[AN] I'd like to thank whoever wrote/ made/ played the main theme from 28 days later, "In the house, in a heartbeat". I was listening to it when I got a terrible idea. By terrible, I mean brilliant, but I feel like a complete asshole. You'll see what I mean.

" Plans are pointless. Staying alive's as good as it gets." -Selena, 28 Days Later

[About a hour later]

"I'm glad Marlene hired you guys." Ellie said as they waded through the algae green water in front of the capital building

"What do you mean?" Tess asked.

"I know you guys are getting payed for this but - I'm trying to say thanks."

"Yeah, sure thing."

Joel opened the door to the capital building, and was filled with disappointment, but not surprise.

"No, no, no." Tess ran to the body of one of the fireflies who was on the floor.

"What happens now?" Ellie asked.

Joel walked over to Tess, who was frantically searching the corpse, "What are you doing Tess?"

"Maybe they ah, had a map or something to tell us where they were going." What is she so frenzied about?

"How far we gonna take this?" Joel was sick of this job. He agreed with what Tess said on the way here ; he would like to lay low for a while, and he just wanted to get back to the Boston QZ. Back at home with Tess.

"As far as it needs to go!" She stopped and looked up at Ellie, "Where was this lab of theirs?"

"Oh, she never said. Only mentioned it was someplace out west."

Too bad, I'm done with this shit. Joel was exhausted, and he just wanted this to end. "What are we doing here? This is not us."

"What do you know about us? About me?"

"I know that you are smarter than this." Joel pointed to the corpse on the ground.

"Really? Guess what, we're shitty people Joel, its been that way for a long time."

"No, we are survivors!" Do I look like a confessor to you? Lets get out of here, he thought to himself. He had never seen Tess like this in all the years he knew her.

"This is our chance-"

"It is over Tess! Now we tried. Let's just go home."

"I'm not... I'm not going anywhere. This is my last stop."

Joel could tell something was wrong, and was starting to get worried. Was she going suicidal? He had seen it happen before, some people just broke. "What?"

She turned away from him and looked at the floor. "Our luck had to run out sooner or later."

Joel reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, "What are you going on about?"

"No don't!... Don't touch me." She turned around and moved his hand off her.

"Holy shit." Ellie joined their conversation. "She's infected."

Joel looked at the girl, and looked back at Tess. She was miserable.

"Joel..." She said in a tone of voice he had never heard from her. So different from the confidence she always showed. So meek, now.

"Let me see it."

"I didn't mean for this-"

"Show it to me."

She jerked her blouse away from the bite mark on her right shoulder.

"Oh Christ." Joel was taken aback by how severe the infection looked.

Tess's face was a mix between anger and misery. "Oops, right?", she ask bitterly.

She walked over to Ellie. "Give me your arm." Ellie moved her right arm forward, and Tess grabbed it and rolled up her sleeve, revealing her bite mark.

"This was three weeks." She pointed at the bite as she dragged Ellie forward by her arm. "I was bitten an hour ago, and it's already worse. This is fucking real Joel." She let go of her arm. Ellie backed away and quickly covered up her arm.

"You've got to get this girl to Tommy's. He used to run with this crew, he'll know where to go."

"No, no, no, that was your crusade. I am not doin' that."

"Yes you are!" Tess was all but tearing up, in spite of how frustrated she was with Joel. "Look, there's enough here that you have to feel some sort of obligation to me, so you get her to Tommy's. So you get her to Tommy's."

His mind flashed back to all the times they had shared together. In of being a smuggler, she had managed to bring him out of his shell. She was the only person, excluding Tommy, that he had given a damn about since Sarah. She had given him a sense of purpose, even if it was as a smuggler. They had shared a bed at times, but calling themselves romantically attached would be a stretch.

Dammit Tess. You had to get yourself killed, didn't ya. He thought, enraged at himself more than anyone else.

"Shit." Tess said, interrupting his thoughts. He heard a truck pull up near the Capitol building. She ran to the door, and turned around.

"They're here."

"Dammit."

"I can buy you some time, but you have to run." She had her pistol in her hand.

Ellie spoke first, "What? You want us to just leave you here?"

"Yes."

"There is no way that-"

"I will not turn into one of those things!" She walked right up to Joel and stared straight into his eyes.

"Come on. Make this easy for me." She was all but crying at this point.

"I can fight-"

"No, just go!" She pushed him back with all her strength.

"Just fucking go."

He looked at Tess for a second, then said. "Ellie-"

"I'm sorry. I didn't- I didn't mean for this."

"Get a move on."

They walked through the doors on the other end of room. Around 20 seconds later, he heard gunshots, and Tess cried out in pain. He felt as though another piece of his soul had been ripped out of him. Just like with everyone he gave a damn about: all they did was fill his life with darkness in the end.

[The next day, early morning before sunrise.]

Joel had gotten no sleep. He was enraged. At himself, at Tess. You had to fuckin die on me. Just like everyone else I give a shit about, you die!

He looked over at Ellie, who was sleeping on the ground on the other side of their campfire, which was mostly dying embers now.

"I'm sorry. I didn't- I didn't mean for this." He heard Ellie's voice in his head.

If it wasn't for that little shit, Tess wouldn't be dead. She got to be immune, while Tess had to die to save her sorry ass! A blinding rage filled Joel. The edge of his vision darkened. He reached for the pistol he had on him, and removed the the magazine. Plenty of bullets. Don't need to worry about saving ammo right now. He thought.

He got up and walked next to the girl who had thrown his world back into darkness. He knelt down next to her, and put the barrel of the gun inches away from her head.

This is for Tess you piece of shit! He whispered to himself.

Would Tess want this?

Joel jumped up and turned around, his eyes widened.

"Sarah?" He knew what he heard. It was impossible, but their was no mistaking it. That was his daughter's voice.

That can't be her, you know it! Every rational part of his brain told him.

He fell to his knees facing away from the red headed girl.

Fuck me. As much as I want to, Tess wouldn't want this. He thought to himself, upset with Tess. Dammit, Tess. Why? Why did you get a conscious at a time when I was fucking obligated to do what you say?

The sun was peaking over the horizon behind him, bringing the light of day with it. A ray of sunlight shone directly on to Ellie's eyes, causing her to get up. She was a light sleeper.

Ellie yawned. " 'Morning Joel." She said. Looking over to where she last saw Joel. He heard her turn over to face where he was now.

"You... doing okay?" She asked carefully.

"I'm fine." He said gruffly, clearly showing that he was everything but. He went and grabbed his back back. "We're leavin' now. We got a long way ahead of us. We should reach Bill's in two days, but we have to get movin' now." He started walking, and heard Ellie get up, grab her pack, and follow behind him.