The Last of Us (Joel Miller x Female!Reader)

Change of Plans

"There we go. Home stretch, Tess." Joel said as we cross a hurdle and move to a swampy street nearby. "Um...just so it's out there. I can't swim." Ellie informed as we approached the swamp. "Look, it looks like it's shallow on the right side. Follow me." Tess said as we slowly cross the swamp.

"I'm glad Marlene hired you guys." Ellie said. "What do you mean?" I asked her. "I know you guys are getting paid for this -- but I'm trying to say thanks." She replied. "Yeah, sure thing." Tess said as we get to the steps of the Captiol. We enter the capitol building, only to find the Fireflies were dead.

"No. No, no." Tess mutters, frantically, as she runs over to their bodies. "What happens now?" Ellie asked as Tess frantically searches a corpse's pockets. "What are you doing, Tess?" I asked her, annoyed. "Oh, God. Maybe they, ah, maybe they had a map or something to tell us where they were going." Tess replied.

"How far are we gonna take this?" Joel asked her. "As far as it needs to go." She exclaims, tearfully. Then she turns to Ellie. "Where was this lab of theirs?" She asked her. "She never said. She only mentioned it was someplace out west." Ellie replied, shrugging. 

"What are we doing here? This is not us." Joel said to Tess. "What do you know about us? About me?" Tess asked him, angrily, as she stands up to him. "I know that you are smarter than this." Joel said to her. "Really? Guess what, we're shitty people, Joel. It's been that way for a long time." Tess shouts.

"No, we are survivors!" I yelled at her.
"This is our chance--" she starts to beg.
"It is over, Tess!" Joel yelled at her, angrily. She looks at him in shock. "Now we tried. Let's just go home." I said to her, calmly.

"I'm not...I'm not going anywhere. This is my last stop." She replied, her voice full of tears. "What?" Joel and I asked her, confused. "Our luck had to run out sooner or later." She said as she shrugs. "What are you going on about--" Joel said as he starts to reach out to her but she jumps back. "No don't-- Don't touch me." She exclaims.

"Holy shit. She's infected." Ellie said in shock as we look over at her. My jaw drops as Joel steps back then both of us look over at Tess, who looked on the verge of tears. "Joel...(y/n)..." she said.

"Let us see it." I said to her.

"I didn't mean for this--"

"Show it to us." Joel said, angrily and firmly, to her. She glares at us then pulls back her collar to reveal a fresh bite wound. I place my hands over my mouth, in shock, as Joel said. "Oh God!"

"Oops, right?" She said, annoyed, as she let's go over her collar. Then she looks over at Ellie then walks up to her. "Give me your arm." She said as she rolls up Ellie's sleeve, where her bite mark is. "This was three weeks. I was bitten an hour ago and it's already worse." She growls in tears and anger at us. She let's go of Ellie's arm and walks in front of us. "This is fucking real, guys. You two've got to get this girl to Tommy's. He used to run with this crew. He'll know where to go." 

"No, no, no, that was your crusade. I am not doin' that. And neither is my wife." Joel said, firmly. "Yes you are." Tess said as she steps closer to us, giving us a pleading look. "Look, there's enough here that you guys have to feel some sort of obligation to me. So both of you get her to Tommy's." 

I sigh at this as I realize she's right. She has been a good friend and has helped us out over the years. Hell, even saved our asses a time or two. And if this means that much to her....
"Fuck." I grumble in frustration when we heard a noise outside. "Shit." Ellie mutters as we look out the windows to see a military van driving up.

"They're here." Tess said.

"Dammit." Joel said.

"I can buy you some time, but you have to run." said Tess. "What? You want us to just leave you here?" Ellie asked her. "Yes." Tess replied.