A/N: Hey everybody! AP Exams have been a pain in the ass, sorry. Anyway, I was glad to see so much positive feedback from last chapter. I have been really excited for that moment for quite a while, and now I have to wait until after "In Harm's Way" to start my improv storylines...I hate waiting, but the mostly canon episodes will still be pretty good as well. Well, here is the mass author's note.

ClementineTWDG: Thanks for all of the positive feedback on the previous chapter. It was a really great scene to write, and I'm glad you thought the chapter was worth the wait.

Ravens And Crows Of Darquesse: The nightmare was actually just a last-minute addition. I thought it would be cool to express his doubts and fears in a way that would really just chill him to the bone, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sorry that I rushed into meeting Clementine and the cabin group, but I kind of wanted to get on with the storyline. I hope you liked the interactions that I did add during the previous chapter though.

I take it that you aren't a fan of Kenny. I'm still yet to decide whether or not I will add any characters who have 'unknown' fates, but if I do, it will be in a believable fashion, and they wouldn't be a major focus of the season. Rather, it would happen VERY late into the story. I hope that satisfies you.

Guest: I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. Yeah, if I had made Kenny stick with Clementine (which I was considering) then that might've happened. But remember, no one is safe.

DarkStar35: Sorry I took so long, but I'm glad you thought it paid off in the end. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the interactions between all the characters, and now that Lee and Clementine have reunited, maybe you will get a Lee vs. Carver showdown…I don't even know yet, most of my chapters are made up as I go along, but regardless, I'm glad that you are enjoying this story.

MagixBen1124: Thanks so much. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Smeake: I'm glad you enjoyed the reunion, and the chapter as a whole. As for the reappearance of characters such as Lilly and Kenny, read the response I gave to Ravens and Crows of Darquesse.

Tactus501st: Wow, the Lee/Clem reunion is getting a lot of love! As for your OC, he will appear in "In Harm's Way", and I have big plans for him.

Artamis9: Glad you liked the reunion. I took inspiration from the very emotional Kenny/Clem reunion, but I needed to take it up a notch, considering the fact that it is Lee/Clem instead. And yes, this is my first fanfic, but I read several of them. I intend to add a few more OC into this story, but not just yet.

Thelastsoul232: Thank you so much for the kind review, it is so heartwarming when people give you a kind and encouraging review like that, it really boosts your confidence. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, which will focus on Lee and Clem catching up.

SouthParkandtheHundredFic: Yeah, Alvin's line was supposed to be the introduction of the cabin group. Yes, there will be OC's. Slightly before you started to follow this fic, I hosted an OC contest, and the winning OC in question will appear next episode.

AchesAndPains: Thanks, I'm glad you like the characterization of Lee.

Epic Hobo Chuck: Glad you're happy to see the story return. I'm glad you got around to making an account, and it was really heartwarming to see that I was the first author that you favorited. Thank you so much.

Santiago Poncini 20: Wow, I didn't think anyone actually disliked Luke (I get it though, about him leaving his post to screw Jane on the observation deck.). I do not intend to feature THAT in the story, although there will most likely be a Luke/Jane pairing. He is my favorite character who was introduced in Season Two. As for Walter, you'll see… :-). Glad you liked the chapter though.

BLACK-OP1: I'm glad that you enjoyed the previous chapter. Sorry I didn't have more screen time for Matthew, but I was hoping to get into the canon "A House Divided" storyline. Also, how did you not like Season Two Clementine? I, along with many others, loved her transformation, and it is generally how I intend to depict her in this (minus the survivalist choices encouraged by Jane). And so, I am sorry in advance if you find yourself disliking my depiction of Clementine.

And now…let the story commence!

Clementine's POV

Clementine was in shock. She remembered, clear as day, when Christa and Omid had told her what had happened to Lee. She remembered when they told her that he had been forced to amputate his arm, and was lost to a herd in some alleyway in a futile attempt to save an already doomed Ben. Yet here he was, at some ski lodge in…Vermont? Pennsylvania? The apocalypse had ended Clementine's education prematurely, which meant that she was not very good at remembering the fifty states.

Despite the shock coursing through her veins, Clementine was also happier than she had been in years. The fact that she had been reunited with Lee was a miracle she never would have expected in a million years.

Lee looked down at her, smiling widely as he and the man in the red sweater led her into the ski lodge. Looking around, she could not believe her eyes. The interior of the building was lit up by electricity, something that Clementine had not seen since the early days of the apocalypse. On top of that, classical music was softly playing from a radio, and a general feeling of warmth seemed to be emanating from the building, all of which gave off a very homely and secure feeling. Noticing Clementine's amazement, Lee chuckled and put his one remaining arm around her shoulder.

The other man, who she heard Lee identify as 'Walter' also noticed Clementine's amazement with the ski lodge. He told her, "Lee, Jason, and Sarita have been staying with us for several weeks. Used to be a ski lodge, obviously, so we have plenty of food. And, uh, believe it or not, we still get some power from that wind turbine out front." Walter was slowly strolling up the stairs as he spoke, gesturing to points of interest, such as the fireplace, the kitchen, and the Christmas tree. "We tend to keep most of the lights off at night to avoid drawing attention, but after we found this stuff in storage, we couldn't resist making an exception."

Looking around, Clementine couldn't remember the last time she was this happy. She had reunited with Lee, her presumed dead guardian, and she had found a wondrous place, complete with electricity and a Christmas tree. She looked up at Lee and grinned, upon which Lee smiled back at her. "I can't believe you're back." Lee stated, sounding very emotional.

"Anyway, why don't you two catch up while I get dinner started." Walter suggested politely. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Clementine spun around to see Luke, Nick, Alvin, and Rebecca entering the building, entranced by what was inside, but still remaining cautious. "Please, make yourself at home. You can leave your things over there." Walter informed her new friends, gesturing towards a wooden bench that was leaning against the wall.

Luke and the rest didn't seem too happy with that suggestion. "The hell we will." Rebecca uttered, seemingly unconvinced. 'Please, Rebecca, don't mess this up for me, PLEEEASE.' Clementine thought, not wanting to lose Lee nor her new group.

Nick didn't help Clementine's situation by adding his input. "Yeah, I'm holdin' onto my rifle, thanks." He insisted gloomily, still clearly depressed about Pete's painful demise by the stream.

Walter seemed like a good person to Clementine, which was further proven when he tried to assure them, "You're our guests here. There's no need to worry."

"Tell him to put his gun down, then." Nick replied, looking at the imposing, one-armed African-American that was formerly her guardian nervously.

In response to this, Walter, turned to Clementine's guardian. "Lee?" He inquired, waiting on an answer.

Lee's eyes narrowed as he looked at each present member Clementine's new group, one by one. "Clementine, do you vouch for them? I don't know them, but I trust your judgment. What you say goes." He informed her, waiting on a decision.

Nick seemed like he was about to speak, but Clementine, hoping to avoid any conflict, quickly muttered, "They're cool." While this quieted the room, tension filled the air, with a silent standoff seemingly going on between Nick and Lee, which was only interrupted by the sound of swinging hinges.

The source of the noise was the doors opening, as well as four more people walking inside. Clementine didn't had no clue as to who the Caucasian man and the South Asian woman were, but she recalled Walter mentioning that Lee had arrived with two others…Jason and Sarita. 'If Lee trusts them, they have to be good people." She thought.

"Dad, look! A Christmas tree!" The ever-enthusiastic Sarah interrupted. After spending a week with her, Clementine still wasn't sure what to think of her. She seemed extremely energetic and childishly naïve, a trait that Clementine had lost long ago, in the city where her previous group splintered apart into nothing. Clementine knew that a personality like that would inevitably be Sarah's death sentence, but then she remembered training Sarah to use a gun. The teenager clearly had potential, just like Clementine did, but she had not reached it just yet. Maybe with a little more training, as well as some exposure to the outside world, Sarah would be able to defend herself.

The Indian woman, who Clementine remembered to be Sarita, also seemed to notice this. Sarita looked Sarah over, seemingly analyzing her, before smiling. 'She probably hasn't seen anything so innocent in a while.' Clementine thought. "Isn't it great? We found it all in storage." Sarita asked kindly.

"It's amazing." Sarah replied, entranced by the sight. At this, Clementine noticed Lee gazing at the two of them, his facial expression soft. Having seemingly made up his mind about Clementine's group, Lee walked over to the bench and gently placed his pistol down, eying the others expectantly. Luke was the first to follow Lee's lead, unsheathing his trusty machete and placing it adjacent to Lee's gun. Others quickly followed in suit, lowering their weapons onto the bench or the floor. Lastly, Clementine slid her purple backpack off of her shoulders, gingerly laying it on the floor.

Jason, who was silently leaning against the wall until this point, also followed Lee's lead, using his foot to kick his rifle across the floor and under the bench. "If y'all want to follow me, I can show you where the bedrooms are, assuming that you're gonna be stayin' for a bit." Jason stated, gesturing with his hand for Luke and the rest to follow him, which they did, beleaguered after their five-day trek. While Clementine's new group followed Jason, Walter strolled over to a bench on the other side of the room, while Sarita sat on the carpeted stairs that led to the upstairs bedrooms. Lee stayed with Clementine, motioning for her to join him by a blazing fireplace, which was surrounded by upholstered chairs and a long sofa.

Clementine was the first to sit down on the couch, her legs instantly relaxing as her acing muscles finally rested. Lee sat down next to her, staring at her with awe and emotion. They stayed that way for a while before Lee broke the silence, emotionally uttering, "I prayed for so long, hoping that you'd find your way back to me. I just can't believe it actually happened." Clementine smiled in response, also in awe of the fact that she had reunited with Lee. Suddenly, Lee's smile fell slack, his neck tilting so that he was looking at the floor, seemingly in sadness. "What happened to Christa, Kenny, and Omid? I told them to save you if anything happened to me, and they clearly did, but…are they dead?"

Clementine's happy expression morphed into one of sorrow. Clementine took a long, shaky breath before recalling, "The man who took me was the man who owned the Station Wagon we stole from. He said that when you and the group stole his supplies, we doomed his whole family. He wanted me to become his pretend-daughter, I think."

Lee put his head in his one-remaining palm, rubbing his brow sadly. "Well, shit. I can't say I was expecting that. I am so sorry that you had to deal with that Sweet Pea, I should have been able to protect you from him." He muttered.

Clementine shook her head vigorously, "Lee, it's okay, it wasn't your fault." She assured him, before continuing, "Kenny, Omid, and Christa were able to find me at The Marsh House, and they fought with that…stranger for a while, but I had to shoot him to save Christa." Lee's eyes widened and his mouth opened to speak, but Clementine was able to stop him from interjecting by continuing without any pause. "Christa told me that you died, and that we had to get out, but when we tried, a herd cornered us. My parents were there…" Clementine stopped, and looked down at the ground in sadness, recalling the haunting faces of her parents, who would have devoured her if not for Christa.

Clementine felt Lee's hand on her shoulder, and heard him tell her, "Jesus…I'm so sorry, Clem. I'm so sorry."

Sitting up, Clementine blinked a few times before moving on with the story. "Kenny sacrificed himself to the herd so that we could escape, and after that, I was with Christa and Omid. Omid…" Clementine once again paused, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. "Well," She resumed, "Christa and I were together for a while, but these guys caught us. She's gone."

Clementine ended her story there, and no words left Lee's mouth for the next few seconds. Clementine assumed that he was just taking it all in, but she couldn't be sure. Suddenly, Clementine remembered that she had questions as well. "What happened with you? After Savannah, I mean." Clementine asked of Lee.

Lee blinked rapidly for a few seconds before telling her, "Well, we were crossing some rooftops on our way to The Marsh House, but one of the balconies we were jumping off of collapsed, with Ben on it. I went down into the alley to help him, but the whole place was a death trap. I wasn't able to get back to the roof, so I just bolted, I guess. I spent a long time alone after that, just…wandering. I'm just really fucking glad to have met Sarita and Jason. I don't know if I could've made it all this time without them." Lee looked at Clementine expectantly for a brief moment, before amusedly remarking, "You didn't comment that I swore."

Clementine shook her head before commenting, "I guess that I've already went through that phase. After all that's happened, swearing doesn't mean anything."

Lee looked slightly downtrodden by this, seemingly saddened by the prospect of Clementine's innocence being lost, but he still looked up at Clementine with a smile, and stated, "Makes sense, Clem." Lee opened his mouth presumably to add something, but his head turned upon hearing approaching footsteps.

Clementine turned toward the source of the noise to see some of Lee's friends, Jason and Sarita, approaching them. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Clem, these are my friends, Sarita and Jason." Lee proclaimed, "They helped me through a lot of tough times; I doubt I'd be here if not for them."

Sarita smiled warmly at Clementine. "It's nice to finally meet you, Clementine. Lee has told us so much about you." Sarita kindly stated.

Jason, who seemed to be feeling slightly awkward just standing there, muttered, "Yeah, Lee's mentioned you almost every day. It must be nice, to reunite with lost friends." Clementine noticed that Jason's tone was laced with depression, a feeling that she knew all too well. 'He must have lost people close to him.' Clementine thought, 'But then again, who hasn't?'

Her train of thought was interrupted by Lee, who called, "Hey, Walt, is Matthew still out there?" Clementine wondered who this 'Matthew' was. 'Another one of their friends, I guess.' Clementine thought.

"Of course he is." Walter replied casually," Well, I'll start dinner." Walter walked off towards a kitchen-like area and began to turn a few valves on the stove, placing a large pot on top of it.

"Can we do anything to help?" Another person interjected, who was revealed to be Luke, with Nick at his side.

"I guess we could use some help bringing some supplies inside before that storm hits. Could you help with that?" Lee suggested.

"Sure." Nick muttered, wandering off to help, with Luke following in suit.

"Clem, why don't you go on and help Walt with dinner?" Lee proposed, stretching his single arm in exhaustion. Despite having heard about his amputation from Christa and Omid, it still was a little creepy to see Lee with one of his arms ending in a stump. Clementine put that thought out of her mind and decided to follow through with Lee's suggestion to help Walter with dinner.

After taking a few steps, Clementine felt a light tap on her shoulder. Upon turning around, she saw that it was Sarita, who was looking slightly nervous. "Clementine, do you mind if I ask you some questions?" She asked.

"I guess not. What is it?" Clementine curiously inquired.

Sarita led her over to the main entrance, which was relatively far from the rest of both groups. "I know that Lee trusts you, so I will go ahead and trust you. I just need to know…do you trust your group? Are they good people?" Sarita asked.

Clementine nodded, "Yeah, I guess. They have their faults, but doesn't everyone?"

Sarita sighed. "I guess everyone does have faults." Sarita thought aloud. They stood there, not saying anything for a few seconds, before Sarita looked at Clementine and reminded her, "You should go help Walter." And escorted her over to the kitchen before roaming off to one of the lengthy wooden dining tables.

Looking up at Walter, Clementine noticed the middle-aged man using a long, wooden spoon to stir the various ingredients that would reside in tonight's dinner. "Hey, Clementine. Settling in well enough?" Walter kindly inquired.

"Yeah, thanks." She shrugged, staring at the warm metal pot in hunger.

"Excellent. Want to help me prepare a little dinner? Walter asked cheerfully, taking his spoon out of the pot for a few seconds before putting it back in and resuming the process of stirring the food. "Lee's told us all so much about you. He said that you were the only thing keeping him going until he met Sarita and Jason."

This intrigued Clementine. "Really?" She asked curiously.

"Yep. You were what motivated him to keep on living, especially when he was on his own." Walter replied. Adding a shake of salt, Walter continued to stir the pot, stating, "Connecting with people is so important. I don't know what I'd do without Matthew."

Looking down into the pot, he added more salt, before taking a look at Clementine and telling her, "Gosh, you remind me of my students. I can't imagine what it's like growing in the middle of all this."

'Okay, so he's a teacher.' Clementine thought, but she was also slightly annoyed by the fact that Walter seemed to be underestimating her. "Everyone underestimates me." She told him.

Looking up from his pot, Walter replied, "I expect you've used that to your advantage."

Clementine shrugged. "Sometimes." She admitted.

This brought a smile to Walter's face. "Smart girl." He remarked, ceasing to stir the pot. Instead, he took the spoon out and put it to his lips, having a taste of whatever he was currently cooking. "Hmm, almost done. Would you do me the honor of tasting the first course, madam?

Leaning over, Clementine peered into the pot to see a strange, lumpy looking mixture. 'Looks kind of disgusting.' Clementine thought, knowing that it would be the kind of meal that most kids would deny just by looking at it. "What is this?" Clementine decided to say, not wanting to sound rude.

"Le Walter Surprise. An autumnal legume salad with a peach roux." Walter jokingly replied. Upon earning a disgusted face from Clementine, he admitted, "It's peaches and beans. It's all we got."

Walter suddenly looked down at another item on the counter, which seemed to be a can of sorts. "Huh. Striking resemblance." Walter commented, holding up an eerily familiar can. Clementine's eyes widened as Walter stated, "Anyway, I'll take it from here." With that, Walter lifted the pot by its handles and proceeded to walk farther into the kitchen, presumably to alter it in some other way.

Clementine was still in shock from seeing that can. She had seen the same exact type of can at the shack by the bridge. Looking around, Clementine didn't know what was going on, but she could tell that something was wrong.

A/N: I am really sorry for not updating. No, I have not given up on this fanfic, but I just haven't had much free time recently. I intend to see this story to its end.

Quote of the Day:

"No, no, no, no, I kill the bus driver,"

-The Joker, The Dark Knight

-ZombieSlayer995