The Bell Tower

Three-Shot

Clementine was so accustomed to her prosthetic foot now, she was hardly aware that she was wearing it at all. She had resumed hunting and fishing duties, was back to stabbing walker skulls and could even climb up the bell tower without much trouble.

She wasn't doing any of those things right now though, now she was out scavenging the surrounding forest with AJ. "But you said if we pick flowers they die. Even if you put them in water, they still die. Why would we pick them?"

"So I can give them to Violet." Clementine explained, lifting her prosthetic carefully over a thorny bramble in the forest so that it wouldn't get entangled.

"Why do you want to give dead flowers to Violet?" AJ asked curiously as he carefully peeked around bushes and trees in search of blossoms. His face lit up as he found a few white ones growing low to the ground. He reached to pick them.

"Wait!" Clementine stopped him mid-reach. "Make sure you pick it low to the ground. So we have a long stem. I want to make a bouquet."

"A bouquet? What's that?" AJ reached for the bottom part of the stem, plucking it from the ground close to the root.

"It's just a lot of flowers put together. Usually in a pretty way." Clementine explained, keeping a look out for walkers and flowers. "And I want to give Violet flowers because I remember my dad giving my mom flowers, before the monsters, and they always made her happy. She would smile and put them on the table. Whenever someone would come over she would proudly announce that my father had gotten them for her. I remember asking why she liked them so much when our yard was full of flowers. She told me that it showed how much my dad cared about my mom and that he was thinking about her even when they were apart. I want Violet to know that I care about her too, that I appreciate all she's done for me since I... since I lost my leg."

Clementine saw a cluster of purple blossoms growing in a patch of grass and went to pick them. AJ stayed in his spot, still clutching the stems he had already picked, serious expression on his face as if he were deep in thought.

"Clem? You said your parents loved each other right?"

"Yeah, they did."

"And they loved you too? The same way that you love me, right?" AJ looked down at the flowers in his hands as he spoke, feeling the delicate petals with his fingers.

"That's right." Clementine answered distractedly as she focused on picking the stems without bending them.

"Clem... do you love Violet the way your parents loved each other?"

Clementine froze, face burning red at AJ's inquisitiveness, fist full of purple blossoms. "W-what makes you ask that AJ?"

"You want to give her flowers and I've seen you kiss her on the mouth, you never kiss me on the mouth." AJ walked towards his caregiver, holding out the flowers he had collected.

Clementine took them from him with sweaty hands, "It's a little more complicated than that..."

"So does that mean that you and Violet are my parents?" AJ kept going.

Clementine scratched at her neck nervously with her free hand, "Things aren't always that simple kiddo, here or in the time before monsters." She glanced around, making sure the area was clear before she pulled AJ in for a tight hug, "I will always love and take care of you, AJ. All the kids at the school, they're our family now. We care about and look out for each other."

"But you care about Violet a little more than the others?" AJ pushed.

Clementine sighed in defeat, "Yes AJ, I care about Violet more than the others. Except for you of course." AJ smiled victoriously at his deduction skills before spotting some orange flowers not too far away, sprinting off to collect them.