All Nightmare Long

Chapter 399

Author's Note: Alexandria is bugging me to continue with them, so I am obliging. Still a lot of things happening, lots of things even without my twists and turns. Please review. We're almost at 400! Is this the longest story on site? Review please.

Jewel, Rick and Mika's POV:

Jewel turned as Rick walked in to the bedroom as she changed Hope. "How is Deanna?"

"Quinn and Michonne are with her. Mika, you did good out there. I'm proud of you," Rick told Mika as he squeezed her shoulder.

"Thank you," Mika answered. "Is there anything I can do?"

"See if Carl or Joey need anything and keep an eye on Judy for us. I'll take Hope," Jewel told her. "And Rick is right, you did good out there. You aimed perfectly, didn't even flinch," she told her as she kissed the top of her head. She attached Hope to her using her carrier. "We're going to go check on the windows and doors, and go check on Deanna. You gonna be OK?"

"Got to be," Mika said with a grin.

Rick gave a small laugh. "Yeah you're becoming a Dixon," he told her. He opened the door and waited for Jewel to come out.

Jewel walked out and waited as he closed the door then touched his face. "How are you doing? Honestly, Mr. Grimes," Jewel stated.

Rick sighed. "I'd be better if I knew where the rest of the family is, Mrs. Grimes," he told her.

"Our people are smart, and they'll be able to help the Alexandrian's. We're all in this together. Right now, we should check on Deanna. I should go help Michonne with Deanna's wound," she said as she kissed him.

"Do you want me to take Hope?" Rick questioned.

"No, she's quite comfortable," Jewel told him as she went inside the room with him.

"How is she?" Rick asked.

"No offense to Michonne but what ever she is doing, hurts like a son of a bitch," Deanna told them.

"Or you are being a whiner, mom," Quinn told her as she squeezed her hand.

"I just finished with the leg, and that seems to be the worst," Michonne said as she raises the her shirt, revealing a bit mark. Everyone looking at each other, Deanna giving a defeated sigh.

"Well shit," Deanna said.

Jewel walked over and touched her forehead. "Fever's starting," she informed the group as she stood up.

"I'll stay with her," Quinn said as she squeezed her hand.

Rick put his hand on Jewel's middle back as they walked over to Jessie who was closing the blinds. "Fever's setting in, she doesn't have long. She knows how it happens, right? All of it?" Rick questioned.

"Yeah she knows," Jessie answered.

"Has Quinn ever had to put anyone down?" Jewel asked, her voice lowered.

"I don't know, I don't think so," Jessie responded.

"She's cracking jokes," Rick said.

"She wouldn't have run," Jessie told them.

"We're going to have to let everyone know that she's been bitten, make her as comfortable as we can. Make sure Quinn is prepared for what needs to be done, if she can't do it, one of us will have to," Jewel said as she looked over to where Michonne was sitting. "I'll take Quinn out in the hall," she said as she rubbed Hope's back.

Rick nodded. "We have food to last us a while. They're bound to cluster up off to one area, when they do, I'll try to get to the armory, draw them away."

"With guns?" Jessie asked.

"With flares," both Jewel and Rick answered.

"You aren't going alone, Rick," Jewel told him.

"You need to stay here, for Judith and Hope," Rick told her as he kissed her.

"Then take Joey or Michonne. I'd suggest Quinn, but she needs to stay with Deanna." Jewel told him. "You need someone to watch your back," she informed him.

"I'll go," Jessie volunteered.

Jewel looked at her. "You just learned how to shoot, the walkers' would be a lot closer than they were out there. I'd like to know that whoever is watching my husband's back isn't going to freeze. Not to mention that you have a son who is scared of his shadow, so you're going to have to stay here and take care of him," she said as she turned to Rick. "Like I said, someone is going with you," she told him.

Rick kissed her. "Alright, that's fair. we can open the gate, fire the flares off, see if we can get them somewhere that's not here," he said.

Deanna, Michonne and Quinn POV:

Michonne looked between Quinn and Deanna. "Do you want me to give you two some time alone?"she asked.

"No, we all need to say what needs to be said, not much time," Quinn said as she tried not to cry.

Deanna gave a small squeeze of Quinn's hand. "Go ahead Michonne."

The plans that you gave Rick, I've been looking them over. I get it, it could work," Michonne told her.

"Even now?" Deanna asked.

Michonne looked at Quinn then at Deanna. "Even now. The latin in the margins, what was that?" she asked.

Deanna gave a small laugh. "Huh it was something that Reg used to say when things went really really badly," she said with a laugh.

Quinn gave a small smile. "Dad always had a way to look positively at anything,"she said quietly.

Deanna smiled as she squeezed Quinn's hand. "I'm lucky Michonne,working with my family towards a better future, it's all I ever wanted. That's what I got, I got to do what I wanted, right up to the end. What do you want?"

"I want this place to work," Michonne said.

"Yes, but what do you want for you?" Deanna asked.

"I don't know," Michonne responded.

"You better," Deanna told her.

"She won't be figuring it out alone, mom. We're going to work together to build up Alexandria," Quinn assured her.

Jewel came over and gave a small smile. "Quinn, can I talk to you outside?" she asked.

Quinn looked at Deanna who gently nodded. "I'm not going anywhere," she assured her daughter.

Quinn nodded and went out in the hall with Jewel. "What is it?"

"I just want to make sure that you understand what is going to happen," Jewel said softly.

"My mom is bit, she's going to die," Quinn answered. "I don't know where my daughters' are, or my brother or my boyfriend, so I'm going to have to watch her succumb to a fever, and then I'm either going to have to watch her end her life or I'm going to have to end it before she comes back."

"One of us can do it, you don't have to be the one to do it," Jewel told her.

"When dad was killed, you said that mom needed to be the one to do it. I wish I could have done it for Aiden, but I couldn't, there wasn't enough time. But I can do this, for mom," Quinn said.

"She may want to do it herself," Jewel said. "I had a friend Andrea that wanted to do it herself . I'm sorry Quinn, I know those words don't mean anything," she said.

Quinn gave a small smile as she touched the back of Hope's head. "No but I still appreciate it," she said. "I'm going to go sit with her," she said as she went back into the room.

Jewel sighed as Michonne, Jessie and Rick came out of the room.

Quinn and Deanna's POV:

Quinn put a wet rag on Deanna's head. "Is there anything else I can do?"

Deanna gave a small smile. "Sit down," she ordered. "I know I don't say it a lot, but I am so proud of you," she told her.

"Mom, save your breath. I know that you are proud of me, I don't need you to tell me that," Quinn assured her.

"I'm dying, so I can waste my breath anyway I want," Deanna told her as her breath became labored. "I need you to help Rick and Jewel run Alexandria. You are a born leader, maybe even better than I was. You've known what Alexandria needed all this time," she told her.

"Mom," Quinn said as she wiped her eyes.

"I was always hardest on you, maybe because you were the oldest, or the only girl, but you made me proud. You are going to help Rick and Jewel run this place. You are going to keep reminding Rick that everyone is his people now. You are going to raise Chloe and Bri, and they are going to see this place thrive. And, you aren't going to be afraid to truly give your heart to Gus," Deanna warned.

"It already is," Quinn said as she wiped her eyes.

"You love him, I know that, but there's something holding you back. Maybe you're afraid of losing him too, but that is no reason to be afraid. Five minutes are better than none at all," Deannaa warned.

Quinn shook her head as she wiped her eyes. "I'm not ready to lose you," she admitted.

"Afraid you don't have a choice in that, sweetheart," Deanna said. "Can you get me some paper and pens? I want to write your brother and Maggie notes," she said.

Quinn got up and went to get the items bringing them back. "I should go see what I can do to help, I'll be back," she said as she kissed the top of her head and went out in the hall leaning against the wall wiping her eyes.

Mar and Denise POV:

Mar looked at the Wolf then at Denise. She shook her head as she looked outside. "It's getting bad out there, I should be out there to help. I should be with Mitch," Mar said.

"I don't think he's coming back. Do you think he's coming back? We can talk right?" the Wolf asked.

Mar turned and looked at him. "No, we really can't," Mar told him.

The wolf ignored her and looked at Denise. "You don't have to be afraid You don't have to listen to her," the Wolf said. "Talk."

"There's injured people out there. I have patients, I shouldn't be here," Denise said.

"None of you should," the Wolf answered.

Mar crossed her arms. "Is that what you tell yourself when you kill people?" she asked.

"What about you?" Denise asked.

"What about me?" the wolf asked.

"After the things you've done, you belong here?" Denise asked.

"Yes," the Wolf answered. He laughed and looked at her. "What do you think I've done?"

Mar sighed. "Let me guess you don't think that all the killing you've done isn't murder. That in your twisted mind you are somehow freeing all of us," she said. "Morgan may have a problem with killing you, I however don't have any trouble with it," she said. "Actually, pushing you out in front of us, may give us the time we need."

"Mar," Denise said.

"She's right, we've freed them," the Wolf said.

Mar threw up her hand. "So if I kill you, I'm freeing you? That's your logic right?" she asked.

"But I don't have anything you need. After we free them we just use what is left," the Wolf explained as he looked at Denise. "You can here without knowing that Morgan had me here," he said.

"He said he wouldn't let you go until he was sure you wouldn't kill again," Denise said.

Mar shook her head. "Yeah, like that's going to happen."

The wolf looked at her. "You don't trust people do you?"

"When they try to break down the gate of my home and kill my friends, and would kill innocent children, nope, don't trust you," Mar said.

The wolf sighed. "I'm not really that bad," he told her then looked at Denise. "It's just an infection. I was breaking into a car and cut myself on a rusty bumper just like that. It's not unfair or just...Nothing's unfair anymore. It might not kill me but it might. I've done my part. The world will take care of the rest. It won't change," he said.

"My God, you just need to shut up," Mar said.

"Show me the wound,"Denise said.

The wolf pulled up his shirt, Denise seeing the wound going over taking out bandages.

"Hey, Denise, don't waste our supplies on him, he's not going to live long enough to need them," Mar said.

"I have to help him," Denise said. "Ronnie would if she was here," she told her.

"I'm not to sure of that," Mar said.

"I'm going to help him," Denise said as she looked at him. "You weren't born this way, you changed. You can change," she told him.

"Maybe you should listen to your friend," the Wolf told her.

"Mar is smart, but she can be wrong," Denise told him.

Author's Note: ACK! I still didn't get to the non scripted scene I'm planning. I'm going to have to see if I want to do another chapter of this or back to the wolves. We'll see where my muse takes me. It's going to be chapter 400. Please review this chapter! Love you all