Requested by @WorldIsBloody
~~~~~
"You need to calm down" Violet says seriously, watching as the teen paced around the room, muttering words to himself that she couldn't make out.
"I can't help it" He groans back, rubbing his forehead in slow movements, trying to ease his headache slightly.
"We're going to get her back Louis" Violet comforts, knowing how much Lilly's attack had gotten to his head, and the one person who was capable of calming him down had been taken, along with Omar and Aasim.
As much as Louis trusted Violet, he couldn't help but have that small doubt in the back of his mind that maybe they had done something horrible to her, hurt her in a way that even Clementine herself wouldn't be able to hide. But the thing that he'd been thinking about the most was the fact that it should've been him instead.
"Louis!" Clementine shouts from afar, watching as the boy she had confessed her feelings to only hours before was being dragged away by some raider, towards the containers where people would be taken away.
Not on her watch.
Hearing his shouts for help, she picks Marlon's bow up from the ground where it previously lay, only to find there was no arrows surrounding it. Without thinking about the consequences, she dashes towards Louis, who was currently being dragged by the collar closer and closer to the container waiting for him.
She approaches the raider from their blind side, grabbing them harshly and yanking them off of him, Louis scrambling off to try and find a weapon. But just as he found something, Clementine, Omar and Aasim were all already locked inside the containers, the vehicles beginning to drive away.
Of course she would sacrifice herself for him, it was such a Clementine thing to do, but Louis couldn't help the pit of guilt that had formed ever since that night took place. It should be him locked up in a cell, not her. She didn't deserve that.
The plan had been created and shared with all the kids, so that everyone knew what they had to do in order to get everyone out safely. AJ had taken Louis and Violet to see James about having a herd of walkers be used for distraction, and he had agreed to do it, knowing that Clementine's life was on the line. Mitch had also made some bomb that was to be planted in the boiler to help prevent Lilly and her crew coming back to hurt them again.
AJ had been desperate to go as soon as she had been taken, as had Louis. But they both knew that they had to time their attack perfectly, any little screw up could ruin the whole plan...
-
All was going well so far, the plan was running smoothly and the walkers that James had sent allowed Louis, Violet and AJ to get on board unnoticed. It was now just a case of finding where Clem, Omar and Aasim were being held, which could be anywhere.
They round another corner, stopping in their tracks to find Minnie talking with some woman, it was difficult to hear what they were saying. "There's no way we can get in there without her seeing us" Louis whispers, turning to Violet to see if she had any ideas.
"Maybe we can talk her into helping us" Violet says, clearly not wanted to hurt Minnie in any way.
"Vi, I get that you two were close, but she's one of them now, she won't listen to us" He whispers back to her.
"Well it's worth a try, its the only idea we have" Violet answers, coming out from behind cover, the rustling of her movement making Minnie whip around, aiming her bow at all three of them instantly.
"I suggest you all get out now" She says sternly, eyes glaring daggers.
"Not without our people" Louis snaps back.
"I swear to god, if you got Tenn caught up in this! Just...tell me that he's safe" She says, eyes growing softer at the mention of her brother.
"He told me to tell you he forgives you" That was the breaking point for Minnie, her eyes softening even further and her weapon lowering. She exhales deeply
"Ill help you get everyone out, then you take my brother, and run. Get him back to where he's safe" She says.
"Come on, we have to hurry" Louis says, following Minnie towards the cells, he had a quick glance in the first few, not being able to spot anyone, that is, until, Omar and Aasim showed up at the front of one.
"Louis?" Omar says, clearly surprised upon their arrival.
"Oh thank god, are you both okay? Where's Clem?" He says frantically, noticing that Clementine wasn't in the cell with them.
"I'm okay, we're okay, Clem however, we can't say the same for" Omar replies, head lowering as he finishes.
"Why? What the fuck have they done to her?!" He questions, worry settling in.
"Where is she?!" AJ says, desperate to know.
"She's in here, I'll get the door" Minnie says, unlatching the door and pulling it open, allowing Louis to dash inside, Violet and AJ following behind.
She was curled up in a corner, arms hugging her legs to her chest. Louis was almost frightened to approach her just from the tense way she sat, facing the wall, they were unable to see her face. But just before he could get any closer, he's sprawled across the floor, a thumping pain banging against the back of his head before he blacks out, his last sighting being Violet and AJ getting forced out the cell and into another.
-
He awoke not long later, he assumed, seeing as Clementine still sat in the same position as before he was knocked out. He was angry at Minnie but more at himself for not seeing that she was lying, but when you've known someone for so long, you'd think that they wouldn't lie to you. But his anger quickly subsided, too focused on the girl that he had missed. He crawls over to her slowly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Clementine, it's me, we've come to take you home"
Upon hearing that, she turns to face him, her eyes wide with fear and tears which was an unusual look for her. But the first thing Louis noticed was the dried up blood along her lip, dragged down her chin, like she had been bleeding from the mouth.
Before he even had a chance to question what they had done to her, she throws herself at him, arms wrapping their way around his neck, holding her close to him. He hugs her back just as tight, allowing her to muffle her drowned out sobs with his jacket, her head buried into the crook of his neck. He hated seeing her like this, it made him want to hurt whoever had hurt her.
She eventually pulls away, her head lowered in shame.
"What have they done to you" He says softly, cupping her jaw with his hand and tilting her head up, allowing him to get a better look at the injury, it was only when he went to stroke her lip did she pull back.
"No, don't! They...uh...they cut out her tongue" Omar says what Clem couldn't.
Louis felt his heart drop to his stomach, his breath hitching in his throat. Coming to the realisation that he would never be able to hear her voice again was enough to make tears well in the back of his eyes, an overwhelming amount of different emotions flooding through him. He felt sad, angry, but most of all, he felt so guilty. It was meant to be him sitting there, not her, if he had known this was going to happen, he wouldn't have let her sacrifice herself.
"Oh god no, no, no, no" Louis says, his emotions growing stronger as each second passes by.
"She just uh...she kept smart mouthing them"
"Fuck, no! I'm so sorry Clem, it should be me sitting here, not you-" He's interrupted with Clem placing a firm hand on top of his, their eyes meet and she slowly shakes her head, communicating with him without words.
"I'm gonna fucking kill them!"
"Mhmmhm!" Clem murmurs, frantically shaking her head at him as if to tell him no.
"It's okay Clem, we're gonna get you out of here, we're gonna take you home" Louis comforts softly, smiling lovingly at her.
And they did.
-
It was around a year ago when Clementine lost her tongue, as well as her ability to speak. Clem and Louis both were fluent in sign language by this point, thanks to Ruby, and they were now in the process of teaching AJ.
"He's not very good at this, is he". Clementine signed to Louis, chuckling at the fact that AJ couldn't even sign the most basic of words.
"He'll get there eventually, he's only been learning for a couple months". Louis replies, watching the young boy struggle.
It was hard for both Clementine and AJ to get used to the lack of communication between them, seeing as they talked almost all day every day. Louis was willing to be their personal translator, but Clem was eager for AJ to learn, so that he didn't have to dedicate so much of his time with them, not that Louis minded. All the kids were eager to learn, just for her.
"Okay AJ, how about we show Clem what I taught you earlier today, can you remember?"
"I think so, I've been practising it" AJ beams. Clementine couldn't help the smile that graced her lips, watching the special bond between her two favourite boys flourish.
"Okay then, lets give it a go, I'll keep you right".
"I love you Clem" AJ signs after a couple of corrections from Louis. Clementine's smile beamed wider.
"I love you back"
~~~~~