Light in the Dark||TLOU||Joel x Reader

Epilogue

*

Joel grips his hands on the steering wheel, taking a deep breath as he continues the road down. He exhales through his mouth and looks to the empty passenger seat beside him.

Grumbles are heard from behind him and his eyes flutter to see in the rear view mirror that Ellie was awakening.

"What am I wearing?" She mutters, looking up at (Y/N), who plays with the young girl's hair where she lies with her head in the woman's lap. "Just take it easy, El." She whispers.

"Yeah, the drugs are still wearing off." Joel adds and Ellie wipes her eyes which then widen. "What happened?"

Both adults are silent, reflecting on their actions until Joel nods. "We found the fireflies." He answers.

"Turns out there's a whole lot more like you, Ellie. People that are immune. Dozens actually." (Y/N) adds.

"Ain't done a damn bit of good neither." Joel continues, the two's conversation flowing as if they had rehearsed this.

(Y/N) pulls the trigger, watching Marlene double as the bullet hits her, the blood spreading across her shirt.

"They've actually st - they've stopped looking for a cure." She says, making eye contact with Joel in the mirror. Ellie closes her eyes, anger, upset and guilt crossing her face. "I'm taking us home." Joel tells her.

The young girl doesn't say a word, but instead sits up and leans against the window, pushing herself away from (Y/N).

"Ellie, I'm sorry." She whispers.

Marlene falls to the floor and Joel moves towards her. "(Y/N)." He states, turning to look at her, ignoring the queen Firefly's cries.

"Let's go." She says, holstering her gun and heading towards the nearest car in the car park. Joel gently lies Ellie down in the back seat, closing the door once she's in.

"Are you okay?" He asks (Y/N), who nods with a short smile. Joel frowns, giving her a kiss and opening the driver seat door to get in.

(Y/N) pulls her gun back out and goes back to Marlene, who pleads for her to wait. The blood was spread across the floor from where she had crawled around and she struggles to breathe. "Let me go."

"Please, (Y/N). This isn't you."

"You'll just follow. Take her from me again." She tells her through gritted teeth, aiming the gun and not hesitating the shot.

--

The car had stopped. Ellie sits on the seat of the car, her legs out the door and she stares at the ground. She was donned in new clothing and she pulls her sleeve up, tracing a few fingers over her bite.

The hood of the car is slammed down and Joel sighs. "Looks like we're walking."

Ellie stands, shutting the door and (Y/N) comes away from the edge of the cliff, tearing her eyes from the view.

"Should be a straight shot through here." He informs them, heading towards the wired fencing.

"Alright." Ellie sighs.

"Actually kinda pretty ain't it?" He adds.

"Yeah." (Y/N) answers and Joel frowns at the two's solemn moods, pushing open the two middle wires for enough gap to go through. Ellie clambers in between and pushes it open with her foot, allowing the Firefly to follow and then finally Joel, who chuckles.

"Feelin' my age, now."

Ellie hums in response and he sighs, reaching for (Y/N)'s hand.

"Don't think I ever told you but uh, Sarah and I used to take hikes like this." He tells them. There's silence and then he adds: "I think ah... I think the two of you would've been good friends."

"Think you really woulda liked her. I knew she woulda liked you." Joel says to Ellie. "I bet I would."

Joel smiles, happy that he finally got somewhere and (Y/N) squeezes his hand in a comforting way. "She would've definitely liked you." He promises her and she gives him a soft smile.

The trio continue on up, stopping to overlook Tommy's town that they had left behind those months ago.

"Just a little bit further now." (Y/N) calls back to Ellie.

They follow the rush of the water, crossing over to the other side. (Y/N) climbs up the branch onto the ledge and Joel follows, breaking the branch. "Here. I got you." He says, crouching down to pull Ellie up.

She jumps, grabbing his hand and the two adults help her next to them. They go to move away and Ellie sighs, clasping her hands in anxiousness. "Hey, wait."

Ellie meets their stares of confusion and then paces away from them. "Back in Boston - back when I was bitten. I wasn't alone."

Joel frowns, looking over to (Y/N), who shares the same expression as he does, clearly not knowing a thing.

"My best friend was there. And she got bit too. We didn't know what to do. So..." Ellie stops, taking a breath. "She says 'let's just wait it out. Y'know, we can be all poetic and just lose our minds together'."

"El..." (Y/N) starts and Joel places a hand on her arm with a slight shake of his head.

"I'm still waiting for my turn." Ellie exclaims. "Her name was Riley and she was the first to die. And then it was Tess." At her name, (Y/N) inches away from Joel in guilt and he lets out a soft sigh. "And then Sam."

"None of that is on you." Joel states.

"No, you don't understand."

"I struggled for a long time with survivin'. And you -" he stops, fiddling with his broken watch. "No matter what, you keep finding something to fight for."

Ellie scoffs slightly, nudging her foot against the dirt. "Now I know that's not what you want to hear right now, but it's -"

"Swear to me." She cuts him off, her attention turning to (Y/N), who looks shocked at her sudden tone.

"What?" She questions and Ellie stares at the woman who took her in after everything. The woman she looks up too. "Swear to me that everything that you said about the Fireflies is true."

(Y/N)'s stance becomes defensive and she feels Joel and Ellie's stare bearing into her. She holds eye contact with the young girl she feels is like a daughter to her and all memories flood through.

With two simple words, she breaks everything. A simple lie and cover up.

Joel watches her, not interfering as she nods slightly, plastering on a smile.

"I swear."

THERE IS AN ALTERNATE ENDING