AN: So, here we are again. I'm just getting used to writing Joel/Marlene/Tess, so bear with me. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys it! Let me know what you think.


Marlene, the girls had found after spending a few days in her presence, was a great deal more pleasant without the eyes of her followers weighing on her. She smiled – honest smiles that made her eyes crinkle – and sometimes even chuckled, and her tone was softer, less rigid. She seemed less like the leader of a rebellion, they longer they knew her, and more like a rather tired, kind woman, with a decent sense of humor when she wanted to have one.

At the end of some days, she'd settle on the couch in her nightclothes – though what she considered nightclothes would still have been suitable if she were to need to up and run at any time – and talk to them about various things, though mostly the plans for their trip to the Fireflies' QZ. She'd told them she intended to go with them, for fear of having to tell anyone else about Ellie's condition. The girls were slightly relieved to hear this, feeling that Marlene's company would make the looming trip a little less formidable.

Some days, they'd catch Marlene looking at Ellie strangely, her expression slightly removed, or wistful. Neither had thought much of it, until one morning when she'd accidentally called Ellie "Anna." She had gone out immediately after that, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind her.

In spite of this, the time Ellie and Riley spent with Marlene was, though dull, happy. They had no need for their weapons, though Marlene did return their them and their other possessions, along with bringing them new clothing, and replacing Riley's rifle with a handgun that was easier to manage. Plus, having access to showers and electricity and food consistently felt divine, especially after spending so long on the road, getting by with what they could.

In short, everything was okay.


It was one afternoon, three weeks after they'd returned to Boston, when Marlene came stumbling into the apartment, a hand held to her bleeding stomach, and a couple Ellie and Riley didn't know accompanying her.

Until they'd heard the door open, they'd been lounging on the couch, listening to music with a Walkman they'd found in a box underneath the bed in the apartment. Marlene had given them permission to explore as they pleased within the building, and they'd found, much to their delight, that whoever had lived there before had left plenty of things to be discovered. There were books and photographs and CDs, clothing and movies and board games. They'd found the Walkman tucked away in a box with old photos and a dried rose. The box had "Arthur" written on the lid, the name surrounded by a heart. The tape in the Walkman had only love songs, and they'd spent the afternoon siting on the couch together, sharing the earbuds and listening to various men and woman croon about their various sweethearts and darlings, or talk of loves lost and found, pretending they didn't understand the lyrics.

Startled by Marlene and her company, they bolted from the couch, Ellie drawing her knife, Riley pointing her gun toward the man as he reached for Marlene.

"Get the fuck away from her!" Both girls yelled in unison, receiving startled looks in response.

The man and woman both stared at them wonderingly, about as concerned as one would be by a cat batting a paw at them. The woman pulled her gun in response to seeing Riley's, and aimed it steadily, bewilderment still obvious in her expression.

"Riley!" Marlene barked, pulling her attention from the woman. "Lower your weapon. They aren't a threat."

Riley hesitated and then dropped her arm, going to assist Ellie in helping Marlene to her feet.

"Jesus Christ…" She pulled Marlene's hand away from the blood-soaked spot on her side, eyes wide.

"I can get the medical kit-" Ellie began, but Marlene only shook her head.

"I'm fine. I'll get patched up at camp."

Ellie frowned, glancing back at the man and woman who were only standing and watching them, looking perplexed.

"These two yours? They're a little young, dontcha think?" the man asked, voice low and gravelly behind his beard.

"She," Marlene said, pointing at Riley, "is. The other girl isn't."

"Who are they?" Riley asked, eyes bouncing between the couple and Marlene.

"They're help. They're going to get you through the first part of the trip. But," she paused, watching Riley's expression for a moment before continuing, "I can't go with you."

"You're kidding." Riley asked flatly, turning to look the man and woman up and down, brow furrowed. "What are they? Smugglers?"

"They're reliable-"

"You remember the last time we met smugglers?" Ellie snapped.

Eyes hard, Marlene crossed her arms over her chest, attempting to speak again but being cut off by Riley.

"How do you know these people are even safe-"

"Enough." Marlene's voice fell like a blade, silencing all protest. "You're going with them. You'll be fine. They'll take you to the Capitol Building, and some more of ours will meet you there. Is that understood?"

Riley nodded, and Ellie muttered something that might have been "Yes."

"I know them," Marlene continued. "I knew his brother, Tommy. He said I could rely on him, if I ever needed to."

"How come I never heard about Tommy?" Riley asked suspiciously.

"Probably because he left your little militia group some time back," the man said flatly, looking at her and Ellie with an annoyed expression.

Marlene sighed. "The point is, you can trust them. Now, go get your bags."

"Yes, ma'am," Riley sighed, the emphasis on the "ma'am" notably sarcastic. She stalked off to their room with her eyes downcast, returning a moment later with the backpacks Marlene had brought them a few days before and tossing Ellie hers.

"Wait," the man said, waving a hand toward Ellie and Riley. "We're smuggling kids?"

Marlene shrugged. "It's just across town, Joel. They're responsible, and they really just need to be escorted and kept out of trouble. That's all."

"Look-" Joel began, the woman interrupting him with a shake of her head

"They're just cargo, Joel."

He muttered something, agreeing begrudgingly. The woman turned to Marlene. "I want to see our guns first."

"They're back at camp. I'll take you to them." She paused, glancing at the girls, and then added, "But Ellie doesn't need to cross to that part of town. She can stay with Joel, and Riley can come with us."

"No way," Riley snapped, mirroring Marlene's stance, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm not leaving her with some guy."

"You said we'd be staying together," Ellie added.

Marlene fixed them with a warning look. "No arguments. It's only temporary."

Riley glanced at Ellie, finding her as uncomfortable with the idea as she felt.

"Understood?" Marlene asked, drawing both of their gazes back to her.

"Fine," Riley muttered. She caught Ellie's eye again, and gave her a half-hearted shrug. "See ya in a little bit, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." She paused, and then added quietly, "Be careful."

Riley snorted. "Always am."

"Listen to him," Marlene told Ellie, gesturing at Joel. "Alright. Tess, Riley… come with me."

Riley's eyes darted back to Ellie more than once as they walked away, earning her a frustrated look from Marlene that she never noticed.

They walked a good half-mile before anyone spoke, only their soft footfalls to be heard. Tess looked at Riley, considering her with narrowed eyes before turning to Marlene. "So, what the hell is the deal with these kids?"

Marlene hesitated. "Nothing of any importance. I just need them moved."

"You don't do anything that isn't of any importance."

Marlene chuckled. "You don't need to worry about it."

Tess snorted. "I suppose not. Just a weird request, coming from you."

Marlene said nothing, and they fell silent once more, knowing that soldiers crawled the area, and made their way to the camp with little incident, though Marlene was barely able to walk by the time they arrived, Riley and Tess having to support her as they shuffled in.

One of the Fireflies, Rick, a tall, dark haired man that Riley had gotten to know well enough when she first joined, gave Marlene a respectful nod and then raised an eyebrow when he saw Riley.

"Last I heard you were dead."

Riley shrugged. "Nope. Apparently not."

"Huh. Can't say I'm surprised. You didn't seem dumb enough to go get killed that quickly."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Riley replied flatly.

Rick patted her shoulder as he went by. "Good seeing you around, kiddo."

"I told you not to call me that," she called after him, receiving only a huff of laughter in response.

"Jackass," she muttered without any real malice.

They supported Marlene to the medical station, where a small, dark-haired woman bustled over to them, worry-lines marring her tanned brow.

"Again?"

Marlene just chuckled. "Unfortunately."

After leaning back against a table with their assistance, Marlene waved Tess and Riley away.

"Riley, you can show her the weapons. They should all still be together. Oh, and here."

She grabbed a piece of paper and pen from the table beside her and scrawled something down, handing it to Riley.

"So they won't give you a hard time at the gate," she added.

Riley nodded, glancing down at the paper, and at the note Marlene had written to the weapon guards in her messy handwriting. After casting one last worried look at Marlene's now blood-coated hands, she led Tess across the camp toward a door that was guarded by a woman and man, both with machine guns in hand. Riley stopped at the door, and received equally dismissive looks from both of the guards.

"What do you want, kid?" the woman asked sharply, the cigarette at the corner of her mouth bobbing as she spoke.

Riley offered her the note, lifting her chin to stare the woman in the eye. "Marlene ordered me to show her," she jerked a thumb at Tess, "her weapons."

The woman looked at the note, then at Tess, and then back at Riley. "Why?"

"I don't think that's any of your business."

The woman glowered at Riley for a minute, and then shook her head, turning to unlock the door.

"Remember, we're keeping an eye on you."

"No problem," Riley replied coolly, pushing the door closed behind her and Tess.

Tess glanced at her as they walked, deciding that at least, if nothing else, the girl could hold her own.

The weapons were piled haphazardly in a metal crate, barrels protruding like spines. Tess ran her hands over some of them, and then nodded approvingly. "Looks like they're all here."

"She said they would be," Riley replied, leaning back against the wall, hands buried in her jean pockets.

Tess turned to her, tilting her head and fixing Riley with a thoughtful, almost amused expression.

"Kid," she said, pausing when she caught the annoyance in Riley's expression, "Riley, what the hell are you doing here with these people? I mean, seriously. Last I checked, they weren't recruiting people so damn young."

"I'm sixteen."

Tess chuckled. "That's still a kid."

Riley sighed resignedly. "What does it matter to you?"

"Just curious," Tess said with a shrug, opening the door and waiting for Riley to walk out.

They found Marlene where they'd left her back at the medical tent looking slightly less bloody and a little less pale. She looked to Tess, who nodded.

"They're there."

"Of course. And once you've dropped off the girls, I'll double them."

Tess raised an eyebrow. "You're serious about this, huh?"

"I need to make sure this is done well."

"I'm not going to question a good deal." She turned to Riley, and gave her a lopsided smile. "Ready?"

Riley glanced at Marlene, who nodded at her.

"You can trust them. Just do as your told, when you're told," Marlene said. "I mean it."

"I know, I know," Riley sighed.

Marlene didn't look convinced. "Once you get to the Capitol Building you'll be meeting the team. They've been ordered to keep the two of you safe and taken care of. You'll be taken from safe house to safe house, hopefully giving you time to rest in between legs of the trip."

"Got it," Riley muttered, folding her hands in front of her.

"Good."

She reached out and clapped Riley weakly on the shoulder, her hand still coated in dried blood. "You'll be just fine."

They turned to go, Tess walking briskly ahead, not bothering to check if Riley was following.

"Oh, and Riley?" Marlene called suddenly, gesturing for her to wait.

"Yeah?"

Marlene stared at her wordlessly for a minute, and then eventually just said, "Be careful."

"No problem."


Ellie had decided that a dog would have made a more talkative companion. Or maybe even a rock.

Joel had said nothing throughout the majority of the walk to the North Tunnel, apart from asking her age, and about her and Riley's involvement with Marlene. They'd quipped back and forth until she'd realize he had about as much personality as a bowl of watery oatmeal, and she'd gotten bored and found herself wishing Riley would hurry back with Tess. Tess seemed like she'd be nicer.

She watched Joel unlock the door that led to a dank little room that held barely anything more than a few pieces of furniture, and then flop down on the couch with a groan.

"What are you doing?"

"Killing time."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?"

"I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Ellie stared at him incredulously, and then shrugged it off, taking a seat by the window as the rain pattered its way insistently against the roof.

The downpour reminded her of another night, one she preferred not to think about. She touched her sleeve, feeling the indents of the bite beneath.

Looking out the window, past the glare of the lights and over the wall, the realization that she was going back out into the fray swept over her like a wave.

And it wasn't just her, was it? Riley was going, too.

She looked back at Joel, finding him asleep (or so she assumed. Maybe he was just trying to ignore her). Content that he wasn't paying attention to her, she pushed her sleeve up and examined the bite beneath, running her fingers over the light pink flesh of the freshly healed scar.

She really ought to be dead. Or wandering around attacking people. Somewhere in that area.

For a brief moment, she was struck by the idea that maybe she would just change at random, or that there was something special about that one runner, something that kept it from being infectious, and that maybe one day she'd get bit again and then turn.

The idea making her uncomfortable, she decided not think about it any longer, pulling her sleeve back down and leaning back in the chair, tucking her knees under her chin. She thought about Riley, wondering where she was, and hoping she wasn't doing anything stupid. She was still plenty vulnerable to getting bit, after all. Or shot. Or anything, really.

Hugging her knees, Ellie watched the rain continue to fall, and waited.


"Okay, so here's what we're going to do," Tess said, not bothering to look at Riley.

They were crouched behind a stack of crates, their weapons at the ready, and a patrol of soldiers ahead of them, voices barely audible in the rain.

"Yeah?" Riley asked, peering quickly over the top and then hunching back down, droplets of rain falling from the hood of her jacket and hitting her in the face. She wiped them away irritably, and then looked at Tess, who was counting her rounds.

Tess slid the clip back into the gun and then looked at her. "I'm probably going to have to take a few people out. I'm going to need you to stick to my heels, stay nice and quiet, and hang back. Okay?"

"That's ridiculous. I can help!"

"You don't have to."

Riley sighed, rubbing a hand over her brow. "Look, I can handle myself-"

"I got this," Tess said flatly. "I appreciate you want to help, and I'm sure you're probably pretty capable, but my job is to keep you out of trouble. So, for the meantime, I don't want to put you at risk if I don't have to."

Riley shook her head. "Whatever."

"Look, if I get into danger, feel free to back me up. But until then, just keep back. Okay?"

Deciding to take what she could get, Riley shrugged. "Alright."

Tess looked content. "Good. Look, we're going to stick to the shadows, and try to distract them where we can. Gunfire is going to bring people down on us, so that's going to be a last resort. Stick to me, and keep a clear head."

"Got it."

Tess nodded, and then moved out, jumping through a window into a small shop and then crossing to the opposite wall to listen, Riley on her heels. She gestured down the hall, and then held up one finger.

"I'm going to show you how to do something. Just watch me." Her voice was low, nearly inaudible. She pulled a knife from her belt. It was short and thin, with a blade that was dull in color and tarnished from use.

Riley stayed where she was crouched, watching Tess make her way silently down the hall, where a solider stood with his back to her. It took her one quick, efficient movement to take him down, wrapping an arm around his neck and then jamming the blade into his throat before he could so much as call out. She lowered the body to the floor and then beckoned Riley after her.

"I knew how to do that. With infected, anyway," Riley said, only receiving a snort of amusement from Tess in response.

Tess stalked onward into another room that appeared to be a waiting room, with a counter holding a coffee machine and old paper cups wrapped in plastic, dusty couches and musty, rotting magazines. They stopped by the door again, listening to the sound of footsteps and voices traveling down the hall.

Tess lifted a hand, telling her to wait, and then grabbed a mug off the counter and pitched it back out the door they'd come in through, waiting until the footsteps had changed direction before dashing forward. Riley followed after her, her hand resting on her gun.

They kept pushing forward carefully, in and out of buildings, over walls, across rooftops and through alleys, ambushing men when necessary, but mostly just blending with the shadows.

It wasn't long before they were nearly to the tunnel – or so Riley guessed from Tess's occasional mutter of "Not much further, now."

They slipped past another group of soldiers quietly and then halted at a fence, Tess scouring the wire until she found a tear large enough for them to slip through, and then urging Riley ahead of her, glancing back over her shoulder.

"We're almost there. Just across this roof, and then we've just gotta cut through a tunnel and we'll be in the clear," she said, climbing through while Riley held the wire aside.

Rain still pouring steadily, they jogged down the alley, the sound of bottles and cans clinking under their shoes and their boots splashing in the puddles, toward a small, wire gate. Tess went to push it open, and then growled in annoyance.

"Fucking great. They must have just fixed this," she muttered, hitting the padlock with the butt of her gun ineffectually.

While Tess tinkered with the gate, Riley noticed a ledge a little above head level, with a roof sloped low enough next to it for them to get where they needed to go. She nudged Tess and gestured toward the ledge. "What about there? Boost me up?"

Tess followed her gaze. "Huh. Good idea."

She walked over, clasping her hands together with her back to the wall. "Up you go."

Riley placed her foot in her hand and then pushed off, grabbing the brick and towing herself upward. As soon as she had steadied herself on the slick surface of the ledge she had reached down to help Tess, and was just about to grab her hand when a shout from down the alley drew their attention.

"Shit," Tess hissed. "Stay back."

Riley obeyed, pressing herself back against the wall, draped in the shadows of the overhang. She knelt silently, pulling her gun from her belt as the beam of a flashlight landed on Tess.

"On the ground!" the voice called. It sounded like a man, though Riley couldn't tell, the person's body being obscured by the rain and dark. She could guess their location well enough, however, as the light of the flashlight reflected against the sheets of rain in front of them.

Riley heard Tess speak, her voice relaxed, almost casual. "Is there really any need for this?"

"I'm not asking you again! Drop your weapon, and get on the ground!"

Tess didn't move, still standing with her arms spread in front of her in an appeasing manner, one hand open, the other holding her gun. "Wouldn't you rather look the other way this time? You really wanna mess with this?"

Riley saw the flashlight's beam shift, and, without thinking, lifted her gun and leveled her aim with the source of the flashlight's beam.

"Tess, move, now!"

Two shots went off, one ricocheting off the wall somewhere behind Tess's head, the other sending the man to the ground. Riley remained frozen where she was for a moment, only moving to wipe the water from her eyes. Tess's voice below her pushed her into action, as she saw a slender hand reaching up for her.

"Come on, pull me up. We gotta go. Now."

Riley did as she was told, and tugged Tess up with her, and following her quickly toward the roof, mindful of the slippery surface beneath them.

They ran together, Riley following Tess's lead out of the rain and down a stairwell. They stopped at the base, both doubled over and breathing heavily.

"Shit," Riley muttered, glancing back up the stairs.

"We're fine, now, don't worry." Tess paused, glancing at Riley, and then gave her a gentle bump with her elbow. "And good job back there."

"Oh, yeah." Riley replied, pushing her damp hood from her head and leaning back against the wall.

Tess examined her thoughtfully for a moment. "Was that your first time killing someone?"

"No."

"I'm not talking about infected."

"Neither am I."

They looked at each other for a moment, and then Tess sighed and stretched, breaking her gaze. "Come on. Joel and Ellie are down here."

They walked to that last door at the end of the hall, and she knocked once and then opened it. Joel and Ellie watched them as they walked in, Ellie jumping up from her chair and immediately jogging over to Riley.

"Hey," she said, fidgeting, as if she was resisting the urge to hug her. She glanced her up and down once with poorly hidden concern.

Riley gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Hey."

Tess and Joel had walked to the other side of the room to talk, and the girls leaned back against Ellie's armchair to watch them, catching snippets of their conversation.

"The guns alright?"

"Yep. And she's going to double them."

"Huh. Why?"

"She wants this done well."

As they listened, Riley looked at Joel thoughtfully. "What's he like?"

"Kind of an ass," Ellie whispered with a shrug. "What about her?"

"She's cool."

"Well, that's something to be thankful for."

Tess and Joel exchanged words for a moment more and then called them over.

Looking between them, Tess spoke first. "We're heading out tonight. With any luck, we'll be there by midmorning tomorrow."

"Stay right with us, and do what you're told, when you're told," Joel added gruffly.

The girls agreed, less than enthusiastically.

"Got it."

"Will do."

Tess nodded approvingly. "Good. Let's go."