#there’s a reason Michonne’s the love of his life

[grimestime27]

Find Me Part One

Pairing: Daryl x reader

Rating: So far fluff

Warnings: Angst, fluff

Aaron returned to Alexandria along with Kelly and Jerry. Anxious to see your now husband again, you came out from the house you shared together. But there was several people missing—Carol, Connie, Magna, and Daryl. Aaron could see your face scrunched up for miles it seemed like, your brain running a hundred miles a minute. It was trying to rationalize why your husband hadn’t returned. It was surreal to call him your husband. You both hadn’t been married a long time—just a few weeks. Gabriel had officiated a small ceremony for you both at the church in Alexandria, the whole thing being intimate. Just you and Daryl.

“Aaron.”, you immediately began, heading towards him.

“Y/N, wait—I can explain—.”

“Where the hell is my husband?”

Daryl had found an old wedding band, just his size. It was important to you that you both wore rings as a symbol of your love for one another. That’s why Daryl did it. He did it for you. Had he gotten married before the apocalypse (which he wouldn’t have), he wouldn’t have worn one at all. If something happened to Daryl, at least someone knew he was married and belonged to someone. Someone would be missing him. 

Aaron sighed. “Y/N, hear me out—”

“Aaron, where the hell is he?!”, you repeated, gritting your teeth.

“Y/N.”, Aaron responded calmly. 

“Is he dead?”, you repeated, softer this time as your voice was beginning to break.

“No.”, Aaron responded, quickly. “He’s not dead.”

The look on your face told Aaron you wanted more answers. The kids began coming outside, including Gracie, Judith, and RJ.

“He’s out searching for another way into a cave. We were led into a cave by Alpha. She tried to kill us—Connie and Magna are still stuck. The cave—Carol was—I don’t know—all I know is she accidentally set off some dynamite and the cave collapsed just as we got out.”

“So my husband is out there searching for another way into this cave? Again, cleaning up someone else’s mess?”

Aaron sighed as Gracie ran over to him, calling for her daddy. “I’m sorry Y/N.”

You knew that Daryl and Carol’s friendship was taking a turn for the worst. Daryl was tired of talking some sense into her. There had been no reasoning or rationalizing with her. Things had became difficult for her and Ezekiel since Henry was killed. Their marriage was clearly strained, them seeming to avoid one another. One stayed in Alexandria and the other at the Hilltop. All Carol was focused on was getting revenge, killing Alpha.

Aaron gave you a sympathetic look as he walked off with Gracie. You were trying to give him some grace. You had a feeling who was at fault here and it wasn’t Aaron. 

“Where’s Uncle Daryl?”, Judith questioned, coming up beside you.

“Trying to help some of our friends, Jude.”

Judith pursed her lips, clearly not pleased with the answer. “Why don’t you go look for him? I can go too.”

Michonne was on a trip to take someone who had invaded Oceanside back to their home. She said she would keep in contact with Judith, but it had been days since you all had heard anything. Michonne made you and Daryl promise that you both would look after Judith and RJ, keeping them safe no matter what.

“No.”, you said firmly. 

“Why not?”, she whined, just like a normal child. “I’m a good shot and I need more practice.”

It almost caused you to smile.

“No Judith—I told your mom I would keep you safe and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Judith frowned, beginning to storm away. She was having a normal childhood temper tantrum, something you never knew you would miss until now. It made life seem somewhat normal. She had Michonne’s determination even if she wasn’t biologically hers. Once she had an idea in her head, she was going to do it come hell or high water, something she got from Rick. You began to follow after Judith, bending down to pick up RJ. 

“Judith.”, you called after her, but she ignored you.

“Judith!”, you repeated.

She still ignored you, walking into their home. She stormed up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door shut. You sighed, holding RJ. Life was simpler when Judith was younger. You closed the door, smiling softly at RJ. 

“At least you still like me.”

“Yes, I love you.”, RJ smiled before you kissed his head, going into the kitchen to make them something for lunch. You were also going to try and get your mind off what your husband might be getting himself into. 

______________________________________________________________

As RJ was finishing up lunch, Judith’s plate was left full. She was still visibly upset with you but you had good reason. She just didn’t know it yet. 

Suddenly, you heard footsteps racing down the stairs. You perked up, hoping they were Judith’s. Of course they were hers, silly. Who else’s would they have been? But this world had taught you to always keep one eye open. You could never be too sure.

“Is this why we can’t go?”, Judith held up the white stick.

The white stick you had apparently left in the bathroom on the sink. Dammit.

“Where did you find that?”

“You left it on the sink.”, she crossed her arms. “Not a very good hiding place.”

You sighed. 

“And I know this isn’t mom’s.”

You nodded in agreement, trying to think of what to say next. “No, it’s not.”

“You’re pregnant.”, Judith stated matter-of-factly. 

“You know what that means, huh?”

Judith came over to sit down at the table, laying your very positive pregnancy test on the table in front of you. “Does Uncle Daryl know?”

“Not yet.”, you sighed. “I wanted to tell him when he got home today but he didn’t come home yet.”

A knock came to the door, interrupting your conversation with Judith. You got up from the table, heading towards the door. Slowly opening it, you found Aaron standing at the door. 

“Hey.”

“Hey Aaron.”

“Look, I’m sorry about Daryl. If you want, we can both head out and look for him together.”

“She can’t.”, Judith chimed in from behind you, causing you to look back at her and give her the ‘hush’ look. 

As you turned back around, Aaron wore a confused expression on his face.

“She’s pregnant.”

“Judith!”, you looked back at her. 

“You’re pregnant?”, Aaron asked. “Does Daryl know?”

You sighed, closing your eyes. “No. I was going to tell him when he got back today.”

Aaron sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his face. “I’ll go find him.”

“I want to go too.”, Judith stated. 

TO BE CONTINUED....

[punchitmrsulu]

Lori was sucking Shane’s dick within less than a month after she thought Rick was dead.

Meanwhile, Rick hasn’t seen Michonne in 6 years, has no idea if she’s even still alive or dead but he’s cutting off his own hand trying to get back to her.

Rick’s been dead for Michonne for 6 years, now. Nobody would have blamed her if she had found someone else by now. But the thought doesn’t even cross her mind and the second she finds out there’s a chance he’s still alive, she drops everything to go after him.

[atopvisenyashill]

if i did a reread of the walking dead and wrote an essay on how aegon ii and carl are doomed to be the last man standing by their narratives, and what starts out as a sort of cool & nifty super power of always surviving turns into this horrific curse where everyone they know is dying around them & sometimes it’s their fault & sometimes it’s not but either way they can’t ever stop it until they’re sitting at the ending with nothing but their lone daughter to protect but so broken they can no longer connect to her and then their story abruptly ends-

would that be like the Most stupid, nerdy thing i have ever done in my life or

[dixons-sunshine]

I Will Always Find You | Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

(GIF isn’t mine.)

Summary: Daryl’s heart had shattered the moment he had learned that you and your son had been captured. He needed to find the two of you. However, whether he would find the two of you alive or dead was what made him worry.

Genre: Angst with a happy ending.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of death, blood, injuries, probably inaccuracies regarding said injuries.

Word count: 1.1k

A/N: Me? Staying on top of requests? Unheard of. Impossible lol. But in all seriousness, this was another piece that was fun to write. I’m not really good at angst, so this is helping me get some practice in for it. I hope y’all like this!

Daryl wiped at the blood that trickled down from the wound on his forehead. His body ached all over. He was pretty sure he had, at the very least, bruised ribs, his shoulder was throbbing from where he had been thrown back against the wall, and his ankle hurt badky. However, despite all of that, he hobbled forward. He was motivated by the need to find the two people he loved most.

You and your son.

With great effort, he moved on, his crossbow being dragged behind him. Daryl could feel himself getting more panicked with each person that reunited with their loved ones, but there was still zero sign of you or Jasper. The voices that echoed behind him became nothing but mere white noise as his mind begun racing with every negative reason as to why he could not find the two of you, the most prominent one of all being the fact that you both could be dead.

“Brother.”

Daryl did not register that someone was talking to him until that word got repeated. He turned around when he felt someone grip his shoulder, locking eyes with those of Rick Grimes. “What?”

“Take a deep breath.” Rick’s eyes bore into Daryl’s, almost as if he was looking into his soul. “We’ll find ‘em.”

“Yeah, but how?” Daryl spoke up gruffly, his voice laced with sadness. “Ain’t no guarantee we ain’t gonna find ‘em dead.”

Rick’s heart broke for his found brother. He knew all too well how it felt, not knowing whether or not your family is alright. It was a pain he wished on no one, especially not someone like Daryl; his best friend and brother.

“We’ll find ‘em,” Rick repeated. There were no guarantees that they would find you and Jasper alive, so he knew it would not do any good to make empty promises of “they’re gonna be okay”, because he knew that he could not say that for sure. He wished he could, but he couldn’t.

The archer sighed and nodded. “Alright.”

With that, he continued onwards, this time with the assistance of Rick. The former sheriff’s deputy knew that Daryl would not take kindly to being asked to sit it out and let other people do the searching, no matter if he was literally on his death bed, so he did not even attempt to ask him to stay back.

Every room gradually got searched through and cleared out. Members of the group continued meeting up with loved ones, while others had to see their’s dead. As Daryl trudged forward, his heart continued to sink into the depths of his stomach. Would he find you and Jasper alive? Or would he have to face the fact that he lost the two most important people in his life?

Rick gave Daryl a gentle pat on his shoulder when he got called away by Michonne. “I’ll be right back,” he said before walking away, meeting up with his partner that was busy helping injured people out of a room.

Daryl sighed in exhaustion. He ran a hand through the tangled knots in his hair, shutting his eyes to will away the tears that formed. It would do nobody any good if he broke down. He needed to stay strong. He needed to keep it together. He needed—

“Daddy!”

His train of thought got cut off by the sound of an all too familiar voice. He turned around and saw none other than his son running towards him. Daryl wasted no time in taking off himself, his injuries only a vague remembrance as he dropped to his knees and brought Jasper into his arms.

“Oh, god,” Daryl whispered, holding him close to his chest. “Thank god.”

“Daddy,” his four-year old cried, burying his face into the archer’s shoulder.

“I gotcha, Bud. I gotcha.” Daryl stood up, holding Jasper in his arms. His battered and bruised body was screaming in protest at the added weight, but he ignored it. He would much rather die than not hold his son close to him in that moment. It was then that Daryl noticed you standing off to the side, bloody and clutching your side, a teary smile on your face. “Sweetheart…”

That was all you needed. You stepped forward and threw your arms around him and Jasper, hiding your face in your husband’s neck. Daryl adjusted his hold on the boy so that he could wrap an arm around you, resting his head against your’s.

“Daryl…” you trailed off, your voice sounding choked up due to the fact that you were crying.

“I know,” Daryl began, closing his eyes as tears now openly streamed over his face. He could not be bothered to hide them this time. He was so relieved by the fact that you and Jasper were okay. Injured and probably worse for wear, but otherwise okay.

You were the first one to pull back. You looked deeply into Daryl’s ocean eyes, finding comfort in their blue depths. “You found us.”

Daryl managed to give you a small, albeit strained, smile. “Did ya ever doubt I would?” he tried to joke, his free hand moving to gently rub Jasper’s back. “I’ll always find ya. You don’t gotta worry ‘bout that.”

“I knew you would,” you whispered, placing one of your hands on Jasper’s head, gently stroking his hair. Your little boy was uncharacteristically quiet, his usually bubbly attitude tainted by the trauma he had experienced at the hands of some vengeful ex-saviours. You frowned as you looked at the gash on his cheek, the guilt of not having been able to protect him from those monsters gnawing at your mind.

Daryl could see the hurt painted across your face. He knew you were blaming yourself for what had happened to your son. However, he also knew that it was not your fault. What had happened was out of your control. He did not blame you, and he did not want you blaming yourself. But that would have to be a conversation for later. He knew that it would do him no good to bring that up now, when you had not even left the building you had been held captive in.

“Hey. S’alright. I gotcha both, okay?” he began softly, recapturing your attention. “Nothin’ll happen to you both anymore. I promise.”

You sent him a grateful smile, one that spoke volumes. “I know.” With that, you stepped back into his embrace, back into the arms of the person who made you feel safe, protected, and loved, and as he pressed his lips to your temple, you knew for sure that everything would be okay. Maybe not now, but eventually.

[flutterbyoz]

It seems there are still some people out there who wish to belittle, disregard and reject Michonne's importance to Rick. So for those who seem to have such a problem with Rick and Michonne let me just say:

This is Michonne Grimes

She is everything to Rick Grimes. His partner, his lover, his confidant, his best friend, his saviour, the mother of his children, his sun, moon and stars, she is his wife, his soulmate and the love of his life. She is his entire universe, his reason for everything and he would choose her in any life and any universe.

Contrary to what I've seen some people say, Rick would not walk away from Michonne if Lori miraculously returned from the dead, he would not do so if Jessie came back either. Had Lori or Jessie lived, Rick and Michonne still would have found their way to each other because they are meant to be, in any lifetime and in any and all versions of reality.

Rick is the man who didn't think of moving on even after 8 years, who wrote love letters and dreamt about her to keep himself going, and lets not forget what he had to do just to be able to go on without her. And for Michonne, she couldn't truly believe he was gone despite the fact she saw the bridge he was stood on literally explode, she kept believing and searching for years, never moved on and went through hell to find him again.

The Walking Dead and especially The Ones Who Live have made it exceptionally clear what their relationship is, how important they are to each other, how deep and unbreakable their love is and how they would go to the ends of the earth for each other. Not everyone is going to feel a connection to Richonne, I get that and I'm not trying to say otherwise (despite the fact I don't think I'll ever understand how anyone can watch their love story and not fall completely in love with their love!) but canon is canon, you can not feel a connection to them and still respect their story and acknowledge that they are 'it' for each other. To disregard that is to ignore their whole story.

Michonne Grimes is Rick Grimes one true love, she is his whole world, she and their children are his priority, he will put them before anyone else, and yes, even above Daryl. So, while we are all entitled to an opinion no one can really deny that Rick and Michonne are completely and utterly head over heels in love, someone's personal view of them as a couple does not change that fact.

This is THE couple of The Walking Dead and IMO the best couple to have ever graced the screen. They are everything to me and they are everything to each other

[whateverisbeautiful]

♥️Reveling in Richonne - TOWL

#36: The Ressurection (1.04)

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Wow. 😭 This love scene was stunning and profound. A true resurrection of Richonne. 🙌🏽🥹

This scene also illustrated one of my absolute favorite things communicated in TOWL: that without Michonne, Rick can’t be alive but even more so - with Michonne, Rick can’t be dead.

Try as he may to fight being alive, if Rick is with Michonne he will always come back to life through her. And I love seeing that depicted in this moment where both of them powerfully and passionately begin to restore each other...

So the buildup scene prior to this was Richonne's sexiest scene yet. And then I love how as we transition to this bedroom scene they maintain that mesmerizing sensualness of course, but they also dive into some serious emotion, pain, and powerful love between these two soulmates when the unexpected happens during this long-awaited and blazing moment of intimacy.

Now, before the episode aired there were enough people with screeners using cowgirl hat/boots gifs and emojis as hints to give an idea of what to expect for this bedroom scene...but I still wasn’t ready lol.

They transition to the bedroom and I love that Richonne’s first time or first time again gets to be in such a nice romantic setting. It’s such a sensual environment with sheer curtains and the perfect warm lighting. And considering the grandness of Rick and Michonne finally getting to have each other in this way it’s only right that the environment feels elevated as well. 👌🏽

gif cred: @nerd4music

Once the camera slides pass the sheer curtains we see Rick and Michonne beautifully getting to have this moment of intimacy after years. And I love the way the breathing is the soundtrack for this love scene. Like there’s this pretty music too but the breathing is the real music here if you ask me. 😌

gif cred: @msanonships

I love that when we enter into the scene they’re all into it and as close as humanly possible but still pulling each other even closer. And then there's a tighter shot with Rick looking down and looking like he’s taking a moment to appreciate that his wife is so good at...literally everything in life.😋

gif cred: @nat111love

It’s interesting that the first time Michonne gets to see Rick outside of the CRM soldier uniform is when he literally has to take it off and be bare with her. He put the uniform on for her all those years ago, and now he's finally removed it for her as well.

And y’all, the Richonne fandom is educational because I learned a new word through the thoughts shared on this iconic scene. I saw someone mention how Rick looks up in supplication for Michonne’s kiss, and I hadn’t heard the word 'supplication' before. But once I searched the definition, it was the perfect word to describe this moment when Rick looks up at Michonne. 👌🏽And you know Michonne’s our little genie so she told Rick 'wish granted.' 😋

gif cred: @kimwexlersponytail

Also y’all, I know we say 'they’re wild for this' a lot regarding Richonne...but this whole licking moment between them and then the way he’s literally dripping off her lip after, and the way they subtly stick out their tongues once more like they were about to do it again…never have I meant it more when I say THEY ARE WILD FOR THIS.

There aren’t enough air conditioners in the world to cool down the hotness of this whole kiss. 🔥🔥🔥

gif cred: @lousolversons

I’ve heard that they debated whether or not they’d have an intimacy coordinator and then they decided on having one. And I cannot claim to know exactly everything that job entails and I'm sure she was great, but for some reason, I have a very strong feeling in a post-2020 world it was not an intimacy coordinator who suggested all that tongue stuff lol. 🤭

No, my bet would be that this particular moment stemmed from two gifted actors who know their characters very well, including knowing their character's shared level of freak, and as true professionals devoted to the role they let the spirit of the characters coordinate this kiss.👌🏽 I mean, we trust the captains for a reason.🫡 😋 They know how to play every shade of Richonne to perfection.

gif cred: @lousolversons

I'm glad that this moment right here didn’t end up on the cutting room floor. Since Danai was the showrunner of this stellar episode I know she mentioned she also got to have some involvement in the editing process. And every time I see this kiss I just imagine her in the editing room saying 'let's keep this part in the scene' and then looking right at us Richonne fans like...

They were filming this scene like they had something to prove about Richonne’s physical chemistry and baby, while it didn’t need to be proved they still proved it all the way. 💯❤️‍🔥

In TWD, they only ever showed Richonne's lead-up to sex or the after moments, but now that they were going to show the 'during' they said let the world know Rick and Michonne really get down. #LethalAmountsofChemistry

And what I especially love is that you can just sense their bodies remembering each other after years apart. After shutting this part of themselves off when they lost each other and only turning this part of themselves on for each other, it's made so clear that their mind, body, and soul connection is still as strong as ever.

It really is special how much Richonne's physical intimacy is a powerful manifestation of how intimately they love each other in every other way too.

gif cred: @nat111love

So they keep kissing and the camera switches angles as things appear like they are ramping up which you can hear in Rick’s breathing and moaning. But then as he’s touching her and about to get even more immersed in the moment the scene takes a compelling and heartrending turn...

Rick has a panic attack. 🥺

There is so much to dissect about this impactful panic attack moment. It’s just so well executed, painful, powerful, and vulnerable. 👏🏽

gif cred: @nat111love

First; I was very curious to examine why they have this panic attack occur right when it does. Because Rick and Michonne were pretty into it leading up to this so why this exact moment?

My extra self's personal interpretation is that as they were getting more into it, it looked like Rick was about to let loose a lot more and even be more of the assertive person he used to be like getting on top of her, and I feel like that assertiveness rushing back to him like that was jarring a bit.

gif cred: @nat111love

Plus, he can feel her, and they're heating up and I feel like he’s become so used to moments this good quickly coming to an end in his dreams so it’s like he’s bracing for that. Bracing for the part where this dreamlike state burns away and the woman of his dreams disappears, leaving him alone and in pain. 😢

gif cred: @andy-clutterbuck

Also with the whole poison vs. cure thing, I think it’s like Rick's mind starts freaking out because while here he and Michonne are clearly providing each other pleasure, he’s anxious that ultimately being together will cause him to be a poison to her.

He still is convinced Michonne will be in danger if he’s with her and having this passionate moment together will only make it harder to part when that’s how he thinks it has to be. So this moment of intimacy is both this euphoric thing and this panic-inducing thing for him. 

At the start of the panic attack, Rick pulls away and starts struggling to catch his breath and I’ve always loved the detail of how when he first pulls away he still puts his hand up to reach to her, almost like he's both needing her and wanting to be reassuring to her even despite the fact that he’s in full panic mode. 🥲

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick has a quick glance at Michonne and then hangs his head down, out of sorts. And even just seeing the scars on him in this moment makes me so sad. 🥺 He’s been through a lot and for years he’s endured it all alone. This bedroom moment is one of the first times in a long time that he even gets to go through this internal anguish with a partner by his side.

gif cred: @nat111love

And again, the fact that this panicked breathing is similar to the anxious breathing he had when Michonne walked out the door earlier in the episode, goes to show he’s scared to be without her and to be with her. 

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick is struggling to look at her but Michonne gently takes his face in her hands and he looks at her as she assesses the situation, quickly knowing he’s having a panic attack. It makes me weepy how ready Michonne is to ever-so-gently help him through this. 😭

Also, y’all I’m in the camp of people who hear Michonne whisper “Look at me, baby.” If she didn’t say it…yes she did lol. 😋 And I love it. 😍

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Rick continues his labored breathing and Michonne does just the most beautiful thing ever when she takes his one hand and places it over her heart.

I love this more than words can explain - and yet, I’m still going to try to explain why I love it. 🥹😭🥹

Like the fact that her heartbeat is what can calm him in this moment. I'll never be over it. 😭  Something so incredibly beautiful about Michonne’s heartbeat bringing Rick back to life is that he’s feeling the heart that beats for him and has for years. She in every sense gave him her heart all those years ago, so it’s not just her heart he’s feeling it’s his own because they truly are one.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

Richonne’s hands have always been given great moments throughout their epic love story, and this moment has to be up there as one of the best Richonne hands moments. 👏🏽

I love the way she’s able to get him to open his hand and relax as she keeps her hand comfortingly over his.

gif cred: @nat111love

It reminds me of their final handhold in s9 when Rick had his hand in a fist from frustration and Michonne was able to open his hand and have him hold onto her instead. That was their last real moment side by side in TWD and now here they are doing that again x10 in TOWL. Just beautiful. 🥹

And I love how you can hear how placing his hand on her heart is effective as Rick’s breathing does steady from feeling her heart. A heart that has beat for him all these years. 🥲 Never have the two felt more like one than in this moment. And I will forever adore and appreciate that this is how Danai wrote for Michonne to be able to calm Rick amid his trauma. He needs her heart. 😭 Always has.

They’re the ones who live and this is Rick becoming so aware of Michonne being alive and with him and it starts to ignite his own return to humanity.

The way Michonne looks at him with her eyes dilated and filled with love and tears as she so clearly resonates with the pain Rick is in that he has yet to express. 😭 You can tell she so badly wants him to trust that it’s okay to be present in everything he’s feeling with her and not go through this pain alone anymore.

gif cred: @riickgrimes

The way Michonne fully wraps Rick in her love during this panic attack is just the most moving thing as she silently assures him he’s in the safest most loving arms in the world. Like I knew those actors were wildly talented but what they both captured in this scene took it to an all new level.

And the way Rick has tears under his eyes. I can’t. 😭 The tear alone says so much. Like he's overcome with so many layered emotions, especially as it hits him that a moment this beautiful with Michonne is real - the most real moment of connection he's felt in years - and it's not going to be taken away from him this time.

So Rick looks up at Michonne for a moment and it genuinely feels like he’s looking up at the sun. And then he looks down at their hands on her heart. I love seeing Michonne softly slide her other hand down his face with her finger right where his tear has fallen.

gif cred: @clonecaptains

And then I am just blown away at Andy’s performance when you see something click for Rick as he truly just resurrects through Michonne’s love. 🥹

After looking at their hands and letting this moment of connection resonate, Rick looks back into Michonne’s eyes and I always liken it to when a PC computer turns on and makes that one sound. I feel like you can visibly see the moment Rick’s humanity turns back on in full force as he looks at her.

Rick really resurrected back to life by becoming one with Michonne, his undeniable other half. 🥹 Richonne is the unequivocal greatest depiction of soulmates. 💯

gif cred: @nat111love

So Rick, and Michonnne's Rick this time, looks in Michonne's eyes like he’s genuinely become human again after years and then he tilts his head and it feels like he’s finally seeing Michonne in her entirety now. Like he’s finally seeing her without the lens of fear or what could happen next.

After having been so focused on the fear of losing her, it feels like in this moment he's finally just being present in the fact that he found her.

gif cred: @nat111love

And in finding Michonne, his soulmate, Rick begins to find himself again too.

Michonne's effective approach of calming Rick with her touch and her heart helps Rick embrace that this isn’t a dream and she’s not going to burn away. Michonne may be burning up because of him but she’s not going to vanish.

By feeling her heartbeat it was like Rick finally let it sink in that she’s still here and she’s with him completely. She’s real. They’re real. They’re back together truly. It was a profound moment of the two becoming one being again.

And then the way they both have these dilated pupils and get this new wave of energy from that moment and their breathing starts syncing up and picking up as they return to kissing. Their beauty and the beauty of this moment are ravishing. I love that neither wanted to stop making love and once they have this moment they’re even more present in the lovemaking than before. 

gif cred: @riickgrimes

It really feels like there’s this transfer of energy between Rick and Michonne in this moment as she feels his visceral but suppressed pain and he feels her visceral deep love and we see love win out over the pain as Michonne helps Rick literally turn his humanity back on at full strength.

And then as Rick’s heart is literally jump-started again by feeling the love of his life’s heartbeat, he sends all that love right back to her because it’s so clear in this scene that everything happening to him is happening to her too. Like as he comes back to life it ignites her in a new way as well and just affirms so strongly to both of them that they’re back to being one the way they’re always meant to be.

So they continue kissing and Michonne has her hand tightly in his hair because of course. It's clear from Michonne’s noises that Rick has seemed to amp things up, we’ll say lol. Plus, Michonne hasn't been able to grab his curls like that in an even longer minute since Rick's hair was short the last time they were together, so you know she's happy to have that back as well. 😋

I love how Rick was finally realizing he’s not just someone who can harm her but who can heal her too and she’s not only someone to protect but to love limitlessly. We see Rick finally go from mission-minded to Michonne-minded and let the Alive Rick take the wheel from Dead Rick. 🙌🏽

gif cred: @lousolversons

In the last 24 hours especially, both Rick and Michonne have been through every emotion and at its most intense - intense fear, intense sadness, intense frustration, desperation, anger, longing, hopelessness, hurt, concern, etc, and now intense passion and pleasure. All of that could easily have caused a system overload or system shutdown for them. But I love how instead of just shutting down, they navigate this together and then get even more locked in with each other.

And then you really know the real Rick is back when he flips Michonne over and gets on top of her. It’s his favorite place to be, that's just canon. 😌 And you know Michonne loves seeing Rick take charge like this. Her man is always assertive with his affection and Michonne always seems here for it.

gif cred: @nat111love

It is such a sweet shot seeing Michonne looking up at Rick as she tenderly holds his neck. She loves him so much. It’s written all over her face. 🥹

gif cred: @nat111love

And then y’all, this show said you don’t have to wait until the Olympics to see some swimming on National Television. 🤭🏊‍♂️

Cuz they proceed to give us some um very up close and personal insight into Rick and that signature vein as the camera is all up in his face while he finally lets himself feel the full extent of pleasure for the first time in years.

For a while, whenever I saw this moment I was like can this camera back up a bit cuz now I feel like I'm intruding lol.

But the moment is very sweet in the regard that Rick is no longer fighting the fact that he can feel pleasure and be present in this moment with his wife. For so long he seemed to be punishing himself and killing himself and so it’s a big deal to see him finally stop that and enjoy this.

I think part of him thought he could engage in this intimacy with Michonne and only make it about pleasing her while remaining dead inside but again he can't be dead with her - and so in this moment he no longer tries to be, and that’s really heartwarming. 🥲

Seeing him smile knowing that this is the only woman in the world he wanted this experience with - it really is like a homecoming in a sense. Michonne’s hand on him the whole time is sweet too. And I just love that they waited for each other to open this side of themselves up to again. And to think, it wasn't even technically 'waiting' since they genuinely didn't know if they'd ever be together again. But they still only reserved this level of intimacy for each other. Rick and Michonne are it for each other, truly.

Then the scene ends with a really lovely sensual shot of Richonne through the sheer curtains as they kiss and just savor each other like they do best. ❤️

gif cred: @nat111love

And now I know I might be diving right into delusional territory with this next thing I say but I know some of you saw this too --- I am convinced that Michonne tells Rick 'I love you' in this zoomed-out shot. ‼️

For a while, I thought one of the only things we surprisingly didn’t get in TOWL was Michonne directly telling Rick 'I love you.' That was an interesting omission for an epic love story, especially cuz I def feel Michonne would say those three words outright at some point, after not being able to tell Rick those words for nearly eight years. Don’t get me wrong, she’s said I love you very clearly and meaningfully in many other ways, but still she’d say the direct words too. So it was odd when it seemed like that didn’t happen.

But now...y’all, my extra self is choosing to declare that it did happen. Because I promise she’s saying it to him in this bed. I'm telling you, she is. For real, she is! 😋 Look🔎 ⬇

gif cred: @nat111love

And again, if she isn’t…yes she is. 😇 Michonne-Says-ILY-In-This-Scene Truthers, rise. ✊🏽😋 And if by chance my eyes deceive me then let them lie just this once lol.

If it is the case that Michonne told Rick 'I love you' in this moment, it's extremely sweet. Especially because I had a feeling she’d say it once Rick was finally out of that CRM gear. Once she knew he was slowly but surely becoming him again. So while it's a non-audible, blink-and-you-miss-it moment I think we did get at least one Michonne 'ily' in TOWL. 😌

I love the way the scene ends with the piano and their silhouettes. Michonne is the sun to Rick so I love the way she aligns with the sun-like lamp and the way the last thing you see from the scene is her putting her hand in his curls again as they just continue to make love. And let me tell you, a scene like this is why it’s called 'making love' because truly this passionate moment was such a perfect manifestation of their deep, one-of-a-kind, soulmate love.

gif cred: @ricksmarlene

This is Richonne’s first full-length sex scene and it was done so masterfully, memorably, and meaningfully. It was the perfect way to pull off such a significant anticipated moment between them and make it tastefully titillating. It genuinely feels like they turned that chemistry they have up to its highest volume and something rare and otherworldly was captured. 👌🏽

The way it wasn’t just physical but truly pivotal for their relationship and the story. The way it was as hot as it was heartfelt. The way they both came alive and restored broken parts of each other through a shared heartbeat. The way they profoundly depicted Richonne becoming one again. The way it was more than a love scene it was a resurrection.

Rick felt human after years of feeling dead. Michonne felt truly held and loved after years of not feeling safe. Tens across the board and truly an impeccable and impactful scene from beginning to end. 😌👌🏽

[lovesicklovermia]

𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡

﹒﹒ ﹒summary - after a difficult few days on the road in the heat, you're left feeling down about motherhood, and the wellness of your daughter. thank goodness your husband noticed.

﹒﹒ ﹒set in - season 5, before the storm

﹒﹒ ﹒pairing - daryl dixon x reader

﹒﹒ ﹒ content inclusions - dad!daryl dixon, mom!reader

parched whines, which for once were not released from the walkers mouths, had been all you’d heard for several hours. guilt, expanding and wrapping around your lungs like ivy trellis. your baby girl, just like rick’s, was hungry, and innocent. bob had said, before his life ended one solemn night, that the world ‘was going to change’, for he could tell by the pure appearance of you, as well as your leaders, young children. nowadays, it was difficult to tell whether she’d change the world, or if she’d still be fulfilled, well-rested enough, and most importantly, happy enough to do so.

pregnancy, around the same time as lori, the dear woman who was lost too soon, yet lost too far back to recall the days events without a hazy vision and mind, and without an elicited sob. you seemed to sob all too frequently lately. your baby did too. 

it seemed that, for so long, both judith and your baby were cooed and fawned over, yet, in closer days, it seemed coos and giggles were replaced by rumbling stomachs, and sighs of absolute defeat. it was honestly surprising that many of the members of the team hadn't given up completely, yet you supposed they each had their reasons to stay alive. father gabriel, by his faith. abraham, for rosita. maggie, even in her damaged and devastated state, for glenn, and for affirming and keeping beth, and herschel, and everyone’s memory alive.

as for your husband? well, for your baby, of course. she was a joint creation, and that was abundantly clear, for she possessed your husband’s bright blue eyes (although a teasing michonne assured that all babies had blue eyes), and your nose and lips. he loved her with every inch of his redneckin’ heart, and despite the sweaty heat of the summer months, he’d held no obligations to wearing a scarf wrap, an easy way for you to smile gently at your baby. of course, he was terrified of sneaking walkers, for your baby seemed to hold the ability to be forever calm and docile in whichever situation was thrown at the girl. 

he’d been terrified of you slipping away from him since day one, yet through the struggles and hardships of the last couple of months, his team had hardly had paid attention to the tears you shed when people glanced at your child for too long, if they asked if his baby girl had been fed, or anything remotely questioning on the livelihood of your child. yes, you knew she was struggling - you knew she deserved to grow up in a gentler world. the world had been no kinder than it was before, yet now previously closed doors were open, and horrific individuals were free to roam.

you’d heard all about it. you’d heard the horror stories - hell, if it wasn’t for your husband shielding you from the troubles, you would have experienced quite a few days of misjustice yourself.

instead, your only misfortunes came from your mind, and the guilt that ate away at your heart. from too many moments that you felt your baby was going to starve, or dehydrate, or even perish from boredom. it had been too many days, far too many, and as you, for once, held the baby to your chest, wandering aimlessly down the straightforward road, you couldn’t walk in silence much longer. speaking to your baby, carol had once told you, was the ‘best way your baby could learn to love you’. yet, with the way things were going, there was nothing left for her to love. you felt practically skin and bones, and your stomach rumbling was now occurring constantly - it hardly stopped. so, today, as you spoke quietly to your baby, you spoke words that seemed easily generalizable. 

‘you been having so much fun?’ was the first words that escaped your lips, projecting lies immediately onto your child. oh, lord did this feel manipulative. your child was a victim of the apocalypse, not a resident of a soft play centre. something of a frustrated sigh escaped your lips, as your child only stared at you, reaching out to tap at your neck. it’d be easier if she just cried - at least she’d still be showing signs of active participation.

‘your mama - i think she’s stopped - i think, maybe -’ yet you couldn’t so much as choke out the words, without an angry tear slipping down from your eye. ‘maybe i’ve stopped trying for you, and i haven’t realised, and-’ the rest of the group were further back, far enough back that you could sit yourself down on the road, holding your baby up, so you could clearly see her red, heated cheeks, and sweating head. ‘i’m really sorry, but that’s not enough, and-’ 

a familiar tap of a foot behind you, and you couldn’t help but squeeze your eyes shut momentarily. this wasn’t how parenthood was meant to be - your husband, your child’s father, walking in on you holding up your baby and crying over her lack of food and drink. yet, here he was, and his reaction was worth waiting for. 

you, from the burning sun, were practically sizzling, so he approached with such gentleness, it only made another small sob escape your lips. ‘yea, i know.’ he mumbled, placing a dirtied, yet, to you, incredibly gentle hand on your wrist, reaching over to press a quick and soft kiss to his baby girl’s forehead. ‘i know, i know, but-’ 

and daryl paused. you hadn’t expected that. he could spew out pointless lies with the best of them, but with you, he could never. his pause delivered truth into his next words. 

‘you’re doing the best you can.’ it was enough for you to melt, because although it didn’t feel enough, from such a hard-working individual, it felt, indescribably, a message that provided safety to your beating heart. ‘for us, and for ‘er, and for the future of-’ he gestured back to the group, all gathered aimlessly. ‘our baby will know the choices we woulda’ made, if we coulda’.’ you couldn’t disagree with that. it wasn’t your fault that streams didn’t flow nearby, that it was summertime, that the berries on bushes had already been picked. 

cupping a hand around your back, the archer wasted no time in gently assisting you to stand, before lifting his baby’s body to his hip. a soft crinkle from her nose, and an even softer sneeze from the girl, and you couldn’t help but both let out a tiny, fortunate laugh. and as a splotch of water fell upon your shoulder, then another on daryl’s crossbow, then a final one on your daughters head, you quickly gained the most amount of hope you’d ever felt, let alone after days of hardships.

‘an’, anyway -’ your husband continued, throwing your daughter slightly up, before catching her and chuckling at her squeals. ‘we don’ need mother nature. we’ll just tell baby that you control the weather, how about tha’?’ the squeal from his daughter, and the grin from his wife felt better than any amount of rain, but he supposed he’d keep that to himself.

[ssvnriseya]

HIS REASON (D.D)

summary - you went on a run with daryl and there was things that got discovered.

warnings: angst/slight fluff, mention of merle's death, mention of sophia's death, mean!daryl, intended lowercase.

note: okay, so this is my first time writing angst. i don't know if it will make you cry! i'm still practicing. :)

masterlist

"dumb idiot." you murmured at daryl and then frowned at him, he kept his serious face on and continued walking beside you on the road.

you both had been assigned by rick to go on a supply run down things like clothes or toys that the kids at the prison might need.

you didn't expect to be partnered with daryl, considering you both like to be in an argument every now and then. you almost begged rick to switch daryl with michonne or sasha. he rejected you saying michonne was busy looking for the governor and sasha was busy with fence duty.

he also said something along with "you both need this, to get used to being on runs together. you can't bicker forever like an old married couple. maybe you might even get along after this run."

you ignored him after that, muttering things like "it's that old jerk's fault. never really did anything to him.'' and "he's the old lady who's always on periods!"

you and daryl always fought. you didn't know where it even went wrong. you and daryl were close back to the start of atlanta, but when he lost his dick of a brother, he went crazy. he snapped at you to the point of ruining the friendship you had.

you did everything to try and patch things up with him, you went to his room and cdc and tried to talk to him in his drunken state, you went to comfort him when he got shot by andrea in the head, you took his side every time shane gets cranky like a grumpy grandpa, you stated by his side when he was so disappointed in himself when you all found sophia at the barn, you comforted him when merle died.

but all you ever did seemed to make him hate and loathe you even more, he got angrier to the point of snapping in front of everyone.

"why can't you just mind your own business, woman?!"

he shouted and then everyone at the atlanta group, who's eating stopped. you did what he said, you tried to mind your own business but you still can't help but worry for him whenever he goes on runs or risks his life.

you tried to avoid him the best you can, you didn't snoop your nose into his life.

"‘ere." daryl spoke up snapping you out of your thoughts. you walked by him and didn't cast a glance at him, you entered the store without much say and tip-toed through the room.

you spotted different clothes and went near it. you examined it if there were any holes and picked everything left, shoving it in your duffel bags.

you left the bags on the floor for a moment and explored the store, going through the toys section, you smiled as you held up baby stuff for judith. it has been your dream to have kids, but under health circumstances, you can't.

you shoved the rattle on your backpack and picked up car toys for carl and patrick, and dolls for the other girls. your smile dropped when you looked at the baby clothes, you sighed sadly and picked up a few dresses and leggings for judith.

what you didn't know was daryl saw the way you smiled when you saw the toy and the way your smile faltered when you saw the baby clothes.

"what you got?" you asked daryl when you saw him by the food section. he shrugged and gestured to the bags that were filled with can foods.

"that's amazing, the kids will be happy." you smiled for a second then dropped it, clearing your throat. you walked away from him and went to the gadget aisle.

you picked up a few cameras and films for glenn, he loved taking pictures of maggie and her ring. you were happy for them yet envied their love. you saw a few comics and took the rest off the shelves, you went back for your other bags and took it.

you went to the exit and waited by the sliding door, you stood there for a few minutes before daryl came out with his bags.

"daryl, are you done?" you asked him and walked ahead of him, to the car with dust to make it look abandoned when someone goes on runs.

you opened the trunk and carefully placed the bags inside it, daryl following your movements. "ye' the food aisle only got a few, took it and packed it in ma' bag." he nodded and closed the trunk.

you nodded and went to the passenger's seat, taking a seat. daryl followed but to the driver's seat, he soon started the car and drove the way home.

about a half hour to the drive the car came to a stop slowly with a loud sound, the engine sputtered and smoke came out.

you went out of the car and inspected it with daryl, "the hell, i thought this car was fine... rick said it was." you groaned.

"it jus' needs a new battery, then it'll be fine." he spoke and you nodded. "never trust what rick says, you trust him so easily."

he frowned at you and your mouth gaped open with shock, "excuse me? what? are you saying that we can't trust ricky dicky?" you stared at him in disbelief.

"what? he might have planned this with glenn and maggie! for all i know you could be on this too." he accused you.

"me?! what do i hav— what maggie, glenn, rick and i have to do with this?!" you hissed at him in frustration.

"to get the 'get along with daryl' plan successfully! isn't that what you desperately wanted?! snooping into my business every now and then!" he shouted.

"i'm not that desperate to get along with you to get us stranded here! you're a jerk, a fucking big dick!" you glared at him.

"you begged me f' months to be friends with ye' again, what am i supposed to think?!" he was turning red.

"shut the fuck up. i don't know who the fuck you think you are to make it seem i am so obsessed with you! you pushed me away without saying anything! y–you abandoned me, you always yell at me when you know damn well i hated being yell at..." your voice broke and tears filled your eyes.

he stayed silent and stared at you. shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"i never get to know what i did wrong, dare... i–i stay awake every night an–and wonder what i did wrong for you to hate me so fucking much." you ranted.

"you did nothing, 't was jus' me." he looked down at the ground, you laughed painfully.

"that's supposed to make me feel better? i can't look at rick without thinking of what he did to him... y–you forgave him with that big of a sin to you, yet me? i'm the one who did nothing wrong to you! a–and yet you can't even look at me in the eyes without snapping." you admitted.

"‘m sorry." he looked into your eyes and you can see the pain, confusion and anger in them.

"that's not supposed to fix things, dixon..." you shook your head and went to inspect the other cars on the road for battery.

"look... you don't understand." he followed after you, you pulled half your body out of the car's window and looked at him with an expecting gaze.

"then make me understand, dixon. 'cause like you fucking said, i don't understand." you challenged him.

"if you knew, you might hate me." he furrowed his eyebrows at you, you scoffed and walked away from him.

"just tell me. it's not that hard." you muttered as you checked the trunk of the car. you found a couple of rubbish piles and went through it, daryl right beside you in an instant.

"i can't." he whispered in an almost pained voice, your heart ached and you frowned at him, he was looking down and sadness was obvious on his face.

"you can't or you won't?" you asked with a chuckle. you looked at him once again and saw he was biting his nails, indicating that he was nervous.

"fuck, don't make this hard for me." he spoke in a shaky voice.

"it's not just hard for you, don't you think it's hard for me too?" you asked, offended that he only referred to himself.

"did you fucking spent a year chasing for a man who hates you?" you asked and he stayed silent, you nodded. "like what i thought."

"i don't hate you..." he said and leaned on the side of the car, he looked at you with an intense gaze that made your stomach flutter.

"really? well, you act like it." you scoffed once again and walked away from him, you went to a few other cars without daryl following you, he was just on that same car.

he was zoned out and seemed to be in deep thought, if you didn't know better you might think he will cry. but no, that man is strong and brave.

you went back with 2 batteries, not knowing if they work. you shoved it to his chest and he stumbled back, making you almost feel bad.

"there, check if it works. and if it does, then thank the heavens above 'cause you get to come home and not stay here much longer." you ranted.

you rolled your eyes at him and walked away, going towards where your car is parked, you waited by the side and watched him slowly walk towards you.

"i've got feelings f' ye'. that's why i avoided you." he spoke in a loud voice making you halt in your footsteps to get away from him when he went by your side.

"w–what?" you asked, not believing him. it might just be his excuse for you to not hate him or something.

"i thought it will jus' slow m' down and make m' weaker." you stared at his dixon's blue, there was genuineness in his eyes.

"i..." you were speechless and didn't know what to say, the man you thought hated you, just confessed his feelings for you.

"it didn't fade. it made m' weaker somehow. i realized i need you back in m' life but it was too late." he admitted, a smile on his face. "feels good to take the weight off ma' shoulder."

"are you serious?" you asked him with concerned eyes. he might be lying and is just playing with your feelings.

"how about, let's start over?" he suggested and smiled warmly at you, a rare emotion from him nowadays.

"o–okay." you nodded, still flustered by his confession. you smiled at him, there's still doubt inside you but you were willing to start over with daryl dixon: the last man standing.

you will forgive him for those months, almost a year, that he treated you bad. but you still will try to forget the pain he caused you with the new memories you might be able to make.

"turns out, rick is right..." you muttered with a silly smile, disbelief in your face that rick was right, only a few hours ago if you were told that you and daryl will get along well again, you might have laughed your ass off.

"i'm daryl dixon." he smiled and held out his hands for you to shake his, you smiled and felt as if your stomach was filled with butterflies. you felt warm and accepted his hands, saying your name.

and it's the start of a new story.

[richonne4life]

Thinking about how Benjiro, the portrait artist, said to Michonne, "There was a boy he asked me to draw, but I could never get it right for him" and why that makes sense now since Rick couldn't see Carl anymore 😭

Thinking about how Michonne, as furious as she was with Rick and as terrified as she was that she wouldn't find her Rick, still made sure a portrait of Carl was made because she knew Rick didn't have one 😭

Thinking about episode 4x16 of TWD when Michonne told Carl, "Your dad brought me back... You did" and how now it's Michonne and Carl that have brought Rick back 😭

Thinking about how Michonne brought two sons into Rick's life by the end of episode 4 and how ecstatic Rick must be to have a clear mind and a heart filled with love. Family has always meant everything to him, and he has his family again 😭

Thinking about how ecstatic Michonne must be because family has always meant everything to her, too. She gave her heart to Rick for a reason, and now she has her family back 😭

Now we need a Grimes family reunion so Rick, Michonne, RJ and Judith can finally be together! ❤️

[irmise]

I dreamed about you

After so many years of waiting, here is finally the epilogue of this love story... And of course, Michonne occupies all his thoughts, she is his strength in trying to escape, the letters he writes to her, the drawings of her allow him to keep a little hope even when everything seems desperate. He is ready to cut off his hand to escape because whatever happens, his wife, his daughter will always remain his only  choice.

From their first interaction in TOWL, we see a parallel with their last: both moments come straight from Rick's imagination and they both highlight the importance that Michonne has in his life.

Rick was left hallucinating on that bridge telling Michonne that she was his family and that he had found her. Michonne telling him why she fell in love with him, because he never gave up. Even in agony, he remembers that she believes in him. It's seeing her that gives him the strength to get up and try to fight one last time.

And now, torn from his family, it's her he dreams about, in a world without apocalypse, he dreams of what could have been their first meeting. Michonne appears to show him the road to take when he is lost, she believes in him to find his way.

Isn’t that what she’s always done? The one who believed in him when everyone else doubted, when HE doubted himself. She didn't have to be on the same page to know that he would always do what was right in the end. She always showed him the right direction. I remember writting on an old post: "Rick guides Alexandria, Michonne guides Rick" : She always believed in his leadership and she was his compass to guide him and she still is in his dream.

That’s the most beautiful here, in a single dream we find their dynamic, the one we have seen since the start of their journey.

Are you where you want to be ? That's the whole question. Where he wants to be is close to her, it's where he feels safe, it's near her that he feels stronger. So much so that this place he is looking for in this dream no longer matters because he found her.

She became his family, his reason to be happy and to believe in the future even after the darkest times, even after Carl. She once asked him “Don’t you want one more day with a chance?” and he agreed to follow her and hold on to a little hope. And today, even far from her, it’s dreaming of her that keeps him going.

The second dream bears so many parallels too, Michonne with her white dress, like the dream of what a happy ending would have been for Rick in an ideal world.

It made me think about Glenn's death when Rick imagined this moment with all the family he had created in this apocalyptic world. I thought of this scene because of the white dress Michonne was wearing. I remember that at that time, I said to myself that there must be something symbolic in him imagining her in a white dress.

And there we are, her wearing a white dress again and him asking her to marry him. Michonne, his wife, that's his purpose...

The two of them can get through anything and even in his dreams it's a certainty. Together they are invicible by the strength that each gives to the other: "We can make this whole damn world ours if we want to". Like an echo of what he had said to her one day, when nothing seemed impossible with her by his side... “The world’s ours, and we know how to take it”.

He needs her to get there even if it's only in a dream because as she tells him before he wakes up, she believes in him as always...

And that's the problem… All his dreams, his letters, these drawings on these phones, are so many hopes that he must erase if he really wants to be able to become the "savior" that Okafor asks him to be. Agree to forget the love of his life to try to save as many people as possible, sacrificing the little hope he had left. Because even if he found a way to escape, he would put her and their family in danger if only because Okafor found his letter... Rick finally understands that he must give up. And that's also what this episode was about, Rick who gradually loses hope of finding his family, to the point of wanting to kill himself, to the point of no longer dreaming of Michonne, to the point of destroying everything which allowed him to fight.

So desperate that when Michonne takes off his helmet in the last scene he has his eyes closed ready to accept his fate until he opens his eyes and faces hope.

And that's their story isn't it ? She always appears when he's lost, to guide him.

[mintsandapples]

michonne not immediately telling rick about rj is such a tender act of love!! like you just know she's dying to tell him about their son - after she lost her baby andre, after they've lost carl, after going through her pregnancy the birth and having to parent rj + judith all these years while grieving her husband wishing he was with her/them every second that passed - the heaviness of that... then she finally finds him right when she decides to go home to their kids and she doesn't tell him about rj. she doesn't know the details of what's kept him from her all these years yet but she knows her man, she sees how scared he is when they reunite and she's so attuned to him she senses it's not the right time to drop this news just yet - it would instantly make him lose his mind and bring him to his knees. rick blew up that bridge and didn't think he'd survive but he did and it kept him away from his family, literally all rick grimes cares about his reason to live (and die) - as happy as he will be learning he has a child with the love of his life, him not being with her when they needed him, him missing the crucial first years of his child's life while being trapped will inevitably come with so much sorrow... it would be too much to process so michonne wants to protect him, she (wants to) holds it in until they're both safe on their way back to their babies ❤️‍🩹 

and i know people couldn't wait for her to tell him but haaaaa i live for the tension/anticipation of us knowing something rick doesn't yet

[thehedgerider]

Currently watching Say Yes and in the scene after Rick almost dies and Michonne becomes all withdrawn from the fear of losing him which sends him into that explanation about how they can lose each other while Michonne’s insisting that she can’t lose him. Every time I see this ep I always ask myself:

Why is he being so stupid about this?

I think it’s dawned on me now that he’s not taking into consideration how the loss of him would affect someone who cares for him as much as he cares for them. This is a man who isn’t used to being valued by his partner. Lori was fucking his best friend and had that man’s baby on the way less than a month after being told Rick was dead. He’s convinced himself that life will just go on without him despite Michonne’s insistence to the contrary.

It’s one of the reason’s why I love ep 4 of TWOL so much. Because it just proves how well-meaningly wrong he was in Say Yes.

[richonnesbitch]

One moment that is not talked about enough for me is when Rick sees Michonne’s scar. And of course it‘s cloaked in that whole moment of Rick seeing Michonne undress and being very horny lol That man was starving, ok 😭 And of course you can immediately see the rage in his face. Like, he was already plotting on killing whoever is responsible for this. Jocelyn better be thankful she is already dead! But also it‘s something that shatters the illusion he is holding on to. Because as long as Michonne is not in front of him, as long as he pushes her away, he can imagine her living a happy life back in Alexandria with their kid(s). Like, it’s killing me to not be with them but if they get to live good lifes because of it so be it. And here is confronted with the fact that clearly it is and has not been all sunshines and rainbows for her. So why and what exactly he is sacrificing himself for?

Yes, it's so sad. He thought he did what he did for the greater good. He fully let himself believe that Michonne and Judith were okay without him, despite him knowing more than anybody how this world works. I can only imagine the guilt he must feel. He was fully ready to leave the CRM just to go back and kill Jocelyn lmao!

It's kind of funny because Michonne also had illusions. She let herself believe that once she found Rick again everything would be fine and dandy. She thought they'd be holding hands skipping into the sunset together. I guess them believing those things was basically the thing holding their last strand of sanity together.

Like imagine a protector and family man like Rick being ripped away from everyone he loves, unable to stop any of the evil happening to them. He HAD to believe they were okay or else I believe he would have physically let himself die. And imagine the discovering the love of your life suddenly and brutally "dying" in front of you. You have every reason to believe they are dead but somehow you still know they aren't. Everyone thinks you're crazy and the one person who tells you that you aren't crazy is a crazy person themselves. Years go by and at random you find miscellaneous clues that they are still alive! And so now you really know that they need your help because they must be really stuck wherever they are. Because there is no world you can imagine where they wouldn't do everything in their power to be with you. You would just have to believe that mentally they are okay. That once you find them everything else comes easy. You would not wanna imagine how broken they truly are. It's kind of really romantic when you think about it. Lying to yourself just because you can't fathom them not being safe.

They've both been through so much. I'm glad they got their happy ending 🥺🥺

[trips2saturn]

TOWL SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!!

enough time has passed and i’m impatient so here it is. episode two debriefing! ❤️‍🔥

danai and andy’s chemistry is unparalleled and has never been executed so well before by any other actors. their words, emotions, and energy into bringing these characters to life in such a tender way is something absolutely so enigmatic and goshshfgshdhsn i just love them. i love their dynamic and their power to create such an immaculate foundation that will always be such a memorable piece for all of us as fans of this franchise. 🫶🏼

michonne and nat deserved more time. point blank period. i sobbed violently and had to pause the episode for ten minutes. i loved his dynamic with michonne and how much impact his character had in under 40 minutes of screen time. missing him forever and ever. and not to be an asshole but their relationship is what the dude-bros wanted rick and okafor’s association to be ! tell me i’m wrong.

dana from a group of 40 people with her sister el. yaaaas go girl! she’s a b your honor please believe her!!! she’s totally not a badass powerhouse wife and mother of two who’s experienced more in her life than the crm ever have!!!

it’s FUCK the crm forever actually. CHLORINE GAS? killing the pregnant lady and her boyfriend???? im distraught. the most disgusting group of people to ever exist apart from the saviors. hoping to see their entire base burn to the ground by the end of this series !!!! <3

RICHONNE REUNITING AFTER CHOOSING TO GIVE UP HOPE TO FIND EACH OTHER 😭😭😭 the universe loves them soooo much they’re like this 🤞 when it comes to fate. i am still actively emotional over all of their scenes. they’re sooo in love with each other it hurts. i’m still on cloud nine just from seeing them kiss (and moan omg!) so excuse me. ❤️‍🩹

michonne cradling rick’s face and rick nuzzling into her hands? THAT IS HER BABY POOKIE SUGAR PLUM CRISP. keep them together! they cannot be separated!

jadis can die with all due disrespect. she ruined everything. it’s been her fault since the start. she separated them. she’s the reason that rj doesn’t know his father and only knows of his legendary stories. fuck her. d*e!

rick asking about jude multiple times :((( his baby. bring him home to his kids PLEASE. must’ve been such a shocker to hear him ask about his daughter and not daryl or negan oh no! abused, kidnapped father finds the love of his life and wants to make sure that their daughter is still okay after being away from her for a decade! SHOCKER! WOW. this is shocking news! 🙀

the scenes of michonne and nat having to rebuild their health after the chlorine gas bomb was so heartbreaking but powerful. michonne working out and continuing to push herself by being reminded of her strength, grief, and love. she is so strong and i’m so proud of her. i hate the crm.

“shoto? shoto?” PUNCHING ME IN THE GUT WOULD HURT LESS. meanwhile judith is also trying to reach out but their signal is too far gone for them to do so. 😭 pleaseeee i just need one future scene of them reuniting. michonne loves them so much she is the best mother ever. ❤️‍🩹

okay!!!!! that’s all that i have for now. still collecting my thoughts after this episode but i love my tv parents more than life. so happy to have them back and i can’t wait for the next four episodes!!!!!!!

[paintyoureyeswithavividmind]

close to home | chapter sixty four

close to home | chapter sixty four

plot: time continues to move on for the reader

series masterlist

Pairing: Eventual Daryl Dixon x f!reader Word Count: 3,214 Warnings: violence, blood, typical twd, the passing of a beloved pet A/N: thank you for reading!! This chapter is going to feature the death of Tora. I know how much you all love her, but with all the time jumps and to continue this story, cats unfortunately do not live that long. I apologize if this is going to be trigger, and if it makes any of you feel better, I based Tora on my cat who is only 3, and I was sobbing writing this as well. So as a little pick me up, there is the beautiful and loving cat that I based Tora off of (and my bookshelf lol) at the end of this chapter

Weeks turned into months as you and Daryl worked on coming back together. By early spring, you were even more in love with and fully committed to him again. You trusted him again, which seemed to elevate Daryl in unexpected ways. He was more open with the kids and even Michonne and took a seat on the council--you declined Michonne’s offer for the hundredth time. 

By late summer, you were happier and healthier after Daryl returned to you. It was coming up on a year since you’d reunited with him, and things were almost perfect again. 

Almost.

With Tora’s age, you had her out of commission. She wasn’t allowed outside the walls, and stairs were getting too hard for her to climb. You or Daryl would have to bring her up and down. She was getting older after all these years, and you knew she wouldn’t make it to the end of the year. So you spent as much time with her as you could. She followed you around the community, cuddled with you and Daryl every night, and even with Dog. You had Siddiq look at her, of course, and you knew she was having kidney issues. But you could do nothing about it until she started showing pain.

Despite Daryl telling you it was a bad idea, you visited with Negan a few times every now and then. You meant what you said to him years ago, that you were moving past things and letting go of the anger. That meant there was room for a tiny bit of guilt for him spending the rest of his life in a cell, not that you thought he should be let out. But you went down to talk to him, and he was never an asshole to you. For whatever reason, he respected your marriage to Daryl and told you he just liked having someone to talk to. 

You knew Judith was doing the same but didn’t say anything. And Judith was Judith; she would do what she wanted anyway, just like her brother and father. 

Which was why Michonne agreed to let you and a group take her out for a hunt. She was nine now, and Michonne knew how important it was for her to know the ins and outs of the area around the community. She trusted you with Judith’s life. 

So you had Rosita, Eugene, Laura, and Aaron come out with you, as they did most of the out-of-community work anyway. Daryl was needed to help build up one of the new farming stands, so you couldn’t have him come. 

You were meant to meet them in a few minutes at the gate and could hear Judith bumping around in her room while getting ready. The two of you never seemed to get anywhere on time these days. 

“You gotta be kidding me,” You mumbled as you adjusted your belt. It was too tight around your waist. But it was notched where it always was, and then you realized it wasn’t the belt that was too tight. 

“No,” You shook your head as you walked to the mirror that hung from behind the door. You lifted your shirt and turned to the side.

“No, no.” You mumbled as you set your hands around your stomach. It was definitely sticking out more than it should’ve.

You let the shirt drop, which made you look almost normal, and then you picked the shirt up again as you thought about when you got your last period--but of course, it was never regular after the end of the world to begin with. 

“(Y/N), I’m ready to go…” Judith swung the door open but paused when she saw you. “Are you pregnant?” She yelled. 

You immediately pulled her into your room and shut the door behind her. “Do you always have to be so loud,” You said, which made her giggle. 

“Let me see.” She reached for your shirt, which you let her, and she pulled it up. “I remember how big mom’s tummy got.”

“I’m not pregnant,” You said, but you weren't so sure when you looked in the mirror. The symptoms you had for your first were surprisingly few; if it was the same, it wasn’t a wonder how you didn’t realize sooner. 

“I bet Daryl will be happy.”

“Go get your sword before I toss you out the window, missy.” 

***

“Judith!” You screamed, flicking blood off your machete. Your heart was beating faster than you ever could’ve imagined as you looked around the woods for your niece. You felt tears burn in your panic, and you looked at Rosita, who looked as desperate and scared as you. 

You followed Rosita through the woods, screaming out for Judith. You ran towards the sound when you finally heard her yelling that she was close. 

“I heard them calling, they needed our help.” Judith said. 

You looked behind her and immediately drew an arrow. Five strangers were following behind her, all out of breath and in bad shape. Dog was barking like crazy in warning, and you whistled to recall him. He sat next to you. 

Rosita and Aaron discussed with Judith as to why you couldn’t bring them back, and you watched her threaten that she wouldn’t come back. 

“We bring them.” You said. “I will talk to Michonne. I want us in group formation. There are walkers behind every damn tree.” You said. 

Eugene and Laura took the lead, while Rosita and Aaron took the back. You and Judith walked side by side with the strangers. You noticed the two quiet ones were talking in sign language, and you could pick up a few things they were discussing. 

“Hey,” You took a couple quick steps and looked at the one who heard you. You set your machete away and did your best to sign as you spoke. “I’m (Y/N). It’s been a while since I’ve signed. I wanted to reassure you that you’ll be safe. We’ll help your friend. I can’t promise anything after that.”

“I’m Kelly,” The younger one said as she signed. “This is my sister Connie.” You looked at Connie while she signed. “She said-.”

“I got the gist,” You said, then you did your best to sign again and had to spell out a few words you didn’t remember. I went to school for speech pathology before switching to medicine. It’s been a long time, though.

It’s nice to meet someone I can talk to you, Kelly always has to translate for me, Connie signed to you. You were able to understand most of it and you nodded at her, which made her smile. 

***

Daryl was the first one you saw when you walked through the gates, and you smiled, jogging up to him. Your bow clanged against his crossbow as you hugged, and he kissed you briefly before looking past you. “What’s all this?”

“Don’t ask,” You muttered. “One word. Judith.”

“Ain’ a surprise.”

You turned back to the strangers as they marveled at the community, and you saw in their faces how relieved they were. They had to have been out there for a long time. You couldn’t imagine it. After all this time, you didn’t know what you would do without the communities. 

There was a slight argument amongst the residents before Michonne showed up, and after looking them over, she had them put away into holding for the night so the council could vote in the morning. 

Daryl had more work to do, so he bid goodbye, and you walked home with Judith. 

“So when are you gonna tell him?”

“Judith.”

“What? I’m just asking. Would that mean I’m an aunt if you have a baby?”

You smiled, looked down at your niece, and then wrapped an arm around her. “No, sweetheart. It would make you cousins. You’ll be an aunt when RJ has a baby in many, many years from now.”

“But I could help you take care of it.”

“Judith.” 

“Maybe you can ask mom to help you since you don’t have any kids,” Judith asked as she looked up at you. 

You frowned slightly and tipped her hat forward to cover her eyes. “I did have a kid. I had a son. But he died in my belly.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Judith said. “Was it before?”

You nodded as you stopped by the stairs to your house. “It was.”

Judith gave you a big hug. “For what it’s worth, I think you’ll be a great mom. You’re my best friend.” 

***

You were standing in your room a few hours later naked, having just showered. Your long hair was dripping as you turned to look at yourself in the mirror. Your stomach wasn’t extended the way it would’ve been if you’d put on a bit of weight--which you’d gotten back to your regular weight after being shot--but it was just your lower belly. And it took you back to years ago with Liam, and you were this size at around five months. If you were pregnant, you’d be showing earlier. 

You pressed your hand against the swell and sighed loudly. Pregnant. After all this time, you couldn’t be, could you? Not after all these years. 

The sound of meowing caught your attention, and you quickly got dressed before walking over to the window. Tora was at the front steps, and you didn’t like the sound of her howling. Your fingers trembled as you looked at her for another second. She was pushing thirteen, which was on her breed's older side of the lifespan. 

You quickly rushed down the stairs and outside. 

“Tora, sweetie,” You said as you scooped her up in her arms. She’d been losing weight a lot in the past month. You knew her time was coming. 

She meowed quietly as she got comfortable in your arms. Living on your farm, you’d grown up around house cats and barn cats, and they all acted the same way when it was time. When they needed to say goodbye. So when you saw Tora looking up at you with those sweet, innocent eyes, you knew it was. 

Tears burned your eyes as you thought about your old treehouse and living there with her alone. How she kept you alive because you were too stubborn to let her die. And even before that, when Liam gave you to her on Christmas morning, she immediately crawled into your lap and started purring. Thirteen years was long for a cat in this world, and she spent most of it malnourished, even though you did your best. 

“(Y/N)? What’s going on?” 

You looked up at Judith with tears on your cheeks. “Can you run and get Siddiq for me, sweetie?”

Ten minutes later, Siddiq held Tora in his arms as you watched him press around her belly. When she showed discomfort and tried to scratch him, he gave her back to you. 

“I’m sorry. It’s probably the kidneys. I can use the machine on her tomorrow to take a look.”

You nodded, but you knew it wouldn’t come to that. She wasn’t going to make it through the night. 

“Do you know where Daryl is?”

“He was with Aaron. I think they were workin’ late on the farming stand.”

Siddiq said goodnight and squeezed your arm before he left, and then Judith wrapped her hand around your bicep. “Can I come with you?”

“I’m gonna bring her back here, Jude. I promise. Can you get some pillows and blankets on the couch? You know how she likes it.”

Judith nodded and ran back into the house. You sniffled a few times and started walking towards the center of the community. 

You were already crying when you saw Daryl with Aaron, working with flashlights to get the stand finished. You tried to call out his name but had to take a deep breath. Tora stirred in your arms and you shushed her, kissing the top of her head. 

“Daryl?” He turned around the moment he heard the tone of your voice, and you saw his face drop when he saw you. “Tora…she…” You broke out into tears. 

He tossed his tools aside, told Aaron he’d see him tomorrow, and then came to you. “Come on, darlin’, let’s get her home.” 

You nodded as he wrapped his arms around your shoulders and led you home.

Judith set up the couch like you asked her, and you gently set Tora on the blankets before sitting on the floor. You gently ran your hand along her body and fluffy tail, and she looked at you with those big eyes. 

Daryl sat down next to you while Judith sat on the couch. You pressed your forehead on the cushion near her paws and tried not to start scream-crying in front of Judith. You wanted to do that and throw things around and punch holes through walls. But you didn’t do any of that. 

“Why don’ ya go get ya mom, Judith? She’ll wanna be here.” 

Michonne joined you with a sorrowful look on her face. She loved Tora, although she didn’t show it. But you remembered perfectly her sneaking little bits of food to her when she thought no one was looking. 

After a little while, you let Tora sleep and leaned against the loveseat. Daryl sat beside you, and Michonne took the chair with Judith on her lap. You told them all silly stories about Tora before they knew her when she was just a kitten, and you told Judith how much her brother loved the cat and how you’d always find him stealing her every chance she got--which was something they had in common. Over the past six years, Tora often slept at the foot of Judith’s bed. 

It drew further into the night, and everyone was half asleep when Tora stirred on the couch. The bell from her collar rang as she jumped down and limped her way toward you. She curled herself up on your lap, and you gently pet her. Daryl took your other hand, and Judith and Michonne came to sit on the floor with you. 

“You’re okay,” You said through your tears. “You can sleep now. Say hi to Carl for me, okay, when you get there?”

Around two in the morning, Tora took her last breath in your arms. You sobbed, holding her body to your chest. Daryl held you while Michonne held a hysterical Judith. 

Your heart ached when Daryl tried to take her body from you, and you finally gave in. “Make sure she’s comfortable,” You sobbed. “Wrap her in her favorite blanket. Please be careful.”

“I got her, I got her,” He reassured you.

Judith came over to you and sat on your lap to hug you, and you held her tight as you both cried. 

“I wanna bury her next to Carl,” You said through tears. “I think they’d both really like that.” 

Michonne wiped away her tears, and she stood up. “Of course, we can plant some flowers. Anything you want. I’m gonna take Judith up to bed. You can sleep in my room if you want, honey.”

Judith nodded through tears as she stood up. “I wanna help bury her.”

You slowly stood up and ran your hand on the back of her head. “We’ll do it tomorrow morning before the meeting. Don’t worry, sweetie, I’ll wake you up for it.”

Your niece gave you one more big hug before Michonne led her to the stairs, and you could hear her crying on the floor above you. You sat down on the chair and hung your head in your hands. 

Footsteps caught your attention, and you looked at Daryl, who you knew was crying. He must’ve taken a few extra minutes to avoid crying in front of Judith. 

“Wrapped her up gentle, I promise,” Daryl told you and helped you up so he could hug you. “In her favorite blanket. We’ll bury her tomorrow.”

“We have to give her a funeral.” You cried into his chest. “A good one. She was my life.”

He rubbed the back of your head and kissed your forehead. “We’ll give her the best damn funeral Alexandria has ever seen, okay? Come on, let’s get to bed. Ya gotta try and sleep, darlin’.”

You didn’t want to; of course, you didn’t. But you knew you needed to, and sleep would make you forget. So you let him bring you upstairs, help you into pajamas, and then hold you while you cried yourself to sleep. 

***

The following day, Tora’s absence had you hysterically crying. It woke Daryl up, and he held you, rubbing your back and trying to help you calm down. Then your door opened, and Judith ran in. 

“I thought you left without me, and I missed it,” She started sobbing and jumped on the bed, pushing her way so she was lying between you guys.

“No, sweetie,” You cried and kissed her forehead. She cuddled up against you to cry. 

***

Aaron must’ve spread the word about Tora’s passing because your family was there as you carried her wrapped-up body to the small cemetery. Michonne must’ve woken up early to dig the grave because it was already ready and waiting next to Carl’s. 

You knelt on the ground and gently laid her body to rest. You wiped away your tears and stood up. Daryl wrapped an arm around you and nodded at Aaron, who grabbed the shovel. 

“I would like to say a few words,” Judith said as she grabbed your hand. “If everyone would please pay attention…” When everyone was, she spoke again. “I knew Tora my whole life. I heard stories about her sleeping in my crib with me. And she was the best cat I ever had. And I love her so much.”

You smiled through your tears at your niece, squeezing her hand. 

“One time when we were on the road,” Rosita said, “Before we found this place, she came up to me and sat next to me. It was weird for me because I’m a dog person. But she just sat right there. It was like she knew I needed to not be alone.” 

“I enjoyed watching her chase birds,” Eugene bowed his head. 

Your eyes filled with tears as Michonne stepped up. “She used to try and steal RJ’s food,” She laughed. “I always let her have some.”

“Thank you guys,” You said. “Thank you for helping keep her safe. She was special. And even though this is heartbreaking, I’m happy I was able to keep her safe. And she passed peacefully in my arms. Safe, and warm, and so, very loved.” 

You looked up at Daryl, the only one who hadn’t said anything. 

“I, uh.. I first met the cat when I first met (Y/N), when we almost killed each other. I remember thinkin’ she must be crazy for havin’ a cat. But Tora was good. And ‘m gonna miss her every day.” 

[flutterbyoz]

It always surprises me, or maybe it doesn't given what the general TWD fandom can be like, that people are using the fact that The Ones Who Live is a love story as a reason to criticise the show.

The fact it is a love story was never hidden, it was never a secret or kept as a surprise, it's what the show was repeatedly promoted and advertised as. Andy, Danai and Scott never misled anyone into thinking it was going to be anything else, they were quite clear and pointed out that TOWL would be a love story every chance they got. So if someone saw any of the promo, interviews etc whether online or on TV and were going into this show expecting something else then I don't really know what to say other than they probably should have paid more attention.

The show was not aimed at or made for people who hate Richonne. I get that not everyone is a Richonne fan, to each their own for the most part, but when you watch their spin off, what else are you expecting other than a love story? Especially with Andy and Danai at the helm, it seems some people really don't understand the characters at all.

I know some people tuned in just to see what happened to Rick and that's great, the show isn't solely for Richonners but if the love story with his wife and love of his life annoys you so much that you can't continue watching your fave in their spin off and the feel the need to announce that you quit half way through then not only do I have to wonder why you hate their relationship so much but also say that you're purposefully ignoring a huge part of who Rick is and why he does what he does. I don't think you can fully understand and know Rick without his relationship with Michonne and how his love for her and hers for him shapes him into the man he is today. Without Michonne, Rick is a shell of himself, she is his entire world, she and their kids are his reason for everything so you're not going to get a Rick story without Michonne, because without Michonne there isn't really a Rick.

Had this been Rick and Daryl instead of Rick and Michonne, had they been the ones with the emotional scenes I can pretty much guarantee a large majority of the people who complained about Rick and Michonne would have no problem with Rick and Daryl. It's what a lot of them have been calling for since Rick was taken not to mention the people who are bitter that Richonne gets everything they have wanted for their ship for years.

Attacking a show because it is what it was promoted as and did exactly what it set out to do is more than a little bizarre to me but I suppose it's just another way to criticise and disregard Rick and Michonne's relationship and diminish Michonne's importance.

I know, if we see Richonne again, it's going to be another love story and those who complained before will most likely complain again but only one spin off has been the most successful, a hit for the franchise and for AMC, included on numerous best of lists, gained Emmy buzz, received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and fans alike, has multiple Saturn award nominations and given this franchise a new lease of life. I find it strange to watch a show knowing full well you're only doing so to find something to complain about and though those viewers are just a small percentage of TOWLs overall viewers they did the exact opposite of what they wanted to do. Instead of bringing the show down they're just raising it up even higher!

Nothing will stop this ship, everyone wants a piece of them, they draw everyone in even those who say they don't care or even like them together and that's the power or Richonne!