Ellie had expected to wake up to another day of traveling with Joel to the Fireflies; she never expected to figure out that she wasn't the one traveling with him anymore. (AU) (Spoilers)

An AU exploring what might have happened had Ellie and Riley never been bitten, and had decided to follow Ellie's suggestion of setting off on their own to face the world.

Ellie is to be delivered to the Fireflies. Riley does everything she can to find her again. [Part 2 NOW OUT.]

*Left Behind spoilers* It was the placement of the bite that saved Riley, that and the swing of an ax. In a sudden twist of fate, both girls had survived being bitten. One via amputation, the other through a miraculous genetic immunity. Now, the two friends find themselves travelling beside a grizzled man with a broken heart, and braving the wild remains of America together.

From Boston to Salt Lake City, and everywhere in between, Ellie reflects on the past and thinks about the future. She moves through the hard times with a new, positive attitude. Her and Joel take on new adventures, and old faces appear once more. She learns to make the best of things, because they all have to end eventually.