Running his eyes through the forest, Lee sighs in a mixture of relief and a little suspicion when he sees that there are no walkers around. Not that this was a bad thing, but aside from the two poor fellows he had seen that morning, he had not seen any walkers all day, and in a way, this made him a little uneasy.
Paranoid even, as his body had the impression that at any moment a piece would be ripped from his neck by a walker who took him by surprise.
"Hm, who knew a place like this would be so close to where we are." Kenny's voice caught his attention, and Lee turned to his friend, resting the axe on his shoulder and walking calmly to his side.
His eyes ran over the small lake of crystal clear water ahead, being decorated with a small waterfall. A beautiful place, and one that had not been tarnished by the death that had spread. There was not that characteristic blood red, only the green that bathed the beautiful landscape, blending with the beautiful crystal clear water so mesmerizing.
"Wooah." Lee smiled as he looked at Duck, just a few steps ahead of Kenny. The boy had a bright look on his face and his mouth looked like it was going to fall off his face from how amazed the boy was. Lee didn't blame him, after having seen so much death in those two months, it was almost a dream to see something so beautiful again.
Beside the boy, Clementine was also gazing in awe at the landscape, but with less emphasis than the boy, because of her reserved manner. But her excitement was obvious, her small hands clasped the hem of her dress and a small smile adorned her excited expression.
The smile on Lee's face widened, and he walked over to a nearby tree, placing his backpack against the trunk.
"Okay, put your stuff here. We don't have much time to enjoy it." He said, and the two children immediately walked over to him, placing their respective backpacks next to Lee's.
Kenny did the same, looking around once more. "Hm, the day is strangely quiet." His friend mentioned, and Lee gave a nasal laugh.
"I think even the walkers are celebrating Duck's birthday." Lee joked, looking at Clementine, who pushed Duck in the water as the boy approached the lake to watch some fish. Smiling as he heard the girl's excited laughter and the boy's promise of revenge.
"Well, it is good indeed. Which is great, this place is too beautiful to be stained by blood." Kenny said, crossing his arms and watching the two children playing on the edge of the lake.
"I have to agree." Lee replied, looking at the surrounding forest once again, thinking about setting some traps in case something or someone tries to approach and they don't notice.
"Have you come here much? When I mentioned Duck's birthday, you seemed pretty inclined to come." Kenny asked, sitting down a few steps away from the tree that his things were in, getting closer to the water of the lake, but not to the point of getting his clothes wet.
"Well, not much. But my brother's birthday was here once. My father had an accident, and he hadn't left the house for about three months. Since it was my brother's birthday, we decided to bring him here to celebrate." Lee said, kneeling on one of his legs beside Kenny and leaning on his axe, standing at attention in case any walkers show up.
Kenny, beside him, watched him for a few moments, noticing the nostalgic expression on his friend's face.
"What happened?"
"A car accident, hurt his leg pretty bad. The doctors said he wouldn't be able to walk anymore. It was my brother's birthday but we focused more on my dad's well-being than anything else. It was a great day, he laughed for the first time after the accident. A week later, the doctors reported an improvement. And within a few months, he was walking again."
Lee smiled at the memory, remembering perfectly well the surprised expressions of the doctors upon seeing his father walking, and many said it was a miracle to see him upright again. Without a shadow of a doubt, his father began to improve after that birthday, so in a way, that place they were in now was special to him, a magical place that he wanted to share with Duck, who had become somewhat melancholy after seeing so much death.
" Damn, your dad was a tough old man then." Kenny said with a small smile, watching Duck take off his shirt and put on his swim shorts, just before running down to the lake and taking a small dip.
"He was. Just like Duck is a tough kid. I could tell he was a little down lately. Well, just like my dad, I hope a little visit here will make him better." Lee said, smiling at Clementine who waved to him already in the water. The girl didn't seem bothered about swimming with the fish.
Which was great, Lee had seen many people who didn't share the same liking.
"Ah, pal. Thank you. The Kenny family here appreciates it." Kenny said looking at him warmly. Lee smiled, and just nodded. "A shame Katjaa couldn't come."
"A shame indeed, but she needed to take a look at Mark. His leg was pretty screwed up." Lee ran his hand through his hair as he looked around once again. Being cautious could never be too much.
"You know what else is going to be screwed up? Us. Lilly's going to freak out." Kenny said, and despite everything, laughed lightly. Lee also laughed as he thought about how the woman must be right now. She would certainly react strongly, but deep down, he knew she would calm down.
"Surely. But for those smiles..." Lee pointed to the two children further ahead, throwing water at each other, and Kenny let out a nasal laugh.
"I'll tell you what, it's fucking worth it."
"I agree."
They were silent for a while, both enjoying the beautiful image of seeing two children playing together, and both of them let that good feeling in their chests dominate their thoughts. Seeing that, they almost forgot that the world outside was shrouded in death and that corpses came back to life to devour the living.
That image brought hope that the days would get better, sooner or later. And, just as Kenny said, it was worth going through hardship to see those smiles.
Lee stared at Clementine for a while longer, they had known each other literally two months, and she had already impacted his life in ways he could never have imagined. He had always thought about having children, but having a real one, even if it wasn't really his, brought a new feeling.
He laughed lightly at himself, was it stupid to consider a practically strange girl as his daughter? They barely knew each other.
For a few moments, worry ran through his eyes. The girl seemed bent on finding her parents, something Lee understood, but from what he heard on the voice mail at Clementine's house when he found her, there wasn't much hope for them. At least, not for her father, since he was the one who was bitten.
But who knows... maybe, not even for her mother.
Lee was brought out of his thoughts when Clementine faced him back, calling out to him with a bright smile on her face.
"Lee, come play with us!" She called out to him, and Lee looked around again, before sighing slightly as a simple smile appeared on his face.
"Come on dad! You said you'd come in with me!" Duck called out to Kenny, and he snorted amusedly, getting up soon after.
"Well, duty calls." Kenny said to Lee, just before he approached the lake. "So, who wants to learn how to catch some fish?" Kenny asked, and Lee smiled as he watched the two children shout enthusiastically.
Lee stood up and looked around once more. They were being too loud. Not that it bothered him, but he would stand there, watching for a while longer until he made sure that no walkers were approaching.
"Hah! I caught one!" Clementine celebrated as she pulled her fish out of the water, showing it to Duck, who just huffed in a little frustration at not catching one.
"That's not fair! These fish aren't coming to me."
He complained, and Kenny chuckled lightly at the boy's impatience. It was to be expected, Duck was not the quiet type.
"One of the tricks, Duck, is to be patient. Don't go after the fish, let the fish come to you. Like Clem did." Kenny instructed, arching an eyebrow as he watched the boy mumble softly.
"But it takes too long."
"I know. It can take up to hours to catch a fish." Kenny chuckled at Duck's grimace, waving his hand lightly. "Relax, there are plenty of fish here, and you barely waited a minute."
Duck snorted, looking at Lee over his shoulder. Lee had not entered the water, but had paid attention to Kenny's fishing lessons.
"Hey, Lee, got any stories to pass the time?" The boy asked, and Lee arched an eyebrow.
"Ahm, my stories aren't very exciting. Why don't you ask your father? As a fisherman, he must have all kinds of interesting stories." He looked at Kenny, who just shrugged in a smug way.
"What can I do? Sitting around reading a history book is not my type. Did I ever tell you about the time I caught a great white shark?" Kenny asked and both Lee and Clementine widened their eyes slightly in surprise.
"You caught a white shark?" Lee asked, a bit in disbelief, just to tease Kenny a bit as he knew his friend got a bit... sensitive when the topic was fishing.
"Oho, my friend, I am proud to say that I caught a great white shark. One of the best experiences in my life." Kenny smiled slightly, putting his hands on his waist and looking skyward with a nostalgic expression.
"Argh, Dad, I've heard that story many times." Duck complained, turning to Lee soon after. "Come on, Lee, any story to pass the time."
"Well, I guess I can be kind enough and let Lee tell a story. Although, I doubt it will be as amazing as mine." Kenny said, crossing his arms and looking at Lee with slightly challenging eyes.
Lee, for his part, sighed slightly, looking around once again.
"I, ahm... I don't know what story to tell. What do you want to hear?"
"A silly one. You always seem so serious." Duck said excitedly, and Lee stared at him for a few moments a little silly.
"Hahaha, you heard the boy." Kenny said, and even Clementine began to stare at him more intently, making Lee sigh in defeat.
"Well, there are some that you guys are better off not knowing, but... well, my grandfather had a farm and a little river ran behind the house. It was a party, I don't remember what we were celebrating. I just remember that there was a part of the river that was deeper, and I saw my father swim there without any difficulties. I was small at the time and I couldn't do the same because I couldn't swim yet." He smiled as he recalled the memory.
"It was then that I had the brilliant thought, 'Oh, if I can't breathe underwater through my nose, maybe I can through my mouth.' I almost drowned." Duck laughed out loud as Clementine laughed softly pointing her finger in his direction with a mocking expression.
Kenny also laughed lightly, still with his arms crossed.
"And you still became a teacher."
"Well, my friend, I have to agree with you on that one. But at the time, I thought I was going to revolutionize the world with my discovery." Lee laughed along with Kenny, shaking his head at the idiotic childish thought.
"I may look like that today, but I was pretty dumb when I was younger. For example, I took boxing when I went to college, I thought no one would try to mess with me if I did. And really, I was the only one who did boxing. After a while, I made some friends who made fun of me saying that boxing was dead." Lee laughed harder as he remembered this, shaking his head in denial to himself.
"So, to prove that boxing was still alive, I took one of the gloves from the gym and walked around the college with a glass of water in my hand. I would reach behind my friends, throw the water in their faces." He laughed again, sighing as he wondered why he did that kind of thing.
"But why?" Clementine asked.
"I'd make them turn their heads the other way, and when they did, I'd hit them with a solid punch." Kenny laughed out loud and Lee, unable to hold his laughter in any longer, followed him, laughing lightly as he remembered all the punches he had ever thrown at his friends.
The children, although they didn't think it was so funny, started to laugh at the fact that both Kenny and Lee were laughing. Their laughter echoed through the forest for a while, and for a few moments, they forgot about all the troubles they had been through, were going through, and will be through.
"Oh, God... hahaha, Jesus Lee. Shit, I'd love to do that with that asshole Larry, though." Kenny said, wiping a non-existent tear at the corner of his eye.
"Swear!" Clementine scolded him, and Kenny looked at her a little surprised.
"Oh, sorry honey, force of habit."
"Why did you do that to your friends? Didn't it hurt?" Duck asked, and Lee shrugged.
"Sure it did, but that was the fun of it. They might get angry at first, but then they'd laugh along."
"That's stupid." Clementine said with an accusatory smile at Lee, who was forced to agree with her.
"Stupid, but fun. I'll tell more of my college stories later, now, I think it's good we're going back, Lilly's probably having a stroke by now. Go dry off and change your clothes."
Lee smiled as he heard Duck complaining softly, making a frown at Clementine who gloated that she had managed to catch at least one fish. He walked over to his backpack and placed it on his back, looking around once more, before escorting Clementine to a further spot so she could change clothes.
Once she did, they walked over to Kenny and Duck and were soon out of there.
"Today was great!" Duck celebrated, trying to control himself so he wouldn't end up talking too loudly and attract unwanted attention.
"Can we do this more often?" He asked, alternating his gaze between Kenny and Lee, who although happy to see the livelier boy, couldn't really lie to him.
"...If we ever get the chance again, Duck, yes, we can. But for now, let's not promise anything." Lee said, feeling Clementine squeeze his hand gently. Looking at the girl, he follows her eyes to the spot she was looking at and feels his body go on alert as he sees a walker approaching.
He stopped walking and pulled the girl gently to Kenny's side, squeezing the handle of his axe a little harder as he looked around the place for any more walkers. As it turned out, there were a few scattered around the forest, but they hadn't seen him yet. It wasn't much of a problem considering that they were at most a five minute walk from the hotel.
Turning, he nods to Kenny who had a machete in hand and walks over to the walker. As he approaches, he kicks the corpse towards the tree behind him and in one swift movement, he sticks his axe into the head of what used to be a woman.
Lee pulls his axe hard and watches the body fall to the ground beside his feet, just before again looking around.
"Let's get the hell out of here." He said, turning around and walking at a quick pace towards Kenny.
After they arrived at the hotel, things went exactly the way they had imagined. Katjaa already knew what they would do, although, she was annoyed that she had clearly gone against the idea of Duck leaving the hotel. But, seeing the excited expression of both Duck and Clementine, she restrained herself for the moment and just looked at Kenny with narrowed eyes.
Carley did the same, more irritated by the fact that Lee hadn't said anything to her than his outing with Clementine itself. The woman knew he could take care of himself, especially being with Kenny, both men often left that hotel before Mark arrived.
Mark just stared at them neutrally. Although it really was a dangerous idea, not only for the fact that they no longer needed to go out in search of food, but since they also left with the two children, they came back just fine. So, in the end, there was no need to get upset about what could have happened if nothing happened.
Lilly and Larry, on the other hand, as expected, were not happy at all. Kenny immediately started arguing with Larry, telling the old man that he and Duck were better off outside facing the walkers than in there with him.
Lilly, angry, started yelling at Lee saying how irresponsible that was, and that it was an action of someone who didn't care about the group, especially knowing that they were the hotel's main line of defense being the healthiest men they had. As punishment, Lee would have to keep watch for the rest of the week. Great.
He didn't even bother to argue with the woman, he didn't need to, and especially not worth it. He just accepted what she said and kept his mouth shut, but discreetly, looking with a mocking smile at Clementine.
It could have been dangerous, something could have happened to them outside as well as to the rest of the group inside. But in the end, nothing happened, and he could see the only two children in the group returning with that same bright air that was slowly fading away.
It was worth it.
The night passed quickly, and just before Lee was dropped off on his watch, he observed Duck chatting with Katjaa, telling her how his day was at the small lake. Too bad Kenny seemed to be on punishment or something, Katjaa always cast a sharper glance in his direction.
The day was slow in coming, and Lee had to struggle a bit to stay awake and alert, especially with the complete silence that surrounded him. But as soon as the first rays of sunlight dotted the sky, Kenny came out of his room and walked toward him while yawning.
They waved to each other and without saying a word, Lee climbed down from the RV and handed the rifle to Kenny, who soon took his place on the lookout.
Stretching, Lee feels his body a little sore from sitting in the same position for hours. He walks to his room and the first thing he sees is Clementine lying on his bed next to Carley.
He lets out a nasal laugh when he sees the woman hugging the girl's waist, closing the door carefully so as not to wake them both.
After taking off his shoes, he walked silently to the single bed next to his and lay down, focusing his eyes on the ceiling afterwards.
Now lying in his bed, he didn't know if he would be able to sleep immediately, despite how tired he was. He still had some nightmares about everything that was happening, memories of both his old life and his current one, and honestly, he couldn't tell which was worse.
On the one hand, his old life gave him quiet moments where the biggest of his worries was correcting exams and preparing the next classes. Although, all the neglect of his own family, the constant fights with his wife and the fatigue of his work were not exactly an advantage.
On the other side, the actual world he lived in was horrible. Death was literally around every corner, following him every time he set foot outside that hotel. He had to fight for his survival and the survival of others around him every day. But despite all this, there was one small pillar strong enough to keep him trying.
His eyes soon turned to Clementine, who was fast asleep in the next bed. She was like a little angel abandoned in the middle of hell, and although he had found her, he didn't know if it was he who saved her, or if it was the other way around.
A little girl like her, in a world like that, awakened his protective and paternal instinct that he himself didn't even know he had.
It was even strange to think that, even though he had only known her for two months, he would sacrifice his life for her without even thinking.
Time passed, and now Lee faced the barricade in front of the hotel as he walked with a large basket of food in his hand. Beside him, Kenny was walking with another, a neutral expression on his face, which was unusual, since although smart, Kenny was also pretty emotional and expressed himself a lot.
"They're back!" Lilly shouted as she saw them approaching, and the group soon approached the barricade, Clementine being the first to approach, immediately focusing her eyes on Lee in way of reassurance that he had returned in one piece.
"We got food." Carley said, pointing to the two baskets the men were carrying.
"And we would have gotten more if Lee here had accepted that sweet family's offer. They even offered us dinner." Mark said, a bitter tone mixed with animation in his voice, causing Lee to arch an eyebrow in his direction. He knew the man didn't really mean it in that tone, knew it was just stress from hunger, but still, it didn't stop him from feeling a little frustrated.
"We can't trust strangers. Taking our whole group to an unknown place, especially with children with us, would be stupid." Lee said in his defense, pushing the garbage cans that served as gates and placing the basket with food on a table in front of the RV.
"And you'd rather let our children starve?" Larry said, with his typical angry and bitter tone, crossing his arms and glaring at Lee.
"I'd rather they be safe, that's what I prefer." Lee said, ignoring the old man. Although ignoring him was getting harder and harder.
"Safe? Lee, that place is surrounded by an electric fence. Man, that fence. Protection. They have a dairy cow, so they have bread, butter, milk." Mark continued, making Lee sigh in exhaustion. He hadn't liked those two men at all. Danny and Andy, or something, whatever. They made him uncomfortable.
The way they talked, behaved, acted, everything. And even the hidden glances Andy threw in his direction, thinking he didn't notice. There was something wrong with them and he would rather stay as far away as possible.
"Look, Lee, I understand you pal. I really do, but I also think it would be good to consider the offer. How long has it been since we had a real dinner? Not to mention they're only three people, and I only counted two guns, we can take that place if we want." Kenny asked, right next to him, his hands on his waist after placing the basket of food on the table.
"I'm sure he had his reasons for not liking it there." Katjaa said, looking at lee in that same sweet way she looked at everyone there, even Larry, even though she had already admitted she didn't like the man much.
"It wouldn't be the right thing for us to leave the hotel unprotected, you never know. Not to mention I didn't feel a good vibe coming from those people." Lee said, running his hand through his hair.
"Good vibe? Oh Jesus Christ, I'm sorry that three kind people with food and protection didn't please you." Larry grumbled once again.
"When you say we, do you mean the whole group, or you and Clementine?" Lilly asked, looking at Lee with those clenched eyes he had already learned to get used to. Like father, like daughter, apparently.
"This is a group, Lee. You have to think of all of us." Mark said, and Lee, this time, sighed loudly in irritation. Jesus.
"You claim to care about the kids, but won't you even ask Clementine? Or Duck, what they want? They're grown children now." Larry said, clearly in teasing.
But, this caused Lee to look at Clementine, who was staring at him with those eyes that were so mature but managed to be so childish that she had. It was obvious that the girl was hungry, starving in fact.
He sighed.
"Okay, all right then. I'll go back there. I can convince them that we've changed our minds. But that doesn't change the fact that they give me a bad feeling, so at least keep an eye out." Lee said, rolling his eyes at the sight of Larry's expression and picking up his trusty axe, shortly after seeing how many bullets he had in his pistol.
"Yeah, yeah, I don't think we need you to wipe our asses, Everett." Larry said.
"But you needed me to save your life in that pharmacy, old man. I left my warning." Lee said, slightly irritated with Larry.
"I'll go with you." Carley said, already opening the gates and preventing an argument from starting.
"I'm going too." Mark said, leaving the hotel.
Lee looked at Ben, noticing the boy's obvious discomfort. Not because he had to make a choice, but he realized as they walked with the St John's that he wasn't very good with strangers.
"You don't have to come if you don't want to, Ben, don't worry." Lee said, watching Clementine approach slowly hugging an arm in front of her body.
"Do you have to go?" Lee smiled lightly, placing his hand gently on the girl's head.
"Yes, sweetie. Don't worry, I'll handle it."
"Be careful." She watched him leave the hotel again and followed them with her eyes until they were out of her line of sight.
As it turned out, Lee's bad feeling really was warning them of something. And by ignoring it, Mark ended up with an arrow in his back, scaring the group that arrived just as Brenda was escorting him to the house.
At the moment, Lee was waiting for Danny so they could take a look around after this bandit attack while pushing Clementine on the swing. Leaving with Danny wasn't something Lee wanted to do, all he felt like doing was grabbing his food and getting out of there as quickly as possible.
In fact, they didn't even need to get any more food, what they had brought to the hotel would last for a while. But, the people were adapting well to the place, and he didn't want to run the risk of those bandits following them and starting to target them if they discovered that hotel.
He shakes his head and scares away those anxious thoughts, focusing on the girl in front of him.
"What do you think of here, Clem?" He asked, looking around once again.
Despite that bad feeling in his chest, he had to admit that the place was beautiful. A large farm with a fence that served as a great form of defense. Although it consumed a lot of gasoline and Andy seemed to fix that generator often, that didn't make it all that advantageous anymore.
Especially considering that the St Johns practically relied on that fence for protection, since they only had two firearms.
"It's pretty. Reminds me of the way things used to be." The girl replied with a small smile, staring at the barn ahead.
"... What do you think of the St John's?" He asked with a slightly more serious tone, and the girl bowed her head a little, becoming a little more thoughtful.
"... I don't know. They scare me a little, but, they don't seem to be dangerous."
"Why do you think that?"
"Well, I was scared of you too when we first saw each other. Maybe it's the same thing."
She replied a little more animatedly, and Lee remained silent. Clementine, being observant the way she was, obviously noticed.
"You don't like them?"
"It's not just that."
"Do you think they will hurt us?"
"I... argh, I wish I had a good answer. They seem like nice people, but appearances can be deceiving. Those sweet smiles hide something, those innocent looks hide who they really are and that makes me suspicious. Maybe they can be good people, but I don't trust them."
He said, looking at the two brothers in front of the house, who were talking something to each other. Lee narrowed his eyes as he noticed the quick glances they were sending toward the barn, the place where Kenny was with his family.
"... I always hear you talk about trust. How do I know if I can trust someone?" Clementine asked, bringing Lee out of his thoughts.
"It takes a while to get to know a real person, Clem. The younger me would say that you can trust someone by their actions, but a person may very well be helping you with other purposes in mind, which is the case I think of the St John's. To really get to know a person, you have to spend time with them, not just in the good times, but in the bad times as well."
He looked at Kenny further ahead, who came out of the barn next to Duck, walking toward him.
"I trust the people in our group because we've been through hardships together, we've starved together, we've been hurt together, we've fought together. It is in times of crisis that people show who they really are. So no matter how kind a person may seem, don't trust them one hundred percent. If things don't improve, there will come a time when that crisis situation will appear, and then, you will see who your real companions are, and who was just trying to trick you."
He replied, staying silent for a while until he sighed. Incredible as it may seem, even Larry, even with his rude and rough manner, was more concerned about helping the group than arguing, even if it was only because his daughter was there. And as much as he didn't like to admit it, he trusted the old man for some things. Not all, because Larry still wanted to beat him to the pulp.
"Hey, Lee, do you mind if Duck plays for a while?" Kenny asked, and only then did Lee realize that his friend had approached.
"Well, Clem, I think that's good enough for now. Let's let Duck enjoy himself." Lee smiled at the girl, who soon got off the swing.
"Okay, thanks for pushing me." She thanked him and he nodded, facing Danny who was walking down the stairs in front of the house with the two rifles they had in hand.
"I think it's time. Stay where Kenny or Katjaa can see you, Clem, I'll be right back." He walked towards Danny, just after he had pouted at the girl, who was looking at him in that same way she always looked at him when he left the hotel to go hunting or something.
"Okay. Please be careful." He turned to her and smiled warmly, trying to ignore that bad feeling in his chest.
Being around Danny was certainly something extremely uncomfortable, and he didn't wait to get away from that man. Especially when Danny had killed that woman in the forest, anxious, frantic, nervous.
Lee understood that he took a risk of being shot by such a person, but that woman seemed to know something about the St John farm that he didn't, but before he could have any answer, she was killed with a shot to the head.
At first Lee just stared at the woman's body, until finally he was convinced that there was something more there. He was convinced that the bad feeling in his chest was not just something in his head.
The moment he arrived at the farm, he would gather the group and leave. He would carry Mark on his back if he had to, and would not listen to a single complaint. And if they still decided to stay, well, at least he would make sure that Clementine and Duck were safe, away from there.
This is not what happened. Apparently, Kenny also started to get suspicious, and after a while of sneaking around the farm, he found Mark with his legs cut off still inside that barn.
The moment Lee arrived, he immediately started being pushed towards the barn after having his gun taken away from him by the other brother, Andy.
He was pushed into a meat cell, where he fell right next to Lilly. Clementine ran toward him and hugged him while he was still getting up.
Looking around, neither Katjaa nor Duck were together with them.
"Sons of bitches! When I get out of here I'm going to kill all of you! Leave my family alone!" Kenny growled, controlling himself not to advance toward them. The two brothers just stared at him boredly still pointing their guns in his direction.
"Don't do anything stupid and they'll be fine for now." Andy said, only to close his eyes when Kenny spat in his face.
"Fuck you, asshole! Touch a strand of their hair and you die!" Kenny growled again, clenching his fists extremely hard.
The other brother, Danny, landed a punch to his face, sending the man to the ground. "I could cut the kid in half and serve him up on a platter to those bandits for this. Last chance, behave yourself and they'll be fine for now. You will be served first." He growled, and Kenny stared deep into his eyes fearlessly, but cautiously upon hearing what he would do to Duck.
Soon, Danny's eyes fell on Clementine, where Lee quickly stood in front of the girl staring at him with cold, intense eyes.
Danny's eyes met Lee's, and although the man was trying to remain relatively calm in the whole situation, it was possible to see a refinement of fear in his gaze. What was to be expected, who wouldn't be afraid of being taken prisoner by a family of cannibals?
Danny smiled at the sight of that fear, which made Lee sharpen his gaze.
"The same goes for you. That little girl doesn't have much meat, but she has something extra that I need. Her and that woman." He looked at Lilly, who just made a disgusted expression, and then quickly turned his gaze to Lee again.
The fear was still there, present in his eyes, but just like Kenny, his expressions were rigid and his body tensed. His eyes were wide, but not from surprise, nor from nervousness or that fear, but from anger. A small muted challenge, clamoring for Danny to approach the girl if he was brave.
Danny's smile slowly died as he looked into Lee's eyes. He tried, but couldn't look away. For a few moments, it was as if he had been consumed by the brown of Lee's eyes.
"Wait, we can't have the old man. His meat won't be worth much." Andy said, just before pointing his rifle at Larry, and before anyone there could do anything, he pulled the trigger.
Larry's chest practically exploded, blood splattered all over the wall and floor. Lee pulled Clementine closer to him, preventing her from seeing it as his own eyes followed the man's body to the floor. The dry thud his corpse made echoed in a muffled manner, and a buzzing sound was present in his ear, muffling also the cry of pain from Lilly, who soon ran to Larry's body and knelt beside him.
The door to the meat locker was closed, and the two men stood in silence. Noises of crying from both the woman and the little girl clutching Lee's leg were the only noises that echoed through the place.
Lee, after coming out of that initial shock, bent down and hugged Clementine, placing his hand on the back of the girl's head who was hiding her face in his shoulder.
"Fuck... fuck..." Kenny beside him whispered in disbelief, moving a few shaky steps away from the blood trickling down the floor while his eyes still lingered on the body.
The look on his friend's face, the look on Clementine's face... Lee sighed, they had to get out of there.
Which proved to be a bit of a challenge, since Lilly didn't seem to want to cooperate, and neither he nor Kenny could find anything so they could clear the passage through that vent pipe.
There was nothing they could use to smash Larry's head in, and time was running out.
That situation was somewhat unusual not only because of the loss of another member of the group in the blink of an eye but because Lee never really thought that the key to getting out of that place was Clementine. Who, despite the fear she felt, proved to be an even braver little girl than he had thought by overcoming it.
Seeing Kenny's situation, a thought permeated Lee's mind. Perhaps a day would come when they would be separated, and he would not be able to protect her. Maybe a day would come when no one could protect the girl, at which point she would have to protect her herself.
To think that he would always be around for her was stupid, he had to teach her to take care of herself. At least the basics, for now. Like it or not, a gun could save a life, no matter if it was an adult's, or a child's.
Lee and Kenny advanced together towards Danny as soon as Andy walked up to the house. Danny even tried to defend himself, trying to shoot Kenny, who was the first to run towards him.
However, the man violently pushed his arms to the side and punched him right in the face, causing Danny to stagger backwards.
Lee acted immediately after, punching Danny in the stomach and taking the rifle from his hands, watching as Kenny kicked Danny to the ground.
Kenny then grabbed Danny by the shirt and punched him twice more in the face to the point where a tooth was knocked out of his mouth.
"My wife and son, where are they, you son of a bitch?!" He growled, but Danny didn't even have to answer, Katjaa's cry of pain, followed by Duck's of distress already revealed their positions.
"Fuck! Kenny, catch!" Lee said, throwing the rifle toward his friend, who dropped Danny almost immediately, caught the rifle still in the air, and ran out of the barn.
Lee's cold eyes stared at the panting man on the ground, and his hand slowly grabbed the manure fork beside him.
"You- you can't have them! We need the -"
"Shut up." Lee growled, pointing the pointed tool toward the chest of the man, who, although panting, did not have the slightest bit of fear in his eyes.
"Argh, ah, you see?! You understand how the world works now! You can have me! Give part of yourself so that others can live!" Danny said amid gasps and groans of pain, ignoring the blood dripping from his nose and mouth.
"None of us volunteered to be eaten! I should kill you right here and now!" Lee growled, hitting Danny in the face with the handle of the tool, sending him to the ground again.
Lee stomped hard on the fallen man's chest and squeezed the tool handle, without taking his eyes off Danny.
"You... you're not going to kill me... just like you didn't kill that woman in the-" Danny stopped talking and widened his eyes as he saw Lee move, the tool in his hand approaching quickly. His body twitched and in reflex he closed his eyes, but the pain he expected never came, only the sound of hay moving beside him.
His shirt was violently pulled again, and he was lifted off the ground being forced to stare into Lee's angry eyes.
"I'm not like you! I'm not going to kill you! That's NOT how the world works, asshole!"
"He, hehehehe, you fucking coward."
Lee landed more punches in his face, this time blood gushed out and Danny felt the world around him spin, his vision temporarily blurred, until he was lifted off the ground again.
"I said I wasn't going to kill you, I never said I would leave you unharmed!" He threw Danny to the ground, and with a growl, kicked his head, knocking the man out.
Lee sighed, shaking his head and placing his hand on his forehead, temporarily lost as he processed everything that had happened up to that point.
His attention then turned to Clementine and Lilly. The woman had a hook in her hands and a tearful expression on her face as she stared at the unconscious Danny.
Clementine, on the other hand, just looked at Lee with a certain glint in her eyes, pleased, perhaps, that he had decided not to kill the man.
"...Are we really going to leave him alive?" Lilly asked in a hoarse voice, and Lee faced her with a sympathetic look.
"...Your father is still in that meat locker with his head intact. I will give him a chance to get up and fight for his life. If he dies today, it's not our problem." Lee said, turning and walking out of the barn in search of Kenny.
He found himself in the same dilemma about Andy. Although he hadn't killed him, he had left him in as bad a situation as Danny himself. His face was distorted, swollen with blood dripping from cuts made by Lee's many punches. The man groaned low still on the ground, and though weak, still had enough strength to try to get up.
Something he decided it was better not to do.
In the end, they got out of there as the electric fence ran out of power and the walkers began to approach. Danny and Andy's fate depended solely on themselves, they were no longer the group's problem.
And although he was sure that his decision to spare them did not please everyone, Lee felt very good about himself for not giving in to the horrors of the world, still hoping that things could get better. Maybe it was stupidity on his part, but that was the way he was.
His eyes focused on Kenny, who approached his side with a rifle in hand. They were silent for a while, just going their respective ways.
"You know, I... well, that was a pretty fucked up situation." Kenny said after a while, groaning slightly from the grazing shot he took in the side of his abdomen. Even though he wasn't hit directly, it hurt like hell.
"I hated that old man. But... damn... I don't know. Even though he was an asshole he protected his daughter, despite her not needing it, her age and all. I can respect that." He looked over his shoulder, focusing his eyes on Lilly for a few moments.
"He didn't deserve that, even though he really was an asshole...but I will say that it was your situation that opened my eyes to something." Kenny looked at him curiously.
"I won't always be there for Clementine. Just like you won't always be there for Duck, today was proof of that. It's humanly impossible and it's stupid to think otherwise. I think it's time to teach the kids how to survive, you know? At least the basics of survival and, well, like it or not, how to use a gun."
Kenny stared at him for some time, the gleam of understanding running through his eyes, along with fear and of course, opposition. Which was to be expected, even Lee was having trouble with the thought of seeing Clementine walking around with a gun.
"... Argh, damn. I'll be honest, part of me thinks this is absurd. But shit, the other part agrees. As a father, I will do everything I can to protect Duck. But like you said, I won't always be able to, at the end of the day I'm just a human. I'll just... I'll just have to talk to Katjaa about it... at another time, you know?"
"I understand. Far be it from me wanting to tell you how to do your job, I'm not a father. But this is something I will teach Clementine as soon as I get the chance. The sooner, the better, both for her and for me." Lee sighed, and Kenny nodded to him before quickening his steps and standing beside Katjaa.
A short time later, Clementine was the one who approached him, and like Kenny, they were silent for a while.
"...Are those men dead?" She asked after a while, and Lee bowed his head slightly.
"... I don't know, Clem. It's not our problem. But there's a chance." The girl stared at him for a few moments, before looking at Lilly over her shoulder.
"Was it wrong to give them that chance?" Lee stared at her, looking deep into the girl's golden eyes. He wanted to understand how she felt, to know what she was thinking, but that little girl was a mystery.
"I... honestly, I don't know. On the ethical and moral issue, it was the right thing to do, but... these days, the way things are, it might have been a mistake."
"Because they might come after us?"
"... Exactly. Why?"
"Lilly said it was a mistake. A risk we couldn't have taken."
"And she has her reasons for thinking so. And in parts, I agree with her. But killing is bad, Clementine, no matter the reason. Whether it's to defend yourself, defend those around you, or out of necessity. It is a heavy burden. And to be honest, I only let them live because the chances of them surviving are low. They are too dangerous to simply be left loose."
The girl stared at him for some time, an expression in mixed curiosity and... something Lee couldn't really tell what it was. Too complex an expression for a little girl.
Time passes once again, and at that very moment he was shooting one of the bandits that invaded the hotel in the head.
Blood splattered on the face of the man who was right next to the hit bandit, giving Lee the perfect opportunity to shoot him as well, hitting the bullet in his throat.
"Katjaa! Clem! Let's go!" He shouts, firing a few more times toward the bandits.
Katjaa is the first to get up and runs with Duck in her arms. However, just as she moves forward, a walker pulls her by the hair and knocks her to the ground, getting on top of the woman.
Lee's eyes widen and he turns toward the walker, aiming his pistol in his direction. The moment he pulls the trigger, however, he realizes that his gun was out of ammo.
His heart began to beat faster and a certain despair rose in his chest, growing stronger as more and more walkers approached.
Gritting his teeth, he grabs his axe, but knew that he would not arrive in time to save her.
It was then that in the midst of the gunfire, a particular shot caught his attention.
His eyes focus on the body of the walker lying next to Katjaa. Doubt permeated his mind at first. Carley was shooting at the bandits on the opposite side from where he was standing, Ben and Kenny were already inside the RV trying to start the vehicle, and Lilly was upstairs in the hotel with the rifle.
Then his eyes focus on the outstretched arms of Clementine, who was holding the pistol he had given her.
The girl puts her arms down and runs toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his abdomen.
Lee closes his eyes. After the doubt came the confirmation, and with the confirmation, surprise, disbelief, pride. His little girl had saved the lives of Katjaa and Duck, both of whom had come out unharmed. Scared, but alive, and without a scratch, or a bite.
Lee opens his eyes once more, faintly. His body was numb and his vision blurred, and yet he could clearly see the little girl crying in front of him, with blood staining her clothes and a pistol in her small hands. That look hurt more than the bite he had taken hours ago.
It hurt more than cutting off his own arm after everyone in his group had split up to save their loved ones. Kenny had to go after Katjaa, they were separated when they were ambushed by the men from that community called Crawford or something. Same thing with Christa, as the same thing happened with Omid.
Each had a loved one they had to rescue. Duck went with Kenny, Christa went with Ben, and Lee went alone.
He took a deep breath, feeling his body complain in protest. He felt strange, to say the least. As if the pain had been dulled, though present. As if he was anesthetized.
His weak eyes focused on Clementine, who was already standing, although she was crying with intensity and with agony present on her face. Her hands in front of her body were trembling, as were her arms and lips. Her closed eyes were struggling to stay open and not give in to those tears. Her legs, even if against her will, began to crawl toward the door behind her.
Asking to leave him there hurt, but he didn't want Clementine to get used to killing. Although he was quite sure that the girl would have to do it eventually, he didn't want her to start now. Not yet, he would not be her first victim.
A small smile broke out on his lips as he watched her walk away. Her whole little body seemed to want to stay there, to stay by his side, but she forced herself and struggled to walk away from him. She had always been a special little girl, and he was proud to see her push herself to do what was right.
She would be fine. She would go through horrendous things, unimaginable things that honestly, scared him, but she would be fine. Of all the survivors he has ever met, she is the most likely to get through it all and in the end find a place where she can call home.
His part, he already did, and as he felt Clementine's eyes still on him, he closed his eyes and let his body slide to the side.
Everything faded, the sensations, though numb, were gone. All that remained was a blackness as dark as the night sky.
And for a while, Lee didn't even realize where he was. He just thought it was all over, until he realized that his mind was still active, his memories still racing through his head.
At first he thought it was one of those things people said, that he was seeing his life passing before his eyes already on his deathbed. But after going through the memory of his father having an accident, he, in reflex, tried to move towards him, and it was then that he realized he could move.
His body, which felt nothing before, began to complain of pain again, and the weakness he felt before was still there.
Lee was confused, what did this mean? Until he forced himself to open his weakened eyes.
The first thing he saw was the back door of that place open. The chair where that walking guard had been sitting some time ago. The pieces of glass on the floor next to the dried blood. The baseball bat right next to his feet, too heavy for Clementine to use very efficiently.
His mind took a while to process this, and as soon as he realized his situation, he stood up suddenly, regretting it almost immediately as he felt the world around him spin and the pain in his body become more intense.
Trying to ignore the pain, he starts to breathe harder.
He was not dead.
His eyes fell on his torn arm. He thought he had cut it off too late, but... it wasn't that.
He was not dead.
Shaking his head, he ran his eyes around. He had no idea how much time had passed, but there was still hope that Clementine had not gone far.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to stand up, but despite his efforts, he could only manage to stay on his knees, and his eyes soon fell on the handcuffs that bound him.
Turning around, he focuses his face on the guard's body. So close, yet so far away.
Lee grunted as he moved, the keys were hanging in the back pocket of the guard's body, which luckily was facing him.
He stretched out his leg and tried to drop the keys to the ground, but without success, and the weakness in his body didn't help that task much, even though it was simple.
Taking a few more deep breaths, he uses both legs to slowly pull the guard's body toward him, gritting his teeth at the effort he was making.
This effort was not in vain, and although he spent several minutes on that task alone, he managed to get the guard's body close enough to have greater access to the keys, making it easy to drop them on the ground and drag them to his handcuffed hand.
Now the problem would be to free himself with only one hand, which proved to be just as difficult as pulling the guard's body toward him.
He manages to get the tip of the key into the keyhole of the handcuff. With his teeth and a little strength, he manages to turn the key and free himself.
His eyes stare at his arm for some time. There were already marks on his wrists, which meant that he had been there longer than he would have liked.
Shaking his head, he grits his teeth and leans on the wall to stand up.
Gasping for breath, he picks up the baseball bat from the floor, and makes his way to the exit.
