Road Trip
What If the Group Left the Motor Inn Earlier? Prompt Submitted by TheCrusaderKing on AO3
"That's not going to fix anything!"
Lee bowed his head, before looking back out at the forest. Lilly and Kenny were arguing about the leaving plan again. Normally, they'd try and get Lee to back them up, which was why Lee had chosen to take the first look out shift.
"We ain't got much left," Argued Kenny, hotly, "Do ya want to starve here?"
"No one's going to starve." Snarled Larry, pointing a finger at Kenny.
"Lee, what are your thoughts?" Lee internally cursed Mark, before looking at them.
"If we're going to leave, we'll need to get the RV working, find enough gas to run it and clear out the drug store." Said Lee, looking at them, "If we're going to stay, we'll need to build a better barricade, find more guns, warmer clothes and find a way to getting a steady source of food."
"So, which camp are you in?" Asked Lilly, crossing her arms.
Lee sighed, before looking at Carley, remembering back to the conversation they had the other day, how she tried to convince him to tell the others about his past.
"Lee, we can't hear your telepathic talks with your girlfriend."
Lee glanced at the forest and sighed, before climbing down, "Honestly?" Lee looked around them, "I'm with Kenny, we're in an area that had next to nothing to hunt, we're running the risk of running out of meds and, frankly, this place has too many blind spots."
"And how is piling into that RV going to fix that?" Scowled Lilly, getting a sigh from Lee.
"It won't." Admitted Lee, "But, being on the move does give us an advantage over the Walkers."
Lilly scowled, before looking at the RV and stalking off.
"So," Said Carley, fixing Lee with a look, "I guess a supply run is in order."
"Most likely." Agreed Lee, before glancing at Mark, "Can you take over watch? We're going to need people who know the town."
Mark nodded, climbing onto the roof of the RV.
"While you're there," Called Lilly, "you could see about finding a cooler or an ice box."
Lee raised his hand to acknowledge her, as he and Carley left.
RT
Lee frowned, driving a screwdriver through a Walker's head, before looking at the gun store Carley had gone into. He glanced down at the wheelbarrow, it was filled with drugs, food, tools and clothes. Carley reappeared with an armful of guns, while she had bullets bulging out of her pockets.
"I put more in the cooler," Said Carley, depositing the guns into the wheelbarrow, "I'm going to get it."
Lee nodded, before looking around, and spotting a large group of Walkers ambling around. Spotting a brick, Lee grabbed it and threw it at a decrepit store. The glass shattered, making the burglar alarm go off and getting the Walkers to go towards it.
"Really?" Snapped Carley, giving Lee a glare.
"It'll buy us time." Said Lee, picking up the wheelbarrow.
Carley gave him a nod, as they started to walk back to the motel, "Have you put any thought into what we talked about?"
Lee sighed, "Yeah, I'm starting to see the benefits of telling everyone. I mean, Larry already knows, so Lilly might as well. And it'll removed Larry's leverage."
Carley nodded, "What about Clem? I heard her asking you about her parents yesterday."
Lee looked down, "They're dead. I listened to their answer machine when all this started, Her dad got bit and her mom was in Savannah when it fell."
Carley looked down, "God."
"How can I tell her that?" Asked Lee, "I part of me thinks she should keep that hope, but another part thinks she deserve to know."
"Lee," Said Carley, gently, "she should know, she deserves to know."
Lee sighed, just as they reached the motel.
"We're back." Called Carley, as she pushed the barrier open, "We're going to have to go back out for the gas."
"Food, guns, clothes, drugs," Lilly went through the wheelbarrow with Katjaa and Larry helping her, "I'm assuming these doohickeys are for fixing the RV."
Lee nodded, "I'll take Mark out hunting, try and build up out reserves."
Lilly nodded, "I'll be honest, I'm starting to come round to the leaving idea."
"We made sure to grab all the medication there," Said Carley, climbing into the roof of the RV, "even the pain killers."
Lee leant against the RV, before glancing at Mark, "First thing tomorrow."
RT
The past week had gone by well, they got several birds, a few rabbits and a deer, the week after they met Ben, his friend and his teacher. The latter two died and they found out that everyone turns, regardless on if they've been bitten or not. They'd managed to get the RV working the day before, so they all piled into the vehicle, with Lee and Carley sitting next to Clementine.
Mark kept glancing around, getting him Larry's ire, "Quit doing that!"
"Sorry," Apologised Mark, "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the convicted murderer thing."
Everyone gave him a flat look.
"What?"
"We've all killed by this point." Said Carley, wrapping an arm around Clementine, "Those raiders that started attacking us, that crazy guy who tried to put a bullet in Larry. That girl that got bit." Lee placed a hand on Carley's shoulder, "If we keep going by the old standard, then we're all murderers."
Mark looked down, before looking at Lee, "How'd it feel to punch a senator?"
"Mark!"
"Sorry, but everyone's wanted to punch a Senator!"
"Ronald Reagan." Grunted Larry.
"Bush." Supplied Lilly.
"George Washington." Clementine's answer got her several funny looks, "He named things after himself."
Lee chuckled, "Maybe we should all get some sleep."
There were general murmurs of agreement, as Clementine snuggled into Lee's side.
RT
Carley watched as Lee, Kenny and Mark scouted out the train, Ben was watching the kids with Katjaa supervising and Lilly and Larry were watching for Walkers.
"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" Everyone looked towards where Mark had gone, with Lee running towards the train car. A moment later, Lee and Mark stumbled out with an old man in ratty clothes and a trench coat.
"Awful rude of y'all, comin' into my home uninvited." Drawled the man, looking around at them, "Saw ya fella havin' a shit and I couldn't resist scarin' him."
"I'm sorry," Apologised Katjaa, after a moment, "we thought this place was abandoned."
"It keeps the creepy crawlies out." Shrugged the man, "Name's Chuck, Charles if ya fancy."
Carley looked over at Lee, the man pulling a box out of his pocket, "What's that?"
"Crackers." Answered Lee, handing them to the kids, "Thought the kids could have them."
Carley gave Lee a small smile and a nod, before she looked towards the cab of the train, "Looks like Kenny's dealt with a Walker."
"No, they guy was already dead." Said Lee, "One of the things was flashing."
"What'd the label say?" Asked Ben, looking up.
Everyone looked at him, making him freeze, "It's just, er, I like…trains?"
"Why…" Carley looked at Lee, "don't you take him to Kenny and have a look around the cab?"
Lee paused, before nodding and walking off with Ben. Several minutes later, they'd managed to move the train, which left them at another impasse.
"We've got everything in the RV," Lilly looked between the group, "What do you plan on doing when you run out of tracks? Carry it?"
"I'm just sayin', we can get to the coast a whole lot faster with the train." Said Kenny, before looking at Lee, "Lee, back me up on this."
Lee frowned, "The train'll make a lot of noise. Practically a dinner bell for any Walkers we pass, Lilly also made a good point about the track, especially since we don't know how to operate them."
"Seriously?"
"Maybe, we could try and take the RV with us." Suggested Ben, getting a scowl from Larry.
"How the fuck do you plan on doing that?!" Larry looked at the others, "Lift it up and tie it to the roof?!"
"How about a compromise?" Suggested Mark, "Some go to Savannah by the train and some go by the RV. We can split some of the rations, and those who go using the RV can siphon some gas."
"That's…" Lilly thought it over, "not a bad idea actually."
"What?!" Larry gave Lilly an incredulous look.
"Where should we meet up?" Asked Carley, frowning.
"My parents are staying at a hotel." Clementine piped up, "We can meet there."
Lilly gave Lee a look, "What's it called?"
Lee shrugged, before looking at Clementine, "I can't remember, it begins with an 'm'."
The group looked at the girl.
"…is there anything else you can remember about it?" Asked Lilly, frowning.
"Its desserts were yummy."
"There's a map in the cab." Said Kenny, walking off, "I'll go get it."
Carley frowned, "Clem, are you talking about the Marsh House?"
"That's it!" Beamed Clementine.
"I went with a friend once." Carley explained, noticing the funny looks from the others.
"Great, Clem," Lilly crouched down, "Why don't you go back over to Duck?"
Clementine nodded and wandered away, just as Kenny got back, "Alright, I got the…what happened?"
"Carley knew the place." Shrugged Lee, looking back at the others.
Kenny blinked, "Okay."
"Aside from meeting up at the hotel," Lilly got their attention, "what's the plan?"
"We find a boat."
"And if you can't?"
"We will."
"We'll cross that bridge if or when we get to it." Interrupted Lee, looking between them, "I'll go with Kenny on the train, I promised Clementine that we'd look for her parents."
"I'll go with you." Said Carley, almost immediately, "Have someone watch your back while Kenny's fixated on that boat."
"I'll stick with the RV," Decided Lilly, "Dad can stick with me, since I have his medication."
"I'll go with you too," Said Mark, "I can siphon the gas."
"I guess," Lee looked at the other, "we just have to figure out who Katjaa, Duck and Ben are travelling with."
"Katjaa and Duck are comin' with me." Interjected Kenny, before looking at Ben, "Him, I don't know so much."
"He can come with us." Said Mark, looking at Lilly, "He can help me with the gas."
Lilly sighed, "Alright, let's get this over with."
After shifting some of their supplies to the train, the two halves of the group wave each other off.
"See you in Savannah." Called Lilly, as the train moved away, "We'll get there as soon as we can."
RT
Duck grinned as he watched his dad drive the train, Chuck was standing out on the front, after getting into some hot water with Lee and Carley.
"When can I learn to shoot?" Asked Duck, getting a growl from Kenny.
"When you're older."
"But Clementine's younger than me!"
Kenny sighed, he heard Clementine shooting at some bottles Lee and Carley had set up. Back in the car, Lee looked over a map, as Carley cut Clementine's hair.
"When we find my parents," Carley and Lee shared a worried look, "do you think they can come with us?"
"I…guess we'll see." Said Carley, unable to find it in herself to tell Clementine that her parents were most likely dead.
Lee thought he heard Kenny yell, before the train came to a sudden halt. The three hopped out and looked at Kenny, who was standing next to the cab, yelling profanities.
After a brief discussion, Lee and Carley walked down to a nearby station, only to find it locked and backtracking to get Clementine, with Duck tagging along behind them.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Asked Carley, glancing at Clementine.
"She's the only one small enough to get through the window." Answered Lee, "I'm not happy about it, but it'll help her in the long run."
Carley frowned, but nodded, the group reached the station and quickly dealt with the Walkers they found in there. After opening the inside gate and collecting a blow torch, they started to walked back towards the train.
Then they heard it.
A gunshot.
"No, no, no, NO!"
Lee and Carley looked at each other, before running towards the train, Clementine and Duck following them. Upon reaching the train, they found Kenny kneeling over Katjaa, who hand a gun in her limp hand.
"What happened?" Gasped Lee, looking around.
"I-I don't know." Kenny's voice was shaking, "Kat, Katjaa was just standin' here and she just-"
"…Dad?" Duck's voice came from behind them.
"Fuck, Duck, don't look!" Lee tried to obscure Duck's view, but the boy made his way past them.
"M-mom?"
They were interrupted in their mourning by a voice on the bridge calling down to them. After meeting Omid and Christa, the group worked on moving the tanker, while Kenny show Omid how to work the train and Christa watched the kids. Carley was leaning over the bridge, cutting the coupling after it suddenly shifted. The tanker fell, alerting everyone that the way was clear.
Then they saw the herd, Lee was thankful that neither he or Carley were hurt when they jumped off the bridge. The group sat in silence, with Lee and Carley watching over a sleeping Clementine and Duck, while Kenny drove the train.
Lee hoped Lilly and the others were having an easier time than they were.
RT
Lilly quietly tapped the steering wheel, watching Mark and Ben go around the car and siphoning gas.
"One day," Lilly started talking, "we're going to have a nice, stable community."
"For what?" Asked Larry, looking at Lilly.
"Safety." Said Lilly, "Security. A decent doctor. I mean, Katjaa's great, but I think we all want to have check ups without our doctor worrying that she's going to kill us."
Larry let out a huff, "That'd be nice."
RT
Lee looked around the streets, he and Carley had scouted ahead, look around for signs pointing toward the Marsh House, the others moving behind them. They heard a bell go off in the distance.
"What's that?" Asked Duck, looking up at Kenny.
"They've got the bells on timers." Dismissed Kenny, as Lee checked his watch.
"What bell goes off a twenty past the hour?"
They heard Walkers going towards the bell, thankfully, they weren't any near them.
"There." Clementine pointed at a street, "That's where the hotel is."
Lee and Carley shared a look, before looking down the street. They saw a handful of Walkers, but the way was mostly clear. Lee paused, spotting a pair of Walkers.
"Lee?" Whispered Carley, "What is it?"
"Clem's parents." Answered Lee, just as Clementine spotted them.
Lee quickly put a hand on Clementine's shoulder, before they all hurried into the Marsh House. After clearing out all the Walkers that were in the hotel, the group put their supplies down. Lee and Carley quietly spoke to Clementine, as the girl broke down.
The following day, Lee and Kenny left to look for a boat, which led to them meeting Molly and to Lee meeting a small group of cancer survivors. Lee got some funny looks when arrived with Vernon in tow.
"He's making sure I got back safe." Explained Lee, getting a nod from Carley.
"Kenny told us about the boat issue." Said Carley, "I guess we're just going to have to wait for Lilly and the others to get here."
Lee nodded, noting that Vernon had quietly left, "Hopefully, they'll get here soon."
RT
Lilly quietly watched as the SUV Mark had found trailed behind them. She didn't like it, but Mark had pointed out how the RV had gotten a bit cramped, especially with the supplies. They'd also managed to find a large number of supplies, food, medicine, even a few medical books.
"Do you think they've found Clementine's parents?" Asked Mark, "I know Lee thinks they're dead, but they might not be."
"Savannah was overrun." Dismissed Larry, from the passenger seat, "There's no way anyone survived."
"I guess I'm trying to be hopeful." Responded Mark, "I know I'd like an actual doctor, not offense to Katjaa."
"Who knows." Lilly threw a smirk at her father, "Maybe we'll find a surgeon and get you a transplant, Dad."
"Ha-ha." Scoffed Larry, giving her a small scowl.
"Hey," Ben's voice came from the radio, "did anyone else think Katjaa was acting weirdly when we split up?"
"She was probably just tired." Lilly dismissed Ben, "You've been with us for a week at most, she's been with us since the start."
"No, she was acting strange." Said Larry, "She was staring at a Walker, yabbering about things weren't safe. More so than usual."
Lilly frowned, before spotting the sign for Savannah, "We're almost there."
"Finally, my ass is killing me." Grumbled Larry.
RT
Lee watched Clementine talk with Molly, the young survivor had decided to drop in and hang around. They'd found that Chuck, before becoming homeless, was a doctor. Christa frowned as Carley dragged the lifeless bodies of a couple of Walkers out the door, the taller woman keeping watch for any other walkers.
"Hey, Lee." Lee looked at Omid, "I know this might be a bit late, but is Kenny okay?"
Lee looked at Kenny, "His wife committed suicide out of nowhere. I think he's trying to stay stable for his son."
Omid nodded, "Was taking Clementine to put down her parents the right call? I know that I agreed with you and Carley, but it's like she's just, I don't know, shut down or something."
"At this point," Sighed Lee, "she's going to have to adapt to the way the world is now. I don't like it, but she knows how dangerous things are now."
Omid gave a small nod, before Carley and Christa came back in.
"The others are here." Said Carley, "They manage to find a working SUV."
"Do they know?" Asked Lee, getting a nod from Carley, "Okay." He looked at the others, "Time to go."
The group, carrying their supplies, walked out to the RV. Stopping and casting a look around, Lee boarded the RV and sat next to Clementine a Carley. He hoped the worst had passed.