*(y/n)'s POV*

Went out one night to make a little round

I met Little Sadie and I shot her down

Went back home, jumped into bed

44 pistol under my head

I woke up in the morning about half past nine

The hacks and the buggies standing in line

Gents and gamblers standing around

Taking little sadie to her burying ground

I began to think of what a deed I'd done

I grabbed my hat and away I did run

Made a good run, just a little too slow

They overtook me in jericho

I bobbed my head to the music as I leaned against the wall at the bar while Joel stood next to me. "Here you go." Tommy said as he hands us our drinks. "Thanks, Tommy." Joel said as we take our drinks and I take a sip. "So, how are the boys?" Maria asked us, referring to our sons Aiden and Ethan. "They're doing good. Being awnry as ever." I replied.

"Wonder where they got that from?" Tommy asked, sarcastically, as he glances over at Joel. "Hey!" Joel said, slightly offended, while I sniggered. "I don't know, it's a total mystery." I said, feigning ignorance, and Tommy and Maria laugh as Joel shakes his head. "Oh, I see how it is." He grumbles but I could see a faint of a smile on his lips.

"You know I love you." I said as I lean up and kissed his cheek. "Mmhmm." He hums and I wrap my arm around his arm.

"Anyway, I think maybe in a couple of days we should have a family get together. Maybe like a movie night or something." Tommy suggested and Joel and I smiled. "That sounds nice. Aiden and Ethan would love to see you guys again." I said and Joel nods in agreement. 

"Have you guys talked to Ellie?" Maria asked us and Joel and I give her a sad look. "What happened between you guys?" She asked and I run my hands over my eyes. "I-It's...complicated." Joel replied and Tommy and Maria nodded, although I could tell that they weren't satisfied with the answer.

Then the song ends and a softer and slower song started to play and Joel smiles. He sets his drink down on the table before he grabs my hand. "C'mon." He whispers and I set my drink down just as he leads me to the dance floor as other couples get there.

"Joel, what are you doing?" I asked, curiously, just as we stopped walking and I stand in front of him. "Just follow my lead." He said and he places his right hand around my waist then takes my right hand into his left and we start to slow dance to the music.

I smirked as I placed my left hand on his shoulder then the both of us swayed side to side. "Y'know...this is nice. I miss this." I said and he chuckles, softly. "I mean, don't get me wrong...I love our sons but...sometimes I miss these times of just you and me." I said to him. "Oh, trust me...you ain't the only one." He said and I laugh, softly.

I take my right hand out of his hand then wrapped my arms around his neck and he wraps his arms around my waist. Both of us stare into each others eyes, lovingly, then he starts to smile. "What?" I asked him. "Nothin'." He said but he still had that smile on his face.

"What's going on in your head, cowboy?" I asked him, curiously, and he chuckles. "It's just...it's just that this right here..." he said as he nods at me. "Reminded me of our wedding day." He said and I smiled. "Oh yeah?" I said. "Yeah...I remember thinking how beautiful you were...and how lucky I was to have you." He said.

"I remember how nervous I was that day but then when I looked into your eyes, once I got up to that alter, my nerves melted away." I said and Joel chuckles. "I also seem to recall you shoving that piece of cake into my face once we finished cutting the cake." Joel reminisced and I laugh. "Yeah, but you got me back by kissing me while your face was covered in cake and icing." I said and the both of us share a laugh.

Then my eyes wandered over his shoulder and see Ellie a few feet away from us, dancing with Dina. And they were dancing almost similar to how Joel and I are dancing. It kinda hurt seeing her, I mean we hadn't left in the best of terms almost two years ago but I still care and worry about her.

Joel, I know, was having a hard time dealing with Ellie being distant with us, I could see it in his eyes and face. Especially, when he would interact with our sons. He had a good time with being their dad but I could tell he still wanted Ellie around.

I watched as Dina and Ellie were talking and slowed danced, their arms around each other. "Whatcha looking at?" Joel asked me then he follows my gaze and sees Ellie just as Dina and her look at each other, lovingly, then Dina leans in and kissed Ellie.

I knew it! I thought as I see them share a kiss. They pull back and I see Ellie smiling until Seth, one of the residents here, goes over to them. "Hey! This is a family event." He said and Joel and I watch him, closely. "Sorry." Dina says, chuckling, but Seth glares at them. "Sorry." Dina said again, only a bit more defensive. 

She takes Ellie's hand and starts to walk away as Seth yells after them. "Remember next time there's kids around." said Seth and Joel and I break our embrace as he glares over at Seth. "Yeah, like your setting such a great example." Dina said as her and Ellie walk further away.

"Oh, just what this town needs. Another loud mouth dyke." Seth sneers and then Joel jumps into protective father mode and starts to go at Seth. "Joel!" I said just as Ellie turns around and turns towards Seth.

"The fuck did you just say?!" She asked, angrily, just as Joel goes up to Seth. "Hey." He yells then he shoves Seth back while I go over to Joel and stand in front of him, placing my hands on his chest to stop him.

"Joel, please." I pleaded, quietly, as Joel glares at Seth. "Get the hell outta here." He growls at Seth. "Get your hands off me." Seth said as he starts to come towards Joel but I turn to Seth. "Stop!" I said just as Maria comes up.

"Hey! Enough." Maria said then she turns to Seth and grabs his arm, leading him out of the building, Tommy following behind them. Joel and I turn just as Ellie started to walk away. 

"You alright, kiddo?" Joel asked her then she turns, sharply, to him. "What is wrong with you?" She spat at him. "He had no right..." Joel started to say but Ellie talks over him. "And you do?!" She asked, angrily. "Ellie, he was just trying to..." I tried to explain but she shakes her head.

"I don't need his fucking help, (y/n). And I don't need yours either." She growled and I frowned at her, my heart breaking at this, then I looked down before looking around to see everyone staring at us. "Right." Joel mutters then I hear footsteps. I turn my head and see him walking away, I give him a sad look then turn to Ellie for a moment before I go and follow Joel out.

Later that night, we were back at our house and I grabbed two mugs of coffee, that I made, and walk out to the back porch. There, Joel was sitting in a chair and playing his guitar while Aiden and Ethan were sitting on the floor of the porch, listening to their father play.

I smiled as I set Joel's mug on the table next to him then I sit on the chair on the other side of the table. I take a few sips of coffee as I watch our sons watch and listen to Joel play.

Ever since they were born, they immediately gotten attached to him. So much so, that I would tease Joel and say that the boys love him more than me. I mean, when they were smaller and cried in the middle of the night, I would try to calm them down but they would continue to cry. Then Joel would come in and help me and immediately they would stop.

Even at one point, he would play his guitar and the boys would fall asleep to the soft strums of Joel's guitar.

After while, we hear footsteps and all of us look over to see Ellie walking up to us. "Ellie!" Aiden and Ethan exclaimed, happily, and they get up and run over to her. She smiles, slightly, and kneels down as they run into her arms, hugging her.

Ever since Ellie stopped talking to us, Aiden and Ethan have missed her and only see her when we walk around the streets of Jackson

"Hey, you little monsters." She said, smiling, at them as Joel sets his guitar down then he and I share a look before looking back at Ellie. She hugs the boys tightly then raises her head towards us, her eyes full of mixed emotions.

"Hey." Joel and I said to her as she stands up but both Aiden and Ethan grab her hands and hold it, which made my heart melt. They love her so much like most young kids do with their older siblings. 

I stare at Ellie then at the boys before I clear my throat. "Uh, boys, why don't you two go inside and get ready for bed?" I said to them. "Do we have to?" Aiden asked, his big (e/c) eyes filled with disappointment. "Yes." I said and both boys groan and look up at Ellie.

"It's okay, I just need to talk to them. It's boring adult stuff." Ellie said to the boys and they nod. They walk over to the door as I open it and they enter inside while Ellie walks closer then leans over the railings of thr porch. I shut the door and both Joel and I picked up our mugs of coffee.

"What are you guys drinking?" She asked, the awkward tension between us was so thick you could cut it with a sword. "Coffee." I replied. "Where'd you get that?" She asked. "Uh, those people that came through last week." Joel replied. "Oh." She said, understanding, the three of us standing next to each other, leaning over the railings. 
Ellie was at one end, I was at the other end and Joel was standing between us.

"A little embarrassed as to what I had to trade to get it, but...not bad." Joel said and he takes another sip from his cup. "Better than nothing." I remarked. We stand there in silence again before Ellie speaks up.

"I had Seth under control." She said as she turns to Joel. "Yeah, I know." He said. "And you guys need to stop harassing Jesse about my patrols." She said and both of us look down. We had be giving Jesse a bit of a hard time about Ellie's patrols but it was only to make sure she was safe. "Okay." Joel whispers as I nod. "Sorry." I said and Ellie let's out a heavy sigh.

"Dina. Is she your girlfriend?" I asked her. "No! No. She--that was just one kiss...it didn't mean anything. She just...I don't know why she did that." Ellie said, quickly. "You do like her." Joel said and Ellie raises her head then sighs once again before she turns her head away.

"I'm so stupid." She whispers and I look over at her, sympathetically. "Look, (y/n) and I have no idea what that girl's intentions are, but...both of us know that she would be lucky to have you." Joel said and I nod in agreement.

"You guys are such assholes." She growls as she shakes her head. "We're not trying to--" I started to say but she starts to raise her voice. "I was supposed to die in that hospital. My life would've fucking mattered!" She yelled, angrily, as she hits the side of her fist on the railings, as if to make a point. "But both of you took that from me!" She yelled then she let's out a sigh like the weight was lifted off of her shoulder.

I ran my thumb over the rim of my mug then set it down just as Joel does the same and stands up straighter. "If somehow the Lord gave us a second chance at that moment...we would do it all over again." Joel said, firmly, as he turns to face Ellie.

She looks at him for a moment then looks over at me and I nod at her. "It's true." I said and she turns her head away from us as she looks down. "Yeah." She whispers. "I just...I don't think I could ever forgive you guys for that." She said and Joel and I look down then look away from her. "But I would like to try." She said and then I shut my eyes as I felt the tears filling up, not from sadness but from happiness and relief.

It hasn't been the same since Ellie found out about our lie and the silence and the ignoring us has really hurt us. And I know its bothered Joel the most. Thank God, we have our sons to keep his mind busy; but even then I could tell he was heartbroken that Ellie wasn't around. Both of us just wanted to go back to those happy moments, where all of us acted like a family.

Cause even through all of this, I still consider Ellie my daughter, just like I did with Sarah all them years ago. And I know Joel feels the same way.

I open my eyes and both Joel and I look over at her. "We'd like that." Joel said and she stands there for a moment. "Okay." She whispers then she looks back over to us. "I'll see you guys around." She said. "Yeah." We said, in unison, and she walks away.

Joel let's out a shaky, heavy sigh then I come up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist then lean my head against his back. He places his hand over mine and runs his thumb over my hand and we stand there for a good few moments in silence. 

"Alright, you two." I said to Aiden and Ethan as I tucked them into bed. "Is everything okay, mommy?" Ethan asked me. "Yeah, everything's fine, honey. Why do you ask?" I asked. "It's just you and Daddy looked sad when Ellie showed up." Ethan said and I look at him, feeling a bit sad.

"Is Ellie okay? Is she coming back around?" Aiden asked me. "Yeah, she's fine. And um...well...that's what your father and I are hoping." I tell them. "I hope so. I miss having her around." Aiden said. "Yeah, I have found some more superhero cards for her." Ethan said and I chuckle.

"Why did she stop coming by, mommy? Does she not like us anymore?" Ethan asked and I felt my heart break at this as both boys look at me with such sadness in their eyes. "No, no. Ellie still loves you guys. It's just...it's just...it's complicated, dears." I said and they look at me, confused.

"I'll explain it to you boys when you're older, okay?" I said and they stare at me for a moment then they nod. "Just know that it has nothing to do with you two." I tell them and they nod at them. I smirk a bit then I tuck them in their bed and kiss their foreheads. "Goodnight, boys." I said, softly.

"Night." Ethan said.

"Night, mommy." Aiden said and I shut the lights off and started to close the door but left it open a crack.

I walk into mine and Joel's shared room and see Joel sitting on the edge of the bed, his back facing me. I give a sympathetic look towards him before I go sit behind him and wrap my arms around his shoulder, hugging him. 

He takes one of my hands and kissed it before he sighs. I lean my chin on his shoulder then I kiss his neck before I look at him, I could see that his mind was preoccupied with what Ellie had said.

"Hey..." I whispered and he turns to face me. I give a small smile at him and said. "It's a start at least." He and I stare at each other before he nods. "Yeah. It's a start." He mutters and a small smile graces his lips. "I told you she would come around...eventually. We just needed to give her time." I said and he nods.

We share a kiss then we lean our foreheads against each other for a few moments until I remove my arms off of him and get up then turn the lights off.

I go over to my side of the bed and pull back the blankets just as Joel gets up and goes over to his side of the bed. Both of us get into bed then Joel pulls me closer to him and he pushes a strand of hair away from my face as he looks into my eyes.

"I love you." He whispers. "I love you too." I said and he leans in and kissed me. We kiss for a few moments before I pull back then curl up against his chest. He holds me close then kissed the top of my head as I start to close my eyes and fall asleep, listening to his heartbeat.