A/N
Hey All! So, if you followed this story previously to June 2020, you will notice I deleted all the chapters except for the first which after reading you will see is a little bit different. With Part II now out, I wanted to do a rewrite of the story now that I know more information about Joel, Ellie, other game characters, and locations throughout the game, like Jackson. My OC's will remain pretty much the same, save for a few now that I have people like Dina and Jessie to work with now to include in the story. I apologize to anyone who was reading the story and I removed the original chapters before you could finish as well as to anyone who read and enjoyed the original story as well. I intended to have this chapter up with this explanation before anyone noticed I deleted all the chapters, but you guys noticed pretty quickly. I hope you enjoy my new direction with this story and are as excited as I am to begin the new narrative!
SPRING
"Okay."
But Ellie knew. She knew Joel was withholding something from her. Call it intuition, a built-in lie detector, or a tell she picked up from Joel in his lie, but for now, they stood at a stalemate. She knew they ran tests on her and while she liked to believe that other immune people lived somewhere in the world, she never encountered one and by Joel's warnings to keep her immunity a secret, he never met one within the twenty years since the world ended. Not one case of immunity arose in all those years, even with the efforts of the Fireflies fighting for a cure, except for now and with her. Joel mentioned dozens of people possessing immunity, but not once did she or anyone she knew to hear of such a thing. Would that not warrant an announcement to the Quarantine Zones? To the rest of what remained to society? Or a search for more immunity cases? Not only that, but why would Marlene just let Joel take her away without so much as a hello after everything? Ellie knew her mother entrusted Marlene to watch out for her, so why would Marlene not want the chance to see her before Joel left with her?
Joel's voice tore Ellie from her thoughts.
"Come on," Joel said as he began to turn towards the settlement. "We better get down there."
The two resumed their hike down to the town, the size of it coming fully hitting her as they got closer. Jackson stretched far and wide, with patrols watching from lookout towers equipped with floodlights that she assumed turned on at night to watch for hunters and infected. She could not make out specific structures from so far away, but she could tell that based on the number of houses and secondary buildings that the town offered more than just four walls and a roof; it looked like the closest thing that resembled a community of the world before the Cordyceps pandemic. Elle envisioned a room to herself where she could scatter her comics across a table to read, a real bed to herself, and access to regular meals. She did not know what kinds of food would soon become available to her, but the bar sat on the floor for expectations. She grew up in the Boston QZ where the food served to satisfy hunger, not taste buds, and the roasted squirrel, rabbit, and venison she and Joel cooked throughout their journey, she heard hoped that Jackson offered something like the barbecue Henry told her about in Pittsburgh so many months ago.
The more Ellie thought about food, the more the hunger in her stomach grew. She and Joel did not eat much that day, and she could not wait to make the growling in her stomach disappear. As they got closer to the community, they stepped onto a flat ground as they got off the hill's incline and entered a clearing that would lead them to the gates. Before they could make their way through the vegetation, Joel abruptly stopped. Before Ellie could ask why she heard what he heard first; the galloping of a horse. They looked around and watched as the horse came into sight, an unfamiliar woman riding the brown mare.
She rode up to them, her chestnut brown ponytail bouncing up and down as the horse trotted over to them. Joel knew she must reside in Jackson considering how close she was to the settlement and only carried a single backpack and rifle with her on the horse. She also looked clean and healthy based on her clothes, hair, skin, and seemingly well-nourished body. Her legs defined the jeans she wore with muscle, and her t-shirt exposed her triceps, all things that pointed to a healthy life. She had a heart-shaped face with high cheekbones and round green eyes. Freckles dotted her nose and cheeks that stood out from her fair complexion. When her eyes landed on Joel, a smile stretched across her face.
"I know a Miller when I see one."
When the horse stopped, she hopped off the steed to properly greet Joel and Ellie.
"You're Joel," she said with an outstretched hand. "I know that because Tommy and Maria have pictures of you in their house."
Joel smiled and shook her hand.
"Safe to say you're from Jackson then." He replied.
"I'm Sadie Hickman. Former Firefly, Tommy's best friend, and cooking extraordinaire to Jackson." She went on before turning to Ellie. "And you must be Ellie."
Sadie extended her hand to Ellie who shook it.
"How'd you know?" Ellie asked.
"Tommy and Maria told me about the real reason for your visit in the Fall because of my Firefly affiliation and relationship with Marlene. Did you find them?"
Joel felt his stomach drop to the floor at the reality of standing before another Firefly, but especially one specifically connected to Marlene. He debated asking if he could see Tommy first, knowing he could trust Tommy with the truth, but also did not want to risk raising any red flags with Ellie or Sadie. He managed to get Ellie to at least somewhat believe him on his lie, but the same may not happen with Sadie.
"We did," Joel told her, doing his best to maintain his casual composure as to not show signs of lying. "Turns out they found others who were immune, and it hadn't done anything for their cure efforts. Their doctors ran some tests but didn't find anything that they didn't see already."
Joel watched as Sadie's face fell, a sign he took as her believing him.
"They stopped looking for a cure." He added.
"Marlene said that?" Sadie questioned. "That they were just…done?"
Joel could only nod.
Sadie glanced at Ellie who was carefully observing her face, seemingly gauging her reaction. She took note of it before replacing her broken expression with a smile.
"Why don't we get you two down to Jackson?" she suggested, changing the subject. "I am sure you guys are tired and hungry. Plus, I'm sure you are excited to see your brother; I know he's been holding out on your return."
Sadie took the reins of her horse and led Joel and Ellie the way back to Jackson. They followed her as she guided them through the woods…
"So, you and Tommy met in the Fireflies?" Joel asked as they walked.
"Yes, we did," Sadie confirmed. "I am originally from Spokane and spent the first few years after the outbreak in the Seattle quarantine zone before it got overthrown."
"By Fireflies?" Ellie jumped in.
"No, actually. A rebel group called the Washington Liberation Front also referred to as the Wolves. I bolted when it happened, not wanting to stay in the zone either way and stumbled across some Fireflies in California, Tommy being one of them."
"When did you decide to leave?" Joel questioned. He wanted to get a feel for how recent her affiliation was with the Fireflies and what she might know about their cure efforts. He debated including her in the loop with Tommy as a way to tie up the loose end and ensure she did not reveal anything to Ellie that would cause his lie to come to the surface. Before he did though, he wanted to ask Tommy about her. If he did tell her the truth about Salt Lake City, he wanted to make sure she would not run off to inform the Fireflies about his and Ellie's whereabouts. Tommy knew her better than him and would know the best course of action.
"Two years after Tommy. When he left, I still felt like I had an obligation to Marlene but that faded eventually. I knew Tommy ended up here, so I hoped he didn't harbor any grudges and came here. Lucky for me, your brother doesn't hang onto resentment unless you screw him over big time."
Joel chuckled as he reflected on how Tommy wasted no time hugging and welcoming him to Jackson in the Fall, even after saying he never wanted to see his face again. Lucky for him, Ellie began asking about Jackson that effectively redirected the conversation away from the Fireflies and to what awaited Joel and Ellie at the bottom of the hills. Sadie began describing the type of set-up Joel did not know for years and Ellie never knew. She mentioned restaurants, trading posts, shops, and even playgrounds and daycares for the kids.
"We also have a theater and plenty of stables for all the animals, like my Miles here." She added, patting her horse on its neck.
Sadie walked Joel and Ellie through the thick woods surrounding Jackson, but both noticed the clear trails that showed in the ground that formed from the people and horses walking these woods in the last several years. It made the trip to Jackson's gates easier since for the first time in a while, Joel and Ellie did not need to take an out of the way or dangerous route that doubled the time of their trip. The most difficult part of the trip down entailed crossing a creek, meaning that they needed to get their feet wet. Luckily the water's temperature began warming up with Summer approaching soon, so it did not feel anywhere close to frigid.
"Any lakes close by?" Joel asked Sadie as they crossed, thinking about how Ellie still needed to learn how to swim.
"This creek runs through the woods and opens into some larger pools and depths, but the closest lake is pretty far off. Why?" Sadie asked.
"Curiosity."
Joel did not want to risk embarrassing Ellie, so he held off on admitting the reason for asking, but Ellie already knew the real reason for the question.
The three reached Jackson's gates not long later, the doors opening not long after Sadie came through the tree line. Despite Joel knowing he and Ellie would find safety in Jackson, his instincts caused him to defensively stand in front of Ellie. He watched as the gates opened, revealing a large number of people. One of the men called out to Sadie as they approached.
"I see you found some people." He pointed out.
"Not just any people Marcus," Sadie told him as they crossed into Jackson and handed Miles's reigns to him. "Tommy's family."
Marcus raised his eyebrows in surprise as he looked at Joel and Ellie.
"No shit," he said. "Well, welcome to Jackson. I hate to tell you, but Tommy and Maria needed to head down to the dam not long after Sadie here left this morning. Some sort of issue with one of the turbines. It'll be at least a day or two until they get back."
Sadie let out a sigh of disapproval as she ran a hand through her hair.
"I told them I would go next time the dam needed help. Both of them shouldn't have to leave every time something happens."
"Sounded urgent." Marcus shrugged. "I'll brush down Miles for you if you want to get these two situated."
"Thanks. Could you send someone over with a new resident ration container to the first house on Oak?"
"Of course."
"Thanks again, Marcus."
Sadie led Joel and Ellie away from the gates as they closed behind them and down the main street that seemed to run straight through the town. Joel and Ellie observed some adult residents sitting out on their porches as their kids played while others talked down the streets since it was only midafternoon. Joel continued to keep Ellie behind him out of habit, and Ellie felt more comfortable that way. While she remained excited to settle into a place like Jackson, she knew it would take time to acclimate to the new environment. Seeing all the people intimidated her in a way and Joel retaining his habits from their cross-country journey made her feel safer.
"When you guys stopped by in the Fall, Tommy and Maria both counted on you coming back. So, lucky for you they set you up with some digs." Sadie explained as they walked through town. "A house spacious for the both of you, but Tommy and Marian set up some extra quarters out back for you, Ellie."
"Extra quarters?" Ellie asked, turning her attention away from the town's activity and towards Sadie. "Why?"
"Tommy and Maria wanted to give you the option to have your own space if you desired."
Ellie could not help but smile at the chance to have a room to herself. Back in Boston, she shared her room with roommates but effectively ran them off when she could not get along with any of them. Eventually, the soldiers that were tasked with running Ellie's boarding school stopped assigning her roommates unless they needed to for space sake. However, even with a room to herself, Ellie did not get the opportunity to come and go as she pleased or fill her room with endless personal artifacts like comics and posters. Now that opportunity presented itself.
"The house is pretty spacious as is which you'll see and he and I set up some stuff for you inside, Joel." Sadie went on as they turned the corner onto a street.
"Yeah? What would that be?" Joel asked.
"Hey, I ain't ruining any surprises."
Joel chuckled as they came upon a large house, complete with a fenced in the yard and porch out front. Sadie stopped at the bottom of the steps that led up to it and gestured towards the structure. The yard contained a large pine tree on the one side and shrubs surrounded the entire perimeter as well as the neighbor's fence on the right side, allowing the house privacy.
"This one is yours." She announced with a smile before leading up the steps.
As they ascended the steps, both Joel and Ellie looked at the house in awe. Joel thought back to his small, crappy Boston apartment that looked like the cookie-cutter image of an apocalyptic residence, whereas this house resembled a true home. When they reached the front door, Sadie reached into the potted plant outside the door and pulled out what looked like a rock. However, when she flipped it over she pulled out a key.
"Where'd you manage to find one of those things?" Joel asked with a smile, seeing the old key hiding trick.
"This was one of the things that people weren't in dire need of when the end of the world hit," Sadie told him as she unlocked the door. "So, when we scavenged an old garden center, there was plenty of these laying around."
Sadie opened the door and entered the house, Joel and Ellie following closely behind. Walking inside, Joel was left speechless as he surveyed the house that reminded him of his Texan home from the world before. Off to the right of the entranceway was a living room complete with a wall entirely made up of shelves, a leather couch, fireplace, and widescreen television. To the left, a formal dining area filled the space complete as well as a bar shelf and dishware cabinet. Joel could not believe the kitchen space, as it seemed to be as large as the other two rooms and came with more than enough cabinet space, counter space, and an island in the center of the room. By the backdoor was a place to do laundry and store and hang dirty clothes and shoes. Also, downstairs was a half bathroom and the staircase that had shelves built into them for extra storage. Once Sadie took them through the downstairs, she took them up the stairs to the second floor.
Some pictures hung on the walls leading up the stairs depicting different nature scenes depicting horses, landscapes, and hunting scenes. The upstairs was spacious overall, with the wide hallways and lack of clutter. They walked through what appeared to be a workshop for Joel, complete with benches, a ton of storage for tools, and a couple of toolboxes that contained some starter tools like hammers and screwdrivers. There was a separate full bathroom before they arrived at the primary bedroom where there was a spacious entryway with a dresser under the window. To the right was the primary bathroom and to the lift was the bedroom that came with a walk-in closet, king-sized bed, sitting area, and again, plenty of shelf space. There was even a record player and some vinyl records already set up for use.
Sadie presented the house the way that a realtor would almost, describing all the vast storage space, the unique features of each room like the living room fireplace, and workspace Tommy set up for Joel as a place for carpentry work. She also added that she could take them into the main hub of town where some shops were set up to get anything that they needed and did not have at the house.
"Since Tommy and Maria knew your general sizes, they set some clothes aside for you in each of your spaces, you have some extra linens in the closets and bathrooms along with other odds and ends to get you started," Sadie explained. "We try to keep houses somewhat stocked with things that get people started, so they can acclimate to a new house and living situation before venturing out to town. The kitchen is partially stocked with nonperishables along with cookware, dishes, and silverware, but things like fresh produce and meats get prioritized to current residents and stockpiles," Sadie explained as they returned downstairs. "but someone should be by with some better food options soon and tomorrow I can take you into town to help you get whatever else you need to start. I can show you out back to your space now, Ellie if you'd like."
Ellie nodded when a knock on the door sounded.
"That must be whoever Marcus sent over with the starter things," Sadie said
"I can get it," Joel told her. "let Ellie see her new digs."
Sadie smiled and motioned Ellie to follow her out to the back. As they walked out, Joel answered the door to find a woman holding a large tub labeled "NEW RESIDENTS". He wasted no time reaching for the large tub to take it from the woman's hands.
"Let me take that for you," he said. "the thing looks heavy as hell."
As he took it, his assumption was correct. The thing weighed a ton. The woman smiled and brushed her hands on her jeans once they were free.
"Thank you," she said. "The ration center ain't far from here and I only live a couple of houses down, so I figured carrying it would save me a trip of returning a cart."
Joel set the tub on the floor inside the door and turned back to the woman. She was short by him by a couple of inches and wore her long, black hair around her shoulders. Her facial features were very feminine, from her oval face to almond-shaped blue eyes. The skinny jeans and form-fitting t-shirt she wore also outlined her pear-shaped figure, further emphasizing her femininity. When she offered Joel a smile, it revealed a set of pearly white teeth people would pay money to have back in the day.
"I'm Esther," she introduced herself with an outstretched hand. "You're Tommy's brother, right?"
"Yeah, Joel." He replied, accepting her handshake.
"It's nice to meet you. Allow me to be among the first to welcome you to Jackson."
"Thanks. And thanks for dropping this stuff off."
"Comes with the job. As I said, I live about three houses down, so if there is anything you need feel free to come knocking."
"That's very kind, thank you. I will keep that in mind."
"I don't wanna hold you up and interrupt you settling in, plus I got a casserole to put in the over. I'll see you around and again, feel free to stop by if you need anything at all."
Once she bid Joel a wave goodbye, she turned and headed back down the sidewalk and descended the stairs to the street. Joel shut the door behind her and took the tub into the kitchen, looking around at the house again as he made his way to the kitchen. He already began to imagine what he could fill the house with, from photos to things he could craft in his new workshop to books he could fill the shelves with. It made him excited to start a life here, especially when he considers the last two decades of jumping location to location before landing in Boston and working as a smuggler. The last twenty years felt more like fifty when he felt some of the pain in his bones and muscles from years of surviving and less than properly healed injuries. He also felt joy for Ellie, as she would finally get a chance to live what is normal life in the apocalypse.
Ellie lived in the Boston QZ for a lot of years where she went to boarding school and lived among the types of people in the QZ who most of the time were less than pleasant. A place like Jackson resembled the closest thing to a society that existed before the outbreak and Ellie deserved the chance to live like a teenager where she could make friends, stay up too late reading comics, and come and go as she pleased. He knew it would take the both of them time to acclimate to the new setting, but he had faith they would settle in just fine.
Outside in Ellie's quarters, which consisted of flipping a finished garage into a mini apartment type setup complete with a full bathroom, kitchen area, a corner dedicated to a workspace complete with a desk, and of course, her bedroom area. Sadie stood by the door as she watched Ellie walk around and look at all the things Tommy and Maria preloaded the space with including some books, movies, and games so go with her television and game console, and a few sets of clothes on her full-sized bed. They left her with a lot of space to fill with things she would get on overtime, but it was nice to start with the things Tommy and Maria set up for her.
After looking around at the area, Ellie sort of stopped in the middle of the room and looked around. Everything hit her at once as she surveyed the room and realized that for the first time in what felt like forever, she was safe. Not only that, but she would get to live and grow here and never need to wonder where her next meal would come from. She felt so many fears begin to roll off her shoulders as she thought about the last year and everything that happened as the realizations hit her.
Sadie, seeing the emotions come across her face, walked over to her. She carefully reached an arm out and wrapped it around Ellie's shoulder.
"I know this is a lot," Sadie told her. "and it'll take some time to get used to all these things, especially when you never lived in a place like this that wasn't guarded by soldiers or run by hunters that won a mutiny against the army. I promise you this town is filled with great people with even greater hearts. Whatever you need help with to get comfortable here and adjust to it all, I am more than happy to help you out where I can."
Ellie smiled and genuinely appreciated Sadie's generosity and the care she expressed for her well-being. It seemed like Sadie would be a person Ellie could count on and would remain true to her words and promises. Feeling comfortable enough, Ellie leaned her head onto Sadie's shoulder, causing her to give Ellie a comforting squeeze that made her feel better.
"You are gonna do great here, kiddo," Sadie reassured her. "and I'll tell you what. When I take you guys into town tomorrow, I'll let you pick out some stuff on me. A few places require trades as transaction and since you guys do not have anything to currently trade, I am more than happy to trade my cooking services for something you like."
A smile appeared on Ellie's face that made Sadie smile.
"Thanks, Sadie," Ellie said.
"No problem. Why don't we go back in? Don't wanna keep Joel waiting."
The two returned inside where they found Joel in the kitchen setting all sorts of food out on the counter from the bin Esther brought by. There were basic food staples foods like milk, eggs, cheese, and bread along with Tupperware filled with meats like venison and elk, a variety of fresh veggies including a bunch of carrots, some bell peppers, a couple of ears of corn, and a few tomatoes, a few boxes of pasta and sauce to go with it, a container chocolate chip cookies, some jars of jelly, salsa, and mayonnaise, and some odds and ends things like spices and broths for soups.
"Obviously once you start cooking and seeing all of what we have, you can grocery shop to your taste," Sadie said as she took a seat at the island. "but as I said, starter box. Plus, there are a ton of places around town to pick up meals, so some people keep less stocked kitchens anyway. It is the apocalypse form of going out or getting takeout."
"This is more than enough to get started," Joel commented as he looked at the pile of goods on the island.
"Obviously you have the ingredients to make some tasty spaghetti, garlic bread, and salads, but if you would like, I would be more than happy to have you over for dinner tonight," Sadie offered. "give you guys a chance to settle and later this evening I can swing by and walk you through town, so you can get a general feel for the area on the way to my humble abode. Do not feel obligated to say yes, I just thought I would offer."
Joel spent a long time needing to get a read on people fast and he got a good one from Sadie. While concern still lingered over her Firefly ties, getting to know her better would allow him to see if he can confide in her with what happened in Salt Lake City. Plus, it would be nice to walk through town and get a sense of the area like Sadie mentioned.
"What do you wanna do, Ellie?" Joel asked, not wanting to agree to something without Ellie's okay.
"What would dinner consist of?" Ellie asked as she sat next to her, making Sadie chuckle.
The meal did not matter to the teenager in the slightest, but she was curious nonetheless at what Sadie had in mind for a "welcome back to a functioning society meal".
"A fair question," Sadie told her. "How about some baked mac and cheese and oven-roasted broccoli?"
"Will I like mac and cheese?" Ellie questioned. "I never had it before."
"I think you'll love it." Sadie assured her.
Hearing that made Ellie agree to dinner, making Joel and Sadie laugh. Once they confirmed a time for Sadie to swing by, she bid her farewell to them for the time being to get back to her place. Joel walked her out as Ellie put all the food away. Joel returned to the kitchen, stopping to lean on the doorway with crossed arms as he looked around the kitchen.
"What?" Ellie questioned.
Joel shrugged. "I think we'll be okay here."
Ellie smiled. "Me, too."