Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog

A/N: Hi, I want to say thanks to all the people that are giving a chance to this story. I know that this is my first story, and I don't know if it's going to be good, but I'm glad that some people out there take the time to read it. So thank you and hope that you liked.

Chapter 4 : The life in Jackson Part-2

Twenty minutes have passed when Tommy arrives at the clinic to check on what just happened to Harold's patrol. Tommy sees that Dr. Wilson is attending one of the men and Joel is talking to the other one.

"Hey Doc! How's he doing?" says Tommy when he gets close to the town doctor.

"Well, the good news is that he didn't get bitten, so no risk on the CBI virus infection; I patched the wounds and gave him some antibiotics so I think he is going to be okay, on those… but the bad news is that he has a fracture in his ankle and he can't walk for at least one month. We don't have any way to do a cast for now, so I have to make a splint on his foot and give him something for the pain. So he's going to be out for a few hours. Also, he needs to stay here for at least two days, his family can take him home after that."

"Okay! But his wife and son are with Carl`s supply trade trip, so he's going to need to

stay here longer than that," says Tommy.

"Okay, that is not going to be a problem, Tommy," says the doctor.

"Thanks, Doc," says Tommy, and he starts to walk over to where Joel and the other man are.

"Tommy!" says Joel when he gets close.

"Okay, can somebody explain what happened, and where are Harold and Pete?" Tommy asks with a concerned expression.

"We were attacked by infected last night when we were on patrol," says the man that was talking with Joel.

"Infected?!" yells Tommy. "How can that even be possible - we cleaned out all the area close to the dam years ago, and we haven't seen any infected around here in more than a year."

"Well, Harold found some old houses two weeks ago, passing the north hills crossing the river, and he decided to go this time to check them out. He said that it wouldn't take much time," the

man continues to explain.

"Shit, He was supposed to go to the dam only and come back here, not go on any scavenger run without contact"- Tommy doesn't get to finish.

Joel interrupts the conversation. "Tommy!" he says, "it don't matter what happened there, right now we need to send someone to find him."

"Yeah, Tommy, we lost Pete and three horses -" The man is interrupted.

"Can we stop wasting time! We need to find Harold before it's too late," says Joel.

"Right!" says Tommy. "Okay, Carl is on a supply trip so we don't have much choice here..." Tommy puts his hand on his head and starts to think.

"Tommy!" Joel says, "Dylan and I can go, we just need to get some weapons and prepare some horses and we can be ready in an hour."

"That's too risky, Joel, I can't send just two men out there. I know that Harold is your friend and he is very important to the security of the town, but we don't know how many infected might be out there. Okay, I can check on Albert and see if he can get some men and go!"

"Tommy, we ain't got time for this," says Joel.

"Okay, brother, I can just tell Albert to go with you two!" says Tommy.

"NOOO!" Joel yells at Tommy, "I'm not going out there with that man, are you fucking joking?"

"Joel, he is in charge of the patrol thing and the security, it's his job. You still have a problem with him? I thought that you two had already resolved all your problems," says Tommy.

"Yeah right!" Joel says. "He just likes to piss me off, every time he sees me. I'm not going out with him."

"Okay! Jesus, I'll send someone to prepare the horses and you go find Dylan and get what you two need. I'll go find someone else to go with you two, okay? But we need to discuss all this about Albert later, okay?" says Tommy and starts to walk out of the clinic.

"Okay," Joel agrees. "I'll see you in one hour in the stables." And with that, Joel leaves the clinic

too and goes to find Dylan to tell him that they're going to go out of town and search for Harold.

In the greenhouse Ellie was working with some plants, and looking like she was lost in thoughts…

I remember being in the bathroom of the house looking at myself in the mirror. I had just taken my clothes off to take a bath. I'm sixteen now... I've grown a little, not much taller but my body is more...like a woman now? My skin's still pale as a glass of milk, not much change on that, and I still have the bite mark in my arm, but at least my breasts are bigger now. Well, not the same as Maria or Claudia, but I think they are decent, and I have more curves, too. Well, that is what I want him to notice, I guess - I want him to see me more like I'm an adult, not as a kid anymore.

He wasn't in the house then, but I wished he was... I wanted him to see me naked, to touch me and…..kiss me! Why did I feel that way, it's like… I dunno...I wanted him to see me like something more than a daughter. Does he still see me like that? After all this time, after all we did together, I just wanted him to…. Love me! But love me like a man loves a woman.

Love! Is that what I was feeling? I had to talk to someone about these new feelings I'd been having... yeah, maybe Maria. But what would I tell her - I couldn't tell her that I started to have some feelings for Joel! I don't know what she would think. Probably she and Tommy would just kill Joel because of that. Or maybe I could say that these feelings are for someone without saying it's Joel...Yeah, maybe I could do that. Okay, I better get to the shower, he's going to come back soon.

I enter the bathtub and start to take a shower, yes! hot water - we didn't have this out there, this

is like heaven.

Then I start to clean myself and start to imagine that I hear his voice!

"You look beautiful!"

It's him! He is with me in the shower! I turn around to see him.

"You have grown up," he says.

"Do you like what you see?" I ask him without taking my eyes away from his face.

"Yes!" he says.

"Joel, I want to…" I look down; I can't even say what I want. He is right here, Ellie! You have the courage, just say it! I look into his eyes again. "Joel! I want you to make lo…Fuck!" She is been taken out of her thoughts by some one yelling her name.

"Ellie! Ellie! Are you in there? Hello?"

"Jenna?"

"Yes it's me - are you okay?"

Fuck! Now I daydream too? "Yes, I'm fine, what`s up?" I say.

"Haha, you tell me? It's like you're just sitting there and your mind is elsewhere."

"Oh. it's nothing, I was just thinking of something," I tell her.

"Oh it must be something good because you're acting funny."

"Oh shut up!" I snap at her.

"Okay, girls, I sent Brad to buy something I need, it's afternoon so I think you two can go get your lunch break and come back in one hour, okay!" says Claudia.

"Okay, Mom! C'mon, Ellie, let's get some lunch in the public cafeteria," says Jenna, putting her arm around my shoulder. As soon as we get out of the greenhouse, Jenna asks me, "Okay, now that my mom's out of earshot, start talking?"

"About what?" I say.

"Come on, Ellie, I know that you're hiding something. You've been acting funny for the last two weeks."

"No! I'm not," I say.

"Yes! You are, and you know I always find out what you are hiding."

"It's nothing, I swear!" I say.

"Oh, come on, it's a boy, right?" Jenna insists.

I start to blush, when someone interrupts us.

"Hey Jenna, Ellie! Glad to see you, did you hear what happened at the front gate?"

"Hear what?" we say at the same time.

It was Toby, Victor`s son, the guy in charge of the horses... he's like fifteen, I guess. "There was some commotion at the front gate, like a half hour ago, some infected attacked!" Toby says.

I open my eyes wide like something hit me. Joel! I almost yell. I look at Jenna. "Oh no, fuck! Joel is working on the wall close to the gate - sorry, I have to go, see you later," I say as I start to run.

Joel is in his house preparing things for the search mission. "Dylan, don't forget the extra ammunition, okay?" Joel says.

"Joel, I know that Harold is some kind of friend of yours, but do you think it's right that we're doing this? Why don't you let Tommy send Albert and other men!"

"Because I don't trust that idiot, he's not going to find shit, and Harold is not just some kind of friend! He is my friend, and I owe him at least that. Besides, he is one of the few people that I can talk and trust around here. I'm not going to sit here and do nothing."

"Joel, I know that Albert is an asshole, but that is his job."

"Look! If you don't want to go, it's okay, I can find someone else to go with me."

"I not saying that I don't want to go, but Albert is in charge of the patrol thing and the security of Jackson. I know that you don't like him, but he is going to think that you are passing over him and…" Dylan is saying when Joel interrupts him.

"That bastard don't know shit, I don't even know why Tommy gave him that kind of responsibility, and he always tries to piss me off, like it's a hobby of his."

"Well, if you hadn't punched him in the face in the first two weeks after you came here, maybe he would treat you better," Dylan points out.

"Yeah, that was like, what... a year ago? Maybe if his stupid son hadn't tried to take advantage of Ellie in the first place, I wouldn't've had to do that. Besides, I think he hates me because he knows I'm an ex-hunter."

"Well, Ellie broke his son's nose and threatened to cut his balls with a pocketknife if he tried to touch her again, and she was only fourteen then, or fifteen?" Dylan says.

"Yes, fifteen, and that stupid boy was eighteen, and after that he goes to tell his dad what happened and the two of them came to Tommy's house and demanded that me and Ellie be thrown out of Jackson," Joel tells him. "Of course Tommy and Maria had to intervene, and he didn't like the decision they made. So now he tries everything to make my life impossible, but he don't know shit about me or what I'm capable of doing if he or his son tries to do something to Ellie."

"Yeah, I've heard that story before. Okay! We're almost ready, so what are you going to say to Ellie before we go?" Dylan asks.

"Well, she is in the greenhouse working right now, so I can tell Tommy to inform her that we have to go out to search, and we're going to come back later, or... I'll leave her a note," Joel answers.

"Damn, Joel! You're asking for trouble - if you don't tell her in person she is going to be pissed off, you know that she doesn't like it much when you go out," Dylan says.

They hear the front door open as a teenager enters the house, yelling Joel's name.

"JOEL! JOEL!" Ellie calls him as soon she enters the house.

"Ellie?" Joel asks as he tries to step out of the kitchen to meet Ellie before she sees what they're doing. Oops, too late.

"Joel! Oh God…" As soon as she sees Joel step out of the kitchen, she runs to him and puts her hand around his waist. "...are you okay? I heard that there was some trouble with some infected! And I thought that you were going to be…" Ellie stops talking when she sees Dylan sitting at the kitchen table with all the guns and supplies. "Dylan? What are you doing here and what is all this?" Ellie asks, looking at Dylan and then at Joel.

"Ellie, Harold's patrol was attacked by infected last night. Two of his men came back, but Harold is still out there. So Dylan and I are going to search for him," Joel explains the situation to Ellie.

"Joel! You said Infected are involved! Isn't that some kind of danger?" Ellie says, trying to be calm, "I know that Harold is the only friend you have here, but if I remember right, isn't it that Albert guy's job? So why do you have to go?"

"Hey! What do you mean by 'only friend,' Ellie?" says Dylan, offended.

Joel and Ellie don't even look at him.

"Ellie, I don't trust that bastard to do his job."

"And that's why you told Tommy to send you?" Ellie asks.

"No! Tommy isn't the one sending me out there, I volunteered."

"YOU WHAT!" Ellie shouts. "You volunteered? -and then you were going to go out there without telling me too?"

"I was going to leave you a.. "Joel starts to say.

Ellie finishes for him. "...a note?" Really?"

"Ellie!"

"No, Joel, don't 'Ellie' me - if you're going out there then I'm going with you!" Ellie says with a firm voice.

"No!" Joel replies quickly.

"What the fuck! Joel, I'm going."

"Listen here, Ellie, Joel is right... it's going to be dangerous out there and it's better if you stay here! And-" Dylan was saying.

"Listen, Dude!" Ellie interrupts him. "I don't care if you're like hanging out with him now or whatever, but this doesn't concern you so shut the hell up!"

"Okay, Ellie, that is enough," Joel snaps at her. "You are not going and that is final!"

"What? You can't order me what to do, YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER!" Ellie screams at him... but then she falls silent.

No one speaks for a few moments, until Joel looks to the kitchen and says, "Okay, Dylan, get the stuff and go to the stables, tell Tommy that I'll be there soon."

"Joel-" Dylan tries to say something.

"NOW!" Joel yells, looking at Dylan.

Dylan gets the weapons and the bag with the supplies, and gets out of the house.

"Now, young lady, what is wrong with you? I know that I'm not your father, but you don't need to talk like that, and-" Joel starts, but Ellie interrupts him.

"What is wrong with me? What is wrong with you! Since my birthday you've been ignoring me... you spend more time with your supposed friends, taking more hours on the wall. You come home late at night or go out early in the morning, now we spend almost no time together anymore and you are leaving me alone all night. Do you know how that makes me feel?"

"Ellie, I don't know what you're talking about - we do spend time together, and I'm just trying to protect you and make sure that you are okay and-" Joel tries to continue, but Ellie interrupts him again.

"No! Joel, the way I see it… it's like you are tired of me and trying to get rid of me." Ellie tries to stay calm but tears start to form in her eyes.

"Ellie!" Joel says, also trying to be calm. "That is not true - you are the most important person in my life. I'm never going to be tired of you."

"If that is true then why do I feel all alone now? We are supposed to be a team … you promised that we would always be together, that you're going to take care of me. So that is why you wanted to bring me here... to abandon me?"

"Ellie, that is not true, why would I do that?! You are the reason that I'm still alive. I don't want to be away from you. The reason I brought you here is because I want to protect you… so that somehow you can have a normal life. So you can have the happiness you deserve."

"Joel, you don't need to protect me all the time, I can take care of myself, and I was happy before you put me alone in that room. Now I just feel all alone and I'm having nigh...and you know that I never like to feel that way."

"Ellie! I'm sorry that you feel that way, that was not my intention. I love you more than anything and it's my job to make sure that you are safe. That is why you can't come with me - it's going to be dangerous out there."

"Well, that is why you need to take me, Joel - we spent almost a year out there and we survived together and…"

"No! Sorry, Ellie, but you can't come, it's too dangerous," Joel tells her.

"Okay, so you prefer to go with that guy and get killed?" says Ellie.

"No, nobody is going to get killed, Ellie, I'm going to come back, I promise. Now I have to go, they are waiting for me and Harold might not have much time out there. We can continue this conversation when I come back, okay?"

"No, Joel! We are not going to have any conversation later because you're not going to come back - you're going to get killed out there, and you're going to leave me all alone," Ellie says with tears in her eyes.

"Ellie, don't talk that way, I'm not going to leave you alone, nothing is going to happen to me, I'm going to come back and then we can fix whatever this is, okay?"

"You know what? Fuck you, Joel! I'm a big girl now and if you don't trust me, I'm not going to wait here until someone comes and tells me that you're not coming back or that you're dead. So go and save your friend who I can see is more important than me," Ellie says to Joel, then starts to run to the door and quickly gets out of the house.

"Ellie! Ellie!" Joel calls to her as soon she gets out of the house. He tries to go after her, but she's already out of sight. Damn! Ellie, this is not supposed to be like this. I'll fix this when I return! I promise!

After that, he grabs his guns and bag nearby and goes to the stables. When he arrives, Tommy is there with Dylan.

"Damn, Joel! Are you okay? How'd it go with Ellie?" asks Dylan.

"Not good... She wanted to go with me and when I said no, she got pissed and took off out of the house. I don't think she's going to talk to me any time soon."

"Don't worry, brother, this is not the first time. I'll tell Maria to talk to her - everything is going to be okay when you come back," says Tommy.

"I don't know, Tommy, this time she was really angry," says Joel.

"We'll talk about that later, okay? Okay, now it's getting late... this is Bob, he is going to go with you two, to the search out there…he is our best tracker," says Tommy. "Bob, this is my brother, Joel."

Bob extends his hand to Joel. "Nice to meet you," says Bob, shaking Joel's hand.

"And this is Dylan."

"Nice to meet you too," he says to Dylan, and shakes his hand, too.

The three of them mount their horses.

"Okay," says Tommy, "this is the map with the last location of Harold, so be careful out there and good luck. Here, have these two radios, they're a short range one but you can stay in contact if something happens, okay? And come back soon. I'll keep the guards of the wall and gate on alert just in case, okay!"

"Okay, don't worry, brother, I'm going to bring him back, just take care of Ellie until I come back, okay?"

"Okay, big brother, you can count on that." As Tommy finishes, the three of them go to the gate and inform them that they're going out to find Harold. The men of the gate acknowledge them and open the gate. As soon as the three of them get through the gate, the men in charge close the door and wish them good luck.