I hope you are enjoying it up to this point. If you have anything to complain about, or anything you want to see in the story, anything at all, please comment, I'd appreciate it. Enjoy!

ED faced the situation head on with serious, yet hesitant eyes.

The moment he saw that man pointing that shotgun at Duck, he felt as if time had stopped.

In his mind, he saw himself taking that shotgun and shooting that old man in the head. Without hesitation, without a second thought.

And when Kenny took the shotgun from the old man's hands, he really felt like doing it.

It was only then that he realized what the fuck he was thinking.

He just imagined killing an old man, and his eyes widened at that thought.

That wasn't him, he wouldn't do something like that.

"You killed a child, why wouldn't you kill an old man?"

The voice inside echoed through his mind again, a voice so different from his own, but at the same time, so similar, so the same.

He hated that.

Ever since he had committed that sin, ever since he had taken a life, he no longer felt the same. And he was changing more and more.

In a way, he envied Lee, who even though he had killed someone, was still doing the right thing.

He couldn't act that way, as calm, as rational and relaxed as Lee.

He felt stressed all the time, it didn't take much to make him angry.

It was getting to the point where even his wife's voice had become irritating. And he was beginning to see her less and less as his wife.

And this frightened him even more.

It was one of the reasons that he treated Clementine so harshly, that he tried to keep her away from himself.

Because he was afraid that he would start to find her voice irritating, that he would start to see her in a different way, and not as the sweet little girl she was.

Not as his daughter.

His eyes followed the old man as he sat down in the corner of the drugstore, with Lilly beside him.

And just then he looked again at Lee.

How could he be so calm? Was it because he had nothing left?

Because he had no family?

He wanted to have that calm, that rational thought, to not let his sin overwhelm him.

But he felt that he was losing that fight.

And he was.

- Ed... is everything all right?

Diana asked, snapping him out of his thoughts, and he sighed.

- Yes... I'm fine.

He said dryly, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall beside them.

He glanced at Clementine in Diana's arms.

He still remembered the despair he felt when he saw that thing on top of his little girl. Good thing Lee arrived before anything could happen.

He was thankful that he had saved her. Like it or not, Ed admitted that he would not arrive in time to stop Clementine from being bitten.

Not because he wasn't fast enough.

But because he hesitated, just for a second, but he hesitated as soon as he saw that creature.

He caught a glimpse, as soon as that runner hit the ground, Lee already moved, while he just stared wide-eyed at that thing.

And that made him angry with himself.

If Lee hadn't been there, and they had run into a similar situation, Clementine would have died.

In an instant, Hershel's words echoed through his mind, calling him a coward.

And indeed, he was a coward.

He could have saved that boy, Shawn, but he didn't, he just stood there, watching him being devoured right in front of him.

And that hesitation of his, could have killed his daughter.

"Asshole!"

He swore at himself, shaking his head and snapping out of his thoughts.

- Ed... that man... Lee...

Diana started to say, and he turned towards her minimally.

- Don't talk to him.

"Don't talk to me."

The woman looked at him in surprise, and Clementine stared at him.

- What? but why? I know he's a murderer and all, but he saved our little girl.

She said softly, and he looked at Lee, who was talking about something with Kenny.

- Don't trust him.

"Don't trust me."

- Ed, honey...it's not a matter of trust, but he saved Clementine. That goes for a lot, both for me and for you.

She said gently, looking at him with those sweet eyes, in which Ed was already starting to get bitter to look into.

- He might hurt you. He could be a liar.

"I can hurt you. I am a liar."

He said, and Diana sighed, looking down, a little thoughtful, and even in doubt.

After a while, Lee approached them, and the woman felt somewhat conflicted.

She didn't see him with bad eyes, but her husband didn't seem very comfortable with him.

What should she do?

- Is the girl all right?

he asked, and Ed stared at him.

Would he do the same thing in Lee's place?

Would he check on Duck to see if he was all right?

And the answer, he already knew.

No.

- Yes... she's fine... thank you.

Diana said, looking into his eyes for only a few moments, until she looked away again, apologizing to Lee inside.

But she didn't want her husband to get angry, more stressed than he already was.

Ed just remained silent, looking at him.

- Okay...

Lee said simply, walking away from them.

-...Honey...did he do something to you? Or did he tell you anything else?

Diana asked, and he sighed, bowing his head.

- No... I just don't like him.

"I envy him."

He answered, putting his hand on his head and closing his eyes tightly.

- Why?

Clementine's sweet voice caught his attention, and he felt his body calm down immediately.

That's great. He still loved to hear his daughter's voice.

But still, he feared that he was going to do something bad to the girl, he no longer trusted his own actions.

- Because... murderers are bad people.

"Because he is good, even as a murderer."

He sighed again, that voice inside him never shut up.

Probably that was the biggest reason why he was changing more every day.

- But... he is a good guy. He saved me.

Clementine said, looking at him with those beautiful golden eyes he loved so much, and he had to control himself to keep his face rigid.

- He's just a liar.

"I am a liar."

He closed his eyes.

Would he have the courage to tell his wife that he killed someone? No.

Lee did, he admitted it as soon as he got help.

That was one of the many differences between them.

When he saw him in his house, he felt sympathy for the man, but at the same time, he felt guilty.

A stranger had the courage and honesty to tell a family the truth, so that they would know what kind of person they were dealing with, what kind of person they were helping.

Meanwhile, he just lied, more and more, to his family.

At this point, they knew more about Lee than about him.

- Why would he lie?

Clementine asked again, rising slightly from her mother's lap, without taking her eyes off her father.

-... Because all murderers are liars.

"Because I am a coward."

He said, and the girl remained quiet, and faced Lee, who was leaning on a counter in front of the doors, with his hand on his head.

He looked tired.

Ed sighed and looked at Lilly again, who was sitting next to her father, where both of them occasionally glanced in Lee's direction.

Everyone already knew who he was, and those glances toward him was one of the things that scared Ed.

If they knew what he had done, he would also be the target of such stares.

Maybe worse, since he killed a boy.

Ed was envious of Lee, that even though he said he was a murderer, people still supported him, or stood by him, still treated him well.

Kenny and his family was a good example of this.

So were Shawn and Hershel.

And this even made Ed think about telling his family the truth, but he decided to do it after he did enough good deeds to "cover" what he did.

But how could he do good deeds if he was always angry? Always having negative thoughts?

- Here, the girl hadn't eaten all day.

Lee's voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked at the protein bar he was holding and stretched out toward her.

Why was he so thoughtful?

Doesn't he see that everyone knows he is a murderer? That his life is over?

Seeing Lee in front of him, with that gentle, and concerned look, filled him with anger.

Not at Lee, but at himself.

Why wasn't he like that?

- Thank you, Lee. I appreciate it.

Diana said in a sweet tone, taking the protein bar and handing it to Clementine, who was staring at the man.

Upon hearing his wife's gentle tone, he seemed even more annoyed with himself.

- Come here.

He said coldly, and grabbed Lee by the arm. A grip that didn't last long, as the man pulled his arm back tightly and took on a more severe attitude.

Ed looked at that, but strange enough, he was grateful that Lee was looking at him in irritation.

- What the fuck is your problem?

Ed asked, but it wasn't directed at Lee, but rather, at himself.

- No, what the fuck is YOUR problem? Did I do something to you?

Lee asked, treating Ed the way he deserved to be treated, the way he knew he should be treated. Like the fucking liar he was.

- I told you not to talk to my wife, or my daughter! But I also meant don't get involved with either of them! Things are bad enough for them to get involved with someone like you.

At this moment Ed was talking to a mirror, to his reflection. He was talking to the voice inside, telling himself to stay away from his family.

The way he was getting, it wouldn't be long before he would be a detriment to them.

- Someone like me? Do you have something to tell me?

Lee asked, and his reflection faded a little, but was still visible.

- Yes, I do. I appreciate what you've done, but I don't trust you, especially not walking back and forth with that gun near my daughter!

He said, and both Lee's image and his reflection blended together. And now he saw himself holding that gun.

- If I remember correctly, your daughter is alive because of me.

- And I said I appreciate it, you don't need to get any more involved than that.

Ed said, and his reflection rolled its eyes, sighing.

- Okay, fine. I'll let her starve next time.

His reflection said, and walked away from him, bumping heavily against his own shoulder.

Ed looked at his own back, walking away.

It was as if his subconscious had just told him what he would do eventually.

As if it had just told him that, whether he wanted to or not, at some point he would hurt the one he loved.

And there, he felt afraid of himself.