The West Virginia landscape flew past them as they zoomed across the road. How they had been lucky enough to find a working car was a mystery, but they weren't complaining. Siphoning gas from the other cars had been fairly easy, but finding a battery that wasn't corroded to hell had been another issue. Lee almost went mad searching, but finally found an acceptable-looking battery in an old Ford Anglia. Not the fanciest ride, but it'll do, he'd thought reasonably.
Lee looked to his right and eyed the dreaded boy carefully. The first time Clem, AJ and him had found the boarding school, the kids had been rather reluctant to let him in. He understood, since they'd been on their own for so long, they probably didn't hold adults in the highest regard anymore. Luckily for him, Clementine had argued in his defense. She was pretty feisty when she was determined, so they had no choice but to give him a chance. They earned their keep, to say the least.
Louis was fidgeting with one of his dreads absently, looking far into the distance. Lee could tell Louis was rather uncomfortable to be alone with him. Ever since he and Clementine had started dating, Lee had kept an annoyingly close eye on him. He couldn't help it, though. He would always be an overprotective father, even if he didn't have any kids.
"So," said Lee after at least an hour of silence, "I think it's time we talked more."
Louis stiffened and looked down awkwardly, before turning to the older man, "Sure, what would you like to talk about?" he said nonchalantly, keeping a small grin on his face at all times.
"I'm just saying that we should get to know each other, seeing as how we both have at least one common interest," he commented, raising an eyebrow and eyeing the teen from the corner of his eye.
"Oh, uh," Louis stuttered, "you mean Clementine," he said, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"That's correct. I want to make sure you know what you're doing," he reminded the young boy, choosing his words carefully.
"I hope I do, sir," responded Louis, making Lee flinch at the use of the word 'sir', "I think I'm falling for her," he admitted suddenly.
Lee almost stopped the car altogether, but decided against it. They didn't know how many trips this old car had in it. Instead, he turned to Louis with wide eyes, "you serious? You're not bullshitting me?"
"I'm not," Louis assured him, nodding, "she's great, and takes no one's shit. You've raised her well," he added.
"Well, I appreciate you taking it seriously," Lee thanked him, smiling despite himself. He saw a sign for a town that was half a mile up the road and started pulling up, "I'm sorry for being so protective, it's just that we've been through so much, and now she's all grown up," he said wistfully while he turned off the car and opened the door. "We should walk the rest of the way," he added as an afterthought.
"I can tell you love her very much, Lee." He got out of the car and heaved 'Chairles' over his right shoulder, "and you should know, no one will ever replace you in her eyes. I know she feels the same about you."
"Thanks," Lee replied, grabbing the army knife he got from David Garcia. Well, 'got' might have been an understatement. David almost stabbed Lee with it after a disagreement back in Richmond.
They nodded to each other and kept silently walking towards the small town. They could see a couple of houses lined with debris from years of neglect. After a couple of minutes, they stood at the door of a neighborly picket-fence house, with boarded up windows and shattered glass strewn across the floorboards. A tree house was perched on top of an old oak in the backyard, and Lee had a flashback to the time he found a little girl hidden in one just like it.
As they entered the house carefully they scanned the place for walkers. Luckily it was clean, and they set to do their assigned tasks: bring as much as they could carry, and hopefully find some food if there was any.
"I ever tell you about when Clem and I met?" Lee said suddenly, startling the boy out of his thoughts.
"I don't believe you did, but please, do tell," replied Louis, shaking a drawer clean of its contents: a dried up milk carton and some expired pills.
"It was right when it all began, some eight years ago. I'd just been in a car crash, and came knocking on her door for help. I searched the house and found nothing but a walkie-talkie and a very pissed off walker," he explained, ducking under a broken down lamp.
"Sounds like a fun time," Louis joked.
"It wasn't," Lee chuckled, "anyway, right as it was about to tear my face off, Clementine came to my rescue and handed me a hammer to bash its skull. We've been together ever since."
"I always knew she was a badass even when she was little," Louis mused. Their conversation was cut short as they heard a low gurgling coming from a back living room. They moved carefully and in sync, covering each other's backs. When they opened the double doors, they found a walker hanging from a noose attached to a beam, reaching for them but never quite getting there.
"Guess he couldn't take it anymore," Lee commented, cutting off the rope and disposing of the walker easily.
"You never get used to the smell, do you?" Louis scrunched up his nose as they dragged it outside.
"Nope."
They were fortunate enough to find some long lost supplies in the nook and crannies of the house. Moving on from the first one, they scrounged up four days worth of food from the adjoining houses. Each house was dealt with quietly and swiftly. They made a good team, Lee gathered as they disposed of a couple of stray walkers guarding the seventh house in the block.
Nearly three hours later, they found themselves in the attic of an ancient, Victorian style house. Louis had heard a noise coming from upstairs and they'd decided to check it out. Although the noise turned out to be mice, they rejoiced when they found a box of canned goods, ranging from beans to meat packets. They had just come down the stairs when Louis noticed another door.
"Hey, I think we didn't check that one," he said, pointing, "and it has a mark near the handle. It might have something useful."
"Nice find," Lee complimented, walking carefully up to the door and reaching out for the handle.
Of course it's locked, thought Lee ruefully. They positioned themselves and attempted to force it open. After three tries, the door swung open and Lee went flying forward, crashing into a pile of boxes. He swore under his breath and stood up, dusting himself off.
But what came next, they weren't prepared for. As soon as he stood up, they heard the distinctive sound of a rope snapping in half. To their dismay, this somehow activated a blaring alarm, much like the PA system at Howe's, capable of bringing the whole state of West Virginia down on them.
"God fucking damn it, how is this shit still on?" Lee swore, spinning on his heels and exiting the room, Louis right behind him.
"Maybe there's a backup generator?" he put in, though the likeliness of that was very low.
They ran down the stairs in haste, but it was too late. Walkers were already swarming the house in every possible direction, banging on boards and windows relentlessly. They grabbed their weapons and prepared for the worst.
"And now we fight," Louis said, swinging his chair leg slowly.
"Hey Louis?" Lee said, his determined eyes set on the door. "For what it's worth, you and Clem have my blessing," he told Louis, nodding in his general direction.
Louis didn't really have time to process the magnitude of his words, as the first of many windows finally gave under the pressure of the bodies. There must be hundreds, Louis though, his eyes darting between the walkers and trying to find an opening. At some point during the siege, the alarm had turned off, but it was too late. The party was already upon them.
They moved around a lot, disposing of the stragglers that got too close for comfort. They had guns in their back pockets, but the amount of bullets they had between them was laughable. Those were for humans only, Lee had warned him. It was rather somber that that was the norm nowadays, but Louis had agreed nonetheless. Walkers they could handle; humans were much more dangerous.
After they'd already taken care of at least forty walkers, the fight was leaving them. They were already exhausted from lugging around boxes of useless stuff around the houses, and there was still no window in sight for them to leave.
Louis turned around slightly just in time to spot of a stray walker heading straight for Lee, whose attention was occupied with two struggling corpses trying to break down their last line of defense. Crying out, Louis charged right at the walker, swinging 'Chairles' in a perfect motion that cut its head right off.
Lee turned his head to see the dead walker lying behind him, and the boy who'd just saved his life. "Thanks! Now help me barricade this!" he commanded, as Louis pushed his body against the desk tha held the door closed and away from the walkers.
After their successful makeshift barricade was in place, they decided to wait out the herd. They didn't get a chance to do it, however, as gunfire was heard not far from where they currently were. Both men perked up at the noise, and noticed a shift in the direction of the walker herd outside. Somehow, someway, they'd been saved.
They waited until no noise could be heard from outside the door, and heaved the desk out of the way. Peering out, Lee confirmed the absence of walkers and motioned for Louis to follow him. Once they were downstairs, they drew long breaths to regain their footing.
"Damn, that was a close one, huh?" Lee said ruefully, wiping the sweat off his forehead and leaning against the wall.
"Too fucking close, if you ask me," said Louis, running a hand through his dreads and still looking around.
"I think we should go before we find out who these gunmen were," suggested Lee, cleaning out the blood from the blade of his knife.
"Agreed." Louis turned around and headed for the door. He didn't make it far, however, when an ear-piercing scream brought him swinging back on his heels.
When he turned, he was met with a horrible sight. In front of him, a stray walker that had somehow gotten itself only halfway over the windowsill was sinking its teeth into Lee's neck, locking him in a death grip that prevented him from grabbing the knife, dropped on the floor by its owner.
"LEE!"
Louis couldn't move at first, paralyzed by the horrific scene playing out in front of him, but after a few milliseconds he came back to and charged once again at the threat in front of him. He swiftly grabbed the knife from off the ground and sunk it deep into the walker's skull, seeping a tremendous amount of blood onto Lee and on the floor.
When the pressure subsided, Lee dropped to the floor, a hand covering the bleeding injury on his neck. Blood was slowly oozing out, and Lee had turned pale as a sheet in the few seconds since it had occurred.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," cried Louis, his hands on his head and pacing rapidly.
"Calm down, Louis," Lee tried to suggest; though his breath was ragged by the time he finished the sentence.
"Calm down?" Louis practically yelled, "You're bit, Lee. How am I supposed to calm the fuck down?"
"I know I'm bit," Lee said solemnly, beckoning the teen to approach him. "I'm sorry, Louis. I should have been more careful. Eight years surviving on the road," he got the words out in between coughs of blood and shivers that went down his body, "and I get bit by a fucking house walker."
"You're gonna be okay though, right?" Louis said frantically, kneeling beside Lee and inspecting the wound. "We're gonna get you to Ruby and she'll patch you right up, huh?"
Lee looked at the worried boy and closed his eyes. He knew his time was limited, and he let out a shaky breath. "Louis, this is it for me here."
"No! No, you're not giving up now!" he practically screamed, moisture building up in his eyes as he patted himself looking for something that could help. He didn't find anything, though.
"I'm not. I'm just accepting a fact," Lee replied, looking into the young man's eyes, a few tears escaping his own.
"You can't do this to me, man. You can't do this to Clementine!" he exclaimed. The thought of his girlfriend's reaction was enough to turn his stomach inside out. "What am I supposed to tell her?" he asked in a defeated tone, now letting the tears come as his desperation took to new heights.
"Tell her," Lee whispered, coughing profusely in the process. Time was running out, "tell her that I love her. Sometimes I feel like I don't say it enough. Tell her she's strong, and that she can do anything."
"I – I will, Lee," Louis sobbed, placing a shaky hand on the older man's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"Me too," Lee said, nodding slowly and closing his eyes. "You know what you must do now."
"I don't know if I can. I've… never killed anyone before," he admitted, staring mostly at his shaking hands rather than the dying man.
"Don't let fear get the better of you, Louis. Use it as a strength, and nothing can stand in your way," Lee encouraged, slowly reaching with his right hand for the gun in his back pocket. He handed it to Louis, who took it gingerly and flipped it in his hands.
"I think I can," he whispered, checking the chamber for bullets. There were three.
"Oh, and Louis," Lee coughed, closing his eyes for a second before searching for any remaining strength he may have. "I need you to promise me something."
"Anything, sir." the formality escaped his lips unbidden, but Lee took no notice.
"Promise that you'll look after Clem and AJ. You'll be the only thing they have left after I'm gone. Clementine's lost so much," he added, remembering the people that had come and gone along their path, and the effect they'd left on his little girl. "I don't know if she could handle it on her own."
Louis closed his eyes and sniffed loudly. After a moment, he nodded, "I promise, Lee. I won't let you down."
"I know you won't," Lee assured him, lifting a weak hand and clasping Louis's for a second. "Alright, I'm ready," he said finally, letting out a breath and closing his eyes.
Louis stood up slowly, taking in the image in front of him. Lee was covered in blood, both his own and the walker's, and his face was pale. His eyes had taken a yellowish hue, and his breaths were short and ragged. Louis was covered in Lee's blood as well, and it clung to his trench coat like glue, leaving a trace of the dying man.
He steadied himself and cocked the gun slowly, just like Clem had shown him. She had told him he'd need this skill someday, but he'd hoped he wouldn't have to test it so soon; and on Lee of all people. Fighting off the tears that seemed to overcome him, Louis pointed the barrel of the pistol at Lee and closed his eyes. He pulled the trigger, and Lee was no more.
The ride back home was a quiet one. Usually, when Louis was alone, he'd start singing or tell himself jokes. That was a great way to pass time; but not today. Not only had Louis not brought back enough supplies for the group, but Clementine's father figure had been bitten in front of him, and he'd been powerless to stop it. As he thought back on it, he figured that maybe he could have done something, but he knew it was too late. The deed was done, and he'd have to live with it.
After a four hour drive, Louis pulled up in the driveway at the school at dusk. He realized he had taken much longer than he could have coming back, but he had really needed that time to process everything. It seemed the only person outside was Willy, who was on watch this time. The boy noticed the absence of Lee, but must have decided not to comment on it as Louis slowly walked toward the dorms. He didn't get far, however, as Clementine burst through the double doors and enveloped Louis in a bone-crushing hug. One that he didn't deserve.
She kissed him fiercely and smiled at him, oblivious to the situation at hand.
"What took you so long?" she asked, but got no answer. She glanced over his shoulder in search of Lee, but she saw an empty car instead. "Louis, where's Lee?" she inquired, pulling away from him with a frown.
"I – I'm sorry, Clem," was all Louis could let out, the strength leaving his body completely.
Clementine tilted her head in confusion for a moment, before understanding dawned on her face. "What happened?" she blurted out, almost yelling.
Still, Louis had no response. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and just wanted it to be over.
"What the fuck happened, Louis?" she screamed at him, silent tears welling in her eyes.
"We… Lee got bit," he said slowly, taking a sudden interest in his shoelaces.
"He what?" she asked incredulously.
"We got boxed into a house swarming with walkers," he began, willing the tears to hold out a little longer. "When they cleared out, we were about to leave when one of them got the jump on Lee. I couldn't stop it," he admitted guiltily.
Clem stood frozen for a minute before her features took a dark turn. She launched herself at Louis, clawing and punching his chest frantically. He did just the bare minimum to keep her at bay, but he couldn't deny that he felt he deserved it.
"No! You're lying, he's not dead!" she was screaming, tears streaming down her face as the doors behind her opened and revealed the rest of the kids. "Why are you fucking lying, Louis? Stop lying!" she pleaded, never daring to meet his eye, lest in confirmed her suspicions.
"I really wish I was, Clem. He's – gone." Once Clem's fists were no longer a threat to his chest, he embraced her fiercely and let her sob in silence. Her cries of anguish filled the courtyard, and a very confused AJ met Louis's eye. Louis shook his head and the small boy frowned, still unsure of what had happened.
"I can't believe he's gone," she whispered, so low that only Louis could hear.
"I know, baby. I know," he kept saying, stroking her hair slowly and finally letting the tears fall. It was liberating, he thought, though there was nothing liberating about today's events.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye," she realized, a fresh batch of tears streaming down her rosy cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, Clem," Louis whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead and looking up at the sky. Wherever he was, Louis would make Lee proud. He owed him that much at least. Closing his eyes, he whispered,
"I promise."