Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

Chapter 62

Author's note: More followers of this story make a happy author. I will be gone from December 19 to the 21st. Please mark it down on your calendar's, so you don't wonder where I am. I'm going to go see Christmas Lights at Disney!

So, I originally planned the whole finding the prisoners, Hershel leg in this chapter. But I woke up at 2 AM with a sinus infection and a migraine. I laid there for an hr and half, hoping to get at least two more hours of sleep before work, it didn't happen. But a whole invention of OC's at Woodbury did. Well, Joey's family story. You remember Joey London? The boy who Summer hit when she was six? Yeah he's alive (and he's also going to be the kid that Carl shot while running away, but we don't kill the living do we Summer?) So please forgive Merle's intrusion but it all plays to the end game (well…..later plots) Also, can you find the 'easter egg' I've planted?

OC's:

Joey London-Landon Liborian

Mason London- Jason Statham

Jessica "Jes" Sanchez-Michelle Rodriguez. (I know she's from Lost, but dang it, she's perfect!)

Woodbury:

Jessica Sanchez paced around the small room as she tapped her fingers on her hips, one of her hands bandaged. The former Army Lt. peeked through the window as she looked at the town. They had been there for two hours, the only people they had seen was the two guards that had found them on the road. She smoothed her very worn sleeveless vest and walked over to the young man. "You doing alright Joey?" she asked as she bent down.

The seventeen year old boy nodded. "Fine," he simply said as he ran a hand through his matted brown hair.

Jes nodded. The boy had grown up in the year they had been on the run. He had killed his mother and sister at the start of the outbreak and had blamed his father for not being there to do it. The strain on the father and son been growing and only got worse when the teen found out about his father and her. But for some reason, he hadn't blamed her, for which she was grateful for. She moved over to the man stretched out on the couch. "Hey Sgt. You hangin' in there?" she asked the man as she put her hand on his shoulder.

Mason London made an effort to move his head. "Yes LT," the former Army Sgt answered. "How's he doing?" the man asked as he nodded toward his son.

"Man of a few words," Jes answered as she looked over at the teen.

"You're worried, Jes," Mason told her.

Jes put her hand on her empty gun holder. "The men that brought us in didn't look like the trust worthy kind. Plus they took my gun," she grumbled. "I'll do the talkin'," she ordered.

Mason gave a fake smile. "You don't boss me around anymore, LT. We aint military anymore."

"Whose been keeping you alive for all this time SGT? Could have left you lots of time, Joey and I would have managed," the dark haired Hispanic woman answered as she squeezed his shoulder. "You aint giving up on me yet. You understand?"

"Yeah, I got you LT," Mason said as he tried to sit up when he heard the door.

Joey stood up from the chair out of instinct even though his machete had been taken from him. "We got company."

Jess walked over in front of the boy. At six foot tall he stood taller then her five foot six frame but she still went in front of him out of instinct. "Go sit by your dad."

"Jes…" Joey started to say.

"Go," Jess simply ordered again, harder this time.

Joey nodded as he went by the couch. They all three watched the door handle move to what seemed like an eternity before it opened. One of the men Joey recognized from when they were brought in. The man with the missing hand. The other one he didn't recognize. He stood on the ready to fight bare handed if he had too.

The man who was obviously in charge gave a smile. "I'm sorry for the wait, I was in the middle of something when you were brought in. I'm the Governor, and the man over there, is Merle Dixon. He isn't big on introductions. Welcome to Woodbury. I brought some food, looks like you three need some," he said as he put down the food. "Merle tells me that you three were doing pretty good against the biters but you were out numbered and two of you are injured," the man said with a smile as he motioned to the table.

Jes glanced at her male companions, the younger one was eying the food. "Nice of you. Appreciate your men to bring us here, but you can understand why I'm a little weary. People aren't exactly trust worthy in this day and time."

The Governor smiled. "I haven't poisoned the food, but yes I understand. Please, join me. At least start by telling me your names," he said as he sat down and took a bite of the soup. "See? Not killing you. If we wanted you dead, my men would have never brought you here."

Jes nodded at the young man. "Take some back to your father," she instructed as she sat down across from the governor and watched him carefully.

Merle glanced at the kid who had been eyeing him since the mention of his name. "Kid, you got something you want to say?"

Joey looked at him as he got the soup. "I went to school with a girl…a couple years younger then me. Her last name was Dixon…her eyes…they had that same icy stare."

Merle looked at him then the Governor. "What's your name kid?"

"Joey London, why?" the young man answered as he took the soup back to his father.

Merle let out a laugh. "Joey London, the same Joey London that got his nose broke at age eight by a little sprout of a thing named Summer Dixon who was six at the time?"

Joey looked at him. "Summer? Is she here?" he asked anxiously.

Merle glanced at the kid and glared. "No she aint here and if she was, you'd be stayin' away from her. I know horney teenagers when I see 'em. I was one," he warned the boy.

"Merle, enough. Unfortunately, Merle came to us very ill and had been separated from his family Joey. So," the Governor said as he looked at the woman, "now I know what to call one of you, what about you two? What's your story? You got a group?"

Jes took a bite of bread. "Jessica Sanchez, and that's Mason London, Joey's father. We aint got a group," she told him. "Mason and I were in the Army, we were stationed at Fort Benning when all this shit happened. We were getting' orders that we were going to bomb Atlanta if the city got overtaken. Neither one of us liked that idea. A few of us deserted, started home. I had no family in Florida, but Mason was worried bout his kids' we were headin' to there to get them."

The Governor looked at Joey then Mason. "Kids? More then this one?"

Mason nodded slowly as he ate the soup. "My oldest David and his fiancee Carly were in Atlanta, working. Carly was nearly nine months pregnant, last I heard they were trying to make it Grady Memorial Hospital. I was hoping that if they bombed Atlanta, the hospital's were going to be somewhat safe. I made it to my ex wife's house, Joey had to shoot his mom and my daughter Olivia who was twelve…they had been bitten at the outbreak. I'm real proud of Joey for doin' what needed to be done."

Joey gave his father a disgusted glance. "Yeah I did what I had to do, because my dear old dad couldn't make a decision to desert without the OK of his LT. Certainly hasn't been any better since we've been out here. Jes has kept us alive not you," he said as he stood up.

"Joey! Enough," Jes warned. "Sorry, Governor, you were a teenage boy once, I'm sure you had a bout of attitude."

The Governor gave a small smile. "Some teenage boys never grow out of there attitude," he said as he glanced at Merle. "Woodbury could use people like you with military experience. We're safe here, away from the biters'. You can leave anytime you want, just go out those gates. But you all are exhausted and could use some sleep and food. Stay a few days, get acquainted," he told them.

Jes nodded as she looked at her two companions. "We'll stay for a few days, Governor," she said as she looked at the man and shook his hand.

Two Months Later:

Jes held out her gun as she walked with Merle to check the pitts. She kept casting glances over at him with her dark eyes.

Merle looked at her. "Alright, I know I'm good lookin' but you got something to say hot tamale?"

"Names Jes," she reminded Merle. "Don't you think it's a little morbid to be using biters as entertainment?" she asked.

Merle glanced at her then back. "Governor wants it done, we do it. Best not question it," he simply said.

"You do think it's morbid," Jes told him. "You don't think the Governor is all he puts out to be either," she told him.

Merle looked at her. "Those words will get you killed if you aint careful," he warned.

"You're not going to tell him, and I'm not stupid enough to tell anyone else," she simply said as she walked forward.

"Sugar Tits, you don't know me so please don't tell me what I'm not going to do," Merle hissed at her.

Jes laughed. "Call me Sugar Tits again, and I'll take your other hand," she warned. "You're only here because there isn't anywhere else to go. You're hopin' that some way some how your family is alive and makes there way here to this amazing façade of a town called Woodbury. And, when that does, you'll desert the happy little Governor that is one step away from a trip to crazy town. You'll obey his orders endlessly until then," she said as she stopped at the pits. "All good little soldiers do exactly that, obey orders until they don't, until they get the balls to do what needs to be done."

"Is that what you did LT? Abandon your post cause you and the elder London were knockin' boots? Yeah, I know don't look to surprised. He'd jump into that pit if you told him too," Merle hissed at her. "I'm alive the same way you are because of the Governor. And, I'd like to stay that way," he said.

"Do you know his first name?" Jes asked as she turned and looked at him.

Merle looked at her. "What are you talkin' about woman?" he asked as he counted the walkers in the pit.

"Simple question. Governor….doesn't that sound like something a man on a complete power trip would call himself? Seriously, did he introduce himself to you as anything' other then the Governor? He didn't to us," Jes explained.

"Girl, you know I could go back and tell the Governor everythin' you're saying, and where does that leave you? You'd disappear," he warned.

"But you aren't going to tell him Merle. You need someone to count on in this real game of Chutes and Ladders," Jes explained. "We should be headin' back."

"Chutes and Ladders? Isn't that the stupid kids game where you try to get your little pawn to the number 100 but you have to get through all these stupid little challenges?" Merle asked.

Jes looked up at him with an impressed look. "I thought I was going to have to explain that to you."

"I had a niece, she loved that game. I cheated just so I could lose to get it done and over with. I cursed Daryl out every time she came over after he got it for her for Christmas. But you got to explain the whole live game part," he told her.

"You do a good deed, you move on ahead. In the game it's to your end game, the 100. Here it's to get on the good side of the Governor. You land on a bad dead, oops you chute all down that shoot and have to start over. Here, you're gonna end up dead or in the pits as a walker chew toy. Like I said, a living game of Chutes and Ladders. Look at it as this way of you cheating. We can work together, do what we are supposed to do, but trust each other. Trust me I don't like it any more then you do, but one day you may need it so may I," she said as she walked in the other direction.

Merle looked after her. "Crazy woman," he mumbled as he walked back with her. He had to admit she was smarter then she looked but he would never tell her that. He also wouldn't tell the Governor any of this conversation.