All Nightmare Long

Chapter 478

Author's Note: Another chapter so soon? Well I was so exhausted that I called in sick Monday, I needed a vacation from my vacation. I hate depression. So this is the start of the downfall, next chapter will be Negan, Summer and Joey. At least I think it'll be next chapter, but I never know if these people are going to cooperate with me. So the beginning of this replaces Michonne and Rick. Please review.

Rick and Jewel's POV:

Jewel laid Hope back in her bassinet, laying back on in the bed, feeling Rickk's arms go around her. "That didn't take long to get her back in bed, Mrs. Grimes."

"She was just wet, got about an hour," Jewel said as she kissed his shoulder. "After I feed her, I'm going to go help on guard shift for a little while."

"You just want to keep guard in case Summer gets back,"Rick told her.

"I want to be the first to get hold of her, Mr. Grimes," Jewel said as she kissed his shoulder. "She knows what's out there, what she's up against, what we're up against," she said.

"That's simple," Rick told her.

"What do you mean, that's simple?" Jewel asked.

"She made a promise to Gregory, and Dixon's don't break promises," Rick said as he kissed her collar bone. "She's just like you, she's going to do whatever it is she can to protect this family, this place, the people in it."

"By endangering herself? By endangering Joey? By endangering Jes because she went after them?" Jewel questioned.

Rick ran his hand up her arm. "If you thought it could save everyone around you, you would, just like I would. You're a mother, a wife, a leader, so you have learned to think things out, and sometimes it's still hard for you to not go out on instinct to protect those you love. It's hard for me too. That's what love does," he said as he kissed her. "Judith isn't up yet, Hope is good for a little while, so you can hang out a bit," he said as he kissed her. "My grandfather always told me a watch pot never boils."

"The watch pot never had a kid out there with the savior's around," Jewel said as he sat up. "Maggie's worried about an attack. She's not the only one."

"Well when they come for us, we'll end it, the whole thing," Rick said.

"They'll come for us, they always do," Jewel said. "That's what Summer was worried about, us starting something and them coming for us."

Rick kissed her shoulder. "This won't be like before. We're putting everything in place and people know what to do now. The worlds ours and we know how to take it. Everything we need is right here here inside these walls. I'm not losing any of it again, I'm not," he said. "Summer will be back with Joey and Jes. They'll be inside the gates, we'll know where all the kids are."

"Am I that transparent?" Jewel questioned.

"That's what makes you a good mother, a good wife, a good leader," Rick told her as he kissed her shoulder.

"We lead together, always have, always will," Jewel said as he kissed her. "I'm not going to give up this place, either. Or any of these people, or any of our family. But maybe when one of our kids warn us against something, we should listen. I'd rather have Summer here and us getting ready for the fight, then the fight coming after us," she said as he kissed him."Hind sight is 20-20."

Rick kissed her. "We'll do it, together, like we always have."

Jewel nodded. "All of us. I'm going to go out help with guard duty after I feed Hope."

Rick nodded as he kissed her shoulder. "I guess I should get up and fix some breakfast, since I'm not going to let you do it," he teased.

Team Family:

Maggie, Beth and Glenn went through bins of weapons as Michonne approached. "We'll have these but we should hide a few, that way we can find them but strangers can't, in case anyone gets in," Maggie said.

"They won't," Glenn told her.

"I think Jes might have taken some of the guns," Beth said. "Joey, Summer and her were seen carrying some guns out and they didn't bring them back. Knowing Jes, she probably had the same thought but on a wider scale."

"We can ask when she comes back," Michonne said.

"Why would she take them out, they don't do us any good outside," Glenn said.

"I'm sure she had her reasons, she always does," Beth said.

"Unless she tells us, we won't know what's going through her mind," Michonne said.

"And that's probably a good thing," Maggie said.

They all turned when they heard Daryl's motorcycle. "Oh no," Michonne said as she went toward the gate.

"Where are you going?" Rosita asked.

Daryl got out of his motorcycle and opened the gate. "ut."

Abraham looked down from the gate tower. "No shit, you got specifics?" he asked.

Glenn went after Michonne. "What the hell is he doing?"

"Probably going to look for Summer," Beth said.

He still shouldn't be doing it," Michonne said.

"We've got to stop him," Glenn said as he jumped in a truck.

"I'm going," Beth said.

"Beth," Maggie said as Beth went into the the truck with Michonne.

Abraham jumped in front of the truck. "Woah! Make room for my freckled ass."

Rosita looked over at him. "No cover my watch you stay."

"Hey we should keep numbers here," Glenn said. "Beth, you should stay here too."

"I know where Daryl's going," Rosita said as she got in the truck.

"If she's going, I'm going. Even pairs," Beth said as he started the truck.

Grime's house:

Jewel washed Judith's hand from breakfast as the knock came on the door.

"I'll get it," Rick said. As he did Tobin handed him a note. He opened it and read it.

(Carol's letter):

I wish I didn't have to end not this way. It was never my intention to hurt you but this is how it has o be. We have so much here, people food medicine, walls. Everything we need to live, but what we have other people want too. That will never change. If we survive this threat and when it' over, another one will be back to take it's place, to take what we have. I love you all hear, I do and I would have to kill for you and I can't. I won't. Rick sent me away and I was never gonna come back but everything happened and I wound up staying but I can't anymore. I can't love anyone because I can't kill for anyone, so I'm going like I always should have. Don't come after me please."

"Rick what is it?" Jewel asked as she balanced Judith on her hip.

Rick handed her the letter and she read it. "We're going after her right?"

"I am," Rick said as he grabbed his jacket.

"I'm going too," Jewel said. "I owe it to her, same as you do,"she said. "Mika, can you take Judith, watch Hope, Carl, Lexi and Enid will help."

Mika took Judith. "Be careful, please."

"we will," Rick said as he kissed the top of her head.

"What time did she leave? Do you know what she took?" Rick asked as they walked toward the gate.

"Sometime in the night. I never heard her go but she made a bunch of food and she took a pack, one of my coats," Tobin said.

"Did she leave on foot?" Rick asked.

"Did she sign out any weapons?" Jewel asked.

"I don't know," Tobin answered.

"Rick, I took over at twelve and I was on til six, I never saw anything," Sasha said.

"I was on before that, with Enid and she didn't leave during that time," Lexi said.

"The roads been quite since the others left," Abraham told her.

"What? Who?" Rick asked.

"Daryl, he went ICBM after the Savior's yesterday. Then Summer, Joey and Jes not coming back. Glenn, Michonne, Beth, and Rosita, they all went to shut that shit down."

"i'm surprised Daryl waited til this morning to leave," Jewel answered as she saw Tobin go toward the gate. "Tobin?"

"Where's the other car?We added two more cars yesterday. One of them is missing. The one we put right between those house. You can barely see in between the houses from up top," Tobin said.

"Especially at night," Abraham commented.

"The note? Can I see it?" Morgan asked as Rick handed it to him.

"You never saw any head lights? Tail lights? She's smart enough to cover her tracks," Rick pointed out.

"Rick, let them answer," Jewel said as she rubbed his arm.

"She must have left during shift change," Sasha said.

Jewel and Rick looked at Morgan going to a car. "Where are you going?" Rick asked.

"I'm going to go find her," Morgan responded.

"Wait," Rick called out. "Tell Carl and Mika we'll be back soon. No one else leaves. Everyone stays ready for a fight," Rick said as him and Jewel started walking toward the car.

"If Summer returns, keep her inside the gate,"Jewel said as she got in back of the car.