This Night

Chapter 247

Author's Note: So this week is hectic, not enough time to do anything. Long time no hear right? Sorry Holidays caught up with me! Hope everyone had a happy holiday. Please review.

Day 7 Group POV:

Jewel kissed Rick as he loaded up the car. "I can drive, you know. You're allowed to take a break now and then."

"I know you can drive, but I can't feed little Miss. Hope. I just don't have the right equipment," Rick said as he kissed her.

"I don't mind driving, if you two don't mind an extra person in the car. I don't mind spending some time with one of the two cutest babies in the group," Michonne said as she touched Hopes head. "You've got your daddy's uncontrollable hair, yes," she told the newborn.

"You sure you don't mind?" Rick asked.

"If I minded, I wouldn't have offered. I do need a side kick, the two of you will want to be in the backseat with Hope," Michonne said.

"I can sit up front," Rick answered.

Jewel and Michonne exchanged glances. "Men are so dense sometimes," Michonne said. "No, Rick you are going to be sitting in the back with your wife and daughter. Judith can sit back there with you two also. Hey Rosita, want to ride shotgun?"

Rosita turned from the truck she had been riding in. "Yeah, sure. We changing things up?"

"Rick's been driving the lead car for the past six days, he needs a break. He doesn't think he needs a break, but he's being overruled," Michonne said.

"Sounds good to me," Rosita said as she walked over with her gear. "She's getting more alert," she told Jewel. "That's good right? I know close to zero about babies."

"Yeah, that means she's doing good, she's thriving. Giving us all Hope," Ronnie said as she touched the infants face.

Rick laughed as he shook his head. "I don't even get a say in this, do I?"

"No, there's enough of us around to take the load off you. You just have to learn to accept the help," Rosita told him.

Jewel smirked. "Something I've been trying to get him to learn for a while now. Carl, Summer, come over here please."

Both teens looked at each other before moving. "What's up mom?" Carl asked.

"You want us to take Judith? Give you a break from her?" Jewel asked.

"Judith keeps us entertained," Summer said.

"We're fine with her," Carl said.

Jewel gave a small smile. "If you're both sure," she said.

"We are. Between the two of us, Mika, Mitch, Ty, Beth, and Lexi, she's quite entertained," Summer said.

Rick nodded. "Just let us know if you want to change spots."

"We will," Summer assured him as Daryl came over.

"Mar's driving the van, I'm driving shot gun," Daryl said.

"We're changing it up over here too," Rick said.

"It's a good idea to switch up drivers so everyone doesn't get exhausted," Jewel said. "Abraham, you're not driving today."

Abraham looked at her. "Like the hell I'm not," he told her.

"Abraham, let someone else drive," Rosita said.

"That's how we're doing it, the same drivers have been driving the past seven days, we're changing it today. Jes you're driving, Glenn is shotgun," Rick ordered

Jes nodded as she went over to the drivers seat. "Get your ass out of my seat, Ford."

Abraham got out and looked at her. "I'm perfectly capable of driving, I'm not tired."

Glenn looked at him. "We all take turns, that's what we do. We need all of our reflexes at there best. We should have done this before," he told the other man.

"Let's finish loading up," Rick told the group.

Axel, Mar and Eugene's POV:

Axel bent down to get water as he glanced at Eugene then at Mar. "Eugene, I'm curious about something. It's not really my business, and you can refuse to answer, but why did you do it?"

Mar turned as Axel asked the question. "Considering that he put us all in danger by bringing us in on his big Washington has a cure thing, it is our business."

Eugene looked at the two of them. "I lied. Everyone hates me, it's simple as that."

Mar looked at him. "Simple? You think it's simple? You think that's good enough? You made us believe in something, made us look to a better future then this. So, 'I lied' isn't an answer, it's an excuse. A pathetic excuse for a pathetic little coward of a man."

"Mar, easy," Axel told her. "Look Eugene, I know what it is to be a coward, I've been there. I'm trying to be better."

"You are better, you stayed with Beth and Daryl. You fought with them, for them. You are no way a coward," Mar said as she turned to face Eugene. "But you, you endangered people I care about by putting light bulb pieces in the gas tank and made the bus fail? It caught on fire. Why? Just because you are a lying, worthless, piece of shit. Do you even care about anybody other then yourself? You're lucky we're not the type of person that'll leave you on the side of the road," she said.

Axel stood up and pulled Mar gently away. "Go back to the group, we'll be there shortly."

"I'm not leaving you with him," Mar answered.

"I'll be alright," Axel told her. "You going off like this isn't going to do anything. We won't be long. Go on," he assured her.

Mar sighed and turned to leave giving Eugene a look of disgust as she passed him.

Eugene released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thank you," he told Axel. "For sticking up for me. Not a lot of people do that anymore. And she scares me, so does Jewel."

Axel looked at him. "I didn't stick up for you. I was making sure that Mar didn't hurt her hand by hitting you. We don't need one of the stronger members of the group to hurt her hand by punching you," he said. "These are good people, they didn't have to let me into the group at the prison, but once they saw I meant them no harm, they did. They trusted me, they've taught me, and I'd die to protect any one of them. I asked you why you did what you did, not because I necessarily care, but because you need to accept what you did with a better excuse then 'I lied, it's simple as that.' You endangered a lot of people, Bob and Merle died because we stopped to get our bearings before we headed out to Washington. Would you have put glass in the gas tank if the children were with you? If baby Hope or Judebug was with you?" Axel asked.

"I hadn't thought that far ahead," Eugene admitted.

Axel gave a small laugh. "Yeah, I've heard that excuse. Hell I even had that excuse when I got sent to prison. I robbed a pharmacy with a water pistol. A water pistol. Yeah that wasn't the smartest thing to do. They searched my brother's house, didn't believe that I robbed a store with a water pistol, that anyone would be that stupid. They found a .38 in my brothers place, he didn't say anything about it being his. Just let me be taken and convicted. Amazing how stupid little things happen when you just don't think that far ahead, huh? It's how a lot of guys wound up in the joint. How a lot of men were part of something they didn't know they were going to be part of because they hadn't thought 'that far ahead.' I think that's a good thing about this world. You have to think ahead, think of what could happen, all the bad things, all the consequences. Now that the truth is out, what do you plan about making it right?"

"Nothing I can do," Eugene answered.

Axel nodded. "Alright, I give you that. It was a pretty big lie. It got people killed, it destroyed people's trust. I don't blame Abraham for a second for hitting you. But, what are you going to do from this moment on to make yourself a useful part of this family?"

"Nothing has changed the fact that I'm a coward," Eugene told him. "Confessing the truth, just made me a lying coward."

"Well, take it from someone who knows, sometimes you have to step up, not be a coward anymore," Axel told him. "You need to learn to fight, you need to learn to protect not only yourself but others around you. If you don't give a damn about yourself, then you better give a damn about the little ones who can't fend themselves."

"I can't, I've always been like this," Eugene answered.

"Then it's time to change, isn't it?" Axel asked. "Let's get back to the group."

Beth and Maggie's POV:

Beth was clearing the bathroom out of any supplies she could find when she heard the door close. She grabbed her knife and turned around. "Maggie, you can't be serious. Open the door."

"Not until we talk. This way I know you aren't going to run away from me. We need to talk," Maggie told her sister.

"What you mean is you talk, I listen, and then I say yes Maggie?" Beth questioned. "That isn't going to happen, Maggie. I'm not the same person I was at the farm, or at the prison. So if you want to talk, we're going to need to have a whole different conversation then we used to. You're going to have to stop and listen. Actually open up those ears, and hear the words that I'm saying. I'm not poor little Beth anymore. I'm strong, I'm as capable as you are, or Summer. I survived at that place Maggie, without any of you. I did that. I got Noah out, and he found Daryl. I kept Carol alive when they wanted to kill her because she wasn't making progress. Dawn kept telling me that I wouldn't make it out here, that I wasn't strong enough. I had to listen to her say it, but I'm not going to listen to you say it. I'm not going to let you try to protect me because you don't think I can survive. I know, Maggie," Beth told her as she looked directly into her eyes.

"Know what?" Maggie asked.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Maggie. You thought I was dead, you left signs for Glenn to Terminus, but not even once did you think to leave a message for me. Your own sister, Maggie. Your last living blood relative, but not even a moment thought that I could be alive. No, because that would mean that I could survive without you," Beth said accusingly.

"It wasn't like that," Maggie insisted.

"Then what was it like Maggie? I want to know what it was like Maggie. Please enlighten me," Beth asked.

Maggie leaned against the door. "I didn't think you could survive without me," she started. "It was easier to think that you were dead then being out there alone, without anyone, and having people doing God knows what to you. And, I was right. You were in a terrible place."

"Is that why you didn't put my name on the messages? Because you hoped I was dead to save me from a horrible fate?" Beth asked. "Once again, proving my point that you don't think I can handle myself."

"I don't want to lose you," Maggie simply said.

"Maggie, I don't want to lose you either. But death is part of life now. We just have to live the best life we can up to that point. I don't want to argue with you. I want to be your sister again, but daddy always said that we all have jobs to do. My job has changed and you're just going to have to accept it," Beth said as she hugged Maggie. "Can you at least try for me?"

Maggie gave a small laugh. "It won't be easy."

"Nothing ever is that's worth fighting for," Beth told her. "Come on, we need to go," she told her.