Though he knows there's plenty of work left to be done, Lee decides that he does want to be accepted into Bill's community. It's what's best for his family, his friends, and maybe even the cabin group, someday. He takes his hand and stands up alongside him, shaking it.
"Thank you for hearing me out." Lee says, making eye contact through every word.
"Don't mention it. Let's go."
The two step out of his office, Carver leading Lee down the stairs leading to the main Hardware store interior. Johnny impatiently waits for Carley, Rebecca and Christa to follow him from across the room. Carley spots Lee confidently following the community's leader, raising a brow. He nods at her. She understands what that means and nods back.
Clementine: 15/15
Carley: 15/15 (She knows you're with Carver now. In a way, she wanted this too, considering Rebecca's emanate birth and the general morale of the group being significantly lower. Maybe Howe's won't be so bad?)
Christa: 11/15
Molly: 12/15
Chuck: 15/15
Kenny: 5/15
Ben: 11/15
Duck: 11/15
Walter: 3/15
Sarita: 5/15
Luke: 11/15
Pete: 12/15
Nick: 11/15
Carlos: 9/15
Sarah: 6/15
Alvin: 13/15
Rebecca: 11/15
Reggie: 8/15
Danny: 7/15
Bonnie: 7/15
Carver: 8/15 (Now that you're being more open minded about his leadership, he's much more confident in you and even trusts you.)
Tavia: 6/15
Stan: 6/15
Shel: 6/15
Johnny: 6/15
Shawn: 7/15
Troy: 5/15
Justin: 6/15
Wyatt: 5/10
Eddie: 5/10
Shel: 5/10
Becca: 5/10
Sam: 7/15 (He senses Bill respects you more, and so he does too)
Clementine stays by Luke's side as they follow Bonnie to the armory.
"So.. Alvin's gonna be okay?" Clem asks in a hushed voice.
"As long as word doesn't spread that he's going against Bill's word, sure. Hey, how'd you sleep last night?" Luke replies, looking down at her concerningly.
She answers in her normal voice. "Alright. Better than some other days in the cold woods, that's for sure. You?"
"Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, Clem, I slept like shit. Sarita and Walter are both a wreck, Rebecca's due any day now, Pete's in no condition to move or work despite what Bill insists, and then there's Danny and Reggie."
"Danny and Reggie?"
"Yeah, they helped us escape the pen before we met y'all. There's something about them that's different though. They seem.." He trails off, looking at Bonnie, who almost seems like the inverse of the two men who assisted them.
"Sketchy?" Clem says. He nods.
"Yeah. Like they're happy we're here because of self preservation. I know they needed us captured if they ever wanted out of the pen, but it's just not right."
"It's a complicated situation. I don't know how I'd feel if I was in prison and my only way out was to get Lee captured too."
"I doubt you'd be happy."
They stop once they reach the armory door. Bonnie unlocks the door with a bronze key, holding it open for them. "Alrighty, come on in." They do as told, neither making direct eye contact with her. Bonnie closes the door behind them as they sit across from each other in lawn chairs. The armory is a spacious storage closet filled with shelves, work desks and chests containing automatic rifles, pistols, a shotgun and boxes of ammo. Out of everything Howe's hardware has to offer, the guns and ammunition seem to be in the lowest supply, compared to everything else. Bonnie hands Clem and Luke mags for separate assault rifles.
"We're loading magazines. Well, you two are, I'm doing inventory. Ask if you need any help, okay?" The southern girl says.
"Sure." Luke replies, taking a handful of bullets from a box and beginning to slip them into the mag. Clementine copies him and gets a few in. Luke smiles at her. "That's it, just like that." She smiles back, going back to work.
Bonnie sighs, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "Hey, um.. I just wanted to apologize for how things went down, at the lodge. It wasn't my idea to act dishonest, and if it were up to me-"
"I know, Bonnie. We both do." Luke cuts her off. She simply nods in response, swallowing as she leans against a desk.
"It's better for Rebecca this way at least." She says. Clem gives her a side glare.
"Is it, really? Pretty sure the lodge had power, food, a fire and plenty of people, as well as guns. This place isn't too different." The young girl argues.
Bonnie shrugs. "Fair point, but we're less exposed."
"The herd marching our way would love to chew your ear off about how wrong that is." Luke remarks, earning a soft giggle from the redhead.
"Well, it ain't up to me regardless. You're stuck here, might as well make the best of it." Bonnie then leans down to Clem's level. "I forgive y'all for tying me up if you forgive me for, uh.. Everything. And I know that's a horrible thing to ask, and I ain't asking it right,"
Clem interjects, "Carver killed Matthew in cold blood just a few days ago and you just expect me to forgive you?"
"I didn't tell him to pull that trigger. If it were up to me, I'd have that boy's arm off like that. Unfortunately, if I had made that call, I'd probably get put in the pen for insubordination. You get used to the rules here, Clementine darling. Ain't nothing but how things work." Bonnie explains. Clementine can't help but wince at every sentence.
"Sounds awful. Like a dictatorship." She sounds the last word out, learning it from Lee half a year ago and just barely understanding the basic meaning.
"It could be less awful if I knew you forgave me. You don't have to, of course, but.. I dunno. I feel real awful. Besides, Bill ain't that bad. He has bad days, but so do y'all. My first introduction to you was getting tied up and gagged, then my life was threatened. I don't think less of you for it."
"We spared you, didn't we?" Clem spat back.
"Clem.." Luke warns. She rolls her eyes, wondering if she should just swallow her objections and forgive her or keep the blame on her. Or maybe she could forgive her another day. Bonnie waits for a real reply.
Choices
A: Forgive and forget
B: Tell her she has to apologize with action, not words
C: Reject her apology
Relationships
Lee: 15/15 (You made the right choice in his eyes when you stopped Kenny from getting a bad beatdown by Carver)
Carley: 15/15 (She's proud of you for how you stopped Kenny from hurting Bill and causing chaos)
Christa: 12/15
Molly: 14/15 (She's surprised at your initiative, she was ready to see Kenny get beaten to death)
Chuck: 15/15 (See Molly's reason)
Kenny: 10/15 (Though you did cause his son to get smacked by Carver, he recognizes that you were only looking out for him and thus feels grateful)
Duck: 15/15 (He's just glad you saved his dad)
Ben: 15/15 (He knows you did the right thing, but feels bad you had to be the one to do that regardless)
Walter: 7/15 (At least someone in Lee's group has some compassion for others)
Sarita: 8/15 (She feels indebted to you after you saved Kenny from a worse fate than disciplining Duck)
Luke: 11/15 (He's surprised at your bravery and very proud of you. He doesn't care either way if you forgive Bonnie or not)
Pete: 14/15 (Everyday you surprise Pete more and more)
Nick: 11/15 (He wishes you didn't have to be the one to pull everyone back, but realizes it's just something you naturally do)
Carlos: 11/15 (He recognizes that you made a bold, smart choice in a tough situation)
Sarah: 13/15
Alvin: 10/15 (He's surprised you were able to do what you did when stopping Kenny and feels bad it had to be you instead of anyone of the adults)
Rebecca: 11/15 (She's glad you saved Kenny)
Carver: 8/15 (He's surprised you held Kenny back, but sees it as a sign of your maturity. You're not sure how to feel about him)
Tavia: 6/15 (See Bill's reason)
Stan: 5/15
Shel: 6/15
Becca: 3/15
Bonnie: 7/15 (She feels bad you had to hold Kenny back like that, making her feel even worse for all she put you through)
Johnny: 5/15
Shawn: 8/15 (It's surreal for him to see the eight year old girl from his dad's ranch take on such a mature responsibility completely unprompted. He feels awful for you)
Wyatt: 6/10
Eddie: 6/10
Troy: 3/15 (He's disappointed he didn't get to hit Duck instead)
Justin: 7/15
Danny: 6/10 (His first impression of you is seeing you take initiative and hold back Kenny from making a bad mistake that could get him in trouble. He's grateful)
Reggie: 6/10 (See Danny's reason)
Sam: 5/15