved her as much as she loved them and her daily apples were the tangible, or rather edible, proof. She smiled as she thought of it, turning the corner up the hall to the lounge.

“…And third off, I don’t really see how it’s even any of your business.” Michonne heard Sasha saying as she approached the doorway. She slowed down, this sounded ugly.

“Well, I just don’t think it’s appropriate. She just arrived. I heard–” It was the fifth grade English teacher, Ms. Martin speaking. Michonne had exchanged enough pleasantries with the woman to recognize her voice. She hesitated. Something inside suddenly telling her to fall back.

“Personally, I don’t understand why you’d be even getting your gossip from the lunch lady’s son anyway. I heard Eugene Porter taught seventh grade Bio, at this very school, for two years before anyone realized he didn’t even graduate from high school.” That was Paul interjecting.

“Mr. Rovia!” Sasha said scandalized…or at least faking it well.

“What? I’m merely illustrating how bankrupt idle chatter is. Really ladies, what Ms. Anthony–” Michonne stepped back out of the doorway at the mention of her name, her apple stuck in her mouth as if she were on a spit. Fittingly she discovered, since she was apparently being roasted– “chooses to do in her spare time and with whom she does it is no one’s business.”

Michonne didn’t know whether to stay or go. She wasn’t an eavesdropper but considering the conversation was apparently about her, she felt torn. How was it possible that her fledgling dating life in this town had already become fodder for lunchroom gossip? Her mother had warned her, but truly this was ridiculous. She hung back at the threshold of lounge

“The point is,” Sasha overemphasized her syllables. “unless at some point, Ms. Anthony or whomever asks you for your opinion personally, I think you’d be smart to keep their names out of your mouth.”

Michonne knew that like herself, Sasha was a transplant but with her mild, nerdy, affably witty personality, she’d never thought to wonder where exactlySasha hailed from…until that moment. But with the flint in that final pronouncement and a voice that brooked absolutely no rebuttal, Michonne wondered now if Sasha’s original home wasn’t a bit more rough and tumble than vanilla King County.

So with that as her cue, Michonne pushed through her nerves and walked into the lounge as if oblivious to what was happening around her.

“Good afternoon, Everybody.” Michonne announced casually after finally pulling the apple from between her lips.

Ms. Martin blanched as if caught, turning both pale and red in great big splotches that crossed her face and down in a scarlet trail across her neck and chest. “Um, M-Ms. Anthony. Hi!”

Her companion, one of the middle school’s PE teachers that Michonne had yet to formally meet, avoided eye contact. She gathered her things swiftly muttering about her break being over and scuttled out of the room.

Paul and Sasha turned simultaneously and shared a look. Even they looked startled by her sudden appearance behind them.

“Ms. Anthony, a-are you, ah, are you having a good day so far?” Sasha asked being the first to regain her composure.

Michonne almost laughed. Clearly, there wasn’t a bank robber or con-artist among them, they all looked so unnerved and caught in the act that she very nearly felt sorry for them. She stood there silently for a moment longer to allow them all to stew in their guilt. In that time, Ms. Martin too, grabbed her papers and with her lunch bag moved past Sasha and Paul toward the door.

Michonne considered crowding the threshold as the woman approached and she slowed as if she suspected, looking very much like a cornered rabbit. But at the last moment, Michonne stepped out of the doorway graciously, “Have a good afternoon, Roxanne.”

“Michonne,” Was all she said before flying by her and down the hall.

Michonne turned her attention on her friends then, cocking her head slightly in query.

“Look, we didn’t want you to find out like this–” Paul was the first to speak this time.

“We didn’t want you to find out at all.” Sasha amended holding her hands up to stay Michonne even though she hadn’t moved or spoken at all.

“What?” She really hadn’t heard much of anything although clearly they didn’t know that.

Sasha and Paul exchanged another look. They were gonna get on her bad side quickly if they continued doing that. “What don’t you guys want me to know?”

She walked into the lounge and sat on the large comfy couch that lined the wall by the window and staff mailboxes. Sasha joined her, while Paul pulled up a close-by chair.

“I’m an adult, I can handle it.”

Her friends exchanged another meaningful look that made her stomach drop.

“There’s a rumor going around that old Mrs. Porter’s son Eugene caught you and Rick Grimes rolling around in the children’s exhibit at the McPherson Museum,” Sasha rushed through it all as if she were ripping off a band-aid.

“And we wouldn’t have even dignified it with a comment except that…well, we know you went on a date with him on Saturday.” Paul added.

Michonne’s face burned. They’d joked that their little romp would become grist for the gossip mill but Michonne had assumed that it was just that…a joke.

“Now some of the teachers are concerned that dating Rick isn’t appropriate.” Sasha continued rolling her eyes. “But I honestly think we may have nipped that in the bud.”

It was Monday, in the early afternoon. How could that story have possibly gotten those kind of legs already?

“First of all, it’s not true…”

Entirely…maybe if they hadn’t gotten caught– Michonne self-censored as Paul and Sasha looked from each other back to her.

“Of course not, honey–”

“We didn’t believe it for a minute–”

“….And second of all, I thought you guys said it wouldn’t necessarily be a big deal if we saw each other?”

“It’s not, exactly,” Paul reached out and pat Michonne consolingly on the knee as he leaned forward into their little huddle. “I mean you’re not breaking any rules. It’s like anything else in this town that’s out of the ordinary– just something to talk about.”

Michonne loathed being the subject of idle gossip. The idea that after only a few months in town she’d already gotten tongues wagging distressed her.

“This will peter out in time, trust me,” Sasha attempted to reassure her. “As soon as someone gets a DUI or Mrs. Anderson brings in another store-bought cake for the Spring Cake-walk –she does it every year and every year they act like it’s a high crime–”

“She’s a hairdresser, I don’t understand why people expect her to be Betty Crocker.” Paul inserted looking at Sasha. “I suspect she couldn’t properly operate an Easy Bake oven, so I’m actually glad she lets the supermarket handle it.”

“Paul.”

“What? She can’t cut hair either.” He ran a hand through his hair once and shuddered.

“What I’m saying is, trust us, once there’s something else for people to talk about, people will.” Sasha concluded with a smile and another pat on her other knee.

Michonne frowned but nodded at them nevertheless. She certainly hoped so.

***

Michonne was sleepwalking through the rest of the day. She knew it. Even the kids knew it.

Just before the dismissal bell, Judith Grimes came up to her and tugged on the sleeve of her shirt as she stood at the sink washing out a couple dozen small paint brushes.

“Miss A, are you okay?”

Michonne turned to her and squatted so they were eye to eye. “Judith, you’re supposed to be over on the story rug listening to Miss Ashley.” With the exception of Judith, her teacher’s aide had the children’s undivided attention– no small feat ten minutes before the end of the day.

“She’s not as good as you and Daddy.” Judith reported softly, leaning in so it was just between Michonne and herself.

Michonne smiled in spite of herself. The thought of various teachers speculating on her nascent relationship with Rick had her beside herself and completely off her game. She fretted that even Judith, who while observant was still only a four-year-old, noticed. It made her feel worse. This thing had just begun, was it already time to end it?

“Has someone given you the Cold-Pricklies?” Judith asked seriously, her cherubic cheeks and big blue eyes taking on the approximation of a dour expression.

Michonne nearly laughed. They’d just been teaching the kids a lesson on how words could hurt or help, labeling them either the Cold-Pricklies or the Warm-Fuzzies. It was no surprise to Michonne that Judith was both an astute and swift learner.

“No, but thank you for asking.” Michonne said giving Judith’s shoulder a squeeze. She looked more like her mother than her father, Michonne had realized but those blue eyes were Rick’s without a doubt. The thought of breaking things off with him so soon saddened her. Surprisingly so.

She sighed softly to herself as she stood. “Storytime isn’t over yet. Go see if you can catch the end.”

Judith nodded, her blonde ringlets bobbing on her head. “Okay.”

Michonne turned and went back to her brushes before she felt another soft tug. “Yes, Judith?”

Now she actually did laugh. She guessed bedtime was always entertaining in the Grimes Household.

Judith looked up at her, scrunching her little nose and beckoning her down to eye-level with her index finger. Michonne bent at the waist and Judith whispered in her ear. “I wish you could come home with us. Daddy always knows what to say to make me and Carl feel better.”

Michonne smiled, genuinely and pulled the preschooler into her arms giving her a big hug. “Thank you. But you know, I think you’re probably as good as your dad.”

Judith beamed. She turned and ran for the rug just as the bell rang. She froze in her spot for a moment looking back at Michonne as all the children on the rug jumped up and scattered. Michonne laughed again and Judith smiled like the class clown.

“Have a good afternoon, Everyone!” Michonne announced then.

“BYE, MISS A!” They all screamed simultaneously as they did every afternoon.

Michonne waved goodbye to Judith as she scrambled to her cubby for her things. She couldn’t help keeping her eyes on the little girl even as other children tackled her thighs to give their own farewells.

Was it strange or somehow unfair to everyone else that Judith had already secured a little real estate in her heart?

About twenty minutes later as Michonne and Ashley moved through the room putting the last of the things away for the day, there was a knock on the door. They both looked up to see Rick standing hesitantly in the doorway in his full sheriff’s uniform. A squadron of butterflies suddenly did a loop de loop in Michonne’s stomach. She would have been lying if she said it wasn’t a very sexy sight.

“Ms. Anthony?”

“Deputy Grimes!”

They both spoke at the same time, then smiled timidly at each other.

Ashley, who stood incidentally at a spot on the rug midway between them both cradling a stack of books in her hands, looked around awkwardly.

“I, um, need to go help Ms. Wilson in her room…now.” She said to Michonne quickly then hurriedly put the books down haphazardly in the Reading Corner and rushed out.

Rick barely cleared the doorway fast enough to avoid a collision. Michonne rolled her eyes. It was worse than she expected. The whole school knew –in two days! She sighed and Rick frowned in concern.

“Everything okay?”

Michonne shook her head fatigued. She put her arms across her chest and settled back against her desk at the front of the classroom.

How to tell him that the school rumor mill was already hard at work labelling them lovebirds?

Rick came in more fully, walking up until he was within striking distance, close enough to touch Michonne if that was what she wanted. Though from the look on her face it was tough for him to tell. She certainly looked like she could use a hug but with her arms crossed, she seemed guarded at the same time.

“I wanted to wait until everyone cleared out. Carl and Judy are waiting in the car.” As Rick spoke Michonne nodded, “And I know we said we’d see each other tomorrow. So I hope you don’t think I’m being eager.”

Michonne smiled. It was small but still a smile. “Eager’s okay.”

She didn’t know if she wanted to encourage or discourage him at that moment. Looking at Rick now she was truly torn.

“…But I wanted to talk to you for a minute.”

“That’s good. We need to talk.”

Just that quickly Rick was set back on his heels. A woman saying they needed to talk, whether or not you said it first, was not a good sign.

“Is everything okay?” He asked again plaintively.

Michonne put her hand to her mouth covering a giggle. Rick looked and sounded exactly like his daughter in that moment right down to the solemn expression and half-cocked head.

Did she really want to stop seeing this man based on idle chatter?

They were both consenting adults, that had broken no rules.

“It appears the halls are alive with the sound of gossip.” She said smiling.

Rick dragged his hand down his face and sighed deeply like an old man after a flight of stairs. “So you know?”

Michonne nodded. “Yep, I guess apparently Eugene Porter and his mother got on the ole bullhorn Saturday night and alerted the entire school?”

“Possibly town.” Rick broke it to her. Michonne groaned.

Her mother’s words came back to her yet again. She could not claim she hadn’t been warned.

“So what do you wanna do, if anything?” Rick asked, dreading the possible answer. He closed the distance between them and Michonne came back to her feet. He placed his hands on her arms and looked directly into her beautiful brown eyes trying to discern her answer before she spoke.

Looking into his eyes Michonne thought of the great time they’d had together on Saturday…and Sunday.

Rick wasn’t sure how to take her silence. “You want to call it off?”

He couldn’t hide his disappointment, Michonne was the first person since his divorce from Lori that had put the color back into his world. It was only after he’d met her that he realized he’d been blithely going through the motions in monochrome for so long he could barely remember the difference. Until now.

Michonne remained silent a moment longer. What did she want? She wanted to see where this thing between them could go. She realized she wanted to get to know Rick better. If she let herself be frightened off by a little bit of wayward gossip now she knew she might miss an opportunity for something great. So then she knew what she wanted.

She wanted to give them a chance.

She smiled, shaking her head and Rick felt the knot forming in his stomach ease.

“Nope,” She said easily and then they both were smiling.

#author: iminyjo #richonne #richonne fanfiction #richonne round robin #teacher's pet #rjd writing network #rick grimes #michonne #judith grimes #carl grimes #grimes family 2.0

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