Gabriel pov
Carley and I followed the new people into their house. It was a rather nice place but I was wondering why someone would build a house in the middle of no where. Did someone just have enough money to dump into a place like this or was it because they were bored? I have no idea.
As we walked into the house I lowered my bag next to a couch and sat down, dragging a hand down my face as I sighed. Everyone sat around us with various expressions on their faces, especially with the pregnant lady and the red neck. I looked around attentively, hoping to see if anyone would make a brash move and attack us. After a few seconds of silence I relaxed and breathed out a sigh.
"You people look like you've even through a lot." Pete said as he put his left leg on his knee. I huffed and nodded solemnly.
"Hasn't everyone?" I asked as I put my hand behind my head. I grimaced slightly as I realized that sounded shitty. "Sorry if we sound less than hospitable, it's been a long day." Luke nodded and smiled gently as he sat in another chair.
"It's alright, you folks care for your daughter. I get it." I nodded and smiled a little bit. My smile stayed for a few moments before it fell and I sighed.
"Not just that. We lost 2 people from our group last night. We had been with them for a majority of all this madness, and they were cut down like wheat in a field." My eyelid twitched as I felt my anger rise just for a moment. I could get angry now but it just felt right to, especially when we hadn't had much time to Grieve Omid and Christa.
"A few months back we took in someone who was Bit. We thought we could control it but we couldn't. Nicks Mom got bit when they turned." The redneck from earlier, who I now recognized as Nick, looked over and glared at Luke from where he was standing. "So, yeah. We know how you feel." I nodded and stayed silent as I thought of questions to ask. Carley who was sitting next to me still saw I was quiet and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and spoke.
"Who's Carver? You mentioned him earlier when we showed up and from what it sounds like, he's very dangerous." Carley worded what she said carefully, as one miss wording could lead us to getting shot at. The pregnant lady seemed to glare at Carley and I when Carley asked the Question.
The group of people looked at each other cautiously, almost as if they were having an internal debate on weather or not to tell us the truth. I sat patiently and waited for them to either tell us or not. I glanced down at Carley who was also trying to read their faces.
"Carver is...a dangerous man, yes. He is also somebody we are trying to get away from." I nodded and let out a sigh of content. They didn't want to tell me everything, which was fine as I have a feeling we'll find out anyway but still. I'd like to find out all I can about this man if he's so dangerous.
"It sounds like you don't like him very much. It must be hard to say allowed but I'd like to know what he did that's so bad?" They looked at me with empty expressions and that's how I got my answer.
Sometimes no answer is the answer.
"Got it. Well I can assure you we don't follow crazy. We may have had a few crazy's in our own group a long time ago but they don't sound as bad as this guy. Actually you guys remind me of two members in our old group." Carley said as she motioned to Nick and The Pregnant lady. I looked down at Carley as I tried to make the comparison. A second later I smiled broadly and looked down at Carley.
"You thought that to? I thought I was the only one who was reminded of Kenny and Lilly." I smiled and laughed as memories of their arguments filled my mind.
"Who's Lilly and Kenny?" Nick asked. I looked up with a small smile and rested my head back.
"Lilly and Kenny were some other members of our group who always fought about who was in charge. They never got along most of the time and fought over who was in control of the group. It was funny really." Carley shook her head with a smile that I mirrored. Nick nodded and the Pregnant lady relaxed her posture just a little bit.
"People don't normally smile when they talk about hard times." Carlos spoke as he gave us a relaxed expression. I shrugged and put one arm on the top of the couch that was above Carley.
"It wasn't all hard times. There was good times as well. We smiled, we cried, we laughed and we hurt, but without the easy moments coming after the hard ones...I don't think we would have made it." My voice was soft as I let a sad smile graze my lips. Carlos looked like he wanted to retort but he held his tongue.
"They all seem like good people, what happened to them?" Luke asked almost hesitantly. My smile fell slightly and I shrugged.
"What happens to everyone I guess." Luke nodded as Pete unfurled his leg and put his elbows on his knee's. Pete looked from Luke over to us and smirked a bit.
"We've just had the misfortune of meeting bad people, that's all. Carver was an inconvenience that we met and now he looks for us. He wants to keep us at his camp but we don't want to stay there. It's a horrible place to raise a child." Pete's eyes looked over at The pregnant lady who crossed her arms and glared at Pete.
"They don't need to know any of our business. When that little girl turns tomorrow they will be out of our hair anyway." I raised an eyebrow at the Woman's tone when speaking about Clementine. I shook my head and gave her a staggering amount of sarcasm.
"You know, it's not very helpful when you speak about someone's family like that. What if I wished death on your child?" The woman's face contorted into anger as she looked offended. I just stared at her with a neutral expression which seemed to piss her off more.
"We don't know you, for all we know you could have taken that child and got her bit just so we'd feel bad. You could be working for Carver and we wouldn't even know it. Until you prove we can trust you, I don't give a damn about you." I nodded slowly as a smirk edged it's way onto my face. I couldn't help but find what was going on pretty funny. I tried to not laugh though just incase they take it as an admission of being guilty.
"Noted." I said with the smallest amount of a smile grazing my lips. I scanned the woman and found her name was Rebecca Hanson. The colored man next to her was Alvin Hudson.
As the conversation continued I scanned the house to see how well equipped these people really were. As I looked around I saw a small heat signature making it's way through the house. I looked further and saw that Clementine herself was walking through the house. I smirked slightly and realized she might need help. Carefully I looked up at Luke and stopped him while he was speaking.
"Hey, do you guys have a working bathroom?" Luke looked up at me and nodded.
"Yeah, just go up the stairs and take a right. Should be at the end of the hallway. The water doesn't work so it just goes down into the septic tank." I nodded and stood up. Carley looked up at me curiously but didn't say anything as she continued conversations with everyone. I slipped into the living room and watched as Clementines signature was upstairs walking around. I smirked and walked up the stairs slowly as to not alert her before making my way down the hallway.
Clementine was behind the bathroom door, frantically hiding somewhere based on her elevated heart levels and slow breathing. I opened the door to the bathroom and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I could see Clementine hiding in the bath Tub With the curtain blocking her from normal view. I smirked and crossed my arms, walking over to her hiding place which made her shrink in fear. I stopped just outside the tub and put my hand on the inside of the curtain. I pulled the curtain open and looked down at Clems Terrified face with a smile.
"Hey Clem."
"You scared the hell out of me." Clems face morphed into a small smiled as I leaned down and motioned for her to grab my hand. I pulled her up and out of the tub and into my arms for a small hug. It lasted for only a moment before I pulled away and knelt down.
"Sorry Clem, You weren't exactly hiding well. I could hear you from behind the door." Clementine looked up at me and frowned, making me chuckle lightly. She crossed her arms but winced as her wound touched bare skin. My smile faltered lightly and I looked around for something to help her wound. I opened a little cabin on the sink and found a needle with thread. I grabbed the two appliances and handed them to Clem. "I don't know how you got out of there but when you get out use these, they will help you." Clementine nodded and took the two things. She smiled at me one more time before going toward the door, "be careful, alright?" She looked up at me and nodded once before slinking out the doorway. I let out a sigh and shook my head before also walking toward the door.
I walked down the stairs and back into the kitchen where everyone was talking. "Sorry about that. I'm surprised your plumbing still works." Luke smiled and nodded toward me as I went to sit on a stool next to Carley again. Carley cast me a look and I smiled at her before sitting next to her. I could see the wary look that she was giving me but I paid it no mind.
"So any particular talents you two learned before this apocalypse?" Luke asked. I shrugged my shoulders as I let out a hum.
"Well, I was very good at just about anything I learned. I had a basic understanding of survival growing up that grew as I got older. I know how to fish, hunt, kill if necessary. I was also a good strategist when it came to. No one's beaten me at mind games, such as chess." I motioned to the chess bored which sat on the table in the middle of the kitchen.
"Sound like you're one of those cocky sons of bitches." Nick spoke. I smirked lightly and shrugged while leaning further into my seat.
"It's ok to be cocky when you truly are good at something, even if others hate you for it." I said. Pete chuckled and shrugged, smiling over at me.
"I like him."
"You won't be good at something once your dead, how about that jackass." Rebecca said while giving me a glare. I still smirked as I glanced over at her with amusement in my eyes.
"Let's not make threats you can't keep, shall we?" I asked as I gave Rebecca a toothy grin. She seemed to get even more pissed at my remark but she just fumed in her seat.
"We don't mean to aggravate you, Rebecca just gets jumpy whenever we meet new people. Give her time."' Alvin spoke as he tried to reassure Rebecca. I gave him a nod and returned to my calm expression.
"It's alright, hormonal changes can effect behavior in pregnant woman. Especially with someone as far along as you, I don't hold it against her. I would appreciate that the passive aggressive threats cease though." I could slowly feel myself settle down back into my machine like voice and speech patterns. With a new group of people like this I almost felt the need to cease my emotional feelings so that I could think logical for Carley and Clementines safety.
"We'll try to limit that, sorry. We just don't meet to many folks who seem to be as peaceful as you guys seem." Luke said as he took a drink of some water from a jug. I nodded and folded my hands over each other, staring at everyone intently.
"Well I appreciate that, however I can most certainly tell you that the only thing I care about is my daughter and wife's safety. So the sooner she comes back to me, the sooner I'll be more open to believing you." I spoke in a monotoned voice now, not hiding my annoyance as I sat completely still. Carley looked up at me with slight acknowledgment in her gaze, but also slight fear.
Whenever I get like this I tend to react in a more defensive and defiant tone, always willing to kill at a moments notice. It's been a while since I've been like this, but with Clementine being forced to stay in the shed I and Carley stay with these people I can be allowed to be machine like.
A scream of outside alerted us all to something going on. I shot to my feet at the familiar sounding voice and immediately bolted toward the front door as I heard another scream. Everyone behind me seemed to try and gather their weapons but I didn't wait for them as I pushed open the front door and bolted toward the shed.
I ran across the yard and came to the front of the shed. I made a blade on my hand and shattered the lock before throwing the gear over and opening the door.
Clementine had a Walker pushed up against a beam and had a hammer in her hand. The moment I opened the door she shoved the hammer into the walkers skull and killed it. My fear stricken face morphed into a small smile as Clementine pulled the hammer out and breathed heavily. I deformed my blade and crossed my arms with a raised eyebrow and proud smile. Clementine turned around and smiled weakly at me.
I walked forward and kneeled down before her, grabbing the hammer and setting it on the ground. I looked down at Clementine sutured arm and shrugged, her skills could use some work. After looking at her arm I gazed back up at her face and smiled at her.
"You ok Clem?" I asked as I put my hands on her shoulders. She nodded even as she breathed heavily.
"Yea, yea I'm ok."
"What the fuck is this?" Nick asked behind me as everyone else caught up to us. Carley slid next to me as she looked over Clementine with a worried face. Once her evaluation was complete I stood up and looked back at everyone with a grin on my face.
"I am still. NOT. Bitten." Clem affirmed as she held her arm in her hands, a defiant look in her face and eyes. I smirked down at her before looking at up at everyone, a feeling of pride swelling in my chest. "I never was. And you left me out here to die."
Luke looked down at her wound which she sutured, a look of surprise coming over his face. "Did you patch yourself up?"
"Where'd you get that stuff?" Nick asked as he stepped forward next to Luke.
"Did she steal from us?" Rebecca asked. I rolled my eyes and put a hand on Clems shoulder.
"It doesn't change a thing, she hasn't done anything to us." Pete said as he crossed his arms. I gave him a nod and turned back toward Luke, giving him a defiant look.
"She snuck in the house earlier, I helped her grab some string from your cabinet so that she couldn't patch herself up. I took nothing else." I said as I looked at everyone around us. Rebecca and Nick glared while Pete and Luke looked affirmed.
"What about the peroxide?" Nick said as he pointed to the bottle of hydrogen peroxide on the table. I looked at it and shook my head before looking back at Nick.
"Our own. I have it to Clem before she left the house."
"And you think you can trust them?" Rebecca asked as she crossed her arms, glaring at me and Clementine.
"Damn don't even start! Any of you would've done the same thing if you have as tough of this little girl. So just save it." Pete said, his anger getting the better of him as he glared at Rebecca and everyone else. I nodded toward him again and smiled lightly, already getting a good feeling about this guy.
Carlos looked at Clementine and her arm before sighing and shaking his head, "Bring her in and I'll take a look at her arm." He than turned around and started walking away, the rain starting to fall off his clothing with a drizzle. I was reminded of the rain and looked back at Carley and Clem who were shaking under the effects of the cold weather. I shook my head and walked in the middle of both girls to wrap my arms around them, Carley looked up and smiled at me while Clem just leaned into me.
"Damn Lukers sneaking around out here, we Better ever inside." Alvin said as he turned around and started walking as well. I looked up at Luke and saw him nod. We started walking forward as well and I stopped infront if Luke as he crossed his arms.
"You three hungry?" Luke asked. I looked down at Clem and saw her tired face, knowing she wasn't going to answer. Carley leaned her head on my Shoulder and gave me a pleading look almost, making me sigh.
"They are, I'm not though. They are probably starving." Luke nodded and we walked forward toward the house slowly, with me matching Clem and Carley's pace. I didn't want to force them to walk any faster than they wanted to, mostly so they didn't over exert themselves.
It was going to be a long night.
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Carlos was looking over Clems wound as Carley and I stood next to her as she sat on the stool, my right arm wrapped around Carley as she laid her tired head on my shoulder. Nick was in the room as well standing off the side, with probably the idea that he was going to Kill Clem as soon as the news was delivered; like I'd let him.
I didn't trust Carlos to make a judgment call like this, mostly because he wasn't a real doctor, but I had to judge his basic Nursery skills in the hopes that he paid attention in school. Luke entered the room and walked up next to me and Carley, his gaze looking at the Rifle sitting on the table that belonged to Nick before flickering up to Clementine. I could see the concern in his tired eyes, but I also couldn't see the hope that maybe Clem would be ok. I silently thanked any deity out there for proper like Luke and Pete.
"This might hurt a little." Carlos said as he looked deeper into Clems wound, opening it up slightly to stare at the stitching. I listened as Clem hissed in pain and muttered.
"Ow."
"How she look..." Luke asked with an unreadable expression.
"Her suturing skills need some work, but otherwise I'd say she should be fine." Carlos said, making Carley sigh in relief into my ear. Regardless of the fact that I knew Clem would be ok, I smiled and let out a breath to.
"So it wasn't a luker bite?" Luke asked with a bit of hope in his gaze. I smiled down at Carley and kissed her cheek, making her flush in the candlelight and smirk up at me.
"If it was the fever would have already set in and her temperature would have been through the roof." Luke nodded but Nick shook his head and stormed out. Luke frowned and went to follow the hot head. I shook my head and looked back at Carley, gesturing to the doorway in which both left.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say he wanted Clem dead." Carley nodded as her smile dropped, a tired grin on her face.
"I hope not, I'm tired of people trying to kill us." A smile broke onto my face as I nodded, thankful that we can still joke at a time like this.
"No kidding."
Carlos went to wash his hands in the sink as Carley and I separated. I walked over to Clem and Inspected her arm, using my eyes to see through the bandage and make sure her wound wasn't infected. When confirming that she would be fine I nodded and gave Clem a small smile which she returned.
"I wish you wouldn't have done what you did." Carlos spoke, getting all three of us to look at him with disbelief in our eyes. I scoffed and shook my head as I turned to face the man.
"And what's that? Save my daughters life from you and your idiotic measures..."
"We put her in that shed for the safety and concerns of our loved ones. Than she escaped and you helped her after we were generous enough to allow you to come into our home, but not only that but she persuaded my daughter to help you steal from us." I went silent after that, not because I didn't have a retort but because I have a feeling that what he is talking about goes beyond just taking down string from them. Whatever Clementine did before I got to her must have been something along the lines of convincing Carlos's daughter to help her. "Ill give you the benefit of the doubt, but there are a few things you should know about my daughter." Carlos finished washing his hands and wiped them off before turning around. I stared at him with my arms crossed and my right eyebrow raised, not in the mood to take down father scolding bullshit.
"Okay." Clem said, slow and drawn out.
"She's not like you. You may not get that initially, but once your around her for a while you'll understand. If she knew how bad the works is...what it's really like out there...she would...cease to function. She's my little girl. She's all I have left and I would ask that you stay away from her."
I raised an eyebrow at Carlos and snorted, shaking my head as he turned around and faced the window. Did he really think codling a girl in a time like this was the smartest idea? Was Carlos that delusional to really believe that not trying to expose her to this new world would be the best he found do as her parent, by not trying to prepare her after her was gone? Why would he, as her Father, not try to help her grow accustomed to the world as he knew it because he wanted her to be in the world she knew. The moment something hard happens to her she will cease to function because she wasn't prepared to face the challenges of this world. He can't keep her pure forever because there's nothing left pure in this world. His way of thinking is wrong.
"I don't agree with you Carlos at all. However if you want to raise her with the belief that the world is all sunshine and fucking rainbows, than by all means do it. I just want you to know that it's not right." Carlos turned around and glared at me, his gaze holding a hateful look in it that I only reserved for the worst people in the world. I rolled my eyes and held my hands up before he said anything, "I won't say anything to her, I won't look at her and nor will I approach her. She's your daughter, and you can raise her however you want. Just don't be surprised when you die and she fucking loses her shit." Carlos said nothing more as he shook his head and walked away, his body still as he gritted his teeth and walked away with an almost shaking posture. I paid him no mind as I turned back to Clementine and looked her wound over. I didn't care what any of these people thought, because I was gonna tell them the truth.
Luke came in with after Carlos left, bringing a bowl of noodles with him. "I brought some food if your hungry." Clementine smiled for the first time in a while at the mention of food, looking at Luke with a grin on her face that made me and Carley smile.
Clementine sat at the table with Carley while I stood off to the side. Luke sat in front of Clementine while Carley sat on Clems left. I waited patiently for them to finish their food, as I didn't need to eat and didn't want to disturb them. Carley and I locked eyes sometimes and I could see the worry but also relief flash in her eyes periodically. We smiled at each other most of the time.
"That's gonna leave a nasty scar." Luke said as he motioned toward Clems arm. Clem grimaced and shook her head.
"It's better than cutting it off." Clem said. Luke chuckled and took a bite of food, while Carley and Clem had already taken a few bites.
"I can't ever imagine seeing you with one arm Clem. You be the one armed menace" Carley said as she smiled at Clem. Clementine smiled and chuckled, making me smile at the sight of Carley and Clem laughing.
"With her determination I could see it happening." I said from the side, Carley smiled up at me while Clementine grinned. Luke smiled silently at the banter between all three of us, but it came to an end when Nick came into the room from my right. I looked over at the man as he stepped into the kitchen and stared at Clem with a remorseful expression. I went quite as I waited and watched as Nick walked up to Clem and rub the back of his neck.
"Hey, look. Um, I just want to say I'm sorry for...well...being a dick out there. I got kinda aggro and that was definitely not cool." Nick apologized with a frown. I could see his heartbeat and saw that it was steady, showing that he wasn't lying and that he was really sorry.
"Nicks been known to go off every once in a while. Don't hold it against him." Luke said in defense of Nick. I saw Carley smile lightly and lean back into her chair, her hand motioning toward me.
"It's alright Nick, you should've seen what Gabriel did in our old group whenever our friends were in danger. Damn I've never seen him shoot so fast." The memory of the saint John's popped into my head and I snickered at the thought of killing them. They really thought they could chop us up and turn us into food...oh those stupid bastards. At least I got a guitar from them,
"Those poor bastards were really stupid, it's not my fault they thought they could turn us into food." Carley rolled her eyes but said nothing as Clem looked up at Nick, a forgiving look in her eyes.
"You were just protecting your friends, I get it."
"I didn't mean to be so harsh. We just...had a bad experience once." Nick said, his voice dropping low at the thought of what happened. I dropped my smile and stared at Nick with a tinge of sympathy, feeling sorry for him on some aspect.
"We all have bad experiences." Carley said. Nick nodded and looked down at the floor, feeling shamed.
"Nick lost his mom. We took care of someone who got bit—" Luke started but Nick interrupted him.
"It was my fault. I—"
"It was no one's fault. We thought we found control it, but we couldn't and when she turned Nicks mom was standing right there and she got attacked. And there was nothing we could do about it."
Bens band teacher flashed in my mind, the poor bastard wasn't even bit but he died of blood loss and turned, we thought we could help him—thought that we found save him but he lost to much blood and he turned into a Walker and attacked Katja. If Lee hadn't been there to stop him than Katja would have been but to and died, and who knows how that would have effected Kenny. Suddenly I felt even more sympathetic toward Nick, mostly because we had been in a similar situation. I felt myself shake my head and sigh, feeling terrible for what I had thought of Nick earlier.
"Anyway. Hopefully you understand." Nick said as he stood up. I sighed and nodded, pulling my head up to look at Nick.
"Yea, we do. I don't hold it against you Nick, mostly because it's not your fault. I'm sorry about Your mom." I spoke apologetically toward Nick, hoping that my words could help him understand that we didn't hold any anger toward him. He nodded and smiled lightly before exiting the room. The room was quiet as the three ate, but it was a comforting silence that made me smile just a bit.
"So, what's your plan?" Luke asked as he turned his head toward me. I looked at Carley and saw her shrug at the question, her eyes showing her sleepiness as she finished her food.
"I don't know really, probably move on most likely but after that I don't really know." The plan was to get to Wellington but I didn't even know if that was an option anymore. Christa and Omid were gone and now we didn't really have any way to get to the place Christa always talked about. I didn't even know if it existed.
"Well you're always welcome to stay here, stay here to let your daughter heal up and sort things out." I nodded and smiled in Luke's direction, happy that he'd allow us to stay for however long we needed. Truthfully we only really needed another day or two before going. Clementine looked up at me and Carley with a raised eyebrow at the mention of her being "our daughter" but I just winked at her, hoping she got the hint.
"I'm not sure if everyone else will be ok with it, but thanks Luke." Luke smiled and nodded his head.
"If there not on with it, they can just deal with it." Luke said making me chuckle.
Silence again, but a comforting silence. It was nice to have a nice conversation like this one without any interruptions or thoughts of what might kill is next. I had never felt this calm in the last few months, even with Christa and Omid around. This new group we had met were off for sure, but it wasn't so bad as I had first thought.
The silence was broken by Pete who walked. "I can't help but notice as I'm standing watch that this place is lit up like a beacon in the woods."
"Yea it's time to turn in anyway." Luke said.
"Well get your winks while you can cause we're going fishing at first light. Imagine catching a few brookies for dinner, hmm wouldn't that be nice?" I smile at Pete and nodded my head, turning toward Clem and walking toward her as Pete finished what he said. Luke stood up as well to follow Pete.
"It does, but your right we should get to sleep. Come on Clem, Carley." The two had finished their food and nodded, standing up to follow me toward wherever we were going to sleep. We had met everyone else so far in this kitchen and I didn't want to chance the moody pregnant Rebecca to come marching in and start bitching at us. I wasn't in the mood for it at this hour, and neither was Carley or Clementine as far as I could tell.
Luke led us to the living room where Clem slept with Carley on the couch and I stayed on the floor, always keeping my sensors high to make sure I would catch anyone trying to sneak around us just in case. I would chance Carley or Clementines safety.
I promised Lee I would keep Clem safe and I promised Carley that I would always be with her. I did not intend to break either promise anytime soon.