Walking Dead Game Collection

"She'll Be Fine"

Title: She'll Be Fine
Characters: Clementine, Kenny, Luke
Summary: Sequel to "My Sweet Darling Clementine". Clementine is now five-years-old and while the group still adores her, they seem to be more protective than ever.
Author's Note: I'm aware you requested this so long ago and IM SO SORRY BUT ITS HERE
Requested By: thederpartist
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There she sat, butt down, paused in time at the wooden doorway awaiting for her hero to walk through. Her golden eyes grew wide and gazed up at the doorknob with awe, eagerly awaiting the one person she wanted to see turn it and sweep her into his arms.
"Clem, Luke just went to get more firewood, he'll be back in a few." Kenny called from the small kitchen, scratching his beard before continuing to scrub vegetables in the pale of water he had collected and boiled.
The five-year-old stood and shifted her gaze to the male in the kitchen, squishing her eyebrows together in discontent at his statement. She wasn't impatient, and she certainly wasn't making a fuss at the fact that he had left. The harsh reality of the world hasn't crashed onto the child yet - sometimes the adults tended to forget that - she wasn't waiting to see if he was alive. She was waiting for him to come home so she could spend time with the man she so deeply looked up to.
Kenny paused his task, setting the vegetables from their garden to the side and kneeling to be level with the young girl. "You don't need to wait at the door, ya know. You could spend some time with people still in the house."
She blinked slowly.
"Like me." The bearded male pointed towards himself, tilting his head causing the youngster to giggle. She quickly stood and wandered towards what she felt was her "second dad" and allowed herself to fall into his gentle embrace. As always, he smelt of dirt and smoke which most in part was from his work outdoors. While many hated the stench, Clem loved it. To her it felt like home. It was the scent that reminded her that she was safe and in the care of those who loved her.
The gruff laughing and the playful squealing of the girl in Kenny's arm was cut short by a creaking of hinges on wood. The golden gaze of the child turned and was met by the hazel stare aimed back at her. Her grin spread across the entirety of her face as she squirmed to be set on the floor. Upon slowly doing so, Kenny eyes the man as Clementine ran excitedly into his arms. He was rather bitter, the gaze he gave enough to send someone's face into distain, but gradually as he watched the two throw themselves at each other his glare lessened and his tension dissolved. It was hard for a parent to lose their child. In any way, shape, or form the end result was still the same; a gape in their heart from where all their love had gone. Gone to someone who now was no longer a part of their world. Now, needing to sit and watch another child he adored give their heart to another person was crushing. Of course, at the end of the day, he wanted Clementine to be happy and as he watched the grins appear on their faces he knew that they were both nothing but overjoyed when they were in the presence of the other.
He had knelt down, gathering her in a warm hug with a sweet kiss on the top of her head.
"Luke," Clementine sang happily as he hoisted her up, her tiny arms wrapping as far as they could around his neck to squeeze him close.
Luke smirked. While she rarely ever spoke, when she did it was always short and sweet. His name seemed to be what she said the most, whether in loving affection or cries for attention. It was clear to everyone that his name is what she knew best.
"Hey there, kiddo. Were you good for Kenny while I was gone?"
Kenny and her both nodded towards him sweetly, needing to give the legitimate answer along with the cutest one.
"Good." He cooed softly, stroking her hair and setting her back down with a kind smile.
Now knowing that her "father" was home, Clem quickly turned back to the puzzle she had been working on earlier, sloppily placing pieces wherever she thought they belonged.
While occupied, Luke turned towards the other adult in the room and leaned forwards. "Anything today?"
Kenny glanced towards the back door and shook his head. It was a large glass door followed by a screen, and a large wooden panel they pushed over it and locked at night. It was sturdy, the wood was anyway, and it allowed them to see the backyard and garden during the day and lock up at night. Not a foolproof system, but it had done them well so far.
"Only one."
Luke tensed. "What happened?"
"Bonnie was out in the garden planting some new seeds. A walker fell over the fence and tried to grab her."
"And? Where is she?" Luke, while staying urgent in tone, tried desperately to keep his voice low. If Clem got wind of his nerves, she would give him that quizzical look she always did. While young, she still knew how to read people, and if Luke got nervous she wasn't too far behind.
"She's fine. Used her shovel on the sucker and kicked him back over the fence. She went and dumped it with the other heap down back a-ways."
Luke sighed and turned to watch the child before him; gleefully playing. "Clem didn't see, did she?"
Kenny turned to stare at him before returning to scrubbing their garden veggies. "We kept her inside. Bonnie didn't like the idea of letting her out."
Luke glanced back to the pile of firewood he had set down by the door, hesitantly turning back to study the garden. It wasn't a safe world out there anymore. Anyone could tell you that. But now, having a child with them, every step and choice that they made was that much more urgent. It not only impacted the rest of the group, but a little toddler would be sitting and asking herself why someone didn't come home that night.
"This isn't easy." Kenny mumbled softly, catchy Luke's gaze with his words. "Never has been. Taking care of a kid is always hard."
"But now,"
"I know." Kenny said gruffly, cutting him off with his sense of exhaustion. "But you gotta remember that it isn't you two versus the world." He stopped washing, setting the now clean food off to the side and turning to fully face his chest to the male's side. He was leaning against the counter, arms crossed as he watched his pride-and-joy play.
"I just-"
"We know you love her. Hell, we all do. What else half as good as her brings us a decent amount of joy these days?"
Luke stood silently, rubbing the back of his neck. "We can't let anything happen to her." He closed his eyes. "Can you imagine what would happen?"
"We would all be in ruin. Without a doubt." Kenny refused to say anymore on the matter. He couldn't talk about loosing kids without choking up at least a little.
His hand worked its way onto Luke's shoulder catching the young male by surprise. That, above all, he wasn't expecting. Kenny wasn't exactly one to show him a great deal of affection. Especially to Luke.
"Listen," He murmured softly, clearing his throat before resuming. "That little girl loves you more than life itself. It's clear that you feel the same about her." He paused, gathering his thoughts as to make sense of what he felt in his heart. What he felt needed to be said. "If you keep that, if you hold onto that, she'll be fine."
Luke nodded, giving Kenny a thankful pat on the back. Watching as his eyes slowly became more glassy, the younger male stepped away and allowed him alone to his thoughts. Instead, Luke occupied his time sitting down beside the little girl he adored.
As she turned and saw her hero take a seat, the child grinned and crawled forwards seating herself in his crossed legs. "Will you help me with my puzzle?"
Luke smiled, patting her puffy hair and wrapping an arm around her body as she reached forwards and messily began putting pieces into their spaces. At least, what she thought were their spaces.
"Of course, Clem. Anything for you."
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Original Link: http://thatglitterygeek.tumblr.com/post/138246349567/walking-dead-game-fanfiction-shell-be-fine