In Your Charge

***In Your Charge*** is the third chapter of the alternate universe (AU) fanfic, Dawn of The Walking Dead. It introduces Lee Everett, the titular main character from the original Walking Dead series by Telltale games, and his introduction to the children inside the treehouse.

## Cast Guide

Starring
Clementine
Rachel Paul
Sandra - †
Travis
Lee Everett
Shawn Greene - †
Andre Mitchell

## Summary

*Lee Everett, a former convict, goes on the lam after crashing a police car in the woods. As he escapes certain death, he stumbles upon a deserted neighborhood and discovers a bunch of kids hiding out in a treehouse.*

## Plot

Lee Everett, battered and worn, found temporary respite in a backyard surrounded by a wooden fence. The relentless pursuit of the undead had pushed him to his limits. The eerie silence settled over the scene as he glanced around the familiar but empty space, a red wagon, a lawn chair, and a swing set tethered to a treehouse.

In a desperate attempt to connect with the living, Lee called out into the stillness. The only response he received was the ambient sounds of nature.

Despite his parched throat and the desire for a momentary escape in the treehouse, Lee's injured leg made the ascent impossible. Dismissing the idea, he approached the tree and noticed a set of small, pink tea cups underneath. A fleeting thought of filling one with bourbon crossed his mind, highlighting the stark contrast between the mundane and the apocalyptic.

Turning his attention to the treehouse, Lee wondered if anyone inside of it. He called out repeatedly, hoping for a response from any potential inhabitants. As his words echoed through the empty air, he concluded nobody was inside.

Lee cautiously entered the house, noting that the back door was unlocked. As he stepped inside, the eerie atmosphere of the house became apparent. The once welcoming space had been marred by destruction and chaos. The downstairs section bore the scars of a violent encounter, with furniture overturned and belongings scattered. Lee continued his search for sustenance, driven by the gnawing hunger in his stomach. His exploration revealed more clues about the life that once thrived in the house. The abandoned coloring book and dinosaur toy suggested the presence of a child. Lee spotted a bowl of fruit on the dining table, only to be dashed when he realized the bananas were plastic. Undeterred, Lee pressed on.

Approaching the staircase, Lee encountered another obstacle—a fallen shelf blocking the way. His eyes followed a trail of blood, leading from the front door to various parts of the house. As he moved through the house, Lee couldn't ignore the disturbing signs of upheaval. The framed drawing of a sunrise over mountains, adorned with the handprint and the name *'Clementine,'* tugged at his emotions.

Pulling down the blinds and peering through the window, Lee confronted the stark reality of the deserted neighborhood. Wrecked cars littered the streets, and an unsettling silence hung in the air. The emptiness around him fueled his growing unease, and Lee couldn't shake the feeling that the world outside held more questions than answers.

The beeping of an answering machine diverted Lee's attention, offering a glimmer of hope amid the desolation. With cautious optimism, he followed the sound, navigating through the wreckage until he found a table with a blinking red light. The answering machine displayed the number '5,' indicating five unheard messages.

Lee pressed a button, initiating the playback of the messages. The first message revealed a woman named Diana urgently requesting Sandra to care for her daughter, Clementine, for an additional day. Diana explained that she and her husband, Ed, had been attacked by a "crazy guy" and needed to be taken to the emergency room. Another girl, Rachel, was also mentioned, and Diana promised to return from Savannah before Sandra's spring break.

The second message, from a woman named Emily, informed Sandra that her oldest daughter wouldn't be back until late at night, allowing Rachel to stay over if she behaved. Emily mentioned encountering Diana and Ed at the hospital and pledged to pay extra upon her return.

The third message intensified the urgency, with Diana disclosing that she and Ed were under quarantine in the city and unable to leave. She implored Sandra to take Clementine and Rachel with her to Marietta before she had to leave for the hospital.

As the fourth message played, Lee heard Emily's frantic warning to Sandra, advising against going to Marietta if she hadn't left already. She urged her daughter to heed Sandra's advice and handed the line over to Diana. The sound of weeping filled the air as Diana instructed her daughter to call the police, expressing love before the line abruptly cut out. The fifth message attempts to play, but all that comes out is garbled static.

Lee picks up a photograph of a family of three next to the phone and hypothesizes that both Ed and Diana, along with Emily had perished due to the rotting people.

Lee heard a child's voice emanating from the kitchen. Cautious, he returned to the kitchen, finding it seemingly empty. However, a search through cupboards and drawers revealed a walkie-talkie. The child's voice continued, advising Lee to be quiet, and eventually, the owner of the voice identified herself as Clementine. Another voice, belonging to Rachel, cheerfully joined in, while a third voice, a teen's, scolded Rachel for interrupting.

Introducing himself, Lee engaged in a conversation with the two girls, discovering that they were hiding in a treehouse. The girls' parents were in Savannah, leaving them alone and seeking refuge in their treehouse. Lee, now aware of their location, spotted them outside and waved.

However, the moment took a dark turn when Clementine suddenly yelped and disappeared into the treehouse. Lee, startled, turned around to find another person lunging toward him. Reacting quick, Lee raised his hands defensively, pushing her away. Despite slipping in the blood on the floor and banging his head against the kitchen counter, Lee regained himself.

Driven by the growling of the approaching undead woman, Lee punched her away, standing up and making a run for the back door. The walker tripped him, but Lee, determined to survive, dragged himself toward the door. A small child opened it with a hammer in hand, revealing a frightened Clementine and company. Lee kicked the approaching zombie back, snatched the hammer from the child, and decisively crushed the rotting skull.

The children introduced themselves, and Lee did his best to comfort them. Travis, Rachel, and Clementine had been alone in the treehouse for two nights, surviving as best as they could. Lee, understanding the severity of the situation, offered to watch over them until their parents returned, even though he knew it might take a while.

As they discussed their next steps, Travis questioned whether they should go find someone, unsure of the situation beyond their sheltered treehouse. Lee, taking charge, suggested they leave the neighborhood since it wasn't safe. He proposed moving at night to minimize the risk of being seen by whatever dangers lurked in the area.

Travis expressed concern about leaving the treehouse, their sanctuary, and Clementine held onto hope that her parents might come home. Rachel also voiced the same sentiment about her mom. Lee, recognizing the challenges, stood firm in his decision. They needed to find shelter and come back with others, ensuring a safer environment for the kids.

Considering Lee's bad leg, he proposed staying indoors for a while, and the children agreed, grateful for Lee's presence and guidance.

Skipping to nighttime, the group gathered in the dimly lit room, forming a circle on the worn-out furniture. Lee, recognizing the need to distract the kids from the unsettling situation, engaged Travis in conversation. Learning that Travis had come down from Stone Mountain, Lee inquired about the reason for his trip. Travis explained that Rachel's brother, who happened to be his best friend, had called him during the lockdown at the school. Concerned for Rachel's safety, Travis was on a mission to find her. Rachel, expressing her desire to search for her brother as well, revealed the lack of a car as a hold-up.

As the conversation unfolded, the group learned more about Lee's past. Travis questioned if Lee's car, now in the woods and broken, unaware that it belonged to a police officer. Lee, admitting his arrest, provided a brief explanation, and Travis chose not to press further.

Rachel, swinging her legs back and forth, asked the crucial question about their destination. Lee, remaining optimistic, admitted that he didn't know yet but believed there must be a safe area nearby, possibly explaining the abandoned neighborhood.

As Travis peered out through the blinds, contemplating their next move, he asked if they should leave now. Lee looked to Clementine and Rachel, receiving their nods of agreement.

The atmosphere grew tense as Lee, Rachel, Clementine, and Travis found themselves huddled behind a car, seeking safety from the sudden gunshot that shattered the quietness. Lee, with a firm grip on the kids, motioned for them to stay low and crawl to shelter.

As the echoes of the gunshot lingered, a voice rang out in the darkness, proclaiming, *"I found the bastard!"*. Lee strained to make sense of the situation, peering through the darkness as the children clung close to each other. The only discernible sounds were the rapid breaths of the kids and the pounding of Lee's own heart. Rachel buried her face in her toy, scared, while Travis covered his ears, trying to block out the noise. Clementine, looking up at Lee with wide eyes filled with terror, asked if they were going to die.

Lee, recognizing the potential danger, chose to surrender, emphasizing the presence of children. The initial fear of being mistaken for one of the infected subsided as the officer, Andre Mitchell and his friend, Shawn Green, realized they were dealing with fellow survivors. Introductions and apologies were made. The two men ask if they've seen any undead, as they were searching for a missing friend, and Lee explained what he had seen in the woods and the undead girl in the house. Shawn, noticing Lee's injured leg, offered assistance and promised safety on his father's farm. As the group prepared to leave, a guttural noise halted them. Chet, the missing friend, now turned into one of the undead, emerged from the corner. Panic set in as Officer Mitchell commanded everyone to get to his car for safety. They flee the scene, leaving behind the haunting sight of Clementine's house and the memories it held. The cruiser sped away, leaving the remnants of the once-familiar neighborhood behind.

## Cast

* Clementine
* Rachel Paul
* Travis
* Lee Everett
* Andre Mitchell
* Shawn Greene - †
* Sandra - *(Zombified)* †

## Deaths

* Sandra - *(Zombified)* †
* Chet - †