Chapter 14: It's just a game

TheGunSlinger82 (I am glad too.), To guest I will try not too, MasterHollow (We'll have to see), ThatChickontheInternet (I will see on monday), kirbster676 (I know I did expect more from Tommy in the game.), doomsta27 ( I was trying to make Joel a complete ass), (We'll see), mckoy12345678910 (Shot suck. but I take them like a woman),

A/n: Okay, I'm on a holding period for the shot. Joy oh joy.

-...- (Joel back in the day)

"So another one of your crew blew up a car in the road." Joel reported to his brother who just came back from a late night. The younger man was dirty looking and Joel had spent most of the night worried.

Life had not been easy since they left the gangs, it was just too hard to function outside the walls. You ran into many groups. So, they laid low in a quarantine zone in Boston. It was the closest city and it was okay until Tommy started talking to this lady who filled his head with nonsense. Tommy had a long history of following women... or anyone who could promise to give him the answers. He hadn't made one goddamn decision in his life. But the fireflies were poison...

"I wasn't there. I didn't hear anything about it." Tommy knocked the dirt off his shoes. "I stopped by the distribution center and got something to eat." He tossed over the energy bars and sat on the sagging couch. He leaned back ready to take a nap.

"Really?" Joel got up and unwrapped the food. He knew his brother was lying. He had been hanging around with that woman and her friends for the last few weeks and had spent more and more time with them.

"Yeah. Besides it isn't always the fireflies. Other people want to make a statement to tell the military it isn't okay what they are doing to people."

"By causing more trouble that will lead to a crack down on the people they want to save." He walked around their small apartment.

"They are saving people. They give them hope for ending the "ceps". They still want a cure. They want the military to leave. They just want people to live." He really bought their shit.

"They are doing a hell of job leading riots." Joel sneered. "Why do they even want to save this shit hole of a world..." he got up and headed to the back bed.

"Look, let's just change the subject. I know you don't like them."

Joel just shook his head. "I just better not catch you with running with them."

"Or what? I'm a grown man. I can do what I want." Tommy turned to look at him.

Joel wanted to laugh. Tommy just didn't see what the big picture. "We have worked too hard to stay alive for you to throw it away. I know you are smarter than that."

"I don't know what's wrong with actually living a life, not surviving."

"What kind of life do you expect to have? A wife? Kids? You can't keep them safe; so save yourself the trouble." He spoke from experience. In this world, you couldn't keep anything safe.

"I loved Sarah too, but you are still here. It is some plan by someone; there is a reason."

"Don't bring up Sarah or 'plans.' What kind of God lets this shit happen? What did Sarah ever do to deserve that?"

Tommy looked down. "Look, Joel."

"Say another word on the subject. I dare you. Because, boy, you are walking on some mighty fine ice." He clenched his fist. It was a raw nerve to bring up Sarah. Losing her would never be 'okay.'

Tommy gave him a hard look. "I'm sorry." He looked down at the floor "She would not want us to live like this."

That was it. Something snapped. His fist cracked across his brothers cheek making the younger man doubling over, holding his jaw. Joel clenched his fist harder waiting for the return, but didn't regret it. Both men breathed hard for a long second. They had had their fights when they were younger and punches had been thrown but their parents had always played ref.

Tommy stood up his cheek jaw line swelling. "You know what?" He took a gulp "I wish we all would have just died. Because living with you is like being dead and in hell already!" He tried to swing back and catch Joel, but Joel easily caught the hand and twisted the arm behind Tommy's back. Joel could easily dropped his brother. He had always been the stronger one of the two. He twisted the arm back further.

"Ungrateful brat." Joel tossed him down to the floor. "Go on try and 'save' the world with Marlene. Get yourself killed like the other suicide bombers. Since you're in hell, it won't matter much. I don't think anyone would miss you." He spat the words.

"Fine." Tommy got up rolling his wrist. "I won't miss you. I never want to see your goddamn face again." He gathered up his shit and slammed the door. Joel didn't say anything. He had a headache and needed a drink. He knew his brother would be back.

-...- (Ellie)

Looking between the family and then at Maria, "I think spending the night would be a great break." She nudged Joel to agree with her.

"One night." Joel grumbled.

Tommy nodded. Maria motioned to lead them to a room. Explaining how they tried to leave the place guarded around the clock.

Ellie frowned a little. She knew the brothers had a little fall out, but they had years to cool off. "You know I think it would have been nice to have some siblings. I always had to make my family."

"I always wanted one too." Maria chimed in. She slipped her hand in her husband's and rested her head on his shoulder. He leaned back on her looking so tired.

"Are we going to sleep up here?" He quietly asked.

"I thought we would. But if you want to go home; they could spend the night."

"No. Here is fine."

"Fine. We will just give the guys the night off." She looked at her husband and softly said "Tommy." She leaned to kiss her husband on the cheek. Ellie felt bad for watching this go down. It wasn't her business... She looked up at Joel. He still looked mad. They were a few steps behind.

"Did he not want to give us supplies?" She whispered to Joel. Maria had filled her head with stories from the past but she couldn't help but hope it was just selfish hoarding not picking up with their fight.

"Sort of. Don't worry about it."

She tried something new and reached out to touch his forearm. He jumped at her touch, but didn't pull away.

The entered on of the back rooms that had bunch beds. So, I get my own bed tonight...

Maria told the guy sleeping on the bed that her and Tommy had the shift tonight and reminded him for dinner to remember their guests. The man nodded and left the family to its own devices

Tommy sat down at the table and Joel claimed one bed. Neither would talk to the other, leaving the women to handle things. Ellie took her seat in front of Joel's shins and pulled off her bag to check things out. She found a word search book in one house and that would kill the time. She used an orange crayon she found to mark the words.

"'Abigail' Its in the top left diagonal." Joel offered. His hands found his way to her back and he rubbed the tops of her shoulders. His thumbs made delicious circles. "'Amy' is on the the bottom row backwards." he added after a second.

"Still good at those." Tommy said.

"Yeah." Joel stopped rubbing to run his blunt nails between her shoulder blades. Oh shit, that was the spot. She shifted to the left so he could give the other shoulder blade a little love.

"That was the one time he would do your homework for you. If I got assigned a bonus puzzle or if Sarah did Joel handled it." Tommy had a smile.

"'Brittany.' Third row on her left. It is vertical." At least, he didn't get mad.

Maria studied them. "I got an idea. She went to a locker and pulled out a thin box."

"In the mood for a game?"

"Sure." Ellie was intrigued; she loved games.

They joined Tommy at the table and started playing 'monopoly.' The men didn't seem excited, but whatever kept things moving was fine by her. She looked over the faded instructions. "I'll be the banker."

"Like Hell." Joel said.

"Maria can have that." He didn't fill anyone on the reason... I wouldn't steal any... Ellie pouted.

"Can I at least be the car?" She took the small token.

"Fine."

Joel took the hat. Tommy took the dog and Maria cussed and took the battleship. They explained the rules and the game started.

-...- (Joel)

'AGAIN! No fucking way!" It took all his self control not to laugh. Ellie was so pissed. I should have warned you.

"It's just a game." He reminded her and she was spitting fire.

"It is a stupid game. How do I keep ending up in Jail?!"

"This is why I didn't want to play. Family have literally had feuds over a bad game of monopoly."

'And it takes forever." Maria said. She took a bite of dinner. A man came earlier and left them with several covered dinner plates. They had fresh chicken with potatoes and fresh corn on the cob. Now this is home cooking. He hadn't had anything that good in years and this stupid game ruined it.

"I'm calling it." Joel picked up his stacks of money. "Who ever got the most wins."

They counted up in a flurry and he had to smack Ellie's hand as she tried to take a few hundreds off his counting stack. Nice try, kiddo. "Forty-five thousand." He grinned.

"Let me count that." Both Ellie and Tommy said in unison.

Maria laughed at them. It doesn't matter I got "Fifty thousand and three hundred dollars." She smiled at her husband and waved the stack of colorful money. "I can make it officially rain in here."

Ellie looked at Joel with her forehead scrunched. There was a question in that look. "Ummm." He didn't know how to explain the whole idea of throwing money at a stripper... he took another bite off the corn on the cob he finished eating.

Tommy got up. "It is getting dark. I will go take watch."

"Night." He kissed Maria before he left. He glanced at Joel for a second, but didn't say anything. Maria smiled at them when they were alone. Ellie stretched and looked around the room. "Hey, a book." She turned it over. "Fifty shades darker!" She lit up and danced away.

Maria raised an eyebrow. "You read that?"

"Part. Joel took it and has it in his bad." Ellie admitted.

Maria looked at him Don't give me that look. "She is not old enough for that. Ellie give it here." he growled.

"No."

"Ellie."

She flipped it open to begin to read it outloud. She looked at him and fucking knew better.

"Here." she returned it. SMACK. He didn't even feel bad about spanking her ass. She knew better. Ellie slunk off to go find another book. He added the second to his bag before she tried to slip it in.

Maria frowned. " I must admit it probably isn't the best book, but at least she is...reading."

"Not that shit."

Ellie was back by a storage cabinet when she spoke up. "I found another Stephen King 'Rose Red'" and she flipped the other book. "John Gershman 'the Jury.'"

"You can have them." Maria smiled. "If we were at my house I would have given you my books. I have way too many and some you would have liked." Did that mean dirty?

"I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Ellie you better get some sleep too."

The teen sighed, and she climbed up into the top bunk and looked over him and stuck out her tongue. "I'll just read the first chapter."

Maria took a bottom bunk and turned on a kerosene lamp and turned out the lights so they were darkness but Ellie could still read. "I'll let Tommy get some sleep in a few hours. Night."

"Night." Joel shifted on the bed and missed the thing that normally kept him warm. He didn't even know what to do with his arms when she wasn't there. He could hear the pages turn above his head. He kicked the bunk above.

Ellie yelped. "Only one chapter." he told her.

"Yes sir." She sighed. He liked hearing that.

A/N: I wanted it to be different from my last story. I just still think it would be crazy not to at least spend the night.