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But I always thought I'd see you again...	By : ihatethesnow Category: S through Z > The Walking Dead Views: 1940 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead or any of the characters. I will not be making any money from this.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
The early morning light filtered through the windows, slowly bringing Rick back to consciousness.
He laid in bed, by himself, and smiled when he recounted the events of yesterday. Getting back with his family, making love to his wife, and finally finding safety.
From the upstairs he could smell the aroma of coffee, bacon, eggs and Lori's pancakes.
When he rolled over to sit on the edge of the mattress he realized he didn't have any clothes, other than the scrubs he was given yesterday. After answering the call of nature and splashing water on his face, he used Lori's toothbrush to get rid of the morning breath that would peel the paint off the walls.
He got dressed, using the same scrubs he had yesterday, and went downstairs.
"Morning officer." Lori said with a sly smile.
"Morning baby." He said, before he stepped forward and wrapped her in his arms.
"Sleep okay?" She asked.
"Mmmm…you have no idea. Better than in a long time."
"Well, I didn't want to wake you…I figured you could use the sleep."
They kissed deeply, before Rick whispered "It's early. All the kids are asleep."
A smile tugged at the corner of Lori's mouth before he took her by the hand and led her into the small powder room. Before they could start to do anything, they heard footsteps clomp downstairs. Lori chuckled when Rick grinned, and laughed when he said he needed a minute before he joined everyone.
"Daddy, what happened to your hand?" Judith asked.
"Judy…" Lori started.
"That's okay, baby. When we were on the road I met a real bad guy. I made him angry, and he hurt me."
They watched as Judith got off her chair and walked over to her dad. She kissed his forearm and asked "all better?"
"All better, princess." Rick responded, doing everything he could not to cry. She climbed onto his lap and used his fork to feed him bites of his breakfast.
Hours later Lori responded to a knock on the door. It was General Deanna Monroe, who wanted to meet Rick. She carried in his clothes he wore for seven straight months, washed, several times, dried, and folded. His Colt was cleaned and filled with bullets.
"So happy to know you're okay. It's nice to see Lori finally smile."
"Yes ma'am. Words can't describe what it's like to be back with my family."
Rick had Michael in his right arm, and with his left hand he was giving his son a bottle. Deana looked around at the Grimes children and said she thought it was honorable that they took in Amy and are raising her as their own.
"Doctor Stevens told me about your injury. You're in the best place. We have occupational therapists to help. Also we have therapists to help with PTSD, and we may be able to fit you for a prosthetic."
Rick nodded in thanks.
"I'd like to invite you to take a tour of the grounds." Deanna offered.
Rick paused, and realized he was still in his scrubs.
"Don't worry about how you're dressed. One place we'll stop would be the clothing store. You can pick whatever you like…just to spread it all around, we ask that you take only a week's worth of clothing. Figure you can rewash them, and that's a weeks' worth of clean clothing you didn't have yesterday."
Rick looked longingly at Lori, and wanted to stay with his wife.
"It won't take long." General Monroe stated.
"I can call Collette and have her come over." Lori suggested, as she rubbed his back.
"Ma'am, I thought my family was dead. Can Lori please come with us?"
"That' sweet." Deanna smiled. "Go ahead, we'll leave when the sitter get here."
Rick thanked her again and took his old, but clean clothes up to the bedroom. He peeled off the scrubs and put them in the hamper before changing into his clothes. Everything was clean, and unrecognizable. It took him a while to get dressed without the use of his dominant hand, but he was able to get downstairs right as Collette was arriving.
They drove around the grounds and the General explained the history and how they lasted so long.
They were both sitting in the back of the golf cart, and Deanna explained to Rick that the base is over one hundred thousand acres. When the plague hit, the entire base was closed in. In the blind spots they have two rows of twenty foot tall stone walls, taken from an abandoned building and relocated to the perimeter. Other spots have three rows of barbed wire fencing, and constant armed patrols and look-outs. The cart pulled up to an office building, and Deanna, Lori and Rick got out of the cart, and the General received a salute by the man who opened the door for her.
Rick was amazed at the size and scope of the area. The half dozen head of cattle they had at the prison was dwarfed by the hundreds of cows, a state of the art barn, and thousands of chickens, pig, sheep, goats, ducks and turkeys. There were dozens of acres of crops, ranging in everything from wheat, oats, lettuce, cucumbers, and other grains and vegetables. Trees of peaches, apples, lemons and pears were perfectly lines up.
"We are completely self-reliant. We have over three dozen wells, and each building has a solar panel on the roof. Including the apartments."
"May I ask how many people you have here?" Rick questioned the General.
"We have over two hundred people. Mostly military, some civilians. We have some young families too. Children here attend school, and we are always on the lookout for teachers and day care providers. Both men and women receive Military training, we have a fully stocked and functional hospital, commissary and arsenal. We have technicians who monitor radio frequencies for signs of life. This place is under constant surveillance. Every inch is covered and watched."
"What about housing and vehicles?" Rick asked.
"We have Military apartments and houses. Vehicles are parked close to where our residents live, but since we have to mind our fuel we use these electric and solar power golf carts like this one. We have tanks, helicopters, Humvees and open bed trucks. Good luck to the people who try to do anything with us."
Deanna stopped in front of the building that was used as a clothing depository. He picked still in the package boxers, socks, tee shirts and a few pairs of jeans. Deanna recommended that he also get some dress pants, shirts and a few ties. "We cleaned out every hospital and clinic within a one hundred mile radius. We went to those Costco stores and brought back two dozen tractor trailers full of everything. When have everything from diapers up to clothing for adults. Someone could join us and live their entire lives here."
"Everyone here has a vested interest in keeping the place safe. We're mostly Marines, but we have some Army, Navy and Air Force as well. Every home is allotted a weekly amount of food, based on the number of family members. It's not rationing, our chefs prepare everything down to pasteurizing the milk. You'll get to know everyone here. You can have your sidearm for your home, and I know that as a Sheriff you know how to secure it. Can you still shoot?"
Rick winced at the question, and said yes, but he's clumsy.
"Well, after a while on the road you can have one of the easy jobs here. Such as monitoring radio frequencies or keeping an eye on the security monitors."
"Anything to help. I can't thank you enough for taking care of my family. I went for months thinking I lost everybody."
Rick had to stop before he opened that door…he couldn't risk it.
Soon Deanna drove back to the Grimes home and let Rick and Lori go back inside. She told Rick that he may take two weeks to rest before he is asked to report to the security room. Since he is a civilian, a shirt and tie would suffice.
Rick nodded, and asked Deanna if he could explain the reason why they were on the road for so long. It was the first time Lori heard the news as well. He explained that Michonne was his girlfriend in high school, Jessie, the young man's suicide at the prison, and described how the prison fell. He didn't mention Jessie and Daryl being a couple, just that he kicked her out the evening she told him about making the place fall.
"Do you think she's still alive?" Deanna asked.
"I don't know. And ma'am, I don't care." He responded. "Also…General, you may want to keep an eye on Andrea. When this all started my friend from childhood took Lori, Judith and Carl to safety, and Andrea used her phone to take a picture of Shane giving Lori an innocent kiss. She wanted me to believe that they were having an affair. But they weren't, and I treated my own wife poorly. But Shane did cheat with Michonne back in high school. I know it's a soap opera, and for that I apologize, but Jessie was Shane's son, and Collette is biologically mine. But Andrea…She's a snake."
"Hmmm." Deanna was quiet. "Hicks and Hudson told me she was flirting when she was about to give birth."
Rick scoffed and said "yep…that's her."
Before they said their goodbyes, Deanna told the two that they have scientists working on a cure, and have the equipment to do a paternity test…"just to be sure."
Rick put his left hand on the small of Lori's back and led her upstairs to the front door of the house. He waved at Deanna as she drove off, and the two went inside to spend time as a family.
- 18
- 19
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But I always thought I'd see you again...