All Nightmare Long

Chapter 581

Author's Note: Life has been busy, insane really. Work is picking up even though I'm still working at home. Plus, I'm dealing with some health stuff, so updates may be slow, but I'm not abandoning the story. Never. Jewel and Rick's conversation is going to differ from Michonne's and Rick. Please review.

Jewel and Rick's POV:

Jewel glanced at Rick as they heard talking, Rick taking out his gun, Jewel taking out her knives, as they walked into the trees glancing at the two men noticing the items in the back of the truck. Jewel nodded at him as he pointed to one of the men, letting him take lead. She approached one, aiming her knife to his head, stabbing him in the brain as Rick shot the second man. Both looked at each other and nodded and went to the back of truck, opening the bins taking out a package of batteries and pretzels.

"You want to drive?" Rick asked Jewel.

"Yeah, I'll drive," Jewel said as she kissed him. "We better get out of here," she said as she got into the driver's seat.

Rick opened up the pack of pretzels, holding it out to her.

Jewel smiled as she took one. "Not bad," she said as she put one in her mouth.

Rick put the batteries in the radio, making sure it worked. "Batteries too."

"Not to bad for two days. It's not guns, but it's a start," Jewel said as she looked over at him.

"We're not done yet," Rick said with a smile as he squeezed her hand.

"We should be getting back, check on the kids, on Alexandria. We'll check in, come back out, maybe send some others out," Jewel told him.

"A day and half more," Rick told her. "Today and tomorrow."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you are using this as an excuse to keep me to yourself," Jewel teased.

Rick glanced over at her and gave a small smile. "See, you know me too well. If we go back now, that's just more time we've spent on traveling. We are already out here now, might as well go on. Plus spending time with you Mrs. Grimes alone is always a plus."

Jewel shook her head as she gave a smile. "We really should get back," she told him.

"Just a little more, OK?" Rick asked as he squeezed her hand.

Jewel glanced at him. "OK. A day and half, that's all. If we don't find anything then, we head back. Understood Mr. Grimes?"

"Crystal clear, Mrs. Grimes," Rick said with a grin.

Jewel shook her head as she squeezed his hand. She continued to drive as she glanced over at Rick occasionally, smiling softly as he dozed off. She stopped the van and got out starting a small fire to fix coffee. She glanced over, spotting a deer. She cautiously walked back to the van, getting a gun, causing Rick to stir. "It's OK," she said, hushing him. She walked in front of the van, not spotting the deer. She took a breath lowering her gun.

"What was it?" Rick asked as he ran up to catch up with her.

"A deer," Jewel stated.

"I owe Michonne a deer, from before, when they were out in front of the gate," Rick reminded her.

"I'm sure she would appreciate it, but that may have to wait since the deer doesn't seem to be around," Jewel said as she walked into the clearing. "Do you see that?" she questioned as she pointed to something in the clearing.

"Yeah," Rick answered as they went back to the van and got their backpacks and started walking toward it.

Jewel glanced at Rick as they were walking. "A high school," she said. "Summer would have probably graduated last year, on her way to college if the world hadn't gone to crap."

"Well we met, so that's a plus," Rick said as he took out his ax and knocked on the gate. "Guns like that, that's why we're out here."

Jewel nodded as she took out one of her larger knives, and stuck it between the chains of the gate, stabbing him in the head. She nodded as Rick opened the gate, both of them going in. "We don't know how many more there are, be alert," she cautioned him.

Rick nodded, as he went over to a clearing bending over and picking up rounds as Jewel went through the soldier's pocket. She walked over toward him. "Found a couple grenades, a pistol. Something serious went down here a while ago," she told him.

"These are some serious rounds, might be some serious guns too," Rick told her as he glanced at her. "I can take out any teenagers that may be around."

Jewel shook her head. "They aren't our kids. And they aren't alive, who they were are gone now. I'm good," Jewel assured him.

"You sure?" Rick asked as they walked.

"I'm sure," Jewel assured him.

Rick spotted a school bus and started to climb the bus. He held out his hand to Jewel and she climbed up. "Let's get a better view," he said.

Jewel nodded as she pulled herself up on the roof, Rick joining her. She glanced at the waterlogged roof. "This doesn't look too safe, maybe we should get down," she suggested.

"Watch your step," Rick cautioned her. "Let's see what we're going to see," he told her.

Jewel cautiously walked on the roof with him, going near the sound of the walkers.

Rick looked out at the group of walkers in the field. "Soldiers, civilians, all those rounds, there was a fight."

"Maybe it was walkers," Jewel suggested. "Maybe other people. Whatever it was, they lost."

"They're still wearing their guns. I think this is it," Rick told her as he kissed her.

Jewel smiled. "Yeah, yeah it is. Glad I listened to you and we didn't head back."

Rick looked at the carnival set up. "You think we can?"

Jewel glanced at him. "Oh, that's easy. I'm not wasting my knives," she said as she took off the rifle and aimed it hitting her target. "We've got this," she said as she grinned as she heard a noise, both of them looking down at the ground as the roof gave in and both of them fell, luckily on a mattress. They both started laughing as she started to get up. "You OK?"

Rick laughed. "I'm OK, are you?"

"Yeah, I'm OK," she assured him as she laughed. "We landed on a mattress….it's like the universe is watching out for us. This is it, this is how we beat Negan. It's a damn good sign."

Rick sat up and tapped on her boot. "It is," he told her as he pointed out at the can food.

"We're going to feast tonight," Jewel said with a laugh, spotting the MRE's.

TBC