Hey! Im updating this at 11:37 pm, so yay me.

i just got over the stomach flu, so that's why this chapter is a day late.

anyways, I tried to put a little happiness in the story, so there you go. Please note that there is some acton at the end of the chapter though, so you won't have to wait long. Honestly this is the longest chapter I've written... I think.

Please review!

"Mommy? How long have we been walking?" Elizabeth asked, kicking rocks on the side of the road.

Tess sighed, she was exhausted, and she didn't know what to do. It was a day after they had left her husband in the forest, but that didn't mean he wasn't following them. So they had attempted to walk through the forest until they reached another road.

"I don't know, sweetheart." Tess answered. Which was one hundred percent true.

Ed and Diana were a little further ahead, scouting for walkers. They hadn't had an encounter in a long time, but now that they were no longer in a car, things were different, and a lot more dangerous.

Diana saw how exhausted Tess looked, and she fell back in step with her.

"Hey." Diana greeted quietly. "We've been walking for more than a day now, I'm pretty sure that we've lost him by now. You should... I think its best that we stop and rest. You look like you need it."

Tess ignored her. Or at least she did her best.

Diana put her hand on Tess's shoulder.

"C'mon, Tess..." Diana urged. Pulling Tess into a halt.

Tess looked ahead at the open road. It went on seemingly forever, and just imagining how long they could be walking...

"Fine." Tess muttered, brushing Diana's hand off her shoulder. "But we have to get going first thing tomorrow morning."

That was all Diana needed to hear, and she smiled.

...

The sky was growing dim, and the fire they had made roughly on the side of the road was flickering barely, hardly able to live off of the small amount of dry kindling they could find. It had rained earlier, and it didn't take long for the forest and the road to become soaked.

Tess rubbed her tired eyes, fighting exhaustion.

Elizabeth was solemnly playing with a stick in the fire. She sat cross-legged next to it, poking the flames with a branch she had found with one hand, whilst she leaned her head on the other. Her blonde hair covered her face.

Tess, who was sitting nearby, leaned over and brushed the hair away from Elizabeth blue eyes.

"I love you sweetheart, I'm so, SO sorry that this had to happen."

Elizabeth stopped playing with the fire momentarily, and turned to look at her mother. Then, she inched closer to her mothers side.

"I love you to."

Diana and Ed looked away, both hurting inside. Seeing these moments were sweet, there was nothing wrong with them, but it just reminded them of someone that they may not have again.

A daughter.

But on the other side of the fire, Tess was hurting to. Seeing Diana and Ed so happy was just a painful reminder that she wasn't so lucky when it came to finding a soul mate. If only things were different, if only he were a better man.

Ed wiped a tear from his eye, and put his hand over Diana's hand. They sat on the other side of the fire from them, and he managed to tear his eyes away from the two and stare into the flames. They were helplessly licking at the sky, barley able to stay alive.

"Remember when Clementine would come home from school, so excited to tell us about how well it went and how easy it was for her?" Ed said, surprising Diana a bit. She turned to look in to Ed's eyes, which were patiently waiting for an answer.

Diana smiled in return. Trying to hold back the sadness that prodded her mind.

"Of course I do... that's what I loved about her. She was always happy... saw the best side of every situation. Something YOU need to work on, mister." she joked, poking Ed's stomach. Inside, she knew she was trying to change the subject. After that... she was a little sensitive.

Ed couldn't help but laugh a little at that.

"Is there something else you're trying to imply?" He answered, putting his hand on his stomach and furrowing his brow to look offended. Oblivious to the subject change.

"Maybe." She smirked.

"You to look like you're getting along just fine." Tess cut in, putting a new log in the fire.

"After yesterday? I don't mind a little fun." Diana added.

All the adults nodded their agreement.

silence fell over the group.

Elizabeth put her stick down and turned to look at Diana.

"Um... can you tell me about Clementine?" Elizabeth asked.

Diana flinched.

"Elizabeth!" Tess warned.

"What?"

"Now might not be the best-"

"No no, its fine." Diana assured. As much as it might hurt, she had to stop ignoring her problems. She missed her daughter, and maybe talking about her could help relieve some stress?

"Are you sure? I'm sorry that Elizabeth came on like that..." Tess tried.

"Its okay. This will do me some good." Diana answered. She looked down at Elizabeth again, who's blue eyes shone with curiosity.

"Clementine is a little younger than you. Are you ten?"

"I just turned ten last month... I think." Elizabeth said, furrowing her brow in an attempt to remember.

"Yes, she's about to turn nine, her birthday is not far from now. She was a very happy-go-lucky girl, and was very sweet. No matter what, she was there to cheer you up. She hated seeing someone sad, and she hated hurting other peoples feelings. She always saw the best side of people. No matter how they acted."

"did you ever fight with her?" Elizabeth asked.

"Lizzy..." Tess sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Diana giggled at that. "Well, yes. But never for long. We had our fair share of fights, sure. But she always figured out a way to resolve it. With logic or the guilt trip. She had the best puppy eyes, let me tell you."

Diana wiped another tear from her eye. Ed leaned and listened. before he opened his mouth.

"She adored my hat. I own this purple 'D' hat, and she would always ask for me to get it out so she could hold it, wear it, or just look at it. I never let her wear it for long, because I honestly thought she would get it dirty, but the day before we left..." Ed hesitated, holding back tears. His breathe was shaky and short, but he shook his head in an effort to not cry.

"I told her to take care of it, and I gave it to her. I said you can borrow, but keep it safe until we came back."

Elizabeth understood where this was going, and she nodded to everything he said.

Ed took a minute to regain his composure before continuing.

"When we left, I stood by the door holding our bags. Diana was getting the car started as I loaded all of the bags downstairs. On my way back inside to get the last bag, She tackled me in a hug out of nowhere. She told me how much she was going to miss me, and that she... loved me." He said. That last part was very hard to get out, though.

Elizabeth looked like she understood.

once again, another moment of silence passed.

"Um... Diana? How come you were using some past tense?" Elizabeth asked after a moment of brief hesitation.

Diana opened her eyes wide in surprise, not realizing that she was doing that herself.

Then an answer came to her.

"... Because I don't know what she's like now. This world, now? It can do a lot to harm a little girls mind. And she... She might..."

Tess stood up fast, knocking a couple more sticks onto the fire in the process.

"Okay Elizabeth, that's enough questions for tonight. How about me an you go on a walk and talk about... Manners and etiquette, and when it's the right time to say something."

Ed stood up, putting his hand out.

"There is no need for that, it's just my wife..." He tried. "It's late, and you..."

"don't worry. We'll stay near the road. We'll be safe." She assured.

Ed opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He grumbled in submission.

"Well... At least take this pistol, you never know, and I want you two to stay safe." Ed insisted, handing her a handgun. She took it with a grateful nod.

"we won't be long. Besides, it's about time we had a mother-daughter conversation about ... Current situations." She said, making a sidelong glance towards Elizabeth.

"but..." Elizabeth protested, but to no avail. Her mother took her by the hand gently but firmly and led her into the forest.

Diana rubbed at her eyes in sadness, trying to push back the flow of tears that were trying to get out.

"Sweetheart." Ed whispered. "Sometimes you gotta know when to cry. If you hold it in for forever, it'll consume you. It's okay to let it out."

Did he just give her permission to cry?

"That isn't who our little girl will be... It won't ever be. I promise." He added

then she turned and wept into his shoulder.

minutes past, and he rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her.

Eventually her crying ceased, and she sat upright. She gave her husband a thankful look.

"Ed-"

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Three gunshots, a scream.

"Walkers!" Elizabeth screeched. "No... Mommy! Mommy, please!"