Disclaimer: I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog and its creators.
Warning: I will classify the story M because it contains some sex part on it. I think they are a little explicit but not too much, but since they are there it will make the story for adult readers. Remember all this is a functionary story and even that is made in real-world time, so some parts and places are just invented. Also, they have an age difference, but both of them are adults.
A/N: Hi, here is another Joel and Ellie romantic modern story. In this one, Ellie is 21 and is a student at college, Joel is going to be 40 and he is an ex-surfer. The story will take place on an island west of Ecuador. As this story moves in South America some of the dialogue is in Spanish. Some people on the island will talk in English and some in Spanish, so I hope that the story will be fine to understand for some of you. As Joel is been living on that Island for 10 years he has some dialogue in Spanish when he talks to people there. As this is a modern AU story, Ellie is not lesbian and is not follow the game. Is just a romantic story using some of the characters from the game. So I hope people read this with an open mind and enjoy the story. I always welcome all comments, but please try not to put hate comments if you don't like what you read. Remember this is just a fantasy story nothing more.
Chapter 1: Summer Vacation
"Mom… I'm going to be fine… it's just a summer vacation," she said while walking in the corridor toward her gate at the international airport in Arizona.
"Yeah that is what you said last time, but you never told me where you're going," said her mom on the other side of the phone. "I don't understand why you have to go to weird places all the time… why not just come home so we can spend a little time together… we haven't done that in a long time."
Ellie just rolled her eyes. Yeah, she loves her mother but since her dad died two years ago, things are not the same between them. "You know that I need more time before I do that… I just want to do different things with my little break time."
"I know… things are not the same between us since your dad passed away, but I love you and I want to spend more time with you… I know you think that what happened to your dad is my fault… but our marriage was over before he got sick…"
Ellie just lowered her phone and took a deep breath. She stepped closer to her gate and sat in one of the chairs there. After she sat, she moved her phone back to her ear. "I don't know what to think any more mom… I just…" she stayed silent for a minute. "Okay… I will try to go there for Christmas this time… okay?" She does not want to disappoint her mother, but in reality, she doesn't want to go there yet. The relationship between them is not so good right now and they divorced before her dad got sick. It made them grow distant.
She can hear her mother taking a deep breath on the other side of the phone before she speaks again. "Okay honey, I will wait for you on Christmas," she said with a disappointed voice. Ellie feels a little bad for making her mother feel like that, but she needs time to get close to her mother again. "Look Ellie, I know things have been hard for you since your father passed away… and in some way you blame me for all that, but I love you, and I wanted you to know… that I am always going to wish the best for you."
"I know… mom, and… I love you too… But right now I need to do things… that I always wanted to do with my dad… Can you understand that?"
Her mother waited for a moment before answering her. "I don't really understand why you need all those dangerous things… but I respect your decision to do it. Just do not neglect the school and be careful out there on your trips. The world is all crazy these days and I don't want anything to happen to you… okay?"
"I will be okay mom… I promise. I'm 21 and dad taught me how to take care of myself, so don't worry, okay." She was right, her father taught her a lot of things. Her father liked to travel a lot and do extreme sports when he was younger. All that was before he became an adventurer and a professor in archaeology and traveled around the world looking for new discoveries.
"Okay… honey. Call me when you arrive at your destination… okay? I just wanted to know that you get there without any trouble… okay?"
"Okay, mom… I will… Love you,"
"I love you too honey… have a good flight." with that her mom hung up and Ellie lowered her phone. She feels bad about the way her mother and she are now, but she is hoping that all that changes with time. She loves her mother but right now she wants to be alone and do what her father loved when he was young.
After a few minutes, Ellie put her phone away, took off her backpack, and put it on the floor in front of her. She opened and took a rubber band out from one of the pockets, grabbed her hair, and made a ponytail. Then she opens the backpack, takes out a notebook, and puts it on the seat beside her. Ellie took out a baseball hat from her backpack and looked at it with sad eyes. It was her dad. It was a worn-off Boston baseball hat that her father always wore when he took her on a trip. She bought it for him on one of his birthdays and she knows how much he loves that hat.
After a few minutes, she put it on, grabbed the notebook from the seat beside her, and opened it. It was like a diary, but not for writing everything she does. It was more to write about the things she has done in the last two years since her dad died and the places she has gone so far. Also, she has a little list of other things she wants to do in the future. After looking at some of the pages, she gets to the list of things to do and makes a mark on the one she is on right now. 'Go to South America and Learn how to surf' was something she wanted to do with her father as he talked about it a few years before he got sick. He told her that he learned a little when he was young and wanted to teach her how to do it, but he never found the time.
"First time traveling to South America?" asked a young man as soon as he sat on the seat in front of her.
Ellie gets out of her thoughts as soon as she hears the man and closes her notebook. Ellie quickly put the notebook inside her backpack and looked at him.
"Sorry… I don't want to interrupt your writing, but you look so…. Sorry, again I just… I like to talk to people when I travel," he said while looking at her reaction.
"Is okay… but I'm not a big talker," she answered him while closing her backpack and putting it on the seat beside her.
The young man looked at her body before talking again. "Is okay… not many people do… but I can for both of us… my name is Michael, I think we're on the same flight," he said while extending his hand toward Ellie.
Ellie looks at him, not really interested in entering into any conversation with the man, but does not want to be rude either, so she takes his hand and shakes it.
"Ellie…" it was the only thing she said before taking her hand back before the young man tried anything.
"Nice to meet you… Ellie," he said while moving his hand back to himself and smiling. He leaned forward and looked at her hat with curious eyes. "Are you a Boston fan?" he asked after noticing her baseball cap.
"Look… I know that you like to-" Ellie started to say, but she was saved by the bell, as the woman at the gate counter started to announce to people about the flight's boarding order.
Attention all passengers on flight 2037 with the destination to Ecuador… will be boarding in a few minutes. So please start to form a line in front of the gate so our assistant can start checking your boarding pass.
"Well, I think that is my flight… so I will be going now," said Ellie while standing up, putting on her backpack, and grabbing her carry-on suitcase.
The young man stood up too and grabbed his suitcase. "Well… what a coincidence it is mine too… so maybe I can talk to one of the assistants and change your seat beside mine. I would like to know more about you." said the young man while moving close to Ellie.
Ellie looks at him. It will be nice to have someone to chat with since it is a long flight, but something is telling her that this man is not what he appears to be. She doesn't have any problem talking with people, but she doesn't like this man at all. So without saying anything, she started to walk toward the gate. Soon she noticed that the man was walking really close behind her and she stopped and turned around. "Look, you look like a nice man, but this flight has an assigned seat, so I don't think they will just change because you wanted to." Ellie turns again and starts to walk toward the line. She takes out her boarding pass and looks at it.
The man follows Ellie until he stops behind her. "You don't need to worry about that, I'm sitting in first class, so I can talk to one of them and change your seat beside mine."
Ellie rolled her eyes at the man's comment. Yeah, the man was fine a few minutes ago, but now it starts to get creepy. So she slowly turned around and looked the man in the eyes. "Look, I don't care if you're in first class. I'm on vacation and I don't want to socialize with anyone… especially with men with money that thinks they own everything. So please stop talking to me… okay?" Ellie glared at him like she wanted to hit him in the face. She really hates men that think that they can do whatever they want because they have money. And also don't get the hint to leave people alone when they want to.
The man just raised his hand and backed away a little. "Sorry… I just want to talk… don't have to be so rude." The man grabs his suitcase and walks away.
Ellie stayed looking at him until he got behind some people and out of her sight. So soon the people in front of her started to move, she turned and got in line. After a few minutes, it was her turn to get her boarding pass checked. So she gave it to the counter assistant to be checked out. The man took it and scanned it on the machine and soon it turned green, he gave it back to her.
"Have a nice flight, Miss Willians." said the man with a smile.
"Thanks…" replay Ellie while starting to walk toward the tunnel that connects the plane with the plane. Soon she found her seat at the back of the plane, she was relieved that it was away from that annoying man. A few minutes later they closed the door and the captain announced that they were ready to take off. Soon the plane starts to move. Ellie takes out her headphones and puts on some music.
The plane took 10 minutes to get in line for takeoff and soon the plane in front of them took off and they followed it. The plane was almost full and the flight to South America will take more than 6 hours. The plane has a stop in Puerto Rico then it heads to Ecuador. Her real destination is an island that is close to the continent, but she needs to get there by ferry from the mainland.
Before she chose the place that she wanted to go to, She looked for information on the internet. She found that there were a few beaches good for surfing there, so she was planning on finding an instructor to teach her. She didn't say anything to her mother about Ecuador or her surfing intention, because she knew that she would never approve of her decision. So she only tells her that she is going on vacation to the Caribbean, so that way her mom is not going to be worried about her so much.
Lucky for Ellie the man from the terminal doesn't bother her anymore, her deadly look can scare people sometimes and she was happy about that. After two hours of flight, Ellie takes out a book and starts to read a little. She likes that, then uses her phone to hear some music before falling asleep for the rest of the flight. She woke up when the pilot announced that they were close to their destination. She didn't even remember their landing in Puerto Rico. The plane just gets more fuel and changes some passengers, so she doesn't need to get out of the plane there.
Soon the pilot announced that they were arriving at Ecuador airport, Ellie opened the cover on the window and looked at the closer land down there. She lives in the city and even though she has done some travels before, she was surprised to see all that green part down there. Well, at least until they got closer to the big city where the main airport was. The city was a lot different than Boston or Arizona, which is where she is studying now. After the plane lands, Ellie grabs her carriage suitcase, and her backpack and walks out of the plane. She doesn't need a lot when she is traveling, so all she uses is a suitcase and her backpack. Soon after she gets off the plane, Ellie looks for an information post, so she can find the transportation she will need to go to the Island. Soon she finds one, and Ellie walks toward the counter.
"Hay algo en que pueda ayudarla …señorita?" asked the man on the other side of the information counter.
Ellie got a little confused, because of the language. "Yeah… Mmmm… usted… Hable… Inglés?" she asked the man in Spanish.
The man looked at her and smiled. "Oh… an American right?… So, yes… I can speak English." he said while moving a few papers out of the way. "Do you… Need any help with transportation? or contact your Hotel room…?" he started.
"Yes… I need information on transportation." Ellie moves down, opens a pocket in her suitcase, and takes a few papers from there. "I have a room reservation on an Island… Mmmm… Called Santa Cruz…" she handed the papers to the man with her reservation.
The man took the paper and looked at it. "Oh yes… Your final destination is Santa Cruz…" after a few minutes, he handed the paper back to Ellie. "The Island is a few kilometers off the coast of the mainland. You can go there by Ferry or you can take a small plane to get there."
"Really? I can fly there. I thought that the only way there was by boat." Ellie said with a surprised tone.
"Well, you can take the Ferry, but it will take you longer and if I am not mistaken it is out of service at this moment." he moved his hand and started to check on his computer. "You can get there by a private boat if you want, but you will need to take a taxi to get to the coast, then find a boat that can take you to the island. All that can take you a few hours and since it is already too late I suggest doing it tomorrow in the afternoon. Maybe the ferry will be working by then."
"Oh, I see," she said while putting the paper in her pants pocket. "So what will it take to get a plane there?" she asked.
"Let's see…" The man started to look at his computer again.
While Ellie waits she has the curiosity to ask. "Where did you learn to speak English? Because you speak it so well." she finally asked.
The man looked at her and smiled. "Gracias Señorita… I'm glad that you think that." he continued working on his computer. "If you wanted to know, I went to school in New York… My father lived there when my mother went on vacation to visit the city. She was visiting the empire state when they met and fell in love. They got married a year later and then they had me, so I grew up there, but my mother decided to come back when my dad died. So I have been living here since then."
"Oh… I'm so sorry, that is so sad… well the end part I mean," said Ellie.
He stops working on the computer and looks at her. "Yeah, but it was okay, we have a good life here and now I have my own family. And since a lot of tourists come here on vacation, knowing English has come in handy to get a good job here."
"Well, that sounds good. I am so glad that all that worked for you," she said with a proud tone. The man is not looking older than 30 so she was happy for him.
"Gracias Señorita… I am glad to have this job. My son and wife are okay because of that… a lot of people here are not so lucky."
"Yeah, I understand…" Ellie knows how some people have to live in a country like this, so she was glad that the man had a good job taking care of his family. "So… how old is your son?
"He is 6 now… he is a good boy." The man moves one hand to the back of his pants and takes his wallet out. He opened and took a small picture out and showed it to Ellie. "This is my boy… he is starting school."
Ellie took the picture and looked at it. In the picture, it was the man in front of her with a little boy on his arm. "How old was he here?" she asked while passing the picture back to him.
"Three… his mother took the picture when we went on a vacation to Argentina… It was a good vacation trip," he said while taking the picture back and putting it back in his wallet, and getting back to his computer. "Okay, so what do you want to do? Can I call you a taxi?" he said with a smile.
"You mention that I can take a plane there… right?" she asked.
"Yeah… but there is no flight until tomorrow morning… there are small planes and the pilots don't like to fly at night," he answered her.
"So what about by boat? I was supposed to be there today…"
"Well, you can take a bus or a cab to get there but it will take at least one hour to get to the coast and it will be too late to try to hire a boat to go there. I suggested that you rent a room in a hotel close to here and come back in the morning… I will arrange plane transportation for you right now, so all will be set up in the morning."
Ellie thought for a few minutes about what to do, but she was really tired and she didn't have too many options to choose from. "Okay… let's do that…" she finally answered him.
"Muy bien… Vamos a ver que tenemos disponible…" he said in Spanish before turning back to his computer and looking for information.
Ellie looks around watching people come and go in the terminal. It wasn't full, but there were a lot of people around, many of them tourists, she guessed. After a few minutes, she looked back at the man. "Are there a lot of places around here for tourists to visit here?" She asked while looking around. "Because I can see a lot of tourists here today."
The man looked at her. "Well, we have a few historical places that people like to visit, but the most popular are the beaches. Especially at this time of year. A lot of young men come to our beaches to surf. They're other aquatic sports that are popular here."
"Yeah, I hear that… that is why I'm here," she said while looking around again.
"Oh… so did you come to visit our historical places? Because I don't get why you are going to Santa Cruz, there are not many tourist places there."
Ellie turns her head and looks at him. "No, I came for the aquatic sport… you know. I want to learn how to surf and maybe do some scuba diving."
The man looks at her surprised. "Really? You came here for that?" He looks at Ellie's expression and continues. "No offense, but I never saw a girl surfing before… or coming here to that," said the man while looking at her.
She knew that he did not mean any disrespect, but the comment sounded very sexist. "Well, there are a lot of girls surfing around the world… I saw a lot of them on TV, even in competitions."
"Sorry… I don't mean to offend you or any women… is that in this country, some men think that surfing is a sport for a man?" he said sadly.
Ellie was a little surprised about that, but the man was right. A lot of men think that this sport is for men. She doesn't know why, because this is the 21st century and a lot of women are good at this sport too.
"It's okay… I just want to learn how to do it… it's not like I wanted to be a professional surfer."
"Yeah… Well, there are a few places on the island that rent boards, maybe they can help you… but don't expect much. Some of the men there don't like women surfing there." he said while getting back to the computer.
"I think that is a little stupid… especially with tourists…" said Ellie knowing that is not the man's fault.
"Okay… I arranged a flight for tomorrow at 9:00 am… I also get you a room in a hotel close to here. I already called you a cab that will take you there… is a cousin of mine so you don't need to worry about it."
"Thank you… for all your help," she said with a smile on her face.
"No problem… It was a pleasure to help you. But you need to be careful here, some people here like to take advantage of the tourists that come here… So I recommend that you find a way to learn more than a few words in Spanish. That it will help you around here. Not all people are polite or good here."
"Thank you, I will keep that in mind, but you don't need to worry. I know how to take care of myself."
"Glad to hear that." He made a copy of the reservation for her and explained what to do when she comes back tomorrow. "Here, you just show this to the hotel receptionist and she will give you your room," he said while handing her another piece of paper.
Ellie got it and put it in her suitcase, then looked at him again. "Gracias… por todo… ayuda…"
The man looked at her and smiled. "That was a little good… but you need more practice."
"I know… Hey, I never get your name," she asked.
"Pedro… Pedro Smith Santiago."
"Ellie… Ellie Willians… nice to meet you, Pedro," she said while standing her hand toward the man.
"Nice to meet you too… Ellie. I hope that you have a good time here," he said after shaking her hand. A few minutes later a man walked toward them and stopped in front of the counter.
"Me llamaste primo? ¿Quién es el pasajero que tengo que llevar?" asked the man in his own language.
"A esta linda dama," said Pedro while pointing toward Ellie. "Llevala al hotel Hilton Colón… ya le separé un cuarto para que pase la noche." The man takes a paper from his desk and passes it to his cousin. "Después pasa a recogerla mañana a las 8:00 y llevala a la pista sur. Ella tiene un vuelo para Santa Cruz a las 9:30… ok."
"Ok… primo… no te preocupes," said the man after taking the paper. He turns to look at Ellie and smiles. "Venga conmigo señorita… la llevaré a su hotel."
Ellie looks at the man on the counter. "What did he say?" she asked.
"This is my cousin Juan… He will take you to the hotel for the night and pick you up in the morning to bring you back here," he told her while looking at her expression. "Don't worry he is a responsible man, so you will be in good hands."
"Okay… thank you," said Ellie while grabbing her suitcase.
"You're welcome miss… have a good night and enjoy our country."
"Gracias… I will…" after that Ellie turns around and looks at the man beside her. "So… Juan, right?"
"Yes… Senorita. La llevare a su hotel… sigame." he moves his hand showing Ellie to follow him as he starts to walk to the exit of the terminal.
Soon they were out of the building, the man walked toward his car that was parked in front of the terminal. A lot of cars were parked closer, probably waiting for the people who were coming out of the terminal to get on them. Ellie watched how the traffic and a lot of people were around, it was incredible. After a few minutes, she saw the man open the trunk of his car and told her to give him her baggage. Soon Ellie moves closer to the car, she passes them to him, so he can put them in the trunk.
"Sorry miss… pero mi inglés no es muy bueno… so I will try… my best. Entre en el coche, so can take you… to the Hotel safe…" he said with some difficulty as he opened the back door of his car so Ellie could get in.
"Esta… bien, muy… español no es muy bueno tampoco." she said while getting into the back seat. "So we're even," she said with a smile.
"Good…" The man closed the door and walked to the driver's side of the car and got in. He looks at Ellie while starting the car. "Estaremos hay en… Will be in the hotel… in 20 minutes…" he said before driving away.
It was already night, so the traffic was not so bad for a city. The man talked to her all the way to the hotel, some in English, but most of the time in Spanish, so Ellie did not understand half of the things he said. He talks a little about his country and the place she must see on her stay there, even if she will not stay on the mainland that long. After 20 minutes they arrive at the hotel where she will stay.
The man parked the car in front of the hotel and got out. He opens Ellie's door so she can get out, then moves to the back to open the trunk. "Don't… worry… la gente de aquí habla tu Idioma… They speak English so they will help you with all you need," he said while taking out Ellie's suitcase. "People around here are… good, so don't worry," he told her while passing the suitcase to her.
"Gracias… you're so kind… Juan," said Ellie while grabbing her bag and backpack.
"It was my pleasure to miss…" he said after closing the trunk and walking beside her. Espero que disfrute sus Vacaciones…" he smiles at her but notices that she doesn't get what he said. "I mean… Enjoy your vacation… miss," he said in English.
"Gracias… I will." Ellie put her backpack on and took some money from the back pocket of her pants. "Here… and thanks for the little tour and for bringing me here…" she passed him the money, which the man took with surprised eyes.
"Ohhh… miss this is… mas de lo que cuesta la tarifa…" he said while looking at her.
"I think you earned that… Juan," she said, remembering his name.
"Gracias Señorita… I will pick you out in the morning." he was moving toward the driving seat but stopped. Oh… por poco lo olvido. Here this is my card… por si necesita llamarme."
"Gracias… Juan and thank you."
"Gracias a usted miss… Ellie, right?"
"Yes… Ellie Willians."
"Thank you, Miss Willians, enjoy your stay…see you in the morning," he said while entering his car.
He said goodbye to her before driving away. After that Ellie turns around and looks at the hotel. It doesn't look like the one in the USA, but it looks good and decent. Ellie walked into the building and went directly to the main counter. She can see a lot of people walking in and out too, so it must be a busy night.
"Bienvenida al Hilton Colon hotel ¿Puedo ayudarle en algo?" asked the woman on the other side of the counter.
"Si… I think that I have a reservation for the night…" said Ellie while taking out the paper that Pedro gave to her.
"Oh… English," she said while grabbing the paper Ellie passed to her and checking it out. "Oh yes, I was the one that spoke to Pedro…" she said while moving her hand to the computer and checking the reservation. After a few minutes, she looked at Ellie. "Yes, your room is ready, it will be on the third floor. Let me look for the key and call someone to help you."
"Okay… thanks," said Ellie while looking at the lobby. The hotel is not five-star, but it looks nice. She was expecting something more simple, but since it is close to the airport they must receive a lot of tourists here.
After a few minutes, the woman came back from the backroom that is behind the counter with the key and a few papers. "Here is your room key… room 311," she said while passing to Ellie and putting the papers on the counter in front of Ellie. "I will need your passport and your signature on this…" she passes a pen to her, then moves back to her computer. Soon Ellie shows her her passport and signs the papers she passes to the woman. The woman takes them and gives Ellie a copy. "The elevators are over there and I call a young man that will take you to your room."
"Okay, thank you."
"You're welcome… enjoy your stay… Miss Willians." After that Ellie walked toward the elevators, where a young man was waiting for her.
"Hola miss… welcome to the Hilton Colon Hotel… May I?" he said while suggesting Ellie pass the suitcase to him.
Ellie can carry it herself, but she knows that that is part of his job. "Sure… I'm on the third floor of room 311," she said while passing him her suitcase.
The man grabs her suitcase and calls the elevator. After a minute the door opens. "After you miss…" Ellie was surprised that the workers here speak good English. Soon both of them were in the elevator. The young man pushed the button to the third floor and the door closed. "This is your first time in Ecuador?" the young man asked.
Ellie turns her head and looks at him. "Yes… I have never been to South America before… so I'm very surprised that this country looks so nice and a lot of you can speak English."
"Yeah… this is a tourist part of the country so it is nicer here. Pero tenga cuidado si va a fuera de la ciudad… las cosas no son muy buenas por aya."
"What did you say?" asked Ellie after he finished. "Sorry about my Spanish… no es muy… Bueno."
The young man smiled at her. "Don't worry, this part is for tourists, so you will be okay here." Soon after he finishes talking, the elevator door opens. "We've arrived on your floor, so just follow me… miss," he said while walking out of the elevator and started walking toward Ellie's room. After a few minutes, the man stops at the room 311 door and asks Ellie for the key. She gives it to him so he can open the door. Soon it was open, the man moved to the side so Ellie could go in, then he followed her.
Ellie looks around the room while walking toward the bed. Soon she was beside it, Ellie took her backpack off, and put it on top of it. "This looks nice," she said while walking toward the balcony door and opening the curtain. She took a look outside. "The view is nice too," she said before turning around and looking at the young man.
"Thank miss, this is not the best hotel in the city… but we're proud of it," he said while putting the suitcase close to the bed. "I can show you the rest of the room if you like, it is not big, but it is part of my job."
"That would not be necessary…" said Ellie walking toward him as she took some money out and gave it to him. "Here… gracias… por el servicio."
"Gracias señorita… y que descanse." he turned around and walked toward the door. He put the key on a base that was on top of a wall table close to the door and looked at her before getting out of the room. "If you need anything just call the lobby… they will help you with anything you need."
"Thank you…" she said while watching the man go out of the room and close the door behind him.
Soon the man was gone and she was alone in the room, Ellie walked toward the balcony and opened one of the sliding doors. Soon she was out, and the sound of traffic and some people yelling can be heard from there. Ellie walked to the balcony rail and put her arm there. Ellie starts to look at the closest building and the streets down there. She lives in the city, so all this was familiar to her, but seeing this in another country it felt nice. She can't wait to get to that Island and see something new. She is here on vacation, so she likes to visit places and go to the beaches and of course learn how to surf, just like she wanted to do with her father. Her father likes to take her on vacation trips. But she wanted to do the things her father did when he was young. He wanted her to enjoy her life as much as she could and that is something she wanted to do.
Ellie stayed there for a few minutes before her phone started to ring. "Shit… who can be at this hour?" she said while walking back inside the room and grabbing her phone from the top of the bed where she put it. Soon she grabs it, Ellie looks at the name that appears on the scream. "Fuck!... I forgot to call mom as soon as I landed here," she said before pressing the answer button. "Hi… mom!"
A/N: I hope you like the chapter even if is a little slow and only the beginning. The romance will move slowly, so be patient with that. I will post a new chapter on Sundays if nothing happens. So see you next week.