All Nightmare Long
Chapter 441
Author's Note: This weeks episode made me cry. And yet Negan is still alive. Have I said I am dreading writing one particular scene, the scene that introduces Negan to our group. Review please, it really motivates me.
Hilltop:
The group enters the gates of Hilltop, all of them looking around.
Wesley, one of the men who they rescued was helping Freddie. "Hey, thanks again."
"Come see me whenever. Over here in the medical trailer, OK?" Dr. Carson said to Maggie and Glenn. "Summer, I want to look over that leg, come see me alright?"
"I'm fine, we have a doctor back in Alexandria," Summer said.
"She'll be there," Jewel told the Doctor.
"Good," Dr. Carson said as he took Freddie to the trailer.
"There was a material job for a power company nearby. That's how we put up the walls. A lot of people came from a FEMA camp, trailers came with them," Jesus explained.
"How'd people find out about this place?"Michonne asked.
Jesus gestured to a large house in front of them. "That's called Barrington House. The family that owned it gave it to the state in the '30's. The state turned it into a living history museum. Every elementary school for fifty miles used to come here for field trips. Place was running a long time before the modern world built up around it. I think people came here because they figured it would keep running after the modern world broke down," he explained.
Mitch rolled his eyes. "Did you used to work here before? You know an awful lot about this place," he said.
"I read the brochures," Jesus told him. "Plus I came here for field trips, never thought I'd be living here. Those windows up there let us see for miles in every direction," he told them.
"Do you have guards up there?" Jes questioned.
"We haven't needed them, plus without guns, it wouldn't make a lot of sense," Jesus answered her.
"You could keep an eye on any unwanted guests," Summer said. "It would give you an advantage," she told him.
"It's perfect for security," Jesus added.
"It doesn't help if if there's no one up there,"Joey said.
"Good point, but I'm not in charge," Jesus reminded them. "I'll show you inside," he said as he opened the doors.
Abe looked around. "Good gracious inacious," he said.
"We really need a dictionary for your sayings," Summer told him.
"Most of the rooms have been converted to living spaces, even the ones that weren't bedrooms," Jesus explained.
"People live here and the trailers?" Rick asked.
"We plan to build, there's babies being born," Jesus said.
"There's babies being born in Alexandria,"Jewel told him. "Summer did you stay here or in the trailers?"
"Here, in one of rooms of a person who isn't here anymore," Summer said.
"Jesus, you're back with guests," the man said as he came out of double doors.
Summer stood behind Abe, not wanting to make her presence known yet.
"Everyone this is Gregory, he keeps the trains running on time around here," Jesus said as he made introductions.
Gregory spread out his arms. "I'm the boss," he said.
"I'm Rick, we have a community," Rick said as he introduced himself.
"Why don't you all go get cleaned up?" Gregory asked.
Summer rolled her eyes as she came out from behind Abraham. "Make sure you lock the doors, or he'll just barge in while you're undressing and play dumb," she said. "Hello Gregory, it's good to see you again. In case you forget it's Summer, not Autumn, not Spring, not Winter, Summer," she said.
"You stole a car," Gregory said.
"Borrowed it, Jesus and Archie both knew," Summer said. "It's outside of the gates, returned in better shape than I took it."
"Like I was saying, why don't you all go clean up, then we'll talk," Gregory said.
"We're fine," both Rick and Jewel said at the same time.
Gregory came closer and leaned into Rick. "Jesus will show you where you can get washed up. Then you can come back down here when you are ready, hard to keep this place clean," he said.
"Hard to keep those suits clean, I'm sure," Jewel said as she arched an eyebrow and put a hand on Rick's shoulder.
"Follow me," Jesus said.
Rick walked up the steps with Jewel right in front of him with Maggie next to him. "You clean up first, you talk to him," he said to Maggie.
"Why?" Maggie asked.
"I shouldn't," Rick said.
"We'd both punch him. I'm surprised I didn't already," Jewel said.
"And you got to start doing these things," Rick told Maggie.
"Alright, but Summer is going to come with me," Maggie said.
"Me?" Summer asked as she glanced at Glenn as they walked behind them.
"Yes you, you're ready," Maggie said. "Come talk to me while we clean up," she said to the younger woman.
"If you haven't noticed, we don't exactly like each other," Summer pointed out.
"I don't think he likes anyone who has breasts," Mar said.
"Maggie's right, you are ready, both of you are," Rick said. "Get ready," he told them.
Maggie, Glenn and Summer's POV:
Summer sat on the edge of the bed as Maggie and Glenn washed there faces. "I can see why dad wants you to talk to him, but I don't get why you want me to talk with him too," she said.
"It's the same reason Glenn suggested your mom to be Rick's second," Summer said.
"Because Shane was off his rocker?" Summer questioned.
Glenn laughed. "Well it was that, but it was because she was as capable as Rick. The two of them worked well together."
"I know I already work well with Maggie," Summer said.
Maggie sat on the bed with her. "Deanna saw something in me, just like Glenn saw something in Jewel. I think you can do anything you put your mind too, and I think this is your chance to try something different. Two heads are better than one, right?" Maggie said.
"I don't think Gregory is going to know what to do with the two of you,"Glenn said.
"He doesn't have much respect for women," Summer said.
"I thought Jewel was going to knock him senseless," Glenn said.
"Two years ago, she would have," Summer said.
"She's changed, we all have," Glenn said.
"Some people haven't, Gregory wears a suit, for God's sake," Summer said.
"I bet he hasn't even been outside the gates, ever,"Glenn said.
"So what's the plan? He isn't going to make it easy,"Summer said.
"Well it's a good thing that the two of you are stubborn, now isn't it?" Glenn questioned.
"Gregory won't know what hi him," Maggie said with a grin. "You ready?" she asked.
"I was really hoping that I would never have to deal with that pompous ass again,"Summer said as she got up. "Let's get this over with," she said as she started to go out the door.
"You've got this, both of you," Glenn said as they went out the door.
Maggie nodded at Summer before she opened the door. "Gregory," she said as she stood right inside the door.
"Natalie right?" Gregory said.
"Maggie," Maggie corrected him.
"That's pretty close," Gregory said.
"Not really," Maggie said.
Gregory got up from his desk. "She calls them like she sees it, I like that," he said as he glanced at Summer. "You can leave, I think we can handle it," he told Summer.
Maggie put her hand on Summer's arm. "I've asked her to be here, we don't do things alone, so you talk with both of us," she said as she looked at the picture on the wall.
"Nice room," Summer said.
"It is," Gregory agreed. "I came to this place once before when it was a museum, some Chamber of Commerce thing Loved that painting, never figured it'd be mine, here it is. It was like it was waiting for me the whole time," he told them. "Sit down," he said as he sat down on the love seat and patted next to him. Both Maggie and Summer exchanged glances and sat down in the chairs across from him. "Jesus told me your group saved Dr. Carson. Obviously Doctors are rare commadities these days. I want to thank you for bringing ours back," he told them.
"My husband saved him, along with Summer, here," Maggie said. "I want to thank you for helping Summer and keeping her safe. She's important to all of us," she said as she gave Summer a small smile.
"I'll be sure to thank him too," Gregory said. "She didn't tell us where she was from, so we couldn't help her get back sooner," he said.
"I didn't tell them about the Hilltop either," Summer said.
"This place, what you have here, been here since the start?" Maggie asked.
"That's right," Gregory answered.
"And how, how is that you've survived here?" Maggie asked.
Summer looked at him wondering what he would say.
"You're looking at how, I'm good at this. And I don't get hung up on the details," Gregory said.
"You mean you make deals with a bat wielding psycho path, don't you?" Summer asked.
Gregory looked at her then at Maggie. "I don't know what she told you," he started to say.
"I told them what I saw, nothing more, nothing less. I didn't hold anything back, because they need to know what's out there," Summer said.
BRB