This Night

Chapter 184

Author's Note: Let's just say Jes is saying 'ew' in my head knowing she is going to have to go along with the whole cannibal thing, and going 'of course I volunteered to save Jewel.' What can I say Jes? You're just that kind of gal! And Jewel appreciates it, really she does. So will Rick. Seriously. And Daryl. And Merle, even though HE'LL never show it. Ok, enough talking with the invisible voices in my head. Michelle Rodriquez has the best and I mean the best smirk ever. And, I had this planned before I even saw season 5B. WAY before. Please review.

Jes POV:

Jes looked at the women and the men that were gathered. She noticed they kept the welcoming party to a minimum, which was good. They didn't think of her as a threat. "I'd appreciate that, thank you ma'am," she said to the woman who offered her food.

"Before we go in any further, we need to check you," said the older man. "Just to be on the safe side."

The younger man glanced at him. "He's right, just to be on the safe side," he told her. "If you could put down the gun. I'm Gareth."

"Jes," she said as she put down the gun. "I understand, can't really be to safe anymore, can you?" she asked as he came behind her. She noticed the tension between the two men. "Good," she thought. "A possible power struggle," she thought to herself. Jes waited until Gareth was done patting her down and went in front of her.

The younger woman came back with a tray of food. "What happened to your arm? I'm Sloan."

Jes nodded sitting down as she looked at the plate. "I was with my boyfriend, we were looking for his sister, we found a car, we looked around, I was scrounging in the car, a herd of walkers' came, took him down, I got snagged by metal. Nothing major," she said as she ate. "Actually I followed her tracks, for a while, but lost them. Looked like a car or a truck picked her up. Jewel, she's very pregnant, could be traveling with a child," she said as she watched them. She noticed how the younger woman glanced at Gareth.

"She's here…" the woman she now knew as Sloan answered.

"Sloan," the older man hissed. "How do we know you aren't one that she's running from?"

Jes stood up from the table. "I'm forever grateful for you for taking her in, her brother and I were together for a year, and I never had a sister, so I became real protective of Jewel in her condition. I'm forever in your debt for taking care of her," she told them. She looked at them. "Is she alright? Is there something wrong? Did something happen with the baby?"

"There's something that you need to know before we let you see her," the older man said.

"Grayson," Gareth warned.

"No, she's given the choice, just like anyone else. She's not in labor, so you don't get to use that excuse," the grey haired man said.

Jes looked between the two. "Jewel was in labor? Is she now? The baby? What do I need to know? All I really care about is that they are here," she said. "Whatever it is, just tell me."

Gareth looked at Grayson then at her. "We've all done things we have to do to survive."

Jes looked at him. "Here it comes," she thought to herself. "Yeah, we have."

"You can either join us or not," Gareth simply said.

"Either way you become part of us, stronger," Mary told her.

"What are you…." Jes started to ask then looked at the plate. "Are you saying if I don't join you I become dinner?" she asked. "Well, this is totally disgusting," she thought to herself.

"That's exactly what we are saying," Grayson said as he steadied his rifle.

"Usually, we let people get a little bit more settled, usually they are in groups. But, it seems Grayson here decided that you just had to know now, to make a decision now," Gareth told her.

"But the choice is yours," Grayson added.

Jes picked up her fork and stuck a piece of meat on it. "Let's see either join you or become dinner," she said as she stuck a piece of meat in her mouth. "Choice is easy," she said. "These people get crazier by the minute," she thought to herself. "You said I wasn't in labor, that tells me Jewel was. I'd like to see her. I'll handle her, she'll go along with it," she said.

"Mary will take you," Gareth said as he handed her rifle. "Welcome to the group."

"Thanks for having me," Jes said as she took the rifle and made sure she kept the piece of meat in her cheek. She followed Mary and gave a small smirk to herself as they walked.

Jewel, Jes and Mika's POV:

Mary smiled as Jes caught up with her. "I'm real glad that you are here for Jewel. I know she must have been scared, alone with that little girl and having a baby. She's real strong, to have a baby in this world. I'm real sorry bout her brother. Maybe her husband will be along soon."

Jes gave a smile. "That's what I'm hoping for," she thought to herself. "We can only hope," she said.

"We didn't have time to really get to know her and Mika, let them get situated. She was in labor, so we locked the door, to keep us safe. But, one of the girls gave her a fright when she went in to bring her some stuff for them, and picked up the baby while she was sleeping, so she blocked the door from the inside," Mary explained.

"Well, I'm here now, so there's no reason to lock her in. She may still want to block the door, but Jewel's a very protective mother," Jes said.

"I'll make sure you get a tour, after you spend some time. Maybe Jewel can get up and walk around," Mary suggested as she knocked on the door. "Jewel sweetheart someone from your group is here," she said sweetly.

"Jewel, it's Jes," Jes told her. She glanced at Mary, who she knew was putting on a fake smile and sweet voice, just like the Governor.

"Jes?" Jewel asked through the door. She took a moment to open in with the baby in one hand. "Jes!" she exclaimed before she hugged the woman.

Jes forced herself to hug her back. "Good to see you," she said. "Mary could we have some time?" she asked with a smile.

"Of course," Mary said as she went back out the door.

Jes held up her finger as she went to the door and listened for the retreating footsteps. She grabbed a handkerchief out of her pocket and spit out the meat that she had been holding in her mouth. "Boy or girl?" she asked as she nodded to the baby.

"Girl," Mika said as she got off the bed and hugged Jes.

Jes looked uncomfortable. "Hey Mika…" she greeted. "First of all, don't eat the meat."

Jewel looked at Jes then at Mika. "Mika take Hope, go into the bathroom, I was about ready to change her diaper. You think you can do it?"

Mika grinned. "I've changed Judith's diaper before," she said as she took Hope and went to the other room.

Jewel looked at Jes. "Did you get out with anyone? What do you mean don't eat the meat?" she asked, as she pulled the woman close to the door. "Jes what's going on?"

"You're going to have to promise me not to freak out, Jewel," Jes said.

"Jes, just tell me," Jewel told her.

"The meat…it didn't come from farm animals," Jes said. She wasn't one to beat around the bush, but the woman just had a baby, thought she lost her whole family, and there was absolutely no good way to say 'these people are cannibals' to a person.

"If it's not animals then what is it?" Jewel asked.

"I never thought I'd take a day when I'd say someone like the Governor was sane. Of all the sick, fucked up shit I've seen in this world. Jewel….hell, there's no easy way to say this. If someone doesn't join them, they become the meat," Jes told her.

Jewel looked at her, her face going white at the realization. "Hell's bell's…they're cannibals?" she asked as she shot a look at the bathroom door. "We need to get out of here…we can't let the others…" she said as she rambled on.

Jes grabbed her arms and looked at her. "Jewel, I need you to channel that inner calm that you always have in a crisis situation. You are not allowed to freak out on me alright? I got out with Merle, he's watching the place. I've spent three and half days with one temperamental pain in the ass Dixon, right now I need the rational one. Trust me, of all the scenarios' I came up in my head on how these people could be bad, even my mind isn't that fucked up. Trust me, the last thing I want to do is pretend to be as psychotic as these people are, but right now, we have to wait."

"Wait for what? Wait for them to lure the rest of us in? Make them, make my children into hamburger patties?" Jewel asked as she glanced at the bathroom door.

"That's not going to happen, Jewel. I'm sure, even though you were busy having a baby, and protecting Mika, that you were taking notes in that head of yours on these people? Right?" Jes asked.

"Yes, but I've only met a few….one of them freaks me out. Claire," Jewel told her.

"Haven't met her yet. Grayson and Gareth are in an internal power struggle, Sloan, so far she seems like the weak link. And Mary, she's as psycho as the Governor. We can't do this alone, we are outnumbered," Jes told her. "Gareth let me keep my gun, because I said I was with them. Believe me, I've done some sick things in my life, even before this, but this…this is something out of the twilight zone. We have to wait for Rick and the others," Jes told her.

"I thought that too, but that was before…well before you told me that we could become dinner," Jewel told her. "You've met my husband? My brother? The others? Do you think that there's any way in hell that they would even pretend to go along with this? I can't sit here and let them willingly come in here."

"Jewel, you wouldn't make it outside the door. They've got spotters on the roof. I'm not going to let that happen alright? As soon as they get here, as soon as I know that we're at full strength, we're going to take these assholes down. I saved you once, right? From the Governor?" Jes asked.

"Yeah," Jewel answered.

"Well I'm not going to let that go to waste. If I hadn't done that, then that baby girl of yours wouldn't be here. So you can say she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me saving you. Now, I told them Merle was dead, he's not, he's still the same pain in the ass as always. The way we survive this, Jewel is together, with the family. These people, just like Woodbury, push comes to shove, it's going to be every man for himself. That's not how this group, this family works. We are going to get everyone that made it, out of here. Plus, one," Jes told her as she nodded to where the baby was. "I'll scout out this place, get weapons, get what I can, and we'll be ready. You with me? For that baby? For Mika?"

"Hope…her name is Hope," Jewel told her. "Yeah I'm with you," she agreed.

Author's Note: I always wondered how they would say 'hey join us or become dinner' since they didn't show it with Maggie and group and then Rick and the others got herded. So there it is! Please review