𝐏𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘𝐀. tlou (discounted)

𝐗𝐈.

━━━━𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏.

    𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃𝐒 moved through the sky, the faint smell of rain wafting through the air. The cool breeze felt refreshing and oddly calming to the little girl and father who walked the Jackson streets, a small grin hanging from the little one's ever so cracked lips.

It had been a few days after Billie had arrived, and Mason hadn't seen her since. Much to both her and Joel's dismay, Tommy and Maria thought it was best that the woman to stay for some time, the thought that she may not have come alone lingering in their minds. The Miller girl had barely left her father's side since that day, not that Joel could complain, the thought of his daughter not in his sights with the woman around chilling him to the bone.

The man held the little girl's hand, boots crunching over the pebbles that littered the road.

"Now, do not leave my side, you hear?" Joel states sternly as the two stops outside of the mess hall. Receiving a confirming nod, the father holds his little girl's hand a bit tighter. After stepping through the doors, the two hurry to pick up their breakfast, sitting across from Tommy and Maria, who eyes the crowd of people warily.

"Don' think she's here," Tommy states, picking at the toast crumbs on his plate.

"Don't matter, keep yer guard up." The oldest Miller mumbles, unwrapping the plastic from the straw of his daughter's juice box. Mason sips on her apple juice while she stuffs her mouth with the eggs on her plate, one of the only things she liked eating.

As the doors opened with a soft creaking noise, the little girl glanced up from her breakfast, anxiety rising fast at the sight of Billie's blonde hair. The little one tucked herself beneath Joel's arm, grasping at his tan coat.

"Daddy." She whimpers, the man tensing as his gaze caught sight of the woman. Joel stands from the table, pulling Maisie with him while he hurries to the exit. With his daughter fearfully clutching to his hand, the man walking away from the mess hall.

"Mason!" The sound of running footsteps follows the voice, the father pushing his little girl behind them as Billie races after the pair.

"The hell do you think yer doin'?!" Joel shouts at the woman; jaw clenched tight. The blonde glares at the burly man, trying to move past him to the girl clutching at his waist.

"Tryin' to see my damn daughter!" She answered with her nostrils flared.

"She ain't yours, you hear me?!"

Maisie whimpers as her father shouts, holding his jacked in a fist as she buries her head into his back.

"She wasn't yer's the moment you abandoned her! This little girl is traumatized by the scars you gave her; she wouldn't even speak when we found 'er!"

Now, the people once in the hall piled outside, Tommy and Maria standing right behind the woman as she stood nose-to-nose with Joel.

"Listen here, old man, I never laid a fucking finger on her," Billie states lowly, fists hanging by her side.

"Bullshit," Joel growls, finally hearing the quiet cries of his little one.

"You come near my daughter again, and I'll shoot yer fuckin' brains out." The father states, turning around to pick up Maisie's shaking form. The little girl cries into the man's shoulder, the memories, the pain all flooding over her.

And the suffering that caged her heart was soon locked into place once again.

━━━━━━

Mason laid upon her bed; knees pulled to her chest as Bear sat tucked into her hand. The calming sound of rain pittering across the window was music to her ears; she had always loved stormy days. Soon, the tranquility disappears as knuckles lightly tap on her window. Confused, Maisie rises from her pillow, the sight of her best friend's familiar green eyes bringing the smallest of smiles to her cheeks.

Hurrying to bring her friend inside, the youngest Miller quickly moves to hold the window open for her, the dark-skinned girl stumbling onto the floor.

"So, I might've climbed up the wall of your house and almost died, but you know, had to check on you." Andy Fisher pants as she pushes herself from the hardwood flooring, taking off her drenched coat. Jumping on her friend's bed, Andy pats the spot beside her, crossing her legs.

"I heard your aunt and uncle are kicking Billie out. I say good riddance."

Mason freezes at the information, shouldn't she be happy? But the feeling in her stomach isn't happiness; it's the all too familiar feeling of dread.

Andy takes notice in Maisie's reaction, but knowing that she'll refuse to talk about it, the friend pushes past the subject.

"Oh!" Fisher shouts in remembrance, pulling a chain from her jean pocket.

"I got the chain you needed for Tommy's pendant!" The girl hands it over to Mason, who pulls open the drawer to her bedside table, grasping her uncle's firefly pendant in her palm. Tommy had gifted the piece to her some weeks ago, but the chain had gone missing years prior.

After putting the two together, Mason slides the necklace around her neck, tucking the firefly symbol into her sweatshirt.

Andy kicks off her shoes, moving to lay on her friend's pillow.

"Now, what's your dad making for dinner? I'm starving!"