Survival Love: A Gabentine Story

Chapter 25 "Coming Back":

(Time Skip: Two More Days Later)
Clem's POV:
We've been walking back to the school as luckily none of those guards followed us. We've made a few stops along the way, mostly so Sofie can treat Thomas's bullet wound. With Violet and Minerva's help of course. But I've been more worried about Gabe than anything else. He hasn't been the lovable dork I've known and love the last two days. Hell he's barely even said a word. Ever since he saw those guards, he's been completely horrors and shook all the time. Almost as if what happened broke him in a way. He's also been distant from me and everyone else as well. I miss him holding me and always giving me kisses all the time just because. I'm really worried for him and hope he starts feeling like himself soon. Because I can't bare to see him like this. All paranoid and fearful. I just want my dorky boyfriend back.
We were about an hour until we got back to the school as Sofie looked at Thomas arm and paused for a moment. "Guys, his arms bleeding again. I need a moment to replace his bandage." She said as we all looked at each other and nodded. She then sat with him in a log as Violet and Minerva joined her. I looked all over for Gabe as I eventually saw him begin walking away from the rest of the group yet again. "Gabe?! Where are you going?!" I yelled out to him as he didn't even acknowledge me and just kept walking. Almost as if he was ignoring me. "Something's been wrong with him the last few days. He's usually more cheery than this." Louis said waking up to me. "Yeah I know. Listen I'm gonna go try to talk to him. I'll be back in a bit." I told him as he replied, "Go for it. I'll just stay here with Violet, Thomas and the twins." I then headed off into the woods to find Gabe. "Gabe! Gabe!" I called out his name as I didn't get answer back. I ran up to what looked like an old broken down playground and saw Gabe sitting on one of the park benches. I walked over and sat down right next to him. I got a good look at his face as he looked depressed and at the same time scared. My eyes then moved down to his hands to see he was holding onto Kate's necklace as he stared at it as well. "Gabe, what's going on?" I tried asking him while rubbing his back but he didn't give me a response. "Gabe, please talk to me. Say something." I begged of him as he just looked at me with tears in his eyes. "We fucked up, Clem. We... we fucked up so bad." He said as I was just relieved he was talking again. "What are you talking about, Gabe? We saved both of them. And sure they caught us but they aren't following us so everything should be fine." I told him as his eyes went back to the necklace.
"No it's not, Clem. No it's not. We're in danger. Because of us and what we did, we have put everyone including ourselves at risk." Gabe said still looking at the necklace. There was yet another long pause of him not talking as it made me even more worried. "Danger? Gabe, what do you mean?" I asked him and yet he stayed silent. "Gabe, what do you mean? Please! Just tell me." I begged him once again as he then said, "Those raiders that we took Sophie and Minerva back from, they... they call themselves the saviors." "Saviors? Who are they?" I asked him as he gripped the necklace even harder. "It's not more who are they. But more who they work for." He said. "Oh you mean that man I saw?" I asked him as then turned to me even more frightened and asked, "What did he look like?" "Well his hair was black and slick, he wore a black closed leather jacket, a red scarf, and one black glove on his left hand." I described as Gabe tensed up and clenched his fist. "So you saw him? And he saw us?! FUCK!" Gabe screamed in furious anger. "Gabe, calm down. Who was that man?" I then asked him as he then turned his head towards me and then right back ahead and said, "Negan."
I was confused at first until I remembered what Gabe told me the day we reunited. About how a man named Negan killed Javi and Kate and destroyed all of New Richmond. "Oh shit." I whispered to myself while putting the pieces together. "Yeah. He destroyed New Richmond. What do you think he's going to do once he finds the school?" He rhetorically asked me. "Gabe, you cant think about that. Maybe he doesn't know wh...." I said before Gabe interrupted me. "He knows, Clem. That's why Marlon give the twins away. It's because he knows where we are and now that we broken into his community and stole from him, I doubt he's just gonna let it slide." He said intensely. "Let me tell you this Clementine. Negan he's a very very dangerous man. He will kill you and all of us if he gets the chance. I will not let him have that chance." He continued holding onto both of my shoulders. Not in an aggressive way but more in a passionate and loving way. "Gabe, what are you trying to say?" I asked him more scared than ever. "I'm saying that if he does come, if him and his Savior followers do attack, I want you to take AJ and run. And if you need to leave me behind, then do it." He said as tears continued to stream down his face.
"Gabe stop! You're scaring me." I told him as a single tear rolled down mine. "I'm serious, baby. If he does attack us I need to make sure you and AJ are OK. I couldn't bare to lose you guys again even if it means I can't be there with you." He continued as one tear on my face turned into many. "And I can't lose you Gabe. You're my true love. I could never be in love with anyone but you so if he does come, I'm not just gonna leave you." I told him as he gave a faint smile. "God why are you so fucking amazing?" He asked me as I replied, "I don't know. I guess I was just born amazing." He gave a little chuckle as he then let go of my hand, cupped me cheek, and pull me in for a kiss as I kissed back. We let go as our hands were together once again as Gabe said, "I love you Clementine. I love you so fucking much." "I love you too Gabe. Forever and ever." I returned. "So you're good now?" I asked him as he replied and said, "Not really. But being with you makes everything a whole lot better," I then kissed his lips yet again as he kissed back as well. "We should probably go back to the rest of the group. We'll be back at the school in about an hour." I told him as he wiped his tears away and said, "Yeah that's probably a good idea." We then got up off the bench and walk back to the group hand-in-hand as I was just happy to have my dork back. Back to the way he should be.
After returning to the group, we immediately started moving again and as predicted, we made it back in exactly an hour. Right as we walked through the gate, Willy saw us and shouted, "Hey everyone! They're back and they have the twins!!!" Just like that everybody started to swarm us as they were just happy we not only came back alive but also got the twins back. " Sofie? Minnie?" We heard Tenn say as everybody moved out of the way so he could see them. "Little bro!!" They both said running to him and giving him a big old hug. "I'm so happy to see you. I knew you were still alive. I just knew it." Tenn said so happily. "We missed you too little buddy." Sofie said rubbing his hair. "Aaaaww!" I heard Violet say as I looked at her confused by her acknowledgment of its cuteness. "Oh I mean... That's cute I guess." She hilariously corrected herself as I just rolled my eyes at the ridiculousness. "Hey where are Erika and AJ?" I asked Omar. "Oh she's upstairs in your guy's room. That's where she's been taking care of him." Omar answered as Gabe and I nodded and went to go see them. We went to our building to and up to our room as we then knocked on the door.
Erika opened it as she then said, "Hey! Welcome back guy! So how did it go?" "Good. Sofie and Minerva are safe and at school square reconnecting with everyone." I replied. "Oh sweet! So they were alive?" She then asked the both of us. "Yeah. It turns out that the raider camp used them as sex slaves. They were chained up from their legs, arms, and necks. Fortunately we found them and got them back here safe." Gabe said, "Oh Jesus! That's fucked up!" Erika said as I replied, "Yeah tell me about it." "So how was AJ while we were gone?" I then asked her. "Oh he's had his moments but for the most part he's been fine. He really missed you guys. Sometimes he was like a little tyrant." She answered. "Ha. I remember my father saying the same thing about him ears ago." Gabe said as I remembered it too and giggled. "Anyways, he's in his and Tenn's room. I'm gonna hi welcome the twins back." Erika said as we thanked her and she left. We walked in to see AJ drawing with Tenn's colored pencils. "Hey buddy." Gabe said as AJ then turned around and yelled out, "CLEM!! GABE!!" He then ran toward us and threw himself into our arms as we shared a huge hug. "I missed you guys." He said as Gabe replied, "We missed you too, bud. The twins are here if you want to see them." We let go of each other as AJ said, "Maybe tomorrow. I'm kind of tired." I just chuckled and said, "Yeah, says the kid who used to tell me that he could say awake for 18 days." "I was just joking, Clem. No one can do that." AJ said.
"Ok it's time for bed buddy. Gabe and I will tuck you in." I said as AJ let out a huge sigh and said, "Ugh ok." We walked with him towards his bunk as he then said, "Oh wait! I want to show you guys something!" He then ran towards the desk in his room as he took two pieces of paper off of it and ran back to us. "Look. Tenn and I made these drawings for you guys." He said holding up the one piece of paper. It was a drawing of the three of us killing walkers together as the top read, "Clem, Gabe, and AJ. Forever Family." It wasn't exactly drawn very well seeing as how he's only six, but that didn't stop me from loving it anyway. "AJ... I love it." I said happily as Gabe then added, "I love it too, kiddo." "Yay. Oh and Tenn made you guys this one." He said holding up the other paper as it was just a drawing of Gabe and I holding hands and kissing with the words, "Gabentine Forever." on the top. "What's Gabentine?" I asked AJ. "Well Tenn told me it's both of your names together. Like you two are one." He tried to explain as Gabe and I smiled at each other and blushed. "Well we love this one too." I said rubbing his little Afro. "Ok now it's bedtime." Clem said as AJ nodded and went back toward his bed. He paused for a moment until he turned back at us and asked, "Can I... uh... sleep in your guy's bed tonight?" "It's just that I missed you guys so much." AJ said as Gabe then said, "Sure buddy. You can sleep with us tonight." AJ smiled and ran pasts us into our room as we followed him.
I took the the drawing AJ made and hung it up on the wall while I put Tenn's drawing under my hat on the desk. I turned off the light as the three of us got into bed with AJ in the middle of us. "Goodnight guys. I love you." He said letting out a big yawn. "Goodnight, AJ. We love you too." Gabe said back. It didn't take long after that for AJ to fall asleep as he crashed hard. Gabe then quietly got out of bed and began to put his jacket back on and grabbing his gun as I carefully sat up. "Gabe, where are you going?" I asked him softly so AJ didn't wake up. "I'm... going out on patrol. You two get some rest." He said a little less softly that me but still quiet enough so AJ wouldn't wake up. I could tell Gabe still wasn't a hundred percent okay. "Gabe, it's late. You don't need to be out patrolling. Just stay here and go to sleep." I told him as his eye then paced from me towards the door. "Your still afraid of Negan coming, aren't you?" I asked him as he then looked back at me. He let out a sigh before saying, "Yes. I've had him in my nightmares for years so how could I not be. I will do anything to protect you two. No matter what the cost is." "Gabe, hopefully it doesn't come to that. But if it does, we'll get through it... as a family." I said back. "People used told me that I needed to be tough after what happened, so I am. They told me to be strong, so I will be." He said. "Well you and AJ are pretty tough. You the toughest boys I know. Probably the toughest boys in the whole world." I replied as he said, "Yeah, but we're not as tough as you." "Well no one is tougher than me." I said as Gabe chuckled a bit. "But for tonight, just come back to bed. You can patrol in the morning if you'd like." I then told him as his eyes went back-and-forth between me and the door. He let out another sigh before carefully putting the gun back on the desk and sneaking back into bed with us. We both laid down while holding each other's hand as I whispered, "Gabe?" "Yeah Clem?" He whispered back. "You're still a huge dork." I told him as he responded, "Yeah, I know. Love you baby." "I love you too, Gabe." I said as we both then fell asleep.