Author's Note: A bit delayed on this chapter release, but we're here! You can also follow me on twitter for regular updates YourEverydayDot, I also post release tweets there and delays (such as this one, where FFN had bugged out for a while).
Dot [Ellie]
The wind chilled to the bone, aching as they froze in the snowy night. It'd grown overnight, white piles that blanketed the earth, as cold as she felt inside. The town slept, leaving the street ahead dark, and the only illumination being the minuscule glow of the snow in the faint moonlight.
Ellie was used to taking walks like these: alone, her thoughts somewhere far away, somewhere where she lived another life. No hardships, no questionable moralities. No regrets that clung to her like glue. They were nothing but that, though, daydreams. Here, the world was very real. Visceral. Hard. Here, there were no saints, no sinners, no weak, no strong, no men, no women. They were just survivors. People.
And she couldn't help but wish that it was anything else.
Her stroll through the town square eventually led her to the restaurant she'd been heading to. It stood out amongst the mom-and-pop stores that surrounded it, like a beacon in the night. The faint candlelight filtering through the windows only helped in forcing her focus on it. As she opened the door, she kicked off the snow clinging to her boots, letting the door shut behind her.
The smell of garlic filled the air, and spices she couldn't quite identify. People she vaguely recognized ate at a table in the lower section, sending her a curt nod as they noticed her. She nodded back, approaching the window in the wall that divided her from the kitchen on the other side, then towards the door next to it. The instant she entered, the smell strengthened, causing her mouth to salivate. A man was cooking on the stove inside, and as she entered, he looked towards her, smiling. His black beard had been neatly trimmed, making him seem younger than his years, though the gray hairs that were popping through gave his age away.
"Ellie! Fucking finally, child, you took your goddamn time." His voice was gravelly — warm, in a weird way. Ellie answered the comment with a smile of her own, leaning against the counter next to him as he continued to season a patty of meat on the stove.
"The perimeter needed checking. Again." There wasn't much of a wall around this place, if at all, so their only natural defenses came from patrol routes and natural barriers, like the lake nearby. It made them an easy target, though living so far out in the middle of nowhere, they hadn't seen anyone in months. "Derek refuses to do it, so that honor fell to me."
"Look at you, taking initiative. That's what I fucking love about you, kid," the man said, laughing as he flipped the patty with a rusting spatula. "You get shit done. The rest of these sorry shits oughta learn from you." His smile fell then, a slight shrug of his shoulders following his next words. "I mean, you were a fucking handful when you first got here, but you came around. Finally figured your shit out."
All Ellie could do was nod, choosing to let him keep talking. He had a tendency to do that, Ellie had noticed, and in some ways it made him endearing, in others… well, the months haven't exactly unmade him an asshole.
"So," she began, elongating the word. "What's cooking?"
His smile came back, a yellow-toothed grin that spelled how satisfied he was with his latest kill. "Something special. You're gonna love it." He turned off the heat, putting the frying pan on the cold side of the stove. He glanced towards her, waving for her to follow him. "Yours is already done. C'mon."
Ellie followed silently, being seated down at a long table in the center of the restaurant. A silver platter was placed in front of the seat he indicated for her to sit in, covered with a silver lid. As she sat, he grabbed the handle on the lid, his finger shaking out of excitement.
"I call this one 'Simmons á la Vengeance'," he said, giving the final word a slight French accent to it. "Shitty fucking name, but you'll see why." He lifted the platter, revealing the contents that lied underneath.
She'd been expecting a grand platter of meats and vegetables from the garden, but what she found left her breathless, unable to move, as if paralyzed. The severed head was cooked, skin turning black and red, while the eyes looked… stared… into her soul. Golden orbs long since liquefied. Ellie jerked her head, trying to look away. Fingers clasped around her neck, keeping her head straight, unwavering from the sight of Clementine's head. Fear and pain and death was all that she found staring back at her, hair charred. The smell was still there, too, of rot and burnt flesh and hair, and it caused her stomach to churn, ready to spew at any moment.
She wouldn't, though. Simmons's breath warmed her cheek, a hint of a chuckle playing in his throat.
"You see, Ellie? I always win. I'll take every fucking thing from you. And yes, I do mean everything." He shook his head, clicking his tongue. "It's a shame that you let her go. She might've lived had you not intervened. Could've convinced her to stay." He let go of her neck, pushing away. "Now enjoy your meal, kid. It's gettin' cold."
Without control, Ellie's hand grabbed the fork next to her, digging into the head's cheek. The skin peeled like chicken off a bone, and somehow managed to look like it too.
Piercing it with the fork, she took the bite.
—
Ellie awoke with a start, breathing heavily as she squirmed inside her sleeping bag. Sweat clung to her, only making her feel worse. Her brain was firing signals she couldn't keep up with, images from the nightmare playing on repeat. Her eyes instantly went to Clementine's sleeping bag on the other side of the camp, noticeably empty. Though, it only took a second to find her sitting against the base of a tree, eyes focused on something in her lap, and the world outside their little camp. She was alright. Thank God.
Her head felt as if it would explode, and as she wriggled out of her bag, she pulled a bottle of water out of her backpack, taking a few swigs. Hopefully it'd help.
The sun wasn't up yet, though faint streaks of orange hung in the distance, like the glow of a massive fire far away. The world was warmer, too, leaving her to stuff her hoodie back into her backpack. Not having it irritating her still-sensitive skin around her tattoo helped tremendously.
Carl was the only other one awake besides her and Clementine, she noticed, and she gave him a curt nod as she dusted herself off and passed him by. She planted herself on the ground, against the tree opposite Clementine's. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she weakly called out to her. "Hey…"
Time to not make this awkward. Though, the dream she had was already making this feel ten times worse. Just thinking about Simmons again… about that town… it resulted in a lump that she couldn't quite get rid of in her throat.
Art [Clementine]
She liked it there, where the sun hardly touched. On her lap sat an opened book titled Howl's Moving Castle, parts of the page obscured by the long shadow of branches above. As the sun veered to light their camp, there came a girl casting hers.
"Hi, Elle," Clementine greeted her back, too shy to smile back as well. Too guilty to do much of anything but wince in pain. "Is it too late if… if I want to apologize, too?" She started, closing her book, and crossing her fingers she'd get to close another. "I shouldn't have done it. That thing with the game. Wanted to get even, I guess…" Clementine lowered her gaze, so far away. "I'll ask Lydia to say sorry too, if that helps."
"Then there's… everything else." Her eyes followed Ellie's frame all the way to her freckled nose, settling with the smallest hint of trust. "Can I make it up to you?" She asked, her voice loose and friendly. Warm enough for a smile to form.
"Just name your price. I'll do anything."
Dot [Ellie]
Despite her pounding headache and grogginess, Ellie managed to return the smile meekly. Hearing that, it made her feel a little bit better, maybe selfishly. She was still working on that. "I just don't want things to be like that again," she admitted softly, eyes falling to the ground between them. "I want your last memories of me to be good ones." Sappy. C'mon, Elle, you can do better.
"I'm sorry, too. For everything I said and did. I know I already hinted at it yesterday, but it needs said." Sharp inhale through the nose, she visibly relaxed. "You don't owe me anything," she continued, smirking. "Besides, Lydia'll say she's sorry before hell freezes over. Don't think she'll ever stop hating me. And… I guess, I'm okay with that. Not everyone has to like me."
There was a brief pause, followed by a sigh. "I tried apologizing to her before. For the campfire thing. She… obviously didn't accept it."
Art [Clementine]
"I'll make her." Clementine looked all smug for once. Maybe hanging out with Ellie again really was rubbing off on her.
It wasn't the same, though, was it? Hadn't been that long either, but Ellie really came off different. Clem couldn't decide what it was: the baggy clothes that made her look like a washed up rockstar; the short mess of red tied to the back of her head; how, even in the dark, she couldn't pass for a little boy anymore — so strong and larger than life. Like she'd gotten tired of being the same age and... moved on, while everything else stayed the same. How strange it was, seeing Ellie, and seeing a woman. How brave she looked under the sun.
Clementine looked at her and felt insecure. For the first time.
"So," she blabbered on, prying her eyes away. "You wanna sit and watch the sun with me?"
Dot [Ellie]
There were a lot of things going through her mind at that moment, she almost missed Clementine's comment about making Lydia forgive her. Maybe the nightmare was giving her more issue than she'd care to admit, a sense of anxiety that had her arms crossing over her chest, as if to block it out. Though, all it took was one question from her ballcapped girlfriend to have her push it away again, even if it'd only be for a few more seconds.
Ellie didn't hesitate. Pushing herself back to her feet, she set herself down next to the girl, crossing her legs and staring towards the horizon barely visible through the thicket. Closing her eyes for a moment, she could start to feel the warmth of the sun seeping through. Green orbs meeting the side of Clementine's face, she spoke quietly, "When was the last time we did this? When we snuck into that little belltower next to the church?"
Art [Clementine]
"Well, you're all about sneaking out of places. 'Bout time we snuck into one."
When Ellie shut her eyes, Clem's amber drifted away from the sun, running far off to the side. Her side. She watched as if she wanted to memorize every little detail; the color of her lips, down to the wrinkle of her smile. Her heart was knocking at the door of her chest so freaking hard, Clementine couldn't keep from getting caught staring. Maybe she wanted to be.
"It's been so confusing lately," she said, dodging Ellie's eyes again. "I didn't get my turn. So I wanna tell you some stuff."
Even now, she shared her feelings like a teenager, using a silly game as pretext. There was nothing wrong with that. At least, it hadn't been a problem so far. Except, for some reason she'd go mad trying to explain, Clem felt so childish saying it to Ellie. To her girlfriend, who hadn't seemed to be for so long. The sun bathed Clementine in orange so fierce, you could miss the red that burned in her cheeks. She certainly hoped you would. Breathe. And tell her.
She told her.
"I missed you. I missed you all the time. Like, even though you said that."
"Especially 'cause you said that."
"I… I forgot what that was like. I thought I was ready to let you go. Right...? But then I saw you with someone else, and… I freaked. I saw you and I thought… 'I'm gonna be alone.' I'm gonna be alone, and it's all because I thought I was better off that way. But I wasn't. I'm not."
She forced herself to look at Ellie. She looked at her, even though it made her lose the cool she never had. She stared at that green void and didn't let go. "We only got a few days before I leave, and maybe I won't come back. I could — I could die, or I could stay there, I don't know, for years before I see you again."
"So, I want to say everything. I want to do everything."
"I love you."
The most surprising thing, to Clementine, was how easy it was to say it. "I love you, I love you, I love you."
"And also..." She laughed her ugliest, most honest laugh. "Fuck you, Ellie."
Dot [Ellie]
Ellie listened to every word she said with bated breath, as if her lungs had ceased to function. She was sucked in, so much that she even forgot to blink. It was pain and hurt and comfort and hope, and everything Ellie had been feeling since the day Clementine left all the way to expressing herself last night in a drugged haze. Like somehow Clementine could sum all that up in only a few sentences, and then top it off with those three words that did nothing but make her heart stutter, flutter, or somewhere in between.
Then she finished it off, and Ellie couldn't help the snort that she made, completely losing it in a fit of laughter barely contained enough to keep from waking the rest of the camp.
"Yeah… I had that coming," she finally managed to say, only then becoming aware of the fact her shoulder had already found itself laying against Clementine's. No wonder she'd been giving her the cold shoulder… did she really think her and Kat were…? It wasn't like that. Never was. Ellie wouldn't lie and say that the Scot was unattractive, but Ellie had only been thankful for a comforting presence in her girlfriend's absence. Someone to confide in, to talk to, to make sense of all those rampant emotions picking her apart, and causing her to tear up bedrooms and nearly get herself killed. She never even considered anything more.
Head laying on Clementine's shoulder, she decided it was her turn to talk. Selfish, once more.
"I thought about you a lot, after the ranch. Lydia had my head all messed up after telling me about Kat. This was just a couple days after I saw you again. Felt like I was losing everyone around me. I did something stupid, got myself hurt. Tripp wouldn't let me leave Jackson anymore. 'Too important', or some bullshit. Fucker only wants to hold onto his last chance at a cure."
"And I hated him for it, because eventually all those feelings started to fade, and I realized how much I'd fucked up. How much I wanted to march myself right back to your door and apologize, and realized that I couldn't. I hated it." Her face scrunched, bitter. "Maybe you would've told me to fuck off. I'd probably have deserved it. I don't know. I just… Ever get those moments where you remember something you did like five years ago and cringe? It was like that, except every day."
"Now that we're here," she continued, voice raspy. "I just wish we'd had more time together. Is that selfish?" She shrugged lightly, biting her lip. She lifted her head, taking in a deep breath. "I just know that… even if it takes years, we'll see each other again. I just know it." She didn't, but she liked sounding confident.
Her head shifting again, she planted a light kiss on Clementine's cheek. "And, I love you, too."
Saying that again felt so strange, yet in equal measure, it filled her with warmth, the kind that's all tingly and fuzzy and made you smile like you were just that stupid girl in Pittsburgh again. The kind of warmth that made her content to sit there forever.
A few hours later
Dot [Ellie]
The sun crested over the horizon, bathing the valley in warm light. The camp eventually went from dead quiet to the faint clatterings of breakfast and packing. Carl had a map spread across the dry side of the tarp he'd slept under the night before, pulled down and about ready to pack. Ellie strolled over with hands buried in her pockets, looking over the map as she stood next to him.
Bending her legs to sit next to him, she pointed towards a city marked with a red X on it, near the center of Idaho. Pocatello. "Is that where we're going?" she asked. Truthfully, Ellie had never really gotten up to speed with where they were going on this little expedition. She was too busy avoiding Lydia and Clementine. She scrunched her face, in thought, glancing towards the one-eyed boy next to her. "It's pretty far. Looks like a lot of mountains and windy paths through here," she said, indicating their most direct path. "Might have to circle around on the highway?" She phrased it like a question, knowing that Carl was the one that'd ultimately make the decision. At least, she was fine with that. He was probably the least crazy out of all of them. It'd take longer, but ultimately was safer and easier.
Crimson [Carl Grimes]
"Yep, that's the plan." Not that Carl doubted the skills of anyone in the group, but he was unsure if they were well-equipped for the task. "It's risky, but if there's somewhere we can find supplies, it's there." He wondered if it really was a good idea, or if this expedition was a product of Tripp's desperation to find a new place to regularly get supplies from.
"I was also thinking about using the highway. We're definitely not ready for mountainous terrain. Problem is, we'll take longer that way, and I don't know if we even have enough supplies for that." He placed his hands on his waist and stared at the map. "I just hope it's worth it, or we might have to go even farther." He had circled a few other places along the way where they could maybe find supplies, just in case Pocatello ended up being a bust. A scrapyard, gas stations, a diner, places that had probably been swept long ago. "What do you say? Up for the challenge?"
Dot [Ellie]
"We'll pass through Idaho Falls on the way. I know it's been searched plenty of times, but chances are we could find some food there," she said, pointing towards the city just a bit north of their intended location. "We might have to ration, but I think we'll be okay. Just can't get bogged down like yesterday." She glanced towards him, a cocky smile on her face. "And I'm always up for a challenge."
She picked herself up, moving to pack up her tarp and anything else she'd taken out of her backpack the night before. They didn't have time to lose. Every once in a while, she could feel Lydia's stare on her, but she chose to ignore it. Now wasn't the time to piss her off, any more than she probably did last night.
Once everything was in order, she gave her horse a light scratching on the side of his muzzle, whispering "Good boy," before climbing into the saddle. Nearby, Kat did the same, following Carl and the rest beside her back out into the open valley. As they trodded along, Ellie spoke up, pulling a spare hair out of her eyesight.
"Last night certainly got… interesting." Understatement of the century. Her eyes found Clementine ahead, lingering. "I mean — I'm glad things turned out okay. For a while there, I thought we were all gonna kill each other."
Crimson [Carl Grimes]
Carl kept the lead, staring at the road ahead. Uncertainty was the number one word in his head right now. Not only because of the future, but because of his convictions.
He looked back to see Kat. She was his most trustworthy source of information on the Saviors. Not the small private militia that followed Negan like dogs wherever he went, but the people, the kids and elderly that live within those walls.
"Hey." He slowed down and let Kat catch up to him. "I was wondering. How long have you been a Savior?"
Vi-xen [Kat]
Kat let out a silent yawn, petting her borrowed horse gently as Ellie spoke up about the crazy events of last night. "Ha, yeah. I… totally — remember all of that. The conversations we had, oh those were great." Kat rubbed the tired out of her eyes, failing at sounding super confident about what she was saying. "I'm not gonna lie. I remember Lydia saying something probably rude to me, and some really cute stuff between you and Clementine… and, for some reason, the sky looked like the face of… a bear? I have no idea." Kat shrugged, straightening up as she noticed Carl slowing down.
Please don 't be mad at something I did last night...
As Carl spoke up in greeting, Kat chose to play it cool, waving to him with a welcoming smile. Of course, that smile also dropped the second he asked her about the Saviors. She… should've saw this coming, really. "Oh, uh — Right. I've been there since this all started. I think I was… a few months old, a year? I can't remember, really? But, I do know that I have dealt with the Saviors since my first memory, if that paints a picture."
Crimson [Carl Grimes]
That was exactly what he wanted to hear. He looked carefully at her face, the question clearly caused a reaction. He was walking treacherous ground, she could report back to the Saviors any moment after they went back to Jackson.
"I can't imagine how it's like to live in a place like that your whole life then get ordered to move to another place. You must have many good memories. How was your life back at the Sanctuary?"
Vi-xen [Kat]
"It was like the average childhood…" Kat said almost bluntly, seeming to tense up just a bit as she fixed herself on the horse. Her blue hues flickered from the ground back to Carl. She… was totally comfortable having this talk...
"We learned to survive like everyone else, learned to handle weapons, first aid. You know, important stuff kids should know during the end of the world. We did a lot of supply runs as we got older, I guess…? Lot of uh… training, mainly? We were a community like any other. You had people who had your back, like my mom and dad, and people who made your life slightly more shitty. Good memories… sure, 'cause my life has been peachy. The move was bullshit. I left my mom behind for this shit, and look what it's got me. Everyone hates me, and the Saviors that moved with me are bullshit."
LadyLedge [Lydia]
Unlike the rest, who were all clumped together up ahead, Lydia stuck to herself. Hanging back so she was purposefully just out of earshot. At least this way she'd be able to hear the birds, maybe even an occasional walker or two. Both of those sounds would be more pleasant than having to hear Ellie or the Savior ramble on about a bunch of stupid crap.
Lydia was not in the mood today, and after a shitty night's sleep, she didn't have the patience to be out here either. If one thing was certain, it was times like these when that small apartment complex back at Jackson felt alluring.
Dot [Ellie]
Carl had found his way to their side, asking a bunch of questions. Ellie would be a fool to not see what he was doing, but she supposed that he had to, huh? If it made him like her, then she guessed she was alright with it.
As the questions went on, Ellie found herself speaking up, genuinely curious. "What's your mom like?"
Having nothing but her dreams and a crumpled piece of paper to know her own mother, seeing what it was like for someone else was too powerful to resist.
Vi-xen [Kat]
Kat nearly jumped out of her skin when Ellie joined the conversation, her face suddenly slightly red at the thought. Have all these fuckers except Lydia been listening to her ramble about her fucking childhood? "My mom? She's great, one of my favorite people. She's smart, funny, all the right kinds of badass. She's also strong, brave… She took risks while with the Saviors, and I applaud her for being able to do twice as much as someone expects from her while raising a child. And to do all of that, and then continue to power through alone. I — My mom has the strongest will of anyone I've ever met. She's the best. And… I really… really just... want to make her proud. I don't get to see her anymore. I miss her, and hope she's doing alright on her own. She's always had me to lean on when she needed it, and everything I've learned, it came from her. I know she's tough, and I'm supposed to be too, but that doesn't mean I don't feel like shit when she's not here."
Katrina let her gaze fall away from Ellie to look forward, clearing her throat a bit to try and wave off how… more or less emotional she sounded. The feeling of sorrow was clawing at her throat just to talk about her, and they weren't even gone. However, despite all the advice her mother had given her about bottling up feelings and how they'll only blow up in her face eventually, she put on a smile, and stuffed away the feeling for the time being.
"She's all I have left."
Crimson [Carl Grimes]
A normal childhood indeed, nothing suspicious there. Carl let Ellie ask away, it would make it all seem more natural. He knew too many more questions would make Kat suspicious; she wasn't dumb. Just one more question, anything else he wanted to know could wait for later. What could he ask? Maybe something that would make her talk about their defenses? Or their food supplies? No, there was something he wanted to know even more. "And has it always been like that? With Negan at the front. You guys seem to like him as a leader. I'm kinda surprised you don't all wear matching shirts with his face." He tightened his grip on the reins, his palms got sweaty. He might have really been overstepping his boundaries here.
Vi-xen [Kat]
Kat shot her gaze over to Carl as he spoke, her otherwise friendly smile seeming to drop just like that damned name. Oh, she wasn't dumb, indeed… but what she was… was way too trusting. She should've caught on earlier to what he wanted. He wanted what half of Jackson wanted. Someone to spill all about life inside the Saviors. Well, maybe next time he asks, he'll choose his words carefully.
"Excuse me? If you wanted to know all about my oh so great leader, you can ask him yourself. It's funny to assume we all happily follow his orders. Do you think we hold hands and frolic as we run straight into people's camps and take them over, slaughtering all that go against the word of the mighty Negan?! No, that'd be fucking stupid. You're even dumber for asking it. I let the first two questions slide 'cause I know when to not run my mouth about things, but I am not going to just give you the insight on everything Savior. Just because none of you guys care much for my life, doesn't mean I don't myself. So, instead of letting you run back to your boss and rat my sorry ass out, thus getting me in trouble with my boss, I'd rather keep it to myself. I don't have a death wish like you do, Carl. Negan isn't someone you can get a little information about and take down. I'm not scared of a lot of things anymore, but him? He's the monster living in your fucking closet, and this one is willing to kill you in your sleep for slipping up. I ask you, kindly, not to ask any more questions that have to do with him — Not as a loyal follower of that bastard… but as a human being just trying to survive." Kat let her glare linger for a moment before it fell to a much more… worried expression.
She gave a small cue to the horse to move faster, allowing herself to take a small lead just to get away from him. Guess that's… back to one who saw her more than just a Savior.
Dot [Ellie]
Even Ellie had narrowed her eyes as Carl asked his next question, going on about the Savior folk liking Negan. Kat's answer was proof enough that no one really liked him, he was just too fucking powerful to mess with. Frowning, she tried to catch up with her. If anything, to offer a comforting presence to be around, while maintaining her distance. At least, until Kat decided if she wanted her around.
Maybe she oughta see if she can get Kat and Clementine talking… though she still wasn't sure if that was a good idea yet.
Guess time would tell.
Crimson [Carl Grimes]
Of course, the one question he asked sincerely was the one that blew his cover. At least it was good to know her opinion on Negan. In truth, Carl was afraid. Maybe Clem was just the first person of many to get kicked out of Jackson. Another community thrown into chaos because of the lack of supplies, and Negan's oppressive hand.
The answer Kat gave wasn't the easiest. If all the Saviors were mustache-twirling villains, it would all be simple. Just kill them all.
Maybe, this answer was better. It meant that Alexandria, Hilltop, the Kingdom and every other community that suffered under the Saviors didn't suffer in vain. As morbid as it sounded, people were kept alive thanks to it, and maybe those people could be saved. It was the best he could make out of this awful situation. He didn't need to defeat the Saviors, he needed to destroy what they represent and reform them into something better. It also gave him a bit of hope. If the Saviors could be saved, maybe Lydia could be too.
Carl looked away sheepishly. "That's not what I meant." He looked back at the road, in silence.
Ledge [Lee Everett]
Lee's stride was excessive, a sense of urgency in his steps. The man's beard wasn't as neatly trimmed these days, and his eyes were bloodshot, derived from a lack of sleep. Still, even with the slight limp that accompanied him, he pushed through the dense streets of Jackson. To the untrained eye, those packed markets tried their hardest to give off the impression that it was a lively community. However, make no mistake, the people here were still as soulless as ever. All drained of their joy, and Lee was no different in that regard.
Misery. That was all he felt day in and day out. A feeling that followed him even to the classroom. By now, it was pretty obvious he was disengaged from the job, and he was sure that the students were catching on, too. Though, luckily, it was in the classroom where he'd discovered the shocking news. Rumors circulating about the girl with the ball-cap and her return to Jackson, how some had seen her ride out on a horse with a few others.
A flurry of emotions hit him like a goddamn freight train, but he refused to give himself time to think, it was almost as if his body instinctively knew what to do before the mind allowed those thoughts to linger for too long. Perhaps, maybe there was hope that he'd find out where she was.
One person would know for sure… and he'd just about reached the front door to his office right now.
With little haste, Lee raised his fist to the door, hammering away at it until someone answered.
Dot [Tripp]
Things had settled back down in Jackson, the whole town feeling as if it were waiting with bated breath for Negan to come knocking again. Luckily, that time won't be for a little while longer, and hopefully after Clementine came back with something to give him. Their yield this month was already seeming horrifically low.
Scribbling in his supply notebook, his nose scrunched as his gaze jerked up towards the door when several harsh knocks banged against it. Sighing, he called out in a dry tone, "Come in!"
The door opened to reveal the teacher, Lee. Supposed he should've seen this coming. Mighta caught a whiff of his girl's scent. He glanced back at his notes, continuing to scribble in some more as he spoke.
"What can I help you with, Lee?" His voice was matter-of-fact, but he tried to not sound irritated by his presence.
Ledge [Lee Everett]
The new head of Jackson answered, and didn't look surprised to see him one bit. Lee's eyes darted down to that notebook he so casually scribbled in, before drifting back up to the man who was barely casting him a glance. Already, the history professor had a feeling that Tripp knew this was coming. "Clementine." He stated, making the topic he wanted to discuss rather clear.
"Is it true?" Lee asked, skipping past the formalities as he got straight to the point.
Dot [Tripp]
Lee usually didn't strike him as the 'straight to the point' kinda guy, but he guessed that today was the day. Putting down his pen, he focused on Lee in front of him. "Is it true that she was here? Yes. Is she still? No. If that was your next question."
"Your girl's getting ready to leave Jackson altogether. Tryin' to buy a horse off me," he continued, leaving it there to see how Lee responded.
Ledge [Lee Everett]
"So. You're telling me she was here." His voice was practically shaking, a side effect of the raw anger he felt. It took every ounce of strength he had, to resist the urge to dive over that desk and attack him.
Lee took a step forward, teeth gritted as he pointed towards himself. "And instead of thinking to tell me about it, your first thought was to send her off to God knows where?" Pretty far away, he was assuming, since apparently the team that went out still hadn't come back. Lee made sure to check, just in case. The thought that she was safe and sound inside these walls for a moment, then sent out into a pit of danger again at this man's beckoning, it killed Lee more than anything. What aggravated him was how long the Jackson leader was sitting on this information.
When it came to respect for Tripp, there was little to give. As far as Lee was concerned, that was still Tommy's chair he was sitting in. He hadn't forgotten what that man's insurgency towards Andrea had cost them. Even now, it was obvious that Clementine was being used, all to try and meet Negan's deadline, which was fast approaching.
"Just who the hell do you think you are?" He was furious now, having quickly run out of patience. For months he'd sat in silence, waiting to heal, but no more. Clementine was his only priority.
Dot [Tripp]
Tripp raised an eyebrow, hardly feeling threatened. "She stayed the night in Jackson," he said, as if it were obvious. "If she didn't visit you, likely she doesn't want to. Ain't for me to get in the middle of it."
He'd gotten used to being treated like this, especially by those that had taken Andrea's side after Negan showed up. If it ain't one thing, it was another. Always was with them. But, he respected their opinions, and hardly wanted to make a big deal out of it by reprimanding Lee for his tone. He wasn't Negan.
"She wants a horse, then she's gonna have to earn it. I sent her out with the most capable people that wanted to go. If she dies, then I reckon I'd be more than surprised. She seems capable enough alone." He shrugged at that, frowning. "You're more than welcome to take it up with her when she gets back. Hell, go with her, if she lets you. This ain't a prison."
We 're not letting her back in, though. Don't even try that, Everett.
Ledge [Lee Everett]
Lee bit his tongue, withholding the tirade of 'comments' ready to be flung in Tripp's direction. He had his opinions, when it came to the man's treatment of Clementine, and handling of Jackson as a whole. Safe to say, if it hadn't been for the leg, Lee would've been gone a long while ago.
"Tell me where you sent them. When do they get back?" If they were close enough, maybe his body could handle an expedition to catch up. Waiting wasn't the favorable option, but if there was no other choice… he supposed he'd have to.
Dot [Tripp]
"They're headin' out into the middle of Idaho, 'bout fifty miles south of Idaho Falls. Ain't nothing left any closer than that." Not much more to say than that, honestly. "How long will they be gone? Twelve days? Two weeks tops? Maybe they'll get lucky and find a car to help them back. Certainly would be a good trade for Negan."
"Now," he said, irritation growing in his voice. "Is that all?"
Ledge [Lee Everett]
Negan. That was all he seemed concerned about, wasn't it? Not the people who were actually out there, risking their lives. To Tripp, Clementine was nothing more but a cog in a massive wheel, a means to an end. Who cared if she got bitten or died out there? As long as she brought something back for Negan. Lee would never see it like that, or treat it as something so casual. After all, that was the only family he had left out there. That was his kid. Nonetheless, they were too far to follow on foot, and no way in hell was he gonna be able to get a horse. Not with the beefed up security, and with Saviors crawling around too. The length of the expedition was about as long as he was willing to wait, by then his leg would be healed enough to travel. So if Clementine wasn't back by the time Tripp said she'd be, Lee knew exactly what he'd do.
"Yes." Lee answered, the sternness in his tone refusing to falter. Knowing that any more time here would just be wasted, he headed for the door, but not before uttering a few words to Tripp on his way out.
"You better hope that I see her walk through those front gates."