Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Foreword

This is the first of a three-part series born from my own frustration with Season 4’s finale. By making one subtle change to the game’s ending, I found myself spiraling down a rabbit hole of “what ifs” that demanded their own story.

The core idea behind this part of the story was: What if Clementine didn't spend just a month with the New Frontier, but actually stayed with them for a while longer? What if her relationship with certain members was deeper than in canon?

One of the goals was to shed light on a lot of the aspects that were kept in the dark by the developers (intentionally or not). This means we're gonna follow Clementine's side of the story, seeing how things could've played out. 

I kept a lot of the lines from the original scenes for cohesion, but made some changes, where necessary. And of course, most of the chapters are completely original content.

The reason why I chose this approach is simple: I didn't want to stray too far from the source material, but make meaningful enough changes, to warrant this story's existence.

Since the first book is already completed, I will upload each chapter on a fixed schedule. Two chapters per week. I also made sure not to stretch out the chapters for too long, since readability is an important factor and not everyone can read a long chapter in one sitting.

It can be a headache finding the correct column you left off on, so I tried to keep chapters in the 3k - 5k word range max. So I divided them into bite-sized snacks (try not to get bit).  

I invite you to tell me if you like it this way, or if you would prefer longer chapters in the future.    

I assure you that this is purely a labor of love and passion. I truly love the series and its characters, and I hope that you will find just as much enjoyment from reading my story, as I found writing it. 

As a final note, I'm not a profesional writer (well, duh), but I still tried to take this as seriously as I could. By putting a high standard on myself, I tried to produce something worthwhile. Whether or not I succeeded in this endeavour, is fully left up to your judgement.

So feel free to share your thoughts, feedback or even questions in the comments. I might not be present on this site on the daily, but I will check up on it regularly and get back to you.

With all of that out of the way, please enjoy the first chapter of the Still Not series. 

With kind regards,

Pink Menace

Chapter Text

The full moon was visible in the night sky above the camp. It had been a couple hours since Ava had brought them there. Introductions to the other members had felt quick and easy up to that point.

The young girl was impressed. Ava wasn't lying when she said that her group was decked out. They had tents, water, food, medicine and even some convenient items, like a deck of cards that was lying on a table further away from where they were standing. 

Most of the members had already turned in for the night, with only a couple dedicated guards patroling the area, keeping watch for any potential dangers, dead or living.

Clementine felt slight discomfort in their presence. They seemed friendly enough, but the only person she really had any sort of trust in was Ava, who turned out to be the top lieutenant and right hand of one of the leaders of the group, called David. 

He seemed to trust Ava's judgement when picking potential new recruits, so it appeared that the man had no problem with her and AJ. And when David didn't have a problem, nobody seened to have one.

At least that's the impression Clementine got.

If anything, the teenager was thankful they weren't bombarding her with questions, even though that would undeniably come later down the road.

"Here, sit down Clementine." David told her, pointing to a bench in front of the big campfire, placed right in the middle of the area that made up their camp.

"Thanks.", Clementine said as she sat down, placing AJ on her thigh. The little boy seemed to enjoy the warmth that was emitted by the fire, as he stretched his little arms towards it.

"You've been taking care of that boy all by yourself this whole time?" Max asked, a man with a brown coat and green hat, who was standing a couple feet off to her side, arms crossed.

"Not always. Used to stay at a place called Wellington a bit over a year ago, but it got overrun by some raiders. Ever since then, it's just been me and this little goofball over here." she replied

"Not bad. Having to take care of a child is the greatest responsibility of all. And seeing that you've been managing up 'till now, shows me you're plenty capable of becoming a valuable member of this group." David complemented, one foot raised on an old camping chair set right next to the bench she was stting on, resting his weight on it with one arm.

"You should've seen her when I found her in that broken trailer. First thing she did was point a gun at me, telling me to play along. Liked her from the start." Ava chimed in, who came up behind them, holding something that looked like a metal rod in one hand, promptly putting one end of it into the fire.

"You've told her about initiation, right?" David asked her with a raised eyebrow, to which Ava shook her head.

"Didn't get the chance to approach that topic yet. But seeing you guys already getting along,  this is as good a time as any." the woman replied, now taking a seat next to Clementine.

"What do you mean by 'initiation'?" Clementine asked, slight concern visible in her face.

"It's a rite of passage. Every new member of the group has to go through with it, if they wanna stay. Prove they're committed to us and only us." Max explained, as he crouched down and grabbed a brown glass bottle from the floor, promptly downing its content after speaking.

Clementine's face didn't change, averting her gaze from Max and onto David.

"He's right. We've trusted some bad folks before and it cost us a lot. So we came up with a way to truly test people's intentions when wanting to hang with us. See this?" he pointed to the weird looking mark on his neck. Clementine narrowed her eyes as she took a better look at it.

"This is a symbol of our loyalty to the group. Everyone who's part of the New Frontier has it." he went on to say. Clementine turned her head over to Ava, who softly smiled at her. She loosened the scarf around her neck and pulled it to the side, revealing her own mark. 

Looking over to Max, he simply nodded. "Got it on my right arm. Not a fan of having that thing directly on my neck like these two maniacs." he said with a dirty laugh, pointing his free hand at the other two present members, before taking another sip from his bottle.

Clem took a moment to inspect the metal rod again, lying in the fire. The tip of it was shaped in a similar pattern to the mark.

"That's what this thing is for, huh?" she asked, turning back to Ava, who quickly dropped her smile.

"Yeah. I know it looks intimedating, but it's not as bad as it looks. You're gonna be just fine." the woman assured her, taking one of Clem's hands into hers.

"Still not a pleasant thing to experience for anyone.", an unfamilliar voice spoke out, who approached them fron one of the tents. When Clem turned to face him, her eyes fell on an almost fragile looking man. 

"Dr. Lingard." Ava greeted. He appeared to bw drousy to Clem. It put her off in a way.

"Hey there, little lady. So you're the one Ava dragged into our modest little camp. I'm the doctor of our family here. Name's Paul." he introduced himself, standing a couple feet off from her, outside touching distance. His gaze fell from her eyes to the little boy sitting peacefully in her lap.

"And this charming, little gentleman? What's his name?" 

"This is Alvin Junior, but I mostly call him AJ. I'm Clementine. Nice to meet you, doctor." she responded politely.

"Nice to meet you, too, Clementine. Such a nice change to have some friendly faces show up - not to say that the other folk around here arren't, but we've been missin' a certain sense of youth." Lingard elaborated, big smile on his face, which Clem returned.

"Paul, what about Lonnie? Is he gonna be allright?" David questioned worriedly. The doctor turned towards him, dropping the smile.

"He's fine, David. Lonnie got lucky, bullet went clean through him. Operating on him under these conditions would've been challenging, to say the least. But he should be fine after a couple days of rest."

"Good to hear. So you're ready for this procedure?" David asked, lifting his foot off the chair and standing straight. The doctor nodded in response, clearly unhappy with what was being alluded to.

"Wait, so we doing this now?" Max asked from his sitting position.

"The sooner we get it done, the better." David confirmed, stepping up to Ava and Clem.

"I was thinking, maybe we should give her some painkillers. Even though I know she's tough, she's still a kid. We haven't branded anyone her age before." Ava argued, still holding on to Clem's hand.

"So let me get this straight, just because she's a girl, she gets to take the edge off, while all of us poor lads had to do this shit raw?" Max whined, pulling up one of his knees and resting his arm atop it, his expression turning sour.

"I'm just saying. We don't know need to make this any harder than it needs to be."

"Then what's the point then? Wasn't the whole thing 'bout makin' sacrifices for the good of the group and all that jazz?"

"Max has a point. Even if she's young, it's the rule that any outsider, capable of contribution, has to bear the mark in order to join. And I'm not in the mood for another one of Joan's speeches, if she'd got wind of us making an exception for someone." David intervened.

"You couldn't anyway, even if you wanted to. We're all out of anesthetics. Lonnie used the last of it." Lingard chimed in. David swung his body towards him, hands on his hips.

"What? That's impossible. I just checked our stock two days ago - no way he burned through all of that. What have you been up to again, Paul?"

"David, please. This has nothing to do with me and my...tendencies."

"Don't lie to me, Paul. We've talked about this. If you've got a problem, you come to me and not the shelf." David started to become heated, so Clementine decided to defuse the situation.

"I don't need special treatment. Just do what you're gonna do, like I was anyone else. I can handle it.", she said confidently, earning her the attention of all four adults.

"Hah, I like this girl. She's got balls." Max burst out, the drink clearly getting to him.

"We'll talk about this later." David concluded, turning his attention away from the doctor and back to the task at hand.

"You ready for this, kid?" Ava asked her, serious look in her eyes.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's just get this over with. Oh, can you do me a favor? Hold on to AJ for me, please? Take him somewhere else? I don't want him to see this."

"Sure thing.", Ava stood up and opened her arms, Clem gently gave the boy over to the woman, who promptly balanced him on her hip and in her arms.

"Thanks", she said, trying to put on a brave face.

"Just be a good boy until I'm done with this, goofball. Can you do that for me?", she took hold one of his small hands into her own, rubbing over it with her thumb.

"I think the iron is ready. We should be good to go." Lingard exclaimed, as he inspected the flaring tip, still at the centre of the fire.

"Then there's no time to waste. Max, get your ass over here." David commanded, the other man groaning in response.

"Where would you like to have it, Clementine?" the doctor softly asked her. After a short moment of contemplation, she pulled up the left sleeve of her shirt and motioned towards her upper arm.

"Right here."

"Mmph, smart girl." Max commented, finally up on his feet.

"I'll take him to my tent. Might still got something there to keep the little guy here entertained. Try not to worry about it. This thing is gonna be over sooner than you'll know." Ava assured her one last time, just before taking off with AJ in her arms and leaving Clem alone with what was about to happen.

Lingard pulled out the long rod, the symbol flaring in a hot crimson.

"I can't lie to you, dear. This is gonna be quite painful." the doctor stated, turning towards her

"It's okay. I've dealt with worse." she responded, turning her arm over, revealing her badly stitched up scar.

"Jesus. That looks rather crude. Who's done this to you, Clementine?" Lingard asked concerned.

"Myself, actually. Got bit by a dog, but the doctor I was with back then couldn't tell if it came from a walker or not. Had to take care of it on my own."

"Damn, you really don't mess around, do ya?" Max commented.

"Are you sure that man was really a doctor, honey? The difference between a human and a dog bite is quite obvious." Lingard questioned, doubt all over his face.

"It's nice seeing you two already bond, but can we get back to what we're here for, Paul?" David interjected, slight annoyance in his voice.

"Fine. Please restrain her and keep her steady. This will only take a second." on the doctors command, both David and Max firmly grasped both sides of her arm, David holding on to her shoulder and elbow, while Max had her forearm in his grasp.

Clementine took deep breathes trying to calm her nerves, preparing for what was about to come. Lingard reafrimed his grasp on the iron, moving it into position and aligning the tip with Clem's arm.

"Ready?" Lingard asked. After a couple more deep breaths, she closed her eyes. Shortly after, she reopened them.

"Do it."

Lingard pressed the hot iron form onto her arm, the searing pain spreading instantly as the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Clementine clenched her teeth hard, suppressing the initial scream building in her throat. Her free hand curled into a fist, her nails digging into her palm as her body trembled.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help but let out a loud whimper as the iron had settled on her skin.

"It's almost over, kid. Just hang in there," David said, his voice firm but not unsympathetic. Max's grip tightened slightly on her arm to keep her steady, though his expression betrayed some discomfort at the sight.

Lingard held the iron in place for only a few seconds, but to Clementine, it felt like an eternity. When he finally pulled it away, her skin sizzled, the mark now a vivid, angry red. He set the iron aside and quickly applied a salve from a small jar he had brought with him, the coolness of the ointment a stark contrast to the burning pain.

"You're done, kid. You handled that like a champ." Max said, releasing her arm. David followed suit, stepping back to give her space.

Clementine looked at her arm, the branded symbol glaring back at her. It was ugly, raw, and painful, but it was proof of her resolve. She exhaled deeply, finally allowing herself to feel the relief of the slowly subsiding pain.

"Not bad, Clem." David said, crossing his arms. "Most grown men don't take it that well. You’ve earned your place here tonight. You're one of us now."

Lingard gently bandaged her arm. "Keep this clean, and it should heal without issue. The scar will fade a little over time, but it'll always be there - a reminder of where your loyalties lie."

Clementine nodded silently, her face stoic despite the pain. She looked up to see Ava returning with AJ, the little boy cradled against her shoulder, fast asleep. Ava approached, a look of concern mixed with admiration on her face.

"How are you holding up?" Ava asked, handing AJ back to her.

"I'm fine," Clementine replied, her voice steady as she adjusted AJ in her arms. He stirred slightly but remained asleep, his tiny hand clutching her shirt.

"You're one tough cookie, Clem," Ava said, giving her a small smile. "I knew you could handle it."

David motioned to the group. "All right, everyone. Back to your posts or to bed. We've got a long day tomorrow."

As the others dispersed, Ava stayed behind, placing a hand on Clementine's shoulder. "Get some rest. You earned it."

Clementine nodded and made her way to the tent that had been set up for her and AJ. Lying down on the rough bedding, she adjusted AJ so he was curled up beside her. As the adrenaline began to wear off, the throbbing pain in her arm intensified, but she pushed it aside. She looked down at AJ, his peaceful expression grounding her amidst the chaos of the day.

Closing her eyes, Clementine took a deep breath. For now, they were safe. But in this world, safety never lasted long.

Chapter Text

The sun was burning down upon the group of individuals running down the outskirts of Richmond. The streets were empty, cleared for their current activity of endurance training.

The exercise was simple. Just run along the designated route for two laps. With only one condition: no stopping.

Everyone who failed to meet this criteria would be punished with water duty, which, according to Ava, consisted of having to go down to the water supply in the middle of town and bringing enough of it to make sure everyone stays hydrated. If you couldn't carry enough in one go, you would have to repeat this process until everyone was set.

And no, it doesn't matter who failed first. Everyone received the same punishment, it would just be split into different days. No exceptions.

It all sounded so easy when Ava explained it. But now, sweating under the sun with a dry throat and a hurting body, Clem really regrets not drinking more when she had the chance.

The first lap seemed fine too. She felt exhausted sure, but it didn't seem impossible to her to make it a second time before taking a break.

She was wrong.

The other soldiers, who had clearly done this a couple of times already, were starting to outpace her, while she was getting slower and slower by the second. She tried her best and used every ounce of willpower she had left in her to keep her going. 

But after a while, she just couldn't take it anymore. Her sides were killing her at this point, so she stopped. Right on the spot, bending over her knees and desperately trying to catch her breath.

This really hadn't gone over as smoothly as she had imagined it. 

Whatever, if it's just bringing some guys water for a week, she'd rather sit down for five minutes than collapse out of exhaustion. At least that's what Clem told herself when she saw a cut tree stump sitting at the side of the road. 

She slowly dragged her tired body over and sat down, letting out a deep sigh. It felt great not having to burden her feet anymore.

She rested her arms on her thighs, leaning forward. Her gaze was fixed on the ground, sweat dripping down her face, her breathing heavy. 

She was at least thankful that she was allowed to keep her hat on. It kept the sun out of her face and provided at least some protection from its heat.

As her breathing started to become more relaxed, she could hear someone jogging up to her. Whoever it was, stopped right in front of her. She hadn't even lifted her head to look at them.

"You okay?", Clementine recognized the voice. It was Ava, the woman that had been tirelessly at her side ever since she joined. She must have trailed behind the group, taking note of who would fail the assignment.

After a good five seconds, Clementine finally lifted her head and looked at Ava. She was surprised when she saw that the woman didn't look disappointed or angry, but understanding and slightly concerned.

"Yeah, just taking a break." Clem responded. 

"Oh my god. I thought after all this time on the road with AJ, I was used to being on the run. But this....I'm not sure if I can keep up with you guys." She continued, after taking a notable breath.

Ava knelt down in front of the young teenager and gave her a supportive smile.

"Your body isn't used to this type of stress yet. Give it time. It'll adapt." Ava explained in a calm voice. It felt almost soothing to Clementine.

"I'm not so sure. I feel like a complete mess. Can't remember the last time that I felt this wasted." Clem responded, now leaning back and putting her hands at the back edges of the stump, supporting her balance.

"We all went through this when we started. David's regiments might be strict, but they pay off out there in the wild. Trust me on that." the woman went on to say.

The young girl let those words sink in, her eyes drifting in space as she enjoyed the slight breeze of weak wind that soothed her skin.

"But is this kinda training really necessary? I've never done anything like this before and still got along fine. Even with AJ on my back." She searched Ava's eyes, looking for any hint of doubt in them. But there was none. 

"All that means is that you haven't been in a situation where you needed to run for miles yet. And in this world, that will come, sooner or later. Besides, you're one of us now. Which means when we're out there, we need to know that you can keep up. Or else, things could get messy." 

Ava got up from her kneeling position and stretched out her hand towards Clementine.

"You are capable of more than you believe, Clem. You just gotta give it a chance to come out of you. The rest will take care of itself." Clementine looked at Ava's hand for a second, before returning her gaze. It was a stern and confident one. She truly believed in what she said.

"Okay, I'll try." She replied while taking the older woman's hand and rising up from the tree stump. Her legs still hurt and the sun was still hot, but it wouldn't stop her from finishing what she started.

"Oh, you'll do much more than try. And when you're ready, you're gonna make it further than any of us, kid." Ava gave her a last reassuring smile before getting back into a jog, along the path that was set out.

"Come on, we shouldn't keep them waiting for much longer. David's not known for his patience, you know?" 

Clementine took a deep breath and readied herself for the rest of the lap. This was gonna suck. Not to mention the punishment that was coming her way as well.

"I hope you're right.", she muttered under her breath, before falling into a good pace behind the older woman and making her way down the road, towards the finish line. 

2 DAYS LATER

The early morning sun cast long shadows over the New Frontier camp, outside the safe walls of Richmond. Ava had told her this was a safe area she'd set up for herself, with David's permission of course. Alvin Junior was in the safe hands of Dr. Lingard. Clem had grown to trust him enough with AJ. He had his...issues, but she could tell he was a man trying to do good, despite the circumstances.

He's a doctor after all. That had to count for something.

 Clementine wiped sweat from her brow, the makeshift training area already buzzing with the sounds of distant chatter and the clatter of gear, caused by the flowing wind. Ava stood nearby, hands on her hips, watching Clementine with an approving nod.

"You’ve got the brains and the guts, kid. Now we just need to make sure you can back it up when it counts."

Clem smirked, rolling her shoulders. "I think I’m doing alright."

"You are. But you’ve got potential for more than just 'alright.' So, drop and give me ten push-ups."

Clem blinked. "Seriously?"

Ava tilted her head, mock stern. "That wasn’t a question."

Clementine sighed but dropped to the ground. Her arms trembled slightly as she pushed herself up, counting under her breath. Ava crouched beside her, watching closely.

"Good. Keep your back straight. Core tight. You’re not just moving your arms; you’re training everything. Imagine you’re pushing a walker off you. If your form’s sloppy, they’ll win."

Clementine gritted her teeth and finished the tenth push-up, collapsing onto the ground with a groan.

"Can I imagine I’m pushing you off instead?"

Ava chuckled. "You’d be lucky to get me to budge."

It took a moment for Clementine to catch her breath and slowly sit up, running the back of her hand over forehead. She was getting used to the heat of the sun roasting her skin while exercising, but it still didn't mean she was immune to it.

At least the morning breeze was making it more bearable.

"How come I've never seen anybody else doing this kinda stuff?", Clem asked the older woman. 

"Because it's not part of mandatory training. Pretty much everyone here likes to put all their faith in the weapons they carry. I like to make myself the weapon." Ava explained, slight grin on her face.

"What makes you think I'm different from the rest?", she questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Ava crossed her arms when she answered. "Like I said, kid. You got potential. And you actually listen to what I say - contrary to the rest of the lazy bunch strollin' around."

Clementine took a moment to survey the area again, checking for any onlookers or threats. Even though Ava assured her that this was a "safe zone", she didn't see any clear defenses set up close to them. Maybe they'd watchtowers somewhere else around the place? Or did Ava just make that all up to make her feel safe?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the other woman. "You up for the next one, or you need to take a nap?", Ava asked her mockingly.

"Huh, didn't think you were one to crack bad jokes.", Clementine remarked as she slowly got up to her feet.

"What can I say? You inspire me. Now follow me over. I want to show you something."

Ava led Clem to a sturdy wooden beam, gesturing up.

"Next up, pull-ups. You fall from something high, this could be the difference between climbing back up or becoming walker food."

Clem stared at the beam. "You expect me to pull myself up there?"

"I expect you to try. You’ll get better. Everyone starts somewhere."

Clementine jumped, gripping the beam tightly. Her face scrunched with effort as she tried to pull herself up. Ava offered encouragement.

"C’mon, Clem. Engage your core, pull with your arms - don’t just dangle there like a fish on a hook."

Clem managed to get her chin over the beam before dropping back down, panting.

"That’s... harder than it looks."

"And you still did it. Next time, you’ll do two."

She stretched out her hand, offering it to the teenager, who took it gladly.

Ava pointed to a low wall nearby, made out of concrete. Whatever it belonged to was long gone.

"Now, balance. You’ll never survive out there if you can’t move like a shadow. Up on the wall, walk across without falling."

Clem hopped onto the wall, her arms stretched out for balance as she took cautious steps.

"Small steps. Keep your knees slightly bent. Think ahead to your next move. Smooth, steady-"

Clementine wobbled, almost falling.

"Easy for you to say!", she exclaimed in annoyance.

"You’re doing fine. Just... don’t fall into the mud. I’m not dragging you out."

Clem rolled her eyes but focused, making it to the other side without slipping. She hopped down with a triumphant grin.

"Nailed it."

"Don’t get cocky. You’re not done for the day."

Ava led her back to their previous training spot, gesturing for Clem to get into a plank position.

"Last one: planks. Hold it for thirty seconds."

Clementine groaned but got into position. "Why do you do this stuff anyway?"

"Because out there, you don’t get second chances. You’re strong, Clem, but strength doesn’t just come from swinging a weapon. It’s here." She tapped Clem’s shoulder. "And here." She tapped her chest.

Clem’s arms trembled, and she dropped after twenty seconds, rolling onto her back with an exasperated laugh.

"Okay, maybe you’re right. I’ve got work to do."

Ava offered her a hand, pulling her up. "You’ll get there. You’ve got something most don’t - guts. And guts get you through anything."

The two sat down on a crate, positioned at the edge of the small safe area, sharing a water bottle. Ava nudged Clem with her shoulder.

"Not bad for day one."

"Day one?", Clem asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What, you thought this was a one-and-done deal? Like you said - we’ve got work to do, kid."

Clem groaned but smiled. "You’re lucky I like you."

 "And you’re lucky I’m stubborn enough to whip you into shape."

The two laughed, bathing in the moment of their forming bond -  like mentor and student.

She had to admit to herself, it was a connection Clementine had missed more than she'd realized.

Chapter Text

"Why'd you bring me here, Ava?" Clementine asked as she followed Ava into the physical training area, which used to be an old gym in Richmond. 

It had been over three weeks she and AJ had been recruited by the New Frontier. She was starting to get used to their customs, including water duty that she had been on recently.

"I think you're ready to add something to your regiment. We got flight covered with the endurance exercises, but there's gonna be times when running won't be an option. We're gonna make sure you'll be able to defend yourself, when it comes to that." Ava answered. 

The gym looked recently used, different types of melee weapons, ropes and even some medical supplies lying across the different tables, that had been shoved into different corners of the gym. Clementine took a good while to inspect her surroundings.

It reminded her a lot of her time back in school, during PE class. She still remembered how rambunctious the boys were, chasing her and other girls around. That seemed like over a lifetime ago to her.

"I was going to check on AJ before you grabbed me. I didn't want to burden anyone with having to watch over him, instead of me, but with all the training, learning the rules and protocols...it's been hard to stay on top of everything." Clem admitted. She almost felt embarrassed having to put AJ into the care of others so often now, but there was no way around it. 

If she was going to stay with the New Frontier, she had to follow their rules. And they seemed to be trustworthy enough and had grown a liking to both AJ and her.

Ava kept leading her to one of the tables on the far side of the gym, she could see all sorts of different types of melee weapons lying on it, even from a distance.

"Don't worry about it. It's a nice change of pace having someone his age around here, especially for David. Since...." the hesitation was clear in Ava's voice. Clem could tell this was something personal.

The older woman came to a sudden halt, Clem stopping behind her as well, waiting for her next move.

Ava didn't move a muscle, a moment of silence passing between them. It was starting to feel awkward to Clementine.

"Ava, you don't have to-" her sentence was cut off by Ava swiftly turning towards her, arms folded across her chest.

"David hasn't seen his family ever since the outbreak. He says they died, but in reality has no idea what happened to them." the older woman said sternly.

"Oh my god. That's really sad. Is that why.... he likes watching over AJ so much?" Clem asked, visibly taking aback by the information. Ava nodded in response, unfolding her arms.

"He probably reminds David of better times. Before all hell broke loose. He's not a burden, Clem. If anything, we're thankful that we found you both. So please stop worrying about him, he's in good hands here. And you're still his primary caretaker, don't forget that." 

It was bittersweet. Sure, a part of her would always worry about AJ when he wasn't with her, but at least she now knows that the people around her genuinely cared about him.

Even if it was for some selfish reasons as well.

"All right. I'll try to worry less." she nodded instinctively and the older woman gave her one in response, a small smile forming on her face.

"Do me a favor though and don't bring his family up to him. He doesn't like to talk about them, especially his brother." With that, she turned around and stepped up to the table, only a couple feet away from her.

She grabbed two knives from the table. They were military grade, both sharp and in good condition.
 
She threw one over to Clem, who was caught by surprise and had almost let it fall, but still managed to catch it in time.

"Good catch. Looks like your reflexes are sharp. You'll need them for this." Ava said with a confident smile, slowly pulling the knife out from its worn sheath, inspecting the blade in the dim light that was coming through the broken windows of the west side of the gym.

"What are we here for, exactly?" Clem asked, raising an eyebrow, giving her own knife a look. It was practically identical to Ava's.

"Like I said. Not all threats can be outrun. And you won't always have a gun to solve your problems. I'm making sure you'll know how to defend yourself from any kind of threat with a knife." Ava explained. 

Clem had used different kinds of weapons before. Both in her days with the cabin group and Kenny. She also had to use anything she could scavenge, since they had to flee from Wellington.

"I know my way around a fight, Ava. I've been doing this for a while." The older woman seemed unimpressed by her statement, whirling her knife around her fingers in her right hand.

"This is different. You might know what you've learned on the run, but that can only take you so far. Plenty of fights allow you to make mistakes and still live on, but others don't." She clasped the knife in a firm grip, stopping its momentum in her hand and putting the sheath back on the table.

Taking a couple steps past Clementine and positioning herself towards the center of the giant gym hall, she turned to face her directly.

"Come on then, show me what you got." she ordered the younger girl, getting into a fighting stance.

"Wait. You want me to attack you?" Clem asked, unable to hide the bewilderment in her voice. She had suspected that they would do something similar to this, but not a direct confrontation with her elder, using real knives.

"How else am I gonna be able to judge how good you are? Don't be scared, once someone strikes a hit on the other, the round ends. Same goes for disarming your opponent. You understand?" 

Ava could tell Clementine was uncomfortable with this idea, but there was no way around it.

"I guess so. But I don't want to hurt you." the older woman found her concern almost cute, but maybe misplaced.

"I would worry more about yourself. We got medical supplies here, if anything happens. So don't hold  back on me." After a moment of hesitation, Clem unsheathed her knife, sunlight dancing of her blade, almost blinding her.

She was nervous and tried her best not to show it. So she took a deep breath to calm her nerves and took a step forward, getting ready for what was to come.

"Okay. Let's do this." Clementine exclaimed, making sure her grasp was nice and firm around her knife, keeping her eyes trained on Ava, watching for any sudden movements.

"Finally. Now try to hit me!" She commanded, clearly waiting for Clementine's first move.

She didn't want to let her instructor wait any longer and went for the first strike. A slash aimed towards her right side, which Ava easily dodged. 

So she went for another one, this time a stab towards her left side. It only met air again. 

This pattern continued for the next two minutes. Clementine trying her best to get a hit on Ava, while the older woman avoided each and each one of her attacks.

It was getting frustrating. She was slicing and flailing as hard as she could, but Ava was just too fast. No matter how quick and swift she tried to be, Ava somehow seemed to always know exactly what she was trying to do.

There were no words exchanged between them, only grunts and the sound of swooshing air were audible in the gym. Clementine was getting exhausted.

Another stab attempt, but instead of simply dodging, Ava grabbed her wrist with her free hand, pulled Clem towards her and spun her around. The next thing she felt was a sharp blade being held up against her throat. Her breath hitched instinctively. All Ava had to do was one little motion to end her, right then and there.

"And that concludes round one." Her instructor removed the knife from under her throat and let go of her body. Clem carefully exhaled, partially unaware of the breath she had been holding, wiping the sweat off her forehead with her left arm.

This was embarrassing. Not only did she fail to land a single strike on Ava, but her sparring partner hadn't even attempted a single counterattack, up until that last maneuver.

She shook her head, closing her eyes and taking another deep breath. Was she really this bad at fighting? Or was she slower than usual? Maybe all the physical stress had gotten to her and it now negatively affected her capability during combat?

Deep down, Clementine knew that none of those things were true. Even though she knew how to kill walkers and other survivors a like, she had never faced someone as capable as Ava before. There were no excuses she could hide behind.

She still had a long way to go.

"Not bad, really. But you need to work on your technique. It's sloppy. You telegraphed most your attacks way ahead of time and you only stuck to using your right hand. That limits your options and gave me less things to worry about." Ava spoke in a clear and calm voice. Almost like she hadn't spent the last couple of minutes dodging a flailing teenager.

Clementine turned back towards her, finally meeting her gaze. It felt unfair. Here she was, sweating and flustered, while Ava looked no different than from when they entered the gym.

"A knife isn't some foreign object that you just thrust and swing around, like you're painting some wall. Think of it as an extension of yourself. Part of your body and mind. The movements should feel natural and flow into each other." 

She demonstrated, whirling the knife around her fingers, from one hand to the other, flowing back and forth, until she swiftly gripped it and performed a quick combination of strikes and stabs in the air. 

She was fast, the blade flying through the air from all sorts of angles.

"You understand what i'm saying?" The older woman asked. Clem took a moment to let those words roll around in her head, trying to grasp their meaning in an applicable way.

"I....think so." Ava smiled. She got back into her fighting stance.

"It's time for round two. Same thing as before. And don't be so stiff this time. Let the movements flow. Breathe. Follow your instincts. Go." with that, they got back to it.

Instead of falling back into the same old rhythm of slices and thrusts, She went for more concise, faster attacks, with irregular breaks in-between. She was trying to read Ava's movements, let her eyes focus on a spot and let the blade guide her there.

Her instructor was still dodging her attacks, but it was much closer than before. Clem could've sworn her next strike would be a hit, a quick and light stab towards her right upper body. It whiffed, only meeting air once more, but it was a close call.

This time, instead of directly swinging to the left, as she usually would've done, she guided the knife towards her left hand, quickly switching them and going for a straight stab. 

This time, Ava hadn't seen it coming, who was already in another sideways motion, as the blade caught her right shoulder. 
She grunted out in pain, grabbing Clem by the shoulder and giving her a headbutt, knocking the young girl back and onto the ground.

Now Clementine moaned out in pain, holding her nose, which was lightly bleeding.

"Oh shit! Clem, you okay?" Ava said with a worried look, putting her left hand over her shoulder wound, kneeling down in front of her student.

"Yeah...agh. Just a little shaken up. What was that about?" she asked a little incredulously, running her thumb under her nose and looking at the blood she was secreting.

"Sorry. It was a reflex. I didn't mean to hurt you." She said guiltily, scanning Clementine's face for the damage she had caused.

"It's okay. I've been through a lot worse." the younger girl tried to assure. But Ava didn't look any less guilty.

"Still, should've controlled myself better. I think that's enough for today. Let's patch up and turn in. You did good, kid." Ava got back up and extended her hand to Clementine, who gratefully took it and got to her feet as well. They went over the medical supplies on the other side of the room and mended their wounds.

"A couple more units like this and you should be good to go. It's rare for me to get hit during the first session." she said while cleaning up the cut she gave Clementine on her nose.

"So is it also rare for you to patch your sparring partners back up?" Clem asked.

"I usually let Lingard take care of stuff like this. But I''ll handle it this one time." Ava responded, clearly focused on doing it correctly.

"That sure makes me feel special." Clementine said playfully.

"Oh trust me, kid. You are. For more reasons than one." the older woman said. Clem wondered what she meant exactly with that statement, but decided not to pursue the matter. 

Instead, they settled in a comfortable silence, leaving Clem with her thoughts.

And as usual, they were with AJ.

Chapter Text

Almost six weeks had passed since Clem had been branded and became a member of the New Frontier. 

Her physical training has been going well recently. She has finally gotten off water duty and actually manages to finish the marathon runs, without breaking down halfway.

Even though she didn't want to admit it at first, but she felt great. Having enhanced stamina wasn't just useful for survival, it made overall life more comfortable and less draining.

She could feel it right now, she was carrying AJ in her arms, taking him around town with Ava. She used to get fatigued rather quickly when carrying him around like this, now she wasn't even breaking a sweat.

It was nice having some downtime. Just a bit of respite from the usual, intense day-to-day of being an active member of the group. 

AJ seemed to enjoy it too, being more relaxed than usual and enjoying being with Clem for a while. They still spend all of their nights together and also most of her free time, but it was no comparison to being glued to each other, during their time alone after Wellington fell.

They were moving past the town center, towards a more secluded area of Richmond. Clem wasn't sure exactly where they were headed.

"Where are we going again?", Clementine asked who also seemed more relaxed than usual, a small smile on her lips. She looked into Clem's eyes when she answered.

"I want to show you something at our 'base of operations', as David calls it. In reality, it's just a repurposed warehouse, but don't tell him I said that. He's pretty proud of what he's done with the place."

"Okay. What't there to show then?", the younger girl asked, AJ clinging to her side, flashing her a goofy grin, as he buried his head into the crook of her neck.

"Something I think you might find interesting. And maybe even educational.", Ava continued. They were getting closer to their destination, now with gunshots clearly audible in the distance. Clem stopped out of reflex, wondering if there was any trouble coming their way.

AJ's grip had tightened on her and his body was growing tense. She wasn't sure if this was such a good idea.

Her guide stopped as well, turning towards her, an encouraging smile on her face.

"Don't worry. It's not what you think, I promise.", the older woman assured. She resumed her path towards the warehouse, Clementine following soon after.

The gunshots grew louder, there were many of them. It sounded like a huge shootout to Clem. Great danger. But she kept on following Ava, despite all the alarm bells going off in her head.

When they finally got into viewing distance of the "base", it all made sense. They had set up a shooting range inside a rusty looking warehouse. It looks like they repurposed old sheet metal to build out all the separate lanes for the different shooters.

Old street signs and an assortment of miscellaneous objects made up improvised targets. Ava had told her that they had a station to produce ammo inside of Richmond, even if it was of lower quality, when compared to regular ammo. 

Now she knew what they were mostly using it for.

They were just a couple steps outside the giant entrance. Clementine counted about a dozen different shooting lanes, allowing for multiple people to practice at once.

Given their limited resources, she was quite impressed with the place, even though it was easy to tell, that it wasn't build by actual architects and looked rather crude.

"So, what do you think? Pretty cool, right?" her companion asked, sounding rather hopeful Clem would approve.

The young teenager gave the whole place another look over, now seeing David further down the lanes, barking at the soldiers under his command. She couldn't make out what he was saying, as they were too far away. Plus the ongoing gunfire wasn't making it any easier.

"Not bad, all things considered. Sure beats shooting at bottles in a train cart." Clem answered. She readjusted AJ's position on her hip. She was thankful he had relaxed again, realizing that there was no threat present.

Ava let out a little chuckle, her arms crossed as she watched the guys going at it.

"I'd hope so. David has put his heart and soul into this place. It's only here where I see him be truly happy.", she went on to explain. Clem's gaze shifted from Ava over to David in the distance.

Even though he was still shouting orders, walking between the different shooters and correcting them, whenever he saw them screw up, she could tell how good he felt doing it. 

Almost like watching a duck take to water, was one of Clem's thoughts.

"Oh Duck..."

She swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. These thoughts of the people she once knew and lost never went away and they came up at the weirdest of times. But yet she was still thankful for them.

 She never wanted to forget them.

Never wanted to forget the people that got her to the point she was at today. She owed them that much. 

"Clementine, you doing okay?" Ava's voice forcefully pulling her back into reality.

"Huh?", was all she could respond with. Not her most eloquent moment, she had to admit, but all she could offer.

"You zoned out on me for a sec there. Are you feeling all right?" the older woman sounded slightly worried, unfolding her arms and putting them on her hips, while turning her whole body to face her.

"No, no. I'm fine. Just had an old memory pop into my head, that's all." she responded, shifting AJ in her arms, into a more comfortable holding position.

Before Ava could start a digging attempt, David had already come over, clearly having seen them watch him and his men.

"Hey there, Ava. You come to check up on us or did something happen?" David asked, in his usual stern voice. Clementine didn't really know what to think of him. On the one hand, he was the second member, after Ava, of the New Frontier she had met and has been nothing but friendly and welcoming towards her and AJ. On the other, there was something about him that left Clementine feeling uneasy. 

He was everything that she imagined the model soldier to look like. Disciplined, determined, strong. But there seemingly was never any off-time for him. Like his whole life was an ongoing battle he was fighting, that could go either way at any minute.

There was no factual piece of evidence she could point towards that would explain why she felt this way about him. It was purely a hunch, coming from her gut.

"Just showing Clem around the place. And AJ, of course." the older woman said.
 
To Clem's surprise, David actually smiled, nodding towards both of them.

"Good, good. In a couple of years, the little man is also going to learn how to operate a firearm properly. Can't wait to teach him the basics myself.", David spoke with an enthusiasm Clementine hadn't heard before. She wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"Actually, why don't you give Clem a little taste?" Ava asked, to the surprise of both the man and the teenager.

"Sorry, what?" Clem said, raising an eyebrow.

"Wait a minute, I thought we talked about this. She isn't-" David began but was cut shortly cut off by his second-in-command.

"You haven't seen her in action like I have, David. She's more than ready to take the next step." Now she turned from the man back to Clementine, making eye contact.

"I'll watch over AJ, while you two can get some target practice in. How does that sound, kid?" she took a step towards her, not averting her gaze.

Clem took a sharp glance at AJ, who seemed to be unbothered by the situation that was unfolding around them, which left her feeling unsure.
 
It's not like she didn't trust Ava with AJ. It was David she was worried about. Being left alone with a man of his intensity was intimidating to her, even though she tried her best not to show it.

"It will be good for you. And it's time you actually had some fun for a change. Trust me, Clem.", the older woman had bend over slightly, putting her hand on Clementine's shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile.

After another second of thought, Clem let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and started dismounting AJ from her body.

"Okay. Here. Be careful though. He can be moody at times." Clem warned as she gently handed the little boy over to Ava, who took him gracefully into her own arms.

"Oh, don't you worry. We're gonna be just fine. And now have fun you two. I'll meet you outside when you're done.", and with that, Ava left the warehouse together with AJ. Clem waved him goodbye as they left, before turning back to David, who had been strangely silent throughout all of this.

There was another awkward silence between them. Even the sound of gunfire couldn't mask the weird atmosphere that had built between them.
 
As more time passed, Clementine grew sick of the ice between them and decided to just speak up.

"So....", her tone anticipatory. This caught David's attention, who seemingly snapped back to reality, straightening his form, from his more relaxed posture while talking to Ava.

"Over there. We still got a couple lanes free. Just follow me.", he turned on the spot and led her deeper into the firing range. 

There were three empty lanes towards the right side of the building. He decided for them to take the middle one.

"You've ever..uhm, been to a shooting range before?" the man asked, a bit clumsily, which was uncharacteristic for him, causing Clementine to raise an eyebrow.

"Can't say that I have, no." she answered, making sure to keep up with his pace. He stopped right in front the barrier, with a small metal countertop, adorning all the lanes.
 
A box of ammo was placed on it, but there was no weapon in sight. Until David pulled out his pistol from his holster.

"Let's start from the beginning then. Do you know what this is?" he held the pistol in his left hand while holding out his right hand, in an open palm gesture, under the gun, presenting it to her.

Clementine just folded her arms and rolled her eyes.

"It's a pistol, David. Of course, I know what it is." she responded, clearly sounding insulted by the question.

"That's not what I meant. Do you know what model this is? What it's called?", the man clarified. The teenager still had her arms folded, her gaze fixed on the weapon in his hand. She took a second to think over her answer.

"It's a military one, I think.", she decided to say. She could tell David wasn't really pleased with that answer.

"Well, to be exact, this is a Beretta 92FS, also known as the M9, by its military designation. So you're not completely off, at least.", he went on to lecture her. Clem's demeanor didn't change though.

"Okay...and why would that be important?" she asked, slightly annoyed. She considered that David intentionally tried to bore her, so he didn't have to teach her anything.

"Because it's important to know what kind of power your enemy is packing. Since you knew it was military, I'm guessing you've seen it before. Do you know what caliber it fires? How many bullets it carries in the mag?" David spoke clearly, but not as stern as he did towards the other members.

"I'm just using the bullets I can find and that fit. I haven't used that type of pistol in a while, so I'm not sure how many shots it has in a clip." she responded. She could see David's eye slightly twitch when she used the word 'clip'.

"First off, it's called a magazine, not a clip. Civilians use that term for it because they don't know anything about firearms. But I want you to refer to them correctly." he was weirdly passionate about this topic, so Clementine simply nodded and let him go on.

" Secondly, the Beretta 92FS fires the 9mm cartridge, which is the most common cartridge you will find out there. It holds 15 rounds in the magazine, plus one in the chamber, if it has been loaded properly. You got all that?" David asked.

"Beretta 92FS,  9mm, 15 bullets in the cli-, magazine. Yeah, I got it." she responded with a firm and only slightly annoyed voice, unfolding her arms.

"Good. Very good.", he pressed the mag release and pulled out the magazine, presenting it to her with the green-tipped ammo that was resting inside of it. 

"These are dummy rounds, meaning they won't actually do anything when you try to fire at something. I want you to show me how you reload this weapon. Correctly and efficiently. Understood?" he held out the pistol for her, gripping it atop the barrel, so she could take it from the grip. 

She took it into her hands and gave the gun a look-over. It seemed to be in top condition, David clearly caring for it well, which wasn't the least bit surprising.

He pulled out another magazine from one of his pouches of his uniform, holding it out for. She quickly grabbed it, holding it in her left hand.

"Put the spare mag into your pocket or wherever else you usually keep your ammo reserves in. Pretend like you're in a real fight. You just ran out of ammo and have to get the next mag in, before the enemy can respond or a walker can sink his teeth into your skin.", the man put his hands on his hips and looked at the teenage girl expectedly.

She did as she was told, putting the spare mag into one of her back pockets, where she could grab it relatively quickly, when she needed it.

"You ready?", he asked. She nodded and held out the pistol in front of, with both hands, like she was aiming at a real target.

"Three. Two. One. Go!", on queue, she pressed the magazine release, letting it fall to the ground, pulling out the new mag from her back pocket as fast as she could and shoving it into her gun, pulling back the slide manually to cock the gun.

David looked unimpressed.

"Is that really as fast as you can go? Because that's painfully slow." David remarked. Clementine looked at him, her prior annoyance coming back in full force.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad." she argued, but all it got out of David was a head shake.

"If you're planning to become a casualty, maybe. But that's not how you reload it properly." he elaborated.

"Oh really?" this whole exercise was really starting to get on her nerves. David was treating her like a small child that had never used a gun before. And it was beginning to piss her off.

"Yeah, really. Here, let me show you.", he held out his hand, waiting for her to hand him the pistol. After letting out a sigh, she complied and gave it to him, with the original mag, she had dropped.
"Pay attention. I'm gonna perform it in regular speed once and after that, I'll slow it down and show it to you step by step, got it?", 

"Got it.", she quickly responded, trying to regain her composure. She didn't want to prove him right and act like an immature child in front of him. That would come back later to bite her if she did, she could tell.

"Okay then. Watch.", as he had announced, he quickly exchanged the magazine of his pistol. It was lightning quick, much faster than Clementine had expected. She took about two seconds to reload, which felt pretty fast to her. But David was done in what felt like half a-second.

He picked up the magazine off the ground and got back into position, looking towards Clementine when he began to speak.

"Now I'll show you again. Pay close attention this time. Step one, you pull the magazine out, have it in your hand. It's easier to press the mag release, than get the mag out, so focus on that first.", he wiggled the spare mag in his hand in order to emphasize his point. Clem thought it was a little extra, but didn't want to comment on it.

"Step two, press the magazine release with your thumb. If you still have some rounds left, make sure to catch the magazine and save it for later. Those bullets can come in handy. And even if it's empty, try to conserve the magazine anyway - it can be easier to find bullets these days, than compatible mags for your specific firearm."

He showcased this by pressing the magazine release with his thumb, while his other hand caught it and inserted the fresh mag instantly, quickly putting the 'empty' one into one of his pouches.

"Step three, if your pistol was fully emptied and has no round loaded in the chamber, press the slide release, instead of pulling back the slide manually. This can save you valuable time and allows you to keep your supporting hand in the correct position.", he finished his demonstration by firing three dummy rounds down range.

Clem didn't like to admit it, but she was impressed. This could really come in handy in all types of fights.

"Now it's your turn. Show me what you've learned.", he handed the Beretta and extra mag back, taking a step to the side and giving her space.

She got ready, putting the spare mag back into her back pocket and standing in firing position. Once David gave her the signal, she repeated the steps he had shown her as well as she could. 

Her movements were untrained, not moving as smoothly as she could, but it was much faster than before.

"Again." he said. Clem did as she was told and repeated the whole process one more time, getting slightly faster.

"Again." David repeated. The teenager obliged, doing the whole motion again. She had to repeat the process another four to five times, until David was happy with it.

Clementine wasn't nearly as annoyed as she expected to be, to her own surprise.

"That's enough. We'll come back to that later. It's promising at least. Wait a second.", he quickly went over to another lane, grabbing a different box of ammo and bringing it over to them.

"Here. We're gonna be doing some actual target practice next. These are live-rounds, so be careful what you're shooting at.", both of them filled up one of the magazines each, shortening the process.

Once they were all set, David handed her the pistol and pointed towards the three targets that were set up in their lane.

"You see these? I want you to hit the middle one, than the left one and then the right target, in that order. In a real fight, you need to be able to switch between targets quickly and smoothly. Being outnumbered is a big tactical disadvantage and needs to be remedied with all means necessary. That includes shooting proficiency."

Clementine took a good look at her targets. They weren't too far away, she could definitely make those shots.

"Middle one, left, then right. Got it. Just tell me when." She raised her gun and focused on her first target.

After David gave her the go-ahead, she fired her first bullet, adjusted to the second target, fired and then tried to hit the third target as fast as she could. The first two bullets had hit their mark, but the third one went astray. 

"Be fast, but don't rush your shots. Make sure you exhale in between each shot, that can boost your accuracy.", she nodded, taking a deep breath and going again. And multiple more times after that. 

They went through multiple magazines until David called it again. For once, he actually looked satisfied.

"Well done. You're a better shot than most of the rookies I've trained before.", Clementine didn't expect a compliment, but hid her reaction well.

"Thanks.", she said handing him back his pistol, which he put back in his holster.

"That was actually pretty fun. Can't remember the last time I did this with someone around your age. Our recruits are usually a couple years older." David went on to say, with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, I guess this wasn't too bad.", Clementine answered. Another short silence between them, but not nearly as awkward as the one before they had started.

This time David decided to break the ice.

"Listen, I usually don't do this on the first day, but seeing as you already have a good handle on that thing, have you ever fired a rifle before?", he asked, with a bit of excitement in his voice.

"Well, I remember firing one when I was eleven. That didn't go too well.", the teenager responded, remembering that moment at the lodge when Carver's men attacked and apprehended them.

"Sounds like you're more than due for a refresher then. Just follow me, we even got fully automatic ones down here. I'll bet you can handle those as well.

The first time during their little session, Clementine smiled. David finally seemed to have trust in her abilities, at least to an extent. That was more than she had gotten from him, since she had joined.

Maybe this wasn't going to be too bad after all.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

Clementine waved goodbye to David before she left the Warehouse, noticing that the sun was starting to set in the distance. A small wave of panic overtook her, as she looked around for Ava and AJ. To her relief, she could see them sitting on a bench not too far away, as she quickly made her way over to them.

AJ was fast asleep when she arrived, Ava letting the head of the little boy rest on her lap, stroking his short, soft hair.

"Sorry! Sorry, Ava. This took way longer than I expected.", she blurted out when she arrived, not daring to sit down beside them and risking AJ to wake up from his nap.

"Hey there, kid. How's the range?", she asked, relaxed as ever, which came as a great relief to Clem. She was scared that Ava would be pissed at her, for leaving her with AJ for so long.

"It was great, Ava! David actually taught me a lot more than I expected. It was really nice to see him happy for once.", she said earnestly. Not that David was unpleasant to be around in general, but he was always so serious. 

Towards the end of the session, she really felt like he had warmed up to her. And she had done the same towards him.

"That sounds wonderful, Clem. I knew you two would get along swimmingly, given enough time. He'll never admit it, but he has a sweet spot for kids, especially girls. Probably because it reminds him of his daughter.", that gave Clementine a second to pause.
 
She remembered Ava telling her about David's family, how he was forced to leave them, after the outbreak. How he has no idea, whether they are still alive or not.

"You think they're still out there? His family I mean?" she asked the older woman. Ava's face turned serious as she gave the question some real thought. After a moment of silence, she responded.

"It's possible. How likely is a different question though. He barely speaks about them these days and we haven't found anything to suggest that they're still around. But who knows... Fate always had a funny way of both separating and uniting folks."

"I guess you're right. I mean, I was eight when this whole thing went down, and I managed to survive. Who's to say David won't be reunited with them one day?" Clementine expressed. Ava turned her head, gazing into the distance, her face painted by the setting sun.

Ava never answered, instead opting to just keep stroking little Alvin Juniors' hair
.
Clem knew she was holding on to a slim chance, but no one deserved to be ripped from their families. She of all people understood that.

So for his sake, she prayed that David would see them again one day. And hopefully, not as walkers.

Chapter Text

About four months had passed since she had joined the New Frontier.

Today was building up to be one of the worst days on her life. She couldn't believe what Dr. Lingard said. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. AJ was just two years old. He wasn't bitten. He wasn't hurt.
 

He just got sick. And it was killing him.

"There's nothing we can do" the doctor told her. Those words still rang in Clementine's ears. They had given up on him. Called him a lost cause. How could they say that about her little goofball....

Only one thing is for certain. Clem wouldn't give up like they did. She was never someone to take things laying down. She would get them through this, like she always has. If it meant having to do wrong to save AJ, so be it.

She waited until nightfall. David, Ava and the rest of their little party were huddled around the camp fire, as he told them his old war stories. Which meant nobody would be watching the medical supplies.

It was the perfect moment. She grabbed AJ, whose skin had paled and cheeks had puffed more than usual, snot running down his nose. Her heart ached just seeing him like this.

Carefully navigating her way through their camp, using as much visual cover as possible, in order to avoid being detected. 

AJ was staying quiet so far, which was crucial. They couldn't get this done, if he made too much noise.

She cowered behind a small stack of crates, just a couple feet away from their improvised medical station. She couldn't see Lingard from here, which meant he was probably busy somewhere else, maybe sleeping in his tent.

Her eyes scanned the area to her left. There they were, being warm and enjoying their night. Talking, a little arguing, laughing.

"How could they be of such high spirits when they knew what AJ was going through right now?", Clementine thought, her emotions wrecking havoc inside her. 

She couldn't let them take over. Not now. She had to save AJ.

So she slowly snuck over to their small medical station and put the little Alvin Junior down atop a bigger supply crate, making sure they were both out of sight from the others.

Something moved in the corner of her eye and she quickly turned to look at it. She twitched out of fright when she saw what, or better who, it was. Dr. Lingard didn't leave his station. He was laying there, on the stretcher. Out cold, probably another self-induced drug trip.

That was good. Maybe that would mean he wouldn't wake up and alert the rest. 

Like on queue, AJ let out a little cough and then started crying. Clem had to think fast to make him stop, before someone would notice. So she did what she's always done when she needed him to go quiet. She hummed a soothing melody.

And like always, it quickly calmed the small boy down. To make sure nobody heard them, she carefully glanced over some of the crates that covered them from the others. They all seemed to still be engaged in the story David was telling, one of his men arguing with him over the details. 

So far so good. Next, she pulled out the little note she had prepared. The medicine Dr. Lingard had given AJ when he first started showing symptoms: Vancomycin.

It had helped him a little bit, but not enough. Clem thought that he maybe just needed a little more to recover. It was worth a shot, no matter what they said.

There were a bunch of smaller and bigger pill bottles, vials and containers in front of her, but she quickly found what she was looking for.

"Here it is." she whispered to herself as she picked up the Vancomycin. To her dismay, it was a shot, no pill. Meaning she had to use a needle. 
She wasn't present when Lingard had treated him, so it would've been nice if he had told her that he had given AJ a shot.

The injector was conveniently placed in the shelf above it. At least Lingard was still careful with his equipment. Clem grabbed it as well.
Looking at how long and sharp the actual needle was, she knew this was going to hurt. The chances of them getting caught were immense.

"Shit", she whispered. Turning around, still in her hunched over position to not be spotted, she faced AJ.

"Hang in there, goofball. This is gonna get you better." she silently assured as she slid the needle of the injector into the tiny entrance of the vial and carefully pulled back on the tube handle, filling it with the active ingredient. 

It wasn't much, but it should still be enough. It had to.

As she put down the empty container, she heard a shuffling beside her.

"Clem..." came Dr. Lingard sleepy voice, who had just woken up, rubbing his eyes. 

"Dr. Lingard. What's the matter with you?" she asked as he began to sat up, directly looking at his face, while he was trying to get his bearings.

"I'm fine. But Clem, please don't." he began, concern clearly visible in his face.
"The vancomycin, that's the last of it. It'll be wasted on AJ."

Clementine couldn't believe his words. How could he say that? This wasn't the doctor that she knew. Sure, he had his problems, but he always tried his best to do right by his patients. 

Or maybe this is who he really was.

"I told you. It could save someone's life, if used right.", he continued, trying to stop her from going through with it. But her mind was already made up.

"It's the only thing that can save him. I have to do this, doctor."

"Except it can't! I'm sorry Clem...I tried everything. I-I really did." 

"This will help him get better." 

"Nothing can help your boy now. Oh, Clem. Put the drugs back, before anyone finds out you took them. You know what they do to thieves here."

"I'm sorry, doctor. I really am. But I have to try. For his sake." 

Without another word, she put the needle into the little boys arm and gave him the shot.

Predictably, the pain caused the sick boy to start crying once more. Unbeknownst to her, a certain someone had already come over to check on the good doctor. The intruder's eyes widened when she found Clementine and AJ with him.

"Clem, you shouldn't be over here. What the hell are you doing?!", Ava aggressively whispered when she saw what was happening.

"I'm saving AJ's life." she answered sternly, not bothering to turn her gaze from AJ.

Ava quickly swung her head over to the doctor, still lying on the stretcher. His eyes gave away what he'd been doing before she showed up.

"And you just let her go through with this?" she accused him, the boiling anger both visible and audible.

"I tried to reason with her. She didn't listen to me." he weakly argued back. .

"For god's sake! Why didn't you come to me, before doing something so reckless!", Ava berated the teenager. 

Clementine put the empty vial back on the table and finally faced the woman.

"Because I knew you would've tried to talk me out of it. I couldn't take that chance."

Their conversation was overheard by another member of their group, who had been walking by.

Dyllon, a blonde guy with a beard and sunglasses, that he never seemed to take off for some reason, came over to them.

"And stealing from us isn't taking a chance or what? You goddamn thief." he spat out as he approached them. 

All three of them were surprised at his sudden appearance. He threw his hand forward and grabbed her arm, making sure she couldn't run away.

Ava looked torn on what to do. She knew Dyllon was acting according to their protocol, but something inside her wanted to knock him out.

Clem quickly wiggled herself free from his grip. His arms were surprisingly scrawny for a long-time member. At least, for someone who had been here longer than she was.

"What's going on here?", David's voice startled Dyllon and the others, as they all turned towards him. Clementine used that momentary distraction to grab AJ and try to get out of there.

But more people, including Max, had already gathered at the little station. There was no way for her to escape. She was surrounded.

"We caught her trying to take those drugs." Dyllon responded. The young girl turned towards David, who clearly was shocked from what he heard.

"What the hell, Clem?! We already did everything we could for your boy!"  he took a step towards her, invading her personal space.

"I told you, there's no hope for him! How could you betray our trust like this?" David demanded to know. Clem had taken a step back, afraid of what he might do.

"You gave up on him! What was I supposed to do?! Just let him die? You know I can't do that!" she fired back, her temper starting to flare up. 

"So that gives you the right to ransack our fucking store!" he yelled back. 

"Easy, David. Please try to stay calm." Ava knew how he could get when he let his anger overtake him. She needed to keep him calm. Or at least less furious.

Her plea fell on deaf ears.

"You were told those drugs wouldn't help! That waste? That'll cost someone's life down the road. Someone in this camp! Someone who contributes to our survival! We opened our arms to you; made you one of us." he took another two steps towards her, letting his emotions course through him.

"And this is how you repay us? By stealing? By putting yourself before the group?", he was downright yelling at her at this point.

"I'm sorry, o- okay?! I didn't mean for this to happen. I... I'll make it up to you - get you more medicine!"
 
"The hell you are! You broke our rules, Clem... I can't just let this go." no matter how many steps back Clementine took, David kept closing the gap. Until she bumped into someone with her backside. Quickly turning around, she saw that it was Max - a sorrowful expression on his face.

She turned back to David, who waited for a response, patience running thin.

"Even though I'm sorry, I stand by my acttions. And I'd do it again, if it means AJ gets to live." Clementine answered surprisingly calmly. She already knew what the consequences were. She was just waiting for it to happen.

"But you knew this won't save him! Yet you did it anyway and betrayed all of us in the process. I can't tolerate that kind of behaviour.", David went on to say. Lingard had managed to get off the stretcher at this point and carefully approached David from the side. It looked like he was about to put his hand on David's shoulder, but thought better of it. Instead, he began to 

"Maybe we should give her another chance. After all, she's just a child." Lingard argued. Clem was surprised the doctor wasn't mad at her for 'wasting' his precious drugs and appreciated him standing up for her.

"Paul, don't fight me on this. You know what Joan would say, if she were here. Child or no child.", he shifted his attention back to Clementine after dismissing Lingard's objection.

"Maybe we can reason with her. Explain the situat-"

"You don't know her like I do, Paul. So drop it!", the doctor averted his gaze from David back to Clem, sadness adorning his features as he stared into her begging eyes - powerless.

"I'm sorry Clem. You brought this on yourself.", David exclaimed. It felt like that was it for the young girl. Her expression turned cold, clutching the young boy against herself.

"Fine. You want us gone? We'll go. Come on, AJ." she turned on a dime and tried leaving the camp with the boy in her arms, but the other members quickly boxed her in, blocking her path.

"Uh uh. He stays. Can't take him with you. That ship has sailed." David said sternly, crossing his arms.

"You're cruel!" Clementine spoke harshly as she turned back around to face the man once again. She couldn't believe that she once saw this man as a friend.

"You don't even want to take care of him!"  the young girl yelled out, starring daggers at the man. 

"Clem, he's in no condition to travel." Lingard chimed back in.
 
"Let him go, Clem...It's for the best. For both of you.", now Ava was against her as well. She can't remember the last time she felt this helpless. Like she was a cornered animal, surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves.

They all moved up towards her, Max and Dyllon holding her in place - allowing Ava to take away AJ from her, as the two men pulled her backwards, tearing her away from him. 

The child screamed and cried out when they tore him from her guardian.

"NO!" was all Clementine could get out as she was pushed aside, standing alone as the whole group stared her down. The fire in her eyes burned hotter than the one heating their camp.

"YOU MONSTERS!!!", she yelled at them loudly, not caring if it attracted any walkers or not. A whole group of adults she trusted, had made her an outcast. Lingard, who had been given AJ by Ava, was holding him gently in his arms. The doctor couldn't even bare to look her in the eyes. 

She didn't know whether it was because of guilt, shame or both. Frankly, she didn't care at that moment. 

"What about this?!", she pulled up her left sleeve, revealing the mark they branded her with, all those months ago.

"Why even bother giving it to me, if it doesn't mean anything! I thought I was one of you! Part of the family!", she exclaimed in desperation. 

"Not anymore." David said painfully, even though he tried to hide it as best as he could.

"At least let her say goodbye, David. We owe her that much.", Ava said as she crossed her arms, looking dejected and sad.

"Fine. You heard her. Just say what you need to say, then go.", David agreed,

Clementine nodded, accepting the offer. She slowly walked past her now former leader and up to AJ, still held by Lingard. She took his little hand into hers and began to speak.

"I love you, goofball.", she gently pulled his head towards her, Lingard bending down accordingly, allowing her to place a soft kiss on the child's head.

"I love you so much.", tears began to well up in her eyes and her voice started to crack. But she wouldn't cry. Not in front of him. Not in front of them.

A hand touched her shoulder, gentler than she expected.

"It's time. Come on, Clem.", it was David, whose rage had completed left him at this point, looking almost deflated.
 
With a heavy heart, she let go of AJ and turned around, letting David guide her out of the camp.
 
He let her go and she walked off, without saying another word or sparing them another glance.

They weren't allowed to see the tears that were now freely falling down her face as she wandered into the darkness.

David returned to both Lingard and Ava, telling the doctor to take care of the boy as best as he could.

"Show's over, people. Either get back to work or head to bed.", the amassed crowd scattered and returned to their posts. The atmosphere had shifted though.

When he was sure him and Ava were alone and nobody was in earshot, he allowed himself to release a deep sigh and put his hands over his face.

"Puta madre.", me muttered. Ava had her arms crossed over her chest, looking heartbroken.

"Yeah. Same over here.", she said, her voice soft. After a good ten seconds, his hands left his face and landed on his hips.

"Why the fuck did she have to this? Right in front of everybody?! If it was just something between us three, we could've swept this under the rug.", David spoke quietly. Now looking at the path where Clementine had disappeared.
"She's a scared girl, that had nothing but that boy to lose. Of course, she'd do something like this. I should've seen it coming, really. Now I'm just mad at myself for not talking to her after Lingard gave his diagnosis. I thought giving her some space to process all this was the right call."

"And now she's exiled. Fuck. Took it like a champ as well. I know if I were to be treated like that, I would've left either with a bloodied nose or dead.", he said, his eyes still glued to that same area. He took a breath before he continued to speak.

"I just wish she would've done something else.. Something we couldn't have kicked her out for. She had become a real asset to us. Not to mention that the boy could've become useful too, if he'd actually gotten the chance."

"Grief makes us do the craziest things, doesn't it.", Ava lamented. Her arms fell down back to her sides, now following David's gaze, who let out another deep sigh.

"It sure does.", David said, now finally able to break away from starring and turned towards Ava.

"You've got any idea where she might be heading?", he asked her, worried look on his face.

"I might've got an inkling. Why? You want me to bring her back?", she asked incredulously. David shook his head.

"If it was that simple, I would've never sent her away. Bring her some supplies. Ensure she makes it. It would be a crime to let talent like that just die out.", he walked off, towards his tent and off to prepare the load.

Ava let her eyes follow him. He would need time to process all this. She knew David was tough and capable of moving on. But he should take his time.

After spending so much time with him, she could see right through his facade. He had grown to care about that girl much more than he wanted to let on. The look in his eyes when those two were out together told her everything she needed to know.

The only other times she had seen him so prideful was when he told her stories about his children.

The same children he was forced to leave behind when the world had gone to hell.

A COUPLE HOURS LATER

Clementine had returned to the abandoned trailer, where she and Ava had first met. Where she was recruited. To give herself and AJ a better chance. It felt ironic having ended up back here. Alone.

The first hour, she had spent just crying her eyes out. Mourning AJ, the life she had lost. After that, she was left wondering what she was supposed to do with herself. 

She had one big reason to exist. To keep going. And they took that from her.

This was one of the many times when Clem wished, more than anything, that Lee was here. He somehow always knew what to say or what to do. She desperately needed that right now.

The passage of time had become an obscurity, as she just sat there. Dejected. Stuck in her own head.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard footsteps approaching from the distance. Usually she would've gotten up and into position. But in her current state, she didn't even bother to move a muscle. She just kept starring at the empty trailer wall.

"I thought I'd find you here.", Ava's voice echoed through the empty living space, seeing as Clementine was sitting on the only piece  of furniture that was left in it.

Said young woman finally averted her gaze from the wall and looked at Ava directly, anger and resentment clear on her face.

"What do you want now? Kick me while I'm down?", she spat out, starring daggers at her ex-mentor.

"Not really my style. I prefer to lift people up. Speaking of which.", she threw the duffle bag she was carrying down on the floor next to Clem, who didn't even bother to look at it, keeping her eyes fixed on Ava's face.

"Here are a couple supplies to keep you going. At least until you find something more permanent. David packed the bag himself, so you know it's the good stuff.", her voice wasn't cheerful per se, but it definitely sounded too positive for Clem's liking.

"So what? You expect to fall on my knees and thank you for this? After everything what happened?"

"I understand you're upset. I do. But think about it from David's perspective. If he starts making an exception now, that could be used against him by the other leaders.", Ava calmly explained. But Clementine wasn't having any of it.

"That doesn't give him to right to take AJ away from me! He's all I've got left! How could he be so heartless?"

"What happened to AJ is tragic and I'm so sorry about how things went down. We didn't take him to hurt you.", she crouched down, meeting Clem at eye level. Only now seeing how puffy they looked.

"Please, check the bag. See what's in there.", she gestured towards the duffle with an open palm. To her relief, Clementine finally uncrossed her arms and got off the bed. 

She knelt down to zip the bag open and sifted through its content.

A couple cans of food, some energy bars, two bottles of water and.... a drawing that AJ had made.

She audibly gasped when she saw it and slowly picked it up with a shaky hand. She recognized it. He drew right before she took him to Lingard, after he got sick.

"David wanted you to have it. As a peace offering.", all the resentment and anger she felt started to melt away, giving way for grief and sadness, as her eyes started to sting and her throat crumpled up.

She thought she had cried all the tears she had left for AJ.

"Thank you." she got out, even if it was just a light whisper.

 
"I know you're hurting right now. We all do. This was just as hard for us, as it was for you. Even if that's hard to believe.", Clementine just kept starring at the drawing of what seemed to be an abstract butterfly. Or at least that's how Clementine had interpreted his wild scribbles.

"We care about you. Have since you joined. Will keep to, even though you've left. But I didn't just come here to bring you this bag. There is something I wanted to tell you as well.", the older woman got up from her kneeling position, motivating Clementine to follow her lead.

"Whatever happened, you can't let it get to you. Keep a level head and plan for after that. You're strong, but that won't get you far, if you don't know what you're doing."

"The last four months... I've learned a lot. And we- I did fine before we even met. I can handle myself."

"Even if that's true, if you don't find another group to settle with, you're not gonna make it far out here, regardless of how skilled or grizzled you are.", her face turned serious, she made a heel-turn and headed back towards the entrance, leaving the trailer, motioning for Clementine to follow her out. 

"For me, staying alive has always been about finding people I could trust as much as they trusted me. That's what the New Frontier has been. A silver lining. Made me feel worth a damn.", she spoke while leading Clem a couple feet outside, where they had a bit more space from each other, as she came to a stop.

"You'll find yours. I know you will. Someone, or something. They're out there.", Ava said while turning to face Clem again, wearing a more hopeful expression.

"I don't know if I can. AJ was the last person that hadn't left me...!", Clem spoke softly, holding onto her arm with her hand, looking off to the side.

"Listen Clem.", Ava reached out and gently put her hand on Clementine's shoulder, gazing into younger girl's eyes, uncertainty painted all over them.

"I know we put you in a horrible situation and I'll never be able to apologize enough for doing so. But you've gotta find the strength to move on. To keep going. No matter what."

Ava let go of her and took a step back before she went on.

"From the first time we met, right here, surrounded by absolute hell...you and AJ were a light in the darkness. Hope for a better world! That's who you truly are. Promise me, you'll never lose that light. It's what makes you special, Clem. It's what keeps all of us still going." the older woman was begging her, closing the distance again between them.

Taking a moment to consider her former mentor's words, she eventually nodded. "Fine. I promise."

"That's all I wanted. I should head back anyway, before anyone notices I'm gone. Remember to keep the focus on you now, Clem. And when you need a little extra support - there's an old airfield. About ten or so miles south of here, called Prescott. There's good people there. I'm sure they'll help you out."

After her long speech, she extended her hand and offered a handshake.

"I'll miss having you around, Clem. Take care of yourself out there.", Clementine, after a long moment of hesitation, took it.

"I hope the best for you, kid. I really do.", and with those final words, Ava turned around and headed back to her camp.

Leaving Clementine alone. Something she hasn't been in a very long time.

Chapter Text

It felt weird traveling on her own. She was so used to having AJ around, it felt wrong in a sense. It had been a month since she had gotten kicked out of the New Frontier, but not a single went by, where she hadn't thought about him.

She still found herself checking for him after waking up, only to be painfully reminded her goofball wasn’t there.

Clementine had to get used to it. This was her life now. Each day was just about finding what she could.

Where she was ultimately headed, she didn't know yet. For better or worse, she'd decided to heed Ava's advice and went to Prescott. The place was nice, all things considered. A repurposed airfield to accommodate a community of people. It certainly had its charm.

The people who lived there on the other hand.... Most of them seemed okay, but she didn't feel like she could trust many of them.

Not that trusting anyone was easy ever since what happened with the new Frontier.

It still stung, probably more than getting branded ever did. The constant swing between sadness and anger wore her down.. She tried not to dwell on what happened, but there was nothing much else to do.

Being alone left her with too much time to think - to replay everything that led her here.. From Lee teaching her how to survive, separating from Kenny when he begged her and AJ to stay at Wellington, said settlement falling and them joining the New Frontier out of desperation.

It made so much sense at the time, especially considering AJ. Not that she couldn't have taken care of him herself, she's done so for a while before they even met Ava.

But there had been too many close calls to reject the offer. And everything was going great, until the little goofball got sick.

Crazy to think that, of all the dangers out there, it was a simple illness that took him - not even the walkers.

Life had a funny way of telling you to screw off, sometimes bluntly. Like the day she found her parents as walkers and was forced to end Lee shortly after that.

Clementine shook her head when that thought popped into her head. She didn't want to think about that day. Not now. 

Refocusing her eyes on the pile of junk in front of her, she reminded herself of where she was. An old junkyard, not that far from Prescott. She'd come here to see if she couldn't find anything useful, either for personal use or trade. But it's been fruitless so far.

This place felt cold and unwelcoming. Nothing but dust, trash of all kinds and moldy containers. The rattling chain fences, swayed by the wind, added to the eerie atmosphere. Not to mention the smell. Rust , metal, oil and a mix of other foul odors gave this shithole its own little charm. At least that's how Clem felt.

The stench didn't bother her that much though. Once you cover yourself in walker guts, nothing can really scare your nose anymore.

After a good fifteen minutes of digging through some more useless junk, she decided to take a break. Sitting on a knocked over oil barrel at the side of the driveway leading into the yard.

"I can't believe they did this to me....", Clementine muttered, crossing her arms, starring at the floor.

"They would've done the same fucking thing, if any of them were in my position. Fucking assholes, all of them.", tightly squeezing her eyes shut, she took a deep breath, trying to breathe the anger away. 

It was a technique Ava had taught her, after a trade deal with another group went south and the situation escalated. They'd almost died during the firefight and then one of the bastards "surrendered", only to take a desperate shot at one of them. He missed, but it still infuriated her to no end.

One of them could've lost their lives to that piece of shit.

Even though she was still pissed more than anything at both Ava and David for tearing her away from AJ, she couldn't deny that she understood their reasoning, to a certain extend at least. What she did could potentially cost someone down the line.

And like they'd said. It was all in vain. He was gone. And so was everyone else. The latter being the fault of her own - no matter how bitter the fact was, she couldn't deny it. If she'd listened, they could've spent his final moments together.

Her train of thought was cut short by the sound of footsteps and growling, tearing her out of her reverie. Instinctively, she jumped on her feet and turned towards the source of the noise.

It was a walker, who'd probably managed to crawl out of some corner, attracted by the noise her rummaging through the trash must've made.

Clementine actually was glad to see it. Killing walkers was one of her greatest vices to release all that pent-up anger she held inside of her. And this one couldn't have come at a better time.

She pulled out her knife and kicked the foul creature’s knees, sending it face-first to the dirt.. With a quick swoop downwards, she ran the entire length of the blade through the back of its skull, killing it instantly.

Instead of pulling it out directly, she grabbed the hilt of the knife with both hands, pulling downwards to the creatures neck. Tilting the blade, she disconnected the head from the rest of its body. 

Grabbing the walker’s head, she slammed it against the barrel until it crumpled like an overripe fruit. Clem’s breath came heavy, her hands trembling - not from fear, but from the fire of frustration that burned brighter with each strike.

Throwing the remains of the rotten skull away, she wiped her bloodied hands over the barrel, not wanting to stain her jacket and make it smell like dead walker.

Checking her surroundings, it seemed clear enough. This walker had come alone. A bit disappointed, she kicked the headless body lying on the floor, annoyed there wasn't more to kill. She could've used some more distraction.

To her surprise, she heard a small chirp in the distance and saw a tiny shadow coming from behind one of the minuscule buildings of the yard, made out of rusted sheet metal.

Not a second later, a squirrel emerged from its cover, looking over to her.

"Huh, you must be what the walker was after.", she murmured, trying not to scare the furred fellow away. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't had a good meal in a while.

She hesitated over whether to use her gun, giving the squirrel enough time to dart through a hole in the fence and up the nearest tree.

"Shit." Clem exclaimed, as she had tried to chase it, grabbing onto the chain-link fence, watching as her food source escaped. Keeping her eyes on it as it elegantly climbed up the side of a majestic tree.

"Must be nice being so nimble. Wish I could just climb up somewhere to avoid whatever was chasing me for food...", that last sentence gave her moment of pause, reconsidering the thought she had allowed to escape.

Turning back towards the mass amount of decayed products of the past, a small smile graced her features.

"Actually... that's not such a bad idea.", letting go of the fence she walked over to a group of piled up car wrecks.

"Maybe from up there, I can get a better view of this place. Spot something useful." She eyed the pile of four stacked cars. It was tall, rusted, and precarious, but it offered a vantage point - if she could climb it.

Looking for a good spot to find a grip or a potential foothold, walked over to the side of the lowest wreck. The doors had been ripped off on all the models, so she got up onto the molding seat, arching her back to get an angle with her hands, gripping  the floor of the wreck above, trying to pull herself up.

One of her hands slipped, causing her to fall back down, landing flat on her back. Hissing out in pain, fighting the urge to yell.

Mumbling a swear as she got back on her feet and dusting herself off, she angrily glared up at the top of the pile, now more determined than ever to make it up there.

Suddenly, something Ava had told her a while back popped into her head: "Climbing is about balance and patience, not just strength."

She took a deep breath and took a step forward, ready to try again.

After another attempt, she made her way inside the second wreck, she repeated the process, trying her best not to look down. As the height increased, her heart rate went up regardless though.

She steadied her grip and climbed until she reached the top of the pile.

"Ha! I made it!", she allowed herself to smile, a rare moment of pride washing over her. She kept the palms of her hands on the rusty roof of the car. She didn't want to risk falling off now.

The view from up here was exactly what she was hoping for. She could oversee the entire yard and all the junk that filled it.

As she watched over her immediate area she could spot a cardboard box in the mix and it's content reflecting back into her eye, as the moonlight touched it.

Slowly and carefully climbing her way back down, she went over and inspected the box. It was filled with batteries of some sort. They looked to be in pretty good condition.

Not a bad find at all. There were plenty of people willing to trade back at Prescott. Maybe she could make a good trade.

It certainly wouldn't hurt  if it was time for her luck to finally turn around. 

Chapter Text

Clementine enters the bar in full gear, heading straight for the counter and taking a seat on one of the empty bar stools. She props up the shotgun she was carrying, leaning it against the front side of the counter.

The bartender, a grizzled black man called Conrad, was cleaning a glass on the other end of the counter, but quickly came over when he saw who had just entered his space.

"Would you look at who's back in town. Hey there, Clem. What brings you back into our charming little community?", he asked as he put the now clean glass down and leans on the counter with both his palms, gentle smile on his face.

"Just some unfinished business. I won't be staying for long. Thought I could have a drink, before I headed back out there.", she put her forearms on the counter, letting her body relax as she spoke to the older man.

"Always on the move, huh? Ever thought about finding a place you can settle down in? Life out there the way you're livin' - can't be easy."

"I've actually thought about that.", she reached into the pocket of the jacket she was wearing, pulling out a map, unfolding it and spreading it across the counter, Conrad adjusting his hands accordingly.

The map showed the whole of the United States, with all the individual states being distincted by color. There was a red circle marked around Florida, to which Conrad immediately pointed towards.

"Looks like you got your eyes on Florida. Any family or friends still there?", he asked, searching her eyes, while she kept her gaze fixed on the map.

"Maybe. An old friend I used to run with was from there. We got separated a while back, when we got to a place called Wellington. Haven't seen him since. But he's from Florida, so with a little luck....", her eyes shifted from the map back to him, meeting his gaze.

"Could be. But mind you, Florida's a big place. Don't know if it's that likely you'll find him, even if he's there."

"I know. But it's the only real option I got. Just drifting through the country without a plan isn't really my style."

"I can tell. Since the day you first came in here, you always seemed to know what you were doin'. But Florida isn't particularly close. Any idea how you want to get there?"

"Probably by car. There's a couple of'em I found in the area, but most don't look like they could get me far. So that's what I'm trying to figure out. But I got some ideas."

"Well, good luck with that. Not like they're giving them out these days, that's for sure. But look at me, just yammering like an old man. What can I get for you, honey?" the man asked her with a little smile.

Clementine lifted her chin, thinking about her choice for the night. After a moment of consideration she answered confidently: "I'll go for some tea this time."

"Good choice. Francine's favorite is on the menu tonight.", he pulled out a cup and filled it with her chosen beverage. She takes it into her hands and takes a sip, letting out a satisfied sigh after putting it down.

"I think I bothered you enough for one day. Please enjoy, and maybe give Tripp a heads-up when you're about to leave. He prefers to know what's goin' on around his neighborhood."

"I'll talk to him once I'm set. Thanks for the drink, Conrad."

"No problem Clem. Always nice to have a friendly face 'round here.", with that said, Conrad went over to another patron a couple stools down from Clem. 

She took a second to look around in the bar, since she hadn't checked it out in the meantime.

There weren't many other patrons here. Some guys playing cards at a corner table, Eli sitting in his armchair inside his gloomy corner, making a deal with another shifty looking individual, and finally the other patron getting drunk that Conrad was having a laugh with right now.

She never really trusted the people of Prescott. Not only because of what happened with the New Frontier, but also because most of them just rubbed her the wrong way. The only people she had any sort of trust in were Conrad and Tripp.

It didn't matter that much anyway now. She'd made up her mind. With AJ gone, there was nothing left for her here. She'd try to find something new, something to hold on to, just like Ava said. But it was hard.

So hard in fact, it would be easier to go somewhere else. She wasn't sure if Kenny was still out there. He was in rough shape the last time she's seen him and he never came back to Wellington.

Whatever the case, there was no fault in trying at least. If he was still kicking, that's where he would've gone. She was sure of it. There was one group she knew that had access to vehicles. which were in great condition, but she'd been apprehensive this whole time, for obvious reasons.

Downing the rest of the tea in one large gulp, she'd concluded that the doubt and fear would end tonight. She'd get what she needed, one way or another. Picking up her shotgun and map, she made her way out of the bar and left Prescott.

She had a car to obtain.

A COUPLE HOURS LATER

The forest was eerily quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves as the wind swept through the trees. Clementine crouched low, her hood from her west pulled up over her hat, making her hardly visible in the cover of night. She eyed the thick tree she’d chosen, its base already partially cut through from her earlier work. The sound of a distant engine reached her ears, faint but growing louder.

“Almost time,” she murmured to herself, laying down the axe.

The New Frontier supply routes weren’t a secret to her. Hell, she'd taken part in some of them herself. This particular road was a lifeline for their camp, meaning it was always in use.

The perfect spot for an ambush.

She positioned herself behind the tree, planting her feet firmly. Her heart pounded as the rumble of the vehicle grew closer. When the sound was almost upon her, she gave the tree a final, forceful shove.

With a loud crack and a groan of splintering wood, the tree toppled, crashing across the road.

The truck came into view, its driver slamming on the brakes. Tires screeched, but it was too late. He desperately tried to dodge off to the side, right into a ditch in the road.

Clementine stayed hidden, crouching low behind a cluster of bushes. She picked up her shotgun on the floor, finger off the trigger. She didn’t intend to use it - this wasn’t about bloodshed - but she wasn’t naïve enough to think things couldn’t escalate.

The driver stumbled out of the truck, slightly dazed, but he recovered rather quick, making a run for it. A handcuffed man emerged from the passenger side, his movements quick and deliberate, pistol in his hands. He aimed it at the driver, yelling out for him - causing the frightened driver to freeze and raise his hands in submission.

Clem’s eyes narrowed. She hadn’t anticipated this.

The handcuffed man didn’t say another word, his expression unknown to Clem, since she only saw him from behind. His hands were steady despite the restraints, the gun unwavering.

Clem remained in the shadows, her hand now resting on the trigger of her shotgun. She could intervene, but something made her hesitate. The handcuffed man wasn’t like the New Frontier soldiers she’d encountered before. There was something... desperate about him.

To her surprise, the man lowered the gun, allowing the driver to escape - bolting into the woods, disappearing into the underbrush. The handcuffed man didn’t chase him. This was her chance.

Clementine held her breath, silently creeping up to the man.

His posture seemed to relax, as he audibly sighed. When she was right behind him, close enough to jam the barrel of her gun into his back, she operated the pump, the sound drawing his attention as his body reactively twitched from the sound.

He tried to get a look at her over his shoulder, but quickly turned back, not wanting to risk potentially getting his back blown out.

"Yeah. All right....", he dropped his gun to the floor, trying to avoid doing anything stupid.

'Maybe this situation is salvageable after all', Clem thought.

Chapter Text

The group of survivors had made their escape via cars, putting miles between them and the mess that used to be Prescott. The settlement was just overrun by members of the New Frontier, armed with not only guns and tear gas but also apparently walkers. 

"You okay back there?", Tripp asked, looking at Clem through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah. Just a little shaken up from what went down.", she replied, her mind still processing the events that had occurred. It all happened so fast.

Ever since Mariana got shot, Clem was left with this uneasy feeling that the New Frontier had changed. They never shot at people that didn't pose a threat, even if there had been some previous grievances with a rival group.

Maybe it was Badger's influence. David always had to keep that man in line and he was known for acting out in tense situations. He was kept around despite that, since "you need someone that isn't afraid to bend the rules for the 'cause", as David put it.

But Clementine always knew there was something wrong with Badger. That guy was a loose canon since the day she met him. But this was extreme, even for him. What the hell had happened to them?

"Those motherfuckers are crazy! I mean weaponizing walkers? Seriously?!", Conrad exclaimed in anger.

"We're gonna make this right, Conrad. In due time. But first we gotta figure out our next steps.", Tripp assured him. 

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, man.", Conrad waved him off. Even though he knew that Tripp was right, it still annoyed him that they couldn't fight back. Not at the moment. They'd need to check in with the others, before they could make any real decisions.

Clem thought about expressing her condolences to the widowed man, but decided to remain silent. Shortly after, they saw the car in front of them slow down and stop at the side of the road. Tripp following suit.

Once they'd come to a halt, Tripp and Conrad got out immediately, the former barging his way over to Eleanor as fast as he could.

"Eleanor! Thank god.", he said, as the two hugged.

"I can't believe it. All our friends...all those people...just gone.", after she separated from him, her eyes fell on Conrad, who had gone off to the middle of the road, just starring off into the distance, in the direction of Prescott.

"Oh Conrad...", Eleanor said softly, nervously rubbing the tips of her fingers together.

"We're gonna avenge her. I promise you that." Javi spoke out to the grieving man.

"Oh, so it's 'we' now? You're the one they were after. She's dead because of you!", Conrad spat as out he spun around and closed the distance between him and Garcia.

"Conrad, easy there buddy. This wasn't his fault.", Tripp tried to defuse the situation.

"Bullshit! Francine.... Prescott... All because this washed up cheat walked through our gates! I should've known it the second I looked at ya. You ain't gonna stand up for nobody but your own!", 

"We...we just lost someone too.", Javi painfully admitted, looking at his nephew and last remaining child of his brother. He'd have to live with the guilt of not being able to save her for the rest of his days. "So say what you have to say."

"What?! That supposed to make me feel better?", Conrad got into Javi's face, invading his personal space.

"Calm down, Conrad. Please." Eleanor begged him, having walked up towards him as well.

"All I know is, if it wasn't for him-", Conrad jabbed his finger into Javi's chest, but was cut off when he heard a gun being cocked to his side. Slowly pulling his arm back, he and the group looked at the source of the sound.

It was Gabe, who was aiming a loaded pistol at Conrad. Eleanor instinctively moved behind Tripp, holding on to his arm as they stared at the young man. Clementine had walked up beside the pair, unsure of how the situation would unfold.

"Back the fuck off. Now!", Gabe demanded, eyes narrowed and face in a scowl. Conrad's expression softened as he raised his hands in surrender.

"Just back off.", he threatened further.

"Take it easy, son.", Conrad spoke softly.

"Gabe, no. This isn't necessary.", his uncle tried to calm him down, taking a couple careful steps towards him.

"What are you talking about? Yes it is! I told you I wasn't gonna just hide like a little kid anymore!", Gabe shook his head, reaffirming his grip on his gun.

"I know you're just trying to help, but this isn't gonna do it."

"Just do it already! I don't even care no more.", Conrad yelled, dropping his arms to his sides.

"Just put it down, Gabe.", Clem  tried to reason.

"Come on, kid. Listen to her.", Tripp said in support.

"If you shoot an unarmed man, you're gonna regret it for the rest of your life. Just put the gun down, Gabe.", Javi pleaded, closing the rest of the distance between him and his nephew.

"Don't touch my uncle again.", he said, stowing the pistol back in his pocket just before running off, down the road.

"Gabe!", Javi yelled behind him, hands on his hips now.

"Let him go. He just needs to cool off.", Clementine said, crossing her arms and shaking her head, her body beginning to relax after the tension subsided. 

In the meantime, Conrad had made his way over to Tripp's car, slowly sliding down along its side, plopping down against one of the back tires as he broke into tears, allowing the lingering sadness to rear its head.

Eleanor knelt down beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder, in emotional support.

"We have to go back. We have to bury her.", Conrad said through tears.

"I wish we could. Prescott's overrun. We can't go back.", Tripp somberly explained.

"Well, it's not safe here either.", Eleanor interjected.

Clem began to tense up again as a thought crossed her mind. There was only one solid option in her mind, but that would mean she'd risk running into her old group again. But she couldn't just walk away now, either. 

She didn't owe these people anything, but Javi seemed like a genuinely good man. He had stuck out his neck for her back in Prescott when the situation with Eli took a turn for the worst, so she felt compelled to help him out.

"There's a settlement not too far from here called Richmond. It has big walls, shelter, food and even a hospital, from what I've heard. There's just one catch.", Clementine began, gaining the attention of all four adults present, waiting for her to go on.

"It's controlled by the New Frontier."

Conrad's hands balled into fists the moment he heard what she said, his face darkening into a deep scowl.

"Ya saying the assholes who did this live there? Perfect. Time to crash their home and see how they like it!", he angrily exclaimed.

"Easy there. You forgot that these guys are armed to the teeth? We can't just barge in there and open fire.", Tripp exclaimed.

"Not to mention that Kate needs medical attention. She's still suffering from internal injuries and I can't help her any further without equipment.", Eleanor joined in.

"Which is why we have to go there! We kill the guys responsible for this and then get some medicine for his lady. Two birds, one stone.", Conrad argued, his eyes sharp and mind determined.

"It's not that simple. We don't know these guys! Who's to say they'll even bother to let us in?", Tripp tried to reason with the man.

"He's right about one thing though, Kate doesn't have much time." Javi said worriedly, turning towards Clementine. "Are you sure Richmond is the only place we can go to get help for Kate?" he asked her worriedly.

"It's the only settlement that's close I know of. We could go and look somewhere else, but I don't know how much time that'd take.", the teenage girl admitted. 

"Then it's our only option. These guys could've shot me, but they didn't. Maybe that'll mean we can convince them to help."

"Wait a goddamn minute, you ain't making buddies with the bastards that just destroyed my home!", Conrad exclaimed, his knuckles turning white. 

"Please Conrad.  Listen to me. After we get help for Kate, we can track down the people that killed both Francine and my niece, Mariana. Bring them to justice. You have my word.", Javi assured him stretching out his hand for Conrad to take. 

The man in question stared at his hand warily, his gaze moving over to both Tripp and Eleanor, both nodding in support of the decision. 

With closed eyes, he took a deep breath. After reopening them, he took JavI's offered hand.

"Fuck it then. All right. We do it your way. Don't make me regret this.", Conrad concluded, back on his feet.

"Don't worry. I'm not planning to.", Javi assured him with an earnest expression.

Conrad nodded in response, his eyes leaving Javi's as he focused on something behind him. Javi followed it, turning back to see that his nephew had come back from where ever he'd run off to. 

"Hey Gabe.", Clementine approached him, beginning their conversation.

"Ah, hey.", he responded, crossing his arms, obviously trying to play it cool.

"Huh. Just make sure your boy doesn't act out again. Don't wanna have him threaten someone that's not afraid of firing back.", Conrad said, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Let's just all calm down for a second. You guys sure you really wanna do this?" Tripp asked, uncertainty in his voice.

"What choice have we got? We don't know how long Kate's got left if we don't find help and I'm not willing to find out." Javi said, directly looking at Tripp, who sighed in defeat.

"Well, Richmond it is then. God help us.", he conceded with hands on his hips. Javi nodded in appreciation, before he made his way past him, towards the two teenagers still conversing.

"Come on guys. We got a long drive ahead of us."

HOURS LATER

How could things escalate this quickly? One moment, there were no walkers around and they were clearing a path - the next a whole herd showed up and forced Eleanor to flee with Kate, leaving the rest of them to find a temporary escape on the roof of an old gas station.

There were dozens of walkers down there, shuffling around, waiting for them.

"Well, isn't this just fucking peachy. These fuckers had to come out of nowhere and ambush us like that!", Tripp complained, throwing his arms over his head as he watched the large herd that had gathered below them.

"What the hell are we gonna do now?", Conrad asked no one in specific, also in bewilderment of the giant load of undead that surrounded them. 

Clementine stepped forward, "We need to come up with some sorta plan to deal with this.

"What are you saying? A plan! Now that's an idea!", Tripp exclaimed  sarcastically as he turned to her with an exasperated look on his face.

In turn, Clementine shook her head in annoyance. "You don't have to be a dick about it."

"We need to fight our way out. It's our only chance.", Javi said as he approached the two of them, determination in every step.

"I'm not sure I like our odds.", Conrad commented.

"This is fucking great! Eleanor's out there, alone, and we're stuck up here!", Tripp took a step toward Clementine, anger flaring in his eyes. Clem tensed, her fingers inching toward her back pocket. Javi quickly stepped between them, raising his hands.

"Tripp, calm down. We're all on edge, but yelling at each other isn't helping."

Before Tripp could respond, Javi’s gaze flicked upward. He froze, narrowing his eyes at a shadow behind the broken billboard.

"Wait- stop. Someone's watching us."

"What? Where?", Conrad asked, looking around frantically, trying to spot the mysterious onlooker. Tripp had followed Javi's gaze and it landed on a person in a trench coat. 

In response, the figure spying on them quickly moved back behind the billboard, disappearing from sight.

"Shit.. I saw him too.", Tripp said, running for the nearest piece of cover, the rest of the group following suit, as they hid behind pieces of grown-over sheet metal.

"Wait. Was this all a trap?", Gabe questioned as he tried to get  a peek of the stranger.

"Keep your heads down!", Tripp told them, Gabe reflexively followed the command. "This guy could have a rifle. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to keep my skull intact.

Javi’s voice cut through the tense silence. “Maybe we can reason with him. We’ve got him outnumbered.”

Clementine glanced at him sharply. “Who’s to say he’s alone? He could have a whole group backing him up.”

“She’s right,” Conrad muttered, his grip tightening on his shotgun. “Just some random wanderer, all by himself? Not buying it for a second.”

Javi raised a hand, trying to get them to calm down. “Okay, just let me talk to the guy. Figure things out.”

He peeked carefully over his cover, scanning the rooftop where he’d last seen the stranger. But the man was no longer there.

“He’s gone,” the disgraced baseballstar said, his tone laced with caution. He adjusted his position and looked back at the group. “You guys stay here. I’m going up to see what I can find.”

Clementine’s brow furrowed, her voice low but firm. “Be careful.”

Javi nodded, his movements deliberate as he used the wall beside him to climb up to a nearby ledge. The enclosed space of the yard was quiet except for the faint groans of walkers below, their lifeless forms shuffling aimlessly in the shadows. With his gun drawn, Javi moved cautiously across the brickwork, inching closer to the rooftop where he’d last spotted the stranger.

The stranger reappeared, peeking out from behind a broken billboard. Javi froze, pressing himself against a stone pillar supporting the railway bridge above. When the man turned away, Javi continued his advance, stepping lightly over the wooden boards that formed a makeshift bridge between his ledge and the rooftop. He vanished from sight, leaving the others behind.

Clementine's stomach churned with unease. “Now what?”

Tripp leaned back against his piece of cover, crossing his arms. “What do you mean ‘now what?’ We wait here 'til he gives us the go-ahead.”

“I don’t like this,” Clementine shot back, her frustration evident. “He could be walking into a trap, and we’re just sitting here, doing nothing.”

“Then go back him up.” Conrad snapped. “Ain’t my fault he insisted on goin' alone.”

Clementine’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. I’m going. Keep hiding if it makes you feel better.”

“Clem, wait!” Gabe called out, scrambling to follow her as she moved toward the wall.

Clementine didn’t stop, didn’t even respond. With practiced ease, she jumped up, grabbed the edge of the brickwork, and hauled herself onto the ledge. She heard Tripp groan behind her.

“For fuck’s sake,” he muttered. “Come on, Conrad.”

Before long, the others were climbing after her, helping Gabe up as Clementine pressed forward. Following Javi’s path, she moved silently, her every step calculated. When she reached the rooftop, she froze. The stranger was there, his gun aimed squarely at the back of Javi’s head. They were talking, but the distance made it impossible to hear the words.

Thinking quickly, Clementine brought two fingers to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle. The sound pierced the air, startling the stranger. The momentary distraction was enough for Javi to spin, grabbing the man’s wrist. The two struggled briefly before the gun was knocked to the ground. Clementine raised her own weapon, leveling it at the stranger.

“Don’t move,” she commanded.

The man slowly raised his hands in surrender as Tripp, Conrad, and Gabe joined her, weapons drawn. Tripp’s AR-15 glinted in the dim light, Conrad’s shotgun at the ready, and even Gabe held his pistol with trembling determination.

“Well?” Tripp demanded, his voice hard. “Is he one of them?”

The stranger looked genuinely baffled. “Hey, man, what do you mean by ‘them?’ Who’s ‘them?’”

“You know damn well who,” Tripp growled. “The New Frontier.”

The stranger frowned, shaking his head. “What? No, I’m not with those guys. You’ve got this all wrong.”

Tripp snorted. “This guy’s full of donkey shit.”

The stranger didn't flinch at the accusation, his tone steady. “Do you wanna let me talk?"

Javi stepped forward, patting the man down for any telltale marks or brands that might link him to the New Frontier. When he found nothing, he let go and stepped back.

“I don’t think he’s with them,” Javi said.

“Look,” the man continued, “I’m on my way to Richmond, just like you. I lost contact with some good people there when the New Frontier took over.”

Clementine’s eyes narrowed. “It’s been months since they took over Richmond. Why now?”

“Had some things to take care of,” the man replied. “These guys have been busy lately, and I only recently figured out that they’re  the ones that have caused a lot of trouble.”

“You can say that again,” Tripp muttered. “They destroyed our home. Killed our friends.”

“Sounds like you’re heading there to settle the score.” the stranger said, glancing between the group.

“Not exactly.” Javi said, his tone grim. “One of the women in our group got shot. Richmond’s the only place close enough with the resources to save her.”

The man nodded. “Sounds like a real mess you’re in.”

Clementine shifted, her finger still hovering near the trigger of her gun. “Are we just gonna stand here and talk, or are we gonna get a move on?”

The man pointed to the distance. “There’s a tunnel entrance over there. It goes right under the James River. From what I’ve heard, it’s a straight shot into Richmond.”

Clementine blinked, recognition flashing across her face. “A train tunnel? Yeah, I remember that. It’s been a long time since I used it.”

The man raised an eyebrow. “So you’ve been around this area?”

Her hesitation was brief but noticeable. “A long while ago,” she said carefully. “Traveled with a group for a bit before the New Frontier showed up. Things didn’t work out.”

“Is that so?” Conrad asked, suspicion lacing his tone.

Clementine’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothin'.” Conrad muttered. “Just seems awfully convenient.”

“Knock it off, man.” Javi snapped.

The stranger cleared his throat, breaking the tension. “If we’re done here, maybe you could lower those guns?”

Conrad barked a laugh. “Not a chance. We’re tying you up to make sure you don’t stab us in the back.”

The man sighed. “That’s really not necessary.”

Javi’s voice was firm. “Lower your guns.”

Tripp hesitated. “Javi, come on—”

“Do you trust me or not?” Javi asked, stepping closer to the stranger.

After a tense pause, the group lowered their weapons, though their unease lingered. The man smiled faintly. “Thanks. Let’s get moving.”

As they began to follow him, Javi called out. “Hey, what do we call you?”

The man turned, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Paul.” he said. “But my friends call me Jesus.”

Clementine exchanged a wary glance with the others, her unease growing. Every step brought them closer to Richmond - and closer to the truth she hoped to keep buried.

15 MINUTES LATER

The tunnel stretched before them, dark and foreboding, with only the faint beams of their flashlights piercing the heavy gloom. The air was damp and carried the faint, metallic scent of decay. Every step echoed ominously, as if the darkness itself was whispering back at them.

“These tunnels were abandoned decades ago,” Jesus murmured, his voice low but steady, the sound swallowed by the shadows. He scanned the area ahead, the darkness not allowing to see much besides only crumbling walls and debris. “But I’ve heard you can get through—used to, at least. Here’s hopin’.”

Clementine walked slightly behind him, her hand gripping her knife handle tightly. After weighing her options, she had decided it was time to tell Javi the truth. He was the only adult in their group she genuinely trusted. If things went wrong, she needed at least one person on her side.

She reached out, lightly touching his shoulder. “Javi, I need to talk to you.”

He glanced back at her, his brow furrowed. “’Bout what?”

They kept walking, allowing some distance to grow between them and the rest of the group ahead. The others' muffled conversations faded, leaving only the crunch of their footsteps.

Clementine hesitated before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper. “There’s something I want you to know. It might...shock you. But I couldn’t risk telling you before now. The reason I know about Richmond - and the New Frontier - it’s not just hearsay.”

She stopped and rolled up her left sleeve, exposing the stark, jagged brand on her arm. The flashlight beam caught it, highlighting the scarred flesh.

"I was one of them."

Javi froze, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief. He took a step back, then caught himself, quickly glancing around to ensure no one else was paying attention. “You were with those assholes? You let them brand you?”

“They’re not all like...that,” she replied, her voice tight. “And yes, I did. I had no choice. I’m not asking for your forgiveness, but you have to understand. I had no one. They had food, supplies…” Her voice trailed off as she looked at the ground, memories flickering across her face.

Javi let out a slow breath, his expression softening as they resumed walking. “Damn, Clem. Being all alone... that’s rough. But you should’ve told me sooner.”

“I know,” she admitted, her tone laced with regret. “It was a mistake. Not telling you was another.”

Unbeknownst to them, Conrad lingered closer to them than the others, his eyes narrowing as he caught snippets of their hushed conversation. He stayed silent, biding his time.

Ahead, the group stopped in front of a derelict train car, its front split open like a wound. The others had already climbed inside, their voices echoing faintly.

Javi gestured toward the train car. “Tell me you’re not still one of them.”

“What? No! Of course not.” Clementine shook her head emphatically. “I just needed you to know the truth. I thought I could do this, get you to Richmond, but now that we’re so close… I can’t let them see me. I can’t.”

Her voice broke slightly, and Javi frowned. “So, what? You’re just gonna leave?”

She nodded, her jaw tight. “When we reach the other side of this tunnel, I’m gone.”

“Y’all plannin’ on joinin’ us anytime soon?” Conrad’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and impatient.

Tripp turned toward him, his hand raised in a shushing motion. “Keep it down,” he hissed. “You’ll wake the dead.”

As if on cue, a faint crackling sound echoed from deeper in the tunnel, like brittle bones shifting in the dark.

“You guys hear that?” Tripp asked, his voice low.

Javi stepped to the front, flashlight raised. The beam trembled slightly as it swept the darkness. “It’s coming from over there,” he said, his voice tense.

“Can you see anything?” Jesus asked, moving closer.

Javi squinted into the void, the faint outline of a figure slowly coming into focus. The walker rose from the shadows, its gaunt face illuminated by the beam.

“They’re everywhere!” Gabe’s voice rang out, panic coloring his words.

“Shit!” Tripp barked. “They are - keep sharp!”

A whole swarm of walkers had managed to surround them within seconds, as they closed in on the group inside the confines of the dark.

A walker lunged at Javi from behind. Jesus shouted a warning, and Javi spun, smashing the creature with his elbow and following up with two savage blows from his flashlight. Its skull caved in with a sickening crunch.

“Javi, help!” Gabe’s voice cracked as another walker bore down on him.

Javi moved to assist but was cut off by another undead shambling into his path. He dispatched it with his knife, its body crumpling at his feet. Nearby, Clementine moved with practiced precision, her blade flashing as she stunned a walker before driving her knife into its skull.

She turned toward Gabe but couldn’t reach him in time. Jesus intervened, leaping onto the wall and executing an impressive kick that sent one walker sprawling. He grabbed another and threw it over his shoulder, pinning it under his boot.

“Kill it!” he barked.

Clementine didn’t hesitate, plunging her blade into its head. She straightened, giving him a small smirk. “Nice moves. Any chance you’re giving lessons?”

Jesus chuckled. “Maybe after we survive this.”

Their exchange was cut short by the roar of a shotgun. Conrad fired into the advancing horde, the muzzle flash briefly illuminating the tunnel. The noise drew more walkers from the depths.

“Christ almighty, Conrad!” Tripp snapped. “Now every walker in the fucking county’s headed our way!”

Javi spotted a side tunnel and made a snap decision. “This way! Follow me!”

He led the group, shooting walkers that blocked their path. They ran, dodging and leaping over obstacles, until they reached another train car. This one was intact, its heavy door shut tight.

“Nobody mentioned a train in the way,” Jesus muttered.

“Well, we better find a way around it, or we’re fucking dinner,” Conrad grumbled.

Javi shoved against the door, his muscles straining. With a final grunt, it creaked open. “Got it! C’mon!”

The group scrambled inside. Clementine and Gabe brought up the rear, and she slammed the door shut behind them.

“Daylight’s ahead!” Tripp shouted. “Thank god!”

Clementine glanced at Javi. “We can’t let them follow us. You and I will block the door. The rest of you, go ahead.”

Jesus and Tripp hesitated but eventually nodded, running ahead to ensure the path was clear. Conrad lingered, his eyes narrowing as he watched Clementine, suspicion flickering in his gaze.

Gabe stepped forward, his voice firm despite the fear in his eyes. “I’m staying with you guys. Help out.”

"Just hold down the door until I find something to block it off with,” Javi commanded, scanning the cramped train car for anything useful.

“Hurry!” Clementine urged, her voice taut with worry.

The pounding of the dead against the metal door grew louder, reverberating through the narrow space. Gabe’s breath hitched as he peered through the window. “Oh my god. There’s so many of them.”

Javi spotted a pole attached to the wall, designed for passengers to hold onto during the ride. It didn’t look sturdy, but it would have to do. “Looks like I’ll have to break this off,” he muttered.

“Hurry!” Clementine repeated, the strain evident in her voice. “They’re almost here!”

With a grunt of effort, Javi yanked at the pole. The metal creaked in protest before giving way with a sharp, high-pitched clink. He stumbled slightly but recovered quickly, holding the rod like a makeshift weapon.

“Come on!” Clementine shouted, bracing herself against the door as it buckled under the walkers’ weight. “They’re pushing! I don’t know how long we can keep this up!”

Javi sprinted back, swinging the metal rod at the nearest walker’s decayed face through the window of the door. The impact sent a spray of blackened blood across the glass. He quickly wedged the pole between the handle and the door frame, securing it shut.

“Okay, let’s go!” Clementine ordered, darting toward the far end of the car. “We gotta—”

She froze mid-step. Conrad stood at the exit, his M1911 pistol aimed at her chest. Her heart skipped a beat, and instinctively, her hand moved toward her holstered weapon.

“I wouldn’t touch that gun, girl,” Conrad said, his voice cold. He gestured with the pistol toward Gabe. “You either, cowboy.”

Javi’s brow furrowed in confusion and anger. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I heard you two,” Conrad snapped, his aim unwavering. “You think I’m stupid?” He jabbed the gun toward Clementine. “Finish your little story. Now!”

Clementine’s eyes darted to Javi, pleading for support. “We… we need to keep moving.”

“No,” Conrad barked. “You need to talk!”

“Put the gun down, Conrad!” Javi demanded, stepping forward.

“Not until she rolls up her sleeve!” Conrad’s voice wavered between anger and desperation as he swung the gun between Javi and Clementine.

Clementine backed away, her heart pounding. She shook her head, refusing to comply. “Why? What’s going on?” Gabe asked, his voice trembling with confusion.

Out of options, Clementine sighed and reluctantly pulled up her sleeve, exposing the brand burned into her skin. The sight of it was like a spark igniting a dry fuse.

“I fucking knew it!” Conrad shouted, his voice cracking with vindication.

Gabe stared at her, disbelief etched across his face. “You’re… one of them?”

"You're goddamn right she is! What other bullshit have you shoved down our throats, huh?" Conrad demanded to know, taking a step towards Clem, who backed away in response.

Javi slowly moved up to Conrad, but didn't dare to get too close. "She tried to help us. Turning on her now is not the answer, Conrad!"

Conrad shook his head. "You don't get it, do ya son? Don't you see? We bring her to Richmond, they'll give us whatever we want. Medical help for Kate. She's our bargaining chip!"

“They won’t bargain with you,” Clementine said sharply. “You don’t know them. Not like I do.”

“Won’t know until we try,” Conrad countered.

“She’s not a bargaining chip,” Gabe interjected, stepping closer. “She’s a friend.”

"Oh, I'm sure after less than a day, you two were just soul mates." Conrad scoffed, waving his gun dismissively. “Come on, Javi. Think about it. Kate needs help, and this is our chance to get it.”

“Conrad, listen to yourself,” Javi said, his voice steady but firm. “We’re not using her as a tool.”

“You know what? Go to hell, Conrad!” Clementine snapped, her voice seething with defiance. “I’m not doing this. If you’re gonna shoot me, just do it. But don’t waste our time with your rambling!”

The words struck like a whip, and Conrad’s expression darkened. He lunged forward, grabbing Gabe and pulling him into a chokehold, the barrel of his gun pressing against the boy’s temple.

“How about I shoot your little boyfriend here instead?” Conrad growled.

“Conrad! Let him go!” Javi yelled, drawing his own gun and pointing it at his former ally.

“Nobody has to shoot anybody!” Conrad barked. “Just tell Clem this is how it’s gotta be. Then we all step out into the sunshine.”

Javi hesitated, his finger trembling on the trigger. He knew Conrad was a gambler, but this was different. The stakes were too high, and he couldn’t tell if Conrad was bluffing.

“Come on, man,” Conrad urged, his voice softening. “Be reasonable. Think about Kate. Is this liar really worth more than her life? More than Gabe’s?”

Clem watched the former baseball player's reaction closely. To her disappointment, she saw his grip on the gun loosening and clear doubt in his eyes. Holding back a sigh, she turned her head back to Conrad and put an end to this charade.

“Fine,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear gripping her chest. “You win. Let him go. I’ll give myself up.”

“Clem, no!” Gabe shouted, struggling against Conrad’s hold.

“Just quit it, Gabe,” Clementine said, her voice tinged with disappointment. “It’s over. I know a losing battle when I see one.”

Conrad smirked, releasing Gabe and pushing him aside. He trained his gun back on Clementine. “Ladies first,” he said, motioning with the weapon for her to lead the way.

Clementine turned, casting one last glance over her shoulder at Javi. Her amber eyes were filled with betrayal and hurt. “I trusted you” they seemed to say. Without another word, she stepped through the train’s exit, Conrad close behind.

As they disappeared into the sunlight, Gabe rounded on his uncle, his face red with anger. “You’re a coward! A fucking coward!”

“Gabe, I couldn’t risk him shooting you!” Javi snapped back. “Besides, she lied to us—”

But Clementine couldn’t hear the rest of their argument. The world around her seemed to blur as she walked, her mind replaying the moment over and over. Trust, she realized, was as fragile as a pane of glass. Once shattered, it could never truly be the same.

Maybe Javi would have a chance to mend it in the future. But Clementine wasn’t holding her breath.

Chapter Text

The clang of the gate slamming shut reverberated through the warehouse as the group staggered inside, barely ahead of the relentless herd of walkers. Javier’s breath came in ragged gasps as he kicked the carjack away just in time, ensuring their pursuers couldn’t follow.

“Damn, man, that was too close!” Tripp exclaimed, his voice echoing in the cavernous space.

Clementine let out a shaky breath, her fingers still clutching her pistol tightly. “Hopefully that door holds them.”

The faint reprieve was shattered by a sudden burst of gunfire outside the warehouse. The sound was sharp, piercing through the groans of the walkers. Someone was out there.

“Hey! I’m here!” a familiar voice called, desperation clear even through the chaos.

Javier froze, his heart lurching. “David!” Without hesitation, he moved toward the door.

“Don’t you dare let that baby killer in!” Clementine’s voice cut through the din like a blade.

Javier stopped dead in his tracks, turning to face her. The barrel of her pistol was trained on him, unwavering. Her eyes burned with anger and resolve, her stance unflinching.

“He’s my brother!” Javier pleaded, his hands raised slightly. “I can’t let him die out there!”

Clementine’s jaw tightened, her voice trembling with raw emotion. “You mean like he let AJ die? When he could’ve saved him?”

“Clem,” Tripp interjected softly, taking a cautious step forward, “Calm down—”

“Stay out of this, Tripp!” she snapped, her aim steady.

David’s voice rang out again, muffled but urgent. “Let me in!”

Javier looked at Clementine, his face a mix of desperation and determination. Would she really pull the trigger?

Jesus, standing off to the side, spoke up. “If he dies because of you, you’re no better than him. Is that what you want, Clementine? To be like him?”

The words hit her like a slap. Her grip faltered, and slowly, she lowered her gun. But the fury in her eyes remained.

Javier didn’t waste another moment. He turned and unlocked the door, yanking it open to reveal David, exhausted and breathless, stumbling inside.

Before David could recover, Clementine charged. In a flash, she tackled him to the ground, pinning him beneath her. The others barely had time to react before she pressed her pistol against his temple.

“Did you let him turn?!” she screamed, her voice raw and trembling. “Tell me. NOW!”

“Clem, put the gun away,” Javier urged, stepping closer.

She turned her glare on him, her voice rising. “Shut the fuck up, Javi!”

David coughed, still catching his breath. “We didn’t have to worry about that.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Clementine demanded, pressing the barrel harder against his head.

“He lived, Clem,” David said simply, his voice steady.

The words stunned her. She blinked, her grip on the pistol loosening. “What?”

David, his voice quieter now, repeated, “He lived.”

Slowly, she stood, the gun hanging loosely at her side. Her chest heaved as she processed the revelation, her mind racing.

Javier helped David to his feet, his voice laced with disbelief. “But how? He was dying. Clem said so.”

David ran a hand over his face, still winded. “AJ bounced back. He’s stronger than any of us thought. It was.... a miracle.”

“You’re lying,” Clementine spat, her eyes narrowing.

“I don’t know, Clem,” Javier said, glancing between the two. “I don’t think he’d lie about something like that.”

“You don’t know him like I do,” Clementine shot back.

"I'm telling the truth! The boy is alive." David insisted, stepping closer to Clementine, lowering his arms.

"Where is he? Where is AJ now?" She demanded to know.

David shook his head, "I don't know for sure."

"But he's in Richmond?"

“Dr. Lingard took care of the boy. He’ll know where AJ is.”

Relief, joy, and regret flashed across Clementine’s face, before settling into steely determination. “Then I’m going back.”

David shook his head. “None of us are going anywhere until the walkers clear.”

She glared at him but didn’t argue. Instead, she moved to the side, leaning against a container, her emotions still roiling.

Javier broke the tense silence. “So, what’s your plan, David?”

David sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “There’s a vehicle stored nearby. Provisions. I came to get you set up.”

“And?” Javier pressed.

David’s expression hardened. “And say goodbye. I don’t want you worrying about Kate and Gabe. I’ll take care of my family from now on.”

Javier’s jaw dropped. “Wait—what? So this is a send-off? You’re just... seeing me on my merry way?”

“You think I want this?” David snapped.

“You’re not doing much to stop it!” Javier shot back.

“I don’t see another way,” David muttered.

From her corner, Clementine let out a dry laugh. “Still the same old coward. Why am I not surprised?”

Before anyone could respond, the door rattled violently. Two walkers burst through, their decayed forms lunging forward.

Jesus reacted instantly, sprinting toward them and landing a powerful dropkick that sent both walkers sprawling. Tripp and Conrad rushed to the door, slamming it shut and bracing against it.

“Find somethin' to board it up!” Conrad yelled, his voice strained.

“Something heavy!” Tripp added.

Clementine pushed off the container she’d been leaning against. “Here! Together, we can move this!”

Javier and David joined her, and the three strained against the weight, shoving the heavy container toward the door. Tripp and Conrad stepped aside just in time, allowing the makeshift barricade to slam into place, sealing the entrance.

For a moment, silence fell over the group, broken only by the muffled growls of the walkers outside. Clementine stepped back, her shoulders tense as she avoided looking at anyone.

The fight wasn’t over - not with the herd outside, and certainly not with the unresolved emotions simmering between them all.

Tripp stared at the container in front of him, something about it triggering a flicker of recognition.

“Wait a second,” he muttered. “Where’d you find this?”

Javi pointed toward a darkened corner of the warehouse. “Over there.”

“Show me,” Tripp said, his voice heavy with suspicion.

Javi clicked on his flashlight and led the group toward the spot. The beam illuminated more containers stacked together, identical to the first. As the light glided over one of them, an engraving came into view: PROPERTY OF PRESCOTT AIRFIELD.

Conrad exhaled sharply, his voice laced with anger. “You gotta be fucking kidding me.”

David stepped closer, scanning the rows of crates. “What the hell is all this?”

Jesus, ever calm and calculating, wandered over to a crate with a small open briefcase on top. Inside were two walkie-talkies. Picking one up, a faint smirk tugged at his lips. “These could come in handy. Hate to just take ‘em, but...”

Tripp stepped up beside him, his expression dark. “I might be losing it, but this looks like Prescott’s stuff.”

Conrad barked out a bitter laugh, gesturing toward an arcade machine, leaning against one of the containers. “Hell yeah, it’s ours! Look over there - Phantom Punch! I played that damn thing a hundred times back home.”

David frowned, stepping forward. “I don’t understand how all this got here.”

Tripp’s face hardened as he advanced on David. “Like you don’t know.”

David stood firm. “Hey, none of this was here before! I’ve got nothing to do with this.”

Javi glanced at Clementine, who leaned against a stack of crates with her arms crossed, her sharp gaze silently questioning David’s protests.

David pointed toward the far end of the warehouse. “We’ve only ever kept basic supplies here - for scouts, emergencies. That’s it.”

Javi clenched his fists. “Whoever did this, they’ll have to be stopped.”

“Damn right,” David snapped. “As soon as we figure out who’s behind it.”

Jesus crouched by a box, inspecting its contents. “Who else knew about this place?”

Tripp’s voice dripped with venom. “Your outfit is the only one that gutted my town.”

Jesus glanced around at the piles of supplies. “This is bigger than just Prescott.” He opened another crate, revealing marked goods. “There’s stuff here from other towns too. Towns I heard about getting raided a while back…”

Conrad’s hand twitched toward his gun. “Your people are criminals,” he growled at David.

Jesus raised a hand, his tone even. “There’s goods here from the Kingdom too.”

Before anyone could make another remark, a voice boomed from outside, reverberating through the warehouse walls.

“Look how many there are already,” the man said, his tone urgent. “Goddamn herd’s nearly on us. Hurry the fuck up!”

Clementine stiffened. She recognized the voice.

“Badger.” she whispered, her voice cold.

Another voice chimed in. “You hurry up!”

“And this wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t gone all trigger-happy on David’s family,” a third voice snapped.

Jesus motioned for everyone to take cover. They scattered, crouching behind crates and barrels. The three men entered from a side hallway, duffle bags slung over their shoulders.

Badger’s gravelly voice cut through the tension. “Fuck ‘em. They messed with us first. Hell, I’d do that little bitch again just to see her head pop.”

Clementine’s jaw clenched, her hand tightening around her pistol.

“Jesus Christ,” Max muttered. “You sure as hell are stupid.”

The men set their bags on a nearby table, oblivious to the group hiding nearby.

Javi exchanged a glance with David, gripping his baseball bat tightly. Quietly, they crept closer. Clementine and Conrad had their pistols trained on the trio, ready to fire at the first sign of trouble.

Max sighed, shaking his head. “Last thing we need is people finding out about this stash. Joan’s already on the warpath.”

“Look at all this shit,” Badger said with a laugh, spreading his arms. “We’re frickin' rolling in it.”

Javi, now directly behind them, raised his bat. “And none of it belongs to you!”

David lunged, punching Badger square in the face. The man stumbled backward, his gun clattering to the ground. David kicked it aside into a nearby grate.

“I thought better of you, Max,” David said, his voice low and dangerous. “I really did.”

Max raised his hands defensively. “David, come on, man! We’re a unit. There’s no need for--”

His words were cut off as he reached for his weapon. Before he could pull the trigger, a shot rang out. Max cried out in pain, clutching his bleeding arm as his gun fell to the ground. Clementine lowered her pistol, her expression unreadable.

Lonnie, seizing the moment, grabbed his gun and fired wildly as he bolted for the exit. Bullets ricocheted off the metal walls, forcing the group to dive for cover.

“Stop him!” Jesus yelled, sprinting after Lonnie with Conrad on his heels.

Badger, who had recovered from the blow, used the ensuing chaos to his advantage, as he got up and ran in the opposite direction, deeper into the warehouse.

“Go!” David barked. “Get Badger!”

Javi took off, his bat swinging at his side. Clementine followed, veering toward another path to cut Badger off.

Badger dashed up a staircase, knocking over a metal shelf in his wake. Javi hurdled over it without hesitation, staying close behind. The chase led into a small office area. Badger slammed the door shut.

Javi burst through seconds later, finding Badger fumbling around with a shotgun, loading it with two shells. In an attempt to interrupt him, he swung his bat at the bearded man. Badger dodged, retaliating with the butt of his weapon. The blow sent Javi sprawling to the floor, his bat slipping from his grasp.

Badger raised his shotgun, aiming it at Javi.

Another shot rang out. Badger staggered, clutching his shoulder as blood seeped through his shirt. He turned to see Clementine standing in the doorway, her pistol trained on him.

"You little bitch!" He angrily yelled, trying to raise  the shotgun one-handed. Javi had acted fast, quickly rising to his knees and lunging at Badger, tackling him to the ground.

They didn't struggle for long, as Badger's wound made it easy for Javi to rip the gun from his grasp and throw it to the other end of the room. Badger reacted by landing a punch right in Javi's face, knocking him off the wounded man.

The former baseball star landed right next to his bat. Hurriedly grasping it in his hands, he got up to his feet and swung it at Badger, who was in the process of pulling himself up as well, knocking him back down.

He kept beating on the man for a series of solid hits, drawing cries of pain out of him, with every single hit. Javi only stopped when he was sure Badger had had enough to keep him down.

When his anger began to subside, Clementine stepped up beside him, gun still trained on Badger - just in case.

“You okay?” she asked, her gaze flicking to Javi.

He nodded, small smile adorning his features. “Yeah. Thanks to you.”

Badger regained their attention as he started to cough violently, choking up blood in the process.  "Ugh... Fuckin' Garcias. Dumb sacks of shit, all of ya! Look what you've done to me...."

“You deserve worse for what you’ve done,” Clementine said coldly.

Badger spat blood, laughing weakly. “Huh! Comin' from the bitch that stole from us." He coughed a little more before he continued to speak. "You’ve gone soft. The Clementine I knew wouldn’t miss a shot like that."

"If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead." She glanced over at Javi. "But this isn’t my fight."

Javi met her gaze, his expression hardening. "You need to pay for everything - for the lives you’ve destroyed."

Badger laughed weakly in reply, his chest contorting, it was clear this notion was causing him pain. "Don't give me that 'high horse' bullshit. If you wanna kill me, do it. But don't act like you're some hero for killing another man.

Before Javi could reply, Conrad and Tripp entered the room. Clementine turned to face them. "What happened? Where's Lonnie?" she asked.

"Bastard got away. Jesus and David are with Max, making sure he doesn’t bleed out." Tripp responded.

"More than he deserves, if you ask me." Conrad added.

Conrad’s gaze locked on Badger, his grip tightening on his pistol. "Is that him? The one who killed Francine?" he snapped.

Affter coughing up a little more blood, Badger turned his head towards the tense man in the doorway. "Killed who? The worthless whore on the horse?"

"Don't you dare talk about her like that! Like she was nothin'!" Enraged, Conrad lifted his pistol and pointed it straight at Badgers face, who simply stared back at him.

"That's because she was nothing!" Badger sneered, holding his unrelenting gaze - no regret audible in his voice.

Conrad took decisive steps towards the wounded man lying on the ground, "Motherfucker..." he muttered under his breath.

"Don't let him get to you. He's done for anyway." Tripp said.

"That's...right" Badger spoke in heavy breaths, his gaze moving from Conrad over to Javi, "Are you just gonna... stand there like a bitch? Or are you....gonna finish me off?" 

Javi looked over to the other three people in the room. Clem gave him a simple nod, Tripp crossed his arms, grim look on his face and Conrad was still starring daggers at Badger. But he could also see something else in his eyes. Pain.

Taking one last look at his baseball bat, that had some blood on it from the beating he'd just given Badger, he took a step aside.

"I already punished you enough for Mariana. Her soul can rest in peace now.", he turned his head over to Conrad, making eye contact with him. "Conrad...." he called out. The widowed man nodded in understanding.

"Ha! Don't...got the guts to kill another man..." were Badger's last defiant words.

Conrad closed the gap between them, now standing over the remains of the  pathetic excuse of a man, looking down at him with disgust.

"You're no man," he paused, lining up the barrel of his gun with Badger's face. "You're nothin'." With a single shot, the culprit's body went limp, avenging his wife and everyone else who had suffered under Badger's actions.

A moment of silence passed between them, until Clem broke it. "We should get back to the others."

"Good idea. Wait a second....", Tripp had spotted the shotgun still lying in the corner of the room, heading over and picking it up. "This could come in handy."

"It's loaded. Be careful" Javi said, "Let's go."

They left the office, leaving behind Badger’s lifeless body and the ghosts of the past.

Chapter Text

He'd done it! Javier has managed to get the generator on and drew the small herd that had gathered in front of the impressive garage, located inside Richmond.

Clem, Kate, Gabe and David rushed over to Javi, now that their path was clear.

"You did it, Javi!"  Clementine said happily, giving the man an earnest smile. 

"Barely.", David remarked, as he walked past the two, deeper into the garage. Clem's face fell. At this point, she didn't know what to feel about David. On the one hand, he used to be an ally, even sending Alvin Junior to a safer place, keeping him out of harms way.

On the other, he was also the one who tore the two of them apart in the first place. Pretense or not, he had really hurt her that day. And she wasn't sure if she could forgive him for that. Not until she could hold AJ in her arms again, alive and well.

While her mind was racing, Kate and Gabe had finally caught up to them.

"Now that we're here, let's find something that we can take out all the muertos with." Javi suggested.

"Definitely." Gabe agreed.

"We're saving the city, before we do anything else. We've gotta find something to seal the breach with. All we need is the right vehicle." Kate interjected. 

It was clear to Clem that Kate wouldn't let this go. Her guilt forced her into helping the town recover, damn the consequences. Even though it was stupid, Clem could respect someone that acted out of principles.

Part of the reason why she joined the New Frontier to begin with.

David had stopped inspecting the different vehicles inside the garage and shifted his focus onto a truck that was standing in front of the garage walls. It was a regular-sized model, made for day to day traffic.

"That's not gonna do the job, man." Javi told him, surprised that David even considered this as an option. Turns out they just had different ideas in mind.

"Yes, it is." David said,

"What are you doing?", Javi demanded to know. He needed to know what his brother was up to now.

"The right thing. I'm leaving. We're all leaving.", David announced.

"What? And going where? You saw it yourself, we're surrounded by the herd!", Javi argued, to no avail.

"I'm taking my family out of here.", the older brother responded. He averted his gaze from his younger sibling over to Clementine, his face softening.

"You helped keep them safe, Clem. I'm not leaving you behind again. You're coming too.", he offered the teenager. She appreciated the gesture, but the wording rubbed her the wrong way.

"Let's go, everyone."

"This is bullshit, David.", Kate spoke up, not willing to up and leave the mess they made.

"Kate, these people tried to kill us. We don't need to risk our lives to save their sinking ship." Javi said. For all their differences, he agreed with his brother on this topic.

"It's their leaders that were after us. Not the innocent people that lived under them. We can't just walk away from this.", Kate responded.

"This all started the day we knocked on Richmond's door. We brought this upon these people. All of us. We can't abandon them. Not after all we've done.", she continued while approaching David, trying to make him see her side.

"We're going home, Kate! Back to the last place we were a family. We're starting over. We're all together again. Finally.", her husband answered, not wanting to hear anymore of it.

Kate crossed her arms and stared at the floor.  Annoyed by David's unwillingness to listen to her.

"It's time. For all of us. A new day. A new life."

'If it were so easy', Clem thought. She knew David meant well, but she's been through enough at this point that it was clear that things didn't just go back to the way they used to be.

Events like this leave their mark. In more ways than one. Even if they all went along with his plan, sooner or later, they'd be hitting roadblocks.

"I wouldn't mind starting over. Maybe somewhere besides back home, but the idea does sound nice." Javi agreed.

"It's waiting out there for us, brother. We just gotta get in the car and go for it."

"I'll... I'll go with you, Dad.", Gabe declared, earning him a concerned look from both Kate and Javi.

"Gabe!", Clementine exclaimed. She couldn't believe after everything his father has done during the last 24 hours, the arguments they'd gotten into, he'd still agree to simply leave with him.

"He's my father, Clem. I'm sorry, but....you really wouldn't understand."

"Think this over, buddy.", his uncle said.

"Gabe. is that what you really want?" Kate asked.

"I know it's scary out there, but I have to.", Gabe assured. He wouldn't lose his father again. Not after being separated from him for years.

"You don't have to be afraid, Gabe. I won't let what happened to Mariana happen to you.", his dad told him mournfully, squeezing his shoulder to show his support.

"You have my word, son. I will protect you. The right way.", Javi's anger flared up, when he remembered what had happened to his niece. David wasn't even there, yet dared to talk about it, like he had been.

"Where were you, when those bastards shot her? She was killed by your men, David! Don't forget that."

"Javi! He didn't know! It's not his fault. Just drop it already!", Gabe defended his father, who in turn looked proudly at his son. His nephew's words helped to calm Javi down. 

"This is what I want."

"I understand, Gabe. But I'm still going back. I won't be able to live with myself, if I don't try to help the people in Richmond.", Kate defiantly said. David wasn't impressed.

"Hmph, you won't be able to live at all if you do that. Richmond is compromised. Doesn't matter if there were five of us to save it or five-hundred. We'd all die. I know a losing battle when I see one.", her husband lectured her. 

This got under Kate's skin, as she made her way over to David, who wasn't finished talking.

"We're moving out. Everybody get in. That's an order!", right after he finished his sentence, his wife gave him a good slap across his face, catching him off guard.

"How fucking dare you! What will it take, David? What will it take to show you that you do not get to do that?! We are NOT your soldiers!", Kate wasn't yelling, but speaking at a volume that was closest to it.

Javi and Clementine looked at each other, unsure whether or not the situation could escalate physically. "Run away home. Be a deserter. I am done with you.", to Clem's surprise, David actually looked hurt by those words.
"I can't believe I've ever loved you.", Kate exclaimed, making a heel turn, approaching Javi.

"Come on, Javi. It's time to forget about him.", she finished her emotional outburst, retreating back to Gabe and Clem's side. 

Javi was left looking very uncomfortable, after the last statement she made. He worriedly looked over to his brother, who was starting to put the pieces together in his head.

"Javi, what the hell is she talking about?" David asked him directly.

"Listen David, things got...complicated. If I'd known you were still alive, I'd never...", he tried to justify himself, but David was having none of it.

"How much of a fucking idiot do you think I am, Javi? I knew something was off the moment you set foot into Richmond.", David muttered angrily to his brother, clenching his fist.

"I should've known. I should've known the night Pa died. The night you weren't there." he slowly spoke to his little brother, circling around him like a shark around his new found pray.

"Blood is worthless to you. Just like he was to you. Just like I am to you.", Javi desperately shook his head, trying to deny what his brother was telling him.

"Well, it's time for you to finally learn what blood really means!", David yelled, winding up a big punch, hitting Javi square in his face.

"David!", "Dad!", both Kate and Gabe cried out as Javi was left reeling from his brother's attack. 

It took him only a second to recover, feeling his face for any blood. There thankfully was none. At least not yet.

Clementine had instinctively reached for her gun, but decided to leave it for the moment. Maybe Kate and Gabe could defuse the situation, so she needn't step in.

"What do you have to say for yourself....brother?", David asked, getting into his younger brother's face, waiting for an answer.

Kate had run in front of David and put her hands on his chest, trying to calm him down and stop the fight from going any further.

"David, stop it!", she begged him. But her husbands eyes were still locked on Javi, waiting for him to respond to his question.

"I love you.", was what eventually left Javi's mouth. Clem had hoped that would help to calm David down. Somehow it had the opposite effect.

"No...no, you don't get to say that!", he yelled out, pushing Kate to the side. He elbowed his sibling in the stomach and then punched him in the face for the second time, sending him to the floor this time.

"Jesus Christ, stop!", Kate told him again, but her husband didn't pay her any attention. Instead, he went over to the tool drawer in the room  and pulled out a wrench.

"That's enough!", Kate demanded, not daring to get in David's way.

"David stop!", Clam yelled at him as well, giving him one last chance to end it right there, before she'd resolve this conflict herself.

By this time, Javi had gotten back up, looking more emotionally hurt than physically, looking his brother straight in the eye when he said his next words.

"I love you."

"Stop saying that!", David screamed angrily, hitting his brother with the wrench, knocking him back on the floor. Gabe couldn't just stand there, watching this happen, so he ran to his father and tried to rip the heavy tool from his grasp.

"Dad, no!", Gabe exclaimed, before David swung the wrench across his face, hurling his own son a couple feet back.

It was clear David was so enraged, he had lost all control over his actions. 

"Gabe!", Kate yelled out in concern, as she ran over to her step-son, making sure he wasn't injured.

"Oh my god!", Clementine said exasperatedly, now finally pulling out her pistol. She had enough of this farce.

kate quickly crouched down besides Gabe and checked on him, relieved that he didn't suffer any injuries from his deranged father.

"You're not taking my family from me!", David said as he got on top of Javi, pressing the wrench sideways against his neck, suffocating him.

"I love you, brother." Javi choked out, trying to press back against his brother's efforts as much as he could. He knew it was a losing battle.

"Nooo...", was the last thing David could say, before he felt a cold piece of metal being jammed into his temple.

"Off him. NOW!", Clementine demanded, cocking the hammer of her pistol to show she was serious. 

The older brother in turn released his grip from the wrench and held up his hands in surrender, quickly getting off of his little brother.

He took a couple steps back, keeping eye contact with Clem, who looked like she was ready to gun him down right there on the spot.

In a split second, she swung the barrel of her pistol over to the right and shot a walker into the forehead, that was getting dangerously close to him.

The herd that had been entertained by the generator was starting to shift their attention back to them. Javi quickly got up from the ground after catching his breath, knocking two more walkers back that were getting too close for comfort.

Clementine put her gun away and moved back into the garage, together with Kate. Javi quickly joined them. As Gabe tried to follow his uncle back into safety, his father held out his arm, blocking his path.

The other three inside the garage looked at him in confusion, as the man took one big step forward, grabbed the handle of the garage door and promptly threw it shut, isolating him and his son from them.

"David!" Javi yelled out, running over to the now closed garage door and trying to open it as fast as he could.

"What the hell is he doing?", Clementine asked as she heard the engine of the pcikup truck outside turn on. 

Just as Javi lifted the garage door back up and revealed the outside to them, they saw David take off with the vehicle, running over the walkers in their path.

"David took him!", Clem said. She didn't expect the man to act so recklessly, endangering his own son.

"We can't wait any longer. We have to help Richmond.", Kate said, shaking her head in disappointment about how the situation had resolved. Not letting it distract her from her goal.

"I'm getting on that bulldozer!", she announced, pointing towards said vehicle, that was standing ten feet away from them.

"What about Gabe and David?", Clementine asked the woman, in slight disbelief she was still concerned about the town, when her stepson and husband had just taken off into the unknown.

"Gabe wanted to go! He did! We all heard it! And David can go to hell, for all I care!", she responded angrily.

"Listen, if you're willing to just let them go and get themselves killed, fine. I'm not letting them throw their lives away.", the teenager spat back. They held each other's gaze for well over five seconds, before Kate broke eye contact and began walking over to the bulldozer.

"Do what you want. I'm saving Richmond, with or without your help. There is no more time to waste.", with those words, she got onto the vehicle. She still needed to figure out to operate that thing, let alone start it, but she wouldn't let that slow her down.

Clementine shifted her attention from Kate to Javi.

"I'll grab the bike over there and head after them. You stay with Kate. She'll probably just get herself killed without your help.", Clem told him while pointing towards said motorcycle behind her. Javi looked between it and her, insecurity written over his features.

"Are you sure you can handle it? We can go and grab them both together and then help, Kate.", he suggested. The young woman only shook her head in response.

"There's not enough time for that. Javi, I've been in this type of situation before. More than once. If we don't act now, this won't end well for anyone!", she elaborated calmly. Javi took another second to think his words over, than he spoke.

"You really think you can do this on your own? There might be tons of walkers on your way. You could get hurt."

"I can take care of myself. You don't need to worry about me. I'll get them both and bring us all back safely. You have my word.", she made her way over to the bike and sat down atop it, turning on its engine.

Javi followed up close behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"All right, Clem. I trust you. I'll make sure Richmond will be safe for your guys' return. Me and Kate.", she nodded, giving him a confident smile.

"Good luck, you two. See you on the other side.", with that, she hit the gas and drove down the same road David had left on a couple of minutes earlier.

Javi looked after her, following her with his eyes until she was out of sight.

"You too.", he said. After another breath, he readjusted his focus and quickly walked over to Kate, who had finally figured out where the start button on that thing was.

They had a town to safe.

She was grateful the truck David took left deep imprints of the road, which made it easy to follow them. She was driving as fast as she could, hoping that her more nimble motorcycle would allow her to catch up to them eventually. 

Preferably before it ran out of gas. And the rain that had started to fall wasn't making this any easier. At least the downpour wasn't too heavy.

After about half an hour of driving, around many corners and along straight roads and dodging a shit-ton of walkers, she had finally caught up to them.

To her horror, it looked like they had crashed on the side of the road, the front side of the truck being elevated by a pile of walkers that was trapped beneath it. Over a dozen of walkers were also surrounding the vehicle, trying to claw their way in.

She brought the bike to a stop, quickly getting off ot it. Holding her knife in her left hand and her pistol in her right hand, Clem was determined to clear the walkers sieging the car as fast as she could. 

From a distance, she could hear both David and Gabe's voices emanating from within the truck. 

"Keep fighting Gabe! Don't let'em grab you!"

"Please! Somebody help us! Anyone?!"

Without wasting any more time, she raised her pistol and unloaded into the first three walkers, which quickly fell to the ground, lifeless. This caught the attention of some of the other walkers. A group of three walkers making their way towards her now. 

The first one was a little further ahead than the other two. Taking her chance, she rammed her knife into one of its eyes, killing it instantly. The other two were closer together, so she kicked the first one against its legs, causing it to fall on its face. 

She swung her knife into the standing one's temple, hurling it to the floor. Using the momentum when pulling the knife back out, she guided the blade down to the walkers head, piercing right through its cranium.

After those three were dealt with, she raised her pistol and aimed at the two flesh eaters banging against the driver door.

Pop, pop, two more bodies hitting the ground. There were two more hammering on the passenger door and even a couple trying to make their way in through the cracked windshield.

So she landed two more headshots on the ones trying to get to Gabe and then quickly stabbed one that was still alive in the pile, stuck under the car.

"Clem, is that you?", she heard Gabe's muffled voice from inside the truck. Instead of responding, she shot a couple rounds into the walkers trying to work their way through the front of the car, killing the undead harassers.

Making sure the immediate coast seemed clear, she opened the passenger door. Gabe jumping out, over the pile of walker corpses that had been amassed by both the automobile accident and Clementine's killing spree. 

David's door was blocked, so he had to climb over gear shift and exited the same way his son had.

"It's so good to see you, Clem!", Gabe exclaimed, ready to throw his arms around Clem, but the girl was focused on the number of walkers that was still scattered around the area, closing in on their position. The growls and shuffling coming closer by the second.

"Nice to see you too, Gabe. Shit, you're hurt!", she said, seeing the big bruise on his forehead.

"Don't worry about me. There are still some muertos left.", right when he said it, six more walkers entered her view. So she pulled back up her pistol and let the walkers have it. Hitting four straight in the head in a row.

When she aimed at the fifth, a pull of the trigger only resulted in a disappointing click. She was out of bullets.

"Fuck! I'm out. You got any more on you, David?", she asked, the first time actually looking at the man after arriving.

"No, I didn't grab my gun before we left.", he explained.

"Well, looks like we're doing this the hard way then.", with that said, she made her way over to the last two remaining undead. They were far enough apart that she stabbed them in the head, one after another.

After those two fell, the only remaining noise was the rain falling onto the asphalt and the many corpses littered across the street.

In the meantime, David had helped sit down his son at the sidewalk, leaning him against a guard rail, looking concerned over his son's injury.

Making her way back over to them, Gabe couldn't help himself but to flood her with his gratitude.

"That was incredible, Clem! You saved us! Killed all those muertos, like they were nothing."

"You're welcome. These things aren't that hard to deal with, once you figure them out." 

"I can't believe you came after us. After everything that happened..... Uncle Javi, Kate? Are they okay?", the boy asked worried about his family.

"They're fine. At least they should be. They trusted me to keep you and David safe. But looks like you still managed to get into some trouble before I showed up.", she answered, looking over her shoulder and at the truck that was stuck in a walker pile.

"I... I tried to stop him. That's why we crashed.", she looked between the two, guilt all over David's face. She could see he was deeply regretting what he did.

"Javi, he... didn't want to come after me, right?", he asked, with a wavering voice. Clem shook her head as an immediate response.

"No! Of course not, Gabe. He wanted to come after you, both of you. But I convinced him to stay with Kate,  make sure she doesn't get herself killed trying to save Richmond on her own.", the girl explained. David just made a dental click at that remark.

"Of course he did. They're in love after all...", he said, getting up on his feet and crossing his arms.

"You know you've got some nerve, David. Running off like that, putting your son's and your own life at risk? I thought you were better than that."; Clementine chastised the man. The irony of that statement wasn't lost on him.

Instead of responding, he put his hands on his hips, sighed and paced back and forth for a bit, trying to collect his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Clementine crouched down next to Gabe, taking another look at his head injury. To her relief, it turned out to look worse than it actually was.

"You both are fine though, right? No bites?", she asked the boy, still holding his head, trying not to move it too much and avoid the pain as best as he could.

"No, we're fine. You got here just in time. I don't think we would've made it if you hadn't shown up when you did.", Gabe said, clearly grateful and in awe while he spoke.

"I screwed up, Clem. I know that. You saved our lives, and..." a deep sigh escaped him,  "I owe you for that.", David confessed as he had quit his pacing and stood right next to the both of them.

She was surprised to hear him admit that, looking up at him with one eyebrow raised, before concluding that he indeed meant what he said.

"Glad I made it in time. You’re lucky it wasn’t worse..", Clementine replied.

"Listen, I know what happened between you, me and your kid  was pretty rough for all of us, especially you. I don't expect you to forgive me for what I've done. But I want you to know that I only did what I thought was right for him."

"We already had this talk back on the bridge. I was meaning it when I said you did right by him. Didn't say it in order to please your brother."

They shared an intense look for a couple seconds, before David broke it, averting his gaze on the ground.

"I know. I just wanted you to know that I regret what I said to you that night. Even if it doesn't change anything." he apologized, his voice almost deflated.

After a short moment of silence, Clementine responded: "You're right. Maybe I can't forgive you for what you did. No matter what the circumstances were. But I'm willing to try."

He looked up and met her gaze again, which had softened, giving her a nod of acknwoledgment as a reply.

Clem shifted her focus from David back on the vehicle they had arrived in. It was pretty obvious they couldn't use the bike to get the three of them back, so the truck might be their only option.

Maybe they could get those walkers off the vehicle, but seeing as how some of them were stuck under the wheels, it didn't look feasible.

Before she could consider other options, she heard the sound of another bike coming towards them. Ready for anything, she pulled her knife back out, getting ready for a potential fight. 

Her body relaxed when she saw Javi racing towards them, stopping just  a couple feet in front of them.

"Gabe! David! Clementine!", he yelled out, hitting the breaks and bringing the bike to a stop. 

"You guys alright?", he asked as he sprinted towards them.

"We're fine, Javi. Mostly.", the girl responded, gesturing towards Gabe's wound.

"Oh shit. You all right there, buddy? Let me take a look at that?", he quickly got down on his knee and inspected the condition of his nephew.

"It's not that bad, Javi. Really. Clementine helped us out. We'd be dead, if it wasn't for her.", Gabe said.

"It's true.", David agreed, his voice low, unable to look his younger brother in the eye.

"We can get you patched up back in Richmond. Kate and I have cleaned the place up. To an extent at least. We can talk there. All of us.", he had directed his last words to David specifically, who still didn't dare to make eye contact.

"That's not happening, Javi. I can't go back there. Can't face Kate.", David told them, not leaving his spot.

"David, please. We can figure this out, even if it's complicated. We're a family!", Javi exclaimed as he rose from his kneeling position and took a couple steps towards his brother.

"The way she looked at me. They way you looked at me. I can't do this. Can't change who I am. This is a never ending war I simply can't win.", David walked straight past his brother, towards an alleyway that would lead out of the danger zone they were in. Out of Richmond.

"So what are you saying? You're just gonna walk away from us? Where the hell would you even go? And what about Gabe?". Javi said to him angrily, yelling at his brother's back.

"He doesn't need me anymore. None of you do. I see that clearly now.", David responded, without bothering to turn around and face his brother.

 "You're making a mistake. It's about legacy, David. Don't forget that! What is your son supposed to think about you when you walk away now? That his father just up and left him, because things got hard? Even though his family was still there and willing to support him every step of the way?"

"It's not that easy. ", the older brother said as he half turned around, looking at his little brother over his shoulder, pain in his face.

"Being family is never easy. But we still made it work. You have to fight for it."

David stared at Javi a little while longer, unsure how to respond. In the end, he just turned back and walked away. Javi shook his head, disappointed his brother didn't see reason.

Both Gabe and Clementine had come up beside the younger brother during the argument, all three of them watching David walk through the parts of Richmond that were reclaimed by nature.

"I'm sorry, Javi.", Clementine consolidated him, putting her hand on his arm. He looked at her in turn and gave her a thankful smile. 

"Come on. We got two bikes to get us back. Let's go.", the younger Garcia brother said. Without another word, Gabe hopped onto Clem's bike while Javi jumped on the one he came with.

The only sounds that could be heard where the roaring engines and the pouring rain.

3 DAYS LATER

It was a good thing Jesus and his Kingdom friends were here, helping to secure Richmond. Hadn't been easy to reinforce the wall, but they'd managed it somehow.

Ever since David surprisingly decided to come back, the Garcia's had been more fragmented than ever. Clem had no clue what was said or what sort of agreement they've come to, since she was respectful and gave them their space, but it seemed like they were able to exist in each other's space without feeling the need to kill each other.

That was something at least, even though Kate and David never spoke to each other. Especially around Javi, the interactions felt... conservative.

Jesus assured her they just needed time. She liked talking to him. He seemed level-headed, with a good heart. Almost reminded her a bit of Lee. She had been impressed with him ever since his performance in the tunnels, way back when Conrad was using her as a "bargaining chip". 

It didn't do them any good in the end, since the leadership of the New Frontier was completely corrupt, but that storm had been weathered already.

She had decided to ask Jesus a couple questions, how he became so nimble and acrobatic. It was something that seemed incredibly useful to Clem and she wanted to know how he'd learned it.

The most she got out of him was "a lot of practice and a high tolerance for failure were key. A med kit for potential injuries also helps."

He also gave her some tips on how to shift her weight when she went for wall runs, how she needs to control the momentum of her movements and a lot more stuff that sounded cool, but felt unintuitive to implement. 

She'd just have to try it for herself then. Whenever she'd find the time, of course.

She'd also made peace with Conrad, a long time ago, actually. Hell, she even considered him a good friend by now. He had multiple chances to leave, even did for a time. But when it mattered most, he came back for them. Loyalty counted for a lot. Kenny had taught her that.

Gabe had also fully recovered from his injuries at this point,  which was a relief. Despite her best judgement, she grew a liking for that boy. Sure he was impulsive, moody and could act really stupid at times, yet the boy had his heart at the right place. Just like his uncle.

Not that it mattered that much anyway. She couldn't stay at Richmond. AJ was out there. Lingard, shortly before his death, had told her where he was. The McCarroll Ranch, a couple miles west. That was her next goal.

But before she could leave, she had one more favor to ask.

Which left her in her current situation. Sitting at a table in the middle of Richmond. Javi behind her, clumsily cutting dark brown strands of hair with an old pair of scissors. The sound of people having conversation and even a kid a couple feet behind them, playing with chalk on the park floor.

It felt nice. Finally, a moment that didn't feel depressing, uncertain or dangerous.

"I used to do this for my niece." Javi lamented.

"That's nice of you." Clem complimented. She never thought about him doing this for his-- David's kids as well. But it wasn't surprising. He was a good man.

"She thought I was terrible at it."

"Were you?"

"None of your business.", he kept on cutting, trying to remain focused. 

It had been a while since Mariana had passed, but it still hurt whenever he thought about her. At least they still had that picture of her they were able to hang up in the church of Richmond.

"I have to see AJ, Javi," Clementine said, her voice quiet but firm. She didn’t turn to look at him. "I have to see if he’s okay."

Javi paused, the scissors hovering midair. He knew that tone—it was the same one he’d heard from Kate, from himself, back when they were holding onto hope for David's return all those years ago. "Do you think he remembers me? At least a little?"

"Who could forget you, Clem?" Javi said, lowering the scissors to meet her eyes. "No one who knows you, I guarantee it."

Clementine looked down, her fingers brushing the edge of the table. "Yeah...maybe." Her voice faltered. "Everyone told us he was better off. After everything that’s happened, I’m starting to think they’re right."

"Clem, did you love him?"

She blinked, as though the question surprised her. "With all my heart."

"Then you were a good mom."

Her smile came slowly but stayed longer than she expected.

"Gabe told me you used to play baseball.", Clem said.

"I did. I loved it."

"He told me you fucked it all up, too."

"Yup. Sure did."

"Well,  you survived."

"I had to."

"But you loved it. How do you survive that?"

He took a moment to think about the question and answer it honestly.

"That's what's good about a broken heart. When you're looking at it all broken and shattered on the floor... You figure out the pieces you need versus the ones you liked. If you're ready to move on, that is."

"If..."

A couple last cuts and he was done. Her hair was....short.

"All done.", he announced. She got up from the chair and faced him.

"Well, how's it look?"

There were a lot of words that came to Javi's mind to describe how it looked. None of which he dared to say out loud.

"You know what? I'll grab your hat."

Not the answer Clem was looking for.

Javi grabbed her hat from the table. Funny, even though she always had it on since they've met, this was the first time he truly looked at it.

"Huh, I remember this team. Your dad ever teach you about baseball?". he asked her as he handed her the baseball cap.

"No, not really."

"Well, you come back... And I'll tell you all about it."

"It's a deal.", they shook hands on the agreement.

"If I bring AJ back with me, will you teach him too?"

"You bet. He belongs with you, Clementine."

Another moment of silence passed between the two, the young girl allowing those words to fully sink in.

"Bring him back."

Chapter Text

A couple of days have passed since Clem has set out to McCarroll Ranch. She'd said goodbye to Javi and his family before she left. David and Javi's relationship was still strained, but they were recovering.

Gabe on the other hand wasn't so happy to hear that she was leaving. There was no stopping her though, he knew that. Still, he would've wished that she'd stayed a little longer. They had shared one last hug before Clem's departure.

Kate on the other hand seemed to have turned over a new leaf. Clem had no idea what Javi told her over the last couple of days, but that woman seemed to be rejuvenated beyond belief.

Maybe because they had an actual home now, where they could finally be a family again.

It was pure speculation on her part and she didn't want to pry. It was their business at the end of the day. Not that she really cared either way, she had a job to do. Get AJ back.

He's the only one that's been on her mind the last few days. She couldn't wait to see her goofball. And she'd do everything she needed to get him back. Whoever got between them would've to suffer the consequences.

Walkers and survivors alike.

Speaking of walkers, she's been running into more of them than she expected. Not that she minded that much, it allowed her to stay sharp - make sure her stamina and precision were still up to her new standards. 

How would she be able to protect AJ properly, if she wasn't at her best? 

This day hadn't been much different from the others. Just a bunch of walking. Down roads, across fields, through tunnels and even through abandoned settlements. Killing any walkers that were posing a threat on her way.

Good thing she took some more ammo from Richmond, right before she left. Sadly she didn't have a bag to carry some extra supplies, but she'd manage. McCarroll Ranch wouldn't be that far. Only a couple of days more and she'd be there. 

If nothing went terribly wrong that is.

The only thing not looking so good that day was the weather. The clouds had built an iron wall in the sky, disallowing any sunlight from passing through. A storm was coming. She could feel it on her skin, even though there was not a drop falling.

It's not like she hadn't traveled through some bad weather, but it was seriously starting to get cold. She knew she had to look for some shelter soon. A break didn't sound that bad either. She'd been traveling non-stop since she started her journey. Only stopping for sleeping, deciding to eat the little bit of food she had on the move.

She'd passed a broken gas station not too long ago, but that place looked far too run down than to allow for a quick rest. She'd look for the next best opportunity. Moving down along the roads and using the signs had been her best bet, since there was no map back in Richmond that would be of any use to her.

Sadly there were no real buildings to speak off on her current path. Only some broken down cars on the street of an old country road. 

About a-hundred feet in front of her, there was a small, destroyed overpass bridge. At least the upper part of it was completely gone, probably bombed to hell by a stray bomb or maybe a fuel truck exploded during the outbreak. She couldn't really tell what had caused the destruction.

While looking at the wreck of a bridge as she passed it, she got an idea. She remembered Jesus told her that the best way to learn running along walls was to simply practice. "Allow your body to adapt" were his exact words, if she remembered right.

Looking around, Clem made sure there were no walkers near. It wasn't the smartest idea to do a practice run in the middle of nowhere, below a dirty underpass, but when else was she going to get the chance?

After making sure the area seemed safe enough, she took a good look at both walls, that used to hold the bridge above them. They looked like they were made out of cement or some other material. Sturdy enough for what she was about to do.

"Easy Clem. Just do it how Jesus told you." she said to herself. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the wall and thought about how she would angle her feet to actually do it.

When she felt confident enough, she ran towards the left wall and jumped up, trying to make her first step. Shortly after her left foot made contact with the wall, she quickly slid off it, unable to pull her right foot up fast enough, leading to her landing on the hard road, using her right forearm to absorb most of the fall.

"Ow!", she screamed out, the momentum of her fall had left her on her back, clutching her hurt arm, gritting her teeth in pain. After a moment, she slowly began to sit up, inspecting her pained limb for any serious injuries. To her relief, there were none.

"Well, that was stupid.", she concluded, picking herself back up and continuing her walk down the road.

She didn't know what else she had expected. It looked so damn easy when Jesus did it back in the tunnels. But she failed miserably when trying to perform it. There was a silver lining though. 

Nobody had seen her land on her ass.

After another fifteen minutes of traveling, she could hear thunder erupting from the heavens and rain was starting to fall. She'd need to find some shelter soon.

Thankfully, she could make out a couple buildings in the distance. They looked like they were in okay condition. Hopefully they'd be free of walkers, her arm was still throbbing and she could really use a break.

Finally, she had reached the structures, small houses made mostly out of wood. At least that's how they appeared. There were three of them, two on the right side of the road and one on the left.

The latter one looked like it was still in decent condition, so Clementine decided to enter there. All the first floor windows had been boarded up, but no ominous message written in paint anywhere. That was a good sign, she hoped.

 The door itself was fine, just locked, as to be expected.. Sighing in frustration, she took a couple steps back from the front door and inspected the house, looking for a possible alternate way inside.

She let her eyes drift over the building, trying to spot any potential entrances. Then she saw it.

"Huh, looks like there's a window on the second floor that's busted. No boards to keep intruders out either." Now she only had to figure out how to get up there.

There was a balcony, but it was out of reach. At least the normal way. Even though her previous attempt at wall-running had been disastrous, her climbing ability had improved quite a lot during her time alone.

Moments like this were exactly why she wanted to improve in it in the first place. There were pillars holding up the generous canopy of the house. She made her way over to them.

Pulling out her knife, she tested if it would be able to cut into the pillar. With one stab, it went in and got stuck. Perfect.

She jumped up and plunged the knife into the pillar, getting it in as deep as she could. Holding onto it, she pulled herself up, until her hand reached the edge of the canopy. She quickly transferred her left hand, which was still pushing herself upwards on the knife, over to the canopy and pulled herself up, letting out strained groans in the process.

After she had successfully pulled herself up, she retrieved her knife and carefully went over to the open window she had spotted beforehand, careful not to fall off from the slanted surface she was walking on.

She made it to the window and hopped right in. 

The first thing that hit her was the smell. It smelled old and musty, almost inviting. She could tell nothing had died in here, thankfully. Still, she didn't let her guard down.

It took her five minutes to clear the relatively small house. There was nothing in here, like the place had been picked clean by looters already. Clem wasn't surprised. Only things she'd found were some old blankets in some closet.

Not the greatest find, but still better than nothing. There was an old cupboard near the entrance. She shoved it over, blocking the front door. Even though the door was locked, it never hurt to be extra careful.

Considering where she'd stayed before, this place was nice. Granted, it wasn't pristine or anything, but it was of good enough condition. Most of the rooms were small, a tiny kitchen left of the entrance, a living room on the right and a staircase leading up to the second floor at the end of the entrance hall.

The biggest room was the bedroom, which is also where the closet with the blankets was located. Sadly, the bed didn't look like it was really worth laying on. Sure, the mattress was still there, but it looked disgusting.

Another idea popped into Clem's head. Despite her previous miserable performance, she wasn't one to give up on something that could prove useful in the future.

The walls of this place looked grimy enough to practice on and she could spread out the blankets on the floor to soften her fall.

She still had some energy left and since she had to wait for the storm to pass anyway, she could at least spend her time somewhat productively.

At least that's how she rationalized it for herself.

So she did as she set out, laying out the blankets across the wooden floor panels, as the storm outside was now in full swing, lightning occasionally brightening up the house while thunder roared and rain fell.

Clementine set out to practice for only ten minutes or so. Just to try to get the hang of the basics. Those ten minutes quickly turned into an hour. That hour then turned into two.

Most of it was spent running up, taking one step on the wall, then falling. On repeat.

She tried a lot of things. Changing her approach, how she angled her legs, how much force she put into her movements. To no avail. No matter what she did, she couldn't make it past that first step.

But her stubborn nature didn't allow her to simply give up. She knew it was possible. She'd seen it with her own eyes. If Jesus could do it, she'd be able to do it too. Just needed to figure out how to do it.

After a while of trying and a lot of falling, it happened. She'd manage to get a second step in, before sliding off the wall. She wanted to jump up and cheer, but her stamina was really reaching its limit at this point. She'd been training for what felt like hours at this point. Yet the storm was still going on outside, even though it had floundered off a bit.

The girl let out a yawn. She was truly feeling tired. She would maybe try a bit in the coming morning, but she wouldn't waste too much time.

She still needed to get to AJ and save him from whatever he was forced into by David.

Rolling some of the blankets together, she decided to sleep on the floor, instead of the maggot infested bed.

Tomorrow would be a new day. Physical training was always a welcome distraction from the daily stress that was life in this world. So even though she was still far away from being able to wall-run, she still felt satisfied.

It was a nice feeling. A good feeling to fall asleep to.

Chapter Text

She was getting close. She could tell. It's been a while since she'd been at the McCarroll Ranch, a place where they used to make some trade deals, back when she was part of the New Frontier.

There's a compound a couple miles in front of the driveway, leading up to the ranch. They used it as a sort of lookout post, monitoring anyone moving in and out of the area. This was also where she learned to ride a horse, as they kept several here.

Clem was expecting to find some familiar faces. To her shock, she only found bodies, lying in pools of their own blood, scattered around the entrance and in the courtyard, that was on the right side further down the road. 

Without wasting any time, she pulled out her pistol and got down, hiding behind the nearest piece of cover, which was a broken down truck parked in front of the entrance. She couldn't hear any sounds of fighting. Carefully peeking out from her cover position, she surveyed her surroundings, looking for any type of movement.

Not seeing anything, she stayed in a crouched position and moved up to the small wooden gates, which had clearly seen better days. Whoever came through here had forced their way in. 

Checking the corpses, she recognized some of the faces of these people. She didn't remember their names, but her body grew tense and her blood ran cold.

If someone was making their way to the Ranch, that means AJ could be in danger. She had to get a move on, as quick as she could. It was only now that she noticed the amount of bullet cases around. There must have been a huge firefight. 

Come to think of it, some of these bodies weren’t human — walkers, especially the ones further ahead.

Moving on as fast as she could, while trying to be sneaky, she noticed the growing amounts of walker corpses. Those groaners must've been attracted by all the gunfire.

Now being close enough to check the compound, it didn't look any better. Some of the buildings had been set on fire and had crumbled, while others were still burning. Their ember blaze almost gave a sense of beauty to this devastation.

The smell of blood, rotten flesh and burning wood was a disgusting combination as well, but not the worst she's had to endure. 

Clementine’s chest tightened, her breath catching as the scale of the carnage hit her. 

"How many people had died here? For what?"

Suddenly, she could hear something off in the distance. It was faint, but she could immediately tell what it was. Making her way over to the far away noise, trying not to step on any of the many bodies piled on the ground, she made her way deeper into the compound.

She quickly found the source of her interest. Like she had suspected, one of the defenders had been killed, but his brain survived the fight. The walker was banging against a door, a thick steel lock still clearly visible, denying it entrance. 

In fear of attracting any more unwanted walkers, she put her pistol back in her pocket and got out her knife. That thing was busy trying to get inside there for some reason anyway. This should be an easy kill. 

So Clem snuck up on the walker, it only noticing her presence when it was too late. With a swift motion, she rammed her knife into its face, just as it turned around, killing it instantly.

The body met the floor, hitting the locked barn doors with its back as it went down. Now Clementine could also make out some sounds that were coming from inside the barn. She just had to get that lock open to find out what was inside, hoping it would be something to help her fight these people off, in order to save AJ.

Thankfully, she didn't have to look very far to find a solution for her lock problem. A keychain was attached to the walker she'd just taken out, reflecting light from the surrounding fire, that was slowly dying down, right into Clem's eyes.

She grabbed the keys and fiddled around with them, searching for the right one. After a couple attempts, one of the keys slid right in and the lock was dealt with, allowing her to open the barn door. To her surprise, there weren't any weapons, ammo or any supplies of that sort hidden away here.

Instead, she found a horse, that was bound to one of the wooden pillars inside. The barn was relatively empty. No stalls, just a pile of hay in one corner and a wooden water trough, that was almost empty. 

The poor thing looked distressed, huffing and puffing as it strained against its restraints. Its coat was damp with sweat, and its eyes darted wildly, nostrils flaring.

"Hey, easy there. It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you.," Clementine said, with her hands up, slowly approaching the mount. It was still wrapped in full gear, saddle included.

Her words didn't really have an effect on the scared animal, as it still tried to break free.

"It's okay. The monsters are gone. You're safe.", she kept her voice gentle, but audible. Thankfully she had gathered some experience with this, waiting for the horse to realize that it wasn't in any danger. After a couple more minutes of shushing it, trying to calm it down, its movement slowed as the panic subsided.

"See? Nothing to be afraid of.", she slowly stroked the horses face, keeping her energy calm, while gripping the bridle firmly, just in case.

This was quite the find. She'd still need 'till nightfall to make it to the ranch, but at least she wouldn't have to run all the way there. The Ranch was still a good five to ten miles away from here, which means her chance to get to AJ in time had just increased tenfold.

Loosening the knot and setting the horse free, she carefully climbed atop the saddle and settled herself in, taking the reins into her hands.

"Hope you're not tired. We got a little boy to save. Let's get going!", Clementine announced, performing the motions to get the horse moving. To her relief, it listened to her and ran out the barn door, past all the corpses and back onto the dry road.

They took the first corner a little sharply, Clem still needing to get readjusted into riding a horse.

"Whoa there!", she yelled as she almost fell off the saddle, but quickly regained her balance. 

Whoever had caused this mess was bound to be heading to the ranch as well, for whatever reason. It didn't matter to Clem though. Her resolve was unshakable at this point.

She leaned forward in the saddle, the wind whipping past her, AJ’s face burned into her mind. ‘Hold on, goofball,’ she whispered, spurring the horse faster. ‘I’m coming for you.’

She might've lost him all those months ago, but now she'd bring him back — just like she promised.

HOURS LATER - After the events at McCaroll

She'd found him. After all the stress and pain, everything she had to go through to get to him. It was all worth it. 

Her goofball was back at her side, safe and sound next to her on the passenger seat of this new ride, generously donated by whoever left it at the McCarroll Ranch.

That whole area was a damn war zone. A large group of raiders, which Clem learned was the cause of all the devastation she'd seen coming up to the farm, was staging an attack against the settlement she'd pulled AJ out off.

On her way to him, Clem was forced to take out multiple people from both sides. Her horse got shot when coming into the vicinity of the burning farm complex. Whoever these raiders were, they didn't mess around.

A woman, that Clementine guessed had been AJ's caretaker ever since he was sent there by Lingard, also ended up as one of Clem's victims. 

She was forced to kill that woman, even though she probably didn't deserve it. She'd tried to protect AJ by hiding him in a little locker, which Clementine had to pull him out of.

The poor boy was covered in blood when she pulled him into her arms, in tears and disturbed. Whatever had happened probably left a deep mark on the little guy.

It left Clem with a deep sense of regret, anger and guilt. If she hadn't lost him, none of this would've happened. She blamed David for the whole thing ever since that day, but after how things had resolved with Javi and the rest of the Garcia family, she couldn't entirely blame it on him.

It was her decisions that led them into that mess in the first place.

She took a second to look at him, taking her eyes of the road. He was sleeping, snuggled up in the passenger seat and laying as comfortably as he could, while having his seat belt on.

Whatever negative emotions had been bugging her quickly subsided, a small smile forming on her lips. 

What happened in the past isn't important anymore. What's important is that they're finally together again. She and her little goofball.

Clementine had told Javi she'd bring him back to Richmond. But with how hot the entire area still was, getting back to him was out of the question. They'd have to find some other place safe. At least for the near future. Maybe they'd find a way back to Richmond in the future - someway, somehow.

Yet, they were a small team. They'd be able to find somewhere else. Somewhere just as safe. She was sure of it.

Her eyes returning to the road, she checked the tank needle. They were starting to run low. They'd been driving for almost three hours now, trying to put some good distance between them and the armed conflict she'd pulled them out off.

Night had fallen shortly after they left the ranch. It wouldn't be the worst idea to take a break soon.

They'd need to stop anyway, in order find something to eat, some gas, water and a good place to rest.

Life on the road basically. Just like how they used to do it, before she ran into Ava.

She took the next exit from the highway, hoping to find somewhere they could stop and settle in for the night. They could look for supplies in the coming morning.

Clem kept driving until they came across what looked like an abandoned big box store. Places like these were usually picked clean, but people missed stuff all the time. This whole area looked like it had been devoid of human life for years anyway. 

It's not the worst place to search, that was for sure.

Immediately, she brought the car to a halt, turning off the headlights of her newly acquired vehicle and stopping the engine.

With a gentle hand, she lightly shook AJ to wake him up. They'd have to sleep in the car often enough in the coming days.

"Wake up, goofball.", she soothingly called out to him, pulling him out of his slumber.

Letting out a big yawn, he rubbed his eyes as he straightened his posture in the seat, pointing his still tired gaze towards his guardian.

"Clem? Are we there?" he asked in a sleepy voice.

"No AJ. At least not somewhere we want to stay. But we need to find something to eat for you, as well as some gas. And for that, we need to search that big store over there.," Clementine said as she pointed towards the huge building on her left side.

His eyes landed where she was pointing at, even though it was hard to see in the dark of the night.

The moon illuminated its crude exterior, some of the letters spelling out the store's name had fallen off and the walls looked old and dirty. The fangs of time had been buried deep into that building.

"Remember what I told you? What is the first rule of survival?", she asked him. AJ thought about it for a couple seconds, seemingly not fully awake yet.

"Rule one was.....never ugh, never....go alone?", he answered in an unsure tone.

"Yes, that's right. Never go alone. Which means we'll have to go into that big building together, AJ. You up for it?"

"I....ugh..", she could tell the boy was scared. No wonder, most people wouldn't jump at the prospect of searching through a giant, potentially walker infested store in the middle of the night. But they couldn't wait 'till coming morning. They needed gas.

"It's okay. I'll keep us safe. And soon enough, I'll teach you how to keep yourself safe. Sound good?", he nodded in response. Clem unbuckled her own and his seat belt. They both left the car.

"Let me check the trunk first. Maybe there'll be something we can use.", she walked around the muscle car and opened its trunk.

Surprisingly enough, it had some useful things within it. A flashlight, a couple bottles of water and even a roll of toilet paper. At least their water problem was solved for now.

Taking the flashlight, she closed the trunk and locked the car. Even though the area looked clear enough, you could never be too safe.

"All right. Time to give this place a look. Come on, goofball. Just stay close to me and everything will be fine. No need to be scared.," she said, turning the flashlight on, inspecting the store entrance. The doors had been ripped off on one side, allowing for easy access to the building.

AJ was hugging himself, the cold night air and the looming atmosphere clearly getting to the boy. She tapped him on the shoulder, bringing him to make direct eye contact with her.

Her warm smile assured the young boy, as he stretched out his small hand. Without a second of hesitation, Clem took it into hers and guided them both in.

Their footsteps echoed through the night, as they approached the entrance. Some distant noises were audible from the inside. They were not alone.

But whatever happens, she'd keep him safe. No matter what. That's a promise she made herself the moment she held him in her arms back at McCarroll.

And god help her, she was going to keep it.

The store was dark and gloomy, the only light source being the moonlight that slid in through the broken windows and cracks left in-between the boards that covered a great number of them.

AJ clutched Clementine's hand, hiding behind her leg. Dark figures were visibly deeper in the store, slowly shuffling around. Echoes of groans and unintelligible murmurs spreading across the large hall.

Most of the large store shelves had fallen over, shards of glass, broken cans and other pieces of waste littering the floor. The smell was foul, clearly caused by both the spoil, and the roaming undead.

The little boy was shivering, only peeking out slightly around Clem's leg.

"Don't be scared. I'm not going to let them touch you. Just stay close to me.," Clementine said reassuringly to the boy, lightly squeezing his little hand in hers.

Alvin Junior looked up at her, fear all over his face. He squeezed back and Clementine slowly guided them further into the store.

"I'll show you how to make them disappear. They're slow and dumb. Here, watch."

Clementine let go of AJ's hand, carefully maneuvering around all the pieces of trash. There was a lone walker shuffling through one of the isle that hadn't fallen over. She slowly approached it from behind, kicking the back of its knees, bringing it to a fall.

Without hesitation, she swung her knife into the back of its head, killing it instantly. She turned back around to face AJ, motioning at the dead walker with her free hand.

"See? That's one gone already. Now we do the same to the rest of them, and then look around in peace.", she walked back up to the little boy, who was hugging himself as he had watched his guardian work. 

He was still shivering, but not as shaky than before.

"O- Okay. That sounds...nice.", he stammered out.

"You're very brave right now. I need you to stay brave until we're done. Can you do that for me, goofball?", she asked him as she crouched down in front of him, bringing her to his eye level.

AJ's eyes went to the floor for a second, before meeting hers again and giving her a nod. This made Clem smile in return.

"Good boy. We'll be done sooner than you'll know."

Getting back up to her feet, she took a second to survey her surroundings, now turning the flashlight on to inspect this place properly.

It was a total mess. Not only was the floor littered, but the walls had splatters of blood and grime around them. There were no bodies at least, besides the walker she'd taken out moments ago.

Some of the shelves still looked intact, but most of them were empty. More walkers were further down the hall. They were getting attracted by the gloom of the flashlight. Clem shone it directly on the slowly moving figures coming towards them. 

Revealed were three walkers making there way over. AJ shrieked a little when he saw them, running up behind Clementine and hiding behind her.

"Shh, shh. It's okay, goofball. We can take them. Just stay back and let me do the work, okay?"

Pulling out her knife again, she approached the three walkers closing in. Just like before, she took out the knees of the first one, stabbing its face once it made contact with the floor. 

The second one caught the blade with its right eye, as Clementine plunged it right in. Pulling it back out, she performed a small hop, slicing right through the last one's cranium, taking it down swiftly.

Catching her breath, she turned back towards AJ, giving him a confident smirk.

The boy still stood there, frozen in his place. He didn't look scared, but uneasy. Slowly, a small smile began to form on his face, taking a small step towards her.

In the dark, she saw a weird figure approaching the small boy. It was close. Too close.

"AJ, watch out!", Clementine yelled out, running towards him.

"Huh?", he said shortly before as a grubby hand grabbed him shoulder and pulled him towards it, growling more loudly in the process.

"AHH!", he let out a scream as he got yanked.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!", Clem knocked the lurker over with full force, making sure to pull AJ out of the line of fire. Swiftly, she sat up on one foot and jammed her blade into the monster's cheek.

After the deed was done, she swung her upper body around, searching for AJ. The little boy had fallen back on his butt, holding himself up by the palms of his hands and crying. Clem made her way over to him hastily.

"Hey, it's okay. You're okay. I'm here.", she tightly hugged him, pressing him against her chest protectively, stroking his back while consoling him.

"I'm sorry, goofball. I didn't see that one coming. It's too dark in here."

"It tried to grab me! But you-- you saved me.", his voice was strained, by both the shock and surge of terror running through the young child.

"Of course, goofball. I'm by your side. Always.," she continued to hold the boy until he calmed down, taking a second to look over her shoulder for any more potential threats.

After scanning the area, she put her attention back on the young boy in her arms, who had ceased crying for the moment. Grabbing him by both shoulders, she pulled away, looking into his teary eyes as he went to rub them with his little hands.

"You feel better now?"

"Y-ye-yes.", he stammered.

"Let's give this place a thorough look. Make sure they can't sneak up on us again."

"I- I'd like that."

Getting back up on her feet and pulling the flashlight back out, Clementine made sure to clear out every corner of this place. The shopping area was gigantic, so this could take a while. But she didn't take any shortcuts, clearing isle by isle, clutching one of AJ's hands in hers.

After about ten minutes, she was sure that this floor was clear. Letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, she looked back down at her little goofball.

"Looks like we're in the clear for now. Sadly I didn't see anything useful in here. We have to check the other areas and see if we can find something."

"Uh huh.," he answered with an unsteady voice.

"Just don't let go of my hand, until I tell you to. Understood?"

After a quick nod, they moved further up the halls of the store. Clementine had seen a door that seemed to be locked, a couple bodies being piled up in front of it.

Using the flashlight to illuminate the body pile, she recognized that one of them was wearing a short, looking similar to the name written on the entrance. Since some of the letters were missing at the front, she wasn't sure if it was the same.

She focused the flashlight on his remains.

"You see that? This man probably used to work here. Which means there is a chance he could have something useful on him. Here, let me check him.", she let go off AJ's hand and approached the former employee, who had two more bodies laying a top him sideways.

Clem took a second to stab each of their brains with her knife, just to make sure they were all really dead. Right after, she pushed the two other bodies off of her target and checked his back pockets.

"Huh, would you look at that?" she pulled out a pair of keys holding them in her palm before clutching them in her hand and getting back into a standing position.

The door read "Staff Only", so Clem walked over to it and inserted the different keys, until one of them slid right into the lock. After a click, she took out her flashlight in her right hand, while keeping her left hand on the door handle.

She slowly pushed the door open, clearing it with her flashlight bit by bit. The only thing greeting her was a hunched over figure sitting on a chair at an office desk, face down.

"Oh my god.", Clementine muttered under her breath, fixing the flashlight on the body. There was dried blood all over the desk, hands sprawled across both sides of the desk, a revolver wrung around the finger's of its former owner.

She slowly entered the small office, that looked like it hadn't been touched in years. But the stench was more intense than in the hall.

"He must've died years ago..."

AJ slowly followed her in, his eyes glued to the decomposing body lying across the desktop.

"Why does it smell so bad in here?", AJ asked gently.

"Our bodies start falling apart after we die. It's called decomposition"

"Decopotion?", he tried to repeat after her.

"De-com-po-siton, goofball. It's why the walkers smell so bad."

"Walkers?", he looked at her, just as confused as before.

"The monster that tried to grab you. They're called walkers."

"I think they're.... monsters. I like that name more. It's....better."

"Fine. We'll call'em monsters then.", she gave him another small smile, before turning her attention back to the figure on the desk.

"He must've been stuck in here. With the walkers blocking the exit, he probably thought there was only one other way out.", her gaze focused on the revolver still wrapped in his right hand. She walked up and snatched it from his cold, dead hands.

Checking the cylinder, she saw that it was still fully loaded. Only one bullet was used. It was a compact little thing. She looked over to AJ, considering her options. After a short moment, she slid the gun in one of her back pockets.

"I'll show you how to use this when you're older. For now, you'll just have to rely on me to keep us safe.," she said, more to herself than to him.

Picking the flashlight back up, she searched the rest of the small room. The spotlight landed on the shelves to her left. There were red canisters stacked on them.

"Gas. Looks like he grabbed some stuff before he locked himself in. Poor guy was probably trying to escape with some supplies before he was forced back in here. Well, at least we don't have to worry about finding gas anymore."

Grabbing one of the canisters, she held it out for AJ.

"Can you hold onto this for me, goofball?", she asked him with a gentle voice. The little boy stretched out his hands and firmly grasped the canister by its handle.

"Whoa, it's heavy!", he remarked.

"That's good. It means we're going to be able to keep the tank filled for quite a while and don't have to make more supply runs like this."

Grabbing two more canisters, one in each hand, she led AJ out of the room, stopping right outside the door.

"You think you can carry it all the way back to the car?", she asked him

"Yeah. I think.... I can handle it.," he said, with slightly shaky arms.

"Then lead the way, goofball. I'm right behind you."

They made a b-line for the entrance, quickly leaving the store and carrying the canisters back to the muscle car. Clem opened the trunk for them and put the two containers in, shortly after she grabbed the one AJ was holding and placed it right beside the other two.

"There was one more in the office. We'll use that one to fill up the tank."

Back inside, they headed back to the office, entering it quickly and quietly.

"We should take one more look around. Maybe there's more stuff in here that could be useful."

Rolling the corpse aside, on the office chair it was sitting on, she started looking through some of the shelves.

"Nothing in here.," she commented as she pushed them back shut. But something caught her eye under the desk. She swung the ray emitted by her flashlight on it. It was a blue duffle bag.

"Let's see what's in here.", she grabbed the bag and put it on the desk, zipping it open.

Inside were a couple cans of food, energy bars, a pack of tissues, some cans of soda and even a sports magazine.

"Jackpot. Looks like we hit gold with this one, AJ.," she said as she pulled out the magazine and gave the cover a better look.

"Maybe we should keep it. I could teach you how to read. That's going to be important for you, especially once you're older.", she stuffed it back into the bag and zipped it shut.

"Thank god for this. I was afraid we'd have to search the entire building.", she let out a sigh of relief and slung the bag around her shoulder, grabbing the last canister on the shelf and making her way out of the office once more.

"We're done here, goofball. Time to get back on the road...", she drifted off at the end of her sentence as her eyes landed on the numerous shadows that were set by the approaching figures, hit by the moonlight.

Hastily, she swung the flashlight towards the source, at least a dozen walkers were coming towards them.

"Shit. They must've come from the upper floor. AJ, move!", she gestured towards the store entrance with her head and waited for the boy to take off, so she could follow him.

But AJ was frozen once more, stuck in his position. Thinking quickly, Clem dropped the flashlight and grabbed the boy around his waste, going down to one knee and putting him on her hip.

In a half secure grip, she ran out the store with AJ, walkers on their tail. Running as fast as she could, she ran around the car and put down the canister beside the passenger door. Digging through her pockets with her free hand, she pulled the car keys out and quickly unlocked it.

Swinging the door open, she placed AJ in the passenger seat and buckled him in, the noises made by the crowd closing in on them getting louder with each passing second. She was running out of time.

Slamming the door shut, she grabbed the canister off the ground, ran around the car, opened the driver seat door and threw in both the duffle bag and the canister on the back seats. By the time she was done with it, the small horde had almost reached them.

Two walkers had broken off from the rest, getting almost in touching distance from her. Thinking quickly, Clementine pulled the small revolver out of her back pocket and  shot the two front-runners, dropping them instantly. 

Without wasting any more time, she jumped into the seat and pulled the door shut as fast as she could. Buckling herself in, she put the key into the ignition and started the engine.

The walkers were only about two steps away from the windows when she slammed it into first gear and pulled away, out of the parking lot and back on the street.

"Holy shit. That was too close!", she muttered as she saw the herd disappear in the rearview mirror.

Looking over to AJ, the boy looked mortified.

"You hangin' in there, goofball?"

He needed a bit to collect himself, but eventually, he stammered out a response.

"Ye-yeah. I- I'm sorry.... There were just so...so many of them. I.. I--"

"You froze up. It happens when you're not used to this. But it's okay. You'll learn. I'll teach you how to survive. Trust me." she said in-between breaths.

"O-okay. I trust you, Clem.", she smiled at him before bringing her eyes back on the road. 

They'd have to fuel this baby up a bit later. She still had some left in her. They'd keep going. Until she found a home for them. And she'd find one.

Chapter Text

Hi everyone, Pink Menace here again. I wanted to explain some things concerning the this fic in relation to the series as a whole, but didn't want bother readers with behind-the-scenes thoughts and intentions.

Since you've finished this fic, I'm going to assume that you're somewhat invested in it now, but if you want the TL:DR, without any potential spoilers for what is to come, this first work was written in service of the third part of the series - and I planted a lot of the seeds here, that will come to full fruition when I get to posting that. 

Every chapter has been crafted with a clear intention in mind, whether it was to set up something that will become more relevant down the line or to simply fill out some blank spots, that were left by the devs of the game.

That was my intention, but I've read on multiple occasions now that people were really interested in The New Frontier as a whole - maybe exploring the dynamics with other members, getting into their backgrounds and even explore how they came to be at the position they were at in the game.

Believe it or not, this angle only occured to me when reading those comments. I was so deeply wrapped up in the multi-part narrative that I was carving out, that the opportunity for this approach completely eluded me. So I wanted to apologize to people who were expecting and wanting that type of story. 

I might write a companion piece, that could explore the inner workings of the New Frontier, in relation to the alternate timeline I created, in the future. But first I want to finish this series and share it with you guys, before I start anything new.

So let's get back to what we got. 

There were multiple goals I had in mind when writing the fic. One of them was deepen Clem's relationship with both Ava and David and somewhat establishing them as mentors. Clem had a lot of them in her past - most importantly being Lee of course. But she was also guided by people like Luke, Kenny and even Jane. Hell, she uses Jane's takedown technique both in season 3 and  in the Final Season.
The lessons she's learned will make their mark in the second, but especially in the third part of the series. 
 

To be completely honest, I was very uncertain about releasing this in the first place. It was originally just a fun little project I wanted to work on for myself, but it expanded rapidly, as I continued exploring.

For context, I've been working on this whole thing since November of 2024, so it's been months. Granted, I took two months off, due to burnout, meaning I didn't work on it in March and most of April this year, but I've been back on the grind ever since.

As I read other works from fellow fans on multiple sites, I realized that there is a lot of value in sharing your work, even if it doesn't live up to the standards you set for yourself.

At the end of it all, it's just a way for all of us to express our passion for something that we love. And that is what this whole thing has turned in for me: A labour of love.

As a final note, I hope you'll be with me on the next step of this journey. Part 2 of the series, "Still Not Bitten", will be released shortly. I'm very excited to share what I've cooked up for the narrative of The Final Season, where I tried re-implementing some cut ideas from the devs and made some more radical adjustments to the overall story of that season.

As always, thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful rest of your day.