So I'm kinda excited and nervous about this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it! Please leave a review and let me know if it's good enough. We're getting closer to the last few chapters now, and I want to make sure my writing is still enjoyable!

As we reached the hilltop and looked down below, an abandoned factory of some sort appeared into our line of sight.

"What the..."

"Is that it?" Kenny demanded. "Hey, I'm talkin' to you!"

"What? It? It what?" Arvo asked.

"What do you mean 'what'? The place you're fuckin' takin' us!"

"Arvo, we're not trying to be mean to you," Clementine tried kindly. "We just wanna know if this is where the supplies are."

He didn't answer, receiving a gun aimed at his face as punishment.

"Is this the place you're taking us?" Kenny wondered. "Are the supplies here?"

"No, it's... at the house."

I narrowed my eyes. "He's lying to us."

"It's still some walk," he continued, shaking his head at my accusation. "Some more hours, please."

"Goddammit!" Kenny cursed. "I knew this wanna gonna happen."

I signed. "I hate to complain, but... My leg really hurts."

"And it's gettin' dark, maybe we should stop for the night," Bonnie suggested.

"That's a wise idea," Travis said. "Marce needs to rest that leg, and I don't know about you guys but I'm tired."

"Me too," Sarah spoke, holding onto one of her arms.

"If we're staying, we should scout this place out," Jane decided.

Kenny and Jane left together to check that we were safe from walkers, and then once they declared it empty we all went down there, ready to rest for the night.

I forgot how much I loved the feeling of warmth from a fire, though looking into the flames brought me so many mixed emotions. The orange sparks reminded me of the cannibal in the woods, of our final moments with Christa, of getting imprisoned at Carver's camp. But it also brought me good memories... Of the night watching the sunset with Travis, of being reunited with Kenny and Clementine. I decided that I'd much rather remember the good thoughts over the bad ones.

And this evening would surely be a good one, with Clementine and Travis sat either side of me, along with Mike, Luke, Bonnie, Sarah, Kenny and little Alvin Jr, as he had been recently named. Arvo opted to sit alone in the dark, cold shadows. I hoped he wasn't planning anything. I wanted to trust him, because I knew he had lost his sister, and I understood the pain of loss... but I wasn't sure if he was telling us the truth or whether he was sending us on a wild walk just so he had people to look out for him.

"Today's my birthday," Luke suddenly told us. "Near as I can tell, at least."

"Well, happy birthday, Luke," Bonnie smiled.

"Yeah, man, happy birthday."

"So, how old are you now?" Clem wondered.

"I am twenty seven years old," he answered with a smile.

"That's pretty old."

"Clem!" I giggled.

"Sure as hell feel a lot older," Luke thought out loud.

"Don't even start with that shit," Kenny ordered light heartedly.

"Got outta college five years ago," Luke remembered. "Feels like a million years... Least I don't have to worry about paying off them student loans."

"I hear that," Mike chuckled. "I bet there's some asshole sittin' on that paperwork waitin' to collect."

A laugh went around the circle.

"What did you study?" Clem inquired.

"Majored in art history," he answered, a sense of pride clear in his tone.

"Sounds like you majored in working in a coffee shop," Kenny joked.

"Pretty much."

"Oh, stop it," Bonnie smiled.

Luke continued with his college stories. "Did get a minor in agriculture... keep the old man happy."

I found myself gazing into the fire with a sad thought in my head.

"My parents always wanted me to go to college," I spoke without thinking. "They had big jobs for important companies... I guess business was meant to run in the family but I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do. I didn't know what to choose... It all seemed so important back then. I'd do anything to tell them that business wasn't my thing, no matter what their reaction would be... just to have another conversation with them."

Nobody said anything for a while.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Bonnie exclaimed, her tone brightening the mood again. "Was saving it for a special occasion and, well, it being your birthday and all, figure this is as good a time as any!"

In her hand, Bonnie held a bottle of rum that was coloured in a bright red colour. I glanced at Kenny, reminded of that day in Savannah when he last drank alcohol.

"After the day we've had, I think this is the best idea I've got."

"I'd agree with that," Mike told her.

Bonnie passed the bottle to Luke, who opened it and stared for a second.

"Feel a little guilty takin' the first-"

"Woah, wait! You've gotta make a toast."

"I'm not really the uh..."

"Come on, birthday boy," Bonnie pushed. "It don't have to be fancy."

Luke cleared his throat.

"To the loved ones that we've lost along the way..."

My parents, my dog, Lee , Carley, Katjaa, Duck, Ben...

"... And to the hope that we see them again some day."

I felt Clementine looking at me, and held her hand comfortingly.

"Here, here," Mike said.

"That was real nice," Bonnie complimented Luke.

"Yeah?" He smiled slightly. "I didn't mean for it to rhyme, that was-"

"Well, I got first watch."

We all looked up at Kenny in confusion at his sudden declaration.

"I think the fence has got us pretty secure."

"Can't be too careful."

"Come on, Kenny," Clementine spoke happily. "Sit a little while longer."

"Nah, you stay warm," Kenny shook his head.

"Leave him be, Clem," I sighed.

I knew he was probably thinking about his family.

The man walked away with AJ in his arms, leaving the few of us around the fire.

I glanced over at Jane, who had been stood staring out through the fence for ages. I wondered what she was thinking about, and I realised then that I knew nothing about her. I didn't really know anything about anyone in the group... But we never really had time to sit and talk like this.

Bonnie called out to Jane to sit with us, though she politely declined.

"I didn't expect her to come back... Just when I thought I had her figured out she up and surprises."

"I think we would have been more injured if she hadn't come back," Travis stated.

"I know, I know... I just don't know what she's gettin' outta all this."

Clementine spoke up. "We're lucky to have her."

"Well, she helped us back there so that puts her as okay in my book," Luke said.

"Well, it ain't no secret how you feel about her," Bonnie smiled.

"It was stupid," Luke frowned as he passed the bottle to Clem.

She held it in her hand and then looked at me unsure, before deciding to give it to me, thankfully.

"I understand, she's a pretty girl... once you get past all the dirt and guts."

I let out a small laugh before going to sip some of the rum from the bottle.

"I don't know. I guess I just wanted to forget about all this stuff for, like, ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?" Mike joked. "Man, that's longer than I'd last at this point."

I splattered the rum and coughed, both from the comment and from the taste of the alcohol. I'd never really liked it any way.

"Hey," Bonnie laughed.

I passed the bottle to Travis and pulled a face of disgust.

"All right, all right.. it wasn't ten minutes."

"Come on, we got little ones around," Bonnie said, looking at Clem and Sarah.

"Sorry, forget I said anything," Mike apologised.

"I know what you guys are talking about."

Travis coughed and passed the bottle to Mike while we all stared at Clementine with wide eyes.

"I certainly hope not," Bonnie giggled.

"You're talking about kissing stuff..."

Luke hesitated. "Uh, yeah! Yeah... Yeah that is exactly it."

"Was there any kissing?" Mike grinned.

"You shut your mouth right now, the both of you!" Bonnie scolded.

"Hey, why's this gotta be all about me?" Luke asked. "There's clearly another couple here."

I found all eyes drift to Travis and I, feeling my face burn as I looked at him.

"We, uh..." I stuttered.

"Ah, to be young and in love," Mike commented.

Travis stared at me, and opened his mouth as if to speak.

"Alright, enough," Bonnie interrupted.

They all turned away, but the pair of us didn't.

"What?" I asked, waiting for him to speak.

"I..."

"Maybe she came back for you," Bonnie considered.

We turned away from one another then, knowing no words would be spoken, though I just wanted to hear him say what he was thinking.

"I don't know what to say to that," Luke shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe she likes him?" Clem suggested.

"Oh, I think we could bet on that," Mike replied sarcastically. "Cause you see here, Luke's a regular Casanova."

"Hey, shut up."

"Don't be modest, your moves are working on all the ladies."

"Worked on me," Bonnie disclosed, taking a drink of rum. "Shit. I just did it too, didn't I? Sorry. It's the drink talkin'."

"They say a drunk man's talk is a sober man's thoughts," Mike expressed.

"Well, I ain't a man so 'they' can take that shit somewhere else."

We all smiled at one another, then enjoyed the few moments of silence.

"Clem, go see if you can get Jane and Kenny over by the fire, it's too cold for them to be out there like that. Oh, and here, maybe a swig of this will change their minds," Bonnie instructed, handing the girl the bottle of rum. "Sarah, why don't you go with her?"

Clem and Sarah walked away to Kenny to convince him to come over again, leaving us.

"This is nice," I said. "Sitting around the fire. It's calm."

"Makes me feel like I'm a teenager again," Luke reminisced. "Spending nights with friends drinkin' around a campfire. You guys aren't much older than I probably was."

"I'm nineteen," I stated. "But I never spent my time doing any of that stuff."

"So what did you do for fun?"

I thought about it. "Not much. Thinking back, I guess it was pretty boring..."

"I suppose we grew up in a different time," Luke shrugged.

I moved my leg a bit and jumped at the pain.

"What's up?" Travis asked.

"This damn leg," I complained. "Why is it always my leg? Get shot last time, break it this time..."

"You got shot?" Bonnie gasped.

"Bandits a few years ago. Hurt a lot less than this, surprisingly. Recovered from it quicker, too. I just need to walk a bit."

Travis helped me up, volunteering to go with me.

We left the group and walked over to the fence where nobody stood, looking out into the woods.

"I figured they could use a few minutes to talk, and I didn't really want to listen to what Luke got up to in his youth, or a few days ago," I laughed.

Travis also laughed. "Yeah, I agree."

I tilted my head up to see the sky above me, a dark sheet with spots of bright light.

"You never used to see the sky look so pretty back home under all the streetlights and buildings."

"I always wondered how people managed to form shapes out of stars," Travis said, pointing up at them.

"I thought they were pretty cool," I replied. "Did you ever believe in star signs?"

"I don't even know what my sign is," he admitted.

"Yeah, me neither."

My eyes diverted over to the group again, seeing them now sat all around the fire except Arvo.

"We should go back."

"Marceline?"

I turned back to face him.

"I... I'm gonna say it now, okay?"

I waited, feeling a little lost on what to do or say.

"It's been pretty obvious since... well, probably always. And we've talked about it but not acted on it, but when people ask about us and we just get awkward and not know what to say... I don't want things to be like that anymore. Marcey, I think..."

"You think what?" I smiled.

"I think that I might love you."

What was I meant to say. I was speechless. Even if I did already know it and he knew the feeling was mutual, hearing it said out loud made me feel stunned.

"Are... are you gonna say something?"

I grinned and stepped forward, pulling him into a hug. "You're gonna have to give me a few minutes, my mind is literally racing."

He laughed as he hugged me back, and I closed my eyes as we stood like that for a while.

Eventually, Travis brought his face to mine and kissed me.

When we had parted, yet still stood close, I was gazing at his face. I traced the scar that crossed his eye, a mark that would probably never leave his skin.

"You need to stop feeling guilty over the injuries I get."

"Huh?" I moved my hand away.

"I don't know how bad this scar is," he acknowledged. "I can't see it. I don't care about it, and how I got it wasn't your fault."

"I know... I just, I still think about that day. I thought you were going to lose your sight."

"I'm glad I didn't, I wouldn't be able to see you."

"Wow, this is kinda like talking to eighteen year old Travis, not twenty year old," I smirked.

"I'm still that kid," he said, brushing my hair back behind my ear. I could see he was looking at the injuries I had obtained on my face in the past few days too.

"Come on," I said, taking his hand. "Let's get back to the others."

He nodded, and we returned to the group and sat on the floor.

"Well, look who's decided to join us again," Kenny announced.

"And did I see kissing just happening right there?" Mike mocked playfully.

"Guys," I laughed awkwardly, glancing at Clem who was smiling back.

"Finally," Clem simply said.

Everyone began to laugh together, until eventually we decided to get some sleep. We would have another day of walking ahead of us, but I was didn't care about that. I was too happy.