A/N: this story uses the characters from my "Redemption" fic, but in an AU setting, so if you haven't read that fic, you can still read this one without missing anything. However, if you'd like to read it, it is complete! I only own Anna, the rest belongs to AMC and Robert Kirkman. No infringement intended.
Simple Twists of Fate
By Leah Pensotti
Rick hesitated in making the phone call until a week after telling Anna about his intentions. Since their first night together, Rick found himself popping by to see her more often, usually resulting in sex. The way things were going, well...he had it bad for Anna Marber. He thought Carl could tell, and that was why he constantly asked his dad about her. Rick Grimes was happy. Bob teased him mercilessly about his "tap dancing into work" whenever he happened to spend the night with her.
He wasn't the person to just bring Anna around without telling Lori first. Carl was after all her son, and he didn't want her or Carl being surprised. So the Thursday before he was going to pick Carl up, he dialed Lori's number.
"Rick?"
"Hey Lori...do ya have a minute?"
She sounded suspicious from the get go, "I suppose so."
Rick thought about what to say, forming the best way to say it, "So...I wanted to tell you...I've been dating someone, and I would really like for Carl to meet her."
He could practically hear Lori hiss in disbelief on the other end, "How long have you been seeing her?"
"A little over a month."
"And this is serious?"
Rick sighed and put rubbed the tension out of his forehead, "Yeah Lori. It is."
"I just don't know if you should bring this woman around unless it's serious. A month doesn't sound serious."
He felt the annoyance rise, she's so worried about Carl meeting the woman he's dating, but didn't seem to bat an eye when she willfully wrecked Carl's family. Rick took a breath and pulled it together, "She's a good person, Lori. She's a nurse. She likes kids. Why don't you talk to Carl and see what he thinks?"
"He's a child, Rick. It's not his decision. We're his parents."
"And that is why I am telling you beforehand, rather than just springing it on him and you. I'm trying to respect feelings, I think you should try to, too."
She sighed thickly, "Fine. I'll talk to Carl. If he wants to meet her, he can."
Rick took the small victory and ran with it. He knew Carl wanted to meet Anna. He could barely wait to tell her and dialed her number next.
"Good evening, Officer."
He smiled at the sound of her voice, "Hey there, Sweet Thing. You sound tired."
Anna sighed, "My shift was so long. Now I'm studying. My brain is sludge."
"Well, I've got some news. I spoke to Lori. She knows about you and me."
Anna chuckled, "I will never get over how amazingly wonderful 'you and me' sounds."
"So this weekend...would you like to meet Carl?"
The line went quiet for a moment and then she asked, "Rick...are you sure? I mean, this is a big step...right?"
Rick sighed, "Anna, I'm more than sure. I'd like to spend time with the both of you...together. He's going to be crazy about you."
"I guess I'm just a bit nervous. So...what's the plan?"
"Well...I thought maybe dinner over here on Friday..."
She laughed lightly, "I've never been to yours before. This is a lot of firsts."
Rick nodded, he hadn't brought her over yet. There wasn't much to see. Bob had been pretty accurate about the 'monk' comparison. The apartment had been merely for sleeping and showering, and now he spent so much time with Anna...he doubted it would ever get decorated or unpacked.
"...You work Sunday, right? You're free Saturday?"
"Yep."
Rick smiled brightly, "I was thinking we could go shopping...maybe a record store for you and comic book store for him and then whatever. I'm just excited to share the same space with the two of you."
He heard her sexy, soft laugh over the phone and she smiled, "It sounds perfect. I can't wait."
Anna spent Friday buying groceries to make dinner at Rick's apartment for when Carl came over. The plan was, Anna would meet Rick at his apartment. He would go and pick up Carl and she would make dinner. Rick wanted her to stay the night so they could spend the whole next day together. But Anna wasn't sure about that, she thought it might be a little too much for Carl on the first meeting.
She bought ingredients to make meatloaf, macaroni and cheese and southern style green beans along with dessert, brownies from scratch. Anna packed a bag, just in case. When she made it to Rick's apartment, he met her downstairs to help her with the groceries.
He looked so happy to see her, her heart sped up in her chest, "Hey Officer."
Rick wore a navy blue shirt that just made his eyes bluer. She didn't think it was possible. He kissed her sweetly and took one of the grocery bags, "You sure you'll be okay here while I go get him?"
Anna nodded and followed him up the buildings stairs, "I'll be fine. I'm a little nervous, though."
"You have nothing to worry about, he's already a big fan."
Anna laughed and they walked through his apartment door, "That could be worse. What if I don't live up to the hype?
Rick put down the bag of groceries in the kitchen and turned around to take her face in his hands, "I don't think that's possible, Sweet Thing."
Gwen had teased her just the day before that she was falling hard and fast for "Hot Cop" and his charms. She had to admit, she was quite a smitten kitten. It was fun and scary all at once.
Rick gave her the grand tour, and she realized just how utilitarian his apartment was. Pretty much everything he had, had a purpose and use. He led her back to the bedroom where there was a king sized bed, a dresser and an attached bathroom. Carl's room was the small bedroom in between the kitchen and the master bedroom.
Anna smiled and they walked back to the kitchen where she started unpacking the grocery bags. Rick smiled brightly, "Thank you for cooking, we could've just gotten pizza, though. But I know Carl will love this."
"It's no problem. I'm happy to do it."
Rick kissed her temple, "You are an angel. If you need me just call, ok? I should be back in a little over an hour."
Anna prepped the meatloaf and macaroni and cheese. She had made the brownies before she left home. As the green beans went on the burner and the meatloaf and macaroni in the oven, Anna decided to grab one of Rick's beers from the fridge to calm her nerves. On the freezer door, there was a picture of Rick and a younger Carl held up by a magnet. The photo had been folded over, and when Anna took off the freezer and opened it up, Anna saw the face of a pretty brunette smiling back of her.
Ah, Lori. So that is what she looked like. She was pretty and thin, with delicate avian features. Almost the complete opposite of how Anna looked. Anna folded the photo and placed it back on the fridge and went back to the stove to check on dinner.
When Rick finally made it to the McDonald's in the middle, he saw Shane, Lori and Carl sitting outside at a table instead of by the car. Rick knew that this was a ploy to get him out of the car and have to talk to them. He sighed and put the car in park. Carl got up immediately, bag in hand. Lori gave him a semi-friendly wave as he walked up, "Nice night. Unusually warm, so we sat outside."
Rick nodded, a likely story. He put a hand on Carl's shoulder, "We should get going. Anna's making dinner at the apartment."
Shane smiled, "Anna? Your girlfriend?"
Rick nodded, "Yeah."
Lori flashed a curt smile, "So, she has a name. Make sure this Anna is good to Carl, okay?"
Rick had to bite his tongue, Anna wouldn't be anything but wonderful to Carl, but he refused to take part in Lori's pissing contest, "You don't have anything to worry about."
When they got back in the car, Rick sighed thickly and Carl nodded, "Tell me about it. Ever since you called last night, she has been ranting about you having a girlfriend, not that it should matter."
"I'm sorry you had to hear all that."
Carl just shrugged, "I've learned to tune her out a little better."
They chatted a bit on the way back, about school and what to do on spring break, as it was only a little over a month away. Rick felt himself brimming with nerves and excitement, knowing that he was going to introduce his two favorite people to each other that night.
When they got back to the apartment, Rick opened the door and saw Anna setting the small dining room table, her blonde hair in loose curls and wearing a black sweater, jeans and boots. She had only been there less than two hours, and somehow his empty apartment felt more welcoming.
He led Carl into the apartment and put his arm around Anna, she looked nervous but managed a bright smile, "Carl, this is Anna."
Anna stuck out her hand to him, "Your dad has told me a lot about you. I'm so happy to finally meet you."
Carl beamed and shook her hand, "Same here."
Anna waved them on into the dining room, "I hope you guys are hungry, I made a ton of food."
His son took a seat at the table while he followed Anna into the kitchen to help serve dinner. As she filled the plates, he kissed her ear gently as he stood behind her, "Everything looks great."
She turned around and handed him two plates and smiled, "Here, take these out. I'm so nervous I might drop them."
Before he left he stole a quick kiss, "You're adorable."
He sat the plate infront of Carl, and took a seat beside him, while Anna came back into the dining room with her plate and a bottle of beer. She handed him the open bottle and he felt overwhelmed with just how much he felt for her.
Over dinner, Anna asked Carl about school, if he liked to read and what he liked to do. Carl responded enthusiastically to all the questions. The food was a big hit, both he and Carl had second helpings. Anna cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen while Rick and Carl went into the living room. Carl looked at him and whispered, "She's really nice, Dad. Is she going to stay the night?"
Rick shrugged, "Only if it's okay with you."
Carl chuckled, "I'm not a little kid, I know what happens when you have a girlfriend."
Anna's nerves subsided slowly over the course of the evening. They ate brownies and played rummy until Carl yawned three times in a row and decided to go to his room. She cleaned up the dessert plates and came back with two beers and sat with Rick on the couch. His arm snaked around her instantly and she sighed, she could get used to this.
"He told me you were really nice, and asked if you were staying over."
Anna took a sip from her bottle, "Am I staying over?"
Rick nodded, "I'd like it if you would. Besides, my son just informed me that he knows what happens when you have a girlfriend."
Anna almost spit her beer out and laughed, "Oh really?"
"Yeah. I almost had a heart attack."
She thought for a moment, "I'll stay. But I think you know, we shouldn't...while he's here."
"Agreed, but I can kiss you all I want, right?"
Anna turned her head to him and smiled, "Of course."
Without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed her lips. Only one month and she couldn't believe how much had changed. Her life was not as solitary or insulated as it had been since Phillip died. Anna rested her head on his shoulder, cuddling closer.
"Did uh, Lori give you a hard time?"
Rick shook his head, "Not so much, she tried to make me bite, but I didn't. Passive aggressive mostly."
Anna shrugged, "That's good, I guess. Even though she did what she did, it's probably not easy to see you with someone else. Have Carl around someone else. It's not right, but I guess I can see it."
"She made that bed, Anna. She can lie in it. I guarantee she would never try to see things your way. She is not big enough to put herself in someone else's shoes."
Anna nodded, she couldn't imagine how heartbroken and embarrassed Rick had been when he found out all of Lori's dirty laundry. She hated to think about it. He was so kind and affectionate with her...she couldn't imagine him not being that way to Lori when they were married.
Oh well, it was Lori's loss and Anna's gain.
Rick changed the subject, "So...I'm sure you're enamored with how I decorated the place."
Anna looked around, "I am, I really need the name of your interior designer."
Rick laughed and squeezed her shoulder, "That's actually something I thought we can do tomorrow. Shop to make this place a bit less..."
Anna smiled, "Utlitarian? Basic? No, I got it...Minimalist?"
"Yeah. All of that. I don't know...maybe buy some stuff for Carl's room? Maybe make the living room a little more...home-y?"
"Got someone you're trying to impress?"
He smiled his handsome smile, "Maybe."
After they finished their beers, Rick and Anna retired to his bedroom. It was nice having her around, doing normal things like brushing her teeth and washing her face. He loved that she decided to sleep in one of his t-shirts and a pair of pale pink panties. His bed was smaller than hers, which meant closer quarters...which Rick didn't mind in the slightest.
He had appreciated the fact that Anna had tried to see things from Lori's point of view, but he knew that if the roles were reversed that Lori would just taint things with venom and malice, even though she would act politely enough.
Anna crawled into bed with him, and instantly his arms went around her, her ass pressed up against him. Once again, she had made things so easy...she welcomed his son with open arms and heart and they all had a wonderful night together. Sometimes he thought about how life would've been is he hadn't had asked her out for drinks, but most of the time, he didn't like to think about it.
All that mattered was she was there now, in his arms. And he wasn't about to let her go.
A/N: hello loves, up next: a day out with Anna, Rick and Carl. Anna meets Lori and Shane. And Soon: Meeting the parents. More fluff and sexiness to come.
I'm so thrilled with the response this story has gotten! Thank you for the Follows and Favorites :) if you haven't yet , please leave me a review and let me know what you think :) I'd absolutely love to hear from you!
Super special shout outs to: Andy (Lori's is a piece of work. Every story needs a villain, tho so she is mine. Thanks so much for your review :), the Lovely Angie B (you are so sweet! It means the world to me that you faithfully read and review both my stories! Hmm...protection? I mean, will it be the same way as in "Redemption?" Stay tuned! ;), BlackNight86 (I'm so sorry you had one of those days! Thank you so much for the kind words. Anna and Lori will come face to face very soon, and it will be epic. I hope this chapter makes today brighter! :), and CLTex (there will be all sorts of moves from here on out. They are pretty crazy for each other! Hope you enjoy!)
thanks and Love!
Leah P!
xoxo
