He walked deathly slow up the stairs. Joel was never a man of many words but he had to think of something meaningful to say and fast. Something that would justify his selfishness. He was foolish to think he could lie to a girl that clever. Ellie, the girl who immediately saw through David's façade. The girl who made a makeshift sled to carry his comatose body through the winter. Clever was an understatement. How the hell was he supposed to know that a fourteen-year-old girl knew how to play poker? Girl didn't even know what an ice cream truck was. She didn't know how to play chess, so how was she so good at poker? "Pretty shit at it" my ass…He didn't know and frankly he didn't really care. Joel needed to think of something. Their partnership depended on it.

A few little steps and just like that, he was staring at the closed door of Ellie's room, unable to move. He lifted his hand and placed it on the gold doorknob. Joel couldn't find the courage to turn the damn knob. He closed his eyes and kept them shut. He stood there for what felt like an eternity. His eyes opened and his hand turned. He opened the door and there she was…sitting on the bed, facing the door. She was waiting for him, patiently. Their eyes met, each knowing that neither one of them was gonna leave until the truth was out in the open. For a while, Joel just stood there while Ellie sat watching, basking in the uncomfortable, awkward, silence.

"Ellie…" He didn't know what to say. What could he say? His mind was racing to find words. "Wanna explain what happened down there, Ellie?"

"The fireflies…" Joel's face froze. His whole body froze. Ellie wasn't wasting anytime and he didn't know what to do. The tables had turned and now he was the one treading on mighty, thin, ice.

"What…What are you going on abou-"

"Joel. I woke up in the back of a truck wearing a hospital gown. Then, you told me that the fireflies just gave up on a cure, which means that everything that we went through was for NOTHING. Losing Tess…Sam… and Rile-" Her voice broke a little as she attempted to finish saying her best friends name. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes in a desperate attempt to stop the tears flowing down her eyes. Even though she was still so young, she knew what love was. It was a rare, mythical, emotion in the world that they lived in. She felt this strange, longing, feeling every time she was with Riley, even when she didn't realize it. She only conceived her feelings when it was too late. Riley was gone… Her eyes opened and she gazed into Joel's eyes. "Just tell me what happened Joel…"

Looking at Ellie in the state that she was in was nearly too much for Joel. He never wanted to hurt her or break her heart. Yet, here he was, ready to admit the deceitful fabrications he told her long ago. Joel rubbed his watch, his thumb feeling every chip and fracture. His watch, the only object that has sentimental value to him, seems to be Joel's extrication whenever he's backed into an emotional corner. Every day that passes by, he takes a glance at it. The mere sight of the broken Rolex took him to a much simpler time in life. It provided his sociopathic consciousness with a much-needed escape.

But he can't escape now. Joel knew that he had to confess to the only girl left in the ruined world that was worth anything to him. He wasn't gonna lie this time. He took a deep breath, paused for a moment, then finally spoke.

"The fireflies…They told me you were being prepped for surgery. We had just made it out of the tunnel. Marlene…" Joel's eyes roamed across the floor, remembering what he had done to the leader of the group. He continued. "She told me that the Cordyceps in you had mutated. That in order to make a cure, they had to extract it from the brain and they had to have…" He stopped dead in his tracks, unable to finish the hypothetical thought. Joel looked at Ellie and couldn't distinguish any emotion from her. He couldn't tell if she felt anything. "Look, I wasn't gonna let them…I couldn't let them…"

Ellie shook her head. She immediately wiped the tear coming from her right eye. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Joel shut his eyes, not wanting to look at Ellie's face of disappointment. Ellie struggled to put her feelings into words.

"Ellie…I just-"

"You're NOT my father"

Joel opened his eyes and looked at her. He felt hurt by her vicious comment. Like she had completely forgotten about the whole year they spent watching each other's backs. Both their voices started to rise.

"That may be true…But I'm the closest thing to a father you're ever going to have.

"Oh, so you thought you could just make that decision for me? You took that choice away from me!"

"THEY DIDN'T GIVE YOU A CHOICE!"

They both stood looking at each other, not knowing what to do. Ellie looked down at Joel's watch. She shook her head then looked back up to him. She felt so cheated.

"Get the hell out, Joel. Just go…"

Joel scowled and left, violently slamming the door behind him. Ellie sat down on the edge of her bed, trying to take in all the information. She didn't need to ask about what happened to Marlene, she could just about figure it out. Ellie wondered why she felt so surprised. She knew what kind of man Joel is. What lengths he's willing to go for her, what he's capable of doing to people who hurt her. She felt confused, conflicted. One side of her hated Joel for making their journey meaningless while another side loved him for giving her a life. A life in a town with Tommy and Maria and other families looking out for each other.

She looked at her backpack at the corner of her bed. Riley's pendant and Sam's toy robot were placed on top of it. For some reason, her gaze at the objects could not be broken. For as long as she'd live, those mementos will be constant reminders of the people she had lost and failed. As she breathes day after day not knowing why she's alive and Sam and Riley aren't. It was all for nothing…

Ok, if you're still tuned in, just hang on. I've got some stuff planned for this. Trust me, this is gonna be a good one.