A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews! Also EPISODE 5 TRAILER! I lost interest after the fiasco that was "Amid The Ruins" but the episode still had some good points. So with that in mind I have faith that the final episode will be an awesome finale and match the standards set in "A house divided" and "No Time Left". In a nutshell, I'm hyped for this episode.
Obsessed naruhina fangirl- You explained your views on Molly and Jane perfectly and I agree with your points. Now I'm going to try and raise a more difficult question, (that may divide opinion) if the game gave you the option to save either Nick or Sarah (and you could only save one) who would it be?
Emily Carver- I'm really enjoying your reviews! I love how you take quotes from the story and use them as evidence for the points you make. I love the ending quote you used. It's one of my favourites from the hunger games and I might chuck it into the story somewhere if I can.
rokon900- Thank you for the review and my favourite character from this season (not counting Clem of course) would be Nick, because he was so complex and flawed but he generally wanted to protect the group. He was like a younger version of Kenny.
Eggomypeggo (can I just say I love saying your username out loud, it awesome): Thanks for the reviews! and as for that question... Season 2 started out brilliantly. "All That Remains" was a brilliant episode (Others were mediocre about it, but I loved it) I loved how Clementine learned to fend for herself and meet these new people who had episodes to develop and get to know better. "A House Divided" followed through on that brilliantly. Developing the new characters, the return of Kenny and the whole hostage scenario at the ski lodge. Best episode of the season.
With two amazing episodes in their belt, I was hyped for "In Harm's Way" I played through it and... still good, but something was off. Nick's lack of dialogue in the episode and the lack of involvement from the 400 days characters (excluding Bonnie) was a worrying omen that the writers were starting to get lazy. But I shrugged off this fears and enjoyed episode 3, not as much as 2 or 1. But still a strong 7 or 8 out of 10. And then Amid the ruins came... brilliant opening and then after that... well what I can say? Wasted potential, characters not staying consistent, choices didn't make the slightest bit of difference...
In a nutshell, brilliant first two episodes, and then the root of the problem of lazy writing started in episode 3 and full out sprouted everywhere in episode 4. I hope episode 5 can redeem this series which is great overall but doesn't touch on Season 1.
okay and before this authors note gets too long, thanks to Maximo, apathy, Kranon The Deathclaw-Human and AquaDestinysEmbrace for your kind words! And now I shall proceed with the story...
"Let's sing a song" Eddie suggested out of the blue to a disgruntled looking Wyatt.
"Dude-shut-up" Wyatt said, shooting him down with his deadpan comment, this would not however crush Eddie's brightened face.
"Nah came on. I-want-to-hack-in-Carver's-head..." Eddie began to sing, the beat of his lyrics based off that song "I want to ride my bicycle" that Wyatt remembered faintly from a time period nearly two years and a few months gone, A period when they had music and warm food and other luxuries.
Now, Wyatt was stuck hacking a trench into the earth, with the dozen ends of rifle's trained on his ass. Trying hard to stay alive, having his retarded best friend trying to get them all into song which would... A) Draw Walkers and get them killed or B) Piss of Carver and get them shot. So many cheerful options, or there was option C, which was Get my best friend to shut the fuck up and live!
"Eddie, I'm begging you for once your life, shut up!" Wyatt hissed as one of the stern faced guards passed them, thankfully for Wyatt he simply walked on.
"Ah come on, just trying to lighten the mood" Eddie said as he continued to plough into the hard earth.
"Yeah... well you can do that... when were not slaving away with guns trained on our asses" Wyatt informed him, as the sharp end of the pickaxe pierced further into the soil. Imagining the soil as Carver's face was Wyatt's only way to stay sane. Others no doubt felt the same... (particularly at Kenny, who seemed determined to get to the centre of the earth at the rate he was hacking away at the ground).
"You're such a miserable fat asshole you know?" Eddie told him.
"I've always been the miserable fat asshole, so what's changed?" Wyatt responded unaffected as beads of salty sweat rolled down his forehead, it was annoying how he had to take off his glasses to wipe his eyes and brow and then put them back on again.
"So we take out Carver? Then what Wyatt?" Eddie asked.
"Then we party hard, duh brain" Wyatt told him simply.
"Regarding the amount of people that will be dead at the end of this, I doubt anyone will want to have a party" Russell snapped at them, from where he was digging from next to them.
"Ah, It's Russell the optimistic fountain of encouragement!" Eddie exclaimed to the heavens, before he quickly returned to work, before any could catch him not hacking at the ground. Russell simply rolled his eyes at Eddie's sarcastic outburst.
"You two idiots aren't taking this seriously! are you!?" he demanded of them, as Wyatt sighed.
"His just on his period, because his with us peasants now" Wyatt told a laughing Eddie, as Russell seethed at the side of them. As much as Wyatt knew it could be cruel... winding up Russell was too much fun. The young man was very serious about things and would hardly ever take a joke in stride. Russell himself was a good guy deep down, just hardened to the world and naturally grumpy.
"I can't believe the day I'm in slave labour, they suddenly get the guard back on the roof" Russell snapped as the guards on the roof shot through any approaching walkers from the treeline. As Russell gritted his teeth and grunted "Well If Bill thinks his making himself look good with this guard... it's failing. Half the people I spoke too are against him"
"And yet Rebecca only sold you out, it must be an honour to be such a rebel Russ" Wyatt clasped his back, as Russell's eyes narrowed in anger.
Yet that knowledge had passed down the line. Clementine continued to dig away... as she became more convinced that Rebecca hadn't betrayed them. If she had done why not grass up the badly shaven man? and the others who were no doubt wannabe rebels? What happened to the people who were going to distract Carver? Rebecca heard that part of the plan, yet she hadn't grassed up those rebels. The more she thought about it. The more it made sense.
She was aware of the day rapidly becoming evening, the group had to stop to rest several times that day. The only good news was that the trench was now nearly 4 foot deep and wide the whole way around the hardware store. So it could stop the most basic of walkers from simply stumbling up to the hardware store. Although it was still not deep enough to trap all of them. and another problem was moving the bodies from the muddy brown earth... that morning had seen a mass clear-out of walker bodies that had gotten stuck in the small trench and that took a while...
Even when the trench was finished, clearing out the walkers would be a dangerous task. Some of them could have still been alive and (as Bonnie nearly found out a week or so back) supposedly "dead" walkers could snap up back to life and bite you. Clementine knew that sooner or later Carver was going to work them to death somehow.
Hence the rebellion needed to happen. If they were too live. If Clementine wanted her second chance to actually count.
As the sky turned a shade of peaceful indigo. Kenny was called inside to work in the armoury (as the workforce had been focused on the trenches all day, they were slowly required elsewhere) to Clementine's delight, she, Luke and Jane names were also bellowed out by Troy as he approached the sweat drenched pen dwellers.
"Jane and Luke! You're in the greenhouses! Bill expects a fuck ton of food to be harvested, so get to work!" he instructed them, as the pair of them set off. He looked down at Clementine with disgust uttering... "You little lady... Bill wants your nimble fingers to work on the scarp. He expects some useful salvage" he growled at her, as she nodded and set off alone towards the room she and Stephanie had worked in and the room Rebecca had given birth in.
Passing the hanger door, she couldn't help but feel as if the hardware store was... empty. Carver had killed off a lot of his own people and those that remained either stood high and mighty, on top of food packed shelves with their guns held proudly to their chest. Pacing the store slowly, with a cocky swag in their steps. As those lower than them, cowered in the shadows... bent over and continuing to whisper, Clementine didn't want to listen to them, as her guard escorted her to the salvage room. Her yellow eyes were gazing at mix black and white tiles on the floor and the running wires spread across the floor.
The guard left her at the room, where a large pile of rusting junk stood awaiting Clementine on the metal desk. Sighing, she plopped herself on the seat (glad to be sitting down) yet he arms still pumped in pain as she tried to raise them to check through this mess...
Yet as she did she heard the door creak open behind her, as a lone figure quickly swooped inside, as Clementine turned to see the bright blue shirt that Rebecca had worn the past was back on her. The jumpsuit was gone, as Rebecca herself smiled at her.
"Hey Clem" she smiled, without even hesitating Clementine crashed into the older woman for a hug as she muttered to Rebecca "Nice betrayal by the way"
They broke apart, as Rebecca beamed down at her, "Thanks, I think I managed to convince a lot of people, but I knew it wouldn't fool you baby girl. You're too smart for that" she mused, as Clementine felt relief crash over her gut. She knew she was right, that Rebecca hadn't betrayed them at all, but too here her actually say it... it was a good feeling.
"But why didn't you tell us? and what are you planning?" Clementine quickly inquired of Rebecca.
"Well... I figured by not telling you the reactions would be more genuine and boy was I right, besides, it seemed to convince Bill that I was on his side" she muttered as she gazed back at the door nervously.
"Does he know you're here?"
"No, I've been sneaking around. I just managed to explain myself to Kenny and I'm trying to get around to everybody whose being brought back in here. I gotta make this quick, because if Bill catches us talking, his going to get suspicious"
Clementine nodded as Rebecca dove straight into her plan.
"Okay, Bill has one guy stationed outside the pen. If you started that rebellion last night, he would have shot you down instantly. But... with me out here, I can deal with him. With him out of the way, I'll deal with Bill too. Once that one guy's dead, some of the other guards here will bust you outta the pen and then you can raise hell but..." she paused as she looked downwards with hatred "Leave Bill to me"
Clementine gulped "Rebecca, you can't kill two people" she gasped, as Rebecca simply gave her a small smirk.
"Kenny said the same. But you know Alvin was... best man I ever met and he killed George when we first escaped. If he can do that, then I know that I can too. Because I'm a much worse person than Alvin" there was a hint of sadness in her tone as she spoke. Yet there was also determination laced into it.
"And what if this other guy kills you first?" Clementine asked.
"Then the guards will break you out anyway, but expect hell" she grimly informed Clementine as Rebecca gazed back towards the door.
"I'm still discussing it with the other guards. Were still trying to prepare every detail... but in a few days at most, this is gonna happen Clementine" Rebecca told her as the sounds of an approaching guard made Rebecca freeze.
"Shit! I better go" she hissed preparing to leave.
"Wait! Rebecca, Luke and Jane are in the greenhouses! You could try getting to them too!" Clementine quickly gave this information to the curly brown haired woman, as she nodded and muttered "Thanks Clem" before leaving her alone in the dark room once again.
Her heart still fluttering in her chest, Clementine took her seat once again, yet she sorted through the scarp, but with more enthusiasm than she had ever felt before.
Rebecca had a plan. The rebellion was truly beginning. Maybe her second chance would be a success after all.
"You can pick berries right?"
"No I'm missing two arms, In case ya didn't notice"
Jane couldn't help but smile at Luke's sarcastic comment, they had already harvested a ton of food from the thick plants around them and were now onto berries. Carver's favourite fruit apparently.
"It's nice to know in spite of everything, Carver still likes to give us our five a day" Jane commented dryly, dropping a few ripe berries into the wooden bowl below her as Luke laughed heartily at her comment. She liked... no she loved his laugh. It was deep and resounding and cracked through her icy exterior and made the upper coroners of her lips twitch upwards slightly.
She was smiling. Something she never did when she was by herself, thinking about life before and her lost sister as she was surrounded by nothing of the rotting corpses that simply walked and ate... being around the dead for so many months had made her as cold and as dead inside as one of them. Of course she had learnt how to survive.
But she had forgotten how to live.
Before, she and her sister had travelled from group to group. They cracked and splintered, arguments over food and shelter had driven them over the edge as Jane and Jamie always fled just before the groups self destructed and it would always be Jane who found members of their former group as walkers. She was always the one who had to put them down.
Countless times after she had done this... she didn't feel much, and after she left Jamie she became inhuman. She may as well have been a walking corpse herself, focused only on walking and eating and simply surviving... she had a strong will to live and that kept her going, but she never had enjoyed one shitty situation after the other being thrown at her...
"I wonder if Bill will start handing out cookies any time soon?" Luke asked randomly, breaking Jane's train of thought as she looked over at him.
They had become much closer in 24 hours. After she handed him his old locket, the stayed up... just talking for hours. Luke opened up too her... about his past as a businessman. How he much guilt he kept bottled inside of him over what happened to his friend Nick, how much he loved his parents and a range of other things... after he finished Jane found herself talking back...
From Jamie, to the groups she had to abandon to being alone for months after Jamie died, she let it all out. How she felt as shitty as walker at some points and how much guilt she felt towards what happened to Jamie. Luke took her hand in his own, he gave her a look of understanding, and that was all she needed. She didn't need to showered in "I'm sorry's" to feel any better. Just by looking at Luke and hearing him speak... she knew that he was just like her. They shared so much guilt that ate away at their tough outer shells.
In response to his question regarding cookies Jane simply answered "Carver gives out cookies and pigs can fly" she told him in a bored tone, before she knew it she felt Luke behind her, as he began to tickle her wildly. "Aw, come on Jane, lighten up!" he exclaimed, as she laughed out loud in bliss... she didn't have to hold a stern face or keep her silence any more... she was free to express her joy... her happiness...
Jane tumbled to the floor, as Luke tripped and fell directly on top of her. The situation was awkward to say the least as their faces were inches apart and their bodies were pressed against each other. From under their jumpsuits they could both feel each other...
as the laughter died down... arousal began to seep into it's place.
Luke noticed how the look in Jane's eyes softened, as her black eyes turned a beautiful shade of near orange as she muttered softly to him "How long has been Luke?"
"Two years" he panted back. Hypnotized by her heart shaped face. She was a pretty girl... no... not pretty... beautiful, his heart was beating faster in his chest, him and Jane were both already drenched in sweat from their earlier labour, and now... she was drawn to every strand of his damp dark brown hair, while he was absent mindedly running his hand through her pixie like haircut...
"How about you?" He nervously asked her back, feeling his face get warmer than it already was.
"Same... I've been craving... something... for so long now" she uttered her hand clamped on Luke's damp hair. She was aware that both of them were breathing faster as they became lost in each other, slowly but surely.
"I've been craving... someone like you" he admitted, their lips inches apart.
The sexual tension in the greenhouse reached a peak, Luke looked up quickly to ensure that nobody was watching them as he leaned back down to where Jane was watching him with those eyes of her's.
"What do you want Jane?" he asked her, his warm breath on her face, warmed her up from the inside.
Her reply was short and simple and honest.
"I... I want to feel alive again" Jane could barely believe she was cracking up as her eyes welled with tears, as she wanted this so badly, she couldn't explain it, Luke wiped away a crystal clear tear that was rolling down her cheek with his thumb before he softly told her.
"Then come here"
The next thing they knew, they were both kissing each other deeply, the temperature in the greenhouse seemed to sky-rocket as they became lost in each other...
Rebecca had to ensure no guard was tailing her, as she quickly sprinted across the roof and into the greenhouse.
She closed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief, she hand't been spotted so she could speak to Luke and Jane about the plan, Yet before she could call out their names she quickly noticed two things.
The glass inside the greenhouses was steamed, she moved her hand away from the wet glass, leaving her handprint stain on the glass, and then she heard the noises... coming from the corner of the greenhouse.
She crept over and peered upwards...
and then ducked her head back down again, blushing furiously and trying hard to stifle her old girlish like giddy giggles that lingered in her throat. She was young once... but really? Now? They could have picked worst times... but this was full on... oh how was she was going to break this up?
A new prospect arose in her head, a dare she had always been willing to try since her teenage years. Yet she had never gotten to use it... she guessed now was the time. She stood up once again and walked over to where Luke and Jane were... "doing their business" she eventually stepped into the range of vision of the pair of them. They didn't notice her of course... so it looked like she had to do this.
She put on her sassiest voice, as she bellowed...
"BREAK IT UP! YA NASTIES!"
What happened in the greenhouse, stayed in the greenhouse. Rebecca told them the plan and walked off, sworn to secrecy.
Luke and Jane got back to work after that. Both pink faced, trying to put the incident behind them.
But their reaction upon being caught, was a memory that Rebecca would happily cherish and chuckle at until the day she died.