Walking Bad

Gut instinct

After walking Glenn back I proceed to head back to my house, but was stopped by a tug on my sweater. I look down and see Clementine.

"Hey sweet pea." I say, remembering that Lee always calls her that. She smiles and I bend down to her level. "How are you doing?"

"Well." She thinks for a moment. "Glenn said people died today."

"That's right Clem."

"Do people always have to die?" She asks.

"No. But sometimes it just happens. Even before all this honey. It just happens. One of those things we have to face in life." I wipe a small tear from her face.

"Am I gonna die?" She asks, her voice a whimper.

"Honey, you've got Kenny, Lee, myself and several other people here to protect you." I brush her short bangs out of her face.

"I heard that man with the crossbow." She strains her face trying to remember.

"His name is Daryl." I smile.

"Daryl. I hear him talking about you two swimming. Can I come?" She asks sweetly.

I think to the walkers. "We can get a small group together to make sure we're safe."

She grins and jumps up to hug me. I grab her in my arms, holding the small child tightly. I lower her to the ground gingerly. "Want me to walk you home?"

"I'd like that." She says, holding onto my hand, I close my hand over her much smaller hand. I walker slower than usual, making sure to not tire out the young girl. Along the way I see Gabriel, the preacher coming out of Deanna's house. I eye him suspiciously, but even though I want to say something, I don't for Clementine's sake.

We reach her house and she insists I come inside, so I do. She runs over to Lee and he picks her up, and hugs her, smiling as he does so.

"Hey Lee." I say with a smile.

"Hey, Jessica. Clementine head upstairs and get ready to go to bed, I'll tuck you in soon." Lee says.

"Can Jess do it?" She asks.

"I don't see why not. As long as she doesn't mind."

"I don't have a problem doing it." I say, watching Clementine walk up the stairs.

I wait a moment before addressing Lee. "What happened to her parents?"

"It's that obvious I'm not her dad? They're, dead. She saw them, but she's a tough one. She keeps going on, and she's happy."

"You seem like you'd be a good father Lee. Why did you guys end up here?"

"It was Luke's idea. Thought it may have been safe. Guess he was sort of right."

"Everyone had the same idea it seems. What do you think about this place?"

"It's a safe place for Clem. As long as she's safe and it's not another Carver situation."

"Who was Carver?"

"He led another safe zone like this. Except there were armed guards inside. And if you crossed him, he'd kill you, or worse. Little Alvin Junior, the baby, his dad, and his mom were there. His mother had an affair with Carver, and even though Alvin was definitely the father, Carver beat him near to death. Carver messed up Kenny's eye. But Kenny, he killed him, bashed his face into the ground. And we ran, we found cars, and we drove all the way here."