#v:done running

[twdgdeadmanwalking]

"I guess we have to start somewhere," Clementine sighed, the map of the area was already giving her a headache.

Her leg ached, or so she thought; it was no longer there.

"Any suggestions?" she asked, gesturing to the map on the table.

[twdgdeadmanwalking]

@scarred-by-monsters

Luke was just minutes away from Howe’s, Ash had just been taken by some gang. He had no chance at intervening it happened so fast, it’s like they’d been watched or something, ambushed.

His chest was heaving as he entered Howe’s, his legs burning, noting a door was ajar. After what he’d just witnessed, it was better to be safe than sorry, drawing his machete and approaching quietly. Noise could be heard from the room, it sounded like cutlery banging around.

“Fuck,” Nick howled, having tripped over a box, stubbing his toe on it, and almost dropping the cups he’d found.

Where was everyone anyway? Ash was normally right there waiting for him, especially if she knew he was on his way. It wasn’t like Luke to not be here either. Oh well, he’d make a cup of tea or coffee while he waited, not like he had much else to do.

A slight creak of the door sent chills down Nick’s spine, as he spun round to see who it was. A wide grin forming on his face as he saw it was Luke.

“Hey, want a drink?” Nick asked, before noticing Luke putting away his machete.

“No, no drink,” Luke answered, his voice nervous, a weak smile playing on his lips.

“What’s going on?” Nick asked, something was off, he could feel it.

“Where’s Ash?,” he asked, panic rising immediately as Luke simply looked to the ground.

“Where the fuck is she Luke?” he raged, stepping closer to his friend.

“She’s gone, somebody took her,” Luke confessed, the words spilling out just like that.

“And you didn’t do anything?” Nick screamed, “you fucking asshole,” he raged, pushing Luke back.

“I couldn’t do anything, we weren’t near each other,” Luke protested, “I knew I shouldn’t have let her go,” he despaired.

“She was picking flowers,” he said, “for you,” he added, knowing that it wouldn’t make a difference to how Nick felt. For once, Luke had failed Nick, and that just hurt to his very core.

[twdgdeadmanwalking]

@not-completely-human

Nick was aware that Alita was in the courtyard, but he was waiting to see her alone. He didn’t want anyone to overhear what he was about to say to the cyborg. She was the new kid in town, and Clementine had welcomed her, and for good reason. She seemed nice enough, and was friendly with the teenager, but Nick needed to talk to her alone.

He’d sat at the table, just watching the kids do their thing, and eventually it was just Alita and himself. He stood up and approached the cyborg, clearing his throat.

“Hi, Alita, I’m Nick,” he beamed, “you probably know that already,” he corrected himself. It’s not like Clementine hadn’t introduced Alita to everyone, but Nick hadn’t really spoke to her properly yet. His duties had prevented that luxury up until now.

He sat beside her, looking at the blade she carried, it was elegant, and clearly a dangerous weapon. It made him glad that Alita was a friend and not an enemy, as it was unlikely even Clementine could stand up to her.

“Listen, I need you to do me a favor,” he started, his eyes shining bright. It had been on his mind since Alita arrived, and honestly it brought some relief to his fears.

“I need you to protect Clementine, keep her safe,” he asked of the cyborg.

“She has enemies, she doesn’t know it yet, but they are out there, and they will come for her,” he explained.

“We can only do so much, but you?,” he gestured to Alita, “I’m glad you’re our friend,” he smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

He didn’t mean to put so much pressure on her, but he just needed to know that she had the same intentions as he did. He would die keeping her safe, hell, he would die for these kids now if he had to, even if it meant breaking his promise to Ashlyn.

Clementine was their future, he realized that when she made Ericson’s their home. The troubled youths, himself, Alita, Clementine, AJ all of them. 

“Please,” he begged.

[twdgdeadmanwalking]

@notyourfight from here

Nick flinched if but for a second, well aware that he, nor anybody would be able to tell Clementine what to do. She’d grown up in this hellish landscape and finally made it to someplace she could call home.

“Come on, Clem,” Nick sighed, “I’ve seen how you look at them,” he started, a conversation he never ever envisioned having, more so when all hell broke loose.

She’d lost so many people, people she cared about dearly, and honestly Nick had no idea how she could still smile. Smile she did though, especially when she cast her gaze in their direction. He was only trying to offer guidance to the teenager, but honestly, Luke would have been way better at this. He felt awkward, as his life had always been a mess when it came to relationships, at least until Ash came along.

“I just don’t want you having your heart broken is all,” he said quietly, his smile turning to a frown. He knew just how it felt when things went wrong, and sometimes it was always going to happen; there’s things you just can’t control. This really was a lot harder than he thought. He’d never seen her so happy, but at the same time, he knew how it felt to have that happiness ripped away.

It’s not like Clementine hadn’t lost people she loved before, but this? It was a different kind of love, if he was right about his suspicions. He’d promised he would protect her, but how could he protect her from this? It’s not like he was her dad, and besides, she was more than capable of making decisions for herself, or she wouldn’t be here. Now he wished he hadn’t said anything, but he only had because he cared.

[twdgdeadmanwalking]

@nctbitten

“Are you alright, Clem?” Nick asked, standing at the door. He’d heard her having another bad dream. AJ was already hugging her, a smile growing on Nick’s lips.

“Can we have a minute, AJ?” Nick asked the little one, his fingers tapping on the door a moment, before stepping into the room fully.

“Alright, I’ll go on patrol,” AJ, replied, taking his gun from the table and walking past Nick, pausing at the door, “take care of her,” he said to Nick, before leaving.

“Nightmares again, huh,” Nick said to Clementine, moving over to the end of the bed and sitting down.

“Wanna talk about it?” he asked, his own demons niggling away at him.

[twdgdeadmanwalking]

“ yes please, keep stroking my hair. i need that today. ”

“What’s wrong Ash?” Nick asked, continuing to stroke her hair. It wasn’t often they got down time, but when they did, they always made the most of it.

His duties done for the day, Clementine was off somewhere with the kids of the boarding school, probably briefing them on the supply situation in the greenhouse and garden. It had took all day to inventory everything, and as it was Nick who wrote up what they had, he was given some free time as a thanks.

Ashlyn was visiting from Howe’s hardware, having brought some much needed supplies to help with the garden, but truthfully, Nick begged both Luke and Clem to allow this visit. He missed her so much, and it showed.

“I missed you,” he breathed, holding her in his lap as he stroked her hair.

[twdgdeadmanwalking]

“  family isn’t who you’re born with, it’s who you’d die for.  ” (from Daryl [myriadxofxmuses] Sooo happy you're back 😃😃)

@myriadxofxmuses

"I didn't know you were so philosophical," Clementine replied a grin tugging at her cheeks, "but you are right," her grin turning into a warm smile.

"That mean I'm family?" she teased, knowing the answer already.

[twdgdeadmanwalking]

@damneddixon continued from here

The fear lay in the pit of her stomach, how could this have happened? She’d come so far, kept her wits about her, and a single lapse of concentration led to this?

“What if it doesn’t work?” she protested, her brain unable to process what had happened. Her eyes were pleading, wide open as she looked up to Daryl. He was right of course, it was the only option now, but the outlook was grim. Few people survived the amputation, just through sheer blood loss. There was no guarantee she was going to make it, but it was better than doing nothing.

She complied, lying down, and holding out her arm. She’d already felt terrific pain in that arm when she had to sew it up on her own. This however, would be a whole other level of pain.

Closing her eyes, she braced herself, one last plea to her companion, “make it quick,” she breathed.