Chapter 31:This is only the beginning.
'Women love the last blow as well as the last word, and when they fight for love they are as pitiless as a wounded buffalo.'
-H. Rider Haggard
Ellie was nervous as she walked into the little boy's room. They didn't know much about him. Just that his name was Joshua and Tess killed his parents. He was also older than they thought. He was eleven years old. Not that much younger than herself.
She asked Joel to bring her to see him. The little girl was too young to fully articulate what happened to them while in captivity. A therapist was working with her closely. He was one of Sharon's trusted friends. He had been a therapist before the outbreak, but only worked with adults.
It wasn't that difficult of a transition. Children feel emotions and fear just as much as the next adult. They just have a different way of dealing with things. They were making some leeway with her. The boy was a different story. He didn't trust easily. He was full of anger. He reminded Ellie a lot like herself when she first got here. Angry and bitter at the world.
He was sitting on his bed reading a comic book Ellie gave him. She smiled as she walked over to him,'That's a good one. I'm glad you like it.'
He rolled his eyes, but didn't look up from his comic,'Why are you here?'
'To see how you're doing.' She shrugged,'Sharon told me you'll be starting school soon. The teachers are cool. You'll like them.'
He shook his head and sighed,'I don't care. I don't fucking care about school. I just want to be left alone.'
Ellie sighed. She wasn't giving up on him so easily. They were a lot alike in so many ways. She didn't want him to follow down the same paths she did.
'I know you don't want to talk about what happened.' She shook her head,'I don't blame you one bit for that. I didn't want to talk about it either. Sharon, Maria, Becca and Joel. They're good people. They have your best interests at heart. They don't care if we're immune. They don't give a shit about a cure. They treat me like everyone else. I'm happy here.'
Joshua looked up from his comic and frowned,'We'll never be safe. They'll always find us.'
Ellie sighed as she placed her hand over his,'I understand where you're coming from. I was afraid too. I still am. There's always a chance someone could find us, but that's the risk we take if we want to be happy. You have a choice about what your future will look like. You can hide away in this room and constantly be afraid or you can come out of your room and live. They'll protect us here. You don't have to be afraid of them anymore.'
She reached into her bag and took out a stack of comics, placing them on his bed,'Here's the rest of the series. You seem to like it.'
He didn't respond and she nodded,'Okay, then have fun being a hermit, I guess.'
She was walking to the door when Joshua cleared his throat,'Thank you.' He averted his gaze when she turned around,'I had a family, ya know. Parents and a brother.' Tears filled his eyes as he shook his head,'My brother wasn't like me. They killed him right in front of me. Killed them all.'
Ellie didn't know what to say to that. She knew there was nothing she could say to make it better. He was opening up to her. It seemed like he needed someone to talk to. It made her feel good too.
While no one treated her differently here, she always felt like she didn't fully belong. She wasn't stupid. She knew some people in town resented her for not giving herself up, but she wouldn't apologize for it. She didn't want to save the world. She just wanted to be a normal teenage girl who just so happened to be immune to the infection. She's realized she shouldn't feel guilty for not dying. It wasn't her responsibility to carry the burdening mistakes of our past on her shoulders. Hell, she wasn't even born yet.
'I'm gonna come back here and we'll talk some more. It doesn't have to be about anything you're not comfortable with.' She shrugged,'We can just hang out.'
He nodded and gave her a small smile,'I would like that.'
'Me too.' Ellie smiled softly before she closed the door behind her, giving him some privacy.
Ellie walked into the living room and found Joel and Richard talking over coffee. She smiled to herself. Two men formed an unlikely friendship. They both shared a love for mechanics and engineering.
Richard didn't treat him like the other townsfolk did. He wasn't leery of him. He wasn't afraid to talk to him.
Some people in town blamed him for the kidnapping. They wouldn't say it to his face, but she heard the gossip. Word travels fast in a small town. She hated they blamed him. They were always looking for a reason to have a problem with him.
Tommy defended him through it all. He said the women would've have made it home alive without him. Bless Tommy's heart. Men were always trying to take the credit for women persevering. Becca and Maria would've made it home with or without them. She knew it in her heart.
Richard looked up at her and smiled warmly,'How's our young man doing?'
'I think he likes me. I think it might be because of my comic collection though.'
Joel shook his head as he finished his cup of coffee,'He say anything?'
Ellie rolled her eyes and sighed. Joel. He was always the pessimist. He couldn't see the forest for the trees sometimes.
She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin in defiance,'If he did I wouldn't tell you. Just relax it's only be a week.' She saw the exasperated look on his face and smirked. She always enjoyed annoying him,'He didn't say anything. Only that Tess killed his family and made him watch.'
Joel scoffed as he shook his head. He wasn't surprised by that. He's witnessed Tess kill a lot of people over the years. Who was he to judge? He's killed women and children during his time as a Firefly. He didn't want to do it, but he had to. He didn't have any business shaming Tess for that. She was only following orders. He would've done the same in her position. He's done far worse.
Richard turned to Joel and frowned,'Sharon's been asking around. There isn't any other scientists around these parts anymore. Jeff had been the last one.'
'Last one in this area.' Joel shook his head,'They could be all over the country.'
'They could be.' Ellie nodded,'And we'll be ready for them.'
Becca always said the same thing to him.
We'll be ready for them.
He hoped to God they were right. They had unyielding faith in him. He couldn't let them down.
Joel got up from the couch and grabbed his jacket,'Let's go. We have to get you back to school.'
Ellie frowned as she reluctantly nodded,'I was hoping you forgot about that.'
'Not a chance.' Joel grinned,'Miss Betsy will have my hide if I let you skip school. You're lucky she lets you leave for lunch.'
'I skip one day and now I'm being prisoner.' She looked up at him, relishing in the annoyed look upon his face,'I don't even need school anyway. I went to the school of the hard knocks.'
'Who taught you that?' His eyes narrowed,'That's before your time.'
'Becca.' Ellie laughed at the surprised look on her face,'She told me about a lot of stuff before the outbreak.'
He shook his head, his eyes rolling up to the ceiling. Becca had a mischievous streak. Her and Ellie were always conspiring against him. He was thankful for the fact they didn't let what happened to them define who they are. They didn't let it control them. He wished he could be that lucky.
He shook Richard's hand as the two men promised to catch up later. They also arranged another time for Ellie to meet with Joshua. She seemed to make a breakthrough with the young man. They were making progress.
Joel dropped Ellie off at school before stopping at the hospital to meet with Sharon. Becca was busy assisting the surgeon in the operating room. She did live with him. He would see her later.
Sharon was in her office when he knocked on the door,'Come in!'
He opened the door and smiled at her uneasily, 'Sorry I'm late. I had to drop Ellie off at school and she was procrastinating.'
She laughed as she motioned to the chair in front of her desk,'That's fine. I was taking a break anyway.'
He sat down in the chair and folded his hands in his lap,'We just came back from your house. Ellie said she's making some progress with the boy.'
Sharon leaned forward in her chair as she looked down at the papers in front of her,'I've been asking my contacts if there's been any peacekeepers creeping around QZs. The last time anyone saw or heard of Tess was two months ago. I don't think these kids were found at random.' She shook her head and sighed,'Someone's been either tracking them or'
'Breeding them.' Joel finished for her,'That was Becca's theory too. She's convinced these kids were being made in a lab somewhere. I ain't smart like you, but I know you gotta have…people to make another people.'
'Who's to say they didn't? I've read through Jeff's files. Ellis mother was bit while she was pregnant with her. She bit the umbilical cord, Joel. The only way she could be immune is if one of her parents were. That's how DNA and genetics work.'
Joel sat back on his chair as he let the information sink in,'Her mom was already infected well before she got pregnant.'
'Bingo.' Sharon slapped her hand on the table,'It's the only logical reason why Jeff was absolutely certain this would work, but that's not how it would work in reality.' She sighed, seeing the confused look on his face,'You can't just find someone and make a cure. You have to cultivate it. Do trial runs. You're not gonna cure the world that way. You're just gonna make it more dangerous for them.'
'You're not gonna try to do it. Are you?' His eyes met hers. He wanted to make sure knew wasn't going to let that happen,'I'll kill ya if you try.'
She smiled and shook her head,'I wouldn't expect anything less. I don't want a cure. I just want to keep our town safe.'
'Me too.' He sighed,'Most importantly, I want to keep them safe. Ellie, Becca and…and the kids. Ellie and Becca are my top priority. I can't lose them, Sharon. It's not an option.'
She tried to hold back her smile, but she couldn't help herself. She wasn't always a hopeless romantic, but as she's gotten older she realized love is the most important thing there is. Romantic, platonic and familial. Love is something we can't run away from or deny.
Joel wasn't the same man he was when he first walked the gates. He had been so cold hearted, mean and bitter. He could still be all of those things, but he wasn't running on fumes or anger anymore. He was given a real sense of purpose.
She was nervous when Becca and Maria were taken. The entire time Joel and Tommy were on the road, she couldn't sleep. Her mind kept racing about the what ifs.
She knew neither Joel or Tommy would've been able to handle losing them. The town needed them. They couldn't afford to lose men like them. Sone were distrusting of them because they used to be Fireflies, but they deserved to live in peace just like everyone else.
'How have things been at home?' She smirked behind her tea cup,'Becca told me she moved in. How is that going? With the nightmares.'
Joel didn't know how to answer that. He's always been a private person. He didn't like to give others fuel for the fire. News spread like wildfire in Jackson. He wasn't looking to his business known, but he could trust Sharon.
'As good as they can be, I guess.' He shrugged,'We've had to sleep alone the past couple nights. Ever since we got back, I've been feeling…' He placed his hand over his chest,'I've been getting that sense of dread again.'
Sharon frowned as she grabbed his hand and gently squeezed it,'I'm sure you are considering everything that's happened the last couple weeks. Have you talked to Becca about it?'
He ran a hand through his hair and sighed shakily,'I don't want to burden her with my shit. She's going through her own shit.'
'I can pretty much guarantee she doesn't believe that.' She laughed,'You're not gonna seem weak to her. Not one bit.'
A nurse knocked on the door, letting her know there was a new patient.
'It never ends.' Sharon sighed as she stood up,'Walk me out.'
Joel followed her out of the office as they walked down a long corridor. She made him promise that he would talk to Becca. He reluctantly agreed. If anything just to get her off his back.
Sharon placed her hand on his arm and squeezed it gently,'We don't always know where this world will lead us or if time is on our side. Stop being afraid of everything and just let go. Let it go, Joel.'
She walked away, leaving him with those words. He understood what she meant, but it was never that easy. Letting go was always easier said than done.
He was leaving for the exit when he saw Becca walking out of the operating room. Her hair and face were covered up with a scarf. There are was blood covering her smock. She looked exhausted as she discarded her smock in the hazardous materials bin.
He wondered how she did that. She was just kidnapped two weeks again, but she was working again. The bruises and cuts were healing. She was on the mend once again.
He thought about what Sharon had told him. If he didn't share his fears he would lose her. He didn't want to lose her again.
She looked up and a bright smile beamed on her face when she saw him. His heart constricted. She was always so happy to see him. She had a smile on her face that was only reserved for him. He's watched the way she smiles at other people. They're always warm, but nothing like this. It was full of promise, affection and love. Always love for him. He would never get used to the way she looks at him.
She walked over to him and brushed her fingers against his,'Funny running into you here.'
He grinned as he looked over her face,'Yeah, I could say the same about you.' He nodded towards the operating room,'Anyone die today?'
She shook her head and laughed,'No, nobody died. The day's still young though.'
He was glad for Becca's sake no one died today. He didn't like her being sad whenever she lost someone at work. They've been surrounded by too much death.
Their fingers toyed with each other's. She was at work and wanted to be professional, but she needed to feel him in some way. It's been three days since they've slept in the same bed together. She knew it was the nightmares and panic attacks, but she would never force him to talk about it. He would when he's ready.
'When do you get off?' He leaned in close to her as he breathed in her scent,'I wanna pick you up.'
'In five hours.' She gave him a small smile,'I gotta pick up the rest of my stuff from my place. I don't have a lot, but it's mine.'
His eyes widened slightly,'We might not sleep in the same bed.' He frowned,'Are you absolutely sure?'
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and heaved a sigh,'I don't do anything I don't want to, Joel. You of all people should know that. Who cares if we don't sleep in the same bed? That shouldn't be a make or break rule.'
He couldn't resist stroking the side of her face,'You don't do anyone either.'
She shook her head and smiled softly,'No I don't. Not anymore.' She looked down at her watch and frowned,'I gotta get back to work.' Her eyes roved his face,'I'll see you in five hours.'
'In five hours.' He smirked as she leaned up to kiss his cheek quickly before stepping away from him.
'I want better than that later.' He pointed his index finger at her,'Kiss on the cheek like I'm some fucking uncle or some shit like that.'
She laughed as she began walking down to a patients room,'You are an uncle.'
He placed his hands on his hips as she walked away from him. His eyes zoned into the curve of her ass. He took a deep breath, shaking his head. She was going to be the death of him.
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Joel arrived at the hospital promptly. He was never late. His pops used to tell him if you were on time it meant you were late. Gentleman are never late when it comes to women. You needed to show them you appreciate their time. He valued this time with his woman, knowing their alone time was always few and far between.
She gave him a hug when she seen him. He wrapped his arms tightly around. He closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of her. He would never take her for granted ever again.
She held his face in her hands and kissed him deeply, making up for the kiss on the cheek from earlier. She pulled away and grinned,'I owed you one.'
He cocked his head to the side as he squeezed her sides,'You owe me a hell of a lot more than one.'
She laughed at the teasing tone in his voice and held onto his arm while they walked,'Sharon seems to think there's more kids out there. If Josh and Katie are any indication.'
'She said she talked to a few of her contacts. There isn't anymore kids. That they know of at least.' He smiled like a proud dad,'Ellie is starting to get through to Josh.'
Becca smiled at that. She was smarter than most people give her credit for, but she had a kind and warm sole. She was really mature and stepped up to the plate whenever needed. Scientists would be doing the world a disservice by killing her.
'Well, if anyone could get through to them it's her.' She unlocked the door to her building and he followed her up the stairs.
They got to her apartment and she turned on a lamp. There were three boxes in the living room. Ellie's drawings have been taken off the wall. All elements of her personality packed away.
'Looks like you're good to go.' He looked around the room and shook his head,'It's seems like yesterday when he came here.'
'I know right?' She laughed softly,'I spent more time at your house anyway. I just need to grab a few more things in my room and then I'll be good to go.'
She went into her room while began securing the boxes so they wouldn't fall off the horse. He saw a stack of photos on top one of the boxes. He knew he shouldn't touch them, but curiosity always got the best of him.
He picked up the photos as he shuffled through them. Most of them were just her. She looked to be a teenager in some of them. She was so young, vibrant and full of life.
She had a photo with her and two people she assumed were her parents. She had her mother's red hair and blue eyes, but he could see her father in her as well. They were a good looking couple. She was dressed in a graduation gown. She looked to be in college.
There was another photo at the bottom of the wedding pile. His heart sank to his stomach. It was her wedding photo.
The dress she wore clung to her body and most of it was sheer lace. The train of the dress flowed behind her, seeming almost endless. Her hair was curled and she wore a veil that was pushed back away from her face.
She was looking at her husband with fondness and love in her eyes. He studied the man in the photo. He was young. Tall, blonde haired and green eyes. He was muscular. His skin was smooth, clear and bright. A real all American boy. He looked like the type of guy you bring home to your parents. Joel was the kind of man your parents warn you to stay away from.
She said things weren't always great in her marriage. This was before the marriage went to shit. Before the outbreak happened and everyone lost their goddamned minds because they didn't have Starbucks anymore.
He shook his head in bafflement as he stared at her in the photo. He could never give her a wedding like this. Money didn't exist anymore and half the townsfolk expected him to kill everyone.
Why was she with him when she could have someone like Ben? It was jarring to put a face to a name. He was sitting here feeling sorry for himself again. The man was dead. He wasn't coming back for her. Then again, he thought Tess was dead too.
She walked back into the living room and saw him staring at the photos,'I kept them with me all this time. It was the only thing I could grab when it happened. It was the only things I wanted.' She leaned over his shoulder to look at the wedding photo of her and Ben,'I remember that day vividly. I was only nineteen years old and just finished my first year of nursing school. I really thought I loved him.'
'You don't now?' He looked back at her,'You can still love him Becca. You don't gotta choose.'
She wrapped her arms around him from behind as he grasped her arm, leaning back against her chest,'It's not about that. I thought I loved the man I thought he was. He…wasn't anything like the man I married. Even before the outbreak. He didn't like me going to school and having friends. He felt threatened that I would make more money than him. Everyday, it was always something.'
He looked down at the photo, seeing the smile on her face. Something wasn't right. She was smiling, but it didn't reach her eyes. Not the way it did when she smiled at him. That had to count for something.
'He was a handsome man.' He nodded curtly, trying to keep his voice leveled,'Young man.'
'Not that again.' She leaned over him and kissed his cheek,'Yes he was a handsome man. Yes, he was young, but what's that have to do with anything? He was my first for everything. I never should've married my first boyfriend. I've realized I haven't really gotten a chance to be with somebody like this. You can't even compare the two.' She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his,'When I married Ben, I didn't know any better. I was a kid. I don't think I ever really left by anyone until I met you. I don't take any stock in words. So many people have told me what I want to hear. You don't do that to me. I can feel it, Joel. I'm here because I want to be.'
He kissed her arm and nuzzled into her skin,'What were you like before the outbreak?'
'Bored. Happy, but bored and complacent.' She sighed and shook her head,'I was gonna leave him the day the outbreak started.' His eyes widened in surprise, but she continued,'When I found out he cheated the first time I forgave him. He swore he would never do it again. Until I found out that he never stopped. I confronted him about it and we ended up getting in an argument. He roughed me up a little bit. That was nothing new. I was used to his violent outbursts, but I was through with him that night. I was packing up my clothes when the emergency broadcasting system went off. Everyone was running around in the streets. It was total chaos. We escaped with my parents and brother. After two weeks, it was only just us left. I didn't have anywhere to go at that point so I stayed.'
She took a moment as she kissed his jaw, trailing her kisses up to the side of his face,'You're only the second man in my life who's touch I've wanted. I'm not putting any pressure on you, but I wanted you to know that.'
He closed his eyes and sighed softly as she kissed all over his face,'No pressure. I'm just sitting here thinking about all the things I could show you. The things I wanna do to you. You got my imagination running wild, darlin.'
She wanted to tell him practice what you preach, but he wouldn't appreciate it. She unwrapped her arms from him and took a step back,'Let's grab this stuff and go. I'm exhausted.'
He carefully placed the pictures in the box and closed it up. Their pasts would always be a point of contention between them. Time would eventually get them to a point where their past couldn't touch them anymore.
They headed back to the ranch. Joel went to put Dusty up while Becca brought her things into her room. It felt to move in here. She felt like she belonged here. The apartment felt cold and empty. She didn't like how alone she felt there.
Joel was standing in the doorway of her room. He cleared his throat, announcing his presence,'Ellie's with Lizzie at Maria's house.' He frowned when he saw her emptying out the boxes,'Why are you putting your stuff in here? I thought you were staying with me?'
Becca looked up at him incredulously. He made her head spin sometimes,'We haven't shared the same bed in a few days.' She shrugged,'I thought you wanted more space.'
His eyes were lowered as he slowly raised them. He took a few steps closer to her and crouched down, closing the box,'I don't want anymore space, Becca. All my life all I've ever fuckin had was space.'
His words came out harsher than he intended, but he was pissed. He was tired of explaining himself,'That was shitty of me to do, making you leave your bed.'
He's thought about them together for so long. Now that he has the real thing he doesn't know what to do with it. Story of his life.
He took her hand and helped her off the floor,'Let's go to bed. This can wait til tomorrow.'
She showered and changed into her pajamas before going to bed. She was anxiously excited as she walked into his, their bedroom. She laughed softly when she saw him fast asleep. He needed to sleep. He looked exhausted.
She crawled into bed with him and rested her head on his chest. He mumbled something in his sleep and wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes and smiled softly. Little by little they were starting to work through things. It was bound to happen sooner or later.
She woke up in the middle of the night to find herself alone in bed. She looked around as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She was still in his bed. She was safe.
She didn't hear any movement downstairs. She waited a few minutes, thinking he was in the bathroom, but after about fifteen minutes she realized he wasn't in there.
She got up from the bed and over to the window. She saw a light on in the barn. She frowned, wondering what he was doing in the barn late night. Sometimes he couldn't sleep and would go into the barn to tinker with things. She wondered what brought him into the barn at this ungodly hour.
She grabbed her cardigan and slid it on, putting on her boots. She shivered when she walked outside. The early morning air in Wyoming was frigid. They were one week away from Thanksgiving. Soon it would be winter and then snow. She dreaded it. Nothing good ever happened in Winter.
She walked into the barn and his back was facing her. He was hitting hard into a punching bag. His fists were pounding into the bag over and over. His shirtless body was covered in a sheen of sweat. He was breathing raggedly, like he was pushing himself through exertion.
She frowned as she watched him for a few moments before cautiously taking a step towards him,'Bad night?'
He stopped hitting and held onto the bag to keep it from moving. He closed his eyes and sighed, whispering,'What do you think?'
Becca sighed. He was being an asshole. He wanted her to leave the barn. She was never really good about being told what to do. She needed this to stop between them. The endless back and forth.
She took another tentative step towards him,'You wanna talk about it?'
He rested his head against the punching back. He didn't want to talk about it, but he couldn't get anything by her. She wasn't someone he could bullshit around a conversation with. Sharon was right though. She deserved to know the whole truth.
'Tess and I…we…we had a kid together.' He heard her sharp intake of breath and willed himself to continue,'We were still Fireflies at the time.'He was only twelve when he got bit. She kept him locked up in a room. I wanted to kill him, but Tess…she wanted to keep him alive. She said there might be a cure out there.' He sighed shakily, whispering,'I killed him before we left with Ellie to the Capital. I didn't think she ever forgave me for that. I wouldn't either. I still don't.'
Tears filled her eyes at his admission. She now understood why Tess was so adamant about finding a cure. She didn't have any interest in saving the world. Just her own kid. Their kid.
And she killed her. She wished Joel told her this before everything happened. Things would've made a hell of a lot of sense.
'Why didn't you tell me this?' She shook her head, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes,'I killed the mother of your child. Why would you let me do that?'
'Cause I didn't have the balls to do it myself.' He turned around to face her,'I never wanted to be a father again. I never wanted that kid in the first place, but she kept him. I didn't get close to him…cause I didn't want to go through the pain of losing a kid all over again.' Tears blurred his vision as he took a few steps closer to her,'Ellie made me see I could take care of people. I could keep them alive and safe. Maybe he would've still been here if I kept him closer to me.'
He didn't smell like alcohol or high on anything. He just seemed sad and relieved. There wasn't anything else to tell her. It felt good to have the weight off his shoulders. He looked at her, bracing for the impact.
His eyes searched her face as his hands itched to touch her,'It's why I want you here with me. I can't keep you safe in town, but if you're here I'll know you're safe. I ain't looking to make the same mistakes twice.'
She was silent and he didn't like him. She looked as if she we're contemplating something. Maybe ways of getting rid of him.
'You need to stop that.' She shook her head and sighed,'I want you. Not a bodyguard. You can't always be there. The risk of losing each other would've been the same before the outbreak.' She frowned at the look on his face,'Okay, our chances probably would've been higher back then, but the point is the same. You can't keep me locked up because you think something's going to happen to me.'
He looked back at her over his shoulder,'I know that, but knowing you're here makes it easier.'
'Is there anymore secrets?' She crossed her arms over her chest,'Cause I don't want us hiding anything else from each other.'
'William.' He whispered shakily,'William Joel Miller. That was his name.'
She smiled tearfully as she placed her hand on his back,'That's a beautiful name. I bet he was handsome. Just like his daddy. You should talk about him more. Sarah too. I would like to know more about them.' She searched his face,'What brought you out here tonight?'
'Everything.' He sighed softly as she rubbed his back,'There's somewhere I wanna take ya tomorrow. It ain't the lake, but something important. Will you go with me?'
'Yeah.' She nodded,'I have a day off.' She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind,'You don't always have to beat yourself up over everything. There are other ways to deal with things that won't hurt you.'
He grinned back at her,'Maybe I like it when it hurts.'
There wasn't any humor in his voice. He sounded completely serious. She felt her cheeks burn at the implications.
'We're not going anywhere dangerous right?' She sighed,'No infected? No Fireflies?'
'None.' He nodded as a wistful smile came upon his face,'It's a special place to me. We need this. We deserve it.'
Becca faintly wondered if he were leading her into a trap. If that were the case he would've taken Ellie. She wondered where they were going considering people may be after them. He didn't seem concerned about it though. He rarely seemed concerned about anything.
There were a lot of things he kept from her. She understood his pain a little bit more tonight. He lost two children. She killed the mother of his child. There wasn't any coming back from that.