11:13 AM

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie wasn't sure when she eventually passed out, but her body told her that she definitely didn't get enough sleep. Her head was pounding, as if someone was taking a hammer and bashing it into her skull, and she rubbed at her temple gingerly as she passed through the living room of the cabin, trying desperately not to look in Lee's direction. She pushed the front door open, zipping her jacket up before trudging into the snow.

With everything packed and ready to go, she was sure Lee was going to try and leave as soon as he could, so she had very little time to try and talk to Clem before they were gone. As much as she dreaded doing so. They didn't talk at all last night, for good reason… and Ellie's stomach was churning just imagining the millions of ways this was about to go down.

She stuffed her hands into her jean pockets as she drew farther away from the cabin, sauntering towards the treeline separating the cabin and its thin road from the river beyond. She stopped suddenly when a glint of metal caught her eye, casting her gaze towards a large tree. An unfamiliar knife was embedded in the wood, and Ellie wrapped her fingers around the hilt, pulling it out, leaving a deep gash in the bark. This entire side of the tree was covered in similar markings, and some areas seemed to be missing bark completely.

She almost felt bad for Lee, but then she remembered just how pissed she was at him too, and that feeling faded.

She eventually found Clementine standing near the edge of the river, holding a small stone in her hand. Her back to her, the girl tossed the stone, and Ellie watched with mild amusement as it hopped across the surface of the water before disappearing into the depths.

Ellie stopped at the edge of the treeline, leaning against a tree as she watched Clem for a few moments longer, mentally psyching herself up for what would likely be the worst conversation she's had with the girl. Clementine continued to skip stones, and it wasn't clear if she'd noticed her approach or not. Hopefully not.

Finally, Ellie took in a deep breath, letting it out in a long, drawn-out sigh. She pushed herself away from the tree but maintained her distance from the girl. "So I guess this's gonna be goodbye, huh?" Her voice was quiet, withdrawn, maybe even disappointed. Probably about the same way she looked.

Art [Clementine]

The younger Clementine held the small stone between her fingers, bringing her wrist behind her body and tossing the pebble toward the water, watching vacantly as it leaped once, twice, three times, before submerging away from sight.

She hadn't seen Lee or talked to him since. Didn't want to, neither. The thought of running away clawed incessantly at the back of her mind, leaving behind scratch marks too hard to ignore. Maybe she would've, if things were any different. Being... away from everyone, just for a short while; the little it helped kept Clementine better placed between hills of pale-white snow as opposed to the warmth of a four-walled cabin.

There was so much buried under whatever calmness her gaze instilled. Hatred against the guy who hurt them back at the town. Hatred at Lee for saying the things he did. Hatred at herself for promising so many times that she'd stay by Ellie's side.

Clem had been carving that tree all morning, slicing chunks of timber with her knife until her hands felt numb and her lungs ran out of air. Every swing against the wood came naturally, like an extension of her movements, the very same ones brimming with rage. The girl kept at it until the anger turned into sorrow, and the girl's grunts devolved into quiet sobbing.

When her ears picked up Ellie's voice, Clem's eyes were the single thing to move, landing softly on her friend before returning to the cobalt water. She could feel her arms getting itchy, her shirt drench with sweat, even in that cold. Clementine shut herself into a tiny ball, one that'd surely do its job at distancing the girl from everyone else. It was a lot of things. Too many at once, but also only a single, pressing one.

How was she supposed to explain to her best friend that they were leaving?

It sounded like she knew already, a fact that robbed a not-so-subtle gasp from Clem, her exhale visible in the air. She sniffed once, nostrils blocked by the November weather. Her voice was all kinds of messed up, like her vocal chords had been all tangled up from the crying. She didn't bother hiding any of it.

"Lee wants us to head off as soon as the snow clears..." Another rock found its way into her hand, not very long before it flew over the lake, landing heavily in the water. "This is such... fucking crap...!" She again reached for one of the rocks, only to have her shoulder jolt in pain, a burn that signaled the fact that she'd used the wrong set of fingers. The rock under her left hand now lied smeared with blood, something that would take the girl a long time to adjust to.

The silence grew, and Clementine's desire to speak was only hampered by it. The shame she felt for everything relating to Ellie, it wasn't just obvious, it was spelled in the girl's every gesture. There was so much she wanted to say and so many reasons why she couldn't.

In a way, she supposed, the quiet spoke for itself.

Dot [Ellie]

Ellie's stomach felt as if it was tying itself into knots, with no signs of going away. As Clementine fell into silence, a brief period of time filled with nothing but the calm sound of the water flowing downstream and the wind blowing through the trees, a silent, mutual understanding and agreement about how shitty this situation was settled between them.

She took a few steps towards the riverbank, idly pacing until she found a smooth enough rock and bent over to pick it up. She weighed the rock in her hand, tossing it into the river and watching as it bounced once before sinking into the water.

It was an attempt, but ultimately fruitless. About sums up this journey, didn't it?

She glanced towards Clem out of the corner of her eye, stuffing her hands into her pockets once more. "Joel told me last night," she ended up explaining, given how Clementine reacted. She didn't want to go any further than that, though, just thinking about how she'd ended up curling into a ball and crying her eyes out being far too unpleasant to endure right now. That whole night was a memory she wished she could forget.

She picked up another rock, tossing it with a bit more vigor. It bounced off the surface of the river three times before eventually meeting its fate.

Better.

Eventually, she couldn't distract herself any longer. This was her last chance to talk to Clementine before… before her chances at seeing her again dropped almost to zero. She might as well try to take advantage of it.

She let out a deep breath, watching as it came out in a thick wisp of steam before eventually dissipating entirely. "I don't… know what to say, honestly," she admitted in a soft voice, wringing her hands together to bring about some semblance of warmth in them. "Just…" She took in a deep breath, turning fully towards her. "Thank you. For everything. I know that's not enough, but… I'm sure I'll probably come up with something on the road out of here. Something sappy and… well, better than this ."

For once since she'd come out here, she kept her gaze fixated on the girl. If this was goodbye, Clementine deserved to be told it straight in the eye. Ellie wouldn't have it any other way.

Art [Clementine]

A sigh and a deeper frown was all she could afford to give her, sulking on behalf of her own wretched thoughts. Clementine's eyelids were halfway closed, drops of water still amassed under her eyelashes.

Things were so awful and so damn confusing.

The teen's mouth hung open while she mulled over what to say, the girl beating herself over every phrase she failed to utter. Was there even any point to it? Knowing they might never see each other again, exactly like everyone else she'd ever known, it almost made her want to skip the goodbyes altogether. Maybe... try to forget all about her and Joel while there was still time, before they turned into another Jane.

…

Who the hell was she kidding? It was her best friend.

"I'm gonna miss you like crazy." Clem would have choked on her words were she not so confident in them. A set of six with enough resolution put behind them, it was almost as if they hadn't been only barely audible, stated by a frail little girl. Even so, what was meant to follow would end up stuck in her throat, unable to find its way out. Her uneven gaze now matched by her trembling lips.

Clem didn't know what was what between them. What it was supposed to be. What it was... Ellie felt. All that time and... she'd only ever seen Ellie as a friend. Couldn't havenot, even if she tried to. Even after everything they'd been through.

She was a girl, wasn't she? They both were. It just didn't make sense. Everything she ever knew about that stuff, the little it was, it'd all went topsy-turvy pretty much overnight. How was she supposed to... have those sorts of feelings for another girl? How come Ellie had feelings for her, even though she wasn't a boy?

Those questions, Clementine had to bury in the back of her mind, at least until she had the answers. Fearing the silence, she forced herself to speak, her grip on her knees tightening. "Guess I'm not... gonna be seeing my mom and dad again..."

She did what she could not to sound like a total mess as she said it, shutting her eyes as though it'd do anything to help her cope. "I was so fucking sure of it. For some reason, I... I thought for sure that this time was gonna be it."

It was good, she thought. Sharing that with someone. Sharing it with Ellie, especially. It felt like so long ago when she first told her about them. And now look at her, clinging to the flame that kept that hope alive only for what felt like necessity. Maybe it was time to grow up, the little voice in her head kept telling her. "I still think they'll find me."But that, it still said the loudest, muffling the other like they were in a constant shouting match. "Maybe Jackson isn't so bad a place to... wait it out. See if they... you know."

Clem sniffed again, rubbing her nose. One look at Ellie was all it took, and she found the strength to smile one more time, sheepish as it was. "I'll see you there, okay? You better come back."

Dot [Ellie]

Everything that followed hurt to listen to, as if she could feel Clementine's disappointment in the pit of her stomach. For her, that same feeling had lingered with her for years, realizing that she'd never see her parents, that she'd never belong anywhere but in an orphanage until the day she was old enough to be thrown into the military. She had a chance to start again, after they got to the Fireflies and cured this thing. Clementine… didn't have that.

And there was nothing Ellie could do or say to change that, or to make her feel better. Nothing would make up for giving up on your parents, even if there was something Ellie could do.

She took in a deep breath, approaching the sitting girl in small strides. After scraping away a spot for her to sit in the snow, she sat down next to Clementine, resting her elbows on top of her knees before holding her head up with the palms of her hands. She looked towards Clem out of the corner of her eye, trying to put on a smile.

"I've got a promise to keep," Ellie stated in a quiet voice, referencing to what they said back at the university. Technically speaking, they were breaking it, weren't they? They were splitting up. Still, it sounded nice, and that's what mattered. "After we're done with this, I'll be there. No matter what."

With that said, she fell into silence, choosing to bite back words she knew wouldn't do her any good right now. For now, she just had to… be there for Clem, to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. Even if she couldn't make Clementine's parents appear out of thin air, though she was starting to wish that she could. Anything to make her friend happy.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

The thought that they were finally done with this… it lifted the weight off Lee's shoulders, but the temporary relief it provided still couldn't negate the fact that it felt like he was dumping that weight onto Joel and Ellie. Ripping Clementine away from her best friend… tearing that hope away of finding her parents. What he'd let happen this past week… what was happening now. Lee didn't think it was possible to loathe himself any more than he currently did. Regardless, he didn't intend to continue this journey to the Fireflies long enough to find out. Right now he just had to focus on getting her back safe… maybe finding a car if they could.

As for Clementine, the damage had already been done. He understood there was nothing he could do or say right now... It hurt him, just how much she seemed to despise him, to want nothing to do with him. But even then, it wouldn't hurt him more than seeing her get caught again… and that was what Lee continually reminded himself of every time he thought about going back on his decision.

The harsh blizzards had died down to a simple winter's chill, several clumps of snow still coated the ground. This was just the right time to leave before it picked up again, even if it's earlier than predicted. At this point, if they waited any longer… perhaps they wouldn't end up leaving at all. Lee swiftly exited the cabin with a heavily packed bag slung over his shoulder. He hadn't been so carefree to not be aware of where Clementine had been all morning… assaulting that tree. And that was where he headed, deviating from the dirt road until he was about halfway into the treeline. It was there that he spotted the river, along with two figures.

"Clem." He called out, somewhat keeping his distance as he gestured for her to come back to where the open grounds were, close to the road near the cabin. To where he hoped they'd at least be able to see Joel and Ellie off. "It's time."

Art [Clementine]

Clementine rose to her feet unceremoniously, boots sinking into the snow as the girl crossed her right arm, standing unresponsive between Ellie and the one telling her to go. Her brows sunk low before drawing together, a barrage of emotions being shot across her body, making Clem purse her lips and move along without saying a word.

With the straps of her backpack safely latched onto her shoulders, Clementine walked up to Lee one methodical step at a time, dragging her feet through the snow and forcing them to move. She didn't bother looking at him, saying even the most superfluous of things. He wouldn't change his mind even if she begged him to. Clem paced past him - far, far past him - stopping by the porch, where she'd wait until Lee stopped pretending he wasn't pulling her by the arm a third time.

Dot [Ellie]

The walk back to the cabin was… unpleasant, to say the least. She avoided looking in Lee's direction, choosing to let her anger bubble beneath the surface rather than let it loose on him. It wouldn't do any of them any good.

By the time they made it back to the cabin, Ellie spared one final glance towards Clementine as she stopped by the porch before making her own way towards Joel, standing next to him with her eyes focused on the sparkly white snow beneath her feet. With the sun starting to peek through the clouds, the snow became almost mesmerizing.

Then again, it wouldn't have taken much to get her to not look towards the others.

Without speaking, she waited for what was to come, something she'd been dreading all night, let alone since they first met each other.

She hated every single second of it.

Ledge [Lee Everett]

Once all was quiet, Lee silently made his way back to the road. Clementine had parked herself over by the porch, seemingly dreading the moment he'd give the final word to leave. The rest overnight hadn't been enough, the man's eyes were still sunken, coupled with the plethora of mixed thoughts that were haunting him. He spotted Joel approaching, Ellie also making her way to his side. Joel looked like he wanted to talk at least, and hell… he figured Ellie was only here because everyone else was. The refusal to even look at him was a dead indicator to Lee on how she felt, and he couldn't necessarily blame the other teen. As stale as Lee's demeanour was, there was something akin to regret in his eyes as he fanned them over towards Joel. He'd been feeling it so much that it'd almost become numb at this point. There was no changing the past, this was happening now… whether the four of them liked it or not. Finally, Lee decided to try and be the bigger man and muster up something decent to say. They deserved that much, at least.

"Look, I just wanted to say thanks. For helping us get this far… we wouldn't have found Tommy's if it wasn't for you guys. I think it's gonna be good for us… eventually." Lee cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head to combat the ever brewing silence.

"It's not too late... to change your minds about coming back with us today. " Lee glanced over his shoulder to Clementine, who was still giving him the silent treatment, accompanied with a filthy glance every once in a while. After a small pause, he looked back towards the two in front of him. "We could sure use the company."

Kentucky [Joel]

It wasn't an easy decision. It never was an easy decision. Joel was certain that Lee was hurting with this just as Ellie and Clementine were; it pained his mind, but Joel was hardly damaged. The advent of the question had shocked him, even pricked at the thick layering atop his head, but he had to cope. Coming to terms was something he learned with age; coming to terms with Tess, coming to terms with Tommy leaving, coming to terms with the idea of…

Regardless of the terms approached in the past, this current leave of absence was something Joel had accepted. He nodded to Lee as he approached and spoke, arms at his sides. "Yeah... thank you, too. Wouldn't have made it this far without you two." He meant it, he felt. Could him and Ellie have really survived everything they had faced without the help of Lee and Clementine? Of course they couldn't have; of course not.

"You know me. My mind's all made up." It was done of course, so he had said. He patted Lee on the shoulder, smiling weakly in the glowering sun of snow. "You tell Tommy when you get there that he better look out, 'cause I'm coming for him."

Ledge [Lee Everett]

A puff of air pushed through his nostrils as he shook his head, managing to elicit something akin to a weak smile. It was Joel's discreet way of telling Lee that it was okay. To the man, this all felt anything but okay. Entrenched in his own grief, he hadn't stopped hating himself for what happened this winter. Lee had been pushed to the edge. Clementine hadn't seen him simply enraged. The girl had seen him for who he truly was, underneath it all. Sure, Lee could try to underplay the lives he took and say that was how the world worked, just to make himself feel better. What aggravated him even more was the regret. That lingering feeling of wishing that he could've got his hands on Henry. What he would've done to him, it frightened him to think about.

A moment passed, almost as if Lee had forgotten common courtesy. This was really it? What they'd started in Pittsburgh was finally closing out. At least, for Lee and Clementine, the other duo still had quite the trek ahead of them. Although they were assured to be coming back, plans could change. They could get hurt out there… and Lee knew better than to not assume this could very well be the last time they saw each other, though he hoped it wasn't. He really did. What would've come to him naturally was a struggle… hell, everything lately had been a struggle for him. Before long, the man outstretched his only hand towards Joel.

"I'm sure you will." He spoke equally as lax, before finally shaking the other man's hand. His next words were directed at the both of them, but Lee glanced towards Ellie as he spoke. "And I hope you find what you're looking for over there." Lee was sincere, even if Ellie was still angry at him. Words were better than nothing, he supposed.

Clementine hadn't been able to socialize around anyone her own age in what seemed to be like… forever ago. Even if they'd started off on a very rough patch, Ellie was always there to support Clementine, in ways that even Lee couldn't. Teenagers always needed people around their own age to confide in, and he was grateful that Ellie had been that person. Lee just wished he could somehow tell her that… right now. In the end, silence ensued.

The sun barely peeked through the snow clouds as the wind picked up, the trees shaking and rustling against the breeze. "We… gotta go. While the weather holds out." Any more time spent here was pointless, and Lee decided it was time to tear the bandaid off for good. The man finally spoke after a brief moment of silence shared between them, before waving over Clementine to join him. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you guys had the same idea of holing up in that coffee shop. I don't know where we'd be right now if you hadn't." He spoke as he gave one last glance to the two of them, reluctantly beginning to turn away.

Boots crunched against the snow as Clementine joined his side, and now he could see how devastated she truly was. The girl's head drooped down as she stared at her feet, nothing but her obligation to follow instructions was keeping her moving. She didn't want to go anywhere with him, when usually it was the opposite.

You really gonna do this to yourself again? To her? After everything...

The voice was urging him to stop, to not go. He didn't listen. Lee's legs continued to carry him onwards. And that was away from here. From the Fireflies, from more bandits… from Joel and Ellie. This was goodbye. He didn't know for how long. Lee just had to hope it wasn't forever. It took all that he had to keep going, knowing that one simple glance at Clem's face could have him walking back the other way.

As the two of them slowly shrunk into smaller silhouettes. Lee had to convince himself that whatever was ahead of them… was better. That he made the right decision.