A/N: Been awhile xD But really, when I tried updating this story, I don't know...but it just didn't work. So I retyped the entire thing :/
You knew.
You knew ever since you stayed with him at Tommy's little hideout.
Ever since you made him swear that everything he said was true.
You had known, but you didn't really say much about it.
You spent every waking hour, persuading yourself to believe in him, with the same old sentence-"He wouldn't lie to me.", but even excuses get old. You heard it all, but you didn't care. Why would he lie to you anyway?
oOo
"Tommy, I kno-"
"Shut your goddamn trap, Joel! How am I supposed to explain this to the rest of the crew that we have an infected girl? The Fireflies are still looking for a cure! Bring here sorry ass there!"
You press your ear harder to the door, crouching down, balancing yourself by pushing the tips of your fingers to the floor. You nearly fall backwards- thank heavens you didn't- but quickly regained balance, but not without a soft squeak from your shoes. You cursed mentally, praying to the gods- to whatever gods left that cared about this broken world- that no one heard you. A sigh resonated inside the room- Tommy's?
"One chance, Joel. If you somehow fuck up then you and the girl leaves. Pronto."
You were far away by the time Joel ended the conversation and left the room.
oOo
Late afternoon. Joel went hunting with Tommy. Back before sundown, most probably. Not that there was many things to do anyway. You rummaged through Joel's bag, trying to find the comic book that he found. Rummaging through, you had to admit he hoarded quite a lot of shit. Halfway through the bag- still no comic, by the way- you found a old recorder. Nothing special. Just...old. I hit the play button.
"Hey Anna..."
You inhale sharply at the name.
"It's been a while since we spoke. I uh...I just gave the okay to proceed with the surgery."
You bite your lip.
"I really doubt I had much of a choice, *sigh* asking me was more of a formality. *pause* I need you to know that I've kept my promise all these years...despite everything that I was in charge of, I looked after her. I would've done anything for her, and at times...*background bullshit here* Here's a chance to save us... all of us. This is what we were after... what you were after. *pause* They asked me to kill the smuggler. I'm not about to kill the one man in this facility that might understand the weight of this choice. *pause* Maybe he can forgive me. *sigh* Oh, I miss you, Anna. Your daughter will be with you soon."
There was a small click as the recorder finished playing.
As evening bled into night, you couldn't get a peaceful sleep. And you feel like shit the day after.
oOo
But so many people had been dying because of you, hasn't that been the case for all these years? Everybody left. Riley. Tess. Sam. You could have saved them. Maybe. Y'know, if you'd gone for the surgery. They could've found a cure. Mom would've been happy. Riley would still be alive. Tess and Sam too. Everyone.
oOo
"Let's just wait it out. Y'know, we can be all poetic and just lose our minds together," Riley said, trailing her finger across the bulbous rash, before tugging her shoulder sleeve back down. You smile. Riley hasn't changes. What was the worst? We both die- neither would have to live a day without the other. After all, it was only a few hours, right?
Riley whimpered. The headache hurt like hell. Not that Earth wasn't hell already. The throbbing worsened.
"Rile?"
"I'm okay. Yep. Still feeling poetic." You flash a rare smile. "How 'bout you, El? Does it hurt bad? Feeling like you'll go crazy soon?"
"Yeah." It wasn't a fib. You feel like crap. Not from the stupid virus. But from the fear.
Fear that Riley died.
Riley howled. In some sense, you were lucky. It had been 3 days. You look at Riley- or Rile as you normally call her- turning and moaning, eyes leaking with tears. You hear your own heartbeat in your ears.
Heaving.
Riley turned to look at you, saying something, but you couldn't hear. Your heartbeat was much too loud.
Gasping.
Rile clasped the string of her pendant with trembling hands, and pressed it against your palm.
Hyperventilating.
You couldn't hear your own voice, but whatever you said seemed to put Rile at ease. You took a breath, then plunged your knife into her throat. Riley stopped twitching, eyes glazed over, motionless, head semi-detached, cold, and lifeless.
"I'll make this quick." You did.
Riley died. By your own hands.
oOo
You didn't mention it, but you couldn't deny it. You had this fear when you stepped into the capitol building. You were scared of the possibility.
And you were scared as hell.
"No." Tess murmured, rushing forward, "No, no." She checked the dead Fireflies frantically for a pulse- anything really.
"What happens now?" You dared to ask, but no response.
"What are you doing, Tess?"
"Oh god. Maybe they had, ah, a map or something to tell us where they were going." Her voice shook. I didn't think it was possible for her to be scared like that.
"How far are we going to take this?"
"As far as it needs to go. Where is this lab of theirs?" She faced you, and- for some unknown reason- you flinched.
"She never said. She only mentioned it was someplace out in the west."
"What are we doing here? This is not us." Joel cut in, punctuating every syllable with anger, taking steps towards Tess.
"What do you know about 'us'? About me?" Tess retorted, as if she had been holding out a shriek.
The details were kind of blurry here, so you guessed you might've tuned out. (A/N: hehe. I got tired here and it was way too long so...)
"This is my last stop." Your head snapped up in shock.
"What?" Joel asked, confused.
Tess sniffed. "Our look had to run out sooner or later."
Joel approached, inquiring about 'what the hell is going on', until Tess flung out her hands and slapped Joel's away.
"No, don't - Don't touch me."
"Holy shit." You really couldn't keep your fat ass mouth shut. "She's infected."
"Let me see it."
"I didn't mean for this."
"Show it to me."
Tess pulled back her collar, with such force that I was shocked she didn't rip it out by herself. Revealed was a fresh bite wound, growing and disgusting. You guessed it was from 2-3 hours ago, there about, but you weren't sure.
"Oh, Christ," Joel breathed out.
"Oops, right? Give me your arm." Tess reached out for my hand, yanking it- you couldn't help but wince- and rolling up my sleeve. "This is 3 weeks. I was bitten an hour ago-" You were wrong then. "- and it's already worse. This is fucking real, Joel. You've got to get this girl to Tommy's. He used to run with this crew. He'll know where to go."
oOo
You stared at Sam, taking stock of food required.
"Did Henry send you?"
"No. Why would Henry send me?"
"Psshhh. I'd say we all did pretty good back there. Especially you."
Henry got up, propping himself with his arms against the table, walking to the window with a slight imp, but you ignore that, thinking he probably sprained his ankle or something. He rested an arm against the window, muttering, "Well..."
"Is everything fine?" You didn't really expect a proper answer. Or a truthful one anyway.
"Everything's fine." Bingo.
You contemplated sticking around for a bit longer, but decided against it. "Okay... Well... Have a good night."
"How is it that you're never scared?" You were caught off-guard. That simple question struck a nerve in you, and countless people lying dead amongst other corpses flash before your eyes.
"W-Who says I'm not?"
You were so shocked, till the point you didn't even register the clack of the toy as Sam threw it to the floor, or the glimpse of rashes on his legacies he rolled up his pant sleeve while you walk out the door.
Night bled into day. You wake up, taking in the spicy scent of curry. "Damn. That smells good."
"Good morning," Joel replied.
Bit of friendly exchange later, you head into Sam's room. "Sam?" You see him moaning, lying on the floor, hands grasping his head. He sees you, and lets out a federal growl, lunging. "Sam!"
"What the hell?" Joel widened his eyes in shock, scampering for his bag, digging and searching for his gun frantically. "Shit! He's turnin'!"
With gasping breaths, you try to fend Sam off, with a vocabulary full of profanities- Mom would be upset if she knew- and flailing arms. A bit more. Joel was reloading his gun hurriedly.
Joel aim, and you clench your teeth.
A gunshot. Hollering. But Sam, was still on top of you, growling. You risked a glance at Joel, who had his hands up in the air, but that's all you get to see 'cause Sam slapped your face back into position.
"That's my fuckin' brother!"
Salive dripped all over your face. "Sam!"
"Screw it!"
Another shot, and Sam's body went limp. You tossed him aside, wiping your face, muttering, "Oh shit..."
"Ellie? Ellie, are you alright?" Joel inquired.
"Uh-huh. Oh my God."
"Sam..." Henry slumped his shoulders, head down, tears flowing.
"Henry. Henry." Joel said, in a vain attempt to catch his attention.
"Henry, what have you done?" He started mumbling to himself, barely loud enough for you to hear.
"I'm gonna get that gun away from you, okay?"
"Sa... Sa... Sam..." In a moment of frenzy, Henry pointed the business end of the gun at Joel.
Joel put his hands up. "Whoa. Okay. Okay. Easy."
"It's all your fault!" Henry hollered, refusing to listen to Joel's protest, only repeating his words.
"Henry! Henry, no-"
You couldn't see it happening behind Joel's shoulders, but there was a gunshot.
And Henry's lifeless frame lying on the floor.
"Oh my God."
oOo
The hunters were dead. But even in the afterlife, they took something with them.
You hurry forwards, grasping at the ice-cold hands, yelling out Tommy's name. You couldn't even hear your own voice, for fuck's sake. You swallowed a ball of hysteria, and then there was a rush of people around you.
"Oh God, no," Tommy breathed out, then paused for a second to compose himself- you wanted to scream at him to save his life quickly. "Listen. I'm gonna get that knife out of your chest, yeah?"
"One. Two. Three!" Tommy yanked the blade embedded in his chest out, and an agonised yell followed.
"Maria! Bandages! Now!"
"Can't! Out of 'em!"
"Are you fucking shitting me?" Tommy cursed under his breath, ripping out a piece of fabric from his own shirt, using it to staunch the blood. You hold back your tears and bit down hard on your lips.
He gestured you to come closer.
I struggled a long time with survivin'.
"...lied...sorry..."
And you- No matter what, you just keep finding something to fight for.
"Forgi-ive me..."
Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me.
His body went limp.
Everyone - fucking except for you!
But you knew the truth.
You're right...
And you already forgave him.
You're not my daughter, and I sure as hell ain't your dad.
That was the last time you get to hear his beautiful, Southern accent.
And we are going our separate ways.
A/N: My hands hurt. Oh and I hope you don't mind the excessive game dialogue. Or the ending.
PokeSpeFanGirl - Out!