Redemption
What if AJ wasn't at McCarroll Ranch? Prompt Submitted by TheKnowitAll2008 on AO3
Clementine had been gone for a day, when a car pulled up to the gates of New Richmond. Glancing down, Conrad frowned as a blonde woman with glasses got out of the car.
Javi unknowingly echoed the frown when the woman appeared, glancing at Lingard, he started to walk towards her, "Hey."
"Who're you?" Demanded the woman, as two more people got out of the car, "Where's David?"
"Helen." Lingard spoke up, "Things have changed. Joan and David are dead."
"What happened?" Asked Helen, as a fourth man struggled to get out of the car.
"Joan was ordering raids on other communities," Said Clint, walking towards her and gestured towards Javi, "this guy, Javi, removed her from power."
Javi was glad Clint didn't bring up that he'd killed Joan.
The final man finally managed to get out of the car, as a toddler thrashed and bit at him.
"Is that AJ?" Asked Lingard, zeroing in on the toddler.
"Yeah," Helen nodded, "We were attacked, they killed our people and took most of the kids with us. They only missed AJ because he was in time out."
"Clem!" Demanded the Toddler, after detaching his teeth from the final guy.
Javi groaned, glancing at Lingard, "Do you know if Clementine has a radio?"
R
Clementine froze when she saw McCarroll Ranch. It was in flames, quickly spurring her horse towards it, Clementine covered her mouth and nose with her jacket and rushed into the building. Frantically searching through the rooms and buildings, Clementine felt her stomach drop.
There was no one here. There weren't any corpses or Walkers. No vehicles, no horses and no weapons. Nothing. Lingard lied. Scowling, Clementine turned and left. She was going to find AJ, even if she had to beat Lingard to a pulp.
R
Absently patting her horse, Clementine looked over the people she'd just killed. They had a ton of supplies, so she didn't have to worry about not eating for a bit.
"I should really name you." Said Clementine, looking at the horse and thinking slightly, "How about Peanut?"
The horse gave a snort, getting a nod from Clementine, "Alright, Peanut, let's find AJ."
Clementine had just mounted the horse when two girls tumbled into the camp she'd just destroyed. Noting that they were identical twins, Clementine sighed and pulled on of her new guns out, "Please tell me you're not with the guys I just killed."
"W-we're trying to get away from them." Gasped on of the girls, making Clementine pause, "Please."
Clementine looked at them, before jerking her head, "Get on."
Peanut grumbled as the twins climbed on. Giving Clementine a dirty look, Peanut started to trot off.
"Is your horse going to be okay?" Asked one of the girls.
"Yeah, I mean," Clementine glanced back at them, silently noting that they were pretty, "She was carrying an engine block when I stole her, so I think so."
The girls stared at her, before the front one spoke, "You… stole her?"
Clementine fixed them with an incredulous look, "Do I look like I've had a horse a long time? I only just named her before you two showed up."
Peanut whinnied, getting a sigh from Clementine, "Don't start."
R
Javi watched as Kate stormed up to him, holding a screaming AJ at arm's length, "He's a nightmare, you take him."
The next thing Javi knew, his hand was being mauled by the toddler from hell.
R
Clementine looked at the people on the horses approached her and the twins, Sophie and Minerva.
"Clem," Sophie whispered in her ear, "They're with Delta, the guys we're running from."
Clementine gave her a backwards nod, as the other horse riders reached her.
"Those two," Said one, a ratty looking man, "they're ours."
Clementine nodded, before pulling out a revolver and shooting the two in the head. Quickly spurring Peanut forwards, Clementine grabbed the reins of the other horses.
"Why'd you do that?" Asked Minerva, as Clementine hopped off Peanut.
"Peanut can't carry all of us, she's not strong enough." Said Clementine, gently shushing the horses, "You two can ride on these."
The twins shared a look, before dismounting and claiming the horses.
"Stay with me, I don't want any of us getting separated, okay?" Clementine remounted Peanut, "Hopefully, we won't get shot at when we arrive."
"Arrive where?" Asked Minerva, as the three set off.
"Richmond." Answered Clementine, "I have to talk to someone there."
R
"We should be in the clear now." Said Minerva, looking at Clementine over the fire, "We could double back and go home."
"Marlon sold us," Scoffed Sophie, "for all we know, the others were in on it."
"Including Tenn?"
"None of them looked for us."
"You know, I was planning on sleeping," Said Clementine, looking over at them, "but I'm starting to find this entertaining."
The twins both flushed as Clementine sat up, "These Delta guys, how many of your friends do they have?"
"Four." Said Minerva, after a moment, "Alex, Justin, Erin and Bo."
Clementine blinked, before sighing, "I'm going to regret this, but if, and this is a big if, we come across them, we'll free them and get them to Richmond."
The girls thought they heard one of the horses snicker but ignored it.
"I'd like that." Said Minerva, quietly.
"Good," Sighed Clementine, "now shut up and get some sleep."
"What about watch?" Asked Sophie, as Clementine stood up.
"I'll take it." Clementine walked to the edge of the camp, her hand resting on her gun.
Sophie watched after her, feeling uneasy. Deciding to put her caution away, she lied down on the ground and closed her eyes, letting sleep claim her.
R
Clementine looked around for Walkers, as the three of them approached Richmond's gate.
"Clementine?"
The girl looked up at Kate, who almost looked relieved to see her.
"Hey," Responded Clementine, neutrally, "I need to have a chat with Lingard."
"Javi will want to talk to you first." Responded Kate, opening the gate, "He'll be in the church."
Clementine gave Kate a nod, before spurring Peanut into Richmond, with Sophie and Minerva following suit. Dismounting Peanut, Clementine tied her to an old bike rack and walked towards the church.
She was half-way up the steps when a blonde woman with glasses stepped out with a screaming toddler. A familiar screaming toddler. Clementine watched as the toddler hit and kicked at the woman, before clearing her throat.
The woman looked at her, as the toddler kept up with his tantrum, "Yes?"
"Need a hand?" Asked Clementine, as the toddler threw his head back to scream, only to spot Clementine.
"Clem!" The toddler reached out and started to fall out of the woman's arms.
Rushing forwards, Clementine caught AJ before his hit the ground headfirst. Almost immediately, AJ calmed down and producing small giggles. The woman gaped at Clementine, just as Javi and Lingard stepped out of the Church.
"Why has El bebé diablo stopped crying?" Asked Javi, before spotting Clementine, "Clem, you're back."
Clementine nodded, "So, how long has AJ been here?"
"They arrived a couple days after you left." Said Lingard, "He's perfectly healthy."
Clementine nodded, looking down at AJ, "Did you behave yourself?"
AJ blew a raspberry at Clementine, getting a raised eyebrow from the girl, before she started tickling him.
"Did you get whiplash from Clem's personality change, or is it just me?" Whispered Sophie, leaning close to Minerva.
R
"That's a terrible idea."
Clementine sighed, before levelling Javi with a look, "The twins know how these guys work, and Heather—" "Helen." "—Helen said that they took the other kids there. We go there, we free the prisoners and book it back here. It's a win-win."
"How do you know it's not a trap?" Asked Javi, making Clementine huff.
"Javi, they're your people." Said Clementine, as Lingard and Clint watched them, "You can't just write them off because you've never met them. And, besides, they're children. Do you really want them to end up dead or slaves?"
Javi swallowed, "Don't you dare."
"I'm just saying, we have a chance to prevent that." Continued Clementine, "If we leave them, they'll either wind up dead or enslaved psychopaths."
"It could get people killed." Said Eleanor, scowling at Clementine.
"And, if we do nothing, they'll just come here later and kill people then." Clementine looked at her, getting a frown from Clint.
"'We'?" Retorted Eleanor, "Since when were you part of us?"
"Since we'll only lead you to them if Clementine's part of it." Retorted Sophie, glaring at them, "Delta only attacked you because you threw the first punch."
"That was the old management." Protested Javi, getting a glare from Minerva.
"I don't see much difference."
"This isn't our fight." Said Clint, looking around.
Javi looked around the rest of Richmond's council, before sighing, "Sorry, Clem, but you're fighting a losing battle."
Clementine glared at them and scoffed, "Fine." Before she spun on her heel, grabbed AJ from Kate and left, with Sophie and Minerva following after her.
R
Clementine looked through their bags, as Sophie and Minerva quietly guided their horses to the gate. After feeling satisfied that everything was present and accounted form Clementine picked AJ up and slung a bag over her shoulder.
"Guys, grab a bag." Clementine kept her voice quiet, Sophie and Minerva both nodded and took the other bags. Just as Clementine reached for the final bag, someone else grabbed it. Looking up, Clementine saw Gabe holding the bag, "Gabe, what are you doing?"
"What does it look like?" Asked Gabe, walking over to another horse, "I'm coming with you."
"No, you're not." Scoffed Sophie, as Gabe gave her a look.
"Yes, I am."
"Why?" Asked Clementine, frowning.
"Well," Gabe looked around, "I heard about what you asked Javi, and I thought it was the right thing to do."
Clementine raised an eyebrow at Gabe, "And?"
"And I don't want anyone else to end up like Mariana."
Clementine let out a sigh, "Alright, keep up."
Sophie and Minerva looked at each other, before getting on their horses.
"I'm going to need to get the gate open—" Clementine was cut off by Gabe.
"Kate and Conrad are on Gate duty, they've been watching you for the past hour."
Clementine paused, before looking up and getting a wave from Kate, "Fuck me."
"Maybe later." Joked Gabe, getting a swat from Clementine.
R
The small group looked down at a boat, with Clementine letting out a low whistle, "Getting on there's gonna be fun."
"That's if we can get there without being spotted," Muttered Gabe, as AJ played with the string on his hoodie, "and if we can actually get on the boat."
"The others should be in the cells." Said Sophie, handing Clementine some binoculars.
Clementine frowned, looking over the guys on the boat, before freezing on one person, "The woman with the short hair and permanent frown, who's she to them?"
"Their leader." Answered Sophie, "She and Abel were the guys that Marlon gave us up to."
"Abel was that guy you shot in the face." Supplied Minerva, as Clementine's frown deepened.
"Is her name Lilly?" Clementine's question made Sophie and Minerva freeze.
"How'd you know that?" Asked Sophie, suspicious.
"She was part of a group I was in at the start," Said Clementine, "Then she murdered another member of the group, and we left her behind."
Clementine lowered the binoculars and looked around them, "So, do they have any other camps?"
R
Gabe grunted as he struggled with one of the raiders in the Delta camp they'd attacked. Throwing his arm out, Gabe grabbed the handle of a gun. Without thinking, he pressed the barrel of the gun against the Raider's head, and pulled the trigger. Pushing the body off him, Gabe looked around, spotting Clementine nail three people in the head, while Sophie blew a woman in the gut with her shotgun, Minerva had been left with the horses and AJ. With one final gunshot, the last of the raiders was killed. Clementine, after taking a deep breath, looked around.
"Everyone alright?" Asked Clementine, getting a tired nod from Sophie and Gabe, "Good… let's, let's get back to the others."
Tiredly, the three, after collecting some of the remaining supplies, trudged their way back to where they left Minerva, AJ and the Horses.
Looking up from her fire axe, Minerva watched as Clementine, Gabe and Sophie trudged up to them, "Find anything?"
"None of our friends." Sophie shook her head, "I think us busting out might've made them tighten their grip on them."
"Maybe we should—" Clementine shushed her.
"Did you hear that?" Asked Clementine, pulling her gun out.
The group quietened, with Gabe gently shushing AJ. Then they heard someone step on a stick. Clementine's gun spun around and fired, someone cried out and fell to the ground. Shortly after disappearing into the trees, Clementine returned with a person holding their hand to a bullet wound in their leg.
"Do either of you know this guy?" Asked Clementine, dropping the person.
"He's one of Lilly's people." Said Sophie, "We don't know his name though."
Clementine looked down at the guy, roughly picking him up and shoving him on his knees, before kneeling in front of him, "These two, your escapees," Clementine gestured to Sophie and Minerva, "they have some of their friends still in your group's… 'custody', how do we get them out?"
The raider looked around them, before he started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Demanded Gabe, adjusting AJ.
"You… you think they're alive?" Laughed the man, "All of you were from a bad batch. We cut their throats and threw them in the water. After we finished with them."
The man continued to laugh his head off, Clementine looked at Gabe a silently gestured for him to take AJ to the horses. After making sure AJ wasn't looking, Clementine looked at Sophie, "Your call."
Sophie raised her shotgun and shot the raider in the gut, his laughs turning into screams. Glaring down at him, the three went to Gabe, AJ and their horses, before riding off, leaving the man to turn.
R
Clementine sighed, silently checking the water butt attached to the shack she and her group were using.
Glancing around, Clementine spotted two of their newer group members, Becca and Gill, were carrying some firewood. It'd been two years since Clementine had met the twins and recovered AJ, Minerva had cut her hair short, after Clementine kept mistaking her for Sophie, and AJ had started taking lessons from them. They'd run into Becca first; the girl having been separated from her group after being caught in the crossfire between the New Frontier and another group. Clementine suspected that the other group was the Delta but didn't think too hard on it. They'd liberated Gill from a Delta camp, offering him a place with them until they found his parents.
Glancing at Peanut, Clementine sighed, the horse was as cranky and temperamental as AJ had been, refusing to let anyone, other than Clementine, ride her. They'd attacked and looted several Delta camps, the twins always looked for any of their friends, finding a couple but they would always attack them. Minerva had killed one of them, Therissa, after the girl aimed a crossbow at Gill.
"So, what's the plan?" Asked Sophie, when Clementine walked back into the shack, "Because there's an old train station not far from here."
"But, it's near Marlon's safe-zone." Said Minerva, "So, there's a higher chance of us getting caught."
Clementine frowned, before looking outside, "We head for the station, that last scouting party got a bit too close for comfort."
The twins both nodded, as Gabe got up, "Shame, I was starting to warm up to the place."
Clementine gave him a flat look, "Go get AJ."
Gabe gave her a smirk, before quickly planting a kiss on her cheek and darting off. Sighing, Clementine stepped outside, making sure all the bags were with the horses and mounting Peanut. After making sure AJ was secure, the group started to ride towards the station.
R
The train station was not abandoned, or it didn't look it was abandoned. Clementine glanced at Minerva and Sophie, before dismounting Peanut and walking up the station's path. Part of her wanted to call out to whoever was in the station, buy didn't want to alert any Walkers or antagonistic groups.
"Okay," Said Gabe, turning around and looking at her, "I think we're—"
Clementine felt the bullet whizz past her ear, before ducking behind some boards. Clementine heard another shot from the station, before she decided to take the risk and head back to the rest of the group. When she reached them, Becca had been shot in the arm, and Sophie's horse had been killed, with the girl receiving a broken leg when it fell.
"C'mon." Yelled Clementine, quickly dragging Sophie out from under her horse and helping her onto Gabe's.
"Where's Gabe?" Asked Minerva, shooting at the station's windows.
"Dead, they killed him." Said Clementine, shortly, grabbing the bags off the dead horse, "We have to go."
Minerva nodded, quickly spurring her horse, "I know somewhere safe."
R
Clementine frowned at the sign, "The 'somewhere safe' is the boarding school that sold you and your sister?"
Minerva carefully adjusted AJ, defensively saying, "It's the best I could do."
Clementine gave her a nod, before they quietly rode up to the gates. An arrow pierced the ground, before a young voice yelled at them, "Hold it!"
Clementine looked up at them, before Minerva rode forwards, "Open the gates, fuck face!"
"Minnie?" The owner of the voice was a red-haired boy, "You're alive?!"
"With some others, now open the gate!" Yelled Minerva, as a blonde girl her age wrenched the gate open.
Without waiting for the blonde to move out of the way, Sophie rode through, bringing her horse to a stop by a flagpole. Hopping down, Sophie grabbed her shotgun and looked around, "Where's Marlon?"
"Sophie, put that down." Ordered Clementine, after Peanut drew level with Sophie's horse, "We're guests."
Sophie looked angry but did as she was told. Soon, a red-haired girl, a chubby looking boy, a boy with a massive facial scar and a boy with dreadlocks in a trench coat surrounded them. A minute later, a boy with a rats nest of blond hair joined them. This time, both Sophie and Minerva grabbed their weapons, prompting Clementine to grab the barrels and lower them.
"So," Clementine glanced at them, "this is the guy that sold you."
R
Clementine watched as Minerva talked with Violet, the blonde who let them in, while Marlon was being grilled by Sophie and the boy with the massive scar, her and Minerva's brother Tenn. Gill and Becca were tending to the horses, with the red-haired girl, Ruby, watched Becca's arm. Feeling AJ rest against her, Clementine wrapped an arm around him.
"So," Clementine looked up at the boy with dreadlocks, Louis, "how're you holding up?"
"Fine." Said Clementine, going back to watching the horses.
"Really?" Asked Louis, dropping down next to AJ.
Clementine sighed, giving Louis a flat look, "Well, I saw my boyfriend get his brains blown out and we've been force to come to a place we don't know."
Louis winced, "Ouch."
"Yeah, so excuse me if I'm not sociable." Clementine felt AJ wriggle into her side, "You okay, Goofball?"
AJ looked up, "Are they bad people?"
"Who?" Asked Clementine, frowning.
"The guys here." Answered AJ, "I heard you say they sold the twins."
Louis looked at them, getting a sigh from Clementine, "AJ, just because two people sold their friends, it doesn't mean all of them are bad. And what Marlon did doesn't mean he's a bad person, it just means he's afraid."
"But I get afraid and I don't do bad things." Said AJ, getting a small laugh from Clementine.
"Everyone's different, AJ." Clementine glanced around, "Take Becca, you know how angry Sophie gets at her for hiding her injuries?"
AJ nodded.
"Becca doesn't like looking vulnerable," Said Clementine, "So, she'll hide her injuries."
"And that's a bad thing." Said AJ, looking up at Clementine, "Do all of us do bad things?"
Clementine sighed, her mind going back through how her group attacked and destroyed Delta camps, they executed so many people, "Yeah, AJ, we do bad things."
"So, we're bad?"
"We try not to be," Said Clementine, "but, sometimes, we do bad things to survive."
"Because we always keep moving?"
Clementine nodded, as Minerva walked over, "What is it?"
"Violet's invited us to stay." Said Minerva, "I thought it'd be nice to finally stay somewhere."
Clementine frowned, before looking past Minerva at Violet, "Alright, we'll discuss it tonight."
R
"Hell no."
Clementine supposed she should've seen Becca's reaction coming.
"We can't really complain," Said Minerva, "It's their home and they're willing to let us stay."
"Yeah, but they sold you and your sister." Said Gill, folding his arms, "Who's to say they won't try it again?"
"Exactly," Becca waved a hand in his direction, "besides, we agreed to fight for our own, no one else's."
Clementine looked at the school, "If we stay, we won't have to worry about finding somewhere to sleep or having a Walker creep up on us, but it means we'll lose the advantage of staying ahead of Delta and the New Frontier."
"Besides, you said you'd help up find our groups." Becca glared at Clementine.
"And we will," Promised Clementine, "but we'd need a single point to report back to, in case they picked up on our trail."
"Which makes the school perfect." Said Sophie, smugly.
Becca gave a derisive scoff, "Whatever, I'm going to get some sleep."
Clementine sighed, watching as the girl walked away from them.
"I'll admit it," Said Gill, quietly, "Delta's probably killed my parents and staying here does seem nice. And I like I'm not the one who does all the cooking."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Asked Clementine, frowning at him.
"Clem, we've said this before, your 'lizard on a stick' isn't food." Scoffed Minerva, before heading over to the watch tower, "I'm going to join Violet on watch, I'll see you in the morning."
R
"Do you ever think about it?" Asked Sophie, looking at Clementine, "All the people we've killed?"
"Are you including the people who we've abandoned?" Responded Clementine, looking up at her.
"Yeah."
"All the time," Sighed Clementine, "We left so many people to die, just so we could escape. We could've gone back for them, and escaped, but didn't."
"I…" Sophie looked at Clementine, "I think we should stay. I've heard you and Gabe talking about it, how he was done running. Maybe… we should try and get in contact with the New Frontier."
"Yeah, well," Clementine stood up, "forgive me for not wanting to tell Javi that's Gabe's dead."
Sophie gave her a small nod, before glancing down, "How's… how's your stomach? I've noticed that you've been throwing up a lot."
"I'm sure it's nothing." Clementine waved her hand, "I'm going to talk to Marlon, then talk with the other leaders here."
Sophie watched as Clementine walked off, before she started rummaging through a bag and pulling out a box.
That evening, after going out on a supply run to that station, the school had a large store of food and other supplies. Clementine, Becca and Minerva had taken Louis, Violet, Brody and Mitch to the station. They got a similar welcome to the on they got the last time they were there, until Clementine managed to nail one of their attackers in the shoulder.
They'd managed to get into the station, finding a man with a New Frontier brand and three others. Clementine, Becca and Minerva put them all down, before they looked in the stores. Minerva recognised the sound of a grenade pin being pulled, acting quickly, she found the object and threw it out a window.
That had the unintended effect of summoning a load of Walkers and taking out a group of Delta raiders trying to sneak up on them.
So, overall, the day had been a mixed bag.
And that wasn't even starting on James.
R
"Y'know, it's nice being the home team, for once." Said Becca, as she aimed her rifle down at Lilly and the group she brought with her.
"You and me both." Said Clementine, over a radio they'd found, "Looks like they're tainting their weapons."
"So, start picking them off?" Asked Becca, as Sophie and Aasim worked on some petrol bombs.
"Yeah," Responded Clementine, "Min and Vi have the horses rounded up by the greenhouse."
Becca smirked, before firing a shot straight at Lilly, before picking up the radio, "And the serpent has lost its head."
Down on the ground, Clementine signalled for Aasim and Sophie to 'let their children free'. The surviving raiders were funnelled into the grounds by James's herd, Clementine had stepped out from her cover and shot two of them, before a third hit her left ankle with a tainted arrow. Grunting, Clementine ducked back under cover, before Louis, armed with Minerva's crossbow, took out the raider that hit Clementine. There were some more gunshots, before James yelled out that all the raiders were dead.
Sophie had jogged up to the group, finding Marlon and Gill dead, Mitch had some burns on his arm, while Violet had her left eye destroyed by a stray bullet and Clementine with a tainted arrow in her leg.
"Minnie, I need your axe." Yelled Sophie, rushing over and removing Clementine's shoe. Grimacing, Sophie and Ruby looked at Clementine's clearly infected leg, "Ruby, I need you to hold the tourniquet."
Ruby frowned at her, before grabbing some string and using it on Clementine's leg, "Okay, Aasim, heat the shovel, Sophie 'n' me are gonna need it!"
Aasim nodded, as Sophie looked at Clementine, "I'm sorry."
Then, she swung the axe down.
R
Clementine did her best to glare at Louis. Honestly, she did. But seeing AJ grinning at her staved the anger she'd felt when she heard Louis had taken AJ out. Even if both of them were covered head to toe in mud.
"So," Violet drew level with Clementine, "how're you gonna punish them?"
Glancing down, and seeing her missing leg, Clementine looked up, "I'll come up with something."
"You're not going to ask where we went?" Asked Louis, his grin slowly disappearing.
"Nope, James already told me that you were teaching AJ how to swim." Clementine's response made Louis glare at James.
"Snitch."
"Bitch."
"Hey!" Clementine raised her voice, "Watch your language."
After getting a couple of mumbled apologies, Clementine looked at Violet, "Since you did Louis's job, what do you know about that caravan you saw?"
"They had the New Frontier's mark on them," Shrugged Violet, as Louis looked put out, "they seem friendly, but looks can be deceiving."
Clementine nodded, not noticing the look that passed over Louis's face, "Okay, we'll—"
Clementine was cut off by Louis wrapping her in a bear hug and smearing mud on her, AJ quickly joined in, pulling some mud out of his pockets.
"—Oookay!" Clementine hopped free, before giving Louis a look, "Grab AJ, apparently it's bath time."
AJ froze, before trying to run away, only for Louis to follow Clementine's orders, "Sorry, buddy, she's the boss."
AJ tried to wriggle out of Louis's arms as he walked towards the dorms.
"Are you and Louis going to wash separately or do you want us to tell Omar you and your boyfriend are gonna be late to dinner?" Asked Minerva, sauntering up to them.
"Shut up." Clementine quickly left with a red face, as Minerva snickered with Violet.