Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

Chapter 27

Author's Note: I so want to get to the explosion of those walkers in the barn! Not long now! But Jewel's bugging me to write her and Lori talking. And this will work in with the 8 mths they are on the run before the prison. Did I mention this was going to be a long story? Review please.

Jewel followed Lori with her eyes and took a breath before she followed her. "You told him yet?" she asked.

Lori turned around. "Told who what?" she asked.

"You're pregnant Lori," Jewel responded calmly.

"Glenn can't keep his mouth shut," Lori hissed accusingly.

"Glenn? How? The run? You sent Glenn to get you a pregnancy test? Are you serious?" Jewel asked as she sat down in the chair. "No Glenn didn't tell me. When I said that Shane wasn't a parent, you had this look on your face for a split second. I have to ask…" she stated cautiously.

"It's not Rick, there's no way. We haven't been like that in over 7 months," Lori assured the other woman.

"You haven't told Shane yet," Jewel said.

"Do you blame me? You and Rick both think he's dangerous. You think he pushed Summer down the stairs," Lori told her.

"No, I don't think he pushed Summer down the stairs, I KNOW he pushed her down the stairs," Jewel told her. "I don't know what kind of man Shane was before this Lori, but now he's dangerous. But the fact is that you aren't gonna be able to keep this a secret forever. It effects all of us. It effects Carl," Jewel said.

"I know," Lori told her.

Jewel nodded. "Look Lori, I haven't crossed the point with Rick that I can't step back yet," she told the other woman.

Lori looked at Jewel. "What?"

"If there's a chance, if you want him back, you need to tell me before I cross that line, before I get in to deep. Before it gets in to deep between us, before we bring Carl and Summer into it. All you need to do is say the word," Jewel told the other woman.

Lori blinked and squeezed her hand. "Jewel, I don't….I mean we haven't worked in a very long time. You know I knew there was always a chance if Rick and I divorced, well back before all this, that he would start dating. I always imagined that I would hate her, find some reason to hate that person. You could try to be an ass like Merle just for a bit so I could hate you."

Jewel laughed. "Only people I'm an ass to is Merle and people who threaten my child. You aren't alone in this Lori, you've got a whole group of people who will help you."

"Did you ever…I mean when you were pregnant with Summer…think about getting an abortion?" Lori asked.

Jewel looked at her. "No, I'm not one who believes in that type of thing, even at 15. Lori, is there something' else you need to get off your chest?"

"I asked Glenn to pick up the morning after pill for me when he goes to the pharmacy later today," Lori admitted.

Jewel shook her head. "Lori…look I'm not gonna give you a lecture about your choice, that aint my place. But I am givin' you a lecture about askin' Glenn to do it. He's not your personal errand boy, he's one of us. You better just pray that he comes back alive," she said as she went out the tent.

That night:

Rick knocked on the tent flap. "Can I come in?"

Jewel looked up. "I was about ready to go check on Summer and Daryl. What's up?"

"Did you tell Lori that if she wanted me back that you would step away?" Rick asked as he kissed her.

Jewel tried not to smile. "It sounded a lot better coming from me then coming from you?"

"Want to tell me what made you feel so generous that you'd offer me back to my ex wife?" Rick asked.

"Find a divorce lawyer that I didn't know about out in the woods?" Jewel asked as she kissed him.

"No, funny, seems all of them are a dead breed, but Herschel asked Lori our marriage status when we first got here, neither of us wearing wedding bands. She said we were exes, sounds good to me. And in my heart she is my ex wife. So, what got you into the whole generous mood that you'd offer me back to her?" Rick asked. "And she told me she's pregnant."

Jewel nodded. "I did mention that I was horrible at this whole relationship thing before right? Call it self sabotage?" she asked with a small smile. "That is a new one though, actually I'm quite impressed with myself," she said as she playfully hit his shoulder with hers.

"I can't say I am," Rick answered with a laugh. "Seriously, I though I'd have to deal with you picking a fight with me…this was something that didn't cross my mind," he said as he kissed her.

Jewel laughed. "It didn't cross my mind either, until it was out there. Look I warned you that I was horrible at this."

"You were doing OK until that," Rick responded with a laugh. "Herschel wants us to leave the farm as soon as Summer gets better."

Jewel nodded. "I figured," she said. "He's got a good thing here, he's watchin' over his family, keeping' them safe. He doesn' need a bunch of outsiders messin' it up. I have to say, I honestly can't blame him. I don't like it, but I don't blame him."

"I've asked him to think about it," Rick said as they got to the porch.

"Do you think he'll change his mind?" Jewel asked.

"I don't know, I wish I could predict Shane's next move," Rick admitted.

Jewel nodded. "That's a wildcard that I don't think anyone can predict. Especially after he finds out about the baby. I know a bunch of you are going to go shoot tomorrow, Summer wants to."

"But you feel uncomfortable with her going with Shane," Rick completed her thought for her. "I don't blame you. I'll take the two of you out, later, with Carl, test her, then tell Shane if she passes or not."

"OH she'll pass," Jewel told him.

"I don't have any doubt of that," Rick said as he kissed her. "So are you done offering' me back to my ex?"

Jewel laughed. "Yes," she said as she went inside.

Next Day:

Jewel stopped dead in her tracks as she walked up on Shane and Dale. "Problem Dale?"

Shane glared at her. "Why don't you tell her Dale? Why don't you tell her that you think I held a gun on my best friend, my brother," Shane said. "But of course you think I'd push a teenager down the stairs, so what do you think that I would be capable of with the two of you?"

"You pushed Summer down the stairs?" Dale asked.

"A little boy lived because of what went down that night. I think you ought to show some gratitude," Shane told Dale as he ignored the question.

"I wasn't there," Dale told him.

"No, man, you weren't," Shane told him.

"You brought Rick's gun back," Jewel told him. "You knew I knew because I told you that I knew about his gun. The next thing I know my daughter is at the bottom of the stairs, Shane. You're dangerous," Jewel told him.

Shane took a step toward her. "Yet Lori chose me to keep her and Carl safe. Maybe you should think about who you are choosing to keep you and your daughter safe."

"Take a step back, Shane," Dale warned him. "I saw you that day, you had Rick in your sights and you kept him there."

"Well, maybe we ought to just think that through. Say I'm the kind of man who'd gun down his own best friend. What do you think I'd do to some guy that I don't even like when he starts throwing accusations my way?" Shane asked. "Or you, the redneck sister of a loud mouth who got himself chained to a roof. You've been spreading your legs for so long, that you don't know who Summer's father is. So before you both start throwing accusation, what do you think I'm capable of doing?" he asked.

Jewel put her hand on Dale's chest as she looked at Shane. "You think you're doing everything to keep this group safe? You're endangering this group Shane. Threaten anyone in this group again, Shane, and it'll be the last thing you ever do."

Shane laughed. "Don't threaten me."

Jewel turned and looked at him her blue eyes getting dark. "It's not a threat Shane, it's a promise," she told him. "Come on Dale."

Dale looked at her. "You OK?"

"Fine, Summer and Daryl got moved back to the tents, I'm going to check on them. Stay away from Shane," Jewel warned as she walked to the tent areas and went digging in her bag.

Daryl looked up from the book he was reading. "What you lookin' for?"

"Somethin," Jewel told him.

"Don't get a smart ass attitude with me," Daryl told her. "Summer's hanging out with Mitch, Carol and Sophia."

Jewel nodded. "There you are," she commented as she pulled out a long hunting knife.

"Should I ask what you are huntin'? Or is it a who?" Daryl asked as he sat up.

"Shane just threatened Dale and me," Jewel answered.

Daryl started to get up. "I'll handle it."

Jewel looked at him and pointed the knife at him. "Lay down, don't make me use this on you. I got this," she answered.

"Sometime's I wish Merle and I didn' teach you to be so damn self sufficient," Daryl grumbled. "So, how long until you try and sabotage whatever this is with you and Rick?"

"I hate that you know me so well," Jewel said as she stood up. "Kinda told Lori I'd back off if she was still interested."

Daryl looked at her. "Now that's good one."

"See, that's what I said. Rick didn't think so. I think Jane would 'ave given me props for that one," Jewel said with a laugh. "I did warn Rick I was bad at this whole relationship stuff. And, you don't get to say a word, Mr. Oblivious," she told her brother.

"Sorry?" he said.

"Carol, she fawns all over you. She's definitely interested and you don't even know," Jewel told him.

"She does not," Daryl told her.

"Does too," Jewel said as she walked out the tent.