Serenity - Ellie Williams [1]

4.

WARNING: there is a shift to first person POV here until i can edit it. Sorry!

Ellie

There's a bone splitting pain in my chest as I look down at the gun in my hand, one knee soaking up quickly melting snow as I kneel on the porch of the house that used to scream joel safe home. Now it feels empty, it's bones creaking protests like it knows it's inhabitants are missing. I rub a finger over the barrel, memories surfacing my mind as the metal chills my palm.

"Everyone i have cared about has either died or left me. Everyone, fucking except for you!"

I blink away tears as my eyes sting, rising from my kneeling position before tucking joels gun into the waistband of my jeans, it's weight comforting against my stomach. A hand falls on my arm, shoulders jumping as I whirl around to see Dina and Jesse on the edge of the porch. Both wear mirrored expressions of worry on their faces, looking somehow ten years older.

"You sure about this?" Dina asks gently, and Inlet loose a sigh as I start to walk down the steps hoping to avoid the conversation. Much to my chagrin, they follow quickly.

"You don't have to go alone, y'know we could go." Jesse pipes up, falling into step beside me while his girlfriend keeps pace on my left.

"I know." I muse barely able to lift my lips into what feels more like a grimace than a comforting smile. "Jackson needs you two, i've got this." we continue in tense silence for a beat, the sight of the gate house making me sag with relief. Anything I can do to avoid an uncomfortable conversation.

I'm pulled to a stop just before the door, turning to face my two friends. Dina's blinking away tears, while Jesse looks to be searching my face for something. "What?" I raise an eyebrow and he sighs, grabbing my shoulders in a bruising grip to pull my in close. I tense momentarily before sinking into the hug, letting myself relish the contact that i know i'll be missing for a while.

"Don't die." He whispers in my ear, letting me pull away to arms length as he smiles. "Dina would be insufferable without you." The girl in question smacks his arm while i laugh, watching her push him out of the way to pull me into her own hug.

"Be safe, Ellie, you aren't invincible." She briefly presses her lips to my cheek before pulling away, patting me twice on the shoulder. Before I can respond, a voice interrupts us.

"You understand how dangerous this is, yes?" I turn, shaking off Dina's grip on me to face Maria as she exits the building with Tommy in tow. I nod, jaw clenched and lips set in a grim line as I ignore the worried gazes of my friends. "Then you know why I can't let you go alone."

"Maria I can do this-" she holds up her hand to silence me, and my frustration rises. I cross my arms as I look at her.

"No, you won't survive a trip that long alone" Maria shakes her head. I look to Tommy for help but he only looks at his wife, struggling himself. "But You can't endanger anymore of our community. we have someone who knows seattle- and the wolves."

"Really?" I ask, unfiltered shock written across my face. I uncross my arms and shift my weight from foot to foot. The idea of crossing the country with someone I don't know is nearly terrifying. Maria tells someone to 'come on out' and I turn to see the one face I could probably do without ever looking at again. Wren. The person who get us into this mess.