For Those You Love
Chapter 11
A Week Later
Thankfully, the dreaded 'The Birds and the Bees' talk went off without a hitch. The only problem being the hilarity that followed Duck asking the eight-year-old whether she wanted to go swimming with him and Kenny in a nearby creek. Long story short, it ended with her screaming after him:
"Don't ask me again for five to seven days!"
The confused boy left her room with a hurt look, running over to meet his dad, who was waiting patiently by the gate. Lee had quickly sent an apologetic look his way, hoping to god that the boy didn't take it to heart. He had taken a fair few hormonal snaps in his time and knew they couldn't help it.
Other than that, everything had progressed normally. Carley had finally showed him her injuries, which he immediately cleaned and dressed. It broke his heart to see what that bastard had done. She seemed to be okay from the outside, besides the odd flinch when someone startled her from behind or touched her shoulder without warning, but he knew differently. Her normally bright emerald orbs were void and empty of that spark. She kept up the act purely for Clementine and he knew it.
It was on one of the days he and Kenny had made a run back to Macon that Lilly had pulled him aside to complain about missing medical supplies and a broken flashlight. He had initially brushed it off, claiming that she hadn't been sleeping and that paranoia wasn't good for anyone.
"You know what, Lee? Maybe just this once you should go against the group. Even if it's just to prove me wrong. Please, I'm asking you to do this." She said, practically pleading with him.
"Alright," He groaned, holding his hands up into a surrender. "But if this turns tits-up and Carley catches wind, it was your idea."
"Thank you." Lilly smiled, sighing in relief. Her face suddenly became more serious. "How are they? Clem and Carley, I mean."
The man sighed deeply and ran his hand through his hair, leaning back in his chair, frustrated.
"Well, you know what happened to Carley at the St John's dairy. So you can guess how she's feeling right now." He muttered, looking at the woman opposite him. Her brown hair was hung loosely around her thin, bony shoulders and her brown tank-top was covered in nearly four months' worth of filth, but she seemed to be working the hardest out of all of them, hence the almost constant look of anger. "Plus, it doesn't help that Clementine got her first period last week. Only I could have two super-hormonal women as a wife and daughter."
Lilly winced from pure sympathy for the young girl, laughing at his dumb luck.
"God help her." She chuckled, standing to open the door for him. "Tell her that her Aunt Lilly welcomes her to womanhood."
He stood and walked out of the room, turning back to smile at her. "Will do. And remember what I said." He pointed at her with a mock-glare. "It's your fault."
Three Hours Later
The slow rocking motion of the RV was enough to make anyone sick. Having found a stash of meds in a grate on the perimeter and taking them straight to Lilly, none of them were expecting the ensuing fight. Bandits (that's right, bandits!) had turned up out of the blue, gathering every member of the group in the parking lot and insisting that they had stolen their supplies. Of course, it was left to Lee again, with the help of Lilly and Carley, to pick off the attackers while Kenny attempted to start their escape vehicle.
Ben, Clementine, Duck and Katjaa watched on helplessly as their friends (or, in Clementine's case, parents) fought for their escape.
Now, though, they were all crowded together in the back of that damned rusty RV. Carley, Lee and Clementine were sat on the old couch with Ben huddled in the corner, his head in his hands.
"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck." He chanted, his voice barely audible and his hands trembling as he ran them through his hair.
Lilly observed this with curiosity, standing next to the kitchen cubby and tapping her fingers against it impatiently.
"Everything's fine, Ben." Carley soothed, running her hand over the young man's shoulder comfortingly. They all heard Kenny scoff from the driver's seat and fixed their attention on the matter at hand. Lilly glared at the smaller woman.
"Everything's not fine. We need to figure out how this happened." She growled, standing to her full height and squaring her shoulders. "We just lost everything."
"Well we're lucky as shit to have this RV." Kenny piped in, obviously trying to be the voice of reason.
"And nobody died."
"Somebody in here caused this." Lilly growled, not taking any notice of anyone.
"Settle down back there; the bandits have had our number for weeks!" Kenny shouted over the rumble of the engine. "It would have happened sooner or later!"
"This is different." Lilly answered, looking around menacingly at the rest of the group. "Somebody was working with them. Whoever it was was slipping them our meds. They didn't get their last package, so they attacked."
"Calm down! This is nuts!" Kenny shouted once again.
"Lee found a bag of supplies hidden outside the wall!" She countered, looking to him for back up. Carley turned her head in shock, disappointment written all over her features, all the while trying to console the young man to her right.
"It's true." He admitted after a long pause. Fiddling with his wedding band as he normally would when he was under pressure or nervous.
"So, Carley, is there something you want to say?" Lilly sneered, glaring at the older woman.
"What?" She exclaimed, shocked by the accusations. She clutched her heart and her breathing quickened. "How could you…?"
"You're always so eager to see what supplies Lee and Kenny picked up." She answered, cutting her off. "And you never talk about your family. You could be related to those bastards for all we know!"
"Leave the dead, Lilly." Lee muttered, standing up alongside her and trying to calm her down.
"My family are NOT some meth-riddled forest people." Carley growled, her eyes once again flashing to a steely green. "They're good, hardworking people who haven't missed a day of church in their lives."
"Come on, Lilly!" Her husband exclaimed along with her. "She's not a traitor!"
"Thanks hon'."
"She can fight her own battles." Lilly snapped back, glaring at both of them now. "Unless there's something going on here that implicates you both."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Like, look, maybe we should, uh, vote or something like that." Ben suggested, obviously feeling better than he had earlier. This didn't go down so well, as the leader's eyes were now focused solely on him. Lee started before she could say anything to the young (and quite scared) man.
"Let's just let it go." He said softly, gripping onto the sink for support as the RV went over a particularly bumpy patch of road. "People make mistakes and yeah, this is a fucking doozy, but it's not worth it, Lilly. We'll sort this out when we've all had a decent meal and some sleep."
"Then what do we NOT forgive?" She asked, raising her voice slightly, obviously on the edge. "Honestly, tell me. Kenny can kill my dad; Carley can steal from us? Where's the line?"
"Nobody was stealing ANYTHING!" Ben borderline shouted, once again gaining Lilly's attention.
"Was it both of you?"
"WHAT?!" The young man breathed, shocked and scared. Honestly, I don't think there was a single person in that RV that wasn't scared.
"I've seen you two together. Was it both of you?"
"Look, just let me out. I didn't do it but I don't like this; I don't like where it's headed." Ben stammered, shaking his head and folding his arms across his chest. Lilly leaned close to him, looking directly into his eyes.
"Look me in the eyes and tell me you didn't have anything to do with it." She growled, keeping her light brown orbs fixated on his.
"Lilly, lay off of him." Carley sighed, her voice tired. She leaned forward, running a hand through her short hair. Ben made as if to talk when…
SLAM!
"Shit!"
"What's going on up there?"
"I hit something, we gotta stop!" Kenny replied, not taking his eyes off the road.
"All right," Lilly sneered, moving her face close to Ben's once again. "We can deal with this now, then."
They all felt the RV rumble to a stop and sway as Kenny pulled over, the breaks only squealing slightly.
"Ken, is it safe?" Lee asked cautiously, standing by the door as if he were guarding it.
"Should be." He replied, checking the road before jumping out and slamming his door behind him.
"Everybody out." Lily ordered, walking over to the tall man and squaring up to him.
"Lilly…" He warned, his voice low and dark. She just brushed him off and pushed past him.
Everyone crowded out of the vehicle with the exception of Clementine, who was ordered to stay by her mother.
"God dammit." Kenny groaned, kneeling down by the front of the RV. "Everyone, keep your eyes peeled."
"You know what, we shouldn't just kick you out, we should hear what everybody thinks." Lilly continued, almost as if they weren't interrupted at all.
"I think you should chill out." Ben muttered, his voice cracking slightly.
"I'm not gonna take this!" Carley exclaimed, gesturing to the young man beside her. "You can push Ben around but you CANT push me around."
"I' really sorry you feel that way." Lilly sneered, sarcasm evident in her voice. "I'm starting to think maybe it was both of you."
"There's no way it was Carley." Lee spoke up, moving over to his wife and staring shocked at the other woman. "It was somebody else. It could've even been someone sneaking into our camp."
"That's ridiculous. That's what you think?"
"Yes." He replied without hesitation.
"Okay. Fine, then." She said, turning her attention to the man by the front of the RV. "Kenny, what do you think?"
"I don't know! Fuck! Just, stop, would ya?!" He shouted, yanking at the undead creature.
"Well your vote counts for you AND Katjaa."
"We don't need all these VOTES! What do I have to do for you to trust me? I'll do ANYTHING!" Ben practically screamed, his eyes moving wildly in their sockets.
"Stop panicking." Lee soothed, patting him on the shoulder. "Just stop and take a breath."
"Do we need any more evidence than this?!"
"Fuck EVIDENCE! Stop treating him like this!" Carley shouted, scared now for all of them. Ben looked to her as a (sort of) mother figure, helping her out as much as he could.
"Shut up Carley!" Lilly turned back to the older man. "Kenny, what's it going to be?"
"Just give me a damn minute!"
"Ben, you have until that walker is dealt with to tell me it was her and not you."
"Stop this, Lilly. You're torturing him!" Carley pleaded, looking at her with desperate eyes. "He's just a kid. As much as he denies it, he is."
"Tell her Ben. Just do it." Lee groaned, closing his eyes for the upcoming attack from his wife. He was not disappointed.
"Lee! Jesus, who are you right now?!"
"Please. Can we just get back in the RV?" Ben pleaded, outwardly panicking.
"That's not happening."
"You think you're some tough bitch, don't you? Like nothing can hurt you, but you're just a scared little girl. Get the fuck over it." Carley shouted, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring. "Take a page from Lee's book and try helping somebody for once."
The sound of squelching hit their ears and they all turned to the source of the noise. Kenny was standing over the still walker, his boots covered in blood and brains and his brow sweaty. He turned to everyone just as Lilly raised her gun in front of her, aiming directly for Carley's turning head. How dare she say that? Didn't she understand just how much she had done for the group?
BANG!
Carley fell to the ground, a bullet hole just below her left eye and blood trickling slowly down her cheek. Lee's world stopped turning. He collapsed to the ground next to her, cradling her body in his arms. He shook her gently, trying desperately to wake her.
"CARLEY!" He bellowed, knowing what was happening. He was losing her. "Come on, hon. Fourteen years. You can't leave me now." His voice was hoarse as he whispered to her, wanting desperately for it to be a dream.
He didn't notice Katjaa approach them and put her fingers to Carley's Jaw. Nor did he notice Clementine watching helplessly from the doorway as her parents sat on the cold, hard ground. She had never seen her dad cry. And the sight broke her heart.
"M-mommy?" The tiny girl breathed, holding onto the door frame to keep herself up. She launched herself next to her dad, collapsing beside him and tugging on her mother's jeans. "Please don't be dead. Please."
Lee turned his head away from the woman in his arms at the sound of a gun being unloaded. Kenny held Lilly against the side of the RV, growling as Ben took the magazine out of the firearm, shaking fiercely. He tore his eyes away when he felt Clementine begin to sob beside him. He wrapped his free arm around her and she hugged into his side.
"Lee." They both heard Katjaa's voice call, breaking them from their grief. Her blue eyes were filled with sadness but still held that tiny glimmer of hope that so many people lacked. "There's still a pulse. She's alive."
A/N-Oh god, please don't kill me! I noticed a lot of people had went this way with their stories, having Carley be shot but live. So, why not? Like I said, it is an AU, so she isn't dead. I know you hate me and I'm so sorry! I'll update as fast as I can. Please R&R? HPTwin OUT!