All Nightmare Long

Chapter 526

Author's Note: Rick and Jewel need a chapter, or at least some of a chapter. This replaces the scene with Michonne and Rick. A lot of changes going forward because this is a Jewel and Rick fiction and not a Michonne fan fiction. And there will be no roller skating between Carl and Enid. Please review.

Rick and Jewel POV:

Jewel came into the bedroom and watched Rick making the bed on the floor, as she walked over to the window looking out. "Hope and Judith are staying with the Miller's while everyone is sorting the place out. Mitch isn't talking to anyone, slammed his room door shut. I swear if I didn't know better he was born a Dixon, got the attitude of one. I held my best friend from before this world went to hell, cry because she couldn't stand the thought of what they were doing to Daryl, the man she thinks as of her husband. And she asked what we planned to do to get him away from Negan, and I couldn't answer her, which made her cry more. I couldn't answer my best friend about a plan to rescue my brother, because we don't have one. And when I said we didn't have one, she asked why, once again I didn't have an answer."

Rick took a breath. "You know why, you were there that night."

"I was there that night, and when I close my eyes, I see Glenn and Abraham, just like I know you do," Jewel told him as she sat across from him. "We all should be rallying around each other, but instead we're being torn apart. I don't know how Summer is, or if Maggie is ok, or the baby. And now Daryl thinks she is dead, and I know that he will think it's his fault. Sasha is at Hilltop and Lexi is here. Carl is angry at everyone," she said as she reached for his hand.

"And you?" Rick asked.

"I'm on the verge of screaming one minute then crying the next. I saw you, with the bat, I saw how you raised it, a couple times. And, I stopped you, even though that was exactly what I wanted to do," Jewel told him.

"Why did you stop me?" Rick questioned.

"The same reason that you let him do what he wanted to this town, because I don't want anyone else to die. I don't want you to die. We can fight him, but today wasn't the day," Jewel assured him.

"We can't fight him, he has too many people," Rick told her. "He showed up here with a lot more than he had that night."

"We can try to get Hilltop with us, and Jesus said there were more communities," Jewel told him.

"There's too many of them," Rick repeated. "What happened when Negan took you into the house?"

"He didn't do anything, says he doesn't believe in that kind of thing. Glad to see he has some morals," Jewel said as she rolled her eyes. "He tried to get me to talk about the past, I told him it wasn't any of his business."

"You shouldn't have attacked his man, it could have ended very different," Rick cautioned her.

Jewel looked at him. "Do you hear what you are saying? You think I should have let that disgusting man put his hands on Enid? What if it was Lexi? Or Summer?"

Rick ran his hand through his hair. "Of course not," he said. "But one of his men could have shot you, Negan could have used the bat on you."

"I would rather be shot then let Enid or anyone else be man handled like that. Truth be told, I didn't even know I was doing it. But I'd rather be dead then lose my humanity," Jewel told him.

"I can't lose you," Rick told her.

"I can't lose you either. But, if we lose our humanity, then we lose ourselves anyway. Glenn and Abraham wouldn't want us to live like this," Jewel insisted.

"We have to do this to survive," Rick told her. "This is our life now."

Jewel looked at him. "But it doesn't have to be."

"Do you think what Spencer said was true?" Rick asked his wife.

"No, of course not, he was out of line," Jewel told him as she kissed him. "I'm with you, you know that."

"I just want everyone safe. If we didn't make that deal," Rick started to say as he put his head against hers.

"Hey, no going down that road, second guessing won't help anything. I love you Mr. Grimes," Jewel told him as she kissed him.

"I love you Mrs. Grimes," Rick told her. "Aaron and I are going out scavenging tomorrow."

"I'll come with you," Jewel offered.

"You don't have to," Rick told her.

"I don't have to but I want to," Jewel told him as she kissed him.

"What about Hope and Judith?" Rick asked her, as he held on to her.

"Mar will watch them, she may be mad but she'd do anything for them. Michonne, any of the others who want to do more. What about Carl?" Jewel asked.

"We can ask him, he probably won't want to come. He doesn't agree with it," Rick informed her.

"I know he doesn't," Jewel admitted. "But sometimes, you do things for the people you love even if you don't agree with them," she said as she squeezed his hand.

Lexi and Enid's POV:

Lexi leaned on Enid's door frame watching her pack a backpack. "What are you doing?"

Enid glanced back at the other teen. "Nothing."

"You're going out there aren't you?" Lexi asked.

"Why do you care?" Enid questioned as she snapped at her.

"Because your family, that's why. I saw the balloons, and that guy, and what Jewel did. Are you OK?" Lexi questioned.

"I'm fine," Enid answered.

"Are you going to the Hilltop?" Lexi asked.

"You going to try to talk me out of it?" Enid asked as she turned around.

"No, I'm going to go with you," Lexi answered. "You either let me come with you or I'll tell Jewel that you are planning on leaving alone."

"You telling Jewel doesn't scare me," Enid said.

"Yes it does, and you know it," Lexi told her. "Look my sister is at Hilltop, with Maggie, Beth and Summer. I need to see Sasha, I need to know she's alright. It's not safe to be out there alone, and last time we were both out there we had Glenn with us. I miss him too. We all do, but it's different for all of us. I mean Maggie and the baby, and Summer, I know she's hurting too. They were part of the original group. I'm going to go with or without you, and you're going to go with or without me, so we may as well be safer and go together. Tomorrow morning, I'll meet you by the gate," Lexi said as she walked out.

"I didn't say yes," Enid mumbled.