All Nightmare Long

Chapter 389

Author's Note: Dear writers, please stop adding groups that I have to incorporate into my story. It's really annoying, seriously annoying and when they hurt Rick gets Jewel angry. I'm having to shut up Negan in my head (and trust me that isn't easy, he's Negan for goodness sake) he wanted me to show the Sanctuary. I am going to but I didn't want to do it this chapter. Please review.

Rick and Joey's POV:

Joey kissed the top of Judith's head as he walked and rocked her in the nursery. "You're not the only one who misses everyone sweet pea," he told her softly as he kissed the top of her head.

"Joey, what are you doing here?" Rick questioned as he walked into the nursery. "You do realize that you live in the next house over right?"

"I was getting something to eat out of the refrigerator when I saw her stirring on the baby monitor, figured I'd get her before she bothered anyone," Joey said. "Do you want to take her?" he questioned.

Rick looked at Judith, who was almost asleep on Joey's shoulder. "No she's almost out," he said. "They'll be back soon," he assured him.

"I know," Joey told him. "I should have been out there, I should have been with her," he told him. "Maybe she would have been back by now if I was with her, maybe she wouldn't be out there alone, in the dark with the walkers," he said as he continued to rock Judith.

"You don't know that," Rick told him. "You can't sit there and second guess yourself, it doesn't do any good," Rick told him.

"Are you speaking from experience?" Joey asked as he kissed Judith's head.

Rick looked at him. "I know if anything happens to Summer, it'll destroy her. I put her out there because I needed people I could trust, and people I knew that could take care of themselves," he explained. "Every time I have to make the hard calls and someone dies, someone doesn't make it back, that's on me. I know a lot about second guessing myself, a whole lot more then I ever wanted to, or hoped to," he said as he sighed.

"Rick, most of us wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you and Jewel," Joey told him. "This little one wouldn't be here if you were any other kind of man."

"I never thought I'd be getting a pep talk from you," Rick said with a small laugh. "They'll be back, all of them. David and Summer, they'll watch each others' backs," he told them as he took Judith from him. "I know you and Summer spent a couple of nights together lately," he said cautiously.

"I was hoping we would avoid this conversation," Joey said. "I thought you told her that you were OK with us," he responded.

"I'm her father, Joey, I'll never be comfortable with my daughter having sex with anyone. But, I also know that nothing is guaranteed in this life, and we need to grab happiness when we can. Summer isn't a kid, she's been through so much more then she should have, that any of us should have, and I trust her judgement. But if you hurt her," Rick warned as he put Judith in her crib.

"You'll hurt me," Joey said. "I would never hurt her, not intentionally."

"I know, I just have to give the dad warning, it's kind of my job," Rick told him.

"You've been more of a father to me then my father to mine ever was, the type of father I want to be if I'm ever lucky enough to have kids," Joey said. "Don't worry, not planning to make you a grandfather any time soon," he assured the older man.

"Well that's a good to know," Rick said. "Do you know anything about what happened with the Wolves and Morgan?"

Joey looked at Rick. "He let them go," he answered.

Rick nodded. "That's what Jewel told me. They surrounded the RV, shot at us, almost killed us."

"Are you going to talk with him? I mean this whole non killing thing,"Joey started to explain.

"It's dangerous, it put our family at risk," Rick finished for him.

"I know you owe him your life, and in turn we all owe him our lives, but this not killing bull, it's dangerous, it's suicidal," Joey informed him.

Rick sighed as he leaned on the side of the crib. "I'm going to talk to him."

"I tried to talk to him, Carol tried to talk to him, Jewel tried to talk to him, and none of it got through. He let those men go, the same men that was killing people. Mrs. Neudermeyer was smoking a a cigarette, something that I do, something that Daryl does, and she was killed, gutted like an animal. She didn't have a chance, none of these people had a chance, Rick. If we weren't here, a lot, if not all, the Alexandrian's would be dead, and I'm sure of that," Joey said as he looked at Rick.

Carol and Jewel's POV:

Jewel sat at the kitchen table, mindlessly looking at the list of people who were out. She took a deep breath as her finger hovered over Summer's name.

Carol sat down beside her and squeezed her hand. "She'll be back. She's a Dixon, and she's one of the strongest women I know."

Jewel looked at her. "We've had a discussion like this before," she said.

"She came back then," Carol reminded her.

"I got lucky that time,"Jewel responded.

"Jewel, if anyone is going to survive this world, it's Summer, it's you, it's Daryl," Carol told her friend.

"You don't know that," Jewel told her.

"Maybe not 100%, but if I had to place a bet on it, I'd make a bet that you all will be the last ones standing," Carol said as she squeezed her hand.

Jewel gave a disheartened laugh. "Now that's a horrible thought. Watching everyone we love and die, fighting off walkers' and humans' for the rest of our lives, yeah I'm looking forward to that. I thought this place could be different, that maybe we could actually relax for once,"she explained. "Have you ever thought it was us?"

Carol looked at her. What do you mean?"

"They lived here for two years and nothing happened, the gates stood, the walkers' were in a pit, and no one found them. Not even two months after we got here, there's wolves' at the gate, literally and figuratively," Jewel explained.

"It's not us, it's this world. They got lucky, and they even got luckier that we were here, otherwise there could be a whole lot more dead if it wasn't for us," Carol reassured her.

Jewel and Carol both looked up as Morgan came in. "Jenny is asleep in Mika's room, I figured they could both use company," Jewel said as she stood up. "Carol can you give us a couple minutes?"

Carol looked at her. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm sure," Jewel answered as she didn't take her eyes off Morgan. She waited until Carol went up the stairs and she took a plate out of the fridge. "Carol always fixes plates for people who aren't home for dinner. She fixed you one. Rick wants to talk to you in the morning," she said as she looked at him.

"Mighty grateful that you put Jenny to bed for me, and grateful for Carol keeping me some summer," Morgan said as he sat down at the table.

Jewel sat down across from him. "It's what we do for family," she said as she crossed her arms.

"I didn't think you would consider me that yet," Morgan responded.

"Rick owes you his life, now Daryl and Aaron do too," Jewel responded. "I would consider that something a family would do, isn't it?" she questioned.

Morgan nodded. "It is," he said.

"You know what Rick wants to talk to you about," Jewel said.

"I do," Morgan said. "I have a feeling that you want to speak to me about the same thing," he said.

"I do, but there's something else I think we need to discuss now," Jewel told him. "Something that I think you seemed to forget when you let those wolves go today," she said.

Morgan put his fork down on the table. "Say what you need to say Jewel."

"Did you think about what would happen to Jenny if you didn't come back? Did you think what would happen if they got in? You're a parent again Morgan, as close as you can be. You're all that little girl has, she just lost her brother, a brother that was killed by the same men that you let go. This was the second time you let them go," Jewel pointed out. "Did you even think about her when you let them go?:

"I was doing what I thought was right," Morgan explained.

"Just like you did when you didn't put the walker down that was your wife,? And she wound up biting your son," Jewel told him. "I get that Morgan, I do," she told him. "That is understandable, but letting these men go, not once but twice, that's dangerous. You are a parent again Morgan, and every decision you make effects her. What would you have done if one of them killed her? Could you live with knowing that you were responsible for another child's death?" she questioned as she stood up. "My children are here too, and if you do anything to put them in danger again, there's going to be problems. I'll talk with you again tomorrow with Rick. Goodnight Morgan," she said as she went upstairs.