The Walking Dead: Fight for Survival
Chapter 27: the journey ends
Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is the last chapter to my story, and my longest chapter yer. Thank you all for reading up to the this point and with your help, I could continue to write this story. I owe you all one. I hope you all enjoy the grand finale to Fight for Survival. After this chapter, I shall be updating my other story If only things were different.
Depending on if The Walking Dead Game: Season 3 continues the main story so far, then there could possible be a sequel to this story, but that won't be for a long while. We will have to wait see.
Enjoy chapter 27, folks, and once again, thank you all for reading.
With their truck and their supplies, Lee continued their journey towards north in hopes of finding Wellington. Truth be told, he had no idea where he would even begin looking once he made it to the north but he was certain that if Wellington was real and they were taking in survivors, they would surely leave hints around the areas to point them in the right direction.
He had been driving now for quite some time and the sun was closely disappearing into the thick clouds and night time would surely follow. He was beginning to feel tired and wanted to pull over for a while, but he did not want to do that for many reasons: it was cold, walkers could get them, or worse, bandits could raid them and take everything. But if he continued driving any longer, he would surely fall asleep.
He kept his eyes glued to the windows for any sign of shelter they could stay for the night but it was hard to see with this entire snow storm. He continued doing so for a short while until his hopes had lifted up when he saw what looked to be a single garage in the middle of nowhere. It would keep them safe and warm.
Carefully, he slowly turned off the main road and approached the garage, hoping it was not infested with walkers or people. He parked the truck just outside the garage door and slowly got out of the truck, leaving the two girls and the baby alone for just a couple of minutes.
Lee took his Glock 17 out and slowly marched towards the garage, his feet pressing into the cold snow and the snowflakes landing upon his head and shoulders. He leaned down and placed his hand upon the hand to the garage. With one good pull, he lifted the garage door up and immediately aimed his weapon inside for any signs of danger.
Fortunately, it was empty. Dirty but empty. It was a little difficult to see inside the garage since dusk was slowly approaching. Now that he was certain it was safe, Lee got back into the truck and slowly reversed inside. He got back out the truck and second time and closed the garage door from the inside, leaving them in quite a bit of darkness. The only light they had was the last bit of the sun shining through a small window, but when it came to dark, they would be buried in darkness.
"I better get some rest." Lee talked to himself like he did on most occasions. He got back into the truck and turned off the engine, followed by locking the car doors just as an extra precaution. He turned towards Clementine for a moment whom was sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat whilst holding AJ in her arms. As for Sarah, she too was sleeping peacefully, lying down in the backseat.
Lee turned back forward and faced the windscreen and slowly closed his eyes. He had not had a decent sleep in a while and his body was practically crying out for sleep. He could not hold it in any further and eventually, his eyes closed and his head tilted to the side, drifting off into a deep sleep.
Lee panicked whilst he was searching around the woods of Carolina for the source of the yells. He, Carley and Clementine had been walking around the area in a search for some supplies until they heard someone screaming and crying out for help.
"Where are you!?" Lee called out, searching in multiple directions for any sign of life, but he still could not tell where it was coming from exactly. "WHERE ARE YOU!?"
"HELP ME!" the same voice yelled out for a second time.
"Over there!" Carley pointed towards the sound of the yelling.
Quick as a flash, Lee practically sprinted over towards where his girlfriend had pointed and leaped over a log like an athlete. He finally came into contact with the man who was screaming and was horrified to see he was too late. The man was currency trying to fight off a walker with his bare hands, but regardless if Lee killed it or not, the man had a huge bite mark on his shoulder. It was too late.
Without saying a word, Lee raised his rifle and with good aim, he fired and hit the walker directly in the side of its head. He lowered his gun down slowly and could only watch in shock as the walker collapsed down onto its back. He now merely stood there but before long, Carley and Clementine eventually caught up to him and stood by him as they watched the man slowly dying in agony. It was best to put him in his misery right here.
Lee beckoned for the two to stay where they were as he slowly walked towards the man with his rifle lowered to his side. He lowered his head with a sympathy and sad expression across his face, feeling guilty for not being able to save a life. "I'm sorry."
Despite the man practically on the verge of death at this point, he looked up towards Lee with a normal expression across his face. He looked around in his middle thirties, he had blue eyes and wore glasses, and he wore a red and green checkered shirt with blue jeans. His ethnicity looked to be Caucasian-American. He held his hand against where he had been bit and merely watched as this stranger raised his gun up to finish him. "Wait..."
Lee did not want him to suffer any longer, but it was not his right to kill someone until they were actually today, and without at least hearing their last words for starters.
"I know...I'm going to die..." the man admitted, his face grew with fear. He groaned as blood smeared across his hand, but he had to finish before he died. "You have to...To go north...To Ohio, near Michigan."
"North?" Carley repeated whilst she and Clementine stood beside Lee despite his wishes for them to stay where they were just in case.
"Ohio?" Clementine was the second to repeat what he just said. She crossed her arms together.
"What's at north?" Lee inquired, somewhat interested on what he just said.
"Wellington..." the man answered, leaving the trio puzzled to what he just said. "It's...It's a safe place...A fortress...Food, water, and shelter...You get there...And you will be safe...Safe..."
With that last word, the man died from blood loss and the infection and fell down onto his side. Now Lee had the opportunity to make sure this stranger did not become one of them. Without saying a word, Lee swamped his rifle for Carley's pistol and fired a single round into the man's head. The gunshot echoed through the air and scared off a few crows nearby.
"Let's go." Lee told them before he turned around and proceeded down the path. He and Carley swapped weapons again along the way and continued walking through the Carolina woods.
As they were moving, Lee could not help but wonder about this destination that the man had just informed him about. Could it be real? Could there finally be a place where he and Carley could settle down peacefully? A place where he could raise Clementine properly? A place where they would never have to use a weapon again? It sounded like a dream come true. Should they take their chances and try and find it? They had nowhere else to go and Ohio was not as far as they thought.
He had to try. He first decided to try and find a map somewhere and then he would ask Clementine and Carley on what they thought. If they agreed, the three of them could make it there and leave in peace like everything was normal again. He had to try. He had to...
"Lee...Lee...Lee..."
Lee gasped slightly as his eyed widened wide open. He turned towards the sound of the voice to see it was his adoptive daughter who held AJ in her arm whilst she rubbed her eye with the other one. He realized it was all a dream. Or better yet, a flashback. He shook off his dream and kept his attention towards Clementine. "Oh, hey Clem. Did you sleep all right?"
"I won't lie, I prefer a bed." Clementine admitted with a slight smile across her face. It even caused Lee to smile at her humor.
Lee chuckled in response, relieved to see she had not lost all of her childlike innocence. "Me too, sweat pea."
Clementine smiled in response whilst she took the chance to study her surroundings to see she was still in the truck but was now in a dark environment with only a bit of light. "Where are we anyway?"
"I had to stop for the night and find this empty garage. I figured it'd be safe to sleep in and would keep the cold out." Lee answered as he pressed the button that unlocked all of the locks to the car doors. He got out of the truck and proceeded over towards the garage door. He found it difficult to find the handle in all this darkness, but in the end, he found it with his grip and lifted it up.
The light shot inside the garage the moment it was open, slightly blinding Lee and Clementine. Outside, they could both see a couple of walkers limping towards the road they had come from, but they seemed to be unaware of the three humans nearby. And Lee did not plan to stick around and wait for their friends to show up.
Lee got back into the truck and placed the keys into the ignition. He turned them in the right direction but the engine merely rattled in response. "Not again." Lee mumbled, turning them yet in again in an attempt to start the engine. It refused to star. He constantly began to turn the keys clockwise and counter clockwise, but it still refused to start. "Come on!"
Clementine set the baby into her lap for a moment leaned forward without Lee noticing and curled her hand into a fist. She slammed it hard against the dashboard and leaned back into her seat, placing AJ back into her arms.
Lee was about to say something but his eyes drifted back forward when the engine started. Looks like Clementine's hit against the dashboard had the job. "Nice job." Lee praised as he shifted the gearstick into the right gear and then slowly drove out of the garage.
It was going well so far, but the second the car was fully out of the garage, Lee had panicked and leaned away from the window on his side as much as he could when he heard something bang against the window from the outside. He quickly drove away before the walker had the chance to break inside and got back into the main roam.
"Jesus." Lee quietly gasped and turned back towards the way they came but the snow storm made it difficult to see the walkers into the distance. He turned back towards the windscreen and paid close attention to avoid crashing into anything, especially in this weather.
On the bright side, they seemed to be up early which gave them plenty of time to try and make some good distance. And the snow storm was not looking as bad as it did yesterday. It was still hard to make out things in the distance, but at least now he could see where he was going.
As they were driving, Lee turned towards Clementine just for a second when he saw her searching inside the glove compartment whilst she held AJ in one arm. "What are you doing?"
"Searching." Clementine answered like it was obvious that caused Lee to roll his eyes in response. Her expression changed into a slightly happy one when she found something useful and took it out of the glove compartment. "Hey Lee, I found a map. Could tell us where we are."
"Nice going, Clem." Lee praised and used one hand to accept the map from her and placed it onto the dashboard, but he could not open it now while he was driving, and Clementine was busy with the baby.
Clementine was not done searching inside the glove compartment. She pulled out a small CD box and read the front cover. ""The Rolling Stones". My dad loved this band. He always use to sing at least one of their songs when he was happy."
"The Rolling Stones are a classic band, Clem. I myself am a fan of them." Lee replied with a slight grin across his face. He thought back to one of their songs that he had listened to so many times that he knew the lyrics perfectly.
Before long, Lee found himself singing to that one sing. He bobbed his head side to side like the song was actually playing.
Lee-Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith
I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
As he continued to sing to himself, Clementine knew this song already after listening to her dad trying to be like them every day and began to sing along. After all, it was going to a while until they reached Wellington and they might as well make the best of it.
Lee and Clementine-Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game
"Who's singing?"
Lee and Clementine halted their singing and turned their attention towards the backseat when Sarah had just woken up. The teenaged girl leaned up in the backseat and sat in the middle whilst she rubbed her hands against her eyes. She searched her hands around the seat for a moment until the found her glasses and placed them back over her eyes.
"Morning Sarah." Lee greeted in a friendly tone whilst he turned his attention back towards the road.
"How'd you sleep?" Clementine inquired.
"I've never slept in a car before." Sarah responded, followed by a yawn as she stretched her arms out as much as they would go. She looked out of her window to see the morning sky through the snow storm. "Are we there yet?"
"Not yet, Sarah." Lee replied, his eyes practically glued to the windscreen.
"Lee, can I have something to eat?" Sarah requested after feeling her stomach growl slightly. In the past, she would have to ask her father for permission for food, but she was unsure if Lee was the same.
"Sure, honey, help yourself to a breakfast bar." Lee granted, he too feeling like he could do with something to eat and better yet, something to drink. "While you're at it, get me and Clementine one."
"Sure." Sarah replied whilst she was searching her hands inside their duffle bags for the correct food. She eventually found a couple of breakfast bars and handed them two of them to Clementine since Lee was driving and she did not want to disturb him.
Clementine accepted both bars and opened the first one for Lee since his hands were full right now. She placed handed them over breakfast and he ate it with one hand whilst using the other one to drive.
The three of them remained silent as they chewed down onto their breakfast. The breakfast bars were not as good as a full breakfast of bacon, egg and toast but as long as it was food and it filled their stomachs, then it would be good enough for them.
After finishing their breakfast, Clementine took it on the chance to check out one of their maps. She leaned over her seat and carefully handed AJ over to Sarah before checking the map to see where they were. She assumed they were on the main highway that led straight to Ohio. "Looks like we have a few miles to go before we can find any sign of land."
"Doesn't sound too bad." Lee admitted, looking on the bright things on their quest for shelter. "Maybe when we find shelter, we can-"
"LOOK OUT!" Sarah screeched at the top of her lungs.
It took Lee a couple of second until he could see a clear view of a horde of walkers straight in front of them. How Sarah saw them before him was a mystery. He slammed his foot against the brakes and the car screed to a halt, almost sending one of them flying since they did not have any of their seatbelts on.
Multiple walkers were a good thirty feet ahead and were roaming around in random directions until they spotted the truck and began making their way towards them. There looked like there were at least forty of them. Too many to take it for them, and in this weather, there could be more of them. Maybe hundreds of them.
Lee was in too much shock to say anything and could only watch as the walkers advanced towards them. He turned towards Clementine's window and could just about make out something in the distance. It looked like a small building, possible a rest stop. Staying in this truck was no option and that was their best bet.
"Girls out!" Lee ordered and immediately got out on his end.
Clementine did not hesitate to get out of the truck and into the freezing cold, but Sarah remained seated. She just sat there, her eyes glued to the window. She was in too much shock to move.
Clementine opened up the backdoor to Sarah's side whilst Lee opens it on the other side and got both bags out. She did not look forward to smacking Sarah again and instead, merely shook her shoulder. "Sarah! The walkers are coming! We have to protect AJ."
By now, AJ was awake but he did not look like he was crying. He merely stared at Sarah as the teenaged girl returned the stare. Sarah dazed out from her thoughts and stepped out of the truck whilst she held AJ in her arms.
Lee took out his Glock 17 and checked his ammunition whilst they walkers were gaining on them. He did not have enough bullets to take them all down, even with the help of Clementine. "Clementine, I only got two clips left. How many have you got?!"
"Only one clip." Clementine responded whilst she took a couple of steps backwards. She hoped Lee had an idea because she for one did not know what to do. "Lee, what are we going to do? They're coming!"
Lee had no idea how he was going to get out of this one, but his first priority was to keep Clementine, Sarah and AJ safe. Without saying a word, he handed the lighter bag they found at the half-built to Clementine and knelt down to her height. "Clementine, Sarah, both of you take AJ and just keep heading in that direction."
The duo followed to where he was pointing, but they could just about make out what he was pointing at.
"There's a building there. Go there and do NOT wait for me no matter what!" Lee told them in a firm voice. He was unsure if he was going to come back from this one, but he promised to keep Clementine, Sarah and AJ safe, and that was what he was going to do.
Clementine had a couple of tears in her eyes, not wanting Lee to leave them. After all they had been through, he was her only family left now. "Lee, no! Come with us."
"I can't, Clementine, they'll only follow." Lee explained as he placed his hands upon her shoulders and looked her straight in her golden eyes. He hated seeing her cry, but it was the best thing he had to do to keep her safe. "You both run. Don't look back, just run. I promise I'll be right behind you."
Clementine was unsure if she could believe his promise but before long, she embraced Lee in a tight hug whilst the walkers were getting closer and closer by the second. She whispered to him and closed her eyes, pretending the walkers were not even here. "Lee, I love you."
"I love you too, Clementine." Lee responded, shredding a slight tear from his eyes when he feared this would be the last time they ever saw each other. He returned the hug for a few more seconds until it was time for them to go. "Now both of you go. Protect AJ no matter what."
Clementine merely nodded her head in agreement, despite not wanting to leave him like this. She picked up the bag and ran up the snowy hill, Sarah following her closely whilst she held AJ tight in her arms to protect him. The two of them ran into the storm and hoped to lose the walkers along the way.
The second they were out of sight, Lee was now officially alone. He placed the duffle bag onto the ground whilst he took out his Glock 17 and fired towards the closest ones. He was relieved to see none of the walkers were paying any attention to Clementine and Sarah. Either they didn't see them running up there or they just were more interested in the man standing before them.
Lee emptied out his clip on the walkers and thinned out their numbers just a little bit, but more were soon to come. He was about to continue his firing attack, but when he reloaded his last clip, he stood there in silence and stared it for a moment. This exact weapon was responsible for robbing the life of his loved one. How long would he continue to use these? How long would he have to kill these monsters who use to be people?
Without saying a word, Lee placed his Glock 17 into his back pocket. He leaned back into the truck for a moment and took out another weapon he had brought with him: a hatchet. The same hatchet that Luke had gave Clementine during their escape from Howe's Hardware.
Lee clutched the hatchet tightly in his grip and turned to face the walkers, his face full of anger. For the first time ever, he showed no fear to the walkers and began to march towards them. These were the monsters that cost him everything he ever loved. His parents, his brother, Carley, and many others. He finally had enough of running away from them in fear.
On the ground I lay
Motionless in pain
I can see my life flashing before my eyes
The walkers groaned with blood dripping out of their mouths as they all moved it towards their first victim for the day. Lee growled almost as bad as the walkers did as he moved in front of them and slammed his hatchet into the closest one he came into contact with.
Did I fall asleep?
Is this all a dream
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare
Lee pushed back a few walkers that tried to move in on them and even decided to punch them a couple of times, even despite the fact he knew that would not bother them. He raised his hatchet high in the air and stabbed the next walker directly in its forehead. He pushed it down, knocking a couple of others out the way as it fell down.
I will not die (I will not die)
I will survive
I will not die, I'll wait here for you
I feel alive, when you're beside me
I will not die, I'll wait here for you
In my time of dying
Lee was so focused into killing the walkers that he was unaware that he moved in between them and now he was trapped in between the horde, but that was not going to stab him. A walker had jumped towards him and attempted to bite his arm which it succeeded in doing, but it only lasted for a second when Lee killed him with one hit from his hatchet.
He turned towards his arm just for a second and could now confirm Jane was right: the leather jacket had prevented them from biting through it. He owed her one, but he was less than likely to see her ever again.
On this bed I lay
Losing everything
I can see my life passing me by
Lee was full of anger as hell and would not be satisfied until each and every one of them. He kicked another walker back that attempted to knock him down and one hit from his hatchet sent the walker flat down against the snow. He swiftly turned around when another walker tried to sneak up on him, but he saw this and decapitated half of its head off. He pushed away walkers that got too close and killed the nearest ones with one strong hit.
Was it all too much
Or just not enough
Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare
One more walker was unfortunately enough to try and attack this lone wolf. Lee took another one of Jane's advice and kicked the walker directly in its knee, sending it collapsing flat down against the ground. Without knowing how he did it, Lee stomped his foot against the walkers head and crushed its entire skull.
I will not die (I will not die)
I will survive
Lee was feeling quite exhausted after killing at least twenty walkers, but he was not going to stop yet. He had one priority left in this world and that was to protect Clementine, Sarah and AJ no matter what. He loved them like they were his own family and was willing to do anything to protect them, even if it meant giving up his own life to keep them safe.
I will not die, I'll wait here for you
I feel alive, when you're beside me
I will not die, I'll wait here for you
In my time of dying
The many groups of walkers gathered around Lee, but he still continued to fight for survival no matter what. He continued repeating the same tactic over and over again: killing the nearest walker with his hatchet and then pushing or kicking the closest ones away. He would not let them win. He refused to let them win.
I will not die, I'll wait here for you
I feel alive, when you're beside me
I will not die, I'll wait here for you
In my time of dying
Lee had slain at least half of the walkers present and continued to fight them off with all his strength. He screamed out a battle cry at the top of his lungs and resumed fighting off the many walkers. He had had blood falling onto his clothes, but he did not care one bit. After surviving in this world for over two years now, this was his last stand against the walkers.
I will not die, I'll wait here for you
I will not die, when you're beside me
I will not die, I'll wait here for you
In my time of dying
Clementine and Sarah did not look back as they continued running through the snowstorm that ended up blinding their vision slightly. But they could see the small building in sight and were beginning to feel weak from the cold, but if they stayed, they would eventually die from exhaustion and hyperthermia. They had to get to safety.
After a few more exhausting moments, Clementine and Sarah came across a small playground just outside of the small building. They pushed past it and finally, they made it to the building that was called Woodchuck Rest Area according to the sign on the wall.
The two walked inside and closed the glass door behind them to keep out as much cold as possible. Now that they were here, Clementine and Sarah sat down against the wall, now unsure on what they were going to do. If they stayed here, the walkers would find them and they would run out of food. If Lee didn't return and they needed to leave, they would be stranded in the middle of the cold. There was nothing they could do.
"Clementine..." Sarah spoke up whilst she was holding AJ in her arms. The young baby was sleeping peacefully despite the cold weather. "Is Lee...Is Lee coming back?"
This was a question Clementine could not answer. She had her legs tucked up near her chest and her arms placed around her legs. She was unsure on what to say. Clementine merely sat there now with tears slightly dropping down her cheek. She did not want to lose him.
Sarah too was worried for Lee. She liked Lee as a friend and a father-figure, and with him gone, she felt she could not protect herself. She had Clementine of course, but Sarah was older than her and could just about take care of herself. Clementine may act like an adult, but that doesn't mean she is one.
A few minutes had passed the two of them sat there in complete silence. How they missed being at the cabin with the rest of the group safe and sound. Why did Carver have to return? Why couldn't he just leave them alone? In the middle of a walker apocalypse where humans should be working together to survive, they instead fought against each other. If it weren't for Carver, maybe none of this would not have happened. Clementine was glad Lee killed him when he did.
Before long, the two were startled when something was banging against the glass from the outside. A single walker trying to get them. He soon was able to break the glass down on his own and collapsed down onto his stomach, slowly lifting his head to see his victims. The walker stood up and slowly limped towards them.
Clementine took out her Glock 17 as Sarah stood behind her with AJ. She closed one eye and was about to pull the trigger on him. Clementine's expression changed whilst she lowered her weapon down, no longer needing to waste a bullet on the walker when it was killed from behind and collapsed down onto the ground.
Clementine dropped her gun down and her expression was full of different emotions: happy, relieved, shocked and sad. She could only watch in shock as her guardian stood before her.
Lee panted whilst he was trying to catch his breath back. His entire body was covered in walker blood and guts, but he did not seem to care. Instead, he looked exhausted and looked like he was on the verge of passing out. He had the duffle bag strapped onto his back which may explain a part of his reason for being so tired.
Without saying a word, both Clementine and Sarah ran towards Lee who knelt to them both and wrapped his arms around them in a tight embrace to which the two girls returned. He kept his promise to Clementine.
"Lee..." Clementine whispered, tears of happiness falling out from her eyes like waterfalls. "You're...Alive..."
"I told you I would come back, didn't I?" Lee replied with a slight grin across his face, but nevertheless, he was grateful to have them back with him. He had to let them go soon when it was time to go before it got dark again. "We better get back to the truck."
"What about the horde?" Clementine asked, taking her head away from Lee's chest that left blood smeared across her face.
"Don't worry about them, Clementine." Lee reassured as he stood back up to full height and proceeded over towards the exit of the rest area. "Let's just go."
With the four of them reunited and with most of the horde dead and spread out into thin numbers, it was time to continue their journey towards Wellington where they could get away from all this once and for all.
Nine days later
Nine days had passed during the journey to Wellington and Lee was beginning to give up hope on finding it, but just when all hope was lost, they spotted a building structure in the distance that could possibly be their destination. And to their relief, to cold weather were beginning to let up and the snow slowly melted.
Lee Everett with Clementine and Sarah whilst he was carrying AJ made their way up a hill towards the direction they saw the building in the distance. The four of them made it to the top of the hill, and the second they did, their hopes had risen.
In front of them, only a mere forty feet away was Wellington. A huge metal wall spread along in a straight line for miles and in front of them was the entrance made using containers. They did it. They made it to Wellington. After everything they had been through, this was a place where they could start a new life.
"Holy shit." Lee mumbled and turned towards Clementine and Sarah who both had the same expressions as he did. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go."
Without a second's hesitation, they continued making their way towards Wellington. It looked almost impossible to get into by force unless the walkers learned how to use teamwork and climbed one each other to get there.
"Look at this place. That wall...We did it, girls." Lee admired the place in an enthusiastic tone. He was still in shock. "This is it. This is where-"
Before he could continue, a loud voice from the entrance to Wellington had echoed out via microphone. The three of them halted in their tracks whilst they listened to what the person had to say.
"Just stay still." Lee told the duo whilst he took a step forward with his hands raised in the air.
"That's far enough." she warned, giving them an order that they may want to follow without question. "If you have weapons, drop them."
Lee and Clementine obeyed her command and dropped their Glock 17s and the hatchet on the ground.
"Slowly approach the gate." the voice requested.
The trio did what she said and slowly made their way towards the main entrance to Wellington. They continued doing so until they stood only a few feet away from the entrance. Lee looked up to see the woman who had called out to them speaking to someone on a walkie-talkie.
"They're just four of them outside, they don't look dangerous. All right, understood." she placed the radio down and decided to introduce herself. "Hi, my name's Edith."
Now that she was in clear view, they could see what she looked like. Edith was a Caucasian-American woman who looked around in her late twenties. She had brown hair tied back, she wore grey and brown jacket with a white hood and blue jeans. And to top it off, she wore earmuffs and was armed with a Winchester Model 17.
"Hi, my name's Lee. This is Clementine, Sarah, and AJ." Lee introduced everyone present whilst he hoped this would not take long.
"Hello, nice to meet ya'll." Edith admitted whilst she had her attention towards AJ sleeping in Lee's arms. It had been a while since she saw a baby and could not help but admire him. "Aww, what a handsome baby. What does AJ stand for?"
"Alvin Junior." Lee answered, but he wondered why that mattered now. He decided to get back to the previous subject. "So, this is Wellington, right?"
"Well, a lot of people do call it that." Edit responded, but to Lee, that was confirmed to be a yes.
"Okay." Lee skeptically replied whilst he turned back to Clementine and Sarah for a moment, who both decided to keep quiet and let him do all the talking. He turned back to Edith with his request. "So, are we allowed in? Do we have to prove something to be let inside?"
Edith was not looking forward to what she had to say next. She had done this for quite a few times now recently and it never got any easier, but she had to tell them. "Well, this is the hard part." she leaned back for a moment and dropped a bag of supplies for them. She could clearly see they had bags already, but that was her job to go. "There's a bag of supplies. Food, water and some medicine to help you along the way."
"What?" Lee could not believe what was happening and now his hopes were descending. He came so far. Please tell him this is all just a prank. "You're not letting us in...?"
Clementine and Sarah both looked a bit worried now that it did not look like they were going to get inside. They came all this way for nothing. They should have just gone with Luke, Mike and Bonnie.
"I'm sorry, but our community isn't accepting new members at the moment." Edith began to explain the problem at hand, but it was hard to her to say. "We're too full and there are not enough supplies to take care of everyone as it is. It may change, but not for a long while."
Lee could not believe what he was hearing. After everything they did just to get here, after everywhere they travelled across just to get here. They could not come in. With one last attempt, he did one more thing that no-one ever saw him down: beg. "Please, then just take the kids." he cut her off before she could say anything. "Please, it's too dangerous for them out here, especially AJ. There are just two little girls and a baby. You can make room for that, can't you?"
"Lee-" Clementine was about to protest but Lee acted like she was not even there.
"Take the supplies bag. Hell, I'll even give you more supplies if that helps." Lee offered, practically trying anything to change their minds. "Please, they have to be safe. It's safe in there for them. Please, just ask your boss or something. Please..."
Edith did not respond for a moment, thinking the whole situation over. She closed her eyes for a few seconds until she turned her attention back towards them. "I'll...I'll go and ask...Just give me a minute."
After she was gone out from their sights, Clementine immediately spoke to Lee who knelt down to her height. "Lee, no. I am not leaving you and that's final."
"Clementine, I promised to keep you safe and that's what I'm doing." Lee explained. He could not bear to watch her suffer like this out here any longer. "You, Sarah and AJ will be safe..."
Lee stood back up to full height when Edith had returned and he now waited for her response. He prayed it to be good news. He wanted her to be safe in here.
"We can take the children and the baby." Edith declared, causing a huge sigh of relief from Lee. "Just them though. I tried, but they wouldn't have you. I'm sorry."
"Thank you." Lee thanked in his most honest voice, but he knew for a fact that getting them in there was going to be a problem, especially Clementine. He turned towards the young girl and hoped to convince her. "Clementine, you have to take this. This is a one in a life time opportunity. Think about it. No walkers, no danger. You won't need to use a gun again. You, Sarah and AJ can be raised the right way. Please, don't turn this away."
Clementine still refused to do what he said and began shaking her head to the side in denial. "No, no, no! Why are you doing this to me? Lee, I need you."
"Because I want you to be safe." Lee explained, him too with tears in his eyes. It pained him to do this and something inside of wanted to keep Clementine with him, but he had to put others before his own needs. He could see she still refused and could do nothing more to change her mind. "Clem...It's your choice, but just...Think about it for a moment, would you?"
Clementine did as he said and began to think this whole offer over. The thought of being safe raced around her mind, sounding too good to be true. If you chose to do this, she would lose Lee forever. She would be with Sarah and AJ, but apart from that, they would be safe. No walkers, no bandits, no fears of losing food. It would be like things were normal again.
Finally, after thinking it all over carefully whilst Edith was patient enough to wait, Clementine had made her decision. She looked up to Lee with tears in her eyes and spoke her final answer in a firm yet sad voice. "NO! I'm not staying here without you. We're all leaving together."
Lee secretly hoped she did not say this, but a part of him wanted her to stay. He respected her decision to leave him. But before he could respond, he turned back towards Sarah who remained silent with her hands placed on top of the other. "What about you, Sarah? What do you want to do?"
Sarah, for the first time ever, had a choice in her life that would affect her life forever. She turned back towards the entrance to Wellington and then back towards Lee. She would not deny that she wanted to be safe from the walkers after almost dying under that rubble, but at the same time, she thought this place could be like Carver's community. She looked back up towards Lee with her answer. "I want...I want to stay with you, Lee..."
"Okay, Sarah." Lee replied. "If that's what-"
"If I do, can you help protect me?" Sarah requested, cutting him off from his sentence. "Will you teach me to use a gun? To protect myself like Clementine."
"Of course I will, Sarah." Lee assured, using one arm to hold the baby whilst he placed his hand upon her shoulder. "I promise, I'll protect you no matter what."
From above the entrance to Wellington, Edith could not help but shed a tear or two whilst watching their moment. She knew what it was like to have a family that loved each other and refused to separate from one another. "It...It sounds like your little girl means business."
"No need to tell me twice." Lee replied with a slight grin across his face.
"Come on." Clementine told Lee, nodding her head towards the direction they came from. "Let's go."
"Good luck. All of you are a tough family." Edith admitted as she dried the remaining tear from her eye. "If you stay in the area, drop by in around four-five months. We might start accepting again."
"Thank you." Lee thanked, but it did not give him much hope for getting in there since four-five months was quite a long time. "We'll come back in a few months. If we're still around, that is."
"Good luck." Edith wished them the best now that there was nothing more she could do to help them. She hoped they stayed well, and if one day they were accepting more members again, she could help bring that family into a safe world.
Without saying a word, Lee gently handed AJ into Sarah's arms before stepped forwards and picked up the bag that Edith had given to them. He turned around and he began making his way towards the direction they came in, Clementine and Sarah following closely. He picked up the duffle bag and carried two bags with him and took his weapons back too. Clementine carried one of the bags whilst Sarah remained with AJ.
Lee Everett with his two adoptive daughters Clementine and Sarah, and his adoptive son AJ made their back towards the direction they came from and was more than ready to fight for survival for any trouble they may encounter along the way. He was unsure on what they were going to do now, but all he could do was keep moving and see what future holds for them.
Still...Falling
Breathless and on...Again
Inside...Today
Beside me today
Around broken in two
Till you eyes shed
Into dust
Like two strangers
Turning into dust
Till my hand shook with the way I fear
I could possibly be fading
Or have...Something more to gain
I could feel myself growing colder
I could feel myself under your fate
Under...Your fate
It was you...Breathless and tall
I could feel my eyes turning into dust
And two strangers turning into dust
Turning into dust
The end. I'd like to thank all of you yet again for reading all the way to this chapter. You're all awesome and great people. For those who are currently writing Walking Dead stories, always remember to never give up and always try your best. And don't be afraid to ask for help from time to time. I'll see you all next time.
Assassin's Creed Master out.
Disclaimer: The Walking Dead is owned by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, and Telltale Games.
The cast:
Dave Fennoy voice of Lee Everett
Melissa Hutchison voice of Clementine
Nicole Vigil voice of Carley
Scott Porter voice of Luke
Brian Sommer voice of Peter Joseph Randall
Brian Bremer voice of Nick
Andrew "Kid Beyond" Chaikin voice of Carlos
Louisa Mackintosh voice of Sarah
Shay Moore voice of Rebecca
Dorian Lockett voice of Alvin
Nikki Rapp voice of Lilly
Julia Farmer voice of Sarita
Kiff VandenHeuvel voice of Walter
Wylie Herman voice of Matthew
Dan White voice of Mike
Christine Lakin voice of Jane
Kumail Nanjiani voice of Rajeev "Reggie"
Erin Yvette voice of Bonnie
Michael Madsen voice of William "Bill" Carver
Owen Thomas voice of Troy
Julian Kwasneski voice of Johnny
Rashida Clendening voice of Tavia
Cissy Jones voice of Shel
Brett Pels voice of Becca
Jace Smykel voice of Wyatt
Anthony Lam voice of Vince
Vegas Trip voice of Russell
Michael Ark voice of Arvo and Vitali
(Unknown actress) voice of Natasha
(Unknown actor) voice of Buricko
Rebecca Schweitzer voice of Edith