All Nightmare Long

Chapter 501

Author's Note: I have a poll on my profile about what to do with the Rick thing. Right now, keep him in is winning. It's a Jick's story. Please vote, I don't do a lot of votes, but this is a pretty important thing. I know my preference, and so far it's winning, but please vote. Speaking of Jick's, I think we need a Jick's chapter, don't you? Please review.

Jewel Carl and Rick's POV:

Jewel kissed Judith and Hope on the top of head before looking at Carl who was standing at the doorway. "Come here," she said as she pulled him into a hug.

"I'm OK mom," Carl assured her.

"No, you're not, none of us are after last night. Trying to tell me otherwise, well don't alright? Let's be honest with each other,alright?" Jewel asked as she kissed the top of his head. "Get some rest, alright? Or try too. I'm going to go take a shower, check with your dad, then find Mitch and Mar, I need to tell them about Daryl," she said s she turned to walk out of the room.

"Why did you volunteer? He could have killed you, and the girls wouldn't have you, they wouldn't remember you. Why would you do that?" Carl asked.

Jewel sighed and turned and looked at him. "I would have done anything to protect you, Summer and Lexi, Daryl, your dad, Glenn...Abraham...everyone. I thought about everyone here, I thought about it all in a five second period. Someone was going to die last night, there was no way out of it, and at that moment, that split second, I made the only decision I could. And, if I had to do it again, I would, if it meant that there was a chance that I could keep you and Summer safe. I'm not going to apologize for that," Jewel told him as she hugged him again before walking across the hall. Jewel walked into the room she shared with Rick and took a breath as she saw him sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. She bent down in front of him and brought his hands down and leaned her head against his. "I know you are blaming yourself for this, but it isn't your fault. It doesn't matter that we made a deal with Gregory, it doesn't matter that we killed his men, they would have killed us first. They cornered Daryl, Abraham, Sasha and Jes on the road, they killed Denise. They didn't need an excuse to do what Negan did. Nothing calls for that."

Rick looked at her with tears in his eyes. "They're dead, Summer was hurt, he traumatized Carl, and they took Daryl. I'm supposed to protect all of you, and I failed. Maggie wants us to fight, and I can't, I can't risk anyone else getting hurt. I can't risk losing you," he told her as he kissed her.

Jewel kissed Rick and looked at him. "Maggie lost Glenn, Sasha lost Abraham. Tara lost Denise, and she doesn't know it yet. Joey lost his brother. And I have to go downstairs and tell Mar and Mitch that Daryl was taken. Mar is going to want answers about what we are going to do to get Daryl back, and she has every right to want to know. You would want to know if it was me, I would want to know if it was you. I know that what he did, almost having you cut off Carl's hand, it was, cruel, it was beyond cruel. I can't imagine being in that position, and I am so sorry that you were put in that position. You can't fight right now, I understand, but when you are ready, and you will be, I'll be right there by you. He's going to wish that he killed me for what he put my kids through," Jewel said with contempt in her voice.

"Jewel, he could have killed you," Rick responded.

"Like I told Carl and Joey, I had to try to do something. He was torturing Summer, Lexi, Carl and the rest of you. I'm never teaching Judy and Hope that stupid game of eeney meeney miney mo. He was picking certain people out, Abraham was raising up. I couldn't take the chance that it was you or Daryl, or the kids. I also knew that if I died, you would stop at nothing to avenge me, just like I wouldn't with you. But he made a major mistake Mr. Grimes," Jewel told him.

Rick looked at her. "What is that Mrs. Grimes?"

"You and I are stronger together. You can't fight right now, I'll be here when you are ready," Jewel told him. "I love you."

"I love you. Go clean up, I need to go talk to Mar and Mitch, they need to hear it from me and not anyone else," Jewel said.

"I'll...I'll go with you...maybe we need to talk with Mika at the same time," Rick said as he stood up.

"You don't have too," Jewel told him.

"He's my brother," Rick said.

Jewel nodded as he kissed him. "We'll get through this together, all of us," she said as she walked down the stairs. "Mar? We need to talk to you and Mitch. Mika too."

Mar turned and looked at them. "What happened out there? Carl wouldn't say anything. Glenn and Abraham aren't with you, everyone went to different areas. Where's Daryl?"

Jewel looked at Rick and took a breath as she watched Mitch and Mika come in, then looked at Mar.

Mar saw the look on her face as she dropped a plate on the floor, it shattering. "How...did it happen?"

"Dad's dead?"Mitch asked fighting the tears back.

"No...he was taken by Negan and his men," Jewel answered as she went over and had her sit down.

"Negan killed Abraham and Glenn, with the bat that Summer told us about," Rick explained.

"He threatened all of us," Jewel answered.

"Whose going after him? We aren't leaving him are we?" Mitch asked.

Jewel looked at Rick as she took a breath. "Negan threatened to hurt Daryl if we tried anything. We're not giving up, not in any way. But we have to plan, they have a lot more people than counted for. Negan will be here in a week," she said.

"Why?"Mika asked.

"Because half of what we have is his," Rick said. "I'm going to take a walk," he said as he kissed Jewel.

"Go get a shower first, alright?" Jewel asked softly.

Rick nodded then looked at Mar. "I'm sorry," he said as he went upstairs.

"We're not going to let Negan take our stuff right? Or keep dad?" Mitch asked. "That's not what we do."

"Mitch," Mar warned.

"I'll kill him," Mitch said.

"You'll do no such thing!"Jewel warned. "You will stay inside with Mika and the babies. Mar you too. I do not need Negan to find out about the two of you and your relationship with Daryl. He would hurt you just to control him, just to hurt him. He almost made Rick cut Carl's arm off, and when he hesitated, he was going to have one of his men shoot Summer, then all of us. We just have to plan, and right now that is for Negan not to know about the two of you. Understand?"

"We'll stay inside," Mar assured her.

"Mitch?" Jewel questioned.

"Yeah," he answered.

"OK, I'm going to go check on everyone else. Maggie, Sasha, Summer and Beth are at Hilltop," she explained as she went out the door.