It was dark outside, and the
Town Hall had been made into a makeshift movie theatre
Chairs were positioned in neat rows all facing a fabric screen suspended up on the wall,
A projector casts the movie onto the fabric, grabbing the attention of the kids who all sat in silence mesmerized by the screen
Maria had sat You and Ellie down in the middle of a row of kids, hoping that you both would make some friends.
Instead, you just sat in silence feeling extremely out of place in a crowd of people you didn't know,
Ellie noticed Maria and Tommy talking with some other adults. Then watched as Tommy walked towards the exit
"(Y/N)..." Ellie whispered
"Yeah" you replied, leaning to your right
"Look.." she pointed at Tommy "he's going to find Joel"
"You wanna follow him?"
You asked,
looking around for Maria
"Yeah..let's get outta here"
Y/N POV:
I felt the cold wind hit my face as Ellie and I left the town hall into the night, I could feel a slight tension in the air as we walked through the snow trailing Joel's brother from afar
So I build up the courage to say something
"El?" I whispered
"Uh yeah?"
"You think we could talk about-"
"Look he's going in there" Ellie cut me off,
I followed her gaze to see Tommy walk into a building
———————————
Tommy entered and found Joel sitting on a stool with his head hung low,
"The guys said I might find you here." Tommy said,
as he placed a new pair of boots on the bench in front of his brother.
"Figured I'd save you the trouble."
Joel looked over at the boots, before refocusing his attention back on the ground
"I shouldn't have said what I said. I don't even believe it. I know you're happy for me. It just... It's complicated for you. And I'm sorry. So, you gonna let me off the hook, or what?" Tommy apologized
"This ride to the University, is it a suicide mission?"
Joel said changing the subject
"No. It's dangerous, but it's nothin' you can't handle. Just prepare and do what you do."
"You've had people go that way and come back?"
Joel asked
"All of 'em. What is this?" Tommy asked, confused at what his brother was getting at
"She's immune." Joel said
"What?"
"Ellie. She got infected, but she didn't get sick."
He explained,
"Tommy, I saw her get bit myself. That was months ago. Months. She's immune."
He emphasized.
Tommy sat down opposite Joel, Contemplating whether he believed what his brother was saying, before finally breaking the silence
"From the beginning."
"It was Marlene. She hired us to smuggle her to some Fireflies. It went bad. Tess got bit. She made me swear to take the kid. It was her dyin' wish. What the hell was I supposed to do? We made it as far as K.C., and then... You know, she saved my life there... from another kid.
Five years ago, I would've destroyed him. But she had to shoot him to save me. Fourteen years old. Because I was too slow and too fuckin' deaf to hear him comin'. That's where we met (Y/N).. in K.C. And I saw... I saw a man kill his own brother to save her, while I just watched with (Y/N)..that poor kid. And today, I thought that dog was gonna tear Ellie apart because it smelled somethin' on her. And all I did was stand there. I couldn't... move. I couldn't think of anything to say. I just... I was so afraid."
Joel's voice broke as tears threatened to spill from his eyes
"You think I can still handle things, but... I'm not who I was. I'm weak. Lately, there are these moments where the fear comes up outta nowhere, and my heart feels like it's stopped. I have dreams. Every night."
"What kinda dreams?"
Tommy questioned.
"I don't know. I can't remember. I just know that when I wake up... I've lost somethin'. I'm failin' in my sleep. That's all I do. It's all I've ever done. Is fail them Again and again."
Joel finally let the tears flow down his cheeks,
his feelings of sorrow that he had been keeping inside for yours and Ellie's sake finally coming out,
Tommy met his brother's watery eyes, this being the first time he had seen his brother weep since the night they lost Sarah...
"You want me to take her."
Tommy asked
"(Y/N) too those two are inseparable, I know I'm just gonna get them both killed. I know it. I know it. I have to leave them." Joel wept
"Joel."
"I mean, it's why you took off on me, right? To make up for the things we did? Well, here's your chance to bring your kid into a better world. You're younger than me. You're still strong. You said it yourself, you'll come back. You have to take them, You can't tell anyone, not even Maria. Tommy, you're the only one I trust. If anyone else sees those bites on her, what's under her skin, they'll shoot her. It's the last thing I'll ever ask of you. I swear." Joel begged, his voice breaking
Tommy leant forward
"I'll take them out at dawn." He agreed
Joel followed Tommy out into the snowy street, illuminated by the small fairy lights that were strung above the road
"We got you in thirty-eight. It's left, left, right."
Tommy told the directions to the house you and Ellie were staying in.
Before Joel could say anything else, his brother had walked the other way
——————————
Joel knew he'd find you and Ellie in the upstairs bedroom. As he could see the bedroom light was on as he approached the house.
He made his way inside and up the stairs, Dread filling him as he knew he would have to explain the change in plan...
"Ellie? (Y/N)" He turned the door handle and entered the bedroom.
Ellie and you were sitting beside each other on the window seat, reading the diary of whoever used to live here before the outbreak
"Is this really all they had to worry about? Boys. Movies. Deciding which shirt goes with which skirt. It's bizarre."
Ellie said,
scanning the diary pages
"Listen, um—"
Joel began
"Why are you here?"
you said shortly, cutting him off, anger bubbling inside you
"I came here to talk to you two."
"No, why are you still here? If you're gonna ditch us, ditch us." Ellie snapped
"What exactly did you hear?" Joel asked, realizing you and Ellie had eavesdropped.
"'I have to leave them. You have to take them'."
Ellie quoted him. "You know, we stood up for you today because we thought—"
she stopped abruptly averting her gaze from Joel, and leaning into your side
"I made this decision for your own good." Joel tried to explain. "You'll be way better off with Tommy. He knows the area better than I do—"
"Do you give a shit about us or not?!"
you slammed the diary down, getting up from the window seat
"Of course, I do."
"Then what are you so afraid of?" Ellie joined you standing up
"I'm not her, you know? Maria told us about Sarah, and—"
"Don't. Don't say another word."
Ellie didn't listen. Instead, she took a step closer.
"I'm sorry about your daughter, Joel. But we have lost people too."
"You have no idea what loss is."
"Everybody I have ever cared for has died right before my fucking eyes!. Everybody, fucking except for you and El!" you began to cry.
"So don't tell me that we'd be safer with somebody else because the truth is I'd just be more scared."
Joel looked between you and Ellie, as tears streaked down your cheeks..
"You're right. You're not my daughter. And I sure as hell ain't your dad. Now, come dawn... we're goin' our separate ways." he said, slamming the door on his way out.
