It had been a long and painful five days. Well, it was painful for the group who were definitely not the kind of survivors to be 'out here.'

It was long for Y/N- these people were loud, they drew unnecessary walker attention, and they complained so damn much. He gave Rebecca a pass- she was pregnant after all, and she and Clem had warmed up to each other quite a lot. They talked a lot as they walked, it made Y/N happy to see Clem smiling, but it unfortunately meant he was left open to be pestered by Sarah.

She would constantly follow him and talk and talk and talk and talk. Y/N would often catch Clem glancing over at the pair of them- she must have been able to see the frustration on Y/N's face, but Clem wore an expression that was very difficult for Y/N to interpret.

—~—

The group had finished eating, Y/N had caught a raccoon and they all ate, despite Sarah's protests at eating such an 'icky' animal.

"Don't think, eat" Y/N said as he tore the cooked flesh from a leg bone: "or go hungry. But do it quietly."

—~—

Not long after heading off again the group had came to a bridge, high in the mountains. They were currently back a fair distance, watching it apprehensively.

With Pete gone Luke had stepped up in a leadership position of the group, and much to Nick's annoyance, had quickly looked to Y/N as his second.

Alvin mostly stayed in the background, tending to Rebecca, while Carlos and Nick offered a lot of, usually dumb, suggestions.

Luke was examining a map of the area as the others sat on some rocks, exhausted. The exception was Clementine who had climbed up on a tree branch and was checking out the bridge with binoculars, and Y/N who was sharpening his knife.

"See anything?" Luke asked as Clementine continued to scan the horizon.

"She better see something we've been walking for a week" Alvin grumbled.

"We've been walking for two years. You get used to it" Y/N replied as he stroked the makeshift whetstone down his blade. He could feel Sarah's eyes boring into him but ignored it, his ears perking up as Clem began to speak:

"The bridge looks passable enough. Can't see anyone near it, but there's a little house right next to it."

"How big is it?" Carlos yelled out. Y/N looked up from his blade and said straight faced:

"You heard her say little, right?"

Luke chuckled as Carlos scowled and looked down embarrassed.

"There's a lift or something too" Clem yelled out.

"Like a chair lift? That must be the ski lodge" Luke said with a smile as Y/N sheathed his blade and helped Clem down.

"I've never been skiing" Clementine smiled to Y/N as he gently took hold of her waist to help her to the ground.

"Bec and I went once" Alvin smiled.

"It wasn't pretty" Rebecca laughed.

"There was a really big building at the top of the mountain" Clem smiled as she brushed her hands off, placed the binoculars in her backpack, and after glancing at Sarah, took Y/N's hand in hers, smiling up at him as a small smile was returned to her. Clementine's heart fluttered as Y/N instinctively accepted her hand, their fingers interlocking.

"We have to cross that bridge. Let's go" Carlos said as he stood and brushed his hands.

"Hold on, now. We can't all go sprinting across that thing, okay? If we get spotted out there, we're gonna be trapped." Luke replied, holding his hands up to hold Carlos back. Luke quickly turned to Y/N and asked him:

"What do you think, Y/N?"

Before Y/N could reply Carlos had yelled:

"You're asking him? He's a boy, Luke. And going around that lake will take too long!"

Luke was about to argue back when Y/N stood forward and said "no it's fine Luke."

He turned his attention back to Carlos and replied:

"Next time your kid's hungry, you go hunting."

When there was no answer Y/N replied "yeah, that's what I thought" and turned back to Luke:

"We've got no idea who's out there. I'm gonna sneak across and make sure it's clear before we bring the whole group over, okay"

"You think splitting up the group is a good idea?" Carlos growled.

"Better than riskin' everyone" Y/N replied coldly.

"I'll watch your back while you're out there" Luke said with a smile.

"No I'm going by myself. I want you watching Clem" Y/N said back quickly.

"I'll go with-"

Luke abruptly cut Nick off, holding a hand out to placate him and speaking quickly to Y/N:

"Look Nick will stay with Clem and the others, you and me go. I'd feel better watching your back and I know for a fact Clem would feel better with you not goin' alone."

Y/N looked at Luke momentarily before looking back to Clem. She smiled and nodded. Y/N sighed:

"Fine" and reached behind his back, pulling his glock and handing it to her. He said quietly:

"You hear a Merle, you do a Ben if you have to"

Clementine sighed and nodded, taking the gun and hugging Y/N tightly. It was returned before Y/N and Luke began walking off towards the bridge.

"If somethin' happens, I'll cover you." Nick yelled as the pair walked off. Y/N grunted to Luke:

"I know he's your friend, but if I have to tell him to keep his voice down one more fuckin' time I'll see if a nose can be twice broken."

"Come on." Luke chuckled, the two getting low and beginning to scuttle over.

"Hey thanks for volunteering to come over. And for everything the last few days. They're all scared back there of Carver and losing Pete, shit I can't trust Nick to tie his own shoes right now. I'm glad you're with us man."

Y/N smiled, not letting Luke see it, before asking:

"So Carver, I'm guessing he's the father of the baby, or at least thinks he is?"

Luke stopped in his tracks, staring at Y/N and mumbling and fumbling over his words as Y/N replied to himself:

"Forget it, you've already answered me."

It was quiet again for a moment before Luke asked:

"How the hell did you know that?"

"I pay attention, speaking of" Y/N pointed to two walkers in front of them, both standing still, moaning quietly.

"I'll take the big one you take the little one?" Luke asked as Y/N said "nah"

He fired an arrow through the skull of the larger of the two walkers, dropping it instantly, before handing Luke his crossbow, walking up and grabbing the second walker by the back of it's collar, pulling it to the ground, and smashing it's face in with his boot heel.

"Well, his men went down PDQ, so if he is dumb enough to keep trying we'll just have to leave him and his assholes in pieces and puddles" Y/N continued, retrieving his arrow, cleaning it on the walker's shirt, and reloading it in his crossbow as it was handed back to him.

"What?" Y/N asked as Luke stared at him.

"It's just, you sound so cold, Y/N. You're 14. When I was your age I was sneakin' cigarettes and kisses, you talk about killing people like it's nothing."

Y/N stopped and stared at Luke momentarily before asking:

"Luke, how many people you killed?"

Luke looked at him shocked and replied: "I don't know, a few dozen. It's hard but I just tell myself they're not who they once were, that part of them's gone and-"

"No no not walkers Luke, they're just fuckin' roaches. How many people have you killed?"

Luke's silence spoke volumes.

"Oh fuck me" Y/N said in frustration. An obsessed stalker with a band of merry misfits armed with AK47s on their asses and he and Clem were stuck with the fucking Brady Bunch.

"Look it's not as simple as-

"It is, Luke. It really is. First people I put down after this started were fucking pedos. Then there was the raping marauders, then the cannibals, then the-"

Y/N paused, seeing the look of horror etched on Luke's face. Y/N's head twitched, his eyebrow raised as he asked:

"You've been behind walls the entire time just about, haven't you?"

Luke nodded and Y/N chuckled.

"You have no idea what it's like out here Luke. Absolutely none. It ain't the dead you've got to fear most."

The two walked in silence for a bit longer before coming up to another two walkers. Y/N shot one with an arrow as another appeared behind them from behind a broken down car. Luke stepped towards it, pulling his machete, before the plank underneath his foot gave way, Luke tumbling with it.

"Luke!" Y/N yelled, sidestepping the second walker and grabbing its back, throwing it through a gap in the bridge's bollards to the cold rushing water far below.

Y/N rushed over, relieved to see Luke was tangled in the rebar and rotting structure of the bridge's interior, yet there was still a walker snarling and reaching for him.

"How the fuck did you stay alive before me?" Y/N yelled, picking up a piece of rebar and getting the walker's attention.

Luke tried to answer as he fumbled trying to get himself out of the hole, Y/N meanwhile leant back with the rebar and swung for the fences.

His blow connected, smashing the walker's decomposing face in as it dropped from an instakill shot, falling passed Luke and down to the river a hundred feet below.

"Here" Y/N yelled, laying on the bridge and holding out the rebar for Luke, who was able to use it to leverage himself up, Y/N locking forearms and helping pull Luke up to safety.

"Goddamn, thanks man" Luke said in relief. "That took years off my life."

"Yeah, yeah, I'd do the same for any of my friends. Don't get soft on me" Y/N answered as he picked up his crossbow and reloaded it.

"Oh? So we are friends now?" Luke said with a huge smile.

"Yeah yeah don't be a... son of a bitch" Y/N said, looking over Luke's shoulder.

"You don't need to be like that, I was only-"

"No Luke, I mean son of a bitch. Turn around slowly. No sudden moves."

Luke sheathed his machete on his leg holster and turned slowly, seeing as Y/N had, a man walked by towards them with a rifle in hand. Y/N and Luke began walking towards him slowly.

Luke spoke to Y/N, without trying to make it obvious,Y/N holding his crossbow in a way that wasn't threatening, but signified he was ready to use it if he needed to. The man was doing the same with his rifle:

"Just play it cool. And you do the talking."

Y/N raised an eyebrow and chuckled asking:

"Play it cool? Have you met me? You sure you want me doin' the talkin'?"

"Yeah, 'cause I don't want to get in a fight. You really think he'd shoot a teenager?"

"Fuck man. I'd shoot me" Y/N chuckled.

Luke stopped and looked at Y/N shocked, saying quietly:

"Well, that's a hell of a thing to say"

"Just sayin' man. I know what I'm capable of."

The two were cut off by the man calling out:

"Well, who are you?"

"Well, who's askin'?" Luke replied.

"I am" the man replied.

There was a tense awkward silence. Luke leant into Y/N and whispered:

"Wanna help me out here?"

Y/N looked up to the heavens and wondered what he had done. He looked the stranger in the eye and said calmly:

I'm Y/N, and this is Luke"

The man took a couple of steps closer and seemed to relax as he said:

"Y/N and Luke. Huh. You don't look like assholes. Are you assholes? No offense or anything. But you know how it is out here. You run into a lot of assholes."

Y/N chuckled answering:

"I'm not an asshole."

Luke looked at his younger friend shocked, asking:

"Are you calling ME an asshole?"

The man laughed, his guard visibly relaxing as he asked "you folks headed north like everyone else?"

"Everyone else?" Luke queried.

"I see at least one group a day move through here. You all look the same. It's like a great migration of the dazed and confused."

Luke noticed an instant change in his young friend, hearing hope and desperation in his voice as Y/N asked:

"Have you seen a black man, about 6'1", missing a hand, had a woman with him in the past week?"

"No, no one like that. Sorry kid. I gotta say though you two look like shit. If you need food, I've got some canned stuff in that station back here."

The hackles on Y/N's neck went up instantly. Food was the most valuable resource now, along with clean water and bullets. His skepticism was matched by Luke who asked:

"Well, that's... awful nice of you. What's the catch?"

"No catch. I've got plenty" the man smiled. He seemed genuine.

"Well, alright, then. Thank you" Luke smiled.

"Hey, no problem. Nice running into friendly faces out here. Like I said, I've got food and supplies back in the station. And if you want... What the fuck, man?"

The man raised his rifle in anger, Y/N and Luke turning to see Nick standing twenty feet behind them, his rifle aimed at the stranger. Luke yelled:

"Nick, no!"

As Y/N began yelling:

"What are you doing you fuckin' id-"

He was tackled to the ground by Luke just as Nick fired, Y/N looked up just in time to see the poor bastard who seemed genuinely friendly grab his throat gurgling and fall backwards off the bridge.

Nick came running up screaming:

"Did I hit him? Where is he?!"

"I told you not to shoot" Luke roared as he got to his feet.

"What? Who was that guy?" Nick asked perplexed.

"Why didn't you wait for a signal?"

"We thought you were in trouble. You were wavin' your arms!"

Y/N had enough of the back and forth as he snapped at Nick:

"He was going to fucking help us!"

"How do you know?" Nick asked angered.

Y/N ignored him, waving his arms to the others as they made their way up the bridge. Y/N began walking towards them, Sarah running up first as Clem walked with a very exhausted Rebecca and Alvin.

Sarah approached, her arms outstretched as she said to Y/N "I was so worried when you-"

She cut herself off in surprise as Y/N sidestepped her, not even acknowledging her presence as he walked up to Clem quickly, asking her with concern:

"Are you ok?"

Clem was on Y/N in a second, jumping to wrap her arms round his neck as his arms squeezed her waist and back.

"I thought Nick had shot you. I was so scared."

Y/N shushed her reassuringly as Rebecca smiled at the teens, Sarah watching on with pangs of anger and jealousy.

—~—

The group eventually made it to the station, Nick and Luke arguing the whole way. Nick turned to Y/N and yelled out:

"He was gonna shoot you wasn't he?"

Y/N glared and Nick seemed to get the message. Was he trying to bring every walker in the area down on them?

Luke pulled him away as they continued their argument as Y/N gingerly sat on the ground next to Clem, leaning against the station hut wall, across from Rebecca and Alvin.

Alvin watched Nick, Luke and Carlos walk off and turned back to look at the others.

"I'm worried about Nick, he's trying but everything he does seems to just fuck up even more. You know what I mean?"

Clementine looked at Y/N, whose head was against the wall with his eyes closed. She nodded and answered:

"Yeah, we knew someone like that. He got people killed, he ran away and left me surrounded by walkers alone, he gave away our only way out of Savannah to another group of survivors. He got a lot of people killed."

"What happened to him?" Sarah asked as she eavesdropped into their conversation.

Y/N answered matter of factly, without opening his eyes:

"I shot him in the head."

—~—

Y/N had rested for about ten minutes before he and Clem went inside the hut to see what they could scavenge while the others either sat around or argued. Y/N found a knife almost instantly, with WM initialed on the sheath.

He quickly handed it to Clem, saying:

"Place it in your bag. Now you've got a good hunting knife too."

Clementine smiled and did so.

Alvin entered the hut just as Y/N jimmied open a locked trunk, finding quite a few cans of peaches and beans.

"Alvin, catch!" Y/N said as he chucked a couple of cans to Alvin. "There's enough here for a couple each, but take them as well. Bec's eating for two."

Alvin's face lit up in appreciation as he looked between the two tins and asked:

"You sure you don't mind Bec having some extra cans?"

"What extra cans?" Clementine asked with a giggle.

"Thanks guys, really. Hell I'm glad you guys are with us" Alvin smiled before stopping and chuckling, turning to Clem and saying "look she looks just like you, pigtails and all."

Alvin walked out as Y/N put some tins in Clem's backpack. As he stood and looked at the resemblance Clementine pointed her finger at him and said firmly:

"Not a word!"

Y/N smirked and answered:

"I was just going to say your pigtails are adorable."

"Really?" Clem asked excitedly, her cheeks flushing red as she did.

Y/N smiled, and was about to reply when something caught his eye outside through the window:

"Get Rebecca up that hill now. I'll buy us some time!"

Y/N rushed out the door, pulling his knife as well over a dozen walkers crossed the bridge and headed towards the group.

There was panicked noises and squeals from the group as Y/N walked towards the walkers, spinning his knife as he did.

He spoke clearly to Luke and Carlos as they pushed Nick away from the walkers:

"Get Bec up that damn hill!"