The Walking Dead: Emperor of Flames

Chapter 30: Confrontation & A Plan

Lee steps closer to Chuck. 

Lee: How about I throw your sorry ass off this fucking train?

Chuck: Now we're both scared.

Chuck stands up and looks at Lee in the eye. 

Chuck: I don't know much about you folks, but I can tell you, sure as the sun's gon' come up tomorrow, that y'all keep going on like this and that girl ain't gonna make it. Neither will that boy. 

Rolling his eyes, Lee looks at Chuck. 

Lee: What do you know?

Chuck: I'll tell ya, long as you don't toss me over the rail. 

Lee doesn't say anything for the moment, staring at Chuck. 

Chuck: I know that you don't have a goddamn plan. We get to Savannah and then what?

Lee crosses his arms. 

Lee: We do what's best for the kids. 

Chuck: Oh! Well, then! You do have it all figured out! Never mind.

He sighs. 

Chuck: Look, sit down with the kids and hash it out. Find a map for Christ's sake, I'd give you one if I had it. And if something were to happen to you...

Lee: It won't. 

Chuck: If it were, you gotta prepare them. Teach them to use a weapon, and for criminy, cut her hair.

Lee: They're kids. 

Chuck: They'll die kids if you treat them as such. You gotta consider them living people. That's it. You're either living or you're not. You ain't little, you ain't a girl, you ain't a boy, you ain't strong or smart. You're alive. Look at her hair. 

Chuck looks back to the track for moment.

Chuck: You got her running around with a mop that's gonna act like velcro to any hands swingin' its way. At least the boy has a hat. Find some scissors in my pack and take care of that hair before a walker does it for you. And then show them how to use a gun, because like it or not, that's what saves your life from here on out.

Lee thinks it over for a moment, thinking about what Chuck said. 

Lee: Okay. 

Chuck: Explain to them how they work and not to be afraid. I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but too many people have died already... 

Lee: They have. 

Chuck: (Sighs) And seeing more kids die might just do me in.

Lee: I hear you. A plan, a haircut, and a gun. It's good advice.

Chuck: It's something. 

With the plan now in order, Lee nods to Chuck before leaving, no longer angry with him as he'd made some fair points. Even if he didn't like that he said it to Clementine, it was still true about her and Y/n learning to shoot as well as getting her hair taken care of. Lee leaves the front of the train and then enters the cabin, looking at Kenny as he sits in the chair of the train's conductor.

Lee: Hey, man. 

Kenny turns to him, not angry or sad, just a numb expression on his face. 

Kenny: You and me. We... uh. Fuck it. Let's just get to the ocean.

Lee: I'll talk to you later, Kenny.

Lee leaves the cabin of train and walks down towards the boxcar as the train passes lots of trees with brown and orange colored leaves. A good portion of the leaves have fallen off of the branch, but there are still some on it. 

With each step he takes, he gets closer and closer to the back until a second later he passes by Ben. Ben looks up at Lee, but doesn't say anything. Lee enters the boxcar again with Y/n being the first to notice him. 

Y/n: Hey, Lee. 

Lee: Hey. 

He sits back down with the rest of the four and Carley is the first to ask him how the talk with Chuck went. 

Carley: So, what'd he say? 

Lee: He, uh, explained himself and made some good points. 

Turning his head, Lee looks at the children. 

Lee: Look, we're not going to let anything bad happen to either of you. But there are some precautions we have to take.

Clementine: Okay, yeah, that makes sense.

Y/n: Like what? 

Lee: Don't worry, kids. 

Carley looks at him. 

Carley: What should we do first? 

 Lee looks at the three and tells them the plan. 

Lee: Well, we're gonna figure out a plan for when we get to Savannah, teach the kids how to protect themselves better, and, uh...

He looks specifically at Clem.

Lee: ...tidy you up a little so you can't get grabbed so easily.

Clementine: I'd like that. 

Lee: Good. 

With the others now knowing the plan, they all kind of relax and like before, Y/n lays back as looks up at the ceiling. 

Y/n: What a crappy day.

Clementine: The crappiest. 

Carley giggles. 

Carley: That's an understatement. 

Lee looks at the kids. 

Lee: If three months ago I'd have known what you'd both be seeing, I don't know if I would've taken you guys with me.

Clementine: We probably would've run out of food.

Y/n: Yeah, the houses around her place weren't exactly stockpiled with food to take. And the others were being stolen from before we took anything the first time. 

Lee: You damn near starved with me. Both of you. 

Clementine: I'm glad we came with you. 

Y/n: Yeah, I'm with Clem on that. It may not have been perfect, but it's been alright so far. Even if we have hit a few bumps on the road. Just gotta take the good with the bad, y'know? 

Carley: Well, I'd like to have a little more good this time around. 

Y/n: Same here. 

Lee stands up. 

Lee: I need to look around for a few things that'll make sure we're prepared when we get to Savannah.

Clementine: That would be good. I hope it's safe there.

Lee: God, me too. 

Carley decides to help Lee, standing up with him. 

Carley: I'll help you look. Give the kids some alone time to relax and us some time to talk. 

Lee: Alright. Let's go look around. 

As they leave to go look for supplies, Y/n and Clementine keep looking out of the train. Only this time, they aren't just sitting in silence. Instead, they begin to talk about Savannah and their parents.