Legless, But Alive | TWDG Season 5 Fanfic

Fights and Fleights

Clem sighed and hobbled away. She made eye contact with Javier, who waved casually. "Clem!" A fleeting moment of shameful doubt crossed over her. After all that had happened to him, would he blame her? Did he have the right to? Clementine did her best to swallow her thoughts and plastered on whatever prideful smile she could, making her way over to the group. Such concerns could be dealt with later, more privately. "Hey, Clementine." Ruby drawled, smiling. "We were just talking about you." Javi said, before immediately taking it back. "Good stuff, I swear." Clem chuckled. "I'd hope so." Marty, Jess, Ruby, and Javier stood in a half circle, watching those around them.
"I was telling Javier here how helpful you've been, with all us. The raiders and all that business." Clementine looked down to the ground awkwardly, not really knowing how to reply. "It's uh.. Yeah. It's my home now, after all." Javier nodded slowly. Marty stretched, his sun hat shifting atop his thinning head of snow-like hair. "Nothing like home. Always missin' my little place." Jess nodded, rubbing his shoulder. Ruby's face fell a bit. "I can't complain much, been sleeping in the same bed for years." Javier laughed a bit. "End of the world, if I was you kids, school's the last place I'd wanna be." Jess agreed, picking at her nails. "Oh, yes. All this started when I was about to go off to college. Trying  to major in English, New York City, if you'd believe that." Her knotted hair blew in the wind as she spoke, the scene feeling oddly cinematic. "All my bags packed, ready to start a new life. How naive.." She stared off into nothingness, her churning thoughts painted across a vacant face. Morty scowled, waving her out of her trance. "Well at least you didn't have much to lose! I had a two bedroom house, grandkids, even raising chickens in the back. I was at the peak of living before all this shit hit the fan." She crossed her arms over her chest, clearly a bit offended. "At least you had the chance to live normally.." The old man grinded his teeth together, adjusting himself in his seat. Javier was the first to break the tension.
"Haha, I already lost everything." He tried to be amusing, but it was clear it was just a desperate attempt at a distraction. Clem decided to play along to keep the conversation flowing. "Ah, yes: star player Javier Garcia, losing it all to a slot machine." He shrugged. "You win once, it feels like you'll never lose." Ruby's face lit up a bit. "Oh, you played baseball? I'm sure that could be fun. Clem, didn't you find some equipment?" She thought back to the attic, and gave a slow nod. "There was probably some stuff up there, yeah." Javier smiled. "I did promise I'd teach AJ baseball.. And if we stay here, then maybe-" Marty cut him off with a hacking cough, followed by an aggressive objection. "Well, slow down there, Javier. We aren't gonna be governed by a bunch of crippled children who can't read past a third grade level." Ruby's expression turned sour. Clementine was about to fight back, but she hesitated. Maybe he was right. Just because they had made it this far doesn't mean that they knew how to handle themselves on top of a load of adults. Ruby had other thoughts.
"I'll have you know that Clementine has saved our asses time and time again, sir, and we wouldn't be here without her. That's what I've been saying for twenty minutes. And from what I've heard from Javier here, he wouldn't be either. So if you, a saggy sack of rotted bones and yellowed teeth, feel that you can lead a terrified group through a hoard of walkers, onto enemy territory, blow up a boat, survive getting bitten, and still have a level head, then be my guest." She was about to storm off, but turned back beforehand, dramatically putting her hand up. "And one more thing! How the hell are you saying she's crippled when you can barely stand for more than twenty minutes without taking a break? I've been watching, so have the others. We can read damn fine, and we can read people even better." She spat her words like venom, her eyes wide and brows furrowed.
The commotion had not gone unnoticed by the others. Evelyn was holding Mariana back, and reached out for AJ. He pushed her away and ran to Clem's side. "Javier! Are you just gonna let her say that to me?" Marty growled, Jess shooting daggers at Ruby with a resentful gaze. Javier stood between the two. "Okay, let's all calm down. Ruby, you're a nice girl, let's not overreact here-" By now, Charlotte had jogged over, as Louis, Olivia, and Omar watched. "Don't give the girl shit, Javi! This old crone's always gotten himself into trouble like this." Marty stumbled to his feet, fists clenched. "You know damn well I'm right with this! They have no idea what they're doing!" Javier turned to him. "Marty- C'mon, man. They're being hospitable, it's not only impolite, but you're gonna get your head blown off one of these days." Omar stepped up from the background. "Clementine, I think we know where we aren't wanted." AJ took a few deep breaths beneath her, his knuckles white from a firm fist. She looked from Javier to her friends..
"It's getting .. late." She looked to the sky, the sun over the line of trees idly sat as if to mock her sorry excuse. "C'mon, Clem, wait.." Javier reached out for her and she took a deep breath. "We should talk." His expression had grown unreadable. She shook her head, fighting the lump in her throat. Was this goodbye? Of course not. They couldn't be leaving, not yet. Javier wouldn't abandon her like that. She thought back to the traps that had been trickling out of game, the river that would soon grow cold and difficult to fish in, the jars that emptied more with every passing day. Their own self preservation was being threatened by the elements, would she really let their resources run dry for people who showed her no respect? No human decency? Or maybe her thinking was cocky, self centered. There was no real way of knowing.
"How much food do you have?" The adults looked from one to the next. "I.. maybe a week's rations, two weeks?" She nodded. "Under the floorboards there's a bit more. We'll return.. Soon. In the meantime we need to set ground rules." Omar nodded, his afro bouncing with the movement. "Our traps, our game. You can fish in the river but only with your own tools. If you come unannounc-" "Clementine, come on!" Javier protested, making an exasperated gesture with his hands. He looked around, searching for the right words. "It's not safe out here, you know that. We have.. We have kids!" He pointed to Olivia and Mariana, the youngest girl flinching. Louis tapped Clementine's shoulder. He gestured to Olivia, standing straightened behind him, and held out his hands. One laid flat, and he pulled his other hand into a movement with two fingers to signify walking, before pointing around  to their group. Clem sighed, looking from the girl to him. She looked to Mariana, to Javier's desperate expression. "Then they can come with us." Omar scoffed. "That's absurd!" Ruby put a hand up to him, silencing such a reaction. Her rage had simmered down as she stared into the eyes of the young girl. "We can't just.. leave them." AJ approached Mariana. She did not turn away. "What about the rest of us??" Charlotte was clearly torn, her hatred for Marty and her attachment to the group conflicting. Clementine looked across the crowd, the people hanging on her every word. "Omar, if you had left me and AJ, where would you be?" He shook his head, refusing visual contact. "This is different!" "How?" AJ cried out. "How are they different? Any of them? Mariana is nice! She's my friend!" He had no response, standing defeated. Could she blame him? "I'll be at the bell. Tell me when we're leaving." Charlotte watched as he stalked off, sighing. "He reminds me of my brother, that one." Henry nodded. "Yeah.." The silence felt heavy
Henry stalked off to Marty and Jess, accompanied by Charlotte. The whisper of bickering raged on. The atmosphere after the outburst hung over everyone, an awkward indicator of the differences that built a wall between the two group's ways of life. Javier pulled Clementine aside shortly after, but she made sure that it was still close enough to see AJ. They stood partially hidden behind one of the train carts, out of earshot of anyone else. "Clementine.. look, I'm sorry about Marty. He's just kind of an asshole." She shrugged, an awkward, sour expression on her face. "We're not like that. No one else feels entitled to anything of yours or anyone. We appreciate what you've done." He took a shaky breath. "That said.." Clementine knew where this was going. "You want to come back to the school." He clearly hadn't planned this conversation well. "No.. I- well.." Javi stopped himself and sighed. "That's not what this is about. It's about Mari." He said quietly, "Your friend is right, they could go back with you. She just isn't safe out here. You said that.. Olivia could go..." The two stared at each other. "Javi, you know that.. They- we- don't have the resources to keep all of you here. We're a democracy- I can't keep people around that could threaten our survival. Especially not now. Not after everything I put those poor kids through." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. She needs to be safe.. And with kids! Real kids like her," he said, with a heavy heart, "She doesn't need her dad anymore." Clementine thought back to everything Javi had done for Gabe and Kate. She thought back to the look on his face when he buried his niece, the way his voice trembled when they were in harm's way. She didn't want to separate them, to do any more damage then her abandonment had already done. She started taking inventory in her head of each and every scrap at the school. Every weapon, every bullet and arrow. Every can, jar, plant. Maybe this was worth it. Maybe she could trust them. But what was that trust worth? Sure, they weren't empty of supplies, not yet, but without a steady income of food, she knew it wouldn't be long before they had to go out further and further on runs to support themselves. On top of that, the building was growing old and weathered by the elements. Most of the windows were shattered and the roof had gaps in more than one spot.. On top of that, the admin building was charred and the barbed wire often tumbled off the wall like strings of ivy. How long before their sanctuary couldn't be that for them anymore? All she wanted was to be held again. To be told that everything was going to be okay, that no one was leaving. Clem was tired of making the hard choices, but who else could? She wanted Vi. She wanted Kenny, or Christa. More than anything she wanted Lee. What would he say?
She sighed, squeezing her eyes closed tight and clenching the handles of her crutches before meeting his gaze again. "I'll take her.. But you have to follow our rules. At least for a little while.." She glanced back at the group in the station. "This is still the safest place for you to be right now. Don't step on anyone's toes, stay out of our territory, I'll take her." The formality, the aggressive nature of drawing such lines, felt so foreign. It was a kind of power she never had the taste for. Especially not for someone like Javier. Nonetheless, he respected her boundaries and nodded, taking Clem's hand. "Thank you, Clementine."
At first, no one wanted to question Javier's choice. When the two emerged, they found everyone anxiously waiting, two packs of people: survivors divided. Olivia stood besides Louis protectively. Her stance was confident as she held a leather satchel against her. Evelyn held one of Mariana's hands, AJ clutching the other. The little girl looked torn between the two worlds in front of her. Antoine and Dianne emerged from the woods, hair messy and faces flushed. They seemed disheveled. Clementine nearly gagged at the thought of what they had probably been doing. The two were clearly behind.
"The hell?" Antoine stepped past everyone, straightening his collar. "Liv's going with them?" She visibly shuddered and stepped back as he approached. Dianne shrugged. "Not our business, Ant.." He looked around in search of some explanation, but found no comfort. Everyone avoided his gaze. "We can't just let her leave with them.. We don't know them..!" She grinded her teeth as Louis tried to put a hand on her shoulder. Antoine scoffed. "This is ridiculous. You hear this, Henry? C'mon, let's all go back inside." He tried to grab Liv by the arm. "Silly, silly girl." He slurred out. Clementine smelt the booze on his breath. "Dee, has he been drinking?" Javier asked, tone stern. She shamefully looked down to the ground, which was answer enough, "that's it, c'mon Antoine, we should fill you in." He gripped Liv tighter and she groaned trying to push him away. "Let go, man, cmon.." Henry was slowly approaching. She clawed at his arm, but it only made Antoine more angry. "I said let's go." Henry and Javier kept creeping closer, not daring to make a move.
A foot drove up into Antoine's crotch, following up with a stern kick to the back to pin him to the ground. Louis spit on the back of his head. Ruby, Omar, Clementine, and AJ were all taken aback by the sudden aggression, which was very out of character for him. Henry and Javier glanced back and forth between a triumphant Louis and each other. Antoine coughed beneath him before letting out a defeated groan. Henry silently helped him up and brought him into the station, his drunken bullshit fading to a whisper. Marty could be heard following them. "I told you.. nothing but trouble. 'Least someone agreed."  Louis cautiously reached out to examine Olivia's arm to which she obliged, melting into his touch. Her fear dispersed and what remained was an irritated expression dusted with a hint of relief. "Quite some company you keep." Clem said, staring at Javier. "Our deal still stands, but that guy better not be a problem. Or the old hic." He shook his head. "I'll do better to keep them in line." Louis made an annoyed gesture to Liv, indicating a desired necessity for a change in behavior.
"It's good we're taking them." Clem said, frowning. "You're sorry bunch of upstanders would get you killed." It was then that Mariana finally emerged from the station, oblivious to the ruckus of a moment ago, and released Evelyn's hand. "Dad? Antoine's acting weird." Javi looked down at her and Clementine watched as his universe started to splinter. "Hey honey." He swallowed hard, gazing into her chocolatey eyes. "You like AJ, right? A whole lot?" She nodded, smiling. "He said he likes to draw!!" He nodded, smiling. "That's great, really great. It makes me so happy." He crouched down to her level and pulled her in for a hug, gripping her tight and fighting back tears. Clementine had seen him like this only once before. Maybe a part of him felt like he was losing her for good. "What's wrong?" Mari asked, pulling away. While they had embraced, Evelyn slipped back into the house and emerged with a small pastel backpack. "You're going to go have a long play date with Alvin Junior.. for a few nights. Just like I told you about before the muertos! You'll have so.. so much fun.." he took the bag from Evelyn and helped her get it on. At first her expression lit with excitement, but dimmed at the realization that she was leading. "But.. what about you? And Evelyn?" Javi tried to smile. "I'll be fine. I'll have more sleepovers with my best friend Henry. And I've gotta stay here and protect everyone! So does Evelyn." Marianas lower lip trembled. "But.. daddy I'll miss you.. and who'll keep me safe?" Javier sighed. "I love you Mari. I'll come see you.." he paused, looking at Clem. "As soon as I can. For now Clementine is in charge, and anyone else at the school who she says you should listen to." She glanced back to her and raised an eyebrow. "Daddy she doesn't look as strong as you.." Javier couldn't help but chuckle. "Trust me, kiddo, she's stronger than I'll ever be." He offered Clem a warm smile. AJ giggled. "We're like secret Ninjas!" Mariana seemed content with that reply. "Can I be a ninja, too?" He nodded. "It's super fun being a Ninja!! We can kick stuff, and- and go on the swing at home!! Oh, oh, and you can sleep in a bed! And I have toys!-" Clem hushed him. "We'll show her everything AJ, but it's time for her to say her goodbyes." "Oh." He nodded, face returning to its passive expression in respect of her departure. Liv, unlike Mari, seemed more than ready to leave. She embraced Evelyn for a brief moment before slipping away towards the road to wait with Omar and Louis. Javier picked Mariana up effortlessly and swung her around before hugging her once more. She kissed him on the cheek and hopped over to Evelyn for a tight hug, waving to everyone else inside or around the station who watched from the doorway.
The gravel beneath their feet crunched as Mariana held Liv's hand.
This was.. new.
Different.
Neither of the kids looked back.

(I know I've been gone for too long, my bad. I just have no motive to write I guess. No one really reads this and I have a lot to do in my personal life.)