"No buts, sweetpea. Shhh." Lee still isn't sure that he's particularly good at comforting Clementine, but goddamn he is dead set on being the one to do it. He reaches up, touches the back of her head with gentle fingers, trying to cradle her against his shoulder. "None of that."

The thought of losing her hurts just as much as the thought of leaving her. He had sworn to protect this little girl, and he'd meant it with every ounce of his being. It wasn't enough. He had failed, and thinking about what that might mean for her made his stomach revolt.

But he didn't know what was in store for her. Optimism was stupid, yes, especially in their circumstances, but wasn't stewing in your own misery just as useless?

"You never know what's going to happen. Never, not here and not there. I'm not giving up, Clementine. Out of all the people this castle could've brought, it brought us, didn't it? We've got luck on our side. C'mon - you still want a puppy, right? Let's at least look at 'em."