Hello everyone. I am very sorry for the very lengthy hiatus.
Updates should be coming more frequently, though I don't have a specific schedule planned out. Thank you for your patience.
Without further ado,
Enjoy.
"It's alright… Slow breaths, okay… You're doing good."
Clementine complied with his words, knowing that if she wanted to breathe properly, she had to do so. And surprisingly she found her nerves calming down. She was still terrified to the point where her little body was shaking, but at least she could intake air again.
The girl could hear her twins' cries from the wagon they were in and shakily tried to get to their aid.
"Kid, are you okay?" The man asked.
The girl gave a single nod, calm enough to breathe properly.
When Clementine had finally calmed a bit, the man spoke in a gentle voice to the child.
"You're okay... It's alright." He spoke. "Why are you all alone? Where are your parents?"
The girl refused to respond, she moved herself away from the stranger and went over to comfort her crying daughters.
"So... it's just you and your sisters?" He asked.
Clementine still didn't say anything.
"Okay, if you don't want to talk, that's okay. But... I'm not gonna leave a young kid and a couple of babies out here." The man said to her.
The child still refused to say a word.
"What are you, eleven or twelve? My niece is around your age. Well, a bit younger. She's ten." He continued.
The man still got nothing out of the girl. She refused to speak to him.
"Look... I just wanna help you... if I left a group of kids out here alone, I would never be able to forgive myself." The man said. "We have space in the van...I know your parents probably told you not to trust strangers. And... it's smart not to. It's smart... but you're in pretty rough shape kid..."
"M-Ma..."
The man furrowed his brows at the baby's little call. "Ma? Did she call you...ma?"
Clementine said nothing. She proceeded to grab hold of the wagon with her good arm and began tugging it.
"Kid, wait!" He called.
She didn't as she started walking.
The man watched with concern then began to follow.
"Javi, what are you doing?" The woman called from inside of the vehicle.
The man didn't respond as he did his best to catch up with the power-walking child. When he did so he grabbed at her shoulder. "Kid-"
The girl flinched, turning quickly and hitting his hand away.
"Calm down... I... I just want to help you."
The girl felt her heart pound in her chest, fear flooded through her.
And she had no clue what happened next. One minute she was clutching the wagon, and the next she was on the ground. Convulsing, seizing.
She was completely dissociated. She didn't notice the man once again by her side. Nor did she notice her babies' cries growing louder than before. Her mind went completely blank and eventually the girl blacked out.
"Javier!" The van pulled up beside him and Kate got out, looking fed up. "What the hell are you doing? That girl aimed a gun at you!"
"She's a scared kid, Kate. And she's all alone with two babies." Javier said to the woman.
"What's wrong with her...?" Kate asked looking concerned.
"I... I think she had a seizure...or something... she passed out." Javier replied.
"Shit... Do you think she's bit?" Kate inquired.
"I... I don't know..." Javier said. "But we can't just leave them out here."
"If she's bit, we can't chance bringing her with us…" Kate said.
"I don't see any bites. I think she's clean." Javier replied.
"Then why the hell did she suddenly pass out?" Kate asked.
"I don't know, Kate! But I'm not leaving these kids out here, all alone. Not if she's not bit. If we do, they're as good as dead." Javier said.
Kate huffed at that, pausing for a moment before saying, "Fine… But we have to check them for bites."
"We will…" Javier said.
"Now. Before we let them into the van." Kate said in a firm tone.
Javier nodded. "Okay… I'll check the babies; you check the girl."
Kate sighed and gave a nod.
Javier made his way over to the crying twins and proceeded to check on them while Kate hesitantly knelt by Clementine.
The woman looked over the child's innocent face and couldn't help but wonder why a little girl and two babies were out here all alone.
The child was dressed in a way that made the woman cringe; body revealed through torn clothing. Not to mention the clothing appeared inappropriate for a girl her age. Looking at this kid made her think of Mariana, she couldn't be much older than her, Kate thought. So why on earth was she dressed this way? And why was she traveling on her own with two babies?
Kate hesitantly checked the child's arms, eyes widening at the sight of bruises and cut marks. She also noticed the bandage and makeshift splint on one of the girl's arms, showing that the child was clearly injured. "What the hell happened to you, kid…?"
She slowly checked the child's legs, seeing clear cuts and bruises there as well. Her stomach dropped as she noticed that the cuts looked purposely inflicted. Either this kid was a cutter, or she was being abused. The bruises told her it may have been the latter. Or possibly even both options.
As she looked the girl over she noticed a bandage on her left hand as well and felt her heart drop. The child was missing her left ring finger…
"Kate, is she clean?" Javier's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
"W-What?" Kate looked over to Javier, who had approached with the little twins in his arms.
"The girl, is she clean?" Javier repeated the question.
"I- Yeah. I didn't find any bites." Kate said.
Javier sighed in relief. "Alright, we should get them in the van. You think you can hold the babies?"
"…Yeah… I can do that…" Kate agreed.
"Okay, we need to get a move on… I'm sure the Muertos heard the babies crying. They'll probably be here soon." Javier said.
Kate gave a nod in agreement. "Give them here."
Javier gently passed the twins over and they immediately started to whimper.
Kate tried to shush them to no avail. "Hurry up and get the girl."
Javier nodded, and scooped Clementine up into his arms. He was surprised by how light the child was, it was as if she hadn't eaten in- who knows how long.
He opened the back door to gently place the child into the van. Gabe, who had stirred awake upon hearing the babies crying rose a curious brow. "What's going on? Is that a baby?"
"Two babies, actually." Kate corrected.
"What the hell is going on?" Gabe asked.
"Not now, bud. We gotta get moving. Scoot to the back with your sister." Javier said.
Gabe was still confused but didn't protest, he moved from his seat to the back.
Javier gently settled the young girl from his arms, into the seat that had been previously occupied by Gabe.
The girl remained unconscious, head lulling to the side.
Javier knew it would be better to lay the girl down, but this was the best he could do for the time being. He buckled her seatbelt so she wouldn't fall forward. Then he shut the door and went to grab the wagon, just as he heard a snarl from the trees not far away. "Oh shit…"
The Muertos had definitely heard the babies' cries. They needed to get a move on. Fast.
He made his way to the trunk of the van and opened it before loading the wagon inside.
"Javi, come on!" Kate called, noticing some of the undead starting the near the vehicle.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Javier replied, matching her urgency. He slammed the trunk shut and bolted towards the driver's seat.
He turned the key in the ignition as the Muertos started to get closer.
"Go!" Kate exclaimed.
Javier slammed his foot on the gas and the van began to speed down the road.
Clementine stirred and then jerked away, finding herself laid on the back seat of some kind of vehicle. She took a moment to orient herself and take in her surroundings. Her heart pounded in her chest as she wondered where she was.
Another thought soon hit her, where were her girls?!
Panic struck her like a hit in the head with a two - by - four. Where were the twins? Where were her babies?
She forced herself to crawl her anxious body to the back door of the vehicle and with shaky fingers, she managed to push said door open.
She nearly fell out the car as she opened the door, stumbling a bit but quickly managing to regain her footing.
"Hey… You're awake…" A woman's voice made her jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I was coming to check on you."
Clementine didn't know how to feel about that. She didn't know these people. She didn't know if they were genuine with their want to help.
"Do you know what happened? You kind of just… passed out… You did have a bit of a fever when we laid you down…" The woman said. "But Javi said you had a seizure… I don't know if fevers and seizures usually go hand in hand… But then again, I'm no doctor."
PNES... It was what Carlos had called it. Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Trauma induced seizures... Clementine knew she had been through more than her fair share of trauma.
Still the girl kept that to herself. She couldn't bring herself to answer but Kate continued to blabber on.
The only thing Clementine was concerned with was her children.
"I can get you some better clothes, if you like." Kate said. "Mariana has some extra things. You two probably wear the same size... I can find you something else to wear... something... more weather appropriate..."
Clementine didn't know who Mariana was. She didn't know who any of these people were. Yet, the woman continued to refer to different names as if she knew so.
Seemly reading her mind the woman spoke, "Oh, my name's Kate, by the way. What's yours?"
No response from the child.
"I know you might be nervous and confused, but you're safe here." Kate said.
Clementine couldn't recall the feeling of being safe. The concept of "safety" seemed foreign to the girl.
"And the girls are safe too." Kate added.
Clementine immediately perked up at the mention of her twins.
"Wh-Where?" Clementine managed to utter out. "Where are they?"
"They're safe, kid. Don't worry." Kate said.
"Where?! Where are my girls?!" Clementine asked, more frantic than before.
Kate was startled by the child's sudden snapping. "I- I'll take you to them. But how about we change your clothes first."
The young girl quickly shook her head. "M-My girls…Please…I want to see them…" She not only wanted to see them, she needed to see them.
"Okay... Okay. I'll take you to them. Follow me."
The woman motioned for her to follow, and Clementine did. She soon noticed the man from before with the twins, while a young girl made funny faces at them.
"Get away from them!" The girl tried to used her good arm to retrieve her gun but was surprised to find it wasn't there. They must have taken it.
"Whoa, whoa. Settle down, kid. They're okay." Javier said.
Clementine quickly rushed over to her girls picking them up. "What's in her mouth?" She panicked a bit as she tried to take whatever Crystal had been nibbling on out of her mouth, while also removing bits from Aleena's little hand. Both babies began crying at this.
"Relax, kid. We just gave them crackers. They seemed hungry and—"
Clementine cut the man off by inquiring- in a cold tone, "What kind of crackers?"
"What?" Javier asked.
"What kind of crackers?" Clementine questioned again.
"Just… Just regular crackers..." Javier answered.
Clementine checked the twins over and was relieved to see her babies were okay. But still felt nervous seeing them around strangers.
"Hey, we're not gonna hurt you three, okay? We just wanna help. The kids seemed hungry so... I gave them a cracker... I know babies can't have certain things, so... I wouldn't give them anything that would be a common allergy." Javier said to her.
Clementine sent him a wary look.
"We're not gonna hurt you. You're safe here." Javier said.
Safe... That word was probably the definition of biggest lie ever.
"My name's Javier. I know you met Kate. This is Mariana." The man introduced him and the young girl beside him. Mariana gave a small wave.
"Where's Gabe?" Kate said.
"He uh... got bothered by the babies crying." Javier sighed. "And walked off. I told him not to go far.
Kate frowned at that. "Not like he'll listen..."
Clementine was curious on who this Gabe was, but shook the thought away. She needed to get moving. She couldn't stay with these people. Groups never lasted long. And she wasn't going to put her kids at risk.
"We never got your name, kid." Kate said.
Clementine bit her lip, hesitant to answer. She simply wanted to leave. She looked around trying to figure out where the twins' wagon was. "My stuff… Where is it?"
"Your stuff is in the trunk of the van." Javier said, noticing the girl's wandering gaze. "Look, you don't have to leave. It's honestly not the best idea. You should stick with us."
That was out of the question.
"It's not safe for you or your sisters..." Kate said.
"We'll give you your space if you need it. But it's not smart for a kid and two little babies to be out on their own."
They were underestimating her. Did they really think she was incapable of protecting her own daughters?
"Where's my gun…?" Clementine asked after a moment's silence.
"We… figured we'll hang onto it for now…" Javier said.
Clementine huffed at that. She figured they had taken it. "Give it back…"
"We can't do that. Not until we know for sure you won't pull it on one of us." Javier said.
Clementine frowned at that. She knew they were being cautious. They didn't know her, and she didn't know them, but still. That gun was a source of protection for her and her daughters.
"I know you don't know us... but think about your sisters' best interest... It's not safe on your own." Javier said.
Sisters... The twins weren't her sisters. But she knew most people would assume so... She had only just turned thirteen and was already a mother to two- no three...
The girl fought back a sigh at the thought of AJ. She couldn't help but feel like a failure. She didn't want to fail her girls too.
"Think about it, kid... maybe just stay for a meal?" Javier suggested. "You look like you haven't eaten in days."
Clementine furrowed her brows as she couldn't help but wonder what was the catch?
"You could stick with us… And once we get to know each other, we'll give you your gun back." Javier said.
That wasn't fair… That gun belonged to her. She wanted it back now, but she knew there was no way they would just hand it over. Not after their first encounter. She had created a bad first impression and she knew it was going to stick.
"It's okay. Uncle Javi and Kate are nice." Mariana spoke. "I promise."
Clementine sighed. A promise didn't mean much, they were almost always broken. But something about Mariana's promise made her think that maybe it wouldn't hurt to stay for a little while.
The family kept their word, allowing her and the twins their space. Javier had gotten her and the twins' belongings out of the trunk and brought them over to her. He left her to herself but not before voicing once more how he hoped she would stick around.
Clementine tended to the twins as usual before settling them down for a nap. Once the two were asleep she sat in silence, thinking what her next move should be. She didn't know how long had passed but it much have been a good chunk of time that she sat their in her own world, deep in her thoughts.
"Hey…"
The girl jumped at the sudden voice and looked to the man.
"Sorry didn't mean to startle you… You hungry, kid?" He asked, though he knew the obvious answer was probably yes.
Clementine honestly didn't know. After days of going without a meal, the pain one got when famished had become nothing but dull. She was numb to it in fact. Pain was just another reminder that she was still here and alive.
The girl simply shrugged.
"I figured you would be..." Javier said.
The girl didn't respond.
Javier waited a few moments before speaking. "Here..."
He placed a bowl of stew down in front of the child. "I'll just leave this here for you. Don't let it get too cold."
"Why?" Clementine asked, confusion filling her.
"Hmm? Well… honestly it doesn't taste as good cold." Javier said.
Clementine shook her head, indicating that wasn't what she meant. "I mean... Why are you being nice...?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Javier asked back.
"Not a lot of people are." Clementine muttered.
"I know. Unfortunately, some people can be assholes. But I promise you, we're not gonna harm you or your...sisters." Javier said.
Clementine noted he sounded unsure this time about referring to the twins as her "sisters".
"...Okay... But what do you want out of this?" She asked.
"Huh?"
"No one is nice just to be that way... What do you want out of this?" Clementine asked.
"I don't want anything, kid. Go on and eat. We have plenty and wouldn't want the food to go to waste." Javier said.
"I don't believe you... You have to want something... And I don't have much to replay you." Clementine said.
"Look, don't worry about repaying me." Javier said, unsure why the kid kept on insisted that he wanted something in return for being thoughtful. What kind of selfish people had she been around?
"Why not?" Clementine asked.
"Because I'm just trying to help you. You don't owe us anything." Javier said.
Clementine looked skeptical.
"Fine... If you wanna pay us back, how about you start with telling me your name?" Javier suggested.
Clementine paused for a moment before uttering in a tiny voice. "Clementine... My name is Clementine..."
"Clementine... That's a cool name." Javier commented.
"If... you say so..." Clementine awkwardly replied.
"What about the babies?" Javier asked. "What are their names?"
Clementine, feeling protective, scooted closer to her twins. Javier didn't expect her to respond, but in a quiet voice she did.
"...Crystal... and Aleena..." Clementine answered, motioning to the two as she did.
"Nice names." Javier complimented. "They're cute kids."
"...Thank you." Clementine said.
"I'll leave you alone. You should eat that stew before it gets cold. Trust me, it's better warm." Javier said.
Clementine sat in silence as the man walked away.
She felt both speechless and grateful for his kindness. Her stomach growled as she eyed the bowl in front of her.
She couldn't help but think on his earlier words. "We wouldn't want the food to go to waste."
Would they be upset if she wasted their food? She felt they would. Of course, they would. Food wasn't as simple to come by as picking it up in the store. Many people considered food to be one of the most precious things. To the point that they would kill for it. And young Clementine, having gone days at times with an empty stomach was a firm believer that food was scarce.
Still, she was hesitant. If she ate their food, what would they expect from her? What kind of "trade" would they want from her?
Feeling concerned over his nephew, Javier had gone off to find the boy. It was pretty common at this point for Gabe to cop an attitude over even small things, but Javier did his best to remain understanding. He knew the teen years could be rough. And being a fourteen-year-old in the apocalypse was a hundred times rougher.
"Gabe..." He slowly approached the boy as he noticed him sitting alone, leaned against a tree trunk. "Are you okay, bud?"
"I'm fine..." Gabe huffed.
"You sure? I'm here to talk if something's bothering you." Javier said.
Gabe was quiet for a moment before sighing. "I... I'm... I'm just tired."
"I know... I know the babies probably kept you up last night but—"
"No... it's not that. I'm just tired in general. I'm tired of being on the road all the time. Why can't we just find a place to settle down." Gabe said.
"You know it's not that easy, Gabe." Javier sighed himself this time.
"But it's not easy staying in the van all the time either. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of having to build fires outside to stay warm and to eat..." Gabe grumbled. "I'm sick of sleeping and living in that stupid van…"
"I know, bud." Javier said.
"Things are hard already. And it's only gonna be even worse with two babies. And if they stay with us, we'll have more mouths to feed. And more sleepless nights..." Gabe complained.
"They're not gonna eat much, Gabe. And babies cry. It's what they do." Javier said.
"I know... but still..." Gabe said. "Are they staying with us?"
"It'd be safer for them to. Do you have an issue with that?" Javier asked.
"No... not really. But if they do it's more reason to find a place to stay. To find a home." Gabe said. "I can't imagine being stuck in a van with more people. Especially with crying babies. I mean the girl seems okay. She looks good- I-I mean cool. She looks cool."
Javier smirked at that. "You haven't even met her yet, bud."
"I know... but she seems okay." Gabe shrugged.
"Yeah. She does." Javier agreed. He fought the urge to smirk as he noticed a small flush on his nephew's cheeks.
"She must be really mature…" Gabe commented.
"Why do you say that?" Javier asked.
"Well, she's taking care of two babies. And…. I mean, the way she's dressed… I've never seen a kid dress like that…" Gabe said.
Javier had also noticed her clothing… They were far too grown for her age. "Maybe… it's…. all she could find."
"Maybe…" Gabe agreed. "Where did they even come from? I haven't seen babies in… in forever."
None of them had. Seeing small children, specifically babies or toddlers nowadays seemed rare. "They were on the road by themselves. They needed help, so we helped them."
"Why are they alone?" Gabe asked.
"I'm not entirely sure about that…" Javier said.
"No way they could've survived on their own. They're just kids." Gabe said. "Wasn't her arm broken too?"
"Broken, maybe… it's injured somehow…" Javier said. "I don't know much about her. But she seems to be pretty capable to have made it this long."
"I guess so." Gabe said.
"Yeah… Look, I know things have been hard, but I promise one day soon we'll find a place to take it easy and relax. I just need you to tough it out for us a little longer, bud." Javier said.
"I'm trying to..." Gabe huffed.
"And you're doing a good job. Things are gonna get better, Gabe." Javier reassured him.
"I hope so." Gabe said.
"You trust me, right?" Javier asked.
"Yeah. I do." Gabe nodded.
"And I'll always do my best to make sure we're all okay. We'll find a place soon." Javier said.
"Okay..."
"Come on. Let's head back to the others. We have some dinner ready. I'm sure you're hungry." Javier urged.
"Starving." Gabe said.
"I'm sure. Come on, buddy."
Gabe nodded and the two headed back to camp.
Clementine didn't know how much time had gone by. Her twins had woken and were both happily toddling to and fro. Clementine listened to them babbling at the top of their squeaky little voices. As they spoke to each other in their special little language, she wondered what they were saying and if they could understand one another.
"Clementine, you doing okay over here?" Javier drew her attention as he approached her.
Clementine had flinched, much like before.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." The man apologized again, noting how jumpy the poor kid was. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"...We're fine." Clementine said.
"Alright... Well, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Javier said.
"...Thanks..." Clementine muttered.
With her attention elsewhere, she didn't notice Aleena make her way over to the bowl of stew until the baby's little hands were already covered in the food.
"Leena no!" The girl gasped upon seeing this.
Startled by her mother's sudden call, Aleena jumped and tipped the bowl over, spilling the stew on the ground.
"Aleena—"
Clementine couldn't get another word out before her daughter was crying.
Clementine couldn't help but feel bad, her heart clenching in her chest as her baby cried. "Leena, you shouldn't have done that..." Clementine sighed. "Come here..." She picked the baby up, shushing her, and kissing her little hand. Fortunately, the stew had cooled so it had not burned the child's hand. The baby had simply been startled by her mother's reaction.
As Aleena continued crying Crystal began to whimper as well.
"Crystal, please don't cry." Clementine said.
Though the baby did began crying.
Clementine fought back a groan as she picked up Crystal as well. She struggled to calm the twins, while also struggling to hold the both of them with an injured arm.
"You... got your hands full." Javier muttered.
Clementine fought the urge to roll her eyes as the man pointed out the obvious. She didn't respond, keeping her attention on calming her twins.
"Anything I can do to help?" Javier offered.
"No... No, I- They're just hungry." Clementine replied.
"Well, we can fix that. We have plenty more stew." Javier said.
"No, it's—"
"It's no problem." Javier said.
The man walked off before the girl could further protest.
Clementine went back to shushing the twins until they eventually calmed.
Before long Javier returned, having refilled the bowl Aleena had spill with some new, still warm stew.
"Here you are." Javier said.
"I said it was fine." Clementine fought the urge to both roll her eyes and groan.
"Well, I insist. Can't let the babies be hungry. Besides, we have plenty. You guys enjoy." Javier said.
Javier left the bowl in front of them and walked off to give them their space.
Clementine hesitated but knowing her twins were hungry, gently placed them down. She grabbed the spoon and filled it with stew, blowing on it to cool it. Once the stew was cooled, she began to feed the twins, alternating between the two babies.
Eventually the babies seemed full, and Clementine allowed them to play with some toys.
Clementine felt her stomach give a growl and she looked to the remainder of the now cold stew. She couldn't let it go to waste. Wasting food was wrong.
With some hesitation the girl eventually emptied the bowl of stew. Though she couldn't help but recall Javier's words and had to agree that the stew would have been much better warm.
"How's she doing?" Kate asked as Javier returned to the firepit.
"She seems to be settling in okay. Her and the babies." Javier said.
"I guess that's a good thing... She seems really on edge." Kate said.
"Most people are nowadays." Javier pointed out. "I'm sure she's been through a lot. Can you blame her?"
"No, but still, I think we need to be careful… I wonder what a kid her age is doing all alone especially with two babies." Kate said.
"Yeah, I wonder that too. But regardless I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving a little kid and two babies out on their own." Javier said.
"I wouldn't feel comfortable with that either. But I still think we still need to be careful…she tried to rob us." Kate replied.
"She's just a scared kid, Kate." Was Javier's response, as he made sure to emphasize the word "kid".
"No, she's not just a scared kid. She's a survivor. And we know what survivors do…" Kate trailed off.
"Whatever they have to." Javier finished.
"That's exactly my point. We need to keep an eye on her. We don't know what she's capable of." Kate said.
"…Yeah… I know…" Javier sighed. As much as he wanted to believe Clementine was just an innocent little kid, he knew that way of thinking could only cause trouble for them. You couldn't underestimate anyone. Still, he wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. He wanted to trust her...He just hoped that his decision didn't come back to bite him.
The night soon drifted along and eventually Clementine had gotten her twins back to sleep, covering them with a blanket to keep them warm.
"Hey."
Clementine sighed as she heard the man's voice. She knew he was only trying to be nice, but she still wondered: why? What was the catch?
"We started a fire if you wanna come over. It's pretty cold." Javier said.
"We're fine." Clementine said, pulling the blanket a bit more over the girls so she knew the twins were warm. Though in a way she was reassuring herself that they were okay. That they weren't too cold.
"Are you sure? The babies should probably be closer to the fire." Javier said.
"I said we're fine." Clementine said.
"Okay... I just wanted to make sure. Do you need another blanket or anything?" Javier asked.
Clementine simply shook her head. She couldn't understand why he cared so much about making sure they were comfortable. Why did he keep checking in on them?
"Alright... well, if you change your mind, don't hesitate to come over." Javier said.
"...Okay..." Clementine muttered.
"Sweet dreams, kid."
"...Night..." Clementine gently replied.
As Javier walked off Clementine dug through her bag, finding her familiar teddy bear. She breathed a heavy sigh and hugged the bear close before she laid down, keeping close to her twins. "Goodnight girls... Goodnight, Promise."
She allowed her eyes to fall shut, drifting to sleep while wondering why these people were being so nice. Was something in it for them? Or maybe... just maybe they were simply different from most people.
Javier sat on watch in silence as the others slept. Kate, Gabe and Mariana had headed back into the van for a more comfortable sleep.
Javier figured he would go check on Clementine and the twins. He was worried about them being in the cold for so long.
He quietly headed over to them, careful not to wake anyone.
The girl was sound asleep, clutching to her bear, shivering slightly while the twins lay next to her, wrapped in the only blanket she seemed to have. It seemed she was allowing herself to be without a blanket in order to keep the twins warm. She really was a good kid… Sister, or otherwise…
Javier couldn't help but worry about the kid. The last thing he wanted was for her to get sick.
Heading back to the van, he opened the door and grabbed a spare blanket. After doing so, he headed back to where the young girl lay and set the blanket over her frail body.
The second the blanket touched her, the child shot upright, seemingly still half asleep and confused. Javier also noted a look of fear in her eyes.
It was dark, but Clementine could just barely make out his figure.
Javier could tell the child was not fully awake. "Hey, hey… I was just giving you a blanket…" He told her in a gentle voice, trying not to startle her further. "It's okay… You're okay… You can go back to sleep."
The girl looked to him with a blank stare for a moment, before wordlessly plopping back down on the ground she had been laying on, sleepily tugging the blanket over her head.
Javier slowly made his way back over to the camp he and his family had set and went back to keeping watch.
A little while passed before he heard one of the van doors open and then close. He looked over his shoulder and noticed Kate approaching, a blanket clinging to her shoulders.
"Hey…" Kate greeted.
"Hey. What are you still doing up?" Javier asked her.
"I couldn't sleep." Kate shrugged.
"Something on your mind?" Javier wondered.
"Something's always on my mind…" Kate answered.
"Something you want to talk about?" Javier asked.
"Just the regular worries I usually have. Worrying about Gabe and Mari… Especially Gabe. I swear somedays I really think that kid hates me." Kate replied.
"He doesn't hate you." Javier said.
"He sure can act like it." Kate sighed.
"He's going through a lot. Growing up in a world like this… It's rough on them." Javier said.
"I'm sure…" Kate said.
"But at least they have us… To help them through this bullshit…" Javier remarked.
"Yeah… Unlike the girl…" Kate muttered.
"Clementine…?"
"Yeah, Clementine." Kate said. "I wonder where she came from. Why is she on her own?"
"I have no idea…" Javier said. "But I'm worried about her."
"We don't know her. We don't know a thing about her… Other than the fact that she tried to rob us…" Kate mentioned, much like before.
"She's a scared kid, Kate." Javier once again emphasized the word "kid".
"Not just a scared kid, Javi." Kate said.
"But she's a scared kid nonetheless." Javier said. "I just tried to give her blanket and she looked like a deer in the headlights when I did."
"I'm sure she did… We're strangers to her. She doesn't trust us, and…. I don't know if we should trust her." Kate said.
"Kate, I doubt she gonna cause any harm." Javier said.
"She tried to rob us, Javi." Kate repeated.
"She didn't have much a choice. She's alone with two babies. She probably didn't expect us to help her." Javier said.
"I guess…But still, we can't just excuse it." Kate sighed. "I wonder what she's been through… For her to be this scared… This… cold…. She must have gone through some kind of hell…"
"I think so too…" Javier said.
"I saw a bunch of cuts when I checked her. On her arms and her legs." Kate told him.
"You think someone did that to her?" Javier said.
"Or she's done it to herself." Kate said. "There were bruises too…"
Javier frowned at that. "Geez… She… She's clearly been through some kind of abuse."
"She had to have gone through hell… I mean for fucks sake, she's missing a finger!" Kate said.
Javier's eyes widened at that. "Wh-What?"
"On her left hand… her ring finger…" Kate said. "It's bandaged as if… it recently happened."
"Holy shit…"
"I don't know much about that kid… But she's been through something tragic…" Kate said.
"Yeah… It seems that way…" Javier said. "Poor fucking kid…"
"I'm gonna… try to get some rest… Wake me up if you need me to take watch…" Kate turned to retreat back to the van, wanting to stop focusing her thoughts on the depressing background of this mystery child.
"Alright…Night, Kate."
"Goodnight, Javi." The woman headed back to the van, leaving Javier to his thoughts.
The man let out a sigh. He felt like little Clementine was a puzzle, and he wanted to figure the kid out. What the hell had that child gone through?
Clementine woke up, jumping from her sleep. Her breathing was heavy, sweat running down her face while her heart raced. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and glanced to her twins, sighing in relief as she noticed the two were still sleeping beside her.
She was surprised to find a blanket that was not her own over her. Memories returned of the figure she saw the night before while half asleep. She realized that figure must have been Javier…
She slowly sat up, pulling the blanket off her small body.
She sat in silence listening to her twins breathing as they rested.
She absentmindedly played with her bear's ears.
She looked back to the blanket that had been laid over her. She wondered why they had done that. "That...was nice of them... I guess..." She just hoped that's all that was done, she knew some people liked to take advantage. But these people seemed different…
And maybe... Just maybe they were indeed different...
The girl fought back a yawn, debating on trying to get some more sleep. She never seemed to get enough sleep. But she shook the idea of going back to sleep away. She knew her twins would probably be awake soon.
And only moments passed before little Aleena began to stir. "Ma..."
"Mommy's here, Leena." Clementine said. "Alright, Promise. Back in the bag you go." She sighed as she put Promise back into her bag.
As she did so, she noticed Aleena who was sitting over by Crystal, attempting to pull the blanket off her twin.
"Oh no you don't." She went over and scooped her daughter up into her arms. "Don't wake your sister."
Aleena whimpered a bit.
"Oh, stop being grumpy... That's no way to say good morning." Clementine kissed the baby's cheek. "How did you sleep?"
Aleena babbled a bit; her tiny hands began tugging at her mother's shirt.
Clementine immediately knew what she wanted. "Okay... Okay..."
Clementine made sure no one could see before allowing the child to nurse. While doing so Crystal had awoken and toddled her way over.
"Ma?"
"Okay, baby... you're next..." Clementine soon stopped nursing Aleena, handing the baby a toy to play with while she tended to Crystal.
She had just finished nursing Crystal when she caught the sound of footsteps nearing her. She jumped a bit, quickly fixing her shirt.
"H-Hello." Mariana spoke up.
Clementine hoped that she hadn't seen her nursing her daughter. "Hi…"
"Umm… Javi and Kate wanted me to invite you over for breakfast…" Mariana said.
Clementine was silent for a moment.
"You don't have to come but… but we wanted to invite you over…" Mariana said, seeming a bit nervous. She didn't know what to expect from the standoffish girl.
"No… I- I'll come over…" Clementine told her.
"R-Really?" Mariana hadn't expected that.
"Yeah. I might as well…" Clementine figured she should, to at least show she appreciated their help. She didn't want to seem ungrateful or…weird.
"That's great!" Mariana beamed at that.
"Just… Give me a few minutes to take care of the twins." Clementine said.
"Okay. Do… you need help?" Mariana questioned, hoping she would say yes.
"We're good…. Thank you though." Clementine said.
"Oh… Okay… I'll let them know you're coming over!" Mariana said.
Clementine gave a nod.
As Mariana ran back over to her family, Clementine continued to tend to her kids.
After gathering the twins' toys and their belongings into her bag, she placed her backpack on her back.
She grabbed the blanket that had been placed on her the night before, and folded it up. After folding it, she motioned for the twins to follow her over to Javier's group. "Come on, girls."
The babies toddled along after their mother. Clementine made sure to keep a slow pace, so the twins could keep up.
They made their way over to the group who had gather around for breakfast. However, this time she noticed there was an extra person, a boy she had yet to meet.
"Hey…" Clementine spoke, grabbing their attention.
"Clementine, glad you decide to join us." Javier offered her a smile.
"Thanks for inviting us…." Clementine said. "Umm…. I think this is yours…." She showed the blanket.
"I came to check on you… Figured you were cold." Javier said.
"I…. appreciate it…" Clementine said. "Here…"
"Why don't you hang onto it?" Javier suggested.
"I'm good…" Clementine said with a small shake of her head. She wordlessly placed the blanket down beside Javier before taking a seat.
Her twins toddled over to her, Aleena plopping down on her mother's lap, while Crystal sat beside her.
"We have oatmeal, canned fruit… Applesauce for the babies…" Kate said.
"Uh…. I… They don't like applesauce…." Clementine said.
"They don't?" Kate asked.
"No… Nothing with apples…. They never liked apples. Apples always used to make me sick when I was…" Clementine trailed off, realizing what she had been saying. She had almost revealed that she had been pregnant before… And she was sure the reaction wouldn't be good.
"When you what?" Kate asked.
"N-Nothing…" Clementine said. "They just don't like apples…"
"Oh… Alright then…" Kate shrugged.
"Who doesn't like apples? I mean, they're pretty good." Gabe spoke. "How can they not like apples?"
"They just… don't…" Clementine simply replied.
"You two didn't get to actually meet yesterday." Javier said. "Gabe, this is Clementine. Clementine, this is Gabe."
"…Nice to meet you…." Clementine said, trying to be polite.
"You too…" Gabe said.
Clementine felt a bit awkward as she noticed the boy was looking anywhere but her eyes.
"Make yourself comfortable, kid." Javier said, getting the girl a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit. He handed that to her before going to get another bowl for the twins.
"It's okay, we can share." Clementine said.
"You sure?" Javier asked. "We have plenty."
"We always share…" Clementine told him. "It's fine."
"Alright… If that's what you want." Javier said, not wanting to push the girl.
"Thank you…" Clementine said.
"Don't mention it." Javier replied.
As the group readied to eat, Mariana suddenly spoke. "Wait! We should say grace."
Kate and Javier exchanged looks at that.
"Clementine, is that okay with you?" Javier asked.
"Oh… Yeah… Yeah, it's fine." Clementine said.
"Alright. Go ahead Mari." Javier said.
"Okay… Can everyone bow their heads?" Mariana said.
The others obliged, though Gabe fought back a sigh.
They listened as Mariana gave a short prayer.
"Amen," The girl said once she finished asking for the food and the ready consumers to be blessed.
"Amen." The others followed her lead.
The group began eating and making small talk. Clementine focused on feeding her twins before actually eating herself.
"Must be hard babysitting all the time…" Gabe suddenly said.
Clementine looked over to him. "Babysitting?"
"Yeah… I mean…. You're taking care of them because your parents aren't around, right?" Gabe asked.
Clementine didn't know how to respond to that. Even if her parents were around, she'd be taking care of the twins. They were her responsibility. "No…"
"Hmm?" Gabe looked a bit confused.
"I'm taking care of them because I love them. They're my family…" Clementine said, trying her best to be vague in her explanation.
"Your sisters?" Kate rose a brow.
"…It doesn't matter… They're my family, and I would do anything for them." Clementine said. She was worried how these people would react if they learned she was the twins' mother. She was sure it wouldn't be much different from most people. People always thought she was a whore.
"Fair enough." Javier said, noting that the child clearly didn't want to address her relation to the twins. "How's the food?" Understanding the topic was touchy, he decided to change the subject.
"It's fine… Thanks…" Clementine said.
"When's the last time you've had a real meal?" Javier asked.
"It's… been a while…." Clementine admitted.
"Well, I know it's not much, but enjoy." Javier said.
"Thank you…" The girl said again.
"You're welcome." Javier said.
A brief silence fell before Kate spoke up. "So… Where are your parents?"
"They're not around…" Clementine simply said.
"Then it's just you and the babies? How long have you three been on your own?" Kate asked.
Clementine merely shrugged in response. She was starting to feel uncomfortable with the questions.
"Must have been hard being on your own." Mariana said. "I'd be so scared…"
"I've been scared before. I try not to get scared of too many things…" Clementine said.
"It's okay to be scared sometimes. Everyone gets scared." Javier said.
"Some people take advantage of fear." Clementine said.
The adults didn't know how to react to her statement or to her nonchalant tone.
"Well, I promise you we're not gonna take advantage of anything. You're safe with us… If you decide to stick around." Javier said.
"I don't know…. You guys seem nice and all, but… groups aren't really my thing…" Clementine said. "I… do appreciate your help though… And… uh… sorry… for before…"
"Don't worry about it, kid… I just want you to know you're safe. And we don't hold it against you…" Javier said.
"Okay… That's good…" Clementine said.
"What happened before?" Gabe asked.
"Yeah… what happened?" Mariana asked.
Knowing the kids had been asleep when young Clementine had aimed a gun at him and ordered them to hand over their belonging, Javier decided not to shed light on the now past situation. "It's nothing, guys. Don't worry about it."
"If you say so." Gabe replied.
An awkward silence fell as the group continued their meal.
After they finished Clementine thanked them once again.
"Wait… The offer from yesterday… about the clothes… It's still there." Kate spoke up. "I think you should change your outfit… to something more comfortable." More appropriate…
Clementine seemed to tense a bit at the offer, looking down at her clothes before looking back up and uttering in a tiny voice, "I-I'm fine…"
"I insist, Clementine… I think you'll feel a lot more comfortable. And you'll definitely be a lot warmer." Kate said.
"I'm okay, really?" Clementine claimed.
"You can't be… What you have on now isn't gonna protect you from the cold. If anything, you'll probably end up with a cold… And… I'm sure you don't want to get sick. If you did the twins could as well." Kate said.
Upon hearing mention of her twins, Clementine contemplated on accepting the offer of an outfit change. She wasn't exactly comfortable in what she was wearing, but she had grown used to the revealing clothing. It made her feel more grown-up.
"Kate's right. You should probably change your clothes to keep yourself and the babies from getting sick. A cold is one thing, but pneumonia could be a lot worse." Javier said.
Clementine was silent for a bit. Memories of little AJ being ill entered her mind. How she fought so hard for him. How she stole the medicine. She did her best to make sure he was okay…
She bit her lip, nearly drawing blood. She had failed at protecting him… And she couldn't fail another one of her kids. She couldn't lose another child. And she knew she had to take care of herself in order to properly care for them.
With some hesitation she gave in to the adults' urging, giving a soft, "Okay…"
Kate smiled a bit as the girl accepted the offer. "Alright then. Follow me…"
"…What about the twins?" Clementine asked.
"We can keep an eye on them for a bit." Javier said.
Clementine remained hesitant. As kind as they had been, she didn't know about leaving her kids. Even if it was only for a moment.
"I'll help watch them. I liked looking after them yesterday." Mariana said with an innocent smile.
Clementine looked to her, still a bit unsure, but ready to cave for the younger girl.
"We won't be long." Kate said.
With that, Clementine gave a tiny sigh. "…Okay…" She gently placed Aleena down, the baby looking confused as she did so. Kissing her twins' cheeks, she swore she would be right back. The second she began to walk away the babies began crying. Clementine paused in her steps, but Kate urged her on.
"It's okay… They'll be okay for a few minutes. They can handle them…" Kate assured her.
"I've just… never been away from them for too long…" Clementine said.
"And we won't be too long. Come on…" Kate motioned her forward.
Clementine reluctantly followed the woman towards the van, heart clenching a bit as she could hear her twins' distant cries.
"I'm sure you'll feel a lot better with some warmer clothes. I think you and Mariana are pretty close in size, so you should fit some of her things, no problem." Kate said.
The two reached the van and Kate opened up the truck. The woman began to search through a small bag of clothes. She quickly found a pair of jeans which she handed to Clementine. Finding a shirt however was more of a tricky task.
Clementine found herself fighting the urge to outwardly cringe at some of the childlike shirts that were offered. Though, she was sure she did a few times, as Kate would suggest a shirt than quickly move onto to a different selection.
And she absolutely did cringe when Kate offered a sweater with a rainbow on it.
"Not your style?" Kate asked.
Clementine gave a small head shake. She didn't want to seem picky, but she couldn't see herself wearing that. She couldn't help but recall memories of Bonnie, of a rainbow jacket the redhead woman had given her…
She quickly shook that thought away, not wanting to think about Bonnie or any of her old group members for that matter.
"What about this?" Kate held up a hoodie with a dog on it.
Clementine could feel her arm throb as she looked at the picture of the animal.
Noting the girl's silence, Kate rose a brow. "Not a dog fan?"
"I… got bit by a dog before…" Was the quiet response.
"Oh… Well… We'll find you something else." Kate said, going back to searching. The woman pulled out another shirt, but gave a sigh, putting it back in the bag.
"What was that?" Clementine asked.
"Uh, I figured you wouldn't want to wear a shirt with a fruit on it…. You know, considering…" Kate trailed up with a small shrug.
"Considering…" Clementine urged her to continue.
"…Your name is Clementine." Kate said.
Realizing what she was getting at Clementine sighed a bit. "I… I wouldn't have minded much…" She was sure if she had worn a shirt with a fruit on it back at Wellington the older kids would have teased her for days. But they weren't here… And she had to remind herself that clothes were clothes. As long as it fit, she shouldn't be picky. These people didn't have to give her anything, and they were being kind enough to do so.
Kate gave a hum at her words, then gave a tiny chuckle, "It would be interesting though…" Despite her words, she continued searching, eventually finding a pink sweater with a blue butterfly printed onto the middle. "Not sure you'd be a fan of this."
Clementine however found herself drawn to the butterfly. "I like it… I'll wear it."
"You sure?"
Clementine gave a nod.
"Alright then." Kate handed her the sweater. "I'll give you some privacy so you can change."
"Thanks…"
Kate headed back to the group, allowing the girl to use the privacy of the van to change her clothing.
Clementine slowly stripped from her former clothing. She avoided looking at her own body, at her many scars and bruises, as she dressed into the newly offered clothes. The outfit felt foreign on her body. She wasn't used to being covered in such a way. Not for so long…
She imagined that if Christa, Kenny, or Lee had seen her now former outfit, they probably would have had a heart attack. And she couldn't even think of how her parents would react. She sighed at the thought of her parents and her previous guardians. She missed them… She missed them so much.
After a while Clementine stepped out of the van, taking a moment to look at her reflection in one of the sideview mirrors. She barely recognized herself. She had become so used to showing off inch by inch of her young body, that wearing an outfit like this felt strange in a way.
Recalling her twins were with the others, Clementine quickly headed back to the group. She was worried that her babies would be fussy and crying but was surprised to hear the melody of her children at play.
Mariana was once again making funny faces at the twins while the two squealed and giggled.
"Hey. You look much better now." Kate smiled at the girl as she approached. "How do you feel?"
"I feel okay…" Clementine replied.
"That outfit looks good on you." Mariana complimented.
"Yeah. It suits you." Javier said. Honestly, he was glad to see her dressed in a much more age appropriate and innocent looking outfit. He couldn't imagine any parent being okay with the outfit she had previously been clad in. Hell, he'd be uncomfortable to see a woman dress like that, let alone a kid. Her clothing had been ripped, but not in the way clothes would rip after overuse. The tears were deliberately on her clothes, specifically areas like her thighs and stomach. He would have had a heart attack if he ever saw Mariana dress in such a manner.
"T-Thank you…" Clementine said. "And… Thanks for watching the twins."
"Of course…" Javier said. "Umm… Are you feeling okay? Better than yesterday, I mean?"
"Yes..." Clementine said.
"…Okay…Tell us if... you're feeling sick or anything..." Javier said.
"Why would I be sick?" Clementine asked.
"Well… Maybe not sick but uh… This might be blunt to ask, but are you epileptic?" Kate asked.
"Epileptic?" Clementine echoed the word with confusion. It was unknown to her.
Kate furrowed her brows a bit. "You had a seizure, and—"
Clementine stopped them right there. "No... I'm not epileptic… At least I don't think so... A doctor told me it's... PNES."
"PNES?" It was Kate's turn to be confused.
Clementine simply nodded. "Yeah… I guess… it's normal for me to have them…"
"That's not exactly normal, kid…" Javier said.
"It doesn't usually happen." Clementine said. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
"Are you sure…?" Javier asked, looking more concerned now than before.
"Yeah… I… should probably get the girls ready for a nap." Clementine said, wanting to get of the subject of her health.
"At this time? It's still pretty early." Kate said.
"They like to nap early." Clementine shrugged. "Plus, if they nap too late, they'll be up all night."
"Makes sense…" Javier said.
"Yeah… Come on, girls… Let's go…" Clementine said.
"Aww… Do they have to?" Mariana frowned a bit.
"Yeah… Sorry." Clementine replied.
"How's your arm?" Kate suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Clementine paused for a moment.
"Your arm. Is it broken? How did that happen?" Kate asked.
"I was in an accident… I'm fine." Clementine said, purposely holding back on detail. She knew it was only a matter of time before someone asked about her arm.
"What about your finger?" Kate continued.
"Wh-What?" Clementine stammered, taken off guard by that question.
"I noticed the bandage on it…" Kate said.
"I… I loss it… Okay." Clementine said, starting to feel uncomfortable with the questions.
"You loss your finger?" Mariana gasped.
"Holy shit!" Gabe exclaimed.
"How did that happen?" Kate asked.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Clementine had to fight the urge to cover her ears. "It-It doesn't matter. I'm fine."
Javier noticed her body language. He noted the way she tensed and how she was trembling slightly. "Kid—"
"I don't want to talk…" Clementine stressed to them. "Girls, let's go."
Javier and Kate watched the girl walk off, taking her twins with her. Javier couldn't help but sigh a bit, he could tell their questioning had forced her walls back up.
"Well… that was strange…" Kate muttered.
"You were interrogating her. She probably felt uncomfortable." Javier pointed out.
"I wasn't interrogating her. I was asking simple questions." Kate claimed.
"Personal questions. Hard questions if she's an abused kid…" Javier said.
"I was curious on her injuries. Especially her finger. A broken arm is one thing, but a missing finger..." Kate defended her actions.
"I know, Kate… But still…" Javier sighed.
"I didn't even know she was missing a finger." Gabe commented.
"That's kind of scary…" Mariana said.
"It is…" Kate agreed. "I wonder what happened."
"She might tell us at some point. When she's ready." Javier was glad Kate hadn't brought up the cuts and bruises, Clementine probably would have shut down completely if she did.
"PNES… I wonder what that is… I've heard of PTSD but not PNES…" Kate said.
"Maybe it's similar to PTSD…" Javier said.
"Does that mean she's sick with a disease or something?" Gabe asked.
"I… I don't know, bud. It might be a disorder…" Javier said.
"Disorder?" Gabe rose a brow.
"Something that affects a person's mental state…" Javier said. "It could be trauma related…"
"What kind of trauma do you think she's gone through?" Gabe asked.
"No idea… But out there, trauma is unavoidable…" Javier said.
"Maybe she doesn't have to go back out there… Can't she stay with us?" Mariana asked.
"That's honestly up to her, Mari." Javier said.
"I really hope she does…" Mariana said.
"I guess we'll just have to see what she decides…" Javier replied.
The hours drifted by and evening soon fell. Clementine spent the remainder of the day, keeping to herself, allowing her twins to play, to nap, and reading to them, and holding them when they want to be held.
The girl had simply been enjoying the peace and quiet. And enjoying the time she was spending with her little ones.
Her attention was drawn once again by approaching footsteps, it had been a while since anyone had check on her.
"Clementine," Mariana spoke, causing the girl to look to her.
"Hey..." Clementine greeted the younger girl.
"We wanted to invite you over for supper. If... you want to come." Mariana said.
As much as Clementine wanted to refuse the invitation, she didn't want to be rude. She knew accepting would be the polite thing to do. But she was worried. For one, she didn't want to answer any more of their invasive questions, which she was sure were bound to come her way. And for two, she didn't know how well she would be able to stomach another meal. She wasn't used to eaten twice a day, most days she was lucky if she even ate at all.
"I… don't know—"
"Please? You can sit next to me." Mariana said.
"I—"
"Come on, I promise the food's better than yesterday." Mariana said. "Javi actually put together some spaghetti."
Clementine's eyes widened at that. She couldn't remember the last time she had spaghetti. "R-Really?"
"Yeah. But there's no meatballs." Mariana shrugged. "Have the twins ever had it before."
"No… They actually haven't…" Unless when she was pregnant with them counted.
"Well, they can try it now. I'm sure they'll love it." Mariana said.
"…Okay…"
Mariana smiled at that.
Watching the twins eat spaghetti with their hands was entertaining to everyone. Before long the twins' faces were covered with sauce and some small strings of spaghetti.
Smiles and laughter quickly became a part of their meal as they watched the two babies try to feed themselves.
The twins would mimic the laughter and gestures from the others, and Clementine quickly realized her kids were going to need a good wiping down and a change of clothes, after painting themselves with pasta sauce.
Clementine groaned to herself, realizing it was going to be a mess to clean, but everyone else thought the twins were as cute as could be, sauce covered and all.
After their meal, Kate offered to help Clementine wipe the twins down. Clementine insisted that she could handle it, however. She did her best to use as little of the wipes as possible while cleaning her twins' faces and hair. After that she dug into her bag for a change of clothes for her daughters, making sure they were both dressed warmly and weather appropriate.
Once the twins were dressed, she hesitantly joined the others by the fire, wanting the twins to stay warm.
"So... We're thinking about moving on..." Javier said. "It's getting pretty cold out."
"Yeah...it is…" Clementine agreed that it was getting cold, but waited for him to continue.
"And we wanted to know, what do you plan to do?" Javier said.
"I... I'm not too sure..." Clementine admitted.
"Well, you could always stay with us... We have the space in the van. You three would be safer..." Javier said.
"I can take care of myself, and my girls..." Clementine said.
Both Javier and Kate furrowed their brows at her words.
"We're sure you can... But still... It can't be easy out there. Not with two babies..." Javier said.
"I guess..." Clementine knew it was by no means easy out there. Especially not with two babies. But she still felt unsure about the idea of sticking around with this group. Groups usually fell apart. Things didn't go well with most of the groups she had been in. And she didn't want to get close to a group, especially not a family, and watch things break as things eventually always did… Seeing that happen to a family would destroy her, and feeling that she always caused nothing but trouble for people, she knew the were better off without her. She didn't want to rip apart another group. She didn't want to see people die and feel it was her fault. She didn't want any of that on her conscience. Her conscience was full enough as it was.
"Just think about it, alright?" Javier said.
"...I will... think about it." Clementine said.
"Okay then. Good." Javier said.
Eventually the group started to turn in for the night, the family heading into the van. Before Mariana could head in however, Javier stopped her. "Hey, Mari. I got you something?"
"What is it?" Mariana asked.
"Close your eyes, kiddo." Javier said.
Mariana did so.
Javier gently took her hand, placing something in her palm. "Alright. Take a look."
"No way! You found a chocolate bar!" Mariana beamed with excitement.
"Enjoy it. Just try not to get a sugar rush before bed." Javier said.
"I won't..." Mariana said.
She glanced over to where Clementine was sitting, still by the fire with her twins. She seemed a bit more comfortable than the night before.
Mariana slowly approached the girl. "Hey, I wanted to say goodnight... And... maybe tomorrow we could split this..." She held up the chocolate bar. "I'd like to share some with the twins, if that's okay..."
Clementine was surprised by that.
"Is that okay?" Mariana asked.
"I... Sure... They'll like that." Clementine hesitantly agreed.
"Great!" Mariana smile. "Goodnight, Clem."
Clementine was a bit taken aback, hearing the short version of her name, but didn't protest. "Goodnight, Mariana."
Mariana headed into the van for the night and Javier joined Clementine by the fire.
"If you get too cold, you can go ahead and join them in the van." Javier told the girl.
"I'm okay..." Clementine said.
"What about the babies?" Javier asked.
"They're fine for now..." Clementine replied.
"Alright..." Javier paused for a moment than asked, "Thought about sticking around yet?"
"I'm still thinking on it." Clementine said.
"No rush... Whatever you decide, just make the best decision your girls..." Javier said.
"Always..." Clementine said. Every decision she made, she wanted to be what was best for her girls. That what made deciding on this so hard.
The two fell silent, simply enjoying the warmth of the fire.
Clementine continued to weigh the choice of staying or leaving. She had been worried about being with a group, but these people seemed so kind and so caring. They were a tight knit family, maybe that was why she felt staying would be intruding.
Though the more they insisted, the more Clementine was beginning to think that maybe sticking around wouldn't be so bad.
