Chapter 1:

"Did you know him?" Ellie asked. It was an easy enough question, Tommy supposed. He knew she was referring to Bill, and as little as he wanted to talk about the one time he had met Bill, Tommy guessed having that conversation was better than the complete silence that had filled the SUV since he Ellie and Devin had set out on this little adventure two hours previous. Tommy sighed.

"Yeah, I met him once." Tommy Gladstoned down at his left hand, Still wrapped up in gauze. He doubted he would ever be able to use that hand properly again.

"...what happened?" Ellie asked. Tommy looked out the window. On the left they passed by trees, and not much else. Tommy was sure they were still going the right way, it had only been a half an hour since the last time they'd checked the map. He'd wait a bit.

"Well," Tommy said, "Joel and Tess were supposed ta' be smugglin' some weapons into Boston. I guess Tess got sick as a dog just a few days before they were supposed ta' go an' meet Bill. Joel had to come an' ask me for help." Tommy grinned and flexed his left hand. That had been the only time Jorl had ever had to actually ask Tommy for help after the outbreak.

"So, I agreed to help Joel out, hadn't stopped working for the fireflies yet, but at the time I hadn't exactly been busy. We snuck out easily enough, got to Bill okay but...the two of us didn't exactly work well together. Kept arguin' about everything. Nearly got in a fight with him several times. It was a good thing Joel was there to keep on intimidating both of us. Otherwise I'm sure I woulda' fought Bill." Tommy sighed as the memories came back. He hadn't thought about that night in years.

"Got into trouble with infected on the way back into the city; nearly got caught by the military five or six times. By the time we'd gotten the weapons to the dropoff in the Zone, I'd thought we would need an act of God to get us through that job alive." Tommy stopped talking as he maneuvered the SUV around a crashed Porsche blocking the righthand lane of the road.

"Joel brought me to his apartment for a drink before he went to see Tess. Decided he didn't need to go tell her everything was done right away. Said the two of us deserved a drink. And of course since I was one to hold a grudge I decided to start an argument over the job we'd done and how thanks to Joel I'd almost died. He'd had about one too many drinks and soon our argument turned into a full out fight.

"Don't know what I was thinkin'." Tommy shook his head. "Joel just about choked me to death. Probably woulda' if Tess hadn't come lookin' for him..." Tommy trailed off as that old sense of guilt washed over him.

"When I could finally breath again, I told him I didn't ever want to see his Goddamned face again. Think I left Boston about a month after that."

"Jeez," Ellie said, looking out the windshield at the road in front of them. Tommy nodded his head in agreement and looked in the rearview mirror at Devin as he lie sleeping.

"I miss him," Ellie said suddenly, not taking her eyes off of the road in front of them. Tommy knew she was talking about Joel. He nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah...me too." A light beep brougt Tommy's gaze from the rode to the gas gauge. He cursed when he saw the gas light blinking.

"Are we going to have to ditch it?" Ellie asked. Tommy shook his head.

"Naw, I got some spare gas in the trunk. Just a pain in the ass to stop." Ellie nodded, showing that she agreed. Tommy pulled the SUV to the side of the road beside a cluster of trees and killed the engine. He opened the door and climbed out. Ellie followed. In the backseat, Devin stirred and sat up, scrubbing a hand down his face.

"Was' going on?" He asked groggily.

"Filling up, c'mon let's stretch while we can." Ellie said, stretching her arms, letting out a small groan as her stuff muscles were relieved. Devin climbed out and looked around them. He straightened his eyepatch.

"How long was I out?" He asked, popping his neck. Ellie leaned against the side of the SUV and shrugged.

"I'd say an hour, maybe." Devin cursed under his breath. "I was hoping to get more sleep, skip more of the trip." Ellie playfully shoved his shoulder.

"Oh boohoo pussyboy." Devin chuckled and planted a soft kiss on Ellie's lips.

Tommy listened to Ellie and Devin talk and smiled. This was the most he'd heard Ellie say since they started out. Tommy slowly shook his head when he remembered why the girl had been so quiet. He was probably the only one who could properly relate with her. But then again, maybe not. Joel and Ellie had had a relationship that Tommy could have only wished to have with his brother.

With a heavy sigh, Tommy opened the trunk of the SUV and pulled the gas can from it. There wasn't much left; only two gallons. They would have to either find a new car or siphon gas from one soon, or they were walking to Boston. And that didn't exactly appeal to Tommy at all.

As Tommy poured the gas into the tank, he listened to Ellie and Devin talk. He smiled, Devin was trying to explain to Ellie why the Walking Dead was a far more superior comic than the one Ellie read. What was it again? Tommy thought about it only for a moment before remembering: Savagr Starlight. There had been a confirmed film adaptation planned for 2014. Of course the world had missed out on that.

Tommy was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the runner's approach until it slammed into him, knocking the already half-empty gas can from his hands. Tommy quickly reached for the pistol in his belt, produced it and blew the runner's brains out. It slumped to the floor. He heard Devin and Ellierun over to his side of the SUV.

"Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me," Devin muttered. Tommy looked up and felt his heart sink. At least ten infected runners were swarming out from the trees on the left side of the road.

"I'm almost finished fillin' up the tank, there's only half of the can left. Jut keep 'em off of me until I'm finished!" Devin nodded, drawing his .357. Ellie did the same with her pistol. Tommy picked up the gas tank, which had thankfully not spilled a whole lot of gas, and quickly began to pour the gas into the tank. Behind him, one shot was fired, and the sound of a fist crashing into rotten skin reached his ears. Already Devin and Ellie were holding them off.

AN: Alright, I am back bitches! I just couldn't leave this story alone. First thing so want to clear up is that this is starting almost right where the final chapter of my TLOU trilogy left off, but I don't consider it a chapter of that trilogy. But anyway, what did you think? Let me know by hitting that little review button. I love hearing your thoughts and opinions. Until next time!

~Exangellion