Mentions of child abuse and slight PTSD

Joel woke up the sound of a knock on the front door, he groaned sleepily and sat up from the couch.

He could see Ellie on the stairs, looking out the window of the door, completely frozen.

"You alright El?" He asked softly, Ellie couldn't answer.

He looked up at her, her eyes were on the glass, she looked like a deer in headlights, eyes wide and terrified.

He walked down the hall, unlocking and opening the door, a man was at the door, dark hair falling into his face as he smiled, something about that smile felt off, felt wrong.

The man didn't meet his eyes, instead he looked over his shoulder, at the petrified girl on the stairs, her breath quickening as the man smiled at her, that same sick smile she saw for four years straight, the same sick smile he wore whenever he got what he wanted, who he wanted.

Joel looked between the two, a scared faun and a hungry wolf, ready to pounce and have its meal, Joel couldn't tell what he was in the situation, a buck protecting his young, or a hunter luring them in until they were close enough for the shot.

"Hello?" Joel asked, the man fixed his gaze to him, keeping the smile.

"Hello" his tone was friendly, overly friendly "I'm David, one of Ellie's past foster dads, Marlene asked me to come talk to you" he smiled, his eyes drifted back to Ellie and Joel swore the guy licked his lips.

"Come back some other time, we're busy" Joel said, attempting to slam the door before David stopped it with his foot.

"I'll only be a minute" he smiled, Joel nodded and let him in, he heard Ellie run upstairs quickly.

David walked in, looking around the house.

"So What is it you need to talk about?" Joel asked, looking up at Ellie's closed door.

"Just a couple things about El" he smiled softly "I'm gonna assume her new careworker has talked to you about the usual stuff like allergies and mental health?" She had, and David was brought up more than once.

"Yeah, so?" He asked, leaning against the wall.

"I need to tell you the more personal stuff about El" he sat in the couch.

Joel sighed "don't tell me any lies, I know what you did to her" Joel said calmly, David just nodded.

"It's just one thing...she's a foster kid, she's a liar, she only wants attention" Joel had heard those words before.

He stood, walking out the house and stopping at the door "another thing....she loves praise"

his tone was sickening, Joel wanted to hit him, but that would mean Ellie would be gone.

And with that he was gone, the door closed.

And with that, his heart was broken, he could hear the broken girl upstairs.
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Gonna point one thing David said and explain it

1: "she's a foster kid, she's a liar, she just wants attention" this is one of the many excuses David used when questioned in court about his abuse to Ellie, implying that she lied about the assault (will be brought up in later chapters)