Reunions 2

"So, after leaving him, alone, you heard a gunshot, doubled back and looted his corpse?" Asked Christa, disbelievingly, looking down at Marlon.

Sophie had arrived shortly after AJ left and, after seeing the group, suggested that they all be separated.

"T-that's right." Said Marlon, looking up at her.

"Marlon just shot him?!" Demanded Sophie, glaring down at Minerva.

"Yes."

"What, did you suggest it to him, or did he just up and do it himself?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"It's what you did." Snapped Sophie, jerking her scarf to the side, presenting a pale scar to Minerva, "I was lucky your aim was off."

"Fuck, Soph, I-I'm sorry." Gasped Minerva, reach out to Sophie.

"Stay where you are!" Ordered Sophie, drawing a gun on Minerva, "Now, answer my question, did you tell Marlon to kill Gabe?!"

"No." Minerva shook her head, "I-I was going to tell him who we were, w-when Marlon shot him."

"You remind me of a friend of mine." Said Jesus, leaning back in his chair.

Louis frowned, leaning forwards, "Who?"

"He's the leader of a community, not too far from here, called the Kingdom," Answered Jesus, "his name's Ezekiel."

"My dad was called that." Muttered Louis, "He was rich as fuck, but chose to work in a fucking zoo."

Jesus froze, before frowning, "What was his last name?"

"Sutton."

Jesus fell back in his chair.

Tenn nervously looked up at the brunette, according to the one called Becca, this was Shel.

"W-we didn't know Marlon was going to shoot him." Stuttered Tenn, as Shel sat down across from him.

"Did Marlon say why he shot Gabe?" Asked Shel, resting her elbows on the table.

"H-he said we needed the supplies he had."

There was a brief knock on the door, before Javí poked his head in and gestured for Shel to step out of the room. The group of adults looked around each other.

"According to Marlon," Said Christa, running her hand down her face, "They left Gabe, heard a gunshot and doubled back, then they looted his corpse."

"Minerva said Marlon shot him, without provocation, just to take his supplies." Said Sophie, looking around.

"Tenn said the same thing."

"As did Louis."

"Violet said as much," Sighed Javí, pinching the bridge of his nose, "what the fuck are we going to tell Clem?"

"You can start," Came a sharp and cold voice, "by telling me which one of those bastards killed my husband."

Clementine stood in front of them, Mariana sleeping in a sling across her chest.

"Clem, you should be resting." Said Javí, walking towards her.

"How can I rest, when Gabe's murderer is here?!" Demanded Clementine, glaring up at Javí.

"Please, fuck," Groaned Javí, "sleep for tonight, it's too late to do anything, I'll try and answer that question in the morning."

Clementine glared a Javí, before turning on her heel and stalking out of the hallway.

"I'm assuming that Lee and Carly are with Kate." Said Christa, frowning at the thought of Clementine telling them why their father wasn't coming back.

R

Clementine woke up to Mariana whimpering, while the twins was sleeping across a sleeping AJ. She smiled, before catching sight of a picture of her and Gabe on their wedding day. A small bump was slightly visible under the bouquet she was carrying, Javí jokingly called it a shotgun wedding. Her throat grew tight, she still hadn't told the twins that their father was dead.

Mariana whimpered a little louder, while attempting to gnaw through Clementine's shirt.

"Alright." Muttered Clementine, freeing one of her breasts to feed the baby. Mariana greedily suckled, leaving Clementine to her thoughts. She didn't know who the new arrivals were, only that one, or some, of them had murdered Gabe for some meagre supplies. Mariana stopped feeding and started to whine, prompting Clementine to sit up and gently pat Mariana's back until she let out a burp. Within seconds, the baby was back asleep. Both Lee and Carley had taken after her side of the family, Lee with her eyes and her grandfather's hair and Carley with her hair and her grandmother's nose.

"Mommy?" Asked Lee, quietly.

"Yes, sweetie?" Whispered Clementine, adjusting Mariana.

"When's Daddy going to come home?"

Clementine froze, swallowing thickly, "I-I don't know."

"I miss him." Said Lee, falling back asleep.

"Me too." Murmured Clementine, feeling her eyes burn.

Clementine once thought that having her leg amputated was the worst pain she could feel, that was replaced by childbirth and now, the feeling of losing her spouse. Clementine silently cried, carefully cradling Mariana.

R

Clementine froze mid-step at the sight of Louis. He hadn't spotted her, allowing her to drop Lee and Carley off at their school. She strode up to Louis, who still had his back to her.

"Who was it?"

Louis jumped, spinning on his heel. He stared down at Clementine, he thought she was pretty before, but now he thought she was beautiful, his eyes raked over her figure, before settling on Mariana, "You have a kid?"

"Who. Was. It?" Hissed Clementine, glaring up at Louis, she'd admit he was attractive, but she there for one thing.

"Who was what?" Asked Louis, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Which one of you killed Gabe?" Snapped Clementine, tempted to pull her gun on him.

"Oh…"

"Oh?"

Louis started to back track, only increasing Clementine's ire.

"One of your group kills Gabe and all you can say is oh?!" Snarled Clementine, stalking closer to Louis.

"Clem!" Yelled Javí, quickly sliding between her and Louis, "Please, let us handle this."

"What?" Scoffed Clementine, "So you can give them a slap on the wrist and welcome them in?!"

"No, so you don't do something you regret."

Clementine glared at Javí, before turning on her heel and stalking away. Louis coughed awkwardly.

"Uh, thanks." Said Louis, getting a sigh from Javí.

"She has a point," Admitted Javí, looking at Louis, "Marlon did kill Gabe, unprovoked, and there are consequences that need to be addressed. I don't know what you or your group have been through, but killing a married man, my nephew, isn't something that can be easily forgiven. If it comes to it, Marlon may have to leave."

Louis swallowed, as Javí walked away from him. It was bad enough that Marlon killed someone for less than a day's worth of supplies but being told that Gabe had a family waiting for him, by a member of said family, was heart breaking.

"Hey," Called Mitch, getting Louis to look at him, "we're gonna be showed around."

"Great." Muttered Louis, joining the rest of their group.

"Right, I'm only going to say things once, so don't bother asking any questions." Said Sophie, shortly, "Marlon's not going to be here long, and I don't care what the rest of you do."

"What do you mean Marlon's not going to be here long?" Demanded Mitch, getting a growl from Sophie.

"He murdered a member of this community, for a stupid fucking reason," Started Sophie, "I don't care what you guys have been through, but we're now trying to keep Marlon safe from Gabe's wife, who is not known to forgive anyone."

"W-what might she do?" Asked Marlon, making Sophie stop.

"Normally, she'd demand you leave. Now, if you're lucky, she'll shoot you." Said Sophie, turning to look at them, "You want to know the horrible part? When you were busy murdering Gabe, she was giving birth."

Louis swallowed, already beginning to connect the dots. The kid from the day before was walking up to Sophie, glaring at the group in front of her.

"AJ, I can hear you glaring." Sighed Sophie, turning to face him, "What's wrong?"

"One of the gates was left open last night." Said AJ, the Ericson's group staring at him, "Nothing major happened, but a walker was caught in one of the traps."

"AJ?" Asked Violet, staring at him.

"Hi."

"I-is Clem here?"

"Yeah, but she's not in the best of moods." Warned AJ, looking over the group, "So, which one was it?"

"AJ." Warned Sophie, getting a grumble from him, "Has the walker been dealt with?"

"Yeah, Russel's showed the kids how to take one out." Shrugged AJ, "Oh, Kate also told me, to tell you, that visitors from Alexandria, the Kingdom and the Commonwealth were going to be arriving tomorrow. She mentioned someone called Noel or Noah. She also said you weren't to sneak off with your boyfriend."

Sophie glared at AJ, before taking a swipe at him. He dodged and shot off, away from the group.

"Well, we're fucked." Stated Mitch, "If he's here and Clementine's here, we're going to have to leave, or they'll put a bullet in our heads."

"What?" Asked Sophie, raising an eyebrow at Mitch.

"About ten years ago, Clem and AJ came to the school," Explained Violet, "things happened, and she found out that Marlon and Brody had sold you and Minnie to the raiders. They tried to make it seem like Clem was one of the raiders, but Brody broke and fessed up. Then AJ shot at Marlon and took the top of his ear off. The following day we all had a vote and all but three of us voted to throw Clem and AJ out."

"I take it you were in the 'keep' camp." Said Sophie, glancing at Violet.

"Along with Tenn and Aasim."

Sophie looked over the group, before focusing on Marlon, "You just keep fucking up, don't you?"

R

Marlon tried not to fidget, seeing as he was only a couple of feet away from Clementine. Louis was sat at a table with Tenn, practically making moon eyes at Clementine. Mitch looked disgusted at something. He felt someone brush past him, before seeing Violet and Minnie sit down either side of Clementine.

"Hey." Greeted Violet, getting a hum from Clementine.

"I take it you're not much of a talker." Said Minnie, awkwardly.

"No, she's just gotten to sleep and she's a very light sleeper."

Violet and Minnie both craned their necks and stared at the small bundle with a pacifier gently suckled in its mouth.

"Holy shit." Sword Violet, getting a quiet snort from Clementine, before the penny dropped, "You were Gabe's wife…"

"Until one of your group killed him."

Violet didn't hide her wince, before nervously glancing over at Marlon, "What are you going to do to the culprit?"

"Why, is it you?" Clementine raised an eyebrow, "I think it'll depend on who it was. I have my suspicions, but Javí wants to see what use you can all be, before making any big decisions."

Violet swallowed, sharing a quick nervous glance with Minnie, before leaning back slightly. She glanced down and froze, "What the fuck happened to your leg?"

Clementine winced, speaking quietly, "I got bit about three months after getting back here, Sophie actually saved my life."

Violet openly gaped at the prosthetic, before Minnie leaned close, "What's it feel like?"

"What?" Asked Clementine, bewildered.

"You know, missing a leg?" Elaborated Minnie, "Can you still feel your toes?"

"Yeah, and it's a bitch."

"Cool."

"Not cool." Corrected Clementine, carefully standing up, "I've got to go pick someone up, it's been nice talking to you."

Marlon watched Clementine stand, he couldn't see or hear what Clementine, Violet and Minnie were talking about, but he hoped it wasn't about Gabe. He watched as she carefully adjusted the bag she was carrying and left the bar. Louis looked unbelievably lost when Clementine walked out, it was almost funny.

"She's filled out." Said Mitch, frowning, "Do you think they do boob and ass jobs here?"

"Why, Brody too flat for you?" Snapped Violet walking over to them, "She's 'filled out' because she's had a child."

"That's rich coming from a board."

"At least I don't cry during sex."

"At least I've had sex."

"When? Those three milliseconds don't count!"

"Coming from someone who can't count!"

"Bitch!"

"Cunt!"

"And… Kiss!"

Violet and Mitch looked over at the source of the voice, a woman with black hair and an empty smirk took a picture of them, "There, another for the memorial wall."

It took Violet a moment to recognise the woman as Becca, one of the guards that escorted them into the settlement.

"Oh, that was great." Laughed Becca, wiping an eye, before becoming serious, "But if you keep that up, you'll find yourself on the outside of the fence."

"Why?" Demanded Mitch, getting a scowl from Becca.

"Because," She started slowly, "if you keep fighting, you'll be considered a danger to the community."

Becca turned and started to walk off, before looking back at them, "And keep away from the kids, we don't want them to know what murder is."

R

Clementine frowned at the Ericson's survivors, Sophie and AJ were next to her.

"Okay," Said Clementine, deciding to get the task over with, "I'm going to assume you all know what a basic supply run entails, we've got a couple of contacts that'll leave ammunition lying around, we actually found an RPG on one trip, but it's our job to go collect them."

She slowly looked over them, "While we're out there, you do as you're told. If Me, Sophie or AJ tell you to do something, you do it, if we tell you to stop doing something, you do it, and, I can't believe I have to say this, if you see a grenade with the fucking pin missing, you don't pick it up."

Clementine started to lead them out of the gate, before Mitch spoke, "Why do we have to listen to you?"

"Because if any of you return without us, the guys on the wall might take pot shots at you." Snarked Sophie, punching Mitch's shoulder and walking past him.

Marlon kept glancing around, as if he was looking for someone. Brody kept glancing at AJ and Sophie, while Violet jogged ahead and fell into step with Clementine.

"So, how've the past ten years been?" Asked Violet, a dark look passing over Minerva's face.

"Difficult to say, Javí came up with these supply runs to get me out of Richmond while other communities were visiting." Shrugged Clementine, before wincing, "I kinda punched, what I thought was, a fat guy who was being an asshole."

"What do you mean 'what you thought was'?" Asked Minerva, making Clementine look back at her.

"Turns out it was a pregnant woman, but she was still an asshole," Said Clementine, "It didn't help that the following year, I punched the leader of the Saviours."

"You punched Negan?!" Gaped Minerva, getting a chuckle from Sophie.

"She nearly knocked him flat," Laughed Sophie, "she was pregnant with the twins at the time and didn't like his attitude."

"I broke my hand, but he seemed more impressed than angry." Clementine remembered, "Of course, Javí stepped in and made sure no one did anything that would fuck things up."

Sophie spotted Marlon looking around, before frowning, "What are you looking for?"

Clementine stopped and looked back at Marlon, who seemed to be surprised that Sophie spoke to him, "What's going on?"

"Marlon's looking around us, as if he's looking for someone." Answered Sophie, glaring at Marlon, "What are you looking for, Marlon?"

"N-nothing." Denied Marlon, glancing around the group.

Clementine opened her mouth, before she heard a snap. The familiar sound of walkers groaning reached her. She bit back a groan and turned to face the walkers. Quickly spotting they were out numbered, Clementine looked at Sophie, "We're going back."

Sophie nodded, before drawing her axe, "Okay, no one fall behind, because we'll not be stopping."

Clementine stabbed a couple of the walkers that were close to the rear of the group, before following them. Clementine spotted something orange in her peripheral and stopped. A walker was leaning over a corpse, that had a familiar orange hat on. Quickly stabbing the walker in head, she kicked the corpse off it's meal and felt her breath catch in her throat. Gabe hadn't been dead a week and he'd already been found by walkers. Part of her knew this wasn't something that could be avoided, another, irrational, part of her felt angry. She sighed through her nose, before carefully removing Gabe's hat from his remains. She looked around and quietly made note of the location, before heading back to Richmond.

R

"Where's Clem?" Asked Kate, looking over the group.

"She fell behind." Said Marlon, nervously looking at the gate.

"Oh, great," Muttered Kate, "just what we need."

"It can't be that bad." Said Mitch, getting a round of glares, "What? We were all thinking it."

"When you said that," Asked Sophie, frowning, "what did you mean?"

"Well, she's survived on her own before, so we shouldn't have to worry."

Everyone stared at Mitch, as one of the guards noticed someone approaching the gates.

"What?" Asked Mitch, "I can be nice. I've been nice to Marlon since he shot that Gabe guy."

"He what?!"

Everyone turned and looked at Clementine, walker blood and guts covering her clothes, an orange beanie stuffed into her pocket and a look of complete, utter, rage on her face.

"Marlon did what?" Snarled Clementine, glaring at the group.

"Clem…" Sighed Kate, moving to get between Marlon and Clementine.

"Don't! Don't try and say he was scared, that he regrets it," Snarled Clementine, glaring at Kate, "You knew. You knew who the person responsible for killing Gabe was. You knew and didn't say anything!"

"Clementine, please," Begged Kate, quietly, "we didn't want to stress you."

"You, you didn't want to stress me?!" Snapped Clementine, "You think not telling me hasn't made me stressed?! You're not the one who had to tell your children why their father wasn't coming home! You're not the one who had-" Clementine's voice broke. She swallowed, before glaring at Marlon. She stalked over to him and roughly grabbed his arm.

"W-what are you doing?!" Demanded Marlon, as Clementine shoved him out the gate. When he went to re-enter, Clementine drew her gun on him.

"Why?"

"W-what?"

"Why did you shoot my husband?"

"I-I panicked, I didn-"

"THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE!" Shrieked Clementine, the gun trembling slightly.

"I-I know, I-I-I'm sorry." Marlon's voice broke, "I'm so, so, sorry."

Clementine glared at him and pulled the trigger. Marlon flinched, before the bullet hit a walker behind him. Clementine wordlessly stepped to the side and jerked her head, silently telling Marlon to get back through the gate. Clementine went to follow, before a walker grabbed her prosthetic, removing the limb and tripping Clementine. The walker tried to tear the fake limb apart, only to get a knife to the head. Louis pulled Clementine's knife out from the Walker's head and helped Clementine to her feet. He wordlessly grabbed the prosthetic, helping Clementine through the gate.

"Everything okay?" Asked Javí, making everyone look at him.

"Almost." Said Clementine, before pointing her gun at Marlon's foot and shooting him.

"AGH, WHAT THE FUCK?!" Screamed Marlon, falling to the ground.

"That was for shooting Gabe."

R

Marlon rolled his foot, he'd just spent the last three months in a boot after Clementine had shot the tip of his big toe off. Javí and Kate had managed to prevent Clementine from shooting him further, although Marlon didn't count that as a mercy. He'd been given a trial and, while he wasn't exiled, he'd been placed in a detention area, under the watch of James, the man they met when they ran into Gabe. Marlon had been on light duty, but he'd found that most criminals in New Richmond were placed in guard posts and as workers in the farming areas.

Other than those duties, unless they'd done something truly horrifying, the guards were free to do as they pleased. Marlon had been told that, since he'd eventually admitted to it, he was given a lighter sentence. Although, Marlon had heard about another group called the Delta kicking up a fight and Javí had asked for volunteers to help deal with them.

Clementine had tried to volunteer, only for Javí to remind her that Gabe was dead. Marlon winced slightly, stepping out into the light, before heading down to Javí's office to volunteer.

Mitch stifled a groan, he and Brody were watching over the younger children of the community, Clementine had dropped Lee and Carley off and had handed Mariana to Brody, saying something about making bullets.

Mariana stared up at Brody, blowing spit bubbles as the woman quietly fretted over how she was holding the baby. Mitch quietly wrapped an arm around Brody and pulled her against him. She automatically nestled her head into his neck.

"Do you think we'll ever have something like this?" Asked Brody, quietly.

Mitch looked down at her, "I hope so. I mean, if Clementine, of all people, can have it, I don't see why we can't."

Brody sighed, curling Mariana close to her chest.

Minerva and Violet helped Sophie tending to the animals. Sophie snickered as Minerva pulled her hand away from Thunder, a particularly foul tempered horse. Violet smirked, carefully pouring water into a trough.

"You know, we had a smattering of Whispers blow down that wall over there," Said Sophie, pointing to a section of the wall that had obvious patch work on it, "That entire section came down, we had a small herd of walkers storm in. Clementine and Gabe came down here looking for AJ. I guess they heard me shooting them. As soon as they got here, Clem and Gabe must've taken out at least twenty of them. Then a Walker grabbed Clem's leg. Her boot protected her from being bit, until I fired a shotgun into her leg."

Minerva and Violet looked at Sophie, "The walker used the damage I caused and bit Clem, took a massive chunk out of her leg. Gabe and I performed a crude amputation. Clem said I shouldn't worry about her, but, seeing that Gabe's now dead and she has three children. I sometimes wonder if I made the right call."

"If you hadn't, she'd be dead." Violet pointed out, frowning.

"Maybe," Shrugged Sophie, looking up from the cow she was milking, "I sometimes wonder how things would've panned out, if things were different."

"If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there'd be not work for tinkers." Dismissed Violet, as Minerva frowned.

"You mean if my aim hadn't been off? If Clementine had ran into Lilly?" Asked Minerva, sitting down next to her sister, "Lilly and Clementine know each other, Lilly took an interest in the New Frontier after finding out Clementine was among them."

"What, you think Clem's ex-Delta?" Asked Sophie, looking at Minerva.

"No, I mean from before, before Lilly and Delta." Answered Minerva, "like, first days before."

The three girls sat in silence, quietly contemplating the implications with Lilly and Clementine.

Meanwhile, Clementine picked up a colt 45, cocked it and fired one of the bullets in it.

"Batch 21 seems to be working." Said Clementine, looking at Becca, "How're the rifles?"

"They all seem to be working so far." Answered Becca, before looking at Clementine, "You and Louis have gotten pretty close."

"He's just a friend." Dismissed Clementine, taking a bullet from batch 22.

"Yeah, a friend I saw you making out with." Snarked Becca, discharging the rifle, "I still think you need to talk to someone about your drinking problem."

"What makes you think I haven't?" Asked Clementine, firing the colt, "God, it's times like this that make me wish Sarah or Duck were still around."

Becca looked down, "I know I was horrible to her, but I actually thought she was going to survive longer. But, hearing about how she died, and how Jane chose to abandon her… I sometimes can't sleep, because every time I close my eyes, I see Sarah, or Rebecca, or Luke, all torn to pieces."

"You were a kid," Said Clementine, looking at Becca, "you still thought popularity and 'coolness' still matter. You were at an age where you thought you didn't have worry about the war."

"Yeah, a war that no matter what we do," Huffed Becca, "we're going to lose. One of the dead falls, another one takes it's place, one of us falls, we join the other side. What made you so different?"

"Huh?"

"When we first met, you we sure of yourself, you fought walkers like they were nothing, you did what even some of us couldn't. Not to mention that you raised a child during the apocalypse and taught him how to survive. Some people sink in half the situations you've been in, but you always manage to fly."

"Don't think I didn't have off days." Retorted Clementine, "I've my fair share of sinking moments."

Becca laughed, making eye contact with Clementine, "Do you think everything will go back to the way it was?"

"No, and I think it's better that way."

R

Clementine frowned at the group of volunteers, some had minor injuries. Not all of them came back, but they were clearly pleased that they were able to capture someone. She squinted her eye, thinking the woman looked familiar. It wasn't until she got closer, that Clementine recognised her.

"Lilly?"