Three Orphan Pilgrimage (The Alternative to TWDG's Final Season) [Walking Dead]

103. Absent Friends

"Knew what?" asked Eskiya as he stood between Clementine and the only way out of the building, one hand firmly on the doorknob and another inside his coat, probably on his gun. It was clear he had no intention of moving.

"You came with me so you could get rid of me," accused Clem.

"I've done no such thing," stated Eskiya in a firm voice. "And Sabriya made it perfectly clear if I came back without you, I shouldn't come back either."

"Yeah, but if you came back with a bunch of food and some story about how that walker bit me and there was nothing you could do to stop it, she probably wouldn't ask too many questions, would she? That's why you were asking if that walker bit me a minute ago, you were hoping it had." Eskiya didn't respond. "Me, Sarah and Omid are just burdens and something like that happening to one of us is just inevitable, right?"

Eskiya's eyes narrowed in anger upon hearing that. "You were eavesdropping on us this morning."

"Why wouldn't I be?" sneered Clem. "So when are you gonna do it?"

"Do what?"

"Ditch us," said Clem. "Or kill us. Which is it even?"

"Neither."

"Bullshit," refuted Clem. "I can't stop you people so you might as well tell me when you're getting rid of us so I can get ready for it. It's a question of when not if, right?

"That is not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I meant it's just a matter of time before something kills you, no matter what we do." Eskiya took a breath. "Just like the other children that were with us."

"What children? What are you talking about?"

"Before you, there was a pair of young people, a boy and a girl. I think they were fourteen and fifteen years old. I didn't know them as well as Sabriya and Dilawar did but their deaths... it was a blow for all of us."

"I don't believe you," refuted Clem without hesitation.

"You can ask any of the others, they'll tell you."

"Yeah I bet, you're probably all in on the same lie."

"Do you think Horatio is a liar?"

"He might be," said Clem. "He didn't argue with you when you said us dying was inevitable, just that he didn't want you to talk like that, and Dilawar told him you were just stating the obvious."

Eskiya groaned deeply and rubbed his head. "Look, we're not going to leave you and... I'm assuming you don't want to be left behind." Eskiya looked at Clem, like he was expecting her to answer that.

"Of course I don't want to be left behind!"

"Very well, then we need to find a way to resolve our... mutual distrust."

"Mutual distrust?" repeated Clem in disbelief. "You're the one that literally no one trusts!"

"And you're the escape artist who killed a man while all our backs were turned," reminded Eskiya. "If we're going to be living together, we need to establish some small measure of trust, if just to keep functioning."

"And how we do that? I don't trust you. I don't think I could ever trust you."

"You'd be wise not to." Clem just glowered at him in response, as if telling her he can't be trusted made this any easier. "But is it hard to believe I'd consider you useful to us, and would prefer you stayed with us?"

"Is that all I am to you, useful?"

"If I told you I was also concerned for your well being, would you believe me?" Clem stared at Eskiya in response. "I didn't think so. However, you've already demonstrated you're capable and would be of benefit to us, and that gives me motivation to want you to stay, provided we can trust you."