ELLIE'S SOFT GROANS could be heard in the backseat of the truck. She slowly started waking up, slightly opening her eyes and sitting up.

"W—What?"

Joel was driving the car with Y/N sitting in the passenger's seat. The smuggler looked at the girl through the rearview mirror.

"It's all right. You're with us." He reassured her. "Take it slow. The drugs are still wearin' off."

Knowing the men were still with her brought her a sense of relief amidst her initial confusion. She let out a breath and laid back down.

"I was with the Fireflies and then..." Ellie began. "What drugs?"

Joel looked ahead at the road they were driving down. Y/N was quiet, simply staring out of the window on his side. The older man explained.

"They were runnin' some tests on you...and some others. Turns out there's a whole lot more like you...people that are immune. Dozens of 'em. And the doctors, they couldn't make any of it work. They've actually..."

Joel paused for a moment. His son continued sitting in silence, not reacting to the lie his father had come up with. Strangely, he tried to force his mind into believing it...just to make everything more justified.

Joel finished. "They've stopped lookin' for a cure."

Ellie laid there, quiet. They could tell that she was disappointed to hear that the Fireflies gave up their pursuit of the cure. Everything they worked for...everything she endured...felt like it was for nothing.

"Where are my clothes?" She asked.

"Raiders attacked the hospital. We barely got ya outta there." Joel replied. "We'll find you some new ones on the way."

Ellie looked in Joel's direction. "Were people hurt?"

After a pause, Joel responded. "Yes."

The girl looked toward Y/N. She couldn't see his face because his seat was blocking her and he was facing the window.

She thought of the people the young man once knew and would often talk about, like Brent and Mike. It was terrible hearing that they were likely hurt too. The thought of it made her remember someone she knew as well.

"Is Marlene okay?"

This time, Joel didn't respond. Y/N shifted in his seat a bit, which Ellie took notice of. Their silent reactions alone told her all she needed to know.

"I'm takin' us home." Joel finally spoke.

Ellie closed her eyes and turned around, still laying down but now facing the backseat. Both men knew she was upset about everything.

Joel looked at her through the rearview mirror one last time before staring back toward the road.

"I'm sorry."

• • •

THEY WERE A couple of hours into their trip. Having a fueled-up truck really helped on their trip back to Jackson. Getting from one place to another on foot would take days to even weeks, but having a vehicle and knowing the way back cut it drastically to just several hours.

Ellie had gotten some new clothes during a previous stop in a neighborhood. They had taken some time to eat in the car and it was mostly done in silence. All three didn't have to desire to make conversation, especially the fourteen-year-old.

"I need to go to pee." Ellie finally spoke.

Joel looked out the window, seeing a spot on the side of a garage. He pointed.

"You could go there."

"Behind that trash can?" She asked.

Y/N looked at it too. "Good spot so we can still have an eye on you...but not actually see you, you know?"

Ellie exhaled, grabbing a magazine, and opening the door. She soon left and went over to the spot to go to the bathroom. Joel and Y/N sat in the car, still silent.

The smuggler glanced at his son, who was still eating some of his food and staring ahead.

"We can talk about it, you know?" Joel began, glancing out the window toward Ellie's direction. "At least for a bit."

Y/N kept chewing, not knowing what to say. He understood that he was talking about what happened at St. Mary's Hospital. What was there to say?

Joel continued. "I—I understand it was hard. Doing what you did. I probably could've done something instead of you...but I froze...again. That gun being pointed at me and..."

The older man stopped. Y/N took a breath through his nose and looked down.

"What I did...to those people...to Marlene...to Brent..." Y/N began, taking a beat before continuing. "If God gave me the chance for a redo...I'd do it again."

Joel turned to Y/N. The young man finally looked up and faced his father. He continued.

"When I saw him pointing that gun at you...threatening to kill you...I saw the soldier. I saw the same guy who killed Sarah. I was so little then but that image still is burned into my mind. Pulling the trigger, seeing him standing over you and her to finish the job. I—"

Y/N stopped and let out a shuddered breath. Joel was reliving those moments with him as he spoke about it. His gaze softened as the young man kept going.

"Back then, I was too small. I wasn't strong enough to save her...wasn't brave enough. I didn't have the choice. But back there...I did. I did have the choice. I did what I once couldn't do."

Joel understood what his son had to say, and he wholeheartedly agreed with his thought process. It mirrored what he believed. He couldn't let another person they cared about be taken away again.

So they did what most people probably wouldn't have done...and they saved her.

"She's alive...because of you." Joel said and put a hand on his shoulder. "I've—I chose to keep going...when everything seemed lost...because of you."

Y/N kept looking at Joel. Seeing his father yet again break his cold exterior to have that moment almost brought a tear to his eye.

"I love you, mijo." He said. "I don't know if I ever told you that...but I do. I love you."

Y/N was teary-eyed and nodded, sniffling as he looked down. Joel pat his shoulder and smiled softly, holding back his own tears.

"I know, Papá." Y/N replied. "I know."

• • •

Y/N LEANED AGAINST the side of the truck, looking into the field and at the mountain view ahead. The young man had his arms crossed and allowed the breeze to hit his face.

He wallowed in his thoughts. Despite the calming moment he was having to himself, the thoughts of what happened continued to replay in his head. Taking out all those Fireflies...killing Mike and Marlene...Brent.

They were close to Jackson. Y/N kept thinking about Jane and her mom during their drive there. What was he going to tell them? He felt like he had to say something. He had to let them know about Brent's fate.

But could he do it? Could he tell the truth? What could they say? What would they think of him? Those questions popped into his head as he recalled his late friend's final words to him.

I'm not letting a monster near my sister...

Is that what he was? A monster? Was he and his dad both monsters? His purpose was to be the hero...achieve his goal and better the world. But maybe he was actually the villain for damning it.

But as he continued to think...he realized that he wasn't. His true purpose was his family...and Ellie became part of it. In fact, Y/N and Joel did save the world...

It was just that she was their world. The world...was that girl.

Y/N didn't regret what he did. In turn, he'd have to be honest about what happened and tell Jane the truth.

Maybe she would understand...but that was just pure optimism at that point. Still, bringing her some sense of closure is what mattered...even if it cost him his relationship. That's how much he cared about her.

The slamming of the truck's hood snapped Y/N out of his thoughts. Joel dusted off his hands and spoke to him and Ellie, who was sitting in the driver's seat.

"Well, she got us close enough. We gotta walk the rest of the way. Probably about a five-hour hike...but we can manage that. Remember?"

Ellie recalled their trips last year from Boston to Bill's Town. The girl feigned a smile.

"Yeah." She replied.

Ellie got out of the car. Joel saw Y/N still looking at the field and called out.

"Let's go, mijo."

Y/N looked back and nodded. He slung on his pack and crossbow and followed them into the forest.

It had been hours into their trek. There was small talk here and there but was mostly quiet throughout.

Most of the conversations were between the Millers with Ellie usually nodding or giving a simple one-word response to what they had to say. The two men were the most cheery while the girl seemed stoic.

"You know, Y/N and I used to hike with Sarah like this all the time." Joel spoke, turning to Ellie. "I wouldn't say it was her favorite thing...not as much him."

Y/N chuckled. "I loved walks through places like this. Felt like I was an explorer."

"Yeah, he didn't mind the mosquitoes and such. Sarah wasn't a big fan of it. But she was a big
climber...or scampering. That's probably the right word." Joel continued telling Ellie. "That girl...she'd see a big rock, and just...pew. She woulda liked you. Not to say the two of you are the same. Definitely different kids."

"How so?" Ellie finally replied.

"Well, she was a lot more...I wanna say girly..." He quickly turned to her. "And I'm not sayin'
that you're not girly."

"I'm not."

"Yeah, you're not. So that." Joel turned back around and chuckled. "She was taller. She had a killer smile." He quickly tuned to Ellie once more. "Again, not sayin' that you don't."

Ellie didn't mind the remark. They kept walking as Joel continued.

"But you know why I think she'd like you?"

"Why?" She asked.

"'Cause you're funny. I think you would've made her laugh."

The young man beside them agreed. He turned to Ellie as he held one strap of his pack.

"Probably one of the funniest people I know." He complimented her. "She was big on humor. You two would've been like two peas in a pod."

Ellie simply nodded. Joel smiled and looked ahead.

"Anyway, I bet you would've liked her back." He told her.

"Yeah, bet I would've."

The trio continued their walk through the woods and up the hill. They made it to a cliff that gave a view of the mountains and river ahead. In the distance was the town of Jackson.

"There ya go." Joel said. "Not much further now."

Joel and Y/N continued forward. Ellie stopped for a moment and called out to them.

"Hey, wait."

The two men turned around. She kept quiet and muttered to herself.

"Fuck."

They wondered what was on her mind. Ellie stepped up to them but took a second before speaking.

"Back in Kansas City, you asked me about the first time I killed someone." She began, sniffling. "When I got bit in the mall, I-I wasn't on my own. My best friend was there and she got bit, too. We didn't know what to do, and she says, We can just wait it out...be all poetic and just lose our minds together. And then she did. And I had to..."

Ellie stopped. Y/N's gaze softened after hearing the teenager's story, feeling empathy that she had to kill her best friend. Different circumstances, obviously, but he felt for her nonetheless.

"Her name was Riley...and she was the first to die." She added. "And then it was Tess. And then Sam."

"That's not on you." Y/N replied.

"I know, but—"

"I struggled...a long time with surviving." The young man interjected. "But you just gotta find that one thing to keep you going...that purpose."

Joel agreed, touching the watch on his wrist. He nodded and looked at Ellie.

"Look, sometimes things don't work out the way we hope. You can feel like...like you've come to an end...and you don't know what to do next." Joel said. "But if you just keep goin'...you find something new to fight for."

He can tell by her expression that what he was saying still didn't offer Ellie the reassurance she wanted. He continued.

"And maybe that's not what—"

"Swear to me." Ellie interjected, stopping Joel and looking him directly in the eye. "Swear to me that everything you said about the Fireflies is true."

Joel closed his mouth, taking a quick inhale and staring back at her. The man nodded.

"I swear."

Ellie looked to Y/N next, trying to see if Y/N had any reaction to his father's response. If Joel wasn't truthful...maybe Y/N would be more honest.

The young man had the same expression. Unlike his father, he didn't nod and simply responded with a calm and collected look.

"I swear."

With both Millers, both men she now considered her guardians...both men she trusted with her life, promising her that what they said had happened back in Utah was true, she took it.

Although there was still lingering doubt in her mind...Ellie accepted it. The teenager stayed quiet for a moment, looking down before ultimately nodding as she looked back at them.

"Okay."

• • •

TOMMY HAD BEEN informed of people coming toward the gates. Nobody has stumbled upon the settlement for weeks, so he had an inkling of who they could be.

He joined a few others at the doors and upon them being opened, his suspicions were confirmed. Before him were his older brother, his nephew, and the girl they were traveling with.

"Jesus..." Tommy breathed out and went over to embrace Joel. He smiled and parted. "You got fucking old."

The smuggler chuckled and lightly shoved him. "It's gonna happen to you too."

Y/N went up and greeted his uncle next. They clasped hands which lead to a hug.

"Hey, Tío." The young man said and pat his back before separating. "So, is my little cousin out yet?"

Tommy laughed. "Just a few months left."

The man looked to Ellie next. She feigned a smile and Tommy grinned back.

"How you doin' Ellie?" He asked.

"Better." She replied. "Now that we're finally here."

Tommy didn't want to get into their business yet and ask about their trip to see the Fireflies. They had just arrived and wanted to immediately integrate them back into their new home.

"Let's go get y'all something to eat. We can see Maria along the way and let her know you're here."

Y/N had eaten with Joel and Ellie. They reunited with Henry there, who was elated to finally see them again.

The two young men strolled through the streets of Jackson. Y/N was on his way to Jane's place to reunite with her and Henry decided to join him on the walk for a bit, continuing their conversation.

He had told Henry a part of the truth. That the cure was only possible if Ellie died and that they decided to not go along with it and left. He didn't reveal anything about the attack.

Henry understood, which was a relief to Y/N. He thought his friend would be angry that now they didn't have a vaccine to eradicate the very thing that took Sam. But Henry knew what Ellie meant to him...and he felt like he wouldn't have gone along with it too if it was his brother instead.

"Man..." Henry breathed out.

"I'm sorry." Y/N apologized. "Guess...guess the world just has to stay the way it is."

He noticed Y/N's dejected state. Henry sighed and nudged his shoulder.

"Hey...maybe—maybe it wasn't a sure thing. What if they went along with it but it wasn't enough? What if they needed something else? Then she would've been gone for nothing."

What Henry told him was something Y/N really needed. It sort of justified what really happened. If the doctors would've removed her brain but nothing came of it, Y/N would've been devastated...and he likely would've still killed them all.

"Right." Y/N simply responded.

Henry offered more reassurance and optimism about their current situation.

"Look, we're here now. We're able to live and not worry as much. You got your Pops, you got Ellie, you got Jane...and you got me."

The young man turned to his friend, slightly smiling at his words. They had come a long way, from being preschoolers back in Austin to reuniting amidst the apocalypse. He and Henry both endured so much and he was grateful to have him.

"And you got me too, hermano." Y/N replied.

They saw Jane's place ahead. Henry decided to bid farewell and give him time with them alone.

"I'll leave you be then." He said. "Gotta go meet up with Diana."

Y/N arched a brow at the mention of the name. "Diana? Who's this special lady?"

"I'll tell you all about it later." He replied with a chuckle. "See ya."

Henry walked away. Y/N quietly snickered and turned back toward the house, stepping up to the patio.

Y/N knocked on the door. He was starting to get nervous as he thought about what he'd have to say. He already told himself that he'd be honest and let them know what happened to Brent.

Whether it'd be a part of the truth, a half-truth, or simply the whole truth...he still wasn't sure. His mind raced in those very moments of waiting.

The door opened and he immediately was met with the presence of Jane's mom, Ariana. The lady was in awe from seeing the young man.

"My God..." She gasped. "Y/N?"

"Ariana." He greeted her back. "It's great to see you again."

She smiled. "You're back. Jane and I have been praying since you left, and He listened."

Y/N nodded and smiled back. The older lady remembered something at that moment.

"Oh!" She turned around. "Hija! Jane! Come over here!"

Ariana let him inside. Y/N looked around, seeing everything the same aside from the holiday decor having been taken down.

He glanced at the counter nearby, seeing the family photo of Ariana, her late husband, and a young Jane and Brent. Upon the sight of Brent, he immediately looked away.

"Jane!" The woman called out again.

"I'm coming!"

The young woman soon arrived and came out of the hallway. She wore a loose-fitting shirt and sweatpants as if she was lounging around that day. Her eyes widened and was astounded upon seeing Y/N with her mom.

"Oh—" Jane couldn't finish her statement and started tearing up, covering her mouth.

Y/N let out a breathy chuckle. "Jane..."

The two walked up to each other until they met in the middle and embraced. Jane buried her face into his chest.

"Holy shit." Jane breathed out and sniffled. "I—I was starting to get worried."

Y/N rubbed her back before separating a little and kissing her. Jane started to ramble.

"I thought Colorado wasn't that far. Tommy said it would only take a week tops and maybe another to come back. I thought maybe—"

"Everything is fine. I'm here now." He told her. "I'm so happy to see you."

Jane smiled and planted another kiss on his lips. Ariana looked on at the reunion and smiled. She quickly remembered something.

"Mija...Quieres que le cuente la noticia? (Want me to tell him the news?)"

Y/N looked back and chuckled, wondering what news she was referring to. Jane waved her mother off.

"I'll tell him, Mama, don't worry."

Ariana smiled and started making her way to the kitchen. "I'll fix us up something to drink."

She left them in the hallway but Jane walked Y/N into the living room. He sat on the sofa and his girlfriend sat beside him. She reached out and held his hand.

Y/N caressed it with his thumb. It came as a surprise that Jane wasn't bringing up the whereabouts of Brent, but he felt like doing it now was the best time. He let out a quiet sigh.

"Jane..." He muttered lowly.

"I have something to tell you." She interjected, seemingly not hearing him. "The news my Mom wanted to rob me of sharing."

The young man stopped and allowed Jane to say what she wanted to say. The twenty-one-year-old looked down at their joined hands and softly laughed.

"I'm pregnant." She revealed, looking up at him and smiling.

Y/N felt like he misheard, but that was exactly what she said. He simply couldn't believe it.

"What?" He asked, to which she simply nodded.

"You heard me. Found out about a couple of weeks after you left. I'm...I'm about nine weeks now."

He started to realize that by the timeframe, it meant their unborn child was conceived the night before he left on the trip. It still came as a shock and it took a moment for him to process it.

"Uh..I—Um..." He stammered before ultimately letting out a laugh. "My God. I...really?"

"Really." She replied with a smile, her eyes now watering. "I was scared at first...because I wasn't sure if you'd be back. But now you're here...and I'm so happy...because they'll be able to see and be with their daddy."

Those words made Y/N's heart swell. His feeling of shock was now replaced with joy and excitement. He had a big smile on his face.

"And they'll have a great mother...and an amazing one."

Jane smiled and leaned in to kiss Y/N. The two embraced and Ariana finally came in with their beverages. She smiled at the sight.

"Oh. Did I miss the reveal?" She shook her head. "Damn it."

She put down the tray and sat with the young couple. The two parted and there were still smiles all around.

"So..." Jane began. "What did you want to tell me?"

Jane did hear him before she ended up breaking the news to Y/N. At that moment, Y/N's grin slowly fell. He realized that now he had to tell them about Brent.

"Uh..." Y/N began, leaning over and resting his elbows on his knees.

Ariana and Jane both noticed the young man's now crestfallen state and wondered what caused it. Y/N let out a sigh, reaching into his pocket and taking out a Firefly pendant...Brent's pendant.

Y/N looked down at it in his hand, reading the name of his late friend on it. The young man still needed to decide what exactly to tell them...and how. He closed his fist and slowly inhaled.

"It's about Brent..."

• • •

IT'D BEEN A few weeks since their return to Jackson. The community had been thriving and its people continued living as they did...in safety and solidarity.

Ellie sat in her swivel chair at her desk as she sketched into her journal, which had been given to her by Joel.

The room she was in was rather simple, consisting of a bed, a nightstand, a desk, and a lamp. She did have other things to liven up her abode though, such as a couple of posters on the wall to go with her own drawings and some LED lights. There was also one other thing...a guitar leaning by the wall.

She glanced out the window, the light of the moon outside lighting her desk. She was listening to music through her headphones and Walkman, consisting of tracks by Coldplay. She had gotten a tape containing a few of the songs from Y/N, who loved the band.

Ellie kept sketching, not noticing the arrival of someone who had just entered her room. She was oblivious to it until she felt a nudge, startling her.

"Crap." She reacted and took off her headphones, turning and seeing Y/N. "You scared the shit outta me."

Y/N chuckled. "Sorry, Els. Didn't mean to."

"It's okay." She said, waving it off.

She turned her chair and leaned against the desk. There was an awkward pause before the girl spoke again.

"What's up?"

Y/N looked toward her bed, standing beside it, and instinctively flattened out some of the creases of the blanket.

"Just...wanted to check up on you." He replied. "Uh...some of the kids were playing with water guns earlier today. Figured I'd see you there."

"I'm more needed repairing the wall over at the north side." She quickly responded. "So..."

Y/N nodded, remembering that she was indeed over there earlier assisting Maria.

"Right. Wasn't that girl...uh...Cat, is it? Wasn't she helping y'all too?"

Ellie simply nodded. The young man smirked as he recalled seeing the two hanging out recently. He felt like poking at it a bit for fun.

"She seems cool. Haven't gotten around to saying hello so maybe I can join y'all on that repair and—"

"Please no." Ellie chuckled. "I've been embarrassed enough."

Y/N chuckled back. He ended up sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Everyone is impressed with what you've done so far. It's not...bad to take a break once in a while. It's okay."

Ellie didn't respond, simply nodding and looking to the side. There was yet another pause before Y/N spoke again, this time changing the subject.

"You know how Joel just started working with the guards at the wall? Well, Tommy ended up pairing him up with Esther."

Ellie nodded again, continuing to listen to Y/N.

"I guess she decided to give teaching a break and get her hands dirty. What better colleague to do so but my dad?" He let out a chuckle. "You know what I think? I think Tommy's trying to get them hitched."

"Nah. Really?" Ellie replied.

"Looks like it. I mean, she's got a pretty good sense of humor. Jane could also attest to that since she's worked with her. Actually, I remember this one joke she had. Uh...it went like...hmmm..."

Ellie spoke up. "It's...uh, getting late. I gotta get up in the morning and continue helping with the repairs."

Y/N was a bit taken aback. He nodded and let out a quick sigh before spotting something by the wall.

"You've been practicing with that?" He walked over to the guitar that Joel had given her.

"Yeah, a bit. But—"

"Mind if I show you something? Really quick...just..." He picked up the guitar and went back over to the bed. "Jane signed me up for that little concert they're having at the hall—"

"A concert? You?" Ellie interjected and chuckled. "Don't tell me you're going to play that."

He softly laughed as he held the guitar. "I've...kinda gotten the hang of it since starting a few weeks ago."

Ellie nodded. "What do you plan on doing?"

Y/N had one song in mind. It was from his favorite band and being able to play it acoustically felt right.

"Wanna hear some of it?" He asked her.

The teenager agreed and sat up on her swivel chair. Y/N smiled, looking down at the guitar and beginning to play a part of Clocks by Coldplay.

Confusion that never stops
Closing walls and ticking clocks
Gonna come back and take you home
I could not stop that you now know
Singin' come out upon my seas
Cursed missed opportunities
Am I a part of the cure
Or am I part of the disease? Singin'
You are
You are
You are
You are

Y/N finished singing a verse and opened his eyes, letting out a quiet breath. Ellie enjoyed hearing the young man's song and was also surprised by how well his vocals were. She gave him a sincere smile, which Y/N reciprocated.

"Well..." Ellie began. "That didn't suck."

The young man laughed. "I'll take it."

He placed the guitar on the bed. Ellie rested her head on her palm.

"I'm sure everyone will love it." She said. "I really did."

Y/N simply nodded, genuinely appreciative of her compliments. He reached down and fiddled with his bracelet. There was a warm silence before the young man got up with a groan.

"You're right...it's getting late and we both need our rest." He said, making his way to the door.

Ellie fell back into her swivel chair, watching Y/N walking away before deciding to break the silence.

"What was the joke?"

Y/N fully stopped and turned around. "Hmm?"

"That joke Esther said."

The young man thought back at it and finally remembered. He grinned.

"Did you hear the story about the claustrophobic astronaut?" He asked.

Ellie thought about it for a second before shaking her head. He let out a quick chuckle.

"He just needed some space."

The teenager ended up laughing after hearing it. Y/N laughed with her, and yet again, hearing her guffaw brought him delight.

"That's so bad...it's good." She said.

"I agree." Y/N replied.

The young man reached for the knob, turning it, and opening the door. He leaned against the door frame and looked at Ellie once last time.

"Good night, hermanita."

The teenager softly smiled. That had been a name Y/N started giving her once they returned to Jackson. She knew what it meant, little sister, and was honestly fine with it. To her, Y/N was like an older brother, and she grateful for that.

"Good night."

Y/N smiled back. He shut the door and left, leaving Ellie in her room. She got up and took the guitar, sitting on the edge of the bed where he once was.

Ellie picked up the guitar to her chest and looked it over slowly. She rested it in her lap and with a smile still on her face...plucked a single note.