DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN 'LAST OF US,' NAUGHTY DOG DOES.
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Joel?"
"What?"
"Are we there yet?"
Joel tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and groaned. He had been stuck in the car with Ellie for three hours, since the fastest way to the hospital was blocked, they had to go around the mass of cars. He knew Ellie was bored, and that she would keep on annoying him until he could answer her question with a 'yes.'
"Hey, Joel?" Joel gritted his teeth.
"If you're going to ask me is we're there yet, I swear." Ellie smiled, but shook her head.
"Nope. I was going to suggest we play a game to past the time." Joel groaned. Never in his life had he been so annoyed.
Ellie continued, "I called 'Kill of the Week.' I saw this movie with Marlene, when the generators were working. It was post apocalyptic, and had these four main characters; Tallahassee, Colombus, Wichita, and Little Rock. It was kind of like happened to us, but was much more comical. Anyway, they would have something called, 'Zombie Kill of the Week.' But since we don't call the Infected zombies, I thought we could just say, 'Kill of the Week.' I think my 'Kill of the Week' was definitely the bloater. What about you?"
Joel thought that if anyone was to overhear their conversation before the outbreak, they would think Ellie was a homicidal maniac, but now it just sounded like a bored fourteen year old girl.
He sighed, giving in, "My 'Kill of the Week' would have to be the two bloaters in the hotel." Ellie pouted, and shoved his arm. Joel cracked a smile, knowing he was getting on Ellie's nerves.
"Come on, Joel. You know you can't say that; I saved your a** back there." Joel chuckled, shaking his head.
"You're never going to let that go; are you?" Ellie grinned, and shook her head.
"You can bet your a** I won't." Joel was used to Ellie's swearing, but he knew she had swore more in her fourteen years on earth, than his forty nine.
The car ran out of gas. The car ran out of f***ing gas.
Ellie and Joel had to walk the last few miles, going threw buildings in ruin, and almost collapsing from a heat stroke. She fell behind, and groaned.
"Jesus Christ, Joel. I thought I was going to die from a bloater, but sh*t; the sun's awful." Joel nodded his head in agreement, and took their water bottle out of their backpack. He took a few sips, and then handed it to Ellie. She drank almost all of it, and put it in her backpack.
"This f***ing flamethrower isn't really helping me either. How the hell do you carry all of those guns, along with this son of a b****." Joel shook his head, and ran up the last steps to another building. Ellie groaned, but followed Joel.
When she looked over to her left she saw a herd of giraffes. A herd of f***ing giraffes. She grasped Joel's arm, and pulled him over to where she was standing.
"What are those, Joel?" He chuckled heartily.
"Those are giraffes, baby girl. They must have wandered in the city, looking for food." Ellie eyed the giraffe carefully, and looked back to Joel.
"They're looking for food? Then why are standing here like a f***ing buffet?" Joel chuckled loudly, and shook his head.
"They don't eat meat; they eat greens." Ellie blushed, and nodded.
"Oh." The duo continued in the building, and found a river with flowing water. Ellie and Joel had to walk on the air conditioning boxes to get around. They hopped on an abandoned bus, with Joel in the front and Ellie in the back.
Joel soon found himself swimming in the water, looking for a wooden plank for Ellie to get on. He swam underneath a bus, and came up on the other side with a plank in tow. When Ellie hopped on, she tried to steady herself, but failed miserably. She fell in the water, and reached her arms out to try to find Joel.
"Joel? Joel? Where the f*** are you?" Once she found him, she clung to his arm, not willing to let go. Joel held Ellie, and tossed the plank to the side. F*** it. He shushed her whimpers, and said, "Get on my back."
Ellie nodded, and crawled on his back, wrapping her legs arms around his waist, while her arms wrapped themselves tightly around his chest. Joel murmured, "Hold on, and hold your breath."
Joel went to swim under the water, and swam under a bus. He could feel Ellie shake, and press herself against Joel's back, like she was holding on for dear life. They rose up for water about a minute later. Ellie coughed hysterically, and hit Joel on the head.
"Jesus Christ, man, I can't hold my breath that long." Joel groaned, and continued to float.
"I'll teach you how to swim when we get back to Jackson." Ellie nodded, and Joel continued to swim to the other side.
Ellie had never thought about life after finding the Fireflies. She guessed that they would go back to Jackson, but she never imagined that they would make it that far. She only knew that if she did go back to Jackson, she would have to help Maria, and she didn't like to be anyone's mule. She knew that she would have to be guarding the gate, or something that has something with weaponry; she didn't want to be seen as a weak teenage girl. She wanted to make it known that she didn't always lean on Joel, and expect him to do all of the hardwork; she had a higher kill rate than all of the men back at Jackson put together.
After swimming to the edge, Joel stopped, and said, "Get off, and climb that ladder. I'll be following you." Ellie did as she was told, and smirked when she found an AK-47 at the top; she knew Joel loved that kind of gun. When Joel climbed the ladder, it collapsed. It f***ing collapsed.
"Agh!" Joel fell into the now flowing fast river, and was smacked in the back with a bus. He groaned, and tried to hold on to something. He made his way into the bus, and tried to hold onto the rail.
"Stay up there, Ellie!" After he said that, he heard something crack above him. When he lookd up, Ellie was trying to break through on of the windows, and get to Joel. F***. Once she managed to break the glass, she fell into the bus, and quickly grabbed the same rail Joel was holding on to. Before Joel could say anything, the rail broke, and sent Joel and Ellie almost flying out into the bus.
Joel looked around for Ellie, and found her floating almost lifeless, being held down by a huge wooden crate. He swam as fast as he could, and lifted the heavy crate off of her, and carry her to shore.
"Ellie! Ellie! Come on, baby! Please, baby, come on!" Joel had carried Ellie to a patch of dirt, away from the water. He performed CPR, with no luck.
Two armed men pointed a gun at him, and yelled, "Sir, get up, and put your hands behind your head." Joel's eyes brimmed with tears.
"No! S-S-She...," he continued to sweep the wet hair out of her face, "Come on, come on, wake up!" He was cut off by a shotgun being hit on the side of his head.
"Good you're awake." Ellie sat up, not knowing where she was. She surveyed the room, and saw only one guard, and a man in surgical wear. The room was small, and only had a table, a faucet, and a bed that she was on. She was disgusted with her attire; a thin, papery gown. F***, where am I?
She looked around; her backpack no where to be found.
"Where's Joel?" The guard stiffled a laugh, and the doctor ignored the question.
Ellie fumed, and turned to the guard, "What's so f***ing funny? Where the hell is Joel?" She turned to the doctor, "You, where's Joel?" When he didn't answer she yelled, "If you don't tell me where Joel is, I'll rip your eyes out of your f***ing head!" The doctor remained silent, as Marlene entered the room.
Marlene smiled, and said, "I'm glad you made it. Joel is fine, Ellie. Take it easy, everything is going to be fine." Ellie stood, and ran over to hug Marlene.
"Thank God you're alright," Ellie pulled back a little, and continued, "Please take me to Joel." Marlene sighed, and shook her head.
"Ellie, please just hang tight, and-." Ellie cut her off, and said, "No, Marlene! Take me to him now!" Ellie's lips quivered. She whispered, "Please, Marlene. Please..." Marlene gave in, and nodded.
The guards and Marlene lead Ellie towards an elevator, and carried her down. Ellie wasn't sure that they were actually going to take her to Joel, but she had to go and see.
She was wrong. They lead her to a room a little smaller than hers, with Joel laid across the bed. Ellie ran to his side, and cupped his face in her small hands.
"Joel!" Joel's eyes flew open, and landed on hers. He sat up more, and pulled her into a hug. He eyed the room, and caught sight of Marlene.
"We're going to need Ellie to go into surgery in a few minutes," Marlene smiled weakly, "They'll be able to take the infected area, and reverse it; making the cure. Isn't that great?" Ellie smiled and nodded, while Joel thought back to the x-rays he had found in the University. He growled, and pulled Ellie closer to him.
"What the hell, Marlene? Was this your plan all along? You're going to kill her and you know it!" Ellie gasped, and looked at Marlene.
After a few minutes, Ellie faced Joel again, and said, "I have to do it, Joel. What is one life against millions of others?" Marlene nodded in agreement.
"No! I'm not letting you do this, Ellie. There has to be another way. There has to be!" Marlene shook her head.
"Joel, this is the only way, and you know that," Marlene turned to Ellie, "You won't feel a thing, honey. I promise." Ellie let a tear fall, and turned back to Joel.
"Joel... Thank you for taking me here, and putting up with me." She hugged him, and whispered, "If you ever see Bill again, tell em' that I actually kind of liked his fata**. He wasn't so bad." Joel nodded grimly, and pulled back. Their eyes met; their entire journey flashed before them. Ellie leaned in, and kissed Joel, surprising him. She would never admit it, but she had always liked Joel a little more than a friend should have. Joel let the shock go, and responded.
He heard Marlene make a noise behind them, showing her discomfort. When Ellie pulled back, she said, "Goodbye, Joel."
Joel nodded, and responded, "Oh, baby girl. Goodbye." Ellie was lead out by the guards, leaving Marlene, Joel, and one guard.
Marlene turned to Joel, "You sick bastard," She turned to the guard, and said, "Lead em' out. If he tried anything, shoot him." The guard nodded, and turned to Joel, whilst Marlene left.
"Come on." The guard ushered Joel along, and stayed behind him. Hell no. Joel turned around, and punched the guard. He grabbed the guard's gun, and pointed it to his generation makers.
"Where's is Ellie?" The guard coughed up blood, and shook his head. Don't say I didn't warn you. Joel shot him, not officially killing him.
"Where?" The guard nodded quickly, and cough up more blood.
"Top floor, door at the end of the hall." Joel nodded, and shot him in the head. Joel grabbed his backpack, and spit on the body.
I'm coming for you, Ellie.
A/N: Please review! I am open to any suggestions! I am thinking about having Joel telling her the truth from the beginning, but I don't know. Please tell me what you think. A big thank you to Sr. Anonimo, Guest, and Tabi Cat'n'Jacob Black!