Chapter 8: When The Devil Comes Around
Disclaimers: I do not own The Walking Dead or The Loud House or anything related to either of them, all are owned by their respective owners and companies.
An Hour Later
"Well, we're pretty screwed."
Lincoln and Pete had gotten away from the stream without any hassle. Unfortunately, they attracted a lot of attention when they were running for their lives. They kept on running until they found this cigarette van, they quickly got into the back of the large van and started to lock everything down. Lincoln had gotten done with the doors in the front while Pete securely locked the back doors.
"I wouldn't say that, they shouldn't be able to get through that." Pete stated as the walkers banged on the van's back doors. "On the downside, we can't get through them."
Seeing they were as secured as they could get, both Lincoln and Pete sat down. Pete sighed as he looked down at his right leg, he hesitantly started to check it. After a minute of checking, Pete was relieved to see that he had no bites or scratches. That walker that was playing possum near his leg didn't get close enough to get a bite out of him. Pete was very grateful for that, the idea of getting bit by a walker was too much for the old man. The old man looked over to give Lincoln a grateful smile.
"Looks like I owe you for saving my ass, son. If you hadn't gotten that lurker, I'd be a dead man."
The young archer simply grunted as he pulled all out all his gear and supplies that he brought with him. He quickly started check what he had brought. From the looks of it, he was down to a few crossbow bolts and he had one pocket knife he had hidden in his boot. Pete accidently dropped his hunting rifle as they were running, but it wouldn't have mattered since he was out of ammo. Other than that Lincoln also had an energy bar, a bottle of water, and he had a lighter he kept in his pocket just in case. It didn't look so good, seeing as they were trapped with just a crossbow and pocket knife.
"I still think we're screwed since we don't have that much bolts for my crossbow, even if we did have enough I'm pretty sure we'll get swarmed before I could reload. Other than that, we have ourselves a measly pocket knife I keep for emergencies. So, yeah… we're sort of screwed. Unless, you got a machine gun or grenade hiding in your pockets?"
Pete chuckled softy shaking his head causing Lincoln to sigh.
"Sorry, I think I left them in my other pants."
Somehow, that caused Lincoln to chuckle with Pete. It was an odd sight, a kid and old man trapped in a broken-down van surrounded by the dead and they were just sitting around laughing like idiots. They should have been more worried, and they were but it felt nice to have a moment to laugh. Neither of them could remember the last time they were able to do that. When the moment stopped, both Lincoln and Pete just sat there. the only noise that was heard was that coming from the walkers growling and trying to break in.
"Hopefully, Nick and Clementine made it back to the cabin. Luke will get a rescue party going and we'll be out of here soon. At least, that's if those two made it back."
"You don't sound so sure old man, why is that?" Lincoln asked putting away his things back where they were. "Don't tell me you're afraid of dying?"
Just as Lincoln started to chuckle, Pete turned to give him a serious look. That's when Lincoln stopped, he looked at Pete with surprise which turned into disbelief.
"Wait, really? You of all people are afraid of dying? I mean, you're pretty fucking old so I thought you'd be at peace with that?"
"I know it sounds funny coming from a guy like me, yeah. But the last thing I wanna do is die." Pete admitted with a sad smile. "I never thought I'd be the kinda idiot to say something like that, but there it is."
Lincoln still couldn't believe Pete admitted something like that to him. They weren't really friends, they just met last night after all. Why admit something so personal to a stranger?
"Are you afraid of dying?"
Looking out at Pete with a bewildered look, Lincoln thought about the question. Was he afraid of dying? Maybe, he didn't know how to answer that. All this time he's been surviving and doing horrible things to stay alive, so was he afraid of dying?
"Why are you asking me that?" Lincoln asked curious about Pete's question. "Shouldn't it be obvious since I'm just a kid?"
"Heh, we both no you're aren't just some kid." Pete chuckled getting an annoyed look from Lincoln. "Come on son, whatever you tell me stays in this van. You can trust me on that. Hell, we might not even make it tomorrow."
Oddly enough, hearing that brought Lincoln some comfort. Seeing as they were stuck and the odds of them making it out of here were pretty slim. Lincoln decided to cut the bullshit and speak his mind.
"Okay, if I'm being honest, I don't know if I'm afraid of dying. Maybe I was when this first started, I was a little kid after all. But after everything that's happened to me… I'm not sure I even care anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'm not thinking of dying anytime soon. Besides, I still got a promise to keep. I'm not dying until I make sure my friends are safe."
Pete was surprised by everything Lincoln told him; he never expected a kid to say such things. When Pete first talked to Lincoln, he knew he wasn't just some kid. The way Lincoln carried himself, the way he acted around everyone. Pete saw how fearless and tactical the boy could be, and it scared him. Now, he wasn't scared of Lincoln. What scared Pete is how a world like this could turn a child into someone like Lincoln. A person so hell bent on surviving, even if it means losing what they were before all this happened. But that didn't mean Lincoln wasn't completely lost, at least from what he saw when Lincoln was around Clementine.
"You really care for her don't you?"
It was pretty obvious who Pete was talking about. Lincoln didn't say anything, he only pulled his head back to stare up at the roof. Never in his life had someone made such an impression on him. After what his so-called family did to him and what happened to Pop-Pop, Lincoln stopped giving a damn about anyone really. Clementine changed that, she started to make him care again. At first, Lincoln tried to deny it but Clementine and that dog gave him something he's never had before.
A purpose.
"Yeah, that's why we're both getting out of this alive." Lincoln stated in a serious tone and expression. "We both got people who depend on us, we're going to get through this for their sakes. For both Clementine and Nick… even though your nephew is kind of a dipshit."
That last part definitely earned a smile and laugh from Pete, Lincoln simply smiled before letting out a yawn.
"Better get some shut eye, it's going to be a while before those lurkers leave. I'll take first watch, son. I'll wake you if anything goes down."
Lincoln wanted to argue but he knew Pete was right. Getting some rest wouldn't be such a bad idea, nothing to do but wait. Besides, he'll need his strength when it comes time to run. Lincoln closed his eyes and leaned back trying to get comfortable, it would have been easier if he had his pills but he'd have to make do without them. Finally, Lincoln was able to fall asleep after ignoring the sounds of the undead.
The Next Day
"Hey Lincoln, wake up."
Immediately Lincoln drew his crossbow ready to kill whatever was touching him!
"Whoa! Easy son, it's just me!"
Lincoln quickly realized that it was Pete who was nudging him awake. Pete looked very alarmed by the crossbow pointed at his face, thankfully Lincoln put his crossbow down with a sigh. He then looked at Pete with an annoyed look.
"Dammit old man, I could have shot you in the face. You gotta be more careful before waking up someone armed."
"My mistake son, but I think we better get out of here now." Pete explained rather grimly. "Been almost a day, they ain't gonna find us. Our best chance is to make a break for it."
None of that sounded too good, Lincoln looked around and noticed it was dark outside now. Meaning it was either really late out or really early. Both of which weren't very good considering their situation, if the others hadn't already found them than it was time to go. Lincoln hoped Clementine was okay, she had to be somewhere held up like them or she was already with Nick and the others. Didn't matter, he was going to find her no matter what. Which meant he and Pete needed to leave now.
"You're right but I think it's going to be a little hard since some of those geeks are still lurking around out there." Lincoln stated with a hint of anger. "I don't have enough bolts if we get swarmed, we're going have to run like hell and not stop. If we don't, our chances of getting out of here are slim to none."
Pete thought about Lincoln told him, he knew the boy was completely right. There were a good chunk of walkers still lingering around out there. All they had for weapons is a crossbow with few bolts and a pocket knife. Those odds weren't good, not at all. Sadly, their odds of getting out of here are only going to get worse the longer they stay. It was a shitty situation.
"I know, our chances are shit. There's a good chance we both won't get outta of here. But we need to leave or we'll both get trapped in here and die. It's not ideal but it's all we got right now. We've gotta play the hand we're dealt with, son. Are you ready?"
With a bitter look, Lincoln sighed as he prepped himself. He knew they were going have to haul ass if they got a chance in hell of escaping. After he got done preparing himself, Lincoln pulled out his pocket knife and presented it to Pete. The old man looked at the knife before looking at Lincoln.
"It's better than nothing, I'm a better shot than you and I can reload a whole lot quicker on the fly with this crossbow." Lincoln expressed with confidence not arrogance. "And I ain't talking out of my ass either. I'll do my best cover our asses if I need to."
Pete could tell Lincoln wasn't just talking shit, he saw firsthand Lincoln's skills with a crossbow. The kid was a hell of a shot, he knew what it took to survive. If anyone had a chance of making it out of this, it was Lincoln. That's why Pete felt at ease about what he was going to do.
"Lincoln, can I ask something of you?" Pete asked with a bit of hesitation. "I know I shouldn't ask you this but… I was wondering if you'd keep an eye out on my nephew. In case I don't make."
Soon as those words left Pete's mouth, Lincoln completely froze. Why in the hell was Pete asking him something like this? He was a stranger; he was a complete unknown and a danger to Pete's group. Even Lincoln knew that since he was planning on snatching Lily away and disappearing with his friends. Lincoln didn't know what to do, he should have said no right away but something was stopping him.
"Look, I know I'm asking a lot but that boy is all I got. I love that stupid kid, no matter what you think. He's a good boy…"
"Why?" Lincoln hesitantly asked trying to avoid Pete's stare. "How can you trust someone like me? I pulled a fucking gun on one of your group members, I could just be waiting to screw you all over and leave with all your shit. Why do you trust me?"
For the longest time, Pete just looked at Lincoln with a smile.
"Because I know you're a good kid, son. You may have made mistakes, god knows I've made a lot of them myself. That's what it means growing up, I'm also asking because you're more than capable of watching yourself and those around you. If anyone can keep my group safe it's you, son. You're a good kid, and don't you let anyone else tell you otherwise."
Nothing, that's all that Lincoln could say. No one's ever said anything like that to him, the only one he could think of was Pop-Pop. When Lincoln looked at Pete, he could see the similarities between them. Both were old men willing to do what's right and keep their love ones safe. Honestly, it hurt to look at Pete because of that. All he could think about when he looked at him was Pop-Pop. That's why Lincoln finally spoke when he did.
"I… I'll do my best."
Pete smiled looking at the boy with a grateful nod.
"That's what I'm hoping for." Pete expressed gratefully while still smiling. "Now, let's get out of this tin can before we're too late."
It took a minute for Lincoln to recollect himself, he needed to focus on getting out of here. There wasn't time to get sorry about the past. Lincoln needed to get back to Clementine and the others, and he was going to get Pete back safe and sound. That way he wouldn't have to keep his dumb promise to Pete.
"You ready, son?"
Lincoln got his crossbow at the ready and he walked over to Pete as he was at the back doors with his knife at the ready. They both took a moment to look at each other before nodding. Pete slowly opened the doors, taking a look around he saw a few walkers shambling around looking for anything alive. After opening the doors, Pete and Lincoln silently got out of the van. They both looked around before looking back each other, that's when a walker appeared from out of nowhere on Pete's side. Lincoln quickly pulled up his crossbow and fired a bolt right into its skull! The walker falling down dead quickly alerted the rest of the undead, Lincoln and Pete knew they had to run now!
Both quickly took off but the unthinkable happened. Just as they were both running, Pete suddenly tripped over a rock and landed hard on the ground. Lincoln quickly reloaded another bolt into his crossbow, he then took out a walker getting close. After taking that walker down, Lincoln swiftly reload his crossbow as Pete tried to get up. But as this was happening, neither of them noticed a legless walker crawling towards them from under the van. When Lincoln finished reloading and Pete was up on his feet, the legless walker grabbed onto Pete's right leg and took a bite out of it! Blood gushed out from the open wound causing Pete to scream in agony!
"AHHH!"
"NO!" Lincoln screamed in horror as he rapidly fired his crossbow at the attacking walker! A bolt pierced its right eye and it fell dead but the damage was already done. "PETE!"
The wounded old man clenched his teeth in pain while looking down at his bite, Pete knew what this meant. He couldn't freeze up now as another walker came from behind him lunging at his back, but Pete was quick enough to stabbed it with his knife on the side of the head. It fell down dead as another walker tried to reach for Pete but Lincoln reacted by upper cutting it with his crossbow, the walker didn't die but it fell hard on its back from the force of the hit. They were still in trouble as more walkers started to shamble towards them on all sides.
"Pete! Let's go!"
Pete looked at Lincoln staring at him with panic and desperation, he then looked at the walkers coming towards them with their teeth bared and hands reaching out. The old hunter knew this could only end in one way now.
"I ain't going anywhere, son! I'm already dead, the least I can do is make sure you get out of this! Haul ass like the wind! I'll keep these undead bastards busy, go!"
The look of desperation and shock said it all on Lincoln's face. The last thing he wanted was for this to happen. He saw Pete giving him a sadden look before nodding and punching a shambling walker that was closing in on them. He then started to yell trying to get all the attention on him which worked, they were all heading towards Pete.
"Run boy, run!"
Lincoln didn't want to leave, but he knew Pete was right. This was his chance to get out of here while they were all focused on Pete. Closing his eyes and swallowing his regret, Lincoln ran as fast as he could. Doing his best to ignore Pete's sounds of grunting and yelling from behind him. While running away, a walker suddenly came out hiding from behind a tree and tried to get him but Lincoln was quick enough to draw his crossbow and fired! The bolt pieced its forehead before it fell face first on the ground, upon landing the bolt went completely through the walker's head. Lincoln kept on running after that, trying his best not think about what happened and focusing on getting to the others.
That's all he can do right now. The only way Lincoln can help Pete now is by getting the others and making sure Clementine and Nick are okay.
A few minutes went by, Lincoln finally came to a stop by a tree as he was out of breath from running. While Lincoln was taking a breather, he reloaded another bolt into his crossbow and took a look around him to see if any walkers were following him or nearby. Luckily, he was alone for the moment. All he needed was enough time to catch his breath and think of his next step. Probably the first thing he should do is return to the cabin, but he thought about something else.
The stream.
It might have sounded crazy, and it was. However, Lincoln knew he needed to double back so he could gather the bolts he left behind in those walkers he killed yesterday. It was risky but he needed more ammo if things were going to get ugly. Lincoln owed it to Pete to be prepared. So, with a sigh and a frown, our young archer slowly made his way back towards the stream where all this trouble started.
The hike to the stream wasn't difficult since Lincoln knew where it was from memory. Retracing his steps was easy enough, eventually he found his and Pete's tracks when they were running away from the stream. Lincoln quietly walked back to the stream, finally he made it back to the stream. He was hiding behind some bushes and he saw the state of the place. It wasn't so bad, there were a few straggler walkers but nothing too major for him to handle. Looking around he saw dead walkers but he focused on the ones with bolts inside them. After some searching around, Lincoln spotted them all.
Now, it was time to take care of the stragglers.
Lincoln fired a bolt at the closest walker, when it fell the other walkers didn't notice at first but as Lincoln reloaded and fried another bolt into another walker's head. The rest of the walkers noticed, they started to growl and shambled over to the fallen walker. Lincoln didn't care as he quickly reloaded and fired another bolt into another walker. This went on until there was only one walker left, Lincoln had a serious face as the walkers came closer and closer towards him. Instead of shooting for the head and killing it, Lincoln shot it in the leg causing it to fall down.
When it was on the ground, Lincoln slowly came out of the bushes and walked over to the fallen walker. He stopped as the walker crawled over to him, when it did Lincoln couldn't help but think of the same walker that bit Pete. That's all Lincoln managed to think about as it kept crawling towards.
All Lincoln think about was Pete yelling in pain and that walker biting him, finally it was too much for Lincoln that he marched over to the walkers and kicking it in the head! The walker was stunned by the kick, Lincoln then used the butt of his crossbow and started to bash the back of the walker's head in! Lincoln grunted as he kept bashing the walker's head in!
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
Each hit caused Lincoln to think about Pete, it made him think about how another good man was lost to this messed up world. He hated it, he hated everything about this world. The walkers, the survivors, the constant danger, and everything else. Lincoln hated it all, how this world keeps taking everything good in this world! It takes a toll, something Lincoln is tired of paying for.
When Lincoln was finished, the walker's head was completely reduced to a mash of blood, teeth, eyeballs, and grey matter. It looked more like a puddle now. Lincoln himself was covered in gore along with the butt of his crossbow. Although it looked disgusting and smelled bad, Lincoln didn't seem that bothered. The young archer sighed, taking a seat on the ground next to the dead walker. He looked to the east and saw the sun rising, signaling a new day. Somehow, he made it another day. Sadly, it seems like Pete probably couldn't say the same.
Lincoln hated this feeling.
He couldn't help but feel guilty about what happened to Pete. Maybe if he had kept a better eye out, Pete wouldn't have gotten bit. What Lincoln hated more is that Pete's words were still weighting heavy on his mind, especially his heart. Another thing he hated is that his and Pete's goodbye reminded him of Pop-Pop's.
"I fucking hate mornings…"
That's all Lincoln could mutter out as he slowly got up, he started to walk around and gather his crossbow bolts from the dead walkers. When he was done, he walked over to the stream to look down at his reflection in the water. Lincoln saw the state he was in, and he didn't care. However, Lincoln knew that it wouldn't be good if he showed up at the cabin like this. He didn't need to give everyone more reason to be scared of him and distrust him.
Without any hesitation, Lincoln bent down and started to wash off the blood on him. It was cold but Lincoln didn't mind it one bit. After a few minutes, Lincoln had washed away all the gore from his face, hair, arms, and a bit off his clothes. But he knew that the blood was going to stain some of his clothes, nothing he could do about that. He looked a lot better than before, he had everything he needed now. It was time to get a move on.
"Don't worry Clementine, I'm coming."
Lincoln got up and started to head towards the direction of the cabin. If Clementine and Nick weren't already there then he would go out and find them. He owed that much to Pete; Lincoln will do his best to make sure his dipshit nephew is safe.
An Hour Later
Trekking through the forest wasn't new for Lincoln, he thrived in this place. It was pretty easy for him to pick out their tracks from yesterday when they left the cabin. While making his way back, Lincoln heard the sound of someone running in the same direction as him. He quickly drew his crossbow at whatever was running towards him. When it finally came to view, Lincoln was shocked and slowly dropped his aim. Running towards him was none other than Clementine!
"Clementine!"
Hearing her name caused the young survivor to look, Clementine looked shocked which quickly turned into happiness and relief!
"Lincoln!"
Clementine ran towards Lincoln, he waited for Clementine to reach him and when she did, she pulled him into a tight hug! Lincoln was shocked by this sudden display of affection, but he slowly hugged her back. She was out of breath and looked scared to death. If hugging him helps her than he'd anything he can to help her. Lincoln smiled as he patted her on the back awkwardly, which she didn't seem to notice or mind.
"I was so scared that I'd never see you again!" Clementine exclaimed with worry as she kept holding onto Lincoln like he would disappear if she stopped. "I didn't want to leave you and Pete but you were right, there were too many walkers. I'm so sorry I left you!"
Clementine stopped hugging Lincoln to look at him with near tearful expression. This caused Lincoln to frown softy as he hated seeing her like this. It reminded him of that night, the night she stopped him from pulling the trigger on Luna. Lincoln is rusty at comforting people, at least that's what he thinks. He did what he thought was best which was putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay Clementine, I'm alright." Lincoln smiled reassuringly. "It's going to take more than couple of dead bastards to get the jump on me."
Seeing his reassuring smile and carefree look almost made Clementine smile. From what she's seen since being companions, Lincoln can handle anything. But she also knew he wasn't invincible. He can get hurt and get killed just like the rest of them. It was that thought caused Clementine to worry. Lincoln was her friend; he's done more for her than anyone since she lost Christa. The thought of losing him like everyone else in her life scared her, and she didn't why? It's not just because they're friends, it's something else.
While Clementine was thinking, she quickly realized something. Lincoln was alone. Where was Pete?
"Lincoln, where's Pete?"
Soon as Clementine said that, Lincoln's smile disappeared and in its place was a grim look filled with guilt. A look Clementine recognized very well. She stopped hugging Lincoln to give him a mournful look.
"What happened?"
Lincoln tried his best not to look Clementine in the eye but he couldn't look away. Not when she looked at him like that. He let out a sigh before speaking up.
"We were cornered in a van, we waited it out until morning before we tried to make a break for it. When we did it, it started out okay, like we were going to make it. But a walker was hiding under the van… it took Pete by surprise and it bit him. I drew my crossbow quick as I could but I was too late. He told me to run after that, he started yelling to draw the walkers to him and give me a chance. I took it and I hauled ass… he's dead because of me."
Once Lincoln was finished, he looked down away from Clementine. He couldn't handle it anymore, the mournful look she was giving him. He expected Clementine to be horrified or be frightened of him, he even expected her to run away from him. To his shock she didn't do any of those things. Instead she gave him another hug, this time she held him even tighter. She didn't say anything because she didn't need to. Lincoln had no idea what to do, he wanted to push her away but he couldn't. Since he had no clue what to do, he did only what felt right.
He hugged her back and held her as tight as he could.
Lincoln could barely remember the last time he hugged a person like this, least of all this tightly. Pop-Pop was the first to come to his mind. He didn't want to stop but Lincoln knew they needed to get out of here. When he pulled away from the hug, Lincoln finally noticed Nick wasn't with Clementine.
"Clementine, where's Nick?"
This time it was Clementine's turn to look guilty.
"Don't tell me he's dead too?"
"No, at least I don't think so." Clementine answered still looking guilty. "We couldn't make back to the cabin so we took shelter in a shed of some kind for the night. When we were there, Nick felt really guilty about leaving Pete. He got drunk the whole time, he wanted to give up."
Lincoln simply closed his eyes while clenching his crossbow tightly before cursing under his breath.
"That stupid dipshit…"
"But he didn't though, it took some convincing but I got him back up. When it was morning, we decided to run for it. We tried our best to escape together but there were too many walkers. Nick… he told me to run away while he was distracting them. I tried to stay and help but he pushed me to go. I don't know if he made it or not."
Lincoln was shocked to hear this, what shocked him more is that Nick did the exact same thing Pete did. They both sacrificed themselves to give two kids a chance to escape. Lincoln didn't expect Nick to do such a thing, he gave Clementine a chance to get away when it came time to run.
"Fuck, guess Pete was right about Nick." Lincoln muttered shaking his head before he got serious. "Clementine, where is this shed?"
"Uh, about a half mile in the direction I came running from." Clementine answered with a bit of confusion before looking horrified. "Wait, don't tell me you're thinking of going? Are you crazy! That place is crawling with walkers, too many for you to handle!"
"What do you want me to do Clem?" Lincoln asked looking at the direction where Clementine came from before looking back at her with a serious expression. "I know there's no saving Pete but there is a chance Nick is still alive. At least, I have to make sure. Look, you head back to the cabin and tell the others. I'll be back once I know if Nick is alive or not."
Just as Lincoln was about to leave, Clementine stopped by grabbing his free arm. He stopped to look at her to see her giving him a concerned look.
"Please, let's go back to the cabin and get help together." Clementine practically begged holding on tight to Lincoln's arm. "It's too dangerous for you to go out there by yourself."
"Clementine, you know I can't—"
"I'm not leaving you behind again!"
Lincoln didn't get to finish as Clementine interrupted him with a desperate look, she held onto his arm even tighter. Lincoln did not seem surprised by her outburst, he looked more dejected than anything. The last thing he wanted to do is leave Clementine. From the look on her face, she wasn't going to let him go. He knew he could make her let go but he didn't want that, he couldn't do that to her.
"Man, you really aren't going to let me go, are you?"
Clementine's desperate expression turned into a serious one.
"We're going back to the cabin, together." Clementine stated firmly as she didn't let go of Lincoln. "We'll get the others and we'll find Nick and Pete. You don't have to risk yourself all the time Lincoln, we can do this together. So please, let's go together."
The tone of her voice was very firm that left no room for argument. Arguing would be pointless, and Lincoln knew that. Clementine no longer looked like a desperate and scared girl, she looked like a completely different person now. What she said really affected him, Lincoln always risked his life every day. It wasn't easy to forget that feeling. That's what kept him going on all this time. Honestly, Clementine was a strange girl but Lincoln wouldn't have asked for a better friend.
"Fine, we'll do it your way." Lincoln relented with a sigh. "We better go now if you're serious."
After that, Clementine smiled brightly. She quickly nodded and let go of Lincoln's arm, they soon both started running towards the cabin together. While they were running, Lincoln noticed something different about Clementine. Eventually he noticed that Clementine was wearing a purple backpack that he's never seen before. Normally he would have asked her about it but right now they had more pressing concerns to worry about. It took a few minutes before they finally reached the cabin. They saw the backdoor and immediately went for it. Clementine was the first through the door, Lincoln was the next. The backdoor was unlocked which he thought was stupid since anyone or a walker could come in. But they had more important things to worry about now. Both Lincoln and Clementine were out of breath as they entered the cabin and found themselves in the kitchen. Lincoln looked over at the dining table and saw Carlos, Rebecca, Luan, and Leni. They looked shocked at the both kids, not expecting their arrival.
"Clementine, Lincoln!"
Both kids looked to see Carlos get up from his seat as the rest at the table did the same.
"Are you two alright?" Carlos asked with a concerned tone before he looked around with an alarmed look. "Luke and Luna aren't with you?"
"Where's Alvin!"
It didn't take long for both kids to have everyone up and crowding them.
"What happened?" Carlos asked with worry. "It's been hours, where are they?"
"Clem!"
"If you'll stop crowding us then we'll fucking tell you guys." Lincoln stated harshly losing his temper. "We got swarmed by walkers by the stream, we were checking out a massacre when we got attacked."
"Jesus!"
"Pete got bit." Clementine revealed with a downcast look and tone. "He and Lincoln were holed up in a van and were about to run back but a walker got the jump on him. I was with Nick, but…"
Clementine did not have the heart to finish as she looked down from the group with guilt. The others were extremely upset upon hearing this. Carlos was at a loss for words, Rebecca, Leni, and Luan looked ready to cry.
"My god."
Rebecca quickly became aggressive and walked towards both kid with a harsh glare.
"Where were you, where were you exactly!"
Lincoln was about to tell her to fuck if she was acting like that but Clementine was the first to speak.
"Like Lincoln said, we were down by the stream."
In that instant, Rebecca turned to Carlos still very upset.
"We gotta go!"
"Just hold on a minute—"
"My husband is still out there!" Rebecca exclaimed in a very upset but aggressive tone. "Get the guns!"
Carlos seemed hesitant but he finally relented and ran off to get the guns. Everyone watched him leave, Rebecca turned to give Lincoln and Clementine a very harsh glare.
"Luke, Luna, and Alvin went out looking for you, I told them not to go."
Lincoln gave Rebecca an even harsher glare while Clementine looked guilty. Rebecca turned back and waited for Carlos but had one last thing to say.
"Dammit Luke!"
Carlos eventually came back holding some guns. Two were the same model of hunting rifles Pete had and two were Glock 19s. Carlos handed a rifle to Rebecca, she quickly stormed out of the cabin not waiting on anyone. He then gave the other rifle to Luan and the Glock 19 to Leni. Both stopped to look at Lincoln before leaving, but all Lincoln did was scowl and turned away from them. That hurt but both Leni and Luan needed to try and find the others. They both quickly followed after Rebecca. Soon it was just Carlos left in the kitchen with both Lincoln and Clementine.
"Clementine, Lincoln, can you… can you both please watch Sarah and the others?" Carlos asked with a bit of hesitation and desperation. "Sarah and the others are upstairs, just distract them and don't tell them anything."
Both kids were shocked by this and didn't know how to respond. Eventually, Lincoln spoke up.
"Clementine can watch them; she can handle anything. I'm coming with you guys to help search for the others. I'm the best tracker you've got, if you can't find them at the stream you'll get lost trying to look for them. I'm going whether you like it or not."
Both Clementine and Carlos were speechless, Carlos looked at Lincoln unsure but sighed and gave the boy a firm stare.
"Okay, but you better stay close. Also, Clementine, you'll be safe inside. Just don't open the door for anything."
Clementine looked worried but gave a nod to Carlos. Lincoln then spoke up.
"Go up ahead with the others, I've got to talk to Clementine. I'll catch up."
Carlos looked very unsure but he relented and nodded. He then left to go catch up with the others and get them up to speed. When he left, Lincoln turned to see a very pissed off yet worried Clementine.
"Before you say anything, you know I'm the only one who can track them. They'll just wander around hoping to get lucky. Don't worry, once I get their trail, we'll bring them back here and then we'll go find Nick and Pete. In the meantime, I would appreciate it if you stayed behind to hold the fort. Can you do that for me?"
Clementine wanted to argue but Lincoln was right. If anyone can find Luke and the others it's Lincoln. She just wished he didn't have to leave. They just got back together again, it didn't seem right or safe.
"Okay, I'll stay here to watch over things." Clementine answered somewhat bitterly before giving Lincoln a worried look. "You better come back, be safe out there please."
It was strange for Lincoln to hear that, more that it's strange because it's been a long time since anyone told him that. The only ones to say that to him were Pop-Pop and the others from Roman's group. Mainly Becca and her older sister Shel, they were his closest friends. In fact, him and Becca were pretty close since there weren't a lot of kids in Roman's group. Anyways, Lincoln simply smiled and nodded at Clementine.
"Don't sweat it Clementine, I'll be back before you know it. You better keep your gun close and get Sam out of the shed. Bring him in, he'll be a good watch dog."
After seeing Clementine nod, Lincoln was about to leave but stopped with a concerned look on his face. He then turned back to look at Clementine with a serious expression.
"Hey, if anyone comes here that's not part of the group. I need you to keep them outside and not let them in. These guys are hiding something, from what I've gathered. They're probably running from somebody. And if this somebody catches up to them, I'm pretty sure it's not going to be pretty. You remember those bodies from the stream, someone killed them without mercy. If that's who this group is running from then we better be ready for anything. So, you're going have to make sure not to let anyone other than us back in. If a person does come here, you better pull your gun on them. It doesn't matter if they act nice or what, you gotta hold your ground and make them leave by any means necessary. Do you think you can handle that Clementine?"
It seems like Lincoln was asking a lot from Clementine, which they both know is true. But Clementine also knew Lincoln was only watching out for her. It made sense, whoever killed that group by the stream were ruthless. If someone did come knocking on the cabins doors then she will need to be ready.
"I can handle it…" Clementine stated with a nod and serious look. "You just make sure you and the others make it back soon. Okay?"
Lincoln smiled as he was about to leave but stopped once again, this time he turned around and walked over to give Clementine a quick hug. Something Clementine gladly accepted with smile.
"I'll be back soon, I promise."
Saying all that he needed, Lincoln stopped hugging Clementine and headed out the door. Clementine watched as he walked out, closing and locking the door behind him when he did. Now, Clementine was completely alone. She let out a sigh and thought about what to do next. It would probably be best to get Sam out of the shed first, then she'll go upstairs to check on Sarah and the other kids. If Clementine was honest, she was nervous about meeting the other kids. She never got to meet them but she heard enough from Luke to know that most of them were Lincoln's sisters. She heard from Lincoln what they did to him before the apocalypse happened and she was horrified.
How could Lincoln's family do that to him?
Clementine wondered what she was doing to do when she meets them? If they did do that to her friend then she should probably avoid them? But didn't Carlos and Lincoln say she should watch them? Eventually, Clementine decided to hold off heading upstairs for now. Sam was still in the shed, Lincoln told her to bring him inside just in case.
Walking out of the kitchen, Clementine headed towards the front door through the living room. While Clementine was doing that, she felt a sudden chill go up her neck and she had a strange feeling that someone was watching her. Taking a quick look around to see if her feeling was true, Clementine didn't see anyone. Simply thinking it was just all the stress getting to her. Clementine resumed heading towards the front door. When she reached the front door, she opened it rather cautiously opened the door since anything could be waiting on the other side. To her relief, she found nothing and went on towards the shed.
There was no barking coming from the shed, which was a good thing since it would only attract the dead. Still, Clementine pulled out her handgun and got ready for anything. She pulled out the key that Luke gave her last night when they put Sam in the shed and she began to unlock the shed. Once the lock was off, she quickly opened the door and aimed her gun at the shed. She was surprised to see Sam just lying down before his ears perked and he looked up to see who opened the shed. He quickly got up and let out a happy whine when he ran off towards Clementine. She let out a happy smile as she bent down to Sam and started to pet him.
"Hey boy, I'm really glad you're okay."
Sam let out a happy bark as Clementine petted him. He healed up pretty good since yesterday from that run in with those other dogs. He could use a good washing up but that can wait until later. Clementine stopped petting Sam and got up, she then beckoned for Sam to follow her. Which he did with his tail wagging happily, he followed her to the cabin and up the porch steps. When they reached the front door, Clementine looked down at Sam.
"Alright Sam, Lincoln and the others are gone. It's up to us to watch things here. Hopefully nothing bad happens but we have to be ready, can I count on you boy?"
Sam's reply was a quick bark.
"Thanks boy." Clementine smiled as she opened the door for herself and Sam. "I knew I could count on you, Sam."
The dog entered the cabin, followed by Clementine closing the door and locking it behind her. She walked into the living room and felt that sudden chill again. But before she could write it off as nothing, an unrecognized voice spoke up.
"I'm guessing you're Clementine."
Clementine practically jumped in fright as she turned to see Lucy come out of hiding from the shadows in the corner.
"Um, yes… that's me." Clementine murmured a bit uneasy at Lucy's sudden appearance. "Who are you?"
"My name is Lucy Loud, I'm one of Lincoln's sisters."
Following that, things got pretty quiet and awkward between both girls. Clementine's uneasy expression turned into a frown as she looked at Lucy with bit of contempt. Lucy herself remained expressionless as she looked at Clementine with an unnerving stare.
"I can see you already know about my family's ugly history."
Not a word came from Clementine, she only crossed her arms and sent a glare at Lucy.
"Yeah, I know a little but enough." Clementine affirmed harshly. "What do you want?"
Lucy didn't seem intimidated by Clementine's tone or glare. She walked over to Clementine, both girls were now standing face to face. They were close to height and age, Clementine being 11 years old while Lucy is around 10 years old.
"I just wanted to meet the girl traveling with my brother." Lucy admitted still looking expressionless. "I'm glad he's not alone out there."
Clementine was surprised to hear this but she didn't show it. She took a quick look at Lucy and noticed she had weird knife on her. Lucy looked at Clementine and noticed her holstered Glock 19.
"That's a funny looking knife."
"It's a ritual dagger…"
"Do you know how to use it?"
"Yes, is that gun just for show?"
Clementine looked down at her Glock 19 that Lincoln gave her. She looked back at Lucy unimpressed.
"I know how to use it if that's what you're asking." Clementine grumbled not enjoying Lucy talking to her. "Is there anything else you want?"
"No…" Lucy answered still looking emotionless. "I just wanted to get a read on you that's all."
Lucy walked away from Clementine to take a seat on the couch, where Sam unexpectedly walked over and nudged Lucy's leg. Clementine was surprised to see Lucy let out a small smile as she leaned over to pet Sam behind the ear, causing him to happily whine.
"You should head upstairs and introduce yourself to the others, I'll keep watch down here."
Clementine could not help but feel uneasy around Lucy and she couldn't tell why? Lucy didn't really come off as intimidating but there was something off about her. How she was able to hide in the shadows and surprise her. Clementine didn't trust her, not after what she heard Lucy and her family did to Lincoln. Still, Lucy had a point. It would be best to meet the other kids since they'll all be traveling together. That way it wouldn't be so awkward, although it was already awkward considering Lincoln and his family's troubled past.
"Um, if you need anything, I'll be upstairs with the others."
Lucy didn't seem to acknowledge Clementine as she seemed more focused on petting Sam. While Clementine was heading upstairs, she stopped to see both Lucy and Sam enjoying each other's company. A small smile escaped Clementine's lips. She still didn't trust or like Lucy but she was willing to give her a chance, she would give the rest of Lincoln's family the same chance.
'It's what Lee would have done…'
Clementine proceeded upstairs with no problem. She could hear noises coming from the room where she and Lincoln were sleeping last night. Thinking that was where the other kids were, Clementine walked over to open the door. When she opened it she was caught off guard by a sudden flash of light.
"Say cheese!"
Clementine jolted a little in surprise, she almost went for her gun but eased up when she realized it was just the other kids messing around with a camera. The one taking pictures was Sarah, Lola was taking care of Lily, while Lana playing with her tools.
"Oh, you're not Lucy." Sarah commented in surprise as she looked at Clementine. "I saw you outside with your friend and dog, your name is Clementine, right?"
Whatever surprise Clementine felt quickly faded as she saw everyone in the room was looking at her. Lola and Lana looked at her with a cautious looks, while both Sarah and Lily were curious about her. Not wanting this to get anymore awkward as it already is, Clementine thought it'd be best to introduce herself.
"Hi, my name is Clementine."
It was plain to see Sarah, Lola, and Lana were still cautious of Clementine, which was understandable. However, everyone was surprised by Lily, the little girl wiggled out of Lola's arms and walked over to Clementine. The others wanted to stop her but Lily was already in front of Clementine and looking up at her. Clementine was pretty overwhelmed by seeing Lily. This is probably the first time she's seen a toddler ever since the walkers appeared. Lily looked up at Clementine with curiosity before smiling and giggling, she then extended her hands up towards Clementine.
"Up! Up!"
Everyone was even more surprised by this unexpected action coming from the toddler. Clementine seemed unsure on what to do but she decided to do what felt natural, so she leaned down and picked the toddler up. Once Lily was in her arms, Clementine looked down at Lily with a kind and caring smile.
"Hi, I'm Clementine." Clementine smiled at Lily. "What's your name?"
"Lily!" Lily giggled as she touched Clementine's face. "Clem, Clem, Clem!"
Clementine couldn't help but keep smiling as Lily happily kept on touching her face and hat. The others were shocked by what they were seeing, Lola and Lana were even more shocked by their baby sister's actions.
"Wow, I've never seen Lily act that way towards anyone before." Lana murmured. "Especially towards strangers."
While both Clementine and Lily were getting acquainted, Lana was the first to walk over to Clementine while both Sarah and Lola remained cautious. Clementine stopped playing with Lily to look at Lana.
"Hey, my name is Lana and that's Lola standing over there with Sarah." Lana informed giving a toothy grin. "It's nice to meet ya!"
After that, Lola reluctantly walked over to introduce herself. Sarah was the last one to walk over. Clementine smiled as each of the girls started introducing herself. Part of her wanted to act ignorant towards them because of Lincoln but she could tell these kids weren't bad. Maybe they were too naïve but Clementine couldn't say for sure.
Just as Clementine was going to say something, knocking could be heard coming from the door. Everyone looked to see Lucy frantically coming in the room with a distraught expression. Which got Sarah, Lola, and Lana worried since Lucy never acted this way unless it was really serious.
"What is it Lucy?" Lana asked rather worried. "Are the others back?"
Lucy shook her head, causing everyone to get even more worried.
"There's someone outside checking out the cabin, he's walking around and I'm pretty sure he's going towards the front door next. He looked armed." Lucy explained as she walked over to the others. "I think it's him."
Just as Lucy finished saying that, Clementine could see the looks of panic and horror on everyone's face except Lily, who looked ready to cry. Lucy looked at Clementine with a dead serious look that caused her to flinch a little.
"Clementine, that person outside is probably part of our old community we left behind. Which means he's dangerous and will do anything to get us back no matter what. He can't come inside; you have to keep him out!"
Clementine was beginning to feel overwhelmed again. She looked around to see everyone's reactions. Sarah seemed ready to have a panic attack as she sat down and curled up into a ball. Both Lola and Lana looked really distressed as they knelt down to try help calm Sarah down. Lily was about ready to cry but Lucy grabbed her from Clementine and shushed her to calm down. Lucy stopped to look at Clementine with an almost pleading look.
"Please, he can't come inside!" Lucy pleaded. "If he does, there's no telling what he'll do to us if the others aren't here."
The look of fear and panic in Lucy's tone was clear to Clementine. She could see and hear how distraught everyone was. There were a lot of questions going through Clementine's head. Who was this person stalking around outside? Was he really dangerous like Lucy claims? What was this community Lucy mentioned and why did they leave? She had so many questions but it doesn't matter, what matters right now is making sure that everyone is safe until Lincoln and others get back. Even if that means pulling her gun out on this stranger.
"Alright, you stay up here with the others and lock the door. I'll do my best to chase him off… but if anything goes wrong you can't open that door for anyone. Do you understand?"
Never before had Clementine needed to act like this towards anyone. Usually she was at the other end of these kinds of talks but Lucy needed to be ready. Clementine can see Lucy was still feeling afraid but that stopped when she looked at her baby sister in her arms and then at the rest of the frighten girls in the room. They were all afraid just like her, probably even more so. Lucy looked at Clementine, she didn't seem afraid given how serious she looked but Lucy could tell Clementine was afraid just like them. Strangely, that brought Lucy some comfort. Clementine was being brave for them, for complete strangers. If Clementine could do that than Lucy shouldn't have no problem doing it for her friends and family.
"I… I understand."
Seeing that Lucy looked ready, Clementine pulled out her handgun and headed towards the door but not before giving everyone one last look. They still looked like what she was feeling.
Fear.
Nevertheless, Clementine put away her fears in the back of her mind. She needed to stay strong for the others, for Lincoln. They were all counting on her to keep the cabin safe until everyone else comes back. That's what made her leave the room and closing the door behind her. Clementine heard the door locking behind her, she then headed downstairs. When she reached downstairs, Clementine saw a figure move pass one of the cabin's windows. From the looks of it the figure was heading around the cabin and to the front door. Suddenly growling could be heard coming from the small hallway leading to the front door. Clementine looked to see Sam growling in the middle of the hallway while looking at front door, the dog looked ready for whoever was coming.
"Good boy, Sam." Clementine whispered as she walked over to a corner at the end of the hallway, she pointed her gun toward the front door with her finger on the trigger. "Be ready, if they try anything, we'll take them down together."
Although it looked like Sam didn't acknowledge Clementine, she could tell Sam understood her as he kept his focus on the front door. Clementine kept her aim on the door too, getting ready for whoever was coming. The front door had a small window with only a small curtain that Clementine could barely see through because of the sunlight. Eventually, footsteps could be heard getting closer towards the door from the outside. Clementine held her breath for a moment when the shadow of a man suddenly appeared in front of the door. She could tell it was a man because of his shadow and figure that she could barely see through the small curtain of the front door window.
The man started to knock on the door, which caused Sam to growl even more aggressively while Clementine kept her aim steady on the man's shape. The knocking went on until the man decided to speak.
"Hello? Hello, anyone in there?"
Clementine was smart enough to stay silent but Sam thought differently than a human. The former stray let out a loud and aggressive bark that caused Clementine to look down at the dog with a shocked expression. Before Clementine could try and stop the dog, the front door handle jiggled a little. The man was trying to get in. This made Sam bark even more while Clementine focused her attention on the door and the man trying to open it.
The man kept on trying to open the door when he stopped to take a peak through the window. This caused Clementine's heart to race in fear as she wondered if the man could see her and Sam? While the man was peering through the small window, Clementine could see the man's face a little bit better. He looked pretty old, greying hair and facial hair. Finally, the man stopped trying to get a peak inside to take a step back. He looked around the cabin before speaking in much louder tone.
"Luke, Pete, Carlos! I know you and the others are held up in there! It wasn't easy to track you and it's cost quite a bit of resources, resources that could have been spent making the lives of our community better. But it's all worth it for you Rebecca! Our child deserves a safe and better equipped place to be born, not some backwoods cabin. The children you took deserve a safe place to grow up too, they deserve to be reunited with the rest of their family. Rita and the others want their family back just like myself! This doesn't have to end ugly for anyone, if all of you come out right now, we'll head back to Howe's with no one dying. It won't be easy for all of you to enter back into the fold but it'll be well worth it. You have my word!"
Now it was pretty apparent Clementine had no idea what was going on. She had even more questions now more than ever. Just who is this man? What did Luke and the others do? Did they really kidnap the kids? Is this man really the father of Rebecca's baby? Just what hell did she, Lincoln, and their dog get into? It didn't seem to matter since she was still in a very serious and complicated situation that could get ugly really quickly.
After a few moments of waiting for a response, the man scowled as he could see he wasn't going to get what he wanted.
"Fine, you all want to make this hard so be it! You all know I didn't come alone, and I for damn sure have more firepower than you do. I'll leave you all alone for now, hopefully by the time I come back with the others you'll all come to your senses. Pete and Luke, you better think of the lives you're putting in danger. Think of the innocent lives you're risking, think of the children. And Rebecca, don't you worry honey, you and our child will be safe and sound soon."
The man stopped talking to look at the front door window, it almost looked like he was staring right at Clementine. Which sent shivers down Clementine's spine, the man might not be able to see her but it sure felt like it. The tense moment was over when the man turned around and began to leave the cabin porch. Eventually the sound of his footsteps slowly disappeared until Clementine couldn't hear them anymore. After that, Clementine let out a sigh of relief as she dropped her aim and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them, she looked down to see Sam giving her a much more relaxed look. She frowned a little as she bent down to the dog's level to give him a scratch behind his ear.
"We've got to teach you to be better quiet, but thanks for being here boy."
Sam barked happily as he wagged his tail. This made Clementine smile, soon she could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. She walked to the living room and saw Lucy and the others rushing down the stairs with frantic expressions. Lucy held onto her dagger tightly as she looked towards the front door and then at Clementine.
"He'll be back, with people and guns." Lucy claimed still looking scared. She looked at Clementine with an almost regretful expression. "I think it's obvious you're going to want some answers?"
Clementine didn't say a word, she only looked at Lucy with a scrutinizing look. She then frowned and looked out a nearby window. Although Clementine had no idea what just happened, she knew that she, Lincoln, and Sam were now in the middle of it. She hoped Lincoln and the others were safe, they needed to get back here soon. Because if that man comes back before them, Clementine and the others had no chance in hell of stopping them. Now, Clementine was never one for praying since it's never really worked out for her. But she could hope at least, she knew she could count on Lincoln.
'Lincoln, please be safe and hurry back with the others.'
To Be Continued
AN: Damn, that chapter was really something. I hope you all liked it, rest assured that I will keep on writing this whenever I'm able to. Sorry if there were any mistakes or errors but it's just me and my brother check reading these and Microsoft Word check isn't all that reliable. How did you all think of the chapter? Do you think I should write longer chapters or keep them short? Give me all your thoughts, suggestions, and questions in a review. Also, if you're all interested in seeing some fan art of this fanfiction, check out my Amino and Tumblr. For my Amino search up ChubbySnorlax, I'm on The Loud House Amino, Telltale's The Walking Dead Amino, and whole bunch more. For my Tumblr search up chubbysnorlax619. When you see the fan art be sure to look up the talented artists, I've commissioned to draw such amazing art. Special thanks to for the first fan art. Another piece of fan art should drop soon so be on the lookout. Thanks for reading guys, stay safe and have a happy and safe Halloween! Expect the next chapter whenever, hopefully soon. See ya!