This is a deleted scene/opening for season two. I think it makes a better ending to season one so I included it here as an extra chapter. Mostly so Rick can have some whiny inner monologues.

The Walking Dead: The Shifting Dead
Season: 1
Episode 7: Atlanta Reprieve

Lori was silent beside him in the passenger seat. Rick glanced at her sideways, watching her. She looked tired and dazed as she stared out the window. He doubted she even saw anything. He glanced in the rearview mirror. Carol looked just as shaken, her arms tight around her daughter, who had fallen asleep. Carl caught him looking and blinked. But then he just looked back out the window. Broken. They all looked broken.

Rick looked out in front of them. The road looked clear. It looked like a good place to pull over and figure out what to do next. He rolled down his window and waved. Then slowly pulled off to the side of the road and turned the car off. "Lori." He said softly, turning towards her. She didn't move. "I'm going to talk to Shane and the others, okay?"

He saw her reflection in the window blink. But she made no other moves that she was listening. Carl leaned forward over the seat. "I'll keep watch." The kid said softly.

Rick smiled at him and patted him on the arm. "Okay. I'll be right back." He opened the door and slipped out silently, closing the door behind him. Dale, Shane, Glenn, and Daryl filed out, following him as he moved a few feet away from the caravan.

"What's up?" Glenn asked, his eyes darting around. "Something happen?"

"No, no!" Rick said quickly, shaking his head. "Just don't have a heading. Can't just keep driving without a plan. We're just wasting gas."

Glenn breathed out and nodded.

"What's out next move?" Shane asked evenly, looking at him. "Got any ideas, Rick?"

Rick glanced over at him and fought the urge to frown. It was the first time since their reunion that his old friend had voluntarily deferred to him. Rick hated that he immediately felt suspicious. He pushed the thought from his head. "What we need is a night to regroup. We got some friends in town." He said, looking at Glenn. "Place to stay for a night."

Glenn's eyes widened and he smiled. "Yeah. At the nursing home!"

"Wait…" Dale said. "The people who took you hostage?"

Rick shook his head. "Misunderstanding. We left in good terms."

"Don't sound too convincing." Dale muttered.

Glenn shook his head. "No. You didn't see the way Rick handled things. They're our friends. Right, Daryl?"

The archer shrugged. "Maybe."

"Just for a night or two." Rick said. "We get our bearings and decide our next plan."

"Fort Benning." Shane said softly.

"Maybe. We'll discuss it." Rick promised. Shane nodded and again Rick felt like the wolf had some sort of ulterior motive. A couple months ago and such a thought would have never occurred to him. Rick shook himself and they all headed back to their vehicles. Rick climbed in and Lori still didn't move.

Carl appeared over the headrest again. "Where we going?"

"Some friends in Atlanta." Rick said, watching Lori for any reaction.

"Who?" Carl asked.

"Some people running a nursing home." Rick started the car. "Glenn, T-Dog, Daryl and I met them when we went looking for Merle."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"What makes you think they'll take us in?" Andrea asked once they all had gotten out of their vehicles. Amy followed closely behind her. Her eyes where wide as she cast skittish glances around. Andrea shoved a gun in her hands and she was trying not to shake.

Daryl walked past them, shaking his head. "All the guns you gave 'em, they'll probably throw us a party." He said. "Good call."

Rick smiled slightly and nodded. Though he wasn't entirely sure if that was a quip or not. "Group formation again." He said, gathering them up. They walked down the alley and rounded the corner. Rick looked up, expecting to see guards on the roofs like last time. A look out or just someone. But no one came to greet them or attack them. They saw no one.

"Something's wrong." Glenn said, looking around.

"Stay close." Rick warned as they started forward again. But what they found wasn't what they'd expected. The entrance was littered with bodies. Dead bodies being eaten by the not-quite-dead ones kneeling over them. Rick felt sick as he thought he recognized a few of them. He turned around, shaking his head. Glenn looked just as sick. Lori and Carol had grabbed the kids, attempting to shield them. Amy and Andrea had moved to stand in front of them.

"To hell with the noise." Rick said, lifting his gun. He stepped forward and shot the closest one. All undead eyes lifted and settled on the group. Rick continued to fire and the others joined in. They quickly dispatched them all and Rick holstered his gun. "Come on!" He said, waving them forward. "Let's get inside before more show up."

He hoped someone inside was alive. But… as they stepped inside the front doors, all they found was bodies. All shot in the head. Someone had come through and executed them all. Rick suppressed the urge to shiver.

"Leaving or staying?" Lori asked.

"Don't have the fuel." Rick said with sigh. "We have to stay."

Shane nodded, stepping forward. "Rick's right. We stay the night." He turned to Rick. You, me, an' Daryl, we sweep the building, make sure we're alone."

Rick nodded and turned towards Glenn. "Barricade the doors."

Glenn nodded and turned.

Rick, Shane, and Daryl moved together, checking each room. "Clear." Rick said from the doorway of the final room on the bottom floor. He pointed towards the stairs. Daryl nodded and silently started up. Rick and Shane followed close behind.

They checked upstairs, room by room. But everything was the same. Each room they came across had a body, shot through the head like an execution. They found no one alive and no walkers. Wordlessly, they began clearing the bodies from rooms at the end of the hall. Once finished, they headed back downstairs.

Glenn looked at them expectantly and Rick shook his head. "We cleared a few rooms upstairs." Rick said. "We'll be safe for a night. We can barricade them to be sure."

"You mean it this time?" Carol asked softly. "Or are you lying to us like all the other times?"

"Wanna go sleep outside?" Daryl snapped.

Lori glared at him. "That's not helping."

Rick shook his head. None of this was helping. He turned his back on them and rubbed at his forehead. He was starting to get a headache and he just didn't want to deal with any of this. He just wanted to curl up, tuck his tail under his chin, and sleep.

Glenn was shaking his head slowly. "What the hell happened?"

"Got over run." Andrea said, looking around. "Must have been a big herd."

Daryl let out a sharp laugh as he shook his head and rolled his eyes.

She turned on him, glaring. "Got something to say?"

"Andrea!" Amy grabbed her sister's arm.

"This ain't walkers." Daryl said loudly. "Look around. They didn't show up until this was done. Someone attacked this place. Executed 'em all. Or did ya not see the bullet holes in all their heads?"

Andrea blinked at him and let Amy drag her away.

"We need to get some sleep." Rick said, stepping forward. Last thing they needed was another shouting match. They were all too close to snapping. They just needed to sleep. They all needed to sleep. He pointed to the stairs. "Come on. End of the hall."

Shane went up the stairs first, his gun out just in case. Slowly, everyone grabbed their things and headed up. Rick followed last, a step behind Daryl. They all piled into one room and settled down. They split the little food they had left, shared the last bottle of water. Something had to change tomorrow, Rick thought as Carl leaned against him. He wrapped his arm around the kid and let out a sigh. Something had to change.

Lori scooted closer to Rick. "What's next?" She asked softly. "We need to decide."

Shane looked up, his eyes settling on Lori. "Fort Benning."

Rick sighed as he looked at Shane. "I should have listened to you." He said softly. "Would have saved us a lot of grief."

Shane glanced at him sideways, looking like he wanted to say something. But for once, he didn't.

"Who would do this?" Glenn asked softly. "Murder everyone?"

Carl flinched and across the room, Sophia buried her head against her mother. Rick pulled away from Carl and Lori scooted closer to the boy. "Get some sleep." Rick said softly as he stood up. He motioned for Glenn and Daryl to follow him and Shane quickly got up as well.

Once in the hall, Glenn shook his head. "I'm sorry guys." He said with a sigh. "I wasn't thinking."

Rick patted him on the shoulder and felt him relax. "Everyone's rattled, everyone's scared. Just… watch around the kids."

Glenn took a deep breath and nodded.

"We're not thinking clearly but we need to start." Rick said. "We can't ever let our guard down again. Our lives depend on it."

"So Fort Benning then?" Shane asked softly. "That really the plan?"

Rick nodded. "First thing in the morning. We consolidate the vehicles, find some gas, and head for Fort Benning."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Rick was sitting in the hall at the top of the steps. He was staring down, could just barely see the front entrance. He was trying not to think. He was trying really hard not to think. Just concentrate. On the door. Just keep watch. A deep sigh escaped him when he heard the door open behind him. He turned slightly, surprised at who was interrupting.

Carl looked at the floor, his tail hanging between his legs. "Dad." He said softly.

Rick looked up at him. He smiled and reached up to pull Carl down beside him. Carl didn't exactly push him away but he pointedly fell beside Rick farther away than Rick had intended. Rick could feel the space between them and it felt like getting shot all over again. He let out a sigh and leaned his head back against the wall. He started picking at the fur on his tail, a nervous habit. When he glanced sideways at Carl, he saw the young pup doing the same thing. His smile returned. "What's on your mind, son?"

"What that guy said…" The kid started slowly.

"Who?" Rick prompted.

"Jenner."

Rick looked away.

"Did you mean it?" Carl whispered.

Rick waited before he answered. He knew this was coming. Eventually. He just didn't want it to be now. "Yes." He said finally. "When I said it, I meant it. For just a moment, I doubted everything. I doubted myself."

Carl looked up at him timidly. "Right now?"

"We're together, we're safe, and we're alive." Rick said earnestly. "I'm grateful we got out of there okay and I'm hopeful for tomorrow." Rick ruffled his hair and Carl smiled at him. "But… it'll probably happen again, okay? Next time I have a moment like that… you slap me or bite me or something, okay? Let me know I'm being an idiot."

Carl nodded, still smiling.

"Good. Go get some sleep."

Carl nodded again and got up. He slipped inside the room silently.

Rick settled back down to stand guard… well sit. He was exhausted. But he felt responsible. Hell, he was responsible for the whole mess. He rubbed at his eyes and stifled a yawn. He still had a few hours before he could wake Glenn up. He just needed to stay up long enough. He took a deep breath and looked down at his lap. His eyes settled on the ring around his finger.

Lori. She popped into his mind. He really didn't know what to think about the last two days. One moment, she was showing reluctant support of his decision and the next, she was screaming that he was wrong. She threw a fit because he wouldn't join her in the shower and then got mad Carl had a sip of wine. He couldn't even remember her sleeping with them in the room. Though, he supposed, he couldn't remember much about that night.

He smiled slightly. He remembered sitting with Daryl on the couch. Well he sort of remembered it. He frowned. Had Lori seen him with the cat? She hated Rick's overly friendly dog routine that kicked into overdrive when he got a little too drunk. And she really hated his obsession with head petting.

It was a weird obsession, he knew. The petting. He wasn't sure if it was a dog thing, a shifter thing, or just a him thing. He'd never asked his parents and he'd been way too embarrassed to ask Shane when they were younger. He just knew he liked people touching the top of his head. It wasn't sexual. Okay, sometimes it was sexual, though Lori always shied away from it. But it wasn't always sexual. It just… it felt good and sometimes it calmed him. And sometimes he drank too much and got really friendly.

It wasn't always sexual. Last night hadn't been sexual. At least he was pretty sure it wasn't. He couldn't remember coming onto Lori or anyone else except Daryl. Rick sighed. He did have a lot to drink. And he did try to crawl into the man's lap. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. No more drinking. He needed to keep his wits about him. And he needed to make sure he didn't alienate anyone. Anymore than he might already have.

He shook his head. The drunken thing, he understood. It couldn't be easy to watch your mate rubbing against someone else and begging to be petted. Lori had never taken to petting him. The first time he'd rubbed up against her and asked, she had laughed and pushed him away, thinking it a joke. The next time he asked, she had angrily told him she wasn't dating a dog. Rick didn't ask again. And his drunken stranger petting requests got worse over the years. Because Lori was wrong. She had dated a dog. She'd married one and gave birth to one. Rick sighed and thumped his head lightly against the wall behind him. Why had she married him anyways, if her hatred ran so deep so early on? Why hadn't he'd seen it? Why had it taken the end of the world for him to realize the past 20 years of his life was a giant mistake?

No! He thought immediately. Lori was not a mistake. She gave him Carl. He was worth all the shit Rick put up with over the years.

Rick blinked. And her weird silent, coma treatment in the car… He sighed again and rubbed at his head. And Shane! The wolf was acting so docile since they got here! Granted, it was better than his rabid behavior over the past couple of days. Maybe Rick didn't know his best friend as well as he thought he did. Or his wide, for that matter. Maybe Rick didn't really know anyone. Oh that was depressing.

Rick was still deep in thought when Glenn appeared beside him. "Sorry." Glenn muttered, sinking down beside him.

Rick shook his head. "Was just thinking too hard."

Glenn smiled weakly at him. "Dangerous thing, dude."

"Yeah." Rick nodded.

"No more thinking."

"Agreed." Rick breathed out. Now that was a concept he could get on board with. Because thinking just wasn't helping him any. It was just making his head hurt more.

"Rick." Glenn said his name softly. "Thank you for coming back for me."

Rick looked over at him and blinked. "What?"

"Thanks for not leaving me here." Glenn dipped his head forward, resting his chin on his knees. "That makes me sound horrible." He let out a sigh.

Rick shook his head. "You're good people, Glenn."

"They were good people." Glenn said sadly. "They didn't deserve this."

"No." Rick agreed.

Glenn sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. "I wish we could stay a couple days and bury them."

Rick didn't want to have this conversation. Staying wasn't a good idea. They needed to get away from this place. Away from where Jim and Jacqui died and Jenner nearly killed them all. He stood up abruptly, patting Glenn on the back as he moved. "You got this?"

The fox looked disappoint but nodded.

Rick offered him a weak smile he stepped down the stairs slowly. "I'm gonna take a quick look outside before I head off to sleep."

Glenn nodded again.

Rick pulled out his gun and headed downstairs. All was quiet. Really quiet. That was good, he thought. Whoever had done this, they were long one. They'd gotten what they came for. They'd killed all these people for the few meager supplies they had. What kind of people did that? Were they like them? Just fighting to survive? Did those people have families? Kids? Did the Vatos try to fight back?

Rick let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. What would he have done if he were in that situation? He almost had. When they'd taken Glenn, Rick was prepared to go in, gun blazing, to get Glenn back. Was this another misunderstanding? Another show of force?

Rick didn't think so. Daryl was right. This was an execution. Would he be forced to make a decision like that one? Kill someone in cold blood to survive? If it was to save Carl? Lori? Rick blinked as he stepped outside. The slight chill of the night air forced a shiver through his whole body.

What about Shane? Shane has saved his life in the past. But it seemed like every time Rick looked at the wolf, he was less and less the man Rick once knew and loved like his brother. And what about Glenn and Dale and Carol and little Sophia? All of them. And… Daryl…

Rick turned the corner of the building and came face to face with the hunter. He jumped back, taken completely by surprised. He took a deep breath to calm his chest and let out a soft laugh.

"Bit jumpy, ain't ya?" Daryl said gruffly.

Rick nodded. "Just thinking."

"Bout what?" Daryl pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

Rick sighed and shook his head. "Just… what happened here."

Daryl grunted and flipped the small box open. He pulled a cigarette out and returned the box to his pocket. He lit the cigarette and took a drawl on it. "Fucken bullshit." He said, breathing out. "Wanted ta rob 'em, coulda jus robbed 'em. Din hafta kill'em all. Not like that."

Rick glanced sideways at the man. Yeah, Rick thought. He'd fight to save these people. He just hoped that fight would never drive him to do anything like this.

Daryl offered him a cigarette and Rick shook his head. Daryl shrugged and leaned back against the wall. Rick fell in beside him and took a deep breath. It was nice, the quiet and cold. It was nice to have a reprieve, no matter how short, where he didn't have to think about anything. He could just be, just exist, even for just a single moment.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The plan didn't go exactly as… well planned. Glenn had accidently convinced nearly everyone that they needed to stay long enough to bury all the elderly people.

"These were someone's parents and grandparents." Glenn said sadly. "Too sick and old to fight or run. We can't just leave them here like this."

"We could board up the place." Daryl mumbled.

Glenn started to nod when Dale interrupted. "Now wait…" The old wolf said. "It wouldn't take that long. We block that entrance out there, no more walkers come in. Give us time to put them to rest."

"What the fuck is this?" Shane said loudly. He turned to Rick and pointed a finger him. "You said we were leaving for Fort Benning today. You said!" He voice rose in the end.

Rick rolled his eyes and shook his head. He wasn't even part of the conversation. He had said nothing to no one about his conversation with Glenn last night. It had been the fox's decision to bring it up after they'd all woke up. Why was everything Rick's fault? "I never said we weren't. I still think we should. But it ain't just my decision."

"Good." Shane barked out. "Because we're going. Now."

"No." Rick said loudly. "You don't just get to decide for everyone either."

"We need to leave. Now." Shane didn't take his eyes off Rick. "Lori, tell him we need to leave."

"Who the fuck put you in charge?" Daryl yelled.

Glenn shrank back. "Guys… I didn't mean…"

"Shut up!" Shane rounded on Glenn.

"We decide as a group." Rick said.

Shane shook his head. "These idiots can barely take care of themselves. I kept them safe before you came back to life and stuck your nose in."

"Hey!" Carl yelled, pulling away from Lori. "We're not idiots!"

Shane's eyes widened and his voice softened. "Not you, little buddy."

Carl still glared at him.

Dale took the momentary pause in shouting to continue. "We could also use the extra time to search for anything useful. Lots of office buildings close by. Break rooms, vending machines… first aid kits. Might be worth looking."

Rick turned towards him. "I didn't think about that." He turned to look at Shane. "Good chance others didn't either."

"If the sky's clear, we could geek up again." Glenn said with a timid smile.

"You're talking about going farther into the city." Lori said, stepping forward. "You barely made it out. Twice."

"Short, quick trips." Dale said.

"Two at a time." Glenn added.

"It might be worth it." Rick said. He turned. "We vote. Who wants to go?"

Shane and Lori were the only ones who raised their hands.

"Staying?"

Everyone else raised their hands slowly, including Sophia and Carl.

Shane looked about ready to explode. But he nodded. "Two days. Then Fort Benning."

Rick nodded. "Sounds great."

-X-X-X-X-X-

Author's Notes: Already have Lori and Shane's deaths alllll planned out. XD I'm so excited to kill them. Does that make me morbid?