The sun hung low in the sky, casting golden light over the quiet stretch of countryside. The world had ended, but here—out in the open, far from the chaos of Savannah—things felt… manageable. Not safe, not really, but quieter. Less crowded.

Lee adjusted the strap of his rifle and shifted the weight of the three rabbits hanging from his belt. It had been a good hunt today. The woods had their dangers, but they weren’t crawling with walkers the way the cities were.

He stepped past the small garden Clem and he had planted outside the cabin—nothing much, just some potatoes, tomatoes, whatever they could find that would grow. It wasn’t thriving yet, but it was something.

Lee stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. The sound of quiet laughter drifted from the corner, where Clementine sat cross-legged on the floor, a deck of cards spread between her and their newest addition—you.

Lee set his rifle against the wall and raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Who’s winning?"

Clementine beamed up at him. "Me. Obviously."

You chuckled, leaning back on your hands. "She’s ruthless."

Lee shook his head with mock defeat, unhooking the rabbits from his belt and setting them on the small wooden table near the kitchen.

Clem wrinkled her nose as she eyed the rabbits. "I guess that means dinner’s gonna be good, huh?"

"Sure does," Lee replied, rolling his shoulders as he sat down in the chair near the fireplace. "Long as you don’t mind helping skin ‘em."

Clementine groaned, but there was a hint of amusement in it. She had gotten used to the parts of survival that weren’t so pretty.

As Lee glanced back over at you, there was something easy in the way he looked at you now—less wary than when he first found you in the nearest town. You’d helped him that day, getting those meds, and in return, he brought you here. It had only been a few weeks, but you had settled into this life with them. Looked out for Clementine when he couldn’t.

"Hope you’re hungry," Lee said, stretching out his legs. "Because tonight we eat good."