Walking Dead Game Collection

"We Got Your Back"

Title: We Got Your Back
Characters: Clementine, Kenny, AJ
Summary: After Clementine and Kenny leave Wellington the two make a plan to stay alive.
Author's Note: This is so adorable. I'm so happy I wrote this.
Requested By: kaycummings
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Each step away from the wooden gates seemed like another mile crossed. After several miles had been crossed, it felt like an eternity since the trio had been back at the entrance to their haven, their only hope, only to be shut out and tossed away.
They had been walking in silence. Kenny had taken both of their supply bags while Clementine agreed to carry baby AJ in her arms to keep him warm. That had been the only exchange of words in the past few hours.
Clementine couldn't tell if the man was angry with her. The way he stared with such shock and gratitude at the gates suggested that he wasn't upset. But then again she had single-handedly gone against his orders that he had only put in place to keep the two of his "children" safe. She had placed herself, more importantly little AJ, at the hands of whatever laid before these woods. Survivors, cannibals, walkers, traitors, bandits. Any of the things that could could kill them both she had tossed them to.
"Holding up back there?"
Her eyes darted up, meeting the back of Kenny's capped head. "Yeah, we're doing okay." She replied back quietly and rather mumbled. Regardless the man heard.
"Is AJ hungry?"
"Doesn't look like it."
"Are you hungry?"
"Kinda."
Kenny glanced around setting down the backs against the snowy ground and stretching his arms up over his head. "It looks like there's a little clearing over there. We can take a break." Hoisting up the bags up once again with a grunt the male continued forwards without another word.
Clementine squinted her eyes. She couldn't tell based on that interaction if he was upset. He seemed just as concerned for both of them as he had been before. Yet he seemed rather quiet and monotone. Reading Kenny's moods was like decoding an ancient manuscript; exhausting and time-consuming.
"Here. They have some bread in here." Kenny tugged out a tiny bag of the dough and ripped it open, handing the child a piece. "There's nothing to put on it but it's better than nothing."
Clementine nodded, sliding the baby into his hands and taking the piece he was holding out to her, taking a seat and nibbling at the pastry quietly.
"Tired?" His gruff voice asked, filling the still air around them.
"A little. Not too bad."
"Do you want to camp out here for the night?"
"Is it safe?"
The adult remained silent, closing his eyes and sighing. "As safe as I can make it."
Clementine halted her eating as she turned to look at the male at her side. What did that mean? What was he trying to say? "I didn't mean to make you upset by not going into Wellington." As the adult turned to meet her gaze she turned hers away so that the two couldn't meet eye to eye. "I just couldn't go in. You're the only person I know now. The only parent AJ has. I couldn't leave that all behind and go into a place that might be safe."
"Wellington is safe. That's a fact. Everybody that gets in there is alive until natural causes take them."
Clementine scowled, finally turned to see eye to eye with the father-figure sitting beside her. "Are you upset that we didn't go in? Are you mad?"
"I'm not mad."
"Are you upset?"
"..."
Clementine's glared turned into a frown at the deafening silence ringing in her ears. Of course he was upset. Why wouldn't he be? She put the child that he cared about more than anything in danger. He could have gotten care in Wellington. AJ could be safe to grow up and live his life until this horror ends. But no. Instead she took him away from it all.
She glanced back to her meal and stuffed it back into the plastic bag, winding it up and sitting silently once she was finished. How was she supposed to eat now? All of her hunger had vanished.
"Clem, I'm not angry."
"But you're upset, aren't you?" She whispered. She couldn't bring her voice to be any louder due to the heartache inside of her chest. AJ could die out here because of her. Kenny would be heartbroken. He would certainly hate her then.
"No. I'm not."
Clementine stared at the ground, her expression not changing.
"How can I be mad at someone who kept the two most important people to me still in my life?"
Silence.
Kenny gave a sad smile and glanced down as well, rocking AJ back and forth as he began to whimper at the tension. "Clem, you and AJ are the most important people to me. I think of you both as my own. And you," He paused taking a deep breath in. "You saying no to Wellington kept you both in my life and by my side." He gave a weak chuckle. "Now the only person I'm mad at, the only concern I have, is with myself."
Clementine finally looked up and took the moment to study his face. Clem has never realized until now how wrinkled the man's face had become. The frown lines, the forehead crinkles, the small wrinkles around his eyes from squinted and squeezing them closed. He had been through so much hardship. She had never taken even a moment to study his face, where all his emotion and stories were stored.
"I want nothing more than to keep you both safe. But I worried that I can't, Clem. I'm not as good as I used to be."
"Stop."
"Clem, look at me." He stated, cutting off any speech she was just about to give. "Look at who I've all lost. Look at what I did back there to Jane. I can't hold myself as well as I could when we first met."
"We have each other, Kenny. You're looking at this all wrong." Clementine burst in, raising her voice to speak over the flustered male. Finally grabbing his attention she took a deep breath and rubbed her cheek before resuming. "You think that our safety rests solely on you but that's not the case. It rests on all of us." She gave a small smile, a rather weak and sad one due to the circumstances. "We take care of each other. Of course more so when AJ gets older." She grinned softly, watching him nap calmly in his current father-figure's arms. "I take care of myself, AJ and you. You do the same for yourself. One day AJ will do the same for us."
Kenny's eyes remained wide as she spoke.
"AJ and I will need to keep you safe just as much as you are for us. That's how we're going to make it through this. With each other."
Kenny wrapped his free arm around the child, tugging her against his chest and enwrapping AJ in a sandwich of warmth and comfort.
Clementine smiled, holding one hand against his back and the other on AJ's blanket. "So, do we have a deal then?"
There was silence and no movement until Clem felt damp markings falling against her shoulder. Tiny tears falling one by one from Kenny's cheeks. She couldn't help but give a sad smile and squeeze him closer in a warmer and more protective hug.
She took that as his yes.
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Original Link: http://thatglitterygeek.tumblr.com/post/126292519607/walking-dead-game-fanfiction-we-got-your-back