BANG!

The gunshot echoed around the room. A bloody hole instantly appeared in the strangers forehead. The force of the bullet whiplashed his head backwards for an instant, before it fell foreward a little further then before. Blood dripped from the wound. The stranger was finally dead.

"He would've come back." Clementine inferred in a rather high voice.

Lee turned to see her standing by the bedside. She had her hands folded in front of her as she gazed at the limp body of the stranger. She slowly tore her gaze from his body to look at Lee. Her little golden eyes sparkled slightly.

"Thats right, sweet pea." Lee praised.

Lee couldn't help but start smiling. Dropping his gun, He approached Clementine slowly before kneeling as she raced towards him. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. Lee embraced her back.

"Im sorry, Lee! Im so sorry!" She whimpered.

"Sh, its okay. Its okay." Lee assured.

Lee could feel Clementine lean her head into his side more. He smiled.

After a moment of embrace, she pulled away. Looking very sad.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Lee lightly demanded.

Clementine looked down. He could tell she was hesitant.

"N-no, not really... I'm sorry Lee."

Lee narrowed his eyes slightly at her response. She was hiding something.

But what?

"Okay, Clem. Im going to get us out of here, okay? He cant hurt you anymore."

Clementine nodded, still staring at her fingers.

"Clementine, are you okay?"

She looked at him. Dizzyness was obvious.

"I feel a little sick, Lee." She confessed.

Lee frowned sympathetically.

"Okay, Clem. Don't worry. We'll go somwhere safe, and we can let you rest."

She lowered her gaze again. Tears were coming down her cheeks.

"Okay."

Lee sighed and got to his feet. He cautiously approached the strangers body. He looked at it again with no remorse, before bending and picking his gun up again. He turned and made his way to the front door. Clementine rubbed her arm and followed. Pain was obvious in her expression when she touched her arm. Lee was beginning to feel uncertain if she really was alright or not.

Lee went to the front door and placed his hand on the handle. He listened intently, and didn't hear any movement from the other side. He breathed out and opened the door.

"Graaaaahahhh..."

"Shit!"

Walker stood directly on the other side of the door. It looked directly at Lee, right into his eyes. But it didn't make a move towards him. Instead it looked behind Lee, spotted Clementine, and started walking towards her.

Lee reached behind him and pulled out his gun. Grabbing the walkers head, he shoved it to the floor and blew a large hole in the back of its head with his pistol. Steam rose from the muzzle as walker lay limp.

"It didnt bite you." Clementine whispered in awe.

"yeah..." Lee said, obviuosly confused.

Clementines gaze settled on Lee's blood-soaked clothing. Guts and gore were evident on seemingly every square inch of his body.

"you're covered in all that... Gross stuff."

Lee looked down at his shirt and pants. It finally dawned on him.

"... That how we'll get out of Savannah."

Clementine watched as Lee walked past her, over towards the side table, and grabbed a large looking knife. Lee then turned and returned to the dead walkers side. Passing Clementine again, where she got a good look at the large cleaver.

"Oh no..." She muttered.

Lee bent down and slashed the cleaver deep into the walkers abdomen. A disgusting squishing sound was made as he dragged the knife down the stomach. Opening the rest if the organs up. Clementine felt sick. She crinkled her nose at the smell.

Lee then reached in and grabbed some of the organs. Pulling them out, he looked at Clementines disgusted face.

"I know, sweet pea. But its necessary."

Clementine nodded sadly.

"I know..." She responded.

He then began smearing the guts into her sweatshirt. Coating every inch he could get. She was shaking in disgust, and she was tensing her shoulders on instinct. Clenching her hands into fists.

"We'll get you cleaned up as soon as possible" lee tried. Continuing to smear the walker guts on her back.

"n-not soon enough." She responded.

Lee finished with her back, and he gestured lightly for her to turn around. She obeyed, shoulders still tense as he began smearing her front side as well.

"Ew..." she whimpered. "S-so gross..."

Lee hesitated, looking sadly at the face of the recently turned nine-year-old girl who he thought of as his family. A innocent child forced into the world of the dead. He wished that she hadnt seen what she had seen, but it was to late now. Far to late.

"A-are you done?" She asked hopefully. Noticing his hesitation.

Lee shook his head. Clearing his mind of thoughts.

"A little more. I wanna be sure."

He finally finished by rubbing some on her shoulders. Then, he tossed the remaining organs aside.

"There, now the monsters wont be able to smell you as easy."

She didnt respond.

Lee sighed, but then remembered something. Something important.

"You're missing something." He said, reaching behind him. He pulled out her hat.

A look of hapiness found its way aross he small face, and she eagarly took her hat from him, placing it on her head.

"I thought it was gone!" She cheered.

Lee smiled.

"I thought you were gone."

She looked up at Lee from under the brim of her hat.

"Thank you."

Lee stood slowly and turned back towards the door. He leaned out, looking up and down the hall, making sure there were no more walkers.

Clementine started coughing behind him. It wasnt a normal cough. It sounded terribly painful and wet. As if some kind of liquid was trapped in her throat. It was very ragged and it shook her tiny body.

He turned back to Clementine. She was holding her stomach and leaning on the bedframe, as if she holding back vomit. She looked extremely nausious.

"Clementine?"

She shook her head a little and slowly walked towards Lee.

"I really dont f-feel good, Lee." She stuttered.

Lee took her by the hand comfortingly. He was feeling concerned now, she wasnt telling him something. And it made him worried.

"Do you want me to carry you?"

She shook her head.

"Are you sure you're okay, sweet pea?"

She nodded.

Lee narrowed his eyes.

"alright... Just make sure to let me know if you really dont feel good, okay?"

Clementine nodded in acknowledgement.

Lee held her hand as they exited the room. Down the hall, down the stairs, and out the front door.

...

He had his hand on her back as they finally reached the street. It was still swarming with walkers. But Lee was certain that the guts would work. He was practically reliant now. Depending that his plan would not fail, because if it did, he had no backup.

He gently assisted Clementine along beside him, she was walking fairly slow due to her nasua. Lee protectively sheilded her as they made their way down the streets of savannah. The wakers hadn't noticed them yet, even when they brushed past a few. Of course, Lee intended to keep it that way.

Suddenly, Clementine stopped walking all together. Lee halted, confused ,and turned back to see what was wrong. He saw a look of pure and absouloute horror. Terror, disbelief, and extreme sadness radiated off of her in waves. What was wrong?

He followed her gaze to see to very familiar faces. Two walkers. A man and a woman. Both terribly disfigured at spots, for the man was missing a portion of his stomach. So bad his intestines were showing, and the woman was missing a chunk off her arm and shoulder. They were VERY familiar, and then it came to Lee like a bullet. Realization hit him like a brick.

It was...

Clementines parents.

He made a move towards her, trying to get her to look away.

"Clementine, dont-"

But he realized that she was starting to sway. She doubled backwards and Lee realized she passed out. He raced forward to catch her before her skull could hit the pavement. Which was littered with nails, body parts, and broken glass.

To his horror as he lifted her limp and unconcious body in his arms, he realized that several walkers had taken notice of the peculiar behaviuor that he had expressed and were now slowly lumbering towards them, groaning and opening their jaws wide in hopes to tear into human flesh. Snapping eagerly as they neared closer and closer.

"Shit shit shit!" Lee cursed, frantically glancing around him for any possible escape.

There!

Lee spotted a open garage door a couple feet away. It was an old abandened jewlery store, and it looked as if the metallic door would collapse and shut any second. He cradled Clementine protectively and made a break for it.

He ducked and entered the building. He gently set Clementine down on the floor before turning and pulling the door down. It made a very loud banging noise as it made contact with the ground, and a clicking sound came soon thereafter. Lee slowly backed away from the door, waiting. He heard walkers began banging on it, but it stayed. It was very secure.

Panting, Lee covered his face with his hands as he recovered. After a moment of catching his breathe, he turned and knelt beside the unconcious body of Clementine.

"Clementine?" He whispered, pulling her head into his lap as he waited. He would wait for as long as he needed to.

Finally, he noticed her little eyelids flutter. She made eye contact with Lee, and he exhaled in relief.

"L-Lee?" She whimpered. Barely audible.

"its okay, its okay honey."

Tears began appearing in the corners of her eyes.

"Lee... I saw my parents."

Lee felt a few tears of his own coming.

"Come here, sweet pea." He whispered, pulling her into a hug. She cried silently.

"They're dead. They really are."

Lee held her for moment.

She started coughing again. And to his horror, she began coughing up blood.

"Clementine!" He said, shocked. He carefully pulled away, hearing her whimper. She looked exhausted, and Lee noticed her eyes were yellowing. Her skin was pale, and she seemed to be in extreme pain.

"Whats wrong, Clem? If you don't tell me, I can't help you." He demanded.

She looked defeated. Her mouth quivered as she slowly brought her hand up to her right arm. Gripping the sleeve, she squealed in pain as she pulled it down. Revealing a blood covered-

Lee's heart stopped.

Bite.

A walker bite.

Clementine lowered her head in shame, breaking down.

"am i going to die, Lee?"

Lee didnt know what to say. He just stared, frozen in time. His hand was shaking as gripped her tiny wrist.

"what happened? How did this happen?!" He demanded, choking back tears. He couldnt lose her, too!

Clementine started crying again. She pulled her hand away from Lee and sheilded it against her chest.

"He... Did it."

She was then overcome by another coughing fit. So hard that she began choking on her own blood.

Lee just lifted her in his arms, brought her over to the radiator, and set her down gently so that she was sitting upright. She winced and cried out in pain.

Lee could feel the tears spilling down his cheeks like cascades of water. He sat down in front of Clementine, who was beggining to lose conciousness.

"I'm s-sorry... Lee. Please... D-Don't cry." She begged, in tears herself.

He squeazed her hand in comfort, gazing into those beautiful golden eyes of hers.

"its not your fault, Clem. It was never your fault. I want you to know that... Okay?"

Clementine nodded, but she didn't believe him.

"Lee... It hurts... So much." She gasped. Her head was leaning slightly to one side, as if she was having a hard time keeping her head upright. Her eyelids were beggining to flutter painfully.

Lee wiped a tear from her eye, trying to stay strong for her.

"I know, sweet pea. I know."

...

"...It should've been me."

Clementine breathed in shakely.

"I Dont wanna die, Lee"

Lee felt his heart ache at the sound of those words.

"I dont wanna die, lee! Please make it stop! Make the hurting stop!"

her voice faltered.

Lee never more helpless ever before than he did at this moment.

Then he realized what he had to do.

He couldnt let her turn.

So he had to...

"I-I cant, Clem." He said.

Her entire body was shaking. But she was having a difficult time keeping her head up. Lee knew she was getting close. But what would he do?

"Clementine... I can make the pain stop..." He breathed.

She didn't respond. Her breathing was the only movement in her body.

Lee slowly reached for his pistol. His hand shook as he lifted it and he broke down in more tears.

"Clem... You'll see Duck and Katjaa again..."

He picked the pistol up.

"You'll see Kenny and Carley and Sandra..."

He brought the postol over towards her head.

"You'll s-see your parents again..."

He put the barrel of the gun to Clementines head. His vision blurred by his tears.

"you'll be in that safe place where no monsters can get you."

Clementine opened her eyes one last time, gazing up at Lee. He saw something new in her gaze. Something... Joyous. He sensed that she is now at peace.

"Thanks... Lee."

Lee hesitated.

With every ounce of her remaining strength, she smiled at him.

"I'll miss you." Lee breathed, finger on the trigger.

Clementine let her head go limp against the wall. A smile still on her face.

"Me too."

BAM!

But Clementine was already at peace.