Sweet Damnation (Richonne Lemon One-Shots)

All The Wrong Reasons

A/N: Slightly AH - Taking place during the first couple of weeks in the ASZ. - (Michonne & Maggie slightly OOC)

Part I of II

Rated PG

Maggie's question echoed in my head from the moment she asked me yesterday, clear up until now.

"Would you rather tell Rick you love him and risk losing the friendship or keep the silence and suffer a lifetime of lies?"

Her question raised so many questions, it left me wishing for a third option, a door numbered three.

I didn't answer her, I blew her off, changed the subject, and quickly changed the subject.

It's a full day later and I'm still thinking about it.

"Hey Chonne," Carl leisurely strolled in, with Judith in his arms.

I gave him an automatic smile, when I say automatically it means forced. My door was closed and he never knocks.

"I'm headed out for a while..." He said, approaching me, so I stood to meet him halfway.

"Be home before dark," I told him.

"K..." he replied.

Teenagers... I grabbed ahold of my Lil Nugget with one hand, ruffled his hair with the other, and then plopped back down on the bed. My sudden movements caused Judith to let out an excited little coo as she wiggled out of my relaxed embrace and began crawling around on my bed. It wasn't long before I fell back into my thoughts.

Have I been living a lie?

Maggie sure seems to think so.

Soon after arriving in Alexandria, I felt a mild sense of comfort. Alexandria is an upscale planned community, a safe-zone established by the military in the early days of the outbreak, containing a handful of supplies for a large group of people. Ohio Congresswoman Deanna Monroe and her family were attempting to evacuate D.C. and return to Ohio to help handle the crisis in her state. While doing so, they were directed by the military to the neighborhood, among other survivors from D.C., and ordered to wait for their return, which never occurred.

The evacuees used the supplies for their survival, including construction materials from a shopping mall nearby, which were used to build this incredible wall. New survivors joined the community shortly thereafter. Deanna soon became their leader.

She saw promise and the rebirth of civilization in Alexandria. She believes in who people were before the apocalypse mattered. They will be the ones rebuilding and sustaining the community. Reg Monroe, her husband, is a professor of architecture and is the genius behind the wall.

Aaron, the man I've thanked on several occasions for bringing us here was appointed by Deanna as a recruiter. He welcomed us into the community on the condition we surrender our weapons. We reluctantly relented, and in return, were given two houses.

That same day we're all interviewed one by one, a few days and dinner parties later, all of us were appointed our roles. Rick and I were given the job of constable. Soon after, I conducted my own observations. I came to realize that some of the residents were dangerously ignorant of the new world and how to survive in it. This could cause them to act recklessly and put the lives of our group in danger.

I couldn't allow that. So I immediately voiced my concerns to Deanna and she promptly held a meeting for the residents of Alexandria. Since then, we've implemented a survival training program, which included weapons training, hunting, and basic combat training, lead by none other than myself and the rest of our group.