Rick sat slumped in his chair and his mind raced as thoughts whirled through his brain. Two different possibilities were in front of him. If this wasn't a dream then he was alone in remembering and would be alone in trying to change things. If it was a dream, then it was sure realistic and things were changing from how they'd been. The longer he stayed here the more he was beginning to be convinced it wasn't a dream, couldn't be a dream. He'd never dreamed this long or in this deep of detail. And the changes, there were already changes.
If it were a dream, wouldn't he dream it the same way it had happened? Lori hadn't fought him as hard and viciously earlier that day. They'd had a whole different conversation and she was apologetic and thankful. Of course, he'd stood up for himself and reacted differently as well. And Carol-he'd never met Carol before the quarry, but he and Shane had been stuck in the office all day that day finding the evidence problem before. He'd changed things by speeding it up and they'd been back out on patrol. Had this incident with Carol occurred before, just not with him but rather with other deputies?
He couldn't explain it any other way. It had to be real. How the hell could he save all his family if it was just him who remembered? Who'd believe him? Most of these people didn't even know him yet. Then with the changes, would he still have the advantage of knowing what was going to happen ahead of time? Or had he already thrown the timeline off by changing things?
Soon a thought came to him on the topic of change and he tapped away at the computer again finding the information he needed. Home would be better than work he figured, so he needed to call tonight. Then he picked up the phone one last time.
"Yes, I'm looking for Dr. Edwin Jenner. Yes, I'm sorry, I know it's late. My name is Rick Grimes and I need to speak to him urgently. Yes ma'am, I'll hold."
Soon a man got on the phone. "This is Edwin Jenner, who is this?"
Rick took a deep breath. "Hello Dr. Jenner, my name is Rick Grimes. Listen to me very carefully, your wife's life depends upon it."
Anger came through Dr. Jenner's voice, "Are you threatening my wife?"
"No. Absolutely not. In fact, it's crucial that nothing happens to her. I want to save both of you. Actually, I'm a Sheriff's Deputy and I seem to be in a…" Rick pondered the right words. "An alternate timeline. That's the only thing I can call this. I'm reliving events that happened years ago, but that means I have a chance to change things. Once, in another timeline, you told me that your wife was a genius in your field of science. She had died from a new virus that was killing most of the world's population and you claimed that her death was a loss to the world. You insisted she could have eventually found a solution to the situation we found ourselves in and that you should've died in her place. Do you still believe that?"
Silence. Then the clearing of a throat. "I think you could use some help. Let me call someone…"
"No!" Rick exclaimed. "I know it sounds crazy but in 6 months this virus will kill billions. We have a chance to change that."
"I really think we should get you some help."
Rick groaned in frustration. "Will you think about it? About what would happen if a deadly virus was coming and you had forewarning and a chance to stop it? A chance to save your wife from it? You can call me later if you want to talk more after you've thought about it or you can just ignore it and I won't bother you again."
"I guess I could do that. What's your number?"
Rick quickly gave him his number and then hung up. He hung his head. He really wasn't very good at explaining this. He may as well walk around with a 'The End is Near' sandwich board hanging over his chest and parade up and down the streets. At least Dr. Jenner took his number and at least pretended he might call him back.
Rick got up to go home and switched his desk lamp off, leaving only the moonlight streaming into the window. Damn, it was bright as he looked at it highlighting his desk. Was that the outline of a wolf? He whirled around and stared out the window at the moon, but a cloud quickly covered it. Damndest thing. He glanced again at his desk, but there was no wolf.
Rick shook it off and made his way back home discouraged. He drove through the dark on the short drive while his mind went through several different scenarios of how he could get people to believe him. How he could get his family to believe him. He parked in the driveway and rubbed his head, it was hurting with all of this craziness.
Rick got out of the car and walked up the sidewalk to the house. It wasn't until he walked in and shut the door that he realized how late it was. Damn. He'd really gotten caught up in his search for his family. The house was silent. He glanced at the clock. 10pm. He winced knowing this wasn't going to go over well with Lori. He hadn't even called. Of course, he wasn't used to having to check in with Lori anymore, but that was one of the things that made her so mad before.
Just then Lori walked into the room. "Rick," she said and he could already hear the anger in her voice.
He raised a hand, "Lori, I know I'm really late. I had to finish up some paperwork at the station before I could leave."
She nodded. "I know. Shane stopped by just after 7 to give Carl that comic book he picked up for him." She looked pointedly at the clock. "Paperwork took three hours Rick?"
Yeah, he was in for it. "I'm sorry, there was a lot."
"So much you couldn't even take a minute to call? Shane said you'd be another hour or so. Three hours Rick?" Her voice was filled with incredulousness. She didn't believe him.
She huffed and whirled around. "I can't do this right now, I'm going to bed," she gritted out as she went into the bedroom and slammed the door.
And I guess I'm sleeping on the couch, Rick thought to himself. He got cleaned up and showered in the guest bathroom, then made his bed on the couch. He laid down and tried to stop his mind from looping through the day over and over again. He needed some rest if he was going to figure this out, especially since he was now convinced it was real. It took too long, but finally sleep came.
"Dad, wake up!" Rick heard from far away.
"Dad!" This time the word was accompanied by the push to his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see younger Carl standing above him and staring down at him. What? Oh. Yeah. He'd been dreaming he was back at the beginning but now realized it was not a dream. He'd never slept in a dream and woken back up in the dream before.
"What Carl? Why are you waking me up at…" his eyes went to the clock and widened, "5am?"
"Dad. We need to talk," Carl replied looking very serious. Rick looked closer as his sleep haze faded and saw the seriousness in Carl's eyes. Too much seriousness. His eyes looked...older than just yesterday. He looked him over again. Same young body, but much more serious and knowledgeable eyes.
"Talk about what Carl?" He asked tentatively.
"How we're going to protect our family and keep them safe from the walkers, Dad. How we're going to find everyone."
Shock moved through Rick. It wasn't just him. Carl, he remembered too. The look on his face must have told its own story.
"I know you remember Dad. I saw the way you were watching everything when you took me to school yesterday. It was kinda weird, and I didn't know what it was about, I didn't remember then. But I dreamed last night. I dreamed about it all and when I woke up I remembered. I remember what happened Dad. Everything. How are we back here? How am I young again?"
Rick grabbed his son and held him tight. "Carl," he gritted out, hugging him tighter. "It's okay Carl. You're right, I remember too. I thought I was dreaming most of the day yesterday but it's true. I don't know how, but we're here. We're back at the beginning. I'm younger too, we both are."
"Yeah, well, at least your age reduction didn't come with shrinking and a voice change," Carl grumbled as he pulled back and sat on the coffee table. Rick gave him a look and Carl shrugged.
"It's not like Mom's going to catch me sitting here. She's asleep. She doesn't remember," he grinned at Rick. "But Dad, Mom's alive! We can save her this time." Carl blinked a couple tears away. Damn this young body that cried so easily. He loved his Mom and was grateful for a chance to save her. He'd gained enough maturity to see the things that had happened in a new light. He knew his Mom had some problems and his Dad wasn't to blame for everything back then. But it didn't matter, she was his Mom and he was going to save her anyway.
Rick nodded, "I know, son. I've been thinking about what I can do to change things, how to save our family ever since I realized that this isn't a dream. It's some kind of alternate timeline or something, I don't know." He rubbed his head. "Honestly it hurts my head to think about it, I remember how it was, but things have already changed some, just a little bit here and there. It's like I remember two versions of some things now." He looked intently at Carl. "I'm so glad you remember, nobody else does and I was afraid I was going to have to do this alone, save everyone we love alone."
"You can't know for sure that nobody else remembers, Dad. Sure, Mom doesn't or Shane, but maybe the others will. We've got to find them all."
Rick was already shaking his head. "That's why I was late getting home last night. I looked up everyone I could at the station, everyone I could remember enough about where they were to find. I called all of them. They don't remember."
Carl looked shocked. "We can't be the only ones, Dad. What about Hershel? Daryl? Michonne? Carol? Glenn & Maggie? Beth? Abe? Eugene? Aaron?" Carl looked more crushed with each negative head shake Rick gave with each new name.
"I called them all. None of them recognized my name."
Silence descended in the room as they both quietly contemplated the monumental task ahead of them. After a bit, Carl straightened up and firmed his shoulders like he was facing down a herd of walkers.
"It doesn't matter Dad. We'll make them believe us, they have to. We're going to save our family."
Rick nodded at him. He didn't know how, but they'd find a way. They always did.
Suddenly, the phone rang, loud in the silent room. They both looked up, shocked that it would ring at this time of morning. It rang again and that shook Carl out of inaction and into running across the room to pick it up.
"Hello?" Carl listened for a moment and then held the phone out to Rick. "It's for you Dad, it's the station."
Rick got up and took the phone.
"Rick Grimes speaking."
The voice on the phone resolved into Linda from dispatch. "Hey Rick, sorry to bother you at home so early. There is a lady here asking for you. We told her you'd be in later, but she insists she's going to wait for you. I guess you helped her find a shelter last night?"
Rick frowned. It had to be Carol. What could be wrong with the shelter that she would come to the station looking for him this early?
"Linda, if there's something wrong with the shelter we took her to, could you call one of the other shelters and find out if they can take them there?" Quite frankly he didn't understand why she hadn't done that already without having to call him at home.
"I tried, Rick. She said the shelter is fine, but she needs to speak to you. I just thought you'd want to know, she's extremely insistent."
Rick's mind shot into high gear trying to figure out why she'd want to talk to him. He'd been the last person she'd wanted anything to do with after he'd hit her husband last night. Ed. Maybe Ed found them, maybe this had to do with Ed.
"I'll be right there Linda, tell her I'm on my way."
"Thanks Rick. Sorry about this."
"It's fine. Talk to you soon." He hung up and looked up at Carl who was already looking at him with questions in his eyes.
"Dad, we don't have time for you to go into the station. We have to get to work planning right now." His voice was determined.
"Carl, it's Carol. Shane & I intervened in a domestic disturbance yesterday. We took her and Sophia to a shelter." Rick started getting dressed so he could go see what's happening.
"Carol? And Sophia? She's alive?!" Carl exclaimed with happiness.
"Yes, but they don't remember us. Ed broke Sophia's wrist and I talked Carol into protecting her at the shelter for a while. If Ed's found them then I need to go see what's happening and make sure they're safe until I can talk Carol into getting away from Ed for good." He sat down and pulled his boots on.
Carl's face underwent a transformation, anger spread across it. "Ed's gotta go, Dad. I want to come with you to see them."
Rick looked up at Carl in surprise. He started to say something when he heard a noise from the other room. Sounded like Lori was waking, must have heard the phone or them talking. He looked back at Carl and saw him glancing back from the direction of the noise as well.
Carl sighed. "Go Dad. Sounds like Mom is waking up and she'll just delay you. I'll stay here and distract her so you can go help them. But I want to see them later."
Rick put his hand on Carl's shoulder, gripping it tightly.
"Thanks son. I'll try not to be too long."
"Just make sure they're safe from Ed," Carl replied as Rick went out the front door and down the stairs to his cruiser.
The drive was short and soon Rick was striding into the front door of the station. As soon as he walked in he saw Carol sitting in the waiting area with Sophia beside her. He walked over to them. As he approached he said, "Carol."
Her head came up quickly and then her body flew out of the seat just as fast. Before Rick knew what had happened, she'd flung her arms around him saying, "Rick!"
Rick hugged her back, confused. He heard Sophia get up and rush towards them saying, "Mr. Rick!" Then she flung herself into their little group hug. What was happening? This didn't make any sense, Carol couldn't stay far enough away from him last night. This only made sense if…"
Rick took a step back and peered into Carol's eyes. There was recognition there.
"You remember."
She smiled that big Carol smile and nodded. "I do. We both do."
A/N You didn't really think I'd make him do it all alone did you? ;)