Shaded In

It's My Turn To Be Strong

A/N: I hope you guys like the twist I'm about to put on Violet's life. ;)

Her girlfriend? Tenn blinked in confusion as he stared at the new girl and the little kid beside her. He knew Violet had once dated one of his sisters, but that had been over a year ago. Vi hadn't really opened up to anyone since then, only really accepting him as company every once in a while. Violet treated him almost as a little brother.

Louis patted him on the back seeing his confused look. "It's a long story...Well, not really, since we've only been gone for about a week."

Violet stood back up. "I can't believe you've been here this whole time. We...we thought they had taken you along with everyone else." Violet brought him in for another hug, pulling him close to her chest. "I'm so sorry." She told him, feeling guilty that they had left him behind.

"We tried looking for you when the raiders showed up, but...we couldn't find you. Violet didn't want to leave without you, but we barely escaped as is." Louis explained to him. "Then we found Clem... or rather Clem and her friend Luke found us."

Louis rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly afterward. "I...uh...don't suppose anyone else made it out as well?"

Tenn shook his head. "I hid in one of the closets in the dorms. When I got out...everyone was gone." He said in a saddened tone, a frown accompanying his face.

"Well, don't worry. We're not leaving you again." Violet told him.

She looked to Clem who nodded. "Glad we were able to meet you," Clem told the boy. "You can come with us if you want. We've got a house a little ways away. I'm sure Luke won't mind."

Tenn gave her a slight smile. "That sounds nice."

Then Louis spoke up. "Everything still here or did the Raiders take everything we had?"

Tenn shook his head again. "I think they left as soon as they gathered everyone because everything else was the way we left it."

Louis smiled, things were starting to look up. "Cool, then let's head to the kitchen and gather everything we have. I know where Omar likes to stash our supplies." He said starting to walk off in the direction of one of the buildings along with Tenn.

"You guys go on ahead...I...there's, there's something I need to grab," Violet told them hesitantly. She turned on her heel and took off before anyone could stop her, disappearing into the dorm room.

Clem wore a confused expression as she watched her girlfriend leave. "What was that all about?" She asked the boys.

Tenn motioned for Louis to come closer and whispered something in his ear. Realization dawned on the taller boy and he now wore a more serious expression. "Clem, you...you should follow Violet. She might need you."

The saddened looks she received worried her. What could Violet be doing that she would need Clem there for and why did Louis seem worried after Tenn whispered something to him? None the less she agreed to go check on the girl. "Uh...O-okay. You sure you don't need help?"

Louis brushed her off. "Nah, we've got it."

"Can I help too?" AJ asked excitedly.

"Sure thing little man," Louis told him, giving a thumbs up in his direction. AJ ran over to Louis's side and the three boys started walking away. Louis turned back around and shouted something to the girl in the baseball cap. "Violet's room is the fourth door down." He called out to her.

Clem sent him a thumbs up in response before she watched them disappear. She took a deep breath before starting off on her search for the missing blonde. She opened the main doors and found herself in a hallway. Most of the walls seemed to be engraved with various carvings and assortments of swear words, along with the doors. The foundation of the building was cracked in some places and had received some water damage, giving the inside a sort of musty smell. Pieces of glass littered the floor in places as well, where the windows had been broken, given way for plant life to come crawling in and take refuge in the building.