The car slowed down outside of the seemingly empty farmhouse and Melanie warily looked around as Joel switched off the engine. They had been driving for a while now and Melanie was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open. Ellie had not spoken a word to them since the hospital but was now sitting up in the back seat and peering at the house.

"I'm gonna go inside and check it out," Joel said quietly, his eyes on the farmhouse, "you two stay in here. Do not leave this car unless I give the okay."

Melanie sighed and ran a hand through her hair: usually she would argue that he shouldn't go in there alone but after everything she was just too damn tired. "Fine, just be careful," she sat back in the chair and gave him a faint smile "I think we've used up all of our luck by now."

"Yeah, I think so too," Joel nodded, a ghost of his old smile on his face before his eyes flickered to Ellie, "keep an eye out for trouble."

Melanie watched as Ellie hesitantly met his eyes before looking back out the window, "Whatever," she muttered and hugged herself tightly.

"Yeah, whatever," Joel repeated almost sadly and got out of the car with his gun in his hand and began to walk towards the farmhouse. Locking the doors, Melanie sat back and kept a close eye on him and couldn't help but cross her fingers that he wouldn't run into any more trouble.

She hated the silence in the car and wished that Ellie would speak to them both about what had happened. Obviously something was annoying her and Melanie wondered what it could be. And once again she wondered if they should tell Ellie the truth about what the Fireflies were really going to do… but it wasn't her call.

"So… we're all gonna live happily ever after at Tommy's?" Ellie asked, her voice emotionless and flat.

Melanie turned slightly in her chair and gave her a small nod, "That's the plan… I think you'll like it there," she said softly, noticing how Ellie looked away almost guiltily, "there's other kids your age so you won't be stuck with old folks like Joel and I all the time."

"Silver lining, huh?" Ellie's attempt at sarcasm relaxed Melanie a little: she was just glad to know there was still a bit of the old Ellie there.

"You could say that," Melanie looked towards the house and felt relieved when Joel walked out of the front door and nodded at her, "looks like we've found a place for the night."

Getting out the door, Melanie kept one hand on her gun as Joel came to a stop in front of the car, "Is it empty?" she asked, knowing already it would be.

"Sure is, I'm just gonna hide the car round back," Joel answered, "don't want anyone seeing it. You and Ellie head on inside, it's clean so you might find some clothes."

Remembering that Ellie only had on the hospital gown, Melanie shrugged off her jacket and handed it to her through the door, "Here, keep you warm till we get inside," she smiled and Ellie accepted the jacket, "meet you in there," she added to Joel as Ellie shut the door and they made their way to the house.

They heard the sounds of the car in the background and Ellie glanced over her shoulder to see where Joel was heading, "Hard to believe that's the same grumpy asshole I met in Boston," she said slowly, "back then we couldn't stand each other."

"Yeah… Boston changed him," Melanie admitted opening the door and looking around the surprisingly still nice house, clearly no infected were killed in here as it looked like a show room.

"That's why you left?" Ellie asked curiously, "Because him and Tess were…"

"Yes," Melanie interrupted her quickly, not wanting to go over that again, "I left because I didn't like what he was doing with Tess," she started to walk up the stairs "come on, enough about the past, let's see if we can get a change of clothes."

After searching the closets, Melanie was glad to get rid of her blood-stained clothes that she seemed to have had on forever. Leaving Ellie to change in one room, she sat in front of the mirror and took in her appearance.

Since leaving Tommy's, her hair was longer, the bags under her eyes more defined and her face thinner. Not to mention the new battle scars on her body. Sighing, she remembered a time when she would take pride in her appearance and it seemed like so many lifetimes ago. Make-up and hairdressers weren't really easy to come by now.

Standing up she took off her jumper slowly and winced a little at the pain in her side, she was lucky as hell not to have more serious injuries after passing out in the tunnel. A cut on the head was better than broken ribs. Sliding off the jeans, she noticed the cuts and bruises on her legs and traced on large bruise on her thigh, honestly not knowing when she got it.

The three of them had been through a lot.

The door opened and she looked up to see Joel in the doorway, though he quickly shielded her eyes as she stood there in her bra and underwear and she suddenly felt embarrassed. "Damn, sorry," Joel said quickly, turning so he had his back to her, "Ellie said you were in the other room."

"It's okay Joel," Melanie tried not to let her embarrassment show in her voice, "nothing you haven't seen before, right?"

Joel laughed and turned away shaking his head at her comment, "You're right there… but I'll leave you to get changed."

Melanie waited until he had left the room and heard him moving about in the bedroom beside her as he looked for clothes. Smiling a little, she ran a hand through her hair and as she turned to pick up the top she had picked out, she caught the ugly looking cut on her forehead and sighed.

"I do not want to look at this all the time," she muttered, spying a brush on the vanity "call me vain all you want Maria."

Putting her hair into a different pattern, she was glad when the cut was hidden from view and continued to get dressed. As she pulled on her boots, she heard murmurings from the room across from hers and hoped that Ellie and Joel were talking again. She hated this tension between them all.

A knock on the door made her shake her head and she raised an eyebrow as Joel stepped in, "Oh now you knock," she joked and he chuckled quietly.

"Bit late I know, but I'll get used to it," Joel muttered and frowned a little as he looked at her hair, "you changed your style?"

Feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, she nodded and pulled on a cardigan to keep her warm, "Yeah, just fancied a change," she said ignoring his concerned look, "and who knows next time I get to use a brush."

"You don't have to be ashamed of your scars," Joel said simply "it doesn't make you weak."

"I know that," Melanie said softly and sighed, resisting the urge to tuck her hair back behind her ear "but I don't wanna look at it every day."

Joel was quiet before he came over and slowly lifted her chin so she was looking at him, "As long as you're okay," he whispered and pushed her hair back from her face and traced the cut gently, "think you'll get away without it scarring."

"You never liked my hair like this did you?" Melanie asked raising an eyebrow at him "you always preferred the middle parting."

He smiled a little and his eyes flickered over her hair and face, "Hides your eyes when you have it like this," he murmured, "so yeah, I prefer it the old way."

"Such a charmer," Melanie joked and he let go of her chin and stepped back, "Ellie okay?"

Joel nodded but still looked concerned, "She got changed and fell asleep on the bed. Out cold."

"That's good, she'll need some time to accept what happened," Melanie said tiredly, rubbing her eyes "I know I will."

"Do you think I… that I should tell her the truth?" Joel asked quietly, his eyes begging her to tell him what to do, "Is it right that I hide this from her?"

Melanie sat down on the edge of the bed and shrugged, "I honestly don't know… right at this minute? No, I don't think you should tell her and it's for the best that she doesn't know. Maybe in the future but you'll know when the time is right."

"I guess so…" Joel sighed and sat next to her on the bed and stared into space, the lines on his forehead more defined as he frowned to himself.

Leaning over, Melanie nudged his shoulder with her own and gave him a small smile, "Stop doubting yourself," she said quietly, "you've done the impossible to protect Ellie, you're doing a good job. Just don't forget to look after yourself as well."

"You're the boss," Joel chuckled and he nodded thoughtfully, "it'll be better when we get to Tommy's, give her time to really be a kid and not have to live in danger like she has lately."

"I'm looking forward to a shower," Melanie said rubbing her neck with her hand and tried to work out a kink that was aching, "finally get rid of this smell of dirt and blood that's been hanging about me."

"Yeah, you really stink, a shower would be good."

Widening her eyes, Melanie tried not to smile as Joel laughed at her, "And to think I called you a charmer," she said swatting his arm playfully, "asshole."

"Thought women appreciated honesty?" Joel's tone was teasing and Melanie shook her head but made an amused noise.

"Not about all things."

They fell quiet and Melanie felt her eyes closing as she sat next to him on the bed, giving herself a shake, she stood up and smiled at him, "Think I'm gonna call it a night, is there another bedroom?"

"Nah, but I'll sleep downstairs on the couch," Joel said stretching out and nodding at her, "you get some sleep. Gonna be another long drive tomorrow."

Melanie shook her head and grabbed his arm before he turned to leave, "You won't be able to sleep on that tiny couch, just stay here and sleep."

He didn't answer her or move from the spot as she walked around the bed and slipped under the covers, "You want me to sleep with you?" he asked surprised and Melanie arched an eyebrow at him.

"You can relax Joel," she said with a slight teasing tone, "I'm too tired to seduce you tonight. I really mean sleep."

He smiled weakly back at her before mimicking her actions and climbing in beside her, "Well that's a weight off of my mind," he replied "I hate it when women throw themselves at me."

"As do all men," Melanie said jokingly and blew out the candle she had lit on the bedside table and lay on her side, enjoying the soft bedding and pillows, "night Joel."

"Good night."

As she lay there in the darkness, Melanie couldn't help but count Joel's breaths and thought back to the winter when he had been barely conscious in that small village. She had been so scared to take her eyes off of him in case he had stopped breathing.

Tensing up, she closed her eyes more tightly and tried not to remember the village and David and the look on Ellie's face as she repeatedly stabbed that son of a bitch. Her nightmares were bad enough without thinking on all the terrible events that had happened.

As if sensing something was wrong, she felt the bed dip slightly as Joel turned on his side and pulled her into him, holding her close, "It's okay…" he whispered as she trembled slightly in his arms, "we're okay… we're okay, Mel."

"We're okay," Melanie repeated with a whisper, her hand entwining with Joel's almost instinctively. With his arms around her and his chest at her back, Melanie felt the safest she had in years and continued to repeat herself as she fell asleep, "we're okay… we're okay…."

A/N

Sorry for the long wait! I had literally zero inspiration to write this and didn't want to ruin it by forcing out a chapter, hope you liked it and I can't believe that I'm nearly finished! ~ BSI