A/N: due to personal problems, I was forced to take an unplanned Hiatus. Without wanting to implant my problems onto you, it involved (among other things) a death, moving to another continent, operations, illness, divorce problems, school stuff, major setbacks on important live choices and more. I want to thank everyone that sticked by me for the wait, and I'm happy to announce I'm now defiantly back, writing more than ever.

Here's an extra long chapter to make up to you. Please review; All criticism will be used to improve myself, flames to make marshmallows to hand out to other reviewers.

Chapter 8: The mother and her child.

When Lee opened his eyes again, Carley was gone, as was the dark TV-studio. Instead, light was filtering through a large window and birds were chirping outside.
Lee hadn't even realized how much he had missed that sound.

Than the sound of a car driving past reached his ear and he felt like he could cry with happiness.

The world had gone back to normal again. No zombies, no life-threatening situations everyday, no hunger. At the same time, Lee knew it wasn't real. He was still running his course. This was someones temporal heaven.

Looking around him now, Lee saw he was standing in a suburban kitchen, it reminded him of when he was first in Clementine's house.

It was clean, though kind of messy, which gave the sense of a comfy atmosphere. On the right there was a small table with 4 chairs and on the wall beside it hung photographs.

Lee knew who's house this was almost immediately. Sadness was all he felt when looking at the many family pictures, knowing how they had been torn apart.
One of them had Duck on his first school day, sporting a terrible sour face.
Another showed Katjaa in a hospital bed, obviously tired but content, with a proud Kenny beside her holding their newborn son.

Slowly Lee moved on towards the living room, where he could hear sounds. He imagined what it would have been like had he and his wife ever had children. If things hadn't gotten so screwed up... and that was before the whole end of the world thing.

Maybe they would have moved to a nice town out of the busy madness of the big city.

His wife could stop working, spent her days cooking, painting and visiting friends.

He could have worked in the local school. Sure, it would have been a demotion, but Lee always loved working with kids.

They could have at least 3. And a dog.

In the vacations, they would visit his hometown and parents, he'd show his children the forest he used to hang out at with his brother and they would build a tree house again.

The mere thought send a shot of pain through his heart.

After passing through a small hallway he arrived at his destination. The living room was small but cozy, with an old TV-set in the corner, a sofa and some toys scattered around.

Again the walls were covered in various photographs. If Lee hadn't known these people better he'd thought they were vain.

Sitting in the before mentioned sofa was Katjaa. Her blonde hair was still messy, but she looked far better then when last Lee saw here. On the ground before her, idly crayoning was Duck.

Lee gulped at the sight. He had looked like shit, pardon his french, last time. Of course, that was due to the infection, but it felt like a relief either way.

Duck looked up at him and smiled, before continuing his drawing. It almost felt like he was a family friend and it was the most normal thing in the world that he'd stroll around for a visit. Not like they were both dead, preparing for the afterlife or anything.

Lee walked around him to sit himself next to Katjaa, who smiled as well and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It's so good to see you, Lee." she said, and it sounded like the most earnest thing he had ever heard.

"Same here." Lee sighed, looking around wearily. Would he ever get used to this?

"Nice place you got..." He said. It sounded less awkward then it should have, considering the circumstances.

Katjaa looked around as well and shrugged.

"Hmm, We were actually looking to move. Somewhere out in the open, were it would be easier for me to find work, and Kenny could take the boat out more often." She admitted, nodding her head to a picture on the stand.

It depicted Kenny, as 'alive' as Lee had ever seen him, next to a red-white Yarmouth 23, not that Lee would have known that.

"He loved that thing to death. Would have married it, if he could. Settled on me instead." Katjaa joked, but her eyes turned sad.

"Could you believe he still complained about the damn thing at the Motor inn. Kept saying what a shame it was to leave her behind..."

Lee nodded. He was never much of a vehicle man, but he got the point.

"Hey mom, look what I drew!" a high voice piped up and both were pulled out of there reverie by the paper Duck was showing off. It depicted Kenny, Lee, Clementine, Omid and Christa on the boat they had found at the mansion.

How Duck knew about anything of these things, Lee couldn't phantom, but decided not to ask.

"That's nice dearie." Katjaa said, patting Duck on the head.

The boy grinned his telltale grin again, turning around to continue his art.

"Say Lee..." Katjaa suddenly asked, so quietly Lee could barely make out the words. "Was I... Was I wrong to leave Kenny behind like that? I know it broke him, he could never be quit the seem after... Maybe I just assumed.. I don't know, was I really thinking about him at the time. All I could see was my child fading away and... I didn't want it anymore. The deaths, the hunger, struggling to build up enough positive energy to keep going another day. But... Was I selfish?" Lee could hear the strain in her voice and some guilt wept to his chest.

He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought of it right after the suicide. What kind of wife leaves her husband behind, especially in such difficult times.

But was he really one to judge.

The mere thought of Clementine being the one slowing succumbing to fever and weakness sent shivers through his spine. It made him want to throw up.

So he answered the only thing that came to mind.

"Yes, it was. It always is when you take your own life. But that doesn't mean your a bad person. In the end you need more courage to live then to give up. Maybe you were just spent..."

He looked at her with reached eyebrows. It was really all the consolation he could ever give, never being close to that edge himself. But he did feel he understood, and evidently that was enough, because her blue eyes took a softer edge to them and she nodded.

As he got up to leave her, they nodded, and his eye felt on a bright, sunny picture of Kenny and Katjaa in better times, suit and gown, preparing to speak their vows.

And when Duck pulled on his sleeve, gave him a drawing of Lee as batman and himself as Robin, with Clementine cheering in the background, he had to pinch his eyes not to cry.