Send a ♚. Your character falls asleep on mine, I'll reply with what mine does.
Ben knew that the trip to Savannah would be rather long, whether or not they had a train to help them. He didn’t know exactly how long it was going to take, but he definitely knew that it was a whole lot longer than a day. In that time, there was no shortage of thinking. There was no shortage of regrets, of guilt, of anything else he could have done to keep those bandits off of them, goddammit. At least he’d mustered up the courage to tell Lee.
With a sigh, Ben set his head against the wall of the train. He closed his eyes temporarily in hopes that he’d be able to escape thinking about what he’d done. His eyes snapped open again at feeling something against his leg.
Clementine had rested her head against his leg, unconscious. Her hat was disheveled, and it rose on one side. Ben smiled a little, lifting his head slightly. The list of people who weren’t either disappointed or angry with him was long, but the little girl wasn’t on there yet. He hoped it would stay that way. Although he knew he didn’t deserve it, it felt nice to have someone by his side for assurance.
Ben and Kenny left Savannah far behind. After a good amount of running the two stopped, taking rest in a neighborhood nearby. The wall was cold against Ben's back as he took a breath. God, that was close. Kenny had been able to distract the walkers long enough for them to slip out the other way.
"Holy shit," the fisherman mumbled. Ben looked up at this curiously. His eyes widened in relief at seeing Christa, Omid and Clementine walking down the abandoned streets. Clementine's eyes were focused on the ground, and it was obvious she had been crying.
"Thank God you two are ok," Omid said when the two groups were united. "We were sure that you were both gonna be walker food." Christa lightly swatted her husband's shoulder, giving him a glare before looking at the two.
Kenny shrugged. "For a while I thought that too," he said honestly. "This kid knows how to run fast, though." With this he heartily slapped Ben on the back, making him stumble forward a bit. "Is she ok?" the older man asked Christa, looking at Clementine.
"I don't know," Christa said honestly. "We haven't gotten her to say a word since we found her outside the police office. She won't even say where she got the gun." At this everyone looked to Clementine. She was in fact carrying a gun. Judging by the smell coming off of her she might as well have been a walker.
Kenny looked up at Christa again. Ben noticed the fear in the fisherman's eyes, and he felt a bit nervous too. What could have been so bad that Clementine didn't even talk to them, about it? "We should probably-" He was interrupted by Clementine suddenly rushing forward to hug him.
"I - I had to shoot Lee," the little girl said into the fabric of Kenny's clothes. "He was going to turn and I - I had to shoot him so he wouldn't!" She began to cry softly, clutching Kenny's shirt in her hands as she did so. "An-and I saw my parents too and -" she swallowed - "and th-they - they were walkers."
Kenny looked to Christa and Omid, who looked grim. He looked to Ben in surprise, and they shared a quiet look of shock. The things Clementine had been through…there was no way she'd be the same after this.
"We know, honey," Christa said softly as Clementine moved away from Kenny. She crouched down and gave the little girl. "We know. We were there when he was bitten." As Clementine cried into her shoulder she looked to Omid, who nodded.
"Lee wanted you to stay with us, when he…turned." Christa stood up, holding Omid's hand. She smiled faintly. "We promised him we'll take good care of you, honey."
Kenny nodded as Christa said this. "Guess that means I'm traveling with the beanpole," the fisherman joked. Omid gave a faint laugh at this, and Ben rubbed the back of his neck. "Good luck, especially you," he said, looking down at Clementine.
Clementine turned to face Ben and Kenny. "Does that mean that I'm not going to see you two again?" she asked softly. It was obvious that she wasn't too keen on the idea.
"Naw," Kenny dismissed. "You'll get to seeing us again. I just hope you ain't in any trouble when we do find you. You take good care of yourself, Clem."
At this, Clementine nodded. She gave Kenny another hug. Ben cleared his throat, looking at the fisherman. He was about to say something when he felt the little girl hug him, too.
"I'm gonna miss you," Clementine said softly. She pulled away, looking at the two. "Both of you. Please stay safe."
"Same goes for you," Kenny said. Christa stepped forward to put a hand on Clementine's shoulder, causing the girl to look up at her. "This ain't goodbye, Clem," the fisherman promised, making her nod.
"Bye," Ben said. He gave a little wave. Clementine waved in return, a little smile lifting the corners of her mouth. The teen turned and lead the way out of the neighborhood.
Ben looked at Clementine as she sat beside him. He didn’t know if he wanted any company - not after what Lilly did - but it seemed as if she knew something was off about him. Of course, she didn’t know that the “traitor” was in her midst, sitting right beside her, but it was probably best that she didn’t.
A little smile came across Ben’s face, making the girl smile in return. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to mess around with her a bit.
Send me a ⌘ to hear what my muse's last words to yours would be.
"M'sorry, Clementine..." Mike's done her wrong, he knows that, but he didn't have much time to really sit the girl down and apologize properly. All he needs her to do now is run, to somehow make use of the opening he tried to give her by acting as a human shield.
