Last Of US

A bit longer episode for you guys, Happy Thanksgiving from your writers.

Episode 11
"True Feelings"

Ellie was still in complete shock, as she and Joel continued down their path through Pittsburg. She didn't say one word to Joel who, of course, was mentally cursing at himself leaving Rylan behind. He failed Tess for not protecting her son, and Ellie lost the true friend she ever had left. Once in a while she would cry and not even stop, already she lost two friends who she felt close to, now then they just up and leave her all alone. Ellie missed Rylan and Riley, the two were alike in some ways, maybe that was the reason she liked him but Rylan wasn't a girl, however still he was special to Ellie, he was the only guy she liked. Ellie then remembered that he didn't want her to cry for him anymore, not because of him. He said that she is a survivor, not a child, she couldn't go on without him but those words made her.

Joel kept hating himself, he knew he should have turned that truck around and Rylan would still be alive. Seeing hunters again brought back unwanted memories of his days as one, it was why he knew that guy in the road was faking it. Joel didn't want to talk about it when Ellie asked him at one point, but she took his silence as a yes. Ellie sniffed back her tears that still fell, sometimes not even realizing she was letting loose the grieving tears that stained her dirt rubbed face, Joel didn't ask for her forgiveness at all, he told her to keep their histories to themselves but obviously Rylan and Ellie didn't listen. Joel blocked out his guilty conscious,

"Alright, there's the bridge. That's our way out of here." Joel said, Ellie jumped down to the ground below while he spoke, "Ellie, slow down, wait for me."

"What? I'm right here..." Ellie replied.

"How about you let me go first. And keep your voice down." But Ellie crossed her arms and looked away from him, tear tracks still displaying her cheeks. Joel couldn't take it anymore,

"Ellie... I'm sorry. I am, I was supposed to watch over him, and I failed." Joel then got a horrible flashback when he went through this kind of thing once with Sarah, his late daughter. Another stray tear escaped Ellie's eye,

"Joel... let's just go." She said. Joel only nodded as they continued on the long walk to the bridge. Joel and Ellie had to sneak past the old quarantine zone habited by Hunters, which was hard enough. They were closer to the bridge now, but things went from bad to worse seeing that the hunters now have a mounted machine-gun jeep.

"What the hell? Oh, this place is bad." Joel muttered, Ellie looked around the flooded area

"I can't make that jump." She said.

"Just, wait here... I'll find something," Joel assured while jumping into the water, After Ellie and Joel teamwork skills the two search the old coffee shop,

"Ugh! This place stinks." Ellie exclaimed smelling the strong scent of unattended rotting wooden counters and tabletops, she heard of coffee shops before but never even got the chance of having some. Joel went to coffee shops all the time before the outbreak, when Ellie asked, of course, for her being born right after everything went to shit. When they reached the old hotel Ellie was in awe,

"Whoa... this is fancy. Ever stay in a place like this? Before it, all went to shit I mean."

Joel huffed, "No... no, this is too rich for my blood."

Without even thinking she looked back, "Hey Rylan do you..." But then it hits her, again she started crying. Joel sighed and gripped her shoulders her as she sobbed,

"Ellie... You got to stop torturing yourself over this. What happened to Rylan is not your fault." Ellie pulled away and wiped her eyes, she nodded in agreement but she can't take the pain of leaving Rylan behind, but she owed it to him to keep going. As they went up the stairs, more Hunters roamed the halls, Joel had no choice but to kill them. After a couple of close calls and more dead Hunters by his hand Joel and Ellie cut through the elevator shaft, Joel boosted up Ellie to the elevator doors then all the sudden the elevator car came loose and fell down the shaft with Joel.

"Joel!" Ellie cried while climbing into the hallway, Joel emerged from the flooded shaft, coughing and grunting in the pain from the impact,

"I'm alright! You okay?" Joel asked.

"No! You scared the shit outta me!" Ellie spat. "I'll climb down!"

"No! No you stay there, I'll make my way up to you!"

"Don't do anything stupid!" Ellie replied. Then Joel disappeared finding a way back up. Ellie curled into a ball against the wall and began crying, again.

"Rylan... Please don't leave me alone... Please, I can't do this again..." She sobbed.

Joel fired his shotgun at the head of a runner, causing it to explode gray matter across the walls. More runners screeched and clawed their way to him, sweat pouring down his face and his gas mask fogging up, incapacitating his vision causing him to blindly fire off a couple of shots where the faint moving figures stood. Joel barely got out in time to drink up the fresh air he encountered when he ran up the stairs, discarding the traitorous mask and kill the remaining of his cannibalistic, infected pursuers.

"So much for that.." He gasped catching his breath, "I gotta find Ellie..." Joel then picked up his mask, he couldn't go anywhere without one and proceeded up the stairwell back into the hotel. This time he entered the kitchen he immediately ducked into cover,

*Bang!*

"Ok, it's down, finish it!" A hunter shouted, his partner walked over and shot it in the head making sure it's officially dead.

"Nicely done, you bit?" The partner asked,

"Not today, you?"

"Not today." He replied.

Being as quiet as possible, Joel took down each of them by getting close and driving shivs into their necks. Blood poured over his hand from holding their throats open for the blade to sink into. Joel then gasped at the sight of another hunter surprising him, Joel pulled out his revolver and shot him once in the head like Clint Eastwood quick draw scenes from good, the bad, and the ugly. Luckily for Joel they were the only three hunters in there, but after looking around with his revolver gripped in his hand he sighed in relief and holstered his weapon. Just when he thought it was safe climbing the ladder,

*Smack!*

Joel felt something hit him and fell back to the ground, into a deep puddle of water breathing in the liquid. He sat up coughing up the water he choked, before he was able to get his bearings, a hunter pounced on top of him and began holding Joel's head underwater. Joel struggled until he managed to get a good solid hit to the hunter's face, but he didn't go down, instead made him angry and once again began holding Joel's head underwater. Joel tried to reach for the gun he found while under the water but the hunter used his free hand to stop him, Joel felt his vision slip away drowning.

*Bang!*

The hunter fell off him, Joel leaned up gasping the air into his lungs, and coughing up the water. He saw Ellie holding the gun with wide eyes,

She gasped and was shocked from killing someone, "Man... I shot the hell outta that guy, huh?" She said. The hunter's body lied there limp in the water and the water began running with red.

"Yeah, you sure did," Joel replied.

Ellie collapsed onto a milk crate with her head held low, "I feel sick..."

Joel walked over and snatched the gun from her, "Why didn't you just hang back like I told you to?"

Ellie then remembered what Rylan said back in Lincoln,

"Look, I know how you feel. Being treated like a child, My mom would shove me away from danger all the time. I had to show her I was capable. You just have to show Joel, he may change his mind or maybe not you just have to let him now that you are capable." Rylan said catching her full attention, "I knew you are capable from the moment I met you, after all I put you through what I said to you. I hurt you both physically and mentally, I can see it in your eyes since Boston. I don't expect your forgiveness but despite all that, you kept your head up and you toughed through it. You saved both our asses, more times than I could count. You're not a child Ellie, your a survivor."

Ellie smiled and leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, "That was for saving me, and... I do forgive you Riley."

Rylan remembered what he said about what would happen if she called him 'Riley' but he just smirked, "Ok then... Fresh start?"

Ellie shrugged, "Got no problem with that." She grinned.

Ellie looked back up at Joel, "You're glad I didn't, right?"

"I'm glad I didn't get my head blown off by a goddamn kid."

Ellie sat up, anger flashed in her eyes, "You know what, no!" She spat, "How about, 'Hey Ellie, I know it wasn't easy, but it was either him or me, thanks for saving my ass.' You got anything like that for me Joel?"

Joel sighed, he knew he should at least thank her but all he managed to say, "We gotta get going."

"Lead the way," Ellie scoffed.

Joel and Ellie passed through the banquet hall, Joel was gonna push the old piano against the wall for a boost but was too heavy for him to budge.

"Ellie, help me out with this..." Joel asked.

She turned to him, "You sure you can trust me with that?"

"Ellie..." Joel growled, she walked over and began helping push the piano against the wall where both of them climbed up. Joel took point as he climbed out the window onto the balcony which led to a makeshift sniper's post. Joel stopped at the sound of a gun clicking at the side of his head, he looked dead ahead frozen in place,

"Put you hands up in the air..." A young voice said Joel did as he asked and put them up. Ellie from behind Joel froze in place from seeing the familiar gun barrel, her eyes widened. "Now wave em' like you just don't care..."

"Rylan?!" Joel exclaimed he turned to see, him alive and well except he was covered in blood and wore red flannel shirt.

Rylan smirked, "Christ Joel... you scared the shit outta me." Then Rylan socked him across the face, Joel tumbled backward, "And that was for leaving me behind, Dick!" Rylan grunted. Rylan turned to see Ellie, her emerald color eyes widened and glistened with tears she jumped over the balcony and onto the post and just threw her arms around him, he grunted in pain from the impact and she didn't care. She ended up crying into his shoulder.

"I fucking hate you!" She sobbed. Rylan returned the hug pulling her much closer, stroking the back of her head.

"I should have buckled up, huh." He chuckled. She pulled from the hug and touched her forehead to his, her hands were gripped around his neck. Her tears of joy fell down her face, she smiled and bit her lip, then without warning she kissed him before he could react, but he didn't move. Her lips were sweet on his dry and chapped lips but he didn't kiss back, and what was strange about it is that he didn't know why, there was just something that didn't spark the feeling to have the mutual feeling.

"Oh, shit get down!" Joel whispered, pulling the teens away from each other and into cover, "Keep your heads down." Joel did a head count of hunters that flooded the courtyard below. "Alright I'm gonna jump down there and I'm gonna clear us a path." Ellie shook herself away from the moment,

"What about us?" Ellie asked kneeling next to the battered Rylan.

"You two are staying here..." Joel said.

"Joel, I think we have more of a chance to let Ellie help out this time, I'm in no shape to fight..." Rylan said, "Plus," Rylan ejected the clip from his Silver Ghost, "I'm all out..."

"Ellie," Joel said, "You seem to know your way around a gun. I reckon you can handle that." Holding out a rifle,

She winced, "I sorta shot a rifle before..." She said taking the rifle. "But it was at rats."

"Rats?" Rylan asked.

"With BB's..."

"Well, it's the same basic concept. Lift it up." Joel said, Ellie took aim with the rifle. "Ok, now you are gonna lean right into the stock because it's gonna have a kick a hell of a lot more than any BB rifle."

"Ok." She replied. Joel then told her to load the chamber by pulling back the bolt and that she had to keep reloading after each shot.

"Listen to me... If I get into any trouble down there. You make every shot count, yeah?"

"I got this." She said. Before Joel jumped down into the courtyard, he looked back and said,

"Just so we're clear back there... It was either him or me." Then he jumped down.

"You're welcome..." She muttered.

Rylan looked up to her, "Don't forget to breathe."

"They are all dead!" A hunter shouted, "They're all fucking dead!"

"What the hell's he yapping about? Take a breath. Who's dead?" The other asked.

"Whole crew. The 76 look out guys. Some fuckin' tourist killed them. Killed all of 'em."

"Shit... Have you talked to the boss?"

"Yeah, he wants everyone to hold their ground. Watch the gate." All the sudden, a Molotov shattered in front of them setting them ablaze and they screamed in pain, a shot zipped from the sky hitting a hitter in the head and fell limp to the ground. Joel peaked out behind cover duel wielding his 9mm and revolver popping off rounds at the surrounding Hunters, killing three and managed to injure the rest. Another sniper took aim his rifle but Ellie managed to take him out,

"Good job kiddo." Joel muttered.

After killing off the remaining hunters, Joel told the teens to come down. Ellie stood up and offered Rylan her hand, Rylan took it and hoisted up to his feet. He dusted off his pant, still letting out painful groans from his injuries.

"Nice shootin' Tex," Rylan said Ellie smiled and helped Rylan jump down to the ground and walk up to Joel who was picking up a Walther PPK or 'Spy' gun as Rylan called it.

"How did I do?" She asked. Joel took the rifle from her and set it down, he checked the clip of the Walther and loaded the chamber,

"How 'bout something a little more your size?" Joel said handing the gun to Ellie. "It's for emergencies only.."

"Ok.." She said taking the gun and holstering it in her waistband. Rylan smiled at her and winked. Ellie smirked back and blushed a little still replaying the kiss over and over again in her mind.

"Are you okay?" She asked rather sweetly. Rylan nodded,

"I'm fine, I'm just pushing myself too far." He said.

"Well we better get outta here before anymore show up. And Rylan... Stick close."

Rylan smirked, "Lead the way Joel."

Ellie seemed more of herself again as they reunited with Rylan, Joel then promised himself that he would look after him better, after all he owed that to Tess. As the three pressed on, they ducked into cover by the sound of Machine-Gun fire. Rylan looked up and can see two familiar people get shot in the middle of the street,

"Fuck! No... Kevin and Julie.. Shit." He muttered quietly covering his mouth. Ellie placed her hand on his shoulder, as the hunters finished off Julie, shot her in the back. Rylan clenched his fist tight,

"Busy couple of days, huh?" A hunter asked.

"Whatever man. No food, old pair of shoes.. They got nothin'."

The jeep then pulled away, Rylan slammed a fist against the wall. Ellie jumped and rubbed circles around his back,

"You knew them?" She asked.

"Kevin and Julie, part of the group that helped me... we got separated by that fuckin' truck."

"There was nothin' we could have done... Let's just get to the bridge."

Joel, Ellie, and Rylan, then came back outside with Ellie still walking by Rylan not even leaving his side again after what happened. She thought he died back there but he came back, she couldn't be more thankful for that,

"Riley-" She said before the Jeep appeared from behind the corner and began shooting at them, "Fuck!" Ellie cried.

"Run!" Joel shouted, the three began darting into the alleyway and climbed onto the fire escape. They did against the wall of the building until the jeep disappeared. They all caught their breath, Rylan kept grunting at the screaming pain in his side. "Okay, let's cut through the building and off the streets where that jeep is." Joel climbed into the window, all the sudden someone grabs him from behind. Ellie rushes in and slashes the guy's arm with her switchblade, Rylan jumped in after and began holding Ellie back,

"Joel, Stop! Joel!" Rylan pleaded Joel who was pounding the attacker, They looked to see a kid pointing his gun towards him.

"Leave him alone!" The Kid said.

"Put the gun down, Sam." Rylan said. "They're with me."

Joel turned to him, "You know em'?"

"They saved my life..." Ellie put away her switchblade, the attacker was revealed to be Henry.

"Man you hit hard.." He said.

"Yeah, well I was trying to kill you." Joel replied.

Henry hopped to his feet, "Yeah, I thought you were one of them too. But then I saw her, then Rylan. Good to see you still alive, man."

"You too Henry... They got Kevin and Julie." Henry's face fell,

"Goddamnit..." He muttered.

"You're bleeding." Sam said. Henry began wrapping his arm in a bandage he took from Sam's backpack,

"This is Joel and Ellie." Rylan introduced, he turned to them, "That's Henry, and his little brother Sam."

Joel nodded, "How many you got with you?"

"It's just us... Me, Sam, and Rylan were the only ones who got away from the ambush. Now it's all about getting out of this shithole."

"We can help." Ellie said. But Joel interjected, "What? Safety in numbers and all that."

"She's right Joel, I trust em'." Rylan said.

"I found a hideout, be safer if we chat there," Henry added.

Ellie and Sam got to know each other a little better on the way to the hideout, Henry talked about. They passed through the toy store where Sam got a scolding from his brother about trying to take what they don't need; a toy. After a few encounters with the Hunters, they had finally arrived at the hideout.

"So... How old are you? Sam asked Ellie.

"Fourteen, you?" She replied.

"Same."

"Oh you're fourteen, huh?" Henry teased.

"I'm close." Sam spat. Henry chuckled a little as he opened the door to the office, which had a sofa. Rylan was in heaven when he plopped down onto it letting out a comfortable sigh of relief.

"Hey Sam? Still got them Blueberries?" Rylan asked. Sam nodded and the three teens helped themselves to the snack, while Joel and Henry began having a conversation.

"Blueberries, found a whole stash of them." Henry said.

"No." Joel spat.

"Hey, man relax. We're safe."

"So why haven't you left?"

"Been waiting for the right opportunity, then Rylan showed up half dead."

"Thanks for looking after him..."

"No problem.. Now all there is getting to that bridge." Henry said walking up to the window, Hunters were guarding it a lot of them. "Come night time, it's a skeleton crew. After sunset, that's our window."

"That'll work."

Henry looked over to the kids were laughing and enjoying some Blueberries, Henry smiled at seeing his little brother smile which he hasn't seen in a long time. Ellie scooted closer to Rylan, smiling at him and handing him more blueberries.

"She doesn't seemed bothered by any of this." Henry said.

Joel decided to change the subject, "So where are you headin'?"

Henry pulled out a chair, "Heard the fireflies are based out west somewhere, we're gonna join up with them."

"Seems like a lot of people putting their stock on the Fireflies these days."

"Yeah. Maybe there is a reason for that."

"So you don't know where they are and you're just gonna drag him across the country to find 'em?" Joel scoffed motioning towards Sam, Henry scooted close,

"I'll tell you what, how about I worry about my brother and you worry about your kids?"

"Easy. We're looking for the Fireflies too." Henry smirked and went over the plan with Joel, the plan was at night they had to sneak across the bridge and to an abandoned military radio station where he and his group were originally were going to go. Joel accepted the plan, and Henry suggested they rest up.

The sun fully set in the distance, Rylan couldn't sleep. His face and torso was still sticky with blood which he decided was a good time to wash off, Ellie was still sleeping on her side of the couch, Sam was on the floor and Joel and Henry were in the chairs. Rylan sneaked into the joined room and began wiping the blood away with a wet rag. The rag went from white to crimson red with his own dried blood, his torso was completely cleaned and he went to clean off his face. He used his knife as a mirror to see where he was dabbing the rag but then saw Ellie's reflection. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, she was smirking. Rylan turned to her, his face still stained with blood.

She walked over and took the rag, "Here," She said, dabbing the rag across his cheeks, his forehead and nose until he looked more like himself. She smiled that he more recognizable, their faces were inches apart Rylan cupped her cheek and smiled but he turned away. He dumped his long hair in water then slicked it back the way he liked it. He slipped on his red flannel shirt and began buttoning it up but leaving the last three open.

Rylan looked at Ellie again, crossing his arms. "Why did you kiss me?" He asked. The question caught her off guard,

"I... I don't know..." She paused and sat down in on of the chairs. "I kinda like you I guess... But..."

"But what?" Rylan asked, waiting for a straight answer.

"I'm... Well.." She then let out a frustrated sigh, "I'm gay, okay?" But Rylan only nodded, which threw her off. "You don't seemed surprised..."

"What? You expected me to judge you? I kinda suspected as much that you were gay, I know because My sister was gay." Ellie's eyes widened. "Look, I like you too... I do, but your Gay and that's a given, but what I don't get is why you like someone who's not a girl. And when you kissed me it felt like it didn't mean anything." Ellie opened her mouth but closed it, then she spoke,

"I only... You saved me, you protected me probably more than Marlene did. I lost people in the past, especially somebody close to me, and when I thought you died at that crash, my whole world fell apart. When I saw you alive I just..."

"Okay," Rylan said suddenly, "Okay. I get it, but, our sexuality's isn't something we chose, it just happens. There is someone out there for everyone of all sexualities, believe it or not sometimes it's mixed but that's rare, True love is hard to find. Jessica she may have been gay, but it only took one guy to steal her heart, and I know that's a rare headline "Lesbian and straight guy hook up." But it happened... I don't see that for us." He walked over to her and kissed her on the head, "I saved you, protected you, and we talked, I'm just not convinced that you are willing to have a steady relationship with me. As far as I'm concerned You only wanted to thank me in some way... and well... your welcome."

Rylan walked back into the office room, leaving Ellie sitting there staring right where Rylan stood and she subconsciously shed a tear, she was gay. But her feelings for Rylan were obvious but she couldn't tell him because of her sexuality and because of it, it left her sitting there... heartbroken.