Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Yup, I'm really sorry about that. Just I was so busy with school and exams so when I finished them, I was exhausted and I kinda wanted some time to relax. Point is, I'm really sorry for the long wait. I'm going to try my best to get back into a regular schedule and get back into some sort of organized structure again.

In other news, I have made plans for where this story is going and possibly future installments, if anyone is interested. I'm excited for this story and how it's going to pan out! Well, let's get to it then.

So yeah, enjoy the chapter!

Lee shook his head, collecting his thoughts above the rampant wails of the dead. He had to help Chuck and Ben, he refused to leave them behind. Taking one last glance back at Kenny, Lee darted back into the chaotic street which was brimming with the dead, swerving the flailing hands swung in his direction and charging through any gaps the walkers had created. Lee could hear his name being cried out behind him, but he chose to ignore it for now. He heard the metallic impacts of Chuck's shovel in the near distance as he burst through the stumbling biters.

Chuck nearly swung the shovel at Lee, closely mistaking him for one of the dead which were now pouring into the street in their masses.

"Goddamn it, I told you we'd be fine!" Chuck roared, infuriated he had endangered his life to save his.

"You can tell me all about it later, right now, we all need to get the fuck off the street and back to the others!" Lee yelled back, spinning around to see what must have been hundreds of walkers advancing towards the three.

"I don't think we're getting through that way." Ben stammered, his eyes wildly spinning around in his head to find an escape. Lee turned, hastily studying the mostly empty avenue behind them.

"Follow me, we'll find a way around." He exclaimed, speeding into a run down the street with Ben and Chuck trailing closely behind.

The opposite streets were quite vacant of the dead, much to their relief. Lee got the opportunity to plan through their next move. He glanced at the buildings on the horizon, trying to pick out which was the mansion the rest of the group had tried to hold up in. Ben paced frantically behind him, panic clear in his expression as he vaguely murmured to himself, hands on his head. Chuck seemed rather calm, nearly nonchalant about the entire situation as he picked bone fragments of the tip of his shovel.

"This is hopeless!" Ben cried. "How are we gonna get back to them, man? We're stranded out here by ourselves! We're so totally screwed! We're so-

"-Calm down Ben!" Lee cut in, evidently stressed himself. "You need to be calm right now! We'll be fine, just give me a minute to catch my bearings." Ben seemed to take no heed of his advice, returning to his pacing up and down the cobblestone street. Chuck merely grinned at the boy's frantic nature, finding it somewhat amusing.

"Son, you need to relax. Good ol' Lee here will get us back to the others." Chuck stated to the teenager, trying to get him level headed. Ben just nodded, taking in deep breaths.

Lee hadn't gotten a great look at the mansion Kenny had directed them towards, but he remembered it was the last on the block. Picking what he suspected was the correct house, Lee signalled for the pair to come over to him. The faint gurgling and moaning of the walkers could still be heard a few buildings over, and they hadn't wandered away from the street from the sound of them.

"What have ya got for us then, Lee?" Chuck inquisitioned at the professor.

"See that mansion in the distance?" Lee pointed to the building he was referring to, a few block away from their current location. "I think that's where they're hold up. We got to try find another way in, from the sounds of it, the walkers are still at the entrance. You two good to go?" He asked, receiving a solemn nod from Chuck and a feeble sigh from Ben.

Setting out into a careful stroll, Lee kept his eyes concentrated on his surroundings. Those walkers could move back to them if they lost interest in the area. Truth was, Lee was slightly anxious about the safety of Clementine and the rest of the group. He prayed they had made it safely into the mansion, while in his own thoughts, Chuck caught up with Lee, matching his pace, which Lee presumed that he wanted to talk.

"Just so ya know, when I told y'all to go on without me and the kid, I expected ya to take my word. You shouldn'ta came back for us." Chuck muttered, glaring at Lee. "You have that little girl to look after, what were ya doing putting your life on the line trying to save mine?"

"I wasn't just going to leave you two for the walkers. What was your plan for getting back to us, Chuck? I came after you to help you." Lee replied firmly.

Chuck just shook his head, not convinced by the reasoning. "And what if you got chomped on the way?"

"I didn't."

"But if you did? Then you're dead, and you shatter that girls life. And for what? To come rescue me and the kid?" Chuck seemed dead serious in what he was saying. "You gotta learn to not play hero all the time, you'll end up dead because of it."

Lee couldn't believe what he was hearing from the old man. He had gone to the effort of helping them escape the clutches of the walkers and now he was being scalded for doing so?

"Listen, you may think that it's some sort of obligation for you to put the lives of others ahead of your own, but what I saw just there was you nearly killin' yourself over something I had under control." Chuck explained.

"Under control?! You were trying to fight off a horde with a shovel! How would you have gotten back to us if I hadn't had come back for you?" Lee scowled in return, thinking the old man was delusional.

"Point is, you're puttin' your life on the line needlessly too many times. One of these days, you ain't gonna be so lucky. Just imagine if you had been killed by them biters out there; you're leavin' behind a little girl and that woman, what's her name, Carley? Just think about what you're possibly sacrificing your life for and consider whether it's really worth it."

Lee was left speechless by his tirade, he ran what he said through his mind over and over as they walked, Chuck and Ben were in trouble, but the old man just expected Lee to leave him for the walkers? Shaking his head, Lee walked on, realizing they were close to the mansion. The groaning of the dead was still clearly audible, which meant they were still wandering around in the street. The front entrance wasn't an option right now.

"We're nearly there, let's not draw any attention to ourselves." Lee whispered, spinning around to the pair. "It's the house at the end of the block. The walkers haven't left the street yet, so we have to find another way in. Any ideas?"

"Can we not just push through them?" Ben suggested without much thought, blind to the sheer amount of them that were still currently blocking up the road.

"No way, there's too many." Lee quickly rejected the plan.

"Sure there's no back way in? Don't look like there's too many of them round back, might be a back gate or somethin'." Chuck proposed. Lee gave it some thought, and realizing that was their best bet at the moment.

"Okay, that seems like our best option right now." Lee nodded, peaking around the wall into the street once more. "I'll sneak over and give you guys the signal for when it's clear, okay?"

"You betcha."

"Ummmm yeah, okay."

Lee peered out once again, sucking in a deep breath, before ambling over to the opposite wall, seemingly without drawing any unwanted attention. Glancing back out, seeing the walkers were beginning to drain out of the street, stumbling away to look for a new prey, he waved the pair over to him. Scaling along the brick wall, they reached the back wall, finding a barred fence holding them out from the vacant garden of the mansion.

"No sign of them." Lee muttered to himself, his anxiety building up inside his chest, like a pendulum swinging above his head. He knew that the group was capable of defending themselves, but the thought of being separated terrified him. Savannah was a maze, and if they truly had lost the others, it would no doubt be a major ordeal to find them again.

"Maybe we should just check the house anyway, just to be sure?" Ben suggested in a low tone, glancing over his shoulder hesitantly.

"Alright, someone give me a boost over this fence." Lee asked. Chuck stepped up, coming down onto his knee, hands formed into a platform for the professor. Chuck hoisted him over the wall, Lee landing on his feet on the other side.

"You next, kid." Chuck stated, remaining in position so Ben could clamber over. Chuck was then quickly hoisted over the top with the help of the two on the other side. Scanning around the yard, Lee was immediately hit with a foul rotting smell, glancing down and finding an open grave in the ground, with what he presumed was a long deceased dog's resting place.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Ben spluttered, covering his mouth to avoid puking at the horrendous sight and smell.

"Who's going around diggin' up graves? That's a new low." Chuck muttered, shaking his head in disgust.

"Forget about it, let's go check out the house. They should be inside." Lee commented, making his way to the back door.

The building was completely locked up from the look of it; windows barricaded and vegetation overgrown and growing wild. Lee kept a hand on his gun as he gripped the door handle, glancing back at Ben and Chuck momentarily, who both nodded at him. Lee paused for a second, before bundling into the house, his gun at the ready.

The first thing Lee was met with was several guns being pointed in his direction.

"Oh thank god it's you guys." Carley murmured, pulling Lee in for a hug.

"It's great to see all of you guys too." He grinned, returning the embrace.

"I see you actually managed to rescue them, with the grace of a buffoon." Christa mentioned, gesturing towards Ben and Chuck.

"He shouldn'ta risked his life like that." Chuck commented, setting down his shovel against the wall.

"Jesus Christ Lee, I thought you were dead! Don't pull shit like that, you'll wind up dead!" Carley lambasted, pulling away from him. "But, I suppose you did save them both so, good work." She smirked at him. Walking through the kitchen and into the living room, he spotted the next person he was searching to find.

"Lee!" Clementine cried out, running into his open arms.

"Hey sweet pea." He smiled, squeezing her tiny frame in a tight embrace. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I think Omid is hurt though." She frowned, looking over at the injured man who had been set on the couch. Lee walked over to the Persian, deeply concerned of his wellbeing.

"How are you feeling, man?" He questioned.

"I've been better, but give me some time, and I'll be okay-

"-No you won't! You need help, you need to be treated with proper medical equipment!" Christa exclaimed.

"Where do you suppose we'd find those?" Carley asked, knowing that her wound would need some treatment as well.

"I-I don't know. We're in a city! There's bound to be a hospital or something we could search."

Lee noticed there was still someone missing. "Where's Kenny?"

"He's upstairs checking out the attic." Christa replied.

"How long has he been up there?" Lee was then met with a stony silence.

"I think around ten minutes or so, we were all checking the house to see if it was safe while you guys were gone, he offered to search the attic." Omid stated.

"Ten minutes?! Why would it take ten minutes to search an attic?" Lee inquired, once again met with silence as the group realized something may be wrong. "Listen, I'll go check if he's okay. You guys just relax." Lee remarked, making his way for the large oak stairs.

Lee climbed the ladder steadily, not trusting it's ability to support his weight. Peaking his head above the attic floor, he was almost blinded by the singular box window on the opposite wall, the strong sun rays pouring through, magnifying the dust particles as they danced through the air freely. Kenny was hunched over feebly, and Lee couldn't help but worry for the man's mental status.

"Kenny?" Lee called out to him, but he received no response in return.

Clambering up into the attic, Lee strolled over to him slowly as to not overly disturb him. "Kenny? You okay, man?" But the man remained silent, staring lifelessly at something in front of him. Lee was suddenly struck with another ungodly smell, this one making him flinch at it's sheer potency.

"Jesus. What the hell is that- Oh my god."

Lee then knew what was wrong, it was lying right in front of him. A boy, hardly older than Clementine, practically skin and bones, dragged its malnourished body to its feet. It rasped a dry groan as it turned slowly to the two men, spotting them, but it was too weak to even attempt to approach them. It's bony legs gave way and the undead child collapsed in a pile on the musty floor, extending a hand at them. It's ribcage was visible, and it's eyes were white and emotionless. The sight was one that Lee wished he would never have to see in his lifetime.

"Kinda looks like Duck, don't he." Kenny murmured, eyes glued to the boy.

"It's just a kid. What the hell happened to him?" Lee questioned, feeling nothing but pity for the child.

"Ain't nothing on him. Guess he must've been hiding out up here. Starved to death." Kenny shrugged, his voice low and lacking life.

"Jesus Christ..."

Kenny gazed up at Lee with nothing but pain in his eyes, this was like Duck all over again. When he looked at the boy, he saw his own son in him. "I don't know if I can, Lee. Couldn't do it before. Can't do it now." He muttered, voice trembling as he fought back tears.

Lee shook his head. "I can't ask you to do this, man. I'll take care of it. Like I did before." He stated, looking back down at a man who was desperately trying to keep it together.

"Are you sure?" Kenny asked, but it was practically rhetorical. He knew Lee was adamant in dealing with the issue.

"I guess we'll find out."

Lee walked over to the boy, looking over the few things he must have been able to drag up to the attic with him. A mattress, an empty plate with the food long eaten and an crinkled water bottle, devoid of any kind of liquid. The kids death must have been slow and torturous, which made Lee's stomach turn at the thought of it.

Walking over to the boy, Lee gazed down at him with his eyes brimming with sympathy. This was no way for a child to die, and it made Lee feel awful at the thought of a life cut so short. Gripping the monkey wrench in his hands, Lee glanced back towards Kenny; his eyes were full of sorrow of the mental wounds his sons death had inflicted on him. Lee looked back down at the boy, releasing a sigh.

"I'm sorry." He said, knowing it meant very little.

He swung the monkey wrench at the child, finding it difficult to do. He connected with a sickening crack against the childs forehead, and it's life was suddenly over. Standing over the corpse, Lee just drew in deep breaths, shocked at what he had just done. Dark, metallic blood oozed slowly from the impact mark, as Kenny came to stand beside Lee.

"We should bury him." He muttered, eyes still fixed on the now lifeless boy.

Lee paused momentarily, before nodding solemnly.

"I'll take care of it."

Scooping the child into his arms, Lee didn't flinch at the feel. He wanted to put the child to rest, and give it the proper burial it deserved. Lee descended down the attic stairs, leaving Kenny alone to reflect on what just happened and where he was going.

Lee placed another clump of dirt into the grave, the boy was barely visible at this point. It was a quiet day, he could no longer hear the walkers but instead a few distant birds chirping and the gentle wind blowing. Lee momentarily paused to see Clementine watching him, an unreadable look on her face. He couldn't help but just gaze at her, subconsciously promising that he would never let this happen to her. But the reality of it all was too real, it was all too possible that this could happen to her, but he had made a pact that he would do everything in his power and beyond to keep her alive and safe.

Christa came out of the mansion, glancing over at Lee as he worked, offering him a look of understanding, before following Clementine back into the mansion.

Lee continued with the task, whisking up dirt and pouring into the grave. The grave was nearly filled when he caught something at the corner of his eye.

A person.

Standing there, staring back at Lee from behind the fence. Lee couldn't make out a face or a gender, but it was definitely a living person, he was sure of it. Approaching the wall, the figure sprinted away before Lee got the chance to get a better look.

"Hey, hey!" Lee yelled, gripping the fence bars as he watched the figure turn a corner and disappear. "Who are you? What the hell do you want from us?!" Lee heard the group re-enter the yard, obviously to find out whatever or whoever he was yelling at.

"Lee, what's going on?" Christa questioned immediately.

"I saw someone standing there by the fence. Watching us." He replied, eyes still scanning the streets to make sure the person was gone.

"A walker?" Ben suggested.

"No, too fast." Lee stated, walking back to the others. "Took off like a bat out of hell when I spotted him."

"Was it a man or a woman?" Christa asked again.

"Didn't get a good enough look."

"It's got to be the guy on the radio then, trying to screw with us. I don't like this, Lee. Not one bit." Carley remarked. Just then, the door swung open, revealing a dull looking Kenny stroll out into the light.

"Kenny?"

"I'm fine. Just... I'm fine. What's all the ruckus?" He asked.

"Lee saw someone watching us from outside the gate." Ben informed him.

"What? Who?!" Kenny immediately became alert.

"I can't be sure, they ran off before I could get a good look."

"I don't like this one bit. Not one bit." Ben uttered, appearing creeped out by the whole scenario.

"Me either. Walkers are one thing, but the thought of someone out there actually stalking us.." Christa agreed.

"Alright, that's it. We've stuck around here long enough. It's time to get back on track, time to get down to the river and find ourselves a boat." Kenny firmly exclaimed.

"I don't know if Omid is well enough to move yet, in fact, I was thinking some of us go down throughout the city and scavenging some supplies, maybe some medication for Omid if we can find it." Christa put forward.

"No way, we get ourselves a boat, and then we get the hell outta here!" Kenny instantly refused the idea.

"Think about it, we have little to no food or water, no medical supplies and we're low on ammo too. We should at least look for some supplies while we're here, my wound needs some work and we could get Omid into better shape too." Carley backed up the plan, much to Kenny's disdain.

"I don't care, I'm going to the waterfront and I'm getting us a damn boat, we've been pissing around to long here!" Kenny remarked. Lee looked over the two ideas which had been put forward, knowing he had to make a choice.

[Agree with Christa's plan]

[Agree with Kenny's plan]

Sooooo, back at you guys with another choice here. Keep in mind, whatever plan you decide, the other will still go, but most likely alone. That's probably not a good idea.

Sorry once again for the wait, hope you enjoyed, have a great day!

Peace!