The Walking Dead A New Frontier: Six Years Later

Chapter Four: First Day On The Job

"How did you get this one?" Gabe brushed the scar on Clementine's left shoulder.
"I got shot by someone trying to leave with our supplies." Clem whispered. They lay close together, the single bed didn't allow for much freedom in that regard.
"Shit, when was this?" Gabe breathed.
"When I was twelve I think."
"Holy shit. What about that one?" He touched the long scar in the centre of her lower back.
"Someone tried to stab me, the backpack slowed the knife down but they still got me a little."
"Damn, Clem. I didn't know you had this many scars."
Clem turned her head around as far as she could, "that might have something to do with the fact you haven't seen me without clothes before, genius." She teased.
She felt herself smile again. Whatever this was, it was nice. With or without sex, she enjoyed being able to sleep in the same bed as someone she trusted. It felt simple, a quality that most things lacked these days.
"I'm glad you're back, in case it wasn't obvious." Gabe whispered to her.
"You know what? It's good to be back."
"Hey Clem?"
"Hm?"
"Are we doing this again, or is it just a one time thing?"
"Hmm. I'll let you know in the morning."
Clementine rolled onto her back, she felt a light pressure on her ribs.
"C'monnnn." Gabe said, playfully poking her, "tell meeee."
Clem couldn't help but crack a smile, she started giggling.
"Okay fine. Yes, god, let's do this all the time. I like this, whatever it is." She smiled and put her arms around Gabe, who did the same.
"You know, you're nothing like I remember you." Clem said.
"Oh? How's that?"
"You never used to be funny."
Gabe laughed, Clem had to cover his mouth and shush him to avoid waking AJ.
"You're exactly how I remember you"
Clementine looked over at Gabe, "is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"So far? Nothing bad to be found." He kissed her on the cheek.

Clementine poked a snoring Gabe.
"Come on man, wake up."
He groaned and stretched while Clem slipped into a t shirt from the floor.
"I've gotta get some breakfast for AJ and it'll be a little hard to explain why you're in my bed."
Gabe slowly sat up and yawned before shifting through the pile of clothes on the ground to find the ones that were his.
"You're welcome to stick around for breakfast though, we're having stale cereal." Clem joked.
"No that's okay, I've got to go to work today."
He looked at the clothes he had picked up and frowned.
"Hey Clem, that's my shirt." He said with a smile.
Clementine laughed before taking it off and throwing it to Gabe.
"Here, we can swap." Gabe said as he threw the correct shirt over to her, "Oh by the way, I forgot to tell you yesterday. The shower in the bathroom works."
Clementine froze and her eyes widened, "the what?"
"The shower.." Gabe said, confused.
"I'll be back in five."
The water was cold, but considering she hadn't had an actual shower since god knows when, she enjoyed every second of it. Clem came out feeling more refreshed than ever, she got dressed and vigorously dried her hair with the towel.
"Holy shit, that was awesome. I don't think I've had a shower since before all this happened."
Gabe made an exaggerated sniffing noise, "you smell alright to me."
As stupid as his joke was Clem couldn't help but laugh, she was in a good mood today, which was something of a rarity.
"I've bathed since then, stupid. But just in lakes and shit, not in a shower."
"Yeah, it's great right? There's this guy who used to be a plumber, about a year ago he set this up so that we could catch rainwater in a tank and use it in the houses."
"Cool." Clem nodded, "hey what am I meant to do today?"
"Oh shit yeah, I was meant to come by this morning and take you to the city council. They're gonna assign you to a job. But I guess half of my job is done already now." He chuckled.
"What about AJ?"
"My neighbour, Mrs Palmer might want to look after him. She's old so she enjoys the company, if that's okay with you?"
Clem thought about it, she didn't like the idea of leaving AJ with an old woman she had never met before. She didn't like the idea of leaving AJ in general. Since the incident at Fort Mcarroll she hadn't wanted to let him out of her sight, but it didn't seem like she had an option today.
"Could Javi look after him today? Sorry I know it's a lot to ask but I'd feel more comfortable knowing he's with someone I know."
Gabe scratched the back of his head and sighed, "I don't know, he's usually busy with meetings and that kind of thing. Sorry Clem."
Clem swallowed hard, it seemed like she would have to bite the bullet.
She opened the bedroom door to find AJ sitting on the couch, spooning cereal into his mouth.
"Hi, Clem" AJ poked his head around the corner of the hall, "hi Gabe." He said and continued eating his cereal.
They both blushed, Clem looked back at Gabe, barely able to hold in her laugh.
She walked out into the kitchen and leaned on the bench, "AJ, I've got to go to work today okay?"
AJ mumbled something that sounded like an affirmative in amongst the mouthfuls of cereal.
"I can't take you with me, so for today you're going to stay with Gabe's neighbour, he says she's nice."
"M'kay."
She expected him to make a bigger deal of it, at least as big a deal as she was making of it. AJ, it seemed was quite adaptable. Once he had finished his cereal, they walked with Gabe to Mrs Palmer's house. She was a short old woman with wispy grey hair and old scuffed spectacles.
"Be good, goofball." Clem said, ruffling his hair. She felt awful about leaving him here, Clem felt a pit in her stomach as if a warning to tell her not to leave him, as if he was going to be taken from her again.
"I will, don't worry."
'Don't worry', hearing AJ say those words made her reflect inwards. She was worrying, she knew AJ could handle himself against individual walkers, he knew how to use a gun, and yet she was worried about leaving him with an old woman for a few hours. She knew she needed to relax, he'll be alright she kept telling herself as they walked away.

Clementine lined up the sights of the rifle with the head of the walker standing in the street. She took a deep breath in, then out and squeezed the trigger just as the last bit of air left her lungs. The high caliber rifle boomed and the sound rolled out into the open air. The round hit the walker square in the temple and Clem saw the side of it's head burst like a rotten tomato, coating the ground in dark blood and brain matter before the walker crumpled to the ground.
"Good shot." One of the interviewers said, clearly impressed.
"Thanks"
"Well that's made up my mind, I want you primarily on the wall. And since you've got extensive experience on the outside you'll be assisting on supply runs as well."
Clementine wasn't sure how she felt about all this, on one hand if she was going to stay here then she had to pull her weight. On the other, she didn't like being told what to do, she preferred making her own decisions.
"You can get started on the wall right away, go talk to Alice and she'll tell you where you need to be." The interviewer pointed at a woman talking to some guards.
Alice sent Clem to the top of the wall on the east side of the city. It didn't take Clem long to realise that the east side was the least exciting one. In the space of two hours, only one walker had sauntered past the road which she promptly dispatched. Alice had given Clem an M1A rifle and three spare magazines 'in case things get crazy', Clem doubted things would get crazy any time soon.
"Hey up there, want something to eat?" A voice from below shouted. Clem looked down, Gabe was standing below the platform she was on.
"Yeah actually."
She caught the granola bar he tossed to her and unwrapped it before sinking her teeth in.
"What are you doing over here?" She asked.
"I'm on break, I was at the front gate. So you're on wall duty too huh?"
"Yep." Clem said, trying to limit syllables while she had food in her mouth.
"So what do you think?"
Clem feigned an exaggerated laugh, "boring as shit."
"Yeah it can be sometimes."
"But I also get to go on runs."
Gabe immediately smiled, "no way, really?"
Clem nodded slyly, "wow dude, not even trying to play it cool anymore?"
"I just meant that, y'know? Supply runs are fun and it'll be cool that we might go on them together, that's all." He stumbled over his words.
"Sureeee." Clem grinned smugly.
She ate the bar while she watched over the empty expanse of road beyond the wall. Chatting with Gabe made the time pass faster which was a welcome change to the day's pace thus far.
"Clementine! You're on break for an hour!" Alice shouted from a distance that Clem would have been able to hear her if she was speaking normally.
"I'm gonna go check on AJ, wanna come?" She told Gabe while handing her weapon to her replacement.
"Sure."
They made their way over to Mrs Palmer's home.
"Hey Gabe, I've got a question." Clem asked, turning her head to look at him while they walked.
"Go ahead."
She hesitated for a moment, debating whether it was a good idea to ask.
"Since I left, did you forget about me at any point?"
Gabe gave a surprised expression.
"Wow, that's not what I was expecting."
Clem immediately regretted asking and her face became hot.
"Look, I'm not gonna be cheesy and say 'I thought about you every day' but I didn't ever forget, if that's what you're asking." Gabe answered.
Clementine breathed a sigh of relief.
"What about you, did you forget me?"
Clem froze, she suddenly felt awful. He wanted the truth but she hated how bad it would sound.
"I- I didn't completely forget you, it's just.. when I was out there surviving, there wasn't really time to think about anyone but AJ and myself."
She sighed, certain she sounded like complete asshole.
"I get it." Gabe said softly.
"You do?"
"Yeah, I'm not gonna hold it against you for having priorities other than 'that boy you met when you were a teenager'."
Clem began to smile, she stepped closer and kissed him on the cheek.
"Why the fuck are you so nice?" She joked.

They knocked on the door to Mrs Palmer's house and the door creaked open.
"Oh, back so soon?", she turned around and called down the hall, "Alvin, dear. Your mother is here to see you."
Clem tried to hide the grin she felt coming on from the old woman's comment. AJ ran down the hall and hugged her.
"Clem!"
She hugged him back tightly.
"How are you kiddo?" She asked.
"I'm good. Mrs Palmer is nice, she showed me how to make cookies."
"That sounds like fun."
AJ looked back at Mrs Palmer, "Clem, are you done now. Mrs Palmer is nice but I wanna stay with you."
She was about to apologize, tell him that she had to work and he had to stay here, but she stopped. Surely there was no reason he couldn't come with her.
Clem glanced back at Gabe, raising her eyebrows in a non verbal question. He smiled and nodded, throwing in a shrug for good measure.
"You know what? You can come with me for the rest of the day."
"Yes!" AJ celebrated. He stopped and his expression perked up, "one second."
He ran back inside past Mrs Palmer.
"Thank you for looking after him." Clem said.
"It's no trouble at all dear, your son is very well behaved."
This time Clementine didn't fight the smile. AJ sprinted back out into the porch clutching a brown paper bag.
"Ok, now I'm ready." He said with a smile, showing her the contents of the bag, cookies.