Chapter 1:

The clouds were high in the sky; black and puffy, blocking out any trace of the sun.

"I say we've got 'bout five days till we reach those mountains." Luke said as he led the cabin group away from the cabin; and away from Carver.

As the group walked down the trail, the trees blocking any signs of other civilisation out there in the pines, Clementine looked over her shoulder, and past Rebecca and Alvin, to see Nick arguing with his uncle.

"I don't care what you do or don't want, Nick! We have to get away from Carver and if that means walking for five days then we just have to suck it up and walk!" Pete said agitatedly.

"Whatever…" Nick mumbled. Clementine had heard him use that one word so many times already and she had only known him for two days.

Her attention was drawn away from the bickering relatives, towards Carlos and Sarah who were smiling and laughing like there wasn't a zombie apocalypse occurring right in front of them.

"You alright, Clem?" Luke asked, causing her to turn her head back around to face the brunette man beside her.

"Yeah. Are you, okay?" she asked.

Luke chuckled quietly before sighing happily. "Yeah, Clem. I'm just glad we're getting away from the hell forsaken cabin back there!" he said nodding his head to himself.

Clementine nodded with him. "I guess that is something to be glad about. If we didn't leave maybe Carver would've killed one of us!" she says, finally letting out her thoughts.

"It's alright now, though. We've probably lost him awhile back. Do you think he'd come back? Did he say he would?" Luke asked.

Clementine remembered back to earlier that day when Carver came knocking on the cabin door while the grown-ups were out clearing the walkers in the surrounding forest. Sarah had hid under the bed upstairs and Clementine managed to keep Carver away from that area of the house when he so rudely invited himself inside.

"He didn't say he'd be back but I could see it in his eyes… The way he talked about you made me kinda angry." She explained.

Luke looked down at her worriedly but quickly brushed it off. "Well, we're here, and the mountains are there…" he said putting the map down low enough for Clementine to see, and pointing to a small yellow line that lead to a picture of some blue mountains.

"It doesn't look that far away…" Clementine said, measuring from where Luke's finger pointed on the trail to the mountains a few centimetres away with her smaller fingers.

Luke laughed louder this time. "Sometimes I forget you're still just a kid, you know that?" he said patting her on the back.

She smirked up at him but still didn't understand why he thought it would take five days to reach their destination.

She shrugged it off and took his word.

Night came fast and the group stopped to rest.

Carlos checked on Rebecca and Alvin, since Rebecca was heavily pregnant and was expecting soon, while Sarah pestered Nick who sat next to a small fire pouting at the flames.

"Why don't you go hang out with Sarah, Clem?" Luke asked.

Clementine looked at the older girl quickly before turning to face Luke and Pete who were standing next to the fire, chatting amongst themselves. "Carlos doesn't want me around her…" she truthfully said, regretting telling the two men this information as they both glared at Carlos's back from where they stood.

"Then go over and annoy Nick! I give you full permission to be around him." Pete said smiling down at Clementine.

She nodded and left the two 'leaders' to talk.

"Hey, Clem!" Sarah greeted happily.

Clementine was about to answer back but Carlos turned to look at her, as did Luke and Pete, and called his daughter to approach him. Sarah left and Nick sighed in relief. Clementine sat next to him and locked eyes with Pete who just smiled before turning back to Luke.

"How'd you do that?" Nick broke the awkward silence surrounding the duo sitting next to the fire.

"Do what?" Clementine asked, turning to look up at him with a confused frown across her face.

"Get Sarah to leave as soon as you arrived? I mean, I love the kid but she can be so annoying sometimes…" Nick mumbled the last part, as if he didn't want her to hear, but she heard anyway and now got the feeling that Nick wasn't the angry, loner he appeared to be at first glance.

"Carlos doesn't trust me…" she said staring back at the fire blankly.

Nick turned to face her. He could see that she was confused by why the doctor wouldn't trust her but Nick knew why. A little girl, still maturing every second, would definitely let some things slide to Sarah, Carlos's whole world, which would change her innocent personality into one of a survivor; one of a person preparing to die a gruesome death.

He sighed loudly before putting his hands closer to the fire and glanced down at the newest member of the group. "Just give him some time, Clementine. I'm sure he'll learn to trust you eventually." He said.

She turned to look at him again with a small smirk on her face. "Do you trust me?" she asked.

He went silent and turned away from her.

"Luke trusts me. And Pete and Alvin, and probably Sarah too! I know I'm new but I trust you guys, so I don't see why you can't trust me back…" she rambled.

Nick laughed for the first time in ages before turning to face her again. "Okay, I get it! I trust you, okay! Jesus… You're almost as bad as Sarah!" he said with a huge smile on his face as he pushed her away from him.

She snorted as she fell to the side and lay on the ground laughing. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch Clementine giggle on the ground while Nick tried to look pissed but failed miserably.

Luke laughed quietly along with the girl. She had such a childish laugh that it warmed everyone's hearts.

Pete approached his nephew and the eleven year old and put out his hand for Clementine to take. "I think you've annoyed him enough for one night, don't you?" he asked as he nodded his head towards Luke. She took his hand gratefully and stood up.

She then smiled back at Nick one more time before walking to where Luke was standing.

He handed her a sleeping bag. "You better get your winks while you can, kiddo. We have a long few days ahead of us…" he said.

She seemed saddened that she had to sleep so early when no one else was getting ready to hit the hay, but she didn't want to be rude to the people who took her in when she was hurt so she lay down next to the fire and got comfy.

"You snort when you laugh…" she heard Nick whisper.

This caused her to snort again before sitting up and glaring at the man with the red cap. "How am I supposed to sleep if you're in my ear all night?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulder and smirked at the girl as she lay back down.

"Night." She said loudly.

She lay on her side waiting for someone to reply.

"Night, Clementine." Pete said.

"Sweet dreams, Clem." Luke said next.

Carlos whispered something but Clementine didn't think it was directed at her.

"Night…" Nick whispered.

She was glad with the three responses she received and closed her eyes to let the darkness consume her.

Clementine woke up early; earlier than everyone else for that matter.

Looking around, she saw Nick asleep next to Pete, Sarah wrapped in her father's arms across from Rebecca and Alvin who had fallen asleep in each other's arms also, and Luke who was laying by himself a little bit away from her.

"Should someone not be on watch?" she thought to herself. It seemed dangerous to be out here in the woods with no one keeping an eye out for walkers or bandits. She decided she would keep watch until someone else woke up.

Clementine had no gun; apparently she wasn't trusted enough yet even though half the group had admitted to her that they did in fact trust her with their lives. Her plan was to wake Luke if anything happened so he could use his weapon to take care of the problem.

Of course, in her head this plan was the best, but when it actually came to putting it into action, things changed.

Clementine was alerted by a twig or branch snapping behind her and turned to see a hooded man, kind of like the ones who separated her from Christa, right behind her

. Her breath hitched and she jumped to her feet, preparing to call Luke, but the man grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth so she couldn't wake the cabin group. "Don't make a sound or I won't hesitate to put a bullet in your head, understand?" he whispered into her ear.

She nodded her head vigorously as fear took over.

Suddenly, the stick he had stepped on earlier came into her view, right on front of them. The man was slowly moving backwards and this gave Clementine an escape plan.

Her feet were only a little above the ground so when the stick was in between her feet she picked it up and launched it towards Luke.

Bull's-eye!

The stick hit him on the back and he jolted awake, spinning around to see the bandit tighten his grip on Clementine.

"Hey!" Luke shouted, pulling out his gun and aiming at the hooded bandit. The kidnapper had no time to react as a bullet pierced his skull. He dropped Clementine and she stumbled forward away from his corpse.

Everyone was waking up now, as the gunshot awoken them.

Luke kneeled down to Clementine level to check she was okay. "Did he hurt you?" he asked genuine worry in his features.

"No, I'm okay." She said smiling at him thankfully.

Sadly, the gunshot didn't only alert the rest of the cabin group, but all the walkers surrounding the area too. The undead were flowing out from the treeline and cutting off the group from each other.

Clementine looked up at Luke and he looked down at her.

Nick turned around when he heard a grunt and saw walkers munching on Pete's shoulder.

"Uncle Pete!" he screamed punching the zombie off his uncle.

It was too late.

Pete was gone.

"We've got to get out of here!" Alvin shouted, grabbing his wife's hand and turning to the closest person to them; Carlos.

The doctor was looking around anxiously. "Sarah!" he called as he took a step forward, only to be pulled back by Alvin.

"We'll come back when the walkers subside!" Rebecca said quietly as the undead started making their way towards the three survivors.

Carlos didn't know where his daughter had gone but he knew she was close to Nick and Luke and would be fine as long as one of them stayed with her. He turned on his heels and ran after Alvin and Rebecca who had ventured further along the trail, keeping the plan they had made the day before in action.

Luke was slaying the undead beings with his machete as Clementine tried to stick close. He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, causing Clementine to walk into him and stumble back into a walker.

He turned around and stabbed the monster in the head with the tip of his machete before taking a hold of the girl's purple, flowery backpack.

"I think I saw Sarah…" he whispered as the duo slowly walked through the crowd of zombies.

Clementine looked around but didn't see any living person anywhere. "Where?" she asked.

That's when she saw her.

The teen with the red rimmed glasses was slowly, and fearfully, pushing her way through the walkers.

Luke opened his mouth to get her attention but didn't when something surprising happened.

Nick had heard Sarah gasp close by and made his way towards her. He pushed through two walkers and saw her standing there in fear. He walked forward and put his arm around her shoulder as he held her shoulder tightly. "Just stay calm…" he whispered as Sarah smiled up at him gratefully.

Nick saw an opening into the trees and decided that was the best option. He led the girl into the pines, away from the hoard and away from the trail.

When Luke saw his best friend take Sarah away from the scene, he turned his attention back to the girl officially now in his care. "Do you see a way out?" he asked Clementine quietly, as he pushed her back and let a walker stumble by, unaware of their presence; probably because of all the walker blood stuck to his clothes from the slashing and killing he had done recently.

Clementine looked around; not seeing anywhere to go until a slightly obese walker moved to the left and an opening came into view. "There!" she said pulling Luke's attention to her discovery.

"Good! Come on." He said pushing her towards it.

As soon as they made it out of the herd, they ran down the trail.

"I think we're going the wrong way…" Luke muttered, as he turned the map he had in his pocked the other way.

"But if we go back, we'll be stuck with the walkers again!" Clementine stated.

"Maybe this is the right way? I guess we'll find out…" he said stuffing the map back in his back pocket and patting Clementine on the back.

The group had been separated.

Pete had died during he first few moments of the incident.

Carlos, Rebecca and Alvin had stuck to the plan of heading north along the trail.

Nick, heartbroken by his uncle's death, and Sarah, scared since her father wasn't with her, were at the mercy of the pines now as they had abandoned track and gone completely off course.

Luke and Clementine didn't know which way they were travelling but the familiar scenery led them to the conclusion that they are headed back the way they came.

Each cabin group member hoped everyone had made it and that they would all eventually make it to their original destination, but of course, with the world being the way it was now, there really was little chance that any of them would ever encounter each other again.

Chapter 2:

"Do you think everyone made it out?" Clementine asked after a long silence that followed her and Luke on their hike.

Luke had seen Pete get bitten before he was blocked from their vision but hadn't had the courage to tell the eleven year old. He knew she had grown on the old man, as he had to her, and didn't want to break her heart. Sadly, he knew he'd have to tell her sooner or later and it would be better to just get it over with.

"Clem…?" he started.

She turned to look him in the eyes and smiled. "Yeah?" she asked.

"You need to know… You… I…" he stopped talking and bowed his head, sighing as his eyes wandered to the ground.

"Is something wrong, Luke? You're not bit are you?!" she asked suddenly, as she stopped dead still and looked him up and down with wide eyes.

"No! It's Pete, Clem… I don't think he made it out…" he broke the news to the girl.

Clementine's eyes softened but her features became sad and guilty. She nodded her head slightly and started walking again.

Luke knew she would need some time to grieve so he stayed quiet and they continued on their trek down the trail.

After another while of trudging along, a silhouette of a building came into view. They had made it back to the cabin faster than the journey away since Rebecca wasn't there to hold them back.

"There's the cabin!" Clementine piped up, finally speaking after the long, quiet walk.

"I see it!" Luke said walking faster.

As the duo walked up the steps to the front door, Luke turned around as he sensed they were being watched. He looked to the left and then to the right but didn't see anything that shouldn't have been there.

He didn't want to take a chance so he put his hand on Clementine's shoulder and stopped her from walking into the house."I'm going to check around the cabin just in case someone else has moved in. You go check for any supplies we left behind and I'll meet you back out here when you're done, okay?" he explained.

"Okay. Be careful." She said nodding at the man.

"I should be telling you that!" he chuckled as Clementine opened the door. He shook his head and sighed after the small, happy moment and walked around the house to check for any intruders.

As Clementine walked into the living room, she could swear she heard footsteps in the hall behind her.

She turned around; expecting Luke to be standing there, but no one was there. She shrugged it off and looked around the living room for supplies.

She checked on the coffee table, beside the chess board, and around the couches but didn't find anything. Satisfied that she had checked that room enough, she started making her way up the stairs.

Luke had made his way around the perimeter of the cabin and was certain no one was there.

He was about to make his way back up the steps to the front door when a gravelly cough reached his ears. Luke turned around and his heart stopped breathing as he came face to face with the devil himself; Carver.

"Where's Rebecca?" the older man asked.

Luke stood his ground and glared into his old leaders eyes. "She's not here." He said, slowly reaching his hand for a gun.

Carver noticed his sly movement and pulled his gun out, aiming it right between Luke's eyes. "Don't." he warned.

Luke raised his hands in surrender.

"I'm not gonna ask again, Luke. Where's Rebecca!?" Carver shouted, as a vain stood out out on his forehead.

"I don't know…" Luke said stepping backwards.

Carver took a threatening step forward. "Don't bullshit me, Luke!" he hissed. "Where is she!?" he asked again, clenching his teeth impatiently.

"I. Don't. Know." Luke spat.

Carver raised his gun and hit Luke across the side of the head with it, sending the cabin member to the ground unconscious. Carver smirked down at his handy work before kicking Luke away from the steps and making his way into the house.

"Big mistake, Luke. The girl can pay for your behaviour. Maybe then you'll talk…" he muttered under his breath as he made his way to the stairs; the stairs he had seen Clementine make her way up only moments before.

He took a case of Gasoline from beside the stairs, where he had left it before the two survivors showed up, and poured its contents out around the living room, kitchen and hall.

When he was finished smearing the floor in the slippery liquid, he pulled a pack of matches out of his pocket.

As he stepped out the front door, he threw a lit match over his shoulder. The match made contact with the floor inside the door and flames rose up quickly and viciously.

He walked down the steps and past Luke's unconscious body, to stand at the treeline and watch his display from the best seat in the house.

Clementine was upstairs in what she thought used to be Pete or Nick's room. She had just finished searching through some drawers, finding a watch and stuffing it into her pocket, and was about to check under the bed when she smelt smoke.

She was confused as she twisted the handle on the door and walked out into the upstairs hall. She saw flames travelling up the wooden stairs of the wooden cabin and smoke clouding her vision.

She gasped, inhaling some of the ghostly fumes, and ran back into the room before slamming the door behind her.

She panicked as she ran to the window and pulled it open.

Her eyes instantly locked with the eyes of a mad man, who waved at her from where he was standing at the treeline.

The next thing she noticed was Luke sprawled out on the ground just under the window. "Luke!" she called, as smoke entered the room from under the door.

Luke had just started to gain consciousness again.

He thought he heard someone call his name but the ringing in his ears blocked out the voice.

His vision had blurred but slowly came back into focus as he sat up and looked around. He saw Carvers back disappearing into the trees but didn't care. The smoked above him bothered him more.

"Luke!" Clementine called again as she hung her legs out the window.

Luke looked up and gasped in shock as he stood back to get a better look at her. "Clementine!?" he shouted, looking around for a way to get to her but the flames had already taken over most of the cabin, blocking any entrance or exit from the ground.

The fear on Clementine's face was all too real as she glanced down at Luke.

He couldn't lose her.

Not like this.

"You've gotta jump!" he shouted up to her.

"What?! Are you crazy?" she shouted down, looking back into the room that was half engulfed in flames.

"Now, Clementine!" he demanded.

She turned back around to see Luke standing directly under her with his arms outstretched, ready to catch her.

Clementine remembered when she was first found by Luke and Pete. Luke dropped her when he though she was bitten. Something inside her was telling her not to jump but the fire behind her caused her to ignore the strange feeling she had.

She held her breath and released her grip on the window panel.

Luke braced himself as he watched the girl slide out the window. He had stood in the correct place, as she was falling straight towards him.

Just before she landed in his arms, he became dizzy and light headed and the speed Clementine was falling caught him off guard. Her weight pulled him forward and he slipped.

Clementine landed on her feet, taking the full force of the fall, before the rest of her body hit the ground too.

A paralyzing, ear shattering scream echoed through the area.

Luke quickly stood up but almost fell back down again at the sight on front of him.

Clementine was lying on her stomach crying in agonizing pain as her left leg was mangled and mutilated. Luke could see the bone protruding through her skin where her knee should've been.

They were too close to the flaming cabin so Luke did the only thing he could do. He grabbed Clementine's arms and dragged her away from the disaster.

Her screams broke his heart as he pulled her to safety.

Clementine was trembling as Luke kneeled beside her in an attempt to calm her down. "Shhh… Clem, you're gonna attract walkers!" he whispered loudly.

She didn't care. She would much rather die than feel the pain shoot through her leg any longer.

Luke was on the verge of panicking but quickly pulled himself back together. "I've gotta make a tourniquet." He said as he looked around the ground for some sticks.

Carlos had taught him some things about fixing broken bones and other basic doctor skills. At the moment, Luke didn't want to be learning the skills as he didn't see why he would ever need to use them. Now, Luke was glad Carlos had taken it upon himself to teach him and Nick some of the things he knew.

Luke found two thick, long branches that he snapped down into four smaller sticks so they were the perfect size to use in mending Clementine's leg.

He ripped his shirt sleeves off and laid them on the ground ready to use when he moved the bone back into place.

Her pants were already ripped so the left pant leg was easily pulled off from the thigh down.

Luke moved his attention to the girl's purple, bloody leg. He knew she was already in enough pain as it was, but he had to pop the bone back in before he could continue.

"I'm sorry, Clementine…" he whispered as he quickly grabbed her left shin with one hand and her left thigh with the other, before pulling her leg down so he could push her knee back into place.

He blocked out her stomach churning screams as his hands slipped slightly from all the blood smeared on her leg.

His work paid off as her knee finally looked normal again, as did the rest of her leg, so he released his grip.

Clementine squirmed on the ground as she sobbed and screamed from the pain she was in. Luke wanted to stop but he still had to make the tourniquet to keep her leg straight until it healed.

Without saying a word, he lined two sticks on each side of her knee and wrapped them tightly with one of his shirt sleeves. He gently rolled her onto her side, even though she tried to grab his arm a few times to stop him, and put the other two sticks at the front and back of her leg before tying the other sleeve around them.

Finally finished the 'surgery' he wiped his hands in his pants and took Clementine's face in his hands.

"Clementine!" he said trying to get her to stop hyperventilating.

"It's done, Clem! You're alright!" he explained over her exhausted screeches.

As their eyes locked; her tears making her amber eyes seem more orange than they actually were; she let out a shaky breath.

"Carver…" she whimpered.

"It's okay, Clem. He doesn't matter right now. You're my top priority at the moment." He said smiling down at her.

She raised a trembling hand up to the side of his head and touched a wound Carver had left.

"You're bleeding..." she mumbled as her eyes grew heavy.

Clementine had lost a lot of blood and they both knew it.

She slowly drifted unconscious and Luke took this as a chance to get her up and moving.

He took a moment to think of how he was going to do it. He tried to pick her up bridal style but he couldn't do it without messing with her injured leg so abandoned that method.

The only way he could carry her was by letting her sit in his hands and resting her head on his shoulder while her leg hung on front of him; this way he could keep an eye on her crippled limb and also make sure she was comfortable.

After successfully getting the girl in his grip, he started on his way back down the trail, towards their original destination.

Chapter 3:

Nick and Sarah had stumbled through the trees for a while until they were certain the walkers weren't going to be a problem anymore.

"We… We need to go back! We need to find my dad!" Sarah said grasping Nicks arm tightly.

He was heartbroken. His uncle Pete had just been devoured in front of his eyes and he couldn't do anything to help. His knuckle still hurt from punching the walker that had sunk its teeth into Pete's shoulder away, but it was a pointless act of anger that didn't do anything to change the fact that Pete was gone. He had been bit. There was no way out of that mess.

Sighing, Nick turned to face the raven haired teen clinging to his shirt sleeve. "We can go around, Sarah. If we go back we'll just be attacked by those walkers again!" he explained, trying to be the grown up he was expected to be.

Sarah looked up at him through her red-rimmed glasses and nodded understandingly. "Yeah… That's probably smart." She said.

Nick couldn't believe his luck. He was alone with just this annoying girl who seemed to love pestering him whenever she could while everyone else was probably somewhere warm and safe up north.

At least he wasn't alone.

They continued to swerve in between trees until they came across an old shed. Sarah sighed in relief as she let go of her grip on Nick and stepped forward towards the double doors.

"Wait!" Nick shouted, causing her to jump slightly. She turned to look at him confused.

"There might be something in there…" he said pulling his gun out.

Sarah gasped and ran behind the older male.

Nick pulled open the doors and aimed his gun into the dull, dark room. "Nothing…" he mumbled putting his gun back in his pants. He closed the doors and stood back to face Sarah, who raised a surprised eyebrow.

"Are you not gonna check inside for supplies or something?" she asked.

"Yeah, go in and then get trapped inside by a bunch of walkers who hear us going through all the crap in there." He said sarcastically.

Sarah frowned at the ground, feeling like an idiot.

Nick just looked at her.

She was actually right; he should have checked inside for supplies but he was too scared of being trapped with no way out. Now the teen felt like an idiot when it should have been him.

"Come on. We better keep going…" Nick said.

As they walked past the shed, back into the trees, Sarah spoke up. "I…I'm sorry about Pete…" she said.

Nick flinched at her words and was about to shout at her for bringing his uncle into the conversation but held it back. He needed to control his attitude so he could keep Sarah safe until they met back up with Carlos, Luke and the others.

"It's not your fault…" he said.

Sarah looked up at him and smiled. "I know he was your family but we can be family now instead!" she explained.

Nick couldn't help but smile back at her. "Okay, Sarah. I'd like that." He said.

Their moment was cut off by a startling scream echoing through the trees.

"Was that Clementine?!" Sarah shrieked as she connected herself with Nick's shirt again.

Nick looked around; searching for the girl he had been separated from. "Clementine?!" he called as he dragged Sarah back through the trees.

They came back to the shed, which was now surrounded by walkers.

"Shit!" Nick cursed his luck as he pushed through the undead beings with Sarah close behind. He had made it through the walkers easily but when he turned to take a hold of Sarah, she was gone.

He looked through the walkers to see her being surrounded from where she was backed up against the wall of the shed.

He thought about going back for her, he even pulled out his gun so he would have a chance but his legs did the opposite of what his mind wanted. He ran away from the girl and the monsters; abandoning the last of his family.

Sarah saw Nick run into the trees away from her and was overcome by a new feeling. Her heart burned as her legs ran in the direction that Nick had just gone in. She let out a battle cry as she pushed past the walkers, knocking most of them over as she made it to a clearing and followed Nick.

She was determined to find him and cling to his arm again. She wanted to ask him why he had left her.

She ran and ran until she couldn't run anymore. Instead of running in zig-zag lines like she had done with Nick, she ran in as straight a line she could. After a few more minutes of labored movement, she heard Clementine scream again.

Sarah's heart ached as all the thoughts of what could be happening to her 'best friend' raced through her mind.

She sniffled as she looked around for any trace of Nick.

Sadly she didn't find any and started walking again.

She didn't have to travel far before walking out onto the trail. She looked right to see nothing but an empty path surrounded by trees. When she looked to the left however, she saw a small herd of walkers; one which stood out to her more than the others.

Among the five or six zombie stumbling towards her, was an old, green coated man that she thought she would never see again.

Pete's zombified corpse seemed to be leading the other walkers towards her.

Sarah couldn't bring herself to move. She couldn't bring herself to fight. She stood, frozen in spot, as 'Pete' knocked her to the ground and leaned in to take a chunk out of her neck.

Before his teeth made contact with her flesh, some sort of blade pierced his skull.

Sarah couldn't see what was going on around her as tears were blurring her vision but she could hear the groaning die down.

A lady laughed victoriously as Sarah dried her eyes and looked around to see a hooded person had slain all the monsters.

"I can always count on you, Hilda!" the woman said sticking her blade, that now looked more like an ice pick or something, back in a special holster on her hip.

The hooded woman approached Sarah and stuck out her hand. "You okay, kid?" she asked as she helped Sarah stand.

Sarah nodded her head and locked eyes with the blue eyes woman. "My names Sarah and… and I'm not a kid!" Sarah said, trying to be strong since she knew her dad wasn't around to do it for her.

The teen's savior pulled down her hood to let her short blonde hair sway slightly in the breeze.

"Wh…who are you?" Sarah asked.

The lady smirked and brushed some dirt off her old red hoodie.

"I'm Molly." she said.

Sarah smiled at this new person, before bowing her head to look at her feet.

"Are… Are you out here alone?" Molly asked awkwardly.

"Yeah…I was with my group but we got separated. We were headed north but I dunno which way that is…" Sarah explained sadly.

Molly put her hand on the girls back and smiled warmly down at her. "Lucky for you, Sarah, I'm headed north too! Do you… wanna tag along?" the woman asked.

Sarah beamed up at the lady. "Can I?! Please…?" Sarah asked.

Molly nodded her head and motioned for Sarah to move ahead.

The girl did just that, and started on her journey North with a new friend to find her Dad.

Nick ran through the trees.

He heard Sarah cry, in what he could only believe to be pain and stopped for a second to quickly mourn over the loss. She must have died as soon as one bit her. The thought that she could've survived was almost impossible to him.

He was pulled back to reality by another scream filling the air. He knew it was Clementine and was curious as to what was happening to her that was causing her so much pain.

He ran again until he heard muffled talking.

"Bryan, you know we can't do that…" a woman said quietly.

"You heard it too right, Gareth?" a man said worriedly.

"How did you not hear it, Gloria?!" a different man; Gareth, said in an English accent.

"Just stop arguing. You know Bill's not gonna like this…" another woman said.

"What if it's Bill causing that girl so much pain?!" a third man said.

Nick saw five people up ahead through the trees and slowly made his way towards them, trying to be as sneaky as possible.

There was a slightly overweight man, probably in his mid-thirty's, with a bald head standing next to a strawberry-blonde haired young woman at the back of the small group. A different man in a warm, brown jacket and grey hat turned to face the two people behind him.

"So what if it is, Edward?" the man said, his English accent filling the space between him and the bald man.

"Leave him alone, Gareth." The young woman said, putting an arm out to divide the capped man and the obese man.

"Of course you have to stand up for your 'boyfriend', Wilma!" Gareth spat at her.

"Just stop!" a tanned man demanded, stepping forward to defuse the argument.

"Just listen to Bryan, and calm down." A black woman in a faded orange ski jacket, that reminded Nick a little of Luke, said as she put her hand on the calm man, Bryan's, shoulder.

Gareth stepped away from Edward and turned to face Bryan and the other woman. "How didn't you hear it, Gloria?" he asked again, calmly this time.

The woman, Gloria, sighed. "I guess I'm just getting a little tired is all…" she said.

"We can't do anything to help whoever was screaming so can we just find the trail and continue back to Howe's?" Bryan asked.

Nick gasped as the name of his old prison came into the group's conversation. He stepped back and a twig snapped under his foot.

All five people turned to look at him. He stood still, frozen in fear.

"Hey! Who are you?" the tanned man asked approaching Nick confidently.

"I… I'm Nick." Nick said standing up straighter.

The man looked him up and down and smiled contently before locking eyes with Nick. "I'm Bryan." He said putting his hand out for Nick to shake. The red capped, young man did just that.

"This is Gloria, Wilma, Gareth and Edward." Bryan said pointing to each other person as he spoke their names.

"I'll just get going if you don't mind…" Nick said trying to make and exit.

He was stopped by Gareth. "What's the rush, mate?" he asked suspiciously.

"I've gotta go… find my girl!" he said.

Edward frowned and shared a worried glance with Wilma. "I think we heard her screaming…" Gloria stated.

Nick though he could use this against them to get away. "Y...yeah, I heard her too. C…can you tell me which way, so I can go get her?" he asked pushing Gareth away.

"She's probably gone." Gareth said blankly.

Gloria punched his arm and glared at him angrily. "How about you come with us back to Howe's? It's this big settlement not too far from here!" Bryan asked.

Nick gulped. "I…I can't! I've gotta go, just move out of the way?!" Nick said as he tried going past them again.

"Wait a minute…" Gareth said narrowing his eyes and looking Nick up and down like Bryan had done only moments before. "Red cap… Blue shirt… This is one of those lad's Bill told us to look out for!" he stated, turning to face his friends with an evil smirk across his face.

Nick took this as his queue to leave. He ran as fast as he could, he could hear the people shouting and leaves crunching behind him.

He suddenly burst out onto the trail, crashing into someone else and falling to the ground, cringing as a small whimper reached his ears.

"What the fuck?!" a familiar voice hissed.

"Luke!" Nick gasped looking up to see his friend from twenty years gawking down at him surprised, which quickly turned to anger.

"Nick?! Watch the hell where you're going next time!" Luke said fixing Clementine in his arms.

Nick looked down at the girl and his eyes widened in shock.

Her skin was a deathly grey/blue color; completely different than the tanned skin she normally had. His eyes wandered to her leg in some kind of hand-made cast or something… A tourniquet! An item Carlos had taught him and Luke to make if someone broke a bone!

"What happened?" he asked, catching a quick painful glance from Clementine before she squeezed her eyes shut and released a shaky breath.

"Carver…" Luke mumbled, taking one hand out from under Clementine's legs to help Nick stand. Blood dripped from Clementine's leg and fell to the ground on front of Luke. His hands were also a faded tint of red, from tying the tourniquet to the girls leg as far as Nick could tell.

"What did he do?" Nick asked, taking Luke's hand and pulling himself off the ground.

"Burned the cabin to the ground with Clem in it! She had to jump and… and I didn't catch her…" Luke explained closing his eyes shamefully at the memory.

The trio started moving again.

Nick looked at the side of Luke's head to see a large gash. "Did Carver do that?" he asked.

Luke nodded. "It's because of that hit in the head, that I dropped Clem…" he explained.

Nick nodded as he turned his attention back to the trail.

At least he had lost that group that worked for Carver…

"Where's Sarah?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend. Clementine opened her eyes and looked at Nick questionably from where she sat in Luke's arms with her head resting against his right shoulder, facing the black haired man.

"She… I lost her back in there somewhere…" he said, not wanting to reveal the truth about him abandoning the girl.

Clementine closed her eyes again as a few silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

Luke seemed unfazed by the news.

Nick didn't know what the two group members he'd been re united with had been through over the last twenty four hours, but he knew they were both different somehow.

Clementine was so weak and quiet, almost as if she was dying… (although they weren't going to let that happen as long as they were still breathing.)

Luke was emotionless as they walked on, but Nick saw something in his eyes.

Hatred?

Revenge?

Luke was getting back at Carver for what he had just put them through earlier that day.

Nick knew it.

He knew things just got a whole lot more serious.

Chapter 4:

"Do you see him?" Alvin asked quietly, as him, Rebecca and Carlos stood on a large red bridge leading towards a ski lodge. They had just slain a few stray walkers without any major problems.

"Yeah…" Rebecca whispered, watching a man in a grey hoodie (with the hood up) approach them with a gun.

"Who are you?" he called.

"We… We're a little lost." Carlos shouted back.

The man stood still for a minute before stepping closer to the trio. "You don't look like assholes. Are you assholes?" he asked.

"We're just people." Carlos said. "And one of us is pregnant!" Alvin added.

The man came up to Carlos and smiled. "Sorry, I didn't know one of you were pregnant. I'd never aim a weapon at pregnant person." he apologised.

Rebecca smiled. "It's okay." She said.

"Well, I'm Matthew, and I'm hold up in that ski lodge at the top of the hill with three others; Sarita, an Indian lady who's very kind, Kenny, who can be a little hostile every now and then, and Walter, my boyfriend!" Matthew explained.

"Your gay?" Alvin asked.

Rebecca turned to glare at him. "Alvin!" she hissed.

Matthew just laughed. "It's okay. Yeah, I'm gay." He said.

Carlos looked behind him, hoping Sarah would be there, but she wasn't. He sighed and turned back to face the hooded man.

"Follow me and I'll lead you to my humble home." Matthew said, turning around and walking ahead of the three cabin group members.

Half way up the hill, Matthew turned to Carlos. "You come from back that way?" he asked, looking behind him, in the direction that Carlos had been traveling.

"Yes. Why?" the doctor asked.

"Did you start that fire? Or was it someone else?" Matthew asked.

Carlos' eyes widened. "What fire?" he asked.

"Earlier today I saw smoke rising high above the trees from w-a-a-a-ay back there!" Matthew explained, pointing far behind them both.

"Sarah…" Carlos mumbled sadly.

"What was that?" Matthew asked, looking away from Rebecca and Alvin on front of him to face the Spanish man again.

"It's…It's nothing…" Carlos said.

Matthew just nodded before turning his attention back to reaching the top of the hill.

"Damn… This place is huge!" Alvin said, helping Rebecca onto the deck.

"This will be a great place to have the baby. Right, Carlos?" Rebecca asked.

Carlos just nodded, he was still thinking about the danger his daughter could be in.

"Come on in and I'll introduce you to the others." Matthew said leading the new comers inside.

"Hey, Matt. Who are these?" A broad man with a godly beard asked as he descended the small flight of stairs inside the main doors.

"This is Carlos, Alvin and Rebecca." Matthew said.

The man had a rifle in hand but sat it on a bench nearby. "Howdy. I'm Kenny." The man said putting out his hand for Alvin to shake.

"Hey. I'm Alvin and my wife is Rebecca." Alvin said, shaking Kenny's hand firmly.

"So that means you're… Carlos?" Kenny said turning to face the Spanish man.

"Yes. I'm a doctor, so I can help out if there are any injuries." Carlos said.

Kenny nodded and smiled. "Nice to meet you…" the bearded man said.

"Walt said dinner will be ready soon. I'll go tell him to put on some extra beans." Kenny said, leaving for the kitchen.

Matthew led the three cabin members to a living room that had a huge Christmas tree and fireplace. An Indian lady approached them happily. "Hello. I'm Sarita. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said.

"It's nice to meet you too." Rebecca said, sharing a small smile with the woman.

"I can show you to your rooms if you like?" Sarita said gesturing to some stairs behind the Christmas tree.

"Yeah, it's getting late. Bec need to rest." Alvin said, standing up off the couch and taking his wife's hand. The duo followed Sarita away from the living room to get some rest.

Matthew sat next to Carlos. "So… Who's Sarah?" he asked awkwardly.

Carlos sighed but turned to look the young man in the eyes. "My daughter. We got separated a while back and she has anxiety problems… I don't know if she's with Luke or Nick but…" Carlos trailed off as his eyes widened. "Shit…" he whispered.

"What?" Matthew asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

"There was another child. I forgot about her. I hope she's okay…" Carlos said.

He knew his daughter would be scared if she was alone and she was fifteen. If Clementine was alone, she would probably 'cease to function' as Carlos had told her would happen to Sarah if she knew how bad the world was.

Matthew put his hand on the doctor's shoulder. "Don't worry about them, man. I'm sure they are all together; probably making their way here right now!" he said, smiling at Carlos.

Carlos had never been so open to a stranger before but he knew Matthew was trust worthy.

"And you daughter's anxiety… You wouldn't have been able to protect her forever. Its better she learns to cope with it now than later." Matthew added, standing up to go check on Walter.

Carlos's dace darkened.

He trusted this boy he had only known for a few hours, but he wouldn't trust the eleven year old that the rest of the group took under their wing. What Matthew had just said to Carlos was almost exactly what Clementine had said to him only three days before.

He told her off and accused her of not understanding, but it was obvious she did understand, and now it made complete sense to him.

He really owes the child an apology; if he ever sees her again…

Sarah and Molly had been traveling for two days.

They had grown quite close and had saved each other multiple times in the short amount of time they had known. "So remember, Sarah, hit the knees and when the walkers go down, stick the knife through their head." Molly explained.

Sarah nodded. "It's kinda hard…" she said.

Molly sighed. "I know, but you have to learn to protect yourself. You'll get used to it eventually." The woman said.

"I hope my dad's okay…" Sarah muttered.

Molly had heard quite a bit about Sarah's group but only got one name. Nick. "Is Nick your dad?" Molly asked.

"No. He's my friend; almost like a brother! We are practically family but he left me to be cornered by those walkers… I forgive him and I just want to see him again. I want to ask him why he did it!" the teen explained, pushing her glasses up her nose and fixing her bag on her back.

Molly had given Sarah half her supplies so if they got separated, they would both have food, water and medical supplies.

"So who's your dad?" Molly asked.

"His name's Carlos. He's a doctor." Sarah said.

Molly nodded and smiled down at the girl. "Doctors are cool! I met one a few years back that helped fix up this guy after he fell from a train or something." Molly said, a small smirk appeared on her face.

"Was the guy part of your group?" Sarah asked.

"I've never been part of a group. He was from a different group that I helped save from some walkers and they helped me back. There was this town… Crawford. It was a terrible place. We broke in and got trapped in a school and I choose to leave them there, so I could continue traveling. It pained me to say goodbye but it had to be done. That was two years ago and I've been alone since. Well until now, obviously." Molly explained, nudging Sarah playfully.

"In my group, there was me, my dad, Nick, Luke; he's a farm boy like Nick, Alvin and Rebecca; who are married and Rebecca's pregnant, and Pete; Nicks uncle. We escaped from this bad guy, Carver, and found a cabin in the woods were we stayed. Carver found us so we had to leave but as we were following the trail, we got attacked by walkers and Pete died… I lost everyone. I was alone in the herd but then Nick came up behind me and led me to safety. We found a shed but I got left behind when Nick ran away from the walkers without me. I tried to follow him but…" Sarah trailed off lowering her head.

Molly patted her back. "I don't remember everyone from the group I helped but there are a few I can tell you about…" Molly said, earning a curious glance from Sarah.

"There was this kid, Ben, who seemed to always be screwing up and this angry old guy, Kenny, who hated Ben because the kid got his family killed. At least that's what Christa told me… Christa was this bossy lady but she was also kind and loving towards her boyfriend, Omid; Omid was the guy who fell off the train. I didn't really like them that much but there was this other man, who was pretty cool… His name was Lee."

Sarah's eyes widened at Lee's name. Clementine had mentioned that name to her a few times. Could this have been the same guy?

"He did everything he could to keep the group safe. And this little girl, so sweet and innocent but also cheeky and brave; her name was…"

"...Clementine." Sarah finished Molly's sentences.

Molly's eyes widened. "How'd you know that?" she asked turning to face the teenager.

"She… She's also part of my group!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Well, holy shit…" Molly muttered smiling and nodding her head to herself.

Sarah was grinning from ear to ear. "Wait till Clem hears that you're…" Sarah stopped talking as she realised the reality of the situation. "She's probably dead…" Sarah whispered, holding her tears in.

"Why? What happened?" Molly asked.

"I heard her scream just before I met with you. It didn't sound good…" Sarah explained.

Molly just nodded again as they continued to walk. "Hey, do you see that up ahead?!" the woman suddenly exclaimed.

Sarah squinted and saw the outline of what looked like a bridge. "Is that a bridge?!" she asked.

Molly cheered and ran up ahead, with Sarah following close behind.

"I can't believe we actually made it out of the woods…" Molly said in awe as the duo started making their way across the bridge.

A few dead walkers were sprawled here and there across the red, rickety bridge. "These look fresh!" Molly stated, bending down and taking items from the corpses pockets.

"Maybe my dad was here!" Sarah exclaimed looking around for any sign of her father.

Molly looked around too. "Look up there." She said pointing up to a building on a hill.

"Should we head up?" Sarah asked.

"I think so!" Molly said motioning for Sarah to follow her.

They climbed the hill with ease as they both stopped at the bottom to eat something for an energy boost before attempting the hike.

Sarah led the way as she approached two double, glass doors. She pushed them open and looked around the interior of the building. It looked like a ski lodge and had a huge Christmas tree to the right.

Sarah felt Molly's hand on her shoulder as she smiled back at the woman who brought her there.

"Sarah?!" a familiar voice cause her head to spin around and look up the small flight of stairs on front of her.

"Dad!" She exclaimed running into her father's arms.

Chapter 5:

Luke was having trouble keeping Clementine's leg from touching anything. Every time it touched off something, she flinched or whimpered or shouted.

"I'm sorry…" Luke told her every time.

Nick offered to take her from Luke but the orange shirted (sleeveless) man wouldn't hand her over. She seemed to just want to sleep but Luke kept her awake.

"It's getting dark, Luke. Maybe we should just rest." Nick said.

Luke thought about it for a minute but shook his head. "We rested last night and you saw how much blood she lost by morning! The sooner we get wherever the others are, the sooner Carlos can fix it!" he explained.

Clementine hadn't spoken in a while so Luke tried to get her to communicate. "Did you see the squirrel back there, Clem?" he asked. She ignored him and just continued to stare down at her leg from where her head was still resting against his shoulder.

"Hey, Clem. I bet you'll never guess what?" Luke said.

"What?" she finally spoke; her voice was hoarse and weak but she said something at least.

"Nick and I used to sing... All the time!" he said, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"Really?" she asked looking up at the man carrying her.

"Yep. I mean, I never said we were good..." Luke answered.

Nick chuckled from where he was standing. "We sucked." He said.

A small smirk appeared on Clementine's face but quickly went away as her leg hit against Luke again. "Ouch…" she moaned, wiggling around in Luke's arms.

"Sorry…" he apologised again.

Things went quiet except for the sound of leaves crunching under the two men's shoes. A few coughs from Clementine every now and then also echoed through the air. her leg hadn't stopped bleeding in the two days the trio had been traveling.

"Am I dying?" was Clementine's next question, that caught both young men off guard.

"What?! Why would you think that?!" Nick asked, shocked by what he just heard.

"Is… Is it infected?" she asked, her voice cracking at the end.

Luke looked at Nick and Nick returned the glance. Neither of them had thought about that. Maybe it was…

"Do you want us to check?" Luke asked.

She shook her head. "I just… just wanna know." She said quietly.

Nick stopped Luke from walking and watched as more blood oozed from her leg and dripped to the ground. "We have to stop the bleeding." he said pulling his bag off his back.

There were a few shirts and food in his bag. He pulled out an old white t-shirt and handed it to Luke before putting the bag back on his back. "This might hurt a little…" he warned.

Clementine was too weak to complain or try and escape so she just closed her eyes and held her breath.

Nick took the shirt back off Luke and quickly tied it around the sticks and blood soaked (once orange) fabric. Clementine flinched and chocked back sobs as the pain worsened while Nick tied his shirt tightly around her leg. As soon as the garment touched her skin, it was covered in her blood.

"That should keep it in for a while at least…" Nick said standing away from her and Luke.

Clementine slowly went unconscious while Nick was working on her.

Luke turned to Nick with a new emotion in his eyes.

Fear.

"What if it infected, man?" he asked.

"I…I dunno!" Nick responded, panic rising up inside him.

"Okay! Okay… Just stay calm…" Luke muttered to himself.

"We have to get somewhere safe. Soon!" Nick stated.

"She's so cold…" Luke said, pulling her hand up and sitting it between his and her stomachs. He didn't get a good look at her face since all he could see was the top of her cap.

Nick looked down at Clementine and sighed. "Well she's asleep now…" he said.

Luke's eyes widened as he shook her gently, whacking her leg against his leg. Her eyes opened and she looked up at him painfully. "Stay awake, okay?" he asked.

She didn't hear him as darkness took over again. "Clem?" he asked when she didn't respond.

He started to panic when she didn't respond again. "Clementine?!" he said louder hoping she would wake up, but she didn't.

Nick was confused as Luke stopped walking and tried his hardest to wake up the girl.

"Just wake up… don't make me do this, Clem…" Luke whispered, preparing to grasp her broken leg. Nick grabbed his hand and locked eyes with his friend.

"What are you doing?!" Nick exclaimed.

"She won't wake up, man! I was trying to keep her awake 'cos I was scared this would happen!" Luke said.

"You don't think she…" Nick trailed off as he pulled Clementine's hand out from between her and Luke's stomach and checked for a pulse. "She's alive…" he breathed relief.

Luke squeezed her injured limb but she didn't react. "What's wrong with her!?" he cried.

Nick looked around for somewhere to lay her down but the only place was the ground. "Just lay her down there." He said pointing to a spot on the trail.

Luke laid her down on the ground and shook her shoulders. "Clementine?" he asked.

She had started breathing really fast and was sweating even though she was freezing.

Luke was paralyzed. He didn't know what to do. "Nick!" he shouted, pulling his friend onto the ground next to him. "What do we do!?" he asked.

Nick watched as the girls chest was rising and falling faster than normal. "She's in shock!" Nick remembered Carlos telling him the symptoms of shock were pale skin, increased heart rate, shortage of breath and weakness.

"So what do we do?" Luke asked more calm than before since Nick figured out what was wrong.

"I… uh… Shit, man. I don't know!" Nick said losing his cool and grabbing his hair that was sticking out from under his cap with his left hand.

Luke looked down the trail before jumping up and running down it, shouting something over his shoulder to the others.

They didn't hear him.

"Luke!" Nick called standing up also. He looked down at the girl in the dirt and knew he couldn't leave her; not like he left Sarah.

"LUKE!" he shouted as loud as he could. Luke was gone from sight.

"Shit… Shit!" Nick mumbled.

Clementine suddenly shot up looking around in fear before collapsing back down and gripping her tight. "Ughhh!" she cried in pain as she rolled around on the ground. Nick kneeled beside her again to calm her down.

"It's alright, Clem. Calm down." He shushed her.

"N…Nick I'm g…gonna die!" she screamed.

He didn't know what to do. She was freaking out and making things worse. Nick stood up and pulled her up with him. He tried carrying her like Luke was but she fought against him so he changed tactics. He pulled her over his shoulder, holding her arms on front of him while the rest of her body hung behind him.

Her leg was hitting against his leg but she didn't seem to care as she wheezed and panicked and tried to break out of Nick's grasp. He was running as fast as he could, following the path Luke took.

"Nick!" he suddenly heard his name being called.

Luke appeared in the distance, running back towards the duo.

"Luke! Where the fuck did you go, man?!" Nick asked angrily.

"I went to scout up ahead, like I shouted back to you; there's a bridge just up there!" he explained pointing the direction he just came from.

He turned his attention to the girl over Nick's shoulder. "What are you doing too her?!" Luke exclaimed taking Clementine from Nick's grasp."Are you okay?" he asked calmly.

She cried into his shoulder and mumbled something that neither man could make out. "It's alright, Clem. I saw a building up on a hill just past the bridge." Luke said patting her back.

"Luke, she said she's gonna die…" Nick said as they walked across the bridge.

"She's not going to die." Luke said matter of factly.

"Yeah I am…" she muttered into his shoulder.

"Nah, Clem. You're not." Luke said smiling.

"How do you know?" she asked tiredly.

Silence.

Clementine sighed and turned her head to face Nick. "Does your leg not hurt anymore?" he asked since she hadn't complained in a while.

"I can't really feel it anymore…" she whispered. She looked up at Luke again.

"How'd you know?" she asked again.

"I've got a feeling there's someone up here to help." He said smiling down at her pale, sleepy face.

"And if there's not?" Nick asked.

"There is. Trust me!" Luke said turning to face Nick.

"I trust you…" Clementine said in a slurred voice. Luke fixed her in his arms.

"Fine. I trust you too, I guess." Nick said.

Clementine's eyes felt really heavy and her head was spinning. "We're almost there, Clem. Then you can rest." Luke said pinching her arm in an attempt to keep her awake.

She had never felt that weak before. Clementine feared that if she fell asleep she wouldn't wake back up; or worse, she would become a walker and kill Luke or Nick. She was trying to be brave and not show her fear again, but Nick knew ever since she told him she was going to die, that she was scared.

"We'll be fine, Clementine. Just a little fu-." Nick was cut off by a cough behind him.

"Well, well, well…" Gloria said as Nick and Luke turned around.

"Blimey! What happened to her?!" Gareth spoke when he saw Clementine.

Bryan stepped forward towards the cabin members who were just outside a small shack at the end of the bridge.

"You have to come with us back to Howe's, Nick. Carver is gonna kill you either way so you might as well just come with us now." He said, glancing at Clementine quickly.

"'The hell are you?! How the fuck do you know them?" Luke asked, directing the last question to Nick.

"Listen… This is the girl! The one I told you about? She's hurt 'cos of Carver; you were right. Just let us go and don't tell that dick of a leader you saw us! Please!?" Nick begged. He was defenceless as he dropped his gun somewhere after his first encounter with this group of recruits.

Edward looked really guilty and Wilma opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by Gareth stepping forward and pulling Clementine from Luke's grasp. She gasped in pain as the English man held her around the waist at his hip as he pointed a gun up to the ski lodge.

"The rest of your group up there?" he asked, ignoring Clementine's painful cries.

Luke stepped forward to take her back but Gloria stuck her gun into his ribs and pushed him away.

"Just give her back!" he demanded. He had no gun; only a machete.

Gareth scoffed. "Clear off! You want her back so you can leg it somewhere safe! I know it! Besides you look knackered. Let me carry her for you…" he said sarcastically.

Luke's face turned a bright red colour and he clenched his fists angrily. Nick noticed this and put his hand on his friends shoulder. They started making his way up the hill, being jabbed in the back every few seconds by Gloria's gun.

Chapter 6:

Carlos had just finished eating some peaches and beans with Sarah, Molly, Matthew, Kenny and Walter. Alvin and Rebecca were in bed, ready to rest properly for the first time in three days. Sarita was decorating the Christmas tree.

"I missed you dad!" Sarah said as she shovelled the last of her food into her mouth.

"I missed you too, Sarah. Thank you again, Molly. I owe you my life…" Carlos said smiling at the woman sitting across from him.

"See, doc! I told you she'd be fine!" Matthew said smirking at the Spanish man, who just rolled his eyes in return.

"I hope the food is good." Walter said smiling at Matthew.

"The food is always good, Walt!" the younger man said returning the smile to his partner.

"Anyway… Back to your journey; Nick sounds like a dick…" Kenny says raising an eyebrow at Molly.

She shrugged her shoulders at her old acquaintance. "From what Sarah told me, he seems like an alright guy." She said looking across the table to Sarah and Carlos.

"He lost his uncle. I don't blame him from making a mistake. I hope he's alright… and Luke! And Clementine…" Carlos mumbled the last part.

Matthew and Walter got up and went to help Sarita finish decorating the living room with things they found in storage.

Molly was still confused by how Clementine made it out. "How is she, anyway? Clementine, I mean. Is Lee still with her?" Molly asked.

Kenny choked on his beans. "Clem? Lee?!" he asked, shocked at the mention of his old friends.

Sarah shook her head. "I heard her tell Luke she had to shoot him…" she said sadly.

Carlos looked at his daughter. "You were spying on them?" he asked.

She looked up at her father guiltily. "I was getting a drink but they were in the kitchen talking!" she said.

"Wait! So Clementine is alive?!" Kenny exclaimed, standing up out of his seat.

"Maybe…" Sarah said quietly.

"What?! Why do you think that?" Kenny asked sitting back down and leaning closer to Sarah.

"I heard her screaming but I couldn't find her! It… It sounded like she was really hurt…" Sarah explained.

Carlos put his arm around his daughter. "It's alright, Sarah. I'm sure she's fine." He said.

Kenny and Molly shared a sad glance at each other before continuing their meals.

The dinner was interrupted by a gunshot outside the lodge. Kenny jumped up and grabbed his rifle before running to Sarita; who Carlos found out was his girlfriend. Carlos stood up and ushered Sarah to follow him into the living room.

Molly grabbed Hilda from her hip and readied herself at the top of the stairs on front of the door. She saw someone stumble towards the doors though the glass. A man burst through the door and locked eyes with Molly.

He had a red cap, blue shirt and army cargo pants. His hair was long and black and his eyes were a beautiful ocean blue colour.

"Who are you!?" Molly asked, raising Hilda above her head.

"I…I'm Nick!" he said, raising his hands in surrender.

"Wait… Nick?" she whispered.

Sarah heard Nick's voice and ran away from her father's side and down to steps to embrace the man. "Sarah?!" he gasped as she wrapped her arms around his back.

"Where did you go?" she asked stepping back and beaming up at him.

He frowned as he remembered leaving her behind. "I'm so sorry I left you like that, Sarah. I…I was scared and I ran. I heard you scream and thought you died! It…it really hurt…" he said.

"It's okay, Nick. I forgive you!" she said happily.

He smiled down at her thankfully and then quickly turned around and looked back outside into the dark. "I need a weapon!" he exclaimed, turning back to face Molly. She threw him a pistol and he ran outside.

"Luke!" he called.

Sarah's eyes widened as she ran back to her dad. "Luke's out there with Nick!" she said.

Carlos had heard Nick's voice but he didn't know Luke was there. "What about Clementine?!" he asked.

Sarah shrugged her shoulders.

The doors burst open again as a new voice caught everyone's attention. "Shit, man! Are you alright?" a chubby man asked as he dragged someone up the stairs by the arms.

"Luke!" Carlos called.

Luke looked up to see Carlos and Sarah with five new people. His nose was bleeding but other than that he was okay. "What's your name?" Luke asked as he stood up straight and faced the man that had dragged him inside.

"Ed…Edward." The man said.

"Edward… I know you're not like the others. Please just let me go! I need to go back out and get her!" Luke said grabbing Edwards shoulder and looking him dead in the eyes.

"I… They'll kill me, man. I'm supposed to keep you held hostage with anyone else in here!" Edward explained as he looked over at the other survivors.

"Please, Edward!" Luke begged.

He hesitated for a minute before sighing. "What's your name?" Edward asked.

Luke let go of his shoulder and smiled. "Luke." He said.

Edward pushed Luke down the stairs before shouting "Good Luck, Luke!"

Carlos, Molly, Kenny and Matthew gathered their weapons and approached the door. "Tell them you killed me… and don't shoot the girl with the ginger hair!" Edward exclaimed as they left the building.

Walter was to keep Sarita and Sarah safe upstairs with Rebecca and Alvin.

Carlos ran outside to see a black woman wrestling on the ground with Nick. She was reaching for a gun that was a few inches away from the duo. Nick got the upper hand since he was a man and pinned her to the ground.

"Where did they go?!" he asked.

The woman looked scared.

"Tell me, Gloria!" Nick demanded.

Gloria sighed in defeat. "Gareth took her around back with your friend." She said.

Nick got up and ran towards the corner of the building. Gloria grabbed the gun and aimed at his back but Carlos shot her dead. Nick turned around after hearing the shot and smiled at Carlos.

He changed his course and headed back towards the ski lodge doors. The doctor ran back inside also to keep his daughter safe.

Molly and Kenny ran into a tanned man who shot at them but luckily missed. Kenny grabbed him by the collar and threatened him but the man didn't react.

"That's one hell of a beard you've got there…" the man joked.

"Listen, shit-bird, Where's the girl?!" Kenny asked.

Molly stood beside Kenny with the gun Gloria had dropped when Carlos shot her.

"How am I supposed to know?! I'm not Gareth, I'm Bryan! And you are?" he asked. Kenny threw him to the ground and marched back to the ski lodge hoping everyone would be there, safe and sound.

Molly raised Hilda and jammed it down into Bryans shoulder. "What the fuck!" he yelled in pain.

"You know where she is. I know you do." Molly said calmly.

"Fine! Damn you are one hell of a bitch! He's around back!" Bryan said through gritted teeth.

"Thank you." Molly said, raising Hilda again and stabbing Bryan right between the eyes.

She ran around to the back of the lodge to see Luke with his back against the building and a heavily clothed man aiming an AK-47 at him. As Molly got closer she could make out the figure of Clementine in the dark laying on the ground next to the man.

"What is wrong with you?!" Luke asked as Gareth stepped down on Clementine's leg.

"It's no fun now that she stopped screaming…" Molly heard the man said.

"Gareth!" a woman screamed running towards the man from the other side of the building.

"What now, Wilma!" Gareth snapped at her.

"Just stop!" Wilma demanded.

"Or what?" Gareth asked.

Wilma raised her gun and aimed at his head. Gareth smirked to himself and moved his gun away from Luke and towards the woman.

Two gunshots filled the air.

Inside, Sarah was sitting with Nick and her father as she heard gunshots fill the air. "Where…where's Luke?" she asked.

Alvin and Rebecca were still upstairs with Walter. No one wanted Rebecca to be injured while she was pregnant.

"Kenny. We should go out and help." Sarita said.

Kenny just shook his head. "We'll die." He said.

"He's right… I hope Luke is okay out there." Carlos said.

"And Molly!" Sarah added.

"And Clementine…" Nick said quietly.

The room went silent except for the tapping of Matthew's foot. Edward seemed to be on their side but Kenny was keeping a close eye on him, just in case.

Luke watched as Wilma fell to the ground, with a bullet between her eyes. He turned his attention to Gareth. He was standing with his hands clasping his chest that was bleeding badly. Gareth collapsed to the ground, dead.

Luke was confused.

Had Wilma shot him before he shot her?

He looked to his left to see Molly standing with her gun aimed at Gareth's corpse, smoke rising from the barrel. Luke stepped away from the building and rushed to Clementine's side.

The sound of her head hitting the ground when Gareth threw her down was still ringing in his ears.

He didn't care that her leg was broken; he sat on her legs and shook her shoulders gently. "Clementine?!" he called.

The sticks he used to make the tourniquet had snapped and would probably be causing her immense pain if she wasn't unconscious.

Molly slowly came up behind him and looked over his shoulder to the girl she used to know. She didn't look like the 'Clementine' Molly had met two years ago, but it must have been her as she was the only girl with that 'D' cap.

Molly destroyed Gareth's brain so he wouldn't come back and kill one of them and then turned back to Luke. "What do we do?" she asked.

"Carlos! He… He's a doctor!" Luke said quickly.

Molly ran back into the lodge and was greeted with questionable glares. "Carlos, Luke said… Clementine, she… Just follow me." She said.

"Stay here, Sarah." The doctor said before he left.

"Wait, what about Wilma? Did you see her?" Edward asked.

"I… think you should come to…" Moly said.

Luke was forced to stop trying to wake the girl so Carlos could check her. "She'll be okay, right?" Luke asked as Carlos felt around her head in case there was an injury.

Edward was kneeling over Wilma's corpse, crying his eyes out.

"What happened?" Carlos asked.

"Carver sent the cabin up in flames and Clem had to jump but I didn't catch her and her leg… it was horrible. Then these people jumped us down the hill but we countered their attack. Gareth took her back here and threw her to the ground. I…I heard her head hit the ground from over there. He stood on her injured leg and broke the tourniquet I made for her a few days ago. She's bleeding out, Carlos!" Luke explained as tears rimmed his eyes.

Carlos couldn't imagine the pain the girl was going through on the journey to the ski lodge. All he knew was it must have been terrible.

"Just wake her up, Carlos…" Luke begged.

"I don't know how to, Luke!" Carlos snapped.

Luke punched her in the chest in an act of pure anger and surprisingly she flinched. "Clem!" he gasped.

Her hand went to her leg but quickly fell back to the ground.

"We have to bring her inside." Carlos said.

Luke nodded and gathered the girl into his arms. Clementine groaned in pain as her eyes shot open. She looked around and locked eyes with Carlos. The pain in her leg worsened as she cried out for Luke to put her down.

They rushed into the ski lodge and every eye went in there direction.

Sarah gasped at the sight of her friend. "Wh…what happened!?" she cried as Luke lay Clementine on the couch.

Kenny's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the girl on the couch.

Luke grabbed her hand and tried to calm her down. She was panicking again. "Clem! Please?!" Luke begged as she tried to move.

"Luke…" she whispered sadly as her cries died down and her eyes began to close again.

"Carlos!" Luke called, as Clementine's blood soaked the cream couch.

Carlos shooed everyone away so he could work on the girl in peace. Kenny and Molly watched from behind Carlos without him knowing, while Luke hadn't moved from his spot on the couch next to Clementine.

Her drowsy eyes wandered to Kenny and Molly and then back to Luke. "Am I dead? Did you lie…?" she asked.

Luke chuckled quietly. "No, Clem. You ain't dead." He said.

She flinched as Carlos pulled the sticks away from her leg. "So… How are they… here?" she asked in between painful breaths.

Luke looked at Kenny and Molly and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't even know who they are…" he said.

Clementine grabbed hold of Luke's hand. "Ouch…" she whispered. "They're… Ke… n… Mol…" her speech was failing her so she closed her mouth.

"Are you alright?" Carlos asked.

She shook her head. May as well be honest with them. "…hurts…." Was all she could get out.

Sarah slowly made her way over to the couch. Clementine had drifted off but Luke wasn't scared this time since Carlos was there. "Hey…" the teen greeted, putting her hand on her dad's shoulder.

Clementine's eyes opened again after hearing Sarah's voice. "Where… Nick? Alvin? Rebecca?" the little girl whispered.

"They're upstairs." Sarah said pointing to the stairs.

Clementine followed her finger and sighed. "Not… stairs…" she moaned.

Sarah was about to ask what was wrong with stairs but then remembered the injury to Clementine's leg. "I can help you climb them if you want?" Sarah asked.

The eleven year old smiled at Sarah and closed her eyes again.

The teen went up the stairs, walking past Molly and Kenny.

Carlos looked scared and that made Luke scared. He waited until he was sure Clementine was asleep and couldn't hear before talking. "What's wrong?!" Luke hissed.

Carlos was examining the wound. "This…it's a bad break. I…I don't think she'll ever walk the same again." Carlos explained.

"So what? She'll limp?" Luke asked.

"More like hobble… You placed her knee in crooked." The doctor said.

Luke felt a pang of guilt rise in his chest. "So it's my fault…" he whispered.

"No! It's Carvers." Carlos said.

Luke just nodded. He didn't believe Carlos at all.

"I'm surprised she's still alive…" Carlos whispered, which caused Luke to sit straighter.

"Excuse me?" he said.

"She… She probably would've bled to death if you hadn't tried. That tourniquet probably saved her life!" the doctor exclaimed, smiling at Luke. Carlos finished cleaning the wound and sewing up where the bone pierced the skin. He re-covered it with Luke's sleeves and Nick's shirt and stood up. "That's all I can do for her." He said before leaving.

Molly and Kenny came over to Clementine's side. "She gonna be alright?" Kenny asked.

"Of course she is! She's tough as nails…" Luke said, repeating something Pete had said the first time they met the girl.

"She sure it…" Molly said, examining her pale face.

Matthew and Walter were now sitting in the kitchen area by themselves. They had been told the 'bandits' had been killed and that Rebecca was safe.

"That girl better live, Walt. I don't know what I'd do if a little girl died at our door!" Matthew said.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Matt." Walter said, wiping some peach juice off his red sweater.

"I like this group. They seem to be stuck together; like they'll never break apart." Matthew spoke his mind to his partner.

"Yeah. Kinda like you and me, right?" Walter said nudging Matthew playfully. The younger man laughed and nudged Walter back.

"Hello, boys." Sarita said as she sat down next to the two men.

"Sarita! Is Kenny out there with that other girl, Molly?" Matthew asked, raising a mischievous eyebrow.

"Shut up, Matt! They're just old friends." Sarita said, smiling at the childish man.

He always picked on her but she didn't mind. It was nice having someone around who could always make some light shine in a dark place.

"I'm sure they are." Walter said, playing along.

Sarita laughed quietly. "I'm going to bed. You two should think about it too!" she said walking away, waving to the two lovers over her shoulder.

Sarah was upstairs on Rebecca and Alvin's bed. Nick was fast asleep in his own bed next to them. Rebecca was almost asleep when Clementine, Nick and Luke arrived at the lodge.

"You're sure she's gonna be alright?" Rebecca asked Sarah.

"Yeah! She's just tired that's all." Sarah lied so the woman would stay calm and go to sleep.

It worked as the pregnant lady fell asleep a few minutes later.

"What's really wrong?" Alvin asked, seeing straight through Sarah's fib.

"Her leg is broken, badly. And she's having trouble talking and staying awake but at least she's not screaming like she was when Luke brought her inside…" Sarah explained, cringing slightly as she remembered the events.

"Damn…" Alvin muttered. "You should get some sleep, Sarah. You've probably had a rough few nights out there with that woman." he said, lying down next to his wife.

Sarah got out of their bed and jumped into Nick's bed. He stirred slightly before peeling his eyes open and staring at Sarah, curled up beside him. "What are you doing?" he moaned as he stretched his arms under the covers.

"Going to sleep." Sarah said, smiling at the man next to her.

"Aren't you gonna sleep with Carlos?" he asked.

"I will when he comes up here." She said.

"Okay…" Nick whispered, closing his eyes again.

"Sarah?" Carlos whispered as he peered inside the room.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Come get some rest with me." He said.

"Okay, dad." She said, leaving Nicks bed and joining Carlos next door.

When she walked into the room next door, there were two double beds, just like the room she had just come from had. "Who are we sharing with?" Sarah asked.

"Luke and Clementine." Carlos said.

Sarah looked at the empty bed. "Are they not coming up?" she asked.

"We can't move Clem until she's awake. We don't want to freak her out or hurt her." Carlos explained, lying down.

"Oh, okay." Sarah said cuddling up next to her father. "Night, dad." She said closing her eyes.

"Goodnight, Sarah." Carlos whispered to his daughter.

Molly walked upstairs and peaked into Sarah and Carlos's room to make sure the girl was alright. Satisfied with what she saw, she looked to the room next door and sighed. That was her designated sleeping space.

She opened the door and saw an oldish looking couple asleep on the bed to the left and Nick sprawled out on the bed next to them. Looked like she was sharing. She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, causing Nick to open his eyes and look at her confused.

"I'm sleeping here." Molly said.

Nick just nodded and rolled over so his back was facing her.

She laid down and closed her eyes.

"I never got your name…" Nick's whisper surprised her slightly as she turned her head to look at his back.

"What?" she asked.

"I told you mine but you never told me yours." He said.

"Molly." She said.

"Cool..." He said, a strange tone in his voice.

She raised an eye brow and sat up. "What does that mean?" she asked.

He rolled over and smirked at her. "Nothing. Just… You don't look like a 'Molly'." He said.

"Yeah, well you know what? You don't look like a 'Nick'." She said, watching his smile grow.

"Yeah, I always thought of myself as being more of a 'Joe'" he said rolling back over.

Molly couldn't help but smile at him. She laid back down and closed her eyes.

"Night, Molly." He whispered one last thing.

"Night." She said back before drifting into a peaceful slumber (for once)

Down stairs, Luke was sitting next to Edward, watching Clementine sleep on the couch.

"There's… something I need to tell you…" Edward said.

"What?" Luke asked.

Edward frowned at the ground before speaking. "Bill already knows you are here. Gareth radioed him at the bottom of the hill before we approached you guys…" he said.

Luke's eyes widened. "What?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know when it would be a good time to tell you!" Edward said.

Clementine stirred on the couch and groaned in pain as she attempted to roll over. Luke kneeled on the floor beside the couch and rubbed her arm as he held her down straight.

She opened her eyes and looked at Luke.

He noticed she had bloodshot eyes but didn't think anything of it. "Hey… are you okay?" he asked.

"It's cold…" she whispered.

Luke stood up and looked around the room. He went behind the stairs and picked up something blue. It was a coat. He brought it back over to the couch and pulled Clementine up into a sitting position.

Her head just flopped forward as Luke put her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up. He laid her back down.

"Why is he here?" she asked, looking at Edward quickly.

"He's helping us, Clem." Luke told her.

She blinked at him confused and breathed out loudly. "Thanks for the coat…" she said, smiling at him for the first time in ages.

"You are very welcome. Now get some sleep!" he said, brushing some hair off her face.

"Night, Luke." She said as she closed her eyes.

"Night, Clementine." He said back to her as he sat back down beside Edward.

An eerie silence filled the air.

Carver knew where they were.

They better be prepared…

Chapter 7:

Luke sat watching Clementine hours after Edward went to sleep next to him. He pulled his gun out of his pocket and sat it on the table on front of him. Clementine opened her eyes every ten minutes or so and looked across to him anxiously but calmed back down when he smiled in her direction.

Around four in the morning, she shot up and grabbed her knee before looking around. Luke was almost asleep but became wide awake when he heard her gasp. "Shhh, Clem. Get back to sleep." He whispered as he kneeled next to her.

"C…Carver…" she stuttered as she continued to scan the room.

"He's not here, Clem. It must have been a bad dream." He said.

She refused to go back to sleep so Luke sat on the ground next to the couch she was lying on and listened to her breath. "Luke?" she asked, sometime later.

"Yeah?" he said, turning to face her.

"What if he does come?" she asked, her eyes finding his in the dim light of the early morning.

"Then we kill him." Luke said simply.

"It's not going to be that easy…" she said.

He couldn't help but smile. "Seems someone's feeling better…" he said.

"A little… I can move my toes if that means I'm 'better'" she said.

"You really need to sleep." He said tiredly.

"So do you." She stated, a smirk appearing on her face.

Luke saw the small smile in the darkness and shook his head. "You go to sleep, and stay asleep, then I'll get some rest too." He said.

She closed her eyes. "Deal." She whispered.

Luke heard her soft snores only five minutes later. He stuck by his deal and lay down on the floor to get some rest.

He was awoken a short time after falling asleep by Edward shaking his shoulder frantically. "What…?" he moaned as he sat up.

"He's here!" Edward exclaimed.

Luke knew what he meant and he jumped to his feet before running up the stairs to wake the others. Edward stood by the window, watching as Carver and his 'minions' Troy, Johnny and Bonnie made their way towards the ski lodge. "Luke!" he called, running to the bottom of the stairs.

Kenny was the first to arrive down in the main hall with Sarita, Matthew and Walter. Molly and Nick rushed down next, and then Carlos, Sarah, Alvin, Rebecca and lastly Luke.

"What do we do?!" Rebecca asked, panic bubbling to the surface.

Kenny was pacing around with rifle in hand. He was determined to keep everyone alive.

Before anyone could answer Rebecca's question, Carver and his people marched inside, guns aimed and fingers on the triggers. "There's my sheep!" Carver exclaimed as he walked straight up to Carlos, who had his hands raised in defeat just like everyone else.

Troy grabbed Kenny's gun and threw it away. "Little chickens! Don't get any smart ideas, aright?!" he warned as he pushed Sarita away from her partner.

"And who are you?" Johnny asked, approaching Matthew.

"What's it to you?" Matthew said coldly.

Bonnie looked at Luke sadly as he tried to get her eyes on his. He was going to get her to help; he knew she would. She had many times before.

Carlos spat at Carver and the mad man just chuckled before punching the doctor in the stomach, sending him to his knees.

"Dad!" Sarah gasped.

Molly quickly put her hand on Sarah's shoulder. "Just remain calm…" she whispered.

Sarah took deep breaths and calmed down easier than she thought. Molly was a life saver.

"Tie 'em up!" Carver demanded.

Johnny and Troy started tying everyone's hands and kneeling them down on front of the 'kitchen' area. Bonnie went straight to Luke and as she was tying his hands, he made a move.

"You need to help us." He whispered.

"And how do you plan I do that?" she whispered back.

Luke was surprised; she didn't even try to say no.

"When he's not looking, you take Troy out." He explained.

"I'll try my best. No promises…" she said as she pushed him to his knees and walked back to her 'team'.

Edward stood facing Carver with a frown on his face. "Betrayed by a recruit..." Carver muttered to himself, before aiming his gun at the man and blowing his brains out. There were gasps from everyone in the room, including Troy, Johnny and Bonnie.

"What the fuck, man! This is our house!" Matthew suddenly shouted.

Carver smirked to himself before pulling Matthew up by the collar and taking him in a choke hold. He aimed his gun at the boy's head. "Any last words?" he muttered into his ear.

"Look away, Walt…" Matthew said clearly as he closed his eyes. He knew the man holding him was not joking around.

"Let him go! Let him go…" Walter begged.

Matthews head exploded as the bullet pierced his skull. Carver dropped his body uselessly to the ground and pulled Walter up. "I don't need any new comers…" he explained in his gravelly voice.

"Just do it…" Walter sobbed; he was heartbroken by Matthew's death.

"I will." Carver hissed before executing Walter the same way he did to Matthew.

Next, he pulled Sarita up. "You're a pretty one, ain't you?" Carver said into her ear. Kenny was raging and shouting vulgar words at the leader.

Luke was staring at his knees. "Do it Bonnie…" he kept repeating in his head.

Movement in the side of his vision cause him to look up. He gasped loudly, choking on the air as he pulled his eyes away from Clementine and back to the floor as every eye went in his direction.

"Shut up, Luke. You led them here, now you can watch them die." Carver said angrily. He looked across the line of people and smirked again.

"You got the girl killed too." He said.

Luke had to play along. "Shut up…" he muttered.

"I bet she suffered. All thanks to you!" Carver continued to annoy Luke.

"Shut up!" Luke shouted, shocking nearly all of the other survivors.

Carver seemed satisfied with the outburst he got from Luke and turned his attention back to Sarita. "Ready to die?" he asked.

Sarita cried as she locked eyes with Kenny.

Another gunshot filled the air but Sarita didn't drop dead.

Johnny did.

Clementine had woken up after hearing a gunshot. She was confused and frightened and a second gunshot only made her curiosity grow. She sat up painfully and saw Carver holding Sarita at gunpoint.

Her eyes met with Luke's but he quickly looked away as he coughed and Carver looked at him angrily.

The man that had caused Clementine so much pain was standing their shouting at Luke and Rebecca and everyone else.

She hadn't caught what he was saying at first but then he mentioned her and she started listening.

"I bet she suffered. All thanks to you!" he shouted.

"Shut up!" Luke shouted, surprising Clementine slightly.

She saw a gun on the table next to the couch and reached across for it. Her leg ached but the pain was nothing like it had been the night before. She pulled herself up off the couch and stood, putting all her weight on her right leg.

She may be hurt but she wasn't stupid. She had to make Carver believe she was fine and aiming a weapon at her.

"Ready to die?" Carver asked.

Clementine pulled the gun up to her shoulder height and pointed it at Carver just as one of his men turned to look at her.

He opened his mouth but nothing ever came out as Clementine turned her sights to him and shot his face off.

Carver hit Sarita over the side of the head like he did to Luke, knocking her to the ground, unconscious. He turned to face Clementine and scowled at her.

Another shot filled to air as Troy fell to the ground dead next to Carver. Bonnie's gun smoked as she aimed at his corpse.

Carver wasted no time as he ran forward and pulled Clementine up into one arm, pinning her arms at her side, and aimed his gun at her head with the other.

"Don't fucking move!" he demanded.

Luke had been messing with his rope, that Bonnie had purposely tied loosely, and managed to get it off.

Clementine bit her lip as her leg stung badly and attempted to stay strong. She wasn't going to let Carver win this one. "Thought you burned to death in the cabin?" Carver whispered in her ear.

"Do I look burned to you?" she asked.

He chuckled quietly.

"You know, I always liked you right from the start. Back at the cabin, you were scared, but you looked me right in the eyes; stood your ground! That's what my community needs. Someone like you to Sheppard the flock!" Carver explained to her.

"I'm not like you." Clementine hissed at him.

"I think you are. You just aren't comfortable with it yet…" he whispered.

Before anything else could be said, Carver's brains were blown out and Clementine was released from his grip.

She landed on both feet but quickly pulled her left leg off the ground as her knee felt like it was on fire. Luke quickly ran towards her and held her standing in place so she didn't have to keep her feet on the ground.

"What happened to him?" she asked looking over her shoulder to see Carver's corpse on the ground and Kenny helping Sarita stand.

"I got free and managed to free a few others; Kenny being one of 'em. He grabbed Bonnie's gun and shot Carver before he could hurt you." Luke explained.

Carlos came over to them with Sarah and bent down to look at Clementine's leg. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah…" she said un-surely.

"Clem, why don't you come up to bed? Dad and I and you and Luke are sharing a room!" Sarah explained.

"Okay." Clementine said simply as she put her hands on Luke's shoulders. "I don't think I can walk…" she muttered embarrassed that she was crippled.

"It's alright, Clem. Maybe Carlos can get you a crutch or something?" Luke raised an eyebrow at Carlos.

"I'm sure I can find something somewhere in this building." Carlos said smiling as Luke picked Clementine up and made his way towards the stairs.

They had only been in bed for an hour before daylight refused to let them close their eyes. Luke carefully helped Clementine back downstairs to the couch that was stained with her blood.

He left her side to sit with Nick at the picnic tables in the kitchen area. "Hey. So, what do you think of that girl, uh… Molly!?" Luke asked, tapping his fingers on the table.

Nick's face turned a bright red colour, indicating he was keeping something to himself. "She's alright, man. I mean, her and Sarah seem to be getting along pretty well…" he said as both men turned to watch Molly and Sarah approach Clementine.

"Wonder what they're gonna tell her…" Luke muttered to himself as he squinted to get a better look.

Clementine was sitting by herself on the couch next to the fireplace, staring at her leg anxiously.

She had heard the term 'liability' was used to describe people who were not needed and were only there as a burden. Ben had mentioned to her one time how he thought he was a liability and explained to her what it was when she lolled her head to one side and raised a curious eyebrow at him.

She was a cripple now; wouldn't that just make her a liability?

"Hi, Clem." Molly greeted the girl as she followed the eleven year old gaze to her leg.

"Molly saved me, Clem." Sarah said, smiling up at the blonde haired young woman.

Clementine finally moved her gaze away from her numb leg, to look at the two girls beside her. "That's…good." She said.

She hadn't exactly heard what either friend had said to her as she was too busy feeling sorry for herself. Deep down she knew it wasn't like her to be so worried about herself; others safety was always more important to her, but right now, she just didn't understand why it had to happen to her?

Even though Carver's corpse was decomposing somewhere down the hill where Nick and Kenny threw him, Clementine could still sense his threatening presence in the back of her mind.

"I'm sure you'll be up and at 'em in no time!" Molly tried to get the girl to smile but it didn't work.

"You know, Clem, Molly taught me how to shoot and protect myself. I'm becoming just like you!" Sarah exclaimed.

"That's great, Sarah. But you'll never be like me; you'll never be a cripple…" Clementine muttered.

Molly frowned at what she was hearing. "Clementine, this isn't like you. What happened to the happy, playful little girl I used to know?!" Molly asked.

"She grew up…" Clementine said coldly.

"Don't talk about yourself like that, Clementine." Carlos's voice scared the three girls.

"But it's true!" Clementine insisted.

"It's not, believe me." Carlos said, holding some stick out in front of him.

"Is that a cane?" Molly asked, smiling at the item in the doctors hands.

"It is. It's for Clementine to help her walk again." He said handing it to the girl.

"Can I try now?" she asked, a hint of hope in her voice.

Carlos studied her leg for a minute before sighing and nodding his head. She jumped up a little too quickly, hunching forward and grabbing hold of Sarah, scaring the older girl slightly.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea…" Carlos said.

"Don't be like that, Dad." Sarah said, surprising everyone that she had said something like that to her father. "S…sorry!" she quickly apologised.

"No, Sarah. You're right. We should let her try. Come on, Clem!" Molly said enthusiastically as Clementine stood up straight and leaned on the cane.

She took one step, pressing her left foot onto the ground slightly while leaning on the wooden cane. "Hey, it doesn't hurt too much…" she said as she pulled her uninjured leg next to the other.

"Looking good there, Clem!" Luke said as he walked over to them.

"She has to be careful." Carlos said.

"She'll be fine, Carlos!" Luke said patting the doctor on the back to calm his nerves.

"It's still early; she'll be exhausted by dinner." Carlos stated as he walked up the stairs to tend to Rebecca and Alvin.

"Sarah, how about you and me go out front to practise shooting?" Molly asked, turning to face the young girl with the red rimmed glasses.

"I have to tell my dad, first…" Sarah said, looking over at her father who had come back downstairs to talk with Clementine. They eleven year old was listening closely to what the doctor had to say.

"Are you sure he'll allow it?" Molly asked.

"Maybe…" Sarah said, shrugging her shoulder. She was like an average teenager even in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.

"Okay then, go ask!" Molly pushed Sarah towards her father, who turned away from the youngest child to face his daughter.

"Yes, Sarah?" he asked.

"Is it okay if…if me and Molly go outside to practise?" she asked.

"Practise what?" Carlos asked, raising an eyebrow.

Clementine had a small smirk on her face at Carlos's stupid fatherly question.

"Shooting, dad!" Sarah said.

"Sarah… No!" he deadpanned.

"But, dad! I already know the basics! I just need t practise!" Sarah exclaimed.

"Sarah…" Carlos was cut off by Sarah sighing frustrated. He was shocked by how much she had changed in the three days they had been apart. "I'm 15, dad! I need to know how to protect myself; that's what Molly told me!" she stated.

Carlos knew his little girl was growing up; that Clementine and Matthew had both been right; he couldn't protect her forever. "Okay… But I have to be there the whole time so you will have to wait until I'm done here." He said, turning back to Clementine.

Nick and Luke were in the kitchen attempting to cook with Sarita while Kenny stood nearby, keeping an eye on 'his girl'.

"Peaches and Beans. It's all we have, I'm afraid. Walter was a great cook… I hope we can still make do without him and Matthew." Sarita explained sadly.

"It's alright, hon. I'm sure they're both happier up there, with Katjaa and Duck…" Kenny spoke up.

Sarita hadn't heard much about Kenny's family but she knew Katjaa was his wife and Duck was his son. Luke and Nick, on the other hand, knew nothing about Kenny.

"Duck? Who's Duck?" Luke asked, oblivious of the consequences.

"Don't talk about him!" Kenny snapped.

Nick glared at the old man. "Shut up, asshole! He just asked a question…" he spat.

Kenny's face crumpled up into one of rage. He ran forward and grabbed Nick by the collar menacingly. "If you ever talk about my family again, I'll gut ye myself!" he hissed in Nick's face, before pushing the young man backwards into Luke.

"Kenny! Please, calm down…" Sarita asked, fear evident in her voice. The bearded man realised he was scaring his partner and apologised for his actions. His temper always seemed to get the better of him...

Nick looked at Luke angrily but the brunette just shrugged it off and turned his attention back to cooking some peaches and beans.

"You know her long?" Kenny's question caught both men off guard.

"Who?" Nick asked, still slightly annoyed by his outburst.

"Clementine! Have you known her long?" Kenny repeated his question.

"Known her a few days… why?" Luke asked.

Kenny leaned against the counter and looked over his shoulder to see Carlos standing up and leaving the raven haired girl's side.

"Just wondering…" he answered quietly.

"Kenny. Can you please watch Clementine? I'm going outside with Sarah and Molly." Carlos asked as he approached the four 'cooks'.

"Where you going?" Luke asked, licking some peach off his finger.

"Sarah is 'training'." He answered sadly.

"Good! S'bout time she learned!" Nick said, smirking while Luke stifled a laugh by his friend's idiotic statement.

"Sure! I'll watch her." Kenny said, walking over to Clementine who was still sitting on the couch alone.

"If anything happens, come get me!" Carlos said before walking away to join Sarah and Molly by the main doors.

"Alright" Let's get back to work, boys." Sarita said, as Luke and Nick got back to following her instructions.

Clementine stood up off the three seated couch as soon as Kenny sat down on the single one. "Where you going?" he asked, shaking his head as she leaned on her cane.

"I'm practising! I can't be a liability; I won't let Lee down…" she said, more to herself than Kenny.

"You ain't a liability, Clem! You're a valuable little girl." Kenny said as he watched her hobble around slowly.

"I'm a cripple, Kenny! But when I learn how to walk, things will change." She stated.

Kenny couldn't get his head around why she thought she was a liability. "You're going to hurt yourself if you don't slow down, darling." He said as she almost fell over.

"Shhh! I'm trying to concentrate!" she scolded him.

"You're as stubborn as a damn mule, you know that?" he chuckled at her attitude. She had really changed since the last time he had seen her.

Clementine smiled at her old friend and decided she wanted to know more about what he had done over the last two years. "So what happened to you? Christa told me you died!" Clementine asked, almost tripping again.

"Well, after I tried to save that shit-bird Ben, I left Savannah. I had given up, Clem… Then Sarita came along and saved me! She's such a good person… Gosh, it's great to have you back, Clementine!" he explained, beaming at the girl.

"Sounds, hard…" she said, as a small frown pulled her lips down.

"It was, but everything is fine now!" he said happily. It had been a long time since he had been this happy.

After a short silence, Clementine sighed. "What's the matter?" Kenny asked as she stopped walking.

"This is such a pain…" she moaned, pointing down at her bloody knee.

"Just keep practising, Clem. It's all you can do…" he said, sitting back in the chair to relax.

"So y'all think it's safe for the baby here?" Bonnie asked, from where she sat on Nick's bed. Alvin and Rebecca sat across from her.

"I think so." Alvin said.

"Me too. Why wouldn't it be?" Rebecca asked, raising an eyebrow at the ginger lady in front of her.

"No reason… Don't you think it would be much safer back at Howe's, though?" Bonnie asked.

Rebecca noticeably got angry. "No! That prison would have been the worst place to have the baby! How could you even suggest that?!" the pregnant lady shouted.

"I'm sorry! I was just… thinking out loud!" Bonnies excuse, caused Alvin to raise an eyebrow. He was keeping a very close eye on this woman. He didn't trust her at all around his wife.

Clementine was still limping around the living room with the cane Carlos had given her while Kenny sat on the single couch watching her carefully, as she tended to nearly fall every so often. She was determined to go further that the small circles she had been making around the coffee table.

"Right, darling. I gotta go use the toilet; does peaches and beans are good for nutrition, but they aren't so good on the way out… I'll be as quick as I can! If you need something just call Vanilla Ice and his friend over there." Kenny said as he stood up and pointed to the kitchen area before entering the toilets.

Clementine looked over to see Nick, Luke and Sarita laughing around the stove before turning to face the stairs. "It's now or never…" she said to herself as she made a new course towards the stairs.

She began climbing the steps slowly and carefully. She couldn't really bend her left leg so she had to put her cane one step higher than her feet and practically pull herself up the stairs.

After reaching the top and cheering quietly at her accomplishment, she started to slowly make her way to the room next to her, Luke, Carlos and Sarah's. She heard muffled talking as she pushed opened the door, but the creaking noise the hinges made shut them up.

Clementine's eye locked with Rebecca's as she stumbled into the room. "Clementine!" the pregnant lady gasped as she looked down at her cane, then her leg.

Down stairs earlier that morning she hadn't noticed Clementine injury as she was too busy fearing the man who wanted her baby.

"What happened to you?!" she asked, as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Carver…" the girl's one word answer told the couple more than any other single word.

"Bill did that to you?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah." Clementine said, raising a wary eyebrow at the pale skinned woman.

"Don't worry, city mouse. I ain't here to hurt you." Bonnie said.

Clementine nodded at the woman's and then turned to look at Alvin and Rebecca. "Are you guys okay?" she asked.

Alvin chuckled. "We're fine, Clem. We are more worried 'bout you now than ourselves." Alvin said, smiling at her sweetly. He was always such a kind and caring person and some told him that would get him killed. He didn't believe them of course; he had lived for two years through this hell and was still going.

"Do you wanna come down and sit in the living room? My legs are tired…" Clementine asked as she shuffled on her good foot.

"Sure, Clementine. We're coming." Rebecca standing up off the bed with Alvin following.

Bonnie was the last to leave the room, just as her walkie talkie buzzed. "Bonnie? Bonnie?! You there?" a familiar voice came across the device.

Bonnie pulled it out of her pocket and pressed the button on the side. "Vince? What are you doing?! If Bill weren't dead, he'd have heard you calling me!" Bonnie said angrily.

"No, he wouldn't! Russell modified your walkie and this walkie so… Wait Bills dead?!" Vince said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah; Troy and Johnny too! What did you want to tell me?" she asked as she peeked her head around the door to see Clementine slowly leading the couple down stairs.

"Tavia is leading us to that ski lodge Bill was talking 'bout! You're there right? That group need to run, NOW!" Vince said the last part quickly and Bonnie knew it was probably because Tavia told him off or something. She quickly ran down the hall and followed the others down the stairs.

"Okay, Sarah. Just don't lock your elbows; like I showed you, and shoot!" Molly encouraged the girl.

Sarah aimed at the tree with the bullet holes in it from earlier shots and pulled the trigger. It hit the tree directly on target. "I did it again! Did you see, dad?!" she beamed at her father who simply stood by and watched.

He just nodded his head.

Movement to his left, in the treeline, caused him to turn his head. What he saw caused his heart to skip a beat. Tavia was headed straight for them, followed by some old friends; Vince, Russell, Shel and Wyatt.

The doctor grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her towards the main doors quickly while Molly followed hastily.

"Who are they?" she asked, as she looked over her shoulder to see the small group.

"More of Carver's people." Carlos said. They had only made it in the door and over to the living room where Clementine, Rebecca, Alvin and Bonnie where sitting, when the group burst into the building.

"Tie 'em all up!" Tavia boomed. She may have been slightly overweight, but she could move fast when she wanted to. Luke, Nick, Kenny and Sarita came out from the kitchen area to join the rest of the group.

"Bonnie! What are you doing?! Are you on their side now or something?" the curly haired leader asked.

"No, Tavia! I'm still on your team, right Vince?" Bonnie asked, ignoring the glares she received from Alvin and Clementine.

"She's telling the truth, Tavia. That's who I was talking to on the radio. She was telling me they were here!" Vince explained.

"Okay, Vince. You're off the hook for that, and Bonnie, get over here!" the woman demanded as Bonnie walked over to her Asian friend who and took a gun from him gratefully.

"Thanks, Vince." She said turning to face Luke's sceptical frown.

"No problem…" he said, fixing his weapon in his hands.

"Why are you all standing around?! Tie 'em up!" Tavia ordered again.

Wyatt tied Kenny and Sarita up quickly while Shel tied up Alvin and stood next to Rebecca. "We can't tie her up, Tavia. She's pregnant!" Shel exclaimed.

"Fine, fine… she won't be able to do much anyway. Just keep your gun trained on her at all times just in case." The boss said.

Bonnie tied up Nick and Luke, quickly speaking to them both. "I'm still with you; so are the others." She quickly told them. They both calmed down slightly and smiled at her.

Russell tied up Carlos and Molly, and was now tying Sarah's hands. "Ouch, Russell! It's too tight!" Sarah groaned.

"Sorry, Sarah…" the slim, black boy apologised as he loosened her ropes.

Vince only had one person to capture; the youngest person in the group, Clementine. He had to kneel down to do it since he was relatively taller than her. She frowned at him while he waited for her to give him her hands.

"Listen, you're Clementine, right?" he asked in a hushed voice.

She nodded her head. "How'd you know that?" she asked curiously.

He couldn't help but smile. It had been a while since he had seen a kid who still had their curious and cool attitude. Becca, Shel's little sister, was always cranky and mean, and Sarah was too innocent for a 15 year old.

"Bill radioed us a while ago saying 'That little girl, Clementine, has more balls than all you put together! You could learn a thing or two from her!'" he mocked Carver's voice as best he could, happy that he had caused the girl to smile.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Vince; but that doesn't matter right now! You need to give me your hands or Tavia is gonna get pissed." He explained.

She frowned again. "If you tie my hands then I won't be able to use my cane." She said.

He had been so intent on getting her to do as he said so by keeping his eyes fixed on hers, he didn't notice her bloody leg or cane. "Shit…" he muttered as he looked back up to her face.

"Okay, I'll get you out of this." He said, standing up and turning to face his leader.

"Tavia, the girl is injured and using a cane. She won't be able to walk if I tie her up! I'll keep a close eye on her; no funny nonsense…" he said loudly, as Luke smiled at the girl behind him.

"Okay, Vince. I trust you to keep her in line!" Tavia said, watching as everyone was lined up in front of her.

"Come on, Clementine." Vince whispered as he put his hand on her back from where she stood next to Kenny. The bearded man scowled at the Asian man and turned to face front again.

"Alright, bring 'em to the truck. We're going home; as a community!" Tavia stated, as each person was led outside at gunpoint.

Clementine was the slowest, of course, but Vince stuck next to her all the way. At least there was one person she could trust from this new 'community'..

The cabin group got separated.

They were re-united!

And now they were being taken, at gunpoint, to a place they considered 'hell'!

Clementine was scared. So was Sarah; Molly too.

This place was going to be bad, they all knew it.

Carver was bad, but Tavia was worse!

Things were only going to go downhill from here; for everyone!

End. (There is a sequel)