This Night

Chapter 203

Author's Note: No fears, Jewel is not going to die! Kill Jewel? Never! I just needed something to divert from finding Father Gabriel right away while giving our group some bonding time outside the box. Plus, an idea is brewing for our group on the hunt for supplies. No worries! Ah, now I know this will make you all happy, a Rick and Jewel centric (well Hope is there too) chapter. Reviews please.

Rick and Jewel's POV:

Rick took a breath as he opened the door and gave a small smile as he watched Hope nurse. "Now that is the best sight I've seen in a while," he told her as he came over and kissed her. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he rubbed a hand softly over the top of Hope's head. "Think we got ourselves a little brown haired girl."

Jewel smiled as she touched his face. "Don't say it alright?"

Rick tilted his head and looked at her. "Say what Mrs. Grimes?" he questioned her.

Jewel smiled. "I missed that, Mr. Grimes," she told him. "Say that you're sorry for not being there for Hope's birth. Saying that you're sorry that the Governor attacked. None of this was your fault, Rick."

Rick kissed her and shook his head. "I should have been able to protect you, to protect her, Judith, Carl, Summer," he said as he let Hope grab his finger.

Jewel put a finger over his mouth. "You can't do everything by yourself. It was the Governor's fault, not anyone else's. We survived because we followed our instincts, we went toward each other," she said as she kissed him. "We're all alive because we fight for each other. I'm not proud of what you saw….what I did, but it kept you alive, it kept this angel girl alive, and I'd do it again," she said as Hope fussed a little bit. "She's done, want to burp her?"

"Come here baby girl," Rick said as he took Hope. "You're a good eater, aren't you?" he asked as he kissed the top of her head and reached for a bottle of water and handed it to Jewel. "Drink," he told her as he sat down on the bed. "I did something the other night that I didn't think I was capable of."

"Daryl said that you understood," Jewel told him as she caressed his face. "What happened?"

Rick sighed as he leaned back on the headboard and rubbed Hope's back. "These guys that Axel and Daryl were with, they were bad men. Mar and I were in a house, before Axel and Daryl got with them, Michonne, Lexi and Carl were out looking for food and supplies. The guys came in, Mar and I hid under a bed. You could tell these were not men you wanted to mess with. They almost caught us a few times, but we got lucky. We snuck into the bathroom, one of them was in there. I was strangling him, Mar stabbed him. I thought she had got him in the head, but according to them, he turned. We ran, we got away warned Michonne and the kids. They were tracking us," he said as Hope burped. "Well doesn't that feel better?" he asked with a chuckle.

Jewel smiled. "She looks quite happy," she said. "Go on?" she encouraged him.

"Axel and Daryl had met up with them, they said they were looking for someone, they found out it was us. Didn't know Michonne, Carl and Lexi was with us. They broke off with them, ran into Lexi and Mar as they were getting water. Daryl told Mar to stay with Axel and Lexi while he went to find the rest of us," Rick said as he kissed Jewel's head. "You're fever isn't getting worse," he said.

Jewel nodded. "I'm sure I'll be alright," she assured him. "Mar didn't listen, did she?"

"No, they found her. I had a gun to my head, Michonne too, Carl was in the car. Daryl tried to get them to let us go, that he would take whatever was coming. You saw his face, obviously they didn't take him up on his offer. This one guy…he pulled Carl out of the car, forced him on the ground," Rick said as his voice got deeper.

"Rick….he…didn't, did he?" Jewel asked as she put her hand on Rick's arm.

"No. Mar started talking to Carl. It gave me enough time to push back and knock the guy holding me down. Caught him off guard…startled him. Still got my ass beat, then he grabbed me and held my arms down and asked me what I was going to do next. I bit a piece of his neck out. I didn't think, I didn't hesitate. It was enough to give everyone a chance to take down the people that were holding them. The man holding Carl, he had the audacity to beg me not to kill him. Like that woman did to you. I did what I had to do, and I don't feel a bit of guilt about it. Does that make me a bad person?" Rick asked.

Jewel caressed his cheek and kissed him. "If it does, then I'm a bad person too. I don't regret killing Claire. God, I know I should, but Hope is safe, here with us. Carl is safe because of what you did. We protected our children, our family. I think that's how we survive this world. Shane was wrong when he told you that you didn't have what it took to protect your family, you do. We don't always have to be the bad guys. I believe some where out there, there are good people, like us. Until then, we just keep fighting the bad apples, and fighting for each other," she told him.

Rick smiled as he kissed her. "You know your mommy is very smart, yes. And I know she isn't going to like what I'm going to tell her. But mommy and I don't keep secrets from each other," he said as he kissed the top of Hope's head.

"What did you do?" Jewel asked.

"Merle, Joey, Sasha, Rosita, Bob and Mar went into town," Rick told her.

Jewel looked at him. "Rick, I told you I didn't want any of them risking there lives for me. I'll be fine, we don't even know if anything is wrong other then my body saying hey you need to rest for a day."

Rick kissed her. "First of all, they all volunteered, there was no stopping them. Second of all, how do you think they would feel if something did happen and they could have done something? How do you think I would feel? I would have went there myself if they hadn't volunteered. We can't risk just waiting and seeing," he told her as he touched her face. "I can't wait."

Jewel took a breath. "What if something happens to one of them because they are out there for me? Do you know how that is going to make me feel?"

Rick moved Hope to the other side of his chest so he could cradle Jewel's face. "That's how they would feel if something happened to you and they didn't do something. None of them hesitated. The only one of the group who had a problem with it was Abraham and that was because he wanted the car. Merle would have killed him on the spot if he hadn't handed him the keys. They did this because it was the right thing to do. Hopefully no one else raided it, and they can get more things then just medicine. They'll be able to find formula and diapers. We've never had to be on the move with a new born before. Plus Judy," he said as he kissed her neck.

Jewel smiled as she touched his face. "I'm just worried that they'll run into some of the people from Terminus. Or walkers."

"They'll be able to handle it," Rick told her as he kissed her neck.

"You're not being fair Mr. Grimes," Jewel said. "No daddy isn't being fair."

Rick grinned. "But mommy has such a nice neck and I haven't been able to kiss on it for a whole week and a half," he said as he touched Jewel's face. "I gave up….I was sure I lost the one person who gave me strength when I think that I can't go on anymore," he said softly.

"I'm right here," Jewel assured him. "I thought for sure that the Governor….that he had killed you. But, I couldn't let myself say it. I didn't even let myself think it….I had to believe that you were going to get to Terminus, that you were going to find me, find us," she told him.

"I did," Rick told her softly.

"Yes you did," Jewel responded with a yawn.

Rick smiled. "I'm going to take a wild guess that between nursing Hope, worrying both about Mika and Hope, and keeping one eye open against cannibals, you haven't got a lot of rest."

"Nothing new," Jewel told him.

Rick smirked down at Hope. "Yeah, something's new. I've got her, I'm going to go show her off. I'll send someone up to sit with you," he said as he kissed her forehead. "I think Ronnie's right about you just needing rest and letting your body take a break."

Jewel nodded. "Yet we've got people out there," she said.

"For things we need," Rick said as he stood up. "Let's go give mommy time to sleep before you need to be fed again. Maybe Maggie and Glenn will find some extra water and we can give you a little bath."

Jewel smiled. "She needs a middle name," she said as she laid down.

"I'll work on it," Rick said as he kissed her. "We'll be back," he said as he went out the door.

Author's Note: Jick's private time! God I missed writing them! Review please.