AN: Just as a heads up, this might be complete BS, but you know that petition thing for bringing Lilly back? Well, down in the comment section, guess who had something to say about it?

Nicki Rapp – the god damn voice actress for Lilly commented on it.

Holy. Fucking. Shyte. I'm practically convinced it's her because of the way she spoke, and the fact that at the bottom it shows that she's from Oakland, California.

How cool would that be?! But anyways, enough rambling. You voted, and we listened. Here's the next chapter!

"If there's a chance to save Mark, no matter how small," Lee remarks, shaking his head in disbelief, "then we've gotta take it. We need to use the morphine."

"You're positive?"

With slight hesitation, Lee nods as Andy retreats up the stairs. If what he said about using heavy dosages of the stuff is indeed true, then they're going to have to be extremely careful. There are a million and a half things that could go wrong, but Mark will likely die if they don't at least make an attempt.

He owes the man that much at least, after all that he's contributed to the group.

There's still one thing bugging the crap out of Lee, however – why do they really have all of this stuff? What the hell would a bunch of dairy farmers need practically a full closet of morphine, ibuprofen, pain killers and all other sorts of drugs for?

Something doesn't seem right about this place…

"Got 'em," Andy announces, bouncing down the stairs as the two of them re-enter the kitchen; medicine in hand.

Setting the ingredients down on the counter, the St. John's get to work – setting up a wooden pole to hold up the first bag of morphine. Lee assumes that this is some sort of IV that they've put together, as he, Lilly and Kenny silently watch them attack a syringe to some sort of yellow tube sticking out of the bag.

"We're making do with what we've got," Danny explains with a shrug, carefully placing the syringe into Mark's forearm as the drug slowly drips down into his body.

"You're sure that stuff is safe?" Kenny asks quizzically, having a legitimate concern since there isn't any actual label on the bag. Somebody just wrote a big "M" on it in magic marker. "It's not gonna kill him, right? Lee, did you check to make sure that – "

"It's fine, Kenny," he interrupts before he can go any further. These people are doing them a huge service, so the least they can do is trust them to make the right call. For now, anyways. "How long before the drug kicks in?"

Stroking her chin in thought, Brenda predicts that it'll be a solid thirty minutes or so before they can start up the procedure again. In the meantime, she's going to remain by Mark's side to see if anything changes, so she suggests that the rest of them get a bit of fresh air and head on outside.

"I don't reckon that y'all can do anymore for him at this point – lemme handle things from here," she adds, noting that the drug will likely put him to sleep anyhow and eliminate the need to hold him down.

Doing as instructed, Lilly, Kenny and Lee exit the room and anxiously walk out the front door; hoping for some sort of miracle that could possibly save Mark's life.

These days, however, even asking for a little bit of help seems like far too much to ask anymore.

….

"What a fine fucking mess we've got ourselves mixed into…" Kenny sighs, rubbing his eyes as he heads down the front steps. "God damn it… how did this fucking happen?!"

Nobody really has an answer to that question, so Kenny just shakes his head while frowning out in the distance. The man from Florida's got quite a lot to be concerned about lately – his family being the utmost priority on that list. He's still reeling over the fact that they sent Ben of all people to go back for the rest of them, but he recognizes that they didn't have much of a choice. Mark needed to get to the farm as quickly as humanly possible, and to Kenny that kid would probably just get in the way. His heart might be in the right place, he supposes, but when you get down to it, Ben's just that – a kid.

Clearly he hasn't had to kill off walkers or do any of the stuff that he probably should've learned by now.

Placing his hands on his hips, Kenny turns around and glances over at Lee who's taken a seat on the front steps, and Lilly who's leaned up against the railing; still recovering from what just happened.

"I've never heard anyone scream like that before," Lilly admits, shuddering as she tries to clear her head. "That… it wasn't normal."

"How would you feel if you were poked around inside and had stuff taken out while you were still awake for the whole thing?" Lee questions while rubbing his knee, trying his best to focus on the positive. Now that the drugs are kicking into his system, then hopefully Mark will be back on his feet in no time.

Kenny, having this question burning in his brain for a while now, decides to address the elephant in the room.

"Why the hell would he try that anyways?" he asks, not understanding why Mark would put himself in harm's way like that. "If Mark had just waited and left that guy alone, then he wouldn't have gotten shot and we wouldn't be in this position!"

"So you're blaming him?!" Lilly demands, giving Kenny the stink-eye as the man looks back with indignity.

"I never said that once!"

"Well that's what it fucking sounds like, Kenny! Mark's got the slimmest chance to live, and you're angry at him because you're getting upset about the whole thing!"

"Are you even fucking listening to me, Lilly?! You sure talk a lot of shit, don't ya?!"

"ENOUGH!" Lee bellows, silencing the both of them as he stands up. "Jesus, guys! You sound like a bunch of damn two year olds! Lilly, quit getting on his ass about this, alright? We're already stressed enough as it is – no need to escalate things."

Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, Lilly brushes past the men crossly as Kenny prepares to make another snide comment.

Fortunately, Lee stops this before it really heightens to another shouting match.

"And you," Lee remarks pointedly, "what the fuck is it with you and her?! This happens every damn time, Kenny! You and Lilly constantly bitch at each other over the tiniest things, and then I've gotta come in and play peacemaker! Enough is enough, man! This shit's gotta stop!"

"Picking sides again, are we?" Kenny snarls, getting real tired of Lee's failure to see things from his perspective. "Can't say I'm surprised, considering our track record!"

"Don't even start this shit, Kenny…"

"No – you know what? For once in your damn life, you're gonna listen to me!" Kenny snaps, glaring Lee into submission as he stands a few feet away from the man. "Sigh… Look, I don't mean to get all up in your grill, Lee. But you've gotta open your eyes, here! Lilly doesn't give a damn about you or me or any of us! All that she wants is to save her own skin – hers and Larry's. I've got my family to worry about, and what about you? What about Clem?"

Frowning deeply, Lee raises his finger to point something out, but Kenny's not about to lose this argument. The man's convinced that he's doing this for Lee's own good, and honestly, he just doesn't want to see the guy get hurt – him or Clem. He might be an up in your face kind of guy, but sometimes that's just what people need.

Sometimes, everyone needs a little wake-up call to set them back on the path.

"Whether you like it or not, that little girl is your responsibility, Lee. I know how daunting that might seem – believe me, when I saw Duck for the first time, I nearly shat myself!" Kenny admits, causing both of the men to chuckle a little bit. Lee can only imagine what that must've looked like. "But you know what I ended up realizing? I found out that no matter what, even if it absolutely kills you and crushes your soul, every little thing you do has to put that child first. It has to consume you; make every living breath be based around that kid. Lilly doesn't know what's best for Clem… and I'm starting to think you might not either."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Lee interrupts accusingly, feeling threatened as Kenny rips him apart.

What the ex-history professor starts to realize though, as the both of them simmer down, is that Kenny's not trying to be a jackass. In fact, he's trying to do the opposite of that.

Lowering his gaze a little bit, Kenny rubs his eyes as he sits down beside his friend on the steps.

"I wasn't there for them a whole lot over the years…" he confesses, looking regretful as he speaks. "I wasn't at home too much – off on a boat somewhere or other. I didn't give enough time to them… to my family… All that I'm saying is… is that I don't want to have to wake up one morning and regret that I haven't done right by them. By Kat and Duck… Just don't do the same stupid mistakes that I did, Lee."

Cautiously reaching over, Lee pats Kenny on the shoulder in a friendly way and offers him a small smile.

"…thanks, Ken," he tells him honestly, "I appreciate that. You're… you're totally right. I don't know what I'm doing – I've never had a kid before. And I know I'm not her dad or anything, but… hell. Any suggestions?"

As Andy and Danny step outside and slide past the duo, looking pretty green themselves after the whole Mark thing, Kenny scratches his chin in thought.

"Ha, I'd give you a parenting book if I had one," Kenny jokes, lightly shaking his head. "Jesus, man… where to even begin? Hmm… well, lucky for you that you don't have to go through the whole infancy stage. But right now? Well… have you gotten to know her a little bit better? You said that you only met her the day before Hershel's place, right?"

Nodding solemnly, Lee drums his fingers absentmindedly upon his knee. Neither of them have really mentioned it since the drug store, but Shawn's death still weighs heavily on their minds – especially with Kenny. That really resonated with him, and it didn't help that Duck was asking him about it the other day.

Lee starts explaining the facts, like Clem's age, her parents and what they used to do, what a couple of her hobbies were, and the fact that she wears that hat all day every day.

"That's about it, really," Lee admits in slight embarrassment. You'd think after three months that he'd at least know a little bit more.

"Hmm… well, that's a start at least. Maybe try to get her a bit more involved in your life," he suggests, listing off some things on his fingers. "Teach her the basics, you know? Show her how to cook a meal, or maybe tell her about some of that history shit you keep spewing on about. Anything you're into, try and share it with Clementine. I can't even begin to tell ya how over the moon Duck was when I took him out on the ocean for the first time."

Lee listens intently to everything the fisherman says, even the stuff that he doesn't exactly agree with. Getting Clem involved is a good idea, but how much is too much? Lee's not related to the kid – hell, it was bad enough when Clem gave him a doubtful look when he lied about being her babysitter.

And then there's also the huge stack of information that he's been keeping hidden from her this entire time – what really happened to her parents.

Ed and… Diana, he thinks her name was? If that voice recording was any indication, then there's no way in hell that they survived. The father must've gotten bit from the sounds of things, and that last recording… Christ, Lee could barely keep it together.

Clementine, baby… If you can hear this, call the police… That's 9…1…1… We love you… we love you… we love y-

How the hell do you just tell an eight year old something like that?

"DAAAAAADDDDD!" Duck suddenly calls out, interrupting them as Kenny rushes over to the gate and embraces his wife and son. Lee slowly stands up and walks towards the rest of the group; hands in his pockets as he silently watches the exchange.

"Thank god you're alright," he breathes out in relief, hugging Kat tightly as he lifts Duck up into the air. "After all of that stuff that happened on the way over here, I didn't know what to think. You're not hurt, are ya?"

"We're fine, Kenny," Katjaa reassures, planting a kiss on his cheek as she brushes some dirt off his chin. Her face grows more concerned as she glances towards the house. "Where's Mark? Is he…?"

"They've got someone workin' on him now. Don't worry about it."

Biting her lip in slight doubt, Katjaa tells her husband that she's going in to help out anyways. Being that she's a veterinarian, it makes sense that she should also be inside to work alongside Brenda in case anything happens, so Kenny reluctantly lets her go as Duck excitedly tugs on his arm.

"This is a farm, right?! Where are all the animals?!" the boy questions as Lee shakes his head in amusement.

That kid can sure be a handful when he wants to be.

Brought out of his own thoughts, Lee's gaze turns towards the kid who's become his one ray of sunshine in this dark, dreary world. Clementine, after finally releasing Larry's hand, jogs up towards her guardian with a small smile.

For his own part, Lee can't help but feel guilt in the pit of his stomach every single time that he gazes on her bright, little face. Holding back information like this is practically the same as lying to the poor girl.

He's about to talk to her, when all of a sudden he's interrupted by Andy and Danny – both of which have called the group to attention.

"Alright, everyone – we've run into a bit of a snag," Andy starts, getting a few looks of concern. Clementine goes over to stand beside Carley and Ben, while Lee sighs and focuses his attention on the brothers. This isn't going as well as he'd hoped so far. "At Lee's request, we've put Mark on some heavy-duty medicine in order to make the procedure a bit easier on the fella. However… that was the last of our batch, and we're more than likely gonna need some more of the stuff in the future. Since y'all were the last to use it, then Dan and I were thinking that you could – "

"I'll get it."

"Lillian, absolutely not," Larry immediately disagrees, not wanting his daughter to leave so soon after he's arrived. "Let one of these other assholes get the stuff. Get Everett over there to go get the drugs, since – "

"It's fine," Lilly shakes her head, causing Lee to internally sigh in relief. Knowing the old blowhard, Larry would probably have no issue with spilling his secret and turning everyone around here against him. "We've used up their supply, so it's only right that somebody go and restock them. Besides, you need more heart medication, so that's all the more reason I should go."

When Larry reluctantly relents, knowing fully well that Lilly's set in her ways, she grabs a backpack off of Danny before getting ready to move on.

What surprises everyone, however, is when Carley of all people decides that she's gonna tag along.

"I work better alone," Lilly mentions, hoping that she'll take the hint and stay with the others. "It'll be quicker for everyone if I just – "

Shaking her head, Carley puts her pistol in her back pocket and wraps her arm tightly around Lilly's shoulder; annoying the piss out of the stoic woman. "We're gonna be best buds, I know it!" Carley chirps, getting a few dry laughs out of the group members. "It's dangerous out there, Lilly. You need someone watching your back."

Groaning in annoyance, Lilly rolls her eyes before conceding defeat. "Fine…" she gives in, looking over at Larry again as they prepare to leave. "I'll see you soon, Dad. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, pumpkin," he whispers; watching as she and Carley blaze the old dusty trail. Once they're both clear out of sight, and everyone else has dispersed, Larry walks over to a wooden gazebo-type thing and sits down on the bench nearby.

He's got no interest in talking to any of these bastards.

…

"Hey, uh… Ben, is it?" Danny calls, causing the teen to look up from where he's sitting over by Clem. "Mind if you come help me with something in the barn? There's some salt licks inside that need clearing."

Looking down apologetically at the eight year old, the teen from Stone Mountain High stands up and disappears into the barn; willing to do whatever it takes in order for them to get a meal.

Clementine watches him go with slight sadness, as she had wanted to explore the St. John's dairy with him so that they could have some fun for a change. Everyone's always so gloomy! Why is that? Is it maybe because the monsters are trying to eat people?

That's so… so… sad! The young girl just wants everything to be normal and happy again – is that really too much to ask? She wants to go back to her house in Atlanta and wait until her parents come home – maybe Lee can come meet them too!

That's stupid, Clementine thinks bitterly, kicking over a pebble as she leans her hand underneath her chin. It's obvious that whatever's going on around here, people are going completely bonkers… and it's likely that her parents are…

No! They… they can't be! All she has to do is believe that they're alright; that her mom and dad are perfectly fine, waiting in Savannah for her to come and find them!

That's what the nice man on the radio told her, so it must be true! She doesn't really understand why she couldn't talk to them herself, but maybe they're just… sleeping?

But he's gotta be telling her the truth about them… right? Like really, what kind of person would lie about that sort of thing?

"Hey, Clem?"

Instantly turning her head around, Clementine smiles shyly as Lee stands to the side of her; tilting his head to the side as he watches with curiosity.

"Everything alright?" he asks, bending down to her height to try and talk to her face-to-face. "You've been plucking at that walkie-talkie for a while now. Anything you want to talk about, kiddo?"

"…nuh-uh," she shakes her head, not wanting to bother the man with this right now. It's more than likely that Lee wouldn't understand what's going on anyways.

"Ok then," Lee nods, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as he looks over to the workbench on the other side of the gate. That conversation he just had with Kenny has really resonated with the man, and he doesn't want to screw up whatever brittle relationship that he and Clem might share right now.

Suddenly looking over at the broken swing set, Lee gets an idea.

"Wanna come help me build this thing? I could use a solid helper like you," Lee suggests as Clem's eager nod fills him with warmth.

This kid's happiness is infectious, and this is one infection that Lee doesn't want to get rid of.

Walking over and grabbing the saw in his hand, Lee and Clem get to work – not as a father and daughter, but as friends and partners.

And you know what? Lee's perfectly fine with that.