Author's Note: I was thinking of putting this story on hold for a little bit after posting this chapter for the following two reasons: Everyone pretty much abandoned ship after Clem and Lee split, or at-least I think they did? anyway, I've got a very bad idea for a one-chapter walking dead story that I think you're going to hate. I am determined to write it. I'm still going to put plenty of effort into this story, though. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Day 897, Perry highway, GA, 3:14 PM

-Nate

The green and white truck made it's way down the road, never exceeding thirty miles. Country music played on the truck radio. A deer carcasas rested in the truck bed, sliding back and forth as the road demanded. Randy stared straight ahead, blood smeared on his clothes, hands, and face, eyes wide with shock, unable to move a muscle. Nate, on the other hand, was cherishing their early-morning-exploits; he too was covered in blood and was wearing a blood covered hockey mask.

"Nate." Randy said quietly.

Nate turned to face Randy, "Yup?"

"Can you, can you... just..." Randy tried, voice shaking as he spoke.

Nate turned back to face the road ahead of him. He quickly turned the music that was playing off.

"There you go, compadre. Didn't realize you guys hated this kind of music so much." Nate said sarcastically."No, I didn't mean the-"

"Then what did you mean?" Nate asked.

Randy turned away from Nate and began staring tensely out his window.

"That's what I thought." Nate stated.

"Nate?"

"Whaaat...?"

Randy paused to think about what to say next, "You didn't have to do that..."

"Me? if I'm not mistaken, you were the one to put a bullet in that one guy's eyeball. You remember that right?" Nate asked.

"Fuck... I'm no stranger to killing but, you just..."

"Tore a guy's throat out with one of his own arrows? smash another guy's head against a tree over and over? that was kinda fucked up, huh?" Nate humored.

"Could you seriously just get rid of that mask? I don't want my boy seeing it."

"So, there are dead guys walking around eating people and tearing their spleens out, and you're worried about a mask? come on, man."

Nate could see the Howe's hardware parking lot ahead.

"There's a washcloth in the glove compartment; you can wipe yourself off with that." Nate told him as they near the lot.

Randy opened the glove compartment and quickly wiped his face, neck, and hands. Nate turned and into the parking lot to see Patricia and Gill beside the building, hiding almost.

"What are they doing outside?" Randy asked.

Nate parked the truck a few feet from the building. Randy quickly opened his door and hopped out before he ran towards his family.

"Some people showed up, they're inside now." Patricia informed him.

Nate opened his door, got out, and focused his attention on the deer in the truck-bed.

"Nate, come on-we have to confront these guys." Randy said.

"You got your gun?" Nate asked.

"Yeah." Randy answered, unsure.

"Well go point it at them; you seem to be pretty good at doing that when someone tells you, 'no'" Nate said, smirking under the mask.

Randy shook his head in disbelief before turning and running around the side of the building towards the loading bay area.

Day 900, 'Howe's hardware loading-bay room', 8:56 PM

-Lee

The combined group sat in the darkened room, around a fire they made with planks of wood; Patricia made sure to lift open the skylights so the smoke could escape the building. Kenny sat against a wall a couple of feet away from the rest of the group. Jane sat near the fire and looked into it, lost in thought. Randy appeared stressed, constantly keeping his hand on his forehead with his eyes shut. Patricia held his hand and looked to him, concern on her face. Gill did as Jane did, simply watching the fire sizzle. Nate sat beside Jane, hoping to gain her attention. Lee laid back, using his arm to support his head; he looked up at the stars through one of the skylights above him, as if he were fatigued, as if he completed a marathon, as if he had fulfilled his role in this life.

"Come on, now, uh, Jane. We could have a good thing going, can't we? I think so." Nate said.

Jane scoffed, "Screw off."

"Ouch. Come on baby, I'm sure we've got plenty in common." Nate persisted.

"You're probably ten years older than me, and your smell is revolting, fuck off." Jane told him.

"A lady like you must like to drink, right?" Nate inferred.

"Sometimes." She admitted, with a half grin.

"How's about I go get my secret stash and you and me can have an experience." Nate said edging closer to her.

"Like I said, screw off." Jane told him.

"Come. On! don't be so stuck up. You know how irresistible I am." Nate stated head tipped in her direction.

Kenny spoke out, "Yeah, give him a chance. You two could talk about how neither of you care about no-one else."

Jane turned and gave him the finger.

"Hey, how's about you fuck off, old man?" Nate said.

"How's about you make me?" Kenny replied, standing up.

Patricia stood up, "Come on, mister, let's just take a breath, alright?"

Kenny looked to her, then to Gill, "Fine." Kenny sat back down.

Nate scoffed, "Where were we?"

Jane looked away and shook her head before turning back to face Nate, "You know what? let's go find that secret stash." She told him with a wink.

"Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about." Nate stood and made his way towards the loading bay door and pulled it up.

Jane followed and crouched under the large door before Nate left too and pulled the gate shut.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Kenny said.

Randy stood, "I think it's time my family and I go get some rest."

"Alright." Kenny said, not looking to the man.

Randy shrugged and he and his family made their way towards the doors leading to the main stock room.

It's got quiet once more. Lee kept staring up at the night stars, through the skylight.

Lee spoke slowly and quietly, "...Can you imagine it?"

"What?" Kenny asked.

"I can see her... eating warm meals... sleeping with a blanket... making friends... smiling... like before all of this." Lee said as his eyes grew heavier and heavier.

Kenny didn't respond, he thought about that.

"I can see her and A.J, safe, mostly." Kenny said.

"Oh yeah?" Lee said with a smile.

Kenny's expression changed to sorrow, his eyes brow turned, face low.

"I miss my boy..." He said with a slight lip quiver.

Lee's expression softened as well.

"I wish I had spent more time with him, instead of running off to sit in some... fucking boat." Kenny let out.

Lee sat up and stared at Kenny, sympathy and concern on his face, along with personal sadness.

"The look on Kat's face, when ever I turned down time with them for selfish reasons... I wish I could have shown them that I loved them..." Kenny said before a tear made it's way down his face.

"We all make mistakes, Ken. They both knew how much you cared for them." Lee assured him.

"I want to picture them, up there in heaven; at peace. I want to feel that they're still alive, in some way... but what God would do all of this? raise the dead to kill your loved ones? all those unanswered prayers! unrewarded faith... nothing but punishment!" Kenny ranted. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this world... I should just..."

"That's not the right thing to do, Ken." Lee told him.

"Then what is?!" Kenny demanded.

"You don't just end it because it's hard, you stick it out, and help the folks you care about." Lee said as he stood and approached the mourning man, kneeling and placing his hand on his shoulder, "I'm with you, Kenny; until the end." Lee said with a smile you could only get from a best friend.

"Thanks, pal." Kenny said, half-smiling.

Day 901, "Howe's hardware roof", 7:19 AM

-Jane

Jane stood near the ledge of the roof, arms crossed. She kept staring past the treeline; nothing but cloudy skies stretching on forever, not even a bird in sight. She turned to eye the wooden lift to her left.

"That girl had guts..." She said as she scratched her head.

The wind blew a harsh cold breeze past Jane. She turned and made her way towards the door leading to the stairs past Carver's office. Suddenly Nate pushed the door open and greeted Jane with raised brows and a half grin.

"Don't even start." Jane told him, attempting to walk past him.

Nate grabbed her wrist before she could make her escape, "Whoa hold on now. I found something." Nate pulled out a large nail-file and waved it near her face.

"Thanks." She said as she reached for it only for Nate to quickly move it out of her reach.

"Yeah, I know how you females like to keep your nails well kept. You can have it if you let me know something."

"What?" She asked, agitated.

"So, am I like, your boyfriend or some shit? are we going to... make a habit of this? or, something?" Nate asked with a confident look on his face.

"Does it really matter? were you after some sort of relationship? I'd prefer if we never spoke of this again; there's nothing between us." Jane told him sternly.

Nate frowned and looked down at the nail-file.

"Alright, then." Nate gently pried opened Jane's left hand and quickly placed the file there before letting go of her and walking towards the green-house.

Jane looked down at the file and clutched it before sighing. She watched Nate pull the green-house door open, and slam it loudly. "Well, there I go again... leaving another person behind." Jane said, a sad frown on her face as she made her way down the stairs, into the warehouse.

"Maybe I-" Jane stopped halfway down the stairs, having noticed something on the wall beside her, a carving of a large flower, with words carved in the middle of the flower. "I don't think this was here before..." Jane inferred.

The carving read,

"September means it's time again,
for going off to school.
The days are getting shorter,
and the nights are getting cool."

A smaller carving, a couple of inches below the poem read,

"You slept peacefully, Lee."