A/N: This story was requested by littlekid11 on deviantART, where I originally posted it, and I thank her for the idea. It's set after Amid The Ruins, but I decided to change some of the stuff that happens towards the end: Rebecca never dies and the shootout never happens. Also, I started writing this before No Going Back came out.

Enjoy!

Part 1

"Everyone, just... listen for a second." Luke glances at the people sitting around the table in the small dining room they're in; he waits until he's sure he has the entire group's attention. "We need a plan, okay? We... we can't just go out there and march towards the unknown 'til we're all exhausted."

"So, what do you suggest, exactly?" Kenny eyes him with the usual hostility, and Clem can't help but move uncomfortably in her chair, sensing a new fight is on the way. "We ain't gonna lose precious daylight minutes like this! Snow or not, we need to reach that city!"

"What? Are you serious?" Luke throws his hands in the air, exasperation written all over his face. "We've just found a cabin with supplies, a shelter where we could finally rest for a change! And you just want to throw it all away to do what? To go where...?"

"To Wellington, that's where!" Kenny's angry voice almost startles Rebecca and the baby, who are resting in the adjoining room, the only one provided with an old, dusty mattress. "This cabin ain't gonna shelter us forever, farm boy! We're gonna run outta supplies sooner than later, and then we'll be stuck in the middle of fuckin' nowhere, all thanks to your brilliant plan!"

"They're at it again, huh?"

Clementine looks up to see Mike shaking his head while watching Kenny and Luke's exchange. She quickly glances down again as she feels a wave of nausea suddenly comes over her. It's the third time it happens since the evening before and she has no clue of the reason; she feels so sick she can't even bring herself to finish her canned food, which is left almost untouched in the little plastic bowl in front of her. Luke and Kenny's continuous back and forth isn't helping either, as they've both been a pain for her ears for several minutes now.

"Maybe Kenny's not that wrong, after all," Bonnie speaks near Mike, "you know, about the food running out... But Rebecca is surely in no shape to move in this cold right now, I don't even know how did we manage to walk from Parker's Run to this place." She sighs, before adding, in a whisper: "Anyway, we should probably make them stop soon, or they're gonna wake her up."

"Yeah, alright," Mike grumbles, resigned, "I guess it's now or never..." he says, but as he steadies himself to calm them down, his eyes catch sight of Clementine's abandoned meal. "Hey, Clem, huh... you feeling okay?" he asks, as he notices the girl wiping away some of the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, a tired look on her face.

"Yeah, yeah," she answers, quickly forcing herself to smile a bit, "I'm just... not that hungry anymore... You can have it, if you're still hungry," she says glancing between him and Bonnie, as she pushes away the bowl. She couldn't stand the smell any longer.

"Clem," she hears Luke calling her and she turns her head towards him. She didn't even noticed they have stopped arguing. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm just a bit tired... that's all," the girl says, trying to sound as her normal self. As she wonders why her voice feels suddenly raspier than before, she meets Kenny's attentive eye staring at her, silently scanning her little face. They haven't spoken much since the day he had snapped at her for cutting Sarita's arm off, and Clementine can't help but feel miserable about it... and guilty; he had a point in saying that sometimes people die because of her. She feels like it's her fault if he's so angry these days.

As their eyes lock, Kenny looks to be striving to control his emotions; then, his expression opens up for just a second, and Clementine has the time to catch a glimpse of concern in his dark gaze. "I'm serious," she adds, feigning confidence as she shifts her eyes once again on Luke. She has the feeling they're not believing her.

"You didn't touch any of your food, Clem, and you look a bit pale, to be honest," Bonnie states, and she's rewarded by the kid with a look that screams 'you traitor'.

No, no, no, no. Even if I'm sick, I'm going to be okay soon... I have to. I'm not going to slow the group down - if we need to leave - just because I feel a bit light-headed... and nauseous... and...

A sneeze interrupts her thoughts. "I'm fine," she insists, "I just... need a bit of rest, t-then we can take off even in the morning, if everyone agrees with it..." She pushes herself up from her chair, wanting to walk away from the adults before anyone could notice there's definitely something wrong with her.

I'm fine. I'm not going to become a liability to the others...

As she stands, though, her legs suddenly feel heavier and unsteady, and she can barely reach the other end of the table before her muscles finally give in, making her stumble. The world around her starts to spin, and the last thing she feels before her consciousness gradually leaves her, is a pair of strong arms catching her just in time to prevent her face from meeting the floor.

Confused voices speak just above her head, but she can hardly recognize them as her ears are plugged and her gaze suddenly too blurry to see.

"Oh, God. Is she bitten?" someone asks in fear.

What? She's not! She can't be! What if they didn't believe her...?

"She ain't bitten," a voice bellows, angrily, "so shut the fuck up, and lemme check on her!"

Wait, is this... Kenny? Something cold comes resting on her forehead and she hears him suck in a sharp breath. "Jesus... she's burnin' up," he whispers, as she feels his hand leaving her heated skin.

"Shit. I'll get the fire started!"

And then, everything just goes black.

Regaining all of her sensory faculties is something she thought to be so much easier than this.

Now, even if she's sure her eyes are clearly opening, she still can't see properly, nor recognize her surroundings. And she doesn't like this, not one bit. The light is dim and for a moment Clementine thinks she's still trapped in the shed, or - even worse than that, locked in a closet, at the hands of the stranger who kidnapped her almost two years ago. She tries to swallow, forcing herself to ignore the sore pain in her throat as she opens her mouth to call for help, though only a whimper finds its way through her lips. Just before she can seriously start to panic, though, she perceives an unclear glow coming from somewhere on her right, and only then she realizes she's resting against something that feels - for once - comfortable.

"Shh, it's okay," a familiar voice lulls in her ear, "it's okay, darlin', it's me."

"… K-Kenny?"

"Yeah."

Clementine notices she has a cool washcloth placed over her forehead and that she's cozily wrapped in Kenny's old coat, as if it was a blanket. The girl moves quietly in his lap, trying to see his face through the fog which still clouds her eyes. As soon as she does so, though, she lets out a second moan of pain, all of her muscles aching and her head hurting as if somebody had hit it with a stick.

"Ouch... I've never felt this bad," she whispers, her eyes folding shut as her tired body leans once again against Kenny's.

"I can imagine, sweetie," he says, as he adjusts his coat a bit better around her frame to keep her warm. She ain't shivering anymore, at least, he mentally sighs, slightly relieved. She had went from hot to cold in matters of minutes, but thank God she hasn't been sporting any yellow eye, nor she has coughed up any blood, and her clothes have been perfectly intact last time they checked, completely excluding the possibility of a bite. "You've got a real flu... Thankfully that turd just managed to light up the fire in here."

Clementine wonders how long she's been out, as silence falls between the two of them. Her head hurts like hell and she still feels dizzy, but Kenny's presence makes up for that. She reopens her eyes, trying to focus on his grizzled face just above her, an unanswered question playing on her lips. She's been dying to know the answer since days now.

"Are you still... mad at me?" she finds the courage to ask in her weak voice. The girl feels some tears pushing to get past her amber irises, tiredness and frustration for the state she's in finally overcoming her, but she manages to hold them back, still.

Kenny's only eye widens a bit, and Clementine can see what's clearly remorse flashing through it. "Oh, darlin'," he speaks softly, pulling her close to his chest, "I'm so sorry," his voice cracks up a bit, emotions taking over him. "I... I was never mad at ya. I know it ain't been right of me to put that shit on ya..." How the hell could he do that to her? The only member left of his original group other than him... the only living thing left to remind him of his family, of his past self...

"Don't worry," she manages to smile a bit, and she can't help but feel almost ashamed to admit that since the birth of Rebecca's baby she's been thinking that Kenny would have only cared about him, "you didn't mean it-" her words are cut off by a sudden onset of cough.

"There, there... I got ya, hon... I got ya," Kenny comforts her until she's once again calm, her head comfortably resting against his shoulder. "Alright... Clem, I gotta ask ya this. How long have you been hiding your sickness?"

"I... I don't know," she whispers, "I guess... since we l-left the deck? I didn't want to slow the g-group down and... I didn't really think it c-could be this bad..."

Kenny sighs. "Shit... I am so damn sorry, Clementine. We should have noticed sooner... I should have noticed sooner," he shakes his head, before his eye locks once again with hers. "I'm never gonna let that happen again, hon, I promise ya," he brushes some hair away from her forehead as he uses the clean side of the washcloth to gently wipe the beads of sweat from her face. "Now try to get some more rest," he adds, catching her yawning a little. "You're gonna need it."

"... 'kay," she mumbles, pressing her cheek against his warm sweater, trying to relax her aching body into his safe embrace.

Kenny waits until she's drift off to sleep before standing up with Clementine carefully gathered in his arms. He turns, gently laying her on the couch they've been sitting on until then, right in front of the crackling fireplace.

As soon as he finishes to tuck her into his large coat, Luke's face emerges from the door, his eyes searching for Clementine's sleepy frame. "How is she?" he asks, glancing back to Kenny.

"She woke up, but she ain't doing too good," Kenny answers, his voice coating with worry. "Go and see if Bonnie has some meds to bring her fever down, I'm gonna get something for her to eat."

"Do you want me to watch her while you rest-?"

"Nah, no need for all of us to catch a cold, too, especially with a baby among us. And besides," the bearded man gruffly says, arching a brow, "I'd rather take care of her myself."

"Fine," Luke sighs with a slight shake of his head, as he looks one last time at the sick girl, before disappearing once again behind the door.

"Kenny..." Clementine whimpers, breathing unevenly through her blocked nose, her eyes wet and teary. She hates to feel like this, why does she have to feel this awful...?

"I'm here, darlin'," a soothing hand comes resting on her back, "it's alright... You're gonna feel better soon, trust me," he helps her up a bit, as he sits down beside her with a plastic bowl in his free hand, "I brought ya somethin' to eat."

Clementine's eyes slightly pull open in order to glance at the steaming bowl of soup Kenny's holding. "Not hungry," she states in her scruffy voice.

"C'mon, Clem, you gotta eat this if you want to feel better," he says, scooping up some of the hot liquid with a spoon while pointing at the little bottles placed at his feet. "You can't take those meds if your stomach is empty, and by the way," he adds, as he lets a little grin play on his lips, "I bet it tastes delicious."

"Alright then," she sighs, as she manages to return his smile a bit, finally giving in.

"That's my girl," Kenny says, praising her as she takes a small sip. He watches as she struggles to keep her eyes open, and he can't help but feel so powerless, other than guilty; he'd give anything to make all the pain she's in to just disappear, and even though Clementine did - he could never forgive himself for his blindness: if he hadn't been so unreasonable after Sarita's death, her health would have probably never got this bad. Some man I am. And fuck, he didn't want to admit it before, but seeing Clementine so vulnerable scared him shitless. He's so used at seeing her being strong and capable of herself that - sometimes, it's oh, so damn easy to forget she's still a little girl...

"I'm sorry, Kenny," Clem's hoarse voice suddenly interrupts his thoughts, mistaking his guilty expression for disappointment. "It's my fault we can't leave the cabin, now. Maybe... maybe we could have found some other place with supplies by now... or at least we could have shortened the distance between us and Wellington..."

"Don't ever say that, darlin'," he reassures her, his gaze softening as he waits for her to swallow before picking up another spoon of soup. Shit, I don't deserve this little angel's kindness. "You got nothin' to be sorry for. Besides, I'm sure the others aren't too keen on leavin' anyway... y'know, mostly because of Rebecca and little Al's conditions." He sighs, and Clementine simply knows that, though he's being honest, admitting defeat to the others' plan means a great deal to him. "Maybe a few days here won't hurt us, after all."

"What if you become sick too, because of me?" she then points out, concerned about something's she's just realized.

"Nah, don't worry 'bout me, hon," Kenny reassures her, "nothin' good ol' Kenny couldn't bear, anyway. It's my job to take care of ya, Clem," he adds, and he's rewarded with an affectionate smile from the child.

The only smile that could melt the thick layer of darkness residing in his heart.

They both don't speak for some time, quietly enjoying the silence in the room as the light which comes from the hearth-fire dances over the walls and furniture, amber and warming. Clementine remembers the last time someone's spoon-fed her while she was sick: her mother's gentle smile comes to her mind, her soft voice telling her she was going to heal up soon, as her hand run tenderly through her untameable, curly hair. While Kenny is busy putting away the empty bowl of soup, Clementine's gaze lowers, and she allows a single tear to roll down her pale face as her mother's caring features turn into those of a horrible flesh-eating monster.

As she takes the medication she's been given, she vaguely hears Kenny's footsteps coming back towards the couch she's been sitting on, and soon she feels his hand gently reach for her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against it in order to wipe her tear away.

"C'mere, darlin'," he says softly, cradling the girl into his arms as he starts to rub her back, soothingly. "It's alright... you're gonna be alright soon, I promise."

Clementine snuggles closer into his warm embrace, trying not to think about how much she misses her parents and Lee, as she calms herself down to the sound of the soft thumps in his chest. "Stay with me?" she whispers, knowing she's sounding like her eight year old self again.

"Of course, hon," he replies, his arms tightening around the girl at the sound of her feeble voice, "not goin' anywhere," he reassures her.

"Thank you, Kenny," she smiles, contently, and she closes her eyes once again, feeling drowsy already.

"Don't mention it, sweetie," he says quietly, kissing the top of her head.

As the minutes pass, she can feel her headache starting to ease up, while her throat hurts a lot less than before thanks to the broth which warmed it up, taking most of the soreness away. Just as she can feel herself starting to doze off, a sudden cry coming from another room makes her to jolt awake.

"Fuck," she hears Kenny mutter under his breath.

"What was that...?" Clementine asks groggily, slightly alarmed.

"Just little Alvin waking the entire cabin up," he hushes into her ear, "try to go back to your nap now, alright?"

Clementine nods, but she soon finds out that - though she's starting to feel slightly better now that the meds are finally working, it's a lot harder to accomplish the same task this time around. After a few more tries, she opens one eye and catches Kenny's warm gaze glancing down at her, a questioning look on his face, just as tired as her.

"Cannot sleep," she says quietly, and she feels his beard tickling her head as he chuckles slightly.

"Well, then… I guess I'll have to sing ya to sleep, darlin'."

It's her time to grin now, as he clears his throat a bit and starts to hum a lullaby in her ear. "Didn't know you could sing," she teases, playfully, with an innocent smile on her face.

"In fact, I can't," Kenny admits, smirking under his wolfish beard, "but I never run outta surprises, apparently, so let's see if 'You are my Sunshine' does the trick with ya, little lady..."

Clementine chuckles again, but by the time Kenny's half-way through the song, her eyelids are heavier already.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

Alvin Jr. cries are gradually decreasing, as he's being milk fed by his mother, and the only sound Clementine can hear now - apart from Kenny's deep singing voice, is the wind blowing against the cabin's windows.

You make me happy, when skies are grey.

Luke sighs, as he walks out of the room he's sharing with the others, his ears finally freed from the baby's laments. He makes his way towards the room Clem was in, deciding to go check on her for a second time.

You'll never know, dear, how much I love you.

The orange shirted man pushes the door open just enough to see inside, and his eyes soften as they look at the scene playing before them.

Please, don't take my sunshine away.

"Good night, darlin'," Kenny whispers to a finally asleep Clementine, his eye watching over her peaceful slumber with the fondness only a parent could be capable of. "Sleep tight."