And come back they did. When you came outside once the sun came up, the first thing you did was come outside, where Clementine and AJ were waiting at the gates. Willy yelled out that they came back, letting Louis and Violet know. Good thing to. You and Louis walked up to the gate, now noticing that AJ's shirt was bloody and Clementine looked so damn tired. The two of you ran out, Louis helped carry AJ while you threw Clementines arm over your shoulder and helped her inside. She seemed fine, just insanely exhausted. Willy then closed the door behind you and ran inside to probably get Ruby.

You look at Clementine and motion to the table which she shakes her head at. She wanted to stay with AJ. You kept following Louis till you all walked inside to be greeted by Ruby and most of the group. Willy however ran off right as you all got there. "Let me see." Ruby looks at AJ's injury. Suppose that was the first gun shot that rang out after you, Louis, and Violet ran. Clementine removed her arm from around you and settled with leaning against you. She honestly reminded you of having a sibling. Ruby then looked towards the stairs, "Come on, I got what I need upstairs." Louis nods and starts carrying AJ up each step. You and Clem follow them.

"We got the shrapnel out of him." Clementine says and puts one of her hands on the railing. "We?" Ruby questions, you were wondering the same thing. None of you went outside the gates after the incident. Well as far as you know. "It's a long story." You all leave it at that and approach a couch, which Louis set AJ on. Ruby then put her hand on his head, confirming that he has a fever.

You and Clem look towards Violet, who reassured Clem that AJ would be okay and taken care of by Ruby and Louis. "Come with me, we can talk in the office. Both of you." Glad you were included since Violet looked super serious. Clem leans off of you to walk away but looks towards AJ who just started calling out to her. You back away as does Ruby and Louis who watch Clem sit by AJ's side. She reassured him that Ruby would take care of him. AJ looked hesitant. "Come on what do we do when we're scared?" AJ looked up at her with a slight pout. "We say fuck off to fear." You giggle a bit at that, Violet does too. Even Louis and Ruby cracked a smile. "I'm good now." AJ looks around at Ruby and Louis who started to crowd behind Clementine. She looks behind her and moves away, Violet puts a hand on her shoulder, looking more uneasy. "Please. We need to talk." You follow the two as they walk off, you were invited to hear anyway.

You make it to the office and shut the door. Violet instantly started talking, "What happened in the woods? I saw you pinned and I.." She trails off, making a motion with her hands that you couldn't decipher. "When I heard you call for help I didn't think at all. I just let go of the arrow and didn't know if I hit her." She pushed some of her short hair behind her ears. "And then Louis got shot. Six.." She paused, looking at you, "Six inches over we'd be digging another grave." You hadn't though about that, yes he was hit but you decided not to cloud your mind with what could've happened to him. You just decided to stick with the slightly better news. That he would be okay.

"I really thought you died Clem." Violet finally says, her voice cracking a bit that didn't go by unnoticed. "It's really good to see you guys again." Clementine smiles, making you and Violet smile as well, "Good to see ya too, hoped you would come back." You give her a light slap on the back. "Just wish Mitch and the others felt the same." She sighs, you agreed with her. They still hated her and AJ. "Me and y/n told them what happened, Louis explained some of it as well later on. That woman that attacked you, I-"
"Lilly." Clem cuts her off. "So you do know her. We were all wondering." Clementine nods, confirming it a second time. You lean against the wall, watching Violet slightly pace and Clementine just stand there. "Who the hell is she? We know you're not part of her group.." Violet looks at Clementine with a look you couldn't explain. "The others, including a bit of Violet, don't like the coincidence." You explain. "She's horrible." Clementine instantly responds, "Always has been. Her dad was a racist asshole and she defended everything he did." Ah of course he was. There's always someone like that. You could tell her was dead by Clem's use of 'was' so that was great news. Woohoo no deranged and psycho elderly who need to be put in a retirement home. Great news! Violet moves to standing in front of the desk, you and Clem move to the opposite side.

"Great. As if we didn't have more than enough dickheads already." You nodded, agreeing with her. "She gunned someone in my old group down during an argument. Carley was her name, she wouldn't let Lilly push her around like that." You grin. Damn. "Gotta love a woman ready to fight." Clementine nods at you, finally someone who agrees with that. Who doesn't love a woman warrior? "Truly Lilly was the dumb one for shooting her." Honestly yeah. Probably had plenty of witnesses to that too. Can't imagine. "I believe you.." She didn't seem like she was finished with her sentence. "But?" Clem inquires. "There's something else, Willy said someone was with you at the gates?" You didn't see them, you only saw an injured AJ and tired Clementine.

"James. He saved me and AJ and then let us stay in his camp for the night." That was nice, you don't meet many nice people out here. But what you were curious (and slightly alerted,) about was how he was so close to the safe zone and unspotted. "But why did you bring him here? You led him right to us." Violet taps the desk a bit aggressively. "Look, he's not with the raiders, He lives by himself in the woods." You didn't know wether to trust that or not. Interesting how he got by this long. Probably stayed in a group for a while. Maybe he's like Clementine. "Willy said he was wearing.. I don't know? Animal skin? Or something." Ew, nasty. "He was wearing walker skins." Clementine snickered at your grossed out face. Triple ew, double nasty. "Wow okay." Violet rubs her neck, also visibly disgusted. "I wouldn't have brought him if I thought he was a threat." Violet sighs, "It's not that I don't trust you. I'm just worried about the others and what they might do." Violet had the right to be worried. They seemed really unhinged without Marlon. It's been like a day since then though so you still couldn't blame them. Like a week later is when you draw the line if their attitudes still haven't changed.

"They didn't even get a chance to mourn Brody and Marlon before those child snatching assholes came." She paused, staring at Clem's face. "You two came back when everyone thought you were dead and now they're confused, we're worried about AJ." You use your arm to lean against the desk. He shouldn't be on their minds, the ugly ass kidnappers should be. Kind of feel like kidnapping one of them instead now. 'The adult nappers.' Perfect. "AJ is the least of their problems right now." Clementine looks at you, "They might think otherwise." You mumble looking at Violet who just thinks over a few of the right words and moves to sit down. "Everyone is a mess, They're scared and angry and looking for someone to blame." You'd prefer it not be a child. But you didn't want it to be Clem either. "I mean they kicked you out." Violet continues, "How am I-" Violet pauses and peaks at you, " WE.. supposed make them change their minds about you?" Violet leans back, directing her attention back to Clem, taking time to think about her next sentences for Clem's response. "My god forget the stupid vote!" You look at Clem, slightly surprised. Your face returns back to being calm, you were just shocked to hear her yell. Everyone's been yelling a lot though so it didn't bother you at all. "James told me what Lilly and Abel will do next."

You stare at her for a good minute as she starts pacing. Your heart started beating faster, and not the good beating when Mitch talked to you or did little things to make you laugh, it was out of curiosity and a slightly nervous demeanor. Violet looked confused. "He said they'll get more people, and guns, and come attack us. Take everyone here." You shook your head, you didn't think they'd have the balls, but then again, they are probably part of a community. So it is possible they do. And it's very concerning. "How the fuck would he know?" You question, "He's watched them for a while. They're at war and need people." Damn, he invisible? Well, he does have walker skin. Right. Almost forgot about that. Ew. Clem glanced back at you and then Violet. She looked stressed. "Is that what happened to Minnie and Sophie? They turned them into soldier?" You hoped they were alive if they were. You didn't ever meet them, but you hoped it was possible. Tenn would be so happy to see them too. And you wanted to see him happy. The kid deserves happiness. "Yeah, and it'll happen to us too if we don't stop them." How would you? You'd all probably just die in the process if you didn't have a good plan.

"Minnie didn't even like killing walkers.." You round the desk and pat Violets back when she leans forward to put her head in her hands on the desk. "Look at this place, it's a fortress. With a little work, we could make this place hard to attack." How she knew that? You didn't know, probably form a bunch of experience. Violet then stood up and walked over to her, "Do you actually know how to do that?" Clementine looks at you and instantly nods. "I was part of a siege once, in a town called Richmond. Here let me show you." Richmond.. haven't heard of it. Maybe you could go someday.

She pulls out a folded map of the school from her pocket and puts it on the desk for us to see. She then pointed to the walls of the school, "We've got good strong walls. We need to make them hard to climb over so the raiders have to go through the gates." You don't remember seeing anything to help you guys with that. "There's barbed wire in the greenhouse." Clem nods, now needing to remember that information, then points to another part of the map, the main entrance to the school, "We'll make our stand here. There's only one way in: the front. And then there's the big central staircase." If we rig the path with traps, we can pull back here." Not a bad idea at all, Clementine was extremely skilled with stuff like this. "Luring in attackers, I like it." Violet praised, you couldn't help but grin. You liked the idea a lot too.

Clementine then pointed to the courtyard. "The courtyards pretty wide open, not a lot of cover." Agreed. "We should flip the picnic tables, narrow down the path ways through it, that kinda stuff."

"So we know which way they're coming." Clem nods, "Exactly. At the very least it'll give us protection if they get past the walls." She looks at the greenhouse, "You guys don't use the greenhouse do you?" Violet and you shake your head at the same time, "Used to." She mutters. "Then we lost someone out there. Walkers overran the place and Marlon wouldn't let us go back there." Right, must've been Mrs. Martin. The woman that Ruby told you all about. Nurse lady.

"We need to get that barbed wire, ya know, for the walls." You nod, "I'll go. Wanna come along?" Clementine nods as well, "Yeah." Violet looks at you both, worry visible on her face. "Are you sure? It's gonna be swarming with walkers by now." Now that you had to disagree with. It's had to have been a while so it probably won't be surrounded, or at least AS surrounded as it was before.

You're all interrupted by the door slamming open and making all of you jump. "Okay what the hell is going on?!" Oh sweet jesus, not this guy. You were joking of course but snickered once it popped up in your mind. "Willy told me she was back. But I was like, 'No way! Violet wouldn't go against what we all decided!'" Well then you thought wrong dumbass. You groan, growing frustrated, "Goddamn man, just leave it or I'll be the one to slap you this time." Wack a mole who? He glared at you and you returned the glare. Dude apologized last night and now he's acting all pissy again. "Shh would you keep it down, the boy is trying to sleep." That actually made you jump, Ruby just like appeared. She shut the door behind her though. "His fevers already going down. He's going to be just fine." Clementine let's out a breath of relief and thanks her. "Great we're just giving them our medicine too?" Yes. We are. Pay attention. Violet steps in front of Clementine and stares Mitch down.

"Mitch, the people who shot Louis? They're arming up to attack the school. We NEED Clems help." Mitch looks at you as you nod, she had a lot of great ideas, and you definitely needed her help. "Like hell we do, for all we know she's working with them." Violet shakes her head and steps forward to him, he leans back slightly as if to avoid the smell of her breath, kinda funny really, "She's not! If you saw their leaders boot on Clem's neck, you'd know that she isn't."

"These raiders all carry guns and know how to use them." Violet moves aside as Clementine gets in Mitch's space. For some reason both of those actions between the three bothered you. "So whatever you think of me and AJ, deal with it. Or you're gonna end up dead." She jabs a finger at him. Mitch rolls his eyes and lightly pushes her away, his glare never going away, "I'll take my chances." Violet then moves Clem aside and backs Mitch up a bit, "Clem and y/n are going to the greenhouse to find barbed wire and anything else Clem thinks we need for the fight. And you're going to help them." That's not the best idea. You look at her but she's too busy arguing with Mitch. And you also remember nobody can read your mind like you've been thinking these past few days. Oops. "Come on Mitch don't be bitchy today. You weren't last night." Violet slowly turned towards you and raised a brow. You raise a brow at her back, wrong choice of words yes but she didn't need to be dirty minded about it. "I'm not." Mitch mutters, he seemed embarrassed after you said that. Funny. "Well you are anyway, it's too dangerous for them to go by themselves and you're good in a fight." Being honest, Violet can win almost any argument with flattery and compliments. Or at least she used to, to get Louis to go out hunting. Worked a few times. Ruby steps in the middle of Violet and Mitch, "I can go too, ya know, to keep the peace." You smile and nod at her, you didn't mind if she came. Plus she seemed to be the most sane one coming with. "Fuck Vi, since when are you the one making calls?" Mitch roughly shoves her shoulder.

Violet backs away from him as you slap his arm, hard. You regret not slapping his face instead. He winces and rubs his arm before looking back at Violet, "Since no one else stepped the fuck up!" She paces for a second before walking up to Clementine, "These two will meet y'all at the gate and you can head to the greenhouse once I've explained the situation." She gestures to you and Clementine. Clementine walks up to the door, you behind her. She stops and looks at Mitch and Ruby and mutters, "See you there." She opens the door and holds it open for you to follow, you step out, shutting the door behind you but not before looking at Mitch's face. He looked tired and stressed, anger also being visible. You're not surprised. You kinda feel bad for him honestly. You shut the door and are greeted with a sight to see, you and Clem watched Louis, begging to the unconscious kid that he stayed okay and kept apologizing. It's really sweet, you knew Louis would apologize eventually, but maybe he should do it when AJ's awake. He needs rest after all. He then noticed you both standing there. He looked like a kid was caught wrist deep in a jar full of cookies, you'd know a thing about that.

"I.." He shakes his head and quickly walks off, walking away from you three. Clem looks at AJ for a good minute before you put a hand on her shoulder, "Come on." It sounded to you like more of a whisper, but she still heard it. She walks ahead, you following her down the stairs and out the door towards the greenhouse.