A/N: This is it folks, this is the chapter where story starts to deviate from the game's story. Slightly in the beginning, but that margin will get wider as the story goes on. Feel free to share your opinions on it, I'd appreciate that very much. Also, I know this one might be a bit slower (which I hope you don't mind), but it's a set up for the greater events that will unfold soon.

Cheers and enjoy!


Chapter 12 - Plans

The yellow ball of light could not be seen in the cloudy sky, but in any case, it still provided enough light that slipped through the window of the room where Ben was staying. He was lying on an old dusty couch in the semi-darkness. The gray, visible through the window, gave him no consolation because of the gloomy weather. He didn't enjoy the morning of the third day in Seattle. The previous two days seemed to last an eternity, taking into account everything he went through. Half the task was completed. He found Dina and Ellie. Almost half, he thought, remembering Tommy who was still out there somewhere.

He knew he hadn't slept much, only a few hours. And he didn't sleep peacefully even for those few hours. He was constantly waking up and sleeping intermittently, despite being indescribably tired. Nightmares tormented him from sleep to sleep. He dreamed of his younger brother, which was a frequent nightmare even in the past, and he dreamed of the people he killed to find Ellie. A sense of guilt ate at him from within – as he was lying on the old couch, staring at the ceiling – a feeling that would never leave him. Because he was the culprit for extinguishing the lives of other people that were just like himself, people who were forced to fight in this world, fight for themselves and their loved ones. In a way, Ben has always been an idealist, he had a burning desire for a just world, a desire to fight for such a world. Can that world exist? Are we doomed to eternal an cycle of violence?

Ben got up from the couch, feeling every cut and bruise on his body. He immediately regretted not sewing the bullet wounds the night before. The reason was that he simply didn't have the strength for it, he just collapsed on the couch and fell asleep, exhausted. The wounds didn't bleed by any means, but they steel needed medical attention as soon as possible. He felt some energy returning to him and hoped it would be enough to survive through another day in this hell of the city. Then, he took off his gray hoodie and set it down on the couch, headed towards the restroom. The door leading to the toilet was on the second floor, not far from the room where he slept. Small window at the top of the wall let in just enough light inside.

A small metal bucket of water was on an old ceramic sink that was cracked in several places. Jesse probably found and filled it with water while Ben was still asleep. Without hesitation, he dipped his hands in the water and washed his face, feeling the freshness of the water and the burns on his face due to the numerous small wounds he received.

Raising his head as water dripped from his face, he looked at his reflection in the mirror in front of him to find out he still looked exceptionally ordinary. His slightly wavy blond hair grew longer. The bangs fell under his eyebrows, but they still weren't long enough that he had to part them to the side. His face looked bony, he was aware that he had lost a lot of weight. After all, it was not as if he ate like a lord every day. He lived on snacks, and that brought him to the brink of exhaustion. His eyes still remained the same, dark blue, like the sea. A faint beard adorned the underside of his face, uneven and darker than his hair. He wished he could shave. The sight of it was ghastly to look at. Back in Jackson, he'd shave every second day. Though many boys back in the day wished to grow a thick full beard, Ben was never a fan of it. He preferred his face clean-shaven instead.

The wounds adorned his face. The cracked lower lip was slightly swollen and painful to the touch. An almost invisible bruise was under his eye, a gift from Marco from when he was Manny's captive. He could see a few more thin cuts and bruises that were not significant. Before he walked downstairs, which he intended, he went back to his room. Last night, before they fell asleep on the roof, he asked Ellie about medical supplies. She left some in his room, but he was too tired to think about pain. Using the curved needle and some medical strings, he sewed the wounds on his arm and leg. Luckily, the bullets just brushed the skin, on both occasions he managed to avoid a direct hit. He didn't lose much blood either, the wounds weren't deep. But it still hurt like hell. Ben was never a skilled medic, but he knew the basics. The needle stung through the skin, but the pain was worth it, because he successfully closed the wounds that could bleed again.

When he went downstairs to the lobby, he noticed Jesse sitting on the couch, covering Dina, who was sleeping, with a blanket. He looked worried, gently making sure she wasn't cold. Raindrops could be heard pounding on the roof and windows.

Dina made a painful grimace as she slept, her forehead glistening with sweat. Ben questioningly looked at Jesse, who in turn motioned to Ben to follow him. When they were far enough from Dina, Jesse began explaining, leaning against the wooden bar behind him.

"She had a rough night."

Ben sighed, "I can tell."

"Could barely get her to keep her water down."

With a raised eyebrow, Ben turned his head and looked at his friend. Jesse almost always wore an expressionless mask on his face. He rarely showed when something was bothering him, and even less often he was angry. If Ben could be considered calm, Jesse was twice as much. And yet, Jesse frowned into the distance.

"What does that mean?" Ben asked.

The Asian rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger and confessed, "I think she might be pregnant."

Eyes wide, Ben looked at his friend in shock. Worst of all, it was very possible, given that Jesse and Dina didn't break up that long ago. And, as far as he knew, it would take at least a month or two to determine the pregnancy.

"She can't stay here." he whispered at the end.

Jesse nodded, "I know."

The situation was not simple at all. Jesse could have taken Dina home with him, but Ben knew Dina would refuse. She would never leave Ellie. On the other hand, Tommy and the people who killed Joel were still out there somewhere, and Ellie certainly wouldn't give up the vengeance even if she was left without a single clue that would lead her to them.

"In case we stay, she'll need medicine. Painkillers, antibiotics.. whatever might help." Ben concluded. Jesse listened in silence, knowing they had no choice.

"It's good to have you back." he admitted in the end.

Ben smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "It's gonna be alright. Where's Ellie?"

"Main stage, I think."

With that, Ben left Jesse who had returned to Dina, and headed to the main stage. As he passed the counter, where tickets had been sold a long time ago, he opened the double doors. A wide room appeared in front of him. Two large chandeliers in the middle of the ceiling provided more than enough light to illuminate a room of these dimensions. There was a floor in front of him, that sloped at an angle. Numerous rows of red cushioned chairs provided seating for guests who came to enjoy the show. At the very end there was a platform, and in the middle of the platform was a large red curtain – hiding the contents behind it – that would spread when the play began. A slow melody filled the room. The sound of the guitar was pleasing to the ears. Ellie sat in the front row with a guitar in her hands, singing softly as she skillfully pulled the strings on the guitar, playing as if the guitar had become a part of her.

The song was replaced by silence when he approached her. Ellie looked at him, leaning against the guitar in her hands.

"Looks like you haven't lost the touch." He commended her, smiling weakly.

She scoffed, "I play from time to time. It helps me cope with everything. Sleep well?"

"Not really."

"Me too."

She dropped her guitar on the floor, leaned it against one of the chairs, and sighed deeply as she stood up.

"The strings are good, tho' I needed to adjust them." she commented on the guitar.

Ben nodded, trying to comprehend what needed adjusting. Even though he listened to her playing a guitar ten thousand times, he still didn't know a first thing about the instrument. He was more of a piano guy, though he never learned to play it.

"I didn't hear you play a guitar in a long time." he said, remembering their relationship – if it could be called as such – in the past year. She just shrugged.

"You were talking in your dreams." she said after a while.

Ben wasn't surprised. "What was I talking about this time?"

"Tom."

Ben scoffed, "I guessed as much."

"It wasn't your fault, Ben."

He was not aware of how many times he had heard those words. Not your fault. Every time he heard them, something would wake up in him, something accompanied by immeasurable sadness and anger.

"Let's not talk about Tom, okay?"

"Okay."

He approached the platform that served as the main stage and sat on it, facing Ellie. "How'd you find this place? It's not bad."

"We, um, kinda just stumbled upon it. Dina wasn't feeling well, we had to make a stop." she explained, rubbing her fingers. She regretted mentioning Tom. It was visible on her face. Just don't think about him, Ben. Don't think about your brother.

"Can I ask you something?"

She looked at him as if he was going to propose to her.

"Is Dina pregnant?"

Her eyes wide, she looked away, staying quiet for a while. "Did Jessie say that?"

"No." he lied, "It just crossed my mind, seeing her this morning."

She approached him and sat down next to him, as if she was going to tell him a secret that no one should know. "Yes."

He nodded at it, and looked at her. She was worried and moody. It was obvious as day.

"Congratz, Ellie. You're gonna be a dad." he said with a smile. Ellie frowned, but she couldn't hide the slight smile that suddenly began to adorn her face. Then she punched him in the shoulder. "Shut up."

"You hungry?" he asked, intent on changing the mood. "I'm starving."

"Wait here." she said and walked through the red curtain on the main stage. When the curtains parted again several moments later, she was carrying a backpack in her hand. She sat down next to Ben again and unzipped it. She slipped her hand inside, rummaging through the contents.

What she pulled out was a piece of cooked meat wrapped in a paper towel, a small bag of almonds and a handful of berries.

"Eat." she commanded.

She watched him silently as he stuffed food into his mouth, as if eating for the last time in his life. Ben didn't remember the last time he ate something. The meat was unsalted and tough, but that didn't bother him. The taste of the meat was then replaced by the sweetness of almonds and berries, he enjoyed every bite. Breakfast was not plentiful, but it was enough to silence the stomach for a few hours.

"When we get back home.." he began, still chewing, "..you're making me pancakes."

She grinned "Deal."

Ellie smiled when he finished, it seemed as if her face lightened up a bit. He wiped his hands with a paper towel that was used as a meat wrap and smiled gratefully at her. Something suddenly scratched Ben's back, and he winced in fright. He turned and saw an old friend.

"Hey, bud." he said with a smile at the white wolf that sneaked up on him. Wounded leg was wrapped with a white clean bandage. "Feeling better?" The wolf happily stuck out his tongue and licked Ben's face. "I'll take that as a yes."

"He was very calm when I wrapped the bandage around his leg this morning." Ellie said.

Ben turned toward her, "Thanks. I appreciate this."

For a while, the two of them played with the white wolf. Khan was still limping, but it was clear that he was feeling better than the day before. The very next moment, the two of them – three if you count the wolf – passed through the lobby towards the stairs. Ben noticed Jesse's absence. When they went upstairs, they entered the radio room, the room where Ben had found Ellie the night before.

A map of the city was spread out on the cork board on the opposite wall, with handwritten signs and guidelines. The walkie-talkie was lying on the desk next to the map, turned on but unused. Silent, unintelligible voices could be heard through the static. Ellie approached the desk and took the walkie-talkie, bringing it closer to her ear.

"What are you gonna now?" Ben asked.

"All we can do is to wait." she replied shortly. "We got no clues left."

"By saying we, I presume you expect me to help you in finding those responsible for Joel's death."

"Yeah."

How do I talk her out of this? Should I try to talk her out of this? Ellie had quite the temper, and he didn't really dare to test her.

Ben took advantage of the moment of silence to look around the room. Cabinets filled the space on one side of the room and shelves on the other. He couldn't find anything interesting in the room, since it was an ordinary room with a radio in it.

"Last night, Dina said you weren't in the mood. Any reason in particular?"

Ellie turned to him and crossed her arms, sighing deeply. "Yeah well.. I was after this woman. She's part of the group that.. you know.."

"Yeah."

"I found her in this hospital, but she escaped from me. I barely escaped myself."

Wait, you were in the hospital?

"Which hospital?"

Then she turned and pointed to the map. "This one."

Ben walked over to the table and leaned over it, toward the map on the wall. He widened his eyes as he read the name written on it, right next to the hospital. Nora.

"What?" she asked him.

Is this same Nora I met? What are the chances?

Then he looked down and saw several photos scattered on the table. Each had a specific name written on it. He ignored her question and too the photos, reading the names and looking at them one by one. Stunned when he recognized some of the faces in the photos, Ben tried to hide his surprise. Jordan was the guy with a hat he found in the Eastbrook Elementary. For a few seconds he stared at Manny's photo in his hands, feeling the rage awakening in him.

"You know this guy?" Ellie asked, again.

Ben nodded, barely noticeable. "He's the one who captured me after I got separated from Jesse."

"Did you kill him?"

"No. I tried, but I couldn't. He's some high-ranking soldier or something. I saw him leading his own platoon."

Ellie frowned, "He spat on Joel.. after it happened."

Ben stared at her as she spoke, listening thoughtfully. That sure reminds me of him. Bastard.

He kept flipping through the photos. And then he came across a photo that said Nick + Nora. And there she was. A girl with dark skin and black curly hair, a girl he almost killed in the hospital and who was partly responsible for him coming out of the hospital alive. Disappointed, he put down the photo and moved on to the next one. He almost dropped the photo when he took a look at it.

Abby.

"She's the one." Ellie said, her voice sounding different. Colder. Ben looked at her questioningly. "She killed Joel."

What?

He didn't know how, but he managed to mask the shock he felt. His face was expressionless.

"I know you came after me to bring me back, Ben." she started all of sudden. Ben could feel the weight of her eyes that were locked on him. "I'm not going back. Not before I kill her."

At that moment, Ben gave up any thought of trying to persuade her to come back, if there was any to begin with. From the start, he knew that would be an impossible task. There was only one thing he could do.

"I'll help you. We finish this together and go back home together."

Ellie sighed with relief, probably expecting him to protest. Although he did not, this decision was difficult for him. As much as he pretended to be determined and brave to help her, he actually felt very scared inside. The realization that he would have to kill more people because of Ellie ate him from within.

Am I selfish? Am I selfish because I'm willing to kill others, so Ellie might live only because I care for her?

He had no answer to that question that threatened to drive him insane from within. Ellie went back to work, with a walkie-talkie in her hands, waiting for useful information. Ben, on the other hand, sat down on a chair and turned his back on her, deep in thought. Khan was silent beneath him. Ben gently stroked the white fur.

Manny had captured him the day before. He was part of the group that killed Joel. Nora, the girl who seemed quite okay in the end, was part of the group that killed Joel. And Abby, the girl with whom he fought the monster creature in the hospital, personally killed Joel. Abby, the girl who in some strange way left a positive impression on him, killed Joel.

He couldn't believe what he had learned, and worst of all, he didn't know how to say it to Ellie. How could he tell her he was fighting side by side with Abby, the girl who took away a person who was like a father to Ellie? Hour by hour, day by day, everything became more complicated. Dina was pregnant, Tommy was still out there somewhere. And here I am, all chummy with Joel's murderers..

"This guy, Owen," Ellie said, prompting Ben to turn his head to her. She was holding a photograph in her hand. "He went AWOL. Maybe Tommy got to him."

On the mention of Tommy, Ben remembered his first escape from the Wolves. A certain sniper was the reason he was able to escape. He wanted to mention it, but Ellie kept talking.

"Jordan's dead." she continued. "I killed him at the school."

"Eastbrook elementary?"

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Jesse and I went there looking for you. We heard gunshots, guess we weren't far behind."

She nodded, and raised the same photograph again "This is Leah. Dead too. Killed by those fucking Scars."

It was written Leah + Jordan on the photograph. "Jordan's girlfriend?"

"Maybe. I don't care. They're both dead."

The way she said that made Ben shiver. She's changed. Then she flipped another photo "This is Nick. Tommy killed him. There were seven of them. Three are dead. Four down to go."

Four down to go. How many more we have to kill to get to these four?

He didn't want to kill Nora, she didn't seem a bad person. As for Abby, she killed Joel and that changed his opinion of her immediately. However, she certainly did not come to Jackson all way from Seattle to kill him for no reason, not the way she killed him. She had to have a reason for it. Ellie didn't want to hear it, though, so he kept quiet.

The walkie-talkie suddenly rustled, forcing Ben and Ellie into a dead silence. He pricked up his ears as he listened to the news.

"Casualties reported in Five. All available units report. Over."

Ben and Ellie looked at each other, then both approached the map with the zones written on them.

"This is site Two. Unit Zeta nearby. How many Scars you got?"

"Negative on Scars."

Negative on Scars? The voice requesting help was a male voice. It sounded familiar. Could it be Manny?

"Lone male trespasser. A sniper. Over."

"Tommy?" Ben asked.

"Could be." Ellie replied.

Both of them looked at the map.

"Where's Five?"

Ellie looked at the map with her index finger on her lips. "If Two is here.. Six is there.. then Five is.."

"The marina?"

"Yeah." Ellie said and put her backpack on. "Let's go."

When they returned to the lobby, Dina was still lying down, but she was awake. When she saw them, she got up in a sitting position, aware that they were leaving. Her face was pale and drenched in sweat. Ellie sat next to her.

"You have to lock the door for us." Ellie said softly, stroking her head. "How are you feeling?"

Dina shrugged, "Same more or less. I'll be fine."

"Where's Jesse?" Ellie asked, looking around the room.

Dina wiped her forehead and looked at her girlfriend. "He went out, to get some medicine or something, I don't know."

"For you?" Ben asked and Dina nodded. Ellie raised an eyebrow when he asked. Of course it's for her, you dumbass.

"Where are you two going?" there was only the sound of rain when Dina asked. "You found another lead?"

Ellie put a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah. Might be Tommy. Probably is."

"Where?"

"Somewhere along the shore, the marina most probably."

"I see. Be careful." replied Dina and hugged Ellie, who in return hugged her back. "You too, Ben."

Ben winked at her and smiled weakly. "Don't strain yourself too much. We'll be back soon."

Dina looked at them both, her eyes full of concern. In the end, she nodded weakly and tried to get up. Ben and Ellie helped her, since she needed to barricade the door behind them when they get out. He didn't notice their kiss when he opened the door and walked through. Ellie followed him across the threshold that led outside and closed the door. When he heard a click on the other side of the door, he knew that Dina had barricaded it successfully and that they could finally move on. Before they walked out, though, Ellie gave him a new gun and a few bullets, as well as a military knife she had taken from one of the soldiers. The crossbow hung from his backpack, and the hunting rifle was slung over his shoulder.

He thanked himself for remembering to put on his hoodie again since the rain had already made a cold day even colder. Ellie was also dressed in her darker clothes.

They were standing in front of the theater entrance, shielded from the rain, when Ellie pulled a map from her backpack. Ben let her to look at the map alone, as he surveyed the surrounding buildings, as if there was a possibility that someone was hiding in them and watching them.

"We can follow this path to get to the shore." she said after a while. Ben walked up to her and looked at the street she pointed her fingers on. "If we go this way, we can make it fast to the shore."

"Good." Ben replied simply, fire of determination burning brightly inside of him. They will find Tommy, safe and sound. Then, finally, two of them walked back out to the ruins of Seattle, while the rain fell unhindered.