"What in the world did you think you were doin'? Huh?" Joel's eyes blazed as he looked at Ellie. "Bein' stupid just to make my life harder?"

"I wasn't being stupid, Joel," Ellie began, but he cut her off.

"Oh, you were bein' smart? Tell me, how is that smart? Foolin' around with a girl like that?"

"Joel, I like her."

"Oh, I bet you do." His gaze was hard. "What in the world gave you an idea like that?"

"I've never liked guys, I like girls!" Ellie exclaimed.

"Since when?"

"Since forever!" Their voices were rising. "Riley, my best friend, who died instead of me – we were in love."

Joel snorted. "You were what, twelve?"

"Fourteen – and Anna and I didn't know what we were doing! We just –"

"Oh yeah? And now you're sixteen and you still don't know!"

Ellie's face was firm. "I'm in love with Anna."

"You," Joel pointed a finger, "were in love with Matt. You 'bout died when that stuff happened to him."

"He was my friend."

"And the father of your goddamn child!"

"And it was my fault that he died. I didn't know I could spread the infection like that."

"Real bright, then, Ellie, so go suck face with somebody else you care about and maybe infect them too," Joel muttered. Ellie stood to her feet.

"Hey! I don't have to take this from you!"

"You'd better watch out, little missy, you're headed down a mighty dangerous road."

"Why." Ellie's face was hard.

Joel took a deep breath. "Does this girl like you?"

Ellie hesitated. "Yes."

"Like you like her?"

The girl nodded. "Yes."

"You two think you can spend your lives together, be just like any other couple?"

"Yes!"

"The world don't work that way! We need offspring - kids."

Ellie gestured. "Boosh. All yours."

"There ain't no way anyone's allowing this," Joel growled. "I ain't allowing it."

"Well, guess what!" Ellie's voice was rising in pitch. "What if we don't ask anyone, what if we don't ask you –"

"Ellie." Joel lifted a hand. "Go and get Anna."

"What?" She blinked.

"Anna. Your friend, go and get her. I want her in this conversation."

Ellie murmured something that involved multiple swear words that Joel didn't quite catch, and stormed out of the house. Joel heaved a deep sigh, and ran a hand over his face. He was not prepared for this. Standing at the window, he saw Ellie come stalking back across the compound, Anna in tow, and heard their words as they mounted the stairs.

"What if we just –"

"No, Anna."

"I'm just saying –"

"He's not gonna listen."

Ellie shoved open the door and stood there, gesturing grandiosely. "Ta-da." Her voice was sarcastic; it stung.

"Hi, Anna," Joel began, a bit more kindly. "Sit down."

Anna took a seat nervously on the edge of Ellie's bed, and Ellie did the same in the windowseat. Joel cleared his throat. "You two know what's goin' on ain't gonna last."

"What's going on?" Anna asked in a small voice.

Joel's face took on an odd expression. "Whatever you call... last night."

"Showering," Ellie deadpanned.

"That's how it started," Anna began, but Ellie interrupted her, "No, it started because I really liked Anna, and she liked me back."

"Is that true, Anna?" Joel regarded her mildly. "Do you love Ellie?"

Anna looked at the ground for a long while, and a small strangled noise escaped – Joel looked up to see the noise had been drawn from Ellie, whose face was pale.

"I really like her," Anna whispered. "And last night was really nice."

"'Really nice'," Joel echoed. "Hear that, Ellie? Girl talk for 'ain't gonna last'."

"I didn't say that -" Anna began, and Ellie regarded her with a haunted look.

"You know I love you."

"I know, Ellie, and I really like you too, but –"

"How come you encouraged me?"

"I didn't – I was just trying to be nice, and I didn't mind playing around, especially –"

Ellie rose with a gesture of ferocity. "You sick, twisted –"

Tears slipped down Anna's face. "I love you, Ellie. As a friend, maybe more, but I can't –" she broke off.

"Can't what?" Ellie demanded, her voice cracking.

"I can't be with you forever, you know, we're just two girls, and –"

"Get out," Ellie growled, her voice low in her throat. "Get out!"

"Anna, why don't you go home now," Joel said evenly, catching Ellie's arms as she advanced, hands clenched into fists.

"You led me on, and I'll never forgive you!" Ellie screeched, tears springing to her eyes and beginning to escape down her face. "I thought you loved me! I thought you could love me!"

"Ellie – Ellie... shh..." Joel wrestled the girl into subjugation as Anna fled; he pinned her arms to her sides and held her fast in an embrace as she wept into his shirt, hot, strangled tears wracking her from the depths of her very being.

"Ellie –" Joel said at last, pushing her away and looking into her face. "Sweetheart, look at me."

She shook her head, and continued to silently sob, the tears flowing freely down her pale face.

"Look at me."

She lifted her eyes, shining through the tears.

"I want you to take a nap, okay? We'll talk more later."

"I don't want to take a nap," she protested, her voice hoarse. "I just want Anna."

"You can't have Anna, baby," Joel said gently.

"Riley's gone, because of me," she choked. "Matt's gone, because of me, Anna's gone, because of me –"

"That ain't true."

"Yeah." Her shoulders shook. "Yeah, it is."

"Oh, baby girl." He held her close. "You've had it rough. We all have – but you've had it real rough." He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his arms.

She hiccuped into his chest for a long time. "I thought..." she managed at last. "I thought that maybe Matt would help me with the baby. That we could, you know, share." She sniffed wetly. "And then, I thought, well, maybe Anna and me could..." Ellie broke off and clung to Joel, tipping her face up. "Would you stay with me? Would you help me with this, I can't do it alone –"

"I'll always stay with you, baby girl," Joel said in a husky voice. "I'll do whatever you need, you know that."

"You won't leave me –"

"I won't leave you."

Somehow they ended up lying side by side in exhaustion, Joel's strong form curved about Ellie's, his arms encircling her, protecting her as she slept.