Clementine stood at the side of her bed, taking her hat from the person-shaped blanket pile Duck was currently cuddling with, placing it back on her head as she stared down at her friend. She smiled as she took in the image. When they were younger, Duck would squabble with her all the time. Saying "I don't cuddle in my sleep!". Just like how he'd deny drooling and snoring. Now he was a triple kill, exhibiting all three behaviors and habits his past self denied having. She could almost giggle at the memory. He long since accepted his habits as true but she would constantly drive him crazy with her 'excuses' for not wanting to be near him while they slept.

She remembers Christa telling them to stop fighting over something so stupid. She remembers Omid not helping her when he couldn't help himself but to laugh at the situation. But no matter how much Clementine gave Duck hell before they went to sleep, she'd end up waking up beside of him. Whether he realized she was there, unconsciously or not, would determine if she was held onto.

Clementine put her hand on his shoulder gently, shaking him softly and hearing a small, sleepy murmur from him in response. What he said to her, however, was a mystery. "Are you planning to sleep here tonight?" She whispered, getting close to his ear so she didn't bother anyone else who was sleeping.

Duck jumped slightly, eyes flying open when he felt Clementine's lips brush against his ear as she spoke to him. Clementine pulled away. And when she did, Duck glared at her. She was smiling at him with a smile that said she didn't know what was wrong. "Don't do that again. It makes me feel weird," Duck said and Clementine gave a confused tilt of her head.

"You're pretty weird all the time though," She whispered with an playful tone as she took Rebecca's blankets off the bed and put it back to their rightful place, earning a sleepy thanks from Rebecca. "Scoot over if you're gonna steal warmth from me," Clementine said and Duck smirked at her as he stretched before moving over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clementine wasn't usually plagued with nightmares. But tonight was different. Tonight, she remembered Lee. Tonight, she reminded herself and let herself indulge in one of the last memories she had with him. She talked about what he found out, which made her think for the first time in a while. Resurfaced the thoughts she tried so hard to bury. The memories that were to painful to feel again. The guilt she tried not to remember. The mantra she'd say to Duck, trying to make herself think that about herself.

"It's not your fault and it never was,"

Her mind kept replaying the events that happened. She dreamt of the fight the man and Lee had. She dreamt back to the shock of his severed arm. The fear she had during the fight that Lee wouldn't win. The fear she felt when the zombie showed up almost nose to nose with Lee. When they found out you could cover yourself and the zombies couldn't tell you from alive or dead.

All of which she had caused.

The fear she felt when she was surrounded by the dead. When she had to move like them and give no indication that she was alive. Lee was there to protect her though. That was the only thing making her feel safe. Then everything stopped. Her throat closed up. Her eyes burned as they grew wide with escaped, fearful tears. Her breathing became shallow as she tried to hold it. Tried to not let it be known that she was still alive enough to take in the oxygen.

She could only stare in horrified terror as her mother turned, showing her zombified face. Devoid of all emotion. Of all recognition. She didn't seem to recognize Clementine. Then she saw her father. It was the same way. For months and months, Clementine had been thinking of their reunion. Of the time she'd meet them again. Of how good it would feel to get a hug from her mom. From her dad.

Now it was stolen from her. That moment of relief she had been chasing after. Had been yearning for being stripped away as if it was nothing. The moment she could hear her mom's voice and be able to take an unburdened breath again being ripped away as she heard instead groans and growls. Death. Clementine was just nine, she didn't know what she was feeling. It was such an odd mixture of emotions but none were good. None made her feel okay.

She was robbed. In just one moment, everything she ever wanted was stripped away, leaving her soul, her heart, feeling bare. Naked. It was a hollow feeling. And suddenly, she was envious of Duck. She was envious that he got to say goodbye to his mom.

She heard him. "Clem... don't...." but he didn't finish his sentence. He collapsed. It took a moment before Clementine could tear her eyes away from her parents and look at Lee. She was conflicted on what to do as she looked around at the walkers. She thought that they would notice what happened but none of them moved towards them. Maybe walkers fall all the time. And she was relieved when not one approached. But she wasn't in the clear.

She had to carry Lee somewhere safe.

But she didn't know how she could. She felt hopeless and like this was the end. How would she do this? How could she? She wasn't strong and she wouldn't be able to carry him and be fast enough to escape any walkers that decided she needed to be followed.

But she couldn't give up on Lee. He didn't give up on her.

That thought was enough to strike determination into her heart.

Unsurely, she grabbed Lee's good arm, crouching to put it around her shoulders. She tried to carry him, drag him, anything. Dodge any walker that saw through her. Eventually, there was a group of them following her, thankfully slowly, and she got to a garage. She trapped Lee and herself inside of it with the walkers banging on it from the outside. She then went to Lee, trying to wake him up and do what little she knew about saving someone from death.

He woke up. He made her get a gun, keys and handcuffs from the dead officer in the office that was just a little ways behind her. She handcuffed Lee and regretted it when the officer escaped and began trying to eat her.

Lee still helped her, even if he could hardly stand. Threw something her way so she could smash the walker in the head with. She took the keys and the gun.

And what Lee said to her made her blood run cold. Made her paralyzed. Just like she was when she saw her parents.

"You have to shoot me,"

Before she knew it, she heard the shot go off. She felt the kick from the gun as he went off. She didn't want to look up from the ground she was staring at, watching her tears drop to the ground and make a tapping sound.

But when she did look up, she wasn't prepared.

Seeing Lee, with a hole in his head that she caused, blood trickling down from the wound and seeing some of his brain matter made her want to vomit. She stayed in the garage for a long moment, huddled in the corner and pretending someone was holding her. Comforting her. But she was alone.

And at that moment, she felt like she'd be alone forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clementine opened her eyes as her dream began to fade and looked around without moving from her position on the bed. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness. She looked at Duck, seeing her friend still asleep and she gave an relieved sigh. Her nightmare wasn't bad enough to wake him up. She hated when she woke him up that way, with her being in a state where he had to pull out every trick he had to help her out of it.

Most of her nightmares were normal. Where she could pull herself out of it and Duck would be none the wiser. Duck was the opposite though. Most of his nightmares, if he had any, needed assistance to get out of. She was fully adept to helping him. She knew what worked and what didn't. Which tricks to try first and which to only use as a last resort. He didn't scream or anything. Just crying that would go up in a steady crescendo.

But their nightmares were almost always on the same level of horror. The only true horror Clementine knew. Nothing from films. Just from life.

She decided to get up after a while, hoping Duck didn't wake up. He was sleeping so good and he didn't have any of his usual signs of nightmares. He was at peace. She went to the foot of the bed, sitting down and bringing her knees to her chest. She rested her head on her legs and looked at the outside through the gates.

It only took twenty minutes of her not moving before she heard a voice to her right side.

"It's kinda hard to find company over here, dontcha think?" She didn't answer him. Nothing that came to mind really felt right to say. Nevertheless, Duck sat down beside her and looked at the gate himself. He didn't try to speak to her anymore.

Of course. Duck always woke up if he didn't feel her beside of him. If he turned to the side she was on and his arm came in contact with nothing but the bed/ground/sleeping bag, he'd wake up. He'd look for her. Just in case something happened. Just to ensure that she was okay. And even when he found her, he'd stay up with her as long as she did.

He was a good person.

The silence between them and the silence of the night wasn't deafening like it would've been had Sarah or somebody else came to talk to her. It wasn't bad and it wasn't uncomfortable.

Most of all, she didn't feel obligated to fill the silence.

Duck knows how to take care of her, like she knows how to do with him. He knows that if she doesn't start to tell him what happened, then she doesn't want to talk about it. And she hates being forced to talk about something.

But she does like company. Duck does, however, get fidgety when he doesn't talk or have something for his mind to pay attention to, which explains why he loves listening to her speak about anything. He's a talkative boy, he's been one since the first day they met. That's why, when she heard a steady tap on the bed frame, she smiled.

He doesn't ever make her talk. The tap isn't a signal to make her talk. It's something that keeps his mind attentive. Something that makes his ears hear something pleasant. If she had to guess one thing he would've liked doing if no walkers were around, making music is one of the things.

He already started a rhythm.

Tap pause tap tap tap pause tap tap pause tap tap tap pause.

He always tapped when there was nothing else to do but be alone with your thoughts. Despite making his version of music through taps, he never sang. He had a good voice, he hand sang for her before. When they were younger and thoughts were too much to handle. When she couldn't get to sleep and before he knew what else he could do. He'd sing for her.

He'd entertain her. He'd tell her stories, fantasies or not. Sometimes he'd get her to dance with him, saying "It'll tire you out, come on,". Dancing actually made her more awake but she'd never tell him that. Because even if she didn't fall asleep, she wasn't thinking anymore. Not about bad things.

Duck was fun to be around. He usually did things like that, things that walkers could hear, in safe towns. In unsafe areas, he'd still sing for her, but quietly. He wouldn't tell her stories, he gets too excited sometimes. But he'd dance with her. A different dance though. Slow and quiet. With those dances, he'd hum a tune. Whether he made it up on the spot or he heard it from years prior was still up for debate.

But he wouldn't do any of that unless she'd ask him. At least not now, since he knows that sometimes she wants to sit in quiet.

"...Duck?"

"Yeah?" His tapping stayed steady.

"....If you had the choice..... Would you reverse time? Stop the apoloclypse?" Clementine asked. That was when Duck stopped tapping. "It'd.... People we cared for would still be alive. We could.... We could just be kids. You would be able to have fun all the time. And..... You wouldn't have to protect anyone or.... Worry...." There was a long silence before Duck responded.

"...Clementine? Is there something you want to tell me? Is something clawing at you?" Duck asked. Concern was painted on his facial features and Clementine couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"You're just like Lee," She whispered. "And.... You're going to die," Duck heard her. Of course he heard her. It was dead silence and the only thing he could hear was her.

"But I'm not..." Duck said. "I'm sure I will die, Clementine. I won't lie to you. But I'm not like Lee,"

"Yes you are. You're the closest to me. And you protect me. I don't help you at all just... Put you in situations you aren't supposed to be in,"

"Wrong again, Clementine. We're partners. You may not realize this, but you protect me too. We have to. Or we'll be alone. You do realize that on so many occasions, I wouldn't be alive without you. And I don't know if you forgot, but I realized that as soon as mom turned," Duck said and a memory sparked in Clementine's mind.

"I.... distracted Katjaa," Clementine said and Duck smiled.

"I was pinned under her and tried fighting but I wasn't strong. You called for her from across the car. She looked at you, and stopped trying to eat me. Luckily, Lee came back in with Dad and shot Mom. You know, before she attacked you. But she was so close to me. To getting me. I thought I was dead,"

"But... That was so long ago," Clementine fought.

"Yeah? Well, that's also only one example. Clementine, you've saved me just as much as I've saved you. And yes, I do protect you, but what kind of person would I be if I left you to fend for yourself? If I could help you? Not everyone can survive on their own. Especially not people like us. I need your help too,"

Clementine stayed silent and, for a moment, Duck thought she'd stay that way. "...Why do you help me so much?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Would you help me if I never helped you? Would you help me if we weren't partners? If we hated each other but still only had each other? What would you do?" Clementine asked and Duck stared at her for a moment before thinking. What would he do?

"I think that question needs more thinking about," He said.

"...You still never answered my first question,"

"Which was?"

"Would you stop the apocalypse?"

"I don't think that's the question you want to ask, Clementine. Ask me what you mean,"

".............Would it of been better if you never met me?" She asked and Duck frowned. Something was really wrong. He didn't know what happened in her dream, but it got her thinking, obviously. Thinking that she was a burden. That she didn't offer anything to the table.

"No. If I had it my way, I'd both stop the apocalypse and find you. If I could reverse time and if I could keep my memories, I'd try and stop it. And then, when I'm old enough, I'd find you,"

"What if I didn't know who you were?"

"Well, we were strangers before, weren't we?" Duck asked, smiling at her. Clementine looked at him as well and then looked at the ground in front of her and closed her eyes. She looked like she was holding back tears. Duck put a hand on her shoulder as a means of comfort and Clementine moved his hand, giving herself room to lean into him. She then put his hand on her other shoulder, so he was holding her.

"Would you really?"

"I would,"

"Good. Because I think I'd ride all the way to Flordia to find you too," Clementine said, giving a breathy laugh. "I think I'm just being weird, though,"

"No. I don't even know where Lee found you. If anyone's weird here, it'd be me. All I know is a general area of where you lived," Duck said, smiling. Clementine smiled too, keeping her gaze on the ground below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"All right, we're all here," Kenny said as everyone gathered around the table. Duck stood on the right side of Kenny and the left side of Clementine while Sarah stood beside her. Rebecca, Mike, Nick and Jane stood on the opposite side while the radio lay on the table by Kenny's side.

"We need to get the radio out to Luke. What's the problem?" Rebecca asked.

"We should probably figure out who's doing what before we--" Kenny started but was interrupted when the garage door began to open. Kenny turned his body fully to the people who opened the doors, moving the radio to a more concealed area behind him.

"Time to get up," Tavia said as she entered. "Daylights burning. They let you sleep in, all things considered," She said.

"...Where's my dad?" Sarah asked. Clementine remembered when Sarah woke up and started asking everyone where Carlos was when she didn't see him in bed. Not as much of a freak out as she expected but maybe sneaking Carlos off isnt a good idea when he's Sarah's only form of comfort.

"He's where the rest of you are going: To work," She replied. "Rebecca, Nick, Sarah, Jane. If you've gotta take a piss, do it now. The next break won't be for a while," She said, pausing for a bit. "Troy will be coming for the rest of you,".

They left and only when the door was closed again did Kenny turn back around. "All right, someone needs to get this radio to Luke,"

"I'll do it," Mike volunteered

"No offense, Mike, but I can't tell you from fucking Adam," Kenny argued and Duck sighed internally. There's always a problem. "Clementine should do it,"

"Why? She's a fucking kid!"

"There's plenty of reasons why! She knows Luke, she can hide, and she got the radio in the first damn place!"

"I'll do it," Clementine said, halting the argument and having both Mike and Kenny look at her. Of course she'd do it. Anything to stop an argument.

"Now don't volunteer yourself just to earn some respect, kid,"

"She don't need your fucking respect," Kenny said then directed his attention to Clementine. "Thank you. Now here ya are," Kenny said, stuffing the radio into her jacket and standing back to see if it was noticeable. "Perfect,". Clementine then turned to Duck and gave a funny pose.

"How do I look?"

"Which words you want me to use? Drop dead beautiful or drop dead ew?" Duck asked, enlonging the last word as Clementine hit him.

"Either way, I look better than you,"

"Not with that jacket," Before Clementine could say anything else to him, the door opened again and Troy came in.

"All right, little chickens, let's get to pecking,"

"All right," Mike said. Troy stood in front of Clementine and Duck, bending down to their levels with a sour look on his face.

"And don't you two think there's gonna be any more shenanigans today. You got that? Answer me, Missy,"

"Yes, sir," Clementine said, looking down. Troy then looked at Duck with an even harder expression.

"How about you, asshole? Huh?" Troy smirked at him. "Imma have a lotta fun today. You're with me,"

"Yes, sir," Duck said, looking away from him. Troy didn't seem to like that but stood straight anyways.

"Come on then. All of ya," He said. Not even 10 feet away from the holding, however, Bonnie stopped Troy.

"She's with me?" She prompted, nodding her head to Clementine.

"Aw shit, I forgot," Troy said. There was an odd moment of silence between them before Clementine was shoved with Troy's gun, making Duck stiffen as she stumbled. "Take her, then, I don't care,". Troy then continued walking, having the rest of them follow him. Duck kept his stare on Clementine for as long as he could. Something was off. Not with Bonnie specifically but.... Like something would happen. It made Duck uncomfortable. "Keep your eyes off of her,"

Duck straightened his back as Troy spoke to him but didn't look at him. "Yes, sir,".

"Can't keep paying attention to her like that,"

"I wasn't, its just.... I don't know..."

"Either way, it makes me think you're getting up to something. Either that or you've got a problem with letting her on her own. Look at ya, you're fidgeting now," He said and Duck looked down at his hands. His right thumb was tapping on his left thumb. An erratic rhythm. One could debate if it was even a rhythm or not. Either way, he dropped his hands and put them behind his back.

"Oh, leave him alone. Ever since we ran into each other again, he kept a close eye on her," Kenny said, standing up for Duck. Troy opened the door that led outside, putting a stopper in front of it before continuing.

"He not trust her or somethin?"

"No. Uh, this time there was no reason. My mind went idle, I guess. Kinda just...... stared at something," Duck said. The reality that he felt something would go wrong wasn't something he wanted to share with Troy.

Troy led Kenny and Mike to the same place they worked at yesterday. "Y'all are finishing up your work from yesterday in here. And you," Troy said, turning to Duck. "You're gonna babysit these assholes while I go up on the roof to keep watch. But uh..." Troy paused with a strange look on his face. "You should probably learn how to use the crossbow better... Maybe I can schedule more time with you," Troy said, turning to Kenny and Mike. "Without having to babysit adults," He turned back. "For now, you use this," Troy said, giving him his rifle. "Better for keeping assholes in line and killing zombies not 100 feet away from you on the ground. You used one of these yesterday with the three stooges, yeah?"

"Uh..." Duck stammered, not remembering which guns he used.

"It's fine. Shouldn't be too hard," Troy said. "If you need me, just yell. I'll be right above ya," And with that, Troy left. Duck turned to Kenny and Mike, who was staring at him.

"All right. Time to.. work?" Duck said. Kenny smiled at him as Mike looked like he was about to laugh.

"Dish out the orders more confidently, son. If ya wanna be taken seriously," Kenny said. Duck then took a breath and nodded with a smile.

"All right. Time to get to work, you lazy sons of bitches,"

"Damn! Kids got it!" Mike said as he chuckled and turned to work.

"You too, Dad!" Duck said as he gave Kenny a challenging look.

"Now don't you forget who raised you," Kenny muttered with a pleasant smile despite his tone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Duck!" He heard his name being whisper yelled and looked to his right from his leaning position on the wall. He saw Clementine running to him, trying her best to do so quietly and slowing in front of him. "Duck, is Troy around?"

"No. Well, he's on the roof. Why?" He said, looking at her with a questioning gaze.

"I'm going to give the radio to Luke. Give an excuse for me if he finds out I'm not with Bonnie," She said and Duck thought for a moment of where on the roof Troy could be. He nodded, finding that he should be at the sector of the roof out of earshot of them.

"Okay but you've gotta be quick," Duck finally said. Clementine gave a smile before she entered the old comic shop in search of Luke. He heard her calling for him and cursed himself for not telling her to be conscious of how loud she was.

"Carver wants all y'all, in the holding. Now!" Troy said, walking up to Duck with a threatening gleam in his eye. He stopped in front of him and gave an angry sigh. "What? You got cotton in your ears? Tell those assholes in there and get goin!" As soon as Troy said that, Duck turned on his heel and went into the store to get Kenny and Mike.

"Troy! Do you see Clementine anywhere?" Troy heard Tavia through the radio, growing confused as he grabbed it.

"I thought she was with Bonnie,"

"She's not here,"

"I'll fix it," He said with a growl. Duck came back out with Kenny and Mike. Troy's eyes followed him, a glare fixated on him before he stopped in front of him. "Where's your friend?"

Duck feigned a confused stare before speaking. "What do you mean? Er.... Which friend?"

"Don't play dumb, boy. Where's Clementine? You know, don't you?"

"No, sorry,"

"I know that's a lie!" Troy shouted at him. "We found two radios missing. Your friend has them, don't she? And you know exactly where's she's at," Troy said, glowering at him. That made Duck stiffen but his dad came to his defense, seeming to get closer before he spoke on Duck's behalf.

"That's enough. If Duck says he doesn't know where Clementine is then he don't know where-" Kenny was cut off when a sound came from the old comic shop.

"And look who was fuckin lying to me. I've got you, boy. Just you wait," Troy said as he stormed to the comic shop. Duck followed quickly as Troy swung open the door. "What the fuck are you doing in here?!" He asked as he came closer to her.

Clementine came in front of him, looking as if she were about to explain herself before Troy hit her. Duck's eyes widened as he started to feel warm. No, he felt hot. He felt like he was boiling as he looked at Troy. His breathing grew ragged and Troy seemed to take notice of his state, turning to him.

"What? What're you gonna fucking do?" Troy asked and Duck's hands gripped the rifle even tighter as he clenched his jaw hard. Troy took the rifle from Duck before the urge to use it grew too strong for the teen to resist and grabbed Clementine by her arm. "Been here one fuckin day and already with you people!" Troy shouted and pushed Clementine towards Kenny and Mike, who was waiting by the entrance into the building.

"Hey!" Kenny shouted at Troy. Troy glared at Kenny, almost testing him to say something. He then looked at Duck.

"I'm gonna fuckin trust you once more to not be held at gunpoint. Gonna fuckin handle it?" He said to him and, despite the hate that Duck had in his heart from the treatment he gave to Clementine, he nodded. In the long run, any trust he built could be used and harnessed to his advantage.

He knew that he shouldn't break it so early. After all, he has a type of power through it. It'll make a new escape easier. Troy the put the gun up to his friends and made them move as he took his eyes off of Duck, who was walking beside of him.

Duck could almost hear Clementine's thoughts. What're you doing? Where are you going with this? Is Duck still on my side? Just the way she walked gave him a clue on her anxieties. He'd explain to her his thought process later. But for now, he stayed silent.

It took them a minute until they got to the holding, where they were met with a small crowd surrounding Luke. "Get in there!" He shouted at them, pushing Duck to join them before standing at where he assumed his 'post' was.

"...and how are we repaid for our trust? With treachery? With deceit?" Duck made his way to the front of the crowd with Clementine to get a better look at Luke and Carver. "With theft!" With that, Carver held up a walkie talkie, waving it in the air. "Whatever you were planning is over. It's done. You can't just run from your problems. Can't just leave when it gets tough, cause there's nowhere else you can go where it ain't," Carver turned. "You can help yourselves now. You can help me find the strength to forgive you. And you can start by telling me where the other radio is," There was silence before Carver spoke again. "I'm gonna count to three. And if that radio ain't in my hand by then, we're gonna make things more difficult," Carver threatened.

Duck's heart sped up in his chest as his anxiety rose. He could almost feel the radio burning a hole in Clementine's pocket. Carver seemed to notice his distress but didn't say anything as he surveyed everyone else. Despite having the radio on her person, Clementine's face remained relatively neutral. So Carver skimmed past her. An idea came into Duck's mind. A terrible idea. One that he knew his father shared with him. It was just a matter of who executed it first.

He thought on who could get away with it better. Kenny has no real connection with these people. In fact, he's sure Carver hated him. One wrong move or wrong thing said and his dad could get badly hurt.

But Carver trusts him to an extent. So does Troy. Just how much trust now that this happened? He's not sure. But he knows that he could get away with it easier. That his punishment, if any were given, would be less severe.

"One!"

He didn't want to do it. He didn't want to get hurt again.

But if he wanted his dad to stay uninjured. For Clementine to stay uninjured. The last option was him. Nobody else looked like they'd do it.

"Two!"

Duck saw the radio now in Clementine's hands behind her back. He took it from her and she looked surprised and distraught as she felt his hands on hers. He quickly let his left squeeze her right before his hands left with the radio.

"Three!"

"I've--"

"I've got it right here!" Kenny said, quickly and swiftly taking it from his son's hands. Duck was surprised and impressed with how the hand off went with Kenny. To anyone else, they would've thought his dad had it this whole time. "Sorry about that, don't know what got into me," Kenny apologized, dropping the radio in Carver's hand. There was a tense silence between them as they stared at each other. Then Kenny uttered something that was a surefire way to piss Carver off. "Heh. Fucker..."

It went by so fast. Kenny was on the ground. Duck was paralyzed as he stayed in one spot, watching Carver hold his dad by his jacket and beat his head in with the radio. Sarita tried to rush to his aid but Carlos grabbed her and struggled with her. She was blubbering nonsense as Carlos spoke overtop of her.

"Someone, help!" Carlos said but nobody came to his aid. Duck's body moved on its own, his hands going to where he was used to keep a weapon but he felt no knife, no gun. His mind went through all the things he could do at that moment. He looked at his dad, who was being beaten.

His dad, whose blood stained the floor below him.

His dad, who was either dead or dying.

His dad, who he couldn't help.

And suddenly, he was ten again. Suddenly, he was looking at his mother dying again. Watching. Doing nothing. He was helpless. He couldn't do anything. And he felt his gut sinking. He felt paralyzed and stuck. He wanted to be swallowed by the ground, thinking death would be more of a mercy than watching the blood pool below his dad.

"Stop!" He felt himself screeching. "Stop it! Please! Stop it!" He came closer, shakey steps but not close enough for anything to matter. "I'm begging you! Don't take my dad! Stop! I can't--" Then he did something he never did before in these situations.

Something that was dangerous.

Something that could attract walkers and something that could kill everyone here.

He screamed.

A long, piercing scream that would be heard by anything less than a mile away.

A scream that held a note of which he didn't know he had the ability of anymore.

His mouth was covered quickly. His arms were held hostage behind his back and his legs were kicked out from under him, sending him to the ground with whoever was restraining him. He opened his eyes to see who it was and was met with Clementine's hand holding his mouth shut. She was restraining him. She forced him to sit down. She pressed her hand to his mouth harder and kept a tighter grip on his arms. When she was sure he wouldn't move, she let go of his arms and blocked his line of sight with that hand, making the back of his head rest against her chest. She made him blind to the terror that lay just in front of him but not deaf.

He heard Sarita's sobbing pleas after his screams died down behind Clementine's hand. He heard Carver's hits still connecting with his dad's head. He heard the sound of blood coming out of his dad. He felt his tears making Clementine's hands wet. He felt himself shaking with quieted, restrained crying.

And in that moment, only one thought came to mind.

My dad's going to die. And no matter how much older I am, I can't control it. No matter what, I don't have a choice. If I want to survive.

The thought shook him. The thought terrified him. The thought ripped open a wound that had previously been healed.

I'm going to let my dad die.

I let this happen. This was because of me.

"Bill! Bill, stop it!" He heard a woman shouting at him. "He's had enough! There's a blockage at sector 4! You need to get there!" Whoever she was, it worked. He heard his dad being dropped to the ground and heard Carver leave. That's when Clementine let him see. Let her hands fall and trusted him to speak. She got up from behind him and walked in front of him, holding out her hand to help him up but he stayed seated. Staring at a spot on the wall. Knowing that if he got up, it was real.

From where he was sitting, his dad didn't look alive anymore. His head looked bashed in. He looked like a walker that had been introduced to a baseball bat.

And Duck knew that checking on him would confirm if he was breathing or not. If you could still find a nose.

Clementine balanced herself on her feet as she squatted beside him, gently, almost hesitantly grabbing his arm. "Come on, get up, Duck,". He didn't feel himself do it, but he got to his feet. Bonnie was crouching next to Kenny and Duck tried to think of anyone, anything he could look at but that. He couldn't. He couldn't force his eyes to look anywhere but there. He tried not to look at his dad's chest. On whether or not it was rising and falling.

He got a good look at his dad's face as he drew closer. It wasn't as bad as he thought. But he couldn't see an eye. It was too bloody, too beaten in. "If y'all don't have another plan, you better get one. Five days and that herd gets here. I'll help as much as I can. Do your best with him, Carlos," Bonnie said, causing a silence to fall.

"You're going to help us?" Sarita asked as she knelt beside Kenny on the other side, tears running down her cheeks as she looked at Bonnie.

"Yes. Carver doesn't have any control anymore. What you guys need is help on the inside," She touched Sarita's shoulder. "I'm going to help. Please let me leave with you guys," Sarita looked at her for a moment in distraught silence before shaking her head.

"It is not my call. Ask.... ask someone else," Sarita said, hanging her head and closing her eyes.

"Of course you can come with us," Luke said, making Bonnie turn from where she was sitting to see him. "You're putting everything on the line. We'll update you on the plan later," Luke said. Bonnie smiled at him and nodded.

"Thank you. I'll help get Kenny on a bed," Bonnie said, directing her attentions to Carlos now.

"...I think you need to lie down," Duck heard Clementine by his side but didn't make a move. "Duck?"

A/N: New update!!!!!! And yes, I allowed them to have extra time at Carver's. Why? Well, if my plan is as good on paper as it is in my head, you'll find out. Nevertheless, I hope you've enjoyed this new chapter! I'll see you guys next time!