Louis' P.O.V.

It was the favorite part of my day!

Well, actually, no it wasn't - but this came close. It didn't happen very often, either. I was sent out with my one-and-only girlfriend, Clementine, to check on the traps to see if they caught anything. A job that was not only boring, but the trips were short because rabbits were becoming scarce. But I was more than happy when I heard Ruby assigning me with Clem. Aasim refused to have us work together for scavenging trips nowadays, the whole "walker piƱata" thing and all. Said I was a distraction.

Ass.

I was equipped with Chairles waiting for her near the front gate. She was still getting ready back in the dorms. I decided to kill time by whistling a tune, batting my weapon against the brick wall to match the beat. I expected someone shushing me any second now, but remembered everyone was still dealing with the aftermath of the raider attack. Things had been silent for days.

"Shit." I muttered to myself. "What a way to get depressing, Louis."

"Wow. And I thought I was the only one that talked to myself."

I jumped hearing a voice. I turned on my heel and found my girlfriend in all her beautiful prestige, her hand on her hip and the other holding the strap of her backpack. A.J. was by her side, snickering from what I assumed was her comment. My ears burned in embarrassment.

"Sometimes the most interesting person to talk to is...yourself." I flashed her a grin. "You guys ready?"

"Yeah, I think we are." She glanced behind herself hesitantly. "Let's not take too long though, okay?"

I furrowed my eyebrow, but opened the gates anyway. I let them out first before following behind, resting my weapon on my shoulder and listening around for the groans of the undead.

The first part of the trip was quiet, not only walker-wise, but Clementine-wise. She hasn't said a word to me ever since we left the school. She looked a bit worried, actually. She was on guard more than usual. A.J. hasn't let go of her hand at all. Not that the latter concerned me - but when her other hand wasn't gripping her knife, it was over her stomach.

"So..." I started. "I wonder if we caught something that wasn't a rabbit? Squirrels, maybe? Chipmunks? I'm tired of rabbit stew, no offense to Omar. Actually - don't tell him I said anything."

"Food's food; no point on being picky." She finally spoke up. "They all taste the same, anyway."

I frowned. That was a bad conversation starter. I mentally flipped through the list of things to talk about, wondering which would lighten her mood. I didn't mind silence so long as it was comfortable silence. And judging by the way Clem was hunched over, tenser than usual, she was not that.

It was almost as if she read my mind. "Look, I appreciate the talking, Lou, but could we keep this trip quiet? Until we're back?"

Now I was confused. I narrowed my eyes, trying to think of what I had done wrong recently. She was happy with me, wasn't she? Or - I, thought so, at least. She gave me a kiss goodnight and let me sing her to sleep just last night. That wasn't something she wouldn't have done if I upset her. Before I could ask, we heard some groaning nearby and found a straggler coming towards us slowly.

"Monster," A.J. warned. Clem unsheathed her knife and advanced on it. We stood back to let her take the kill, my hand protectively in front of A.J. It was like her to take first initiative, plus she took care of walkers quickly.

Just as she got ready to stab it through its jaw, the effective process she used ever so often, a groan escaped her lips. She hunched down in pain, wrapping her arms around her stomach and bending over. She dropped her knife in the process and I watched in horror as she tried to grab it, all while the walker had free rein for her head. A.J. shoved my arm aside and ran to her.

"CLEM!"

The scene was painful - the walker grabbed a hold of her and went to bite down on her neck. Before it could, I came forward just in time to swing Chairles upside its skull and send it to the ground. Clementine regained her senses and smashed its head in with her boot, grunting angrily as she removed her heel, only to crouch down again in pain. A.J. went to her side right away, feeling around her neck desperately.

"Shit," She hissed through clenched teeth. I came to her other side and knelt down, just as distraught as A.J. was.

"What the hell happened, Clementine!?" The words left my mouth before I could think. "You had the kill! What stopped you?"

"Don't...yell at me!"

"Clem, I'm so glad you're not bitten..."

The two of them held each other close. I heard A.J. sniffle. He looked like he was close to tears. I even saw one drip from Clem's eye as she tightened her grip. It fed into the remorse that was eating me inside, feeling like such an ass for yelling at my own girlfriend. I couldn't help it - I haven't been that scared ever since...Marlon died.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." I knelt down and hovered my arms around her cautiously. "I didn't mean-"

"I know, Louis, I know..."

She let go of A.J. and wiped his cheek with her thumb. I felt numb as we inspected the walker beside us. It was dead now, no doubt about that. I could see the part where Chairles tore its flesh open, as well as the scattered, bloody mess of its brains after Clem stomped on it. It made me sick just looking at it - the same thing that nearly killed the girl I love just a few seconds ago.

Brushing the thought aside, I turned back to her. "Clementine, I know something's wrong. If it's something I-"

"It's not you, Lou. It's not anyone. It's...me."

I gave her a look, clearly indicating I was lost. I didn't have the patience for vague games right now. Not after what happened. She noticed my short temper and sighed, letting her arms drop to her sides in defeat.

"Look, it's just my time. Okay?" She said irritably. "Not a big deal."

"Your...'time'?"

"My 'time of the month'. Or...whatever you guys call it."

"Your time of the m- oh. Oh."

I held my hands up instantly, silently telling her I understood. She crossed her arms and looked away from me, leaving a feeling of guilt in my chest. God, I felt like such a fucking idiot. She was on her...her thing. Sometimes I forgot that still happened, what with Ruby and her 'code of conduct', plus Violet didn't want to talk about it. God forbid I ever asked Ms. Martin about 'female issues'...

"I'm sorry. Again." I swallowed. "If there's anything I can do, or, or something you need-"

"I'm fine. It's just...It was never this bad when I was on the road, moving all the time. Just a nuisance more than anything." She shook her head. "Now that I'm settled back down, sleeping properly...the cramps are unbearable."

"You could've just told me; I wouldn't have been mad, you know."

"I'm sorry I kept it from you. I didn't think it was going to happen when I tried to kill that walker." She kicked the dirt. "I didn't want you going by yourself, either. Considering the raiders and shit right now."

"Swear," A.J. reminded gently from the background. I ignored it and went closer to her, laying a hand on her back and rubbing her shoulder slightly.

"I'm a little relieved." I confessed. "Not that you got your - thing - but...I thought you were upset with me. You can be pretty scary when you're angry, you know."

She looked back at me before shrugging my hand off, walking back on the trail. A.J. followed and I joined her other side. We didn't say anything for awhile - checking the traps we passed and collecting only a couple of trapped rabbits(that Clem had the pleasure of snapping their necks...I still couldn't stand that stuff). I reset the snares and cracked a few jokes, but other than that, things were quiet again.

I was staring at the ground in thought before I heard some smaller footsteps join mine. I noticed A.J. joined my side, leaving Clem alone in front of us. I smiled at his company - if she wasn't going to talk to me, than I may as well talk to her kid. Just as I opened my mouth to greet him, he interrupted me.

"She likes chocolates."

"Who? Clem?"

"Yeah. One time, she kept talking about this chocolate bar. We even went looking for one. She likes them when it's her 'time'. Her favorite is the ones with the al...amon...alma-"

"-Almonds?" I asked, my smile growing.

"Yeah. Those."

I took one last look at her back, smiling at this newfound information, before turning back to A.J. and offering him a fist bump. He bumped it and laughed when I "exploded" my fist. He copied the gesture and returned to her side. I was glad he told me that - I deemed such information important. Anything that could make Clementine happy was, in my book.

We walked a bit more before she stopped. I went to her side right away - thinking it was another cramp - before she leaned down and picked up something off from the ground. She held it up and admired it out of my sight. I could hear A.J. 'ooo'ing from the side.

"Looks interesting," She said.

"What? What's interesting?" I asked.

She turned around and showed it to me. I backed off once I realized what it was. It wasn't a rock or a lizard like I'd been expecting - it was a skull. Not a walker or a human's, but it looked something like...a squirrel's? It was small enough to fit in her hands. I took a step back wearily.

"Here's your chipmunk," She teased, moving the jaw so it clacked against the upper teeth. I cringed. The sound was...god. I almost gagged just listening to it.

To make matters worse, she tossed it into my hands. I wanted to avoid that thing at all costs but it fell in my arms before I could move. I slowly took it in my hands and eyed it with a similar face to when I held a cantaloupe. Which wasn't good, mind you.

"Aaaand I have a girlfriend who likes to collect dead things." I stuck my tongue out and looked at it from the side. "Just when you think you've seen it all..."

She swiped it from my hands, glaring at me with those golden eyes of hers. My heart skipped a beat seeing her so defensive. She normally could give less than two shits about what people thought about her. So it was safe to say that this was new. She dusted it off, acting as if it was clean to begin with.

"I just like skulls, okay? They look awesome."

"Don't worry, Clem. I think it's cool." A.J. grinned from beside her.

"I'm not sure what's creepier: a guy wearing walker skin, or a girl keeping the remains of animals." I placed a finger on my chin. "Actually, give me a second..."

"Hey, it's not like I'm mounting them on sticks or anything. I use them as room decorations. Well, when...we had a room." She flipped the skull in her hands sadly. "Now I just carry them around with me."

"But what if the soul of the chipmunk starts haunting you?" I teased. "Soon enough you'll get a craving for nuts, and you'll be hibernating in the winter. All just because poor little Henry here didn't get a proper funeral."

I went forward and knocked on the top of the skull with my knuckle. It hurt only slightly, but it was worth seeing the way she chortled. She had that look of vexation mixed with amusement. The reaction I longed for on a daily basis - only an ounce of her annoyance coated with layers of my rich, sugary humor. She may not act like it, but I knew she loved it.

"Shut up."

She threw the skull back down on the ground and continued on our way. I watched as A.J. caught up with her before ducking down and picking the skull right back up. I cringed as I slid it in my coat pocket, knowing I was going to regret this decision later. I picked up my pace. We finished checking on the traps and made our way back to the school afterwards, only a few rabbits in our hands.


I hummed a song underneath my breath, holding the bowl in my hand with great caution. I watched as its contents threatened to spill with every step I took and slowed my pace down once I entered the dorm rooms. The bowl was still hot and it had its usual mouthwatering scent. At least - if you loved rabbit stew. That was our daily special, and even if I'd grown tired of it, it still managed to work up my appetite.

This bowl, however, was not for me.

We were short one rabbit coming back, otherwise Omar could've fed everyone. I gave my ration to A.J. again, seeing as he was the only one left without a serving. The other bowl they gave to me I saved for someone more important, who was still in bed after the events of today. Nearly being eaten by a walker and the traumatizing stress that came from that, and all.

An unwelcoming feeling crawled up my spine just thinking about that. I shook it off as I approached the door, opening it with my free hand, and kicking it open. I trotted in saying my greeting in a singsong tone, turning to face my bed with a grin.

"And here I have the finest rabbit stew for the girl who escaped death again. She does that a lot."

I extended my arms to offer the bowl to Clementine. She slowly sat up in the bed, taking it from my hands before carefully setting it in her lap. I'm guessing I just woke her up, judging by her drowsiness. She looked at it twice before clacking her tongue, getting a spoonful of the stew and pointing it in my direction.

"I'm surprised you didn't spill it with all that singing," She said incredulously. I swooned. I just loved it when she flirted with me!

"Hey, you're lucky you even got that. We didn't have enough to feed everybody tonight."

Her frown deepened, her eyes turning troubled as she set the spoon back in the bowl. "...Who didn't get fed?" She asked sadly.

"Not important. Make sure you eat it all - I'm sure you need the strength."

"It was you, wasn't it?" She sighed, handing the bowl back to me. "Louis, you should eat it. I ate yesterday."

I pushed it back to her gently. I couldn't live with myself if I ate while she starved. "No, Clem, you eat it. I'm not the one bedridden here."

She gave up and started to eat. I smiled in relief. She knew how persistent I could be - especially when it came to her. I glanced outside the window nearby and could see A.J.'s figure sitting at the table with Tenn and Willy. I could tell from here that he already finished his serving.

I grit my teeth as I listened to my stomach growl. I held a hand over my abdomen trying to silence it. I didn't need a reminder of how hungry I was. Clem and A.J. were more important to me. It was worth being hungry for them.

"Oh, Vi said you could use these, by the way." I dug through my pockets and fished out a packet of pills. "Said they helped with the, uh, cramps and all."

She took them and observed the box. She took a couple of the pills out and downed them right away, using the stew to settle her stomach. I blinked once or twice, trying to remember what else was on the label. I wanted to make sure what I gave her wouldn't have any bad effects in the long run.

"Said it may cause drowsiness," I warned her. "So if you pass out, you can blame me."

She gave me a look before finishing the rest of her dinner. I remembered what I also came in here for and turned away from her, approaching the nightstand beside my bed. I opened my lower pocket and grabbed the chipmunk skull I kept earlier - placing it in the center carefully. I heard her choke on the stew in the background while I adjusted it.

"You kept that!?"

"Of course I did." I took a step back and admired my work. "Huh. Not bad, if I say so myself. May have to add interior decorating to my talent list."

"Are you sure? I mean, this is your room."

"Correction: It's a room I share with you. And A.J." I added quickly. "It's been in need of a refurbishment, anyway. You guys should feel at home too, right? So, no, I don't mind the skulls - if they make you happy, then they're allowed in here."

She smiled, discarding her bowl to the side. "Well, if you say so...I have a couple more in my backpack. You should put those up, too."

I just made a grave mistake, didn't I? With slight reluctance, I approached her backpack and found the pair of skulls. Not like they were hard to find - considering the antlers of the deer's. I held them away from my body as I debated where to put them. I decided the cat went next to the chipmunk's and left the deer on top of my bookshelf.

"There," I shuddered. "Does that make you happy, your majesty?"

I turned around expecting a sour look on her face, but she was delighted. Her eyes were lit up. Even as I joined her side on the bed, her gaze was still glued onto the skulls. I glanced at them twice and finally found the appeal - it did look kind of badass. Like she was. Maybe it wasn't a mistake, after all.

I remembered something else and grabbed it from my pocket, offering it to her. "Here."

She looked back at me and realized what was in my hand. It was a chocolate bar I found earlier, filled with almonds. Her favorite, like A.J. told me it was. Judging by how quickly she snatched it out of my hands, I knew he wasn't lying. She opened the wrapper and found it intact like I had hours ago. A little melted, but hey, this was the apocalypse, right?

"I'm afraid to ask where you got this," She said, taking a bite hesitantly. A very small 'mmm' escaped her lips. She started to eat the rest and I watched from her side with a smirk.

"So don't ask." I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. "But let's just say I'll be finding one of these for you every month. Balance that sour with a little bit of sweet."

She rolled her eyes, but I could tell she didn't have the energy to argue with me. She leaned closer to rest her head on my shoulder, nestling in my arm. She finished her dessert right after that. Before I could ask how it was, she fell asleep on me. I knew because I felt her relax and use my arm as a pillow.

The only words I could say were:

"Damn, those pills work fast."