4:26 PM - The suburbs outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Art [Clementine]

Ellie and Clementine charged bravely into the unknown with nothing but prowess and luck to protect them. As sunlight gradually began to extinguish around them, the air became several degrees cooler, every step forward becoming increasingly demanding as the shivering in Clem's arms grew progressively more noticeable. There was no telling how much farther it was, or how long they'd have to keep walking. In such a hopeless situation, often the only thing that kept them going was each other.

On their frequent stops, the two girls would listen for signs of life, or lack thereof. When Lee was around, such a silence would feel tranquil, but out there on their own it felt more like the quiet of a graveyard. Moreover, their food situation had hardly improved since they left the house in which their journey started. Ellie and Clementine had by then tried a number of things, like trying out some of Clem's old chewing gum, something the both of them immediately regretted. Their bad luck would however eventually come to a pause the moment Clementine caught something of interest through the corner of her eyes.

"Ellie? Hang on a minute." Clem said in a hushed voice, extending her arm in order to get the girl's attention. Up on top of an electric pole was a bird's nest, possibly the two's big break. "You see that?" She asked. "There could be eggs there. Bird eggs. We can eat those." Clementine made sure to thoroughly explain, just in case. "You think we can climb up there somehow?"

Dot [Ellie]

A small part of Ellie felt a twinge of guilt about what Clementine was suggesting. They were just going to steal a bird's eggs? If she wasn't so hungry, she'd probably put up a fight about it. She looked up to the bird's nest, looking for any method they could maybe reach it. The pole stood close to a two-story house nearby, maybe close enough that they could reach for the nest, if they climbed out onto the small roof that extended out beneath the window. It'd be a difficult job, but it could be done.

She turned towards Clementine. "We can probably reach it from that window there," she pointed towards a window on the far-right corner of the home. "I could try and reach for it, and you make sure I don't fall?"

Art [Clementine]

"Deal," said Clementine, accepting of the suggestion. They could probably try and throw rocks at it if Ellie's plan didn't work, though Clem figured that should only be used as a last ditch effort. Thinking about it rationally, the entire thing seemed kind of reckless. They didn't even know if there really were eggs up there, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and waiting for a tasty deer to show up out of the blue seemed just as stupid at the time. "Lead the way." Clem told her, lastly. The smirk on her face making it seem more like she was daring Ellie to actually follow through with it.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie rolled her eyes at the smirk Clem was giving her, clearly waiting to see how this was going to go, or if Ellie would go through with it. As long as the chance of her falling was low enough, the risk was worth it. Ellie led the way to the house, climbing up the steps onto the porch before trying the door. Luckily, it wasn't locked. They stayed at the door as it creaked open, listening to any threats that might be in the house. She couldn't hear anything, but that didn't mean nothing was there. Looking around outside for a moment, she banged on the wall near the door, hoping that anything inside would come out if they heard it. Still nothing. Good.

The two slip into the house, shutting the door behind them. The place seemed mostly intact, which was… surprising. As they ascended the stairs, she glanced back at Clementine. "We might want to check over the house too, see if we can't find anything useful. Maybe something to cook the eggs on. Hopefully a change of clothes."

As they reached the top of the stairs, Ellie's eyes focused on the window at the back of the upstairs hallway, overlooking the backyard of the home. A small stream ran through the woods behind the house. A few thoughts crossed her mind, mainly questioning if the water was drinkable, and maybe... maybe they'd finally get to wash all the sewage shit off of them. Take turns while they're cooking the eggs. Anything to get the smell off of them. Wonder if this place has any soap. That'd be... A small smile pursed her lips. Awesome.

With the way the sun was starting to go down, it might've been an idea to rest for the night. They've been pushing themselves all day, with nearly no food or water, and their bodies had already seen the damage that had caused. She'd broker this to Clementine after they got the eggs, though. Something told her that she'd probably not want to stop, but… Ellie didn't like the idea of going out after dark, when the infected were at their peak.

Finally, they reach the room at the far side of the house. At first glance, it seemed that it used to be a girl's bedroom, dressers half-open to reveal left behind clothes, and a bunch of magazines. Fashion, celebrities, things that hardly mattered. Were people really into that kind of stuff? The fact there was some clothes left behind was good for them, though. Hopefully something their size.

"Alright," Ellie breathed, looking towards the window that was above the bed. A pink curtain was obscuring it, which she pulled back, before lifting the window open. She threw a sideways glance towards Clementine behind her, hoping her reflexes were as good as they seem, if Ellie managed to nearly fall. "You ready for this?"

Art [Clementine]

"Just about…" Clementine answered, wishing she had the confidence to sound less unsure. If Ellie… if she fell , what in the world were they gonna do? I can't carry her there. It was a bothersome thought without a doubt. Clem followed Ellie to the small roof the girl had pointed to earlier, careful not to slip and hit her head for the second time that day. Third time...? She wasn't keeping track. "Okay, so what's the plan?" Clem asked in a worried tone, avoiding looking down at the street below as much as she possibly could. "You can't just... reach for the nest and grab it like that. You won't stretch that far." What would Lee do? "We could use a stick, or a broom... or, maybe I just hold your hand or something." You're not gonna jump it are you? Tell me she's not jumping it.

Dot [Ellie]

"That might work," Ellie replied, nodding, before looking towards the nest atop the pole. Hopefully, this'll all be over in a matter of seconds. If possible, maybe she can just grab the whole nest. "Alright, c'mon," she extended out her hand, as she stood at the edge of the roof. Clementine grabbed her hand, before dangling her over the edge. Her breathing quickened, the thought of falling from this height leading to a sense of anxiety to rise in her stomach. That, or bile. One of the two. "I can... just about reach it," Ellie spoke, stretching her hand out towards the nest. "Don't let go, okay?" She called back, although that was more to reassure herself than to make sure the girl wouldn't let her go. She was confident that she wouldn't.

Fingers scratched at the nest, getting closer and closer to grabbing it. What if the nest falls apart when I grab it? The eggs would... Just do it, Ellie. Cursing under her breath, she reached out further, finally managing to grab onto the nest with her hand, before attempting to lift it. She couldn't see how many eggs were in the nest, but it seemed to weigh a lot . She slowly retracted her arm, hoping to whatever God that it wouldn't break and send the eggs falling to the ground below, and probably her with them. Her smile grew wider as she finally was able to get back onto solid ground, Clementine managing to hold onto her the whole time. She's stronger than she looks. She looked at the nest in her hands, six eggs sitting in the middle of it.

"Fuck yes!" She cheered, although quietly, as she let go of Clementine's hand, holding the nest with both hands. "We're eating good tonight, Clem."

Art [Clementine]

"Nice work!" Clementine said in delight, trying to sound composed in spite of the rumble in her stomach giving away her desperation. She hadn't eaten anything besides chocolate bars since Pittsburgh, and it showed in her expression as she first laid eyes on the nest.

Together, the two girls carried the egg-filled nest inside the house, setting it on top of a kitchen table downstairs. Clementine sat in one of the chairs, resting her head on her right hand as her mind went over their many possibilities for dinner. "So, how do you like 'em?" Clem asked suddenly with a sheepish smile, eager to get to work."'Hard boiled? Scrambled?"

"...Raw?" She added jokingly, though she'd find it perfectly reasonable if Ellie requested them that way. Lots'a vitamins , Clem vaguely remembered Luke saying once.

"Ask away."

Dot [Ellie]

"Honestly, I've never eaten eggs before… so… chef's choice," Ellie replied through a half-smile, plopping herself down on one of the kitchen counters. She swung her legs back and forth idly, watching as the girl by the table considered how she was going to cook the eggs. Hopefully, they'd find something to cook the eggs with, and they'd probably have to gather wood to make a fire. They couldn't exactly expect the stove to work in this place, not after fourteen years.

The smell of sewage continued to permeate her nose, leading to an occasional nose scrunch from Ellie, before she pushed herself off the counter and back onto her feet.

"While you're cooking them, I'm gonna go through those clothes upstairs. Maybe find something that'd fit us. There's a stream out back too, could bottle some of it, and clean off. Take turns. I'd love to get this smell out of my hair," she smiled slightly, the joke not great , but she meant it nevertheless. Anything was better than smelling like literal shit. "Just call if you need me, or something," she finished, rolling her shoulders before heading towards the stairs, and back up to the girl's bedroom.

Art [Clementine]

She's never had eggs…? Clementine thought in a mixture of amusement and astonishment, realizing just how many simple things from her youth she had taken for granted until then. Ellie wouldn't have, obviously. Clem almost felt bad for asking. I guess I could do mom's old recipe. Don't think I can find any fresh veggies lying around, so… soft-boiled it is. Clementine had a dozen of things to take care of, and under the assumption that they were to get back on the road before nightfall, she couldn't waste a minute.

First came the easy part, getting rid of the nest in favor of an actual pot. The family that used to live there had a few in the kitchen cabinet, and so with relative haste the girl chose the biggest one for the boiling part. Next, Clem carried the pot all the way to the river stream behind the house, filling it with water, before walking all the way back to the kitchen. A tedious task for sure, but one she did without an ounce of discontent. After dropping the six eggs in the water filled bowl, it was time to go out looking for wood to make a fire. Here goes nothing…


5:05 PM - Woods near the house in the suburbs

Art [Clementine]

Without Lee's axe, Clementine had very little to rely on other than her luck, spending an embarrassing amount of time picking up fallen branches in the woods' pathway. "This should do." She muttered, heading back to the house in a hurry.

Spending another batch of minutes gathering everything she'd need, Clem was finally ready for the hardest part of the process, one that she was thankfully familiar with, perhaps too much so for her liking. Clementine also took the time to search the rest of the house for anything they could use, the stuff inside the living room's drawers in particular. Lo and behold, the one next to the couch had matches inside of it. Only four of them, but surely more than enough to be useful. Rocks, dry wood, grass… the nest should help. All that's left is to burn everything.

Clementine lit one of the matches, laying it next to the spot she had prepared a few moments ago and later watching with enthusiasm as everything near it began to burst into flames. Awesome. Finally, Clem brought the pot from the kitchen all the way to the spot beside the house and let the eggs boil for the next few minutes, watching them closely as they did, and listening to the calm bubbling sounds until they did. Once the eggs were ready, all that was left was setting the table. I hope they're good. I hope… Ellie likes 'em.

"Er-... Dinner's ready!" The girl shouted from the kitchen, hoping Ellie would hear it from wherever she was at the time.

Dot [Ellie]

While Clementine cooked the eggs they found, Ellie searched the house. She started with the dresser in the girl's room, rummaging through it for anything she liked, or fit her. Luckily, whoever lived here seemed to be about her size, and she'd put together a couple articles that she liked. A grey t-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, a red and black plaid hoodie. She'd put together some clothes that seemed to be Clementine's size, leaving them on the kitchen table for the girl after she was done cooking.

After Clementine had gathered water from the stream, and went out looking for firewood, Ellie searched the bathroom, hoping to find some soap, which would make the process of getting cleaned up a bit easier, and less smelly. She was surprised to find both a bar of soap and a half-full bottle of shampoo left in the shower, which she quickly took.

The water in the stream was ice cold , but at least she was now clean, the girl having to make sure her friend wouldn't stumble up on her. The stream flowed at a rapid pace, making it easier to get rid of the sewage she'd been covered in. Once she was satisfied that she wasn't covered in filth anymore, she retreated from the stream, drying off using a towel that'd been left behind in the bathroom, before getting dressed in the clothes she'd found. Her hair was past her shoulders, the girl too lazy to put it back up in the pony tail, for now.

With the cool breeze, the hoodie was super comfortable, although she still shivered a bit from being in the ice-cold water earlier. Once she was fully dry, though, that feeling would hopefully fade away. She approached the house, her arms over her chest, to conserve warmth, before entering, going about searching again. By the time Clementine had called for her, Ellie had found herself in the garage of the house, looking towards a dart board that was hung on the far wall. She'd never played darts before, but it looked like it could be fun. Wonder if Clementine has played?

"Dinner's ready!"

Clementine's voice echoed through the house, loud enough to pull Ellie out of her reverie. She left the garage to join the girl in the kitchen, who was putting the eggs on a couple plates she'd found. The smell was enticing, especially to her stomach, and Ellie couldn't help but pick up the pace to the table.

"Damn, that smells good," she instinctively licked her lips, desperate to get any sort of food in her system, before she passed out from starvation. She'd probably eat anything at this point.

Art [Clementine]

"Eat up. I tried my best, but it's still just, y'know… eggs , so…" Clementine tried to articulate with her hands on her hips, feeling somewhat flattered by the comment, all things considered. She eagerly picked up one of the plates resting on the table, before sitting by the corner next to Ellie. Whoa, she smells nice… The girl thought, abashed. What had Ellie been doing while she was busting her ass off getting dinner ready? Clem would find out in a second, right after shoving those delicious eggs down her throat. The yolk was thick and runny, just how she liked it. It was undoubtedly the plainest egg she had ever tasted, yet given the circumstances, they were also probably the three best eggs she'd ever eaten in her whole life, the barely present flavors practically dancing in her mouth. That eggcellent moment was cut short, unfortunately, for there were only barely enough of those to keep them going for the night. Oh well…

Clem awkwardly scratched her gunk-ridden head, trying to find the right words to ask Ellie about the thing that had been bugging her ever since her nostrils were close enough to identify something was amiss. "Ssho…" Clem sputtered, still chewing on her last egg. The girl vigorously swallowed it, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "...Did you take a bath or something?"

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie took a cautious bite out of the first egg, before devouring the rest of it, and the other eggs. Had she not been so hungry, she probably wouldn't have liked the consistency they had, but it was enough to keep them going, hopefully. As she finished the last egg, Clementine had asked a question, something that she'd forgotten to tell her when she came back to the house.

"What? Oh. Right. Uhh…" she trailed off for a second, trying to gather her thoughts. Her stomach rumbled slightly, still craving more, although there was nothing more to have. "I found some clothes upstairs, and… you won't believe this, but… soap and shampoo. Went down to the stream and cleaned up. I left it all next to some clothes for you, in the living room." She hooked her thumb back towards the living room, where she'd moved the pile of clothes to earlier. "Since you were busy with the eggs, figured I would go first."

Art [Clementine]

Clementine smiled like an idiot the moment the words 'soap' and 'shampoo' were uttered, her eyes widening in wild excitement. "Oh…" was all the girl managed to blurt out, utterly speechless. Holy smokes. "Do you mind keeping a lookout while I… uhm, you know." Clem couldn't even wait for Ellie's response, standing up from the chair in one swift motion and rushing out the kitchen door, looking back at Ellie one last time as her hand leaned on the doorway. "Thanks." She quietly said, before blissfully making her way towards the living room. She'd forgotten how it felt like, to be able to pick your own clothes so carefreely. It was the absolute best kind of feeling.

Outside, things were quieter than ever. The sun had finally begun to set, and the only distinct sounds that could be heard anywhere close were of the crickets chirping. It was almost agonizing to think of how long she had gone without a bath, and thanks to that, Clem didn't hesitate a second to dip inside the stream, regardless of how excruciatingly cold the water was. There she stayed for a long while, washing her long curly hair repeatedly for at least ten minutes straight. It was relaxing as much as it was embarrassing, and as a result, the girl stayed submerged under eye level the entire time. Not that she expected anyone to be watching her, it just felt less uncomfortable in general.

Clem climbed out of the stream eventually , already wrapped in a towel, trying to put on her new set of clothes as quick as she could manage before she froze to death. The girl didn't really pick anything fancy, probably more out of force of habit than anything. Just a plain shirt along with whatever seemed more practical at first glance. Clementine carefully opened the back door, slowly making her way inside the house. The girl let out a serene yawn, that entire experience feeling just wholly invigorating. "Ellie?" Clem quietly called out upon walking up to the living room, looking for her so that the two of them could discuss what to do next. It's almost nighttime…

Dot [Ellie]

"Yeah, no problem," Ellie replied as the girl quickly rushed off. She didn't blame her, the prospect of being clean was one that was all too enticing. Who knew that not smelling like shit would be the best feeling they'd have today?

As the back door closed, Ellie decided to continue checking out the rest of the house, searching rooms they haven't touched yet. She stayed away from the windows, giving the girl outside her privacy.

As she slowly ascended the steps to the second floor, Ellie's thoughts dwelled on Clementine for a bit longer than she would've expected. It was nice to have her around, to have a friend around. That was something she missed, a lot , from when Riley was… still alive. Things were more confusing then, and Ellie still wasn't quite sure what to make of it all, that entire night they spent together in the mall, but… a small part of her, a nagging voice in the back of her head, kept repeating warnings to her. Don't get attached. Everyone you care about… they all have either died, or left you. Don't let that happen again. The voice was hard to ignore, but she tried her best to do so. She'd only known Clementine for a day, and yet, her presence made her feel a bit… happier? Someone her age that she could hang out with, someone who understood her, to a degree. She didn't have that with Joel.

She'd like to think that he wanted to stick around, after they met with the Fireflies, but it was hard to gauge what the man really felt. Maybe he'd leave the instant they found the Fireflies, his job fulfilled. She was surprised by how much that thought physically pained her. Maybe she'd grown to like both Joel and Clementine too much . She couldn't help it, that feeling of loneliness plagued her more times than she could count. She didn't want to be alone, couldn't bear it. After Riley, she had Marlene, and after Marlene, Joel. What happened if Joel left? Clementine and Lee? What happens when she ends up all alone? Every question continued to further her in a downward spiral, until Ellie finally managed to shake them away.

She couldn't worry about what-ifs, not right now. Things were fucked up as it was, without adding that to the mix. She could make sure she didn't end up alone again without pushing people away, that much she was sure of. Hopefully.

She found herself standing near the doorway to what must've been the master bedroom, the door still closed shut. The upstairs had barely been explored, besides the room where they found all the clothes, so that meant there was a lot more to search. She opened the door slowly, the wood creaking eerily, before revealing the interior of the room. The smell hit her first, although it seemed much more faded than other scenes she'd come across similar to this. On the bed lied two bodies, rotted away, mostly bones left behind. Ellie grimaced at the sight, clenching her eyes shut for a couple of seconds, before forcing them open again.

Her eyes were drawn to the bigger figure's boney hand, a pistol clutched in his grip. It looked similar to the one she carried around, which had her crossing the room in a hurry. Maybe she'd find more ammunition for her gun, something she so desperately needed. She grabbed the weapon, pulling it out of the man's grip, before slipping the magazine out. Two bullets. Damn. She dumped the bullets into her hand, before slipping them into her back pocket. She'd load them into her pistol later.

"Ellie?"

Before she could continue inspecting the room, Clementine's voice emanated from downstairs, the girl presumably done with bathing in the stream. Ellie returned to the door, preparing herself to head downstairs. Hope she put on clothes first, otherwise this'll be pretty freakin' awkward.

She headed downstairs two steps at a time, glancing towards the girl as she entered the living room. "Found some more ammo upstairs," she called as she reached the bottom. "Not much, but it's something. Feel better?" She half-chuckled, realizing that the girl looked much more… well, she didn't really have a word in mind, besides cleaner. Her hair was still a bit wet, the faint light of the candles Clementine lit with the fire she'd made reflecting off the girl's black hair, making it seem as if the hair itself had a clean sheen. With another awkward chuckle, she decided to add one more thing. "You don't look so bad when you're not covered in muck."

She immediately regretted that joke, grimacing slightly, but made no effort in correcting herself, hoping that the girl wouldn't take that the wrong way. Way to fucking go, Ellie.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine raised an eyebrow, sincerely trying to figure out whether or not that was supposed to sound flattering. "I…" The girl stuttered, blurting out the only other thing that came to her mind, stifling a laugh. "Thanks…?" I think.

Clem clumsily ran her hand through her hair, feeling a warm, comforting sensation between her fingers, one that she had dearly missed for the longest time. She felt awesome, no freaking doubt about it. To think that they'd have to keep walking for the rest of the day, only to end up having to sleep on muck again, that is, if they were lucky. They had beds there and a warm, safe place to spend the night… was it really smart to give it all up for the flimsy chance of finding Lee and Joel? Clementine, much like always, didn't have the answer, utterly lost. She obviously had to talk to Ellie about it, yet even so, she had no idea what to even say to her. I should just be blunt about it.

"Hey, do you... want to spend the night here?" Clem asked her with one armed crossed, averting her gaze. "I thought about this a lot. Maybe we don't have to go right now ... maybe we could stay for a bit." Clementine couldn't tell if she was acting selfish by asking something like that, ready to apologize and move on if Ellie were to shoot the idea down. Maybe I shouldn't have asked…

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie couldn't find anything to say to Clementine's thanks, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly as the girl ran her hand through her hair. She was surprised to hear Clementine ask if she wanted to stay at the house for the night, she'd expected her to want to keep going, but maybe she knew the risks just as much as Ellie did. Going out meant having to deal with the infected.

"Yeah, uh," Ellie stuttered, letting out a half-chuckle, "that's probably… for the best. Infected are out at night. Would be safer if we stayed here, anyway." Besides, we're still a good couple hours walk away from that tower, and I'm exhausted . "So… you'll get no arguments from me," she finished, putting on a smile. The thought of sleeping in an actual bed was enough to have her dead-set on staying the night here. When will they get a chance like this again? On the road, there wasn't much of a choice beyond sleeping wherever you ended up. A forest floor, a gas station bathroom… just… wherever. Sleeping in a bed was about as luxurious as it got.

"And hey," she continued, hooking a thumb over her shoulder, pointing towards the garage door behind her. "If we get bored, there's a dart board in the garage. It's no truth or dare, but… y'know."

Art [Clementine]

Clementine smiled back, glad the two of them were on the same page. Clem felt bad about making a call like that, knowing for a fact it would slimmer their chances of finding Joel and Lee even further… but they didn't have much of a choice. Clem hid it the best she could, but she wasn't in any condition to keep going. Ever since the bridge, it felt like they hadn't stopped to do so little as breathe… maybe a bit of rest would be good, not just for her, but for Ellie too. "We'll be on the road as soon as we can." The girl assured regardless, the word stubborn perhaps being insufficient to describe it.

Ellie's following remark notably caught her attention, getting Clementine to tilt her head to the side. "Dart board?" The girl asked, uncertainty plaguing her voice. "What's that?"

Dot [Ellie]

She wasn't surprised to learn that Clementine had never heard of darts, after everything she'd learned about the girl. Growing up outside the quarantine zones, there wasn't much chance she'd learn about things like that unless her parents had one, which they didn't, apparently.

"Oh, uh, it's a game. You throw little... dart... things at this board on the wall, and it scores you based on how close you get to the target. I've seen them a few times back in Boston. I haven't played before, but I've seen others play. Wouldn't hurt to give it a try, right?" She had a sheepish smile on her face, thinking back to Clementine's game from earlier that day. They never really finished it, which meant there was no victor. Maybe... just maybe, she could beat the girl at darts.

Art [Clementine]

"Uh huh," Clem said with a nod, though being perfectly honest, Ellie's vague description only served to make the farm girl even more confused, and that was clear to see by the tone of her voice. Still, whatever it was Ellie was going on about sounded kinda fun. Any kind of insight into what life was like in the quarantine zones held her absolute attention. "Sure, why not." Clementine shrugged, eager to try out the 'Dart Game' , or whatever. Before the two girls headed to the garage, Clem made sure to pick up her hat from the living room, wearing it with pride. For luck.

Clem followed Ellie to the garage, her eyes immediately drawn to the dart board in the far wall. That must be it. The girl picked up one of the darts from the floor, the same ones Ellie mentioned before, presumably. She just kept staring at it in complete puzzlement, doing so with a smile as she wondered what to do with it. Clementine directed her gaze to Ellie with that same innocent, childlike smile. "Will you teach me?"

Dot [Ellie]

"Right, uh, yeah," Ellie replied, taking one of the darts from the metal table they'd been resting on not too far away from the dart board. Someone had painted a white line on the ground, presumably for making sure no one got too close to the board, and Ellie stood at the line.

"So, yeah, you take the dart, and you try and hit the 'bullseye' in the center of the board. The little black circle there, see it?" She pointed towards the board, before prepping herself to try and toss one of the darts. "Closer you get, the more points you get."

Her muscles tensed, and she had the dart ready to fly, taking in a deep breath, before letting it barrel towards the board. It landed about halfway between the bullseye and the edge of the board. Not bad. "Like that," she continued, although not that proud of her throw. For her first time, though, it wasn't so bad. "Alright, your turn, Baseball Cap."

Art [Clementine]

"Okay…" Clementine complied, timidly walking up to the white line. Just like Ellie showed me. Clem held the barrel of the dart with her thumb, forefinger and middle finger, raising it to eye level to align its tip to her target. The girl then pulled her hand back ever so slightly before sending the dart flying straight onward. It landed right next to Ellie's, just a tad closer to the center of the board.

"I got it!" Clementine exclaimed in content, her tender smile warping into a wicked one as her desire to gloat grew ever stronger, lightly nudging Ellie in the shoulder as she did. "Looks like your friends in Boston must've really sucked at darts."

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie rolled her eyes, pretending to be annoyed by Clementine's shot, although she couldn't mask the smile on her face. "Just beginner's luck," she taunted. Two can play that game. "Alright, bullseye, here I come."

She got into position, aiming the dart as if it was as important as making a shot on a guy across the city. Besides the fact it was really both their first times, she didn't want to be shown up by the girl that spent her entire life outside walls. She let the dart loose, cursing as it landed farther away from the center. " Damn it. " She took a step back, grabbing another dart from the pile, before handing it to Clementine. "Alright, Clem. Your turn." Please miss, so I feel less bad about myself.

Art [Clementine]

Clem playfully adjusted her hat, building up confidence for her next shot. Here we go... The girl once again held a tight grip on the dart, keeping her dominant foot forward, and maintaining her posture as straight as she could manage. After carefully aiming at her target, Clementine used the weight and momentum of her wrist to send the dart soaring forward, feeling the rush of excitement as it landed inches away from the bullseye.

"Yes!" She shouted in joy, followed by a chuckle she couldn't possibly hold back. "This is way easier than it looks like." Clem told Ellie enthusiastically, now hoping to give the girl a hand after basking in her own moment of glory.

"Here." She handed Ellie the next dart. "Don't put too much force into it, just use your wrist. Like this!" Clementine tried to explain through a variety of, frankly, complex and totally bewildering motions. It was clear for anyone to see that she didn't really have an actual functioning technique... Clementine had simply gotten lucky.

Dot [Ellie]

Although the urge to make an annoyed comment towards Clementine rose in her chest, she tried her best to keep her lips sealed. Clementine had gotten lucky, twice, and was absolutely showing her up, but she didn't want to ruin the moment by being a sore loser. The girl was trying to help, at least, maybe that made her a better friend than her. Maybe.

Letting out a half-sigh, she listened to what Clementine was telling her, maybe out of some misguided hope that whatever she was saying would help her. She didn't want to make a complete fool of herself. Finally, she pulled back her hand, before throwing it, silently willing it to land on the bullseye. Instead, it landed between where Clementine's two throws landed, but close enough to get her some solid points. Ellie grinned, before triumphantly cheering, "boosh!"

She glanced towards the girl next to her, the smile still on her face. "Not bad, Clem, not bad. Maybe you were a dart player in a past life, or something." She raised a fist towards Clementine, intending to fistbump the girl.

Art [Clementine]

"You're not so bad yourself, stupid," Clementine said with a grin, waving off the compliment. It was just so… amazing, the entire thing. For as brief as it lasted, she didn't have to think about how scared, or how hungry and tired she felt… It all faded away in a blink, with a look, a laugh. She hadn't felt that way in ages… genuinely happy. For real , happy. Everything just felt so surreal in the most awesome way possible.

When Ellie raised her fist, Clem did nothing but stand around looking confused. Was it some kind of hand gesture, or was Ellie just screwing with her? Why's she standing there looking like a weirdo? As those painfully awkward seconds flew by, Clem started to feel concerned, wondering if she was meant to be doing something. The girl raised her own fist, pressured by Ellie's weirdness, now trying to guess what the heck she was supposed to do with it. In the end, the answer never came, and now they were both standing there looking like huge weirdos.

Is this a Boston thing?

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie rolled her eyes, letting out a soft snort, before bumping her fist against Clementine's. "It's a fistbump, Clem." Her smile faded slightly, a twinge of guilt in the pit of her stomach. "Sorry, uh... I keep forgetting you didn't grow up in a QZ. It's like... a handshake, but cooler."

And a bit more awkward when... you know, she doesn't know what the hell you're doing...

"But, uh… yeah…" She continued, trying to disperse the awkward tension in the air. Probably not doing a good job at it, but at least she was trying. "Stupid, huh? Kinda hard to take a compliment seriously when you follow it up with that." She had a half-smirk on her face as the words escaped her lips, a small chuckle escaping along with it. "Baseball Cap, and Stupid? Great names. Easy to remember."

Art [Clementine]

Clementine broke into laughter herself, smiling sheepishly before giving Ellie's shoulder a another nudge. "You're the stupidest …" The girl playfully said before looking away, deep within her own thoughts.

Wish we could stay here forever…

Clem's eyes were beginning to feel groggy again, as though the past few days had finally caught up to her. It sucked to have to end things like that, but regardless of what she wanted or didn't want to do, the simple fact of the matter was she desperately needed to catch up on some sleep.

"So, ready to give up yet?" Clementine asked with one arm crossed, trying to play it cool in order to hide the fact that she was dead tired… and not particularly confident that it would work.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie rubbed her shoulder instinctively as Clem nudged her, rolling her eyes at her comment. When the girl asked her if she's ready to give up, Ellie's smirk grew. No way was she letting her destroy her at darts. "One more throw," she replied in an equally playful voice, before grabbing another dart from the table.

Alright, just like she told you.

She threw the dart, already expecting to miss like most of her other tries. The dart flew through the air, before landing directly in the center of the board, right on the bullseye. Ellie let out a triumphant cheer.

"Fuck yes!"

As much as she wanted to rub that one in Clementine's face, she decided against it, glancing back towards the girl. "Alright, Baseball Cap, I think you win. At least I was on the board, though," she laughed, walking over to the board and pulling the darts out, before laying them on the metal table. Her gaze fell on Clementine along the way, noticing just how tired she looked. They probably both looked that way, really.

It was a good idea to stay here. No way we could've made it to the radio tower tonight...

Art [Clementine]

Clem's eyes widened the moment Ellie's dart came in contact with the bullseye. "Oh shit." She uttered with a smile, awestruck by Ellie's shot. The fact that she still managed to win by the end of it only succeeding in surprising her further. "No way, you were awesome!" Clementine insisted wholeheartedly. In her eyes, Ellie was the clear winner after pulling that stunt. I hope they have darts where we're going. Do the Fireflies play darts? Is that dumb?

The girl stretched both her arms, letting out a soft yawn before rubbing her eyes in exhaustion. Thinking back to the last time she got to sleep at all making her head hurt. "I think I'm all drained for the night…" She admitted, sounding more let down than anything. In contrast, what followed sounded a lot quieter and timid, the girl's arms swinging back and forth as though trying to act all nonchalant about it, a telltale sign that Clem was struggling to express it. "I know we're pretty much stuck together, but... Thanks for, you know, hanging out with me. That was really cool of you." There, I said it. Wasn't that hard.

Needless to say, Clementine didn't know what to follow that up with. Almost waiting for Ellie to say something herself so that she wouldn't have to. Geez... "So, uh…" Clem opened up with shortly after, desperately trying to change the subject. "...There's a room upstairs, right?" She asked disconcerted, more so she could get Ellie to talk.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie had a dumb smile on her face as Clementine complimented her once again, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. It didn't take a genius to figure out the girl was absolutely pooped, even before she mentioned it. Her statement afterwards though had caught her by surprise, although she wasn't really sure why. Part of it was due to the fact that not twenty-four hours ago, this girl had hardly said two words to her, and tried to kill her. They've come a long way since then. As she was about to answer, Clementine changed the subject, asking about the room upstairs. Ellie nodded, clearing her throat.

"Uh, yeah, that girl's room. The one we climbed out the window of. The other one is... uh... occupied," she mumbled the last word. She was sure Clementine was going to ask questions, so she simply continued, answering them before it could be asked. "People who owned the place, I think. They're dead. But... yeah, you can take the bed upstairs, and I'll take the couch down here, cool?" Hope that couch is comfy. Please let it be comfy. As much as she'd love to sleep in a real bed, Clementine probably deserved it more than anything. "Besides, you won the game, about the only reward I can think of," she continued nervously, chuckling.

Art [Clementine]

On the couch…? Clem furrowed her brows, just narrowly holding back her need to protest. It really wasn't cool… not at all , but what else were they going to do? Given that Ellie couldn't sleep in the other room, it was easy to understand why she was being given the priority, even for one as stubborn as Clementine. It didn't change the fact that it still felt like a colossal shitty thing to do to her.

"You sure?" Clem asked, knowing what kind of answer to expect. Sure, she hit her head earlier… a few times. Big deal. They were both tired as crap, it didn't mean Ellie had to sleep on that crappy couch.

"We could share. I don't mind." The girl proposed, refusing to yield just yet. "If It's too small, we'll just… figure something out." She added with a shrug and an eye roll. "C'mon, I'm not letting you sleep on the couch . It's all old and… murky." Sighing, Clementine took a second before speaking up again. "Besides, you hit the bullseye, right?" The girl shrugged again with a confident smile. "We'll call it a tie."

Dot [Ellie]

"Oh, uh…" The offer caught her off guard, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second. The thought of sleeping on a bed with someone else was a strange one, almost alien. Even when she was at the military school, she'd sleep alone. Even when Riley was around. She vaguely remembered hearing about 'sleepovers' once, a long time ago. Apparently girls used to have them, before the apocalypse. She never really understood the concept, what was so special about staying in the same house? And sleeping in the same bed as someone else? Wouldn't that just leave room for her to accidentally wake Clementine up? If she had to roll over, or... something? She wanted to argue against it, do anything to get out of it, but found herself unable to formulate the words she needed to say. Finally, after what felt like an agonizing amount of time, but probably had only been only a few seconds, she managed to find her voice again.

"Uh... yeah, I - I guess we could do that. Thanks." She tried to put a smile on her face, although she felt more nervous than anything. She wasn't sure whether it was because of Clementine, or sharing a bed with anyone . Maybe she was just overthinking it, which was probably the more likely scenario, but she couldn't escape that feeling in the pit of her gut. She let out a nervous laugh, before continuing. "Alright, uh, I'll throw our stuff up there then, we'll call it a 'sleepover'," she used the word as a joke, emphasising it, before heading towards the door leading inside.

Once she was at the door, she took in a deep breath before stopping, glancing back at the girl. "It's no problem, by the way, hanging out with you. Any time you want." She flashed a small smile before retreating into the house, hoping to put some distance between her and the girl for just a little bit, just to calm herself down. Jesus, Ellie, this isn't the scariest thing you've ever done. Pull yourself together. Inside the house, the temperature was steadily increasing, and she blew out the candles on her way to grab their bags and take them upstairs. Her jacket felt like an oven suddenly, and a layer of sweat formed on her skin. She thought about just taking the thing off, but... she didn't have a long-sleeve shirt on, to cover up the bite. If she took it off to try and sleep, Clem would notice the bite, guaranteed. Just cross that bridge when you get to it, okay?

She carried the backpacks upstairs, depositing Clementine's next to the bed in the room, before slipping hers onto her back. The bed wasn't too large, but appeared to be - hopefully - large enough for the two of them to sleep comfortably. She took one of the candles from the room, setting the wick on fire with her lighter, before strolling into the bathroom down the hallway.

Once she was inside, she closed the door behind her, setting the candle down on the sink counter before shrugging her backpack and jacket off. Her eyes fell to the bite immediately, looking over it with a hint of concern. After being covered in that sewage water, the thought of some of that getting into the bite was enough to justify her concern. It looked okay, at least, looking as old as it was, though it'll probably never heal. Like dead skin that won't go away, except this skin wasn't dead. A permanent scar on her arm. She wondered if Clementine had anything like that, any scars she'd gained over the years. Probably a few, but nothing on the scale of this. Nothing compared to being the key to finding a cure. It was something that weighed down on her shoulders like an immense weight, and seeing the bite again did nothing but increase her anxiety. Taking in a deep breath, she took the bottle of vodka from her bag, twisting off the cap. For a moment, she found herself looking down at the bottle, weighing it in her hand.

Screw it.

She took a quick gulp, cringing as the liquid flowed down her throat, leaving a burning sensation behind. She burst into a fit of coughs, trying her best to contain them, as to not alert Clementine. The last thing she wanted to do was explain her bite when it was out in the open. Yep, I definitely regret that. The thought crossed her mind as she managed to get herself under control, wrapping her fingers around the bottle once more, before gently pouring it onto the bite. She winced as pain jolted up her arm. Although it wasn't brand-new, the bite still hurt to clean, and she'd found herself needing to clean it every once in a while, especially now. She may have cleaned up in the stream earlier, but this was the only sure-fire way of making sure it didn't get infected. Infected, hah. Nice one.

Once she was finished, she dabbed the alcohol on her arm with one of the shirts she ripped up, trying to clean it up the best she could. The smell was vile, much worse than rubbing alcohol, and she found herself drying her arm meticulously to get rid of the smell. The last thing she wanted to do was explain that to the girl. Finally, satisfied with her work, she put everything back up in her backpack.

She survived the bite, now she just had to survive a sleepover. Somehow.

Art [Clementine]

It was odd, almost disconcerting the way Ellie reacted to that. Not just how nervous she was, which frankly would've been worrisome on it's own, but the way she frantically took off right after Clem offered to share the bed with her.

As Ellie climbed up the steps, the girl squinted her eyes in a manner hardly noticeable, knowing without a doubt in her mind that something was off with her. It struck Clem abruptly, like a cold knife being thrust through her temple. Is it weird for her…? It had to be, right? Ellie was nervous about sleeping with another girl. Clementine nearly scoffed at the thought, thinking of how silly Ellie had to be to get agitated by something so childish. Funny… all that time earlier trying to figure out what got under her skin, only to find out this made her uncomfortable? It had to be a joke. Clem would understand if it were a boy asking to share a bed, but her? We're both girls... She begrudgingly thought with an eye roll, deciding to give Ellie the space she apparently needed.

Seeing as Ellie was busy with whatever upstairs, Clementine took the time to prep for bed downstairs. The one thing she missed every night were her old pajamas from way back on the farm. Nothing eased her into sleep like the soft feeling of silk on her skin... well, except for mom's bedtime stories, but that one the girl preferred to keep to herself.

Okay, alright. Find a twig that doesn't suck. Clem still remembered it like it was yesterday, when Jane taught her how to keep her teeth clean when things were at their absolute worse.

"Before there were toothbrushes, Clem, most people used twigs from oak trees to brush their teeth."

Getting used to it wasn't fun, not at all, but she learned to enjoy it. Kinda. Clementine picked a younger looking branch near the woods' pathway, going for the one with the thinner skin. The girl then peeled it off, chewing on one end of the stick to turn that end into a little brush before sticking it into her mouth. Wonder if Ellie has a toothpick. Maybe I should've asked… Once Clem was done brushing her teeth, she washed her face in the stream, taking the time to enjoy the chilly water before getting back inside the house.

On her way upstairs, Clementine heard the bathroom door being shut rather quietly, which could only mean it was Ellie. Either that or walkers are becoming more hygienic. It struck Clem, again , this time more like a truck violently running over her head. Wait, bathroom…? The girl thought about it on her own for a few seconds, trying to figure out what - Oh.

Womanly issues. If she was… well... she wouldn't want to... with someone else. I get it. Clementine scratched her nose uncomfortably, nodding to herself as she walked to the girl's room Ellie mentioned earlier. There wasn't much left to do except wait for the other girl, so Clem lied down on the bed, planning the trip for tomorrow. Eventually that train of thought led to thinking about food, and in a short span of ten seconds Clementine was hungrier than ever. Maybe hunting tomorrow morning would be good…

The girl's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of coughing coming from the bathroom, nudging her head over to the source of the noise. Ellie? Something was definitely off, this time for sure, and whatever it was, Clem couldn't just lie down and ignore it. Clementine slowly made her way down the hallway, knocking twice on the bathroom door before anything else. "Are you okay?" She asked with a touch of skepticism, now just altogether uncertain of what was going on with Ellie. Fuck. Please say something…

Dot [Ellie]

" Shit, " Ellie cursed under her breath, quickly slipping her hoodie back on. "Yeah, I'm fine." She called back, opening up the door to see Clementine on the other side. "Had a cut on my leg I needed to tend to, from when we fell down that sewer pipe. Used some of that vodka to make sure it's properly clean, and all. Stuff smells horrible ."

It was a half-truth, at least. At least, if Clementine could smell the vodka on her, she'd have a reason why.

"Managed to spill it all over my arm too," she continued, sighing. "Clumsy, I know," she finished with a small chuckle. She wasn't sure if Clementine would buy it, but it was the best that she could come up with that doesn't implicate her of doing anything weird .

As much as she wanted to tell the girl about the bite, she didn't think it was... time. Joel's words repeated in her head like a mantra, repeating those same reasons why she should never tell anyone, but that hardly made her feel any less guilty. The way things were going, Clementine was her only real friend, and they were only just starting to establish that. She didn't want to squander her trust now . At least, later, she could find the right time to tell her, and explain to her why she had to keep it secret. Right now, though, she wasn't sure if her knowing would help or hinder their friendship. It entirely depended on if Clementine would believe her if she said she was immune . Her bet was on 'no'.

Art [Clementine]

Clem raised an eyebrow, a hand on her hip, trying to place exactly what part of Ellie's explanation bugged her so much. Was it the fact that she hadn't mentioned any leg wounds until right then, after hours of walking? Or just how determined she was to hide it, going as far as shutting herself in the bathroom to clean it up. It didn't make any sense. Clementine had no choice but to assume one of two things: either Ellie was hiding something, or the cut in her leg was fucking serious , enough so to keep it from her.

Whatever the case, there was only one way to find out for sure. The girl extended her hand, giving Ellie a serious look to illustrate that she meant business. "Let me see." Clementine asked, damn near demanded. "Your cut." She clarified with a frown. "I can help you patch it up, I've done it before…"

Dot [Ellie]

"Clem, I…" The words were caught in Ellie's throat as she tried to get them out, the look on Clementine's face was enough for her to realize that she'd been backed into a corner. "I – I already cleaned it, so…" C'mon Ellie! "...that's not really… necessary."

Clementine's face remained unchanged, which scared her more than she thought it would. It was intimidating, enough for her heart to skip a beat. " Really ," she emphasized, sighing. "It's fine. I'm okay. Alright?"

Nothing.

Ellie gulped.

Joel's face was incredulous, enraged, as he read over the readings from the guard's device. Ellie knew there was no hiding it now, they've seen the readings. They knew that she was infected, or was.

"Marlene set us up?" Joel's voice was filled with contempt, looking towards Tess before turning his attention to Ellie. Ellie gulped. "Why the hell are we smuggling an infected girl?"

"I – I'm not infected!" Ellie immediately responded, shaking her head quickly.

"No? So this was lyin'?" Joel spat the last word, tossing the device onto the ground next to her.

"I can explain!"

"You better explain fast!" Tess added, her voice similar to the one Joel had adopted. At this moment, everyone was against her, and she knew it. She had to tell them everything, before this fell apart. Before they left her and returned to Boston.

She pulled back her sleeve, revealing the bite she'd gotten at the mall. "Look at this!"

Joel waved the sight off, turning his attention towards Tess, as if telling her that listening to her was just bullshit. Ellie continued to speak quickly, panic rising in her voice. "It's three weeks old."

"No, everyone turns within two days," Tess shook her head, "so you stop bullshitting."

"It's three weeks, I swear," Ellie insisted, looking between the two desperately. "Why would she set you up?"

Ellie let out a heavy sigh, cursing under her breath. Finally, she managed to make eye contact with the girl, her golden eyes one of suspicion and disbelief. She still thought this wasn't the right time, and especially not in these circumstances, but she had no other choice.

She was going to have to tell her.

"Clem, just… hear me out, okay?" She started, struggling to keep her voice steady as the words came out. Fear flowed through her veins like blood, sending shockwaves throughout her body, and her heartbeat increasing at an exponential rate. "Just… trust me, please?" She didn't wait for a response she knew she wouldn't get, taking in a deep breath.

"I don't have a cut on my leg. I was cleaning this…" She rolled up her sleeve, her heartbeat audible in her eardrums as the bite slowly came into view. "Clem, don't freak out, okay? Please? This bite, it's weeks old. Normally, you turn within two days. I'm…" Fuck fuck fuck fuck, I hate this. Fuck! "Immune," she finished, her voice becoming feeble and weak, as if admitting it out loud to someone other than Joel was the worst possible thing she could ever do. Depending on how the girl reacted, it probably would be.

"They'll either think you're crazy, or try to kill you."

I really hope it's neither.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine's heart raced at a tremendous speed. She breathed in and out, yet no air seemed to enter her lungs. The girl's mind was sent reeling, unable to comprehend or process the sight in front of her. Her eyes were wide open, hands shaking in terror, cold sweat glistening as it ran down her face. Ellie's… Ellie's bit. Clem took two faltering steps back, horrified, shaking her head in denial. She couldn't have ever expected it… expected Ellie to lie to her about something so fucking important. Clementine couldn't say a word, shocked, confused, angry… and scared, most of all.

The claim that the bite was weeks old, that she was immune… for her, all that sounded like was an act of desperation, akin to trying to clean a bite like it was some sort of cold that just went away . Clem had seen it happen dozens of times, no shortage of them happening to people she really cared about. The mere concept of immunity was almost beyond far-fetched, idiotic for anyone who had survived for that long.

"Ellie…" Clementine uttered in terror, incapable of finding the strength to say anything else. After all, there was no strength left. No strength to feel any sort of resentment towards her, not any kind of emotion except absolute misery… the misery that came from knowing she'd have to watch Ellie die.

The girl's expression lightly softened, as did the shock that came with the discovery. The silence that followed was brutal, almost unbearable. Clementine had to say something… she had to. "We can still…" She choked, barely able to speak, much less form a sentence. "…stick together… for as long as you have left." Clem forced a smile, trying, as hard as she possibly could, to give Ellie some kind of comfort in what she could only imagine were her final moments with her.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie's face fell further as Clementine's response registered in her brain, feeling almost as if her heart stopped in that moment. Clementine thought she was going to die; she didn't believe her. She didn't believe her. She...

Without thinking, she grabbed Clementine by her arms, hands clenched around her biceps. Her face was serious, far more serious than she'd ever been since she met the girl. With all the hurt in Clementine's voice, she could not let the girl think she was going to die. No fucking way.

"I'm not lying to you, Clementine. I'm - fuck - I don't know how, but I am immune. That's how I met Joel, he snuck me out of Boston, and he's taking me to the Fireflies. They're looking for the cure, Clem. Our only shot at getting it from me. That's why we need to find them. Okay? I'm not dying, Clementine. Not today. You have to believe that, please." Ellie was begging now, her voice much stronger than it'd been when she had admitted to the girl that she had been bitten. She was going to have to tell her how, she knew that much. And that was going to kill her.

She let out a heavy sigh, letting go of the girl and taking a step back.

"I was with Riley when it happened, we… she was leaving Boston to join the Fireflies at one of their hideouts. I… I told her to stay, and she did. She left the Fireflies for me. Now… I wish I didn't, because maybe-" Her voice choked, her gaze averting from the girl. "Maybe she'd still be alive today. We were hanging out in this abandoned mall, infected took us by surprise. I fought off one of them that'd tackled her, and it bit me in the process. And it'd already gotten her." Her eyes returned to Clementine, tears threatening to flow from her eyes thinking about this horrible memory again.

"We decided to wait it out, lose our minds together. All poetic and shit. I watched her turn. Had to put her down. My turn never came."

She took another step back, her voice barely a whisper as she added one final thing. " I - I loved her, and I had to kill her. "

Silence followed her words, Ellie too choken up to say anything more. If Clementine wouldn't believe her after that, then she wasn't sure if she ever would.

Art [Clementine]

A quiet sound left Clementine's lips as she was pulled closer to Ellie by her arms, feeling for the first time the absolute intensity being presented through her eyes. "I'm not dying, Clementine." Ellie told her in a tone just as fierce, as though she didn't have a single doubt in her mind. How can you say that…? Clementine couldn't stop herself from thinking in response, grief stricken. Nothing Ellie was saying made any sense… none of it. So why…?

Why did Clementine believe in her?

It was stupid, it was naive and it was totally fucking insane. Yet, for what felt like a lack of any rhyme or reason, Clem couldn't possibly bring herself to dismiss what Ellie begged her to believe in, no matter how impossible it sounded. As Ellie pulled away, Clementine felt her own expression darken along with hers, realizing that what she meant to say next was bound to be painful. It all traced back to Riley, somehow it always seemed to. Whatever it was Ellie felt for her must've been… unworldly. It came as no surprise to hear about Riley's passing, something Clem had been long alluded to assume on her own, but even so, inadvertently forcing Ellie to describe the entire thing hurt Clementine unimaginably. I'm so sorry…

Clem once again found herself without the strength to speak, for similar yet somehow drastically different reasons. Her lower lip quivered as she sought the right way to approach the girl, wishing only that she could somehow lessen her suffering. "I… I believe you, Ellie." Clementine quietly said, trying not to look away even whilst faced by her sorrowful gaze. It was crazy, but she wanted to believe in her. Clem wanted to believe in her friend...

Dot [Ellie]

" I... I believe you, Ellie. "

Hearing those words was enough to bring back emotions she hadn't felt in a long time, dating back to that fateful night with Riley. She instinctively leaned forward, intending to get closer to Clementine, to comfort her somehow, but forced herself to stay in place. Her vision went blurry with tears, and she wiped them away with the sleeve of her jacket, sniffling as she did so. She didn't know how to feel, or which emotions she should convey, if any. They mixed together into one chaotic soup, bubbling to the surface. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do. For a moment, she just... stood there, trying to reorganize her brain, to say something coherent to the girl, but nothing came.

Finally, she opened her mouth, her breath hitching, before her voice finally managed to break through. "I'm sorry," the words were weak, probably too quiet for the girl in front of her to even hear. Everything about this confession had gone wrong. She didn't want to hurt Clementine, especially not after the day they had together. Yesterday, if someone told her that she'd be feeling this way, or even manage to get a single word out of Clementine, she wouldn't believe them. Now...? She really didn't know. They've both gone through so much, Clementine having experienced so much more than Ellie could possibly imagine, she's probably seen this situation a hundred times, all without a promise. All without any reason for hope. She didn't want her to be the next case of heartbreak, a person could only handle so much.

She took in a deep breath, finally matching Clementine's gaze. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Joel told me to tell no one else, and before today... I didn't know if I could trust you and Lee. I do now. I fucked up, and... shit , I'm sorry, Clementine." It wasn't nearly the apology the girl deserved, but as much as she could get out with how much her body was shaking, and how much her heart hurt, and how much she felt like a shitty fucking friend. Maybe she was. Maybe Clem would've been better off without her. Maybe Riley would've, too. All she knew was that she wasn't going to let Clem become the next Riley. The next one on the list to die in her wake. Another name lost to this horrible fucking world . When they reached the Fireflies, the cure would make sure it never happened again. That was the only promise she could make.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine, much like Ellie, hesitated to speak… to move even an inch. In such a short span time, it felt as though her world stopped making any and all sense. There weren't any thoughts going through her head, nothing… just a running stream of extreme, heartfelt emotions. Clem couldn't have imagined she'd ever see Ellie so… hurt. That the same lively girl who approached her on that roof had so much anguish buried inside of her. Seeing her that way was absolutely soul-crushing for her… Clementine just wished she could see Ellie smiling again, to hear her make one more stupid joke… just one more time…

It happened almost instinctually, an action driven entirely by the girl's resolve. Clementine placed her hands on Ellie's shoulders, her eyes swollen from holding back tears of her own. "No, y - you… you didn't fuck up, okay? You didn't." The girl said as her hands began to envelop Ellie further, pulling her closer until she was fully within her embrace. "So, quit crying… alright?" Clem's grip on the girl gradually softened, until she pulled away from her completely. She fell silent again, after the fact, trying to somehow wrap her head around… everything .

Ellie was immune… Immune to the virus, to the bites, to the entire thing... Could they really make a cure from her? Could they really… end it...? It was too much to take in for a single exhausted little girl, who at that point could hardly stand without collapsing to the floor.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie felt her lungs decompress as Clementine hugged her, taken aback for a moment that the girl was hugging her. She expected the girl to yell at her, tell her that she should've told her, and that she didn't forgive her. That's what she imagined her to say, if this was yesterday. Today, she didn't seem to hesitate to forgive her. Did she even deserve forgiveness? For lying to her this entire time? Granted, they've only known each other for a day, but there were a dozen moments where she could've told her today, and she didn't. After a second passed, she hugged Clementine back, sniffling quietly.

The two broke apart, Ellie taking a moment to wipe the tears away from her eyes and somehow get her emotions back under control. Being so tired and hungry and emotionally drained had taken its toll, and her entire body felt almost numb, as if she'd pass out at any moment. Clementine's words rang in her head on repeat, a small smile appearing on her face as she heard them over and over.

She let out a weak chuckle, her voice still shaky despite how warm and fuzzy she was feeling inside. "You're a good friend, Clementine. You know that?" Her eyes averted to the backpack she'd left sitting in the sink behind her, the bottle of vodka poking out the side, having been hastily placed in there before. It'd left a bad aftertaste in her mouth, that one sip being enough to leave an imprint on her mind. Had she known alcohol tasted so shitty , she wouldn't have touched it to begin with. Sighing, she slipped the bottle all the way into her backpack, before zipping the bag up. Taking the bag, and slipping it over her shoulders, she returned her gaze to Clementine, a thought that'd been in the back of her head bubbling to the surface. "So, uh… if you want me to sleep on the couch now, I'd totally understand." She awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of her neck.

After admitting to being bitten, she wasn't sure if Clementine would want to test her immunity out, no matter how much Ellie insisted on her being fine. Not that she'd blame her. Then there was her story about Riley, which… heavily hinted at how much the girl had meant to her. She wasn't sure how Clementine would feel about that, if she even picked up on it. Boys like girls, and girls like boys, so what did that make her? The odd one out? There was a reason she hadn't told anyone about that incident yet, including Joel, because she wasn't sure whether her feelings were normal or not. She grew up on those stories about princes and princesses, things she'd found ridiculous. Royalty, true love, stupid things like that that didn't exist anymore, or she wasn't sure that she believed in. It never appealed to her, living that kind of life. Maybe it was the old-fashioned nature of it, she didn't really know. As much as the old world fascinated her, some aspects of it still didn't make any sense. With Riley, none of that mattered, they did their own thing, made their own story. Who cared if she was another girl?

Given the way she hid it from the world, probably her.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine smiled back at Ellie, shyly twiddling her two forefingers up and down in response to her remark. The girl already considered Ellie to be akin to a friend for a while now, but hearing her say it out loud like that was just... something else entirely. She wasn't really sure how it worked ; being friends with another girl. Clem's experience with that kind of thing basically boiled down to the night she met Sarah in that cabin, and very little else. Were they supposed to make a pinky swear now? Was that a thing all girls did when they became friends? Clementine refrained from doing so out of sheer embarrassment, wincing at the thought. We're not little kids, dumbass… She settled for the simpler kind of response, sounding self-assured for once, which for her was a nice change of pace. "Thanks, Ellie."

The couch comment definitely caught her off-guard, inducing Clem to chuckle softly in return. "No fucking way. I said we're sharing the bed, don't argue." Clementine said with a smirk as she made her way down the hallway, stopping a few inches away from the girl's room to tease Ellie a tiny bit. "C'mon, stupid."

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie rolled her eyes as she watched the girl head towards the bedroom, taking a deep breath before following the girl. "Guess those nicknames are going to stick, huh Baseball Cap?"

Once they were in the room, Ellie shut the door behind her, stretching her muscles as fatigue took over. It'd been a long fucking day, she could hardly remember the last time she actually slept. Back on the roof of that Starbucks, right? Felt like forever since they were there, it only compounded how tired she felt. As Clementine laid in the bed, Ellie hesitated for a moment, considering whether or not to leave on the jacket. No point, she already knows about the bite. With a sigh, she shrugged the jacket off, hanging it on the knob of the door. She focused on the bite for a moment, the act of showing it almost alien to her. If it wasn't so warm, she'd consider just sleeping with the jacket on. Nevertheless, she shook that feeling away, laying in the bed before staring up at the ceiling. It still remained an off-white color, despite the years of neglect this place had been through.

She imagined the girl this room belonged to, laying here looking up at the same roof, a completely different set of thoughts and emotions running through her head. What was her life like? What drove her? Boys? School? A life like that, nothing much to worry about, nothing that mattered , anyway. Nights like this might've been more common back then; darts, truth or dare but it's only truth, things that normally wouldn't find its way into their lives these days. She wished they weren't so rare, but that didn't make experiencing them any less special. She couldn't remember a time she'd been so happy and sad at the same time, except for… when Riley died. Maybe that wasn't a good thing, but at least this one had a happy ending, right? No one dies, not this time. Her and Clem, Joel and Lee, they'll make it to the Fireflies, together. Once they found the two guys again. Tomorrow, hopefully.

Tonight, though, having a bed to sleep in and a friend to share it with wasn't so bad. Less scary than she thought it'd be, although having her so close was almost anxiety-inducing. They were separated, each sleeping on opposite sides of the bed, but her presence still made itself known, despite Ellie having rolled over onto her side, facing away from the girl. Was this… nervousness? Or simply frayed nerves? Probably a mixture of both. For a while, she simply breathed in and out in a rhythmic fashion, taking in the room around them with half-open eyes. The quiet was peaceful compared to the shitstorm that took place in the bathroom, the only sound being that of their breathing and the whistling sound of wind battering the house outside. It was enough to calm her nerves, and before she knew it, her eyes had shut completely.