UNITED IN BLOOD
CHAPTER FOURTEEN  !

STOOD BEFORE THEM WAS Jesse Liu, who neither Ellie nor Danielle had seen since before they left Jackson and begun travelling across the states. Yet, there he stood, hands waving in the air as he explained exactly how he came to be in Seattle.

To say they were surprised was an understatement. The brunette internally breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the raven-haired man. While risking his life to follow them had been a dumb move on his part, she felt grateful that he was with them now. They would need all of the firepower that could gather if they were to succeed in their attack on the WLF.

"Where's Dina?" Jesse asked of the pair the moment realised that the dark haired girl was not with them.

The Williams girl's voice stalled as she attempted to wrack her brain for a believable excuse for Dina's absence. "She's safe. She's just sick."

"What kind of sick?"

At his question, Ellie simply sighed in response. "She's fine."

"Yeah, it's just the shift in weather that has her feeling so ill." Danielle jumped into the conversation, providing excuses as to why Dina wasn't with them. If she didn't tell Ellie the truth about Dina's situation, she sure as hell wasn't about to tell Jesse. "I guess her body isn't equipped to handle the dramatic change."

The nearby soldiers that had been pursuing the two girls began calling out to their friends stationed in the street at the front of the building. "Fan out! They went that way."

"Christ, there's a lot of them." With their weapons raised, the three skulked through the run down house while their senses became sharpened. The idea of running into a rogue soldier wasn't exactly ideal.

As the trio ambled along, it became apparent that Jesse was more injured than either Ellie or Danielle had initially thought as his left foot let out a continuous resounding thud against the ground, his body struggling to carry distribute his weight correctly due to his injury. Ellie examined her friend with the slightest smidge of worry. "Hey, how hurt are you?"

"I'll be okay." Jesse brushed off the auburn-haired girls concern with a wave of the hand before his eyes fell upon Danielle who stood off to the side looking completely on edge. "Your friends out there rushed me. No warning, no nothing."

"I wouldn't exactly call them her 'friends'." The auburn-haired Williams girl quickly and quietly said, her voice growing fainter halfway through as if she realised she had just defended Danielle. Their relationship hadn't reached the point of randomly defending each other, had it?

The thinly veiled defence from Ellie didn't go unnoticed by the brunette who shifted her focus back to Jesse in order to hinder her growing smiles progress. Now wasn't the time to rejoice. "Yeah, they're more of a 'shoot first and not even bother to ask questions later' kind of people."

"Tell me you didn't come alone." Ellie pleaded with him though as she knew Jesse all too well, she was already certain of his answer. She loved Jesse but his carefree personality would get him into hot water someday.

Jesse glanced her way briefly before stating, "Give me shit about it later."

The redheads eyes almost rolled into the back of her head at her friends' antics. "You're a fucking idiot, you know that, right?"

"Yeah." Jesse chuckled, crouching down by a boarded up window, peaking out through the small crack. He was followed closely by Ellie and Danielle who kneeled down beside him. "Alright, see that truck?"

Both girls shifted their gaze to focus on a greyish blue, two door pickup truck that sat off in the distance. What they also noticed was the soldiers that were stationed nearby as they searched for the 'trespassers'.

Ellie's pupils shook as she gaped at her raven-haired friend with a look that could only be described as stupefied. Surely he couldn't mean what she thought he meant, right? "That's your plan?"

"We need to get some distance."

As the Jeon man spoke, never had Danielle heard something so preposterous in her entire life. Ellie wanting to go after the WLF in their home turf, crazy yeah. Dina tagging along even though she knew she was pregnant? Confusing as hell but stealing a vehicle from soldiers while they patrolled the area? Some part of the medic was sure Jesse had been dropped on his head as a baby.

"And you want us to steal their truck from right under their noses? How the hell are we supposed to do that?" Her voice was quiet was fierce as she stared at Jesse who didn't seem phased by her reaction at all.

"Oh, ye of little faith." Jesse smirked before he shuffled on ahead, never taking his eyes off of the WLF that prowled around just outside the house.

"Please tell me you know how to drive." The brunettes gaze fell upon Ellie as she whispered to the freckled girl. Jesse didn't exactly evoke much confidence within Danielle and his devil may care attitude didn't help the situation. "I don't trust Jesse behind the wheel of a car."

The look of genuine fear in Danielle's eyes almost made Ellie not want to answer her but alas she settled for a reluctant, "Just don't think about it."

"So you don't." The brunette practically whimpered in defeat. If they somehow got past the guards, she would be putting her life in the hands of Jesse and that hadn't exactly been on her list of things to do that day. The Linden girl internally groaned in frustration at her situation while following closely behind the auburn-haired Ellie.

The trio ducked out of view as they exited the building, falling down behind some already placed barriers that helped in concealing them from the nearby soldiers who chatted amongst themselves. "What the hell are we searching for?"

"Trespassers." The female soldier replied, her voice stern and cold.

The man was evidently angry at the mess of the city the girls had made as he growled out his reply. "This shit again? We need more guys by the fucking walls."

"Preaching to the choir, man."

Danielle watched as Ellie and Jesse jumped out at the two soldiers, attacking and killing them before they could even lift a finger to retaliate. As the bodies hit the grass, Danielle moved up ahead and crouched down out of sight of an incoming soldier.

"Hey, got anything?" Danielle remained ducked down, her grip on her knife tightening as the soldier got inched closer and closer, the gravel crumbling under his foot. "Mila?"

The male soldier rounded the corner just as the brunette hopped to her feet, her weapon poised and ready to swipe at the man.

"Shit, it's the tres—" before he could utter another word of alert anyone of their existence, Danielle jammed her knife deep into his throat, her hand twisting the blade slightly before yanking it back out causing blood to spray everywhere.

"Nice work." Ellie muttered to the brunette as she walked up beside her, wiping away the blood that covered the serrated blade of her knife onto her jeans. Her eyes never met Danielle's as she spoke nor did they meet afterwards as if the redhead was deliberately avoiding eye contact.

An appreciative smile pulled at the Linden girls lips. "You too."

"I'll get the keys." Jesse called out of the two girls, the man rushing over to the corpse of one of the soldiers. His hands dug deep into the pockets before he proudly brandished a set of keys.
"I got them, let's go! Get in!"

The three hopped into the vehicle, all of them tightly squeezed into the two seater truck. The engine rumbled weakly as it turned over again and again, the noise capturing the attention of WLF that had been canvassing the nearby area.

"Jesse, get us the fuck out of here!" Ellie yelled out as she whipped out her pistol, shooting at the soldiers who were approaching the car at the speed of light.

With only a few bullets left in her weapon, Danielle made ever shot count as she fired at the legs of the soldiers. The cries of men and women plummeting to the ground, clutching at their bleeding gunshot wounds filled the air as the truck still refused to start.

The strangled yells of Jesse caused the girls heads to turn, their eyes falling upon a man who had his arms tightly wrapped around the raven-haired man's throat. With not a moment to lose, Danielle jumped into action, plunging her knife into the man's cheek and retracting just as the man cried out in pain, releasing his hold on Jesse.

The engine finally roared itself to life allowing Jesse to swiftly change the gears before putting his foot on the gas pedal. The truck peeled of the neighbourhood road just as a huge armoured vehicle came crashing into the scene.

It was a race for the ages as the huge vehicle continuously slammed into the side of the truck, causing all three of them to tumble around the car. Jesse was beginning to lose control of the wheel, the man unable to keep from colliding with nearby tree branches that hung low.

"Ellie! Take out the driver!" The Liu man demanded of his friend, his hands gripped onto the rubber covered steering wheel, weaving the vehicle around the plethora of cars and trees to the best of his ability.

With her gun now free of ammunition, Danielle grabbed Jesse's pistol that stuck out of a holster strapped to the side of his pants. It was heavier make than she was used to but with no time to dwell on it, she gripped the weapon with all the strength she could muster and began firing at the tires of the nearby cars that attempted to get in their way.

The large vehicle suddenly swerved out of the way as Ellie fired a single round right into the drivers head, sending brain matter right into the face of the man in the passenger seat. The vehicle collided with a nearby tree, almost wrapping itself around the trunk.

In the mayhem of it all, Jesse lost control of the wheel just in time for their truck to slam right into a telephone pole, shattering the windshield completely. Had it not been for the tattooed arm that was pressed against her chest, Danielle would have went flying headfirst into the dashboard.

The cries of infected filled the air as Jesse began to kick at the windshield, desperately trying to pop it from its frame. Thankfully, it removed after a few kicks which allowed the trio to see in front of the vehicle once more.

Jesse kicked the truck into reverse just as the screams of infected became louder. They rushed at the car with animalistic intentions, teeth snapping harshly and their fingers desperate to tear at whatever flesh they could.

"Fuck!" Ellie cried out as she struggled against a runner that had grabbed at her through the opened car door window.

Danielle was quick to jab her knife, that had been more useful during their escapades throughout Seattle than her entire time with the WLF, right into the skull of the infected. The sharp blade pierced past the rotted skin and softening bone, coming into direct contact with the infected's brain.

The auburn-haired girl quickly shook herself free of the infected, pushing open the car door as its dead body still hung from the window. The car door slammed into an out of use car causing the entire thing to go flying off the hinges.

A mass of infected appeared from the tree line, blocking their way forward. With no other option, they drove through the swarm which immediately caused the lodging of a clicker right into the broken windshield. It clawed and swiped at the trio, its body completely blocking their line of sight.

The vehicle darted through the overgrown trees, plummeting down a hill at such a fast pace that it was impossible to stop. Ellie fired bullet after bullet at the clicker, the darkened, dead blood flying all over and splattering across their faces.

Danielle cried out as the truck made impact with a large body of water. The weight of the vehicle sent it sinking into the ravine fast causing their entire bodies to become submerged. Jesse grabbed at Danielle, who in turn grabbed at Ellie and began swimming up through his window as the truck sunk down deeper.

Their legs kicked, their hands pushed wildly until their all resurfaced above the water, gasping as oxygen filled their lungs once again. Their bodies collapsed to the ground once they made it to shoreline.

"You okay?" Ellie asked the pair once they were reached the riverbank.

"Never better." Jesse weakly replied as he coughed up water.

"That was fucking insane." The Linden girl declared as she continued to gasp for air. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins which she was sure was the only reason she hadn't passed out.

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ELLIE'S CLOSED FIST COLLIDED with the door of the theatre, rapping against the worn away wood to get the attention of the dark haired girl inside as Danielle and Jesse stood off to the side behind her.

"Dina." Ellie called out, hoping her voice would carry through the theatre. They couldn't exactly yell at the top of lungs to get the Dina's attention, not if they wanted to make it inside the building alive.

The theatre door suddenly opened up, the wood crackling as it was pushed opened. The worried expression plastered across Dina's face was the first thing the two girls saw as Dina swung the door open, quickly pulling the two into a tight hug. This was the second time in a few hours that their bodies had been pressed up against one another, each time more awkward than the last.

"Are you guys okay?"

Danielle returned the embrace, her right hand wrapped around the dark haired girl as she pulled back to look at her. "We're good. How you feeling?"

"I'm okay." Dina nodded her head until she noticed movement through her peripheral vision. Her gaze shifted to land upon her raven-haired ex-boyfriend, who stood sheepishly smiling. "Oh my god. Jesse!"

"Hey, Dina." The Liu boy cheekily grinned, though it was quickly replaced by a grimace as pain spread through his side. "Ow."

Concern flashed across Dina's face. "Hey, you okay?"

Jesse swiftly brushed away any worry Dina may have felt with a wave of the hand. "Nothing a little sleep won't take care of."

"We should get inside."

"How'd you get past Maria?" Dina asked the raven-haired boy, glancing back at him as she followed Ellie and Danielle further into the rundown building.

"I had to sneak out." Jesse admitted to his ex-girlfriend as he ventured further into the theatre, making sure the door was shut right behind him. "My friends problems are my problems. I heard you're sick?"

"Oh, it's...it's just a stomach thing. Come on, let's sit you down, huh?" Dina was quick to usher Jesse over to the nearby couch, helping the boy remove his backpack so he could rest easier.

The scuffing of shoes against the carpeted floor caused all three to turn their heads, watching Ellie saunter off as her head hung low.

"Hey El-"

"I'll go check on her. You just stay here and take care of Jesse. Don't worry about her, okay?" Danielle said, stopping the dark haired Woodward girl from pursuing her best friend. "She'll be fine, I promise."

Dina reluctantly sighed in defeat. "If she's injured, don't let her say no to stitches."

"You got it." Danielle chuckled at the hands that were perched upon Dina's hips. She gave the pair a quick wave goodbye before setting off to look for the redhead.

Her legs carried her through the theatre and up the stairs, heading in the most likely direction the redhead had gone. And she was right as there, perched in a chair that was adorned with grey cushioning along the back and wheels upon the legs, was Ellie Williams. She didn't seem to notice Danielle's presence, or rather she was ignoring her presence, as she grimaced while the sharp needle she held between her fingers pierced through the flesh on her bicep.

The Linden girl relaxed her body against the doorframe, taking this moment of unawareness on Ellie's part to truly observe the auburn-haired girl. She was covered in grime, the exposed skin of her face was splattered with the blood of both infected and human enemies alike. Evidently, being submerged in water had done little to rid Ellie of the crimson stains that were scattered across her body.

Yet, Danielle couldn't help but also notice that even with the blood, sweat and filth that coated Ellie's figure, she was still so pretty. The freckled that were sprinkled across the Williams girls face still stood out amongst the dirt that had caked itself upon her. A glimpse of the red in her still drying hair, shined under the soft glow of the desk lamp that cascaded throughout the room.

To Danielle, Ellie was still really pretty and that scared her more than she thought it would.

"How you feeling?" Danielle finally spoke up, her voice coming out slightly hoarse which caused her to clear her throat once she uttered her last word.

Ellie didn't jump at the sound of her voice, which either meant she knew Danielle had been watching her or she just didn't scare easily. Her eyes didn't lift from the gash across her bicep as she replied, "I'm fine."

The struggle of Ellie's fingers as they held the needle stressed Danielle to sigh. She pushed away from the door, stretching out her hand as she lessened the distance herself herself and the tattooed redhead. "Give me that."

"Danielle, I'm fi-"

"Ellie, please don't argue. It'll be easier if you just give me the needle. I'm a doctor, remember?" Danielle stared over at Ellie, her palm now opened and flat as she awaited the needle.

"Yeah, it seems to be your only character trait." The auburn-haired girl finally conceded, gently placing the threaded up needle in the brunettes outstretched hand.

A small smile pulled at Danielle's lips as she kneeled down on one need in front of Ellie, her fingers expertly poised with the sharp needle. "Well being a hard ass seems to be yours."

"Touché." Hunter green eyes scanned the many features that adorned Danielle's face as Ellie attempted to ignore the painfully sharp sting of the needle pricking her flesh. "Why do you think she didn't tell him?"

"Who Dina?" Danielle's hands paused briefly before she resumed, shrugging her shoulders in response. "I don't know from experience or anything but pregnancy can be a really scary thing especially in this day and age and when you're not even with the father anymore."

The auburn-haired Williams girl fell quiet, truly taking in and attempting to comprehend the words that Danielle had just uttered. In such a short space of time, the brunette had become someone who just seemed to get Dina, someone who understood her in ways that Ellie could not.

"So you think she's scared?" Her voice was lowered to the point of near inaudibility that had Danielle not been seated right in front of her, she would have struggled to make out a single word Ellie said.

"Wouldn't you be?" The question was of course rhetorical. No answer was truly needed. Neither girl could truly imagine themselves in Dina's position and that's what made it so scary. The Woodward girl didn't have just one life to care for now and that was fucking frightening.

"I guess you're right."

Danielle was powerless to stop the airy laugh that fell past her lips as she finished up on tending to Ellie's wound. "That almost sounded like a compliment."

"Then I take it back." It felt weird to joke around with Danielle. Not bad, just weird.

"You're such an idiot." Danielle laughed out as her nimble fingers tied together the ends of the thread. "All done. Try not to rip these or else it'll hurt like a bitch."

"Sure thing." Was all Ellie said as she rolled down the sleeve of her shirt, the dark grey fabric falling over the wound and covering it up until only the smallest sliver peaked out.

Using her hands, the Linden girl was able to push herself up from the ground. "You should get some sleep. You're practically running on fumes."

"Maybe later. You can lay down for a while though, if you want."

Danielle closed up the small med-kit as she replied, her voice laced with a tone of slight surprise. "You don't mind?"

"I wouldn't haven't said it if I did, now would I?" The redhead sarcastically quipped with a tilt of the head. Her fingers were pulling at one another, twisting the flesh to one side until the bone protruded out. She seemed unaware that she was doing it.

"You're not funny." Danielle groaned out, her eyes rolling at the redheads words.

Ellie's eyes squinted at the brunette as she sat up in the wheeled adorned chair. "Says you. A lot of people happen to find me hilarious."

"Who? Jesse and Dina?" The brunette jokingly questioned Ellie, an impish grin upon her face. "Cause those were forced laughs if I'd ever heard 'em."

As she came to terms with the shared laughter that bounced back and forth between the two, Ellie simply sighed in defeat. "Just go to sleep Dani."

For the first time since they had met, the vengeance shrouded lens through which Ellie had been viewing Danielle had been stripped away leaving the auburn-haired girl to see the brunette for whom she truly was. A lonely and scared little girl, desperately seeking acceptance.

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jamielee's thoughts.
so i made the decision to give dina & jesse last names. It makes so much more sense from a writing standpoint. anyway i actually really like this chapter. we got to see some more cute-ish moments between danielle and ellie. I hope you liked it! :)