Y/N Pov.
After explaining our relationship and how nothing's going to change except Violet's now with us, AJ understands. At least the basics. We keep walking through the forest to look for James and if he'd help us.
Clementine: So, how many walkers do you think James will help us get?
I look down at AJ.
Y/n: Fifteen? A hundred? A thousand?
AJ: Guys, I... Ow.
He holds his stomach and we stop walking for a moment to let him catch himself. AJ holds the part of his stomach he got shot. Even if he doesn't always give himself credit for it, AJ's one of the toughest kids I've ever met. Including Clem and me. That's saying something alright. It does make me sad that he has to deal with the pain in the first place, though.
Y/n: Gunshot wound?
AJ: (Nods) It feels like someone pinched me from inside.
Clementine: Here, let's sit down on this rock over here and rest.
AJ sits down on the rock and we kneel in front of him. He seems a little more confused about something else this time and I hope it's not our relationship with Violet again. I don't want to have to re-explain it.
Y/n: Something wrong, AJ? What are you thinking about?
AJ: I keep thinking... When Willy said all that stuff about Tenn before, I got so mad. He was being mean, and Tenn wasn't even there to defend himself. I wanted to hurt him. I know I shouldn't. But I just can't stop thinking about it. I wanna just... punch his head. I tried breathing, kicking rocks... I don't like this feeling. Wanting to hurt somebody.
Clementine: I know it's hard, AJ. But thoughts like that, they go away. You just have to give it time.
I place my hand on his shoulder.
Y/n: She's right. But it's also good you think like that. You should never want to feel good hurting people.
AJ: Waiting's hard. I'm just thinking too much. Like, I think I'm mad at Tenn, too. Running out of cover when Lilly attacked the school was really stupid. But he just doesn't know stuff like we do. And then Willy started yelling at him instead of helping him learn... Why don't the other kids know all the stuff we know? When there's a plan, you have to follow it. And when you yell at someone, it just makes them not listen.
Clem looks at AJ and gives him an explanation.
Clementine: Well, the other kids haven't had it as hard as we've have. We had to make a lot of mistakes to learn what we know. Believe me, Y/n used to do stupid things all the time but that never kept him from learning. Even though it felt like he kept trying his best to top his last thing.
I roll my eyes and shake my head at her teasing.
Y/n: Hardy har. Such a comedian.
AJ: Yeah, I guess. But Tenn's mistakes are just so bad. Maybe he'll learn from them, too. Like we did. It's weird that people are so different.
We sit down with AJ, keeping him in between us.
Y/n: It is a school for "Troubled" youth. Kind of comes with the territory.
AJ: Troubled youth. Trouble... Like, bad. So they did bad things? Why?
I shrug.
Y/n: Clem can take this one.
Clementine: Okay, um, sometimes they do them because bad things happened to them. Y/n and I knew a doctor once, back when you were just a baby. He called it trauma. You have some too, you know.
I nod.
Y/n: It's that thing where people can't walk up behind you. Like PTSD, I think.
AJ: I don't like my trauma. I want to get it off of me. How do I get rid of it? I don't even like the way the word sounds.
Clementine shakes her head because she and I both know you can't just get rid of trauma no matter how great that would be.
Clementine: It's really, really hard to do by yourself. A lot of people can't without some help.
AJ: Like from a doctor?
Clementine: Sure. But those are rare these days.
AJ: Or... or like the school, right? It was supposed to help with people's... trauma.
We nod.
Y/n: It was, but now they help each other.
AJ: I still like them.
He looks at us.
AJ: Do you guys have any trauma? Like how I don't like people walking up behind me.
Clem and I nod, of course. It'd be a lie to suggest otherwise.
Y/n: Of course we do.
AJ: Like what?
I think about it for a moment to try and give him an example.
Y/n: It's why Clem has nightmares about the ranch. That traumatized her.
AJ: What about you?
Y/n: Thalassophobia
He tilts his head in confusion.
AJ: Tha...what-a phobia?
Clementine: Thalassophobia. It's the fear of deep bodies of water like lakes or oceans. Because of his power he can't swim and he almost drowned twice. Once in a lake and once in a river.
AJ: Really? How do you deal with it?
I shrug once again.
Y/n: You just do. But it always helps when you have someone there to help you through it.
Clementine and I look at each other, but soon all three of us get back to walking. I think it's good we had that talk about trauma and stuff. I don't want AJ to think he can't talk about it with us or it's weird or something. Having trauma's actually a lot more normal than I wish it was, especially these days.
AJ: I like Tenn the most, I think. Even if he does dumb things. Actually, I think he's my first real friend.
I chuckle.
Y/n: Hey, what about us? We met you first, kiddo.
Clementine: Yeah. I thought we were your first real friends.
AJ: (Laughs) Well, yeah. But you guys don't count, you're old!
Clementine/(Y/n): No, we're not!
AJ: Fine, he's my second first real friend.
We run into some walkers, and hide. Clementine draws her knife & sneaks toward the walkers, hiding behind a log. I follow after her. I decide to simply just use my flames which have pretty much always been my "go to" for killing walkers, people, anything that tries to hurt us. Though it's sometimes not applicable, but that time ain't now.
Y/n: (Whisper) How we doing this?
Clementine: Quick. I don't know where James is though.
Y/n: Guess we'll have to keep looking for him-
Suddenly, we hear the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them. Quickly, we turn only to find James standing there. He's hurt, but it just looks like a knife wound not an actual bite.
Clementine: James?
James puts his finger to his lips and Clem puts her knife away while I extinguish my flames. James grabs his injured arm.
AJ: You're hurt.
Y/n: Did the raiders do this to you?
James: It looked like they... had people from your school. Why are you here?
Clementine: Those people you saw, we're going to save them.
I interject.
Y/n: But to do that, we need your help moving some walkers.
James: I could maybe help, but... my mask is still in the camp. Inside my bag. I can't pass through a herd without it.
I look at the herd and while I can't exactly see his mask, if he says it's there, it's there. There are a lot of walkers, though. I don't want to think of how much of a pain in the ass it's going to be to get through the dead without killing them because I know James and he most likely won't want me to. We need his help so we can't just tell him to go suck a fuck and kill all the walkers anyway.
Clementine: Okay, we get it. Let's go.
Y/n: (Mind) 3... 2... 1...
James: Please, I just... I just ask that you don't kill them. The walkers. If you distract them, I can sneak over and find my mask.
AJ: Distract all of them?
James: Please.
Clementine: We'll try.
I groan and stand up, looking at the herd who've not noticed my presence yet.
Y/n: I've got an idea.
Using my firefly lights, I create a small distraction by making them each flare up. The walkers look at them and follow them away, but some still stay behind not bothering to go after them. For some reason some walkers aren't dumb and won't follow just light, but I don't think it's a huge problem.
Clementine: You've got most away, now there's a more manageable number. Spread out and lets do this.
Y/n: No problem. Stay safe.
Clementine: You too.
We share a kiss and James sneaks away. Clem jumps over the log, and the walkers approach her. I do the same but in another direction. I hear her run from them or stun them. When some come toward me, I simply shoot them in the knee with a flame bullet to keep them back. Can't catch a meal if you can't stand and they aren't stupid. Which I'm not. I think. Anyway, Clem, AJ, and I go meet up with James standing by his tent.
Clementine: I don't know how long we can keep this up. Did you find your mask?
James: I can't find it. The horses must've... There!
James points to his bag, which is near more walkers. I sigh, but know we can't kill them or he'll bitch about it.
Y/n: (Sigh) Of course.
Clementine: Shit.
James: We have to run-
Suddenly, AJ calls out and starts to yell at them to get his attention much to all of our collective surprise.
AJ: Hey! Over here!
AJ stands on the log. He throws a rock at the walkers.
Clementine: AJ!
Y/n: Run!
James: No. There are too many of them
I run forward and conjure up some flames from the palms of my hands. Wanting to take out the big group without killing them, I make sure to aim for their lower bodies with a flash of flames. I hold out both hands & swing them forward, making two streams of fire converge on their lower bodies.
Y/n: Leave my kid alone!
The flames knock into the lower bodies of all the walkers, charring up their legs while also knocking onto one another like a big dog pile. They get trapped under each other and both Clementine & I run over to AJ. We kneel down and hug him as he stands in between us two.
AJ: I'm okay, guys. Really. No bites.
I look at him and we both let go of him.
Y/n: I would scold you for doing something really fucking dangerous, but then again, I've done a lot of similar things when I was young. A whole lot.
Clementine: Both of us did. But just don't do that again, AJ. Not without warning us at least or you'll give us a heart attack. I might not be old yet, but my heart is about sixty five after all the stress this last almost decade.
AJ: Okay.
I pat his head.
James: I know it would've been easier to kill them. You're both kind. I appreciate it. Really.
Y/n: All I know is that was a lot more strenuous than it had to be.
James takes his mask and a picture out of his bag. I can't really see what it is.
James: Thank you. For helping me get this back. Now. How will walkers save your friends?
Clementine: They're being held captive on a boat not too far from here. We can't sneak on board without cover, not without the raiders gunning us down.
James looks at me.
James: Why not just go in with your powers?
Y/n: Three reasons. One they'd probably just threaten to kill one of our friends, two my mom is on there working against her will and she has powers that can stalemate mine, and finally the reason she's working is because my little sister is on that boat and they've threatened to kill her if my mom doesn't do what Lilly says.
James: That's... a lot.
Y/n: How do you think I feel? Only a little while ago I thought my mom was dead, now I know she's alive and I have a little half sister I've never met. Not to mention our friends being on the boat.
He thinks for a moment, but doesn't look like he's pleased. Not angry either. But conflicted.
James: You want to use walkers to hide... to sneak on board their ship? That's insane.
Clementine: It's our only chance.
Y/n: Yeah. Otherwise we wouldn't be asking.
James: I have something I need you to see. Both of you. So you can understand what you're asking.
Clem and I look to one another, wondering what he's talking about, but decide not to quite question it just yet. He starts walking away and I just shake my head, looking at the other two.
Y/n: This better not be some bullshit. I am a man of God, but my patience isn't as good as J.C's.
AJ looks up at me.
AJ: We still need his help, right?
Clementine: Yeah. We do.
Y/n: Unfortunately.
We follow James, walking through the forest as nature is at one with itself. At the very least, I can say that it's peaceful. I like looking at the overgrown vines and trees, at the small animals swiftly running around up top. It's relaxing to me. A little while later, James tosses a stone to distract an over curious walker.
James: It's safe. Just a little further.
After awhile, our group finally reaches a dilapidated barn.
It's clearly been out here for decades, even before the world went to shit. Could be fifty years old for all I know. But it obviously hasn't been well kept even before the world got unrecognizable. It goes to show, though, how sturdy things can be even through the passage of time. We all walk to the barn and I see something I haven't seen in a long time. A salt lick. At the sight of it I chuckle a little.
AJ: What's so funny?
I look back at Clem and point to the salt lick.
Y/n: Remember that?
She sees the salt lick and gets a red face.
Clementine: ...I don't know.
Looking at how cute she is, I go over and give her a kiss on the forehead. I turn back and notice AJ staring at the salt lick.
AJ: What's this?
She looks past me.
Clementine: It's called a salt lick.
We walk over to him.
AJ: Salt lick. Ugh, sounds gross. Or maybe it's actually good. Like chips. Those are salty, right? Like the snack bag in the car. Can I lick it?
Clem looks at me then back to AJ.
Clementine: Go ahead, lick it if you want to.
We laugh as AJ licks the salt lick and quickly regrets his decision, spitting out the salt lick taste.
AJ: Gross. It tastes nasty!
Y/n: Well now you know. It's not just salt, kiddo. There's whole bunch of minerals in it for cows to get their fill.
AJ: Learning sucks.
Clementine: Tell me about it.
With messin with AJ now out of the way, we walk over to James to speak to him. But not before finding a Beet-Nick figurine, a character from The Disco Broccoli Show, on the ground. I grab it & Clementine also takes a wind chime, putting it in her pocket. A small wind chime that you'd able to fit in your room.
Y/n: Babe, why are you taking that?
Clementine: Might be pretty in our room. Why'd you pick up the toy?
Y/n: For AJ, you dweeb.
Clementine rolls her nice and looks back at me, putting her hand on her ass while AJ wasn't looking at us. Busy looking at some crows instead.
Clementine: (Whisper) A dweeb who controls whether or not you're getting any ass tonight.
Y/n: (Sigh) Fair.
She smiles and grabs my hand.
Clementine: That's what I thought.
AJ finally regains his attention and walks over to us while James speaks.
James: My people, my former people. They had a practice. They called it... collecting.
James briefly opens the door slowly... to reveal the barn is full of walkers.
James: They used them as a weapon. I do this... to protect them. I know it sounds strange. But that's why I brought you here. To see them as I do. As people.
Y/n: People?
James: Well, not people, exactly. But... something in between. Part of us is still in there. Deep down. So few of us die anymore. We turn. Not dead, not alive.
I notice Clementine's face change to one of slight disgust.
Clementine: God, I hope that's not true. That sounds like Hell.
James: To you, maybe. I think it seems... peaceful.
AJ walks up to James, seemingly curious about what he thinks.
AJ: Do you really think there's people inside of monsters?
James nods.
James: Somewhere, yes.
AJ: Y/n says when you die your soul leaves behind your body and goes to heaven, so there's nothing left anymore. Just a shell.
James looks at me.
Y/n: He's not lying. It's what I believe as a Christian. Specifically Hebrews 9:27.
James: I'm not familiar.
Y/n: "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." Key word being once, my friend. If there was still a part of you in there after you truly die for real and can't be resuscitated, making you become a walker, once that version of you killed that'd be dying twice. Personally, I just don't see it.
James: Think about it this way... Has someone you cared about turned?
AJ: Their friend, Lee. She shot him before he did. So he wouldn't have to suffer.
I feel Clem get closer to me, feeling uncomfortable about the conversation. I rub her lower back.
Y/n: It's okay.
James: Sorry. Maybe this wasn't the best way to explain. Didn't mean to bring up difficult memories. I lived among walkers for years. Still do, in a way. When they're alone, they're harmless. Innocent. If you want my help, I need you to try and walk with them.
He offers us his mask.
James: Then tell me if you really believe they're just "monsters".