Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

Chapter 60

Author's Note: I scared all my little charges last week with the threat of them getting holiday pay or weekends worked if they did not have payroll in by the time I came in today. I should have done that ages ago! Had payroll done in four hours! And because I'm not exhausted, you guys get another chapter! Hopefully I didn't piss a lot of people off by killing Sophia and you're still with me! And no brooding Rick he's got Jewel!

Now back to somewhat original scripted series, with a few minor changes and additions. Mariah and Daryl find the prison and Summer's grieving over those she lost. Review please.

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.-Maya Angelou"

Mariah and Daryl's POV:

Mariah walked with him. "You could have shared the owl you know," she teased him.

"Did share it, with Mitch, Carl, Lori and Summer," Daryl told her as he kept a smile off his face. "Wasn't a big 'nough owl for anyone else."

"Has Carol talked to you? About how she's dealing with Sophia?" Mariah asked.

Daryl glanced at her. "Why'd you think she'd talk to me?"

Mariah shook her head. "You're her friend?"

Daryl huffed. "She hasn't, got enough women's emotions to worry bout with Jewel, Summer and you, without adding' another one to the mix. Others' keeping an eye out for her."

"Daryl Dixon….are you saying you're worried about my emotions?" Mariah asked as she arched an eyebrow.

Daryl glanced at her. "You're really makin' me regret not bringin' Rick along with me huntin'," he gruffed.

Mariah laughed. "But Rick isn't as near as cute as I am," she told him as she stopped. "Daryl….am I seeing things?"

Daryl stopped and looked at what she was looking at. "You thinking' what I'm thinking?"

"Daryl, I never know what you're thinking. But if you happen to be thinking that it's such a shame that this has nice gates, surrounded, walls, beds, showers and nice old big watch towers, then yes I'm thinking what you're thinking," Mariah said with her green eyes sparkling. "Let's get back, we're going to have to get those walker's out of there."

Jewel and Summer's POV:

Jewel glanced over at where Summer was sitting by herself. "I'm going to go talk with her," she told Rick as she kissed him.

"You want me to come with you?" Rick asked. He knew the teen had pulled away some since Sophia's death.

"No, I got this," Jewel told him as she walked over to the teen.

Summer wiped her eyes as she heard her mother approaching. "Uncle Merle always said Dixon's don't cry."

Jewel gave a small laugh as she sat down. "You know I didn't listen to 95% of what your Uncle Merle said. We got some down time, talk to me baby," she said as she hugged her.

Summer looked at her. "I failed them…"

"Failed who Summer?" Jewel asked.

"You'll tell me it's stupid," Summer said as she wiped her eyes.

"Summer Grace Dixon, I've never told you your feelings or thoughts are stupid and I'm not going to start now. You feel something' then you have the right to feel it. Don't make me use the triple name again," Jewel warned lovingly.

"At the quarry….I was the oldest. Eliza, Louis, Mitch, Luke, Carl, Sophia and me. I wanted to help…so I took on the responsibility of trying to keep them safe, so you adults could worry about the important things. They're all gone but Mitch and Carl. And Peter, God, when I saw Rick bringing in Mariah in the library and she didn't have Peter…" Summer said as she wiped her eyes. "Now Lori's got the baby coming..and I don't want to care. I want to be like Uncle Merle, not care bout anybody but himself. I think it would be a lot easier," she told her mother as she leaned against her.

Jewel kissed the top of her head. "It wasn't just an Uncle Merle thing, Summer. It's how the three of us grew up, trying to protect ourselves from pain of trusting other people but ourselves. Uncle Merle just didn't learn how to stop," she told her daughter. "Caring about people is what makes us human. And, that's important out here baby," she told her. "You've done an amazing job, sweetheart. It's alright to grieve, and it's alright to let the people care who care about you know that you are hurting and that you just need some time not to be super human."

"So you aren't disappointed in me?" Summer asked.

Jewel looked at her. "No baby, just the opposite. You're going to survive, and you're going to protect the people you love the best you can. No one can ask for more out of you baby girl," she said as she hugged her. "Need a few more minutes to be human?"

Summer smiled. "No I'm OK," she said as she got up.

Jewel and Summer turned as they heard Daryl whistle as they came up to the group. "Didn't find anything out hunting?" Jewel asked.

"Oh we found something," Mariah told them. "You guys are going to want to come with us," she told the group.

"What's going on?" Rick asked as he came up.

"Seein' is believing' trust me Rick," Daryl told him.

Group POV:

Jewel looked at the prison. "Hell's bells…." she said. "Mariah, I'm sending you out huntin' more if you find treasures like this!"

"Hey I was there too," Daryl said.

"I spotted it first," Mariah teased.

"How are we going to clear it? There's a whole lot of them to get through," Beth asked.

"We got the hands, if we all work together, we can do it," Carol spoke up.

Jewel looked at the other woman and squeezed her shoulder. She had to admit that since Sophia's death, the woman was contributing more. "She's right," she said.

"I'll help too!" Mitch said excitedly.

"That a boy!" Mariah told the child. "So Rick?"

"T get me the pliers," Rick instructed the other man.

"You got it," T said as he went and got them and handed it to him.

Rick cut a hole in it. "Hurry! Cover the back."

"Got it," Jewel said as she let Lori go in, her taking up the rear.

Glenn and Daryl closed up the fence as Jewel came through. Daryl opened up a door and the group looked at the courtyard.

Rick looked at it. "It's perfect. If we can shut the gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off those walkers. We'll take the field by tonight."

"How do we shut the gate?" Hershel asked.

Everyone looked at each other. "I'll do it," Glenn said. "You guys cover me."

"No! It's a suicide run!" Maggie exclaimed.

Rick shook his head. "No I'll do it. T Dog, You, Beth, and Maggie draw as many as you can in that direction," he said as he pointed further down the gate.

"You aren't going alone Rick," Mariah told him.

"I'll go, I'm the second fastest after Glenn," Summer said.

Jewel nodded. "No one does it alone."

Rick nodded. "Daryl, go back to the other tower. Carol you've become a pretty good shot. Take your time, we don't have a lot of ammo to waste."

"I'll take the other gate with Carl and Hershel," Jewel said.

"Mitch, Lori and me will make sure the gate is closed, cover you from this end," Mariah said.

Rick looked at Summer. "Ready?"

"Ready," she said.

"Be careful, both of you!" Jewel warned as she ran with Hershel and Carl.

Lori opened the gate for both of them as they shoot walker's in there way. Summer stopped short as a bullet came close to her foot and looked up in that direction.

"Sorry!" Carol said as they continued to run.

Summer opened the guard tower door and let Rick in as they shot walkers and she closed it behind them.

"They did it!" Carol exclaimed.

Jewel shot a walker in the field. "Booyah!"

"Light it up!" Daryl told them as everyone shot the walkers in the way. Rick aimed his weapon and grinned as he took out one of the last ones.

"You're enjoying this way to much dad," Summer said as she aimed her gun and took out the last one. "WOOH!"

Rick laughed. "You were saying?" he asked. Summer still called him Rick on most occasions, but he liked it when it did come out. "Let's go."

Mariah laughed as they entered the courtyard. "Doing alright Lori?"

"Yeah I haven't felt this good in weeks," Lori told the other woman.

"We haven't had this much room since the farm!" Carol said.

Mariah touched Mitch's head. "Go on, run."

The child only had to be told once as he ran toward Carol.

Glenn stabbed a stray walker in the head. "Woohoo!" T dog exclaimed as he started laughing.

That night:

Jewel stood up and took food over to Rick. "Stop and eat," she said.

Rick gave a small smile as he took it. "Guess I'm a little anxious."

"We all are. Lori wants you to talk to her," Jewel said as she kissed him.

"About what?" Rick asked. "The baby? Closer she gets more obsessed she becomes…not that she's trying to get me back but she wants answers."

"She wants reassurances, Rick," Jewel said as she touched his face. "Shane's not here, and if God Forbid something' happens to her, well she wants to know that baby is going to have someone. Not like we adopted Mitch…but a father."

"She tell you that?" Rick asked.

"She didn't have to Rick. Carl is your son, and if something does happen to her, she wants to know that this baby has someone to cling to," Jewel told him. "And you know what, I don't blame her. She's scared….I would be too," she told him.

"You're pretty amazing you know that?" Rick asked as he kissed her.

"Yeah, I've been told that a time or two, but I never get tired of hearing it," Jewel told him. "Love you."

"Love you too," Rick said.

"This could be what we've been looking for….God…" she said as she looked at the prison. "Don't know what we'll find inside," Jewel said as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"We'll do it, together," Rick said as he kissed the top of her head.

TBC