...
..
.

Clement rises early in the morning, looking over (Y/N) with a gentle expression as he sits on the side of the bed. He sighs softly as he stands, walking over to the desk and setting down a sketched out map of Ericson that Tenn had made for him.

His eyes flick up, a look of concern crossing his face as he thinks about what they face. He breathes out deeply as he turns to (Y/N)'s sleeping form, his expression hardening with resolve as he firmly nods and heads out.

...

AJ rises not long after him, scurrying to get ready as he runs out to help Clement however he could.

...

Clement and AJ check on (Y/N), (Y/N) smiling in greeting as she slowly sits up. Clement offers her a cup of warm stew, making her stomach grumble as she takes it with a soft 'thank you.'

...

Clement and AJ leave (Y/N) to rest throughout the day, Tenn dropping by with a bundle of his old shirts. He noticed AJ's shirt was looking a little rough, and decided to give him some of his old ones. After speaking with (Y/N), he takes his leave.

...

AJ climbs into his bed with a tired groan, falling asleep and snoring within seconds of his head hitting the pillow. Clement removes his hat with a quiet yawn, setting it down on the desk and climbing into bed with (Y/N).

...

(Y/N) and Clement sit side by side as he looks over the map on the bed, (Y/N) braiding a braid into his hair as they speak.

...

Clement uses a marker to draw on the blank map of Ericson, marking what they have done. He closes the marker up, setting it down and leaving as AJ follows after him, wearing a new shirt.

...

(Y/N) wakes up, Clement and AJ already gone. She pouts lightly as she remains in bed, a knock gaining her attention.

Ruby enters with a mug of hot coffee, a soft smile on her face as she makes her way over. To (Y/N)'s surprise, Mitch was lingering in the doorframe as well, leaning against it with a neutral look.

(Y/N) and Ruby speak to one another for a bit, Ruby calling to Mitch to invite him in. With a defiant look, he turns away, (Y/N) deadpanning and calling him a child.

Ruby laughs heartily at this, Mitch's head snapping back to her as he glares her way. His gaze falters as she smiles at him, making him slowly nod before huffing and marching off as Ruby leaves as well.

...

(Y/N) manages to fully rises, taking a second to slowly stretch as she exhales through her mouth with a tense expression. Her face brightens when she feels little to no pain, and she removes her jacket and shirt, leaving only her tank top on.

She looks over her bandaged stomach, brushing her fingers against it before walking over to the desk and looking over Ruby and Violet's shirts.

Clement starts to walk in, halting in his tracks. His eyes widen into saucers as his face turns red, the boy retreating back into the hall and slamming the door shut.

(Y/N) snorts in amusement at this, pulling the new shirt over her head with minor difficulties as Clement slowly re-enters, the brim of his hat tilted over his face to cover his eyes as he swiftly marches towards the desk. He runs into the metal bed post with a grunt as (Y/N) yelps in alarm, him rushing to the map crumpling it into his hands hastily.

He swiftly exits, (Y/N) rolling her eyes fondly as she gets back into bed.

...
..
.

2 WEEKS LATER...

...

The moon light shined through the window of the bedroom, Clement quietly entering and closing the door behind him. AJ was fast asleep in bed, (Y/N) awake and laying down while holding her machete over her, admiring it.

Clement walks to the desk, setting the map down and smoothing it over. He looks over it thoughtfully, adjusting his hat over his head with his other hand on his hip.

(Y/N) sits up and sheathes her machete in her sheathe hanging on the bedframe, slowly rising and grunting lightly as her wound stings.

"You should be laying down," Clement softly scolds, eyes not leaving the map as he looks over his markings of their traps and defenses.

"All I've been doing for the past two weeks is laying down," she responds in exasperation, peering around him at the map. "I want to help too, Clem."

She leans into his side, resting the side of her head against his arm.

"Hmm," Clement hums under his breath, ignoring the way his heart stuttered. "All right. How about tomorrow you help me check over everything?"

(Y/N) looks up with a surprised smile, "really?"

Clement's brows furrow, a small smirk on his face. "Why so surprised?"

"I dunno," she pulls away from him, making him frown a bit as she sits back on the bed with a tired sigh. "I figured you'd fight it more. Figured you want me to just stay in here locked up, for my own protection," she dramatically finishes, grinning playfully.

"Oh, I do," Clement admits in a murmur, taking off his hat and setting it down before sitting besides her. He looks down at his hands on his lap with a worried expression, "but I can't shield you from what's to come. No matter... how badly I want to. I can't keep you locked away, hoping you'll be safe and protected in this room. Those raiders are coming. Soon."

His head lowers into his hands as he sighs, shaking his head.

"And I don't know if I can stop them. I don't know if I can protect..." he trails off, voice a bit weak.

The words were unspoken, but (Y/N) knew what he intended to say. He's scared he won't be able to protect them. Her and AJ.

His leg anxiously bounces as he lowers his hands away from his face, forearms resting on his knees as he leans forward.

"Forget it," Clement forces a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he smiles nervously. "You, uh, don't need to hear this right now. All I'm doing is probably making you more worried about the raiders."

"Clement," (Y/N) reaches out, grabbing a few strands of his hair and making him pause at the comforting familiarity as she begins to braid them. "You won't have to face them alone. You hear me? We'll face them together, just as it's always been. Only this time... we have others we can depend on, too."

Clement listens to her quietly, his eyes remaining on the floor as (Y/N) braids his hair.

"Everyone here will fight, and we will drive them back," (Y/N) confidently speaks, looping the final piece of hair around and holding it together as she digs through her jacket pocket. "We've totally got this."

She finds a small, clear rubber hair tie, tying the braid and releasing his hair slowly.

Clement grabs one of her hands into his, a calm smile on his face as he squeezes it gently.

"Thank you, princess."

...
..

The two slowly fall asleep, Clement at ease but (Y/N)'s expression fearful and pained as her eyes were squeezed shut. The gut wrenching sound of AJ wailing echoes in her head, Clement screaming out.

With a sharp gasp, she rises, wincing in pain and holding her stomach.

Her eyes dart around the room swiftly, her breathing rough and uneven.

"AJ?!" (Y/N) calls fearfully, her eyes wide when she doesn't see him in his bed. "Where... Clem? Clement! Wake up! AJ's not--"

She turns to look to the other side of the bed, the bed empty and cold.

(Y/N)'s heart hammers almost painfully in her chest as she forces herself to rise, quickly snatching her machete off the bedframe and slinging it loosely over her torso.

"Where are they?" she whispers to herself, gripping at the leather of the sheathe as she hesitantly walks forward.

She opens the door, gasping in alarm when a snow white horse walks past her.

(Y/N)'s brows furrow as she shakes her head, staggering back and hitting her backside on the wall as she breathes heavily.

"This... this isn't real, it isn't--"

AJ wails loudly, gaining her attention as she gasps.

The horse turns to her, nickering softly as it turns and starts down the hallway.

"Wait!" she cries out quickly, staggering after it. "We need to stay together!!"

She takes off in a run, rounding the corner and finding nothing. Gunfire sounds off in the distance, her eyes darting around.

"Clem?! AJ?! Where are you?!"

Her gaze lands on the double doors at the end of the hall, the red and orange glow of a fire sparkling in her eyes.

"No..."

(Y/N) looks down as a horse neighs weakly, the white horse from before laying on the ground covered in blood with bullet wounds along its side.

The familiar shout of Clement makes her eyes snap up, gunfire sounding off as AJ continues to scream and cry. (Y/N) breaks out into a run down the hall, ramming against the doors as she tries to open them.

The doors don't budge, the sound of AJ crying growing louder as Clement yells something she couldn't make out.

... (Y/N)...

(Y/N) frantically grabs at the handles of the doors, trying to shove them open as her breathing becomes more panicked.

(Y/N)?

"Clem! AJ!" she shouts out, slapping her hand against the door. "Fuck!"

(Y/N) yells desperately as she slams her shoulder against the doors, tears streaming down her face as she lets out a scream.

...

"(Y/N)!"

(Y/N)'s eyes fly open as she gasps sharply, her breath catching in her throat and forcing her to cough as she rises. She looks around with wide eyes, warm hands cupping the sides of her face and making her eyes dart up to the source.

Clement was over her on his knees, his brows furrowed with distress and mouth parted in a frown.

"Hey, hey-- you're all right," Clement reassures gently, his voice breaking a bit at her state as she tries to move. "You're all right, princess."

(Y/N) quickly reaches out, wrapping her arms around him and breathing out shakily as her hands ball into fists around the back of his shirt. Clement holds her tightly, lightly rocking her to soothe her.

"AJ--" she manages out, chest rising and falling rapidly as she tries to catch her breath. "Where..."

"Here," AJ's voice replies to her left.

Clement slowly releases her and sits back on her legs, (Y/N) quickly turning to see AJ. She blinks quickly at the sight, AJ squatting on the desk and holding a shard of glass with some bandage wrapped around the end to act as a handle as he looks outside.

"You... were having a nightmare," AJ sadly murmurs, looking down with furrowed brows.

Clement sighs deeply, pushing some hair from her face and stroking his knuckles down the side of her cheek. "You haven't had one in a while..."

"I'm fine," (Y/N) reassures with a smile, laying back down with a tired exhale.

No one speaks for a few moments, Clement slowly climbing off her and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"... Was it... the one you used to have all the time?" AJ questions quietly, his hand tightening around the knife. "About what happened on the ranch?"

(Y/N) doesn't reply, confirming his suspicions as Clement grimaces and looks down sadly.

Clement's eyes flick over to AJ, "don't think I've forgotten you were already awake, young man. What were you doing up?"

He questions with a firm gentleness, concern evident in his voice.

AJ doesn't reply like (Y/N), making her glance over with a frown.

"Seems I'm not the only one having fun dreams," she sarcastically says, propping herself up onto her elbows. "You okay, bud?"

"I just..." AJ shakes his head, sighing softly. "I feel safer like this. Not sleeping. I wanna stay up forever," he looks up at the ceiling wistfully, "I probably could. Like... eighteen days. If I tried hard."

"We're safe here, AJ," Clement reassures, looking to the side.

For now, anyway.

He silently adds, shaking his head.

"It doesn't feel like it," AJ mumbles back, eyes squinting lightly.

"What happened, bud?" (Y/N) questions as she slowly sits up, the blanket slipping off her. "You used to love this place."

"That was before--" he cuts himself off, glancing towards (Y/N) and looking down towards her wound.

She notices this, her gaze following his down to her injured side.

"Come on, kiddo," Clement gently speaks as he rises from the bed. "Let's get you back into bed."

"No!"

AJ's quick response makes Clement pause, his face falling with a concerned confusion as he slowly sits back down.

"AJ..." (Y/N) softly murmurs, watching him with worry.

"You... you guys don't always have to check on me," AJ looks down as he speaks, "you always say, be tough. So I am. You say be strong... and I will. And brave, all the time."

"You're the toughest kid I know," Clement smiles proudly, nodding. "Probably the toughest kid in the whole world."

(?) AJ will remember that

"I'm not as tough as you or (Y/N)," AJ pouts, turning to the two with a small smile.

Clement chuckles fondly, "well, no one's as tough as me. And no one even comes close to (Y/N)'s level of toughness."

AJ giggles lightly as he sits down on the desk, legs hanging off the edge as he sighs.

"I'm sorry that you hard to do so much work, Clem. To... atone me," AJ slowly speaks, looking down at his lap sadly. "To take care of me."

He slips off the desk, landing on his feet with a grunt before turning back to (Y/N) and Clement. His eyes instantly flick over to (Y/N)'s injured side, her hand coming up to it.

"I'm gonna help you more," AJ promises confidently, nodding firmly. "So you guys don't have to do everything."

"Where are you off to?" (Y/N) asks as he starts walking towards the door, making him pause.

He turns back to her, "to patrol. For danger."

AJ shows off his knife, expression serious.

"Bad people. Monsters. Whatever you have nightmares about."

"AJ..." (Y/N) laughs fondly, shaking her head. "Stay here with us."

AJ seems indifferent, pouting.

"If you sleep now, you can go on patrol with Tenn tomorrow," she promises with a nod.

He looks down in thought, frowning with confliction.

"Come on," Clement stretches, sighing with a small groan. "I'll stay awake and make sure neither of you have any more bad dreams."

AJ squints suspiciously, "you can't do that. You're not magic."

Clement mocks offense, huffing as he holds his heart. "How do you know? Maybe I have magic and never told you."

AJ seems to believe him for a moment, a grin appearing on his face. "No, you don't."

However, he walks over to his bed, sighing softly as he sets a hand on the bed.

(Y/N) notices his hesitance, frowning. "AJ?"

He doesn't reply for a few seconds, turning to them. "Can I... could I maybe sleep in your bed, between you guys? Like I did when I was little?"

(Y/N) and Clement glance to one another, (Y/N) chuckling and turning back to AJ.

"Of course, bud. Come here," she softly urges, waving him over.

"I'm not scared!" AJ stammers out, trying to act tough. "Just... tired."

"Makes sense to me," Clement plays along as he climbs into bed, moving closer to the wall to make space for AJ. "But... think you need that?"

AJ looks down at the knife in his hand, setting it down on the desk before climbing into the bed. He carefully climbs over (Y/N)'s legs, plopping down with a yawn in between the two. He smiles in content, his eyes falling shut.

"AJ?" Clement quietly mumbles, hearing (Y/N)'s breathing shift as she starts to fall back asleep.

"What?" AJ replies, getting comfortable and looking up towards him.

"You're still little."

Clement's eyes fall shut, AJ leaning his head against Clement's arm.

"... I know."

...
..
.