All Nightmare Long

Chapter 556

Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews lately. For those who miss Jewel, me too! These people are all over the place, and need to get reunited! Rick, Jewel and Aaron should be getting to Alexandria in this chapter. Also, a suggestion from a reader (I love suggestions) that someone needs to take Rick's place on the bridge, but someone close to Rick and Jewel. I'm thinking Joey or Michonne. Michonne's roll right now is all about losing Rick and watching the kids (including R.J. and he won't be in the story). With Joey, it would impact Summer. But I have a long way to go. Please review.

Rick, Jewel and Aaron's POV:

Jewel sat in between Aaron and Rick in the truck, pulling up to the gates of Alexandria. Rick sat up as he saw the gate being opened by Savior's.

Jewel put her hand on Rick's shoulder as one of the Savior's stood right in front of the gate. Rick squeezed her hand as he got out of the truck, with Jewel following him. As soon as Rick closed the truck door, Aaron drove the vehicle in. Rick and Jewel walked beside the truck toward the Savior.

"Where is he?" Rick asked.

"Negan. He's in your house asshole," the man responded. "Waiting for you."

"What exactly do we owe the pleasure of him being here so soon?" Jewel questioned.

"Why don't you go ask him yourself," the man responded.

"Jewel," Rick warned as he took her elbow and they started walking with great purpose toward the house.

"Woah, hey, just like that?" the Savior that Jewel recognized as the one who touched Enid put his hand on Rick's chest, pushing him back.

Jewel looked at him. "Don't even think about touching me," she growled.

"You caught me off guard last time," Davey told her. "We've been waiting for hours, just waiting to see what you were going to bring us," he said giving Rick's face a slap.

Rick grabbed Jewel's arm, keeping her from moving.

"You and your buddy need to get your stories straight, considering that he said Negan was waiting for us in our house. I'll be sure to tell him that you kept him waiting even longer," Jewel hissed.

"Jewel," Rick said in a warning tone.

"Yeah Jewel, why don't you keep your mouth shut like a good girl," Davey told her as he put his arm around both Rick and her. Jewel fought from taking him down right there, knowing Negan was in her house with her children. "Why don't we have a look first?" he said as he gave them both a push.

Rick glanced at Jewel both of them exchanging glances as Aaron got out of the truck and they started to unload.

"Not bad," Gary said.

"We had to go out pretty far," Aaron spat out.

"What the hell is this?" Laura asked as she took the note out of one of the boxes. "Congrats for winning but you still lose?"

Aaron turned to look at them as Davey took the note. "You leave us a little love letter?" he asked Aaron.

"No, I just, I mean obviously…we wouldn't," Aaron said as he got pressed against the truck.

"Wait? What? Did you just say it was obvious?" Davey asked as he grabbed Aaron.

"We didn't write the note! It wasn't us," Jewel said as she watched.

"We didn't do that," Aaron insisted.

"It's not about the damn note," Davey hissed in Aaron's face.

Rick and Jewel both started to walk forward, Aaron put his hand out. "Don't," he warned them as Gary blocked them.

"Run along to Negan, Rick and Jewel," Gary told them as he walked over to Aaron, patted his shoulder, then punched him in the stomach causing him to fall. "But your friend here, he's got no place to be," he said as he kicked him

"Stop!" Both Rick and Jewel yelled and took steps forward to stop the beating only to be stopped by Laura and another savior pointing guns at them.

Spencer and Quinn's POV:

Quinn crossed her arms leaning on the porch railing watching Spencer sit in the rocking chair, opposite Negan as he poured the alcohol. "Hot water, air conditioning, housewarming gift. That settles it, I'm getting myself a vacation home here. You sure you don't want some of this, sweetheart?" he asked Quinn.

"I'm sure," Quinn answered.

"Cheers to that," Spenser said as he held up his glass as a toast. "You have to forgive Quinn, I don't think my big sister knows how to have fun."

Negan laughed as he took a sip. "I'm sure that isn't true," he said. "Mm that is good. You know the only thing missing is a pool table. Nothing better than a good game of eight ball."

"The house across the street has one in the garage," Spencer told him.

"Oh Spencer you are my new best friend," Negan said. "Such a nice day to be cooped up in a garage, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Spencer agreed.

"Oh, I have a better idea," Negan said as he got up and put his leather jacket. "Boys, bring out that pool table from that garage and put it right here in the middle of the street," he ordered his men as he walked down the steps.

Spencer stood up. "It's going good don't you think?" he asked Quinn.

"You and I have two different views on what going good means," Quinn answered. "You're graveling to him and he's licking it up. I'm begging you to drop this," she whispered.

"I can't," Spencer told her as he walked down the steps.

Negan watched as his men sat the table on road and Spencer starting to get the balls on the table. "I could never do this with Rick. He would just be standing there, scowling, giving me that annoying side eyed glare he gives me. And Jewel, she'd just cross her arms and not say a word and stare at me. Man, she's got that mom glare down, let me tell you."

"That's actually what I came to see you about, I want to talk to you about Rick," Spencer said as people came out of their houses to watch. "Quinn would rather me not say anything and just let things go on."

"Is that right Quinn?" Negan asked as he took the pool stick from one of his men.

Quinn looked at Gus as he walked up with the crowd. "He's right, I would rather him not talk bad about the leaders of Alexandria."

"Well everyone has problems with leaders, I'm sure some of my men do, but they never would say anything. Alright, Spencer, talk to me, talk to me about Rick," Negan said as he took a shot.

"I get what you are trying to do here, what you're trying to build. I'm not saying I agree with your methods, but I get it. You're building a network; you're making people contribute for the greater good. Makes sense. But you should know, that Rick Grimes has a history of not working well with others," Spencer told Negan.

"Is that so?" Negan asked.

"Rick wasn't the original leader here, neither was Jewel. Quinn's and my mom was. She was doing a really good job at it, she died," Spencer told him. "Not long after Rick showed up. Same with my brother, same with my dad."

"Everything was peachy here, for what, years? Then Rick shows up and suddenly the two of you are orphans," Negan asked pointing to him and Quinn. "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard. Good thing for you he's not in charge anymore."

"It doesn't matter, his ego's out of control. Jewel will do anything Rick tells her, follows him around like a little puppy dog," Spencer told him.

Negan laughed. "Have we met the same Jewel?" he asked. "Go on."

"He'll find a way to screw things up," Spencer said. "Try to do things his way, try to take over. That's what he did with my mom, that's what he'll do again."

"Quinn, you should have a say, considering he's basically accusing Rick of being the cause of your whole family's death. What's your take?" Negan asked.

Quinn sighed as she looked at Spencer. "Aiden was killed by walkers, he was scared, he shouldn't have been leading a team. He got one of Rick's people killed, another injured. Dad was killed by an abusive man who put his hands on his family for years, and we all just ignored it. Then he put his hands on Summer, and when Jewel went to confront him, he put his hands on her. Rick protected his family. Pete was trying to kill Rick, and dad tried to stop him, and he got killed. Rick killed Pete. And mom got bit when the dead got inside our gates."

"So was everything peachy as your brother claims?" Negan asked.

"We were living behind gates, a lot of us didn't even know how to protect ourselves. Rick and his group are assets, they know how to survive, that's why mom brought them here," Quinn explained.

TBC