CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

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         LUCIA'S STILETTO KNIFE PLUNGED INTO THE SKULL OF AN INFECTED THE MOMENT IT CAME AROUND THE CORNER. There was a cry behind her as Ellie attacked another one, managing to dodge it as it lunged at her and she pushed it away with a snarl. The teen stabbed it in the back of the neck and it fell to the floor limply.

"Did you see that?" she exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I did." breathed Lucia, wiping brain matter onto the back of the infected's shirt as she cleaned her knife. "We shouldn't linger, there might be more of them."

Lucia pushed open the door at the end of the hallway and squinted in the dark, letting out a low whistle to see if there was anything inside that would throw themselves at them. There were no more snarls of clicks to be heard and the brunette took hold of Ellie's wrist and hauled her inside before slamming the door shut.

"Do you think Joel's alright?" echoed Ellie, trying to keep up with her.

They had split up, wanting to cover as much ground as they could as they scavenged the hotel for supplies. They had found themselves in a small city about a week after Kansas City, and the hotel seemed mostly intact when they first set eyes upon the building.

"Joel's fine." stated Lucia, but Ellie wasn't convinced and furrowed her brows while her heart hammered within her chest. "He's probably there already, waiting for us."

Joel had gone around the back and they were supposed to meet near the kitchens of the building, both taking out any infected that might be lingering inside. There was a map one the wall and they had two corridors left before they'd reach the room.

"This place is pretty clean." uttered Ellie, glancing around. "I mean, for a building that's been un-lived in for twenty years."

"Maybe we'll get lucky." nodded Lucia, peering inside each and every room they passed cautiously. "If the rooms are in good shape we could stay here for a few days and try to find a car in the area."

"You still haven't taught me how to drive." accused Ellie.

"I showed you the basics." Lucia raised a brow at her, stopping in her tracks. "I'm sure you can get it started, at the least."

The teen shot her a glare as she stared up at the brunette in disbelief. "Get it started?"

"I promise to teach you the moment we get the chance." she promised, pushing open another door and entering the last corridor that led to the kitchen. "Maybe the Fireflies will have a car to spare and I could give you proper lessons."

"I'd like that." smiled Ellie, following after her. "How did you learn? Weren't you really young when the world ended? I read somewhere that you had to be at least sixteen before you could start lessons."

"That is correct." she nodded. "My brother taught me. We found a working car not long after and he taught me straight away, just in case i'd ever needed it."

"That's smart -"

There was a loud crash at the end of the corridor and a pained groan which sounded familiar. Lucia's legs had started to move before she even knew what was going on as she threw herself against the last door, barrelling into the kitchen with her gun tightly between her fingers.

The screech of the clicker sounded shrill in the large room and the woman didn't hesitate to pull the trigger as it lunged for Joel. The bullet penetrated through the thick hide of the fungus and it fell toward the tiles, blood splattering around its head.

Ellie had already slid her knife into the seconds head from the back as Joel kicked it away. The smuggler panted as he pushed the lifeless body away from himself.

"Are you bit?" demanded Lucia, eyes wide as she held out her hand for him to take. "Did it get you?"

"No," breathed Joel, taking her hand and getting to his feet. Lucia checked him over anyways, turning him around and checking for any bite or scratch marks. "no, i'm good."

"That was close." panted Ellie, gazing at the dead clickers.

"Are there more?" asked Lucia, meeting Joel's gaze.

The smuggler shook his head from side to side as he leaned down to pull his knife from the clicker's chest and wiping the blood on its jacket with a grimace. "No, there were three infected in the other room but I took care of them."

"Good," said Lucia, brushing a hand through her hair. "at least this entire floor is cleared."

"We're not sleeping here, are we?" wondered Ellie, scrunching up her nose. "I really want to sleep in a comfortable bed for once tonight."

"All these demands for a girl your age." scoffed Joel, but amusement shone behind his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. He met the woman's eyes and asked," Think we can clear one more floor?"

"I think we can do one more." agreed Lucia.

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THERE WERE ONLY TWO INFECTED ON THE FLOOR ABOVE THEM AND TEN ROOMS TO SCAVENGE THROUGH. They really had been lucky, most rooms were untouched and some even and filled suitcases in them. They didn't have to look any further, they had plenty of clothes to choose from for the upcoming winter.

"I want the room at the end of the hall." demanded Ellie, hand on her hip. "I saw some tapes in there and I want to listen to all of them."

"We're not splitting up." Joel declared. 

"Oh come on." she cried, throwing her arms up in the air. "I like both of you, I really do. But I am not a child and I can take care of myself. Tell him Lucia. I need some privacy every once in a while and now is the perfect time."

"Do you hear this?" asked Joel, looking at the woman beside him in disbelief. "It's out of the question, Ellie."

"Joel," Lucia sighed, giving him a lazy smile and he narrowed his eyes at her tone. "we cleared the floor. We shouldn't coddle her so much, as long as she -"

"Thank you, thank you!" she bounced on the balls of her feet and rushed forwards to plant a kiss on the woman's cheek and she disappeared into the room, locking the door behind her.

"locks the door." finished Lucia.

The woman met the smuggler's gaze once more and she held up her hands in defence at the look he was giving her. "What? Like you haven't been a teenager before."

"That was a different world back then." he stated, arms crossed. "What room are you takin' then?"

"I don't particularly care, as long as it has a bed." she shrugged, rummaging through her bag and fishing out a flask. "Look what I found, smells pretty strong. Want to share?"

"Why not?" he muttered, following after her in the room beside Ellie's.

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LUCIA HAD BEEN DRUNK A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES IN HER LIFE BEFORE, BUT SHE WOULDN'T CALL HERSELF DRUNK THIS TIME. No, there wasn't enough alcohol in the tiny flask to get her hammered but she could definitely feel the strong liquid surging through her veins as she sat against the headboard of the king sized bed.

"There is absolutely no way." argued Joel as he snatched the flask from her grip. "I've seen you take down infected, but it isn't possible to take down seven clickers by yourself. There's just no way."

"You really have such little faith in me?" she cocked her head to the side as she watched the man in front of her on the bed. "After all we've been through?" He gave her a pointed look and she let out an amused huff. "Fine, it were three. But still, I could have."

"I'm sure you could have." he raised a brow in her direction, taking another swig of the alcohol. 

Lucia slid down the headboard slightly, resting against the sea of pillows behind her as she watched the smuggler through hooded eyes, fighting of sleep as she wanted to enjoy the moment for a bit longer.

"What?" demanded Joel, noticing her gaze.

"Nothing." she muttered, as she saw him squirm underneath her stare. The woman frowned and played with them hem of her new long sleeved top. "I was just wondering how a guy like you would end up with raiders."

The smuggler stopped mid sip and lowered the flask from his lips. He didn't know why but shame overtook him like it had done that day in the woods when she had told him about being captures a few years after the outbreak.

"I already told you." he stated with a small shrug.

"You told me that it was just the way it was back then, but I don't believe you." she confessed, and Joel furrowed his brows when he still caught her staring. "You're good, Joel. I can't picture you between those monsters."

Joel let out a long sigh and sucked his lower lip between his teeth before saying, "I had no choice." Lucia pushed herself back up slightly and waited for him to continue. "You know what it was like back then. It was kill or be killed. Me and Tommy, we saw a large group of them kill an entire family just for the fun of it. We were next but ... I couldn't see my brother die, not after ..." 

He rubbed a hand over his face roughly and continued. "I killed the father of that family. I had to or they'd kill us. I made it quick, he didn't feel a thing. He begged me to do it. Soon after that we found Tess and a few of her people, they joined us. It didn't last more than a few months and we left the moment we could."

Lucia listened intently and he finally met her gaze once more. "I am not proud of it. I regret all of it, except keeping my brother safe. The things we did - I don't even want to think about them anymore. They shouldn't be said out loud."

"Did you ever -" began Lucia, heart thundering against her ribcage at the question she wanted to ask. "like, touch - ?"

"No," he retorted. "i'm no rapist."

"I know," she said quickly. "i'm sorry for even -"

"Is that what they did to you?" he demanded, leaning forwards.

Lucia cascaded her eyes downward, biting on her tongue to keep herself from speaking. This entire night had taken a different turn and she regretted even asking him about any of it in the first place. God, she was so stupid. The woman was about to get up from the bed to leave him there but he stopped her.

"Jesus Christ, Luc." he uttered gently.

"It was a long time ago, I was fifteen." she sniffed. "I'm sorry for asking, I don't even know why I did."

"Don't you apologise for that." His fingers wrapped themselves around her ankle in comfort and he had half expected her to tear herself from his grip but she didn't. "I understand why you wanted to know. It's okay. Nothing like that will ever happen again, you hear me? I will make sure of that."

The woman gave him a small smile, which is all she could muster as he offered her the flask again and she downed the last of the alcohol in one go, sending it burning down her throat.

well, i wrote this in about fourty five minutes and i am not mad at it. thanks for all suggestions for the next few chapters, i have some things planned out and i am so excited for the next chapters! <3

ALSO is there anyone able to make me a good sign off gif for this story with both joel and lucia on it? i've been trying to make a decent one for ages since my current one is ugly but i can't seem to get it right. i'd credit you of course!!