Lee sighed as he flipped through the pages of an old magazine. He had already read through every article at least 10 times, but it was his go to on slow days like today. The little girl with the Dodger's baseball cap came in a few hours ago. He was starting to get used to seeing the small 8 year old. She was always alone, which bothered him, but if it meant she was reading books, he wouldn't question it. He wasn't her father after all.

"Um…excuse me Mister…" a tiny voice said.

He looked up from his magazine and leaned over his desk, "Yes?"

The little girl from earlier held up a book, "I-I would like to check this out please."

He smiled and nodded, "Do you have a library card?"

She bit her lower lip and shook her head slowly, "N-no…" she shifted from one foot to another, "I-I forgot it."

He raised an eyebrow, "You forgot it?"

Her head bobbed up and down slowly, "I think it's at school…"

He chuckled, "It's alright." He pulled out a sticky note from the stack and a pen. "I'll hold onto this book for you until you bring in your card. Sound good?"

She grinned, "You will!?"

"Yeah," he said while jotting a few things down on the sticky note. "What's your name?"

She looked into his eyes, "M-my name is Clementine. Why?"

He finished writing and placed the sticky note on the book. He picked it up and showed it to her. "This way I can make sure to hold the book for you."

"Oh." she grinned again, "thank you Mister."

"You can call me Lee, Clementine."

She nodded, "Thank you Lee." She said waving good-bye and sprinting out the door.

Lee laughed to himself as he went back to his magazine. "Kids."

0o0o0o0o0o0o

The following week, the little girl Clementine wandered into the library at the same time she did yesterday and the days previous to it. Must be after school. Lee mused before proceeding to check a patron's book out. "It's due by the 21st of next month." Lee said, handing the book over, "I hope this has what you need for your paper."

The college student or he assumed she was a college student, chuckled nervously, "I really hope so too. The shit my class is putting me through is putting me over the edge. I'd be screwed if it doesn't."

Lee cleared his throat, "Watch your tongue. The kid's section is across the way."

She blushed, "O-oh dear," she scanned the area for any child that might've over heard her. Seeing the little girl with the baseball cap, she turned, swearing under her breath.

Lee sighed, "Swearing at yourself will just make things worse."

She nodded, "So sorry just a lil… frazzled." She gestured to the little girl, who was currently pre-occupied with what looked like a pretty thick book. "I really hope she didn't overhear me." She re-adjusted her backpack straps, "I should be going…" she said her thanks and scurried out of the library while mentally kicking herself for saying such a word in front of that little girl.

Lee ignored the inner turmoil of the patron and turned back to his work. He was setting up and cataloging the new book arrivals that a couple patrons had suggested and somewhat donated to the library. The hard part was done last week, all he had to do now was to make sure they were logged into the system and matched up. He turned towards the front of the desk upon hearing the sound of small footsteps on the tiled floor. The little girl, Clementine, leaned forward on the desk and in a hushed tone she said, "Lee, she said a bad word."

He stared at Clementine, puzzled for a moment, and then he realized she had overheard the conversation. "Yeah, she did."

Clementine frowned slightly, "Does she know it's a bad word?"

"Yeah, I'm sure she does."

That made Clementine shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "But, if she knows it's a bad word. Why did she say it?"

Lee put down the book he had been holding and gave her his full attention, "Well...sometimes people say bad words because they're mad or surprised." He explained, choosing his words carefully. "However, it is still a bad word so you should rarely use it, if ever. Understand?"

She rocked back and forth on her heels, "Okay…" She looked up at him, "Have you said a bad word before?"

He signed. Choosing the option to tell her the truth he said, "Yeah, I have a few times. Though it doesn't make it okay."

She tilted her head slightly, similarly like a dog would when it was processing if what you were saying was a good or bad thing. "Why?"

He was about to tell her about the time he hit his thumb with a hammer while working on a fence with his brother when a patron behind Clementine cleared his throat. Clementine jumped a little and turned before reluctantly moving to the side so the patron could check out their books. "Evening Lee."

"Hey Kenny." he replied, taking the books the man was carrying. He looked over at Clementine, who had retreated to the children's section.

Kenny followed Lee's gaze. "So what's with the kid? I thought you said you didn't have any."

Lee chuckled and scanned the library card Kenny had handed to him, "I don't. She seems to like to talk to me though."

Kenny turned back to the desk and reached into his pants pocket for his wallet, "She got any parents? Could always adopt."

Lee shrugged, "Dunno." He handed the library card back to Kenny and began to work on checking out the books. "So how's Duck and Katjaa doing?"

Kenny grabbed the card and stuck it back into his wallet, "Ah, same old, though Duck seems to be coming down with a cold or somethin'. We've been keeping an eye on him. Katjaa is currently fighting with the fever he's got."

Lee scanned one of the books and waved it back and forth a little, "Getting you to do the errands I take it?"

"Yep." he said, scratching at the gray stubble on his chin.

Lee finished scanning, typing the books in the data base and passed them through the de-sanitizer, "There you go. Books are due by June 13th."

Kenny nodded, picking up the stack. "Thanks Lee."

Lee smiled, "Say hi to Katjaa and Duck for me."

"Will do. See ya Lee."

Lee waved as Kenny left. Katjaa was the one who always came to the library. She swung by once a week to drop off a book she had checked out, renew something she's been stuck on, or checking out a new book that caught her interest. After a while, they started talking and Lee began recommending some books. Of course, not many people liked to read about the Civil War, but Katjaa gave a couple of them a shot.

Kenny had to come in one day because Katjaa was busy at work and they did not want to be charged an overdue fee. They talked and pretty soon became friends.

Clementine poked her head up from behind the desk. "You know him?"

"Hey Clem," he smiled at her. She was a curious little kid. "Yeah, I do. His wife comes here quite often." He chuckled, "Though not as often as you."

Worry spread across her face, "Lee?"

"Yeah Clem?"

"Am I weird?"

"What gave you that idea?"

She scanned the room behind her. "We're the only ones here." She said, turning back to Lee. "And I come here often enough to know, nobody else does the same." She looked down at the desk and flicked at a stray paperclip.

"Hey now," he reached across the desk and patted her shoulder, "coming to the library everyday isn't weird. You read all the time don't you?" She didn't respond. He sighed, "Clementine, I know you do. I've seen you reading a few books above what most adults think your reading level is. You're one smart little girl. Nothing is weird about you."

She looked up at him. Tears were forming in her eyes. She sniffed, "I am?"

Lee nodded. He meant every word. Clementine wanted to hug him. No one had ever told her that, but she couldn't. Her arms couldn't reach across the massive desk between them. She gently kicked the desk in frustration. "You okay?"

Her head slowly bobbed up and down. "Yeah… Thanks Lee." Her gaze wandered to the clock behind him. "I-I have to go."

"Is there any books you want to check out before you do?"

Clementine shook her head. "No. I have a lot of homework tonight."

He smiled, "Alright. See you tomorrow Clem."

She grinned, "See you tomorrow Lee!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Three months had flown on by as the days seemed to merge together. Clementine would walk in the time she always did on the weekdays. She had moved on from the children's section and started to explore the rest of the library. She would pick a random section and start combing through the books she could reach. There were a few instances where she would ask Lee what a word meant or if he could help her reach a book on a higher shelf. He would always help her if she asked for it.

A curious little girl with a thirst for knowledge, she would read through books at a surprisingly rapid rate. It helped that she had a library card, so if she started a book in the library, she could then bring it home with her. He began to wonder if she did anything else in her free time.

Lee paused. His cart full of books in need of being re-shelved thumped against each other. He frowned, trying to register what he was hearing and where it was coming from. It sounded like whimpering, but he wasn't for sure. The sound was quiet and distant. He pushed the squeaky cart forward and carried on. After passing a few rows, he paused again. The sound was getting louder, not by much, but the whimpering continued.

He pushed his cart against one of the bookshelves and started walking towards the noise. He turned down a row and stopped in his tracks. On the floor, curled up in a ball was Clementine. He watched her shoulders shake and heard her sniffing as she tried to bring her emotions under control.

Lee slowly walked over to her and sat down beside her. He had never seen her cry. She always looked so happy and cheerful… It hurt to see her like this. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, startling her. "What's the matter Sweet Pea?" he asked.

She sniffed and looked up at him. Her face was wet with tears and her eyes were red from rubbing at them. "I miss them." she choked, before leaning into Lee.

"Shh," he said in a soothing tone, "It's okay to miss people."

She sniffed again, trying to suppress a sob, "But they're gone Lee. I'll never get to see them again."

"It's your parents… isn't it?" He guessed. She nodded slowly. "How long?" He knew it was probably bad to ask, like rubbing salt in an open wound.

"A-about a year." she managed to say. She rubbed her nose on the back of her sleeve.

"That long…" he muttered. He had the gut feeling this was the case ever since the first day she walked in alone. He rubbed her shoulder as she continued to cry. "That's it. Let it out." After a while, she calmed down. Her crying had seized, but the pain hadn't gone away. "Feel better?"

"A little…" she admitted.

"It's good to let it out every once in a while."

"Sorry about your shirt." She muttered, noting the spot where she had cried.

Lee looked down at his shirt where she had rested her face. He ignored the tear stains and looked to her. "It's okay Sweet Pea." He said, patting her shoulder. "I've needed to get a new one anyways."

"Thank you Lee."

He smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. "No problem Sweet Pea." He said, hugging her back, "I'll be there if you need me."

Clem…

She perked up a little bit. Did someone say her name? She looked up at Lee confused.

Clem..tine…

He raised an eyebrow, "What is it?" He was just as confused as she was.

No, he wasn't saying her name. He couldn't be. It sounded like a women's voice.

Clementine…

The voice sounded clearer, but Lee didn't seem to notice it.

"C'mon," he said, standing, "Let's find ya a book to cheer you up." She stood up next to him and he rubbed her shoulder.

Clementine…have…move…

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

Clementine, we…to move…

"Hear what?"

Clementine, wake up!

Clementine's eyes shot open. The wooden floors and tall bookshelves were replaced by massive trees and a leaf-littered forest floor. Her eyes wandered to the figure standing over her. "Mornin' sleepy head." Christa said, adjusting the bag on her back. "We've gotta move Clementine. I've been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes."

"Oh…" Clementine looked down next to her. The torn picture of Lee she grabbed from the pharmacy in Macon had somehow managed to fall out of her backpack. She picked it and her backpack up.

"You okay?" Christa asked as Clementine placed the picture in her backpack, taking extra care not to damage it.

"I'm fine." Clementine muttered, putting her backpack on, "Let's get moving."