A/N: Here we go, chapter 2! I'm happy to see all the positive reaction to chapter one of Part II. I'm really pumped to have all this freedom all of the sudden. A lot of new creative doors are open now that I only have to worry about continuity of character and not continuity of events and story line. Thanks again for reading and reviewing this, it's really reignited a love for writing, something I haven't experienced in a long, long time. Like I said in an A/N in part one, I haven't really written creatively since high school, and now I see what I've been missing out on. It's a really rewarding experience for a number of reasons.

Anyway, enough rambling, here's chapter 2. Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER/LEGAL MUMBO-JUMBO: I do not own The Last of Us, it is Naughty Dog's property.

CHAPTER 2

HOME

Late afternoon sun poured through the windows and bathed the living room in an amber glow. Ellie lie on the couch with her hands intertwined over her stomach, staring at the ceiling. Relaxing was hard. After so many months training herself to be alert at every little noise and sudden movement, it was a hard habit to break. She tried to shake the tension in her limbs, but this was something that was going to take days, weeks, maybe months to get used to.

She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind, and listened to Joel rummaging through the kitchen, taking stock of what they had. His presence in the next room was about the only thing keeping her from pacing back and forth in apprehension. He was a welcome source of comfort.

Joel entered the room, rubbing his hands together to shake the dust off. "Well, looks like Tommy stocked us up with some canned goods, some plates and silverware-"

"You mean civil ware?" Ellie interjected with a smirk.

Joel chuckled. "Cute. Fridge seems to work. Also looks like the microwave still works… somehow…"

Ellie sprung off the couch. "Really? I've never seen one in working order before! Let's cook something!"

"But they're putting together a feast in our honor tonight. We don't want to spoil our appetites for that. Some other time… how about breakfast tomorrow?"

Ellie pouted at him, but understood his point and returned to her position on the couch with a sigh of surrender. "I suppose."

Joel walked over and slumped into the easy chair, letting out a long sigh himself. "So... what do you think about all this?"

Ellie's eyes danced across the ceiling. "Man... I dunno yet. It's pretty overwhelming."

Joel stared far past the opposite wall, reminiscing on the last time he sat in a living room, free of any real anxiety or tension. Consequently, that moment was the one he shared with Sarah the night of the outbreak, watching TV with her until she fell asleep.

A knock at the door pulled him out of his thoughts. He rose and answered the door to find Tommy.

"Joel. Ellie. What do you guys think of the house?" he asked eagerly.

"It's-" Joel began.

"Perfect," Ellie finished, joining him at the door.

"Glad to hear it. You guys ready to eat like you haven't in years?"

Ellie looked up at Joel, eyes bright with anticipation. "Absolutely!"

"Well, come on then… to the mess hall," Tommy beckoned.

Ellie sprung through the door and skipped down the walk. Joel began following her, but turned back and shut the door, a practice he would have to get used to once again. He joined Tommy and Ellie outside the fence and the three began walking down the street toward the mess hall.

Tommy observed the two of them marveling over the town as they walked. "I, uh… I can imagine this is gonna be quite a transition for you two. We've had families show up from time to time and it always takes them a week or two to adjust to having a somewhat 'normal' life again. Not having to look over your shoulder constantly. Most of us had given up on the idea of a 'normal' life, but this is as close as it gets," he said, waving to a passerby. "Hey Jerry, get to the mess hall! The welcome feast is startin' soon!"

"You invite the whole town or somethin'?" Joel asked.

"Pretty much, except those guardin' the perimeter. We keep the wall staffed with lookouts and have a couple outposts a little ways into the woods. Everyone takes turns on the rotation… I'm sure you'll be wrangled into that after you guys settle in," he said, gesturing to Joel.

"What about me?" Ellie piped in.

Tommy looked at her quizzically. "What about you?"

"Well, I could help be a lookout. I'm a good shot, just ask Joel."

Tommy glanced at his brother, who nodded in confirmation. "She's literally saved my ass more than once… couple months back we were passin' through Sinclair, Wyoming and-"

"Joel, let me tell this story, you'll just fuck up the details 'cause you were unconscious for part of it," Ellie interjected.

"Hold your horses, you two. Story like this needs a better audience than just little old me. You'll have plenty of opportunities to regale us with your tall tales," Tommy assured.

Before they knew it, the trio had arrived before the mess hall. It appeared to have been some sort of government building in a previous life, and the townsfolk had taken advantage of the sizeable cafeteria for events such as this. Tommy led them into the spacious main hall of the cafeteria where they were greeted by a hundred and fifty or so faces of the residents of Jackson.

"Wow…" Ellie said breathlessly as she scanned over the crowd in disbelief. She hadn't seen this many non-Infected people in one place since the days of military preparatory school orientation. The demographics were broad, and mostly seemed to be composed of families. There were kids too, most of them younger than her, but a few around the same age.

Her eyes settled on what appeared to be a "head table" and found Maria beckoning them over. Tommy led them over to the table and showed them their seats. Joel pulled Ellie's out for her and took his own seat after she was situated. The table was set with plates, glasses of water, and silverware; more commodities that Ellie hadn't seen since the preparatory school. She ran her fingers over the cold metal silverware and the smooth porcelain of the plate, considerably nicer than the pressed metal trays back at school.

Tommy stood and tapped his knife on his glass to quiet the commotion hovering over the room. "Everyone, everyone, please! Listen up! Tonight is, uh… well, it's a night I honestly thought I might never see. For those of you who don't know, this is my older brother Joel, and, uh… this is Ellie. They've been on a long, long journey all the way from Boston, and have finally made it here to settle with us. I want you all to give them a warm welcome!"

The crowd responded to the call with clapping and cheering. Ellie's eyes wandered over their faces, dazed by the whole experience. Joel turned to look at her and saw the look on her face. He smiled and patted her on the back, bringing her gaze to his face where she returned the smile. She had never experienced the feeling of 'celebrity' and wasn't sure she liked all the attention.

"Now," Tommy continued, "It just so happens that the hunting party got a couple elk yesterday. With a lot of hard work, the cooks here were able to put together what should be a fine meal for everyone." He paused, and picked up his glass, holding it aloft. "Today… today we gained another family. Let's use this moment to reflect on everything we have and be grateful for it, in light of everything, and everyone, that we've lost." His eyes turned to Joel and a look of empathy was sent to him. "To second chances."

Joel raised his glass, and Ellie followed suit. "To second chances."

All that were gathered toasted each other and everything they were thankful for. Many reminisced on loved ones they had lost. Joel's mind drifted to the thought of his daughter, and he grew quiet, zoning out on the table before them. Ellie looked over at him and, seeing his expression, placed a hand on his arm for comfort. Her touch pulled him back to the present, and turning to her, he smiled. He missed Sarah more than anything, but he was grateful to have Ellie by his side.

Some of the townspeople came around with trays of food and began loading up plates with elk pot roast and meager but welcome portions of potatoes and beans. They even brought small homemade biscuits. Tommy had said they had crops and livestock, so these foods were now available to enjoy again. Ellie hadn't had a bite of bread since she was at school, and it wasn't very good in her memory. She sunk her teeth into the still-warm biscuit and reveled in the burst of flavor.

"Ellie," Tommy called. "How long has it been since you've had a glass of milk?"

She picked her brain, trying to remember. "Probably… years? I'm not sure. I've forgotten how it tastes."

Tommy gestured at a boy who was probably in his late teens, holding a stainless steel carafe. The boy handed him the carafe and Tommy filled Ellie's glass. "Go on, take a drink of that."

The cool liquid passed through Ellie's lips and onto her tongue, and the creamy flavor evoked memories of childhood. She was maybe five or six years old, and one of the soldiers who, unbeknownst to Ellie, had been paid to look after her had snuck her a small flask of milk from the lone dairy farmer in the zone. She had delighted in the flavor then as now.

"Mmmmm… oh man…" is all she managed to say.

The aromas and flavors of the meal really exposed to her how poor of a cook Joel was, but she didn't care. He had kept her alive. She was particularly fond of the elk pot roast. It was juicy and seasoned to perfection.

Before long, Ellie realized she had completely cleaned her plate. She had eaten so ravenously that she hadn't bothered to pay attention to how full she was getting. She leaned back to catch her breath, and rubbed her hands over her distended stomach. "I think I overdid it," she groaned.

Joel chuckled. "Yeah, you'll be paying for that later."

Maria had been observing the two of them quietly for most of the meal, trying to get a feel for the dynamic between them. Tommy had told her about Sarah when he showed her the photograph, and with that knowledge, she had come to understand Joel's reluctance to draw close to Ellie last fall when he tried to hand her off to Tommy. She was more than relieved when Tommy returned to Jackson and told her what had happened that evening after Ellie had run off.

"So… did you guys end up finding what you were looking for?" Maria finally asked. "After you left last fall, I mean."

Ellie's demeanor became a bit melancholic, and Joel took note. He spoke up quickly. "You know, why don't we leave that discussion for another time. Maybe once we're more settled. Let's just let tonight be about celebratin' makin' it back here in one piece."

Ellie was relieved and a bit conflicted at the same time. Relieved because she didn't want to think about what had happened in Salt Lake City, about how everything had 'been for nothing' after all, and conflicted because of Joel's quick deflection of the question. He was even less eager to talk about it than she was. She thought she caught a hint of guilt on his face when he spoke. But maybe he just felt guilty on her behalf, that their long journey had all been for nothing. Maybe he felt responsible for that somehow, though it seemed to have been out of his hands.

After everyone had eaten, some families came and approached the head table. Tommy and Maria introduced each of them as they greeted Joel and Ellie. All of the new faces and names were overwhelming, and the two of them were already exhausted.

Joel caught a glimpse of Ellie's pleading glance, and pulled Tommy aside. "Tommy, we're both pretty spent. I think we're gonna turn in for the night."

Tommy looked back and forth between them. "Sure. I can see the exhaustion on your faces. I'll take care of everything here, you two go get some rest and I'll see you tomorrow."

Joel led Ellie as they slipped out of the mess hall and out onto the street. The streetlights cast cones of light onto the pavement below, lighting their way as they walked. Neither could remember the last time they had walked down an avenue lit by electricity, stomachs beyond full, deeply-ingrained tension finally easing into calm. Was this all real?

They turned down their street and came before the house Tommy had given them. Ellie looked up at it, her fondness toward it already growing. "We're home."

"Home…" the word felt unfamiliar to say. Joel wrapped an arm around Ellie as they stood before their home. "C'mon kiddo. Let's get some shut-eye."

Joel closed the door behind them and gave the porch light a try. To his surprise, it illuminated. Tommy had thought of everything. He turned to follow Ellie upstairs.

By reflex she turned and walked into Joel's room. "Hey, you got a room of your own now, y'know."

She stopped just past the doorway. "Right. I forgot," she said as she turned and walked hesitantly into her own room.

Ellie sat down on the edge of the mattress and pulled her knees up to her chest. She wasn't sold on this room just yet. She dragged her eyes over the room, which suddenly seemed much more vast than it had earlier. A feeling of loneliness began to edge its way into her soul.

Joel appeared in the doorway. "Look, uh… I know this is your room and all, but uh…" He wasn't sure how to say this without feeling foolish. "If you get lonely or anything, I'm just down the hall… don't feel like you're intrudin' or whatever."

She smiled. "Thanks, Joel."

"Goodnight, kiddo."

"Night."

She lasted maybe twenty minutes wide awake on the mattress before grabbing her pillow, padding silently down the hall, and opening Joel's door. Peering in, she found him on his side, facing the wall, breathing deeply and slowly. As quietly and gingerly as she could, she made her way over and eased onto the mattress, curling up next to him. In moments, she was fast asleep. Joel smiled to himself. Goodnight, baby girl.

AFTERMATH: PART II CONTINUES

WITH CHAPTER 3