BEFORE I BEGIN THIS STORY, HUGE, MAJOR FUCKING SHOUTOUT TO @The_Sad_CattO !! They sent me this entire story because I was a huge idiot and did not have it saved on google docs. Without them, I could not have republished this story. Thank you so so much The_Sad_CattO for giving my story to me!! <3

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Here we are back with the same copy-paste message on all republished stories— but just a quick warning, these upcoming republished stories are unedited. I have grown a lot (i think hopefully) with my writing and lowkey my writing is cringe/the grammar is wrong ;u; But I still hope you enjoy!

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Soooo... hey, lovelies! Wattpad decided to ban my OneArtsyGamer03 account... which is so great am I right

*cries*

It's fine! Totally fine. Right now, I'm just focusing on republishing all my old stories. They will be left unedited, as I'm going to be publishing new, fresh versions of these stories anyway so there's not really any point in editing these ones. I just wanna get them back up for you all to find.

That being said, I will not be editing anything or fixing anything in these old stories since I'm writing up new better versions of these anyway! So I'm just gonna be copying and pasting the chapters, leaving in all author notes and everything. <3

Also! I'm also going to be copying this message into all my old stories so if you see it again that's why

Without further delay, welcome home, lovelies.

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I lied: Here is the image of Clement I drew for the story years ago ❤️

THIS IS MYYYY DRAWING PLS DONT STEAL

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Previously...

When the dead started walking... We were small, and only had each other.

Walkers roam the streets, their vicious roars thundering loudly.

Until a man named Lee became our protector.

Lee looks around with a hardened expression, (Y/N) clinging to his side and Lee's arm wrapped around her and Clement as he wields an axe.

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Lee protected other people, too.

Carley screams as she tries to reach for her ammo in her purse, a walker holding her ankle. Doug yells out when he was grabbed through the boarded windows, desperately trying to escape.

But he couldn't save everyone.

Lee looks between Carley and Doug, his eyes wide and ears ringing violently as Clement and (Y/N) stood in front of him, looking up at him in fear.

Doug screams as he was grabbed and pulled out of the window, walkers sinking their teeth into his flesh as Lee dashes to save Carley.

You can never save everyone.

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The living were just as dangerous as the dead. A woman in our group named Lilly lost her dad... And then she just couldn't cope.

Lilly aims her gun at Carley with a dark glare, sneering as she fires the bullet. It pierces through Carley's eye, the back of her head gushing blood as she slowly falls to the ground. (Y/N) watches with wide eyes as she holds her doll close, Clement staring at her corpse in horror.

She took the life that Lee saved.1

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Kenny looks ahead in the RV, Katjaa sitting in the passenger seat with Duck in her arms. (Y/N) leans her shoulder on Clement's head, Lee handing Ben a gun to guard Lilly as she sat with her hands bound in front of her.

Lee showed her kindness... But she took advantage of it later.

Lilly looks down remorsefully, her face hardening as she glares up at Lee.

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Lee taught us how to survive. He protected us as long as he could...

(Y/N) and Clement look down at Lee with tearful eyes, Lee's breathing slowing as he becomes paler, the bite mark on his arm hot and painful.

But he got bit. Because of me. And even in the end... He was still teaching.

"Keep your hair short," Lee weakly manages out, shaking his head. "It's not worth the risk."

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Lee wouldn't make it. He knew it was the end. He made one final request...

(Y/N) takes small steps backwards from Lee, tears streaming down her face as she holds her gun in her shaking hands. Clement moves to her side, taking her hand in his while holding her (F/A) doll at his side.

He asked one of us to shoot him.

(Y/N) raises the pistol with her one hand, tightly holding Clement's in her other. Her eyes squeeze shut, and she pulls the trigger.

And (Y/N) did, because I couldn't.

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We met another group after that. Broken people, running from their past. There was a woman who gave birth to a boy named... Alvin Junior. AJ.

Rebecca, now a walker, snarls softly as she rises from the tire she was resting in, AJ rolling off her lap and falling into the snow. She staggers towards (Y/N), Clement gasping with wide eyes of horror before firing his gun at Rebecca.

He made it. But the mom didn't.

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And we started to take care of him.

(Y/N) holds AJ in her arms with a soft smile, Clement peering over her shoulder with a grin as he adjusts the blanket wrapped around AJ.

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But then... Jane left (Y/N) and AJ in the snow. We thought they... They were gone forever. That was the last straw for Kenny.

Kenny screams furiously as he tries to jam his knife into Jane's chest, Jane desperately holding him back as she yells out in fear.

And without Lee or (Y/N) around... I had to make the call.

Clement's hand trembled violently around the gun as he aims it at Kenny, sobbing as he squeezes his eyes shut and fires.

I stopped Kenny. And finally gave him peace.

Kenny weakly smiles up at Clement as blood stains the white snow around him, his last breath leaving him with a rise and fall of his chest.

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It turned out AJ and (Y/N) were alive.

Clement tightly hugs (Y/N), crying in relief as she looks at him with wide, confused eyes.

Jane had hid them to make a point.1

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(Y/N) holds AJ in her arms, standing at Clement's side as they look up at Jane.

Knowing what she'd done...

(Y/N) shakes her head with a glare, Clement scowling at Jane as they turn and leave her alone in the snow. She tries to follow, (Y/N) taking out her machete and aiming it at her warningly.

We'd had enough. We took AJ, and left her behind.

Jane hugs her arms, sobbing lightly as the snow rains around her, (Y/N) and Clement walking away with AJ.

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We traveled to a new frontier. I thought we had to join them, to survive. I thought it would work... But... I was wrong.

Lingard holds AJ in his arms, AJ struggling as he tries to reach for Clement and (Y/N) as David glares down at them.

They took AJ from us. Said we were too young to take care of him...

Clement glares up at David with a snarl, his face falling as (Y/N) silently steps forward to AJ.

(Y/N) and I said our goodbyes... And left AJ with them.

"(Y--Y/N)! Clem!" AJ cries out as they walk away, escorted by David out.

We couldn't fight them.

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But we searched for a long time... And just when we gave up hope...

Clement stands tall with a hardened expression, his hand outstretched in front of (Y/N) and AJ protectively as he wields an axe at his side. (Y/N) held her machete readily, glaring at the walkers around them as AJ stands between them, looking around in fear.

We found him. We're searching together now, for a place we can call home.

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Clement smiles softly, watching (Y/N) making shadow puppets for AJ along a wall as their campfire burns brightly.

We're all AJ has. We're all each other have. And I'll protect them... With my life.

(Y/N) turns and smiles back at Clement, making him grin back as he takes his hat off, setting it on the log beside him.

Just like Lee... Did for us.

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