Disclaimer: These characters belong to the Walking Dead game which is the property of Robert Kirkmen and Telltale games.
The Road felt as though it would last forever. With each step Kenny felt as though he was going to pass out. Only the knowledge that food was waiting at the end of this journey kept him on his feet. Well that and Duck's constant prodding.
"When will we get there?" He would ask nonstop.
It was a wonder that Duck still had this much energy so little food in his stomach. But then again that was more than Kenny had within him. He was grateful that Lee had fed the kids and had even offered Katjaa some food, but what he didn't understand was why Larry got some as opposed to him. Perhaps Lee just wanted to avoid the argument that was sure to come if he kept Larry unfed or perhaps Lee wanted to get in good with Lilly. Something that Kenny had noticed a lot more of lately. Lee almost never out rightly sided with anyone but Kenny always felt like this gave Lilly the upper hand in the arguments.
"Dad how far is it?" Duck asked again.
"Hopefully soon Duck." Katjaa answered.
"Hey Duck why don't you a go bother Clementine" said Kenny.
"Okay!" Duck shouted as he went to the front of the line where Clementine was.
"I tell you Katjaa I don't know where that boy gets his energy from."
"Well I seem to remember a very energetic young man who would talk to me forever about his fishing stories."
Katjaa chuckled and Kenny put on a half-smile before replacing with a frown. It was good to reminisce but in truth he missed fishing. What he wouldn't give to feel the wind in his hair and hear the splash of waves against the hull. He knew however to make that dream a reality he would have to convince everyone to leave in the RV with him. If only Lee would agree with him that would at least get people thinking about it.
"You okay honey?" Katjaa asked
"Yeah, just thinking." He replied
"About the food? Well no point in thinking about it, hopefully we'll get some in our stomachs soon."
"It's not about the food, I was thinking about leaving."
Kenny heard his wife let out a deep sigh. "Not this again" She said.
"Why not?" Kenny retorted. "We low on food and supplies. Heading to the coast is the best option."
"You don't know that."
"Yes you do. We can't stay at that Motel and just hope lucky breaks like this will come around at random. If Lee would agree with me I know that the others would…"
"That's exactly what I'm talking about." Katjaa interrupted
Kenny turned to face her though he never stopped walking.
"Always putting Lee in the middle, it's unfair to him you know."
"Unfair!? What's unfair is that we barely got enough food for everyone to eat once a week. What's unfair is how I gotta take orders from a stubborn dictator. What's unfair is that I have this plan that will save all of us from starvation and everyone seems to be against it just because Lee think's we'd be better off here."
"Lee's our friend; he protected Duck from Larry in the Pharmacy and just rescued me from that teacher less than an hour ago."
"Yeah but that don't make him right about staying."
Katjaa sighed again as the farm finally came into view.
Kenny let out his own sigh and the fact that he was arguing on an empty stomach didn't help.
"Sorry for getting upset" He told his wife.
"It's all right I understand everyone's a little stressed out. Hopefully this meal will get everyone calmed down."
Kenny nodded and turned his attention to the farm. Looking ahead he saw Lee and Mark seemingly arguing with the St. John's. Suddenly Kenny's eye caught a foreign object sticking out of Mark's shoulder.
What is that? He thought, unaware how shocked he would when he got his answer
Lee could barely follow the conversation. Lilly seemed worried about Mark, while Larry seemed angry that this place was not as "safe" as they thought. Kenny was talking to the St. John's about the bandits as Mark was taken inside the house so that Brenda could deal with the arrow. All the while the three kids simply stood and watched.
"Lee?" Danny said.
"Yeah?"
"I think you and I should head out to that bandit camp and teach them a thing or two about breaking deals."
Lee nodded. "Sure I'll go with you."
"Hey kids, look what Lee got working for ya." Andy said as he pointed to the now fully repaired swing.
Clementine nearly jumped when she saw it.
"A swing! I love swings! Just like at my tree house! Come on, Duck!" She shouted as the two headed for the swing.
Clementine stopped about halfway there. "Thanks Lee. You're the best!" She said before continuing.
Duck said "Yeah!" in agreement though by that time he was already swinging.
Kenny went over to push his son while Clementine stood by awaiting her turn. Looking back he saw Lilly and Larry heading for the Gazebo while Travis leaned against the fence.
Lee headed toward Kenny who was pushing Duck.
"So did everyone make it here okay?" He asked Kenny.
"On the way over here I was getting dizzy and breaking out in cold sweats. Even Duck didn't look too good though he made up for it by running his mouth the whole time."
You do realize the boys right there right? Thought Lee. Looking at Duck however made him realize the boy wasn't even listening. He was having too much fun.
"Well hopefully if this all works out Duck and Katjaa can have a stable home." Lee said.
"Funny, you didn't seem to care too much about Duck when he was on the tractor back at Hershel's farm."
Just like you didn't seem to care about Shawn Lee nearly shouted. However not wanting to start this argument again he chose to remain silent.
"How about letting Clementine get a turn?" He asked.
Kenny and Duck both obliged.
Lee felt good as he gave Clementine gentle pushes on the swing. It made him think about how the simplest things in life can make the biggest difference.
"How are you?" He asked as he pushed her.
"I'm fine, this place reminds me of how things were before, you know?" The young girl replied.
"Yeah hopefully one day everything will look like it was before." He assured her.
After a while Clementine let Duck have another turn and Lee headed to where Travis was still leaning on the fence.
"Hey.. Um I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm Lee" He said as he extended his hand.
"Travis" He replied as the two shook.
"So what you doing?" Lee asked.
"Oh nothing really just enjoying the view, you know."
"Yeah I know this is something compared to what I've seen over the past few months."
Lee looked over to the gazebo where Lilly and Larry were. He wanted to head out with Danny but decided it be best to check on them before doing so.
"Well I'll see you later" He told the teen.
"Oh a Lee?" Travis called as he was heading toward the back of the farm.
"Thanks for saving me back there." He said.
"No problem" replied Lee "I couldn't just let you die."
"Actually you could have I've seen that happen more than once" Travis replied.
Lee noticed the pain in the teen's eyes as he said that. However he didn't have long to think about it and instead headed over to the Gazebo.
"Lee thank God you two didn't get killed out there. Do you think Mark will be okay?" Lilly immediately blurted out as he approached the two.
"I wish I could tell you but I think he's safe now." Lee replied.
"He'll be fine. I've seen guys go through worse" Larry stated
"It may have been a mistake coming here." Said Lilly.
"Not like it was my call" Lee said back
Lee prepared himself for a scolding from either Larry or his daughter but both remind silent at his remark. So he moved on.
"So I take it you aren't thrilled about leaving the motor inn." He said.
"Well Mark wouldn't have gotten hurt if we hadn't left." Lilly replied.
"But we also wouldn't have had this chance to eat." Lee retorted.
"Then maybe we could have just traded food instead."
Lilly's voice showed no anger which surprised Lee. It sounded like they were arguing but in truth it didn't feel that way. He was grateful that this particular discussion wasn't going the way nearly all his discussions with Lilly or Kenny had gone in the past.
Lee prepared himself as this was not yet an argument but the topic he was about to bring up may have turned it into one.
"So I take it you and Kenny didn't make up on the way here?" He asked finally
"I honestly tried to look at this his way having a wife and a kid but gambling with your family's life sounds pretty stupid to me." She answered.
Lee thought to himself for a moment. He tried to never choose sides but he knew that on this topic Lilly was right on the money. At least staying at the motor inn at this point in time made sense where as simply hoping that they could make in the coast in an old beaten up RV was a long shot at best. Let alone finding a working boat that could fit everyone.
"Hey Lee." Lilly called breaking him out of his train of thought.
"Thanks for backing me up this morning at the motel. I know I'm pretty hard on you guys but you do agree with how I'm running things right?"
Lee thought to himself. He was unprepared for this question and he was unsure how best to answer it. If he was completely honest with himself and with Lilly he would reply that right now she was leader they needed. However he was not about to choose sides. Kenny was already mad about this morning. Come to think of it Lilly should have been as well. He didn't really back her up.
"You don't have to say anything. You gave yourself away when you backed me up in front of Kenny, so thanks." Lilly said obviously noticing Lee's silence.
Lee felt grateful. It was nice to be appreciated, though at the same time he didn't feel as though he deserved thanks.
"I didn't exactly back you up." He replied.
"When everyone else was berating me you didn't, and you accepted the task of giving everyone food without complaining. Believe me you backed me up." She replied.
Lilly smiled at him and Lee returned the smile with one of his own before he noticed Larry's not smiling much more serious face. He thought to himself for a moment and then asked Lilly to speak to him in private. She agreed and the two headed out of Larry's earshot. Lee was taking a chance with this one but he figured the conversation had gone so well he might as well bring this topic.
If she yelled at him for it than that just meant things were back to normal.
Larry watch the two as they had some sort of discussion. Part of him wanted to go separate the two but he had tried that in the past and it had always ended up with him and Lilly getting into an argument.
Why couldn't she just trust him that Lee was bad news. She was always so stubborn. Like her mother.
Larry bit his lip at the thought of his wife. She had been taken from him far too early. No doctor in the world knew what exactly was wrong with her. He had spent nearly all his money, retired early from the military and even sold his car, all to no avail. He still remembers when she refused further treatment and decided she would not die in a hospital bed.
"I want to come home" She had said to him. A few days later he woke up and realized she was not breathing. Though they rushed her to the hospital, it was already too late. She was gone and he and Lilly were left alone.
Larry pushed back the tears that always came when he thought about his wife. He refused to cry in front of his daughter who had now returned to the gazebo.
"So what was that about?" He asked.
Lilly turned to face him. "Nothing really we were just talking." She replied. Her tone told Larry she was lying to him but he was actually more concerned with the fact that she had gone back to watching Lee as He departed with the younger St. John.
"You shouldn't trust him." He said.
"I know dad I know." She replied. Though her eyes never left Lee's back.
Larry grunted but was not about to get into another argument with her over this. Plus looking over to the house he noticed that Brenda had appeared and was talking to Andy.
He had had his eye on her since they arrived. Even when Mark had the arrow in his shoulder. To him winning over beautiful woman was like hunting prey in the woods.
He just had to know when to pounce.
Carley stretched her arms as she woke up. She could not remember the last time she got such a good night's sleep. Then again she owed that to her better half. Who was snoring next to her. Strange to think she slept better with the snoring than without it. She placed her head on his shoulder and should him slightly with her right arm.
"You awake honey?" She asked.
"I am now." Replied two voices
Carley gasped as she noticed both Lee and Doug were in the bed.
"What….. what's going on?" She asked.
"I don't know, you tell me." Doug replied.
"Think she's having a break down." Lee stated.
"Definitely her subconscious is trying to tell her something though." Said Doug
"My subconscious…..?" Carley replied. "I'm dreaming?"
"Wow, most people don't get that at first." Said Lee.
"Well she is really smart" Doug stated
Carley just wanted out but her feet refused to move.
"That happens you can't physically get up like you can in the real world." Said Doug.
"Wait this is crazy! Why… how… what is my subconscious trying to tell me?" She asked.
"Oh look at that, it's about for you to wake up." Lee stated as he waved goodbye to her.
"No! wait! I wanna know!"
You want to know what Carley? Asked Doug.
Looking around she had broken the Cardinal rule and fallen asleep while on watch. She was lucky Lilly was out or she would never hear the end of it.
"You okay Carley?"
She looked at Doug and then down at the ground to see that Ben was sitting down on the couch near the RV.
"Yeah I'm fine just a bit tired I guess."
"Well that's to be expected, you haven't really been sleeping lately."
Carley looked at Doug in confusion.
"How do you know that? It's not like you're in bed with me."
Doug seemed to be slightly embarrassed at the comment.
"Well no but you mentioned that to Lee earlier, remember? When he offered us food."
She thought back to the events of that morning. "Oh right um how long has it been since they've been gone?" She asked in an attempt to change the subject.
"Oh not long a couple of hours at most. My guess is they'll be gone until this evening."
Carley nodded and turned to view the area beyond the motor inn. It was quiet as usual.
"Actually I'm glad that we didn't go." Doug said causing her attention to turn back to him.
"Gives us a chance to talk."
Carley nodded her head, knowing exactly what he meant. She had been expecting this for a while and had actually taken steps to avoid the conversation in the past.
"It's just where are we Carley?" Doug bluntly asked.
"Right now were on top of an RV on the edge of Macon, Georgia." She replied.
"That's not what I meant?"
"I know Doug."
Carley let out a deep sigh.
"Listen Doug I know I told you I liked you after the whole drugstore fiasco and I mean I still do like you."
"But?" Doug interrupted.
"But?" asked Carley.
"There is always a but." He replied.
"Not this time. It's not a but it's more like an and."
"An and?" Doug asked. Seemingly confused.
"Yeah it's like….. Doug you are a great guy. I love talking to you because you always find a way to make me laugh. Even the way the world is now… And then there's Lee."
"Lee and I we just have so much to talk about you know. He always seems to know what to say and how best to approach a situation. He's always ready to take on the heaviest of task and put's the groups needs above his own."
"He's, someone I admire, someone I can look up to you know."
Doug nodded though Carley could tell he was a bit saddened by what she had said.
"I'm not saying I would rather be with him but what I am saying is….. I just can't answer you right now." She stated.
"I understand Carley."
"Hey guys!" Called Ben from below causing both their attentions to turn to him.
"Sorry to interrupt but I feel like I'm just wasting time down here. Is there anything you guys need done?"
Carley looked at Doug then back at Ben.
"Well what are you good at?" She asked.
"Er… I don't know but I'm willing to try anything." He replied.
"I got this." Doug said. "I'll show you how to work the alarm system and if the others still haven't returned I guess I could show you how to check for loose boards on the wall."
"That'd be great. Thanks" Ben replied.
"I'll talk to you later." Doug said as he climbed down the RV.
Carley nodded and was once again left alone which is what she wanted at the moment.
She had a lot to think about.
A/N Thanks once again for all who made it to the end. I realize this chapter was a little longer than the others. Thanks again and God bless.
