Yeah, so, I know I was supposed to update this earlier, but, whatever. Here it is now. For those of you who keep pestering me on Tumblr about this, thank you. You guys keep me going. haha. This is actually a long-ish chapter. I guess a lot happens (not really). If you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me here, or on tumblr (links on my profile). um... I have no clue what I'm trying to say here. But, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

"I'm afraid I've lied to you," Jemma said, leaning against the wall.

"When I was sixteen," she said, "I was wandering around, outside of San Francisco. My father didn't know where I was, so he couldn't come after me.

"I had been rummaging around in an abandoned house when I heard them. The Fireflies. I didn't know it was them at the time, but I hid under a bed so they wouldn't find me. It was kind of funny, because there was a dead guy on top of it.

"A spider crawled over my face, and I started squirming. Of course, they heard me, so 'Ben' and this other guy, 'Steven Seagal,' found me."

"Why the names?" Joel asked.

"It was to keep our identities secret. We chose famous names, because they were easy to remember," Tommy said. "And if anyone came forward against us, nobody would believe them if they used the name George Washington."

Jemma continued. "Anyway. They started questioning me, why I was there, who I was, who I knew... Then, they asked me if I was infected. I was freaking out, I mean, I was, but, I wasn't... Then this guy came up to me, and starting looking all over my arms and legs. He lifted up my shirt, and, you know, pretty hard not to tell."

Tommy continued. "She was the first immune that we had ever seen. It was almost a thing of myth. Anyone who was immune, most of them ended up in the military circuit. Marlene wanted to bring her back to Colorado, but J kept refusing."

Joel stopped him. "J?"

"I wouldn't give them my name," she said. "Figured, if everyone else was using fake names, so could I."

"It got to the point where Marlene said that if she kept refusing, that we needed to take her by force. So, Kazden held a gun to her head until she got into the van with us. She was yelling the whole time.

"At that point, I was beginning to question the Fireflies. I didn't think that's what we stood for. Weren't we all about freedom? I didn't think we could just threaten some kid with her life, even if it did mean a potential cure for the whole world." Tommy paused.

Joel stiffened. Something wasn't ringing right with him. It felt all too familiar.

Jemma continued. "Actually, the ride there was fine. After we were bored out of our minds, some of those guys were alright people. They asked me what my real name was, and I told them Janet Jackson. When we stopped in Utah, 'Ben' found this necklace, and gave it to me. I think he felt sorry for me." She showed Joel the necklace. It was a small gold quail. An unusual charm, and it would be easy to recognize.

"I didn't see any of their faces, though," she continued. "Because everyone was wearing masks, besides Marlene. I didn't remember her, I was honestly too young when we lived near her. And she couldn't have known who I was. I never once gave them my name.

"I stayed there a few nights. I wouldn't let them take any kind of samples from me, not even a hair. Marlene told them not to give me anything to eat unless I gave in. She actually came into my room and gave me a good talking to. She told me that the fate of the world was relying on me. It didn't work, but I was fucking starving. So, I let them take my blood. But that was it." Jemma gestured to Tommy.

"Jemma was being a hard ass about it. I can't blame her, but things were getting tense. Marlene couldn't take any of the games anymore, so she said we would kill Jemma to get what we wanted. No and's, if's, or buts. Marlene wanted to do it that night, so we could continue on, as soon as possible.

"I knew then that I didn't want to deal with the Fireflies anymore. Everything we supposedly stood for was out the window. Maybe Marlene was that way because Jemma fought tooth and nail. Maybe she was exasperated, and tired of waiting.

"I told Marlene to wait the night. I'd talk to her, sort things out. So we wouldn't have to take any extreme measures. I came to her in the middle of the night."

Jemma had lit another cigarette. "He told me he was going to get me out. He was still wearing that mask. I never once saw his face. I imagined that he was a nice guy. He didn't ever say much to me, but he need once did me wrong."

"He took me into the woods, where they had a car. He handed me the keys and was about to walk off, but some guy found us. He was yelling like crazy, calling 'Ben' a traitor. I stabbed him in the leg with a pen, and 'Ben' finished him off."

Jemma closed her eyes. "I didn't even really know how to drive, and I almost shit my pants, I was so scared. I thought that a Firefly was waiting in every shadow. I couldn't sleep at nights, and I kept having panic attacks whenever I caught wind of them." She laughed. "Long story, short."

The three stood in an awkward silence. Joel and Tommy exchanged a glance, and Jemma took her cue.

"I'll go wait outside," she said.

...

Joel waited for the doors to close before he said anything.

"Tommy, how could you not know those two were the same person?!"

"She was different back then!" He scoffed. "Barely even the same person. She had short hair back then. She was so skinny, I thought she was homeless. She was timid, shy, completely opposite of what she is now. I would have never put two and two together."

Joel didn't want to buy it, but it could have been possible. If Tommy had a mask on the whole time, Jemma would have never guessed in a million years. But, then again, if Tommy had never mentioned it to him, maybe he was trying to forget. Pieces seemed to be missing from the story, but he'd think about that some other time.

"Did you tell her something 'bout Jackson before she split?" Joel asked.

"I think so. Something about how I heard a settlement was going up. Marlene wanted us to shut it down, but other things got in the way. We were struggling to keep Pittsburgh in shape."

"I just don't get why everything seemed to happen the way it did." Joel said.

"Well," Tommy chuckled. "Jemma's always going on about how God puts us in these situations. Maybe, she's right. It was supposed to happen this way."

Joel doubted it, and they stood in a huffy silence for a few moments.

"So, what do you want for Christmas?" Tommy asked, putting his coat on a hook.

Joel chuckled. "Where do I start? Some new socks and underwear would be nice."

"I could probably do that. Want to get me some razors?"

"Hope you aren't offended if I get them from Wal-Mart," Joel said. They laughed.

They could hear Jemma shouting through the doors.

"Damn girl won't ever shut up," Joel mumbled.

...

"You fucking sick bastard!" She yelled, throwing her hands up in disgust. Joel recognized her victim as Sam, one of the guys he went hunting with, before. They were standing in the doorway of an adjacent building.

"What the hell is going on?" Joel asked, pulling Jemma away.

"That creep grabbed my ass. Okay, I'm not sure about you, but I don't think that's acceptable. Asshole!" She yelled over her shoulder, as they walked away.

"Fucking slut," Sam said.

Jemma pushed Joel back. She ran over to Sam, and pushed him on the ground. "What'd you just say? Say that to my fucking face, you pussy!" She kicked him in the side. "Piece of shit!"

Sam tried squirming away, but she straddled his chest. She grabbed his hair, and slammed his head into the ground. "Don't you ever call me that, you douchebag!" Jemma punched him and slapped him, while a slew of foul words came out of her mouth.

Joel grabbed her coat hood, trying to pull her away. She stiffened, and pulled a gun out of her pocket. "Leave me alone! I'm busy." She aimed it at his head until he backed up a few feet.

"You think that just because a popped a puppy, that means I'm gonna screw you?!" She hit Sam with the gun. "Stay the fuck away from me."

Jemma picked him up by his armpits, bringing him up to a seated position, resting against a column. She put a hand on his face, gently.

Sickeningly sweet, she whispered in his ear. "I'm not a slut. Far from it, actually. Alright? Answer me. Good. Now, you're not going to tell anyone about this, okay? If you do, I'm going to come after you. And, if you ever touch me again, I'll cut your fucking dick off. Okay? Okay." She patted his face. She smiled, and he groaned. Blood streamed out of his nose, and it was misshapen. She was secretly satisfied that she had actually hurt him.

She stood, brushing off the snow from her coat. Joel watched her, stunned. She put her gun away, and smiled at Joel. "Where were we?" She asked innocently, putting her hand on the small of his back.

He stopped walking. "You can't just do that."

She gave him a small smile. "But, I just did. And now he won't bother me, ever again."

Joel sputtered. "You're gonna get kicked out for shit like that."

"I don't care. He was being an asshole. Well, more than that. I don't care if I get kicked out. He got what he deserved. And you're half to blame, you just stood and watched me kick his ass."

"He didn't deserve that." He knew she was right, but he wasn't going to admit it.

"You may or may not be right. But, there are no good guys anymore, Joel. Have you forgotten that?" She started walking again.

"Who said there aren't good guys out there?" He asked.

"Everyone in this world is a thief, or a liar. A murderer," she paused. "A rapist."

"That's not true."

"You're lying to yourself. Tell me one person who you think hasn't done that. Just one, Joel."

"I can't think of anyone right now. But, that doesn't mean there aren't good people in the world."

She looked at him. Her eyes were sad, and it betrayed her façade. "We aren't good people. We're all fucking doomed to live on this earth. We brought this upon ourselves. We're horrible, evil people, who are being punished. That's just the beginning of us."

...

Ellie was taking care of her responsibilities with the horses, so Joel and Jemma had time to themselves. She had convinced him into letting her cut his hair. The two were crammed into the downstairs bathroom.

"Do you own anything that isn't a flannel shirt?" She asked, pulling scissors out of one of the drawers.

"Well, yeah," he answered, somewhat embarrassed that he generally only wore flannel shirts.

"Then put it on."

When he came back downstairs, Jemma was perched on the counter, like a cat. Her hair fell off the edge, and he wondered how she managed to keep it clean. She looked up, and smiled.

"I barely even recognized you, Joel."

"Ha ha ha,"he said, sarcastically. "Where do you want me to sit?"

Jemma motioned to a stool she had brought in from the garage.

"How do you know how to cut hair?" Joel asked, as she sprayed his hair.

She combed through it. "My father had me cut his hair ever since I turned thirteen. We lived downstairs from a woman who used to work in a salon. She taught me the basics, nothing really special. But, hey. Better than nothing."

Jemma ran her fingers through the back of his hair, judging how much she wanted to cut. Joel loved the sensation, even though her hands were cold. He didn't mind, he hadn't had his hair cut by someone else in years.

"I'm sorry about what happened before." She said.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know. It just really hurt what he said to me."

Joel closed his eyes. "I understand where you're coming from. I just didn't know you could kick anyone's ass like that."

She chuckled. "Yeah, well, it's not the first time I've had to do it. Probably not the last."

The sound of the blades sliding together raised bumps on Joel's neck. She worked fast, but she did a damn good job. Jemma soon finished the front, and Joel was amazed how much younger he looked. Aside from the grey hairs.

"Wow, thanks," he said, and stood. Jemma pushed him back down.

"I've got to get the back of your neck. It will look terrible if I don't."

She pulled a straight razor out of the same drawer as the scissors. She opened a box of soap, ran it under water, and lathered the back of his neck. The soap smelled of clary. Joel dropped his chin to his chest.

Jemma firmly held his head in place, and dragged the razor across his skin. He hadn't felt that sensation in a long time, and it almost burned.

"Do you want me to shave you? Turn around, and lay your head back."

She shaved his neck, and cleaned up the edges of his beard. She trimmed his beard, too, and Joel was surprised how much care she was taking. He watched her eyes the whole time. She was deep into her work, and never once made eye contact with him. She rested her hand on his neck while she surveyed her work, and Joel wished she would never move.

"Alright," she said, and stepped back. "You're all done."

Joel stood, and turned around to see himself. He looked so much different, just with a simple haircut. She did a great job, and he felt much better with it. He heard her walking up the stairs.

"Hey, thanks so much!" He yelled to her, still admiring himself. "It looks fantastic."

She didn't respond right away. "It's no big deal," she called.

"Hell of a better job than I could do."

She appeared in the doorway. "You might want to take a shower. You're shedding."

...

Jemma had left a brand new change of clothes out for Joel. He found them on the bathroom counter, upstairs, along with a pair of boots. Everything was the right size, and for a moment he wondered how she knew his size. He didn't really care, and put them on.

"You got these for me?" He asked, when he went down the stairs. "Where'd you get them?"

Jemma was sitting in front of the wood stove. "Oh, you know," she mumbled. "It's an early Christmas present."

He took a seat next to her. His knees cracked on the way down. "I appreciate it."

She didn't respond, and instead traced circles on her pants. The fire cracked in front of them. She laid her head on his shoulder. He stayed still, in hopes that she wouldn't move. He missed being touched. Just in a friendly way. He craved it, but was too proud to ever ask for a simple hug.

Joel could feel Jemma's tears soaking through his sweater.

"Why're you crying? Are you okay?"

She pulled away from him. "I don't really know. I just feel so empty." She wiped her eyes. "You look good in those clothes," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Thanks, I almost feel like a normal person right now."

"You could be a model, I don't know, for old men catalogues." Jemma said, with a small smile.

"Are you calling me old?"

She laughed. "No, my father is older than you. Almost seventy."

Joel was taken back. "Are you kidding?"

"Well, I'm older than I look. It's not so far fetched, really."

"I'm not going to guess your age."

"I'm not twenty-two, if that's what you're thinking."

Joel thought she must have been approaching thirty. She did look like she could easy pass for twenty, but it was something. In the way she spoke, or what she spoke of. She had been raised in the idea that culture was as important as anything else in the world. She could easily rattle off famous movies and books that even Joel didn't know about, and it lent something to her. It made her seem more knowledgable, or wise, and people saw her in a different light.

She wiped her eyes again.

"Want to dance?" He asked, holding out a hand for her to take.

"Sure," she said, and they stood together. "We have no music, though."

Joel started humming. "Tell yer aunt Louise, tell anything you please, na na na na da da doo..."

Jemma went with it, and they started to dance.

"You can tell my eyes, to walk out on my mind, something bada la today, ooh, wee!" He half sang, his voice gruff and scratchy, either from being old, or because he hadn't sang in a while.

"That's not how the lyrics go, you idiot," she laughed.

"I thought you liked that song." He said, while they moved to a song that wasn't playing.

"I like the actual song. Sing me something else."

He cleared his throat. "Once, I met a white girl, she came running to me one day..."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Is this a real song?"

Joel nodded, and continued. "And she always bitched about the stuff I sang,"

She laughed, and moved in closer to him. Joel stopped singing, and they stopped moving. He wrapped his arms around her, and they embraced for a few minutes.

Someone knocked at the door, and Jemma jumped away from Joel.

Tommy opened the door, and walked in. "Hey, I have something- holy shit, Joel. You cleaned up well."

"Thank Jemma," Joel said, and stood beside her. Her squeezed her shoulder, and she shrugged it off.

"Yeah, so," Tommy continued. "You guys better watch out. Sam got attacked by a hunter."

"What?" She asked.

"Got him pretty bad. It happened out in the woods, but we need to be careful, and just make sure nobody gets in."

"What happened?" Joel asked.

"Broke his nose, his face is beat up, but nothing too serious."

"Is he going to be okay?" Jemma asked, trying to sound concerned.

"Yeah, definitely. Just shook him up, ya know." Tommy had no clue what happened. Or, if he did, he hid it well.

"Shit. Well, thanks for the heads up," Joel said.

Tommy nodded. "Carry a gun on you. Just to be safe." He looked down at Joel's shoes. "New boots? Ain't you spiffy, brother."

"Early Christmas present."

"Well, I hope Santa visits me soon." Tommy looked at the two. "Well, I better be off. Got to go to Newmans next." He opened the door, and started walking away.

Jemma waved to him. "See ya!" She closed the door.

"I am so fucking lucky," she whispered.

So. That was it! Expect an update shortly (by Sunday), because I want you guys to see what happens next, haha. Leave a review, if you'd like, and I'd really love that. Also, if you have the time, take a gander at my other fic, Ish. It's pretty self explanatory. much thanks for making it this far, and keep checking back for the next chapter!