Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

Chapter 100

Author's Note: Reviews make me happy! And really motivated! I can't believe I'm on chapter 100 (and not done with season 3 yet…but we'll not dwell on that alright?) Even though this is a Rick centric episode (and the Governor) dialect changes due to what meanie Governor tried to do to our Jewel! Anyway review!

Rick's POV:

Rick walked around the table as he watched the man in front of him. It took all he had to keep his hand from his gun and blowing the other man's face off.

"We have a lot to talk about," the Governor told him.

"You attacked us, makes things pretty clear," Rick told him.

"I was trying to make things clear. I could have killed all of you but I didn't. And here we are now. I'm going to remove my weapon. Show that I mean to negotiate in good faith," the Governor said as he took off his weapon and dropped it on the table. I'd like you to do the same," the Governor said.

"I would have liked you not to try to rape my wife, not to touch Maggie, but that didn't happen did it? So, I'll keep my weapon on," Rick said as he kept standing.

The Governor smirked. "Yes, so I heard that you found love with Merle's sister. I didn't do anything, Merle, well that's all on him."

"You know what I'm talking about," Rick said. "I know about the heads, the raids. I saw the fights," he told him.

"Well you know all about me and I know all about you. I don't care about any of that, we're here to move forward," the Governor told him.

Rick looked at him and both of them turned there head to see the door open.

"Andrea, what are you doing here?" the Governor asked.

"I came to help," she said as she handed him the map. "I've known both of you at different times, but only after the world went to shit. And you both stepped up for the good of other people at great personal risk. There's no reason…."

"Get to it," the Governor told them.

"Woodbury takes the west of the river, the prison takes the East. No one crosses, no one trades," Rick said.

The Governor threw the map on the table. "Absolutely not," he said.

Rick looked at Andrea. "What am I doing here? You told me…"

"Told you what?" the Governor asked.

"You told me that he was willing to talk," Rick told her.

The Governor smiled. "I am Rick, but the truth is she's in no position to make such an offer one way or another. I'm here for one thing, and one thing only. Your surrender."

"Oh you want surrender? You think I'm going to just give in that easy? A lot has happened since Andrea's been with us. I've changed. You think we hit Woodbury hard last time?" Rick asked.

"Take it easy Rick, we've got a lot to talk about," Andrea told them.

"You're right, step outside," the Governor ordered him.

"What?" Andrea asked disgusted.

"Rick and I have a lot to discuss, as leaders," the Governor said.

"Maybe Andrea forgot to tell you, I don't run our group like a dictatorship. I don't give myself a title, like the Governor," Rick hissed at him.

"That's there term not mine," the Governor told him.

"But you're beholden to your people right? Only person that you tell your first name to is the ones you take to bed is that it?" Rick asked. "I came to talk to him Andrea, not to you."

Andrea looked at him before storming out the door.

"She's got a temper on her, like Jewel," the Governor said.

"She's nothing like Jewel, Jewel's loyal to her family," Rick told him. "So you have a loyalty to your people?"

"Mm…hmm," the Governor said as he poured some whiskey. "Go ahead, it's the good stuff. I would have offered your lovely wife some when she was at Woodbury, but Merle had told me about her drinking problem," he said.

Rick glared at him. "Merle was your Lt wasn't he?"

"He was helpful, yeah," the Governor admitted.

"But you knew he was erratic," Rick told him. "You're putting all the blame on him for taking Jewel, Maggie and Glenn in the first place."

The Governor nodded. "Exactly. I was trying to sort it out when you attacked."

"How exactly were you trying to sort it out? By making my wife get on her knees? By beating her almost to death? By threatening to rape her and Maggie? By having Daryl and Merle fight each other to the death in walker pits?" Rick asked.

"All misjudgments, I'll admit," the Governor told him.

"So this is all his fault?" Rick asked.

"He was a wild card, but he was effective. He got the dirty jobs done. And, I can't help but notice you haven't kicked him out yet," the Governor asked.

"He's family," Rick simply answered. "It's funny, a man who lets himself be called the Governor, I thought that type of man would take responsibility for his actions and not blame it on one of his soldiers."

"I thought you were a cop and not a lawyer," the other man said.

"Either way I don't pretend to be a Governor," Rick answered.

"I told you, I'm there leader," the other man responded.

Rick shook his head. "No, you're the town drunk who came into my back yard and knocked down my fence and ripped out my yard. You're the big baby who if you can't have it, no one else can," Rick told him. "If we aren't going to negotiate, then why even bring me here?"

"I care about my people, I don't take there deaths lightly. I know you don't either," he told him.

"Then leave us alone, simple as that," Rick told him.

The Governor smirked. "It isn't ever that simple is it? This is a failure of leadership, on both of our parts and if I leave you alone then it's a bigger failure on my part. You moved into our back yard, shot up our main street. If I let the threat persist, I look weak and well the whole thing crumbles," he told him.

"You mean your reign of dictatorship crumbles?" Rick asked. "You don't care about those people, you don't give a damn about anyone. All you care about Governor is this image that you've made for yourself. Someone threatened that image, and now your scrambling to get it back. So why don't we just stop playing games? Why don't you just tell me what you want?"

"I wouldn't have taken you for such the direct type, not from what Andrea told me. But people do change. If we choose to continue this, we're going to destroy everything that we fought for over the past year…everyone that we love. At your prison, Rick. Your beautiful wife, your daughters…but neither are really yours are they? I admire that raising other mens' children. Your son. I had a daughter, Penny. But Michonne came in and killed her," the Governor answered.

"You were keeping a walker, a shell of what your daughter was," Rick told him.

"But that was my choice wasn't it? Just like it was your choice to handcuff Merle to the roof, for the good of your group. I hope you never lose any of your children, you don't know what that does to a person," the Governor told him. "I want Michonne. You bring her here, turn her over to me, and I'll leave you and your group alone. Now you probably don't believe me, but it's a chance you're going to have to take, now isn't it? Just a chance that we can live in peace. This is the time you get to chose Rick, if you are a leader or just a friend. That's what makes us different, Rick. I don't need to ask the opinion of my people, I'm going to do what it takes to keep them safe. I'm going to be the only one that the blame can be put on if this doesn't work. You're going to have to look at your people if they talk you out of this, and you're going to have to admit that you could have done it. Can you live with that?"

"I think we're done here, Phillip," Rick told him.

"Noon tomorrow, this all can be done," the Governor said as he walked out.