Disclaimer: I do not own anything from The Last of Us, They belong to NaughtyDog.
A/N:Hey! since this is my very first fanfiction, i would really appreciate if you leave a review and let me know what you think about it so far. If you didn't already know, yes, this is a JOELLIE pairing. In future chapters there might even be some action ;) if you know what I mean. Anyways i hope you enjoy!
(4 days ago , Joel's POV)
''Ellie, you're gonna be fine ya hear me?'' I told her, holding her soft, pale face. No! I won't lose another one! I can't.. I can't!. as soon as she closed her eyes and began to lose consciousness, I felt my heart sink, and immediately recalled Sarah. Her bloodstained shirt, her soft, pale skin, her crying, tear covered, pained face looking at me desperately to somehow reduce the pain from the bullet that was in her abdomen. And most importantly, her overwhelmingly painful cries. For 20 years never have I forgotten that cries. At night, I would hear it every single time I would close my eyes.
I REMEMBERED THAT DREADFUL NIGHT: ''Joel.. Joel, I-I know it is incredibly hard to do this, but-but we've gotta go.'' Tommy told me with overwhelming pain and guilt in his face. ''Go on little brother, this is the end of the line for me, I gotta go catch up to Sarah. It's been good little brother this is our farewell.'' I told him with cracks, and overwhelming amount of pain screaming with every words. When i told him that, I could tell that he was given another dose of pain from his already pale, and tired face. He tightens his grip on his gun, and was containing his tears from bursting. ''Joel-when you were away from home, working, and you'd miss Sarah's birthdays, even though she looked sad and wasn't as excited if you were there, I always asked her what she wanted for her birthday presents, days before the celebration.'' Tommy told me with cracks in his voice, also pained by what happened. Every time, she would reply with this: I wish that dad will live a long life, and tell me all about the stories of his life from his younger self to his much older self, I know that I am the only reason he is working so hard for, even sacrificing his own health, I also wish that he would find something else to fight for, not only me, cause he also deserves happiness and seeing him happy makes me happy, I wish that he would find something else other than me that would make him want to live. Tommy tells me with tears starting to flow from his eyes. I felt that nothing would've stayed intact inside of me if I didn't hear what Tommy said to me about Sarah's wish. For 20 long years I drifted from one place to another, killing, stealing, massacring people. I fought to survive, completely closing my heart against people. I wanted to live long enough to be the ''much older self'' that Sarah wanted me to be. For 20 years, I kept finding something to fight and live for.
I RECALLED THE PAST IN MY HEAD THEN SUDDENLY SNAP BACK INTO REALITY: No, Ellie, Baby girl,you can't do this to me. C'mon Ellie. I called her name and did CPR, desperately trying to save her. As I tried to save her, her hands, every time I looked at them, I keep seeing the hands of Sarah in my mind. every time I look at her face, I see Sarah's lifeless gaze that destroyed my soul. I've finally found a reason for fightin. Ain't no fucking way I will lose you now Ellie, I can't! Just thinking about it makes my head go crazy, my sanity wavering, and my heart sinking. I called her name, did CPR. I repeated the process for 3 minutes. That 3 minutes, every single second without her moving, having any signs of movement pierced my body like a thousand bullet hit my already battered, and destroyed soul. C'mon Ellie, Baby girl. I told her unconscious body,and to my surprise, she let out a violent cough letting water leave her mouth. I felt as if the world has gotten lighter around my shoulders as I witnessed that she was not dead. After letting out the cough, she immediately fell unconscious yet again immediately.
I remembered that the firefly HQ was not far from here, I placed my hand on the back of Ellie's knees and my other hand holding her shoulder, supporting her. I immediately scan through the area, while holding Ellie, and running as fast and as quietly as I can. All of my senses were focused on keeping Ellie safe and searching for threats that might endanger her, making sure to avoid them. After 10 minutes of swift, and careful sprinting, I finally saw the fireflies. And better yet, I even saw a familiar face. But in order to get there I had to go cross the road through a number of infected and clickers. Since going through them wouldn't be a choice, I had to think fast, for Ellie's sake. I remembered that I still have some nail bomb in my pack. After dropping Ellie for the barest of a minute, I get the nail bomb in my hand. and I get a couple of bottles and brick and placed them on a container, then got a rope then tied it high enough for it to make a lot of noise. After for almost a minute, I pick up Ellie's unconscious body then pull the rope making the container let the bricks and bottles fall leading to a lot of noise. With the clicker's abnormal hearing, they suddenly let out a moan. The clickers and the other infected run to the place where Joel wanted them to go to. After a lot of them gathered into one spot. I got 3 of my nail bombs in my hands then threw them quietly, yet violently towards the location of the infected. After the bombs had contact with them, it exploded and scattered all the blades, and nails that were inside of it.
That noise made more infected to go to the source of the noise. I used this chance to cross the bridge while the infected were busy running towards the direction of the noise. After crossing, I go through the firefly base's gate. As soon as I was visible in their radar.''Drop your weapons,now!'' The fireflies demanded to me. ''Marlene, Get your ass in here!'' I replied, but that only seemed to anger the guards at the gate. ''Shoot him!'' I heard a guard command his men. Oh shit. I thought to myself. ''Cease fire, Now!'' I heard a familiar voice. ''Oh my god, Joel!?''I heard as Marlene stepped outside of the gate and showed herself. ''Get the medical team, now!'' She told her men to immediately treat Ellie. As the medical staff got Ellie from me and started treating her, I started losing my strength, and my vision getting blur.
I open eyes, and I was welcomed with an unfamiliar ceiling. Ellie! I shout out and I immediately tried to gather my strength. ''Easy Texas, you nearly died out there, exhausting your body to that extent.'' A familiar voice told me. But I knew the voice, and that was Marlene's. ''Where's Ellie?'' I told her with a serious voice. ''She's fine, the nurses already tended to her.'' Marlene told me standing up from the chair she was sitting on. ''Let me see her.'' I told her immediately, standing up from the bed. ''You don't need to worry about her anymore.'' She tells me. ''You did a good job getting her here Joel.'' She added. I was confused and angered by her statement. I tried to tell something to her but she beat me to it. ''I lost countless men getting here, Joel, and just as I thought that everything was lost, you came here, with Ellie- She told me gesturing the place around her. -It seemed like there was no hope, but thanks to you, we can start finding out what happened to Ellie, why she is immune, and possibly get a cure out of that.'' She tells me with obvious signs of pain in her voice. ''I don't give a damn, about you, and your damn cure- I told her with a very serious, and firm voice. -all I want is to see the girl, take me to her!'' I demanded her, walking towards her direction. The guards quickly pushed me away, preventing me to go outside the door, where she was standing. ''We need her for the cure Joel.'' She tells me, trying to explain to me her motives. ''You seriously ain't thinking about doing that, knowing full damn well that doesn't even guarantee a fucking cure!'' I tell her pointing my point finger to her direction. ''I thought you would understand Joel.'' She tells me opening the door and and stepping outside of it. ''Get that man out of here, and he tries anything, shoot him.'' she orders her men, Leaving.
After that, her men, pointing their gun at me and pushed me in the back using it. ''Move you bitch!'' The guard tells me pushing me forward. He and two other guards came to get me out, so I walked, I noticed my pack, that had all my things in a counter. So I stopped walking, when the guard used his gun to push me, in one swift motion, I elbowed his gun. He shoots it above missing me, as the other two guards pointed their gun at me, their fellow companion was already on my grip and his gun on my hands. I shoot the two guards in the head with no hesitation. ''Where is the girl.'' I tell the guard, currently in my grip, but he gave me no response. I ain't got time for this. I tell myself and broke his entire arm. I'm pretty sure that he can no longer use them anymore in his life. WHERE! I ask him again, while he was screaming. ''Top floor, far end'' He tells me finally. I grab my pack and I shoot him in the head mercilessly.
A few moments later, the guards came flooding In coming from the above floor of the building, and also from below.
The guards quickly guarded the door leading above the building preventing me from going up. So I got a grenade from my pack then threw it at their direction, just as the grenade was reaching and closing in their direction, I shoot it, causing it to explode and they didn't have time to dodge. After that was done, I got a smoke bomb from my pack, and a nail bomb then threw both at the south corridor, where the other guards are coming in from. I quickly entered the door, and barricaded it, and, as I was going up into the stairs, i hear the nail bomb activating. That should give me some time, I thought to myself. After reaching the third floor, the guards were much many than the previous floors. I could hear all of them, and, I'm guessing they are waiting beyond the door pointing their guns towards it, waiting for me to come in. I had to think fast. I opened the door and backing away from it just fast enough to dodge their flurry of bullets. I grab 2 smoke bombs from my pack and readied it in my hands. I removed the gas that was attached to a flamethrower that I found in one of the rooms below this floor. I threw both smoke grenades to their location and, they, once again, let out a flurry of bullets. I threw the gas after waiting for a few seconds, accompanied by three molotovs, causing the entire corridor to go blazing. A few of them charged at my location behind the door while some are trying to take care of the fire. Two of them charged through. Thinking they may have some advantage in numbers, we exchange bullets, and after a few seconds, I shot them in the head. I needed to hurry up as the guards in the other room were still attempting to distinguish the fire. Luckily, the gas that I got contained enough for the fire to spread over very quickly. accompanied by the molotov and some other easily flammable stuff in there, plus the smoke grenade. The room was covered with smoke, so I used the chance to sneak past them and entered the top floor. A few were waiting for me, and then, using the assault rifle I got from the guard, I shot them. I ran out of bullets from my assault, and also got no bombs, molotovs, and other explosive left, and I knew the guards from below the floor heard me so I had to hurry up as they were surely going to be here any second now. I kicked open the operating room and saw three doctors, with Ellie.
The doctors quickly moved away, scared. ''Don't shoot, you can get the girl, please, have mercy.'' One of them told me covering his head, then crouching on the floor. I quickly removed the straps that were attached to Ellie's body. ''Don't you realize what you are doing? if we are able to make a vaccine out of her, the world would be rid of dead-people coming back to life,and eating whatever living being they see.'' One of the three doctors try to persuade me. I still had ammo for my pistol that is holstered in my waist.''The world took somethin from me 20 years ago, now, we're even.'' I told them, shooting their heads one by one.
I carry Ellie, we go through the other door, opposite from the entrance of the operating room, leading to the elevator. I hear footsteps, and voices saying, Catch them, or Don't let them escape. I ran, not for my sake, but for hers. This 14 year-old girl, who have seen things,and endured them, when that would have let the adults lose their minds. I ran, and ran, and ran, with only one thing going through my mind. I swear, baby girl, i won't let anything harm you. I only realized now, that I was already calling her baby girl, I only realize now, that losing her, would be my demise. I only realize now, that I care for her. And there is no way, I would let ANYBODY, or ANYTHING, harm her.
I go through the elevator, making it go to the lowest floor. ''You can't save her.'' Marlene tells me, pointing her gun as soon as I left the elevator. I took a step back. ''S'that so, well then how about you tell me what the hell are all those who have the same immunity as Ellie.'' I told her. ''What the fuck happened to them huh, Malene?'' I added. ''Thanks to their sacrifice, we have gained some knowledge Joel, thanks to them, we have finally found out how to make a vaccine.'' She tells me,after being silent for a few seconds, trying to get closer,putting both of her hands in the air. ''You can still do the right thing here, Joel, just give me the girl.'' She added. ''Yeah, you keep telling yourself that shit.'' I tell her, shooting her in the abdomen with a pistol I was hiding. She immediately falls to the ground letting her lose her grip on the pistol she was carrying. she lets out a few painful moans, then I go closer to her. ''Wait, just let me live.''She tells me, begging me with a wait gesture. ''No. you'll just come after her.'' I tell her,shooting her in the head. I put Ellie in the car, then drove out in the driveway. Luckily, because of the noise we made during the fight, countless infected were heading towards their HQ. Thanks to that, we were able to escape safely.