Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

Chapter 107

Author's Note: So, normal life abounds for our prison group-until the crazy flu and the Governor returns. But until then somewhat of a normal life with a few surprises, fights and crazy moments. Excited? Yeah me too, and I know what's coming. Reviews make me happy.

Five weeks after fall of Woodbury.

Five weeks. That's how long it had been since they chased the Governor away from their front door. Five weeks, since they had brought in the survivors of Woodbury. Five weeks, since they started nominating council members. Five weeks, of getting used to more people. Five weeks, since Rick and Jewel had spent well deserved alone time together. Five weeks since a new life had been created.

Jewel rubbed her hand over Rick's chest as she lay in bed. They had made the warren's office there room, and had put a real bed in it and Judith's crib. Merle fussed, claiming that as the older Dixon sibling he should have the privacy. Jewel paid no attention to it. Jewel watched the former leader sleep, and gave a small smile. She was about ready to change his world, once again. They hadn't discussed a baby, they had Judith. After what had happened with Lori, no one really wanted to think about anyone having a baby, except for Maggie and Glenn. One time, five weeks ago, the condom had broke. Rick and Jewel were just enjoying celebrating the victory of defeating the Governor, celebrating being alive to bother with a new one. Jewel took a breath as she kissed Rick's shoulder. "Hey…."

Rick smiled as he kissed her. "Morning, everything alright? Judy?"

"She's fine," Jewel answered. "Actually wanted to talk to you….before the start of the day."

"Something we need to take to the council?" Rick asked.

"No, this is between us," Jewel told him as she touched his face. "I'm pregnant," she told him.

Rick looked at her and blinked. "You're…."

"Pregnant," Jewel repeated.

Rick took a breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Shit…I..mean…"

Jewel watched him, she knew him well enough to know that he was processing the information.

"Are you sure?" Rick asked.

"Missed period, getting sick at the smell of oatmeal for the past week, and let's not talk about me almost throwing up on Merle yesterday when I was on walker duty at the gate. Yea, I'm sure," Jewel told him. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry, Rick. I know it's not something we discussed, or even planned on. I know it's a shock, but I'm not like Lori. I can't even think about going down to the infirmary and using morning after pills. You can yell, you can be mad, you can ignore me, but that's not going to change the fact that Mr. Grimes, you and I conceived a life five weeks ago."

Rick looked at her and touched her face. "Hey, you thought I'd be mad?"

"Everything we went through with Lori? Yeah, the thought has crossed my mind," Jewel admitted.

"Jewel," Rick said as he kissed her. "I'm scared, not mad. Scared for you, scared for this baby, but mad?" he told her. "I'm sorry that you had to deal with being afraid to tell me, that's not something I ever would be mad at you for."

Jewel nodded. "I'm not sure how everyone else is going to feel. I mean Summer and Carl…."

Rick kissed her. "They have a right to be afraid; I'd be worried if they weren't. But we aren't on the run, you haven't had a c section before and we actually have a couple doctors around. We can pick up things ahead of time."

"Just hoping that this safety lasts you know? He's still out there somewhere," Jewel told him.

"Michonne is out looking for him. We'll be on guard, be careful," Rick assured her as he kissed her. "Merle and Daryl may kill me for not being careful."

Jewel laughed. "One time…I guess this baby was meant to be," she said as she touched his face. "I need to get ready, going on a run."

Rick looked at her. "Excuse me?"

"A run, you know supplies?" Jewel asked as she sat up.

"Mrs. Grimes, you just told me that you were pregnant," Rick told her.

"Yeah, and we spent how many months on the run when Lori was pregnant with Judy?" Jewel asked.

"And, we don't have to do that again," Rick pointed out. "There are enough people to go out on runs without you going."

Jewel sighed. "And what do I tell them the reason that I'm not going?"

"The truth," Rick said.

Jewel took a breath. "I'm not sure I want to start using this baby as an excuse on reasons not to do things Rick."

Rick kissed her as he let his hand go down to her stomach. "My concern right now is you and this baby. You know what dangers are out there, and you're early on. Now, you can tell someone else, and excuse yourself from this, or I can call the council in here and tell all of them. Your choice, Mrs. Grimes," he told her.

"I can't even be mad at you for worrying," she said. "Fine, I'll excuse myself," she said. "I want to tell Carl and Summer before it gets around though."

"I know," Rick said as he picked up Judy. "Go."

Jewel shook her head as she left the office.

Jewel and Glenn's POV:

Jewel didn't want to tell Daryl yet. Daryl would be happy after he hit Rick. So that was something that she wanted to put off til later. "Hey Glenn, can I talk to you? Alone?"

"Yeah sure, what's up?" Glenn asked as he joined her.

"I'm supposed to be going on the run today," Jewel told him.

"Yeah, you volunteered. Something wrong?" Glenn asked.

"Look, I need you to just to keep this between us for now," Jewel told him. "I'm pregnant."

Glenn looked at her. "Please tell me that Rick knows, because he'll kill me," he said.

Jewel tried not to laugh at her friends face. "Yes, Glenn, I just told Rick. I do work in the infirmary so I do have access to pregnancy tests. Rick just doesn't think it's a good idea for me to go on a run."

"Neither do I, definitely not. There's no reason to take any chances," Glenn said. "So um, is this a good thing? I mean…should I say I'm sorry, or say congratulations?"

Jewel laughed. "Congratulations. I need you to keep this quiet; I know you're horrible with secrets, Glenn. But, I want to tell Summer and Carl first, I don't want them to hear this from anyone else. They need to hear it from Rick and me. So, I need you to cover for me."

"Oh come on, you know I'm horrible at lying. I mean Daryl's going to ask why you aren't going on the run, and what am I supposed to tell him." Glenn asked.

"Just tell him that I needed to cover a shift in the infirmary. I'll even hang out there for a while, while I'm hiding from my children," Jewel said. "Thanks Glenn!" she said as she walked away.

"Pick someone else next time!" Glenn yelled back at her.

Merle and Jewel's POV:

Merle looked up from skinning the deer he had bagged as Jewel passed. "Hey lil sister, come over here."

Jewel took a breath. "Yeah, Merle?" she asked as she turned around.

"Come on over, help me with this," Merle told her.

Jewel took a breath. "Merle, you don't need my help. You're always sayin' how I take to long anyway."

Merle glanced at her. "Yeah but we just don't spend enough time together. Get your but over here baby sister."

Jewel walked over and bent down. She put her hand under her nose as she looked at the deer. "It'll give us meat for some time."

"You alright? You're turnin' a bit green," Merle said as he held up a piece of bloody skin.

"Fine, just fine," Jewel said as she turned her face.

Merle tried not smirk. "Come on and help me dig out the guts."

Jewel took a breath as she dug her hands in, immediately regretting it as she stood up and threw up.

Merle smirked. "Now you want to tell me why you've been turnin' green for a week at smells. I kinda have a guess, but want to hear it."

"You ass," Jewel said as she wiped her mouth. "You just couldn't ask? No you had to torture me?"

"Hell, now what fun would that be lil sister? Kinda figured it out when you almost hurled on me at the fence last week. Smells, that was mamma's first sign with you," Merle said. "Rick know?"

"Told him this morning," Jewel said.

"He happy?" Merle asked as he dug into the deer.

"Scared, but yeah," Jewel said. "Wasn't planned."

Merle laughed. "Oh lil sister anyone that tells you that they planned on a baby, is a liar. Drunken nights, forgetting to take birth control pills, girl lyin' about bein' on protection, condom breaking, all lead up to little unexpected arrivals," he said as he looked at her. "Condom broke huh? Yeah it happens."

"I am so not having this conversation with you Merle…" Jewel told him. "Why are you being so calm about this?"

"Lil sister, I may be an idiot, but I'm not stupid enough to know you and Officer Friendly aren't knockin' boots behind closed doors. Only sure way of not havin' one of those little people, is not to do anything," Merle said as he stood up. "Not an ideal time to repopulate the Earth, but hell when is it? Women were havin' babies way before hospitals, we had a couple healthy ones born at Woodbury."

Jewel arched an eyebrow. "Merle, this calm big brother persona is scarin' me. Stop it," she told him.

Merle laughed. "Well little sister, aint nothing we can do about this now, except be happy about it. And make sure you're little pregnant but takes it easy," he said. "And yeah, I think it's about time that husband and I have a little talk."

"Merle," Jewel warned.

"Oh I won't hit him," Merle told her. "Go take a shower, you'll feel better."

"Yeah I wouldn't need a shower if it wasn't for you, you ass," Jewel said as she walked away.

Merle and Rick's POV:

Merle knocked of the office door. "Open up Officer Friendly, we need to talk."

Rick opened the door. "My morning was going so well," he said as he let him in. "Jewel told you?"

"Not exactly, I've had my suspicions for about a week. Our momma had the worst mornin' sickness with her, smells kicked it off. I made Jewel throw up by asking her to help me with a deer," Merle admitted.

"Is she alright?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, pissed at me, but hey, I'm used to that," Merle said as he sat down. "Now, I'm real glad to know that you aren't giving her grief about being pregnant."

Rick looked at him. "I was there too you know? I'm as responsible as she is."

Merle nodded. "Glad you see it that way. See, I figure you're going to get enough grief from my niece and that boy of yours. Don't really blame them considerin' what they went through with Lori and that little girl over there."

"Who are you and what have you done with Merle Dixon?" Rick asked.

Merle laughed. "Yeah, I keep this side hidden. But it comes out occasionally with family."

"You calling me family Merle?" Rick asked with an amused look on his face.

"Now, let's not go that far Officer Friendly. You knocked up my sister, our blood line is mixed," Merle simply stated. "See if we met before all this, I would have given you the talk."

"The talk?" Rick asked.

"Lori didn't have big brothers?" Merle asked.

"Only child," Rick answered.

Merle laughed. "Well this is gonna fun. See, I'm gonna tell you that if you ever hurt my little sister, I'll find a nice big pit to bury you in. Now, it would just be feeding you to the walkers'. That I don't care how much you think you love her, it aint ever gonna be more than me or Daryl. But, truth is Officer Friendly, as much as I hate to admit it; you probably do love her more than I ever did. I always told both of 'em that the only people that would love us is us Dixon's ourselves. Boy did they prove my dumb ass wrong. We aint ever going to be friends, you aint ever going to fully trust me, I'm never going to fully trust you. But I trust you with my family," Merle said.

"I trust you with mine," Rick told him. "Don't give up on love. You and Jes got a shot. Especially since you forgave me."

"That's not what I'm sayin'," Merle said. "Don't put words in my mouth," he said as he got up.

Author's Note: So this was my little surprise. When the Governor attacks, Jewel will be around four or five months pregnant, and Merle is gonna be big brother! Now onto more of my ideas. Please no egg throwing!