​​​6 Months Later 

"I don't know, maybe I should just give her a gift and be done with it." Tommy said as he, Elliot and I walked up a hill. We were out scouting to find if there were any infected nearby and take them out. As we were out, Tommy was talking to us about his and Maria's latest argument.

"Or maybe you should apologize to her." I said to Tommy and he chuckles. "That's what the gift is for." He said and I smirked then looked over to see Elliot staring at the ground, he seemed lost in his thoughts. "Elliot?" I said to him but he doesn't acknowledge me. "Elliot!" Tommy called out and Elliot looks up.

"Huh?" He said, confused. "Are you with us?" Tommy asked him. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." Elliot said as he nods at Tommy but he was trying not to look at me.

I don't know what's going on with him but it just seems that the last few months, Elliot has been acting strange around me. Almost distant. I thought we were good; I mean ever since that night after the campfire with the others, I thought we were great. Everything was going good, great even, but the last couple of months, he seemed...distant.

I've tried talking to him but he just says he's fine and starts to act like his old self. But it doesn't last long. Plus he has hung out with Cat a lot lately but he says she's making him a tattoo which is on his right arm to cover his bite. I was a bit worried with him being around her but he assured me that nothing was going on and that I can ask Daniel or Jesse about it as either one of them are usually there to hang out.

I would just accept him and take his word for it but there's always that voice in the back of my mind that doesn't believe him.

I shake my head out of my thoughts as we continued to go on a walk. Honestly, Elliot and I are only with Tommy because he asked us to join him while Joel was out scouting at another part of the area. 

"Anyway this silent treatment. Man. I mean I'd forget my own birthday if she didn't remind me when it was." Tommy continued on. "You should just apologize to her." Elliot said. "That's what (y/n) just..." Tommy said but stops and shakes his head.

"Okay. What's going on?" He asked Elliot. "Nothing." Elliot replied, flatly. "You sure?" I asked him. "Yeah. Why?" Elliot said. "We can tell when your off." Tommy said to him and Elliot lets out a heavy sigh. "Got some stuff on my mind." He replied and I frown at him.

"You know I'm here for you." I said and he glances at me then turns his head away from me. "I know." He mutters and I look over at Tommy as if to say ​​see what I mean? "Well if you don't want to talk to her, you can talk to me. Just let me know." Tommy said and Elliot nods. "Okay." He mutters and we get up alittle on this hill and Tommy looks out.

"Got stragglers." He said. "How many?" I asked him as we walked up to this edge. "Just a handful." He said and he raises his rifle and aims it at this hill before firing two shots.

He lowers his rifle and looks over at us. "Either of you want to give it a whirl?" He asked. "You sure?" Elliot asked him as I raise an eyebrow. "I'm feeling generous." Tommy said, smiling, which made Elliot and I laugh. 

"So, who wants to go first?" He asked and Elliot and I exchange a look. "Go ahead." I said to Elliot and he steps up and switches guns with Tommy. Then he raises the gun and looks through the scope. "See that sign there? The red one?" Tommy asked after he and I raise our binoculars and look at that area. "Yeah." Elliot said. "Try hitting that. Good way to draw out from where they're hiding." Tommy said.

Elliot fires and I could see a few infected running out and Elliot starts to fire and take them out. "That's all of them. There's usually more this way. That way, (y/n) can have a turn with it." Tommy said and we start to head off.

"Where are they coming from?" I asked Tommy. "Hordes like to move through this area in the winter. They always end up leaving behind a few stragglers." Tommy explains. "They do the same routes every year?" Elliot asked. "Like a migration or something." Tommy said.

"What's that about?" I asked. "Well, when a biometric pressure reaches a certain temperature...shit, I don't know." Tommy said. "What? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one?" I asked, teasingly, and Elliot chuckles. "I am...just...don't tell Joel." Tommy said and we laugh.

"Here." Elliot said as he hands me the rifle and we trade guns and I raise up the rifle and look through the scope. "There's some in that shed. Looks like they're moving down hill." Tommy points out. "Why?" I asked and Tommy hums as he looks through his binoculars.

"Ah! Dead animal! Over by that truck, they're munching on a dead deer." Tommy said as I move the gun over and see what he was talking about through the scope. Then I fire at those infected, which of course cause more to come out. But I was able to take care of them.

"Looks clear. Let's look over this way." Tommy said as I lowered the gun and we follow him. "Here. By the ski lifts." Tommy said and I look at Elliot and hold out the rifle, which he takes and hands me my gun back. "Okay, by that tower, under those gondolas." Tommy said and Elliot began to fire at the infected.

"I'm gonna have to tell Joel about this. I hope he's stirring that stew. Knowing him, he's probably left it to burn on the bottom. He's good at killing shit but he ain't good at cooking. He used to do that with everything. Oatmeal. Soup." Tommy said and I chuckle a bit. "Well, if you want me to, I can go down there and check on the stew. Maria's showed me how to cook and all. I know what to do." I said as Elliot kept shooting at some infected.

"If you don't mind." Tommy said and I nodded and headed off down towards the lodge building where we were staying at.

"That was y'all shooting out there, right?" Joel asked me as I walked in. "Oh, just some stragglers. Elliot and I got to try out Tommy's scope." I said, excitedly, and Joel smiles. "Really? How'd you like it?" He asked me and I nodded. "It was cool." I said as we heard more bullets fired.

"So...what are you doing down here already?" Joel asked me as I went over to the pot of stew. "Oh, Tommy was worried you were leaving the stew to burn so I offered to come down here to check on it." I said as I started to stir the stew and Joel scoffs. "Jeez, doubting my cooking." He mutters and I chuckle.

*3rd Person POV*

"I'm not seeing anymore." Tommy said after Elliot killed the infected. "Yeah me neither." Elliot said. "Well, all right. Let's head in. See if Joel's back." Tommy said. "Sure." Elliot replied, flatly, then the two began to exchange guns. 

"Thanks for that. It's just what I needed." Elliot said, smirking. "Sure." Tommy said then he pushes a bush aside so Elliot could walk through. "I'm not supposed to say anything...but Joel's worried about you. And it looked like (y/n)'s worried about you too." Tommy said as they walk down the hill.

"There's nothing to worry about." Elliot said. "I'm sure there isn't. But if you don't talk to them, especially Joel, they're going to think something's wrong." Tommy said. "I talk to them." Elliot grumbles. "You have to do more than hi and bye or one worded responses." Tommy said and Elliot sighs, heavily. "Okay, I'll try." He said, exasperated, and Tommy nods and they head towards the lodge.

*(y/n)'s POV*

"Hey, there you are!" I said as Tommy and Elliot come in and go to sit down at a table near Joel. "(Y/n) said you guys got to try out Tommy's scope...How'd you like it?" Joel asked us. "Yeah. Feels good." Elliot said, rushed. He sits there and looks away while Tommy sits down and starts to kick back. 

"I see you two, uh...haven't got around changing the strings yet." Joel said as he stands up and holds up Elliot's guitar then nods towards mine that was leaning towards the bar behind me and Joel. "I didn't know I was supposed to." Elliot said as he looks up and chuckles, awkwardly. "I didn't know that either." I said, scratching the back of my head, and Joel chuckles.

"Well, we'll get you some new ones." Joel said and he leans the guitar against the table by Elliot and Tommy, walks over next to me as Tommy picks the guitar up.

"There's that music store down there. I bet they got guitar stuff." Tommy suggests and Joel, Ellioy and I all exchange awkward looks. "I mean that area is long overdue for a sweep anyway. I can keep watch." Tommy said as he looks over at us and Joel looks up at Elliot then me.

"What do you say, kiddos?" He asked us. "Sure." We said, shrugging, then Tommy begins to play the guitar. "And that's our que." Joel said as Joel and I walk out while Tommy chuckles.

Joel and I go to two of the horses while Elliot follows us. "Alright. Let's go." He said. "Okay. Follow me, kiddos." Joel said as he gets on his horse and Elliot and I mount our respective horses. Then we began to gallop away. 

"So, you two and Tommy cross anything when you was out?" Joel asked us. "Just a few we saw from the ridge." Elliot replied, shrugging. "You?" I asked. "Uh, you know....found two runners in a house." Joel said to us then it went silent again.

"Jesse tells me you two are handling your own quite well on the group patrol. He's even recommended both of you for paired patrols. Though I still think you two are a bit young for it." Joel said. "We're a better shot than almost all of them." I said, annoyed. "And we have more experience than most of the new recruits who've..." Elliot started to argue but Joel talks over him.

"Look...if you two think you're ready, I trust you." He said. "Okay. Thanks." Elliot said, a sound of relief in his voice. "Thanks Joel." I said. "Just do me a favor and start with the shorter routes for awhile, Y'know. See how you guys handle them." Joel said to us. "Alright." We said and we keep trotting on.

"You remember those Savage Starlight comic books that you kids are into?" Joel asked us. "Yeah?" Elliot and I said. "Tommy and I found some when we were moving through that school the other day." Joel said. 

"Did you like 'em?" Ellie asked us, curiously. "Oh, you know, it's not really my cup of tea. But...Dr. Daniella Star, I mean, she's pretty..." Joel started to say before I talk over him. "She's a savage." I said. "Yeah, what she does to Captain Ryan in that Death Match..." Joel said, chuckling.

"Yeah, I mean, he definitely deserved it but..." Elliot started to say but he stops before Joel talks. "Well, it was a nice twist on how they escape, though." He said and Elliot and I giggle. "You're funny." I said as we make up to a fence and the old motel building. 

"Music store's up that way...we're gonna have to leave the horses here." Joel said as we come up to the fence. "Yeah...sounds good." Elliot said and we stopped then got off of the horses and jumped the fence.

"There's that music store." Joel said, pointing at the tall sign a few miles up ahead. We walk up to two large vehicles blocking the road before Joel turns to me and Elliot. "Need a boost?" He asked us. "I got it." Elliot said and he climbs up the old moving truck and gets on top of it then gets on the other side.

"Uh, I don't think we can go this way." We hear him say. "What?" We said, confused, and Joel and I climb up on top of the truck and see that the area was dried out and the road was sunken in. "Well, damn. Used to be able to swim across this...." Joel said, disappointed.

"So now what?" I asked him. "Well, if you kids are up for it, we can try cutting through that hotel." Joel said and Elliot and I nod. "I'm up for it." He said then he looks at me. "You?" He asked and I nod then we climb back up on the truck then we head over to the hotel building.

We make it to the front door and I tried to open it but it wouldn't budge. "Damn it." I grumbled and Elliot sighed. "Of course." He said. "Oh, that might be something." Joel said and we turned and see him staring at a crawlspace under what looks like a collapsed roof.

"Think that you can fit in there?" Joel asked me as I kneel down to look at it. "Hmmm...maybe. Worth a shot, though." I said and Joel nods then he and Elliot pick up a part of the collapsed rubble and I crawled through into a room then looked around.

"I'm through. I'll let you boys in." I called out. "All right." Joel said. I walk out of the room and look around to make sure no infected were nearby then I see the front door. I head to door and began to unlock it then open the door to see Joel standing there, leaning to the side as his left hand was braced against the doorframe, and Elliot standing behind him with his arms crossed. "Well, hey there." I say to them. "Howdy." Joel said as Elliot waves a bit.

"You impressed?" I asked them as Joel walks in. "No, you're just too skinny. Need to eat more." Joel teased and I scoff. "You're welcome." I grumbled and I hear Elliot chuckle behind me.

The three of us began to scavenge and look around until Joel speaks up. "Hey, kids. I think I've found a way through. But there are spores." He said and Elliot and I head over to him as Joel stands in front of a snack machine, that was covering a giant hole. "Okay, put your masks on." Joel said and he and I started to put ours on but Elliot looks over at us, annoyed. "Do I have to? It's just us." He said.

"What if we run into someone?" Joel pointed out to him and he sighs. "Okay. Fine." He said, exasperated, and he pulls out his mask and puts it in while Joel pushes the machine aside.

He goes through the hole in the wall then me and finally Elliot. "You gotta be smart about this. You stop wearing that mask, kiddo, and eventually you're gonna slip up in front of someone you shouldn't." Joel tells him. "I never slipped." Elliot said, firmly, as we walked through some rooms.

"You haven't told anyone new, have you? Like Jesse or Dina or Daniel or --" Joel started to asked but Elliot shakes his head. "Of course not!" He said and Joel glances at him. "He hasn't, Joel. I promise." I defended and Joel nods "Okay, good." Joel said and we continue on.

"You ever been in here before?" Elliot asked Joel after climbing through a hole and landing into another room. "No. I've just patrolled the streets. Feeling like a bit of an oversight now..." Joel said. "Maybe." Elliot and I mutter and we see a dead Clicker that's stuck to the wall.

"Looks like it was shot here awhile back." I pointed out as I look at the Clicker. "When'd did the last patrol go through here?" Elliot asked. "Not sure." Joel said, shrugging.

"Is it one of us?" Elliot asked and I shrugged. "Only people went missing from Jackson are them teenagers from last year. This one's too old. Probably just roamed in." Joel pointed out as I stand up and we continued through until we come up to these large double doors.

Joel opens the door, slowly, and we could hear some infected and Clickers inside. "We are on patrol, right?" I said and the three of us share a look before Joel nods. "Alright. Let's take 'em out." Joel said and we head in what is the lobby area and, quietly, take out the few infected and Clickers inside.

"Guys, I think we did it." I said after a few moments of silence. "Yeah, I think so, too." Elliot said, breathless, and Joel nods. "Good job, kiddos." Joel congrats and Elliot and I nod. "Yeah, you too." Elliot said. "So, what do you guys say we give up on those strings for today?" I suggeste.

"Couldn't said it better myself." Joel said as we look around the room. "I think our only way out is forward now." Joel said and we go through another set of doors then through some more rooms.

"This looks like something." He said as we come up to a crawl space in the walls. "Following you." Elliot said and Joel squeezes through then me and Elliot. Joel and I duck down under this pipe and kept going when we heard something break. 

We look over and see that the pipe broke and Elliot stared at it for a moment and we stopped moving, looking towards the wall. We could hear a noise and then a roar before there was a crash and a Bloater burst throught the wall and grabs Elliot. "Elliot!" Joel and I screamed and we get out of the crawl space just as the Bloater tossed Elliot on the floor. 

Joel and I pull out our shotguns and fired at the monsters. "Leave him alone, you sonuvabitch!" I shouted and the monster started coming at us but we back away. Elliot threw a molotov at it and it roars in pain then turns to him. The flames died down on it and more infected started coming at us.

I went and shot at them while Joel shot at the Bloater until it grabbed Elliot. It pulled off his mask and tried to grab his face. "ELLIOT!" I screamed, fearfully, until Joel pulls out his machete and sliced at it's arm, making it let Elliot go, then stabbed it, repeatedly, until it died. I run over to Elliot and help him up to his feet.

"Shit." He whispered, shocked. "You okay?" I asked him, worried, and he nods then go and hug him and I feel him patting me on the back.

"That was too close." Joel said, breathless. "Sure....but we fucking did it." Elliot said after we break our embrace and stand up. "We sure did." Joel chuckled and we started to continue on.

"You good?" I asked Joel. "Other than being really old, ain't nothing a solid night of sleep won't shake off." Joel said. "I wanna get outta here." Elliot said, exasperated, and we agreed and continued on.

We make it to another set of doors and Joel and Elliot move the couch that was barricading the door. "Wait, what if there's like two Bloaters on the other side?" I asked, worried. "It'll be fine." Joel assured me as they move the couch out of the way then Joel opens the door, his gun drawn and he looks around before turning to us.

"Spores are clear." Joel said and we walk in and I shut the door behind us as Joel and I take off our masks. "Quiet the fight we had back there, huh?" Elliot said as we walked down the hallway. "Not often we get a Bloater around these parts." Joel said.

"Yeah. Jesse, Dina and Daniel are going to lose their shit when they hear about this." I said. "No shit. I can just see Daniel going green once we explain it to him." Elliot said, chuckling. "And I'm sure Cat would absolutely love hearing about your near death experience." I sneered and Elliot glares at me.

"Uh, you two okay?" Joel asked after Elliot and I glare at each other. "Everything's fine, Joel. Just teasing Elliot." I said as Joel looks at us over his shoulder. "Okay..." Joel said, unsure, as we head up to this door and Joel goes to open it but it only opens a few inches.

"Think you can squeeze through there?" Joel asked me and I nods and go through the door. "See what it is?" Elliot asked me as I turned around and saw a counter behind the door. "Yeah." I said and I move it out of the way. "Okay." I said and Joel opens the door wider and they walk in as I walk to the middle of the room and see a dead body.

I hear a noise then look over to see a Clicker, with no legs, start crawling towards me. "(Y/n)!" Joel shouts and, before I could react, he runs over to the Clicker, puts his foot on it's back and shot it in the head, killing it. "Thanks." I said and he nod at me as Elliot comes up to me. "You okay?" He asked me. "Yeah." I said and I stare at the dead body then at the Clicker.

"Hey, guys. I think it's them. The couple that ran away last year." I said as I point at the dead body. Joel kneels down to the body and looks it over. "Think you're right." Joel said and I look over and see a note at the table then I pick it up. 

"Jackson is a wonderful place....but we got tired of hearing the stories of people suffering everywhere else..." I read and the boys look at me. "We wanted to save lives, we had good intentions...we didn't make it an hour before running into a horde. Now we're bitten. We've decided we're gonna end our lives instead of turning. Please tell our family and friends that we're sorry. Love Adam and Sidney." I said then I flip the note to the back and saw some more writing. "I shot her. I can't take my own life I'm a fucking coward. Adam." I read and I place my other hand over my mouth in shock. "Jesus." Joel mutters, horrified. 

"If only they were immune, right?" Elliot said as he looks at the body. I lower my hand then Joel and I exchange a nervous look before Joel clears his throat. "Well, let's...let's go get Tommy, and we can take thse bodies back to Jackson." He said and he pats my arm and I set the note down and we start to walk towards the front door.

"After you guys took me out of the Firefly hospital...Joel, you said that there were dozens of people like me." Elliot said, making us stop in our tracks then turn to him. "Yeah. Yeah, that's what they told me." Joel said to him. "I've never met another immune person before. Have you?" Elliot asked us then Joel and I share a quick look before I turn to Elliot. 

"They could be hiding it. You do." I said, shrugging. "Do you guys believe that?" Elliot asked, questioning, and I raise an eyebrow at him. "Is now really the time for this?" Joel asked him. "We traveled across the entire country to bring me to the Fireflies....I had so many questions for them." He said and I could tell he was getting angry.

"Why did you guys pull me out of there while I was still unconscious?!" He asked, loudly. "Because I let them run their tests, and when I saw that they were useless, I got all three of us out of there...." Joel said, firmly.

"How do you know they were useless? Maybe if you woulda given them more time, they could have figured something out--" Elliot yells as Joel walks over to him and stands in front of him while I stood behind Joel.

"Elliot. There was no cure. There's nothing that could've helped these people or anybody else." Joel said, firmly. "I know you wish things were different--(y/n) and I--we wish things were different. But they ain't." He said and the two stare at each other, my heart beating like a jackhammer, before Elliot, his eyes welling up, looks away.

"We need to get these kids back to their families." I said and they look over at the bodies before Joel looks back at Elliot. "Is there something else you like to rehash?" Joel asked him and Elliot looks back at him. "No." He said, flatly. "Good. C'mon." Joel said and we start to head out.

That night, we made our way back to Jackson and Elliot had barely said two words to me since we got back. He just went back into his little shed and never came out. I felt terrible about this and I couldn't go to sleep. I sighed then grabbed my guitar and started to play a song then I start to sing it, softly.

It's easier to run
Replacing this pain with something numb
It's so much easier to go
Than face all this pain here all alone

Something has been taken from deep inside of me
A secret I've kept locked away
No one can ever see

Wounds so deep they never show
They never go away
Like moving pictures in my head
For years and years they've played

"Everything okay, kiddo?" Joel's voice asked and I jumped at this, not expecting him to be there. "I couldn't sleep." I said as I look down at the guitar and just fiddle with the strings. "I'm sorry if I woke you up." I said and he shakes his head. "Actually I was just about to head to bed but I heard you were still awake." Joel said and I nod.

"So what's on your mind?" He asked me and I set the guitar to the side. "How long?" I asked and he gives me a confused look. "How long what?" Joel asked. "How long do we have to keep doing this? Th-this lie!" I said and Joel frowns. "I mean...is this still a good idea?"

"(Y/n), it's the best for him." Joel said and I sighed. "But I have this feeling that he's gonna confront us about it. And I'm not sure if I'm ready to have that conversation." I said and Joel gives me a sympathetic look. "I know." He said, softly. "It was your idea in the first place. I just went along with it and you knew how much I hated lying to him." I said.

"I know, (y/n)." He says then he shakes his head and sighs. "Maybe one day we'll tell him but right now, just do your best to keep it to yourself."

I sighed, heavily, then Joel comes up to me and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I look up at him, stand up and hug him. "I just don’t know what to do when the truth comes out." I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes, as he hugs me back and pats my back.

"I'll figure it out." Joel said then I pull back from the hug and wipe away the tears. "Hey, it's getting late. You need to get some sleep. New day ahead of us tomorrow." He says and I nod. "Okay." I whispered. "G'dnight, baby girl." Joel said as he stands up and starts to walk out of my room.

"Night, dad." I said and I froze for a moment.

That was a slip of the tongue.

I look over at Joel and I could tell he was shocked by this as well. "I..I'm sorry. That was a slip up and..." I stammered but Joel shakes his head and I could've sworn I saw tears in his eyes. "It's okay, (y/n)." He said, softly, before he clears his throat, gives me a small smile and shuts my door while I smirked a bit.

I then get ready for bed and start to fall asleep, not realizing that the truth about the Fireflies and what happened in that hospital was coming sooner than I expected.