Better Days
Chapter 326
Author's Note: Did last chapter get eaten up? No reviews? What? Hello is this thing on? Please review.
Jes's POV:
Jes arched her eyebrow as Quinn came up the tower. "What are you doing?"
"Didn't Jewel tell you to take one of us up for a guard shift with you? I personally don't think that was a suggestion," Quinn told her.
Jes shrugged. "I'd rather be up here by myself then with people who I don't trust. With a few exceptions, you people are worthless pieces of crap," she told the other woman.
"Why don't you tell me how you really feel?" Quinn asked with a smirk.
"Be careful what you wish for," Jes answered as she looked at the Alexandrian. "I'm not known for my tact."
"I'm a big girl, Jes. I can handle it," Quinn told her.
"Fine. I think your mother is going to get every single one of you all killed, and in the process some of my family is going to die. I'll do everything in my power not to let any of my family die. I should say any more of my family die," Jes told her.
"I'm sorry about Noah, I really am. Aiden and Noah should both be alive, and I know that. I also know that if mom had listened to me, both of them would still be here. I understand how you are feeling, because I'm feeling the exact same way. Do you think I want to admit that my mother isn't the leader Alexandria needs? That she isn't capable of making the hard decisions? Well, I don't but I know that changes need to be made," Quinn stated.
"Words are nice, but it's actions that back up those words," Jes told her. "Glenn told us how you acted out there, that you didn't run, that you listened. He thinks you have what it takes to survive when this place falls. It's just a matter of time, you know that, I see it in your eyes. You can stand up for us all you want, say the right thing, but what happens when you have to take a side, and I mean stand with us? She's your mother, your blood. Are you going to be able to needs to be done or are you going run like a little coward like the rest of these little Alexandrinites? Jewel's right, most of you should be dead."
Quinn looked at her. "She's my mother, you're right about that, but I also have two daughters to think about. That's something that these people don't understand, how I can call Chloe my daughter. But you all understand, and I know that you, Rick, Jewel, all of you know how to make the hard choices. Mom believes it when she says this place needs you, she does, but she doesn't like to think that things have to be changed. We aren't living in the old world, not everyone is going to play by the rules," Quinn informed her. "I'll do what needs to be done so we can survive. It may be hard, and I may not be on the same side as my family, but I'll be on the side of the people who know how to survive. People are going to wind up dead, no matter what, but there are going to be lot less casualties with your group."
Jes looked her up and down and arched an eyebrow. "You sure you're a Monroe? You don't act like the others."
"Mom believed a woman should be able to stand on her own two feet, to stand toe to toe with anyone, to be able to argue calmly with anyone and not be afraid. We used to take opposite sides of things and debates. She always said that a good leader knew when they needed to step away and let someone else handle it. She also told me that you had to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and be able to live with yourself. I guess she's regretting all that now," Quinn told her. "I'm doing what my mother taught me, back when before the dead started walking. Some things can be applied to this world, some things can't. You need to believe me, need to trust me, I understand what may happen."
Jes looked at her. "I don't have to do anything. Believe it or not, I'm not a people person. I don't usually let people in."
"You let them in, Rick and the others. You let your guard down, let them be your family," Quinn reminded her.
Jes shrugged. "Can't make it on your own anymore."
"It's more then that, and you know it. Jewel said that you saved her life, why did you do that?" Quinn asked.
Jes looked at her. "The first time, was because she didn't need to die at the hands of the power crazed maniac. The second time, she was family. That was when I knew all the walls I had built, were down. Not for everyone, but for those people, my family, it was. Just because you and I are sharing our feelings, it doesn't mean anything. You have to prove yourself to me, and if you do, then maybe I'll consider you a part of my family," she told her.
"Understood," Quinn answered.
Summer's POV:
Summer put her bag over her shoulder and walked to the infirmary, taking a breath as she saw Spenser. She debated with herself about if she should just walk away but decided to offer her condolences. "Spenser, I just want to say that I'm real sorry about your brother."
Spenser gave a small emotionless smile. "Thank you."
"Um, yeah, I better go, I'm going to sit with Tara for a while," Summer told her.
"Why did you stop? With everything that's happened?" Spenser questioned.
"My mom once said that common decency should still exist in this world. I didn't see it at the time, but now I do. Decency still needs to exist in this world, it separates us from the dead, from the other people out there," Summer explained.
"Your dad didn't get the memo," Spenser told her.
Summer looked at him. "Dad did what he had to do in that moment. It isn't how I would have handled it, but I trust him. Mom and dad both have kept all of us alive. Dad brought my mother back to life after they met. In this world, for them to have found each other, to find that one person that can calm you no matter what, it's amazing. I don't blame dad, I blame your mom, I blame all of you for ignoring the fact that Pete was a danger."
"If your dad gets exiled, will you be staying in Alexandria?" Spenser questioned.
Summer raised an eyebrow and took a deep breath. "My Uncle Merle said that some questions are to damn stupid to justify with an answer. This is one of them," she said as she turned to walk away.
"Do you really want to go back out there? In here, it's safe and I could protect you," Spenser told her.
Summer turned around so fast that her braded hair flipped from one side to another. "Please tell me that you are not seriously hitting on me right now."
"I've noticed you and Joey don't seem as close as you were out there and I thought…." Spencer told her.
Summer stomped up to him. "Does this look like this place is safe to you?" she asked nodding to her shoulder and arm. "Yeah I got injured out there, but not because of our people, it was because I was clumsy. Guess what though? I'm still here. I felt safer out there than I do in here because I know you people are going to get some of us killed, it already did. Your brother got himself killed. Nicholas got Noah killed. And Tara is still unconscious. I've been hunting since I could walk, I could handle a bow by the time I was six I could shoot by the time I was seven . You know what else I could do before I was six? I could beat up boys, ask Joey. I hit him for calling me cute. You protecting me? If that wasn't so pathetic, I'd be laughing at you. You really think you could protect me? Get me killed, yes. Run scared? Oh most definitely. But protect me? God, you had a dummy guarding the town. You put the dummy up there. Uncle Merle had more brain cells then that and most of his brain cells had rotted away because of drug use. You know what's pathetic? That in the world before this, you'd be big man on campus, a powerful mom, never having to worry about money. You and your friends would have passed me and looked down at me because I was the scholarship girl. You would get in your fancy BMW or convertibles while I drove in a battered up car or truck that my uncles and I had worked on. But money doesn't matter now, does it? No, the tables have turned, and I'm the one that can look at you and scoff. Because now it's all about who is strong enough to survive. From what I can see, Quinn is the only Monroe who has some balls. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a job to do and I can't just let a dummy do it," she told him as she turned and walked away.
Glenn had watched the whole incident but decided to let Summer handle it unless it looked like she was going to throw a punch. He watched her walk away and followed her. "You handled that just like a Dixon."
Summer glanced at him. "Good thing I am one," she told him with a smirk. "So you saw the whole thing?"
"I was waiting to see if you were going to throw a punch before I interfered," Glenn answered.
Summer nodded. "Really couldn't throw a good punch right now. I'm going to go sit with Tara tonight, she'll be in good hands," she said as she squeezed his arm.
Michonne and Jewel's POV:
Jewel kissed Carl's forehead and sent him back home before going into the room. She looked at Rick who had already been bandaged up and shook her head. She then turned her attention to Michonne. "You don't have to stay tonight, Hope and I have it."
"Well you can sleep while I entertain Sweet Pea," Michonne answered as she stood up. "You need to have that cut looked at. You bring medical supplies with you?"
"Of course, I did," Jewel answered.
"Well put Hope down in her basinet and I'll patch up that cut. You two could have told me what was going on. And don't think I'm going to tell Rick the same thing," Michonne answered.
Jewel picked up the sleeping Hope and put her down as she placed a kiss to her forehead. "You were busy with other things. I snapped when I saw Pete grab Summer yesterday. I restrained myself from killing him right then and there. Guess I just didn't want to sharpen the knife," she said as she sat down.
Michonne shook her head. "It was more then that and you know it," she told her friend. What happened today?"
"I went to talk with Jessie. Try to get her to do something before he killed her and the boys. Pete came in and he got angry. He tried to intimidate me, and well you can probably guess how that went," Jewel told her.
"Not well," Michonne answered. "How did Rick get involved?"
"He saw Pete and I fighting, through the window," Jewel answered.
"Did you know he kept the gun?" Michonne questioned her.
"I gave it to him," Jewel told her. "When we walked into the gates, I wanted to be able to feel safe. I wanted to trust them…I wanted to forget about everything that had happened, and I wanted this to be the place that we needed, we wanted."
Michonne worked on her eye. "But?"
"But when it time to give up all the guns, I couldn't make myself give up that one gun. I looked at Hope, and I was back at Terminus. I looked at Carl, and could hear the fear in his voice about what almost happened on the road. I looked at Mika, Summer and Lexi and was thankful that nothing had happened to them, but thought something could happen to them here. Then I looked at Mitch and all I could think of was the little boy who lost both of his brothers at the beginning. Then I looked at Judith and wondered what would happen to her if something happened to all of us. I couldn't bend down and give up my last gun," Jewel told her.
"But you stopped Jes from leaving when she didn't want to give up all her guns," Michonne told her.
"I know," Jewel told her. "I felt like a hypocrite, but I know that Jes will understand. We're all stronger when we're together," she responded.
Michonne bent down and looked at her. "Nothing is going to happen to any of the kids. You know all of us would die before that. But I understand, I do," she told her as she squeezed her hand.
"You're still going to talk to Rick," Jewel answered.
"He didn't have to take the gun," Michonne answered.
Jewel looked at her. "He did. Every time that we've let our guards down, every time that we let someone live, they've came back. Some of us always die. Those deaths, they never leave Rick. He's the leader, and he takes them to heart," Jewel told the other woman. "Like Rick said at the barn, we do what we have to do, then we get to live. This is how we survive, we tell ourselves that we are the walking dead. We may be inside these gates, Michonne, but we aren't safe. Noah's dead, and we're still waiting for Tara to wake up. So, we still are the walking dead," Jewel told her as she looked over at Rick.
Review please! Pretty pleases?