So I hope you like it. Thanks for at least giving it a chance.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Last of Us or any of the characters in the game.

Chapter 2: Ellie

Jason's POV

As we followed Marlene to wherever she was taking us to see our guns, I was kept at the back of the group since I was the youngest one. We ran into some of the military guys, but other than that the trip was uneventful. Finally she led us into a building to a door.

"Joel... give me a hand with this." Marlene said, grabbing onto the handle of the door. Joel opened the door and she fell forward to the ground. The trip here had drained all her energy, so she could barely walk anymore.

"Woah, you okay?" I asked as I lifted her up.

"Get the fuck away from her!" Something rammed into my side knocking me to the floor. When I turned my face to see what the hell had knocked me to the floor, my face almost came into contact with the knife the girl was holding.

"Hey!" Tess shouted, grabbing the girls arm and lifting her off me before she could stab me.

"Let her go." Marlene said, from where she was leaning on a counter to support herself. Tess let go of her arm. I got up from the ground, my heart going crazy. I almost got stabbed.

"You okay?" Tess asked me. I nodded.

"You're recruiting kind of young, aren't you?" Joel said. I looked over at the girl. She looked to be a little younger than me. Maybe thirteen or fourteen.

"She is not one of mine." Marlene said, struggling to keep herself standing.

"Shit. What happened?" The girl went over to Marlene helping her, finally noticing the wound.

"Don't worry. I got us help, but I can't go with you." Marlene said to the girl.

"Well then I'm staying." The girl said instantly.

"Ellie we won't get another shot at this."

"Wait, she's the cargo?" I asked pointing at her.

"Yeah, and the cargo has a name." The girl said.

"Yeah, who cares, Ellen." I said.

"It's Ellie."

"Whatever."

"Hey, shut up will you?" Tess said. I held up my hands defensively.

"We're smuggling her?" Joel asked Marlene.

"There's a crew of Fireflies that will meet you at the capital building."

"That's not exactly close." Tess said.

"You're capable. Look you go and hand her off and you'll get your guns. Double of what Robert gave me." Marlene tells us.

"Speaking of, where are they?" Tess demanded.

"Back at our camp."

"We're not smuggling shit, until I see them."

"You follow me and see the weapons, but she can't cross to that part of town." Marlene pointed at the girl. "I want Joel and him to watch over her."

I realized she was talking about me. "What?"

"Look I don't think this is the best idea." Joel tried to object.

"Bullshit, I'm not going with him!" The girl started complaining.

"Ellie..." Marlene instantly made her be quite.

"How do you know them?" Ellie asked.

"I was close to his brother Tommy. Said if I was ever in trouble, I could rely on him." She pointed at Joel.

"Was that before or after he left your group?" Joel asked.

"He left you, too."

"Just take her to the north tunnel and wait for me there." Tess whispered to Joel.

Marlene was whispering something to the girl. "Now go with him."

"Don't take long." Joel looked at Tess. He looked over at me and Ellie. "You two- stay close."

"Yes, sir." I said walking over to the door by Joel. He glared at me.

"Don't call me sir." He practically growled.

"Sorry, sir." I grinned at him when he gave me a glare. If looks could kill.

"Let's go." He said, as he opened the door.

When we got outside of the building, there was some bodies littered on the floor in the middle of the street. There was a puddle of blood around them.

"I heard all the shooting, but..." Ellie said, looking at the bodies. "What happened?"

"Fireflies. Same thing will happen to us if we don't get off the road soon."

"Your the pro. I'm just following you." Ellie responded. We continued walking down the street to some stairs.

"Attention. Harboring or aiding wanted criminals is punishable by death. Do not place yourself at risk. Report any suspicious activity immediately." The lady over the intercom was repeating that over and over again. Her voice was really starting to get annoying.

Joel lead us to through an alleyway to the back of some buildings. Ellie was starting to get curious. "Where are we going?"

"Up there. That will get us to the north tunnel." Joel pointed up to a fire escape.

"How are we supposed to reach that?"

"Just give me a minute. Hey, look around for something that could help us get up there." Joel said. I started walking around looking for something. I saw a huge dumpster inside a garage.

"What about this?" I asked, pulling it out.

"That'll do. Bring it over." I started pushing it over to the stairs of the fire escape. When I pushed it close enough, Joel jumped up on the dumpster and climbed onto the stairs. I climbed up next, leaving Ellie down there.

"Do you used this tunnel to smuggle things?" Ellie questioned Joel, when she climbed onto the stairs, too.

"Yeah."

"Like illegal things."

"Sometimes."

"You ever smuggle a kid before?"

"No. It's a first."

"So what's the deal with you and Marlene anyways?"

"I don't know. She's my friend I guess."

"Your friend huh? You're friends with the leader of the Fireflies. What are you like twelve?"

"She knew my mom. She's been looking out for me. And I'm fourteen not like that has anything to do with anything." So she's fourteen. I knew it.

"Where are your parents?"

"Where are anyone's parents? They have been gone a long, long time."

"So instead of staying in school, you just run off and join the Fireflies. Is that it?"

"Look I'm not supposed to tell you why you are smuggling me, if that's where you're getting at."

"You wanna know the best thing about my job? I don't gotta know why. Be honest with you, I could give two shits about what you are up to."

"Well great."

"Good."

We walked to the end of the hall to a door that didn't have the military look on it. Joel opened the door and let us in. "This is it."

Ellie stood awkwardly by the doorway, while Joel went to go lay down on the big couch. I went over and sat on the window seal.

"What are you doing?" Ellie asked.

"Killing time."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?"

"I am sure you will figure that out." She started wandering across the room, looking around.

"Your watch is broken." Ellie said, as came over and sat down on the arm chair close by the window.

"Leave him alone." I said. I knew what that watch meant to him, so she shouldn't talk to him about him.

"What do you mean?" Ellie looked over at me.

"Just don't mention the watch."

"Why?"

"Just don't, okay?"

We sat in silence for awhile. I was looking outside the whole time, watching the sky cloud over and start raining. She was just sitting there, looking out the window, too.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

"I have nothing to say." I answered, still looking outside.

"If I ask you some questions, will you answer them?"

"Maybe."

"How old are you?" She asked.

"Fifteen. Going to be sixteen, soon."

"Where are your parents?" She asked. I finally looked over at her.

"I don't want to talk about them."

She didn't ask anything else after that. I think she knew I didn't really want to talk. I laid my head against the cold window sill and started closing my eyes.

"You mumble in your sleep." A girls voice said. "I hate bad dreams."

"Yeah, me too." I took me a while to recognize the voices. It was Ellie and Joel talking about something.

"Is he awake yet?" Joel asked. I guessed they were talking about me.

"I don't think so."

"Yeah, I am." I said, opening my eyes. Ellie was still in the arm chair looking outside at the rain and Joel was at the coach, sitting up.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Ellie said, smirking at me. I glared.

"Funny." She just grinned and went back to looking outside.

"You know, I've never been this close. To the outside." Ellie said.

"Never been out there?" I asked, remembering my horrible memories of the outside. I shuddered at the thought of going out there again.

"No. Have you?"

"Yeah." I saw her opening her mouth, probably going to ask why or something, but I cut her off. "Don't really want to talk about it."

"Look how dark it is. Can't get any worse. Can it?" She asked Joel.

"What on earth do the Fireflies want with you?" Ellie didn't get to answer because the door opened a second later.

"Sorry, I'm late. Soldiers fucking everywhere." Tess explained, as she walked over to us.

"How's Marlene?" Ellie asked, obviously worried.

"She'll live." She looked over at Joel. "I saw the merchandise, it's a lot. Wanna do this?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go."