Disclaimer: The Walking Dead Series is NOT my work. It is owned by TellTale, all rights, commendation and acknowledgement goes to them.

However, "Derek Brooks" is my own fictional character and apparently the only thing I own in this story.

Update: Rewrote first chapter to make it look better and coherent.

Chapter 1 – The Trio

The car's engine roared as it drove down the highway. Clementine stared at the road ahead, considering her, their, next move. Two years have passed since the MacCaroll Ranch incident and during that time, survival has been their top priority. They avoid cities, groups, and even settlements as much as possible, only coming in contact with the last two if they needed to trade something, not staying more than a few hours at most.

They're on their own for the most part but perhaps it's better that way.

Something small shifted behind the backseat. She glanced at the rear-view mirror and saw the sleeping form of AJ resting comfortably, some drool dripping from his mouth and into the seat.

'Atleast, one of us is sleeping well.' She thought, smiling gently.

A soft yawn grabbed her attention. She glanced at the seat beside her to see her friend and partner-in-crime, just in the process of waking up. He was only a few years older than her, his lightly tanned skin glistened against the sun. He had short messy black hair with a few strays of white, probably from the stress. He had a sharp chiseled face, riddled with different variety of small scars. But the most prominent one was this deep scar which ran across his right cheek, ending towards his right earlobe where a small chunk of it was missing.

He wore a worn-out sheriff vest with assorted pockets over his black t-shirt. Black leather gloves covering his hands (she wondered if he ever took them off), dark-brown cargo pants which have clearly seen better days, and finally a decent pair of combat boots. In good condition as well.

His ocean-blue eyes fluttered awake, he blinked once, twice, before his eyes landed on her. "Oh." he muttered tiredly. "Hey Clem." he yawned. He straightened his back and neck, moaning in relief as he felt something pop between his joints.

"Want me to take over?" he gestured towards the steering wheel.

She shook her head. "It's okay. I got it."

'Besides, just looking at you now it's clearly a bad idea.' she thought as she did him a once over and it's clear that he didn't sleep well. "You should get some sleep. You've been awake all-night Derek." she advised.

He chuckled lightly. "I would if I could Clem. But I don't think that's happening anytime soon."

Derek Brooks. Her only friend and companion for the last two years, one that's close her age at least. He was stubborn, rude, and a little bossy but he always made sure they're safe and fed. He was also a part of a militia group back in the East Coast, Boston if she remembered it right. He didn't talk about it too much but he wasn't shy in giving answers either. Although prying on a sensitive topic might not be a good idea. She knows that better than anyone. When they first met, they didn't see eye to eye. There was a lot of shouting involved and the guns didn't help the situation either. They were 'this' close to shooting at each other when AJ stopped them. The four year-old simply cried in place which quelled the both of them of their bloodlust.

Thinking back, it was all thanks to AJ why they teamed up in the first place.

Derek glanced outside his window. Tall trees and foliage surrounded them as far as the eye can see. He arched an eyebrow at Clementine. "Where are we right now though?"

Clementine shrugged. "Somewhere south but not exactly sure where."

Derek massaged his chin in thought, humming. "We should really find a map."

Clementine nodded in agreement. They used to have a map before but lost it after they were ambushed a few months ago. A lot of stuff got left behind including their stash of food. Good thing was, atleast one them had a good sense of direction even without a map cause the other one was sure as hell can't tell the difference between north, south, east, and west even if he had a map.

ACHOO!

"Damn dust..." Derek muttered, rubbing his nose.

=Line break=

Derek grabbed his rucksack from the car floor. It was the standard issue A.L.I.C.E pack you'd find in a military surplus store but with one minor improvement, it had a holster on the side which he can put a rifle or a melee weapon of any size. It was his pride and joy, and he took extra effort to keep it pristine.

It was also the last thing he got from his community before…

Derek shook his head, those days were long gone. No point in looking back at old memories. He opened his pack and took inventory.

There were a few personal items, such as their spare clothes, undergarments, (thankfully, Clementine's undergarments were separated on her own bag), a sewing kit which unfortunately lacks thread, and a first-aid kit.

"What do we got?" Clementine asked.

He looked back in the pack and listed off whatever supplies they have left. "We got one can of… *he scratched his head* whatever this is. A bag of chips, a granola bar of questionable quality, and half an apple."

"What about water?"

"Hmmm… let me see here. We got one canteen." He experimentally swirled the canteen a little. "Make that half." he sighed. "We should stop by somewhere."

Clementine mirrored his action. "Agreed."

'If we're going on an expedition, might as well check our equipment.' Derek thought to himself as he opened his bag again and assessed their equipment.

Clementine's knife was reliable as reliable can get. It wasn't much but it gets the job done. He inspected the sharp edge of the knife. 'Hmmm... It's a little dull. Looks like it needs to be sharpened.' He took a whetstone from his pack and started sharpening the blade. A little while later, her knife was sharper than before. He nodded in approval and put it back into its sheathe.

He then examined his own machete. It was chipped, worn, and rusty on the edges but it still stood by him for all those years. He examined the blade with a scrutinizing gaze then nodded in approval. He then placed it back into its sheathe. Then he moved on to other compartments of his bag and found two throwing knives. There was supposed to be three of them but lost one because of a bad throw.

If he would confess, he's not exactly good with it.

'Clementine would make more use of this than me' Derek thought as he placed it back.

Lastly, his personal favorite, protective armguards and shinguards. They're similar to the ones you see on motorcycle riders back in the old days. The metal plate was dented, scratched, and covered with a few bits of dried blood but it saved his ass more times than he can count. His eyes landed upon a frayed stitching on the straps and frowned.

"I should find some thread to fix this." he muttered to himself as he fingered around the straps, they were worn out.

"Hmmm? Said something?" Clementine asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I said we need some thread to fix our stuff. I don't think this would last long soon enough." He clarified, raising the pair of protective equipment for emphasis.

Clementine nodded. "Yeah. Some weapons and ammo would be useful too. Since we had to trade our guns for fuel from that last community." She added.

Derek waved her off. "It's not like we can use 'em anyway. We ran out of ammo for like… what? Two months ago?" he counted with his hands.

A mischievous grin flashed into Clementine's face. "I wonder whose fault is that." she said in a sing-song manner.

"Ah, ah, ah!" he pointed an accusing finger at her. He was looking at her with playful defiance, he smiled at her with a mix between embarrassment and amusement. "Don't you dare start there."

"You missed three shots against that one walker!" she laughed out loud.

He facepalmed, laughing as well. "Oh my god." He groaned. "Listen, it was swaying!"

"It was three meters in front of you!"

"IT WAS SWAYING!"

She continued to laugh, harder this time at his sheer embarrassment. Derek hid the top half of his face with his hand, laughing as well.

"Oh man that was so stupid." He managed to mutter out between laughs.

A low groan got their attention. It was AJ, and from the looks of it, their playful banter woke him up.

"Ugh…" he groaned, bits of saliva dripping from his mouth.

Derek spotted the droop and chuckled. "Hey buddy. You got a little…" he tapped the side of his mouth.

AJ widened his eyes and wiped the drool off with his sleeve. Muttering a quiet 'ew' as he did.

"Morning goofball," Clementine greeted with a smile.

AJ groaned and folded his hands. "It's not goofball, it's Alvin Junior."

Clementine shared a look of mock-surprise and shock. "What? I thought you liked goofball."

Derek chuckled and shook his head in amusement. He turned towards her. "Come on Clem, who in the right mind, likes to be called goofball for the rest of their life?" he said, amused. AJ nodded in agreement in the background.

"Hey! It's not that bad." Clementine protested. "Besides, I like goofball." she finished with a soft smile.

AJ could only groan and sulked in his seat, earning laughs from both Derek and Clementine.

'Time for breakfast.' Derek thought. He then took the apple and the granola bar from his pack. He handed AJ the apple which the latter took gratefully.

"Thank you," he said, taking a few bites from it. He frowned at the staleness of the fruit but ate it anyway. It was better than eating nothing at all.

Derek proceeded to split the granola bar in half, one for him and one for Clementine. At close inspection, he noticed it was a little uneven where one part was bigger than the other. He shrugged nonchalantly and gave the bigger one to Clementine.

"Thank you," she said softly, grabbing her share from his hand and ate quietly.

Derek tossed his own piece in his mouth and chewed. It was stale, horrible, and had a weird aftertaste but it's better than starving. He felt his mind wander as he ate, a futile effort to keep the weird taste off his mouth really. His thoughts led him to AJ and how it still feels weird to see a kid his age nowadays. Like, when was the last time he saw a kid prior meeting them? Two? Maybe three years ago? He can't remember right. And to be honest, he didn't want to know what happened to them either. It's most likely nothing good.

Then there was Clementine. In the two years they spent together he had grown accustomed of her overprotectiveness to AJ. She would literally do anything if it meant saving the boy and she got the skills and knowledge to back it up.

His jaw still ached as he remembered getting punched by her.

But if he was being honest, her overprotectiveness will get her killed someday but that's not something he'll say out loud, especially in front of her.

Jumbled memories flashed into his head. Screaming. Polluting. Before he eventually shut it out.

'If I had met her years ago could my group have...' He shook his head, dismissing the 'what ifs' in his mind.

What happened that day wouldn't change even if Clementine was there and thinking about it won't change a damn thing except giving him a bloody headache. He turned his gaze back to the scenery outside, enjoying the peace and quiet while it lasted.

=Line break=

After a long while, the trio has finished their meal and is now enjoying the comfortable silence, one Derek greatly appreciated.

Click, click, click

Derek's ears perked at the recurring sound. He glanced behind him and saw AJ fiddling with his revolver, spinning the chamber out of sheer boredom.

"Bored?" he asked.

AJ nodded.

"Why don't you brush up on your reading skills?" he suggested.

Clementine joined in the conversation. "Derek, we burned the magazine last night. Don't you remember?"

"We did?" he asked, confused.

She nodded in confirmation. Derek blinked in surprise. He doesn't remember that. Weird. He probably forgot; he always was a forgetful type.

He would've just dropped it and leave it at that but one look at the rear-view mirror, seeing the boy's sad and bored gaze into the revolver, pushed him to take the initiative. An idea went up his head and he searched inside the glovebox for the thing he needed. He took the item in hand, revealing a small toy, Disco Broccoli.

He hummed the intro theme of Disco Broccoli's cartoon show. It was almost in tune, a little imperfect but what can he do? Clementine and AJ shifted their attention (the former only listening in considering she has to drive) towards him as they watched him with interest.

Once he was done humming the intro theme, he mimicked the tv announcer's voice. "Hey kids! It's your favorite star, Disco Broccoli!" He then made a 'woosh' sound before revealing the aforementioned toy on hand.

Derek then switched to a more cheerful and entertaining voice, the voice of Disco Broccoli. "Hey kids! Have you been eating your daily fibers?"

Clementine choked a laugh, and had to stop herself from laughing out loud. It sounded so forced and horrible that she can't believe she actually liked it. "That's not how he sounds like!" she said between laughs.

He gave her pointed look, which basically translated into 'Hey, I'm trying my best here. Don't you dare laugh at my expense.'

She replied with another choked laughter.

AJ ignored their little banter, instead focusing on the 'show'. It was clear he enjoyed every second of it, and it haven't even started yet!

Derek gave him exactly what he wanted. A full three-part story of Disco Broccoli's adventure with his friends in his path to defeat the evil 'Faeces'. There was drama, action, romance, and betrayal. Keeping the story coherent was hard especially since it was made from the get go but nonetheless, entertained all of them. Although, it would've been a lot easier though if Clementine would stop laughing everytime he tried to change his voice for another character. I mean sure, it's funny to see a buff guy changing voices from cute teeny tiny voice to rough and rugged but come on! It's hard to not laugh as well!

For Clementine, it was like a wave of nostalgia hitting her. Oh, how she missed the times where she'd watch that stupid show over and over again. Laughing at the same old jokes, watching the same old scenes. She'd do anything if it meant giving AJ the same chance she had.

The show ended with the villain being consumed by a black hole but before he left, he had a few last words to say.

"You may have defeated me Disco Broccoli! But I have your friends! Try finding them now if you can!" he ended with a villainous laughter.

AJ looked amazed by the story while Clementine was already close to tears in laughing.

'Welp. There goes my dignity.' Derek thought as he shrunk into his seat wanting to just disappear. He was embarrassed sure but he was also happy that AJ is happy.

If only he could just forget this ever happened and save him the embarrassment.

"Can I play with him now?" AJ asked.

"Hmmm? Oh yeah. Here ya go kiddo." Derek said, giving the toy to AJ. From the corner of his view, he saw Clementine glancing at him time to time with a sly smirk on her face. He crossed his arms and sunk into his seat, already dreading what she has to say.

"I was once like you! A vegetable then I was consumed by eternal-"

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

=Line break=

"Hey Derek."

"Hmmm?"

"Thank you. I mean it." Even though she couldn't see his face , she could sense he was smiling.

After a brief period of silence, he responded: "Anything for you. Both of you."

It was a simple message, one without any deep meanings or seriousness but it made her heart skip a beat and she blushed a shade of crimson. She risked a glance at him and saw he was red in the face as well. An awkward silence filled the atmosphere but was immediately shattered by the scenery before them. Just a couple hundred meters ahead was a road blocked with debris.

"The hell is that?" Derek said. Voicing out her thoughts.

She eased off the gas pedal and let the car flow itself naturally to a stop just right in front of the blockade. One quick scan of their surroundings and deduced that there were no walkers nearby but one can't be too sure.

Derek peered into the side. "Hey look, there's a house right ahead." he pointed.

She followed his gaze, and he was right. It was a little overgrown and decrepit, but standing. There could be something useful in there.

"I think it's more of train station." she corrected.

Derek checked again, he narrowed his eyes at the building and shrugged. "Meh, who cares."

"Are we doing this?" AJ chimed in.

"Yup. We're doing this. Grab your stuff."

The trio got out of the car and grabbed their gear. Clementine went to the trunk and grabbed her crowbar and her backpack. At the side, she spotted one of Disco Broccoli's friends, although it had a hole in it. She can't remember if it's supposed to have one.

She turned to AJ. "Hey look, one of Disco Broccoli's friends." she held up the toy in hand.

Derek popped his head into view, "Looks like that villain just hid him behind the trunk. Crafty one I'd say, hiding Disco Broccoli's friends under our noses."

They laughed for a bit until they refocused back on the task at hand. She turned to Derek, and saw he was still putting his gear on.

"You done?"

"Almost, just strapping in. Why don't you do some stretches while you wait. Already did mine."

She shrugged in response. Why not? She did a series of stretches where she tested her limits, only stopping when her muscles cry out in agony. AJ did the same but albeit more clumsily.

While Clementine and AJ are busy with their exercise, Derek made sure his equipment is secured. He pulled out his machete from its holster and gave it a few practiced swings, he put it up to eye level to examine the sharpness. If his quartermaster was here, he'd have his hide for the abomination he created.

Good thing he's not here.

He nodded in approval and put it on top of the hood. He tugged on the pair of protective gear he had and tightened it as best as he can but not too much to hinder movement, he tapped on it for good measure and nodded in approval. Lastly, his knife, it was a standard issue M9 Bayonet with a holster, clean and maintained well, something he took pride in. He holstered it on his belt.

He triple-checked his gear one last time. He tugged on his vest, secured any loose straps, and tapped on his protective gear. He nodded in approval. (pretty sure he nodded a lot of times… must be a subconscious habit)

"There. Not bad." he muttered to himself then grabbed his machete from the hood.

By the time he was done, Clementine had just finished her stretching. She looked at him and chuckled.

"I'm starting to think that you're overprepared."

"You're just jealous this gear won't fit you." he smirked. Derek had a bigger build compared to Clementine. His gear and clothing clearly outsized her.

He rummaged through his pack and took the pair of throwing knives from earlier then gave it to Clementine. "Here, you're a better throw than I am."

She accepted the knives with a nod. "And a better shot too." she added, smirking.

He gave her a deadpan look. "That's still up to debate."

They walked right up the entrance, there was a sign with a small bell in front which said 'ring this if friendly'. The two adults scoffed in disbelief. It was the oldest trick in the book yet still effective for picking off small fries or idiots. Sometimes both.

"What does that sign mean?" AJ asked.

"It means the people who live here shoot first and ask questions later."

"Assuming you'll live after of course." Derek added, he narrowed his eyes towards the direction of the building. "I don't think anyone's alive in there though."

Clementine raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"Walker." Derek simply said, pointing his machete towards a lone walker.

She followed his direction and a lone walker stood wandering. If there were people inside that house, they wouldn't let any walkers this close to their home.

"Well, this makes things easier then. I'll take the lead," she said.

He nodded in return and covered the rear while AJ stayed in between them. She approached the walker until she was a few meters away, then grabbed a throwing knife and let it fly, hitting the walker right at the eye. It died before it even hit the ground.

"Good throw." AJ commented.

She looked around and saw there were no other walkers. "I think that's all of 'em. "

Derek grabbed her shoulder, stopping her in place. She turned to look at him, confused but he ignored her and whistled loudly. She didn't question his motives, but instead readied her crowbar. AJ readied his knife as well, brandishing it against incoming monsters.

They didn't have to wait long as several walkers came out of their hiding. There were five of them in total. The trio held their ground as they let the walkers come to them. Clementine took out the other throwing knife and threw it at one of the walkers, killing it.

Four left. Derek rushed towards the walkers, machete on hand. He decapitated one walker in one swing and kicked down another, throwing it off balance. It fell to the ground with a thud. AJ took this opportunity as he rushed towards it and killed it with his knife.

Two left and they were focused on Derek. Which was a good thing as Clementine took advantage of this and crept behind one of them, stabbing its skull in one thrust. The last one lunged at Derek, he blocked the attack with his machete, but he struggled pushing it back. AJ stabbed one of its knees, forcing it down. Derek then kneed its jaw, effectively knocking it down on its behind. Finally, Clementine delivered the final blow as she brought down her knife on its face, killing it.

Derek scanned the surroundings for more walkers, after seeing none he slowly relaxed. He turned to AJ and ruffled the boy's hair. "Good job kiddo." AJ playfully pushed him back, giggling.

"I did what you told me!" AJ said.

"I know kiddo," he smiled at him. "Just keep it up, I'm proud of you."

Clementine elbowed Derek, grabbing his attention. "How'd you know?"

Derek shrugged. "I didn't. Just assumed."

She let out a quiet 'huh', then shook her head. "I'm gonna go and see if we can find a way in."

He nodded. "I'll keep watch here, holler if you need anything."

Clementine recovered the knives from the walker's corpses then proceeded to wander around the porch and see if there's anything useful. She stumbled upon a water reservoir. Inside was discolored water with a horrible smell, there were even a few flies flying around. She shuddered at the sight, and shut the reservoir.

"Found anything?!" Derek bellowed.

"Just dirty water!"

She heard him cuss but she ignored it.

She continued her search. To her right, a small garden laid, although whatever grew here was long gone either by insects or rotten by time.

"Whatever grew here is long gone." Clementine said absentmindedly. Derek and AJ walked up beside her.

Derek examined the plot of land before him. "Always hated farming. Too much dirt, and heat." he commented.

"Or maybe you're just too lazy to do it." Clementine smirked.

Derek laughed at the reply. "Alright you got me. But yeah, always hated farming. Besides I'm more useful in guard duty. Let other people sort that shit."

Clementine elbowed his gut. Hard. Derek grunted at the surprise attack and looked at her confused, she motioned towards AJ with her head, and he quickly understood.

"Sorry." he muttered.

No swearing. The one rule he forgets time to time.

AJ stared at the garden with curiosity. "I wonder what it tastes like."

"Probably bad." Derek said.

Clementine facepalmed at the reply. "He meant the vegetables Derek. Before it's like this."

"Exactly," he said without hesitation, before laughing hysterically.

Clementine shook her head, ignoring him. "Well, most vegetables taste good. Like corn and broccoli."

"I agree on the corn part."

AJ hummed in thought. "Do they taste like apples?"

A pause

"No."

The trio went back to the task at hand. Derek kept watch while Clementine and AJ searched the station. Clementine passed by an old, worn-out, tire swing attached to a tree. A wave of nostalgia washed over her, as memories with Lee flashed into her mind. How he protected her and made her the survivor she is now. She cherished those memories dearly.

AJ walked up beside her, curious. "What's this?"

"It's a tire swing." She said. She examined the robust structure and gave it a push. It was still in working condition.

What does it do?" AJ asked.

"Well, you sit on it and someone will push you to go really high up. It's fun." Clementine said. "I had one like this back home."

"I wanna try it!" AJ said with excitement. "But only after we checked this place." AJ added a sheepishly.

"Well…" She wanted to say yes, but they're already taking too much time as it is. They shouldn't linger anymore than they have to.

"Well, I don't see any walkers around." Derek walked up from behind. "I guess we could."

"Really?" AJ asked excitedly.

"Just a few swings." He said sternly, but AJ didn't care and settled on the swing. Derek turned to Clementine. "I'll keep watch here. Find a way inside, you know where to find us."

She softly smiled at him. "Thank you. "

He gave her a two fingered salute as she left to find a way inside.

The two boys enjoyed the relative silence, occasionally broken by AJ's soft laughter. Derek would occasionally glance at the fence or behind him for any walkers but most of the time he enjoyed the peace.

"Hey AJ. Do you mind if we talk for a while?"

"Go ahead." AJ replied.

Derek was quiet for a while, as if contemplating. "Do you like my company AJ?" he asked.

AJ didn't even hesitate to answer. "Of course! You're my best friend." he said. "Besides Clem of course."

Derek smirked. "Starting to think Clementine's your number one friend."

"Cause' she is." AJ said smugly.

Derek gasped in mock offense, "How could you!?"

The two laughed before silence settled again.

"Anyway. I've got something else to ask." Derek said.

"What is it?"

"If you wanted something, like really wanted something. What would it be?"

AJ hummed in thought, he pursed his lips, thinking.

"I'd like a hat." he admitted.

"A hat?" Derek rose an eyebrow.

"Yup, like Clem has."

Derek hummed quietly to himself. "I see… Why do you want one?"

"Because it's cool."

Derek laughed heartily. "Can't argue with that."

Unbeknownst to AJ, Derek kept that information in mind. Obviously, he was going to find one for him, but it will take some time. For whatever reason, hats are hard to find nowadays, at least one that's actually decent anyway.

Wait, what color does he want? Does he want it red? Or blue? Shit. He wanted to ask that question but he didn't want to make it obvious.

Clementine came out from a small alleyway. She held a deer skull on her hands.

"Hey look!" she called out to them.

AJ went off the swing to get a closer look as Derek followed behind. They observed the skull with morbid curiosity.

"Woah, that's cool." Derek said.

"I know right?"

Suddenly, Derek furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her. "Wait a minute, I thought you were looking for a way inside?"

Clementine paused and let out an awkward chuckle. "Got sidetracked."

Derek shook his head in amusement. "Ah well, we should keep it anyway. A souvenir at least." He gently took the object from her hands. "I'll take it and get it back on the trunk. I'll meet up with you after." Clementine nodded, while Derek went back to the car.

Clementine walked up the door with AJ in tow. She turned to him.

"AJ, remember what I told you when in new places?" she questioned.

"To always listen for monsters."

"Good. And?" she paused, "Always…?" She waited for AJ to fill the other half of the rule.

"Look for a way out."AJ said.

Clementine smiled softly and nodded.

She grabbed her crowbar from her pack and jammed it to the side of the door. With a grunt, she forced the door open, breaking the lock.

They scanned the area for any signs of walkers, their ears strained for any sounds. They didn't wait long as the familiar groans of the undead echoed somewhere the room. They followed the source of the sound and saw two figures by the chair tied down.

That's two, and they won't be a problem. She waited for a little while just in case any more would pop out. Seeing none, they relaxed.

The house was covered with rotten walls and thick dusts. There were broken glass littered on the floor, and furniture was strewn across the room in disorganized fashion.

"A way out." AJ suddenly said, pointing at the door where they came in.

"Good job kiddo."

AJ kept watch near the door while Clementine scoured the room. She walked towards the two walkers and examined the knots. They're tied down real good. Seeing that they won't be a problem for now, she started looking for things they might need. She stumbled upon a table with some rotting food on top of it, her nose wrinkled in disgust. Fortunately, she found an unopened jar of beans which she put in her pack.

That should last for a few days. She could already hear Derek's complaints. She chuckled at the thought. It's not like he doesn't eat vegetables, he does, he just complains while eating it.

She spotted another room across the building. It was blocked with a metal security door and the window was grated. Must be the ticket office. Curiosity rose inside her, there could be something valuable inside.

She tried the knob only to find it locked.

"Just once." – she butted her head on the door - "Just once! I just wished things were easy." She took a step back and examined the door.

The door's pretty solid. Breaking it down would make a lot of noise. I wonder if there's a key. She glanced towards the window and eyed the small opening. It was pretty dark inside, she can barely make out anything in there.

Too small for me now and there's no way I'm sending AJ in there. She huffed in annoyance. She turned towards the tied-up walkers. Maybe those two have something useful.

The walkers moaned and reached towards her but to no avail. Her feet stumbled upon a bottle of poison, which rolled away from her. Another item got her interest, it was an old piece of paper, she picked it up and realized it was a letter, a little smudged but otherwise readable.

To anyone who reads this:

Please leave us alone. We wanted it to be like this.

AJ approached her and eyed the two walkers. "Did they give up?" he asked.

"Yeah."

He craned his neck to the side. "But why?"

"I guess they couldn't handle it anymore." She shrugged.

The sounds of jiggling keys got her attention, a small keyring hanged on the male walker's pants.

'Bingo, those keys are exactly what I need'

Sounds of heavy footsteps and the door opening got her attention. She grabbed her knife in reflex and turned towards the unknown assailant.

"Woah. It's just me." Derek rose his hands in surrender.

She sighed, and relaxed. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You could've said something." she scolded.

"Sorry. Slipped my mind." He noticed the two walkers tied down. "What's the matter with these two?"

"Found them like this. Suicide."

"Well… That's just sad." Although it sounded apathetic, she knew he did feel sorry about them.

"We should kill the monsters." AJ said.

Derek nodded in agreement. "Aye. That we should." He unsheathed his knife and took a step towards them but stopped and sheathed his knife back.

The other two looked at him in surprise. He turned towards them, specifically at AJ. "You know what? How about you take this one AJ?"

"Me?"

Clementine rose an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"AJ needs a bit more hands-on experience." he simply said.

She looked like she wanted to say something but stopped. "Alright, but I still need that key." she pointed out.

Derek followed her gaze and saw the jiggling keys. The walkers growled and clawed towards him, reaching out at him from their state. The other walker wasn't a problem, but the male walker had one of its hands free which could be a little tricky. With precision, he firmly grabbed the walker's hand with one hand, agitating it as it struggled against him. Derek grunted and struggled but he had the upper hand, he grabbed the keys with his other hand then backed off.

He reflexively looked at his other hand, it was covered with rotten flesh and blood. He shuddered at the smell and wiped it clean on the wall, muttering 'ew' repeatedly. He handed the keys to Clementine.

"Here ya go. Don't worry, we'll be quick and we'll get back to you."

She nodded and got to work.

Derek turned to AJ, who already had his knife at the ready.

"You ready kiddo?"

He looked at his knife, then at him. He nodded with determination.

"Ah wait. Just a precaution."

AJ stopped and watched as he took out his knife and jabbed it in the walker's jaw. In one twist, the jaw popped out clean off from its hinges, hanging loosely on one side. He did the same thing towards the other walker.

"There, now at least they can't bite you." He walked towards a chair and took a seat. "Ready when you are kiddo."

AJ breathed in, and out. He was ready. He lunged towards the first walker, stabbing it directly at its eye socket, killing it before it could fight back. He struggled pulling his knife out, but he handled it. He did the same thing against the other walker, again struggling pulling his knife out.

He's good, but not good enough. Derek commented in his mind. He could admit AJ has the skills to do the job, but he had difficulties in taking the knife out. Ah well, he's still a kid anyway. He'll get it right soon enough.

"Well done." He nodded in acknowledgment. "Although you need to watch out for that knife getting stuck. If you have to, just leave it and move on. It will only slow you down."

"Wouldn't that leave me defenseless then?"

"Better than being dead kiddo. Like I said, only if you have to."

He nodded in understanding. He wiped his knife clean using the walker's pants and sheathed it.

"Come on. Clementine should be waiting for us."

The two of them walked towards the room Clementine went. The door was open and she was waiting for them by the entrance.

"See if you can find anything inside AJ."

Uh-oh. I know that look. Derek thought. He watched as AJ nodded thoughtlessly and went inside. Right after he went in, she blocked the entrance, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she looked at him with slight disapproval.

"I know what you're going to say Clem."

She raised an eyebrow, a gesture simply translated into 'try me'.

He sighed, looking a little frustrated. "I know you don't want this life for AJ. You don't want him to be out there taking risks, and… and… killing things. I get that."

"So why-"

"Cause he needs to learn!" Derek flinched as he realized it was a little too loud. He calmed down, speaking in a normal tone now. "Sorry." He muttered.

Clementine took a step forward. She took his gloved hands and rubbed the back of it in a soothing manner, uncaring it was covered with fabric. "It's okay."

The effect was almost immediate. He relaxed into her gentle caresses, breathing calmly. "We've been talking about this for months Clementine." He started. "You didn't want AJ to be more involved in killing walkers. It's dangerous and risky, and I get that. But he's got to learn to fight them one way or another or else we'll lose him."

She stared into his eyes, there was sadness deep within. "But he's just a little boy Derek. He's everything I have. I can't lose him."

He freed one of his hands from hers and used it to gently tilt her chin up. He stared back into her hazel colored eyes. "You won't. I'll make sure of that."

She broke eye contact, turning her back against him, distancing herself. "You can't promise that you know."

Derek sighed. He knew she's right. But…

He closed the distance between and put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a firm but gentle squeeze. "I know. Doesn't mean I won't try though. You know that." He gave her an all too familiar confident smirk.

She reached out to his hand, grasping it firmly then smiled in return. "I know."

"I want that life for him too you know. To be a normal kid, do normal kid things. Like a…. Like a…. Normal kid? I don't know. I was a weird kid back then so I can't tell which one's normal and which one's not."

Clementine laughed at the thought. She could already imagine him being that one weird kid in class.

"But…" Derek continued, he spoke in a low voice, he was a little serious and sad at the same time. "Until that time comes. This is his life. This is his reality. And it's going to be like this until we find a home, for all of us."

"If we can find one." She muttered.

It was a little out of character for her, but he can't blame her for it. They've been out for two years already, and not a single community or safehouse made them feel at home. There's always danger looming ahead, always raiders to fight off, always trouble everywhere they go.

"We will find one. We just need more time. So have some faith."

She sighed but nodded. "I hope you're right Derek."

"No, I'm at you're left." He replied, chuckling.

She glanced back and indeed he was on her left side. She chuckled a little. She's going to murder him one day. "I hate you."

He walked past her and turned around, facing her. "I love you too sweetheart." He winked.

She blushed in response at the random flirty comment. Her face felt warm and she looked down, unable to face him.

Derek chuckled at the reaction. "See? This mood is way better for my liking. Anyway, if you're done looking at the ground. AJ and I gonna take a look around." He said, before pausing. "Oh, sweet that rhymed!"

Derek went inside the room with Clementine lagging behind. She looked to have recovered from Derek's flirty nature and was back to normal.

"Done staring?" he commented, smirking.

She blushed slightly. "Shut up."

He shook his head, chuckling. "Whatever you say." He said. "By the way, holler if you found some tools or components. We badly need them." He suggested, he walked towards some boxes and started unpacking the contents. "Go on. I'll be here. Looking for…. Something I guess."

Clementine nodded in response. She scanned the room, hoping to find some food or water. From the looks of it, this place was probably where the couple slept. There was a mattress laid down on the floor, some sheets, and some personal items laid around. Nothing useful however.

There should be something here. She thought to herself, and started searching.

Sometime later

They spent some time searching the room from top to bottom, clearing everything out. Derek was busy looking for components while Clementine and AJ looked for food. Unfortunately, they didn't have much luck looking for food.

AJ did find two bullets though, ones that are useable for his revolver. Which was nice.

"Ughh. There's nothing here that's actually useful Clem. Most of the stuff I found are basically useless. Any luck on your end?"

Clementine sighed as she tossed away another empty can. "Still nothing."

Derek pursed his lips, frowning at the news. "Keep searching. There should be something at least."

"I found something!"

The two young adults stopped at what they're doing to see what AJ found.

"I forgot what's it called, but I think it's important."

Derek looked closer at the items on his hand. When he realized what it was, I shit you not, his eyes literally sparkled with joy. "Finally!" he exclaimed. He swiped the items from AJ's hands and raised them with two hands, as if it was the most fragile thing in the room. "One of man kind's greatest invention! The Duct Tape!"

Clementine and AJ laughed at his childish antics. They were usually rare, so it was a sight to behold.

"It's just duct tape Derek. No need to be overdramatic." she chuckled.

He waved his finger at her. "Tsk tsk tsk. This is more valuable than gold nowadays. Wanna know why? Simple. Hole in your bag? Boom. Duct tape. Worn shoes? Boom. Duct tape. Annoying people ruining your day? Boom. Duct tape." Derek said, keeping a large grin in his face as he listed all its possible uses.

"You sound like one of those sales people my dad had to get rid of." Clementine inserted between laughs.

Derek dropped the act but kept a small smile in place. Nostalgia washed over him as he remembered something.

"My mom was a salesperson. She brings me along time-to-time when there's no one to babysit me. I guess I picked up a few of her skills."

Clementine's laughter ceased for a moment. Derek never really talked about his parents. All she knew was that at one point, they abandoned him. At least, that's the whole summary of what happened.

"What was she like?"

Derek blinked in response, unsure what to say. "Uhmmm. She was… All business really. Graduated top of her class… One of the best agents in the firm and stuff like that…" he said. "You know… Come to think of it. I don't remember much about her other than that."

"Too many bad memories?"

He shook his head. "More like no memories at all. She's rarely home, and when she is at home, she's busy with work."

"I take it you guys aren't close?"

"I have no idea Clem. We're just… there. Physically present, but mentally absent." He chuckled at the last part. A sad chuckle.

She didn't want to ask this but she was curious. "What happened to her?"

Derek raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought I told you." But then he shook his head. "Nevermind. Summary? They kinda left me, and I don't know if they're still out there or alive even."

"Do you hate them for that?"

He pursed his lips. "Not really. Maybe at first, I did, but I realized that it was understandable. There were people eating each other in the open. I guess anyone at that time just panicked you know?" he shrugged, uncaring.

Although Clementine felt different, she frowned and crossed her arms on her chest. "No parent should abandon their child. No matter what."

"Ah well, technically it was my dad who left me." he chuckled. "The last time I saw them was my dad staring me at the eye across the street. Got in the car and drove off with my mom."

"And then you got picked up by other survivors, right? Survived a few days until the military rolled in then moved you to a quarantine zone?"

He nodded. "Yes. We got picked up by soldiers who were still evacuating civilians. Moved us to the Boston Quarantine Zone, or The Zone, for simpler terms."

"Do you miss them?" Derek looked down, surprised. It was AJ who asked.

"Your parents I mean. Do you miss them?"

He was quiet for a moment, then let out a long sigh. "No. Not anymore."

It was quiet for a moment, until AJ broke it. "I would miss you." he said quietly.

Derek was taken aback. "I-I…Uhmm… Sure. Thanks AJ." He said awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

Clementine chuckled at his embarrassment but smiled nonetheless. "You have us now Derek. You're not alone." She said. Then the two of them hugged Derek close.

Derek could feel his heart aching in pain. His family never shown him this much affection. It was always about business for them. To see and feel that someone actually cared for him this much, it physically hurts him to know how much he missed out on.

But of course, he was too prideful to show it. "I have eyes Clem. I use them to see." he laughed at his own joke.

AJ followed suit as well, laughing. Clementine rolled her eyes, shaking her head, but a small smile graced her lips.

As long as the three of them stick together, there is nothing in the world can beat them.

AN: This is basically a rewrite of this story as the original author has unfortunately passed away leaving me with their account. I didn't realize he was a big fan of this story and after the publish of the "book" from telltale... It kinda got me angry of how they fleshed out Clementine's character. So I will do my best to create his dream to complete this book from whatever notes and outlines he left behind.

I apologize for the viewers who already followed this story for the sudden change. But i hope to finish this story (and his future plans for this story) for my friend.

Updates could possibly be months so i apologize for delays.