Author's Note: Hello again! Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter and reviewed it. It means alot that even in this rather lonely corner of the website; you came and cared. And sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out, exams came up so I had to shift priorities. Anyways, here's chapter two of Cal's life two years into the apocalypse.

Disclaimer: I don't own Halo or TWD as they belong to Microsoft/343 Industries and Skybound.

"Quotes."

"Radio Messages and/or Thoughts"

Reading

Emphasis/Emphasis


West Virginia

September 27, 0742 Hours, 2014

Cal stood by as the two men checked over their rifles for the third time since breakfast. Figuring there were no imperfections with their guns, they packed up their bags and stood by the door. "You sure you don't wanna come with us? Hunting for fish is quite the experience." Pete asked her.

"I'm sure. I'm not leaving Clementine by her lonesome. Last time I did that, shit went so far south I was ready to burn half a city just to get to the bastard who took her." Cal explained.

"Don't worry, we understand. Your relationship with her is special, there's not many of those nowadays." Luke said.

"Well said. You two should head out now; shouldn't spend the whole day out there, especially after what came through the radio last night." Cal warned them.

"Yeah. It seems you're one of us now after pulling a stunt like that." Pete explained.

"Hey, I didn't know who those guys were, just that they were in our way and hostile." Cal defended herself.

"Welcome to his majesty's shit list." Luke joked, cracking a sly smile. "Let's go Pete. See you soon Cal."

Cal nodded. "Likewise." Shutting the door behind them. She watched for a minute as the two men disappeared down the path and into the forest.

"Good to know you're helping us out instead of just sitting here and eating our food." Carlos' said, walking up from behind. "What you did was irresponsible, but you had no idea so I can't exactly blame you. Still, it might bring Carver down on top of our heads sooner than later."

"It should take him a little longer to find this place. Clem and I stumbled on Luke and Pete after spending several hours drying off from a trip down the lazy river." Cal said, trying to wave some of his concern.

Carlos stood silent for a minute, pondering his words. "Cal, if it comes to that and I can't take care of Sarah anymore, I want you to take care of her. Out of the entire group, even though you're still a stranger among us, you have the most experience with children." He requested.

"With all due respect, she's far from a child. I think you should teach her how to fend for herself because you're not always going to be there for her and I'd do it anyway. Better late than never, but better earlier than later." Cal said, humbling herself.

"Hmph. I'll consider it. But until the day comes when I'm not in a position to care for her, that's when your rules can apply." Carlos said, putting up his boundaries.

"I'm just looking out for her well - being, but I can agree to that. Just please make sure she learns, quickly." Cal requested, almost pleading to Carlos. "A couple years ago, I had a group of roughly a dozen disappear essentially overnight after we were forced from our safehouse. You seem like good people, barring a few exceptions, and I don't want that same fate to happen to you."

"I understand. But right now let me take care of my daughter how I please. As for Clementine, that wound of hers stopped bleeding. You acted quickly and did everything I would've done. The others talked about you being ex - military; combat medic?" Carlos asked.

"No. Just first aid that's stuck with me since day one. Never know when you need to care for the man or woman next to you." Cal simply explained.

"I suppose so. Either way, well done. By my estimate, she should be fully healed within a week, two tops." He informed her.

"Good to know, and thanks." Cal said.

"My pleasure. You two don't seem too bad yourselves. Just make sure to not overstep any boundaries." Carlos said as he turned and left.

Stepping away from the window, Cal made her way to the kitchen. There, she saw Alvin talking with Rebecca, casually overhearing their conversation thanks to her augmentations, but drowned it all out, not wanting to hear Rebecca's voice this early in the morning. On the other side, she saw Clementine sitting on a couch eating a bowl of grits next to a resting Nick. Taking a seat on the armrest, she smiled at the young pre - teen. "Happy?" She simply asked.

"Mhmm." A muffled response came from Clementine's full mouth as she nodded.

"Good, hell that's great. I'm always happy seeing you eat; let's me know you're healthy and can keep moving." Cal said.

Clementine visibly swallowed a heavy lump of her breakfast meal. "Well with someone like you, I can eat most of our food and you won't bat an eye thanks to your powers." Clementine retorted.

"True, very true. But I'm also a grown woman, and you are not. I can go longer without meals even if I didn't have my augmentations. I bet you can't even guess my age." Cal challenged Clementine.

"Please, you look no more than twenty something." Clementine shrugged.

"Wrong. By all accounts I'm thirty five this year. After I died, I was somehow reverted back to my age when I was graduating as a cadet. So technically, you're right, I'm twenty one here." Cal explained before turning her attention to Nick's resting form. "You're lucky you missed."

Clementine just sat with wide eyes, processing this new information about her caretaker's background while chewing on a spoonful of grits. "And what about your friends? The other Spartans?" She asked.

"My brothers and sisters? We all started training together at the age, so they'd be thirty five too. You would've liked Daisy, Jorge, and John. Daisy was like that chaotic younger sister we'd all have to watch out for, kinda like you." Cal smiled and lightly jabbed Clementine in the shoulder. "We all miss you Daisy. Hope your afterlife is better than mine, sister." She thought as her smile faltered for a second. "Jorge, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He was the one looking out for everybody. A great people - person who always knew how to calm us down. John was more - or - less our leader. He always had a plan for everything and, while none of us said it, we'd all have followed him to storm the gates of hell if he asked." She explained, describing her three closest siblings. "Of course, yours truly had something special too."

"I'm guessing it's being a great mom?" Clementine asked with her mouth full.

"Ha, I'm trying my best. But no, it's this." She said with a smirk as she stood up to her full height and flexed an arm. Her bicep bulged to a size larger than that of Clementine's head.

"Hpmphmp!" Clementine exclaimed with a food filled grunt before swallowing.

"Out of all the girls, I was the strongest. Third overall, just behind Sam and Jorge." Cal reminisced. "But that's enough of that for now. Wanna head to the living room and read a book while you eat?" She offered.

Clementine nodded. "Yes, please."

"Alright, go find a comfy spot, I'll grab us something." Cal said, smiling harder than before as Clementine grabbed her bowl and left the room. "Alvin, have any long, scenic books Clementine and I can read?" She asked, cutting the man off of his conversation with Rebecca who just huffed annoyed.

"Yeah. By the stairs, top shelf. I recommend Of Mice and Men." He replied with enthusiasm.

"Thanks." Cal nodded as she retrieved the specified book and sat down next to Clementine who had chosen the larger sofa.

Opening the book she began to read softly as Clementine leaned against her defined form and slowly munched on her bowl of grits.


West Virginia

September 27, 1018 Hours, 2014

As Cal closed the book, Clementine stood up and stretched her arms and legs. "So, whaddya think? I personally liked it." Cal asked Clementine.

"It was good." Clementine nodded. "Poor Larry, the ending was very sad."

"Agreed. If they were in the twenty sixth century, he could've been easily helped. Would've made a good Marine too with his strength alone." Cal said, imagining the scene.

"I wonder when Luke and Pete are gonna come back. How long ago did Alvin go looking for them?" Clementine asked.

"Close to an hour now. They should've been back by now, if not very soon. Carlos, how far is the riverbank?" She asked the Hispanic man who sat by Nick, tending to his wound.

"Roughly a forty minute hike one way. We try to not spend longer than two hours out there, which is why we sent Alvin down to check on them." He explained.

"Then why has it been nearly three?" Cal asked, to which she got a shrug. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Are these feelings normal?" Carlos asked.

"Too often." He got in response.

"Shit. Rebecca —"

Bum Bum Bum! A multitude of slams came from the door. "Guys, it's me open up!" A familiar southern accent shouted through the wood and glass.

Hurrying to the door, Cal opened it and saw a drenched Luke who tumbled in, huffing and puffing to catch his breath, a look of fear and shock on his face.

"Luke, what happened? Where's Pete and Alvin?" Rebecca asked.

"By the river, we got attacked. Alvin came by, separated, ran with Pete." He said, cobbling a sentence together.

"Oh god… Carlos, get the guns! My husband is out there and I'm going looking for him." Rebecca announced.

"You're not going out there alone. We'll help." Clementine said.

"No. I need you two here. If they're injured out there, they'll need me. Cal, Clementine, can you two watch Sarah for me? She gets nervous when she's lonely." Carlos hesitantly asked the duo.

"Done." Cal simply responded.

"Thank you." The doctor says, giving them a grateful look.

"Luke, lead the way." Rebecca firmly told the man.

"Yeah, yeah just a second." Luke responded, taking a moment to calm his breathing and clear his head. "This way." He said, leading them out the door.

Having gathered their weapons and equipment, the small group departed on their search for Pete and Alvin. Cal and Clementine shut the door behind them, wondering if they'd find them in time.

Once everybody left, Cal turned to Clementine. "Head upstairs and check on Sarah, Clem." She said. "I'll be up in a second."

The young girl nodded before heading up to Sarah's room while Cal stood by the living room window to peek outside. It was then a human shaped shadow passed by the living room window and immediately alerted the female Spartan.

"Who the hell was that? Was someone stalking us?" Cal thought with a frown. Watching through the barely lifted blinds, she saw a figure heading around the cabin towards the front door. The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs drew Cal's attention as Sarah and Clementine appeared, but the older girl had a face that was of fear and dread.

"Oh god, he found us." Sarah sputtered through panicked, hyperventilated breaths.

Cal quickly put two and two together. "Clem, you two get to the bathroom and lock the door. If anyone tries opening it, you shoot." Cal whispered just loud enough for Clementine to hear.

Nodding, Clementine lightly raced back upstairs with Sarah in tow, the two girls disappearing around the corner and the clicking of a shut door notified Cal of their new barrier of defense. Bum Bum Bum! It was then that her own line of defense was disturbed by the sudden knocking of the unknown individual on the other side.

"Hello?" The stranger asked through the tinted glass frame of the door.

Taking a single look back upstairs to double check if Clementine and Sarah had hidden, Cal then opened the door and saw a middle aged man with graying brown hair, a bushy mustache, and brown fur coat. Stepping outside, she shut the door behind her, now standing in between it and this unknown individual. Quickly scanning him from top to bottom, she noticed a large Bowie knife strapped to his left thigh and a revolver on his hip. Letting her arm relax by her side, she kept her fingers tracing her pistol.

"Oh my, look at you ma'am." He said with a shocked expression and gruff voice.

"Who are you?" Cal asked, her face void of emotion.

The man looked Cal up and down, barely grasping at just how tall, broad, and muscular she was, a feeling of curiosity Cal was all too familiar with.

"Are you just gonna admire me or answer my question?" She asked, knocking him out of his stupor.

He blinked a couple times before raising his hands and clearing his throat. "There's no need for an aggressive tone ma'am. I'm your neighbor." He said with a smile.

"Ok, I'll play along." She thought. Cal squinted her eyes in suspicion. "I don't remember ever having a neighbor."

"We're new to this area. My family and I just settled down a couple miles up the river." He responded, pointing in the direction Cal had killed those goons the day prior. "I'm out exploring the area while my wife and kids set up shop at the house we just built. It's still quite barren, but it works for now."

"I see. Well, welcome to the West Virginian forest." She greeted him. "What's your name?"

"George Clements." He replied, holding out a hand for a shake.

Cal didn't take it, instead just kept staring him in the eye. "So you're Carver. The question is do I kill you now or later?" She pondered. "Kelly."

Awkwardly pulling his hand back, 'George' kept up his smiling facade. "Nice to meet ya Kelly. Would you mind if I came in?" He asked, reaching for the door knob.

Immediately snatching his wrist, she held it firmly in place. "Yes, in fact, I do mind." She said sharply, applying some force to her grip.

'George' grunted at the grip. It felt like this behemoth of a woman was going to break his hand if she kept going, and he had an inkling suspicion that she could if she so chose. If he knew what was best, he shouldn't stick around for much longer. "You got a mighty grip there." He said, retracting his hand and shaking it to relieve some pain. "You here all by yourself?"

"One more question and you become a paste, asshole." Cal thought. "It's me and my daughter." She simply answered.

"Oh, what's her name?"

"I'm not willing to say. And so far you haven't been the best guest, trying to force yourself into my house." Cal huffed.

'George's' smile seemed to trickle only for a moment. Cal could tell that she was getting on his nerves, fine by her. It was then he asked his most damning question.

"Alright I'll cut to the chase. Several members of my group who traveled out here with us got lost and we haven't been able to find them. Have you seen them?" He asked.

"How many and what do they look like?"

"There's seven of them. A couple of farm boys and an old man, a spanish guy and his teenage daughter, a big black guy with glasses, and a pretty little pregnant lady." 'George' replied, his smile growing ever - so - slightly at the mention of the pregnant lady.

"Sorry, all I've seen around here are wild animals and walkers." Cal answered, on the verge of ripping him in half.

'George's' shoulders sank a little. "That's a damn shame. I've been trying to find them for days. I'll go ahead and get out of your hair. Let me know if you see them, alright?" He asked, turning to leave.

Cal just nodded as he turned and walked away. Glancing at the tree line, she didn't notice anyone lying in wait to spring an ambush. Taking a sigh of relief, she stepped back into the house. The sound of the door clicking shut prompted the bathroom door to creak open. Clementine and Sarah poked their heads out just enough to see Cal standing by the front door.

"It's clear, he's gone." She told the two of them.

"Are you sure? What if he just walked and hid in the trees?" Sarah asked, shaking in fear.

"If he did that, you would've heard a gunshot, but you didn't. Don't worry, he's gone." Cal said in a comforting tone, or about as comforting as it can get. "Sarah, does Carver look like an older man with a bushy brown mustache and messy hair, wearing a brown fur coat?"

"Y– yeah, that's him." Sarah confirmed.

"Alright, stay hunkered down. I'll fortify our location until the others get back, if they get back." Cal said, the added statement making Sarah whimper in fear and worry.

Disappearing back into the bathroom, Cal heard the lock click and got to work. Grabbing various pieces of furniture like bookshelves, tables, and sofas, she used them to block out multiple windows, only leaving small gaps to peer through. After barricading the lodge, she quickly found one of the group's few rifles, pocket some ammo, and carefully kept an eye out for the others.

It was a tense and cautious hour as Cal waited to finally see the group coming up the road. Letting out a sigh of relief, she opened the door and hurriedly beckoned them to get inside. Confused, but heeding her warning, they quickly piled through the door and saw their cabin turned from comfy to command post.

"Cal, why's all the furniture moved? And where's Clementine and Sarah?" Luke asked, confused about what was happening.

"They're safe upstairs. However you've all no doubt been compromised. Carver came by looking for you. Said his name was George and that y'all are a part of his group who got lost. He tried forcing his way in, but a near broken wrist ended that idea." Cal explained.

"Wait, Carver? Out here? I told you she was—!" Rebecca cried out.

Cal placed her large hand over her mouth. "Shut the fuck Rebecca. You people are now in active danger. If you want my help, don't assume I'm the enemy."

"Why didn't you just kill him?" Alvin asked.

"I didn't know if he had the place surrounded in my blind spots, or if he had taken any of you as hostages." Cal replied without hesitation.

"He was most likely scouting, but we got lucky. Cal must've surprised him, and if she hadn't been here..." Carlos shook his head at the potentially horrible thoughts. "It seems he was too smart to stick around, but he'll come back with the rest of his group. It would be best if we leave; now." He asserted.

"Carlos' right. Everybody pack up, we're moving out. Clementine, Sarah, grab your things, we're leaving." Luke said, heading upstairs with Carlos following shortly after.

The door swung open with a relieved Clementine and Sarah standing on the other side. "We're leaving?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, sweetie, before he comes back with more bad guys. But it's gonna be okay." He answered reassuringly. "Now go and get your things."

"What happened between him and you guys?" Clementine asked.

Carlos glanced back and forth between Cal and Clem with a fearful expression. "Cal, I don't know what he's told you, but William Carver is a dangerous man. He's the leader of a camp in Kentucky and he's very smart; we were lucky to escape with our lives."

"Look, we're sorry to involve you two, but now that he has seen you, you'll be safer with us." Luke said.

"More like you'll be safer with me." Cal thought, almost rolling her eyes. Although Clementine was her main priority, Cal's was willing to help this group out and find them a safe place away from Carver. "There's a rumored camp Clem and I've been heading North towards called Wellington. It's said to be somewhere in the Ohio - Pennsylvania area." She informed them.

"Then it sounds like our best bet. Unless anyone has any better ideas, I say we follow Cal." Pete chimed in.

"Hold on. We're gonna go with her, just like that?" Rebecca tried objecting.

"Becca, it sounds like our best bet. Besides, Cal stood up to Carver. Doesn't that mean she should earn a little bit of trust?" Alvin questioned his wife.

Rebecca huffed. "Fine, North it is."

Cal nodded at the decision. "That still leaves Nick. He's in no condition to move, but I can easily carry him. Don't worry, I'll be gentle." She said, calming their worried looks. Heading over to the wounded man, she scooped him off the couch as he grunted in pain and discomfort. "Grab everything valuable not nailed down. I'll be waiting outside."

A few minutes later, everyone had gathered outside. Those sentimental took one last look at the place they called home for who knows how long before turning back to the road and following their new, nearly seven foot tall companion.


West Virginia

October 1, 1936 Hours, 2014

Five days. That's how long they've been traveling day after day, night after night. They had managed to cover nearly seventy miles of road, all under the guise of Cal who didn't have a single bite to eat nor an ounce of sleep. The others were wondering if she was secretly starving and on the verge of exhaustion, but every morning when they woke up, she seemed as strong and alert as ever. The only one who understood their actual level of safety was Clementine, who always smiled when she woke up next to her guardian angel from hell.

However Cal managed it, they would guess later. Now they had a more pressing issue. As the road opened up into a clearing, they saw a large bridge sitting over a fast flowing river. Climbing onto a tall, nearby rock, Cal grabbed her binoculars and scouted the upcoming area.

"See anything important?" Luke asked.

"The bridge is mostly out. On the other side there was a small structure, probably a house of some kind. A little ways further was a series of ski lifts connecting to a lodge… give or take three miles up the mountain." Cal answered, detailing the terrain.

"Does the bridge look passable?" He asked.

"If we go in small groups; It's crawling with undead." Cal informed him.

"And the lodge? How big's it look?"

"It could pack a group easily ten times our size." She said for reference.

"Sounds like a good place to make camp, get out of the wilderness for once." Pete chimed in.

"Sounds good. Cal, you and I'll scout the bridge. Everyone else hang tight." Luke said.

"No. Clementine and I will go. Carlos has to watch Nick and Sarah and Alvin's caring for Rebecca's fatigue. That just leaves you and Pete as hands free, so I'm leaving you two on guard duty." She rebutted.

"But—"

"No but's. This is how we're doing it." Cal asserted. "Besides, two adults are easier to spot. Clem, let's go."

Luke scoffed and rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. "Fine, have it your way. I still think this is a bad idea." He quipped as they began to take off towards the bridge.

Creeping up to the crumbling piece of infrastructure, the adult - child duo spotted a pair of zombies aimlessly standing by the entrance. Cal motioned for Clementine to hold as she snuck up behind the two stragglers. Raising a fist, she punched the one standing hard enough in the head for it to explode in gore in contact. Before its body collapsed to the ground, she raised her foot and smashed the upper half of the crawler into much of the same fashion.

The grotesque display didn't just capture the attention of those watching, it enamored them. First was their friend who she easily threw into a wall and now just, for the lack of better terms, exploded two walkers.

"Jesus Christ. Good thing we decided to get on your good side, huh?" Alvin said from afar, a nervous chuckle following his remark.

Cal didn't pay him any mind. "Let's go. Keep your knife on hand. The last thing we want is to shoot and trap ourselves on this thing." She told Clementine who simply nodded and drew her small survival knife. Stepping onto the cold hard steel, the two of them quietly moved from cover to cover. Their second bout of resistance stood in the form of five undead who were spread out among the ruined vehicle pileup.

"Do you want to take any or should I do the work?" Cal asked Clementine, wanting to know if she should share.

"You can't have all the fun." Clementine joked with a sly smile.

"Then I'll take the three standing, you can have the crawlers." Cal said as she picked up a nearby piece of rebar and tapped it against their cover.

Only the closest zombie took immediate notice of this strange noise and shambled over to investigate, only to have a hand larger than that of its decaying head to grab it and slam it onto a car hood. Its head abruptly ceased to exist by the sudden change in its matter from solid to liquid. As its body slumped over, Cal and Clementine sprang into action, the former being much, much faster.

Swinging her improvised weapon at the second zombie, she bisected it with the blunt weapon and watched as its upper half fell into a large hole leading into the rushing waters below. The third and last standing one tried grabbing at her, but she easily sidestepped the creature, grabbed it by its tattered clothing, and threw it into a support beam, turning it into goo.

As for Clementine's part, when she arrived just seconds later, the first of the two crawlers tried grasping at her ankles, only to find a knife shoved in its skull. The second, and final, zombie was trapped beneath a turned - over car, pinning it to the ground. Simply walking over to it, Clementine shook her head and stomped on its head, caving its skull in.

Taking a look around to spot any more zombies, Cal didn't see any, but what she did see instead was a figure walking towards them from the other side of the bridge wielding a rifle. Cal immediately jumped in front of Clementine, her absurdly large frame easily having enough space to cover Clementine's. She quickly unslung her rifle, but did not raise it seeing that this unknown figure had yet to raise his.

"Whoa, slow down there miss. I just wanna talk." The man opened with an air of calm about him. He took a few more steps forward before Cal partly raised her rifle in caution.

"Who are you?" Cal asked.

"A survivor." The man joked with a dry chuckle. "But seriously, the name's Matthew."

"Cal."

"Well Cal, no offense, but are you an asshole? You don't look like an asshole, but you never know these days." Matthew asked, possibly mocking the Spartan.

"On my bad days." Cal responded sarcastically.

"And how often are those?" He inquired.

"Rare."

"And is today one of them?" He asked, flexing his rifle in his hands.

"No. Todays been fine." Cal assured him.

Matthew let out a sigh he didn't know he had been holding. Seeing what this huge - as - fuck girl did to that group of walkers must've put him on edge. "Good to know. You and the girl, y'all heading up North like everyone else?"

"Everyone else?" Cal asked, a confused look fluttering onto her face.

"Yeah. You think you're the only one's trying to get North? I see a group or two pass through here once a week at least. You all look the same; it's like a great migration of the dazed and confused." Matthew explained.

"Anyone with a leader named Carver? Maybe passed himself off as 'George'? Male around five foot ten, brown hair and a bushy mustache with a fur coat." Cal described to Matthew, hoping he would say no. What she heard lit up her face.

"Nah, no one like that. Are you guys hungry? I've got some food in the lodge." He offered, shifting his cautious demeanor to idly relaxed.

"We're not, but my group could use a resupply. A broken rib and pregnancy have been using more than I'd like." Cal informed Matthew, revealing the others' existence.

"Huh. Well I'm sure there's enough for everyone." Matthew reassured her.

"Are you sure? You seem like a decent guy so I don't want to take everything from you." Cal asked, slinging her rifle once more over her shoulder.

"I'll be fine, really. If you have wounded and pregnant, I'm more than happy to share." Matthew implored with a smile stretching from ear to ear.

Cal sighed. Her bullshit detector wasn't going off so on one hand she could be leading the others into the most obvious trap ever. On the other, they could gain some easy supplies. "Alright, give me a few minutes to get everyone across. The bridge isn't exactly stable." Cal said, turning her back and heading to the group.

"I'll be waiting." Matthew said with a smile as he turned and made his way back to the small lodge.

It took a couple minutes carefully moving everyone across the bridge, but they eventually crossed the crumbling structure unscathed. Posting themselves outside the cabin, Cal knocked on the door that Matthew was supposedly in, all while keeping a hand close to her pistol. The door opened not a minute later and the same man greeted her. Quickly glancing past his frame, she saw that, other than a cot and chest, the building was practically empty.

"Hey, glad you made it. Is this your group?" Matthew asked, taking a cursory look at each and every one of them.

"Yup. You said you've got spare food, so I'd like to see it. Just know, if you're fucking with us, I know twenty seven ways to you regret it." Cal warned him.

"Hey, hey. Don't get hostile now. Here, give me a second." Matthew said, raising his hands in defiance.

Watching him closely, he opened the chest which revealed a small stash of canned food, most of them labeled 'Peaches'. Grabbing a couple of cans, he brought them over and handed them to the towering Spartan. "Here you go Miss Cal. It's not a lot, I know, but hopefully it serves you well." He said with a wide smile.

"Well, I guess you were telling the truth, thanks Matthew." She smiled back and nodded appreciatively.

"Don't worry about it. Most people are suspicious so you're not the first. It looks like it's getting late, there's a ski lodge a little ways up the mountain." Matthew said, pointing to the same lodge Cal had observed earlier.

"Yeah we saw. We plan to make camp there for the night so we have somewhere safe and dry. Do you know if there's anything up there?" Cal inquired, a puzzled look on her face.

"Yeah, my group. They're sett—"

"Wait wait, hold on. You never said you had a group." Cal cut him off, furrowing her brow in suspicion.

"Well… yeah. It never came up in our little chat so I didn't feel the need to talk about them." Matthew explained himself.

Cal shrugged. "Fair point."

"Anyways." Matthew remarked, brushing it off. "My group is located up in the ski lodge. They have fresh food, water, and power. If you're needing to stay the night, or even longer with how bad he is," He said, pointing at Nick. "I can let them know you're coming."

Cal was shocked with what she was hearing. Two years on the move, only stopping in abandoned buildings and when they found Luke's group. Now she was being offered a place to stay for a while with others that she didn't know, but if they were anything like Matthew, she would welcome the change of scenery. "That's… very generous of you."

"Don't worry about it. We try to help. Hell, we've got some people there now who are heading North themselves. Ever heard of a place called Wellington?" Matthew inquired, curious about how far the rumor spread.

"Yeah actually. Clementine and I were heading there before we ran into Luke's group here and tagged along." Cal explained to him, pointing out the Southern man himself.

"Hmph, not bad. If you decide to stay at the lodge for a while, I don't see why we couldn't join up and all head there together." Matthew said, offering a suggestion. "You should get going. It's about an hour trek to get up there and it's looking like it'll be dark soon."

"Agreed. Thanks Matthew. And watch out for Carver, he's dangerous; strikes me like the type to shoot first and ask questions later. Remember, fur coat, middle age, gruff voice, brown hair, and bushy mustache." Cal explained Carver's appearance again, warning Matthew of the potential danger he might be in if they were being followed.

"I'll make sure to keep an eye out. Thanks for heads up. Now get going, I don't wanna see you folks out here after dark. I'll radio my people, let them know you're coming." Matthew said, pushing them along.

Cal nodded and turned to her group. "So I'm sure you've all overheard, we've been invited as guests to stay at that ski lodge up the mountain, much like when you invited me to stay in your home. Here, each of you take a can of peaches and hold onto it as a last resort emergency ration." She told them, passing out the canned food.

"And you're sure we can trust this guy?" Carlos asked, his cautious nature taking over as he glanced over with a worried look to Sarah.

"Yes. I've developed an instinct for bullshit over the years and I wasn't getting any signs of it from Matthew, so we're more than likely in the clear. Let's move. The more we talk about it, the less time we have to actually work with it." Cal ordered them, handing her can of peaches to Clementine before gently picking up Nick's wounded form.

Completing their rest, the group continued moving up the mountain towards the ski lodge. By the time they reached its balcony, the sun had set and the moon began its ascent into the night sky. Cal set Nick down by the railing and left his care once more to Carlos.

"Luke, see if you can alert the group inside. Clementine, you're with me. We're going to observe the perimeter." Cal stoically ordered, marching her way to the side of the building. Taking out her binoculars, she handed them to her mini - me counterpart. "Keep an eye out Clem. I'll search around back while you take a look at where we were. We need to know if this fucker has been following us for sure."

"Are you sure he is? What if we lost him?" Clementine asked her guardian.

"You can never be too sure with these things. People like him are patient, ruthless, and always try to get what they believe is theirs. And in our case, it's people." Cal briefly explained, placing a hand on Clementine's shoulder. "But now he's crossed us which means our second encounter will not end in his favor." She smiled softly. "While some may call this line of thinking arrogant, and they'd be right, Carver was sloppy in his recon. I've seen split - lips do better. Hell that goddamn chieftain did a better job scouting us out before catching us off guard." Cal thought, reaching to the place where she had been struck in the head. The pain was gone, but the phantom feeling came up every now and again.

"You were thinking about it again, weren't you?" Clementine asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Yeah. Yeah, I was. Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Let's get to looking, we don't want to leave the others to greet the homeowners." Cal said. Taking a few minutes to circle around the target ski lodge, she only came to a single conclusion, there was nothing except lots of snow. Checking in with Clementine, she got an all clear. Either Carver wasn't following them or he just fell behind.

"… folks are the ones who spoke to Matt?" A familiar, yet unfamiliar, voice came from the front of the lodge.

"Hold on, who the hell…?" Cal thought, cocking an eyebrow out of curiosity.

Heading back around the front of the lodge, she saw her new group huddled around the front door. Being a whole two heads taller than everyone else, she saw who they were talking to; a tall man with a dark beard graying in some areas, his eyes soft, but a clear level of hardness behind them, and his hair in a familiar mullet with an aging brown hat. Cal furrowed her brow as she dug into her memory to piece the man together. That's when he noticed her.

"Holy shit. Cal?" The man asked in a confused long, drawn out southern accent.

That's when it clicked.

The man pushed his way past her group, ignoring each of them until he finally stood two inches from the Spartan. Without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. "It's been too long. I thought I'd never see you again."

Cal was initially shocked, but found herself enjoying the emotional reunion. Responding in turn, she hugged him back. "It's good to see you too, Kenny."


Author's Note: Soon. Soon you'll get to see how our badass super soldier responds to the "threat" that is Carver. And did you guys really think I'd kill off Kenny last season? No way, I could never! Hope you guys enjoyed because this took a while.