Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

Chapter 34

Author's Note: I realized after I posted, that one of the guys said 'I'm not telling Jane." It's not my Jane, it was the name in the transcripts. Sorry for the confusion. But no, my Jane is gone. Jane wouldn't have been with those bastards…she would have beat Tony senseless!

OH Martinez why did you trust him? Seriously dude, did you not know that the man had no screws left in the tool box and they don't grow back? AND you get on the RV with him and play golf? Yeah that wasn't gonna end well dude!

OK so this goes really off script with Rick telling Lori off but dang it, she needed it!

Rick looked over and squeezed Jewel's hand. "How you doin'?" he asked.

"Hurts like hell, sorry Herschel," Jewel answered.

Herschel gave a small chuckle. "Considering that you've been shot I'll forgive you. Randall's doing a bit worse then you."

"We'll be back to the ranch soon, hang in there alright?" Rick told her.

Jewel nodded. "I'm OK. What are we goin' to do with him, I have to be honest, I don't feel comfortable with him around any of us."

"We'll keep him isolated, then we'll decide what to do with him," Rick told her.

"You need to keep talkin' Jewel, I don't have to tell you that do I?" Herschel told her. "You probably know more about people medicine then I do," he told her.

"Alright, you heard the man. Keep talkin'," Rick told her.

"Shane's not goin' to be happy," Jewel told him.

"Is he ever?" Rick asked.

"Whether is nice for this time of year, going to be cool soon. We'll have to start thinking' about getting' ready for the winter," Jewel told them.

Herschel laughed. "Always thinking ahead?"

Jewel laughed. "Jane….she always said that you got to think two steps ahead…hence the reason for the for the first aid kits. Hope you saved me some for my use, Herschel."

"I got some for your use," Herschel told her.

"Good to hear," Jewel told him.

Rick pulled up to the gate. "We're here," he said as he jumped out to open the gate. "Alright, we're almost there," he said as he drove and hopped out to close it. "Hanging in there?" he asked as he squeezed her hand.

"Yeah, just need to…get the bullet out, just a flesh wound, just hurts," Jewel said as they pulled up.

"Dad! You're okay!" Carl said as he rushed up to him and hugged him.

"Yeah, I'm ok but Jewel isn't," Rick told him.

"What do you mean Jewel isn't?" Daryl asked as he ran out with Summer.

"She was shot in the shoulder, flesh wound, but we had to get out of there," Rick told him.

"Mom, are you alright?" Summer asked as she went to the car and Daryl went and helped her. "Um….whose that?"

"Patricia, prepare the shed for surgery," Herschel ordered.

"You brought home a straggler?" T asked.

"That's Randall," Jewel answered as she walked with them.

"Lori what happened?" Rick asked as he was helping Jewel.

"I was in a car accident," Lori responded.

"Accident how?" Rick asked.

"I went lookin' for you," Lori told him.

"She couldn't be patient and wait until you got back and went out her own damn self," Daryl told them. "Hey Herschel, our people first," he yelled at the older man.

"Daryl, the kid needs Herschel's attention. This is nothing'. Summer get some of the first aid stuff, you can do it yourself," she told Daryl. "Not like I haven't done this on you and Merle before," Jewel told him as she laid down in the bed.

"Rick I really need to talk to you," Lori told him as he helped Daryl upstairs with Jewel.

Rick glanced at Lori. "Not right now, Lori. Kinda have a few things going on, if you haven't noticed. You arlight?" Rick asked.

"She's fine, I brought her back," Shane told him.

"Carl?" Rick asked.

"He's fine,' Lori answered.

"Then it can wait," Rick told them as he closed to the door on Lori.

"You know I was kiddin' about it bein' your turn, you really didn't have to get hurt," Summer told Jewel.

"You would have been proud of your mom, Summer. She took down one of the big guys with just a throw of a knife," Rick told her.

"So, um, whose Randall?" Summer asked as Daryl started to pull out the bullet.

"Hell's bell…." Jewel said as he pulled out the bullet.

"You're lucky this didn't go any deeper," Daryl told her as he stitched up the wound and took the bandages Summer handed him.

"Easy," Rick said as he squeezed her hand.

"So, Randall?" Summer asked again.

"He was left behind by his group," Rick answered.

"And he fell on a fence pike, and we couldn't exactly leave him there," Jewel answered.

"Why the hell not?" Daryl asked.

"Because that's not the type of people we are," Jewel told him.

"I'm takin' a bullet out of you and bandaging your wound, and he was part of the crew that shot at you, and you're telling' me you want to give him milk and cookies?" Daryl asked.

"I didn't say that, we just couldn't leave him for walkers'," Rick told him.

"Now that you brought him home, are we keeping' him?" Summer asked.

"He's not a dog," Jewel answered.

"Well, if I have a problem with him bein' here you know Shane is," Daryl told him.

"Yeah, I'm preparing' myself for that," Rick said.

"Rick can I talk to you privately?" Daryl asked as he finished up. "Summer stay with your mom," he told him as the two men walked out.

"This isn't about Randall, is it?" Rick asked.

"Lori came and ask'd me to come find you and Herschel, didn' bring up Jewel. I went into big brother protective mode, said a few things that maybe I shouldn' have, the truth, but I'm not big on tact. She broke up with Shane," Daryl told him.

Rick ran his hand through his hair. "So that's why she wanted to see me," he said with a shake of his head. "She broke up with Shane and wants me back. Typical Lori."

"She didn't say it, but I've known women like her all my life. I'm telling' you now Rick, you hurt my sister, I hurt you. And if you make her cry, you better run. Fast," Daryl warned.

Rick gave a small nod and a smile. "Trust me Daryl, getting' back with Lori isn't gonna happen. I'll be there for her, because she's Carl's mother. I'll be there for the baby if something' happens to her and Shane, because we're all family. But, Lori and I together, no way no how."

"Maybe my sister needs to hear you say that to 'er," Daryl told him.

Rick nodded. "Lori, come up here," he yelled down the stairs.

"You know I'm stayin' and watchin' right?" Daryl asked with a grin as he opened the door. "Summer, go check if Mitch is behaving' for Carol and Sophia."

Summer and Jewel both glanced up. "What's up?" Jewel questioned.

"You'll see," Daryl said with a Dixon grin. "Summer," he said again.

"I guess I'll be back in a bit?" Summer said as she kissed the top of her mother's head.

Lori passed her as she went out. "Rick?"

"Close the door," Rick told her. "We need to talk."

"I agree but we need to do it privately," Lori stated.

Daryl kicked the door shut with his foot and leaned against him. "Obviously not gonna happen," he said with a smirk.

"Am I the only one who has no clue what's goin' on?" Jewel asked as she propped herself up with pillows.

"You broke up with Shane?" Rick questioned as he turned to Lori.

Jewel glanced at Rick then Daryl, Daryl holding up his finger to his lips not to interrupt.

"I don't think this is the place to have this conversation." Lori told Rick.

"Yes, it's the perfect place," Rick told her. "So, you broke up with Shane, then you go to Daryl to have him come look for me and forget to even ask him to go find his sister?"

Jewel glanced at her. "Gee thanks," she told the other woman.

"I was just worried," Lori told him.

"Bullshit," Rick told her. "I'm going' to say this once, and both of you listen," he warned both of the women. "I will always be part of your life Lori, obviously the way things are now, but because of Carl. I will be there if you need me, but, and make this clear, I will not be in your bed. You picked Shane, now that he's scaring you, you broke up with him. I can't say that I'm all that upset because the way he's actin' I don't want him around Carl. But that does not mean I am goin' to wind up back in your bed. You're scared to do it alone, you always was. I think you started datin' me three weeks after you broke up with Grant Halloway in high school. I should have seen it then, but the pretty head cheerleader wanted to date me instead of my best friend, you do remember who my best friend was right? Shane," Rick said.

"Head cheerleader…why does that not surprise me?" Daryl questioned.

"Do you understand what I'm sayin'?" Rick asked Lori.

Lori crossed her arms. "Rick this needs to be done in private."

"No, Lori it doesn't," Rick said as he went over to Jewel. "Daryl I'm goin' to kiss your sister now, you may want to turn around."

"Nah, I'm good," Daryl said with a grin.

"Rick?" Jewel asked as she looked up at him.

Rick cupped her face in both hands and kissed her passionately. "And you, no pushin' me away, you understand?"

Jewel blinked. "Yeah….I understand," she said as he kissed her again.

Daryl tried to hide a chuckle. "My sister rendered speechless, never thought I'd see the day," he said.

Rick turned to Lori. "So, we understand each other now? I don't want us not to be civil, and I will protect you Lori, but there isn't an us."

Daryl opened the door. "Told ya," he mumbled to her as she left. "Now, don't you two get comfortable kissin' in front of me," he told them.