This Night

Chapter 240

Author's Note: I will be so glad when I get everyone in one place, well at least for a while. But you all know me, it'll be a whole lot longer then it was in the show. Those pesky character building thing. Plus Jewel and Rick are gonna have some alone time. Go away, Random Hair Cut lady. Review please.

Abraham and Jewel's POV:

Abraham glanced over at Jewel who was bouncing Judith to sleep, while Mika leaned against her asleep, and Hope was at her feet surrounded by blankets. "Glad to see they can still sleep in this hellhole of an existence," he commented.

Jewel rubbed Judith's back as she glanced over at him. "Hopefully they are having sweet dreams," she answered.

"When we pulled up, did I see you punch the Father? Or was I imagining that?" Abraham asked.

"He put my children in danger, so yes I did," Jewel answered.

"You take protecting all the young ones seriously, even if they aren't yours," Abraham answered.

Jewel looked at him then at down at Mika and glanced back at Mitch, Lexi and Carl. "They belong to all of us now," she answered. "If you had kids, you'd get it," she said.

Abraham glanced at her then at the road. "Yeah, I guess I would. You know I counted you all out when we picked up Tara, Glenn and Mitch. Never saw two more determined, hard headed stubborn assholes then those two that you all were alive. But I was to damned focused on the pipe dream that was Washington to hear a damn word they had to say. I mean a pregnant woman about ready to pop able to survive among all the dead ones? No way, no how, wasn't a chance in hell," he said as he shook his head. "Well damn sure surprised me when we found Maggie and the others. But, wasn't holding out for a pregnant woman to survive," he said.

"Never underestimate a Dixon," Jewel said as she glanced down Hope at her feet.

"I'm sorry about Merle, didn't know him well, but he seemed like a good man to have around," Abraham told her.

"He had his moments," Jewel answered softly.

"Did Rick really handcuff him to a roof in Atlanta? Or was he bullshitting me?" Abraham asked.

Jewel gave a small smirk. "Yeah, he did. Of course we didn't know each other then. Merle, he was a different man back then," she said as she glanced back at Eugene who was still asleep. "What are you planning to do with Eugene now?"

"You mean now that I know that he was a complete fraud, that I was a complete blubbering idiot for following him like a pathetic puppy dog?" Abraham asked.

Jewel gave a small laugh. "You're a lot of things Abraham, like pig headed, short tempered, loyal, dedicated, and stubborn. But pathetic? No. I've seen a lot of pathetic people, and you are far from it."

Abe glanced at her. "Were you some sort of brain picker before this?"

Jewel raised an eyebrow. "I think I'm going to need you to write me a list of words in Abraham slang to understand what the hell you are saying. Are you asking if I was a psychiatrist?"

"Isn't that what I asked?" Abraham answered.

"Not even close," Jewel answered. "No, I wasn't a psychiatrist," she answered. "I was a emergency room nurse, then worked at a clinic. But I spent a lot of time at AA meetings."

Abraham laughed. "Bet you regret giving that up now."

"No, I don't. Because I wouldn't be able to be here for my family, my children. I would probably have gotten myself killed by now, or someone else. It's hard, not gonna lie. Between AA and being an emergency room nurse, I learned that disappointments, change of plans, being flexible, it's all part of the package. Yes, Eugene lying about Washington, it was a big letdown for all of us. I can't even imagine what it is for you and Rosita. But we keep moving, we keep going and you're part of that now. You want to be part of that don't you?" Jewel asked.

"You could have been a good brain picker," Abraham told her. "Yeah, I'm part of it," he answered.

Beth POV:

Riley snuck into the room where Beth was with the woman they brought in. "You know her right? She's one of your group?"

Beth looked up. "Carol."

"Dawn gave you the key to the medicine cabinet didn't she? She'll say you owe her later, but you had to try and save her. Just want you to be aware what you're getting into," she said. "Gorman, O'Donnell and Jeffries are all gone, big problems for Dawn."

"She got me to do her dirty work with Jeffries," Beth told her.

"Welcome to the world of Grady, the hospital that you check into and if you're lucky to live, you never make it out, because you're sold into slavery," Riley said sarcastically.

"Hey, we're going to get out of here, you, me and Carol. Everyone's going to love you, and they'll accept you because you helped me," Beth told her.

"Look, I know you won't leave without Carol, and I totally understand that. But, if you get a chance to go, you need to go. Don't worry about me, you have to promise me that. You have to make sure you and Carol get out, I'll cover you. I'll kill Dawn if I have to. Grady can be what it was meant to be, it needs to be, and good people are still here. But you don't belong here," Riley told her.

"Neither do you," Beth said. "It's not going to be long until they start using you, you said it yourself."

"I wouldn't survive a day out there, Beth. I know that. Getting home to my grandparents in hopes of what? That they aren't biters? I'm just saying that if you have a chance to go, then you need to go. Promise me," Riley begged. "I need to know that I helped someone if I can, that's why I was helping Noah. If I can screw Dawn by helping people get out of here, then that's what I'm going to do. And the first time she lets anyone do anything to me, it'll be the last time anyone hears from her. I'll take both of us out. I have Dad's personal weapon. She was stupid, she left me with him, to put him down and I took it. He always carried it in his boot. Said that people would laugh if they knew, but he always wanted to have something extra. After he died, I'd sit in my room, in the bathroom with it under my chin. I was 13, and the world ended, and I thought maybe I'd be better off. Then I'd hear dad's voice, what he said to me when my mom died. He said 'Ladybug just because the world looks lost right now, you still have a place in it. And your place may make a difference in someone's life someday. So, I waited and I watched. I know Dawn's weakness, and when that time comes, I'll use it," Riley told her. "You just need to get out of here and make a difference."

Beth hugged Riley. "I still say I'm going to get you out too," she said.

Rick's POV:

Rick approached the police car with his hands up. "Officer Franco. Officer McGinley. I'm Rick Grimes. I was a deputy in the King County Sheriff's Department. I'm here to make a proposal."

"Lay your weapon on the ground," the black Officer told him.

"Alright," Rick said as he reached to do it. He turned around slowly to show them that he had no other visible weapons.

"Alright what's your proposal?" One of the officers asked.

"You have two of my people, I have two of yours. We want to make an exchange. Then we'll be on our way. No one gets hurt," Rick explained.

"Who?" One of them asked.

"Officers Shepherd and Licari for Beth and Carol. You picked up a woman yesterday after your people hit her with a car," Rick explained.

Summer looked down the scope of her weapon. "Come on, do this the right way," she pleaded.

"Noah, he's with you? That's how you know?" The white officer asked as he looked at the other officer.

"Yes, he is," Rick answered.

"What about Officer Lamson?" The same officer asked.

"He was attacked by the dead before we got to him," Rick answered.

"Where are your people?" The other officer asked.

At that moment, Sasha shot a walker that was behind them. They turned as they heard the walker fall.

"They're close," Rick told them as they glanced around. "Radio your lieutenant, I'll wait," he said.

Franco looked at the other officer before he took his radio off his vest. "She's going to want to know how many people you have."

"More then enough to take you two down and take over the hospital. But that way, people are going to die and I don't want that to happen. I just want to get Beth and Carol. I just want to get them back to our family and I just want to get back to my wife and children. I want to do all that without anymore of us dying. Then you all can do whatever else you want to do and follow whatever rules you want. But if we have to do this the hard way, you two will be the first to die. Trust me when I say that none of my people will miss from this angle. I guess it's up to you if you make it believable with Dawn so I don't have to give the order," Rick told them.

Beth's POV:

Riley placed clean clothes on Beth's bed as she came out of the bathroom. "I though you'd like some clean stuff. It's my stuff, so Dawn has no control over what I do with it," she said.

"Thanks," Beth told her.

"I found these," Riley said as she held up the scissors. "You don't need them now," she told the older teen.

"Riley," Beth said. "You need to come with us."

"Remember what I said," Riley told her. "Earlier. Your family came for you and Carol. I was there when Dawn got the call, she's not happy that someone got the upper hand. She'll pull something, I don't know what, but you need to be there with your family. They came for you, they fought for you. God, to find people like that now a days, that's a rare find. Whatever Dawn is going to try and pull, I'm going to handle it. For my dad, for everyone she's used, for me. I'm not weak, I know that. You've only been here a few days, I've been here for two years. I know that you want to do what's right, I saw it the first time we talked," she said. "Here, you may be able to use some of this stuff. I kept some stuff from pediatrics, when they cleaned it out. Some toys, and children's Tylenol. I really wanted to get down to labor and delivery, but haven't had a chance," Riley said as she handed her a bag.

Beth hugged her. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I've got to do what needs to be done. You're walking out of here today, with Carol and Noah. If I can tag along, I will. You get Noah home for me, and a place safe for the babies in your group. If I know that they have a chance, then I'm OK with staying here. Can you promise Beth?" Riley asked.

Beth hugged her again. "I promise," she told her.

TBC