I suppose you can consider this a random drabble. I didn't actually know where I was going with this I just started writing. This could be a one shot or a series of drabbles. I just really REALLY love Clementine and Aj's story. I could listen to them talk to each other forever. Anyway, hope you enjoy it!
"Clem...I saw you and Louis the other night."
Ajs stated matter of factly. He stared up at the bunk bed above him, his head resting comfortably on a pillow. Clementine's eyes widened in shock. She turned to look at the nine year old laying in his bed across the way.
"Oh."
"You guys were like...really loud. Well, Louis was."
Aj's face was contorted into a confused frown.
"I…"
Clementine began but didn't know what to say. Aj turned his head to look upon her curiously.
"Willy said you guys were having…sex. I know what it is...kind of. What does it feel like?"
The hairs on the back of Clementine's neck stood up. She turned her head away in embarrassment.
"You'll find out when you're older."
Aj's frown deepened.
"I know how to kill people Clem. You can teach me about that too you know."
Clem rolled over in her bed, turning her back to him.
"Aj…"
"Ok. I'm sorry."
Clem rolled over again, this time to gaze upon the boy. He was staring at her silently. She sighed and raised her arms towards him. Aj rose up from his laying position to walk over to her bed. He crowed atop the cushion and cuddled into her embrace, his head resting against her chest.
"It's ok. You'll learn eventually. It just what two people do when they love each other."
Aj craned his neck back to stare up at her.
"Could we do it?"
Clementine nearly choked on her own tongue.
"What...No...that's. That's not how it works."
"But...I love you. And you love me right?"
"Yes of course. But...there are different types of love. There is the love of….well, like a mother and son. And then there is the love of too people who...like-like each other. It's different."
(AJ is confused.)
Aj furrows his brow.
"How is it different?"
Clementine's eyes wonder in thought.
"You are only supposed to do that with someone you're own age."
"Why?"
Clementine gritted her teeth in frustration. She then breathed calmly through her nose.
(Aj noticed that)
"It's hard for me to explain. You know that I didn't give birth to you yet you are still like a son to me. You are my child. The love we have is...like the love of a parent and child. It's not...romantic. What Louis and I have, it's a romantic type of love."
"Romantic? Like those books that Ruby reads?"
"Exactly. Romantic love is...it's a different type of feeling. It makes you want to kiss each other. It makes your belly tingle. Sometimes you get real sweaty. Your heart starts pounding."
Aj looked down thinking about Clementine's explanation. Clementine was really struggling. She decided to answer in a more direct way.
"Remember we had that conversation about where babies come from after you saw Ruby and Aasim together."
Aj nodded.
"That's romantic. It's like a feeling you get with people you own age. You start kissing...then you...have sex. And then you make a baby. That's romantic. Do you understand?
"I think so."
Clementine smiled and kissed Aj on the forehead. He snuggle closer to her. All Clementine could see was the big afro covering the boy's head, his face buried in her sternum.
"I love you Clem."
"I love you too Goofball."
Later...
A harsh, cold liquid drenched her body, waking her up. Clementine's head lurched, the girl's eyes scanning her environment frantically. Panicked eyes settled on two figures standing above her.
Clementine was in a dark room, her arms forcibly folded behind her chair. Rope bound her to the chair.
"So you're the leader? Can't see how you lead anything with that peg leg."
A middle aged man spoke down to Clementine. He stood over her with a bat resting on his shoulder. It was covered in barbed wire. He had on a thick leather jacket.
Right next to him sat a balding man with a handlebar mustache, adoring a matching leather jacket. Despite his stature he looked to be the meaner of the two.
"We tried to do this the easy way. Just give us some of your stuff and pay a small protection cost and you're little shithole would be unharmed. And what did you do? You spit in our faces. Tried to kill us? I don't like that at all. Simon do you like that?"
"Not one bit."
Simon answered without hesitation.
"Not one bit. Actions like that have consequences."
The man continued, turning his head to look at a mutilated body in the corner of the room. Clementine's eyes widened, instantly recognizing the now-dead body of Louis. His skull had been beaten in.
The girl was frozen, experiences a plethora of emotions. Before she could properly react the man in charge turned his back to her.
"Bring her outside."
He said before leaving the room. When he exited another person wearing a leather jacket came into the room to replace him. They grabbed the lifeless body of Louis and began to drag him towards the exit. Simon reached down to pick Clementine's still bound body up and toss her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Don't fucking touch me!"
Clementine barked in a sorrowful rage.
"That's not smart at all. You should stop and think."
Simon warned. Clementine continued to struggle. They only got a few steps before Simon turned to slam her head into a wall, nearly knowing the girl unconscious.
"Oops."
Simon stated compassionless before moving forward.
When they exited the room door they had to move down two flights of stairs. The leader moved confidently. At the bottom of the stair was a large hall. The main hall of the school where the rest of Erikson's boarding school for Troubled Youth were kneeling. They all watched in horror as Louis' dead body was being dragged down the stairs. Ruby had tears pouring from their eyes.
Willy streamed in a rage.
"You son of a Bitch!"
As he said that a rifle butt hit him in the back of the head, making him fall over. He barely managed to catch himself but falling on all fours. Behind each of the other teens was over a dozen soldiers wearing matching leather jackets.
"This just won't do. Goddamn! Do you kids have a mouth or what?"
The leader taunted in a sickeningly jovial manner. As he spoke Simon reached the bottom of the staircase and dropped Clementine unceremoniously. She let out a pain filled cry.
"Clementine!"
Came the alarmed voice of Violet. Clementine's eyes were closed in strain.
"It's ok. We're going to be ok." Clementine stated weakly.
Violet lowered her head, closing her one good eye before sending her most harsh glare towards the leader. Most everyone's eyes were on Louis' lifelessly body.
"I'm going to need you to understand who I am. You clearly have lost your damn mind."
The leader said, his gaze lingered on the teens before looking over to Louis' dead body with a slick smile.
"Figuratively and literally."
"Fuck you!"
Violet shouted in a rage, standing up to charge at the leader.. Even with being nearly blind she wanted to tear him apart. When she neared him she got a boot to the stomach. Violet collapsed, hunching over on the floor trying to catch her breath. He raised his bat above her head, preparing to end the girl's life.
"Stop!"
Clementine cried out, making the man freeze.
The man rested the bat on his shoulder. He walked over to Clementine to look down on her in silence. The entire room was quiet now, filled only with the sound of sniffling.
"I am Negan. You work for me now."
The man commanded.
Clementine stared up at him in hesitation, a deep pain evident in her eyes. If it was just her she would fight, but it wasn't. Her gaze shifted back to the scared teens, all looking towards her for guidance. Then finally to Violet's pleading gaze.
Clementine nodded.
"Say it."
Negan commanded.
"I work for you."
"I can't hear you."
"I work for you!"
Clementine shouted, sitting up with tears streaming down her cheeks, her teeth gritted.
Negan nodded and stepped past her.
"I'll be back in a week. I aspect you to have something good for me by then."
As the man spoke the large school hall began to clear. The dozens of soldiers left through the front door out into the courtyard.
It was pitch black, half a dozen vehicles were parked on the huge school front yard.. Negan strode confidently towards his truck, turning around to look back on the school with a victorious grin.
As he did his crew began to enter their vehicles.
Back with Clem.
Clementing stared at the lifeless bodies of her two friends, speechless.
"Clementine...what are we going to do? They killed Louis. Those bastards." Violet spoke out, rising to her feet.
Omar and Willy walked over to Clementine to help her up, acting as her crutches. They were released from their binds.
Ruby and Assim went over to untie Violet. They all looked to Clementine desperately.
"I can't believe Louis is gone? How did this happen? This is so fucked! Their just going to come back. The fuck do we do?" Violet cried out.
Clementine stayed silent for a long while, her eyes closed in a strain. After a moment her lids opened into a look of pure malice.
"Bar the door." Clementine commanded.
"What? How is that going to…"
Willy began to say but stopped immediately when seeing the look Clementine gave him. He and Omar nodded at each other before turning around and sprinting to the door of the main hall. They took a huge two-by-four and used it to bind the double doors shut.
Violet looked at Clem in confusion.
"Clem?"
Clementine didn't answer. Instead a loud BOOM answered for her.
Outside…
Negan opened the door to his truck just as a gigantic explosion knocked him off of his feet. One of the trucks furthest away from him exploded.
"What the shit!" Negan screamed in alarm.
A pillar of fire lit up the night sky, then another, and another. The courtyard was being set aflame by huge explosions. Negan's crew began to scatter. A few ran around with their bodies blazing, screaming in agony.
Negan crawled across the courtyard as gunfire sounded. His men were shooting in all directions.
As Negan crawled he began to notice his man dropping like flies. One after one a man's head would explode as a bullet exited his skull. Then another, and another.
"Sniper!"
Simon screamed, jumping behind a car to use it as cover. Many soldiers followed his lead, finding anything to hide from the invisible sniper in the dark.
They didn't know what direction the shots were coming from. Especially given the fire raging in the courtyard. After a moment the shots stopped.
"How they hell did someone get the drop on us?"
Simon yelled in alarm.
"Somebody dropped the ball. Where the fuck is Laura!? Laura!"
Negan screamed into his walkie talkie. He was met with silence.
"Joe, Adam. You better be dead."
Negan exclaimed.
Simon looked over to Negan, began scanning the field. There were still a few dozen soldiers around, hiding behind the vehicles that hadn't exploded.
"The shots came from that direction. There can't be too many of them. We would have noticed an army."
Simon insisted.
Negan glared at the man.
"I'm holding you responsible for this."
Negan insisted. Simon cast a shameful, angry glance down. As he did his attention was drawn to the side. A very familiar snarling noise could be heard. From the front gate of the school a hoard of zombies began to flood in.
"Walkers!" A random soldier yelled before opening fire with their automatic weapons. As the walker's fell more would flood in, forcing the soldiers away from their cover.
"God fucking dammit."
Negan exclaimed while getting up from behind his cover and running in a crouched position towards the school door. A few soldiers were already there trying to kick the door in. It wouldn't budge. Then one soldier's head suddenly exploded as he was prepared to deliver another kick.
Negan dropped down on the stairs of the school just in time to see another one of his soldier's head explode. A third soldier turned around and started shooting into the darkness wildly, only for his head to explode a second later. Negan stared at the huge bullet hole in their heads.
"Do you feel that?"
Spoke a voice from Negan's walkie-talkie.
Negan put the device to his lips to speak.
"If you don't stop this we are going to kill the rest of your friends."
"You and what army?"
The voice stated sassily, causing Negan to look behind him. His crew was decimated. Walkers were feeding on the bodies of his Saviors. Dozens of men were sprawn out across the courtyard with bullet holes in their heads. The few survivors managed to take out what remained of the walkers but there was less than a dozen left.
"Who are you? How come we didn't see your group coming? You're going to fucking pay for this."
Negan let out an uncharacteristic shout of rage into the mic. What remained of Negan's crew gathered around him. The all were standing in low crouches, aiming their guns around. They sped over to the nearest vehicle. It was available to use as cover and maybe even as a means of escape now that all the walkers were dead.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The voice in the walkie-talkie said just as the truck exploded, knocking all of them to the ground. Negan was on his back covering his head. His ears were ringing. As he looked around he could see the mutilated body of his soldiers. He could barely focus, shocked from the explosion. He tried to get up but he stumbled forward instead into the bloody grass. Then he heard a shot. Then another, then another. He looked behind him. Simon was staring at someone, the man sitting up and reaching for his gun. Simon's head exploded.
Negan turned around to sit on his butt, taking in the horrific sight of the bloody battlefield around him. It was a nightmare. He was absolutely drenched, covered in the blood of his soldiers. There was literally no one left alive. The he saw one person approaching. A child.
The child couldn't have been any older than 10 years old. He was short, a huge afro on his head. He was dressed in all black. Combined with his naturally dark skin and tiny stature it was easy to see why he was so hard to spot in the night. The child held a gun that was almost as big as him. A scoped markman's rifle.
Negan starred on as the boy walked forward, the kid stopping a few feet away from Negan. He didn't say anything, just staring silently at Negan with a stone-cold expression.
After a very long silence the area was filled with laughter. Negan hunched over snickering to himself uncontrollably.
"A fucking kid? This is a joke right?"
Negan stated in disbelief.
The boy watched Negan for a while, letting the man laugh.
"AJ?" A voice called out from a ways away.
The door to the school main hall was finally open. The teens of the school walked out scanning the area.
Willy was the first to respond to the carnage of the battlefield.
"Holy fuck."
The buck-toothed boy exclaimed.
Violet looked out on the carnage now in silence before looking at Aj in disbelief, watching the boy stand over the still laughing form of Negan.
"Aj…"
Was all the girl could say.
Omar and Hassim with the last to walk out of the main hall with Clementine in tow. Even she had a shocked look on her face. Aj finally looked up from Negan to gaze upon Clementine with that cold stare of his.
Clementine stayed quite but gave him a nod. Aj nodded back at her before turning his attention back to Negan. The boy took out a large combat knife from a belt on his hip.
Negan was calming down, looking up at Aj now.
"Kid, you're the fucking future."
Negan insisted.
Aj glared down silently at him before raising his knife.
"Aj."
Clementine called out, causing Aj to stop in his tracks. Aj looked to her expectantly, wondering if she planned to stop him.
"Take him alive."
Aj hesitated for just a moment before nodding.
(Aj will remember that)
He put his combat knife away and picked up his gun. He then fired multiple shots into Negan. First his hands, then his feat, then his elbows and kneecaps.
Aasim and Willy closed their eyes. Ruby and Violet looked away. Clementine was the only one who kept watching.
About a week later...
Clementine moved forward on her crutches down the steps. She made sure to be careful when traversing stares. She went down into the basement and towards the end of the hall. Omar was on guard duty. When he noticed Clementine approaching he stood up and ran over to grab a chair for her. She took it gladly. In front of them was the broken body of Negan, he was in horrible shape.
Clementine stared at him for a moment before glancing at Omar. Omar knew what to do. He ran off.
"Care to tell us about that camp of yours yet?"
Clementine was met with silence like usual. Negan looked up at her with tired eyes before his head dropped. He was chained up, his limbs broken beyond repair.
"How many more of you are there?"
Silence.
"Where is your camp?"
Silence.
"What's your name?"
Negan looked up at her when she asked that last question.
"Negan." He stated weakly. His voice was barely audible.
Footsteps were heard approaching. From the shadows Aj appeared, dressed in normal attire as opposed to his all black combat gear. He stood by Clementine's side, cold eyes on Negan. Clementine sat back in her chair with a disappointed look before stealing a glance towards Aj. Aj got the silent command, taking a combat knife from the belt on his hip. He then walked forward to tower over Negan. Clementine ignored Negan's screams.
Later...
"Clem."
"Yes Aj?"
"I miss Louis."
"Me too kiddo."
"Clem."
"Yes Aj?"
"Are we bad people?"
Clementine turned her head to glance at AJ. Like usual the boy was laying in his bed, staring up at his empty bunk bed.
"Because of what we do to Negan?"
Aj shrugged.
"I don't feel bad but...I feel like we are doing bad to Negan. The others look at us differently. They don't get it."
"Do you blame them? We had to do some messed up things to keep each other safe. It took awhile but even Negan eventually spoke."
"Yea but he didn't speak because we tortured him. He only spoke when we threatened to burn down the rest of his community. I don't think he is all bad."
"I'm sure he has some twisted sense of justice. Plus we weren't actually going to burn down his community. Not all of them are soldiers."
"Yea that's' true. It still didn't feel right though. To threaten him or torture him, even if he is a bad man."
Aj replied with a frown.
"That's good Aj. I'm glad you feel that way after everything you've had to do. I'm proud of you."
(Aj will remember that.)
Aj turned his head to look towards Clementine, a solemn smile on his face.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save Louis."
Clementine returned his solemn smile.
"You have nothing to apologize for. Come here."
Aj got up from his bed without hesitation in order to run over and climb atop Clem's bed, snuggling close to her. She wrapped her arms around his body and tugged him in, burying her face in his afro.
"Aj."
"Yes Clem?"
"If I told you to burn down Negan's' community...would you?"
Aj paused to think about her question, a frown on his brow.
"It wouldn't feel right. Maybe. I'd have to know why. If you explained yourself, if you were convinced we needed to do it to protect ourselves than probably."
Clementine frowned at his answer. Aj looked up at her in worry.
They stayed silent for a long time.
"I wish...we could just live in peace." Aj stated in a vulnerable whisper.
"Me too Aj."
"Clem."
"Hm?"
"We should kill Negan tomorrow. I don't like what we are doing. We've gotten enough out of him. After that we should never do it again, no matter what."
Aj insisted.
Clem looked down at him, staring into his big brown eyes. She could see how it was affecting him.
"Ok Aj. That's a good idea. Next time we will be more prepared. We have to be."
Aj nodded against Clementine's chest.
"I love you Clem."
"I love you too Aj."
After they spoke those tender words to each other they heard a knock at their door.
"Come in."
The door opened and Violet walked into the dark room.
"Hey." She called out in a quiet voice.
Clementine watched Violet walk forward into the room and sit on Aj's bed.
"How are you doing Violet?"
Clementine asked tentatively.
Aj rolled over in Clementine's arms to face Violet. The girl was silent for a while before responding.
"I've been unfair to you both. We all have. The others are going to tell you tomorrow. They planned to throw some stupid party for you tomorrow to apologize for how we've been acting. Everything has just been so fucked up lately you know?"
Clementine grew a small smile. Aj matched her smile, looking up to Clementine.
"You have no idea how nice it is to hear that. I don't blame you."
"Well you should."
Violet suddenly blurted out.
"We were afraid of you. Afraid of Aj. But like before you did what you needed to do to protect us. And you only hurt those that deserved it. From now on things are going to be different. We've lost so much. We are a family. Nothing comes between that. So...I'm sorry, for everything."
Clementine shook her head but continued to smile.
"I'm sorry for scaring you. And I accept you apology."
"You don't have anything to apologize for."
Violet whispered.
"Even still."
Clementine replied, drawing a tender smile from Violet.
Aj got up from his spot with Clementine to run over and jump into Violets arms. Violet caught him with a surprised expression, wrapping her arms around the little boy's body.
"Family."
Aj stated simply. Violet nodded.
"Family."
Aj pulled back before returning to Clementine's bed and laying down. Violet laid down on her side on Aj's bed, staring at the two. She was used to seeing them cuddle.
"Tomorrow we are going to kill him."
Aj stated simply while turning his back to violet and snuggling back into Clementine.
"For what he did to Louis that's better than he deserves."
Violet spat out.
Clementine starred up into space, one arm wrapped around Aj.
"We're going to move on from this. We are going to make sure no one can hurt us again. No one is ever going to hurt this family again. We'll going to be together for a long time, right here."
Clementine insisted.
"How can you be so sure?"
Violet asked doubtfully.
Clementine smiled and looked down at Aj. Like usual he was staring back at her, a resolute expression in his eyes.
"It's just a feeling."