#tlous x reader

[mdnghtcwgrl]

im sorry if this sounds annoying but yall write these readers who get cheated on like some pussies!! pls fight back reader!! like pls give the reader a backbone every once in awhile AT LEAST😫i get thats the reality for a lot of girls but im here for fiction and i dont want to be a dumb bitch in fiction too😞😞

[layce2015]

The Last Of Us (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 1: The Beginning of The End

Here's Chapter 2

"Tommy, I-- Tommy. Tommy listen to me, he is the contractor." I hear Joel's voice say, alittle louder as he enters the house. My eyes flicker open as Joel lowers his voice as he talks on the phone. "He's the contractor, okay? I can't lose this job. I understand...let's talk about this in the morning, okay? We'll talk about it in the morning." 

I yawn then look down to see Sarah was laying next to me, her head on my lap, fast asleep. Until Joel flicks the lamp, next to the couch, on. She jumps slightly and yawns, as well, as she starts to sit up. Earlier today, she and I had a girl's night as we pigged out on pizza and watched movies since Joel had to work late. She insisted to stay up late so that she could give him his birthday present that she got him. I told her that that was fine, but we ended up falling asleep.

"Alright, goodnight." Joel said and he hangs up and sets his cellphone on the little table in front of the couch. "Hey." I greeted my husband as I scoot down for him to have room on the couch to sit down. "Fun day at work, huh?" Sarah asked as Joel sighs and leans back in his seat and places his left arm around my shoulder while running his right hand over his eyes.

"What are you still doing up? It's late." He asked Sarah. "It's my fault, Joel." I said as Sarah turns and looks up at the clock. "Crud. What time is it?" She asked as she looks up to see that it was ten minutes to midnight.

"It's way past your bedtime." Joel said, exhausted. "But it's still today!" She said then she looks over at me. "Can I give it to him?" She asked. "Go ahead, sweetheart." I replied and she smiles, gets down on the floor and crawls over to the end of the couch. "Honey, please not right now. I do not have the energy for this." Joel said, exhausted still.

"Joel..." I said as she stands up and holds out a box to him. "Here." She said. "What's this?" Joel asked as he takes the box. "Your birthday." Sarah and I replied. He smirks at us as he removes his arm off of me and opens the box, revealing a brand new watch inside. 

"You kept complaining about your broken watch...so I figured, you know." Sarah said, shrugging, as Joel takes the watch out of the box and puts on his new watch. "You like it?" Sarah asked him as she looks up at him.

"Honey, this is...." Joel said then he lifts up his arm, raising his watch to his ear. "What?" Sarah and I asked him. "It's nice but I--I think it's stuck. It's not..." Joel started to say as he stares at the watch and Sarah freaks out as she grabs his arm to look at the watch. "What? No, no, no, no." She said, frantically, but she and I see that the watch was working just fine. "Oh ha, ha." Sarah said, sarcastically, and Joel chuckles at his little joke.

"Joel, don't scare us like that." I said as I playfully slap his shoulder and Sarah goes and lays down on the other side of the couch. "Did she beg you for the money?" Joel asked me. "No, a friend of mine paid her. He said he had a little job for her to do." I joked. "Yeah, I sell drugs now, dad. Hardcore drugs." Sarah said, going along with the joke.

"Oh, good. You can start helping out with the mortgage then." He said as he leans forward, picks up the TV remote and turns the TV on. "Stsh--yeah, you wish." Sarah said while Joel sits back in the couch and I cuddle up to him as he places his left arm over my shoulder again. I kiss his cheek and watch TV with him.

****

About an hour and a half later, I look over and see Sarah had passed out once again and I smiled. "Looks like someone's out like a light." I whispered and Joel looks over at her. The both of us stand up and I turn off the TV as he goes over to her, picks her up and carries her up to her bedroom, I follow close behind.

Once we enter her room, Joel sets Sarah down on her bed and I pick up her blanket and drape it over her. "Goodnight, baby girl." Joel whispers as moves a strand of hair away from her face. He takes a few steps back as I go over and kiss the side of her head. "Sleep tight." I whispered and both of us head for our bedroom.

I change into some sleeping clothes and climb into bed next to Joel, who had turn the bedroom TV on. "Suddenly not tired?" I asked him. "Just need something to lull me to sleep." He replied as cuddle up to him, once more. "Mmmm." I hummed as I look up at him. He looks down at me then we began to kiss each other.

We have a little make-out session for a few minutes but I stop before it went too far. "As much as I would love to go further, I have to go to work in a few hours. So..." I said to him and he nods. "It's alright. Maybe tomorrow?" He asked. "We'll see." I said as I wink at him then give him one more kiss. 

"I love you." He whispers to me.

"I love you too." I said then I lay my head against his chest and let myself fall into a slumber, the noise of the TV sounding further and further away.

I guess I should explain who I am. My name is (y/n). I met Joel a few years ago at a coffee shop I work at. He came in the shop, one day, with his daughter, Sarah, and they ordered their drinks. While waiting, he and I, suddenly, just started to have a conversation and talked about everything and anything. From then on he and Sarah would come in almost every day in the afternoon and talk to me.

From what Sarah told me, she knew Joel had an interest in me and she kept trying to get him to ask me out. She told me that she had never seen her dad looks so happy, not since her mother. The only thing I know about Sarah's mother was that her and Joel had Sarah when they were young and they got married soon afterwards. But her mom left him a few years after their marriage, they divorced and Joel got custody of Sarah. Joel's never gotten into much details about it and I never pushed it as to not upset him.

But anyway, Sarah kept bugging her dad to ask me out on a date. He, at first, refused but eventually he did ask me out. After dating for a couple of years, Joel then asked me to marry him and, of course, I said yes. Few months later, we got married and now here we are about a couple of years later, and I couldn't have been happier. And even though she's not my biological daughter, Sarah feels like she's my own and I love her to death. Life was great!

But little did I know that our lives were gonna change forever...and not for the better.

****

"Mom? Dad?" I hear Sarah's voice call out. I groan as I open my eyes to see that the TV was left on and Joel was nowhere to be found. The bedroom door opened and Sarah walks in. "Mom?" She said as she enters. "Sarah? What's wrong, sweeite?" I asked her as I rubbed my eyes.

"Where's Daddy?" She asked, worriedly. "I don't know, sweetheart. I just woke up myself." I said as sit up. "Uncle Tommy called. He said he needed to talk to dad but the line cut out." Sarah said just as the news comes on.

It appears that what we initially reported as riots: seem to be somehow connected to the nationwide pandemic. We've received reports that victims afflicted with the infection show signs of increased aggression and-

But then someone behind the reporter interrupted her and said, firmly. "We need to move everybody out of here now." 

"That's nearby." Sarah noted as the reporter said. "There seems to be some commotion going on behind me."

"Get out of here!"

"Lady, get the hell outta here right--" an officer was saying when suddenly an explosion goes off right on the TV. The scary thing was that we heard and saw the explosion, some miles away, just outside our window. "What the hell?" I muttered as I get up out of the bed and run to the window to see a second explosion go off. "Oh God!" Sarah exclaims and I run over to the closet open the door and start to change into jeans and a t-shirt, the door was wide enough to cover me.

Once I changed, I go over to Sarah and grab her hand. "Let's go find your father." I said as we walk out of the room.

"Dad?!" Sarah calls out.

"Joel?!" I yelled as we went down the stairs. At that moment, about four or five police cars zoomed pass with their sirens blaring. "What the heck is going on?" Sarah asked. "I don't know." I muttered as we walked towards the kitchen, where I hear a buzzing sound. I look and see Joel's phone is on the counter.

I go over to his phone and picked it up to see that he had eight missed calls and tons of text from Tommy, his brother, who sounded worried and panicked. 

Where the hell are you?

Call me.

On my way.

"I don't like this." I muttered as set his phone down then we go over to the study room to see if Joel was in there. I open the door to the room when Joel runs in from the side door, that leads to the backyard. He sounded like he had ran a marathon when he shuts the sliding door and backs away from the door.

"There you are." I said to him and he turns to me. "(Y/n). Are you and Sarah okay?" He asked, almost in a panic. "Yeah." I replied, confused at his behavior. "Has anyone come in here?" He asked as he goes over to his desk and digs around in the drawers.

"No." I replied.

"Who would come in here?" Sarah asked as her and I walk closer to him. 

"Don't go near the doors. Just...just stand back there." He ordered and we take a few steps back. "Dad, you're kinda freaking me out." Sarah said, nervously. "Joel, what's going on?" I asked him as I could see that he had pulled out his gun case and was loading his pistol with some bullets.

"It's the Coopers. Somethin' ain't right with 'em. I think they're sick." He replied. "What kind of sick?" I asked him when suddenly a loud thud hits the sliding glass door. Sarah and I jump at this as I hear growls and screams coming from outside. Then I go and push Sarah behind me as Joel looks out the door. "Jimmy!" He yells.

"Dad?!" Sarah screamed.

"Joel!" I exclaimed in fear as Joel goes to stand in front of us. "Girls, c'mere, c'mere." He said and we get behind him. "Jimmy." Joel said again as I could see someone slamming theirselves against the door until the glass breaks and Jimmy burst through.

"Jimmy, just stay back." Joel ordered as Jimmy falls forward but as he gets up, I could see he was covered in blood and there was blood coming out of his mouth. He also looked crazed, like he had lost his mind. "Jimmy. I am warning you." Joel warned just as Jimmy gets up.

"Oh my God." I muttered when Jimmy runs towards us. "Don't!" Joel yelled but Jimmy doesn't stop running towards us. But before he could get to us, Joel fires his gun and shoot him, killing him. Sarah gasps and sobs at this as I exclaimed. "Holy shit!"

"Go. Go." Joel said to us and we run back towards the kitchen. "Y-You shot him..." Sarah said to Joel, devastated. "What the hell, Joel?" I asked in a panic. "Girls." Joel said as he looks between us.

"I saw him this mornin'." Sarah mutters.

"Listen to me, there is something bad going on. We have got to get outta here. Do you two understand me?" Joel asked us and we nodded at him just as I saw headlights coming up our driveway. "Tommy. C'mon." Joel said as he takes my hand in his and I take Sarah's and the three of us run out of the house.

We run outside to see Tommy walking out of his SUV, walking towards us. "Where the hell you been? You have any idea what's goin' on out there?" He asked Joel. "I got some notion." Joel said as we run to the door to the backseat and he opens it. "C'mon, girls. Get on in there." He said and I gestured to Sarah to climb in first. "Go on, sweetie." I said and she gets in first then I climb in. 

Joel shuts the door behind me as Tommy gets a better look at his older brother. "Holy shit. You got blood all over you." He exclaims. "It ain't mine. Let's just get outta here." Joel told him as he climbs into the passenger's seat. "They're saying half the people in the city have lost their minds." Tommy said as he climbs in the driver's seat.

"Can we just please go?" Joel asked him. 

"Some sort of parasite or somethin'. You gonna tell me what happened?" Tommy asked. "Later." Joel replied then Tommy turns his head to me and Sarah. "Hey, Sarah. (Y/n). How you girls holdin' up?" He asked us. "I'm fine." Sarah replied as Tommy backs out of the driveway. "Me too. Can we hear what's on the radio?" I asked him.

"Yeah, sure thing." He replied. 

"Thanks." I said as Tommy tries to turn on the radio but the stations were all silent. "No cellphone. No radio. Yeah, we're doin' great." Joel grumbles as Tommy continues to drive down the road. "Minute ago, newsman wouldn't shut up." Tommy said to him. "They say where to go?" Joel asked. "He said, ah... Army's puttin' up roadblocks on the highway. No gettin' into Travis County." Tommy replied as we come up to a two-way intersection.

"That means we need to get the hell out." Joel mutters just as Tommy stops the car and looks at the road signs. "Take 71." Joel instructs him. "71, that's where I'm headed." Tommy said just as some cop cars roar pass us. After they pass, Tommy takes a right turn and heads towards the city.

"Did they say how many are dead?" I asked them. "Probably a lot. Found this one family all mangled inside their house." Tommy replied then Joel looks over at his brother. "Tommy." He said in a low tone as I place an arm around Sarah's shoulder, who looked a little horrified. "Right. Sorry." Tommy said, apologetically. "How did this happen?" Joel asked. 

"They got no clue. But we ain't the only town. At first they were saying it was just the South. Now they're going on about the East Coast, the West Coast..." Tommy replied and I gasp as we come up to a farmhouse that was on fire. "Holy hell." Tommy mutters in shock. "That's Louis' farm." I said as we pass the house. "I hope that son of a bitch made it out." Tommy remarks. "I'm sure he did." Joel assured.

"Are we sick?" Sarah asked them. "No. No, of course not." Joel said, quickly. "How do you know?" I asked him. "They said it's just...ah...people in the city. We're good." Tommy replied. "Didn't Jimmy work in the city?" Sarah asked and Joel and Tommy look at each other. "That's right, he did." Joel said. "We're fine. Trust me." Tommy assures as we come up to what looked like a family, on the side of the road.

"Let's see what they need." Tommy said as he starts to slow down but Joel places his hand on his shoulder. "What the hell do you think you're doin'? Keep drivin'." He said, firmly, to Tommy. "They got a kid, Joel." I pointed out to him as I place my hand on his shoulder. "So do we." He replied as he turns his head to look at me and placed his hand over mine. "But we have room." Sarah said.

"Hey!" One of the passersby shouts as he comes up to the side of the road, waving his arms above his head. Joel turns his head to Tommy and said. "Keep drivin', Tommy." And Tommy does just that.

"Hey, stop! Stop!" The man yells as we pass him.

"You ain't seen what I seen. Someone else'll come along." Joel said as he strokes his thumb over my hand. "We shoulda helped them." Sarah mutters.

Finally we make it into the city, only to find traffic was jammed. "Oh, this is bad. Everyone and their mother had the same damn idea." Tommy said as he stops the car. "Well...we could just backtrack and--" Joel started to say when a motorist gets out of his car, that was in front of us, to complain at the cars ahead of him.

"Hey, what the fuck, man? Let's go!" He screams just as a crazy person sprints forward towards the man and begins killing him.

"Holy shit." Tommy said in horror while I gasp in fear. "Oh my God." Sarah gasps. "Turn us around. Tommy. Tommy." Joel exclaimed as the crazy person looks over at us. "Holy shit." Tommy shouts and he starts to back up, just as the crazy person starts running towards us, then takes off before the guy could get to us.

"What the fuck just happened? Did you see that?" Tommy asked Joel, fearfully. "Yes, I saw it." Joel replied in shock. "Damn it. Turn here. Turn here." He instructs as he points to a side road. Tommy turns onto it, only finding it flooded with escaping citizens.

"Come on, people. Move." Tommy said, frustrated, as the people run in front of his car.

"What are they runnin' from?" Sarah asked me. I shrugged and shook my head as Joel says to Tommy. "Get us outta here."

"I'm tryin'." Tommy said as he starts to drive ahead but stops when he almost ran over a guy. "We can't stop here, Tommy." Joel said. "I can't fuckin' drive through 'em, Joel!" Tommy yells at him, frustrated. "Then back up then!" screamed Joel. "They're behind me too!" Tommy yells just as I saw a clearing up ahead.

I point at it and said. "There! There!" 

"Hold on!" Tommy said and he gets around the obstructing motor-home. "Look out!" Sarah screams and I look to my left just in time to see us get t-boned by a high-speed vehicle.

****

I open my eyes, my vision unfocused then I see that the vehicle was on its side. I look around just in time to see Sarah coming to then I look up in front of me to see Joel was still in his seat. I reach over and shook his shoulder. "Joel? Honey?" I said and I hear him groan as he shakes his head. "What?" He groans then he sees the predicament we were in. "Get back, baby. Get back. Look. I'm okay..." He said as he turns to look at me.

I nod and he faces the windshield, raised his left leg and kicks at the windshield until it breaks. He crawls through and gets out. I start to crawl out when I heard a struggle then I see a body fall on the ground and Tomny's foot steps on his head. "Joel?!" I yelled, fearfully. "I'm here, baby. I'm here." Joel assured me as he kneels down. "Come on, gimme your hand." He said as he holds his hand out to me. I take it and climb out of the car then turn around and reach out for Sarah.

"Come on, sweetie." I said as he and I pull her out and she starts to stumble as she stands up. "What is it?" Joel asked her. "My leg hurts." Sarah replied. "How bad?" I asked her. "Pretty bad." She said and Joel and exchange worried looks.

"We're gonna need to run." Tommy told us. Joel looks over at Sarah then to Tommy before he hands him his gun. "You keep us safe." He said and Tommy nods as he takes the gun. "Come on, baby girl." He said to Sarah as he picks her up and carries her.

"Now hold on tight." He told her and wraps her arm around his neck. "Okay. Daddy, I'm scared." She said, fearfully, as we began to run down the street. People all around us were either running or screaming or getting attacked by these infected people. 

"Guys---watch out!" Tommy screamed just as we come up to a gas station, which explodes once a car runs through one of the gas pumps. "Oh my God!" Sarah squeals. "Holy shit!" I yelled as we run off to the side. "Keep running!" Tommy yells at us as he runs ahead of us.

"Those people are on fire." Sarah noted and I look over my shoulder to see that she was right. "Don't look, Sarah." I said to her. "Okay." She said and buries her face into Joel's shoulder. "Just keep looking at me, baby." Joel told her and she looks up at him.

It seemed no matter where we went, something was always blocking our way or vehicles were crashing into buildings. "Get back! There's too many of 'em." Tommy yells at us then he looks to his left. "This way! Through the alley! Go!" He exclaims and he goes and opens the fence door.

We run through it when an infected person comes up and grabs Joel. Sarah screams as I pull the person off of them and shove him away while Tommy shoots it in the head. "Shit." Joel exclaimed as Tommy looks over the person he just shot. "Dammit." Joel grumbles then he looks down at Sarah again. "We're almost there. We're almost there, baby." He assured as we continue to run through the alley.

"They're gettin' through the fence!" Tommy yelled and he looks behind him. "Keep going! Find a way outta here!" I yelled at him and he runs ahead of us and leads us to the back end of a bar.

Joel, Tommy and I run inside and Tommy shuts the door and leans against it. "Get to the highway!" He yells at us. "What?" I asked, confused. "Go -- you guys got Sarah! I can outrun 'em!" Tommy yells.

"Uncle Tommy!" Sarah screams as Joel and I exchange a look.

"We will meet you there." Joel said to him. 

"Hurry!" Tommy yells as we run out the front door. "Daddy, we can't leave him." Sarah exclaims as we run out onto the dirt road. "He's gonna be fine. We're almost there." Joel assured her as we run towards the highway bridge, which was up ahead.

"They're gettin' closer!" I screamed after I look behind me to see a couple of infected people chasing us. As I turn to look ahead, a bright light shines in our faces and gunshots sounded out. We stopped running, the two infected people behind us falls, then look up to see that it was a soldier.

"It's okay, baby. We're safe. We're safe." Joel assures Sarah then he looks up at the soldier. "Hey! We need help." He tells the man as we take a few steps forward. "Stop!" The soldier orders. "Please. It's our daughter. My husband and I think her leg's broken." I said to him as I come up to Joel's right side.

"Stop right there!" The soldier yells as he aims his gun at us and we stop walking. "Okay...we're not sick." Joel informed the soldier. The soldier lowers his gun, picks up a radio and begins to speak through it. "Got three civilians in the outer perimeter. Please advise."

"Mom...Dad...what about Uncle Tommy?" Sarah asked us. "We're gonna get you to safety and go back for him. Okay?" Joel said and I push back her hair from her face. "Don't worry, sweetie. We'll find him." I assured her as the soldier speaks through his radio. "Sir, there's a little girl. But..." he stops then let's out a heavy sigh. "Yes, sir."

"Listen, buddy, we've just been through hell. Okay, we just need--" Joel started to say but he and I see that the soldier was raising his gun at us. "Oh shit." Joel mutters and we try to back away and run as the soldier fires and we fall down the hill.

I felt a sting on my shoulder and felt something warm run down my arm as I stop and land on my back. I look to my right to see Joel had landed next to me just as the soldier follows us and stands over Joel. He aims his gun and light at Joel, who raises his hand to the soldier. "Please, don't." He begs when a gunshot sounds out and the soldier falls over dead.

I gasp just as I look over to see Tommy was the one who shot the soldier. I sit up and place my hand over my shoulder, feeling a long scratch on top of my shoulder, then pulled back my hand to see it covered in blood. "Baby, you okay?" Joel asked me. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a graze on the shoulder. Where's Sarah?" I asked then we heard a cry of pain. 

We turn around to see Sarah was a few feet away from us and squirming in pain. "Oh no." Tommy and I whispered as Joel and I scramble towards her. "Sarah! Okay. Move your hands, baby." Joel said as he moves her arms to see that she was shot in the stomach. "Oh my God!" I gasped as Sarah cries out in pain

"I know, baby. I know..." Joel said as I go and place my hands over her wound. "Listen to me, I know this hurts, sweetheart. You're gonna be okay, sweetie." I try to assure her. "Stay with us. Alright, I'm gonna pick you up." Joel said but she screeches out in pain as he tries to pick her up. "I know, baby. I know it hurts. Come on, baby, please. I know, baby. I know." Joel said in a panic as we try to stop the bleeding.

Joel looks over at Tommy and was about to say something when suddenly Sarah stopped crying. I look down at her and noticed that she wasn't even breathing. I gasped as Joel looks back down at Sarah and saw that she wasn't moving or breathing either. 

"Sarah...sweetie..." I said as I go and try to feel for a pulse, but I don't feel one. I place my hands over my mouth as I felt tears down run down my face. "Don't do this to me, baby. Don't do this to me, baby girl." Joel begs her but she doesn't move or say anything. "Come on...No, no...Oh no, no, no...Please." he begins to break down crying then hugs Sarah's body as I close my eyes and bury my face in my hands. "Oh, God. Please, please, don't do this. Please, God..." I hear him cry, softly, while I prayed silently. 

God, please, not her. Take me instead! Please! I'm begging you!

[layce2015]

The Last of Us (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 3: Ellie

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

"Where are we going, Marlene?" Tess asked her after we took out some guards as we came upon a bridge. "This way. It's not far now." Marlene said as she gestures towards some stairs next to the bridge. "How you holding up?" I asked her as we head down the stairs. "I'm running on fumes -- but I'll make it. The place is right up ahead." She said.

"Attention. Curfew is now in full effect. Anyone caught outside without the proper authorization will be arrested and prosecuted." the voice over the loudspeakers announced as we come up to a door under the bridge and enter. "Shit. We need to hurry." I said to the others. "What the hell are we smuggling?" Joel asked Marlene as we walk up to another door. "I'll show you. Joel, give me a hand with this." Marlene said as she gestures to the door.

He opens the door and they walk inside the room until Marlene stumbles forward. "Whoa, whoa, whoa...Come on now, get up." Joel said as he kneels down to help her up. "Get the fuck away from her!" A young voice shouts and a girl appears with a knife, but I catch her arm before anything happens. "Hey, hey, hey." I said in a warning tone to her.

"Let her go." Marlene said and I let go of the young girl's wrist. "You're recruitin' kind of young, aren't ya?" Joel said to Marlene as he nods towards the girl, who looked between about twelve or fourteen years old. "She's not one of mine." Marlene replied to him.

"Shit. What happened?" The girl asked Marlene as she noticed her wound. "Don't worry. This is fixable. I got us help...but I can't come with you." Marlene replied to her. The girl stares at her then said. "Well then I'm staying."

"Ellie, we won't get another shot at this." Marlene said to her, firmly. "Hey -- we're smuggling her?" Joel asked, pointing at Ellie. "There's a crew of Fireflies that'll meet you at the Capitol Building." Marlene replied. "That's not exactly close." I informed her. "You're capable. You hand her off, come back, the weapons are yours. Double what Robert sold me." Marlene replied to me.

"Speaking of which, where are they?" Tess asked her. "Back in our camp." Marlene replied. "We're not smuggling shit until I see them." Tess said, firmly. "You'll follow me. You can verify the weapons, I can get patched up." Marlene said then she nods towards Ellie. "But she's not crossing to that part of town. I want Joel and (y/n) to watch over her." 

"Whoa, whoa." I said, quickly.

"I don't think that's the best idea." Joel said at the same time while Ellie exclaimed in anger. "Bullshit! I'm not going with them."

"Ellie..." Marlene said to the young girl, sternly. Ellie looks at her then asked. "How do you know them?" Marlene looks over at Joel and I and replied. "I was close with his brother, Tommy. Said if I was ever in a jam I could rely on both of them."

Joel scoffs. "Was that before or after he left your little militia group?" He asked. "He left you too. He was a good man." Marlene said to him. "Look, just take her to the north tunnel and wait for me there." Tess said to me and Joel. "Jesus." Joel grumbles and I stand in front of him and place my hands on his shoulders. "She's just cargo, Joel." I said to him, calmly.

"Marlene..." Ellie pleads to Marlene. "You'll be fine. Now go with them." Marlene said as she nods at us. Joel stares at me then looks over at Marlene before letting out a heavy sigh. "Don't take long." He said to Tess then he turns to Ellie. "And you -- stay close. Let's go." He said and we walk out the door.

"Whoa...I heard all the shooting, but...What happened?" Ellie asked as we walked past the dead bodies of some of Marlene's followers. "The Fireflies. Same thing's gonna happen to us if we don't get off the street." Joel said as we head towards a set of stairs. "You guys are the pros. I'm just following you two." Ellie said.

"Attention. Harboring or aiding wanted criminals is punishable by death. Do not place yourself at risk. Report any suspicious activity immediately." the announcement said as we walk down the stairs then head towards a little alleyway, with some stairs that lead further down. "Down here." Joel said as we walked through this little tunnel the up the stairs, leading us to a gated sidewalk. "C'mon, keep up." I said to Ellie. "I am." She replied, exasperated, as we turns a corner through an alley then through an open gate, which lead to an open back alley.

"Where are we going?" Ellie asked us. "Up there..." Joel said as he points up at the top of a building on our left. "...that'll get us to the north tunnel." He said. "How are we supposed to reach that?" Ellie asked as she looks at a tall platform which had a fire escape, leading up to the top floor. "Give us a minute." Joel said to her as he and I look around until I found a dumpster.

"Joel!" I yelled and I grabbed one end of the dumpster while Joel comes up to you. "You push and I pull." I said and he goes to the other end and we bring the dumpster up to the platform. We let go and climb up to the platform, then up the stairs, Ellie follows close behind.

"This tunnel. You guys use it to smuggle things?" She asked us as we get to the top of the stairs and inside the building. "Yep." Joel replied. "Like illegal things?" Ellie asked, curiously. "Sometimes." I replied.

"You ever smuggle a kid before?" She asked us. "No. That's a first." Joel said to her as we walk down this long walkway. 

"So what's the deal with you and Marlene, anyways?" I asked Ellie. "I don't know. She's my friend, I guess." She replied, shrugging. "Your friend, huh?" Joel said. "You're friends with the leader of the Fireflies. What're you, like twelve?"

"She knew my mom, and she's been looking after me. And I'm fourteen, not that that has anything to do with anything." Ellie replied while we walk up some more stairs. "So where are your parents?" I asked her. "Where are anyone's parents? They've been gone a long, long time." She replied.

"So instead of just staying in school, you just decide to run off and join the Fireflies, is that it?" Joel asked her. Ellie sighs and said. "Look. I'm not supposed to tell you guys why you're smuggling me if that's what you're getting at."

"You wanna know the best thing about our job? We don't gotta know why. Be honest with you, I could give two shits about what you're up to." Joel replied to her as we walk down this hall and come up to the last door on the right. "Well great." Ellie said. "Good." Joel grumbles as he opens the door and let's me go in first.

"This is it." I said to Ellie as we walk in the room, Joel shutting the door behind us. I go over to the couch and sit on one end of it while Joel goes to the other end and lays down. "What are you guys doing?" Ellie asked, looking between us. "Killing time." Joel replied as he closes his eyes.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Ellie asked us. "I'm sure you will figure that out." I said as I lean my head back on the couch. Ellie sighs and walks by as she looks us over then she looks at Joel and said. "Your watch is broken." Joel just scoffs at this while I roll my eyes before I close them and fall asleep.

I let out a soft groan then open my eyes real fast and take in a quick breath, my heart racing. My hand reaches out to my left side until I felt Joel's leg. I look over to see that he was still on the couch next to me, his eyes started opening as well. I let out a sigh of relief.

The dream I had was terrible. Not only was it the same nightmare I've had for the last twenty years, but there was a new nightmare that came in before I woke up, abruptly. Not only did I see her die again, but Joel died in this dream as well. It felt so real.

"Both of you mumble in your sleep. I hate bad dreams." Ellie said and I look over to see her sitting in a chair in front of the window, where it was dark and raining outside. "Yeah, me too." Joel mutters as I move my hand off of his leg and he starts to sit up. I run my hands over my face as Ellie looks back at the window.

I felt a hand on my knee and I look down to see that the hand was Joel's. His thumb strokes my knee until I place my left hand over his then we intertwine our fingers together. I look up at him to see he has a worried look. I give him a sad smile and shrug just as Ellie begins to speak. "You know, I've never been this close. To the outside. Look how dark it is." She said then Joel and I stand up and walk over to her, still holding hands. "Can't be any worse out there. Can it?" Ellie asked us.

"What on earth do the Fireflies want with you?" Joel asked her until we heard the door open behind us. Joel and I let go of our hands as we turn to see Tess had enter the room. "Hey. Sorry it took so long. Soldiers fuckin' everywhere." She informed us.

"How's Marlene?" Ellie asked her. "She'll make it." Tess said then she turns to us. "I saw the merchandise. It's a lot. Wanna do this?"

"Yeah." Joel and I replied at the same time. "Let's go." She said and we go through the other room then over to this secret passage in the corner wall, where there was a generator and a small elevator inside. "Don't you think it's a bit strange that they're askin' us to do their smuggling?" Joel asked Tess. "Marlene wanted to do it herself. We weren't the first choice, or the second for that matter. She's lost a lot of men. Beggars can't be choosers." Tess replied.

"Yeah, let's just hope there's someone alive to pay us." I said as Joel goes over to the generator and starts it up. "Someone'll be around." Tess said after the generator comes on. We walk over to the elevator and Joel pushes a button then it starts to go down.

"Who's waitin' for us at the drop-off?" Joel asked Tess. "She said there's some Fireflies that have traveled all the way from another city. Girl must be important." She said then she turns to Ellie. "What is the deal with you? You some bigwig's daughter or something?"

"Something like that. How long is this all gonna take?" Ellie asked. "If everything goes as planned, we should get you to them in a few hours. Ellie, once we get out there, I need you to follow our lead and stay close." Tess told her. "Yeah, of course." Ellie said as the elevator stops and we walk a few feet until we came up to a loose roof.

"Climb up and check if the coast is clear." I said to my husband and he climbs up a ladder then lifts up the cover and looks around. "Now hold up. There's a patrol up ahead." He said. We wait a few minutes until he turns to us. "Alright, we're good. Come on up." He said as he pushed the cover away and Tess climbs up first then I follow her, feeling the rain falling down on me. "C'mon, kid. Watch your step." I said to her as I help her up.

Joel climbs up then places the cover back over the entrance. "This rain ain't gonna do us any good." I remarked as we walk along the trench. "Holy shit, I'm actually outside." Ellie said, shocked, as we come upon a trailer, that was leaning up a hill. "Up this way." Joel said as he goes first. We pass through the trailer, but then a guard popped out of nowhere and hits Joel in the back of his neck.

I gasped just as a second guard comes up behind us and aims their gun at us. "Don't do anything stupid." The first guard said and Tess, Ellie and I raise our hands. "Move." The second guard ordered and we walk out of the trailer and walk out onto the muddy wet ground. 

"Turn around. On your knees." The first guard ordered and we do as we're told. "You scan 'em. I'll call it in." The first guard said as I get down on my knees next to Joel, Tess kneels down on his other side while Ellie kneels next to me.

"Alright." said the second guard. "Put your hands on your head." He ordered and we do just that. "This is Ramirez at Sector Twelve. Requesting pickup for four stragglers. Understood." The first guard said after she picks up a radio.

The second guard goes and puts the scanner on Tess's neck. "Look the other way. We can make this worth your while." Tess bribes him. "Shut up." The guard growls as the scanner beeps then he goes over to Joel. "I'm getting tired of this shit." He mutters as the scanner beeps again. "What's the ETA?" The guard asked the other as he scans me. "Couple a minutes." said the second guard as the first one goes to scan Ellie.

Suddenly, she turns around and stabs the guard in the leg then stands up but he hits her with his gun, knocking her to the side. I jump up and tackle him, before he had the chance to shoot Ellie, while Joel shoots the second guard. Then I shoot the guard, I tackled, in the head. "Oh...oh fuck." Ellie said as she goes and leans up against a large crate. "I thought we were just gonna hold them up or something."

I get up and see the scanner, pick it up and my jaw drops. "Oh, shit." I muttered. "What?" Joel asked me. "Look." I said and I toss the scanner to him. He looks at it while Tess goes and stands next to him, reading the word Positive flashing red on the screen. "Marlene set us up?" Joel asked, confused. "Why the hell are we smuggling an infected girl?" I asked as we look over at Ellie.

She looks up at us in fright then said. "I'm not infected."

"No? So was this lying?" Joel asked, angrily, as he throws the scanner in her direction. "I can explain." Ellie said, quickly. "You better explain fast." Tess threatened. "Look at this!" Ellie exclaimed as she rolls up her sleeve on her right arm, revealing a bite.

"I don't care how you got infected." Joel said.

"It's three weeks old." Ellie stated.

"No." Tess said, shaking her head.

"Everyone turns within two days, so you stop bullshitting." I said to Ellie, firmly.

"It's three weeks. I swear. Why would she set you up?" Ellie asked as she looks between us.

Tess looks over at us and I shrug at her before turning to Joel. He has a look of confusion on his face but it disappears as he shakes his head and turns away. "I ain't buying it." He said.

This can't be real. This girl's got to be lying! I thought confused until I heard Joel's voice say. "Oh, shit. (Y/n), run." I turn to face him and said. "What's..." but as I turn I see a patrol SUV coming. "RUN!" I screamed at Tess and Ellie and the four of us run away.

After avoiding the guards and going through some trenches and broken down buildings, we make our escape to a drainage trench and take a rest. "Alright, they're gone." Joel said as we look up and hear some of the guards' vehicles leaving.

Tess turns to Ellie. "Look, what was the plan? Let's say that we deliver you to the Fireflies, what then?" She asked. "Marlene...She said that they have their own little quarantine zone. With doctors there, still trying to find a cure." Ellie replied. "Yeah, we've heard that before, huh, Joel?" I said to him and he nods at this as he folds his arms across his chest.

"And that...whatever happened to me is the key to finding a vaccine." Ellie continued. "Oh, Jesus." Joel mutters. "It's what she said." Ellie said to him, frustrated. "Oh, I'm sure she did." Joel sneered. 

"Hey, fuck you, man. I didn't ask for this." Ellie yelled at him. "Me neither." Joel grumbles as I turn to Tess. "Tess, what the hell are we doing here?" I asked her. "What if it's true?" She asked me and I look at her in disbelief, is she really buying this?

"I can't believe--" Joel grumbles as I shake my head at this. "What if, guys? I mean we've come this far, let's just finish it." Tess said to us. "Do we need to remind you what is out there?" I asked her as point out towards the landscape of torn down and broken buildings.

She looks at Joel and I then over to Ellie before she turns back to us. "I get it." She said then she walks away, Ellie following behind her. "What the hell does she mean by that?" I asked Joel and he just shrugs.

"This way. If we cut through downtown, we can hit the capitol building by sunrise." Tess said as she gestures towards the former highway road. "We hope." Joel mutters as he and I began to follow Tess and Ellie.

"Holy moley. I guess this is what these buildings look like up close." Ellie said in amazement, as she looks up at the skyscrapers. "They're so damn tall. So, what happened here?" She asked. "They bombed the hell out of the surrounding areas to the quarantine zones, hoping to kill as much of the infected as possible." Tess replied.

Suddenly, we heard a cry off in the distance, and not the normal human cry. "Ahhh, what the hell was that?" Ellie asked, nervously. "Tess, do you hear that?" Joel asked her. "Yeah. Sounded pretty far away though." Tess replied. "Shit." I muttered.

"Are we safe?" Ellie asked. "For now. Come on." Tess assures as we continue down the road until we come upon a giant bomb crater. "Damn. That's quite a drop." Ellie said as she walks up to the edge and looks down. 

I look around at the buildings then saw the place we needed to go to. "Well, there's the capitol building." I pointed out. "Yeah, we need to get around this mess." Tess said as she gestures towards the crater.

"This is the downtown area?" Ellie asked, shocked. "It was. Now it's a giant wasteland." I replied while Joel looked around then went over to a skyscraper that was a few feet away from us. "Over here." He hollered and we follow him, then get inside of the building and start to make our way through it.

At one point, Joel opened a door and found a dead mangled body of an officer. "He's been ripped apart." Tess remarked. "Yeah..." Joel mutters as I walk up to the body and look it over. "Body's pretty fresh." I said. "Is that bad?" Ellie asked. "Yeah, might be... Let's not stick around." Tess said as we continue on.

We walk up a stairwell when we come up on another body. "Another one. Shit." I muttered as Joel looks it over then reads the paper that was next to the body. "Looks like these guys died waiting for backup." He informed and we head up another set of stairs then to through the door to our left, only to see a body up against a door, covered in fungus.

"Dammit. Clicker." Joel growls. 

"Oh, great." I said with sarcasm. 

"Geez. What's wrong with its face?" Ellie asked as Joel and I pull the body off and away from the door. "That's what years of infection'll do to you." Tess replied. "So what, are they...blind?" asked Ellie. "Sort of. They see using sound." I replied to her as Joel shoulder charges at the door and opens it.

"Like bats?" said Ellie, questionable. "Like bats. If you hear one clicking, you gotta hide. That's how they spot you." Tess said as we maneuver our way through the building.

At one point the building began to groan as the storm keeps pounding. "Shit." Ellie whispers. "Whole building feels like it's about to fall apart." Joel said as we crouch under a low shelf then over to another room.

"Totally cool. Everything is totally cool." I hear Ellie assures herself as Joel tries to open this large metal door, but couldn't. "Gimme a hand with this." Joel said to me and both of us go and shoulder charge this door until it finally opens.

I look over and see a clicker pop out of nowhere and starts to come towards Joel. "Joel!" I exclaimed as the clicker knocks him down. He keeps the clicker at bay until I pulled it off of him, threw it to the grown and shoot it in the head.

"Thanks..." Joel said to me, breathless, as he stands back up. "You alright?" Ellie asked him as I nod at him. "It's nothin'." Joel assures her. "C'mon. Let's get the hell outta here." I said and we continue our way through the building.

"Just see if there's a way through." Joel said to Tess as he boosts her up a floor. "Okay..." Tess said once she gets up and looks around. "It's clear." She said then she kneels down and holds her hand out. I go over, jump up and grab her hand then she pulls up. "C'mon, Ellie." Tess said. "Alright, kid, you're up." Joel said as Ellie walks up to the tall wall and Tess helps her up.

"Come on. You got it. There you go." Tess said until Ellie was pulled up to the floor. I kneel down and reach out to Joel. "C'mon, big guy. Gimme your hand." I said and he grabs my hand then I pull him up.

But as I pulled him, we heard a noise. "Clickers?" Ellie asked. "Oh, shit. Go, go, go." Tess said, quickly, and we quickly hide in an old cafeteria. We get behind a long counter and stand still as we hear the Clicker come up to the counter then it walks away.

Tess grabs a bottle next to her then throws it to distract the clicker as it goes one way and we go the other. "That's our way out, over the scaffolding." Tess said and escape the room then head towards a stairwell, which was block by a large cabinet.

Joel grabs the cabinet, pulls it out and moves it to the side. "Here you go, ladies." Joel said. "Such a gentleman." I teased as we make our way through. "The stairwell's blocked. Should we go back up?" Ellie asked as she points at the other set of stairs. Tess then climbs out the window onto a rusted window-washing rig. "Ahh, this is crazy." She mutters then she turns to us. "Just don't look down." She said.

"Wha--? Are you serious?" Ellie asked as Tess runs across the rig. Ellie jumps on it then Joel and I get on the rig and run over to the other rig that was next to us. "C'mon, Ellie." Tess said as she gets up to the ledge of the building and leans against the wall. "Yeah... Don't look down. Don't look down." Ellie mutters to herself as her and Tess shimmys along the ledge. "You're okay. We got a way through." Tess assures her as I get up to the ledge.

"In a world full of flesh eating monsters, how am I still afraid of heights?" I muttered as I, slowly, shimmy across the ledge. "Oh, boy..." I hear Joel mutter just as come up to an open window and jump through it.

"Runners." Tess said as she points to the floor below. "We'll go check it out. Stay with the girl." I said and I gesture to Joel to follow me and we jump down to the floor and take out a couple of runners by strangling them.

I look to my left and saw a Clicker nearby. "Fuck." I whispered as I quietly get behind the Clicker, pull out a makeshift shiv out of my pocket then stab it in the head. Meanwhile, Joel found a large pipe and bashed the head of the last runner.

"Alright. Come on down." Joel calls out. "I'm impressed, guys." Tess said as her and Ellie make their way down. "Pssh." I scoff with a smirk. "Let's just get outta here." Joel said and we make our way through.

We come up to a door that was blocked by a large cabinet. Joel goes over to one end of the cabinet and pulls it away from the door. "Alright. Girls, go." He said as I go over to the door and open it. "Alright, hold on." I said as Tess, Ellie and I enter the room. I look over and see an old copy machine. "Here -- this'll work." I said as Tess and I go to the machine and pushs it towards the door, to prop the door open. "Okay... Alright, that should do it." Ellie said as Joel let's go of the cabinet then gets inside the room.

"There, see? We're doin' alright." Tess said to us. "Uh-huh." Joel grumbles as we come up to see that the floors of the building had caved in. "Whoa." Ellie said in amazement. "Down we go." I said. "Let's get to it." Joel said and the four of us descend.

"You know, I was thinkin'...after we get back, we can take it easy for a little while." I said to Joel as Tess and Ellie walk ahead of us some few feet in front of us. "You want to take it easy?" Joel said as he looks over at me, his eyebrow cocked. "Hey, you're the one who's always going on about layin' low." I said to him, smirking. "And you always brushed me off." He remarks. "Well, I won't this time." I said as I take his hand in mine. "I'll believe it when I see it." He mutters and I chuckle, softly, as we make our way into an abandoned underground subway.

"Look at his sleeve. Firefly." Tess said as she points at a dead body with an armband. "These guys aren't doin' too well in or out of the city. Let's hope there's someone alive to meet us at the drop-off." I said as Joel picks up the molotov then searches the body and found a map. "They're from the quarantine zone." He said. "See...they're not our guys." Tess said as we walk along until we heard some clickers and runners.

"Shit. God, we're almost out." I muttered as Tess looks around. "Okay, Joel...(y/n), you two take point. I'll watch the rear. Ellie, no matter what, you stay right on their heels." Tess orders. "Sure." Ellie said and we make our way through the subway, very quietly and slowly, while also taking out some infected.

"Alright. C'mon." Joel said to me as he boosts me up to the wall at the other end of the room. I get up and drop the ladder for them. "Get up here." Joel said to Tess and Ellie and the four of us exit the abandoned subway area into the downtown proper.

"Holy shit. We actually made it." Ellie said, relieved. "Everyone okay?" Joel asked as we get back out onto the streets. "Yes." I said as Tess nods. "Let's move." She said. "You guys are pretty good at this stuff." Ellie compliments. "It's called luck, and it is gonna run out." Joel said as we get back on the street.

"Which way we goin', Tess?" I asked her. "Uh...capitol building's in this direction." She replied as she points in front of her. We head that way to see a semi truck blocking the street. "How do we get up over this truck?" Ellie asked as Joel and I look around and found a dumpster.

We grabbed the dumpster and push it up against the truck. We climb up and over the truck then come upon a garage. Joel goes over to the chain next to the door and begins to pull it, opening the door, until I heard a cry. "Shhh-shh." I said to him. "What? I don't hear anything." Joel said once he stopped pulling. We look over to see some runners climbing over the truck and coming towards us. 

"Okay, double time." Tess said as Joel said. "Oh, shit...."

"Oh -- they're coming." Ellie exclaimed as Joel pulls the chain alittle faster. "I know." He said as he finally gets the door open just enough for us to crouch through. "Go. Go. Go." Tess said as Ellie crawls through. Then Tess and I get through. I turn around and Tess and I hold up the door for Joel. Joel managed to get inside the garage, just as a runner grabs his ankle, before we slam it shut on them.

I help Joel up as all of us stare at the door when the infected started slamming and hit the door. "Oh...you got something on your shoe." Ellie said. Tess, Joel and I look down to see a cut off hand on the runner was still attached to Joel's foot. He kicks it off as Ellie said. "Gross."

"Okay. How do we get out of this place?" Joel asked as he looks around the garage. "Let's find out." I said as we walk around the garage. "So Marlene thinks your immune?" Tess asked Ellie. "Well, that's what she believes." Ellie replied.

"Well, how were you bitten? I mean you must've been somewhere you shouldn't to find an infected in the zone." said Tess. "Yeah, I'd sneak out. I was in this military boarding school." Ellie said just as Joel found a door and we head inside. "You'd sneak out?" I asked her. "You know, explore the city. I was in the mall when I ran into infected." She replied.

"That place is completely off-limits. How the hell did you get in there?" Tess asked her. " I...had my ways. Anyways, one of those -- what you guys call runners -- bit me. And that was that." Ellie said. "I see. Were you with Marlene when you were bitten?" Tess asked her. "No. I went to her for help afterwards." Ellie replied. "Knowing her, I'm surprised she didn't shoot you." I remarked and Ellie let's out a small laugh. "She almost did. Hope she's alright." She said. "I told you. She's gonna be fine." Tess said just as the path leads us to an old museum.

***

"What is this place?" Ellie asked as she looks around at the building. "It's an old museum. Some of these things are hundreds of years old." Tess said as she gestures towards the stuff that had, surprisingly, not been taken. "Really? Wow." Ellie whispered in awe as we go to a room that had debris blocking a door way.

There was a large wood that was sticking out of the debris so I go over to the wood and push down on it, using it as a leverage on the fallen debris. Joel comes up to me and helps me while Tess and Ellie hurry under it to get to the other room.

But suddenly the debris begins to collapse, separating Joel and I from Ellie and Tess. "Joel! (Y/n)!" Tess calls out as Joel and I stand back up. "We're alive!" Joel calls out to her. "We'll make our way around to you." I shout just as I hear some clickers. "They're here! Run! Run!" Tess screams and she and Ellie run.

"Shit." Joel grumbles as we make around as quietly as possible since there was so many clickers around. We make it to a door and we run inside then close it behind us and head up the stairs when we heard some banging noises.

"What the--?" I whispered as we get to the door. I open it and down the hall we see a runner banging on the last door on the right. Joel runs over to it and bashed it head in as I hear Tess yell. "Ellie, stay back!"

I kick the door open to see Tess was struggling against a runner until she knocked it off of her. "Tess!" I yelled as I run over to her and she kills the monster. "I'm fine!" She said as we hear Ellie yelp. "Guys! Get in here!" And we run into the room to see a runner had grabbed Ellie while a few more started running towards us.

It was a pain in the ass, but we managed to save Ellie and take out all of the infected. "That was too damn close." Joel mutters as I nod then look over at Tess. "Tess, how're you holdin' up?" I asked her. "Just a bit winded." She replied then she points to an open window. "This way. This'll get us to the roof." And she climbs out of it.

"How 'bout you, kid? You okay?" Joel asked Ellie. "Define okay." Ellie said. "Are you still breathing?" Joel asked her. "Do small, panicked breaths count?" Ellie asked. "Yeah, they count." I replied, nodding. "Alright. Then I'm okay." She replied and we climb out the window and up the old fire escape, until we reach the rooftop.

"There she is. That's our building." Tess said, pointing at the building, which looked a little closer but we still had a least a couple of hours left of the journey. Joel, meanwhile, grabs a long wooden plank and placed it between the space between the museum and the rooftop next to it.

"Alright. Now watch your step as you goin' up 'cause it's gonna be a little..." Joel tries to instruct Ellie but she brushes his advice off and crosses easily. I rolled my eyes as I follow after her.

As I walk up to her, I see that she was looking at the Capitol while the sun was rising behind her. "Well, is that everything you hoped for?" I asked her, gesturing towards the Capitol. "Jury's still out. But, man...you can't deny that view." Ellie replied as Joel and Tess walk up to us.

"C'mon. This way." Tess said as she walks by us and towards a ladder, Ellie starts to follow. Joel walks up next to me and places his left on my right shoulder. I raise my left hand and placed it over his hand then, absentmindedly, ran my fingers over his broken watch. I look over at it just as he looks at it as well. 

"Hey! Pick it up." Tess yells, startling Joel and I. I look down at his watch one more time before I patted his hand and walk over to Tess, just as Ellie climbs down the ladder. "Look, we're almost done. Stay focused." Tess said to us. "Yes, ma'am." Joel said to her as I just give a short nod then, one by one, we climb down the ladder and continue on.

[layce2015]

The Last of Us (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 5: Bill's Town

Chapter 1/ Chapter 2/ Chapter 3/ Chapter 4

We walk along the highway until I see Lincoln's water tower in the distance. "Now there we go..." I said as I pointed at the tower. We walked over to the railing and looked down at the woods. "Yeah, it'll be faster to go through here." Joel said and he hops over the railing then Ellie and I follow suit.

"Man..." Ellie whispers as she looks around at the environment. "What?" Joel and I said. "Nothing. It's just...I've never seen anything like this, that's all." She replied. "You mean the woods?" I asked her. "Yeah. Never walked through the woods. It's kinda cool." She said as we continue to walks.

"Why don't you guys just take me back to Marlene?" Ellie asked us. "If she was up to the task, why'd she drop you off on us?" I asked her. "Well, maybe she's better now." She replied, shrugging. "Kid, I don't mean to upset you, but your friend's chances of survival weren't too high to begin with." Joel said to her. "She's a lot tougher than you think." Ellie retorts. "It don't matter. 'Cause I doubt (y/n) and I could get either of us back into the city in one piece. Trust me. I wish there was some other option." Joel said as we made it through the woods and up to a gate.

Joel goes to open it but it was locked. "Well shit." He mutters. "Should we climb it?" Ellie asked and I look up to see barbed wires all along the top. "No, wire on top of it. We gotta find a way to go around." I said as I pointed it out to her. We go over to the side until Ellie said. "Whoa, look." We turn around and see that she was surrounded by the firefly bugs. "Fireflies. I mean, real fireflies." She said, in awe. "Yeah, we see that." Joel said as a small smile appears on my face. She looks over at us then said. "Sorry, I...I lost myself for a sec." 

The smile disappears off my face then I turn to see a small building in front of us. I run up to the air conditioner and climb on top of it then up the roof. Joel and Ellie follow as I found a wooden plank leaning against the side of the building. I pick it up then brought it over to lay across the gap between the building we were on to the building that was on the other side of the fence.

We walk across it when I look up to see smoke rising up in the far distance. "That you, Bill?" Joel mutters. "Where do you guys usually meet him?" Ellie asked us. "Different places." I replied as we walk along the rooftop. "You guys never been here, have you?" She asked. "We know this is where he lives, but...no, we've never been here personally." Joel replied to her as we jump down.

"And that smoke, you think that's him?" She asked. "Sure as hell better be." I said. "Well, let's go check it out then." Ellie said. "Alright, come on." Joel sid as we jump down from the roof and walked down a steep hill. "Down here. Watch your step; it's a good drop." I warned her as the hill leads us to another rooftop. 

Then we head down and come upon a gate. "Oh, shit. It's jammed from the other side." Joel mutters and I look up to see a gap at the top. "Here, boost me up." I said and he turns around and cups his hands. I place my foot on his hands then he boosts me up to the gap, I climb up and jump over it then land in front of the door and pull the pipe off of the handle, opening the door.

"Easy as pie." I said and Joel rolls his eyes at me as he and Ellie walk through the door. "So, let's say we get a car from this buddy of yours. Then what?" Ellie asked us as we continue through the empty street. "Well, then we go find Tommy." Joel replied.

"Marlene said he's your brother." Ellie said and Joel nods. "And more importantly he was a Firefly. He'd know where to take you." He said. "Oh, okay." Ellie murmurs. "He lives far from here which is why we need the car." I said as we come up to a yard and see a bunch of garden gnomes.

"Hey, look. Gnomes." She said as she walks up to them. "Yeah. Those are gnomes." Joel mutters. "Man, I had an art book filled with these. I always thought they were super cute. Not fairies though. They creep me out." Ellie said and I let out a small chuckle. "Alright, then." Joel grumbles and we continue with our walk.

*****

As we walk along main street, we see a large sign sitting in the middle of the road. "Mandatory evacuation." Ellie reads as she walks up to it, then she looks over at us. "Evacuate to where?" She asked. "Where you think? Quarantine zone. See, some places got a head's up before the infection showed up. Most didn't." Joel replied. "Man, must be hard. Just...leaving all your stuff behind like that." said Ellie. I frown and fold my arms across my chest as I gave a heavy sigh. "That ain't the hard part." I told her and she gives me a slightly confused look before I start to walk again, Joel follows.

***

Eventually, we come up to an alleyway, but Joel stops me as we heard a clicker. It comes running at the end of the alley and starts to head towards us until something explodes, killing it, and making us all jump in fright.

"Jesus!" Joel exclaimed.

"Holy shit!" I said at the same time.

"Whoa, Nelly. Wha--? What the hell was that?" Ellie asked. "That...would be one of Bill's traps." Joel replied to her as we slowly make our way through the alleyway. "Your friend a bit paranoid, maybe?" Ellie said. "Now that's putting it lightly." I said, chuckling.

"What's the deal with this guy?" Ellie asked us as we climb up a building and walk along the rooftops. "Well, he helped us smuggle stuff into the city. He's...He knows how to find things." replied Joel as we come upon a plank that was already laid across to the other building. "Well let's hope we don't blow up trying to find him." Ellie said, snarky. "Just watch your step. You'll be fine." I told her just as we come upon a corpse full with arrows.

"Hey, looks like these are still usable." I said as I take the arrows and put them in my backpack. "You good with a bow?" Ellie asked me. Before I could answer, we heard a clicker nearby. We slowly walk and see it just standing up against a wall. I pull out my bow and an arrow, then load the arrow on the string and pull back. I take a few steady breathes as I aim the arrow at the clicker's head then I let it go, causing a headshot.

"Oh fuck." Ellie exclaimed, a mix between shock and awe. I smiled as Joel said. "Nice shot." I look up at him and said. "Thank you, darlin'." He and I stare at each other for a few seconds before I, quickly, look away then head over to the clicker and pulled out the still intact arrow.

"Now, listen. Bill ain't exactly the most stable of individuals. So when we get there, you let (y/n) and I do the talkin'. You understand?" Joel said to Ellie as I put up the bow. "I understand." Ellie said. "We gotta be clear on this. He...He don't take too kindly to strangers." I informed her. "Alright." Ellie replied. "Bill's a good guy, he just definitely needs some time warming up to you, that's all." Joel told her and she nods as we go onwards.

****

After going through some buildings, finding some supplies and tripping off some of Bill's traps just so we can get through, we come upon a door. Joel goes to open it but as he looks down at the floor, he suddenly was jerked in the room, rather quickly. "Oh, shit!" I heard him yell as Ellie and I run to the door. "Joel!" We exclaimed as I see that was hanging upside down by his feet. "God..." he mutters as I go over to him. 

"Here...I got you." I said as I go and steady him, stopping him from swaying. "Dammit, Bill..." he grumbles. "What just happened?" Ellie asked us. "It's another one of Bill's stupid traps!" Joel replied, annoyed. I look around and saw the cause of this trap. "There, that fridge. It looks like that's the counterweight." I said, pointing at it.

"Okay!" Ellie said as she runs over to the fridge. "Cut that rope and it'll bring me down!" Joel yells at her. "On it!" She yells as she jumps on the fridge and starts to cut the rope. "Don't worry, honey. We'll get you down." I whispered to him until we heard some screams and growls.

I turn around and could see some infected coming our way. "Guys?!" Ellie calls out as she sees this. "Shit, here they come!" Joel exclaimed. "Guys!!" Ellie said as I pull out my gun. "Just tend to the rope, Ellie!" I yelled as I raise my gun and began to shoot at the oncoming threat.

As I fired at some of the infected, I heard another set of gunshots. I look over my shoulder and saw Joel, the badass that he is, was shooting at the infected while hanging upside. 

"Ellie, how's it looking?" I asked her as Joel and I continue to fire at the infected. "I'm going as fast as I can!" She exclaims as she finally cuts the counterweight, dropping Joel. "Joel, watch out!" Ellie shouts and I turn to see Joel was fighting off an infected until I see an armored up, and masked, Bill come up and machetes the attacker's head off. "Get off your ass and on your feet!" Bill yells as he helps Joel up then leads us out of the garage.

"Which way?" Joel asked Bill as we get cornered. "Alright -- we'll ah...We'll cut through. C'mon, here!" Bill said towards an old laundromat. "Don't slow down! This place ain't secure!" Bill yells as we run through the laundromat and out back into the street then through a semi truck until we take refuge in an old bar.

****

"Man...that was close. Uh...thanks for the heroics and all." Ellie said to Bill as he locks the door then removes his mask. He turns to her as she offers him a handshake. "Uh, Ellie." She introduced but, suddenly, He puts handcuffs on her.

"Hey, what are you--guys!?" Ellie said, confused.

"Bill." Joel said.

"What are you doing?" Ellie asked Bill again. 

"Bill!" I shout at him as he handcuffs Ellie to a pipe. "Let me go!" Ellie screams as Bill turns his gun on me and Joel. "Turn around and get on your knees." He ordered us. "Just calm down a second." I said to him, calmly. "Turn around and get on your knees!" He yells. 

"Alright!" Joel said as we turn around and he knees Joel then me. Both of us fall to our knees as he searches us. "Don't test me!" He exclaims. "Just...ah, take it easy." Joel said as we raise our hands up.

"You got any bites?" He asked us.

"No." I replied to him.

"Anything sprouting?" Bill asked.

"No, dammit, we're clean!" Joel yells at Bill, annoyed.

"Well, I see so much as a twitch--" Bill started to say until we heard a thud and Bill exclaims in pain. We turn around to see that Ellie was free and she started hitting Bill on the arm with the pipe she was handcuff to.

"Stop!" Joel said to her as he stands up, runs over to her and pulls the pipe out of her hands. "Son of a bitch!" Bill shouts as he holds his arm. "You done?" I asked Bill as I stand up and face him.

"Am I done...? You come into my house, you set off all my traps, you damn near break my shootin' arm. Who the fuck is this punk and what's she doing here?" Bill asked, angrily. "I am none of your damn business, and we're here because you owe Joel and (y/n) some favors. And you can start by taking these off." Ellie snaps at him as she holds up her handcuffed arm.

"I owe them some favors, is this some kind of joke?" Bill asked. "I'll cut to the chase. We need a car." Joel told him, calmly. "Well, it is a joke. Joel and (y/n) need a car. Well, if I had one that works, which I sure as hell don't, what makes you think I'd just give it to you? Huh? Yeah, sure Joel, go ahead, take my car. Take all my food too while you're at it." Bill said, angry and annoyed.

"By the looks of it, you could lose some of that food." Ellie sneered and Bill turns and aims his machete at her. "You listen to me, you little shit--" he growls. "No, fuck you! You handcuffed me--" Ellie screams as I run over to her and pushed her away from Bill before she or Bill could do anything to each other. "We need you to shut up. Alright?" I said and she looks up at me then gives a quick nod.

"Whatever favors you guys think I owe ya, it ain't worth that much." Bill said as he sets his machete on the bar and sharpen it. "Actually, Bill, they are." Joel told him. "Well, it don't matter 'cause I don't have a car that works." Bill grumbles.

"But there is one in this town." I said as I turn to the men. "Parts. There are parts in this town." Bill scowls. "Meaning that you could fix one up." Joel said as Bill looks at him for a moment then let's out  sigh. "Alright. If I'm gonna do this, there's some gear I'm gonna need." He said. "Alright." Joel said as Bill pulls out a map full of annotations and margin scrawlings.

"It's on the other side of town. Now you help me go gather it, and maybe, I can put something together that runs. But after this, I owe you two nothin'." He said. "That's fine." I said as Bill puts the handcuff key on the table. "Couple days from now, we'll probably be dead anyway." Joel mutters as he grabs the key and uncuffs Ellie. "Good. Follow me. Whole damn town's booby-trapped, best stay right on my ass." Bill said as he heads towards another door in the back.

"Can't miss it." Ellie mutters and Joel turns to her. "Knock it off." He growls at her as we follow Bill. "We have to cross to the other building. Up the stairs. Let's move it." Bill said and we do just that.

"Psh." Ellie scoffs.

"Just stay with us." I muttered to her as we get to the other building and climb up the stairs.

"Can't believe you agreed to this bullshit, Bill. What you shoulda done was just left them back there." Bill mutters to himself and I just shake my head at this. "You guys weren't kidding about him." Ellie muttered to Joel and I. "Yeah, he's one of a kind." Joel said.

"So what kind of trouble are you guys in? Where the hell's Tess?" Bill asked and Joel sighs while I bite my lips. "It's a job. A simple drop-off." I replied. "What are you delivering? That little brat?" Bill asked as he gestures to Ellie.

"Haha. Fuck you, too." Ellie said, humorously, and Bill let's out a loud laugh. "Y'know, I hope you guys know what you're doin'." Bill said to Joel and I as we jumped out of the window of the building, walked along a small walkway and into another building. "Are you kidding me with this guy?" Ellie asked, annoyed.

"So, where we goin', Bill?" Joel asked Bill. "My other safehouse. It's more of an armory." Bill replied. "Wait, I thought we were gonna fix up a car?" Ellie asked him. "We? You know how to fix a--" Bill said, confused. "Bill, just..." I said to him, exasperated. "It's like I said, what I need is on the other side of town. Now, that side I don't ever go to 'cause it's filled with infected. So, we're gonna need more guns." Bill said as we came into back storage area and hear a muffled noise. 

"Shh. There's one inside." Joel said as we slowly approach the door. "Oh...I've been meaning to take care of that. Relax, it's nothin'." Bill said, waving towards a trapped runner that was pinned down on an broken window. "You guys didn't answer my question about Tess." Bill said as he goes over to the runner. "She's busy." Joel replied. "Yeah, sure....busy." Bill mutters as he goes and chops the runners head off then towards the front door.

"Alright....here we go." He said as he opens the door. We walk outside and see a bunch of abandoned cars out on the street. "So....why don't you fix one of these cars?" Ellie asked Bill, pointing at all of the cars. "Oh my God, you're a genius. I mean the whole time, why on earth hadn't I thought about fixin' one of these cars?" Bill said, sarcastically. "Okay...don't be a dick." Ellie grumbles, annoyed.

"Their tires are rotted and their batteries are dead." Bill explains, also annoyed. "Are you done?" Ellie asked him. "Can't even begin to think what the inside of the engine blocks look like. Only ones making new car batteries are the military." Bill explains just as we heard a cry in the distance.

"Dammit." I muttered as Ellie exclaimed. "Infected!"

Bill, Joel and I pulled out our guns and started firing and taking out more runners and Clickers, all the while Ellie had to hide behind cars. 

"Alright..." Bill said, loudly, after we finished then he starts walking towards a gate. "You gotta check the barricades again. You neglect the simple shit and now you're paying for it. You know what that means...taking all the supplies from the warehouse and lugging it to the east fence...again. Then it'll take you--" Bill mutters to himself. "Okay, well now he's talking to himself." Ellie said. "Yeah..." I said, shaking my head. "Bill?" Joel calls out to him then Bill turns to him. "Joel? This way. And up we go." He said as he opens the gate and let us through.

"You picked a hell of a place to hole up, didn't ya?" Joel asked Bill. "You know, as bad as those things are, at least they're predictable. It's the normal people that scare me. You and your wife of all people should understand that." Bill said as we head up a set of cobbled steps. "What does that mean?" Ellie asked, looking between us. "Nothin'." Joel replied, quietly, as I turn to Bill and point at the gate we just went through.

"You sure that gate's gonna hold 'em?" I asked him. "Well, I locked it. They don't have a key." He said as we come up to a backyard of a church. "So, which way?" Joel asked. "We're here. It's in the cellar." Bill said as he points at the cellar door. Joel goes and opens it to Bill go through. "Alright, down here." He said and the four of us enter the cellar.

****

"Well, here we are." Bill said then he turns to Ellie. "You. Don't touch anything." Then he points at Joel. "And you close the door." Joel turns around and shuts it as Bill turns on a lantern. "Let's gear up." He said and we start to walk over the workbenches until Joel stops Ellie from following us. "Uh-uh." He said, shaking his head. "What? I need a gun." Ellie said. "No you don't." I said to her. "Joel...(y/n), I can handle myself." She said to us, firmly. "No. Just...stay here." Joel told her as he and I walk over to Bill.

"Fine. I'll just wait around for you three to get me killed." Ellie said, angrily and annoyed, as she walks over to a different shelf. "This goes on record as the worst fucking job you two've ever taken." Bill said to us. "It's up there." I said.

"How in the hell is Tess okay with this suicide mission?" Bill asked us. "It's actually her idea." Joel informed him. "Really? Well, the broad's not as smart as I thought she was. But...fuck her. Seriously, you guys gotta take that kid back to where ya found her." Bill said as he starts to load his gun and Joel goes to sit on the edge of the table, I go and stand next to Joel and placed my left hand on his shoulder.

"Bill, we can't just take her back." I said to him. "Then send her packing, let her find her own way. Let me tell you two a story. Once upon a time I had someone I cared about." He said and both of us look at him, confused and shocked. "It was a partner. Somebody I had to look after." He replied after he finished loading his gun. "And in this world that sort of shit's good for one thing: gettin' ya killed. So, you know what I did? I wisened the fuck up. And I realized it's gotta be just me." 

"Bill, it...it ain't like that. It's--" Joel starts to explain but Bill looks at him. "Bullshit. It is just like that." He said but then he stops as he looks over at Ellie. "Hey! What did I say to you when we walked down the steps? What did I say?" He yelled at her and I look over to see that she was messing with a pile of stuff on a shelf. "I'm just fixing your stupid pile." She yelled back at him as she backs away from the shelf. 

"Don't touch!" He yells, sternly. She scoffs at him then flips him off. "Damnit." Bill growls while I bite my lips, trying real hard to hold back a laugh. "You two keep babysitting long enough and eventually it's gonna blow up in your faces." Bill said as he loads up another gun. "Bill. Can we please just get on with it?" Joel said, exasperated. "Here. Let's get on with it." Bill said as he tosses Joel the shotgun then he looks over to see an extra shotgun and tosses it to me.

[layce2015]

The Last of Us (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 4: Change of Plans

Chapter 1/ Chapter 2/ Chapter 3

"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, curiously. "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. "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 of 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.

"There is no way that--"

"I will not turn into one of those things!" Tess yells, interrupting Joel. "Come on. Make this easy for me."

"We can fight--" I started to say but she shakes her head. "No, just go! Just fucking go." She said. Joel and I stare at her for a few moments but she nods and gestures for us to leave. "Ellie." Joel said, addressing her, as we still stare at Tess.

"I'm sorry, I didn't -- I didn't mean for this." Ellie said, as she looks between us. "Get a move on." Joel said and the three of us run towards the back of the building, leaving Tess behind to fend for herself.

We shut the door behind us and locked it as Ellie starts to freak out a bit. "What the fuck! I can't believe we did that." She exclaims as I shut my eyes in sadness. "Stop." I whispered to her just as we hear Tess fighting back. "We just left her to die." Ellie complains then Joel turns to her, sharply. "Stop." He said, firmly. He looks over at me as I open my eyes then look up at him and nod. 

He moves a strand of hair out of my face then he turns to Ellie. "You stay close to either me or (y/n). We need to move." He said and the three of us head upstairs and walk along the floor.

Then we come upon a balcony of the front area and we could see Tess's dead body on the floor, along with a couple of guards that she was able to take with her. "Oh my God. Tess..." Ellie whispered. 

"Target neutralized. She took out two of my men." One guard said. Then he looks over to another guard and said. "You, take out that door." Then he points at another guard and said. "You, with me." And they start to disperse.

"They're gonna be here soon." Ellie informed us and we start to make our way through the holding by escaping to another wing of the building. "What do we do? Joel? (Y/n)?" Ellie asked as we some of the squad coming into the room. "We got this." I said as Joel and I pull out our guns and start taking out some of the men.

We head to the ground floor as Ellie asks. "What're we doing? Guys, how're we gonna get outta here?" Before we could answer we heard some of the squad talking amongst each and we duck and hide. "Alright. We're gonna have to go through that hall." Joel said as he points through the archway were we could see an exit. "Stay down. We don't know how many more there are." I said as we, quietly, make our way around the guards by hiding behind huge crates. 

"There's the exit." Ellie whispers to us. "Yeah, we see it." Joel whispers as we get close to the exit. Joel looks around the corner of a crate, we were hiding behind, as I hear the guards walking past us then he whispers. "Go!" And we take off running outside and towards an old subway entrance then we head down the stairs.

"They're going into the subway! Stop 'em!" We heard a voice yell then a large vehicle coming closer. "Shit." Joel and I mutter. "They're following us!" Ellie exclaimed and we take off running deeper into the subway as they fire at us.

"Damn it, spores." I said and Joel and I put on our mask. "Get down." Ellie said to us as she pulls us down behind cover. "There's a soldier over there." She points out as we see a couple of guards. I look over at her and notice that she doesn't have anything to protect her face. She didn't have a reaction to them at all. "How the hell are you breathin' in this stuff?" I asked her. "I wasn't lying to you guys." She replied and Joel and I exchange looks before we go and kill the two guards.

She let's out a sigh as we walk through an abandoned subway train and move onto a submerged portion of the station. "Hey, uh, I can't swim." She informed and we look back at her. 'We'll figure something out." Joel mutters as we dive into the water to get to the other side of the station.

"Ellie?!" I called out once we emerged from the water. "I'm fine." She calls out as she walks on the side, where it was shallow enough for her. I look around me and saw a wooden pallet. "There! We can use that!" I said and I swim over to it and start to bring the pallet over to her.

"Get on." I said to her. "Really?" She asked me as she looks at the pallet. "Ellie." Joel said, exasperated, as he grabs the other side of the pallet. "Okay. Okay." She said and jumps on it and we carry her over to the other side up to a platform. She jumps on it then looks over to see a ladder near her and placed it down for us.

I go to climb up the ladder first the Joel follows. "Alright. Let's get out of here." He said and we turn a corner to see stairs that leads up and outside. We climb out of the tunnel and walk outside then Joel and I take our masks off. He coughs a bit and I pat his back, reassuringly.

"Hey, look, um....about Tess...I don't even know what to--" Ellie started to say but Joel cuts her off. "Here's how this thing's gonna play out. You don't bring up Tess -- ever. Matter of fact, we can just keep our histories to ourselves. Secondly, don't tell anybody about your condition. They'll think you're crazy or they'll try to kill you. And lastly, you do what (y/n) and I say, when we say it. We clear?" He said, firmly.

"Sure." Ellie mutters.

"Repeat it." Joel ordered her and she sighs. "What you two say, goes." She summoned up. I sigh at this as Joel said. "Good. Now, there's a town a few miles north of here. There's a fella there that owes us some favors. Good chance he can get us a car." 

"If he has one that works...." I muttered. "Okay." Ellie said, softly. "Let's get a move on." Joel said and he starts ahead as I turn to Ellie. "Come on." I said, kindly, as I nod towards Joel and she looks at me before we follow him.

[layce2015]

The Last Of Us (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 14: David

Chapter 13

WINTER

It had been a few weeks since we left that mall and started using the medicine kit for Joel. But the kit ran out of supplies just a few days ago, so Ellie and I have been holed up in this house that used to be part of a lodging resort. We pulled a mattress down to a basement and placed Joel on top of it then the blanket over him, to keep him warm.

For the past few days, we've been switching on watching Joel while the other goes out and hunts. Like I will stay and watch over him, while Ellie would go out and search for supplies or hunt and vice versa.

Today would be a day, I wish it was my turn out hunting.

I was sitting on the mattress next to Joel, who was letting out shivering breathes, and I had to make sure the blanket was secure enough around him. "I know, honey. It's freezing cold. I'm doing my best here." I said as I tuck the blanket in then placed my hand on his cheek. Then his breathing subsides a bit and he leans into my touch.

I smile at this as I start to lay down next to him and lean my head on his shoulder. I slide my hand across his chest as I let out a sigh. "God, I miss you, Joel. I hope you wake up soon. I just...I miss you, now more than ever." I mutter. Then I smirked at a memory that popped in my head. "You remember when you proposed to me?" I asked aloud as I start to prop myself on my left elbow. "We were walking along the park, near the duck pond, and you looked so nervous. I asked you if you were okay and you tried to shrug it off but I called you out on it." I chuckle as I remember his reaction when I kept asking him what was wrong.

"But....finally, we stood by the pond and you reached in your pocket, got down on your knee and held up the ring to me. And you said, I never thought I would fall in love again, that I would be alone for the rest of my life with my daughter. But you came into my life and proved me wrong. And the more time I spent with you, the deeper my love for you becomes. You're the most wonderful woman a man could ask for and I love you." I said as I smile and bite my lips then run my fingers through his hair. "That was one of the happiest days of my life....and I remember Sarah was so happy when we came home and told her. I don't know who was happier...you, me or her..."

At that moment, I hear the garage door open and I, immediately, sit up and listen. Then I heard a horse and then hurried footsteps coming down the steps. "Ellie!" I said as she walks down the steps. "I only managed to get a little bit of food. But...I did get this." She said then she holds up a pouch then opens it and pulls out a bottle and a syringe. "Thank God." I muttered as she sticks the needle in the bottle and fills the syringe with the fluids. "Okay...Move his arm." She said as I pull the blanket off of him and pull up his shirt.

"Oh... Here we go." She mutters and she gives him the injection, making him whince. "Shh, shh, shh...it's okay, it's okay." I whispered, softly, as Ellie pulls the needle out of him. "All done. That's it." She said and I nod and smile at her. "You're gonna make it." I said to Joel and then I kissed his cheek. Ellie goes and lays down near us as I push down his shirt and wrap the blanket around him then I lay back down. I place my hand back on his chest and lay my head on his shoulder.

A second later I felt Ellie's hand placed over mine and I hold on to her hand.

****

I woke up the next morning to the sounds of footsteps on the snow and men talking. My eyes flicker open as I sit up and listen, Ellie stood up and ran over to the small window at the top then looks out. "Oh, fuck. They tracked me." She mutters. "Wait, who tracked you?" I asked her as I stand up. "When I was hunting, I met up with a guy and...he and I made a trade, I'd give him the deer I shot and he would give me medicine for Joel. But then I found out that his men were the ones that attacked us back at the university and the mall. So they know who we are." She said as I stare at her in shock. 

"Elllie..." I said, a slight disappointment in my voice, as she starts to walk out of the basement. "I'm gonna draw them away from here." She said. "Not by yourself, you're not." I said as I place a hand on her shoulder. "What about Joel?" She asked and I look back at him then towards us. "He'll be fine for a while. It shouldn't take us long to take care of these assholes." I said as I go over to Joel and kneel down next to him.

"We'll come back for you." I said to him and I kiss his cheek. "I love you." I whispered in his ear then get up and Ellie and I leave the basement then head towards the garage. "What's the guy's name?" I asked Ellie as I mount Callus and Ellie opens the door. "Uh...David." she replied as we get out of the garage and she lowers the door as quietly as she could.

"Okay, c'mon." I said to her and she mounts behind me and we get away from the house to see a few hunters nearby as they look around the houses. "Are you even sure she's here?" A man asked. "Man, there were horse tracks down the fucking street. She's here." Another man replied and we try to get around them but then I felt someone grab my arm.

"Hey! I got her! And she's not alone!" The hunter said as I try to fight him off of me until Ellie stabs him in the throat. He let's got and falls down as we look over to see the hunters looking at us. "What are you waiting for? Shoot them!" A hunter ordered. "But David said--" the second hunter muttered but the first hunter talks over him. "Fuck David. Shoot them now!" And they start to fire at us.

"Go!" I yelled at Callus as I snapped the reins and he starts to gallop through the resort. The hunters fire at us and miss as I steer Callus to avoid any of the hunters that try to grab onto us.

"Shit! They're running away!"

"They're getting away!"

"Shoot the horse! Shoot the fuckin' horse!"

We almost got away but then Callus gets shot, and throws us down a bank. We tumble down the hill and land at the bottom, just behind an old cabin. "Oh man...No..." Ellie whispers as I get up and see that Callus was shot through the head. "Oh shit. Okay..." I muttered as I look up at the cliff then I take Ellie's hand and we run into the cabin. "They fell down the hill somewhere. I don't see them though." A hunter yelled as we jump through the window and hide in the cabin.

"Are we really killing them? David said he wants the girl alive. He didn't say anything about the woman..."

"He doesn't get to make that call. James told me it's the girl from the university, and I'm sure the woman is the woman from the university too. How many of our guys were killed there?" 

"Oh shit. I didn't know that was her. Screw David, then. I ain't taking a chance with this."

"I just want to finish up and go home. I'm freezing my ass off."

We hear the men talk among each other as we make our way out of the cabin and hide behind various buildings and then shoot them. After killing all of them, we make our way to an exit on a broken cliffside. "Look, (y/n)....Nature track..." Ellie said as she points out the trail. "Okay, that should get us out of here." I told her and follow the trail then we had to shimmy against the cliff, to avoid falling into the freezing water.

We get around that then come upon a blocked culvert. "Okay, Ellie...let's move this." I said and both of us move the junk out of the way and we crawl through the culvert. We get out on the other side and run for a bit until we see a large lodge house on the riverside. "That's the way back." I said to Ellie and she nods as she runs ahead of me. "Hang in there, Joel." I whispered as I follow her up to the lodge.

"Cover the grounds! Make sure they're not hiding somewhere over here!" I hear one of the hunters yell and a group of them start to come out as Ellie and I duck down behind some crates. "How many of these fuckers are there?" Elllie asked me. "I don't know, but I'm getting annoyed by it too." I said as I pull out a nail bomb and throw it. They react to the sound it made once it hit the grounds and they run over to it, only for it to blow up in their faces.

"That thing is really handy." Ellie mutters to me. "Yeah..." I said as we get up to the side of the lodge. "Look, we can go through there." I said as I point at the large hole towards the roof. "Okay." She mutters and I go over to the dumpster and pull it towards the wall, Ellie comes over and helps me. We get it up against the wall and both of us climb up it then she goes through the hole first then I climb in next.

"Where's the way out?" Ellie asked me and I shake my head. "I guess we'll find out together." I whispered as we make our way through the lodge. "They're on this side of the lodge!" A man yells and a few men started running towards us.

We fire at them and fight our way through the lodge until we reach the front door. "Oh great, it's blocked." I muttered as we see a bunch of debris in front of the door. "Help me with this." I said to Ellie and both of us shoulder charge the door a few times until it finally opens. "Yes." I whispered but then suddenly I was grabbed and so was Ellie.

"Relax... Keeping you and your friend alive here." A male's voice said as he had a hold of Ellie and his friend had a hold of me. "There you go." He said as we struggled to fight but the hold around our necks made it hard for us to breathe and I blackout.

****

I open my eyes to see that I was in a cell. I groan in frustration as I sit up and see Ellie was next to me as she started to come to. Before either of us could speak, we heard what sounded like something being chopped up. We looked out of our cell and saw a man chopping up a corpse in front of us.

Both of gasp in fright as we see a disembodied arm fall off the table. Oh my God! These sick fucks! I thought as a man walks up to our cell carrying a tray with two plates. Ellie taps my shoulder and I look over at her as she mouths the words That's David. I look back at David as he asks. "How are you girls feeling?" He had this very quiet, calm and creepy sounding voice. It was a little unsettling.

"Super." Ellie replied, sarcastically.

"Here. You girls should eat. I know you're hungry -- been out for quite some time." David said as he slides the tray through the hole at the bottom of the cell door. "What is it?" Ellie asked him, both of us not touching the tray. "It's deer." He replied. "With some human helping on the side?" I asked him, snarkily.

He chuckles and said. "No. No, I promise. It's...just the deer meat." Ellie and I glare at him as Ellie said. "You're a fucking animal." Then she begins to eat the meat while I just pick a little piece at it and eat it then began to take bigger chunks of it to eat. 

"Oh...you're awfully quick to judgment. Considering you two and your friend killed how many men?" David asked us. "They didn't give us a choice." I snapped at him. "And you think we have a choice? Is that it?" He asked me as he and I glare at each other. "You kill to survive...and so do we. We have to take care of our own. By any means necessary." He said to us.

"So now what? You gonna chop us up into tiny pieces?" Ellie asked him. "I'd rather not. Please tell me your names." He said as he looks between us. We glare at him until Ellie shoves the tray out of the cell and growls. "You're so full of shit."

"On the contrary, I've been, ah, been quite honest with you and your friend here. Now I think it's your turn. It's the only way I'm gonna be able to convince the others." He said as all of us stand up. "Convince them of what?" Ellie and I asked as she places her hand on the bars. "That both of you can come around." He said then he looks over at Ellie and said. "You have heart. You're loyal. And you're special." He said to Ellie as he runs his hands over hers in a very creepy manner. You fuckin' creep! I thought as he looks over at me then said. "And you seem strong, reliable and resourceful. My crew and I would love to have you two here." Then he gives me a smile and I fight the urge to puke in front of him.

"Oh...." she mutters as I look over at David and noticed the keys attached to his belt. Ellie glances at me for a moment and I nod at her. She looks back up at David and puts her hand on his, then breaks his finger. I try to grab his cell keys, but he knocks both of our heads into the cell door by grabbing our arms and slamming us against the bars.

"Fuck!" I growled as both of us fall back in the cell as he let's go of our arms. "You stupid little girl and you stupid, stupid woman. You two are making it very difficult to keep both of you alive. What am I supposed to tell the others now?" David asked, angrily, as he holds his broken finger.

I felt something warm running out of my nose and I lift up my hand to find out that it was bleeding, Ellie was the same way. David starts to growl and walk away until Ellie speaks up.

"Ellie." Ellie replied.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"Tell them that...Ellie is the little girl who broke your fucking finger." Ellie growled at him. He smirks as he stares at us. "How did you put it? Hmm? Tiny pieces?" He asked Ellie and both of us stare at him in shock. "See you and your friend in the morning, Ellie." David said as he and his butcher friend walk out of the room.

*3rd Person POV*

Meanwhile, back at the cabin, Joel wakes up with a startle and looks around to find himself in a basement. He groans in pain as he starts to get up and throw the blanket off of him. He takes a few moments to catch his breath as he looks around to not find his wife or Ellie. "(Y/n)? Ellie?" He calls out but no answer. He slowly stands up, grunting and groaning, and takes a few steps over to his backpack, picks it up and puts it on his back.

He walks up the stairs, while grunting and groaning in pain and holding his side, and starts to look around. "(Y/n)!? Ellie?!" He calls out again but, again, no answer. "Where the hell are you two?" He mutters to himself as he walks out of the cabin and out into the snowy streets. "(Y/n)! Ellie!" He yells but nothing, this was starting to worry him. "Where'd they run off to?" He asked himself as continues on.

Suddenly, a gunshot sounds out, just barely missing him. "Shit." He mutters as he hides behind some crates as he hears the hunters yell. "Oh shit! He's over there!"

"Move it! Don't let him get ya!" Another yelled and Joel pulls out his rifle and begins to shoot at them. "Where are they?!" He yells at the hunters, figuring that they had something to do with his wife's and Ellie's disappearance, but their answer was more bullets. And Joel answered back with more bullets as he takes them out, one by one.

He jumps over a fence into a backyard of a cabin then starts to run to the front area. He gets out on the street when a hunter grabs him from behind. "Gotcha, asshole. Finish him off!" The hunter said to his friend, who had a knife pulled out and walking towards Joel. "Hold him still!" The second hunter said while Joel struggles in the hunter's grip.

Joel, then, kicks the hunter in front of him in the nads, then headbutts the one that had a hold of him. "Son of a bitch!" One of the hunters said as Joel grabs one of them and starts to drag them away. "You come with me. Come on..." he growls at one of the hunters. "Let me go. I'll...fuck you up..." the hunter said as Joel drags him away.

****

Joel brings them to a basement and starts beating them for information. "What do you want? What the fuck?" The hunter that was tied up to the chair asked once Joel stopped punching the second hunter that was tied to an old radiator. "You wait here." Joel said to the hunter he just beat up and grabs a chair and pulls it up in front of the hunter tied to a chair.

"Now...the woman and the girl...are they alive?" Joel asked the hunter in a low voice. "What woman and girl? I don't know no girl and I especially don't know no old bitch." The hunter replied. Joel glares at the man for a moment before his stabs him in the knee.

The man screams out in pain. "Fuck!" He cries as Joel goes to slap him in the face. "Focus right here. Right here. Or I'll pop your damn knee off." Joel threatens the man. "Now, the woman and the girl."

"They're alive. They're David's newest pets." The man replied with a wail. "Where?" Joel asked with a growl. The man doesn't answer so Joel twists the knife in the man's leg. "In the town. In the town." The man screams then Joel puts the bloody knife in the merc's mouth and holds up a map.

"Now you're gonna mark it on the map. And it better be the same exact spot your buddy points to. Mark it." He orders and the man does as he was told then spits the knife out of his mouth. "It's right there. You can verify it. Go ask him. Go on. He'll tell ya. I ain't lyin'. I ain't lyin." The man begs as Joel pockets the map and walks behind the hunter.

Then he wraps his arm around the man and chokes him until he breaks his neck. The chair falls over and the second hunter slightly jumps in fright at this until he looks up at Joel. "Fuck you, man. He told you what you wanted. I ain't telling you shit." He shouts as Joel picks up a pipe and walks over to him.

"That's alright. I believe him." Joel replied and he raises the pipe, like a bat. "No, wait!" The man begs before Joel kills him with the pipe to the head.

[layce2015]

The Last of Us (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 11: Tommy

Chapter 1/ Chapter 10

FALL

"Jackson County." Ellie read as we come upon the sign. "That means we're close to Jackson City, right?" She asked us. "You ready to see your dear old brother?" Ellie asked Joel. "I'm just ready to get there." Joel replied. "You nervous?" I asked him. "I don't know what I'm feeling." He sighs as we continue onto the trail until we come up to a dead end.

"So much for this road." Ellie remarks. "We just follow the river. It'll lead us straight to Tommy's. C'mon." Joel told her and we turn, found a side path and followed that. "What happened between you two?" Ellie asked Joel. "What do you mean?" Joel asked, confused. "You and Tommy...you're not together, so clearly something went down." She said.

"We just had a bit of a disagreement, that's all." Joel replied. "Oh, here we go...so what was it about?" She asked, exasperated. "Tommy saw the world one way, I saw it the other." Joel said to her. "And that's why he joined the Fireflies?" She asked. "Yeah, your friend Marlene promised him hope." I told her. "That kept him busy for awhile, but just like Tommy, he eventually quit that too." Joel continued as we follow the river.

"How was it, the last time you saw him?" Ellie asked Joel. "I believe his last words to me were I don't ever want to see your fuckin' face again." Joel replied. "Geez. But he's gonna help us?" Ellie asked us. "I suppose we're gonna find out." I told her as we walk under the bridge. "Well, with or without his help, we'll get there." Ellie said, hopeful. "Let's just keep going." Joel grumbles as we continue on.

****

"Whoa, what's that?" Ellie asked as we come upon a large structure. "That there is a hydroelectric power plant." Joel replied. "A...hydra who?" Ellie said, confused. "It, uh...uses the river's movement and turns it into electricity." I answered as we walk up the stairs towards the plant. "How's it do that?" She asked us. "Look. We know what it is, we don't know how it does it." Joel said, annoyed. "All right...how are we getting across?" She asked as we get up the stairs and Joel goes over to a crank and turns it.

As he turns the wheel, half of a thin bridge appears in front of us. "Well, that gets us halfway. If we get the other one up, we'll make it across." Ellie said and Joel looks put towards the water then jumps in it. "I'll find something. Just hang tight." He said and he inhales a deep breath and dives into the water.

"Did you ever get involved with their arguments?" Ellie asked me. I look over my shoulder at her then sighed. "No...I felt like that that was not my place to get involved in. But I did have to intervene a couple of time because they almost got into a physical fight." I replied. "Oh man...." Ellie said, shocked, as Joel comes back up to the surface with a pallet. 

"Alright, Ellie, I need you to--"

"I know, step on the fucking pallet." She said, interrupting him, then she jumps on the pallet and he ferries her over to the other side. "Go on, give it a spin." Joel told her as she jumps up and runs over to the wheel and starts to crank it, making the other half of the bridge appear. Joel swims back over to me and I help him out of the water then both of us walk across the new bridge.

"Hey, be careful crossing that thing." She told us. "We will." I replied to her and we make to the other side to her. "Teamwork." She said as she raised.her right hand. Joel high-fives her and I do the same. "Yeah." She exclaims, happily, and I chuckle under my breath.

We walk through the plant as Ellie said. "Aughh, I'm so hungry." 

"I know. I am too." Joel told her.

"Same here." I chimed in.

"All right, next squirrel I see, I'm totally shooting it." Ellie informed us. "Let's get past this place, then we can scrounge up some food." I told her. "Well, if I starve, you two are responsible." Ellie said and I just shake my head as duck under a fallen tree branch then went around the dam. But the road leading out is blocked by equipment.

"Uh...should we head in?" Ellie asked us as we look up at the large gate in front of us. "Ah, ain't no way around... Gonna have to cut through the plant." Joel said and he goes to try to open the large doors, but then survivors with guns appear at the top.

"Don't even think about reaching for your weapon." A woman's voice said as Ellie pulls out her gun and aims it while Joel steps back from the door. "Tell the girl to drop hers. Now." The woman orders. "Ellie, do as the lady says." Joel told her. Ellie looks over at us then said. "Okay." And she holds up her hands. "Please tell me you're lost." The woman said, still aiming her weapon at us. "We didn't know the place was occupied. We're just trying to make our way through." I told the woman. "Through to where?" She asked us.

"They're alright." A man's voice calls out. "What, you know these people?" The woman asked the man as the gate opens. "I know him and the woman." The man's voice said as he head pokes out, revealing it to be Tommy. "He's my damn brother and she's my sister-in-law." Tommy replied as he looks at us.

"Tommy." Joel and I said in shock.

"Holy shit." Tommy said as he runs out towards us then goes over and hugs Joel. "How you doin', baby brother?" Joel asked him as he hugs his brother. I smile at this as Tommy mutters. "Damn." Then he pulls back from the hug then looks at Joel. "Let me look at you. You got fucking old." He said and I laugh. "Easy--it's gonna happen to you too." Joel said to him. Tommy then goes over to me. "Hey." He said as we hug each other as well. "Hey, Tommy." I whispered as I pat his back.

We pull back from the embrace as he looks me over and said. "Still together, I see." I chuckle and said, in a teasing tone. "Hey, someone's gotta put up with him." Tommy laughs at this, Joel chuckles as well, as the woman, who has short blonde hair, walks up to us. "This is Maria. Be nice to her, she sorta runs things around here." Tommy said, gesturing towards the woman.

"Ma'am. Thanks for not blowing our heads off." Joel said to her. "Would've been embarrassing, considering you two are my brother and sister-in-laws." She said and we look over at Tommy in shock. He has a smile on his face as he looks back at us. "We all gotta get wrangled up at some point." He said, shrugging.

"Ellie, right?" Maria said, looking over at Ellie. "Yeah." She replied. "What brings you through here?" Maria asked her. "Uh...it's kind of a long story." Ellie replied, shaking her head. "Why don't we bring 'em inside?" Tommy said to Maria. "Yeah. You hungry?" Maria said as she looks at Ellie again. "Starving." Ellie replied and all of us enter the compound.

"False alarm. They're friendlies." Maria said to her people and they lower their guns as we follow them towards a building. "We've been dealing with raids. Lot of bandits in this area." Maria told us. "It's been quiet for a few days." Tommy informed us. "What the hell are you doin' here? I thought we'd find you in Jackson." Joel said to his little brother. "Been trying to bring the plant back to life." Tommy replied. "We had it working before, but one of the turbines went south." Maria said. "We have electricity, Joel...had. We'll get it running again." Tommy said as we come up to a person standing next to a horse.

"No way. You guys have horses." Ellie said, excited, as she runs over to it. "We got a whole lot of 'em." Tommy said to her when a man comes up to him. "Hey, Tommy, gimme a hand with this." He said. "Sorry. I'll be right back." Tommy said to us and he walks away as he goes and takes care of his errand.

"Can I?" Ellie asked Maria, pointing at the horse. "Yeah, of course. He likes when you pet his ears." She told her and Ellie goes and pets the horse. "You ever ride one?" Maria asked her. "I actually have." Ellie replied and Joel and I look over at her. "When have you ridden a horse?" He asked her. "Winston, this soldier back in the zone. He gave me lessons." Ellie replied to him. "You know, if you want, we can take him riding later." Maria said to her and Ellie smiles. "That'd be awesome." Ellie said as Tommy walks back over to us.

"All right, let's continue the tour." He said and we continue towards the building. "Maria." A Male's voice said over a radio. "Yeah, go ahead." Maria replied. "We're in the control room. Steve's about to start it back up. Do you wanna come check it out?" The man asked her and she looks down at Ellie. "I'd rather eat with Ellie." She said. "It's my turn anyway. I'll go." Tommy said to her. "(Y/N) and I'll come with you." Joel said to Tommy as I turn to Ellie. "Go with Maria and put some food in you." I said to her. "Guys?" She said to us while Maria places her hand on Ellie's shoulder. "C'mon, Ellie. Let's give them some space." She said to Ellie before she pulls up her radio and said. "I'm sending Tommy over. Stand by." Then she looks at Ellie. "C'mon." She said and the two walk one way while Tommy leads Joel and I to another way.

****

"This'll be the sixth time of them trying to get the turbines back online. We've been here just a week, but it feels like forever." Tommy said as he leads us inside of the building. "Uh...I got something for you two. Last year I went back to Texas -- back home. Most of our stuff was long gone. Most of it. Here." He said as he goes up to a shelf then digs in a backpack and pulls out an object. He turns to us and holds it out to us. Joel takes it and I see that it was a picture of Joel, Sarah and I. "It's a little faded but it still looks pretty good." Tommy said to us, shrugging.

It was taken after she won her soccer game and she was so happy and excited that day. She had her arms raised up, holding her trophy in her left hand, while Joel and I were standing behind her, both of us smiling.

I frown at the picture as I turn my head away from the picture, my heart aching, as Joel looks at then hands the picture back to Tommy. "We're good." Joel said as Tommy takes the picture back. "You sure? I mean..." Tommy started to say but I shake my head at him. "We're good, Tommy." I said, firmly. "Okay. Well, I'll hold onto it for you two." He said as he goes to put up the picture. "Tommy, we...we need to talk to you. Privately." Joel told him.

"Yeah, okay. Let me just check on my guys real quick. C'mon." He said and he leads us through a side door and we walk along a balcony where we see some people below us working on the turbines. "I don't know what you guys heard, but you should see the town. We're over twenty families strong now. It was Maria and her father, they set up this place that had the idea of being self-sustained. We got crops and livestock. Remember how we thought that no one could live like this anymore? Well, we're doing it." He said as we walk on the walkway.

"You two are new around here." A woman's voice said as we walk past her. Joel and I stopped as we turn to her, Tommy continues on. "Yeah, Joel and this (y/n). I'm Tommy's--" Joel starts to introduce but the woman interrupts him. 'Brother and she's your wife. Word travels quickly around these parts." The woman said to us. "Apparently." I said as the woman looks Joel over, which I didn't like the way she was eyeing him. 

"I kind of see the resemblance." She said to him. "I see." Joel mutters as he looks at her, confused. "It's a compliment." The woman said then she looks over at me. "You're a lucky woman. You better keep a better eye on him." The woman said then she walks away, still eyeing Joel. I glare after her, my eyes narrowed, until I hear Joel chuckling under his breath.

"That's a look I haven't seen on you in a long time." He mutters to me. "Yeah..well...it's been a long time since a woman, openly, flirted with you in front of me." I grumbled. Joel smirks a bit at me as he reaches out and pushed back a strand of loose hair behind my ear. "You know you're the only one for me." He said to me and I look up at him and smile. "Damn right." I said and he chuckles again as he leans down and kissed me.

We break the kiss and catch up with Tommy, who was waiting for us. "Making new friends?" He asked us. "Something like that...." I muttered as he continues on with the tour of the building. "What do you do for protection?" Joel asked Tommy. "The adults take turns guarding the perimeter. We even got an electrified fence -- when the plant's up and running." Tommy replied. "You still gotta deal with those infected though, right?" I asked him. "Who doesn't? But that's the world we live in." Tommy said, shrugging. "Well, maybe you don't have to be." Joel said and Tommy chuckles. "You sound like Marlene." He said as we come up to a station that was working on the turbine that wasn't working.

"These two geniuses are gonna bring this plant back to life." Tommy said as he points at the men below. "We think we got it this time." One man said. "You don't believe us?" A second man asked Tommy. "I didn't say that." said Tommy. "I bet you a million bucks it works." The first man said. "Sure. Make it two." Tommy said. "We're almost ready. They just need to finish putting the shield back on." The second man informed. "No rush." Tommy said to the men and they started to get to work until the electricity came on.

Joel and I look around in the room as one of the men exclaims. "We did it, boys!" And they start to clap themselves on the back. "Nice work, boys. Somebody get on the horn and give Maria the good news." Tommy said to the men then we begin to walk down a set of stairs. "You two see that?" He asked us. "It's pretty impressive. Looks like you're out two million bucks." Joel said to his brother and Tommy laughs. "Alright, you two. Let's go talk." Tommy said and he leads us into an office.

"That's quite the crew you got here." I said to Tommy as we enter the room and Tommy shuts the door behind us. "They're good men. This place gives 'em a second chance. It gives us all a second chance." Tommy said as he pulls up a couple of chairs for us. Joel and I sit down in the chairs as Tommy grabs his own and sits in it. "So, why'd you guys leave Boston?" Tommy asked us, making Joel and I chuckle. "We've been on quite the adventure, little brother." Joel replied. "I reckon it's got something to do with that girl." Tommy said, referring to Ellie. "Oh, it's got everything to do with that little girl." I said to him.

"Well, go on then." Tommy said to us. "She's immune." Joel admits and Tommy looks at us, confused. "Immune to what?" He asked us. We giving him a knowing look and he scoffs and shakes his head. "Oh, c'mon." He mutters in disbelief. "See, I know...we've seen her breathe enough spores to take down a dozen men and nnothing. We wouldn't have believed it neither, but we can show you." Joel replied.

"Alright. I'll bite. Why bring her here?" Tommy asked us. "We were supposed to deliver her to the Fireflies...The way Joel and I figured it, they're your boys, you finish the job and collect the whole damn payment." I said to him. "I haven't seen a Firefly in years." Tommy informed. "But you know where they are. Now we're not asking for much, Tommy. We just want some simple gear -- enough to set us on our way." Joel said to him.

"What makes you think I'd do this for you?" Tommy asked. "This isn't for us, Tommy. This is for your damn cause." Joel said as he gestures between me and him. "My cause is my family now. You ain't talking about some walk in the park here." Tommy said to us. "Jesus, boy...have Maria get some of your born again friends to do it." Joel said, angrily. "They got families too." Tommy said.

"Tommy, we need this." I told him and he looks between us. "You guys want some gear, sure. But I ain't taking that girl off your hands." Tommy informed us. "This is how you gonna repay me...huh?" Joel asked, angrily, as he stands up from his chair and Tommy stands up to his brother. 

"Repay you?" Tommy said to Joel, confused. "For all those years I took care of us." Joel said to him, sternly, as I just look between the two men. "Took care? That's what you call it? I got nothing but nightmares from those years." Tommy growled at Joel. "You survived because of me." Joel yelled at him. Tommy shakes his head and said. "It wasn't worth it."

Then Joel pushed Tommy against a large filing cabinet. "Fuck." I muttered as I get up, run and stand in front of Joel, placing my hands on his chest and lightly pushed him away from Tommy, who looked at his brother in anger. "Joel...calm down." I whispered while Joel continues to glare at Tommy. "(Y/n) and I bring you the cure for mankind and you wanna play the pissy little brother?" He asked, angrily. "We ain't back in Boston. You lay your hands on me again it won't end well for you." Tommy threatened and the two brother glare at each other until we hear a siren go off.

"The hell is that?" I asked Tommy. "We're under attack." Tommy replied as he pulls out his gun then looks at us. "You two still remember how to kill, right?" He asked. "Yeah." Joel and I replied and the three of us run out of the office to face some bandits running towards us. We shoot them and kill them and make our way through the building then out on a bridge. "Tommy! Bandits, they're breaking into the building." Maria's voice said over Tommy's radio. "Can you get out of there?" Tommy asked her. "No, we're trapped." Maria replied. "We're gonna come to you, just stay--" Tommy started to say but Maria talks over him. "They're here. Ellie, hide!" She shouts and her call cuts out. 

"Maria! Damnit! We gotta get to the girls!" Tommy said to us and we nod at him and shoot at any bandit we see. We enter a building and make our way into a cafeteria and shoot a few more bandits. "They're all dead." We hear Ellie exclaimed as her and Maria come out from their hiding place.

"Tommy?" Maria said.

"Maria!" Tommy exclaims as he runs over to her. "I'm alright. The kid's with me!" She said to us. "That was too damn close." Joel said and we go over to Ellie. "Joel! (Y/n)! Oh man...They were coming in from every direction--" she starts to explain really fast. 

"Okay." I said but she continues to talk.

"then Maria was like We gotta run!--"

"Listen..." Joel said.

"...and so we dove over these tables and this huge guy blasts in with a shotgun--" Ellie said really fast as Joel places his hands on her shoulders. "Slow down, slow down. Listen--" He said to her, calmly, and she looks up at us. "Are you hurt?" I asked her. "No." She replied, shaking her head.

****

Later, Joel and I were sitting on some barrels as we hear Tommy talking to Maria about how he was gonna take Ellie to the Fireflies. "Absolutely not. You tell them to go find somebody else." Maria yelled at Tommy. "Maria, I can't have this hanging over my head." Tommy said to her. "Do you have any idea how many men we lost here today?" Maria asked as I look over at Joel.

"Joel...are we doing the right thing?" I asked him. "Yes. This job has gone on way too long. We need to get back home before something happens to us." He mutters to me as Ellie walks up to us. "Hey, what's that all about?" She asked as she gestures towards Tommy and Maria. We don't answer her then she looks at us. "Does that have anything to do with me?" She asked. "We'll talk about it later." I said to her. "Did he tell you guys where the lab is?" She asked us. "We'll talk about it later." Joel said to her, firmly. She stares at us for a moment then said. "Later... Right." And she walks away from us.

"It takes one. One fuck up. One fuck up and then I turn into one of those widows, okay?" Maria yells at Tommy. He shakes his head at her. "I have to do this. I don't know what else to say." He said to her. She stares at him then said. "Fine." Then she walks away from him.

"Maria. Maria!" Tommy shouts as she stomps over to us.

"Here we go." Joel mutters as we stand up and she gets in front of us. "You two. If anything -- anything at all happens to him, it's on both of you." She growls at us then she stomps away from us.

"She's thankful, you know." Tommy tries to assure us. "Yeah, I know." Joel mutters. "I don't blame her. Believe me, if the roles were reversed, I would do the same thing." I said to him. "I'll take that girl of yours to the Fireflies. You two don't have to worry about it." Tommy said to us. "It's best this way." Joel said. "Maybe some real good will come of this." Tommy said. "We need to talk to Ellie." I told Joel and he nods as Tommy picks his radio and starts to talk through it.

"Joel! (Y/n)!" He shouts as he comes back over to us. "What...what is it?" Joel asked him. "That girl of yours, she took one of our horses and rode off." Tommy replied. "Damn it." I muttered, angrily. "Which way?" Joel asked him. "C'mon." Tommy said and the three of us head towards the front gate.

"I saw her riding on outta here." A guy said as he brings us two horses. "Go back inside. Help the others clean the place up." Tommy told the guy as he gets on one horse and Joel and I get on the second horse. "Okay. Be careful out there." The man said as the gates open and we gallop out of the compound.

"Easy, easy." Joel said to our horse as he steers it, and I hold onto Joel, following Tommy. "There." Tommy said as he points at the ground. "Yeah." Joel and I said as we see horse tracks in the door. "See the tracks? C'mon." Tommy said as we ride down the deserted, overgrown highway. "She couldn't have gotten far. We'll find her. Don't worry." Tommy said to us. "Stubborn kid." Joel grumbles.

"She usually pull these stunts?" Tommy asked us. "Nothing like this. We don't know what's going on." I told him as we come up to a huge blockage of the highway. "She didn't go down this way. Horse tracks. She went into these woods." Tommy said and Joel and Tommy steer the horse around and go into a side road that leads into the woods. 

"Ellie, what're you thinking?" I muttered as Joel looks down at the road a d shouts. "There. More tracks." 

"Okay, good." Tommy said as we continue on until we heard something to our side. I look over and see some hunters running towards us. "Uh, boys! We've got company!" I yelled and they look towards the woods and see some aiming guns at us. "Shit!" Tommy grumbled as I pull out my gun and start to fire at them. They start to fire at us as well and Joel and Tommy stop the horses and we get down and finish the shootout with the hunters.

After eliminate them, we take a breath. "We must've passed one of their encampment." Tommy said to us. "C'mon, let's get back to the horses." Joel said and we mount the horses and continue on. "Tracks keep going this way. Just hope they didn't get to her." Joel said as we see some more tracks.

We followed them until we came upon a mountain ranchhouse. "Look, by the ranch. That's our horse. She's gotta be there." Tommy said as we get up to the front of the house. "Area looks clear." I said as we get up to the front of the house and get off the horse. "Be careful." Tommy warned us as Joel and I go to the front door.

"Ellie? Ellie?!" He and I called out after he opens the door and we run inside. "I'm up here." We hear her voice say from upstairs. I sighed with relief while Joel swears under his breath. "I'll keep an eye out. Reckon you guys need to have a chat." Tommy said to us and we nod at him as we go up the stairs. 

Both of us enter an old bedroom of a girl when we hear Ellie speak. "Is this really all they had to worry about?" She asked as we see her sitting by a large window and reading a diary. "Boys. Movies. Deciding which shirt goes with which skirt? It's bizarre." She said as she looks through the diary. "Get up, we're leaving. C'mon." Joel said as he gestures towards the door. 

Ellie sets the diary down and looks up at us. "And if I say no?" She asked us, harshly. "Do you even realize what your life means? Huh? Running off like that. Putting yourself at risk...it's pretty fuckin' stupid." I said to her, angrily. "Well, I guess we're all disappointed with each other then." Ellie growled at us.

"What do you want from us?" Joel asked her. "Admit that you guys wanted to get rid of me the whole time." She replied to him.

"Tommy knows this area better than--" 

"Agh, fuck that." Ellie exclaimed, interrupting me, as she stands up and takes a few steps forward, placing her hands over her face. "Well, I'm sorry, we trust him better than we trust ourselves." Joel shouts at her. "Stop with the bullshit. What are you two so afraid of? That I'm gonna end up like Sam? I can't get infected. I can take care of myself." Ellie said to us.

"How many close calls have we had?" I asked her, angrily. "Well, we seem to be doing alright so far." Ellie replied, annoyed. "And now you'll be doing even better with Tommy." Joel shouts at her then he turns his back to her as I place my hand over my eyes. 

"I'm not her, you know." Ellie mutters, making Joel and I turn to her. "What?" We said in unison to her. She looks at us and said. "Maria told me about Sarah. And I--" And that right there, hit a nerve on both of us.

"Ellie." I said, in a warning tone. "You are treading on some mighty thin ice here." Joel threatened her. "I'm sorry about your daughter, guys, but I have lost people too." Ellie said to us. "You have no idea what loss is." Joel said in a low harsh voice as I glare at her.

"Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me. Everyone..." she said then she shoves us in her frustration. "....fucking except for you two. So don't tell me that I would be safer with someone else -- because the truth is I'd just be more scared." She admits as she looks at us, frightened.

"You're right... You're not our daughter." I said in a harsh whisper. "And we sure as hell ain't your mom and dad. And we are going our separate ways." Joel told her just as the door opens behind us and Tommy runs in. "Get it together. We're not alone." He said and Joel runs over to the window and looks out. "I got two walking in." He said. "There's more inside already." Tommy said and Joel and I get our guns out and start to slowly make our way out of the room.

Some of the hunters came up the stairs but we shot them in the head, but that alerted their friends and they ran up the stairs. Easily, we took them out then ran down the stairs and towards the front door. "Let's get back to the horses." Tommy said as Joel goes outside first and looks around. "We're clear." He said and Tommy and I walk out of the house.

Meanwhile, Ellie walks out of the house and gives us the silent treatment as she goes over to her horse. "You want a hand up?" Tommy asked her. "I got it. C'mon..." she replied in a defeated tone as she mounts the horse. Tommy gets on his horse then Joel and I mount ours and we start to head back. 

As we follow Tommy, I look over at Ellie and noticed that she looked really sad, and seeing this made me feel extremely guilty of what Joel and I said to her. I turn my head to see Joel was looking at her too. "Joel..." I whispered and he looks over his shoulder at me. I sigh, close my eyes for a moment, then open them as I look back at him. "We have to..." I whispered but then he placed his hand over my hand, which was on top of his shoulder. "I know." He whispered back at me as we come upon a hill that over looks the city of Jackson.

"Easy...easy... Whoa..." Tommy said to his horse as we stop at the edge of the hill. "There she is. Kids'll be watching movies tonight." Tommy said, pointing at the city below. I lean my chin on Joel's shoulder and my arms wrapped around him as I look down at the city with a smile.

"Where is this lab of theirs?" Joel asked Tommy. "It's all the way out -- University of Eastern Colorado." Tommy replied. "Go Big Horns." Joel mutters and I chuckled. He looks over at me and gives me a curt nod and I turn to look at Ellie. "Ellie, get off your horse, give it on back to Tommy." I said to her and she looks over at us in shock.

"We're gonna hang onto this fella, if that's alright with you." Joel said as he pats the horse. I look back over at Ellie, who hadn't moved, and said. "Go on. Don't make me repeat myself." She gets off of her horse and walks over to Tommy.

"What are you guys doin'?" Tommy asked us. "Your wife kinda scares me. I don't want her coming after us." Joel replied with a small smile. 

"Sorry for stealing your horse." Ellie said as she holds up the reins of her horse towards Tommy. "Look, come back to town, let's discuss it at least." Tommy said to us as he takes the reigns and Ellie walks over to us and I help her up on the horse. "Eh, you know me. My mind's all made up." Joel said. "University Eastern Colorado. How do we find this lab?" I asked Tommy. "It's in the science building, looks like a giant mirror, you can't miss it." Tommy replied and Joel and I nod at this.

"You take care of that wife of yours." Joel said to Tommy. "There's a place for both of you here, you know." Tommy said to us. We nod at him response then I look over my shoulder at Ellie and asked. "You good?" She nods and said. "I'm good." 

I smiled as Joel looks back at his brother. "Adios, little brother." He said as I wave at him. "Hey, and you take care of your wife too, Joel." Tommy said and Joel smirks. "I always do." He said then he picks up the reins and said to the horse. "C'mon." And the horse turns around and we head off to our next destination.

[layce2015]

The Last of Us (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 13: I'm Never Letting You Go

(A/N: For anyone wondering where this came from, this is based on the Left Behind DLC.)

Chapter 1/ Chapter 12

"Shit. C'mon, gimme something." I muttered, frantically, as Ellie and I look around some drawers. "Fuck!" I growled at another empty drawer. "Here we go!" Ellie exclaimed. "You find something?" I asked her. "Yeah!" She said as she holds up a roll of duct tape. I sighed with relief and we run over to Joel, who was laying on top of an old door we found and decide to use as a pallet for him to lay on.

We took shelter in an old mall and started to look around for supplies, and find anything that could help us save Joel.

"Okay." Ellie said as we kneel beside Joel. "We're gonna put you on your side, honey." I said to him and Ellie pushed him up to his side. He lets out a grunt as I pull up his shirt and my jaw drops at the hole on his abdomen. "Shit...." I muttered as I reach behind me and place one of Ellie's shirt over his wound, like it was a bandage. "I'm sorry about your shirt, Ellie." I said as she uses the tape and, tightly, tape the shirt against his side. "It's alright. As long as it'll help save him, I don't care." She said as she finishes up.

"Okay." She said and I pull down his shirt to cover up our homemade bandage then placed him back on his back. Joel groans and breathes heavily as we set him on his back. "That should buy us some time." Ellie said to him. "We're gonna find something to stitch you up, okay?" I said to Joel as I raise my hand to his forehead and stroked his short hair, trying anything to comfort him.

"Callus....keep an eye on him." Ellie said to the horse as she gets up. "We'll be back soon. I promise." I whispered to Joel before I lean down and kissed his forehead then his cheek. I stand up and follow Ellie towards the gate and both of us pull it up, opening it, then duck and turn around to shut the gate behind us.

****

I place a padlock on the gate and lock it with a key. "We totally got this." Ellie said to me as I pocket the key and take some deep breathes. "Yeah....yeah, we do." I said as I  look over at her and nod. "Alright....now where the fuck do we go?" She asked as we turned around to face the rest of the mall area. "Good question." I muttered as we started running up the old escalators, leading us up the second floor.

We look around the floor until I saw a Mall directory, which was a sign that tells us what shops they had and where to go. I run towards it and look it over. "Weston's Pharmacy." I said as I point at the name of the store. "That sounds promising." Ellie said as I look to see where to go. "It's not that far. Just go straight forward and on the left." I muttered and we start to head towards that direction.

We come up to the store to see that it's gate was half opened so both of us had to crouch and walk.under the gate then stand back up. "Okay, if we spread out we might be able to look through this store faster." I said and she nods and we separate and look through all the shelves.

"What the hell? Did you just swallow the pills and leave the bottle?" Ellie grumbles as she looks  through a shelf and I look through another. I found a pill bottle then pick it up and shake it but of course nothing. "Come on." I growled as we continue with our search.

****

"Of course. Everything's picked clean." I exclaimed after a few minutes of searching. "(Y/n), over here!" Ellie shouts and I go over to her. She was behind the counter and looking through a door. I walk up next to her and she points through the window. "First aid kit." She said and I sigh with relief then I grab the handle but it was locked. "Of fuckin' course." I muttered, angrily. "How the fuck do we get inside?" She asked and I shake my head. "See if you can find a key or something." I said and we looked around the counter.

"Hey, I found a note." Ellie said and she shows it to me.

PLEASE READ!

Pharmacist went crazy and attacked me. I hit him pretty hard. He's unconscious. I locked him in the American Princess store next door.

PLEASE GET HIM HELP!

Combination:

35-30-31

"The pharmacist." I muttered  "Maybe he's got a key." Ellie said to me. "He better..." I said as I set the note down. "C'mon, let's go." I said and both of us walk out of the store and head to the American Princess store, where there was a combination lock on the gate. "35 right....30 left....31 right...." I said as I put in the combination and the lock unlocks. "It worked." Ellie exclaimed as we pull the gate open, only for spores to fly out from the store. "Shit. Spores." I said as I quickly grabbed my gas mask and put it on.

Then both of us, quietly, walk through the store and look around until we come upon the body of the doctor, which was covered in the fungus. Ellie leans forward and starts to search the body for the key. "Don't come to life, don't come to life." She mutters as she searches all the pockets. "Find anything?" I asked her. She shakes her head until she pulls out a key and holds it up to me.

"Good job." I said when the body slumps forward and Ellie jumps back in fright. "Fuck! Ah, dammit!" She exclaims as she stands next to me but the body doesn't move anymore. "Okay, we've got the key. Let's go." I said and we start to make our way towards the entrance when we heard a clicker walk by. "Are you kidding me?" I asked, annoyed as we, quietly, walk out of the store. 

I take off my mask as we get out and pull out my bow and arrow, aim it at the clicker and shoot it in the head. I put it away and we make it back to the pharmacy and to the back door. Ellie unlocks it and we run in and towards the first aid kit. "Yes." We muttered, with relief, as I open it, but the happiness vanished when we find it empty. 

"No...." Ellie whispers as I shut my eyes then stand up and kick the case in anger. "Dammit! So close!" I grumbled. I sighed and pace around when Ellie looks out of a window. "Oh....a military helicopter." She said. "What?" I said as she points towards the window and run. I follow her and see off on the other side, there was a crashed military helicopter. 

"That's gotta have something." She said as she jumps through the window. "Hang in there, Joel." I whispered as I follow her and we go through an old beauty salon and found a dead body next to a kit with bandages. "Well, at least we can use this." Ellie said as she picks it up. "Yeah..." I said as she hands it to me and I put it in her backpack. 

Then we head out of the store then down the stairs. "Here we go." She said as we jump over the railing and down onto the floor. Both of us look up at helicopter as the wind blows in our face. "How the hell do we get up there?" She asked me and I look over to see a gate. "Over here." I said and we run over to it. I pushed the button and try to open the door but it wouldn't open. "Thank you, military." I muttered. "Anyway to get this on?" She asked me as I look at the cable. "Follow the cables." I said and we follow it towards a set of doors, which was the back area of the mall.

****

Suddenly, we heard a loud noise and jumped back a bit, only realizing that it was a cat as it ran off. "Fucking cat." Ellie mutters as we turn on our flashlights and follow the cables to a door. I go to open it but it was blocked. "Are you kidding me? Come on." I said as both of us try to get it open but nothing. "Ugghh...." Ellie mutters then we walk over to a flooded area of the hallway. I walk into the water and let out a small squeal as the water was freezing. "Okay, it's not that deep. You're safe." I said to Ellie as she begins to walk into the water. "Oh my God! It's freezing!" She exclaims and I nodded as we continue on when that fucking cat runs atop of the air ducts and knocks things over.

"Are you trying to kill us, cat?" Ellie asked, angrily, as we walk through the flooded area, turned left and enter the loading bay area of the mall, where it was not as flooded. We walked up to a platform where there was a generator. "Here we go. End of the line." I said as we walk up to it and pull the cable but it doesn't do anything. "Nothing?" Ellie asked me and I go to the gas tank, open the lid and look inside.

"Out of juice. Why not!?" I said, exasperated, and I look behind me and found a gas can in the corner. I pick it up then shake it to hear that it still had some gas inside. "Yes!" I said as I go and pour the gas in the generator fast tank. "There that should do it." I said as I close the cap and Ellie pulls the cable, turning on the generator.

"All right!" Ellie said and we high-five each other until we heard a noise. "Oh fuck!" We exclaimed as two clickers run towards us but a cable falls into the water, turning it into an electrical water and frying the two Clickers. "Note to self. Don't touch electric water." Ellie said and I nodded and we go over to a gate and open it. "At least this doors open." Ellie said as we get inside and climb up the ladder. 

It leads us to the top of the air ducts and we slowly and carefully walk along the top of the air ducts and make it over to the other side of the room to a door. "Alright." I muttered and both of us jumped down on the platform and open the door.

****

As we walk inside, I hear infected nearby. "Shit..." I muttered then I turn to Ellie. "You still have your gun?" I asked her. She pulls it out and looks through the barrel. "Yeah, but not alot of ammo." She replied and I dig into my backpack and pull out ammo and hand it to her. "Here...just in case if things go south and we need to use them." I said and she nods as she takes the ammo and loads her gun. 

"If anything, I can sneak up on them and use my switchblade." She said as she holds up her knife. "Good." I whispered and we quietly make our way through and I shoot a few infected with my bow and arrow and Ellie sneaks up on them and stabs them.

****

We finally take them out as we ended up in another store. "Okay, that's all of them." Ellie mutters and we go to the gate, open it and get out of the store and end up back at the gate leafing up the helicopter. "Alright, let's go!" I said and we run over to the gate and Ellie pushes the button, opening the door. I push it open and the both of us run up the escalator then up some on some debris and walk on a little walkway of the glass roof.

"Oh fuck." Ellie said as we stand on top of the glass, and it sounded like it was gonna break. "Be cool. Be cool." I assured her and we walk along the glass then come upon the edge, which was close to the helicopter. "Okay, I'll go first then you hop next over, okay?" I said to Ellie and she nods.

I take a few deep breathes then walk on the steel panel and jump over and into the helicopter. "Made it." I said when the helicopter shifts and I almost fall out but grabbed the edge of the doorway of the copter. "Oh shit! (Y/n), you okay?" I hear Ellie yell. "Yeah, I'm fine." I said as I stand up. "Okay, jump. I'll catch you." I said as I walk towards the door. "Okay. Okay." She said then she jumps down and I catch her. 

"Oh man..." she said as we stand up a little straighter. "You okay?" I asked her and she nods as she looks over at the front of the helicopter. "Oh..." she mutters and she runs over to the front. I follow her as she picks up a medical pack and sits down. "Please be in here, please be in here...." she mutters as I kneel in front of her and she opens the kit.

And as luck would have it, it was full of medical supplies. I gasped and placed my hands over my mouth then began to let out a happy cry. Ellie sighs with relief then she closes the kit and looks up at me. She smiles then holds the kit close to her chest with one hand then reaches out to me and hugs me. I hug her back and cry with happiness as she buries her head in my shoulder. "We did it." I whispered, through the tears. "I'm never letting you go. I'm never letting you go." Ellie whispers as we sit there and hug each other for a few moments.

****

Suddenly we heard a noise in the distance and this brought us back to reality. "Joel!" I shouted and we break the hug and Ellie puts the kit in her backpack and jump out of the other side of the helicopter. We run along the hall until we come upon a store and hear a voice say. "Run!"

"Shit." I muttered and both of us hide behind a large crate and we look over to see two men being attacked by some clickers. They tried to kill them but the failed as the clickers bite them. One of the men's bow and arrow falls out of his hands and slides towards us.

"Oh, what the hell?" Another male voice asked as I look at the bow and arrows and, slowly, grabbed them and pulled them toward us. "Here." I whispered to Ellie and she takes it as three more men kill the clickers.

"What the hell are we doing here? Who gives a fuck about that old man, the old woman and a little girl?" A man asked his friends. "Yeah, sooner we find them the sooner we get outta here. Make sure this area's clear." The second guy said and they start to split up. 

"Okay, you take out one and I take out another then we take of the third guy." I whispered to Ellie and she nods at me and we walk away from each other and shoot the guys with our arrows.

"Alright. We're coming to get you, Joel." I muttered as I meet back up with Ellie. "These guys want a fight. We'll fuckin' give them one." Ellie said as we walk down a hallway and come up on a vent. "Hell yeah, we will." I said to her and we high five each other before we crawl through the vent.

"We'll get to him, stitch him up and then we're gonna get the hell outta here." I said to her. "Sounds like a plan." She said as we make our way through the vent, which lead us to another store.

****

Then we heard voices. "Oh, fuck these guys." Ellie whispers as we hide behind a barrier and see some more of those assholes coming in a sports store. I look down to see some infected below us and look over to see a brick. I pick it up and throw it towards a wall, making the infected go crazy and attack the assholes. 

As the men and the infected start to fight each other, I throw a molotov at them, killing them all. "Awesome." Ellie said and we start to make our way back until we come into a room that had infected and more of those fuckers that was looking for us. Ellie throws a bottle and the infected started attacking them. "Kill each other, fuckers." Ellie mutters as we make it out of this store and out towards the rest of the mall.

****

"Hey! I hear the fuckin' horse behind here! Help me get this open." We hear a man yell as we make it back. "Oh no you don't, assholes." I whispered as Ellie shoots an arrow at a guy that was standing at the edge in front of us then we slowly started make our way down stairs as we go through a clothes store. "I think it's startin' to give. Keep at it!" We hear the man yell at his men. "Shit....shit." Ellie mutters as we get down stairs and shoot at a couple of men with arrows as they walked in the store. 

Then we walk towards the entrance of the store to see two more men trying to get in the ice cream shop, where we had Joel hiding in. Both of us aim our arrows and fire, headshot. "That's that." Ellie said as we run towards the gate and I pull out the key. 

"Alright, Joel, let's get this--" I started to say when suddenly a bullet hits the gate. "Fuck!" Ellie and I grumbles a d we get away from the door and hide behind some barriers. "Down there! By the door!" A man yells. "We got the girl and the woman pinned down! Go finish them!" 

"Fuck you!" I yelled at them. 

"Fine. You want to do this. Let's do this." Ellie said and we pull out our guns and ended up either shooting them or I threw some molotovs' at them, but that also attracted some infected towards us. But thanks to the bombs that I had made, we were able to take care of them pretty quickly.

"That's it!" Ellie said as we stand up and look around. "If anyone's alive don't even think about surprising us! You'll end up like your friends! You hear me?!" She yells but there was no response. "Good." I said and we make it back to the ice cream shop and I unlock it. "You better be alive, Joel." Ellie mutters  as we open the gate, get inside and shut it behind us.

****

We run over to Joel, who was still breathing. I sigh with relief as Ellie opens up the kit then I pull up his shirt and we take off the homemade bandage. Then she started to thread a needle. "You know how to do that?" I asked her. "Don't worry. I've done this before. I'm kind of an expert....-ish." She replied and she looks down at her shaking hand.

I placed my hand over hers and she looks up at me, a look of fear and worry were in her eyes. "Just stay calm." I said to her, softly. She stares at me for awhile then nods and starts to clean and sew up Joel's wound.

****

"Okay, tie this up to the saddle and I'll wrap Joel up as tightly as possible and secure our little pallet." I said to Ellie. She nods and grabs the ropes at the end of the pallet and start to tie them up the ends of the saddle while I wrap the blanket over Joel as tightly as I could. He let's out a groan every now and then as I tuck the blanket in and then used some rope and cables around him to keep him in place and secure. 

"I know, baby, I know." I whispered to him. After making sure he was secure, I look him over and give a small smile towards him before I leave a long lingering kiss to his forehead then lean my forehead against his and close my eyes.

"I love you...so much. I-I just...I just don't know what I'd do without you, Joel. So, I need you to keep fighting, Joel. Please keep fighting...for me. Keep fighting...and come back to me." I whispered, tearfully, to him. Then I take some deep breathes to calm down, sit up and wipe away the tears. "Everything's set and secure." Ellie said to me. "Good girl." I said as I look over at her. She places her hand on my shoulder and said. "He'll make it."

For some reason, her words gave me comfort as I smiled then nod at her. "Come on, I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to." I said as I stand up and we go to Callus. I mount him first then Ellie gets up behind me and I look out towards the already snow covered grounds, then flicked the reins and Callus starts to take off, Joel being dragged behind us.