IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR JOEL to wake up as well.

However, his awakening wasn't as passive as Ellie's or Valerie's.

Sam was the first one to notice him coming back to the land of the living.

"Henry!" Sam called out. And it was his calling that got the two girls kneeling next to Joel, still huddled into the guys' jackets, damp hair falling down from their shoulders. They were still cold, yes, but the warmth of the jackets was enough, for now. "He's awake"

Joel fluttered his eyes open, his vision swarmed by two pair of dark eyes that sent a wave of relief through him. The events leading to him losing consciousness after he fought against the strong current of the river to find and protect the girls coming to him.

They were okay.

"Hey, you" Ellie greeted with a cheerful grin once Joel actually focused on her face. "We're alive. Okay"

"Time to get up, sleeping beauty" Valerie grinned down at him.

Joel grumbled something that felt like a curse. Valerie ignored it, still grinning pleasantly. She had been dying to say that to someone after her dad told her and Rebecca that story.

"See? What'd I tell you, huh?" As Joel tried to get up with the girls' help, Joel heard Henry's voice, halting the man from moving as his features hardened while Henry seemed to be talking to the girls, "He's good. Everything's fine" he moved around to meet Joel's eyes, ignoring the hostility flaring in his eyes, "You know, Sam's the one who spotted you. You guys had taken quite a bit of water when-"

Henry was unable to finish as Joel slipped out of the girls' hold, knocking Henry over, punching him before pulling the guy's gun from him.

Ellie and Valerie jumped to their feet but made no move yet to stop the man.

Henry did deserve that punch after all.

Henry didn't think he did, though, "What the fuck's wrong with you?"

Valerie rolled her eyes.

"Henry!" Sam called out in alarm, reaching out for his gun.

Joel noticed this, aiming higher his gun to Henry's head, warning the younger boy, "Get back, son!"

Henry tried to be the big person, arms up in placating gesture while still laying on the sand, glancing at his brother, "It's fine!" Sam looked unconvinced, eyeing Joel and the gun. Henry tried to reassure Sam. "Hey, hey, hey, hey... He's pissed but he's not gonna do anything"

Joel sounded cold as he pulled off the safety of the gun, "You sure about that?"

Sam glanced at the girls, panicked but exclaimed at Joel, unable to help his brother, "Stop!"

Joel didn't seem like he wanted to stop.

Ellie bit her lip, seeing how serious he was, "Joel"

Joel didn't move his eyes from Henry, finger hovering on the trigger, "He left us to die out there"

"No" Henry argued, "You had a good chance of making it, and you did. But coming back for you meant putting him at risk" He gestured at a nervous looking Sam, briefly talking to him, "Stay back, Sam. If it was the other way around, would you have come back for us?"Joel hesitated, seeing and unfortunately understanding his point. "I saved you"

Valerie didn't like the tension, stepping up closer to Joel, her voice soft, "He saved us too" she said, getting Joel to look her way and Ellie's.

Ellie nodded, her voice soft as well. "We woulda drowned"

Joel looked between the two girls, they looked unharmed, their hair damped due to the water. They were hidden under large jackets so he flickered his eyes at the others, seeing them slightly shivering. They had abandoned their own comfort so the girls wouldn't freeze. His eyes softened slightly as he looked back at the girls, they were stubborn, their eyes still shining with innocence despite all the violence they've lived through and witnessed. He didn't want to tarnish it by killing someone in front of them. He didn't want them to look at him differently either.

Crap. Since when did he start caring about what they thought of him?

He wasn't supposed to care either about Valerie. He was only helping her leave the city, that's all. Right?

Joel sighed, lowering the gun, putting the safety on again as he threw it down.

The action got everyone to breath a collective sigh of relief.

"It's fine though. I'm okay" Henry said as he stood up, "Y'know, for what it's worth, I'm really glad we spotted you" Joel remained silent, lips pursed. Henry didn't take it personally, looking across the small beach they stood, pointing ahead, "Now, that radio tower is on the other side of this cliff. Okay? Place is gonna be full of supplies. You're gonna be really happy you didn't kill me" he lead the way, grabbing Sam's shoulder, putting space between all of them, "Hey, we're gonna search this area. See what we come up with"

Ellie and Valerie shifted awkwardly as Joel stretched slightly, looking tired yet internally fuming.

The girls reached his sides, leaving him in the middle of them, peering up at his blank expression.

"That was intense" Ellie broke the silence. "You cool?"

Joel took a moment to answer in which the girls exchanged another look.

"Yeah" it was his answer after a moment. He began walking, prompting the girls to follow after him quickly, "Let's go find that radio tower"

They walked along the beach as Joel seemed to be looking for supplies, anything worthy to be found.

Valerie kicked a small rock as they began walking up the small cliff that had a thin stream.

"For a second there, I thought you might shoot him" Valerie said, hating the silence growing between the three of them.

Joel tensed briefly, but there was no judgement in her voice, simply curiosity, "Yeah... Almost did"

"They're alright" Ellie shrugged. Joel looked at her. She didn't seem mad either that he almost shot Henry. "I think it's good to have 'em around"

Valerie shrugged in agreement, pursing her lips.

Sure, they had screwed up by leaving them behind to be killed but she supposed they redeemed in her eyes when they saved them from drowning. She huddled into the warmth seeping through the jacket.

Joel hummed, nodding curtly, his eyes settling on the brothers waiting for them, "I think you're right"

They reached the top of the cliff and a frown appeared in Valerie's face as she eyed what the brothers were examining. It was a large sewer pipe with a latch gate. Really? Inside the sewer?

Henry was examining the gate, "I bet this goes all the way through" he grabbed the gates, "Gimme a hand with this"

Joel went to grab the gates, "Alright, same time. Come on"

"Let's do it" Henry said as the two of them began to lift open the gates.

"Alright" Joel's voice was a bit strained as he kept the gate open with Henry's help, nodding his head towards the sewer piper, "C'mon, kids, go"

Despite of the disgust coloring her face, Valerie was the first one to climb inside the sewer pipe, shuffling quickly inside so the rest would filter in behind her, one of her hands kept touching the pipe wall so she'd knew where it was, feeling it's roughness and dampness. It was dark, yet she didn't dare clicking on her flashlight, at least until someone else did first.

"Hey, flashlights out" she heard Henry say, "Sam, stay-"

"Stay close, I know" Sam cut off his brother, sounding slightly annoyed, their voices resonating through the pipe.

Valerie winced at the volume as she clicked on her flashlight. She really hoped they hadn't woken up any infected swarming around the sewer.

Hopefully, there wouldn't be any infected around.

But knowing them and their luck...

She simply hoped Henry and Sam were fast runners as they were.

Valerie hooked her flashlight to a strap of her backpack. She preferred having both of her hands free to hold properly her bat and her gun.

Luckily for her, her bat hadn't gotten missing in their dive to the river. She supposed tying it tightly within her backpack had been a good idea.

The sewer was a dark tunnel, musky water running below them, reaching just below her shins and no matter how much she strained her eyes, she saw nothing.

"See anything?" Ellie asked in a low voice, pointing her flashlight to the walls, reflecting off the water under them.

"Uh-huh" Joel denied, taking the lead, stopping at what seemed a crossroad, two different tunnel paths in front of him, "Gotta find a different way"

Valerie pointed her flashlight to one of the tunnels, seeing something ahead, pointing her flashlight, "Joel, we should see what's over here"

Joel followed the light of her flashlight, walking closer, seeing a chain-linked door.

"It's blocked" Joel noted, testing the door's chains by tugging at them, looking around, finding a loose vent cap.

Ellie perked, shaking Valerie's arm, "This is your chance!" she exclaimed, pointing at the vent. Valerie frowned. "You've seen us working as a team. Maybe you can open the door for us by crawling through it"

Valerie hesitated.

"Kid, if she doesn't want to-" Joel began.

"No" Valerie interrupted, wriggling her hands together, nodding determined, "I can do it"

Joel gave her an unconvinced look for a couple of seconds into which Valerie nodded again, stubbornly.

"Alright" Joel gave up, bending slightly to pry off the vent cap.

The girls jumped slightly at the sight of a rat scurrying out into the water.

"Oh, yeesh" Ellie exclaimed, "That is a big rat"

Valerie scrunched her nose but stepped out of the water and into the vent, crawling inside it. It was small but she fit through it without no problems, standing up once she was on the other side, dusting her knees. She took a look around first, seeing it didn't go anywhere.

She turned to the door, opening it after dropping the chains, letting them fall out with a rattle sound, grinning, "Voila!"

Ellie grinned at Valerie, raising her hand for a high five which Valerie accepted with a grin of her own.

Joel shook his head at the girls' antics as he brushed past them into the room to explore. There was nothing ahead but scattered supplies which he picked up without hesitation.

Ellie turned to Valerie, "Hey, where are you going once we leave this place?"

Valerie hesitated, fidgeting with the straps of her backpack, the light of her flashlight bouncing slightly as she did so.

"I don't know" she admitted in a small voice, but forced a smile, "I suppose I'll find out once we actually leave here"

Valerie didn't have much hope into surviving, after all. She knew her time was limited. It had to be right? She was bitten, she was infected, even if the cordyceps was taking way too much to spread madness through her body.

She had to already be losing her ability to think right? She hasn't met anyone before who has lasted more than forty eight hours still sane.

Ellie gave her a reassuring smile as the three of them left the room once Joel looted everything inside it.

"You can come with us" Ellie offered. Joel glanced at her behind his shoulder but didn't protest against her invite. Not this time. "You can think about it" Valerie nodded slowly, looking down. Then Ellie turned to Joel, "Do you think they'll join us all the way to Tommy's too?"

Knowing Ellie referred to the brothers and that they weren't around to answer like Valerie did, Joel shrugged "Well, I don't know. We're just gonna have to see how everything pans out"

Ahead of them, Henry's voice echoed off through the sewer tunnels, "Hey, this way. Yeah, looks like there's a path up ahead. Right here"

Valerie, Joel and Ellie followed Henry's voice, climbing up some metal stairs, coming across a flooded cistern.

Valerie looked around for a way around the cistern. Everywhere she turned was flooded and the little light the tunnel provided came from their flashlights, making everything look eerie; the only sound coming from somewhere around the room was the rush of water.

At least, Valerie thought, if we make a lot of noise it could be muffled by the sound of the water.

There was a half sunk tree sprouting out from the water somewhere at her left and a submerged car not too far away from the tree, by a short walkway. There was what seemed a path ahead on the other side of the room which held a generator.

Sam eyed the generator the same way Valerie did, his voice low yet loud in the empty room, "Can we get out this way?"

"Nah" Henry shook his head, pointing his flashlight around, the light bouncing off the walls close to the other side of the room as he looked for a way there, "There's no way to reach that"

With a start, Valerie realized someone had to reach out to the other side by swimming. She scrunched her face when no one moved to volunteer.

"Well, I can't swim" Sam commented casually.

"That makes two of us" Ellie pipped, rocking on her heels.

Valerie sighed, "I can. I'll do it"

Valerie stepped closer to the edge, ready to jump to the freezing musky water until she was pulled back by her backpack. She tensed but after a moment, she realized only one person does that to her. She turned her head over her shoulder to see Joel dropping his hand from her backpack, shaking his head at her. She crossed her arms but stepped closer to the man as he relaxed his muscles by the girl listening to him.

He felt now responsible for her safety, he didn't want her to risk a swim into cold waters.

Henry seemed to gaze at Joel in growing respect the moment he stopped the girl from taking one for the team, turning to him, "Alright, Joel, how do we get across?"

Joel's eyes swept across the cistern, mind swirling with thoughts into how to cross the flooded room, "Guess we gotta figure somethin' out"

Henry glanced at the metal beam next to them, stepping into a barren panel, "Hey, this thing's on some kinda track" he stepped back, humming. "Maybe there's a way we can use it"

Valerie glanced around, seeing a metal wheel attached to the wall, "Look, a generator"

Henry walked past her and the other kids to the wall, attempting to turn the wheel; a gate trembled with effort next to them, but otherwise didn't move.

"It's jammed" Henry said in disappointment, stepping back.

Joel looked around the gate, his brows creasing together in intense thought as he glanced down to the water. Without saying anything, he dove into the water, surprising the kids into stepping closer to the edge of the walkway, their eyes locked on the spot where Joel swam through.

It wasn't long before Joel swam to the surface with a gasp, coughing water, looking to Henry. "Henry, give it a shot!"

"Alright, here we go" Henry complied, turning the wheel again, realizing with a grin that this time he did it without resistance, "Yep. It's working!"

Valerie realized that Joel must have somehow unclogged the sluice from under the water. That man kept surprising her every second she hung around him and Ellie.

Joel glanced at the slight opened gate, still floating on the water, "I'll go have a look. You keep an eye out"

Without waiting for a reply, Joel dove right under the gates again and Valerie's hand made it's way to her mouth, starting to bite nervously on her fingernails as she heard Joel move around the other room.

There was a moment of silent before a loud splash startled her into jumping in her place.

"Joel!" Henry called in alarm. "You okay?!"

It took a moment for Joel to answer into which he grunted it, "Yeah!" he called out  swimming back from the other room, pushing a wooden pallet, "Still in one piece"

Ellie cringed at the object, recoiling slightly, "Oh. This thing again"

Valerie could sworn there was a smirk playing on Joel's lips as he pushed the pallet to the lower part of the walkway's short steps they stood on. "Let's go, Ellie"

Looking somewhat wary of the thing, which was a surprising sight for Valerie as she had never seen that expression come across her face, Ellie hopped on the pallet with care as Joel paddled her to the other side of the cistern.

"Ahh, I can't wait to get outta this place" Ellie complained as she moved to higher ground to where the generator was.

Henry's eyes lit up as he realized Joel's plans, "Oh, there you go. That's smart"

Henry ushered the remaining kids into the platform, getting them to grab tightly onto the metal beam.

"Alright, see if that generator's still got some juice" Joel called out to the girl.

"Here goes nothin'." Ellie said as she began to pull the string up from the generator to turn it on "Alright!"

The generator turned to life, powering the platform with a loud beep which jerked the platform to movement, making Valerie hug tightly the metal beam as to not fall as it slowly rolled across the cistern to the other side, clanking to a stop once it finished its duty, reaching the other side.

Valerie carefully stepped out of the platform, reaching Ellie's side, both girls fist bumping as the brothers also hopped off the platform.

"Huh" Sam remarked in surprise, "I can't believe that actually worked"

Valerie playfully nudged at him with a grin, shaking her head. "We're very lucky with Joel at our side. I'm pretty sure I'd be trapped in the middle of that war zone if it hadn't been for him"

Joel scoffed lightly behind them as Henry pulled him out of the water but the expression on his face wasn't hard nor closed off as it used to be as he looked towards the beaming girl.

Henry hummed, eyeing the man, "I gotta say, I'm impressed with you three"

Valerie waved a hand, "I just met them"

"Pssh!" Ellie waved him off with a growing grin, "We're pros at this by now" she hooked an arm around Valerie's neck, both girls almost the same height, "She's learning and in no time she'd be a pro too"

No one noticed the grin slowly slipping away from Valerie's face.