Kenny's truck inches forward, the engine sputtering as the last of the gas was used.

"Well... This is as far as we're going," Kenny sighs, shaking his head as he looks around the streets of Macon.

"Then it's far enough," Lee replies, opening his car door.

Clement struggles to unbuckle the seatbelt, both him and (Y/N) sharing the same seat, and Katjaa undoes it for him.

Lee pats Clement's head as he walks over to the two, taking (Y/N)'s hand as she reaches for him.

The group start walking down the alley, Lee recognizing where they were. His gaze lingers on his family's store, frowning as he comes to a stop.

"Lee?" (Y/N) quietly questions, tilting her head as she looks up at him.

"Look!" Duck yells, pointing.

A man was in the distance, only his legs visible as he kneels by a car.

"Hey, there!" Kenny calls, waving his hands. "You friendly? Truck's run out of gas!"

The walker looks up with a snarl, flesh hanging from his teeth as he rises and staggers.

"Fuck!"

More and more walkers crawl out of their hiding places, the group backing away.

"We're trapped!" Katjaa trembles in fear.

(Y/N) lets out a scream as one almost grabs her, Clement quickly tugging her away as they back up towards Lee.

Lee looks around frantically, his eyes wide. Duck screams as well, a walker grabbing his arm and making him fall.

"No! No!"

A gunfire goes off, the walker's blood splattering on Duck as he looks at him with wide eyes.

Katjaa quickly grabs Duck, Kenny hugging the two in relief as the woman continues firing at the walkers.

"Run!" a man yells, beckoning them over.

Carley shoots and kills a few more as the group run past her inside the drug store, following quickly as Glenn waits for her.

He closes the gating and uses a lock to secure it just as the walkers made it to them, the walkers snarling after him as he runs inside with the others.

...

"We can't take risks like this!" Lilly snaps, Carley turning and glaring at the woman.

"And we can't just let people die, either!"

"When I say that door stays shut no matter what, I fucking mean it! We don't know who these people are! They could be dangerous!"

"Worse," a man, Larry, agrees, "they could have led them right to us!"

"Where the hell is your humanity?" Carley demands, huffing. "They would have died out there!"

"Then we let them!" Larry firmly says.

"We're not dangerous," Lee tries to defuse, shaking his head. "We're just regular folks."

"What's dangerous is a bunch of people running outside and drawing their attention to us," Lilly glares at Lee, her nose scrunched up.

"Lee's right," Kenny nods, panting lightly. "We're just regular folks. But we actually like helping people."

Carley scoffs, her glare still on Lilly. "You'll have to excuse her."

"The hell he or anyone will. This is about survival," Lilly speaks lowly, shaking her head in a jerked manner. "Do you guys not see what's happening?!"

A hand tugs on Lee's, making him look down to (Y/N).

"What is it?" he demands, on edge because of Lilly.

"I'd go back out there in a second!" Glenn defends, crossing his arms.

"I... I have to... Use the bathroom," she quietly replies, embarrassed to have Clement hear.

"I bet you would. You're a dumb, careless kid."

"I would, too!" Carley snaps.

Lee sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Then just go!"

(Y/N) frowns as she flinches, her gaze casted downwards as she slowly turns away and looks for a bathroom.

"They've got kids, Lilly!" Glenn argues.

"Those things outside don't care."

Kenny scowls, "maybe you should go join 'em, then. You'll have something in common."

"God dammit, Lilly! You have to control these people!" Larry demands, Lilly looking to her dad.

"Carley and Glenn just ran out there!"

"I don't give a flying fuck! We're in a warzone."

Lee sighs heavily, "she's not wrong. They took a risk."

"Yes, we did."

"And we appreciate it!" Lee nods, Lilly still scowling. "Now, let's settle down!"

(?) Lilly noticed what Lee said

"Holy shit."

Larry looks over to Katjaa and Duck, Katjaa cleaning the blood from him as he remained quiet.

"Son of a bitch. One of them is bitten!"

Lee shakes his head, glaring at Larry. "He wasn't bitten."

"Hell he wasn't! We have to end this, now!"

Larry starts walking over to the two, Kenny moving and stepping in front of his wife and child.

"Over my dead body."

"We'll dig one hole," Larry smirks, towering over Kenny.

"No! I'm cleaning him up. There's no bite, he's fine!" Katjaa reassures, continuing to wipe away at the blood.

"Don't you fucking people get it?! We've already seen this happen! We let someone with a bite stay, and we all end up bitten!" Larry yells, gesturing around wildly.

"Shut up," Kenny lowly speaks.

"We gotta throw him out! Or smash his head in!"

"Kenny! Stop him!" Katjaa screams, hugging Duck close to her.

"Lee, what do we do about this guy?" Kenny side-eyes Lee, who was glaring at Larry.

"Dad, it's just a boy. It's--"

"Lilly. I'll take handle this."

"But your heart... Dad, you need to calm down."

"We kick his ass," Lee crosses his arms.

(?) Kenny will remember Lee's loyalty

"That's what I was thinking!" Kenny agrees, smiling in thanks with narrowed eyes.

"Everyone, chill the fuck out!" Carley yells, trying to get order.

"Nobody is doing anything." Lilly firmly replies.

"Shut up, Lilly!" Larry snaps, turning to Carley. "And you. Shut the fuck up. They will find us, and they will get in here, and none of this will fucking matter! But right now, we're about to be trapped in here with one of those things!"

Kenny blinks rapidly, though he was still scowling. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"He's bitten! That's how you turn!"

"He's not bitten!" Katjaa shouts back, not looking up from cleaning Duck. "Lee, stop this! It's upsetting him!"

"Oh? I'm upsetting him?" Larry stammers in disbelief. "Upsetting is being eaten alive!"

"Dad! We get it, it's a big deal!"

"What if this was your daughter?" Lee demands.

"Never would have happened. She's not some snot nosed toddler, okay? She's United States Air Force!"

"Well, fuck you and her!" Kenny growls, Larry moving his attention from Lee to him. "I'm gonna kill him, Kat! You just worry about Duck."

A hand tugs sharply on Lee's, making him look down. Clement was looking up at him in fear, his uneasy gaze moving back to (Y/N).

"Lee, (Y/N) said someone's in there!"

He sighs heavily, "it's just locked. Keys are behind the counter... Probably."

Clement frowns, pulling away from Lee and running back to (Y/N).

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy, here! I'm just looking out for my daughter!" Larry defends.

"No, you're just the guy arguing to kill a kid!" Kenny fires back.

"He's covered in muck! She'll find the bite, watch!"

"She won't!"

"And if she does?!" Larry huffs, his voice lowering. "First thing he'll do is sink his teeth into his mom's face. Then, once she's dead..."

He turns to Lee.

"He'll probably pounce on your little ones next! They'll turn fast. And then... there will be four."

"He's a little boy!" Lee scoffs in disbelief. "I think we can handle him."

"A little boy?" Larry repeats, shaking his head. "He'll be an uncontrollable man eater!"

"It's not gonna happen!"

"It is! And we're tossing him out, now!"

"No!" Lee firmly yells, stepping in front of Larry and pushing him backwards.

(?) Kenny will remember Lee's loyalty

"You don't touch that boy! You don't touch anybody! I've got a little girl and a boy I'm trying to protect in here, too," Lee steps closer to Larry, making him step back. "You wanna get violent, you old fuck? Well, come on! You better have a plan to kill me though, because it's me before anyone else in here!"

(Y/N) lets out a scream, Lee's eyes widening as he swiftly looks over. She falls backwards and drops her doll as a walker falls out of the bathroom, snarling.

Clement frantically pulls under her arms, helping her get away from the walker as he crawls towards her at a fast speed. His walkie-talkie falls from his jacket pocket, clattering on the floor as the walker crawls past it to them.

"Jesus!"

"(Y/N)!" Lee yells, running to get to the two.

He runs into Lilly's shoulder, making him fall and hit his head on the tile. He quickly shakes the blurriness away, rising to his feet and running over to the kids.

(Y/N) screams as the walker grabs her leg, pulling her as Clement yells.

"Let go of her!" he shouts, (Y/N) gripping a shelf as Clement tries kicking the walker's head.

Lee swiftly moves him aside, grabbing the walker. "Get away from them, you son of a bitch!"

Clement grabs (Y/N)'s arm, backing them away.

He shoves the walker away, only for him to turn back around with a gurgled roar as it tries biting Lee.

Lee holds the walker back, grunting and losing his strength as the walker starts overpowering him.

A bullet goes through the walker's head, blood splattering as the body falls on the floor.

"Man..." Lee sighs in relief, panting as he sets his hands on his knees.

He looks back, Carley aiming her gun where the walker was and shaking lightly.

"You okay?" she questions in concern.

(Y/N) was clinging to Clement's arm, shaking lightly while he looked at the walker with wide eyes.

"Just great, thanks." Lee replies, wiping blood from his forehead.

Lee walks over to her stuffed (Favorite Animal) doll, lightly panting as he picks it up and offers it to (Y/N).

Clement takes it for her, showing it off as she quickly hugs it while continuing clinging to him.

The sound of gurgled moaning comes closer, walkers banging on the walls and gate outside.

"Uh... Guys?"

(?) Clement and (Y/N) will remember Lee protected them

Doug backs away from the boards on the window as they rattle, Lee moving backwards and holding an arm in front of (Y/N) and Clement.

"Everybody, down!" Lilly harshly whispers, the group all rushing to hiding places. "Stay quiet!"

(Y/N) grips Lee's shirt, Clement holding his arm as the groaning becomes louder.

Lilly looks around in fear, Larry peeking over the counter with wide eyes.

"They're gonna get in!"

"Shut up!" Kenny hisses back, his arm around Duck and Katjaa at his side.

The boards start to crackle as they give in, but the sound of rapid gunfire in the distance draws their attention.

"Is that the military?" Lee questions, looking around at the sound.

"I don't know," Lilly replies in a hushed voice, shaking her head.

"Thank God for whatever it is," Glenn sighs in relief, the sound of the walkers fading away.

"We almost died because of this bitch and her itchy trigger finger!" Larry snarls as he rises, walking. "That was stupid! That was--"

He doubles over in pain with a yell, gripping at his chest as he collapses.

"Dad!"

Lilly swiftly goes to his side as he lays on the floor, Lee's eyes wide.

"What's wrong with him?!"

"It's his heart!"

Larry pants heavily, sweating. "My... My pills..."

Katjaa taps her knuckle to her chin as she thinks for a moment, "u-um, Nitroglycerin pills?"

Lilly nods, looking to the pharmacy, "yes! We're out. We've been trying to get into the pharmacy since we got here!"

She turns to Lee.

"Please, try to get in there! Behind the counter where the pills are!"

Lee glances to his parents' office. "There's probably another entrance. Maybe through the office."

Carley looks over to Lee, her gaze squinted. "How do you know that's an office?"

"... Educated guess."

"That doesn't matter!" Lilly interrupts the two, propping her dad against a wall. "We need Nitroglycerin pills. Please get in there. I'll keep an eye on my dad."

"Everyone else should get comfy and look for anything useful," Kenny addresses the group, Katjaa coddling Duck back at the counter. "We could be in here a while."

Glenn sighs, walking over towards the boards. "I'm starting to think this drugstore isn't a permanent solution."

"You're right," Kenny agrees. "This ain't exactly Ft. Knox."

"What do you suggest?" Lee questions Glenn, glancing to him.

"We need as much gas as possible so we can all get out of downtown Macon. And fast."

"Agreed," Lee nods, liking Glenn's notion.

"Then... I'll head out and get gas." Glenn rubs his chin, "there's a Motel not too far from here, out towards the end of Peachtree. I'll work my way towards it and then loop back, siphoning what I can."

Lee's brows furrow in concern, "you know your way around? Local?"

"Born and raised," Glenn nods confidently.

Lee reaches in his back pocket, pulling out the walkie-talkie from Clement's house. "If you're gonna do that, here's a walkie-talkie if you get in a tight spot. Hopefully you won't need it."

"Cool."

"Clement's got the other one. Check in with him and get back here as soon as you can."

"You, what's your name?" Kenny questions, looking over to Lilly.

"It's Lilly. My dad's Larry."

"Keep a good eye on him," Kenny urges. "These boys will work on getting you your medicine."

"That's right," Lee agrees, walking over to Kenny.

"And you, you keep an eye on that front door. You're our look out."

"It's Doug. And you got it." Doug nods.

"And I'm Carley."

"Okay, Carley, you'll shift in with Doug when he needs it. For now, get some rest. You're a good shot. I'd like to keep it that way," Kenny continues ordering, making Carley nod.

"You got it, boss."

Kenny turns to Lee. "Now, get him those pills."

Lee nods, Kenny walking back to his family as the others go about their business. Lee sighs softly, walking over to Clement and (Y/N).

Clement was holding his walkie-talkie on his lap, (Y/N) sitting besides him as she lightly fiddled with her doll.

"Hey, there," he softly greets, squatting to their heights.

"Hi," Clement greets back, his gaze on his walkie-talkie.

"Can I get you anything?"

"I'm okay," Clement shrugs, glancing to (Y/N). "(Y/N)'s a little hungry, though."

(Y/N) looks up, bashfully smiling and nodding as she hugs her doll.

"I'll see about that," Lee chuckles, a smile on his face.

It falls a moment later as he awkwardly rubs his neck, "so, uh..."

"... Are you okay?" (Y/N) questions as he trails off, tilting her head.

"What? Uh, yeah," Lee stammers, nodding. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just, uhh... I'm good."

Clement and (Y/N) share a confused look.

"That's good?" Clement unsurely replies.

"Yeah, I think so. Being good is... Good. Despite the circumstances."

"Uh-huh," (Y/N) nods in agreement, her mouth curved up at Lee's odd behavior.

Lee clears his throat, rising. "Well, sit tight." 

"Okay."

Lee grumbles to himself as he walks for being weird around kids, his eyes noticing a energy bar on the floor. He smiles, grabbing it and walking back over to the kids.

"It's not much, but here," he smiles, handing (Y/N) the energy bar.

"Thank you..." (Y/N) takes it, smiling gratefully.

"Of course."

(?) Lee took care of (Y/N)

(Y/N) opens the energy bar, Clement watching with a tilted head as she struggles momentarily to break it in half. She hands the other half to Clement, making him smile widely as he takes it.

Lee watches the two fondly as they eat before walking away, his eyes lingering on Kenny's family. He frowns, looking through the shelves and lighting up as he finds two more energy bars.

He pauses when he passes Lilly, rubbing his neck. "How's he doing?"

"I'm not sure I got your name," Lilly speaks lowly, squinting as she looks up at Lee.

"It's Lee."

"Lilly," she introduces herself, standing. "My dad's Larry." Lilly sighs, "I was just doing what I had to earlier."

"Everyone was."

"Now his heart's acting up again and I'm powerless to do anything," she looks down at her dad in concern, frowning before glaring back up at Lee. "And that violence before, with my dad... It didn't help."

Lee glances to the side awkwardly, changing the subject. "You're from around here?"

"I work at Warner Robbins. The Air Force base."

"Yeah, I know it," Lee smiles, nodding, impressed. "Pilot?"

Lilly chuckles, shaking her head. "Nah. Just mechanical admin stuff. I deal with a bunch of shitheads and bureaucrats all day. Sometimes I work with planes, if I'm lucky... You?"

Lee frowns for a moment, "I work up at UGA."

Lilly's face remains neutral, seeming unfazed by the information as she doesn't reply.

Lee looks around the store, "was... Anyone here when you guys got here?"

"No. This place was pretty wrecked. We pulled a couple of bodies out of the office, though."

Lee's eyes widen as his blood runs cold, a soft gasp escaping him.

"Are you... Okay?" Lilly questions, her brow raised.

Lee clears his throat, shakily nodding. "Yeah. I'm... Fine."

"Did you know anyone here?"

Lee looks down sadly. "Yeah... The owners. They were... We were close."

"I'm sorry," she sympathetically apologizes. "We found an older couple in the office. Dad hauled them out in case they weren't really dead."

Lee shakes his head to himself, sighing as Lilly slowly kneels back down to Larry' side.

"I'm gonna get back to him."

"Sounds good," Lee replies monotonously, turning away from them.

He continues shaking his head to himself as he walks over to Kenny's family, the two talking while Duck was quiet.

"We need to get back to Fort Lauderdale."

"We'll do our damndest." Kenny reassures with a nod, his gaze moving to Lee. "Hey, Lee. You really gave that old man hell!"

"Yeah," Lee chuckles, crossing his arms. "We got pushed, you know?"

"You don't have to tell me. I was ready to tear the man's head off! Anyway... We... Kat and I, appreciate your support."

Katjaa looks up with a soft smile, "thank you, Lee."

Lee nods, looking to a silent Duck. "How's Duck doing?"

"He's okay," Katjaa lightly rubs Duck's back. "It was just a shock."

Kenny sighs heavily, adjusting his ball cap. "We're lucky as hell nobody got nabbed on the way in here."

"No kidding."

"How are they doing?" Katjaa questions, looking over to Clement and (Y/N).

(Y/N) was stretching, Clement snickering and poking her side. She yelps, huffing and pushing him as he laughs.

Lee's brows were furrowed sadly but he smiled, nodding. "They're good... I think."

"They're tough ones, all right," Kenny agrees, nodding.

"They're just little kids, Ken." Katjaa disapproves, shaking her head with a frown.

Kenny looks over to Lee, his brow raised. "What you were saying, Lee? That they spent days surviving on their own?"

"That's right."

"Not just any pair of kids could do that. They're strong."

Lee looks over to the two with a small smile, agreeing with Kenny before looking back to the three. "Are you guys all right?"

"We're just fine," Kenny nods, shrugging. "Considering."

Lee smiles before looking to Duck, squatting to his height. "How about you, Duck?"

Duck doesn't reply, Lee frowning in concern as he rises

"We've all been through a lot," Katjaa softly speaks, sighing.

"Yeah," Lee agrees, leaning on a shelf. "So, what's the plan?"

"Hang tight, I suppose." Kenny unsurely says, shrugging. "Seems pretty dangerous out there, so we oughta wait for things to clear up."

Katjaa glances up to Lee for a moment, "you said your family was from here in Macon?"

Lee's gaze casts downward. "That's right."

"Where are they? Should we go looking for them?" she questions in concern.

Lee closes his eyes for a moment before he looks around, making sure no one was in ear shot. "They, uh... Owned this place. They... Pulled some bodies out of the office before we got here. They're... Gone."

Katjaa's face falls as she sets a hand on her cheek, "oh, sweetie..."

"Kat."

"They were good people," Lee sighs heavily, his eyes squinted. "I wasn't around much. But... Yeah. They're dead."

He turns away, aiming to leave when a hand on his shoulder stops him.

"Lee? You got a second?"

"Sure."

Kenny leads Lee away from Katjaa and Duck, his expression crestfallen. "Back on Hershel's farm... We didn't even try to save him. That blood is on our hands, you know?"

Lee closes his eyes, shaking his head. "It happened pretty fast."

"I guess..." Kenny sighs heavily, guilt in his eyes. "But I can't stop seeing him in my head."

"We can't kill ourselves over it." Lee urges.

"We killed that boy! We could've saved him together."

"We did what we could," Lee firmly responds, setting a hand on Kenny's shoulder. "Bad things happen. We didn't make a choice that killed Shawn. You think you do, when you look back on it. But in the moment? When things are really out of control? You don't have any choice."

Kenny looks down, "I guess."

(?) Kenny will remember Lee's loyalty

"Try to let it go," Lee consoles softly, patting his shoulder.

Kenny slowly nods, turning and walking back over to Katjaa and Duck with a weight lifted from his shoulders.

Lee reaches in his pocket, taking out the energy bar. "It's not much, but here. For the boy."

(?) Kenny appreciates Lee's concern for Duck

Katjaa takes it, smiling thankfully.

"Aw, thanks Lee. He appreciates it," Kenny thanks, smiling widely with a nod.

"That's sweet, Lee," Katjaa speaks softly, opening the energy bar to feed Duck.

"Let me know if that asshole over there takes a turn for the worse," Kenny calls as Lee walks away, making him nod and wave his arm.

"You got it."

Carley lets out an irritated grunt, making Lee pause and look back to her. She was fiddling with a radio, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"You're a pretty good shot," Lee compliments as he walks over, Carley looking up.

"Well... You don't fuck with a reporter. Especially one that's three days out from her last cup of coffee," she jokes with a chuckle, setting the radio down.

"You seem to handle yourself well."

"Really?" Carley chuckles. "I'm a disaster."

"I can't tell."

Carley looks down, sighing softly. "My news editor was eaten about five feet away from me. I would've joined her too, if it wasn't for that dorky guy on watch over there."

"I'm sorry," Lee apologizes with a frown.

"She was an asshole. But... You know."

"Yeah," Lee nods, understanding. "But... That guy saved you?"

"Yeah! Can you believe it?" she laughs softly. "Those creeps, or ghouls, or whatever the hell they are, they were pulling our van apart and that guy, Doug, just came to the rescue!"

Lee's brow raise in amusement as he looks over at Doug. "You can never tell who the heroic ones are going to be, I suppose."

Carley stares over at Doug, "he's kind of cute. In that... Parents' basement sort of way."

"What?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing."

Lee notices the radio left on the counter, "what are you messing around with there?"

"A radio," Carley sighs, "I can't get it to work, though."

"Let me have a look," Lee offers, scooting the radio over to him.

He tries the power button, then turns the volume up. He hums to himself, turning the radio over and opening the back.

"... There are no batteries in this thing."

"What?" Carley questions, blinking owlishly.

"You know there are no batteries in this thing, right?"

"Yeah, of course! I mean, yeah." Carley scoffs, glancing away. "... No."

"I'll try to find some," Lee chuckles. "Needs two."

"Thanks," Carley smiles, turning back to the radio and muttering. "No batteries... Of course... Stupid."

Lee smiles in amusement, shaking his head as he turns and walks around the store. He manages to find two, and heads back to Carley.

"Here you are. These should fit the radio," he hands them over, Carley taking them.

"Thanks. Should be able to get it to work, now."

Lee nods, watching her insert the batteries. The radio still doesn't work, Carley huffing in annoyance.

"Still not working?"

"Nope." Carley sighs, Lee hummimg as he picks up the radio.

"Let me see if I can fix it."

He turns the power button on, nothing happening. He squints as he turns the radio over, opening the back and noticing the batteries were backwards.

Lee refrains from laughing as he turns them the right away, Carley watching and sheelishly rubbing her neck. He pulls the antenna out and turns the volume up, and lastly powers it on.

"You fixed it!"

"... The death toll continues to skyrocket. WABE urges you to stay indoors and avoid any contact with individuals you suspect may have been exposed."

Carley sighs in relief as she sits on the stool, listening closely. "The station's okay!"

"In the event of a full... Uh... My producer is telling me we have to get off air."

The sound of screaming and banging could be heard, Lee's face falling and Carley's eyes widening.

"Steve..."

"WABE..." he pauses, shots fired and glass shattering as the screams continue. "Wishes you and your loved ones..."

Static could be heard, Steve gasping.

"God bless you all..."

The signal was lost, Lee looking to Carley in concern. "Are you okay?"

Carley looks down, clenching her fist on her leg. "I'm fine."

"You don't have to be," Lee softly speaks, shaking his head. "It's traumatic."

"I... I'm sure some people got out. Maybe they're all being rescued," she replies, her face betraying her hopeful voice. "... Then again, maybe not."

(?) Carley notices Lee's concern

Lee nods, deciding to leave her to her thoughts as he turns.

He approaches Doug, who was peeking through the boards to watch outside. "Heard or seen anything?"

"Nothin' luckily," Doug shakes his head. "Want to step outside, have a look around?"

Lee lets out a small laugh, "I'm not suicidal yet."

"No, the gate out there is closed," Doug explains. "We can hang out in front of the door and be fine."

Lee hums, nodding. "Let's have a look around."

"Okay."

Lee carefully opens the door, slowly walking outside with Doug following.

"Jesus." He breathes out, looking around at the large amount of walkers in the area, all snarling as they stagger around.

A group of walkers were tearing the flesh off a body, Doug gagging.

"I think I'm gonna be sick."

"They just..." Lee trails off, shaking his head.

"Eat. As far as I can tell, that's all they care about," Doug answers, wincing the walkers continue tearing at the flesh and chewing on it.

"And if one gets you..."

"They eat you. And whatever is left comes back as one of them."

Lee's gaze lingers on one walker, his arm gone and his face ripped open. "How the fuck..."

Doug sighs shakily, "I think it might be more than a couple days before all this gets sorted out."

"Yeah... I think so, too," Lee agrees, squatting down low with Doug. "We better keep it down out here."

Doug nods, Lee sighing as he shakes his head. "I think Lilly said the pharmacy was locked. I need to find a way in there..."

Lee trails off once more, his eyes widening as he spots a familiar walker trapped under a wooden pillar.

"The one trapped over there..."

"Better him than us, huh?"

Lee shakes his head, almost falling backwards when he manages to see the I.D to confirm his fear. "Oh, shit..."

"What?" Doug questions in concern. "Do you know that guy?"

Lee swallows thickly, shaking his head and clearing his throat. "He... Could be a drugstore employee."

"So, you're saying he might have the pharmacy keys?"

Lee slowly nods, "yep."

"I don't know..." Doug unsurely mumbles, eyeing the walkers. "Could be anybody, you know? They start rotting and get all chewed up, and--"

"Shut up, Doug." Lee grumbles, closing his eyes and forcing down his feelings. "Look at the uniform, though. He could've worked in the pharmacy, and died with the keys in his pocket."

Doug shakes his head, rubbing his neck. "It would take a lot of effort to make it safe enough to go out there and see if he has the keys. If, I don't know, we could somehow prove he worked here, I think then it would be worth it."

Lee sighs heavily, nodding. "I'll see what I could find. Let's head back in."

He rises quickly, leaving Doug behind as he walks back inside.

Clement notices Lee walking briskly to the office, making him tap (Y/N)'s arm to get her attention. She looks over to Lee, both nodding to each other as they hop off the crate they were sitting on.

Lee stops at the office door, his gaze lingering on the Alive Inside sign as he sadly sighs. He grips the doorknob shakily, and opens the door.

Clement peeks out from behind him, Lee's eyes wide as he looks at the pool of blood on the sleeping bag on the floor of the room. (Y/N) looks up at Lee as Lee sighs, shaking his head as he enters.

"I can't..." he softly speaks to himself. "I can't think about them in here."

(Y/N) frowns in concern as she walks slowly inside, Clement following and standing next to her as they watch Lee.

Lee looks over to a shelf blocking the backway, "that door leads to the back alley."

He looks it over, deeming it safe enough for them to be in there without worrying about walkers. He turns and walks over to the pharmacy door, grunting as he moves a pallet out of the way.

A cane falls onto the floor, Lee's eyes widening and Clement and (Y/N) looking over.

She walks to the cane, bending down and picking it up for Lee.

He smiles softly as he takes it, holding it in his hands.

"What's that?" Clement questions, walking over.

"This was my dad's cane," Lee says fondly. "He'd zip around here on it from time to time."

"Did he need it to walk?" (Y/N) asks as she tilts her head.

"Nah, he was okay. I actually saw him whoop shoplifters with it. This cane's protected this place than any guard dog," Lee chuckles, shaking his head as he leans the cane on the wall. "Plus, he knew how to make it cool. Like... Your hat and your little (favorite animal) doll."

(Y/N) smiles as she hugs her doll, "my parents gave it to me for my birthday."

"That's a fine gift," Lee lightly sets his hand on her head.

"And my dad gave me this hat," Clement chimes in, proudly adjusting it.

"See? Dad's are smart like that."

He notices (Y/N) playing with a small zipper on the back of her doll, his brows furrowing.

"What's that?"

She looks up, noticing his gaze on the doll zipper. "Oh... It's... A secret."

"A secret, huh?" Lee chuckles, Clement nodding.

"Yep! Only me and her dad know about it!" Clement gestures to himself with a grin.

"Oh?"

"She's not supposed to open the zipper until her ninth birthday," Clement explains with a small smile. "Her dad trusted me to make sure she didn't."

(Y/N) sticks her tongue out at Clement. "I hate waiting!"

"It's only a few more months," Clement encourages with a giggle, (Y/N) huffing and pouting as she looks down at her doll.

"I'd wait," Lee agrees, patting her head with a chuckle. "Don't wanna spoil the surprise too soon, right?"

(Y/N) slowly nods, "okay."

"Good," Lee rises, grunting softly and sighing. "So... Everyone out there seem all right to you?"

"They're nice. But... The sick guy is kind of..."

"A bully," Clement finishes.

"Yeah." Lee nods in agreement. "We'll keep an eye on him."

"That thing in the bathroom... It tried to get me," (Y/N) quietly speaks, closing her eyes.

"I know," Lee softly says.

"But... You both stopped it," she continues, looking up at Lee happily before looking to Clement, who sheepishly smiles.

"We did," Lee nods, patting Clement's head as he winces and staggers.

"Can... You both do that more?"

Clement looks up at her, instantly nodding. "Yeah!"

"Well," Lee lightly shoves Clement's head playfully, making him stagger forward with a yelp as he catches himself. "We're not gonna go looking for them."

"But getting the dangerous ones? Can you?"

"I'll protect you both, don't worry, sweet pea," Lee promises, making her slowly nod with a reassured expression. "I'm gonna keep looking around."

Lee slowly moves over to the pool of blood by the sleeping bags, a broken photo frame next to it. He bends down, sliding the picture from the glass and looking down at it with a smile.

He slowly frowns as he looks at himself in the photo, sighing as he tears his piece off.

"... Find anything?"

Lee jumps as Carley's voice questions him, his hand dropping the ripped photo of him to the floor.

"It's... A photo of the family who owned this place. It'll help get the keys." Lee shows the photo, shrugging.

Carley's face hardens, "I know you who are. You're Lee Everett. You're a professor at Athens who killed a State Senator, who was sleeping with your wife. This is your parents' store. Folks around town know the owner's son got himself a life sentence, but I'm a reporter for WABE in Atlanta."

Lee crosses his arms with a defensive look, Clement and (Y/N) listening with curious expressions.

"I paid attention to that trial," Carley continues. "Maybe you're a murderer. But I don't really care. Frankly, that's a skill that might come in handy."

Lee simply grumbles back a response, squinting.

"Did you tell anyone out there who you were? Or that you were tied to this place?"

Lee's face hardens as he slowly shakes his head. "No. Been sticking to first names for a reason."

Carley looks Lee over, her expression softening. "You seem like an okay guy. And the last thing we need is more drama out there. You've got these kids to take care of, and... Look, don't make me wrong on this."

Lee steps forward, nodding gratefully. "I don't plan to."

"Good. Because if this lasts longer than a few days, and you're a detriment to the group, then we'd have a problem," she warns, her threat veiled.

"I hear you," Lee lowly says, glancing to the kids for a moment.

Carley nods, "I'll just keep it to myself."

Lee breathes out in relief, "thanks."

(?) Carley will remember Lee trusted her

Carley offers a small smile, nodding as she turns to the door. "Don't worry about it."

She leaves, Lee sighing heavily and moving to follow. "Heading back with me?"

"Yeah." Clement calls, him and (Y/N) exchanging a worried look. "Lee?"

"Yeah?"

"... You're not... Bad, right?"

Lee turns to them, "I... Why are you asking me that?"

"The woman, Carley... She said you killed someone," (Y/N) answers, frowning. "Was he one of those things outside?"

Lee runs a hand through his hair, "no. He wasn't."

"Oh," she blinks slowly. "Was he a bad man?"

"He was," Lee nods, his face slightly hardening as he thinks about the Senator.

They enter the drugstore, Lee sighing again as he starts walking over to Doug.

"Hey there, this is Glenn," Clement's walkie-talkie goes off. "I'm kinda in a jam here. Uh, children? If either of you are there, can you put your daddy on the phone? Or the talkie, or whatever?"

Lee walks back over as Clement hands him the walkie-talkie, (Y/N) looking uo at him in concern.

"This is Lee. What's up?"

"So... I'm down at that motor inn and... Well, I'm stuck."

"Stuck?" Lee repeats, his brows furrowed.

"Yeah, I, uh, saw a chance to get some supplies for the group, and a bunch of the roaming ones got the jump on me. I'm hiding over here, but they won't leave."

"What's up?" Kenny calls, Lee sighing as he looks over.

"Glenn's trapped down at the motor inn," he explains before addressing Glenn. "Hey, Glenn. We're gonna talk it over and send a group to come get you, all right?"

"Awesome. I'll sit tight till then."

"Sounds good." The walkie-talkie clicks, Lee looking down to Clement. "I'm gonna hold onto this until we get Glenn back, okay? I'll take good care of it."

"But..."

Clement trails off as (Y/N) grabs his hand, reassuringly smiling. He nods, sighing with a pout.

"What do you think?" Kenny questions Lee over the shelves.

"I think Doug's not great around zombies. And you've got your family here," Lee glances over to Doug, Doug almost gagging again as he watches the walkers. "I'll take Carley and her dead-eye down to the motor inn, get Glenn, and get back here as fast as I can."

Kenny looked worried, "if that's what you wanna do..."

"Somebody's got to."

"Yeah, I'm in," Carley calls as she walks over.

"Good. It doesn't sound too bad there right now."

"Let me know as soon as you want to head out. I could use a jog," she walks back over to her stool, sitting down and looking over her gun.

"You ready now?" he calls as he approaches.

"You got it. You?"

"Yeah."

Carley nods, following Lee as they walk over towards the office. "Let's go, then."

...

..

.

Long chapter

Long long chapter °-°

And here I was thinking I could keep each episode 4 chapters rip

They're most likely gonna be 5 chapters each

Not a bad thing

Bye for now! ❤