The Last of Us: Silent Night

Joel saw this coming. The transition of autumn to winter would cause a change in Ellie. She went from carefree and happy to frightened and paranoid. He tried reassuring her that she drove a machete into his head enough to make it a puddle. But she just couldn't shake the feeling.

Even a year later, he haunts her dreams. Joel has had to rush numerous times to her room this month to soothe her crying and panic. Even with the comfort of him in her bed while she slept (or tried to) left her restless.

So then she decided that she would never sleep again, choosing to stay awake at all times. And it quickly took a toll on her. On the most recent hunting trip, she was so tired that she nearly shot her hunting partner in the head instead of the deer they were tracking.

This led to her choosing to stay home, sometimes locked in her room. All day and night without a single peep. It broke Joel's heart to see her this way. The bags grew under eyes, her bright green eyes were dull and void of life, not to mention that she was VERY cranky.

Joel was beginning to run out of options. Cheap tricks like slipping a sleeping pill in her drink or food would just make things worse. At least when she had these dreams, she could wake up just before the worst happened. She could escape. With a sleeping pill, she would be trapped. Her worst fears would come to fruition. Joel couldn't stand to see her fall deeper into the abyss.

He just wanted his baby girl back.

It wasn't until Joel looked over at the clock when he realized that all his thinking was keeping him up too. He got up with one last idea in his mind. It always worked with Sarah when she was a baby and even later when she had any particularly fierce nightmares or when there were those rare nights where sleep just didn't want to come.

It might be a long shot but Joel had no other choices. It was now or never and he prayed that it would be now. He got up, walked to her room, and knocked on the door before coming in. Ellie was up listening to her walkman and reading a comic book.

"Hey Joel." Ellie said, her voice dripping with exhaustion. She pulled the ear buds out of her ears and put the comic book on the table next to her. "What's up?"

Joel took a deep breath. "Baby girl, can you do something for me?"

"What?"

"Try and go to sleep? Please?"

"You know I can't. He'll fucking come back and he'll…" Ellie eyes filled to the brim with tears.

Joel quickly walked over to her and embraced her tightly. She began sobbing quietly on his shoulder. "I know, I know." He soothed.

"Just try for me. I have an idea. Come on." Joel climbed onto Ellie's bed and made it so that Ellie could lay right on top of him with her head resting directly over his steady heartbeat, one hand on top of her head, and one around her waist. Ellie held him tightly, clutching his shirt in her fists.

"I'll make the nightmares go away, Ellie."

"How?" Ellie sniffled. "He's gone…but I still feel like he's here. They're getting worse, Joel. I can't fucking blink without seeing his face. I can't fucking deal with it anymore. I just…" Ellie trailed off. "You should have left me at the hospital. Let them…"

"There was no way in hell I was going to do that. I got you baby girl. Do this for me, okay? Close your eyes. And listen."

"But-"

"No buts. Just try it, for me baby girl."

"Okay." Ellie mumbled. She closed her eyes and almost immediately, she began to whimper and clutched Joel's shirt tightly to the point of almost tearing it as the darkness got filled with distasteful images. Of him. His actions. And what he was going to do.

"Shhh. It's okay. No one's going to get you. I'm right here. I got you." Joel squeezed her reassuringly.

What Joel wouldn't give to actually face this man and make him pay for what he did to her. For hurting her. For scarring her. He didn't deserve what came to him; he got the easy way out. He should have suffered more. Joel swears that multiple machetes to the head would be a walk in the park compared to what he would have done.

But those would only be dreams that would help Joel sleep at night, never to be a reality.

Joel hugged her tightly and took a deep breath. It's been years since he's done this but he's sure he's still got it in him.

"Silent night, Holy night…All is calm, all is bright…"

Joel sung that song over and over. He sang it even when her grip on his shirt lessened and her breathing became slow and steady. All tension left her body and she was limp in his arms. It wasn't long until he heard nothing but soft snoring coming from Ellie.

"Sleep in heavenly peace…"

Joel didn't move. He stayed up and stood guard, just in case the nightmares decided to attack once more. It was a long shot but it seemed like it was working. He was awake for a good two more hours but Ellie remained sound asleep. He watched her closely. Not a whimper or grimace in sight. No screaming and no tears.

Silence.

Joel looked out the window just as some light snowflakes began falling.

He looked down to see Ellie the most content she's ever been in weeks, a small smile on her face. The bags under her eyes were already beginning to fade. He placed a gentle kiss on Ellie's head and held her just a bit tighter.

"Merry Christmas, baby girl."

I'm on a roll, possibly a bagel XD

Something, I don't know what but SOMETHING told me to look up Christmas carols. Silent Night was the first thing that popped up and we had liftoff.

Not *exactly* Christmas themed but close enough right?

Merry Christmas! =D