The Last of Us Part 2 (Joel Miller x Female!Reader)

Seattle, Day 3

(A/N: So I want to make some announcements on this story. In this story, Mel is NOT pregnant and Lev and Yara DON'T exist. Even though I did like Yara and Lev, the reason they won't be seen or mentioned in this story is that they were basically used as part of Abby's redemption arc in the game. Since Joel is not dead and Abby is dead set on killing him and (y/n), they won't be in here. So I hope you guys understand.)

*2 Years Earlier*

"Joel! Joel, honey, wake up!" I said, frantically, as I shake him awake. It was the middle of the night and we were on one of our patrols out with Ellie. I woke up just a few moments ago when I noticed that Shimmer and Ellie were gone. This worried me and I got up and saw a note from Ellie.

"(Y/n), what's wrong?" He asked me once he starts to wake up. "It's Ellie." I said and Joel sits up, quickly. "What happened?" He asked and I hand him the note I found. He reads it then his eyes widen and he looks up at me.

"She's gone." I said and we exchange a worried look before we got up, got dressed, mount our horse and head off after Ellie.

As the dark night sky started to turn a pink hue, we made our way back to that old familiar hospital and see Ellie sitting down on a crate. She looks up and sees us coming before she stands up as we get closer to her. "Ellie!" Joel and I call out and our horse stops then we dismount the horse and walk over to her.

"Come here." Joel whispers as he goes to hug her and I stand next to them and placed a hand on her shoulder. "The hell were you thinking? Running off in the middle of the night like that?" I asked her, worriedly, while I noticed she has this blank, disinterested look on her face. 

"You talk to us. You don't just leave us a damn note--" Joel said to her, his voice full of worry as well, when Ellie shoves him off of her then she slaps my hand off of her shoulder. She let's out a shaky breath then she looks up at us.

"Tell me...what happened here." She said, firmly, to us. Joel and I exchange looks before we look back at her, my heart pounding in my throat as I knew that this would happen. "If you two lie to me one more time...I'm gone. Both of you will never see me again. But if you guys tell me the truth...I'll go back to Jackson. No matter what it is." She said.

I look back over to the hospital and all the haunting memories of that night came flooding back into my mind. I look over at Joel as he looks at the building then he looks down at the ground. "Just say it." Ellie whispers to us and I bite my lips at this while I could tell by Joel's face that he was fighting the urge to say the truth.

"Guys..." Ellie pleads to us and I take a deep breath as I continue to stare at Joel. "Making a vaccine...would've killed you." I replied and Joel's face relaxed a bit as he turns to look at me and a tear runs down my face then we look over at Ellie, who looked shocked and disbelief. "So we stopped them." Joel finished and then the hurt and sadness hit Ellie as she looks down.

Then she sits down and starts to sob. "Oh my God!" She cries then she bends forward and starts to cry, her left hand over her face then she lowers it and places it over her heart as she continues to cry. Joel and I go to reach out to her, trying to comfort her, but she stands up and yells. "Don't you fucking touch me!"

She looks at us angrily while I tried to give the best I'm sorry look to her. "I'll go back. But we're done." She said, angrily, then she bends down, grabs her backpack and stomps away from us.

At that moment, I began to sob then I full on cried as I place my hands over my face, the tears running down my face. I felt Joel's hands on my shoulders as he turns me to face him and I bury my face into his chest while he holds me close.