Friday, March 5th, 2010
The Greene Farm
Rick followed behind Hershel as the older man walked back up the dirt pathway that led to the porch of the farm house. Lori, Shane, and Carl followed behind Rick, their eyes scanning the beautiful acreages of property that the older man owned. Every one of them recalled how the farmland had been the closest to home and protection they had been able to get since the outbreak started in the alternate timeline. It had been a place for them to rest for a short time, given how much they struggled after the farm, although Shane was dead by that time.
The small group walked up the wooden porch steps, their shoes thumping dully against the wood, and through the front door. The noise of dishware banging and clanging around reached their ears, creating interest in the new arrivals as they looked down the hallway, past the staircase, and to the dark brown single swinging kitchen door at the end. "My wife Annie is making preparations for lunch and dinner." Hershel explained as he led the group to the kitchen.
As they walked through the single swinging kitchen door, they immediately spotted a blonde haired woman standing at the sink. She was washing dishes, a sponge covered in soapy suds in her left hand and a pan in her right. Pots and pans on the stove simmered, crackled, and popped while the oven's timer was counting down. The kitchen had the rich scents of good home cooking that filled the noses of Rick, Shane, Lori, and Carl. It had been a long time since any of them had a real home cooked meal. As none of them were much for cooking or able to do it well. It made their mouths water and stomachs grumble at the delicious smells assaulting their senses.
"Honey, I'd like to introduce you to some friends of mine. They're about as close as family, not being blood related." Hershel explained as he walked across the kitchen and over to his younger wife.
Annette "Annie" Greene nee Jareau shut the sink off and turned to face the small group that appeared in her kitchen. Her sky blue colored eyes glanced over the newcomers with interest. She could immediately tell that the brown haired man, with eyes of a beautiful electric blue, was the leader. He had a quiet sort of inner strength and fortitude that depicted a man who wasn't easily intimidated. It would take a lot to make a man like him submissive. This was the renowned Rick Grimes her husband had told her about. However limited the information had been.
Annie knew her husband hadn't told her everything. They all had a look in their eyes, a look that her brother Louis had when he came back from the Vietnam War. It was the eyes of a soldier who had seen and experienced unspeakable and numerous horrors. Annie wasn't sure if she wanted to know what they had gone through and experienced. Hershel was never one to keep secrets from her, especially regarding those that he considered his family, but the commotion that occurred earlier this morning, was proof to Annie that whatever was going on, it wasn't good. Annie had never seen her youngest daughter so distraught as she was this morning. Whatever her husband and Beth were hiding, she was honestly not sure she wanted to be informed yet.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Annie greeted with a friendly smile. She could sense that these new strangers were good people, if only a little jaded and haunted. The older woman dried her hands off on the towel hanging over her shoulder before she held her hand out for a handshake. "Hershel's talked quite a bit about you this morning, when he mentioned that you were coming here." Annie added as she shook Rick's hand.
"It's nice to meet you as well." Rick replied as he shook Annie Greene's hand. "I'm Rick Grimes," he introduced with a small, but friendly, smile. "This is my wife Lori and our son Carl," the Sheriff Deputy said as he gestured to Lori and Carl when saying their name.
"Hello." Lori greeted with a nod and a firm handshake. "It's really nice to meet you," she said as she looked at the older blonde haired woman. "I heard a lot of wonderful things about you." The few times that Hershel had spoken about Annette in the alternate timeline, he had spoken about how Annette "Annie" Jareau had saved Hershel from his grief and desire to sink into the bottle. She had been a friend of their family, and had been there for him and his children as he tried to cope with the death of his first wife Josephine, who had died in a car accident, only a few weeks after Maggie's birth. Annette had stepped up and helped to take care of his youngest children still living at home.
Of his seven children with Josephine, only four of them had still lived at home at the time of her death. His oldest child Ethan had been twenty-two-years-old and an Army Ranger by that time. His second oldest Alice had been nineteen-years-old and in her Sophomore year of college. His third oldest Jack had been eighteen-years-old and in his Freshman year of college. Hershel's fourth oldest son Arnold was fourteen-years-old and a Freshman in High School. Shawn, his fifth oldest with Josie, had been nine-years-old and in fourth grade. While his sixth oldest child, Lacey, had been five-years-old and in Kindergarten. Without Annette there, Hershel didn't think they would have lasted a month. Annette had been his savior during those rough first couple of years.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Carl shook the blonde woman's hand with a small friendly smile. He took an instant liking to Annette. With her kind blue eyes and long blonde hair, she reminded him of Beth, but a wiser and stronger version of his older friend. Beth had only just begun to be that sort of person before she died in the alternate timeline.
"Nice to meet you." Shane said as he shook Annie's hand with a charming smile gracing his lips. The older woman seemed friendly and kind hearted, but still had a spine of steel. It was hard not to take a liking to the older woman.
"Well, I know Hershel said he wanted to talk with you all," Annette began with a fond smile to her husband, "And I don't want to keep you from your talks. I'll be here in the kitchen cooking up lunch and preparing dinner, so if you need anything, just holler," she said with a light southern twang to her voice. It was a rather charming sound and reminded the small group of Maggie.
Hershel smiles at his wife and gives her a quick kiss before they depart from the kitchen and back out the hallway towards the front door. Lori slowed her walk to a stop as the men and her son walked out the front door and towards the picnic table beneath the large oak tree. Their voices intermixed as they discussed ideas and pulled out their cellphones, and a laptop Hershel borrowed from Beth, to begin the process of contacting various companies that would help ensure they were able to create a safe place on the farm.
A sad smile graced Lori's lips as her mind became assaulted with memories of the farm. Her hickory and rich brown eyes, like the earth's soil; stained with the colour of hot chocolate on a cold winter night, consisted of raw emotion that revealed the exact thoughts that were crossing her mind. Her thoughts were lost in that alternate timeline. Of when things had been rough and her determination and tenacity had begun to falter.
It all started after the world went to shit, thinking and believing that Rick was dead, starting a sexual relationship with Shane, then finding out that Rick was actually alive, followed by nearly losing her son, her baby boy. Her little miracle child. It had been so hard for her and Rick to have a child. Any possible pregnancies following Carl had led to three miscarriages, a complete molar pregnancy, and an ectopic pregnancy over the last decade. Those times had been hard on her and Rick. Their fights had become more frequent during the last two failed pregnancies. Lori began to take her hurt, anger, and frustration out on Rick, constantly becoming irritated whenever Rick said or did something. He was an easy outlet to let her anger out on, but it had caused him to shut down and withdraw from her. Lori didn't blame him, she had become someone she didn't recognize.
Lori took a seat on one of the armchairs by the front windows and ran a hand through her hair in stressed remembrance. She still couldn't entirely comprehend what she had been thinking, during the alternate timeline. How she had acted during those months, that wasn't her. Lori had always thought she was a fairly level-headed, compassionate, and reliable individual, but the way she had handled things, it had shown an uglier side of herself that she didn't like.
But Lori wasn't that kind of woman. Well, she thought that she wasn't that type of person. She didn't cheat on her husband, on someone she loved and considered her best friend. Lori had been completely understanding when Rick's other best friend Sheila had asked him if he would be the sperm donor for her and her partner Olivia. Lori had been the one to talk Rick into accepting Sheila's request. Who was she to deny another the ability to have a child, especially such wonderful people like Sheila and Olivia?
And yet, Lori had nearly done that exact same thing to Rick in that other time. She had nearly killed her and Rick's baby. A second child that they had tried so hard to have, and when they finally had, the world had gone to hell and the fear of bringing a child into that world had left Lori feeling helpless and petrified. What kind of mother was she to consider killing her children, instead of giving them a fighting chance? She had nearly considered letting Carl die when he had been injured and had nearly killed her baby before it even had a choice.
This time, it would be different. Lori knew that she wasn't going to let herself fold back into that mold. She was going to be the mother that her children needed. She was going to make contributions in their group. She was going to protect her family, and she was going to live for them. This time it would be different. Nodding to herself, Lori stood and walked out the front door and down the porch steps. Her hand gently cradled her stomach for a moment, as she considered whether she was pregnant already with her and Rick's second little miracle.
Noon
Rick looked down at the map of Senoia, Georgia. It depicted the various farms that surrounded Hershel's own property, as well as the town. Hershel's suggestion on getting the owners of the surrounding farms informed on what they were doing, had some merit. However, the considerable scale that this sort of expansion would create to their plans, had the leader of their unconventional family mentally calculating the price.
"Do you think your neighbors would go for it?" Shane asked with a raised eyebrow as he too looked down at the map. There were still quite a few issues that Shane knew he was going to have to talk with Hershel about. How he had acted in the Alternate Timeline was the primary factor. His jealousy had been taken to extreme levels once Rick had come back. He hadn't been jealous of Rick being with Lori, but that Lori had Rick in the first place. The two have been best friends since they were kids, just starting the 5th grade Shane had been the new boy in town, and he and Rick had instantly clicked when they met. The short relationship, if you could truly call it that, that they had from Sophomore year of high school up until Rick was introduced to Lori by Jeremy, left Shane realizing that what he had felt for the other man, was something he had never felt for anyone else. He's tried. God has he tried, but every relationship had ended before it could truly begin, due to his comparing his dates to Rick. While it may not have been verbally, it was a constant mental dialogue that never stopped.
"If we discussed it with them, I believe we could have them agreeing to this." Hershel replied with a slow nod of his head. His intelligent and kind light blue eyes glanced over at Rick, who was quiet and staring down at the map that covered the picnic table, held down by some rocks in the four corners. "The people in this community know me to be honest and trustworthy. If we explain it to them, especially with Rick with me, I'm sure we will have them amenable," he added with a chuckle.
Shane and Carl smirked and nodded in agreement. Rick chuckled at Hershel's assessment and glanced up from the map. He knew what Hershel was implying. He knew he had a way with words and a habit of making speeches that had people often agreeing with him. He just hoped that Hershel's neighbors, which was about seven or so farms, each with considerable acreage, would be willing to believe them, or put faith in them, even if they didn't truly believe what they told them.
Rick sighed and rubbed at the root of his nose as he felt a headache coming on. "Well, the expense for the Zaun's ArmaWeave fence will certainly be a steep price. We've already discussed acquiring additional fencing for any future locations, like Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Kingdom, maybe even the Sanctuary. Adding these farms to the list won't be too large of a problem." Rick ruminated aloud. His sharp brilliant blue eyes glittered from the bright sunlight as he squinted in thought. "Having all that additional farmland, we'd be able to grow all sorts of crops, as well as have various farm animals."
The group nodded as they considered Rick's words. "Every farm could grow something different." Lori added as she sat beside Carl on the bench. The young boy, and wasn't that still a weird thought as he was eighteen-years-old when he died, leaned against his mother. Lori's arms were wrapped around Carl in a motherly and comforting hold.
"We could grow fruits, vegetables, rice, grains, millet, corn, cotton, and that's just off the top of my head." Carl murmured with wide eyes at the thought. The scale of what they were considering, it was going to be huge. He was honestly looking forward to it. They wouldn't have to struggle as much post outbreak if they had a location that grew most of their food supply. Of course, having additional locations could be a benefit for them as well.
"We could also grow nuts, potatoes, beans, herbs, and a hell of a lot more." Shane pitched in with a small smile beginning to curl his lips upward. "Hell, we can even go looking for other farms after the outbreak and take over them. There's bound to be farms nearing those other locations you mentioned Rick that we could do trading or something like it further down the road."
"The animals will also certainly help with anything dairy or meat wise." Hershel voiced in. He knew at least three of his fellow farmers had dairy and beef cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, ducks, and geese. Let alone the horses they used to herd the cattle.
Rick nods his head in slow contemplation as he listens to everything that was being said. "You all have good ideas," he begins with a slow curling smile. He's always willing to listen to any input they have. "We'll definitely start searching for farms in the surrounding states. Once we have an idea of their locations, we'll write them down in a notebook so we can go back to them later." Everyone nods in agreement to Rick's statement.
The sound of a truck driving over the dirt road caught their attention. The group turned to see an older model of a silver 2000 Chevy Silverado 2500 truck pulling into the farms front yard. The truck came to a stop beneath the garage carport. It fell silent a few minutes later with both passenger and driver side door swinging open. Two very familiar figures hopped out of the truck, catching Rick and Carl's breath and Lori and Shane's attention.
Beth Greene turned away from the truck as she shut the passenger side door, "I'll help you in a minute Maggie," she was saying before the sight of the familiar figures beside her father caught her attention. A bright and joyful smile spread across her lips. "Rick!" She cried out happily as she ran towards him.
Rick quickly moved and caught the young woman, a young teenager once again, into his arms. "Beth!" He breathed out with his own happiness. Tears burned his eyes for a moment, as the happiness clashed with grief and regret. The last time he had seen her, they had succeeded in saving her from that hospital, only for her to die just a few minutes later. He didn't know what Beth had been thinking, attacking Dawn like she had. The other older woman had reflexively pulled the trigger and killed Beth in the process. Following Beth's death, it had left a continuously developing gaping wound that would not heal with each new death from someone that they considered family.
"It's so good to see you!" Beth exclaimed as she pulled away from the older man. Tears of her own made her blue eyes glimmer. She had always seen Rick as an older brother. He had stepped into the role of protector easily, and she knew it was because he was an older brother, having two younger siblings himself. Beth had always been fond of Rick. He was kind and protective, making it easy to care and love Rick as family. She was thrilled to see him again, especially after their last unfortunate meeting.
"Carl!" She exclaimed joyously as she noticed Carl standing off to the side. The blonde quickly pulled the younger boy into a hug. Beth, as the youngest in her family, had always been treated as the baby. Having ten older siblings, and each of them successful in a sense, had left her feeling like she had to reach these expectations. But having Carl around, it was like she had a younger brother, someone who she could depend on and talk to about everything. He had been her best friend and she was glad for it.
"Beth!" Carl greeted buoyantly. He had truly missed Beth. She had been his best friend and a sibling that he didn't have with his cousins and wouldn't have with Judith for a while. Was Judith still going to be born? Carl wondered as he hugged Beth and then pulled away. "I'm glad to see you again," he stated as he smiled at her. It had been a bitter pill to swallow when she died. They had saved her, only for her to die before they even left that hospital.
"Lori! Shane!" Beth greeted with a smile as she pulled the two into a quick hug. While she hadn't necessarily been close to Shane or Lori, it was still thrilling to see other's from that alternate timeline who remembered everything they had gone through. "It's great to see you!" For a while she had thought perhaps it had been all a horrible nightmare, until her father had said he remembered, and informed her that Rick and a few others had also remembered as well. She wondered if anyone else from the old group remembered? Did Glenn remember? She mused to herself as she glanced over at Maggie as she spoke with their father.
Evening
He was going to lose his goddamn mind if he didn't get out of this car soon. Riley really needed to take a break from his younger brother's and son. Abel and Thomas keep fighting between each other, continuously nit picking at each other to the point that Riley was ready to pull over and let the little shitheads walk. But he couldn't do it, he wouldn't do it. He hadn't realized just how much he had truly missed his brother's until he had awoken with memories of that alternate timeline. The way he had lost his brother's in that timeline, it made his stomach turn and his fingers curl tightly around the steering wheel as he fought the urge to punch something.
Riley couldn't lose his shit. His three younger brothers depended on him to be a level-headed presence. To be the father and mother they no longer had. His son needed him to be his parent, to take the role of both, since he had lost his mother without a chance to truly know her at all. Ruthie depended on him to be there for her and their kid in the coming months. His best friend Billy needed him to be a shoulder to lean on when he needed a listening ear and someone to tell things to, that he couldn't with his mother, step-father, or older brother's.
Carl depended on him, he knew, even though they hadn't spoken as much as they both had wanted. He could hear it in his voice, that he was holding onto his emotions by a thin thread. Then there was Rick, who Riley knew instinctively that the older man wanted to know what had happened after he had died. Rick depended on Riley to help him prepare for what was to come. There was so much to deal with. He knew he had to keep his shit together.
He could feel that the weight was lying heavy on his shoulders. He would take the burden, if it meant that everyone he loved and cared about was alright. He had always done what was needed, when it really came down to it. Riley would continue to do so, if it meant keeping them happy, safe, and alive. With a sigh, he flicked the turn signal on and pulled off the interstate and onto the road that would lead them to Hershel's farm. A small smile graced his lips at the thought. It would truly be a joy to see the Greene family again. Especially when he got to see Rick, Carl, Lori and Shane, who he considered to be his family.
Bright green eyes raised to the rearview mirror to check on the youngest children in the car. Harry's head was hanging forward as he slept in his sleep. That didn't look comfortable and had him wincing in sympathy at the pain it had to cause Harry. Then again, children did sleep in the oddest places with little discomfort or pain. "Abel," he said his younger brother's name to get his attention.
"Yeah Ri?" Abel asked. He stopped his bickering with Thomas to focus his attention on Riley.
"Get Harry into a more comfortable position please," he ordered as he turned his attention back onto the road.
Abel turned in his seat and winced at the sight of Harry's head resting against his chest. "Dude, how does he always sleep like that?" He muttered to himself as he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned into the backseat. He grabbed the small pillow that had fallen onto the car's floor and rested it against his nephew's car-seat. Eli was happily sucking on his pacifier as his wide blue eyes, the color of his mother Tristen's, gazed up at Abel. "Hey buddy," he murmured to his nephew as he finished adjusting Harry's sleeping position. Harry was now leaning his head against the pillow as he slept peacefully.
Thomas purposefully ignored Abel as he concentrated on the Gameboy he was playing. Abel chuckled at his younger brother's stubbornness and sat back down in the front passenger seat while buckling up. He picked up his cell-phone again and went back to texting his friends in California. He hated that Riley had moved them away from their hometown, but he also understood that Riley hadn't told him everything that had happened back home.
Abel knew that there had been a lot that was going on during that time. He and his younger brother's, before their mother's death, hadn't been able to see her. Abel recalled one time Riley had brought them to the park and their mother had been there. The reunion was joyous, but he and Thomas had been quickly told to go play by Riley. Harry had remained behind in their mother's arms. His mom and Riley had not been happy at the reunion. Rather, the pair had been having a serious discussion with frowns and paperwork had been placed between them. Riley and their mom had signed a lot of papers, he remembered. He still wondered what those papers had meant.
Abel could still vividly recall when they had to say goodbye. He has been upset and angry that they had to leave. Thomas had been crying and pouting as he also didn't want to leave his mother. Their mother had not given into his and his brother's fits. Instead, he could recollect on how she had held him and his younger brother's in her arms in a warm and loving hug. How she had kissed them goodbye on their foreheads and told them how much she loved them with tears in her pretty brown eyes. Abel remembered watching as their mother had hugged Riley goodbye. She had held him in her arms for a long time and when she pulled away she had given him a kiss on his forehead too. He remembered hearing her tell Riley that she loved him and was proud of the man he was becoming. That he was a wonderful big brother and he would be an amazing father.
They had walked away that day with sadness and wondering when they would be able to see their mother again. It was only a few weeks later that his big brother had sat him and Thomas down and explained that their mother was dead. Even as gently as Riley had told them, they hadn't taken it well. For the seven months following their mother's death, things had changed. Life at home was different. Riley had taken responsibility over him, Thomas, and Harry. Then Tristen had gone into labor and died giving birth to his nephew Elias. Not even a week later, Riley was telling him and his brother's about their grandmother Gemma's death, and then their own father's death three days later.
Abel didn't know how Riley had pulled it all off. He was burying three family members that October. He had arranged for their cremations, just as he had their mother, of their grandmother, father, and Tristen. Riley had to deal with the last will and testament of all three of their family too, while being a new father to Eli. Abel had a lot of respect for his older brother. Riley had always had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and he always seemed to handle it easily.
A Few Hours Later
The rumble of the car driving down the dirt driveway of the Greene family farm caught the attention of those sitting around the house. The open windows allowed for a fresh breeze, untainted by the smells of death and decay, and for those that remembered the alternate timeline, enjoyed the opportunity immensely.
Carl, Rick, and Shane sat on the picnic table beneath the large oak tree. Each of them were enjoying the evening breeze that depicted spring. The rustling of leaves from the large oak tree and the scent of fresh grass and blooming flowers relaxed them. The three were talking about various inconsequential things, the unspoken issues they had to speak of weren't going to be touched at the moment. Too many things needed to be said, and none of them desired to speak of more serious issues. They enjoyed the company of each other, as best friends, uncle and nephew, and father and son. Something that they hadn't truly been able to have for many years, by their alternate timeline memories.
Lori sat on the porch swing with Beth, while Maggie sat on the porch banister. Lori and Beth were reacquainting with each other, while Maggie was just beginning to get to know Lori and get used to the difference in her youngest sister. It was comfortable between them all, as they discussed Beth's boyfriend Jimmy. Maggie didn't truly believe that Beth was dating Jimmy. She has seen the looks shared between Beth and their daddy's new farmhand Elijah 'Eli' Bray. She had also caught Jimmy, Beth's supposed boyfriend, spending an awful lot of time with Kamilla, one of their neighbors' oldest daughters. Maggie kept her opinion and knowledge to herself. She was enjoying the relaxing atmosphere between her and her youngest sister. There was no tension or irritation between her and Beth. They were all just enjoying the evening. It had been a long time since they were able to do something like that without fighting.
Inside the house was Hershel and Annie as the couple was finishing the dinner preparations. The sounds of the dishware used to cook the food was being cleaned and dried before put away into its correct place. They finished setting everything out on the dining room table before making their way out onto the porch. They all watched as the car, pulling a trailer behind it, came to a stop.
A familiar voice to Rick, Hershel, Lori, Shane, Carl, and Beth caused smiles to grace each of their faces. "I swear to fucking Christ, if you two shitheads don't knock the goddamn taunts and bickering off, I'll make you both sleep in the barn." Riley threatened as he stepped out of the driver side of the car. He leaned forward back into the car and pulled his front seat up. He gently pulled Harry, who was only just stirring awake from his nap, into his arms. With his other hand, he pulled Eli's detachable car-seat out.
"Well if Tommy boy wasn't such a -" Abel began in the typical preteen attitude that all pubescent boys and girls went through.
"If you weren't such a di -." Thomas began at the same time with a glare at his second older brother.
Riley honestly didn't like most teenagers. Preteens and teenagers were all little shitheads with attitudes. He tolerated most kids if he was being honest with himself, but he did like many of them. As a teenager himself, he had always been more mature than most his age, because of all the bullshit he's been through in his life. All the responsibility that had been thrown at him had made him different than most guys his age. Of course, there were times he fucked up like most teenagers. Elias had been an obvious fuck up, but he loved his kid, even if he hadn't honestly been sure what to do with him after his mother's death. Now with his alternate timeline memories, he was even more different from his age group.
"What'd I just fuckin' say shitheads?"
Abel scoffed and rolled his eyes at his older brother, having no fear of retribution from his big brother. Abel knew that Riley could beat the shit out of him if he wanted to. Riley has beaten the shit out of him once or twice, not out of any desire to truly hurt him, but because he was a little shithead, as Riley commonly called him and his younger brother's. However, with Riley's arms full with Harry and Eli's car-seat, Abel felt assured that Riley couldn't hit him.
Thomas grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms over his chest in a sulk. He was always being told what to do by Riley. Ever since their mom and dad died, Riley had become the full time parent. Riley had taken care of him and their brother's before their parents died, but it was different now. Thomas couldn't go to his mom to cuddle with and watch a movie. He couldn't go to his dad and sit on his motorcycle as he worked on one of the cars in the garage. He couldn't do any of that stuff anymore. He didn't have parents that would care how he was feeling. Thomas looked down at the ground as he bit his lip, fighting to contain the tears that had sprung up in his eyes as grief settled heavy in his chest.
"You can keep them, if you want." Riley stated to the watching group as he walked around the front of the car with a smile. "I won't mind," he added jokingly. Bright green eyes glanced over to see Abel slowly following him and Thomas curling into himself. The teenager, and wasn't that something to get used to again?, sighed sadly and heavily at the sight. It was a very familiar common occurrence, since Thomas finally began to understand their parents weren't coming back. Whenever Thomas started thinking about their mom and dad, he retreated into himself and withdrew from everyone, becoming consumed by his grief. "Abel," he warned with a quick look to Thomas.
Abel glanced over at Riley and followed his gaze. The preteen sighed like his older brother had. "Come on dorkus," he ordered as he wrapped his arm around Thomas' shoulder and pulled him into his side. The older boy dragged the seven-year-old along with him as Riley led them towards a group of people they had never met before, or heard of, until this morning.
"It's good to see you Rick." Riley greeted as he set the car-seat down on the picnic table that Rick, Shane, and Carl were standing around.
"It's really good to see you too." Rick replied as he pulled the younger teenager into his arms. The hug between the two was much like how family greeted each other. It was full of warmth and familial love. The Sheriff Deputy pulled away and looked Riley over. The blonde haired man looked tired. The deep and dark crescent moons beneath his eyes were in shades of deep purple and blues. He didn't bring attention to the fact. He knew how much Riley hated attention focused on him. "Is that Harry?" Rick asked rhetorically. The last time he had seen the boy, he had been eleven-years-old.
Harry blinked tiredly over at Rick and shyly did his face into his brother's neck. Rick smiled in amusement at the cuteness of it. He had forgotten how shy Harry could be with strangers. Harry as a preteen had been sweet, brave, and selfless and best friends with Ezekiel's adopted son Henry. The two together tended to be little rebels and were always seen hanging out together.
"It's amazing to see you again Lori," Riley embraced her in a hug when the older woman finally reached their small group.
"It's a wonderful surprise to see you again Riley," Lori hugged the young man with a smile. "Is that little Harry?" She asked as she gently reached out for the boy. "Hi there sweetheart," she murmured as she held the three-year-old in her arms. "My name is Lori, what's your name?" She questioned softly.
"Harry," the small boy whispered shyly as he gave the kind brown haired woman a cute smile. Lori inwardly melted at the sight. She had missed being able to hold the sweet child in her arms. It felt like it had been too long since she had seen him. He had been five-years-old that last time.
"Hey Shane, it's absolutely awful to see you again," Riley teased with a smirk. Their relationship was a lot like how it had been for him with the men in SAMCRO. The two would constantly give each other shit, but they did love each other as family. The younger blonde gave Shane a manly hug, with his arm around his shoulder as they slapped each other's back.
"It's completely terrible to see you too kid," he smirked with amusement clearly shining in his dark eyes. Riley was like another family member to Shane. He had respect for the younger man, who had done whatever he could to protect and help their group.
"Riley!" Carl cried out happily as he tackled Riley into a hug with shining blue eyes. Riley loved his blue eyes. They are not an ordinary sky blue, or the color of ice in an ocean, or even the little flowers that spring up by the side of the road. His eyes are blue like the sea, crystal clear blue that could be shimmering, crashing, and churning like waves out in sea. Every time he looked into Carl's eyes, Riley was reminded of hearing the waves falling against the shore, seeing the foam flying into the air, and the seagulls cawing overhead. His eyes were blue like the sky right before the sun descends into the horizon and the moon rises - a rich indigo, with specks of wild colors throughout. His eyes were blue like that warm wool sweater his mother loved to wear in the chilly winter months. Carl's blue eyes are his favorite sort of blue.
"Carl," Riley grunted breathlessly as the younger slammed his weight into him. Carl's arms swiftly wrapped around his chest in a tight hold. "I'm glad to see you too, Blue Eyes," he drawled with his own arms circled around the younger's shoulders.
This will be fun , Abel thought sarcastically. He had noticed the difference in his brother, and he could see it now as he hugged the boy that looked like he was about his age, if not a little younger or older. There was jealousy for a moment, at how casually he acted with them.
Riley hugged Beth with his right arm as she greeted the older teenager. "Hey Bethy," the older blonde greeted with a smile. Beth was like a younger sister he never had. She had been a confidante for him, just as he had been a confidant for her.
"Riley, I'm really happy to see you." Beth sighed with a smile as she leaned her weight against his right side while Carl took Riley's left side in comfort.
The blonde turned his attention to where Hershel stood next to Annie Greene, someone who Riley recognized from a picture Beth had shown him in the alternate timeline. "Hey Old Man," he said affectionately. Hershel Greene had been like a grandfather to Riley. He was someone that Riley had come to trust and he had been a bit of a mentor to him.
"It's good to see you again Riley," Hershel replied with warmth in his voice. "This is my wife Annie and my older daughter Maggie," he introduced the two to the newcomers.
Rick had taken Elias from his car-seat and was now holding the six-month-old in his arms. "Hey little man," he was murmuring to the baby as Eli had spat out his pacifier moments before and was currently making babbling noises that most sixth month old babies did. Rick entertained the baby by making appropriate noises and sounds that thrilled little Elias at the attention he was receiving from someone new.
"Abel and Thomas," Riley called to his younger brother's. He gently stepped out of the hold Beth and Carl had around him and pulled his two younger brother's over to him. "We're going to be staying with these nice people for a couple of days." That was the plan anyways. They still had to go to school, Carl, Abel, and Thomas, and Riley had graduated already. He figured that when Rick and Lori went back to Kings County, he'd go with them. He had plans in mind that consisted of SAMCRO, but first he had to talk to Rick and Lori. "These two," he gestured to Beth and Carl who had been standing near him, "are Beth Greene and Carl Grimes. I think you'll find them to be good friends Abel, if you give them a chance."
"Over there," he gestured to Rick and Lori, who both held Elias and Harry respectively as they spoke to each other, "Are Rick and Lori Grimes, Carl's parents. Beside them," he gestured to Shane who was currently playing Peekaboo with Eli, who was giggling hysterically. Eli wasn't very shy around strangers, Riley had noticed, not like he had assumed most sixth months old are. "Is Shane Walsh, Rick's partner on the force and best friend." Riley finally waved his hand towards the last three adults in the group. "The older man is Hershel Greene, with his wife Annie and one of their other daughters Maggie." The trio was discussing something in regards to the farm.
Abel tried to wrap his mind around the new strangers that his brother was introducing him to. Their parents had not known these people, so how did Riley know them? "How do you know all these people Ri?" He asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"That's another story, something that myself and the others will tell you about later." Riley promised. He didn't plan on keeping the story from his brother's. He would tell them the truth and soon.
Annette Greene brought the attention of the group to her when she spoke. "Supper just finished cooking, so I hope y'all have an appetite." The thought of eating a home cooked meal had everyone following the Greene's back into their home.
Abel's stomach grumbled at the smells that assaulted his nose when he stepped into the front entryway of the farm house. Abel followed the group down the hall to the right of the staircase that led to a large dining room. It had been a while since he had eaten anything that smelt as good as what was on the dining room table. Riley could cook, but he usually didn't have the time, not with raising him and his younger brothers, as well as Elias, while also working constantly. It really made Abel miss his mom at times like these. His mom and grandma had been awesome cooks.
Night
For the first time in eight years, Rick was feeling very minimal amounts of stress, worry, anxiety, and frustration. They had all discussed plans and tossed out ideas between each other over dinner. Everyone had come up with insightful suggestions that Rick hadn't even considered. They had also successfully gotten in contact with Zaun Ltd. about their ArmaWeave Mesh high security fencing and was able to order an extremely large shipment of the fencing for the next three months, until just a week before the outbreak was to occur. They had contacted construction companies, solar panel companies, and various other companies, while also researching store locations and farms that would help them begin to create a safe place to survive.
Rick sat upon the canopy swing that was on the front porch of Hershel's farm house in a content silence. A smile spread across his lips at the sounds of soft laughter and quiet voices coming from the inside of the house. The warm golden glow of lamps stretched out from inside the house and encased the porch with a dim glow. He used his right foot to gently swing, his head tilted back as he enjoyed the fresh evening breeze as it blew past him, gently and playfully ruffling his clothes and hair.
Rick didn't move at the sound of booted feet walking across the porch before they came to a stop and took a seat on the other side of the swing. After a few minutes of silence, Rick finally moved his head and turned to see the seventeen-year-old figure of Riley. The last time he had seen Riley, Rick had been dying after destroying that bridge. The older man straightened in his seat, brilliant blue eyes looked into tired, haunted, and desolate bright emerald green eyes. They were aged even more from the last time he had seen Riley, a young man of only twenty-five-years-old.
It was nearing past midnight. Riley had put Elias, Harry, and Thomas to bed after dinner at eight. Abel would be bunking with Carl, and was once again finding a friend in him. Currently, only Hershel, Lori, Shane, Beth, and Carl remained awake. Annette and Maggie had turned in already, after a long day of working on the farm. Abel had crashed as well, having had trouble sleeping most nights from nightmares, a constant for the younger boy, having experienced losing four people he loved within a seven month time period.
"What happened after…" Rick trailed off, unsure how to proceed with his question.
"After you died?" Riley rhetorically asked. His voice was bleak and dry. Full of unspoken horrors he had endured after losing Rick. His timbre of voice was a tone that Rick had rarely ever heard the younger man use. "A lot of things happened Rick," he said with a bitter twist of his mouth. His green eyes showed a dark and gruesome story that only he knew.
"We struggled for a bit, trying to figure out how to trade with each other, considering the distance between the communities," Riley explained with a small sigh. "We were able to start something, but it was different, the knowledge that you were gone, that a lot of our family had died over the years," his words were quietly spoken. He didn't want to disturb the peace that had settled over the farm momentarily. They had discussed their plans and Rick had spoken about searching for others of their group that might hopefully remember.
"Daryl…" At the sound of his partner's name being spoken, Rick's chest tightened and his breath caught in his throat. When he had awoken to the realization that he was back before it all began, it had made him wonder what had happened to everyone else, following after his death at the bridge. He had feared thinking about his best friend and partner and what could have possibly happened to him.
"He lost himself to his grief, for a long time," Riley's green eyes had a thin sheen of tears over them, making them glimmer like stars in a night sky. He stared out at the open acreage ahead of them, lost in his memories. Daryl had never been the same after losing Rick. He had still cared and helped out when he could, but a part of Daryl had broken following Rick's death. He had left them for a long time as he attempted to overcome his grief and heartache.
"He left not long after your death. He moved out to the woods in a cabin he had found, with his dog. He tried to find peace for himself, after your death," the younger man explained. "But it didn't work like we had thought. He was different. Daryl still cared and was still there when we needed him, but a part of him was broken after losing you. He pushed a lot of people away. Only myself, Carol, Michonne, Maggie, and the kids weren't deterred."
Rick frowned as he rubbed his face. His heart ached at the thought. He would never assume that Daryl would have just moved on from losing him, but Rick had hoped that he would have been able to manage and that it would be a little easier for him, as the years past, to be happy. A frown curled his lips down at the thought that his hunter, his husband, had been unable to find a little bit of happiness without him there.
"Things continued on following your death. We prospered and grew as communities. Things were particularly good," he paused before correcting himself, "as good as it could be in a hellish overrun world of Walkers, the rest of the year. That first year following your death, a group came seeking refuge. They had heard about a Safe-Zone, a place willing to provide a safe place to live. I recognized some of the people in that group. My best friend, Billy, had been surviving with his partner Steve and a few others, until they came across the group that had the older brother of an old girlfriend of mine in that timeline, and this one. Her name is Ruthie. She was, and is currently, pregnant. When the outbreak happened in that alternate timeline, I ended up losing contact with her. Her older brother Simon, he told me how Ruthie had died just a few months before they reached the Safe-Zone. She died protecting our daughter, Layla," he explained to Rick.
"After letting this group into the Safe-Zone, it seemed to ignite the meeting of various other groups. Over the next five years, we were confronted by these other so called communities. While still trying to continue to build our own territories. One of these groups called themselves The Hunters, they were cannibals and enjoyed hunting to get their meat." There was no need to further explain that. Riley knew Rick understood. The disgusted expression on the older man's face said it all. "They had taken some of our people, when they were on a run," he began to say, "When we hadn't heard back from them in over six hours. Standard check-ins were every four hours so we went looking. And that's when we discovered the Hunters. We found the remains of some Nomads," at Rick's confused expression, Riley further clarified, "It's what we started calling people that aren't a part of a group." Rick nodded in understanding.
"We finally found the Hunters encampment. We came up with a plan and snuck inside. It was a warehouse, a lot like Terminus, but worse." It was clear to Rick that Riley wasn't present anymore, his mind was lost in the horrors of the building he had found with his group for a search and rescue. "It was like a goddamn horror movie. Rooms full of instruments to torture their victims, fucking torture chambers it seemed like. Every room had a different horror to show. We took out the Hunters we found and saved their victims. We finally found our people, locked in cages like fucking animals," he sneered with a darkness in his unseeing eyes. "The people we saved, not just our people, we brought back to our communities. Questioned them and made sure they weren't a part of another group."
Simple ending for a not so simple group , Rick thought to himself. It still horrified him how people could turn so inhumane in an already merciless world. Just because the world ended , he thought, didn't mean humanity had to end with it . They were people still, why couldn't they continue having a society? Why couldn't they all work together to survive, rather than killing each other and fighting each other for what the other had?
"About, I wanna say thirteen months later?, a group calling themselves The Marauders, made their appearance. They were a small group of bandits that robbed other communities." The Marauders had been one of the easiest groups that they had to deal with. "We handled them by talking to them, telling them they didn't have to steal to survive. They could work together with the other communities in trading, otherwise we would use force to put a stop to the trouble they were causing."
"Then there was the Living, as they called themselves. They were a larger group that consisted of very bad men. Those same men that we dealt with at that bar in Senoia." He still remembered that confrontation with Randall and his group. The questions they had regarding if there were any women with them. He and Rick had instantly known what they were truly asking. Growing up in a motorcycle Club like Sam Crow, and Rick as a Sheriff Deputy, they had seen what depravity did to a man. They took what they wanted for the sake of their own pleasure.
"It didn't take the other communities long to agree that the Living was a danger to the prosperity we were creating within our communities. Especially after they kidnapped some of the females from the Hilltop, the Kingdom, the Safe-Zone, and the Sanctuary." He didn't want to think about or mention what had been done to those women. Vomit burned at the back of his throat as he forcefully swallowed it back down and forced those vile memories away. He didn't want to think about it.
"We eliminated that group and saved the women the Living men had forced into slavery, mainly of the sexual varity." Rick wasn't sure how he felt learning about the group of men they had come across in Senoia, had been bigger and worse than he and Riley had initially assumed. He was relieved to hear they had been dealt with, before they could cause any further harm.
"Then there was the Scorpions, a group that kept to themselves but attacked if they felt provoked. We didn't have too much trouble with them." Riley was honestly surprised that this group had been the ones to cause the least amount of trouble for the communities. The Scorpions leader had agreed to a meeting with the other leaders of the communities. It was a general understanding for everyone that the Scorpions wouldn't cause trouble for them, as long as they were left alone. They had all kept their word and so had been put out of mind.
"One of the last groups we met was The Highwaymen. They were originally a hostile group of survivors," he began to describe as he adjusted his position on the swing. "They were a rough and aggressive, but not an unreasonable group of 22 survivors." Riley mused aloud as Rick listened intently to what he was saying. "They would stalk roads and prey upon travelers, robbing them and extorting the communities that used their roads," he enunciated with a sigh, "despite being thieves and extortionists, the Highwaymen seemed to prefer to conduct their business peacefully. They normally sent letters with a list of demands rather than trying to obtain supplies through brute force."
"The community leaders, myself being included as a leader, got together and decided to meet with the Highwaymen and see if we could come to an agreement with them. It took a while, but they finally agreed to put their outlaw ways aside and start protecting the roads leading to various communities in exchange for having access to the fair, where they can sell their stolen supplies." Riley reached into his leather jacket pocket and pulled out his cigarette and zippo lighter. Pulling one of them out, he set it between his lips and casually flipped the flame and lit the smoke. He inhaled deeply before breathing the smoke out through his mouth. He leaned his head back against the back of the swing's bench.
"This deal had worked for everyone. Especially once others learned of these protectors and requested permission to join them in protecting the roads. After a while, the Highwaymen became bigger and greater. They were protectors of the roads. They guarded the roads from the Safe-Zone, the Hilltop, the Kingdom, and the Sanctuary, and it worked."
Rick listened intently to everything he was being told. It was smart, having a group that was utilized to protect the roads that they used the most. His bright blue eyes remained focused on Riley as the younger man continued to speak. "Anyways, that first year after your death, I had been designated as the leader of Alexandria. Michonne gave birth to a son," Rick seemed to stop breathing at his announcement. He had never known that Michonne was pregnant, following that night they had slept together.
"Michonne wanted to focus her attention on raising RJ and Judith, and she was an amazing mother. While raising those two, she also helped me raise Harry, Elias, and Layla, and I helped her with RJ and Judith. She and I were the only parental figures those two kids really had left. She was the mother that they needed," Riley didn't turn to look at Rick as he spoke. But he could feel those blue eyes burning into him. It would be too difficult to continue speaking if he looked at the older man. "I was the father figure that Harry, Elias, Layla, Judith, and RJ needed." He had always been someone that was needed in some manner, following Rick's death. He had stepped up in their community and also become a leader they had needed and wanted.
"Thank you." Rick whispered after Riley's pause. "I'm glad that Michonne had you in here corner to help raise Judith and RJ." If there was anyone Rick would have trusted to raise his children, it would have been Riley. The younger man had a good head on his shoulders and he was family. He loved deeply and passionately. Those he loved became his and he would do whatever was needed to keep them safe. Those kids were in good hands, Rick knew this deep in his bones.
Riley looked over at Rick, a small smile curling his lips upward as he merely nodded in reply. He didn't need the thanks. He had done it because it was the right thing to do. "Maggie went off to work with Georgie," Rick looked curious at this unfamiliar name, "She was this woman that came around and helped us out in exchange for music." Riley gave a vague description from the woman Georgie, as he himself barely knew her. "Maggie left not too long after you died. She went to help build a new community with her son Hershel," he paused as he considered the next few people to mention. "Carol married Ezekiel and became Henry's adoptive mother," he went quiet for a long moment. His mind lost on past pain before he continued to speak again.
"Negan remained in that jail for another three years following your death. But was rehabilitated in the end." Here, Riley hesitated in continuing to speak. How did he explain to Rick that Negan, Riley's maternal grandfather, had developed feelings for the man? It had been somewhat obvious, now that he thought back on it, that Negan had been attracted to Rick and he showed it by pulling Rick's metaphorical pigtails. "I mainly dealt with him because no one else wanted to...but he was different ," Riley hesitates to say, "following your death. It hit him hard, learning that you had died saving us all."
Rick remained silent, his bright blue eyes once still focused on Riley as the other man continued to explain things he had missed after dying. "Negan became an important fixture within the community. The kids adored him, loved to hear stories from Before," a fond smile graced Riley's lips at those particular memories flashed across his mind, "He became someone I trusted, somewhat," he explained. "I never forgave him for the things he had done as the leader of the Saviors. There were a lot of arguments between him and I about whether or not he could have made the Sanctuary an actual sanctuary and not a tyrannically ruled community."
Rick chuckled at Riley's word. "I bet he took that really well," he laughed with a smirk.
Riley huffed a tired laugh and tilted his head towards Rick in pointed agreement. "Lots of raised voices between us during those times," he agreed. "Negan may have changed for the better, but he was still an arrogant asshole and so Negan ," and didn't that explain it? Negan was Negan. Especially with all his Neganisms. While he did become a better man after his time in confinement, it hadn't changed the essence of the man.
"I don't know if you knew or not, I can only assume that maybe you remained purposely oblivious, but Negan was attracted to you. Hell, maybe even a little bit in love with you. Who really knows?" He rhetorically asked with a shrug of his shoulders. "But after your death he told stories about you to the kids and anyone who might want to listen. Of course, he asked for information about you too and I didn't think it could hurt any to tell him. I mean, you were dead. He couldn't really use this information to hurt us. He seemed to appreciate the story of your ripping that one assholes throat out with your teeth." Riley laughed with a shake of his head. Trust Negan to get his kicks at Rick being ruthless.
Contrary to the belief of most people, Rick wasn't oblivious to the sexual and romantic interest that other's felt towards him. He had known that Negan was intrigued with him. Perhaps not at the beginning, but at some point Rick had noticed the looks and way the other man acted towards him had become flirtatious. It was probably another reason Daryl had disliked, if not outright hated, Negan.
"Anyways, the stories that were told about you and the way that others remembered you by, you became remembered as the person responsible for uniting everyone and for inspiring communities to change the world for the better and for the future of civilization," he said this casually, like he wasn't dropping on Rick this scad of information.
Rick leaned back into the swing with stunned surprise when he was told he had been remembered. He had been remembered? He had been known as the one to unit everyone and inspire communities? Tears burned his eyes as a smile curled across his lips at the thought. He was amazed that they would consider him someone to be remembered by. He felt honored and humbled by that notion.
Riley smiled at Rick and his shock. He was pretty sure Rick wasn't surprised about the news regarding Negan liking Rick, rather he was shocked that he had been remembered. He reached out with his hand and squeezed the older man's shoulder. "In honor of your decisions since the start of the apocalypse, a statue was built in your homage and your story inspired future generations," he continued with a grin. Rick Grimes had been a name that was remembered years after his death, and for good reason. He was a good and honorable man who did what he thought was best for his people.
Riley rubbed his chin as he thought back to what had happened next. "About six months later, we became confronted with a new group." Those quiet words left Rick with a sense of foreboding. There was a heaviness that sat in the pit of his stomach. "They were mysterious at first. We came to learn that these hostile survivors disguised themselves with the skin of Walkers." Riley explained with a thin press of his lips. "They did this to blend in with the Walkers and had turned to their most animalistic roots," he scoffed at the remembered hell they had to endure during their confrontations with the Whisperers. The war had been bloody and worse than the Saviors had ever been.
"Their leader, we would later find out, called herself Alpha. She had a second, named Beta. A hulk of a man that Daryl had difficulties fighting," he said this with a sneer at the thought of Beta. Riley had his own particular issues with Beta that he wasn't going to get into at the moment. Rick found it hard to believe that Daryl had a problem fighting this Beta person. Daryl was one of their best fighters. "Anyways, how we found out about them started off small, with Eugene and Rosita not returning from a scavenging trip. So a small group of us went looking for them. A lot of stuff followed, after we went looking for more information on this new group."
Riley paused as he tried to decide what to tell Rick. "It's too much information at the moment, to tell you all that happened. What you need to know right now, is that we, our communities, decided to do a trade with each other. It was like a swap meet or farmer's market where you traded things instead of buying them." Riley said for Rick's benefit.
"During this trade, twelve of our people were taken by the Whisperers from the Safe-Zone, the Hilltop, the Kingdom and the Sanctuary communities." Here, Riley had to stop speaking. His jaw clenched tightly and his throat tightened as he became lost in the memory of finding those that had been taken. "The Whisperers are savages, they took Tara, Ezekiel's son Henry, Enid, Tammy Rose, Ozzy, Alek, D.J., Frankie, Rodney, Addy..." He knew Rick likely didn't remember or know most of these people, but it needed to be said. But he didn't want to keep talking, he didn't want to list the last two deaths. They still hurt to think about, even if they're alive now. Riley's eyes closed and his hands curled into fist at his knees. He was hunched over with his head tilted downwards in remembered anguish.
"Those motherfuckers ," he spat out with rage and sorrow thick in his voice, "took my younger brother Harry and my daughter Layla."
"What'd they do to them Riley?" Rick asked in a soft voice full of concern and worry over the stillness of the silence that had fallen between them. The open living room windows showed how quiet those within had become as they listened in on what Riley was saying. Rick could only wonder what must be thinking. How horrified they might be.
There was a fury in those bright green eyes that was being barely contained. "They had decapitated them and put their heads on pikes. Spread them out like a fence to show us where our land ended and theirs began." Rick felt sick. Nausea sat heavy in his stomach as his vivid imagination clearly gave him a mental picture of it.
"I'm so sorry Riley," he murmured with remorse heavy on his tongue. He scooted over and wrapped his arm around the younger man's shoulder. Riley's shoulders shook as he tried to contain the heavy sobs that wanted to be let out. He wouldn't cry though. He wanted to get this over with, so they could concern themselves with the present, rather than what could happen in the future. Riley pushed himself up and wiped at his wet eyes with the palm of his hands.
"Everyone was angry. They wanted revenge for what the Whisperers had done to our people. So we made plans. We got together and decided that one of those plans was to have one of our people infiltrate the Whisperers," Rick could already feel himself tensing at what would be said next. "We decided Negan would be our best bet. He was still an outcast with everyone. He was hardly seen by anyone. He mainly stayed in Alexandria, working in a few select buildings. He would be the perfect one to infiltrate the Whisperers. As many still thought Negan was in jail."
Riley rubbed his face tiredly. "So, we made it off like Negan had escaped. Then, we began to make plans. We watched the Whisperers and targeted key location, camps that they had established. We obliterated those areas. It was a constant back and forth between our communities and the Whisperers. It was a bloody war and a lot of people died and a lot of locations demolished." Here, Riley sighed heavily as he took a drag of his cigarette. The smoke burned his throat, a soothing long forgotten memory, before he exhaled heavily from his mouth in a cloud of white smoke.
"Finally, we received good news. Negan was able to get word that had a plan to execute Alpha, but needed a distraction for Beta and the other Whisperers. So, we set a trap in this warehouse. Did a distraction big enough to attract Alpha's attention and brought the Whisperers and their hordes of Walkers to the warehouse." Riley's heart pounded in his chest as his hands shook with remembered adrenaline and fear. "But the mechanism we used to close the warehouse doors got stuck, and someone had to go in and fix it." He could hear the arguments in his mind, as those with him had argued among each other on who should go. While they were distracted, he had jogged off towards the warehouse.
Riley had paid no mind to the other's yelling after him. To Elias screaming for his father to stop. He hadn't watched as Daryl held him back or how Michonne had embraced Judith to keep her from following him, the only father figure she remembered ever having. Aaron, Eugene, Rosita, Carol, and Billy had only been able to watch with stunned disbelief as he disappeared into the warehouse building. "I quietly slipped into the warehouse and fixed the mechanism, but caught the attention of Beta."
Rick's stomach turned as a heavy stone sat in the pit of his stomach. He knew where this was going. Deep in his bones, he knew what had happened in the end, why Riley was able to remember the alternate timeline. "Beta was huge, but we both were tall and muscular. I was similarly fit like my father had been, and knew how to fight because of training by the men in Sam Crow and from martial art classes I had taken as a kid." That still didn't mean he hadn't taken a hell of a beating by Beta. The two had been vicious. Throwing punches, kicks, and tackles like it was going out of style. They had used various objects at their disposal to beat the shit out of each other.
"At some point I had knocked Beta down. The doors had been securely shut by that time. The other Whisperers were panicking as they tried to get out, attracting the attention of the Walkers." A darkly satisfied smirk curled Riley's lips. "I have to say, it was rewarding, hearing them be ripped apart by the very Walkers they had used as weapons against our communities." Rick could only imagine how gratifying it must have been for him. To a man that had been tormented by this group, who had lost a brother, daughter, family, and friends to those monsters.
"I had just ordered the other's to blow the building up, when Beta tackled me to the floor. He was repeatedly punching me in the face. I couldn't get to push him off, so I reached for a crowbar and bashed him in the head. He fell off me and I could hear the walkie-talkie going off with the other's voices calling for me. I forced myself up off the floor, woozy from blood loss and a concussion, and grabbed it. I told them my goodbyes. Asked them to look after Elias for me and how much I loved them all, and then I ordered them to blow the building. I could see the Walkers surrounding me turn at the smell of my blood and voices. There were too many of them surrounding me, I wouldn't have been able to make it out alive. I knew that I would be eaten where I stood, before I could ever reach the door in time."
Tears blurred Riley and Rick's eyes. Rick felt the grief of how the younger man had sacrificed himself to allow the other's a chance at succeeding in finishing the war with the Whisperers. Riley silently cried, not for himself, but for how he left Elias an orphan. How he had abandoned Judith and RJ with death in an effort to protect them. How he had left his best friend and family behind in such a brutal and abrupt way. He cried for the injustice of it all. "The last thing I remember is hearing Daryl saying goodbye. Beta had just started to stir again when the building went up in flames."
Author Note: It has been a very long time since I updated this story and I do apologize for that. A great many things have happened since the last time, last year, that I updated it. I hope everyone is being safe and wearing those masks!
For such a long wait, this chapter is eighteen, just a little over nineteen pages, and did not turn out the way I expected. I wanted to move it on much further than I had, but the character's were revolting against my plans! I still hope you enjoy it. As it gets a glimpse into some of the characters insights.
Next chapter will jump to the other characters and will definitely move this story along. Things are definitely happening with chapter seven (as I've already been writing it).
Keep in mind with this chapter, that following Rick's death things are AU. Obviously they're already AU with some small things, but it was generally canon up until Rick died. After Rick's death, things diverged. You learn a little more about Riley and about what happened following Rick bleeding out on that bridge.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! XD
TheWeepingRaven