A/N: Alright Aftermath fans, I think it is decided! Aftermath: Part II will conclude in Chapter 20. The bad news is there's only three chapters left, including this one. The good news is, Aftermath: Part III is definitely going to happen. I've been working on ideas in my head, and the other day I finally was struck with the proper inspiration on how to conclude Part II. With it came the perfect setup for Part III. I'm not going to get into detail or get into any spoilers, but I will say this: Part III is going to be significantly darker and deal with some real messed up stuff. Part II is going to end with a flourish that I'm sure some people will praise me for while others curse it. That's fine. I've already chosen the path I'm going down, and things are going to get real interesting in the coming chapters, as well as Part III.

I really enjoy reading your reviews and seeing your reactions to the story. I like reading reviews where the reader has doubts about what's going to happen or about the direction I'm taking it. It's caused me to give certain things a second thought and has actually improved some of my storytelling, so critical reviews are appreciated as well as ones brimming with praise.

Without further ado, here's chapter 18.

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

CHAPTER 18

BLESSINGS

Ellie pulled the flaps of her jacket tightly around her. The autumn chill had begun working its way into her bones, and the thick fabric of the coat served to ward off its frigid grasp. She buried her fingers in the horse's mane and attempted to soak every ounce of heat from the animal into her cold hands.

Joel rode alongside her, enjoying the calm of the woods that surrounded them. The brilliant yellows, reds, and oranges of the autumn leaves had begun their transition from dotting the branches to littering the ground. Each hoof fall brought a satisfying crunch to their ears.

Perimeter rounds had been implemented not long after the attack on the dam, with a pair of riders circumnavigating Jackson via the woods of the valley it lay in. Joel and Ellie enjoyed doing perimeter rounds; Ellie because she loved riding horses, and Joel because he enjoyed spending time with Ellie outside of Jackson from time to time and it was too cold to swim this time of year. It brought back memories of their lives between Boston and Wyoming, but in a strangely pleasant sense in light of the horrors they had witnessed and committed on the road.

Joel drew in a deep breath, savoring the aroma of the fallen leaves and crisp air. He let the breath out in a long sigh. "Fall was always my favorite time of year."

Ellie chortled. "Last year didn't change that, huh?"

It took him a moment to realize what she meant, but then he felt his hand absently go to his side, tracing the scar of the puncture wound. "Well… it certainly didn't help, but it wasn't enough to ruin the season for me." He returned his hand to the reins. "How 'bout you, what's your favorite season?"

Her eyes bored into the ground for a moment. "Spring. Summer. Fall. Anything but fucking winter."

He steered the horse close enough to reach out and gently rub her back. "I know… I'm sorry, I hope I didn't dredge up any old memories."

She shook off the pall and turned to Joel, giving him the warmest smile she could manage. "It's okay. Whether I like it or not, winter is coming. Sometimes you have no other choice but to face your demons."

"Well, I'll be here. You won't have to face them alone."

At that, she smiled even more. The path they typically followed on their patrol came to a fork. On previous trips, they had kept to the left branch of the fork, as the right branch led away from the town and they were trying to hug the perimeter. The right branch plunged deep into thick woods, but the path wasn't particularly harrowing. They had never ventured down that path, and with each lap of the town, Joel's curiosity had grown. He looked up, estimating the amount of daylight they had left.

"Alright," he began, resolving to feed his curiosity, "we're gonna go check what's down this path. We've still got a few hours until sundown. I'm just itchin' to find out what's hidin' back here."

Ellie gave an expression of deep thought. "Isn't there some expression about curiosity and… cats or something?"

"Curiosity killed the cat?" Joel said.

"That's it," she chirped. "I don't know about you, but I don't feel like dying today."

"Eh, that sayin' is mostly bullshit. Where would we be without curiosity?"

Ellie wasn't sure what he meant, but let it go. "Whatever. Let's go check it out. Maybe there's some supplies somewhere."

They steered their horses toward the right branch and began down the path into the woods. Each of them scanned one side of the path, searching the woods for any signs of movement. Besides the bandits that had been harassing Jackson from time to time, the Infected were an ever-present concern.

As if on cue, Joel spotted movement about twenty yards ahead of them. He tugged on the reins and gave a gentle 'woah' to halt the horses. He peered into the distance, trying to identify the movement. Ellie had noticed it as well.

"What do we do?" she asked in a hushed tone.

The creature was vaguely man-shaped, and was waving its arms around wildly, a good sign that it was probably more likely to be an Infected than a bandit. Seconds later, the audible and unmistakable clicking noises gave confirmation. Joel reached back and slipped the bow from its holster. He drew a single arrow from the makeshift backpack-quiver and then handed to bow and arrow to Ellie.

"You're a better shot from this range," he whispered. Ellie gave a flicker of a self-satisfied smile before notching the arrow into the bowstring. "You ever fire from horseback?"

She shook her head and leveled the bow toward the staggering clicker. Joel removed another arrow from the quiver to have it ready, just in case. Ellie focused on her aim and attempted to predict the movements of the clicker, a much harder task than it sounds given their erratic tendencies. She didn't want to waste an arrow with a miss, so she decided to make the clicker's movements more predictable. Brandishing her newly mastered skill, she whistled loudly, causing Joel to jump in his saddle.

"Jesus, don't do that!" he admonished.

But it had worked as she intended. The clicker had turned and was now coming straight at them. Ellie focused for a few more seconds before releasing the bowstring and letting the arrow fly. The arrowhead pierced a gap in the fungal plates blooming from the clicker's face, jarring the creature's head backwards on impact. It fell to the ground, thrashing and writhing for a few seconds before falling still.

She waited for a solid minute, ensuring that the creature was indeed dead, before dismounting and retrieving the arrow. "Piece of cake," she said as she climbed back into the saddle.

Joel nodded, placing the arrows back into the quiver. "Mmm-hmm. All in a day's work. C'mon."

They continued down the path, looking for signs of more Infected but finding none. That clicker must have been traveling alone. They rounded a bend in the path, and a building came into view some distance off into the woods. There was a break in the trees where a driveway had been years ago, and they stopped before it.

"Alright, let's go see what's in that cabin over there," Joel said, pointing out the building.

They dismounted and approached cautiously, leading the horses down the path, handguns at the ready. There was no movement in the windows, which were surprisingly still intact. After hitching the horses, Joel instructed Ellie to fall in behind him as he reached the front porch. He crept up the steps and peered into the cabin. It was seemingly empty. He reached out and turned the handle, pushing the door open with a low, conspicuous creak.

The interior of the cabin was relatively untouched, save for the generous layer of dust that seemed to cover every flat surface. Satisfied that the cabin was uninhabited, they holstered their weapons.

"Well," Joel began, running his hand over the armchair that faced the woodstove, "how about that?"

"This is cozy," Ellie remarked, looking over the rustic accoutrements.

Joel nodded his agreement. "You know, it really is." He walked around the room, taking stock of the furnishings. He crossed the room to the kitchenette, prying open the cupboards in search of any canned goods that may be hiding within. Ellie joined him, looking on eagerly as he pulled each can from the cupboard. One in particular caught her eye.

"Oooh, what's that one?" she asked.

Joel spun the can to read the label, which read 'Smith's Cherry Pie Filling.' He let out a deep chuckle. "Oh, you're gonna love this."

"What is it?"

"Cherry pie filling."

Ellie wasn't sure what that meant, but was excited nonetheless. "Sweet?"

"Very."

"Oh man…"

He tucked the can away along with the rest before turning back to the room. There was a bed in one corner. It wasn't a huge bed, but the bedding was clean, besides the dust, and the mattress was in good shape. Joel sat on the edge and bounced gently up and down to test it. Satisfied, he walked over to the woodstove, unlatched the door, and swung it open. It was still in great condition, given that it was cast iron.

The cabin was a great find. It was secluded, in good repair, and had a decent view into the surrounding woods. To himself he thought it would do nicely as a romantic getaway.

"Do you…" he began before hesitating. He didn't think Ellie would know the answer to his question, but he decided to ask anyway. "Do you think Lakyn would like this place?"

Ellie gave him a sly grin, the same smirk she often gave him when he brought up Lakyn. The weeks that had passed since she had spilled the beans about Joel's checkered past had given Lakyn time to think things over, and she had, explicitly or not, forgiven Joel. They had resumed their relationship, though it was as tentative as it ever was.

"Oh, I have a feeling she might," Ellie said mischieviously.

Joel nodded to himself. "Good." He had been craving a night alone with Lakyn, something that was hard to come by within the city limits. He wasn't sure how to ask his next question, but dove in anyway. "You, uh… you think you could, um… manage a night by yourself?"

Her head spun to face him, a surprised look plastered over her face. The look of surprise melted into a look of deviousness. "You dirty old man."

"Alright, alright, forget I asked."

"I'm just giving you a hard time. I'm pretty sure I can handle myself for a night. Besides, you two deserve an evening away from the likes of me."

He mussed her hair. "C'mon now, it ain't like that."

She elbowed him in the ribs. "Yeah, I know."

"Alright then. Let's get back to Jackson."

"Please tell me we're almost there," he heard her say from behind him. "You know how I feel about being blindfolded."

"I know, but I'm right here," he assured, patting her arms wrapped around his waist. "You're safe. We're almost there." He felt her tighten her grip on him.

He coaxed the horse to the right at the fork in the path and headed toward the cabin. He hadn't told Lakyn where they were headed, just that he had a surprise for her. It took some convincing to get her to climb up onto the horse behind him, but finally she acquiesced. Ellie saw them off and told them to have a good time as innocently as she could. Joel told her they'd be back the next morning and to stay out of trouble.

They rounded the bend in the path where Joel and Ellie had run into the clicker earlier. They had dragged its body off of the path, as not to startle Lakyn. Of course, Joel hadn't thought about the fact that she'd be blindfolded and couldn't have seen, but what was done was done. After a few minutes, the cabin came into view. A spark of excitement ignited somewhere within Joel's chest. He felt a little old to be feeling butterflies, yet there he was. He steered the horse down the driveway and up to the porch, dismounted and hitched the reins to a post.

"Alright, we're here," he said, reaching out a hand and taking hers. "C'mon down from there."

"Can I take the blindfold off yet?"

"Nuh-uh, not just yet."

"Joel…" she said, no small amount of consternation in her voice.

She cautiously made her way down, using him to steady herself. He wrapped an arm around her and led her to the front of the cabin. When he figured they were in a spot that would provide the most impressive view, he moved behind her and began untying the bandana that covered her eyes.

"Alright, you ready?"

"I guess so," she replied.

He removed the bandana, and the cabin met her eyes for the first time, still visible in the fading light. It was rather simple and rustic, likely a one-room cabin, the type without plumbing or electricity. It had a front porch and a stovepipe protruding from the roof, indicating a woodstove was inside. In light of the years that had gone by, it was immaculate.

"Wow…" she whispered.

"You like it?" Joel asked. "Ellie and I stumbled upon this while we were on patrol today."

Lakyn found herself unable to speak for a long moment. She, too, had been wanting some alone time with Joel, and this cabin would provide the perfect retreat for the two of them. "It's wonderful. Let's go inside."

"Go on, take a look around. I'm gonna grab some logs for the woodstove."

"Okay."

She ascended the steps and turned the handle, brimming with anticipation. The inside of the cabin was relatively clean, and all of its windows were intact. The streaked lines of dust over various surfaces implied that everything had been recently and hastily dusted in an attempt to tidy up the place. Joel must have really wanted to impress her, and he was doing a pretty good job of it.

She made her way around the main room of the cabin, looking at leftover artifacts that had been long forgotten on the shelves. She took a seat on the bed, admiring the impeccable bounciness of the mattress, which was considerably more comfortable than the one she had among her meager furnishings in Jackson. At that moment, Joel walked in through the front door carrying an armload of small logs and kindling.

"Well, whaddaya think?" he asked.

She gave him a warm smile. "Put down that firewood and I'll show you."

Joel quickly complied, stooping to ease the wood to the ground next to the woodstove. Upon standing, he found Lakyn plunging into his arms. She wrapped him in a deep embrace and put her cheek to his chest.

"It's perfect," she said softly.

He looked down at her, and she up at him. He brushed a stray lock of her black hair behind an ear and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"What say I get us a fire goin', hmm?"

Her blue eyes flickered at the idea. "Absolutely."

She slinked into the armchair before the woodstove and watched Joel work on assembling and lighting a fire. It took him a few minutes of striking the flint and blowing on the kindling, but finally, flame took hold and began licking at the dry pieces of wood. Once the fire was going strong, he swung the door closed and turned the handle to secure it.

He turned back to face Lakyn, extending a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her out of the armchair, spun, and took a seat on it himself before taking her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and the two of them watched the flames dance behind the window of the door of the woodstove.

Light faded from the windows as night fell. The darker it got, the more they cozied up with each other, safe in their secluded piece of heaven. Joel never thought the world could be capable of offering moments like this again, but seeing Tommy and Maria so happy had given him a flicker of hope. He looked at the woman in his arms, strikingly beautiful in the flickering firelight that danced over her fair skin. She was warmth and comfort in a cold and unpleasant time. It must have been the laurel soap that one of the women in town had made, but Lakyn's skin was soft, clean, and fragrant, three words that he thought had forever left this world.

"This is nice," Lakyn whispered. The comment's meaning betrayed its simplicity. Nice was too cheap of a word to describe the situation, but her head was in the state of mild befuddlement that accompanies being in the arms of your lover, and so it would have to do.

"Can't imagine a place I'd rather be right now," Joel agreed. He leaned his head down and gave her a long, deep kiss. As always when their lips met, time seemed to dilate, stretching on for hours on end until their lips parted. "I wasn't sure things like this were possible any more. Especially for someone like me."

"What do you mean 'someone like you'?" she asked, lifting her head to see his eyes.

He shrugged and let his eyes drift back to the woodstove. "All these blessings. Ellie. You. A home in Jackson. A night in a cabin getaway with a damn fine lookin' woman. I just don't think I deserve blessings like these after the things I've done in my life."

"What things? You mean the whole 'hunter' thing? I told you, Joel, I understand-"

"Not just that," he said, feeling something caustic start to burn in the pit of his stomach. He felt like the truth that had started to smolder within him would ruin the perfect night, but the fire was spreading, and there was no stopping it. He had to tell her the truth before they took their relationship any further. "I haven't… something… something else happened in Salt Lake City that I haven't told you about."

Lakyn's demeanor shifted to concern. "What do you mean? What happened?"

Joel opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a peculiar sound that made him and Lakyn both jump. It came from behind them, the unmistakable sound of breaking glass. The shatter was immediately followed by a dull thudding, like a heavy piece of metal striking wood. Joel strained his eyes to see, and barely made out a shape on the floor. It was small and cylindrical; larger than a pill bottle but smaller than a can of shaving cream. It was black and metal, with circular holes covering its face. It was a shape that both of them were familiar with, but by the time they realized what it was, it was too late.

The object exploded, and the world went white and soundless. The state of utter blankness was the last thing Joel remembered before the blow to his head rendered everything black.

AFTERMATH: PART II CONTINUES

WITH CHAPTER 19