#oh yeah uh!! those are my designs for them i guess!!! rick is small (compared to kine) but he's not Crazy Tiny like a real hamster

[starflungwaddledee]

👀 and 💭 for Coostruck ^^

>>> kirby ship ask game here જ⁀➴ ♡!

9. 👀 What do other characters think of their relationship? Do they approve or disapprove? and 11. 💭 Do they have a favorite memory involving their partner? + an anonymous ask for 18. 💓 How did they tell their friends that they were together, or is their relationship a secret?

well, i wouldn't say it's his favourite memory, but...

he won't be forgetting it anytime soon. kind of a continuation of this and this!

for an avian this is tantamount to your boys finding that super secret book of terribly cringe poetry and song lyrics you've been writing about one specific person. nuclear event for coo "i'll just keep it all bottled up right here and then one day i'll die" the owl.

*✩˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ valentines shipaganza masterpost ✩˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ⋆˙⟡

[carolina-bleus]

Hidden Treasures: Carolina-Bleus

Rick glanced at his watch periodically as he paced in front of the park entrance. There is no way she would do this to me again.

When his phone began chiming with Lori’s ringtone, Rick quickly answered. “Hello?”

“Rick. Hey. Umm...I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be able to make it.”

“What?! Are you serious, Lori?”

“Yeah, Carla just broke up with her boyfriend and she asked me to come over. She sounded so pitiful that I couldn’t say no.”

“Lori, you are the one who signed us up for this whole thing. I didn’t even want to do it.”

“I know. You made that pretty obvious whenever I brought it up.” Lori mumbled.

“But I came anyway because it was so important to you. And for you to just stand me up at the last minute...”

“It can’t be helped, Rick. It hasn’t even started yet so you can duck out if you like and go do something stupid with Shane.”

“Whatever, Lori. At least I’m putting forth some effort and trying to do something that you like.

“Rick—”

“Tell Carla I hope she feels better. I always thought she could do better than Philip anyway.”

“Rick, I really am sorry.”

“I gotta go, Lori.” Rick ended the call and was just about to go back to his car when a petite older lady marched up to him.

“Are you here for the scavenger hunt?”

“Yes, but I—”

“Great! I have a heavy box in the back of my car that I need a little help with.”

It was more of a directive than a question, so Rick followed the woman to her car, grabbed the box out of the backseat, and walked right back into the last place he wanted to be that day.

Michonne sat on a bench inside of the park and stared at her phone, knowing that it was going to ring any minute with a not so surprising call. I just know he’s going to do it to me again.

When her phone started blasting the song Tyrone, Michonne chuckled. The only thing her boyfriend was ever on time for lately was disappointing her.

“Hey, Mike.”

“Hey, baby. I know we were supposed to do that scavenger thing today but something just came up.”

“What did Terry do this time?”

“He just got into a little scrape last night that he needs me to help him out of.”

“Terry is always getting into something that he needs you to help make right.”

“He’s my best friend, Michonne. I have to be there if he needs me.”

“So where does that leave me, your girlfriend, Mike? I don’t ask you to do a lot of things but I really wanted to do this today.”

“I know and I’m sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you. There is a new artist playing in that jazz club you like downtown. We can go there next week. That’s more our speed anyway.”

“’Our speed’ as in yours and mine or yours and Terry’s? All three of us always go to One Note and I don’t complain. I just wanted to do this one thing today that was just about the two of us.”

“All I can say is I’m sorry. Baby, I need to go, but I’ll call you tonight.”

“Tell Terry I said hello.”

“I will. Bye, Michonne.” Mike hung up quickly.

Michonne rolled her eyes at Mike not catching the sarcasm in her last statement. Well, I guess I’ll get out of here before this thing starts. Michonne pulled her cloth sling bag across her body, rose from the bench, and started moving towards the main park entrance. Halfway there, she was stopped by a small woman directing a guy to place a huge box on a table under a tree. Michonne smiled briefly at the woman and was about to walk around the pair when she felt a hand on her arm.

“Did you sign up for the scavenger hunt, dear?”

“Yes, but I was just—”

“Wonderful! We are just about to start. There are some instruction papers in the box this helpful young man is holding that we are going to need for today. If you could get those for me, that would be great. They are in a yellow folder. I need to run back to the car for one more thing.”

“But I—”

“Thank you!”

The woman rushed off before Michonne could explain that she wasn’t staying for the event.

“She did that to me, too. That’s why I’m holding this box right now.”

Michonne turned towards the voice. She couldn’t see his face because the box was so big. “Uh, do you want help putting that down? It looks really heavy.”

“Thanks, I would appreciate that. It got heavier the more steps I took.”

Michonne put her hands under the box just as the guy had his. Her fingers accidentally brushed against his as he adjusted his grip on the box. The resulting sensation almost made pull away.

From his end, Rick also felt something akin to a shock when his hands came into contact with the unknown woman’s. He didn’t really know what to make of it.

“Just a couple of steps to your right and we and drop it on the table. Yeah, right there.”

Box safely deposited on the table, the strangers got a good look at each other for the first time. And the feeling elicited when their hands touched was nothing compared to when they first laid eyes on each other.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

“Oh, you’re getting to know each other. How nice. Do you have the papers, dear?”

Michonne was thankful for the little spitfire’s intrusion and bossiness. It broke whatever had her and the handsome stranger frozen. She reached into the box and grabbed the wanted folder.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you. You two have been a wonderful help. What are your names?”

Ever the gentleman, Rick nodded for Michonne to go first. “I’m Michonne...Michonne Richardson.”

“I’m Rick Grimes.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I am Deanna Monroe. The leader of this little experiment. Where are your partners?”

“Well, my boyfriend couldn’t make it at the last minute and I was actually about to go.”

“Yeah, my girlfriend had to tend to a friend so I was leaving as well.”

“Nonsense, you’re already here. Stay and participate.”

“Mrs. Monroe,” Rick began.

“Please call me Deanna, Rick.”

“Deanna, this is a couple’s scavenger hunt and we” Rick motioned between Michonne and himself “aren’t a couple.”

“Well, you are for today. Throw caution to the wind and have a little fun. Who knows, you might even get a new friend out of it.”

“You aren’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer, are you?” Michonne asked.

“You’re a fast learner, Michonne. I like that.” Deanna pulled out an envelope and handed it to Michonne. “Here, you’ll need this.”

Michonne took the envelope and looked at Rick. “I guess we’re partners.”

“I guess so.”

Deanna called the other couples up to the table. Once every pair had an envelope, Deanna began to speak.

“Hello. My name is Deanna Monroe and I’d like to welcome you to The Amazing Race About Town! If you signed up for this, then it means you are a couple looking for a challenge. And make no mistake, that while this will be fun, it will also be a challenge. I have found that the couples that do best are the ones with the best communication, the best cooperation, and the best chemistry. And, not to brag, but we’ve been doing this for six years and every couple that has won the race has gone on to a successful marriage. May the tradition continue.”

Rick leaned close to Michonne’s ear. “Win and get married or lose and breakup. But, you know, no pressure or anything.”

The amazing smell of Rick’s cologne and the sound of his voice in her ear made Michonne take a slight step away. “Exactly,” she said with a smile. “Almost makes me glad my boyfriend bailed on me again or I might be going home single at the end of this.”

Michonne’s smile had thrown Rick for a loop but the reminder of her boyfriend quickly snapped him out of it. “Yeah, this probably isn’t the best time for me and my girlfriend to be doing any couple’s activities.”

Rick and Michonne shared a look of sad understanding before Rick’s eyes brightened with an idea.  

“Hey, you want to beat Deanna at her own game...literally?”

“What did you have in mind?” Michonne asked warily.

“It’s nothing bad. She’s just so sure that only the strongest and most compatible couples can win this thing. How about we throw a wrench in that plan? We’ll win this thing as complete strangers and torpedo her whole theory.”

Michonne thought about it. “I mean we are already here and losing isn’t my idea of a fun time.”

“Mine either. So are you in?”

“I’m in,” Michonne agreed with a nod.

“Rick, Michonne, is there something you two would like to share with the class?” Deanna broke in.

The couple looked around to see everyone staring at them. They shared a glance and smirked at each other before Rick answered Deanna.

“No, we were just strategizing.”

“Very good.” Deanna narrowed her eyes at the pair before nodding approvingly. “Very good indeed. Now, everyone, in your envelopes you will find clues that will lead you to different spots around the city. The spots will be designated with a red flag. Once there, you will have to engage in different activities as a couple. Make sure you take a picture at each spot...as proof of completion and as a little memento for you to keep. Also, check off the activities on the sheet and please have it signed by the activity leader at each spot before moving on to the next clue. This is an all-day event and there is a mandatory half-hour lunch break that you must take between 12 and 1 pm. At six pm sharp, whether you have finished all of the activities or not, return here to the park. The winner of the race will be the couple who completes the most activities in the fastest time. Quality counts as well as completion. Each couple decides how much time to devote to each activity. Take a moment to open your envelopes and looks over the clues. You do not have to do them in order. In ten minutes, I will give you a bonus clue and then the race will begin.”

Michonne ripped open the envelope and pulled out the clue sheet. Rick moved slightly behind to read over her shoulder.

“I think we should try to figure out as many as possible in the next ten minutes. Why don’t you start reading from the bottom up and I’ll start from the top down,” Michonne suggested.

“Agreed. These things are probably within a short downtown radius, so if we can cluster activities together in small quadrants as we do them, that would be most efficient. Start with the longest distanced activities first so we can end close to the park.”

Michonne was impressed. “That’s actually a great plan. Either you do a lot of scavenger hunts or your job...”

“It’s my job. I’m on the search and rescue team of the police department.”

“Really? That’s amazing, Rick.”

Rick blushed at the praise. “It’s no big deal.”

“It’s a huge deal.”

“What do you do?” Rick shifted the topic back to Michonne because he was uncomfortable with praise and he genuinely wanted to know more about her.

“Nothing close to saving people’s lives. I work at--”

“This is your five-minute warning,” Deanna called out.

“Crap. Let’s look over these clues. And I’ll tell you about what I do later. In fact, we should probably use the time in between activities getting to know each other in case there is some sort of couple’s quiz or something.”

Rick nudged Michonne. “Now who’s coming up with the great ideas?”

The pair studied the clues and made notations on the sheet. They were pretty confident that they’d figured out about half when a horn sounded.

“Time’s up. Now, here’s your bonus clue to get everything started. Listen carefully because I’ll only say it once.” After a brief pause, Deanna began. “To begin your adventure, you mustn’t stroll. It is going to take teamwork and four legs to get this show on a roll.”

“We can’t stroll...show on a roll. She emphasized ‘roll.’ Four legs...roll,” Michonne murmured

Rick suddenly grabbed Michonne’s hand. “Come on! I know what she means.” He took off running still holding Michonne’s hand.

“Where are we going?”

“Four legs to get the show on a roll. It’s a bicycle built for two. They rent them out here at the park for people to ride around town.”

“Seriously? I’ve always wanted to ride one of those.”

“Why haven’t you?”

“Well, for two reasons. One, Mike would never want to do that. He’d consider it the,” Michonne lowered her voice to mimic Mike’s, “height of wackness. Plus, uh...I don’t really know how to ride a bike.”

Rick stopped so abruptly at that statement that Michonne ran into his back.

Even his back smells good, she thought.

Rick turned to face Michonne. “You don’t know how to ride a bike?”

“No. I wouldn’t have signed up for this thing if I knew competing in a mini Tour de France was a requirement.” Michonne sighed in frustration. “Do you want to pull out?”

Mind out of the gutter, Rick. “Not at all. We’re riding a tandem bike and since I’m more experienced, and heavier, I’ll go up front and do the steering. All you’ll have to do is follow my lead from behind and pedal in sync with me. Are you comfortable with that?”

Being independent and doing things for herself were hallmarks of Michonne’s personality. It was always a bone of contention between her and Mike. He had a habit of making decisions that impacted them as a couple without seeing how she felt about it first.

“Yeah, I think I can do that.”

“I know you can.” Rick grabbed Michonne’s hand and took off running again. “How is your core?”

Michonne looked down at her stomach wondering why Rick was asking. “Umm, I’m happy with it. I’ve been hitting the pilates hard lately as a stress reliever and I’m really streamlining.”

Rick laughed. “I meant your core balance. It will help you stay upright on the bike.”

“Oh.”

“And, if you don’t mind me saying it, the pilates is definitely paying off.”

Michonne bit back a smile and ran a little faster.

Despite the pause, they still made it to the bikes ahead of most of the other couples. Rick grabbed the equipment and made his way over to Michonne.

“Okay, I’ll give you a quick rundown while we are padding up.” Rick placed a bike helmet on Michonne’s head and secured the strap under her chin. “How does that feel? Is it too tight?”

“No, it feels just right.”

“Good.” Rick secured his own helmet next. “I’m going to hop onto the bike and put my right foot on the pedal and lean the rest of my weight on my left leg on the ground. You get on and do the same thing. On the count of three, push your right foot down and bring your left leg up and onto the pedal. Rely on that streamlined core to keep you upright if you are feeling wobbly. Yell when you’re ready and we’ll take off. Okay?”

“Okay. We’re going to the carnival first, right?”

“Yeah.”

Michonne followed Rick’s instructions and was now sitting upright on the bike. She was holding her stomach in so tight that it was starting to hurt.

Rick looked behind to check on Michonne and saw her sitting ramrod straight. “Hey, relax. I’ve done this before. I’m not going to let anything happen. Just rely on me and, I know it’s pretty soon for this, but trust me.”

“I’m trying.”

“Alright. Just breathe with me. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose.”

Michonne closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

“And let it out through your mouth.”

Michonne exhaled slowly. When she opened her eyes, Rick was staring at her with a smile.

“You ready?”

“Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s roll, partner.”

With a nod, Rick turned back around. “On the count of three we’ll start pedaling. One, two, three.”

Step right up and ignore all the bustle for this task is going to take a bit of muscle. Make the bell ring high in the sky and you’ll walk away with a very nice prize.

It was still early in the morning when Rick and Michonne arrived at the fall carnival. It was a week-long free event meant to welcome the fall and the beginning of the holiday season.

“You did it!” Rick congratulated Michonne as they parked their bike and walked to the first activity.  “And you didn’t tip over once. How do you feel?”

“Surprisingly accomplished...and sore around my abs.”

“Well you did great. But, I’m wondering, how come you never learned how to ride a bike?”

Michonne shrugged. “I always meant to, but something always came up. My dad was in the Army and we moved a lot around the country and around the world. I guess some things fell by the wayside.”

“Like learning how to ride a bike?”

“Yes. That and having a pet. I always wanted a cat but my father didn’t think it was practical.”

“Well, I had several dogs growing up and I know how to ride a bike, drive a tractor, a truck, and a bulldozer.”

Michonne raised a brow. “Now you’re just bragging, Rick.”

“That’s not my intention,” Rick chuckled. “I had time to learn all of those things because I lived in the same small country town my entire childhood until college. Familiarity is nice, but I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of the world beyond my little corner of it when I was growing up. I’d gladly trade those skills for some of the memories you probably have. I wouldn’t trade my dogs though.”

“Don’t get me wrong, it was nice being exposed to so many different places, people, and cultures, but it would have been nice to call a place home for longer than a couple of years.”

“So, you’re seeking a sense of stability.”

“And you’re seeking a sense of adventure. Is that why you joined search and rescue?”

“Something like that.” Rick smiled at Michonne’s insight. Not many people understood why he decided to work such a stressful and taxing job...especially not Lori.

The couple arrived at the first, the High Striker.

Rick walked up to the guy manning the game. “Hey, we’re here from the race.”

“Well, step right up and take a swing. You don’t have to ring the bell, but if you do, you’ll get a prize. But you only get one shot, so choose who gets to take it.”

“Michonne, you want a go at this?” Rick offered.

“Points for not being sexist, but you can go right ahead and take this one, Rick.”

“Will I lose points if I ask you to hold my jacket while I swing?”

“Nope, that’s what partners are for.”

Rick took off the tan corduroy coat that was perfect for the morning chill and passed it over to Michonne. The worn brown t-shirt he wore underneath highlighted his lean and muscled physique. He reminded Michonne of Mike in that regard. Though Mike had a slight height advantage.

Why am I eyeing this man’s body? And why am I thinking of my boyfriend while I’m eyeing his body? This is just wrong on every level.  

Rick raised the mallet and brought is down with all of his might and a ding soon rang out. Michonne yelled from the sidelines.

“Congrats, mister! What prize are you going to choose?”

“Michonne, you want to choose?”

“You won it, Rick. You choose what you want.”

Rick scanned the prizes and smiled when he found just what he was looking for. “I’ll take that the stuffed cat.”

“You sure, mister?”

“Absolutely. And would you initial this, please?” Signed activity sheet and prize in hand, Rick walked back over to Michonne and presented her with the stuffed, multicolored cat.

“What’s this for?”

“It’s in place of the one you never got to have growing up.”

Michonne squeezed the cat to her. “Thank you, Rick.”

“You’re welcome. Let’s take that picture. Your phone or mine?”

“We can use mine.” Michonne pulled out her phone and posed with her cat. “Hey, Grimes. Get in on this so we can go.”

Rick moved next to Michonne and smiled for the camera.

Looking at the photo, Michonne shook her head. “That’s your best pose? We’ve got to loosen you up before the day is out, Grimes. Now, where to next?”

“Corn maze.”

When you first fall in love, you might walk around in a haze. But can you trust your lover’s voice to get you out of the maize?

The pair rushed across the carnival grounds to reach the corn maze. When they got there, they saw some other couples from the race were already there.

Michonne got the details from the operator. She walked back over to Rick holding something behind her back.

“What do you have there?”

“Something I didn’t expect to use on you so soon.” Michonne produced a blindfold.

“What is that for?”

“We aren’t exactly going through the maze together. One of us will be above guiding the other one through the maze.”

“Let me guess. The one going through the maze will be blindfolded.”

“Yep. Do you have a preference?”

“I’m good either way. What do you feel most comfortable doing?”

“I’m pretty good at giving directions.”

“Okay, it’s settled. Blindfold me. But, Michonne.”

“Yes?”

“Be gentle. I’ve never done this before.”

Michonne swiped Rick with the blindfold and laughed. “Turn around, silly.”

Once Rick was standing at the maze entrance, blindfolded and equipped with an ear piece and Michonne was up on a platform holding a walkie talkie, the couple could began.

“Rick, can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear.”

“Good. I need you to walk straight ahead about ten feet and then stop.”

Rick followed Michonne’s directions without question. While she was leading him through the maze, Rick got a chance to concentrate on her voice and he could hear the influence her international upbringing had on her accent. She didn’t sound like anyone he knew. She didn’t have the old school Georgia twang of his mother or the deep flatness of Lori’s voice. Michonne’s voice was bright, rich, and soothing. Rick found it both comforting and enticing.

This blindfold must be messin with my senses. I gotta concentrate on getting out of this maze.

Up on the platform, Michonne was having a hard time concentrating as well. Being high up allowed her to truly observe Rick fully for the first time. And she was very pleased with what she saw. His bowlegged stride was affecting her more than it should. Sudden yelling broke Michonne’s perusal and her concentration. It seems some couples weren’t getting through the maze as smoothly as Rick and Michonne.

“I said left, Abraham! No, your other left!” The young Latina woman beside Michonne sighed in frustration and looked at Michonne. “I’m not even shocked he’s walking into walls. He can’t follow simple directions in bed either.”

The walkie in the woman’s hand beeped. “You know I can still hear you, Rosita.”

“Yep.”

Michonne stifled a laugh as the couple continued to argue and returned her attention back to Rick. “We are almost done, Rick. You are going to make a sharp left turn in five feet. Yeah, that’s it. Walk forward six feet. Stop. Slide a couple of feet to your left and go around the person in front of you.”

“Abe, move! You’re blocking the path of people actually trying to win.”

Michonne smiled her thanks to Rosita. “Keep moving forward. Stop. Turn right and keep walking forward and you should be out of the maze right...about...now. You’re out!” Michonne raced down the platform.

Rick took off his blindfold and watched Michonne run towards him, cat still in hand. He caught her up in a hug. “You were amazing up there. I think we left some folks in the dust. Pretty good at giving directions is an understatement. What are you an air traffic controller for a living?”

“Nope, I’m an event planner for the art museum downtown. Logistics and making sure people clearly understand my directions are sort of my life.”

“Well, you’re damn good at it.”

Michonne shrugged. “Yeah, well.”

“That wasn’t very enthusiastic.”

“I’m getting a little tired of it. It was fun and glamorous at first, but, I don’t know, it’s not fulfilling anymore.”

“Well, why don’t you make a change? I haven’t known you that long but you don’t seem like the type to just let things happen to you.”

“I want to, but not everyone in my life is in agreement with me at the moment.”

Not liking the look on her face, Rick spoke up. “I don’t know your situation, but I do know life is too short to not go after your dreams.” Rick gave Michonne a playful nudge. “If you aren’t sure what to do next, you could always organize mazes. I think you’d be a natural.”

His quip got the desired effect when Michonne smiled. “I see you have jokes, Grimes. Let’s see how funny you think it is when I steer the bike back into town.”

“Michonne, that’s not a joking matter. You gotta let me steer. We both have a lot more livin’ to do.”

By mid-day, Rick and Michonne were almost over a third of the way through their tasks. But they were also starving so they decided to take their lunch break when they returned to the downtown core.

“Are you gonna take that cat with you everywhere we go today?”

Michonne hugged her cat protectively. “Moses is our good luck cat. We’ve been nailing every task since we got him.”

“Moses?”

“Short for Mosaic. That’s what he reminds me of with all of the different colors.”

“So Moses is going to have lunch with us?”

“He sure is. I’m not leaving him in the basket on the bike, Rick.”

“Fine, but I’m not sharing my food with you or Moses.” Rick held open the door to the fast food restaurant for Michonne and Moses.

Michonne breezed by Rick. “You will if I ask you to.”

She was right.

They’d barely started to eat when Michonne’s phone began to play “Tyrone.” She rolled her eyes and sent the call straight to voicemail.

“Mike?”

“Yeah. He decides to check in on me over four hours after he stood me up. I guess Terry is safely out of trouble.”

“Who’s Terry?”

“The person he’s a better boyfriend to than his is to me.”

Rick’s eyes widened. “Oh. You have an open relationship?” he whispered.

“What?! No! I was just being dramatic. Terry is Mike’s best friend. He seems to think we are all still in college and acts accordingly. And Mike somehow thinks it’s his duty to always get him out of trouble. That’s why he couldn’t come today. And I knew it was coming, but I still hoped he would choose me this one time.”

Rick nodded in understanding. “That’s sort of why I’m here by myself today, too. I didn’t even want to do this, but Lori, that’s my girlfriend, signed us up for this.”

“And she didn’t even show up?”

“No. Said she had a friend that was going through something.”

Michonne chuckled. “Does she have a guy friend named Terry?”

“If she does, I wouldn’t know. We haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye lately...or in a while honestly. This day was supposed to be our chance to ‘reconnect’ according to Lori. I would have rather stayed home and just relaxed together. Lori doesn’t seem to get or care that my job is so stressful that sometimes I just want to stay home and do nothing.”

“Sometimes doing nothing with somebody you love is the best thing in the world that you can do.”

“Exactly. Just spending the whole day wrapped up in a blanket or wrapped up in each other, talking about everything and nothing, ordering takeout and watching movies...just being together without any distractions except each other.”

“That sounds like a perfect day.” Michonne’s sigh was wistful.

“It is when you’re with the right person.”

Rick and Michonne shared a look before they each glanced away unsure of the energy coursing around them. It was at that moment that Rick’s phone rang. His guilt increased ten-fold when he looked at the caller id.

“Um, it’s Lori. Do you mind if I get this?”

“Not at all. Do you want me to leave?”

“No, I want you to stay.” At Michonne’s nod, Rick answered the call. “Hey, Lori.”

“Rick. I wasn’t sure if you’d pick up.”

“You knew I would. I always do.”

“Yeah, you never could hold a grudge. That’s one of the things I love about you.”

“Was there something you needed, Lori?”

“No, I just wanted to see what you ended up doing after you left the scavenger hunt.”

“Who said I left?”

“Well, it was a couple’s thing and without me you couldn’t do it. Plus, you act like you hate being around people sometimes so I just assumed...”

She thinks I hate being around people and yet she signed me up for this and then bailed. Rick’s guilt turned to frustration. “Well, you assumed wrong. I stayed and I’m having a great time. So thank you for signing us up and not showing up.”

Lori was flabbergasted by the fact that Rick stayed and at how he was talking to her. “Rick, what has gotten into you?”

“Just seeing things from a different perspective. Look, I need to get back to it. I’ll talk to you later.” Rick ended the call before Lori could answer.

“You okay?” Michonne asked.

“I’m fine. I’m just starting to realize some things,” Rick said while staring at his phone.

“You want to talk about it?”

“Not right now.” Rick put his phone down and smiled at Michonne. “Let’s use our time wisely. We said we’d learn more about each other in case there was a quiz or something. Let’s do that.”

“Alright, I’m game. I’m about to give you more information about me than you could have ever wanted.”

“Lay it on me.”

“Gladly. I was born on February 14. I have a younger and an older sibling. My favorite color is purple. I double majored in art history and French in college. You can easily bribe me with chocolate, especially Big Cats. And I hate scary movies.”

“That all you got?”

“Oh, that’s just the intro. I wanted to give you time to speak before I go again.”

“My birthday is September 30. I have a younger brother. My favorite color is blue. I went to the police academy right out of high school. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. And I love scary movies.”

“Right now, it doesn’t seem like we have too much in common.”

“The day is young and as they say...opposites attract.” Did I just flirt with her?

Did he just flirt with me?

Rick and Michonne spent the remainder of their lunch break discussing all the things that they loved, all the things they hated, and everything in between. They talked about everything and nothing. It was the best lunch and the best time either of them had in a long while.

Refreshed from lunch and energized from their conversation, Rick and Michonne rode to their next activity.

A ring is a reminder of your love wrapped around a finger. Wrap this symbol around your wrist as a reminder to make sure your friendship also lingers.

“Rick, if you thought I was good at directing you through that maze, wait until you see my friendship bracelet making skills.”

“Do you have enough skill for the two of us, because these aren’t exactly the delicate hands of an artist.”

Michonne examined Rick’s hands. His fingers actually did remind her of an artist’s. And they’d make a great subject for a painting. In fact, Rick’s entire face would look great translated to a canvas. As for his body, that would look good on linen.

Stop it, Michonne scolded herself. You still have a boyfriend. So what if Rick is the most considerate and sweetest guy you’ve ever met? You don’t cheat...even if your boyfriend shows more loyalty to his best friend than he does to you.

“Your hands help to rescue people in dire situations. That’s a work of art in and of itself.”

Rick blushed at the compliment. “I don’t know about that, but they get the job done.”

Rick wasn’t one who sought out praise. He often tried his best to avoid it. But it was nice having someone...having Michonne...appreciate what he did and not see it as a bother as Lori often did. She like bragging out what her boyfriend did for a living, she just hated when he actually did it.

“So, I take it you didn’t make many friendship bracelets as a kid.”

“I had neither the desire nor the need to do so. My circle of friends is small. They are all rough and tumble guys I’ve known since we were babies. And Lori.”

“I think that’s nice that you have that. By necessity, I learned to make friends quickly, but I was never around long enough to develop the kind of deep bond you must have with your friends.” Michonne laughed derisively. “My longest lasting friendship is with Mike.”

“That’s not a bad thing. Being friends in a relationship is important. I think you need that as your foundation for the relationship to work.”

“I agree, but what happens when the friendship ends while you’re still in a relationship?”

Rick sighed because he was facing the very same dilemma. “Well, I guess that’s when you have to do some thinking, make some decisions.” Rick stared into Michonne’s eyes. “Make some new friends.”

Michonne glanced away and cleared her throat. “Yeah, I have always been pretty good at that...making friends. But, I’m telling you Rick, between my friendship with Mike and his friendship with Terry, I’m not too sure about this friendship thing.”

“What about me? We’re friends now, right? Am I changing your mind about friendship?”

“Yeah, we are friends. And, honestly, you’re changing my mind about a lot of things.” Michonne stood and moved closer to Rick. “Now, let me show you how to make a friendship bracelet.”

When they finished, Michonne and Rick held up their wrists to take a picture of their new bracelets. The bracelets were a mixture of the pair’s favorite colors with a little white thrown in. They kept the design simple with the only adornment being beads that held their initials and the day’s date...a reminder of when their friendship began.

Once you fall in love, you’re never the same. Capture the different looks of love in three separate frames.

“Michonne, Moses already joined us at lunch. Now he’s going to be in our pictures?”

“Just the first one. I figure we’ll do a couple of fun ones and one regular one.”

“Okay. If you and Moses are ready, I’m going to press the button.”

“We’re ready.”

Rick leaned forward and pressed the start button on the screen. It counted down from three and began.

Shot #1- Rick and Michonne had their tongues sticking out and eyes crossed. Michonne held up Moses, while Rick gave Michonne bunny ears.

Shot #2- Rick did the pucker face Lori was fond of in her selfies. And Michonne leaned over and kissed Rick on his cheek.

Shot #3-Michonne was smiling into the camera, while Rick, still reeling from the moment before, was staring intently at Michonne.

Michonne grabbed the double set of photos as soon as they printed out. “Rick, you forgot to smile at the camera in the last one.”

“I kind of got distracted.”

“Oh, really? Sorry about that.” But she didn’t sound sorry in the least. “I can’t believe we’re almost done. And to think we both almost left.”

“What a mistake that would have been.”

When this sticks to a wall you know that it’s ready. Grab a plate for two and hold your mouth steady.

Rick and Michonne headed into the only Italian restaurant downtown.

“Rick why didn’t we head to this one before lunch?” Michonne fretted.  “I hope it’s not some pasta eating contest because I’m stuffed.”

“If it’s a contest, I’ll take one for the team. You haven’t complained once about riding the bike all over the place.”

“No, we’re in this together. But if I have to eat any more carbs, I’m taking you jogging with me.”

“It’s a date.” When Michonne looked at him closely, Rick rushed to add. “I have to stay fit for my job anyway.”

Turns out, the couple didn’t have to eat a plate of pasta on a full stomach after all. But they weren’t sure if that as a good or bad thing.

“We have to recreate the spaghetti scene from a cartoon and photograph it? Who in the hell came up with these activities?”

“A five foot two general who is looking to keep her wedding record intact.” Rick laughed until he saw the concern on Michonne’s face. “Hey, we can skip this one if you like.”

“No. If we want to win, then we need to do them all. Let’s do this. It’s not like we are actually going to get close enough to kiss, right?”

“Right.”

Rick and Michonne found the longest strand of pasta they could and placed it between their lips. Rick held up his hand for another restaurant patron to take the picture. But they didn’t.

“Ah, you two can do better than that. Get closer.”

They inched a little closer.

“Closer. You might as well be across the room from each other right now.”

They inched even closer.

“I’m not taking this picture until you convince me.”

Is this lady a porn director on the side or something, Michonne wondered.

Rick and Michonne moved closer until there was just three inches of pasta between them. Unaware that the lady finally snapped the picture, the pair kept growing closer to each other until their lips were a hair’s breadth from touching.

“I got it! And it looks great. Take a look.”

Rick and Michonne broke apart and looked everywhere but at each other. Rick thanked the woman for the picture while Michonne gathered her things and walked outside. Rick raced after her.

“Michonne. Michonne. Hey, it’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t, Rick. The flirting was fun but what almost happened in there...we’re playing a dangerous game here and people could get hurt.”

“What are we doing besides being friends?”

“Rick, you know we are becoming a lot more than friends.”

“Is there something so wrong about that?” he asked quietly.

“We’ve know each other for a day. We are talking about risking long-term relationships for a day.”

“It’s the best day I’ve had, Michonne. There’s a reason why Lori and Mike didn’t show up. There’s a reason why Deanna insisted that we partner up.”

“So you believe this is fate or something?”

“It’s something.”

“I can’t risk what I have on ‘something’, Rick.”

“What do you have, Michonne? What do you really have with Mike besides disappointment?”

“You don’t know our relationship.”

“Yes I do because it’s the same thing I have with Lori and it’s not working anymore.”

Michonne didn’t bother to deny Rick’s words. “I’m not a cheater, Rick. That’s something I would never do.”

“And I’m happy to hear that because I’m not a cheater either. I don’t want us to cheat. I want us to explore whatever this is between us.”

“And what happens if we do that and it doesn’t work out? I can’t lose another friend, Rick.”

“You won’t lose me, Michonne.”

But Michonne wasn’t hearing it. “We have one more activity on our list and then we can head back to the park.”

“And what happens after that?”

“I don’t know.”

“So we might lose our friendship either way?”

“Rick let’s just go.”

The path to true love isn’t always smooth. But when rough patches come, do what you can to get back into the groove. Hop in this boat and enjoy the ride and take time to remember why you need your love by your side.

The only sound evident during Rick and Michonne’s ride through the Tunnel of Love was the lapping of the water against the sides of the boat.  Both were lost in their own thoughts of the day, of each other, and of what happened next.

“I’m sorry. The day has been too good to end on such a sour note.”

“It’s fine, Michonne. I get it. This was a great day. One I’ll always remember but maybe we should just keep it as a fond memory.”

“Wait.” Michonne turned to Rick. “What are you saying? You don’t want to be friends after this?”

“I can’t be the friend you want me to be. I can’t watch you with a guy you don’t love and always wonder what might have been.”

“What about Lori?”

“Whether or not you and I end up together, I’m ending things with her. Today showed me all that I was missing...all that I deserve. So, for that, I thank you.”

When the ride came to an end, Rick helped Michonne out of the boat and they made their way back to the park. The whole ride back, Michonne wondered if she was on the verge of making the biggest mistake of her life.

At six o’clock all of the couples were assembled back at the park. A nice spread had been set out for everyone to enjoy while waiting for the final results. Finally, Deanna got everyone’s attention.

“I’d like to thank you all for participating in this year’s race. It has been the best one yet. And unbeknownst to you all, we had eyes watching you at every location to see not only that you completed the activities but how you completed them as a couple. That’s where the quality points come in. We’ve tallied our results and I must say that this year’s winning couple had the highest winning percentage of any couple that’s ever participated. They lead in both the number of tasks completed, the time it took to complete them, and how well they worked together as a couple. Whether they realize it or not, they are truly a perfect match. Without further ado, the winners of this year’s Amazing Race about Town are...Rick Grimes and Michonne Richardson.”

Rick and Michonne put on smiles and walked up to receive their prize...a romantic dinner for two at the Italian restaurant where they’d almost shared a kiss.

After the announcement, Deanna walked back with Rick and Michonne to their picnic table.

“I just knew you two would hit it off. You have the same energy surrounding you. I do hope you remember me when you are making your guest list.”

“Guest list for what?” Michonne asked.

“Your wedding.”

“Deanna, we aren’t a couple,” Rick reminded her.

“After today, I have a feeling you will be. It’s only a matter of time. I’m always right about these things.”

Michonne glanced at Rick. “We are already in other relationships.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be. You two have it. That spark...that connection that everyone around you can see. Don’t let it go to waste. You ended up together today for a reason.”

“Now you sound like Rick.”

“You should listen to him. He seems like a very smart man.” Deanna stood. “Congratulations you two.”

The couple watched as Deanna walked off and worked her way through the crowd, speaking with all assembled.

Rick shook his head. “She really is something else.”

“Rick, I-“

“Let’s not talk about it anymore, Michonne. Let’s enjoy our win and end the day on a high note.”

They stayed for the next couple of hours and ate, mingled with the other couples, and talked about everything except what happened next.

Rick walked Michonne to her car after the evening officially drew to a close.

“It was very nice meeting you, Michonne. I hope you have a nice life.”

“One month,” Michonne blurted out.

“What?”

“Give it one month. Let’s get some time and distance from today and see how we feel in one month. If nothing’s changed, then we’ll do what we have to do and then meet at Diagio’s at 8 o’clock. But we can’t have any contact until then. If one of us doesn’t show up, then that’s the end of whatever this is. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Rick pulled Michonne to him. “Bye, Michonne. See you in a month,” he whispered in her ear.

Michonne slowly ended the embrace. “Bye, Rick.” She gave him a small smile before getting into her car and driving off unsure of whether she’d ever see him again.

Two Weeks Later

Michonne searched through her nightstand, hoping she’d dropped her favorite lipstick in there. Pushing journals and books aside, she stopped when she got to her sketchbook. She flipped to a bookmarked page and smiled. She’d started feeling inspired to sketch again. The inspiration was also the subject of her recent sketches.

Rick’s face smiled back at Michonne. She’d been correct that he was made for art.

“Hey, Michonne? You ready to go?”

Michonne looked over her shoulder to her bedroom doorway and found Mike waiting for her. He was taking her out tonight...just the two of them. He’d been very attentive since he’d stood her up for the scavenger hunt a couple of weeks ago. He was trying hard to make everything up to Michonne. He was trying to be the boyfriend she’d always wanted. He was making an effort.  Michonne felt that because of that maybe she should, too.

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute. Just let me put this away first.”

Rick looked at the pictures he and Michonne had taken in the photo booth. He could hardly believe it had only been a couple of weeks since things changed so drastically. He’d kept up his end of the bargain and not tried to contact Michonne. He’d also not spoken much with Lori other than sporadic texts. He used the time to focus on him and what he truly wanted and needed in his life...and he’d come to a decision.

Picking up his phone, Rick dialed a familiar number. “Hey, Lori. You want to go to the park? There’s something we need to talk about.”

One month after the scavenger hunt

“Are you ready to order yet?”

“No, my...guest...hasn’t shown up yet. Just give me a few more minutes, please.”

“Not a problem.”

They were late...or, worse, maybe they weren’t. Maybe they just decided not to come. It was ten minutes past eight o’clock. Ten minutes past the time they promised to meet.

What am I still doing here? I took a chance and I lost. No use sitting here any longer.

Michonne gathered her things and, with as much pride as she could muster, walked out of Diagio’s.

She really had tried to give Mike a chance. He made promises and he put forth the effort but it was too much and not enough at the same time. Relationships take effort and, but the love you feel for someone should be effortless. The friendship at the heart of your relationship should be effortless. And now that she knew what effortless looked like...what it felt like...Michonne realized she and Mike didn’t have it.

When Mike took her out to dinner two weeks after the scavenger hunt and they struggled to find things to talk about, Michonne realized Terry had been an unknowing buffer and distraction from her and Mike’s real issues. She ended the relationship that same night.

Michonne hadn’t broken the vow she made to not contact Rick, though she’d wanted to. Once she knew for sure that she wanted to explore whatever began that memorable Saturday, she could hardly wait to see Rick again.

I guess I took it for granted that his feelings would remain the same, Michonne thought with a sigh as she trudged to her car.

“Michonne! Michonne! I’m here. Don’t leave! I’m here!”

Michonne was just about to get into her car when she heard yelling. She looked up the street and saw a bicycle headed towards her. The bike stopped in the middle of the street.

Rick dropped the bike and ran over to Michonne. “I’m sorry I’m late. I tried to get here sooner but the damn bike wouldn’t cooperate.”

“What?”

“I rented a tandem bike. I was going to show up and have us bike around to all the spots we went to on the day we met. But halfway over here, from the rental place, I ran over a nail and the tire started losing air and I didn’t want to go all the way back because I was afraid it would take too long and you’d think I stood you up. And I couldn’t just leave it on the street to be stolen, so I rode until I couldn’t anymore and then I pushed the damn thing three blocks.”

Michonne was so happy to see Rick that the tears that were threatening as she sat in the restaurant, spilled down her cheeks.

Ricked wiped at her face. “Please don’t cry. I’m sorry I wasn’t here on time.”

“Why didn’t you call?”

“I got excited and walked out without my phone.”

“I thought you’d changed your mind about us.”

“That wasn’t going to happen. But you were right to ask for time apart. We did need time away from that day to know that what we felt was real and not just some reaction to other things. It’s real for me, Michonne.”

“It’s real for me, too, Rick.”

An elated Rick caressed Michonne’s face. “Are you sure?”

Michonne thought for a moment before responding.  She wrapped her arms around Rick’s neck. “We’ve been apart for a month now and that’s something I won’t miss. It’s time to move forward with our future together, so let’s start it with a...” Michonne leaned towards Rick and the couple sealed everything with a kiss.

Eight Months Later

Michonne tossed her keys on hallway tray and started flipping through the mail. “Babe?”

“I’m in the kitchen.”

“Hey. What are you doing?”

Rick turned from the oven as Michonne walked into the kitchen.  He leaned across the island and gave her a kiss. “Hey, babe. I was just checking on dinner.”

“It smells delicious.”

“Thanks. How was your class?”

“It was good. I feel like I’m back in my element.”

Michonne had finally followed through on a career change not long after she started dating Rick. She still did some social events with the museum but she was transitioning into more a curator role which was perfect for her as it combined all the skills of her art history degree with all of the experience she’d gained as an event coordinator. Part of her duties involved giving seminars to the public on the weekends.

“I worked with kids today. I think I like working with them and senior citizens the best because they are so excited and open to learning.”

“I’m glad you are finally feeling fulfilled.”

“I am. Oh, we got something special in the mail just now.” Michonne waved a little envelope around.

“Who’s this one from?”

“Deanna.” Michonne tore open the envelope and scanned the contents. She laughed when she got to the end.

“What’s so funny? She’s coming right?”

“Oh, yes. She and her husband are coming to our wedding. But look at what she wrote at the bottom of the RSVP.”

Michonne handed the card to Rick and now he understood the laughter. After checking off that she would be attending their wedding, Deanna had taken it upon herself to leave the engaged couple a little note: 

I told you so! Love, Deanna

 @richonnefics