What are Neighbors For?

by Marionette-Petals

Joel's next door neighbor Tabetha sees the pain Joel is in after his fights with Ellie, and tries to comfort him. They spend their nights with his guitar, and her warm meals. She wants more, but he is oblivious. While on patrol, something happens and Joel almost loses his friend. Will he realize his feelings before it's too late, or will she have to live out her life wondering?

1. Chapter 1

In all of her days of living in Jackson, Tabetha had never seen Joel Miller smile. Not really. He was always so timid and gloomy, like he was in a constant state of holding his breath. Like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Which, to her, was understandable. She'd heard countless stories of the infamous smuggler, and the girl he carried with him. His shoulders were always taught and heavy, as if he wore every bad experience he's ever had on his shoulders. Considering the horrifying world we live in, Tabetha wouldn't smile either. There was no telling the horrors he's seen- and done- to survive over the years. He's even trained the most dangerous woman in Jackson out in the middle of all the chaos, uncertainty, and peril as if it were nothing. Now she was the most dangerous machine that any of the residents of the settlement have ever seen. Ellie was her name. She was on patrol most of the time and helping keeping the city together, so Tabetha had never actually sat down to have a conversation with her. Joel was so incredibly proud of her, like a father should be. He keeps insisting that he isn't Ellie's father, but they act just like father and daughter.

Well, they used to at least. When they first got here, they were inseparable. Ellie was just a teenager, and wanting to live her life and Joel just wanted to be a part of it. From what Tabetha saw, he kept getting in his own way and making her upset, but they always got back to where they were. It was like this all the way until Ellie ran off with one of the horses for the second time, and she was gone for a while. She had never seen the old man more distraught. It was the first time she saw real emotion from him. When he chased after Ellie, he was gone for a few weeks. Tommy never lost hope though, knew that his brother would be back. Even she had lost hope at the last second, just for both of them to return the very next day. Things were different when they returned, however. Ellie couldn't even look at him. She saw real tears in his eyes, real pain weighing heavily on his shoulders. In Ellie's eyes, all she saw was hatred. Ellie hated him. What happened on that trip? Why did she run away in the first place? A million questions plagued our entire neighborhood, but unfortunately those questions wouldn't be answered. Not even to her, his next-door neighbor.

Ever since Ellie stopped coming around so much, Tabetha could see the loneliness that hung over Joel like a thick heavy cloud. Tommy would come by from time-to-time, but other than that he spends his days strumming away on his guitar or carving some wood figurine to bide his time. She always got excited to hear his music at night, it helps soothe her to sleep sometimes. He was always polite when she spoke to him, and his southern accent was charming. Every time they talked, he was always excited to have someone to talk to and seemed disappointed when she left. When the colder months would come through, she would hear his boot tapping along to his music, and sometimes she would come out and tap her foot and hum with him. She wouldn't even have to say anything, just enjoy the music and his company to fill the night. She could tell those nights meant so much to him. They meant a lot to her too. Joel gave Tabetha the nickname Beth, and it held a special place in her heart. Nobody had ever cared to give her an endearing name to remember her by. She was always Tabetha, never Beth. Not until Joel came along.

After all these years, even though they were close enough to talk about their feelings, he never told her how much it hurts to be so distant from Ellie. He doesn't tell her the late nights that he lays awake wishing things were different, and wondering what could have been. What should be. Beth always wished she could talk with Ellie and just make her understand the profound love and need he has for her, and how sorry he was for hurting her, but it wasn't her place. This was between them, and she was just support for the weathered man that she spent all those nights with, even if he didn't realize he needed it.

That's what neighbors are for.