𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐎 (𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒) *editing*

𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤🍂

"What brings you through here?"

As Maria made small talk with Ellie, Maeve pondered about the scenario conspiracies.

The tingle of a potential un-secret secret made Maeve want to holler out the questions stirring in her mind. If TJ was truly Tommy's son, then Tommy would've recognized TJ and would have been elated to see his son. But he didn't. He hadn't even blinked TJ's way other than to observe them.

No wonder TJ was so fucked up and disgruntled about the subject. It was as clear as day now.

"Uh..." Ellie squeaked nervously. "It's kind of a long story."

Tommy scratched his nose and gestured toward the compound. "Why don't we bring 'em inside?"

"Yeah," Maria agreed and then looked at the younger beings. "You hungry?"

Gurgle.

Her stomach rumbled so loudly; she had what felt like a dozen pairs of eyes on her. The paleness of her face blossomed a bright red, and she embarrassingly stared at the ground. She curled her arms around her aching midsection. Stupid stomach and your mating whale cry.

Maria smiled gently, Maeve's stomach practically answering the question she'd asked. It was like she swapped Lara Croft ego for a motherly one as she gestured for her and Ellie to follow after them into the dam compound.

Mentions of food and hunger made the emptiness of her belly ache more. She was practically salivating by a couple of words.

"False alarm. They're friendlies," Maria's voice echoed through the air, easing the other survivors. She glanced back at them for a moment. "We've been dealing with raids. Lot of bandits in this area."

Bandits, huh? Maeve felt a little relieved they hadn't run into any during their hike here. They were quite low on ammo, or at least the others were.

"Yeah," Tommy said, a little ahead of Joel. "But it's been quiet for a few days."

"What the hell are you doin' here? I thought I'd find you in Jackson."

"Been trying to bring the plant back to life," Tommy answered.

Maria nodded. "We had it working before, but one of the turbines went south."

"We have electricity, Joel...had. We'll get it runnin' again."

Maeve took this time to look around. These people seemed to be working their asses off. Every so corner, there was an adult armed with a rifle or shotgun. Though she peered around, TJ's stoic expression happened to be in her line of side vision.

And then she looked forward, at the back of Tommy's head. A frown dipped her lips. Did Tommy truly not know that TJ was his son? Something filled her stomach; she wasn't sure what kind of feeling fluttered inside. Sadness? Pity? Sympathy? All could be it. It was a feeling she couldn't relate to. Her melancholy heart ached for him, in a way.

"No way! You guys have horses?"

"We got a whole lot of 'em," Tommy informed them with a smile.

"Hey, Tommy, gimme a hand with this," on the side, a man with a reddish-brown stallion called for the blond man.

"Sorry, I'll be right back," the man left to give aid to the horse groomer.

Pondering so much about someone's problems almost made her blind to magnificent beasts before her.

There were three.

One with a white and brown splotched coat, the reddish-brown horse having his shoes cleaned, and the last was a silver-coated mare having her coat cleaned. Each had their own saddle, their own person near them.