The Doc

Chapter 15

"Go on, play me something!" Alice nodded to the guitar. Ellie looked over before she awkwardly shook her head.

"Oh no," she stammered. "We haven't done much in lessons. I-I wouldn't know what..."

"Please?" Alice raised an eyebrow and tried her best puppy dog eyes.

"Ugh, fine!" Ellie laughed indignantly as she hoisted the old sunburst acoustic into her lap. "But you can't judge me!" Alice raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips, feigning insult.

"You know I'd never judge you, Ellie!" She exclaimed. Ellie laughed and shook her head before she turned her attention to the guitar. She tentatively began to strum out the opening riff from the song Alice had heard Joel play so many times in the house. The wind softly whipping through the trees around them and the slight huffing of Shimmer were the only other sounds. It was nice.

"That's starting to sound like something!" Joel exclaimed as he reappeared from the trees behind them. Alice nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"That's sounding really great, Ellie!" She smiled. "You're getting so good!"

"Oh shut up guys," she chuckled. "I suck."

"Nah..." Joel smiled. "Just need to build up your calluses, that's all."

"Yeah," Ellie mumbled, inspecting her fingers as Shimmer huffed out a sigh. Alice got to her feet and scratched her velvet nose softly. She whinnied gently in appreciation, making Alice chuckle.

"All right, c'mon," Joel said, raising an eyebrow.

"Is this it?"

"Yeah,"

"Oh, shit!"

Ellie put the guitar down and leapt to her feet. Joel turned back the way he came from and led the way for the girls to follow.

"So, what're you thinking it is, Ellie?" Alice said, gently nudging her as they walked.

"You want her to spoil her surprise now?" Joel called from up ahead, making the girls laugh out loud.

"Is it...a dinosaur?" Ellie chirped.

"Stop trying to guess," Joel said. "I ain't telling you." This made Alice chuckle. She knew Joel was the worst at keeping secrets and if he hadn't told her about Ellie's birthday and the museum when he found it a few weeks back, he would have exploded.

Alice quickened her pace slightly until she was in step with Joel. Instinctively, she reached out her hand and took his. He looked down at their hands before meeting her eyes and smiling softly. Without thinking, he lifted up their hands and pressed a kiss to hers as Ellie kept babbling on behind them.

"Is it a lotta kittens?"

"You mean a litter?" Joel chuckled.

"What's a litter?" Ellie asked, skipping after them.

"A bunch'a kittens," Joel explained as they reached a narrow part of the path that overlooked a shallow enough pool. Alice tiptoed past first as Joel held back the trees; Ellie followed.

"Mind your step," Joel remarked.

"I got it," Ellie replied before Alice turned around just in time to see Ellie plunge straight into the clear blue water.

"Joel!" She exclaimed, laughing out loud. "That was mean!"

"It's still funny though," he chuckled as Ellie broke the surface. It had been a while since Alice heard Joel laugh as heartily as that and it warmed her heart to hear him so genuinely happy. Even if it was over pushing Ellie into a small pond.

"What is wrong with you?!" Ellie exclaimed, gasping for air.

"You should see your face right now." Joel cackled.

"What if I drowned?"

"You're not gonna drown. You gotta work on that confidence, kiddo."

Alice melted every time she heard Joel call Ellie 'baby girl' or 'kiddo' or any number of the plethora of nicknames he had for her. There was something so paternal about it. He met her eyes as he reached her; his bright blue eyes glittering with a boyish charm that she hadn't seen in a long time. He planted a quick peck on her cheek as he passed before Ellie piped up from the water below.

"Yeah, keep laughing, old man!" She called. "See what happens."

"Come on up this way, Ellie," Alice called, beckoning her over to a dip in the surrounding rocks.

"You're the worst!" Ellie called to Joel as she made her way over to Alice.

"Your swimming's getting better!" Joel called as Ellie swam. "Remember, don't just flail 'about, you gotta..."

"Push the water with your whole arm," Ellie and Alice recited in unison before breaking into another fit of giggles.

"Glad to know I'm getting through," Joel said, sighing theatrically.

The trio reunited and kept following the river along the rocky outcrop until Joel spotted a deer. He pointed it out, whispering. Ellie leaned over and smiled as she noticed the stag. Alice followed his eye-line and spotted the deer before she nudged Ellie carefully and motioned for the pair to get revenge on Joel. Alice mimed a countdown before both girls pushed Joel into the river below with as much strength as they could muster.

Joel resurfaced just as Alice and Ellie high-fived, laughing brightly.

"How's that feel?" Ellie called out.

"Feels like my girls are ganging up on me," Joel said, trying his best puppy dog eyes impression. Alice chuckled before she bent down and reached out a hand to help him out of the water.

"Come on, Texas," Alice laughed. "Let's get you out of there."

Joel swam over and took her hand, feigning gratefulness, before he pulled her down into the water with him. Alice let out a shriek before she was pulled under. She felt Joel's arms wrap around her waist and hoist her growing frame into his.

"Now that makes us all even," he smirked. "We actually need to swim through this part anyway so, come on in and join us kiddo."

"I got you back," Ellie called from the riverbank. "You're angry and upset."

"I am very angry and upset," Joel repeated with a smirk. "Now, come on."

Joel released his hold on Alice and began to swim down the river as Ellie cannonballed in. The trio made their way downstream as Ellie continued to guess on what her birthday present was.

"Is it...a new pair of sneakers?"

They reached a riverbank and Joel pulled himself out first before turning to help the other two up. He hoisted Ellie up with one arm before turning back to Alice. He pulled her up and helped her get set back on her feet. They had a moment of eye contact before Alice broke the moment by planting a kiss on his nose and giggling.

"Is it a massive comic book collection...no, wait...a new DVD collection?"

Trudging through the overgrown forest was relaxing. Joel had scoped it out in the days prior so there was no danger of running into any infected. All they could hear were birds and other animals in the distance and high in the treetops.

"How about laserdiscs?" Ellie continued. "I heard that's a thing."

"Ellie..." Alice shook her head, laughing to herself at the young girls antics.

They finally reached a clearing which revealed a huge T-Rex surrounded by a shallow pool of water. Ellie's eyes lit up as she saw it. Alice reached over and grabbed Joel's arm, hugging his bicep as she watched the teen jump around excitedly.

"You did so good," she murmured.

"Oh my god," Ellie exclaimed as she ran towards it. "It is a dinosaur!"

"That it is." Joel smiled.

"Happy birthday Ellie!"

"Joel!"

"Surprise."