Hold on to What You Can't Lose
Jackson isn't sure what to make of their newest residents.
Tommy hears the murmuring and complaining. Most citizens here have kids – it's part of what drew them to Jackson in the first place – and they don't like the idea of two unknown people running around. Some of the younger parents are downright hostile towards Joel and Ellie. The older ones, the ones who have been around the block a time or two and know what surviving does to a person, just give them a wide enough berth and wait for them to settle in.
About a month in, Tommy doesn't know if that will happen.
He figured that Joel and Ellie's relationship would deteriorate in the aftermath of her finding out the truth. Instead, it just got stronger. They're rarely out of each other's company, and Tommy suspects they've been sharing a bed. The few times he's been over, he can tell the extra bedroom hasn't been used. He doesn't ask Joel about that. It's really not his place.
Still, anyone with eyes can tell they're severely codependent. Even in the mess hall, they're constantly checking for each other, never far enough away that a two-second search or a call of the name won't bring them back together.
They're also never unarmed. Joel carries his gun, but Tommy drew the line at allowing Ellie to carry her own. They both fought him on that one, but Tommy stood his ground (after all, he still had hopes then that Ellie might make some friends, and the gun would just get in the way of that). Still, he knows Ellie is armed. He's seen her reach into her pocket every time she feels threatened – or feels like someone is threatening Joel.
Tommy hasn't quite figured out which one is worse yet.
At the end of week four, the incident happens.
Tommy, miracle upon miracles, gets to watch the whole thing unfold. He sees Joel walk in to the mess hall, another man – one of the men that guard the wall, called Amos – hot on his heels. The conversation is low, quiet but clearly tense. Joel seems agitated, but isn't in the mood to have an argument. For once, Tommy doesn't see Ellie. She must be trailing a little bit behind.
Amos raises his voice. Tommy still can't hear what's being said, the mess hall is simply too loud, but Joel tenses up and says something that's clearly derogatory. Something draws his attention to the left, causing him to dismiss Amos completely, and that's when Amos loses it.
The blow to the back of the head sends Joel staggering, but not by much. Still, it's enough, and Amos is smart enough to press his advantage.
He doesn't get far.
"JOEL!" Suddenly Ellie is there, Amos is screaming in pain, and Ellie has found a perch on Amos's back, switchblade dug deep into his shoulder and being used to support her weight while she pummels his neck and head with small, brutal fists, swearing the entire time. Joel manages to get his feet back underneath him, but before either him or Tommy can react, Amos manages to pull Ellie off his back and throws her to the floor. She cries out at the impact.
The room holds its collective breath. In the space of time it takes Tommy to think oh shit, Joel moves.
It's so fast no one can see exactly what happens, but it ends with Amos on his back, Ellie's switchblade plunged in to the hilt, and Joel's gun pressed between his eyes.
Amos whimpers.
Joel's voice is eerily calm when he speaks, but it rings out through the dead-silent mess hall. "You ever touch my girl again, and I'll bury you. Understand me?" Tommy can barely see the other man nod. Joel seems to find this satisfactory and returns his gun to its holster. With a quick jerk, he pulls Ellie's switchblade from Amos's shoulder and stands up. Amos whimpers again.
No one speaks as Joel walks over to Ellie and pulls her to her feet. The pair don't say a word to each other, merely turn and walk back out the door, Ellie holding on to Joel's hand the entire time.
Tommy sighs. This is getting out of hand.
/-/
"I told ya I'm fine, Ellie." Joel sits on the living room floor, Ellie crouched behind him as she inspects his wound. She snorts.
"Yeah, tell that to the fucking knot on your head." she retorts. "Besides, you were fussing over some stupid bruises, so let me fuss over your thick head." Her fingers shake despite her harsh tone, and Joel merely sighs and lets her fuss.
The bruises across her shoulders are probably as bad as the knot on his head. Not anything that would slow them down outside, when they had nothing to rely on but each other, but that was a different scenario. The idea of an ally being the one to hurt his Ellie like that –
It infuriates him.
The front door opens. Ellie's hand immediately drops to the gun beside them, but then Joel hears Tommy's voice. "Just comin' to check on y'all." Ellie scoffs, but returns her attention to Joel. Tommy walks further in, but stops short of actually approaching the pair. Ellie's attention may be almost exclusively on Joel, and Tommy knows his big brother doesn't view him as a threat, but that's not to say Ellie won't. After that little demonstration, he's not taking any chances.
He decides to ask his questions from a distance. "Wanna tell me what happened?"
Ellie's fingers probe the bruised area. Joel makes it a point to not flinch. "I don't know. The damned teacher kept me over after classes, so I only caught what he did." She frowns. "You're gonna have a hell of a headache tomorrow."
"I already have one now." Joel grumbles. "Satisfied?" Ellie nods and finally sits down, parking herself right beside Joel. Joel merely looks up at Tommy, not bothering to stand up. "We really gonna do this now?"
Tommy nods. "Yep. Pretty much the whole town saw what you did. They're scared."
Ellie glares at him. "Why? That asshole attacked him first!"
"But they know Amos." Joel says quietly. "They don't know us. They'll side with him simply because of that."
"Exactly." Tommy sighs. "Don't get me wrong – Amos is an asshole, but he's a harmless asshole." He ignores Ellie's scoffing at that. "He's gotten into plenty of scrapes, and they've all been pissing contests. He wins, he brags, they never fight again. You understand?"
"Yeah, I get it. No danger to life or limb."
"Right. I know you've got the instincts to know that – "
"I do. But I ain't lettin' anyone get away with hurtin' Ellie."
That earns him an exasperated sigh. "Either way, he did start it. So what did he say?"
Ellie looks up at Joel, watching him consider his little brother. She's curious as well – after all, Joel's the one who suggested just keeping their heads down and sticking together until the place got used to them, but she heard him tell Amos to fuck off – but that look on his face says she's not going to like what brought this on.
"First tell me this." Joel says abruptly. "What's this adoption policy I keep hearing about?"
And suddenly Ellie knows.
"Joel, you have to understand – "
"I'm not leaving him." Ellie says abruptly. She presses herself closer to Joel's side, and he automatically wraps his arm around her shoulders. "You can't make me."
Tommy holds up his hands, stalling the impending blow-out. "The policy says that any child who comes to us with no parents can be adopted by a couple, if they want to be. Otherwise we have an orphanage of sorts where the kids can stay." He shakes his head. "It's not like a law or anything – just something to help out any kids we find. Most kids choose a family. And it's pretty common knowledge that you two aren't related."
Joel tightens his grip on Ellie. "Apparently. There's a family that wants her. Amos thought it was his place to give me his opinion on the matter."
"He insulted your ability to parent."
"Puttin' it mildly."
Tommy sighs. "I know you don't wanna hear this, but maybe you should let the family talk to her, Joel. Who knows – Ellie might just find a place here. It'll be good for her to at least explore the option."
Ellie's gaze snaps up to Joel, who simply looks at Tommy. For a brief moment, she fears he might agree. It's not a fear she can easily ignore. He might simply think it'll help her find friends (which she doesn't want) and then how far will it go?
Finally, Joel looks down at her. "What do you think?"
Her response is immediate. "No."
He nods. "All right. You got yer answer, Tommy. Now leave it alone."
"Joel –"
"Leave. It. Alone."
Even Tommy has to recognize the threat in that tone. He just nods and leaves the small house.
Ellie watches him go. "That's gonna be a problem, isn't it?"
Joel merely shakes his head. "Only if he makes it one." He looks down at her with a small smile. "You done prodding my head now?" She laughs and punches his arm, bad mood forgotten for now, which is exactly what Joel intends.
Ellie is his, and he is Ellie's. No one is going to change that.
