𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐂𝐊- 𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐌𝐒

Chapter Twenty-One

The Fantastic Four

5036 words

Do I hate this chapter? That's a secret I'll never tell...

Ellie stood in front of the door staring at it. Aurora stood just behind her taking one last look around clutching her gun before turning back to Ellie. Her hand shook, blood dripping off her finger tips and onto the cement. Aurora holstered her gun walking up beside Ellie taking her hand intertwining their fingers.

"Breathe." Ellie stared at the ground but did what Aurora told her, taking in a deep breath her hand stick shaking even when intertwined with Aurora's. Aurora turned back to the door knocking, "It's us." Footsteps could be heard, then the door shifted from the chair being pulled away, finally swinging open. "Ellie, Aurora." Jamie brought Aurora in for a hug causing Aurora to let go of Ellie's hand hugging Jamie back. "I was so worried about you guys." "Make that two of us." Jesse spoke up from behind Jamie. "Are you guys okay?" Ellie didn't respond, her face still covered in Nora's blood along with some other guards. Her eyes were far, far away. "We...um...we just need to relax. It's been a long day." "Christ is that her blood?" Jamie asked moving so they could come inside. Ellie pulled out the map flattening it so everyone could see.

"She's hiding out in...in this aquarium." Aurora grabbed the map from Ellie's hands folding it back up tucking it in her back pocket. "Were... gonna lay down. Come on." Aurora ignored the stares she got from the two of them taking Ellie's hand pulling her away towards the stage room door. They walked in, passed the rows and rows of seats and through the stage curtain to the backroom. Ellie slipped off her over shirt leaving her in just the t-shirt. Aurora walked away to her backpack, she could hear the small whimpers escaping Ellie's throat, the whimpers she stopped trying to hide. Aurora brought over a water bottle, a rag, and a first-aid kit.

"Arms up." Aurora sent a soft smile her way setting down the supplies beside Ellie. Ellie hesitated staring at the floor but Aurora knew what she was going to say. "I'm not nearly as hurt as you are. Those guards tore you up El. I'll be okay." Ellie then finally complied putting her arms behind her back pulling up her shirt with Aurora grabbing the sides helping her lightly pull it off. Aurora walked around Ellie climbing onto the cushions grabbing the peroxide from the first-aid kit dabbing it onto the rag. She could hear it getting harder and harder for Ellie to hold the tears in, small sobs coming from her lips. Aurora dabbed the rag along the worst wounds first to get the done and over with trying to be as soft as possible.

"She wasn't dead, her eyes were...god. I got so angry." "I know El. We'll get there. For now just take it easy, we're okay." Aurora put the rag down, wrapping one of her arms around Ellie's shoulders the other resting on her upper arm. She laid her cheek against Ellie upper back just by her neck, Aurora could feel her shaking, the jump of her body when she'd hold back a sob. Ellie grabbed the hand Aurora had wrapped around her neck onto her collarbone holding it, keeping it there. "I don't want to lose you." Aurora pulled her closer, hugging her back, closing her eyes. "I know. You're not getting rid of me that easily. I'm not losing you again, that's a mistake I will never make again. I promise Ellie." Ellie hugged her arm closer looking down in her lap.

Aurora kissed her shoulder blade then her neck comforting her. Letting a few tears fall onto her arm. "I promise."

The Next Morning

"Is she alright?" Aurora sat on the floor counting bullets, Jamie sat up on the couch. Jesse had gone to the bathroom just a moment before leaving the two to talk. "Would you be?" Aurora continued what she was doing keeping her eyes down. Jamie watched her with a sudden feeling of guilt, looking down at her hands. "Ellie is- she had to look at that...that bitch in the eyes. She had no regret about anything she'd done to Joel. I could see it in Ellie's eyes. She was remembering. She's not alright." Aurora stared down leaning her back against the wall sticking her legs out. Jamie sighed crossing her legs. "Was it bad?" Aurora paused looking up to Jamie with a blank face taking in a breath. "Ellie went through hell, that's it. She- she had to look one of the people who killed her father figure in the face. Of course it was bad."