My boi, Louis needs some love to.

Warning: Spoilers for S4

(I have gone back and corrected a few grammatical errors and spelling mistakes so i do apologise for the false alarm.)

#-#

It had been days since the incident. To his knowledge at least, time was hard to perceive when you weren't paying attention after all. He could tell it was very early in the morning, maybe around 3:00 am or 4:00 am. The soft, cold-blue rays of the light pierced through the darkness of the boarding school room. His room, personalised to the brim with his items from the old world. Some things he still used, others left to gather dust and possibly a few bugs. Everyone else was likely still asleep.

Though he had always felt that something was up, he had trusted Marlon. He was his best friend, his oldest friend in fact. Marlon was the only one to befriend him all those years ago, before the old world collapsed into what it was now. Back when all he had to worry about was his piano lesson with Mr. Hague and trying to keep his only friend from leaving him all sad and lonely again.

It was through Marlon that he had learned of the things that he used to his own personal advantage now, the comedy of Lee Evans or Eddie Murphy to the fun and enjoyable side of school and life itself. And he knew without a doubt that it was because of Marlon that he was the Louis that he is today, the smart, amazingly talented and devilishly handsome Louis that could get along with even the coldest of survivors… He was the reason he wasn't dead, cold and alone or simply dead inside like his mother had been.

But now…

"That stupid, fucking kid!" He yelled, pain lacing his tongue as he struck the wall hard before wincing at the very real pain shooting up his hand and partially into his wrist. Though it was instantly forgotten to another wave of angry tears that streamed down his cheeks.

AJ… He wanted to turn the kids head into pulp, he wanted to burn the body. He wanted let let the tot corpse rise from hell and fall off a cliff-edge and land knees first into a bed of cacti or cantaloupe. God he hated that horrible stuff, almost as much as he hated AJ.

God, he hated him…

He had tried sleeping, but all he could think about was the broken expression on his friends face as he lost his mind. All of his little lies unravelling before him as Clementine - the newcomer and protector of the little shit in question - forced it all out in the open, as angry as he had ever seen a pretty girl get. She sure didn't like lies and deceit, that was for certain.

He remembered how she turned to him, her eyes pleading for his help as his best friend held that gun to her face, ready to end her life. He didn't want her dead, he liked her more than well enough, and she had helped immensely with that find at the train station and they got along like two peas in a pod. Hell, he hadn't met anyone as amazing as her since he had met Marlon himself.

But he didn't want to believe that Marlon was capable of such treachery, such betrayal of friendship. Unfortunately, he had come to realise that he was both capable of that and capable of not telling him of that fact. He, his best friend in the whole wide – walker infested – world, someone he trusted to the point of no return hadn't trusted him with his own secrets.

But, how could he have done that? To Tennessee, to Violet and himself?

In the end he had gotten between him and Clementine, and he could almost feel the shock and betrayal oozing from his best friend. In retrospect, he had done the right thing, Marlon had done those awful things, he had been planning on letting Clementine and her psychopathic kid be taken by whoever was out there.

And when he finally let go of the gun, and asked, no- pleaded to be allowed to become a bad memory to everyone there, to him, Louis knew then and there that he was guilty. He knew before, but watching him relinquish his hold on that gun was like watching it all become official in a way. Like he had signed the contract of punishment.

No, Marlon wasn't a bad guy, no matter the lies he told. He had to have made the best out of an awful situation. He wasn't a bad person, he was his best friend and he knew him better than anyone - than even he - gave him credit for. Sure, he may have ended up hurting everyone, but he saw the pain in his friends eyes… He hated himself for those decisions, he had probably beat himself up every time he looked at Tenn or Violet.

But he had killed Brody in his own fear, that fear had almost ended with clementine dying to him to. Of that, he was truly guilty.

A cool breeze blew past his face, granting him a cooling tingle on his wet cheeks. Turning to look at the boarded up window he noticed the outside was far lighter than it was before. Had he really been sitting there staring at the damn wall for an hour or so?

"Damn it..."

Resignation filled him. No, Marlon had been guilty, but he couldn't blame him. Neither could he blame Clementine. She had only done right in the situation. Like choosing him to help her, not only did he know her better than most others there (besides the brat), but he also needed to see Marlon for what he was. He was a coward… But a coward with Good intention. A coward who had been forced to make terrible choices.

But AJ had shot him…

He had made it back to his bed, looking down upon it like a vulture looks upon a carcass, and before he knew it, he had collapsed into the sheets like a puppet with the strings cut. Losing himself again to the sobbing.

"Why..." Sniffles broke up the heavy gasps and whimpers he made as he tried to talk. "Why did you kill him?"

He no longer knew who he was talking to. God, Maybe? Only God could be this cruel and unloving, was it not enough to take Sophie and Minerva away from them? Did he have to take Brody and Marlon to?

He remembered talking to Clem, telling her that Aasim gave him shit for living in the moment. But was there for him in this moment? Pain? It wasn't a fantastic bargain in any way. What could he do?

He remembered shrugging the shock off his body the quickest, barging past Clem and screaming his best friends name over and over. Blinking so many times, hoping that the gunshot wound would just disappear. But every time, all he would get for his efforts were his best friends blank yet tear stained eyes boring into his own, accusing him, telling him that he was at fault. It wasn't! He hadn't done anything!

A sudden rage had filled him, he remembered. He looked up and swore and cursed at AJ, all whilst he looked at him with fear and confusion. Like he didn't know what he had done wrong! Like he had only spilled milk and not just murdered his best friend who had surrendered!

He had felt Clementine pull him backwards, her arms quickly coiling around his own and across his waist as he felt his own body move. He was trying to get to AJ, he wanted to kill him, he wanted to maim a fucking child! He was stronger than Clementine, she was clearly struggling to even keep him from moving too fast. But then Aasim, had stepped in, holding him back with much more success than Clementine. That blasted male strength… He hadn't hated biology more than in that moment.

Finally, Violet had taken the gun from AJ and forced him to sit on the steps behind him. Telling him not to move. That was when he had finally lost his strength to fight, so all he could do was cry, yell, shout and curse.

He could feel Clementine hugging him at the time, trying her damnedest to comfort him. But she just didn't get it! It was her kid that did this to him, to Marlon.

But even now… he couldn't blame her. She was just as innocent as he was in all this…

But now, all he wanted to do was sleep…

#-#

"Come on, Clem." AJ pleaded, almost crying. "Please, talk to me!"

She couldn't, she couldn't even look at him. She remembered the look on his face before he realised that everyone was looking at him. It was the same looked she had seen Carver give his victims all those years ago. It was the same face he gave Kenny as he destroyed his face, caving his eye in and permanently scarring him.

She had a hard time forgetting the madman, despite the 5 years it had been since she had even seen him. The way AJ just killed a living person, no hesitation or regret – as much as it shamed her to admit – scared her. She hadn't raised him to be like that, to be like the psychopath who wanted to be his father. She taught him what she knew and tried her best to make him a good person despite the world they lived in.

But the way Louis looked at her after his decision to kill Marlon. He was never going to be the same again. He was never going to be the same, care-free guy who had loosened her and made her smile ever again.

She felt a tear go down her face and angrily wiped it away. She had only met him a day or two ago and he had brightened her world up. For so long she was so focussed on surviving that she had forgotten what it meant to live. But Louis had given her that chance and she couldn't thank him more.

He was special, she didn't want to him to lose who he was like she had. More importantly, she didn't want to lose him. She hadn't felt this strongly about someone, not since Lee. But this was different, she not only felt she be herself around him, or even afford to be herself, but she wanted to be around him, he made her day just that much more brighter, reminded her of a happiness she had forgotten about so long ago.

But what AJ had done…

"Clem!"

Sighing, she turned around from the wall to look at him. Her AJ wasn't doing too good. He was angry and scared. Weaponless and defenceless. He probably felt naked without it.

"Clem, please, what are we gonna do?"

He was desperate. But as much as she wanted to comfort him, hug him and tell him everything would be alright. The truth was that it probably wasn't. He had done this to the both of them and he would have to face the consequences.

"We are not going to do anything, AJ." Was all she answered with.

She heard AJ shuffle quickly.

"What do you mean?" He asked, she could hear the anger in him as he replied. "C'mon, I need our gun."

"My gun..."

That stopped him.

"What?"

She turned around again, glaring at him. "I said it is my gun AJ. You aren't getting it back for now."

"Why!?" He yelled. Looking at her like she had told him no sweets. "This is because I killed Marvin… Isn't it!?"

"His name was Marlon, Brat." A familiar voice jeered, and Clementine could feel the hatred it carried. "And you better damn well remember that."

When had he come in?

Looking to her right, she saw the form of Louis standing by the door. Glowering at AJ like he was a monster. Clementine wanted to tell him to stop staring at him like that, but realised that he actually had no reason to stop.

"Louis..." She looked up at him, but tore her gaze away when it was obvious he was to busy glaring at AJ.

"You better remember that, cause he ain't coming back anymore. You made sure to that." He snarled, pointing 'Chairles' at him before throwing it over his shoulder again. AJ at least had the decency to look away.

"He was going to hurt Clem." AJ mumbled, glaring back after a second. But it only seemed to annoy Louis further.

"No, he wasn't!"

"Please..." Clementine got up and gave AJ a look. "Go and lie down."

"But I don't wanna."

"Do it, now!" She didn't want to raise her voice to him, but he was going to cause more problems. "Louis is here to talk."

He nodded. "That I am." He motioned for her to come out with him, surprising her. Had he managed to convince the others that she was okay?

"Violet will take care of AJ until you get back. Don't worry." He said, looking over at Violet who gave her a sad smile before going in. At her look, Louis sighed. "Again, don't worry, as much as I may want to, I am not going to let anything happen to him."

She was sceptical, considering the hateful looks he had given him. But she had to trust him, she didn't want to be kicked out.

And she also felt that even now, he was going to keep his word.

"Hell, i'll even make you the grand Louis patented promise to not harm him if that helps you believe me." He stuck a hand onto his chest, just above his heart, looking at her, not showing a single sign or deceit.

"Follow me to the headmasters."

Nodding her head, Clementine allowed him to show her the way. Wondering what this was all about…

#-#

The headmasters office wasn't any different than it was when she had met Marlon in here. The same map resided over the table and the picture was in the same place. But Louis gave it no attention as he turned to sit down on the floor in front of the desk itself. But Clementine had no clue why.

He looked up to her, his smile not reaching his eyes like it used to. She inwardly winced, it was just another sign of what she had done to him.

"You can sit, you know?" He started, staring up at her. "I won't bite." She watched, about to sit down until he gave her a strained grin. "Well, unless you want me to, of course."

Clementine felt her cheeks heat up, knowing exactly what he was insinuating. But she still sat down besides him anyway, feeling his temperature envelope her from where she sat.

"You know." Louis looked at her, and only now could she see the subtle tear stains that marked his face. "I am putting my ass out on the line just to get you here. Omar and Aasim have been gunning for you to be kicked out, especially that brat of yours."

"He's still learning, Louis. He made a terrible mistake." She creased up a little, even she knew how weak that sounded. Louis gave her a depressed stare in response.

"Yeah, a mistake that cost my best friend his life." He looked away. "He wasn't a bad person, Clem."

"He killed Brody, Louis. Marlon still lied to you all."

"That doesn't matter!" He looked down, frustrated. "He wasn't trying to hurt us! He was given a bad choice and all he could do is make a bad choice."

"I know..." She said gently. Feeling a pang of guilt as his eyes dimmed just that little bit more. She desperately wanted to help him, but where did they stand now? Did he even want her comfort after AJ did what he had done. It would essentially be like hugging the knife that murdered your family.

"I don't know what to do, Clem." He shook his head, looking away from her and out the window. "Everything's falling apart. Marlon, he may have been lying and selling us all out… but he was keeping everything going and we all listened to him."

He got up, walking away from her and leaving her feeling lonelier and more cold. She instantly wanted him back to her side. But he didn't look back.

"But now, Aasim and I just won't stop arguing, we get nothing done, Violet can't go out to the shack on he own. And everyone is too focussed on what AJ did to us that we are just forgetting about our own need to live."

"But I don't know what I want anymore. I know I said that we only have the guarantee of the moment we have now. But what do I have now?" He looked down, feeling an overwhelming sense of pain as his thoughts raced back to his best friend. "My best friend is dead, dead because of your little boy. I can't do anything to stop my friends from going down this hole of shittiness. They won't listen to each other because the one they all did is gone and they just won't stop with the bullshit of kicking you out and I can't take it anymore… I- I can't take it..."

Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, bringing him closer to them. He looked back and saw Clementine, squeezing him with all her heart. He felt her warmth enclose him, weakening his resolve not to cry… He wanted to, but he didn't want to either, what was he feeling now?

"Clem, I-" He shook, trying to find the words that would not come. Her eyes, so beautiful and caring, for someone she had only known for a few days, made him feel safe enough to let it all out…

"Shit..." He muttered before hugging her back, bringing his head onto her shoulder as he trembled with anger, sadness and other emotions he couldn't process or understand.

"I'm sorry, Louis… I'm so sorry..." She whimpered in his ear, unintentionally making him shiver…

"Clem… please, don't leave… I'll do what I can for you to stay..."

"And AJ?"

He paused, god he hated AJ…

"Yes… Him too..."

She was silent for a while, neither, however, left their embrace…

But soon enough she answered him.

"You didn't even have to ask..."

#-#

Fin…

As i said, Louis needs some love. XD

To the guest Reviews:

1st - Cheers, i mostly got the idea due to my disappointment with the stuff that was already out. I felt that Louis just had his memory wiped when Clementine said something gentle to him and i remember cringing when he just went back to treating AJ normally. like he hadn't just shot Marlon in the forehead.

For the whole idea of Chapter: 2 - i will probably try and release one when the next episode is released, i want to play and then watch a bit of it so i get the events ingrained before i continue on this storyline. Needless to say, this will have rippling effects for the episodes to come. :D

2nd - I felt that the lack of other characters was unhelpful, but i want to see them interact a bit more first, because Omar literally only got one or two lines and never spoke afterward. I need more of a foothold on them before i commit, needless to say, though. I will certainly be trying to expand upon them all, including AJ.