Disclaimer: I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, Sony, and their creators.

A/N: Here is the next chapter only 2 more to go to end this fantastic story. I want to thanks again all the people that read this story and left a review on it. Thanks for all your support and I hope that all of you enjoy this fic as much I enjoy it writing it. Sorry for all the grammar mistakes, but as you all know by now English is not my language and the program I use to correct the mistake not always do it right. Anyway, thanks again, and let go with the chapter. Remember to stay safe out there and take care of yourselves this virus already taking too many lives.

Chapter 24: Marlene's Secret

(A few hours Later )

Joel and Ellie were in the town hospital in the waiting hall. Ellie's eyes were red. She has been crying and asking for her aunt's conduction since they arrived there. Ellie was with her nerve high up because the only news was from a nurse half an hour ago and she told them that the doctor was checking on her and doing some tests.

After some time of looking at the corridor that gets to the emergency room. Ellie got tired of being sitting that she stand up from her seat and started to move around. "Why are they taking so long?" asked Ellie with a desperate tone.

Joel gets up too and walks closer to her. "I don't know… maybe they have a lower staff here at this hour… and-" Joel stops when Ellie snapped at him.

"That is ridiculous Joel… this is a hospital. They suppose to have enough people here for-"

Joel moves closer to her and hugs her. "Your aunt is going to be fine Ellie… you don't need to worry about that too much... okay besides getting mad or frustrated toward the people here is not going to help."

Ellie buries her face on Joel's chest and hugs him tight. "I'm so sorry Joel I don't mean to… I... just scared. I have never seen her like that before."

Joel passes his hand on her back. "She will be fine… we just need to wait-" Joel didn't finish as he saw a doctor coming toward them.

"Hi… My name is Dr. Smith. Are you the family member of Marlene Williams?" asked the doctor as soon as he got closer to them.

Ellie moves away from Joel and looks at the doctor. My name is Ellie and I'm her niece." She says while wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'm Joel… Joel Miller a friend of the family. How is she?"

"Well, we have to run some tests, but she is stable now… we're going to need to keep her here for a few days to do more tests. Also, I need to know if she is in some kind of treatment because her immune system is very low."

Joel stays looking at the doctor and hears all he was saying. "I think I can help you a little with that," said Joel trying not to look at Ellie while he talk to the doctor.

"Great… she is been moved to one of our recovery rooms. Are you close to her? Because I will need all the information you can give me." he asked Joel.

Ellie looked at both of them for a moment trying to figure out what they're talking about. After a few minutes, Ellie looked at the doctor again. "Is she awake? Can we see her now?" asked Ellie, desperate.

The doctor looked at her. "We have to give her something to make her sleep for a few hours. Also, we have to give her some medication to help her to get stronger. So she is going to be out all night."

The doctor was telling things that Ellie doesn't understand and doesn't say much about what is happening to her. "Do you know what she has?" she asked more directly.

"Well, we're not sure yet. We're waiting for the results of the test we did on her, but she is stable now, so don't worry about it." said the doctor to calm her down.

Ellie rolled her eyes because she still without knowing what happens to her aunt. "Okay… Can we go to see her now?" asked Ellie again.

"Visitor hours are ended… But I think you can go there for a few minutes while I talk to… Mr. Miller and get some information about your aunt… okay?" the doctor turned around and searched for a nurse. Soon he spots one, he calls her out. "Maggie, can you escort… this girl to Miss Williams's room? She is in recovery room #6 on the second floor." explaining the doctor to the nurse. The nurse indicated to Ellie to follow her and Ellie noddle at her then look at Joel

Ellie moves close to Joel and asks. "Are you coming with me?"

"I will be there in a few minutes, but I need to talk to the doctor first… okay," he said while kissing her on the forehead. Ellie noodle and starts following the nurse.

Soon Ellie walks out of sight, Joel looks back to the doctor. "What information do you need for me?" he asked.

"Anything you can tell me. I need to know if she has any previous condition and some other things. C'mon, we can talk in my office." Joel and the doctor start to walk in the opposite direction, so Joel can give the doctor what he needs.

After the nurse takes Ellie to her aunt's room, Ellie moves to the side of the bed and looks at her. She was connected to a machine and had some kind of serum injected into her arm. She never saw her aunt like that before, but she has some image of her mother in a bed like this in a hospital when she was a little girl. She doesn't know what is going on, but she is hoping that is nothing serious.

After a few minutes, Ellie moved a chair there and put it close to the bed, and sat on it. She put her hand on top of her aunt and stayed looking at her. "I'm here aunt… just get better okay."

One hour later Joel arrived at the room and saw Ellie in a chair beside the bed. She had fallen asleep, so he decided to let her rest beside her aunt. So he goes out of the room and asks a nurse if they can stay in the room watching Marlene. The nurse told him that only one person can stay during the night, so he needs to stay in the waiting area. After that Joel goes back to the room and gets close to Ellie. He takes his coat off and put it on Ellie to cover her, then he kisses her on the top of her head and goes out of the room and get to the first floor and sat in the waiting area.

( The next Morning )

The first thing Joel did when the cafeteria opened was to buy something to eat and drink for him and Ellie. He knows that Ellie will be hungry after be all night with her aunt in the room, so after he buys some food, he goes to Marlene's room. Soon he gets there, Joel opens the door with two hot chocolates and a bag in his hand. He saw Ellie sitting in the chair that was now closer to the room window. She is still with her eyes closed, so he walks toward her and tries not to wake her up, but before he put the food on the little table close to her, Ellie opens her eyes.

"Good morning… did you get some sleep?" asked Joel while walking closer to her.

Ellie looked at him with a sad expression. "Not really… The nurses come a few times to take her out for some tests. So I have to move the chair."

"Oh… I see." Joel looked at the bed and saw that Marlene was still sleeping. It was a sad view, he knew that with time things were going to end like that, but not so soon and no after she started her treatment.

Ellie looks at her aunt then back at Joel. She needs an answer and she needs it soon. "Joel what is happening to my aunt?… What did the doctor tell you yesterday? Because they're not telling me anything."

Joel turns his head back to her and passes her one of the cups and the bag. "Here, you need to eat something." Joel moved to the side and took a sip of his chocolate. "You don't need to worry about your aunt, she is going to be fine." he tries to keep Ellie calm but he knows that keeping the true hiding is not going to work anymore.

Ellie put the cup and bag on the small table and stood up. "Does this look fine to you?" she said pointing at the bed with an angry voice.

Joel lowers his cup and put it on the table and looked at Ellie. "The doctor said that her white blood cells are low, so that is why she fainted. She doesn't get any contusion on the head for the fall so she is going to be okay there," said Joel trying to tell her something without telling her the whole truth. But he knows that that is not going to stop her for continue to ask.

"I don't get it? Why does she have her white blood cells low? And why does the doctor want to ask you things about her condition and not me?" she continues with her questioning because she knows that Joel is not telling her something.

Joel tries not to look at her directly, because she will know that he is hiding something. "I don't know Ellie, maybe because I'm the adult here?"

"That is bullshit Joel and you knew it… I'm her niece… they suppose to ask me about her… not you!" said Ellie angry and with a loud voice.

Joel moved closer to her and put one hand on her shoulder. "Ellie you need to calm down okay… we're in a hospital and your aunt needs the rest. I know that this is-" he does not even finish when Ellie shack him off and move away from him.

"I don't care… I want to know what is happening to my aunt … and I want the truth. I know that you know more than you telling me… so start talking," she yells at him.

Joel looks at her with sad eyes, he knows that this will happen when she finds out about her aunt's conduction, but he has to keep his promise to her. It was Marline's job to tell her no his. "Ellie… I… I don't know what to say..." Joel knows that this is hard for her, but he doesn't know how to tell her the truth.

Ellie started to cry. "Just tell me the truth… please!... just tell me why the doctor asked if she was having a treatment?" she said with tiers on her eyes.

"Because... I'm sick…" said Marlene with a weak voice. Both Joel and Ellie looked in the direction of the bed and saw Marlene with her eyes open.

Ellie moves away from Joel and gets closer to the bed. "Aunt… are you okay? how you feel?" she starts asking while taking one of her aunt's hands into hers.

"I feel better now… I guess," she answered with a weak voice.

Ellie tries to smile, but her sadness doesn't let her. "What do you mean by you're sick? What is going on… tell me please?" Ellie asked desperately.

Marlene looked at her with a sad expression and her tiers on her eyes. "I'm so sorry... that you need to find out about this... like this…"

"Find out about what?" Ellie was getting desperate to know what is going on.

"That I have cancer… I wanted to tell you before, but I didn't know how to do it. I wanted to wait until I finish with my treatment to see if I was going to get better. So that way we can talk about this with some hope." she tries to explain with a weak voice.

Joel moves closer to the bed and looks at her. "You need to rest and recover your strength… so maybe it is good if you two talk about all this later when you feel better."

Marlene looks at Joel. she knows that he is trying to help, but it was too late for that now. "No… you're right Joel… She needed to know before I get like this. So it would be better if I talk to her now."

Ellie turns her head and looks at him. "You knew about this… and you didn't tell me?" she was surprised by the new information.

"Is it not his fault Ellie… I told him not to tell you, even when he told me several times that I should," says Marlene trying to get Ellie's attention back to her.

Ellie gives Joel a mad look but doesn't say anything. Then she looks back at her aunt. "How bad is it… are you going to die… just like mom?" she asked in a sad tone.

Tears start coming out of Marlene's eyes as she starts to remember what happened to her sister. "I don't know Ellie… I was bad before, but I started a new treatment… that may help me to get better… but is not a guarantee."

Ellie looks at her and tears start to fall down. "You were going to die and you didn't even was going to tell me? You know that I lost my mom like this… and now I'm going to lose you too?" Ellie can hold herself now, she feels pain and sadness.

Marlene grabs one of Ellie's hand and looks at her eyes. "Ellie… I just don't want you to… worry about me… I know that things were not good between us and after thighs start to get better, I wanted to make sure that you're okay. So I got to see a few doctors for a second opinion and-"

Ellie was now more furious about the situation. Her aunt is been lying to her and she doesn't know for how long. "All those trips out of town? You said it was because of work… so you're lying to me all that time?" she said with an angry voice.

Joel moves closer to her. "Ellie you need to understand, your aunt was only trying to-"

Ellie turns her head again and looks at him with furious eyes. "You… you knew about all this and didn't even tell me," she let go of her aunt's hand and moved close to Joel. "That is why you came back here? Because my aunt asked you to take care of me when she dies?"

"Ellie… I-"

Ellie moves closer and slaps Joel in the face. "I hate you…" then turn her head toward the bed and look at her aunt. "I hate you both…" after that, Ellie ran out of the room crying.

Marlene watches how Ellie runs out of the door and looks at Joel. "You need to go after her... and talk to her."

Joel lowered his head, and feel sad for Ellie. He doesn't care about the slap, he can understand that, but he not want her to be in pain. "I don't think that she will want me to talk to me after this… She is right. She told me about her mother, and how she misses her even if she was just a kid when she dies. So I should tell her after I found out… and you should tell her sooner too."

"I know… but it is too late for that. Now you need to talk to her and bring her back. I will explain everything to her and make her understand why we did what we did."

"And how you want me to do that? She will hate me for lying to her… and I don't blame her."

"She is upset right now and that is understandable, she loves you… Joel. She is only scared of losing all she gains in the last year. I know this is going to be hard for all of us, but we need to make sure that she will be okay."

Joel looked at her and noodles, then walked toward the door and stop there. "I will bring her back… I promise," he said with a sad expression, then he walks out of the room.

Joel looked for Ellie like crazy inside the hospital. He asked every nurse and person that were there. He asked them if they saw a teenage girl walk around the place, but none one saw her. So after one hour of searching, he saw go out of the hospital to look outside. Soon he was outside, he saw her sitting on a bank outside the hospital. So he walked toward her and sat beside her.

At first, Joel didn't say anything. He just sat there looking at the street and the people walking around. Ellie doesn't say anything either, just stays looking at the front. After a few minutes, Joel decided to speak. "I'm so sorry Ellie… I really want her to tell you… but she was scared too."

Ellie looks at the opposite side. "I don't want to talk to you… so why you don't go away and leave me alone," she said without looking at him.

Joel turned his head and looked at her. "I can't do that… I know it hurts and that you're scared, but you need to go back there and talk to your aunt… I can understand what you're feeling, but your aunt needs you right now," said Joel with a sad tone.

Ellie turns her head and looks at him. "And what about me? I was going to lose another… mom… and she did not even tell me." She looked away again. "And you… you knew and didn't tell me either. I feel like the two people I love more in this world betray me." said Ellie with tiars on her eyes.

"I know… and I'm so sorry about that." he put his hand together and looked at the street again. "I know that I could say something, but she wanted to tell you herself and ask me no to tell you before that." Joel lowers his head and looks at the ground. "I no going to justify her decision to wait this long, but I guess that she was too scared to tell you. She knows that she made a lot of mistakes in the past and she was trying to fix them… And even if you don't believe it she loves you very much… and she was trying to find a way to get better before telling you." Joel move his head and looked at her and continued. "I know it was the wrong way… but she really wants the best for you."

"And what about you?" said Ellie turning her head and look at him. "You came back here because you also want the best for me?... Do you really love me… or you just come back because she asked you?"

"Ellie… I think it is a little more complicated than that."

Ellie looked away again. "Yeah, you always said that." after a moment she turned her head and looked at him again. "I Just want to know the truth this time… I think that I deserve that."

Joel looked at the streets again. "Yeah… I think that you deserve that." Joel turned his head and looked at her. "Yes, she came to Arizona looking for me four months ago. I was surprised to see her there or how she finds me. I thought that she was going to call the cops on me and get me arrest, but she only wanted to talk. She told me about the mistake she made by sending me away. She told me about how much that affects you, not only mentally but at school too."

Ellie looked away again. "So that is the reason to come back? Because she asks you to come back to help me to get better?" she asked looking at him.

Joel lowers his head again. "Yes and no… Yes, she asked me to come back and help you, but I did not only come back because of that. This can be weird or sick for a man my age, but I never stop thinking of you. You always were there in my mind and when I go to sleep and have all those nightmares. I don't why but you always were there helping me," Joel raised his head and looked at her. "I wanted to come back because I love you… even if that seems so wrong for a man my age."

Ellie looked down not knowing what to think or said. "I don't want to lose another person in my life… especially after we're fixing our problems and Marlene was becoming the mom I needed," she said with tears coming out of her eyes.

Joel moves closer to her and hugs her from the side. "I know… baby. But maybe this new treatment she is having will cure her or a least give her more time to be with you."

"Did you really think that my aunt could be cured? I don't want her to die… and I know that when someone gets cancer is not a cure for that."

"Well, the treatment is not a 100% guaranty that is going to cure her, but I think that it can help her to get better. I know this is going to be hard for you, especially after you already lose your mom like this, but she will need you right now. So what would you say if you and I go back there, so you can talk to her?" said Joel then kisses her on the top of the head.

Ellie looks at the street and watches the people pass by. "Can we stay here for a while? I don't want to go up there yet…"

Joel hugged her tight. "Sure… you can take all the time you need… I not going anywhere."

After a few minutes, Ellie buries her face in Joel's chest and starts crying again. "I'm so sorry for hitting you in the face. I just was so mad because you lie to me."

"Shhhh… Is okay Ellie… you don't need to be sorry for that. Besides is not my first time that woman hit me in the face. Anyway, I think I deserve that for lying to you."

"I love you…Joel" Ellie hugged him tight too. "Please don't leave me ever. I don't know what I will do if I lose both of you now." she continues crying on Joel's chest.

"I love you too… Ellie… and you're not going to lose any of us, at least no yet," Joel moved his head down and kissed her on the top of her head again.

( Two Hours Later )

After spending some time outside the hospital, Joel and Ellie go back to Marlene's room. Soon they get inside Ellie goes to the bed and hugs her aunt. Joel told them that he needs to do something and that he will be back later. So after that, he gets out of the room and leaves Ellie and Marlene to talk.

After Joel go out, Ellie goes to where the chair was and brings it close to the bed, and sat on it. She needs some answers, so Ellie looks at her aunt and asks her first question. "So you know what you have?"

Marlene looks at her and moves one hand and puts it on the tops of Ellie's. "The doctors said that it is some kind of rare cancer that attacks certain parts of my body. But they're not sure exactly what kind it is."

Ellie lowers her head trying not to cry again. "So is no cure for it? how long have you had it?" asked Ellie without looking at her.

Marlene squeezes her hand knowing the pain she must be in right now. "I found out two years ago. I didn't tell you anything because I was seen a few doctors and see if they find a cure."

"And they did?" Ellie up her head and look at her. "Joel mentions a treatment is that working?"

"I'm not sure about that yet… sweetie. I still need to go to the clinic for a few more treatment processes before they can tell me for sure."

Ellie gets up from the chair and walks to the other side of the room. She doesn't know what to do or say. She looks out of the window and after a few moments, she looks back at her "This is not fair… I lost my mother because of cancer… and now I'm going to lose you too in the same way?" tears were running down her face.

Marlene looks at her with sad eyes, she moves the bed to a sitting position. "I know that is not fair… not for me and especially no for you, but we need to accept our fate. That is the circle of life. We born, we live and we die and that is something we can't change."

"Yeah, but we suppose to die when we go older… not early because of a disease," said Ellie with an angry voice. "I know that all this is not your fault… but now what I suppose to do?"

"You will continue with your life without me when the time comes… I'm so sorry for not telling you before, but I want you to have the best life you can have. I know that I wasn't a good mother to you before, but our time is not over yet. I still can be cured or at least get more time to fix my mistakes. Maybe I didn't say it much but I love you and I always wanted the best for you."

Ellie stands up from the chair and walks toward the bed. She gets on it and lays beside her aunt. "Maybe you weren't the best mom someone can have… but you always took care of me… and love me. But I not was a good daughter too and even if I didn't say it you always were like a mother to me," says Ellie while putting her head on her chest.

Marlene put her arms around her and hugged her. "I never told you this, but you always remember me to your mother. I always think that you get part of her personality and you look a lot like her too. She was always different… She loved her independence even before our parents died. She was so mature for her age… just like you." Marlene hugs her tight.

Ellie up her head and look at her. "Really? I don't remember her much, but I miss her sometimes."

"Yeah… me too," said Marlene passing her hands softly on her back. "Your mom was a special girl, and we're very close when we were little. I was 5 years older than her, but we played a lot."

"Really! Can you tell me a little more about her?"

"Sure, sweetie, I will tell you everything about her. All the things we did together before… you came into this world. I'm so sorry for don't talk to you about your mother, but after she died it was very painful for me to talk about her."

Ellie lowers her head on her chest again. "Is not all you fault, I should ask you about her before, but I don't know how."

"Well, we can talk about her when we get back home. Your mom was a good sister and it was my fault that we didn't talk much after she got pregnant. I just got mad at her because of the choices she made and after you were born, I thought that it was too late to fix things between us. That is why I want to fix things with you before was it too late." Said Marlen while kissing Ellie's head. "I'm so sorry baby… I should try to fix things between us a few years ago, as I should with your mother before she dies."

Ellie up her head again and look at her. "But you did change things… you become a better mom for me in the last eight months and I'm really happy about that." Ellie hugged her tight. "I love you… and I'm so sorry for being a pain in the ass sometimes."

"I'm so sorry too… I was so blind before, but I'm glad that Joel helped me to open my eyes and made me see how wrong I was about you."

Ellie put her head on Marlene's chest again. "Did you really go all the way to Texas looking for him and asking to come back?"

"Well, I have to go all the way to Arizona for that, but yes. After you get all depressed and start to get bad at school, I realize that I make a mistake. Yeah, he is too old for you, and you being a minor is not good either. But after I talk to him, I realize that he was a good man and really cared about you. Don't be mad at him because he came back after I told him that I was sick and that you will need him. He may be coming back because of that, but he really came back because he loves you and wants the best for you."

Ellie closed her eyes and smiled. "Yeah… I don't know what happened to me the first time I saw him. I always feel so alone… and different, but the more time I spend with him, something woke up inside of me. He makes me feel good, accepted… and feel loved and I do not want that to stop."

"I'm so sorry that you feel like you were not loved… I did love you, Ellie, I just don't know how to express. But I'm glad that Joel is in your life now. So if something happens to me, I will be sure that you will be in good hands."

Some tears start to fall from both of them. "Please don't say that. I know that you will get better and there are a lot of things that I want to share with you… Also, I want to know all about my mother, so you need to tell me."

"Don't worry about that baby… we will have a lot of time for all that… I am not going anywhere… at least not yet." The two girls stay holding together tight for alone time. They need to show all the love they have for each other. Joel gets back a few hours later and they stay there and talk.

Marlene has to stay a week in the hospital. But since Ellie needed to go back to school the next Monday, Joel told Ellie that he will pick her up every day from school and bring her to the hospital until her aunt was ready to get back home. After the doctor gives her his approval to release her they go back to her house.

Extra note: Yeah, I know this is a little sad too close to the end, but I want to add some drama and in a way, Marlene's sickness has to come out at one point. I hope you like the chapter anyway and see you in the next one that it will be the last one in some way. The other one is the epilogue and the final part of this story.