AN: so, if I didn't loose you lol, here's another chapter. This should answer some questions. Ok this has a lot of fudging and taking liberties with history, biology and medicine. I realize a lot of this is phoney baloney... But please realize this is science fiction okay? Reviews are greatly appreciated.

I do not own or profit from The Walking Dead.

Chapter 2

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2011 CDC

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Carol blew a stray curl from her her face as she stared through the microscope watching in morbid fascination as the virus that had consumed the last week of her life multiplied across the slide she was reviewing. If she hadn't been so scared, she'd be fascinated.

The virus was using dead cells as a host, providing some kind of substitute for oxygen, reanimating the cells. The techs were calling it the zombie virus.

She was doing a summer placement at the cdc. At twenty one, she had already graduated having been skipped ahead numerous grades through school. She'd entered university at fourteen. She had completed several degrees, and was working towards her Ph.D. In Neurogenetics which was her specialty but she majored in premed before finding her first love. Research.

She was young, idealistic. Engrossing herself in her studies to hide from her pain. Her sister Sophia, had died after long battle with muscular dystrophy. For a long time, Carol had thought she could become a doctor, make a difference in the lives of others, help them. Then a professor had changed her life.

He had called her to his office, and been brutally honest.

"Carol you are far and above ahead of any student I have ever had. Being a doctor is an honourable, wonderful ambition, but Carol...you could cure diseases." It had been an epiphany. It had become her obsession. She hadn't been able to save Sophia but she would save others like her.

She hadn't expected to be dealing with a virus that could in fact cause the apocalypse, when she had applied for the internship. She had only wanted a chance to learn from the best, and now they might be dealing with the end of the world.

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One month later

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There was barely anyone left.

Most of the other scientists had left to go home to their families (those who still had families) or they were dead. Carol had stayed, stayed to help, stayed to fight. She had nowhere else to go.

She had a hypothesis. One that had yet to be tested. They had discovered that the virus was a mutated form of rabies that had joined with a fungus. A superbug. The fungus was acting though abnormally. Instead of decomposing dead tissue, the fungus was delaying the decay.

Carol had injected the fungus with the strongest herbicide she could get her hands on. Agent Orange. It had worked stopping the disease in it's track. Only problem was you could not inject agent orange into living breathing human beings. They couldn't spray agent orange on the general population. It seemed like a dead end.

"Carol can you come to my office?"

Carol jumped up she had been slumped over her desk when Jenner had spoken to her. Getting up she stretched, grabbed her laptop and made her way to the bosses office. He was standing at the window, staring at the skyline.

"Yes sir?"

He sighed sitting in his chair. "Carol, you know what's happening in twmo weeks correct?" He asked.

She nodded. The biological containment would fail and the safeguards would activate. "Yes sir" she gulped.

" I think very highly of you Carol...so did my wife." He gulped. "I think given the time you could have solved this...I still think you can."

"Thank you sir."

He squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I put out feelers and sos's to every department before the government fell. I included your work with agent orange. I had some responses."

Carol sat up interested.

"What I am about to tell you is classified" he chuckled. "Not that that means anything now... towards the end of the 40's the government started to experiment with a chemical, one that later would be refined to form Agent Orange. World war 2 had just ended. Korea was on the radar. They couldn't afford another long war." He coughed, Carol listening intently.

"Some of the soldiers that were exposed to the chemical, developed horrible illness but others, ...others did not."

Carol leaned forward her heart pounding in her ears.

"Some developed a genetic mutation that basically made them immune to the fungus and all other fungus. In fact the gene lies dormant until the host is exposed to fungus and then releases supercharged antibodies."

Jenner looked at Carol. "It is very similar to my theoretical work on rabies. That genetic immunity could be passed on...tell me Carol. What do you think would happen, if someone had both genetic mutations simultaneously?"

Carol stood up excitedly. "If someone contained both mutations sir, they would theoretically be immune to the zombie virus. Sir this could be it, we need to divert all our attention to this and..," she stopped when Jenner put his hand up.

"Carol, we can't just put out a memo; if your dad worked with agent orange and one of your mothers parents survived rabies please report to the cdc, we might never find this person." He said.

She sunk down, to the couch, her spirits falling.

"But their is hope." Jenner said softly. "I've printed all our research as well as my research on rabies for you. I also have something... Something else you may not believe."

Carol looked up confused. "What is it sir?" She asked.

"I told you I put our feelers before the government fell. I got a visit from a division from NASA and the NSA, they wanted to give me something." Jenner pulled out a small silver box, setting it on the table in front of him. Opening it up, he showed Carol what was inside. It was like a metallic play dough, there was a very small chunk. It had the wet look of onyx.

"I don't know what this is. No one does. It was found, at a meteor site, two years ago a scientist was studying a small section, and it's reaction to heat. There was a small reaction an explosion and he was suddenly gone."

"Gone sir?"

"Puff like magic. He showed up days later with a small piece that had wrapped around his finger during the explosion. He had travelled through time." Jenner whispered.

"Sir..." Carol started.

"I know, seems crazy right? I never thought I would believe in zombies either."

Carol sat back stunned. Could it be possible? Time travel?

"They had only started their research but I have it here for you. All backed up on paper. I don't think the power grid will hold much longer. You need to go Carol, you could solve this, I'm giving you all the pieces. You need time but we don't have it here. You need to go." He said intently.

"But sir, what about you? I can't leave you, you need to come with me..." She started to say.

"No, I'm going to stay here, do what I can. I want to be with my wife Carol. It's my time." He said sadly. "I'll give you our containment vehicle, it's armoured. I'll give you all the supplies I can. You need to find somewhere safe. You need to track down the genetic mutations. If this can help you anyway," he nodded at the silver box "all the better."

"Is anywhere safe?" She whispered and Jenner sighed.

"I don't know anymore."

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One month later

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Carol kept her thoughts clear as she made her way through the traffic jam of knarled abandoned cars on the highway. She needed gas, desperately.

She'd spent the last month in isolation. Sleeping in the containment jeep, travelling with no destination in mind. Then it had hit her. Washington, millitary records.

She turned her knife and gun ready as a noise near her startled her.

"I'm sorry"

A little voice squeaked as a girl no older than 12 stepped out from behind a car hands raised. "Don't shoot, I'm alone."

Carol gasped she looked like Sophia, she looked like Her sister.

"What's your name?" Carol whispered.

"Violet."

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3 months later

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Violet talked non stop.

They had been together since that fateful day on the highway,Violet having survived on her own for two weeks since the death of her parents.

She was currently discussing raccoons. They were camped for the night in the jeep and Violet had been delighted to see a family of raccoons passing by. Carol just wanted to sleep.

"My momma hated raccoons, thought they carried rabies. My daddy used to joke and say he would protect her." Violet said wistfully laying her head against the glass.

Carol turned smiling at her. "Yeah? How would he do that?" She said smiling.

Violet laughed "When my daddy was little he got bit by a rabid cat. Didn't get rabies. Doctors said he was a buffoon."

"Buffoon?" Carol whispered to her self, "what do you mean?"

"Buffoon? You know he can't get it." She said with a toothy grin.

Carol giggled "Oh you mean immune..." She sat up

In shock turning to Violet. "Your dad was immune to rabies?" She whispered.

"Yeah"

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2020

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"Are you sure you want to do this? There are others going.." Carol gnawed at her lip as she pulled Violet aside after the meeting Carol had just chaired.

After nine years together, even though they were only ten years apart in age, Violet had become almost like a daughter to her.

"Carol, they are all men. You know that Hank Dixon had the strongest mutation. I have to go. I'm the only female with the rabies mutation."

The men they were sending back were attempting to find the daughters of soldiers who had the mutation. In hopes the mutation was passed on. Violet was the only women, the only one they had found with the mutation.

The Washington safe zone was a a bustling settlement that Carol had helped build. Research was first and foremost the primary mission of the safe zone but they had become wise to how the world was now, the walls were viciously guarded. Runs were common, but with Carol's help the settlement was becoming self sufficient. Solar power, water purification, farming. There did not seem to be a problem Carol was unable to solve. At the end of the world it helped to have a genius on your side Violet would joke.

They had found the files. In Washington after years of digging. The names and DNA of the men who had not gotten sick after the exposure. There was even microscopic slides included. Hank Dixon was without a doubt the best chance at solving this. A woman had to go back.

"But the 1940's Vi... It's so different then from what you are used to, and he might be awful..what if you hate him..?" Carol worried.

"I saw his picture, he's handsome." Violet shrugged.

"That's not what matters." Carol murmured.

"I know Carol, but it's a start. I am attracted to him. I would anyway. Even if I wasn't attracted to him. This needs to happen. I need to get pregnant and Hank needs to be the baby's father." Violet said.

Carol pulled her to a hug. "You'll have to leave your baby. "

They didn't know if it was safe for a child to travel. They could not risk the child travelling before he was eighteen . Violet would be taking an extra ring. One that could bring someone forward in time. To leave for her child on their eighteenth birthday. The rings provided some kind of magnetic field. That pulled the wearer through time. There was one problem. Jumping back through time, messed the polarity of the field. It was unstable. There was no guarantee how long you could stay in the past. Ten years was the longest they thought possible. Those in the past would start to hear a vibrating hum. A ringing in their ears when their time was running out. They would know they would leave soon. Those who jumped forward would stay indefinitely. Which was why they did not experiment with jumping to the future past 2020.

The ring would disintegrate when they jumped and they would be brought back when the magnetic field reached a critical levels. One ring was sent back with each jumper. Shielded so it would survive the jump. That ring was only able to jump forward. A ring for the children they hoped the jumpers would conceive to come forward through time. Children they hoped would contain the cure for the apocalypse.

"I made one special for you to take with you." Carol smiled wiping the tears from her eyes. Pulling the ring out she'd made for Violets child.

Violet gasped. "A Cherokee rose."

Violet had loved the story of the Cherokee Rose and the trail of tears. It had been Sophia's favourite too. Carol had spent many nights telling her the story.

"When you get back, you'll be thirty like me. Prepared to be old?" Carol teased with a giggle.

"Pfft Stahhhp you ain't old. Thirty is the new twenty. Besides, you're never too old to learn."