Prologue

"9-1-1 what's your emergency?"

"Help! Please send an ambulance there was a car crash on I-95! The car flipped over!"

"Okay sir, please stay calm-"

"Oh my god! There's a little girl!" He drops the phone on the ground and runs to the car.

"Sir?... sir?... Please hang on and wait till someone gets there! Hello… sir!"

The storm raged on in the cold empty town, it rained hard and long throughout rural Georgia. The man stepped out the car and put his hood on, he walked into Red's Diner and headed for a booth in the corner. It was quiet for the most part nothing but truck drivers, waitresses, static from the old tv and light country jams playing in the back.

A woman searched through the jukeboxes playlist before noticing the man in the corner. The server brought him some coffee, as she watched him intently, she believed it was him, he was the her guy.

She headed to the table and sat across from him, he watched her hesitantly and pulled out her notebook and pen.

"The names Carley, I'm assuming you're Lee, right?" She didn't make eye contact until she finished writing.

"Yeah, that's me." He continues to drink his coffee.

"You have quite an interesting story, I'm glad you called me back to meet, it's about time we heard your perspective of the story." She sat her notebook down and set up her recorder.

"Yeah, something about the message you left me told me you're a no bullshit kind of girl." He sipped his coffee.

"No bullshit kind of woman." She smirked at him as she took in his appearance. "Alright so I want all the details, don't leave anything out. I'm also great at detecting bullshit so don't try it, now tell me the everything from the beginning." She leaned in closer and he began.

He stood in the mirror and watched himself as he put on the nicest suit he owned. He added a bit of cologne to his collar and his wrist before officially tying his tie. Before he could get deep into though he saw himself in the mirror, and man did he look good. His phone started ringing and he went to answer it.

"Baby, where are you the event is starting soon." His wife told him. He could hear the impatience in her voice.

"I'm coming honey, I'm almost there." Lee grabbed his coat and keys as he headed out.

"Lee Everett, are you just now leaving the house?" He could feel the argument forming and quickly approaching.

"Honey I will be there before the event starts, I promise."

"You better. Look I want us to work, for things to get better… just get here before the events starts." Her voice got a bit softer.

"I will. I love you." He held his breath, waiting to hear the words back.

"Yeah… baby, I love you too, just hurry." She rushed him off the phone and hung up. His head was hung low as he felt defeated. His marriage was crumbling before his eyes and it felt like there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Lee headed out the house and hopped into his car, setting out for the governors ball. His wife job consist of a lot of traveling while he worked as a history professor for the University of Georgia. He played The Temptations as he steadily rolled through traffic before hopping onto the highway. He checked the time 7:45pm, he had 15 minutes to get there before he'd be hearing her mouth all night. "15 minutes, no problem" he thought out loud as he turned the music up just a bit louder. As he shifted to face the road, everything in front of him flashed before his eyes. A couple of cars in front of him skirted and he joined the notion and watched a collision before his eyes. One car even flipped over and was hanging off the highway bridge. People stopped and got out there cars to see the horror in front of them. He looked around and saw no one making an effort to call the cops, so he did. He watched the car teeter back and forth as it hung rearing at the edge of the highway. As he called he couldn't take his eyes off the wreckage.

"9-1-1 what's your emergency?"

"Help! Please send an ambulance there was a car crash on I-95! The car flipped over!"

"Okay sir, please stay calm-"

"Oh my gosh! There's a little girl!" He drops the phone on the ground and runs to the car.

"Sir?... sir?... Please hang on and wait till someone gets there! Hello… sir!"

Lee ran towards the car as he frantically searched for a way to save the little girl in the back. Everyone took their phones out as they watched the scene go down, only one other man came out to help rather than watch. The other man held the car down as Lee reached in for the girl, she was frightened and in shock.

"Hey sweetie, I know this is scary but you have to take my hand so I can get you out of this mess." He reached out for her but she didn't move.

"My… my parents." She pointed to the body in the windshield and the empty driver's seat. The sight made him want to throw up, but he knew he had another objective.

"I know sweet pea it's going to be okay. I won't let anything happen to you." He reached a little further in as the car teetered once more.

"Promise." She asked.

"I promise." He told her. He reached in almost touching her hand but the car teetered once more.

"I'm scared." She retreated.

"Hey! Guy! I can't hold this shit for much longer." The man with the mustache yelled.

"I'm working on it!" Lee yelled back.

"Well work faster!" He retorted.

"Alright honey, I'm going to need you to take my hand so I can pull you out before this thing falls over." Lee told the girl softly.

"No! No! No!" She covered her eyes.

"I know you're scared, I've been scared before, and every time I get scared I breathe and I push through it." Lee was very gentle though in this moment he was scared for his life. The little girl took a deep breath and reached for Lee's hand. She almost was able to reach until she was pulled back.

"I'm stuck!" She tried not to freak out.

"I got you! Don't panic just breathe." He reached in and wiggled the seatbelt. If this car goes down, he's going down with it. He got the seatbelt unlatched and pulled the girl out as they tumbled to the ground. The man and the few other people that helped let go of the car as it teetered more and slid down further. The little girl held onto to the man for dear life as she weeped. "I got you sweetpea, I got you." He held her until the police and ambulance made it, they tried to take the little girl but she panicked during their attempts.

"It's okay, the nice people just want to make sure you're okay." He comforted the little girl. She let go to get checked out but continued to hold his hand. "It's okay. I'm standing right here, I won't let anything happen to you."

The sun had set and Lee completely lost track of time. He went to go check his phone when he saw that he has 12 missed calls from his wife, it was better to not call her back right now, today was stressful enough. The little girl quickly came darting back to Lee and held onto him as the medical help tried to take her away. The man that helped with the wreckage also approached them.

"What you did there was very noble man, I don't think most would of done what you did." The man shook his hand.

"I'm sure they would of. She's a little girl, I couldn't let her go down like that." Lee told him.

"Well you deserve a medal or something, how about buy you a drink sometime. My wife and kid are in the car, but here's my information, let me know when you want to use it." The mustache man put his hand on Lee's shoulder.

"Thanks man, what's your name." Lee put the paper in his pocket.

"It's Kenny. Call anytime, I'm a commercial fisherman so I'm up and about all throughout the day and night. Have a good one!" Kenny walked away and headed out.

Lee bent down to the girls level and held her.

"Please don't leave me alone again." She cried. "Those people tried to take me away."

"Alright. I won't honey." He rubbed her back. "What's your name?"

"Clementine, it's Clementine." She looked up to him.

"Alright Clementine, i'll stay right by your side."

The ambulance tried very hard to split the two up but Clementine was very adamant about sticking with Lee, so they headed to the hospital. She got checked up and she was fine besides a few cuts and bruises. The doctor Hershel pulled Lee aside to chat about his relation with the girl before turning it over to CPS. The CPS lady Bonnie couldn't find any other relatives that would take Clementine in, so she was officially an orphan. Lee immediately signed on to be a foster parent until further notice. Bonnie normally wasn't supposed to do this but made sure to help Lee in his case. Though he couldn't take her home that night, she promised he could see her tomorrow and they could check out his place and do a background check to see if he was suitable to watch a child.

Lee finally headed home after a crazy day promising himself to check on Clementine tomorrow morning. He knew he needed to prepare his home for her, for a kid, and yet the idea of raising a kid wasn't nearly as scary as the fight he was preparing to have with his wife. He pulled into the driveway and headed into the lavish home, it was not made for a kid. He walked through the garage and into the house and he was ready to hear it.

"Oh thank God!" She ran up to him and hugged him. "Are you okay?" She started checking him.

"I'm fine, wait… how do you know what happened." Lee was completely taken off guard.

"I was completely livid when you didn't show up tonight, but when you weren't answering my calls I got worried, then I saw the news. You saved that little girl! They had a video and everything, i'm just glad you're okay." She hugged him once more.

"Speaking of the little girl-" She cut him off.

"Let's get you out of those clothes, then we can talk." She led him to their room and he started to change seeing a bloodstain on his white shirt giving him flashbacks of the previous incidences.

"What I wanted to talk to you about." She started to kiss him hinting at what she wanted, but he knew what was more important. "That little girl… I'm her foster parent for now, of course until I can adopt her."

"Excuse me, what!" The woman bounced back completely. "You signed up to foster a child! Before talking to me about it first!"

"It was in the moment, she had nowhere to go and I couldn't let her fall into the system Elaine." Lee got up to keep changing.

"Lee this is not an environment for children, we have glass everywhere and-"

"The only reason we bought this house is so we can have children!" Lee snapped a little.

"Lee you know I can't." She turned away from him.

"No, you can, you just don't want to." Lee started to get frustrated. "Before we got married you knew how bad I wanted children, then when I wanted to try you changed your mind. Elaine I'm working with you as best I can. Look this is something new and I think it could help us-"

"Bringing a child into the equation is not going to help us Lee!"

"Can we just try? Look if it doesn't work out we are only fostering her, and if it does then we may actually have a family." Lee pleaded.

"I thought we already were one." She stormed into the bathroom.

"Elaine…"

"Okay Lee, I'll try, but not for you, for that little girl." She climbed into bed.

The next day came and Lee woke up extra early to do anything he could to make Clementine more comfortable and kid-proof the house. Around 8am Elaine and him headed to go pick her up. When they got to the foster house she stayed at, her face immediately lit up at the sight of Lee.

"Lee!" She beamed and ran to him. "The lady said that I can live with you, but I had to wait till today."

"Yeah sweet pea you're coming with us, this is my wife Elaine." Lee introduces the two.

"Hi Clementine." She shook the little girls hand.

A year had past and Lee and Clementine had only gotten closer, her taking up most of his free time. Bonnie has checked their place and throughout her visits it got more and more kid friendly. Elaine and Lee only grew more distant though, anytime Lee wanted to do something for or with her she never reciprocated, all she did was keep herself busy hardly even establishing a relationship with Clementine. Clementine was able to go to her parents funeral and even got to keep the cremations, it was hard for her but she only took a few things from her old house that could be in memory of them such as: her dads lucky cap, her walkie-talkies, a necklace that was her mother's, and other small Knick knacks. She started to see a therapist and seemed better and better as time went on, as she stayed in school and even started to play softball. When the time came for Lee and Elaine to decide if they were going to adopt Clementine, Elaine couldn't say no, she saw how happy Clem made Lee and knew it was the best thing for them.

Lee finally got the adoption papers back to confirm her adoption, and Lee wanted to make it an extra special night. He set up reservations for a really nice restaurant and even bought Clementine a pretty dress. Lee picked her up from school and headed home when he saw a car in the driveway that he'd never seen before. He was very suspicious but didn't want to alarm Clementine.

"Who's car is that?" Clementine caught on, she was a smart girl.

"I don't know Sweetpea, but stay in the car I'm going to go find out." Lee parked the car on the street and got out. "Hey lock the door and don't open for anyone, okay?"

"Okay." She did exactly what she was asked.

Lee walked inside and quietly crept up the stairs. It didn't seem like anything was taken, but he did notice his wife's keys. He continued up when he heard noises coming from his bedroom, he busted the door open to see Elaine and Senator Macintosh active in his bed.

"Lee!" Elaine coward as Macintosh hopped of the bed and tried to put his pants on quick. A rage took over Lee and he blacked out as he grabbed the man and started beating him senselessly. Elaine tried to stop him, but couldn't.

"Lee!" A scared Clementine yelled from the door, which snapped him out of it. He got up from on top of the man and turned to her.

"Clementine." She looked scared and stared at the blood dripping from his knuckles. He wiped his knuckles on his jeans and bent down to her level. "I'm sorry you has to see that, what happened to waiting in the car?"

"I got scared you didn't come back for a long time."

"I'm sorry I scared you honey." She hugged him as she tried not to look at the man bloody in the corner.

"Lee-" He immediately shout daggers Elaine's way.

"You did this." He picked up Clementine and led her out the room as they headed to the car and sat there. Lee didn't know his fate but still wanted to give Clementine her gift.

" I had a surprise for you today." Lee looked at Clementine.

"Wha-what was it?" She looked at him. He handed her the box with a ribbon on out with a card.

"We got the adoption papers back and it was official that you're an Everett, If you still want to be?"

"I do." She didn't hesitate as she cried and gave Lee a hug. "The man in there… was he bad?"

"Yeah Clem, yeah he was."

"Oh." She sat there quietly for a little. She started to unwrap the present and saw a very pretty dress. "Thank you Lee! Do you think it would look good with my hat?" She beamed.

"I think it would look great with your hat." Lee half smiled to her.

The police and ambulance came and let's say this was all over the news. Lee got arrested and the Senator was taken in an ambulance, luckily he lived and though he wanted to press charges due to the situation he wouldn't to save face though not much of it was saved not to mention Lee was the man that saved a little girl from dying so for the Senator it was a losing battle.

Lee and Elaine ended up splitting, it was too much to stay there so Lee decided it was time for a change. He packed up and headed to Macon so that he could be closer to his parents and siblings. Though it was hard for Lee in the beginning it got better, a lot better. Elaine may now have been Clem's legal mother but the two didn't have a relationship, Lee asked nothing from her; after all she didn't want a kid in the first place. Macon became home again and Lee was once again close with his family again, even finally accepted Kenny's drink establishing a friendship with the man as well.

"There you have it Carley, did I bullshit?" Lee questioned.

"Not that I can tell." She finished writing and stopped recording.

"Okay, now I have one off the record question… wanna do dinner sometime?" Lee asked.

"I don't mix business and pleasure." Carley smiled and started packing up her things. "But for you, I guess I can make an exception. You have my number, you know where to find me." She walked away leaving Lee at Red's Diner, he liked her, a lot.