A/N The survivors narrowly escape from the walkers and Hunters by retreating to the attic with nowhere else to go. Meanwhile, Ellie and Clementine attempt to apply what they learned in order to escape. Be sure to let me know what you think of this crossover. I do not own The Walking Dead or The Last of Us.

Chapter 3: Trapped

After Ellie's failed attempt to attack the Stranger, he takes it upon himself to bring her to the adjoining hotel room, bound her wrists together with some rope and then tie it onto one of the bed legs. Putting her on time-out, he said. To ensure she doesn't lash out and make anymore attempts to harm him. He even took away her knife. After tying her up, he walks out the door and she hears it click upon shutting it, meaning that he locked it so Clem wouldn't try to go in there. After that, she soon hears him talking to Clem on the other side, but couldn't make out the words before hearing another door opening and closing. The teen girl attempted to pull her hands free several times, even tried using her teeth to loosen it up, but the rope wouldn't give an inch. He tied them up real good.

Ellie: "Argh. Fucker. Can't believe this shit is happening right now. Goddamn it!... Okay, okay. Think. What do I do? What can we do?"

Taking a couple breaths, she tries to recall the things she and her friend had learned from their guardians. What's the first thing Joel always tells her to do? Take a look around and see if there's anything they can use. So, she does just that. Other than the bed she was tied to, there was a side table close by, a desk and a few chairs. Nothing sharp for her to use on the rope. And then, she notices a ventilation shaft next to her. She can use that to call out for Clem if that man isn't still in there. Luckily, she was tied close to the wall, so she can reach it without too much trouble. And so, she shifts herself closer to the vent and quietly calls out.

Ellie: "Hey, Clem. Clem? Clementine! Are you there?"

Eventually, she hears the voice she was hoping for on the other side.

Clementine: "Ellie? A- are you okay?"

Ellie: "Yeah, I'm fine. But he's got me tied to a bed in the other room."

Clementine: "Ellie, I... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I- I just wanted to see my parents again. I miss them so much."

She could hear her friend let out small sobs. No doubt feeling scared and guilty about the situation they're in right now. Ellie couldn't really blame her if she wanted to. There was no way they could've known this man would come for them at the manor again. If anything, she was regretting not taking a shot at him when she had the chance.

Ellie: "Hey, Clem, listen. I'm mad, but not at you, okay? I wanted to go with you."

Clementine: "I thought th- that they would be here. I thought he wanted to- to help me find them."

Ellie: "Yeah, well, he lied. I'm sorry, I know we thought they'd be here, but it doesn't look like it. And now we know better, right? From now on, we don't just take people's word for anything and be absolutely sure we can trust them, right?"

On the other side, she had wiped the tears away from her eyes before responding to her friend.

Clementine: "Uh-huh."

Ellie: "Look, we're gonna get out of this, I swear. But, we need to work together on this. Is he still there?"

Clementine: "I- I saw him go in the bathroom. He hasn't come out yet."

If he was in there, then it's likely he's tending to the wound she caused him on his shoulder. That or maybe he actually had to go and is taking his time.

Ellie: "All right, then we got some time. We need to let Joel and Lee know where we are so they can find us. Do you see the radio anywhere?"

Moving away from the vent, the younger girl does a quick look around the room. At first, there was no sign of it anywhere. She didn't see him put it in any of the drawers. There was a bowling bowl bag placed right in between some chairs, but she didn't see him go near it with the radio either. However, she did see him go through a backpack of his own in a closet. The same one she saw their backpacks placed in.

Clementine: "No, I don't see it. But, I- I think I know where he might've put it."

Ellie: "Okay, that's good. Go for it. Also, if you see my knife, grab it any way you can and then slip it through here when he's not looking so I can get out of this."

Clementine: "O-okay."

Back at the manor, the survivors had just climbed into the attic and pulled the ladder back up before slamming the door shut. Joel had cut off the rope to ensure no one else could enter it. It was already stressful enough after taking the manor back from the Hunters who invaded it and they heard more of them heading towards them. Everyone was now taking a moment to catch their breath.

Kenny: "Well, that could've gone better."

Lee: "Everybody all right?"

Joel: "Just hunky dory."

Meanwhile, Christa was looking through the backpack filled with everything she looted, plus some additional supplies stored in it beforehand.

Christa: "I got as much as I could off those Hunters. It's not a lot, but we should be able to make do."

Eventually, she pulls out a P226 handgun and ammo magazine from the bag and holds it out for Lee to take.

Christa: "Here, Lee. You might need this after giving away your last one to Chuck."

Lee: "Thanks."

He takes the items from her and places them in the pouches of his holster after checking how many bullets were remaining in the sidearm. Christa gives Joel three more shotgun shells before standing up and strapping the backpack on. Omid noticed the lack of gunfire from outside and walks to the window to get a look at where the Hunters are. He was able to spot them heading the opposite direction of the manor.

Omid: "I can see the other Hunters making a run for it. Guess they decided this place wasn't worth wasting their bullets on."

Kenny: "What about the walkers? They following after them?"

Omid: "Doesn't look like it. Still wandering below us."

Carley: "Any way for us to get out through there?"

Omid: "Nope, not gonna work. No latches, no roof access, and thirty feet straight down to God knows how many walkers."

Kenny: "Anyone have any ideas?"

At that moment, Omid spots a bust of a man's head in the room and approaches it to kneel and read the plaque on it.

Omid: "I bet this guy would. He's got a resourceful air about him."

Christa: "Knock it off."

Omid: "'Dixon Kent the III, industrial'-"

Christa: "OMID!"

Omid: "CHRISTA. I'm just trying to lighten the fucking tone."

Christa: "We need solutions, not stupid jokes!"

There was a silence in the room after her outburst. Realizing her action, she took a breath and speaks in a calmer tone.

Christa: "I'm sorry."

Omid: "It's fine, babe."

Joel: "We shouldn't have come up here. We're trapped."

Kenny: "Well, it ain't like there was anywhere else to go. We'd be chomped up and torn apart by now if we hadn't."

He's not entirely wrong. None of the other rooms on the second floor offered much protection. The walkers were breaking through their barricades and would've eventually overwhelmed them had they not climbed to the attic. Suddenly, the walkie-talkie on Lee's waistband made a static noise as a voice came through.

Clementine: "Lee! Joel! Are you there? We're okay. We're at the place my parents- oh no!"

Just as he grabbed it and was about to respond, the connection was lost again. However, her words did confirm where they had been taken.

Lee: "Did you hear that?"

Joel: "Sure did."

Christa: "What did that mean?"

Lee: "They're at the Marsh House, just as I thought. He hasn't moved them."

Kenny: "Not yet he hasn't."

Lee: "What do you mean?"

Kenny: "It won't do us much good of knowing where they are if we can't even get to them. And if he's figured out we know where to find them, he just might move them."

Lee: "Then the sooner we get out of this attic, the fucking better. There's just gotta be another way."

Christa: "We can check the floor and the ceiling to see if there's any other access. A vent, anything."

Kenny: "Well, the only good thing about all this is that shitbird Ben isn't here to fuck things up even further for us."

Carley: "Oh my- really, Kenny? You're gonna speak ill of the dead now?"

Kenny: "Hey, I don't wanna hear anymore of it, alright? You already gave me more than an earful last night."

Carley: "Then maybe you oughta learn how to stop talking out of your ass for once!"

Unfortunately for Kenny, he was about to hear more of what Carley was arguing with him about last night. At the same time, Joel's frustration was starting to build up as he was letting out deep breaths and wipes his hand across his face.

Carley: "All Ben wanted was to help and contribute to the group. Things may not have gone how he'd wanted - when does it ever for us - but even so-"

Joel: "How many times are you gonna sugarcoat what that boy did? Huh?"

Carley: "Excuse me?"

As he steps toward the short woman, he momentarily holds up his right forearm, reminding her of his old wound.

Joel: "You see this? I took a goddamn bullet for you because of him. You remember? Either one of us could've been shot down like a dog that night because he didn't fess up. Right after we barely got away from that fucking raid he caused. Regardless of his "good intentions", he still fucked things up even more for us than they already were."

Carley: "Except Ben didn't mean for any of that to happen, it was all just a mistake and-"

Joel: "And just how do you reckon that would've mattered if we all wound up dead for his mistakes?!"

The anger in his tone and the way he stepped closer to Carley as he yelled nearly caused her to take a step back, but she stood her ground. She knew he wouldn't lay a hand on her, but it was still intimidating when Joel's anger is unleashed. Lee didn't like the way he was acting towards her and steps up in her defense.

Lee: "Hey! Don't you talk to her that way. Back off."

Carley: "It's fine, Lee. I can handle myself."

Joel: "Don't you start with me, too."

Lee: "Or what? You gonna pistol whip me in the face, too?"

Joel: "I just said not to-"

Christa: "Guys! I don't know what happened before Omid and I showed up, but we can cross that bridge when we get to it."

Unfortunately, her words fell upon deaf ears. The four of them were too heated to listen to reason. Omid even moved next to his girlfriend as Joel directed his glare at Lee and walks around him.

Joel: "Y'know what? You don't exactly got room to talk, Lee. It was one thing not telling us when someone was bitten, but not telling us who was responsible for putting us all at risk more than once? That's another."

Lee: "And what about you? At least I wasn't expecting a ride from somebody I knew just to abandon everyone."

Joel: "Really? You really wanna start beating on that dead horse?"

Lee: "For the record, Kenny didn't even want me to say anything, and Carley and I were planning on letting Ben tell you guys after we got outta this city and settled down elsewhere."

Joel: "Oh, I'm sure you were."

Kenny: "Hey now, don't you try to- Wait, you knew Ben was responsible, too, Carley?"

Carley: "Not at first, but yeah, I did. But you're not entirely innocent yourself, Kenny."

Kenny: "Me?"

Carley: "You could've mentioned to all of us there wasn't enough room on that boat to begin with. Had you already thought ahead on who was gonna be left behind?"

Lee: "So much for 'important to stay honest with each other'."

Kenny: "Oh, like any of that really fucking matters right now!"

Omid: "Hey, this is seriously getting out of hand here."

They still weren't hearing them. At that moment, Lee lets his anger get the best of him and lashes out even more.

Lee: "Well, I'm really glad I've got you looking out for me, Joel. Not like you ever wanted to do the same when it came to Clementine's parents. You ever think that's why the girls got out of the house again?"

Joel: "What did you say?"

Lee: "Maybe they wouldn't have been taken by that motherfucker on the radio if you hadn't talked me into convincing Clem that her parents are dead and break my promise to find them for her!"

Oh, he did not like that. Joel did not like hearing that at all. Deepening the glare in his eyes and tightening his fists, he stepped up close to Lee and points his finger at him.

Joel: "Now you listen to me. You know damn well why we couldn't go looking for them. Or do you need to take another look outside that window? There was no point to putting their lives at risk over two people we know are long gone. And you know what? If this is your way of repaying me after I had to save your ass last night, then piss off. One way or another, I am getting Ellie and Clementine back, with or without any of you!"

Lee: "Then do something about it, you son of a bitch, okay?! Don't even fucking hesitate!"

That right there pushed him over the edge. Blinded by his rage, Joel grabs hold of the first thing he sees, which was the bust, and holds it up, making Lee step back and raise his hands in defense.

Carley: "Joel, no! Don't!"

Joel: "Rraaaghh!"

He tosses it hard as he can, sending it flying past Lee as he flinches and smashes it at the wooden wall, causing a small hole upon impact. Everyone remained silent, feeling a little intimidated by this act of rage while Joel breaths heavily. The need to keep the argument going died down nearly instantly. Omid had noticed the damage done to the bust and points it out.

Omid: "You ruined that dude's face."

Joel directed his scowl at the Persian man for his comment. Not wanting to push his luck, Omid decides not to bring up the bust until further notice and his girlfriend lets out a deep sigh as she frowns at everyone. Disappointed in how they all not only lost their tempers, but lost focus on what was really important.

Christa: "Are we all done here? Because I'd like to get back to finding a way out so we can get to Clementine and Ellie."

No one really felt like saying anything right now. But then, the reporter had examined the hole in the wall and realized something about it.

Carley: "Wait, guys, look. You see that, right?"

Noticing it as well, Kenny approached the wall, grabs hold of a piece and easily tears it off.

Kenny: "This wall is corroded to hell."

Carley: "What's on the other side of this wall, a thirty-foot drop?"

Omid: "No, this mansion butts up against the one next door."

Kenny's eyes lightened up upon this accidental discovery. They may have just found a way out of this attic after all. Just got to bust their way out.

Kenny: "Well I'll be damned."

Christa: "We're not lifers on Alcatraz here; we can't spend the next three months digging through a wall."

While they were busy discussing, Lee had gotten an idea in his head to pick up a nearby coat rack, smashes the wall with it and sets it back down to inspect the damage.

Lee: "This wall ain't shit."

Omid: "Is this really possible?"

The mustached man steps up to take hold of the coat rack and smashes it into the wall twice. It was gonna take some time and plenty of elbow grease, but it would work.

Kenny: "Yeah. We can do this."

Joel: "All right then."

Kenny: "We'll all work in shifts to bust through this. Lee, Joel, you two rest for now. We have to work fast."

The crew leaves him to it and move on over to the other side of the attic to sit down for a bit. Christa and Omid took a seat on a couch while Lee sat down on a storage box in front of them with Carley by his side, bringing an arm around his shoulder. Joel meanwhile sets up a wooden chair from the floor and sits down with his left forearm placed firmly on his knee and his right hand on the other.

Christa: "Have you got it all out of your system?"

Joel: "Eh. Somewhat."

Christa: "I just don't want to have to worry about you or anyone else losing their shit and going off like that again. You're pissed, and you're worried for them, I get that. We all want to find the girls and for them to be safe just as much as you guys. But it only makes harder if we start distrusting each other now."

Joel: "I hear you. Just so you know, I wasn't really gonna hurt you, Lee."

Lee: "Sure. I know."

Joel: "Do you?"

Lee: "Well, you still scared the shit outta me, man. And, I didn't really mean what I said earlier. It wasn't right. I was out of line."

Joel: "Don't worry about it."

They remained silent for a moment, listening to the walkers moaning below them, Kenny grunting and the wooden wall getting smashed by the coat rack for a bit until Omid began to make small talk.

Omid: "So, did your crew get into any shit before you met up with us?"

Carley: "Is it possible to have survived up to this point and not gotten into some shit?"

Omid: "Ha, fair enough. But, for real though, anything else you guys wanna get off your chest?"

They had glanced at each other for a quick moment before looking anywhere else. Nothing really specific came to mind about what else they experienced these past few months. Looking back down again at the wound on his arm he had gotten the other night, Joel decides to check on it as he pulls up the sleeves of his jacket and blue flannel shirt, and removes the bandages. The grazed bullet wound now turned into a scar, looking better than it did before that night in the RV, and would be a permanent reminder to him of how Lilly had betrayed their trust.

Christa: "Damn. How did that happen?"

Joel: "Before we ran into you two, there was this other woman with us. Lilly was her name. She had her dad, Larry. After he died, she just couldn't cope, became paranoid and lost her shit. Tried to gun down Carley when we weren't looking. I stepped in and, well, this happened."

Omid: "Well, at least now you got sick scar to tell the tale about it."

He only rolls his eyes at his comment and pulls his sleeves back down.

Omid: "So when we get this guy... what do you think?"

Lee: "We figure out who he is and why he's doing this; we can rescue Clem and Ellie, but they won't be safe if this guy's not gonna stop."

Omid: "Gotcha. And when we do get him, the rest of us will get out of sight and leave him with the two of you. You get me?"

Lee: "We get you."

Christa: "And then? What comes after?"

Joel: "The bridge is our one way out of the city. Henry and Molly made that much pretty clear. We get there and get across. Maybe even fight our way through if we have to."

Christa: "Sure. But, what I meant was, what's our plan for if and when we manage to escape after we get the girls back? Cause I hope it doesn't involve anymore cities. They've already proven more than enough times to be nothing but goddamn deathtraps."

Good question. Where do they go after they get out of Savannah? Joel thought over the plan that he made with Lee and their girls on the train. Looking for Clementine's parents? Not much else to say about that anymore. Finding a boat? Been there, done that, and then lost it. One thing still remained left unchecked on their plan. Something that Ellie was driven to find, and now, thanks to what they found last night, so was he.

Joel: "We look for the Fireflies. There was another one of their pendants back at the school with my brother's name on it."

Omid: "Really? So then, they're here?"

Joel: "Molly told us that they were forced to leave Savannah and were going somewhere northwest from here, so that's where we'll be heading. As long as we follow their signs, we should be able to track them down."

Christa: "Are you sure that's what we should be doing? I mean, do you even know for sure if this Fireflies group will be any better or worse than the people we've seen here?"

Joel: "No. But, knowing Tommy, if he's anything like I last saw him years ago, then he might be willing to help us. Ellie is also hoping to find a friend of hers with them, so they may just be worth looking for."

Christa: "I hope you're right about that. For all our sakes."

He also had Fort Benning in mind. He never forgot how his old friend Tess mentioned heading there as a backup plan if things didn't go back to normal on the first night at the Travelier Motel. However, the last military base they went to, the one where they found Mark, it was overrun with the dead. But there is also a chance that it could be where the Fireflies are. He would bring that up later. After they escaped from this city that is. At that moment, an exhausted Kenny was coming back over after making good progress smashing through the wall.

Kenny: "All right, I'm out of gas. You look good and rested."

Omid: "Sure, if you don't count an infected leg."

Carley: "You want me to do it?"

Omid: "Nah, it's fine. I can handle it. You can hop in after me."

The short man stands up and proceeds to take over smashing through the wall with the coat rack while Kenny takes his spot on the couch.

Kenny: "Shouldn't take long now. It's good we're forced to take a breath. After that, then we can start heading towards River Street. We'll be able to get to the hotel from there."

The crew nod their heads in agreement. However, Lee thought about how Kenny was still harboring hatred over Ben for getting his family killed, despite it being unintentional. But, maybe he could help ease up that hate if he understood where Ben was coming from.

Lee: "He never made it back to his own family, you know."

Kenny: "Say what now?"

Lee: "After Duck and Katjaa died, Ben told me how he never got to make it back to his home, to see if his parents and little sister survived or not. So, in a way, you were lucky to be able to say goodbye to your family. In the end, he never got to know."

Kenny: "I... I never thought of it that way before."

As he sat there, deep in his thoughts about his family and Ben, he leans forward while removing his ballcap and leans his arms on his legs with a deep frown. Didn't Lee also mention before how Ben didn't want to be saved? Now the guilt was starting to pile up on him. He even starts rubbing his forehead in his hand. At least Lee tried to save him. Had Kenny been the one making the call on the other hand...

Christa: "How are you?"

Kenny: "I'm... I don't know how to answer that."

Christa: "I'm sorry. You've lost more than anyone. Well, as much as anyone."

Kenny: "A lot of us have lost families."

Lee: "We have. But we're all still here. Still not bitten. Despite everything this fucked up world keeps throwing at us. It'll be alright, Ken. Just gotta keep moving forward."

Kenny: "Now there's a statement I can get behind, doc."

That actually brought a little smile on Lee's face. He had said those words to him before back at the Motor Inn, on the day that he attempted to save a man's life by cutting his leg free from a bear trap. Kenny almost smiled back, but then frowns after thinking about their recent argument and turns to the woman sitting beside him.

Kenny: "Carley, I uh... I've been thinkin' and, well..."

Carley: "Yeah?"

Kenny: "I just wanna apologize for shooting my mouth off like that. About Ben. He's gone now, but what good's it doin' for me? I ain't getting them back."

Carley: "I know. But, that is nice of you to say, Kenny. Apology accepted."

He nods at her and places his hat back on. But then, she had noticed how quiet Joel was during this discussion. She was hoping that maybe he can put this hatred towards the poor teen behind him, too.

Carley: "Joel? What about you?"

Joel: "Hmm?"

Carley: "Do you think you can at least agree that Ben never meant any harm, nor wanted to put any of us in danger?"

Joel: "I... Yeah, sure. Ellie seemed to think so. I think, that's what she'd want me to do."

That was good enough for her, showing a small grin out of appreciation. Kenny notices an opened box beside the couch on his left, leans over to look inside and finds a bottle of whiskey stored in it, among other items. He retrieves the bottle and twists the cap off.

Kenny: "These guys tell you much of what we been through?"

Christa: "Bits and pieces."

Kenny: "We ever mention how we stayed at a rotten Motor Inn for over three months before we met y'all?"

Christa: "No, I don't think you did."

Kenny: "It wasn't exactly home sweet home, but it did keep us safe for as long as it did. Could do without the gang of bandits that were hassling us and especially this psycho family of dairy farmers that literally tried to make us their next meal."

Christa: "Are you for real?"

Kenny: "Yup. Not one of our best days. Had to make plenty of tough calls."

Omid: "Hey."

Everyone turned to see Omid returning after have made progress of his own on the wall and was limping a little again.

Carley: "You finished?"

Omid: "Just about. But, my leg is killing me. I need to sit down again for a bit."

Carley: "Okay then. I can take over."

She lets go of Lee and moves over to the hole. It was almost big enough for everyone to fit through. Just a little more and they can move on from this room. And so, she grabs the coat rack and gets to work. As Omid takes a seat next to his girlfriend again, Lee had something that he wanted to say to Kenny and Joel.

Lee: "For what it's worth, I am sorry for not being entirely honest with you guys. I was doing what I thought was right in order to keep the group together. We had already lost too much. I didn't think it was worth anymore blood being spilled. And I'm sorry for hurting you guys in any way. All I can do is promise to be more honest from here on out."

Joel: "It's fine, Lee. We're all doing the best we can. Besides, I think we've already been more than honest enough with each other back at the Motor Inn."

Omid: "Wait, what?"

Christa: "What do you mean by that?"

The other men glanced at one another and shifted uncomfortably. The need to tell these two their pasts never came up. Lee attempts to explain to them without fully giving anything away.

Lee: "We, uh, pretty much shared who we really were before the outbreak and what we did. None of it was good."

As vague and somewhat cryptic as it sounded, it was enough to imply how both of them had done bad things before and weren't exactly all that good in their past lives. The couple looked at each other for a moment before Christa shakes her head and lets out a sigh.

Christa: "Look, I'll admit I was skeptical of you guys when we first met. Even when you came to our rescue out of nowhere at the underpass. But, you've already shown more than enough how much we can rely on you. Those little girls may not actually be your daughters, but they think the world of you both. If we wanted to know who you people really were before, we would've asked."

Omid: "Yeah. I mean, it's not like we're just gonna leave you guys high and dry now. And, this may sound a little cheesy and cliche, but what's important is what we choose to be here and now."

That was a relief. Mostly for Joel since he didn't wanna have to explain the kind of life he lived in the black market. He did raise an eyebrow at Omid's words, though. But there is some truth to that. At this point, it didn't feel like who they were before really mattered that much anymore. Not after everything they've been doing to survive and protect one another.

Joel: "Yeah, you're right. That was pretty cheesy."

That got a chuckle out of Omid and a shrug of his shoulders. Still holding onto the bottle of whiskey, Kenny raises it up to propose a little toast.

Kenny: "Well, here's to being honest, and to rescuing Clementine and Ellie from this crazy stalking son of a bitch."

And with that, he takes the first drink. Kenny then holds it out towards Lee, offering him a drink. It has been a while since he's ever had any alcohol. But aside from that, his throat was feeling dry. So, he accepts the bottle and takes a little drink, too. He then passes it on to Joel and he takes a shot. As Christa watched her boyfriend take the bottle, she looks down at her stomach for a moment. Lee noticed this and raised an eyebrow at her. When she looks back up, Omid had already taken a sip, as well as coughed a little at the taste, and then they locked eyes with each other, frowning. She knew what he was thinking and knew damn well that he would never let her live it down if she drank from that bottle. Before anyone could say anything, Omid reaches over to hand the bottle back to Kenny and takes hold of Christa's hand.

This left the other men a bit confused. But for Lee, there seemed to be something to it more than that. The former professor was starting to get a good idea of what was going on between them, and what they haven't been telling them. It all started with their little private talk back on the underpass, then there was Christa throwing up after he dug up the dog's corpse, how she cried over Anna Correa being forced to have an abortion, and now there was Omid not letting Christa take a shot of whiskey. All these signs pointed to one thing. But he had to be sure.

Lee: "Listen, I, uh, don't mean to pry into y'alls business or anything, but before we keep going, there's something I wanna be sure about. Christa, are... are you...?"

Christa: "Yes."

He didn't even have to finish for her to know what he was asking; Christa was pregnant. Lee's suspicions proved to be true. Joel and Kenny were surprised by this, but they didn't say a word. Didn't even bother asking when it happened, why they never said anything or even how they were planning on dealing with it.

Lee: "Okay then. We don't have to get into it now. We can keep our focus on the girls. But, just know if you ever need anything from us, anything at all, we'll do what we can."

Christa: "Thank you."

Omid: "Yeah, dude. We really appreciate that."

Carley: "I'm through!"

The time to rest was over now. Time to get back on track to the Marsh House. After setting the coat rack down, Carley takes a look in the next room through the hole as the crew gathers around her.

Carley: "Looks empty. No walkers or anything in here."

Omid: "Things are looking up."

Joel: "Don't fucking jinx us now."

Omid: "Hey man, just trying to be optimistic here."

Joel: "Whatever."

The walkie-talkie Clementine tried to use to contact their friends had been taken from her and was now in the Stranger's hand. He had stepped out of the bathroom after patching himself up sooner than she would've hoped for.

Stranger: "Lying about Ellie not having that knife of hers? That is not okay. Using my walkie-talkie without my permission like that? That is also not okay. I don't wanna have to put you in time-out like Ellie. So, I need to you to be good from now on. This way I can take care of you both."

Clementine: "I... I'm sorry. I just want to-"

Stranger: "If you wanted to talk with Lee, all you had to do was ask me if you can. But since you didn't, that's not going to be possible for a while."

And with that, he walks towards the closet, places the radio on the top shelf where she would have no chance of reaching it, and closes it shut. She lowers her head in sadness, knowing that she won't get anymore chances to contact Lee and Joel. But hopefully, the few words she had told them would be enough to lead them here.

Stranger: "Now you wait here while I go have a little word with Ellie for a minute."

As their kidnapper moves past her, she looks up to see him heading towards the room her friend was in and spots the switchblade in his back pocket. Her eyes widen, realizing the opportunity in front of her. His back was turned, he wasn't focused on it or her. This may be her only chance to get it. But if he catches her, who knows what he might do. And then, she thought about something Lee had told them; fear is the thing that will kill them if they let it get the best of them. She was scared, but even so, she can't let that take over and prevent her from helping those she cares about. Not this time. Thinking fast, the little girl runs up to him and grabs the adult, pleading to him.

Clementine: "Please! Don't hurt her! She's... she's my friend."

He was caught off guard by this reaction, but he was quick to reassure her as he turns and places a hand on her shoulder.

Stranger: "Calm down. I have no intention of hurting her, sweetie. Ellie and I are just gonna have a little conversation between us. Now, be a good girl and stay in this room. And please, don't touch anything else."

She nods in response. That didn't really reassure her as she watches him enter the room and locks the door with a key. Thankfully, he didn't realize that the little girl was able to swipe the switchblade from his back pocket without him noticing and was now holding it in her hand. The next step was to get it to Ellie through the vent. Just gotta wait for the right moment.

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N I really wish I could get better at posting each new chapters, but for one reason or another, I just can't, no matter how much I want to, and I am truly sorry to you all. I was having some personal issues going on that don't want to go into detail about and had to work through, and I feel like I was letting everyone down with each day that I didn't update this. But I never want to give up on this. Not with how much I got in mind about how far I want to take it. For this chapter, I wanted to add some focus on Ellie and Clem's kidnapped situation. And for the argument between Lee and Joel, I'm aware that I made it seem like they both agreed to nearly everything despite having disagreements when it comes to looking for Clem's parents before, so I wanted to use that moment to make it so that that wasn't the case. Also, yes, Omid's comment about Joel's scar was a pun on Telltale.