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Rick Grimes awoke in softest bed he had felt since the apocalypse started and that’s how he immediately knew something was wrong.
He stood up ready for a fight only to find himself alone in what appeared to be his old bedroom that he and Lori had shared back before the apocalypse.
He rushed down the stairs as fast he could taking them three at a time and hurdling into the kitchen.
What he found through him for a loop, Lori was at the stove cooking pancakes and Carl was feeding Judith mashed carrots.
It took him a moment to get his head around the scene before him, Lori alive and making breakfast like it was any other day?
He could only hope Carl would have some clue what was happening.
“Carl where is everyone what’s going on?”
Carl turned around looking confused. “Dad what are you talking about?”
Rick reeled shock filling every part of him he was certain Carl would know what was happening or at least be as alarmed by this situation as he was. He opens his mouth to continue speaking but before he could even utter a sound let alone ask Carl anything else Lori gives him a quick good morning kiss. Lori smiles at him and returns to cooking, he had forgotten how they had danced around each other before the world had ended pretending everything was fine between them half the time and arguing the rest.
What was going on here he didn’t know but he knew one thing for sure he had to find the one person he could trust, he had to find Daryl Dixon. It felt like betrayal to go about his day and pretend like everything was normal especially since he knew Daryl would be busting down every door in Georgia to find them if he were in the same situation, and who knew maybe he was doing just that. But until he can find out where everyone is and why the world had suddenly returned to normal and no one seemed to remember it, acting as though nothing’s happened is his best option.
———
Okay so Carl was still well into his teen years and Judith was just as old as she had been the last time that he saw her so nothing had changed aside from the fact that the apocalypse had disappeared or at least that’s what Rick thought until he walked into the sheriffs office to be greeted by a face he never thought he would see again.
Shane sat at his desk with an enormous rakish grin and waving a pastry in Rick’s direction. “Rick guess who picked up pastries from your favorite bakery? Your boy Shane that’s who!”
If Rick thought seeing Lori again had thrown him for a loop it was nothing compared to seeing Shane again, he was happy and angry and sad and a million other emotions he couldn’t give a name to all at once. Rick steadied himself and reminded himself that he needed to focus on the most important task at hand, finding Daryl.
Plastering a smile on he walks over to Shane and takes an apple pastry from the box. “Thanks Shane I really needed this.”
Rick decided to chose to see this as a second chance to make things right with Shane where they had gone so wrong before.
Rick takes a seat at his desk and Shane immediately starts telling him about some girl he met last night. Ignoring Shane’s chatter Rick logs into his computer and types Daryl’s name into the database Only to have the screen flash the words. “No results found.”
Ok so if Daryl wasn’t in the system he would just have to figure out another way to find him. Daryl had never been arrested he had told Rick as much but he knew Merle had so he would be in the system and with Shane alive there was a good chance that Merle was too.
As though the universe could hear his thoughts before he even had to type anything in proof of his concept was dragged through the station door kicking, screaming and cussing up a storm in the form of Merle Dixon.
———
Rick missed that gentle voice of guidance that always seemed to know what to do, and no it wasn’t his conscience the last of that had been snuffed out by the apocalypse ages ago, his voice of guidance was Daryl and he needed him now more than ever.
Rick stood just outside the entrance to the holding cells wishing that Daryl were there with him to steady him, he had been thrilled to see Merle because that had meant he had a way back to Daryl and had been ready to go after Merle with everything he had until he told him exactly where Daryl was, that is until Shane’s phone had lit up with a text “Rick just left see you soon, Lori.”
Rick wasn’t angry in fact with Judith in the picture he had been expecting it the problem was that he didn’t know how to tell Lori and Shane that he was okay with them being together and he wanted them to be happy. If Daryl were here he would help him know exactly what to say, and that’s exactly why he had to find out from Merle where he was.
Rick takes a deep breath and enters the holding cells to find Merle sitting fuming in the corner of his cell, he was the only detainee that they had at the moment so they could speak without interruption, just incase though he locks the door to the room behind him.
Noticing Rick Merle gets up and leans against the door of the cell his arms sticking out through the bars in possession of both his hands once again, and he’s smiling like the cat that ate the canary, “How can I help you officer friendly?”
Rick smiles back warmly, “It’s my understanding that you are here on a flimsy charge at the moment I think I can get you out of here if you do me a favor in return.”
Merle gives Rick a skeptical look, “And what exactly is it you want officer?”
Rick slips a piece of paper into Merle’s hand. “This has my number and address on it give it to Daryl and tell him to get in touch with me.”
Merle raises his eyebrow, “What do ya want with my little brother friendly?”
Rick glowers at him, “That’s between me and him do you want out of here or not?”
Merle nods, “Alright friendly ya got yer self a deal.”
Rick leaves the room and as soon as he’s on the other side of the door he sighs and rubs his hands over his face he can only wait and hope that Merle keeps his word and that Daryl even wants to see him.
This was going to be the longest wait of his life.
———
Waiting, it was all down to waiting and hoping now, it had been three days and Rick had to trust that Daryl would find him but in the meantime he could do little more then wait and hope.
Rick had suggested Carl spend a night at a friends house, found a sitter for Judith, then he invited Shane over to dinner with the intention of confronting what was going on between him and Lori.
Lori had made a spaghetti dinner which they were in the middle of eating, Shane was talking about something but Rick had stopped listening a while ago his mind consumed with other thoughts. He wondered how to go about saying what he needed to say, but mostly he was thinking about seeing Daryl again every moment he spent apart from him was slowly driving him mad he felt like he was missing a limb.
A hand waved in front of his face it was Shane trying to get his attention, “You haven’t said two words all night I know your the silent type but this is extreme even for you, are you okay brother?”
Everything about Shane’s sentence made him bristle Daryl was always capable of reading his thoughts god how much he missed him, Rick takes a breath and plunges right into what he needs to say, “I know.”
Shane looks confused, “Know what?”
Rick sighs and shakes his head, “About you and Lori.”
Both Shane and Lori break into frantic explanation but he raises his hands for silence and cuts them off, “I know and I am okay with it, Lori the love between us died ages ago and we have both moved on and fallen in love with someone else.”
Lori looks at him with eyes wide, “You’ve found someone else too?”
Rick smiles ruefully, “Yeah I have and I couldn’t be happier it won’t be easy but I see no reason the three of us can’t stay friends.”
Shane nods but before he can say anything there’s a loud knock on the door and Rick dares to hope flying out of his seat and racing to the kitchen door as he does he nearly trips and Shane laughs, “Hot date?”
Rick grins as he unlocks the door, “I sure hope so.”
Rick yanks the door open and comes face to face with the one person he had been waiting for and blurts out what he had been needing to know, “Do you remember?”
Daryl smiles as he sees him, “Yeah.”
———
Rick inhaled for the first time since the world had turned upside down. Daryl was here and he remembered, and somehow that fact made Rick feel like everything was going to be okay. No matter how bad things got he had Daryl by his side once again, they had found each other once again and they would face whatever happened next together. Rick stepped to the side allowing Daryl into the kitchen, “Come on in.”
Daryl walks into the kitchen but his eyes narrow to barely more than slits upon seeing Shane growling out loud enough for everyone to hear him, “Is he still the same snake he was the last time?”
Shane turns white at Daryl’s words and Rick can’t help but breakout in a long laugh, “He and Lori are together if that’s what you mean but I gave them my blessing, I have all the love I need so I could never begrudge them their happiness.”
Daryl smiles at the ground at Rick’s words clearly happy with Rick’s decision, “It’s good to see you I was worried how are Carl and Judith?”
Rick bumps his arm into Daryl to let him know that he never really had anything to worry about and pulls out a chair for him to sit at the table. “Judith and Carl are safe and sound as well.”
Shane shakes his head, “I feel like I’m missing something here.”
Rick smiles and put his hand on Daryl’s shoulder, “Daryl has had my back every time I needed him for what feels like forever.”
Lori gives him a perplexed look, “How come I’ve never met him before now then?”
Rick chuckles as he sees Daryl tense beside him at Lori’s harsh words wondering how he could ever doubt his worth. “Well that’s a very long story so get comfortable.”
And without further explanation he begins back at the very beginning when he woke up to find himself in the middle of a full blown apocalypse all those years ago leaving out no details and sparing no one’s feelings.