Between Reunions 1

Clementine sat on the sofa, curled into a ball with her injured leg sticking out and resting on Gabe's lap.

"There was a kid I knew," Said Gabe, making Clementine jump slightly, "before all this happened, he always had a cast on his arms and legs, not all at once though, and he'd keep telling these crazy stories about monsters and shit and how he got his arm-slash-leg in plaster."

"Sounds like a friend I had, at the start," Smiled Clementine, "His name was Kenny Jr. but everyone called him 'Duck' because he was about as dumb as one."

"What happened to him?" Asked Gabe, looking at Clementine.

"He got bit a few months in, sent his dad into a disaster spiral," Answered Clementine, shifting in the seat, "he died a few months before Ava found me."

"This is the dad, right?" Asked Gabe, glancing at Clementine.

"Yeah, since Duck died a few months into the apocalypse." Said Clementine, slowly.

"Sorry, bit hard of hearing, we had an explosion a couple months ago," Explained Gabe, "I still get ringing in my ears."

"Know the feeling."

Gabe snorted, glancing towards the chair in the corner. AJ had taken up residence there, so he wouldn't be far from Clementine. Gabe had yet to leave Clementine and AJ alone for more than an hour, saying he was keeping tabs on Clementine's recovery.

Clementine glanced at Gabe, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you keep hanging around us?" Elaborated Clementine, "If you're doing it because one of your guys shot me-"

"That's not why I hang around." Rushed Gabe, looking panicked.

"Then why do you hang around?" Frowned Clementine, trying to hide how tired she was.

"It, er, it's complicated?"

"Was that a statement or a question?"

"…both?"

"So, what's 'complicated'?"

"I, er, well, um…"

"Gabe, just spit it out."

"I think I'm in love with you!"

Clementine stared at Gabe, "What?"

"I, er, I think that, um, that I'm in l-love with you." Gabe shyly looked at Clementine, who looked confused, before the painkillers finally kicked in and Clementine's eyes fluttered closed. Gabe stared at Clementine, before hitting himself on the forehead, "Idiot! Now, she's going to want nothing to do with you!"

BR

Clementine frowned, looking around at her surroundings. She was at the Motel, she could vaguely hear Larry yelling about something, Kenny and Lee were talking about something else, she could see Lilly sitting in the RV's roof, while Duck ran around. Katjaa was sitting off to the side, reading a medicine book, just as a shadow fell over Clementine. She looked up and saw Carley smiling down at her.

"Heya, Clem," Smiled Carley, crouching down, "What are you drawing?"

Clementine frowned, before looking down, a crude drawing of Lee, Carley and herself looked back up at her, "My family."

Carley's smile turned sad, "I'm sure they're alright, Clem."

"No, you, me and Lee." Clementine pointed to each figure, before frowning, "But, I didn't draw this until…"

"Until after Lee died." Finished Carley, sitting next to Clementine.

Clementine looked around again, now only she and Carley were in the motel, "I miss them. Duck, Katjaa, Kenny, you and Lee."

Carley wrapped an arm around Clementine's shoulders, "We're still alive, maybe not in body, but as long as you remember us, and tell people about us, we'll continue to live in your memories and the memories of the people you tell."

Clementine sniffed and wiped her eye.

"You should go for it." Said Carley, suddenly, making Clementine jump.

"Go for what?" Asked Clementine, frowning.

"The relationship with Gabe that you're thinking about." Responded Carley, standing up, with Clementine following her. It was only then Clementine realised she didn't look like a child anymore, but how she looked currently.

"You've grown, Clem," Carley placed a hand on Clementine's shoulder, "you've been on the move for years. You deserve the chance to settle down, find happiness."

"I thought I found that at the school," Murmured Clementine, "I felt something for one of the guys there, Louis, but when Marlon confessed to selling two of his people, he voted to have AJ and I thrown out. AJ almost died, a walker grabbed his jacket and I hit him when I shot at the walker. If James hadn't been there…"

"How bad was it?" Asked Carley, gently.

"I grazed the side of his head, if it was closer to the left…" Clementine swallowed, "I asked James to accompany AJ and I back to the New Frontier, he's wandering around the forests nearby, guiding other survivors towards us."

Carley smiled.

"And, now Gabe's saying that he thinks he loves me, a-and I-I don't know what you do." Finished Clementine.

Carley pulled Clementine into a hug, "Lee would be so, so proud of you. Really," Clementine gave her a doubtful look, "You survived on your own, you found families, you protected and saved everyone you could, you raised a little boy in a literal hell on earth and you kept your morals strong. You couldn't save everyone, but that's not on you. Lee didn't die because of you, Kenny didn't die because of you, Ben didn't die because of you and anyone else who died didn't die because of you."

Clementine let out a watery laugh, before burying her face in Carley's shoulder, "I miss you, Mom."

Carley returned the hug, "You're going to wake up soon."

"I know."

BR

Clementine opened her eyes and yawned, Gabe was dozing at the other end of the sofa, while AJ was still curled up, asleep in his chair. She looked back at Gabe, biting her bottom lip and taking a deep breath.

"Gabe." Whispered Clementine, nudging Gabe.

"Hmm." Hummed Gabe, tiredly looking at Clementine.

She jerked her head, gesturing that they should go outside and talk. After helping her to her feet, Gabe followed Clementine out to the porch of the home she'd been given.

"Thanks," Said Clementine, looking at Gabe, "for the house."

"Thank Mike and Javí," Dismissed Gabe, "We've fortified the walls around New Richmond, we get the materials to build and expand from other settlements, like Alexandria and Hilltop."

"I've heard of those, came close to visiting one, but decided to avoid it." Said Clementine, resting her leg on the table on the porch as she sat down.

"Yeah, Maggie's really cautious when it comes to outsiders, we actually had to have the Kingdom vouch for us." Sighed Gabe, sitting down across from Clementine.

Clementine snorted, before the smirk slowly slid off her face, "Look, Gabe, I've, er, I've been thinking about what you said earlier."

"Forget about it," Said Gabe, hurriedly, "i-it was stupid of me to think that you'd-"

"I want to give it a try." Clementine interrupted, making Gabe freeze, "AJ and I, we…we've been running for a long time, trusting no one and almost dying." She swallowed, "We've worried about everything, never giving a place a chance…I don't want that to be my, or AJ's, life."

Gabe frowned.

"And, w-when I'm around you, everything just, stops." Said Clementine, "I-I feel safe, I feel that AJ's safe. The last time I felt something like that was…"

"Before."

Clementine nodded, "I-I want to try, I want to try living here, I want to try and let AJ stay somewhere safe, I-I want to try being with you…"

Before either of the knew what happened, Gabe was suddenly next to her, tilting her head up. The pair stared into each other's eyes, Gabe resting his forehead on Clementine's. Brown eyes gazed into Amber and, acting purely on impulse, Gabe kissed her.

BR

"Are you sure about this?" Whined AJ, as Clementine and Gabe guided him towards a room set up like a classroom.

"It'll be fine goofball," Smiled Clementine, "Think of it as a form of survival training."

AJ pouted, though he'd call it scowling.

"Don't pout, AJ," Said Clementine, "Who knows, you might find it fun."

"Okay." AJ looked at the ground.

"Hey," Clementine carefully knelt in front of the boy, "it's only for a few hours and I'll pick you up when it's finished, okay?"

AJ nodded, still not looking at Clementine.

"Be brave for me, Goofball." Said Clementine softly, gently placing a kiss on his forehead.

AJ reluctantly walked up to the door of the makeshift school.

"Why is this so fucking hard to watch?" Muttered Clementine, blinking rapidly.

"You brought him up in hell?"

"Not helping."

Gabe shrugged, before spotting Mike, "Oh, that's Mike, the guy that helped build the house."

Clementine followed where Gabe was pointing, before freezing at the sight of a familiar face.

"He arrived here shortly after you left, he came with his girlfriend and some Russian guy that tried to steal from us." Gabe shuddered, "I'd never seen Eleanor so upset."

"His girlfriend," Asked Clementine, tensely, "she didn't happen to have red hair and answer to Bonnie, did she?"

"How'd you…oh shit." Muttered Gabe, as Clementine started limping towards Mike.

Mike had his back turned to Clementine and looked as if he was talking to someone covered in dirt. Clementine stopped a couple feet away from him, before letting out a short whistle. Mike turned to look at her, before freezing.

"Clementine?"

"Where's the dickhead that shot me?"

"…Arvo?"

"No, the guy that tried to remove my toes." Snarked Clementine, getting a wince from Mike.

"Okay, you're still upset about that." Winced Mike, turning to face Clementine fully.

"Yeah, since he shot me!" Snapped Clementine, "Trust me, he's only higher on my shit list because of that, you and Bonnie are on it too."

"Look, Clem," Sighed Mike, "Kenny wasn't safe to be around."

"So, you thought you'd leave an eleven-year-old and a new-born with him? Of course, he wasn't safe to be around, he'd lost his fucking eye!" Snarled Clementine, "You two were perfectly content to leave AJ and I behind, while taking the supplies."

"We didn't expect Arvo to shoot you." Defended Mike, "And, besides, you woke Kenny and Jane up. Wait," Mike glanced around, "They're not here, right?"

"No, Kenny killed Jane after she said she killed AJ, and walkers got Kenny a few months after that." Mike gaped at her, "AJ's dead?"

"No, Jane said she'd killed him," Scowled Clementine, "She stashed him in a car, surrounded by walkers, like a sane person."

Mike stared at Clementine, "Are you okay?"

Clementine slowly looked down at the boot on her foot, before looking back at Mike, "No."