Better Days

Chapter 278

Author's Note: The last chapter was really hard to write, but necessary. They all are going through things there own ways. I think they touched on it with Sasha and Rick but didn't delve into it. And you all know me, I have to explore things. I want to do Rick outside the gate, but he needs to be inside the gate with this. So Jewel will be going with him (Like this would stop her?) Anyway, please review.

Rick, Jewel and Rosita and Ronnie's POV:

Emily wasn't looking where she was going and ran right into someone and landed on her butt. "Sorry, I was looking for someone," she told the man.

Rick looked down at her and sighed as he offered his hand. "Come on."

"I'm Emily….Eric's sister. Anyway, maybe you could help me. I'm looking for Jewel's husband, Rick Grimes. You know him?" the young woman asked.

Rick tensed. "I'm Rick Grimes, what's happened to my wife?"

Emily gave a nervous laugh. "Um…she had an argument with a jar of peaches and lost…" she answered. "Long story, but she needs to get to the infirmary and she needs her family."

"Where is she?" Rick demanded.

Emily looked up as Phoebe, Noreen, Quinn and Jewel walked out. "I found him. Literally ran into him," she answered nervously.

"Scaring another person by just staring at them, huh?" Jewel asked as Noreen held her hand up, a makeshift wrap being on it.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Rick asked as he eyed Quinn holding Hope.

"It's alright, this is Quinn, Deanna's daughter," Jewel introduced. She took a breath and looked at him. "I'm far from alright…." she answered truthfully.

Rick rubbed her face and kissed her softly. "Let's get you over to the infirmary," he said as he went to take Hope.

"Jewel needs you, Quinn isn't going anywhere with the precious angel. She's going to be right next to you," Noreen told him.

Rick looked at Jewel. "It's alright," Jewel assured him. "I trust her," she answered.

"I'm going to find Denise, tell her what's going on. She may be able to help," Phoebe told them as she walked away.

"Someone want to tell me why my wife had an argument with a jar of peaches?" Rick asked.

"Later, Rick. Please?" Jewel asked as they got to the infirmary.

Rick nodded as he kissed her. "Alright, but you know you aren't off the hook."

Jewel gave a small smile. "I wouldn't think of it," she told him.

"You all don't need an audience, Em. I want Deanna to hear it from me that what happened was not Jewel's fault," Noreen said. "It was very nice to meet you Jewel, I wish it could have been under normal circumstances," she said as she nodded to Rick. "I'll be over later, if it's alright, to check on Jewel. I don't want to impose."

Rick nodded. "That's fine," he said.

"Tell mom I'll be over later," Quinn said as she walked into the infirmary.

"Ronnie? Rosita?" Rick called out.

Pete came out from the other room. "Well if it isn't Rick Grimes. You all need something? Quinn?"

Quinn glanced at Rick and looked at Pete. "Is Ronnie or Rosita around Pete?"

"Ronnie's doing inventory, something about keeping track of what we have and don't have. Don't see why it's necessary, considering it hasn't been done before," Pete said as he approached Jewel. "What happened?"

Rick took a step forward. He had felt Jewel tense up again as he got closer and could smell alcohol on the other mans breath. "I would be extremely grateful if you went and got Ronnie."

Rosita came out of the other room. "Jewel, what happened? Come on sit up on the bed," she instructed. "Is Hope alright?"

Jewel nodded. "Yeah."

"Rosita, step back, I am the doctor around here," Pete said.

"You're not the only doctor anymore Pete. They are requesting Ronnie, so I would strongly advise that you go get her. You aren't the big honcho anymore," Quinn said. She sighed as Pete left.

"This is going to hurt," Rosita told her as she started picking out glass from the wound.

Hope started to fuss in Quinn's arms. "Oh someone is getting hungry. Mommy will be done in a few minutes."

Ronnie came out with a bottle and formula. "Carol insisted that we all keep bottles and formula around, just incase we have Hope and Judith unexpectedly. Yes, I know that it's not the same sweetheart, but mommy's hurt. I bet daddy can convince you, yes," she said as she handed the bottle and mix to Rick. "Now, can you wait outside? Getting a little crowded in here."

Jewel grimaced as Rosita took glass out of her hand. "It's alright, I'm not going anywhere," she said.

Rick nodded as he kissed her. "I won't let Hope out of my sight."

"I know," Jewel told him as they went out the room.

Rick and Quinn's POV:

Rick took Hope out of Quinn's arms after he fixed the bottle. "There you go, sweetheart," he told the baby as he kissed the top of her head. "What happened?"

Quinn gave a small nod. "I knew you were going to ask me that. Some of the women around here, they talk before they think."

Rick leaned against the post on the porch. "I'm going to need more then that," he told her.

"Jewel overheard one of the women talking about how she thought mom should have took the kids, turned all of you out," Quinn answered honestly.

Rick looked up from Hope and to Quinn. "The woman still alive? Jewel didn't throw a knife at her?"

Quinn smiled. "Jewel told Stacy the same thing. That it was all she had not to throw a knife before we even saw her, right into her head, then got the food herself. I have to say it scared Stacy and some of the others."

"It didn't scare you?" Rick asked curiously.

Quinn shook her head. "I'm not one of those that are naïve, thinking that the nightmares out there won't come in. I was an Army wife for over eleven years, lived on posts with other families, waiting for my husband to come back. I've seen what war can do to a man or woman. Cam was on his third deployment when he was killed. After he came back from his second one, he was sitting in the living room, his thoughts went somewhere else. He was back there in Afghanistan, not sitting in our living room. That was the same look I saw in Jewel today. She wasn't here, she was back there, reliving that moment. So, no I wasn't scared for myself, I was scared for her. I'm scared for all of you. You're all a family, but sometimes families have to trust other people, let other people in. You all belong here, have a right to be here, more then the rest of us, I say. You've earned a little bit of peace. My mom and I disagree on a lot of things, and not carrying guns or being able to defend ourselves is one of them," Quinn said.

"Do you think you can change her mind?" Rick asked.

"Don't you think I've tried? If the dead or the living come in that wall, there's very few of us who know how to fight. But that's useless if we can't protect ourselves," Quinn told him. She looked over to see a few people approaching. "I think the word is out that Jewel is hurt."

Carol came up with Mar and Mika and Judith. "Rick, we heard about what happened. Is Jewel alright?" Carol asked as she smiled brightly at Quinn. "I'm Carol, I don't think we've had a chance to meet yet."

"Quinn, I'm Deanna's daughter," Quinn answered.

"Rick what happened?" Mika asked. "Is Hope alright?"

Quinn smiled. "You must be Mika. I've heard how brave you are from Jewel. Hope is fine," she assured the girl. "My daughters would love to meet you, when ever you feel up to it."

"We'll see," Mar told her.

Rick glanced at Quinn. "I think it'll be alright for you to stop by tomorrow. I think Jewel would be more comfortable at the house."

"I'll make sure to have cookies," Carol said with a smile.

"Do you think you can take Hope back to the house? I'm going to stay here, make sure Jewel's alright," Rick told them.

"I got her," Mika said as she took her. "Is your belly all full now? Hmm?" she asked as she kissed the top of her head.

"We'll see you there," Mar said as they turned around to leave.

Ronnie, Jewel and Rosita's POV:

Ronnie glanced at Jewel as she was stitching her hand. "Something else happened, didn't it? Something more then you just squeezing a jar to hard."

"Terminus," Jewel simply answered.

Rosita looked at her. "Terminus?"

"Terminus. I knew I wasn't there, but I was. I could hear the hens cackling, I knew I was in Alexandria, but I could hear Gareth, I could feel the fear of seeing Bob, Rick, Daryl and Glenn being bound and gagged. I could feel the hatred for Claire, like it was that day. I was helpless, and I don't like that feeling," Jewel told them.

"It doesn't mean you're weak, far from it," Rosita told her.

"Last night, I could have sworn I saw Ridge, felt his breath on my neck. We haven't stopped since the prison fell, since Terminus," Ronnie told her. "Now that we have, it's bound to happen. We all are soldiers that just came in from the front. But the front, it's right outside these gates. We know what can happen."

"You're not alone, Jewel. These people aren't going to understand, but we do. You and I haven't had a chance to get to know each other. I think we should grab some fattening food, lock ourselves in a room and share about how good Abraham and Rick are in bed. We'll make sure Hope is asleep," Rosita said with a wink.

"Thank you Rosita for reminding me how totally alone I am," Ronnie said with a shake of her head. "But she's right. We all need normalcy. You've always had to be the strong one. I could see it the day we got to the prison. Pregnant and still needed to make sure everyone was alright, made sure to know where her little duckies were. And I'm not just talking about the kids. I mean all of us. Now you have more little duckies, and you still feel like you need to be strong. But even the strongest tree branch breaks eventually. And, I know that as one of your little duckies, I want you healthy. So, as your doctor and your friend, I'm grounding you."

Jewel glanced at Rosita. "Did she say she's grounding me?"

Rosita tried not to laugh. "I think she did."

"Ronnie, I'm not a four year old. Hell, even when I was a four year old, no one cared enough to ground me," Jewel told the woman.

"Well see, it's about time," Ronnie told her. "You did some serious damage to your hand, luckily it doesn't look like it is going to have any nerve damage. But, I need you to take care of it. If we do wind up back out there, you having a hand that you can't use to throw a knife while holding Hope isn't going to be good. And, I want you to take Rosita up on her offer. I'd join the two of you, but I think I'd be depressed by hearing about your sex lives," she admitted.

"They're will be no talking about our sex lives," Jewel assured her.

Rosita looked at her. "Oh yes there will be. That's what girlfriends do with each other. We'll invite Mar, and Maggie." she said.

"If we invite Mar, then there's NO talking about sex lives. She's with my brother, I DO NOT want that image in my head. Thanks," Jewel said.

"You have enough people to help you with Hope. So, ask someone to help you pick her up. I'll be watching you," Ronnie warned.

Rosita smiled. "You can even teach me how to change a diaper. See, I'm a good friend, I'm offering to learn to change a diaper."

Jewel laughed. "Fine, you two win. I'm leaving now before you think of any other rules for me to follow."

"We do live in the same house, I'll find you," Ronnie warned as she handed her a few pain killers. "It won't affect you nursing."

Jewel nodded as she walked out. "Where's Hope?"

"She's with Mika, Carol and Mar. Quinn is bringing her girls over tomorrow if you feel up to it," Rick said as he kissed her. "You alright?"

"I will be. Let's get outside the gate, I need to get out of here for a while," Jewel said. "Luckily I can use a knife with my other hand," she said as she kissed Rick.