A new Dawn (Clementine x Louis)

Chapter Six - Family talk

Clementine looked down at herself. She was little again, same outfit she wore for years after the epidemic. All around her, the scenery was moving behind a big opened door. She was on the train again.
"Hey sweet pea."

Her heart stopped for a moment, then she turned around. A black man was standing in the shadow of some chests, randomly tied together.
"Lee?"
Her voice was unnaturally high in her ears, accustomed to the deeper voice of her future self.
"Yes sweet pea, it's me.", his deep voice sounded, the natural comfort in it had not disappeared in the years that had passed.
Clem rushed forward and hugged him, her small heart racing as if she had run for miles. A small tear ran down her cheek as she felt the warmth of her old protector, his presence was like medicine for unseen wounds. Lee smirked and stroked her back, calming her down like he always had.
"Easy there little one, we have plenty of time."
She turned her face to his. The pain and loneliness in her eyes seemed to rip a wound into him as she said: "I missed you so much!"
The world turned upside down for just a second, allowing her brain to adjust to the sudden change of perspective. Lee wasn't as tall as a tower anymore, just at least one head taller than her. Somehow, she had been forced into her current self again, into the body she had used to defend the school.
"I missed you too. Have you grown again since we last met?", the man asked and ruffled through her hair, almost knocking off the blue hat on her head.
"No I did not, even if I wish I had, everyone's taller than me, it's kinda embarrassing.", Clem noted and rolled her eyes in faked offense.
Lee's face was now illuminated by the sunlight flowing through the open compartment door. The features of his face looked sharp but almost angelic, as if he had found the peace he had sought for. He looked just like he ever had, a touch of pride was laying in his features as he continued speaking.
"I did not mean your size, I meant you. You are truly a grown up woman now. You can look for yourself and all your friends without losing grip on reality. You don't need someone to watch over you anymore. And by your looks every man in a circle of three miles won't be able to take his eyes off you... Man, I'd love to see you in action again, since I passed away so long ago..."
"I would like that too...", she replied with deep sadness. The memories of the old days, their old group and their friends had remained with Clem. She would never forget how these people had given their lives for her. But there was one question, one sentence that burned deep down in her soul after what she had heard the day before.
"Lee, I have to ask you something..."
Lee's eyes met hers and saw the concern in them, the regret and the pain his disappearance from her life had caused. The girl looked away, down towards the ground to hide her unseen scars her heart carried.
"What is it sweet pea?", the man asked and knelt down in front of her, leveling their eyes and putting his arms on her shoulders.
Clementine looked up again, tears welling up in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she spoke, a lonely tear rolled down her dusty cheek, cleaning it from the dirt she had carried for so long.
"There is a man in our group now, he's a scientist and the first person to discover a kind of vaccine for the virus.... Could I have saved you?"
Lee bend down to her face and wiped off the tears. The look in his eyes reflected his own sorrow but also comfort.
"My little sweet pea, there was nothing that could have saved me. I had survived for much longer than expected with the virus inside me. Even the amputation was too late. I stayed alive only to get you to safety.... I don't regret fighting for you. Look at you, you got so mature, better than I would have ever been."
Now Clementine needed all her strength to pull up her head and wipe the last tears away herself. Her heart felt like it was being crushed by an unseen force, tons of pressure on the most fragile body part she had.
"I wish you could see AJ now, he got so big and strong. I wish he had known you...", the girl said and used the end of her jacket to clean off the last trails of salty water in her eyes.
A small and quiet chuckle came out of Lee's throat after a short silence. Clem raised her head in surprise and suspicion, her vision got obscured as she tiled it to form an unspoken question.
"Were in a dream, well, not a dream, more like a vision sent from the afterlife. I could pull AJ here if you want.", Lee explained with a wide friendly grin. His eyes seemed to glow as he saw the girl he had carried on for so long widen her eyes, the amber in them reflecting the sun rays from the outside.
"You mean, he would see you and remember everything after he wakes up? Is that even possible?"
Lee grinned and snapped with his thumb and index finger.