Lee doesn't want to jump to a plan before hearing everyone else out, but he recognizes that this is an offer he shouldn't pass up.
"Thanks, Shawn. I'll see if that can come in handy later down the line. Why don't you see me at the pen tonight, and I'll give you an answer then?"
Shawn nods. "Sure. Like I said, pretty much anything is on the table."
"Lee, Clementine, you coming?" Carver calls, waiting for them a good eight feet away. Lee and Clem give Shawn a firm look of acknowledgment before continuing to the next area, the expansion.
Exiting Howe's to the alleyway leading to the abandoned stores and expansion, Lee finds Luke, Alvin, and Troy standing outside. The latter wields his gun, breathing down everyone's necks while they work.
Troy notices Carver walk up to them and relaxes his shoulders. "Mornin' boss."
Bill stares blankly at him, causing Troy to look back at the fence they were mending. The sound of groaning corpses trotting around the parking lot flooded their ears, drowning out the sound of hammering and sawing. The sun shines brightly on the group, sweat dripping down the workers' faces. Lee checks out the patch job and then looks down at a worrisome Clementine.
"Troy, where are Kenny, Ben, Mike, and Justin?"
Troy huffs. "Inside the last store, cleaning up Kenny's mess from yesterday."
Lee gets down to Clementine's level.
"Why don't you go check up on them, sweet pea? I'll review the patchwork here, and you report back when everything looks good." Lee suggests to Clem.
She takes a glance at the last store and holds her breath.
"In there?"
"Why not in there?" He asks, concerned.
Clem swallows her fear. "No reason. I'll do it."
"That's my girl. Run along."
Clem walks away, giving Lee some space to talk to the others. He gets in between Alvin and Luke in front of the fence. "So… how's it going?"
Luke ignores his question. "I managed to convince Bonnie to help us escape tonight if y'all insist on going tonight."
Lee pauses. "I see."
Luke continues. "But I'd prefer if we waited until after Rebecca had the baby to leave. Parker's Run, the place we're heading out to, it's a solid spot to rendezvous once we're out of the woods, but there's nowhere that Becca can have her kid, and she's due any day."
"I still say it's a better idea than staying here. Once my baby's born, Carver… He'll never let me see her," Alvin whispers.
"You don't know that," Lee replies.
Luke sighs. "Well, he might be right, Lee. I say it's worth the risk, at least for now. There'll be other opportunities. And while I don't like it here, I can't deny we're safer behind these walls than not, so long as we're smart about it."
Alvin's eyes widen before he glares. "Says you. Maybe you're safe, but I've got a ticking clock hovering over my head. The longer I stay here, the more likely Carver will throw me off the roof, as he did Reggie yesterday. We need to leave tonight."
"And get Pete killed? He ain't gonna blend in with any lurkers in his condition." Luke shoots back. "If the lurkers don't get him, Carver will have Pete's head. Are you really going to tell Nick to abandon the only family he's got left?"
"And I'd hate that. I don't want Pete to die," Alvin says sympathetically.
"Exactly, so we bide our time. We can't let fear rule our decision-making."
Alvin is trying to be quiet but slowly loses his temper. "But Luke, listen, that man is plotting my murder. He's going to take my wife and kid, and that'll be the end of it. I can't stay here."
"What did I just say, Alvin? That's your fear that's talking. You told me you'd lay down your life for that child. You can't tell me you think it's safer for your family out there than here in the short term. And don't forget about Pete."
"That's exactly what I'm telling you, and there's nothing more to think about when it comes to Pete. If he can't make the trip, he can't make it."
"You aren't the man I thought you were then. You're just being selfish."
"That's enough, Luke," Lee commands before putting a hand on Alvin's shoulder, hoping to calm him down. "I'll do whatever I can to protect you."
Alvin shakes him off. "No, you can't control him, man!"
"Hey!" Troy barks. "Keep fucking working, chickens, unless you want a good beating."
Alvin and Luke face the fence again, continuing to bang on their nails. As Lee starts walking away, Alvin whispers again.
"Lee, it has to be tonight." His voice is shaky, his breathing heavy. Lee can't help but feel bad.
"Just go ahead with what you think is right. I'll be right behind ya. We'll be right behind you." Luke offers.
With that, Lee goes to a scowling Carver to watch the boys work, clearly impatient.
Meanwhile, Clementine finds Mike, Kenny, Ben, and Justin in the half-rebuilt room. While Justin is sitting on his ass with a rifle in his hands, Kenny is tensely rebuilding a wall with more force than he should. Ben stays close to Kenny and offers him heavy supplies to use, and Mike continues to board up the window from yesterday, away from the rest of them. Clem walks up to him first.
"Are you… okay?" Clem tentatively asks Mike.
"Me?" Mike responds. "I'm good. I actually used to do construction work like this all the time before the dead started walking. It's hard work, but nothing I'm not used to."
"That's good."
…
Mike notices Clementine's nerves and shakes his head. "Hey, Justin? Do you mind if I take a water break?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Justin scoffs.
"Come on, we can talk over there," Mike invites Clem, pulling her aside. "So… how do you feel about… everything?"
"I'm scared," Clementine admits. "I can't get what I had to do to Duck out of my head."
"I don't envy you. I'm sure Kenny would have had their head if it was anyone else."
"Lee said that we're considering escaping tonight?"
"That's Kenny's plan, at least," Mike reveals. "Though honestly, I'm not doing any plan Kenny's got in mind without someone else with some sense backing it."
"Probably doesn't help that Kenny almost got you killed yesterday," Clem reminds.
"It doesn't," Mike agrees. "But honestly, I'm not against escaping. My feelings are just… really complicated."
"Why's that?" Clem questions.
"It's… personal."
"Oh."
Mike frowns slightly. "But I guess… just keep it between you and me."
"I promise."
Mike sighs before beginning his story.
"At the start of all this, the guys at my job site ended up banding together to survive, me included. Not all of us made it through the early days, but of those who did, we surprisingly worked well together. I don't know if I'd call myself friends with Winston, Ralph, and Victor, but we depended on one another; they were good to me, even if I didn't always agree with their 'us against the world' mentality."
"What does this have to do with your feelings?"
"As I said, it's really complicated."
Clem nods, letting Mike continue.
"That came to a head about ten months into this thing. We were passing through Huntsville, Alabama, and Victor had the 'bright' idea to check out some of the houses in the residential neighborhoods. He argued that even if they were looted, some people might've missed something. Well, he wasn't wrong. We actually found some good stuff. But… then we stumbled upon a family of three, and they thought we were trying to rob them. In a panic, Ralph killed the father and son; it was self-defense, but…."
"But?"
"Anyway, that's when Winston suggested we take the daughter captive. He claimed it was too dangerous to let her leave alive, that she'd come after them in revenge. I didn't fucking buy it, but Ralph and Victor did. Her name was Tia; she told me she was a college student studying architecture. We… I wouldn't call us close, but I did my best to keep her comfortable. I… think by that point, I already knew I wanted to get away from those guys, but I was too much of a coward. I told myself I wouldn't touch her the way Winston and the rest would, that I could keep her fed and give her company. I thought that was enough."
"I'm guessing it wasn't."
Mike grimaces. "Then, one night, Tia broke down crying. She begged me to help her. Tia was scared; Winston had… hurt her badly. But I still did nothing. She was a walker the next morning. She committed suicide by choking herself out, using her own damn bindings."
Clem looks at Mike, horrified, the implications beginning to dawn on her. She gets woozy but swallows it.
"I couldn't live with myself after that. I packed a bag two nights later and booked it when I was supposed to be on guard duty. Sure, I got out of there, but if I had acted sooner, maybe Tia would still be alive. Maybe she could've settled down and lived here at Howe's. Instead, I have to live with that fact."
Clem doesn't know what to say. "I would have… liked to meet her."
"I'm sure she would've loved you."
Mike shakes his head.
"The point is, maybe I'm a terrible person for standing by and doing nothing when I damn well knew what was going on, but I can't blame anyone here for doing the same thing when it comes to Carver. Not everyone here is fucking Troy. There are good people here, too, like myself, who let the bad things happen because they don't know what would happen to them if they did anything else."
"I think I understand what you're trying to say," Clem tells him. "Just because Carver is… Carver, you don't want to endanger the others here just because they… tolerate him. If they deserve to be punished like that, so do you?"
"Exactly, and that's why Kenny's plan isn't my favorite. We'd risk these people's lives by leaving Howe's under the horde."
"That's a fair point."
Clementine and Mike look up to see Lee approaching them.
"Sorry to intrude, but you two might want to be a bit more subtle," Lee claims. "Justin asked me to go grab you."
Mike huffs. "Yeah, that's fair," responding to both questions. "Look, Lee. I haven't known you long, and I don't have much reason to trust you, but anyone is better than Carver. If you decide to escape, I hope you've got a better plan than your friend. And if you can't come up with one, then I really hope you reconsider. Just… whatever you decide, don't become Carver's pawn, and we won't have any problems."
With his piece said, Mike returns to working on the fortifications.
Lee watches Clem's expressions for a sign of how the conversation went, kneeling down. "What do you think about that guy?"
"Mike? He's.. complicated."
"Yeah. I think he's a nice guy at heart, though."
"Yeah, me too. Are you gonna check on Kenny and Ben?"
Lee stands up. "Of course. Come help me." She nods, following him towards the muscle tower of a blonde and the ex fisherman. They could hear them arguing under their breath already.
"...I'm just saying, maybe we should reconsider. Lee made a good point during his speech, about the people here. I don't wanna hurt anyone else innocent." Ben suggests, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Hurt anyone? That's a laugh. They didn't give two shits when they hurt Duck." Kenny fires, folding his arms with an angry stare at the young adult.
"I doubt most of them would even consider that option!" Ben squeaks back.
"Well, we ain't staying! Me and my wife and my son are fucking gone, tonight. You wanna stick around, feel free."
"Kenny!" Ben hushes, looking back to see if Justin heard them. He did not, by the looks of things.
"Woah, woah, everyone chill the hell out." Lee says, joining the conversation.
"Lee, back me up here. Ben here's talking nonsense about staying." Kenny points at him.
"I didn't say we should stay forever! Just that maybe we shouldn't do anything too reckless to get these people hurt."
"Reckless? Reckless is breaking Duck's hand with a mallet!"
"Kenny. Watch your mouth." Lee growls in a way that's both chillingly calm and incredibly intimidating. Clem looks down at the floor with guilt in her eyes. Kenny's expression softens.
"Oh, darling, come here. You know I don't blame you for that." He gets down to her level.
"Are you.. Sure?"
"Of course. That motherfucker forced your hand. You didn't have a choice. Who knows what he woulda done to you if you said no."
"Thank you. I'm really sorry, Kenny." She whispers, on the verge of breaking her voice.
"Apology accepted. You wanna leave, don'tcha Clementine? I mean, there's no possible way you wanna stay after everything that's happened around you, could ya?"
"Let her make her own decision, Kenny."
"I am." He growls, standing over Ben like a bully in the sandlot. Clem looks down at the floor, considering what she wants. What does Clementine really want to do?
Choices (Clementine)
A: I want to leave tonight.
B: I don't wanna leave, but I don't want Carver ruling over us either.
C: We should wait, like Luke says.
D: Maybe we could try living with Carver?
E: I don't know. Whatever Lee thinks is best, I guess.
Relationships
Lee: 15/15
Carley: 15/15
Christa: 12/15
Molly: 15/15
Chuck: 15/15
Kenny: 11/15 (He forgives you for what you did to Duck, not even considering it your fault)
Duck: 6/15
Ben: 15/15
Walter: 7/15
Sarita: 8/15
Luke: 14/15
Pete: 14/15
Nick: 11/15
Carlos: 11/15
Sarah: 10/15
Alvin: 10/15
Rebecca: 11/15
Jane: 6/10 (She knows Molly likes you, that's about it)
Mike: 6/10 (He seems to like you)
Carver: 11/15
Tavia: 7/15
Stan: 5/15
Shel: 7/15
Becca: 6/15
Bonnie: 8/15
Johnny: 5/15
Shawn: 8/15
Wyatt: 7/10
Eddie: 7/10
Troy: 3/15
Justin: 7/15
Danny: 6/10
Sam: 8/15