This Night

Chapter 212

Author's Note: Aw reviews, love them! They let me know that you all still love and want more! So I'm kind of skipping the group that goes inside the church, we know they don't find anything. Outside is so much more interesting. So I had four pages written (and watching episode 2 season 5 while doing it) when I realized, crap this is the episode that Gareth gets Bob and Carol and Daryl followed the car? So, I had to rewrite something because I need it to happen all at the same time and I wasn't going to get to all that in this chapter. So please review!

The group POV:

Jewel smiled as Maggie held out her hands. "I think your chest needs some rest," she said.

"You just want snuggle time with Hope," Jewel told her as she handed the baby to her.

"I'm not denying it," Maggie answered as she kissed the top of Hope's head as they walked.

Rick glanced back at Jewel. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, Maggie just needed some cuddle the baby time," she said with a tired smile.

Rick nodded as he turned his attention back to the man with the collar. "Hey, earlier were you watching us?"

Gabriel looked at him. "I keep to myself. Now a days, people are just as dangerous as the dead, don't you think?"

"No people are worse," Daryl said.

"You're lucky it was us that heard your call for help, not everyone is as good willed as us," Jes said as she watched him.

"Well I wasn't watching you. I haven't been beyond the stream near my church more then a few times since it all started. That was the furthest I've gone before today," Gabriel told them. "Well maybe I'm lying. Maybe I'm lying about everything and there's no church ahead at all," he motioned with his hands. Maybe I'm leading you into a trap so I can steal all your squirrels," he said as he stopped and looked at the group. "Members of my flock had often told me that my sense of humor leaves much to be desired."

Daryl looked at him. "It does."

"Seriously dude, keeping your mouth shut would be a good idea now," Mitch said as he started to limp.

"Mitch what's wrong?" Mar asked as she bent down. "Did you trip? Run over anything?"

"I have a blister, real bad. The shoes are getting small, but I didn't want to complain," Mitch answered.

"Hey, you need something, you got to speak up, we're not mind readers," Daryl told his adopted son. He handed his bag to Summer. "Hop on."

Axel gave a small smile as he remembered Daryl giving Beth a piggy back ride. "We'll find her," he told himself.

"I'll look at that when we stop," Ronnie said.

Jes looked at Rick. "Do you want me to go ahead? Scout it out?" she asked.

"No we stay together," Rick told her as he motioned with his gun for the man to continue moving.

"He seriously gives me the creeps," Summer mumbled.

"Your not the only one he gives the creeps too," Joey told her. "Rick has his guard up and Merle looks like he's going to snap his neck off."

Jewel took Hope back from Maggie as they came into the view of the church. She watched as Gabriel walked up to the church doors with the keys. She arched an eyebrow. "Got to say, I don't think I've ever seen a church door that requires to be locked. Churches are supposed to be safe haven's," she told him.

"You can never be careful now a days," Gabriel answered.

Rick kissed Jewel and touched Hope's head as he walked up to the steps. "Hold up, we'll take around first," he said as he held out his hand. "We want to hold onto our squirrels," he told her.

Daryl put Mitch down on the steps as he held up his bow and arrow as he glanced at Mar who nodded that she'd stay with outside.

Summer adjusted her bow and arrow and held out her gun, following Michonne, Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Carol, Jes and Joey inside.

Outside the church:

Merle looked at the preacher. "There another building around here?" he asked.

"Just a shed, nothing's in there except some old tools. It has a lock on it and I don't know how to use anything in it, so I haven't had any reason to go in it," Gabriel explained.

"Got a reason to inspect it now," Merle answered. "The key on that ring you gave Officer Friendly?"

"He means my dad, Rick," Carl explained as he adjusted Judith.

"Yes, all the keys are on the key ring," Gabriel answered.

"Guess I'm breaking in, anyone with me?" Merle asked.

"I'll go," Axel told him.

"I'll stand guard," Rosita told them. "Eugene stay with Abraham," she instructed.

"You can't just break the lock and take what you want. That is stealing, and it is against God's wishes," Gabriel told him.

Merle looked at him. "I'll take that up with the Good Lord when I see him. I don't answer to any man, not anymore," he said as he turned and walked away.

"I think I'll go with them, they may need another hand," David said as he went to join them.

"A man like that will never be welcomed into the gates of Heaven," Gabriel said.

Jewel turned and looked up at the man on the steps. "What did you say?"

Tyreese put his hand on Jewel's shoulder. "Let it go," he told her.

Jewel handed him Hope. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill him. Not yet, anyway," she said in a soft voice. She touched Judith's head as she passed her, Lexi, and Carl.

"Mitch, Mika, why don't we move over here?" Lexi told the younger kids.

"Go on," Mar told Mitch as she moved to the bottom step.

"You know, I've known you less than an hour and I remember why I stopped going to church," Jewel told the man as she stood close to him.

The black preacher backed up nervously as he hit the back of the post. "A person needs God in there lives, especially now a days."

Jewel smirked as she put a hand on the man's shoulder. "You said that you didn't confess your sins to strangers, right? My name is Jewel. So now we're not strangers, so you can confess your sins to me. I can even wear that collar if you like. I mean that's what makes you think that you are better then me, better then all of us right? I said I stopped going to church because of men like you. Men that think they can hide behind the collar or the fact that they can get in front of a congregation, stand all high and mighty by spreading the word and judge you for what you've done. OR what they think you've done. But they are just men, you are just a man. You don't know anything about us, but I know enough about you to know that you don't have the right to judge us. I close my eyes at night, when I can, and I make my piece with who ever is listening, and I know that he or she may not agree with everything that we've had to do, but they know that what I did that day, what we had to do, kept my children alive, kept my family alive and today, it kept you alive. When I face the Good Lord, I'll be able to look him in the face and tell him that what I've done has kept a lot of people alive, that it's kept my children alive, my husband, my brothers', this group that I call family alive. That the people I've had to kill, that they would have killed my baby, my family, and that I didn't have a choice. Acts 3:19 Repent then turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord," she told him. "Come from the Lord….that's whose going to judge me, but I swear if you do anything that'll harm my children, my family, then I'll end you and then I'll repent," she warned him as Hope started fussing. "She's hungry," Jewel said as she walked down the steps.

Mar smirked. "Ditto in what she said," she told the man.

TBC

Author's Note: OH Jewel isn't done with him yet. HEHE. Please review.