A few days passed, Clementine watched the forest covered by the darkness of the night, with the fire in front of her as the only source of light. Every night she stayed like this for a few moments, thinking about tomorrow or simply about the "what ifs".
She liked to wonder where she would be at that moment if the world were normal. She would probably be at school, where her only concerns were homework.
Maybe she wouldn't have met half the people she met. She would see Carley, for example, only on TV and not think much of the woman as she does now. Maybe she would see Kenny glancing past in his truck on a trip with his family if she was lucky enough or if fate allowed.
She probably wouldn't have met Luke and the others, had other friends, lived with other people.
She wouldn't have met Lee...she wouldn't have the same thoughts about him that she has now. From what she remembered, he had killed a state senator, surely his name would be on TV. And that was the view she would have of him, a murderer and nothing more.
It was a love-hate relationship with her own mind. She liked and hated to think these things.
She liked and hated the feeling of nostalgia, longing, melancholy. It was something foreign even to her, but something she had grown accustomed to.
Trust would have a different meaning than it did now. Maybe that same idea that the strongest survive would still remain in that world, but with other situations. Moments that wouldn't necessarily mean someone's death.
"Here, Clem." Luke's voice caught her attention, and she blinked a few times as she took a can of beans from his hand.
Trust, certainly something that was hard to come by in those days. As Lee himself had said, it takes time to see the true face of a person. You have to go through extreme situations to know exactly what a person is really like, what they are like on the inside.
At that moment, she was going through a critical situation with that group. It wasn't often that she was chased by a crazy person she had no idea who he was or what he wanted. Although she could see a similarity with a past situation.
A situation that still filled her chest with pain and made her skin crawl. Even with the clear differences.
And even after asking, they didn't say much about Carver. But despite all that, they proved to her that they were good people.
Clementine had a better idea of them in the days they spent together. And it turns out that they were almost exactly as they seemed.
Alvin was a good man, despite his great appearance. He was friendly to everyone and very considerate. He wasn't the leader type, he wasn't the extremely smart type, he wasn't the personification of a survivor. But he was nice, he helped as much as he could, and he made the atmosphere among the group lighter. People like this are important.
But his weakness was that he got nervous in difficult situations and worried too much about Rebecca to the point that he focused only on her and forgot about his surroundings for a while.
Rebecca, despite the rough start she had, was actually a good person. As she herself had said, she was just on the edge with the pregnancy and the whole situation. She was impulsive and bossy, but she was kind.
In contrast, she could be a pain in the ass when she wanted to be and acted impulsively. Maybe it was just the pregnancy and all.
Carlos was more reserved and a smart man, and very observant. Not to mention that he was a doctor. He knew how to take care of himself and was cautious. However, he had one major flaw. Sarah.
He had the mentality that he would be able to protect her from everything and everyone, and this was his greatest weakness. He would get nervous, restless, and even careless about anything that involved the girl. If he kept on like this, one of them would die. But it wasn't as if Clementine could say that to him. Carlos wouldn't take that kind of comment from anyone.
Sarah... well, she was a nice girl, friendly, but there was nothing about her that really caught the eye. Clementine didn't mean to be rude, but she didn't think much of the girl. She was sloppy, loud, sometimes annoying, spoiled, and not helpful at all. Not that it was her fault, Carlos wouldn't let her do anything by herself.
This was her weakness.
Nick. She didn't have much of an opinion about him yet because he was in mourning. He had spent most of those days in silence and gloom. But from what little she could tell, despite his impulsive and explosive temperament, he seemed to care about the people there. He always kept an eye on the surroundings, helped Rebecca when she needed it, and, even if from a distance, accompanied and kept watch when any of them strayed from the group.
Maybe it was just a way to ease the pain, to deal with his grief. But it was useful anyway.
But, he was too easily unfocused, lost in his thoughts, and as Luke had said, his temper really was strong. This could be bad in certain situations. Like meeting a stranger, for example.
Luke was a good man, definitely. He made decisions for the group and always took the lead, protected them, and helped whenever they needed it. Everyone seemed to count on him for something. And although he wasn't exactly a leader, the people there saw him as one.
But he was too kind to the point that sometimes, just sometimes, he acted in an naive way. He had a lot of faith in people, and this was a problem.
In general, it was a good group. As Luke said, they were not perfect, but they took care of each other.
At least, that was what she could tell up to that point.
Shaking her head, she focused her attention on the food in her hands, sighing in relief and pleasure as she tasted the beans in her mouth.
The group was silent for a while, the way they always were just before they started talking about random subjects. Clementine rarely participated in these conversations. So far, she only answered a few questions and mentioned a few things or other on certain subjects.
It was obvious that they wanted her to talk more, it was in the face, especially from Luke. But she just didn't feel comfortable enough to talk about the past. Or talk in a friendly way with them, even though she already had an idea of what they were like.
"Who gave you that hat?" Sarah's voice brought her out of her thoughts, and Clementine looked at the girl, who was staring at her with her chin resting on her knees and a curious look on her face. And though not everyone was looking at her, Clementine knew they were paying attention. "I've never seen you take it off. I mean, you seem to be pretty attached."
"My dad gave it to me. Right before all this happened." Clementine replied, watching a walker they killed just before they set up camp at that spot.
"Oh... is he...?"
"He died."
"... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." Clementine arched an eyebrow at the girl's somewhat melancholy and even embarrassed tone. Curious at how she had taken that simple piece of information.
"It's all right. It's been a long time." She said, eating some more of her can while trying to ignore the images of her father and mother as walkers.
That image still haunted her. It hurt to see two people she loved become nothing more than a shell of what they were and now eating human flesh.
"... I lost my mother too. Right at the beginning." Sarah said with a distant look, staring at the mesmerizing dance of the flames of the fire. "...Who took care of you?" Sarah asked, and Clementine sighed slightly, already understanding what was going on there.
They probably asked Sarah to try to get her to open up. Or at least talk to them more, since Luke and Alvin's attempts didn't pay off.
This irritated her a little. Not that it was a real problem, but because if she didn't want to talk, they should just leave her. Those attempts were becoming annoying.
But she was grateful for the good intentions, at least.
"Other people." She said simply, setting the already empty can of beans aside and hugging her own legs, waiting for her shift on watch to begin.
"Ahm... you know that... you can talk." Sarah said. "I mean, you don't have to say it if you don't want to, but... you can at least talk more. No one here is going to judge you, or anything like that, if that's what you're worried about."
Clementine stared at her for a few moments, until she looked away. She didn't feel in the mood to talk... but she also didn't see a problem with indulging some of the curiosity they showed. It wasn't going to change much anyway. Despite the sensations that would surely awaken from stirring up old memories.
"...When this all started, my parents had traveled and left me with a babysitter. She died on the first day, I took some food and hid in my tree house." She said, playing with a stick that was right next to her foot, feeling the surrounding gazes focus on her.
Even Nick seemed a little interested, he being the one furthest away, rifle in hand fulfilling his shift.
"A short time later, this man found me. He had an injured leg and was looking for help. His name was Lee. He was the one who taught me how to survive. He took care of me from the moment he saw me. We were together for a long time." She finished saying with a sigh, closing her eyes as more images returned to her mind.
It was futile to try to fight it. It would always happen.
"What happened to him?" Alvin was the one who asked, and the girl opened her eyes again, allowing herself to be consumed by the flames of the fire.
"He died." She said with a certain bitterness in her voice. The group was silent as they noticed the slight tremor in the girl's words, and looks were exchanged with regret.
It was enough for them to realize that it was a very sensitive subject, and they didn't ask any more questions for the rest of the evening.
Luke even thought about trying to comfort her, but from the girl's manner, he doubted he would be able to do anything but make the situation a bit... awkward, and maybe even uncomfortable.
Clementine was a strong girl, everyone there realized. And while that was a good thing in those days, being too strong could be a double-edged sword. He would wait until she opened up more, until she was comfortable enough to talk and trust them.
Clementine, for her part, lay on the ground and watched the black night sky. She liked to watch the stars. It was one of the only things she could do to pass the time when she couldn't sleep or when she kept watch.
She was tempted to take the photo from under her hat and hug it against her chest, but she restrained herself. Despite the warmth that the fire caused in her body, she felt cold. Nights like this one were when her longing became even stronger. Maybe even neediness.
She could have companions like that group, she could have partners like Luke seemed inclined to be. She could have several people around her, but she would never have that same hug she missed so much, or that voice that soothed her.
Her father and Lee had this in common, they both relaxed her and chased away her fears. Although memories of her father were scarce. He worked a lot and didn't have much time with her, but when he did, he was a great father, always playing with her and spending time together.
But for some reason, sometimes she felt as if she missed Lee more than she really missed her father. She didn't know if it was because Lee protected her and taught her in an apocalypse, or because she had some resentment against her father. That didn't seem to be the case.
Maybe it was because it seemed strange to call Ed her father at that moment. In fact, ever since the apocalypse began.
She was very different from the little girl her father had raised until the moment of his death. She was more grown up, more mature. She was a survivor and had already made decisions that adults should make. She had killed, stolen, seen enough death to mark her for life. She was no longer the sweet Clementine she once was.
That Clementine was dead. In a way, she no longer felt like their daughter.
Lee, on the other hand, was the one who molded her that way. She was the product of what he did and remade to survive that world, but without putting aside the goodness she already had in her heart and the kindness he taught her.
Clementine closed her eyes. She would no longer see her parents and it hurt, but at least she tried to keep a positive thought that they were not seeing what she is doing, they did not see what she did and they will not see what she will do. They didn't see that their sweet daughter now had blood on her hands.
She would not see Lee anymore...and that hurt even more. She was the one who would lose out in that regard. Even though he tried not to let her stain her hands with blood, he knew that she would have to do it eventually. He knew what she did, and he could already imagine what she would do.
Time passed, another moon. Clementine stared at Nick sitting on a bench in front of the small station some time after he had shot a stranger.
Nick was not a bad person, she knew that, but the way he was, he could be a danger to the group. He was lost and confused. She understood. She had been like that before, too.
"...This is horrible. It's all wrong." Nick said as he heard her approach, and Clementine stared at him with an arched eyebrow. "I had to kill my mother."
Clementine widened her eyes slightly and straightened her posture. Nick's melancholy voice awakening memories of her dead mother. It must have been something extremely difficult to do, but it had to be done.
"That sounds weird when I say it out loud, huh?" he said, looking at her with suggestive eyes. "Luke always used to push me around. I never wanted to get into business with him. I remember when he sold me on it. His big plan. Some fuckin' plan. A case of beer and he said, 'Nick, we're burning daylight.' And that was it." Nick bowed his head slightly, sighing with a certain regret.
"After six months we were broke. But I didn't care. I was having fun." He sighed, looking at Luke, who was talking to Carlos about something. "I wanted to be like him. I wish I could just keep moving. But I'm just not that way."
Clementine stared at him, not really knowing what to say. She had never really comforted anyone in Nick's situation. She was only able to do that with Pete because she knew of a similar situation and that was it.
Clementine stared at him, not really knowing what to say. She had never really comforted anyone in Nick's situation. She was only able to do that with Pete because she knew of a similar situation and that was it.
"I bet they're talking about me now. 'Luke, he's turning into a danger to the group!'" He pointed at Carlos and Luke. "So who was that guy? I swear, to me, it looked like he was holding you guys up."
"...I don't know exactly who he was, but he wasn't holding us hostage or pointing his gun at us. He wasn't a bandit." She said, watching with some curiosity as Nick's expression changed from anger to remorse. "I understand that you thought the worst and rushed to protect Luke. Really, I understand. But... it doesn't change the fact that you acted without thinking at the time."
Clementine said as gently as she could. Not because she was afraid to spit out the truth, but because she knew that Nick was still grieving. It was obvious that he loved Pete, even with their constant fighting due to his temper. And at that moment, the group didn't need an out-of-control Nick or another one of his outbursts.
"... Damn... If Alvin is in front of me he takes that shot." Nick said, propping his elbows on his legs. "I don't know. I think I'm losing it."
"If Alvin was in front of you, you would certainly act differently. You acted without thinking, but, that's not the end for you." Clementine said, trying to somehow comfort him. Although she mentally scolded herself, she wasn't very good at it.
But, her words seemed to have some effect, since he lifted his head and faced her.
"And I know you're not bad, you just made a mistake. A big mistake. But you can live to make up for it somehow later. Especially since Pete had the conviction that you are a good man. And as a good man, I think you'll redeem yourself, somehow... I guess."
Nick stared at her for a while, and Clementine began to worry thinking she had said something she shouldn't have. But soon she sighed in relief as she saw him smile at her, before straightening his posture on the bench.
"...Thanks for trying to cheer me up, girl. I'll say that's not exactly your strong point, but it was good enough." He said, and Clementine smiled. She had to agree with that. "You know what. I'm gonna go talk to them."
He stood up and walked toward Luke. Clementine just stared at him for a few moments, before walking toward Alvin.
"I found this at the station." She said, handing a can of peaches to the man.
"Oh, thank you, Clem. Rebecca appreciates it." He thanked her with a smile, and the girl nodded. She still had to pay Alvin for his help, but that was a start. He seemed to be happy with any comfort Rebecca received.
Turning around, Clementine picked up the knife she had found inside the station and stared at its black blade for a few moments. It was obvious that it was a knife made on demand for someone. There were initials of names on the handle.
Probably made for the man Nick had shot... dammit.
She sighed and put the knife away in her backpack.
"So, that guy really had food. Man, fuck Nick." Alvin grumbled and Clementine turned to him. "Nick lost a lot of people, that's true. But that's no excuse to start shooting random strangers."
"I understand. And I even agree. But give him a break. His uncle died and he's just confused. For all I know, Luke is the only one he's known since before the apocalypse now." Clementine said gently, defending Nick in any way she could.
Alvin stared at her for a few moments, and scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed way. "Yes, that's true. I, for example, don't know what I would do if I lost Bec." He said, looking at the woman beside him, who just smiled.
"You're not going to lose me anytime soon. No way." She said playfully, and he smiled.
"Amen to that." He turned to Clementine again. "But I'm just saying. I mean, have you ever heard of anyone doing anything like that?" He asked the girl, who looked thoughtful for a few moments.
"Actually, yes. A woman in our group. Her father died, and in a fit of rage, or whatever, she killed another woman in our group." She said, noting the surprised expressions of both Alvin, Rebecca, and Sarah, who was sitting right next to the couple.
"Damn...and what did you guys do?" Alvin asked.
"We left her behind."
" Damn."
"She just killed this other woman? Like, for nothing?" Sarah asked, looking at Clementine with incredulous eyes.
"Yes. We were attacked by bandits. She was sure someone was slipping supplies to them. This other woman defended the boy who was being accused. And she simply killed her."
"Why did she do that?" Sarah asked.
"I don't know. She let her emotions get the best of her, I guess. When that happens, people get stupid." Clementine replied.
"True. That's a shame. Nick is a good kid. He's just losing it. Boy, God knows we're not perfect, but..." He interrupted his own speech as he saw walkers approaching across the bridge.
There were many of them, a small herd, by the looks of it. Luke and the others were already approaching as Alvin, Rebecca and Sarah stood up.
"For bodies, these sons of bitches are fast." Alvin said.
"I agree. Okay, we're going up!" Luke said, running his eyes around the guys just before he turned around and they started running up the mountain.
Getting to the top of the mountain took a couple of hours. Everyone was tired, especially Rebecca who could barely stand.
They reached the Ski lodge that Clementine had seen earlier, and at the moment, she was looking at Luke with an arched eyebrow.
"Really?" She asked with a certain incredulity in her voice.
"Come on, it'll be easy. It's just that I could really use your eyes right now. Besides, you said you had a tree house, so it won't be much different." He replied with a comforting smile, and the girl sighed, looking away.
"I hated my tree house." She said, and he grimaced.
"Oh... well, good thing you don't hate towers." He joked, and this time, she was the one who grimaced.
"Right. Smartass." She said in defeat, putting the binoculars in her backpack and approaching the tower.
"Relax. The trick is not to look down." Luke said. "And if you fall, I'll catch you...probably."
She grimaced and stared at him, but he just shrugged and laughed a little.
Sighing, Clementine slowly climbed the steps of the ladder, holding tightly to keep from falling.
"When I was a kid, I used to jump the rooftops downtown. Now, that was fun." She heard Luke say from downstairs.
"That sounds stupid."
"Haha, yes... yeah, it was stupid. But it was fun. Like I said, the trick is not to look down."
He finished saying, and Clementine climbed to the top of the tower. Straightening her posture, she walks a few steps forward and takes the binoculars from her backpack, watching the bridge they passed over earlier.
"Luke. I'm seeing some lights." She said, watching the flashes of light moving through the dark forest just before the bridge.
"Lights?" He asked in a confused and slightly concerned tone.
"Yes. Like flashlight lights. There are more than one and they are near the bridge." She replied, waiting for a line from Luke, which never came. "Luke?"
She turned and looked down, sighing and rolling her eyes slightly as she saw him running toward the group.
"Didn't you say you'd catch me if I fell?" she muttered to herself, turning and starting down the stairs slowly, but with more confidence than before.
Reaching the ground, she arches an eyebrow as she hears voices, and walks towards her group still crouching.
"Listen, everyone, just stay calm." Luke said, and she ran her eyes around the people there. By the looks of things, they were pointing guns and had guns pointed in their direction at the same time by another group.
Slowly, Clementine made her way through the people there, listening to the discussion around her.
"Who are you?! We don't have anything for you to steal!" An unfamiliar voice of a woman made itself present.
"Excuse me honey, but do I look like a fucking thief?" Rebecca asked with a venomous tone.
"Everyone calm down." A male voice also unknown made itself present.
"Hey, man, you calm the fuck down. Put that fucking gun down. We don't want to rob anybody." Alvin said, a few steps just behind Clementine.
Several voices were talking at once, and Clementine just focused on sneaking forward. She didn't have a gun, but she could help... somehow. There was no way she could turn around those people without them seeing her anyway.
As she stood next to Luke, her gaze ran through the people ahead until it stopped on one person in particular. Her eyes immediately widened and her mouth hung open in surprise, doubt, and a bit of confusion.
Her hands began to shake and she began to breathe harder. Ahead was a ghost she thought she would never see again in her life.
Long beard, grayer, no longer wearing his cap, a face with a little more wrinkles, but it was the same man she had met before.
"Kenny..." His name came out almost on instinct from his mouth, and the man stared at her. Just as she did, his eyes widened.
First she saw those dark eyes with that same stiffness he had whenever he dealt with bandits or got angry. Then came the realization, along with the shock.
His arms slowly lowered and for the both of them, everything around them went silent. Hearing her voice, it was as if reality hit his mind and the plug finally dropped.
"Clementine...?" The girl's chest grew warm as she heard his voice again saying her name. How she missed him. A smile was born on her trembling lips and she closed her watery eyes as she ran towards him and hugged him.
Kenny crouched down and put the gun aside, returning the hug.
Clementine squeezed his neck tightly and sank her face into his shoulder as Kenny squeezed her tightly around the waist and put a hand on her back.
The warmth of both their bodies seemed to be even more intense because of the cold, and Clementine rubbed her face lightly against Kenny's shoulder to dry her tears.
Neither of them wanted to undo the embrace they so desperately needed and dreamed of, but they both did.
They stared at each other in silence for some time, small but emotion-laden smiles on their lips. For a few moments, Kenny's eyes left hers and ran around, looking for something.
Kenny seemed to get a little hopeful, tense, and finally, the realization left his wistful eyes amidst nostalgia and relief.
Clementine squeezed his shoulder lightly. She knew what he had been looking for. She knew what he missed now.
Who he missed.
"Clementine?!" Another voice caught both their attention, and as she turned around, Clementine again felt a lump in her throat and another urge to cry as she saw Duck standing just beside the woman further ahead.
He had grown. His hair was still short, his features more mature, although he still looked childish. His voice was deeper, though still similar to the innocent boy's voice of before.
A scar on his now white, blind eye. A mixture of innocence and cruelty.
She smiled and ran to him, also hugging him. He was still bigger than she was.
"It's so good to see you!" The boy exclaimed loudly, similar to the way he said it years ago, returning the hug with great strength and animation. The girl could hear his heart beating fast and hard.
"I say the same." She said, still with her face hidden in his chest.
Her hug was short-lived, as she felt Kenny's hand on her shoulder.
"These people with you?" he asked, his voice sounding like music to Clementine. A soft tone, but still cautious. In response, she nodded, and Kenny turned to Luke and the others.
A silence lingered for some time.
"We can talk inside." He said, nodding to Clementine before he started walking.
The girl stared at her group for a few moments before following the two men, barely containing her smile as she walked beside the two again.
"Clem, you're still short." Duck said cheerfully, pulling her into a hug again as they walked.
"And you're still an idiot. A blind idiot now." She said in a slightly muffled voice, laughing slightly as she saw the boy's fake expression of pain.
"Haha, Matthew says that all the time. Like... dammit! It's you! You're here!" He exclaimed again, as incredulous as Clementine and Kenny, who just smiled nostalgically and with genuine joy as he looked at the two of them.
They entered the ski lodge, and Clementine stared at the man named Walter who was explaining some things. The interior of the place was huge, and there was a Christmas tree out front.
Not to mention that there was power, something that made Clementine genuinely surprised and impressed.
"Kenny, Duck and Sarita have been with us for several weeks now." He started saying several other things as he walked up the stairs, and Clementine couldn't help but chuckle slightly as she saw Duck and Kenny imitating him.
"What is it?" Walter asked as he saw her laughing.
"Oh, nothing, my dear friend Walter! Just enjoying our dear professor's lecture." Duck said playfully, receiving a sigh from Walter in response, despite his amused smile.
Clementine stared at him once more. He was a teacher...
"Walter here is one smart son of a bitch. He also makes a great can of beans." Kenny said, snapping Clementine out of her thoughts and patting Walter on the back.
"I appreciate all this bullshitting. Go kill the longing, and I'll finish dinner. We'll have a feast tonight." Walter said, nodding to Clementine just before walking away.
The sound of doors caught the girl's attention, and she turned and watched the group enter the place, as surprised as she was to see energy.
"Welcome, make yourselves at home and all. You can leave your stuff over there." Duck said, smiling at them and pointing to the bench next to them, just in front of the entrance.
"The hell we will." Rebecca said.
"Yeah, I'll hold my rifle, thanks." Nick agreed.
Duck grimaced a little disgustedly for a few moments.
"Come on, if we wanted to shoot you, we would have done it when we saw you coming up the mountain. There's no need for that. Besides, you guys brought Clem! If she trusts you, I trust you too." He said, returning again with his friendly smile.
"Why don't you guys put your guns in there?" Nick asked, looking at Duck sternly.
"I don't know. Maybe because that's our goddamn house and you guys are just visitors? Seems like a good goddamn reason to me." Duck replied, returning his hard stare to Nick.
"Duck! Watch your mouth!" Kenny scolded, and the boy cringed slightly.
"Sorry."
Clementine looked at him with a certain intensity for a few moments. He was becoming just like Kenny, and she had barely seen him again.
Kenny, on the other hand, was looking at Clementine with analytical eyes.
"Will you vouch for these people, Clem?" He asked, and the girl turned to him. "If you tell me they are good, then I am cool with it."
"Us? You're the one waving the gun around, man." Nick said, clenching his eyes slightly.
"Of course, this is my house. And right now, my house is full of strangers." Kenny replied, without looking at Nick.
"They're cool." Clementine said quickly, the last thing she needed was an argument between Nick and Kenny...or worse, Nick, Kenny and Duck, since the boy seemed to have pulled his father's way.
Kenny continued to stare at her for a few moments, and she did the same, until he sighed and went downstairs, placing his rifle just beside the bench.
Luke looked at the others for a moment, and then did the same, followed by the rest of the group.
Clementine did the same, placing her backpack under the pack and her hunting knife right next to it.
"Great. If you all follow me, I'll show you where you can sleep." The woman said, and they started walking right behind her.
Kenny and Duck waited for Clementine still on the stairs, and she followed them to a couch and some armchairs further in the corner of the place, in front of a large fireplace.
She observed her surroundings until she sat down at one end of the sofa. Kenny sat just in front of her, and Duck sat in an armchair next to him.
"Still wearing that dirty old thing, huh?" Kenny asked, giving Clementine's hat a little tug. "You know, I look at you now and feel like I'm dreaming. God knows how much I've wished for it." He said in a happy, but at the same time sad smile. A wistful look washed over her.
"How much we all wished for it." Duck said, staring into the flames of the fireplace.
"I wished for that too for all those years. In the beginning, I could still hear you guys. Everyone's voices." She said, sighing somewhat wistfully and bowing her head. "How did you manage to get out? Me, Christa and Omid couldn't make it to the train. We thought you were dead." She asked, alternating her gaze between the two of them.
"And we are, this is all a dream." Duck said, staring at nothing with an intense, wide-eyed stare. Until he started laughing on account of Clementine's face. "Hahaha, sorry, bad joke. Blame my dad."
"Me and Duck went after Katjaa shortly after those Crawford fuckers got her. When we arrived, she...well, she had been bitten. My beautiful wife." He lowered his head, running his hand through his bare hair. "It all happened pretty fast, a herd hit us and... old Kenny here was lucky, very lucky. Duck was farther away, he was the one who warned me about the herd. He was the one who threw the ladder for me to climb." He stared at the boy with a small smile for a few moments, until he sighed slightly.
"You know, I kind of expected to see Lee on your side. You two were like two peas in a pod." Kenny said, regretting it almost immediately as he saw the girl's pained expression. Not just for her, but for himself. It still hurt to remember the past even in him. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, it's just hard not to think about it, you know? Especially now that you're here."
"... He saved me." She said, letting herself be flooded by her own memories. She felt that, at that moment, she needed it.
"I knew he would! That guy had a fire in his eyes for sure!" He exclaimed a little more excitedly, sighing soon after when he saw that the pained expression still lingered on the girl's face. But there was no denying it, she didn't seem to want to avoid the subject.
And at that moment, he felt the same way.
"He was a hell of a guy! I had his back, and he had mine. He always knew what to do to help but without letting go of priorities. Companions like that are extremely hard to find." He sighed. "When Duck needed it, when I needed it, he was there. Whether it was at that man's farm, Hershel, or at the pharmacy, or at that lake near the hotel. I'll never forget it."
He turned and stared into the flames of the fireplace, taking advantage of the silence that permeated the three of them for some time.
"I liked him." Duck said, drawing the attention of the two. "He was a good man. I can't tell you how I felt when he told us about that bite." There was a certain sentimentality in the boy's voice, something Kenny had rarely seen. This being the first time Clementine had ever seen him like that.
"It was a shock to me. It seemed to be for him, too, but like I said, he knew what his priorities were. He soon went after you." Kenny said, straightening his back on the couch.
"...It was a shock to me too to see that he was missing an arm. After he killed that man and got me out of there, I went into despair to hear that he was bitten." Clementine said, swallowing some saliva in an attempt to undo the lump in her throat, oblivious to the stares of the two in her direction.
"What do you mean he was missing an arm?" Duck asked with a tone of confusion, and Clementine arched an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? Weren't you the ones who cut off his arm in an attempt to keep the infection from spreading? He said it was shortly after he was bitten." She asked, alternating her gaze between the two of them.
"No. We barely had time to talk after he was bitten. And from what I remember, he went alone. Ben went with Christa." Duck replied, resting his arm on the arm of the armchair.
Clementine stared at the floor for a while, until she laughed humorlessly.
"He cut off his arm by himself?" she asked aloud, but to no one in specific.
"Heh, I'll tell you. I don't doubt it. He was a tough son of a bitch, that's for sure." Kenny said, a slightly more animated smile on his face and a nostalgic look in his eyes.
"So, where have you been?" Duck asked Clementine.
"Like I said, I stayed with Christa and Omid. She was able to find him, but Ben...well, he didn't make it." She replied.
"Hm, he acted like a piece of shit, but... in the end, he was just a kid." Kenny said.
"He was cool, I miss him. We didn't make it to the train, like I said. Christa and Omid wanted to get out of there pretty fast, especially after we saw a car leave a roadside hotel. We stayed together until recently, some bandits attacked us and... I got lost from them. I hope they're not dead, but I can't tell." She explained, sighing slightly as she remembered the two of them.
"Christa was a strong woman. I was also confident that she would find Omid. How were they?" Duck said.
"...They lost the baby." She said, and they both widened their eyes slightly.
"Oh shit."
"Yeah. After that they were never the same. Omid became quieter, but still kept trying to be kind. Christa, on the other hand, got pretty rude, but it's not like I can blame her." Clementine explained, alternating her gaze between the two a few times. "What about you guys? Where have you been?"
"Hell, all over the place after Savannah." Kenny said.
"After Mom...well, after she died, after we couldn't find anyone, we were wandering around various places for a long time. We didn't exactly have a goal at that time." Duck explained, placing his legs on the armchair and resting his head on his knees.
"My priority was Duck, but I felt lost when Katjaa was gone. I didn't have Lee on my side to help show the way...it was hard, but that's when we met Sarita." Kenny finished saying, and at the exact moment he mentioned the woman's name, she appeared right behind him. A friendly smile on her face as she rested her hand on Kenny's shoulder.
"Are you guys catching up?" She asked sweetly, and Clementine stared at her curiously. The woman was saying it in a similar one to the one Katjaa used to speak. It wasn't the same thing, obviously, but from the tone, it was no surprise to see the way both Kenny, and Duck, looked at the woman.
"Clem, this here is Sarita. Ain't she beautiful? This woman saved Duck and I from an encounter with the darkest parts of the world, I tell you." Kenny said in an equally sweet tone, something it had been a while since Clementine had heard.
The woman just laughed embarrassed and extended her hand toward Clementine, who shook it.
"Nice to meet you, Clementine." The girl waved at her.
"Hey, Walt. Is Matthew still out there rolling around in the mud?" Kenny asked loudly to Walter. Clementine alternated her gaze between the two. This was the second time she had heard about this Matthew guy. She had a bad feeling.
The only person they'd found out there was that guy Nick had killed... Oh.
"Of course he is. Well, I'll start making dinner." Walter said, and Clementine stared at the floor.
Maybe it was just coincidence.
"Is there anyone else here that we haven't met yet?" Clementine asked, watching Kenny get up.
"Nah, just Matthew. You'll like him, the folks here are nice. Well, make yourself at home, Clem." He said with a smile, watching Nick and Luke approach.
Clementine didn't even hear what they talked about, her mind going back to the event from earlier.
Maybe it was just a coincidence... who was she kidding?
"It's great to have you back, Clem. Like Dad said, make yourself at home. You'll like the crew." Duck said, placing a hand gently on Clementine's shoulder and smiling warmly at her, before walking with Kenny out of the lodge, being followed by Nick and Luke.
Clementine stared at them for a while, hoping that it really was just a coincidence.
