Ashes (Clementine X Male Reader Book 2)

Accord-Fire

Tomorrow you'll be in Richmond. It'll likely take most of the day to get there, assuming you don't run into problems. You just need to hope they help you, and you don't have much faith that they will.

Regardless, you can return to Ericson's and be safe after that. As long as William doesn't follow you there, they won't know where you are and should leave you plenty of time to plan.

For now, you're just enjoying the night. Fires are always nice, and it gives the group time to unwind before anything else happens.

"Diana has really taken to you," Violet says.

"I've been trying." You smile. She's asleep with Clementine right now.

"She likes Marina too."

You look down at Marina. She's asleep with her head in your lap. "I'm glad. I didn't know how Marina would react to Diana." You were scared she might get jealous. She doesn't seem to care.

"She's cute," Emma says.

"It's part of the act," Brooklyn tells her.

"You've helped raise her too. Has she ever called you mom?" Louis asks.

"No. Linda is her mom. And Y/N has done most of the work. I've just been around."

"You've helped." You wouldn't have been able to do it without her. "But yes, Linda is her mom."

"What would you do if you had another?" Cas asks.

"We're not."

"They're not." Emma agrees. "Diana almost killed Clementine, remember."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it would be that way again." Cas shrugs. "What if it comes out fine?"

"Damn. Didn't know you knew what you were talking about, Cas. Guess I can just step down and let you take care of things from now on."

"As you should." Cas jokes.

"How's your arm?" You ask him. It's still wrapped.

"Pretty much healed over, but not done. I can still feel it through my whole arm sometimes." He puts his hand over the bandage wrapped around his wound. "You're fucking good at throwing those knives. I didn't know what had hit me."

"I'm sorry." You don't regret it. He was fighting Brooklyn. You won't tell him that. "About the people you brought with you too."

"People die. That's just how it goes. You didn't know either."

You nod and look at the fire. The group falls silent. You can't continue that conversation. You killed people they knew and might have been friends with.

"You think your community is going to stay at Ericson's?" Aj breaks the silence.

"I don't know." You look at Brooklyn.

"It might be for the best. It's a good spot." Brooklyn sighs. "I'm gonna miss our house."

"Carlos can build a new one that looks the same." You tell her.

"But it won't be the same."

"Enough depressing talk," Louis cuts in. "Let's talk about something happy."

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" Violet asks. "And don't say you want to play some game."

"Why not?"

"Because you'll wake up, Marina." You tell him.

"So take her somewhere else."

"Yeah, you got a point." You're getting tired anyway. You lift Marina's head off your lap, stand up, and pick her up. She shifts until she's comfortable. "Don't stay up too late."