Kentucky [Joel]

"Ellie..." He called out, voice shaky and mind twisted against itself. It was useless; she was gone soon enough and Joel had left the wood in the fireplace and told Lee he needed to talk to Ellie as Clementine walked out. He figured they both needed to discuss things with their other... alone. He didn't knock on the door, instead calling out "I'm coming in" and pushing it to reveal the girl sitting by the bed. He shut it behind him, figuring it would be best for the two to have some privacy.

Joel sighed, heavy footsteps moving for the girl before he stood beside her, plopping himself down in a similar position that she was in. His knees stood before him, arms propped over the caps to hang comfortably. Unsure eyes fell on the bottle of whiskey, the culprit for at least part of Ellie's outrage. He picked it up, a weak chuckle coughing from his lips. No sticker left on it. It might as well be moonshine, for all he knew. Hell, it probably was moonshine.

"Looks like a strong drink for your first time." He set the bottle back down, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder but still staring straight ahead. A deep exhale left his nostrils as his lips pursed and he thought about his next move; but nothing seemed to come to mind. "Just... when we're safe. Next time." He pulled it close to himself; Joel was almost certain that Tommy would have alcohol of some sort. Safer, then. She wasn't in a good mental state for it and they sure as hell weren't in a good enough physical state for it. He waited for her to speak next, patiently. He knew what was coming but... putting it off was best right now. Instant gratification for himself; no hurt, no anger, just the two of them sitting on the floor talking. He missed it so much.

He'd give anything to have that back.

Dot [Ellie]

When Joel entered the room, she didn't lift her gaze, wanting to just ignore him for the time-being. She was still mad at him for not telling her about what Lee was doing, and she wasn't willing to let that go just yet . Still, when he decided to sit next to her, she lifted her gaze a little, glancing towards him as he grabbed the discarded bottle and examined it.

What he ended up saying forced a small chuckle out of her due to how unexpected it was. She couldn't muster the energy to make a retort, letting his comment hang in the air for a moment. She wasn't… proud of what she'd done, especially with the consequences caused by the act, but it had seemed the only method of release at the time…

In the end, she decided to move on from the conversation about the whiskey. There were more important things to talk about, things she hadn't gotten a chance to tell him yet. She let out a sigh, resting her head against the side of the bed before glancing towards him.

"I thought… you were gonna..." she spoke quietly, trying her best not to slur. "For a while…" She stopped, choking on the words while averting her gaze. The thought of Joel dying after everything they've been through was absolutely horrible and felt like a stone sinking into her gut. She let out a heavier sigh. "I didn't know what to do," she admitted softly.

Kentucky [Joel]

Joel listened to her, smiling and nodding at her saying her first. "Me too." He responded, his smile faltering as she choked. He looked to her and he saw so much. Confusion. Age. Terror. Guilt. Emotions ran through her face and he felt the heat slap him with a harsh fervor that only caused his eyes to widen. Taken aback and he was scared. So unbelievably scared. Joel returned the sigh, wrapping an arm around her neck and pulling her close.

"Yeah. I know. I don't really know either sometimes, but... it's alright now. It always will be." He was sure of his words. He hadn't been so sure of his words in a while, but now? This, this was something he was sure about.

Dot [Ellie]

She wanted to believe him, she really did. She felt safer with his arm wrapped around her, but it wasn't enough to get rid of everything that happened, and everything that could still happen. Until they reached the Fireflies, they'd always be in danger, always fighting for their lives. Ellie was tired, and right now, she wasn't sure if she could keep going on like that. She'd have to, no matter what, because the world depended on it.

Then there was the other thing that wasn't alright. How were they going to travel to the Fireflies together with that hanging over their heads? She'd done something so stupid that she wasn't sure if there was any fixing it now, like putting tape on a gaping hole to keep a boat from sinking. Sooner or later, it would sink.

"I… think I fucked things up with Clem…" She spoke suddenly, raising her gaze to look at Joel out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure how to talk about this, but… maybe he'd have advice for her, maybe reassure her that she didn't … anything to make her feel better. "And I don't… know how to fix it."

Kentucky [Joel]

His eyes only grew more mournful and lost as he pulled her closer. Joel had little to say, staring ahead at the rotted drawer that sat beside of the bed. What could he say? It wasn't like he had done anything like this in... in a very long time. His watch bore through his skin, bearing down on his wrist with a metallic clamp that only drove the point farther home. What are you doing? What do you think you're doing?

Joel opened his mouth to speak, pausing in that position, sighing. "You two are close. You know what happened between me and Tommy... he told me to never come back. But... it'll work out, Ellie." He paused again. He'd have to say something about it; she had seen the conversation, she knew something was going on.

"About Clementine, though... and Lee, I guess. You wanted to know what we were talking about out there." Another heavy breath left his throat, one of a weight being lifted from his ribcage. "They're going back to Jackson. Because of that town."

Dot [Ellie]

Joel's words were comforting, though she had a hard time believing in them. Of course, she was omitting certain parts of what happened, though maybe she was worrying too much about it. Maybe things would work out, they could go back to being friends without a problem, and-

She glanced towards Joel as he continued, his words leaving a lump in her throat that she couldn't quite get rid of. Her brain spun on its tracks, losing cohesion almost completely as her mouth opened, hanging there for a moment as she struggled to come to terms with what he said.

They were leaving them? Just like that? After everything they've been through? For months , they'd stuck together through thick and thin, and Ellie had begun to believe Clem's promise that she'd never leave her would be carried through despite the awkward situation Ellie had put them in. Now… fuck, now they were going to leave them.

"No…" she breathed, almost in denial about the whole thing, but she couldn't come up with anything to prove they'd stay. "No, no no no no…"

She buried her face into her knees, wrapping her arms around them as she did so. Tears welled in her eyes before eventually letting loose. She couldn't calm herself to say anything more, and while the seconds ticked away, she continued to sniffle and cry into her jeans. It was better than facing the fact that she was about to lose another best friend.

Art [Clementine]

Her head felt as though it'd been spinning like a mean merry-go-around; the pain, the exhaustion, and... that, a few minutes ago. It all kept her still for a while, pensive even in spite of the biting shiver settled in her stomach, shifting it side to side... but that stillness didn't last for very long. After Ellie was gone, she left, too. To where? Anywhere, she supposed, so long as it didn't smell of wood and the decaying odor that came with it. Between all the dozens of things, the one Clem was in the most desperate need of was some fresh air.

Lee was the first thing her eyes fell upon once the door behind her was no longer open, something resembling relief - and another, transparent unease - surrounding her eyes. He was messing with the fireplace, it looked like. An unreadable expression hidden deeper still behind a shadow looming over his figure. The girl's hips twitched to force her legs to move, until she was close enough to be within Lee's earshot, standing uncomfortably next to the man.

"You wanna talk?" Clem was brief and quiet, crossing one of her arms while her gaze lingered on the carpet underneath her boots. "I haven't seen you in weeks..."

Ledge [Lee Everett]

Lee held the fire iron firmly in his hand, picking and prodding away at the lumber that Joel had set up in the fireplace. The man was squatted down, gazing at the flames with what could only be described as a blank and desolate stare. He was alone now, and no one was in good shape. He couldn't hold a conversation with Clementine if his life depended on it… Ellie was- off drinking. Lee just had to thank everything holy that Joel was here to help out... It felt like a gamble at this point, when it came to holding everything nasty inside.

Now Joel knew, and Ellie would too, soon enough. In theory, the plan was easy. But putting it into practice… seeing how everyone was being affected… it wasn't worth it, but Lee was set in his ways here. It had to be done. If they could… convince Joel and Ellie… maybe it didn't have to mean goodbye?

The thought was promptly halted as Lee heard Clementine's voice from behind, she'd goddamn snuck up on him real good. The man jolted his head in her direction, surprise on his face. That she wanted to talk… Granted, they hadn't spoken all that much since earlier that night, but maybe she was more more concerned about it than he thought.

"Yeah, I- wanted to. I've just been… " He trailed off, busy didn't seem like the right word here. He desperately tried to follow it up with something, but ultimately failed at it. "I don't know." He spoke rather bluntly, before turning to her.

"Is it… still hurting as much as before?" He gestured towards the girl's hand.

Art [Clementine]

The girl pouted her lips, tucking away her left hand inside her jacket pocket, hiding from Lee the blood-stained fabric enclosed around her fingers - and what used to be her ring one - in a hurry. She delayed her answer for as long as she could, before her gaze plummeted downward.

"Yes."

The single word left her in a weep, almost. Clementine flinched at her own reply, her brows drawing together and forming a pair of narrow slopes over her eyes. Mulling over a follow-up and coming up short, she didn't bother with a 'don't worry' or an 'I'll be fine.' Clem had a hunch Lee would see right through those…

The fourteen-year-old's knees slowly gave in, letting the girl's bottom meet the floor next to Lee. Clementine crossed her legs, watching the fire, and biting her lip, resting her hands on her knees. She couldn't stop looking at it. It was - everythingbelow Lee's wrist was gone, and seeing the pool of red where it used to be had Clementine swallowing raw panic, making her breathing that much more frantic. It scared her enough that she couldn't bring herself to ask about it, letting the thought of doing so fade with the silence.

She turned to Lee once the quiet had become too much to bear, pulling on his sleeve like an infant, while letting out a string of faint whimpers she had no means of holding in anymore. Even if she didn't have the courage to spell it out, she just…

… She just wanted him to hold her.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

The answer the girl gave to his question hit the man like a freight train. It was his fault for asking something he wasn't ready to hear an answer to. It hurt him more than he could handle, to know how much pain she was in…. all because he couldn't get her out of that university fast enough.

Guilt.

It was slowly feasting away at him from the inside and rotting his mind, not allowing him to think anything other than the cold hard facts. He'd fucked up, and Clem paid the ultimate price because of it. He was supposed to keep her safe, Clem trusted him to. And in the end… he couldn't.

It was getting to the point where the man couldn't even bear to look at her. A small part of him didn't think he deserved to be talked to, not after everything he'd done. Lee wasn't a good man by any means, what he did to those people was proof of that. It was still there inside of him… he was still capable of it, even if he didn't want to believe it himself. He'd always talked to her about the value of life, not taking it needlessly. Yet, Lee couldn't even follow his own advice. Did the doctor and guard deserve to die? The man simply didn't know… all he knew was what he felt in that moment; he wasn't acting purely for survival's sake. He didn't need to… he wanted to do it because he could.They were powerless, and he saw an opportunity to make them feel what he'd felt. That was the truth.

Before long, the teenager sat herself by his side. The man desperately tried to keep his gaze on the fire ahead of him, the fear of breaking down if he looked at her for even a second driving him to do so. That was when he felt a tug at his sleeve, causing him to look over. For a moment, he was oblivious to it. Though it didn't take him long to realize that she was… breaking down right next to him. Her soft whimpers echoed throughout the barren room. The longer they'd both been together, the more the concept of 'holding everything in' and staying tough seemed to be prevalent. But, behind it all… she was still just a kid, stuck in a horrible situation. It was easy to forget that.

Finally, Lee was able to do what he thought he would never be able to do again. As the man did without any second thought, like muscle memory had overridden everything else. He wrapped his right arm around her, even his left one… as much as it would allow. Lee gently brought her in closer, nestling the side of his cheek into the top of her head as he cuddled her. Needles and daggers began to stab at his eyes, he could feel them burning, before squeezing them shut to ward off the flood of emotions that were arriving.

He'd been acting so distant and cold ever since he'd found her… and it was for no other reason than the burning culpability he had for himself. Even if he hadn't been showing it lately, he just wanted her to know… needed her to… and hoped she already did know.

"I missed you so much..." He whispered, not being able to help the small quiver in his voice.

Art [Clementine]

Clementine nestled between Lee's arms, snuggling in and burying her face against his chest, hoping the pain would go away. Lee squeezed her tight in what had to be the strongest hug he'd ever given her. The girl's muscles loosened one after the other until her body turned limp, and all the worries gnawing at the back of her mind faded away.

Her voice was muffled, lips pressed against his stained shirt. " Me too. " Every bit of fear welling up in her, it all felt like it'd left through the utterance of those words. The knowing that Lee would be there to keep her safe, to keep that nightmare from repeating. "I don't want to lose you again. Not ever again. "

Ledge [Lee Everett]

"You won't. Because we're gonna be smarter from here on out... I promise. " The words left him more confidently this time, a renewed sense of determination fuelling him. It took him a few moments to regather his composure, before he finally let go.

"Clem… there's something I have to tell you. A - And, please. I need you not to fight me on this." Lee placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, his eyes fell on hers, the man's gaze refusing to falter. Because he had a plan, and it was one that he intended to stick to.

"I've been thinking a lot, about our next move. I know you're not gonna like it..." The man took a moment to mentally prepare himself for what was to come next. It was time to tell her, and after a brief moment of silence, he did.

"I want us to go back… to Jackson. I think it'll be safer for us there. Safer than out here."

Art [Clementine]

Clementine could feel her gut freeze to a cusp at the idea, her gaze dwindling, and only meeting Lee's once her lips opened to form words. "But..." She paused abruptly, swallowing, and bringing her hands together, holding the bandaged one atop the palm of another. Her teeth moved up and down as though the girl literally minced on what she intended to say. Her eyes screamed confusion, while her brows formed an angry, incredulous shape, Clementine raising her voice, if only slightly. "Lee, we're so close! We can't just go back now. What about the Fireflies?"

The strength of her cries waned as they went along, until they turned into downright silence. Clem lowered her head, hiding her expression behind the purple end of her hat. It hurt to bring them up like that. It always did. The fear of looking like a fool for still believing in it, of facing the hard truth that they were really gone… It almost paled in comparison.

"What about my parents...?"

Ledge [Lee Everett]

This whole conundrum with the Fireflies. It was over.

Lee knew it. And from what little he'd spoke of it with Joel, he knew the same too. The Fireflies actually being there could very well end up being a bunch smoke without fire, just like Colorado. He wanted the other pair to come back with them. Joel might've been able to warm up to the idea after a little more persuasion… Ellie, the one that wasimmune … it'd be harder… so hard that Lee even contemplated asking Clementine to convince her. Even then, he wasn't sure if Clementine herself would ever be convinced.

As expected, Lee was met with an astounding amount of opposition from the teenager. She stood firm with Fireflies, the same never ending circle always spinning back to the same dreary topic. Her parents. He knew it was coming, and he had long since prepared an answer. The man wasn't ready for this. Hell, the four of them were barely hanging on by a thread as it was. The only thing quite frankly holding him together right now was the sight of Clem safe and sound.

"Clem." He spoke softly, already trying to hold onto what was left of his near non-existent composure. "You're a smart girl. So you know just as well as I do that the Fireflies might end up just like Colorado. What happened to us this week… I'm not risking it out here again. I won't." Lee stood firm in tone, making his opinion on the matter known, almost as if it was a declaration that the decision had already been made… Lee couldn't kid himself, that's exactly what it was.

" The Fireflies…? They'll just try to pull us into their goddamn war on FEDRA. That's not what I want for you, and… it's not what your parents would want either. Not when Tommy is running something better than that in Jackson."

Art [Clementine]

Clementine's eyes shut themselves in exasperation, a sea of feelings rising from the center of her chest, and overflowing past the girl's boiling point. What the hell was that?! Ellie, Joel... Mom and Dad... They were just giving up on them...? Clem didn't know what to feel, besides anger and frustration. The two things most prevalent under her arched brows.

Her eyes fell and rose at rapid intervals, two golden spheres moving up and down without knowing where to go. Clem listened to him with perked ears and a ghastly scowl, to every time he told her to forget about her parents, that Mom and Dad could end up 'just like Colorado,' until she couldn't stand to sit and listen anymore.

"You don't know that...!" The girl barked at the man, gritted teeth that were soon hidden behind a pair of pursed lips, until they both disappeared into a pout. Her hands shook, and her then brazen eyes now stood liable to tears.

He was gonna force her to leave Ellie behind like she was nothing. She didn't have much in the way of a response. Clem didn't want to look at his face. Clem didn't want anything to do with Lee Everett.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

It took a moment for Lee to register what he'd just told her, he'd initially meant the hospital just had the chance of being deserted. Clementine, however, had taken it far worse, as a suggestion that her parents were… Oh, Christ. In the heat of the moment, Lee had almost unintentionally slipped up. His eyes widened for a moment, revelling in the stupidity of his words. He wasn't thinking properly, not since they got here.

"Clem, I - I didn't mean it like that…" He stammered out, panicked and frazzled as he attempted to reach out towards her... only to fall short. It was too late. Even now, he couldn't bring himself to come out with it. Lee fell silent, gaze locked onto his grimy, tattered boots. The silence was quick to fill out the room yet again, and frustration was soon to follow.

"If we keep going, all it'll take is one screw up. One person like Henry to come along. And if that happens to you again… I won't ever forgive myself. Already don't. I don't want to leave them either, but - I just... I can't go through it again." Even now, all he could think about was the torture. That sick man looming over Clementine with the knife, it was a thought he wished he could erase from his memory. Lee already wasn't coping with it. The man wouldn't dare risk getting her killed trying to get there.

"So, I'm sorry Clem. I really am. But I'd rather see you hate me for it then see you lose another finger, or worse."

Art [Clementine]

It took the girl's every ounce of restraint not to tell him off right then and there. The four-letter word hung by the tip of her tongue, and stayed there only on the account of it being Lee who lay beside her.

Clem breathed in and out, her eyes narrowing by virtue of her puffed up cheeks, both burning a furious red. As it were, she couldn't do a damned thing. So many months of hoping and praying she'd finally see them again; torn into pieces, burnt to ash like everything else she'd ever hoped for. As though her legs moved on their own, the teen marched off in loud steps, smashing the front door behind her. Clementine would stay outside, sitting in the snow with her back against the cabin, fighting back the urge to cry.

Again, it happened. Another time he dragged her away, running off with every bit of freedom she had.

They weren't a team anymore, and she'd be an idiot to think otherwise.