The Walking Dead : The In Between (Season 3.5)

Where The Dead Don't Roam

Prologue

"Okay, there's someone. Maybe he can help us, but people aren't always good. Keep this knife in your sleeve, so he can't see. If things go wrong, you hand it to me. Okay?" Clementine said to young AJ hanging on to her shoulders. He nodded, looking determined.
"It probably won't come to that, but it's always better to be safe than sorry," she reminded him.
"Okay. We got this," he said, taking the sheathed knife and putting it up his sleeve so he could grip both of her shoulders. She came out from behind her car and walked towards the way out of the woods.

"Hello-" Clementine emerged from the woods. The boy drew his knife.
"I don't want any trouble. I'm Clementine, and this," she pointed over her shoulder at the young boy on her shoulders, "is AJ," Clementine finished.
"You're ... kids," the boy observed.
"So are you," Clementine pointed out.
"I'm Carl," he hesitantly, lowered his knife.
"Okay, Carl. I ordinarily wouldn't go seeking help from a stranger, so this means I'm desperate .. AJ and I are starving."
Carl thought for a second.
"Do you have a group? You both look a little young to be on your own," Carl shrugged. Clementine shook her head. "There were groups before, but they've fallen apart. AJ and I have been alone for a while," she said, crossing her arms. She knew this was part of being in a group, but she hated talking about her past.
"You're not his mother.. where are his parents?" Carl asked.
"They were friends of mine, but they didn't make it. They were good people, for the most part. I've taken care of him ever since." She knit her eyesbrows, remembering Rebecca and Alvin. She hoped they'd be proud of AJ.
"I'm sorry," Carl sympathized. "I can take you back to our community and get some food and shelter for both of you. Our leader is Deanna. She decides who comes in, but don't worry. She'll let you guys in," he finished. Clementine nodded gratefully.
"Thank you so much."
"Yes, thank you!" AJ said with a big smile.
Carl smiled.
"I have car that I don't really want to leave here," Clementine pointed at the red car with white stripes in the woods.
"We can take it. You know how to drive?" Carl asked, sounding a little surpised. "I mean, you look my age," he added.
"Being on our own for so long, I had to learn," Clementine walked to the car, and opened the door, and AJ slipped through to the back. Carl got into the passenger seat.

"Cool hat," Carl said, looking at Clementine's baseball cap.
"Thanks. Yours is cool too," Clementine smiled, glancing at his sheriff's hat, then looking back at the road. "It was my Dad's, but he gave it to me," Carl told her.
"My Dad gave me my hat too," Clementine said, swerving slightly to miss a walker on the road.
"You two must know what you're doing out here to have made it alone this far," Carl commented. "Take a left," he gave her noticing where they were. She took the left.
"Yeah, well I learned from the best, and now I'm teaching AJ everything I know," Clementine shrugged. "I'm getting to be a good shot," AJ said proudly. Carl smiled at him, not sure whether he should be happy for him or scared of him.
"What does AJ stand for?" Carl asked. "Alvin Junior," AJ answered. "His father's name," Clementine clarified. He nodded.
"You said you were taught by the best. Who?" Carl questioned. "Lee. He took care of me when the whole thing started for as long as he could. When I was nine, he got bit. But he's the reason I'm still here. He taught me to survive," she paused.
"I had to shoot him."
Carl knew exactly how that felt. "Sorry, I don't know why I told you that,"
"No, I'm sorry, that's really awful. I'm sorry you had to do that," Carl said.
Clementine gave him a pained smile.

Clementine examined the Alexandria walls as the gates opened and Deanna walked out. "Carl? Who-?" Carl interrupted her.
"Clementine and AJ. They're starving and alone. They need help."
Deanna thought for a second.
"Okay. We can give them food and shelter for one night, and then they can decide if they want to leave. If not, I will consider them as members of our community," Deanna looked over to Clementine.
"I'm going to need you to turn in any guns as you come in," Clementine shook her head.
"I don't feel comfortable with that."
"They are still yours. You can check them out of the armory when you leave the walls," she said.
"Nobody will hurt you," Deanna added, sensing the trust issues. Clementine hesitated but agreed. "What? Clem, we need our weapons. What if monsters try to get us?" AJ said, scared.
"There are no monsters here. You'll be safe," Deanna said warmly. AJ looked at Clementine for reassurance. "We need this, goofball. We'll be okay," she said kneeling to rub his shoulder. He gave a small smile, and held her hand on his shoulder.
They gave up their guns, which were put away in the armory.

"This home is empty. Normally when children arrive with no gaurdians, we put them with adults, but you're taking care of this little one, so I get the feeling you can take care of yourself. You can stay here tonight and decide if you want to make it permanent. I'll send someone over with food and clothes, but I'll be in that house, right down the street if there's anything else I can help you with," Deanna pointed. Clementine nodded. She handed Clementine the house key. "You seem like good kids. Alexandria would love to have you," Deanna said with a nod.
"Thank you. For everything," Clementine smiled. Deanna smiled back before walking away.

Clementine laid on the couch, sleeping quietly with AJ next to her, snoring loudly. Carl came to the door with some boxes, and set them down before softly knocking.
Neither of them heard the knock, so Carl opened the door quietly, already aware that they were probably asleep.
Upon opening the door, he could hear AJ snoring and knew that his guess was correct. He picked up the boxes again and set them on their counter, trying to make as little noise as possible. Still, Clementine snapped up to see Carl with the boxes. She had learned to be a light sleeper.
"Oh hey," Carl said, flustered, and awkward.
"Hey," Clementine yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"Sorry for waking you up.. I just assumed you'd need these."
"Yeah, no it's fine, you're good," she pulled herself over the back of the couch to avoid disturbing AJ.
"So this box is a couple of toys from Jessie - she's another resident with a young boy, but she says he's outgrown these," Carl pointed to the box and slid it towards her so she could look.
She shuffled through the toys, smiling a little.
"AJ's gonna love this. That was really sweet of her to give us these."
Carl smiled. "And this is from Carol," before he could slide the box over to her, she stepped around the corner, and opened the box, now standing next to him. "She makes really good cookies, so there's some in there, and real food too, as you can see," Carl pointed out.
"I'll have to thank everyone myself tomorrow," Clementine looked around the the things on her counter.
She was sure at first that it was too good to be true, but for once, she would let herself believe that it's real this time.
"Oh, and, fresh clothes," he unzipped a duffel bag.
Clementine started taking items out to look at them with a huge smile on her face. In this place, the people aren't just surviving. They're living.

Clementine stared at herself in the mirror. No dirt or blood on her face, brushed out hair, clean clothes.
She didn't recognize herself, but it wasn't a bad thing. She did however notice her hair was getting long. Past her shoulders. She hadn't had a chance to cut it until now, but she missed her poofy curls she had before the first cut. "I'll cut it later," she told herself.
"If I'm truly safe here, maybe I won't have to keep my hair short."