Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

Chapter 41

Author's Note: Not sure how much I'm going to be writing this weekend-my body has decided that it was going to give into the bronchitis I've been fighting for two weeks. Hopefully I have spurts of energy! I just love Michonne and Carl! Poor Rick, the man can't get a break, but he'll have Jewel so it'll be OK! GO Glenn for hitting Abraham. Got to say (as a fellow Ginger) right now I like Abraham.

Review! It makes me feel better!

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something; sometime in your life-Winston Churchill"

Jewel sighed as she pretended to knock on Rick's tent. "Just me," she said as she entered and held up medical supplies. "So, I'm going to take a wild guess by the looks of you and Shane, oh it didn't go well?" she said. "Sit."

"Yeah, you could say that," Rick told her. "To be fair though, I did throw the first punch," he admitted as he kissed her. "Oww."

"Serves you right," Jewel told him as she started to take care of his wounds. "Hershel's taking care of Shane. So, he said something' about Randal knowin' Maggie?"

"Yeah, went to school with her, claimed that she didn't know him. But he knew about the farm," Rick said as he flinched as she worked on a wound on his hand.

"Sorry," Jewel said. "What happened? What did he say to make you hit him?"

Rick took a breath. "A multitude of things, that I couldn't protect Carl, you, Lori, this group. That I didn't have what it takes. He wanted to shoot him right there, I wouldn't let him. It got heated from there, he threw a wrench at my head, broke a window, got trapped by some walkers. He was trapped on a bus, I was so tempted to leave him…"

"But you didn't," Jewel said softly. "Because you aren't that type of man. What Daryl found out, from that kid, it scares me. But with that bein' said, Rick I know Shane is going to advocate for that boy to be killed, and it's probably something that you and the group is going to go along with, because he is a possible threat. But my vote isn't going to be with you. And, if you can't handle that, you need to tell me right now. I'm not going to go along with you just because I love you, maybe you're used to that with Lori, but I'm not her," she told him.

Rick kissed her. "Hey, you have that right. We don't have to agree with each other on everything. I respect you. Do you have any other suggestions? I'm willing to take anything I can get at this point."

Jewel tried not to grin. "We could always take him to Atlanta, find a pipe and handcuff him to a roof," she teased.

Rick laughed. "You are horrible, but I still love you," he said. "So I guess going to the hidin' place of Maggie and Glenn's out of the question huh?"

"Um, with these injuries yeah," Jewel said. "Plus, I really don't want Shane trackin' us down because he HAS to have this decided tonight."

"I told him I was takin' the night to decide," Rick told her.

"So you're going to make this decision on your own? You're not going to ask the group?"

Jewel asked. "Shirt off, need to check for wounds."

"Oh you just want to see me without my shirt off. Again. You know this is the third time I've had my shirt off in front of you," Rick told her as he grimaced as he started to take off his shirt.

"Well, if you stop getting shot and beat up," Jewel said as swatted his hand away. "Let me get it," she told him.

"Anxious are we?" Rick teased.

"Yeah to make sure you aren't scratched or bleeding, or got some broken ribs," Jewel said as she took off his shirt. "I'm tryin' right now really hard not to lose the Dixon temper, Rick. I warned you this wasn't a good idea, I told you that I loved you, I begged you to take me or Daryl with you. But you had to do it alone, and look at what happened," Jewel said as her hands shook.

"Hey," Rick said as he grabbed her hands. "Look at me, in the eyes."

Jewel took a breath as she looked into his eyes. "What?"

"I didn't do this to hurt you, I didn't disregard your feeling's," Rick told her as he kissed her. "It was just the opposite. The thought of anything' happening to you because of Shane is as scary to me as something happenin' to Carl, same with something' happenin' to Summer. I can't control walkers, but I can try to control Shane," he said as he rubbed up her sides.

"Do you think you can really control Shane?" Jewel asked as she kissed him.

"No, but I needed to try," Rick said as he kissed her again as he deepened it.

"Rick," she moaned. "I'm not doin' it here and we are not leavin' camp," she told him.

Rick sighed. "Fine, but you're stayin' in here tonight," he said with a a seriousness in his voice that gave her no room to argue.

"I need to tell Daryl, look at his hands. Summer's staying up with Beth," Jewel answered. "You better say night to Carl."

"Ten minutes or I come looking for you," Rick told her.

"Oh really? I don't take much to being possessed," Jewel told him as she kissed him. "I'm just goin' to take eleven minutes and make you come looking for me," she teased.

Rick laughed. "Oh don't make me laugh, it hurts," he said as he got up.

Jewel grinned. "Then I'm just going to have to make you laugh more, just for bein' stupid enough to bring Shane back," she said as she walked out of the tent with him.

"We need to talk about this Rick," Shane said.

Rick turned and looked at him. "Shane, I said I was takin' the night, I'm takin' the night. I may not be able to punch you, but I'm sure Jewel will gladly do it for me."

Jewel grinned. "Just say the word, please, please, oh don't tease me like that, Rick!" she said as she glared at Shane and walked toward Daryl and Mitch. "How'd huntin' go today?"

"I caught a rabbit!" Mitch exclaimed happily.

"You did? Wow! I want the rabbit foot!" Jewel said as she tickled the boy. "You're talkin!"

Mitch giggled. "So you won't yell at Daryl."

Jewel arched an eyebrow and looked at her brother. "Oh yeah?"

Daryl pretended to glare at the boy. "That was supposed to be our secret kid!"

"Sorry," Mitch said as he lowered his head.

"Hey, it's alright, Daryl knows he can't keep secrets from me! I need to look at his hands, you go see Carol, she may have some cookies," she told the little boy as he ran off. Jewel grinned. "I'm impressed."

Daryl shrugged. "Why I took care of your ass when you were that age," he said. "I'm fine," he told her as she tried to take his hand.

Jewel glared at him. "Give me your hands. Now," she said seriously.

Daryl glared at her before he gave her his hand. "Fine. You're a pain."

"Yeah but you love and adore me. So, I told Rick I loved him before he went out with Shane today," Jewel said as she cleaned out his wounds.

"Great, now I'm never gonna be able to get rid of him," Daryl grumbled. "I'm just gonna have to stick around now, just to make sure the bastard don't hurt you," he said with a small smile coming on his lips.

"You are such a bastard Daryl," Jewel told him as she shook her head. "So…you with Shane killin' Randal?"

"I hate the Son Of A Bitch, but I'm gonna do what needs to be done to keep you, Summer, Carol and Sophia safe," Daryl said as he mentally kicked himself for adding the last two names.

"My big brother has a crush!" Jewel teased.

"Do not," Daryl replied.

Jewel snickered. "Well I hope you both live long enough for you to get the courage up to tell her," she said.

"Back to the kid," Daryl said as he changed the subject.

Jewel laughed. "You know I'm pretty good at the Dixon avoiding tactics. I did learn from you and Merle," she said. Jewel took a breath as she sat on the log. "You, Merle and me, we shot dad….during that huntin' trip. We didn't talk about it, but as soon as we saw him drinkin' and Summer started cryin', the three of us looked at each other. When you and Merle took him out to track that bear, I knew he wasn't comin' back. I heard the shot…and I didn't cry. It was over and it wasn't going to happen to my child. He was a threat. The men in the bar, they were a threat. I can live with knowin' what happened to them. I'd do anything' to protect my family, and Summer. But, this kid, maybe he's just a victim of circumstance, just like the rest of us. Or maybe, God help me for agreein' with Shane, maybe he's a threat. But I'm not goin' to be part of that decision. I told Rick, I don't agree with killin' him, but if that's what's decided, I won't argue but I'm not voting' for it."

Daryl nodded knowing when his sister made up her mind, there was no use in arguing with her. "I better get Mitch down to bed. You comin'?"

Jewel shook her head. "Stayin' the night with Rick."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "I don't need that image in my head, thanks," he told her.

Jewel laughed as she grabbed her bag. "Love you big brother," she said as she walked back.

Rick came out of Lori and Carl's tent. "I was just bout ready to come lookin' for you," he said.

Jewel smiled. "I still had two minutes. Night Carl, night Lori," she said as she walked with him to his tent.

"Talked to Dale, he wants to try to convince people that killing Randal isn't the right thing to do. I told him you felt the same way," Rick said as he kissed her neck.

"I'm not getting' involved with it. You and Daryl know my stance. If it's decided that he's goin' to be killed, I want no part of it. I won't say a word against it, but I don't want to be part of it," Jewel said as she relaxed.

"Let me see the shoulder," Rick told her.

"You're just tryin' to get my shirt off," Jewel told him.

Rick laughed. "Well if you stopped getting' shot," he teased her. "Sit down, and let me look at it. Noticed you were still favorin' your other hand," he told her.

Jewel shook her head as she took off her over shirt, still having a tank top on. "You can see it," she told him.

Rick laughed. "Jewel Dixon, you're going to be the death of me," he said as he moved the strap of the tank top.

"No, Shane or walker's may be the death of you," she said. "Me? I'm just going to keep your life interesting."

Rick looked at her. "You mean I need more excitement in my life?"

"Hey you're the one who chased this relationship, you're the one who made me fall in love with you," Jewel reminded him as she grimaced as he touched her shoulder.

"It's still tender," Rick said as he took off the bandage. "We need to clean it again. You've been doin' to much," he told her as he kissed her.

Jewel gave a small smile. "Oh like you haven't? We both take on to much, do to much, because we care to much," she said as she ran her hand through his small beard. "You still need a shave."

Rick laughed as he moved behind her. "It may help to tighten the bandage up more. Get more weight off that arm."

Jewel nodded. "That means I need to sleep on the other side of this cot tonight. It's not your side of the bed is it?" she teased.

"Don't really have a side?" Rick answered.

"Rick Grimes doesn't care about what side of a bed he sleeps on? You know how important that is? I mean it's like one of the most important things in a relationship. If you can't agree on what side of the bed you sleep on, well then you aint gonna decide on much of anything," Jewel told him as she grimaced. "I am so glad that you were a sheriff and not a nurse or a doctor."

"Sorry," Rick said as he kissed her shoulder. "That better?"

"Yeah…" Jewel answered.

"So, I don't care what side of the bed I sleep on, so no problem," he told her as he kissed the back of her neck. "What's the story on this?" he asked as he traced his finger softly over the tattoo of the broken heart on her neck.

"Night I stopped drinking, went to my first AA meeting, I knew I was goin' to be OK. I passed a tattoo parlor on the way home, I was 19, so I could go in. Not that it mattered much, I got the one you haven't seen at 14, Merle's buddy owned a shop. The heart doesn't mean my heart was broken by anybody….it signifies to me anyway, that I wasn't gonna let it get broken. I put it above my scars remindin' me that love and booze don't mix," Jewel explained.

Rick kissed her neck. "Thing's are different now," he assured her.