Child

What if Clem found out AJ was at McCarroll Ranch before she met Javi? Prompt Submitted by Worker72 on AO3

Clementine quietly walked along the dust covered road. Her mind was on AJ, she should've fought harder to keep him. Ava had given her some supplies, as well as the drawing he'd done. Sighing, Clementine looked around, before walking over to a small clearing. Deciding it was safe enough for her to get some sleep, she dropped herself down on the ground, silently taking AJ's drawing out of the bag Ava had given her.

The drawing was a mess of squiggles, Clementine couldn't discern what they were supposed to be, but she stared at it intently, before she idly flipped the piece of paper over, revealing a note.

He's going to McCarroll Ranch – D.

Clementine blinked. One. Twice. McCarroll Ranch wasn't far, hell, it was just a couple hours walk from where she was currently. Clementine jumped to her feet and continued down the road, before breaking into a run.

C

Clementine found getting into McCarroll Ranch was easy. She found some car keys and located the car they belonged to. She'd managed to get some guns and supplies into the car without being noticed. Quietly ducking her head into rooms, she found a lot of sleeping children, but none of them were AJ. Frowning, Clementine wondered if David's note was lying, before she ducked behind a cabinet as a couple of people walked past.

"That kid is terrifying," Said a man in a beanie, "why did the guys ask us to look after him."

"He's been sick." Shrugged another, "I'm just glad that Helen has him in time out, away from the other kids."

Clementine frowned, slinking out of her hiding place and looked at the doors. Each door had a small sign saying what it was for. Clementine finally found the door that said Time out room, and quietly pushed the door open. She could hear the sound of a toddler throwing a tantrum, she didn't need to listen long to know it was AJ. Looking around the room, Clementine spotted a woman asleep in the corner. Quickly and quietly, Clementine snuck across the room and crouched down in front of the toddler. She smiled as he started to calm down, before his crying started up again. Frowning, Clementine picked AJ up, only for something to drop off him producing the foulest stench she'd ever smelt.

Looking down, Clementine located the source of the smell. AJ's pants and diaper had come off, scowling she held AJ out and looked him over. They'd left him to sit in his own filth and they were saying he was trouble? Looking around the room, Clementine spotted some diapers and some clean clothes roughly AJ's size. Quickly walking over, Clementine cleaned him up, dressed him and started calming him down. Quickly making sure the woman was still asleep; Clementine grabbed a bag and stuffed the baby stuff into it.

Without anyone noticing, Clementine hurried back to the car, carefully put AJ in and drove away. Leaving the people to find AJ's dirty clothes and some weapons, supplies and a car missing.

C

Clementine finally managed to find Prescott, AJ was asleep, and she'd managed to get them entry. A woman, Eleanor, was checking them both over. AJ, somehow, managed to sleep through being manhandled, although Eleanor frowned at the rash he had.

"So," the leader of the community, Tripp, "you got separated from your boy, found him again and came here."

Clementine nodded, "I know it doesn't sound very believable."

"The dead getting up and walking doesn't sound very believable," Scoffed Tripp, "a kid knowing how to drive doesn't sound very believable. Trust me, your story about your journey probably the most believable thing I've heard in a while."

"What condition did you find him in?" Asked Eleanor, as AJ let out a small snore.

"He was in timeout because he was 'misbehaving'," Clementine gave air quotes, "they'd left him to sit in his own shit so long that his diaper fell off when I picked him up."

Eleanor frowned, before handing AJ over to Clementine, "He's got a rash, but that should go down in time. Any other issued can be fixed by some food and sleep."

Clementine tried to give Eleanor a smile, "Thank you."

Eleanor blinked at her, "You… er, you might want to get used to smiling, because you look like you've stood in a bear trap."

C

Clementine scowled, she'd gone with a couple other people to an old junk yard with the plan on finding a vehicle in decent enough condition and using it to help guard Prescott. Instead, they found a girl hiding in a car and Clementine got flattened by one of the guys from Prescott landing on her after they were shot at. Clementine, the surviving guy from Prescott, and the girl, who gave her name as Mariana quickly got behind a car, with Clementine and the guy, Gus, returned fire. Clementine recognised them as New Frontier, taking the opportunity to nail Badger in the face. She continued firing at the other grunts, before her gun clicked twice. She pulled the trigger a third time and the gun fired.

"Fucking Eli." Cursed Gus, as a bullet hit him in the neck.

Grabbing his gun, Clementine killed the last couple of New Frontier grunts. Sighing, Clementine looked at Mariana, "We've got to go."

"Wait, I, I need to get Gabe and Kate." Said Mariana, running off.

Clementine groaned, before snagging the keys and following after her. Clementine took out some Walkers, allowing a woman and a boy roughly her age to hop out.

"Mari!" Gasped the boy, hugging Mariana, "Thank god you're okay."

"Where's Javi?" Asked the woman, as Clementine walked up to them, "Who's this?"

"I'm the one that dealt with those Walkers," Said Clementine, "you're welcome, by the way."

"Is Javi with you?" Asked the woman, looking around for someone.

Clementine looked around, "Nope, who's Javi? Please don't tell me he's your dog."

"Javi's our uncle." Said Mariana, "Those guys took him."

"Oh," Clementine frowned, "No, he might be at the community I'm from, Prescott's not far from here."

The woman looked conflicted, "We… we need gas to get the van to run."

"What van?" Asked Clementine, frowning.

"They torched the van, Kate." Said Mariana, looking at Kate, "But, Clementine's got a truck."

Kate looked Clementine up and down, before gesturing for the girl to lead them to the truck. Now, Clementine watched as Eleanor checked Kate, Mariana and Gabe over.

"You're certain that it was the New Frontier?" Asked Tripp, getting a nod from Clementine.

"When I was with them, they didn't have the numbers to hold onto multiple places." Said Clementine, "I would've thought that the junk yard would've come under Richmond's control. Then again, I spent most of my time in one of their other camps, Richmond itself could be New Frontier for all I know."

Tripp nodded, looking at their new guests, "Thanks, for not confronting Eli before talking to me. I know you can get carried away when you're angry."

Clementine rolled her eyes and walked off, ducking into Conrad's bar and finding AJ, who had a jar of, what Clementine hoped was, red paint. Looking him over, Clementine looked at Conrad, "What happened?"

"It's tomato sauce." Said Conrad, "I was hoping to use it, but he took off with it."

AJ messily stuffed a fist into his mouth, freezing and looking up as Clementine loomed over him.

"Okay, Goofball," Clementine picked him up, "you're getting a bath."

AJ suddenly started wriggle, whining and starting the throes of a tantrum, before he hit Clementine in the face. Clementine stopped walking, as AJ stared up at her, sighing, Clementine looked down at AJ, tomato sauce smeared on her face. AJ continued to stare up at her, before he started whining again, letting out hiccups, and AJ started to full on bawl. Frowning, Clementine adjusted him and checked him over. Sighing, Clementine grabbed the baby bag and continued to a bathing area near Tripp's office.

Kate watched the girl walking off with a crying toddler, as Eleanor tutted, "What?"

"Clementine needs to get him on a tighter leash." Said Eleanor, "He acts like he's spoilt."

Kate frowned, as Tripp snorted, "You know that's bullshit. We all saw her control him with a look."

"How old is she?" Asked Kate, looking at them.

"Thirteen or fourteen." Shrugged Tripp, "Don't know how she got a hold of the kid, but she cares for him."

"I think he's playing it up," Said Eleanor, as AJ screamed, "he wants attention, doesn't want to something, he's caught doing something he shouldn't—"

"OW!" Clementine's voice echoed over to them, followed by a smack and AJ throwing a tantrum.

"She needs to spank that brat some more." Muttered a guy walking past them.

Kate looked around, before frowning, "Where's Gabe?"

Over in the bathing area, Clementine sighed. Thankfully, AJ always calmed down when he was in the water. Glancing as her hand, Clementine winced, before grabbing a rag, "Do you wanna tell me what happened, Goofball?"

AJ stared up at her, obviously feigning stupidity.

"AJ, you know that's not going to work on me." Deadpanned Clementine, looking at him, "I know you can talk."

AJ huffed and splashed the water around.

Sighing, Clementine ran the wet rag over AJ's face.

"Clem." Whined AJ, giving her a reproachful look.

Clementine raised her eyebrows at him, "You've got food in your hair. Do you want to deal with maggots?"

AJ shook his head.

"Then let me clean you." Said Clementine, simply, as she pulled a piece of tomato out of AJ's hair.

After she finished cleaning the toddler, Clementine turned around to grab a towel. Which was enough time for AJ to run off, giggling as Clementine gave chase. He rounded a corner and ran into someone's legs, giving Clementine a chance to cover him with the towel. AJ started wriggling, ready to start throwing a tantrum, only to stop at the look Clementine gave him.

"I'm sorry about him." Apologised Clementine, looking at the guy AJ ran into, "Gabe, right?"

Gabe nodded, "Er, no problem. How old is he?"

Clementine glanced at AJ, "Almost three."

AJ glared up at Gabe, getting a sigh from Clementine, "AJ."

AJ huffed, before there was a loud bang on Prescott's gate. Sighing, Clementine walked back to the bathing area and dressing AJ, "Look, I know you don't like new people, but if you keep acting out, I'll stop going on supply runs."

AJ grinned, getting a glare from Clementine, "No, AJ. That's not a good thing, it means I'll be watching you like a hawk. You won't be able to explore, you won't be able to play for more than an hour, you won't be able eat what you want. You'll be staying within my eyesight at all times, until I'm satisfied that you can behave yourself while I have someone else watching you. Do you understand?"

AJ gave Clementine a hesitant nod, his smile falling, "Okay."

Clementine sighed, "AJ, you have to behave yourself, I don't want to take those things from you, but I'll take them if you keep misbehaving. Okay?"

AJ nodded, as Clementine stood up.

C

Javi stared at David's back as the man talked to the guy in charge of Prescott. He had an unexpected reunion with his brother, which was made tense when David found out that Javi had been stealing from the junkyard David's group owned.

He spotted Mariana and Kate, before Gabe appeared with a girl in a dirty hat carrying a baby. The girl's face soured, before walking over to them. David looked at the girl and the baby, "Clementine."

"What're you doing here?" Asked Clementine, frowning, "I thought the New Frontier didn't go this far out."

"Javi said my wife and kids were in a junkyard near here." Said David, getting a sigh from Clementine.

"Yeah, they had Badger shooting at them, he killed the two guys I was with." Said Clementine, "We were looking for anything that could help keep the Walkers out."

David frowned, before nodding, "Okay." He looked around and his eyes settled on Gabe, "Gabe." David rushed over to the boy, with Clementine giving Tripp a funny look.

C

David had left with his family, taking them to Richmond. David and Ava had turned up a week later with about a dozen people, saying they were redirecting a massive herd of Walkers. Clementine frowned as she looked through her binoculars.

"Have you given Joan's offer any thought?" Asked Ava, making Clementine look up at her.

"Not really." Said Clementine, going back to looking at the herd, "Kinda surprised it was even made."

"You've matured Clem," Said Ava, "the council—what the hell?!"

Clementine watched in horror as the herd changed direction and hit Prescott. She heard Tripp, Conrad, Javi and David join them.

"No." Gasped Conrad, before he started rushing towards Prescott.

Clementine scrambled to her feet and ran after him, before they knew it, they reached Prescott. The Walkers had cleared out and many of their friends were lying dead and devoured on the ground. Feeling her throat get tight, Clementine ran around, looking for survivors. They found Francine and Eleanor, while Clementine ran to where she left AJ. Skidding to a halt, Clementine looked into the room, taking out a couple of Walkers, looking for any sign of AJ.

Then she heard it. A sniffle and a small sob, spotting a cupboard, Clementine ran over and wrenched the doors open. AJ sat curled into a ball, sniffling a rocking back and forth. Sighing, Clementine gently touched his arm, getting a flinch from him.

"AJ," Said Clementine, softly, "it's me."

"I-I-I-I'm-m s-s-sor-r-ry." Bawled AJ, "I-I-I-I d-did-d-dn't m-mean t-t-to!"

Clementine frowned, before looking around, aside from the mess made by the Walkers, nothing seemed out of place. Clementine heard Eleanor and David enter the room.

"Is he alright?" Asked David, as Clementine continued to look around the room.

"He seems to be," Answered Clementine, "but he keeps apologising for something."

"We…" Eleanor looked around, "we were trying to toilet train him when the Walkers hit."

Clementine frowned, before gently removing AJ from the cupboard, sighing when she saw the stains on his clothes. AJ continued to bawl his eyes out, his voice turning into babbling nonsense, making Clementine adjust him, "AJ. Goofball, look at me."

AJ hesitantly looked at Clementine, the girl sighing at the mixture of fear, embarrassment and shame on his face.

"You have nothing to apologise for," Said Clementine, firmly, "you were scared and there were Walkers. It's not your fault."

AJ hiccupped, as Clementine hugged him.

"You might want to clean yourself up." Said Javi, from the doorway.

"I've walked around covered head to toe in Walker guts." Said Clementine, throwing a glare at him as she picked AJ up, "Besides, it'll wash off. Okay?"

AJ gave her a small nod, as they left the room.

C

Clementine quietly cleaned AJ up in the quarantine area in Richmond, David had managed to get a small bath and some new clothes down so Clementine would clean AJ. AJ quietly sniffled as Clementine washed him, she thought she heard someone come up behind her.

"How's he doing?" Asked Conrad, making Clementine look around at him.

"I think the Walkers really scared him." Said Clementine, turning and grabbing a towel. She started to get up, only to realise that AJ hadn't moved. Sighing, Clementine dried him off, dressed him and picked him up, the toddler gripping tight to Clementine as she walked around the room, burying his face in her chest.

"Clementine." David's voice came from the doorway, "You've been okayed."

Clementine nodded at him, carefully adjusting AJ as she walked past. Wincing as the light hit her, Clementine wandered around, absently bouncing AJ as she walked. She thought she heard Max arguing about something with someone, she thought she heard something about raiders or raiding. David had mentioned finding people who survived the attack on Wellington, and that there were people who mentioned three other cities that survived the outbreak, so maybe it had something to do with that.

Deciding that it wasn't her problem, Clementine walked into the hospital, wincing slightly when she felt a stab of pain in her abdomen. Exhaling, Clementine continued on her way until she reached Lingard's office. Pushing the door open, she saw Lingard going over some things with Eleanor.

"Clementine." Lingard noticed her presence, "Do you need something?"

"Yeah," Clementine awkwardly shifted, "AJ's gotten… clingy, since Prescott. I was wondering if you had anything that could help him."

Lingard frowned, before walking over to Clementine and AJ. After some coaxing, and gentle reassurances from Clementine, AJ was sitting on one of the beds.

"Eleanor said he was being toilet trained when the herd hit," Said Lingard, "and that he was embarrassed about having an accident."

Clementine nodded, "He's had them before, but he's never reacted like this."

"But none of them were when a herd overran us." Said Eleanor, as AJ started whining, "I know I'd behave differently if I was halfway through something, and Walkers attacked."

Clementine frowned, as AJ started hiccupping. AJ's hiccups turned into small sobs, before turning into loud wails. Stepping forwards, Clementine quickly scooped AJ up, checking the diaper and finding it was dry. Slowly, AJ started to calm down, as Lingard frowned at them.

"In some high stress situations," Said Lingard, "people will regress to a younger mental as a form of defence. Especially if they were in a vulnerable position. It should pass in time, just try to continue the routine you'd started and, hopefully, he'll get back to normal soon."

Clementine nodded, as AJ started chewing her shirt's collar.

C

Clementine didn't know what was going on outside the apartment block she'd be placed in, since someone had started yelling about something, but she was trying to coax AJ into walking towards her. AJ had started crawling around and babbling in baby talk, which wasn't ideal. Especially when he hurt himself and Clementine had to awkwardly check him over, while he bawled and wailed.

"Maybe he needs some motivation." Said Gabe, getting a flat look from Clementine.

"With what?" Clementine looked at Gabe expectantly, "There isn't anything here he'd want."

AJ squealed and rolled onto his back. Sighing, Clementine gave up trying to get AJ to walk. Picking the toddler up, Clementine set him on the couch and walked towards the kitchen. AJ stared after her, before he started to whine, feigning hiccups, getting a flat look from Clementine, "That's not going to work AJ."

The toddler stopped and huffed, giving her a scowl and crossing his arms.

"Y'know," Gabe leaned against the counter, as Mariana, Kata and Javi arrived, "maybe we could find something he likes and use that."

"Like what?" Asked Clementine, grabbing a bottle of water, "We've got flip booming all."

Everyone stared at Clementine.

"I'm not swearing in front of him." Stated Clementine, before going through a draw, "At least, I'm not until he's grown up a bit."

"I'm hungry."

Clementine paused, before looking at AJ, "What?"

"I'm hungry." Repeated AJ, just as his stomach released a loud gurgle.

Sighing, Clementine started checking the cupboards for some food.

C

A few days later, Clementine was looking through a draw when Joan walked in.

"Clementine." Said Joan, making Clementine look up, "What are you doing here?"

"Lingard's asleep." Said Clementine, "Or high, or both and I've started bleeding."

"Where?" Questioned Joan, as Clementine shifted uncomfortably.

"Er," Clementine coughed, "down… there…"

Joan frowned, before pointing at a draw, "In there."

Clementine nodded, "Thanks." Opening the draw and taking some of the pads.

"How's your boy?" Asked Joan, making Clementine look up, "I heard he had a bad experience with the Walkers."

"He's moving past it." Answered Clementine, "He's back to normal, for the most part. He's still getting nightmares about Prescott." Clementine paused, "He… he said some of the Walkers spoke."

"Maybe he imagined it." Said Joan, crossing her arms.

Clementine was quiet, "In my time wandering around, I heard, and saw, Walkers that could climb and use tools. Almost like they evolved or something."

"Well," Said Joan, after a moment, "everyone's safe in Richmond."

Clementine gave Joan a nod, before leaving. Joan watched after her, she hadn't ordered Max's men to lead that herd into Prescott, they'd managed to salvage the supplies and weapons from the community, but they had to take the surviving members in, as not make people suspicious. Some, like Eleanor and Clementine, were assets. Eleanor with her medical experience and Clementine with her experience with Walkers.

She'd initially wanted to fit one of them up for killing Badger, but the man had started to become a liability. Given how he'd gone about killing everyone he came across, he'd almost brought the Saviors down on them, fortunately, Max had managed to stop him. Shaking her head, Joan glanced at Paul and left the room.

C

Clementine frowned from the roof of the apartment block, someone had blown a hole in the wall, letting a massive herd of Walkers into the city. David and Ava had managed to stem the casualties by getting the place locked down.

"Any thoughts, Clem?" Asked Ava, as Clementine looked amongst the dead.

"This is going to screw up all the progress AJ's made." Remarked Clementine, "Is Javi's friend still herding the Walkers?"

"Yeah," Ava nodded, "Eleanor's managed to contact Lingard in the hospital."

"He's sober?" Snarked Clementine, wincing at the glare Ava gave her, "Sorry."

"Clint's safe too," Continued Ava, "Joan's missing, though."

Clementine hummed, "I take it there's been no word from David."

"He left with Tripp and Javi, they're bringing the truck and some stuff to block the hole." Said Ava, "You did good down there, covering people so they could get inside."

"I'm just glad I got to pick off some of the Whisperers." Said Clementine, "You know, for how they all preach about keeping quiet and becoming 'one with the herd', they screamed really loudly."

Ava let out a snort, as a truck and a bulldozer carrying a large vehicle drove towards the hole in the wall. Ava and Clementine started picking off the Walkers in the bulldozer's way, with Javi and David doing the same from where they were standing on the bulldozer. From their position, they couldn't see a Walker grab David's leg, but they did see him fall off the bulldozer.

After plugging up the hole and helping Jesus herd the Walkers out of Richmond, the church's bell tolled twice, signalling that the threat had passed. Clementine and some others spent the next few hours cleaning up the dead, they found Joan with her throat ripped out, as well as some others. Clementine had to put down a little girl that had been bitten, she recognised her as Rufus and Fern's daughter, she wasn't looking forward to breaking the news to the girl's parents but knew she had to. Ava found David, barely alive with his guts scattered around him. It occurred to Clementine that she never thanked him for telling her where AJ was.

In the following days, Clementine found herself working closely with the council, with Ava filling David's role and Francine and Conrad filling Joan's. Clementine, Javi and Tripp were given some leading roles, Javi was in charge of recreational tasks, particularly sports, Tripp was in charge of expansion and repair efforts, while Clementine was tasked with teaching the younger, and some of the older, members of the community how to deal with Walkers. Clementine managed to find some thick clothing, so the supply runners would have some more protection against Walkers while outside Richmond.

In the next couple of years, they'd managed to set up supply/trade routes with Wellington, Portland, Omaha and Philadelphia, as well as set up some satellite communities, reestablishing Prescott in the process. They'd gotten into a 'war' with a group called Delta, with Clementine taking a group to West Virginia and stumbling across a group of survivors holed up in their boarding school, losing a leg in the process. They'd managed to end the war, with Clementine discovering that Richmond had fired the first shot. She went back to Richmond, taking a couple of the boarding school survivors with her, and relayed that news to the council. They'd investigated it, leading to Max and some of his guys, revealing that Joan had ordered raids on other communities for their supplies.

After coming to an uneasy peace, with the Coalition of The Kingdom, Alexandria, Hilltop and Oceanside acting as a neutral third party, Delta settled itself in West Virginia and adopted the boarding school as a satellite community. They'd set up supply lines and, were working on setting up phone lines.

Sighing, Clementine glanced over ay AJ, the toddler scribbling on a piece of paper with a crayon. He hadn't had any of the turns he did when he was younger, which Clementine was happy about, although he'd taken what he'd learnt in the Walker lessons and applied it to people.

"Penny?" Asked Javi, dropping into a seat at the table Clementine was working on.

"Just going over the past few years." Said Clementine, after a moment before looking at Javi, "Has something happened?"

"No," Javi shook his head, "just thought I'd drop in."

Clementine let out an amused huff, "Well, Dan suggested I make a lesson plan for the next few Walker classes, said I shouldn't be 'winging it' to them."

"He said the same thing to me, too." Said Javi, glancing at AJ, "Gabe's going to be out of the hospital in a couple of days."

"That's good," Said Clementine, looking through the notes she'd written, "I get the feeling AJ's bored without him."

"Am not!" Protested the toddler, looking up from his scribbles.

"Oh, really?" Clementine raised an eyebrow at AJ.

AJ paused, "Well, maybe a little bit."

Clementine let out a short laugh, before getting up and limping over to AJ. Javi looked at Clementine's prosthetic, before sighing. Getting up, bid goodbye to Clementine and AJ and left the apartment, he had his own lessons to plan.