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

Alternate Ending

*

(Y/N) sits up from her foetus position on the floor, having watched Ellie escaped with David right behind her. He had managed to wound the Firefly with his knife before he took pursuit, and the blood loss made her light-headed.

Yet she stands, making her way to the door and pulling out a hairpin. Sticking her arms through the bars, she jams it into the lock on the other side, moving it about until she hears the soft click and the door swings open.

(Y/N) stumbles out, pulling her jacket tighter around her and she navigates her way through the place. She hears the sounds of gunshots and looks over to see a building, flames easing their way up the woodwork.

Fumbling through the snow, she rushes to the door and carefully makes her way in, crouching behind a seat and peeking over ever so slightly to survey the scene: David stands, his back to her. She counts the few stab wounds he had earned and she can't help but smile slightly.

Her eyes scan further and notices Ellie, crouching behind a counter. The pair make eye contact and (Y/N) gives her that all too familiar smile.

The Firefly runs, tackling David to the floor, the pair both shouting and crying out in pain as they collapse. The machete he held goes clattering to floor.

(Y/N) gets the advantage, her knee pinning his arm to the floor and she wraps her hands around his throat.

"Ellie, stay back!" She warns as David struggles under her grip.

His fingers faintly touch the handle of his machete as he gasps for breath, staring up at a determined Firefly to end his life. He jabs his fingers into her cut, making her scream and fall to the side, allowing him to grab the weapon.

"(Y/N)!" Ellie shouts, rushing forward, but David stabs (Y/N), a chuckle escaping his lips.

She falls to the floor, clutching at her stomach in a desperate attempt, already soaking her hands with crimson red.

David smirks, coming to a stand to round on Ellie, who had disappeared once more.

It doesn't take them long to find each other. The two tackling and wrestling as the fatal weapon goes skidding across the floor.

This time it's David who manages to pin Ellie down, doing what the Firefly did with him and starts to choke her. Ellie can hear the soft whimpers coming from her friend, overpowering the words David was spitting to her and she compels herself to grab the machete, bringing it to his hand.

He falls off, clutching at his arm as Ellie takes control, bringing the machete down on him again and again. She can no longer hear any sign from (Y/N) of life, and so, with tears running down her face, she does this for her.

Repeatedly the weapon hits the man, blood spraying across her until a pair of arms grab her. Hopeful, Ellie believes it to be (Y/N) until she hears the voice: "Ellie! Ellie, stop." Joel orders, pulling her away.

"Don't fucking touch me." She screams and he pulls her to look at him.

"Stop, stop. It's okay - it's okay, it's me. It's me." He repeats. "Look. Look. It's me." He says, steadying her as she calms down.

"He tried to -" the girl cuts off and he hugs her tightly. "Oh, babygirl it's okay. It's okay." He whispers and she cries into his chest.

His eyes stare at the dead body and Ellie pulls away from him. "Where's (Y/N)?" He asks and the question seems to hang in the air.

Shakily, the girl points over to behind the table, already thinking that the woman she loved as a mother was already dead, not knowing that every second she was inching closer to her last breath.

Joel's own breath hitches as he stands. He stares at his shoes, not wanting to look any further. Not wanting it to be confirmed. He forces his eyes to trail up to her jeans and his feet make him move forward, stopping him at her own.

Joel wills himself to look up, catching a sob in his throat at the sight of the woman in front of him.

Her shirt was soaked in blood, gathering in a pool around her. Her hands were feebly on top, covered in red and her hair was sprawled out, some strands sticking to her face; her cut-ridden and muddied face.

Joel notices that her chest rises ever so slightly and he kneels next to her, kissing her forehead and brushing her hair back.

Weakly, her stone cold hand goes to his cheek and he leans into it, closing his eyes and picturing them together. Properly. Ellie sits at the woman's feet, wiping at the blood on her face as she weeps.

"Hey - it's okay." (Y/N) is the one that speaks, her voice coming out as barely a whisper. Neither know who she's talking to. Neither cares as both need to hear it.

"At least you don't need to pull me from any nails." She jokes, making Joel laugh at how she even thought about joking in a time like this.

"We can get you out of this, like you got me back." Joel promises, his eyes opened with a determined look.

She shakes her head slightly, making her cough up more blood over her already stained teeth, mouth and down to her neck. "No. My time's up."

"No, no it's not." Joel protests, even though he knew she was right.

"Hey, hey." She tries her best to soothe him. "You've got fire and I like that."

He smiles at her words, taking him back to their first interaction where he was unsure of her actions and words. Now he loved them.

This reminded him of the losses he had encountered and his mind wanders to her. "Do you know who you're gonna meet?" His voice had dropped and she smiles. "Who?"

"Sarah. She'll love you I know it." He replies.

"Then you take care of Ellie, take her to the Fireflies. I'll look out for Sarah. Promise?" (Y/N)'s other hand lifts, her pinky out and he smiles a pained smile, hooking his pinky around hers. "Promise."

It suddenly dawns on Joel that a few more moments and then he would have to venture on without her by his side.

"You can't." He speak, his voice cracking. "I was supposed to sing and teach you guitar." He reminds her and she smiles once more.

"You can when we meet again." (Y/N) whispers.

The hand on his cheek falls limp, the sound of it hitting the floor seeming to echo in his ears. Ellie's body racks with sobs, but all Joel can now hear is white noise. A high-pitched sound piercing him.

Her once bright (E/C) eyes full of hope were now dim and lifeless and he brings an unsteady hand to them, closing them over with the eyelids so she looked peaceful. He then takes her hands, placing a gentle kiss on each before placing them on top of her stomach.

The fire was raging throughout the building, casting an eery orange glow over the trio and he knew they had to move.

Joel places one last kiss on the firefly's cold lips, his tears falling and he leans back on his heels, staring up at the ceiling, his hand clutching the pendant around his neck.

The light in his dark had burned out.