Better Days

Chapter 304

Author's Note: Deanna's going to be learning real fast that her fantasyland is going to crumble fast. I liked Deanna, but the woman was clueless. Jewel has been yelling at her since she was introduced. This is kind of out of order with the episode but it all takes about all the same time. Please review.

Rick and Jewel's POV:

Rick walked out of the garage with Jewel. When they got far enough away, so he knew Jessie wouldn't over hear, he stopped and turned to Jewel. "You know who did this?"

Jewel shook her head. "I have a guess of who did this."

"Who?" Rick asked.

"Someone inside the house. I don't think it was Pete, he takes his anger out in other ways. The kids though, one of them may be taking the anger they are feeling out in the only way they know how. It's common with abused kids, destroying something because they can't really take out there anger on the person that they want too," Jewel told him.

Rick nodded. "You should be wearing this uniform," he told her as he kissed her.

Jewel laughed. "No, I just know this because I was once was the abused kid."

"Did you destroy any owls?" Rick questioned.

"I busted beer bottles all over the yard and poured them out all over the place. I had my first sip of alcohol then. Most of the time daddy and Merle couldn't remember the night before. I got rid of a lot of Merle's stash. I may have taken his motorcycle out one night and jumped off of it before it hit a tree. I blamed him for leaving Daryl and me behind. I was like nine or ten at the time, he didn't suspect me at all, and he'd never suspect Daryl. Daryl was the good one," Jewel responded.

Rick smiled as he touched her face. "So were you, you still are. So you think it's Ron or Sam?"

"It's a gut feeling, nothing that can be proved or anything," Jewel stated.

"I've learned to trust those gut feelings," Rick told her as he kissed her.

"Sam," Jewel told him. "He's the youngest, the frailest, he can't do anything to protect his mother from the abuse, and possibly Ron. Ron can at least stand up to him, try to run interference. He's probably taken some abuse himself, trying to interfere. God knows Daryl did protecting me."

"I can't really talk to him," Rick told her.

"No, but I can, or at least go to Jessie's house and befriend her," Jewel told him.

Rick raised an eyebrow. "I was under the distinct impression you didn't like Jessie."

"I'm not entirely fond of any woman who has eyes for my husband," Jewel stated.

Rick laughed. "Do you all know something I don't? David said that Jessie had her eyes set on me."

"You're a good guy, Rick, the best. You would never think about betraying me, straying from our marriage. But Jessie reminds you of Lori, needing you in a way I won't ever need you. Her and Lori both needing protection. Jessie sees you, especially in that uniform, as someone who can protect her. I want you to protect her, from her abusive husband, but I can also help. So let me take the lead on this, alright?" Jewel questioned.

Rick kissed her and touched her cheek. "You never have to worry about me straying? I have everythin' I ever wanted right is standing right in front me. Strong, beautiful, caring, fierce when she's protecting someone she loves. Some things I'll have to wait to show you in the bedroom," he told her.

Jewel smiled. "I should let you get back to actual work, Constable," she said as she kissed her.

"Go take a nap," Rick told her as he kissed her.

Summer and Carol's POV:

Summer came down the stairs after putting both girls to bed. "Carol who was at the door?" she questioned as she came into the kitchen. "Sam? What are you doing here? I was going to bring you the cookies that Carol made last night."

"He brought chocolate. I guess he didn't believe me when I said that I'd bring him cookies," Carol said in a harsh tone.

Summer gave Carol a Dixon glare. "Well I should have thought about you wanting fresh cookies, Sam. They always taste good coming straight from the oven."

"She told me if I stole the chocolate, she'd make me fresh cookies," Sam told Summer.

"She did, did she? Well then I guess than you definitely earned the cookies huh?" Summer questioned. "Do you guys need any help? If I had known you were down here, I would have came to help, but I'm helping my mom out with the babies today. She needs a break sometimes," Summer said as she sat down.

"We've got it under control," Carol responded. "I was just about to tell Sam that these are it, and there's no coming back here for more. We have enough people to worry about," she stated. "You understand that right Sam?"

"Yeah," Sam answered.

Summer looked at Carol again and sighed. "I bet you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, don't you Sam?" she asked as the boy nodded. "I bet you've never had peanut butter and jelly cookies have you?"

"No," Sam admitted.

"Well that settles it, I'm going to teach you, Mika and Mitch how to make them. Jane, she was like my surrogate grandmother, taught me how to make them. Just thinking about them is making my mouth water. We can use one of the other houses kitchens. Will that be alright?" Summer asked.

"I'd like that," Sam admitted. He got quiet as he cleaned the counter. "Were you always a good cook Carol?"

"Sam, you and I aren't talking," Carol said as she went over to the sink.

"Do you like it? Cooking? I mean before," Sam asked.

Carol sighed as she looked at Summer then at Sam. "Sam," she warned.

"We don't have to be friends, just doesn't have to be quiet," Sam told her.

"He's right Carol. Plus I'm interested," Summer interjected.

"I was good at it, it distracted me, it made me forget when I was sad," Carol told them.

"Sometimes, when I get sad, I break stuff," Sam admitted.

"What kind of stuff?" Both Summer and Carol questioned, as Summer got up and went over to Sam and bent down. "Hey, Sam, whatever it is, you can tell me. I want to be your friend," she told him.

"You said someone broke your owl statue, did you break it?" Carol asked to which Sam nodded. "Why? Why are you here?"

"Besides the cookies obviously," Summer asked.

"Why did you steal the guns?" Sam asked.

Carol glanced at Summer. " Cause sometimes you need to protect yourself," Carol told him.

"Can I have a gun?" Sam questioned.

"Sam? What's going on that you feel like you need a gun, sweetheart?" Summer asked gently.

"It's not for me," Sam told them.

"Who is it for?" Carol asked as he got quiet. "Sam? Whose it for?"

Summer looked at Sam. "Hey while the cookies bake, let's go out on the swing alright? Go on, I'll get some of the cold cookies out, we can snack. I'll be right there," she assured him.

"What are you doing?" Carol questioned Summer.

"This is our chance, to find out what's going on. I can get him to tell me what's going on in that house, a confirmation. We can't do anything without a confirmation," Summer told her. "Your way, he's going to shut down and run home. I can get him to open up, and tell me, you know it. We get the proof, then we go to Dad and Michonne."

"The only way to deal with this, is killing Pete, take him out of the equation," Carol told her.

"We don't have to kill everybody, we can do it another way. Let me try this," Summer told her as she got the cookies.

Jes's POV:

Jes checked her gun after shooting with Abraham and the two people from Alexandria. She sensed someone had stayed behind. "Gus, you need something?"

"Do you really think that something is going to happen to Alexandria?" Gus asked.

"Yeah, I do. Come with me, I want to show you something," Jes told him. "You were out there, in the beginning right?"

"For a few weeks, nothing like you guys," Gus answered. "It was bad."

"It got worse," Jes answered. "The walkers', they are bad, but you know what there adjectives are, bite, eat, and repeat. You put a bullet in there head, an ax, a knife from the other side of the room, a baseball bat blow to the head, it ends them. But, humans, well they have different agendas. You make it out there this long, you start losing who you are, it brings out a side of you that you didn't know was possible," Jes told him as they walked.

"Did you lose who you were?" Gus asked.

"I had lost who I was a long time ago, I found who I was meant to be, with this group, with my family. I got lucky, found the right people. The first place I was in, Woodbury, well it was ran by a crazy man who kept heads in fish tanks. He wanted my head, Jewel's and Michonne's to join the collection. He could make you drink the Kool Aid. He ordered me to take Jewel out and kill her and bring her head back to him. I made a different call," she told him. "Took her back to the prison, back to her children, back to her brother, back to Rick. Then I went back with them to rescue Maggie and Glenn. I kept wanting to leave, be on my own. But, wound up staying. I held Hope before Rick did, she was a day or so old. When something so small is put in your arms, you realize that you do the things you need to do so they can survive," Jes said as she stopped and bent down to the walker with a W on it. "We saw this back at Noah's home, right outside Washington. Wolves not far was written in blood on the wall. Now unless wolves evolved to where they can write, this means humans are doing this. There were trucks with body parts in it, hands, feet, and even one with just heads. It looked like the gate was rammed through with a truck. Believe me when I say that's not the first time we've seen something like that. Governor had ran a truck through the gates at the prison, then the second time he showed up, he had a tank. A tank, a big old tank. He got the upper hand on us because we didn't have the guard tower manned. People were down with the flu, we were running ragged. But, if one of us were up there, than maybe we'd still be in the prison. Maybe Hope wouldn't have been born at Terminus. Hershel would still be alive, Merle, Bob, Ty, Lizzie, Molly and all the ones that died at the prison…they'd all still be here. It was a mistake not to have the guard tower manned, and I'm not letting it happen again," she told him.

"Those deaths aren't on you. You said you were all running ragged, you can't be everywhere, you can't protect everyone," Gus told her.

Jes looked at him. "But I sure the hell can try. Now am I doing it with or without your help? Are you willing to take more chances with your families life? We may not be able to stop them, but we sure the hell can do more damage then a dummy," she told him.

"I'm with you," Gus answered with a nod.

"So does Spencer know how to shoot?" Jes questioned.

"He knows how to hold a gun, but under pressure? I'm not sure," Gus answered.

"Seems like Deanna gives her sons' the real cushy jobs. She doesn't listen to Quinn, does she?"

Gus laughed. "Quinn and Deanna disagree about how this place should be ran. And, Quinn doesn't give Aiden any slack. I wish I could be a fly on the wall for this supply mission."

"Quinn know how to handle a gun? Under pressure?" Jes questioned.

Gus nodded. "She used to go to the shooting ranges with us when her husband and I were stationed together. She always out shot us, especially in the prone position. I always teased her she would make a good sniper. She's been telling her mom that the tower needed manned for ages. With all of you around, she feels vindicated. I know it doesn't mean much, I'm glad you all are here," he told Jes as she nodded at him.