The group had been walking for several hours as the sun was beginning to set.  They finally came into view of the first sign of civilisation they had seen in quite some time, a now disused power station.

"Is that it?" Y/N asked angrily, his gun still for in Arvo's back.

"It? What it?" Arvo asked back, playing dumb.

"What do you mean what? Is that the place you're fuckin' taking us you dumb cunt!" Y/N roared.

"He doesn't speak much English" Jane said as she rushed up trying to keep the peace.

"Yeah, no shit!" Y/N snapped, shoving Arvo again before adding:

"Is that it? I thought you said it was a house!"

Clementine had arrived next to Y/N at this point, and attempted to use honey instead of shit to attract the fly:

"Arvo, that's not what you're taking us to, right? How much further is the house you were talking about?"

The Russian stood silently, glaring at Clementine before he was slapped hard across the face with the magazine well of Y/N's gun, dropping him to the ground and causing him to howl in pain:

"Answer her, goddamn it!" Y/N snapped, kicking the whimpering teen in the side.

"Is still more walk. Some more hours" Arvo practically cried.

"Aren't you gonna stop him?" Mike snapped at Kenny as he supported Luke at the back of the group. Kenny stood with AJ in his arms and chuckled:

"Nope."

Bonnie came up and helped Arvo get to his feet as Mike helped Luke sit on a log.

"What do you think?" Kenny asked as he reached Y/N and Clementine.

"It's gettin' dark. We're stoppin' here for the night. Take a load off, I'll scope it out. Don't let dickhead out of your sight" Y/N replied, walking forward.

"Wait I'll come with you, son. Watch your back" Kenny replied with concern. Y/N didn't stop or turn around, he simply replied:

"You stay with Clem and AJ. I'll be back soon."

—~—

Most of the group was sat around a small fire that they had lit within the small compound. The only exceptions were Jane who was stood by herself, Arlo who had been tied up away from the others and was crying to himself, and Y/N who was walking round and round the outside of the electric station fence.

"What's he doing?" Mike asked, having become more and more uneasy around the teen as the days went on.

"Checking the fence for weakness" Clementine added as she fed AJ a bottle while he laid happily in Kenny's arms.

"He's been round like nine times- if there was a weak spot he'd of-"

Luke's attempts at peacekeeping was cut off by Kenny who interrupted:

"Everyone that boy cares about is in here. He won't stop until he's certain."

Luke sighed and answered:

"I wasn't saying nothing Kenny, just he needs rest too."

Kenny sighed.

"Yeah, I know. But my boy's the most wilful son of a bitch I've ever met. If he's made up his mind on somethin' ain't nothing gonna stop him."

"Y/N" Clementine smiled, looking up at him from where she sat. He had silently entered the yard from the hole that had been cut in the fence to allow them access.

Y/N smiled at Clementine before looking at Kenny:

"I'll take first watch. Keep Ass Kicker warm."

Before anyone could reply Y/N had turned and walked off.

"Today's my birthday. Near as I can tell, at least. Definitely this week..." Luke said suddenly with a chuckle.

The group wished him a happy birthday, with Clementine asking how old he was, 27, and Bonnie pulling a bottle of rum she had been keeping for a special occasion.

—~—

Y/N had been sat for about ten minutes when he was suddenly joined by Kenny sitting next to him.

"I thought we could have your first drink together, father and son" Kenny said with a smile as he took a sip from a bottle before handing it to Y/N.

"Now that's rum, Y/N. Great for keeping you warm b-"

Before Kenny could continue he had stopped in surprise as Y/N took a sip with no reaction.

"Ok I expected you to cough or something" Kenny said dryly as Y/N handed him back the bottle.

"Pretty tame compared to Merle's moonshine" Y/N chuckled, looking up at the sky. The pair sat in silence for a minute, staring at the stars before Kenny asked:

"How are you feeling, son?"

"I'm alright Ken. Be better when we get to Wellington. Somewhere with a big wall I can put around Clemmy and AJ. Then I'll be alright."

Kenny smiled at his fourteen year old son, already being protective over his own little family and then clarified:

"I didn't mean that, Y/N. I meant how are you feeling? Your stomach's healing up, but what he did to you. That they did to you. When they..."

Y/N chuckled after Kenny had trailed off.

"You mean how am I coping after being tortured, Ken?"

Kenny placed a hand on Y/N's shoulder and answered "Yeah my boy. How are you feeling after they tortured you?"

Y/N was silent momentarily before chucking again.

"I'm alright, Ken. You know it wasn't the first time, not after Merle. To be honest I'm just focusing on you and Clemmy and AJ. I'd rather focus on my family than worry about anything else. It happened, I got me some payback, can't do nothin' else about it. Be damned if I'm gonna let a buncha Bens and Molly's pull us down again though."

"You mean what I think you mean?" Kenny asked cryptically. Y/N looked Kenny in the eye and Kenny watched through the moonlight Y/N nod at him silently.

"I got your back" Kenny replied before the two sat in quiet contemplation. After a minute or so Kenny stood and held his hand out.

"C'mon boy, I'll watch after, but Clem's worried and I promised her I'd bring you back."

Y/N sighed and nodded as Kenny pulled him to his feet. They got to the others who had been joined by Jane who stated:

"I can assure you there was no time for kissing."

"Y/N" Clementine smiled as she looked up at him with AJ in her arms.

"Alright delivered as I promised" Kenny smiled, leaning down and taking AJ.

"You guys get some sleep, I'll hold AJ near the fire and keep him warm and keep watch."

Before Y/N could answer Clementine had grabbed him by the hand and pulled him down, and as the others laid down Clementine had assisted Y/N into their usual position, the one that made her feel safer than any other. She laid against Y/N, her back against him as she pulled his his arm over her shoulder, against her chest, running her finger along his hand scar. They both very quickly surrendered to sleep.

—~—

It was late the next afternoon and the group were walking further into the forest. Y/N was at the front of the group, his crossbow over his shoulder and his gun in Arvo's back. Kenny was carrying AJ, walking next to Clementine about half way back while Luke was limping along behind the others.

"You sure you're good?" Mike called back to the man.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. If I start to crap out, I'll let you know" Luke replied.

"Okay, well, you do that. It's no trouble" Mike replied.

"How much further?" Y/N snapped  at Arvo.

"Close. Very close."

Y/N growled, pushing the gun further into Arvo's ribcage:

"You've been sayin' that every time I fucking ask. I'm really startin' to think you're full of shit, and if you are, you're gonna die slow and-"

"Y/N look out" Clementine suddenly screamed. A walker had sidled out from the brush, attracted by Y/N's angered voice, and grabbed him. Y/N turned as it did, falling backwards as a piercing gunshot ripped out across the forest.

"Y/N!!!!" Clementine screamed as she ran forward, Kenny trying to as well but he was hindered by needed to move much slower with AJ in his arms.  The baby had started crying loudly at the sudden gunshot.

"I'm alright" Y/N grunted as he pushed the dead walker off of himself.

"I got the fucker. Thanks Clem" he continued as she helped him to his feet.

"Let's keep moving. Every walker for miles would have heard that gunshot" Bonnie said worriedly as they continued forward.

—~—

Ten minutes later they arrived at a frozen lake.

"There" Arvo said as he pointed across it to an unfinished house.

"That piece of shit? It's half fucking built!" Y/N snapped as he rounded on Arvo.

"We're here for the supplies, not the house" Jane said as she stepped forward hoping to maintain peace.

"Is warm. Fireplace. Very warm" Arvo added.

"I'd just like a place to sit, if I'm honest" Luke chuckled weakly:

"Is there any other way to get there? Do we have to cross the lake?" Clementine asked.

"The fastest way between two... things is a straight line" Kenny replied.

"It's not far. Just be on the lookout" Bonnie added.

"Wait here a minute" Y/N replied, adding:

"Ken, gun on the Rushski."

He walked out about twenty feet onto the frozen lake before stomping his foot. He turned to the others:

"Just cos it looks sturdy don't mean it is. Spread out, walk slow but consistent and we'll hopefully be fine. And Arvo, if we are walking into a trap, the things I'll do to you will make what I did to the last cunt that tried to hurt Clem look like a paper cut."

No one from the group knew what Y/N was talking about, but they had an idea, and it didn't sound good.

—~—

Ten minutes later the group were walking across the lake slowly, Y/N at the front about ten feet from Arvo but with his gun on him, Luke at the back still. Small cracks began to form every now and then.

"Uh, guys" Luke said worriedly, getting the attention of the others. They turned to see walkers emerging from the forest behind them. Arvo took this chance and began limp-running away from Y/N and towards the house.

"You motherf-" Y/N yelled taking off after him.

"Stop him" Clementine yelled as Mike took off as well yelling:

"Y/N leave him alone!"

The ice suddenly collapsed under the Russian, causing him to half fall in the freezing water about ten metres from the shore. Y/N was on him in a moment, grabbing the Russian by the collar.

"Oughta let you fucking drown" Y/N snapped as he pulled.

Despite Arvo being older than Y/N, he was small and wiry, soft- an ass made of cookie dough. Y/N meanwhile was taller at 5'10" and despite not having a ridiculous frame, four years in the apocalypse had left him carved out of wood. He ripped the Russian out and dragged him to shore, as the Russian shivered Y/N punched him once in the face.

"I fucking told you-" Mike yelled as he arrived and grabbed Y/N from behind, only to cry in pain as he was met with a punch that shattered his nose and left him on the  ground bleeding profusely.

The others began to arrive and tried to diffuse the quickly deteriorating situation, other than Luke, Clementine and Bonnie, who were all still stood on the ice.

Luke was surrounded by cracks and walkers were fast approaching him. Bonnie took a step towards him.

"Don't come over here. Okay, I can make it. It's fine" Luke said as he held a hand towards her to stop her.

"You sure?" Bonnie asked, before he could reply Luke took a step and fell partially into the lake.

"Fuck, Kenny keep a gun on these two idiots" Y/N said as he started walking back towards where the others were. Clem and Bonnie meanwhile both began running towards Luke.

"Clem you stop right now or you'll all go under!" Y/N yelled. Clem instantly stopped in her tracks. Bonnie did as well but turned to Clementine:

"You need to help him Clem, just go back for him. You're light. You can do it."

"Don't tellin' her that! Clem, look at me. Pull out your gun and shoot those damn walkers, okay? Just give me a little time" Luke said as he tried unsuccessfully to get himself out.

"Clem, you can make it. But you need to go! Now!" Bonnie yelled.

"Clem, no!" Y/N yelled as he began to move faster, Jane also walking back over behind him.

"No, Clem! It's too dangerous. I just need some more ti-" Luke said, cut off though as Clementine got to within six feet of him and a large patch collapsed, both of them disappearing under the ice.

"CLEM NO!!!" Y/N screamed in terror, breaking into a full run, making it passed Bonnie who stood there sobbing. Y/N dropped to a slide as he approached the weakening ice, sliding straight to the edge of the hole and under.

"Y/N!!!" Kenny yelled in horror as he and the others shot at the walkers approaching the hole.

—~—

Clementine suddenly became aware of darkness, then the pain of a thousand knives as they stabbed her all over. She too quickly realised she was under the water. She suddenly felt a walker grab her foot from below and she was pulled further down into the darkness.

She panicked as she ran out of air before she saw through the fading light Luke grab the walker before he too was grabbed by another and dragged downwards. Clementine watched in horror as her friend was dragged to the darkened abyss. She suddenly felt an arm wrap around her chest and pull her upwards, inhaling deeply as she breached the water's surface.

—~—

Y/N slid into the cold water and ignored the freezing pain all over, seeing Clem in front of him, a couple of feet deeper into the water. He wrapped his arm round her chest, kicking up with all he had, causing the pair of them to breach the surface. They both shivered and inhaled as Jane arrived, Y/N pushing Clem towards her as Jane pulled the freezing girl out the water.

"G-G-Get her to the house" Y/N shivered as Jane picked Clementine up and nodded at him before she ran back across the ice, panicking to Clem:

"Fuck fuck fuck. I got you, Clem. you're gonna be ok. Bonnie help Y/N!"

Bonnie though stood and cried over Luke's death as Y/N pulled himself from the water, Jane yelling to the others:

"Go! To the house, we need a fire! Oh, fuck, they're gonna fucking freeze to death!