- Go up, Clementine!
Lee shouted, pushing the runner who was holding him back and shooting him in the head, turning and firing at the others who were quickly coming out of the forest.
Clementine was right behind him, a worried look on her face as she saw that only he and Luke were in the front line, shooting at the small herd of runners.
Sighing, the girl turns and heads up the stairs of the building, glancing at Charles and Bonnie, who were carrying Rebecca into the small store.
The woman's screams echoed far across the place. At least they managed to find a place for her to have the baby before she started screaming like that.
- We don't have ammo for this!
The girl heard Luke shout, and turned toward the gate to the entrance deck.
He and Lee rushed past shortly after, and Lee closed the gate, pushing against the metal entrance as the runners were crowding in front of it, trying to force their way in.
- Bonnie, do you have any ammo?!
Luke asked, putting the rifle on his back as he ran out of ammunition.
- No, just what's in my rifle!
she said, walking out of the store and shooting at the runners crowding in front of the gate.
Clementine looked at Lee for a few moments, he couldn't hold out any longer, and every moment he was being pushed further back.
Looking around, the girl focused her eyes on the cannon just behind her.
- We can block the gate with this.
she said, running to the cannon.
Luke ran up to her and began to push it beside her. As they got closer, however, the wood of the deck gave way, and the cannon sank to the ground.
- Lee!
Clementine shouted, and he jumped back, grabbing onto the edge of the entrance to the store where Rebecca was, just before the floor gave way.
- What the hell is going on out there?!
Carlos shouted, but no one answered.
The creaking of the structure left them all silent, and one of the metal ropes holding up the deck gave way.
- Get back!
Luke shouted, running toward the store, narrowly missing the falling part of the deck.
Jane tried to run, but fell against the deck, holding on tightly to the edge.
Sarah, on the other hand, could not react in time, and fell with the structure.
Luke bent down in front of Jane and began to pull her up.
- What are you doing? Sarah's down there!
Clementine said, kneeling down next to Luke and looking down at the girl, who had some debris on her.
- What? No way she can get out of that!
Jane said, grabbing what was left of the deck with her other hand and pulling her body up.
- Aren't you even going to try?!
Clementine said, looking at her incredulously.
- Help me!
The girl cried out in a groan of pain, pushing the piece of deck that fell on top of her, but it didn't move.
- Sarah!
Carlos screamed in desperation, getting up and trying to run to the deck, but Bonnie stopped him.
- You can't go out there, Rebecca still needs you!
The woman exclaimed, pulling him back.
- My daughter is in danger!
he said, but before he could do anything else, Lee jumped off the deck, falling onto a runner who had come dangerously close to Sarah.
- Lee!
Clementine shouted in certain desperation as she saw him struggling against a runner while keeping his leg over the head of another.
- Cover him!
Luke shouted, and Bonnie positioned herself at the edge of the deck, firing at the approaching runners.
Lee stomped hard on the runner's head, and ran to Sarah's side. Running his eyes down the structure that was over the girl, Lee noticed that one of her legs was taking most of the weight of the structures. It was probably broken.
Perhaps worse, crushed. If that was the case, there wasn't much hope for the leg.
But, there was still hope for the girl.
Bending down, he grits his teeth as he uses force to pull the structure that was on the girl.
- Hurry, Lee!
Clementine shouts as she sees more runners approaching.
Using his legs, he lifts the wooden frame and pushes it forward, blocking, even if only a little, the runners' path to him.
- Can you get up, kid?!
he said, crouching down beside Sarah, who was crying in pain.
- No. It hurts too much!
she said in tears. Lee put his arms behind her back and knees, taking her in his arms, and positioned himself over the fallen part of the deck that was still attached to the top.
- Pick her up!
Lee said, lifting the girl up, until Mike and Luke pulled her with them.
The structure creaked some more, and Lee felt the deck below him begin to sag.
Grumbling, he jumped up and grabbed onto the edge, just before the rest of the structure fell away.
Clementine grabbed him by the shirt and began to pull him up. Luke stood right next to her and helped her do the same.
As he climbed onto what was left of the deck, Lee breathed a sigh of relief, and returned the hug Clementine had given him.
- That was close.
He said, running his hand through his hair as he broke away from the hug, and stood up soon after.
- Is she ok?!
Carlos asked, leaving the small store and walking over to Sarah, who was crying softly on the floor.
- You! You almost left my daughter to die!
Carlos shouted, looking angrily at Jane, who was staring at him.
- Don't blame her for thinking that there was no hope for the girl. You, of all people, know that this could have ended with more than just a broken leg. The frame that was on your daughter was pretty heavy.
Lee said, crossing his arms to Carlos, who ran his hand through his hair.
- But you did it! Why couldn't she?!
- Look at us... not to put her down, but I am much bigger than she is. Who do you think has the most brute strength?
Lee said, arching an eyebrow.
Carlos stared at him for a while, then turned to Sarah, without answering, or saying anything else.
People arched an eyebrow at seeing him there, but soon the crying of a baby caught their attention.
Clementine stared curiously at the baby in Rebecca's arms, alternating her gaze among the slowly approaching people.
She didn't know why, but it was kind of... good?
Seeing this scene gave her a good feeling in her chest that she didn't quite know how to explain.
The girl turned her head and looked at Lee, who rested his hand gently on her shoulder, and looked at the scene ahead with a slight smile on his lips.
- It's a beautiful sight... I never thought I would see something like this again.
He said, sitting the girl down and resting her head on the side of his torso.
- Yeah... I have to admit it is pretty... although his crying is annoying.
She said the last part low, so that the others wouldn't hear, and Lee laughed lightly, looking over his shoulder at the runners that crowded around the building.
-... Well, it can be a little uncomfortable in some situations, but... the birth of a life is still a beautiful thing.
Lee said. Although he was enjoying a little the scene of a baby ahead, he was also worried about what it would cause.
For example, those runners would not be leaving anytime soon. And although they had some food, they couldn't stay there forever.
-... You know, I've always had a good eye for people... but that got better after the apocalypse.
Lee said after a while, and Clementine looked at him with an arched eyebrow.
- Carlos... he seems to care too much about his daughter... way too much.
He said, looking at Carlos, who was analyzing Sarah's leg.
He understood that the man cared about his daughter, of course, but as time went on, and they were around each other, Lee could see that he cared too much about his daughter... to the point that it was a problem.
-... I noticed this at the cabin, and on the way to Carver's camp... Sarah is very spoiled, so to speak. Carlos thinks he can protect her from anything.
Clementine said, looking at the girl for a few moments, before looking at Luke, who had the baby in his arms.
-... If he really thinks so, it won't be long before he, or she, maybe both die.
Lee said, crossing his arms, and turning towards the runners.
- Maybe we can help her?
The girl asked, and Lee sighed slightly.
- It's not our job... but, we can try to get Carlos to change his mind. The way this girl is, she is going to cause more trouble than this baby.
Lee said, walking across the deck and sitting in a corner near the stairs to the ground floor.
Clementine looked at the baby one more time, before following him.
-... why does he think that way?
Clementine asked, sitting down on the floor between Lee's legs and resting her head on his chest.
- Ahm... who knows... my guess is that he lost his wife at some point, and decided to protect the girl at all costs... and this feeling of loss he has made him blind, and he doesn't realize that he is protecting her in the wrong way.
Lee said, propping his head against the wall and sighing lightly, hopefully by morning most of the runners will have left.
-... Were you like this when you lost your wife? I mean, I know you were in a bad mood... you told me back in that barn, but...
Clementine asked.
- For a while, yes... but I don't have children... so I can't really understand Carlos.
- Do you still think about having children?
Clementine asked, and Lee arched an eyebrow.
- I have you, don't I?
- Of course you do, but ... a child of your own, from your own blood.
She said, and Lee thought for a moment.
- I haven't thought about it in a long time... no, I already have a daughter, even though she's not mine...
He said, hugging the girl's torso against his body.
-... Do you think about having a wife again?
Clementine asked, and Lee sighed.
- For various reasons, no.
- Why?
- What do you mean "why"? There are not many people left in the world. I don't know if I will find someone in the future, the chances of that happening are low. And even if we find a good community, with good people, I won't want to get into a relationship... I don't feel like I can maintain one anymore.
Lee said, running one of his hands through his hair, and back into Clementine's embrace again.
- So... basically you don't want someone on your side? Someone besides me?
- Basically, yes... a relationship is complex, more so than it really should be... not to mention that nowadays it is extremely difficult for me to trust anyone. Having a woman, as good as it sounds, is extremely dangerous, and I'm not going to risk it.
He said, and the girl pinched him lightly.
- Ow... what was that for?
- You're paranoid.
- Of course I'm paranoid, that's why we're alive.
- Not all people will stab you in the back... I mean, I don't trust people easily either, I still don't trust Luke and the others, for example, but... I know there are still good people... Luke is an example of that, even though I don't trust him, I see him as a person I can trust in the future.
Clementine said, and Lee snorted slightly.
- I know... but I am too paranoid to trust anyone else, I will always look at people with suspicious eyes, no matter how friendly they may seem... I will always have a plan.
Lee said, and Clementine raised her head, looking at him with an arched eyebrow.
- A plan?
- Yes... for example, I know exactly what to do in case any of the people in Luke's group try to do something against me, or against you... I've watched them long enough.
- What? They won't do anything... no, wait a second, did you make plans to kill them?
- It depends... if they try to kill me, I won't kill them... but if they try anything to you, that's another story.
Lee said, closing his eyes and feeling his thoughts racing through his mind.
- Really?
- Yes, for is kind of thin but has a good physique, he seems to be the fast type, and relatively agile, even though he is not in the best shape, brute strength is not his strong suit, but combining that with his speed, he could be a potential danger. That boy, Nick, too skinny for any physical advantage, but I noticed the way he held the rifle Luke handed him, means he is a good shot, not a fighter.
Lee said, and the girl's eyes widened.
She didn't notice him analyzing the others, he looked at them occasionally, and it was never for long.
- Carlos, considering, seems to be the most balanced in these matters, which means he has no advantage at all. Jane is light, fast, and more agile than Luke, combining all this, she is somewhat dangerous, especially since she uses a light weapon like an ice pick.
-... I didn't notice you analyzing them.
She said, and Lee smiled slightly.
- Of course not, they would have noticed too... I always had a good eye, and picked up a few tricks along the way. It's something I intend to teach you, but we were separated by a herd before I could do it.
He finished saying, and they were silent for a while.
-... Do you have a plan for me too?
The girl asked suddenly, and Lee arched his eyebrows in surprise.
- What?
- You always said to be smart, and expect everything from people... you must have already considered that I might try to kill you someday, right?
The girl asked, looking at him with a strange glint in her eyes, almost as if she didn't really want to ask that question.
- It depends.
- Depends? On what?
- If you are being manipulated by someone, and I know, I won't let you kill me, I will show you the truth.
Lee said.
- Ah... so, you will do something if I just want to kill you, right?
- No.
he said seriously, with stiffened expressions.
- No?
- No.
-... Why?
- Because I trust you with my life.
-... All the more reason to have thought about this possibility... you are completely exposed to me.
-... Even if someday you want to kill me, I won't do anything.
- What? You'll just let me kill you?
-... Yes...
- But why?
the girl asked in some indignation.
- Because I'm not capable of laying a finger on you.
- But still, you wouldn't let anyone else kill you, no matter how close you were, so why would you let me?!
- Because even if you hate me, despise me with all your might, seeing you dead, would be the end for me... it would be worse than dying. So that's why I would let you kill me, better than me killing you, and trying to live with that weight.
He said, looking deep into her eyes.
They stared at each other for a while, and Clementine broke the visual contact, settling into Lee's arms.
-... I'd never kill you...
She said softly, closing her eyes soon after, and letting herself be hypnotized by the beating of Lee's heart.