A few small rays of sunlight peeked through the window of Joel and Ellie's room. The duo still hasn't left their house for the past week that they have been there. Ellie has been unusually quiet and Joel has been taking notice. He assumed that it was some repressed emotions about what happened last year with Dylan. He didn't want to bother her about it. Still, it somehow started to get to him when she wouldn't make eye contact with him or wouldn't go near him for hours on end.

A loud bell started to ring in the distance. Breakfast. That goddamn bell always woke the two of them up early. Joel felt a small pair of hands grab his bicep and started shaking him awake.

"Joel. Joel! It's that bell again," Ellie whispered. "Should we go out and eat with everyone else now?"

He was still in a hazy state of mind but after a couple of seconds he sat up and looked out of the window. It took him a while to realize that Ellie spoke to him for the first time in a few days. First time she looked at him in the eyes and acknowledged him in what seemed like weeks. He wanted to relish this moment forever. He swung his legs over the bed and sat up, rubbing his tired eyes.

"You're up early," he mumbled.

Ellie giggled. "Yeah, well, I decided that I wanted to finally go eat with everyone today. For a change."

Joel's face quickly turned to a nervous expression. Was he really comfortable to go out with everyone else? It's been a least a week since they've even set foot outside of their cozy cabin. He looks at Ellie and at her small grin that she hasn't had in so long. Oh what the hell. If it made her happy.

"Alright. We'll go."

Ellie squinted her eyes as the early morning sun once again ascended into the sky. Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked around. Her mind then turned on and remembered her emotions. She very silently cried herself to sleep the night before and she didn't want to wake Joel and worry him. That's the last thing that she needed. She looked over at him, sleeping. His breaths were unsteady. It started to worry her. She's been miserable the past week or so, ever since they moved into the new settlement. Don't be mistaken; she is extremely excited about moving to a new place with Joel. Still. Something has been bothering her for a while. Tommy's settlement has brought back things…things that she didn't want to remember. Things that she still questioned even though these events hadn't taken place in over a year. But, seeing Joel sleeping like that, she decided to be little easier on him. She knew she'd been giving him a cold shoulder lately and couldn't give an explanation as to why. A loud bell rang in the distance. She knew what that meant. Breakfast. Maybe this was a chance to ask him. Ask him what she'd been planning on asking him for a very long time. She got up and walked over to him and reached her hand out and lightly shook Joel's arm.

"Joel. Joel! It's that bell again," she said. "Should we go out and eat with everyone else now?"

Joel and Ellie silently walked over to the dining hall. People started to file out of their house and abruptly stopped in their tracks when they spotted Ellie and Joel, a pair of strangers to them, walking around outside. Some just kept walking, pretending that they didn't see them and ignored it and others just stopped and stared. When Ellie caught a glimpse of their looks, she grabbed Joel's hand and looked down. They both walked into the dining hall and sat down at a small table in the corner near the doors.

After a couple of minutes, the entire small settlement filled inside. Barely any words were said. Granted, people were talking. But very quietly. All of them fucking staring at Joel and Ellie. Joel started shift uncomfortably and Ellie continued to stare at the table in front of them. Goddamnit. She should say something shouldn't she?

Joel noticeably realized that Ellie might've been trying to communicate with him. It's like every time he looks at her, she always looked like she was about to ask or say something, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The look in her eyes looked as if she was pleading for help but her mouth weren't able to speak the words that her eyes seemed to be able to say.

A brave couple sat down on the opposite end of the man and girl. The woman was very pretty, had dark brown hair and blue eyes. The man was a bit taller and had a 3-day-shadow lining his jaw line.

"We haven't seen you two around here before. Are you new?" the woman finally asked after a long period of silence.

Joel slowly nodded his head yes. "Yeah," he replied gruffly. The woman flickered her eyes to her partner then back at Joel flirtatiously. Her partner seemed to catch the not-so-sly eye movements and clenched his fists under the table. Joel briefly looked at the man. By the way he sat, he seemed to be very pugnacious.

Ellie continued to sit quietly, pretending to focus on her thumbs and fingers.

"So, how long have you and your daughter been here? You guys look so alike. You have his eyes," the woman said, motioning to Ellie.

Ellie looked up at the woman. Her mind crossed the word daughter. "I'm not his daughter, exactly," Ellie said quietly.

The woman frowned. "Oh, so what, are you guys uncle and niece?"

Ellie shook her head no.

"So…you guys just live together and you aren't…related?" the woman said with slight disgust in her voice.

Joel knew exactly where this was going. "C'mon Ellie. Let's go get some food." He pulled the small girl up by her arm and led her to the food trays.

"Man, what was with them? Why were they prying into our life? Why the fuck do they care?" she whispered quietly.

"Ugh. I knew this was a bad idea. C'mon I wanna get the hell out of here before something else like that happens." Joel tries to lead Ellie with him, but she plants her feet in the ground.

"No, I want to at least get some food first. You agreed to go to breakfast with me so we're gonna eat." Ellie walked over to the serving trays and got a few pieces of fruit and a small biscuit.

"Well, I wasn't expectin' you two to be here."

Joel and Ellie looked up to the direction in which they heard the familiar voice. Tommy walked over and was in more dressed down clothing than usual.

"So, you guys finally decided to leave your house after, what, a week of stayin' here?"

"Good mornin' to you too, Tommy," Joel said sarcastically. Ellie smirked. Tommy chuckled. "Well, enjoy the food. I suggest you come out to the town meeting tonight. I've got a bit of surprise."

Ellie's eyes lit up. She looked eagerly over at Tommy and then at Joel.

Joel looked over at the zealous girl. He hasn't seen her excited in a while. Why the hell not? He smiled. "Then I guess my decision is all made up."

Ah yes! Been a while hasn't it? Well hopefully I can update real soon so this can make more sense. More emotional trauma to come...