A/N: Okay so Clementine is in the lead with poll, while Sarah is taking the silver and Nick taking the bronze. Thanks again guys for votes and now onto some discussions!
Obsessed naruhina fangirl: I'll check out those fanfics when I get time, the one about Troy seems particularly interesting and I like that outlook, it's what I'm doing with Nick and Sarah and fanfiction is a key chance to develop existing characters further. As for fanfictions that I'd recommened I do have a list...
A New Day- The best on this fandom by a mile, Season 1 set but develops the existing characters to a great degree (and Carley survives!)
Butterflies- A season 2 fic with the second amount of highest reviews, a Sarah/Clem fic I've read a few chapters and it seems pretty good!
No Going Back- Same title as this story just without the question mark, it is set out very well and is a very good prediction of what awaits us in episode 5.
The Unluckies Luke and Clementine Fanfiction- A friendship fic that focuses on Luke and Clementine, there is no Cluke and no "Clem is 18 in this..." line. (Clem being 18 makes the "Cluke" shipping less creepy, but I still don't support the shipping no matter what the age as I just can't see them hooking up) no this a gem of a story if you're looking for just the big brother Luke and little sister Clem dynamic.
Friends Forever- A good season 2 fic that occurs after the escape from Carver's camp, it has a sad ending though.
Black hair and blue eyes- Only one chapter but has already drawn me in, and focuses on a unique pairing (A nick-centric fanfiction)
I'll stick with those 6 as my top recommendations so far. But if you want any more, just let me know.
Rebloxic- Will a fan favourite die? I can't answer that but if a rebellion does occur you can be promised a couple of deaths for sure (especially knowing Carver) thanks for the continued support!
NN009- Carver and the joker? Actually if you cake Carver in make up... I can see a comparison (as well as the whole being insane thing as well)
Night-Chan- DragonEyes- I beginning to enjoy reading your reviews more and more as I like how many predictions and thoughts you give, and as for something dangerous coming up... you shall wait and you'll see...
XXXWOLFLOVERXXX- Thanks for the review and did you notice the Grizzly adams reference at the end of chapter 22, (I added it based off your review regarding Kenny, I do take reviews into consideration!)
and finally AquaDesintysEmbrace thanks for the reviews as always! and now onto the chapter!
"Ow... ow... ow..." Sarah was beeping like a heart motioner as Nick used his good arm to slowly stitch up the large gash on her cheek back together, (Nick himself found the suitable stitching kit in the depths of the man's bag) Sarah tried her hardest to be tough, but this was too much pain... she had tried to be good and stay still for Nick but another sharp jab of the needle into her open flesh caused her to squeal and jump away from him.
Nick cursed and muttered "Damn it Sarah, come on I'm nearly done" Sarah tried to breath deeply, it felt like the right side of her face was on fire as red hot blood trickled down the side of her face. Sarah herself had identified the peroxide bottle in the man's bag that would be perfect for cleaning out both their wounds and would prevent infection. Sarah knew this from her father and the fact that she handed Clementine a bottle weeks back.
When Nick poured the peroxide on her face, Sarah screamed to the heavens above. Never in all of her life had something been that painful. It was that excruciating, her whole world seem to go dizzy as the right side of her face burned while she screamed in blind agony... however this sensation faded after a few seconds leaving her sobbing and Nick nervously checking the treeline for walkers... when none of them turned up he prepared to stitch up the wound on Sarah's face.
It must have only been a couple of minutes, but the agonizing sensation of having her skin pulled back together seemed to drag on for hours for Sarah wept and tried to be tough... only now had she broken and needed a break from the endless jabbing and pain that coursed through her body...
"Come on Sarah, If Clem could do this, in a shed and by herself than you can too" Nick encouraged her as Sarah took a deep breath... she could do this...
"Okay" she sobbed weakly as she clenched her eyes (and teeth) shut as the next platter of pain engulfed her. She tried sitting on her hands to prevent them from slapping Nick's face away and yet she was about to wriggle free before Nick muttered "Done" as Sarah dared to open her eyes. Was it over? Was it really truly over? In curiosity she leant over the river bank to gaze at her reflection in the fast flowing water.
She saw the professional looking white stitches embedded neatly into the cut onto her cheek "I've never had stitches before" she murmured to her reflection unaware that Nick overhead her.
"Well it's a new you Sarah, with that badass scar and all" he muttered as Sarah went pale as her hands flew to her face.
"This is gonna leave a scar... forever!" She gasped in panic, not liking the thought of that ugly scar coating her cheek until the day she died. Nick chuckled at the girl's reaction, even in a zombie apocalypse a small part of Sarah still cared about her appearance.
"I'm just joking, it doesn't look like the wound is that deep, that should heal in time" he reassured her as she relaxed slightly as Nick finished laughing he rolled down his shirt to gaze upon the red hole in his shoulder "Well I guess the joke's on me" he muttered sadly as he braced himself...
Gazing at the wound and past the layers of broken and crusty skin he caught a glimpse of gold within the wound.
The bullet still rested in his shoulder, with a sigh he prepared himself to get the thing out as Sarah gazed on in horror.
"You're going to pull that out!?" she asked in horrified awe.
"Yeah... get the bandages and peroxide ready Sarah" Nick instructed as he clasped his two index fingers and thumb on the golden bullet, as much as he didn't want to do this... he did not want to be seen as weaker than a 15 year old who could handle a face-full of stitches better than he expected... and Clementine an 11 year old who had stitched up her own arm without shedding a tear (and then killed a walker... just for added effect) call it male pride but Nick was a grown man he would not act more cowardly towards pain than 2 little girls. He had to be tough as well.
Bracing himself, he inhaled deeply as his whole body tensed and then with all the strength remaining in his good arm he pulled on the bullet.
Almost instantly it popped out of his arm as it fell to the floor, yet this also followed with a spurt of Nick's blood as well.
Nick was proud of himself for handling the sharp unpleasant pain with a disinterested grunt, but what he didn't expect was for Sarah to shyly creep up behind him and in her panic, pour half the bottle of peroxide over his wound. He froze for a second as it seemed molten lava was trailing down his arm as pain erupted from his every pore.
"SHIT!" He bellowed to the sky as Sarah quickly saved the bottle of Peroxide from spilling to the floor by shielding it from Nick's wild arm that fell short of hitting the bottle and sending it spilling to the floor by mere inches. As she did this Nick clenched his teeth together as the hellish pain quickly throbbed away but still left him blurry eyed as he gasped heavily and tried to pass it off, playing a tough guy as he grunted against and lifted his head to find Sarah offering him the clean white bandages.
"Thanks" he muttered grabbing it and wrapping it tight around his bleeding shoulder. The bleeding finally stopped as Nick sighed, although his shoulder still ached he knew that at least the risk of infection was gone. Added to the fact they didn't use up medical supplies from the bin bag and rather from the man's bag itself... and speaking of supplies...
"Come on let's have a quick picnic, hell I'm starving to death" Nick noted, swigging some of the water from the canteen down his sore neck, the cooling effect this had on him was refreshing to say the very least, as Sarah followed suite and made an "Aaah" in satisfaction as she felt herself be rehydrated.
"That was good" she said reaching for some beans in the man's bag yet she couldn't open it, Nick watched her for a little while before handing her a small knife that also lay resting at the bottom of the bag (other than that and the guns there were no other weapons)
"What's this for?" she asked as Nick handed it too her.
"A knife, I figured you could use it for more than just stabbing walkers" he gestured at the bottle "You want to learn to survive you gotta know how to eat what you find, and since of lot of is canned you need to learn to open a can. So use your knife there to open the lid" he told her as she gripped the knife (and for the second time today) stabbed something. Using her growing strength, the knife penetrated through the lid as she stared at it.
"Now you gotta slide the knife across the lid so you open it from all sides" Nick told her. Admittedly dragging the knife across the lid was harder than simply stabbing it. Yet (after nearly cutting her fingers a dozen times) she managed to chuck the broken lid from the can and gazed at the awaiting beans for her inside. Digging her hands inside she chewed on the first couple of beans and smiled happily as she ate once again...
"Mmmm... I love beans" she told Nick who was helping himself to a can of his own. They ate in silence, Sarah crouched up and Nick was lying down staring at the midday sky, as the clouds drifted lazily by...
Swallowing a large chunk of beans Sarah turned to face Nick as she lamented on a sad fact "I remember when getting food was so much easier than this" she whined as she helped herself to another cluster of beans as Nick closed his eyes, it really was peaceful here...
"A lot of things were easier before... now it's all harder" he muttered, these weren't words of wisdom. These were common facts that Nick wanted to hammer into Sarah's head so she could be quiet for a minute as he enjoyed a rare silence yet Sarah wasn't one to stay silent for too long.
"How old are you Nick?" she asked.
"21, you?" he muttered back.
"15" she responded lightly as Nick tried to relax his aching limbs, sensing that he didn't want to talk Sarah tried to copy the position he was in as she laid herself causally on the ground and closed her eyes... listening to the sounds of nature around her as she nestled herself into the ground. The flow of the river and the humming of the birds... she liked quiet places. She only wished her dad could see this though...
After a while of silence in which Nick relaxed on, Sarah finally broke the silence in a very good mood she made an offer.
"Let's play I-spy!" She chimed excitedly, remembering her days in the back of her father's car when she and her mother would play games of I-Spy to pass the time.
Nick merely grunted in response. Not really in the mood, Sarah ploughed on anyway.
"I-Spy with my little eye something beginning with a... T!" she exclaimed.
"Tree" Nick answered without even opening his eyes as Sarah gasped.
"How'd you know that?" she asked in awe.
"Were surrounded by Tree's doesn't take a genius to figure it out" He muttered as Sarah nodded and said "Okay, now it's your turn"
Nick groaned and rolled over but decided to try and test her with a difficult answer, he lifted himself to a standing position as he saw a squirrel nibbling something in the trees.
"I spy... something beginning with an S" he said, barely believing he was playing such a childish game while exposed out in the open. Yet he couldn't help himself, he guessed he was simply a kid inside too.
Squirrel" Sarah responded instantly as Nick's mouth dropped open, and he muttered "How...?"
"You're looking right at it, it was so easy to figure out..." she was babbling on at a million miles an hour as she smiled and said "Okay... I spy with something beginning with a... C!"
Nick looked around generally puzzled by this, as nothing nearby was labelled with a "C" as Sarah gave him a teasing look and giggled "So... give up yet?"
"No" Nick snapped, he would not be outsmarted by a 15 year old girl, he noticed she was looking up and as she did, Nick looked up too and that's when the answer hit him.
"Clouds!" he exclaimed triumphantly only to have his hopes dashed when Sarah shook her head and muttered "Oh come on I'm looking at it"
"You're looking up Sarah and the only thing up there are clouds, it can't be anything else!" Nick grunted angrily.
"Do you give up then?" Sarah asked when Nick nodded in shame, Sarah smiled and pointed up, up at him as he looked on confused.
"Cap" she said as Nick gazed at her "I was looking up at your cap" she told him, as he went to slap himself. How the hell had he been so stupid? Yet as Sarah laughed at him, he couldn't help but laugh as well.
"Okay... you got me, I'll give you that one" he told her lightly.
Minutes later, up, refreshed, rested and patched up they were ready to move, with their supplies at the ready and in better moods they re-entered the forest it was only then Sarah muttered "Um... Nick where is the way back?"
Nick froze, not really sure himself as the pine forest had no notable landmarks, yet he remembered the way they had run from the civil war museum yet he knew they were now lost in this mass forest. Following his gut he told Sarah "I dunno, but I think we came from this way, so let's go"
She wasn't convinced, yet they were moving in some direction which was a start.
Ready to face whatever was next.
Clementine and Vince had done an exhausting job that day, it had just reached early evening when Troy of all people demanded that Carver wanted to see Clem in his office.
"Knock em dead" Vince muttered to her as she left him working on the expansion, although whether that was literal or a joke remained up for debate.
Following Troy she noticed people were (once again) staring at pointing at her she tried hard to ignore this... but it was quite hard when she actually hear her name amidst the whispers that made her more paranoid than ever...
She ascended the dreaded steps up to Carver' office wondering what sort of lecture she was going to get this time, as Troy lead her inside the doors, she nearly bumped into Kenny who was leaving through the office she could see his old cap was perched back onto his head, seeing his grey-ish black hairs underneath his ever-present cap had been strange now it was back on Clementine wondered how he had obtained it from Carver.
Kenny didn't say anything but gave her a cautious glare as she stepped inside before she could ask him a question, Troy slammed the door shut leaving her alone with Carver himself who leered at her from where he was sat at his desk.
"Sit" he growled like a lion as Clementine stepped forward to the chair in front of Carver's desk she noticed that in bloody black chair in the corner, slumped unconscious in the corner was...
"Luke!" she gasped, the young man was had a fresh set of bruises riddled on his face, and blood drenched his clothes, yet he was still breathing so he wasn't dead. Despite this she couldn't help but wonder what had gotten Luke into this chair while hot headed Kenny had left the room completely unharmed.
"What did you do to him!?" she demanded of Carver.
"He didn't comply, now sit if you don't want to end up like him" he muttered darkly as he watched Clementine's every step, as she sat down she noticed Alvin Junior asleep in a little crib behind Carver's desk.
"His cute isn't he? My son Billy, surely no one would be cruel enough to have his daddy miss his birth" he said coldly to Clementine.
"His called Alvin and his not your son" Clementine responded glaring right back at him.
"Wrong, Clem, all wrong now... shall we begin here?" he asked of her as she curtly nodded wondering what on earth Carver wanted know.
"As you're aware we made a deal a few days back, it's because of that deal I have my son with me now, if not 90 per cent of your fellow pen dwellers would be dead right now. But I reckon I punished you accordingly and now I want to make it up to you" he said as Clementine's eyes widened as he produced the photo of Lee and her old cap from behind his desk.
"My things" she murmured.
"Yes, they seem very valuable a photo of daddy and the cap he gave you" Carver informed her, Clementine didn't correct him on what the objects really were but all he knew was that they meant a hell of a lot to her and that's all he needed to know.
"You know it would be a shame if... I were to destroy them like you destroyed a father-son moment" he growled the malice in his voice growing as he produced a lighter, he clicked it on and held it dangerously close below the photo of Lee.
"DON'T!" Clementine begged instantly, that photo that ripped thing which she went all the way back to the drugstore in Macon to retrieve had kept her going in the long 16 months after Omid died, like hell she would lose not only that but her dad's cap in one go. These items were simply too precious to her.
"Got your weak point it seems" Carver smiled as he flicked off his lighter and smiled "I'll give you these back along as you agree to my deal" he offered, no doubt this was a very shady deal as Clementine felt herself recoil... but her objects... but were objects really more important than her friend's lives.
"What's the deal?" she asked.
"That's for me to know and you to find out when I decide to tell you" he told her cryptically "Don't worry though it doesn't involve killing any of your fellow pen dwellers I stick by my promise and it's fair you do the same" he said, as Clementine gazed into his eyes. He had blown his top this morning and now was suddenly back to his cold, manipulative self? This didn't add up, whatever Carver had in mind Clementine knew it wasn't good news at all.
But if she refused she'd be beaten like Luke and have her personal possessions destroyed. "Everyone other than Luke agreed to this, so you're not the wrong here, you're simply staying loyal to your friends" Carver told her as he flicked his lighter on and off "Or you could let your damn pride and morales get in the way and end up like Luke there" he offered the alternative. As Clementine sighed, she had seen Kenny with his old cap... if they agreed then surely... what harm could it do? Call it conformity but she had to agree.
"Fine, I agree now give me my stuff back" she demanded as Carver did. Clementine pocketed the photo with a smile and placed her familiar cap back onto her head.
Yet when she looked up and saw Carver's face, it was radiating with a smug happiness that made Clementine regret her decision almost instantly.
"Good girl, now get back to the pen, I believe supper's ready" he told her as she got up and headed towards the door, two guards entered to drag an unconscious Luke back to the pen with her. As she looked up at the beaten man, was he really the only one who went against this "deal". Did he know it's true nature or was he simply being self-righteous and refusing any of Carver's bull?
Well until he woke up she wouldn't know.
She only wished she was like him now, beaten but with a clean conscious yet as she still had Lee with her, well her photo of Lee and her cap.
And whatever Carver was planning, he should have been aware that his community was planning back against him.