A/N: Hope you all enjoy this one, and let me know what you think of the ending, hahaha.

Ellie couldn't breathe.

Cold and desperate hands wrapped around her windpipe, blocking off her attempt to gulp for air. They were leathery, sick with sweat and blood, digging into her flesh with a vengeful hunger, she could almost feel the red imprint it was going to leave.

She found herself on her back, pressed into the fine carpet of the restaurant as beady eyes full of anger and abhorrent lust stared down at her. The eyes, she remembered them the most, and the feeling it brought, a fear that washed down her body like a great wave.

It threatened to undo her, and so she fought back, her hand reaching out for the machete again, as David continued his attack. Struggling, Ellie finally got a hold of the blade, and wrenched it from its place, and swung.

David fell over, blade sunken into his arm before it was pulled free, and swung again, and again. As each swing sliced into his face, throwing up blood and brain matter everywhere, a part of her was slowly regaining her breath, air filling her lungs, as David's horrent screams pierced her ears.

"Ellie."

She wasn't going to stop, not now, not ever.

"Ellie."

She had to stop him, she couldn't let him...

"Ellie!"

Even if she had to kill him over and over again—

"You're fading out..."

Ellie blinked and found herself back in reality, her eyes gazing at the mural of a deer on a ruined concrete wall. Vines and moss covered every inch of it, but she could still make out the animal in all its glory.

Turning to her right, Ellie furrowed her brows at Y/N, "Huh?"

Chewing at his bottom lip, Y/N sighed and gestured with his head, "C'mon, hospital is this way."

"Right..." Ellie ducked her head as Y/N turned away.

She didn't notice Joel watching her with concerned eyes...

The three of them had been travelling for a couple months, ahead of schedule. They had been pushing to get to Salt Lake City, ever since their ordeal with the cannibals. And now that they were here, so close to the end of their mission.

Well, they were all feeling anxious.

Ellie the most, it was her immunity that the Fireflies wanted after all...

"Let's go, kiddos." Joel gestured to them to follow.

They were on a highway of sorts, heading into the main part of the city. Wrecked vehicles, signs of overgrowth and greenery, nothing they hadn't seen before, here nature was reclaiming what was hers.

"Right behind you, Joel." Y/N said as he hefted his bag up behind his shoulder, groaning as he did. His hand had slowly healed since then, and yet it was still tender. A splint was wrapped around his index and was binded to his middle finger, locked in place together. "Damn it..."

"You okay?" Joel asked him, throwing a glance at his grimacing face, "Hand still giving you trouble?"

Y/N huffed, tightening his grip on his bag with his good hand, "Yeah," He had managed to treat it himself, he had experience in that area, Rachel had been a nurse after all. "Couple more days and it'll be back to normal."

"That's good to hear." Joel was relieved, very so. "You stay off that rifle till then, at least till it's healed fully. Don't need you going and hurting yourself further."

Had it been a different time, or his different self, Y/N would've snapped at that, instead he simply nodded and gave a smile, ducking his head as Joel turned away.

"You got it."

Neither of them acknowledged their other friend's silence...

Ellie, she didn't talk much, too locked up after what had happened. More in her own head, talking only when needed and even then it was short and cut. Somehow, Ellie and Y/N had done a complete reverse. Here she was, like he had been in Pittsburgh, and Y/N?

Well, he was the opposite.

Y/N was dressed in a new set of clothing, they all were. A plaid forest green t-shirt, jeans and new shoes. He had forgone a jacket (both Ellie and Joel had been shocked at this) content for the weather that was settling in. His arms were visible up to his elbows, the scars on his left wrist leading up the arm, they were quite visible.

The first one, the weeks he had escaped from the Chicago Quarantine Zone, a clean line that ran horizontally down his wrist. It was older than the other, nearly 5 years. But the second one, damn near half a year ago, was fresh and the red scarring across his arm was daggered and messy.

They were reminders, in a way. Terrible, damaging reminders that told a story or two. He was comfortable, as little as it was, to have them in the open.

At least with Joel and Ellie, he was comfortable being himself in front of them. On the way, he had changed, a part of him was reclaiming the cold vastness of his heart and freeing it. And he found that he didn't reject it, instead, he found himself warming up to it.

The old him would hate him right about now...

"You feel that breeze, huh?" Joel murmured, "I tell you, on a day like this, I'd just sit on my porch, pick away at my six-string."

Y/N laughed, his face bright and a smile glowing, the new him creeping out, "Old man Joel," He could almost picture it. "Playing guitar? I'll believe it when I see it."

Chuckling, Joel turned his way, "I'll try not to disappoint you."

"Oh, you won't," Y/N shook his head, "Just make sure to sing for us, make it extra fun."

Joel matched his smile, "No promises, kiddo." He walked on, peering back at Ellie who was content to stay in her own world, "You know, once we're done with this thing, I'm gonna teach you how to play guitar." She didn't speak back, her mind elsewhere, Joel understood. "Yeah, I reckon you'd really like that. What about you, Y/N?"

"Huh?" Y/N lifted his head up, his gaze having been focused on his book in his hand. "What about me?"

"Guitar." Joel said, "You feel up for it too?"

Y/N lowered his head back to his book, eyeing the newest drawing of Salt Lake City from a distance, "I don't know." He admitted, "I'm not really... Well, I got my own thing, you know."

"I know," Joel softened, eyes focused on him, "Think about it, I'm here if you change your mind."

Nodding, Y/N placed his book away and smiled, "Thanks, Joel. Really."

Even Joel could tell there was a change in the air, especially for Y/N. He liked it, he was glad to see the kid finally opening up to the fullest. It was a nice change, and to see it, truly? It was great.

These two kids, Ellie and Y/N, made him feel something again. Something he hadn't felt in a long time. A reason, something to live for.

He reckoned Y/N was feeling the same thing.

"You're welcome, Y/N."

The trio took to the wrecked vehicles and began grabbing any supplies they found, Joel heading into an RV as Y/N checked out a bus. Ellie stood by herself, gazing at the ground. Once they all met back up, and began moving down the highway again, Ellie spoke up.

"...I dreamt about flying the other night."

Y/N looked at her, an eyebrow raised, "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah..."

"Go on," Joel coached her gently, "Tell us about it."

Ellie breathed out slowly, and began, "So, I'm on this big plane full of people. And everyone is screaming and yelling 'cause the plane's going down. So I walk to the cockpit, open the door, but there's no pilot." She shook her head, hands digging into her pants. "I try to use the controls, but... I obviously have no clue how to fly a plane. And right before we crash, I wake up. I've never been on a plane. Isn't that weird?"

"Hmpf." Joel nodded. "Well, you know, dreams are weird."

"That's an understatement." Y/N said, "Had my fair share of weird dreams."

Joel turned to him as they pushed on, "Anything interesting?"

"Yeah, actually," Y/N had a dream once when he was back in the QZ. "So, I'm out at sea, on a fishing boat. It's completely empty, no one on board but me, and it's raining. I mean, absolutely pouring it down. And then I see it."

"See what?" Ellie asked, speaking up as she peered at him.

"This..." Y/N shook his head, blowing out a sigh, "This big fucking wave coming at me. I try to use the oars but I'm stuck in the water like quicksand, and no matter what I do, the wave hits me. And then I wake up."

"Have you ever been on a boat?" Joel asked him.

"No," Y/N said, a hint of sadness in his voice, "Always wanted to go fishing. There were a lotta boats in the Chicago QZ. Well, before they scrapped 'em all..."

Silence befell the group, and Y/N's happy expression crumbled away, replaced with an aching frown as his eyes lowered in haste.

"...Rachel was supposed to take me, before it all happened."

Right before the school fell, she had made him a promise.

She never got to keep it...

"Oh?"

Y/N had become comfortable enough to openly talk about her, but even so, the scar, the memory, it still cut him deep.

"Yeah, we were going to grab some fishing poles and go out to this lake nearby when the winter passed us." He looked away, deflating, "We never did..."

"I'm sorry, Y/N."

Y/N smiled sadly in return, "It's okay, Joel, ain't nobody's fault."

Back then, he might've added in how it was his fault. A part of him still thought so, but it was beginning to be overrun by the better half of himself. The one that was growing and finding the other half that had been buried for years.

The real him.

"Look at that..." Joel broke him from his thoughts, and the three looked up at the city as they found themselves on the streets and away from the highway. "Another city, another abandoned quarantine zone."

Indeed, wrecked and burnt out vehicles littered the street, and ahead of them were the iron gate and chain link fences of FEDRA. Climbing up onto the many wrecks, they found their footing on a bus, and in the distance, they could see the hospital as clear as day.

"There's that hospital the Firefly mentioned. C'mon, kiddos."

The three of them pushed on to the end of the bus and dropped down on the other side, now back on the street and towards their destination. Joel eyed a building not far from a metro station, as the rest of the street was blocked off by the usual wreckage.

"Maybe we cut through here, huh?"

The building was a large and open room, baggage and dusted clothing littered the station, along with chain link fences and a maze of metal gates left abandoned, and trees that were slowly but surely growing through the cracks in the ground. The place was a mess, like everywhere else in the world.

Looking for a way through, Y/N saw Ellie out of the corner of his eye, and frowned. She had taken a seat at one of the red booths in the centre of the building, legs locked, hands at her knees and face staring at the ground, a sullen but brooding look on her face.

He had to ask...

"Everything okay?"

Ellie looked up, pulled away from her thoughts by Y/N's voice, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Her cheery voice was put on and fake, Y/N would know...

"You just kinda seem extra quiet today." Joel commented, more to himself, as he turned towards her.

Ellie's gaze sank even further, pushing back into her seat, "Oh, sorry..."

Y/N rubbed at the back of his neck with his right hand, massaging his muscles. Ellie had been like this for days, the closer they got to Salt Lake City, the worst it got. He put it down to the Fireflies and the responsibility of her being the cure.

It wasn't easy being the saviour of mankind, he reckoned...

"No it's not..." Joel trailed off, shaking his head, "It's okay." He turned back to the room and his eyes were met by the glistening steel of a ladder up on the first floor of the station. "That ladder could work..."

Following Joel over to the wall, Y/N massaged his tender hand with the other, his gaze flickering back to Ellie, as Joel kneeled and held his hands out.

"I'll go first..."

Joel dropped his hands and looked at him, a question in his eyes, "Are you sure?"

Y/N bit at his lip, "Ellie's..." He shook his head, "She just needs space, to think. We're close to the hospital, and the Fireflies — It's a lot, Joel."

Softening, Joel nodded at him, "I know." He sighed, and held out his hands once more, "C'mon, up and at 'em."

"Okay." Y/N pressed his feet into Joel's hands, just as Ellie looked up from the ground and eyed the two, the grunting of Y/N pulling her out. "Christ." He huffed in a breath of air and pushed himself up, guided by Joel, and reached out. His good hand gripped onto the edge of the floor and he pulled himself up.

"Need a hand...?" Ellie asked quietly, walking up to Joel just as Y/N was about to--

"Fuck!" Y/N dropped the ladder, cursing as pain throbbed through his left hand. He turned, and looked down at Ellie's passive face, and nodded, "Yeah, please."

Ellie pressed her own feet into Joel's hands and he boasted her up. Grabbing onto Y/N's good hand, he pulled her up with him, and the two then grabbed the ladder.

"Okay, careful." Y/N grunted as they positioned it in place, as Ellie noticed something out of the corner of her eye. "Let's move this into — Ellie!"

"Oh my God!"

"Whoa!"

"Motherfuck—" Y/N grimaced, the weight of the ladder was shifted onto him as Ellie pulled away, letting go of the ladder and rushing off ahead, something attracting her attention. "Ellie! You son of a — Argh!" He steadied the ladder despite the pain, and gently guided it down to Joel, before taking off after her.

"Wait!" Joel shouted after them, climbing up the ladder. "Kids, hold on!"

"You gotta see this!" Ellie exclaimed, her eyes wide and her voice full of surprise and joy that hadn't been there earlier. She pushed past the shattered windows and a hallway, heading deeper.

"Ellie!" Y/N glared, rushing after her as Joel lagged behind, "I'm gonna — What the fuck?" He stopped dead in his tracks for a split second, before picking up his pace, he saw what had spiked Ellie's interest. "Hey, wait up!"

Joel huffed, jogging to catch up with them, "Damn kids..."

The two teens hurried through the building, greenery and nature present everywhere they went, they wouldn't stop until they came into contact with the flash of yellow and beady eyes they saw that had stared back at them.

"C'mon, hurry up!"

When they finally came to a stop at the end of the building, they saw what neither of them had ever seen before in person. The wall of the building was destroyed and left open, and standing tall before them chewing on some vines was an honest to god giraffe.

"You see this?" Ellie asked him, her eyes shining wide and bright.

Joel was surprised, but he walked to the animal gently, and held out a hand to it, before petting his calloused hand against its hide.

"What are you doing?" Y/N asked him, rooted in the ground as he could only stare back in wonder and curiosity.

"It's alright," Joel assured them, and gestured with a hand to two of them to approach, "C'mere, c'mere." They did so with a gentle and quiet grace, not wanting to disturb the animal. "Hey fella... C'mon, hurry up."

Y/N walked up to the giraffe and reached out, the pain in his hand forgotten for the moment.

"Hey, there, buddy..." His hand touched against the animal's hide, and he gently caressed it, as Ellie joined next to him, repeating the action, a smile on her face.

"So fucking cool." The giraffe purred back softly at their touch before it backed off, and moved onwards from the building. Joel watched them, a smile on his face that mirrored their own. "Aw, where's it off to? Here, c'mon, let's go."

"Slow down, kiddos."

He hadn't seen her smile like that in.. a long time.

"Hurry up! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

They followed on through the building until they made it to the roof, shoving the door open after Y/N and Ellie, Joel was greeted to a field of green and half a dozen giraffes all milling about in peace, unaffected by the world around them.

"Oh man... wow. Look at those things."

The two teens stopped at the edge of the building, arms rested on the crook of the roof's ledge, their gazes focused on the scenery and the giraffes that roamed the field. Joel joined them quickly, nestling in next to Ellie as Y/N stood next to her.

"So..." Joel began, hands resting on the lower wall as he turned to Ellie with a soft look, "Is this everything you were hoping for?"

Ellie looked down, her eyes breaking away from the scene nervously, before she nodded and smiled, " It's got its ups and downs..."

"You can't deny the view though." Y/N said, face bright and smiling, as he pulled his book from his bag. It would make for a great sketch.

"Yeah..." Ellie chuckled and turned his way, her eyes gazing on him for a moment with that smile of hers, it made Y/N happy, and then back to the field.

The three of them, through their long and tiresome journey, stood for there for what felt like hours, but was only seconds, before Joel peered off and headed to the door that led out of the building. But suddenly, his hand stilled on the handle, a thought rushing through his head, as he looked at the two faces that stared out into the distance.

Full of joy, happiness, a sense of innocence there that had been long gone in this world of theirs.

What if... just maybe...?

"We don't have to do this..." Joel stopped them as they walked over, holding his hand out to Ellie. "You know that, right?"

Ellie raised her eyebrows at that, before they lowered and shook her head in response, "What other option is there?"

"Go back to Tommy's." Joel turned his head, gesturing to out there, "Just... be done with this whole damn thing."

"Why?" Y/N asked him, a frown on his face that mirrored Ellie's. "I mean, after everything we've been through," Henry, Sam, David. "We're close to the end of it, this is it. Right? Fireflies make a cure, and we're done."

Pursing her lips, Ellie agreed with him, "After everything I've done -- everything we've done — it can't all be for nothing." She pushed past Joel and went through the door to a stairwell, followed by Y/N who merely peered at him, his frown gone.

Sighing, Joel gazed to the open field and saw that the giraffes had moved on. The last one looked back at him, staring as if it could see him from the distance, before lowering its head and walking into the trees and out of sight...

—

"Look, I know you mean well... but there's no halfway with this. Once we're done, we'll go wherever you want. Okay?"

Y/N thought that was good enough, but he caught Joel's gaze more than once. He didn't know what had caused the complete 180. But, he had changed along the way, maybe Joel had to...

"Well, I ain't leaving without you," Joel told her, reassuring her as they moved on through the building. "So let's go wrap this up."

"Me neither, Princess." Y/N chuckled at the mock glare she sent his way. "I've come this far, might as well stay with you well after we're done."

"That's a relief." Ellie teased him, smiling as she did. "Finally got you to stick around, huh."

Y/N grimaced, "No, n- no. I just — just couldn't leave Joel all alone with you," He teased her in return. "Besides, Joel still owes me a song."

"Haha." Ellie laughed as they made it out of the building and out into a wider depot, or a staging ground of some kind. "That he does."

Ignoring the comment, Joel instead focused on the area ahead, buses lined the place alongside white medical tents of FEDRA and abandoned military vehicles, "Well, this place takes me back."

"How so?"

Joel guided them through the area, picking up any supplies, "It was right after everything went down. I was in a triage just like this. Everywhere you looked you just... saw families torn apart. Whole damn world seemed to have turned upside down in a blink."

Nodding, Y/N pursed his lips and gently asked, "Is that after you lost Sarah?"

He struggled, but managed to keep his emotions in check, "Yes, it was."

"I..." Ellie trailed off, finding the right words to use, "I can't imagine losing someone you love like that. Losing everything you know..."

Y/N lowered his gaze to the ground, thoughts rushing through him, and they weren't good ones. He blocked them out, and simply sighed, "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Joel."

Joel turned to Y/N, his eyes softened and shining with thanks, "That's okay, Y/N."

They searched around the depot for a while and ended up with more supplies. Every little bit helped. Once they met back up, they headed out to the end of depot, only to stop when Ellie broke the silence.

"Hey, Joel." Ellie stepped up to Joel sheepishly, her feet dragging beneath her. "I got something for you..." She held out a photo for the man, and Y/N knew what it was. "Here. Maria showed this to me, and I uh... stole it. I hope you don't mind."

Of course, when the attack had ceased and Y/N left to his own devices, Maria had shown her the photo, not long before the outrage in the courtyard.

And now Ellie had it.

Y/N wondered if Joel would take it, as the man stared at it with some hesitation, before grabbing it out of her hand with his own with a gentleness that was new to him. He watched his face fill with emotion and hand shaking, before he hand pocketed it.

"Well," Joel began, "No matter how hard you try... I guess you can't escape your path." He nodded at Ellie, "Thank you."

'True enough...' Y/N thought as he followed after them through a wrecked bus and out into the main street. They spotted a tunnel and made a beeline for it. 'I thought running away was my answer. It wasn't...' He sighed, 'No matter what, she'll always be with me. For better or worse...'

Pulling from his thoughts, Y/N focused on the tunnel ahead of them as Ellie's voice pierced the air around them.

"This time it's gonna be different. I just know it."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"They're gonna be there." Ellie insisted. "The Fireflies, I'm sure of it."

Entering through the tunnel, the three of them spotted a group of infected not far from them. And because of Y/N's hand, and otherwise wanting to avoid, they snuck past them.

They managed to get through by avoiding them, runners, clickers, even two bloaters, had been unaware they were even there.

Boasting each other up, they climbed over a truck that blocked the way, and dropped back down on the other side, finally away from the infected.

"We're good." Joel assured them, "I don't think they can reach us now."

"Okay..."

The three of them pushed on through to the left hand side, the rest of the tunnel was flooded to their right high with water. They had no choice but to skirt the left along the metal vents that had collapsed from above.

"Watch your step, the water looks pretty deep."

"Hey," Ellie called out as they proceeded ahead, "That's what we can do once we're done."

"What's that?" Joel asked.

Ellie came to a stop at the end of the vents as Joel dropped into the water, "You can teach me how to swim."

"You got it."

"Oh boy." Y/N chuckled at that, "Now that'll be fun. Gotta make sure we get you some floaties."

"Floaties?" Ellie questioned, her eyes narrowing at him. "I don't need floaties."

As Joel went under water and out to the other side to get them across, the two teens focused on each other.

"I disagree." Y/N chuckled at her glare. "We don't want you drowning in a foot of water. Maybe a kiddy pool would be better suited for you than a lake."

"That's not funny, Y/N." Ellie's eyes hardened and a frown happened upon her face.

In truth, she wasn't really angry. More likely not willing to admit the prospect of swimming scared her.

And she probably did need floaties...

"Eh, it kinda is."

Minutes later Joel came back, dropping a ladder down for them to climb over the truck that was blocking their path. Once up and over it, they dropped down into the water, and immediately Ellie regretted it, much to Y/N's amusement.

"Oh -- It's freezing!"

They pushed through the water and made it over to a chain link fence and a gate, it was their only way through, given that the tunnel ahead was completely submerged in water.

Only problem was, the gate was locked.

"And another jammed door." Joel muttered before heading to the fence. He eyed an open space above it, and gestured to Ellie, "Alright. Gimme your feet."

Once Ellie was boasted over, she dropped to the ground and made way to the gate, only to be surprised as a clicker came shrieking out from the shadows.

"Ellie!"

Acting fast, Y/N pulled his pistol and fired at the clicker, killing it before it could latch onto his friend. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Ellie huffed as she moved to the gate and unlocked it for them. "It just surprised me. Man, I can't wait for those things to be wiped out."

Y/N agreed, if everything went to plan, which it hardly did, then infected would be no more. A world without them, what would that be?

Hell, what would it mean for him, for everyone...

They made their way through the room, ducking under fallen pipes and blockages in the way, until they came out in what looked to be a maintenance room.

And the ground floor was flooded.

"Great..."

The only way out was a ladder that was joined to the far wall next to them, but instead of being down, it was locked up.

Someone had to release it.

It didn't take long for Joel to swim through and find a wooden pallet. Ellie wasn't exactly thrilled but she had no choice, as Joel guided the raft her way.

"Hop on."

Ellie did so, climbing down onto the pallet as Y/N chuckled. She sent a middle finger his way, and it only served to boast his laughter. Quickly making their way over, Ellie climbed up onto the floor above and made way to the ladder, stopping short at it.

"Stand back!" Ellie warned them, and two men stepped back. The ladder released and Joel went for it first, as Y/N waited.

Unfortunately, the ladder came loose as soon as Joel placed his weight on it.

"Oh shit!"

"Wha — what just happened?"

Joel huffed, "Damn ladder broke off the wall."

Ellie peered down at them, eyes full of concern, "Now what?"

"We'll figure something out." Y/N reassured her, walking ahead of Joel as he carried the ladder. "Okay, hey what about over there?" He gestured to the way across the room, between where there should be a ramp, it was nowhere to be seen.

"That'll do."

Minutes later they were on the other side, finally back on track in their effort to get to the hospital.

Except... when they came out through a hole in the wall, they were greeted by the flooded tunnel that ran deep, and the water's current was at an all time high.

"Oh boy."

Safe to say, Ellie wasn't thrilled.

And even Y/N could admit, he wasn't exactly jumping with joy either.

"Just let me go ahead and you both follow my lead." Joel told them as he stepped down onto one of the many trucks that was high enough to act as a bridge.

"Shit..." Y/N looked down at the rushing water, before breathing in and dropping down after Joel. "Be careful."

"Right behind you." Ellie climbed down after Y/N, her feet clinging to the truck's side.

The three of them hopped from truck to truck, anxiety feeling the two teens as they tried their best not to slip. Y/N felt his fear of heights as he traversed through.

Coupled with Ellie's fear of the water, they were doing great.

Joel was the first to get to the vents, and jumped forward, grabbing hold of the rusted metal. He pulled himself up, and turned back to the others.

"Come on, Y/N first — jump."

Y/N shook his head, focused on the rushing water below. "I don't know..."

"I'll catch you if you fall."

"You better..."

Y/N took a running start and jumped with fear rushing through his veins. He landed on the vents, and breathed a sigh of relief as he moved away from the edge.

'Thank fuck.'

"Okay, now you, Ellie. I got you." Ellie jumped towards him and landed gracefully on the vents. "See, you didn't even need me."

Ellie smiled nervously, "Let's just get the hell off this thing."

At the end of the vents, their only way out was a bus at the end of the tunnel, meshed in between the rushing current of the water. It seemed to hold it all back, and it didn't look stable at all.

Y/N climbed down after Ellie and the bus groaned under their pressure, before Joel joined them and immediately the bus began to give way.

"Oh shit!"

"Ellie, Y/N, move."

They rushed across the bus towards their exit, a small platform that housed an open door.

Ellie climbed up quickly, and Y/N followed, reaching up as Ellie grabbed his hand. They soon turned to Joel, the man grabbed the platform and began to climb, and only then did the bus break apart.

"Joel!"

"Oh shit!"

Joel tried to get off, reaching out for the platform again as he was pulled back. But the bus couldn't handle the stress, and suddenly it collapsed causing Joel to fall backwards, and through the door of the bus.

"Fuck!" Y/N shouted, fear filling him as Joel was forced down. Trapped inside the bus as it filled with water. "We gotta get him out of there!"

Ellie barely said a word before Y/N jumped onto the bus, and she quickly followed him, dropping down onto the moving wreck. They landed near the door, and braced themselves.

"Okay! Open you piece of shit." Ellie raged as she dug her knife into the wedge of the bus' door, trying to dislodge it. Y/N pulled his own knife, and followed suit, jimming it free. "Here we go! C'mon, let's get your — shit!"

The bus gave way completely, and Y/N found himself slipping against the wet surface of the bus. "Fuck!" He fell backwards off the bus and splashed into the water with a scream of curses.

"Y/N!"

Ellie followed, slipping as the bus totalled over, screaming out as she did in desperation.

"Joel!"

Y/N smashed against the heavy current, propelled into the waves of water that battered them. He tried to breath, steadying himself as he swam upwards, raising his head above the water.

Through the gasps of air, he saw Ellie further away from him, calling his name in panic. And Joel, who until now, was rushing towards him and full of fear as he was carried downstream.

But it was all for naught, as the bus came lunging towards them in the current, knocking him off course and away from them.

He was sent thrashing in the opposite end of the tunnel, breaking against the high waters that pushed him down deeper.

The last thing Y/N saw was the busted water pipe that crashed against his head, knocking him unconscious...

—

"U-ugh — fu-fuck..."

Y/N felt something prick him in the leg, causing him to awake. His eyes opened, and immediately he puked up a ton of water. Gasping for air, he rolled over, finding himself on solid ground and out in the city.

His head was swimming, his vision blurry and seeing stars, and his mind a tumbled mess. While his head throbbed with pain, aching as he tried to gather his thoughts.

'Salt Lake... City. Hospital.' Y/N's mind fought against him. 'Wait,' he coughed hard, breathing for air. 'Ellie, Joel!'

He looked up with blurred vision, and found that the sun was still out, he had been out a couple hours, maybe more.

"You okay, bud?"

Y/N reacted sluggishly, his vision swimming as he pulled back, causing himself to groan and ache. He saw someone, guessing they had shook them awake with whatever that prick to his leg was.

He looked at the figure standing before him. He hadn't seen them, too focused on throwing up, and his vision hadn't helped. Still he turned to them, and blinked away the blurry mess.

Until he noticed it was a girl.

Christ, he had thought he was hearing things again.

The girl was not that much older than him, if anything he'd say she was about his age. She had brunette hair that was styled in a braided ponytail, and her eyes were deep and full of light.

Currently, she was staring deep into his soul.

"Who the —" Y/N coughed, pushing himself back as he tried to steady himself. "Who the fuck are you?"

The girl showed an amused smile at his hostile tone, and held out a hand for him. "I'm a Firefly — Well, kinda. Guess, I'm with the Fireflies."

Pulling himself to his feet, Y/N felt his heart raise. "You are?" His eyes widen, "Shit, we were heading your way, 'till that bus fucked us up. Did my friends make it to the hospital? Joel, hell you'd recognise him, and Ellie. Fuck, she's the whole reason we're here. You need her for — for..."

The girl held her hands out, gesturing him to sit down, "Whoa, whoa, sit down and take a breather. You just puked up a hell of a lotta water." He did as she said, slowly lowering himself to the ground. "That's better."

"Okay." Y/N muttered. "Did they tell you to find me? They're okay?"

She stopped him, holding a hand up. "They're fine, they both are. And no, they didn't tell me to find you." Y/N frowned at that. "They were still... out of it, last I checked. I actually found you by accident."

"Huh." Y/N held his hands to his knees, calming himself. "Thank God..."

He didn't know what he'd do if he were to lose either of them.

Ellie was... she was his best friend.

"Now," She began gesturing to him to get up. "You got a name?"

"Yeah, yeah," Y/N nodded, pulling himself up, as he checked himself over. "It's Y/N. And you?"

The girl smiled at him, and held a hand out for him to grab, and he did so, if hesitantly, and stood up, as the girl answered with a smile on her face.

"It's Abby. My name is Abby."

A/N:Ohhhhhhhh shiiiiiit.