Summary:

Carol loses her life tragically in the cave while Daryl watches helplessly. He grieves her, not knowing how to go on.

Hope comes in the form of something unexpected.

Time tavel.

He goes back, determined to save her.

But then, he realises he could change other things too. Save people long ago dead.

Rated: M
Categories: Season 1, Season 2, Season 2/3 Interlude, Season 3, Season 3/4 Interlude, Season 4, Season 4/5 Interlude, Season 5, Season 5/6 Interlude, Season 6, Season 6/7 Interlude, Season 7, Season 8, Season 9, Season 10, Alternate Universe, Family, Time Travel
Characters: Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon, Sophia Peletier
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Fluffy/Comedy, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Warnings: Adult Language, Attempted Rape, Character Death, Domestic Abuse (Actual), Domestic Abuse (Implied), Sexual Situations, Violence
Series: None
Chapters: 30 Completed: No
Word count: 132283 Read: 8457
Published: October 24, 2020 Updated: July 02, 2021

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1. Chapter 1: Is This Really The End? by Befrie08 [Reviews - 9] (3140 words)

I chose to upload this new and improved run as a completely separate story simply because, with the changes I've made, it kind of changes the tone of the whole story. A lot of it will be similar though. Mainly I've ironed out a lot of stuff that seemed confusing. I've also fleshed things out a bit where before it was just a passing mentions.

I'm a little nervous to post this all over again, anew, but I hope you enjoy it.

I don't like begging for reviews but I would love to hear your thoughts, especially if you've read the other version of this. I'll appreciate anything you've got to say, even if it's just to say you liked it or you hated it, if that's the case.

By the way, I should mention something about this chapter. Like I said above, I've fleshed out a lot of stuff that was only briefly mention in the original. One of those moments is Carol's demise. I received a lot of reviews on the first version of this that were quite disturbed by the scene. This time around, I've actually gone into a lot more detail.

If you're disturbed by mentions of gore, blood etc and/or reading about a character you love, suffering in such a way, I will put a marker in the chapter where you should stop reading. I will put a brief description of the events in the end notes for people who would rather not read it.

I know we watch a pretty gory show but there are some who are more sensitive than others.

Anyway, hope you guys like what I've done.

2. Chapter 2: Aftermath and Hope by Befrie08 [Reviews - 5] (3644 words)

In this chapter, we find out how life has been for Daryl since the tragedy. Then, later, Daryl is presented with a new possibility he never thought possible.

3. Chapter 3: The Mission by Befrie08 [Reviews - 6] (4068 words)

Daryl makes his first, yes that's right, FIRST, trip in time. He's determined to prevent Carol from ever reaching that cave and is willing to use drastic measures to do so.

4. Chapter 4: What Happened To Daryl by Befrie08 [Reviews - 2] (1321 words)

Here is a little interlude to show what happened to Daryl after he got knocked out. 

5. Chapter 5: A Positive Change by Befrie08 [Reviews - 4] (2696 words)

Daryl wakes the day after returning to the future. For the first time in a long while, he feels happy. Carol is alive. But that doesn't mean everything will be smooth sailing from here.

He has a conversation with Carol which makes a new plan form.

6. Chapter 6: Preparations and Memories by Befrie08 [Reviews - 7] (5790 words)

Daryl prepares to potentially travel back to the quarry. Then, he thinks about how his feelings for Carol developed over the years.

Later he sits down for dinner with the family and Carol joins them for once. But what started as a happy affair doesn't end that way.

When night comes, Daryl heads to Eugene's to go back in time again.

But something unexpected happens.

7. Chapter 7: Deja Vu by Befrie08 [Reviews - 6] (2991 words)

Daryl is back at the quarry. He comes face to face with Ed Peletier and that goes about as well as you would think.

Then another ghost appears.

Shane Walsh.

Daryl has to think of a way to convince the former cop to trust him.

8. Chapter 8: The Truth and Travel Plans by Befrie08 [Reviews - 6] (5548 words)

In this chapter, Carol learns the truth of Daryl's secrets. Then, she gets ready to make her own trip in time. When she arrives, things don't go as planned.

This chapter is completely new. This never appeared in the first version of the story at all. It's entirely from Carol's point of view. Future Carol, that is. I just thought it would be a nice tie in for her making her own trip back to the past. But she won't get to meet up with Daryl just yet.

9. Chapter 9: Captive and Nostalgia by Befrie08 [Reviews - 6] (3332 words)

In this chapter, we find out what's going on with Carol and the mysterious man who's taken her hostage. Come into the parlor, said the spider to the fly....

We also see Daryl's reaction to the main camp and seeing the group again.

10. Chapter 10: New/Old Friends by Befrie08 [Reviews - 7] (7916 words)

Daryl enjoys a nice conversation with past Carol. That's it. That's the whole chapter.

Hey guys, sorry this one took so long to go up. I had a lot of trouble with this one for some reason. Kept going over it a million times. I'm still not satisfied with it but I figured I'd upload it anyway. I didn't want to make you wait any longer.

I know you all are probably worrying and wondering what's going on with future Carol but that will come next chapter. Don't worry. She and future Daryl will be reunited very soon. I'm not going to keep them separated for like ten chapters.

Hope you like this slightly longer chapter. It's kind of a little bottle chapter. Just a nice conversation with some bonding.

Let me know what you think.

Edit: I am big dumb. I forgot to put the other note here. I meant to let you all know the process of the referring to the past and future versions of Caryl from here on.

Here it is:

From here on, I will be referring to Past Daryl and Carol with their names in bold.

In the original version, I had the future versions in bold but I realised I should do it the other way around because we will see the future versions more than the past ones.

So, basically, whenever you see Carol written as Carol, it means I’m talking about the past version. Similarly, if you see Daryl written as Daryl, it will be referring to the past version.

This does not include dialogue but I will have the dialogue tags marked so it’s clear who is speaking.

Any mention of Carol or Daryl (outside of dialogue) that isn’t marked in bold will refer to the future/older versions of them or just the characters in general.

This is just to help clear up confusion because there’s four people with the same names.

I will post this note in the next chapter too just in case people missed it.

11. Chapter 11: Femme Fatale by Befrie08 [Reviews - 7] (6577 words)

Carol and John's brief relationship comes to a head.

Big TRIGGER WARNING for this chapter.

It includes unwilling, almost rape. It's not a terribly violent scene, but it's clear from Carol's thoughts that she is not into what's going on and that may be triggering for some people. 

Some of you (those who are fans of these kind of angsty scenarios) might have been hoping the thing with John got dragged out more or maybe you hoped Daryl would save her, but I never intended for it to go on for long. Also, I'm a big fan of Carol saving herself, to be honest. She's a certified badass, after all, as Negan would say.

I'll also let you know there is some blood in this that may gross you out.

12. Chapter 12: Reunion by Befrie08 [Reviews - 8] (9263 words)

Here it is guys. What you've all been waiting for. Future Daryl and Carol come face to face once more. Honestly, I prefer the original reunion from my first version of this story but it didn't work with the changes I've made with this one. I hope you'll still like this though.

13. Chapter 13: Honesty and Clothes by Befrie08 [Reviews - 9] (7028 words)

Hey, sorry for the delay with this one. I meant to have it up the day after Christmas but I second guessed myself whether it was ready. Not much in the way of plot here, just more Caryl talking and bonding.

Hope you like this one.

Daryl and Carol continue to talk in the tent and later, Daryl gets clothes for Carol but makes a startling realising that sends him into guilt.

14. Chapter 14: Awkward Encounters by Befrie08 [Reviews - 8] (5187 words)

Hey guys!

Sorry I've been kind of radio silence lately on tumblr and on here and AO3. I haven't been feeling well and I'm only just getting better.

Hope you're all doing well and had a safe New Years.

I know there are a fair few of you who have been eagerly anticipating this chapter. It surprised me how much some of you enjoyed Past Carol finding Future Daryl and Carol cuddled up together in the first version of this story. For that reason, I have kept it in this version because I couldn't deprive you of it. It is a little different though and I hope you enjoy it as much as you did in the other one.

Also, I should mention, I have taken to using Grammarly. So anything that doesn't sound right can be blamed on me and Grammarly. I'd hope it's mostly Grammarly. I read through the chapter multiple times though and to me, it seems okay. Let me know if I missed anything.

Anyway, I know you're all probably impatient for me to get to the point where S1 actually starts but it is coming in the next two chapters, I believe. Then things will start getting interesting as I play around with the canon of the show.

PS: Just a reminder, in case you've forgotten: Carol from the past is written as Carol. Future Carol is simply Carol.

15. Chapter 15: Ruins by Befrie08 [Reviews - 7] (4135 words)

Hey guys,

Hope you're all doing okay with these awful spoilers that have been going around. At the moment, I'm just choosing to ignore their validity. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Anyway, in this chapter, our team checks out the camp where Carol was held captive. You probably guessed this was coming, but Daryl is going to discover a lot and make his own assumptions based on what he finds.

Hope you enjoy this.

Also, just so you know, I've decided to take fic requests, so if you have an idea, send me a pm.

16. Chapter 16: Moving Forwards by Befrie08 [Reviews - 4] (4350 words)

Hey guys,

Sorry for the wait for this chapter. I was a bit overwhelmed because I've started back at university. I'm not giving up on this story but the updates might be erratic. I have more responsibilities to juggle now and I don't fare well under pressure. I'm going to do my best though. I hope you'll forgive me if there are times when updating slows.

17. Chapter 17: Finally At The Start by Befrie08 [Reviews - 11] (3316 words)

Hi guys,

I just want to apologize. I'm sure you've been annoyed by my lack of updates. Unfortunately, going back to university has been more stressful than I anticipated. I haven't been able to write as much as before and inspiration is slow to come these days. I am not giving up on this story though. It's just going to be slower moving forwards. I hope you will be understanding about this. Also I haven't watched the new episodes, so please no spoilers in the comments.

Anyway, this chapter marks us finally making it to canon on the show. I can't believe how long it took to get here! We have the group returning from Atlanta the first time aka Rick showing up and reuniting with Lori and Carl. The next chapter, past Daryl will finally show up. I know a lot of you have been waiting for that.

Thank you all for sticking with me even though my updates have been erratic. I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

PS: Just a reminder because I've been gone for awhile and you might have forgotten, past Carol;s name is written in bold text to differentiate her from future Carol.

PPS: I also changed the chapter title because I realised how similar it was to the one before. I literally make up the titles as I'm posting the chapters, so it was easy for me not to realise.

18. Chapter 18: Different Men by Befrie08 [Reviews - 8] (3653 words)

Finally watched the episodes and, like I expected, it was rough. I'm still trying to be okay with everything that happened but I think I'm getting there. I don't think I'll be even mentioning Leah in this story though. Part of me kind of wants to because I'm trying to keep this as canon as possible but the other part is still refusing to accept any of that as canon anyway. We'll see what happens and, of course, if I do include her, it will be worked in with Caryl in mind. Probably only a brief conversation, if anything.

So, anyway, this is a chapter that I know a lot of you have been waiting for. The two Daryl's will finally meet. This one is kind of similar to the original version, although in the other version, Shane was there too. It's not very drawn out, but I hope you like it anyway.

By the way, in case it isn't obvious, Daryl from the past will be written in bold text like how past Carol is.

19. Chapter 19: Tale of a Sh*tty Life by Befrie08 [Reviews - 6] (3227 words)

Hey guys,

Bet you didn't expect an update so soon. Please don't expect it to stay that way. I just had a burst of inspiration lol.

In this chapter, we have Past Daryl's POV. We get a look at what life was like for him pre-apocalypse.

I hope you like this one. I don't normally write chapters like this that don't have much going on. I just found it fun to work with Daryl's past a little.

Let me know what you think and remember if you have any suggestions for what you want to see happen, please tell me. We have such a long journey ahead of us, so there's so much that could be changed or done differently. I'm open to all ideas if you have any.

By the way, please excuse anything that doesn't match up with what happens in the episode. I'm going by memory so I'm bound to get a few things wrong. Feel free to point them out but be kind about it, if you can lol. I'm sensitive. Also, I'm not going to be using exact dialogue (maybe occasionally) from the episodes. Hope you're all okay with that.

20. Chapter 20: Atlanta Discoveries by Befrie08 [Reviews - 7] (4702 words)

Hey guys!

Thanks for how understanding you've been about my circumstances. It's helped alleviate a lot of stress.

In this chapter, we'll see past Daryl in Atlanta but things don't go quite the way you will be expecting. I hope you like what I did with this because it was a split second decision and was not something I originally planned. The more I thought about it, the more the idea appealed to me though.

As well as past Daryl, we have some interactions between Future Daryl and Past and Future Carol. There is also a kind of hint near the end of this chapter as to what one of the central themes of this story will be.

I hope you like this one. I'd appreciate a comment, if you've got a moment to spare one, to let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading x

21. Chapter 21: Lake by the Moonlight by Befrie08 [Reviews - 9] (4887 words)

Hey guys!

Sorry this one took so long. It just didn't feel right and I had to edit it a few more times before I was satisfied enough to post it.

I'm pretty sure a lot of you have been waiting for this moment. Carol is finally going to see Sophia again. It probably won't be as dramatic as you've been picturing but I hope you like it anyway.

I'm also sure a lot of you will be pissed at me for something that happens in this chapter. For that, I'll apologize in advance and beg you to be patient. Also, please don't kill me lol.

Edit: I forgot to put a warning, so here it is: There is a brief mention of Leah in this chapter. It's very very brief, but I know some people don't like the fact of her existence. 

22. Chapter 22: Insert Training Montage by Befrie08 [Reviews - 6] (5294 words)

Hi guys,

Hope you're all doing well. I've gotta be real with you guys for a moment. My mum is in the hospital at the moment and she's going to be getting open heart surgery done soon. I'm super worried, of course but trying to stay positive. I just felt I should let you know because all of this could affect my writing and in turn, my upload frequency. I have a few chapters almost ready to post so we should be good for a little while.

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I hope you'll also forgive me for not being too in depth in describing the training. It's just not my area, honestly. Also, I forgot to mention, the timing between Daryl and Carol at camp and Past Daryl in Atlanta is a bit feck-y. Just try to remember that things are happening a little bit out of order in the two separate storylines. They're both still happening at vaguely the same time, the chapters just don't line up that way (if that makes sense).

23. Chapter 23: Vatos by Befrie08 [Reviews - 4] (3099 words)

Hey guys,

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for being understanding of my situation and your kind words towards my mum. She's doing well but we're still worried for the surgery coming up.

Anyway, in this chapter, we basically finish up with the last of the Vatos episode (with the inclusion of Merle, of course). If you see anything in this chapter and it makes you go 'Well, that didn't happen like that in the episode...' That's on purpose. Like I've been hinting at the last few chapters, things are changing. Sometimes in small ways and sometimes in bigger ways. Sometimes things will happen exactly the same. It's gonna be kind of chaotic but that's how I see time and time travel.

I have to say too that I really enjoy writing from Past Daryl's POV. He's so different from future Daryl that it takes a lot of concentration to make sure I keep him in character. Same with Merle. I've never tried to write such a morally ambiguous character before. It's very challenging but also kind of fun.

Hope you like this chapter. Also, don't worry. I know there are some of you eagerly awaiting a conversation about the almost kiss from the previous chapter. It's coming. Next chapter in fact. And it's almost ready so it should be up much sooner than I usually would post it.

Oh, I probably don't have to warn you at this point but warning for Merle and Daryl's potty mouths.

24. Chapter 24: The Beginning by Befrie08 [Reviews - 4] (4820 words)

Hello!

Here is the chapter I know some of you have been waiting for since the almost-kiss. I'm not going to spoil anything here. You'll have to read on to find out the outcome of the conversation.

Warning: I think most of us have gotten to a point where the subject of Leah doesn't really bother us too much anymore, but I thought I'd warn you anyway. There is mention of Leah in this chapter and it is a bit of a lengthier portion than the brief mention in the other chapter. Obviously, I started this story without the intention of writing anything about her (because I didn't know she existed then) and I hope it doesn't mess too much with what I've already written but I want to try to keep this story as canon based as possible. I hope you'll be okay with the direction I decided to take in regards to Daryl's and her relationship.

Hope you enjoy!

25. Chapter 25: Revelations by Befrie08 [Reviews - 7] (3580 words)

Hey guys!

Surprise! Bet you didn't expect an update this soon lol. Please don't get used to it. I just happened to finish this chapter early.

It's a bit of an angsty chapter in places because Carol's inner demons are out in full force here. There are also mentions of Leah and Connie in this chapter. I don't think you'll be bothered by the way they are discussed but I felt I should warn you just in case. I know some people are extra touchy about them.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one. It has plenty of sweetness to counteract the negativity.

26. Chapter 26: Rotten Luck by Befrie08 [Reviews - 5] (2982 words)

Hey guys!

Here is the next chapter. We're getting closer to the herd attack and I'm kind of excited to be moving towards future things like the CDC and the Farm.

Also, I edited my end note on the last chapter to address some confusion over something I wrote in Caryl's discussion in the last chapter. Please go have a read of that when you get a chance.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Edit: I forgot to put a warning for Merle's racist language in this chapter. So, yeah, warning for Merle being racist.

27. Chapter 27: Planning and An Unexpected Rescue by Befrie08 [Reviews - 4] (5372 words)

Hey guys!

In this chapter, we are finally all on the same page (pretty much). Everything that happens in this chapter is happening at relatively the same time.

I promised a surprise in the notes for the last chapter and this chapter has that. It's not a very big surprise so I hope I didn't get your hopes up for nothing lol.

Anyway, I hope you like this. I wasn't sure about this one but I couldn't keep going over it anymore. I just needed to post it.

28. Chapter 28: Laundry Duty by Befrie08 [Reviews - 6] (4398 words)

Hey guys!

Hope you're all doing well. Finished with my uni for now (on break), so I can rest a little and hopefully write a bit more.

I know you're all waiting for the herd attack and it's coming soon, I swear. There's just going to be a couple chapters in the 'day' of the attack. This is just one of those.

Also before you bombard me with messages about it, I'm pretty sure this situation might have happened in a different episode but I didn't do it earlier so I'm putting it here. We can blame on the time travel thing, I guess lol.

I'm sure a lot of you are going to realise the problem that happens in this chapter and you're going to worry about it. I promise it will be resolved eventually.

29. Chapter 29: A New Friendship? by Befrie08 [Reviews - 6] (3373 words)

Hello!

I hope you're all doing well. I'd like to say another thank you to CelineTr2020. They left me a long, question filled comment and I really enjoyed reading it and responding to it.

To lobby on to that, I invite everyone to send me novels in the comments, if you want to lol. I would really love to hear your thoughts no matter how long you go on. Send me questions, theories etc... Whatever you like. I'll do my best to answer.

I know you're all eager for the herd and I know I keep saying it's coming... But it's coming (lol sorry). I just have a few things I need to address before we move forward. I hope you don't mind. I think some of you will be incredibly happy about this chapter. At least, I hope you will be.

30. Chapter 30: Before The Attack by Befrie08 [Reviews - 3] (2594 words)

Hey guys,

So sorry for the slightly long hiatus. I've been getting back into uni and it's been pretty stressful. I haven't had the brain capacity to write much, to be honest. I did manage to finish up this chapter though. Not sure how happy I am with it but here it is.

Hope you enjoy