All Nightmare Long

Chapter 477

Author's Note: I've noticed my chapters are shorter than usual, I guess you can tell I really am avoiding the line up as long as possible. So I've got a lot of dialogue changing (since Michonne obviously isn't in Rick bed.) I'm also going to be showing Joey and Summer overnight and getting caught by the Savior's and Negan. She's going to be with Negan for the day leading up to the night from Hell. I'll devote a whole chapter to that. My poor baby. I'm going to try to make this chapter longer, with everything leading up to Carol and everything. Please review. This story is from my heart, it's part of me, so reviews make me thrilled.

Alexandria:

Beth stood on the platform and saw the truck approaching. "Rosita open up the gate, they are back with Denise's body."

Rosita nodded and opened up the door. "Hey where's the other car? Didn't they leave with another car and more people?"

Michonne came up to the gate and watched the truck pull in. "Jes, Summer and Joy went with them," she said as others gathered at the gate.

"Summer's not with them?" Lexi asked as she turned and looked at Rick and Jewel coming.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean she's not with them?" Jewel asked as she came closer. She looked at Daryl who had joined them.

Daryl, Carol and Mar went to jump in the back of the truck to get Denise's body. Tobin went to join them. "So where's Summer? Joey? Jes?" Daryl demanded to know.

Tobin exchanged a glance with Gus, neither one speaking.

"One of you better start talking," Daryl said as he lifted Denise's body.

"Summer wanted to go to Hilltop, Joey went with her. Jes was coming back, but jumped out of the truck, to go after them," Gus explained.

"How long ago was this?" Jewel questioned.

"Jes went after them about an hour, they went about an hour before that," Tobin answered.

"I'll bury her then go after them," Daryl answered as he looked at Jewel.

"I'll go too," Mar said.

"I'll join you too," Phoebe said.

"Jes told us to tell you to give her until tomorrow afternoon. It's getting dark and she didn't want anyone else going out," Tobin said.

"Aint no way I'm leaving Summer out there over night," Daryl said.

Jewel looked at Gus and Tobin. "They were heading to Hilltop?"

"I think Summer had it planned from the time she came with us," Tobin told her.

"Of course she did, she made a promise to Gregory," Jewel said as she shook her head. "No one else is leaving Alexandria tonight."

"What?" Daryl asked.

"They were closer to Hilltop then here. It would take you at least two, two and half hours before you get to the place that they were at. Plus another two hours to Hilltop. They have a better chance to make it to Hilltop before dark than you have getting to even where they started at. Jes was right to tell Tobin and Gus for us to stay here for the night," Jewel told her.

"We can go out right after lunch if they aren't back," Rick said.

"You sure?" Glenn asked.

"No, I'm not sure, but it's to dangerous for us to send anymore people out there in the middle of the night with the Savior's and Walker's. Summer and Joey are both good fighters, and they are smart. Plus Jes is after them, can't get much better than that," Jewel said.

"She's going to get a talkin' to when she gets back," Daryl said.

"She may get more than a talkin' to,"Jewel said as she turned to leave and squeezed Rick's arm before she went back to the house.

Daryl, Mar, and Carol's POV:

Daryl digging Denise's grave as Mar glanced at him. "What?" he asked.

"You are thinking about going outside the gates, to go after them," Mar said.

"You think we should just wait?" Daryl asked.

"I think I don't want to be digging your grave," Mar said. "I know you're worried about Summer, so am I, but Jewel is right about putting anyone else in danger. You helped raise Summer, you know how strong she is. Tomorrow morning, I won't say a word if you want to leave. I won't try to stop you, but I don't want to be worried about you. I know you are blaming yourself for Denise's death, but it isn't on you, it's not. You tried to help someone," Mar said.

"I'm not going to make that mistake again," Daryl grumbled.

"It wasn't a mistake," Mar told him. "it wasn't. We stop helping people, we become them. I'm not ready to become them," she said.

Daryl didn't say anything as Carol came up. "You talked him into waiting until the morning?" Carol questioned.

"I'm working on it," Mar said.

"I'll wait," Daryl reluctantly agreed.

"She's a Dixon, plus she has Jes and Joey, she'll be alright," Carol said. "You were right, I knew it when you said it," she told Daryl, referring back to there previous conversation.

The three of them looked at each other before finishing digging the grave.

Joey and Summer's POV:

Joey glanced up to the sky. "We need to find somewhere to hold up for the night."

"We should keep moving," Summer said.

"We're not going to make it to Hilltop before dark. We need to give ourselves time to take out any walkers or human threats wherever we hold up for the night," Joey told her. "You know that, you know it's the right thing to do."

Summer sighed. "It's the safe thing to do," she simply answered. "I just want to get to Hilltop and confront Gregory."

"Which you can't do it we are bit or killed," Joey said. "You know we may want to ask Jesus for sanctuary, because once your mother finds out, she may kill us," he told her.

"She'll kill you, I'll just get a talking too," Summer answered with a smirk.

"Gee thanks," Joey answered.

"You ever think about what happened to David?" Summer asked as she turned and used her bow to kill a walker. She grabbed the arrow out of the walkers eyes.

"I think about him," Joey answered. "He left you, put you in danger. I don't worry about if he's still alive. It's better if he isn't and if he isn't dead, it's better if I don't see him again."

"You really think that? That it's better if he's dead?" Summer questioned.

"It's better than the alternative and him being with Negan," Joey said. "Either way, he's not my brother anymore, just by blood. He left you, he lied to Jes, he stole from Axel and his group and stole cars and supplies. You don't do that to family," he told her.

"Do you think he'd join Negan?" Summer asked. "There's a small building like a shed about a mile, maybe two up over the hill. It's where Jesus found me when I got hurt."

Joey nodded. "I don't know if he'd join him. I'm wondering if he was just acting like he was glad to be back with me the whole time. I mean he took the first opportunity to take off."

"I don't think he was pretending. He didn't have to follow us from Georgia. Something happened out there, I could see it in his face. But I wouldn't trust him, not again, not around the family," Summer said.

"Neither would I, he's not going to come back with us," Joey said as they walked.

Jewel, Maggie and Beth POV:

Jewel sat down next to Maggie. "Are you feeling OK?"

"I am," Maggie answered. "Are you?"

Jewel smiled. "I'm never alright when anyone is outside the gates, especially overnight. And when it's your own child, it's twice as bad. You'll understand soon enough, it's a worry that is so unlike anything else. But, I feel like I have lots of kids, you included. You need to rest more."

"I've been telling her that," Beth said as she sat down. "She doesn't listen."

"We need to be ready," Maggie said.

"And we will," Jewel assured her. "But you need to care of little Rhee. You making a guard shift list. And, I'm not on it why?"

"You have little people to look after," Beth pointed out.

"Bethie's right. And you're the only one who can feed Hope,"Maggie said. "I've asked Michonne to help."

"I can help, I want to help," Jewel told her. "I'll come by to help after I feed Hope in the morning. There's plenty of people who can watch Hope and Judy. Mika, Enid, Lexi, any of the others that don't know how to use weapons.I may not be able to cover full shifts, but I can help. I will help," she said as she squeezed Maggie's hand.