AN: heads up, another trigger warning about somewhat descriptive passages about gore and violence involving animals again.

"Urgh— fuck!" Ellie grunted as she staggered and rammed against the wall. She winced in pain before pushing herself up and staring at her leg. "What the hell…" She then rubbed it before immediately hissing. "That's bruised…" She sighed before continuing to limp. As she checked the hallways and rooms, she eventually looked at her arm before stopping in place.

Without hesitation, she unceremoniously dropped her bag on the ground before carefully shrugging off her coat and slipping her arm through her hoodie. She hissed the entire time before she held out a shaky arm, revealing torn-up bloody skin that was oozing with puss. "Fucking shit… not again…" She whined as an old flashback hit her before slamming the back of her head on the wall.

Closing her eyes, she tried calming her racing heart.

She remembered getting attacked for the first time by a crazed wolf and how terrified she had been. Of course, it was a fucking wolf as well. The same species that attacked Riley and took away her life with rabies. She didn't have a good end and well… Riley's pained face haunted her nights sometimes. Ellie took a deep breath through her nose before breathing out with her mouth. She repeated that a few times before reaching into her bag. Sadly, she couldn't find any medical supplies before sighing in defeat.

"Not looking good…"

She ended up rubbing her temples before shaking her head. She then carefully put her clothes back on before finishing her rounds, checking almost every nook in this planetarium, before making her way back. She hadn't exactly sorted out her thoughts but she needed to apologize as soon as possible. However, the moment she went back to Dina, her words fell short.

Luckily enough, Dina had fallen asleep, giving her time to think, but Ellie didn't have the heart to sleep next to her. She clenched her fist before frowning. "I'm so sorry…" She then shrugged off her coat, wincing at the pain, before draping it over her curled-up body.

Once Dina was somewhat tucked in, Ellie brushed away a strand of her from her face before shivering from the cold. A sigh left her lips before she pulled away. Her arm was throbbing and her body was aching like fuck. It was honestly hard to walk but that didn't matter. She ended up walking back through the planetarium before looking up at the main ceiling which happened to be made of glass.

The sky was dark and stormy.

This was a horrible idea. She shouldn't have asked Dina to come out here. It's not like they had access to a radio on hand either, meaning they were stuck with no means of help. They didn't write down the specifics of where they were going either. No one knew except for them. Their only choice was to wait out the blizzard but Ellie was really worried about Dina. She didn't look good and needed medical assistance as soon as possible.

Wallowing in self-pity, Ellie took a seat on a bench. She dropped her bag to the side before curling into a ball on the seat. She let her cheek rest on her knees before mindlessly staring at a random sign that explained the solar system. Eventually, her eyes drooped and she bobbed back and forth in place. A few seconds passed before she eventually closed her eyes to rest them. She fell asleep shortly after. By the time morning came, Ellie woke up alone and stiffer than before. Her body twitched and she uncurled her aching joints before scowling at the world. There was a bad kink in her shoulder and she cracked it before grunting out loud.

"I feel like shit…"

She took in a breath before rubbing her face. Her body felt hot and she was warmer than normal. Her splitting headache didn't help either. Perhaps she had a fever? Either way, it didn't matter. With their shitty situation, she'd be damned to let Dina find out. She forced her body to move before grunting out a pained yelp. She wheezed for air as she stood up but her body immediately gave out on her. She quickly snapped her hand outward and stopped herself from falling.

"Fuck…"

Shutting her eyes, she sucked it up before blowing out a breath.

"I'm fine…" She grabbed her belongings before shaking off her funk. Her eyes flicked upward as she made her way back. "Dina…?" She trudged through the hallways before making it to the entrance where she had been sleeping. She was nowhere in sight and Ellie's heart dropped. "Dina?" She twisted her body around as panic began to settle in. "Dina!"

Before her imagination could run too wild, Ellie heard someone violently vomiting in the distance. She immediately hobbled over the best she could toward the source of the noise. Luckily it sounded like Dina but she was horribly puking out her guts. By the time Ellie laid eyes on her, she carefully pushed open the door and found her girlfriend kneeling on the floor over a random trash bin. They were in some sort of old office or security room and Dina eventually looked at her once she was done emptying her stomach when noticed her presence.

"Hey…" Dina started as she pulled away from a trash bin before jokingly asking, "How hot do I look right now?"

She looked like shit.

"Pretty hot." Ellie easily answered with a soft smile as Dina shifted on the floor to get comfy.

She crossed her legs before fiddling with some sort of radio box. "I'm pretty sure I can fix this. We might be able to radio for help."

"Cool…" Ellie nervously squatted down next to Dina, purposely a little far away as if she was afraid Dina would shun or push her away. "Anything I can help with?"

"We need power." Dina nonchalantly stated before tossing a piece of debris across the room. "I can't get it running without power."

"Shit." Ellie sighed before rubbing her face. She then eyed one of the desk drawers before raising an eyebrow and standing up. She quickly went over and searched the drawers before stumbling upon a blueprint. "Bingo, a floor plan." She quickly opened it before sitting back down on the floor and spreading it open. Dina shifted in place before shining her flashlight on it for a better look.

"Let's see…" Ellie ran her fingers along the blueprint before stopping at a certain image. "Here," she tapped her finger a few times. "A power generator. Maybe it still works?"

Dina leaned in closer to look at it. "That's… That's fucking outside Ellie." She shot her an upset look since they both knew how dangerous it was outside with a flakey blizzard and a possible pack of wolves.

"It's not like we have a choice." Ellie quickly retorted.

Her mouth parted but just as Dina tried to speak, she swallowed back her nausea before grabbing her stomach. Ellie finally sat down on her bum before scooching over right next to Dina. As Dina breathed some deep breaths, Ellie reached out to rub her lower back.

"That helps…"

Turning away, Ellie had enough of their strained tension. "Look…" Dina turned to face her. "Last night was…" She didn't stop rubbing her back. "Stupid."

Immediately placing her hand on Ellie's knee, Dina quietly agreed. "Yeah." She then gave her a soft squeeze and warm smile before leaning in to rest her forehead on Ellie's shoulder. "I'm sorry for saying those things to you…and keeping my um…pregnancy from you."

Ellie sighed before nuzzling back. "I'm sorry I lashed out at you." She pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead before adding, "I didn't mean what I said. About you being a burden. I'm just… glad you're here with me."

Dina gave her a soft smile before pulling back when Ellie made a pained face. "You okay?"

"Yeah—" She quickly looked away. "I'm okay."

Letting out another breath, Dina eyed her carefully. Her eyes quickly widened when she remembered something. "Wait your arm…" She then pulled back and tried to touch it.

"I'm fine!" Ellie exclaimed before jerking her body abruptly and immediately regretting her actions.

"Oh Ellie…" Dina's face washed with worry as she gently grabbed her left arm. She shifted in place before trying to look at her wound.

This time, Ellie didn't resist as Dina pulled up her hoodie, exposing her gashed arm. She sighed before mumbling, "It's not as bad as it looks."

Dina's face scrunched as she lightly punched Ellie's arm. "'It's not as bad as it looks' my ass!"

"Ow— hey!"

"You're fucking arm is swollen, Ellie. Why didn't you say something?" She then grunted as she carefully stood up.

"Ugh…" She watched as Dina walked over to the cabinets. "Even if I did, what are we supposed to do? I don't have a med kit on me and neither do you."

Dina started rummaging through some of the cabinets. "Well, we can search this place from the ground up. I'm sure an abandoned building is bound to have a forgotten med kit somewhere." She then reached down and opened some drawers before her face lit up. "See?" She quickly pulled out a small medical box before sitting back down by Ellie's side. "Here, give me your arm."

Ellie sighed before showing her her arm. "Like I said, I'm fine. We should treat your wounds…" She then reached out to touch Dina's face right below a cut.

Rolling her eyes, Dina swatted her hand away. "Just shut up." She quickly pulled out some gauze and rubbing alcohol. She eyed the expiration date precariously before shrugging and began treating her wound. Her eyebrows were creased in concentration as she diligently cleaned her gashes.

Ellie's lips immediately thinned out as held back a grunt as Dina treated her. She ended up eyeing her messed-up forearm before letting her eyes wander. She looked at Dina's surprisingly calloused yet soft fingers, before trailing up to her face and eyes, engraving her endearing blemishes and features into her memory. Her eyes fluttered before she smiled softly. Eventually, Dina noticed before she looked up.

"What?" Dina gave her a small grin before dabbing away at the tooth hole in her arm.

"Nothing," Ellie sighed in contentment before adding, "Just admiring the view."

"Heh, you gotta pay for that."

Humming on that note, Ellie looked at the ceiling before asking. "Do you take kisses as payment?"

That made Dina pause. She closed her eyes as if she was contemplating deeply before sighing. "Technically no… but for you, I can compromise. You are my savior. It helps that you're cute too."

"Ohhhh, how generous of you." Ellie joked with a bubbly laugh as she started leaning in toward Dina's lips. She eyed her lovingly before whispering. "You're such a badass, you know that? The way you kicked that wolf was pretty hot."

Dina let her eyes drop to Ellie's lips with a devious chuckle. She leaned in as well before whispering back. "I know… You were pretty hot yourself." They teased each other, hovering in front of each other's lips. "I kinda love the way you're protective over me."

"That so…?" Ellie tilted her head before asking, "So, what do I owe you?"

"Well… considering you called me your girlfriend, I'll settle for just two."

"Oh?" Ellie chuckled before leaning in and pecking her lips. "Only two?"

"Yeah… just two…"

They kissed each other again but this time, they lingered for a little longer before Dina abruptly pulled away and shot her head toward her puke bucket. In seconds, she hurled violently before Ellie quickly chased after her and patted her back in a soothing way.

"Hey hey hey…" Ellie gently cooed, "It's alright, I got you. You're alright…"

Dina just puked viciously before eventually calming down. She huffed before wiping her mouth. "Yeah, see? Just two."

Ellie just let out a long breath before slowly closing their gap and pecking her lips. "Consider this a tip then." She kissed her again, "For the great service."

Giving her a small smile, Dina kissed her cheek softly before pulling back. "Let's get you wrapped up." She gently squeezed Ellie's arm before picking up the medical supplies. After a moment, Dina had Ellie's arm neatly wrapped up before she asked, "So what are we going to do?"

"Hm?" Ellie turned to face her before clarifying, "About…?"

"The generator. I…" Dina sighed before confessing, "I don't want you to go."

Frowning slightly, Ellie leaned in and hugged her affectionately. "I know… but you're sick. We need help." She kissed her temple before rubbing her hand up and down her back. "The longer we're out here, the worse it is for us. We don't have the supplies to last out here for long."

That made Dina groan before she buried her face in Ellie's neck. "I can't even stomach anything though…"

Ellie only nuzzled Dina further. "But you need proper rest."

Knowing that she was right, Dina just groaned. "Damn it… why did there have to be a blizzard?"

"Nature is unforgiving I guess," Ellie shrugged sadly before letting out a breath. "I guess I'll try starting up the generator then."

Dina let out a deep sigh. "Alright."

The two of them walked hand in hand over to the front entrance. Once they were at the door, they faced each other before Dina rubbed the back of Ellie's hand with her thumb. She then cupped her cheek before asking, "You remember where it is?"

"Yep. At the south side."

Letting out another sigh, Dina finally let go of Ellie. "Be quick but safe."

"I will." Ellie nodded before taking off the pipe from the door handles. She set it aside before reaching for the door handles to open it when Dina interrupted her.

"Wait," she stepped closer to Ellie's side again. "Give me your hand."

Ellie did as she was told and raised her right hand.

Dina quickly pulled off her Hamsa bracelet on her wrist before sliding it onto Ellie's wrist. "It's for good luck."

Raising her eyebrows, Ellie shot Dina a look. "I don't believe in luck."

"I do." Dina smiled sweetly before they leaned in to kiss each other's lips. "Be careful."

Ellie nodded again with a soft smile. "I will," she then squeezed Dina's hand before letting go. Once she was out the door, she heard Dina lock it with the pipe before facing the snow.

Thankfully, it wasn't snowing at the moment. The sky looked a little suspicious but she ignored it before making her way. She made sure to stick close to the wall, hugging the right side of the building with her back turned against it. She wasn't about to take the risk of getting jumped from behind. Her boots sunk into the snow even more than last night and that made Ellie sigh.

"Fuck."

As luck would have it, she ended up walking buried in the snow waist-deep. Fortunately, it was quiet as well so that probably meant there weren't any animals around her. Probably. The only shitty part about it was her seriously sore ass body trying to plow through a couple of feet of snow. It wasn't fun but the thought of getting help fueled Ellie's drive. In no time, she wrapped around the building before stumbling upon a shed-like building. She made quick work getting there and once there, she rattled the door.

Of course, it was locked.

"Damn it."

Letting out a white breath huff, she grabbed her rifle and began smacking the door handle with the hilt. It took a few tries but eventually, she managed to break it off before ramming her body against it and forcing herself inside. The door creaked open and Ellie sighed at the darkness. She clicked on her flashlight and made her way over to the generator. Once she was in front of it, she flipped a few breakers to check it out before yanking on the cord.

"C'mon…"

She yanked on the cord a few more times and miraculously, it came back to life.

"Yes!"

She grinned before turning back around. Thankfully, the trip back was easier and faster since she had already made a path in the snow. She made it back in record time before knocking on the door.

"Dina, I'm back!"

She could hear rustling and the moment Dina opened the door and made eye contact with her, she smiled before hugging her.

"Hey, did it work?"

"Yeah, we should be good. Just gotta trip the breakers."

Dina nodded before Ellie closed the door. They quickly made their way to the breaker room and once they flipped the switch, the lights in the building turned back on.

"Nice."

"Yes! We can finally call for help now."

Without further prompt, they went back into the office where the radio was. Dina got queasy on the way but thankfully she managed to hold it in as she fixed the radio. After she fiddled around with the parts a bit, it clicked to life.

"Hell yeah!" Ellie exclaimed before kissing Dina's cheek. "God I love that brain of yours."

Dina just gave her a small smirk. "You better." She then settled down comfortably on the floor. "Now then, we just gotta find the right frequency… What are the chances someone in Jackson is listening to a radio?"

Ellie rubbed her chin before a light bulb went off. "Old Jerry, he's always on the radio."

"Ah—" Without a second's delay, Dina quickly turned into that radio sequence. The two of them looked at each other before gulping and grabbing the mic. Dina was the one to speak. "Ah, ah, do you copy? It's Dina."

They waited a second with no response before trying again.

"Jerry, it's me, Dina. Do you copy?"

The suspense was killing them but the moment they heard a click, they brightened up.

"Dina? Why are you radio-ing me?"

They both laughed in joy before quickly speaking.

"Jerry, me, and Ellie are stuck in the planetarium a little north of the creek path. We ran into a path of wolves so we're in a bit of trouble. Nothing too serious but we need some medical assistance."

"Oh shit, hold up, one sec."

They waited in heavy silence for what felt like hours when in reality had to have been about five minutes. However, they both jumped when a familiar voice was practically livid.

"Ellie? Dina? What's going on? Jerry told me you're stuck. Are you two safe? I read your damn note, what the hell were you two thinking!"

It was Jesse.

Ellie groaned before taking the mic from Dina's hand. "We're fine for most of it at least. We got cornered by a pack of wolves so we're a bit battered up if you could send some help. We're running slow on supplies."

"You were what— Ellie. What did I say about straying from the route? You know how much Joel was pissed when he found out?"

That made Ellie wince.

"Shit, I forgot about Joel…" She mumbled outside the mic when Dina grabbed her hand for comfort.

They looked each other in the eyes having this silent conversation. Ellie glanced down at her stomach and Dina was quick to shake her head. She ended up rubbing her hand before speaking into the mic.

"Sorry Jesse, we were dumb and don't have any excuses. We'll take whatever punishment when we get back if you could just send some help for now."

There was another moment of silence and for a fact, they knew that Jesse was probably grumbling before coming to a decision.

"Hang tight. We'll send help. It'll probably take at most two or three days thanks to the shitty weather but knowing Joel, he'll want to be there by tomorrow morning."

That gave Ellie some peace of mind. At least they knew that someone cared enough to come to their recuse.

"Thanks… sorry for the trouble."

"We'll talk about it later. Just don't be reckless now you hear? I don't wanna get murdered by Joel."

Ellie chuckled at that. "Alright, sounds good." Just when she put down the mic, Dina gagged before running off again. She ended up puking out her guts in the bucket again and Ellie quickly went over to soothe her back. "There there… I got you…" She rubbed her back and after a second, she kissed her cheek before pulling away lightly. "Let me grab you some water." She quickly went over to her bag and grabbed it.

Dina just groaned out loud as she wiped her lips. "I don't know if I can."

"Please?" She then held it out with a pleading face, "For me? You gotta have something in you."

Another sigh left Dina's lips before she reluctantly grabbed the thermos of water. "You're lucky you're cute."

That made Ellie crack a smile. "And if I wasn't?"

Dina held the cup to her lips before looking her in the eyes. "Then you'd get a cup of water to the face by now."

"Wha—" Shooting her a look, Ellie ended up rolling her eyes when Dina winked at her. "You're so stupid."

"And what does that make you who's stuck with me?"

Ellie ended up walking in front of Dina before pulling her in by her waist. She took in a slow breath as she eyed her closely before deadpanning. "Stupider."

Dina laughed before resting her forehead on Ellie's shoulder. She relished in her warmth before asking, "You eat something yet?"

"I will after you."

Sighing at that, Dina shook her head. "I seriously can't stomach anything El, I'm too queasy and sluggish."

"Then I'll eat after you're asleep," she breathed in while rubbing her arm. "Okay?"

Dina mumbled something before they shifted around. "Okay."

By the time they were settled in another room, Dina was lying on her side on a long couch. Ellie was crouching off to the side, mindlessly eating a granola bar, as she kept a bucket near the side. She watched Dina mumble and whine in her sleep. That made Ellie loathe their situation even more. She wouldn't have been in this bad condition if it weren't for their situation.

Hell, she felt like utter dog shit as well.

She couldn't start to imagine what Dina was going through. She didn't know that much about pregnancy but she did know it was probably a bitch if her period had anything to say about it. There was so much guilt and regret haunting her mind but there was nothing she could do. They were here. It was just them. This was their reality. Ellie bunched up the wrapper before tossing it into the bin. She then carefully laid down next to Dina before watching her sleep. She took in her features, noting how ill she looked, before brushing a strand of hair out of her face. After that, she let her hand fall before grabbing hold of Dina's hand. She squeezed her gently before slowly drifting off.

By the time she woke up, Dina was gone. She groaned before kicking herself up and crawling off the couch. Her back was somewhat stiffer than before and fuck, did her body feel worse. She was somewhat dizzy actually. She grabbed her head before realizing how hot her forehead was.

"Shit."

Sighing again, she got up carefully before making her way outside to find Dina. She ended up walking through the empty hallways before stumbling upon a room with lights that were on. When she made her way over, she found Dina there staring at this room that looked out of place inside a planetarium. She vaguely read the corroded plaque on the wall that most likely said something along the lines of: Culture Community Room.

"Hey," Ellie started in a soft voice as she leaned against the doorway, "What are you doing?"

Dina turned to face her before smiling softly. "I was just exploring. I think this used to be a community hall for the people. They must have dedicated it for the Jewish at some point."

"How can you tell?"

"Well, one, there are menorah decorations on the wall. And two, I didn't just burst into flames just now so…"

"Burst into flames?"

Her lips curled up into a smile. "It's just a dumb joke."

"Oh, unlike your other ones?"

Dina looked like she wanted to punch her. "You shut it!"

Ellie laughed before walking forward. She ended up tripping over a rock before falling face forward. "Ow fuck— god damn it."

"Hey! Language, place of worship here."

Groaning as she stood up, Ellie walked over to Dina's side and once there, Dina just cupped her cheek when she was close by. "You okay?"

"Yep," she then nodded her head toward the room. "What were you saying?"

Dina pursed her lips. "Yeah, so…" She thought for a second before continuing, "This place brings back a lot of memories. My sister used to drag me to a synagogue all the time."

Ellie leaned into Dina's hand and nuzzled against it. "Do you still pray?"

"Sometimes."

"Really? When?"

"I said one when we left for patrol. I said one just now. Sometimes I just say little ones to myself."

"Does it help?"

She hummed in thought before answering, "I think it calms me. Helps me put things in perspective. It's a… way to deal with grief. A way to… show respect. It's what I know."

"Huh…" Ellie grabbed Dina's hand before rubbing it. She then let out a breath before asking, "How come you never told me?"

"About what?"

"That you're Jewish. I mean, we've known each other for like, what? Five years already."

Dina just shrugged. "I guess there wasn't exactly a good time? What was I supposed to do? Just randomly pull up out of nowhere and say, 'Oh, hey, I'm Jewish by the way.' out of the blue?"

"Mmh… touché," Ellie's eyes then flickered up toward a glass case at the front of the room. "What's that?"

"Hmm?" Dina turned to look at where she was looking. They walked over and once close enough, Ellie wiped away the dust. "What's this?"

"Oh, this is the Torah!"

Ellie shot her a look. "The what?"

"Uh, it's scripture, it's like a… a Jewish bible."

"Oh."

"I can't believe they have one here let alone in such good condition. My sister would have flipped for this a few years back. The one we used in New Mexico was half-burnt."

"That sucks, what happened?"

"The rebels happened." She answered mindlessly, "While you had riots in Boston, we had a coup d'etat in New Mexico. It sucked ass."

"I can imagine."

"Yeah. My sister and I always had backpacks prepared in case we needed to go. We'd never stay anywhere for more than a couple of weeks."

"Why must our governments be such trash?"

"Who knows."

Ellie smiled before rubbing Dina's hip comfortingly. She ended up leaning in to peck her lips when a distant ring made her pull away from her lips. "Did you hear that?"

Dina turned toward the entrance door. "It sounded kinda like a… gunshot?"

They both focused on the noise again, trying to ignore the whistling winds before they heard the noise again. Ellie immediately turned around and went for her gun.

"That has to be a rifle." Once Ellie grabbed her hunting rifle, she checked the gun barrel before heading for the door. "You think it might be someone from Jackson?"

A concerned look was all Dina had as she pointed out. "But Jesse said it'd take a day or two at least. It hasn't even been a full day yet."

Her nose scrunched. "Maybe it's Joel? You know how hot-headed he is. It doesn't matter if it is someone from Jackson or not though, we have to help if they're in trouble."

Letting out a breath, Dina reluctantly nodded before giving Ellie a worried look. "Be careful."

"I will."

Once they prepared for whatever situation was outside, Dina closed the door and Ellie quickly searched her surroundings. She squinted left and right until she heard another pop. Definitely a gunshot. With her rifle locked and loaded, she began jogging toward the source of the noise. It took a moment for her to find it but the moment she did, her eyes widened.

"Oh god—"

She couldn't quite see who it was but someone was surrounded by a pack of wolves. They were probably part of the same pack of fuckers that attacked her and Dina. Enough said she readied her stance before shooting at the rabid bastards. One shot after another, she made her way closer. It was a miracle she managed to get so close without alerting their attention.

At least… until a wolf caught her blindside.

It all happened in slow motion. She heard a nasty snarl followed by a foul breath and sharp fangs. Her body reacted before she could process what was happening. She managed to throw herself backward before crashing and sinking into the snow.

"Fuck—"

The wolf pivoted around before she could even ready her gun. It pounced at her, pinning her down by her chest. Ellie grunted before sacrificing her left forearm again. The mother fucker bit into her and she shouted in pain before releasing her gun and reaching for her hunting knife. She quickly stabbed it on the side before doing it again and again but the little fucker still wouldn't let go.

"God damn it—"

Grunting for her life, Ellie wiggled her body around before shouting and throwing her head forward. She headbutted the wolf, getting it to finally release her arm before swatting it away. It didn't work though. The feral bastard swiped at Ellie's arm, cutting a deep gas in her bicep before Ellie finally had enough and jammed her knife right into its mouth and up its skull. Yanking it out was no better. Blood splattered all over her clothes and she wheezed in pain before sitting up. She quickly looked ahead before putting her knife away and readying her rifle.

It took about ten more rounds to clear up their surroundings.

By the time Ellie made it over to this person's side, she was breathless and exhausted as her eyes finally registered who it was. Her face contorted in confusion as she lowered her gun and spoke up. "Jesse? What the hell are you doing here?"

Jesse was in no better condition than her. He was a panting mess, a little roughed up here and there, but thankfully, from what Ellie could tell, he hadn't been bitten. She naturally hid her arm the best she could. Once Jesse regained his breath, he leaned against the nearest tree before huffing.

"You think I'd leave you two alone?" He panted a few times before noticing, "Where's Dina?"

That made Ellie twitch. "She's safe. She's just sick."

Worry washed over his face. "What kind of sick?"

"She's fine." Ellie pushed firmly before nodding her head in the direction she came. "C'mon, we have to get out of the open."

Luckily, Jesse didn't argue and they started trudging their way through the snow. Ellie quickly noticed his limp before asking, "Hey, how hurt are you?"

He just groaned before answering, "I'll be okay. Your friends out there rushed me. No warning, no nothing."

Sounds about right.

They panted some heavy breaths as they made their way before Ellie eventually asked, "Tell me you didn't come alone."

That made him pause before he slowly turn to face her and confessing, "Gimme shit about it later."

Ellie immediately shook her head with a chuckle. "You're a fucking idiot, you know that right?"

He couldn't deny it. "Yeah."

From there, Ellie took one of his travel bags before lending him an arm. The two of them carefully made their way back to the planetarium. It took some time but thankfully they made it there in one piece. Ellie held back a pained grunt before holding Jesse up against the wall. He huffed as he used it as support before she went over to knock on the door.

"Dina! It's me."

Something inside quickly rattled and Dina quickly opened the door. "Hey!" She breathed out a sigh of relief before pulling Ellie into a tight hug. When she let go, she finally noticed the other presence. "Oh my god—" she quickly went over and hugged him. "Jesse!"

"Hey Dina," he groaned before wincing in pain. "Ow—"

Dina immediately pulled back. "Hey, you okay?"

He just shrugged. "Nothing a little sleep won't take care of."

Feeling somewhat jealous and bitter, Ellie's eyes shifted around before she finally spoke up. "We should get inside."

"Yeah, okay, c'mon." There was slight relief in Dina's voice as she helped Jesse inside. "Easy."

Ellie pushed the door shut once the two were inside before Dina asked. "How'd you get here so fast? I thought we had to wait longer."

"I had to sneak out." He answered as if it was the most natural thing out there. "My friends' problems are my problems." He then looked Dina in the eyes, "I heard you're sick?"

"Oh, it's…" Dina sighed silently before excusing, "It's just a stomach thing. C'mon. Let's sit you down huh." Once Jesse was seated on a nearby seat, Dina immediately stopped him when he reached down to untie his boots. "No no no."

"You don't have to do that."

Dina just chuckled with a shake of her head. "Oh, shut up."

Ellie stood there awkwardly, watching Dina help him take off his boot before looking away.

"So, when'd you leave Jackson?" Dina inquired as she helped him pull off his boot.

"As soon as I heard the radio, I packed some supplies before leaving. I was lucky Maria was busy stopping Joel and Tommy from jumping the gun."

Feeling somehow dejected, Ellie turned and walked away with her head hung low. She knew she shouldn't be feeling this way but the jealousy tearing her heart apart was making it hard to breathe let alone be level-headed. She couldn't watch them any longer. She just swallowed her pride and didn't look back. She tuned out whatever small talk they were having and truth be told, she felt like a defeated lost dog despite winning the battle from earlier.