Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

Chapter 22

Author's Note: I love all you guys and suggestions. I want to shout out to ValkyrieReneStark, ErinGoesRawr, Tomhiddlers0ner, and Whtevritis2 who have given me some awesome ideas. I have them written down and hope to use most of them. I wanted to make sure I thanked them in case I don't in the chapter's I use the ideas. Keep them coming!

Since I used a great Aunt's name for Jewel her middle name is her daughter, who I always felt sorry for!

Reviews please.

Herschel watched as the group gathered around the truck and Maggie brought up a map. "How long has the little boy been missing?" he asked.

"This will be the start of day three," Jewel answered.

"This is a county survey map shows terrain and elevations," Maggie explained.

"This is perfect," Rick told them. "We can finally get organized, grid the whole area, start searching in teams," he told them.

"Not you, not today, you gave a lot of blood to that boy of yours," Herschel told him.

"You wouldn't last five minutes in this heat without passing out, Rick," Jewel told him as she stood close to him.

"And, you with that ankle, push it now and you'll be laid up for a month," Herschel told Shane.

"Guess it's just me," Daryl answered.

Jewel glanced at him. "Us, no one's going out there alone big brother," she informed him. "I know you aren't goin' to argue with me, I need to get out of here for a bit anyway," she said as she glanced at Shane.

Daryl nodded. "We'll head back to the creek, work our way from there," he said.

"I can still be useful, drive up to the interstate see if Luke wondered back," Shane told them.

"Alright tomorrow then, we start doin' this right," Rick answered. "That means we can't have our people out there with just knives, we'll give them gun training that we've been promising."

"I'd rather prefer you not carry guns on my property, we've managed this long without turning it into an armed camp," Herschel told them.

Jewel couldn't help notice Shane went into his protective stance. "All due respect, you get a group wondering in here, you're going to need more then just knives," he said.

"It's his property, we should respect his wishes," Jewel told Shane. "I'm goin' to go check on Summer before I head out with Daryl. Let me know what you and Herschel decide about the gun situation Rick," she told him as she squeezed his arm and gave a glance toward Shane. Jewel raised an eyebrow as she saw Summer sitting on the chair on the front porch with Sophia and Mitch.

"You're daughter is stubborn, she didn't want to go back upstairs," Daryl told Jewel as he adjusted his arrows. "I'll put her on my shoulder and carry her upstairs if you want me too," he told her.

"Summer you need to rest," Jewel told her daughter.

"I've been off the ankle for goin' on three days," Summer answered. "It's pretty out here, and fresh air that we aren't runnin' from walkers."

"And you just gave a lot of blood last night, and Uncle Daryl said that you got dizzy when he brought you down for the memorial service," Jewel told her as she sighed. "Fine…Carol can you keep an eye on Summer for me while we're gone? Make sure she doesn't push herself to much. Make sure she goes and rests in two hours, ask Dale, Rick or Glenn to help you put her upstairs?" she asked as she cast a glance at Shane.

Carol followed her eyes. "Right. Sophia and her can keep an eye on Mitch while I start helping with camp."

"Thanks," Jewel answered as she kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Stay away from Shane, don't be alone with him, you understand?" she whispered to her.

Summer nodded as she looked up at her. "No problem," she answered knowing better to question that look. "I want to try and see Carl later," she told her.

"See how he feels, then ask Lori or Rick OK?" Jewel answered. "Mitch, Daryl and I are headin' out, hopefully we'll have some good news when we get back. Listen to Summer, and Carol alright?"

Mitch nodded. "Beth said I could help feed the chickens!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Jewel smiled as she messed with his hair. "Good, earn your keep!"

"You ready?" Daryl questioned.

"I'm ready," Jewel answered as she walked off with him.

Rick excused himself from talking with Herschel and followed them. "Daryl, Jewel, you two alright on your own?" he asked.

Jewel and Daryl looked at each other. "We're better on our own, we don't have to tell other people to stay out of our way," Daryl answered.

"We'll be back before dark," Jewel told Rick.

"Hey, we got a base and we can get this search properly organized now," Rick told them.

Daryl looked at him. "You got a point or are we just chatting?" he asked.

"My point is it lets you off the hook, you don't owe us anything. Either one of you. Jewel you were up most of the night with Carl, and Daryl I'm sure you went searching last night," Rick told them.

Daryl rolled his eyes. "My other plans fell through," he grumbled as he started to walk away.

Jewel shrugged her shoulder as she gave Rick a small smile. "Dixon's don't break promises," she told him as she followed him. "Careful big brother or everyone's gonna see what I already know, that you're a big teddy bear."

Daryl arched an eyebrow. "We talkin' or we trackin?" he asked.

"Trackin' of course," Jewel answered as she laughed.

Rick's POV:

Rick smiled as he walked into the room and saw Lori holding Carl on the bed. "I'll take over for a bit," he said.

"Alright," Lori said as she kissed the top of Carl's head.

"Maggie and Glenn are making a supply run, if there's anything you need," Rick told her as he sat down in the chair next to the bed.

Lori nodded. "I have a few things I can think of," she said as she walked out of the room.

"Hey, dad," Carl greeted.

"Hey," Rick greeted back. "Carl I told you something earlier today about Luke," he started to explain.

"I know, Mom told me," Carl told his father.

Rick gave a tired laugh. "Here I was getting ready to confess, I didn't mean to lie, just didn't want to worry you. It's a stupid excuse but it's all I got," he started to explain.

"It's okay," Carl responded to his father. "Do you think we'll find him? I know we will."

"Well, I don't know," he told his son.

"But I truly believe it. You look tired," Carl told his father.

Rick gave a small laugh. "I am tired."

"Hey, I'm like you now. We've both been shot," Carl said proudly. "Isn't that weird?"

"Yeah, I think your mother would rather hear we got the same eyes, so let's keep that between us," Rick told Carl as he took off his hat and put on him. "Since you're in the club now, you get to wear the hat. Didn't you know?" he asked with a chuckle as it fell in his eyes. "We'll pad the rim tomorrow so it sits better."

"Won't you miss it?" Carl asked..

"Maybe you'll let me borrow it from time to time," Rick suggested.

"We can share it," Carl told him. "You know I hoped…when you first came back."

Rick looked at him. "That your mom and I would get back together?"

Carl nodded. "I know her and Shane, I mean but a guy can hope right? But, the two of you always fought, so I guess it's better that you don't."

Rick gave a small sigh. "Carl, even though we fight, it has nothing to do with you. We both still love you. And both of us will always be here for you."

Carl nodded. "I know. You seem happier, I mean the two of you aren't fighting. Does this have anything to do with Jewel?"

Rick looked at his son. "When did you get so smart?"

"I'm not a kid dad. I've got eyes. You smile when you talk with her, you didn't smile around mom that much since I don't know remember when."

Rick shook his head. "Alright, I'm going to be honest with you. I do like her, it's easy to talk with her. I don't know where it's going, if anywhere. But if something' does happen, are you OK with that?"

Carl nodded. "I like her, she's nice. Summer's cool too.

"

Rick laughed. "I can see that your mother and I are never going to be able to lie to you. Now get some rest," he ordered.

Jewel's POV:

Jewel turned at the sound outside the house they came upon and fired the cross bow at the walker. "Clear," she said as she pulled out the arrow from the dead walker's eyes.

"So you want to tell me what happened between you and Shane?" Daryl asked as he kicked the door to the house in and they both walked in.

"I don't know what you mean," Jewel told him.

Daryl glanced at her as he pointed his crossbow at the pantry. "Want to try to answer that with the truth this time? Open it," he instructed.

"On the count of three, one…two…three…." Jewel said as she went to the side of the pantry door and poked her cross bow down ready to fire. "Someone small stayed here."

"Found some food, stayed for the night," Daryl told her. "So, what did Shane do to get the Dixon glare from you today."

Jewel sighed. "I was fixin' his ankle, and he was going off how Rick was tearing the group thin by having us search for Luke and how Carl wouldn't have been shot if we weren't out there lookin' for him. Then he grabbed my elbow said that he was a better man than Rick, that Lori saw that. I pushed him, enough to get him off balance, told him to stay away from me and Summer," she said as she saw a squirrel and got it between the eyes with her bow and arrow. "Hello dinner," she said as she picked it up.

Daryl looked at her. "You tell Rick?"

Jewel shook her head. "I didn't want to tell you, you really think I was telling' Rick? I handled it, I told him to keep him away from Summer and me or I'd kill him. Didn't give any other explanation," she answered. "What do you think of his explanation of Otis' death?"

"That he's full of shit?" Daryl told her.

"Rick told me last night before Shane got back, that he gave Otis' his Python," Jewel's said as they went out the back. "Shane said that Otis covered him, yet somehow he brought Rick's gun back."

Daryl stopped and looked at her. "You didn't tell Shane you thought that he killed Otis did you?"

Jewel looked at him. "Not in so many words, just said I guessed he threw the gun back to him as he was supposed to be covering him."

Daryl shook his head. "Damn it, Jewel Bernice Dixon, ha'n't you learned anything' about keeping' your mouth shut about things like that from dealin' with our daddy and Merle?"

"Don't use my middle name!" Jewel hissed at him. "He's got to know someone's onto him."

"Do you think Rick is that dumb not to figure it out?" Daryl asked. "You know if he care's about you half as much as I think he does, he's not gonna just drop it."

Jewel sighed. "Are we back to this again?" she asked.

Daryl shook his head as they walked. "If you're fallin' for him that means that he's something' special. I respect that, especially out here. BUT, as soon as you know what's goin' on, I expect you to tell me so I can 'ave that big brother talk with him," Daryl teased.

Jewel rolled her eyes as she walked up to a bush and touched the flower. "Cherokee Rose," she said.

"You 'member when I told you that story?" Daryl asked.

"After momma died," Jewel answered. "You said that it bloomed cause I was cryin' for her," she said. "No body's cryin' for Merle, you realize that right?"

"Yeah, I know that," Daryl said as he picked one of the flower's. "Think we need to tell Mitch the story."

"Like I said, a big old huggable redneck teddy bear," Jewel said as she playfully hit his arm. "We should head back, gonna be getting' dark soon."

TBC