Summary: Dina has... questions, about Ellie's change of heart. (Heavy Spoilers)

"... So you're telling me that you let her get away?"

Ellie rubbed at the fresh bite mark on her arm, her head down as Dina paced around her.

"Not only that," she continued, her voice entering a new level of frustration, "but you saved her from certain death?"

"...Yeah."

"Get out."

She looked up, surprise on her scarred face. "Seriously?"

"Did you forget when she had a knife to my fucking throat? When she found out I was pregnant, how she sounded so fucking ready to take my head off?"

"Yeah, I fucking remember, do you?" She finally stood up from their bed, gaining a few inches on her lover - former lover. "When you told me not to leave? Demanded that I stay home and not go after her?"

"Yeah, and then you save her life! And that kid that put an arrow through Tommy!"

"He saved you, didn't he?"

"Yeah. More than I could say for you." She crossed her arms. "'Good', she said. and you just watched in silence. Just let the karma happen, right? It's what you deserved. You took something of hers, She takes something of yours. I was your fucking peace treaty."

"Where the hell is this coming from?"

"A year, Ellie! We were done with this for a fucking year, and then you decide to get up, leave your family behind and go kill her, and then you just change your mind! So it was for nothing!" She seethed, tears springing forward. "A couple of fingers for your trouble."

"... I coulda gotten through it easier if you were with me."

"Yeah, because I did so well last time."

"You really did," she responded, her voice gruff. "I'd be dead the first day, without you."

"You'd manage. Somehow, you always do." She turned away, huddling into herself. "I don't know who overestimates you more. Me or you."

Ellie's full hand clenched, and unclenched, her partial hand useless at her side. "I'm done. I swear."

"You sure about that? Sure you won't have another nightmare and decide that she has to pay? Knowing that Joel, and Jessie are dead and she gets to live?"

"We've been through enough. I can't... I couldn't do it."

"Ellie, we have killed hundreds to get to her - you've killed probably a thousand! A stadium's worth, maybe! We didn't spare anyone! You were on a warpath, and you were literally seconds away from killing her. You killed her friends, everyone she loved, everyone close to her, and she left us alone! She gave both of us a chance, and she didn't have a reason to! Why would she have a reason to, now?"

"She won't come after us - "

"Like she thought you wouldn't come after her?"

Ellie groaned in frustration. "We... talked about it," she lied. "We came to an understanding."

Dina laughed openly. "Bullshit. You never talk about anything. You never talked to Joel, you never talk to me, you sure as shit didn't talk to Abby."

"Well, I did." She felt awful lying to her girlfriend, especially doubling down, but above all, she wanted Dina to feel safe around her again. "I'm not a savage."

... In hindsight, that would have been a good idea, to sit down like civilized adults and talk their issues through.

"So, did your long-awaited meeting happen while she was chewing on your digits, or after?"

"They were the appetizers. She was gracious enough to give back the pinky."

"Joking about losing body parts; so that's what it's come to. I could at least hope, to be fair, you chomped her dick off in retaliation."

The survivor gave her lover a hopeful look, praying that this was the end of it, if she was in a joking mood.

"Well, since you claim to have talked it through, now it's my turn." Maneuvering her way around Ellie in an almost sensual way, she sat on the bed, crossing her bare legs. Ellie eyed her with longing. "I'm waiting. Talk."

"I... I thought that's what we were doing?"

"No, what you were doing was posturing. Excuses. I've just been combing through your bullshit, trying to get to the truth. How you decided to save the life of the bitch who shot Jessie in the face and used a motherfucking golf club - "

"I know what she did," she groaned, gathering her head in her hands, plopping down next to her. The only progress she could tell was that Dina didn't move away. "God, I wish we had a weed farm."

"We do." She was met with a disbelieving look. "I needed a hobby. Adjusting to the life of a single mother... now I know how my sister feels."

Ellie sighed tiredly. "Can't we agree that there's been enough bloodshed on both sides?"

"Would she agree?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think she would."

"Why would you think it? Didn't she tell you?"

"...I... Uh, I - "

"Fucking grow up, Ellie. Talk. Do what you wanted to do with Joel, before she comes back to kill me, too."

She tried to glare back at her, she really did, but the tearful grimace that she met made her flinch back.

"... I'm sorry." Her whisper was broken, watching her girlfriend show how truly afraid she was. "She won't find you. She won't look for us. I'm begging you to believe me." With trembling fingers, she reached over into her lap, and Dina shivered at her calloused touch. "She's spared me twice, and I..." She trailed off, seeing as this was getting her no where. "You're right. She might want to kill me. She might want to swear revenge and we'll see her in another few years. But - "

"Yeah, I get it. You think you deserve it. A 'meaningful death', you called it, right?" She looked down at the incomplete hand, and traced the edges of her nubs. At least she wasn't grossed out. "She had to take the left ring finger, too," she muttered, gently taking in the hand and kissing the knuckle.

Ellie gulped, not quite sure how to respond. "Are... are we cool?"

"Well, that depends." she gave her a side glance. "Would it be too awkward if I told you I was pregnant again?"

Her mouth slowly opened in shock, and silence reigned over them for a full minute, before, finally, she shook her head. "I told you moving on was your choice, wasn't it? Who's the fucker, I mean, umm...?"

"The look on your face right now," she grinned, that coy grin of hers that made Ellie want smile back, no matter how much she hated smiling. "Like anyone's gonna try to fuck Ellie's girl. You built a hell of a reputation back in Jackson. I'd vote to keep the last chapter out of the narrative, however."

"Wait - you were fucking kidding?"

"Why do you sound so disappointed?"

"Dude, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"And the only reason I didn't keep the lie going is because of what you did for us when I was still pregnant." She pondered for a moment, stroking her knuckles again. "What would you do if I was having Seth's bigot baby?"

She made a deep, guttural sound, twisting her face. "Ugh. I'm gonna be real with you. I really think he probably jacked off into that steak sandwich."

And there ends yet another masterpiece. The game was alright, too. It might be telling that I immediately deleted the game once I got to credits, though.

Also, you know Ellie has completely forgiven Abby because she hasn't called her a fucker.

I've streamed the full game on twitch (RihaanShim), but I didn't know twitch deletes all your videos. I was able to record all except the last episode, but they deleted my ending thoughts due to copyright muting during the credits. This pretty much encapsulates my thoughts. Maybe one day, a follow-up to this.

Also, not to bum anyone out, but I got the Covid, so everything might slow down for a minute or two. It suuuuuucks.