A/N: Slight AU oneshot, pretty short, takes place in between the ending and their arrival at Jackson, but the in-game ending never takes place; instead, this happens. This is my first published fanfic so please rate & review. :)
Ellie sat peering out the window of the car as it sputtered along the deserted road. She watched as the pine trees and the occasional boulder blurred past her, but her mind was in an entirely different place. She sported a thoughtful expression, with a hint of frustration, and if seen at just the right moment – a furrowed brow, with a slight crinkle in her forehead. The reflection of the scenery on her gleaming eyes slowly came to a halt as did the vehicle. Her trance now broken, she looked over to catch the burly man next to her staring at the broken watch he always kept on his wrist, his mind seemingly also in another place, until he looked up and met her gaze. His expression suddenly transformed as his lips curled into an artificial half-smile – a pitiful attempt it was, and Ellie had caught it, but she decided to not say anything about it.
"Empty… Looks like it's time for a gas break. You comin'?"
The girl turned her head, the sunlight making her auburn hair a shade lighter than usual, and fixed her gaze upon one of the many cracks in the asphalt ahead of them. "Yeah, sure," she replied as she closed her eyes. "We're not too far off from Jackson, are we?"
"No, it's only a little ways north. We should get there by sundown tomorrow," he responded, pausing for a brief moment to focus his eyes on her face. "C'mon." Joel opened the car door and stepped out of the vehicle, pulling the gas siphon he had received from Bill the year before out of his bag. Ellie studied the man's face from behind the cover of the tinted windows as he walked around the car and into an opening in the woods. She sensed something was wrong; it was painfully obvious that everything wasn't as it seemed since they had left the hospital a week prior. She sighed and swung open the car door, her mind still swarming with an ocean of thoughts, and set off after the man.
The girl grunted as she struggled to climb, placing her foot into an indentation in the rock and hoisting herself up and over the edge. She smiled a victorious smile as she looked back at the rocky passage she had braved, a feeling of accomplishment filling her. Joel was probably nearby, still siphoning gas from abandoned vehicles scattered about what was once a road, now overgrown with moss and other greenery. Ellie briefly turned her attention to the forest behind her and spotted an orange-furred fox in the distance, stealthily making its way towards its prey: a small, white rabbit. Smirking, she turned to face her own prize as she stood atop the colossal waterfall, its deafening roar overpowering all others. Holy shit, she thought to herself, this view is incredible. The entirety of the vast, lush forest could be seen from that height, and painted an extraordinary picture of the sun beginning to dip below the horizon. She caught herself smiling at the breathtaking view and decided to take a moment to appreciate the incredible display beneath her.
She heard the sound of a pebble being kicked around somewhere behind her and then felt a familiar grip on her shoulder. With her eyes still on the immense sun lowering into the clouds, her smile widened. The sunlight covered her face in a blanket of warmth and caused her emerald eyes to gleam ever so brightly. Joel stood beside her, his gaze fixed on her face rather than the sunset before them, studying all of its many features. His eyes lingered on the scar above her right eyebrow, and he couldn't help but admire the girl for the fighter she was; at the same time, he let out an inaudible sigh of pity, as he knew that no girl that age should ever have to go through the things she had.
A gentle breeze had filled the air and brushed past their faces, making Ellie's auburn hair sway softly with the wind. After a prolonged moment of silence, she scratched her head.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
When she didn't receive a reply, she turned to look up at the disgruntled man standing next to her. He had a saddened look in his eyes, peering off into the distance; one could call it a thousand-yard stare. Joel abruptly blinked and cleared his throat.
"Ellie, what happened back there… I had to-"
The girl shut her bright eyes as she placed her hand upon his and squeezed. Tears began to gradually form in her eyes, leaving a glimmering trail running down her freckled cheeks in its wake, but nevertheless she kept her smile.
"It's okay, Joel."
Joel simply nodded, the subtlest of tears appearing in his dark eyes as well, and continued to watch the fiery sunset with his arm resting on the girl's shoulder. She joined him in his observing, however her thoughts had wandered off once more towards the twilight sky… she found herself thinking about how happy she felt at that moment, for she had all she wanted in the world – to be with him.