Author's note: What I'm back again? Well I can't help it because this is my favourite game I've played all summer! I was right at this point in the game and thought of a great idea to write about what Joel was thinking when he handed Ellie that gun. Recommend playing if you haven't, it's for the ps3.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story itself.
Joel had just handed Ellie a hand gun for her to have in case of an emergency, and he couldn't help but think but to his long gone daughter. He would have had to teach her how to use a gun in the thick of everything bad and now he felt silly for not giving one to Ellie sooner. He hadn't been able to keep his own daughter alive during the first moments of this hell; why should Ellie suffer from the same fate just because she was fourteen?
Still, then she had gone and said that she had fired a BB gun at rats before; that rouse questions in his mind. Why hadn't her parents taught her, just how young had she been when they died? This was a hard world and most orphans didn't make it more than a few months on their own, no work was given to children, not when there was already a shortage for the grownups to have, and their wages were paid in food. It was a sad fate but most children starved, or worse the older ones resorted to prostitution for food and shelter. He could only hope that Ellie had found another way to survive then that, but he wouldn't ask. He didn't want to know in case she had.
Of course that could be how she ended up with such a strong and foul personality, then again no one was very nice or sweet anymore. Death surrounded everyone from the moment people were born and no compassion was shown no matter what age they were. Surviving was the most important thing and no one did much else but try to do so. He was surprised that there was still children being born in today's world; people were worked to the bone and starving at the same time.
His thoughts went back to Ellie selling herself for food and his heart tightened. He couldn't help but tow to himself that he would get her through this and provide a better life for her afterwards. She needed someone to rely on and he wanted to be that person. Maybe he was just getting old and nostalgic, but he could look over at Ellie and see what his daughter would have been at fourteen. Rude mouthed, all knowing and looking for guidance; and he smiled at that.
Ellie was a girl that he could see himself adopting in the future, because at this point he already considered them family. A group can't help but be family after going through so much together, and family look out for one another. That's why he was trusting her with a gun; he needed someone watching his back as well.