Well, I wasn't planning on releasing chapter 1 yet of this story until I had 8-10 chapters done...but, I'm at chapter 6 now, getting ready to start on 7...so close enough. Besides, I'm really excited about this one.

I'd like to send out a special thanks to my girl's over at Fans Of CARYL chat for giving me the prompt for this story, HaloHunter89, marybethorama, 27dayz, BLuIcy and Little Cinch. You girls rocked it out to me...so I hope I do it justice! I'd also like to send out special thanks to Walking Dead Creations for making the beautiful cover art for this story...TY, TY, TY!

This story will start back in S1...but it'll have a different twist to it. Some characters that have died will still be alive for this story and what I have planned out...some that did die will die differently then on the show...and some of the places the survivors ended up on the show, well, they won't end up there in this story. It's a whole different twist and one I hope you all like. There will also be some triggers in this story, smut, and of course violence, but I will give warnings at the top of those chapters.

For you CARYL haters out there...this is a CARYL fanfic. And so you know, "hate reviews" just make me want to write even more CARYL...they don't phase me. Never have, never will.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of The Walking Dead characters and I'm NOT making any money off of them! I only claim the OC characters I created for this story.

Please leave reviews. They are what keep me wanting to write!

For those on Twitter follow me at GrapeMystic and also check out my new CARYL group on fb called Fans of CARYL with links to the new CARYL website as well!

CARYL ON!

**WARNING...VERBAL ABUSE. If this bothers you, you might not want to read this chapter.**


The world was changing around them once again. But unlike all the other times, this time nothing was stopping that change, nothing could stop it. The dead had risen in a sense. The epidemic was one like no one had ever seen or heard of. It was one that brought not only death with it, but also the dead reanimating and coming after that living. They sought out fresh flesh and blood to devour. Some only got one bite of flesh, while others would rip apart their prey, leaving nothing behind in their wake. Those that were bitten or even scratched didn't stand a chance. Their death was all but written in stone. They would soon join the corpses that now walked the earth.

The Center for Disease Control or CDC as it was known to many was trying to work on a cure. Every branch that was based around the world was working to do what they could. Many had military units set up around them, protecting them from the dead...and from the living. Some had fallen completely without any communication to the other branches.

The Government officials had called for a state of emergency across the US. Refugee centers had been set up in and around major cities. The military was out in numbers trying to control crowds, protect those they could and along with trying to gain control over the situation. Roadblocks had been set up to control the amount of traffic coming into the refugee centers along with making sure no one that was infected was allowed in. Those that were bitten or scratched were taken off to a holding area, never to be seen again.

Just outside of Atlanta, Carol Peletier sat in the passenger seat of her husbands Cherokee starring at the stopped traffic ahead of them. The late afternoon sun beat down on them making the vehicle an oven in the heat. Even with the windows down, sweat covered her pale freckled skin and she wiped at her wet brow. Reaching for the bottle of water she'd brought with them, she took a small sip of the liquid and placed it back. Glancing over to the man she'd married, she then lowered her eyes and sat back in her seat, "How long do you think we'll have to wait?"

Blowing out a cloud of smoke, Ed rested one arm on the open window and draped his other over the steering wheel at his wrist, "Fuck if I know. Do you see this shit movin'?"

Resting a hand onto her pregnant belly, she rubbed small circles with her hand and cowarded away from him some, "No...I'm sorry."

Shaking his head, Ed unbuckled his seat belt and got out, trying to look down the road. Squinting, all he could see was cars and people standing around. Shaking his head, he slammed his door closed and looked in at his wife, "Might as well get your lazy ass out too. Make yourself useful and get me a sandwich or somethin' ta eat on."

Carol did as she was told, getting out and going to the back of the vehicle. Opening the back end up, she glanced over at the family in the car next to them. The man gave her a nod as the woman talked to their little boy in the back seat, probably trying to keep him calm. Ed came up on her left side and she jumped slightly, but quickly recovered. Opening the cooler up and pulling out some lunch meat they had tossed in while rushing to get out of their home, she got the loaf of bread she had grabbed on the way out the door and made him two sandwiches. When she had them in his hands, she made herself one and quickly put the lunch meat and bread back.

Sitting on the tailgate, Carol ate her sandwich slowly, watching as Ed paced back and forth. She could see him getting more and more frustrated, something she didn't want while they were on the road. His temper had already been pushed to the limits once earlier in the day, she didn't need it happening again. Finishing off the last bite of her food, she carefully got back down and went to the passenger side to retrieve her water bottle. Washing down her food, the bottle was suddenly snatched from her hands and Carol cowarded away into the door. Ed stood next to her, drinking down the water and then tossing the empty bottle back at her.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he glanced around before his eyes settled back on his wife, "Gonna go see what the hold up is. Ya keep ya ass here and watch our shit. Don't be lettin' anyone near it."

Carol nodded, wrapping her arms around her middle and watching as Ed walked off, heading on foot into the traffic ahead of them. Taking in a deep breath, Carol moved to the back passenger door and opened it, pulling out her backpack she had brought. Opening it, she pulled out smaller bottle of water, drinking as much as she could before replacing the cap and setting back in place. Closing the door, she went back to the spot she had been when Ed left, shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun and looking for him.

Almost thirty minutes had passed and Carol sat on the tailgate of their vehicle still waiting for Ed. The couple in the car next to them had gotten out, both standing there talking as they looked around and their little boy sat on the hood of their car. The sun was slowly going down, the temperatures on the highway sweltering. If there was a hell on earth, Carol decided that they had found it there on the highway.

"Excuse me," the woman from the car next to theirs said as she took a few steps towards Carol and gave her a smile.

Carol smiled at the thin, yet tall woman, turning towards her some, "Yes?"

Wiping her sweaty palms onto her denim covered thighs, Lori Grimes came closer and extended her hand out to the woman, "Hi, I'm Lori. I was wondering...you wouldn't happen to have a extra bottle of water would you? We ran out hours ago and every place we stopped was sold out."

"I think I might have a spare bottle," Carol said. Getting down off the tailgate, her eyes looked around, making sure Ed wasn't near and she went to the back passenger door again. Moving around a few things, she produced a bottle of water and handed it to the woman. "Hope that helps."

"Yes, thank you. Carl..." Lori called over to her son as she opened the bottle. When the boy reached her, Lori gave him some of the water and then told him to go put the bottle into the car for her, "I really appreciate it."

"No worries. How old is your son?" Carol asked, smiling as the boy tossed the bottle in the car window and then went back to his seat on the hood.

Running a tired hand through her long stands and pushing them back from her face, Lori breathed out with a chuckle, "Twelve. But at times I think he might be two instead."

Carol chuckled, her hand resting on her baby belly, "I think that comes with being a male really."

Lori laughed with the woman and nodded in agreement. Pointing to her belly, she asked, "How far along are you?"

"Four and a half months. Although, with this heat, I'm wishing she was already here," Carol said, rubbing her stomach and hating the heat of the afternoon.

"Lori...gonna walk up the road and see what I can find out," the man that was with her said, pointing in the direction he was going.

"Okay," Lori replied and then looked back at Carol, "Y'all heading for the evac center also?"

"Yeah. We were. Doesn't look like anyone is going anywhere anytime soon though," Carol replied and then looked back at Lori. Holding her hand out to her, Carol smiled, "I'm Carol...Carol Peletier."

"Lori Grimes. That's my son, Carl," Lori said pointing over to her son.

Looking back in the direction Ed had went, she spotted him talking to a few men several cars ahead of them. A shiver ran up her spine and Carol shook it off, turning her attention back to the other woman, "So...your husband...I saw his hat. He's a police officer?"

"Shane?" Lori asked and then laughed some, shaking her head, "No...no Shane isn't my husband. He uh...he was my husband partner on the force. Rick...he uh...he was shot in the line of duty."

Covering her mouth, Carol felt bad for asking and was quick to apologize, "Oh God...I'm so sorry..."

"No...no, it's okay. The hospital was supposed to have moved him when all...this started. Shane went to check and he found him still in his room, but..."

Carol frowned, hating to hear of the woman's loss. Shifting her weight, she tilted her head, "Well, at least you and your son are safe." Looking back towards Ed and seeing he was still talking, she sighed, "I wonder how long we'll be out here."

Lori shook her head, taking in a deep breath and sighing, "Hard to say. The broadcast have stopped. Maybe they've gotten the epidemic under control or something."

Helicopters flew overhead, heading in the direction of Atlanta. Carol looked up, watching them as they flew low until they were out of site. Just as she turned her attention back to Lori, the sound of explosions in the distance could be heard. Some people were looking towards the sky while others were running up the road to see what they could see. Carol though stood frozen in place, her heart hammering hard against her chest.

Ed and the man Lori was with jogged back towards them, Ed grabbing Carol's arm and pulling her, "Get your ass in the truck...we're gettin' out of here."

"Lori...come on. Some guys up ahead found a place near here we can go," Shane said, ushering her around the car.

"Shane, what's going on?" Lori's panicked voice carrying and catching Carol's attention from her window.

Blowing out a breath, Shane stared at her, "Atlanta...is a no go. It ain't safe no more. Gonna head up to this quarry near here. Get off the highway."

Ed got in behind the wheel, starting up the Cherokee. Once Shane moved there car off the road and took off up the side median, Ed pulled out behind them, following them down to the off ramp. Several other vehicles followed suit, a small convoy heading away from the highway and Atlanta. Carol looked in the direction of the city seeing smoke in the distance.

Looking back to Ed, her brow furrowed, "What's going on?"

"Fucker's are droppin' bomb's in the city. Figure's the government wouldn't do shit to help. They are probably the one's that started the virus...to kill our asses off." Slowing down as the RV in front of the other vehicles slowed, Ed groused, "We'd have been up at the cabin by now if'n I hadn't listened to your ass. This is all your fault! You wanted to go to the city...now see what trouble ya got us in? I swear you're the stupidest bitch I've ever met."

"I'm sorry," Carol whimpered from her seat, her eyes going down to her lap.

"Yeah, you're sorry alright. Sorriest piece of shit I've ever seen. Can't do nothin' right, can you? Hell, your ass would probably be dead by now if it wasn't for me," Ed grumbled as the vehicles in front of him picked up speed. Pressing on the gas, he looked over at her, "I swear if I wasn't drivin' right now I'd knock the shit out of ya."

Carol stayed silent, taking in the verbal abuse that streamed out of Ed's mouth. It wasn't unusual for him to go off on her like he was. Ever since she'd lost their first child, a son, due to a miscarriage he had become cold to her. His anger had seemed to take over their lives. At times he would be charming, usually after a drunk night out and coming home to beat her until she could barely move. But over the past two years, he had lost that charm and no longer apologized for his actions towards her.

Fighting to hold back her tears, Carol's eyes stayed down, her hands protectively over her stomach. When she had found out she was pregnant again, she swore to herself she would do all she could to protect the child she was carrying. Ed wasn't the least bit happy about the pregnancy, telling her she had gotten pregnant to trap him. And when she had found out they were having a daughter, Ed had taken her back home and had proceeded to beat her severely. She had spent two days in the hospital alone. The police had questioned her, but all she told them was she had been home alone and didn't know what had happened, covering for her husband as he stood to the side of her hospital bed.

Lifting her eyes and looking at the vehicles in front of them, she leaned her head against the door frame, hoping and praying that God would just take her and their daughter away from all the pain.


Okay, so...what do y'all think? Want to read more? Hmmm, I think I might need some review cookies for that, lol.