A Place To Call Home

The Aftermath

Ellie walked back to her garage apartment with Joel, he had a lot to say to her on the walk back from the stables. He was in Dad mode, he had been so worried about her. Ellie listened to most of what he had said to her, but after awhile she just switched off. She loved Joel dearly and took his advice seriously, but sometimes it felt like he was smothering her. She just wanted some independence, she was going to be eighteen next year which meant she would be able to make her own decisions when she hit that milestone.

" Are you listening to me, Ellie?" Joel asked.

" Yeah, I hear you." Ellie replied.

Joel told her to be more careful on patrols, he didn't want her going out on anymore group patrols unless she was with him from now on. She wasn't too please when he said that, she had to bite her tongue for most of the walk back to Joel's house. It wasn't even her fault what had happened with Tommy and Jesse, she had been careful. She looked down at the sidewalk while she walked, it wasn't long until they arrived at Joel's house. He opened the gate for Ellie, she thanked him while she walked through the gateway. She walked along the pathway and stopped at the porches steps, she looked back at Joel. She wasn't planning on going into his house tonight for a hot drink, she knew Cat would waiting for her in her garage apartment. Joel walked up the porches steps and stopped at the top of them, he then turned around to face Ellie.

" Aren't you coming in?" Joel asked.

" Cat is waiting for me outback." Ellie replied, she adjusted her backpack's straps on her shoulders. " She's cooked me dinner, I don't want to keep her waiting."

" I see, goodnight then." Joel said.

" I'll see you tomorrow." Ellie said.

Ellie was about to leave, but Joel asked her to stay for a moment longer. She turned around to face him and asked him if they could talk tomorrow, she didn't want anymore lectures from him tonight. She told him that she was tired and hungry, but they arranged to meet tomorrow in the local community restaurant for breakfast. She gave him a smile and waved to him before she began walking back down the pathway, she had managed to escape his lecture by taking the long route home instead of cutting through his house.

" Take it easy old man! " Ellie said.

" Night Ellie." Joel said.

Ellie closed the garden gate behind her and headed back along the street, she cut through the greenhouse area and entered the backyard through the fence's door. She saw the kitchen's light on in Joel's house, she hurried over to her garage apartment and entered her home. She closed the door behind her and she was greeted by Cat, she was stirring some food in a pot on the stove.

" Honey, I'm home!" Ellie said. 

Cat immediately turned the heat down on the stove before hurried over to meet her girlfriend, she wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Cat cupped Ellie's face and kissed her lips softly, she told her that she had been really worried about her when she hadn't returned from her group patrol.

" I was so worried about you!" Cat said.

" I'm fine..." Ellie said. 

" You look like you've been sleeping in a coal mine." Cat said, she wiped some dirt from Ellie's cheek with her thumb. " You're filthy!"

" I thought you liked me that way." Ellie smirked.

" Oh I do, but not on this occasion since you stink." Cat smiled.

Cat softly kissed Ellie's lips once again before she pulled her into another hug, she then squeezed her tightly in her arms. Ellie returned her girlfriend's embraced, she was so happy to be home after the days events. Her gaze soon wandered over to the boiling pot of food on the stove, it smelt amazing. She pulled herself away from Cat and licked her lips, she was staving.