Chapter 1-It Begins
Stephanie Catherine Walsh was my name now. After dying from a blood clot after slipping and falling on ice, I was reborn almost 30 years ago with my memories intact in the world of the Walking dead. You know when I died I sure as hell never thought I'd be reborn with my memories intact. Even less than it'd be in the world of the walking dead years before the outbreak as Shane Walsh's non-existent younger sister. Even less than that that it'd be in my body!
I had an inclination when I couldn't hear anything well behind me as a baby. More when I started needing glasses. More when I started having migraines. More when I had woman issues. And it was drove home when I had a stroke again at 15. As you can expect I was so pissed when I started showing the signs of my fibromyalgia at 20 again.
How the hell is it fair that I've been reborn in a world destined to die in my piece of shit body?! At least I wasn't completely in the dark this time when things started going wrong with my body and even had friends to help me. Not that I wanted them in the first place. I mean I'd already decided to just relax in this life, not worrying about anything, after the initial shock of seeing myself as a baby. Then this life's parents introduced me to my elder brother, a seven-year-old Shane Walsh and I found out where the hell I was. And decided to just distance myself from everyone so it wouldn't be that hard on anyone when I nope-d out of the whole walking dead situation. Great shows and movies but sucky reality.
But those two dumbasses accepted me at my distance and defended me against those who called me weird. It became a running joke that I was simply a cat that'd been re-born a human and I got my nickname: Cat. They made me give up my plan to check out when the outbreak happened. I mean I know for sure the events of the show from the start up to the start of the third season then only bits and pieces from the media and fanfictions. Maybe I should've stuck with it. Whatever can't change it now.
I'll try and survive to not add a close younger sister's suicide to Shane's soon to be fucked up mind. That would probably not be a good thing for the storyline. And who knows how fucked it already is just by me being in it. And it won't hurt to see a living breathing Daryl and Merle Dixon in the flesh either. They were my favorite characters after all with Daryl being a character that I imagined a relationship with and Merle a friendship with. Though I don't have the delusion that they'll like me. I will keep them at arms distance like I still do the others.
I mean, I don't really have a lot of faith that I'll survive long with my piece of shit body when I run out of medication to control the symptoms. How the hell could I kill a zombie, or I guess walker, when it feels like something is crushing me from the inside? Why make my eventual death harder for them?
Now that I think about it the start must be soon, right? Carl's in middle school and Rick and Lori's relationship has been a little rocky lately. Just as that thought crossed my mind my phone on the coffee table started ringing.
"Who the fuck is calling me right now?" I question reaching for the screaming thing, only to knock it off, sending it to the floor.
I huff before shifting, leaning off the couch, and grabbing it just as it shuts up earning a grumbled "Now yer quiet."
I bring it close so I could see it as I flip it open, one missed call from Man-Whore, was on the screen causing my eyebrows to shoot up. Shane knows now's my nap time. Well…anytime was my nap time after investing in things I knew would become popular so I could at least still do the relax part of my plan.
I mean at first, I did try to hide that I understood things I shouldn't. I simply stayed silent and would purposefully get things wrong. But I was still weird. Anyone would if they'd been a 25-year-old to die and wake up as a baby in a fictional universe 30 years before the main events started. Least it was years before my original timeline, so I didn't really know the happenings in the world and the doctor this life's parents took me to soon after starting school theorized that I was a prodigy and understood things faster than I should and realized that as well, so I mirrored the others. I mean he was right but still. At least I wasn't a prophet or some shit. And at least I got to skip some grades as he suggested putting me in a grade with Shane. Not that being seven years younger than everyone helped anything.
Yawning I sit up, and call him back, putting the phone to my ear. It rings only twice before it connects.
"The fuck you want?" I question only to just hear him take a sharp intake of breath before his voice whispers "Rick…Rick was shot."
"Shit." I instantly cursed, realizing what that meant, the start I was just thinking about.
I really hate this. I didn't even know if me being here was going to change anything damnit.
"There was a car chase…Rick...he got tagged in his vest…he was fine…we got them…but then…I…I didn't see him…I didn't see him get out of the car…there was only supposed to be two of them…he's still in surgery…I…need you." He tells me, struggling to speak.
"Okay." I tell him before questioning "Are you okay?"
There could be a chance he got hurt.
"H-huh?" He stutters confused before he releases a small laugh and says "Uh…Yeah. I'm not hurt."
"Okay. Good." I say breathing a sigh of relief before questioning "Lori and Carl?"
"I-I'm on my way to them now." He stutters.
"Calm down. It's all going to be okay. It's not your fault." I tell him.
"C-Cat." He stutters then, like he was about to cry.
"It's all going to be okay. It's not your fault." I repeat.
"Y-yeah. Okay." He sniffles before whispering "Thank you Cat."
"Yeah. I'll see you there okay." I tell him in a sigh earning a sigh back and a soft "Okay." Before he hangs up.
Snaping the phone shut with another sigh I shift my legs off the couch before bending down to slip my shoes on, then grab my satchel bag/purse from the floor, putting my phone inside, slinging it over my shoulder, standing, and walking out the door, grabbing the keys from the small table by it as I go.
The countdown to my death has started. How long will I last?
****Time Skip****
Even though I knew it was gonna happen the past two weeks were just a haze. Arriving at the hospital and finding out that the operation was successful, but Rick was in his coma. Lori confessing that that day they had had a fight and she never gave him the chance to apologize. Carl barely keeping it together. Shane and I taking shifts at the hospital so someone would be there if he woke up and Lori and Carl could get some sort of normalcy back. Then the news started to report about the virus, calling it a sickness, going around that caused people to act irrationally and dangerous. Just to be safe I warned Shane that it could be worse than they were saying. Using the reasoning that the black death did kill like fifty percent of Europe before it ended.
I sigh as I look back down at my book after looking up and catching the new nurse, a girl we went to school with, looking at like I was some sort of freak. But I was used to that reaction when people who knew me looked at me.
That's when there was an announcement over the speakers: "All staff. Code white. All staff. Code white."
The nurse literally starts to run out of the room then, so I catch her by the arm questioning "What's a code white?"
"Let go of me you freak!" She shouts, ripping her arm away and rushing out of the room.
"That's not good." I mutter spotting other nurses rushing by before the door shuts.
That's when my phone vibrates in my satchel bag/purse, so I look away from the door, dig into it, and pull out my phone.
I answer it and am immediately hit with Shane's breathless voice telling me "Stephanie, listen to me. No matter what you hear don't leave the room. I'm coming right now to get you and Rick. Then we're getting Lori and Carl. That sickness on the news is here. You were right. It's worse than they said it was. We have to get out of town. Tell me you understand."
"I understand." I respond looking over at Rick's lifeless body.
I didn't know what Shane saw but it was probably bad as he was being extremely serious and used my first name. Not the middle name I normally went by, not that they knew it was closer to my original, or the nickname they gave me. He'd only been this serious with me when I was living through my piece of shit body taking a shit again.
"I'll see you soon." He tells me before hanging up.
Putting my phone back in my bag I look at Rick and tell him "I was really hoping that you'd wake up before this this time."
****Time Skip****
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Ma'am, ma'am please. Can you help me?" I heard Shane's voice in the hallway as I stood in the bathroom, to hide from anyone that may come into the room.
The show only had a soldier come into the room after Shane was there but who knows if there was anyone else. That's when I hear gunfire and cover my mouth with a hand as I wince at the sound. Even knowing what's to happen doesn't help living through it. It's not like I lived through gunfire in my first life.
Soon I heard the door burst open and hear Shane's voice say "It's okay bud, I'll get you out. Cat?"
"Here." I say coming out and going over to him as he attempted to lift Rick out of the bed.
"What do I do?" He questions setting Rick back down on the bed before the door opens and he instantly grabs my arm and pulls me down to hide with him behind the bed.
Those reflexes were something else. He holds a hand out to me to wait as he slowly looks up over the bed after the door shuts.
He then leaned over Rick and told him "Listen, if you're going to wake up I need you to do it now. Okay, now! Just give me a sign. Anything."
On cue, that's when there's the explosion that shakes the whole building and causes the power to go out and the faint beeping of the machines, connected to Rick, to stop.
"Rick?" He questions as he puts his ear to Rick's chest then causing me to slowly stand up.
Holding my breath, maybe, just maybe he'd wake up this time.
Unfortunately, Shane whispers a "Sorry." Before looking at me and shaking his head, his eyes wet but not yet crying.
I nod my head unsure of how to feel. Rick survives in the show but would he in this real life?
Shane gives me a nod of his own then before swallowing hard and saying "We need to go. Keep your head down and stay behind me, okay?"
"Okay." I quickly answer nodding as there's the sound of more gunshots outside the door.
"All right. Let's go." He says heading to the door, so I quickly follow him.
When he opens the door some type of dust or gas is in the hallway, so I grab the edge of my jacket and cover my mouth and nose while I follow him out. The whole hallway was a mess and I give one last look at Rick before Shane shuts the door, having done the same thing, quickly grabs a rag that was on a stretcher near the door, covers his mouth and nose, before pulling the stretcher over to block the door to the room. He quickly turns back towards me and motions for me to follow him as he starts hurrying out of the hospital. I don't hesitate and quickly follow.
As soon as we successfully sneaked out of the hospital I question "Did you call Lori yet?"
"Shit. No. I was more worried about you and Rick after what I saw." He answers as we come up to his jeep.
"Right. We were in a dangerous place. Thanks." I told him as we got in, my poor car would be abandoned here…I'll leave the keys at the Grimes, so Rick knows at least I'm with them.
"Of course. You're my precious baby sister. When the military showing up and shot the drunk guy trying to bite Leon I knew I had to get you." He says starting the engine.
"Still a Man-Whore." I tell him pulling out my phone to call Lori earning a snorted laugh as he peels out of the hospital parking lot.
Rolling my eyes at him I dial and put it on speaker.
"Cat? W-" Lori starts as soon as it connects but I cut her off by ordering "Lori. I need you to listen to me right now."
"O-okay. I'm listening." She responds clearly scared instead of worried now.
Guess it hadn't reached them yet.
"Lock the doors. Do not let anyone in. Shane and I are coming to get you and Carl. I have my key so we will not knock. Pack a bag one for both of you, the essentials. Tell me you understand." I tell her as Shane swerves to avoid the chaos outside not only abandoned cars but bodies, walkers, and people.
There was so much chaos pouring out in a growing radius around the hospital: people running, people screaming, some had weapons or bags with them, bodies torn apart, walkers with bloody hands and faces reaching for anyone and anything to sink their teeth into and eating people, some still screaming and trying to fight them. I felt sick. On the TV screen it was different, it wasn't real. Just a show. But here…it was. This was real life. These people were who I saw when I went out; our neighbors, people we went to school with, many of Shane's ex-girlfriends. If I felt like this having distanced myself from them how the hell does any of them stay sane?
"I-I understand." She answers in a shaky voice, so I tell her "We'll be there soon." Before hanging up and putting my phone back in my bag.
Shane releases a relieved sigh before telling me "Apparently there's a refugee center in Atlanta that's safe."
"Good a plan as any." I tell him earning a "I thought so too."
I mean that was his original plan and it worked out relatively fine. So, changing it may cause issues and well I didn't even know of a different one. And well…I wouldn't try to think of a different one. Shane knew if I didn't agree I'd voice it and this I agreed with.
It wasn't long before we pull into the driveway of our house, that was surprisingly still in a quiet area with none of the chaos, and he tells me "I know I don't have to tell you, but we don't know how long this will last."
"I know." I tell him nodding.
He returns it with a gentle smile before saying "Let's go." And turns the car off.
We then get out and, while I walk, he runs to the front door, unlocks it, and runs inside, leaving the door open for me. I shut and locked the door behind me before heading to my room. Going over to my closet I pull out the largeish bookbag that I had filled with a couple changes of clothes, a pair of combat boots, some womanly toiletries, a hairbrush, some hair scrunchies, a toothbrush and some toothpaste, our mother's jewelry box/keepsake box, and my old cd player and some of my favorite cd's for when I could no longer charge my Mp3 player, when the reports of the virus started. I placed it on the bed and unzipped it. I then grabbed the bag I kept my meds in from the side table and placed it inside.
Luckily, I had a little less than three months of my meds having just recently gotten them refilled. But when it calms down a little bit, I would have to convince Shane to go with me to a pharmacy to clear it out of my meds. That is if I want to have a chance of surviving past then.
Sighing at the thought, I grabbed the phone charger and put it in my satchel bag. I then knelt and reached under the bed for the gun Shane had me keep there if something happened when he was working late. Grabbing it, I pull it out, stand, put it in the hem of my pants, and hide it under my shirt. It's always good to have the element of surprise after all. I then zip the bag up before putting it on. I then grabbed Lexie, the black and white ty classic beanie babies cat Carl had given me and headed out. It was nice to have something soft to squeeze on bad days and if I was going to take one it'd be her.
Shane's already ready and waiting at the door when I get there so I look over at the four pictures we kept on the mantel: the picture of him, our parents, and me when we graduated high school, the picture of him, Rick, and I when we graduated high school, the picture of him, Rick, and I when they graduated the police academy, and the picture of Carl and I on my latest birthday when he gave me Lexie. I couldn't shut Carl out as much as I did Lori. Like Rick and Shane, he wouldn't let me. And he reminded me so much of my little brother from my past life.
"Should we take them?" I asked.
"You know what? Yeah. I'll go get them." Shane says in a quiet tone before going over to them, collecting them, coming back, and handing them to me.
"I wonder if he's okay." I mutter then looking at Carl's overjoyed expression at the small smile Lexie had elicited from me that day.
"Hey, Lori and Carl are safe. They're waiting for us." Shane says then, placing a hand on my shoulder.
Causing me to release a sigh. I wasn't talking about Carl, but he didn't know that.
"Yeah, let's go." I tell him then causing him to give a comforting squeeze before releasing my shoulder and saying "Right, let's go."
He then turns, unlocks the door, and slowly opens it. Outside was still relatively quiet save for some screams that were now close enough to hear. He steps out and checks the area before motioning for me to come on before he runs to the car. He's already getting in as I make my way over and already starting it before I open the door to the back, starting to feel tired and wanting a nap.
"Everything okay?" Shane questioned then in that worried tone causing me to sigh again as I got in and shut the door behind me.
"Just tired. I'ma rest. Leave my keys at their house for me 'kay?" I tell him leaning my head against the window, placing the picture frames next to me, and then holding Lexie close.
"Cat, I…I don't know if I can handle this. I don't know if I can protect you and Lori and Carl. I don't know if I can live without Rick. He was my best friend. He was like a brother to me." Shane says then his voice shaking.
"You can and you will protect them to the point of obsession. Because of how much he meant to you." I tell him, closing my eyes.
"You're right. You're right. I can't let Rick down. I have to do what he would do. I have to keep his family safe. I have to keep you safe. You're my family too, Cat. You know that, right?" He says then, in a determined tone.
I release a heavy sigh before saying "Yeah, you made that very clear and fucked up my plan. I'm just being realistic. I mean, I have less than three months of my meds. How long will I last without my meds in this shit? You remember how it was like for me when it started, right? Do you honestly think I'd even want to try when that time comes?"
"Hey, hey, don't talk like that. You're stronger than you think, Stephanie. You've been through so much, and you're still here. You're still fighting. You're still living. And I'm not going to let you give up. Not on yourself, not on us, not on this world." He says seriously before sighing and saying "You're not alone in this, Cat. You have me. You have Lori and Carl. We care about you, Cat. We need you. I'm sure this will all be taken care of before it comes to that but if that time comes there must be a way to get your meds, or something else that can help you. We'll find it, Cat. We'll find it together."
"Fine." I sigh out then.
They didn't need me. I didn't exist here in the first place.
****Time Skip****
I groan as a car horn, just blaring for a long time, wakes me, causing me to crack open an eye to see the back of a seat and child's legs. Guess I fell asleep, fell over, and Carl let me sleep on his lap.
"Hey, Cat. You, okay?" Shane's voice questions as a small hand gently rubs my arm.
"Yeah." I lie, feeling the muscles in my leg's spasm, angry.
"We're almost there. But traffic's stopped for miles and we're not moving for a while. There must be some sort of screening or something in Atlanta that's holding everything up. We should get out of the car and stretch." Shane says then, in a tone that said he didn't believe me before I hear the doors open and then shut.
Guess Lori got out too.
"I miss my dad." Carl whispers then so I turn my head to look at him and tell him "I know. But it's all gonna be okay."
"I'm scared Auntie Cat." He whispers looking down at me, tears starting to well in his eyes.
So, I give him a small smile, reach up and ruffle his hair saying "Being brave isn't the absence of fear but having that fear and finding a way through it. Besides, nothing's going to happen to you. Not if I have anything to say about it."
He nods then, determination sparking in his eyes, before telling me "Nothing's going to happen to you, either. Not if I have anything to say about it." His voice is strong with confidence.
"I know little man." I tell him, sitting up
"I'm twelve now Auntie Cat." He sasses.
"What?" I gasp out before shaking my head saying "No. I seem to recall you being eleven."
"Auntie Cat!" He exclaims in an exasperated tone while I get hit in the shoulder by a beaned fluff, meaning Lexie.
I gasp in mock offense and look over at him with Lexie in his hands and a stupid grin on his face.
"Lexie, how could you betray me like that?" I question the stuffed cat.
He giggles and says "She likes me better, Auntie Cat. She told me so."
"What?" I gasp out again before putting on my best hurt puppy face as I look at them questioning "Is that true, Lexie? Do you like Carl better than me?"
Obviously, she doesn't respond and just stares back at me as he continues cracking up.
"Fine." I huff then before wagging my finger at them "I can share you with Carl. But only because he's my favorite nephew."
"Thanks, Auntie Cat. You're my favorite aunt." He tells me then, a giant grin on his face.
"You're welcome, little man. You're my favorite nephew." I tell him with a smile before acting like I remembered something and added "Well, you're my only nephew, but still."
"Auntie Cat!" He exclaims, giggling.
"Come on, let's get out of this car." I tell him, laughing myself.
"Okay." He says, placing Lexie on the seat between us, opens the door, and gets out before doing a dramatic bow while holding the door open for me.
I breathe out a laugh moving Lexie over into my seat as I scoot over before getting out myself.
"Oh, thank you Mr. Grimes." I tell him dramatically in a mock bow causing him to giggle.
"These are your kids?" a familiar woman's voice asked then.
I straightened and looked up from Carl to see, Carol, a motherly smile on her face, standing beside Lori, with Sophia hiding behind her. If I didn't know I had the same face as I did in high school and was short, I'd have thought she was stupid for thinking I was a kid.
"This is my son Carl and my practically sister-in-law Stephanie." Lori introduces us before adding "This is Carol Peletier and her daughter, Sophia."
Carol then gave us a friendly wave as Sophia stepped out from behind her, her blue eyes filled with curiosity and interest as she looks at us before it's instantly replaced with tension when car door slams shut. I watched then as Ed, whose body language screamed bad came around, stepped forward, and wrapped an arm around Carol's shoulders like he owned her causing her to stiffen. Even if I didn't already know he was a piece of shit that would have signaled it to me.
I step closer to Carl protectively then as Ed demands "What are we talking about out here?"
"The disease that's going around and-" Lori starts only for him to cut her off with "She don't know a damn thing about what's going on. Leave that to people that are actually meant to be figuring out what the hell is wrong with everyone." His eyes looking her over.
And on cue Shane steps in front of her asking "Who are you?" in a warning tone.
"Ed. You?" Ed questions, like the idiot he was.
"Deputy Shane Walsh. Now, since we're all stuck in this traffic jam together for the night, how about we all agree to play nice until then. What do you say?" Shane responded in his cop voice that meant play nice or you'll get hurt.
Ed gulps reflexively, faltering, before getting tough again saying "I could do that."
****Time Skip****
A few hours later and I was sitting back in the car rubbing my angry legs while listening to Shane flicking through the radio stations for any sign of activity and Lori was sitting on the hood of the car watching as Sophia and Carl played checkers on the back of the Peletier's car. That's when the helicopter flew overhead causing me to look up to watch it flying towards Atlanta. It was really happening just like it did huh.
On cue Sophia asks, "Are we gonna go soon?"
"I don't know, baby. I sure hope so." Carol tells her as I turn my attention over to them.
"I'm hungry." Carl says then looking at Lori who answers "I know, Carl. We all are." While her hand plays with the heart locket and Rick's wedding ring on her necklace.
Carol shifts looking between Carl and Sophia before saying "Why don't I get him something to eat?" while turning toward their car and then continuing "Ed's into all this survival stuff. We've got enough MRE's to feed a small army."
"I'd sure appreciate it." Lori tells her sliding off the hood of the car and walking towards the kids as Carol starts walking around it to the front to get it, Ed following her.
"No trouble." Carol calls back before Ed slams the door shut on her causing me to stiffen.
I couldn't intervene but boy did I want to. My past life's mother was a domestic abuse survivor and I felt the need to help Carol escape her and Sophia's abuser. But what good could I really do? And if I did what would it fuck up?
After the moments of Ed telling her off Carol went around to the other side of the car to dig in her purse and Lori, sighs, turns, and walks over to Shane.
"You getting anything?" She questions bending down.
"There's nothing." Shane responds with a sigh.
"Big surprise there." She sighs out.
"No, I mean there's-there's nothing." He says before turning off the radio, continuing, "Emergency broadcast system stopped, and that recording about the refuge center. It's all gone." Before then exiting the car with the keys in his hands adding "I'm gonna go up the road, see what I can see."
"I'll come with you." She tells him as he slams the door shut.
I scoot over so I could open the door for Carl to get back in when the bombs started falling as I watch them while they walk over to him and Sophia.
"Ed must have forgot to pack those MREs. I found these in my purse." Carol tells Lori holding out the few granola bars to her as she joins them.
"It's all right." Lori tells her shanking her head before asking "Listen, do you mind keeping an eye on Carl and Stephanie for a minute?"
God I really hate Lori sometimes. The moniker of Whori some of the fandom gave her really makes sense sometimes as I have to interact with her. She's jealous of me for whatever reason and yet still treats me as if I'm a child. She flips flops between acting like a jealous woman and a friend's mother. She was easy to keep at a safe distance though. She let me.
"No." Carol responds softly, looking down at Carl and giving me a gentle look.
"Shane and I are gonna go scout ahead a little bit and see if we can find someone that knows what's going on." Lori tells Carl running her hand through his hair.
"I want to come with you." Carl says but she only makes that 'no' noise and kiss the top of his head.
"Hey, we'll be back before you know it. Okay, little man, huh? Who's gonna help Cat if you're not here?" Shane tells Carl then with a hair ruffle and a pat on the shoulder which earns a smile and determined look from Carl as he nods at him.
"Okay, Cat?" Shane askes then looking at me, so I roll my eyes and give him a nod.
Shane gives me a small smile before he and Lori disappear into the crowd. I then turn my attention back to Carl as Sophia says, "Your Dad's nice."
"Shane's not my dad. My dad's dead." Carl corrects just before the explosion sounded in the distance, on cue.
"Carl, come here." I order opening the door as a few people started screaming in the distance.
"Look." Sophia says looking to the sky as Carl hops off the back of the car and came over to me.
We all look to the sky and see more helicopters flying towards the city before there was another explosion. I reach out, grab him, and pull him in the car with me.
"Lori and Shane." Carol says in a worried tone then looking in the direction they had gone.
I hug Carl to me as I look in that direction too before pointing and saying "There." When I spot them coming while the fighting started to break out behind them.
Lori quickly comes over and pulls Carl from me into a hug while Shane turns to Ed and Carol.
"They've dropped bombs on the city. We're gonna get out of here, see if we can find somewhere safe to camp out until the traffic's died down. Are you coming with us?" Shane tells them.
But he didn't need to ask twice as Ed got in their car, followed by Carol shutting the back and getting in. Lori quickly releases Carl and slams the door shut before going to get in the passenger seat while Shane quickly gets in the car. He wastes no time in starting the engine and driving off onto the side of the road, away from the traffic jam. The Peletiers' car and a few others follow us as we start following an RV. It was Dales! We were following the events! We would be safe for the time being!
Smoke and dust started filling the air so I look over at Carl, sitting next to me. He was clutching the edge of his seat looking scared and confused but also determined. He was trying to be strong for us. So, I reach out and pull him into a tight hug which he quickly reciprocates. He didn't have to do it alone with me here.
I look at Lori then who's holding Shane's hand. She looks sad but hopeful and grateful. So, I finally looked at Shane. He looks angry and guilty, but also protective. He's stepping full force into being the leader for us. Us who are his family.
I wonder what I look like to them right now. Is my face betraying the fact that I know we're going to be okay for a while? Does it show that I'm trying to be in this together with them? That I'm not going to give up yet?
The only thing I know is that this is the beginning. The beginning of the walking dead.