Lee's Pov
"It's been a couple months since the outbreak began. We've been through so much, and in such a short span of time, it's hard to keep track."
"We escaped the drug store, but unfortunately we lost Carley on the way out. We've set up shop down at a motor inn, where we've stayed for a couple months now."
"Me, Kenny, and mark had just gotten back from a fruitless hunting trip, one in which I had the cut off a man's leg that had gotten caught in a bear trap"
"All in all, this whole day was nothing but a shit show, then these two men, Andy and Danny wander up the street near the motor inn, claiming to have food, and shelter at a dairy not to far from here"
"I was skeptical at first, but decided since we were low on food, I'd give the place a once over, taking Mark and Doug with me before the rest of the group."
"First day here and we're already havin to deal with bandits, Andy tries to reassure me that their place is safe, but the arrow in marks shoulder isn't exactly helping their case"
"The family offers to patch mark up as a show of good faith. We couldn't exactly pass up the chance for a hot meal, not after the last couple of months we've had. Our people needed food desperately, if something was amiss, we'd look into it."
A couple hours later...
"Hey there Lily, I'm gonna go check things out, make sure everyone's okay."
She turns to me with a worried expression
"sure Lee, just don't be too nosy okay? These types are usually very protective of their land."
I nod as I turn and head towards the barn. I enter, and there where I spot clementine, Katjaa and duck all huddled near the cow, of course though, they were Being monitored by Andy.
Something about the guy just wasn't quite right, his skin is awfully pale. I was just about to approach him on the subject until...
"It's okay, clementine, you can pet her," Katjaa says as she tries to reassure a slightly nervous looking eight year old.
Clementine looks up the me, as if her eyes were asking for permission
"it's okay, go ahead" I tell her.
Clementine slowly approaches Maybelle and pets her, instantly, her face lightens up. She then looks at me and speaks...
"whoa...! Katjaa said Maybelle could have her baby tonight!"
"we'll see clementine." Katjaa replied not wanting to give the children's hopes up.
I look over and notice what looks like an oddly shaped brick off near one of the stalls
"what's this thing?" I ask as I walk over and crouch to inspect it.
"It's called a salt lick" duck is the first to answer being followed up by clementine...
"yeah, but don't lick it. It's gross." I grew somewhat concerned, raising a brow, I spoke...
"did you lick it?"
She looks off in the distance while uttering...
"I dunno"
I scrunched my face at that
"Mhmm"
Remembering what I'd come in here for, I knelt down to her level and presented her baseball cap
"here ya go Clem"
she takes the cap in excitement and beams
"you found my hat! I knew you'd find it! You said you would!"
Before I could blink, the young girl nearly tackles me with a hug
"I love you lee!"
I felt an overwhelming sense of pride as I returned the hug
"I...uh, I love you too sweatpea."
Hugging her like this reminded me of someone precious. Part of me wanted nothing more than to drop everything and go looking...looking for him, but, with everything going on, I was scared...the thought of him walking around like-- I shook the thoughts put of my head as Clementine spoke
"Hey lee?
I pull back and look clementine in the eyes. Seems like she had something on her mind
"yeah sweat pea?"
She contemplates before asking...
"do you think, you'll ever have a kid?"
At the mention of a child my face goes from a shocked expression, to a somber one. Clementine, despite her otherwise naive nature, takes notice of this...
"Lee, what's wrong? Did I say something mean?"
I shook my head, trying to ease her worries
"No, no it's nothing to worry about sweatie"
I look down for a second before continuing...
"I just don't think I'd be a great fit for a dad is al-
"Don't say that! You'd make a great dad!"
I chuckled at her optimism
"if you only knew kiddo...if you only knew."
I pat her head as I stood up and walked out of the barn
Two months before the outbreak...
Lee Everett wakes up early on a Saturday morning. Making his way downstairs, he planned to make his currently sleeping wife breakfast in bed.
Her birthday was today and he wanted to surprise her. Their relationship has grown rocky these last couple months, teaching was starting to take its toll after eighteen years and all he wanted was to settle down with his family.
Just as he rounds the corner into the kitchen he's greeted by a small voice
"morning, dad"
Sitting at the kitchen with a book in hand was a young boy no older than seven-years-old. Lee smiles as he greets his son
"Oh, hey there Shawn, you're up pretty early aren't you?"
Shawn nods as he turned back to his book while addressing his father...
"I just wanted to get a head start on my day, like you do"
A surge of pride hits the man in the chest at his son's admiration. It was moments like this that made life worth it for the thirty-seven year old man. Being in such a good mood, and unable to wipe the grin off of his face, Lee then decided to inquire about his son's book...
"Watcha readin there?"
Lee was genuinely curious about what kind of literature had his sons attention. Shawn took this time to explain...
"Oh...um...It's called chun sue, the art of war"
"sun tzu" his father corrects
Shawn nodded with a smile
"Yeah, that!"
They share a small laugh, and Lee speaks...
"You know, when I was bit older than you, I started tearin through dickens"
Shawn looks at him with a raised brow before responding...
"like Oliver twist? And the haunted house?"
Lee was dumbfounded
"how did you--
"found them in your study"
lee nods
"oh"
Shawn gives his old man a cheesy little grin. A smile very reminiscent of his currently sleeping wife. The boy then spoke...
"Oh...is right, if you aren't careful, I'll end up taking your job dad"
the boy says smugly, Lee crosses his arms and looks at his son with a smirk of his own
"Gettin a little arrogant, aren't we?"
Lee Everett took a moment to look at his ever growing boy. Curly black hair and green eye's, courtesy of his mother, Layla. Aside from a slightly lighter skin tone than his father, again, courtesy of his mother.
Shawn looked somewhat like Lee in the face, it became apparent to the man, that with time, it would become almost uncanny.
Lee sits down at the table all the while looking Shawn straight in the eyes as he spoke...
"ya know, I'd have thought kids your age would be sitting in front of the television watching cartoons with a huge bowl of cereal"
Shawn sighs
"yeah? Well, I'm on punishment remember? Mom says I don't get to do anything until I "control my anger"
he says in a mock voice of his mother. Lee frowns and nods at his son's plight
"Of all the traits he could have gotten from me, it had to my dumbass temper"
Lee was abruptly pulled from his thoughts as Shawn continued
"I just got so mad, that jerk mitch just kept talking, and talking...until I broke his stupid nose!"
Lee was about to speak until Shawn spoke once more...
"I tried to ignore him dad, I really really did, but--
tears began to fill the young boys eyes, and his father pulls him into a hug
"I didn't want to hurt him, but he kept saying things about you and mom leaving...something about a deforce"
"a divorce" lee corrects him.
"Is it true? Are you and mom leaving?"
Shawn looks up at his father with tears stained cheeks. Lee didn't have the heart to lie to the boy, it would only make things worse if he did, his son was very perceptive, even for his age...
"There's a possibility, yes, but--
he grabs Shawn by the shoulders and looks him dead in the eye
"part of being a man, is doin what's best for the people you care about, even if sometimes, that means hurting someone else"
Shawn took a second to stew on his fathers words, but nonetheless he nods slowly and wipes away his tears as his father continued on...
"That might sound confusing at first, but as you get older, you'll understand more and more, and another thing. No. Matter. What. Your mother and I, will always be there for you...even if we're not under the same roof.
sniff*
Shawn's wipes away his tears before responding...
"The first thing I'm gonna do when I see mitch again, is apologize, then I'll work on controlling my anger"
Lee smiled
"that's good son, ya know, controlling your emotions is the first step toward becoming a great man"
Shawn nods
"I won't let you down dad"
Lee looks at his son for a moment, which causes the boy to look back at his father curiously before the man finally spoke...
"Tell ya what, today's your mom's birthday, I was heading down here to make her breakfast. How's about you help me with that, then we go out shopping been meaning to get ya that new game you've been on about for awhile"
Shawns eyes widened and he becomes ecstatic, pumping his fist he shouts
"alright!"
He slams himself into his father's chest nearly tackling him
"You're so cool dad, I really freaking love you."
"I love you too, Shawn."
Lee laughed as he patted his son's back before returning the hug, all the while, a single thought ran through the man's head...
"I never want to miss this feelin."