AN: Just wanted to start by saying that Galen Devereaux is hosting a The Last of Us Role Playing session that he's created himself on this site! It looks really promising from what I've seen, so if you're interested, be sure to check it out!

Hopefully the link works: myforums/Galen-Devereaux/6276423/ks!

If the link doesn't show up, just PM him for details! Thanks again!

Clementine's POV

"Jane? Clem? Are you there?"

The brown-haired vixen standing beside me quickly shares a glance as she snatches the radio off of her belt and raises it to her mouth. Flicking it on as the power bar glows a dull shade of green, meaning that the batteries will soon run out of juice, she keeps her thumb pressed against the speaker switch and responds.

"Yeah, Lils. I'm here, what's up?" she asks as I line myself up close to the golf ball. Alright, Clem, just like she taught you… knees slightly bent, shoulders relaxed, fingers nimble, eye on the target.

Adjusting for the wind's velocity will have to come at a later date. That is, if we actually ever get to try something like this again.

"Uhh… Christ, you're never gonna believe this…" Lilly's voice fizzles on the other end as I keep one ear alert to what they're saying, all the while trying to keep some concentration on my golf game.

"Yeah? Well… we've had a little bit of a… problem… around here, too," Jane mentions, stealing a sorrowful look my way as I try to block out the images and vivid memories from coming back to me. However, all I can really see right now is David's face right down on the ground – implanted on the dirty, old golf ball as he taunts and laughs at me maniacally. "Just tell me what's going on. You know I hate it when you get worked up about these things!"

"Go to hell, you prick…" I mumble as I prepare to smack David's face away with one swing of the club. Steadying my aim, I furrow my brow and take a stroke backwards…

"Elliot's gone… they killed him while we were out looking for those hunters…" she reveals as I completely miss the ball and accidentally let go of the golf club; letting it slide out of my fingers and not bothering to watch as it sails down the hill a couple dozen feet away. "And there's been a huge uprising over here – bodies everywhere, people hiding in the houses and trying to stay alive. We've never seen anything like it."

Whatever focus I may have had has vanished in an instant. No… Elliot can't be gone… Did… did I fail them again? Should we have all gone out to help? Maybe if I had done something…

Rubbing a hand over her face, Jane nurses a growing headache as I instantly appear by her side in anticipation. I've already made my mind up about what I want to do next, and come hell or high water, I will get our people back home safely.

"We're holed up in a house just across from the soccer field, but we need to get moving," Lilly advises, maintaining her stern tone before she has the chance to falter. Why does she always have to have her guard up all the time? "Alden's ankle is all busted up, so it's gonna be a bitch trying to carry him all the way back to Houston…"

"…we might be able to cover that problem," Jane tells her, having noticed that the clubhouse off in the distance has a small garage with at least three different vehicles stocked away safely inside. One of them has got to be a winner. "We may end up having a capacity problem if things get too hectic, but we can cross that bridge when we get there," she adds with a twinge of doubt.

"So what did David have to say about it then?"

"…we took care of it."

"Huh? What does that mean? Clem, is that you?"

Sighing heavily, Jane closes her eyes for a moment as I quietly put my hands in my pockets and stare at the ground. Lilly was going to find out about this one way or another, so it'd probably be much easier just to tell her straight away rather than waiting and surprising everyone.

Picking up the receiver yet again, Jane glances over at me with a stoic look on her face. "It's just like she said," she replies, "we took care of him. He's not a threat anymore."

"…well, shit…" Lilly breathes out. "I guess it was inevitable though, wasn't it? At least you two are alright."

No, I'm definitely not doing okay, I think to myself darkly, keeping these opinions to myself as I tune out the rest of the conversation and check on my weapon. Damn… pistol's nearly all out of bullets, and it's not as if I'm really packing any serious heat on my person. I know that Jane's usually got some ammunition laying around, but she probably needs that just as much as I do.

"You keep safe out there, got that?" Jane sternly tells her partner; concern for her safety etched into her voice as she stares longingly at the horizon. "And… I love you, Lilly. You know that, right?"

Chuckling to herself in embarrassment, I can tell without even seeing her that Lilly's face is flushing crimson. Even after all this time, she still has a hard time with admitting that she cares deeply about other people around here. "Now who's going soft, eh?" she jokes, muttering a quick "I love you" before flicking the radio off and leaving the two of us back in the dark.

Locking and loading my Glock pistol as I check to make sure that all is in proper order, I look up into her chocolate-coloured eyes and practically dare her to try and stop me this time. Fixing up my hat so that it's fitting more securely upon my head, I silently start to walk past her in the direction of Ranger's Grove; growing irritated when Jane stops me by placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Jane…" I tell her lowly, not in the mood to be playing these childish games, "move. I'm going out there and getting our people back."

"You're hurting, Clem. I can see it written all over your face," she accuses, striking a blow against my ego as I had thought that I was covering up the pain pretty well up to this point. Maybe my poker face isn't quite what it once was. "Just… stay here, alright? Keep Ellie safe, and make sure that you – "

"NO! I'M NOT STAYING HERE ANOTHER MINUTE!"

Realizing that I probably sound like a whiny brat, and definitely not the same calm, level-headed girl that Jane's come to expect, I clench my hands into fists so tightly that I can feel my nails digging into my palms. The pain, however, eases the ache in my soul – this place is dead to me, and the last thing that I want to do is stay in a rat's nest where some whack job almost…

As angry tears spring to my eyes, I choke out a sob and end up collapsing my forehead against Jane's chest; hating the fact that no matter what I try to do or how much I try to prove myself, at the end of the day I'm still just a kid in their eyes. This isn't fair!

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" I apologize over and over again, feeling my shoulders shake as I finally come to terms with how much crap Jane herself has had to go through. Between losing parts of her fingers, giving up her solitary life in order to come and help me, along with every other misadventure that we've come across, I should be god damn ashamed of myself. I wouldn't be here without her. "I'm sorry for everything…"

Having dealt with this sort of irregular behaviour beforehand, I'd say that Jane's become my go-to sister figure, and possibly one of the only people I can look to for any small amount of comfort. Seeming to understand, Jane places both of her hands on my shoulders and just stands there quietly, waiting for the meltdown to subside. This is more than just a minor scrape or a bruise, and that's just putting it lightly.

How does someone try to comfort a person when they're at their lowest?

"No need to apologize, Clem."

"Y-yes… there is…" I mumble into her jacket; taking a step back before tearfully looking up at her. I've grown so accustomed to her scent that it almost relaxes me every time that I get within a few feet of her. "I've done so much wrong out here… I've… I've been lying to you… you and Lilly…"

Arching an eyebrow, Jane folds her arms together as she tilts her head to the side like a confused puppy. Oh dear… did I just say that out loud? Crap! Stupid, stupid, stupid! She's not supposed to know this! Nobody's supposed to know about this! I can't forget about what happened the last time that somebody found out about her condition!

…but would it perhaps make things easier on me? On the both of us? After all, Jane's my most trusted friend… isn't she?

"Clem," she brings me back to the conversation, "what are you talking about? What do you mean you've been lying to us? Lying about what exactly?"

Flinching at the icy sting in her demand, I shrivel back into myself as I rub my arm and try to avoid eye contact. I've never felt so guilty before in my entire life, and that's including the time that I had let my pet hamster out of its cage that one day without fessing up about it. He ate an entire box of cookies, you know!

Seeming to notice my reaction, Jane bends down in front of me and tilts my chin up. "Look kiddo, you're not in any trouble," she mentions, throwing me back to a time when Lee had said those exact same words. In a way, he had been wrong about that assumption – not only did I get kidnapped, but I singlehandedly was partly responsible for the remnants of our group to fall apart. People have died because of me, whether it was intentional or not. "Just tell me what you know, alright? If it's got something to do with our group, then you've gotta let me know," she tells me, wiping away a few stray tears as they trail down my cheeks. "Come on, Clem. Open up. You can trust me, I'm your friend."

Ellie, forgive me… I hope this doesn't come back to bite us all in the ass…

"It's about Ellie…" I reveal, barely finding the strength within me to keep a decent sentence together. "It's… she's…"

"Jane!"

Great… saved by the bell, I guess.

Interrupted from our little heart-to-heart that we've been having over here, I immediately stop talking and turn to look at that older man Jane was talking to earlier. He seems pretty unnerved about something.

Looking rather peeved that she was unable to get a confession out of me, Jane quietly groans before turning around to see what the problem is. "The truck is probably in that garage over there, if that's what you're asking."

"What? No, no, that's not it!" he shakes his head, wringing his prune-like hands together as he gestures back to Hunter's Retreat. "Some lady came in through the front looking for you two…" he mentions as he gathers my full attention; the duress I was under forgotten for the meantime. "She was caked in blood from head to toe, but the only weapons we found on her were an empty shotgun and a rusty spoon – she's rightly spooked, Jane. She won't tell us anything other than that she'll only speak to the people in charge. For the time being, I suppose that's you."

Shrugging my shoulders, I dab at my eyes as Jane reluctantly follows in behind. She probably hates having to be in charge more than anyone I know, yet that's the position that she's been tossed into right now. Maybe she'll come to see that it's not quite as easy as it sounds on paper.

I know that I'm going to have to tell her the truth eventually, before it comes out in a way that neither Jane nor Lilly will appreciate. It'd sound a lot better coming from me, even if it may be a bit hard to believe at first. Believe me, when I saw that Ellie hadn't turned after getting attacked in the basement, I nearly had to slap myself just to make sure that I wasn't dreaming. Is it something to do with her body? I honestly have no idea how she can't get infected, but maybe it's time that I come clean to the right people – they out of anyone would be able to understand my decision to keep this hidden for so long.

As I'm about to follow them inside to check on our uninvited guest, I stop myself as I notice that the ball is still securely placed on the tee nearby, along with a nice, big chunk of grass missing beside where I had swung and missed. Not wanting her brief lessons to go to waste, I trudge down the hill before snatching the golf club back in my hands and sighing.

I wish things could be this peaceful every single day.

Smacking the ball down the fairway, I carry the club with me as I tiredly smirk; watching as the little guy sails over to a large patch of green. I might not have the physical strength and power in my swing that Jane's got, what with the size difference and all, but for my first attempt, I'd say that I've done pretty decently. Not too shabby for a rookie.

"Looking at the next Tiger Woods right here," I praise myself; nodding as I hold the club up like a baseball bat. This would make for a decent weapon in a pinch.

Leaving the golf course behind, I make a solemn vow: at some point or another, I'm going to sit down with Lilly, Jane and Ellie to explain things. As long as I get their promise not to mention a word of this to anyone, especially James or Bo, then I might be able to elaborate on the reasons I had for hiding this for so long.

After everything we've been through together, they have the right to know the truth.

"I think that we've got over a dozen or so people with us who'd like nothing more than to hang you from the rafters," Jane scowls as our mystery person, Fiona, is treated by two former nurses from Hunter's Retreat. She's lucky that neither of them really have a grudge. "Why are you here, and what the hell do you want?"

Cringing as some of her cuts are tended to upon the lower portion of her neck, Fiona struggles to stay still while explaining herself at the same time.

"It's the camp… we lost all control," she tells us as sweat beads start to form on the top of her forehead. Looks as though she's in a whole lot of pain right about now. "The food started drying up just a few days ago, and people were starving. Naturally, they blamed us for not providing… Gah!" she winces as the lacerations on her forearm are disturbed. I would say that I feel kind of bad for her, but considering the company she's been with, it's kind of difficult for me to find any sympathy. "Joshua's fucking lost it – he shot the first person who spoke out just as we were trying to restore order. The people rose up and just started killing each other left and right. Josh tried to take off with the food, and… and Tracy…"

Confused, Jane snaps her fingers in front of Fiona's face as she tries to get her attention. How could this possibly be the same person who had snuck over to our camp with Joshua just over a week ago? They're nothing alike!

"Stay with me here, got that? Where is she?" Jane questions; the tension on her face more than enough evidence to suggest that she wants Tracy to be marked for dead. With the way that Lilly and Bo had been treated while under her roof, it really doesn't surprise me.

What a change it's been for her though… I remember how deflated and ashamed Jane had felt back when she had threatened to shoot Arvo back when we had first encountered him four years ago, but now? Now it's almost as if making idle threats is like a second nature to her, and frankly, it startles me a tad. Perhaps it's because she's been hanging around Lilly for, ahem, extended periods of time (which I definitely wouldn't know about at all…), but for whatever reason, Jane's fuse has gotten progressively shorter over the years. Sure, she doesn't exactly lash out violently nearly as much, since thankfully we've all seemed to learn our lesson from that, but I definitely wouldn't want to get on her bad side.

"Could we get a little help here?" one of the nurses ask aloud, and I oblige as I apply steady pressure to one of the open wounds so that they can grab some medical supplies from a toolbox stuffed away in the corner. I don't mind helping Fiona out honestly.

As far as I'm concerned, she's just another lost survivor just trying to have a go at life. Who could blame her for something as simple as that?

"In an office building… across from the soccer fields…" she coughs weakly, trying to get the mucus cleared out of her esophagus as she places her hand over her mouth. Manners haven't died off, apparently. "Tracy, she's… she's not the same person you'll remember…"

Feeling a set of small, delicate fingers tapping lightly against my right shoulder, I turn around to find Ellie standing there, looking as adorable as ever. She's still got a baby face for sure, but it still amazes me how much she's able to do at such a young age. I remember having to constantly look up to Lee when I was her age for guidance and support, but for the most part, that isn't actually the case with Ellie. She's grown pretty independent within the last three years.

I don't know whether to be proud that she's growing up into a strong, capable, young girl, or absolutely ashamed that she's had to become independent due to neglect from me. Aside from making sure nobody finds out about her condition, I haven't exactly been the best caretaker in the world.

AJ could attest to that, were he still around.

"How are you doing there, Els?" I smile lightly at the nickname, noticing how she has at least started to come out of her shell recently. No longer is she trying to hide behind my leg like she used to do when she was six. "Look... I know that was a pretty scary situation back there and all, but… I just wanted to say thank you, Ellie. You saved my life."

"Really?"

"Totally. I'd be a goner if it weren't for you."

Sporting a look of pride and sadness, Ellie glances at her feet while I sigh in wonder. It's true what I said, every word. I'd be dead if she hadn't smacked David around like she had. There's no denying that.

But with every action comes an opposite reaction, at least that's what Lilly had off-handedly mentioned once. I think it's a science term, but I've never really gotten the chance to sit down and actually… you know, read or anything, in a very long while. I think I'm pretty much still at the first grade level in that regard, if not worse after years of neglect.

There's no way that I can scold or discipline the kid for doing what she did. I mean, what is there really to say? You shouldn't have beaten him over the head and just left me to get choked out? No, that wouldn't make any sense.

The best thing I can probably hope for right now is just that she doesn't start making this a regular habit. I'll just have to make sure to look for signs of violent or disruptive behaviour.

"Wanna give me a hand with this?" I suggest as she pensively crouches down beside me. Taking my hands off of Fiona's wounds for just a moment, I grasp onto the child's smooth, tiny hands and help position her so that we're both on the exact same spot. "Together, then," I mention with a chuckle as Ellie squirms a little bit under the warm sensation.

Neither of us are really aware that Jane's been watching us the whole time from afar, and even she can't help but smirk slightly.

I'm going to do better by this kid, and actually make a point of teaching her all I know. Even if it kills me, I'll be there.

Because that's what guardians are supposed to do.

Lilly's POV

Sitting around the couches after having gotten back to the house nearly half an hour ago, I fold my hands together in solemn quiet as those around me remember the good times they had with Elliot. Occasionally someone will mutter a few passing words, others will reminisce on a particular enjoyable moment that they had with him, such as the time that Elliot accidentally got his hand stuck in the door back at the space centre. The guy was stuck in there for a solid two hours before Tommy finally sprung him loose, but Elliot didn't really care. He was just laughing and smiling and just brimming with life – it was one of the happiest times that I had seen him.

Katie's mostly keeping to herself over by the window, hovering near Racheal as she sits there with her face in her hands. I don't think it's really out of that much sadness, so much as just exhaustion. They've been out here for way too long, and so far none of this has gone the way they had planned. But, as always, we continue to use our heads and keep our wits about us. There's no telling what else could happen while we're out here.

Emily and Kelly are clearly the most broken up about his untimely death, with the former almost being unable to wrap her head around it when we brought the news over. She just kept shaking her head and refusing to acknowledge the fact that yet another dear friend of hers was gone; pointing to the door and telling me to go get him in flat-out denial. I almost didn't have the stomach to try and tell her that Elliot was dead for a second time. Putting him down was bad enough, but consoling the loved ones is nearly impossible.

Occasionally drawing back the curtains and peeking outside is Marcus, the mercenary for hire who's really the only person here that never knew who Elliot was. The guy's still got a high-powered rifle slung over his shoulders, which I'm still surprised about even now considering how many places must have gotten looted and ruined at this point. At least I don't have to smack him around for telling any lame jokes right about now, since even he's got the decency to quit while our people are in mourning. Kazuki is still tending to Alden on the sofa, although he seems to be feeling a little bit better since the last time we were here. The fever's started to go down, thankfully.

"You playing peek-a-boo with the curtains over there?" Katie breaks the ice, causing Marcus to abruptly stop what he was doing and turn his head to face her. "Dude, you've been looking out that same damn window for hours now. If anyone was trying to break into the house, they'd make a ton of noise – meaning we'd hear them coming, genius."

Glancing over to me with a sly look, Marcus shakes his head in bemusement. "Has your group always been filled with assholes in it? You probably could've warned me beforehand, you know."

"Not now, Marcus."

"But – "

"Not. Now," I reiterate, cutting him off and shaking my head in disapproval. Now isn't the time for us to get all up in everyone's grill, and while there's little I can do to really try and talk to Katie (since I'm fairly certain that she and Racheal have it out for me somewhat), I can at least keep Marcus from making a mess of this delicate situation.

Thankfully seeming to catch my drift, Marcus mutters something sarcastically under his breath before checking out the window one last time and heading over to a wooden chair nearby.

"Alden?" I suddenly mention, as if everyone just remembered that he was still in the room with us. "How's that ankle faring up? Do you think you could walk at all?"

Rolling it around a little bit and wincing, Alden chuckles dryly before shrugging his shoulders. "Why? Are you in a hurry to go somewhere?" he sarcastically asks as Kazuki rubs his arm absentmindedly. "I'd need some help getting around, so yeah, I think it's possible. But I don't want to slow us down at all… Please tell me that Jane wasn't kidding about those cars?"

"We'll get you in one of them – don't worry," Emily remarks with the last shred of optimism left that she can afford today. "She said there were three of them, right? That should be enough to fit all of us pretty easily. Why don't we just start heading over there right now?"

"Some of them might still be out in the streets, and we'd have no idea. What if we get caught out in the open?" Kelly questions doubtfully, voting to stay here for the time being. At least until things clear up a little bit, at least.

That actually wouldn't be a terrible idea, and one that I could definitely get on board with were it not for the other exhausted and displeased patrons still in the room with us. I'm doubly aware that most of them just want to leave this entire place behind, get in the vehicles and drive off into the sunset… but if what Jane had mentioned to me is true…

"…the people staying over at Hunter's Retreat own those cars," I mention with a sigh, knowing that this isn't gonna be pretty, "which means that if we go… they have to go with us. And there's probably not going to be enough room for everyone."

Instantly, an eruption of moans, protests and looks of disbelief engulfs my ears and nearly deafens me as people all try talking over one another. Boy, I had a feeling that it wouldn't be a popular thing to say, but I didn't think the reaction would be quite this bad.

"Listen, listen! I know it sounds shitty and all, but we don't have any other options here," I point out. "We've only got the one truck, and there's no way that we'll all fit in there without somebody suffocating to death! What do you want me to do? Jack their cars and leave those people there?"

"Then just take one of them, then! We'll fit the rest of us in the back of the hatch and sit on each other's laps if we have to!" Racheal argues, but even then I don't want to try something like that.

"If you had seen how bad these people have it… you wouldn't be saying that."

"It's the apocalypse, Lilly. Everyone's got it bad," Katie mentions as Racheal nods in agreement. I think that I'm going to be on the losing side this time. "Besides, one car missing isn't going to strangle them – if they want to move afterwards, then they still have two more to skedaddle on out! We need to think about our own lives here! Tracy and her band of nut jobs are cracking at the seams right now. Isn't that what we wanted? This is our chance – they're fucked, and we can get on back home!"

Tossing my gaze over to Alden and Kazuki next to see if they're all on board with their insane plan, the girl bites her lip before adjusting herself on the couch. "I… I think we should do what's best for the group," she says, obviously not wanting to upset either side. "I feel pretty bad about it, stealing from them I mean… but what else can we do?"

Keeping to myself for a few moments and silently listening to the group as they relay their own opinions, I fold my hands together and sit in quiet reflection. I've had my share of mistakes in the past when it comes to this very issue, and although I've been choosing to bury my past regrets in the dirt, I think now would probably be a good idea to bring it up. Maybe it'll give them a different perspective.

Once my friends settle down a little bit, I clear my throat and recall my own previous experiences.

"Clem and I were in a group together, when all of this first started," I begin as my mind traces back to when I had first met her back in the drug store. It's kind of funny how scared of me she was back then, now that I think about it. "We were all holed up in some shitty motel just outside of Atlanta, and we had just… just gone through a pretty crappy time after visiting a farm for some food…"

I purposely leave out the details of the St. John dairy, since even to this day I occasionally get nightmares about that dreadful place. Never will I be able to shake those awful images away.

Noticing my hesitation, Kelly arches an eyebrow at me as I shake it off and keep going. "We stumbled upon some station wagon out in the woods later that night – filled with food and supplies that most of our group wanted to take. There was enough inside for all of us to last almost a month without going hungry."

"So… what did you do?" Emily asks, seemingly interested as the group starts to realize why I've brought this up in the first place.

"I thought it was a bad idea, since the keys were still in the ignition and all the lights were on. Clem did too, but it didn't matter. Our people took the supplies and stripped that car bare," I explain, not feeling the same remorse that Clementine did about that, seeing's how I never met the man we robbed. "Turns out, the guy that we stole from had just lost his entire family to walkers. And… and he ended up kidnapping Clem… but none of you heard that from me, understand?"

I don't think that she's told that to very many people, so I may have just spilled the beans pretty badly, but I need to get the point across. I may not be able to convince all of them, but if I can at least change the minds of some, then maybe I've done my job.

"I even stole the group's RV at one point – I'm not proud of it, but that's just how it is. I felt the same way that all of you do: broken, exhausted and desperate," I recall, trying as hard as I can not to sound like a hypocrite. "Twice I witnessed people getting fucked over, and I'm not willing to go through something like that again. Especially considering the fact that these people were willing to take us in with what little they had left. If you guys are still intent on robbing them, fine… but I'm not being a part of it. Not again."

Kazuki, Alden, Kelly and Emily all look pretty solemn about this decision now, as does Marcus, but he's pretty much just sticking around us for the supplies as far as I'm aware. Racheal and Katie still seem pretty adamant about this being the only way, but even the most oblivious person around would be able to see the slight hesitation in their eyes.

Speaking her mind, Emily shakes her head before tossing a busted, old pen she had found onto the coffee table in the middle of the room. "That's not who we are… and it's not what Elliot would want us to do either," she adds, mentioning his vote as he himself isn't around anymore to cast it in. "We're gonna have to negotiate something with these friends of yours then, Lilly. Maybe we can get some kind of a deal going."

Mulling it over a little bit on the couch, Alden snaps his fingers as the imaginary lightbulb glows over his brain. "You know, I think I might know just the – "

"Bzzt… L…Lilly? Guys? You there?"

"…I'll just keep it to myself then, I guess…" Alden mumbles as he rolls his eyes in slight annoyance, getting a couple of chuckles out of the group as Katie pats him on the arm lightheartedly.

"Yeah Jane – all present and accounted for," I reply in a snarky tone, feeling relieved to hear her voice as Ellie says hi in the background. "What's up, kiddo? You keeping those two troublemakers in line over there?"

"Clementine's bossing me around too much! Can you tell her to get off my ass?"

"ELLIE!"

"…umm… please get off my ass?"

Laughing at the childish banter on the other end of the line, and feeling at least a little hopeful that neither of their lights have completely died out just yet, I tuck a strand of hair behind my undamaged ear and ask them to put Jane back on the line. "What's up? Did you guys find something?"

"Not exactly," she responds seriously. "Well… one of Tracy's goons came over to us looking for help, and she said that something big's gone down over at Ranger's Grove, so we're heading over there now to go check it out. It'd probably make us all feel a little easier if you guys came along as well."

Nearly everyone smack themselves in the face as I sheepishly grin and shrug my shoulders. Looks like none of their wishes are really coming true today.

Just for the record, I need to point it out to them that this wasn't my idea!

Clem's POV

"Pl-please…" a dying man begs us as the three of us try to walk by, with me clutching tightly onto Ellie's hand so that she doesn't get snatched away from me again. Call me paranoid if you wish, but out here in this strange, bloody place, I think that it warrants the gesture. Mommy syndrome at its finest. "I've… I've been…"

Getting in front of the both of us and shoving us back a little bit, Jane frowns at the guy as his body starts to falter and shake. His stomach has been torn to shreds, bits of his legs are missing, and his left arm is riddled with bullet holes. His formerly white t-shirt is dampened in dark red as he struggles to keep his eyes open.

"W-water…" he groans, wanting at least a little bit of sustenance before he goes to meet his demise. "Please… just… just a drink… please…"

All within one swift movement, Jane silently pulls out her pistol from her back pocket and fires it into the man's skull; startling Ellie and I as we both jump back a little in surprise. I really didn't figure that she'd do that, even though we both know that it was probably necessary. In that guy's current state, he wouldn't have lasted another day.

But seeing her shoot the dying guy so quickly, despite the pain riddled on her face, I'm starting to second guess myself on whether or not I should be telling her about Ellie's bite. What if she doesn't listen to me and just ends it right away? Or tries to chop it off without hesitation like I had done to Sarita?

"Sorry…" she murmurs, whether to Ellie and I or to the dying man I don't rightly know. "C'mon, Fiona said it was just up ahead."

Our informant hadn't been lying when she told us about the devastation this place just endured. It looks like a warzone around here, with dozens upon dozens of bomb shells being dropped as those who are still left alive try to douse out the fires, tend to the sick and wounded, and just all in all try to pick up the pieces after this epic struggle. Most of the walkers have been put down, but the gruesome thing is the ones that haven't been – people are just ignoring some of the monsters, as they feast on a buffet of dead, decaying bodies. Most of those walkers aren't really posing much of a threat right now, seeing's how they're few and far between, but it's pretty creepy how nobody's really paying them any mind.

Squeezing onto her hand even more tightly for a brief second, I smile weakly at Ellie as I attempt to cheer her up a little bit.

Or is it the other way around? I can't really remember at this point – my mind's all over the place.

We see the faces of many dead men and women laying on the ground; permanently frozen in time and space as their dormant eyes remain open and unmoving. Flies and other insects start collecting around their decaying flesh, as flayed chunks of meat dangle off their bony limbs and rot in the scorching, southern heat. The scent of cooking flesh is practically unbearable as Ellie and I pull our collars over our noses. How is Jane not gagging from all of this shit?

"Look over there!" Ellie cries out as she points up near the office building, spotting our group in the distance as I feel a weight lift off of my shoulders. Thank god they're alright… or at least, most of them are.

"Wasn't sure that we were gonna see you guys again," Emily smiles as Kazuki immediately rushes up and hugs me and Ellie tightly. Alden and Kelly wave at me as Racheal, Katie and Marcus all head over to talk to Jane about something. "I'm glad you guys caught us when you did. I can't stand to be over here for any longer than we have to – place is a damn graveyard… It's eerie as hell."

Patting Kaz on the back as she releases her hold on me, I frown sadly as I nod my head. "No kidding," I concur, placing my hands in my pockets as I offer my condolences. "Emily… I'm so sorry about…" I cut myself off, not wanting to upset her further as she breathes in sharply. Maybe now's not the time to dwell on such things, not when we've already got enough problems to tackle as it is. "So… Tracy's inside, then?"

"She won't come out to talk to any of us," Kazuki remarks bitterly, making me think that she still has some unfinished business to settle in that department. Tracy's troops have fallen, and whatever group of survivors she may have had have been broken down and defeated – by their own hands, no less.

And here I was, wondering just how the hell we were ever going to be able to successfully get our guys back and return to the space centre. I wonder how James, Bo and the rest of them are doing anyways? We haven't had contact from them in a while. Have Luna, Jake and Scott all come home?

Tch… would've made things a lot simpler if we could just fly our way back…

"Make sure these pranksters don't wander off, okay?" I wink, making Ellie giggle and salute back to me as I ruffle her hair around a little bit and walk up to the door; shaking my head at Lilly as she offers to head inside with me. This is something I've got to do myself, without any interference from the outside.

Time for a one-on-one session with everyone's favourite psychotic dictator.

…no, not Carver, silly…

Here goes nothing, I think to myself anxiously as I slowly open the door, step inside and shut it softly behind me. The room is dank and depressing; lit only by the faint light of the sun as it pokes its head out from the clouds and dimly illuminates the room. This place has seen better days, what with the busted-up trophies, picture frames of past kids' soccer teams, ripped banners, flipped desks and rotting wood. A light trail of blood descends from the stairs nearby and leads to the small kitchen in the back.

Curious, I follow the trail and note that the kitchen area actually looks mostly intact. Pots and pans are still hanging from their hooks up above the stove in the middle of the floor, an old doghouse sits in the corner beside the powerless refrigerator to the right of me, and none of the cupboards look as though they've really been ransacked. Either the people who had raided this place originally were just really stupid, or they figured that tearing down the kitchen bit by bit wouldn't be a great idea.

Banging my shoulder against one of the pots as I get startled, I peer down at the crumpled heap of Tracy; both of her eyes covered by a thick, bloody bandage as she lays on her side in the fetal position. She looks so pathetic right now… it's difficult for me to remain neutral and not at least feel a twinge of sympathy for the woman.

"…who's that?" she croaks, her voice clearly having left her throat after screaming in agony. Joshua really did a number on her this time. "Is that you, Racheal? Tsk… I already told you fuckers, just leave me here to die! You'd be better off bugging somebody else…"

"It's not Racheal," I state, watching as she sits up a little bit. Can she really tell who I am based solely on my voice?

"Ah… Clementine…" she breathes out, confirming my suspicions. "I have to admit, I expected a visit from you much earlier than this. What happened? Did your limo break down or something?"

"…we had some complications along the way."

"Well, that's not exactly much to go on," she blows a raspberry, scoffing at my reluctance to go into detail. "Come on, kid. I'm blind – can't exactly read your facial expressions anymore. And it's not as if I've got anywhere else to go."

Sliding to the floor with my back against the oven, I cross my legs as I lay them flat onto the floor and stare at her face for a moment. It's weird seeing her so vulnerable. Almost out of place with her, even. In the brief encounter that I had with her, I remember that she always seemed to be in control of things – be it her people, the issue at hand, and even her own self. As dark and brooding as her tactics may have been, she really appeared as if the crap she did was for her own group's survival, totally at the expense of everyone else.

Karma's a bitch, ain't it?

"I'm guessing you'd know David?" I inquire, continuing as she nods and grits her teeth in slight anger. "He tried to kill me and take my friend away. Got right up on top of me and… and tried to…"

"Say no more…" Tracy waves her hand, showing that deep down she at least has a little bit of humanity. "We had come into contact with him before heading over here – even I could tell what a fucking perv the guy was. He still there? He still tryin' to wag his tail around everywhere?"

"Dead."

Whistling as she folds her arms across her chest, Tracy nods her head in approval as I roll my eyes. I'm not proud of what transpired, not by any stretch of the imagination. "Colour me impressed, girlie – I knew you were a wicked, little devil, but I honestly didn't think you'd have the stones to pull it off. Between you and me though, I'm glad he's buried six feet under. No place in the world for scum buckets like David," she adds while trying not to move her head around too much. The bandages don't look as though they've been changed since she had them put on, but she better not think that I'm going near her. I've already had to do that once in my life, and I don't plan on doing that again.

Frowning, I shake my head in disapproval. Sure, she may be right about people like him, but killing someone is an entirely different story. I don't kill because I want to, I do it only when it's necessary.

Lee had taught me that, a long time ago.

Noticing my pause, Tracy sighs deeply and rests against the cupboard in a deflated position. "I'm gonna let you in on a little secret here, Clementine," she tells me, her voice barely above a whisper. "Everyone lives, and then everyone dies. It doesn't matter how, the outcome is always the same. Old age, heart attack, sickness, bullet to the chest, eaten alive by roamers. None of that matters. The only important factor in play is time," she shrugs her shoulders, explaining things as if she's writing her last will and testament. "Now timing… timing is everything – when it's the right moment to strike, how old the victim is, when it's time to haul ass out of there after you've made a fresh kill."

Taking her words with a grain of salt, she lightly holds her hands out in front of her for added effect as she smirks in wonder.

"It's ironic though, isn't it?" she chuckles bitterly. "Time is the main consideration, and yet we can't even tell what time it is right now! How am I supposed to know when my last day will have been when the guys you're with have enough and come storming in here to tear me limb from limb?"

Mulling over her little speech that she's just given to me, I almost feel like giving in and conceding. Maybe she's right. Maybe we're all just time bombs, ticking down the seconds until our bodies give out on us and we all shut down. Could we really just be wasting our breaths trying to fight out here in this life?

But there's also a part of me that's rising up, beating in my heart against my chest and telling me that it's not too late, and that she's just turned into a sad, bitter woman with no hope left in the world.

"…I don't believe you."

"Which part was confusing?"

"You may have given up, but I'm not. I won't quit on these people just yet if they haven't given up on me," I say with a determined state of mind, seeing the images of Lee, Kenny, Duck, Luke and everyone else nodding and cheering me on. "I'm gonna give these people a home, and we're gonna make things right."

Standing up and starting to walk away from this place for good, I notice a semi-deflated soccer ball sitting near the door and grasp it in my hands. This would at least bring Ellie a little bit of joy, and could potentially make up for her not getting a visit from Santa Claus this year. I'm thinking that Santa doesn't exactly get around very much with all that's been going on.

Hell, maybe he and his reindeer all got eaten by walkers or something. He's certainly got a lot of meat on him…

"I'll admit kid, I admire your optimism," she hollers as I stop in my tracks. "…but why don't you just finish me off? It'd be so fucking easy for ya. After all the shit I did to your group… to your friends… why don't you take that gun out of your pocket and pop me right in the noggin? Go ahead, nobody's around to stop you this time. Do it."

My fingers lightly trace over the hilt of my weapon as I strongly considering doing what she requests. Things would be much simpler among us survivors, and it'd definitely put a lot of minds at ease. Plus with the fact that it sounds as if she wants me to end her life, would there really be any backlash?

I could do this; get my revenge on this shithead and bring justice to Lilly, Bo and everyone else she wronged… possibly even for Zayne, in a strange and morbid way.

…no.

"That right doesn't belong to me," I say before hurrying back out to the front, whistling for Alden to come and bring Kazuki over to finish the job, but he's simply leaning up against a soccer post. The guy has to lift his leg up almost like a dog taking a piss just to not put pressure on it. "Alden?" I frown. "What's the matter? Where's – "

"She spotted Joshua coming out of hiding. I tried to stop her, Clem – really, I did!" Alden insists, gesturing to his wounded ankle to prove his point. "But Kaz… she's gone after him, Clem. She's trying to kill him. What do we do?"

"…I'm going after her," I remark, noticing that most of the group (save for a few stragglers) have already gone to do the same. I really doubt that Kazuki's rage alone will be enough to keep this a fair fight. "You keep an eye on that door – I'll bring her back with me. Vengeance or not, guys… after today, we're going home."

AN: And that's another chapter down, my peeps! Thank you so much for the feedback last time, it was really encouraging to see that even after all this time, you guys are still putting up with my slacker bullshit :3

Guest: I'm not entirely sure how I'd want Jane and Kenny to go, to be honest. Knowing Telltale and how much they seem to love Kenny (no offense to those who love him as well), I would only assume that they'd have him go out like a hero – either fighting off impossible odds with walkers or bandits or worse, all in an effort to save Clem and AJ.

Jane, on the other hand, I'd imagine would either become ambiguous and get an unknown status like Christa and Lilly by getting separated, or will intentionally separate from Clem and AJ to make sure that they've got a chance. I just don't see her sacrificing her own life for them, despite how close they might be depending on your playthrough. Ignoring the fight with her and Kenny (because I think it's out of character for her to bet her life all on whether or not the man's gonna crack like a firecracker), I don't think Jane would normally put herself at risk like that.

I guess only time will tell though, right? What are your guys' predictions for season 3 when it comes out next year? And did you guys know that they're giving us a DLC this year (summer, hopefully) that's supposed to be even bigger than 400 Days? Lemme know what you think!

That's all, party people! Have an awesome weekend when it comes, and stay classy, my friends XD

Leafs Nation