- Hmpf... he did it.
Clementine said in a whisper, her eyes focused on the comic book she was reading. She turned the page and gave a soft sigh as she stared at the end.
She had found this comic by pure chance, in the abandoned room that belonged to a boy... or once belonged, since the boy was no longer anything more than a skeleton in the living room.
Entertainment was almost non-existent in those days, and honestly, sometimes she was surprised at how she managed to pass the time.
Staring at the sky had become a rather relaxing pastime, when she wasn't stressed by everything that was going on around her.
- Did Batman really exist?
AJ's childish voice beside her brought her out of her thoughts, and she turned to the boy, who was looking at her curiously.
AJ had grown a lot, even though he was younger than her when all this happened, he was already the same size as she was when she was eight... hmm.
- I don't know... I don't think so.
She answered after a while, closing the comic and turning to AJ, who began to look at the pictures with curious eyes, practicing his reading.
- It would be nice if he existed... he would save us from the monsters.
He said after a while, arching an eyebrow in amusement as he looked at the picture in the comic book.
Clementine didn't read much anymore, not like she used to, and every comic book, or any other book, anything she found along the way, she picked up and handed to boy enjoyed practicing his reading, as well as having fun being immersed in the world that the words brought him, and the sensations he felt...
Away from the monsters that walked the earth.
- It sure would be, Goofball.
She said, throwing her body back slightly as she leaned on her arms, watching the morning sun illuminate the empty road ahead.
The boy grumbled beside her, causing Clementine to look at him with a arched eyebrow, somewhat amused.
- I hate it when you call me that, I'm not a kid anymore... it' s Alvin Jr.
He said with a slightly grumpy face, and Clementine smiled at the boy, turning back to face the horizon.
- You can be my age, buddy. You'll always be Goofball to me. Deal with it.
She said playfully, placing her hand gently on AJ's head as she heard him complain again.
Clementine took the hat off her head and placed it at her side, running her hand through her hair as she sighed.
She had no idea how long she had already been on the road. It seemed to have passed so fast, but at the same time, so slow.
She remembered as if it were yesterday the day she took AJ from that ruined ranch where he was just a baby. But now, she looked at him and already saw him growing up at a fast pace.
This was great, but at the same time, scary.
In a while she would no longer be able to boss him around, which would be a shame, she was used to seeing him follow her orders.
- Who is this?
His curious voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she turned to the boy, slightly surprised to see the old photo he held in his hand.
Clement picked it up in a rush, causing the boy to look at her confused, and even more curious by that reaction.
She had acted without thinking, letting the emotions buried deep inside her take over her body for just a few fractions of a second.
She was always thinking about him, how could she not? She had been looking for him all this time.
But she never really talked about him to AJ, even though she had already made a few mentions of a "mystery man" to the boy.
- He... he took care of me, when the monsters came.
She said vaguely, putting the photo back inside her hat, and putting it on her head.
Aj stared at her for a moment, perhaps waiting for her to continue with what she was saying.
- So, is he your father?
he asked, without looking away from Clementine.
She sighed slightly and bowed her head.
"Father"... what did her father's face look like?
She didn't know anymore... she could only remember him dead, his face already disfigured, just like her mother.
And right behind them, the face of the man who had kidnapped her... how could she forget him?
But, it was something even... strange, how could she forget the faces of her parents, but remember well the face of the one who had done her so much harm?
Was this a sick joke of fate, or was it just something in her mind, that she remembered only what traumatized her the most?
Thankfully she could see his face lying in his own blood pool before she left that damned building... where she lost everything she had.
- No... he was not my father... not by blood, at least.
She replied after some time trapped in thought. Staring at the ground with a heavy gaze.
It was because she felt that way, because she felt helpless, and useless, that she didn't like to remember the past.
If she could go back in time, with the body, mindset and experience she had today, things would have been extremely different.
She wouldn't have to depend on Lee for practically everything, she would be the partner he had to have, she would help him the same way he helped her.
She wouldn't be kidnapped... many people wouldn't have died.
It was a shame, she could only dream of it happening.
- What do you mean, "not by blood"?
Aj asked after some thought, looking curiously at Clementine's face.
- It means that I'm not really his daughter. He just considered me to be his daughter, and I considered him a father.
She replied, hearing the last words he said echo through her mind again.
"I love you."
Those words comforted her in rough times, and also left her feeling even worse than she did.
Aside from AJ, nothing made her happier than remembering those words, but at the same time, it made her regret...
Regret for not saying them when she had the chance, for not letting him know that she loved him too.
She was too worried about crying than answering Lee, besides not having the strength to say anything after she heard him tell her not to look back.
His raspy, weak voice echoed in her mind every day, whenever she closed her eyes at night.
- But... don't we only have one father?
Aj asked again, taking one last look at the comic book before closing it and placing it beside him.
- No. It's complicated, but, you can be the son of one person, and consider another as a father... or, you can simply consider both as fathers.
She said, laughing softly when she saw AJ's confused expression.
- For example, I had my blood father, the one who had me along with my mother, my biological one. And I also had my other father, the one who took care of me, taught me many things and protected me from monsters.
She explained, looking again at the horizon as she felt a light breeze kiss her face.
-But, if you don't have the same blood... how did he become your father?
The boy asked after a while, also looking at the horizon.
- He took care of me as if I were his daughter, protected me with his life and taught me how to protect myself. He stood by me whenever I was scared, he played with me when he had time...
- So... can anyone who does that become a father? Or a mother?
- No. He treated me in a special way... different from other people... that's why not just anyone can become a father, or a mother to you. No matter how well they treat you. Some people come into your life and... you know that they can't be replaced if they leave...
She said with a distant look, letting herself be consumed by the blue sky.
AJ noticed the heavy mood around Clementine, along with the girl's melancholic voice. He squeezed her arm, hesitating whether to continue the conversation.
-I consider you my mother.
He said, and Clementine looked at him in surprise.
A warm smile broke out on her lips as she felt her chest heat up at the boy's words.
- Thank you, AJ. That's wonderful to hear.
She said, pulling him by the shoulder into her body, hugging him.
The boy rested his head on Clementine's side, looking down at the floor.
- What happened to him?
The smile on Clementine's lips died a little, and she sighed while lowering her gaze.
No matter how many times she thought about the events of that day, she always felt like crying... no matter how much she thought she had gotten over it, it kept coming back to haunt her.
- We... were separated, because of an incident.
She said vaguely, feeling the boy move under her arm, probably turning to look at her.
- Did he die?
- No... I thought he died, but no... he is out there, somewhere... a good place, with food, good people, I hope.
She answered, closing her eyes and trying to believe those words... but deep inside, she knew it was very unlikely.
She hoped that he was alive... she and Aj were, so he might be too... but she knew that the chances of seeing him again were almost zero...
He could be involved with bad people, or wandering the world in a situation similar to hers, or at worst, with a bullet in his head.
-Do you think you will ever see him again?
Aj asked, feeling Clementine remove her arm from around his body and stand up, taking the pistol she had at her side and putting it around her waist.
-... Someday, I hope so. Come on, I think it's about time we moved out of here.
She said, looking for a moment at the machete that was in her hand.
She still had that machete, it was as if the blade had become part of her body. So many memories... besides being a souvenir. She put it in the sheath on her back, and looked at AJ, who took the revolver from beside him and put it at his waist, next to the knife Clementine had given him.
- Where are we going now?
he asked, walking towards the parked car ahead while looking at Clementine.
- I don't know... to our next stop, I guess.
She answered, not having any place in mind, not knowing of any community or safe place to stay.
She had tried to find Hilltop, after she had rescued AJ, but it didn't work out, maybe she hadn't gone the right way, and after a while, she just gave up on getting there.
The girl got into the car, watching AJ sit in the back seat. She turned the key and stepped on the gas, taking one last look at the abandoned farm before driving away.
