Claire's Point of View

The Pinnacle Theater was coming into view. Ellie hadn't said a word after what happened with Nora. The whole way back was dark.

I don't remember much during Ellie's brutal murder of Nora and making her spill on Abby. My body closed up, I couldn't hear and I couldn't see, a protective mechanism I've had since I was really young and found out my mother passed away. It's been happening recently with Ellie because time after time, something traumatic has happened with her.

We reached the Pinnacle. Her hands shook at her sides and she was hyperventilating — as was I. Shock and guilt consumed us, eating us and leaving no leftovers. There was not a part of either one us that wasn't disgusted with ourselves.

Ellie flexed her hand into a fist in an attempt to calm her nerves and stop the shaking. But it was no use, nothing couldn't erase what we just did.

Ellie was hesitant to knock as she brought her first up to the door. Eight consecutive knocks followed by a, "It's me," In the most shaky voice I've ever heard. For once, Ellie wasn't using her low growl or her voice of commanding. She was scared, lost, and scarred. For once, Ellie didn't seem like she could rip anyone's throat out on command, she looked like she regretted it. She was vulnerable, her heart desolate.

The door opened revealing Dina. They were quick to embrace. "Ellie," Dina said in a comforting tone before turning her head to give me a slight nod which I returned.

"Are you okay?" Asked Dina as they pulled apart.

Ellie nodded but Jesse disagreed saying, "Christ," At the sight of Ellie covered in Nora's vital fluid.

"Is that your blood?" Asked Dina.

Ellie ignored her question and just walked in with me close behind. As Ellie and I reached Dina and Jesse, the four of us now huddled in somewhat of a circle, Ellie pulled out the map. She began unfolding it, still shaky, "She's hiding out in the.. in this aquarium." She pointed on the map.

"Pier fifty-nine," I whispered.

"Okay," Dina nodded to us, slowly taking the map from Ellie's grip. "C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up."

She handed the map to Jesse and put her hand on Ellie's back, beginning to walk towards the stairs.

"I- I got it," Spoke Ellie, moving Dina's grip from her back. "C'mon Claire."

She held onto my hand and began heading towards the stairs. I said nothing, I just followed her up the stairs and into the room that they always seemed to operate in.

Ellie sat down, I helped her take her backpack and then her jacket off, "Are you okay?" Asked Ellie.

"Don't worry about me," I said to her in response as I grabbed a clean rag and used circular motions with it against the freckled skin on her face.

I went behind Ellie and grabbed the hem of her shirt. I started to roll her shirt up, she then placed her arms in the air thus making it easier for me. I stared at her bare back, thick layers of blood and gashes covered it. It must've been when she fell through the floor in the hospital.

"Hey what happened today?" Asked Ellie.

"What do you mean?" I asked as I gently rubbed her back with the rag.

"You called me El," She said.

"Oh," I said realizing I did call her El. "I guess I was caught up in the moment."

"Mhm," Ellie nodded her head.

I moved up to her neck, cleaning the dirt and debris off of her collar.

"Ellie should I-?" I wasn't sure if she was comfortable enough with me cleaning off her chest and the front of her body.

"Yeah," She nodded.

I walked in front of her, my eyes landed on hers as I cleaned down her neck and down onto her chest.

"I didn't mind it," Ellie spoke up.

"Okay," I nodded softly. "But I think we have something more important to talk about."

"Right," Ellie said nodding her head as she stood up and put a new shirt on.

I sat down in her spot, Ellie grabbing a new rag.

"You've seen my tattoo, right?" Asked Ellie as she bent down to my eye level and began to clean my face.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Have you actually looked at it? Like studied its detail?"

"I don't think we've had time for that El."

A small smile appeared on Ellie's face as I sprung on her nickname. I didn't even mean to say it, it just happened.

"Look at it now then," Ellie said pulling her arm up onto my lap.

"It's beautiful," I said running my fingers on the ink that covered her raised skin. "What happened though?"

"A chemical burn," Ellie said. "I purposely burned myself with chemicals. The chemicals created big boils and lesions that scarred."

"Why?" I questioned as as I caressed my thumb against her art piece.

"To cover up a bite mark," Said Ellie.

"Oh," I said. "The immunity."

"Joel my-my- my father figure, he-" Ellie was hyperventilating.

"El calm down," I said putting a hand on the side of her face. "Look at me, I'm here for you."

She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat and continuing, "He was a smuggler back in a QZ in Boston. He was assigned by the Firefly leader, Marlene, to smuggle me to a hospital to get tested and operated on in order to manufacture a cure."

"A cure?" I questioned.

"Spoiler - it never happened," Ellie said. "After traveling across the country with Joel and after nearly losing each other countless amount of times, we finally made it to the hospital. The operation was going to kill me. They didn't tell me this before I went under. Once Joel found out, he did what he had to do to save me."

"Ellie," I said holding her face, a few stray tears rolling down her cheeks.

"He killed everyone in that hospital," Ellie said. "The Fireflies disbanded after that, everyone began hating them since their promises of a cure were unfulfilled because of Joel and I."

"Ellie that's not your fault," I said holding her face.

"I was bit when I was fourteen," Ellie said. "The bite just scarred and never infected me."

"So is that what this is about?" I asked referring to Ellie's whole Seattle trip which I was sure wasn't just for sightseeing.

"I'm from Jackson, Wyoming," Ellie said. "Joel and I lived in the community since after the hospital incident. His brother and her wife run Seattle. But, one day Abby just- she-"

"It's okay, I know Ellie," I said nodding my head.

"Abby was a Firefly I suppose. She is a WLF and I know most of them are," Ellie was right, my family were Fireflies. "I think she is mad there was never a cure. Maybe a loved one died from an infected and if they had a cure they'd be okay. I am that cure."

"You're special El."

"Abby did what she did and.. I'm gonna kill her," Ellie voice was now blunt.

I stayed quiet as she began to clean my skin again with the dampened rag.

"Thank you Claire," Ellie spoke up.

"Why do you say that?" I questioned.

"For listening to me and letting me speak," Ellie said.

"Of course Ellie," I said.

After Ellie cleaned my face she sat next to me. I leaned my head on her shoulder, taking a deep breath.

"Claire," Said Ellie.

"Yes?" I sat up next to her, straightening out my posture and tilted my head to face her.

"After all of this is said and done, assuming we both make it out Seattle, you're gonna come back to Jackson with me, right?"

"You want me to go back home with you?" I questioned.

"I don't know if I'd still be alive right now if it weren't for you," Ellie said. "Especially back at the hospital you really helped me back there when they cornered me."

I placed my hand on Ellie's that laid on her lap.

"Of course I helped you."

"I've known you for what — a day?" Ellie laughed. "And I feel like we've taken over the world. We invaded then evaded a WLF base, we took out scars, Claire it's been too fast."

"Too fast for what?" I asked Ellie.

"To completely fall head over heels for you," Ellie breathed out.

Ellie instantly shook her head, "What am I saying I just-"

I wasted no time to grab Ellie's face and pulled it down to mine, sharing our very first kiss. As we kissed, Ellie shoved her backpack off of the couch as she pushed me down onto it.

I wrapped my arms around her neck, as she pulled away, "From the second I saw you, I knew I could never hurt you." She whispered softly.

***

i love ellie so much it's not even funny.

-bella<3

word count: 1510
EDITED