5:02 PM - November 18, 2025 (2 days later) - Highway into Jackson County
Art [Clementine]
She'd had one of those dreams again - the really messed up, head-twisty kind. They weren't always, or ever, the most coherent, not after the fact. It was a lot of... that guy from the town. Sometimes he'd be doing things. To her, or in front of her. Grinning from ear to ear, drowned by the shadows beneath that cold cell.
Other times it'd be Lee.
It felt better, being in the passenger seat again. Not that it helped much with sleeping. Her hand felt a stupid amount of sore that morning, a jolt of pain that kept serving as a reminder of what was missing. As if she needed one.
Lee would often turn to Clementine once her eyes were open, spotting those glimpses of fear she could only hide by looking the other way, out her window. It really was like he could sense something was wrong. Maybe he just had an eye for it.
They were probably close now. All she wanted was to be in her room for a while. Away. Where no one else could get to her. Not the one in Jackson; the one she had to...somehow pretend was the real thing. Clem wanted to go home, back to Dad, Mom... back to all those animals she loved so much.
She'd do anything to have that back.
5:30 PM
Ledge [Lee Everett]
With the car nestled safely into the tree line, the duo continued onwards, boots crunching against the twigs and leaves beneath them. Getting here was already a miracle in itself, they were just on the final stretch now; everything Lee had pushed and fought so hard for, it ended at those gates. It was going to be worth it in the end, that's what he continually told himself. Lee's stomach violently rumbled, and the stump on his left wrist still throbbed from time to time. The man just wanted to rest easy… and knowing they were inside the confines of the community would be enough. Of course, Lee was still relying on the kindness of Tommy and Andrea. Unless the both of them had changed drastically in such a short amount of time, he was hoping they would be agreeable to him and Clementine staying long term.
The gates finally came into sight, the same ones they loomed over with Andrea not long ago before they left on horseback. As they steadily approached the front, Lee kept his pistol tucked into the back of his pants, his only hand gripped around the backpack strap hanging over his shoulder. Even seeing it for the second time, it was still as impressive as he remembered it. Thus, came the moment he'd been hoping and dreading for. Lee's neck tilted back, staring up at some sort of makeshift lookout tower behind the gate, which still gave off an intimidating feel.
"Anyone up there?"
Dot [Andrea]
Andrea had only just recently gotten used to having Dwight around. The first few weeks had been some of the most awkward times she'd ever experienced, though that wasn't really Dwight's fault. Trusting Saviors, even ex-Saviors, was something foreign to her, and it took Carl's confidence that things would work out alright for her to eventually get over it. She'd gone from watching him with a cautious eye to trusting him enough to turn her back on him. She only hoped she wouldn't find a knife buried in it one of these days.
Recently, she'd been accompanying him on lookout shifts on the gate, mainly due to the fact she still didn't trust him enough to leave him alone with it. It was during these shifts she tried her best to get to know him, to figured out what made him tick, and she'd been questioning him about Paradise and what had happened to it since her last incursion there when a voice from beyond the wall had caught their attention.
Standing up, and clutching a rifle tightly, she climbed onto the scaffolding to peer over the wall, her gaze being met with two familiar faces: Lee and Clementine.
And noticeably without Joel and Ellie.
She lowered the rifle, breathing out a sigh before turning to Dwight on the ground. "Dwight, get the gate. They're friends."
She returned to the ground, meeting Lee's gaze with a respectful nod and gripping the younger girl's shoulder gently as she smiled. "It's good to see you two again. How'd things go? … Where's Joel and Ellie?"
Ledge [Lee Everett]
" They're friends. "
That comment alone ushered a certain sense of relief from the now one-handed man. Andrea had remembered them, at least, and from what it looked like, she was willing to talk.
Thank Christ...
At one stage, Lee wasn't sure if it was a sight himself and Clementine would ever see again. However, to his surprise, the gates slowly creaked open to reveal the still thriving community, unmarked by the blemishes of the outside world. What was even more surprising was the man operating the front gate; for a moment, Lee almost halted right there, staring at the man with the half-burnt face.
It was the man from that rough trading outpost, from Paradise . What in the hell was he doing here? Regardless, Dwight hadn't even acknowledged them yet, and so to not make things awkward, Lee simply didn't either. The first priority was making his case to Andrea, that was the most important thing right now. The split-second of confusion had him frozen, before he quickly snapped himself out of his daze. Once they were on other side of the gates, his attention turned to the woman next to him as she asked them about their travels.
"They're good. Still on their way to the Fireflies. Long story short, the plan ended up changing for Clementine and I…" Lee stated, deliberately avoiding the deep trench he'd dig himself into if he actually gave a proper answer to how it went, it was best to avoid that altogether. "Look, uh…"
Lee mulled over his thoughts for a moment, this might've been a make or break moment here, perhaps he was hyping himself up too much, perhaps not. The only thing that mattered was securing a spot for Clementine here, nothing else.
"You guys were kind enough to let us in the first time. And we came a long way to-" Lee stuttered, realizing that he was starting to sound like he was trying to garner sympathy. Dragging this out any longer would be pointless, he just had to hope they were as kind as he thought they were. They had to be. "I just wanted to ask for the opportunity to talk to someone about a long term position here… for us. "
Dot [Andrea]
A sense of relief had washed over her when Lee confirmed that Joel and Ellie were okay, still on their way to the Fireflies, though she figured they would've already made it to the university by now. While Lee started to ask about staying in Jackson, Andrea's mind had gone elsewhere, a reeling effect caused by something she'd missed the upon first seeing them again.
Lee was missing a hand.
Things had only gone from shit to even shittier in the span of a few hours. With the fence down, walkers swarmed the prison yard. The only thing between her and Dale and a grueling death was the older man's RV.
When the gunshots started once more, she was drawn to the window, staring out to see who had gone outside, though her gaze was met with familiar faces she hadn't seen in a while, and some new ones. She opened the door hastily as Dale called out towards one of the men.
"Rick? Holy shit son, it isyou!"
"Rick!" Andrea shouted the man's name as she ran outside, clutching her rifle tightly. "Rick! Oh god, you're alive!" That was when the realization dawned on her, accompanied by the sight of stained bandages wrapped around Rick's- "Your hand… what happened?!"
That same feeling of dread had returned in full force, causing her eyes to open wide. The man's question had been forgotten, replaced by a question she couldn't help but blurt out. "Holy shit… what the hell happened out there?"
From next to her, Dwight's gaze hardened, as if the sight of Lee's missing hand left him surprised too.
Ledge [Lee Everett]
Lee supposed he couldn't expect everyone to pretend it was there, like he'd been doing, the sharp hint of dull pain every so often serving as a harsh reminder of reality. Part of Lee thought if he didn't acknowledge it, others wouldn't, so when Andrea practically gawked in concern, the man shifted uncomfortably in response. Lee glanced over at his still recently-chopped hand, realizing he'd have to get used to expecting this sort of thing in social settings. That's if they allowed them in, of course. Being reminded didn't upset him at all, it was moreso a lack of an answer from Andrea.
"Nothing good." Finally, his gaze settled on the blonde woman in front of him, frowning slightly. "You don't wanna know the rest." She really didn't, and it wasn't like he was ready to tread down that route of conversation yet in front of Clementine. Too much.
Dot [Andrea]
The look on Andrea's face was one of pity and understanding. After everything they'd been through to get here, Andrea knew what it was like out there better than anyone. She knew the kind of people that roamed the wasteland, the kind of people that cut Rick's hand off and destroyed Alexandria in a cacophony of explosions. Lee's response brooked no further inquiry, and Andrea wasn't about to give it anyway. She took in a deep breath, ushering them inside while Dwight closed the gate.
"Well, I'm sorry about what happened, but… you're more than welcome to stay here. I'm sure we can find a place for you two. The place you were staying in should still be empty." She looked towards Dwight, a hand on her hip. "Let Tommy know that Joel's friends are back." He simply nodded before beginning to walk off, clearing his throat as he turned back around.
"Good to see you two again," Dwight stated in an even tone.
Andrea raised an eyebrow, giving Lee a questioning glance. "Guessing you two met in Paradise?"
Art [Clementine]
Clementine fell into a short stretch of silence while the other adults led her in, every step of hers feeling pendulous and averse, always a couple behind Lee. Even Andrea's gesture had her feeling jumpy, a mixture of feelings causing her to drop her head and frown.
The one with his face scarred, then - who she did not recall the name of - had her eyes widening, and a large fog sneaking through the gaps in her teeth. He still scared the wits out of her.
"Yes," the smaller one said as loud as a whisper, not purposely avoiding the man's gaze, but doing so all the same. The bit of guilt she felt seeing him again, it hardly helped. Clem hadn't trusted that guy for even one sec. Held him at gunpoint after he saved her and the whole lot of them. He probably thought she was a total douchebag.
Then he got them that car and those supplies, which was half the reason they ever made it to Tommy's in the first place. This felt due, even if the man didn't like her.Especially if he doesn't... "You really helped us..." Clementine told Dwight, outstretching her hand to shake his, albeit shyly, and not without fright spelled in her expression. "Thank you."
Dot [Dwight]
Dwight gave the younger girl a curt nod before extending his own hand out to shake hers. Everything that happened back then had been to keep these folks from getting sucked into Negan's shit. Good gestures were hard to come by, especially from him, and he had a feeling they would've died on the road anyway, though his intuitions had been proven wrong.
When he let go of the girl's hand, he replied to her comment with a warmer tone. "Don't mention it."
With one cursory glance towards Andrea, he headed off, listening as she led them deeper into Jackson.
" C'mon, let's get you two situated. "
Ledge [Lee Everett]
As those words of confirmation finally left Andrea's mouth, the anxiety in the pit of his stomach almost dissipated in that moment. They had a community, a functional anddecent one which they'd be allowed to call home. Years of running and isolation were soon going to be a thing of the past, provided this place stayed safe. Lee was prepared to pull his weight as much as he could, prove that Andrea's decision to let them stay wasn't the wrong one.
Small groups were a bust, they tried making things work before. After everything, the quality of life associated with travelling alone soon became all too unbearable to handle. Maybe it was time for some change. Something bigger. A tidal wave of thoughts washed over the man's head, there were so many things to start organizing, including sorting everything out for Clementine, and her new school.
One step at a time…
"Thank you… this means, more than you know." Lee responded, noticeably more enthusiastic than before. "We'll do everything we can to help out around here."
Dwight had finally spoken up, it seems like he'd definitely remembered them. Although Lee couldn't help but wonder what had ultimately transpired at Paradise for him to wind up here. Did something happen, or did the man always know about Jackson? Regardless, it was good to see another friendly face.
"Good to see you, too. Small world, it looks like."
Andrea was quick to catch on, Lee shifting his gaze towards her as she asked about their previous relations. "Yeah, it was quite a while back. He treated us pretty well."
Andrea then offered to show them their old place, as to which Lee promptly nodded in response. The man excitedly readjusted his bag strap as he readied himself to follow the familiar face.
"That sounds good to me."