A/N: The first chapter will be short, because this story will have not one, but two interlocking plotlines. Please read the A/N at the end of this first chapter for more details.

A Twist of Fate

Chapter 1

Heartbroken

"Everyone out. Now."

After taking the lead and shoving the RV door open, Lilly walked out onto the road to assess just what had caused the vehicle to come to a grinding halt. Crouching down and looking at the bumper, she saw that a walker was jammed underneath, a trail of dark blood gushing from where its legs used to be.

"Kenny. Walker. Deal with it," she said coldly, clearly indicating that she was in no mood for soft talk.

"Whatever," Kenny replied contemptuously, shooting a narrow glare at Lilly who simply ignored him. "Just keep an eye out for any more of those fuckers while I clear this out."

Lilly quickly paced back and stopped in front of the door and waited for the others to show themselves. With the exception of Katjaa who remained in the RV with Duck in her arms, each came out with a look on his or her face that couldn't have been more contrasting to the other.

Lee's face expressed both sympathy and firmness at the same time: he more than understood Lilly's motives, but was greatly shaken by the outright hostility that she showed to everyone but the two young children, particularly to Carley and Ben. He walked to the front of the RV to briefly check on Kenny before coming back and facing Lilly.

Carley stepped out with an angry glare in her eyes, showing that she was more than fed up with Lilly's paranoiac behaviour. She crossed her arms in frustration after she stopped beside Lee, puffing furiously at the woman with whom her patience was wearing thin.

And as for Ben…

Ben delicately walked out the vehicle, every step he took so shaky and trembling that it seemed that he believed he was treading lightly upon a thin sheet of ice above bone-chilling water. His hands were noticeably shaking and his fingers twitching erratically, his lower lip vibrating eerily with fear.

And it was all the evidence Lilly needed.

"It was you, wasn't it?" she scowled, her eyes piercing into Ben's soul like daggers. Clementine quietly walked towards the open vehicle door and peered out, her heart beginning to pound with anxiety.

"I told you already it wasn't me! Chill the fuck out!" Ben insisted with a tremor in his voice. "It could have been anyone! Someone might have snuck in during the night and raided some food!"

"Do you think I'm stupid, punk?" Lilly snapped. "If someone 'snuck in during the night' don't you think that they would have simply stole our entire food stash? And didn't I specifically assign you to watch duty? You're either a fucking disappointment of a failure, or a traitor, and I'm guessing that it's the latter."

"Lilly, please, we don't need this!" Lee stood up for Ben. "We've got big enough problems as it is! Arguing isn't going to help us solve anything!"

"Shut up! Shut the fucking hell up, Lee!" Lilly screamed. "I've had enough of your politically correct bullcrap! You may be an arrogant son of a bitch when it comes to morality, but your fucking morality isn't going to count for shit if we all die because of it!"

"Pipe down a bit! I can't concentrate, dammit!" Kenny whined as he cautiously yanked at the incapacitated walker with his hands.

Reluctantly obliging Kenny, Lilly crossed her arms and growled at Ben. "You have until the count of five to confess. Do it, and I may be generous enough to leave you with a single pistol and six rounds before we take off without you."

"What the fuck! This is ridiculous, Lilly!" Carley protested. "Look at him! Look at what you're doing to him!"

But Lilly didn't care. "One…"

"Please! I swear in the name of God, I didn't do it! Honestly!" Ben begged, wrapping his head in his hands and looking down to the ground in anguish.

"Two…"

"Please, Lilly!" Clementine sobbed from the door. "Please don't do this! I like Ben – he's my friend!"

Lilly looked up with an icy gaze at Clementine, and did not budge. "Three…"

Lee yelled. "For Christ's sake, Lilly! We can deal with this later! Right now, we need to get a move on as soon as Kenny deals with that walker! We need numbers if we're going to survive out here!"

"Four…"

Fed up and not being able to take it anymore, Carley walked right up to Lilly and shouted in her face. "Okay! Fine! I did it!"

Lilly's eyebrows rose in curiosity. She had been more than convinced that Ben was the traitor, but could this possibly shed some light?

"Carley, what are you saying?" Lee asked.

Carley continued. "It was me who struck the deal with those bandits. One of them took me by surprise one night while I was standing watch over a section of the barricade wall. He held a gun to my head and threatened to drag me out into the forest, fuck me and then slit my throat, or get his entire gang to attack the place if I didn't agree to giving them a portion of food, medicine and drugs every week. Are you happy now?!"

Lee couldn't believe it. He trusted Carley with his life, and could not fathom for a moment the idea that Carley of all people could commit such an act without telling him about it. After she had confessed her love for him after three months and kissed him so tenderly on the lips before persuading him to reveal his past to the others, it felt utterly unrealistic to Lee that Carley would conceal such information about her alleged deal with the bandits from him.

Seeing that Ben's shoulders immediately slumped with relief, Lilly sprang him up in panic again with cold words. "You're not off the fucking hook yet, Ben."

"Fuck it, I've had enough of you, you psycho whore," Carley berated her. "You think you're some tough bitch, but all you do is boss all of us around and tell us what to do while you cram yourself in a corner and don't do jack shit. You want to see a real leader, then look at Lee or Kenny who lead by example. All you do is talk the talk, and never get your slut ass off your seat to actually make a real difference. Grow the fuck up, you little girl."

Lilly felt all hell boiling up inside her, such was the sheer hatred that she held for Carley at this moment. "That's it. I've had enough of you, too."

"Fine! Just hand me my pistol from the RV and I'll be on my way," Carley bravely said.

"…Who says you're going anywhere?" Lilly said, her voice now suddenly a silent whisper as she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the very gun that Carley had protected herself with until now. She raised it up gradually until the barrel was pointed straight at the forehead of Carley, who simply watched on in shock with her mouth agape, helpless to do anything.

"Carley!" Lee cried out, and immediately pulled her back by the hand. With a swift motion, he wrapped her firmly in his arms, turning around so that his back was facing Lilly as he dove forward in order to shield her by covering her with his body.

With her eyes fixed solely on the woman whose life she intended to end, Lilly lost concentration and fired, piercing Lee below his right shoulder. She and Ben watched on, frozen in shock, horrified by what she had done. Kenny, now having just dealt with the walker trapped under the RV, stared in stunned silence at Lee who was now unmoving while Carley was left sobbing and shaking his body.

But none were more horrified than Clementine, who watched the man she regarded as her guardian shot before her own eyes. Tears began to fall as she immediately rushed to Carley's side and tried to wake up the man whom they both dearly loved. There was still life in him, evidenced by him breathing very weakly through his mouth, and this left some small measure of hope for them, although it was fading fast.

"Ken! What's going on out there?" a terrified Katjaa could be heard crying out from inside.

"Stay where you are! Don't come out! Jesus!" Kenny answered, deeply shocked by what Lilly had just done.

"Kenny! Ben! For fuck's sake, someone help!" Carley wailed in desperation. But despite her pleas, both men found themselves unable to move, shocked by the chilling act of murder that Lilly had just committed.

And then...something snapped inside Kenny.

"Graaah!" he howled, seething in anger. He ran at Lilly like a mad bull and punched her hard in the gut. Lilly recoiled with a heaving gasp and fell backwards, the pistol sailing out of her grasp and landing beside Carley. Kenny stood menacingly over her with hateful eyes. It was only the fact that Lilly was a woman which prevented him from simply murdering her in cold blood for what she had done.

"You're not coming with us," he said. "You should die for what you've just done, and rightly so."

"Heh," Lilly scoffed, coughing up drops of blood which stained her grey top which she wore under her leather jacket. "I can say the same to you for killing my dad."

Mad as hell, Kenny kicked her hard in the side to further incapacitate her. Lilly rolled in agony, moaning and unable to rise. But then, hearing the growling and grunting of walkers coming in from the woods, Kenny rushed to Carley and Clementine who still wept for Lee.

"Come on, we don't have time! We need to go!" he yelled, putting the pistol into his pocket before pulling the two of them back to the RV.

"No! Fuck, Kenny, he's still alive!" Carley screamed, flailing her arms in the air in a vain attempt to reach for Lee as she struggled against the powerful hold of Kenny. Clementine could only helplessly sob as a person dear to her heart was left at the non-existent mercy of the walkers.

"We need to go now, and that's final!" Kenny shouted. "Ben, get your ass inside, now!"

Ben immediately followed the order that was given to him and rushed into the RV. Kenny hastily lifted Clementine up and handed her to Ben, who then took her back to her seat. With a broken heart, Carley finally entered the vehicle after Kenny, looking tearfully one last time at the motionless Lee before shutting the door behind her.

As Kenny took the wheel and the RV took off once more, Carley collapsed onto the seat beside Clementine, who held her warmly in order to share in what small, meaningless comfort they could. Ben sat opposite them across the table, his head wrapped in his hands in a mournful silence.

"He's…he's gone," Clementine wept into her friend's jacket as Carley wrapped her arms around her. Kenny could be heard mumbling something to Katjaa as he drove, presumably telling her what had happened.

"I know, honey…I know," Carley shed tears of sorrow.

"I love him…I miss him so much already."

"So do I, Clem…So do I." Carley caressed Clementine's hair, laying a soft kiss on the head of the young girl whom she now regarded as a daughter to her after spending months at the motel and growing close with Lee.

"He's gone now. What are we going to do?" Clementine looked up imploringly at Carley. Where once the sight of Carley's assuring dark brown eyes and her beaming smile was enough to convince her that everything was going to be alright, Clementine was now frightened beyond belief.

"I'm going to take care of you, that's what I'm going to do," Carley said, feeling her heart strengthen as she uttered those words. "Lee gave his life to protect me. He would have done the same in an instant if it was you who was in danger. I will protect you, Clementine; even if it means having to give up my own life if the situation calls for it. That's what Lee would have done, and I'm going to stay true to his wish."

Ben looked mournfully up at Carley for a moment, wishing that he could have the fibre in him to say what she had just said. But knowing that he did not, he looked down again in sorrow.

"Carley?" She suddenly heard Katjaa calling her name from the front. From the tone of the older woman's voice, Carley knew it was something serious.

"I'll be right back, sweetheart. Just…try to get some rest," Carley said and rose, kissing Clementine softly on the forehead. She walked over to Katjaa, who held Duck in her arms, and looked down to see, to her horror, a sight which only served to further sink her heart after what happened to Lee.

"He was bitten at the motor-inn while we were making our escape," Katjaa sighed.

"Oh my God," Carley gasped, holding her hand to her mouth. "Is there…is there anything I can do?"

"Is there anything anyone can do?" Kenny said spitefully through gritted teeth. "We havezero medicine in this RV, and we have a piss of an amount of food until we get to Savannah."

Fresh tears seeped out the sides of Carley's eyes. She couldn't bear to contemplate losing Clementine, a child she regarded as her own even though she was completely unrelated to her by blood. But to be faced like Katjaa and Kenny with the inevitable prospect of losing one's own flesh and blood felt simply unbearable.

"I'll keep an eye on him and do what I can for now," Katjaa sighed. "I will appreciate any and all help you can give us."

Carley then looked scornfully at Kenny, still angered by him pulling her away from Lee while she was trying to help him. Sensing her silent gaze, Kenny responded.

"Look, I did what I did in order to save us all. Lee was shot, and he would have turned just as that teacher turned when we brought him into the motor-inn," Kenny defended himself.

"And so you just left him behind?" Carley argued. "After all that he had done to help you and Duck? After he stood up for you against Larry who wanted to kill your son? After he put himself in danger to save Duck from walkers on Hershel Greene's farm?"

Kenny stayed silent, the frustration evident in his stubborn insistence at keeping his eyes looking forward to avoid Carley's gaze.

"As I thought," Carley said. "You're a coward. Nothing but a gutless coward."

"And just what would you have done, then?" Kenny shot back just as Carley was about to turn back to tend to Clementine. "Would you have taken the risk of having Lee turn inside the RV and kill us all? Would you have put him down with your pistol in front of Clementine?"

Carley looked over her shoulder at Kenny, disturbed by the dilemma that his words caused within her. She was horrified when Lee told her of how Kenny ended Larry's life in the St. John's meat locker and thought ill of him for it, but now suddenly understood the logic behind his actions.

"One more thing," Kenny said. "Did you really do it?"

Carley stood still and gazed at Ben, who still sat with his face down upon the table, as she answered. "No. I didn't."

Without any more words, she left to rejoin Clementine, and found that the young girl had quickly fallen fast asleep in the short time she left her. Sitting down beside the child, she caressed Clementine's brow and leaned back in the soft seat. She closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her, dreaming of her lost love and all that could have been.

-o-

As Lilly watched the RV speed off into the distance, she was filled with an inexplicable amount of hatred. She utterly hated those who left her behind, especially the one who confessed to her betrayal and yet didn't pay any price for it. She hated the man who killed her father without even making an attempt to save him as Lee did. She hated the useless young kid who failed as a watchman, and even led her to believe that he was responsible for the missing food and supplies.

She looked around to see the herds of walkers closing in on her from every direction. Any other man or woman would have lost hope, but she didn't. She couldn't, for her father didn't raise her to be a quitter. Win or lose; those were the only two options available to her – she never surrendered.

Gritting her teeth, she got up on her feet, her body still aching from the beating Kenny had dealt her. She ran over to check on Lee, kneeling by his side to check his pulse, which was still well and truly present. Blood seeped from the back of his right shoulder: upon closer inspection, the wound was not overly serious, as the bullet pierced a point that was far from any vital organ. Nevertheless, there was always the risk that Lee's weight would bog her down and cause her to become overwhelmed by walkers. It was also possible that Lee could turn while she carried him along and attack her, overpowering her and ending her life.

But despite knowing all this and seeing the walkers draw ever closer, Lilly could not bring herself to abandon him. Not after he risked death in order to save her father.

"Dammit, you son of a bitch…," she whispered hoarsely. She took Lee's left arm and pulled it over her shoulder, then wrapped her right arm around Lee's torso to hold him up against her as she struggled onward into the woods, avoiding all the walkers which strolled her way.

A/N: As I've mentioned at the top, this story will have two interlocking plots; one with the main group (Carley and the others) and Lilly & Lee. The next chapter will kick off with Carley's group, the one after that with Lilly and Lee, and so forth until they're (eventually) reunited again. Things will get interesting at that point, since it will be post-Savannah and Season 1.

I'm quite frustrated by the fact that I couldn't work around Clementine's parents being in Savannah, and the group having to go there. I always preferred being able to write up a completely new plot for any fanfic I write, but in this case, I'm facing a plot constraint due to the message that Clementine's mom left her in her home phone. However, I'll be free to write absolutely whatever I want after the group leave Savannah. And that's going to take a while…

For those of you who have already read my other Walking Dead fic, "Goodbye", this fic will not be connected to that one whatsoever. Lee will be with Lilly the whole time, and I can safely say to you in advance without any major spoilers that he won't be going to Savannah.

I'm currently working on two big Star Wars fics, "Heart of a Padawan" and "Torn", which are both huge and taking up a lot of my writing time. Updates for this fic as a consequence will be slow, but they will indeed be made from time to time until I finish "Heart of a Padawan" which is nearing completion, after which I'll have much more time for this one.

Please feel free in writing plot suggestions in your reviews, if you write them. With fics that are heavily AU, it actually helps us writers come up with potentially very interesting plot points, because it gives us a lot of possibilities to explore. With that in mind, please support SummerTimeSadness1's Walking Dead fic, A New Day. It is without doubt the premier Walking Dead fanfic up to date.

Until next time!