Out on a Limb

Summary: When faced with a different bite victim in the herd, Clementine makes a split-second decision that ultimately changes so much down the line.

Rating: T

Notes: Here's a short little epilogue for the Howe's choice. If Wellington would've been picked, I'd imagine the same scene from the actual game. Also, I'm sure Clem and AJ would reunite someday in this "canon" regardless of the outcomes.

I know it's been a long (and I mean long) ride, but I hope it was worth it. I know it's a bittersweet ending, but… hey, it's The Walking Dead Game.

I'm going to be going back into previous chapters and editing a few things here and there, just because my writing in 2014 was definitely nowhere near my style in 2019, and there are errors I can fix.

By the way, if you want an ending song to go with this "season," look up 'New Beginning' by Astrid Holiday.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading Out on a Limb.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead Game.

A few months later...

BANG!

A loud shot split through the air, its bullet shattering the skull of a nearby walker. The creature crumpled to the ground in a heap, but in its place came several more. More gunshots rang out, hitting their intended targets with precision.

Clementine held her gun tightly, eyes peeled for more threats. She'd been notified by the current lookout of the danger, and promptly left the front gate of Howe's to investigate. It was her turn to be out in the field, luring the walkers away from the establishment and killing as many as she could. Above her, the lookout would shoot from above, picking off any she'd missed.

There didn't seem to be any more, but she held her breath for a few moments just in case.

Finally, the confirmation came from above; Sarah called out from up top with a wide smile on her face. "We got 'em! All clear from what I can see!"

Wiping sweat off her brow, Clementine flashed a grin of her own up at her friend. "Good to hear!" she yelled up, and watched Sarah scramble down from her post and reopen the front gate.

"You were great! As usual," the older girl said, offering a high-five.

Clementine gladly slapped her hand against Sarah's. "All thanks to your signal. You're pretty good up there."

"Thanks!" Sarah exclaimed, giggling softly. It wasn't hard to notice that the other girl smiling and laughing more frequently; time and patience seemed to be just the things she needed to be able to grow. She'd been developing into a medic for the group; anytime they'd find new medical supplies, Sarah would study them as best she could, trying to memorize the purpose of each tool and bottle. As such, when someone encountered an injury, she'd be the first to help administer first aid.

Though she was more focused on healing than harming, that didn't mean Sarah couldn't fire a gun; as promised, Clementine finished teaching her how to shoot, with additional help and practice from Mike. It wasn't long before she was able to hit the targets they set up dead-on, and she was fully prepared when the first real walker attack came to Howe's.

It wasn't nearly as large as the herd they'd initially escaped in, but it was more than some stationary bottles, so it definitely put Sarah to the test. Thankfully, she was able to shoot her first group of walkers without much difficulty, and from a safe distance.

Clementine was incredibly proud of Sarah's progress - and knew that in his own way, Troy would be, too.

But fortune itself wasn't limited to Sarah; things actually seemed to be going pretty well for most of their party.

Arvo, who was currently sleeping, had recovered from his illness shortly after they returned to Howe's. His leg had mended for the most part too, and only left him with a slight limp.

Come to think of it, Arvo also smiled a lot more now.

Mike and Bonnie were productive and helpful, as well, and Clementine really respected them. They supported her, of course, but also gave her room to grow and learn for herself. In a way, they reminded her of Omid and Christa's roles in her life - not to mention, they seemed to be getting similarly close recently.

Unfortunately, not everyone was still around; though it had been Jane's idea to return to Howe's, the woman had ended up being the first (and so far only) person to leave. She stayed for the first few weeks or so before deciding to go off on her own, insisting there were "too many ghosts" around for her to sleep peacefully.

Clementine wondered if, at the end of the day, Jane just preferred to be alone. She supposed she'd never truly know.

Not a day went by without Clementine wondering how Kenny and AJ were doing. She missed them both terribly; it wasn't as if she regretted her choice of Howe's, but she still had trouble accepting that they weren't here with her. She hoped AJ was growing up well, eating a lot and managing to stay safe.

And though she knew better than to hope in this kind of world, a small part of her heart still held onto the chance of seeing them again someday; after all, who knew for certain? However slight, the possibility was always there.

"Mike and Bonnie are out on patrol, right?" Sarah's question snapped her back to reality.

Clementine nodded. "They went out a little bit ago. Should be back soon." The two adults of the group had set off to do a perimeter check, and were set to go on a food hunt tonight, as well. Howe's was still fully stocked, but it was helpful to keep extra inventory in the freezers, just in case.

Raiders and bandits hadn't come by yet, but that didn't mean they'd never come; Clementine knew from experience it was better to be over-prepared than under.

The duties were always taken in shifts, and shuffled around so everyone had fair treatment. While some slept, others guarded, and then the positions would switch the next day. They all had a nice system going, and everyone did their part to keep the place thriving.

And most importantly, no one ever slept out in the yard.

It wasn't as if things had always been this neat and organized, however; when they first arrived back at Howe's, there was a lot to clean up. The walls needed to be fixed and secured, not to mention the bodies that were decaying in and around the building itself. Carver's corpse in particular still lied untouched, flies having a feast upon his rotting flesh. One by one, the bodies were dragged to a pile on the outskirts of Howe's, rolling into a nearby ditch. It wasn't a kind burial for any of the people, but they didn't have the luxury of a cemetery handy.

Sarah didn't find her father, indicating that Carlos must still be around as a walker somewhere, lurking about mindlessly. The reality settled in rather quickly, and tears were shed - but Sarah was getting better at coping every day. Clementine was definitely impressed by her friend, and all the help she'd been since returning. Anyone who ever claimed she was useless was gone now, so what did that say about her, really? It spoke wonders for her worth - the worth that Clementine had always, always seen in her.

The two of them continued to walk together, making their way into the central area of Howe's and coming across by a table set up near the front doors. The surface was decorated with a nice sheet of fabric and candles found in some boxes in a storage room. Small, knotted pieces of rope sat along the center, their placements reminiscent of graves. And indeed it was a sort of graveyard, for some of the rope slices belonged to those that had died - namely Nick, Luke, and Troy. Out of respect, everyone had set their pieces down as well; it was as close to a proper memorial they'd be able to get.

As they moved past the table, Clementine gently placed her hand on it, feeling the smoothness of the fabric. It was a nice little setup, she had to admit; naturally, it had been all Sarah's idea. The older girl never intended to forget those left behind, and wanted physical reminders.

With a small smile to herself, Clementine continued to walk with Sarah through the main area of Howe's. Her eyes inadvertently flicked up to a particular room above them, and a feeling of dread pooled into her stomach at the very sight of it.

Aside from initially checking it for walkers, that one particular room had yet to be used: Carver's office. It was an area Clementine specifically didn't want to touch; it wasn't as if she was afraid to go in, but she was hesitant to confront the memories associated with it. The last time she entered that room, it was to listen to Carver drone on about how alike the two of them were. It was honestly quite a frightening talk, and still felt eerie to think about despite Carver's death.

It wasn't only her qualm, though: both Bonnie and Mike had admitted to feeling uneasy around the space. Clementine wasn't sure she believed in ghosts, but if any man would come back to haunt an office just to keep people out, it would be Carver.

Unfortunately, it was a good room to use, and it would be wasteful to let it sit. So now, after a few months of it being untouched, she wanted to revisit the old demons. If she could conquer this concern, she'd feel much better about her own capabilities and strength.

When she told Sarah what she wanted to do, the older girl's eyes went wide. "R-really? Are you sure, Clem?"

"Well, no," Clementine admitted with a shrug, "but I figure there's nothing to be afraid of anymore. So why shouldn't we use the rooms we have?"

Sarah nodded. "That makes sense. Do you want to wait for the others, though?"

"Yeah, I think that'd be best."

It didn't take long for Bonnie and Mike to return and Arvo to awaken. Once they gathered their little group together, the five of them faced the closed door to the office. Clementine felt her hands tighten into fists as she glared at the room that once housed a monster.

"It's a nice room. PA system'll let us communicate better with each other," Bonnie pointed out. "I know there's some… bad mojo associated with it, but I think it'll be worth it."

"Agreed. But hell, I remember I was terrified of bein' called up here," Mike said, rubbing the back of his neck. "By the end of things, Carver didn't seem like that scary of a guy, but at the time… fuck, I feared him as much as I hated him."

Arvo crossed his arms. "This man, Carver… he ran community here?"

"It was more like a prison," Clementine muttered.

"You wouldn't'a liked him at all, Arvo," Bonnie said. "He was angrier and more violent than Kenny ever was."

Clementine didn't appreciate the comparison, but at least she hadn't put Carver and Kenny on the same level.

"Well, we're only wasting time standing out here," she declared, and took a hesitant step forward. Her hand was a bit shaky as it landed on the doorknob, but she was able to take a deep breath and swing it open without much trouble. After exchanging a glance with the others, she cautiously walked inside.

The room was dark and cold, a thin layer of dust sitting on the furniture. The air smelled like mold with a twinge of rancid sweetness, evident by the basket of rotten apples atop the main desk. Besides the unpleasant stink, it wasn't all that revolting of a space.

"Huh. It's… not as bad as I thought it'd be," Clementine admitted her misconceptions, taking more steps into the small space. Someone flicked on a switch and light poured in from above, allowing her to see more of the room.

She gazed over at the chair where Alvin once sat and died in, empty now after the walker cleanup. A rush of sadness tore through her, as she couldn't help but wonder if Alvin would be disappointed she'd let his son go someplace she was not. Would he agree to Kenny raising his child?

Shaking her head clear of the thoughts, she convinced herself that Alvin would be glad they kept AJ safe regardless.

I'm sure Kenny's taking good care of him, Alvin.

Carver's desk had a large map of the area on top of it, large circles and notes scrawled at specific points. She couldn't really understand a lot of what he wrote, but it seemed to be just the places surrounding Howe's - like the strip mall and Parker's Run.

The seat behind the desk creaked as she moved it back and, without thinking too much about it, she sat down. She felt strangely detached from this whole situation - like all that anxiety built up hadn't actually meant anything. Beside the map, she noticed a mug with the words "World's Best Boss" printed on. Idly, she picked it up, grimacing at the coffee stains around the edges.

"Heh. Troy found that in the back," Bonnie snickered. "Gave it to Bill, I remember. He was definitely tryin' to suck up. I thought it was kinda funny."

"What was he thinking?" Clementine snorted. "Carver was far from the world's best boss."

"Well, who knows? He could've had really shit bosses before - ones that made Carver look like the Virgin Mary," Mike chuckled. "Or maybe the rooster really was that stupidly loyal."

Clementine half-expected to hear a sniping comment from Troy, maybe defending himself or protecting Carver's honor, but of course there was nothing. She still hadn't quite got used to the fact that she'd never hear him again - and how that managed to hurt her more than she thought it would.

Shaking her head, she decided to change the subject and mused, "I wonder what else we can find here…"

"Maybe look through the desk, Clem?" Sarah suggested. "You never know what you'll find."

With a shrug, Clementine slid open the desk drawer, rifling through its contents idly. She shuffled through various CD cases, stale cigars, a lighter, an ashtray, and some weird things Bonnie and Mike took off her immediately - probably adult stuff, she didn't know.

Amongst all that junk were a few scraps of paper, stapled together with 'Important' hastily scribbled on top. When she unfolded them, she was surprised to find them completely covered with notes. Upon closer look, they appeared to be organized plans of what to do and how to evacuate if there was an incoming threat.

"It says, 'Emergency Lurker Attack Options'..." Clementine read. "I guess it's about what to do if too many walkers show up."

"Y'know, everyone around us at the cabin said 'lurkers,' but you say 'walkers,' Clem. But there's no difference, right?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah. I think it's just different people calling them different things."

Arvo nodded. "That is true. My family and I called them живые мертвецы - living dead."

"Huh." The older girl paused, crossing her arms in thought. "Before we met Luke, my dad called them something else."

"Oh yeah? What was that?" Bonnie asked curiously.

Sarah grinned widely. "Well, we're Spanish, so… muertos."

"Ooh. I like that," Mike chimed in. "If you wanted to call 'em that, I wouldn't mind."

"Same here," Clementine agreed, then turned her attention back to the plans.

"Mind if I take a look at those, Clem?" Bonnie asked, and was promptly handed them. She began reading them over with an intense stare, eyebrows furrowed down in concentration. "Seems it lists areas around here that are predicted to have less lurker activity, and how to get to 'em discreetly. Shit, I had no idea he had any'a this."

"Really? He didn't tell his own guards?" Mike asked.

"If he did, it wasn't to me." Bonnie said, humming in thought. "Well, this is mighty useful. We could use this in a pinch."

"Hey, goes to show that even Carver can be useful beyond the grave," Mike joked.

That was true. As frightening as Carver was and as wrong as his ideals were, Clementine could at least admit he was prepared. His plans could be a potential help to them if an emergency arose - and she honestly had no doubt one would eventually. Though there was a lull in the chaos lately, danger always returned to show its ugly head sooner or later.

"With or without the plans, I think we'll be okay," Clementine admitted, nodding to herself.

She wasn't the leader of the group - that role hadn't been given to anyone, really - but she still felt somewhat responsible for her friends. Trying to ensure the safety of four people was difficult, as life was never guaranteed.

Though her thinking was focused on others' survival as much as herself, she couldn't ever think of sacrificing one person for another. It just wasn't something that ever crossed her mind.

Placing her palm on the desk, Clementine attempted one last time to put herself in her enemy's shoes. She tried to see the world through Carver's eyes, to understand the weak vs strong mentality that kept so many adults ablaze with power in this world.

She saw herself standing before her fellow humans, regarding them as mere cogs in a well-oiled machine. Walkers were seen as second-tier enemies in her imagined society, as her own workers would put others at risk with their mistakes.

"We're more alike than you think."

No - in the end, they really weren't.

Where Carver saw necessity and hope, she saw despair and pain. That kind of world struck fear into hearts, clogged the air with the stench of death, and turned people into monsters far worse than anything outside the walls.

Clementine tried as hard as she possibly could to understand that viewpoint, but she couldn't - she just couldn't. For that, she was oddly relieved; none of that felt real or promising for her, and thus wouldn't be her future.

So she made a silent vow, right then and there, to stay true to herself. No matter what danger came her way, she'd do her very best to grow into the person she wanted to be. Lee, Kenny, Sarah, Troy… any influences on her so far only helped guide her towards some paths, and deter her from others - but at the end of the day, she made her own decisions.

She alone claimed her identity.

Above everything else, she wanted to stay compassionate. It would be hard, given the threats she'd already faced and those to come, but… that didn't matter. These trials came time and time again, and it wasn't likely they'd ever stop - but she'd be ready for each and every one of them.

Clementine would continue to stand defiantly against a world of walkers and insist upon humanity - after all, she knew for a fact that a little kindness went a long, long way.