Take Us Back

What if Clementine died at the end of TFS?

"How'd you like to be buried?" Asked Violet, looking at Clementine, Marlon and Louis looking at her expectantly.

Clementine was silent for a moment, before a humourless smile appeared on her face, "Bury me with friends, so I can reminisce on all the good times we had, and have me facing east, so I can watch the sunrise for eternity."

Louis let out a low whistle, "Wow, that was deep."

"Shut up." Chuckled Clementine, giving Louis a gently shove.

TUB

"You have to leave me."

AJ had done as she asked, leaving her in the barn. She knew she couldn't ask him to kill her, she didn't want him to feel the pain she felt after killing Lee. Clementine had felt a cough surge its way up her throat, bringing up blood as it left her.

"I'm sorry, Goofball." Murmured Clementine, as she closed her eyes and let the darkness take her.

TUB

AJ stood at the gate, staring up at it. He couldn't talk. He'd forced himself to cry quietly as he blended in with the monsters. He wanted to go back. He wanted Clementine. He wanted mom.

"AJ?" Louis arrived at the gate, before swinging it open and grabbing him, "Where's Clementine?"

AJ's response was boarder-line incomprehensible, but Louis got the words barn, left and bit. Louis felt his insides turn to ice, he turned back and yelled for Aasim and Ruby.

TUB

After leaving AJ with Omar, the three of them took off for the barn. They dispatched the Walkers as they went, before finally reaching the barn. Louis hauled the doors open, before he froze. Clementine was dragging herself towards them, growling and snarling as she went. The Walker looked up at them and Louis felt his throat constrict, dropping Chair-les, he staggered backwards.

"No." Louis's voice broke, "No, no, NO, NO!"

Louis didn't care that Aasim and Ruby saw him break down, not when Clementine, the girl he loved, was dead and now stuck in the eternal hell of being a Walker. Clementine was put out of her misery, with Ruby jamming a knife into her temple.

They were lucky that they'd already dealt with the Walkers, as Louis's loud sobs drowned everything out.

TUB

AJ jabbed at the fish, he rubbed his eyes, trying to relieve the itching being his eye lids. He continued to fish, something caught his eye. AJ zeroed in on Clementine's hat, before rushing over to grab it. He missed, and just when he thought it'd be lost forever, Rosie jumped into the water and grabbed it for him.

AJ gave the dog a sad smile, taking the hat from her. The pair walked back to the school, AJ saw Tenn's body moving around. He made a mental note of where it was, so they could bury him. They reached the school and AJ handed Omar the fish he'd caught.

"Hey, bud." AJ looked up at Louis. The man had lost almost all traces of humour, instead opting to focus on keeping them alive. He'd even stopped playing the piano.

"Hi." Responded AJ, before holding up Clementine's hat, "I found this and I saw Tenn."

Louis looked at the hat and gave AJ a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Maybe we should give it back to her."

AJ looked over at the graves. Clementine's was towards the end of them, with Violet placing flowers on it. He timidly approached it, gripping the hat tight in his hands.

"Hey," Louis's voice was soft, "don't worry, I'm here."

AJ gave him a nod, before walking up to Clementine's grave.

"What'cha got there, AJ?" Asked Violet, looking at him and spotting the hat, "Oh."

"I," AJ swallowed, "I found your hat, Clem." He gently put it on top of the grave marker, "I caught some fish a-and I saw Tenn," Violet stiffened, before looking at Louis, who waved a hand at her, "a-and, I-I w-want you b-back m-mom."

Violet crouched down and picked AJ up, letting the boy cry into her neck, while Louis swallowed and ran a hand down his face. Violet decided to try and approach James, get his help with them.

TUB

AJ was in the back of a car. He heard the cassette Clementine had playing in the radio, and her hastily fast forwarding past the swearing.

"Clem?" His caretaker looked at him in the mirror, "Where are we going?"

"I don't know yet, Goofball." Answered Clementine, "But, hey, we have each other."

"Are we going to find a home?"

"One day," Promised Clementine, "one day."

The cassette started playing a song, AJ only remembered the middle part, mainly because Clementine would sing along with it, he lost count the number of times he's heard 'take us back' but at least the tune was nice.

"Clementine?" Asked AJ, "Can you promise you'll never leave me?"

"Never?" Clementine raised an eyebrow, "Alright, I promise I'll never leave you, ever."

"But you did." AJ rubbed his eyes, "You left me, a-and L-Louis a-a-and the o-others."

"Sometimes, AJ," Clementine gave him a sad look in the mirror, "promises can't be kept, no matter how hard you might try. I had Lee promise to never leave me, and he got bit. There are somethings we can't change or control, and we have to live with it, because there's nothing else, we can do."

AJ sniffled and rubbed his eyes, "I love you mom."

"I love you, too, Goofball," Smiled Clementine, "now, get some sleep, you need it."

AJ nodded and closed his eyes, while allowing the movement of the car to rock him to sleep.

He woke up in his bed in Ericson, clutching onto a soft toy Clementine had found him, as silent tears fell onto it.