I feel I might owe you all an apology; it seems I might have worried you all over my intentions for this fic! As I said in the update before last; I don't intend to ever actually abandon it, so never fear that at least. As for my mentioning 'deleting' I meant only the last chapter I updated, because I was personally dissatisfied with how it turned out. Whether it is the whole, eye of the beholder thing, or that a writer is their own worst critic, well, I can't say; I just felt by the end that I had ruined it and it sucked giant hairy donkey balls...

Course, from the responses you've all given me (beautiful and heart stopping responses which I absolutely LOVE, thankyou all so very much!) I could well be wrong about its total awfulness...

So; really, I just wanted to reassure everyone that I'm not going anywhere. I'll still be here, sat alone with my little laptop, typing away :D

...

Your continued support and heart warming reviews and messages are; indescribably invaluable to me. Thankyou all; SO. MUCH. I love you all.

Anyway; enough from me! ;)

I'll leave you in the capable hands of Clementine and Luke now :D

Clementine watched with the eyes of a hawk, as Carlos examined Pete in the furthest corner of the shed. She assumed he was trying to prevent Sarah from seeing the awful stump at the end of Pete's leg. She scoffed and glanced to where she had hidden Pete's amputated foot, cringing as she felt bile rise in her throat. She quickly looked away, hoping nobody would speak to her for awhile to save her the possibility of being sick on them. Luke rubbed between her shoulders gently, a beacon of kindness and strength for her to cling to as he distracted and silently supported her as best he could. When she peeked up from under her cap at his face, his brows were drawn into a frown, and his expression was worn and distressed. She bit her lip and tried to think of a way to stop his mind from conjuring the images of what had happened here, assuming that was what was happening in his head as she knew that it was in her own. She raised her hand and lightly grasped his wrist, tugging his hand from her back and resting her own over it. He glanced down at her as if surprised, and smiled weakly at her attempts to distract him right back. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

"Dammit Clem..." Nick groaned, running a hand through his hair before he re-placed his cap. He sat on the crate slightly in front of her, his back to Pete's current examination. She guessed that he had seen enough of the stump first hand to want to see it again now if he didn't need to. "I don't think I could'a stood up to Carver half so well as it sounds like you did. I'd have just got pissed and made a mess of things..." He said, shaking his head in either wonder at her bravery, or shame at his own temper. Clementine smiled, and offered him her free hand, squeezing gently when he took it in his own. She tried to tell herself there was no specific reason she kept her other hand on Luke's, but she knew that it was mostly because his hands touching hers made her feel oddly warm and tingly, and she didn't want to give the feeling up just yet.

"Nick you woulda kicked his ass all the way to Timbuktu." She grinned, swinging her legs lightly against the crate she sat on. She was still short enough that by sitting back, her feet didn't reach the floor, something the others had teased her incessantly over.

"Or he woulda kicked mine," Nick scoffed, dropping her hand as he scratched his ear. She laughed at his mystified expression and then glanced back into the corner, hurriedly pushing herself to her feet as Carlos straightened to his own, her smile fading as quickly as the daylight would in a few hours. The doctor helped Pete hobble over to them, and Clementine released Luke's hand as she quickly stepped out of the way to let Pete have her seat on the crate.

"You two did a good job, considering your circumstances." Carlos said, though Clementine couldn't help but notice he seemed reluctant to admit it. She found that she didn't care about his attitude though, the confession itself easing a heavy weight from her heart. "There's no sign of infection setting in, and the alcohol has managed to keep it both clean and sterile..." Clementine met Pete's gaze, and she hastily rubbed her arm over her eyes, not wanting him to see her cry, even if it was with happiness.

"However, the fact remains. We need to get moving, and this is going to slow us down considerably..." Clementine frowned at the doctor, unsure there were any words she could say to express her current disgust with him for actually saying such a thing, let alone in front of Pete. "Do you think there's anything we can use, maybe to build a makeshift stretcher?" He asked Luke, who grimaced with uncertainty. Clementine drifted away, quietly making her way outside into the open air. Such a small place filled with so many people made it hard to breathe. Once in the fresh air, she took a deep and satisfying breath of cool air, clearing her mind of her less than kind thoughts about Carlos. Despite his tactlessness, he was ultimately right, and it rankled her to no end to have to admit it, even if only to herself.

She glanced back at the others, still caught up in a hot debate of what to do now that they had someone who was so dependent on the others in the group. Pete caught her eye briefly, but he merely smiled and then turned back to the conversation. Her blood suddenly boiled again, her temper spiking from the quiet acceptance and resignation she had seen in his eyes. Without thinking, she turned and stormed away towards the woods, just needing to put some space between herself and what was, in her opinion, a horrific conversation. When she came to a fallen tree just inside the edge of the clearing, she turned back to the shed and sat with a huff, leaning her elbows on her knees and holding her head in frustration. She glared at the small building, at the window she had once stared longingly out of, while the three of them were trapped within.

The world was fifty shades of fucked up, Clementine decided, as she silently fumed to herself. What was the point in trying to survive, if you turned on each other when you saw one of your party as a 'weakness?' She hated that these people, whom she had allowed herself to admit, at least to herself, that she loved; were considering leaving an old man behind, after she and Nick had gone to such extremes to save him. She knew Nick would never leave Pete though, so it would be a case of abandoning them both if Carlos managed to convince everyone that was the best option. What would she do then? Her stomach squirmed uncomfortably, at the thought of continuing on without Nick or Pete. But it positively turned over, at the thought of staying behind with them, and leaving Luke. Her heart sped up, her palms felt sweaty, and she frowned as she raised one hand to her eyes. She didn't understand why it was that even just the thought of leaving Luke, made her feel so awful. Why didn't she feel the same about everyone in the group? Before she could think any further on it, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and jumped guiltily.

"Hey, whoa, easy there shorty..." Luke said lightly, raising his hands in mock surrender. Clementine felt her cheeks burn, feeling ashamed that she had been so absorbed in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed his approach. Considering she was facing the shed, she really had no excuse. She paled as she thought of the ramifications of her actions; what if it had been a walker instead of Luke? He seemed to sense some of her sudden guilt and shook his head, smiling softly. "It's ok, Alvin's keeping a watch out here, just in case." He said, gesturing over to where Alvin was pacing the edge of the clearing, checking both sides of the shed, and the woods around them for potential threats.

"Sorry..." Clementine mumbled, unwilling to meet Luke's eyes. She felt oddly shy around him, perhaps because she had been thinking about the difference in her reactions to potentially breaking away from the group in various ways.

"I was gonna ask if you was ok, but I'm guessin' that'd probably be pointless..." Luke said, trying to catch her eyes. She relented slightly, glancing up before quickly looking away. She heard him sigh and quickly thought of a topic to distract him from trying to unravel her current state of mind.

"How's the abandonment plan coming along?" She asked, though she immediately regretted her wording from the look of hurt and sadness which briefly passed over his face. "I'm sorry." She sighed, throwing her head back as she wrung her hands together. "I didn't mean that... it's just,"

"It's ok," Luke said quietly, watching her carefully. "I get that it seems that way, but ya gotta know; I would never leave anyone behind..." They both knew that the words 'if I can avoid it' were to remain unspoken, and they remained in awkward silence for a long moment. Clementine looked over at the shed, trying her hardest to not let her eyes keep straying back to Luke. His hair was still pretty messy, as though he hadn't slept all night but had continued to manhandle it. She would deny it if anyone else ever asked, but she couldn't help but think it made him look younger, more carefree, and definitely more cute than his usual neater style. She forced her eyes to follow the wall, picking out patterns and shapes hidden in the building's brickwork. She frowned suddenly, as her eyes were drawn back to the small window again.

"Hey Luke," She asked curiously, "How big would you say the shed is over there? It's a pretty small room right?" She met his eyes, seeing his confusion at the conversation shift easily readable in his frown.

"Yeah, I guess.." He said, uncertain where the sudden question had come from, or where it would lead.

"So; what do you see? If you look over there from here?" Luke raised a brow at her quizzically, before he turned and examined the small shed as she had. His eyes raked over the doors, the small window, and the wall along the closest side to them. Clementine watched his face, seeing his expression slowly cloud from confusion, before clearing to understanding.

"I see a wall, that's longer than the shed we were just in..." He said turning to meet her burning hopeful gaze with one of his own. He held out a hand, and she took it as she jumped up from her temporary seat.

"Which means there must be another entrance to the other side." They said in unison.

"What would you do without me, huh old man?" She asked, grinning as she gently nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. She dropped a wink at him, which finally elicited a bark of laughter from him, before he turned and gestured for her to lead the way over, bowing low like a fairytale prince would have in those long forgotten stories of her childhood. She laughed at the thought, before running off ahead of him, living for the thrill of the moment as long as she could.

When she reached the wall of the shed, she turned and followed it towards the far end, opposite to where they had previously entered. Hope burned in her chest, she was certain there was something in this shed that would help them. She could feel it in her racing heart. She laughed as Luke caught up to her, finally overtaking her as he darted around the final corner.

"No fair, you have old man long legs!" She pouted, as she came around herself a moment later. Luke wasn't did not respond to her though. Her chest rose and fell heavily as she caught her breath, while his own breathing seemed barely affected. She wanted to be annoyed, but she supposed she would just have to wait til adulthood to gain the kind of stamina Luke had. She turned to look at what had captured Luke's attention, and her rapid breathing hitched excitedly. A set of double doors, identical to the ones the other end. "What do you think is in there?" She whispered. Luke shook his head, apparently lost for words at their discovery. He reached one shaking hand over his shoulder, un-holstering his machete. Clementine followed his example, and pulled her hammer from her backpack. Once they were both armed, they approached the doors cautiously. It would be pointless to be reckless now, so they put their levity aside, as the doors slowly creaked open.

No growling, salivating or general walker sounds greeted them, but they shared a look which spoke more than any words would have; silence meant nothing. Luke crept into the shed first, gesturing for Clementine to stay behind him. She rolled her eyes, but followed his lead, keeping quiet as she walked in after him. She crouched, muffling any sounds she made as much as she could, stepping quietly and thoughtfully as they ventured deeper into the dim shed. A window on the far side of the room barely let in any light through its grime, and Clementine changed course, leaving Luke to explore himself as she moved over to the window. She tucked her hammer into her waistband, before reaching up to try and open the window. She could reach the windows edge, but was just too short to reach the latch. She grimaced and turned, squinting over to see Luke carefully examining every potential spot for walkers to be hiding. She smiled, pleased he was there to secure the area. She turned back to the window, and looked down. Just to the left was a crate, but she didn't want to move it and risk alerting any hidden walkers of her location. Instead, she silently climbed onto the crate, and carefully leaned toward the window. She grabbed the windowsill, and her fingertips brushed against the handle of the window. She frowned and shuffled her feet forward, trying to stretch herself just a little further. She eased her fingers forward, biting her lip as she strained to reach. Finally she grasped the handle, quickly turning the latch and pulled the window hard.

"Ah!" She cried, as she fell from the crate, but although she slammed her eyes shut, expecting a sudden hard impact with the ground, she instead found herself leaning against a soft torso. She opened her eyes and turned quickly, her fingers flying to the hammer in her waistband as a hand grabbed her shoulder.

"You coulda just asked me to do that, ya know..." Luke said, his eyes glittering with amusement. Clementine released a loud breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, relief flooding her as her fears subsided. His hold on her arm relaxed as she stood up again, her fingers releasing the hammer now that she wasn't in need of defending herself.

"Don't scare me like that..." She muttered, lightly jabbing his arm. He watched her seriously for a long moment.

"Same to you kid." He said at last. Clementine felt her whole body turn warm with shame. She remembered the time she had gotten stuck behind the locked gate at the train station, back when her group had first met Christa and Omid. She and Lee had gone to look for something to help them move the dangerously dangling oil truck from the trains path.

"Sorry..." She mumbled.

Just don't do it again." Luke said lightly, tapping the peak of her baseball cap, making her duck her head. She frowned as she straightened her cap and glanced up at him, before looking away again quickly.

"Thanks for catching me." She muttered, folding her arms over her chest. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so shy around Luke.

"Anytime squirt." Luke said, jabbing her in the arm himself. She glanced at him, and couldn't help but return the grin he gave her. Whether he had sensed her sudden unease, he didn't say. Merely tipped his head to the back of the shed and released his supporting hold on her entirely. She grinned wider, her shyness gone as quickly as it had come, as she followed him through the small shed. "We're gonna have to clear up this mess a little, at least just shove it aside." Luke said, and Clementine could tell from his tone that he had found something, like she had known they would find something in here. She followed him eagerly, and when he came to a stop, she found herself almost holding her breath in excitement. He stepped aside, ripping a large dust cover aside as he moved.

"Holy shit..." Clementine swore with Lee's favorite curse, stunned by the immediate implications of Luke's find. She glanced at him, and she saw him staring at their prize with fire in his eyes. Determination, hope, and wonder all blazed passionately, as he turned his gaze to meet her own.

"Clementine," he said, his voice filled with excitement. "That is an understatement if ever I heard one."

A/N:~ Hi! I know - amazing right? ANOTHER update!

Yeah, I know its shorter than normal, BUT, its just all so... interim... I need to get from A to B and its not easy to do that, and then tack a C on the end of there! So; this was more a... chapter 11.5 if you will; or where the last chapter should have ended maybe (if I had wanted to deal with the whole group talking and explaining their thoughts and feelings and being all involved for ages and stuff)

As it is; I've chosen to cheat and do it this way XD

I find some of these interim parts hard see; I mean, they're essential to the story, so they have to be done, but at the same time; they're annoying to ME, because - well, I have to write them and cant just -ping- zap them from my head to the page so its understandable XD Call it laziness or... unease, but I tend to panic that the parts I write, as opposed to the gameplay I transcribe; don't intermix too well, and that's why I often say I don't like how it turned out - because to me it feels sloppy and awkward and I feel like I've done a pants job for you guys... which I really don't want to do.

Anyway; I played chapter 2 of the game again last night and OH! THE FEELS! I wanted to get all over that right away and, I had to finish this first; so rather than do the loooooooooooooong ass version, I decided to end this here and do a tiny time skip... this way I can get to the cool bits I saw and started salivating over writing..!

Um; this has turned into a way too long A.N, so... I'm gonna say TTFN; and... I hope to get another chapter up for you again soon (don't think it'll be as quick as this one though!) If I don't get the chance to update again before hand; Happy Easter (if you celebrate Easter)

Please review, let me know if I ballsed this up or if I'm making a mountain of a molehill; the messages and reviews I received - from ALL OF YOU - have been... touching. They're wonderful and I thank each and every one of you so so much for telling me how you feel about this fic thus far; please continue to do so as I love all your feedback.

(oh, to the person who reviewed that they thought Clementine was 18 - no, she isn't. I said in my very first few chapters that this story pretty much picks up at the original point in story that season 2 began, so she was still 11 - I've changed that last chapter for a specific reason and its important for plot purposes. If that makes you feel a little uncomfortable, I am very sorry - but I would like to just reassure you that nothing is going to happen JUST yet... well... I don't think it is, and don't plan for it to... but well, sometimes characters write their own parts ya know?)

Anyway; this is me shutting up.

Please review - and take my poll so I can keep track of what you'd like to see happen next :)

x My love to you all x